It took just hours for the former Coombs Community Hall building to burn down, but the memories made there will last a lifetime.
“When I was young, wedding receptions were open receptions,” said Sharon Cox-Gustavson, a Coombs Historian. “There was a big bulletin put out here on the hall; somebody’s getting married, open reception . . . [on] Saturday night or whatever and so people came, brought a gift and enjoyed an evening.”
Two weeks ago, a devastating fire ripped through the nearly 100-year-old building. It took firefighters hours to put the blaze out.
It’s a sad ending for the building’s owner, Raymond Zajes. He was renting out space but also had an office with a lot of personal possessions in it, including photos of his son, who died four years ago at the age of 27.
“When we moved out of our place . . . all of our stuff went into there. All the kids pictures everything,” said Zajes.
Built-in 1921, the building was known as the Coombs Community Hall until the 1990s, playing host to dances and parties to mark each season. In the early years, it even served as the local theatre when films were black and white and intermissions were unscheduled.
“That old reel to reel. You had a lot of mishaps and the poor projectionist had to keep repairing, but finally, the show did go on. We always got to see the end,” said Cox-Gustavson.
While the building was insured, the contents weren’t.
“Just one thing after another. Just go one day at a time. Either I smile or I get mad,” said Zajes, who says he’s still in shock.
Zajes says he’s still waiting for the fire department to determine what sparked the blaze and hasn’t yet decided what the property’s future will hold.
Kendall Hanson
