Candia News : Hooksett

Hooksett Banner editorial and letters to the editor for March 13, 2008

Hooksett Editor — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:29:00 GMT

Editorial: The vote was ‘no’

In town after town, the vote was no on so many items. The Auburn-Candia middle school, the Allenstown sewer bond, the Allenstown and Epsom town and school operating budgets ... virtually every money item in Allenstown.
We can only speculate on why the vote went as it did, but we would guess it’s the economy. People are worried for their jobs, prices are going up and the message they have sent is that they simply do not have any more to give. It’s bound to make some things, like road maintenance, cost far more to fix in the future, but that’s a problem that won’t be faced for another year or two or three.
In Candia, the vote was surprisingly strong against the new middle school. Money was undoubtedly an issue here, but so was local control. We think supporters should try again, and let Candia representatives have some say.

Wishing Michelle Bonsteel the best in her new job

To the Editor:
I want to wish Michelle Bonsteel the best of luck and I was saddened to see her leave.
I want to tell the residents of Hooksett a bit about Michelle. I moved to Hooksett in 1986 and have been involved in politics since then. She is the best code enforcement officer Hooksett has had since I moved here. When her resume came across our desk and I saw she worked in West Chester County, N.Y., and all were top-notch communities.
I hoped she was truly as good as she looked on paper. I am blessed because my husband is a native of West Chester County and many family members and friends live there. I called a dear friend who is a captain on a police force in one of the towns there and ask him to get references for me. They were stellar. Another councilor checked his sources in Laconia and they did not want her to leave.
But – and there is always a but – some of the men did not want to hire a woman and I just shake my head that in 2008 gender bias and racism still exist. One of the men remarked, ”Can you see her climbing up a ladder in a skirt and high heels?” I will say some of the Good ‘Ole Boys complained about her because she would not deviate from the law.
In the old days, a small town could operate on a handshake and you scratch my back and I will scratch yours. We are not a small town anymore and the world is too litigious to do handshakes.
Thank you, Michelle, for being the best, and I wish you great success.

Pat Rueppel
Town Councilor District 1, Hooksett

Thanks for understanding during this winter season

To the Editor:
First, I would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding this winter season. We have seen an unprecedented amount of snow and I am grateful that we have been able to stay on top of it as well as we have.
Next, I would like to ask that you begin to prepare for what will probably be another flood season. Please make sure your culverts are clear. Also, find your storm drains outside your house and keep them clear. Check these every few days to remove any debris that may clog up the drains. This will help to keep things moving once the snow begins to melt.
Finally, I would like to let everyone know that we are doing everything we can to maintain roads in a safe condition. It is very difficult to keep potholes filled during the winter when traffic and the next storm’s plowing just empty them out a day or two later. We are planning work to begin on some of the worst roads as soon as the weather allows. I appreciate your patience and understanding and I ask that you continue to direct all questions to me or the Board of Selectmen.
Gordon Ellis
Road Agent
Epsom

