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The Spectator
College Focuses on Town-Gown Relationship
by Lindsay Getman '10Production Editor
November 06, 2009
A small school in a small town, Hamilton is inextricably connected to Clinton. This is the first article in a three-part series that will explore the relationship between the College and the town in which it is located.
Though they say "good fences make good neighbors," members of the Hamilton College community have taken many steps to break down the barriers between students on the Hill and residents of the Village of Clinton. Fall Fest is one of the more celebrated events that serves to bring these groups together, but Hamilton has several other programs in place that fund local organizations as well as to bolster the economy.
In some instances, the College takes a direct economic approach. The Hamilton College Town-Gown Fund provides monetary support to non-profit organizations in the Town of Kirkland and Village of Clinton. Established in 2001 by several anonymous donors, this endowment fund has received donations from hundreds of people. It currently has about $950,000, an amount fast approaching the fund's $1 million goal.
The funds committee is made up of two College trustees, the Mayor of the Village of Clinton Robert G. Goering, School Superintendent Dr. Marie Wiles, several local businesspeople, a faculty member and is chaired by President of the College Joan Hinde Stewart. They meet twice a year to review grant proposals and decide on the amounts donated to various local organizations.
According to Mike Debraggio, executive director of communications, the "focus of the fund is on education, broadly defined." In the past, funds have been granted to the Clinton Central School District, the Kirkland Town Library, the Historical Society, St. Mary's School and the ABC Program. There is "also an emphasis on public safety," says Debraggio, and about ten percent of the available funds go to organizations like the Central Oneida County Volunteer Ambulance Corps (COCVAC), the Clinton Volunteer Fire Department, the Kirkland Police Department and the Clark Mills Volunteer Fire Department. In the years since its inception, the fund has made 57 grants totaling $236,000.
Another administration-led effort to improve the relationship between Hamilton students and the Village is the implementation of the Hill Card with local merchants. As incentive to accept the Hill Card at their businesses, the College waived the set-up and monthly maintenance fee to use the card readers for the first year of operation. Although the merchants still pay a transaction fee, this fee will be reduced as time goes on.
Debraggio describes the goal of the Hill Card pilot program, saying, "The idea is to increase student interaction with the village and to support the economy in the village." The Hill Card is currently accepted at ten local stores and eateries: Ali-Linz Home Accessories, Alteri's, CVS, Clinton Cider Mill, Dunkin Donuts, Krizia Martin, Mojo'z on the Green, Nick's NYPD, Subway and The Pizza Place.
In the month of October, there were around 650 transactions made, totaling about $8,000. Local merchants certainly saw an increase in business during Family Weekend, and the figures for the month of October indicate an almost doubling of the previous month's Hill Card usage off-campus. Although Debraggio says that, "the primary beneficiaries have been food places," other stores, such as CVS, have seen a lot of Hill Card traffic as well.
Based on the success of the program, Debraggio says the College may expand: "we [made] it available to the Village of Clinton first, and then, potentially, we might market it beyond Clinton to New Hartford."
Already, business owners in Clinton who did not join the pilot program have expressed an interest in accepting the Hill Card. Cathy Mosher, owner of College Street Café and Artist Studio, expects her card-reader to be up and running within a week. She decided to join the Hill Card program because she loves when students from the College visit, and she wanted to provide them with a "way that they would feel they could afford to come down." With a cozy atmosphere, open mic nights and free wi-fi, Mosher believes that her business is especially "geared for [College] students," and she is "excited" to participate in the program.
Other participating merchants who will soon be operational include Lil' Tex Mex (at the Village Tavern), McHarris Gifts and Clinton Girl, an apparel store owned by a Hamilton parent.