CARTHAGE – Residents voted at Monday’s annual town meeting to look into acquiring the former Webb River Grange Hall.
More than 40 people crammed into a classroom of the town building to act on 39 articles. It was the first time in many years that the annual event wasn’t held at the Grange hall. Nor was the meeting preceded by the usual spaghetti supper served by grangers.
With dwindling membership, Grange members voted themselves out of business last summer, and the 100-year-old hall now stands empty. It just recently went on the market.
“That hall is a piece of history,” said former granger Jim McGill.
The hall had served as a cheese factory in adjacent Weld for a number of years before it was moved a section at a time to the Berry Mills area of Carthage in 1904.
Besides its historical value, the hall has been supported by the town and has served as a central meeting place. The long, narrow, two-story building sits on a 75-by-100-foot lot. Its well and sewerage field are on land owned by the town.
With the residents’ approval, selectmen will now look into the cost of buying the building, and any required maintenance, said First Selectman Stephen Brown.
The asking price is $39,000, but Brown believes the town could buy it for less.
Selectmen would be required to go before residents with any plans they may devise for the purchase of the building, said Brown.
Bill Weston, a MeadWestvaco employee and vice president of the Webb River Valley Snowmobile Club, was elected as the town’s newest selectman by a 20-14 vote over Mike Melcher, also a MeadWestvaco employee and former SAD 21 board member. Two ballots were needed. The first vote tied at 15-15. Weston succeeds nine-year board member Bill Houghton, who didn’t seek another three-year term.
Also elected for additional terms were Treasurer Dot Mason, SAD 21 school board member Linda Jamison, and Linda Berry, the town clerk and tax collector.
After a 15-minute discussion about an estimated $200 that the town spent to train Sidney Flagg as a code enforcement officer, Brown said he will determine whether the expense was authorized by voters at the 2003 town meeting. Flagg is volunteering his time as code enforcement officer.
In 2003, voters turned down an article seeking to spend funds to hire a part-time code enforcement officer.
“If we did something illegal, we’ll straighten it out. We’re trying to comply with state law,” said Brown.
All money articles were passed, totaling $143,714, up about 3 percent over last year’s figure.
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