Feb 18, 2007 By Rebekah Sungala 4 min read

FRANKLIN TWP. – Franklin Township supervisors said Thursday they will move forward with plans to acquire the Curfew Recreation Center. The announcement followed a public meeting attended by about 50 residents, all of whom voted by a show of hands that the township should take steps to acquire the recreation center.

The recreation center, located in Vanderbilt, is managed by the Curfew Grange 1052 and is owned by the Pennsylvania State Grange, a fraternal organization dedicated to the betterment of rural America through community service, education, legislation and fellowship.

Township Supervisor George Bozek said several residents attended a township meeting about three months ago and presented the board of supervisors with a petition asking the township to “do something” about the recreation center, which has experienced ongoing financial problems.

Although legally owned by the state grange, the curfew center is financed with money generated locally and is $30,000 in debt.

Bozek said supervisors have been in contact with officials at the state grange and said, based on recent correspondence with the officials, that it appears the township can purchase the recreation center if the township will absorb the debt and pay $600 to cover the cost of an assessment the state grange paid for.

The $30,000 to pay off the debt and the $600 to pay for the assessment would come from the township’s general fund, Bozek said.

If the township acquires the recreation center, the Curfew Grange building, according to Bozek, would remain owned by the state grange.

However, Bozek said the supervisors will ask the grange for the “first right to refuse” the property if the organization ever decides to sell it in the future.

“This board firmly believes that this is Franklin Township’s, not the state’s. This is an opportunity for us to take control,” he said. “Your forefathers created this place, and they meant for it to be yours.”

Bozek said he doesn’t know how the curfew center acquired such substantial debt but said he’s confident that, with proper management, the recreation center could become self-sufficient.

The recreation center includes an outdoor pool, pavilions, a mini golf course and volleyball courts. Bozek said the pavilions are rented out in the summer, with people paying a fee to use the pool.

Supervisor Melvin Lerch said the recreation center, if owned by the township, could receive grants, and that supervisors could even take out a low-interest loan, if need be, to pay for needed improvements.

“The township can do a little more than the grange can when it comes to applying for grants and things like that,” he said, adding that funding for community projects is available.

Michele Lengvarsky, who serves as treasurer on the committee currently overseeing pool operations at the recreation center, said money would be saved if the townsip owned the property.

Lengvarsky said township property would be tax-exempt, saving $3,000 a year “right off the bat.” And, because the grange is a fraternal organization, Lengvarsky said the local grange can’t apply for grants the township would be able to apply for.

Supervisor Tim Franks said he would like to see the township acquire the recreation center to ensure there will be a place for children to swim and play for generations to come.

“I’d like to do this for the youth. They will benefit from this,” he said.

Bozek said the township currently “doesn’t have much” in regard to recreation, especially for the youth. He said the township currently spends about $3,800 a year on recreation and has one park in Bittner.

If the township acquires the recreation center, additional money will have to be spent, he said, noting that taxes may need to be raised by a fraction of a mill.

“It’s up to you all, whether you want to help this carry on or let it falter,” he said.

Residents who attended Thursday’s meeting said they would not mind if property taxes were raised slightly as long as the extra money generated was being invested in the township.

Having been given approval to move forward with plans to acquire the recreation center, Bozek said he and the other supervisors will meet with an attorney and begin to iron out the details with the state grange.

If the township does acquire the property, Bozek said the supervisors would create a recreation board to oversee daily operations.

Bozek said the acquisition process may take several months and told residents there still are several “details that need to be ironed out.”

He said supervisors would give updates on the acquisition of the recreation center at the monthly township meetings.