TURNER — The long-anticipated Turner Town Bicentennial Bell has arrived.
The original bell was stolen over two years ago. Though the 24-inch, 350-pound bronze bell might have made it through the doors at the Town Office with some careful maneuvering, the powerful ring of the bell makes an indoor installation impractical.
Three possible scenarios were mentioned for installing the bell, including a plan to house it outside the Old Town House, or to keep the bell close to the Town Hall by designing a circular post support system. The construction of a tower to house the bell safely out of reach is also up for consideration. The board will think about its options and discuss them at a later date. For now, the bell is being stored at the Public Works garage.
The color of the bell was a topic of some discussion since the bell does not have a bronze finish. Town Manager Kurt Schaub explained that in Britain, where the bell was made, it is the norm to employ a graphite protective coating, which with time will develop the usual blue-green patina of an untreated bronze surface. Schaub said he was looking into what might be done to reveal the bronze look of the bell, and stated that the bell “sounds terrific.”
Mike Arsenault formally announced his retirement after 10 years serving as fire chief effective on Nov. 1. Arsenault cited undefined “differences of opinion” with the Turner Board of Selectmen as part of his reason for leaving his position. He also acknowledged that it had been a rewarding experience overall. Arsenault expressed his hope that the current assistant fire chief, Ross Gagne, be considered as his replacement. Arsenault will continue to assist the department.
Rescue Chief Toby Martin reported on the amount of calls per town for the month of October, which revealed a higher-per-capita number of calls in the town of Leeds when compared to all other towns served by the rescue team. Leeds, with a population of 2,326 according to the 2010 census, saw 22 calls in October.
Comparatively, Turner, with a population of 5,734 in the same census, saw 38 calls. Martin, outgoing fire Chief Mike Arsenault and Ross Gagne all agreed that the high number for Leeds was due to the many calls answered at an apartment building on Churchill Road. Further discussion revealed that audible alarms regularly go off in the building, which come through the alarm system as medical alarms instead of fire alerts.
Martin expressed concern that the issue could quickly become a serious one if a rescue unit is sent when a firetruck is what is needed. Ross described just such a scenario that took place two years ago, in which he was called to a medical alarm and ended up dealing with a fire.
Selectman Ralph Caldwell made a motion to send a letter forewarning the owners that fines of $250 would eventually be charged for false alarms, seconded by Selectman Denis Richardson. The serious nature of the situation led the Board of Selectmen to unanimously approve the motion.
In other action:
* The Environmental Protection Agency inspector was impressed with the town’s efforts to deal with stormwater runoff.
* On Nov. 7, Turner will have its first Annual Turkey Dinner Fundraiser at the Boofy Quimby Memorial Center from 4 to 7 p.m., serving a traditional turkey feast with all the fixings.
* Bids for crushing services are due by 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13.
* Schaub proposed creating a new category to Turner’s personnel policy to more accurately describe the role of the rescue per-diem employee, a position recently filled.
* The town was not awarded a grant to assist firefighters, but Deputy Rescue Chief Lisa Bennett will make recommendations for improvements to grant-writing strategies as the town pursues a grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation.
* The next Board of Selectman meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, at the Turner Town Office.
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