Congratulations to all who worked on Epsom meetinghouse

To the Editor:
Preservationists around the country are applauding Epsom for saving one of our most valuable treasures, the Old Freewill Baptist Church Meetinghouse. The Friends of Epsom’s Historic Meetinghouse committee has worked for two years to relocate and preserve the one of the oldest buildings in town.
I am only the chairman of the committee; the real credit goes to our members. Each one has contributed in their own unique way.
Penny Graham, our treasurer, took over as secretary, and has done a tremendous job. She designed and presented the PowerPoint presentations at our public meetings and represented the committee at the BOS meetings. She filled out applications and applied for grants, recorded our minutes, made phone calls and researched Epsom’s history.
Bruce Graham, Penny’s husband, supported her as she spent so many late hours on this project. Bruce has spent many hours in committee meetings and has donated his time and the use of his equipment.
Harvey Harkness has been our spokesperson and presented our project at our public meetings. He set up the meetings with the NHDHR, and the NHPA. As president of Epsom’s Historic Association, he helped us to handle the finances. He and Ed Nutter met with Gov. Lynch, trying to get us his support. He also coordinated the excavation and foundation work done at the new site.
Sharon Burnston brought to our committee a wealth of historical preservation experience. She has given us invaluable input as we developed our strategy. Sharon is our PR person and writes our press releases.
Ed and Glenna Nutter and Phil and Charlie Yeaton gave us their years of wisdom as well as their financial support.
Even though George Carlson isn’t an official member, in the past year he has done as much work as we have. He has worked with the NHDOT, designed the topographical maps, engineered the blasting and excavation work, and he and his son, Dean Carlson, designed the foundation which was approved last year. George has agreed to be the project coordinator for phase two. He will be consulting with a preservation architect and administering the LCHIP grant.
I would also like to thank everyone who donated their time and talents, equipment and material. The total combined value equaled almost $100,000. The support from the many Epsom residents made an impossible task possible.
Receiving the grant from the Land Community and Heritage Investment Program was the icings on the cake. This grant will assure the town that the building will be restored, upgraded, and prepared for public use without the use of tax dollars. I thank the committee for the time and hard work that went in to the preparation of the application and the presentation to the LCHIP board of directors.
Congratulations on an excellent job.
Richard Frambach
Epsom
Chairman, FEHMC

I thank Joanne McHugh for her years of public service

To the Editor:
Many times it’s the people behind the scenes that make such a big difference. When you think about the good reputation of the Hooksett schools, you of course think about the teachers; they are on the front line making a difference. Administration also comes to mind; they keep everything running smoothly. Something you might not think about, however, is the School Board. For a small stipend, these individuals volunteer their time to keep the schools running and moving forward.
As with all positions, people come and go. Well we have one School Board member who came to us a long time ago, who just made her last appearance on the Hooksett School Board Tuesday night. Twenty-two years ago, Joanne McHugh won a position on the School Board and she has been there ever since.
I have only had the privilege of knowing Joanne for the last five years. I first met her while volunteering in a classroom when the School Board was visiting. It didn’t take me long to figure out that she was interested in everything to do with the Hooksett schools. I started seeing her popping up everywhere -- attending school events, at meetings and seminars, and I even saw her running the popcorn machine at Underhill.
Joanne served as chairperson of the board many times and I always found her to be a total professional, truly interested in the concerns of the public.
Joanne has often been referred to as the “historian.” When an issue would come up, she often had all the details about how it had to be dealt with many years ago.
Joanne’s favorite saying was a quote from our former superintendent, David R. Cawley. Whenever things got very complicated or heated, she would often say, “We have to think about what is best for the kids.” Seems simple, but often that’s what the discussion needed to get it back on track.
She is one person in school who does her homework. I lost count of how many three-inch three-ring binders she pulls out of her bag before each board meeting. Just in the time I have known her, I have seen her work on building a new school, remodeling a current school, hiring a superintendent or two, and dealing with issues ranging from “new math” to “white rice vs. brown rice.”
As a resident of Hooksett and a parent with three Hooksett students, I would like to thank Joanne for her many dedicated years of public service to the Hooksett school system.

