2009 Annual Town Report

Well House Meetinghouse Hill ASHBURNHAM 2009 TOWN REPORT Well House – Built in 1902 History taken from the “Ashburnham Massachusetts 1885-1965” book written by Raymond P. Holden and Barbara B. Holden. “In 1901, a Cemetery Commission was first elected and immediately began making improvements in the old burying ground on Meetinghouse Hill. In 1902, Melvin Ohio Adams, who, while a somewhat unusual student at Dartmouth College, had drawn a map locating the ancient headstones in the Town’s first cemetery, and who later was to have the map reproduced for distribution to interested townspeople, spent several hundred dollars improving the cemetery property. He removed the old hearse house, tearing down and grading over the original stone wall, and built in its place a dignified fence of stone posts. Adams also undertook, again at his own expense, the refurbishing of the Old Common south of the cemetery, clearing the pine grove – which was subsequently wiped out by the 1938 hurricane – and seeding the area and erecting the well house and lookout platform which was still standing in 1965 although much of the beautiful original view had by then been obscured by trees growing up on the slope below it. Somewhat later, an idea which Colonel Adams had long cherished and upon which he had worked diligently bore fruit. He had wished to symbolize in some way the unity of life, particularly as represented in the cemetery on Meetinghouse Hill where men and women of many different national origins were buried. It seemed to him that a Celtic Cross like the thousand-year-old cross of St. Martin which he had seen on the island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland would serve his purpose admirably. For it was to Iona that pilgrims from all over the Christian world had come to be buried. Melvin Adams commissioned a Boston firm of stone-cutters to make an exact copy of the Iona Cross. He had the fifteen- foot finished work placed on Meetinghouse Hill, as near as possible to the old entrance to the cemetery.” Edited by ……………………………………………………………..…….Sylvia Turcotte Cover Photo by ………….…………………………………………..……..Sylvia Turcotte Published by………………………………………………………..……… Town of Ashburnham Annual Reports of the Town Officers For the Calendar Year 2009 Please visit our website – www.Ashburnham-ma.gov Table of Contents Events ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 In Memoriam............................................................................................................................................ 5 Ashburnham at-a-Glance .......................................................................................................................... 6 Town Hall Directory and Meeting Schedule.............................................................................................. 7 Municipal Officials................................................................................................................................... 8 Organizational Chart............................................................................................................................... 11 GENERAL GOVERNMENT Board of Selectmen.......................................................................................................................... 12 Town Administrator......................................................................................................................... 13 Town Clerk • Vital Statistics ....................................................................................................................... 15 • Proceedings of the Town Election – April 28, 2009................................................................ 15 • Proceedings of the Special Town Meeting – May 2, 2009....................................................... 16 • Proceedings of the Annual Town Meeting - May 2, 2009 ...................................................... 17 • Proceedings of the Special Town Meeting – November 19, 2009 (November 30, 2009) .......... 39 • Proceedings of the Special Election – June 16, 2009............................................................... 44 • State Primary Election Results – December 8, 2009 ............................................................... 44 FINANCE Town Accountant • Combined Balance Sheet for the Year Ended June 30, 2009 ................................................... 45 • Schedule of Actual Revenue Compared to Budget Year Ended June 30, 2009......................... 46 • Statement of Expenditures Budget vs Actual FY09 ................................................................ 48 • Statement of Expenditures Budget vs Actual Special Articles FY09 ....................................... 54 • Special Revenues – Statement of Activity for the Year Ended June 30, 2009 .......................... 55 • Trust Fund in Custody of Town Treasurer for the Year Ended June 30, 2009.......................... 56 • Water Enterprise Fund – Statement of Expenditures & Revenues Budget vs Actual FY09....... 58 • Sewer Enterprise Fund – Statement of Expenditures & Revenues Budget vs Actual FY09 ...... 59 • Agency Fund – for the Year Ended June 30, 2009 .................................................................. 60 • Schedule of Debt Outstanding Authorized and Unissued Year Ended June 30, 2009 ............... 60 Treasurer-Trust Fund Report............................................................................................................ 61 Board of Assessors .......................................................................................................................... 62 LAND USE Conservation Commission ............................................................................................................... 63 Planning Board................................................................................................................................ 64 Zoning Board of Appeals................................................................................................................. 65 PUBLIC SAFETY Police Department ........................................................................................................................... 67 Emergency Dispatch Center............................................................................................................. 69 Animal Control Officer .................................................................................................................... 69 Fire/EMS Department...................................................................................................................... 71 Building Commissioner ................................................................................................................... 74 Electrical Inspector .......................................................................................................................... 74 Plumbing & Gas Inspector ............................................................................................................... 75 Sealer of Weights & Measures ......................................................................................................... 75 EDUCATION AWRSD Superintendent’s Report .................................................................................................... 76 Budgets 2009-2010.......................................................................................................................... 77 Hours of School Session .................................................................................................................. 77 Student Enrollment .......................................................................................................................... 78 Oakmont Regional High School....................................................................................................... 78 Health Office................................................................................................................................... 78 Overlook Middle School .................................................................................................................. 80 School Nurse Report........................................................................................................................ 80 John R. Briggs Elementary School ................................................................................................... 81 Elementary School Health Report..................................................................................................... 82 Employee Salaries ........................................................................................................................... 84 Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School........................................................................ 90 PUBLIC WORKS Department of Public Works............................................................................................................ 95 Water Department............................................................................................................................ 95 Sewer Department ........................................................................................................................... 95 Municipal Grounds.......................................................................................................................... 96 Municipal Light Plant .....................................................................................................................

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