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Good Central squad edged in state semis by very good North group

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:53:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Manchester Central’s football team, rolling along since mid-October, finished flat against Nashua North.

The third-seeded Little Green played well on offense and defense against the Titans, but the second-seeded hosts overcame a 12-3 deficit, scored late following a sequence of fumbles and reached the Division I finals with a 26-19 win on Sunday, Nov. 15, at Stellos Stadium in Nashua.

For Central, the game was really its fifth straight “playoff” contest. At 2-2 following a loss to Londonderry, the locals had no room for error, and they made none: lopsided wins over also-rans from Concord and Manchester Memorial preceded impressive victories against perennial power Pinkerton, 21-10, and previously unbeaten Salem, 45-7.

And for most of the first half against North, a trip to the championship seemed probable, thanks in large part to a pair of Hooksett players.

Tyler Nolet, a junior, picked off a pass in the right corner of the end zone to thwart North’s opening drive, and sophomore quarterback Jared Chandler capped a nine-minute drive with a touchdown pass to Nick O’Hagan for a 6-0 edge.

Central’s star running back, Michael Cavanaugh, chewed up time and North’s defense during the 80-yard drive.

“We wouldn’t be half as good as we are without those Hooksett kids,” said head coach Ryan Ray, speaking also of senior linemen Buddy Demmons and Ryan Bigg, as well as sophomores Kyle Brunelle, Christian LaRoche, Malcolm Sutton and Seth McCusker, and junior Eric Todd.

But Nashua, as it did all day, responded quickly, kicking a field goal to slice the deficit in half.

Back and forth the teams went.

Chandler’s athleticism produced six more points on Central’s next possession, which took almost six minutes. He ran left on first down from North’s 14-yard line, juked a Titan defender, tapped the falling player’s helmet with his right hand as he darted past, then dove into the end zone for a 12-3 edge.

“He’s a gritty competitor who always wants to make some big plays,” said Ray.

Central forced a punt, and Candia’s Sam Graham returned it to the 45-yard line, but the Little Green failed to take advantage, punted, and North’s quick-strike attack produced seven points in 33 seconds.

So, the lead was down to two after the extra point, and momentum had shifted. North scored first in the second half, added the two-point conversion and took an 18-12 edge.

This time, Central responded, converting a pair of long third-down conversions during the 75-yard scoring drive. First, Chandler connected with classmate Junior Brown on third-and-12, then Cavanaugh picked up nine yards on third-and-8, sustaining the drive. Ultimately, the senior from Raymond leaned over the goal line on fourth down, and sophomore Stephen Grzywacz’s extra point gave Central a 19-18 advantage.

After Nolet pounced on Dylan Brodeur’s turnover, Central was four minutes from the finals. But Cavanaugh fumbled one minute later.

“That was tough right there,” said Ray. “He’s been a rock for us all season. We wouldn’t be here if wasn’t for his hard work and effort.”

North’s Andre Williams finished a short 27-yard drive – and, effectively, Central’s season – on a 3-yard TD with 1:58 on the clock. The junior also picked off a fourth-down pass on the Little Green’s lastgasp drive.

“We played a good game on both sides of the ball,” said Ray. “They played just a little better.”

Legal costs balloon under police chief

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:29:00 GMT

By Dan O’Brien

The Hooksett Police Department, coping with personnel disputes and disciplinary action, spent more than $175,000 in legal fees in fiscal 2009, substantially more than what was spent in some similar-sized communities.

“We continue, like other departments, to hold our people accountable,” Chief Stephen Agrafiotis said in explaining the spending. “We don’t initiate it. It starts with employee issues and behavior.”

But some town officials are questioning the expense to taxpayers.

“We are looking to see if they could (reduce) some legal costs perhaps by utilizing our town attorney,” Town Administrator Carol Granfield said. “But I don’t know if that’s going to be viable or not.”

The police budget is controlled by a three-member Police Commission, which has strongly backed the chief’s management of the department in the past decade.

But commission Chairman Joanne McHugh, who took office in July, said the state municipal association may offer the Police Department an option to reduce legal spending.

“They do have an attorney on staff, and perhaps some of those legal questions could be funneled through there,” McHugh said.

Agrafiotis said attorneys often are needed before employee problems escalate.

