BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Town officials laid the groundwork for both expansion and controlled spending throughout the year, two hot topics in Bow throughout 2007. Selectmen were given the task of cutting costs significantly after Town Meeting, and one of the areas reduced was streetlights along 60 percent of Bow’s roads.

In addition to budget cutbacks, the topic of the potential development of Route 3A continued, with residents voicing

whether to keep Bow a small community or take advantage of the resources available. Although budgets and planning were two of the biggest issues in Bow, they weren’t the only newsmakers in town during 2007.

January

• Selectmen met with consultants to determine the needs of the police, fire and public works buildings. A public hearing and tour of the fire house was also held so residents could give suggestions as to what improvements could be made.

• The consultant’s report broke down the estimated $2.24 million to repair the police and fire stations, compared to a suggested $2.8 to $3.1 million budget to build a new combined safety facility.

The Bow Police Department welcomed new patrol officer Justin Sargent to the department, as the Nashua resident brought his leadership skills to Bow. Sargent was sworn in by selectmen Chairman Thomas Fagan during the Jan. 9 meetings, officially adding him to the force.

“I’m very excited to be in Bow,” said Sargent. “It’s a great Police Department with a lot of great people and I really look forward to getting out there, meeting people in town and keeping the streets safe.”

The Police Department would add several other officers during the year.

• The School District’s $23.5 million budget for 2007-08 was revealed in late January, with a proposed increase of 5.38 percent, or about $1.2 million.

The increases stemmed from personnel contracts and benefits as well as energy costs. One concern was overcrowding in the schools, although the School Board was confident the personnel additions would ease the increased enrollments.

Although the Budget Committee asked for an increase of a little more than 7 percent, school board member Pansy Bloomfield said she and fellow board members were determined to reduce taxes related to the district’s budget.

• On Jan. 25, the School Board narrowed its search for a new superintendent down to three after a nationwide search between the board and the New Hampshire School Boards Association. In March, the search was down to one when Dean Cascadden was named the new head of the schools. He would officially take over on July 1, as the former White Mountains Regional School District superintendent accepted the job.

• The family of Elmer “Al” Rule, who was killed by Joseph E. Grigas Jr. in June 2006, brought legal action against Chen Yang Li, saying the restaurant overserved Grigas, who had a .282 blood-alcohol level in toxicology reports following the murdersuicide.

February

• Town members continued to debate the issue of the police, fire and public works facilities, as an architectural consultant deemed the buildings inadequate. Consultant Eric Palson said the police station lacked a central location and certain safety measures.

Although the fire station’s location was close to ideal, Palson said the building would need improvement. Despite concerns, many residents felt it was too early to jump to conclusions, wanting to look at blueprints and cost estimates before making any decisions.

• Four Bow High School musicians, Natasha Franks, Jenny Hurley, Molly Milazzo and Christina Williams, performed with the New Hampshire All- State Jazz Choir on Feb. 1 at Nashua South High School. Being selected for the choir is an honor, the students said, and one that three of them would be chosen to once again later in the year.

• A home on Old Hill Road was destroyed after a grease fire began in the kitchen on Feb. 6. The two-alarm fire was fought by 15 vehicles from 10 towns, although homeowners John and Marilynn Plummer and their two children escaped without serious injury.

• A Concord woman was charged with attempted murder stemming from a head-on collision on Route 3A in Bow. Evidence from the investigation by Bow police, State Police and the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicle Highway Patrol suggested that Carrie Drake, 37, attempted to kill her passenger, Rick Staples, when she swerved into oncoming traffic on Dec. 2. Staples spent about a month in intensive care before being released.

• Bow Elementary School first-graders rang in the Chinese New Year at the annual senior citizens luncheon by holding a parade on Feb. 16.

“It’s one of our favorite days of the year,” said Principal Deb Gibbons. “It’s just so much fun seeing our students and the seniors together, really spending time with each other.”

• Selectmen made budget cuts to lower the tax increase from the proposed 33 percent to about 18 percent.

The biggest cut came at the hands of planning the new public safety building. Instead of the original $296,000 set aside, the budget for the project was cut down to $26,000.

Rather than funding an architectural and construction study, the cut would provide a basic conceptual plan so residents could view the size, location and appearance of any potential building.

