03.2.2008 | 3:50 am | Local Government
The school committee has voted in a favor the 2008-2009 school budget which will of course require an override of Proposition 2 1/2 . The school system is looking for $1.3 million dollars according the the North Reading Transcript. If this gets voted in, finally Wednesday will be a full day of school not just the current 1/2 day as well as other programs being restaffed.
So what do I think? Of course this should be voted in for many reasons but I can understand why people vote against it. Who is managing the school finances? How much are their health care benefits? How much pension is being funded? How does it benefit me if I don’t have kids. Having said that, this is the best money a taxpayer can pay.
Why? Better education simply equals a more stable and more attractive real estate market for all North Reading residents. In the long run, it is the best investment that can be voted for. Tax funds specially used for public schools in the interest of all voters of all ages who plan on one day selling their houses.
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02.28.2008 | 4:42 am | Local Government
North Reading has what I think a crappy policy when it comes to a broken mail box due to a snow plow. Yes it happened to me! I mean I know it is going to happen and all but… Wait let’s get to the North Reading policy. If your mailbox is broken, you know the one where you had to dig for over an hour and then pour concrete is broken - you get a whopping $50! Um hello I don’t want the money I just want them to fix it.
Here is a town that has the right policy:
BROKEN MAILBOX POST
Palmer Township will first attempt to repair broken mailbox posts. If the post is broken beyond repair, it will be replaced with a pressure-treated 4′ x 4′ mailbox post kit. A cedar 4′ x 4′ mailbox kit is available for the replacement of a cedar, metal, plastic, or other material post which is more expensive than a pressure-treated post. If a resident is not satisfied with what the township provides, he/she may purchase his/her own post kit and submit the paid receipt to the township. The township will then reimburse the resident an amount equal to the cost of our standard replacement post kit.
BROKEN MAILBOX
Palmer Township will first attempt to repair the mailbox. If the mailbox is damaged beyond repair, the township will replace it with a standard plastic or metal mailbox. If a resident is not satisfied with the replacement the township provides, he/she may purchase his/her own mailbox and submit the paid receipt to the township. The township will then reimburse the resident an amount equal to the cost of our standard replacement mailbox.
If it is determined that the original placement of the mailbox post possibly led to it being damaged, such as the mailbox itself protruding in the cart way, township crews will adjust the placement of the new post to help prevent future damage.
YARD DAMAGE BY SNOWPLOWS
Property owners who identify the edge of the roadway with a vertical marking device: (Examples: Metal posts with a reflector on the top, wooden stakes, metal re-bar, or other device placed at regular intervals along the edge of roadway that will be visible to the snowplow operator. This device should be a minimum of 36″ tall.) Within a reasonable amount of time following the end of a snow event, Palmer Township will pick up any snowplow damaged yard material that remains. In the spring, Palmer Township will restore the area damaged by placing new topsoil and reseeding the affected area.
Property owners who DO NOT identify the edge of the roadway with a marking device: Palmer Township will not be responsible for any damage to these properties.
Just fifty bucks to replace my mailbox. Well, we have sent in the picture and receipt to get our $30 (since the mailbox only costs that much) and then I will wait until the ground gets soft so I can dig once more!
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