Amesbury Police will hold a child seat checkpoint tomorrow at the police station. Eight out of 10 child seats are not installed in cars properly. The checkpoint will allow a certified child passenger safety technician to make sure they are installed correctly. The Child Passenger Safety Checkpoints are conducted frequently at the Police Department. The process of inspection takes approximately 30 minutes and is free of charge. Parents will also receive instructions on how to properly secure the child in the seat. Expectant parents are also urged to come and have the child safety seat installed four to six weeks prior to delivery date. For more information, contact the Amesbury Police Department. The checkpoint will be held from 1 to 5 p.m.
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Mayor Thatcher Kezer said he is weighing all the options when it comes to Woodsom Farm. The 500 acres of open space has been the subject of utilization plans, and Kezer wants to make sure the land is used and protected.
"We would like some passive and active recreation," Kezer said. "The only way to preserve the land for future generations is to have people use it and appreciate it."
The plan would take into account the active hay farm already in use on the land, protect wildlife and the wetlands and make sure a proper draining system is in place so the land is not a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
"Those are the four significant uses of the farm," Kezer said. "We want to work together in a way to make the land self-sustaining."
The Woodsom Farm property was purchased in 1989 from the Woodsom Trust for $5 million and also includes two parcels of open space land behind the houses on Lion's Mouth Road.
In February, a Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit against the town over athletic fields at Woodsom Farm. A group of 24 residents, headed by Elizabeth Iacobucci, opposed the plan for the town-owned land, citing environmental concerns. The citizens filed the lawsuit against the state DEP, the Town of Amesbury and the Conservation Commission. The first part of the lawsuit was dismissed in 2006. The lawsuit is currently going thought the appeals process. Kezer said nothing would be done to the land until the issues were resolved.
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Work to move the Department of Public Works building from the Lower Millyard is imminent, Mayor Thatcher Kezer said earlier this week. "The first step this summer is to evacuate the land and prepare the land," Kezer said. "Ground breaking will be in the spring."
The mayor is currently waiting for an analysis of where the best place to move the DPW will be. He is currently considering either retrofitting the empty manufacturing building on Hunt Road to house the DPW, finding new land to build a structure for the DPW on or working with the state to move the department to the MicroFab industrial site on Route 110.
"We need to move Public Works out of the Lower Millyard to trigger economic development," Kezer said.
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The Carriage Museum will hold its annual meeting and potluck picnic Wednesday, Aug. 20, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Alliance Park. Members, guests and Museum supporters are welcome. Outgoing President John Lyman will be recognized for his long service. The following slate of officers for the 2008 to 2009 term will be presented and voted upon: President Charles Schissel; Vice President Dona Collins; Secretary Suzanne Cote; Treasurer John Cameron. Directors Richard Gale, Betty Goodwin, Ernestine Goodwin, Harriett Gould, Peter Hoyt, James Kelley, and Sally Lavery. In the event of inclement weather, the potluck supper and meeting will be held at the home of Sally Lavery at 26 Warren Ave. For more information, contact Sally Lavery at 978-388-9826.
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Northern Essex Community College will hold an information fair Wednesday for women considering returning to college. Holly Sippel of Amesbury, a mother of five who will be starting our nursing program in the fall, has been selected to speak. Sippel will be sharing her story, including tips on how to balance school work with a large family and how she managed to overcome her fears about being back in the classroom. The fair will be at 6 p.m. in the Technology Center Conference Room, on the Haverhill campus, 100 Elliott St. For more information and to reserve a spot, call 978-556-3735.
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The following meetings have been scheduled for this week. Check with the town clerk's office for last-minute changes:
Monday
Amesbury High School fall sports physicals, 4:15 p.m., Amesbury High School Health Center. All students who wish to play fall sports must have their physical.
Conservation Committee, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium
Tuesday
Child Seat Checkpoint, 1 to 5 p.m., Amesbury Police Department
Thursday
Amesbury Design Review Committee, 5:15 p.m., Cultural Center, 36 High St.
