Now that her children are a surgeon, architect and business manager, they are in retirement plans through work and responsible for their own contributions, "but we just had a talk at Thanksgiving about funding yourself first, " Ms. Kolff says.

WSJ: It Pays to Stock Kids' IRAs

Project manager Sam Hine said architect Philip Belchere, town councillors and project team members were answering questions at the drop-in event.

BBC: Bishop's Castle town hall opens doors ahead of revamp

It would seem to be all in a year's work for General Manager Pat Gillick, the architect of the Toronto Blue Jays' back-to-back championship seasons in 1992 and 1993 and the 116-46 Seattle Mariners of 2001, among other successes.

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