The ladies of the Monday Club end the 2025 season with a big gift to the David A. Howe Public Library
From Nora Burdick, Monday Club Publicist
On November 10th, Monday Club members toured Alfred State College’s School of Applied Technology in Wellsville. Led by Academic Dean Jeffrey Stevens, the group started at the Zero Energy Home, a student-built model showcasing green, renewable energy sources like geothermal, solar, and wind power. The home tracks energy use and production and serves as academic office space.
After leaving the Zero Energy home, the group toured campus applied learning programs, starting with Heavy Equipment, Truck and Diesel, a program training student in the maintenance and repair of trucks, tractors, bulldozers, and earthmovers. The program will add 9,000 square feet (about twice the area of a basketball court) to its lab in 2026 for an overhead crane and Dyno Meter test equipment. Students can explain these tools to anyone who is unfamiliar.
The Building Trades Workforce Training Center served as the next destination for Monday Club. Students enrolled in this program were actively involved in constructing the sixtieth home built by Alfred State College students over several decades. Beyond residential construction, participants also fabricate kitchen cabinetry and prefabricated components for the housing project, which are installed as required. As indicated by the program’s title, students are expected to apply their theoretical knowledge through practical involvement on the current project, thereby supporting the development and mastery of essential skills aligned with the program’s benchmark objectives.
Monday Club members made their way to the most recently renovated building, and arguably, the most impressive on campus, according to Stevens. The Electrical Construction and Maintenance Electrician program has expanded multiple times to meet the needs of the 200 students. The electrical program has grown in popularity over the years, and the college has worked to keep pace with enrollment.
The tour concluded with a comprehensive summary at the Zero Energy Home. Members of the Monday Club conveyed their appreciation for the insights gained during their visit to the advanced Alfred State College Wellsville campus.
On December 1, 2025, the Monday Club members wrapped up their 2025-2026 fall season with the traditional Silver Tea. Honoring both the club’s longstanding traditions and its original founders, club President Christina Wightman presented a check for $2,000 to library director Nic Gunning for a project of the library’s choosing.
The Monday Club will meet again in the spring. Until then, we wish everyone a joyful holiday season and a happy new year.
