Informal community forum set for Saturday at LES

LEBANON - The Lebanon Board of Selectmen will host a community forum at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Lebanon Elementary School.

The agenda will include: The Old Town Hall Project, the Carl Broggi Highway 2014 Paving Update and the Lebanon Rescue Station Repair Fund.

The forum, which is hoped to become a monthly occurrence, is designed to give residents a more informal venue in which to offer their thoughts and ideas to selectmen and town officials on pertinent issues.

The Old Town Hall Project, which was originally designed to bring the historic building at the corner of Heath and Center roads up to code stalled after cost overruns and additional funding necessary to complete the project was defeated soundly last June.

The Carl Broggi Highway Paving Project by the state Department of Transportation would take place this summer and includes center line rumble strips over most of the road between Sanford and East Rochester. Some town leaders have also mentioned the need for a turning lane near Trains Plaza, an area of several wrecks over the past few years.

Rumble strips, while proved to be very effective saving lives and reducing accidents, have been a contentious issue in some towns in the past as they can produce a distinct “thunder” like sound in neighborhoods, especially late at night when traffic is light and folks are sleeping.

The effort to repair and rehab the Lebanon Rescue Headquarters on Route 202 in South Lebanon began as a spontaneous grassroots initiative sparked by several residents who showed interest in fixing the place up, Selectman Ben Thompson said last week.

Donations by check or cash can be made at Town Offices and will be accepted through May 1. Checks should be made out to Lebanon Rescue Dept. Fix-up Fund.

A community work day may be organized, Thompson said.