www.newhampshirelakesandmountains.com SERVING THE NORTH COUNTRY SINCE 1889 [email protected] 122ND YEAR, 29TH ISSUE LITTLETON, N.H., WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2011 75¢ (USPS 315-760) DES denies new Alteration of Terrain permit for Dalton raceway Applicant says he didn’t apply for new permit KHELA KUPIEC an Alteration of Terrain per- engineering – found in the and didn’t submit a second [email protected] mit. submitted plans and analy- Alteration of Terrain, or DALTON – The pro- In a letter dated July 6, ses are listed as reasons for AOT, application for the posed Dalton drag strip suf- the department said it had denial in the four-page let- raceway in the first place. fered another blow earlier received insufficient infor- ter provided to The He says he submitted an this month when the mation on the project, even Littleton Courier by the application for a concrete Department of after a request for and DES. operation, and still has the Environmental Services receipt of additional details. Ingerson said Friday he AOT permit for the drag (DES) denied owner Several inconsistencies – had not received notice that strip that the DES gave him Douglas “Chick” Ingerson largely having to do with his application was denied, SEE RACEWAY, PAGE A11 PHOTO BY JEFF WOODBURN Jeff Rennell was busy scooping ice cream on Saturday afternoon. Local ice cream shops make WMUR's top 10 list By Jeff Woodburn ice cream. BETHLEHEM – Two local When told of their 6th ice cream shops -- Slick’s in place distinction, Karen Woodsville and Rennell’s in Wilson was surprised, Bethlehem -- made WMUR- “Wow, that’s fantastic.” TV’s top ten list. The survey She credited her behind was completed by con- the counter staff for their sumers throughout the state. dedication, hard work and Slick’s Ice Cream, which for “always (being) at the is located on Route 302 in counter with a smile.” She Woodsville, is owned by proudly noted that they Mike and Karen Wilson. were the “three of the top They’ve been making home- four” students at Woodsville ART MCGRATH/THE LITTLETON COURIER made ice cream for six years High School’s class of 2011. READY TO INSTALL but only began serving at There is no secret, Mike their road-side shop three Wilson said. Use good, fresh These huge 80-foot steel girders were to be placed across the Ammonoosuc River, Monday morning, for the new Redington Street Bridge. years ago. Previously, they products, at least 14 percent Last week, when they arrived in town, they stopped traffic as people stopped to watch. They are shown here parked across from Lakeway just supplied a few retail ratio of butter fat and “stay- Elementary School. outlets with quarts of their SEE ICE CREAM PAGE A10 Highland Croft abutters, Application for sanatorium in Bethlehem town of Littleton meet sent to ZBA for special exception again in court BY KHELA KUPIEC claims the Planning Board’s Planning Board public hearing canceled due to zoning mix-up [email protected] decision was legal and rea- NORTH HAVERHILL – sonable. KHELA KUPIEC last week’s Planning Board Kevin Killeen in the sale of a After the meeting was Superior Court Justice Peter Gould has had trouble [email protected] meeting after the board house at 2444-2442 Main adjourned and the public Bornstein heard arguments selling his property and announced it had over- Street to Dr. Karen Fitzhugh, hearing canceled due to Bethlehem – A representa- in a case between the town wants to make it more looked a zoning rule. contingent on the property the application being tive for the owners of a of Littleton and property appealing to commercial Andrew Smith of being zoned for a sanatori- withdrawn, Smith and Bethlehem property with- abutters to the Highland development by blasting Peabody and Smith Realty is um. The Planning Board Fitzhugh were allowed to drew their application for Croft development Monday and removing 1.5 million representing Donna and announced that the building use the building for an site plan approval during morning at Grafton Superior cubic yards of material from was outside District 1 Main informational session on Court. the Highland Croft site, lev- Street, which allows for hos- the project called The abutters – Jan and eling a 70-foot knoll. The his- pitals, convalescent homes Sovereign Journey. Mary Edick, Steve and toric Highland Croft lodge, and institutions of philan- Smith started the ses- Stacey Northrop and Russell which had been on the prop- thropic use in addition to sion with a Merriam- and Lucy Magoon, repre- erty, burned down in 2008. sanatoriums. Webster Dictionary defi- sented by their attorney, According to the abutters’ The Zoning Board of nition of sanatorium –“an Scott Hogan – claim that the trial brief, the five-year proj- Adjustment must now establishment