THE LITTLETON COURIER, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2013 Local News
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www.newhampshirelakesandmountains.com SERVING THE NORTH COUNTRY SINCE 1889 [email protected] 124TH YEAR, 34TH ISSUE LITTLETON, N.H., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2013 75¢ (USPS 315-760) Town jurisdiction question central to drag strip plans By DARIN WIPPERMAN which has caused oppo- [email protected] nents to declare it would have a regional impact. BETHLEHEM — Several members of the Despite its primary North Country Alliance for entrance being located in Balanced Change (ABC), town, the Bethlehem who oppose the project, Planning Board may lack were at the board’s meet- any say over the proposed ing. ABC has pending state Dalton drag strip because alteration of terrain permit of the wording of state law. appeals over the drag strip. Members of the plan- Hastings opened the 90- ning board received a great minute meeting by ques- deal of input last week dur- tioning “this board’s juris- ing an informational meet- diction over Mr. Ingerson’s ing on the Dalton drag project.” He believed that strip proposal. The site a state statute gives the would use Douglas Drive, board an ability to review a part of which is in project in Dalton only if Bethlehem, as its primary Douglas Drive would serve entry and exit. as the sole access to the Property owner Doug drag strip. PHOTO BY MICKEY DE RHAM Ingerson attended the The board was informed Cleome blooming in Sugar Hill on Friday, Aug. 9. Bees love this plant and it should be offered to them every year to help restore bee popu- meeting, along with his that the public could use lations. Without them we would have little to eat! This self-seeding plant is easy to grow and also attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. attorney Phil Hastings and other roads to access the engineer Dick Morneau. In racing oval. Hastings said 2009, the NH DOT provid- these private roads on ed a permit for drag strip Ingerson’s land could help Commissioners informed of usage at the site. handle the estimated 500 Nonetheless, Ingerson’s cars that would attend plans have been subject to events at the drag strip. much debate. Though Chairwoman Andrea union request, software upgrade located in Dalton, the pro- Bryant then noted, “I’m posed drag strip is near the curious about the other By DARIN WIPPERMAN ment’s planned software Dec. 31. department’s software. He town lines of Littleton, [email protected] upgrade. Considine said the described LWL computer Whitefield, and Bethlehem, DRAG STRIP, PAGE A14 LITTLETON — The The International department has a good systems as the depart- Water and Light commis- Brotherhood of Electrical working relationship with ment’s “life blood.” The sioners discussed several Workers (IBEW) represents IBEW. He expressed opti- new software will cover Housing meeting matters at their Monday 10 Littleton Water and mism to the commissioners both business applications afternoon meeting. They Light (LWL) employees, that the two sides will at LWL and the “utility concerns resurface were informed that the according to department work together well on billing software that pretty employee union has superintendent Tom negotiations for a new con- much runs the whole requested changes to the Considine. He said the cur- tract. place,” Considine said. before selectmen existing labor contract. rent LWL labor agreement On another matter, The company doing the Members also received an with IBEW covers a term of Considine discussed By DARIN WIPPERMAN the meeting as a private cit- REQUEST, PAGE A14 update on the depart- five years that expires on planned updates to the [email protected] izen. He did not represent the Board of Selectmen. LITTLETON — Some Bratz suggested that the residents remain concerned distribution of public hous- about a public housing ing is “an issue well meeting that took place last beyond Littleton.” He said month. Both Ron Bolt and discussing a regional Bill Freeland took their approach to distribution concerns to the board of was a central part of the selectmen on Monday. July meeting. On July 19, 14 elected Even with the clarifica- officials, state administra- tion, Bolt asked for the tors, and others privately selectmen’s view on the met at the Italian Oasis to topic. Chairman Mike talk about public housing. Gilman noted the board’s The issue has been espe- unanimous opposition to cially emotional in town closure of Parker Village since the debate over the early this year. “I think we future of Parker Village were pretty clear where we that erupted in December. stood on that,” he said. That debate occurred after Later, Bratz said the July attorney Brien Ward sug- meeting was “well inten- gested the housing com- tioned.” He has learned plex was a public nuisance since the meeting that the due to the level of criminal state does not control activity there. where