Two
quit GPLA President and Treasurer leave the non-profit
By Elizabeth Prata
Gray-The newly formed tax exempt organization, the
Gray Public Library Association, now has two fewer
Directors. President Ray Clark and Treasurer Peter
Gerardo have quit.
The Library Trustees had commissioned a space needs
study in 2002 and in addition to making recommendations
as to space needs and expansion plans, the report
also recommended that the Library should have associated
with it a separate support organization dedicated
to fundraising for the library.
That fundraising group, the Gray Public Library Association
(GPLA), was formed in early 2005, and along with Julie
Sheets as Secretary and other Directors Michael B.
Smith, Donna Ryan, Pat Barter, Lynn Olson, Ray Clark
and Peter Gerardo signed on as President and Treasurer.
The GPLA is a separate organization from the Town,
with its own bylaws, Directors, plans, and initiatives.
The idea came about to house the Library in Pennell,
the 120-year old educational institute has plenty
of room for current and future Library needs, if not
laid out to modern standards. The building was nearly
empty and a use for it was sought by both the School
Department and the Town. The second floor of the building
has been home to the Gray Historical Society for many
years. Mr. Clark said that it was a good fit and would
solve several problems at once. However, it would
take over a million dollars to refurbish and retrofit
the facility to modern standards to house the library
there.
That's where the GPLA said it would come in, Mr. Clark
stated. The GPLA's plan was to raise money through
a variety of sources to refurbish the Institute itself
in order to make it safe and usable. Because the building
is managed under a trust, the GPLA would take over
the management of that trust, which includes with
it the Anderson Lab and several acres of land in Gray
Center. The GPLA would enter into a long-term, low-cost
lease with the Town that would allow the building
to be used as the Town's Library.
In June, the Council presented a referendum to the
voters, asking, "Should the Town of Gray work
with the newly formed citizen's group, "Gray
Public Library Association," which intends to
refurbish the existing Pennell School Building, so
that the town could then lease the building back to
serve as the Town's sole library with subsequent use
and operation of same to be at the town's sole expense?"
The answer from the people was yes, the Town should
work with the GPLA.
After the referendum, the Council also decided to
re-open a dormant legal suit in Superior Court, begun
at the initiative of former councilors Pam Wilkinson
and Richard Barter, to seek a stay from the court
that would prevent the School Department from selling
the building for fair market value.
A search into the history of the documents behind
the legal wrangling over the building revealed that
the trust may actually have been extinguished decades
ago. This past July, the Council decided to add that
trust-extinguishment question to the pile that was
already in the dormant suit and reopen it, to finally
determine the building's ownership once and for all.
Though the GPLA was incorporated to raise funds and
otherwise assist the Library by recruiting, training,
and supervising volunteers, to solicit bequests and
gifts of books, manuscripts, money and other appropriate
materials to supplement the Library budget to raise
funds for capital improvements to the Gray Public
Library's facilities, and to educate the public about
the Library, the GPLA decided to step aside and go
dormant themselves while the court was considering
the School Department/Pennell trust issue.
Though not fundraising, the GPLA did accept $1,250
from a local garden club that had raised funds on
the GPLA's behalf. The GPLA also accepted grant of
$100,000 which required a match, but Mr. Clark did
not reply to queries as to how much the GPLA has raised
to date in that matching requirement. The GPLA, on
their statement of finances to the IRS, also listed
in their proposed budget for 2007, a $660,000 'local
bond issue.'
Mr. Clark did make it clear that he expected that
if the Historical Society intended to remain in Pennall
as tenants, that they also must raise funds to help
the GPLA. Mr. Clark wrote to Gray Town Manager Mitch
Berkowitz in May, that "I attended the Historical
Society's annual meeting last night, and it was pretty
discouraging. [Historical Society President] Louise
Knapp is playing some kind of game here. She seems
to think that we (the GPLA) owes her and all the Society
all the space she wants, without the Society turning
a hand to help with fundraising. She ain't going to
get it. I may come by Monday to vent a bit. I'll call
you first."
The anonymous donor of the $100,000 took it back,
citing lack of support from the Gray Town Council.
Then last week, the Council announced that the Library
expansion was, for the time being, going to include
moving into the empty space of the basement of the
current building. The Council also requested that
the GPLA participate in that expansion by raising
funds to assist, as mentioned in the bylaws.
Mr. Clark replied to The Monument's query about his
resignation that "I have resigned from the GPLA
with deep regret. I am ready to help the GPLA in any
way I can, and my dedication to the Library is unswerving.
I have every confidence that the GPLA will succeed."
