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MBLC Celebrates 125 Years

2003

Ribbon cutting for West Warren Library

Phil Allard, landlord and sponsor, State Representative Anne Gobi, Rita Culliton, Director of Library Services, State Senator Stephen Brewer and State Representative Reed Hillman cut the ribbon for the new West Warren Public Library.1
(Apologies for the low-resolution photo - the connection speeds of 2003 could only take so much!)

West Warren Library Rises from Ashes
"The West Warren Library reopened Saturday, June 14th with a day of family fun and activities for all. On December 28, 2002, the Library burned to the ground and all its contents were lost... During the past five months, the Board of Trustees has worked tirelessly to reopen the library.

"Opening day began with the official ribbon cutting ceremony attended by State Senator Stephen Brewer (D-Barre) and State Representatives Anne Gobi (D-Spencer) and Reed Hillman (R-Sturbridge). Also on hand for the ceremonies were Rita Culliton, director of library services, and Phillip Allard, sponsor for the new temporary library site.

"Following the ribbon cutting, tours were given to explain the various areas and programs that will be held at the library. A Harry Potter look-a-like contest, patriotic bike parade and Shriner clowns helped with fun for all. Also, every child who came to the opening was given a free book."2


What else happened in 2003?

  • February 20: The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, R.I. - the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history - killed 100 people when the band Great White's pyrotechnics went awry.3
The Old Man of the Mountain

May 3: The Old Man of the Mountain, also known as the Great Stone Face or the Profile, collapsed. A series of five granite cliff ledges on Cannon Mountain in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, it appeared to form the jagged profile of a face when viewed from the north... The profile has been New Hampshire's state emblem since 1945. It was put on the state's license plate, state route signs, and on the back of New Hampshire's Statehood Quarter. The site is located in the town of Franconia, NH.4

 

  • August 14: A massive power outage knocked out power across the eastern United States and parts of Canada. Fifty million people were affected, including residents of New York, Cleveland, and Detroit, as well as Toronto and Ottawa, Canada. The outage stopped trains and elevators, and disrupted everything from cellular telephone service to operations at hospitals to traffic at airports.5

References:
1. MBLC Notes: Library Happenings, July/August 2003 [link].
2. MBLC Notes, July/August 2003.
3. The Station nightclub fire - Wikipedia entry [link].
4. Old Man of the Mountain - Wikipedia entry [link].
5. www.history.com [link].