NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Friends of the North Adams Public Library was gifted $25,000 by the late Paul Gaudreau. 

 

The Drury High graduate had great respect for the library and its service to the city, said his good friend Richard Taskin, and had entrusted him with the check before his death on Sunday at the age of 64. 

 

"He understands the importance of the library as a crown jewel of our city. And he loved this city and he loved this country," said Taskin, a library trustee. "He was in the National Guard. He was concerned about his city. He was concerned about his country. ...

 

"He read a newspaper every single day of his life and cared about public affairs."

 

Taskin presented the check to Friends President Bonnie Rennell on Thursday evening at the end of the trustees' meeting. 

 

Gaudreau was a youth sports coach, and had retired from Williams College. He had already donated CDs to the library and had enjoyed seeing Jeff Tweedy of Wilco perform at the library. Taskin said Gaudreau was one of the hardest working people he'd ever known and, his voice breaking, his fantasy baseball partner.  

 

He'd first passed the check to Chair Sarah Farnsworth, who gasped "oh my" when she read the amount.