Many partners helped fulfill vision for new library

WORLAND – The Washakie County Commissioners, in a presentation from Commissioner Aaron Anderson dedicated the Washakie County Library at 801 Big Horn Avenue, Suite 100, in memory of Jean Baily Healy.

Worland resident Mike Healy, husband of Jean, was presented with a plaque at Saturday’s grand opening of Worland’s new library. The wording on the plaque is, “In loving memory of Jean Bailey Healy, an avid reader and writer, who believed that the advancement of literacy and the arts is vital to the community.”

Healy donated more than $1 million to the renovation and furnishing of the new library.

The grand opening happened nearly five months after the initial opening in August. The library closed in early July to relocate from their building on Coburn Avenue to the former Kennedy Ace Hardware building on Big Horn Avenue.

Washakie County Library Director Karen Funk recognized her employees and the hard work they put in to making the library renovation possible.

Wyoming State Librarian Jamie Markus was unable to attend the grand opening due to the winter storm that hit the southern portion of the state, but in a letter read by Funk, she stated, “I offer my sincere congratulations to the Washakie County Library upon the grand opening of this new library. This library will open doors of opportunity for all county residents -- building literacy in children, providing job and educational resources, holding programming for all ages, and offering every county resident the reading and information they need.

“The entire community is also to be commended. This library would not have happened without the community coming together with funding and in-kind donations. Just as the library supports its community, this community chose to support its library.

“When the purchase agreement for this building was signed, Karen Jean Funk said they planned on giving this community a public library built for the 21st century. They’ve accomplished that, and Washakie County will benefit from it for years to come.”

Worland author John Davis discussed in his speech the history of Worland and the Big Horn Basin, and briefly mentioned some history of the library. He also discussed the importance of the library when doing research for several of his books, utilizing books about the history of the area and the library’s archives of the Worland Grit.

There was also a brief presentation on the Wyoming Library to Business program.

In addition to the plaque presentation, Anderson spoke on what it took to make the new library a reality including vision, service and partnership.

He said the construction of the library has brought together a lot of partners and he recognized the Friends of the Library, the Washakie County Library Board and the Washakie County Library Foundation Board, the library employees, his fellow commissioners, Mike Healy, grant writer Sheri Gunderson, the architect firm TSP and the general contractor, Groathouse Construction.

He also noted the many financial partners.

The total project cost $3,152,667.14, according to the Washakie County Clerk’s records.

Mike Healy, in memory of his wife, donated over $1.2 million to the project including $202,275.29 for furniture. Other funds were spend on construction.

The sales tax funds raised from 2014 through 2018 was $1,068,252.82.

The county obtained grants from the Wyoming State Loan and Investment Board totalling $498,297.50.

In paying for grant matches and other expenses the county paid $374,881.53.

Clerk Mary Grace Strauch said the Washakie Development Association agreed to a 10-year lease upstairs at a total cost of $52,800. Other offices housed upstairs are Worland-Ten Sleep Chamber of Commerce ($1 per month lease), in-kind donation of lease for WyoHelp, Washakie County Youth Alternatives (in-kind donation as a match for grant funding) and Washakie County Prevention.

More than 200 people attended Saturday’s grand opening that included a ribbon-cutting, speeches, the plaque presentation and refreshments.