-The small town of Johnson -Vermont actually move its -beloved library out of 100 -years of harm's way, -over a million and a half -dollars raised months of -planning municipal and -state governments, all -working together, all in -position at the -starting line.

-The night was perfect, -unseasonably warm for -April, up and down the -line, everyone working -together.

-Three hours later, -they had traveled only 30 -feet.

-This wasn't how it was -supposed to end, not with -a flat tire stuck in the -mud -the beautiful historic -library in Johnson Vermont -grounded far from its -intended new home.

-Over a century ago, two -rivers brought prosperity -in water powered mills to -Johnson.

Today, the mills -are long gone, but the -same rivers now threaten -some of the town's -existence.

-In the early 1900s before -they even had the right to -vote, a group of local -women founded the -Oread club, -their mission, mental -improvement, Social Union -and organized effort -toward encouraging a more -generous public spirit in -the community.

In 1909 -they built what we know -today as Johnson's Public -Library here on railroad -street near the Gihon -river, a Carnegie style, -simple, elegant brick -building.

-Everyone dreams of living -in a great place where -people know their -neighbors walk safely at -night and run toward -disaster to help not away.

-Johnson is that community.

-In today's America, what -is the value of preserving -a community gathering -place?

-For generations, the -library was Johnson's -beating heart, a community -center, cultural hub, -promoting health and -wellness initiatives, -civic engagement and, of -course, books for all ages.

-At the Same time, flood -after flood tore Johnson -!apart.

1927, 1995, 1996, 2011, -2018, 2019, 2023, -and 2024 three -floods in one year alone, -each time, librarians, -trustees, community -members, sandbagging, -pumping, cleaning, hoping -it was clear something had -to change.

-In 2024, library director -Jane Engle learned about -the possibility of grants -to modernize Vermont's -libraries.

-Over the near impossible -deadline of two weeks, -daunting for any -municipality, -the town administrator Tom -galanat and The local -library committee quickly -pulled together an -application, -one shot, two weeks to -apply, a long shot -that paid off.

Late last year, they learned that they had received a $1.68 million -grant to transplant and -modernize this historic -building to move it -forever outside of the -floodplain to the higher -ground of Johnson's Legion -field and modernize it as -a 21st Century true -digital community hub.

-To move the massive -structure down the main -streets, shortly before -midnight, the utility -company shut power through -the town.

-Downtown remained as -bright as day, powered by -banks of emergency -floodlights.

-In its original home on -railroad Street, the -library seemed small.

-Diesel powered hydraulics, -six dollies and 48 massive -wheels creaked into -action.

The library inched -forward.

Its 40 by 45 foot -frame now seemed huge, -brushing against -buildings, bridges and -poles.

-at three miles per hour, -the library made history.

-Then the rain started.

-throughout the day rain -didn't stop.

-neither did the people.

-the Building Movers, -utility crews, volunteers, -firefighters, road -workers, route 15 shut -down, 28 bucket trucks, -all power and utility -lines moved and moved -again.

A few trees cut -down, lamp posts and road -signs removed.

-The Building Movers said, -in 22 years, it was the -tightest job they had ever -tackled, -all to give this building -a safe, new home.

-More importantly, to -give this community hope.

-We are taking a new -approach to flood -mitigation -and are looking to the -future.

-We are not just jacking up -and rolling the physical -building down the street.

-We are creating a new -heart of Johnson, -free from the risk of -flooding.

-In the face of climate -change and all we've lost, -we are reimagining A new -Johnson, -a place to honor the past -and a gathering place to -point us to our future.

-This is a message for -Johnson, -for Vermont, -for all of America.