Dump Drama. Advocates Rally Senate Support For - State Parks-Landfill Buffer Bill. Page 2 - Townnews
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THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021 Page 12
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Dump Drama. Advocates Rally Senate Support For
State Parks-Landfill Buffer Bill. Page 2
2 The Record Thursday, May 13, 2021
Advocates Rally Senate Support For State Parks-Landfill Buffer Bill
BY ROBERT BLECHL In this file photo, protesters
Staff Writer act in opposition to a pro-
posed Casella Waste Systems
After rising from the ashes to pass the New landfill in Dalton. A bill that
Hampshire House of Representatives in April, seeks to prohibit new landfills
advocates of the bill that seeks to prohibit any within two miles of any state
new landfill within two miles of any park bound- park passed the New Hamp-
ary are now working to enlist state senators for shire House of Representa-
support. tives. It now moves to the New
House Bill 177, put forth after the proposal by
Casella Waste Systems for a commercial landfill
Hampshire Senate. (File photo
beside Forest Lake State Park in Dalton, went to by Robert Blechl)
a New Hampshire Senate hearing on Monday,
May 10.
Among its local co-sponsors is state Rep.
Dennis Thompson, R-Stewartstown, who spoke
on May 5 during a virtual meeting hosted by the
Sierra Club that drew 70 bill supporters from
across New Hampshire to rally support in the
New Hampshire Senate and be part of an effort Hampshire. The Turnkey landfill in Rochester er, there are many, said Hennessey. sion that determined that waste is commerce and
to reduce the amount of out-of-state trash buried has permitted capacity to least 2034. Mt. Car- Adverse impacts include Forest Lake water states cannot prohibit landfills from accepting it.
in New Hampshire. berry [outside Berlin] has permitted capacity to quality; wetlands, nuisance animals, visual, noise, But there is a way around it, he said.
“Although this has been pushed as an an- at least 2049. On top of that, almost 50 percent and odor impacts; the number of trucks going by “Right across the border in Maine, they re-
ti-landfill bill, my thoughts from the beginning, of the trash that we end up burying in the ground three elementary schools, two of which have alized they were having a large problem with
when I asked [state Rep.] Edith [Tucker, D-Ran- here in New Hampshire is from out of state. If dangerous intersections; and impacts to property out-of-state waste entering their areas, so what
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dolph] if she’d let me co-sponsor it, is that this we stopped importing trash from other states, values for those Dalton-Whitefield residents who they did is prohibited the new development of
is a state park bill,” said Thompson. “This is our capacity timeline would almost double. It is live around Forest Lake when the landfill would any privately owned landfills and they decided
not a landfill bill. If someone wanted to build a a complete false statement to claim that unless begin to grow and become visible, she said. to prohibit any out-of-state waste in their state-
junkyard next to Forest Lake State Park, there’d we have this particular landfill next to this par- In its notice to abutters, Casella said up to half owned landfills,” said Blair. “They decided that
be the same uprising … I also know we need to ticular state park we’re going to run out of places of the waste buried in Dalton (specifically, up to if the public, the taxpayer, is going to fund these
have capacity to get rid of our trash. But the key to put trash and it will be chaos.” 49 percent) could be imported from other states. landfills, if it’s truly state-owned, they should
word there is our trash.” Another argument, said Bouldin, is that the “One of the worst parts is what it will ulti- not have to accept any out-of-state waste. It
Thompson, too, said there has to be a place to two-mile measurement is “arbitrary” and not de- mately leave behind and the poison that will should just be for Maine-generated waste, and
dispose of solid waste. rived from any scientific study. leach out of the landfill,” said Hennessey. “It’s that’s perfectly legal.”
