Blandford Select Board Approves Eversource Pole for Beech Hill Road Home

BLANDFORD — September 11, 2023 — Blandford Select Board approves Eversource pole and hears criticism of Bicentennial Park neglect. The board unanimously authorized a new mid-span pole at 43 Beech Hill Road to serve a new residence, with Eversource representative Nicole Scarborough confirming no power outages expected during installation. In public comment, resident George presented photographs showing the park unmaintained all summer, telling the board the situation was "atrocious" and that accountability for upkeep remained unclear; a board member acknowledged the park's trust fund of roughly $8,000 is no longer sufficient and that routine maintenance has never been formally budgeted. Town Administrator Christopher Dunn reported that treasurer-collector Lynn Cain resigned effective September 28, and that fire inspection costs at Town Hall have surged since switching to Fire Service Group, with a single Saturday emergency call costing approximately $1,000. Road salt bids came in at $72.60 per ton for river salt and $93.60 for treated salt, and the highway department is posting for a vacancy after employee Andrew departed for the state Department of Transportation.