September 29, 2011
Building Committee Formed
The Board of Selectmen has completed the process of interviewing and selecting members for the recently created building committee to oversee the renovation of the middle school. There were a number of extremely well qualified candidates which led to some tough decisions. Ultimately, I believe the board selected a diverse group of people who will serve us well throughout this project.
The building committee is charged with overseeing the entire process involved in the renovation project. While all the details still have to be worked out, the spaces involved will be renovated so that we can foster a positive learning environment for the students. A portion of the project would also be the inclusion of community spaces including areas dedicated towards seniors. This is extremely important as the current senior center is simply not meeting the needs of our senior citizens.
The project the committee is about to embark on is a long one. They must gather specifications, develop a budget, hire an architect, and submit the overall proposal to the town at a referendum. If the town approves, the process continues by applying to the state for reimbursement for some of the project and ultimately construction.
I’m looking forward to working with the building committee which is scheduled to kick-off next week. It’s an exciting project which will ultimately help the middle school and the whole community.
57 Fest A Success
Fortunately, the rain held off this past weekend and we were able to get in a great 57 Fest capped off with a tremendous fireworks display. The fest celebrates all that we love about Colchester and reinforces the strong sense of community that we’ve been able to build here.
A lot of effort goes into making this annual festival happen. I want to thank the entire Parks and Recreation department for a great job putting the event together. I would also like to single out Greg Plunkett and Anita Pizzutiello for their hard work and dedication in making this a great event.
As usual, the Colchester Police and Colchester-Hayward Fire Department were on hand to make sure everyone stayed safe and to monitor the fireworks display. A big thank you to them as well for making sure everyone went home ok.
This event would not be possible if it were not for our great sponsors. I want to thank all the businesses that contributed to make this event happen. Our business community has been a consistent supporter of town functions and I hope everyone returns the favor by shopping Colchester first!
Finally, thanks to all the organization that hosted a booth or ran a game. Without your support, none of this could have happened.
- Gregg Schuster
First Selectman
Previous Selectman Notes can be viewed at
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