The Town of Hartford is organized and governed under the traditional Town Meeting form of government of many New England communities. This form of government is thought by many to be the purest and most direct form of democracy remaining in the United States today. Under this form of government, residents gather each year in March to make their opinions heard and cast their votes on matters of public interest such as the Annual Budget, adoption of local ordinances, and other policy-related matters. A nonpartisan Board of Selectmen, elected for three-year staggered terms, is then charged with managing the affairs of the community. Generally speaking, the Selectmen insure that all of the duties imposed upon the Town and its other officials or staff are performed in a timely and cost-effective manner. More specifically, Selectmen may enact ordinances and rules in areas including, but not limited to, the following:
Hartford voters have elected to appoint a professional Town Manager to assist the Board of Selectmen with the execution of their duties. Under this form of government, many of the day-to-day responsibilities traditionally charged to the Selectmen are transferred to the person holding this position. The Town Manager is responsible for managing the day-to-day affairs of the Town, administration of the annual budget, supervision of employees, hiring and firing of staff, setting salaries, and enforcing personnel policies. The Town Manager also functions as the Delinquent Tax Collector and as the Director of Personnel and Purchasing. At all times and in all matters, the Manager is subordinate to and takes direction from the Board of Selectmen. The Board meets every other Tuesday night to take action on a wide variety of public business. These meetings are held in the Town Offices and begin at 6:30 pm. Persons wishing to have specific items considered by the Board must submit these materials in writing no later than 12:00 noon on the Wednesday preceding the Selectmen's scheduled meeting. The public is welcome to attend. Other matters of interest or concern may be forwarded directly to the Town Manager's Office for immediate attention. Please see the Town Directory for office hours and telephone numbers.
Finance Director - Town of Hartford, VT (pop. 10,366). Nationally accredited (CAFR) community in Upper Valley of the Connecticut River seeks exceptional candidate to fill key management. Salary with salary range of $60,809 to $74,291 DOQ + very competitive benefits package. Minimum qualifications include: a bachelor's degree in finance or accounting (CPA preferred) and 5 years of progressive municipal or governmental accounting experience at a supervisory or departmental level. Should also have knowledge of fund accounting, local, state and Federal laws pertaining to finance, demonstrated supervisory skills, be accomplished in budgeting, purchasing and have extensive knowledge of computers and computerized municipal or fund accounting systems. Must be organized, able to work under pressure and meet deadlines. Should be a team player, and able to establish and maintain excellent working relationships with employees, elected officials and the public. A combination of skills and experience demonstrating the above requirements may also be considered. Submit letter of interest and resume to the Office of Town Manager, Town of Hartford, 171 Bridge Street, White River Jct., VT 05001. Electronic submissions encouraged (hrieseberg@hartford-vt.org) no later than September 22, 2008. The Town of Hartford is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
TOWN OF HARTFORD SELECTBOARD MEETING - 5:30 P.M. Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Municipal Building 1st Floor AGENDA I. Call to Order & Pledge of Allegiance: II. Announcements: III. Order of Agenda: IV. Citizens & Selectboard Comments: V. Appointments: 5:30 p.m.: Re-appointment Hartford Housing (Exec. Session 15 min.) 5:45 p.m.: Re-appointment Conservation Commission (Exec. Session 15 min.) 6:00 p.m.: Kevin Geiger TROPC Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan (15 min) 6:15 p.m.: Quechee WW and White River WW Renovation Presentations (45 min) VI. Board Reports, Motions and Ordinances: a. Hartford Housing Authority re-appointments (Mot. & Sig. Req. 5 min.) b. Conservation Commission re-appointments (Mot. & Sig. Req. 5 min.) c. Transportation Enhancement Grant Application - Design and Construction of sidewalk and bicycle lanes on Sykes Mountain Avenue (Mot. Req. 5 min.) d. Nominations - 2008 VLCT Municipal Awards (Mot. Req. 5 min.) e. Nominations - Council on Aging - 11th Annual Successful Aging Award (Mot. & Sig. Req. 5 min.) f. SDC Development Questions- Dennis Marquise (30 min.) g. The Barn at Hemlock Ridge - Sewer and Water Charges (15 min.) h. Kilowatt Master Plan Presentation (10 min.) i. ECFiber Interlocal Agreement (Mot. & Sig. Req. 15 min.) VII. Town Manager's Report: a. No Outstanding Appeals - 2007 Grand List (sig. only) b. Northstar Fireworks - Murphy Farm September 13, 2008 VIII. Payroll 08/27/2008 & Vendor Manifest 08/22/2008 (Mot. & Sig. Req.): IX. Correspondence: X. Review Meeting Minutes 07/29/2008; 08/12/2008 (Mot. & Sig. Req.): XI. Advisory Boards/Commission Meeting Reports: XII. Old Business: XIII. Future Meeting Dates: XIV. Executive Session: (Mot. Req.): XV. Adjournment: (Mot. Req.) All meetings of the Board are public. Persons wishing to address the Board or who are seeking action by them are asked to please submit their request/materials in their entirety to the Town Manager's Office no later than noon on the Wednesday preceding the scheduled meeting date so that their request may be placed on the agenda.
