Town Notes
Published on May 16th, 2001
STONEHAM, MA
Reprecincting
Town Clerk John Hanright proposed adding a seventh voting precinct to Stoneham and Selectmen voted approval.
The reorganized seven precincts are populated as follows: precinct one - 3,182, precinct 2 - 3,186, precinct 3 - 3,240, precinct 4 - 3,086, precinct 5 3,290, precinct 6 - 3,181 and precinct 7 - 3,078. A map of the new precincts is available at the Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall.
Everyone will still vote at Town Hall.
Riggs update
A Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center spokesperson would only comment that Patrick Riggs, the construction worker injured in a fall at the new Central School last Monday, was still in intensive care.
RCN
Citizens are calling into question a Feb. 15 ruling made by the Board of Appeals to allow satellite dishes on top of the RCN Cable building at 430 Main Street.
The building is owned by local builder Joe Cunningham. Local attorney Charles Houghton represented RCN. Both men went through the proper channels, and the vote of the Board was 4-1.
One question is whether the Board of Appeals erred in their interpretation of the law. Recent rulings on rooftop equipment have been inconsistent.
Another question goes to the standards used to identify hardships warranting variances. The Board has broad discretion in granting variances, and maybe if the members can, they should say “no” more often.
The Independent will investigate this problem in more depth next week.
MCAS
Students are taking the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Systems (MCAS) tests this week, and sophomores are the first class to face a graduation requirement.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Keroack said the 2001 scores will be available in the fall. Students who fail will have four more opportunities to pass in time for graduation.
The scores will let Stoneham administrators know how well current MCAS prep and tutoring efforts are going and show the educators were further effort is needed, Keroack said.
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