'It will continue to inspire long into the future’
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The dedication of the newly completed pavilion at the Gertrude Chandler Warner Boxcar Children Museum to Fred Hedenberg tied together the distant past, the near past and the future.
Mayor Barney Seney thanked all who helped the museum grow, including the pavilion that was being dedicated to Fred Hedenberg May 19. Community support is big in Putnam.
Museum director Pat Hedenberg, wife of the late Fred Hedenberg, thanked two local supporters the Spirol Charitable Foundation and Rawson Materials, among others. Spirol donated $45,000 to complete the pavilion, which is used to help educate visitors by providing extra space for programs, crafts and more. Rawson donates materials. 
Hedenberg said “It’s all of you … and as Barney said, it’s the town of Putnam. Everyone here is so giving and so wants to be involved, whether they give a dollar or they give $45,000. We are so grateful.” 
In addition to Super Hero capes and masks, Jeff Koehl, president and CEO of Spirol International, and James Shaw, Spirol International board member, received heartfelt thanks for their generosity. Originally Pat Hedenberg came to Spirol with a request for $50,000 for replacement of the rotting rail ties under the boxcar and for a pavilion. The board OK’d $10,000 for the ties immediately. Hedenberg said Shaw asked her to go back and prepare a “dream proposal” for the pavilion. Her dream included electricity and lights for the pavilion, a fence, stones for under the fence, landscaping and picnic tables for the pavilion. The Spirol board approved $45,000 for the dream pavilion.
Shaw said it was “easy to give to organizations that have passion and drive and really are talking about inspiring and developing the imagination of children.”
Hedenberg also acknowledged Woodstock Building Associates for its help with the pavilion, Killingly Fence, the Aspinock Historical Society and all the volunteers at the boxcar museum. She also acknowledged Gerry Tetreault, one of Warner’s students.
Crystal Simonson, director of communications at Rawson, said it really is a community process. Hedenberg said Rawson donated a lot of crushed stone. “They never said no.”
Nicole Nichols said “The creation of the museum was the realization of a dream for my mother, Ruth Flagg. I recall her excitement, the day she and Fred Hedenberg drove out to see the old box car being offered to the Aspinock Historical society. Miss Warner was not only my mom’s favorite teacher, but truly one of her heroes inspired by her,” she said. She added on her mother’s tombstone it says “listen for the echoes.” The contributions of so many people “do indeed echo down through the generations with this tremendous community support. It will continue to inspire long into the future.”

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Epic ribbon cutting, dedicating the new pavilion at the Gertrude Chandler Warner Boxcar Children Museum to Fred Hedenberg. Expanded photo array Wed. night on our FB page. Linda Lemmon photos.

'Super heroes' from Spirol and Rawson Materials.
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