Howard Whitten, standing, tells voters Sunday at the Roxbury annual Town Meeting about plans to establish the town’s first historical society. An organizational meeting is set for 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Town Office. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times
ROXBURY — Voters raised $1,500 at Sunday’s annual Town Meeting to start what is believed to be the town’s first historical society.
Howard Whitten said the closest thing the town has to such an organization is the old photos on the walls of the Town Office. He, along with volunteers Jean Shaw and Nancy Lovelace, want to lead an effort to establish one to preserve town artifacts, memorabilia and other materials.
An organizational meeting is set for 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Town Office. Residents and nonresidents are welcome to become members. The group encourages anyone who wants to donate historical photos of Roxbury or loan them to be copied to do so.
For more information, email Whitten at downwind@oxfordnetworks.net.
Voters approved an amendment by Select Board Chairman Tim Derouche to reduce the winter road maintenance amount by $30,357, to $270,989. The original amount anticipated a 20% increase in the cost of sand and salt and an increase in a new three-year plowing contract.
Last week, after the warrant was set, the town received a bid of $128,000 from Charley Pappas to plow roads the next three years, Derouche said. The board will negotiate with Pappas on that contract.
The municipal budget is about $640,000, or nearly $70,000 more than this year, Tax Collector and Treasurer Renee Hodsdon said.
Among the 91 articles approved by the 40 voters were:
• $5,000 to add to a property revaluation account that has $27,400.
• $20,000 to the Slippery Sliders Snowmobile Club to maintain two of the 12 snowmobile bridges in Roxbury.
• $1,000 to the Roxbury ATV Riders to maintain its ATV trails.
• $7,500 to upgrade safety gear for the Fire Department.
• $2,827 to the Med-Care capital improvement fund.
• $2,750 to update the town website.
Ray Hodson was elected to the Select Board for three years. He was the only one to file nomination papers. He filled a seat that was vacant the past nine months.
No one took out papers for a three-year term on the Regional School Unit 10 board of directors.
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