“I just would like it to not be in the White “A two-mile buffer may not be the result of a not if it will leak, it’s when it will leak. It would Thompson, who has been in the construction
Mountains of New Hampshire,” he said. peer-reviewed scientific study, but I would argue just be very devastating to the entire area … business for 45 years, has worked on landfill
Jerry Curran, chairman of the New Hamp- that it’s far from arbitrary,” he said. “Just a casu- There are many reasons to support this bill and closures across New England and in the last 15
shire state chapter of the Sierra Club, thanked al Google search about landfill odor complaints I will need all of your help in convincing my years has done about 75 percent of his work for
the volunteers for their thousands of hours of will uncover a plethora of articles from all areas fellow senators to support this bill.” the New Hampshire parks division, said the an-
enlisting support for HB 177. of the country, including New Hampshire. Res- Fred Anderson, Whitefield resident and pres- swer might be reverting to the smaller municipal
“As far as HB 177 … it’s a no-brainer,” he idents experience negative landfill impacts such ident of the Forest Lake Association, said the landfill model instead of allowing large compa-
said. “A buffer two miles from a state park – why as odor, noise, and scavenger birds for miles. issue is not being pushed by NIMBYs (acronym nies to drive the state’s solid waste management
wouldn’t we do that? This is New Hampshire. It seems like the worst of the effects are within for Not In My Backyard). He also voiced concerns about landfill leaks,
This is why we’re here … Some of the most three miles, but some have reported issues as far “We have been called a NIMBY organiza- a topic he said brought up two decades ago at a
beautiful state parks in the world are in New away as 20 miles.” tion,” he said. “But remember, NIMBY can landfill conference in Boston to the then-admin-
Hampshire and people come from everywhere New Hampshire would not be the only state mean ‘next it might be you.’ If this landfill istrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection
to see them so it’s really our job to make sure it with a park buffer, said Bouldin. doesn’t happen in Dalton, it could happen any- Agency when he asked what will happen in 30
stays like that.” “North Carolina has a two-mile buffer around where in this state. You can be sure they’ll be years’ time to all of the landfills in New England
Following the House’s passing of the bill on their state parks,” he said. “Georgia has a 3.2- looking for some place to put that 49 percent that had closed.
April 9, Casella spokesman Joe Fusco said the mile buffer around their parks and New Jersey out-of-state trash …We are trying to protect “I’ve seen the material they use to line these
company continues to believe HB 177 is bad has a 6.25-mile buffer around their protected ar- our state parks, one of our most important nat- with, I’ve seen the way they’re welded together
legislation, would lead to a significant decline eas. If anything, two miles is a compromise. The ural resources, and we are also trying to protect with a plastic welder, and the covers,” he said.
in disposal capacity if no new capacity is per- fact of the matter is that HB 177 is a bipartisan our state’s economy, which is so dependent on “Everyone says it’s only guaranteed for 30 years,
mitted, and would drive up waste disposal costs. and common-sense piece of legislation that bal- tourism … This is good public policy for New so the closed landfills we have in New England
Not all lawmakers agree. ances the property rights of individuals with the Hampshire, its citizens, its businesses, and its and probably all over America are nothing but a
Supporter Arguments shared property rights of all of us and our ability visitors … This protects the property rights of storage facility. They are not a final resting place
State Rep. Andrew Bouldin, D-Manchester, to enjoy our unique natural resources.” the citizens of New Hampshire against outside for this trash. Sooner or later, we will have to
a bill supporter, pointed to the core arguments A bill co-sponsor is state Sen. Erin Hennessey, corporate interests.” come up with a solution, as these liners and caps
against HB 177. R-Littleton, who said she received numerous let- Imported Trash, Leak Concerns fail. I know of a couple of caps in New England
Casella claims New Hampshire is running out ters, emails, and phone calls about HB 177, and Last week’s meeting also elicited questions that have already failed and they’ve only been in
of places to put its trash and a landfill in Dalton other senators are receiving them as well. about out-of-state waste and why it has to come there 10 or 12 years. It’s a huge problem.”
is needed or the state will be in a trash crisis and “It’s not going to be easy sailing in the Sen- into New Hampshire. Hennessey said the issue of landfills “is not
disposal costs would skyrocket, he said. ate,” she said. “We have some opposition in my Peter Blair, staff attorney for the Conservation just a North Country thing.”
“Here’s the problem with that argument – it party and we may have opposition in the Demo- Law Foundation’s Zero Waste project, said the Currently, the New Hampshire Department
just isn’t true,” said Bouldin. “We have no im- cratic party as well.” Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution led of Environmental Services requires a setback of
mediate issue with this local capacity in New If senators need a reason to support it, howev- to a Supreme Court of the United States deci- 100 feet for any landfill beside a state park.
