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Tri-Town Ambulance to lose Hooksett

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:33:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

The Hooksett Town Council unanimously voted to end the town’s relationship with Tri- Town Ambulance and create the town’s own ambulance service, beginning in July 2010.

Hooksett currently contracts for emergency response services with Tri-Town for $79,880 per year. Tri-Town also serves Pembroke and Allenstown.

The new service, which will require the Fire Department to purchase another ambulance, will operate from the Safety Center.

The town already owns one ambulance, which serves as a backup for emergencies.

Fire Chief Michael Williams said he anticipates the cost of the ambulance at $150,000 to $200,000, which would come from the department’s impact fee account. The balance of that account exceeds $300,000.

Williams said the council’s decision could add more than $260,000 in revenue each year, but more importantly will mean quicker response times for residents. “That was the catalyst of why we started looking into the ambulance service,” Williams said. “It comes down to response time.”

The Tri-Town ambulance vehicle that serves Hooksett is headquartered at the Hooksett Safety Center during business hours Monday through Friday. On weeknights and weekends, it is stationed in Pembroke.

Town Councilor David Ross supports the change, but said he would have preferred the decision be made by voters.

“Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should do it without going to the voters,” Ross said. “I really think it should be on the warrant article and I’m confident it would pass.”

Hooksett District Court on, then off, closure list

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:31:00 GMT

BY GINGER KOZLOWSKI

Hooksett District Court was on the list of the governor’s budget cuts, but was removed from that list shortly after it was announced.

To cut costs, Gov. John Lynch proposed consolidating eight district courts and save nearly $2 million a year. Critics said the plan would drive up salary and fuel costs for police forced to travel farther to court. Allenstown Police Chief Shaun Mullholland was notified on Friday, Feb. 13, that the Hooksett District Court was an error.

“Hooksett District Court was taken off of the list because Concord District Court is too small and would not be able to handle merging with Hooksett District Court,” he said. “Hooksett District Court is one of the larger district courts in the state.”

Mulholland’s reaction to the news Hooksett District Court could be closed was swift. He wrote to Sen. Jack Barnes with the following words:

“The proposal to close the Hooksett District Court would place a hardship on the people of Hooksett, Allenstown and Pembroke. Our citizens would have to travel to Concord to receive court services.

“This also places additional cost burdens on the police departments of the three communities. This would increase our fuel costs as we would need to travel to Concord instead of Hooksett.

“This would also add to overtime costs. We would have to transport prisoners a greater distance as well.

“As you are all well aware all three communities are facing budget crises also. Adding additional costs to the towns and cities by the state only further aggravates the property tax issue.

“I hope you will consider the impact of closing the Hooksett District Court. If this is approved it will occur in July of 2009. Our budgets have already been submitted and cannot be changed at this time for the 2009 year. This would require additional cuts in already lean municipal budgets.”

Allenstown Selectman Tom Gilligan said Mulholland put it best, and all on the Allenstown Board of Selectmen felt the same way.

Hooksett Town Councilor David Ross was also dismayed at the possibility of losing the courthouse.

“Closing couthouses and jails when crime is statistically expected to increase is more foolishness on their part,” said Ross.

Ice storm of Dec. 11-12 leaves hundreds of thousands without power around state

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:26:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Local towns are dealing with the wrath of Mother Nature, who dropped ice around the Granite State, leaving a good portion of the state in the dark.

More than 325,000 New Hampshire residents were left without power following an ice storm that many officials say was worse than the one that took place in 1998.

Virtually all of Epsom, a town of about 4,000 people was left in the dark at the start of the ice storm.

“There were quite few trees and wires down,” said Selectman Joanne Randall. “The whole town was out. As of Monday (Dec. 15), we still had small pockets of secondary roads without electricity. There may still be some people without power at the end of the week.”

Epsom Fire Chief Stuart Yeaton said they learn something from each event, having gone through floods the past few years and the tornado this summer.

“Every time we get another event, we learn something,” he said. “People would call and say they have power and a generator (to offer).”

Auburn police have seen the criminal element take advantage of the storm. Police Chief Edward Picard said his department received a call during the power outage about an attempted break in.

The call came at 3 a.m. Sunday morning, Dec. 14, but Picard said his department hasn’t been faced with the theft of generators that he has been told is happening in surrounding towns.

“People have to go all the way to Connecticut to purchase generators,” said Picard. “The bad guys are using this emergency to their advantage.”

As of Tuesday, Dec. 16, about 50 percent of Auburn was in the dark, compared to what Picard estimated to be about 90 percent at the storm’s height.

Despite the negatives that came with the storm, Picard said there is a positive he took out of it.

“I’m proud of the way that the town has responded to helping their neighbors who don’t have power,” said Picard. “There were private residents going around with their generators, and that’s the character of Auburn.”

Candia officials met on Friday, Dec. 12, to set a plan of action, a plan that included getting the town’s roads cleared first.

While the road agent and his crews began on the back roads, firefighters attacked dangerous trees on Route 43, High Street and Old Candia Road.

Officials opened an emergency shelter later in the day at the Moore School, but after only one resident stayed there Friday night, it was suspended on Saturday.

The use of generators and personal heaters made for busy days and nights for the Hooksett Fire Department, according to Chief Michael Williams.

“We were extremely busy responding to over 60 electrical emergency incidents in a 48-hour period,” said Williams. “We are now experiencing carbon monoxide problems due to generators operating in garages and kerosene heater operating in houses. Just (Monday, Dec. 15) we responded to five carbon monoxide problems with related medical symptoms.”

Pembroke and Allenstown were not hit too hard. Lt. Dwayne Gilman of the Pembroke Police Department reported that 425 homes in Pembroke were without power at the height of the problem, mostly in the northern area of town. Allenstown residents also lost power, but there were no serious issues reported by the Allenstown Police Department.

Large turnout expected Nov. 4, police in Hooksett and surrounding towns prepare for traffic

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:33:00 GMT

BY GINGER KOZLOWSKI

A record turnout is likely in the works for the presidential election on Tuesday, Nov. 4, and area police and poll workers are gearing up for the crowds.

In Hooksett and Pembroke, police will be enforcing a change in the usual traffic patterns at the school buildings where voting takes place. Police in Epsom, Allenstown, Candia and Auburn were not making any changes in traffic pattern, but will be prepared for more traffic than usual.

In Allenstown, poll workers will be available an extra hour in the morning, with hours now starting at 7 a.m., and ending at 7 p.m., for this election only. Parents of Hooksett’s middle school students will have to be aware that voting is likely to make parent-teacher conferences scheduled for that day difficult to get to on time.

“Be patient,” said Hooksett police detective Paul Cecilio. “If you have a parent-teacher conference, get there early. We anticipate a large crowd.”

Cecilio added that there will be message boards and officers to direct traffic. Additional lighting will also be provided so those voting after dark will be able to find their way to the auxiliary parking areas behind Cawley Middle School.

Expect to wait in line.

“If we get an influx of people,” said Cecilio, “it could be all the way to (Route) 28.”

And if you are in line near the time the polls close?

“If your car’s in line (at 7 p.m.),” said Cecilio, “they’re last to vote.”

In Auburn, there will be extra voting booths at Auburn Village School to help manage the crowds, said town clerk Joanne Linxweiler.

“If people are in line waiting to vote at 7 p.m. (closing time),” she said “the moderator will allow those already in line the opportunity to cast their vote.”

In Candia, town clerk Christine Dupere said she is having additional poll workers to help that day, including same-day voter registration. Again, if you are in line by the time the polls close, you will be allowed to vote.

“The moderator and I are doing a lot of advanced planning to keep things running smoothly,” said Dupere,” and I will be holding a training class for all the poll workers and election officials.”

Allenstown Elementary School will be closed that day.

“We will have extra officers on duty,” said Police Chief Shaun Mulholland. “However, there are no plans to change traffic patterns. We do expect parking problems, there is no real way to resolve that issue.”

In Epsom, there will be extra help at Epsom Central School.

“We will be having greeters that will direct people where to go to vote or if they need to register to vote,” said town clerk Dawn Blackwell. “We will be having two check-in tables.”

Traffic pattern changes in Pembroke

Pembroke is making the following changes to the traffic pattern on Election Day:
• Pine Street from Broadway to High Street, westbound only.
• High Street from Pine Street to Maple Street, southbound only.
• Maple Street to Broadway, eastbound only.
• Prospect from Maple to Pine Street, northbound only.

On-street parking will be limited to one side of each affected street. It will be properly posted with no parking signs. The Police Department will have officers at the polls to assist with the new traffic pattern. There will also be personnel on hand to assist with traffic flow in the school parking lot. Extra lighting equipment will be in place to help light the area after dark. School will not be in session on Election Day. Handicap parking will be available.