“It’s actually prevention,” he said. “We want to make sure we do it correctly so the town doesn’t expose itself to undue liability and to be fair to the employee.”

Town Councilor George Longfellow, a former police commissioner, said he disagrees with Agrafiotis’ reasoning.

“I don’t agree with the terminology of that. I believe he’s just, in a sense, being overly cautious of being sued. It’d probably be cheaper for us to get sued,” Longfellow said. “I think he’s wasting too much money on lawyers. We’ve never had to do this before.”

Hooksett spent $175,823 for police-related legal fees in fiscal 2009, according to town records. Other Hooksett departments combined spent about $58,000 for legal fees in the same period.

By comparison, nearby towns spent the following totals for all legal matters involving municipal departments, including police: Bedford, $30,737; Goffstown, $52,292; Amherst, $52,165.

Hooksett’s costs have risen since Agrafiotis became chief, in 1999. In the fiscal year preceding his appointment, the department spent about $6,500 in legal fees. In his first year, the amount nearly doubled to $12,770. By 2004, the tab was more than $26,000. By 2006, it was more than $100,000.

To a large extent, the department’s legal expenses stem from personnel problems, Agrafiotis said. He said he would not elaborate because personnel matters are protected under state privacy law.

Lawsuits and labor negotiations also require legal advice, he said.

“It’s not going to lawsuits right now. In years past, it may have been,” Agrafiotis said. “It’s generally going toward dealing with employee issues that have occurred or come to our attention.”

According to town records, nearly all of the legal fees, $175,031, were paid to two attorneys: James Higgins represents the three-member Police Commission; Elizabeth Bailey of the Manchester firm Sheehan, Phinney, Bass and Green represents Agrafiotis.

Hooksett could face more legal expenses in the near future. Jason Defina, who was fired in September despite support from the community, has said he is planning a legal fight regarding his termination.

Agrafiotis has clashed with the police union during his tenure. In 2005, a group of 17 officers protested he was harassing them.

The department, which now employs 27 officers, has seen 35 officers leave during the Agrafiotis years.

“I think we’ve had quite a lot of employee turnover,” Town Councilor Nancy Van-Scoy said. “I believe that the review for hiring needs to be looked at. I don’t understand why we have the issues we have if we’re vetting well before we ever hire them.”

Town Council Chairman Bill Gahara said privacy rules prevent Agrafiotis from explaining in detail why the legal bills are what they are.

“Once some of these matters have ended, we will be asking him to provide an update on what exactly has transpired,” Gahara said. “It’s something the council is definitely interested in.”

Central controlled, beaten in state championship game by Exeter

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:20:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Whenever a Manchester Central girls soccer player looked up, an Exeter foe loomed large on the Southern New Hampshire University turf.

The Blue Hawks smothered the Little Green on Friday, Nov. 6, in the Class L state finale, a 2-0 outcome that doesn’t fully indicate Exeter’s control of the contest, nor do justice to Central’s fine followup to its state championship in ’08.

The physical contest included four yellow cards, two issued to each team, but Little Green head coach Peter Lally said both teams’ aggressive play was just that.

“Oh, come on,” he said. “If this had been a boys game, there are no yellow cards.” Instead, Lally credited Exeter’s size with stifling his crew’s attack.

Central generated just one scoring chance: in the 27th minute, Hooksett’s Sarah Velasquez fired a shot off Exeter keeper Aby Fisher. The rebound went to Jillian Graff, who left-footed the ball toward the net. But Chelsea Owens, who gave her squad a 1-0 lead just five minutes earlier, leaped and headed Graff’s attempt away.

The Little Green did not threaten again.

Exeter added a second tally off freshman Abby Short’s foot just six minutes into the second half, but Central keeper Lindzy Hamel made several fine saves to keep the score close.

Trailing by two, the Little Green’s fine 16-4-0 season ended quietly, its usually productive attack – and boisterous fans – silenced by the Blue Hawks.

Lally said his seven departing seniors – Tanya Robidoux, Christina Denbow, Abigail Wurtele, Krista Lucas and captain Lindsay Johnson, all Hooksett residents, plus Hamel and captain Ainsley Smith – led a team that few expected to return to the state final. He mentioned Johnson, softballer Robidoux and gymnast Smith as athletes who could easily continue their soccer careers in college.

