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. CXLVII, NO. 12 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 LANCASTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE TELEPHONE: 603-788-4939 TWENTY-FOUR PAGES 75¢ Despite 75% state aid, WMRSD voters nix $18 million CTE project BY EDITH TUCKER 141; and Dalton, 113 to 136. [email protected] Only 47.19 percent of the WHITEFIELD — The 2,017 voters said “yes” at White Mountains Region- the polls this year. al School District school On March 11, 925 vot- board didn’t close the sale. ers cast “yes” votes, and Almost the same num- 1,035, “no,” plus 57 blanks, ber of voters said “yes” to making a total of 2,017 bal- the proposed $18 million lots. Under SB2, passage Career and Technical Ed- of a bond issue requires a ucation (CTE) project on 3/5ths super-majority of 60 March 11 as in last year’s percent. effort, but the number of This year’s count fell “no” votes swelled by 267 short by nearly 13 percent; over a similar effort on blanks do not count when March 12, 2013. percentages are computed. Despite a guarantee of Last year a warrant arti- a whopping 75 percent in cle for the same purpose re- state aid that would have ceived 54.76 percent of the reduced the District’s di- “yes” votes after the March rect cost to some $4.5 mil- 19 recount, only slightly lion, a majority of voters in more than five percent DARIN WIPPERMAN/LITTLETON COURIER all five SAU 36 towns voted short of passage. With plenty of red, white, and blue behind them, Lancaster’s selectmen had a busy two hours at town meeting on the evening of March 11. “no” against the proposed The 2013 recount was The trio spoke with voters prior to the 7:30 start time, then made motions and speeches as warrant articles were discussed. Pictured are, 70,000-square-foot CTE ad- tallied with 932 “yes” and from left to right, Leo Enos, Leon Rideout, and David Stickney. dition at WMRHS: Lancast- 770 “no,” plus 48 blanks, er, 360 to 391; and White- making a total of 1,750 field, 209 to 233; Jefferson, WMRSD, PAGE A14 Voters in a spending mood 118 to 134; Carroll, 125 to BY DARIN WIPPERMAN when town moderator Jay be raised through taxa- came from fund balance, [email protected] Riff discussed the ground tion. Joyce McGee rose McGee said, Lancaster rules. He noted the impor- to request an amendment would retain about ten LANCASTER— All tance of civil discourse. which would have taken percent in fund balance, business at the March 11 “We’re all townspeople. the money from the town’s within the state’s suggest- town meeting was com- We are all neighbors,” he fund balance. ed level. pleted in less than two said, “Hopefully we are all McGee said Lancaster’s McGee said the town hours. Voters agreed to friends.” fund balance retention is would be better off using every spending proposal, A close vote occurred about 18 percent of town fund balance, which she except the only article not early in the night. Article appropriations, higher deemed “monies that have defended by a speaker on Three requested $135,000 than the state’s recom- already been raised,” rath- the floor. for eight different reserve mended level. Even if the er than use new taxes for The evening kicked off funds, with the money to $135,000 for Article Three the reserve funds. The $135,000, she concluded, would mean the town’s tax rate would be roughly un- Whitefield votes yes for changed, rather than rise 41 cents. Town Manager Ed Sam- new municipal building son confirmed that the town was retaining around BY EILEEN ALEXANDER phone, and some more of the bond in order to build 18 percent in its fund bal- WHITEFIELD — A live- than once, to express their a full-size basketball court ance. He opposed McGee’s ly one-and-a-quarter hour opinions on building a new within the municipal com- amendment, however, discussion preceded the town hall on land that the plex, while others offered saying the town has been ballot vote on Whitefield’s town owns on Route 116 their support for keeping using some fund balance. $1.27 million proposal to next to the Fire Station. the town hall downtown, Additionally, he said the build a new Municipal Ser- The town has been with- within the Common area. town’s effort to realistical- vices Building to house the out a Town Hall building Although the bond ar- ly budget projected reve- Town Offices, Police De- since water, rot and mold ticle passed, the project is nues might permit the use partment, Fire Rescue and were discovered in the old still contingent on receiv- of fund balance later in the Recreation departments. Town Hall in 2008, which ing $180,000 in grant money year to buy down the tax The