Thursday, June 30, 2011 - 4th of July - Weekend Events

4th of July Parade The annual Lions Club July 4th parade will be this Monday at 10:30.  Please note that, beginning at 9:45 on the 4th, traffic will not be allowed on West River Road north from Pleasant Valley to Riverton. If you plan to march in the parade, please arrive at the parade start prior to 9:45. If you are late, you will be routed north on East River Road and will have to access the parade site from Riverton.   Riverton Music Festival   Come to the Riverton Music Festival on July 2 on the Riverton Green. Performances by the Valley Swing Shift (classic American big band music), Mad River Crossing (folk and traditional), the Al Fenton Big Band (big band jazz), The Rivertones (close harmony singing), and Vinyl Vortex (rock, funk & disco). The festival is presented by the Barkhamsted Recreation Department, and is free and open to the public. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, and enjoy the music all day; performances begin at 11am and end at 8. Dine at the Old Riverton Inn, Sweet Peas Restaurant or the Catnip Mouse Tearoom. Or pickup a box lunch from the Riverton General Store. Free off-street parking is available.   Here's the link to the webpage: http://web.mac.com/nostone1/iWeb/Site/Riverton%20Music%20Festival.html

Wednesday, May 18, 2011 - Community Information Meeting - Riverton Firehouse - Wed., May 25, 7:00PM

Members of the Connecticut Army National Guard will conduct training from July 15-19, 2011, at the Riverton Fairgrounds.  During that time they will be operating equipment, to include Helicopters flying in out of the Fairgrounds. Since this activity will be noisy and may cause some inconvenience, the National Guard and the Fairgrounds board would like to meet with the residents to make them aware of the training and to get feedback. Please attend this meeting to learn what is planned and to work with the Guard to make the training exercise a positive experience for everyone. This meeting is focused on the Riverton residents, but is open to anyone who is interested. Regards, Don

Monday, May 09, 2011 - Annual Town Meetings - Tuesday, May 10, 7:00 PM

Just a reminder - the Annual Budget Meeting and the Annual Town Meeting will be held at the Barkhamsted Elementary School on May 10 at 7:00 PM at the Barkhamsted School.  The links at www.barkhamsted.us provide a copy of the call for each of these meetings I hope you are able to attend. Regards, Don

Friday, April 15, 2011 - Our Community Is Getting A New Playground !!

Have You Heard the News … Our Community Is Getting A New Playground and We Need Your Help! Build Dates – Memorial Day Weekend – May 28th – 30th   Please read the attached for more information.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - Important Events in Riverton

Riverton Fishing Derby Set for Connecticut Opening Day, April 16th, on the West Branch of the Farmington River Celebrating well over fifty years of tradition, The Riverton Merchants announce the continuation of the Opening Day tournament now known as the Riverton Fishing Derby. Originally known as the Hitchcock Chair Fishing Derby, Hitchcock formally closed its factory in Riverton, Connecticut in 2006; however the dedicated merchants of this picturesque town continue to contribute funds for the stocking of much better than average trout to the tournament waters. For more information, please check the link at http://www.rivertonct.com/events.html Riverton Post Office - Community Informational Session - April 20 7:00PM The US Postal Service is holding an informational session on April 20 at 7:00 PM in the Riverton Fire Department to review postal operations in Riverton.  This review is part of their ongoing process to streamline and provide service more efficiently.  No decisions have been made yet, but the option of closing the post office in Riverton is a possible outcome. The residents who use the post office have received a survey, and that data, along with public input at this meeting, are extremely important to obtaining a Postal Service decision not to close this post office.  Please plan on attending the meeting to allow your voice to be heard.  Keeping this post office open for Barkhamsted, Colebrook and Hartland residents is extremely important.   The letter sent by the USPS is attached to this e-mail.   Please contact me if you have any questions.   Regards, Don

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - Please note change of date for Town Garage Project Meeting

After sending the e-mail yesterday, I discovered that the school Spelling Bee was already scheduled for the night of April 6.  Therefore we will move the Town Meeting for the Town Garage project to April 7.   April 7 – 7:00 PM – Barkhamsted Elementary School – Town Meeting to vote on the Town Garage project. The resolution to be presented is to authorize bonding to pay for the construction of a new town garage, which includes public meeting rooms, and a new salt storage building.   Sorry for any confusion. Regards, Don

