Following are the Community Calendar listings for today in New Hartford, CT:

Wednesday, March 10, 2010:

• New Hartford Municipal Offices Change in Hours of Operation:Please note the change in the hours of operation of Town Hall offices: Municipal offices open at 8:00 a.m. (Tax Collector at 9:00 a.m.) and close at 4:00 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and close at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. They are on Fridays from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. noon.
• New Hartford Senior Center: Fitness: at 9 a.m.($2.50 per class, includes a fitness card which is stamped for every class attended); Wii Bowling at 10:00 a.m.; Annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner at 5:00 p.m. with live entertainment by Tommy O’Stankus. For more information please call Jean Barnicoat at 860-379-3980 between 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays.
• Early Literacy Program: Phonological Awareness: at 9:15 a.m. at the Beekley Library, 10 Central Avenue, New Hartford. For more information please call the library at 860-379-7235.
• Children’s Story Time for 2-year-olds at the Beekley Library: at 10:15 a.m. at the Beekley Library, 10 Central Avenue, New Hartford. For more information please call Andrea Gaedeke at the library at 379-7235.
• Northwestern Regional #7 Board of Ed Meeting at 6:00 p.m. at Regional #7 School, 100 Battistoni Drive, Winsted. For the agenda for this meeting please see our Community Calendar.
• Planning and Zoning Meeting: at 7:00 p.m. in the Sessions Conference Room at the Town Hall, 530 Main Street, New Hartford. For the agenda for this meeting please see our Community Calendar.
• Wednesday Night Drop-In Pick-Up Co-Ed Volleyball: at 7:00 p.m. through 9:00 p.m. in the gym at Ann Antolini School, Antolini Drive, New Hartford. Every week except when school is closed; adults and high-school aged only please.
• Are you hiring?: Please send us the details and we’ll list the job for free: We have many visitors to our Classifieds looking for work! Check out our Classifieds section. We add free ads to this section as they are submitted to us.
• Should your event be listed here and you don’t see it? Please email us the info. and we’ll add it! Send to newhartfordplus@gmail.com and write Calendar in the subject line.

…NHGrapevine…

“We’re looking at a benefits assessment approach versus a user approach.”

Bill Michaud informed the Board of Finance members at their meeting last night. This would allow the WPCA to charge the approximately 79 abutting users of existing sewer lines for the benefit of having the lines available, even though they haven’t yet connected to those lines. See our upcoming report on the WPCA meeting where this benefits assessment approach was discussed.

Contribute to the …NHGrapevine… Let us know what you’ve heard - or seen - in town and we’ll add it to this listing, and also add it to the …NHGrapevine.. section. So let’s hear what you’re hearing around town…

A late winter image taken this past Sunday, March 7 on Town Hill. Photo: Debra Lindell

Tax Sale Warrants Issued to 8 Delinquent Taxpayers

In response to our follow-up on the tax sale warrants that were to be issued by the town’s Tax Collector, Linda Sheffield, we received the following email from Linda:

“The Tax Collector sent out approximately 20 demands in February. Some of those individuals responded to the demand and are making an effort to bring their balances current. On March 3rd, 8 Alias Tax Warrants were issued to Marshal Art Quinn. These individuals have the opportunity to pay their outstanding balance plus fees to the Marshal to avoid having their property included in the upcoming Tax Sale on June 9th or 16th.

A second sale will be scheduled during the next fiscal year for parcels which were not assigned to the Marshal at this time or for any individuals who do not make regular payments toward their outstanding balance.”

For more information: About the tax sale to be held on June 9 or for contact information for Marshall Quinn, please contact the Tax Collector’s Office at 860-379-5795.

Many Thanks: To Linda Sheffield for providing us with the above update.

Free Dental Clinic Scheduled In Middletown

The CT Mission of Mercy will be holding a free dental care clinic in Middletown this coming Friday and Saturday, March 12 and 13. The clinic will be held at the Aetna Building in Middletown.

The organizers project that about 1,500 individuals, including hygienists, dentists and oral surgeons will volunteer at the clinic.  They will be providing services to about 2,000 adults and children in need of dental care. The types of services provided include: general health screenings, dental screenings, cleanings, fillings, X-rays, oral surgery, root canals and tooth removal.  There are no eligibility or income requirements and no appointments are necessary: care will be provided to children and adults on a first-come, first-served basis.

