Andover Townsman, Andover, MA News

WEB UPDATE: Adams to challenge Finegold for senate

2012-02-02T18:34:00-05:00

Paul Adams, state representative of the 17th Essex District which includes most of Andover, has announced that he will run against Barry Finegold, state senator to Andover and other surrounding communities, in this year's election.

Town 'keeping an eye' on land

2012-02-02T15:57:18-05:00

Hundreds of filled trash bags, some in piles six feet tall, lay on the front lawn of an Osgood Street property. Neighbors would like to see the town take action, but the health director says the piles do not represent a health hazard.

High School considers controls on 'grinding' dance

2012-02-02T15:57:05-05:00

Grinding, a sexually-evocative dance maneuver, is prominent enough at Andover High School dances that some parents are asking school officials to do something about it.
On Monday, parents, high school administrators and students on the senior board gathered at the high school to discuss the issue at a meeting hosted by the high school's Parent Advisory Council. By the end of the evening, the conversation had gravitated to what seemed to be an underlying issue: alcohol consumption, and how severe a problem it is at Andover High School.

Annual Town Meeting: Town Yard decision, zoning changes face voters

2012-02-02T15:56:46-05:00

Should the town lease some of its space for solar farm construction? Will we build a new Town Yard or buy land to replace the aging Ballardvale Fire Station?
These questions make up just three of the 51 warrant articles that Andover residents will vote during Annual Town Meeting starting April 30. The warrant also includes two private warrant articles: one asking residents to give selectmen the option of paying town employees and contractors in silver coins, and one to create a new industrial zoning district on Dascomb Road.

Bancroft construction to move forward

2012-02-02T15:56:00-05:00

Engineers have created two designs for access roads that will allow construction of the new Bancroft Elementary School to move forward as litigation against it continues.
The two plans seek to build a temporary access road to the school that would be used only by construction vehicles.

LGH's new pediatric center opens

2012-02-02T15:56:00-05:00

Supporters of Lawrence General Hospital point to its new Pediatric Center as the latest example that Andover residents don't have to drive to Boston to get quality health care.
Patient attitudes toward hospitals are often tough nuts to crack. Patients have different experiences with hospitals - some not so good. Over the years, more and more Andover residents have gone to Boston hospitals rather than stay local, such as at LGH, the closest hospital to Andover. But in 2010, LGH established affiliations with Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Cente,r meaning locals now can see the same doctors locally they would meet in Boston.

Town Talk

2012-02-02T15:46:43-05:00

Dinner to help pay for double lung transplant
Life-long Andover resident Ashley Dias once again needs a lifesaving double-lung transplant, but the $650,000 cost is overwhelming. Even with health coverage, Dias faces considerable medical expenses related to her transplant. Volunteers are planning a dinner/dance to help.

Three town safety officers honored for work

2012-02-02T15:46:12-05:00

Three Andover public safety officers were among 20 Merrimack Valley police and fire personnel honored during the Exchange Club of Lawrence's annual Annual Public Safety Officers of the Year Award Dinner.

Selectmen authorize virtual attendance

2012-02-02T15:45:10-05:00

Selectmen voted Monday to authorize most of the town's boards and committees to use state-provided remote participation laws.
The new laws allow members of town committees to attend meetings remotely through the use of technology, provided that the meeting has a quorum of present members and one of those members can chair the meeting. Members participating remotely can carry out all obligations as if they were present, including voting, according to Town Clerk Larry Murphy.

Andover Stories: Temperance and the town

2012-02-02T15:44:26-05:00

With the passage of the Volstead Act in 1919, the goal of the temperance movement was finally achieved - the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages was prohibited throughout the United States. Supporters of the movement had worked for close to 100 years to eliminate the scourge of "Demon Rum" from society, and prohibition was now the law of the land.