Another flood-damaged Ontario structure met its end Monday. The building had served local students for decades as the Lower Brush Creek School, and then gained a new life as the Ontario American Legion Hall after it had been moved to Ontario in the early 1970s. The building was severely damaged in the August 2018 flood, and the Ontario American Legion received a FEMA buyout for the structure. The American Legion now meets in the “interim” community hall (the former Ontario Elementary School building). Before the building was torn down, the American Legion did save the school bell, which is now in storage. In May, the Ontario Community Hall was razed, and several other flood-damaged buildings are slated for demolition later this year. Once an owner agrees to a buyout, the affected property must be demolished and the land must remain open green space, according to federal law.