Among his starters, Kaylee Thrasher, Velasquez and fellow Hooksett residents Jayne Kelley, Carly Auger and Deven McKiernen return for a final varsity year.

And because Central’s freshman and junior varsity teams dropped just three games combined in 2009, Lally said he’s confident the program can continue its recent success.

Central boys, with Hooksett help, take fi rst state championship

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:18:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The Manchester Central boys made one final run before leaving the soccer field for the last time in 2009.

This time the Little Green didn’t have a ball at their feet, but rather bottles in their hands as they showered their head coach with sparkling cider in celebration of the school’s first-ever boys soccer state championship.

Hooksett’s Chris Beauchesne tallied the gamewinner with 27:25 remaining in the first half, and Central beat previously undefeated Exeter, 1-0, on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Southern New Hampshire University.

Beauchesne recorded three goals in four Class L playoff contests for fourthseeded Central, which had never reached the state finals.

“He’s always been able to get in the right spot. He just has a knack for that,” said Central’s head coach, Chris Laberge, of his senior striker. “When he’s on a roll, we try to ride him because we know he can get us two or three good chances a game.”

Exeter entered with a 16- 0-3 mark and applied pressure during the first half, amassing 10 shots and four corner kicks.

The Little Green only put three shots on goal during the first 40 minutes of play, but they weathered the Exeter attack, then capitalized on one of their few opportunities when Beauchesne gained control of a deflection inside the box and lofted the ball over goaltender Brendan Laverty’s head.

Senior goalkeeper Will McDonough made eight saves, including a feet-first sliding stop that kept the Blue Hawks off the board late in the first half.

With 3:06 remaining, Exeter’s Josh Vlasich sent a dangerous centering pass from the corner that rolled all the way through the box and past the feet of three teammates, and Central escaped with its second consecutive shutout.

“We knew coming in that we had what it took to bring the win home for Central,” said Beauchesne. “Knowing they hadn’t been beaten coming in, we had to get up, and we did in a big way.”

Also representing Hooksett during Manchester Central’s title game were juniors David Scarpetti and Max Yee, along with freshman Romero Osario.

Laberge said it was critical for Central to notch the first goal of the game, especially after watching his team hold the Blue Hawks scoreless during the regular season meeting between the two.

“We knew we just needed to score one,” said Laberge. “You don’t often get a chance in your life to make history. This team will be able to look back at this years from now, and they’ll always have the opportunity to say that they were the first.”

Almost 100 people get tax bill with error in Hooksett

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:14:00 GMT

By Dan O’Brien

Nearly 100 Hooksett property owners were incorrectly charged penalties on the tax bills recently mailed out, town officials said.

Last winter, the town mailed inventory forms for property owners to fill out. If the forms were not received by April, property owners would be charged 1 percent of the property tax as penalty on their October tax bills. The amount couldn’t be below $10 or more than $50.

However, town councilors fielded phone calls the week ending Nov. 7 from people who said they filled out and returned the inventory form but were penalized anyway.

“The people had either completed the form or were added into the computer as they hadn’t submitted the form,” Town Administrator Carol Granfield said. “Some people said they never received the form. There were under 30 that said it wasn’t delivered.”

The purpose of the inventory form is for each property owner to explain to the town how he is utilizing his land. One reason for the inventory is to track the town’s population growth.

A few months ago, the Town Council voted to stop sending out the inventory forms next year.

“No one likes doing it and that’s why the council eliminated it,” Granfield said.

Town Assessor Todd Haywood urged residents to examine their tax bills. Many people pay through mortgage companies or online and may not have noticed the penalty charge. Refunds are available to those who were overcharged, he said.

“If they bring it to our attention, sure,” Haywood said about a refund. “We’re probably not going to go through all 6,000 inventories.”

“It’s probably good advice to check your bill on a regular basis anyway,” he said.

Town officials still aren’t sure how the error occurred.

Town Councilor George Longfellow said he fielded calls asking questions about the mistake.

He said one woman who purchased property in June was penalized, even though the inventory form was due two months before she bought the land. Apparently the previous owner didn’t return the form.

However, Longfellow said he was in the minority who voted this year to continue sending out the forms.

“It’s a real good track on population growth,” he said.

