Relief and gratitude after Shutesbury library vote

July 13, 2022 | Doc Pruyne
dpruyne@thereminder.com

SHUTESBURY – On June 28 the vote to authorize a debt exclusion for $1.2 million in borrowing for the new town library succeeded with voters, 579 to 250, and surmounted the last fiscal hurdle before the project can go forward.

What’s next?

“We’ll have a building committee formed and architects onboard by mid- to late fall then a six month design process, then six months of getting the construction documents ready. We can break ground in about a year-and-a-half,” said Library Director Mary Anne Antonellis.

Before that stage of work begins, townspeople took a little time to rejoice and savor the win.

Town Administrator Rebecca Torres was on the common on June 28, across the street from Town Hall, with a group of hopeful residents awaiting news of the outcome. The counting of votes ended quickly, within an hour, and the hopefuls erupted.

“Around 9 [p.m.], when the vote was announced, there was quite a bit of celebrating,” Torres said. “It’s so wonderful. So much work for so long … Most people I talk to, especially newcomers in town, are so excited. People who have been here forever are so happy.”

Grace Bannasch, town clerk, let out a sigh of relief. Bannasch hired extra poll workers in anticipation of a much higher turnout. According to Bannasch, the library vote in 2012 drew a larger percentage of the population, 74 percent to 54 percent for the recent vote. As a result, the counting of ballots was completed in about an hour.

“People were great,” Bannasch said. “It was probably the most mellow, calmest, friendliest election day I have seen so far. I am blown away, I am delighted.”

Bannasch said that residents were lined up at 7 a.m., outside the polling station, a sign of the importance a new library did or did not hold for them. The polls were open 13 hours, the longest voting window allowed, to ensure all who wanted to mark a ballot had the opportunity. In total, 829 ballots were cast.

Bannasch said that 188 absentee ballots were received. One voter submitted a federal absentee ballot form while working on a cruise ship. Bannasch carried an absentee ballot to a resident in the hospital. A younger resident also cast a vote while working in storm-ravaged Yellowstone Park.

“We had another young person working in Yellowstone and they put their ballot in the mail right before the storm hit,” Bannasch said. “I actually talked to some local election officials out in the area, to try to get a sense of what was the chance of that ballot actually getting into the mail system and not the river. It showed up, which was very exciting.”

Antonellis also felt relief after the successful vote. The library director suffered a defeat, a decade ago, when a previous library grant was rejected by voters. Since this recent vote, visitors to the library have helped the local resident savor the sweetness of success.

“Everybody walks in and says, ‘Congratulations, yahoo, yippee, we did it!’ Then people ask, ‘What’s next?’” Antonellis said. The construction of the library building, a great deal of work, lies ahead. “Yes, but there’s an awful lot of work behind us too. I’ve never been afraid of work, so I’m happy to continue this process and do this work on behalf of the town.”

Antonellis commented on all the hundreds of donations received in support of the library effort.

Supporters donated labor, bottles and cans redeemable for a nickel, brownies and cookies for countless bake sales, cash, checks and hours of physical labor. The giving over the last decade reduced the overall borrowing for the project by about a third, or roughly $600,000. The fundraising, Antonellis said, will continue for the life of the loan.

Antonellis, Friends of the Library Chair Kate Cell, the Library Trustees, the town’s government and those who donated will create a legacy for future generations. An old friend of Antonellis, Bonnie Adams, also a past member of the Friends of the Library, sent Antonellis a congratulatory email.

“Here’s what my friend said. ‘The next steps won’t be easy either, but I’m just extremely happy there will be next steps.’” Antonellis said. “I don’t think the next steps are going to be all that hard, but mostly I would say that everybody is happy that the next steps include building a new library for the town of Shutesbury.”

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