JAY — The Knights of Columbus Hall is temporarily closed until members can find a liability insurance policy they can afford. The closure suspends beano on Thursday nights and a free public supper scheduled Saturday.

The policy jumped from about $1,800 to $4,800, association President Donald Castonguay of Livermore said. “We could not afford to pay that,” he said.

The insurance lapsed Aug. 17.

Members have requested quotes from other companies and are hoping they’ll find a more affordable one, he said.

This week’s beano and most likely Aug. 29’s beano games are canceled, Castonguay said.

The Knights of Columbus, Council 320, also hosted free suppers the second and fourth Saturday of each month, Supper Committee Co-Chairman Tom Welch of Fayette said.

“We put out 150 to 200 meals every time,” he said. That includes delivering to shut-ins, he said.

They get business sponsorships for the suppers and between that and the money that is dropped into the donation can, the suppers pay for themselves, he said.

“We’ve been feeding for three years and if we can’t have the hall, we really have no place to do it at this point,”Welch said.

The hall is a separate entity on paper from Council 320 in case the organization ever becomes defunct to protect it from reverting to the state, Welch said.

But paying the bills to keep it open gets tougher each year, Welch and Castonguay said.

“We have been struggling just getting by there with bills,” Welch said.

They’ve had to make the decision twice so far if they want to keep it open. Both times, they did.

They have to come up with about $10,000 each year to keep the hall open, he said. Each year the costs go up.

Beano is not bringing in the money and people it used to, Castonguay said. It used to draw 100 people a week but that number is way down, he said. The permits to play cost $1,100 each year, he said.

The organization had to put in an elevator to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, he said.

They have two more payments before the mortgage is paid off.

The hall is rented for private affairs as well. Castonguay said there is a wedding scheduled in September.

“I’m hoping we fix the matter” of insurance prior to then, Castonguay said so he doesn’t have to call the couple and tell them the hall is closed.

There is a meeting scheduled Tuesday, Aug. 27.

“We either are going to vote to spend some money on insurance and if not close the hall,” Welch said.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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