Cheshire Accepts Bank Donation for Bus Shelter
CHESHIRE, Mass. — Cheshire will receive $4,370 from Adams Community Bank to construct a bus shelter for students waiting to catch the school bus.
The Selectmen read a letter on Tuesday night received from the bank in response to Selectman Paul Astorino’s request.
"It has been gnawing at me for the past three or four years seeing the kids standing in the rain and the snow waiting for the bus," Astorino said.
Astorino said he wrote a letter seeing if the bank would support the project.
The bank's donation will cover the purchase and delivery of the shelter that will be placed on the Richmond Street corner. The shelter will have clear, tempered safety glass to maximize visibility.
"This is great. The bank is really community oriented, and I really appreciate their attention towards the matter," Astorino said.
In other news, the reconstruction of the Windsor Road guard rails that were washed out during the storm in June has run into trouble. The deadline for bids passed on Aug. 5 with no takers.
Highway Superintendent Peter LeFebvre said it is a nearly $30,000 job, but it is not a standard one so contractors may have shied away.
LeFebvre said Cheshire will lose the money if it is not spent by September. If the issue is not resolved, LeFebvre recommended using the money for another project, which would have to be reviewed by state Department of Transportation.
"I will speak with the MassDOT tomorrow and get some information to see what we can do," LeFebvre said.
The board also approved the transport of two 60-kilowatt, trailer-mounted generators for the Fire Department and emergency services. Because the Fire Department will receive the units the generators are free. The portable units can only be given to fire departments.
"They are supposed to be our emergency center so it is the obvious place it has to be," said Selectwoman Carol Francesconi said.
The town's other option was two 15-kilowatt generators at a cost 400 apiece. These generators do not have to be given to the Fire Department.
Although the generators are free, Town Administrator Mark Webber said they will cost nearly $3,500 to transport and to hook up.
"The added benefits to these is that they can be shared with other towns; we can move them to where we need them if there is a dire emergency," Webber said.
Webber said the only issue is that the generators will not have switch gears so when the power goes out they must be turned on manually.
Tags: road work, school bus,
