Salem Observer : Salem, local business

Woman faces charge after driving into print shop

Salem Editor — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:23:00 GMT

A woman who drove a car into a Salem printing shop has been arrested and faces a charge of vehicular assault.

Kieu Thi Nguyen, 39, drove her Honda into the Sir Speedy store at 382 South Broadway around 10 a.m. on Oct. 16, police said.

“We have ruled out mechanical defects as the cause of the collision,” said Salem Deputy Police Chief Bill Ganley. “I don’t think it was an intentional act. I believe it was operator error.”

A 27-year-old employee suffered serious but non-threatening injuries. She was treated at Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, Mass.

Nguyen, who lives at 89 S. Broadway, in Lawrence, Mass., turned herself in at the Salem Police Station on Oct. 21 after a warrant was issued for her arrest.

She will be arraigned in Salem District Court on Nov. 26.

A store surveillance video showed Nguyen’s car coming into the store without any apparent braking, according to police.

MADD money stolen – Woman and boy suspected of taking canisters

Salem Editor — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:49:00 GMT

BY DARRELL HALEN

Salem police said a young boy helped a woman steal two donation canisters at a local liquor store that benefit the Mothers Against Drunk Driving organization.

Police said the woman quickly put one of the canisters into her large pocketbook at a cash register counter while the boy acted as a lookout.

After walking to another register, the boy moved the canister there near the edge of the counter and the woman grabbed it and put in her pocketbook, police said.

The thefts occurred at the New Hampshire State Liquor Store at 417 S. Broadway in Salem around 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 29.

The woman is described as Asian, 5-foot-3 to 5-foot-5 in height, and between 35 and 45 years old. She has black hair and was wearing a light blue long sleeve shirt or pullover with blue jeans.

The boy is described as Asian and 7 to 10 years old, wearing an orange T-shirt and blue jeans.

Police observed a surveillance video after responding to the store about an hour after the thefts occurred.

MADD is a nonprofit nationwide organization that works to stop drunk driving, support its victims and prevent underage drinking.

Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call the Salem Police Department at 893-1911 or the Southern New Hampshire Crimeline at 893-6600.

Tragic connection – Men involved in fatal crash may be alleged bird thieves

Salem Editor — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:39:00 GMT

BY DARRELL HALEN

An exotic baby bird stolen from a Salem pet store has been found, and one of two men accused of stealing it – a driver involved in a fatal crash the same day – has been arrested.

Joseph Connolly, 34, of Andover, Mass., was arraigned on Tuesday, Sept. 25, in Derry District Court, where bail was set at $5,000. He is charged with being an accomplice to shoplifting.

Salem Deputy Police Chief Bill Ganley said Connolly drove away after his passenger, Joseph Murabito, 35, of Lawrence, Mass., allegedly stole the bird from the Seaworld Pet Center in Salem on Tuesday, Sept. 18. An arrest warrant has been issued for Murabito for felony shoplifting.

A few days before Connolly’s arrest, police said they were investigating whether the theft of the 7-week-old baby macaw, valued at $1,900, is connected to the fatal crash.

Police said Connolly was traveling south on Route 38 when his vehicle crossed into the northbound lane, colliding with John Sweren, 54, the motorcyclist.

The motorcycle then collided with a vehicle being driven by Taryn Riley, 47, of Lowell, Mass., who was waiting to pull out of a car dealership parking lot.

Sweren was suffering from serious injuries when rescue workers reached him. He was transported to Lowell General Hospital and then airlifted to Boston Medical Center, where he died.

Connolly was treated at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua and released. Riley was not injured.

Pelham Police Lt. Gary Fisher said Joseph Murabito fled from Connolly’s car, ran into the woods and was caught. He was treated for minor injuries.

Ganley said several factors led investigators to suspect there is a connection between the fatal crash and the bird theft.
The incidents happened about a half hour apart and the color and make of Connolly’s car – a silver Ford Taurus – is the same as the vehicle the bird thieves used when they fled from the pet store.

Ganley said police received a tip that Connolly offered to sell a bird prior to the accident, and that an individual witnessed someone fleeing from a car after the crash.

Joanne Leone, the store’s manager, along with other employees and her dogs, found the bird in the woods off Route 38 on Friday, Sept. 21, three days after it was stolen.

The bird was in a tree and a soiled cardboard box that it was kept in was about 2 feet away.

