HVAC Work to Start June 1
Every homeowner who has ever undertaken a renovation knows there may be “surprises” as a building’s innards are torn apart. And there is always a degree of uncertainty about the timeline and how smoothly the work will go with a major reconstruction project.
For the Trustees and staff of the Bedford Free Public Library, who are now facing a major rework of the HVAC system, Bedford Facilities Director Ron Scaltreto has committed to providing a status report at each meeting. At their May 14 meeting, Scaltreto gave a positive review of progress. He said the General Contractor, New England Builders and Contractors, held a kickoff meeting two weeks ago and plans are for work to start the first week of June. The permitting processes are underway with the subcontractors. And the contractors will hold regular meetings at the Library every two weeks with the staff to answer questions as they come up.
Library Director Richard Callaghan reports that there will be times during the project when sections of the building will be closed to the public. One example is the study rooms on the first floor that will be unavailable until later this year. But he expects the project to be completed by the summer of 2025. Callaghan assured the Trustees that library staff will do their best to keep patrons informed about the project and provide the services patrons expect.
Friends Book Collection on May 30
The Friends of the Library are going ahead with a book collection from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 30 in the Library meeting room. The Friends may be using some storage space at the First Congregational Church for books, but no donations will be accepted during this period. As the work starts, parking may be a bit tight, Callaghan said, but as school winds down, parking should not be a problem.
Callaghan commended Library Trustee Gyasi Burks-Abbott on the publication of his essay in an anthology on disability recently published by Springer Macmillan. The book is titled “Placing Disability: Personal Essays in Embodied Geography.” Burks-Abbot’s essay is “A Sense of Place & Cyberspace: The Hybrid Way I Live, Work, & Play,” in which he mentions a lot about his life in Bedford. Callaghan said, “we always like to acknowledge a Trustee’s publications!” The book is on order and will be added to the library collection.
Because of the Special Town Meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11, the Trustees have moved their next meeting time up to 4:30 p.m. on that day. The meeting will be both hybrid and in-person.
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