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• Salem board opposes special election for charter commission

  BY DERRICK PERKINS A proposal that would pave the way for changing town government may not be put before voters as selectmen mull over the cost of holding a special election to form a charter reform commission. “I wouldn’t call a special town Read More... Posted Tuesday, November 25, 2008 3:30 PM by Salem Editor | 1 Comments Filed under: Salem, Selectmen, voting, selectman

• Collection agency called in for Salem ambulance bills

  BY DERRICK PERKINS Fire and finance department officials are making a break with tradition by enlisting the services of a collection agency to help recoup some of the $132,000 owed to the town in outstanding ambulance bills. In March, Director of Finance Read More... Posted Wednesday, September 03, 2008 3:57 PM by Salem Editor | 1 Comments Filed under: Salem, Health & Fitness, fire department, Selectmen, selectman

• Salem bridges too far gone

  BY DERRICK PERKINS Selectmen held off on making a decision to petition for a special town meeting in the fall that would allow them to move toward rebuilding two bridges on the state’s red list. During the Monday, June 23, meeting, selectmen discussed Read More... Posted Wednesday, June 25, 2008 3:03 PM by Salem Editor | 0 Comments Filed under: Salem, Selectmen, town meeting, bridges, voting

• Traffic solution for clogged intersection in Salem should be neighborhood effort

  BY JENN McDOWELL A new plan for dealing with the town’s most central traffic problem at the Depot intersection may come through cooperation of businesses and abutters affected most by the regular traffic backup. By working with abutters, community Read More... Posted Wednesday, May 21, 2008 2:02 PM by Salem Editor | 0 Comments Filed under: Salem, Selectmen, traffic

• Salem selectmen's meeting in Andover raises ire

  BY JIM DEVINE NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Although some Salem residents criticized the time and place, the selectmen’s goal-setting retreat set restoring Salem as the “Gateway City of New Hampshire” as a symbolic centerpiece among ongoing Read More... Posted Wednesday, May 14, 2008 2:53 PM by Salem Editor | 1 Comments Filed under: Salem, Selectmen

• Charter reform may be in Salem’s future

  BY JIM DEVINE Selectmen voted to create a charter reform committee but plans for the panel have yet to be nailed down. In a unanimous vote on Monday, April 14, selectmen approved a proposal by Selectman Michael Lyons to create a seven- person panel to Read More... Posted Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:52 PM by Salem Editor | 0 Comments Filed under: Salem, Selectmen, school board, capital improvement, charter, budget committee

• 2007 tax rate reset – Selectmen take money from fund to cut rate from 6 to 3 percent

  BY DARRELL HALEN Salem selectmen voted to withdraw $750,000 from the town’s unreserved fund balance in order to cut the municipal tax increase of the 2007 property tax rate from 6 percent to 3 percent. But during the board’s special meeting Read More... Posted Wednesday, October 31, 2007 11:50 AM by Salem Editor | 0 Comments Filed under: taxes, Selectmen, Salem

• Depot work begins

  BY DARRELL HALEN Plans for renovating the old train depot station in Salem are moving along, thanks to $60,000 that will be used to remove asbestos from the structure and raze a portion of the building. Selectmen recently authorized the use of the money, Read More... Posted Wednesday, October 31, 2007 11:49 AM by Salem Editor | 0 Comments Filed under: Salem, Selectmen, renovation

• Water, sewer rates to rise

  BY DARRELL HALEN Water and sewer rates in Salem are going up for the second time in four months. Selectmen approved raising the rate for water from $2.58 to $3 per 100 cubic feet, and the sewer rate from $2.60 to $3.35 per 100 cubic feet. The new rate Read More... Posted Wednesday, October 03, 2007 3:50 PM by Salem Editor | 0 Comments Filed under: Salem, Selectmen, water and sewer

• Depot a slow go – Organizers say red tape holding up renovations

  BY MATT HERSH A plan to restore Salem’s depot train station has been in the works for more than a year, but project organizers are concerned that opportunities for free labor may be passing by. Diane Paquette, a Salem resident with a passion for Read More... Posted Wednesday, August 29, 2007 4:40 PM by Salem Editor | 0 Comments Filed under: Salem, Selectmen, history, trains

• Town manager terms set – Contract includes $118,000 salary, probationary period for severance package

  BY MATT HERSH Salem selectmen have announced the details of their contract with new town manager Jonathan Sistare, who is set to begin work in October. After months of candidate searching and negotiations with Sistare, who is currently in Iraq with the Read More... Posted Wednesday, August 15, 2007 1:59 PM by Salem Editor | 0 Comments Filed under: Salem, Selectmen, military

• Truck stop – Selectman wants to revise ordinance prohibiting commercial parking at residences

  BY MATT HERSH A recent zoning decision made by Salem building inspector Sam Zannini has Selectman Pat Hargreaves pushing for a better-defined ordinance about parking commercial vehicles. The ruling bans commercial vehicles from parking in residential Read More... Posted Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:19 PM by Salem Editor | 0 Comments Filed under: Salem, Selectmen, zoning

• Costly exit – Salem retirement costs double this year due to state program

  BY MATT HERSH A now defunct state pilot program is at the root of Salem’s retirement costs being almost double what was budgeted. The town will have to pay as much as $675,662 to employees planning to retire over the summer and in the fall, according Read More... Posted Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:18 PM by Salem Editor | 0 Comments Filed under: Salem, Budget, Selectmen, retirement

• A road by any other name – Apartment owner wants street name changed to remove stigma

  BY MATT HERSH When people rent apartments in Salem, location is an important consideration. But for property owner Larry Jacobs, it can be a deal-breaker. In March, Jacobs purchased 42 apartments on Meisner Circle. But now, he’s having trouble finding Read More... Posted Wednesday, June 27, 2007 1:07 PM by Salem Editor | 0 Comments Filed under: Salem, Selectmen, roads

• Salary set for next town manager

  BY MATT HERSH The position of town manager in Salem will be getting a salary boost when Henry LaBranche steps down in December. His replacement will be paid between 17 and 27 percent more than LaBranche made during his three years in Salem. Selectmen Read More... Posted Wednesday, March 28, 2007 12:59 PM by Salem Editor | 0 Comments Filed under: Salem, Selectmen