Almost there but not quite yet

Goodness gracious! It’s already November and we have had rain!

The start of November with rain is a joy, but it is also tinged with a bit of disappointment. At the Carnegie Library we keep creeping closer to completion of the downstairs bathroom, we can see it within reach, but just can’t quite get there – not quite yet. We hoped to be finished with construction in early October, but we knew that might be optimistic. With a 110+ year-old building, there are bound to be surprises and challenges, and we have had our share. Our contractor continues to work diligently and the work that’s been done is fabulous. We now hope that before Thanksgiving arrives, we will be able to give thanks for the completion!

The unfinished status of the downstairs restroom did not prevent us from holding an invitation-only fundraising concert featuring Konstantin, an internationally renowned Russian pianist in October. He attended a fundraising reception for Branches at the Carnegie. What an amazing artist and person!

As a complex event, the concert gave us the opportunity to test our parking plan, event organization, reservation and ticket taking options, caterer coordination, seating set up and some other behind-the-scenes efforts needed for any event. Each test allows us to see where we can improve so when we finally open, the process for anyone wanting to rent space at the Carnegie is as smooth as possible.

Did we mention Thanksgiving is coming? It is almost here, and as celebration plans with family and friends commence, we would like to ask that you remember “Giving Tuesday”, which falls just after the holiday, on Tuesday, December 3. 

Giving Tuesday is a significant fundraising day for many non-profit organizations in our community. If you have the chance, please let the non-profits that you love and believe in know that you care. Every dollar donated helps organizations like ours meet our goals to serve the community.