| |
Historic Grange Halls Across America |
|
| New York has a gem in history. The Mellenville Grange #1255 in Columbia County owns and meets in the former Mellenville Railroad Station. |
If These Walls Could Talk
By DeAnn Hadix-Cardarella
Most of us live life in the here
and now, never bothering to
search beyond the present. But
before today there was yesterday,
and yesterday has brought
us to where we are today and
will take us to our tomorrows.
Whether it is a Civil War battlefield, the stomping ground of a
famous inventor, or the gathering
place of a grassroots organization
like the Grange, history
surrounds us.
Take the doorknob of your
Grange Hall. Next time you turn
it, think who all has gone before
you and turned the knob to enter
where you are about to go.
As you gather in fellowship and
share refreshments, take a moment
to listen to the past and
wonder who has gathered there
and shared in laughter.
If you close your eyes, you
can almost hear the past and
feel the power of those who
made history in our Granges.
For many communities across
the nation, the Grange has
been an integral part of its heritage.
Grange Halls have been
the hub for social gatherings as
well as an avenue for political
change.
Littleton, Colorado is a prime
example of the importance of
the Grange Hall. Included on
Littleton’s website, ( www.littletongov.org ) is a subheading
on the Grange movement. In
fact, in 1874, two years before
Colorado became a state, the
territory became the 23rd State
Grange in the Country. Colorado
has many historical Grange
buildings.
Organized in 1874, Cherry
Creek Grange # 58, is one of the
oldest Subordinate Granges in
Colorado. Originally, the 27-charter
members met in an old school
house. Today, that schoolhouse
is an Aurora Historic Landmark,
which has been restored and relocated
to the grounds of Smoky
Hill High School. In December
1887, a new Grange Hall was
built. In 1909, a kitchen was added
and Grange members donated
kerosene lamps. Electricity
was not available at the Grange
until the mid-1940s.
Another Colorado treasure
is the Colona School, built in
1915. It opened its doors to the
Colona Grange #259 in 1916.
In 1948, the building stopped
serving as a school, but the
Grange continued to hold its
meetings there. In 1963, the
Grange bought the property.
Named a state historical site
in 2000, it is now listed as one
of Colorado’s most endangered
places by Colorado Preservation,
Inc., a non-profit that advocates
preservation of Colorado’s
historical sites.
It’s historical past is evident
to onlookers. Today, it is still accented
with relics of the past
with the original curtains still
donning the stage and the seasoned
gym and wood whispers
a tale of the past. Falling plaster
reminds the older locals of
World War II when low-flying aircraft
roared overhead and loosened
the aging plaster. Then in
the 1950s, a strong earthquake
shook loose any plaster that resisted
earlier vibrations. Wood
now replaces some windows.
But still, Colona Grange #259
meets in their beloved building
with hopes of someday returning
it to its earlier grandeur.
Organized in 1910 and
named after Westminister University
is Colorado’s Westminister
Grange #184. The new
Grange met on a platform, which
was located across the street
from its present site. Two years
after the Grange was formed,
two lots were purchased for
$300 to build a Grange Hall.
At a cost of $1,200, the hall
was constructed in 1913 and
soon became home to meetings,
dances and potluck dinners
as well as a polling site for
city elections.
On March 24, 2003, Westminister
City Council designated
the Westminister Grange Hall
as the city’s first local historical
landmark, kicking off the city’s
new historic preservation program.
A Colorado State Historical
Society grant valued at over
$100,000 was awarded for the
restoration of the exterior of the
hall. The work included removal
of tile, a new roof, new windows,
and reconstruction of the front
door entry. The Grange plans
on interior improvements in the
future.
Elmdale Grange #2162 out
of Chillicothe, Ohio, has worked
in the area of preservation. It
owns the Watson/Jarvis District
#4 School, which is adjacent to
the Grange Hall. The Grange
has worked to restore and maintain
the one-room schoolhouse.
In 2006, Grange members acquired
a grant to have the roof
and siding painted.
Plans are in the works to host
an open house for fourth-grade
students from Ross County
Schools. Students will have the
opportunity to step back in time
and spend a day of learning in the one-room schoolhouse. Currently,
a historian is researching
the historical treasure.
