The Cispus Learning Center in Randle recently had its gym floor refurbished to original condition in celebration of the gym's 50th anniversary.
The little known gymnasium at Cispus Learning Center recently had its pecan wood floor restored to original condition in hopes of drawing local sports teams to the court.
Many locals have been to the Cispus Learning Center in Randle, but few are aware that it is home to a historic gymnasium where former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman competed in pickup basketball games.
The gym was constructed in 1966 by the efforts of Job Corps, an organization with ties back to the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Although the gym, which is set up for basketball and volleyball in addition to other indoor activities, has been around for 50 years, it has largely gone unnoticed by the public due to its deteriorating condition and corresponding lack of use.
“It’s one of those things where I don’t think the community knows what we have,” said Chase Buffington, general manager at Cispus.
D-S Hardwood Corp. was hired to undertake the restoration work for the original wood floor, and the job began to take shape about a year ago.
“Turns out it was in decent condition, it just needed to be sanded down,” noted Buffington.
“One comment from (D-S Hardwood) was that this was one of the most beautiful floors they had ever seen,” added Buffington. “The floor is made of pecan wood and has a distinct look.”
Back when the pecan wood floor was brand new, local basketball teams would regularly hold weekend tournaments in the Cispus gym. The Job Corps crew had its own team, and they would take on challenging teams representing local mills. Those hardwood heydays lasted for about five years before eventually fizzling out when Job Corps was eliminated in the 1970s.
According to Buffington, the gym has largely been kept under wraps since then.
“A lot of locals who lived in the area during the ’60s played against the Job Corps workers,” noted Buffington. “These (Job Corps) kids actually built this gymnasium at the age of 18. When they came here, they learned carpentry and forestry type jobs.”
Buffington noted that a lot of visitors to Cispus arrive with dusty stories told by their grandfathers stored up in their memory banks.
“We have a lot of people who come up here and think back and reflect on what the Job Corps meant to them,” said Buffington.
One of those grandfatherly stories that has grown a bit hazy over time is the participation of “Big George” Foreman in those Job Corps activities.
“We’re certain they played on the court together, but not sure if George Foreman helped build it,” said Buffington.
With a surname like Foreman, he likely would have made a great supervisor at the very least.
Although the former heavyweight champion and current grill magnate is decidedly past his roundball playing prime, Buffington is hopeful that the refurbished gymnasium can reclaim its former glory.
“We have great accommodations here at Cispus, but now we have an opportunity for sports teams to grow cohesively, while engaging in the sport they love,” said Buffington.
He noted that teams could use the Cispus outdoor challenge course and then retreat to the stylish confines of the gymnasium to focus on their sport of choice.
The bulk of the visitors to Cispus are fifth- and sixth-graders who arrive for a week of outdoors activities through their schools, but Buffington says the grounds are suited for fourth-graders all the way up through college. He’s even hoping to draw in corporate groups for team building experiences.
Additional information about the Cispus Learning Center can be found online at www.cispus.org.