individuals use their On Monday Bolt spoke public housing vouchers. about a “broken” process Portability of the vouchers that produced a private, makes any discussion of a high-level meeting on such moratorium on vouchers an important topic. The “a moot issue,” he suggest- fact that neither the public ed. DARIN WIPPERMAN/LITTLETON COURIER nor the media were invited Freeland read a state- Along Route 135 in Dalton last week, officials discussed the condition of North Country roads. Pictured are, from left to right, State Senator Jeff to the July meeting con- ment expressing his con- Woodburn, DOT engineer Brian Schutt, Littleton Town Manager Fred Moody, resident Dick Hamilton, and Grafton-1 Representative Linda Massimilla. cerned Bolt. He said “an cerns. He suggested that interesting slate of who the town’s interest in “large was invited and who was retail outlets that attract Road funding problems discussed absent,” resulted. low-wage jobs” creates a Bolt lamented that the need for employee hous- By DARIN WIPPERMAN Schutt, and members of the Representative Sue Ford as vided three quarters of an community at large lacked ing. He said that a morato- [email protected] public joined the discus- the elected officials who inch of new surface, Schutt input at the meeting. rium on low-wage employ- sion. A common theme of attended the meeting. said. The price was rough- Attendees at the July event ers, rather than those LITTLETON — Four the Opera House meeting Woodburn started the ly $50,000 a mile, he added. included Executive needing housing assis- elected officials discussed was the difficulty in fund- morning with Schutt, The expense of main- Councilor Ray Burton, tance, was a better option area roads, the gas tax, and ing road maintenance. Moody, and others near the taining paved roads has State Senator Jeff for the town. other issues on Wednesday. Littleton representatives Dalton-Littleton line. The grown greatly. Schutt said Woodburn, and selectman Higher wage manufac- Town Manager Fred Ralph Doolan and Linda group examined a newly asphalt costs increased Milt Bratz. Moody, North Country Massimilla joined State paved portion of Route 135. HOUSING, PAGE A14 Bratz said he attended DOT chief engineer Brian Senator Jeff Woodburn and The new asphalt only pro- ROAD, PAGE A14 Littleton, N.H., 40 pages 33 Main Street INSIDE LOCAL INSIDE LOCAL NEWS . .A2 CLASSIFIEDS . .B7-14 Northern Pass Old County SPORTS . B1-3 COURT . .A6 EDITORIAL . .A4 FROM THE FRONT . .A14-15 Road on CARTOON . .A4 development SPOTLIGHTS . .C1 A3 REAL ESTATE . .B7-8 agenda again LETTERS . .A4 OBITUARIES . .A16 funds for Coos A9 POLICE . .A6 CALENDAR . .C6 A2 THE LITTLETON COURIER, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2013 Local News DARIN WIPPERMAN/LITTLETON COURIER DARIN WIPPERMAN/LITTLETON COURIER Six members of the highway garage replacement committee gathered at an outdoor meeting last week. The town’s large sand pile sits behind the current highway garage. The study committee has a covered The committee, which examined some documents onsite, further discussed ideas for a new highway sand facility on its mind, in addition to a new garage. Better storage would decrease the amount of frozen garage. Pictured are, from left to right, Town Manager Fred Moody, James McMahon, Greg Winn, sand clumps that hinder highway crews. Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Mike Gilman, Carl Hilgenberg, and committee chairman Brody Tuite. Site limitations pondered at outdoor meeting of garage committee By DARIN WIPPERMAN garage, which is just east of with the middle of the police The turning radius of was built this spring about room to turn if the new [email protected] the police station, committee station. This is significantly highway department trucks halfway between the fire sta- garage doors faced north and LITTLETON — For 90 members examined some closer to West Main Street was considered during last tion and highway garage. south. However, the commit- minutes last Tuesday, six maps and design drawings. than the existing garage, built week’s meeting. Per the cur- Both buildings would be tee has mentioned the impor- members of the highway A document central to the in the 1950s. rent design, eight large vehi- heated with the new system. tance of the new structure’s garage study committee held meeting was an aerial satel- The parcel of land itself cle doors would open on McMahon said a goal is to aesthetics. The committee’s an outdoor meeting. The lite photo with the proposed constitutes one issue that lim- either the west or east side of have good truck access with- general idea for now is to not group used the dry weather new garage and salt shed its the committee. Wetlands, the new garage. A relatively out relocation of pellet boiler. have big vehicle doors visible to consider how the site itself superimposed. ledge, and an elevation rise to thin lot makes that layout The current salt shed sits from West Main St.