Selectmen have designated April 17 through May 14 for the annual roadside cleanup. Plastic trash bags for this purpose are available at the town office free of charge.

The semiannual bulky waste pickup will take be Saturday, May 17. For further information, call the town office at 353-2561.

In a related issue, trash bags with cellophane tape will no longer be accepted for roadside pickup. This is an effort to discourage counterfeiting, a spokesman said.

In other business:

• Selectmen have given the Tri-Town Penguins Snowmobile Club a $900 grant from the snowmobile refund account, which will be used for improving and maintaining trails.

• The annual contract with Coastal Humane Society has been approved at a cost of $3,888. Selectmen have also approved a contract with Maine Equalization Services for tax assessing services, at a cost of $1,400 per month.

• Selectmen accepted with regret the resignations of two long-time members of the Planning Board, Suzanne Marshall and Mike Fitzpatrick.

• Selectmen appointed to the Planning Board: Russell Jabaut to a five-year term, Clyde Smith to fill the unexpired term of Fitzpatrick and Todd Beaulieu as an alternate member for one year.

– Connie Footman
Durham:

League wants ball field

Selectmen have taken under consideration a request by Rod Stimpson, representing the Cal Ripkin League, to allow the league to use a four-acre, town-owned lot on Swamp Road for ball fields.

There would be no cost to the town, Stimpson said, adding that the league would like to have an agreement with the town so that once the fields are built that they would be permitted to remain on the property. A title search will be conducted prior to approving the request.

– Connie Footman
Sabattus:

Selectmen OK new helmets

Selectmen have approved a $2,150 purchase of 10 new firefighter helmets.

The 2-1 vote, with board chairman William Luce dissenting, came at a recent selectmen’s meeting.

Luce asked Fire Chief Robert Scott why he did not simply buy new liners for the old helmets. Scott said that he looked into that but discovered the service is not available. Selectmen asked Scott what he would do with the old helmets.

“Personally, I think you’ll find that they’re junk,” Scott said.

Selectman Rudy Gayton asked Scott how long the old helmets have been bad. Scott said he found out approximately a month ago. “I had no idea before that that they didn’t meet standards,” he said.

In other news, selectmen say they have seen an increase in junk cars and will start this summer more stringently enforcing a junk car ordinance.

“It does get out of hand,” Luce said. Three or more junk cars mean a junkyard permit is required, selectmen said. People can get a permit by going through the Planning Board, Luce said.

– Seth Golden

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