Groundbreaking held for new library

"It has been a long a arduous journey," said City Council President Tom Rist as he greeted the crowd gathering May 11 for the official ground breaking ceremonies for the Mountain Home Public Library expansion.

The wet weather did little to dampen the spirits as young and old stood ready with their shovels to mark the library's construction project. Unlike most ground breaking ceremonies where only a select few are privileged to wield the shovels, the event allowed anyone who wished to participate.

"Ninety-seven years after work began on the first library in Mountain Home, today we celebrate only the third library construction project in the city's history," said Kelly Everitt, chairman of the library board of trustees. He expressed appreciation for the many individuals who had made the moment possible, including the library board of trustees, the city council and mayor, the library staff and the library bond public relations committee.

"In Mountain Home, one of the first permanent buildings erected by our founding fathers -- and mothers -- was a library. It was important to them then, and it is important to us now," said Everitt.

"It says something about our community that so many people were willing to part with their hard-earned treasure to help provide this city with a bigger and better library. Three out of every four of our citizens -- an unheard of figure in modern politics -- felt the gain was worth the cost," he said.

"For this new building is not being built by the library board, or the city council, or the general contractor, but by the inspired and enlightened people of this community. Each brick belongs to you, and is a legacy for which each and every citizen can claim credit and be justifiably proud."

Councilman Rist echoed the praise and noted the pleasant "shock and surprise when so many citizens cast their vote showing they were willing to support the project to enrich the community."

Rist expressed how pleased he was when a local contractor, Cristobal Construction, Inc., could be awarded the bid for the project.

Mayor Joe B. McNeal pointed out that from its beginning, the library expansion had truly been a community project. From the unprecedented numbers of community voters at the polls to now as construction gets underway, the community has shown its commitment to the future. The mayor was pleased to see so many youngsters eager to take part in the ground breaking. "This is what this is all for -- the kids, the future."