Webster approves recreation committee;

Discuss bridge traffic issues 

By Charles Kelleher Harris

WEBSTER- The Board of Selectmen and Town Administrator John McAuliffe were enthusiastic about the news that six Webster residents have volunteered to form a new recreation committee.

Leslie Baker presented a letter to the board volunteering the new committee for immediate consideration at Monday’s meeting.

“We have a strong interest in bringing cultural experiences to our community,” Baker said.

“It’s great to have some people come forward,” McAuliffe said.

“I love this,” Selectmen Robert Miller concurred.

Baker said that the volunteers already had ideas such as a children’s theatre and summertime outdoor concerts.

Other members of the newly formed committee include Valerie Beals, Jules Emerson, Stacey Tucker, Michelle Budney and Kelly Wolfsen-Guay.

The town has not had a functioning recreation committee since 2007.

Concerns about the Webster-Dudley Bridge project on North Main Street were also heard at Monday’s meeting.

“This has wreaked havoc on traffic,” said McAuliffe.

Selectman Robert Miller added, “Traffic has been horrendous.”

While the town of Oxford is officially in charge of the project, Webster Director of Public Works J.T. Gaucher fielded questions from the Selectmen about the project.

Gaucher commented that he had spoken with the superintendent of the project, and had been told that delays to the project were caused by the presence of dense rock and ledge in the drilling area.

“I just had an estimate from the superintendent on the project this afternoon,” said Gaucher, “(He) said that Wednesday before Thanksgiving would be the worst case scenario that they’d be finished.”

“In our wildest dreams we didn’t think it would last this long,” McAuliffe said.

Gaucher was originally on the Monday’s meeting agenda to discuss the acceptance of Regina Avenue as a town way.

According to Gaucher a portion of Regina Avenue was completed in 2007 and the rest was finished in November of 2011.

Gaucher said that the street had passed all the necessary inspections and requirements to be accepted.

The board agreed to schedule a public hearing about the street acceptance.

Following a successful public hearing, the item will be placed on the May 2013 town meeting warrant.

During his reports McAuliffe said that the first phase of the town’s Civil War monument’s restoration was completed. McAuliffe said that there had been some delays due to recent weather issues and scaffolding safety. However the project is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

McAuliffe also reported that despite the intense wind from Hurricane Sandy last week, the town had sustained relatively small damage. McAuliffe said there was some minor wind damage and scattered power outages that only lasted a few hours.