One reason the Methow Valley is such a special place is the presence of its many nonprofit organizations. Much of their success can be attributed to the hard work of board members. As a new member of the Twisp Valley Grange, I’ve become acquainted with its board members and their impressive list of accomplishments, notably revitalizing a building that was derelict 30 years ago, the last grange hall of 13 in the Methow Valley, and an institution that once served as the community’s social hub.
The saying, “It takes a village,” refers to how tasks are accomplished when people collaborate. In the case of the Grange — villagers such as retired librarians, oceanographers and plumbers, supportive spouses, workaholics, service clubs, and many other talented individuals collaborated to restore the grange as a vibrant community center with updated infrastructure, a place for all ages, a place where “all are welcome.”
Mary Jane Perry joined the Grange as a member six years ago. Since then, she’s been on the board as secretary and now, as web manager and special projects director. As a seagoing oceanographer, she had to write proposals to fund her lab and research. Those skills are now applied to grant writing for the Grange.
Twisp Valley Grange board members, from left: Dwight Filer, Susan Finn, Kim Claussen, Terry Dixon, Val Hecker, Mary Jane Perry, and Mark Tesch.
In the spring of 2022, at a Grange retreat proposed by Mary Jane, board members pondered what projects would best serve the community and how they could combine the sustainability of the building with the sustainability of the institution. A plan to create a cooling and clean air center at the Grange for times of excessive heat and wildfire air pollution emerged from their brainstorming sessions.
Before the retreat, improvements such as new windows, reroofing, and rebuilding the back stairs to the emergency exit were completed with volunteer help or funded by donors and small grants. Kiwanis constructed an ADA entrance ramp and upgraded the bathrooms to meet ADA compliance standards. An anonymous donor provided funds to install heat pumps, but when Mary Jane discovered a solicitation from the Clean Building Department of the Washington State Department of Commerce for proposals aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, she recognized an opportunity to expand the upgrades to include heat pumps, insulating exterior panels, and a load management sequencer.
After extensive research into the grange’s past energy usage, complicated calculations to determine how much the upgrades would reduce greenhouse gas emissions through significantly lower energy usage, and showing how this would benefit the community, Mary Jane submitted the grant. The proposed retrofit was approved, and the grange was awarded $241,000.
Before the retrofit, the heating system was noisy and inefficient, and the building was poorly insulated, making the grange unappealing during cold winter weather. Now, energy bills are down, and the grange is cozy and well-heated even at sub-zero temperatures. In past summers, when the grange lacked air conditioning, use was limited during excessive heat. Over 54 seniors who use the grange twice a week for Methow at Home sponsored exercise classes (SAIL) can now use the grange when temperatures outside are over 90 degrees.
At least $25,000 of the original grant money remained when the retrofit was completed because so many volunteer work parties helped out, and a buffer for inflation had been written in. Mary Jane returned to the drawing board and convinced Commerce that purchasing new energy-efficient electric appliances and eliminating a freon-leaking refrigerator and propane stove would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The board recently compiled a two-page list of new projects. With money from selling her homemade chocolates, Mary Jane bought a projector so the Grange can have movie nights, and she’s made a direct request to the District7 legislators for money to pay for more kitchen improvements. Air filtration units will soon be purchased with an anonymous donation. The new doors just arrived and need to be painted and installed.
And as an interlude to all this work for the Grange, next Saturday, the board will be barbecuing for the Kiwanis Easter egg hunt at Liberty Bell High School.
