The angel atop the Emporia Senior Center came down this morning — the angel was to stay atop the roof until the center had enough money to repair the roof. The center now has enough money thanks to grants and donations to replace the roof.
Because of leaks in the roof, tarps have been placed in the stage and library areas inside the building. The roof, which is more than 20 years old, has been leaking heavily for about a year after vandals damaged the building and roof. The roof was patched about eight years ago, but is no longer holding the water out.
“At some point enough has to be enough,” said Susan Riley, director of the Emporia Senior Center.
Riley said the new roof will be made possible by several funding sources including the Jones Foundation for $50,000; the Emporia Community Foundation for $3,000; Messiah Lutheran Church for $7,000; Lyon County, $3,000; Sertoma Train for $1,000; and more than $7,000 in community donations. The senior center is about $8,000 short of its goal but has requested a grant from the Trusler Foundation for that amount. Riley said she hopes to hear about that soon.
Work on the roof will begin Monday, Riley said. It will take one to two weeks from beginning to end depending on what is found after the roof is torn off. There are about three layers to get through.
Riley was excited this morning as she finally lowered the angel from the roof. The angel was made by a friend of hers, Vietnam veteran Doc Cookson of Hamilton. Cookson died a few years back suddenly.
Riley said when the roof became critical she put the angel atop the senior center because she knew Cookson would have liked that idea. Cookson welded the large angel himself.
The angel is now down, which means the senior center will soon have a new roof.
“It truly has been a community effort,” Riley said. “I am utterly amazed.”