HARTFORD — Town Constable Chuck Merritt informed selectmen Thursday night that the picnic tables at the town beach were burned by vandals Saturday night.

Resident Arthur Harvey said there were two tables on the beach, one he fixed and made usable.

Merritt said the tables were burned completely. A resident in the area reported the incident.

Merritt came to the meeting expecting to resign because he had moved to Sumner but was he didn’t have to legally live in Hartford to be constable.

He asked if his pay could be increased from $800 annually to $1,000,  mainly because of the price of gas and having to make so many trips to the beach.

 Board Chairman Lee Holman said the request should have been made before the budget was set, but Merritt could attend the annual town meeting June 14 and make a request to voters.

Holman said the Hartford Heritage Days would be held from 10 a.m until 2 p.m. on June 11. There will be cooking contests and a quilt show, as well as many demonstrations of the arts of years ago. Proceeds will be used to pay for paining the J & O Irish Museum.