Volunteers have always been at the cornerstone of creating, organizing, and providing services at Whitefield Library. In June of 2017, nine enthusiastic long-time Whitefield neighbors unpacked the last box of donated books and arranged the secondhand furniture into a welcoming space to greet patrons young and not so young on the first day of Whitefield “Summer Library”. From the inspiring spark of a 2nd grader’s letter signed “your Citizen Quinn” to the Whitefield Select Board pleading on behalf of all local children to open a library “because in the summer, there is nothing to do”, those volunteer numbers grew to well over 100. From storytelling to selling cookies and calendars, it has taken many hands to bring this little library into fruition; each individual filling a need and bringing a useful talent to the efforts. With the decision to purchase the building and to extend the vision for its use, the association put into motion a building renovation committee charged with the task of developing a plan to reach two goals (create a year-round 1st floor library space that meets fire, safety, and sanitation codes and resurrect the beautiful 2nd floor community gathering/performance area for public use). Lofty goals, but for these ambitious volunteers, not insurmountable.
From planning to driving nails, there has been a consistent and reliable team of generous individuals. This team has been surrounded and supported by many community members who have “stopped by to help”, graciously replied, “yes” when asked to give a hand, or offered wise advice on how to approach a complicated task. We have been asked to recognize “Spirit” with this award, but we would like to share our recognition with everyone who added their “piece” to this puzzle. The renovation accomplishments are not just from the volunteer spirit of 6, but from a large network of Whitefield people who care about one another. Acknowledging everyone who has helped with this enormous project would be to create a never-ending list. We are tremendously grateful.
The group age for this team of 6 accumulates to 510 years (meaning “retired”), and so that explains why they are able to donate so many hours to the project…and you may have been thinking it was because they loved books! Just like the individuals who built this two-story structure atop Grand Army Hill in 1884, these 6 are intent on a single purpose…to leave Whitefield community a better place than they found it. Their selfless endeavor began in June of 2020; before COVID hovered over their shoulders, and with just “on-site time”, they have logged well over 1500 hours. Their more than $50,000 savings in labor for Whitefield Library & Community Center is a tremendous gift!
Having stopped in or driven by these past eight months, you probably have seen at least one, if not all, of the folks on this renovation team at the Library. They have “shown up” nearly every day because there has been “something to do every day”! These six have followed the golden rule…do it! Erik Ekholm brought us his years of building experience with particular knowledge about “old”. He hit the ground running; building the perfect ramp to wheel the bookcases from the Library to the storage trailer, and without skipping a beat was able to install our all-new bookshelves from a massive Erector set and made the librarians smile. Dan Joslyn’s flexibility is unending. Craftsmanship has been his talent, but never above digging a trench, ripping lathes, or demolishing old mouse infested ceilings. Everybody gets in on that dirty work! Dennis Merrill came to the planning table early and has stuck with us ever since; identifying what needed to be done, and going to work on it. Dennis never missed a great Roxul day. Every single nook and cranny got jammed with Roxul insulation before the drywall arrived. His relentless sense of humor made tough labor much lighter to endure. Mike McMorrow was driven by the bottom line. He wanted to see things “done”. The work wasn’t always pretty; a lot of drudgery. Mike would demolish…carry…chuck, then start all over again the next day. Eventually the tiles and wires were down, the paneling removed, the lathes, and plaster stripped, and the bare beams and walls waiting for new life; hard labor, but Mike’s genuine passion kept going. “Chris Kaminsky is a painter”, we were told, and little did we know the gold mine that came our way. With his tall frame and long stretch, Chris 2-coated the 9′ ceilings on the 1st floor, primed/painted walls and floors, and answered the “begging” call when we needed that extra muscle to finish the tasks. When it was time to get “professional” with the wall finish, we called upon Tommy Benne who knew a thing or two about plastering. In less than a week, Tommy and the guys had a beautiful plaster finish on our main room walls…an “old technique” requiring patience for an “old” building, and she sure looks pretty. Then it was time to use his welding expertise, and he retrofit all the new shelving to fit its new space.
The proof is above that amazing volunteers do exist, and their impact is quite extraordinary. We hope you will stop by Whitefield Library and Community Center when it reopens and have a look for yourself. You will undoubtedly see all of us there as well. There is more to do with this building project and surely more to our story…
