PERU — The Friends of Peru Elementary School agreed Wednesday evening to move its open house from March 7 to March 22 to coincide with its Maine Maple Sunday pancake breakfast.
Chairman Nick Waugh said there were a few reasons why rescheduling the open house would be beneficial for the group.
“I heard from someone that Black Mountain was holding a Dempsey Challenge fundraiser on the same day,” Waugh told members. “Also, we’re still working on getting the elevator in the building fixed. If we were to hold the open house on March 7, I would say it’s not going to be ready.”
Waugh said by waiting two weeks, they could tie in the open house with their third annual Maine Maple Sunday pancake breakfast.
“We’ve been bringing in around 170 people with that breakfast,” Waugh said. “It kind of makes sense to wait until we have more people at the building.”
The pancake breakfast is scheduled for 8 to 10:30 a.m.
For the past two years, Friends of Peru Elementary School has held a pancake breakfast in conjunction with Thurston Family Farm on Dickvale Road in Peru.
Waugh asked the members how they felt about combining the events and Selectman Larry Snowman said that he thought it was a good idea and would bring more people to the open house.
Member Yvonne Allen said the weather may be warmer later in the month, which would draw more people.
The open house will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“I think ending it at 2 p.m. would be good,” Allen said. “People could eat, go to Thurston’s Family Farm or go to church, and then come back to the building and check out the open house.”
Among the fundraisers and groups attending the open house are the School House Consignment Shop, made up of arts, crafts and antiques by locals, the Friends of Peru Elementary School Thrift Shop, the food pantry, the Paint-and-Take room, a Girl Scout troop and a new library, featuring books donated by the public.
There was also discussion on whether to refer to the building as the Peru Community Center.
“The Friends of Peru Elementary School is the name of the group running the building, but I’m thinking that we could call it the Peru Community Center too,” Waugh said.
Snowman said that the Board of Selectmen may want to the issue on the June 9 ballot.
“Why would that need to go on the ballot?” Waugh asked.
“I don’t personally think it matters what the building is called,” Snowman said. “I just know that the board was talking about it. They may decide they don’t want to put it on the ballot.”
Allen said renaming the building the Peru Community Center would be better for the Friends of Peru Elementary School group when applying for grants.
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