Dates officially set for new school project meetings and votes

Date: 9/21/2009

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



WILBRAHAM Thanks to an out of the ordinary Wednesday afternoon meeting of the Board of Selectmen, official dates have been set for the Special Town Meeting and the special election that will decide the future of the new Minnechaug project.

Chair of the Board of Selectmen David Barry explained at the meeting that the Wilbraham selectmen met with the Hampden selectmen on Sept. 9 and decided then to have both towns host their special town meetings on the same nights at the same time. The vote at the Sept. 16 meeting set the date and time in stone.

Voters will be asked to attend a Special Town Meeting on Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Minnechaug Regional High School, 621 Main St., to vote yea or nay on the new school project, which totals approximately $82 million, which includes new pool and district offices. The Massachusetts School Building Authority will be reimbursing the project at 61.73 percent, or approximately $47.4 million.

The town ballots have been scheduled for 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 20.

Information sessions will be conducted on the following dates: Sept. 22 at the Hampden Senior Center, Allen Street, at noon; Sept. 23 at Minnechaug Regional High School at 7 p.m.; Sept. 29 at Hampden Town Hall at 7 p.m.; and Sept. 30 at Thornton W. Burgess Middle School at 7 p.m.

More information can be found on the school district's Web site at www.hwrsd.org, or on the Minnechaug Pride Web site at www.minnechaugpride.com.



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According to Town Clerk Beverly J. Litchfield, Wilbraham residents who are not currently registered voters but wish to vote in the upcoming Special Town Election scheduled for Oct. 20 must register to vote by 8 p.m. on Sept. 30. Registration hours are daily 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 30. All sessions will take place in the Town Clerk's Office. Mail in voter registration forms are available.

Residents who are not currently registered voters but wish to vote in the upcoming Special Town Meeting scheduled for Oct. 5 must register to vote by 8 p.m. on Sept. 25. Registration hours are daily 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 25. All sessions will take place in the Town Clerk's Office. Mail in voter registration forms are available. Please contact the Town Clerk's Office if you have any questions at 596-2800 ext. 200.