THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2013 SERVING TILTON, NORTHFIELD, BELMONT & SANBORNTON, N.H. FREE 2012: THE YEAR IN REVIEW Tilton looks back on a year of progress BY DONNA RHODES provided the building space [email protected] for it and they, along with town officials, celebrated its TILTON — The past year success. has been one of continued Also this past year, Tilton positive progression for the received word it was one of Town of Tilton with the only two New Hampshire award of a generous Brown- towns to receive a federal fields Grant, the opening of Brownfields Grant in 2012, the new Tilton Senior Cen- enabling the town to clean up ter, and the introduction of a the former Ernie’s Garage Winter Farmers’ Market property and make room for which became not only a re- green space and a bridge on source for local producers the Winnipesaukee River but brought a lot of shoppers Trail. to the town. Town Administrator “Like the saying, ‘If you Joyce Fulweiler was thrilled build it, they will come,’ and with the news last summer, come they did. This has been having spent countless hours wonderful. Thank you all,” on the lengthy application. said Farmers’ Market man- “It was the hardest appli- DONNA RHODES ager Joan O’Connor on open- cation I have ever filled out, The Town of Tilton was a 2012 recipient of a $200,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields grant to clean up a hazardous waste site ing day last January. on Main Street. On hand for a presentation of the funds on Aug. 13 were (left to right) Commissioner Tom Burack of the New Hampshire Department and they’re highly competi- AutoServ of Tilton not on- tive grants,” Fulweiler said of Environmental Services, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Chuck Mitchell of the Tilton Conservation Commission, selectmen Pat Consentino and Sandy ly sponsored the market, but Plessner, and Ira Leighton, regional deputy director for the EPA. SEE TILTON, PAGE A8 Belmont reflects on a year of change BY DONNA RHODES events in the village. lot beside the mill building. ple along Dearborn Street, off [email protected] Plans to close a portion of Once green space is created Route 140, or to Seavey Road Mill Street where it meets at the top of Mill Street next off Route 106. BELMONT — The biggest Main Street were also in- year, the bandstand will be By November,however,re- topic in Belmont for 2012 was cluded in the design, but to repositioned on the new pairs were complete, the wa- perhaps the changes and im- do so, a special August town lawn, closer to Main Street. ter mains were installed and provements that took place meeting had to be held. Vot- “I think a lot of people are traffic was back to normal in as one historic structure was ers on August 21 were asked going to be very happy when Belmont Village. moved and work on the vil- to approve the partial closure this (revitalization) is fin- Fourth of July brought an lage infrastructure got un- of Mill Street and to further ished and they see how great unexpected blow to a neigh- derway when the initial approve the purchase of the it looks,” said one onlooker borhood along Lake Win- phase of the Village Revital- former bank building beside as crews began cutting trees nisquam when a microburst ization plans began. it for a negotiated amount to make room for the future tore down several trees, clos- After a charrette that laid that would not exceed improvements. ing roads near Mosquito out ideas for ways to draw $250,000. Money for the pur- As the water main and Bridge and damaging some more residents to the village, DONNA RHODES chase would come from a spe- drainage project was in homes in the area. Fortu- In April of 2012, Selectman Geoff Ziminsky was pleased to present selectmen and the Heritage cial municipal buildings progress, however, another nately,no one was injured in Marjorie Norrell with the Boston Post Cane as Northfield’s oldest resi- Commission began to look at fund. Both questions passed minor inconvenience hit res- the brief tempest but electri- dent. On hand for the ceremony were town officials and four generations how some of those ideas and the town is now contem- idents when selectmen were cal crews and tree cutting of Norrell’s family. could be done. plating what the future of the notified that the Church companies were kept busy Among the plans they de- building will be. Street Bridge required im- for several days, clearing the cided upon were a pavilion First up, however, was in- mediate closure. roads and repairing damage and a river walk, along with A year of celebration frastructure improvement “We got a fax (on Aug. 23) along Sunset Drive. the relocation the historic though. In August streets that said the bridge had flaws “Thank goodness our bandstand and a Boy