55-year-old stage floor gets face lift

Thursday, March 1, 2012
MADELINE DeJOURNETT-advancensc@sbcglobal.net This stage in the multi-purpose room of the Advance Elementary, received a face-life this year, thanks to a collaboration between retired Advance RIV custodian Gary Beardsley and current custodian John Rhodes.

No other aspect of the Advance school facility, other than the gym, has received more use and provided more joy to the students and the community than the tired old stage in the multi-purpose room at the elementary school.

Though the elementary building was recently renovated to the tune of $2 million, nothing was done to the stage, other than providing it with a much-needed new curtain. The floors and interior curtains have remained the same since the school was built in 1957.

Thousands of students have tred the old boards of the stage in the 55 years since the school first opened its doors. The stage has been the venue for Christmas programs, musicals, plays, skits, and events of every imaginable kind. Parents have crowded in the multi-purpose room like sardines to watch their children and grandchildren entertain the community.

The stage plays an important part in the life of the school.

Not only is the stage well-loved; it is a fading tradition in the small schools around the nation. As funds are cut for our schools, stages are no longer included in the architects' drawings for the new schools. Instead, school administrators are forced to trot out "portable" stages, known for their postage-stamp qualities and dangerously flimsy construction. They are no substitute for the permanent stages, built in the "old days."

For this reason, it was with great joy that this reporter recently discovered the renovation of the old multi-purpose stage.

"That floor is solid oak!" explained retired custodian Gary Beardsley. "John (Rhodes) and I had some time the day after school was out for Christmas, so we spend two days cutting that floor. We sanded all the way down through the finish to the wood. I'm sure it hadn't been done since the school was built. Then we put a coat of wax on it. It looks good!"

Beardsley, who is known for his love of wood-working, donated three days to the refinishing of the stage floor. His expertise in finishing floors is one reason why the gym floors look so good.

"I also got to checking, and discovered that those old lights on the floor still work!" Beardsley said. "There's red, blue and yellow. All burned but one! I told Mrs. Paige (music teacher)."

In this day and age, when resources are few and far between, it is good to see quality floors restored to life to serve the community another 50 years.

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