While it appears unlikely that the Shaker Regional School Board will make a proposal to renovate or restore the 1894 Gale School on its 2007 school district warrant, Save Our Gale School Committee Chair Diane Marden says she has no intention of abandoning her efforts to save the historic building.

"I believe it's worth saving," said Marden in a recent telephone interview.

Marden's commitment to saving the building has led her to decline an offer to take the reins as president of the Belmont Historical Society.

"I don't want to give all my attention to one only to ignore the other," said Marden.

Marden, who serves as the Historical Society's vice president, will remain in that position. Her decision to decline that group's highest office comes on the heels of another revelation: Belmont's Historical Society wants to see the Save Our Gale School Committee shed its associations with its parent group and go off on its own.

Marden said the society's wish is to see the Save Our Gale School Committee save the structure, a task the Historical Society cannot accomplish at this time.

"The Historical Society is not in a position to take care of another building," Marden explained. "They have the Province Road Meetinghouse project to take care of."

Marden pointed out that the Historical Society is in the middle of a "revitalization" movement designed to make it more productive. That movement, Marden said, is consuming all of the society's time and energy.

"The Historical Society still thinks the Gale School is a viable building," noted Marden, "but they're not sure their group can save it."

Marden said she is looking into a number of grants for which the Gale School might be eligible. But, since the Gale School is owned by the school district and not the Save Our Gale School Committee, Marden said she just "can't apply" for many of those grants.

While the fate of Gale School hangs in the balance, fund-raising efforts continue. Marden said Wal-Mart recently gave the Save Our Gale School Committee a $500 donation.

The committee also recently raffled off an oil painting of Gale School, circa 1901, by Donna Manning, the town's first Ms. Belmont in 1967. The frame for the painting was donated by Brock Roberts Framing and Art Gallery of Laconia. Last week, Belmont resident George Condodemetraky learned he was the winner of the painting.

Marden said the painting raffle has led to more orders for prints of the painting.

"We hope to generate more funds that way," said Marden.

Marden said she hopes to get the Save Our Gale School Committee in a "better place financially" so the committee can better examine the list of options for the historic building.

One task the committee hopes to tackle in the spring is working toward greater support from residents of Canterbury. Canterbury, as a part of the Shaker Regional School District, is involved in the Gale School struggle.

"We hope to get more Canterbury residents aware of the building," Marden said, noting that the Canterbury Historical Society sent a letter of support for saving the building to the school board.

Overall, Marden said, she is optimistic about saving Gale School, given the support she has received from the School Board. Marden points to the reconstructed Belmont Mill and the current Belmont Fire Station as two structures which the townspeople built through sheer determination and manpower. She said those two structures give her hope that Belmont residents, when asked, can do amazing things.

"Our community has enough craftsmen to get the project done," stated Marden. "There are enough people willing to donate time, money, and manpower. And this community has a history of rolling up its sleeves when it needs to."

The Citizen Print
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