Thursday, May 13, 2021 The Record 3
News Briefs
For Second Year, COVID American Leaders). tion.
Ruprecht is among 19 state and local lawmakers from across the “It’s billed as a group of pro-growth progressives focused on re-
Concerns Scuttle Traditional country chosen to join the group, which was founded in 2011 and building the economy, combating COVID …” he said. “The more I
Memorial Day Ceremony now connects and supports 178 leaders in 47 states. Members of learn about it, the more excited I am about it. It seems like a really
the NewDEAL have included Pete Buttigieg, Stacey Abrams and great organization and a really impressive network.”
LITTLETON — For the second consecutive year, concerns Jason Kander. Ruprecht said he was nominated for NewDEAL by John W. Mc-
about COVID-19 spread have scuttled another traditional Memo- Ruprecht said Monday that he is really excited about his selec-
rial Day ceremony. See News Briefs, Page 6
Organized annually by the Littleton Veterans of Foreign Wars
Post 816, the Memorial Day procession along Main Street that in-
cludes youth and school bands, a color guard, community members,
and scores of area veterans and ends with a laying of the wreaths
ceremony, a guest speaker, the playing of taps, and a 21-gun salute
on the Veterans Memorial Bridge has become one of the area’s larg-
est Memorial Day events, with hundreds of residents lined up along
Main Street and gathering on Cottage Street.
This year, that won’t be happening, but the town’s servicemen
who were killed in wars and conflicts will still be honored.
“The Memorial Day Committee met this weekend and have de-
cided that it would be best at this time to cancel any plans regarding
the procession and gathering on the Veterans Memorial Bridge on
Cottage Street,” Bill Sargent, member of the VFW’s honor guard
and Memorial Day Committee, wrote in an update.
Instead, VFW participants will be doing as they did last year and
have the Memorial Day ceremonies virtual on the VFW Post 816
social media page for viewing later in the day, he said.
“Recording of some of the ceremony will be taken place over the
course of the next couple of weeks with the actual ceremony with
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the guest speaker and associated events being held at the VFW Post
816 chapel at the pavilion on Monday, May 31, between 11 a.m.
and 1 p.m.,” said Sargent.
“The public is welcome to attend, but will be required to prac-
tice social distancing and wear a mask,” he said. “We will also be
having a barbecue afterward, which is welcomed to the attendees of
the ceremony. The pavilion has just had a beautiful addition added
“At the age of 71,
to it by the VFW members and its auxiliary. It is an amazing area
that has plenty to offer for any type of event … Plenty of room for
social distancing.”
I’m sleeping like a baby!”
The Memorial Day Committee, which also includes Dan Green-
law, Don Butson, Al Fisher and Randy White, hopes that next year
the VFW will be able to get things back to normal and have the
— John St. Francis
important day in its traditional form, said Sargent. John St Francis (right) has a new energy for life thanks to Littleton Regional Healthcare. It all started this past
Littleton Health Officer Milton Bratz applauded the decision. October when John applied to be a bus driver for the Littleton Senior Center. Because John had been diagnosed
“Given the viral transmission issues we are unfortunately still with obstructive sleep apnea in 1983, he needed to be retested.
facing here in the North Country, this decision by the Memorial
Day Committee was a good one,” he said to Sargent. “Thanks to all John went to see Dr. Irving Smith (left), a board-certified internist and sleep medicine specialist at of the North
concerned for continuing to follow the science.” Country Sleep Center at Littleton Regional Healthcare. Dr. Smith conducted an at-home sleep study which revealed
In a normal year, Littleton students lay the Memorial Day wreaths that John was once again suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, a potentially serious disorder which breathing
on the plaques of the nearly 50 Littleton veterans who died in the repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.
line of service and are named on the Veterans Memorial Bridge. John now uses a sleep apnea therapy machine, which provides a gentle flow of pressurized, filtered air to keep
his airway open during the night. The results have been impressive. “Thanks to Dr. Smith, I am seeing significant
State Representative Selected By improvements in my health, which leads to an overall improvement in quality of life. I am so thankful to be sleeping
soundly and enjoying this newfound energy!”