SELECTBOARD MEETING - 6:30 P.M.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 Vermont Law School
Present: Gayle Ottmann, Chair; Chuck Wooster, Vice-Chairman; John Hazen, Clerk; Sabino Romano, Selectman; Reginald Tatro, Selectman; Hunter Rieseberg, Town Manager
I. Call to Order: Ms. Ottmann called the meeting to order at 9:41 p.m.
II. Board Reports, Motions and Ordinances: a. Designation of Voting Delegate: VLCT Annual Business Meeting: Mr. Hazen moved to vote to designate Hunter Rieseberg as the Town of Hartford voting delegate at the upcoming Town Fair on October 2, 2008. Mr. Wooster seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
b. Class IV Road re-designation/Reservoir Road: Based on Selectboard action at the last meeting to restart the process, Mr. Rieseberg distributed a new schedule and a new petition. Mr. Wooster moved to petition for discontinuation of Town Highway No. 53 in the Town of Hartford, Vermont on this 12th day of August, WHEREAS, the Selectboard of the Town of Hartford, Vermont has decided to initiate the discontinuation of the section of Class 4 public highway known as Reservoir Road, Town Highway No. 53 from mile markers 0.796 to 1.308 for a total distance of 0.512 miles located within the Hartford Town Forest pursuant to 19 V.S.A. §708-711; NOW THEREFORE, we hereby notify you that the Selectboard of the Town of Hartford intends to discontinue that portion of Reservoir Road, Town Highway No. 53 that is located in the Town of Hartford and on property owned by the Town of Hartford; and The Selectboard shall examine the Discontinued Road on October 21st, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.; and The Selectboard shall hold a public hearing and receive the testimony of persons owning or interested in lands through which the Discontinued Road may pass or abut on October 21st, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. at 171 Bridge Street, White River Jct., Vermont. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
c. Personnel Policy Changes: Mr. Rieseberg explained that the submitted changes were minor changes with no impact. Mr. Wooster moved to propose changes to section 309: Safe Work as follows: the section could be changed to Safe and Healthy Workplace. The second paragraph last sentence and the third paragraph could be substituted as follows: We pledge our support through the establishment of a safety and health committee and the designation of a wellness coordinator to lead our efforts to provide resources, motivation and support to enhance the overall safety at the workplace and promote a healthy lifestyle for all of the Town of Hartford employees, their dependents, and retirees.
Through the collaboration of the wellness coordinator and VLCT, programs will be made available for all employees, dependents and insured retirees to participate. These programs are carefully designed to promote personal health among the employees and their families. The wellness program also offers clinics and workshops for all employees, dependents and retirees that are aimed to promote healthy lifestyles. Mr. Romano seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried. Ms Ottmann recommended adding the retirees to the second sentence of the second paragraph as well. Mr. Wooster asked about using the word VLCT in the event we changed providers. Mr. Wooster amended his motion to change the reference from VLCT to "our healthcare provider" and to include retirees to the second sentence in the second paragraph. Mr. Romano amended his second. All were in favor and the motion carried.
III. Payroll 08/13/2008 & Vendor Manifest 08/08/2008: Mr. Wooster moved to approve the 8/13/2008 payroll. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried. Mr. Wooster moved to approve the 8/8/2008 Vendor Manifest. Mr. Tatro seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
IV. Other: The Selectboard was concerned that the posting for notification of changes to the Charter was to be posted on Saturday, August 16, 2008 and the Board did not recall receiving the final draft. It was noted that the Schoolboard would be discussing the Charter at their meeting, which was also being held tonight.
