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This Page © 2004 Connelly Communications, LLC, PO Box 592 Hampton, NH 03843- Contributed items and logos are © and ™ their respective owners Unauthorized reproduction 8 of this page or its contents for republication in whole or in part is strictly prohibited • For permission, call (603) 926-4557 • AN-Mark 9A-EVEN- Rev 12-16-2004 PAGE 8A | ATLANTIC NEWS | APRIL 8, 2005 | VOL 31, NO 14 ATLANTICNEWS.COM . TOWN NEWS ROLL CALL ROUND UP HOUSE Hampton school board reorganizes A) HOME-SCHOOLED KIDS DON’T NEED A CUR- RICULUM — HB406 removes the requirement for a home SPECIAL TO THE ATLANTIC NEWS to the SAU21 joint school search for HAJH. uled for Monday, April 18, school parent to develop a curriculum approved by the state HAMPTON | The board. Stiles will represent John Bridle will continue the New England League of Department of Education. Supporters said that parents Hampton school board wel- the board on the Pupil to represent the Budget Middle Schools will be giv- spend hours on developing a curriculum and then deviate comed its newest member, Transportation Committee Committee and the Hamp- ing a presentation regard- from it anyway since home schooling is inherently flexible. Denyse Richter, at their and the HAJH Scheduling ton Recreation Council. ing the philosophy of Increased regulation and paperwork doesn’t improve teach- March 21 meeting, the first Committee. Richter will represent the middle and junior high ing. Opponents said planning a curriculum both shows the meeting to follow the Sandra Nickerson will Curriculum Committee and school models. The Hamp- state that the parents are actually teaching their kids, and March 8 elections. represent the board during CIP Committee, and will act ton school board cordially planning does increase effectiveness. The House PASSED The board elected contract negotiations with as the NHSBA delegate for invites parents, staff and the bill 176-162. A YES vote FAVORED eliminating curricu- Nancy Serpis as chairman both the Teachers’ Associa- the Hampton school board. members of the community lum requirements for home-schooled kids. and Ken Stiles as vice chair- tion (SEA) and the Educa- All members also serve to attend. The meeting will man for 2005-06. Serpis will tion Support Personnel as alternate representatives be held in the selectmen’s B) NO DONOR TOWNS, TARGETED AID, AND SOME HELP FOR THOSE IN THE MIDDLE — HB616 replaces also serve as building rep- Association (SESPA). Nick- to several committees. meeting room at 6 p.m. and the statewide property tax but the state would still set the resentative and Operations erson will also be a part of The board also announce will also be televised on local educational property tax rate high enough to provide Committee representative the assistant principal that at its meeting sched- Channel 22. for adequate education in conjunction with targeted aid grants from the state. Those municipalities that raise more Kensington selectmen cruising for bids than enough money with that rate (formerly “donor towns”) can keep the excess but would receive no state aid. Those BY JESSICA JENKINS between the two. munity. They will either stay Department. that don’t raise enough will get aid based on a formula SPECIAL TO THE ATLANTIC NEWS UNH, which will be with Ford, which they cur- Selectmen agreed the including: student’s family income; performance on test KENSINGTON | At a equipping the vehicles as rently have and keep the fleet clean up could be held at scores; graduation rates; percentage receiving school lunch recent meeting of the Kens- part of the Car 54 Project, uniform, or make a commit- Sawyer Field if just for that subsidies; and the percentage speaking English as a second ington board of selectmen, prefers Ford, as they are ment to move in a different day. Soloman agreed to check language. Those that lose the most aid under the formula Police Chief Wayne Sheehan apparently easier to equip. direction. with Bestway regarding the would receive transitional aid that would be phased out over reported he is currently Chief Sheehan is evaluat- Selectman Matthew pick-up time of a Dumpster. three years. There will be additional state aid for hardship reviewing bids for cruisers, ing the packages and will Doyle asked what his With regard to the Con- property tax relief for individual taxpayers. Finally, there will be additional aid for underperforming schools but if the Fords and Chevrolets with need to decide which pack- thoughts might be on doing a servation Commission, John schools don’t improve within three years, their educational about a $2500 difference age will be best for the com- police log for a local