A1 EVERSOURCE Towns Win Tax Lawsuits THURSDAY, AUG. 6, 2020 Page 11 Cyan Magenta Yellow Yellow Black COVID-19. Schools Plan Re-opening, Fall Sports Season Takes Step Forward. See Inside. A2 2 The Record Thursday, August 6, 2020 Littleton Parents Air Questions, Concerns About School Re-opening BY ROBERT BLECHL Staff Writer As Littleton schools set to reopen next month, parents have questions and concerns — lots of them. The Littleton School Board and new superintendent of Little- ton School District SAU 84 held a community input session on Monday as the board prepares to vote on a reopening plan. The 2 1/2 hour meeting drew about 75 residents, all masked and socially distanced, in the Littleton High School cafeteria, as well as 130 residents attending remotely on the Zoom teleconfer- encing application. On Monday, Aug. 10, the board is expected to take a vote on a recommendation from Superintendent William Hart. The draft plan includes three options: traditional face-to-face learning in the classroom for all students (with special accom- modations for students and staff with at-risk medical issues); a full, online learning remote option with no students in school; and a hybrid model that includes classroom time and at-home remote learning on a rotating basis between groups of students and with no more than 50 percent of students in school at any given time. The plan is flexible enough to allow the district to glide be- tween options depending on coronavirus conditions at the start of school year and throughout the year. Cyan Some parents wanted a clear-cut answer on what exactly the school district will do come fall, but Hart said conditions can Magenta change fast and no clear answer can be given. “The plan is all three models and all three models are there because we don’t know how things are going to change,” he said. The Littleton High Class of 2020, the photographs of each graduate on the wall of the school, celebrated their big “Two weeks from now, the environment could change and be- day on Sunday afternoon, taking part in a different kind of commencement because of the pandemic. Masked and Yellow Yellow come something different.” spaced, the graduates gathered outside, in the career and technical education center parking lot. (Photo by Robert Because of the very low number of cases in the North Country compared to other parts of the country, Hart is currently looking Blechl) at a traditional classroom model, but said if a wave of people are The Draft tocols in place. Black against students reentering classrooms, then the district has to As stated in the 37-page draft plan, students, when in school, Accommodations will also be made for special education stu- reconsider. will follow all safety expectations and protocols, including wear- dents and students with health issues, with a traditional model He said his current recommendation to the school board on ing masks and maintaining distances. involving small group instruction. which option to adopt could change and be a very different plan Accommodations will be made for at-risk or other students The plan also calls for developing a flexible schedule for send- by the time school reopens, especially if cases in the North Coun- having difficulty with remote learning and it will likely involve a ing out-of-district students to LHS’s Career and Technical Cen- try spike. dedicated classroom for face-to-face interaction with safety pro- See Re-opening, Page 15 H.S. Athletics: NHIAA Gives Green Light For Fall Sports, Delays Start To Sept. 8 on whether they will participate in a fall sports sea- “It makes no sense to me that I’ll have a phys cer and field hockey are moderate risk, football is BY PAUL HAYES son. ed class where no one shares equipment and we’ll higher risk. Staff Writer Woodsville High AD Jonathan Lester sounded a have to sanitize everything, but an hour after school The guidance document does not address every- hopeful note, “Given the current situation (meaning we can have 16 kids play like nothing’s going on. thing. Fall sports are cleared to play. that the NHIAA has said fall sports are a go) and It’s strange,” Poore said. One things is schedules. Teams cannot plan their Now it’s in the schools hands. that the COVID cases are low for our area, Woods- seasons until school districts make up their minds. The New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic As- GUIDELINES ville as of today [is] still planning on full all sea- The NHIAA Council guidance document in- Another thing is participation. Even if schools sociation Council on Tuesday gave permission for sons. Obviously that could change at any minute.” cludes rules for players, coaches, officials, adminis- move forward with fall sports, it’s unknown if any all fall sports to proceed and delayed the start of Profile School AD Jack Bartlett was cautiously trators and spectators. athletes or coaches will choose to sit out. practices until Tuesday, Sept. 8. optimistic, “We would like to BUT only if we can Those rules can be summarized as ‘keep your In Lisbon, Poore said he would coach boys soc- They also amended a 20-page guidance doc- create sensible and manageable safety guidelines. distance, keep clean.’ cer if the school district gives him the OK, but he ument to include rules for practices, training ses- Working against us is the nature of sport. Varsity Under the rules everyone except for athletes questioned how safe it would be. sions, competitions games, and tournaments during soccer and social distancing don’t exactly go to- in competition would be expected to wear masks “I’m very hesitant to say that I can put 16 kids the pandemic. gether.” when social distancing is not possible. Schools out on a soccer field against another team and say That leaves individual school districts to decide Lisbon Regional AD Les Poore wondered about would appoint staff to enforce health and safety everything is 100 percent fine,”Poore said. “Is it whether to move forward with fall sports (cross the challenges. He teaches physical education guidelines. worth it? For some it is, until a family member gets country, field hockey, golf, soccer and football). (where state guidelines will prohibit contact and The guidance document splits high school sports infected, then that changes everybody’s tune in a Local high schools — Colebrook, Groveton, sharing of equipment) and also coaches soccer into three risk categories. For the fall cross country hurry. It’s a very, very tough situation.” Lisbon, Littleton, Profile, White Mountains Re- (where contact will be allowed). (with staggered starts) and golf are lower risk, soc- For more visit www.nhiaa.org gional and Woodsville — have not made decisions A3 Thursday, August 6, 2020 The Record 3 Weekly Specials Prices Effective Fri. 8/7 — Thu. 8/13/2020 Our August Partner of the Month is Copper Cannon Camp! 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CLEAN Reusable Bags Welcome! 43 Bethlehem Rd. New Hours ⥥ (603) 444-2800 Ꮳ PPlease Do Not Place Reusable Bags on Conveyor Belt at Checkout. ಼ Littleton, N.H. 7 AM to 8 PM ঁLittletonCoop.com A4 4 The Record Thursday, August 6, 2020 News Briefs Residents Want Status deemed complete by DES and is scheduled for a “The state of New Hampshire has primacy Day students will be screened daily. DES public hearing at 6 p.m. Aug. 25 at the Elks with respect to how a facility is sited, designed • On campus students will attend fewer class- Of Casella Projects In Lodge in Bethlehem. and operated under state law,” he said. “How- es, with longer breaks in between to allow for Dalton, Bethlehem As for the proposed landfill in Dalton, Wim- ever, the courts have held very specifically in cleaning. Class sizes will be capped at 11. Stu- satt said several meetings with Casella that have a couple of cases that a community has a right dents living in dorms will be grouped into small Although no application has been submit- taken place to introduce the department with the to determine through properly enacted zoning cohorts. ted by Casella Waste Systems for its proposed project and to date those gatherings have been where a solid waste facility may be located in • Visitor access will be limited. Visitors will landfill in Dalton, an official with the state envi- presentations with no meeting minutes taken, a community.” not have access to dorms, dining services or ronmental services department said two applica- though a PowerPoint presentation by Casella is He was asked if a landfill can be imposed on most campus buildings.