Traffic pattern changes in Hooksett

In Hooksett, all traffic will enter Cawley School through the entrance off White Hall Road in two lanes approaching the school. All traffic will exit through the rear gate of Cawley onto Farmer Road. Traffic wishing to exit back onto Whitehall Road should use Whitehall Terrace to reverse direction. All other north/south traffic should go to the end of Farmer Road and exit via Londonderry Turnpike (Bypass 28).

Officers will be at Farmer Road and Londonderry Turnpike to assist with traffic should it back up on Farmer Road.

Flash floods hit hard in spots

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:12:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Just as Allenstown wins federal assistance to buy up to 14 homes severely damaged in the past two years’ floods, it – and many other towns throughout the state – ended up sopping wet after Hanna hit.

The tropical storm swept up the coastline and through New England quickly, the first downpour hitting the state in the evening on Saturday, Sept. 6.

The storm dumped several inches of rain overnight, and brought with it winds of 40 plus miles per hour.

The next day, Sunday, Sept. 7, was spent surveying the damage and pumping out for many business owners.

For many road agents, it means being worried about spending money the town doesn’t have.

Hooksett Police Capt. Paul Cecilio said the Kmart plaza on Route 28 flooded just as badly as it did in the past two years’ floods.

Virtually every major route into and out of Hooksett was out of commission in the early morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 7.

“At one point, we had Mammoth Road closed, we had Bypass 28 closed from Whitehall all the way to the intersection of Route 3 and 28 because Kmart flooded, and we had Hooksett Road closed all the way from McDonald’s to that intersection because Kmart flooded,” Cecilio said. “At the same time, we had Route 3-A closed from Exit 10 going south because of a sinkhole where the new Lowe’s construction is.

“Basically, every major route going in and out of Hooksett was closed except for I-93 and Route 3-A from Exit 10 to Bow,” he said. “Other than that, every single major road was blocked.” “It rained, and it rained hard,” said Epsom Police Chief Wayne Preve. “We had a lot of damage, basically in the same areas we had trouble with in the previous floods,” he added. Roads slowly began opening around 6 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7, Cecilio said. The highway and fire departments were out in full force trying to contain the water damage.

“It was as bad as the flooding we had a couple years ago, when we had to have the National Guard and everyone else coming in,” Cecilio said. “If they don’t fix that problem at Kmart, every time we get heavy rain, it’s going to flood.”

Epsom fire and police evacuated about 20 people from the Lazy River Campground on Goboro Road when the heavy rains caused the flooding water to rise about 2 feet in an hour in the lower part of the campground. “We got there around 3 p.m., and I was walking on dry ground. Within half an hour, I was walking in water,” Preve said.

Many chose to tow their campers out of the flooded area and brought them to higher ground in the park. The campground owner was also helping tow campers out of the rising water and mud, along with fire and police, Preve said.

Black Hall, Prospect, New Orchard, Swamp, Range, North, River, Droulet and Goboro roads were all washed out, Preve said, and there was also a tree down on Swamp Road.

“In some areas, there is considerable damage,” he said.

Epsom Road Agent Gordon Ellis said on Monday, Sept. 8, he planned on meeting with selectmen at their weekly meeting that night to discuss how the town is going to pay for the repairs the latest weather disaster left behind.

The town hasn’t even fully recovered from a tornado that ripped through on July 24. “I do not have enough money to fix the damage. I don’t think it’s going to get declared, so it will fall on the taxpayers, and I just have to do the best I can with what I have,” said Gordon, who said he and his workers were busy on Sunday, Sept. 7, clearing cow paths for emergency vehicles to enter areas still inaccessible by road.

“What I’ve done yesterday and today is make sure people can get in and out of their homes,” Ellis said on Monday, Sept. 8.

Sanborn Hill, Martin Hill, and Chestnut Pond were the hardest hit areas this time, he added.

There are no preliminary estimates of the damage but it wasn’t as bad as the spring floods of the past two years, Ellis said, because they used a lot of erosion stone when they rebuilt the roads after the last flooding episode.

Most of the roads in question are unpaved. Ellis said it’s not financially feasible to pave them because the drainage repairs that would have to be made are astronomical compared to the simple paving of the road itself. “Drainage most of the time costs more than the pavement that’s on top,” said Ellis. “If you’re drainage isn’t right, it’s not going to last.”

Earlier this year, Allenstown residents voted down every monetary warrant article on the ballot, including one asking voters to help fund a matching grant to fix a culvert on Mount Delight Road that was reduced to pieces during the 2007 floods.

Mount Delight Road was washed out again when Hanna hit, and Police Chief Shaun Mulholland said it’s a situation that could have been avoided if the culvert had been fixed.

While Allenstown was just awarded $2 million in federal grants to buy flood damaged homes, Mulholland said its unlikely the $10,000 or so in damage Hanna caused would qualify for assistance.

The storm caused erosion damage on Deerfield Road and Campbell Street, Mulholland said, and water flooded the culde- sacs on Jasper Drive, Alban Avenue and Riverside Drive. These areas were seriously affected by the 2006 and 2007 floods. Mulholland said the water pooled on their lawns, but did not reach the homes again. “Obviously, this caused a great deal of concern down there. We had an officer stationed down there,” Mulholland said.

Residents in the Deerfield Road area lost power during the storm Mulholland said. Several trees came down around town, he added.

Many struggle to pay last year’s fuel bills, worry about future

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:36:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

It’s going to be a lot harder for the Hills family of Allenstown to stay afloat financially this year, with fuel prices hitting record highs.

Jeanne Hills babysits her toddler grandson, staying home while her husband and her adult children work. With the price of heating oil averaging more than $4.50 a gallon, according to the state Department of Energy and Planning, the future looks frightening.

The Hills got a decent price last year, but ended up spending a total of $2,281 on their oil deliveries between September 2007 and their most recent in May 2008. This year, they are likely going to spend much more than that to heat their home.

Hill added that her mother, a 70-year-old retired woman on a fixed income, had so much trouble trying to pay for the oil heat bills on her mobile home in Derry that she had to move in with Hill’s sister.

“I used to buy 150 gallons (per delivery) and had to go down to 100 gallons,” said Hills. “It wasn’t fitting in our budget. Prior to that first September bill, I was paying $240 for 150 gallons, and now for 100 gallons it was almost as much,” Hills said, adding she made good use of her wood stove last winter and would continue that practice this winter.

Not a bad idea, and one David Pearl of Hooksett has more than bought into. Pearl, who runs “Spotlight Video” out of his Main Street home, has two years’ worth of wood sitting in his back yard in preparation of the heating crunch.

Pearl does use oil, but stocks up on the wood each year, buying it wholesale at about $1,200 for a gigantic truckload that equals about 12 cords, a two-year supply.

At first, said Pearl, his wife, Joanne, wasn’t crazy about the the huge amount of wood in their backyard. “This year, she’s kind of on board; that it’s definitely worth it,” said Pearl. “You’re going to have to have heat one way or the other.”

Local governments under stress
Hooksett Town Administrator David Jodoin said most of the town’s buildings run on gas heat, the price of which is also on the rise.

Still, with energy prices increasing along with gasoline, Jodoin said there are going to be many trickle-down effects from the national and state levels to the towns.

“We will be forced, like many towns, to postpone paving if things get too tough and look at hours of operation, and possibly even layoffs,” Jodoin said. “Projections are impossible right now. The market on fuel is fluctuating way too much. All we can do is, like everyone else, pray that things stabilize.”

To heat the old Town Hall and the highway garage for the 2007-08 year cost Hooksett $11,768.42 said Finance Director Christine Soucie.

The only building in Candia that runs on oil is the old library, not in regular use. The heat has to stay on the lowest setting there so the pipes don’t freeze, said selectmen’s assistant Dawn Chabot.

That building alone cost $1,401.47 to heat between January and December 2007.

“It’s probably going to be double, if not triple, this year,” said Selectmen Chairman Fred Kelley, adding his own home cost about $1,000 to heat during this past winter.

Pembroke and Allenstown use little heating oil, as they sit almost directly on top of a gas line. Natural gas prices are also increasing, according to the Department of Energy and Planning, but not at the rate of oil increases. The average cost for natural gas is around $1.70 per unit on the high end.

“The major gas line that runs to Concord runs through Pembroke between Route 3 and the (Suncook) river,” said Pembroke Town Administrator Geoff Ruggles, adding that skyrocketing oil prices will have only a small effect on Pembroke.

The only Pembroke building using oil is the Perry Eaton building, the old police station, which also houses the Sewer Department.

Most of the town is also on gas, Ruggles said, but some residences in older sections may be on oil heat.

