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Highlighting News Stories for Our Town for the week of March 24, 2003

Previous Newsbreak Archive

Newsbreak for Walpole

The Week – Mar. 24

The Year – 2003

          Living in a Time of War

Each day brings new images of the ravages of war. Each image instills in our minds the real image of people. Each person so depicted is a victim of this terrible time.

We continue to hope and pray that the peace will come and the hostilities will be dispersed.

We pray for all the people engaged in this war.

We press on in this tense time to continue the daily rhythms of our lives – to the extent that we can.

The schools are open; private enterprise is active; and the operation of local government continues.

But….  how will the long-term effects of the war affect our local budgetary dilemmas?

          Schools and Deficits

The large deficits that the country in general and the local communities in particular are all facing continue to be nearly intractable.

The school department and the finance committee and the selectmen have been looking carefully at the implications of the deficit.

The school system faces a shortfall of more than 2 million dollars. This will mean a reduction in staff and a concomitant increase in the number of students in some classrooms.

What to do? The money is not there and the possible ways to seek increased funding are not easily achieved.

These are difficult days ahead as we approach the annual spring town meeting and the debate on the budget.

…..