Armed with three sizable donations, the Community Involvement Task Force is nearing its goal to have enough cash in hand to paint trim around a pair of buildings in Iola’s Riverside Park.
The group’s aim is to paint trim around the tops of both the Recreation Community Building and the Iola Municipal Pool bathhouse to match the design of the nearby football stadium grandstand.
All three structures were built in the 1930s through Works Progress Administration projects.
The singular color of the rec building and bathhouse masks much of the art deco style, noted Tony Piazza, CITF member. The idea to spruce up the buildings came from Piazza.
The trim around the rec building will be painted blue and burnt orange. The blue will match colors of the nearby football stadium trim, orange the building’s interior wall color.
The pool’s deco trim will be painted two shades of blue.
Representatives from Community National Bank and Sonic Equipment Company presented CITF with pledges of $1,000 and $500, respectively. Iolan Jim Smith gave the task force with another $500.
Cost estimates for the paint have been pegged at $2,700 or more.
Both Sonic Equipment and Community National Bank have aided past community service projects and were eager to be a part of the park improvements.
“We’re always looking to donate to projects that help improve buildings around the community,” said Kasey Shay, representing Sonic at Wednesday’s CITF meeting.
Community National, meanwhile, found the CITF project a worthwhile effort in what is the bank’s 25th anniversary, said April Hawkinson, assistant vice president at CNB.
“We’re always happy to give back to the community,” Hawkinson said.
The group is working with the city to determine if Parks Department employees may help with the painting once the supplies are purchased, said CITF member Donna Houser.