It’s basically the same story in Allenstown, where the majority of buildings – including the town hall, police and fire stations and recreation center – are on the same gas line that runs through neighboring Pembroke.

“I’m sure the rate will increase just like everything else,” said Police Chief Shaun Mulholland, agreeing with Jodoin that gasoline is going to have the biggest impact on the town’s budget.

The highway garage in Allenstown is a little bit different. “We actually heat the highway garage with waste oil,” said Selectman Tom Gilligan. “We have a waste oil burner that we put in years ago, and we continue to maintain and upgrade it. We also have a propane tank as a backup at the highway garage,” he said.

Epsom selectmen’s assistant Nancy Wheeler said the current town office building, the old Town Hall, and both the fire and police departments run on oil heat. The highway shed is the only town building that uses propane.

In 2007, she said, Epsom spent $13,738 on heating oil, coming within $150 of what they had budgeted for that year. Selectmen budgeted $15,475 for 2008 in anticipation of the historic meeting house, which was moved next to the old Town Hall, is completely renovated and becomes involved in the oil heat budget this year.

So far, the town has spent $8,188 of their 2008 heating oil budget line, with about three more months left to go between October and December.

Wheeler added the town was able to lock in a good rate at $2.34 per gallon, but will have to go out to bid again sometime in the next month. “If it goes up a dollar a gallon, based on what we used the second half of the year, we should be okay, but who knows?” said Wheeler.

Auburn Town Administrator Bill Herman said town is trying to juggle the rising costs of heating fuel, gas, and asphalt, and said those increases have exceeded their budget projections.

The Board of Selectmen is looking at installing a new, more energy efficient heating system in the town hall this year to help to defray some of the increase in oil heat costs down the road.

“Depending on the account, increases of 10 to 27.5 percent were included in the 2008 operating budget for anticipated fuel increases. It appears at this point those increases may not be enough to cover the expenses of heating the town buildings this year,” Herman said.

All town buildings except for the highway garage run on oil heat, he said, and rising heating fuel costs caused the budgets for both the police department and general government buildings, including the Town Hall, highway garage, and old police and fire stations, to run over budget in 2007-08.

So far in 2008, according to Herman, those accounts are getting close to their budgeted amounts, with at least three months left to heat on this year’s budget.

Assistance is available if you can’t pay your bill

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:30:00 GMT

BY CHRISTINE HEISER

Next winter, when the temperatures drop and the oil tank is low, rising fuel costs might bring on a budget crisis for some homeowners.

Unlike public utilities such as gas or electric, private oil companies are not bound by law to deliver in the winter even if the customer doesn’t pay their bill, so each company sets its own policies. But most will work with the customer if they can’t pay.

Janice Fusco at Viking Oil and Propane Company in Candia said they follow the normal collection procedures for their credit customers, with letters and phone calls to follow up. If a customer is behind in payments, Viking might require a customer who orders fuel to pay for the delivery upfront along with 25 percent of their balance, for instance.

But those policies can always change, said, Fusco, as fuel companies also have to pay for the fuel they get, and prices are rising quickly. “We advise customers to not ignore their bills or our attempts to reach them,” she said. “Communicate with us and we’ll work something out.”

State offers fuel assistance Area fuel assistance programs are gearing up for the 2008-09 heating season and the rise in demand that’s sure to come with skyrocketing fuel costs.

“The number of requests went up by 7 percent last year from the year before,” said Sharon Brody, head of the Rockingham Community Action fuel assistance program. “We’re expecting even more this year.”

The Rockingham office handles the area from Auburn to the Seacoast and south to Salem. There are six community action agencies in the state, which distribute federal funds made available to them from the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning in the form of low-income home energy assistance block grants. Help is available to both homeowners and renters.

Go to the state OEP Web site, www.nh.gov/oep/programs. htm, and click on “fuel assistance,” for more information and for the contact for your area.

Brody couldn’t say what the exact eligibility criteria would be for assistance this year, as it depends on how many applications the office gets and how much money is available. But she encourages people to apply as soon as they can if they anticipate a need. Applications are taken from Sept. 1 through April 30, and from that point, an interview will set up with those requesting help.

Some towns also offer assistance to varying degrees, Brody said, but this year, everyone will be strapped trying to assist those in need.

The community action agencies also accept private donations. “Sometimes elderly people get assistance, then they ask to be taken off the list when they no longer need help,” Brody said. “Then we’ll get $1 or $5 in the mail from them. It breaks us up.”

To make a donation, send to the community action agency of your choice and earmark it for fuel assistance. The phone numbers and e-mail addresses for the agencies are listed on the OEP Web site.

Brody is hoping, most of all, for a warm winter this year. “But if not, we hope we can help everyone,” she said. “We’re waiting for our Santa Claus, our knight in shining armor, so we can help as many people as possible.”

Properties added to State Register

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:12:00 GMT

The New Hampshire Department of Historical Resources announced that 12 properties have recently been added to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places, including three in Hooksett and one in Allenstown.

The New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places recognizes and honors properties that are meaningful in the history, architecture, archeology, engineering or traditions of New Hampshire’s residents and communities. It is one part of the state’s efforts to encourage public and private efforts to identify and protect historically significant properties throughout New Hampshire.

“These irreplaceable resources are the physical manifestation of our state’s history and identity,” said New Hampshire’s state historic preservation officer Elizabeth Muzzey. “They create New Hampshire’s distinct identity and serve as the backbone to the state’s heritage tourism economy.”

The most recent additions to the New Hampshire State Register are:

• Head Chapel and Cemetery, Hooksett. Originally an 1839 school, the Head Chapel was remodeled in 1922 to serve as a chapel for the cemetery, which has been in use since 1800. The chapel was a model school, being not only one of the most substantial schools in the area and representative of local brick manufacturing, but also remains one of the most intact one-room schoolhouses left in the region.

• Hooksett Village Bridge, Hooksett. Known locally as the “Lilac Bridge,” this 1909 structure is one of the state’s nine surviving metal truss bridges designed by engineer John William Storrs, the only bridge design specialist in the state in the early 20th century. The three-high-span truss bridges an important crossing of the Merrimack River, first bridged after 1804 by the proprietors of the Londonderry Turnpike.

Arah W. Prescott Library, Hooksett. Prominent citizen Arah W. Prescott donated the funds to build the town library in 1909, and designed the building himself. Completed in 1910, the building and the institution it houses have contributed significantly to the education of the citizens of Hooksett.

• Allenstown Public Library, Allenstown. Erected circa 1934- 35 by Works Progress Administration workers, this Colonial Revival structure is the only building in Allenstown constructed expressly as a library. The design by Harold, Homes, Owen, Inc. has well served the community for more than 70 years.

Anyone wishing to nominate a property to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places must research the history of the nominated property and document it fully on individual inventory forms from the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. Having a property listed in the Register does not impose restrictions on private property owners. For more information, visit http://www.nh.gov/nhdhr

New Hampshire’s Division of Historical Resources, the “State Historic Preservation Office,” was established in 1974 in order to preserve the historical, archaeological, architectural and cultural resources of New Hampshire that are among the state’s most important environmental assets. Historic preservation promotes the use, understanding and conservation of such resources for the education, inspiration, pleasure and enrichment of New Hampshire’s citizens. For more information, visit www.nh.gov/nhdr or call 271-3483.

It’s time to vote

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:10:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

New Hampshire towns are gearing up for the annual vote on town and school issues. Polls will open Tuesday, March 11. Hooksett’s official ballot town elections are not until May 13.

Pembroke and Auburn adhere to the traditional Town Meeting format, and are only electing officials on March 11.

Auburn will, however, decide whether to change to the official ballot law, or SB2, at the March 11 vote. Auburn will also decide between Paul Raiche and Harland Eaton for selectman.

Hooksett – school
Hooksett will choose two of four candidates for School Board and vote on four warrant articles. The four running for School Board are Becky Berk, Pat Rueppel, Paul Cournoyer and Trisha Korkosz. Warrant articles include a $25 million school budget and renovations to the Underhill kitchen.

Allenstown – town
There are two contested races in Allenstown. David Bouffard, James Rodger and Chris Roy are competing for one road agent position. Lawrence Anderson, Thomas Irzyk, Richard Keeley, Sandra McKenney, Robert Lee and Roger LaFleur are running for one selectman’s slot.

• Proposed operating budget: $5,055,264. Should the budget fail, the default would be $4,541,936.

• The Suncook Wastewater Treatment Facility expansion: a $15 million bond to be paid over 20 years would expand the sewer plant, Allenstown taxpayers being responsible for 48 percent of the total costs and Pembroke 52 percent.

At the town’s deliberative session, voters amended the wording of the article to say that the town would only go for the expansion if at least half the costs could be secured in state and federal grants. A 60 percent majority vote is needed for this article to pass.

