Dunbarton news : Merrimack Valley

Dunbarton man uses own experiences as therapy aid

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:19:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

To Jason Lalla, Jon Parker is more than just a part of a list.

Lalla, a Dunbarton resident working at Manchester’s Next Step Orthotics and Prosthetics, works closely with clients in need of equipment to walk, run and live a normal life.

Three years ago, a 15- year-old Parker was cut off on his final ski run of the day at Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont, when he was sent out of control into a tree.

Laying face-first in the snow, Parker dug a hole so he could breath long enough to yell to passing skiers for help.

Seven surgeries later, Parker’s parents came to him with what they thought would be a difficult decision. They came to his hospital room prepared with therapists ready to talk through the options.

“I looked up online and saw that people can run with prosthetics and do anything with it. I was excited for it,” said Parker. “I immediately went with that decision (to amputate).”

When Lalla began working at Next Step two years ago, the pair began working together, forming a unique bond.

Lalla’s leg was amputated after a motorcycle accident, something he believes helps him connect with his clients. “Right off the bat there’s a sense of camaraderie and trust. People look at you as a believable, credible source,” said Lalla. “You’ve been there yourself and have that experience how things work and feel. The other side of it is that it is a mental adjustment. People respect that you’ve been through the same mental process as they’ve been through.”

The Dunbarton resident said oftentimes when he walks in the room, those who don’t know about his accident don’t notice any difference in the way he moves.

“The last thing you want to do is stick out in society. When people come in and see me come in just like everyone else, I think that makes them relax a little,” he said.

In addition to the bond the two formed at Next Step, Lalla and Parker also found common ground in skiing. Before his accident, Parker had been a high-level downhill racer.

Lalla is a former gold medal winner for the U.S. Disabled Ski Team, so he had many tips to offer Parker along the way. Although Lalla has been one of the reasons Parker has gotten back into ski racing, the prosthetist said it is his client’s attitude that has been the key to his quick bounce back.

“He’s just like any other 17-year-old kid. He’s a competitor and has a never say die attitude,” said Lalla. “He’s tenacious, and that type of attitude lends itself to athletics and anything, really.”

Parker cruises down the slopes on one ski, electing not to use a second for his prosthetic leg. Although he has two poles with smaller skis attached at the bottom, Parker said throughout most of the runs he relies solely on balance.

One of the more frustrating aspects of Parker’s injury has been getting back to where he was on the slopes. “The level I was at before the accident – I’m not quite there yet. From going to an elite level to back towards the bottom of the charts is pretty hard,” said Parker. “Doing things for the first time can be challenging, even like going on rollercoasters and getting in the cart. You have to get creative.”

Now with the help of Lalla and his other coaches, Parker will be skiing with the UNH ski team next season. “It’s going back and learning to do something that he knows how to do. That’s probably been frustrating for him, so you just have to know that it is going to come,” said Lalla. “Everybody goes through the days that you just don’t want to do things. Things that are so basic and simple now aren’t so basic and simple.”

After two years working with the now 17-year-old Parker, Lalla said the bond he has with Parker is more than a business one.

“The more that I work with him, you form a relationship that is like a friendship as well,” he said. “The people we deal with are more than just patients and names in a book.”

Pump debate at Page’s continues

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:07:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

A final decision on whether Page’s Country Store and Deli will be able to sell gasoline may come out of an upcoming Zoning Board meeting.

Currently, there are no gas stations in Dunbarton. The closest is about 7 miles away at the Bow Junction of I93.

The Dunbarton Country Store, just down the road from Page’s, owned the only gas pumps in town and closed earlier this month.

The issue has been hotly contested in town for the past few years, the current revisions of the plans being before the Zoning Board in continued public hearings.

“There’s the home team and there’s the away team,” said Zoning Board Vice Chairman John Herlihy about the split at recent Zoning Board hearings in residents both for and against having a gas station in Dunbarton.

Page’s Country Store and Deli owner David Barkie is trying to get the board to grant him a special exception to the town’s zoning ordinance to install the pumps and an above-ground storage unit for the gas.

In order to get permission, according to the ordinance, Barkie must show the added pumps would not hurt abutters’ property values, would pose no health or safety threats, would not interrupt traffic flow, would not bleed municipal services, and would sustain the current surface and groundwater quality.

The original plan submitted called for three islands with gas pumps that would be supplied through underground storage tanks, which the town turned down twice in the past.

This time, Barkie submitted a plan with a 20,000 gallon double- walled above-ground storage tank to the state’s Department of Environmental Services in November 2006 which was approved, but it lapsed after one year.

In December, Barkie submitted another plan which DES turned down citing 18 revisions including a requirement that the 20,000-gallon storage tank intitially proposed be split into two smaller tanks to comply with updated fire codes.

The plans also include a bioretention pond for run-off, double- layered pipes underground, automatic shut-off valves, an alarm system, extra capacity to bar against spills, and a storm water interceptor.

He was also asked to allow a 125-foot buffer zone between the public water supply well on the property and the gasoline tanks Barkie said the well is private, but the amount of coffee purchased at the store qualifies the water supply as public.

Amy Manzelli of the Concord- based law firm Sulloway and Hollis said Barkie is not meeting some of the five criteria points outlined in the special exception rule.

Manzelli, who is representing some of the property’s abutters, said Barkie has not provided sufficient proof that a gas station would not hurt property values and could not guarantee the tank would not spill any gas in the future.

In a town such as Dunbarton where groundwater comprises the drinking supply, Manzelli said, there is virtually no way to prevent a spill or guarantee that one won’t occur that would affect the drinking water.

“The primary concern is the groundwater, which is their drinking water,” Manzelli said.

The abutters also worry about traffic issues, particularly where the location is heavily used by recreational vehicle enthusiasts, Manzelli said.

While Barkie currently has the state’s permission to build the pumps and storage tanks, he still has to go through the town to get an operating permit.

Barkie said he feels the Zoning Board has been fair in reviewing his plans and to the abutters’ concerns, adding he wishes for the issue to be resolved at the board’s next meeting on Monday, March 10.

He said he has spent a lot of time and money on professionals perfecting the design and attorney’s fees.

Pam Werner of 16 Old Fort Lane lives a couple of houses back from Page’s Country Store and Deli, and said she is against installing the gas pumps largely because of the potential commercial sprawl that could result.

Equipping the store with gas would open the door to larger gas-oriented corporations looking to buy property in the small town that is already capable of handling and storing gas. It could also entice those same corporations to plant stores nearby Page’s to compete for sales.

“It’s a scary thought to have a Cumby’s or a Citgo or a 7-11 right outside your back door,” Werner said.

Abutters are also concerned about preserving the historical charm of the area, accented by the more than 250-yearold Molly Stark house at the intersection of Routes 13 and 77, a New Hampshire historical marker.

“Who wants to buy a historical home next to a gas station?” asked Werner rhetorically.

Jay Gonyer has lived in town for his entire 32-year life, and says he is for the gas pump installation at Page’s because he believes Barkie is going about the process the safe and healthy way.

“He’s going above and beyond state requirements,” Gonyer said of Barkie’s plans, citing the bioretention pond for run-off water and the double-layered, aboveground storage tank.

Like Werner, he said he doesn’t want to see large gas companies taking over Dunbarton, but that Barkie’s pump station concept is in keeping with the town’s rural character and would prevent such companies from buying up the available land further down the road. Werner, on the other hand, said she fears a gas station at Barkie’s would spark more development in the area, particularly among competing gas companies.

Gonyer added a gas station in town was inevitable, be it local or corporate. “If they shut Dave down, so then Exxon- Mobil comes in,” he said.

Dunbarton dispatch rates to double

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:04:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Dunbarton taxpayers will have to pay twice as much for emergency dispatch services in the coming year.

After pondering a tight budget 2008-09 year, the town of Bow will seek more revenue from Bow Dispatch Service fees collected from Dunbarton, Allenstown, Pembroke and Epsom, the four towns the dispatch center serves.

Dunbarton Police Chief Christopher Connelly was on the same page with police departments in the dispatch service’s coverage area in saying the increase in fees is fair, given the rising costs associated with running Bow Dispatch.

The new annual fees are based on updated call volumes from 2006 plus a $10,000 base fee. Dunbarton, which accounted for the least amount of calls, about 6 percent of the total calls for service in that year, will pay almost $23,000 for 2008-09.

That more than doubles the amount Dunbarton is paying for the current year, which is about $11,000.

“I think it’s an equitable way to do business, based on the calls for service,” said Connelly, adding Bow Dispatch is the most reliable service he’s seen in more than two decades of law enforcement experience.

In 2006, Bow Dispatch took 6,195 calls from Allenstown; 6,682 from Epsom; 10,072 from Pembroke; 2,605 from Dunbarton; and 18,980 from its own town for a total of more than 44,534 calls.

Epsom will now pay $43,000 instead of $19,000; Pembroke, which takes up the largest percentage of service calls besides Bow, will pay about $59,000 instead of $30,000; and Allenstown’s fees increased by about $20,000 to $41,000 for the 2008- 09 year.

Bow Dispatch costs about $400,000 per year to operate. That includes running equipment as well as paying eight employees, five of those being full-time. Since Bow absorbs about half the call volume and owns the center, taxpayers there pay the largest amount.

According to Bow Police Chief Jeff Jaran, the town collected about $79,000 in fees from the four peripheral towns for the current year. Under the new fee system, Bow will collect more than twice that amount, leaving about $235,000 on Bow taxpayers.

Some police chiefs, including Connelly, said they have explored other options such as moving to Merrimack County dispatch service since Bow’s push for a new fee system came to light last summer.

The problem is that Merrimack County dispatch is already overstretched in terms of personnel and space, servicing a total of 13 towns, and such a switch would overwhelm the service and clog the frequencies at this time.

“Their infrastructure presents officer safety concerns with getting air time,” Connelly said. “You can only do so much with the personnel you have and the equipment you’re allotted.”

Further, Connelly said, Dunbarton may not realize a savings in doing that after applying the costs to switch over the current information system his officers use, which is connected with Bow Dispatch to record all the necessary information from the call, thereby eliminating a lot of tedious work in entering the incident information into the system like many other departments have to do.

“Really, Bow continues to be our best option and is really in the same ballpark where we could go with other services,” Connelly said, adding the new fees have been added into the proposed 2008-09 police budget, totalling $321,274.

Teen creates program to donate dresses to young girls

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:32:00 GMT

By Michelle Kim

When Megan Mullaney looks at old dance clothes, she doesn’t see space-filling closet deadweight, but rather an opportunity for little girls in tough situations to feel like princesses for a moment.

For the past year, Mullaney, 17, has been running Project Princess out of her home, collecting donated dance clothes to give to girls dealing with HIV, AIDS, domestic violence, sexual assault and other tough situations as a way to lift their spirits and bring a little fun into their lives.

The Bishop Brady High School senior started Project Princess when she interned last summer at the Greater Manchester AIDS Project.

“My little sister and I always really enjoyed dressing up. I always took for granted that I had all this stuff,” said Mullaney, who took dance lessons throughout her life and accumulated a closet full of old costumes and dance outfits.

“I became close to one little 2-year-old girl. She didn’t have any dress up clothes, so I put together a bag for her,” said Mullaney. “I put together more bags and it spread from there.”

Mullaney, a Dunbarton resident, received donated costumes from friends and national dancewear companies.

Creating and assembling bags is definitely a family affair, said Mullaney.

She described how her grandmother, Beverly Mullaney, makes pillowcase-sized bags out of fun-looking colorful cloth. Mullaney’s mother, Kathleen Murray, helps sort through boxes of costumes. The bags are filled with the donated costumes according to size, which range all the way up to adult sizes. Each bag is given a tiara and, if she has the extra budget for it, a ballet slipper.

So far, Mullaney’s Project Princess bags have been donated to the Greater Manchester AIDS Project (GMAP), New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic Sexual Violence, a school in Maine, and she is looking at sending them to the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth. With the help of her boss from GMAP, she’s also looking at the possibility of sending some bags to places in Africa, like Zimbabwe.

“I have so much more, it’s just finding the people to give them to,” said Mullaney.

She said she’ll be able to meet some of the GMAP girls who’ve received the Project Princess bags at a dress-up tea party the organization is holding.

Mullaney described talking with some of the parents of the girls and being touched as some of them cried when they told her how having the costumes had affected their daughters.

Although Mullaney is applying for college for next year – University of New Hampshire is her first choice – she said she plans to continue the project “as long as there is someone to give them to.”

Dunbarton principal prepares to retire

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 22:12:00 GMT

By Michelle Kim

DUNBARTON – After nearly four decades as an educator and 20 as a school administrator, Dunbarton Elementary School Principal Brent Rogers is ready for a change of pace.

Rogers, who came to Dunbarton three years ago, is retiring from education at the end of the year and is going into business as a handyman.

He said he started thinking about retirement in the fall and decided it was the right time for him.

“It’s just my next step,” said Rogers. “I’m not retiring from something but to something.”

Becoming an independent contractor would also allow Rogers, a Hampton resident, to spend more time with his wife, Sharon, a teacher for third- and fourth-grade in Seabrook, his 16- and 40-year-old daughters and three grandchildren.

He said he is going to miss just about everything about the job.

“I’m going to miss the kids, the community involvement. It’s an incredible community,” he said of Dunbarton.

One thing he will not miss, he said, is the school’s heating and ventilation system, which has presented a number of challenges.

During his time at Dunbarton, Rogers has overseen a science curriculum revision in the district and on the SAU level and was involved in a social studies curriculum revision as well and has written grants to bring in money for improved technology, according to SAU 19 Superintendent Darrell Lockwood.

Rogers said he is pleased at being able to keep lines of communication open between the school and community. He hopes the next principal will be able to continue to move Dunbarton forward in improved instruction and student learning.

“When he told us he would be leaving, I was quite disappointed because he’s done a very fine job,” said School Board Chairman Betty Ann Noyes. “I wish him well.”

Board member Debra Foster described Rogers as a super principal.

“We’re very sad to see him leave. He’s been wonderful,” she said. “We’ve had very little turnover in the three years since he’s been here.”

Lisa Poirer, head of the Parent Teacher Organization, echoed those sentiments and said she enjoyed working with him.

“I felt he was a good administrator,” she said.

Residents who want to be on the search committee for the next principal can send letters of interest to the board, care of SAU 19, with a deadline of Jan. 30. The committee will be a cross-section of the community, she said, with teachers, administrators and community members, said Noyes.

Advertisements for the position will go out toward the end of the month and applications will be due Feb. 15.

There will also be a public meeting within the first half of February for the community to brainstorm the qualities it would like to see in the next principal, according to Foster. This would give the selection committee guidance on what to look for in candidates, she said. The date of the public meeting is still to be determined but would be posted on the school and town Web sites.

Both Noyes and Foster said they felt it is important to have someone who could relate and interact well with community members.

Several officers recognized for service during barn fire

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:17:00 GMT

DUNBARTON – Several Dunbarton Police employees were recognized for their outstanding effort and performance during a September structure fire at an employee recognition ceremony on Dec. 17.

On Sept. 22, the Dunbarton Police Department received a report of a structure fire at 1194 Montalona Road.

The on-duty officer covering the shift responded to the scene, arriving within seconds of the dispatch.

Upon arrival officer Gary Guevin found a fully involved structure fire. He radioed his findings to dispatch so that appropriate notifications and updates could be made to fire personnel that would be arriving shortly.

Guevin quickly assessed the situation and learned that one of the homeowners had entered the burning structure to free his horses from inside. At great personal risk, Guevin entered the burning structure to assist the homeowner with the removal of the horses and usher him to safety.

The roof of the structure collapsed just minutes after Guevin and the homeowner exited the fiery structure. Undoubtedly, Guevin’s actions helped to avert a more serious tragedy.

Guevin continued his assessment of the scene and determined that additional police resources would be needed to manage traffic and facilitate the orderly flow of fire apparatus and personnel arriving from as far away as Chichester and Warner. In all, 12 communities responded to battle the blaze.

Officer Joe Milioto and auxiliary officer Lenny LaMarca were contacted at their homes and immediately responded to the scene.

A short time later, officer Shayne Durant came upon the scene and stopped to join his fellow officers. It was a hectic scene as fire apparatus, bystanders and representative of various media outlets began to converge on the scene.

The actions of these officers most certainly assisted in the orderly management of an extensive fire and traffic scene.

Chief Christopher Connelly presented a Medal of Valor to Guevin for his display of personal bravery during the incident.

He also awarded Letters of Commendation to Milioto, LaMarca and Durant for their actions on Sept. 22 and for their selfless dedication and service to the community of Dunbarton.

Dunbarton Year in review 2007

Goffstown Editor — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:04:00 GMT

BY MICHELLE KIM
Dunbarton saw some of the same themes reemerge from 2006 – issues such as the SB2 ballot, gas pumps at Page’s Corner, the completion of the hearse housing. But 2007 also saw a number of changes particularly in the police department with the departure of Police Chief Jeff Nelson and promotion of executive officer Chris Connelly, and the completion of the long awaited town commons bandstand.

Dunbarton saw some of the same themes reemerge from 2006 – issues such as the SB2 ballot, gas pumps at Page’s Corner, the completion of the hearse housing. But 2007 also saw a number of changes particularly in the police department with the departure of Police Chief Jeff Nelson and promotion of executive officer Chris Connelly, and the completion of the long awaited town commons bandstand.

At the March elections, voters rejected for the second year in a row a warrant article to change elections from the traditional town hall meeting to SB2, or official ballot referendum- style voting, by 419-154 at the town meeting and 415-152 at the school meeting.

Incumbent Selectman Mert Mann, the only contested seat up for election, defeated challenger David Pellenz for another three-year term. Incumbent positions that ran unopposed include Tax Collector Martha Rae, Bryan Clark on the Board of Assessors, Ethics Committee member Brigitte Cook, Library Trustee Tiffany Dodd, Richard Schaeffer as cemetery trustee, Kristen Petretta as library trustee, and Janice VandeBogart as a trustee of the trust funds. On the School Board, Carl Metzger ran unopposed as did incumbent Rene Ouellet.

Voters overwhelmingly approved expanding Town Clerk Linda Peters’ part-time position from 10 hours a week at to a full-time position, despite lack of endorsement by the selectmen, increasing her salary from $23,800 to about $50,000 with benefits.

They also approved a town operating budget of $1,825,744, a 3.2 percent increase over the 2006 operating budget.

The School Board managed to bring in a school operating budget about $38,000 lower than the previous fiscal year, due in part to lower than expected middle and high school enrollments.

Because of the level school budget, the 2007 property tax rate was set in October at $14.56, or 11.5 percent lower than the previous year. The town portion increased by 40 cents, or about 20 percent, but was offset by the school portion drop of $2.39, or about 23.7 percent.

Police Chief Jeff Nelson retired in March, after six years of serving as Dunbarton’s first full-time police chief, for a position with the New Hampshire Juvenile Justice Services as bureau chief in charge of administration.

Previously he had been commander of investigative services with Goffstown police. Under Nelson, the Dunbarton Police Department was recognized by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), the first department with part-time officers in New Hampshire to achieve this.

Chris Connelly, who had been brought in by Nelson in 2003 as an executive officer and potential successor, was promoted to chief in March. Connelly served 10 years at the Goffstown Police Department and for seven years before that with the Hillsborough Police Department as deputy sheriff/sergeant. His main goals include seeking CALEA accreditation and renovation of the police station.

In May, Dunbarton hired master patrol officer Jacqueline Pelletier, previously of the Bow Police Department, as full-time executive officer to fill the position left vacant by Connelly’s promotion. Pelletier began her career at Goffstown in 1999 as a part-time officer and full-time communications specialist. She was recently recognized with an award for her outstanding patrol work with Bow.

John Levasseur was sworn in as Dunbarton’s third full-time officer in July. Levasseur, a Goffstown native and graduate of Goffstown High School, came to the department with four years of experience with the New Hampshire Department of Corrections.

Dunbarton resident Lori Davis sued the town in January under the Right-to-Know Law after allegedly being denied access to financial documents at a budget workshop where $100,000 was transferred from surplus to operating funds. Justice Philip P. Mangones agreed with Davis that the selectmen should have addressed the issue at a public meeting, but ruled that no laws had been broken.

A former Dunbarton Fire Department volunteer, Derek Milioto, turned himself in to the Merrimack County Attorney’s Office in May and was was arrested and charged with stealing fuel from the town fuel pumps, a Class A misdemeanor.

Discrepancies in fuel consumption were discovered by Fire Chief Jon Wiggin in October 2006, and surveillance cameras installed at the facility helped obtain evidence.

There may be up to a year and a half or about $3,000 to $4,000 of missing gas, but proof for only about $600, according to Selectman Les Hammond.

After receiving word that there might be fewer spots available for Dunbarton kids at the New Boston Central and Glen Lake’s preschool programs, a Preschool Committee was formed in the spring to explore the option of bringing a preschool program to Dunbarton, which currently sends only special needs children to preschool.

The School Board, after considering a short list of options generated by the committee, decided to remain with the current arrangement until more specific information could be gathered on the costs of an inhouse preschool program.

The Fire Department received $10,400 in the last year from memorial contributions made after the passing of Vera Fogg, Nancy Graybill, and former selectmen and Fire Department volunteers Peter Montgomery and John Swindelhurst II. Fire Chief Jon Wiggin said the money would go to purchase equipment the department didn’t have the funds for in the town budget.

A storage building to house the historic refurbished and rebuilt hearse was constructed by state prison inmates at Page’s cemetery. The dedication ceremony in August saw about 100 residents and volunteers, many in period costumes.

The uniform of deceased World War II hero Frank Dow Merrill of Hopkinton was on display Memorial Day at the Dunbarton Community Center.

Dunbarton American Legion head Gary MacCubbin helped it find a home with the New Hampshire Historical Society.

In August, Marine Sgt. Justin Somers was presented the Combat Action Ribbon by Sen. John Sununu in a ceremony on the Dunbarton town commons and accepted on behalf of his unit, the 2nd Military Police Battalion, which had deployed to Iraq in June.

The Dunbarton Garden Club offered the Hadley Heritage bulb for 2007, a late-blooming white daffodil with a yellow-pink cup, in commemoration of late Dunbarton historian Alice Hadley.

The Garden Club planted 2,500 bulbs around Page’s Corner in October in the third year of the “Daffodils for Dunbarton” program.

In late September, a fouralarm blaze consumed the barn of Sheri Nuanez and Keith Bernard, but miraculously the couple managed to save all of their 11 horses. However, they discovered their insurance covered the replacement barn but not the cost of temporarily sheltering the horses through the winter, as they had originally been told. They filed a claim with the New Hampshire Bureau of Insurance.

The Zoning Board hearing for a special exception for gas pumps at Page’s Country Store finally got underway in November with more than 120 attendees, after being rescheduled from September due to lack of space.

Experts hired by store owner David Barkie presented his state-of- the-art plan for a six-pump aboveground storage tank facility and studies on the traffic, real estate and environmental effects of the gas pumps. Abutters also hired a legal council and experts to address Barkie’s studies and the special exception criteria. The December continuation of the hearing, with 40 to 50 attendees, saw testimony and public imput from residents and abutters, mostly opposed to the plan, although a few spoke in favor of it. The hearing has been continued to Jan. 14.

After seven years of fundraising, the town commons bandstand project was mostly completed by December and dedicated with a Christmas tree lighting.

Public debates pumps at Page’s

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:30:00 GMT

By Michelle Kim

DUNBARTON – The Zoning Board Authority heard more testimony and public comments from abutters and residents in the second hearing on a special exception application for gas pumps at Page’s Country Store and Deli, Monday, Dec. 10.

In the first meeting on Nov. 19, more than 120 people turned out to hear lawyers and experts representing store owner David Barkie present his plan for a 20,000 gallon aboveground storage system and three-island, covered six-pump setup with precautions such as a double-walled tank, concrete holding dike, sensors to detect wall breaches, automatic shutoff valves, and a bioretention pond to filter run-off water from the station.

Attendance for Nov. 19 hearing was considerably smaller, around 40 to 50 people, as about 10 abutters and residents opposed to the plan gave public comment to the board. A handful of residents supporting the application spoke as well.

Experts and lawyers for both Barkie and the abutters opposing the plan presented studies and arguments during the last hearing addressing the five main criteria for a special exception, which require no detriment to property values, no hazard from potential fire, explosion or toxic materials, no additional traffic congestion or hazard, no excessive demand on municipal services and no degradation of existing surface and ground water quality. The experts provided information requested by the board from the previous meeting, but this hearing mainly saw public comment.