Leone and others had previously made about five unsuccessful searches. After the bird was found, Leone came out of the woods sobbing.

A Pelham police officer, Lt. Brian McCarthy, escorted her and the bird to the pet store.

The bird was dehydrated and had a sore wing probably due to being stuffed in a box, Leone said.

“He’s going to make it,” she said the day after it was found. “I think that’s the thing everyone wanted to know – will this bird survive.”

She looked at the bird while it stood in a shopping carriage, and a Salem customer, Mike Mulloy, hugged Leone, offering his congratulations.

“I’m so happy,” she told him. “I’m telling you, it was truly, truly a miracle.”

A woman who wants to remain anonymous and whom Leone described as a devoted bird owner recently purchased the bird.
“She thought this baby should be coddled for the rest of its life after everything it went through,” Leone said. “We wanted the best for this bird.”

Leone said veterinarians have called the store, telling her that it’s amazing the bird survived.

Since its return to the store, people have brought in cupcakes and pizza. The bird is drawing the attention of customers who have followed its ordeal on the news.

“This was a story everyone was following,” Leone said. “It makes you have a little faith in human beings again. Last Tuesday, it was gone.”

Connelly was arrested on the accomplice to shoplifting charge when he was discovered trying to sell power tools in a store parking lot in Salem on Monday, Sept. 24. An arrest warrant had been issued for his arrest.

Connolly has not been charged in connection with the fatal crash. Fisher said he wants to obtain a warrant to have a vehicular autopsy done on his car.

Donor names lost – Salemhaven staff seeks info about those who paid for original structure

Salem Editor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:35:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

As the grand reopening of Salemhaven’s new renovated facility nears, staff are having trouble remembering who built three of the four patient wings.

The nursing home opened nearly 30 years ago after dozens of local groups and organizations donated money to build it. Some donors contributed $20,000 each, the amount needed to construct an entire wing at the facility.

But now, as the facility prepares to celebrate their newly renovated building, the staff don’t know who to applaud for helping their facility take shape.

There are four resident wings at Salemhaven, each of which houses about 25 patients. Stephanie Micklon, a volunteer director and community liaison at the nursing home, said that the records about who donated the money to construct the wings, plaques that were made to honor the donors and memory of those donors have disappeared.

Now the staff are searching for answers using any methods they can think of.

Micklon said she has made about a dozen phone calls, gone through old newspaper clippings, and conferred with past and current trustees.

So far, there has been little progress. The only thing turned up was a plaque that honors the Lions Club for donating one of the four wings.

Bill Kimball, 79, Lions Club vice president, and his wife Lorna, 78, said they remember when the facility was in its infancy. Their donation, along with the three other wing donors, helped shape the nursing home.

“It’s gotten bigger and certainly better over the years,” Lorna said. “There’s got to be someone alive that remembers who (the donors) were. I really hope they find out.”

Lorna said the plaques aren’t easy to lose either. The large, heavy squares would be hard to misplace, she said.

Micklon said the plaques were taken down when the renovations began and might have been placed in a storage shed behind the property.

That shed was flooded during a heavy rainstorm and Micklon said there is a possibility that the plaques were thrown away with other destroyed goods.

“That’s my terrible fear,” she said. “Maybe someone didn’t take the time to look through the boxes that were thrown away.”

Micklon said she’s trying to plan a rededication ceremony but can’t hold it until the donors’ names are located.

“We don’t want to forget the people who helped build Salemhaven,” she said. “We’re hoping that by getting the word out that maybe someone will remember who these donors are. We’re so grateful to all of those who donated.”

Salemhaven is asking anyone who has information about the donors to call 893-5586, ext. 127.

Smoke-free decree – Here’s what the state says:

Salem Editor — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 19:54:00 GMT

BY DARRELL HALEN

Beginning Sept. 17, you will no longer be greeted with “do you want smoking or nonsmoking?” in any local restaurant.

And the air in the local bars you might frequent will be much cleaner.

That’s because on Sept. 17, New Hampshire’s ban on smoking in restaurants and cocktail lounges goes into effect.

“The science is clear – secondhand smoke poses a dangerous health risk,” said Gov. John Lynch when he signed the smoking ban into law in June. “Smoking is banned in almost every other workplace in New Hampshire. We should not continue to subject our hardworking citizens in the restaurant industry to the harmful danger of secondhand smoke.”