that pro- Littleton Planning Board’s ect is “within a recognized review and decide on vides therapy combined Jan. 4 approval of an excava- aquifer zone” and blasting whether a special exception with a regimen (as of diet tion application sought by would happen less than will be allowed for the prop- and exercise) for treat- Richard Gould of Houston 2,000 feet from the town’s erty before a new applica- ment or rehabilitation” – Littleton, LLC, was unlaw- Brickyard Wellhead tion can be submitted to the and Fitzhugh took it from ful. The town, represented in Protective Area. The project Planning Board. there. court by Judith Whitelaw of will also bring added “noise, Several residents and She explained that the Mitchell Municipal Group, SEE COURT, PAGE A11 property abutters turned out SEE BETHLEHEM, PAGE A10 for the Planning Board meeting and public hearing, $ $ many with concerns over 500 Reward 500 Reward what “sanatorium” meant and what kind of clientele it for would bring to the area. “BABY” Chocolate Labrador Female, 2 Years Old Lost in Franconia Area. Dr. Hugh’s Dental PC Hubert W. Hawkins IV MPH DDS KHELA KUPIEC/THE LITTLETON COURIER 209 Cottage Street, Littleton, NH Season Just Getting Started (603) 444-4141 Eric Skovsted (right) assists Ann (left) and Mason Olmstead, who Beautiful Ceramic Crowns live in Franconia for a few weeks during the summer, with pur- in One Visit. chases during the Littleton Farmers’ Market on Sunday. Please call 941-726-4973. DrHughsDental.com Littleton, N.H., 42 pages INSIDE 33 Main Street LOCAL INSIDE SPORTS . B1 COURT . .A6 Franconia Review of EDITORIAL . .A4 FROM THE FRONT . .A10 CARTOON . .A4 SPOTLIGHTS . .C1 Christmas McPhaul’s REAL ESTATE . .B6 OBITUARIES . .A17 tree taken LETTERS . .A4 “Cannon AREA NEWS . .A8 POLICE . .A6 down A2 Mountain” A5 CLASSIFIEDS . .B10 CALENDAR . .C6 A2 THE LITTLETON COURIER, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2011 Local News A tree goes in Franconia By LORNA COLQUHOUN was significant rotting at the 1989, that was the beginning tree." Special to The Courier top and it could be a liability. of the end for the spruce. A couple of years ago, FRANCONIA - The "It looks so solid, but "Hurricane Hugo volunteers took down the seemingly stout and sturdy there's a rotten spot up snapped the top off it," thousands of traditional spruce tree that shaded the there," said Sam Stevenson, Stevenson said, and it was bulbs and put up strands of lawn of the Abbie Greenleaf who began taking the tree likely that nothing was done LED lights, which were Library came down last down Friday afternoon. to seal it up. Over the years, expensive initially, but last- weekend, losing a battle On Saturday morning, the tree continued to grow ed longer in the elements. with rot that ate away at it's after he took down the top, and it wasn't until Stevenson The strands of lights were crown. he was able to extend the began cutting it down that carefully removed and were Branch by branch and length of his arm inside it, he discovered it had split in piles on the library lawn. limb by 30-foot limb, the tree pulling out a fistful of finely after the storm and grown Stevenson cast an eye to the was carefully removed, rotted trunk. into a double top. other side of the lawn, leaving a gaping spot on the No one knows exactly Back in the 1960s and where another old spruce lawn where it grew for close how long the tree has been 1970s, it was the town stands. to a century. Earlier this part of the landscape of the Christmas tree, decorated "Guess we'll have to get year, selectmen made the Abbie Greenleaf Library, with lights of the day, a cou- to work on that one," he said difficult decision to take built in 1912 by Col. Charles ple of which would be found with a laugh. down the soaring spruce, Greenleaf, owner of the years later deep among the On Saturday morning, which reached close to 75 Profile House in Franconia branches. For some reason, passersby slowed on their feet tall, after an assessment Notch, and named for his the tradition stopped, but drives down Main Street to of it determined that there wife. was revived six or seven see what was happening Librarian Jane Cloran has years ago. with the tree and a few peo- PICK YOUR OWN... an early photo of the library, It was Stevenson, along ple stopped to take photos. RASPBERRIES & BLUEBERRIES but there is no sign of the with Kim Cowles and a few With its long boughs and Tues. & Thurs. 9am - 5pm, Sat. 9am - Noon tree. But because of its others who spent several thick branches, the spruce PRATT FARM height, she and others figure years turning what had was one of the first shady 63 Water Street, Lancaster, NH that it wasn't long after the turned into a bit of a Charlie places people put dibs on 603-788-4320 opening that it was planted.