www.newhampshirelakesandmountains.com SERVING THE NORTH COUNTRY SINCE 1889 [email protected] 123RD YEAR, 1ST ISSUE LITTLETON, N.H., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2012 75¢ (USPS 315-760) North Woodstock-based family remembers brother, sister By KHELA MCGANN Route 112. [email protected] Frank-Rand family ran Govoni’s restaurant since 1914 Lou’s two daughters WOODSTOCK — Lynda Frank Sanders and Fiercely loyal to family, Terry Frank Thompson and friends and community with Rita’s two sons, Gil and Paul a feistiness that seems to be Rand, grew up working in in every Italian’s DNA, the restaurant, which has Louis “Lou” Frank and his been closed for the past two sister, Rita Rand, left a legacy years but still has a chance of of civic commitment and reopening, the cousins said entrepreneurship in the Lin- recently. Wood area when they died They agreed that at least within months of each other 75 percent to 85 percent of last year. the restaurant’s business After 94 years of dream- was made up of repeat cus- ing up and participating in tomers. Though the menu new ventures — such as the eventually expanded, the Loon Mountain Ski Resort in family always stood by the 1960s and oil exploration Clementine and Melvina’s in the 1990s and 2000s — Louis “Lou” Frank passed away a original recipes for the pasta, little more than three months Rita Rand was the matriarch of Lou died Dec. 9, a little more PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FRANK-RAND FAMILIES sauce and meatballs, which than three months after his after his older sister, Rita. the Frank and Rand families, Govoni’s Restaurant in North Woodstock. took about 24 hours of prep big sister. which ran the much loved time for 4.5 hours of opera- Rita, who had spent more much-loved restaurant — Govoni’s Restaurant in North tale that proves hard work Govoni’s in 1914 — feeding a tion. Regulars appreciated than a decade working for died Aug. 28 at the age of 95. Woodstock. and devotion to family life simple meal of homemade the quality of the food and Sherman Adams — the Theirs is a classic “achiev- Mountains region and can lead to success. pasta, sauce and meatballs to knowing that they could developer of Loon Mountain ing the American dream” revolving around a family Their mother, Melvina, anyone — often loggers in always depend on it. — and a lifetime of running story set in New business that tied everyone and grandmother the early days — who hap- “There were no substi- Govoni’s — her family’s Hampshire’s White together for generations — a Clementine opened pened along what is now SEE FRANK-RAND, PAGE A10 A look back at 2011 as we hail the New Year By KHELA MCGANN tured media attention as it Here are The Littleton et by 964-794, but it was ulti- among others. the town’s government has [email protected] gained momentum and peo- Courier’s top five newsmak- mately up to the Board of By the beginning of April, honored the specifics of an LITTLETON — Welcome, ple protesting social and eco- ers for 2011: Selectmen to decide where some residents were furious amendment, even though it 2012. You have a lot to live up nomic inequality set up Even Budget Cuts Cost — the cuts would be made. about the cuts and claimed was only required to meet the to after all that your prede- camps and held rallies. Proposed in February and They did so by eliminating the selectmen were not bottom line of the budget. He cessor put us through. Throughout the year, the upheld by voters last March, positions in the highway, respecting the vote. argued that the cuts were not One hundred years from economic slump, which a $745,000 cut to the town police and fire departments A four-hour long, stand- in line with the sentiment of now, what will 2011 mean to Americans have struggled budget from $8.2 million to as well as the town manager, ing-room only selectmen’s the amendment, which history teachers and stu- with since 2008, continued $7.46 million has been a com- the tax collector and a trans- meeting turned ugly with focused on eliminating mid- dents? How will they sum up with a dreary housing and mon thread across many fer station employee. They residents shouting and dle-management positions, the year that brought a dev- jobs outlook. The federal Courier stories during the also reduced subsidies to the storming out of the Opera particularly in the police and astating earthquake to Japan government slashed spend- past year. The cut sparked a library and the Parks and House in frustration. fire departments. and the death of a man who ing, which has been passed boycott and the creation of Recreation