Hopkinton News : Merrimack Valley

Hopkinton Antiquarian Society brings past to life and prepares for future

Bow Editor — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:43:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

On Interstate 89, drivers zoom by with cellular phones, GPS navigators and DVD players installed in their cars.

Less than a minute off that highway sits a building where things are a little different.

The New Hampshire Antiquarian Society in Hopkinton houses pieces of the town’s history, and has done so for nearly 150 years in its red brick building on Main Street.

Three Hopkinton residents founded the Antiquarian Society in 1859 as the Philomathic Club, designed to discuss literature before the organization was given its current name in 1875.

“I think it’s very important to keep the history of the town. It gives a sense of community – where it’s been in the past and where it’s going in the future,” said Antiquarian Society Director Heather Mitchell.

Mitchell, who served as assistant for a year and a half before taking over as director, said she likes the fluid nature of historical preservation.

“I live in Hopkinton and really have an interest in things related to its history,” she said. “I really like that we’re always learning new things about Hopkinton through pieces and programs. It’s great to hear peoples’ memories of when they lived in town.”

The feel of the community is something Mitchell enjoys, and something, she said, has remained the same throughout history.

“I think my favorite part of Hopkinton is the rural character, and the sense of community that brings people together. There’s a feeling of a small town,” she said. “In some ways, Hopkinton is different and some ways, it’s not. It has a rural feel and that’s why people love it whether they were born here or not.”

Inside the New Hampshire Antiquarian Society is a variety of artifacts, including historical clothing, portraits of prominent families in the town’s history, and an old shoebox folder that was used at a factory near the river.

Collecting artifacts doesn’t only include digging into the past, as one of the portraits on the wall is of Gould Hill Orchard as it is today, since Mitchell knows with the sale of the property it may not be the same in the future.

“We’re not just collecting historical pieces. It’s an ongoing effort for what will be tomorrow’s history,” said Mitchell. “People want to see where their lives fit and what’s happened in the past.”

One aspect of the Antiquarian Society that has changed over time is the use of technology, as Mitchell and her staff are in the process of cataloguing every artifact in the building so they can easily access information on the computer.

“It makes everything more accessible. We have a wonderful collection but if you can’t find what you want, it’s difficult to share with others,” she said. Mitchell invites everyone to visit the musuem and consider becoming a member.

The museum is taking part in a statewide competition where the museum or historical society that has the largest increase in membership through the end of October will earn $25,000. For details on the Society and the membership contest, visit www.nhantiquarian.org.

Hopkinton rides Nichols’ hot hand, breaks free for victory

Bow Editor — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:32:00 GMT

BY CHRIS QUARTARONE

Jake Nichols knew this was a special game when he scored the first three baskets for Hopkinton. He didn’t stop there, pouring in a career-high 22 points in the Hawks’ 49-26 Class M boys basketball win against the Hillsboro-Deering Hillcats on Friday, Feb. 8.

“He’s been shooting the ball pretty well for us all season, and tonight he was on,” said David Chase, Hopkinton’s head coach.

Chase said he was pleased with his team’s performance, especially the bench players. “The game was close in the second quarter, and when the second group went in, they really shut down (Hillsboro-Deering),” he said.

Despite a quick start by Hopkinton, the Hillcats were within one point due to good play from guard Miles Galloway.

In the second quarter, Hopkinton turned up the defensive intensity with a full-court press. The Hawks, who led 8-7 after one quarter, allowed only eight points in the second and third quarters combined. Hillsboro-Deering coach Kurt McCandless felt powerless to combat Hopkinton’s aggressive play.

“We’ve only been able to have one guy have a good game,” said McCandless. “It’s also hard to win when the other team wants the ball more than you.”

Hopkinton also received strong performances from senior point guard David Brandt and senior center David Wood. “We had good ball movement in the second half, and it opened up shots for (Nichols),” said Chase.

Game notes
Two players, one from each team, were ejected from the fiercely contested game.

Hopkinton senior forward Matt Story was tossed late in the first quarter after punching back at a Hillsboro-Deering player during a rebound.

Hillsboro-Deering center Dustin Chickering was ejected in the third quarter after committing a flagrant foul on a Hopkinton player driving to the basket. That foul was coupled with a technical that was assessed when Chickering threw the ball past the referee.

Budgets trimmed

Bow Editor — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:04:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The Hopkinton Budget Committee has recommended several changes in both the town and school budgets.

