Bellemont Bahá'i School News
        An Online Electronic Newsletter

Guidelines adopted in 1989 for the Bellemont Bahá'i School called for the committee charged with development of the School to publish a newsletter.  The newsletter was mailed to most Bahá'is in Arizona three times per year for two years but to save money for important construction work at the School the committee decided the publication would be placed on hold.   We hope this electronic online newsletter will take the place of the original one and with regular updates keep Bahá'i communities everywhere informed about events and progress being made in the development of the School.   We believe many Bahá'is who own computers will be reached through cyberspace and will want to share the information they receive with the members in their communities.  Our hope is to reach a large number of people who will want to help the Bellemont Bahá'i School to become better able to serve the Bahá'i Faith.   Everyone's help will be welcomed!   Throughout the world 78.6 out of 1000 people own computers. The number is higher for the U.S. and we hope even higher for Bahá's The Bellemont Bahá'i School Committee

In advance of the Bellemont Bahá'i School Committe meeting on January 12, 2008, in Carefree, Arizona an application to renew the conditional use permit for the Bellemont Bahá'i School was submitted to the Coconino County Planning and Zoning Commision in Flagstaff, Arizona.  The original permit had expired earlier in January.   Included with the application was an architectual plan suggesting improvements to the road and a number of new buildings that could be added to the School.  The plan caused the Planning and Zoning Commision to change the building regulations from a day camp serving 50 youth to commercial regulations for a school with the potential of having many students living at the School.  The new permit was approved to the year 2018; however, it established comercial building regulations that will apply to the current and future construction projects at the School.

One problem for the current ramada project is a requirement for an architect to produce the building plans.  Unsuccessful attempts to find an architect has caused a delay in getting the plans approved.  A solution was reached with the Coconino County Building Department to wave the architect and use a civil engineer to approve and stamp the plans.  We now have both a commercial building contractor and a civil engineer working to produce the building plans.

A second problem involves the Coconino County Health Department.  Their concern is the ability of the septic system to handle a new commercial kitchen.  Our solution is to install a separate gray water system to completely remove the kitchen waste water from the septic system.

The building contrator and civil engineer are revising the building plans and will be submitting them to the county before the end of March.  The building site is ready and construction is expected to start in early April.  The completion date is projected to be six weeks from the beginning of construction.  Once construction is underway a call for volunteers will be made to help put in the pavers.  When the date has been determined you will be informed.  The date will be prior to the first week in July before Summer School.

The ramada pictured above was demolished on the 16th and 17th of August, 2008.  It was built in the 1960s and modified three times with its final size reaching 960 sqare feet.  It is being replaced by a 576 square foot kitchen and a much larger ramada with 1728 square feet under roof.

The demolishtion of the old ramada shown above has been captured in photographs  Also, as the new building goes up more pictures will be added to the web link when they become available.

Dieter, Heidi, and LuAnne cogitating!

f. to b.Sohrab, Dorthy, Lottie, Heidi and Dieter

Marianne, Gisela, and Rose are ready to adjourn!

Louie the dog is the supervisor!

Heidi and Karen moving pavers

Cal and Gary removing a tree trunk

Cal Barr is under Bill's finger!

Debbie, Gisela and John Henry preparing lunch

Gary starting the trench for the kitchen