Have you lost property — jewelry, a bike, even a rowboat — in Essex?
Now is the time to check if the lost item was ever found, because if not, it may soon be sold.
The
Essex Police Department’s storage rooms are full, and Chief Peter G. Silva says the department is planning to auction off many of the items filling them in September.
The items, turned in to police by their discoverers or found by officers on patrol, are declared abandoned after 6 months, but Silva says he likes to hold onto things for a year or longer, just in case an owner can be found.
“People leave a lot of nice stuff around’’ said Silva. “I’m encouraging people if they’ve lost a bike — we have some really nice bikes — to call the station, because if we have it and they can prove it’s theirs, we want to get it back to them.”
Those who are seeking lost items should contact the chief or a detective by calling the station’s business line. They should also be able to provide a detailed description, picture or other proof that an item is theirs.
Unclaimed items will be deemed “abandoned,” and the department can sell them off.
“I’d hate to have someone see a bike and say, ‘hey, that looks just like mine,’ after it was sold,” Silva said.
Besides a small fleet of bicycles, there are also a number of jewelry pieces, miscellaneous items and the aforementioned rowboat in the police lockers.
The Police Department has auctioned surplus property before, and the chief said he received several inquiries about “other stuff,” hence this auction.
“We’ve never done this before, and we have many years of stuff in storage,” he said.
The money raised will go into the town’s general fund . “The town needs the money, and we need the space,” the chief said.
“There are treasures for everyone, and it’s a good opportunity for those looking to get a bargain,” Silva said. “People should come down for the action, even if they’re not looking for something.”
Silva said details of the police auction will be announced at a later date, and that the sale may include surplus items from other town departments.
Memorial School pickup, dropoff rules
The leaders at Manchester Memorial Elementary School want to remind parents of some of the rules for pupil arrivals and departures. The practices aim to maximize pupil safety during arrival and dismissal, provide ample staff supervision for all children on school property and maximize efficiency and structure of arrival and dismissal procedures.
Parents and guardians must inform the school office of their child’s means of transportation to, from school. This will be communicated to the child’s teacher by office staff.
Any changes must be communicated via written note, using child’s first and last name on the note. Emergency change in dismissals must be communicated to the office before 2:30 p.m. via telephone or email to Cindy Dodge (dodgec@mersd.org).
Pets should not be brought onto school property.
Walking and biking to and from school are options for third- to fifth-graders, or younger children with an older, responsible sibling, who live close enough to the school to do it safely. Weather conditions should be taken into consideration. Bikes, scooters, etc. must be walked while on school property and children must wear a helmet. Bikes must be secured to the bike rack with a bike lock.
Parents must give written consent for their child to walk, bike to, from school.
Kindergartners through fifth-graders may arrive at school no earlier than 8:10 a.m.
For more on the school’s arrival and dismissal practices see http://www.memorialel.mersd.org/Pages/Index
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Marjorie Nesin returns next week. She compiles information about events, services and programs in Manchester and Essex. If you have a news tip or submission for the weekly Town Talk column, you can reach Marjorie Nesin at 978-283-7000 x3451 or gt_reporter@gloucestertimes.com.
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