Sewage problem forces Oak Harbor Boys and Girls Club to Roller Barn

A sewage-system failure forced the Boys and Girls Club of Oak Harbor to move its programs temporarily to the Roller Barn, interrupting services for local families while plumbing repairs and deep-cleaning proceed. The club’s facility became unusable after staff discovered a broken sewer pipe on Jan. 13, prompting emergency repairs and a short-term relocation to keep kids in supervised care.

Chief Operations Officer DJ Lockwood said staff initially thought the problem was a clog. “We thought it was a clogged sewer pipe and had a company come out to unclog the line. When we looked to find the clog, we found out the pipe was broken,” he explained in an email. P & L General Contractor began work on the damaged pipe, and crews are addressing both the plumbing and necessary sanitation before the club can reopen.

Marci Volmer, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club, confirmed the club will operate out of the Roller Barn while the building is repaired and cleaned. Community support has been immediate: Volmer noted local residents and businesses have stepped up to help maintain programming during the disruption. “As always, the Oak Harbor community has stepped in to make sure that kids still have a place to be,” she said.

City officials have offered assistance with the emergency response, and Lockwood said the club appreciated the cooperation. “We appreciated the city allowing us to get to work on this right away,” he added. A staff social-media post initially described the incident as a city sewage issue; club leadership has since corrected that characterization.

Beyond the immediate inconvenience, the episode highlights broader pressures on local infrastructure and nonprofit service delivery. Unexpected closures of youth-serving facilities can strain working families’ childcare arrangements and impose unplanned costs on small nonprofits, which must cover emergency contractor work, deep-cleaning, and temporary facility agreements. For a community the size of Oak Harbor, contingency relationships with venues like the Roller Barn provide valuable resilience but do not eliminate fiscal and logistical strain.

For now, families should expect programs to continue at the Roller Barn until repairs are complete and the Boys and Girls Club gives notice of a safe return. The incident underscores the practical need for routine sewer inspections and contingency planning at municipal and nonprofit levels to limit future disruptions to essential youth services.