Residents addressed the special exception criteria and other issues such as quality of life and development and there were frequent mentions of the recent gas truck fire in Everett, Mass.

Many were concerned that they would be unable to evacuate Old Fort Estates in the case of such an emergency, since the station would be at head of the only road exiting the neighborhood.

Herb Allen, owner of the historic Molly Stark House located across from the Country Store, flew from Philadelphia that evening to give his testimony and submit documents on the detrimental effects of gas stations on the value of historic homes.

“A gas station not only lowers the value, but makes the property almost unsellable,” he said, citing examples of historic properties in Northwood, Chichester and Epsom that had been unable to sell after a gas station opened up nearby. He pointed out there were 10 other historic homes in Page’s corner in addition to the Molly Stark House.

Allen also brought up lighting and health concerns, mentioning three patients he had seen in consultation as a dermatologist who had been exposed to xylene, a toxic chemical found in gasoline, who eventually died from leukemia and liver failure.

Tom Cusano, who has property adjacent and downhill from the store, said because of the soil type, the runoff water from the station would go directly onto his property and into his hand-dug well. He used the extreme example of the effect of living next to a nuclear power plant, which he said was statistically safer than a gas station, on property values.

“Human emotion, you can’t put into statistics. If you don’t have peace of mind and quiet enjoyment of property, nobody’s going to want to buy it,” he said.

Abutter Patty Shearin reported on sites contaminated by gas leaks in New Hampshire and the health risks of exposure to chemicals found in gasoline.

Pam Werner, who lives two houses behind the store, works at the Department of Environmental Services but came as a private citizen. She said she had moved to Dunbarton from Manchester about two years ago for its rural environment and had been reassured that gas pumps weren’t allowed.

“You never realize this can happen until you see it,” she said, of spillage and accidents “I’ve been doing this for nine years. I know what happens. I see the claims.”

She submitted documents to the board on upcoming DES rule changes that would require the same setback distances from public well water systems for aboveground storage tanks, which currently has a shorter setback requirement, as underground systems.

A few residents spoke in favor of the gas pumps, saying that progress was coming, gas was a needed commodity, and there were bigger concerns for spillage and accident risk, such as the tankers full of oil and propane that supply many rural homes.

Resident Lori Davis pointed out living with risk was a part of modern life.

“You can die falling out of bed in the morning,” she said. “If you’re worried about accidents, there’d be no electricity, no cars, no machinery.”

She commended Barkie for proposing a state-of-the-art system.

Previous attempts to apply for a special exception for gas pumps using an underground storage tank have been denied.

The meeting concluded after about two and a half hours, and was continued to Jan. 14.

Bandstand project finally completed

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:44:00 GMT

BY MICHELLE KIM

Residents celebrated the newly built town commons bandstand with a Christmas tree lighting and a special visit from Santa Claus on Sunday, Dec. 2.

It took the Dunbarton Garden Club and the Town Commons Project seven years to raise the $50,000 needed to build the 20-foot wide octagonal lighted structure. But the long wait finally paid off Sunday evening, as more than 60 residents and neighbors mingled over hot chocolate and a small, crackling bonfire as they admired the tree housed under the lighted cupola of the bandstand.

Girl Scouts Troop 2470 and Brownie Troop 65 sang Christmas carols, and wide-eyed kids lined up for a chance to talk with Santa.

For 2-year-old Jack Mann of Dunbarton, it was his first time on Santa’s lap. He smiled shyly as he asked only for a candy cane.

It was a much greater turnout than normally seen at tree lightings, said Jacque Belanger, Parks and Recreation Department commissioner.

“People are excited to see the gazebo,” said his wife Kim Belanger, a teacher at Dunbarton Elementary School. “They’ve been raising funds endlessly.” Judy Petersen, president of the Dunbarton Garden Club, gave opening remarks thanking the organizers and committee and club members for their hard work.

“The community actually built this,” she said, by donating to and supporting the project.

Donna Dunn, co-chairman of the Town Commons Project Committee overseeing the bandstand project, explained that the lighting in the bandstand, thanks to the suggestion of the Green Committee and the assistance of volunteer electrician Alain Biron, was designed to be energy efficient, costing only 2.5 cents an hour or $36 a year to run.

Many design features of the town library were incorporated into the bandstand as well, she said, such as round tapered columns, matching roof shingles, black railings and dentil molding.

Petersen said the project is not quite finished as it still needs landscaping and a few benches installed that were donated by different groups.

But, as the event wrapped up and thick, flakes of snow began to fall, the bandstand was still a sight to behold - an otherworldly beacon glowing in the winter night.

Experts wrangle over Page’s pumps

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:56:00 GMT

BY MICHELLE KIM

More than 120 people turned out Monday, Nov. 19, for the first of what might be a series of Zoning Board hearings on a special exception application for gas pumps at Page’s Country Store and Deli.

The air was thick from the heat of so many bodies as supporters, opponents, residents, abutters, business owners and interested observers packed into the double classroom to hear the plan presented by Page’s Country Store owner Dave Barkie’s team of experts.

Owners of the property have twice been turned down for gas pumps using underground storage facilities, in 1992 and 2002, due to water contamination concerns.

At the hearing, engineer Jennifer McCourt outlined the plans for the canopy-covered three-island gas pumps and the 20,000 gallon above-ground storage tank system that would hold the gas. Some of the precautions against gas spillage, that McCourt described as far exceeding state standards, included a doublewalled tank, extra holding capacity to prevent overfill, a concrete dike for the tank, double layers on the flexible pipes that run underground, sensors with alarms to detect a breach of the walls, automatic shutoff valves, a storm water interceptor, and a bioretention pond to filter runoff water with organic materials and sediments.

Environmental engineer Jim Elliott described a review of 12 reported cases of spills involving above-ground storage systems in New Hampshire from 2005 to 2006 and found many involved old facilities, human error or motor vehicles accidents. There was some impact to soil but there was no groundwater contamination.

Real estate appraiser Ken Currier testified that gas pumps would not bring property values down, citing the sales of homes in Dunbarton before and after the construction of the Country Store, as well as construction of an Irving gas station in Goffstown and another gas station in Holderness as case studies.

Traffic engineer Stephen Pernaw estimated the majority of gas station business would come from “pass-by” trips and would bring 10 more trips during peak travel hours, increasing net traffic volume on Route 77 by 1 percent.

