ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, June 20, 1996 TAG: 9606200008
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: NEWPORT
SOURCE: CLAYTON BRADDOCK STAFF WRITER
Some old schools, like some old generals, fade away. They may not die, but they crumble, shed old paint, let rain and wind blow through broken window panes and leak into yesterday's aging classrooms.
If they're lucky, they linger in the memory of members of an older generation whose glory days - along with those of the school - are gone.
That includes the old Newport High School - struggling but surviving and getting better, thanks to the Newport Community Action Committee, which bought the old school in 1985.
Joyce Hoerner, chairwoman of NCAC's Building and Renovation Committee, knows a lot about survival and struggle - chipped paint, leaking roofs and broken windows, the kind of things it takes to keep an old school alive.
She ought to because she has been the general leading the charge to bring the old school back to life. It's a long way from the good old days, but its heartbeat is a lot stronger.
She knows a lot about hard work, too. She's had help, including a lot from her husband, James Hoerner, a member of the faculty at Virginia Tech. But Joyce Hoerner has done much of the work, sometimes playing general, sometimes doing grungy hands-on labor.
Although most volunteers and committee members are alumni of the school, Hoerner is not. She graduated from Hillsboro High School in Ohio and holds a master's degree from Florida International University. She is a trained nurse and a former administrator at Warm Hearth Village in Blacksburg.
"I respect and admire the people here, their roots, traditions and heritage," Hoerner said. "I am pleased be a part of it all."
The old Newport school and those who love it are looking to its future. The steps ahead are slow, but the pace is picking up for the NCAC, the renovation committee and supporters in this little unincorporated village in eastern Giles County.
The Board of Directors has much to feel good about. After all, the organization bought the old school for $25,000 and paid off the mortgage in 1988.
How does an old school - with a long way to go - look forward to tomorrow instead of yesterday?
First, there are those busy artists and other tenants who have rented eight second-floor former classrooms and four downstairs. Tenants - and other residents who have adopted space - have refurbished classrooms and other rooms like the former principal's office and the old teachers' lounge. They have painted walls and trim and done general repairs.
Theatrical performances, one a major school event at the school, returned when the Blacksburg-based Playmakers troupe performed June 1. Hoerner, her husband and a number of volunteers were painting the old auditorium and stage only days before opening night.
On other nights the cafeteria and auditorium are rented for auctions, craft shows, beauty pageants and other entertainment.
And then there is the rent that comes in from art studios, teaching classrooms and meeting rooms, rent now up to $75 a month. As soon as gas lines are installed, the artists and other renters will have heat in those cold winter days. No air conditioning is on the agenda for hot summer days, but new ceiling fans will help.
Hoerner and the NCAC are happy, especially with the $3,200 donated by businesses, banks, industries and residents. Most has come in small amounts from local organizations. What's missing is what struggling is all about.
All former schools in Giles County face tough times. But some have an advantage.
The former old Pembroke School is now an apartment complex. In Pearisburg, loans and grants from government agencies and community support have helped the Pearisburg Town Council renovate an old church into a new library and plan future renovation for an old town high school. It has one occupant and other space is used for classes and meetings.
The vision of tomorrow, quietly nurtured by Hoerner and others on the committee, is mostly a dream - one hugged but not yet kissed. Yet.
What would it take to change vision to reality? Financial support - in the form of approval for a specific nonprofit status - would help. The NCAC has applied to the Internal Revenue Service.
What would the NCAC do with financial support? There is electrical power, but the school's old furnace isn't functional. The school has only a meager supply of water because the village's aging water tank needs major repairs.
Although volunteers patched one roof in late April, another is in poor condition.
Most of the bathrooms, aging like other parts of the old school, haven't functioned for years.
If that's not enough, the NCAC has its eyes on a new mission, all focused on community support. The group continues to provide space for the Rescue Squad, and a sheltered walking space for residents.
Its mission will remain providing space for education programs, encouragement of the arts, maintaining and improving the existing playground, charitable and community enrichment, providing space for youth groups and town hall forums.
Long range objectives include providing space for developing diagnostic and treatment services by physicians and other providers, developing comprehensive health care services, planning an ambulatory care program and providing additional services to residents of the Newport area.
LENGTH: Medium: 96 linesby CNB