With the new law, New Hampshire joins more than a dozen states and hundreds of counties and cities that prohibit smoking in restaurants, bars or both.

The smoking ban legislation, Senate Bill 42, was passed in the Senate 17-7 and in the House by a nearly 2-1 margin this year.

Opponents of the bill said the state shouldn’t get involved – that smoking is a customer and worker choice and the restaurant industry is going smoke-free anyway. They tried unsuccessfully to create an exception for fully enclosed smoking rooms in some businesses.

Supporters cited a poll that found that 79 percent of respondents favored a smoking ban, and said the bill would protect the health of the public, including workers.

“Those who wait on tables or tend bar in our restaurants must work to make ends meet – to pay the rent, to provide for their children,” Lynch said. “Today, we are making a statement. We are telling these hardworking men and women that we care about them. We care and are committed to providing a safe, healthy work environment.”

Private clubs hosting members-only functions are exempt from the new law.

The smoking ban became reality this year after a narrow miss last year.

In 2006, a similar bill passed the House but lost in the Senate by one vote.

Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, whose district includes Goffstown, was a co-sponsor this year of SB 42.

Like Lynch, he said he is concerned about restaurant workers being exposed to secondhand smoke. And he said that
restaurant owners who had voluntarily implemented a smoking ban had told him they did not experience a negative impact on their business. In some cases, it went up slightly.

“From an economic standpoint, it’s not a negative,” D’Allesandro said. “From a health standpoint, it’s a real positive.
The quality of life in New Hampshire – it sustains that.”

Health organizations such as the American Cancer Society and Breathe New Hampshire were some of the bill’s strongest advocates.

During the 2006 legislative session, the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association did not take a formal position on the smoking ban bill. In 2007, the group opposed SB 42, arguing that the decision to go smoke free should be left up to business owners, according to its lobbyist, Henry Veilleux.

Some restaurants were already going smoke-free and the organization believed the “market can take care of itself,” he said.

Many of the group’s members expected the bill to pass this year. Now that the smoking ban is on the books, Veilleux said, owners are prepared to make the change in September.

Smoke-free decree – Community airs views on new law

Salem Editor — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 19:41:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

As the Sept. 17 start date of New Hampshire’s public smoking ban nears, local residents and business employees have expressed mixed opinions about the new law.

Since the ban will primarily affect restaurants and bars, some concern has been expressed about a potential loss of revenue. However, several employees at some of these places said they’re optimistic about the ban.

“I don’t think it will affect our business too much,” said Christine Lehane, a manager at T-Bones in Salem. “It will be good for our employees who work in the lounge. I’m a smoker and it doesn’t bother me to go outside.”

Lehane said her restaurant tends to get large bar crowds at night that include dozens of smokers but she doesn’t think a no-smoking policy will deter patrons from visiting. An outdoor smoking area might be set up in the future, she said.

Employees at Chili’s in Salem also said they were in support of the ban. One said the bar crowd might increase because new non-smoking customers will feel more comfortable going out again.

Some restaurant patrons agreed with Lehane, saying they find a nonsmoking atmosphere more pleasant to eat and drink in.

“I think (the ban) is good and the time has come for it,” said Salem resident Luther Quilley, a former smoker. “If it can work in New York City, why can’t it work in New Hampshire?”

Though the law does not go into effect until Sept. 17, the Common Man Restaurant in Windham recently enacted its own smoking ban this month. The results have been positive, employees said.

“We were a month or so ahead of the legislation for the health of our employees,” said Erica Murphy, the establishment’s director of communications. “I think we’re going to see good results. It will be a healthy environment where people can dine and not go home with clothes smelling like smoke.”

Murphy said she has not seen any negative impact on sales since the restaurant’s ban began.

Still, not everyone is happy about the new law. Some said the ban infringes on New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die” mentality.

“I think the state is overstepping their boundaries with this,” said Dan Bowen, who was lighting up a cigarette at T-Bones. “I think they’re taking peoples’ rights away. If you don’t like smoking, then don’t come out.”

With dozens of restaurants in the area, the ban is certain to cause plenty of differing opinions and perhaps, some effect on business.

“I guess we’ll have to see what happens, but I think people will keep coming,” Lehane said.

Travel company fined half a million – Felony charges involved bilking customers of thousands

Salem Editor — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:43:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

A Salem travel company has been issued a $500,000 penalty after receiving multiple complaints of deceptive business practices and fraud.