Monday, March 21, 2011 - Important Meetings for Fiscal Year 2011/2012

Please check the newspapers, your e-mail and your mail for more information on the upcoming meetings, which deal with town budgets and expenditures for the next fiscal year. April 6 – 7:00 PM – Barkhamsted Elementary School – Town Meeting to vote on the Town Garage project. The resolution to be presented is to authorize bonding to pay for the construction of a new town garage, which includes public meeting rooms, and a new salt storage building. April 26 – 7:00 PM – Barkhamsted Elementary School – Annual Budget Hearing, at which the Board of Finance presents the 2011/2012 budgets for the town government and the Barkhamsted School. This meeting does not cover Regional 7 and RRDD #1.  Based on the feedback it receives, the Board of Finance sets the budget to be presented at the Town Meeting and the proposed tax rate for the coming year. May 10 – 7:00 PM – Barkhamsted Elementary School – Annual Town Meeting to approve the 2009/2010 Audit Report and to approve the 2011/2012 budgets which were reviewed at the Budget  Hearing. At this meeting, the public cannot vote to increase the budget. The final tax rate will be set by the Board of Finance after this meeting. The RRDD #1 annual meeting to adopt their budget will be held on March 28 at 7:30 PM at the RRDD #1 office. The Regional 7 Board of Education will present their budget on March 30 at the Barkhamsted Elementary School at 7:00 PM. The Regional 7 budget hearing for the full district will be April 13 at 7:00 PM at the high school, and the referendum will be held on May 3. Regards, Don

Monday, February 07, 2011 - Status of Town Buildings

Many of you may have heard that the Town’s salt storage building collapsed Friday afternoon.  The building, which is a Quonset hut design, was constructed over 16 years ago and was nearing the end of its useful life.  Quonset huts were originally developed by the U.S. Navy for storage in remote locations and have the capability to withstand harsh environments.  Despite careful monitoring of the snow depth on the Town’s buildings, the snow on this aluminum structure was apparently beyond its limit.  The collapse was likely due to the fact that it was corroded from its years of service.  Most importantly, no one was inside the building at the time and no one was injured.  After the collapse, we immediately demolished the building for safety reasons.  Regional Refuse Disposal District #1 will sell the scrap metal on behalf of the Town.  The building was insured, as is all town property, and we are working with our insurance carrier to determine the replacement value.  Fortunately, we were able to relocate the salt in the building to the other Quonset hut.   School Superintendent Jeff Linton and I worked together throughout the weekend to review the other buildings in town.  Even though we did not believe there was any additional danger, we are using town employees and a hired contractor to remove ice and snow from the Barkhamsted School, the Town Hall, the Town Garage, the old Town Garage, the second Quonset hut, and the Senior Center.   We felt that we needed to move quickly, rather than risk any other problems with town-owned buildings.   Jeff Linton sent a note to the school community regarding the Barkhamsted School.  That note as well as this one are posted on the town website.   Please call me if you have any questions. Regards, Don

Tuesday, February 01, 2011 - Barkhamsted Historical Society - 2011 Lecture Series

Barkhamsted Historical Society - 2011 Lecture Series 7:00 pm, Barkhamsted Senior Center Feb. 11, The Wild and Scenic Farmington, with Liz Lacy, Farmington River Coordinating Committee  Mar 11, Westering Home, traditional music of Scotland and Ireland, Laura Mazza-Dixon, Mattie Banzhaf, Linne Landgraf    April 8, Center Hill History, with Paul Hart May 13, Carpentry with Old-time Tools, with Mike Day No admission is charged for these events, but donations are gratefully accepted Attention Winsted Journal Readers: The Winsted Journal misprinted the date for the First BHS lecture date. The correct date for the Wild and Scenic Farmington River program is noted above.

Monday, January 31, 2011 - Change in Date - LID Public Information Session will now be held on February 9

Due to the weather forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, we will be postponing the Public Information meeting for the DEP FARMINGTON RIVER ENHANCEMENT GRANT: UPDATE ZONING REGULATIONS TO INCORPORATE LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT (LID) PRACTICES until February 9 at 7:00PM in the Barkhamsted School Cafeteria.  This meeting was briefly described in the postcard sent to all town residents last week and is intended to allow residents to provide feedback on the results of the study before the recommended regulatory changes are forwarded to the Board of Selectmen and the Planning and Zoning Commission. For more information visit the town website (http://barkhamsted.us/BoardsCommissions/LowImpactDevelopmentAdvisoryCommittee/tabid/156/Default.aspx). Thanks for your understanding. Regards, Don

Friday, October 15, 2010 - Special Town Meeting - October 19, 2010

There will be a special Town Meeting on October 19 at 7:00PM in the Barkhamsted School to act on 3 issues, as described in the Legal Notice attached to this e-mail.  This notice has been posted in the Hartford Courant, per state requirements.  Please plan on attending this meeting, so you can hear first-hand the rationale behind the proposed addition to the Town Garage, which has been approved unanimously by the Board of Selectmen, the Board of Finance and the Planning & Zoning Commission. That request and the other two items on the agenda require approval at a Town Meeting. Anyone who is a registered voter or anyone who owns $1000 or more of property in Barkhamsted is eligible to vote at the Meeting.  I hope you can be at there, so you can get hear the full story on the need for this project, which has been under consideration since 2003. Regards, Don

