Temple remembers Steve Bull, no money for outside agencies

TEMPLE – Residents moved swiftly through 54 articles at Monday evening’s town meeting, pausing only at the mid-meeting intermission and for a moment of silence for a local legend.

Moderator George Andrews, a former selectman, asked for a moment of silence for Steve Bull, long time WKTJ radio personality, local columnist and moderator of Temple town meetings, who passed away in May 2009. This followed the presentation by Rep. Tom Saviello (R – Wilton) of a House sentiment recognizing Bull’s contributions to the Temple selectmen.

The town report was dedicated to Bull, noting he had served more than 20 years as Temple’s town meeting moderator.

Nominating candidates from the floor, residents reelected Austin Foss to a three-year seat on the board of selectmen and Raymond Nile to the position of road commissioner. Neither were opposed.

Residents approved the $298,000 budget in short order, but balked on Articles 49 and 50, which asked for residents to raise and appropriate $250 for the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and $1,160 for Community Concepts, respectively. Several residents, and some selectmen, stated that they were uncertain as to the benefit of those agencies in the town of Temple.

Both articles failed to pass by wide margins.

Residents did approve using $10,000 in the fire department equipment fund to purchase material for a garage-like addition to the Fire Department Building. According to Fire Chief and Selectmen George Blodgett, the addition will be used to accommodate a remodeled ambulance, which is serving as the town’s squad truck, and a forestry truck which is hauling a pump for the department. The shed will be built with volunteer labor, and the funds had already been appropriated for the purchase of equipment.

“The equipment is in really good shape,” Blodgett said, explaining that the department and selectmen felt that removing the $10,000 would not prove an issue. “I don’t foresee anything in the near future.”

Temple residents also approved the creation of a recycling committee, which will advise the selectmen on how to improve the town’s recently-plunging recycling rate. In the past five years, Sandy River Recycling Association’s data indicates that Temple went from 43.1 tons of recyclables, in 2004, to a preliminary estimate of 11.5 tons in 2009.

Selectmen indicated that they believed that issues with the hauler had led to less material reaching SRRA than residents had actually been recycling. Zero recycled material, for example, was logged at SRRA for Temple in January, according to selectmen. SRRA recently unveiled its new website: www.sandyriverrecycling.org which includes information about recycling procedures in Temple.

Also in attendance were Russell Black and Irving Faunce, both Wilton selectmen running for Saviello’s House District 90 seat, as a republican and democratic candidate, respectively. The two candidates addressed Temple residents briefly prior to the meeting. Saviello is running as for state senator in Senate District 18.