Attorney Amy Manzelli, representing the abutters, presented her response in regards to the five main criteria for a special exception.

Manzelli said the property value report used case studies that weren’t comparable to this situation and didn’t address the effect on a neighborhood with historic homes such as the Molly Stark House.

She pointed out that no amount of state-of-the-art equipment could guarantee against human error in spilling toxic materials, and that the applicant hadn’t addressed the use of municipal services in the case of a leak.

She also cited the expiration of the above-ground storage permit as evidence for doubting Barkie’s ability to fufill maintainence and safety requirements.

The board also heard from environmental engineering consultant John Gilbert, hired by the abutters, who cut short his presentation due to time constraints but submitted a list of responses to Barkie’s findings. Gilbert highlighted that the ethanol that had replaced MTBEs in gasoline was even more water soluble and that the state even has a cleanup fund in anticipation that spills will occur, despite the best of equipment and practices.

Abutter Karen Cusano, of 10 Old Fort Lane, said that the town already had a gas station and that the Page’s Country Store would end up servicing out-oftowners more than Dunbarton residents.

“We’re not anti-commercial. We run businesses, too,” she said. “But that goal cannot supersede the health and safety of the people that live around the area.”

Chairman John Trottier announced the meeting would be cut off at 10 p.m. but that everyone who wanted to would eventually have an opportunity to speak.

Resident George Halt said he was neutral on the issue but was generally interested in town politics and came, he joked, “to see the fur fly.”

However, despite a few under-the-breath mutterings by audience members, the proceedings were largely civil.

“Everyone did a good job staying levelheaded and sticking to the five criteria,” said Manzelli. “Everybody’s been very patient.”

Barkie’s attorney Richard Uchida said their goal had been to make as thorough a presentation as possible. “I think we achieved that goal,” he said.

They hope to be able to respond to the abutters’ criticism sometime by December or January. The hearing was continued to Dec. 10, 7 p.m., at the Dunbarton Elementary School.

Byway may attract tourists

Bow Editor — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:13:00 GMT

BY ROD HANSEN

The hills and roadways of Dunbarton, Goffstown, New Boston and Weare have long been associated with Gen. John Stark and his family, and a new scenic byway could blanket all those towns with the Stark name.

A submission for a General John Stark Scenic Byway has already made it through the first cut of review by the state byways council, said Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission executive director David Preece.

If seen to completion, the initiative stands to increase tourist interest in the area that once served as home to one of the area’s most recognized families, Preece said.

“John Stark has played such an important role in the history of this state that we felt we should honor him,” said Preece.

“The idea is to showcase this area for its scenic beauty and historic significance.”

The planning commission’s application proposes the scenic byway take a circular route within Hillsborough County, running along Route 13 from Goffstown to New Boston, north along Route 77 and into Route 114 in Weare, a thoroughfare already known as the John Stark Highway.

The byway would then run east along Route 77 to Dunbarton, and finally south along Route 13 back to Goffstown.

Goffstown Town Planner Steve Griffin said he worked with the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission on the proposed byway, which was also endorsed by selectmen and members of the Economic Development Council.

“It’s mostly a tourist-generating venture, and working locally with (SNHPC), we told them of things they should be aware of, such as historic structures and the best views of the Piscataquog,” said Griffin.

The byway route runs through the center of Goffstown Village, which is itself a registered historic district, Griffin said.

The scenic byway may find its strongest links to the Stark family in Dunbarton, said town historian Harlan “Bud” Noyes, who authored a book on local historic homes titled, “Where Settler’s Feet Have Trod.”

Dunbarton is still home to many structures associated with the Stark family, including the home built by Molly Stark’s father Caleb Page, now known as the Molly Stark House; as well as Stark Mansion, where John and Molly Stark’s son Caleb once operated a store.

Dunbarton’s association with the Stark family goes even deeper than Gen. John Stark, Noyes said. The town was once known as Starkstown after early settler Archibald Stark, father of the future general.

John Stark himself built a sawmill in Dunbarton on 100 acres of land prior to the Revolutionary War, Noyes said.

A number of other historic sites can be found along Routes 77 and 13, Noyes said, many of them relating to the Starks.

“There are a lot of historic homes in that neighborhood, and it’s beautiful country. Even if it just starts with getting people to talk about the Stark family, there’s a lot to see up there,” said Noyes.

Members of the state byways council will be touring the proposed route in the spring and will host public meetings in each of the towns before making its final decision on the application, Preece said.

Christopher Connelly takes over as Dunbarton police chief

Bow Editor — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:02:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Dozens of officers from around the Central/ Southern New Hampshire corridor turned out to congratulate Christopher Connelly, filling the town meeting room to the point that many well-wishers had to wait in the hallway.

On Thursday, March 29, Connelly was sworn in by selectmen as Dunbarton’s new chief of police, replacing Jeff Nelson, who took over as Dunbarton’s first full-time police chief in 2001.

Nelson is stepping down to take a position as bureau chief in charge of administration with New Hampshire Juvenile Justice Services.

In that time, police staffing and standards have reached unprecedented levels for a department the size of Dunbarton.

Connelly, who had worked with Nelson in Goffstown, followed him to Dunbarton shortly thereafter and was groomed from day one to be the next head of the police department.

“Jeff and I knew each other well from our time together in Goffstown, and when a position opened up here in Dunbarton, we kind of knew it would be a good fit,” said Connelly.

“I’m very fortunate. I couldn’t think of having a better situation because the people we have on board here, from our office administrator to our auxiliary volunteers to our part-time officers, they’re all just great people, and it makes it so enjoyable.”

It is Connelly’s professional work habits that will make him a great police chief, said Nelson.

“Whenever you look at anybody for a leadership position, it always comes down to character and he has excellent character, first and foremost,” he said. “He has a work habit that is second to none. He works very hard, has donated a lot of hours to the community over the last four years, and he has never been one of those guys that is always looking at the clock. He’ll always stay until the work is done.

“He also has great people skills,” Nelson continued. “He fits in really well with in the department and makes great connections with the community.”

But Nelson said it is the fact that he and Connelly share many of the same values and ideals, which will make him a perfect successor.

“The good thing is that this will be a seamless transition,” said Nelson. “He’s going to bring his own leadership style and abilities and knowledge, but he’s got some short-term and longterm challenges, and I think he will do an excellent job with those.”

