View from the Hill - May '07

The House, which approved its version of the FY 2008 state budget several weeks ago, is now marking time with committee hearings and the occasional formal session as the Senate begins its own budget process. My office was successful in securing an earmark of $125,000 towards improving the high risk situation of the Squannacook Dam abutting the Rivercourt Residences assisted living center in West Groton, and hopefully Sen. Panagiotakos will be able to match or even improve upon this amount during Senate debate.

Another important project that has received considerable attention from my office is the reconstruction of the Groton Street covered bridge in East Pepperell. Although the bid opening has been pushed back by MassHighway from early June to the end of August, Commissioner Paiewonsky has assured me that funding was secured with the recent passage of the Governor's emergency bond bill and that she is a "big fan" of covered bridges.

Last week, the Legislature convened as a Constitutional Convention to supposedly consider once again an initiative petition banning gay marriage, but quickly recessed to June 14 without taking any action. Despite the turnover brought about by the November election, I remain convinced that more than the 50 favorable votes (25% of the 200 members) required to move the question forward to a statewide referendum still exist, and one of them will be mine when the amendment is eventually brought forward.

A rather long list of congratulations this month, headed by 15 Groton seniors that have or will turn 90 in 2007 and who are being honored at the Groton Senior Center: Kathleen McCann, Beatrice Cooper, Loring Swaim, Russell Hatch, William Gale, Warren Palmer, Mary Isley, James McCormick, William Durrance, Alma Smigelski, Gordon McWade, Jennie Pietras, Carolyn Fowler, Sarita Choate, and Dorothy O'Dell.

In the education field, I am pleased to recognize David Bean and Sharon Wooding of Groton Dunstable, Holly Cable of Ayer, and Robert (Tony) Dempsey of North Middlesex on the occasion of their retirements.

Congratulations are also in order to Nathan Pfenninger of Groton and Michael Hans and Joe Kelley of Townsend for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, and to the nursing staff of the Nashoba Valley Medical Center on the occasion of the celebration of National Nurses Week.

Finally, kudos to the Evangelical Congregatational Church of Dunstable on the 250th anniversary of the founding of that institution.