Tuning up: Volunteers help with Hamilton House makeover
BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 2 months AGO
The home of the Music Conservatory will be improved by volunteers this weekend and next.
BILL BULEY/Press
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | November 7, 2020 1:00 AM
COEUR d’ALENE — Financially, the Hamilton House was rescued to become the Music Conservatory of Coeur d'Alene.
Physically, there remains much work to be done.
Today is a start.
Volunteers will converge on the house at 627 Government Way this morning to tackle smaller projects for a few hours. Sunday, Girl Scouts are scheduled to hold a raking party as they clean up the outside grounds.
Next Saturday, a bigger group of volunteers will come out, from about 9 to noon, to clean, wash, paint and whatever else needs to be done.
More volunteers are more than welcome to pitch in, said Zoe Ann Thruman, development coordinator.
“Absolutely,” she said Friday. “It’s a big house, so it’s a big job.”
The Hamilton House, built in 1908, was on the brink of destruction before Coeur d'Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer and Windermere/Coeur d'Alene Realty Inc. owner Donald "Pepper" Smock stepped in. They bought the property for $500,001 from Kootenai County to save it from being leveled and leased the building to the Music Conservatory for years to come.
Sponsors, donors and supporters are still needed. Some of the major pieces of the renovation remain to be done, such as repairing concrete and the roofline, and removing dry rot.
Shelves, carpeting and light fixtures need to be added or updated.
Old, barren rooms must be transformed in preparation for instructors and students to fill them with music.
Anyone who wants to volunteer to help at the new home of the Music Conservatory should email: info@cdaconservatory.org
ARTICLES BY BILL BULEY
Hagadone Marine Group giving away $75K pontoon
Enter drawing by attending Coeur d'Alene Boat Expo
The process to have a chance to win it is simple: Attend the Coeur d’Alene Boat Expo that runs Jan. 30 to Feb. 8 at the Hagadone Marine Center, 1000 S Marina Dr. Every person 18 and old will be entered in a drawing that will be held Feb. 15, and must be present to win.
Kootenai's County only warming center could exceed capacity as cold snap approaches
Area's only warming shelter could exceed capacity as cold snap approaches
The executive director of the nonprofit St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho is worried that the shelter, with a capacity of 25 men and women and men and has been operating “dangerously close” to capacity, may have to turn people away as the coldest conditions of winter approach.
Coeur d'Alene Fire Department bond survey underway
Gauges support, provides look at possible cost to taxpayers
Grief they are hoping for at least 400 responses over the next three weeks. A presentation of the results is scheduled to be presented to the City Council on Feb. 18.