The decision to fine Horizon Travel was issued by a Rockingham County Superior Court judge who approved assessing $100,000 fines for each of five felony counts.

Each of the counts charged the agency with violating the state’s Consumer Protection Act by not telling their customers that they could apply for refunds within three days of signing a contract.

Horizon Travel was also found guilty of failing to post a bond with the state.

State prosecutors asked the judge to decide on the matter after representatives from Horizon Travel failed to appear at their April 26 court date.

Senior Assistant Attorney General Constance Stratton said that more than 70 complaints were filed against the agency at her office.

Those who filed complaints said they were tricked out of thousands of dollars by the agency, which said it would offer deep discounts on trips after people joined for about $5,000.

Many of Horizon Travel’s members have spoken out against the agency, saying they never received any discounts and company representatives were unwilling to refund their money.

Shortly after a lawsuit was filed against the company by four couples, the business moved out of Salem and state officials have been unable to track down its employees.

Despite the assessed fines, it is unlikely that the state or Horizon’s customers will ever see any money returned to them.

Horizon Travel is owned by David G. Vavro, whose other business – National Vacations – has a current mailing address in Arlington, Texas, according to the lawsuit.

In 2003, Vavro’s Texas business lost a $64 million civil case where they were charged with deceptive business practices.

Calls to National Vacations were not returned.

Since Horizon Travel claims to be an independently operating company, Vavro was not named in the recent lawsuit.

Stratton said she has been notifying dozens of the agency’s customers about the outcome of the lawsuit.

Salon strip – Man arrested after getting naked at lingerie barber shop

Salem Editor — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:41:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

A local man was arrested on Monday, June 25, after stripping naked at a local salon known for stylists who wear provocative outfits.

Kevin Bean, 48, of 40 Main St., walked into the Lather & Lace salon around 6:30 p.m., where he removed his pants and shirt inside a bathroom, police officials said.

Bean emerged from the bathroom and a female salon employee asked him to get dressed and leave.

“He came out in his underwear,” said Deputy Police Chief William Ganley. “The stylists told him to leave and that he would not be getting a haircut.”

She turned her back to him and when she turned back around, Bean was completely nude.

Employees told him again to get dressed and leave the salon, which he did. Bean was immediately locked out of the building and the police were called.

Bean was still outside the salon when police arrived. He was charged with misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure and lewdness. He was later freed on personal recognizance, Ganley said.

Since the salon opened in January, there have been no other calls for police to respond there, Ganley said.

The business was opposed by a few residents in town who didn’t like the idea of scantily clad women cutting hair in the community.

Still, business owner Peter Carlino received no opposition from town officials after he assured them that the stylists did not dress like strippers. Rather, they wear suggestive Halloween-like costumes.

Though the business did not have to go before the Planning Board because it replaced another salon, it had town officials looking into the definition of a sexually oriented business.

Staff members at Lather & Lace said they had no comment on the incident.

Liquor store caught selling to minors

Salem Editor — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 17:32:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

A recent alcohol sales compliance check by Salem police yielded several repeat offenders and a state liquor store.

Police officials said nine Salem businesses sold alcohol to minors during the check on May 24.

Deputy Police Chief William Ganley said he wasn’t expecting to see Route 28’s state liquor store on the list.

“I was surprised, but the state liquor stores are just like any other store,” he said. “Someone made a sale and just like any other business, you have to face the problems.”

The check of 45 businesses by police and officials from the state Bureau of Liquor Enforcement was part of an ongoing effort to reduce underage drinking during the end-of-school season.

The nine store clerks who sold to underage buyers range in age from 16 to 41. They were each charged with misdemeanor prohibited sales. They are due for arraignment in Salem District Court on June 25.

As school graduation approaches, Ganley said police intend to continue their efforts but a change in technique may be required since business owners have been calling each other to give advance warning.

Instead of mass checks, police may begin sporadically checking a handful of stores every night, Ganley said.

“We’re just trying to keep them honest,” he said. “If they just follow the law, they won’t have to worry about what we’re doing.”

Of the nine businesses involved in the check, Levendi’s Restaurant on Lowell Road and 7-Eleven at 1108 Cluff Crossing have both been cited three times for selling to minors in the past few years, Ganley said.

