ColchesterTalks.com Free and open access to Colchester's rich history.
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ColchesterTalks.com Free and open access to Colchester's rich history.
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Class of 2008 Grad Committee info
Promoting Business in Colchester:
Interested in other local history within the state? Please visit our following website affiliates that are kind enough to list Colchestertalks.com Visit Connecticut's Heritage Gateway a program of
The Connecticut Historical Society
Find out about Colchester's current events. Please click here. Some site file downloads are PDF. Please click here to down load a free version of adobe reader.
Visit our sister site:
http://www.Colchestercitizenwatch.org For free and open access to public information about Colchester finances and elected official decisions.
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Not to know is bad; not to wish to know is worse. (Nigerian proverb) What makes Colchester tick? It is her people. This site is dedicated to the spirit and rich texture of Colchester, Connecticut. As Publisher, my only goal is to use the Internet to share memories and thoughts associated with this great Town. James D. McNair III. Subjects: April 22, 2007 2006 Reader Profiles Until now, the level of this site's true readership was speculation. The web traffic software that came with this site's inexpensive hosting package was simple. It allowed one to see activity by day or week or month. Yet, people always asked how many people were repeats from the previous months. Well, after paying $130 for better software, it's now possible to get a much clearer picture. In 2006, 2500 different people visited Colchestertalks. 1,000 people came in once. 1,500 more people visited about 13,500 times. 1,460 actually bookmarked this site. The average visit time rose from 5 minutes to over 17 minutes. 6,600 files were downloaded The busiest day is Friday The busiest hour is 5 PM EST. Most popular download file is the 1938 Hurricane footage. Thank-you Colchester for your continued support!!!!
October 16, 2006 Next month will be the one year anniversary of launching this website. It started as a wish that became a dream. That dream is now becoming a reality. If you build it, they will come. It's now time to have this project evolve. Colchester is a Town rich in content and demanding in wants. There is too much for one person to make this all work. Over the next few months, actions will be taken to better serve Colchester. The first action is already taken. This site soon will have a registered copyright with the United States Library of Congress. The second action was to secure a domain name to launch a sister site of Colchestertalks.com It will be a non-political site devoted to increasing voter awareness and participation. Further actions will be taken at the state and federal level to restructure this project to secure needed funding. As a result, new stories will be added less often than normal. For new visitors, there is still plenty of content to keep you interested for some time. For recurring visitors, I appreciate your patience and will announce the improvements in a couple of months. September 23, 2006 What does Simon Rodia have to do with Colchester? Nothing and everything at the same time. He was a man that created something out of nothing out of the love for his Town. Some of his neighbors helped him. Other neighbors, however, viewed his efforts as a possible threat and with suspicion. Eventually, his efforts were recognized on a national scale. His is a story of what one person can do for a town even if the road is rocky. Click here to read his story of inspiration. September 2, 2006 I recently asked a few experts when Colchester entered into it current modern era of Government. Of course, there was a wide range of opinion. One school of thought was 1960. Another school of thought was 1990. The difference of opinions is a function of how one looks at government. gov-ern-ment
–noun
The 1960's marked the beginning of great changes in the structure of government. The Board of Finance was created. Bacon Academy became a public school under the control of the Board of Education. Planning and Zoning requirements became more demanding. More importantly, people started to move into the Town of Colchester outside the Borough which required more Town services. On the other hand, 1990's marked the advent of Laws for Colchester. The first Town Charter was created. The first Code of Ethics was adopted. All the major Boards adopted formal By-Laws. This period also marked a greater emphasis on professionalism, management and computerization. Over the next few weeks, stories will be added that address the major changes that made Colchester what it is today. It didn't become one of the top places to live in the United States by accident or coincidence. The best place to start understanding government changes is to follow the money.
August 31, 2006 What a difference made by nine months! With the kind help of some and the encouragement of others, a pieces of Colchester's history are now more accessible. reader response has exceeded expectations. Monthly unique visitors rose from 58 to over 1,300. On average 40% of visitors return for at least one more time. Moreover, the average visit time rose from 4 minutes to 18 minutes. Thanks for your support Colchester!
June 25, 2006 Saving our Oral History The Colchester Historic Society is launching a great new effort. Over the next year, many people will be asked to record their recollections about this great town. The greatest asset in Colchester is her people. I've fallen in love with Colchester and volunteered to help in this effort. It will be very helpful to know as many people as possible that have interesting tales and recollections about Colchester. As each day passes, another great memory may be lost. Any comments, suggestions or feedback may be addressed to editor@Colchestertalks.com In advance of your time, I want to thank you very much for any help you may give. January 1, 2006 I've had many many people wonder why start ColchesterTalks. I've heard it's too ambitious, it won't work, newcomers to Colchester won't care. Why start CT now? We live in unusual times. 26% and 40% of American workers feel work is extremely stressful on a regular basis. (1) American mothers are arguably more over anxious and stressed than any prior time. (2) Colchester is our oasis and paradise. Colchester is already nationally recognized as one of the top towns to raise a family. We all love the expanses of farms and woodlands. We all love the stone walls, rural roads and "small town feel". This is why over 40% of Colchester residents arrived within the last five years. Yet, in our hectic daily life are we too busy to really know what we have? Are we too busy to know what we're losing? Are we too busy to ask how can I make this a better place to live? If not now, it will be too late. We will have paradise lost. In 2005, we lost the historic 80 year old Zion Hall to make room for a parking lot. Will people care? Once I got them to slow down, I've talked with many, many people. There are many great things about Colchester that people don't know. There are many great stories about times gone by that people need to know. People will care if given entertaining choices. It won't work. Cynics are missing the point. It's already started working. I'm proud to say that surprising progress is being made. People are starting to talk, listen and contribute ideas. It's no longer a matter of money but time and cooperation. Oral histories will be told. Colchester treasures will be shared. In time, people will no longer confuse the people with the mission.
(1) Nat'l Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Publication No. 99-101 (2) Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety by Judith Warner
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