This will be the third annual free dental clinic by the CT Mission of Mercy which is organized by the CT State Dental Association.  The first Mission of Mercy took place on April 12-13 in Tolland in 2008. Approximately 1,100 patients were seen, and $500,000 worth of dental care was provided. CTMOM 2009 returned on April 17-18 at the New Haven Public Field House (480 Sherman Pkwy) New Haven.  Approximately 1,800 patients were treated, and $750,000 worth of dental care was provided.

When and Where: This FREE dental care clinic will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 13 at the Aetna Building, Industrial Park Road, Middletown.

For more information: For Patients and Volunteers, please visit the CTMOM section of the CT State Dental Association website, or call 866-539-9372.

Many Thanks: To Dr. Bill Rieger who will be volunteering his services at the CT Mission of Mercy free dental clinic this coming Friday and Saturday.   For more information on Dr. Rieger’s dental practice which specializes in preventive and restorative dentistry, please call his office at 860-379-0757, or stop by his office at 536 Main Street in New Hartford, next door to the Town Hall.  Addendum: We were informed by Dr. Rieger’s office that he will not be able to participate in the free clinic since he will be attending the Board of Finance workshop scheduled for Saturday morning, as a volunteer of course!

A photo of the CT Mission of Mercy free clinic held in New Haven in 2009. Photo from the CT State Dental Association website.

Following are the Community Calendar listings for today in New Hartford, CT:

Tuesday,March 9, 2010:

• New Hartford Municipal Offices Change in Hours of Operation:Town Hall hours are now as follows: Offices open at 8:00 a.m. (Tax Collector at 9:00 a.m.) and close at 4:00 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and close at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. They are open on Fridays from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. noon.
• Early Literacy Program: Phonological Awareness: at 9:15 a.m. at the Beekley Library, 10 Central Avenue, New Hartford. Please note: Registration for the Comprehension Session beginning on March 30 is now underway. To register for the new session or for more information about this Early Literacy Program please call the library at 860-379-7235.
• Bakerville Library Story Time for 3 to 5 year-olds: at 10:15 a.m. Bakerville Library, 6 Maple Hollow Road, New Hartford. For more information about the library please visit the Bakerville Library website.
• New Hartford Senior Center activities: at Senior Center, Town Hall, 530 Main St., New Hartford. Activities: Fitness at 10:45 a.m. ($2.50 per person, per class, includes a fitness card which is stamped for every class attended); Crafts: at 1:00 p.m.; Cribbage ‘n cards at 1:00 p.m. Reminder to register for St. Patrick’s Day Dinner:Please be sure to register for the St. Patrick’s Day Dinner being held tomorrow, Wednesday, March 10. For more information please call Jean Barnicoat at 860-379-3980 between 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays.
• CANCELLED: Board of Selectmen Meeting at 5:30 p.m: Meeting has been rescheduled to Thursday, March 11. For the agenda for this meeting, please see our Community Calendar.
• Board of Finance Meeting: at 7:00 p.m. in the Sessions Conference Room at the Town Hall. Please Note: The New Hartford Schools Superintendent Dr. Philip O’Reilly will be presenting the schools’ budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. For the agenda for this meeting, please see our Community Calendar.
• Apartment hunting?: Check out our Classifieds section. Have an apartment available to rent? Send us the information and we’ll list it for you for FREE. We add listings as they’re submitted or as we become aware of them.
• We continuously update this daily Community Calendar as we come across more events of interest to our readers. If you know of an event that you think should be listed here but don’t see it, please share it with our community: email us the info. at newhartfordplus@gmail.com and write Calendar in the subject line.

Our Community Calendar section provides additional information about the events listed above and information on past, current and future events - a permanent record of events in New Hartford. Also check out our Community Bulletin Board where you can see flyers on events happening around town, and where we have listed information on local non-profit groups..

…NHGrapevine…

“Although the Town Government budget is a relatively small part of the town’s total budget ~ approximately 23% ~ it is an important part of the overall budget because it provides the essential services all residents use such as public safety, highways, libraries and of course, the services provided by municipal offices.”

