Hinsdale: The little town that could and did

By Linda GalokPrint Story | Email Story
Carole Forward, Hinsdale Bicentennial Celebration Committee chairwoman. (Photo By Linda Scott Galok)
Somebody said that it couldn’t be done But he with a chuckle replied That maybe it couldn’t, but he would be one Who wouldn’t say so till he tried. — Edgar Albert Guest, 1881-1959. Some say it was impossible that Israel Bissell, Hinsdale’s most famous resident, traveled by horseback from Watertown, Mass., to Philadelphia, Pa. in just five days in 1775. When Hinsdale residents and town supporters said they wanted to plan a nine-day bicentennial celebration of the 1804 founding of the town, many felt that would be impossible, too. Bissell reportedly rode for five days with few stops for food, little rest and the sacrifice of at least one horse’s life to spread the word that American militia needed help in Lexington. No horses were harmed in the planning of Bissell’s hometown bicentennial celebration, but pony rides were a popular event. And, with thousands of cookies baked and sold, and hundreds of hamburgers flipped and fried, no one went hungry. Plenty of committee members did, however, spend many a sleepless night wondering what they might have forgotten to do and how they were going to accomplish so much with so little to celebrate the 200th anniversary for so many days. Carole Forward, Hinsdale Bicentennial Celebration Committee chairwoman, was born and raised in Hinsdale. She does not ride a horse, and she said she had no idea what road she was on or what course she should follow when she began her journey toward the celebration more than two years ago. Nevertheless, Forward’s appeals for help were heard, and her prayers were answered with time, money, materials, ideas, elbow grease and the overwhelming love of the people in and around Hinsdale, who volunteered to make their celebration happen. Forward said she had little preparation for her job as the chairwoman but “no one else wanted the job, and someone had to do it.” Having raised three boys, she said her job as chairwoman was “easy by comparison.” Susan Suave, who also helped organize the event, said the community spirit was contagious. “When I moved here five years ago,” she said, “I was welcomed with open arms. I hadn’t moved away from ‘neighbors’ because I never really knew any of the people who lived next to me. Thanks to this committee, I not only know all my neighbors, they’re my friends.” Sauve, a business consultant, teacher and member of Arrowhead’s board of directors, has been involved in many fund-raising projects during the course of her career and “has never seen such passion for a project.” “This committee raised over $70,000, sometimes quarter by quarter, doing anything and everything they could think of,” she said. The country auction alone brought in over $4,000 with everything from a load of hardwood to computer repairs up for bid. “Everything sold,” Sauve said, “I’ve never seen anything like it.” She added, “Even though she won’t give herself any credit, Carole Forward was the driving force behind the whole project. She kept saying she didn’t know if she was ‘doing it right’ and that she “didn’t know what she was doing.’ She was doing it right, instinctively.” Forward said, “I’d never done anything like this before, and if we had known how big it was going to get, we might never have even attempted it in the first place. Good thing we didn’t know. “For every problem, there was a solution. For every Plan A that fell through or didn’t work out, someone was ready with a Plan B or a Plan C,” she said. “We had so much help, there was never the possibility that something wouldn’t happen. Sometimes it didn’t happen the way you thought it was going to happen, but it always happened. Everything we asked for, everything we thought of, someone was there to offer it, donate it, sell it, run it or, sometimes, just do it. For example, she said, the front of Town Hall needed landscaping. “No one asked. It just got done one Saturday, at no charge for supplies or labor, by a bunch of local guys and business owners, and we couldn’t have thought to ask for anything more beautiful.” She added, “There were people who told me I wouldn’t be able to get the camps to agree to camp day and that I couldn’t do this or that, but I never believed there wasn’t anything we, as a committee, couldn’t do.” Judy Casey, lifelong Hinsdale resident and Kittredge School teacher, agreed. “With a population of less than 2,000, there were few Hinsdale residents who weren’t involved in some way, planning and working for this event,” she said. “At the beginning, some people were worried that we shouldn’t spend money on ‘frivolity,’ but as donations began pouring in and people started coming together for this event and stepping up to volunteer, they realized this celebration wasn’t frivolity at all but a way to bring life back to the town and spirit back to the community.” Casey, who said she never misses an opportunity to teach a lesson in life, added, “I did it for the children. I made them all sign the guest book that will go into the time capsule. They know that signing their names now means they will be the ones who plan for Hinsdale’s 250th celebration.” The message of cooperation spread throughout the town, according to Peter White, Hinsdale’s Webmaster: “Two 10-year-old girls approached the information booth Sunday and asked where they could sign up to help with the 250th anniversary.” White, a resident who said he keeps moving back to Hinsdale every time he moves away for a few years, came to the project late but pitched in wholeheartedly. His efforts for Hinsdale may be viewed at www.hinsdale200.org. Many of the committee members have lived in Hinsdale since they were born, and, much to their surprise, the committee, as a whole, got along. “Everyone didn’t always agree about everything,” said Tom Butler, a lifelong resident and school bus driver, who volunteered as a tribute to his mother, Isabelle. “But, for the most part, everyone really got along. The level of energy and cooperation was amazing.” It wasn’t always so. David Olds (“Oldsy”) and James Fox, (“Foxy”) both on the committee, both in their 50s and both lifelong residents, met when they were in first grade. “I gave Foxy his first black eye,” Olds recalled. “And I think I ran,” Fox remembered. Neither Olds nor Fox remember what started the fight but, “The principal made us shake hands and we’ve been friends ever since,” they said in unison. Steve Suriner, a full-time nursing student, jail employee, father, grandfather, fire department member, muster team member, committee member and seven-year citizen of Hinsdale, said, “Dave and Foxy even have their own little town within the town of Hinsdale where retired fire trucks go to rest and be restored now. They combined their last names and called it Foldsville, right in Foxy’s backyard.” He said coordinating the bicentennial was time-consuming but worth it. “Sleep is overrated,” he said. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do with myself every Wednesday night now that the celebration is over.” Many committee members agreed that “the only disappointment is that it’s over,” They said they know the adults want to continue the “cookie walks,” and the kids all want camp day and an outdoor movie every year. Well, there is money left over, and the committee plans to put it to good use. Members especially want town celebrations to become a tradition in Hinsdale, and they want something lasting and something everyone can use and enjoy. Charlotte Baillargeon, who owns Maplewood Bed and Breakfast, with her husband, Bob, said, “I never saw a bunch of people with so many ideas and so much energy to back all of the ideas up. My heart just bursts with pride as I experience the celebration that I helped plan and execute.” Peter White’s wife, Sally, said, “I could never have done what Carole did. She never lost her temper, and she was so generous with herself. If I had been in charge, I would have been bossy. I would have wanted things my own way. Carole never did that — she always listened to everyone else’s ideas with respect.” Sally White was in charge of the town’s birthday cake, and it was the largest cake she ever created. Her grandchildren were not eating her creation on Sunday, though; they were riding it as a float in the parade. During the weeklong celebration, one of the Native American re-enactors Rick Salazar, had explained to his audience that the Iroquois tribe ruled this area for many years by diplomacy. Like the Iroquois women, who had great power and influence in their tribes, Hinsdale’s Bicentennial chairwoman was “a mother and a dictator,” according to Steve Suriner. “Whatever you needed in the moment, that’s what Carole could be. If you needed a hug, she would give you a hug. If you needed a kick, she could provide one of those, too. She was the hardest worker of all of us, and she inspired all of us to work as hard as she did.” With the same generosity they have shown their town and each other for the past two years, some of the committee members offered advice to other towns planning similar celebrations: Suriner: “If a town and its people put their mind to it, anything is possible. If somebody tells you no, you just think of another way to ask. If they don’t have time, ask for money. If they don’t have money, ask for expertise.” Judy Casey: “You really do learn everything you need to know in kindergarten. Just remember that.” Susan Sauve: “Get Carole Forward to run your town celebration, or, if she’s unavailable, find someone who can create a team with laughter and gratitude. And remember to say thank you.” Forward: “I certainly couldn’t have done it without every one of the people who worked on this. It will take me another two years to thank them all. No town has ever planned any celebration so big or for so long. Let it get out of control and follow it wherever it leads. Don’t worry about following Roberts Rules of Order.” Tom Butler: “If you can’t have swimming at camp, set up sprinklers at the fire station. If you can’t have a movie, tell stories. If you can’t have one band, find another. Give your kids a happy memory, and you never need to worry about volunteers for the next celebration.”
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Dalton Announces New Supplier for Energy Program

