With a lot of celebrating and a little Halloween fun thrown in, the ELHI Community Center officially opened on Friday, Oct. 30.
The center is an arts, education and performance collaboration based in the old Ignacio Elementary School building in downtown Ignacio. ELHI, a reference to its history as an elementary and high school, stands for Education, Literacy, Health and Inspiration.
The building's tenants are Dancing Spirit Community Arts Center, Hope Community Christian Academy, Ignacio Community Church, La Plata County Independent Performing Arts, Silver Spruce Academy, and SUCAP Youth Services.
Photos of the town's past from the Ignacio Community Historical Society grace the hallways.
At a ribbon cutting, Ray Dunton, the chair of the ELHI board of director, said the project is a collaboration of lots of agencies and volunteers who want to make Ignacio a better place to live.
He was joined by Southern Ute Chairman Clement Frost, Mayor Stella Cox and Kasey Correia of Dancing Spirit.
Silver Spruce provides classes and school activities for home students and has four classrooms in the building, said Natalie Howard, the academy director. The academy provided a pumpkin craft for kids during Friday's opening.
Down the hall, Southern Ute Community Action Program has a classroom for after-school homework and tutoring, then a meeting room for its Club Venture program for Ignacio-area teens. Youth participate in a Lego League, cooking, crafts, science experiements, theater group, and volunteering for the Pagosa Springs Humane Society and Manna Soup Kitchen in Durango.
After touring the building, 400 people attended a potluck and dinner hosted by Pine River Shares, with support from the new Farmers Fresh Market in Ignacio.
A haunted house sponsored by SUCAP was a highlight for Halloween thrill seekers.
