You may have noticed scaffolding installed around the 1835 Town Hall. Work has begun. After many years, we will soon see a new roof, structural improvements to the roofing components along with a vertical lift between the first and second floor. As exciting as this is, it is just the beginning. We are also working on plans for the enhancements to the Great Hall to improve its worthiness for significant cultural events. This is made possible by a $100,000 grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund. We are also working towards improvements in septic finally connecting the Town Hall to the firehouse leaching area, the design of which is well underway.

This has all taken a great deal of time, effort and most of all persistence! Persistence is the necessary ingredient in the recipe for reaching an objective, accomplishing a goal or solving a problem. With enduring persistence, success is almost guaranteed. That doesn’t mean it is an easy road, it never is. There are pitfalls, hazards, adversaries, agendas, snags, compromises and setbacks all along the way.

Such is the case with our Sterling 1835 Town Hall and the long quest to replace the roof, repair the structure and add universal access for all. It has not been an easy road. There were obstacles all along the way, a veritable minefield of objections, financial constraints, legal hurdles, misdirection, bureaucratic barricades, apathy and some wrong turns.

For more than a dozen years, a team of volunteers dedicated themselves to a simple proposition, save our Town Hall for generations to come. They devoted countless hours working to achieve what seemed a simple and obvious task. Joined by the occasional superhero who stepped into the fray for a defining moment of accomplishment, we have witnessed a measure of success that cannot be denied.

This all culminated June 14, 2018 in the signing of a contract with a Massachusetts contractor for the repair of the structure, replacement of the roof and the installation of a lift between first and second floor which began July 9, 2018 and will continue through October 30, 2018. All of this was designed and engineered by a most-capable architect with his own team of professionals along with this dedicated team of volunteers. Thanks to everyone involved is not enough, but it is all I have.

The journey continues.