| Name | Title | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|
Inez Rodenburg |
Chief Information Officer | Profile |
The town of West Fairlee was established on February 25, 1797, by legislative enactment, and was organized on March 31, 1797, with the following officers elected: George Bixby, Reuben Dickinson, and Samuel Robinson, Selectmen; Asa May, Town Clerk; Calvin Morse, Constable. It is interesting to note that for nearly the first 100 years only three men held the office of Town Clerk; Asa May (1797-1800), Elisha Thayer (1800-1847), Alvah Bean (1847-1891). West Fairlee had originally been a part of Fairlee for nearly 36 years, Fairlee having been chartered on September 9, 1761. Many reasons have been given for the separation of the two towns. Geography, with the line of high hills running north and south through the middle of the original Fairlee, and in those days transportation would certainly be reasons for the division. The first settlement in what is now West Fairlee was made in 1778 by Elijah Blood in the area known as Blood Brook. This was followed the next year by Nathaniel Niles in the Middle Brook area and by Captain Francis Churchill in the Wild Hill area of town. Other prominent families in these early years were Bassett, Bixby, Bliss, Child, Dickinson, May, Morse, Robinson, Southworth, Thayer, and Wild. West Fairlee remained a farming community until around 1854. It was at this time that the Ely Copper Mine in the southeastern corner of the town of Vershire began operations. This mine was only one and one-half miles due west of the village of West Fairlee and undoubtedly caused the largest growth and the most dramatic changes in the town during its entire history. The population grew to well over one thousand and the village became very prosperous. The village had a hotel, three general stores, a furniture store, jewelry store, two carriage shops, a blacksmith shop, saw mill, shingle mill, livery stable, millinery store, and an undertaking establishment. At one time there were three doctors and one dentist in the village. A list of some of the prominent families during this period were Bean, Bixby, Bliss, Child, Church, Coburn, Farnham, George, Godfrey, Johnson, Kimball, Miller, Morrison, Robinson,Sibley, Southworth, Tibbetts, Thomas, and Whitney. The two established churches in West Fairlee have been in existence since the 1800`s. The West Fairlee Center Congregational Church was organized in 1809 by Rev. Joseph Fuller. The first house of worship was built in 1811 and replaced by the present building in 1855. The West Fairlee village church was built in 1855. It is interesting to note that the cost of construction was $2,000 for each church. West Fairlee has seen many changes to its school system. In the late 1800`s there were seven school districts and seven school buildings. In the 1930`s a central school was built in the village and an addition added to it in 1988. During this period Thetford Academy in Thetford, VT was the high school for West Fairlee. On October 13, 1998, the towns of Orford, NH, and the Vermont towns of Fairlee, West Fairlee, and Vershire voted into existence the Rivendell Interstate School District, for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Starting in the fall of 2000 the district began schooling. Since its formation, a new elementary school, Westshire, was built in the village of West Fairlee and serves West Fairlee and Vershire K - 5 students. Grades 6 -12 are served by an expanded middle and high school in Orford, NH.
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is an independent agency in the executive branch of the Federal Government. The RRBs primary function is to administer comprehensive retirement-survivor and unemployment-sickness benefit programs for the nations railroad workers and their families, under the Railroad Retirement and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Acts. As part of the retirement program, the RRB also has administrative responsibilities under the Social Security Act for certain benefit payments and railroad workers Medicare coverage. The RRB was created in the 1930s by legislation establishing a retirement benefit program for the nations railroad workers. The railroad industry had pioneered private industrial pension plans, with the first industrial pension plan in North America established by a railroad in 1874. By the 1930s, railroad pension plans were far more developed than in most other businesses or industries, but these plans had serious defects which the Great Depression magnified. A three-member Board appointed by the President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the Senate, leads the RRB. The President appoints one member upon the recommendation of railroad employers, another upon the recommendation of railroad labor organizations and the third, who is the Chairman, to represent the public interest. The Board Members terms of office are 5 years and expire in different years. The President also appoints an Inspector General for the RRB.
Franklin County is located in south central Pennsylvania midway between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The southern boundary of the County is also the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland, also known as the Mason-Dixon Line. The County encompasses an area of 754 square miles and had an estimated population in 2000 of 129,318. Rolling hills, forests, mountains, valleys and clear springs create the beauty of Franklin County. With the diversity of Franklin County`s economic base, the residents enjoy the advantages of both urban and rural opportunities within the County. Due to this diversified makeup and the rich history of Franklin County, tourism is a major component of the county`s economy. Since its establishment in 1784, Franklin County has enjoyed a steady, healthy growth and has become the financial and commercial center of much of the Cumberland Valley. With two major railroads, the Conrail and the CSX, and the meeting place for three major highways: Route 30, Route 11 and Interstate 81, Franklin County grows daily. In addition to commercial growth, Franklin County continues to support a healthy farm industry with the County ranking second in the state in the production of milk, meat, apples and peaches. There are currently 1,690 farms in the County consisting of 255,500 acres. The County also has 39,780 acres of state forest lands with approximately 15,178 acres as state game lands. The Falling Spring is one of the best natural trout streams in the nation, and it meanders through Chambersburg. Wildlife abounds throughout the County: white-tail deer, fox, coyote, black bear, and wild turkey to name a few.
PEI Career Development Services is a Summerside, PE-based company in the Government sector.
Metropolitan Area Planning Council/Boston Region MPO is a Boston, MA-based company in the Government sector.