Selectmen Meet With Andover, Dracut to Check Borders

By Bryan McGonigle

Tewksbury selectmen met with their counterparts in Dracut and Andover Saturday to make sure the town lines were where they should be.

The process is called perambulation, and it is enshrined in state law.

According to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 42 Section 2: "The boundary markers of every town shall be located, the marks thereon renewed, and the year located marked upon the face thereof which bears the letter of the town locating its boundary, once every five years, by at least two of the selectmen of the town or by two substitutes designated by them in writing. The marking shall be made with a paint or other suitable marking material."

So for centuries, selectmen from Tewksbury have met at various town line markers and determined the town line is still where was before.

Attending were Tewksbury selectmen Scott Wilson, Doug Sears and Jim Wentworth; Andover selectmen Alex Vispoli, Brian Major and Paul Salafia and Dracut selectmen Cathy Richardson and Tony Archinski.

As required, the attending selectmen painted with black paint the year, 2013, and on the Andover side an “A”, on the Dracut side a “D” and the Tewksbury side a “T”.

The selectmen from the three towns met at a witness marker from 1908 along the Merrimack River (the actual town line is in the river) and painted the year onto the marker. They then enjoyed some Perrier.