David Pearl
Hooksett

A winter to forget – thanks for your patience

To the Editor:
Thank you for being patient. It has been a winter I would like to forget – 35 snowstorms and it is only the 1st of March. The Highway Department has 210 streets or 304 miles of road to plow, not including all town buildings; Town Hall, Station One, Court House, Library, Village School and the Safety Center. We also do all of the schools; this alone takes eight hours. We do all of this with 10 big plow trucks and a 1-ton.
The town also has 9 miles of sidewalks. We only plow 3.43 miles of the state sidewalks. The reason being if we were to plow all 9 miles, this would take us three weeks. We only have one sidewalk machine. Unfortunately, just like your driveways and walkways, we have no more room to push back snow banks but we are trying.
With 210 streets to plow and all of the corners and intersections that must be kept clean it is hard because we only have one backhoe and one loader. Please know that this will take time but we are out there every day pushing snow banks back, cleaning intersections and filling in potholes.
I just wanted to again thank you for your patience. If you do see a problem out there, please give us a call at 668-8019. Just a reminder that Route 3, Route 3A, Route 28, Route 27, Mammoth Road, Londonderry Turnpike By Pass 28, and Pleasant Street are state-maintained roadways, so if you should see a problem on one of those please feel free to contact the state.
Dale Hemeon
Hooksett Highway Manager

Let the market decideTo the Editor:
Congratulations, Gov. Lynch. You have now put more people out of work. Thank goodness we have such wise and learned politicians who know us so well that they can decide for us, since we don’t seem to know any better, that we are not smart enough to read a contract and understand it before we sign it.
If people are getting caught in a “debt trap,” it is because someone is making a bad decision without careful consideration. People learn from their mistakes. They should probably know better, but if the Democrats keep bailing people out of their bad decisions, they will never learn, and we will keep paying.
Let the market take care of people who made mistakes. People learn. They are smart. Stop telling us that we don’t know any better!

Joanne Randall
Epsom

Hooksett School District vote results

Hooksett Editor — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:48:00 GMT

Hooksett School Candidates
Unofficial returns, • denotes winner

School Board Member, for three years, vote for two
• Patrick Cournoyer – 413
Patricia Rueppel – 163
• Becky Berk – 331
Trisha Korkosz – 256
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School District Treasurer, for one year, vote for one
• Frank Bizarro – 500
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School District Clerk, for one year, vote for one
• LeeAnn Moynihan – 553
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School District Moderator, for one year, vote for one
• David Hess – 543
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Voter turnout: 674
Registered voters: 8,636 Turnout: 7%

Hooksett School Warrants
Unofficial returns, • denotes winner

Article 2: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate as an operating budget, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, the amounts set forth on the budget posted with the Warrant, or as amended by vote of the first session, for the purpose set forth therein, totaling twenty-five million, four hundred forty-one thousand, nine hundred sixty-six dollars ($25,441,966). Should this article be defeated, the default budget shall be twenty-five million, eighty-five thousand, one hundred seventy-four dollars ($25,085,174), which is the same as last year, with certain adjustments required by previous action of the Hooksett School District, or by law; or the governing body may hold one special meeting, in accordance with RSA 40:13, X and XVI, to take up the issue of a revised operating budget only. (This article does not include appropriations in any other warrant articles.) (Recommended by the School Board) (Recommended by the Budget Committee)

• Yes................................409     No................................259
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Article 3: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate an amount not to exceed three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for renovations at the Hooksett Underhill Kitchen and to authorize the withdrawal of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) from the Construction and Equipment Capital Reserve Fund with the balance of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) to be raised by general taxation. (Recommended by the School Board) (Recommended by the Budget Committee)
• Yes................................480     No................................186
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Article 4: To see if the District will vote to create an expendable trust fund under the provisions of RSA 198:20-c, to be known as the Technology Fund, for the purpose of upgrading the technology at the Hooksett Schools. Furthermore, to raise and appropriate the sum of sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) toward this purpose, with such sum to be funded from the June 30, 2008 undesignated fund balance and to name the School Board as agents to expend from this fund. (Recommended by the School Board) (Recommended by the Budget Committee)

• Yes................................456     No................................207
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Article 5: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of nineteen thousand five hundred dollars ($19,500) for the purpose of purchasing a van for the Hooksett School District Maintenance Department, with such sum to be funded from the June 30, 2008 undesignated fund balance. (Recommended by the School Board) (Recommended by the Budget Committee)

• Yes................................438     No................................228

Lost and found

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:27:00 GMT

By JENN McDOWELL

Hooksett police found a man lost in the woods off Chester Turnpike after the man called in and reported that he was lost and disoriented.