Longfellow pointed out that a population count will be taken next year to determine if the town needs to be redistricted. If there’s a large population growth in one area of town, then Town Council district lines would be redrawn.

“We received $77,000 last year in penalties for people who didn’t turn it in. The maximum anyone would pay is $50,” he said. “I don’t think it’s that much of a problem to turn in an inventory form. All it costs is a stamp and if you don’t want to pay for the stamp, you can turn it in at the Town Hall.”

No more police dog; officer takes new job

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:11:00 GMT

By Dan O’Brien

The Hooksett Police Department’s K-9 was retired on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Police Chief Stephen Agrafiotis said Hooksett will not have another police dog in the near future.

“The bottom line is: While looking at last year’s stats, we’ve learned that roughly half of the responses were calls to assist other agencies and the other half were for calls in town,” Agrafiotis said. “There was not a large amount. Ultimately, it’s really not cost-effective at this point in time.”

The dog was retired after the K-9 officer, Sgt. Rob Megowen, left Hooksett for a job with Manchester police. Because police dogs are typically aggressive and live at the home of the care-taking officer, the officer gets to purchase the dog at a low price, in this case $1, if he decides to leave the department, the chief said. The move does not mean Manchester will get Hooksett’s former dog.

While growing in popularity, not all local police departments have dogs, which are used to search automobiles suspected to contain drugs, search buildings or to track a suspect who fled from police.

Agrafiotis also cited the cost of training a new dog, which includes paying an officer overtime, as factors in his decision.

“The money that would have to be spent now to purchase a dog or get a dog trained, in addition with covering the training shifts, is not cost effective,” Agrafiotis said.

Megowen’s departure marks the third police dog to be retired by Hooksett police in the past 10 years. Agrafiotis said the two previous dogs were near the end of their life span when the officers left the department.

Three injured in Mowtown fire

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:56:00 GMT

By Dan O’Brien

Three firefighters were injured when a three-alarm blaze erupted at Mow Town Power Equipment on Route 3A on Monday, Nov. 9, causing small explosions and sending flames shooting about 30 feet into the air.

“It was way up high, 30 or 40 feet,” said David Farrand, who lives across the street. “You could hear bang, bang, bang.” Hooksett Deputy Fire Chief Michael Hoisington said the building was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived shortly after 5:30 p.m.

“The fire was through the roof when we got here,” Hoisington said.

Hoisington said he did not have details on how the firefighters were injured, and he did not identify them last night. The injuries were not deemed life threatening.

The fire forced the shutdown of busy Route 3A, backing up northbound traffic about a half-mile.

The business is located just past Cross Road on the southbound side of Route 3A. Traffic was closed from Hackett Hill Road to Sunrise Boulevard.

Mark Manzella, the business owner, said he was inside the building when he noticed flames on a workshop bench. He grabbed a fire extinguisher to no avail.

"I emptied both fire extinguishers andjust left," Manzella said.

No one else was inside the building, he said.

Manzella and his former wife, Carrie Manzella, opened Mow Town about seven years ago. The business sells small-engine parts and lwn care equipment and employs five people.

"He keeps a meticulous shop, but there's a lot of flammable materials," Carrie Manzella said. "Both propane tanks blew up."

Hoisington said at the scene last night he couldn't comment on a cause because firefighters were not able to get inside the building because the roof collapsed.

Electricity was cut to the building last night.

Firefighters from area towns assisted in the effort.

Citizens protest Hooksett police chief

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:53:00 GMT

By Dan O’Brien

Holding signs that read, “Support SRO Defina” and “Agrafiotis is our dirty laundry,” a group of a dozen people held a protest against the town’s police chief outside the Wednesday, Nov. 4, Town Council meeting.

The group set up a clothes line that held protest signs with clothes pins while one person held a T-shirt that read, “Hooksett’s Dirty Laundry.”

The protest came the same day the Police Commission confirmed that David Gagnon stepped down as chairman and was replaced by Joanne McHugh.

On Sept. 9, Town Councilor

David Boutin, who is also a state representative, said he delayed filing legislation to increase the number of police commissioners to five because Police Chief Stephen Agrafiotis told him privately he would, “hang Hooksett’s laundry out” if he did so. Agrafiotis denied making the “laundry” remark.

The statement was made one day after Jason Defina, a school resource officer that had been at odds with Agrafiotis, was fired after 10 years on the force.

