As the evolution of the Mill Spring School into the Mill Spring Ag Center has occurred over the last four and a half years, there have been many upgrades and renovations, but none so important as has occurred in the last month.
The Ag Center, through a grant from the Mountain Valleys Resource Conservation and Development group, donations and savings, was able to have a third of its roof replaced.
The section replaced, located over the historic auditorium and south side of the building, was almost a project that wasn’t going to happen. Director of the Ag Center, Patrick McLendon said, “We were really close to not being able to get the job done and have to wait until more resources accumulated but luckily the roofer, Benny Hines, came through for us.”
McLendon said that Hines Roofing offered a $1,000 donation to the Ag Center to help bridge the gap to ensure the work could go forward. “Throughout the past four years, we have constantly been on alert for rain. Each time pulling out our assortment of buckets to catch what we could, but it was disappointing to see renovations we had completed be destroyed yet again by water. We breathe a lot easier now when storms roll through,” said McLendon.
The Ag Center will begin saving for replacement of other portions of the roof soon, but the section replaced was by far the worst affected area. The Ag Center is preparing for its five-year anniversary in December of this year.

– article submitted
by Patrick McLendon