The other businesses listed were: Chief Wok, 224 N. Broadway; Kashmir, 396 S. Broadway; Hess gas station, 362 N. Broadway; Mike’s Red Barn, 301 Main St., Race Mart, 52 Lowell Road; and Papa Gino’s, 99 Cluff Crossing.

The individuals charged were: David Joy, 38, of Windham; Joseph Parisi, 56, of Pelham; Theresa Benso, 23, of Amesbury, Mass.; Jatinder Singh, 20, of Arlington, Mass.; Daneen Finn, 41, of Seabrook; Wendy Colby, 24, of Nashua; and Pritesh Patel, 19, of Methuen, Mass. Two 16-year-olds from Massachusetts were also charged.

New life for Coke plant

Salem Editor — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 17:30:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

Instead of being razed, one of Salem’s oldest manufacturing plants may be incorporated into a new shopping plaza.

Developers who initially planned on knocking down the Coca-Cola plant on Route 28 to make room for a retail plaza are now working on plans to use most of the existing building.

Town Planner Ross Moldoff said that members of the Planning Board have been considering the project proposal for several months and the developers, Joe Scott and Dennis Metayer, have made three presentations to the board.

Initially, Scott and Metayer proposed razing the structure to clear space for a CVS, a restaurant and a bread company for the 40,000-square-foot plaza.

But members of the Planning Board expressed concern about maintaining the historic structure, Moldoff said.

“The Planning Board said it is a very important site in town and we want something different – not just a strip center,” he said. “There was some feeling that there is a historic character to the building.”

Since receiving this feedback from the board, Scott and Metayer have come back with plans for a 60,000-square-foot plaza that would use nearly all of the existing building. The only parts that would be demolished are newer additions.

Scott said the plans call for a facelift of the 1921 building, including Victorian light fixtures, updated brick facades and green window panes.

If given permission from the Coca-Cola Company, Scott said he plans to name the new property Coca-Cola Plaza. He would also like to place a large bottle sculpture in front.

Though the project is still still in the early stages, Moldoff said the Planning Board seems positive about the new ideas. It’s rare, he said, that the board says they don’t want “just another strip center.”

“It’s a prominent site and keeping the existing building would be something different,” Moldoff said.

The old plant was built in 1921 by Charles Seifert. It was used for bottling and later as a distribution center. Scott and Metayer purchased the property for $3.4 million in January 2006.

The two men are both seasoned developers. Scott’s company, Scott Construction, has completed many large projects in the Salem area and Metayer owns gyms in Methuen and Haverhill.

Though town officials and the developers have expressed positive feelings about the proposal, there are still some concerns.

“The board is excited about the possibility of redeveloping that parcel but the overriding questions are those that usually exist,” said Planning Board Chairman James Keller. “They center around traffic and use.”

Since the plant is located close to the Salem Depot – where heavy traffic frequently develops – officials are debating what the new structure’s impact will be.

There is a possibility of a new traffic light in the area but Keller said the board will consider the issue again when the developers have completed a traffic study.

Scott and Metayer will likely appear at an upcoming Planning Board meeting to continue the discussion.
“The next step is up to (the developers),” Keller said. “It’s in their court as to how they want to proceed.”

Teen work – Most area employers find hiring students to be good business

Salem Editor — Wed, 30 May 2007 17:32:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

After eight years of owning Pizza Mia in Bedford, Jay Knoettner has seen his share of teenage workers in his business.

Some worked well, like the 15-year-olds who gradually worked their way up from cashier to prep cook. Others didn’t, like the ones who opted out of the night shift because they had been drinking.

“A good work ethic is hard to find these days,” Knoettner said. “We look for someone who is dedicated and enjoys the job.”

Eleanor Strang, director of Kelley Library in Salem, said she sees this dedication often in the teens she hires as pages.

As the summer job season gears up, she and other employers expressed mixed opinions about the preparedness of teenagers entering the workplace.

A matter of factors

Most area businesses said teenage workers are often easy to find, and most employers have at least a few on staff year-round.

But there are several issues facing employers who want to hire teens, including reliability, motivation, skill level, maturity and turnover.

Strang, who has been the director of Kelley Library in Salem for 30 years, has hired dozens of teens who work as pages. A page’s basic duties include returning books to their proper places and occasionally, assisting patrons. Because the library only hires about five pages to work at a given time, Strang said she’s been able to select the best applicants and she couldn’t recall any negative experiences with past pages.