Our reporter wrote yesterday in her town budget update Town Government: Zero Is Not A Pretty Scenario.

Contribute to the …NHGrapevine… Let us know what you’ve heard - or seen - in town and we’ll add it to this listing, and also add it to the …NHGrapevine.. section. So let’s hear what you’re hearing around town…

Bob Moore looking out onto West Hill Pond in April 2009. Photo from NewHartfordPlus archives

By: Maria Moore

Although the Town Government budget is a relatively small part of the town’s total budget ~ approximately 23% of the current year’s budget went to the Town Government budget while approximately 73% went to the education budgets of the New Hartford elementary schools and Regional # 7 middle and high schools ~ it is an important part of the overall budget because it provides the essential services all residents use such as public safety, highways, libraries and of course, the services provided by municipal offices.  We have covered extensively the budget process at both New Hartford Schools and at Northwestern Regional #7 but no information has been made public on the town’s government budget.  So this past Friday afternoon, seeing the First Selectman’s vehicle parked outside Town Hall, our reporter stopped inside to ask how the Town Government budget was coming along.

At a few minutes to 4, the First Selectman’s Office was full of activity: First Selectman Dan Jerram was in his office, Christine Hayward, his Administrative Assistant was at her workstation and Selectman Bruce Gresczyk, now a familiar sight in that office, was sitting in the small reception area.  Christine passed on our reporter’s request to Dan to talk about his budget and Dan did just that, on the spot.

Dan said that he was nearing completion of a tentative budget which he has been working on, together with Bruce and Christine.  Keeping in mind the Board of Finance’s request for a 0% increase, he said the budget he is putting together shows all the cuts that would be required to keep the budget at 0%.  ”To get to zero would require a budget that would make cuts to every part-time position at Town Hall, that would cut a constable, and would effect other services such as the town libraries, the ambulance service and others. That’s probably not in the best interest of the town.” Dan said. “There would be too many jobs lost.” Dan said he will outline that 0% increase budget to the Board of Finance members, and then he will also outline a more tempered budget, one that will still preserve services and will make an investment in the town infrastructure. He gave as an example, the Highway Department’s sand and salt account that has been funded at $50,000 for a number of years, and which every year has had to be supplemented from other accounts.  ”You can keep on doing that, or you can adequately fund it.”  He said.  He also mentioned the chip and seal account and the legal services account, both of which had been drawn down considerably by the previous administration and which will have to be replenished to a sufficient level.

Dan said he still has to meet with Tom (Klebart, Minority Selectman) to get his ideas and the selectmen have to agree on the budget to present.   Thus, he was unwilling to talk about any specific percentage increase in the Town Government account.

Our reporter asked Dan whether he’d seen the same big jump in health care costs at Town Hall as the two Boards of Ed had seen.  He answered that because the town’s health insurance policy begins on July 1, the agent had only been able to give them a range of 20%-25% increase for the coming year.  ”We’re figuring in a 22 1/2% increase in health care.” Dan confirmed.  Also, with the State budget in crisis, he said it’s likely that State money will also be reduced.

“It’s a very uncomfortable time.  Everyone is being required to do more with less.” Dan said.   With this in mind, he will be presenting the 0% budget to the Board of Finance in terms of what will be lost at zero. He will then ask them to reconsider their position and change it to something more appropriate. And, as Dan reminded our reporter, there is still one more month left to the budget process.

The Board of Selectmen meeting: Scheduled for Tuesday, March 9 has been cancelled and has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 11.

The selectmen will present the Town Government budget: To the Board of Finance at their Budget Workshop scheduled for this coming Saturday, March 13.

The First Selectman's vehicle parked outside Town Hall. Photo: Maria Moore

We received this Letter to the Editor at 5:56 a.m. this morning, Monday, March 8:

Dear Maria and fellow townspeople,

Throughout the school year our children are being recognized with P.A.W.S. standing for Personal Best, Act Responsibly, Work and Play Safely, and Show Respect.

I wish I could give some of these P.A.W.S. out to the adults and leaders of our town, perhaps if I reassign the letters I can.