• New fire truck: This article asks voters to approve a $450,000 expenditure on a new fire truck to replace one dating back to 1976. The new truck is a 2,500-gallon pumper/tanker that would do the work of three of the older trucks for the Fire Department.

• Road agent: This article asks to change the method of putting the town’s road agent in place from official ballot election to Board of Selectmen appointment.

Allenstown – school
• Proposed operating budget: $9,954,853. Should the budget fail, the default budget would be $9,838,008. School warrant articles would add an extra $78,802.

• A warrant article asks for $58,802 for the first year of a four-year collective bargaining contract with the Allenstown Paraprofessional Association.

Epsom – town
The only contested race in Epsom is between four people running for three slots on the Budget Committee. They are David Fiorentino, Greg “Whitey” Foss, Mar Lou J. LaFleur and Carol McGuire.

• Proposed operating budget: $2,882,220. Should the budget fail, the default budget would be $2,469,881.

• Various articles ask for money to pave and maintain roads, projects that have been put off in the past few years due to defaulted budgets.

• A citizen’s petitioned warrant article asks voters whether they favor going back to a fivemember Board of Selectmen.

At this year’s election, three members will be voted in after Epsom residents voted last year to reduce the number of seats on the board down to three.

• The police and fire departments submitted a warrant article asking for $57,054 for six months’ salaries for one full-time officer and one full-time firefighter.

The article states $4,500 of that would come from a line in the police department’s budget, with the rest being raised through taxes. Another article asks for $82,815 to give all fulltime fire and police personnel pay raises.

Epsom – school
• Proposed operating budget: $8,071,443. Should the budget fail, the default budget would be $7,904,002.

• The school district asks in a warrant article for $36,292 to fund pay raises for school support staff.

• Another article asks for $34,884 to pay for bus transportation for Epsom high school students attending Pembroke Academy. Currently, there is no school district funded transportation for those students.

• To remove asbestos flooring left in the Epsom Central School, the district asks voters for $70,069.

Candia – town
Candia has two contested races. Dannis Lewis and Paul C. Vallee are competiting for road agent. For selectman, voters will choose between Todd D. Allen, Frederick Kelley and Amanda Soares.

• Proposed operating budget: $2,321,660. Should the budget fail, the default would be $2,265,781.

• A citizen’s petitioned warrant article asks whether Candia voters are in favor or selling a 12-acre parcel of land by Exit 3 off of Route 101. A 2003 vote already gave selectmen the authority to sell the land for a grocery store, but the article voted in also allowed for a citizen’s petition after two public hearings on the land sale.

• Selectmen submitted a petition asking voters’ stance on “rescinding” the town’s Budget Committee. The wording was changed at the town’s deliberative session, and now asks whether voters are in favor of “retaining” the Budget Committee.

Candia – school
• Proposed operating budget: $7,486,408. Should the budget fail, the default would be $7,526,161 (almost $40,000 higher than the proposed budget).

• The most expensive article asks voters to allow the Candia School Board to enter into a tuition agreement for a joint middle school with Auburn, and further to spend $296,708 for the first year’s payment on building costs. The tuition agreement would be in effect for 20 years, with Candia paying 38 percent of the school’s building and operating costs based on current enrollment.

• A warrant article for a collective bargaining agreement with Moore School teachers would require $83,347 to be raised in taxes.

• The school district is asking for $91,885 to purchase a generator for the Moore School.

letters to the editor of The Hooksett Banner, Feb. 28, 2008

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:10:00 GMT

Editorial:

We must make math education a priority

Half, yes, half, of the 11th-graders tested by the state were listed as “below proficient” in math. That’s the politically correct way of saying they failed. They weren’t even close to being able to do the math expected of them. Yes, the 11th-grade test is harder than simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. But if half the students taking the test fail, you have to wonder if it’s the students or it’s the test.
In this case, having looked at the test preparation booklet available online (http://www.ed.state.nh.us/Education/doe/organization/curriculum/NECAP/PracticeTest.htm), we think it’s the students. Which means they are either not taking the test seriously – a point worth considering – or they have not been adequately taught. You can’t do algebra or geometry without a strong basic foundation, and our elementary schools are also struggling to meet the state’s proficiency requirements. This problem started when these students were much younger.
We need to make sure our students are well educated in the fields of math and science. Our futures all depend on our children’s ability to solve complicated problems. China is graduating far more math and science students than the U.S. is – a point often hammered home by FIRST founder Dean Kamen. This isn’t to be taken lightly. We must find a way to teach our children and make them care about it.

letters:

Epsom should return to a five-member board of selectmen

To the Editor:
A committee to study whether the town would be better served by a five-member board was appointed by the town moderator. They met in 2001, four times in three months. They interviewed town officials from four towns that were about the size of Epsom and had changed from three to five members (Bow, Deerfield, Hinsdale and Bethlehem) and approximately 30 current and former town leaders.
The major concern was if we stayed at three we would need to hire a town administrator. And if we went to five, it would need to increase the office staff because of the extra work. At that time, we had one full-time and one part-time employee in the office. When the board went to five members, the staff doubled. We now have three full-time employees, who have been working in the office for the past four years.
There are over 18 departments and committees that the BOS is responsible for. Each one has to have a liaison from the BOS. Some committees require that a board member attend each meeting as a member of that committee. That’s six departments or committees for each selectperson.
The truth is that our town is growing, and the work load is increasing not decreasing. I am very concerned that if it stays at three, next year we will see an article for a town administrator.
Remember, if it doesn’t pass this year, it will take two years before we can change it back. That’s why I support voting to go back to a five-member board this year.
Richard Frambach
Epsom

I endorse Fred Kelly and Joe Duarte for selectmen

To the Editor:
There will be a “Meet the Candidates” night on Friday, March 7.
I would like to express my views on two of the candidates running this year.
One is Mr. Fred Kelly, who is running for re-election for chairman of selectmen’s board. I would like people to know that this man has served and delivered great things to our town for many years. He is truly dedicated to the people, interests and safety of our town and proves his dedication time after time. Even when the pressure is overwhelming, he always remains calm, open-minded and objective. He is also a resident of Candia, which I feel is important for our town.
The second is Mr. Joe Duarte who is running for re-election for selectman. I would like people to know that he also is dedicated and has delivered great things to our town. Mr. Duarte is always dedicated to the people of this town and always is truly interested in the issues of our residents. He never lets the small voice go unheard and is open-minded, objective and patient. He is also a resident of Candia.
Thank you for your time.
Jennifer Haggett
Candia

Please vote for Trisha Korkosz for Hooksett School Board

To the Editor:
My name is Trisha Korkosz. I am a resident of the town of Hooksett and I am running for the Hooksett School Board. I would like to ask people to go to the polls and vote for me on March 11.
I would like to represent each of you on the Hooksett School Board. I will work with the School Board, the SAU administration and the school administrators to help us all educate the students of the town of Hooksett. I believe that we, as a town, need to work together to make the best choices for our students. I feel what I may lack in political experience, I make up for in that fact I represent a sector of the population that may not have a strong voice. By this I mean that I have young school-aged children within our system. I can bring fresh ideas and new energy to the board.
I feel that the School Board needs to work with the SAU administration, the other towns within our SAU and the school administration in a collaborative manner to enact what is best for our students. In our very changing economy, we need to be fiscally responsible and spend money in a manner that gets us the best results. I think this year the School Board and the Budget Committee worked very hard at having positive communication and doing what is best for our students while being as frugal as possible. I would like to help continue this improved communication.
When people ask why I am running, I answer that my husband and I are trying to teach our children that we each have a responsibility to do our part to make our community better. We believe, as we were raised, that the one of the most important things we give our children is a great education. We feel that Hooksett has a great school system and we would like to help make it better. The manner in which we think we can do that is by my running for School Board.
I can promise each member of the Hooksett community, when you vote for me on March 11, I will do my best to represent you on the Hooksett School Board.

