Safety more important than cantata decorations

Thursday, May 24, 2012

RUSSELLVILLE -- When the Red Cross asked Russellville for emergency contact information last month, they wanted to be sure a building would be available if it was needed.

The community center, paid for partially by a grant that specified it could be used for an emergency, is that building, but the area of the facility that would be used for emergency relief was full of Christmas decorations.

The Browns Valley Christian Church annually puts on a Christmas Cantata in the community center and had permission from the building to store decorations there.

As the town was clearing up details with the Red Cross, they discovered many parts of the building, including the shower area, to be completely inaccessible.

Council President Don Reddish said he has been getting grief around town because of an incorrect belief that he wanted to force the cantata out.

"We're all for the cantata," Reddish said, "but the fact is we need to keep that shower area clean."

As a compromise the town council agreed to allow the church to put up a storage facility on town property.

The church would have to pay for the facility, but the town will take care of the grass and area around it.

The stipulation is that the storage building must not be permanent.

The church had a meeting to discuss the issue earlier this week and is still considering the offer.

The cantata, an orchestral and choir performance, has been a vital part of the community's celebration for many years.

The event is often highlighted by the Community Christmas Choir, which was formed 10 years ago when three small churches -- Browns Valley, Freedom Baptist and Parkersburg Christian -- united their small choirs into a single group.

Comments
View 2 comments
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
  • I truly appreciate the partnership that the Russellville Community Center has shared with the Community Christmas Choir over the past 10 years! Through their support, the annual Christmas cantata has become a staple event for the Christmas season. It is a blessing and a privilege to be a part of this mutually beneficial partnership. Congratulations on working through adversity.

    For those who are interested, the organizational and call-out meeting for this year's Community Christmas Choir is scheduled for Sunday, September 16, 2012 @ 2:00pm. This meeting will be held at Browns Valley Christian Church.

    -- Posted by jfrance on Thu, May 24, 2012, at 9:57 AM
  • The title of this article is unnecessarily harsh and does NOT accurately reflect the relationship of the Cantata and the Center. As seen in the comment above, there really is mutual respect between both groups. The fact is that things need to be moved so that the center can live up to its agreement as a disaster center. Saying that "safety is more important than the cantata" is a very misleading title.

    -- Posted by kellnp on Thu, May 24, 2012, at 10:32 AM
Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: