Water upgrade moves forward

The City Council's Finance Committee last Tuesday voted to recommend the full council approve Mayor Thatcher W. Kezer III's funding request for two water projects. Kezer is seeking authorization to borrow $15 million to upgrade the city's water treatment plant, and $5,076,000 to improve its water delivery system. The original request for the plant upgrade was for $22.5 million, but Kezer was able to reduce the figure by selecting a less costly upgrade plan. The city's engineering firm, Metcalf & Eddy, examined the treatment options in a recently completed study. The full council will vote on the expenditures April 8. - John Laidler

HELP 'LOVE FOR MOM' - It's not too early for residents to contribute to this year's Relay for Life of Amesbury. One of numerous relays held across the country, Amesbury's is an overnight event held each September in which teams of participants walk around the track at Landry Stadium to raise money for the American Cancer Society. "Love for Mom," one of the teams that participates in the relay, is holding its third annual fund-raising dance from 7 to 11 p.m. on April 19 at Amesbury Sports Park. Tickets cost $20 and include a buffet, music, and dancing. The team, which has participated in the last four relays, is so named because several of its members lost their mothers to cancer. For more information, call Joan Orlando at 978-388-0682. - John Laidler

OVERRIDE STILL ON THE TABLE - Responding to a request from the Finance Committee, the Board of Selectmen has added three so-called placeholders on the town warrant that leave open the option of a tax override for the fiscal year 2009 budget. The first placeholder is for a general override to address potential school budget issues. The second placeholder is for a general debt exclusion for purchase of needed equipment or other durable supplies. The third provides for the possibility of a capital improvement fund. At this time, potential dollar amounts are undetermined, and the placeholders may be withdrawn before Town Meeting in May, according to Selectman Lonnie Brennan. - David Cogger

DEBT EXCLUSION ON THE DOCKET - The Finance Committee is expected to finalize the town's fiscal year 2009 budget when it meets tomorrow. The working budget figure is $11,450,000. a $39,000 increase over the current year, according to finance director Greg Labrecque. The budget will be presented to residents at Town Meeting on April 28. Groveland will vote on a $130,000 capital exclusion override of Proposition 2 1/2 this spring, said Labrecque, part of the road management program that has been on the ballot for several years. The Finance Committee meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Town Hall. - David Rattigan

CITY WEBSITE WINS AWARD - Common Cause Massachusetts, a nonprofit government watchdog organization, recently gave Haverhill's website a 2008 E-Government Award. The city was recognized, along with 90 other municipalities, earlier this month at a State House ceremony. Haverhill received the award because the city's website posts meeting agendas and minutes, and financial information, as well as city bylaws, codes, and ordinances. - Erin Ailworth

OPENINGS ON BOARD OF HEALTH - The Board of Health has two temporary openings because of recent resignations. Applicants should have a basic understanding of the board's responsibilities, including keeping current in emergency preparedness functions, pandemic flu protocol, and homeland security issues. Applicants must also demonstrate that they will be capable of ensuring town compliance with local, state, and federal regulations governing water quality, septic systems, well installations, food preparation and sales, rental property regulations, and other issues under the town's jurisdiction. Those interested can contact the Board of Health at 978-346-4066, or e-mail boh@townofmerrimac.com. - David Cogger

CABLE STALEMATE CONTINUES - Selectmen have closed a 28-day public comment period regarding cable TV provider Comcast. The town's 10-year cable services contract with Comcast expired in the fall of 2006. Since then, the provider and the town's cable TV advisory committee have unsuccessfully attempted to reach a new agreement. A stalemate has resulted because officials and members of the committee say the cable provider is not putting up ample funding for local programming - just one-half of 1 percent of its Newbury revenues - that would allow the town to telecast local meetings and events. - Taryn Plumb

STATE CRACKING DOWN ON LANDFILL - Stating that the owner of the Crow Lane Landfill has repeatedly failed to properly cap and close the facility, state environmental officials have begun the process of yanking the roughly $3 million put up by New Ventures LLC as a bond in case of default. "We want to get the landfill capped and closed and settled," said Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Joe Ferson. In a March 20 letter, the DEP told New Ventures that it had: failed to operate and maintain the system that pretreats and burns landfill gases to lessen the odors; failed to staff the facility with properly trained personnel; failed to control and mitigate release of leachate, the liquid that drains from a landfill; and failed to submit required system monitoring forms. The letter stated that New Ventures had 14 days from receipt of the notice to notify its trustees of the action, which is the first formal step in a process that could end with the state taking over the troubled facility. Meanwhile, a lawyer for New Ventures has notified the city that the company intends to proceed with litigation against Newburyport because the city has repeatedly thwarted progress in capping and closing the facility. In a March 19 letter, New Ventures attorney Richard Bennett stated that a recent cease-and-desist order from the city will push back completion of landfill closure approximately nine months, and that repeated delays will add to the companies' costs, which it estimates in excess of $10 million. - Kay Lazar

