Minutes of the Richard Sugden Library Trustees Meeting
August 12, 2025
In attendance:
Cheryl Donahue, Library Director
Marie Norcia, chair
Alyson Russo, trustee
Virginia Davidson, trustee
The meeting was called to order at 2:30 PM.
Marie made a motion to approve minutes from June meeting. Alyson seconded. Approved.
Cheryl welcomed Virginia to her first meeting as a trustee.
Children’s Room News:
Upcoming programs
Community Connections:
1. Community Connections held many programs for us in July. They also split the cost of
some of our summer reading programs enabling us to offer more to our patrons.
Programming:
We had table top and RPG games with Gaming Coalition, Big Truck Day at the Fire
Station with Fire, Police, and Highway in attendance, improv with Paul Gleason, Beginning
Birding with Hands On Nature, Music and Movement with Deb Hudgins, Adventure of the
Missing Color program with Science Heroes in memory of Judy Lamoureux, Outdoor
Games at O’Gara park with Knucklebones, Live animals at the Spencer Fish and Game
with Reptile Nook, Puppet Story Time with Through Me To You Puppetry, Music and
Movement with Julie Stepanek Murray, Magic the Gathering with Ms. Marta, Bubble
Party at Powder Mill Park with Community Connections, face painting with The Birthday
Girl, Are You Smarter Than a Librarian annual quiz Show with Ms. Katie, Big Daddy Z
and the Greeks rapping puppet show with Talking Hands Theater, Music and Movement
with Music at the Blissful, Glow in the dark Mini-golf with One Up games and an ice cream
truck from Juniper Farms with a magic show at Powder Mill Park provided by Awesome
Robb.
We will have Reptile Nook back to present a program on snakes and snake care in October
and Hands on Nature will be back with a show on Creepy Crawly Bugs in November.
Programs were sponsored by local cultural council grants, partnerships with Community
connections, and funding provided by The Friends of the Richard Sugden Library.
I am sending out monthly We Read It newsletters for all ages.
We will be starting our Grab and Go give aways again in the fall.
We are beginning to plan fall afterschool programs.
Director’s Report:
“Pause” meditation program with Wendy O’Leary continues to be held via
Zoom on Tuesday mornings.
“Coffee Chat” held on Monday mornings with attendance of @12 to 20
participants each week. Mary Baker-Wood helped facilitate the conversation
at the Senior Center.
D. Farmosa delivered items to homes of patrons unable to visit library.
Adult knitting group held on Wednesday afternoons.
Learn to crochet series for teens and adults held on Tuesdays.
Shining Stars dancers met at 5:30 on Wednesdays.
Comedy show and theater production held at American Legion on Monday,
July 14 th and Thursday, July 17 th .
Writers group met on Monday, July 21 st .
Local history walks led by Mary Baker-Wood on Wednesdays, July 23 rd and
August 6 th .
Book group met via Zoom on Tuesday, July 29 th .
Silent movie with music performance held on Thursday, July 31 st .
Flower picking and arranging held at Bemis Farms Nursery on Saturday,
August 2 nd .
Comedy music show held on Thursday, August 7 th .
Glow in the dark mini golf held on Monday. August 11 th .
Summer Eats provided lunch every day for children.
C. Donahue attended department head meeting on Tuesday, July 22 nd .
C. Donahue completed and submitted annual state ARIS report.
Interior and exterior repairs and reconstruction and clean up continued
through July and into August. We are waiting for electrical/lighting work to
be completed.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, September 9 th at 2:30
The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 PM.