ECRWSS OUTDOOR ART STILL WANT A GAS GUZZLER? AN EYE FOR BUSINESS PRESORT STD U.S. Postage Elementary school students Local auto dealerships divulge the latest A familiar eye care facility has PAID The Gilford head outside with the pros buying trends. moved to Gilford. Steamer News | A5 Postal Customer for some hands-on art. Business | A6 Schools | A9 THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2008 GILFORD, N.H. - FREE Shackett tenders her resignation BY DANIELLE DELISLE down to a small final number [email protected] that will be passed on to the The town will be search- Board of Selectmen, which ing a new town administra- will make the final decision. tor and a new financial di- Benavides said the cost of us- rector, as interim Town Ad- ing the center would be about ministrator Debra Shackett $3,500 for the whole package. tendered her resignation on “This is a good plan and May 28 to take a position as they are a reputable compa- county administrator and ny,” said Shackett. “I have finance director. used them myself and have “We are very sorry to see had no problems with them. her go,” said Connie Grant, It makes good sense to use chairman of the Board of Se- them.” lectmen. “We wish her the The board decided that it best of luck in her new posi- would use LGC because of tion.” the potential for more adver- Shackett announced that tising and the experience the she would be taking the posi- center has with finding qual- tion after a selectmen work ified candidates. session held on the morning The deadline for applying of May 28. Shackett has been for the citizens’ panel is June serving as the interim town 11, at which time the select- administrator as well as exe- men will chose the five-per- PHOTO BY SARAH SCHMIDT cuting her duties as finance son board, with the caveat Anne-Marie Mercuri of Gilford feels her son Joe’s newly-shorn head for the first time. director since Evans Juris that they will have their rec- was relieved from the town ommendations by July 30. administrator position on “We have had over appli- Gilford Village Knolls gets nod to buy library land March 12. Shackett will be re- cants already,” said Grant. placing Nancy Cook, who “We are confident that we BY DANIELLE DELISLE public hearings and receiv- fore the Planning Board and Tony Ferruolo, chairman was suspended in April by can find someone who will [email protected] ing comments from the town the Conservation Commis- of the Board of Trustees for the County Commissioners fill the position well.” Gilford Village Knolls has on the issue. Selectman Con- sion before the land can be Gilford Village Knolls, has and is being investigated by Shackett has held the po- received the nod from the nie Grant said that her only sold, and there is still the pos- said that the potential build- the New Hampshire Depart- sition of finance director for Board of Selectmen to pur- concern was the legality of sibility that a petition would ing would be similar to Gil- ment of Justice. eight years in Gilford and af- chase land that was formerly selling exclusively to the stop the sale of the land. A ford Village Knolls II and “She has been very gener- ter the position of town ad- intended for the new library. Knolls. Interim Town Ad- petition of 50 signatures would be a non-profit 501(c) 3 ous to give us four weeks no- ministrator was filled by Ju- “I feel this is the right ministrator Debra Shackett would stop the proceedings, organization. tice,” said Grant in regards ris, Shackett was appointed thing to do for the town,” said said that she had discussed and the selectmen would Paul Stewart, of Stewart to when Shackett would be as assistant town adminis- Selectman Kevin Hayes. “My the matter with town coun- have to bring their proposal Property Management, the leaving her position. trator. The job of county ad- concern is that any entity sel. before the voters in a warrant company that oversees the The selectmen discussed ministrator is much the who buys the land with the “As long as you are open article next spring. daily maintenance of Gilford their options for replacing same position as the town in promise of senior housing and say, ‘this is our inten- “You have been given in- Village Knolls, said that it is Shackett and decided that that Shackett will act as the would not be able to give it as tion,’ there is no issue,” re- direct permission to sell the important they get approval they will not be appointing proxy for the county com- affordably as Gilford Village ported Shackett. land,” said Shackett to the se- for the land as soon as possi- the assistant town adminis- missioners in the daily oper- Knolls.” The