The Board discussed October meetings as follows, the 7th is a regular meeting, the 14th is a Zoning Regulations Public Hearing, the 21st is a regular meeting as well as the Public Hearing for the Road Discontinuance, and October 29, is Governors Day. In November the 4th is Election Day so the Selectboard will hold their regular meeting on Wednesday, November 5, 2008. Depending on requirements for timing, November 18 may also be a Zoning Regulations Public Hearing as well as a regular meeting.
IV. Adjournment: Mr. Hazen moved to adjourn at 10:06 p.m. Mr. Romano seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
John H. Hazen, Jr., Clerk
Selectboard Meeting Tuesday, July 29, 2008 Wilder Clubhouse and Library - 6:30 p.m. 78 Norwich Avenue Public Hearing - Reservoir Road Discontinuance (5PM Reservoir Road site tour followed by Public Hearing to begin at 6:30 PM at Wilder Clubhouse and Library) Public Meeting - Kilowatt Park Master Plan - 7:30PM Present: Gayle Ottmann, Chair; Chuck Wooster, Vice-Chairman; John Hazen, Clerk; Sabino Romano, Selectman; Reginald Tatro, Selectman; Hunter Rieseberg, Town Manager; Kevin French, James Peters, Steve Lagasse, Skip Spaulding, and Linda Wilson, Conservation Commission; Glenn Cutting, Chief, Hartford Police Department; Tad Nunez, Parks and Recreation Director; Matt Osborn, Planner; Scott Hausler and Eric Olson, Parks and Recreation Commission; Richard Wright; Tim Schaal; John Bryant; Cathy Melocik; Bob White; George Lucke; Harry Kendrick; Andy Thorburn; Phil Sargent; Tobias Dayman; Roy Daigle; Bob White; Hilary Gregory.
I. Open Public Hearing: Ms. Ottmann opened the Public Hearing for the Reservoir Road Discontinuance at 6:47 p.m. Mr. Rieseberg explained that the purpose of the public hearing tonight is to determine whether to discontinue a section of Reservoir Road (TH53), a Class IV Road which runs through the Town Forest. The section would include mile marker 0.796 to 1.308 totaling a distance of 0.512 miles. Ms. Ottmann read the Notice of Public Hearing for Discontinuation of Town Highway which was sent to direct abutters.
Richard Wright read VSA Title 19, Chapter 7, section 708 and said that he did not receive the notification 30 days in advance of the meeting, therefore due process was not followed. Mr. Rieseberg stated that three abutters not originally considered direct abutters of the closure were sent a letter last week by regular mail and by certified mail. The other abutters certified mailing was sent on June 27, 2008.
As due process has been challenged, the meeting can only be an informational meeting and no official decisions can be made. John Bryant reiterated the importance of stopping the meeting immediately. He also requested a list of the abutters that received the original certified mailing and the dates the letter were signed for. Mr. Hazen moved to suspend the discussion and re-start the process. Mr. Romano seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
II. Close Public Hearing: Ms. Ottmann suspended the Public Hearing at 7:10 p.m.
III. Call to Order & Pledge of Allegiance: Ms. Ottmann called to order the Selectboard meeting at 7:11 p.m. and Mr. Wooster led the pledge.
II. Announcements: Ms. Ottmann announced that on Thursday, July 31, 2008, there is a State of Economy meeting at the Center for Cartoon Studies in the morning and that same evening, Vermont Rural Roads is hosting a meeting at the VFW on the Future of Vermont.
III. Order of Agenda: As Mr. French was already at the meeting and because the public meeting for Kilowatt Park was not scheduled until 7:30 p.m., the Board moved Mr. French's re-appointment interview ahead.
IV. Citizens & Selectboard Comments: None
V. Appointments: Kevin French Conservation Commission re-appointment interview: Mr. Wooster moved to go into Executive Session at 7:15 p.m. to interview Mr. French for re-appointment to the Conservation Commission. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried. Ms. Wilson was invited as Chair of the Commission.
Mr. Wooster moved to close executive session at 7:25 p.m. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
8:45 p.m. - James Peters Conservation Commission re-appointment interview: Mr. Wooster moved to go into executive session at 8:45 p.m. to interview James Peters for re-appointment to the Conservation Commission. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried. Ms. Wilson was invited as Chair of the Commission.
