Layout 1 (Page
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
www.newhampshirelakesandmountains.com Publishing news & views of Lancaster, Groveton, Whitefield, Lunenburg & other towns of the upper Connecticut River valley of New Hampshire & Vermont [email protected] VOL. CXLIV, NO. 11 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2011 LANCASTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE TELEPHONE: 603-788-4939 TWENTY EIGHT PAGES 75¢ $200,000 cut from Stark School budget SAU, school board plan next move By Jonathan Benton people that showed an interest [email protected] were at the meeting, it was a well organized group of people in a mi- STARK — In the aftermath of a nority and it surprised everybody $222,000 school budget cut last in the room.” Tuesday approved by only a hand- According to Shallow at this ful of residents the people of Stark time option one seems the least now face some tough choices. viable. “As a result of the budget “I’d like to say this is Democ- that was passed the total dollar racy in action and what you do figure is not enough to tuition the when this happens is take what students to at least Groveton un- you have and move on,” said der the current rate formula,” he Georgina Caron who proposed to said. “I’ve gone through the budg- amend the school budget, “and I et to tuition and to close the ex- think we can still give kids good isting building paying for nothing education.” but insurance and we’re still about PHOTO BY EDITH TUCKER Three options now lie before $50,000 short.” Northern Pass attorney Donald Pfundstein of Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell, formerly legal counsel to the state Senate, spoke at a microphone in the people of Stark to be present- The second option keeps the Representatives Hall in opposition to HB 648 on Wednesday while surrounded by orange-vest-wearing proponents. The bill was retained for further ed by Superintendent Dan Shal- school open, still approved by the study on a 13 to 5 vote. low at the upcoming 6 p.m. March state and the cost is in tune with 21 school board meeting: tuition- the current school budget. The ing out, cutting staff and services caveats include reductions in or cutting benefits and programs. staff, eliminating after school and Eminent domain bill hearing In a town of well over 400 peo- summer programs, “a significant ple it all came down to a 31 yes decrease in student services,” and 23 no vote to bring the Stark said Shallow. school budget down from On Shallow’s trip to meet with $1,024,650 to $802,650. Currently the Stark School teaching staff on draws crowd, HB 648 retained Wednesday, he told them to all 21 students attend the Stark Vil- By Edith Tucker Academy and the Pittsburg School signed to prohibit public utilities oper could take some older pri- lage School. plan on receiving pink slips. By [email protected] as well as activists wearing orange from petitioning for permission to vately owned houses near the wa- “It will be extremely tough to law he has to let the four teachers vests, hats, armbands, and rib- take private land or property rights terfront by eminent domain for a actually get the numbers to work,” know by April 15 whether or not CONCORD — Concern over the bons. They spent more than three to construct or operate a private, said former school board chair- Northern Pass Transmission line hours listening to the pros and large-scale transmission line. Rap- Bill, PAGE A17 man Danforth Peel. “Not all of the Stark, PAGE A18 and fear that the utility company cons of House Bill 648 at a hearing paport credits attorney Bob Baker could take easements by eminent in front of the House Science, Tech- who now resides n Columbia and domain and ride roughshod over nology and Energy Committee, practices law in Connecticut for Casting her vote the North Country’s landscape chaired by Rep. James Garrity of drawing up HB 648. drew some 250 of its opponents, Atkinson who heads the 18-mem- Baker, he explained, under- primarily from Coös and Grafton ber panel of 13 Republicans and stands the widespread concerns Counties, to Representatives Hall five Democrats. that were sparked in the 2005 land- on Wednesday morning. Panel member Rep. Larry Rap- mark Kelo vs. New London, Conn., The orderly crowd included paport, a Republican of Colebrook, case in which the U.S. Supreme some 40 students from Colebrook is the prime sponsor of the bill, de- Court ruled that a private devel- Details of proposed Balsams sale made public By Edith Tucker Lifestyle Properties, Inc., a real Balville LLC, an affiliate of [email protected] estate investment trust; and the Ocean Properties, Ltd. Hotels Mountain View Grand, now and Resorts of Portsmouth is in DIXVILLE — The Balsams owned by the Great American In- the process of completing a pur- Grand Resort, the iconic hotel surance Group of St. Louis, Mo., chase and sales agreement with that the late Neil Tillotson — a a subsidiary of American Finan- the Tillotson Corporation to ac- Canaan, Vt., native who had made cial Group. quire The Balsams. The sale is a fortune with his energy and in- Oceans Properties, Ltd. (OPL) expected to close before the ventive mind — bought at auc- will soon add The Balsams to its summer season opens and will tion in March of 1954 for senti- signature collection of Historic include some 7,700 acres of man- mental and familial reasons is Hotels, according to its own press aged woodlands and the 200- soon slated to go down the cor- release and to news shared at a room historic hotel, the 18-hole PHOTO BY EDITH TUCKER porate path. Thursday afternoon telephone Panorama golf course, the nine- Bernadette Sudol of Dalton cast ballots in the WMRSD and town election on Tuesday afternoon, March The planned sale will follow press conference held by Tillot- 8, under the watchful eye of Ann Craxton in the Dalton municipal building. the recent pattern of ownerships son Corporation president Tom Balsams, PAGE A18 of the other two Grand Hotels in Deans of North Conway and Coös County: the Omni Mount Ocean Properties senior vice County property taxes up by $1.58 million How the Washington, now owned by CNL president Tom Varley. By Edith Tucker services. It’s the amount of money reduce 2010 taxes — with approxi- week went [email protected] the delegation voted to appropri- mately $260,000 more available ate — or spend — above the coun- than this year. Cold nights + Town Election day BERLIN — The county delega- ty’s estimated income from all oth- The economic squeeze is on, tion of state representatives voted er sources. and federal stimulus monies — AR- warm days = to authorize the county treasurer Last year, on March 13, 2010, the RA funds — have almost dried up. sweet syrup! to issue his warrant of payment — delegation voted to raise Country treasurer Fred King of or bill — to the towns and city in $11,619,625 from county property Colebrook warned that additional Coös County for $13,199,675. The taxes — or a whopping $1,580,050 squeezing would likely take place. vote was taken on Saturday at their less than this year. It appears the state will try to down- annual budget meeting. The delegation also voted to shift what have been state Health INDEX This is the sum — nearly $13.2 spend all its operating surplus of and Human Services Department million — that must be raised in De- $2,219,000 from 2010 to reduce costs onto the counties, although Business Directory . .B64 cember from property taxes in 2011 taxes. Last year a surplus of Coös County to support county $2,477,900 from 2009 was used to Taxes, PAGE A17 Calendar . .B5 Stratford passes advisory article to Classified . .B7-10 Dining . .A14 tuition grades 9 to 12 to Groveton High Editorials & Letters . .A4-5 By Edith Tucker Although the school does not from both the state Department of [email protected] have to provide transportation for Education and the Board of Edu- Obituaries . .A2 high school students the appro- cation. STRATFORD — It wasn’t easy; priated sum does include those All three board members — Real Estate . .A15 it wasn’t pretty; there was backing- costs, starting this fall. outgoing chairman and board Sports . .B1-2 and-filling; and it didn’t really make SAU #58 Superintendent James member Michael Lynch and E. Har- anybody very happy, but in the “Dan” Shallow and the three-man lan Connary, who will have served end, Stratford voters passed an ad- school board, including newly 15 years when his term ends in PHOTO BY EDITH TUCKER visory motion at Monday night’s elected board member Bruce 2012, and Dr. John Avery, a family The two opposing WMRSD school board candidates from Lancaster annual school meeting to tuition Blodgett who has returned to physician, explained that there — Peter Riviere, left, and Rep. Herb Richardson — chatted amica- all 17 students in grades 9 to 12 to board service after a break, must will be many decisions to make in bly with one another in the sunshine on school and town meeting Northumberland and appropriat- now thread their way through se- the next weeks and months. day, Tuesday, March 8, outside of the Lancaster Town Hall. ed $218,127 for that purpose by a curing legal advice and permission ballot vote, 80 “yeas” to 27 “nays.” to secure the voters’ intent, likely Stratford, PAGE A17 A2 COÖS COUNTY DEMOCRAT MARCH 16, 2011 ••• Barbara J. Clay Carl R. Carlson LITTLETON — Barbara Jean Hampshire and the University of Eastern Star, Association of Re- TWIN MOUNTAIN— Carl R.