Thetford Town Newsletter
No.
56 OCTOBER 2008
SELECTBOARD UPDATE
Earlier in the summer, the Selectboard passed a
revised version of the Flood Hazard Area
Zoning Bylaw, putting the Town in compliance with federal standards
required for certain insurance and home financing options. The new bylaw -
which went into effect on August 5th - was the product of ten months of work by
Thetford's Planning Commission. The Selectboard heartily thanks those dedicated
individuals who each spent dozens of hours crafting the policy.
At the end of June, the State sent us notification
that our next Homestead Education Tax
Rate will be $1.5398 for every $100 of appraised property value. All
property taxes are due on October 15, 2008. Please call Tax Collector Jill
Graff at town hall if you have any questions.
Given the impending budget shortfalls we are already seeing in our 2008 finances - due
almost entirely to unavoidable fuel and winter road costs - the board reviewed
mid-year spending across departments. Several small areas were identified as
places where we could realize potential
savings. Larger short-term savings were won by deferring some paving
projects. In total, most of the projected deficit was avoided with these
measures.
The Town has several committee openings, giving opportunity for Thetford residents to
more actively participate in specific facets of local policy making.
The Budget
Committee has two openings available coming into the beginning of the 2009
budgeting season. This group helps set spending priorities and does not
necessarily require a significant financial or math background. The committee
is looking for a broad representation of townspeople.
And the Planning
Commission now has an opening, as the group continues in its efforts to
revise the Town's zoning bylaws.
The Selectboard
will be appointing a citizen to fill Suzanne Masland’s seat on the Selectboard,
as she had to resign due to work schedule conflicts. People interested in
putting their names forward or learning more about Selectboard duties should
contact Mike Brown by phone (785-4536) or email (michael.j.brown@valley.net).
As always, the Selectboard welcomes input during our
public comment sessions (typically 7 p.m. each Monday evening at Town Hall),
and also reads email addressed to selectboard@thetfordvermont.us.
Submitted by
Tig Tillinghast
TOWN CLERK NOTES
General Election
Information:
Voter Registration deadline
October 29, 5pm
Absentee Ballots: Request at the Town Clerk’s Office
Or by phone 785-2922
General Election Voting: November 4, 2008
At Town Hall,
Polls open 8 am to 7pm
TOWN TREASURER NOTES
Property taxes are due 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, October 15, 2008.
Postmarks are NOT accepted and an 8% penalty is due on any tax payment that is
not in the Treasurer’s Office by 5:00 P.M. on the 15th.
THETFORD RECREATION
DEPARTMENT
New Wall Crawlers program
For ages 12 and up: Join the
Thetford Wall Crawlers on Tuesdays from 4:30-6 PM at The Wall in Quechee. Learn
how to rock climb at practice every week for a 10 week session beginning Oct 6.
$85 fee includes shoe & harness rental ($60 if you have your own shoes
& harness), t-shirt, free wall climbing during the length of the session,
10% off equipment and a pizza party at the end of the session. Coaches are
needed and get benefits too! No experience necessary.
For ages 5-11: Join the Junior Climbing Club on Mondays from
4-5:30 at The Wall in Quechee. For
younger climbers who want to “learn the ropes”. $35 fee includes shoe &
harness rental. This is a monthly fee, you may participate in as few
or as many months as you choose.
A FREE basketball league, Athletes United, run by
Adult pick-up soccer will be on-going through the fall (Sundays 1-3 PM at Howard's field in
Look for a cooking class
series and a babysitting class this fall!
Contact Recreation Coordinator Hilary Linehan for
further information or to sign up for any programs.
802-785-2922 ext 6.
THETFORD ENERGY COMMITTEE
To increase the efficiency of
your home heating systems, get your boiler and/or furnace tuned up, change your
air filters, and vacuum your hot water fins.
Submitted by Alice Stewart
Thetford Energy Committee
POETRY READING GROUP
Poetry Reading Group to meet
twice monthly at Peabody Library.
Call Lynda Day Martin @
802-785-2143 or write her at greenlyndalee@earthlink.net for details.
Times to be announced.
Submitted by Lynda Day Martin
TEN – THETFORD ELDER NETWORK
The Thetford Elder Network (T.E.N.)
is compiling a list of elders in the community to contact to invite to our
monthly Community Meal on the 4th Tuesday @ 11:30am at the
If you know of any older folks who would like to come please
contact us so we can give them a personal invite and help arrange for
transportation.
There will be a short
entertaining program at each meal as well.
Submitted by Gina Sonne 785-4220
10th Annual FOLIAGE
FIVE – October 12th
The 10th Annual Foliage Five road race will be held on
Sunday, October 12th at the Union Village Dam.
The five-mile race begins and
ends at the top of the dam, and the course is completely closed to
traffic. Run at the
Prizes for the top finishers
in six age categories.
All proceeds from the race
benefit the Thetford Volunteer Fire Department.
For more information, go to www.foliagefive.com, or call Charlie Buttrey at 785-4005.
TA NOTES
*
*October 25 offers second
opportunity to help at the races. The Vermont
Cross Country Championships will be held on our trail that day, and once
again volunteer support from members of our community is vital to the day’s
success. Contact David McGinn 785-4805
x241 to volunteer.
*TA alumnus and photographer
Chris McKinstrey, Class of 1976, will be showing “The Invisible Workers of Railroading”, an exhibit of color
photographs, at
*TA Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 7:00pm. The
meeting will be held in the TA Library and the public is invited to attend.
Submitted by Wendy Cole
HARVEST SUPPER
The
The
supper will feature succulent baked ham, Pete Estes' baked beans, red flannel
hash, squash, rolls and a slice of either apple or pumpkin pie.
The
supper is served family style for
the amazing price of only $9.00 with children under 12 at $4.00. Hope you will
join in this annual event!
For information call Barbara Condict 333-9803
LET’S DANCE THETFORD CENTER!
2nd and 4th Fridays 7:30
-9:30
Rices Mills Community Center, Donation $3 - $5
Bring Water to drink, clean shoes, cd's
Submitted by Gina Sonne 785-4220
The deadline for submissions
is the 20th of each month.
Send news including contact
name and telephone number to Cathee Clement at 785-2668 or turtlepond@netzero.net.
Please list Thetford Town
Newsletter in the subject line.