“It’s cheaper to pay for conceptual plans rather than going into construction details, which could be far less and we could then get approval from residents to go forward,” said Town Manager Jim Pitts.

Budget cuts in Bow would continue throughout the year, including a heated debate that took place when the majority of streetlights were shut off in town late in the summer.

March

• The Bow High School Jazz Festival, “A Celebation of Jazz” gave students a chance to perform with The Freese Brothers Band on March 6.

The Freese Brothers raised money for scholarships to Concord- area students. Bow High School held several fundraisers for the music department, culminating with the purchase and unveiling of a new grand piano.

• A small crowd of 78 registered voters came to the Bow High School auditorium for the School District Meeting, with only two large warrant articles on the table.

The first, the general operating budget which was increased about 5 percent, passed almost unanimously, while voters approved the lease agreement on one new full-size school bus.

There was little debate throughout the meeting and the small attendance was a far cry from the large crowd of the previous year which forced the meeting to be held in the gymnasium.

• Selectmen put the finishing touches on a disaster plan, which would identify areas in town that may be threatened by hazards, and to reduce damage before the worst-scenario happens. A hazard mitigation plan is necessary so FEMA could provide towns with federal emergency aid.

• Bow Police Lt. Ron Welliver retired from the force after serving two years.

“He was hired for a specific purpose, which was to bring street experience in to a police department that was, at the time, understaffed and inexperienced,” said Bow Police Chief Jeff Jaran. “I certainly would have liked to see Ron stay one more year, but he had to do what was best for his family.”

• Students at Memorial and Bow High schools were given a new resource for dealing with difficult situations, as the district hired Heather Kingston. Kingston specializes in school-based counseling and was hired to work with students and parents to help prevent high-risk behaviors and deal with personal problems that could lead to such behaviors.

“The concept is to be proactive and preventative in nature; you’re educating kids before they make those decision,” said Kingston, whose main scope deals with alcohol and drug education.

• On March 22, Becky and Matthew Carr’s two shih tzus were returned home, six months after the dogs had gone missing from their Bow home.

A Concord man found the canines and brought them safely to the Concord-Merrimack Country SPCA, where the family and pets were reunited.

• No longer just a local unit, the Bow Police Department officially became part of the Central New Hampshire Special Operations Unit, which provides access to a command post vehicle, armored vehicle and a long list of other beneficial tools.

• Former Deputy Police Chief Robert Graves, who served Bow for almost 30 years, died March 29, at the age of 57.

Graves also helped ease the transition of current Police Chief Jeff Jaran.

“It’s a sad day for the Bow Police Department,” said Jaran. “He gave his heart and soul to the town of Bow, both from a law enforcement standpoint and in his personal life as well. Those types of people don’t come along very often.”

• At the March 22 choral festival, the Bow POPS officially unveiled the grand piano for the high school’s music program, less than one year after setting out to raise $25,000 for the instrument.

• Baker Free librarian Linda Kling celebrated her 20th year as library director after taking over the position on March 16, 1987.

April

• The sounds of music filled the Bow High School auditorium, and freshman Lauren Hurley put a smile on the faces of many in the audience at the Interact Club’s third annual Battle of the Bands fundraiser on April 7.

Hurley had been out of school with what doctors eventually called Lyme Disease, and was forced to sleep until about 4 p.m. on many days. However, upon waking up, Hurley and her band, Just Plain Grapefruit, got together to practice for the event.

“I slept the whole day, but I decided that performing is something I love to do,” she said. “For me, it was the first time I had done a performance that wasn’t in a coffee shop, so it was pretty exciting to get my first real performing chance.”

• Bow approved a $12.5 million bond for a water and sewer project on Route 3A during the 2002 Town Meeting, and residents have shown they want selectmen to follow through with the initiative, which could entice businesses to the area.

In early April, residents circulated a petitioned warrant article urging selectmen to move forward with the project and, later in the year, the town held open sessions to get feedback from the community about concerns and thoughts on the project.

• The Bow High School music department was again recognized as 13 students took part in the New Hampshire Classical All-State Music Festival on April 12 to 14.

• Bow was hit hard by flooding for the second consecutive year, as an April storm knocked out power and closed a large number of roads in town. Downed trees caused a power outage for several hours, which kept residents from pumping already rising water from their basements.

