Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-08-09
NEED MORE MONEY
FOR SIDEWALKS
Special Town Meeting Called for
Monday, Aug. 10
row-Situation Presents Difficulties as
Work is Going Forward.


row-situation Presents Difficulties as
Work is Going Forward.
Because many are of the opinion that
sidewalks three feet in width are not
wide enough, a special town meeting
has been called for Aug. 10 in the hope
that money will be appropriated so that
the proposed three foot cement walks in
different parts of the town may be laid
wider. A petition signed by 5S voters
headed by Charles Il. Allen, was pre-
sented to the selectmen Monday evening
asking that a special meeting be called
and the selectmen decided upon Monday,
Aug. 10, at p. m.
The resolutions adopted al the annual
town meeting appropriating $4,000 for
about six miles of new cement walks
in different sections of the town desig-
mated IL walks to be four feet wide and
% to be three feet wide. Three feet
barely allows enough room for two per-
sons to walk beside each other, and
general dissatisfaction has been express
e1 by voters who live in the districts
which will be improved by the new
walks.
The warrant has been posted and con-
sists of four articles. The first is to
see If the town will vote to amend the
resolutions relating to the building of
the public highways so that the COM
mission appointed at the town meeting
in March shall be instructed as to the
width of the sidewalks to be construct
ed and to fix the minimum width. The
second article is to see If the commits
sion shall be instructed to construct
walks along other streets than those
specified in the resolutions passed at the
town meeting, and If so to name such
other streets. The third is to see If any
additional money shall be appropriated
to meet the provisions of any vote on
the two previous articles, and if so,
how much. The fourth is to transact any
other business that may come before
the meeting.
j. C. Connors of Schenectady, n. Y,
was awarded the contract to build the
sidewalks by the commission consisting
Of c. A Harris, j. l.. Stockwell and j. f.
Mellen. and began work two weeks ago
He has finished work on Cherry, Locust,
Pleasant and Estey streets and Southern
eVenue and on these streets has laid
three foot walks, with the exception of
on Cherry street, where the new walk is
partly four feet wide and partly three
feet wide. This was laid out to be a
three-foot walk, but the abutters, with
but one exception, paid for an addition
al foot Mr. Connors has about 80 Ital-
ian laborers at work, Is men arriving
here Wednesday, and as he is rushing
the work in order to complete as much
as possible before cold weather he will
have many of the walks laid by the
evening the special meeting is held. The
majority of these will be the narrow
walks and he says that it would be
difhcult matter to go back and add a
foot and that 1t would be not only an
expensive proposition, but one that is
not practicable. The persons living on the
streets where the narrow walks are cal
led for earnestly hope that the first ar
icle will be voted on favorably.
The sidewalk commission is bound by
the vote of the town meeting. in which
IT was appointed, to follow the routes
as published in the local papers of Feb.
16 and %. Since those routes were ar
ranged, which was done by members of
the board of trade, ii has been learned
that other walks In the town are in
need of repair and that some changes
are necessary.
Mr. Mellen says the commission does
not know how much money will be ask
ed for to carry out the provisions of
the first two articles, providing they are
voted on favorably Under the contract
made with Mr.. Connors he is to lay the
walks for 81 cents a square yard, eX-
elusive of the safeguarding. The town
is doing that part of the work. If the
voters wish to change the original res
olutions the expense of the sub grading
will be increased and the work probably
will cost more. although Mr.. Mellen says
he is not sure but that the original ap-
preparation might cover the cost of the
additions and changes. The cost
of the sub grading has not been deter
mined and at present may only be con-
jectured.