Contributed by Nancy Nabak, communication coordinator
In celebration of our 50th anniversary, this week we reach into the archives and pull out a Dunesletter from March 1978. The cover is stylized with this eye-catching sketch by Cora Fryett. Many changes were happening quickly in 1978, including improvements on the Rahmlow Marsh Haus (the “old” nature center).
Excerpt written by Mary Woodcock:
“Since our last publication, there has been one very big, very obvious, and welcome improvement at the Rahmlow Marsh Haus. Much to the relief of our shivering work crew, we had a furnace installed. Now that the temporary nature center building is warm, efforts have begun with increased enthusiasm to ready the two upstairs rooms for occupancy.
The woodwork in the office is receiving its final preparation for varnish and the floor is being sanded. It’s only a matter of weeks before the Woodland Dunes’ staff can move their work out of their homes and into the office. Work on the library is following close behind.
While the second floor is nearing completion, work downstairs has just begun. Walls and ceilings were scrubbed to brighten the several layers of paint. Stripping woodwork and repainting walls will begin soon.
With two rooms nearly complete, the work doesn’t seem as endless as it used to. Of course, there’s future work to consider, like installing ceiling tile. But for now, the old house is really shaping up.
Another sign of progress since our last report is the installation of a telephone. Now you can contact us at the office by calling 920-793-4007. Our temporary hours are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Saturday. Longer hours will be announced when they are established. “
Side note: as a staff member who works in the Marsh Haus, the “old” nature center, I’m grateful for the work these volunteers put into it – manifesting dreams into reality. The space is natural and welcoming. There’s also something cool about saying I work in the upstairs bedroom of an 1850s farmhouse.
-Artwork by Cora Fryett