A month after a Jim Thorpe Borough Council decision to leave management of the Asa Packer Mansion in the hands of the Jim Thorpe Lions Club led to a mass tour guide resignation, the popular attraction is back open on weekends with eyes toward the future.

“The shortage of staff forced us to close for two weeks,” Lions Club member Jay McElmoyle said. “In that time, we were able to get organized, hire staff and update some things. We reopened before Memorial Day and have been open every weekend since. We plan to open during the week as soon as we have a fully trained staff.”

Ava Bretzik and many of home’s longtime guides submitted their resignations last month, saying they felt disrespected and concerned for their jobs moving forward.

The borough was willed the home in 1912 by Asa’s daughter, Mary Packer Cummings, and the Lions Club has served as caretaker since an agreement was penned in 1954.

Last week, former guides continued to advocate against the Lions Club remaining in the caretaker role.

“I applaud the tour guides for standing by the home that they have come to love,” Kratz said. “That is what the Jim Thorpe Lions Club is lacking. There is no love, no respect for history, and no desire to learn anything about the home. It is time to take proper precautions to preserve this beautiful home before it is too late.”

McElmoyle said all former guides were sent a letter commemorating them on their years of service and letting them know their positions will be held for them. Since reopening, the Lions Club has installed a new credit card processing system and provided tours to almost 800 guests. More than 60% of transactions have been credit since the system has been put in place.

“The employees are working well together and we’re all really excited,” McElmoyle said.

Theresa Edmondson read a letter last week written by former mansion tour guide Janice Kromer, who now lives in Arizona.

“I saw how hard the group of dedicated guides worked from year to year,” Kromer wrote. “It is not easy to learn the detailed script and deliver it. Many long term guides went well beyond their job descriptions. They always thought of better ways to present the home and ground to visitors. We never felt our opinions mattered to the Lions Club.”

Borough President Greg Strubinger said he felt ongoing maintenance and personnel issues at the mansion should yield a different management situation moving forward.

He recommended forming a new 501c3 organization and board of directors to oversee the mansion. It would have been comprised of three borough council members, a mansion director and three at-large members. When the matter came to a council vote last week, however, Strubinger was the only member to back the new organization.

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Strubinger said. “Our building and grounds committee thought we had a reasonable solution. I want to thank the guides for the things they have done. They represented the borough and mansion well. It’s a testament to them that we didn’t hear much of what was going on there because it was so well taken care of.”

Councilman Michael Rivkin said all parties involved are still working together to “come up with an amicable solution.”

“We do share respect for the guides and share their respect and love of the mansion,” Rivkin said. “I know that is one common ground we all share. We can’t help anything that happened in the past, but we can try to move forward.”

Like McElmoyle, Lions Club member Keri Gallagher said all former guides are welcome to return to their jobs.

“We agree their knowledge is invaluable,” Gallagher said. “Just like they did when they were new, we are learning and are very excited to share that with everyone who comes to the mansion to take a tour.”