THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2014 GILFORD, N.H. - FREE Safety, transparency top priorities for Liberty Hill project BY ERIN PLUMMER the Department of Envi- “Throughout that [email protected] ronmental Services, and process, our intention is Work has begun on Charter Environmental to maintain open com- the clean up of the Liber- gave a tour of the site to munication,” said John ty Hill site, with project members of the local me- Shore, Communications principals saying safety dia, as well as represen- and Marketing Special- and transparency are tatives from the Gilford ist for Liberty Utilities. top priorities. Fire and Public Works A Web site, lower- Construction crews Departments. libertyhillsite.com, has have begun the two-year Jim Ash, Vice Presi- been created giving process to excavate soil dent of GEI Consultants, weekly updates on the contaminated with coal said Liberty Utilities’ project. There will also tar and clean the site on first priority is the safe- be a phone hotline where Liberty Hill Road. ty of the public and the people can leave their On Thursday morn- workers during the proj- questions and concerns ing, project principals ect. on a voicemail and will including representa- The company has also receive a call back with- tives from Liberty Util- made transparency with in one business day. ities, GEI Consultants, the public a major goal. In addition to a num- ber of public informa- tion sessions, project representatives have also met with Liberty ERIN PLUMMER Hill residents in their Jim Ash, Vice President of GEI Consultants, describes the work to be done on the Liberty Hill homes. They will contin- site. ue to be available to di- Mary Casey, Environ- and taken to ESMI in operations run from the rectly answer questions mental Health and Safe- Loudon for treatment. northern side. Ash said and address concerns. ty Manager for Liberty The treated soil will then there will not be one “Our main focus here Utilities. be taken back to the site large hole in the ground is to make sure the com- An estimated 93,000 and used as backfill. at any time. Instead munity remains com- cubic yards of soil (ap- Work has begun in workers will excavate fortable with the work proximately 30 tons) will the southern portion of then fill as they go. that is being done,” said be removed from the site the site while project SEE PROJECT PAGE A9 Patrick’s hosting fundraiser for local boy battling brain cancer Sunday, June 1 at 4 of support from the com- ily. We are asking for the “Army of Austin’s p.m., Patrick’s Pub and munity. He is currently donated auction items Angels”, or mailed to Eatery will be hosting at home with his family. to be dropped off at the BNH 62 Pleasant St La- a fundraiser for Austin Friends, family and Hair Factory Salon and conia, NH 03246 Cote and his family. supporters are invited Day Spa on Gilford East Please join us at Pat- Austin, who is five to Patrick’s this coming Drive in care of Shelly ricks and show Austin ERIN PLUMMER and a half years old and Sunday, June 1, with Middleton. Please drop and his family once Gilford High School poetry winner Meghan Desautelle reads lives in Gilford, was complimentary light them off no later than again what our commu- her poem “Rainbow” during the awards night for the PTA’s diagnosed with PMA- appetizers, registra- Friday so the silent auc- nity is all about! 13th annual Poetry Competition. pilomyxoid astrocy- tion and silent auction tion information can be If you have any ques- toma, which is an ag- beginning at 4 p.m., updated in time for Sun- tions or would like to gressive form of brain followed by a live auc- day. They can also be make a donation, please Students share their cancer, when he was just tion. As the Gilford and dropped off at Patricks contact Erika Willette six months old. Austin, Greater Lakes Region Pub. at Erika.willette@hot- his mother Amy and community has done so In addition, dona- mail.com. talents in poetry contest brother Christopher many times before, we tions to the family can BY ERIN PLUMMER vocabulary, and compre- have struggled over the hope you will join us be made at any Bank [email protected] hension skills.” years and are in need in supporting this fam- of NH office payable to Students from kinder- The PTA has spon- garteners through high sored the poetry compe- school seniors shared tition for 13 years. their poetic creations “Our focus with this Unclassical Night gives student in a school district-wide exercise is really to just contest where they could ask students to embrace receive big prizes and their inner poets and to performers their own stage simple recognition of be