About 50 residents came out to hear the discussion on Thursday, Feb. 7, when the committee slimmed the budgets, with the recreation department taking the biggest hit – the elimination of a requested $17,500 to hire summer camp employees.

With the adjustment, the committee’s recommended budget for the Recreation Department is $113,619, compared to selectmen’s recommendation of $131,119.

“The summer camp is a very important thing for this community,” said recreation director Justin La Vigne. “We would bring in more money with two more counselors, and we’d be able to offset those costs.”

Another major difference between the selectmen and the Budget Committee recommendations was in the Highway Department. Budget committee members were in favor of reducing the highway administration budget by $6,000, which would have been used to hire additional part-time help, if necessary, for heavy snow years.

The recommended highways and streets budget was reduced by $5,000, which was allotted to lease paving equipment and occasional plowing trucks.

In total, the town budget proposed at the Feb. 7, public hearing was $5,815,013, a difference of $57,000 from the selectmen’s proposed budget.

In the school budget, the committee recommended cutting about $200,000 from the budget to bring the total amount to $15,689,949.

“We’ve been successful in sustaining the quality of education we provide to our kids,” said Hopkinton School Board member Marshall Rowe. “The advancement comes from the faculty we have. It’s best to sustain that education with the least impact on our taxes.”

Despite a high number of teachers at the lower class levels, the board did not recommend cutting any current faculty members, something resident Beth Taylor asked the board about during the hearing.

“It was a topic of consideration as last year. We eliminated one staff member due to small class sizes,” said Rowe.

“We believe it is important to maintain the current number of teachers we have. We believe that grade 1 and 2 are most important because the rate of learning is the greatest.”

During his explanation of the town budget, Selectman TomCongoran said despite the difference between the two boards, selectmen are prepared to go forward with whatever the voters decide.

“We work for you,” said Congoran. “If you, our bosses, said we should listen to the budget committee, then we will.”

Bio E asks town: rebuild or leave?

Bow Editor — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:46:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Hopkinton residents will have a large say in whether Bio Energy rebuilds its West Hopkinton plant for a more environmentally friendly facility or ends its plans to operate in town.

Bio Energy LLC, owner of the plant and land on which it sits, has been trying to reopen the power plant for several years, only to face opposition from town officials, residents and environmental groups. Last year, a state Supreme Court judge upheld the Department of Environmental Services ruling to revoke the plant’s solid waste permit, but said the company could still seek to reopen by burning clean wood for fuel.

Bio Energy spokesman Mark Dell’Orfano said the company is now interested in a new approach.

Representatives from Bio Energy met recently with the Hopkinton Board of Selectmen to go over a preliminary plan for the new facility – one that would fit about the same square-footage as the existing facility, using clean woodchips for fuel that would burn cleaner and produce more energy, said Dell’Orfano. It would also have a taller boiler and potentially larger smoke stack.

The facility would have an approximate value of $60 million to $70 million, offering potential tax revenues to the town of $300,000 to $1.3 million per year, a sum that may be too steep for the company to pay.

Hopkinton Board of Selectmen chairman George Langwasser said the board has not yet given its input to Bio Energy.

“They made a proposal and wanted to know what the board thought about it. It was new for us, and we haven’t expressed an opinion on it one way or another,” said Langwasser. “We aren’t taking any position, and the town is interested in more information and soliciting information from the community.”

Bio Energy spokesman Mark Dell’Orfano said the company will only continue with the project if the Hopkinton community is accepting of it and, if not, he said Bio Energy is prepared to move out of the area.

“It’s very important to point out that the plans are in the very preliminary stages of finding out what the town wants to see,” said Dell’Orfano. “We’d back out completely if the town didn’t support the plans. Having the support from the community is very important. We’re open to other things and also open to people just saying ‘no.’”

John Friberg, vice president of REACH – Residents Environmental Action Committee for Health – said his group will be unable to support the proposed plan.

“We’re not against the technology of what they’re proposing, but when you look at a project like this you can’t just look at the technology, you look at the big picture,” said Friberg. “You look at the totality of this, and we say that there are so many cons against it that we just can’t support it.”

According to Dell’Orfano, the new facility would be in compliance with the recently enacted New Hampshire Renewable Portfolio Standard for emissions, and also address Gov. John Lynch’s goal for New Hampshire to have 25 percent renewable energy by 2025.

“We still see renewable energy as part of Hopkinton’s future, although we are open to new ideas,” said Dell’Orfano. “Those ideas have to be solid business ideas. If people come to us with another use (for the property), we’d be willing to listen.” Dell’Orfano said the company is also open to using the land for another type of business if that is what residents are interested in.

