Carolyn Collins Petersen, Gilpin County. A group of 25 volunteers met on Saturday, February 20, to help clean and prep the Gilpin County Community Center for its early March re-opening. Members of Friends of the Gilpin County Community Center (FGCCC), the 4-H Archwood and Eagle clubs, and other interested residents showed up to sanitize equipment, wipe down doors, desks, exercise equipment, mats, and other surfaces. They also washed windows and created safety signs for use throughout the building. “This was a community effort,” said Gilpin Parks & Recreation Director Gabrielle Chisholm, “and we could not have done it without everyone’s help.”

The center, which has been closed throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, is set to reopen in early March, operating under guidelines from the state and county health departments. According to Chisholm, the center is well-equipped with PPE for the staff, as well as numerous hand sanitizing stations, cleaning materials, and temperature scanners. There will also be Plexiglass barriers to protect staff and visitors. For the safest possible experience, users will need to make reservations in order to use the facilities, will be required to wear a mask, and will be screened as they enter the building. More information about the re-opening and reservations will be forthcoming from the Parks & Recreation Department.

“We are working as hard as we can toward the March re-opening. Our staff is growing and we are training daily”, Chisholm said. “We are still in the onboarding process for front desk staff and in need of more lifeguard applications. Every one of us is so excited to get the doors open and make our community center available again.” 

The Rec Center reopened to the public on Monday, March 1, 2021.

(Originally published in the February 25, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)