Town of Colebrook, Connecticut

Earlier today, we dedicated our new, 10-passenger wheelchair-accessible Community & Senior Center Ford transit van. The vehicle was purchased with town capital funds accrued over the past three years and a state grant. This new van will be used for Community & Senior Center outings and medical appointments when wheelchair accessibility is needed. We will be selling our current 2014 van via the state municipal auction process.

Our Annual Town Meeting will be held on Monday, October 19th, at 8 p.m. in the second-floor meeting room at Colebrook Town Hall. That night, we’ll be electing members and alternates for the following: Planning & Zoning Commission; Zoning Board of Appeals; Recreation Board; and Historic District Commission.

Early voting at Town Hall for the November State and Federal elections will be available beginning Monday, October 19th. Learn more at the attached flyer.

As noted earlier, Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day will be Saturday, October 24th, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Torrington Water Pollution Control Facility in Harwinton. Attached, please find a flyer with a QR code to use to register via Eventbrite on your mobile phone. You will not need to present a ticket or QR code at the event. As long as you have registered in advance, provide your first and last name and staff on site will check you in.

The flyer also discusses items eligible (and ineligible) for disposal. Karen Odell at 860.379.3359, ext. 201, or kodell@colebrooktownhall.org<mailto:kodell@colebrooktownhall.org>, will be able to register those unable to do so via the QR code. The deadline to contact Karen is end-of-day next Wednesday, October 21st.

Later this fall, in conjunction with USA Recycling and Friends of Animals<friendsofanimals.org/>, a wildlife conservation group, the town will host an informational meeting on living with bears. As the bear population expands, interactions between humans and bears are expected to increase. This meeting will focus on what Colebrook residents should do if they see a bear and how to avoid unnecessary conflicts by keeping food away from bears.

Attendees will have the opportunity to win a free bear-resistant garbage can for a year, courtesy of grant from Friends of Animals and Speak Up For Animals | CT Votes for Animals<www.ctvotesforanimals.org/>. This is part of a pilot program to determine the impact of the expanded use of bear-resistant containers on human-bear interactions. Details to follow.
Planning for the Colebrook Holiday Fair kicked off this week. This year’s Fair will be held on Saturday, December 12th. We currently have 17 registered vendors, with more expected. Other highlights will be Cookie Land, gingerbread cookie decorating, and the Community & Senior Center Café.
The Colebrook Associates food pantry, located in the vestibule of the Community & Senior Center, is open Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m.-noon. Donations may be left at the pantry or in the collection bin at the Post Office. Needed this week are baking mixes, coffee, tea, canned fruits and vegetables (except corn), pasta sauce and rice.
The town is accepting applications for energy assistance. Please contact Karen Odell at 860.379.3359, ext. 201, or at kodell@colebrooktownhall.org<mailto:kodell@colebrooktownhall.org>.

In addition to keeping our roads safe and in good repair, our Public Works team is also responsible for the upkeep of town cemeteries. This sometimes includes maintenance of the stone walls that grace their exterior. To that end, we were recently notified that there was damage to a cemetery stone wall. After repair work had been completed, we received the following note:

“The other day, I visited the Eno Hill Cemetery to ‘say hello’ to my dear friends. I was very happy to see the perfect stonework of the wall next to their tombstone and I’m certain that all of the other ‘tenants’ are as grateful as my husband and I are. Please extend our gratefulness to the stonemasons involved. A work well done!”
Upcoming events
Pinney Stables and the Colebrook Rec Board invite you to join them for “Halloween on the Farm” on Saturday, October 24th, from 1-3 p.m. The event will include a Trunk or Treat, and costume contest.
Later that day (Saturday, October 24th), Camp Jewell will host its Halloween Harvest Festival from 5-7:30 p.m. The event at the Camp will include trick or treating, a haunted house, and a pasta dinner. Dinner is $5 per person. No RSVP required.
Northwestern Regional School District #7 is hosting a Veterans Day Breakfast on Wednesday, November 11th, at 8 a.m. in the school cafeteria at 100 Battistoni Drive in Winsted, with a program to follow from 9-10 a.m. in the auditorium. Veterans should RSVP to Lisa Smith at 860.379.8525, ext. 2000, or lsmith@nwr7.org<mailto:lsmith@nwr7.org>.
The Colebrook Historical Society will host their annual Holiday Open House on Sunday, December 6th, from 3-5 p.m. A Holiday Treasures Silent Auction will be held. If you’d like to contribute a Holiday Treasure to the Auction, please contact Diane Johnstone at dejpasta@aol.com<mailto:dejpasta@aol.com>.
Upcoming meetings
Board of Education – Wednesday, November 4th, at 7 p.m. at Colebrook Consolidated School Planning & Zoning Commission – Monday, November 9th, at 6:30 p.m. at Colebrook Town Hall Board of Selectmen – Monday, November 9th, at 7 p.m. at Colebrook Town Hall Rec Board – Tuesday, November 10th, at 7 p.m. at Colebrook Town Hall
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at bbremer@colebrooktownhall.org<mailto:bbremer@colebrooktownhall.org>, or call me at 860.379.3359, extension 202.

Cordially,

Brad Brad Bremer Colebrook First Selectman 860.379.3359 ext. 202 bbremer@colebrooktownhall.org

Household-Hazardous-Waste-Day_Details_QR-Code.pdf
November-Election_Who_When_Wheres.pdf