Denton Bray, Master of
Hickory Tree Grange #881 in
Amherst, Ohio submitted history
of his 133-year-old Grange.
Organized in 1874, the Grange
has made its mark in history
when it operated a grocery store
and was key in helping to get
Parcel Post Service legislation
passed.
Hickory Tree Grange purchased
a stone schoolhouse
west of Amherst in 1925 and
modernized it. In June of 1988,
Grange members were approached
by the Nord Family
Foundation to enter into an
agreement with the foundation
and the Amherst Historical Society
to form the Historical Sandstone Village.
“Our Grange is part of this
village today,” Denton said, “although
we know longer own
this Grange Hall, we still have
our Grange meetings there and
have some Pomona Meetings
also.”
This village recreated the
following buildings: a working
blacksmith shop, an octagon
barn, general store, St. George’s
Chapel and a restored 1850s
house. The village also features
a historical museum.
A New York State Grange
has a gem in the books of history.
Mellenville Grange #1255 meets in an old railroad building,
which opened for travel on September
26, 1838. The railroad
was originally built with longitudinal
timbers spiked to cross
ties with strips of iron nailed on
in order to take the wear of the
wheels. The top speed of the
train was about eight miles per
hour.
In 1848, steel rails were laid
and new locomotives and cars
were added to the tracks.
The original Mellenville passenger
station was constructed
of wood and in the 1880s burned
purportedly from a spark from a
steam locomotive. The station
was replaced with a brick building
with a slate roof. After being
closed and sold in 1933 to
Mellenville Grange #1255, the
facility has since hosted Grange
meetings and events.
In 2000, the Grange Hall/
Railroad Station was put onto
the New York State and National
Historical Registry.
Mellenville Grange is in
the process of raising funds to
restore the building. The first
project is to replace the slate
roof, which has been leaking
for some time. Support from the
community has been solicited.
Monticello Grange #338
has received endangered status
in Maine. Considered an irreplaceable
historical resource,
Monticello Grange has captured
the interest of its local
and state communities. Located
along U.S. Route 1, Monticello
Grange is the largest downtown
structure in the Aroostook county
community.
Built in 1921 to replace an
older Grange destroyed by fire,
the building is listed in the National
Registry and is recognized
for its beautiful interior tinwork.
Its condition is threatened
with lack of funding for needed
repairs.
For more stories in this issue Subscribe Today for a FREE Copy! |
| |
|
|
 The Founders of our great
Order established it as a fraternity,
where, as Brothers
and Sisters, we could care for
and about each other.
Yes, that meant that we
had certain initiation ceremonies
where lessons of life were
taught, in our case, using the
tools of agriculture, which with
most of our members over the
years were quite familiar.
Over the years we made
some changes in the procedures
and in the processes,
and in the requirements for
prospective members. We
broadened our outlook, we
became inclusive of those not
engaged in agriculture, but
we continued to teach the lessons
of brotherhood and sisterhood
to those who joined
with us.
Our local organizations
became centers for community
action and service. The
Grange in many places became
associated with projects
and programs for betterment.
It was a good thing to be a
member of those Granges.
You remember the saying, I
am sure: “You shall know them by
their fruits.” And you have probably
heard your pastor or priest give a sermon on the topic, by
asking: “Will the world know that
you are a church member by the
way you live this week?”
I received a letter recently
that shook me to the core. It
came from the family of a deceased
Golden Sheaf member.
The note was a notice to
remove his name as an officer
in the Grange, and remarked
that he had died in December,
and that “his death was not acknowledged
in even the smallest
way by the organization.”
In the midst of our efforts
to become more open as a
fraternity, are we losing those
traits of caring and concern that
have marked our Order for 140
years? I certainly hope not.
May each of us with a few
years of Grange experience
under out belts, make sure that
the newer members experience
the same brotherhood and sisterhood
that we have, so that
that great part of Grange shall
go on to the next generation.
Let’s not lose it! |
For more stories in this issue Subscribe Today for a FREE Copy!
|
|
|
| Meet Leroy Watson, National Grange Legislative Director |
 Hello! I currently serve as the
Legislative Director of the National
Grange, a position I have
held since June 1, 1999. I am
also a 35 year Grange member.