“It’s been a very positive experience,” she said. “We get truly amazing people who apply for the job. You have to be dedicated to do it well. A misshelved book may as well be thrown out the window.”

Food service businesses like Goffstown’s Pizza Market, which has 45 teenagers on its 56-person roster, often rely on teenagers to make up a large part of its workforce.

Owner Sharon Galatas said she’s had a largely positive experience with her team of employees, most of whom fall in the 15- to 18-year-old age range.

“We’ve been really happy with the kids,” she said. “They’re honest, hardworking and good with people.”

Many of the Goffstown High School students Galatas and her husband hire stay with the job for several years. Some even come back to work summers while they’re in college, she said.

Galatas starts new employees working as cashiers, training them on how to use the register and interact with people. Gradually, they work their way to other tasks like scooping ice cream and basic food preparation. A majority of the teens need little guidance as they perform their duties, she said.

The positive bond she has formed with many of her employees was shown when the restaurant closed for a period of time and then reopened. Business was busier than ever and Galatas said her staff met the challenge.

“They all came back with a great attitude and they were there for us,” she said. “They’re good kids. We can’t complain.”

Though she’s had a good track record with her employees, Galatas, like Knoettner, said not everyone fits the bill. Occasionally, she’ll hire someone who shows up for their first day of work, doesn’t like it, and never comes back again.

“Some people just come and go,” she said. “They’re usually the ones that really can’t work in this type of environment.”

Knoettner said he’s seen plenty of this kind of behavior at his Bedford business. Currently, he employs six teens but since January, he’s had many others. As a business that teens often apply to, he’s gotten more than a few sub-par workers who need training on nearly every aspect of the job.

“I’ve had some people that are so useless that I can only put them on one night per week,” he said. “They’ll lose us money.”

Often, he said, new workers might not know what they’re getting themselves into or aren’t cut out to work in the food service industry. Dealing with this constant ebb and flow of workers is just part of his job, he said.

Rosanne Cote, the owner of Hooksett’s Brick House Drive-In, said the teens she has hired over the years have been dedicated workers, citing upbringing as the main factor that determines their performance.

“I think a lot of it has to do with family work ethic,” she said. “If they’ve grown up doing dishes and chores, their work ethics are usually good.”

Like the other business owners, Cote has had a few workers who were either underperforming or irresponsible.

“We’ve had a few smart-aleck boys who thought they were going to get a paycheck for doing nothing,” she said. “Sometimes it’s a rude awakening for them.”

While Galatas and Knoettner have had their ups and downs with employees and have hired a large number of teens, other places where teens seek employment have the luxury of being more selective.

Dollars and opportunities

Teens do all types of tasks, including scooping ice cream, delivering pizzas, scrubbing pans and alphabetizing books. The pay scale for performing these duties ranges from just above minimum wage up to about $11 per hour.

Business owners in most towns said there are a handful of locations where teens flock to for jobs. Large corporations like Wal-Mart and supermarket chains employ dozens, while locally owned stores have fewer positions to offer. Managers from the larger chains were unwilling to comment, but owners like Galatas said they try hard to offer competitive wages.

“Most of our kids start at about $6 per hour, and they can go up from there,” she said. “We don’t want to start them too high, or we can’t afford to give them raises.”

Cote said she starts her employees at the bottom, giving them tasks like taking out garbage and cleaning some areas of the property. Doing this, they make about $6 per hour, but as they gain years of experience, they can make about $11 per hour as a prep cook.

Teens’ rights

Despite their attempts to treat all employees fairly, some employers in the state have been cited for age discrimination, according to Addie Hutchison, an investigator with the New Hampshire Commission on Human Rights who has organized a series of presentations at high schools to inform students about their rights. The talks kicked off on May 23 at Bow High School.

“More and more young people are entering the workplace earlier because they want to buy that iPod or help pay for college,” she said. “There are all kinds of problems that teens are facing.”

The complaints received by Hutchison’s organization include getting paid less to do the same job as older employees, being hired for a certain position, and then being made to do menial tasks instead, and getting the least desired shifts.

Still, the business owners who were surveyed maintained that every employee is given an equal opportunity to advance in rank and most said they were very flexible regarding shifts.

With the school year coming to a close, the employers said they are looking forward to more worker availability and new potential hires.

“You never know what it is going to be like,” Strang said. “We might get flooded with applicants.”