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Play Museum aims for spring opening

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The Western Maine Play Museum in Wilton.

WILTON – Despite a series of setbacks that have delayed construction of the Western Maine Play Museum, the business is expected to open March 2019 according to Upright Framework’s Joshua Wojcik.

Wojcik and Project Manager Patrick Hopkins have been committed to the construction of the museum since the donation of the 561 Main St. home in 2014- a commitment that Wojcik described to the select board as a “passion project” rather than a money maker.

“We’ve done everything we can to help this project get to the point it’s at…we’re still not done trying to help,” Wojcik said.

Some of the delays have occurred due to positive reasons, according to Wojcik. The museum has been awarded several grants along the way that have required certain stipulations for construction and have shifted the project in certain ways, he said.

An award of $157,000 through the North Border Regional Grant was received in August of last year, allowing the museum to move forward with upgrades to the water line. The upgrades are required for safety reasons and will need to involve the opening of Main Street, Wojcik said.

“We’re very much back on the job and we’re going to do everything we can to get it going as soon as possible,” he said.

Board members will be holding an informational meeting for the public to hear updates and ask questions on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held upstairs at Calzolaio Pasta Co. and community members are encouraged to attend.

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2 Comments

  1. I wish they would have mowed the yard. It was an eyesore all summer long. The place looked abandoned. Who would want to donate to that.

  2. @Lou – I feel ambivalent legitimizing your bitter and negative comment with a response of any kind. As a member of the board of the Western Maine Play Museum, I apologize that the improvements we have made to that property over the last few years do not outshadow an unmowed lawn in your opinion. As clearly articulated in the article, our all-volunteer board has faced some challenging and unexpected hurdles in the past year. Some improvements that we had made prior to these delays include tearing down a dilapidated building that had graffiti on it; re-siding the entire building; installing all new windows; and having a professionally installed brick and wrought-iron courtyard added to the property. I will be frank when I say that in my perception these improvements have resulted in the building looking far from abandoned, especially compared to its prior state. There are many internal improvements as well, that are not easily seen from the road, as well. A barrier to mowing was unfortunately a large pile of dirt debris, which we had intended to have resolved through the installation of a new parking lot earlier this summer. Because of stipulations in a large federal grant we received for matching funds being immediately available, paired with the cost of a parking lot, we had to delay installation of said parking lot. We are closing in on an installation date at this time, which as you may be aware is a challenge in the fall when paving companies are most busy. It is a lot to try to explain, which is why we are having this meeting on October 30.

    We recognize that this project has taken longer than anticipated. None of us on the board are experts at renovating very old buildings. We are simply interested, active and caring members of our community who strive to make Franklin County a better place to live. Believe me when I say that for every ounce of frustration at the delays felt in the community, our board members feel full pounds.

    Being a negative nay-sayer is an simple task. Finding stuff to criticize and complain about is easy, especially with you have little/none invested. It’s easy to get lost in negativity and forget to see the forest for the trees. I’m sorry that at this time you do not see our project as a worthy cause to donate to because of the state of our lawn. I would guess that you would likely be a person who will not easily change his/her mind. Perhaps, however, if I’m wrong, you’ll attend our meeting on October 30 with an open mind and heart. I would challenge you to do so, actually. I would challenge you to engage with the positive influences in your community; the change-makers; and the people who are seeking a better future for our community. Many hands make light work. If you’re doing none of the lifting, then I would suggest that you should have little right to offer any complaint against those who are.

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