For the time being, the proposed facility would be a 30- to 34-megawatt electric generation facility that would be completely be fueled by wood chips, which would come from forestry operations in New Hampshire, although some may be sourced from out of state.

The facility would require about 300,000 to 360,000 tons of wood chips per year, delivered to the plant by 40 to 50 trucks per day. The current 12-megawatt facility, which used about 30 to 35 trucks per day, would be mostly demolished.

If opened, XGenesys, the proposed project’s development company owned by William Dell’Orfano, would hire an independent partner to run the dayto- day operations of the facility. Langwasser said the ultimate decision will likely come from the residents.

“My personal observation is that five people on the board should not make this decision. This should be a town decision. In order to arrive at a course of action, we need to get the input of the town, the people who pay the taxes, and find out what their desires are,” said Langwasser. “Do they want us to agree that it’s a good project, or say ‘no,’ we don’t think the town should get involved.”

Friberg said he believes a good first step would be for Bio Energy to drop its claim against the town, saying it would be a “gesture of good faith to do that.”

“It’s been such a long road, with so many issues of federal, state and local legal issues. It’s been, unfortunately, quite contentious. I’m cautiously optimistic by hearing a different message that they’re willing to listen and willing to work with the community,” said Friberg. “I don’t know where things will go from here, but I hope Bio Energy is true to their word and works with the community.”

Candidates vie for town, school posts

Bow Editor — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:33:00 GMT

By MATT SCHOOLEY

Candidate running for Hopkinton town and school offices will be vying for open seats on Election Day 2008.

Hopkinton voters going to the polls on Tuesday, March 11, will decide who will tend to town and school district matters on residents’ behalf. Voting takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Hopkinton High School.

Here’s who’s running:

Town seats:

Selectman, two three-year terms – Christopher Lawless, James J. O’Brien and Albert Wait. Selectmen Peter Russell and Don Lane, whose terms expire in March, have decided not to run for re-election.

Treasurer, one three-year term – incumbent Bonita A. Cressy.

Trustee of Trust Funds, one three-year term – incumbent Carolyn Hackwell.

Cemetery Board of Trustees, one three-year term – Nancy E. Miner.

Library trustees, two three-year terms – incumbents Donna Dunlop and Christine Hamm.

Budget Committee, two three-year terms – Cameron Ford and Marion L. Paxton.

Town moderator – One two-year term – incumbent Gary B. Richardson.

Supervisor of Checklist, one six-year term – incumbent Sharon C. Baker.

School seats:

School Board, two three-year terms – Samuel J. Delgado, Elizabeth Durant, Karen Irwin, Seth Shortlidge, Kathleen Trantham, David A. White and Peter B. Yunich. Members Marshal Rowe and Joy Bloomfield have decided not to run for re-election.

School treasurer, one one-year term – Allan Bloomquist and Kevin Chittim.

School moderator, one one-year term – incumbent Charles Dibble.

School clerk – One one-year term – Sue Batchelder.

Meetings

In addition to voting on Election Day, residents are urged to attend the following meetings:

The Hopkinton School District Meeting is Saturday, March 8, at 9 a.m., at Hopkinton High School.

The Hopkinton Town Meeting is Saturday, March 15, at 9 a.m. at Hopkinton High School.

Selectmen leave two seats open

Bow Editor — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:31:00 GMT

By MATT SCHOOLEY

With elections rapidly approaching, Hopkinton voters won’t see two familiar names on the ballot, as Selectmen Don Lane and Peter Russell have not filed to run for another term.

Russell, a member since 2000, and Lane, since 2002, decided it was time to find other activities to fill their time after serving the town for several years.

Lane, one of the main supporters of the newly opened Slusser Senior Center, said there is a possibility he may run for a selectman seat in the future, but not this year.

“This past year was a very difficult one because of the amount of animosity relative to the building of the Slusser Center,” he said. “I think my family put up with more than enough nonsense. I decided to take a year off and see how things happen, and see if I can find something to keep myself busy.”

After seven years with the board, Russell decided it’s simply time to move on.

“It’s time. It just is. I don’t think anybody ought to sit in those seats for an extended period of time,” he said. “Life is too short to worry about things that might or might not go on. It’s not a big deal, and I have other things that I will choose to do, and energy to place elsewhere.”

Russell said the things he reflects most fondly on are evident as he travels through town.

