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Financial Wellness Month


January Salem Community Patriot Patriot


by S. Aaron Shamshoyan After months of discussion, curbside trash


pickup could be coming to Salem, if voters pass the article on the ballot in March. A finalized proposal presented by Director


Financial Wellness Month is celebrated during the month of January. Financial Wellness Months provides a great time to start thinking about your financial future as well as that of your employees. January is a particularly good time for Financial Wellness Month since many American’s over spend during the holidays Financial wellness is an intricate balance of the mental, spiritual and physical aspects of money. This unique combination is an ideal to strive towards in our dealings with money. Financial wellness is having an understanding of your financial situation and taking care of it in such a way that you are prepared for financial changes. Take the quiz: Score yourself - Yes/Kind of/No/


You must be kidding 1. Do you have cash in your pocket? 2. Do you balance your checkbook regularly? 3. Do you know the total amount of debt you have?


4. Do you feel there is plenty of time in the day? 5. Do you have a retirement account? 6. Do you know how much is in your retirement account?


7. Do you know where your retirement is invested?


8. Are you happy with your job? 9. Do you know what your net worth is? 10. Do you know what net worth means? Scoring: For every answer score the following points: Yes: 1 Kind of: 2


of the Department of Public Works Rick Russell and Municipal Waste Committee member Don Freeman came before Selectmen Monday night. Under the proposed plan, taxpayers


would see and annual increase of $0.089 per thousand on the tax rate. Freeman gave an example on the average valued home at $275,000 paying about $24.84 annually or $0.47 a week. Freeman said the transfer station would


not close under the proposal. “We plan to continue the transfer station for operation on Wednesdays and Saturdays,” he said. Waste and recyclables could still be deposited there, along with construction and debris. Residents wishing to use the station would still need to


purchase at $10 permit from the town. Selectman Patrick Hargreaves commented


saying the company running the operations would provide two days a year allowing for the disposal of electronics at no charge. Pickup will be available to single family,


duplex, and multi family homes, along with individual condos. Trailer parks, apartment complexes, and condo complexes would be excluded, along with seasonal properties. “All trailer parks will be charged no tipping fee at the transfer station,” said Freeman, adding they will continue paying only a transportation service as they do now. Chairwoman Elizabeth Roth questioned if seasonal properties would be paying the full amount for the pickup in taxes to which Freeman responded they would. “If it was zoned as a seasonal camp, it was excluded,” said Freeman but adding they could also be provided the service for a $10 fee. He said


No: 3 You must be kidding: 4


Total Score:__________ Check-in Results 10-15: Looking Good - You have a handle on your financial picture. You are on the scales with a fairly steady balance. And congratulate yourself! 16-22: In Need of Education - Okay, you have an overview of what is going on in your life. Your financial wellness picture is a bit hazy. But with some education and a bit of persistence you can change the picture and steady the balance. 23-28: Mismanaged - Your time and effort are misguided when it comes to finances, that is if you are putting anytime and effort in at all. You are heading for a disaster of the most explosive kind. 29-34: Messed Up - Get help immediately! You cannot do it on your own. Just think of all that fear and dread that provokes stress around money, that someday could be gone, if you act now! 35-40: Denial is Bliss - Have a nice day.


(If


you ever are ready to look at your finances - go slowly, it may be overwhelming to deal with reality.)


Financial Wellness Check-in Action Steps What do you do with the score? Read below and find the action steps that match


your score. 10-16: Looking Good - Yes, you are in good shape. Still, there is always more to learn. It is time to get some objective advice. So investigate the financial professionals in your area. Look for an advisor who is a Certified Financial Planner. This means they are licensed and educated to review your whole financial picture and help you meet your goals. An annual check-in will help you reach peak performance and keep you operating that way. 16-23: In Need of Education - How to get a financial education without going back to school? Look to financial magazines to begin your education. Pick up a book or two to guide you in your understanding of financial matters. Then, attend a financial workshop or two. Local business groups or continuing education centers offer them at convenient times and at little or no expense. 23-29: Mismanaged - How do you start now putting in the extra time and effort in to your finances? First, set aside time to review what income you have, and how you spend it. This may involve pulling together financial records or starting from scratch tracking the information. Next, pull out your bank statements, credit card statements and retirement and investment accounts. On one sheet of paper, summarize how much you have and where it is. 29-34: Messed Up - Where to get the help you need? First, you may ask friends how they do it – if you are comfortable talking to them about money. Second, consider talking to a therapist or other professional about why it is you have resistance to facing up to money and its place in your life. 35-40: Denial is Bliss - If you are willing to put in some work, there is hope. Just in an objective sense, no beating yourself up or creating a crisis of past wrongs. write it down and acknowledge it. Next, spend twenty minutes a day with your finances. Start with simple tasks – cleaning your wallet and counting the money there. Collecting the loose change scattered in your house, car, and pockets and putting it in one place. When you are comfortable with these tasks, move slowly up the scale.