positively rewarded their works. for those efforts,” Jef- BY ERIN PLUMMER an ensemble, whether dents the opportunity their own because we do The 13th Annual Poet- freys said. [email protected] in band, chorus, theater, to perform any kind of something as a group all ry Competition Reading Students in grades Performing arts stu- and other arts, took their music. Sanborn said the year,” Sanborn said. and Awards night took kindergarten through dents at Gilford High own spotlights. The students could perform She said this is a big place on Thursday. It 12th grade were invited School were given the event was emceed by whatever they want- event for the students, was the culmination of to submit an original opportunity to shine Choral Director Denise ed to, whether popular as it gives them the op- the poetry contest held poem on any topic. They solo or in small groups Sanborn and 22 solo and songs, classical pieces, portunity to perform on in April by the Gilford turned their poems in for the annual Unclassi- small group performanc- show tunes, their own their own. School District PTA in right after returning cal Night Club. es took place throughout compositions, singing, The event was gen- honor of National Poetry from April vacation. The On Thursday night, the night. instruments, or whatev- erally open for students Month. contest received 307 en- students who may have Unclassical Night er else they wanted to do. involved in any aspect of “We know that chil- tries, which Jeffries said been more accustomed was meant as a casual “Just a chance for the Performing Arts De- dren are naturally was one of the strongest to performing as art of performance giving stu- them to do something on partment. drawn to humor, rhyme, responses she has ever Sanborn said the stu- and rhythm, and all seen during the history dents had four days for these are found in poet- of her involvement with rehearsals leading up ry,” said PTA President the program. to the Unclassical Night Merry Jeffreys. A panel of judges Club. She compliment- Jeffreys said this is chose one main winner ed the students for their the reason why children for each of the schools. ability to pull all these learn nursery rhymes, All the top winners re- performances together as rhymes help children ceived their own Kindle, in such little time. develop an ear for lan- as well as a trophy. The Sanborn said many guage. three winning poems of the performers had “Writing poetry is a were also printed on never performed in front great exercise for stu- bookmarks that will be of people on their own dents,” Jeffreys said. available at the school before. Many of the per- “It gives them a chance libraries as well as the formers were freshmen to experiment with lan- Gilford Public Library. and students in other guage and vocabulary The judges also chose a grades performing for and freely share their finalist from each grade, the first time. ideas without the con- who each received a “The next three years, finement if perfect gram- trophy. All the students I am only imagining if mar or firm structures. who submitted a poem these freshmen contin- We can use poetry to mo- will receive a ribbon for ERIN PLUMMER ue,” Sanborn said to the tivate kids to read and as their participation. Heather Hunt and Colin Crift perform “Only Ones Who Knew” by Arctic Monkeys during Gilford audience. a tool to build fluency, SEE POETRY PAGE A9 High School’s Unclassical Night Club. SEE UNCLASSICAL PAGE A10 A2 THE GILFORD STEAMER ALMANAC THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2014 Notes from the Gilford Public Library BY MOLLY HARPER Blood.” This novel is continuation of series the Library, 1:30-3:30 cellent Fortunes,” “Love p.m. Library Correspondent the next installment in this summer. Louise p.m. Open painting will Potion Number 10” and At long last, we are Gabaldon’s celebrated Penny’s newest install- be offered weekly at “A Jana Bibi Adven- Tuesday, June 3 now fully immersed in historical fiction series, ment in the Chief Inspec- the library. Bring your ture.” Storytime Finale spring, with summer and continues the saga tor Gamache series will supplies and hone your with Author Cheryl rapidly approaching. of the Fraser family as be released in August, craft. Friday, May 30 Blaser, 10:30-11:15 Barbeques, beach vis- they struggle to remain and Janet Evanovich’s Conversational Conversational a.m. its and road trips await together despite affairs, next Stephanie Plum French, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Spanish for Preschool- Rug Hooking, 10:30 us in just a few short betrayals, and war in the story will come out Crafter’s Corner, ers, 10-10:30 a.m.