The Beat Goes on............


Don't like the water department or how it is run or how the Light & Water meetings are run. Don't like the lack of information coming from them and want change; would you like to see change; run for commission and try to change from within or get a citizens petition and bring it to town meeting and if you want to look smart, get hold of the original petition that Templeton Light used to do the original acts of 2000, chapter 93 version and copy it while making the change of say merging water with Templeton Sewer.  No sense in doing all the leg work when Templeton Light already used light funds to do it for you (that is my opinion Dana & Lawyers) I think I may be able to get a copy of the thing that came in with the light bill, hope it was kept. Any who, you do that and bring it to town meeting and have a vote. See what happens.


Now I could be wrong, but as far as the whole story, well, I don't recall selectmen just randomly saying at any meeting at any time, "hey, lets have a vote and buy Templeton highway a new loader out of chapter 90 (road) money" usually, a request comes to the BOS from someone and in the case of highway, it is usually Bud Chase and has been said at a recent BOS meeting, the town administrator has been in contact and has meetings and updates with / from Bud Chase, so I or anyone can extrapolate from those statements that it is indeed originating from Templeton Highway (Bud Chase) to use chapter 90 (road) money to buy equipment.  After all, the road money is being used to buy equipment for who??  Oh yeah, Templeton Highway, so who would be making the strongest case to do that? You know the fleet is old and worn out so I think that might be the whole story.


Now as for non local or out of state trucks ruining the roads, well that happens all over the country, sort of, heavy trucks put a strain on roads, particularly roads not really built on the basis of handling heavy ( and getting heavier) loads. This has been going on ever since the trucking industry and union has been pushing to leave the rail road. The original intent of the federal highway road system was to be of use to move the military around the country and this is something that history points to be the brain child of Dwight Eisenhower. Now we just grind a couple inches off and re pave the road every couple years. It happens for a variety of reasons and it keeps the paving companies and hot top producers busy and in the money but it really does not do much for the people paying the bills.


On the small L70 Volvo loader having to work harder and then wearing out sooner than an L90 Volvo loader, I went to the computer to download the specifications on them and what I found was they use the same size engine that is in my pickup, a 5.7 litre diesel in both sizes or 348 cubic inches.
Maximum torque at 1400 rpm  on both with the economic working range at 800 - 1600 rpm, with maximum power at 1400 - 1700 rpm. Both machines achieve maximum power, torque and economy at the same range. all the fluid capacities list equal. The standard equipment list is the same for both machines. On the lift cylinders, they both have two with the l70 having a lift cylinder diameter of 4.3 inches and the L90 has a dis. of 4.7 inches. I wonder if they went for the optional equipment list of the automatic greaser??  Yeah, that saves time Jeff but I hope someone remembers to fill the tank so the automatic greaser can do its job.


It was pointed out at a selectmen's meeting that Templeton highway currently spends 100K a year on maintenance and with new equipment they hope to lower those costs. What was not covered was what part of that amount is regular costs because new trucks still need filters, oil, grease etc. and new diesels need a fuel additive which is not cheap and belts, hoses and lights etc., still fail on new equipment. Now new equipment is generally covered by warranty and then the machine either has to go to the shop or the repair truck comes to you and that cost is not always covered by warranty. The there is the electronics and the tools to use to find the problem, which sometimes can be a very small item preventing that 100 thousand dollar plus piece to not work. That software is either very expensive and or propriety which means you can't have it and you have to use us. Not a reason to not buy new but just the other side of the story that is new does not always mean less or cheaper, just means you are more comfy. I drive a 1991 truck with no electronics, no radio, no heated mirrors and a very uncomfortable seat, all of which will change now after the truck has proven itself. It has proven to be a very reliable truck with none of the problems or issues of the electronic era trucks. The best part is, the total cost to make this a complete snow fighter platform was half the cost of a brand new cab & chasis. In a town report, under Templeton highway, there is a truck, year 2000 listed as having cost the town zero, as in the cost of the truck was zero, now there probably was some cost in paperwork and transportation but the price of the truck was zero. It ain't the prettiest, the most modern or the most comfortable but it appears to be a very good truck and has been used some in the summer, so maybe go after trucks that way and save the road money for the roads. Hey, when you only have so much to spend on cake, somebody has to go without frosting.


Jeff Bennett