Defina’s attorney from Teamsters Union Local 633 has said Defina was told he was fired because he did not properly complete field officer training, which was a requirement after serving suspensions.

Defina was fired about six weeks after a standing-room-only Police Commission meeting where several parents and Cawley Middle School students lent him words of support after he was removed from the SRO position.

“There’s a process and that process needs to be followed on both sides,” Agrafiotis said last night. “I respect everybody’s opinions.”

Agrafiotis attended the Nov. 4 Town Council meeting to participate in a non-public session. One protestor ran alongside his car holding a sign as he pulled into the town hall parking lot.

Gagnon said he stepped down as chairman because he is too busy with work but will remain as commissioner.

“It’s too time consuming being chairman and I don’t have the time,” Gagnon said. “It’s not fair right now.”

The protest group issued a written statement from Ashley Forcier, who is Defina’s sister. The group alleges the department has a high employee turnover rate due to a large amount of internal investigations by the chief. One officer left the same day of the protest.

“Sadly, today was the last day for our K-9 officer,” the statement read. “This is the third dog to retire under the tenure of Chief Agrafiotis.”

A Hooksett police spokesman confirmed that Sgt. Rob Megowen has left for another police department, taking the police department’s K-9 dog with him. Because police dogs are aggressive and live with the care-taking officer, the dog had to be retired.

“We are concerned the situation will get worse with more officers expected to leave in the coming months,” the statement said.

“The Hooksett Police Department has become a revolving door for employees.”

Defending champ Central edges top-ranked Salem

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:47:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Peter Lally knows from experience what the Salem girls soccer team went through at Stellos Stadium.

Lally’s No. 4 Manchester Central Little Green knocked off the No. 1-ranked Blue Devils in the Class L semifinals on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2-1, earning a shot at winning a second consecutive state title.

“I’ve certainly been in Salem’s position before. I’ve been a top seed and been knocked out, been undefeated and knocked out,” said Lally. “It’s not fun.”

All of the scoring in the game came within a span of 3 minutes, 28 seconds in the second half, beginning with a connection between two Hooksett players.

Deven McKiernan put a ball on net that bounced off Salem goaltender Sarah Snyder, and Lindsay Johnson put the rebound in while falling to the turf with 25:18 left to play.

The Blue Devils responded when Cassandra Chase took a perfectly placed through-ball from Tayllar Righini and capitalized with a wide-open goal at the 22:03 mark to even the score.

A mere 13 seconds later, while Salem’s fans celebrated the equalizer, the Little Green came storming back when Hooksett’s Sarah Velasquez took advantage of a failed clear by the SHS backfield, finding the back of the net to again give her team the lead. Johnson earned the assist after putting the ball into the middle of the box.

“We let down after we scored, and that’s uncharacteristic of us,” said Salem mentor Kendrick Whittle. “I thought we were in the driver’s seat, but that’s what Central does to you. They were just a little bit tougher than us.”

The Blue Devils couldn’t muster many more scoring threats, though Chase did fire twice while closely guarded; the junior sent one high and the other into the side of the net.

As the final seconds wound down, Salem defender Avery Neusch lofted a free kick off the crossbar, but an infraction was whistled on the Blue Devils, and time expired just seconds later.

Both teams had similar runs into the semifinal meeting. Each won a preliminaryround game, 1-0, before surviving quarterfinal-round tilts on penalty kicks.

Lally said his team’s grit has been the biggest factor in reaching the Class L championship, which is scheduled for the campus of Southern New Hampshire University on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m.

“We’re not the biggest team, but sometimes they play big,” said Lally. “Our program is as good as any team in the state. The Little Green is still around. I think the ‘little’ part of that is appropriate.”

Hooksett sees string of burglaries

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:33:00 GMT

By Dan O’Brien

Chrissy Curran was surprised, but not overly shocked, when someone broke into her unlocked Whitehall Terrace home in June.

It was probably some mischievous kids, she thought. Only an iPod and a plastic container of loose change were stolen.

“It was small and it seemed random,” Curran said.

But then it happened again. And again. And again. Curran’s house has been burglarized four times since June, including Oct. 19, when thieves stole a 50-inch flat-screen television.

“I’m not seeing an end in sight,” she said.

