Page 43 - Discover Winter 2021

66 Years of

Community Service

ByTim Ernandes

The lake community is home to a Many of their favorite projects
host of charitable organizations, including involved local schools. For example,
several civic groups that provide service to in 1955 club members rolled up their
the community. sleeves and laid down the sidewalks
around Moneta High School, which no
Most have sprung up thanks to the
longer exists. They were instrumental in
formation and development of Smith
the construction of the ball field behind
Mountain Lake… but few can boast
Moneta Elementary School, where they
a record equal to that of the Moneta
participated in a number of maintenance
Ruritans. Back in 1954, thirty three local
projects and also helped to provide
citizens signed the club’s original charter
tutoring.
under the auspices of Ruritan National.
1956 was a big year for the Ruritans,
Ruritan is a service organization
who sponsored and created the Moneta
that seeks to improve the community
Fire Department. The club purchased the
through volunteer work. Their slogan,
land, and continued to support the fire
Fellowship, Goodwill, and Community
company financially. Ruritan Howard
Service seems to indicate that they are
Arthur served temporarily as the first Fire
but one of many such organizations.
Chief, and the club participated in the
One significant difference that sets them
construction of the upstairs community
apart is the fact that they rarely engage in
room, where their meetings would be held
national programs. Rather, each chapter
for several decades.
is focused on identifying and meeting the
needs of its home community. The club also became increasingly
concerned about traffic safety along
To that end, the Moneta Ruritans
122, starting in 1961, when they worked
were responsible for building a local Civil
on installing the caution lights at the
Defense Post. They also played a large role
intersection of Rt 24 and 122. After the
in the installation of safety lights at the
lake was formed, they became increasingly
Moneta railroad crossing, which is now
concerned with the increase of traffic on
barricaded from street traffic. The very
122 through Moneta.
lake that we call home was the subject
of an informational program about the In 1989, they began 24 hour
project, and the club sponsored efforts to surveillance of the railroad crossing, in
create a state recreation area here. order to document the vehicle and train

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