Trisha Korkosz
Hooksett

Thank you for allowing me to serve the town of Epsom

To the Editor:
To the residents of Epsom:
Thank you for allowing me to serve you as selectman for the past year. I have certainly learned a lot about Epsom; budgets, RSAs, tax rates and many other important things.
I have also learned what a great town Epsom is, especially the people. I am overwhelmed sometimes at how eager people are to help, donate, volunteer and generally assist the town.
Although I will be running unopposed, as are the other two selectman candidates for their positions, it is important that you make the effort to vote on March 11.
Vote yes on Article 1 and carefully consider each article on the ballot. Each warrant article has many hours of thought and consideration behind it, including cost considerations.
It is important to support our police and fire departments, as well as the work that needs to be done on our roads and for our Highway Department.
Thank you for continuing to support our great town!
Joanne Randall
Selectman, Epsom

Snowmobilers and four-wheelers make park a raceway

To the Editor:
On Sunday afternoon, my daughter and I went for a snowshoe hike to Hayes Marsh in Bear Brook State Park. But it felt more like we were at the Loudon Raceway with all the snowmobiles and four-wheelers flying full throttle down the trails. Firsthand we learned why snow vehicles should not be allowed in the same area of the park that hikers and skiers use.
Following a trail parallel to Podunk Road (which goes from Deerfield Road to the 4-H camps), we came to a wide roadbed leading from Podunk Road to Hayes Marsh. There were 15 to 20 vehicles revving their engines so much that we could hardly hear each other talk. They all took off at full speed toward the marsh. We walked along the edge of the road looking for the next foot trail to escape to. A four-wheeler sped past us and suddenly veered to the right as three snowmobiles came racing from the other direction.
At the place where the road narrowed, a sign said “No motorized vehicles allowed,” but they all drove past it without slowing down to look.
On our return trip, we took the Hayes Farm Trail to save time, but had to keep stepping aside for each group of machines that was apparently trying to set a new speed record. When we were about a quarter mile from the parking lot, we went down Podunk Road and had to suddenly evade a snowmobile that was racing full throttle up the road around a curve at what seemed like 40 to 50 mph.
I am disappointed in the behavior of all these people. In the summertime, you can walk along a roadway and feel safe that passing cars will slow down and give you wide berth. But that does not seem to be the mindset of the snowmobile/four-wheeler crowd. Full throttle seems to be the only way to travel.
Michael Frascinella
Allenstown

No need to be disagreeable when disagreeing with someone

To the Editor:
Apparently, the young Mr. Ross mistook what I intended as advice for admonition.
For the record, Rep. Snow stands behind his votes. As a candidate I was, hopefully, clear about how I would represent my constituents, if elected. I have, again hopefully, consistently attempted to do what I said I would do: listen to everybody, attempt to understand all the sides of every issue and vote for what I believe best serves the needs of all the people.
Inasmuch as there are many sides to every issue, some people will inevitably disagree with any particular vote. It would be nice if we could disagree without being disagreeable.
As always, I’m available for discussion on any issue. I’m old enough to have gained the wisdom to know that there are more questions than there are answers and that I, like Mr. Ross, have opinions, but that neither of us have infinite wisdom.
Richard H. Snow
Candia

Epsom needs recording system

To the Editor:
I am writing this letter in support of Article 17. This article addresses the purchase of an audio/video system for the various town board meetings.
For years, the Board of Selectmen and other boards have had to rely on handwritten notes and transcribed minutes to record their meetings. For those who cannot attend the meetings, it is difficult to keep up with business in town.
This equipment will allow Metrocast subscribers to view the meetins from your home. It will supplement record keeping and could be made available for public use and would be in invaluable in future litigation.
Many towns are now broacasting their town meetings. Let’s bring Epsom into the 21st century.
John Campbell
Epsom

Things not done

To the Editor:
I regret not being able to accomplish the following tasks:
1. An exit exam for the eighth grade, done independently from the school.
2. State and federal government to pay for unfunded educational mandates.
3. State and federal government to pay for unfunded non-educational mandates.
4. The state to allow schools to refuse the mandate moneys and not comply, as is done on the federal level.
5. Stop the demasculinization of our youth.
6. An understanding of where our rights come from and what they are in the Constitution.

Gordon R. Ellis
School Board member
Epsom

Record turnout for primary

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:03:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

High voter turnouts, particularly among young people and independents, characterized this year’s primary election as one of a possible culture change.

More than half of registered voters in Hooksett, Pembroke, Allenstown, Auburn, Candia and Epsom participated in the primary vote, with Hooksett hitting a high 68 percent turnout.

Overall, New Hampshire is one of the more independent states in the country. According to an ABC News exit poll, about 40 percent of registered New Hampshire voters who participated in the nation’s first primary on Tuesday, Jan. 8, were registered as undeclared or independent.

Republican winner John McCain, who took 37 percent of the Republican vote, was the favorite coming into the primary for his perceived ability to capture independent votes.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were in a dead heat for most of the night as results poured in, but Clinton pulled away overnight and came through with 39 percent of the Democratic vote to Obama’s 36 percent to take the win.

In Hooksett, where just three votes separated McCain and Romney on the Republican ballot, Clinton was a favorite with about a fifth of the total 5,337 votes cast for both parties.

Including write-ins and 25 blank ballots from voters who wrote in their choices and forgot to fill in the oval, 5,487 votes were cast, a 68 percent turnout.

Leslie Nepveu, Hooksett town clerk for the last 21 years, estimated more than 500 new voters registered at the polls. “For a primary election, it was definitely the highest turnout,” Nepveu said, but added checklist supervisors did not yet have an exact count.

The Associated Press set up shop at the polls at Cawley School with a live feed to a news program in Europe, Nepveu said.

About a third of Candia’s voters are registered as undeclared, 1,176 out of a total 3,228 names on the checklist. The total number includes 224 new voters, who accounted for one-tenth of the primary votes. About 65 percent of Candia’s registered voters showed up at the polls.

“I’ve been the town clerk for 24 years, and this was probably the best primary we’ve ever had,” said Town Clerk Christine Dupere.

Pembroke registered 45 new voters, bringing the checklist total to 5,505. According to Town Clerk James Goff, 3,025 votes were cast for a 55 percent turnout. New voters accounted for about 15 percent of the total votes. Democrats on the whole got about 40 more votes than Republicans in that town.

Pembroke election moderator Tom Petit, who has been working at the town’s polls since 1972 in various capacities, said he thinks the spike in voting numbers is a sign of the town’s growth.

“My first thought is our town, like a lot of other towns, is in a state of change,” he said, adding new people, particularly of a younger generation, have come to town in the past few years.

Before the election, said Allenstown Town Clerk Diane Demers, there were 2,554 registered Allenstown voters, 1,205 of those registered as undeclared.

By the close of the polls, 279 new voters had contributed to the 1,696 votes cast, making up about 17 percent of the total votes. The total turnout was 59 percent of registered voters.

“I think there’s a lot of things going on that’s sparking people’s interest,” Demers said, referring to the younger generation’s surge in political involvement and world issues.

Joanne Linxweiler, Auburn town clerk, said 2,541 votes were counted, amounting to a potentially record-breaking 66 percent turnout. Complete numbers for new voter registration were not available by press time, but Linxweiler said she was impressed with the amount of new voters who came out.

Epsom counted a total of 1,905 ballots. Of those, 227, or almost 12 percent, were from newly registered voters. Out of the total 3,261 registered voters, Epsom had a 58 percent turnout.

Blackwell said the inundation of political calls and mail in the weeks before the election could have spurred people to vote, as well as the outcomes in Iowa where Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee took their respective party’s victories in caucus.

Epsom was the only Banner town to vote mostly Republican, with 1,004 total Republican ballots to 901 Democratic ballots counted.

FEMA pays for flood study

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:15:00 GMT

By JENN McDOWELL

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is funding an independent study on the 2006 and 2007 flooding of New Hampshire rivers.

The Suncook River is one of the prime focus areas of the study, which will look into the differences between the two flooding episodes, possible reasons for the excessive flooding and ways to reduce flood impact in the future.

The first of three public forums on the study was held at the Department of Environmental Services in Concord on Dec. 12. The study looked at whether improvements can be made to dam operations, as well as how emergency response can cut down on future flooding impact.

FEMA’s interest in the study is to reduce the magnitude of their response, said Jim Gallagher, head of the state Dam Bureau.

FEMA has spent about $30 million on responding to the flooding throughout the state according to Albie Lewis, who was FEMA’s federal coordinating officer during the May 2007 flood.

The study, which costs about $330,000, is being conducted by international engineering firm URS Corporation, and will be overseen by independent experts in water resource management.

“They’re really taking a fresh look at this,” said Gallagher about the researchers involved, who are engineers being consulted by weather experts and emergency management personnel.

Lewis said Gov. John Lynch called him personally about finding a way to fund the study through FEMA.

According to Lewis, one of the study areas will be the amount of sediment along the riverbeds. When sediment builds up along a river’s bottom, it decreases the amount of space for the water to travel through between the banks.

This is particularly important for the Suncook River, where such a buildup of sediment in Epsom caused an avulsion, or a change in the river’s course of direction, during the May flooding. This may be one of the reasons for the worse flooding and the increased amount of flood damage in Epsom and towns downstream, such as Allenstown.

The two floods were not consistent with historical flooding statistics, particularly for the Suncook River.

“Over the years, without a heavy flow of water, sediment fills in channels of the river. When that happens, water overflows its banks,” Lewis said.

