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. 9 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2012 LANCASTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE TELEPHONE: 603-788-4939 FORTY PAGES 75¢ Todd Lamarque to become Fire contained in inside shop structure at Lancaster School principal on July 1 Whitefield power plant Fay and McLean will be part-time administrators 41 firefighters from 7 area By Edith Tucker timing will also allow Lamarque to insurance coverage, on a pro-rated F.D.s fight flames [email protected] be heavily involved in hiring a new basis. By Edith Tucker and supplies, fasteners and fittings WHITEFIELD — The WMRSD assistant principal. This new arrangement will cost [email protected] and a variety of consumables was school board voted unanimously, The board also voted unani- about $3,000 less than now and in- WHITEFIELD — Fire was re- destroyed, said Whitefield Fire 4 to 0, at a special 8 a.m. school mously to divide up the responsi- clude 25 additional workdays. ported at 6:58 a.m. on Wednesday, Chief James “J” Watkins. board meeting on Thursday to bilities of today’s position of Di- Both will work in the Central Office Feb. 22, in the ground-level main- The Whitefield Fire Depart- make administrative changes de- rector of Student Services into two on King’s Square. tenance shop inside the main ment along with mutual aid fire de- signed to keep experience on hand discrete part-time positions, effec- Fensom explained his thinking building of the wood-chip burning partments — Twin Mountain, Jef- while tapping Lancaster School as- tive July 1. The incumbent Direc- in coming up with this unique DG Power and Light biomass plant ferson, Lancaster, Dalton, Bethle- sistant principal Todd Lamarque tor — Marie Fay of Guildhall, who arrangement that he believes on Airport Road in the Whitefield hem and Lunenburg — responded of Gorham to fill the top slot at the was planning to retire on June 30 meets the District’s needs as well Industrial Park. to the fire. Seven additional fire- 425-student Lancaster School on — has agreed to stay on in the part- as that of the two experienced ad- It took the efforts of 41 fire- fighters and apparatus from the July 1 at a salary of $76,469. time .6 position of 157 days as Di- ministrators. fighters from seven fire depart- Littleton and Groveton Fire De- SAU 36 Interim Superintendent rector of Special Education at a “I hated to see us lose Marie’s PHOTO BY EDITH TUCKER ments to contain the fire to the partments provided firehouse Dr. Harry Fensom described salary of $47,555, effective July 1. knowledge and experience, espe- Lancaster School assistant princi- shop structure, in which all the coverage. Lamarque as “one of the most LES principal Pat McLean of cially at this time,” Fensom said. pal Todd Lamarque of Gorham equipment, including hand and The first W.F.D. fire engine, promising administrators” he had was promoted on Thursday morn- Lancaster has agreed to stay on “The position as now configured power tools, welding equipment Fire, PAGE A18 ever had under his general super- ing to the school’s top post, effec- and assume the half-time (.5) posi- had so many pieces to it that she vision. tive July 1. tion of 131 days as Director of Pupil ran into conflicting appointments Lamarque’s stellar reputation Services at a salary of $39,231, ef- and meetings. Creating two part- was such that he was being court- Country school districts with key fective July 1. time positions will permit greater ed vigorously by other North vacancies to fill, he explained. The Both positions include health Lamarque, PAGE A18 Lancaster’s proposed budget up 5.2 percent By Jeff Woodburn caster Fair) and the fire/EMS took [email protected] in $601,000. LANCASTER – Lancaster’s A review of the department proposed 2013 town budget is budgets shows only two with nearly $4.98 million or 5.2 per- double-digit growth. The police cent higher than the previous and solid waste collection in- year’s budget. cluded the largest increase – 11.2 “It’s the cost of doing busi- and 11.1 percent respectively. ness,” said Town Manager Ed The police budget increases from Samson and some of the costs are $481,045 to $535,156, which in- uncontrollable – like the increase cludes $25,000 for a new cruiser, in fuel costs and health care cov- increase in salaries totaling erage for town employees. In ad- $27,760 and $5,000 increase in dition to the budget voters will al- gasoline and oil