Carol Sinclair busy working on a dog Larry Sinclair talking through the creative process with Bob Head carving Library Employee Fights for Job


by S. Aaron Shamshoyan After recent budget cuts, the Kelley Library was forced to lay off


two employees, but former custodian Jim Thomas is not happy about losing his job. At the request of Thomas, a public meeting was held last week to discuss his termination from the library. Thomas was employed by the library for six years before he was terminated. The public hearing was to provide a time for the public to give input to the board of trustees. “We have a very lean organization,” said Thomas, “We have a lean budget.” Thomas questioned why the board didn’t work with selectmen to keep the funds for his position. He also felt the library’s budgeting process was done an injustice not allowing leaders to defend their budget to town officials. Thomas questioned the board as to why his position was chosen for elimination despite being the eighth employee ever hired at the library. He also felt he should have been retained with seniority.


“The library is not part of a union,” he said mentioning traditionally the library observes the SEA union guidelines. Thomas also felt he was discriminated against during his time at


the library. “I believe part of the reason for my dismissal is tied to discrimination, prejudice, hostility, and unprofessionalism, displayed toward me from Alison Baker, the library’s executive director, from day one,” he said.


Salem resident Jim Lombardozzi defended Thomas’s position


saying it was critical. “I think for safety reasons, you need Jim and Elizabeth here.” Lombardozzi cited a time where a verbal fight broke out between two men in the quiet room and he said Thomas would be able to stop the fight. He also said the executive director has sanded walkways in the past when the custodian wasn’t available. Thomas felt an injustice done to him by not having the department head and the board of trustees work to retain funding for the two positions cut from the budget. Board chairwoman Martha Breen said voters would have a chance to amend the budget at town meeting.


We Have a Winner!


After the freak snow storm in late October that left hundreds of thousands of people without power across New England, who would have thought that it would be January before we saw any real snow again? David Dominci of Litchfield, that’s who! David not only guessed the exact Snow Contest winning date, he was the only entrant to guess a date in January. Each year, the Area News Group holds its annual Snow Contest, in which our readers are asked to guess when the first inch of snow will fall after Thanksgiving. The winner (or winners in some cases) receives various prizes, which


are donated by our advertisers. This year, more than 150 entries were submitted and most of them reflected the notion that New Englanders were gearing up for a fierce winter. Most of the guesses were dates in early December, and all of the entries, save one, fell somewhere between November 25 and December 27. Well, on Thursday, January 12, 2012 we managed to muster up an inch of snow before it turned to rain, and our optimistic David Dominici of Litchfield was deemed the winner. Congratulations, David!


Ken Haynes gets advice on carving from instructor Larry Sinclair on Wednesday’s wood carving lesson at the Salem’s Senior Center


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Volume 5 Number 27 January 20, 2012 12 Pages Curbside Pick-up to be on Ballot


they were excluded to keep the cost down. The proposal calls for households to receive


one ninety-six gallon tote to be picked up weekly for trash and an additional ninety-six gallon tote for recyclables to be picked up bi- weekly. Additional totes can be purchased for a one-time $60 fee, with an additional trash tote also costing $10 monthly. Freeman said this was to encourage recycling. Selectman Stephen Campbell opposed


the increasing cost. “If you take your trash yourself, you will pay a bit more money,” he said. Campbell also felt he would be losing his freedom to chose waste removal services along with the option to utilize the transfer station as opposed to paying for the service. The Selectmen voted four to one with


Campbell in opposition to place the article on the ballot. Currently forty-eight percent of the town utilizes private curbside trash pick-up.


Wood Carvers at Senior Center


Tools of the trade


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Financial


Staff photos by Robyn Hatch


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