Members of the Hamlin community gathered Saturday morning October 25 to celebrate both the grand opening of the Hamlin Public Library in the new Margaret A. McGrath building and the community effort which made the new home for the library a reality.
Library Board of Trustees president Sue Evans called it “one of the most significant community events ever to take place in Hamlin.”
She said the new library is “a gift to Hamlin,” which became a reality thanks to “the hard work and determination of many people.” Evans and library Board of Trustees Treasurer Carolyn Hungerford thanked town board members, former Supervisor Tom Breslawski, former building inspector Chad Fabry and Highway Superintendent Steve Baase along with the entire Hamlin Highway Department for their help during the library construction which began during a frigid snowy day last December.
Hamlin Supervisor Eric Peters called the new library building a, “fantastic addition to the community.”
State Senator Joe Robach called the library aesthetically beautiful and very user friendly. “It’s a win for the entire community,” Robach said. “It’s a place for the community to meet and take pride in.”
In recognition of Senator Robach’s efforts on the library’s behalf, particularly in obtaining grant funds, the library’s conference room is now dedicated in his name.
Library Director Kay Hughes-Dennett noted that Monroe County has recently been a “hot bed” for new libraries and library renovation. She said her job in Hamlin allows her to connect with the community.
“I see old friends everyday and make new friends everyday,” she said.
Also unveiled during the ceremonies was a large hand painted quilt square, which will be hung on an exterior wall of the library. The square is in the “Mariner’s Compass” design – a nod to Hamlin’s location along the shore of Lake Ontario. The quilt square was created with the help of Lora Partyka at Partyka Farms in Kendall where she spear-headed that town’s barn quilt trail.
Additionally, the Hamlin Library has a new logo and slogan designed by Samantha Derousie, an 11th grader at Hilton Central School. The logo features the white silhouette of tree with a bird in its branches on a blue and green background with the logo, “A seed to a growing community.”
