Groups work together for new Head Start building

The Washoe Tribe will be getting a new building for its Carson City Head Start program.

The 5,100-square-foot building will be a state-of-the-art structure that incorporates solar and wind power technology and uses recycled plastic.

The $500,000 project won't cost Head Start anything, but if all goes as planned, it will pay untold dividends by giving construction students hands-on experience, and possibly marking the start of many similar projects in Northern Nevada.

"I doubt if this is being done anywhere else in the country," said Jack Fleming, who has been coordinating the effort. "It's going to be quite a building."

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday for the building, which will measure 60 by 85 feet, and will be located at the Stewart complex in Carson City, next to the tribe's community center.

Fleming is the project manager for the Sierra Assisted Living Foundation, a non-profit organization that is planning a housing project in Gardnerville for senior citizens and disabled adults.

That project gave Fleming a chance to work with groups from around the area and develop low-cost resources for getting the SALF job done.

Fleming has now marshaled those resources into the Head Start building, and after more than a year of lining up commitments and other support, he's thrilled that the project is on the verge of becoming reality.

Judy Martin, who manages the Washoe Tribe's Head Start programs, said the building will provide space for 55 children and 16 infants and toddlers. Martin said there's currently only space for 20 children.

Several private and public entities will be involved in the new building.

They include Western Nevada Supply, which is helping with materials and money. Labor will be supplied by construction students attending Western Nevada Community College and the Washoe Tribe's construction school.