Families for St. Paul's member Greta Besendorfer talks with a Village resident while he signs a petition in support of public use for St. Paul's. Through a photo review, members of the Families for St. Paul's took residents at the athletic fields last weekend on a tour of the historic St. Paul's building. The photos showed the "great" rooms to the right and left of the St. Paul's entranceway, chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings, vibrant terra cotta tiles and lush wood forming an arch above each hallway door topped with a transom, colorful murals in the dining room, English Minton tiles so carefully laid in the late 1870s, and the organ pipes, stained glass windows and a Bible on a prayer kneeler inside the chapel, one of St. Paul's most cherished features.

For many residents, the photographs brought a first peek inside the 125-year-old St. Paul's School. For a few others, it was a reminder of their high school experience. Look for the "Families" members at St. Paul's again on September 30.

The Families for St. Paul's supports the Committee to Save St. Paul's efforts to find a reasonable solution for redevelopment of the Historic Main Building that will be affordable for residents and taxpayers. The Committee's goal is to maintain public control of St. Paul's and to find adequate space for public use of a portion of its interior.

Bringing information about the St. Paul's building to residents are Families for St. Paul's members, from left, Rachel Cashwell, Pat DiMattia and Arlene Chianese with Committee to Save St. Paul's representative Maureen Traxler. While researching and preparing a response to the Village's Request for Proposal for St. Paul's, the Committee's consultants are actively pursuing financial options. It was through their research that they learned about new grant funding being made available to municipalities under the Empire State Development Corporation's "Restore NY" program. The Committee brought the program to the attention of the Village, and is pleased to learn that Village officials have now applied for a grant. St. Paul's is on the National Register of Historic Places and was on the New York State Preservation League's 2003 "Seven to Save" list. Only through vision and commitment will our Village preserve this valuable piece of our heritage for all to enjoy. The Committee to Save St. Paul's wants to find a solution that will preserve as much of the building as possible, inside and out, not just a few token walls as the Village's current private development plan is modeled.

If you're interested in supporting the efforts of the Committee to Save St. Paul's, please contact Maureen Traxler, Administrative and Communications Director at info@savestpauls.org or 319-1906. Don't forget to visit our website, www.savestpauls.org.