article, which need- was torn down last year. from various sources. If all rate. ed a two-thirds majority, The town currently rents the pieces fall into place, fi- “I discourage the change passed overwhelmingly 105 space for the Town Offices nal designs for the project in funding,” Samson said, PHOTO BY EDITH TUCKER Rep. Herb Richardson, left, of Lancaster welcomed former U. S. to 34, but many people left and Police Department in are due to be completed this to sum up his opposition to Senator Scott Brown and his wife, Gail Huff, a longtime TV reporter for home at the conclusion the former Astle building spring, with construction McGee’s amendment. for ABC-affiliates, to his home on Sunday afternoon in Lancaster’s of Town Meeting before on King’s Square. to begin in June and occu- Chris Parker spoke in Page Hill Mobile Home Park Cooperative. the votes had been count- Much of the discussion pancy in June of 2015. favor of McGee’s idea. “If ed, and had to wait until revolved around two is- The town’s operating we can level fund our bud- Wednesday morning to sues, with some residents budget of $2,668,908 was get, this is a good start,” Former Sen. Scott hear the results. getting behind a proposal approved with virtually Parker said in support of More than a dozen res- made by Sam Gooden and using fund balance, rather idents took to the micro- his son to increase the size Whitefield, PAGE A16 than new taxes, for the re- Brown visits Rep. Herb serve funds. As discussion wrapped Richardson at home up, Riff called for a show of shiny pink cards. The BY EDITH TUCKER Shelburne. amendment failed on a [email protected] Brown, who officially vote of 41 in favor, with 48 LANCASTER — Former became a resident of Rye opposed. The original arti- U.S. Senator Scott Brown, in Dec. 2013, announced cle then passed by a com- a Republican of Massachu- on Friday that he had fortable margin. setts, who won the seat for- Visit, PAGE A14 After the Article Three merly occupied by the late debate, other matters pro- U.S. Senator Edward “Ted” ceeded at a swift pace. Each Kennedy in a special elec- item on the warrant passed tion and is now seriously INDEX with limited debate, except considering a run against Business Directory ................B4 for Article 22. Tri-County Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Calendar ..................................B3 Community Action’s re- Democrat, visited the home Classified .............................B5, 7 quest for $4,600 to support of Rep. Herb Richardson, a Editorials & Letters ...........A4-5 its Community Contact Republican of Lancaster, Division was soundly de- and his wife Rita on Satur- Obituaries ........................ A2, 15 feated. Some residents day afternoon. Real Estate ............................ A15 expressed disgust that the Brown and his wife, Gail Sports ...................................B2, 6 organization would ask for Huff, formerly a TV report- town tax dollars without er, headed north after the bothering to have someone 2014 Northeast Republican show up to speak in favor Leadership Conference PHOTO BY LYNN LAPARI This week’s winner comes to us from Lynn Lapardi, her dog looking back from a spectacular view of of the expenditure. ended in Nashua and spent Berlin from Mount Forist, in Berlin. The winner will be announced next week. Saturday night at the Town Lancaster, PAGE A14 and Country Motor Inn in A2 COÖS COUNTY DEMOCRAT WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 ••• Phoebe B. Jensen (nee Carlson) Carroll E. Ingerson BETHLEHEM— Phoebe where she was stationed at JEFFERSON— Carroll ferson; 8 grandchildren; B. Jensen (nee Carlson), a military hospital in Flor- E. Ingerson, 86, died Tues- 11 great-grandchildren; 94, a World War II veteran ida. day afternoon March 12, two sisters Stella Paschal who served in Europe, died There she met Wallace 2014 at Dartmouth Hitch- of Jefferson, Marilyn Wet- March 8. N. Jensen, a doctor and cock Medical Center sur- more of Brandon, Vt.; and Mrs. Jensen had been captain in the Army. They rounded by his family. many nieces and nephews. visiting Bethlehem for married in 1947 and re- Mr. Ingerson was a He’ was predeceased by a seven decades and built a ceived a congratulatory lifetime resident of Jeffer- brother Elliott Ingerson. house in 1998. note from General Eisen- son. He was born there Visiting hours will be Born on September 14, hower. on July 12, 1927 the son of held Friday evening March 1919 in Quincy, Mass., she During the polio epidem- Albert and Helen (Page) 14 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at was the daughter of Cap- ic in the early 1950’s physi- Ingerson.