Fairlee
Building committee members Don Weaver, Noel Walker, Peter Lange and Georgette Wolf-Ludwig each cut a piece of blue ribbon to kick off a grand reopening event for the hall’s auditorium.
“Unbelievable,” Weaver said when asked how it felt to see the long-awaited renovations come to fruition. “A lot of people put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this place.”
Saturday’s festivities began with an address by Town Moderator Bruce Taylor, who outlined the history of the 104-year-old building, which was placed on the list of National Register of Historical places in 2014.
Wolf-Ludwig, Fairlee’s longtime town clerk, mentioned donating a piece of the ribbon to the town’s historical society, then helped guide visitors into the building’s new entrance on the southeast corner. The facility now includes an elevator, solving the building’s longstanding problem of wheelchair inaccessibility.
Pianist Irene Drew played in the upstairs auditorium — officially closed several decades ago due to safety and maintenance issues — as people convened in vintage chairs set on new flooring.
The first speaker was Russ Smith, president of the historical society.
Smith recalled his high school days in Orford, where there was no auditorium at the time. Back then, Fairlee’s auditorium played host to plays, dances, town meetings, bingo and other events, Smith said.
Smith was followed by Jane Kitchel, who represents the town in the state Senate. Kitchel remarked on Fairlee’s friendliness and saluted the town’s effort to create a legacy for families for many years to come.
Jay Barrett, the chairman of Fairlee’s Selectboard, was the third and final speaker.
Barrett, who helped the project get off the ground with an initial round of renovations in 1988, said Fairlee’s refurbished performance hall is the finest of its kind between Dartmouth College and St. Johnsbury.
“The town of Fairlee has made a significant investment in its downtown,” said Barrett, who focused on the revitalization of Fairlee during his address. “This town is slowly coming back and will play a vital role in the Upper Valley.”
Saturday’s celebration marked the end of a long journey for project advocates who faced numerous set-backs along the way, including an unexpected bond revote early last year.
A bond vote for $850,000 to cover the building’s renovations was initially passed by voters in February 2017, but a group of disgruntled townspeople forced a re-vote through a petition. The petition stated that voters needed more information on a pressing water system bond before they could accurately assess the importance of Town Hall renovations. The bond passed again in April, and by June 2017, construction was underway.
Over time, however, the town’s dissatisfaction with its chosen general contractor came to a head, leading to the contractor’s firing in May.
“They got let go because at this point in time, the owners felt that there was not sufficient amount of work being done in a timely manner,” said Tad Nunez, Fairlee’s town administrator. “And that our pay requisitions were such that we did not agree with.”
Nunez, who came to his post in January, effectively became the project’s new general contractor.
“We kept everybody on, all the subs,” Nunez said. “(A lot of them said), ‘We’ve always been committed, but we haven’t been told what you want and when you want it,’ … (I told them) I want this done by this date.”
The auditorium portion of Saturday’s event was followed by self-guided tours and a performance by the Fairlee Scottish Country Dancers. The Lions Club held its annual steak and lobster supper and the evening closed with a with a dance and music by The Flames.
Adam Boffey can be reached at boffeyadam@gmail.com.