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There's no question the area needed the water. But the cool, wet, overcast weather this week brought with it the relative gloom and reality that summer is coming to a close. You know, real summer - where kids are off from school, vacations are more plentiful, the sun is out past 7:30 p.m., and the town beach is open. With the start of school next Wednesday, Sept. 1, many will devote more attention again to the issues of the day - issues that don't involve sunscreen. Among those deserving of immediate attention are the upcoming state primary, and the plan to replace Bancroft Elementary with an approximately $35 million new school.
For the first time in years, there will be a wide-open field, with primary contests for Andover's state senate seat and both its state representative posts. Sen. Sue Tucker is stepping down, and the current field means there will be primary battles on both the Republican and Democratic senate ballots. Independent Jodi Oberto's presence then guarantees a three-way senate race in November.
The Massachusetts State Primary will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 14, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. During the next three weeks, the 12 candidates for the three Andover legislative positions will be asked questions. This week, the topic is the state sales tax, and candidates answers can be found on page 4. The Townsman has a long-standing policy of not accepting letters to the editor about candidates in the issue immediately prior to an election. That makes next week the last week for candidate endorsement letters, at least until after the primary.
Residents may want to set aside Dec. 6, which will be a Special Town Meeting to vote on whether to spend around $35 million to replace Bancroft Elementary School with a debt exclusion override of Proposition 2 1/2. If approved at Town Meeting, residents would need to vote again at the ballot box on Jan. 25. The state is expected to cover at least 40 percent of the cost of building the school, if it is approved. It's possible that residents will also be asked on these dates to approve a more than $20 million plan to move the town yard out of the downtown and into a larger space. If so, town officials would be wise to make that information available as soon as possible after the opening of school.
