To the Editor:

As you know, at the 2019 Fayette Town Meeting, we will be discussing the mil rate, school funding and a bond to enable the opening of Starling Hall. The Friends of Starling Hall (FOSH) is taking this opportunity to address the reasons for our bond request.

FOSH can complete the work needed to reopen Starling Hall with the awarding of a $100,000 bond. Following the relocation of Starling Hall on its property and completion of the new foundation, we now have $30,000 in the bank. The requested bond will give us a total of $130,000 so that Starling Hall will have updated electrical, reconnected septic, a drilled well, new front and rear entrances, and heat. These are essential to open Starling Hall for Town and rental use.

In the past four years, FOSH has raised nearly $20,000 annually. While funding from grants cannot be used to repay the bond, these can be used for building needs. Funds from sales and dinners last year raised $20,037.30. FOSH will continue our current and some new fund raising activities to pay down the debt in a timely manner.

Once Starling Hall is open, we know this space will once again promote community involvement such as dinners, breakfasts, multigenerational activities, Historic Society events, workshops, Underwood Library’s authors talks and other library events that Underwood is too small to hold, children’s activities – all the things that make a community a vital and enjoyable place to live.

Please join us at Town Meeting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 15, and make your decision regarding a bond to enable the completion of work that is required to reopen Starling Hall.

We appreciate your support for our town.

Joe Young,
President
Friends of Starling Hall
Kirstie Ludwig
Maggie Chadwick
Donna Barrett
Belinda Lemay
Marjie Bruen
Al Godfrey
Elaine Wilcox
Judy McCown
Bob Weimont