Across the street from Curran, the home of Nicole McIntyre was also burglarized twice since July. Another Whitehall Terrace resident, Diane Berube, returned home about 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 4 to see an intruder running out her back door. Police called in a K-9 unit to track the burglar’s scent, but he was never caught.

At the same time police investigated Curran’s most recent burglary on Oct. 19, they dusted for fingerprints across town at 70 Corriveau Drive, the home of Dan and Ginnie Toland, which was found broken into the previous night.

Among the items stolen: a 50-inch flat-screen TV and jewelry. Police said not much else was taken, but the house was heavily ransacked.

The Tolands did not respond to requests for an interview, but Ginnie Toland spoke at a Police Commission meeting on Oct. 20, calling for an increased police presence in her neighborhood. Her house was the second one burglarized on Corriveau Drive since July.

“It’s disturbing,” Toland said. “What’s more disturbing is to hear it happened again.”

Police commissioners talked about forming a neighborhood watch type of program last month. Now, there’s a push for action more than ever.

“This issue is now,” said David Gagnon, chairman of the Hooksett Police Commission. “It’s not coming. It’s now.”

Toland and her husband had left town for the weekend, but neighbors told her a white van was in her driveway.

“There were people out in broad daylight casing our house,” she said. “They came right through our front door. It’s really disturbing.”

Jim and Lucille Shea know what their neighbors are going through. When their house was broken into the morning of July 20, it was ransacked and their 50-inch television was also stolen, along with jewelry and Jim’s shotgun.

“We had just purchased a new flat-screen television and the first thing I noticed when I walked in was that there was no television set,” Lucille Shea said. “They had trashed the entire upstairs.”

During the Police Commission meeting, it was announced that police officers will host a public forum at the Hooksett Public Library on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. to give residents tips on how to prevent burglaries.

Also during the commission meeting, Police Capt. Paul Cecilio said he’s in talks with Manchester police about expanding the Manchester Crime Line to include Hooksett, Goffstown and Bedford. The Crime Line is a 24-hour phone center where people can anonymously report information about crimes and sometimes receive cash rewards.

Police officials say a neighborhood watch is unlikely for Hooksett. Nationally, watch programs are designed for urban areas, where police hold meetings with residents and train them to walk the streets looking for suspicious activity and calling it in.

The Hooksett Police Department says it’s already understaffed and cannot afford to send a police car to exclusively patrol the neighborhood around Corriveau Drive, which is seeing increased activity due to retail development near Interstate 93’s Exit 10.

McIntyre hopes people will be more aware of suspicious activity. All the burglaries on Whitehall Terrace have occurred in the middle of the day while the victims are at work.

“The funny thing is that half the neighbors are home all the time,” she said.

The latest incident happened Monday, Nov. 3, sometime between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., at a home on Laurel Drive.

Police said someone broke through the kitchen window, ransacked the house and stole jewelry.

The location is two streets away from Whitehall Terrace, where several homes have been burglarized over the past six months.

Fire kills woman in Hooksett

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:26:00 GMT

By Dan O’Brien

A three-alarm fire that broke out at 253 Hackett Hill Road in Hooksett the morning of Oct. 16 caused the entire structure to collapse and killed the woman inside, fire officials said.

The body of Suzanne Dionne, 65, was pulled from the rubble shortly before noon as family members looked on. Firefighters were still dousing hot spots about seven hours after the fire began.

Dionne’s brother, Ed, who lives in Florida, hadn’t seen his sister in several years until last month when he returned to New Hampshire to help care for a sick family member.

When asked if he was grateful for the time they shared, he answered, “Yes. Very much so.” “We wanted to take her out to dinner last night but she wasn’t home,” he said, adding that she was very active. “She was a very independent woman.”

“We did things with her as much as possible, but we wish we could have done more,” said Suzanne’s other brother, Ray Dionne.

Hooksett Deputy Fire Chief Michael Hoisington said it took so long to remove Dionne’s body due to “the complete collapse of the entire structure.” “It’s a total loss,” he said.

Several family members, including Dionne’s brother, Bill, who lived next door to his sister, said her house was about 300 years old.

Family members said Dionne worked at the Sylvania plant in Hooksett as an assembly worker for more than 20 years. She lived at the Hackett Hill Road home her entire life and graduated from Manchester West High School in 1964, said her brother, Ray.

