Town Manager

Stephen S. Rollins, Town Manager

A Letter to the Citizens of Hanover

Town Manager Act Implementation

Town Manager Department Chart

Town of Hanover Organization Chart

Press Coverage

2012 Budget - Town Manager's Presentation
2012 Budget Overview
FY 2012 Budget Recommendations
Resignation as Assistant Veteran's Agent

October 5, 2011
Stephen S Rollins

In She Walked Carrying A Painting

In she walked carrying a painting. “I painted this.” She said. “See, this is where my grandson played baseball and here is where my son went to school.”

It was a painting of places and buildings in the Town of Hanover that had meaning to her. “That, way up there, is the train I rode to Boston where I worked for years.” Listening to her talk, I wished I had a video camera to capture all this heartfelt information.

“It was just sitting in my kid’s closet and I decided I wanted it on display”. “Do you want it?”

“Well of course we will take it”, I said. “We have a nice collection of local artists” and I gave her a tour. 

“See this one was done by Bill Flynn the former Town Clerk, and here is one done by former Selectman Janet O’Brien. “And this room is all original pencil drawings by John Nutter that were used for town report covers.  And of course there is the great mural out front where the artist, Samuel Evans painted himself right into the picture.

“Yes, as a local artist showing local scenes of Hanover, absolutely we will display it. It’ll fit right in” I said.

“Oh, now you’re making me feel important” She said.

“I have to get a photo of you with this painting, this moment has to be captured. “

 “Oh no” she said, “I’m not ready for a picture, no make-up you know”  We took two pictures of her with her painting, one with her glasses, and one without.

“Now” I said “We have to put something in writing. Instead of giving it to the Town, why don’t you put it on permanent loan with us with the condition that, in the future, if one of your descendants asks for it back, then they can have it.”

“Well that sounds good to me” she said and so she wrote a little something and I make a copy for her. That little note is now on the back of that painting, which was hung that day.

You just never know what can happen in public service. Never.

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9-6-10 Labor Day

I had arranged to take a ride-around with Victor Diniak Director of DPW. We
immediately headed up to the new King Street fields being built. “You know”, he said
“That field irrigation work was going to cost $100,000. We did it for $9,000.”

“That’s a huge savings!” I said.

“And over here we’re going to put some picnic tables and the walking park.” Victor continued. He went on and on about who was doing what.

“Now over here, we built this whole wetland for the intermittent brook. We just buy thousands of the vegetation plugs and put them in. See this section is planted with a different type of wetlands plants because it’s a different type of wetland. We saved a lot of money here too.”

“You know.” I said, “You need a public relations person. This is impressive what you are doing.”

“I just got one with Marc (Craig).” (The energized, Park and Recreation director who now works under Victor as part of the newly reorganized DPW.) “I’m helping him out on some financial practices and he’ll help get the word out on this project. This is quite an asset you know.”

“It certainly is,” I thought “and so is the DPW.” I had always been impressed with the way they took care to finish off the aprons to each and every driveway after a street paving job. And the way they all mobilize to clean up the town before each Memorial Day, but I was impressed more than ever now that I was being introduced to their work first-hand as the Manager.

I met Barry, who had been recruited from Clean Harbors and is a multi-generation resident. Foreman Steve Herrmann bragged how good Barry was. “He’ll even go under a broken down truck in the pouring rain and fix it. He just wants to get the job done.”

I met Bill and John, a long time PA Landers foreman, (Also “recruited”. A word I noted as I learned about how you build a good DPW) running a backhoe to fix a culvert up off of Pleasant Street. “Yup, Mr. Winslow called up and said it wasn’t working right and needed some attention”

Pointing, Shawn a foreman and former Police Chief Linley’s son-in-law told me a 4” branch was caught right down the middle of the culvert. “We just noticed that there wasn’t as much water coming out that culvert as the other one. And there it was, right in the middle.”

“That doesn’t seem normal for a branch that size to get caught lengthwise in a small culvert like that.” I said, drawing on my old Vermont brook wandering days.

“No,” he said. “Probably some mischief involved.”

We backed out beyond the cemetery the Boy Scouts had fixed up and where I had originally met Mr. Winslow a few years ago. I had been drawn to the path because of the articles Doug Thomson had put in the paper about the nice walking paths the town had. This was one of them, but you have to be careful, Mr. Winslow doesn’t like cars driving up in there.

All in all I look forward to my next ride around with Victor. These guys are all doing a great job. Yes, they really should get a public relations agent to promote what great things they are doing. I guess that’s why I felt compelled to write this and recognize their service to the Town.

Stephen S. Rollins
Town Manager

Press Coverage

Boston Globe 11/7/10
Beacon 12/27/10
Hanover Mariner 1-25-11