Hancock has switched its polling place to the elementary school for the November elections, rather than the fire station where the state primaries were held, moderator Ric Haskins said. Although the multipurpose room in the school is smaller than the fire department, the decision was made because the heater in the fire department could be too noisy to hear with all the plastic barriers and masks in place, he said, and there’s more improved surface in the 200 feet between the parking area and the polls at the school. Furthermore, Seven Maples Campground has offered the use of golf carts to shuttle voters with mobility issues, Haskins said. The traditional polling place, in the room under town hall, is too small to social distance between polling booths, he said. The elementary school is at 10 Elementary Lane, which is off of Route 137/Bennington Road near the fire station, he said.
The Select Board decided to not set trick or treating hours for Halloween at their meeting on Monday afternoon. Downtown can see up to 300 trick or treaters in a typical year, Chair Laurie Bryan said, and the Board canceled the Old Home Day parade to avoid a crowd of that size due to the continued threat of COVID-19. The intent of their decision is to keep Main Street residents out of a difficult position, Bryan said. “People don’t want to have to turn their lights off,” she said. Trick or treating itself is not banned per se, and Bryan said she anticipates other neighborhoods in town seeing trick or treaters – but the town’s not encouraging it this year.
Hancock also hired Christopher Fox as a part-time police officer. Fox is full-time certified so he is able to work up to 32 hours, Town Administrator Jonathan Coyne said. Police Chief Andrew Wood did not respond to questions about Fox’s hiring by press time Wednesday.
Earlier this month, the Select Board decided to pay the $3,425 budgeted for the canceled 2020 summer concert series to the musicians scheduled to play, Coyne said. Organizer Kathy Anderson recommended the Board pay the musicians since they were unable to perform to encourage them to return for 2021. There were six concerts on the town common through the summer of 2019.