Mr. Wooster moved to close executive session at 9:15 p.m. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
VI. Public Meeting: Ms. Ottmann opened the Public Meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tad Nunez, Director of Parks and Recreation explained that the Kilowatt Park Master Plan was the effort of the community and was still a work-in-progress today. There are still minor changes. After this public meeting, the acceptance of the plan will be discussed in section VII. Mr. Nunez then turned the meeting over to Bob White, Architect with ORW Landscape Architects and Planners. Other than concerns with increased traffic and protection of the surrounding area, those in attendance supported the 5-year development plan. The 5-year plan includes gates and docks at both ends of the park with new trails in between, a new picnic area in the southern end of the park and improvements to the recreation field. Costs over the 5 years are estimated at $30,000 to $50,000 per year in local funds for capital projects.
VII. Board Reports, Motions and Ordinances: a. Conservation Commission re-appointments: Mr. Wooster moved that pursuant to Title 24, Chapter 118, Section 4502(b), Vermont Statutes Annotated, the Board of Selectmen, hereby appoint Kevin French this 29th Day of July, 2008 to serve as a member of the Town of Hartford Conservation Commission in the County of Windsor, and the State of Vermont, to hold office from August 22, 2008 to August 22, 2012. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
Mr. Hazen moved that pursuant to Title 24, Chapter 118, Section 4502(b), Vermont Statutes Annotated, the Board of Selectmen, hereby appoint James Peters this 29th Day of July, 2008 to serve as a member of the Town of Hartford Conservation Commission in the County of Windsor, and the State of Vermont, to hold office from August 22, 2008 to August 22, 2012. Mr. Wooster seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
b. Petition for Discontinuation of Town Highway: Mr. Wooster moved to table this item until the process is started over. Mr. Hazen seconded. The Board discussed holding the next hearing on October 7, 2008. Further discussion included the actual petition and who should be included in the mailing. Mr. Wooster amended his motion to state that the Selectboard will not consider the petition this evening, will re-start the process, and will re-vote the petition at a later date. Mr. Hazen amended his second. All were in favor and the motion carried.
c. Kilowatt Master Plan Acceptance: Mr. Wooster moved to endorse the plan presented and to encourage the steering committee, staff, and Recreation Commission to move forward with the plan. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor the motion carried.
d. Adoption of Sister City Declaration & Agreement - Kratovo Macedonia: Mr. Rieseberg distributed a resolution for the Selectboard to adopt as correct language and explained that the original would be signed at a later date after the language of Kratova Macedonia has been inserted. Mr. Wooster moved to adopt the language of the Sister City Declaration and Agreement as presented. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried. Mr. Wooster read the Declaration as follows:
The Town of Hartford, Vermont United States of America & The City of Kratovo Republic of Macedonia
Whereas, the Town of Hartford has expressed its interest and desire to become a Sister City to Kratovo, Macedonia, and
Whereas, the City of Kratovo in the Republic of Macedonia has expressed its interest and desire to become a Sister City with Hartford, Vermont, and
Whereas, it is in our best interest to promote a greater understanding and friendship between our peoples, and
Whereas, we believe it to be in our collective interest to collaborate and to work in unison to promote and broaden our mutual knowledge, appreciation and understanding of our respective municipalities, our country's, their history, culture and people, and
Whereas, we wish to encourage economic development and to advance trade relations between our municipalities and our nations, and
Whereas, we hope to encourage cultural exchanges between our citizens of all ages in the areas of art, music, history, technology, sports, health and communications, all of which contributing to greater friendship and understanding between us, and that therefore
Be It Resolved, that in the spirit of friendship and goodwill, the Town of Hartford, Vermont in the United States of America and the City of Kratovo, in the Republic of Macedonia do hereby proclaim and dedicate ourselves to these goals and to one another as Sister Cities.
On behalf of our two communities, the foregoing instrument is acknowledged before us its duly elected officials.
VIII. Town Manager's Report: Paving in progress. The Police Department is within 1 ½ positions of being fully staffed, including Dispatch. The Selectboard selected October 29 as Governors Day.
IX. Payroll 07/30/2008 & Vendor Manifest 7/25/2008: Mr. Wooster moved to approve the payroll of 7/30/2008. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
Mr. Wooster moved to approve the Vendor Manifest of 7/25/2008. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
X. Correspondence: The Town of Hartford has completed a cooperative agreement with Pomfret for reimbursement of funds relating to the landslide for an 11.4/88.6% split. The State of Vermont has approved the request for emergency funds up to $305,000.
Mr. Rieseberg said that the contract has been awarded for next phase of engineering evaluation for the Dams. This evaluation will be ready for the public presentation mid September.