National Progressive Group
Last week was a big one for N.H. State Representative Denny
Ruprecht, D-Landaff.
For one, he graduated summa cum laude from Plymouth State
University on Saturday, May 8, with a B.A. in political science and
minors in Spanish and sustainability.
For another, he was selected to join a national group of rising North Country Sleep Center
progressive leaders called the NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional 580 St. Johnsbury Road • Littleton, NH 03561
603-259-7780 • LittletonHealthcare.org
ON THE COVER: Signs of spring at night at the corner of
Oak Hill and Summit Avenue in Littleton. Where good health begins.
4 The Record Thursday, May 13, 2021
Helping The Hungry: Little Free Pantry Launched In Whitefield
The Little Free Pantry was the brainchild “Seeing what Littleton did, I was like, we Statewide, food insecurity increased 13
BY PAUL HAYES
of local resident, Ellen Endres, a local entre- need this everywhere,” Endres said. percent during COVID. More than 125,000
Staff Writer
preneur who operates a residential cleaning Looking for a location, Endres posted mes- New Hampshire residents (1 in 11) struggles
service (Wicked Meticulous) and a meal-de- sages to local Facebook community pages. with hunger, including over 34,000 children
WHITEFIELD — A small pantry is poised
livery service (Wicked Delicious). Vashaw responded, “almost immediately.” (1 in 8), according to the non-profit Feed-
to have a big impact.
She understands the problem of food inse- Supported by her board of directors, ing America. Responding to that need, local
The Little Free Pantry — all 49-square-
curity on a personal level. She had moved to Vashaw agreed to host the Little Free Pantry organizations have expressed interest in as-
feet of it — opened outside of the Whitefield
the North Country in 2013 with $150 in her in the library parking lot. sisting the Little Free Pantry, including the
Public Library this week.
pocket, and for a time struggled to make ends A fund-raising campaign was launched, Veterans 2 Veterans group.
Stocked with non-perishable food, toi-
meet. She wanted to help those facing similar and within “a couple of days” Endres and It will require continued support. Those
letries, household items, personal hygiene
circumstances today. Vashaw had collected enough donations to wanting to make donations or get more infor-
products and more, it was created to serve
“It’s hard to be poor. And it’s frustrating,” purchase a weatherproof Craftsman storage mation can email whitefieldpubliclibrary@
Whitefield’s neediest residents and address
she said. shed. Lowe’s agreed to knock $300 off the gmail.com or visit the pantry’s Facebook
food insecurity in this rural North Country
Endres said it was important that the Lit- price. Other community members donated page.
community.
tle Free Pantry was accessible around the storage totes. Meanwhile, Endres has turned her sights to
So far, it has enjoyed strong local support,
clock (for those who work unconventional The Town of Whitefield were enthusiastic Lancaster, where she hopes to create another
said Whitefield Librarian Courtney Vashaw.
hours) and include items that can’t be pur- partners. The Police and Public Works de- little free pantry. Those efforts are just get-
“We started accepting donations on Friday
chased with food stamp benefits (such as dia- partments signed off on the project, and the ting underway. She hopes to find community
and it’s full right now,” she said.
pers, toothpaste, shaving cream and feminine town donated material and labor to build a partners who share her passion for the Little
The pantry is unlocked, self-serve, and ac-
products). foundation and install the pantry. Free Pantry initiative, which she called a crit-
cessible 24/7. It allows people to come and
Also important was locating the pantry in a “It was very much a joint effort on the part ical need in the North Country.
go as they please, and provides anonymity
high-density, walkable area for residents who of the library, the town, and all of these inter- “It’s important that we have more of these,
for those reluctant to use face-to-face food
may not have vehicle access, she said. ested citizens,” Vashaw said. that everyone in every community can get
assistance programs.
She was inspired by a similar free pantry Food insecurity was an existing problem to,” she said.
It is meant to complement existing pantry
located in downtown Littleton, outside of the before the pandemic. COVID-19 made it
services, not compete with them.
