LCRA, Bluebonnet Electric Co-op award $15,868 grant to Dime Box Heritage Society
Upgrades to the Dime Box Heritage Museum will protect exhibits, lower energy costs
MAY 30, 2024
LEE COUNTY, Texas – The Dime Box Heritage Museum soon will have a new roof and an upgraded heating and cooling system, thanks to a $15,868 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $4,592 in matching funds from the nonprofit Dime Box Heritage Society, will pay for a new roof and an energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
“Our little museum building is old,” said Bonnie Langham, treasurer of the Dime Box Heritage Society. “The roof has rusty spots that are starting to leak. A new roof will protect our museum exhibits from getting ruined.”
Langham said a window air-conditioning unit has been used in part of the museum to help maintain a consistent temperature throughout the building for memorabilia and visitors.
“The air and heating system is at least 30 years old, and it’s on its last leg,” Langham said. “With this grant, we will be able to replace the current system with a new one that will be energy efficient and will cool and heat properly.”
Langham said the organization has been fortunate to receive items from residents who have generously donated pieces of Dime Box history. These donations include a mailbox that was used when President Franklin D. Roosevelt kicked off the March of Dimes.
“Our museum showcases a walk back in time for Dime Box,” Langham said. “We have an extensive genealogy library, and a lot of people have come to Dime Box looking for information about their ancestors, which has been a real positive thing.”
Langham said the organization will make the much-needed upgrades without having to worry about fundraising.
“When our organization first started, we all agreed that we did not want to spend all of our time fundraising,” Langham said. “This grant ensures that we will be able to protect our items in the museum for a long time, which has lifted a weight off the shoulders of a group of people who really care about Dime Box.”
The community grant is one of 44 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.
About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations.
About Bluebonnet
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of the largest electric cooperatives in Texas and has been serving its members since 1939. Bluebonnet serves more than 131,000 meters and owns and maintains 12,000 miles of power lines, located across more than 3,800 square miles within 14 Central Texas counties. Bluebonnet’s service area stretches from Travis County to Washington County, and from Milam County to Gonzales County. For more information about Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, go to Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and follow the co-op on Facebook and Twitter.
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