Mr. Rieseberg wrote a letter to Brendan Wood and Ryan Hoisington congratulating each of them for obtaining rank of Eagle Scout.
There is a law in legislation stating that as of September 2010, if a Town has not listed an ancient road as a Town Road, such roads will be cleared from any existing maps. Matt Osborn, Town Planner is working with a committee to inventory existing ancient roads. Once the inventory has been completed, an elimination process will take place before a map is completed.
XI. Review Meeting Minutes 07/15/2008: Mr. Wooster moved to approve the minutes of 7/15/2008 as submitted. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
XII. Advisory Boards/Commission Meeting Reports: Mr. Tatro and Mr. Wooster attended the Charter Commission meeting.
XIII. Old Business:
XIV. Future Meeting Dates: ECFiber Meeting 8/12/2008 VLS at 7 p.m.; BOS 8/19/2008; BOS 9/9/2008; 9/23/2008: The Board agreed to meet at West Hartford library on August 12 and carpool to the ECFiber meeting at Vermont Law School. The August 19 meeting date was changed to August 26 because there would not be a quorum. The meeting will start at 6PM.
XV. Executive Session: Mr. Tatro moved to go into executive session at 10:00 p.m. to discuss Collective Bargaining Agreement and Personnel. Mr. Wooster seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
Mr. Hazen moved to adjourn executive session at 11:10 p.m. Mr. Romano seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
No action was taken as a result of executive session.
XVI. Adjournment: Mr. Wooster moved to adjourn at 11:12 p.m. Mr. Romano seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
John H. Hazen, Jr., Clerk
TOWN OF HARTFORD Local Liquor Control Commission Agenda August 26, 2008 5:20 p.m. Municipal Building - 1st Floor
I. Call to Order II. Request for Education Sampling Event Permit Application: (Mot. Req.) a. VINS Fund Raising - Wine & Cheese Tasting III. Correspondence a. Tobacco Violation: WRT Co., Inc. (4th) IV. Review Meeting Minutes of 7/29/2008; 8/12/2008: (Mot. & Sig. Req.) V. Adjournment: (Mot. Req.)
Local Liquor Control Commission Tuesday, August 12, 2008 9:30 p.m. Vermont Law School Present: Gayle Ottmann, Chair; Chuck Wooster, Vice-Chairman; John Hazen, Clerk; Sabino Romano, Selectman; Reginald Tatro, Selectman; Hunter Rieseberg, Town Manager I. Call to Order: Ms. Ottman called the meeting to order at 9:36 p.m. II. Application for Special Event Permit a. Trout River Brewing Company - Quechee Scottish Festival: Mr. Wooster moved to approve the Permit. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
III. Request for Education Sampling Event Permit Application: Mr. Wooster moved to approve the request. Mr. Hazen seconded. The Board was concerned that no caterer was listed. Mr. Wooster withdrew his motion and moved to table the request until further information can be obtained. Mr. Hazen withdrew his second and seconded the motion to table. All were in favor and the motion carried. IV. Adjournment: The motion to adjourn was moved and seconded at 9:40 p.m. All were in favor and the motion carried.
John H. Hazen, Jr., Clerk
Local Liquor Control Commission Tuesday, July 29, 2008 6:25 p.m. Municipal Building - 1st Floor Present: Gayle Ottmann, Chair; Chuck Wooster, Vice-Chairman; John Hazen, Clerk; Sabino Romano, Selectman; Reginald Tatro, Selectman; Hunter Rieseberg, Town Manager.
I. Call to Order: Ms. Ottmann called the Local Liquor Control Commission to order at 6:45 p.m. II. First Class Liquor License Application
a. May I Be Of Service LLC d/b/a Junction House Buffet: Mr. Wooster moved to approve the First Class Liquor License Application. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
III. Review Meeting Minutes of 7/15/2008: Mr. Wooster moved to approve the 7/15/2008 minutes. Mr. Hazen seconded. Mr. Romano abstained. All else were in favor and the motion carried.
IV. Adjournment: Mr. Wooster moved to adjourn at 6:47 p.m. Mr. Hazen seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried.
