BY STEPHEN BEALEBedford is paying town and school employees more than its neighbor to the north, reflecting the economic inequities between the two communities. A comparison of the incomes of the top 25 earners among the four local governments using the most recent information shows that Bedford consistently pays higher salaries. Four public ...

BY STEPHEN BEALESummer school is normally not a big budget item. But the high number of students in the program this year – the first one ever in Bedford – is drawing some attention to its costs. The enrollment, which is greater than average for a summer school, will have an unknown effect on the budget, leaving the district with ...

BY MATT SCHOOLEYIt may be warm in July, but area residents are still feeling the pain of the past winter’s heating bills and fear what the future holds. Edward Ramos of Bedford said he doesn’t know exact figures, but guesses that his bill for natural gas has increased about 50 percent over the past two years. Ramos heats a 2,200- ...

BY JENN McDOWELLAfter months of toiling over the Manchester school budget, it’s almost time for the Board of Aldermen to settle on an amount. The Board of Aldermen had to make a decision on the city budget, which includes the mayor’s proposal for a $140 million school district budget for 2008- 09, by Tuesday, June 10. As of June 3, ...

BY JENN McDOWELLCrisp white letters on an electric blue shirt said it all: “U CUT BUDGET, WE CUT CLASS.” But it wasn’t just a fashion statement for West High School students who showed up to the Monday, April 28, public hearing on Manchester’s proposed 2008-09 budget. Their presence was in support of their favorite programs ...

BY JENN McDOWELLCassie Hobbs of Auburn said she might have gone with other friends from Auburn Village to Derry for high school had she known the sports and art classes she loves at West High School would be struck from the school’s budget for her senior year. “I wouldn’t be in this district if it weren’t for these ...

BY MATT SCHOOLEYLong after the snow has melted beneath the warm rays of spring sunshine, New Hampshire towns will still be feeling Mother Nature’s wrath. This time, it won’t be barraging residents from the sky. Instead, it will hit them under their tires. “I was coming from Hannaford the way I come up every day,” said Jane ...

BY STEPHEN BEALEThe approval of the town’s $23,762,177 operating budget also provided a boost to future Conservation Commission efforts. Bedford Town Meeting ended with all budget items passing, and giving the commission $123,342 and bringing its budget to $481,377 for conservation projects. The increase accounted for additional revenue the ...

BY STEPHEN BEALETown and school elections on March 11 will be more than choosing a candidate or backing a budget. The elections will also be about honoring soldiers serving overseas and helping people who need a bone marrow transplant. The Bedford Lions Club and election staff are sponsoring bone marrow and blood drives in honor of Dottie ...

BY CHRIS QUARTARONEThe Bedford School Board presented its $56 million budget to about 15 residents at its first ever televised budget public hearing. The total operating budget, presented Jan. 16, is $56,108,163, includes all proposed articles, if approved by voters. That amount would raise the budget 4.5 percent over last year, creating an ...