Fur, Fish, and Game putting old Arkansaw store back to use

The Arkansaw Fur, Fish, and Game Club began talking about finding a better place to have its meetings back in June.
"We had a meeting with all the members to discuss purchasing the old store in Arkansaw," said club president Jon Kelton. "We thought we could maybe use it for a community center for family gatherings, the Scouts, hunter education, bridal showers, or anything like that."
The Club purchased the building at the end of July. The space has a maximum capacity of 110 people, two bathrooms, and will eventually have a full kitchen.
"As of right now, we already have it rented out a couple of times in the month of November—they'll be our guinea pigs, so to speak," Kelton said. "We hope the first couple of renters give us the information we need to prepare for future rentals."
Over the years, Kelton said the store has changed hands a few times, but lately, has been sitting empty.
"The store is kind of one of the trademarks of the community, and we hated to see it sit empty," he said. "We asked the previous owners if they'd be willing to sell it to the Club. We wanted to make good use of it."
Kelton said being around the community, he heard all the time that people would like to have a spot for gatherings.
"We just decided we could provide that," he said. "We think it will be used. It could be anything from educational classes, to parties, meetings, and more."
In the past, Kelton said people were limited to the park shelter in Arkansaw, but being outdoors with sometimes uncooperative weather wasn't always ideal.
Kelton said the Club is still determining who will be in charge of rentals, but for now, those interested in renting the space can call Heather Kelton at 715-285-5795 to set up reservations.
"We plan on having an open house in the near future, but we're unsure of when, exactly," Kelton said.
The Arkansaw Fur, Fish, and Game Club currently has between 150 and 200 members.
"Some are very active, others not so much, but they all help in some way through the year," Kelton said.
The Club is open to anyone willing to put time into protecting the outdoors to benefit the community and surrounding area. For more information, visit www.arkansawffg.org.