Scout’s were dug up and crews began and we shouldn’t be using it,” damage was minimal but as veterans’ memorial project to install new water mains to said select board Chairman heavy rainstorms intensify in Northfield to more suitable locations. homes and businesses in the Jon Pike. in frequency and severity, They also included a new ac- BY DONNA RHODES mont, Sanbornton and from village district. Selectmen held an emer- flooding and property dam- [email protected] cess road and parking spaces as far away as Concord. For- At the same time, the his- gency meeting and immedi- age become a concern,” said tunately the home was unoc- behind the town library to ac- toric bandstand was placed ately got to work barricading Mooney at a meeting with en- NORTHFIELD — The commodate those attending cupied at the time and no fire on cribbing and moved to a the bridge and detouring peo- SEE BELMONT, PAGE A8 year 2012 was a relatively fighters were injured while peaceful one in the commu- battling the blaze. nity of Northfield, filled with After a quiet Town Meet- celebrations, fun and the ing in March, selectmen Sanbornton community comes together presentation of the first were pleased to announce the Boston Post Cane in several BY DONNA RHODES was completed in early fall. addition of audio recordings years. The town was not [email protected] Through the continued of all their meetings, which without a few troubling aid of federal ARRA funding, began with the March 20 times, though, when fires SANBORNTON — In 2012, leftover from previous wa- meeting of the board. broke out on Granite Street the Town of Sanbornton terfront projects, Sanborn- “At Town Meeting, the vot- in February. came together in many ways, ton was also able to make im- ers asked to have the meet- After a fatal fire struck the celebrating their communi- provements to the town ings recorded, and selectmen community on Granite ty, its heritage, and working beach, install a new culvert wanted to get started with Street in the early morning to protect the waterfront at Black Brook and skim coat that right away,” said Town hours of Feb. 10, Tilton- along Lake Winnisquam. the road to improve driving Administrator Glenn Smith. Northfield Fire and EMS It was a busy year once conditions. On the day after each of were called back to the neigh- more for the Department of In 2012, roads were not the the weekly meetings, Smith borhood 13 days later, this Public Works, beginning only construction projects in has been downloading the time to 43 Granite St. for a with the hiring of new direc- town, however. Boy Scout recordings onto the town’s second residential fire. tor Johnny Van Tassel, who, DONNA RHODES Henry Stock did his part to Web site to make them avail- During 2012 Old Home Days celebrations in Sanbornton, David and Captain Timothy Ames not long after taking over the improve the Town Park by able for everyone to hear. Elaine Swain had a place of honor in the parade when the entire family was among the first respon- position, was faced with one building a raised flower bed In 2012, Northfield re- was named the Grand Marshals, honoring their 75 years of farming and ders, and he requested a first- of the worst mud seasons in and flag pole, installing a commitment to the community. alarm for additional assis- SEE NORTHFIELD, PAGE A8 recent years. loudspeaker system and a tance while still en route to While some local reports was tow truck after tow truck sort owner, Bill Cutillo. scoreboard for recreation de- the scene as initial reports said the exceptionally mud- pulling people out of the Cutillo encouraged the partment games and events, INDEX indicated two occupants of dy conditions on many of the mud. It’s all about public safe- town to take advantage of the as part of his Eagle Scout ■ the home were unaccounted town roads were leading to a ty in an instance like this,” state’s offer to repair the road project. Volume 6 • Number 1 for by neighbors and might budget deficit, Selectman Van Tassel said. at a total cost of $266,252. The “This is all something we 16 Pages in 2 Section possibly still be inside the Karen Ober revealed that Once the mud dried, it was town would then be reim- have wanted here for a very building. Editorial Page .......................A4 was not the case. In fact, sav- business as usual though and bursed $177,502 of that ex- long time,” said Julie Loner- “The right side of the ings from a new waste re- Sanbornton continued its pense and would gain owner- gan, coordinator for San- house had fire already com- North Country Notebook .....A4 moval contract at the trans- improvements on their infra- ship of the road from the bornton Recreation Depart- ing through windows on the Business ............................A7-8 fer station were able to help structure.