New Kitchen Makes Early Gift For Holiday Festival

By Kendra Bobowick

Stoves, griddles, steam convection ovens, coffee stations, and commercial refrigerators are some of the main ingredients that add up to a new kitchen adjoining the Alexandria Room at the Edmond Town Hall.

“It’s been a long haul,” admitted Board of Managers member James Juliano, who oversaw renovation work to the original kitchen that was long out of date, and out of use for roughly ten years. With recent work nearly complete and appliances in place, he said, “I hope this is it, this week. A little patching, a little caulk and paint, and it should be ready for inspection.” If the kitchen is inspected next week, Mr Juliano said, “It’s finished.” Describing the new kitchen that will soon fill with the aromas of brewing coffee and butter sizzling beneath browning pancakes, Mr Juliano added, “It’s top-notch. It’s impressive.”

The new kitchen replaces the original room, appliances, and setup from almost 80 years ago.

With a host of recent contributions, town loans, and grants finally making the approximate $130,000 kitchen overhaul possible, recent months found Mr Juliano and others hoping that the public could use the new facility for the annual holiday festival on the first weekend of December.

Layne Lescault, chairman to both the Newtown Youth & Family Services board and the festival, said this week, “We’re very excited.” Events such as the Rotary Club of Newtown’s pancake breakfast and the Victorian Tea will be “much easier.” Regarding the tea especially, Ms Lescault said, “We’re going all out this year.” With a big holiday tree and Victorian decorations she said, “We’ll bring the theme to life with Victorian ambiance.”

She looks forward to the busy and popular holiday crowds that pass through town hall, fill Main Street, gather at tree lightings, and attend the tea during the first weekend of December. With such a bustling event underway Ms Lescault said, “It will be nice to do this promotion on the same year the kitchen is done.”

Past years have found the Rotary Club’s renown pancake breakfast set up with portable griddles in the breezeway between the kitchen and Alexandria Room. Mr Juliano said this week, “Our goal was that breakfast.”

Rotary Club of Newtown President Alan Clavette is “thrilled” that the new kitchen will be in place. “We’re extremely excited; we had confidence that the Board of Managers could get this done,” he said. Mr Clavette anticipates a “test run” in the new surroundings, “To make sure all goes well,” he said.

Mary Hawley Society Chairman Don Studley heads the group established in the past year to help fundraise and support the Edmond Town Hall. The kitchen renovation was a first project. “It feels great” to see a successful first effort in the historic building, he said. Involved with the town hall operations years ago, he said, “It’s nice to get back and have some involvement.” The kitchen will restore regular events in the former banquet hall, he thinks. “There will be a lot of use, [the kitchen] is first class.”

With his fingers crossed for the Alexandria Room and next-door kitchen, he said, “A caterer can go in there and prepare a whole meal and it will be a plus to [town hall revenue],” he said. “They have not been able to do that for a long time and it will be an alternative for people in town.”

Mr Juliano sees endless potential in the new outfit. With thoughts of breakfasts, banquets, catering, and other affairs. He said, “Now, you can have just about anything. You can do the cooking for an entire function in that kitchen with the oven, broilers, baking…” Of commercial grade with adequate storage and high end appliances, Mr Juliano is eager to see it in use.

Appreciative of all the local labor involved in the kitchen project, Mr Juliano nods to the town hall staff, and businessmen Betlan Corporation, Kevin McNally, McKinney Mechanical, Family Electric, and Mike Manka.