“I think we’re better off than some of the other surrounding towns,” said Town Manager Jim Pitts. “We certainly have some infrastructure damage, primarily due to the edge of pavement being undermined and damaged, but overall we’re not looking at large amounts of damage this time around.”

On April 16, students were sent home around 9 a.m. due to a loss of power from the storm.

• During its April 11 meeting, the Bow Budget Committee held a public hearing to discuss the municipal operating budget to be voted on during the May 8 Town Meeting.

The budget was set at about $8 million, with a default operating budget of about $7.3 million.

• As part of Bow High School’s intersession program, students volunteered to do work for area residents.

“It’s a chance to work together as a team with other people who want to improve the community,” said then-sophomore Jed Sturm, who took part in the project.

• Not wanting students to compete against each other, Bow High School eliminated the class ranking system completely. The decision was made by a committee made up of faculty, staff, parents and students who studied the value of the system.

• Bow Police Lt. Dave Girard and the department were able to use their new access to the state server to charge a former Logging Hill resident with possession of child pornography.

When James Hrinchuk was living in Bow, police confiscated his computer in 2004 but it was backlogged at the state forensic police laboratory until late 2006. Girard, however, was able to investigate the case and gain evidence which led to nine charges against Hrinchuk.

Despite Hrinchuk’s crimes taking place in Bow, Girard said none of the photographs were of children in town.

May

• Election Day came in Bow, but voters didn’t come out at a high rate. Only 16.5 percent of the town’s 5,510 registered voters came to the polls, down about 33 percent from the previous year.

• There was shakeup on the Board of Selectmen, as Leon Kenison won his bid, replacing Thomas Fagan. Thomas Keane also won a seat on the board. The other contested race was on the Budget Committee, as John Burton III lost his bid for re-election to Rick Hiland. Kally Abrams was also elected. Jacquelyn “Jet” Jennings failed to garner enough votes to be elected to the budget committee.

• Bow Memorial student Dillon Irish, 13, competed at the USASA Snowboarding National Championship in Tahoe, Calif., and left with an impressive result.

Entering the competition as the 50th-ranked boarder in his age group, Irish’s performance earned him the 17th rank in the slalom, his best event.

• Town Meeting would serve as a precursor to one of the year’s most controversial events as selectmen were forced to cut the budget 6.4 percent.

Selectmen presented an $8 million budget to 214 voters during the May 9 Town Meeting, but newly elected Selectman Thomas Keane proposed an amendment to decrease the budget to about $7.7 million.

“Many voters asked me to bring the town budget in line with the realities of their lives,” said Keane. “They’re not the rabid taxpayers we all hear about, but rather responsible citizens who ask only that their tax dollars match the realities of their lives.”

Keane’s amendment and the amended budget passed by secret ballot, and exiting Selectman Thomas Fagan had strong words for those in attendance.

“I’m not going to be on the Board of Selectmen that will cut this budget, but I find it a little disturbing that you don’t trust the board you voted for,” he said.

A lengthy debate followed the vote, and a motion to reconsider the budget was rejected, with further discussion being restricted.

“There is no doubt we will have to cut services,” said Town Manager Jim Pitts. “We’ll be spending the next several weeks determining where those cuts are to be made.”

• A warrant article urging the town to go forward with its water and sewer project on Route 3A was rejected, though it was only advisory in nature.

“All I’m saying is we should move forward with what we’ve already approved,” said resident Stephen Buckley. “It’s my observation that it’s really time to put some stakes in the ground and get moving.”

The article fell to a 88-73 vote, and selectmen have continued working closely with the town and Bow Business Development Commission to gauge where the town should go with the project.

• The second half of Town Meeting was less heated than the first, as residents had less of a debate during the May 22 meeting.

Residents overturned the Budget Committee’s decision and agreed to place $25,000 in capital reserve for conservation, agreeing with the selectmen’s 5-0 vote for the move.

Also approved during the one-hour meeting was a variety of funding for recreation, police equipment, grounds and library computer system.

The final article approved the town supporting efforts against global warming, allowing Bow to address an international issue at a local level.

• The Police Department is no longer the only crime-fighting unit in town, as police now rely on help from the Neighborhood Watch program, which was formed in April.

