AVON – An open house to show off the community education and social service center and solicit ideas on its use is being held Saturday afternoon.

“Any outlandish, outrageous idea that you have the courage and willpower to pursue, do it to it,” owner Lauri Sibulkin said. “There’s no limit to what we will do.”

The center was established last year after Sibulkin’s father closed the toy factory in March 2004 and turned the property over to his son. Sibulkin had been in his third year at a Montana technical college when he returned to Maine after 17 years.

Sibulkin, a woodworker, gathered people he believed would be instrumental in making something of the abandoned factory on Avon Valley Road. What has evolved is a center housing Pathway Partners, SAD 58 Community Education, the Electronic Grange Network and Franklin County Children’s Task Force.

And Sibulkin is open to other ideas.

Bricklaying classes are already under way, and a course for nursing assistants will be starting soon.

He feels that finding a diverse and eclectic mix of programs and services will best serve the community.

“If you split something up in many small systems, if one strand fails, you’ve always got the others to carry on,” he said.

Sibulkin also believes in the power of community, which is why he invited old high school friends to initial meetings, friends like Bill Crandall, who signed on as chairman for the board of directors.

“I can’t fix what’s wrong with this town,” he said. “But everybody together can.”

People who want to learn more about the center, take a tour and meet some of the instructors are invited to attend the open house from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. More information may be obtained by calling 678-2455 or by visiting www.ocnfc.org.