The rain totals for the May 2007 event were significantly less than those from the 2006 floods, prompting questions as to why the flooding would be so much worse the second time around.

Researchers looked at high-water marks of the 2007 floods and compared them to those of the 2006 floods, finding the more recent to be higher. This points to a possible increase in the amount of sediment along the river bottoms, Lewis said.

The study will also include an analysis of the dam operations along the various rivers included in the study. Researchers will look at flow analysis, average daily flow, the height of such dams at low and high water marks, and the general operations at the dams.

The Webster Dam on the Suncook in Pembroke is of particular interest to researchers said Gallagher. Interviews will be conducted at the Webster Dam and others around the state to determine what was done at the time of the flood and how problems were addressed.

Lewis added the study will include looking at wetlands that typically absorb excess water from the rivers in question. The less water in such wetlands the more there is in the river itself, he explained.

In March, researchers will hold another public meeting to present their interim findings before compiling a final report on the study, which should be completed in May.

Misunderstandings common about Right to Know requirements

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 23:25:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

In conversations with town officials and staff involved with our Right to Know project, our reporters found that, in many cases, refusals to provide information such as town and school district salaries, police logs and meeting minutes were simply the products of misunderstanding, both of the law itself and of what was asked of them.

Upon seeing the report, several town officials were pleased with the way their respective agencies handled our requests.

Others were not, several of them charging Neighborhood News with unduly slamming their offices or being elusive about our identities and the information we wanted.

In last week’s coverage, we sent staff to town halls and SAUs to ask for minutes of meetings and municipal and school salaries, and to police stations to ask for a week’s list of arrests and activities. We did not identify ourselves as reporters to test whether the public has access to public information at local government agencies.

Candia and Epsom performed the best of the Banner’s six towns, offering all documents with little trouble.

For Candia, this is a major turnaround from the last time Neighborhood News took on the project six years ago. In that experiment, Candia failed to turn over the list of arrests and their municipal salaries. Epsom completely passed the test for the second time.

Town offices

Hooksett Town Hall readily provided Town Council meeting minutes and, upon receiving a faxed written request, the town salary information our reporter asked for.

“We had the information, it was just a matter of gathering it,” said Christine Soucie, a town hall secretary, who had an inkling she was dealing with a reporter. “The interesting thing is, it is usually only reporters who come in here looking for different public records.”

In Allenstown, Kelley Collins, administrative assistant to the Board of Selectmen, said we could find town salary information in the 2006 Town Report, which she said was located on the town’s Web site.

Several Neighborhood News reporters and editors looked for the Town Report on the site following the visit, and could not locate the information.

A followup call was placed to Kelley after the initial report ran on Thursday, Sept. 13. Kelley said a selectman with the town had advised her against speaking to this newspaper.

She did say, however, that her original comments to our reporter made her take another look at the site, and that was when she discovered she had misinformed our reporter.

“I noticed the information was not on the Web site after I spoke with you and contacted the town administrator,” Kelley said.

According to the site, it was updated on Wednesday, Sept. 12, to include past town reports. We had not seen the addition to the Web site before press time last week.

Secretary to Candia’s selectmen Dawn Chabot was very forthcoming with information.

Chabot said the staff at Candia’s town offices knows the law well.

“We get these requests all the time, I’d say on a daily basis, and we realize that these are public documents,” said Chabot. “You have to be aware of the laws if you’re sitting here every minute of every day.”

Epsom Town Clerk Dawn Blackwell made similar remarks about her office, saying she keeps up with the latest developments with public information laws and makes certain the other town employees are well informed about them.

“The Right to Know laws are very important and I do distribute packets to the rest of the offices,” Blackwell said, adding that she would discuss some of the information regarding the laws at an upcoming meeting with department heads and selectmen.

Upon requesting the town salary and selectmen’s meeting minutes, Barbara Clark in the Epsom selectmen’s office directed our reporter to the town’s Web site.

Clark regularly directs citizens with such requests to the Web site, she said, to save the person money on copies.

She also confirmed that Blackwell distributes information packets to throughout the office on the Right to Know Law.

In Auburn, our reporter was given the minutes from the last selectmen’s meeting and a photocopy of the town employee salaries from last year’s Town Report.

Our reporter later spoke with Town Administrator Bill Herman and asked for an updated listing of the salaries. The report had been published in March, Herman said.

“We can create a list. Is that what you want us to do?” Herman said. “It can be done,” adding that the request would not be processed immediately. “It would probably take a couple of days to do.”

Linda Williams, administrative secretary in the Pembroke town office, handed over the town salaries and selectmen minutes with no questions about our reporter’s identity or business with the information.

“People always want to see what we make, which is understandable,” Williams said, adding, “Sometimes getting (the information) may take some time, but, with few exceptions, everything is open to the public.”

Interim Pembroke Town Administrator Geoff Ruggles said his office is sensitive to laws about public information, and that he is pleased with the way Williams handled the request.

He said a lot of town offices are hesitant about giving out salary information, but he understands it is something the public should have access to.

“If people ask for it, we’ll give it to them,” said Ruggles.

School districts

The SAU 15 office in Hooksett, school district for Hooksett, Candia and Auburn, failed to provide us with school district meeting minutes and salaries. They said they would work on it and get them to our reporter as soon as possible, but, under the Right to Know Law, they have five days after a request to dispense the information.

Almost two weeks later, we had still not received the information.

Superintendent Charles Littlefield said his office does not frequently get requests for the information our reporter requested, and that there was some confusion over it.

“I believe my staff who deals with any of the requests we get for that information is very familiar with the law,” he said

He added that he usually does not ask for a written request, but that he asked for it this time to clear up the confusion among his staff.

“I told them it was all public records, so just give it to him, but we wanted to be sure we knew exactly what you were looking for,” Littlefield said. “I strongly believe we should do the public’s business in public, so it was our job to give the information that you want.”

At SAU 53 in Pembroke, covering Allenstown, Pembroke, Epsom, Chichester and Deerfield schools, our reporter’s request for school district salaries and meeting minutes was not immediately dealt with.

Human Resources Director Loretta Campbell asked our reporter for a written request. The start of the school year made things difficult for her to personally take care of getting the documents, she said.

She said later she was unsure about whether our reporter was a school district employee, and this created a dilemma for her.

“We’re not going to give out the personal identification information to people if they’re employees themselves. We just try to protect personal information like that,” she said.

According to the Right to Know Law, school district salaries are public information and therefore should be available to anyone, no matter who their employer is.

Police departments

At the Hooksett Police Department, our reporter could not even find someone at the reception area to locate the police log for him, even after going to the department on three separate occasions.

The first two times, the reporter was greeted by officers who said they could not help him. The third time, he found no one at all to ask, just an unmanned reception window.

Chief Stephen Agrafiotis said the report was eye opening for his department, and that he is taking steps to make sure someone is always available during business hours to field such requests.

“We don’t have officers or dispatchers deal with requests, just our administration staff, so if by chance they aren’t available we want to make sure we have someone the citizen can talk to in order to get their name and contact information down until someone can help them,” Agrafiotis said.

“We understand the law, and we certainly are not trying to keep anything from anybody. We learned a lesson from your experiment,” Agrafiotis said, adding that he is going to meet with police personnel on the issue.

Allenstown Police Chief Shaun Mulholland also expressed concern over the report. When our reporter arrived at the Police Department to ask for a listing of the previous week’s calls and arrests, a staff member at the front desk told her the information could not be printed out.

Mulholland said there was apparently some confusion about our reporter’s request, adding that our reporter was not entitled to all of the information in the log.

Mulholland is correct that under the Right to Know law police departments are not required to reveal their police logs to the public if the document contains personal information about juveniles, would jeopardize an ongoing investigation, strip an offender of his or her right to a fair trial, or could put officers in harm’s way.

“Most of that information we can give you, but we need to redact all the personal information,” Mulholland said. “When we asked (the reporter) why you wanted the information we were trying to determine what you were looking for. Sometimes people aren’t sure what they’re really asking for.”

To “redact” information in the log is to black out certain information that is confidential.

“We’ve always been open with the press,” Mulholland said, which is true. Mulholland has provided The Hooksett Banner with information regarding specific incidents numerous times during his tenure as chief.

Our reporter was asked to file a written request for the arrest log with the Pembroke Police, which they provided us with before the five-day period was up.

Police Chief Scott Lane reiterated Mulholland’s comments that the department would need time to redact some information in the log and that they were attempting to get more specific information from the reporter about what she needed.

“We were trying to save the trouble of gathering information you didn’t need,” Lane said, adding, “I feel we were painted with a brush we didn’t deserve.”

In Auburn, we were asked to file a written request for the arrest log. Chief Ed Picard said he is not comfortable releasing the information to someone unknown to the department, adding that he is happy to comply with such requests coming directly from Union Leader and Hooksett Banner reporters.