Kim Belisle, who lives across the street from the burned home, said she woke up that day to the sound of fire engines.

“I just stood and watched it and I cried,” Belisle said. “There was nothing I could do. The whole house was engulfed. I knew there was no way they could get to her.”

Belisle said she spoke with Dionne often and took in one of her kittens after an adult cat gave birth. She said Dionne owned between 15 and 20 cats.

Family members said Dionne never married and did not have any children. Her sister- in-law Sally Dionne, who also lives next door, said she awoke that morning to her son and his wife shouting that there was a fire at Suzanne’s house.

“We wanted to get inside,” Sally Dionne said. “We didn’t get any further than the porch. It was too late.”

Ray Dionne said his sister was active in many organizations over the years, including the Catholic Church, American Legion and Disabled American Veterans. She retired a few years ago to care for her late mother who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, he said. She also assisted driving elderly people to doctor’s appointments.

“She filled her life by helping people,” Ray said.

Hooksett Fire Warden Harold Murray said the last fatal fire in Hooksett occurred 14 years ago when a man died in a house on Main Street.

Dionne’s official cause of death will be determined in the coming days by the state medical examiner.

Defina files unfair labor complaint

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:19:00 GMT

By Dan O’Brien

The labor union representing fired Hooksett police officer Jason Defina has filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the state Public Employee Labor Relations Board.

The complaint, filed Oct. 16, accuses Hooksett Police Chief Stephen Agrafiotis and the Hooksett Police Commission of terminating Defina without just cause and without allowing Defina a proper hearing to discuss his alleged actions that led to his termination.

The complaint also accuses the Police Commission of violating the law by appointing a replacement board of former commission members to oversee a grievance that Defina filed in late September.

Thomas Noonan, an official from Teamsters Union Local 633, which filed the complaint, said the Hooksett Town Council would have been the proper board to decide who the replacement commission should be.

“We think the complaint is without merit and will vigorously defend against it,” said James Higgins, the commission’s attorney.

Defina’s attorney, William Cahill, said Defina was fired because Commission Chairman David Gagnon said Defina had not cooperated and properly participated in the field training program, which he was ordered to undergo after a suspension.

“We strongly disagree with Commissioner Gagnon’s assertion that there was a lack of cooperation on officer Defina’s part in the field training program,” Cahill said.

Gagnon steps down - Will stay on as police commissioner

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:17:00 GMT

By Dan O’Brien

David Gagnon stepped down as chairman of the Hooksett Police Commission on Thursday, Oct. 29, after five years on the board, saying the job is too time consuming.

“I don’t have the time,” Gagnon said. “Work is too busy. It’s crazy right now.”

Joanne McHugh, who was appointed to the three-person board in July, has taken over as chairman after being nominated by Gagnon and Commissioner Henry Roy.

“I’m going to go forward and do the best job that I can,” McHugh said.

“It’s too time consuming being chairman and I don’t have the time,” Gagnon said. “It’s not fair right now.”

Gagnon will remain as a commissioner.

The new appointment was made during a commission meeting that was scheduled only a few days before it took place.

Sex offender charged again

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:11:00 GMT

By DanO’Brien

A convicted sex offender arrested in September for animal cruelty was arrested again Oct. 5 on multiple counts of child sexual assault, authorities said.

Eric Bousquet, 39, who has been residing recently at his parent’s home at 13 Bishop Lane, Epsom, was arraigned Oct. 6 in Hooksett District Court for felonious sexual assault, two counts of indecent exposure, two counts of sexual assault and two counts of simple assault.

Judge Robert LaPointe ordered Bousquet held on $12,500 cash bail – the amount a prosecutor requested.

According to police, there are four victims – three girls and one boy. They were between 11 and 17 when the assaults allegedly occurred at Bousquet’s former home at 102 Howard Ave., Hooksett, between May 1 and Aug. 18.

Three of the victims are siblings and their mother brought them to the Hooksett police station on Aug. 18 after her children spoke of the alleged abuse. The mother said she questioned her children, who had slept over at Bousquet’s home numerous times, after finding out he was convicted in 1993 of felonious sexual assault against a 13-year-old girl.

