Tri-County News

Kimball Library groundbreaking ceremony


With only 10 shovels, there were two groups that posed for a symbolic groundbreaking; this was the first group. Pictured from left are Great River Regional Library executive director Karen Pundsack, Steve Maus, Ella Meyerson, Cindy Stelten, Lorraine Gregory, mayor Tammy Konz, construction manager Jordan Frank, Megan Kiffmeyer, John Arnold, and Barry Bellknap. In the second group were added Brandi Canter, Glenn Winter, Steve Gohman, GRRL board members Randy Winscher and Leigh Lenzmeier, and Kimball librarian Karla Asfeld. Unable to attend that day were Dorothy Kersten, Kyle Christensen, and Erin Guttwasser.

Guest of honor at the groundbreaking ceremony was Lorraine Gregory (center), long-time librarian at the Kimball Library, and first private donor to the new library fund. With her are, in back, son-in-law Dean Stockinger, and to her left granddaughter Kate Meyer and grandson Ben Stockinger with one of Lorraine’s great-grandsons, Nash. Staff photos by Jean Doran Matua.

By Jean Doran Matua, Editor

Capping off a busy weekend of Kimball Days was a ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Kimball Library on Sunday afternoon.

Mayor Tammy Konz, Margaret Arnold, Karen Pundsack, and Megan Kiffmeyer each spoke in turn about the process of reaching this point, and the tremendous support and cooperation from the community that allowed for this to happen.

Lorraine Gregory was recognized as the first (and largest) private donor to the library project. Gregory had been librarian at the Kimball Library for 32 years, retiring in 1995 at which point she volunteered as librarian at Holy Cross School.

The library building committee was recognized as well: co-chairs Steve Maus and John Arnold, Tammy Konz, Cindy Stelten, Kyle Christensen, Brandy Canter, Dorothy Kersten, Megan Kiffmeyer, Karen Pundsack, Barry Bellknap, Ella Meyerson, and Jordan Frank.

Also acknowledged were Steve Gohman and Glenn Winter who sold the land to the city.

In a special council meeting Monday evening this week, bids for the construction of the library will be opened. Those results will determine the timing of the next steps. Ground work, digging the foundation of the building, could begin at any time. A tentative move-in date was December of this year, although that may be optimistic. More will be known soon. Fundraising efforts will continue for furnishings of the new library.

In the meantime, stop by the site. The outlines of the building are staked out on the property.  The building will be located on Spruce Avenue West, about halfway between Dingmann Funeral Home on Main Street and the high school.

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