Friday, October 08, 2010 - STEPS WE CAN TAKE – TO CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THE EARTH

Special Event - Sunday 10/10/10 from 3:00 pm-5:00 pm at the Barkhamsted Town Hall KIDS' ACTIVITIES Planting acorns Making music FAMILY ACTIVITIES Banner making Photo shoot at 5:00 pm   MINI LECTURES and material available   HOME ENERGY AUDIT- 3:45- 4:15 pm talk FREE home energy audit including work actually done! CL&P and Clean Energy Options If 100 Barkhamsted homes sign up we can get a solar panel for our town! INTRODUCTION OF NEW RECYCLING RULES- 4:15-4:30 pm talk STRAW BALE GARDEN TOURS/DISCUSSIONS CO-HOUSING AND TRANSITION TOWNS INFORMATION BICYCLE REPAIR- FIX A FLAT ELECTRONIC COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION BULLETIN BOARD DISCUSSION NEW HARTFORD FARMERS' MARKET REPRESENTATIVE Worm bin explanation Apples from local farms DREAMS AND VISIONS -by children and adults FINAL GATHERING - READING AT 4:40 PM   Email lisacandels1@aol.com for more information

Tuesday, October 05, 2010 - The Riverton Fair is this weekend

Don't forget that the 101st Riverton Fair is this weekend.  The weather forecast is for sunny and mild temperatures and the Fair has something for all ages.  For more information, go to the Riverton Fair website (http://www.rivertonfair.org/).

Friday, October 01, 2010 - Results of Town Website Survey

Attached to this e-mail is a summary of the results of the recent town internet survey.  Over 70 people responded, mostly current users of the website and the e-mail notification list. In general, people seem to be satisfied with the website, its content, the type of information provided, and the content and frequency of e-mails. However, a number of good suggestions were made, ranging from:   ·         keeping the website  a bit more timely with information about events and activities ·         including more information from the town departments ·         providing more e-mails about important town meetings or hearings ·         making the homepage more user friendly ·         making people aware of volunteer activities or needs ·         including more regulations and ordinances ·         easier links to other organizations in towns, although many of these are in the community section already In the coming weeks, we will be implementing many of these improvement ideas.   I would like to thank those who provided feedback and hope that you will contact me any time you have concerns or ideas about the town website or the e-mails that are sent to you.   Thanks, Don

Sunday, September 19, 2010 - Riverton Summer Music Series - Appearing Today - September 19

Wednesday, September 01, 2010 - Internet Communications Survey

At the Board of Selectmen meeting on August 24, the First Selectmen, Don Stein, suggested that a survey be conducted to ask the residents about their opinion of the town website and the e-mail opt-in list. The current website has been in place since December 2008, so the Board agreed that it was appropriate to conduct this informal survey to seek ways to improve the town’s communications strategies. The survey questions are being publicized through the newspapers, posted on the website, and mailed to the e-mail list and to the town boards and commissions. The link to the survey is on the right side of the town home page (www.barkhamsted.us), and includes the following notice: The Board of Selectmen is interested in receiving feedback on the website to improve service and communications to the Town’s residents.  Please fill out the short questionnaire on the website or send an e-mail with your answers to: dstein@barkhamsted.us.   The responses will be used to determine if the type and frequency of communications are appropriate and if there are other subjects that should be covered,

Sunday, August 29, 2010 - Riverton Summer Music Series - Appearing Today - August 29

Sunday, August 08, 2010 - Riverton Summer Music Series - Appearing Today - August 8

Monday, August 02, 2010 - Upcoming Programs at the Beardsley & Memorial Library

The Beardsley and Memorial Library, which is Barkhamsted’s designated library, will present two programs in the near future.    The first one takes place this Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. and is entitled “Find Out What Winsted Looked Like Before the1955 Flood”. At the program, enhanced DVD images of Winsted before the 1955 Flood will be presented via the 1948 Cornelio Legacy Film.   The second is a Natural Lawn and Gardens informational workshop, and is entitled “Natural Lawn & Gardens - Manage Your Lawn Naturally”. The program will be presented by Aimee Petras from the Farmington River Watershed Association on Thursday, August 26, 2010 from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.    Both programs will take place at the Beardsley and Memorial Library, 40 Munro Place in Winsted. For more information, call (860) 379-6043 or check the Barkhamsted website at www.barkhamsted.us.

Sunday, July 25, 2010 - Riverton Summer Music Series - Appearing Today - July 25