department, Ward said that historically SEE LOOK BACK, PAGE A11 was on the United State’s along to the states, and then the Littleton Area most wanted list? Will the the towns and the taxpayers. Community Project in the Occupy movement be just a And lastly in December, spring, and has made town sentence in a history lesson North Korea’s infamous and school leaders cautious Littleton’s Officer Cote pursuing or will it get an entire chap- leader Kim Jong-il died — in developing and analyzing ter? which gives 2012 a jump- the budgets for 2012. ‘other career opportunities’ The beginning of the year start on being an interesting Local attorney Brien Ward saw the beginning of the end year as the world watches his made the motion during the Three officers have resigned in recent weeks for several Arab world lead- son, Kim Jong-un, take over. deliberative session to trim ers as a revolutionary wave (One can only hope the proposed budget by By KHELA MCGANN December. The news comes Interim Town Manager [email protected] of protests and clashes swept Charlie Sheen’s “winning” $745,000, and a suggestion less than a month after Fred Moody said that no one through more than a dozen meltdown and Kim was made to do that by elim- LITTLETON — The sev- Officer Michelle Soares’ last had expressed that they did- countries. The Tunisian presi- Kardashian’s divorce from inating 11 positions: the town enth Littleton police officer day and on the heels of n’t enjoy working for the dent was ousted in January, Kris Humphries after only 72 manager, the police captain, a in less than a year is resign- Officer Aaron Roberts’ resig- town, but many likely feel Egypt’s leader was forced to days and a $10 million fairy- police sergeant, a police ing from the police depart- nation, which was effective that they have to look out for resign in February, and in tale wedding won’t survive detective, a fire department ment, citing a “desire to pur- Dec. 28. However, Chief their best interest. Libya, a civil war began with the New Year.) captain, three fire depart- sue other career Paul Smith said the letter After the town budget protests in February and cul- Locally, there were several ment lieutenants, the plan- opportunities.” didn’t come as a surprise as was cut by $745,000 last year, minated with the capture and events that while they won’t ning and zoning clerk, the Officer Christopher Cote, Cote had earlier indicated a number of positions were death of leader Moammar be printed in history books assessing clerk and a high- who has worked for that he was looking else- eliminated, including two Gadhafi in October. beyond the Littleton area, way department employee. Littleton since 2008, will be where for employment. patrol officers, two firefight- In March, one of the they will surely have an The amendment passed 156- gone by the end of this Smith also said last ers, three highway depart- largest earthquakes ever impact for years and, per- 69. week, after handing in his Thursday that the replace- ment employees, one trans- recorded triggered a tsunami, haps, generations to come. Voters approved the budg- resignation at the end of ment for Soares — Officer fer station employee, the tax which devastated parts of Gary Hebert, who used to collector and the town man- coastal Japan, killed thou- work for the town — would ager. sands of people and put the be back to doing patrols by For this year, the town is world on alert as experts this week and the depart- proposing a budget of raced to fix crippled nuclear ment was hoping to make an $7,790,429 — according to power plants. announcement soon as to numbers given out before In May, Osama bin Laden who will be filling Roberts’ the holiday break in was killed by the U.S. — four position. December — while the months before Americans Town officials have said Budget Committee recently marked the 10th anniversary recently that job security voted to support the default of the Sept. 11 attacks. may be playing a part in the budget at $7,591,364. If the In the fall, the internation- police officers’ desire to seek default budget is passed, the al Occupy movement cap- out other employment town will likely have make options. SEE COTE, PAGE A10 PHOTO BY MICKEY DE RHAM Sunset after glow highlighting Mt. Garfield on December 26th from Route 117 in Sugar Hill. Littleton, N.H., xx pages INSIDE 33 Main Street LOCAL INSIDE SPORTS . B1 COURT . .A6 Montminy steps EDITORIAL . .A4 FROM THE FRONT . .A10 AG approves CARTOON . .A4 MILESSTONES . .B10 down as Balsams REAL ESTATE . .B11 OBITUARIES . .A14 LETTERS . .A4 Franconia chief easement sale AREA NEWS .