On Monday night, Canterbury bought a fire truck.
It was a quick, easy process that took all of five minutes. Select board Chairwoman Cheryl Gordon looked over the contract with a representative from Ferrara Fire Apparatus and then signed a check for $339,774.
“I read before I sign something this big,” she said to Ed Pollard, the regional manager for Ferrara who attended the meeting.
Canterbury fire Chief Peter Angwin was also present. Angwin and his department originally proposed a different truck, built by Bradford-based Valley Fire Equipment, though the price tag was estimated to be over $400,000. When presented with the two options at town meeting, residents decided to go with the select board-recommended, cheaper Ferrara model.
Two longtime firefighters quit as a result of the vote, and Angwin said many more on the department wanted to leave, too. Most stayed, however, and the town proceeded with buying the Ferrara model.
Monday night was the culmination of this several-year, controversial process, though there was no controversy when it came down to the actual purchase. Gordon simply signed the check and handed it to Pollard.
“We okay?” she asked.
“I think so,” said Town Administrator Ken Folsom.
“Perfect,” said Angwin. “I guess we can go back to work.”
At the very beginning of the meeting, the Canterbury select board took a little stroll to the intersection of Kimball Pond, Hackleboro, Baptist and Center roads.
Accompanying them was resident Rob Riley, and his 11-year-old son, William, who are asking the town to put a crosswalk in the area.
“We walk to school every morning, and we’ve sort of been wanting to improve the intersection situation,” said Riley.
Riley said they’ve had several unpleasant experiences trying to get between the town center and the sidewalk along Baptist Road, which leads to the school.
“Someone ran into my saxophone,” said William.
“Without having a designated place” to cross, Riley said, “this is kind of a free for all.”
The idea of installing a crosswalk across Kimball Pond Road, connecting it to a small landing on the cemetery corner and putting another, 90-degree crosswalk across Center Road was discussed at the April 4 select board meeting, according to meeting minutes. Department of Transportation traffic administrator Bill Lambert attended in response to a letter town officials sent, citing concerns from residents about the intersection.
On Monday, the present select board members Gordon and George Glines agreed the crosswalks would be a good idea. Art Hudson voiced his support for the concept in the April 4 meeting, according to meeting minutes.
The landing and crosswalk structure will have to be made compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and will likely require some police presence for enforcement and education in the initial period of first having the crosswalks.
More signage may be installed, too.
Highway Department head Jim Sawicki said the state would help paint the lines this year following the construction of the landing, and then, “we’re responsible forever.” The town would have to pay for all the initial infrastructure, plus future maintenance.
The board instructed Sawicki to submit a request for the project to the DOT District 3 commission. In the meantime, the select board planned to get feedback from the local historic district commission, cemetery trustees and residents.
Glines said, “We’ll have plenty.”
Town officials didn’t have to wait long: as they walked back toward the Meeting House for the rest of Monday’s meeting, they stopped briefly at the Canterbury Country Store.
Standing on the porch, storeowner Joe Halla asked about the crosswalk plans.
“Why do you need a crosswalk? Has a child ever been hit by a car?” he asked.
“No,” Folsom said.
“No,” Halla repeated.
(Elodie Reed can be reached at 369-3306, ereed@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @elodie_reed.)