Hopkinton News : Hillsborough

It’s fair time

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:12:00 GMT

Hopkinton Fair: Sept. 3 to 7;

Hillsborough Fair: Sept. 11 to 13

As the cooler, autumn weather moves in, state and county fairgrounds come alive will the smells of fried foods and barnyard animals.

The first such fair to take place is the 94th annual Hopkinton State Fair, Sept. 3 to 7.

One of the biggest draws of the Hopkinton Fair is the demolition derby, which takes place Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 5 and 6, at 6:30 p.m. During this event, drivers will turn full-size cars into compact cars. There is a separate admission fee for this event – $7 for adults and $6 for children 2 to 12.

In addition to the demolition derby, there will also be many 4-H shows and exhibits, including horses, goats, oxen, sheep, llamas/alpacas and more.

Local band Jeff Dearborn and the Contoocook Blues Society will perform again this year, taking the stage Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. and Monday from noon to 5 p.m.

The next fair takes place Sept. 11 to 13 at the Hillsborough County 4-H Fairgrounds in New Boston.

This year marks the 52nd year this fair has been in operation.

According to Jolee Chase, program associate for 4-H youth development, this fair has a bigger agricultural component than many other state and county fairs, but size-wise, it is one of the smaller fairs in the state.

Chase said all of the favorite 4-H shows will be offered, including beef, goats, sheep, rabbits, poultry, working steers, horses and more.

In addition to 4-H events, there will also be an apple pie-baking contest, a doughnut- baking contest and a King Arthur flour recipe contest. Any apple pie recipe will be accepted, but specific recipes for doughnuts and the King Arthur flour recipe contest are available online at www.hcafair.com. Pies should be delivered to the youth center on Sept. 10 between 2 and 9 p.m.

Hopkinton Fair schedule of events
Thursday, Sept. 3
• Stock farm tractor pull – 9 a.m.
• Gymkhana – 10 a.m.
• Horse pulling – 11 a.m.
• Open sheep show – 1 p.m.
• Magic of Ron Diamond – 2 p.m.
• Free Cycle bikes and skateboards – 1, 3 and 5 p.m.
• Horse pulling – 3 and 7 p.m.
• Moomania – 4, 6 and 8 p.m.
• Ron Diamond’s hypnosis – 7 and 9 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 4
• Garden tractor pull – 8 a.m.
• 4-H horse show – 9 a.m.
• Open dairy show – 9 a.m.
• Open sheep show – 9 a.m.
• 4-H working steer – 10 a.m.
• Horse pulling – 11 a.m.
• Free Cycle bikes and skateboards – 1, 3 and 5 p.m.
• Open beef and cattle show – 2 p.m.
• Magic of Ron Diamond – 2 p.m.
• Horse pulling – 3 p.m.
• Moomania – 4, 6 and 8 p.m.
• 4-H llama/alpacas – 6 p.m.
• Horse pulling – 7 p.m.
• Ron Diamond’s hypnosis – 7 and 9 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 5
• 4-H dog show – 8 a.m.
• Horse show – 8:30 a.m.
• Draft horse farm show – 9 a.m.
• 4-H working steer – 9 a.m.
• 4-H dairy goat show – 9 a.m.
• 4-H swine show – 11 a.m.
• Cattle pulling – 11 a.m.
• Noteable Decades – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Free Cycle bikes and skateboards – Noon, 2 and 5 p.m.
• Open dairy – 1 p.m.
• Magic of Ron Diamond – 1 p.m.
• 4-H dairy – 1:30 p.m.
• Cattle pulling – 3 p.m.
• 4-H sheep lead line – 6 p.m.
• Cattle pulling – 7 p.m.
• Ron Diamond’s hypnosis – 7 and 9 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 6
• 4-H working steer – 8 a.m.
• Horse show – 8:30 a.m.
• 4-H sheep show – 9 a.m.
• 4-H dairy show – 9 a.m.
• Cattle pulling – 11 a.m.
• Moomania – 11 a.m., 3, 6 and 8 p.m.
• Free Cycle bikes and skateboards – Noon, 2 and 5 p.m.
• 4-H swine show – 1 p.m.
• Magic of Ron Diamond – 1 p.m.
• 4-H working steer – 1:30 p.m.
• Cattle pulling – 3 p.m.
• 4-H llama/alpacas – 3 p.m.
• 4-H beef cattle show – 3:30 p.m.
• Four ox working hitch – 5:30 p.m.
• 4-H dairy goat costume – 5:30 p.m.
• Cattle pulling – 7 p.m.
• Ron Diamond’s hypnosis – 7 and 9 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 7
• 4-H dairy goat/pack trail – 8 a.m.
• Oxen show – 8:30 a.m.
• Horse show – 8:30 a.m.
• Moomania – 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• 4-H sheep show – 11 a.m.
• Pony pulling – 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• Free Cycle bikes and skateboards – 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m.
• Magic of Ron Diamond – Noon
• Ron Diamond’s hypnosis – 4 p.m.
Hillsborough Fair schedule of events
Friday, Sept. 11
• Stock farm tractor pull – noon
• Horse log-skidding – 1 p.m.
• Flag ceremony – 5 p.m.
• Giant pumpkin weigh-off – 6 p.m.
• Fireworks – 9 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 12
• Ox pulling – 9 a.m.
• Horsehoe-pitching contest – 9 a.m.
• Farm tractor pull – 9 a.m.
• Gymkhana – 9 a.m.
• 4-H working steers – 9 a.m.
• 4-H sheep show – 10 a.m.
• 4-H rabbit show – 10 a.m.
• Divine Intervention – Noon
• Audubon Center reptiles – 1 p.m.
• Cowboy shootout – 1 p.m.
• Sonic Boomers – 2 p.m.
• 4-H goat fit and show – 2 p.m.
• Square dancing – 3 p.m.
• New Boston Recreation Center dance recital – 4 p.m.
• 4-H beef show – 4 p.m.
• Compost Heap – 6 p.m.
• 4-H sheep lead line show – 6 p.m.
• Poetry slam – 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 13
• Horseshoe-pitching contest – 9 a.m.
• 4-H dog show – 9 a.m.
• Sheep block and trim – 10 a.m.
• 4-H goat classes – 10 a.m.
• 4-H dairy show – 10 a.m.
• Divine Intervention – 11 a.m.
• Horse pulling – 11 a.m.
• 4-H sheep block and trimming – 11 a.m.
• Compost Heap – Noon
• Truck pull – Noon
• 4-H market lamb show – Noon
• Sonic Boomers – 1 p.m.
• Bird of prey – 1 p.m.
• 4-H working steer show – 1 p.m.
• Police K-9 demonstration – 2 p.m.
• Horse pulling – 3 p.m.
• 4-H sheep market lambs auction – 3 p.m.
• Free-for-all horse pulling – 5 p.m.
• Awards program/raffle drawings – 5:30 p.m.