Personal agenda: goes to all sides of the education negotiating process. Why is it all or nothing? Why can’t all parties involved, superintendant, teachers, other bargaining units, etc. meet somewhere in the middle? If everyone “could give a little” as our First Selectman stated at the last BOE meeting this whole mess would be non-existant. Teachers wouldn’t lose their jobs, our children’s class sizes could stay the same (a better learning and working environment), the teachers could still get some pay increase, just not the whole 6% or give up some of the benefits, then we wouldn’t have to waste money on unemployment and legal fees. Please, give up the all or nothing approach, no one wins that scenario, not in the short or long term.

Awful situation: goes to this annual budget process, which will not get any better in the future if we don’t change our thinking. The leaders of our town have to come up with another approach to raise revenue. Relying on the individual taxpayer and state funding is a passive approach. Leaders need to be proactive, immediately to bring in additional businesses that complement our towns’ vision and bring in desperately needed tax dollars. Not to mention justify the WWTP we are paying for.

Working randomly: goes to the BOF. Both the teachers contract and the WWTP were agreed to by the tax payers when they were proposed. I realize and appreciate your desire to have a 0% increase in all areas, but why ask the BOE for a 0% increase and on the other hand say the WWTP costs are outside the budget? They are both commitments we collectively made as a town. A little wiggle room to keep class sizes down is all I ask.

Share the responsibility: we are all to blame for this current situation, for too long many of us (myself included) have trusted our elected town officials to do what is right for us. We the tax payer have been busy doing our jobs, raising our kids, and all the other things we do when times are good. We assume our elected and paid officials are doing their jobs of representing us properly. In a better economy the majority of people avoid town politics and choose to ignore the little annoyances, but now our children’s education is being impacted, we can’t bury our heads anymore. This BOE budget issue went unrecognized by many last year, but woke us up this time around and unwillingly got us involved in this process.

Instead of the P.A.W.S. I just assigned to the adults of our town, I’d like to see each of us step up and earn the P.A.W.S. we ask our children to earn daily at school and at home. What happened in the past is done… we can learn from past experiences, apply what we learned and move forward wiser, kinder and more productively. Let’s all do our personal best and see what we can get accomplished.

Hopefully,
Maria Watkins

Maria Watkins is a resident of New Hartford with children in the New Hartford schools

A detail of the little school house at the entrance of the Ann Antolini School. Photo: Maria Moore

Monday, March 8, 2010:

• New Hartford Senior Center activities: at Senior Center, Town Hall, 530 Main St., New Hartford. Activities: Fitness at 9:00 a.m. ($2.50 per class, includes a fitness card which is stamped for every class attended); Coffee at 10:00 a.m. For more information please call Jean Barnicoat at 860-379-3980 between 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays.
• CANCELLED: Economic Development Commission Meeting: Meeting has been rescheduled to March 29.
• Car For Sale: Check out the new listing in our Classifieds section. Do you have a a vehicle for sale? Let us know and we’ll list it for FREE in our Classifieds.
• Do you know of an event that should be listed here and you don’t see it? Please email us the info. and we’ll add it! Send to newhartfordplus@gmail.com and write ‘Calendar’ in the subject line.

Our Community Calendar section provides additional information about the events listed above and information on past, current and future events - a permanent record of events in New Hartford. Also check out our new Community Bulletin Board where you can see posters and information on local groups and events.

…NHGrapevine…

“I’ve prepared a budget to show what a zero (percent increase) would do.”

First Selectman Dan Jerram said of the Town Government budget that he will be going over with the Board of Finance at their meeting tomorrow, March 9.

Addendum: Dan pointed out to our editor this afternoon that he will be presenting the budget to the Board of Finance at their Saturday morning workshop this coming Saturday, March 13 and not at tomorrow’s Board of Finance meeting.

Contribute to the …NHGrapevine… Let us know what you’ve heard ~ or seen ~ in town and we’ll add it to this listing, and also add it to the …NHGrapevine.. section. So let’s hear what you’re hearing around town…

An image of Ski Sundown taken yesterday, Sunday, March 7 on a spring ride to the Barkamsted Reservoir. Photo: Elaine Santoro