In an effort to reach a wider audience, the town of Chesterfield recently switched to a new emergency and information notification system that will allow residents to receive important communications through a variety of venues.
The new CodeRED system, which came online Oct. 20, replaces the town’s decade-long Blackboard Connect system.
“This is a phone outreach system that people often call reverse 911,” said Chesterfield Town Administrator Sue Labrie. “But this one will allow us to use land lines and cell phones as well as text messages, emails, and social media like Facebook and Twitter. We figured we could reach a younger and wider audience this way.”
Larry Holmberg, emergency management director for Chesterfield and Goshen, said that the town had been reviewing emergency notification services and decided to go with CodeRED because of its outreach capabilities and pricing.
“We had also received positive feedback on the system from other communities in Hampshire County,” Holmberg said.
According to Labrie, the new system will cost the town $1,000 a year, which is $300 less than the previous Blackboard Connect system.
Labrie also said that because Chesterfield and Goshen fall under the same emergency services region, they share the cost of the notification system.
Due to a difference contractual start up dates, Goshen has been using the system for several months.
“It has been used successfully in Goshen and the feedback we have gotten so far has been good,” Holmberg said.
He said the only “glitch in the system” has been that a very small amount of telephone numbers did not transfer over to the new system.
“Loosing even one number is critical in my point of view, and we are working on that,” Holmberg said.
Residents can call the town offices to make sure they are in the new system, or to request that their information be added. People who are not signed up can also use the public CodeRed portal on the town’s website to do so.
“It is extremely user-friendly, that was one of the big draws for us when we made the switch,” Holmberg said.
Holmberg also noted that residents have an option to choose the types of notifications they wish to receive, be that all notifications put out by the town or strictly emergency information.
The Williamsburg Facilities Master Plan Committee is distributing an important survey to all residents that will help shape the future of town buildings and services.
The committee says that information gathered from the survey will help them make decisions regarding where to locate town facilities and how to proceed with the town’s master plan.
The survey questions cover a wide range of topics including the potential uses of town resources; the needs for economic development; walk-ability and recreation needs; the use of town buildings; municipal and senior services and taxes.
The town is hoping to get as many people to complete the 10-minute survey as possible. Individual survey responses will be kept confidential.
Residents who add their contact information will be entered into a raffle for items donated by local businesses.
The survey is available at the Town Office and the Senior Center, both located at 141 Main Street; Meekins Library, at 2 Williams St., or by calling Town Administrator Charlene Nardi at 268-8402 or email: townadmin@burgy.org
The survey can also be accessed online at: www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3039647/Williamsburg
This Sunday, the public is invited to a celebration honoring the designation and marking Plainfield Center Historic District.
The district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places earlier this year and four official road signs went up this week to demarcate the area.
According to Dario Coletta, vice president of the Plainfield Historical Society, this represents the “culmination of a decades long process and countless hours of research by the Plainfield Historical Society and the Plainfield Historic Commission.”
Between 1 and 3 p.m. people are invited to meet at the Shaw Hudson house to participate in walking all or any of the district boundary. Then, from 3 to 4 p.m. the Historical Society will serve cider and doughnuts, with members and other residents on hand to share their knowledge on the town’s historic district.
Ideas for this column on life in the hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at: Fryan.gazette@gmail.com