Ten residents from six neighborhoods showed up at the first committee planning session, and Robert Louf was named coordinator through his Neighborhood Watch experience.

“What we’re looking for, and what it looks like we’re going to have, is a very active community watch program,” said Chief Jeff Jaran.

• After nearly a year of work, a book on the town’s heritage was released for purchase. “Bow” is a compilation of the town’s history and was the result of the Bow Heritage Commission’s many hours of work.

• Bow High School students got together for the annual prom, where 328 students danced the night away at the Mount Sunapee Lodge on May 19.

June

• The time came for selectmen to decide which areas in the town’s budget needed to be cut, an issue taking several weeks to resolve.

Board members offered suggestions for cuts, with Town Manager Jim Pitts putting forward the first official list of recommendations for the board to consider.

By the time the process was completed, the board needed to find $472,158 to cut. Before the process began, Pitts and Selectman Thomas Keane would be responsible for making the decreases.

“It is my understanding that the town manager has primary responsibility of coming up with the budget,” said Keane, although Pitts disagreed.

Pitts’ plan focused on saving money in areas such as street sweeping, the Heritage Commission, road paving and a new police cruiser, which, he said, could be put off for one year. Keane disagreed in several areas, saying the Planning Board, a full-time police officer and Celebrating Children Preschool are possible areas where cuts could be made.

During the June 14 selectmen’s meeting, the board was given multiple options and eventually voted for Harry Judd’s proposal, which combined Pitts’ ideas with ideas of other selectmen.

The Public Works Department took the biggest hit, as $307,488 was cut, which forced 60 percent of streetlights to be shut off, an issue that would reappear later in the summer.

The Police Department also felt a hit, losing about $53,000. The Fire Department, recreation, planning, the town clerk’s office, elections and other items had money shaved off their budgets as well.

• Bow police apprehended three suspected burglars and recovered three motorcycles stolen from a Route 3A business using detective work one might see on Court TV.

After receiving a call about the crime in early morning, police used all-terrain vehicles to track the motorcycles to a nearby sand pit. Previously, three suspects had been arrested on a call for disorderly conduct, and officer John MacLennan noticed one of the suspects was shirtless. A shirt had been found at the scene of the crime as well. In addition, police noticed footprints consistent with those from the crime scene and recovered the motorcycles near the sand pit. By the time the men were released on disorderly conduct, Bow police were able to charge them in the burglary.

• Marcia Trexler was rewarded for her dedication as an educator at Bow Memorial School, as she was named the New Hampshire Family and Consumer Science Teacher of the Year on June 9.

• On June 9, Bow High School celebrated its 10th anniversary. Student Katie Seraikas organized the event for her senior project and spoke of her memories of the school and hope for its future.

In attendance at the event were visionaries who helped create the school, as well as community members, the School Board, faculty, students and alumni. • On June 25, police received a report of suspicious vehicles, discovered an underage-drinking party and arrested two teenagers.

Upon returning to their vehicles after walking into the woods, officers from both Hopkinton and Bow found their tires had been slashed.

“When the officers got there, there were some minors coming out of the woods,” said Lt. Dave Girard. “The officers walked these kids back to the cruisers and that’s when we realized that our tires were slashed.”

The arrests were among a large number involving teenagers, an issue that would reappear later in the summer.

July

• Businesses in Bow prepared for a potential hit as New Hampshire banned smoking in all public restaurants and bars.

• With the July 21 release of the final Harry Potter book, Baker Free Library prepared for the wildly popular novel’s arrival.

The library ordered five copies of the novel, which were snatched off the shelves immediately. “This weekend will be a very quiet weekend around the world,” joked librarian Jennifer Ericsson.

• After spotting someone reaching over the counter of the Hampton Inn, a hotel employee yelled at the red-haired woman, who ran out the door and toward the highway.

The woman had stolen $100 from the register, and Bow police were unable to locate her for several months, until she was arrested later in the year.

• Nancy and Howard Roever dedicated a 200-mile bike ride from Massachusetts to Rhode Island to an 8-year-old Bow girl who was diagnosed with cancer in July 2006, before having one of her legs amputated above the knee.

• Jacob St. Pierre and Nick Cutting were sworn into the Bow Police Department, bringing a new look to the force.

