HANOVER – Barb and Irv Robinson are about 1,000 miles into their cross-country bicycling trip and have raised almost $2,000 for the town’s tiny library.
On May 25, the retired couple who own a vacation home on Howard Pond, began their 4,500 mile trek by dipping their bicycle wheels into the Atlantic Ocean off Bar Harbor.
If all goes well, they expect to dip those wheels in the Pacific Ocean off Anacortes, Wash., just after Labor Day.
Town Clerk Clem Worcester dropped the two off in Bar Harbor. And ever since, he has been one of many tracking the couple on the Internet. Worcester also hung a United States map on a town office wall and follows the progress of the couple in black marker. Many residents also come in to check on the Robinsons, he said.
“They are meeting people all along the way and some have given them donations,” said Worcester. “Most people have been friendly and supportive.”
Irv Robinson, a retired Department of Defense employee from Maryland, said before he left on the trek that the couple wanted to help out the town because of the enjoyment they experience when at their Howard Pond home, and because the people are so friendly. Barb Robinson is a retired registered nurse.
The Gardner Roberts Memorial Library is a Victorian-era, small wooden structure at the base of the Howard Pond Road. Because it was started when everyone walked to the library, there is no parking.
The Gardner Roberts Memorial Library Association wants to move the cream yellow and maroon building to the town office lot where parking would be available as well as hook-ups to electricity and water.
Various fund-raisers during the past couple of years have raised about $3,500, but then fund-raising efforts stalled.
Anyone who wants to follow the progress of the Robinsons can log onto www.barbandirv.com, then type in user word, “Howard” and password, “Pond.” Those interested may also e-mail the Robinsons at an address provided at the Web site.
Any pledges or donations may be mailed to: Town of Hanover, P.O. Box 77, Hanover 04237.
Worcester, whose wife, Donna, is president of the library association, said he expects enough money will be raised to at least serve as seed money for a planned grant-writing campaign.
He estimated the cost to move the library the half-mile or so from the Howard Pond Road to the town office on the Ferry Road at around $25,000.
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