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Barb Hammarlund: The Sequel

Guilford’s Barbara “Barb” Hammarlund may have recently closed one chapter in her busy life by retiring as Assistant Assessor from Town Hall after nearly 25 years with the department. However, Barb is ready for the sequel that will include more time to focus on her cows, including one of her favorites, a dairy cow named Sequel.

On Jan. 3, Barb completed her tenure at Guilford Town Hall with the good wishes of her colleagues and friends. On the day she retired, Barb was also presented with a special memento from one of her Guilford Agricultural Society (GAS) peers, Larry Kalbfeld.

“It’s a framed picture of me with Sequel in front of Town Hall,” says Barb. “A lot of folks thought it was real.”

For Barb, what’s even more surreal than the merged image Kalbfeld created is the fact that she’s no longer a daily part of the Town Assessor’s Office team.

“It hasn’t 100 percent hit yet,” says Barb. “But I’ve got a few things in the hopper.”

For example, a bit more free time will allow Barb to provide additional support to the 4-H program that she’s helped to foster locally. She’s already volunteered to be a chaperone on a trip to the national 4-H conference in Alexandria, Virginia in April.

“It’s something new for me. I’ve always been a co-leader and chaperone for our local group, but this is on a much bigger scale,” says Barb.

Barb has backed the mission of bringing kids into the world of 4-H for many years. In retirement, she hopes to elevate that mission.

“At some point, I’d really love to key in on 4-H and what it’s really about. It’s something that I think the community needs to know,” Barb says. “There are avenues for their kids that aren’t just animals. It’s government, it’s robotics, it’s all kinds of stuff.”

A self-professed animal person from the time of being a “little tiny-bopper,” Barb grew up in Guilford with animals in her life.

“My great-grandmother had chickens and all kinds of animals, and my grandparents did, and then I had rabbits and goats as kid,” says Barb.

Barb’s maternal great-grandmother, Rosalie Pekarz, was the first generation on her side of the family to live in Guilford. On Barb’s dad’s side, her grandfather, Barry “Butch” Page, worked for Public Works and had earlier relatives who lived and worked on the former farm at the historic Henry Whitfield House.

Barb’s connection and concern for her Guilford community has been lifelong. She was a Fire Explorer in high school, when she also took on a couple of jobs at Town Hall. At that time, through the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act program, students could sign up to work at different town agencies.

“I signed up and worked in planning and zoning and engineering,” says Barb. “So, I had my first taste of Town Hall back when I was in high school.”

Shortly thereafter, due to an employee in the Assessor’s Office going on vacation, Barb got a call asking if she would be willing to fill in for a week or two.

“I’d never had anything to do with it, but I said yes,” says Barb, who also was soon tapped to help out in the finance office to cover another absence of a week or so.

Barb graduated from Guilford High School Class with the Class of 1976. Her first office role was in the Guilford office of Russ Waldo, a professional engineer and land surveyor. Barb worked in his office for about 10 years.

“That gave me more exposure to town halls, permitting, procedures, planning and zoning, etc.,” she notes.

In April of 1999, Barb returned to Guilford Town Hall, taking a job in the Assessor’s Office. Through the years, she worked her way up from clerk to aide to Assistant Assessor.

It’s a job that requires a combination of keeping up with items, such as state regulations regarding revaluations, town requirements, and being a people person, says Barb.

“It does take a knack to be a people person in an Assessor’s Office,” she says. “People come in with a certain thing on their mind and the way they believe it is, and you have to work with them to explain things as they are. And 9 times out of 10, they’ll come away understanding, and they’ll thank you for explaining it to them.”

Barb also served as clerk with the Board of Assessment Appeals for nearly 14 years. The board assists those seeking relief or clarification regarding assessments. Barb is also a Notary Public and a Justice of the Peace and plans to continue offering those services.

Although Barb has left her work as Assistant Assessor, she carries with her a vast inventory of knowledge that many residents have come to rely on—even when she’s not in the office.

“I’ve told people if they have a question, don’t hesitate to get a hold of me,” she says.

Another area where Barb plans to continue to contribute her knowledge and ability is with GAS, the all-volunteer organization that oversees the historic Guilford Fair. She first signed on as a member in 1989-’90. In 1999, Barb and John Hammarlund were married at the Guilford Fairgrounds. Their service to GAS includes many years as board officers. John serves as GAS president, and Barb serves as assistant secretary.

In addition to continuing the legacy of Guilford’s agricultural heritage, another large part of the mission of the GAS is keeping the fairgrounds property on Lovers Lane vibrant and intact for future generations. Two more buildings will be installed at the fairgrounds this spring. Outside of the fair, which is held each September, the property has become a hub for area organizations to hold events and fundraisers. Last spring, a new, weekly farmer’s market began gathering on the property.

“It takes a lot to maintain the property and buildings and, with costs going up, you have be looking at opportunities for doing things to keep that rolling,” Barb says.

Among the core group of GAS members who tackle every department and element required to put on the Guilford Fair, Barb is already revving up to set up all the details for 2024. Barb has juggled her Guilford Fair/GAS work meetings with her work at Town Hall for many years.

“Now, my schedule can fit their schedule a little bit better,” says Barb.

Barb is also looking forward to having even more time to spend with her cows. She shows her cows around Connecticut during fair season, which begins in August.

“Probably around 1998, I really got into cows,” says Barb. “It’s rewarding. After a day of work, it was always nice to come home to them.”

Since 2010, Barb has specialized in a heritage breed: American Lineback cattle.

While she’s certainly got plenty to do in retirement, Barb says that she will miss her daily interactions with her colleagues, and the people of Guilford, at Town Hall.

“Through my just shy of 25 years with the town, the acquaintances and friendship and knowledge that I gained is something that I will never forget,” Barb says.