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THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 GILFORD, N.H. - FREE With court approval, selectmen move forward on special town meeting BY JEFF FERLAND the special town meeting dur- vote on a lease for a new fire ize Selectmen to enter into a payments over ten years. Selectman John O'Brien [email protected] ing a work session Monday, engine to replace Fire Engine long term lease purchase If approved, the first pay- mentioned that many towns Selectmen approved the July 16, officially starting the Four. agreement for about $442,000, ment would be due in 2013, do not have an undesignated warrant article schedule for countdown to the town-wide The article would author- or about $51,000 in annual and the truck would be dev- fund balance. They said they iled around May or June. were unsure if they would Selectmen discussed mak- pay off the entire purchase ing payments for the fire en- in one payment or make the gine using the undesignated proposed yearly payments fund balance, which is usu- until they heard back from ally used to offset the tax rate. Ruggles. Selectmen said they favored According to O'Brien, this route because they they would most likely pay would be borrowing money more than the minimum from themselves, with essen- yearly payments. tially no interest. O'Brien also said he still Town Administrator Scott favored purchasing a demon- Dunn said the selectmen did stration or used piece of not have to add anything to equipment, instead of a new the article to use undesignat- fire engine. ed funds to pay for the fire en- Hayes said that Budget gine because they decide Committee member Kevin how to budget funds in the Leandro found two used fire annual proposed budget. He engines which Hayes sug- explained that, unless they gested Fire Chief Steve Car- wanted to specifically re- rier consider. quire that payments be taken Selectmen said they from the undesignated fund would need a recommenda- balance or any specific area, tion from the Board of Fire they could make amend- Engineers to consider the ments at the Deliberative purchase of any equipment. Session. According to the select- According to Dunn, the men, they paid the final an- entire purchase could be nual payment for breathing paid with undesignated apparatus in the 2012 budget DEAN ANDERSON — COURTESY funds, and he would “do that so that would help offset pay- A Presidential visit in a heartbeat” because it ments for a new fire engine would be much easier than in the 2013 budget. President and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by Steve and Sharon Wood, pose with members of New Hampshire’s 12th Regiment during negotiating a lease agree- Selectmen held a public Civil War Day, which was held recently in Gilford. This event is one of many that have been scheduled as part of Gilford’s Bicentennial cele- ment or bond. hearing to discuss the lease brations. Dunn added that Finan- financing of a new fire en- cial Director Geoff Ruggles gine during their last meet- was against using undesig- ing, but had no comments. nated funds because it would On Monday July 9, Presid- Town Clerk’s office feeling the effects of staff reductions affect cash flow and leave the ing Justice Kenneth McHugh selectmen unable to use the granted the town’s petition BY JEFF FERLAND Gonyer said this affects fil- Selectman Kevin Hayes lectmen debated whether or funds to offset the tax rate. for a special town meeting af- [email protected] ing time, and keeps notices suggested Gonyer only do not to add a 24 hour per week, Selectman Kevin Hayes ter a hearing Friday, July 6, Town Clerk/Tax Collector from going out in a timely what is required by law, and part-time position after se- suggested that they request finding a need and the ur- Denise Gonyer told Select- manner, and they have re- expect residents to be re- lectmen planned to eliminate Ruggles make a schedule for gency to vote on whether or men her office has struggled ceived an increasing number sponsible for their annual one full-time position. 