Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and LCRA representatives present a $15,868 grant to the Dime Box Heritage Society for museum upgrades. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, in the front row, from left, are: Sharon Phears, society president; Jean Blaha-Davis, society vice president; Bonnie Langham, society treasurer; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA board member; Monica Kallus-Spacek, society director; Russell Jurk, Bluebonnet board member; and Kate Ramzinski, LCRA regional affairs representative. Middle row, from left: Waymond Davis, society member; Sherry Murphy, Bluebonnet’s Giddings-area community representative; Texas State Representative Stan Gerdes; Cynthia Bayer-Krenek, society secretary; Frances Koudelka-Whitsel, society member; and Donald Whitsel, society director. Back row: Keely Mikolajchak, Bluebonnet intern.

The Dime Box Heritage Museum soon will have a new roof and an upgraded heating and cooling system, thanks to a $15,868 grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $4,592 in matching funds from the nonprofit Dime Box Heritage Society, will pay for a new roof and an energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

“Our little museum building is old,” said Bonnie Langham, treasurer of the Dime Box Heritage Society. “The roof has rusty spots that are starting to leak. A new roof will protect our museum exhibits from getting ruined.”

Langham said a window air-conditioning unit has been used in part of the museum to help maintain a consistent temperature throughout the building for memorabilia and visitors.

“The air and heating system is at least 30 years old, and it’s on its last leg,” Langham said. “With this grant, we will be able to replace the current system with a new one that will be energy efficient and will cool and heat properly.”

Langham said the organization has been fortunate to receive items from residents who have generously donated pieces of Dime Box history. These donations include a mailbox that was used when President Franklin D. Roosevelt kicked off the March of Dimes.

“Our museum showcases a walk back in time for Dime Box,” Langham said. “We have an extensive genealogy library, and a lot of people have come to Dime Box looking for information about their ancestors, which has been a real positive thing.”

Langham said the organization will make the much-needed upgrades without having to worry about fundraising.

“When our organization first started, we all agreed that we did not want to spend all of our time fundraising,” Langham said. “This grant ensures that we will be able to protect our items in the museum for a long time, which has lifted a weight off the shoulders of a group of people who really care about Dime Box.”

The community grant is one of five grants being awarded by Bluebonnet and LCRA through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July. More information is available here

Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and LCRA representatives present a $41,278 grant to the Paige Community Club for updates to the Paige Community Center. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, from left to right, are: Rick Arnic, LCRA regional affairs representative; Sarah Deerkop, club secretary; Gary Light and Bettye Light, club members; Debbie Barrington, club president; Kathy Beeman, club treasurer; Margaret D. “Meg” Voelter, LCRA board member; Margaret Boyd, club director; State Rep. Stan Gerdes; Gregory Klaus, Bastrop County judge; and Josh Coy, Bluebonnet's Bastrop-area community representative.

The Paige Community Club will make interior and exterior upgrades to its community center, thanks to a $41,278 grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $10,320 in matching funds from the club, will allow the club to repair and replace the Paige Community Center’s roof and upgrade the kitchen area with energy-efficient lighting.

“This building started out as the old schoolhouse in Paige,” said Kathy Beeman, treasurer of the Paige Community Club. “It’s over 100 years old and now serves our community members in a lot of different ways.”

The center is rented out most weekends of the year for weddings, baby showers, graduations and family reunions. It also serves as a church, disaster shelter and voting center, and as the meeting place for the Paige Lions Club.

“We’ve had the roof patched over the years, but it leaks all the time,” Beeman said. “The whole thing really needs to be replaced. And the lights in the kitchen are about 30 years old, so we can’t even replace the bulbs anymore. We can’t have an unsafe environment for our elderly to do their civic duty or for our families to gather.”

The community center is the only gathering space in Paige, and the club is committed to keeping its costs low for residents. The new, energy-efficient lighting will reduce electricity costs, and the new roof will provide peace of mind for years to come.

“It’s so important that we keep the place up for future generations,” Beeman said. “I want people to walk in here and see that it’s a clean, beautiful center.”

Beeman said the historical building plays an important role in Paige that would be difficult to replicate.

“We hosted a reunion recently for a family who has been holding their events at our center for the last 10 years,” said Beeman. “They don’t live in Paige anymore, but they still gather at our center. They see their family pictures on our walls, and this is how they come home.”

The community grant is one of five grants being awarded by Bluebonnet and LCRA through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July. More information is available here