Red, White Or Whiskey?—

Town Hall Board Of Managers Reflect On The Past,

Plan For The Future With Gala Event

By Kendra Bobowick

“It’s the end of an era,” former Board of Managers chairman Betty Lou Osborne said this week.

Plans to relocate municipal offices into a renovated space in Fairfield Hills are a shame, said the longtime Sandy Hook resident, thinking back to the board she served on for 43 years and its charge to oversee the Edmond Town Hall.

“But things change,” continued Mrs Osborne, who has long admired the building bequeathed to the town by benefactress Mary Hawley.

Another former manager who had served with Mrs Osborne during the mid-1970s, Don Studley, is again involved with supporting the town hall and its upkeep through the recently formed Mary Hawley Society.

“I have had a long association with the building and feel it needs to be maintained,” said Mr Studley, reflecting on 30-plus years of association with the historic structure. With work at Bridgeport Hall in Fairfield Hills campus already begun, the day nears when the town clerk’s staff, selectman’s assistants, and others will begin to pack their file cabinets and computers as they relocate from 45 Main Street to the campus of Fairfield Hills.

 “I think [town hall] should remain integral,” Mr Studley said, echoing recent sentiments from the current board of managers.

When Mr Studley served as a manager in the 1970s, he said this week, he could not have envisioned the turning point the building now faces. Neither could Mrs Osborne. Intending to help Edmond Town Hall dress for a successful future, without the municipality occupying the space, the Mary Hawley Society has formed. The society will lobby for funds to support primarily capital projects such as kitchen renovations, which is a current focus of the society. This week members filed paperwork with Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz’s office to establish the organization as a nonprofit fundraising entity. Founding members include the Don and Marg Studley, Sandra and Walt Motyka, and Don and Jane Sharpe.

The industrial kitchen adjoining the Alexandria Room is slated for upgrades, but the project falls outside regular annual budget funds. When asked about the building’s operating budget and facility recently, Ms Motyka said, “We’re limping along.”

How important is this project to the town hall’s future? Several weeks ago, managers Chairman Jay Gill had said, “Very, very…we put a lot of priority on it.” A manager and society member, Ms Motyka had said, “It’s number one because of its essential stream of revenue.” Aside from movie tickets and popcorn sales, the Alexandria Room and kitchen has long been host to weddings, banquets, and celebrations.

Remembering when the kitchen was up to code and in operation, Mrs Osborne said, “Over the years we have lost china and silver, but it’s a wonderful place, and with a stage [in the Alexandria Room] you can do quite a performance.”

The society will host its first public event, a fundraising Gala Tasting of Wines and Single Malt Scotches, on Saturday, October 27, from 6 to 8 pm, in the Alexandria Room.

Sandy Hook Wine & Liquor is providing the evening’s beverages. Aside from wine and scotch samplings, guests can enjoy light fare. Tickets are $35 per person. Wine tasting tickets must be purchased in advance at the manager’s office (270-4285 ) located in the town hall, at Sandy Hook Wine & Liquor (270-9112) at the intersection of Church Hill Road and Washington Avenue, or by calling Marg Studley at 426-3651.

Guests will receive complimentary wine glasses with the Mary Hawley Society logo embossed in the glass.

“We expect a good turnout,” said Mr Studley. “A lot of people want to see the building used and preserved.”

In fact, the gala is also intended to kindle public interest. The gala will hopefully be the beginning of a successful fundraising organization.

“We have to start somewhere,” said Ms Sharpe.