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Cumberland
water
customers'
rates going up
Increase will fund major
water system repairs
CUMBERLAND – An ambitious
repair and replacement program for the
Cumberland Water Department was
set into motion last week when Town
Council members approved increasing
the department's infrastructure sur-
charge by $1 per 1,000 gallons of water
– or about $90 annually for the average
family.
Water Supt. Chris Champi is describ-
ing miles of pipeline that need replacing
and myriad water system projects that
the increased charge will be financing.
On this year's list is installing valves
on either side of the line that hangs pre-
cariously beneath the Newell Bridge on
Diamond Hill Road.
According to the ordinance adopted
5 to 2 last week, the department's 8,100
consumers will see the increase begin
in their November quarterly state-
ment, when the infrastructure surcharge
increases from 42 cents per 1,000 gal-
lons to $1.42.
In exchange for the increase, which
Champi said he understands won't be
By MARCIA GREEN
Valley Breeze Editor
mgreen@valleybreeze.com
See WATER RATES, Page 21
BREEZE PHOTO BY BILL MURPHY
Republican SCOTT SCHMITT gives a victory speech Tuesday night at J Gray's Tavern
in Cumberland, after winning a third term on the Cumberland Town Council.
Beaulieu, Metivier, Kane join
Town Council next week
Will leadership roles
change hands?
CUMBERLAND – A change in
the Town Council leadership may be
coming, as three new councilors are
sworn in next Monday at 5 p.m.
Taking seats for the first time will be
Jim Metivier, an independent repre-
senting District 1; Lisa Beaulieu, also
an independent, in District 3; and
Tom Kane, a Democrat elected to an
at-large seat during the September
primary.
Metivier secured the seat with 56
percent of the vote over Democrat
Wayne Wagner.
Beaulieu triumphed over incumbent
Jim Scullin, 60 percent to 40 percent.
And Kane, along with incumbent
Peter Bradley, won the two at-large
seats in September's primary in a
three-way race that eliminated Charles
Wilk.
Returning to the council along with
Bradley will be Republican Scott
Schmitt in District 4, who hand-
ily defeated Democratic challenger
Bob Thibodeau, 59 to 41, to secure
a third term, and the unchallenged
Democrats, Council President Craig
Dwyer, District 2, and Bob Shaw,
District 5.
(Councilors Art Lambi and Joshua
By MARCIA GREEN
Valley Breeze Editor
mgreen@valleybreeze.com
Voters of Cumberland
and Lincoln are send-
ing newcomers Thomas
Paolino, a Republican in
Senate District 17, and Alex
Marszalkowski, a Demo-
crat, House District 52, to
Providence.
Also returning to the
Statehouse will be incum-
bents Rep. Mia Ackerman,
Sen. Ryan Pearson, Sen.
Roger Picard, Rep. Jim
McLaughlin, Rep. Gregory
Costantino and Rep. Jer-
emiah O'Grady.
On the Cumberland
School Committee, voters
chose at-large candidates
Bill Dennen and Stephen
Hess and in District 2,
Karen Freedman.
In Lincoln, at-large school
board member Joseph
Goho and Julie Zito
prevailed while District 2
voters chose John Picozzi.
Donald Trump collected 48
percent of Lincoln voters
compared to 45.5 percent
for Hillary Clinton. Cumber-
land went for Clinton, 50
percent to 44 percent.
See COUNCIL, Page 9
Serving Cumberland and Lincoln
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NOVEMBER 10-16, 2016
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