First Congregational Church. worse.
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6 The Record Thursday, May 13, 2021
News Briefs “Stay tuned,” he said.
While college is over for now, the current house session contin-
time.
THE CURRENT FORMULA
Continued from Page 3 ues. The WMRSD is a five-town cooperative school district that in-
Ruprecht said that the session has been very unusual, from the cludes Carroll, Dalton, Jefferson, Lancaster and Whitefield.
Carthy, who currently works in the White House but met Rurprecht start. Under the existing agreement, each community’s share of the
as the Deputy National Political Director for Biden’s presidential “Everything about this session has been so unusual and, in a lot school budget is based on its average daily enrollment (60 percent)
campaign. of ways, disheartening from the start … with the loss of our speaker and equalized property value (40 percent).
Ruprecht, who has been involved with state politics since he was and COVID, but also the agenda that’s being pushed right now by a Carroll has objected to this formula as unfair. The town account-
15 or 16, gives a lot of credit to the N.H. presidential primary pro- lot of fringe people is really disturbing to me” he said. “This is not ed for 26.3 percent of WMRSD local education tax revenue but just
cess and his early involvement with Biden’s presidential campaign an agenda that’s good for New Hampshire in any way.” 5 percent of enrollment in the current school year.
for his ability to connect on the national scale. Ruprecht is excited about a possible networking opportunity in “That is the crux of the problem,” said Ben Jellison of Carroll.
As soon as a deputy N.H. state director, who happened to be an D.C. in the fall with NewDEAL. Complicating matters, Carroll accounts for 30 percent of the dis-
acquaintance, was named for the Biden campaign, Ruprecht sent an The new “class” of NewDEAL leaders includes Vermont’s Lieu- trict’s assessed land value, making it the only WMRSD community
email over saying he was “all in” and willing to help. tenant Governor Molly Gray. Though Gray and Ruprecht have that doesn’t qualify for state adequacy aid.
“I think that really meant a lot to the team, especially early on, some age between them, he noted that they grew up in neighboring Other WMRSD communities receive between $500,000 (Jeffer-
especially when there were a lot of people looking at Biden skep- towns and high schools and he was encouraged to see her name on son) and $4 million (Lancaster) in state aid.
tically,” said Ruprecht. “And to have a young state rep all in right the list as well. THE PROCESS
from the start … I think they really appreciated it.” Ruprecht represents the towns of Bath, Benton, Easton, Landaff, The Withdrawal Committee must report to the Department of
Ruprecht also credits Twitter as a great networking tool … and Orford, Piermont, and Warren. Education with a recommendation, or request for more time, by
where he first met McCarthy, his nominator. Oct. 26.
According to a press release from May 6, Ruprecht was selected Minority reports, if there are any, would be due by Nov. 1.
to join NewDEAL because of his dedication to expanding oppor- School Committee Lays Foundation Next, the Department of Education would approve a plan — ei-
tunities for New Hampshire’s middle class and working families For Withdrawal Study ther the plan submitted, or the minority report.
through high-quality education and a family-friendly economy. If the Department of Education decides against withdrawal, the
“One of Representative Ruprecht’s key initiatives was his work WHITEFIELD — Where are we now? What happens next? process ends. If DOE finds in favor of withdrawal, the proposal
to secure greater funding for the Haverhill public schools in his dis- The Carroll Withdrawal Committee focused on those two key would be voted on by all five WMRSD communities during the
trict,” reads the press release. “Representative Ruprecht has also led questions during their second meeting on Thursday. annual school meeting.
environmental advocacy efforts through the rebuilding of a heavily Gathered in the high school media center, the Withdrawal Com- If the proposal fails at the annual school meeting, the process
damaged dam, and has introduced legislation to protect minors by mittee laid out the current funding situation for the White Mountain ends. If it passes, withdrawal would take effect by July 1 of the
raising the minimum age of marriage.” Regional School District and looked at Carroll’s educational op- following year.
