Town Notes
Published on November 15th, 2000
STONEHAM, MA - Central School update:
Selectmen promised to pick up the tab for remediation at and around the new Central School.
Finance Board Chairman Rich Gregorio estimated an $800,000 cost. Around 2,000 yards of soil has already been carted away. Another 1,500 to 2,000 yards of arsenic contaminated soil must go, according to the plan Gale Associates has coordinated with Stoneham officials and the Department of Environmental Protection.
The remaining soil is outside the school site, but the town has asked the School Building Committee to handle the matter in hopes that the remediation will fall under the school building project's 63 percent construction reimbursement.
Central School is the second of four Stoneham elementary schools being built under the Massachusetts School Building Assistance program. The program reimburses communities for building new schools according to a needs-based formula.
Town Administrator Jeff Nutting had previously given his word that the town would pay for soil clean-up outside of school property. This common sense plan would save Stoneham 63 percent on remediation done outside the school site.
Selectmen Tuesday night cemented and broadened this promise, voting to cover the entire remediation cost overrun at the end of the school building project.
Cheryl Walsh of Stoneham Parents for Healthy Schools thanked everyone involved for their spirit of cooperation.
Christmas on South Main St.
Selectmen voted to put up some wreaths on South Main Street this year.
"Now we just have to find the money," Selectman Cosmo Ciccarello said.
Besides wreaths the residents of South Main might also get a coat of hot top over their rough road. That stuff kind of looks like coal, but if it's on the street, not in the stockings, the South Main Street folks will be merry.
Nutting has a call in to confirm a tentative OK from Mass Highway.
MDC Rinks
The Metropolitan District Commission has tested the possible ice hockey rink site at 164 Pond Street for pollution.
After a clean-up effort, which removed underground storage tanks and some soil, the site is clean under state guidelines except for a contaminated dry well, according to MDC engineer Ramzi Abounaja.
The clean-up effort is ongoing. Selectmen received a report this week.
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