“Every time I drive down to the stop sign on Maple Street, see the train depot and park and the sidewalk, I’m very proud of the fact that we worked real hard to accomplish that. I see that every day,” he said. “We have people who come to town and think it’s been there forever. They have no idea what went into it.”

Lane, who is also proud of the work he’s done on Houston Fields, said he has mixed memories looking back on the work that went into the Slusser Center.

“The Slusser Center was both rewarding and difficult. It was a difficult period made so by people against it for reasons I can’t define,” said Lane. “The completion and its contributions to the social fabric of the town is evident every day, so that was a great satisfaction.”

Lane said he hopes to find some alternative activities to fill the time that he previously poured into the town.

“I don’t golf and I’m not terribly handy, so I have to find something to do with my life. I’ll find something. I want to also see how things play out with the government, and whether there’s any reason for me to run again later,” he said.

But, Russell has no plans on returning.

“I have gardening interests and golf interests, and energy I want to devote to myself and my family, and not necessarily to anyone else,” he said. “I want to be selfish with my time. That’s just the way I feel. I’ve done my thing, I’ve been involved in the community since 1970.”

After officially leaving his final board meeting, Russell knows what he will feel.

“I’m going to be one happy guy. I won’t look back and wonder if I should have done something,” he said. “I never had any obstacles. Other people may have thought I did, but I could always go home, put my head on my pillow and go to sleep.”

Upon leaving, Russell also said he doesn’t plan on following town government too closely.

“With the exception of the Slusser Center, I don’t think the board accomplished anything (during my time),” he said. “I won’t really look at (what’s going on). You will never find me criticizing what the board does, unless they try to move the town backwards. If they try to move the town forward, I’ll be happy.”

Young, gritty Hopkinton team comes up just short – again

Bow Editor — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 23:15:00 GMT

By Matt Schooley

HOPKINTON – At each timeout or break in the action during a Hopkinton High School girls basketball game, team members put their hands in the middle of the huddle and say the same phrase: “Prove it.”

Hopkinton proved again its record was a poor indicator of the team’s effort. Facing 7-2 Somersworth at home on Monday, Jan. 21, the 3-8 Hawks dropped a 41-39 last-second thriller to the Hilltoppers.

Trailing 37-28 with 4:46 remaining in the fourth quarter, the hosts came storming back to tie the game with 33 seconds to go before Somersworth retook the lead with 19 seconds remaining.

Hopkinton head coach Dave Hughes had one thought in mind while Hannah Richard’s desperation shot floated toward the rim.

“Go in,” he said. “With some of the close games we’ve had this year, you’ve got to think one of those might fall our way. Even though it didn’t, your attention then just turns to taking care of the kid who missed it.”

Although Richard’s shot didn’t fall as time expired, she kept the Hawks in the contest, scoring 22 of her team’s 39 points, including several key baskets down the stretch in addition to her aggressive defense.

Down nine points halfway through the final quarter, a stop in play turned the momentum back to the home team.

“I called the timeout, and really was trying to fire them up,” said Hughes.

“(Somersworth) was doing the same thing every time down the floor, so we just extended the defense, and I don’t think they were ready for it.”

The team played without key player Katie Babson, who competed for eight weeks before discovering she had a stress fracture in her shin, according to Hughes.

Lily Smith added nine points and five rebounds for the Hawks, while Liz Crews played stellar defense and tallied six points.

Heading into the season, Hughes said his team felt slighted by many who didn’t give the Hawks a shot to be competitive in Class M play.

“Before the season, I asked the girls to come up with what they wanted to say when we huddled up each time, and they came up with ‘Prove it.’ It really fits perfectly,” said Hughes.

“It means that everyone says we’re young, we’re small and we won’t be competitive. We are basically seen as a doormat to a lot of other people, and we want to prove them wrong.”

Hughes said Somersworth may have underestimated his team as well.

“I think they came in here and thought they were going to roll right through,” he said. “We had them on the … ropes, but we just couldn’t land the final punch.

“That maturity will come, and we’ll learn to take some better shots,” added Hughes.“We’re still learning how to win and how to finish.”

Indeed, five of the Hawks’ losses have come by a combined 17 points.

Town, schools take energy-efficiency pledge

Bow Editor — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:56:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Don’t let the white stuff covering the town fool you, Hopkinton is getting greener.

As part of the state Environmental Protection Agency’s Community Energy Challenge, Hopkinton has joined 21 other towns in pledging to assess energy use, improve energy efficiency, save money and work to expand renewable energy.

