The Highway Department is using a street sweeper that was riding on town roads when the late Richard Nixon was still president of the United States.
The town will officially retire its 1973 street sweeper. Highway Surveyor Charles J. Macomber received approval from the Board of Selectmen on Monday to buy a new truck.
Macomber said the town retired a 1977 vehicle last year and now the 1973 truck must also be taken out of service.
“They have served their purposes,” Macomber said.
He said the vehicle was originally a fire truck before it was converted into a street sweeper.
He said the truck is rotted underneath the surface and uses “30 hours of gasoline in four hours.”
Macomber said further maintenance on the truck is equivalent to “throwing away good money.”
That persuaded Selectwoman Jean Fox — a leader on the town’s Green Team — to consider retiring the truck.
Macomber said if the town does not [...]

Original post by Jeffrey D. Wagner