DALTON, Mass. – The Town of Dalton has signed a thirty-four month contract with a new supplier, First Point Power.
 
Beginning with the January 2026 meter reads, the Dalton Community Choice Power Supply Program will have a new rate of $0.13042 per kWh. The Program will also continue to offer an optional 100 percent green product, which is derived from National Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), at a rate of $0.13142 per kWh.
 
For Dalton residents and businesses who are enrolled in the Town's Program, the current rate of $0.13849 per kWh will expire with the January 2026 meter reads and the new rate of $0.13042 per kWh will take effect. This represents a decrease of $5 per month on the supply side of the bill given average usage of 600 kWh. Additionally, this new rate is 3 percent lower than Eversource's Residential Basic Service rate of $0.13493 per kWh. Residents can expect to see an
average savings of $3 per month for the month of January 2026. Eversource's Basic Service rates
will change on Feb. 1, 2026.
 
Dalton launched its electricity program in January 2015 in an effort to develop an energy program that would be stable and affordable. From inception through June 2025, the Program has saved residents and small businesses over $1.7 million in electricity costs as compared to Eversource Basic Service.
 
It is important to note that no action is required by current participants. This change will be seen on the February 2026 bills. All accounts currently enrolled in the Program will remain with their current product offering and see the new rate and First Point Power printed under the "Supplier Services" section of their monthly bill.
 
The Dalton Community Choice Power Supply Program has no fees or charges. However, anyone switching from a contract with a third-party supplier may be subject to penalties or early termination fees charged by that supplier. Ratepayers should verify terms before switching.
 
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