Once the allegations were reported, Hooksett police attempted to contact Bousquet, who was required as a sex offender to register his address to police. But when detectives arrived at his Howard Avenue home, they found a dead cat, a dog on the brink of death that was later euthanized and a house covered with maggots and animal ***.

Bousquet was apprehended several hours later and charged with failing to register as a sex offender. Police said he was staying with family in Epsom and North Conway and had failed to notify them.

About two weeks later, police formally filed two counts of animal cruelty against Bousquet.

Police said he abandoned the animals because he owed seven weeks of back rent.

According to court papers, veterinarian Leigh Williamson of the Manchester Animal Hospital told police, “that this was the worst case of animal cruelty she had ever worked on.”

Authorities say three of the children in the latest case became assault victims after their mother began a friendship with Bousquet and she often allowed them to sleep at his home. The fourth victim, the 11-year-old girl, was friends with one of the three children, authorities said.

Among the allegations stated in court papers, the 14-year-old said she was asleep on Bousquet’s couch when she awoke to find him attempting to pull off her pajama pants. The same girl said she witnessed Bousquet masturbate on his living room couch in her presence multiple times.

The boy, 16, also said Bousquet masturbated in front of him on another occasion, police said.

There were several allegations of Bousquet inappropriately touching the girls’ breasts in addition to grabbing and shoving, said court papers.

The mother of the three children told police she and her children were in the process of moving from Maine to New Hampshire when she allowed the children to spend time at Bousquet’s home.

“She stated that there weren’t many nights during the summer when at least one of her children wasn’t with Bousquet at his house,” a court affidavit said.

Bousquet has been convicted three times since 2001 for failing to register as a sex offender and two additional cases for the same charge are pending. Those cases are in addition to the animal cruelty case and the charges filed yesterday.

Public defender Elizabeth Mulholland expressed concern in court over Bousquet’s incarceration, saying he could lose the job he recently obtained at Bow Finishing in Concord, where he works as an early morning delivery driver. Bousquet is due back in court Oct. 19 for a probable cause hearing. His trial date was set for Dec. 16.

School Board sends city scathing letter

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:08:00 GMT

By Dan O’Brien

Fed up with a lack of communication and funding issues with Manchester public schools, the Hooksett School Board has sent a scathing letter to the mayor of Manchester and is talking about building a new high school here.

Hooksett has a 20-year tuition agreement to send its public high school students to Manchester and has had such an agreement for generations. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the Cawley Middle School, members of the Hooksett School Board and volunteers on a study committee will hold a forum to take ideas from the public on the high school issue.

The letter, which represents the consensus of the board and was signed by Chairman Paul Cournoyer, says Hooksett will “use all legitimate tools available to launch a forceful protest” against Manchester’s lack of school funding.

Among several allegations, Hooksett says Manchester used $10.6 million paid by the town of Bedford to offset the city’s tax rate when the money was supposed to be used for schools. Bedford paid the money to relinquish its contract with Manchester after Bedford built its own high school.

The letter also criticizes Manchester for not using money from school impact fees in the school budget, raises concerns about pay-to-play sports programs, says Central High School has continually not been brought up to state maintenance codes, and raises concerns about a low student population at West High School as a result of Bedford’s pullout.

The letter was dated Sept. 8, but several School Board members said they have not gotten a response from Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta, who also serves as the city’s School Board chairman, and said Manchester School Board members were not made aware of it.

When reached on Oct. 6, Guinta’s public affairs adviser, Mark Laliberte, said the mayor planned to discuss the letter at the next School Board meeting.

“This letter will be addressed at the School Board meeting on Monday,” Laliberte said. “We’ll put it on the agenda.”

At the Oct. 6 Hooksett School Board meeting, members of a voluntary high school study committee discussed building a new high school in Hooksett. The committee, which includes Bedford High School Assistant Principal Gary Dempsey, cited several studies showing student populations between 500 and 800 are optimal. Hooksett had 588 high school students last year.

Board members stressed that building a high school in town is not Hooksett’s only option. There could be a restructuring in Manchester or talks with other communities.

“I don’t think the public knows what we’ve done as a School Board about our dissatisfaction with Manchester,” School Board member Todd Dumont said. “We sent a letter and haven’t received a response.”

“We’ve had umpteen conversations with the superintendent of Manchester,” Dana Argo, vice chairman, said.