INSECT PROTECTION FORUM - With tick and mosquito season approaching, the Board of Health is inviting area residents to an informational night on the subject of insect-borne disease threats at 7:30 p.m. on April 7 at Town Hall, Route 1A. Dr. Jonas Wolf, an infectious disease specialist at Beverly Hospital; Dr. Estaban L. Cuebas-Incle, an entomologist with the Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito and Wetlands Management District, and Dr. Matt Callahan, a veterinarian with the Ipswich Animal Hospital in Rowley, will speak. The forum, which is free and open to the public, will provide information on how individuals can protect themselves, their families, and their pets from illnesses spread by mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects. - John Laidler

QUIET ELECTION SEASON - There are no contested seats among Salisbury candidates on the ballot for the May 13 town election. The only contest featured is a two-way race for a Newbury seat on the Triton Regional School Committee, pitting incumbent Diana "Dina" L. Sullivan against challenger William G. Levasseur. Each year, voters in Salisbury, Newbury, and Rowley elect a Triton member from each of the three towns in the school district. Unopposed on the Salisbury ballot will be Selectman Fred Knowles, who is seeking reelection to a second term, and Holly Beth Janvrin, who is seeking the Salisbury seat on the Triton committee currently held by retiring member James Poulin. Also unopposed is former Rowley selectman Lane Bourn, seeking the Rowley seat on the Triton committee now held by retiring member Darlene J. Doucot. The deadline for returning nomination papers was March 25. - John Laidler

SELECTMEN TURN DOWN OVERRIDE - Despite urgings from the Finance Committee and Tracy Blais, the town's finance director, selectmen have voted not to go forward with a roughly $100,000 override for fiscal year 2009. Blais said she expects the town to gain about $215,000 in new revenue in fiscal year 2009, and suggested an override that would cost average property owners an extra $65. After a request by selectmen, she submitted a list of cuts to balance the budget. Those included eliminating $28,000 that would have partly covered a new police officer's wages; reducing the Department of Public Works' building and road improvement budget; limiting all town employees' wage increases; and reducing library expenses. According to Blais, this is the most challenging budget season the town has faced in several years, in part because of an increased assessment for the Pentucket Regional School District. Kathleen McWilliams, Pentucket's business manager, said West Newbury will be assessed at $4,711,899, a 5.57 percent, or $234,978, increase, for FY '09. Groveland's Pentucket assessment will be $6,556,887, an increase of 3.85 percent, or $238,134, over this year. Merrimac's will be $5,815,346, a rise of 1.9 percent, or $126,887. The assessments still require approval from all three towns at their spring town meetings. - Taryn Plumb

STUDENTS TO BUILD POLICE STORAGE UNIT - The town is saving a few bucks and shop students at Oyster River High School are getting some on-the-job training by building an addition to the storage shed at the police station. The $8,000 structure will replace an Army surplus container that is used for storing evidence. Students in Mike Troy's industrial arts class will design and construct the addition. - Tom Long

THREE OF SEVEN STREETS NOW PUBLIC - Residents on four private roads may have to make their own arrangements for snow removal next winter after voters rejected a request to accept their streets as public ways. Selectmen voted last November to comply with state law and to cease plowing 31 private roadways in town as of May 30. At the time, the board said the only way the town could continue legally plowing those streets was if voters accepted them as public ways. Residents of seven streets asked voters at the March 11 election to accept their roads as public, but only three were approved: Pawnees, Mohawk, and Dacotah streets. - Tom Long

TWO VETERAN OFFICERS RETIRING - Captains Bill Irving and John Yerardi are retiring from the Police Department. The officers have 45 years of experience between them. Irving joined the department in 1982 and was a patrolman and detective before he was promoted to captain. He will retire on April 18, but will remain part of the department's auxiliary. Yerardi began his career with the department in 1987 as a patrol officer and has been a detective and DARE officer. He plans to retire on May 16. - Tom Long

ROAD WORK SET TO BEGIN - Work is scheduled to begin tomorrow on the reconstruction of Main Street, which will require southbound traffic be rerouted. Between Riverworks Tavern and the Newmarket Public Library, roads, sidewalks, and curbs will be torn up and then replaced. The wide-scale project is expected to continue through late fall. A southbound detour will direct drivers up Elm Street onto Packer's Falls Road and onto Route 152. - Tom Long