Ruprecht was campaign director for former state Sen. Jeff Wood- tions if the town successfully exits the WMRSD. If the withdrawal proposal is passed by Carroll, but fails dis-
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burn in 2016, represented the state in the U.S. Senate Youth Pro- That information will serve as the basis for future discussions, trict-wide, then Carroll could appeal to DOE, which would take
gram in 2017, and was first elected to the statehouse in 2018 at age as the Withdrawal Committee begins a six-month evaluation of the the matter under consideration and issue findings and recommen-
19, the Caledonian previously reported. town’s proposal to leave the district. dations, possibly requiring a special meeting for a vote of recon-
Last August, Ruprecht stepped into the national spotlight as one Earlier this year, Carroll voters approved a Town Meeting war- sideration.
of 17 “rising stars” who delivered the keynote address at the Dem- rant article to initiate a withdrawal, 214-58. THE OPTIONS
ocratic National Convention. The Withdrawal Committee has until Oct. 26 to make a recom- If Carroll successfully withdraws from the WMRSD, there are
While Ruprecht has made some post-graduation plans, he is not mendation to the state Department of Education, or request more two primary paths it can take.
ready to reveal them quite yet. Stay In SAU 36: An independent Carroll School District and the
remaining four-town WMRSD would remain a part of the current
supervisory union, SAU 36.
FURNITURE & FLOORING MATTRESS GALLERY WINDOW FASHIONS Carroll and WMRSD would have separate school boards, but
share the same superintendent and central office staff. Members of
Shop now for a great night’s sleep! both school boards would serve on an SAU 36 executive commit-
tee.
Leave SAU 36: This would require Carroll to complete two sepa-
rate processes. District withdrawal (ongoing) is required first before
SAU withdrawal could happen.
SAU withdrawal would require a planning committee (to study
the proposal and create a transition plan), a public meeting on the
MAY 14 THROUGH 24, 2021 plan, a DOE recommendation on the plan and — if the DOE sup-
ports it — a district-wide vote requiring 3/5 approval to pass.
MONDAY – SATURDAY Following a successful SAU withdrawal, Carroll could form a
9 AM TO 5 PM new SAU or join another.
& SUNDAY 11 AM TO 5 PM In that scenario the town could become part of a different co-
FREE DELIVERY WITHIN 50 MILES operative school district, such as the Profile or Lafayette Regional
0% 12 MONTH FINANCING school districts, or form a new one.
FOR QUALIFIED BUYERS
ADJUSTABLE Treasure Trove Of Historic Documents
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JEFFERSON — The town hall was already up in flames by the
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BOX- St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
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See News Briefs, Page 7
Thursday, May 13, 2021 The Record 7
News Briefs items would not be kept under lock and key.” Marshall clarified
that the historic documents themselves will, in fact, be kept under
pension plan went up. Our admissions at the nursing home stopped
for quite a while and 14 beds at the nursing home had to be set aside
Continued from Page 6 lock and key. But the information contained within them will not for a COVID unit and quarantine. We lost $1.2 million in revenue
be. Over time The Historical Society, in partnership with the Town from the nursing home. COVID had a major impact on us. It’s been
“It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen,” he said. of Jefferson, will process the documents and make the information rough.”
Marshall, the president of the Jefferson Historical Society, of- available to the public through physical and digital copies, other The county was able to obtain federal money for expenses, but
fered a sneak peak of the collection in a social media post on Tues- electronic formats, and social media channels (including facebook. not for lost revenue, at least so far, she said.
day. com/JeffersonHistoricalSocietyNH). “We want the contents/infor- “The hope is that we can use more recent federal money to offset
The documents included pre-Civil War militia pay records, cigar mation public, but from an archival standpoint this is not a hands- lost revenue,” said Lauer. “We could know by the end of May. At
boxes of loose documents from the 1800s, and property books and on free for all,” he explained. this point, we don’t know what we can use the federal money for
ledgers dating back close to the town’s incorporation in 1796. so we are not using it for anything now rather than take a chance of
Marshall, 59, said it will take years to sort through the materials. using it improperly and having to pay it back.”
“I don’t know if I’ll get through them in my lifetime,” he said. Commissioner Describes The fiscal year 2022 budget takes effect July 1.
Two months after the fire, the salvage operation began. Tough Budget Year (The county’s total fiscal year 2021 budget is $48.527 million).
