What's next for Old Town Hall?

ODESSA – The Old Town Hall Rejuvenation Society (OTHRS) met January 19 to discuss the next projects for the building. The group agreed that this year’s major project would be the repair and painting of the exterior. Pending a more detailed estimate from a contractor, work should be able to begin this spring or summer.

In other business, the group established a subcommittee to continue working on the plans to make the two main rooms on the ground floor into a more flexible space. They also set the date for the annual yard sale which will be held Memorial Day weekend at the museum yard, barring unforeseen circumstances. Supporters with donations can contact Faye King or Lise Ott.

Another item that was discussed at the meeting was the possibility of establishing a consignment store to benefit OTHRS. The store would not only carry some of the better donations made to the yard sale, but could also be able to market and sell items for other people for a consignment fee. This could include items made by local artisans. The space would be handled much like a merchant mall, where people could display their creations. Jewelry, woodworking, fine art, photography, fabric art, antiques or vintage items – all would be welcome. There is even a possibility of an espresso bar. Craftspeople could negotiate a more favorable consignment fee based on the number of hours they would be willing to spend working in the store.

At this point, the consignment store is just an idea. Whether it comes to fruition or not depends on a number of things. First, there would have to be enough people to provide desirable inventory and staff for the store. Beyond providing retail sales staff, we would need someone to do the bookkeeping and manage inventory. Someone would need to be willing to spend some time making sure the entity is properly set up with the government agencies involved. Someone would probably need to be in charge of advertising and promotions, including social media. And, of course, someone will have to run the vacuum cleaner and scrub the toilet. If you are interested in participating, please call Lise at (509) 988-0085.