ATHENS — The Selectboard is looking for citizens to participate on a new committee to explore possible uses for the town-owned former elementary school, and to study what would be needed to convert the building into a suitable community facility.
One use of immediate interest, the board said in a news release, is for the town to use the facility “to shelter domestic pets during a catastrophic weather event, as well as serve as a cooling shelter for Athenians in need during a severe heat wave.”
The building might also serve as the town's emergency shelter for individuals and families who need to evacuate from their homes during an extreme weather emergency.
Finally, the board said, “such a facility is envisioned as becoming a general community center that the town's citizens could use for music, dance, and other social events.”
The Selectboard is hoping to fund this initiative largely through grants so as to minimize the burden to taxpayers.
Interested parties should contact Selectboard Chair David Bemis by calling the Town Office (802-869-3370), by sending an e-mail (townofathens@hotmail.com) by Thursday, Aug. 19, or by expressing their interest in person at the Selectboard meeting that night.