Members of the Poland Historical Society questioned the Board of Selectmen Tuesday night about policies for public use of the one-room schoolhouse on the grounds where the town office is located.

It was decided that the town government and the Historical Society would meet jointly to draft an agreement on the use of the town-owned building.

“We would like to have a say in who would be using the schoolhouse and can we limit it to nonprofit groups?” asked Mary Chipman, secretary of the Historical Society. She said there would be glass cases containing artifacts from the town inside the schoolhouse.

Selectman Glenn Peterson suggested a full discussion on the issue at a later date. He added that he disagrees that the Historical Society should have full use of the building. “According to our records, the town has contributed $71,000 to it and you folks have contributed $28,000,” Peterson said, directing his comment to Chipman.

At a town meeting in 1996, voters approved the renovations of the schoolhouse.

– John Plestina
Lisbon:

Priority requested on road rebuilding

Selectmen will ask the state that if it rebuilds Route 9 from Sabattus to Lisbon in two phases that the Lisbon end be done first. The decision was made after hearing Maine Department of Transportation plans to reconstruct a seven-mile stretch as early as 2005, and it may be done in two increments.

The board’s request is based on the fact that there is a higher volume of accidents on the Lisbon side which is in poor condition. Town Manager Curtis Lunt reported to selectmen on the recent public hearing he attended in Sabattus, that studies of accidents on the road between 1999 and 2001 indicate a higher rate of accidents in Lisbon, 79; as opposed to 76 in Sabattus; and a significantly higher rate of personal injuries in Lisbon.

Of the accidents on the Lisbon portion of the road, 38 resulted in personal injuries and one fatality. There were 17 personal injury accidents on the Sabattus section of Route 9 during the time frame, Lunt said.

– Connie Footman
Poland:

Intersection

to be realigned

Town Manager Richard Chick updated the selectmen on the state’s plan to realign the intersection of routes 26 and 122 Tuesday night.

The Maine Department of Transportation plan would keep the intersection in its current location but would align the road on both sides of the intersection, Chick said. To accomplish the alignment, a small section of a residential property would be purchased by MDOT and a house would be moved or demolished.

Several board members said there should be a traffic signal at the intersection, but Chick said the traffic flow is slightly under state minimum requirements to place a light there. The town will request that MDOT put a signal at the intersection.

– John Plestina
Sabattus:

Sheetrock recycling to start

Thanks to a state grant, the town expects to save $32 for every ton of Sheetrock that is hauled away from its solid waste transfer station.

The grant for $3,200 from the State Planning Office will require a local match of $3,200. Transfer station supervisor Jerry Sabins said the town will be able to begin its first Sheetrock recycling program in six to eight weeks. “We’ve never done it. It’s a whole new ballgame for us,” he said.

Sabins said a 40-yard roll-off can with a rolling roof will be used. Commercial Paving of Scarborough will take the Sheetrock. The cost to the town would be $36 per ton, a savings of $32 from the current $68 the town is paying to get rid of Sheetrock that is deposited at the transfer station.

– John Plestina