The effort has several different approaches, according to Bob Veloski, Hopkinton’s interim town administrator.

“We have to look at the energy we use, where we use it and how it’s being used.,” he said. “Over the next few years we’ll look at the lighting in most town buildings, and insulation to make things more efficient. It’s a long-term investment, not just a one shot thing.”

Last year, town officials replaced the windows on half of the town hall with more energy efficient ones, and this year they will replace the other windows.

According to Selectman Don Lane, the process will include an energy evaluation of Columbia Hall, Town Hall, Bates Library (town clerk’s office), Slusser Center, town library, Horseshoe Tavern Building and the fire station.

“We’re interested in reducing our footprint from an energy point of view to not only save money, but to have a green impact. The Greener Hopkinton group got us going on this and we’ve taken advantage of some of PSNH’s offerings,” said Lane.

PSNH helped Hopkinton look at the types of energy-efficient lights that would work for town buildings.

“They suggest alternative lighting and finance it over a certain period of time. You pay half, they pay half and then you show the benefits,” said Veloski. “For multiple reasons, we got involved. The cost, the benefit to the environment. There isn’t just a single benefit.”

Hopkinton residents have shown a willingness toward being energy conscious, forming the Greener Hopkinton committee and taking a stand on the reopening of the Bio Energy power plant.

Lane also said of the 27 towns using the Penacook incinerator, Hopkinton is second in recycling efforts.

“That’s the people of the town. They’ve put money into open space to purchase lands and easements, they’ve done a lot for that. In the case of Bio Energy, they didn’t want things burnt that weren’t clean,” said Veloski. “The town has a lot of involvement with the environment. It’s very nice to see that people really care about the town and environment that they live in.”

Lane has also been impressed with the efforts of town members. “I don’t know if I’d say we’re unique, but the town is aggressively working on reducing our energy usage and we’re working on all of the green aspects,” said Lane. “Hopkinton has been very positive about things like this, with great support from the citizens.”

With the project, the entire town will benefit.

“The biggest benefit is to the town of Hopkinton. We can reduce costs and energy usage, therefore contributing a smaller footprint to the town,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll continue on that effort.”

Hopkinton school officials are also working on a separate energy project, said Lane.

The New England Community Energy Challenge is a regional program of the Energy Star Challenge, a nationwide campaign to improve energy efficiency in commercial and industrial buildings across the United States by 10 percent or more. Nationally, Energy Star, across all of its programs, saved Americans $14 billion and prevented 37 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2006 alone.

Towns and cities participating in EPA’s New England Community Energy Challenge include:

New Hampshire – Alstead, Barrington, Bedford, Brookline, Chester, Colebrook, Dover, Enfield, Fitzwilliam, Hanover, Hillsborough, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lincoln, Manchester, Nashua, Rochester, Rollinsford, Sanbornton, Shelburne, Somersworth and Tuftonboro. Connecticut – Burlington, Canton, Hamden, Harwinton, Ridgefield, Stamford and West Hartford.

Massachusetts – Billerica, Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Cohasset, Dartmouth, Dedham, Easton, Groton, Hanson, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lancaster, Lowell, Mansfield, Medford, Melrose, Milton, Needham, New Bedford, Northampton, Plymouth, Quincy, Salem, Sharon, Somerville, Springfield, Wales, Waltham, Warwick and Woburn.

Maine – Berwick, Denmark, Falmouth, Kennebec Sanitary Treatment District, Kingfield, Kittery, Madison, Mechanic Falls and Stockton Springs.

Hopkinton Fire chief asks for a full-time EMT/firefighter

Bow Editor — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:50:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

After six members of his department left in September, Hopkinton Fire Chief Rick Schaefer is now looking for the town to approve money for a new full-time paramedic.

During a Monday, Jan. 7, selectmen meeting, Schaefer asked board members to bring a warrant article to voters, saying he needs the extra position to keep ambulance services running smoothly.

Selectmen voted 5-0 to present the article at Town Meeting on Saturday, March 15. The draft version of the warrant article asks, “to see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $52,846 and authorize the Fire Department ambulance to recruit and hire an additional full-time paramedic/firefighter.”

Currently, the department includes five full-time ambulance workers, seven total for the department. The department is structured so that Monday through Thursday evenings are covered by on-call workers, who need to be within three miles of the station between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Schaefer said the new position is a necessity for his department to continue providing reliable services to the town.

“I can’t guarantee the ambulance is going to go all the time without this position. It would be delayed, and it would come from another town,” he said. “Without this, we would be relying on mutual aid for night calls. We still have some dedicated people, but some people do it for so long that they don’t necessarily want to do it any more.”

