Thursday, April 7, 2011 — One thing on the mind

As the saying goes, "This too will pass." It seems to me that except for the time I spent in Mexico in January and part of February, I have had next to nothing on my mind other than the building project at Pacific Textile Arts on Alger Street. I know we all thought it would be completed way before now. But how many times have you heard that statement regarding any building project?

Thirteen years ago we launched a pledge drive to fund the bidding on the Alger Street property which Pacific Textile Arts so proudly owns now. We actually raised $65,000. in less about four months and borrowed $29,000. from good friends in order to bid $83,000. and soon became the happy and slightly dazed owners of this wonderful half acre with a little two story house at its front. Not too many arts organizations we know have what we now have. It was in pretty bad shape when we took possession. There was no foundation, little or no exterior paint to be seen, a sixteen foot wide multi-plant (bush) swath of so called hedge where our parking and driveway are now located. Slowly, slowly after endless rummage sales, raffles and bake sales, we raised the money to pay back the friendly loans, put in a foundation, build a storage shed, paint the house and begin to work on the inside where the woodworkers from the college program next door had stored precious stacks of drying wood for some years. We covered the leveled floor in the kitchen and front room with Baltic birch, a fine cabinet makers, plywood.

We made some structural repairs in the kitchen and then painted it. What a joy that was to slowly whiten the walls of all the downstairs rooms one by one. Eventually that front room became our gallery in which we mount new exhibits each quarter. Now that I have recollected that slow, thirteen year history, it helps me to put into perspective what we're going through at this time.

For several years some of our board members, led by Karen Inwood as well as Elaine Stevens and Laine Escola, have been teaching young students to spin and weave in the gallery and the kitchen. Every time we have a meeting or an opening for a new exhibit, Karen and others have had to move all the table looms from the front of the house to the back porch. That obviously became a little too tedious for anyone to take for too much longer. There were discussions about possible solutions to ease the problem. Some suggested renting or buying a "container" or knocking out windows in the storage shed and various other ideas that sounded problematic regarding amenities like heat, light and the like. Then Laine Escola told me about a rumour she had heard regarding surplus buildings possibly being available from the Fort Bragg School District. I made an appointment to speak with the school superintendent and the rest is history. They offered to give us a single wide and a double wide portable building. Then we discussed the moving of these buildings with the company who usually does this work for the school district. They gave us a bid of close to fifty thousand dollars to move the buildings across town and install them at our site. That's how we became involved in our second fund raising pledge drive. With the help of our warm hearted textile arts supporters and friends, we raised $55,000. in about seven months and here we are. All seemed to be going smoothly until a few days after we received our building permit, the fire department decided that we must have sprinkler systems in both of the new old buildings. That took us well over our budget to the tune of $11,000. And the fun wasn't over yet. For a while, every week there was some new little revelation regarding fees, unforeseen costs and the like. You might remember that I wrote about being called to go to the city hall the morning I was leaving for Mexico to pay for a new meter that needed to be installed that day! I abandoned my last minute packing and departure efforts and went down town to the finance office. They didn't know what I was talking about. After a conversation that was mutually frustrating, I walked across to the community development office and asked them to try to find out what I was there for. After about an hour and a half of phone calls by a tireless administrator in that office, a piece of paper was finally produced and brought downstairs for me to take back across the hall to the money receivers. I drove back home, threw things left and right into my car and took off for the Bay Area.

I had a rejuvenating six weeks in Mexico as many of you have read. And I think it was the tonic that gave me the energy to deal with the ups and downs we're going through now. A visit the other day with the contractor and the county building inspector revealed that we would have to replace the south walls of both buildings and that we wouldn't be able to final with the city or the county before we painted the exterior of both buildings as well as remove the giant exterior electric heaters that protrude from the ends of the portables. I think I'm beginning to sound like a pretty bitchy lady as I review what I've written. But it's actually done me a lot of good just to write it down, and get it off my chest. Thanks. I really do believe that this too will pass.