My duties as your Legislative
Director include reviewing
federal legislative and regulatory
issues, and advocating in favor of public policy proposals
that are beneficial to the
National Grange’s members
nationwide. My primary areas
of expertise are in the areas of
environmental policies affecting
agriculture, alternative fuels
and new-use applications for
agricultural commodities, federal
farm programs, and statelevel
grassroots education and
information initiatives.
I am originally from Vermont
where I participated in numerous
Grange activities for youth and
families throughout the 1970’s
and early 1980’s. I often credit
my participation in Grange programs
during that time as giving
me the experience, confidence
and leadership skills that have
served me well in my career in
government relations. I have
a bachelors degree in political
science from the University of
Vermont, in Burlington, VT. In
addition, I have a law degree
from George Mason University,
in Arlington, VA. I also studied
administrative and regulatory
law of the European Union at
the University of Exeter in Exeter,
England, and I am admitted
to the Bar of the Supreme
Court of Pennsylvania, where I
am a member of the section on
administrative law.
In 1985, I was hired by National
Master Ed Andersen to
work for the National Grange
as a Legislative Assistant under
then National Grange Legislative
Director Bob Frederick.
I was promoted to Assistant
Legislative Director in 1991. In
1995, I left the National Grange
to become the Director of Regulatory
Management for the National
Biodiesel Board, a nonprofit
trade association located
in Jefferson City, Missouri, that
is dedicated to the commercial
introduction and promotion of
biodiesel fuel in the U.S. Before
leaving Vermont to join the staff
of the National Grange, I also
served (at various times) as as
Legislative Director, Information
Director, Youth Committee
member and Educational Aid
Fund Chairman for the Vermont
State Grange. I was also previously
employed as a field director
and legislative assistant for
both the Vermont Farm Bureau
and Vermont State Employees
Association.
 |
Leroy with daughter, Rachel, and wife, Cheri |
I am married to the former
Cheryl Crawford, a life long
Grange member and former
State Grange Lady Assistant
Steward from Wisconsin. Cheri
works for the U.S. Department
of Justice in Washington DC.
We have one daughter, Rachel,
whom we liberated from
communism in China to join
our family in 2003. We live in
Falls Church, VA . We are active
in Potomac Grange #1,
the Grange of the Founders,
in Washington DC where both
Cheri and I have previously
served in the position of Master.
During the Summers, we enjoy
spending much of our vacation
time at the family farm I grew up
on in southeastern Vermont.
It is an honor and priviledge
to serve as your National Legislative
Director. I’ve been doing
some informal research and I
believe that the National Grange
Legislative Program may be the
oldest, continuously operated,
professional government relations
program in Washington,
DC, dating back to the 1870’s.
That is an important historical
legacy to maintain and uphold.
During my tenures at the National
Grange, I have had the
pleasure to work for four National
Masters. I have also worked
with dozens of competent, professional,
dedicated National
Grange staff members over the
years as well as with literally
hundreds of State Grange delegates,
State Grange Legislative
Directors and committed local
Grange volunteers from across
the nation who are dedicated to
the principles of non-partisan,
grassroots advocacy on which
the Order was formed. It is
this kind of grassroots support
that makes the job of National
Grange Legislative Director so
rewarding, challenging and fulfilling for me.
For more stories in this issue Subscribe Today for a FREE Copy!
top
|
Around Washington, D.C. and Beyond
|
| Briefings for FCC and Broadband |
|
by Craig Breslawski
National Grange Legislative
Department
 |
President Bill Steel addresses panel on the
importance of bringing broadband and Internet
services to Rural America. |
National Grange President Bill
Steel addressed a panel of leading communications experts,
Congressional and industry
representatives on the
importance of bringing broadband
and Internet services to
Rural America. These services
are key to effective rural economic
development. The briefing,
sponsored by the National
Grange and the Grange Foundation
and moderated by Legislative
Director Leroy Watson,
came just hours after passage
of the important 2007 Farm Bill
by the U.S. House of Representatives.
