Editor, The Times:
In early August of this year my sister and brother-in-laws, their Aunt Evelyne, her daughter and son-in-law and their children, my husband and I travelled to Avola to see where my mother-in-law Molly Craig grew up and went to school.
We were greeted and welcomed by Bob Jensen. Shortly thereafter Eleanor Deckert, the Times reporter, arrived, greeted and welcomed us as well. Her husband brought over old photographs of the school and of the students from years gone by that he has collected over the years.
We totally enjoyed our visit, especially the time spent at the old Avola log schoolhouse that my mother-in-law Molly and her sisters attended as children.
Their family lived in Avola from 1935 to the early 1950s. Molly and her sisters all loved to read and enjoyed learning throughout their lives – seed that was planted in that old log schoolhouse. They had very fond memories of their school years and growing up in Avola. It was so nice to see the old schoolhouse that they attended for many years still intact and well cared for.
It was very disappointing to hear that there are plans to remove the old blackboards and change the status of the old schoolhouse. This is just not right. We feel it should be kept intact and continue to be called the old log schoolhouse.
It is a heritage building and should be treated as such and not changed.
We started a petition and we all signed it in hopes of keeping the schoolhouse the way it is with the original blackboards in place.
We plan on returning to Avola for another reunion next year with Molly's younger sister Bernice's family, children and grandchildren from California. Bernice also attended the old log schoolhouse and went on to become a school teacher herself in California.
Both Molly and Bernice wanted to return to see their old schoolhouse one more time but unfortunately they both passed away this past year. We are doing this in memory and honor of them.
I hope they reconsider the fate of the old log schoolhouse. It holds a lot of fond memories for many people.
We would not have driven all that way to see it if it wasn't still intact as a schoolhouse. There would have been no point in that.
A special thank you goes out to Bob Jensen, Eleanor Deckert and her husband for making our day very special and memorable.
Sharon Lyons
150 Mile House, B.C.