Police Chief Jeff Jaran was excited to bring in experienced officers, although he joked, “I can’t believe I’m calling him (St. Pierre) young at age 29.”

• Firefighter Eliot Berman spent 14 days fighting wildfires in California, and brought back techniques he learned to Bow, where he put on a PowerPoint presentation on leadership and management skills.

August

• Bob Couch, a member of the Bow Rotary Club, went to Central America to take part in the Hands to Honduras program, which helps poverty stricken citizens with construction and medical projects.

• After being hit with a string of unrelated burglaries, Bow police made one arrest, but were left with unanswered questions.

On Aug. 8, a Logging Hill Road family returned home from vacation to find some of their electronics missing. Early the following morning, police received a call about suspicious behavior and arrived to find a number of items in the road that had been stolen from another home’s garage.

Four incidents were reported, and the investigation focused on a small gathering of teenagers, which led to the arrest of two.

• A recurring problem throughout the summer highlighted a larger-scale issue in Bow – 65 percent of arrests in the previous year were of 11- to 24-year-olds. As of August 2007, Lt. Dave Girard reported that 60 percent of arrests fell in the same category.

“I guess I’m not surprised by it anymore. I’m just used to it. It’s unfortunate, and what makes it worse is that some of the names are new to us,” said Girard.

• Budget cuts finally became tangible in town, as 60 percent of the streetlights in town were shut off, causing a split in resident opinion.

The decision, which turned off lights everywhere in town other than major intersections, saved about $25,000 of the $472,000 cut after Town Meeting and the weeks following.

“It will affect people who have been used to having publicly funded lights in their neighborhood,” said selectmen Chairman Leon Kenison. “There are those of us who have lights on their property, and people can do the same if they feel like they need to have the area lit. There are options out there.”

But resident Frank Colby thought otherwise. “The justification is childish. Instead of taking their lumps and waiting until next year’s budget to make adjustments, they are making these cuts instead. It’s like a childish prank,” said Colby. “I think the crime rates may go up as a result of the streetlights being out.”

A total of 222 lights were shut off and residents remained passionate about the issue, though not all were concerned.

“I don’t worry about the crime rates going up because of the street lights,” said resident Harvey Moody. “Besides, I have a shotgun in the house anyway.”

• The Annual Yearly Progress reports were released across the state, and Bow Memorial was named a school in need of improvement after not meeting requirements in the test’s special education math portion.

The school thought the test was inaccurate, feeling they had met the requirements under the safe harbor exception, and began the lengthy appeal process. The school won its appeal later in the year.

September

• After 60 concerned residents packed a Sept. 13 meeting, selectmen decided to reassess the decision to turn off 60 percent of the streetlights, to some extent.

“We are looking at the decision again to a point. The selectmen asked me to identify the intersections where the lights being out is a problem,” said Town Manager Jim Pitts. “We may look at the possibility of turning the lights on at all intersections rather than the ones identified previously as dangerous.”

• Already facing felony and misdemeanor charges for possessing and selling marijuana to an undercover officer, Bow High School graduate Paul Chergey found his way into the police log once again.

A member of the SNHU basketball team, Chergey was arrested by Hooksett police following an on-campus fight, and was charged with reckless operation of a vehicle and being a minor in possession of alcohol, both misdemeanors. Witnesses said the 19-year-old was racing another vehicle around a parking lot, and, police said, he had three outstanding bench warrants as well.

• Losing a spot on the town’s Budget Committee in May was the least of Jacquelyn “Jet” Jennings’ problems, as the 77-year-old was arrested for the unlawful imprisonment of a car rental employee.

Jennings had a dispute over which rental car she would receive, and refused to let the employee out of her vehicle. He was able to jump out and called police at the Hooksett tollbooth.

• Bow not only lost a key contributor to the Fire Department, but also an active member of the community when Roger Ordway died Sept. 29 at age 75.

Ordway, who died unexpectedly, had served with the fire department since 1947. He dedicated much of his life to the unit for 53 years and climbed to the rank of fire chief.

He was also involved in many activities in Bow, including the Heritage Commission, Bow Mills United Methodist Church and New Hampshire Fire Warden Association.

• The Bow Community Men’s Club held its annual Lobster fest to close out September.

