Building Project: With 20,000 library books in storage & $20,000.00 spent on lumber - the other needed building material has been donated. Now we need 20,000 hours of volunteer labor donated by carpenters, plumbers, electricians, brick masons, and general laborers. The old Shadid Store was demolished by a County Crew - but the historical front wall was left in tact. Out of this rubble will come a library. When Greensburg lost their library, we set aside a collection of books to help them. We knew they had the money & means to get their library built - but they, unlike us, needed books. We could help with that. We need help with building the walls part.

This unique project offers the vision of both passing on the local past heritage while looking to the future. Many of the historical features of the old "Shadid Store" have been kept with the new library built inside the old brick wall. The structure is being built beside the historical Henry's Candy Factory. The exact spot of the library was the original movie theater for the town. That spot - set to be the library's courtyard - will provide weekly outdoor movies at the "Oceanfront Cinema". Also on the site will be the sustaining project - "The Treasure Chest" - a variety store. On the back of the lot will be "Grouse Valley Lodge" - a much-needed lodge for the town, also a sustaining project for the library. The main library room will have an upper loft that will have a 14-port LAN system to host an adult diploma completion program and will also be used by youth in after-school programs. A lower-level computer port will be included for those who cannot make the climb to the upper loft. Outside the huge back wall that will be mostly glass will stand a hand-crafted 25-ft. working lighthouse. Also off the back wall of the main library will be an all-glass room - a meeting room heated by a fireplace. The purpose of the glass is to allow persons who use the meeting room to enjoy the unique ocean-theme of the setting as they look out onto the courtyard. One purpose of Lighthouse Library is to provide education to local children and families who may never get to visit the ocean. Actual ocean artifacts will be on display throughout the project.

This is in part a memorial project for a local teen who grew up on the oceans in California and North Carolina before her military family returned home to Kansas. Jennifer Nicole Norris was killed in an auto accident on her way back to K-State. But mostly, Lighthouse Library is a needed library for the town! We need your help! eccresourcecenter@yahoo.com

The huge steel frame is already in place. This building project will provide a lot of unique opportunities and you can have a hand in developing a tourist attraction for Kansas. Dexter is home to the famous race horse of the same name, the place where Helium was discovered, the home of the O'Henry candy bar (Henry's Candy Factory), & the place of the infamous bank robbery of the Dalton Gang with the original bank still standing. The townsfolk did not want the original wall of the Shadid Store to be torn down, so we have found a way to save the historical wall. The lighthouse was shipped here from the East Coast & is solar-powered. We will need people to do landscaping all out in the courtyard portion around the lighthouse. We also have a huge wall where an ocean-themed picture needs to be painted. All materials are on site. We just need hands to work.

We have spent every donated dime & every dime that was raised on this project. We have letters from people clear across the United States who want to come visit when the project is completed. So many people have donated artifacts such as a leaded stained glass window of a lighthouse from a man in Wichita. All of those items will be on display as a cultural display in the library. The original door from the old St. John's Nursing School in Winfield, KS was donated. People have shipped old artifacts from years ago in Dexter such as a feed sac from an old grain company that was in the area. Those items of interest will be on display in the library. Lighthouse Library will be a historical & cultural center as well as a modern library with a great computer network. But first, we need walls & a roof to hold all of these things. Thank you.

Need to have some basic carpentry skills. Also have basic general labor needs. There is some rock/brick work as well. General laborers need to be able to lift items. Those assisting with rock work will load heavy rocks & put them into place. We need persons with roofing and siding skills. There is a lodge (a mini-house with a loft) to build. The foundation is done as is the floor. The rest needs to be built. The cabin & the small store have plans & a kit. The main library has a plan done with the help of a licensed Engineer. The library portion is ready to do the brick work & the sides & roof. The only interior rooms are two bathrooms & a loft. It is a big open space with trusses that are already set into place. There is a lot of steel reinforcement in place. There is also a long wall that needs the stucco taken off from it & a painting (mural) to be painted on it.

This opportunity is sponsored by: ECCRC

Volunteers will work with the following groups

Adults (26-54) Young Adults (18-25) Older Adults (55+)

We need volunteers who are free at these times

Evenings Weekends

This volunteer opportunity is available to the following types of volunteers

Adults (26-54) Large Group (11+) Adults (55+) Small Group (2-10) Court-appointed Unpaid Interns Individual Young Adults (18-25)

This volunteer opportunity addresses the following social interests

Community Development Literacy Cultural Rural Education & Technology

We are looking for volunteers with the following skills

Construction / Maintenance Painting / Wallpapering Landscaping

Contact Person:
Lynn Norris, Executive Director, (phone), (email)

View all agency contacts

Address:

PO Box 40 Dexter, KS 67038

Directions:

From Wichita, KS - go east on Hwy. 54 to Andover. At Andover, go south on Hwy. 77 to Winfield. At Winfield, go east 16 miles on Hwy. K-15. Address - 408 Hwy. 160, Suite B, Burden, KS.

Web Site: http://www.freewebs.com/eccrc/