By Debbie Gardner PRIME Editor HAMPDEN Members of the Friends of Hampden Free Public Library and Sherry Himmelstein, who is spearheading a campaign to re-open the Hampden Senior Center, met Nov. 1 to discuss plans to establish independent funding for both services. The Hampden Free Public Library and the recently-completed Hampden Senior Center closed on July 1 of this year. Voters at the annual Town Meeting this past spring rejected a Proposition 2 1/2 override that would have provided monies to keep the Library, Senior Center and other town services operating. According to Library Trustee Beth Burger, it will cost approximtley $69,000 to re-open the Hampden Library, and a total of $119,000 to re-establish the majority of library services. At the meeting, Burger also went over a proposed timeline for re-accredation of the Hampden Library once the doors re-open. Also at the Nov. 1 meeting, Himmelstein and members of the Friends agreed to consider a joint fund-raising campaign with the goal of establishing an endowment or foundation to support both the Library and Senior Center once they re-open. In a press release about the meeting, Friends Co-President Patty Ehlers is quoted as saying "We want to create a foundation as a lifelong legacy for Hampden to teach our children philanthropy." The group set an objective goal of May 2006 for the project, and discussed both a four-year timeline for donations and pledges, and levels of support for individuals and corporations. The group plans an initial mailing in December, and members were asked to bring suggestions for the letter to the next meeting. The Friends of Hampden Free Public Library will meet in the Town Hall on Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. and again on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. |