By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Mountainland Head Start is serious about wanting the
former physical therapy/clinic building located just north
of the once Central Valley Medical Center.
Susan Cowan, Juab School District, said she sits on the
board of directors for Mountainland Head Start.
"I wrote the initial grant that funded the program in our
area," said Cowan. "We do need a space because the area we
have been using at Mona Elementary School will no longer be
available to us."
The program is an excellent means of providing early
intervention in a pre-schooler's life. It is also a good
employer for residents of Juab County.
It provides enrichment activities that some children
would not otherwise receive, she said.
The hospital complex belongs to the county. It was
recently returned to the county after the new hospital was
opened. The non-profit organization operating Central Valley
Medical Center had been leasing the plant from the
county.
"We haven't decided what we are going to do with the
building," said Wm. Boyd Howarth, county commission chair.
"The facility was just turned back to us this morning."
The Nephi City Police Department had also expressed an
interest in using the physical therapy area for a new city
police station.
The building was not without problems. For example,
Howarth said some repairs needed to be made to the roof
because it is leaking in a few spots.
"That would not be a problem for us," said Cowan. "We
have a $30,000 grant to remodel a building."
The grant provides that amount of money for 2001 and may
bring that much more in another (2002) year, she said.
Remodeling the building will not cost the county anything
and, in addition, the pre-school program will pay for
insurance costs and maintenance of the building. Utilities
and heating costs are also paid by Mountainland.
"We would like a long term lease," said Cowan. "The point
is timing. When we, as board members, went through it we
were excited. It is a perfect location and has restrooms and
culinary water."
Space on the north of the building, the waiting room,
would be perfect for a classroom, she said. The other areas
would be ideal or various parts of the program.
The $30,000 grant will go much further in the remodeling
project because so many contractors, businesses, and
corporations donate time and money to Head Start.
"I was impressed with the program," said Robert Steele,
commissioner. "One thing I liked, in particular, was that
the program involved parents."
Cowan said the program required parents to volunteer.
"It is an excellent parent training program," she said.
The plan provided parents with skills needed to assist
children in learning readiness, reading readiness, personal
care, math awareness, and other educational devices.
Cowan said the Mountainland governing board needed to
know fairly soon whether the building would be available or
not. The program needed a new home this fall.
A portable classroom had been donated to the program by
Nebo School District. It had been hauled to the Mona
Elementary School site and was sitting there awaiting a
decision on whether to remodel it or not.
It needed a great deal of work to make it workable for
Head Start, she said. Restroom facilities would need to be
built and a water system would need to be installed.
"We already have bids on the trailer and what we do
depends on what you commissioners decide," Cowan said.
The county, of course, would retain the title to the
property.
The federal government does require a certain number of
square feet per student. If the physical therapy building
were made available to the pre-school program it would make
it so that the program could be expanded to include
three-year olds.
"One thing we do like about your proposal," said Joseph
Bernini, commissioner, "is that there would be no liability
to the county or the taxpayer."
Steele said the commission would be ready with a decision
within 30 days and would contact Cowan and let her know what
that determination was as soon as it was decided.
Other parts of the hospital building might be used by the
police department and might provide additional space for
other community and county programs.
The heating plant provides heat for the entire building.
That may be something the skills of city or county employees
might solve.
"We have no idea what is the best thing to do, whether to
building has value and can be used, or what it might be used
for," said Howarth. "We are just three question marks
sitting here."
So far, the newest part of the building, the former
clinic then physical therapy center, was the portion of the
edifice where most of the interest had centered.
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