Schaefer would ideally like to ask for one more full-time position at some point in the future.

“My job is to provide service 24 hours a day, and this is the only way to do that. If this (warrant article) goes through, the next time we ask for one, the department will be 24/7. It gives me a lot more resources,” said Schaefer. “Hopefully, it will go through, and last for a long time.”

The biggest issue is finding people willing to volunteer, a problem many fire and ambulance departments are having around the country, said Schaefer.

“The problem is that no matter what area it’s in, people just aren’t necessarily able to find the time to volunteer as much lately,” he said. “I’ve discussed this issue with people and gone to seminars. Not that it makes you feel any better about it, but it’s a problem people are having everywhere.”

If the warrant article is approved, it would include a salary of about $33,000, with the remainder of the $52,846 made up of benefits, uniforms and other items.

Hopkinton’s Town Meeting is Saturday, March 15, at Hopkinton High School, beginning at 9 a.m.

Time to file for town, school district seats

Bow Editor — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:13:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

While Hopkinton residents will cast votes for town and school officials as well as budgets in March, Bow voters will wait until May to make their choices. Bow School District Meeting, however, continues to take place at its traditional time of the year, on March 14.

Hopkinton
Those interested in running for office in Hopkinton must file between Wednesday, Jan. 23, and Friday, Feb. 1.

Town
Open seats and filing information include the following: Two selectmen seats for three-year terms each. Seats currently held by Selectmen Don Lane and Peter Russell are open.

One supervisor of checklist for a six-year term.

Two Budget Committee seats for three-year terms each. These seats are currently held by Jane Bradstreet and Barbara Unger.

Two library trustees for three-year terms.

One cemetery trustee for a three-year term.

One trustee of the trust fund for a three-year term.

One treasurer for three-year term. The currrent treasurer is Bonnie Cressy.

Moderator for a two-year term. This post is currently held by Gary Richardson.

To file to serve on an open town seat, contact Town Clerk Sue Strickford at 846 Main St., Hopkinton.

Hopkinton voters will cast ballots on Tuesday, March 11, at Hopkinton High School, from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Hopkinton Town Meeting is Saturday, March 15, at 9 a.m., at Hopkinton High School.

School district
There are two three-year open seats on the School Board, currently held by Marshall Rowe and Joy Bloomfield.

Treasurer, one-year seat. This post is currently held by Arnold Coda.

Moderator for one year, currently held by Charles Dibble.

To file for school offices, see the Hopkinton town clerk.

The Hopkinton School District Meeting is Saturday, March 8, at 9 a.m., at Hopkinton High School.

Bow
The Bow School District Meeting is Friday, March 14, at 7 p.m., at Bow High School, when residents will vote on the 2008 budget.

Voters will then go to the polls on May 13 for town and school district elections.

School district:
There are two open seats on the Bow School Board, with each carrying a three-year term. Deb McCann and Ann Baier currently hold these seats.

Moderator for a three-year term. Jim Hatem is the current school district moderator.

School district clerk for a three-year term. Louise Knee currently holds this post. Treasurer for a three-year term. The seat is currently held by Mark Lavalle.

Town:
Because Election Day in Bow is May 13, open seats on the town side are not yet available.

Residents and incumbents interested in filing to serve on open town and school district seats must file between Wednesday, March 26, and Tuesday, March 31, at the Town Clerk’s office, 10 Grandview Road, Bow.

Buy a share in the farm

Bow Editor — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:10:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Though the apple trees of Gould Hill Orchard are surrounded by snow, interest in purchasing 58 acres of the Contoocook property is finally heating up.

The Hopkinton Rotary Club has put together a proposal to purchase the land and will hold a public informational meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 29, at Hopkinton Town Hall to share their plan for preserving the property.

Rotarian Jim Zeppieri has been working with Howard Moffett of Concord’s Orr and Reno law firm to find a way to raise money to purchase the land, which is currently listed by LandVest for $2.2 million.

After the town couldn’t come up with a plan to purchase the land, Gould Hill Orchard owner Erick Leadbeater still hasn’t received interest from any potential buyers.

Although the Rotary Club is sponsoring the effort to purchase the farm, no direct funding from the club is being sought. The money would be raised by selling $1,000 shares to residents across the state.

Purchasing a share in the orchard would entitle the buyer to one vote in the cooperative, and shareholders would be responsible for electing a board of directors. The board of directors would hire a professional to manage the day-to-day operations.