The historic documents had been stored in a double-walled, con- The commissioners’ proposed 2022 budget next goes to the coun-
crete-lined steel safe (last opened in 1991) and a steel framed vault, For Grafton County, budgeting for fiscal year 2022 has been a ty executive committee for review and possible changes, followed
which stopped being used on a daily basis in 1996. challenge and the COVID-19 pandemic is largely to blame. by a vote at the end of June by the Grafton County Delegation.
Local resident Mitch Ingerson helped the town open the safe (the “This has been a rough budget year,” Grafton County Com- The commission is finishing up its proposed budget on Monday.
combination had been lost and the brass tumblers had melted in missioner Linda Lauer, of Bath, said Friday. “We have $500,000 “I think we are in a good place,” said Lauer. “There won’t be a
the fire) and offered his garage as a staging area for the documents. downshifted to us from the state because our contribution to the
Those items — some charred in the fire, others suffering from See News Briefs, Page 10
mold and mildew — were sent to BELFOR Property Restoration
in Marlborough, Mass. for repair and clean-up, paid for through the
town’s insurance. They will be returned within a few weeks.
Marshall, a member of the historical society for over 25 years,
had no prior knowledge of the safe or vault’s contents.
There were no gold bars, bags of cash, or precious art, Marshall
joked. But the historic contents were priceless.
“The material … represent the most significant collection of Jef-
National Women’s HealƧ Wƞks
ferson’s history we’ve ever seen,” he said during Tuesday’s sneak
peak.
Cyan Magenta Yellow Black
In partnership with the town, the historical society will seek out
and apply for grant funding to assess, store and make available the
documents.
As part of that process, documents may be scanned and convert-
May 10-21, 2021
ed into digital or microfilm archives, or entered into searchable da-
tabases. Two weeks to encourage and empower
Marshall said the goal is to get the material to the public, he said.
One opportunity may be the town’s 225th anniversary on Dec. 8.
women to take time to prioritize their health.
Marshall referred to the collection as the town’s “225th anniversary
surprise.” 10 11 12 13 14
“This is something we don’t want to let sit and have everybody
waiting for for years. It’s too good for that,” he said. “We will start, Breast Care: Nurses Health: Preparing for Do I Need a Pap Does Cancer Run in
as soon as we can, to make bits and pieces of this accessible as Screening for and give a gift to yourself Pregnancy: Test? Your Family?
we’re able to get into it.” reducing breast cancer for comprehensive What to do before you What about the HPV Getting to know your
Without the fire, Marshall doesn’t know when the documents risk. check-up promoting are expecting! vaccine to prevent personal risk factors
would have been uncovered. wellness from within. cancer? for cancer and how to
Up until now, he said, the historical society had been focused on screen for and reduce
cancers common in
day-to-day concerns and a pending move to the Jefferson Commu-
women.
nity Center.
“We didn’t go looking for huge historic archives, we didn’t have
the bandwidth or time,” he said.
17 18 19 20 21
For that reason, he called the discovery of the safe and vault’s Just Starting PCOS: Taking Care of Your Heart Health for Do I Need STD
contents “the silver lining” of the tragic fire. Menopause? (polycystic ovary Skin: Women: Screening?
Built in 1872, Town Hall had been a focal point in Jefferson. How to cope, what to syndrome) Getting to know your Know your numbers Yes! No one is at zero
It was home to the town offices and hosted countless wedding re- expect and how to build Everything you want moles and skin cancer and what they mean risk.
ceptions, memorial services, dances and performances, events and a healthy you in midlife. to know about your awareness. to you.
celebrations, and municipal government meetings. ovaries and more.
The nearly 150-year-old building served “an important role in
weaving the fabric of our community,” Marshall said.
The fire erased one part of the town’s history, but brought to light
another. Marshall hopes that discovery will pay dividends for years Please call (603) 788-5095 for an appointment
to come.
“I don’t want to make light of the fire. Boy oh boy, it was not Weeks Medical Center Weeks Medical Center
536 Cottage Street 8 Clover Lane
good. But it was kind of like, we lost the building, but we gained
Littleton, NH 03561 Whitefield, NH 03598
access to the collection.” he said. “The memories of the town hall North Country Home Health and Hospice Building
will fade, but what comes out of this material renews the town’s
memory of its entire history.”
