Annual Reports of the Town of Greenfield, New Hampshire for The
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352.07 G81 1980 • I- A'-'-C., ,,s- ANNUAL REPORTS Greenfield, N.H. 1980 m ft V 1 Half of a lifetime dedicated to serving Greenfield George Francis Shea, Sr. 1904-1980 George, a lifetime resident of our town, served as a selectman for 39 consecutive years from March 1932 to March 1971. OUR COVER Courtesy of U.S. Windpower, Inc. Drawn by Carol S. Pitman of Crotched Mountain Foundation Annual Reports of the town of GREENFIELD New Hampshire for the year ending December 31, 1980 University of New Hampshire Library INDEX Animal Control Officer , Report of 66 Appropriation Under Article 2 15 Auditors Report 24 Balance Sheet 22 Budget 21 Comparative Statement of Appropriations and Expenditures 68 Conservation Commission 76 Detailed Statement of Payments 44 Fire Department , Report of 64 Health Officer , Report of 66 Library Trustees, Report of 74 Overseer of Public Y*'elf are, Report of 67 Planning Board , Report of 73 Police Department , Report of 65 Public Yforks Department , Report of 62 Revenue Sharing 24 Recreation Committee , Report of 63 Schedule of Town Property 22 Selectmen ' s Report 34 Summary of Inventory of Valuation 37 Summary of Payments 43 Tax Collector's Report 30 Town Building Debt , Report of 23 Town Clerk' s Report 25 Town Journal 6 Town Meeting, March 11, 1980 16 Town Officers 3 Town Treasurer ' s Report 38 Town Warrant 10 Trustees of Trust Funds , Report of 70 Vital Statistics 78 TOWN OFICERS fbDERATOR Peter Hopkins Term Expires 1982 SELECTMEN Paul F. Brooks, Chairman Term Expires 1981 Florence T. Merchant (app'ted upon resig. of S.Payne) Term Expires 1981 Edward L. Conley Term Expires 1983 Jane A. Kellogg, Secretary Estelle Merzi, Bookkeeper Town Clerk Anna M. Chute Term Expires 1982 Tax Collector Anna M. Chute Term Expires 1981 Town Treasurer Patricia E. Spiller Term Expires 1981 Library Trustees Betty Soule, Secretary Term Expires 1983 Pam Pierson, Treasurer Term Expires 1982 Adele Gagnon, Chairman Term Expires 1981 Cemetery Trustees George F. Russell Term Expires 1981 Meta G. Shea fepp'ted upon resig. of Doris Belcher) Term Expires 1981 Marjorie L. Aiken Term Expires 1983 Trustees of Trust Funds George F. Russell Term Expires 1981 Meta G. Shea (app'ted upon resig. of Doris Belcher) Term Expires 1981 Marjorie L. Aiken Term Expires 1983 Supervisors of the Checklist Patricia Spiller, Chairman Term Expires 1984 Winifred Russell (app'ted upon resig of R.Johnson) Term Expires 1981 Patricia McClusky Term Expires 1981 Ballot Inspectors Marjorie Aiken Gardner Glover Robert Geisel Diane Naylor Superintendent, Dept. of Public Works Bruce N. Gagnon Term Expires 1981 Chief of Police Expires 1983 Charles S. Burrage Term Police Officers (Appointed by Selectmen) Douglas Whiton, Sergeant Francis Magoon, Jr. Peter Hopkins, Sergeant Giffard Merchant Alfred Kelley James Conway Wyatt Fox II James Coke Alan Hooker Fire Chief 1981 James Conway Term Expires Fire Warden James Conway Deputy Fire Wardens (Appointed by Selectmen) Charles S. Burrage Robert Atkinson Charles D. Burrage Peter Hopkins Giffard Merchant 0/erseer of the public welfare 1981 Diane A. Naylor Term Expires Animal Control Officer Ann Conley Board of Health Paul F. Brooks Florence T. Merchant Edward L. Conley Health Officer Ann Conley Librarian Rebecca Dreese Civil Defense Peter Hopkins, Director Charles S. Burrage Custodian Gardner Glover Planning Board Dorothy Drake Term Expires 1981 Richard Force Term Expires 1981 Jarvis M. Adams III Term Expires 1982 Julie Hopkins Term Expires 1982 Frank Dierauf , Jr , Chairman Term . Expires 1983 David R. Weir Term Expires 1983 William Sullivan, Alternate Member Judd Gregg, Alternate Member Curt Howard, Alternate Member Paul F. Brooks, Selectman Board of Adjustment Cynthia S. Martell Term Expires 1981 Jarvis M. Adams II Term Expires 1982 William Roots Term Expires 1983 Chester C. Soule, Jr, Chairman Term Expires 1984 Chester Russell Term Expires 1985 Budget Advisory Committee Robert Geisel, Chairman Term Expires 1981 Velma Stone (app'ted upon resig. of R. Johnson) Term Expires 1981 Maurice Lagace Term Expires 1981 Donald Ross Term Expires 1981 Louise Russell Term Expires 1981 Harvey Joslin Term Expires 1981 Conservation Commission Julie Dierauf Term Expires 1981 Robert Geisel Term Expires 1981 Robert Smith, Chairman Term Expires 1982 William Roots (app'ted upon resig. of G. Rainier) Term Expires 1982 David R. Weir, Jr. Term Expires 1983 Cynthia Martell, Clerk Term Expires 1983 Recreation Committee Jackie Weeks, Co-Chairman Diane Naylor, Treasurer Brenda Joslin, Co-Chairman Jackie Weeks, Secretary Auditors Deanna Atkinson Richard Steensma TOWN JOURNAL Greenfield enters its 190th year of life a peaceable haven in a strident world. Nineteen eighty was marked by events political and technological which made this a year to remember. Over it all, affecting our