“The orchard is one of the crown jewels of the town and we need to preserve it. It’s been a family tradition to go there and I hate to see that lost,” said Zeppieri.

“Our plan has been very well received so far, and we also have some non-Rotarians volunteering and helping with it.”

Moffett, the lawyer Zeppieri is teaming up with on the project, worked previously on a similar effort involving the Canterbury Community Market.

“I’ve never done anything exactly like this. I’ve done some big projects, but nothing this ambitious. The fact that he’s done this before means I’m getting a lot of good advice on how to proceed,” said Zeppieri. “It’s the aspect of coming together as a community to preserve something.

By being a shareholder you have a long-term stake in it. You get to give input on how it’ll be run in the future. It’s more compelling than just giving a donation.”

Zeppieri said there is a possibility the final sales price could be “substantially lower,” and that he has been consulting with Leadbeater to learn more about the orchard.

Leadbeater said he is excited to have interest in the property stirred up.

“I don’t know much about it yet. Hopefully, I can get to the meeting and talk to the framers of this. I’m encouraged that there is some interest,” he said. “I look forward to talking to folks more about it.”

Although the process will be complicated, Zeppieri is looking forward to pushing forward with the effort.

“We’re having discussions with the Leadbeater family and trying to figure out as much as we can,” he said. “If we go the cooperative route and try to purchase it, it will be a challenging fundraising effort.”

Budget increase less than 1 percent

Bow Editor — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:30:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY
Hopkinton’s Board of Selectmen set the proposed town budget, with an increase of less than 1 percent from last year’s budget.
Hopkinton’s Board of Selectmen set the proposed town budget, with an increase of less than 1 percent from last year’s budget.

The proposed budget now goes to the Budget Committee for review.

At a special Wednesday, Dec. 19, meeting, selectmen approved the proposed budget of about $5.7 million – a .71 percent increase.

“Factoring in inflation at about 2 to 3 percent, and to still come in at an increase of less than 1 percent, that is pretty good,” said interim Town Administrator Bob Veloski. “The department heads worked very hard to attain that number.”

Veloski said the budget had an increase of about 2 percent, but warrant articles and other factors reduced the increase to its current proposed rate. Selectman Don Lane said the board was set on keeping any increase to a minimum throughout the process.

“We are very happy that we could keep it in line,” said Lane. “That was our goal, and we achieved it. We wanted to get as close to a zero increase as possible.”

Lane said the process includes factoring in personnel issues, though the town’s employees did not suffer any cuts to keep the budget from spiking.

“That (personnel issues) can cause an increase. We were able to give appropriate raises and maintain our position in terms of benefits,” said Lane. “At the same time, we were able to address certain things like increased responsibilities in the Recreation Department and Public Works.”

One concern Lane said the board has is increasing the tax base, and improve the commercial appeal of Hopkinton.

“Hopkinton is solely dependent on the single-family home, with very little commercial development,” said Lane, who added that board member Scott Flood has been working with the Economic Development Committee on the issue. “We have to begin thinking of commercial development. They’ll come through with something.

It’s not easy.”

Overall, Lane is pleased with the financial direction of the town.

“There are lots of things you’d like to do, but you can’t. You have to keep taxes in a place where they’re stable,” he said. “We’re doing pretty well.”

In the spirit

Bow Editor — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:14:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

No, low-flying planes, those are not runway lights you are heading toward. They are the winners of the first Hopkinton and Contoocook holiday lighting contest.

Twelve entries between the two towns vied for the first-ever crown, and the Recreation Department named three homes the winners.

Having decorated their house yearly, Brenda and Alain Breault were looking to simply add some more for the 2007 holiday season.

“There was really just throwing more and more each year, just always trying to add more. I have no time for themes. It’s just very festive,” said Brenda Breault. “We’ve been in town for four years, and we’re really trying to get into more community things. It was great being part of the community.”

Mary and Ken Wilkens were also recognized for their taste in design, having a traditional setup that includes a large number of lights and a Santa on a rock in the yard.

“I knew there were a couple really good houses with lots of lights, but not everyone was signed up,” said Mary Wilkens. “I thought it was great. Justin (La Vigne) called me in the morning and was telling me. I had just woken up and was laughing the whole time.”

Steve and Linda Shepard were also winners of the contest, which recreation director Justin La Vigne brought to town from his former position in Virginia. La Vigne said he hopes the program is something that will grow each year.

