Two months after the Friends of the Depot group officially disbanded, final evidence of their volunteer efforts adorn the top of the historic Burlington Depot building.
Brand new awnings, installed at the end of February for about $20,000, represent every penny the group had left in its coffers — and then some.
“We wanted that to be our last hurrah,” said Tony Dixon, the final president of the Friends group.
Sherwood Company of West Burlington, which installed the awnings at the end of February, donated $700 to make up the shortfall. A fitting gesture toward a group that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through volunteer hours.
“They didn’t have to do that,” Dixon said, expressing his gratitude toward Sherwood Company.
Friends of the Depot was working to raise $42,000 for floor and wall restoration in the depot’s great room last year, but those plans quickly changed.
After a few years of simmering tensions with the city, the group’s mounting frustrations finally led them to disband.
Dixon said the final straw was the city’s now-defunct plant to move the Steamboat Senior Center into the depot building. Dixon and his fellow volunteers learned about the decision unexpectedly during a council meeting.
The city council reversed that decision weeks later and voted the measure down after seniors at the center rejected the plan with their own unanimous vote.
The Friends of the Depot group already had disbanded by then, though, and neither Dixon nor the remaining members have expressed a desire to bring it back. Given how often the depot floods, Dixon understands why the building isn’t always the city’s highest priority, but his heart still lives there.
“I would like to see someone else bring it back,” Dixon said.
Finding that someone else is the problem. At 67-years-old, Dixon, who joined the depot group four years ago, was one of its youngest members. And though he is no longer interested in being a member himself, he is willing to help someone who wants to restart the group.
“We need young blood,” he said.
The Friends of the Depot group has disbanded before, though, only to come back stronger. Read more about the historic Burlington Depot and the Friends of the Depot organization this Sunday only on The Burlington Beacon’s website at www.burligntonbeacon.com. No paywalls, just local news.
Photo by Jeff Abell
New awnings were installed recently at the Burlington Depot by Sherwood Company of West Burlington. Funds for the installation was the result of efforts by the now-disbanded Friends of the Depot.