Clear  Lake  Area Community  Center

2019 at the Clear Lake Area Community Center

2019 at the Clear Lake Area Community Center has been a very busy year. New tenants, several new Board of Directors members, and new, or continuing projects and programs, have kept the place hopping. This community center, being the great community asset that it is, happens to be possible only because of the dedicated commitment, and efforts of our extraordinary compliment of volunteers.  Among those volunteers we welcomed three new members to our CLACC Board of Directors this year…Dianne Deitrich, Jess Fredericks, and Bert Petersen. Many thanks to each of them for stepping up and taking on the responsibilities related to running this complex organization. And, so the community does not forget the ongoing efforts of the rest of our board, we wish to acknowledge the dedication of Tim Wyss, Ray Cress, Melanie Lombardo, Virginia Cahow, Doug Cahow, and Pastor Dan Pearson.  Currently serving on our Advisory Board are Sandy Olson, Curtis Glaesemann, Joan Lillie, Wendy Koenig, Steven Kearney, and Bobbi Kearney.

Volunteering at this Community Center goes way beyond just serving on the Board of Directors. It requires a small army of people volunteering their time, skills, and resources. The following is an acknowledgment of the people who have donated their skills and intellectual assets to the success of this community center throughout the past year. None of this would be possible without them.

The Old School Thrift Shop operations: The thrift shop is a major asset in our efforts to financially support this community center. The compliment of dedicated volunteers working our thrift shop have invested many thousands of hours this year sorting, prepping, merchandising, and running the shop during open hours. Thank you Ladies! Each and every one of you. You are champions!

Bonnie Pierson

Janet Marlett

Sue Anderson

Phyllis Johnson

Bernie Mathewson

Kathy Bannick

Vickie Tryon

Making sure the books balance and the finances are in good order for an organization like the CLACC is no easy task. We give a hearty thank you to Mike Flaherty for his dedicated service as our volunteer book-keeper / accountant. Mike is in the office dealing with the money side of the business several days each week. Thank you Mike for your ongoing commitment to the business side of this organization.

In today’s world of social media getting the word out to the public about the community center, its’ programs and special events, as well as, keeping the public informed requires a special set of skills. Thank you Bobbi Kearney for your many hours each month invested in developing and maintaining our social media, web-site and making sure our tenants and partner organizations are promoted on our digital billboard. Your skills and dedication are highly valued and appreciated.

A special note of gratitude goes out to Neil Lillie for his countless hours on the lawn mower and behind the wheel of his snow plow this past year. Neil kept our acres of lawn mowed and all of our parking lots clear of snow this year. Priceless!

As with any old building this 1922 vintage facility requires ongoing maintenance and repairs. If we had to rely only on paid contractors or employees to do everything this building requires to stay alive the community center, as we know it, would not exist. The following people bring specialized skills, and a willing “let’s do it” attitude with them as volunteers making sure this building is in good working order. Throughout the year these people have found the time to help us keep the community center alive. Thank you one and all!               

Dennis Luehman

Tim Wyss

Ray Cress

Curtis Glaesemann

Dean Hollister

Neil Lillie

Jonathan Lindquist

Steve Kearney

Vickie Tryon

Joe Mara

Doug and Virginia Cahow

Mark Rundquist

Gary Hanson

Beau Aasmundrud

Jess Fredericks

Dianne Deitrich

Holly Hutchens

It is important to note that this year we made some excellent progress on community center projects. One major goal we achieved was to develop the event center main room to a point where the Clear Lake Community Theater could perform in that space. The theater troupe performed their first production in the event center space on the new stage this past autumn. The ongoing development of the event center space includes the upcoming projects of installing theater lighting and audio equipment. Thank you to all the local supporters of the event center development project! Your donations are instrumental in the ongoing successful development of this project.   

Another major improvement made this year was the installation of two new stoves in the community center kitchen. Thanks to a Compeer Financial general use grant in the amount of $2800.00 we were able to purchase and install the new gas fired stoves.  Anyone who rented the kitchen and dining room in the past and had the experience of lighting, and dealing with the old original stove will surely appreciate the new stoves the next time you use the kitchen here.

It seems that each year we are addressing a roofing issue with the community center building. This year was no different. 2019 saw the replacement of the flat roof that covers the back hallway behind the dining room, and rooms 107, 108, 109, and part of the thrift shop area.

In closing: Our goal at the Clear Lake Area Community Center is to provide you, the residents of the Clear Lake area, an inexpensive but safe, high quality place for trying out your ideas, and for holding family, business, and organizational gatherings and events. Many of you have taken advantage of this facility through the years to hold your parties, weddings, banquets, sales, and other special gatherings. Or maybe you have just used the hallways to walk in comfort during the cold season. And the cost to you has always been very affordable if not free. That is the whole idea behind this organization. We are proud of our accomplishments here and happy to make this community asset, and venue available to you. With that said we encourage you to step up and volunteer here at the Center. There is always something that needs to be done. Regardless of your skill set, physical limitations, time restrictions, or areas of interest… we can find a project or a task for you. Board meetings are open to the public and we welcome your input and ideas. If you are unable to volunteer, then please consider any size monetary donation. Again, many thanks to those who have volunteered, and financially supported the Community Center throughout 2019 and before. Your generosity is appreciated! We wish you all the best in the coming year and hope to see you again in 2020.