Funds needed for new bandstand in village park

by Rachel Hunter

The Gouverneur Museum/Historical Association Board is working in collaboration with the Village of Gouverneur and the Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce have formed a Bandstand Committee to raise at least $35,000 for a new bandstand in the Gouverneur Village Park.

As Village of Gouverneur Mayor Ron McDougall and Gouverneur Historian Joe Laurenza penned in a recent donation-seeking letter, the bandstand/gazebo in the Gouverneur Village Park is deteriorating. The Village of Gouverneur has secured a New York State grant for some major improvements to the village park. The grant includes $15,000 for a new bandstand, but that is not enough to cover the estimated cost of a new bandstand, $50,000. A total of $35,000 is needed for a new bandstand.

The Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce has greatly assisted in the project, and now local businesses, organizations, and community members are being asked to answer the call to donate. Because the Village of Gouverneur is tax exempt, all donations are deductible. In the past, the Gouverneur community has always been generous in their support of the village projects. Examples of the community’s generosity are the 2021 Light Up Our Village and Town decoration fund, repairs to the eagle on the Gouverneur Memorial Arch, and the Village Park Clock project.

Much gratitude is extended to all those who donate toward the latest fundraising project for a new bandstand. Donations are now being accepted by check made out to: Village of Gouverneur Bandstand, and mailed to Village of Gouverneur, 33 Clinton Street, Gouverneur, NY 13642. All donations can also be made securely with a credit card via the Gouverneur Chamber of Commerce website, www.gouverneurchamber.net/bandstand-fund.

If you have questions, please contact Village Mayor Ronald McDougall at 315-287-1720 or Gouverneur Historical Association President Joe Laurenza at 315-323-2654.