expenses. Solid so be asked to fund 18 individual waste department’s increase re- warrant articles bringing the lates to a new waste collection combined total to $5.51 million. contract, which is $3,900 more “Fuel costs have taken a huge than the previous year. jump,” Samson said, “and health Samson said he can’t specifi- care continues to go up.” He cally commit to an exact tax rate pointed to a new arrangement yet, but added it would be mod- that slowed the growth of health est and “not scare people.” This coverage from an initially pro- is in part due to strong revenue posed rate increase of 14 percent stream. Tax revenues have to just 8.5 percent. jumped from $95,000 in 2010 to Personnel, Fire/EMS, and po- $175,000 in 2011 and total rev- lice account for the largest share enues from $2.98 in 2010 to $3.41 of the town’s spending -- with million in 2011. He said the $562,275 being proposed for amount of delinquent taxes has salaries and benefits for town em- remained low. This is in sharp ployees; $498,655 being pro- contrast with Gorham, which has posed for Fire/EMS; and $535,156 experience a major shortfall in PHOTO BY JONATHAN BENTON for the police department. The commercial tax payments. “Lan- 1,000 Point Club police and fire/EMS also bring in caster has been rather fortu- revenue through fines, grants and nate,” he said, it’s a “huge bene- Groveton Eagle Nate Smith scored his 1,000th career point on Thursday and stands next to a proud Mark Collins, his coach. Full story and fees – police took in close to fit.” more on page B1. $52,000 ($31,000 from the Lan- WEEK 12 PHOTO WINNER Guildhall school board votes to freeze funds until tuition issue resolved Special meeting to be held at Guildhall School today By Edith Tucker the board’s regular monthly interest because the child whose posed rescission would not be [email protected] meeting after the board had dis- tuition was not paid is Smith’s retroactive. GUILDHALL — The Guildhall cussed an outstanding warrant son. The pending litigation will like- School Board will hold a special for a single WMRSD tuition. Some In part, the pending litigation Freeze, PAGE A18 meeting at 4 p.m. today (Feb. 29) 25 WMRSD tuition payments had in which the treasurer’s life part- at the elementary school to dis- been made by treasurer Laura ner is the lead plaintiff revolves cuss and potentially take some Wilson with the exception of one, around the issue of whether or action on the board’s passage of according to the draft minutes. not Smith had a conflict of inter- INDEX a motion at its three-hour meet- When Smith asked why one pay- est when the board adopted a ing on Feb. 20 “to freeze the Dis- ment had not been made, Plum- new policy, supported by an Aug. Business Directory . .B6 trict’s checkbook,” explained ley replied that under advice of 10 school District vote of 21 to 20, board chairman Sharal Plumley the attorney representing the to allow gifted and talented stu- Calendar . .B5 in a Monday morning telephone board, the bill would be held un- dents under a one-year pilot pro- interview. til litigation had been concluded. gram to attend out-of-district ele- Classified . .B7-9 According to the draft minutes Martin stated that it was mentary schools before they are Dining . .A15 of that meeting, clerk Helen Mar- alarming to discover that both in grade six. The only child to be tin, moved “that if some arrange- she and Smith had been unaware sent out of the district is Smith’s, Editorials & Letters . .A4-5 ment to guarantee payment to of this bill, which had come sev- which led to the accusation of a SAU 36 (White Mountains Re- eral weeks prior to the meeting. conflict of interest. Obituaries . .A2 gional School District) were not She also said that she was not That policy was later rescind- made by the end of February va- pleased with the amount of pay- ed on a 54 “yes” to 46 “no” vote Real Estate . .A16 cation (Friday, March 2, to cover ments made without the board’s at a special school District meet- Sports . .B1-3 the tuition payments for A. S. at knowledge and further dis- ing on Nov. 3. the Lancaster School) that all pleased that the treasurer write At that time, town moderator The last winner of our photo contest was Joe Eggleston of checking for Guildhall School be her notes-opinions directly on George Blakeslee said he believed Randolph taken from inside the gazebo across from the Mt. View frozen.” Vice chairman Matt the bills. that if the vote were to be re- Grand.