Discussion underway for Ronan arch

During a monthly meeting in Ronan, organizers and volunteers of a committee divided up work to be done before next month’s meeting, where they will be one step closer to determining how much it will cost to replace the wooden arch in Ronan.

Restore the Ronan Arch is a work group that has been exploring ways to ensure the future of the arch.

The arch, located on Main Street, is one-of-a-kind monument in the state, members of the group said.

It was built in 2002 as a senior project from students at Ronan High School, overseen by then-advisor David Edington, who attended the meeting Monday afternoon.

Recapping how the group came to be, Gypsy Ray, executive director of the Lake County Community Development Corporation, explained that the project came to fruition after a community resource assessment was conducted.

She shared that for that assessment, a group of economic developers visited Ronan, then gave suggesting on how to get the city thriving once again.

As the discussion continued, everyone agreed that Montana products should be used for the restoration.

Ray confirmed that an engineer from Missoula recently assessed the arch and said that it is not posing immediate danger of falling or causing harm.

Edington, who is retired, said that although he has “been away from the school for a few years,” he thought it was important to keep the youth invested and involved with their towns, which help keep the communities “tick.”

Jay Preston, chief executive officer with Access Montana and a coordinator with the project, said that this year, members are working with the Ronan City School District to get student participation.

“We’ve had junior high kids and their bridge building class,” he said.

As of right now, the group is in the fundraising stages of the project, Ray confirmed, and so far, $10,000 has been raised for the effort.

Another topic of discussion was the timeline of getting the project completed.

Seniors from Ronan High School, Jacob Dresen and Nate Dennis, shared a letter of intent they wrote. $3,000 would go toward materials and construction costs for the replacement process.

Students will be involved in different aspects, ranging from drafting plans, budgeting, construction, and developing a prototype of the final monument.

Those interested in becoming involved with the project can contact Ray at the LCCDC at 676-5901.

Ray said that donations can be made at Glacier Bank in Ronan and Valley Bank in Ronan, as well as at www.lakecountycdc.org. She added that donations are tax deductible.

The next meeting will take place in Ronan on Jan. 22, 2018.