MERRIMAC — Selectmen are seeking residents to help create and run a cable TV studio for the town's local access cable. Those interested are encouraged to attend the selectmen's meeting on June 30 at 7:45 p.m. for an open discussion.
The roughly 1,900 Merrimac cable subscribers currently have access to channels 12 and 18. Channel 12 offers primarily local announcements, and channel 18 shows a blank screen. Selectmen have some suggestions, such as bulletin boards, Pilates demonstrations and cooking shows. But they hope that residents will have additional ideas for shows, as well as how to set up the studio.
"There's a lot of opportunity there," said Chairman Carol Traynor. "I think it's something we could do a nice job with."
Selectmen will also invite the Cable Advisory Committee to the June 30 meeting to discuss the Cable Studio Agreement with the Pentucket Regional School District.
In other business, selectmen met with the Department of Environmental Protection last month. Selectmen had hoped to reach a compromise over the DEP's order last fall to keep all vehicles away from the town's well field at Indian Head Park. In order to comply with the order, selectmen have been forced to close the park while town officials search for alternative solutions.
DEP officials told selectmen that they feared a car accident at the park could result in an oil spill and cause damage to the well, according to Traynor. One of the selectmen's responses to the DEP's decision had been that water sources for other municipalities, such as Kenoza Lake in Haverhill, lie closer to traffic than Indian Head Park. Traynor explained that selectmen recently learned that open water can be cleaned more easily than a well, and that large bodies of water allow for a faster dissipation and breakdown of contaminants.
For now, Indian Head Park remains closed to vehicles and pedestrians until further notice. Selectmen will need to review liability issues before they can decide whether to reopen the park to foot traffic.
