Buckfield: Students reaching goals

BUCKFIELD – Last year, SAD 39 engaged in a comprehensive literacy initiative. The plan supports strategies to help students become better thinkers and more proficient readers. The yearly progress targets are determined by the Maine Education Association.

According to SAD 39 Curriculum Coordinator Doris Belisle-Bonneau, testing has shown that 75 percent of fourth grade pupils in English language arts meet the standard. The target is 45 percent.

The target for math in grade four is 44 percent, and 55 percent of SAD 39 pupils met the standard.

The target for grade eight in math is 28 percent, and 51 percent of pupils met the standard.

Superintendent Rick Colpitts said the process is working. In the elementary schools, there is a two-hour literacy block. Middle school requires a two-hour reading and writing language arts time, and the high school requires 10 minutes of reading a day.

– Mary Standard
Buckfield: State valuations increase

BUCKFIELD – Assessors’ Assistant Cindy Dunn told the Board of Assessors that the town’s valuation report showed nearly an $8 million increase over last year. The proposed 2006-2007 state valuation for the town is about $101 million, she said.

The present assessed value is $25,000 to $28,000 for the first acre for developed lots and $20,000 for undeveloped lots as well as camp lots. An undeveloped lot is defined as up to an acre with no septic system or well. Developed lots have septic systems and/or a well.

Supervisor of Municipal Services Mike Rogers said the developed lots should be assessed at $40,000 when considering the cost of a septic system and a well.

Resident Warren Wright said it was unfair to have both camp lots and undeveloped lots assessed the same. He said camp lots should be much less.

Pearly Lovejoy agreed with Wright. Camp lots are defined as up to an acre on an abandoned or discontinued road, or is landlocked, and has a residence or camp.

Board member Skip Stanley said if they considered changing the value they would have to visit every single lot to see how it was valued.

Assessor Oscar Gammon said, “You’ll have to up my pay. I’m not paid enough to look at every lot in town.”

Assessors decided to leave the present value alone but asked Dunn to get two definitions of developed, undeveloped and camp lots which they could study.

– Mary Standard

Canton: Fire Department holds class

CANTON – Fire Chief Wayne Dube informed selectmen that the department conducted training with department safety officer Mike Maxwell. The instructor was Lance Gurney, occupational safety manager for the Department of Transportation safety office in Augusta. Lance covered electrical and gasoline fume safety. The training was attended by four firefighters from Sumner and 13 from Canton.

– Mary Standard

Canton: Grant procedures explained

CANTON – Diane Ray, coordinator of special projects for the town, met with representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Maine Emergency Management Agency and selectmen to clarify grant procedures.

The work is part of the town’s effort to relocate the village center and its residents out of the Androscoggin River flood plain.

Acquisition and demolition of properties will be paid for by a $3 million federal grant. Ray has submitted a grant application to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston to help underwrite some of the new village center costs.

There will be one more round of salvage and two rounds of demolition this year.

Selectmen are working with residents on a plan for reusing the land in the flood plain.

– Mary Standard