One of the goals the department has accomplished under the two men is receiving CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) “recognition, st department in the United States to receive such an honor.

Connelly and Nelson brought all the department’s part-time officers up to full-time standards to accomplish the task. The process revolutionized the departments procedures in terms of record keeping, inventories and system of checks and balances.

The next step, under Connelly, is to receive full accreditation under CALEA standards.

“The accreditation is a huge thing for us, it provides a great template for the community and how to run the agency and we’re going to move forward and continue in that process until full accreditation is reached,” said Connelly. “It’s a tremendous stepping stone and blueprint for the agency, which is critically important for us.”

Other goals Connelly plans to pursue are a renovation project for the police station and the continued hiring of quality officers, including two full-timers in the coming months, which he said will be a great boost in coverage for the community.

“We always work very hard to select the right fit for the agency and the community, which is critical in a small agency, particularly to make sure that the people we select understand the character of the community and what’s important in our agency,” he said.

Before coming to Dunbarton in 2003 as an executive officer, Connelly spent 10 years in Goffstown, where he rose through the ranks from patrolman to sergeant.

Prior to his employment with Dunbarton’s neighbor to the south, Connelly began his law enforcement career with the Hillsborough Police Department, where he worked for seven years as a deputy sheriff/sergeant.

Connelly holds a bachelor of science degree in organizational management and an associate of science degree in criminal justice.

He also graduated from the Command Training Program at the New England Institute of Law Enforcement at the University of Massachusetts and Leadership of Greater Concord Program.

In addition, Connelly attended the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Seminar and has obtained a professional development certificate from the Federal Emergency Management Institute.

Connelly, a member of the Goffstown Area Rotary Club, Goffstown Police Association and Dunbarton Police Association, is married with one son.

He spends his free time attending and watching hockey games, reading and biking.

Police chief retires

Bow Editor — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:53:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

After six years with the Dunbarton Police Department, Chief Jeff Nelson is retiring.

Nelson, who came to Dunbarton after 19 years with the Goffstown Police Department, had his resignation accepted by selectmen at their meeting on Thursday, March 15.

Chairman Mert Mann said he has seen first hand the positive effect Nelson has had on the town and is disappointed to see him go.

“I was there when we went from a part-time chief to a fulltime chief, and it really meant a lot to the town to get the right person,” said Mann. “Being such a small, quiet, laid-back community with growth all around us, we needed to make sure we got the right guy, and we did – the right guy was living right under our nose here in town.”

Mann said he expected Nelson to move on, but not this soon.

“We’re sad to let him go, but we wish him nothing but the best,” he said.

Nelson was the commander of investigative services with Goffstown police before arriving in Dunbarton in 2001 and is now leaving to accept a position as bureau chief in charge of administration with New Hampshire Juvenile Justice Services.

Nelson, who was a finalist for the position of director of Juvenile Justice Services, received an offer for the bureau chief position instead.

His last day as Dunbarton police chief will be Friday, March 30.

During Nelson’s time in Dunbarton, the department has evolved from one that staffed only three part-time positions to one that now has three full-time officers, six part-timers, and three auxiliary officers.

“The thing I’m most proud of is the people we’ve attracted and kept,” said Nelson. “All, but one person we currently have here have been hired by our administration, and I think the quality of those folks speaks for itself.”

“The people are what it’s all about,” he continued. “We’ve got great people in the department and great people supporting us in the community, so certainly the most enjoyable aspect, in the end, has been the people.”

In addition to staffing, Nelson said the department was also transformed by the process that led up to receiving national “recognition” from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

CALEA encourages departments to strive for excellence and work with the community to instill confidence and trust through meeting and exceeding professional standards.

To become the first police department in New Hampshire to receive CALEA recognition with part-time officers, Nelson brought all of his part-time officers up to full-time standards.

The process revolutionized the departments procedures in terms of record keeping, inventories and systems of checks and balances, said Nelson.

“It transformed us from a department with virtually very little resources to one that meets national standards,” he said. “To take a department that was really in difficult times and have turned it around to the point that it is CALEA recognized is really a credit to all those involved.”

After accomplishing many of his goals, Nelson said the time was right to leave.

“It’s important, when you’re in a leadership position, to know when it’s time to move on. I wanted to leave on a positive note, and at the right time,” he said.

“Some people can overstay their welcome, but I feel that you go in with certain intentions and once you’ve succeeded and met your goals, it’s time to start looking and let some fresh blood step in and continue to move the department in the right direction.”

Nelson said he expects executive officer Christopher Connelly, a four-year member of the department, to take over as chief.

“I think full (CALEA) accreditation is something that’s always been an ultimate goal, and I think Chris is moving in that direction and will continue to move in that direction once I’m gone.”

Still, Nelson said he is disappointed he won’t see other projects come to fruition, including an addition and renovation to the current public safety building, but is comfortable knowing Connelly is in the driver’s seat.

“I know those are great challenges and great possibilities for Chris, and I know he’s the right guy to achieve those goals,” said Nelson. “Certainly, he’s been the person that all along we’ve intended to take over the leadership position.”

Nelson said he has always taken the ideal of succession very seriously and brought in Connelly with the idea that he would one day serve as his replacement.

Dunbarton taxes jump 7.2 percent

Bow Editor — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 15:15:00 GMT

By Ryan O’Connor
Staff Writer

Due to unforeseeable circumstances within the school district, Dunbarton’s tax rate has gone up slightly more than anticipated.

The Department of Revenue Administration the agency that sets the tax rate for each town and city in New Hampshire recently confirmed the rate, which has risen from $15.36 per $1,000 assessed property value in 2005 to $16.46 in 2006. Property taxes on a $300,000 home will now cost $4,938.

The jump is primarily based on a school increase of $1.04. Last year, residents paid $2.39 for state school taxes and $9.05 for local schools, but taxes have risen to $2.40 for the state and $10.08 locally.

County taxes have remained steady at $2.03, but the town rate has gone up slightly from $1.89 to $1.95 this year.

According to school board Vice Chairman Betty Ann Noyes, the main reason for a $318,072 school budget increase stems from an increase in tuition and number of students attending Mountain View Middle School and Goffstown High School.

