PARON: Community has big hopes with May Fest

By Philip Seaton

LITTLE ROCK — Paron may have lost its high school, but the spirit is still strong in the Saline County community.

In 2006 the high school was closed after a merger with the Bryant School District in 2004, but the elementary school remains open.

The former high school is now leased out for residents of the area to use as a community center, but the building is in need of some repairs, Parent Teacher Student Organization President Ronda Maxwell said.

In order to raise funds to help foster some of those repairs, the first May Fest will be held at 10 a.m.

Saturday at the center and school located at 22265 Arkansas Highway 9 in northwest Saline County.

“We want to let people know that Paron is still out here,” said Maxwell, who moved to the area about four years ago.

But the big purpose is to raise money for the building, which is leased to a private nonprofit Paron group by the Bryant School District, Maxwell said.

“It is very kind of them to lease it to us,” she said.

Maxwell said that the bathroomsneed to be renovated and work done on tiles, which rest on top of a wood f loor, that buckled after they were power washed.

“The element ar y school is still here, but the original building is what we use,” she said.

“The building itself is relatively sound, but it is need of repairs to be used as a community center.”

A Girl Scout group and pilates class meets in the building, and a fitness center is also set up.

Future plans include turning the old high school library into a community library as well as for other uses.

“The library is getting there, but it is not fully functional yet,” Maxwell said. “We still have quite a bit of work left, so it is not open yet directly for the public. Also, we are trying to get a weekly bingo game out here.”

Maxwell said this is the first festival that she has helped organize.

“The word has been getting out about it,” she said.

“Things have been going well, but we are still holdingour breath that it goes really, really well.”

Events scheduled include craft booths, an antique car “show and shine,” children’s games, food vendors, a threeon-three horseshoe-pitching tournament and live music (two gospel bands, one country/rock band and one rock band).

Maxwell said she’s hoping that 300 to 400 people show up for the event.

“That is a conservative estimate,” she said.

“This is a beautiful place. We are trying to keep this community intact without our high school. We want people to come out to see what’s out here. We need people [to move here] to grow and keep our elementary [school] open.”

Booth spaces of 10 feet by 10 feet for $25 are available forthe event, which is scheduled to end around “8-ish.”

“As long as it is legal we’ll take them, even that day of the event,” Maxwell said of what vendors would be welcomed.

She didn’t give an estimate on how much money that she hoped the event would raise.

“Anything will help,” Maxwell said.

“I hope it goes well enough to continue next year so I’ll have a budget. I hope it’s the first of many, and that’s our plan, but we are learning. Bear with us, I’m sure we’ll make some mistakes, but we are getting better.”

For more information or to register for a booth, contact Maxwell at (501) 594-5796.

- pseaton@ arkansasonline.com

Tri-Lakes, Pages 59, 60 on 05/01/2008