October

• Members of the Bow fire, police and other departments came together to show youth in the community who they can turn to in the case of an emergency.

The Public Safety Fair was held Oct. 14 with a variety of exhibits and demonstrations, as well as giving children a chance to meet representatives from the different groups.

• Susan Clark of Bow had been separated from her 8- month-old pug, Wilbur, for four days, but the canine was able to find his way back to his family in a roundabout way.

Wilbur was found walking down the road about 100 feet away from where Clark’s children were staying at while she was on vacation. When a passing driver found him, he stopped at the next house to ask the children outside playing if they were missing a dog, which Ryan Clark responded with an enthusiastic “Yes.”

• Although the Bow tax rate went down by nearly 25 percent, residents saw a tax hike when bills were mailed.

The rate went from $27.99 in 2006 to $21.02 per $1,000 property valuation for the 2008 fiscal year. The cause of the decrease was the town-wide revaluation from last year, though increased property values caused the higher bills.

• On Oct. 25, the state’s Supreme Court went back to school, holding session at Bow High School.

“Supreme Court on the Road” gave students an opportunity to watch an actual session featuring lawyers and five justices.

November

• One-of-a-kind was the way to describe Bow’s Public Works Department after it was given a level 4 accreditation by the New Hampshire Public Works Standards and Training Council.

After being reviewed on a random and voluntary basis, Bow became the only department in the state to be given such an honor.

• In an ongoing effort to get input from the community on the Route 3A water and sewer project and the future of Bow, the town held several business visioning sessions.

“The (Business Development) commission wants to get the community to work together on a shared vision for the area,” said Bill Klubben, director of planning and economic development. “If we have a vision, what does it include? Does it include protecting community character? Will it require the infrastructure? We feel that the community input is vital. There’s a lot of support, but also a lot of questions. Getting that is critical.”

• After allegedly dumping storm water illegally, R.S. Audley agreed to pay a $60,000 fee to avoid further litigation fees. Though the company settled that case, they were once again in trouble a week later for inadequately protecting workers from potential cave-in hazards.

Audley was fined $61,000 for failure to provide adequate safety measures for employees working in a 9-foot-deep drainage pipe excavation in Newport, the company’s sixth safety violation in five years.

• Bow Memorial finally got the result it was looking for, as August’s AYP results were overturned, and the school was no longer labeled a school in need of improvement.

After the appeal was denied by the commissioner of education, the state Board of Education agreed that the statistics used counting students in the special education portion of the test had flawed the results, and the school made AYP under safe harbor.

“It’s very exciting that they acknowledged that the school was not a school in need of improvement,” said Principal Kirk Spofford. “We were discouraged when told we hadn’t passed, and then elated when that was corrected.”

• More than four months after responding to a call about a theft of $100 from the Hampton Inn, Bow police arrested Ashley Martel in connection with the crime.

• About 70 supporters of Celebrating Children preschool packed the Nov. 28 selectmen’s meeting, as board members pondered the idea of making the school separate from town functions. Board members were looking at nearly every group in town, trying to find ways to cut costs. However, after hearing testimony from more than 20 members of the audience, and seeing that the school brought in revenue and had minimal impact on the town, selectmen voted 5-0 to leave the school as is.

December

• Reagan McNamee King, Jen Hurley and Molly Milazzo were selected as the top three sopranos in the state, representing Bow High School in the All- State jazz chorus.

• Firefighter Lee Kimball was given the New Hampshire Fire Standards and Training Commission’s Academy Award, handed out for dedication and commitment to training.

Kimball, now a firefighter, has been with the department for 30 years and earned every rank other than chief.

• For her senior project, Kismet Swett organized a mock debate, bringing together eight students who took the roles of the top eight political candidates for the upcoming primary elections. The Nov. 29 event gave students an opportunity to learn about candidates and public speaking at the same time.

• Bow Elementary first-graders learned first-hand about the spirit of the holidays, bringing in gloves and mittens to create a mitten tree in the school’s hallway. The warm-weather clothes and mittens were donated to less fortunate children.

In addition, the students created work contracts at home, earning money that was used to purchase toys and clothes to donate to children in need around the holidays.

“We wanted to get them presents because they don’t get any from Santa,” said student Ben Wheeler, 6.