Sound of Silence

 

November 23, 2011: There is an eerie quiet in Shinnston these days. Old-time residents no longer know when there is a call for the Volunteer Fire Department or the Emergency Squad. Thursdays at 8 PM are now silent. Guests at the B & B no longer have to be assured there is no tornado warning in the night. For decades, there was a siren atop the highest building in Shinnston, the Rice Building alerting the Volunteer Firemen there was a fire call. Although they have been equipped with the latest technology for years, the siren has sounded. The siren is no longer.Several years ago, the Rice Building was given to the City of Shinnston by the Rice family. It was determined the building was not able to be rehabbed for another use. Shinnston had no facilities to hold Shinnston class reunions or Shinnston resident’s functions IN Shinnston. City Council and the Blueprint/ON TRAC/Shinnston Development Authority determined Shinnston needed a Community Building. The Shinnston Seniors wanted a place of their own to meet and offered $100,000 toward the new building. City Manager Herndon stated that gift would be accepted – when the funding is in place for the new building. Shinnston received a Loan/Grant to acquire the Shinnston Plumbing building and demolish that building and the Rice Building for the location of the future Community Building. Shinnston Plumbing  has moved to a new building on Charles Street.November 7 the demolition began. We have kept a running pictorial of the demolition. There will be more photos taken this weekend, but this is what the site looked like on November 21, 14 days after demolition started.Yesterday, in the rain, our City Workers put up Shinnston's Christmas lights. The City is beautiful with the lights up and the shop windows decorated.Come to Shinnston and see what we are doing next. We will be building a Band Shell at the Park in the near future. Come see what a small City can do!