By Laurelle Walsh
American Legion Methow Valley Post 143 has launched a fundraising effort to pay for renovations to the 65-year-old Legion Hall in Twisp.
Post members maintain the building with the resources at hand, but a water-stained ceiling, cracked concrete and overgrown yard point to deeper issues with the aging structure. “We’ve got some problems,” Post Adjutant/Finance Officer Tristan Gilbert admitted.
Renovation goals include replacing exterior doors; building handicapped-accessible front and rear entrances; replacing windows; insulating ceilings and walls; installing a new ceiling; upgrading the kitchen and restrooms; trimming or removing trees; improving the parking area; and building a picnic area overlooking the river.
With donations from local businesses and organizational assistance from American Legion Auxiliary Post 120 in Winthrop, Post 143 recently raised $700 at a yard sale and barbecue, with all proceeds earmarked for the remodel.
“It was a pretty good success; we’re hoping to make it a yearly event,” said Gilbert. “But we have a long way to go.”
“We are searching for a builder to give an estimate on the cost of the building materials needed, then will be looking for volunteers,” said Auxiliary Post Treasurer Susie Gardner. “We’re also looking for someone to cut down a few trees behind the building and help clean up the brush.”
Post 143 has applied for a $5,000 grant from Home Depot and put the Legion Hall’s needs on Team Depot’s project list, Gilbert said. “There’s so much more we could do here if the building was in better shape,” he said. “It’s a community asset.”
Keeping the doors open
The Methow Valley post has owned the property at the end of Bridge Street since 1947. The 1,500-square-foot building, which was built in 1950, was moved onto the property after a fire destroyed the original Legion Hall in 1956. Except for the known issues, “the building basically works fine for our purposes,” Gilbert said.
Income comes from hall rentals — a steal at $30 per day — and donations from businesses and community members. Expenses average $250 per month for utilities and insurance “just to keep the building open,” Gilbert said.
Long-time member Gus Tillberg, who passed away in April, “was everything here,” Gilbert said. Tillberg served as post adjutant/finance officer and “would foot the bill for things we couldn’t afford. He spent probably $1,000 per year out of pocket.” Gilbert, in his former position as post commander, worked closely with Tillberg, and just last week was sworn in as adjutant/finance officer. William Robinson has taken over as post commander.
Gilbert recalls that just after he joined the post about six years ago, Tillberg and former commander Danny Days were talking seriously about closing the club due to low participation and no means of paying the bills. They managed to keep it open, and Gilbert is now looking into ways the Legion Hall can generate more income.
The building is now rented a few times a year for wedding receptions and memorial services, and with an upgraded certified kitchen, “there’d be a lot more we can do here,” Gilbert said. The hall already has a kitchen, dining tables and chairs, and a wooded backyard with access to the Methow River.
They also haven’t given up on building a low-power FM radio station that would broadcast out of the hall. The post has FCC approval to build the station, but they’ll need around $6,000 for equipment to start up, Gilbert estimates.
Serving war-era veterans
The post currently has around 30 active members, some of whom served in the Korean War, a few in the Second World War. “We’re trying to recruit some younger members,” said Robinson, who believes more people would be interested in joining the post if the building was in better condition.
“So much of wanting to attend a meeting is the appeal of the building. We want a building we can be proud of,” said Robinson’s wife and Post 143 supporter, Renee Sutherland.
“My husband joined the Legion because he wanted to find a place where he could hang out with other veterans,” Sutherland said. “They had such camaraderie and brotherhood in the service. They could have that again.”
The work of Post 143 may be most visible on seven days of the year — Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Patriot Day and Veterans Day — when the club provides flag service to participating businesses in Twisp. Members also place small flags on the graves of veterans at Beaver Creek Cemetery.
Gilbert helps local veterans file disability and medical claims with the Veterans Administration out of the Legion Hall office. “I was a nuclear power plant operator. I’m a paperwork expert,” he said, grinning. He hopes to get better Internet service in the building, which would make filing claims much easier.
The post would like to assemble a full-dress color guard to march in Twisp’s Independence Day parade, and members are looking into purchasing official American Legion uniforms for the event. “We want to get out there and show people what we’re all about,” Robinson said.
To help renovate the Legion Hall, or to learn more about Methow Valley Post 143, look on Facebook at “American Legion Post 0143 Methow Valley,” on the web at www.americanlegion.info, or call 997-5838.
