Mementoes sought

A group of dedicated volunteers wants former Five Mile students to come back to school. Or, at the very least, they’d like you to send your photos and memorabilia.

The 1939 school building, which closed in 1969, has recently been listed on the local, state and national register of historic places. It is currently being renovated by the Mead School District.

The Five Mile Schoolhouse Preservation committee is soliciting items from the community to establish a permanent exhibit detailing the history of the school and its significance in the community.

“We’d like to invite anyone who went to the school, or the two schools that preceded it, to share their photos, slates, report cards and other items,” co-chair Marcella Bennett says. “The school was an important part of the community that surrounded it and we’d like to illustrate that.”

C.K. Anderson, creative director of Anderson Mraz Design, says that when the school reopens in the fall of 2006, it will have a designated display area for historical materials.

“We’ll be able to take the photos, reproduce them and get things back to the owner quickly,” he adds.

Gary Lauerman, who attended the school before it closed, is a member of the preservation committee. “We’ll scan the images digitally and display the copies,” he said. “The originals will be returned safely and the donor will receive credit.”

When the building reopens, the committee hopes it will once again be a meeting place for families.

“That’s the whole focus,” says Ginny Butler another preservation committee member. “We want to show how much this building has meant to so many people.”