Concord -
To the editor:
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Rep. Cory Atkins for her leadership in ending Boston Bark’s industrial mulching operation on Barretts Mill Road. Within three months of meeting with me and my neighbors to hear our concerns, Boston Bark has been forced to end operations at this site, thanks to Cory’s effective work with state and town officials. She has shown her strong commitment to preserving the integrity of Concord’s small farms, wetlands and quality of life.
Ruth Crocker
Barretts Mill Road
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Chelmsford -
To the Editor:
The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has awarded the Town of Chelmsford a construction grant in the amount of $8,739,542 for the Chelmsford High School addition/renovation project. The town qualified for a 56.31 percent reimbursement rate on this project. The grant monies will be used to pay the debt service for the project.
In 2004, Chelmsford voters approved a $31 million borrowing to fund the renovation and expansion of portions of Chelmsford High School, McCarthy Middle School, and Parker Middle School. At the time of the Town Meeting vote and subsequent approval at the Town Election, Chelmsford officials and voters faced tremendous uncertainty as to the amount of reimbursement, if any, that the Town would receive from the State for these school building projects. The State had imposed a moratorium on financing new school construction projects as it restructured the MSBA program.
Thanks should be given today to former and current town officials, employees, and volunteers whose efforts over the past five years contributed to the successful school renovation project and subsequent state reimbursement. Reps. Cory Atkins, Thomas Golden, Geoff Hall, and Dave Nangle, along with Sen. Susan Fargo, contributed greatly to the effort to obtain state construction funding. MSBA Executive Director Katherine Craven and her staff have worked tirelessly with town officials to review the construction work and audit financial documents.
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Posted in: Accomplishments on 08/14/2008 | No Comments
The 2008 formal legislative session ended as one of the most productive in the last decade, both for the 14th Middlesex District and the commonwealth as a whole. Below is a brief snapshot of the progress we have made.
Despite the dramatic downturn in the economy, we were able to increase statewide local aid and Chapter 70 funding levels. These increases go far to keep property taxes stable. Unrestricted local aid to cities and towns reached $935 million, and funding for public schools (Chapter 70) increased 6 percent to nearly $4 billion.
I have been working closely with officials from each of my towns and the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to secure state reimbursements for school projects. Because of work completed in years past, I was able to secure funding for two schools, one in Chelmsford and one in Concord, which were both built during the moratorium. I am delighted to report that Chelmsford is being hailed as a model community for dramatically reducing its project costs associated with the high school. Because of that, the town was able to secure a 56 percent reimbursement rate. Additional projects in Acton, Concord and Carlisle are in progress.
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