By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — The overturning of just a few square inches of soil with a golden shovel was the culmination of years and years of hard work and fundraising. The Robert A. Frost Memorial Library Expansion project has broken ground. Completion of the new addition is scheduled for this autumn.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Demonstrating that the entire Library Expantion project has been a team effort all the way around, Chair of the Library Board of Trustees Marilyn King and Chairman of the Library Building Committee Tom Devoe utilize a golden shovel to break ground for the new Robert A. Frost Memorial Library. The ground breaking ceremony took place on June 11.
“As our much loved clergy here today would say, ‘this is the day the Lord has made,” said Chairperson of the Library Board of Trustees Marilyn King during the official ground breaking ceremony held at the library in Limestone on June 11. “It is a day of joy and celebration for our town and especially for all the people who have worked so hard to bring this library expansion ground breaking to fruition.”
“Each of the volunteers, library patrons, businesses and citizens who have supported this project have given a great gift to the town of Limestone: the gift of knowledge,” Librarian Rea Caldwell said in a written thank-you to the volunteers who helped reach the end goal.
“It has been a long journey that was initiated in the 1980’s by long-time Chair of the Library Board of Trustees Leitha Doughty, when she suggested that the library establish a separate Memorial Building Fund,” King explained during her speech. “It wasn’t until April 7 of 1999 that the first meeting of the Robert A. Frost Memorial Library Expansion Committee was held.”
While King expressed that numerous individuals helped with the project, she made it a point to mention Linda Page, “Who was important to this project during its infancy and throughout these years of fundraising,” King said.
With a precise and ceremonious breaking of the sod, Chairman of the Library Building Committee Tom Devoe officially broke the ground on the site where the new library will be erected.
Pastor Ellen Cleaves gave the invocation of the ground breaking ceremony, while Pastor Bob Ammuzzini offered the closing prayer.
The event drew a relatively large crowd of individuals who seemed happy that the project has finally come to fruition.
The library expansion project, after years of effort, is now on the last lag of fund raising to complete the new library. Interested individuals an contact Caldwell at 325-4706.
“Henry Ward Beecher is quoted as saying, ‘a library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life,’” Caldwell quoted in her thank-you, “I couldn’t agree more.”
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Librarian Rea Caldwell welcomed the crowd that gathered to celebrate the ground breaking ceremony of the new Robert A. Frost Memorial Library that took place on June 11.