lives and our tempers, hung a pall of anxiety over our hostages in Iran. The year opened cold, but with virtually no snow. Nearby ski-runs suffered loss of business, and we missed the winter fun we'd come to ex- pect. Still, with fuel prices rising we had cause to be grateful for the mildest winter in years. Activity continued. Jr. High Youth Fellowship members, guided by indefatigable Patricia Rainier, met with their counterparts from other towns in a rally at the Weare Conference Center. Appetites received rare treats at the Woman's Club annual International Luncheon. Our church was crowded to the doors as Rev. Alex Dreese was formally ordained, with many of his fellow ministers taking part. The ceremony was followed by a reception hosted by the Woman's Fellowship, and later by a surprise party for Rev. Dreese at the parsonage staged by the Jr. High Youth Fellowship. Early February brought more cold, but still no snow. With the presidential primaries upon us, politics were the order of the day as candidates sought our votes and braved our cold. At month's end it was Reagan and Carter who took Greenfield and the state. Zoning ordinances proposed by the Planning Board, disposition of revenue sharing funds and what to do about the fire house roof appeared as issues in the caning town meeting. Word came that Selectman Wally Stone sought retirement. Following preliminary hearings, town meeting was quiet, with only one article out of 32 rejected. The meeting ended with a hearty round of applause for retiring Selectman Wally Stone. As Easter approached spring seemed slow in coming. We had adapted 6 . to re-cycling of rubbish, although minor confusions remained. Maundy Thursday services were followed by a grand casserole supper served by the Woman's Fellowship. Easter services glowed with especially fine music, including a flute solo by Venette V.'inslow and the choir in magnificent voice Resignation of Stephen Payne as Selectman for health reasons left a vacancy, soon to be ably filled with the appointment of Florence Merchant. Recreation Committee registration for Little and Pee-¥ee Leagues brought many applicants, and a first game was scheduled with Francestown. Early Ilay gave a hint of summer. The Woman's Club at its annual meeting announced plans to replace the Meeting House basement ceiling with a new one. A new baptismal font was dedicated to the memory of Rev. Daniel Suokko, a gift of his friends and relatives. John Brodie took 4th graders to visit the famed Gardner Museum of Fine Arts . Green- field 's school Chess Club played host to 42 participants in the state championships More tlian 500 antique cars displayed their splendor at Crotched Mt. Rehabilitation Center, as crowds came to enjoy a vast exhibit, complete with flea market, chicken barbecue and day-long entertainment. As always it was great to see these proud beauties trundling through town. The Fourth of July brought our second annual Country Fair at the school recreation field, with a parade and games and races; also booths selling gifts and collectibles. Jigsaw puzzles picturing the Greenfield Meeting House were popular sellers. The day ended with a ham and bean supper in that very building. The town beach at Sunset Lake had a wondrous face-lifting, thanks to a generous gift of land by the Fred Coville family and entirely voluntary hard work by Bruce Gagnon, Richard Weston, Paul Ebert, Gregg Campbell, Moe Belmore and Dan and Ron Sullivan, plus donations of equipment and materials by Sullivan Paving, Roscoe Putnam and the Merzi family. Result: an enlarged beach, a great improvement , and a fine example of civic . generosity Late July brought sad news of the death of Wally Stone, so lately our two-term Selectman and possibly the most beloved man in Town. Memorial services for him were crowded and emotional, with many speaking from the heart of his service to Greenfield and to mankind. We learn that our population, by census count, is 958, and that we have 415 homes With the foliage ablaze, the Woman's Club Harvest Fair, October 4th, was never better. Sales were brisk at booths featuring handcrafts, paint- ings, books and baked goodies, while the Farmers' Market sold the excess crops of many gardens. Proceeds, as always, go toward a major community project. Elections November 4 saw us making up our minds at last, bringing victories for Ronald Reagan, the Republicans and, closest to home, to Greenfield's own Judd Gregg as'representative to Congress. Whether on the winning or losing side, most of us felt pride. Death took another well-loved citizen on November 18. George Shea, a life-long resident and a Selectman of Greenfield for 39 years, left us at age 76. He will be long remembered for his wisdom, common sense and much-respected service to the Town. Suddenly, it seemed, we were seeing into the 21st century, as twenty 40-foot windmills recently erected on Crotched Mountain's western slope began to spin.