The front page article of the Kennebec Journal tells us that Monmouth Grange has a grant.
The Grange is an organization, not a building, and the real Monmouth Grange merged with Winthrop Grange and sold the building when it wasn’t able to get grants to make repairs to it.
That building has nothing to do with Grange and should not be called a Grange. Granges all over the state are dealing with buildings that need handicap accessibility, roofs, and foundations and have no way to get funds to upgrade their buildings. Their buildings are used for public forums, community activities and family events, especially since towns no longer own their own schools.
This grant is for building’s current owner, the Theater at Monmouth, not Grange.
If St. Leo’s Church building gets sold and whoever buys it gets a grant, will the paper announce that the Catholics got a grant?
If this state passes more gambling laws, and the Legion Posts lose their income and have to merge their organizations and sell their buildings, will whoever buys a building and gets a grant be called The American Legion? Of course not.
The history in that building in Monmouth developed because of the members of the Grange organization who occupied the building. The Grange (Patrons of Husbandry) is a vital family fraternity that is growing nationally. It originated to unite farmers and farm workers from the north and south after the Civil War and has evolved into a community service organization today.
I repeat, this grant is for the Theater at Monmouth, not Grange.
Marilyn Stinson
Richmond
Send questions/comments to the editors.
