Melodrama signals start of old Paradise School resurrection

PARADISE – The Paradise School opened its doors recently to show a melodrama before a packed house and make some special announcements about the school’s future.

The melodrama, The Tragedy of Ragweed Cowboy Joe, told the story of Ragweed Joe (Michael Murray), a soldier of the American Revolution who decides to move to Paradise, Montana to escape his crippling hay fever and become a cowboy. While there, he meets the love of his life: Little Hootin’ Annie (Joy Nelson), the school teacher.

However, Joe’s happiness is threatened by the evil, conniving, rotten, no good, villainous plans of Billy the Goat (Harry Ihms), who also has a crush on Annie. When the teacher goes missing, Joe must find her, then confront Billy to bring him to justice.

The show was hilarious, with anachronistic jokes all over the place. The simplistic set and actors changing characters added to the comedy of the show just as much as the dialogue itself. While the story became a little hard to follow in places, with complicated narration and scenes digressing from the main story, it was due to the writing more than the cast.

Overall, the show was a delight and provided everyone with a good laugh as they enjoyed the exploits of Ragweed Cowboy Joe and his friends.

The show was not the only purpose for the evening, though. It also acted as one of the first big fundraisers for the repurposing of the Paradise schoolhouse. The school closed down in spring 2013 and there have been discussions since about what to do with the space to avoid it just sitting empty.

After two years of consideration and debate, it was proposed the Board of Trustees should give the land and buildings to the county who would then lease it to the Paradise School Preservation Committee. The committee would then run it as a community, visitor and arts center for everyone’s use.

“We anticipate that the school trustees will deed the buildings and land to Sanders County,” states their restoration plan. “We will hopefully see the school remain in public hands and continue to serve the community, the county and Northwest Montana.”

However, the plan relies on the trustees making their decision fairly soon. While they retain ownership, if the Board of Trustees does not make a decision by July 2016, by law the property goes to the Plains School District. The preservation committee feels the school would likely sell the property to private bidders, like they did with the old Plains Elementary School.

The committee is confident, though, and plans to move forward with their plans and has begun raising money and working with the county to begin the first phase of turning the school into the community center.

However, this will require lots of work. The school buildings are over 100 years old, with the multi-purpose building over 50. Phase One consists of making ADA improvements to the buildings, upgrading the heating and cooling systems, improving the access road as well as putting in an entry plaza between the school and multi-purpose building. This phase is expected to be funded by grants, donations and government programs.