Judges based their decisions on the wow factor, creativity/ originality, layout and design, and best holiday spirit.

The six judges took a two-hour drive around town before proclaiming the three winners.

The three homes have a sign on their lawn saying they won the contest, and La Vigne said he hopes those in town will get out to see the other homes.

“

Justin did a great job. It allows people to be a part of the community,” said Breault, who now has something to shoot for next year. “We’re going to add more and make it more festive. We have a goal set now – try to get in first or runner up again next year.”

Hopkinton High School receives national recognition

Bow Editor — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:19:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Hopkinton High School was nationally recognized for its outstanding academic performance, given a silver ranking by U.S. News and World Report magazine.

Although no schools in the state were ranked in the nation’s top 100, Hopkinton was one of 405 schools to receive the honor out of 40 states. State test scores, level of preparation for college entrance and performance of disadvantaged students were the three factors when ranking the schools.

Of the 40 states, 18,790 schools were analyzed, leaving Hopkinton in select company.

Steve Chamberlin, principal of Hopkinton Middle/High School, passed the word around to his staff recently after hearing the news from a colleague.

“I hope we all appreciate the recognition. It’s wonderful to get recognized, and it’s an affirmation of our supportive staff and community. There’s no question that in the Hopkinton community education matters,” he said.

The school staff works hard to meet the needs of students, he said.

“It’s nice, because in day-today work you don’t reflect on good things. You look at the things to work on. There’s a lot of good stuff going on, and it’s not a bad way to be told that,” said Chamberlin.

He said he is privileged to be working with a great staff and live in a community that cares about education. There is also another group that contributed to the award.

“There is a culture of achievement where the kids want to succeed and do well in school.

When you have that and teachers who work hard to make things creative, it pays off,” said Chamberlin. “There are students who want to learn, talented faculty and a supportive community.

That’s the recipe for success in Hopkinton.”

Tumbling Tots program is a hit in Hopkinton

Bow Editor — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:20:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

A group of 2- to 5- year-olds in one room running, jumping and flipping sounds like chaos. Hopkinton’s Columbia Hall is filled with just that twice every Thursday, except with one catch. It’s organized chaos.

That’s how Sara Greene, instructor for the Recreation Department’s Tumbling Tots program, describes her class.

When the class began nearly two months ago, Robin Lambatos of Hopkinton was a part of a small group, as the nanny came with Trigue Thomas, 15 months, and Travis Thomas, 3.

The three were the only ones in the Oct. 18 inaugural class. Things have changed.

During the Thursday, Nov. 29, class, 19 toddlers were able to learn some acrobatic techniques from Greene, who has traveled worldwide as a circus performer. But that number doesn’t count the children not old enough to take part in the class who still were allowed in on the action.

“The program has gradually picked up a lot, thanks in part to word of mouth,” said Recreation Director Justin La Vigne, who brought the idea for the program from his former job.

“I met Sara about three months ago, and she has been so great for the program. I hope she stays for a while.”

Greene, who worked for Cirque du Soleil as well as circuses as far away as Australia, has brought some techniques to a different kind of exercise.

“I am going based on the same approach I am going to teach my child. I want to encourage the children to be aware of their bodies and learn some sense of balance,” said Greene, whose specialty circus performance is the trapeze. “They are able to get the idea of what their body can do and how to control it.”

Robin Lambatos has already seen an impact on Travis Thomas, whom she has brought to the class every week since it began.

“Travis loves it. During the week, he always asks to go and see Sara. When we first came, he didn’t necessarily have the attention span for it, and he just kind of wanted to run around,” she said. “Every week, every class, he has become more and more involved.”

Another benefit of the course is the introduction to the classroom environment it provides many of the children.

“The part I like most about the class is how the children have to listen to instruction,” said Jenn Clifford, who has come to the class four or so times with her son, Devin, and daughter, Brenna. “They learn to wait in line and wait their turn in addition to getting exercise. They look forward to coming every week.”

The exercise in a key component to the program while getting children moving at a young age.

“It’s really good to see them interact with children their own age,” said Audrey Kincaid of Hopkinton, who brought her grandson, Andrew McCarthy, 4, to the Nov. 29 class. “It helps set them up with a healthy lifestyle down the road.”

The class improves the children’s motor skills and helps them with social interaction with children of different ages, said La Vigne.

“They’re able to exert energy, which is important especially during the winter months when they can’t go outside all the time,” he said. “It’s a big part of society trying to get kids out instead of in front of the television. If they get moving at a young age they are going to keep moving.”