This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

A Community Option

In a few years the Academy School building will celebrate its 100th birthday. Our community needs to cherish this unique asset and our town’s history.

The original Hand Academy was a gift from Daniel Hand in 1884. It became a public high school in 1887. In 1921, Hand Academy was demolished and its bricks used to construct the front facade of the current building.

This year on Earth Day, Academy-Save the Heart of Madison, with help from local businesses, cleared the grounds and painted portions of the school building, including new red doors. We gave it a bit of a facelift, allowing residents to enjoy this historic structure and not see it as an eyesore. My friends and I have often joked about winning the lottery so we can buy the building and allow it to have a cherished and thriving future.

Philanthropy happens in different ways. It’s not always money. It can be giving of our time, utilizing our unique talents and efforts. Community philanthropy is local people helping each other by sharing resources for the common good. Right now, philanthropy is saving Academy.

I encourage your readers to let their voices be heard and to participate in the upcoming GreatBlue phone poll and online survey. Let’s choose a community option that preserves Daniel Hand’s legacy and keeps a bit of Madison’s history in our village district.

Rosalyn Fahey

Madison