2013 with estimated pay- not they should purchase a lately with the loss of two em- of complaints at their front registrations. During the meeting ments for the new fire en- new fire engine. ployees during the Select- desk. “When does it become Wednesday, Selectmen ap- gine. SEE TOCCI DAY PAGE A16 men’s meeting Wednesday, For instance, Gonyer said their responsibility?” asked proved a department study July 11. neither she nor her staff had Hayes. by Municipal Resources Inc. “We are doing whatever is time to make follow-up calls “It's not our responsibility to identify any staffing needs possible, but it's still a sink- to remind dog owners to reg- to babysit dog owners,” said in the Town Clerk Tax Col- ing ship,” Gonyer told Select- ister their pets because of Gonyer, who said they also lector office. O’Brien makes a men. staff reductions. This led to stopped sending postcard re- “Obviously, we have is- According to Gonyer, she police having to deal with minders to save money. “It's sues. We hope the study finds and her remaining staff are about twice their average an- not a requirement. We do it them,” said Hayes. bid for NH House unable to keep up with daily nual delinquent dog owners. as a courtesy.” In other business, Select- BY JEFF FERLAND responsibilities like filing “We did not have the time While preparing the 2012 men continued their efforts [email protected] their daily correspondence. or staff to do it,” said Gonyer. budget, Gonyer and the se- SEE TOWN CLERK PAGE A16 Selectman John O'Brien recently announced his cam- paign for District 2 Repre- sentative for the New Hamp- Ox-K Farm founder debuts new children’s book shire House of Representa- BY JEFF FERLAND Between her Ms. Senior Tracey Petrozzi, chil- a story of how Salanitro's ox- tives as an Undeclared or in- [email protected] NH responsibilities, caring dren's librarian, introduced en, Chip, Dale, Max and Jake, dependent candidate. For the Gilford Library for her four 2,500-pound oxen Salanitro to children and kicked a group of spiders out Under the new redistrict- Children's Summer Reading and hosting group at the Dis- parents. of their barn. Later, the spi- ing plan, O'Brien, if elected, program, librarians invited covery Center, Salanitro “She is famous in many ders help save Max from would represent Gilford and Kathy Salanitro, founder of found the time to write “Spi- ways. Now she is on to a new drifting down a river. Meredith in the State House. Ox-K Farm Discovery Cen- ders and the Oxen: a Tale of phase in life as a writer,”said Salanitro worked in the O'Brien said that, for ter, on Friday, July 13 to de- Teamwork and Friendship,” Petrozzi. personality of each of her years, he did not follow local but her new children's book which she shared in the Li- Salanitro, along with her oxen (or her “boys,” as she politics, as he was traveling featuring her four oxen. brary story room. editor,Melissa Johnson, read calls them), and said that most of the time for busi- Max would definitely be the ness. He said he did not even PHOTO BY JEFF FERLAND one to get himself into trou- know who the mayor was of Selectman John O'Brien ble. his hometown, Andover, “Everyone was quiet and Mass. attentive,” said Petrozzi. Upon retirement, O'Brien the committee,” said “She really kept the children moved to his summer home O'Brien. engaged.” in Gunstock Acres and He decided to run for an Salanitro said the most joined the Gunstock Acres elected seat on the budget difficult part of writing the Water Village District. committee. In his third term story was filling in the de- “It was an experience I on the budget committee, he tails and elaborating on each had not had. Once I retired, decided to run for Select- scene. She said the story I had the time,” said O'Brien. man, and was elected in 2008 came easily,but with the help He said the district ap- for his first term. O'Brien of her editor, she was able to pointed him the representa- was reelected to the Board of fill in more details. tive to the budget committee. Selectmen in 2012. She explained to the audi- “I enjoyed learning more Though he said he never ence that working with an about the town,” said imagined he would get in- editor is key to making any O'Brien. volved in politics, O’Brien story into a book. With more experience, has a degree in Political Sci- “Without an editor, the O'Brien said he became more ence and History. He also book looks like a dull little involved with the meetings, earned a certificate in local PHOTO BY JEFF FERLAND apple,” she said, holding up and had more of an impact. governemnt leadership from Kathey Salanitro, along with two of her oxen, Chip and Max, shared their new children’s story with the chil- a simple sketch of an apple. “I think I brought some Antioch College — what dren in the Gilford Public Library Summer Reading Program last week. SEE BOOK PAGE A14 middle of the road logic to SEE O’BRIEN PAGE A14 A2 THE GILFORD STEAMER ALMANAC JULY 19, 2012 Notes from the Gilford Library BY ELIZABETH TIDD sive…cougar, puma, ghost gram is free, and copies of “White Tiger” by Aravind All knitters are welcome! mount: A North Country LIBRARY CORRESPONDENT cat or catamount? Take your his book will be available for Adiga: 12:30-1:30 p.m.

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