Town of Colebrook, Connecticut

Greetings from Colebrook Town Hall.
Municipal elections will be held on Tuesday, November 4th, to fill positions on the following boards: Board of Selectmen; Board of Finance; Board of Education; and Board of Assessment Appeals. Also on the ballot are the following elected positions: Town Clerk; Town Treasurer; Tax Collector; and Constables.
Early voting at Town Hall for the November municipal elections will be available beginning Monday, October 20th. Learn more about early voting in Colebrook at TownofColebrook.org<www.townofcolebrook.org/>.
Our pilot food scrap recycling initiative is now in its third week. Pickups take place from our collection stations at Colebrook Town Hall and the Forge Firehouse every Tuesday. Approximately 60 households are currently participating.
Beyond the scope of our participation in the USA Recycling program, we recognize that many residents had already been collecting food scraps for their own use or for donation to entities that can use them, such as Pinney Stables. Those efforts are equally worthy and appreciated. The ultimate success of our efforts will not be the volume of food scraps collected at our Town Hall and Forge stations, but by the amount we collectively divert from our waste stream-and ultimately landfills in Pennsylvania and Ohio. We currently pay $136 per ton to ship our garbage out of state, with costs rising each year.
USA Recycling reports that our food scrap material appears to be very clean so far. Our scraps are included with those from other towns and taken to a processing facility in Agawam, Mass. From there, they are provided to anaerobic digestors on farms throughout Massachusetts, where they are converted to renewable energy, a soil amendment, and animal bedding. We are one of dozens of towns participating in the USA Recycling program throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts. Learn more about anaerobic digestion here<umaine.edu/foodrescuemaine/2022/07/04/food-waste-basicswhat-is-anaerobic-digestion/>.
Although we’ve not had a problem with bears and our bear-resistant food scrap dumpsters, there have been a number of reports of home and garage invasions recently. Securing waste is one of the most important steps you can take to minimize negative human-bear encounters. Learn more here<link.edgepilot.com/s/af63399a/Z59ZPNMNfUa_SSqKc7qdxQ?u=https://www.bearsmart.com/community-initiatives/waste-management>. You can report a bear sighting to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection here<survey123.arcgis.com/share/5243a30ef25a4731941644a3677d4b72>.
Saturday, November 8th, is household hazardous waste collection day at the Torrington Water Pollution Control Facility at 252 Bogue Road in Harwinton. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. You must have a ticket to participate. Contact Karen at Town Hall at kodell@colebrooktownhall.org<mailto:kodell@colebrooktownhall.org>, or 860.379.3359, ext. 201. Please see the attached flyer to learn about accepted/non-accepted items.
At this week’s Colebrook Consolidated School (CCS) Board of Education meeting, the most recent standardized test scores were discussed. This past year, our students ranked first among Region 7 feeder schools for Math, English Language Arts and Science scores.
The CCS Class of 2028 is hosting its annual textile drive during October. They are collecting a variety of items to reuse, repurpose or recycle into other fibers. Check out this flyer<drive.google.com/file/d/1zWoqW6ZKpOLnPj7456YnvbqW7qsaLu1u/view> for collection dates and what can be donated.
At the September Board of Selectmen meeting, a Pisgah Mountain Road (PMR) Advisory Committee was formed to advise the board on PMR maintenance. During October, this committee will meet with the Northwest Conservation District (NCD) to discuss NCD observations and recommendations to help inform an ongoing roadway maintenance plan. At its September meeting, the Selectmen also discussed tabling a proposal to permanently close the road to motor vehicles, with current plans to reopen it in the spring.
Planning will kick off next week for the 2025 Colebrook Holiday Fair. If you’d like to volunteer, please contact Cathie Norton at ColebrookHolidayFair@gmail.com<mailto:ColebrookHolidayFair@gmail.com>, or 860.379.3359, ext. 205.
Upcoming events
On Saturday, October 4th, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Colebrook Consolidated School Fifth-Grade Class Pumpkin & Mum Sale will be held in the school parking lot. Pumpkins, mums, food, bake sale items and raffle tickets will be sold. Raffles will be drawn at 1 p.m. Proceeds benefit the 2027 Nature’s Classroom trip.
The Community & Senior Center is making flu vaccines available for those age 18 and older on Thursday, October 9th, from 9-11 a.m. This program is being offered through the Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Litchfield County. Insurance, including Medicare Part B, will be accepted.
On Friday, October 17th, the Colebrook Historical Society will host their final Friday Night Gathering of the season. Museum Educator, Annie O’Brien, will share the harrowing story of witches in colonial New England. Refreshments and mingling at 7 p.m. at the Historical Society, program at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall.
Camp Jewell will host its Halloween Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 25th, 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 with optional donations to fund scholarships for day camp students. No RSVP required.
On Sunday, October 26th, from 1-3 p.m. Pinney Stables (3 Pinney Street) and the Colebrook Rec Board invite you to join them for “Halloween on the Farm.” The event will include a Trunk or Treat, and costume contest.
Upcoming municipal board meetings
Pisgah Mountain Road Advisory Committee – Tuesday, October 14th, at 5:30 p.m. at Colebrook Town Hall (Second floor meeting room) Planning & Zoning – Tuesday, October 14th, at 6:30 p.m. at Colebrook Town Hall (Land Use Office). Board of Selectmen – Tuesday, October 14th, at 7 p.m. at Colebrook Town Hall (Second floor meeting room) Conservation Commission – Tuesday, October 14th, at 7 p.m. at Colebrook Town Hall (Selectmen’s meeting room)
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