Letters to the Editor
Resident urges caution in use of Stevens Municipal Building

To the Editor,

In response to a letter to the editor from James Whidden advocating evicting the Historic Piano Museum from the former Stevens Municipal Building in order to accommodate renovations and relocation of Town Hall, I would advise caution. Ashburnham is in the throes of a reevaluation of it's construction of a public safety building and I suggest may also need to reevaluate Town Hall renovations in order to make prudent decisions.

Before we decide to evict a tenant that has renovated, maintained and saved the Stevens Building and also brought prestige and international recognition to Ashburnham, as a destination for research and artistic expression, we should pause to weigh the alternatives, repercussions, gains and losses.

As a member of Ashburham's Cultural Council and a faculty member at Franklin Pierce College, I believe we should recognize the contribution that the Fredericks have made to the quality of life for our town and surrounding community, through their ongoing Piano Music series, which is recorded and broadcast over National Public Radio, and their presentation of historic examples of musical instruments to visitors, schools, scholars and the public.

Now is not the time be shortsighted but rather to take the time to recognize our community's strengths and assets and to build upon them, so that Ashburnham continues to be a vibrate community, full of the civic pride, so well exemplified by the Fredericks Piano Museum.

Shamus Pender

Ashburnham