The first CSD Board of Trustees meeting this year marked Bob Webster’s first meeting as interim superintendent of Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98.

Said Webster, “I’m in what I would describe as the ‘wise old owl stage.’ I can’t remember the rhyme, but the wise old owl … (said) the less he spoke, the more he heard and I will be listening rather than talking at this point so I can get up to speed on what’s going on around here. I’m pretty much going to shut up and listen to the people who really know what’s going on.”

Facilities and Transportation Director Dave Benner did a follow-up on lead testing of Boothbay Region elementary and high schools’ drinking water. Benner said even though plans were to do quarterly testing, he has been running tests much more often.

“We have a flushing program at the school,” Benner said. “(In the morning), my people go around to water fountains and all the rooms that have drinking water and flush the fixtures for two minutes.”

There has been a large difference in levels of lead before and after flushing the fixtures, Benner explained. When he began tests in September, the highest levels after flushing were 2.3 parts per billion (ppb). The Centers for Disease Control recommend levels remain below 15 ppb. Benner was thrilled to report that over half the tests could not be measured since levels were so low.

In addition to looking into water filtration in classrooms providing drinking water, Benner said the representative he has been working with from Dirigo Engineering on the lead level issues has suggested replacing lines from classrooms to the main line with PEX piping, a plastic alternative to the present iron piping.

On Dec. 30, Benner was woken by a 2:45 a.m. alarm indicating the boiler at BRES was down. Fortunately, the backup boiler worked, but Benner said he could barely sleep for fear it would also fail. He was up every hour on the hour to check.

“At 4, 5 and 6 it was good, but at 7, the other boiler was down. I really freaked out – I hadn’t called (Honeywell) until the second boiler went out because I was waiting for daylight to hit before I called him to come in.”

The problem was a safety switch; the technician from Honeywell was able to jump it to get both boilers back online. Benner said both have been operating well ever since.

Over the last school vacation, the annual asbestos inspection was completed. Benner said since renovations 10 years ago removed much of the asbestos, levels are “very low” and only remain in places such as the glue underneath floor tiles and some above the ceiling. Also receiving an annual inspection was the large mechanical door in the BRES gymnasium. According to Benner, the door was working properly, but a few days after the inspection, the door stopped working. Benner said the door will be looked at shortly since there are many heavy components to all the moving parts.

Benner announced Debbie Russell, former manager of Dollar Store in the Meadow Mall, has been hired as a full-time custodian for BRHS.

“Debbie is a very dependable, hardworking lady,” said Benner. “She was a dispatcher for me when I was a policeman for several years. Good girl, good reputation, hard worker, so I think we’ll enjoy her here.”

Board Chair Chris Buchanan dismissed talk on most of the budget saying nothing has changed since the board’s last discussion. There was some discussion on two items not in the budget – replacing the fire panel in the elementary school and upgrading the area between Sherman Field and Perkins Field.

The board estimates that both upgrades will cost about $225,ooo – $85,000 for the fields and $125,000 for the fire panel. The board is looking at the possibility of taking out a $225,000 loan to do both projects, a rough estimate until the board can seek new bids for the fields.