John H. Hazen, Jr., Clerk Town of Hartford Charter Commission Monday August 25th, 2008 Municipal Building 1st Floor 6:30PM Agenda I. Call to Order II. Public Comments III. Review Minutes from the 07/28/08 Meeting IV. Discuss and Possibly Vote on Draft Version #11 V. Other Business a. Review 09/04/08 Charter presentation in Quechee VI. Adjourn
Monday, July 14, 2008 West Hartford Library 7:00 p.m. Present: Michael Lyford, Chairman; Bruce Macdonald, Vice Chair; Jim Tonkovich, Secretary; Stephen Arkwright; Kevin French; Harry Kendrick; Clair Lovell; Joanne Roth; Paul Sunde; Randy Whatley; William Wittick. I. Call to Order: Mr. Lyford called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. II. Public Comment: None III. Review minutes of 6/16/08 meeting. Mr. Macdonald moved to approve. Ms. Roth seconded. All were in favor and the motion carried. IV. Discussion of Charter Amendment Timeline - Option 2: Derry Goodwin was thanked for her research, which has resulted in a proper schedule per state law. October 14 appears to be the key date, up to which time possible revisions based on public feedback can be made. The Commission would need to meet prior to October 14, 2008 to approve any revisions. Mr. Lyford reminded the Commission that the scheduling and publicizing of public hearings were the responsibility of the Selectboard, but this did not preclude the Commission from providing some exposure to the charter on their own. Mr. Whatley will look into a presentation to the White River Rotary; Mr. Macdonald will look into a Quechee Lakes presentation; and Ms. Roth will see about one at a Bugbee Senior Center lunch. V. Discussion of School District's Revisions: Mr. Lyford pointed out that the School Board had used an older draft, instead of Draft #10 which they were sent. There was much discussion by the Commission about the deletion of virtually all references to the School District and the creation of a separate chapter, which was made up of a few recreated omissions but most certainly not all. Commission members were puzzled by changes that appeared to result in almost total defaulting to state law. Commission members expressed a belief that Draft #10 recognized the Town and School District as separate entities while offering the broadest possible group of voters the opportunity to participate in the governance of each through simplified and better-coordinated meeting and voting processes. The School District draft of the document appeared to Charter Commission members to move the Town and School District governance structure in the opposite direction from what Commission members had intended. Nevertheless, the Commission proceeded to review every single change created by the School Board. Following final discussion by the Commission, Mr. Lyford volunteered to draft a response to the School Board, to be reviewed by Commission members, which would include the request for a written response back by July 28 (which has been set as the next Charter Commission meeting). VI. Adjournment: Mr. Macdonald moved to adjourn at 8:50 p.m. Mr. Whatley
CATV Channel 8 CATV/8 is the Upper Valley’s not-for-profit community access television station. And it is here solely for us – to debate local issues, to showcase our young athletes and musicians, to inform, to entertain, and even, in some cases, to offend. It is freedom of speech, the right to know or just plain ol’ fun. All at our fingertips. As one of four towns that supports CATV/8 through franchise fees, residents of Hartford receive benefits that non-supporting towns do not. These include: taping and broadcasting of Selectboard and Schoolboard meetings, public forums, school concerts, graduations, sports and other town-related events. However, with the exception of the Selectboard and School boards, we rely on volunteers to provide us with tapes of local events. Any Hartford resident or organization can submit tapes for broadcasting on CATV/8. Also, announcements for events around town whether it’s a concert on the green, rummage sale, pancake breakfast, etc. can be included on our community bulletin board. The form and guidelines for both the bulletin board and tape submission are on our website at www.catv6.org. The studio is located downstairs in the Hanover High School. We’re open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 3 pm. Hartford Selectboard & Schoolboard meetings are broadcast the Wednesday after their meetings on CATV10. Tapes of both boards are available at the W. Hartford library shortly thereafter. Also, our education station UVEC (Upper Valley Education Connection) is open for business and could have its channel on air as soon as December 2003. UVEC’s studio is located in the TipTop building in White River Jct. The phone number is (802)295-6688. Just a reminder that community participation is vital to our mission of providing local programming. So, stop by sometime – we’d be happy to show you around! A fiber-optic network brings the fastest, most reliable internet service possible with quality telephone service and digital cable television. The prices will be lower than currently available services. Using existing telephone poles, fiber-optic cable will be brought past every home and business in the towns that approve the project, then connected to each home or business that wants it. Fiber-optic cable is the best available technology for all these services. The subscribed bandwidth is constant, can be many times higher than DSL or cable and upload is the same speed as download (symmetrical). The network will be based on the successful municiaplly-owned model used in Burlington (www.burlingtontelecom.net). It will be a community-owned, subscriber-funded network. Tim Nulty, founder and