“If a stranger walks in here without the proper credentials, we’re not going to give out the information,” Picard told the Neighborhood News publisher.

In Epsom, our reporter was able to obtain the redacted arrest log without a problem.

Gail Quimby handled our reporter’s request. She later said she had a feeling that the visitor was a reporter, and that she understands the values of the Right to Know Law.

Chief Wayne Preve said that either Quimby or himself handle all such requests from the public for information.

“We control most of what goes in and out while acknowledging the public has a right to see much of it,” said Preve.

Candia’s police department also immediately provided us with the arrest log, without question.

Our reporter encountered Karen Merchant there, who was very familiar with the Right to Know Law.

“I wondered in my mind who (the visitor was), but it’s not up to me to discover that or ask about it,” said Merchant.

Auto affair – A love of old cars brings fans together

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 20:21:00 GMT

Don Drew of Allenstown bought his 1940 white Chevy with S-10 pickup twice.

He originally purchased it in 1994, then sold it to buy a 1967 Chevelle. Through the next year, he pined away for his much loved ’40 Chevy. The love affair brought him crawling back to man he sold it to with the Chevelle in tow.

In an arrangement seemingly written in the stars, he made an even trade: the new seductress for the old flame.

Drew said he had immediately regretted letting go of his first love. He had been interested in hot rods since he was a kid, but this one really had a hold on him.

At the Kiwanis Club of Hooksett’s first Antique and Classic Car Show on Sunday, Aug. 19, Drew and his beloved Chevy competed against other owners and their own “significant others” in the Street Rod category.

Kiwanis Club member Dale Hemeon of Hooksett organized the event, having a motorized lover of his own – a candy apple red ’67 Camaro – entered in the Camaro/Firebird ’67 to ’02 category.

Hemeon said his dream car was the ’69 Camaro, but that the ’67 had entered his life two years ago at the right time and price.

“It’s a car of my generation,” he said.

The show was a fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club’s charitable donations to many causes in the community. Since its formation in 2000, the Hooksett Kiwanis Club has contributed to numerous local charities and community projects including summer programs for children in the community and sponsorship of the Miss Hooksett Scholarship Pageant.

Participants paid a $10 entry fee to show off their voluptuous hot rods, sleek cruisers, toned muscles or modern wonders. A total of 78 beauties turned out for the competition, each one the pride, joy and, many times, the savior of its owner.

Elaina Hebert of Hooksett said her husband, Bob Hebert, bought their ’57 Chevy wagon after his father’s death in 1991. He brought it home in pieces, she said.

Over the next few years, he read about and watched mechanics at local garages working on cars, and eventually he even taught himself to weld. He completely rebuilt the car, even installed the seats and did all of the bodywork and painting.

“I knew he needed something,” said Elaina Hebert, who believes the love and attention her husband devoted to the car was a good thing for his spirit following his father’s death.

Several of the cars at the show were one of only a handful of their kind. Steve Andrewchuck of Pembroke entered a 2005 Dodge Ram SRT 10 “Yellow Fever Special,” the 50th of just 500 such trucks to come off the assembly
line.

The 2005 SRT 10 was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2004 for being the fastest production pickup truck in the world, with a top speed of 150 mph and the capability to go from zero to 60 in 5.3 seconds.

Not surprising, seeing that the truck is equipped with a 500 horsepower Viper motor and a six-speed transmission.

Andrewchuck fell in love with the SRT 10 when he passed by a Dodge dealership on the way to work on day. He said he loves Dodge trucks, but that his dream car is a Viper. “This is the closest I’m going to get,” he said.

Awards were given to the top car in each competitive class. Blue Ribbon Fences of Hooksett paid for the trophies and the dash plaques that all of the show’s participants received.

All of the merchandise raffled off at the show, including a flat screen television, was donated by Wal-Mart of Hooksett.

Hemeon said he wants to make the car show a traditional fundraiser for the Hooksett Kiwanis Club, and that next year he wants to also include motorcycles in the show.

2006 Year in Review - In star-studded year, CHS boys hoops takes top billing

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 21:34:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

It took more than nine months after it claimed the Class L state title, but the 2005-’06 Manchester Central boys basketball team finally received some competition. Who knew it would come from a sports section?

In a year filled with athletic achievements from local residents – some small, some big, all memorable – the Little Green’s undefeated run to its second straight crown and Class L-record 17th championship proved the top story of 2006.

But unlike their success, the decision wasn’t a foregone conclusion. These last 12 months have included rounds of cheers, championships, and, in some cases, consolation in Hooksett, Allenstown, Auburn, Candia, Epsom, Pembroke and beyond.

There were memorable titles, like the Manchester Memorial baseball team’s first Class L crown in eight years. There were also magical runs that fell just short, such as the Memorial softball team’s first-ever championship game appearance in its 30-year history and subsequent 1-0 loss to powerhouse Salem.

Then there’s the area’s dominance in the high school track and field scene, Emily and Catherine Teague’s state doubles tennis title for Central, and the Little Green football team’s lasting footprint on the state, which included Jim Schubert coaching in his final game, a 24-7 New Hampshire win in the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl, and firstyear coach Ryan Ray guiding the Little Green to their eighth consecutive playoff berth.

And how can anyone forget the New England team invites the Central girls and boys cross country teams earned? Or the Cawley Middle School softball team’s Tri-County League Class M championship? Or Nicole Simoneau’s win in the all-around at the state gymnastics championships, a performance that included the first perfect 10.0 in state championship history?

Yes, there was a lot to celebrate in 2006. Unfortunately, there probably are a number of stories and accomplishments that didn’t find their way into the pages of this sports section, though that hardly diminishes their importance.

But from the perfect 25- 0 season to the history behind it, Central’s place atop the boys basketball scene translated to the peak of The Hooksett Banner’s Year in Review. So without further ado, let’s rewind the tape on the year that was.

Winter

It really wasn’t a question of if Central would take its second straight state championship, but how. That question, however, received one of the most impressive answers in New Hampshire high school boys basketball history. With a 54-39 win over Merrimack in the Class L title game on March 18, the Little Green became just the fourth program in state history to complete a perfect season and first since the Matt Bonner- led Concord squad of 1997-’98.

Led by Hooksett native and Gatorade state player of the year Tyler Roche, who’s currently playing at Boston College, Central dominated on both ends of the floor to capture its Class L best 17th crown and third under coach Dave “Doc” Wheeler.

“We’re comfortable in pressure situations,” said Roche, who scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the finals.

“When the other team makes a run, we stay poised. Poise is what we’re all about.”

Earning the season’s top individual highlight, however, was Central’s Nicole Simoneau, who led the Little Green to a top-five finish at the state gymnastics championships on Feb. 11.

Coming off a back injury that had limited her to the beam the previous season, the junior posted a total score of 38.625 to win the state all-around, setting two records along the way. Her 9.75 on the uneven bars and 10.0 on the beam – the only perfect score in state championship history – were both state bests.

Memorial placed 12th in the competition, West 20th and Pembroke Academy, represented by Jen Acheson, placed 31st.

The Pembroke cheerleading squad also enjoyed a stellar winter, finishing second in Class I behind Pelham in the Kiwanis Club spirit competition on Jan. 14 and sixth at the state championship. The Central co-ed squad took home the championship in its group under the guidance of coach Mia Vetri.

Meanwhile, a number of local- led teams posted solid regular seasons before falling in the postseason. The No. 11 Pembroke girls basketball team, led by Kelly Thomas and Kayleigh Robinson, fell in a hard-fought first-round Class I match-up with John Stark, 54-51, on Feb. 15. Thomas scored 26 points. The Spartans finished their regular season at 8-10.

The Central girls basketball team, also seeded 11th in Class L, fell in the first round to eventual state finalist Bishop Guertin, 63-52, on March 1 despite Whitney Fremeau’s 27 points.

Three days later, the Memorial boys hockey team ran into a powerhouse of its own, dropping a 5-1 quarterfinal decision to No. 2 and eventual champion Hanover. The Crusaders overcame a 1-5 start to make the postseason.

Central and Memorial both posted solid showings at the NHIAA swim championships on Feb. 4, as Central placed 20th among the girls teams and 27th among the boys, and Memorial finished 19th among the boys teams and 24th among the girls. At the wrestling Meet of Champions on Feb. 25, Memorial ended its season among the state’s best in 10th, while Central finished in 24th.

Spring

It was incredible, epic, a challenge in every sense of the word – and it was probably as anticlimactic as it gets. Yet the ending – a hit batsman in the ninth that forced in the winning run – didn’t take away from the magic surrounding the Memorial baseball team’s 5-4 extra-inning win over Bishop Guertin in the Class L final on June 13.

