The Second Century Fund (2CF) recently presented the town with a check for $1 million that will go toward the renovation and expansion project underway at Welles-Turner. Pictures (l-r) are Town Council Vice Chair Larry Niland, Susan Pearlman (Library Board), Library Director Barbara Bailey, Maureen Cosgrove (Second Century Fund-2CF president), Town Manager Richard Johnson, Carol Ahlschlager (2CF VP), Kennedy Hudner (2CF Board), Jennifer Hudner (Library Board).
Town Presented with Check for Library Expansion Project
The Welles-Turner Library Second Century Fund recently presented the town with a check for $1 million for the expansion and renovation project currently taking place at the library.
The WTML expansion and renovation project is well underway. At a groundbreaking ceremony on December 19, on what was possibly the coldest morning of the winter, a large group gathered to celebrate the start of construction.
At that time, representatives of the Second Century Fund and the Friends of WTML presented ceremonial checks to Town Manager Richard Johnson, affirming their commitment to donate $1.1 million to the project.
Also attending were town building officials, library director Barbara Bailey, and members of the Library Board. Stakeholders took turns banging shovels into frozen dirt and looked forward to exciting changes at the library.
More recently, the Second Century Fund brought out the giant cardboard check again to celebrate delivery of the actual $1 million check to the Town of Glastonbury. At a gathering to mark this milestone, Town Manager Richard Johnson thanked the organization for their decades of support for the library and commented that this was the largest check ever received by the town from a civic organization.
Town Council Vice Chair Larry Niland was also on hand to express appreciation for the donation and for the dedication of the many people who have worked in support of the library. Second Century Fund president Maureen Cosgrove and Vice President Carol Ahlschlager reflected on the hundreds of donations that enabled such a significant gift to the town, with the funds coming from over 25 years of contributions from generous town residents. Maureen noted that the mission of the Second Century Fund, to assist in the funding of large- scale capital needs of the library, is as important today as ever, and the work to provide this support will continue.
Kennedy Hudner, who has been involved with the Second Century Fund since it was founded in 1992, and served as its first president, said it was very gratifying to see the expansion and renovation come to fruition, with the support of so many donors for nearly 30 years.
The project is going well, with the construction of the addition significantly completed and interior work now underway.
The project is going well, with construction of the addition significantly completed and interior work now underway.