The call came in on Sunday, Nov. 25, at 3:17 p.m., from Scott Tenney’s cell phone, according to police.

Tenney, 26, of Manchester, said he had become lost in the woods while hunting and could not find his way back out.

Hooksett Police and Fire Rescue responded to the end part of the Chester Turnpike where Tenney told police he had entered the woods.

Using the fire department’s John Deere “Gator,” an all-terrain vehicle for off-road situations, two firefighters and an officer went into the woods and located Tenney almost a mile into the trees.

Tenney was not injured, according to reports, and it is unclear how long he was lost in the woods.

Assistant Fire Chief Dean Jore said roughly two hours elapsed between the time of the call and Tenney’s discovery, but it could have been much worse.

The area of woods off the Chester Turnpike is a widely used recreational place for Hooksett and surrounding communities, Jore said, adding that hunting is a common practice in that area.

The search team was able to find Tenney quickly through his descriptions of where he entered the woods and of what surrounded him.

“What helped here was he had a cell phone,” Jore said. “He was able to give a bit more information as to where he started out and where he believed he was.”

Hooksett Police Detective Nick Pinardi said while the area is a common hunting ground, it is uncommon for hunters to get lost there because most of them know the area and know where they’re going.

He added that hunters should make sure they are prepared for such a situation should they lose their bearings in the woods.

“If they don’t have a map and a compass or GPS, everything looks the same,” he said.

It’s your right to know – Not all officials comply with requests for public documents – Hooksett fails, Candia passes our test

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:04:00 GMT

BY GINGER KOZLOWSKI

Have you ever wondered how much your child’s teacher is paid? How about what happened at the last school board or selectmen’s meeting? Or whether your neighbor was arrested in that commotion last week?
You have every right to get that information, but it may not be easy to do so.

Neighborhood News investigated accessibility to such public documents by having staffers ask for town and school minutes and salaries as well as the list of arrests and police calls in the previous week.

We did not identify ourselves as reporters in order to see how the general public would be treated when making such requests.

Adhering not only to the letter but also the spirit of the Right to Know Law are Windham and Candia, where town hall workers went out of their way to make sure we had everything we asked for and more.

Overall, the 16 towns in our coverage area do well at releasing minutes of town and school meetings. Ask for salaries or arrests, however, and public servants are protective of this information, some to the point of refusing to release it at all.

The towns which complied immediately with all our requests for town and school minutes and salaries plus a list of arrests were Windham, Pelham, Dunbarton, Hopkinton and New Boston.

Failing our requests were the police departments in Allenstown, Auburn, Bedford, Bow, Goffstown, Hooksett, Pembroke and Weare. The town halls in Allenstown and Bow refused to release town salaries at all, while Bedford, Hooksett and Salem put us off with having to make a request in writing. All 16 town halls immediately gave us minutes for their town council or selectmen meetings.

At the school district offices, all gave us the school minutes we asked for. The Bow, Bedford and Weare SAUs refused to release school salaries, while SAU 66 (Hopkinton), SAU 19 (Goffstown, New Boston and Dunbarton) and SAU 28 (Windham/Pelham) complied. There seemed to be confusion over what we asked for at SAU 15 (Hooksett, Candia and Auburn) and SAU 53 (Pembroke, Allenstown and Epsom), so we did not receive salary information by press time, but they both seemed to be working on the request.

Candia star is a multiple threat for rising SNHU program

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:54:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

Sometimes you can’t deny what you are. And by no means is Maura Murphy doing that.

But past all her lacrosse program records, her accurate shooting and her knack of making goaltenders feel sorry they ever stepped in net, the Southern New Hampshire University sophomore attacker wants to be remembered as more than just a scorer.

In less than two years with the No. 10 Penmen, Murphy has helped build a fledgling program into a contending power. She’s seeing the field better than she ever has, hitting open teammates and playing tougher defense.