newspa- Skewes reported he had met aid would be cut slightly. Supporters said that this last per. Sheehan said it was with Lucien Lizotte and minute compromise eliminates donor towns, helps poor Cyan already being done and he Selectman Michael Mother- towns and offers some hardship relief for those towns in the has a link set up on the police way at the new town shed. middle. Opponents said that it costs more money, and there Magenta department’s Web site and There is an issue regarding is no way to pay for it. Others were concerned that the plan plans to publish the logs the loading of sand/ salt and is not constitutional, since it relies more on the local proper- there as well. he felt a newer loader might ty tax, and not state-wide school funding. There were two Doyle broached the possi- not require as much floor votes. The House PASSED the bill onto the House Finance Yellow bility of purchasing gasoline space. Lucien Lizotte said it is committee 241-121. A YES vote FAVORED the bill. in town. He said the owner of impossible to load inside and Kensington Grocery would a loader ramp is needed. C) STATE SHOULD SLOW DOWN NURSING HOME Black be willing to discount 5¢ per They agreed to look at the SPENDING — HB691 is part of the Granite Care (or Medic- Fri.-Sun., April 8-10 gallon plus there would be plan and consult with the aid Modernization) proposal pushed by the state Depart- FEVER PITCH: tax savings of 31¢ and he said town’s engineer, Christian ment of Health and Human Services, which hopes to slow he felt it would be improve Smith, to determine the best the growth of Medicaid spending by steering people away 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9;10 safety during an emergency. approach. from nursing homes and into community-based care by SAHARA: Sheehan replied that the Motherway explained using a registered nurse to help determine what people need. last bill at the State facility that he wanted to address The law would tighten Medicaid eligibility requirements for 12:10, 3:10, 6:10, 8:55 was only $1.46/gal, which is and reiterate the practices of those entering a nursing home, and make it harder for seniors to “hide” their assets by asking them to account for not only less expensive for the board of selectmen. GUESS WHO: gifts made to their heirs a decade before they apply for Med- the town, but they process all Requests to be on the agenda icaid. Supporters said that the Medicaid nursing home 12:20, 3:20, 6:20, 9:15 the paper work at a signifi- and bring matters before the spending is skyrocketing and that this would limit aid to SIN CITY: cant savings in staff time and board must be made by 1:30 those who truly need it. Opponents said that the restrictions 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 they are open 24 hrs a day. He p.m. on the Thursday before are too severe on middle class families struggling to care for did not feel safety is compro- the scheduled meeting. All their parents, and not enough resources are put into alterna- THE PACIFIER: mised, as the State facility is matters need to be noticed to tives of nursing home to make community-based care a 12:25, 3:25, 6:25, 9:20 only six miles from the town the public through the agen- viable alternative. Such an under funded program could line. da and will be acted on by the hurt the elderly. The House PASSED the bill onto the House ROBOTS: Doyle asked that they collective board of selectmen. Finance committee, 183-178. A YES vote FAVORED the bill. 12:35, 3:35, 6:35 record how often the cruisers Selectmen cannot make deci- are out of town. Sheehan will sions individually outside of D) INSURERS CAN’T CHARGE MORE TO MISS CONGENIALTIY: monitor both the safety board meetings. UNHEALTHY SMALL GROUPS — HB611 would prohibit 9:05 aspect and the cost savings. Town Counsel, Attorney insurers from using medical history or location in setting Mary Jane Solomon Charles Tucker, has provided premiums for small groups, repealing much of SB110, a bill Mon.-Thurs., April 11-14 explained that they would and reviewed procedures passed five years ago that resulted in skyrocketing insurance like to hold a roadside and and best practices for a prop- rates for some small businesses. HB611 would still allow park cleanup on April 16 at erly functioning board of rates to vary based on age, occupation and group size, but FEVER PITCH: . .6:30, 9:10 would limit the highest rate from being more than four times Sawyer Field. Lucien Lizotte selectmen in the past. E-mail, the smallest rate, and set a 15 percent cap on increases (not SAHARA: . .6:10, 8:55 said the old town shed will be and other correspondence, is counting increase due to the higher cost of health care).