Bottles two Backpacks temporarily moves to new home

GRUNDY CENTER- It’s been a challenging year for the Bottles two Backpacks daycare in Grundy Center in the aftermath of a fire in December, but the children that are served will have a new temporary home at the American Lutheran Church until issues at the old building on G Avenue are resolved.

In a letter sent to parents on July 27, they were notified that Bottles two Backpacks, by order of State Fire Marshal Jeremy Mueller, would vacate the G Avenue building as of August 8 until the old Catholic church adjacent to the facility has been demolished. The letter also encourages parents to voice their opinion to Mueller and follow B2B’s social media pages for further updates.

“The fire marshal is taking everything day by day, and he’s pretty much threatening or harassing me—if I don’t send him what he wants, he’s going to close the doors,” Bottles Two Backpacks Director Valerie Rhoads said.

Rhoads told The Grundy Register that returning to the old building is “absolutely” her long-term goal and added that she hopes complaints that have been leveled with the fire marshal’s office will be addressed soon. Renovations are being planned at the G Avenue building including a second exit plan and a new playground, but, as Rhoads noted, these types of projects don’t happen overnight.

Despite the turmoil, Rhoads said she is thankful to the ALC for offering up its own space, and so are the families that she serves. Stay tuned to The Grundy Register and B2B’s social media pages for more updates on the future of the facility.