President Steel told briefing
attendees that America’s rural
communities will soon feel the
impact of a fast-growing U.S.
population that is adding new
Americans at a rate equal to a new city of Chicago every year. “We must assure that basic infrastructure
and public services
are available to everyone living
in rural communities,” he said. “A keystone infrastructure for
rural communities in the 21st
Century will be access to advanced
telecommunications
services like broadband and
the Internet. This access will
have tremendous impact on the
future prosperity of our nation’s
family farms and rural communities.”
The blue-ribbon communications
panel included Bob
Rowe, former chairman of the
Federal-State Joint Board on
Universal Service; Mark DeFalco,
executive staff of the Appalachian
Regional Commission;
and Rick Schadelbauer, staff
economist of the National Telecommunications
Cooperative
Association.
Steel called on Congress
to implement a basic rural telecommunications
plan that deploys
universal rural broadband
for all citizens, that develops
more detailed data on current
broadband deployment in rural
areas, that generates additional
demand for broadband services
in underserved areas, and that
engages third-party service
providers and payers in discussing
the advantages of rural
broadband deployment. Rural
telecommunications services
are expected to be addressed
in the U.S. Senate’s version of
the 2007 Farm Bill.
Earlier in the week, Sen.
Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman
of the Senate Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry,
told agricultural leaders
that readily available broadband
communications services
are critical to the rural economic
development portion of the Senate’s
2007 Farm Bill. The U.S.
Senate plans to begin final work
on their version of the landmark
farm bill during the third week of
September.
| National Grange Parnters In Sullivan Project Lecture Series On Health Care Reform |
by Brenda Shambaugh
National Grange Legislative
Department
National Grange announced our
partnership in the Sullivan Project
Lecture Series on Health
Care Reform being delivered
by Dr. Louis Sullivan. Dr. Sullivan
is a former U.S. Secretary
of Health and Human Services
Secretary and President Emeritus
of Morehouse School of
Medicine. As one of the nation’s
leading public health policy experts
and a medical practitioner
for nearly 50 years, Dr. Sullivan
and campaign partners
will demonstrate the value of a
comprehensive, “symphony of
health care delivery” approach
and discuss the keys that he
believes must be adopted to
affordably improve our health
care system. The campaign
will also present research that
underscores Dr. Sullivan’s concerns about restricted access to
medication and innovation when
“cost-over-care” health delivery
measures are enacted.
Rural Americans have always
faced serious challenges
in obtaining access to quality
health care. Distance, availability
of services, and a lack of sufficiently qualified local
health care professionals are
but a few of these challenges.
Rural patients and their families
seek the freedom and flexibility
to address their personal medical
responsibilities. In the U.S.
health care system today, there
is a growing trend to shift the
rationale for medical treatment
decisions away from patient outcomes
toward treatment costs. This concept is referred to as “cost-over-care health delivery.”
Unchecked, this practice denies
patient access to services and
innovative medicines.
Dr. Sullivan believes that
the best, most appropriate way
for patients to receive care is
through a “symphony of health
care delivery,” with the doctor
acting as the conductor. Too much emphasis on one particular “instrument,” or service area,
such as cost alone, drowns out
other important elements. Deviating
from this “symphony”
approach, Dr. Sullivan believes,
leads to discordant health care
results for patients.
The National Grange commends
former U.S. Secretary of
Health and Human Services, Dr. Louis Sullivan for his leadership
in developing the comprehensive “Symphony of Health Care
Delivery Campaign.” William A.
Steel, National Grange President,
stated, “We are thrilled to
be a partner in the Sullivan Project
Lecture Series. Dr. Sullivan’s
theme of doctor based health
care should be an integral part
of all rural health care services.”
Steel concluded, “Adequate
rural health care is one of the
major issues facing National
Grange members across America.
Dr. Sullivan’s “symphony of health care delivery” must be
fully implemented to improve our
nation’s health care system.”
National President Test Drives Hydrogen Car
|
by Craig Breslawski
National Grange Legislative
Department
National Grange President
Bill Steel recently had the opportunity
to test an innovative
and exciting piece of technology,
test-driving a prototype car
powered by a hydrogen fuel cell
around Washington. General
Motors Vehicle Engineer Hans
Peter Alhborn was on hand for
the demonstration of the Hydro-
Gen3, providing Mr. Steel with
a comprehensive technical survey
of the automobile.