CEO of Burlington Telecom, resigned his position there after creating their sustainable network. Tim is now working with ValleyNet. Their goal is to create more self-supporting fiber networks across the state - and they are starting with the ECFiberNet project. The fiber-optic network will be financed with the same mechanism used by Burlington Telecom, a "non-recourse" capital lease that requires no financial outlays by the towns involved. Subscriber fees will pay interest, principal and operating expenses. Participating communities will jointly own the network at the conclusion of the lease. Once revenues exceed the costs of running the network and paying the capital lease (current estimates suggest in the 5th or 6th year), the remaining profits may be distributed to participating towns or used for network improvements. The ECFiberNet volunteer committee will be seeking approval at next year's town meetings for as many towns as possible to join this regional efford. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT: ECFiberNet, with the help of ValleyNet, is running a pre-registration campaign. This helps to show town select boards the level of interest in the towns and will also help us obtain the necessary funding for the project. The towns with the highest percentage of pre-registered customers will most likely see the line crews first. You can show your support for this project by pre-registering at http://www.ecfiber.net. Please also help by encouraging your selectboard to support the project and informing your friends and neighbors. Check the website for answers to questions, or email the committee at info@ecfiber.net. Hartford was chartered in 1761 by Gov. Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire. It was the first town east of the Green Mountains to be chartered after the French and Indian Wars and is one of the so-called Connecticut towns of Vermont that were settled by pioneers from Connecticut. Our history revolves around our rivers. First used for transportation by the native population [Lyman Point in White River Jct. was a site used by the natives heading north with the captives from the Deerfield, MA. Indian raid], then by the early settlers. The three rivers [Connecticut, White and Ottaquechee] provided transportation and mill power for the town for over two centuries. The railroads followed the river valleys and commercial development along the rivers. In the 1960's the Interstate Highway system again followed the rivers to maintain the transportation importance of the town, and river power is still in use in Wilder and Quechee. Early settlement patterns typically saw the farmers on the hillsides [as is reflected in the Jericho Rural Historic District] and the mills and commerce along the river rapids [Quechee Historic Mill District, and Hartford Village Historic District]. Each of the villages has its own unique character and history. Quechee and Hartford developed early due to the waterpower available to run the grist, saw and soon the Woolen Mills. Quechee was a mill town from its inception until the 1960's when the mills closed and put almost everyone out of work. Today it is a popular resort community, which retains much of its historic character thanks to the Quechee Lakes Corporation, which preserved most of the old buildings. Of special note was the Dewey's Mills, located at the head of the Quechee Gorge, which developed and produced the technique to re-work wool rags into 'shoddy'. Mr. Dewey was involved with the building of the Woodstock Railroad, which helped move his products to market. For over 100 years Dewey's Mills was a thriving village in its own right - until the Army Corps needed the land for its flood control project. Hartford Village was the economic and social center of the town for most of the town's history. The mills there supported the wealthy mill owners and their employees, who in turn saw that a fine church and library were established early in the nineteenth century. Our famous native son, Gov. Samuel Pingree, was a resident of the village most of his life. White River Junction was thinly populated until the coming of the railroad in 1848. It soon became a major railroad junction with an eight track crossing served by five railways with 50 passenger trains entering and leaving daily. There were many railroad and passenger related businesses - including The Latham Works, which built engines. The Irish who built the railroads gave way to the Italians who came to work on them and remain vital members of the town. White River Junction became the entertainment center of town with performances by Barnum & Bailey, Buffalo Bill, and many other groups, including prizefights! The Vermont State Fair was held here annually from the mid 1800's until the mid 1900's with a popular race tack and a special train spur bringing folks up the hill from the station. Wilder was one of the first 'planned communities' in the area and also is a Historic District. Charles Wilder and his brothers from Boston arrived in 1880 and proceeded to build an extensive paper mill to supply the city newspapers. He also built housing for the workers and contributed much to the enhancement of the village. Upon his death he left enough to build the Wilder Club and Library and a much sought-after bridge across the Connecticut River on the condition that the town change the name from Olcott Falls to Wilder. After much controversy the bridge was built, but was dismantled when the current electric generating plant and dam were constructed in 1950. For more information on the History of Hartford, contact the Hartford Historical Society at PO Box 547, Hartford, VT 05047 or Pat at 802-295-3077[M-F 9-4]or pstark@hartford-vt.org |