For anyone who sat on those old, hard, wooden bleachers during hours of entertainment over the years, or practiced in the cold, dimly lit gym, just walking into the newly renovated facility takes your breath away! She’s a beauty!

Pretty much every piece of fitness equipment you could want to use can now be found at the rec center. Almost all of the equipment is new and there are machines and weights aplenty! Plus, bathrooms were also installed in the room.

The five locker rooms were also renovated, providing locker and meeting space, seating, bathrooms, and showers.

The pool was filled in and will become a multipurpose room. This will provide an extra large space for outdoor sports teams to get in a practice out of the nasty weather.

The concession stand will be a huge, full kitchen, with sink, oven, refrigerators, and popcorn machine. New cabinetry was also installed.

Thanks to a lot of hard work and a healthy budget, the renovations at Heartland Recreation Center in Tarkio are nearing completion. There’s still a ways to go, but everything is taking shape and boy, will it be a beauty when it’s done.

The gym floor has been laid and the bleachers installed. Though the finishing touches on the floor still have to be made, the gym as a whole looks so much better with comfy seating, perfect lighting, and warmth greeting you when you enter. New mats were put on the walls with interchangeable mascot heads. All new basketball hoops, backboards, and hydraulics are just waiting for the fun to begin.

The fitness room is pretty much ready to go. Almost every piece of equipment is new and bathrooms were installed inside. Once the ramp and doors are completed, the community will be able to use it.

The five locker rooms have come alive with new flooring, benches, paint jobs, and bathroom and shower remodels.

The multipurpose room is still in need of its new flooring, but once completed, the room will provide a huge space for teams to practice in or for gatherings to be held.

New flooring will be installed for the track that goes around the top of the gym and the racketball court received new paint. The chair lift has been installed and the lobby bathrooms redone. The concession stand is double the size of the current high school one and includes new cabinets. It will also soon feature a full kitchen with sink, oven and stove, and refrigerators, as well as a popcorn machine. The offices are also being remodeled. The roof and heating system remodel is being done section by section, but you can already feel the temperature difference inside.

It’s really quite amazing what all has been accomplished and once done, Tarkio R-I and the county as a whole will have a major asset on their hands. The fitness center will be the first thing to become available, hopefully within a few weeks. The school is tentatively looking at holding the January 4 home basketball games in the newly renovated gym, but everything will have to continue to run on schedule for the date to hold. Once completed, the school will also be hosting a grand opening celebration at the rec. Stay tuned for more details as the month and work progresses.