land will be pur- lectmen. “The town has told ble so that they can apply for trator position. Selectman ation of county business and The board voted unani- chased for $150,000 plus clos- you what they want you to do government funding before Gus Benavides suggested as finance director she will mously to sell the land to Gil- ing costs. The selectmen still with the profits from the that they look into the Local be responsible for the budget ford Village Knolls after two have to bring the proposal be- potential sale of the land.” SEE LAND PAGE A8 Government Center to help and advising the commis- them with the hiring of a sioners on financial deci- new town administrator.The sions. center offers such services as The county is currently in Town to revise Glendale beach pass ordinance advertising and screening the position of going over the BY DANIELLE DELISLE fusion as to the intention of the ordinances to make the ordinances not excluding and writing up contracts and budget amidst the discovery [email protected] the ordinances, which stipu- intention clear and make property owners from re- can be tailored to the indi- of problems with the proce- The Board of Selectmen late who has rights to use sure they read the same in ceiving passes as the reason. vidual needs of the town. dure and practices of the is looking to revise the Glen- Glendale Beach, parking at both places. The matter was turned over The selectmen have also county budget. Shackett will dale Beach and town ordi- the beach and the attached “We really need to do this to Shackett and she in turn sent out a notice to all Gilford have a major role in this op- nances regarding the use of launch ramp. The reason for as soon as possible,” said Se- brought it to the Board of residents that they are look- eration and compilation of the beach and launch ramp the confusion is that the lectman Kevin Hayes. Selectmen. ing for volunteers for the cit- the county budget in her new for commercial property wording is not clear on who Since that time a com- izens’ council that will owners. exactly is supposed to be is- mercial property owner has SEE BEACH PASS PAGE A8 screen all initial applicants SEE ADMIN PAGE A8 The issue was brought be- sued passes and that the or- written to Town Clerk/Tax fore the board at its last meet- dinances read differently in Collector Denise Morris- ing by interim Town Admin- both places. She asked the sette after he was denied istrator Debra Shackett. board to review the matter a beach pass. He asked for Shackett expressed her con- and requested they rewrite the passes and cited the Ames Farm Inn case continued, again By Danielle DeLisle for the Ames family.‘In fact I opposition to file an appeal if [email protected] believe we have all the im- the decision of the board was The Ames Farm Inn has mediate family here. We are not in their favor. The appeal asked for a continuance from prepared to go forward.” would be filed with the Supe- the Planning Board for an- Dyer went on to say that at rior Court. other month in order to re- 1 p.m. that afternoon a mo- “The court does not have spond to a new motion tion to deny the amended site a trial or hear evidence,” said brought forth by those op- plan was filed with the plan- Dyer. “All they do is take the posed to the revised site plan ning office and distributed to papers that have already authored by the resort. the Planning Board mem- been filed and determine if “We have additional mem- bers. Because of the nature the Planning Board made an bers of the family here to- of the motion Dyer said it de- day,” said Rod Dyer, attorney clared the intention of the SEE AMES FARM PAGE A8 INDEX Sports............................B1-B2 Almanac.............................A2 Volume 5 • Number 23 PHOTO BY KEVIN SPERL Police Log...........................A2 Local News.........................A3 20 Pages in 2 Section Gilford students “clean up”at the town beach Editorial..............................A4 Notebook .........................A15 ©2008, Salmon Press, LLC. Zoey Sharps, 13, and her Gilford seventh-grader classmates brought rakes, gloves, and lots of energy to Classifieds.....................B3-A4 Events Calendar ...............A11 Call us at (603) 279-4516 email: [email protected] Gilford's Town Beach Friday for their annual cleanup. WHOLESALE TO THE PUBLIC – AUCTION PRICES EVERY DAY 603-581-7133 WWW.BELKNAPHYUNDAI.COM A2 THE GILFORD STEAMER ALMANAC JUNE 5, 2008 Five Good Selectmen deny ZBA request for a rehearing BY DANIELLE DELISLE bers said would have affected this information.” vince you instantly that this Q UESTIONS [email protected] their vote.