The HydroGen3 is one of
several models of alternatively
fueled vehicles from GM to be
introduced into test markets this
year. The car is still in its prototype
phase, though it can reach
speeds of 100 mph and can
drive 240 miles before the fuel
cell must be recharged. While
the car operates with state-of-the-art technology, it will be indistinguishable
from any other
vehicle on the road in its final
phase, though the prototype
cars are specifically designed
to catch the eye.
Even mired in city traffic,
Mr. Steel found the experience
to be enjoyable. “The Hydro-Gen3 handled well in DC traffic,” said Steel. “It drove just like
any compact car with an automatic
transmission, except that
it had no transmission.”
The lack of transmission to
which Mr. Steel refers is a result
of the entirely electric design.
The different setup allows for
complete variability in structure;
GM engineers have created
a “skateboard-like” chassis, a
structure upon which the car
body of the consumers’ choosing
could be placed. A small
truck could potentially operate
on the same chassis as a sedan
or a wagon.
A hydrogen-based car holds
several benefits for those in rural
communities. In addition to
a complete lack of emissions,
a wide-scale adoption of such
technology could lessen the
need for gasoline on a day-to-day
basis. Such a benefit would
be limited, however, as the most
efficient means of producing hydrogen
still uses natural gas as
its main component. Also, the
only hydrogen fueling stations
to date exist in major cities such
as New York, Washington, and San Francisco.
“The greatest advantage to
us in rural America, for a while
at least, will be to free up some
gasoline, thus reducing the
demand,” remarked Mr. Steel. “Encourage your city cousins to
take a look at the car!”
 |
 |
| Taking the HydroGen3 for a test drive outside of the National Headquarters. |
President Bill Steel taking a look under the hood of the HydroGen3. |
25 by '25 Resolution Passes U.S. Senate
|
The U. S. Senate recently adopted
the Grange supported
25 x ‘25 resolution expressing
the sense of Congress that
by January 1, 2025 the U.S.
should have a goal of domestic
agricultural, forestry, and working
land providing no less than
25 percent of the renewable
resources needed to manufacture
at least 25 percent of the
total energy consumed in the
United States while continuing
to produce safe, abundant, and
affordable food, feed, and fiber.
The National Grange has supported
the 25 x 25 action plan
calling for increased production
and improved efficiency of
renewable energy, expanding
and delivering renewable energy
to markets, and strengthening
conservation of natural
resources and the environment.
By achieving 25x’25 our nation
will increase farm income by
$180 billion and generate $700
billion in new economic activity
annually. Over four million new
jobs will be created mostly in rural
areas, and U. S. consumers
will reduce oil consumption by
2.5 million barrels per day.
Congress Passes Secure Rural Schools and Communities Act of 2000 Extension
|
The National Grange, along with
the National Forest Counties and
Schools Coalition, is pleased
to announce on May 25, 2007
Congress approved and President
Bush signed, a one-year
extension for the Secure Rural
Schools and Communities Act of
2000. This is a straight-forward
one-year extension of the 2006
version of SRSCA.
Schools and counties in areas
that are impacted by significant
federal land holdings will
receive the same revenue in
2007 as they received in 2006.
This additional year of funding
gives the forest counties and
schools a six month breather. It
allows them to rescind many of
the employee layoff notices from
July through January. However,
with no guarantee of funding
for 2008 these same county
governments and public school
systems will have to send new
notices to employees canceling
or suspend vital programs and
services, and creating disruption
in various programs again
like this past spring. This extension
was a major accomplishment,
but the short time frame
of the extension means there is
still much work to be done to assure
county governments and
rural schools systems located
in counties with large federal
landholdings will receive the financial assistance they need to
operate effectively.
The goal of the National Forest
Counties and Schools Coalition
and the National Grange is
to convince Congress to pass a
multi-year reauthorization of the
SRSCA. The Coalition wants to
build on the momentum from
the recently passed one-year
extension and reach a comprise
agreement that is bipartisan
and bicameral by the end
of September. If the Coalition is
successful, this will prevent the
financial uncertainty the counties
and schools as well as their
employees, students and citizens
faced in 2007.
For more stories in this issue Subscribe Today for a FREE Copy!
top
|
|
|
|
|
|
