Mayor John Moak
I apologize for not communicating with your audience during the last two weeks. Vacation schedules have made the operation a bit hectic.
During this period a good deal of progress has happened on the Rail Trail. The bridge that passes over Low Street was installed. This event garnered the interest of numerous residents. The bridge arrived in one piece on an oversized trailer at 10:15 pm. The arrival was almost ceremonious as this 100 foot tractor/trailer traveled east on Low Street completing its trip from Tennessee. One has to marvel that it took only one hour to put this structure in place once it arrived. The bridge will link the rail trail from the MBTA station to the waterfront. Paving has begun and we still expect a mid November opening of the trail.
Moving westerly on Low Street the solar panel project at the Nock/Molin School has taken shape and we are expecting the project to be in operation the first week of school. I did not realize the complexity of the wiring that is necessary to bring the solar produced power into the electrical system of the school. The project included a very complex junction of cables and switches to interconnect both systems. There will be a station in the front lobby which will allow the students to keep track of the energy being produced and to allow this project to be incorporated into the science curriculum.
I have the pleasure of meeting the teachers for their first day of the school year this morning. We have worked very hard to keep the number of teachers at the level it was last year. This fiscal year we actually have a municipal budget that is smaller than last year, but again the change in health insurance was a great aid in maintaining our level of instructors. The Newburyport Education Foundation continues to be a major contributor to our educational system; this year they have outfitted new music labs in the Nock School. This capital expenditure will allow for a more diverse instruction of music while maintaining the same level of instructors. We have also received a gift from the alumni association to add a coach to the fall athletic program. Each of these gifts helps to provide a more complete educational experience for our children. I greatly appreciate the efforts of these community based organizations.
As the summer comes to an end, let us look forward to a productive and weather friendly Fall. My administration has much to complete in the next four months as we prepare for a new administration. There are numerous infrastructure projects that will begin by mid September and we must carefully examine our finances as we proceed through the first half of this fiscal year. We are still concerned about additional cuts that may come from the state level; this cannot take us by surprise!