Driver to go on trial for death of Hopkinton police officer

Bow Editor — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:34:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

A Henniker District Court judge ruled there is probable cause to move forward in the case of the 22-year-old Henniker man accused of killing Hopkinton police officer Sean Powers.

Jeffrey Dennis is facing two charges of negligent homicide, one charge of aggravated driving while intoxicated and one charge of conduct after an accident. Sean Powers, 24, was riding his motorcycle back to his home in Hillsboro after his shift at the Hopkinton Police Department at round 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14.

He was travelling west-bound on Route 202/9 in Henniker, said State Police Troop D Capt. Russell Conte, when Jeff Dennis, 22, of Henniker hit him from behind.

When Dennis’ 1992 BMW struck Powers’ Harley Davidson, Powers was thrown into the road where he was inadvertently struck a second time by a Honda Civic traveling westbound. The driver of the Honda is not being charged in the accident.

After hitting Powers, Dennis and a passenger, now identified as Adam Kowalski of Henniker, fled the accident scene. Both were found within several hours, according to police.

Kowalski is not facing any charges at this point, and has been cooperating with the investigation. Dennis and Kowalski had allegedly been drinking at Chen Yang Li in Bow prior to the accident.

Henniker District Court Judge Brackett Scheffy ruled there was probable cause to proceed with the charges against Dennis at a hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 26. Scheffy also continued Dennis’ bail at $500,000 cash only.

The case now goes up to Merrimack County Superior Court for trial. A date has not been set.

Dennis has several DWIs on his record, and has allegedly left the scene of two other accidents in the past.

Powers had just joined the Hopkinton police force in April 2008, and having completed his field training, was about to enter the police academy.

Prior to that, Powers served two tours of duty in Iraq, one from August 2004 to March 2005 and another from September 2006 to April 2007, and came back unscathed.

Powers graduated from Hillsboro- Deering High School in 2002 and joined the Marines. He was based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina for his entire Marine career, outside of his two deployments.

Hopkinton Police Chief David Wheeler said his department has kept in close contact with the family since Powers’ death.

“They’ve certainly risen to the occasion. They’re working through things in a very positive way, and they’ve been in communication with the family continuously,” Wheeler said of his officers. “I think that’s been very positive both for them and the family.”

He added while the Hopkinton police are in no way involved in the Merrimack County Attorney’s Office investigation into the crash, the Hopkinton police are hoping the process will work in this case.

“Our hope is that the justice system does what it’s intended to do,” Wheeler said.

Abuse - School bus driver arrested for sexual assault

Bow Editor — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 18:25:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

A Hopkinton school bus driver has been charged with sexual assault on a Hillsborough minor. Joshua Wilson, 31, of Hillsborogh was arrested Monday, Dec. 6.

He is an employee of Laidlaw Transportation and was placed on administrative leave Friday, Dec. 1, from what appears to be an isolated incident in Hillsborough. The alleged victim was under the age of 16, said officer Robert McAllister of the Hillsborough Police Department. The investigation is ongoing.

Hopkinton School District Superintendent Brian Blake said he doesn’t have any reason to believe any Hopkinton children have been harmed.

“We got word yesterday (Tuesday, Dec. 7), during the day, that this driver was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation and he had been arrested for felonious sexual assault on a minor. My first reaction was to make sure that the Hopkinton kids were safe here,” said Blake. “Our understanding was that it was a situation in Hillsborough and didn’t involve any children in Hopkinton.”

Blake said Wilson was hired through Laidlaw and none of the paperwork was handled by the Hopkinton School District.

Jim Schumann, area general manager for Northern New England Laidlaw Educational Services, said extensive internal, state and federal background and criminal checks are done on all employees and Wilson had no prior issues.

Moreover, Wilson, who had been working for Laidlaw for roughly 14 months, has had no complaints from students, parent or administrators during that time, said Schumann.

“Basically, we were contacted last Friday by Hillsborough police who said they were going to contact Joshua and as soon as we received that information he was suspended pending the outcome. So he hasn’t been driving for us since we heard that information,” he said.

According to Schumann, Wilson drove bus route 95, which he believes covers the northern Hopkinton/Contoocook area of town.

Blake sent a letter home to parents on Wednesday, Dec. 6, and encourages anyone with concerns to contact the school district at 746-5186 or the police department at 746-5151. Wilson is scheduled for arraignment Monday, Jan. 29, at 8:30 a.m. at Hillsborough District Court in Hillsborough.