The Crusaders, without a state title since 1998, withstood a Cardinal comeback entering the ninth before Tom Burke stood in and took Austin Sullivan’s 100th pitch off his back.

Auburn’s Matt Skeffington – 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored – and Wes Cotnoir both started and played key roles in clinching Memorial’s seventh state championship.

The Memorial softball team nearly made it a pair of titles after advancing to the Class L championship game for the first time in program history, but MHS succumbed to Salem on June 13, the only run coming in the sixth when a Blue Devil lined a ball of pitcher Sara Murray’s stomach to advance the runner home. The loss didn’t sour the Crusaders’ 15-7 season, however, which included a no-hitter from Murray in her first career start – a 5-0 win over West on April 15.

Two Central tennis players celebrated a title of their own on June 12 when sisters Catherine and Emily Teague defeated Hanover’s Brittany Prescott and Natalie Donnelly, 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6- 1 for the state doubles title. The pair completed the season at 16-1, becoming just the second sister team to accomplish the feat in state history. Junior Catherine also finished as the state runner- up in the singles tournament.

Central boys tennis, meanwhile, upset No. 2 Exeter in the quarterfinals of its state tournament before falling to No. 6 Keene, 6-3, in the semis on May 30. Behind several contributors, the Cawley Middle School softball team took the Tri-County League Class M title with a 3-0 win over Londonderry on June 1. Cawley, which defeated Pelham, 13-3, in the semifinals, enjoyed a 15-strikeout, three-hit complete game performance from Tanya Robidoux in the championship.

“We could pitch, we could hit, we could run, we could play defense and do it all at a superior level,” said coach John Frazier.

A slew of local athletes excelled for their track and field teams this spring as well. Memorial placed fifth among boys teams at the Class L championships on May 27, thanks to a first-place finish from Jonathan Harkins in the high jump, while the girls finished in 10th behind Mindy Hardy’s top javelin throw.

The Central boys finished seventh as a team while the 4 X 800-meter relay team set a new Class L record of 7-minutes, 57.02 seconds in its first-place run. The Central girls took fourth as Stacy DiSabato finished second in the javelin, and the 4 X 800 team also placed second.

At the Class I championships, Pembroke’s Wili Brehm was the runner-up in both the 200-meter and 400-meter dash, while sister Allison took third in the 100, Kelly Thomas took home three top-five finishes, and Erin Keeler placed second in the triple jump. John Tetlow also was a runner-up in the 800.

At the Meet of Champions on June 4, Central’s Matt Paulson and Alex Hall took first and second, respectively, in the 800.

A trio of Memorial teammates took runner-up honors including Harkins in the high jump, David Irving in the discus and William Wrobel in the javelin. Pembroke’s Allison Brehm, a freshman, finished second in the 100.

The Central boys lacrosse team put its best foot forward in a 6-8 regular season. The eighthseeded Little Green claimed unofficial status as city champs before falling to No. 9 Londonderry, 7-5, in the first round of the playoffs.

The Pembroke Academy boys tennis team also had a strong season, finishing at 9-4, but ran into powerhouse Hanover in a firstround 9-0 playoff loss.

Summer

The Auburn softball all-star team highlighted the summer months as it took home the New Hampshire District One major league softball title with an 11-1 win over Lamprey River on July 20. The squad erupted for eight fifth-inning runs in the victory, which earned them a trip to the regional tourney in Albany, N.Y. “I asked for three (runs) and they gave me eight,” said Auburn manager Rick Pelletier. “That’s how these girls are. Once they start swinging, it just carries over to the next batter.”

Central football coach Jim Schubert ended his summer – and career – in a fitting way as well, coaching team New Hampshire to a 24-7 win over Vermont in the 53rd annual Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl on Aug. 5. Schubert, who led the Little Green to six Division I titles in his 16 years as head coach, announced his retirement from high school coaching the previous Thanksgiving, but was voted in to coach one final time for the annual showdown between the top recently graduated senior football players from both states. The victory was the sixth straight for the Granite State.

Central grad and Hooksett native Cory Wright and teammate Josh Ratacik both represented their school as well.

Several locals fared well in this year’s Granite State Senior Games, which enjoyed the largest turnout in its 19-year history. Pembroke’s Bill Edmonds won gold in the 80- to 84-year-old age bracket in the tennis singles tournament on Aug. 5. Hooksett’s Ernie Greenberg took first in the doubles tournament with partner Saul Levenson on Aug. 6. Suncook native Stan Irzyk placed second in the pistol shoot within the 75- to 79-year-old age bracket. In the cycling events, Hooksett’s Norman Gill, 53, won gold in the 40K road race and bronze in the 20K, 5K and 10K time trials, while John Valavane, 55, placed first in the 5K and 20K and second in the 10K. Hooksett resident Jay Taylor also won gold with his Young Associates team in the 3-on-3 basketball tournament on Aug. 12.

In Little League action, area teams fared well despite not taking home any titles. The Hooksett Little League majors all-star team fell 9-3 to Nashua in its tourney exit on July 1, and Suncook dropped a 7-3 decision to Salem American on July 8 after winning three tournament games.

Timothy Carey enjoyed an award-winning summer. The 16- year-old was honored with the first-ever New Hampshire Youth Conversationalist Award by the state Fish and Game department for his work in teaching other children about the importance of conserving natural resources.

Auburn’s Wes Cotnoir also had a season to remember after he competed in the Down Under International Games along Australia’s Gold Coast in July. The Memorial three-sport athlete – he plays for the school’s soccer, baseball and track and field teams – competed in the 100-meter dash and the 4 X 100- meter dash while soaking up the two-week experience, which also took him to Hawaii.

The Sweeney Post 2 American Legion baseball team didn’t have as much to cheer about as it failed to make the state playoffs for the first time since 1993.

Fall

The Central girls and boys cross country teams literally ran away with the fall headlines in 2006. They completed a highly successful season that saw both squads claim top-five team finishes at the Meet of Champions on Nov. 4 and top-10 team spots at the New England Championships a week later. Both Little Green teams couldn’t defend their Class L titles – the girls finished second and the boys placed fifth on Oct. 28 – but their performances in the weeks that followed more than made up for it. The boys team was the only squad to place three individuals in the top 10 at the state championship meet, while the girls jumped from 18th in 2005 to ninth this season at the regional competition.

“Out of my three years being at Central,” said girls coach Kelly Feibel, “this is by far the best group of girls I’ve worked with.”

Under first-year coach Ryan Ray, the Central football team also enjoyed a strong season that included its eighth straight playoff berth, a 7-2 regular-season record in Division I play and a 31- 14 over rival West in the Turkey Bowl on Nov. 23. Senior running back Mike LeClerc ran wild that day, racking up 279 yards to cap an all-state season. The year was spoiled, however, when the Little Green lost star wide receiver Joe Pasqual in a 48- 12 blowout loss to Bishop Guertin in the regular-season finale before they fell in a 21-7 semifinal loss to Salem on Nov. 11.

The Memorial football team had its share of struggles but its two victories were uplifting ones. Memorial stunned Central, 35- 28, on Oct. 12, and ended its year with a 27-24 win over Trinity.

The Derryfield School girls soccer and field hockey teams – which featured locals on both squads – each fell in their respective state finals.

The Pembroke Academy football team knocked off Kingswood for its lone win of the year but a lack of size and numbers hurt its chances in Division III.

The Pembroke Academy boys and girls soccer teams both enjoyed a resurgence of sorts during the regular season, but it didn’t translate into playoff success. Both squads fell in the first round of the Class I tournament, with the fourth-seeded girls dropping a 3-2 decision to Oyster River on Oct. 24.

The Memorial girls soccer team won 11 of 13 games at one point but fell to Nashua South, 2- 0, in the first round of the Class L tournament on Oct. 25. The Memorial boys team knocked off Central in a 2-0, shootout win on Oct. 26 but fell in the next round, 1-0, to Bishop Guertin.

The Hooksett U12 girls and boys soccer teams both celebrated Division III Granite State Youth Soccer League championships on Nov. 4. The girls team finished 4-3-1 and will automatically move up to D-II next season.

On the greens, Memorial’s Pat Gocklin took home the Class L individual golf title on Oct. 7, while West, featuring Hooksett’s Matt Breault, fell a stroke short of the team title. The Blue Knights ended up finishing third after losing to Timberlane in a tiebreaker.

The Memorial and Central cheerleading squads each represented their school well at the fall Class L spirit championship, placing 11th and 12th, respectively.

At this year’s Punt, Pass and Kick competition on Sept. 16, Candia’s Chad Bowden punted 56 feet, 9 inches, passed 65-1 and kicked 62-8.

And with that, bring on 2007.