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Labor Temple will house day care photo by Steve Johnson Coordinator Connie Gilsdorf stands in Medford's old Labor Temple building, which First Presbyterian Church plans to turn into a child-care center. Church project will help parents and honor woman killed by train By MELISSA MARTIN First Presbyterian Church is opening a child-care center in downtown Medford as a way to meet the needs of middle-income families while reviving an eyesore. The 119-year-old church purchased the old, blue Labor Temple building on Grape Street and is remodeling it into the Sarah Corson Childcare Center, set to open in March. "We're taking an ugly building and turning it into a well-lit, wonderful place for children," says coordinator Connie Gilsdorf. The new child-care center will meet a need for infant care, Gilsdorf says, offering one of the lowest adult-child ratios in the valley -- one adult for every four babies. The center's downtown location will allow working parents to stop for lunch and visit with their children. Nursing mothers also would find the location convenient. And families can afford the fees, says the Rev. Joyce DeGraaff, First Presbyterian minister. "There are many families who make too much to qualify for public assistance but don't make enough to afford child care," DeGraaff says. "Faith is a personal thing, but we are endeavoring to put our faith to work in a very public way." The center is named after Sarah Nicole Corson, the daughter of Medford residents Janet and John Corson. Sarah was killed by a train in Japan at the age of 23. She taught swim lessons and baby-sat frequently during her years growing up in Medford. "Sarah loved children and was a wonderful aunt to her nieces," says Janet Corson, a retired director of Southern Oregon Drug Awareness and one of the founders of Westminster Presbyterian's preschool. John Corson was an orthopedic surgeon for 20 years and was a team doctor at North and South high schools. "This was something the church wanted to do in the community and it certainly is something that interests me and my concerns for children. It's a bittersweet thing," Janet Corson says. "No one wants to have to honor their child in this way." Sarah Corson attended First Presbyterian Preschool, founded 45 years ago. The new child-care center will not compete with the church's preschool but will complement it, says Gilsdorf, a former manager of Larson's furniture store and mother of a 6-year-old. "This is a church that's reaching out beyond itself," says member Catherine Ann Campbell. First Presbyterian is committed to downtown Medford as well, Campbell says. At the old, blue Labor Temple building, Harrington & Campbell construction crews are ripping out false ceilings, worn carpets and plumbing fixtures. The project also includes installing a central air system and putting on a new roof. The project is estimated to cost $865,000, including $565,000 for the property. The church has invested $1.27 million to date sprucing up the downtown block on Holly Street. Members spent $493,000 to purchase and restore the former Gas Company Building, located on the corner where the original church was built in 1880. The building now houses Mellelo's coffee shop, Medford Urban Renewal, Habitat for Humanity, West Medford Coalition and Federated Tribes. Medford Urban Renewal Director Don Burt applauds the church's improvements to the buildings, as well as the creation of a child-care center. "A child-care facility is an important component of a vibrant downtown," Burt says. "We have a lot of people who work down here and need a place for their children." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA