The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
-by Mitch Worley, Quill Reporter
If you have cruised by the La Harpe Community School, you've noticed there is a new addition to the already lovely school that lies just off Main Street.
Since the school was erected in 1959, a bevy of additions have been made to enhance and maximize its potential.
Most notably, a new addition was added several years ago, to expand the building. A library was established within that building, a gazebo was placed between the new addition and original portion of the school, and a greenhouse was affixed to the front of the new addition which faces Main Street.
The latest addition is a striking new sign that will serve as a beacon for K thru 8th grade's upcoming events the school will host or will be participating in throughout the school year.
Responsible contributors for this "beacon" that will showcase La Harpe Community School activies are Candy Lee and many other members of the La Harpe PTO.
They have contemplated purchasing a sign for the school for the past few years, but just recently have had the funds to make this dream a reality.
Lee said that the PTO and students sold the usual items to raise money for the PTO with the candles, poinsettias, and t-shirts, but last year added a new fundraiser to the mix.
"We decided to sell the beanie teddies last year and weren't really sure how successful it would be, but it worked out really well. The kids really did a great job of selling all the things we sold to be able to have this new sign," Lee said.
Long time teacher Joyce Crim and Tina Lionberger were a main part of this mission, but Lee went on to say that participation picked up and many people banded together to attain the funds for this new sign.
"None of the money came from grant money," Lee said. "All of it came from the hard work everyone put in for the fundraisers. When people knew we were going for this sign, they came through and helped out a lot."
Originally the PTO sought after a scrolling LED sign, but it was almost triple what they had anticipated to spend on a new sign.
Century Signs of Quincy aided the PTO by taking a picture of the school and superimposing different kinds of signs onto the landscape of the school to see what it would look like.
After choosing from a few sign ideas, the current sign was selected and purchased for just under $6,700. The cement work and installation cost another $750.
Now that the new sign is up and illuminated in the nighttime hours, it is still up in the air as to when, how, and who will update the sign.
Although Candy was one of the main pieces of the group to have been so prolific in obtaining the sign, she has yet to master how to update the sign.
She said, "I'm not quite sure who will be in charge of putting things on there yet or how to use it, but Don (Little) was there when Century Signs came by to show us how to use it and it sounds pretty easy."
The community has complimented many members of the PTO and the school's faculty on how great the sign looks, and it's quite obvious to see why.