Town Notes
Published on October 17th, 2001
STONEHAM, MA -
TA will hire town planner
STONEHAM, MA - Selectmen are split about whether and when to hire a town planner, but Town Administrator Dave Berry is advertising the position next week.
“I’m going to go ahead and post it,” Berry said. “I have the authority.”
Stoneham Town Planner is an existing and budgeted position, giving Berry full authority to hire someone subject to Selectmen rejection. The Board has seven days from the appointment to reject the candidate by a majority vote. The post has been empty since the spring when Steve Sadwick left to take a similar position in Tewksbury.
Berry plans to conduct interviews in November unless major budget distress in the next couple weeks forces the town to abandon the position.
“It looked like three out of the five Selectmen were for it,” Berry said.
Selectmen Chairman Tony Kennedy agrees with the Chamber of Commerce that Stoneham needs a town planner as soon as possible.
Selectman Cosmo Ciccarello wants to wait before making any new hires. He made a motion at the Oct. 9 Selectmen’s meeting to freeze hiring until Jan. 1, but the Board voted it down 3-2.
Selectmen Bob Sweeney and Mary Pecoraro voted with Kennedy not to freeze hiring.
Selectmen Darin Leahy voted with Ciccarello.
“There’s a general consensus we need a planner, but we have to be logical and see if the budget is stable,” Leahy said.
“If there’s a budget problem we’ll wait, but for now I’m going ahead,” Berry said.
MCAS scores released
The Department of Education released statewide scores from the 2001 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests this week.
Massachusetts public school students must pass the 10th grade MCAS tests to graduate from high school. Although passing 10th grade scores have increased statewide by 16 percent in English and 20 percent in math from 2000, many students still need help.
District results won’t be made public for another week, until all final scores are calculated, but school administrators received preliminary data this.
Stoneham Assistant Superintendent of Schools Joe Casey said administrators have begun to contact the parents of students who may have failed, according to the preliminary figures.
“We received an $8,500 grant to target and help students who failed,” Casey said.
The first chance to retake the tests is Dec. 10.
Public library distributed survey
The Public Library Long Range Planning Committee has distributed a survey asking citizens questions designed to learn how best to improve the Library.
The survey appears in this edition of The Independent and asks questions such as “What hours are most convenient for you at the Library?”
The survey is due back by Dec. 1, and citizens are invited to attend the planning meetings, also posted in this paper.
Board of Health needs help
Longtime Board of Health member Mike Rolli told Selectmen last Tuesday that the Health Department needs help.
“Our caseload is getting heavy,” Rolli said, alluding to an increase in formal requests and rumored “inquiries” for liquor licenses. He asked Selectmen to declare a moratorium on liquor licenses, but the Board would not.
Rolli said the Board of Health will make a more specific request for new personnel or increased hours after its Oct. 30 meeting.
Selectmen Tony Kennedy and Darin Leahy, in separate interviews, said the town may not have the money to give Rolli what he wants.
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