“A lot of people may get upset because they may say we should know, but we put a budget together now to get approved in March. But, school doesn’t start until September, so it’s impossible,” she said. “Because of the fact that we had increases in our student population at middle and high school, we had to find that money in our budget, which reduced the amount of money we would have perhaps been able to return to the town to apply against the tax rate.”

Noyes said there are 11 more students entering the middle school than those who moved up to the high school. In addition, four more students brought the total to 15 extra students, cost ing the district $144,095 at the middle school alone. The district currently has 71 student in grades 7 and 8.

In addition, because of an increase of 12 students at the high school, the district incurred a tuition increase of $165,206 over the prior year.

Tuition for each student also went up from $7,883 during the last school year to $8,662 this year, a $779 increase per student.

Noyes said most of the district’s new students are coming into the upper grades rather than the elementary grades, as had been the trend in the past, and a total tuition increase of more than $300,000 represents 63.9 percent of regular education costs.

So what about the possibility of a Dunbarton middle or high school?

“We have talked about it and talked about it and talked about it, but right now it looks like it would be more costly,” said Noyes. “We have also talked about joining with New Boston, because to do it alone, the cost would be fabulous for the number of children we have. Perhaps in future years something will come down the line, but we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Other increases, which Noyes said were out of the district’s control, include an additional $18,000 in electricity costs, which jumped from $27,000 to $45,000, and a $28,500 heat and fuel oil increase.

Diesel fuel for the district’s six buses represents an increase of $9,750 and health insurance increased $38,000, a 27.9 percent jump over last year’s rate.

“All of these things the board can do nothing about. They’re all requirements, especially when it comes to tutoring the number of students you’re supporting, and fuel and oil,” Noyes said. “The board was not happy about it, but we tried our very best.”

Other increases include $42,000 for teacher salaries and $45,000 for support staff, which includes teaching assistants, secretarial help, custodial or maintenance service, and cafeteria workers 17 total employees.

“When people don’t understand, they sometimes get very upset and I don’t blame them because a 7.2 percent increase is a large percent,” Noyes said. “It didn’t leave any of us on the board very happy, but when we really looked at it there was nothing we could do. I think most people understand what our situation was and that there wasn’t much we could about it.”

Dunbarton hearse is transported through history

Bow Editor — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 15:12:00 GMT

By Ryan O’Connor
Staff Writer

Resident Donna Dunn said the Dunbarton town hearse has more frequent flier miles than she does.

The hearse hasn’t been in commission since it was nearly incinerated in a 1958 fire destroying a storage house at the Dunbarton Center Cemetery.

If all goes well, however, Dunn and fellow residents Gail Martel, Nancy Frost and Bob Boynton will have the hearse refurbished by the new year after forming a committee aimed at doing exactly that.

“We’re hoping to have most of this done before the snow flies,” said Dunn, who also plans to place an image of the refurbished hearse on the annual town report.

The group has been on a mission for more than two years to restore the antique, which was found dilapidated and filled with animal ***.

In the meantime, the hearse is transported from one location to another, while several interested residents work on various aspects of its restoration.

Originally purchased by the town in 1871 for $345, the town’s second hearse was in service for roughly 87 years before it was severely damaged in the fire.

Now, with restorations underway, the work is grueling but worthwhile.

“It’s been a learning process, that’s for sure,” said Martel. “We’ve kind of gotten really nitpicky, just continuously looking at pieces and trying to guess where they go.”

Everyone in the group has provided their share of work, as Boynton has made new wheels and a new buggy shaft for the hearse and Martel will reupholster the interior.

“It’s exciting to be a part of this and it’s unusual to say the least,” said Martel. “Whenever I go somewhere and talk about it, people look at me and say, ‘You’re doing what?’”

In addition to committee members, several other residents have assisted in the process, including Jan VanDeBogart, who is sandblasting, painting and trimming the structure.

“They needed somebody to do it and I’ve done body work all my life,” said VandeBogart. “It’s going to be fun to do this and I’ll be glad to finally see it done and in its little hearse house.”

Carpenters Harvey Provencher and Bernie Bastian donated their skills and Mast Road Lumber donated wood, said Dunn, who added that JP Chemical came to the rescue when work was halted because of an active infestation of powder post beetles.

In addition, Frost and Beth Lamarca scoured through old town records dating back to 1869, while Martel and Dunn made several field trips to photograph other hearses, gather information and material samples.

Dunn said the only thing still missing is roughly $500 for a new, low-maintenance hearse house.

Those interested in making a tax deductible donation may send a check to: Hearse Restoration and Preservation Trust, Town Offices, 1011 School St., Dunbarton, NH 03046-4508.

History

When the hearse’s storage building burned to the ground in 1958, the hearse was pulled from the fire and doused with water, but the driver’s leather seat and canvas roof were destroyed, the glass was broken, all the interior fabric was destroyed and the two front wheels were damaged beyond repair.

Most of the damaged hearse was transported to the former town dump on Clinton Street and the rest was taken to the town roller shed on Robert Roberts Road.

And that is only the beginning of the hearse’s travels.

In 1970, when plans were made to destroy the roller shed and take the hearse to the dump, Kevin and Guy Bartlett saved the hearse and took it to their home on Long Pond Road in Dunbarton.

In 1972, it was taken to the chicken coop at the home of Donald and Thelma Peaslee, who belonged to the Dunbarton Historical Society.

Dunn said the Peaslees’ intended to restore the hearse, however, Thelma died recently with the comforting knowledge that the committee was working to finally achieve the goal.

In 1981, the hearse was moved to the home of Wayne Mills before making its way to the Historical Society Blacksmith Museum in 1983.

In 2002, the museum relinquished the hearse, citing a lack of space and inability to restore it. Resident Bud Marcou intervened and saved the hearse from making its way to the dump, storing it in his barn on Mansion Road.

In 2004, after the hearse restoration committee was formed, it was moved to Meighan Barn on Gorham Pond Road for cleaning and then, in 2005, it was moved to Bob Boynton’s garage on Mansion Road for repairs.

This year, the hearse was moved to Provencher’s barn and workshop, where he and some friends handled major woodwork and further repairs.

Now, the hearse sits in VandeBogart’s garage, where Dunn and company hope the final restorations and painting will be made.

“It has been an interesting journey, but it truly has been fun to work on,” said Dunn. “Even when we’re done with the hearse, we will still be striving to complete more research.”