Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) 98 Superintendent Keith Laser told trustees Nov. 5, Lavallee Brensinger Architects has been chosen for a master plan study of the Boothbay Region high and elementary school buildings. The firm's latest projects have been the new Morse High School under construction in Bath and Sanford High School and Regional Technical Center. Laser said the firm was well prepared and seemed to know exactly what the CSD needs from the study.

Laser said the committee is now waiting for the company to come back with a contract for review and to brief the board on the scope of the study, which is projected to take about a year. “They convinced us that they understand the future needs in public education ... that they can walk into a building and see if it's being utilized properly and what could be used better ... We're in the right direction toward what we're all hoping we're going to get.”

Cross-country trail

Cross-country coach Nick Scott presented a plan to expand the running trail from about  half a mile to a full mile at about 10 feet wide. Scott said the project would include speaking to the CSD's neighbor Hammond Lumber about using some of its land to locate part of the trail. Scott was seeking the board's blessing.

Funding for a new track began in 2010 with the inauguration of the Lobster Roll 5k which was designed to bring in money toward that goal, Scott said. “We spent some time and money looking at plans to build a track. It’s been 10 years and we haven't made a ton of ground on that.”

Boothbay Region Education Foundation – the 501c3 nonprofit that keeps donated funds for the schools – has an account with funds that do not come near the cost for a new track, said Scott. “So, this summer we talked about expanding and improving upon the trail that we have.”

He said expanding and beautifying the trail will be great for the cross-country team and good for the community, especially with possibilities of connecting the trail to St. Andrews Village and Penny Lake trails. “I think that this could be really great for a safe place that has some substance to it that people can recreate on that's off road.”

Scott said he and Director of Security Kyle Canada walked the proposed course with a forestry professional who quoted all tree clearing at $10,000. That and other costs would come out of the track reserve funds, he said. Scott added, past donors have expressed support for the project, and funds raised from the Lobster Roll 5K can be used.

The board voted unanimously to support the project moving forward with the condition that any liability involved with the use of Hammond Lumber land falls back on the CSD.

Perkins field safety concern

Field hockey coaches Donna Jordan and Lauren Brown said part of Perkins Field is becoming uneven. Jordan said she understood some brush may have been buried as part of the field's construction. She surmised that the brush’s decomposition may be the culprit. “We have parts on our field – I'll call it a sinkhole for lack of a better term – but they're dropping maybe a couple of inches. If you're familiar with the game we play, it's with a very small ball that goes along the surface.”

During practice and games, the ball is being launched into the air and, given the ball’s speed and density, it is a safety issue, said Jordan. She said the trustees were being told now because budget season is coming and any repairs could take some time.

“Not only is it uneven, but the southeast corner of the playing field literally drops right off,” AOS 98 Facilities and Transportation Director Dave Benner said adding that he has walked the field with several people who have expressed the same concern.

Trustee Kevin Anthony and Benner agreed sodding that part of the field in the spring rather than seeding topsoil over fill would fix the issue, making the field playable next fall. Benner said he was at first skeptical of sodding the baseball infield, but despite the work and amount of water needed, the end result was excellent.

Said Chair Richard Hallinan, “We will look into it and do what we can to make it right ...”

Announcements

Lewis and Malm Architects President Charles Earley said a pre-construction meeting for BRES concrete work was held with Hascall and Hall's C.J. Bergeron and Lincoln-Haney's Michael Cunningham. Construction is expected to begin June 15, 2020 pending snow days and will last until Aug. 21.

Trustees voted unanimously to award a three-year plow bid to EM Wood at $55 per hour for an eight-foot blade and $50 per hour for a seven-foot blade.