Hampden officials and volunteers press for repairs, new facilities manager for Academy Hall

Volunteers, historical society representatives and Select Board members on Monday pressed for a series of immediate repairs at Academy Hall and discussed using town funds and a new facilities manager to prevent future problems.

The conversation focused on safety and maintenance needs at the 19th-century community building, including an outlet that "sparked" when a coffee urn was plugged in, no bulb on an exterior stairway light near the fire escape, rotting casings around the garage door and what volunteers said is a missing sill that allows rodents and water into the building.

Those concerns matter because the Town of Hampden owns Academy Hall and the Historical Society manages use of the building; the Garden Club and other community groups rely on the hall for meetings and events. Left unaddressed, board members and volunteers said, electrical hazards and structural rot could pose safety and…