Greetings from Colebrook Town Hall.
Due to the Labor Day holiday this week, trash pickup is delayed one day. Today’s pickup will be tomorrow, and tomorrow’s pickup will be on Saturday.
We dodged rainy weather this past weekend with what turned out to be a perfect day for the 81st annual Colebrook Fair. More than 30 vendors lined the Green and the bordering area on Smith Hill Road. Great music and delicious food were plentiful. Cheerful golf cart drivers delivered everyone where they needed to go.
At the pet show and frog jumping contest, sponsored by the Colebrook Associates, our judges awarded first place ribbons to nine dogs. Our iconic frog jump featured 59 entries, with prizes for the longest and shortest jumps in both the small and large frog categories.
A highlight of this year’s Fair was once again the Colebrook “Cow Plop” hosted by Pinney Stables, which proved to be a successful fundraiser for our Rec Board.
New to the Fair were children’s games created by Paul Kamin and staffed by volunteers from Camp Jewell.
The dunk tank raised $400 for Colebrook Consolidated School’s Nature’s Classroom initiative. Thank you to CCS Principal Will Wesley and Coach Ryan Farrell for taking the plunge.
At the Car Show, 100 entries vied for the Best-in-Show, People’s Choice, and Selectmen’s awards. The Selectmen’s prize this year went to a 1958 Jeep Willys wagon, that included a 1950s-era camping display.
The Colebrook Community & Senior Center auctioned off 79 baskets and gift cards, and combined with meals and pie proceeds, raised nearly $5,000, $1,500 more than last year. These funds will directly support programming at the Center. Thank you to all who supported this effort by donating raffle prizes, pies, and kitchen supplies, and for patronizing this event.
A new exhibit of historical artifacts at the Colebrook Historical Society drew a steady stream of visitors throughout the day—as did the Rock School House.
Another highlight of the day was a very impressive vehicle extrication demonstration conducted by the Colebrook Fire Department. Our extrication equipment is currently housed at the Forge Firehouse. A goal is to purchase a second set for the Center House to provide more timely coverage across town.
Fair day concluded at the Town Pond with a large, enthusiastic crowd sharing in the excitement of our annual Cardboard Regatta. This year’s race featured 13 boats.
With our 81st Fair in the books, thank you to our many tireless volunteers who keep this important tradition alive, and help to ensure its success!
During August, an underground water leak was discovered in the courtyard between Town Hall and Route 183. Yesterday, our Public Works team put our new mini-excavator to good use as they searched for and identified the source of the leak. It turned out to be in a water line buried in the late-1990s between Town Hall and the Post Office, which was repaired with the assistance of one of our plumbing contractors.
The town will begin accepting applications for energy assistance beginning Tuesday, September 15th. Please contact Karen Odell at 860.379.3359, ext. 201, or at kodell@colebrooktownhall.org.
Upcoming events
On Friday, September 25th, the Colebrook Historical Society will host its final Friday Night Gathering for 2026. The topic will be the Hartford Circus Fire. In 1944, one of the worst fire disasters in American history occurred in Hartford, Connecticut. This presentation by the Connecticut Museum of Culture & History will use photos and artifacts from their collection to help tell the stories of that day. Learn more at the attached flyer.
Upcoming meetings
Planning & Zoning – Monday, September 14th, at 6:30 p.m. at Colebrook Town Hall
Board of Selectmen – Monday, September 14th, at 7 p.m. at Colebrook Town Hall
Inland Wetlands – Tuesday, September 15th, at 6:30 p.m. at Colebrook Town Hall
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at bbremer@colebrooktownhall.org, or call me at 860.379.3359, extension 202.
Cordially,
Brad
Brad Bremer
Colebrook First Selectman
860.379.3359 ext. 202
