Programs at Community Building canceled for now
By Sam Atkins
Published in News on May 3, 2004 1:56 PM
All of the programs at the Wayne County Memorial Community Building have been canceled until further notice due to the fire on Sunday.
Neil Bartlett, director of the Goldsboro Recreation and Parks Department, said that the department will transfer the gymnasium and game-room programs to the two other recreation centers, W.A. Foster Center at 516 S. Leslie St. and the Herman Park Center at 901 E. Ash St.
The department started working on those schedules this morning and should have them established this week. The aquatic programs have been canceled indefinitely because there is no access to another indoor swimming pool, added Bartlett.
Sign-ups for the children's summer swimming lessons were supposed to begin today. The department expected about 300 children to participate in the swimming lessons this summer from all over the Wayne County.
The building only had one city employee, Allison Gireaux, who was the center leader in charge of overseeing the programs. She will be reassigned to the other recreation centers.
The building contained plaques with the names of Wayne County residents who lost their lives in battles dating back to World War I through the Vietnam War. They are made out of bronze and Bartlett is not sure whether they made it through the fire. He said it is still too dangerous to go inside the building to see if they are salvageable.
The building also contained an indoor swimming pool, a gym, a recreation room with pool tables and ping pong tables, and meeting rooms. The upstairs had offices for the Wayne County Youth Outreach Program and the community building offices.
There was a secretary employed by the community building, and Bartlett said he is not sure where that employee or the offices will be relocated.
"We are all very saddened by the loss," he said.
The events that have been canceled are all swim programs, including lessons and adult swims, the American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Course, game room activities, masters basketball and shiftwork basketball.