Ernies Black Meadow Stories

By Jerri Wallis

Bill and I started coming to Black Meadow Landing in 1994. Everyone here either fished, played bingo or cards, or golfed. We also had line dancing led by Alice Willis in the diner. Later we had musicians playing at the diner. At that time Pauline and her partner Dewayne were giving a New Year’s Eve party every year in the Bingo Hall. 

Then in 2001-02, Pauline asked George if we could have the Quonset hut for the New Year’s Eve dance. George told us, “If you want it, you have to take care of it, and no fighting!”

Used for storage at the time, the Quonset hut was full from floor to ceiling with pinball machines, pool tables, boxes, movie projectors, furniture, and rat trails across the top under the roof. There was a stove and a refrigerator, but they were filthy. Volunteers cleared it out, and then we set to work raising money, fixing it up, and convincing people to use it. George paid for the foam for the ceiling, and we paid for the plywood walls. Jerry and Virginia Sturgis did the tile work. 

Raising Money

We needed money to run our new center; we got tired of carrying chairs and tables over from the Bingo Hall. We served a tri-tip Valentine dinner for 120 people every year for two or three years: We didn’t have to leave the park to celebrate, and we made $20 a plate. We went to businesses in Parker for donations over the years, and people in the park (including Sue White, Virginia Sturgis, and I) donated art work such as gourds, pottery, and paintings. Bob Borst was the auctioneer during the first auctions. Patty and Jim Doyle and Heather and Dale Campbell were also involved.  George and Lori bought stuff at our auctions and participated. We might have raised $50,000-$60,000 over the years. We bought tables and chairs and a stove and paid for repairs and cleaning material.

When Helping Hands started raising money, we stopped having big fundraisers and focused mostly on 50/50 drawings. 

George named the hut the DooBees Center because we were busy as bees. At first, I had to beg people to come into the DooBees Center. I talked the preacher, Roy Schmidt, into moving church from the Bingo Hall. Alice Willis moved the line dancing over from the diner. The musicians who had been playing at the diner also moved over, and we had room to dance. Barbara Hughes started an exercise class, and we hosted nice luncheons for the ladies from River Lodge. 

Conclusion

The DooBees Center is important — you’re so far away from town. Many of  the people who made this a fun place are no longer here. So new seniors, it is your turn to keep up these wonderful buildings!

 Bill and Jerri Wallis at Port Royal play