A three-year captain under her coach and father, Bryon, at Pinkerton Academy, the Candia native “gets the whole team concept,” said SNHU coach Mary Squire.

“It’s not about getting the job done herself,” the fourth-year coach said.

Yet, when Murphy spins past a defender 25 feet from the net, slices through a blockade of opposing sticks and whips a shot past a goalie – that’s 77 career goals and counting following a 10-8 loss to Merrimack College on Tuesday, April 24 – she’s a scorer out there.

Just remember she’s not out there just to score.

“I think some people look to me as a finisher, but I just try to do as much as I can,” Murphy said Thursday, April 19, following a 12-9 win over rival Saint Anselm College, a game in which she netted four goals and added an assist.

“In high school, that was a big part of what I did, but when I came here, there are a bunch of people who can do that," she continued. "So having to play defense and contributing, it’s not just scoring but doing everything.”

So far, she’s had no problem with that. After scoring 46 goals and 56 points last season as a freshman – both program records entering Tuesday – Murphy has become one of the team’s most marked forwards this season. As a result, she’s worked on her individual moves to allow chances for both herself and her teammates.

Her eight assists put her on pace for the 10 she registered last year, but those totals don’t necessarily reflect her overall game, Bryon Murphy said.

They didn’t when she scored a program-record 229 career goals at Pinkerton, and they don’t now, when she ranks third with 39 points on a team that sits on the brink of even more program history.

At 8-3 and 6-2 in the conference with two regular-season games to play entering Thursday, April 26, the Penmen, in their fourth year, are in position to claim a top-four seed in the Northeast-10 conference tournament, a year after they made the playoffs for the first time and advanced to the semifinals.

Their No. 10 ranking in the latest IWLCA Division II national poll is also a first in program history.

Helping them get there were Murphy’s fellow sophomore attackers Jennifer Parro, with 53 points and 36 assists, and Libby Parent, with 49 points and 34 goals. They both rank in the top 10 in the conference in points per game, while Murphy, with 31 goals, does the same in goals per contest.

Yet, it was Murphy who was the most instrumental in leading the team to a 12-11 triple-overtime win over Bentley in last season’s NE-10 quarterfinals. Her “shining moment,” Squire called it, the then-rookie tied her own program record with six goals.

“I find that she pretty consistently saves her better games for better competition,” Bryon Murphy said, pointing out that as a freshman in high school, Maura scored six goals against Phillips Academy of Andover, Mass., a nationally-ranked team at the time, and five against Longmeadow, Mass., another quality program. “She relishes in that opportunity.”

She also knows she doesn’t have to do that every time. “We know we can sit it all on her shoulders. But when you can do that, if you have a player that has a bad game, you’re going to lose that game,” Squire said. “And she gets that.”

School aid could leave towns short

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 16:15:00 GMT

BY NICHOLAS BROWN

As the three branches of state government wrangle over how to best provide aid to public schools, local school administrators say they can do little but watch and wait.

“I could hypothesize a lot, but I think the reality here is that it’s a story in the making,” said Charles “Phil” Littlefield, superintendent of SAU 15, serving Hooksett, Auburn and Candia.

Littlefield, whose districts combined received nearly $5 million in state adequacy money last year, said school districts are stuck in a “twilight zone” as they wait to see how state aid may shake down this year.

He and SAU 53 Superintendent Tom Haley – the top administrator for six districts including Pembroke, Allenstown and Epsom – each said they used numbers provided late last year by the state Board of Education to project revenues in their school district budgets.

But a state budget plan recently announced by Gov. John Lynch would give districts a flat 5 percent hike in state aid in the next two years. That plan could dramatically lower the amount of revenue coming on to some districts districts, including Hooksett, Pembroke and Epsom.

Under that scenario, Hooksett would be out nearly $400,000 in revenue next fiscal year, and more than $550,000 state aid would evaporate in both Pembroke and Epsom. And with local budgets being largely inflexible as annual School District Meeting season is in full bloom, the shortfall would be made up through 2007-08 property taxes.

Lynch described the flat 5 percent hike as an “interim” solution to the school funding issue, which has divided the courts, the governor’s office and the Legislature for more than a decade.

He’s proposing a constitutional amendment to address state aid, and said he’s waiting for a definition of an “adequate education” before embracing the current funding law for next year.

“I do not believe we should put in place a new school funding formula until we have defined an adequate education and passed this constitutional amendment,” he said in a Feb. 15 budget address. “Nor do I believe we should simply go forward with the current law.”

The state Supreme Court has given the Legislature a June 30 deadline to define an “adequate education,” a move some state lawmakers have said exceeds the court’s authority.

“The big unknown we’re all dealing with right now is the June 30 deadline the Supreme Court has set,” said Littlefield.

The governor’s budget must also survive the Legislature.

“I just think there’s a lot of work to be done between now and June 30,” Littlefield said.

“From my point of view we’ll have to wait and see how this all unfolds.”

Haley said the timing of such political wrangling couldn’t be worse, especially as official ballot voting, or SB2, school district have already had their annual meetings.

“In most cases it’s not a catastrophic change,” Haley said of this year’s potential funding changes. “The issue, I think, is the uncertainty the voters may be feeling.”

He said districts like Pembroke, which has a traditional School District Meeting, may be better off since voters will still have the chance to question their school officials about the uncertainty of state aid.

“I think once people have a more complete picture,” he said, “they’re going to be a little less panicky.”

Littlefield stressed that the operational costs in his three school districts ultimately will come from some sort of taxation.

“I never look at state aid as free money that comes out of the clouds – it is coming out of the taxpayers pockets,” he said. “It’s not like when we say ‘state aid’ it’s coming from New York.”

He said he’s not concerned about voters being anxious because he said most voters are aware that all three districts put forth “pretty conservative budget recommendations.”

A slight edge - Central clips Winnacunnet

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:09:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

MANCHESTER – Against one of the state’s finest teams, Central’s girls basketball squad showed its best – and worst – side.

The Little Green hosted Winnacunnet on Friday, Jan. 5, in a battle of Class L powers surely to be revisited in the postseason. Central downed the Warriors, 44-42, preserving its undefeated record at 5-0, not including three wins in the Queen City Christmas tournament.

“This was a very big game,” said Central head coach Mike Wenners. “Winnacunnet’s very athletic; they trap a lot and bring a lot of pressure. I wanted us to get out to a quick start because that’s when we’ve been most successful.”

But Winnacunnet’s fullcourt zone press forced Central into 14 turnovers and 7-for-23 shooting from the field. The Little Green hung in for a 12-11 lead after one quarter but could not stop Warriors junior Conley Burns from putting up 18 points in the first half, good for a 30-21 Winnacunnet lead at halftime.

“When we don’t get out to a quick start, we start flubbing some plays,” said Wenners. “That’s what happened against Goffstown and Memorial in the Christmas tournament. That’s when we find ourselves clawing back for the win.”

Central senior Whitney Fremeau, who sat on the bench with foul trouble in the second quarter, scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half. With 30 seconds left in regulation, Fremeau fed Catherine O’Neill to give Central a 43-41 edge, its first lead since early in the second quarter. Fremeau tied the game at 41-41 when she converted a three-point play.

Though Winnacunnet had a chance to take the lead with 5.8 seconds left, Central forced the Warriors’ 10th turnover of the half to end the game. Central outscored the opposition, 23-12, in the second half, holding the Warriors to one field goal over nine minutes.

Junior Alicia Doucet scored 14 points for Central, while freshmen guards Christiana Bakolas and Hooksett’s Sam Walker also played well. Walker and O’Neill finished with five points apiece.