—
CLARIFICATION: The story “Treasure Trove Of Historic Doc- Julie Hohmeister,
uments Survive Jefferson Fire” published on May 7 stated that APRN, WHNP-C
“[Jefferson Historical Society President Joe] Marshall said the
8 The Record Thursday, May 13, 2021
In Windham, The 2020 Election Still Rages
of 16,000 near the Massachusetts border, The town received thousands of emails
BY MICHAEL CASEY
as a chance to prove that something more from around the country demanding it
Associated Press
nefarious was amiss. If things were sus- pick Pulitzer, who, according to media
picious in Windham, maybe they were reports, claims to have invented technol-
WINDHAM, N.H. — Meetings of the
across the state and beyond. They just ogy that can detect fraudulent ballots.
Windham Board of Selectmen are usually
needed evidence. That prompted the crowd to turn up
as sleepy as they sound — a handful of
On Thursday, Trump joined the fray, at Monday’s board meeting; some car-
residents from the New Hampshire town,
congratulating “the great Patriots” in ried posters supporting of Pulitzer. The
a discussion of ambulance fees, maybe a
Windham “for their incredible fight to crowd was so large that the meeting was
drainage study.
seek out the truth” about fraud that he al- moved to the high school.
So when a crowd of about 500 peo-
leged, without evidence, had affected the “That was angry mob if I have ever
ple showed up last week, some waving
New Hampshire races and his own reelec- seen one,” said St. Laurent, who attend-
American flags, carrying bullhorns and
tion contest. Trump had been to Windham ed the meeting.
lifting signs questioning the presidential
in the past and is not shy about suggesting The crowd had hoped the board would
election, Bruce Breton knew things were
that voter fraud is rampant in the Granite reconsider its pick. It did not and now
about to change.
State. In 2017, he claimed that he and for- the auditors have until May 27 by law to
“I’ve never seen anything like this
mer Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte would complete their work. They will do an au-
before,” said Breton, who has served on
have won in New Hampshire the previous dit, which includes another hand count,
the board for 18 years. “The groundswell
year if not for voters bused in from out at the Edward Cross Training Center in
from the public is unbelievable.”
of state. There is no evidence to support Pembroke. Some outside observers, in-
The crowd at the Monday meeting
that claim. cluding at least 18 from Windham, will
had been fired up by conservative media,
Corey Lewandowski, a current Trump be allowed to monitor. It will also be
which in recent weeks has seized on the
adviser who calls Windham home and livestreamed.
town’s election results for four seats in
said he talked to Trump about the states In Windham, some residents simply
the state House as suspect. The attention,
races on Monday, said the large turnout want to find out what happened in their
fanned by a Donald Trump adviser who
at the board meeting showed that voters election. Was it the aging counting ma-
happens to be a Windham resident, has
Cyan Magenta Yellow Black
are “gravely concerned that the election chines? A human error in the recount?
helped a routine recount spiral, ultimately
system is not properly secured and that Maybe a bunch of extra votes slipped
engulfing the town in a false theory that
there is the potential at least for results into the count?
the national election was stolen from
that don’t align with what voters want.” But for others, the voter discrepan-
Trump.
Lewandowski said the results in Wind- cy has led them to ask larger questions
It doesn’t seem to matter that Repub-
ham suggested a statewide audit was about Trump’s loss in November.
licans won all four state House seats in
necessary to check other vote counting “I am not going to speculate on any-
question.
machines. “Unless a recount was done in thing until I get the answers to the Wind-
The dust-up shows just how far
these other communities, we don’t know ham thing, now that there are doubts
Trump’s election lies — and the search
if the machine tallies are accurate,” he about what is going on. I just want to
for evidence to support them — have bur-
said. “The larger concerns is this: if peo- know what happened in Windham,” said
rowed into American politics, even the
ple don’t believe that there is integrity in Breton, a Trump supporter and the only
most local. Like House Republicans in
the voting process, they won’t participate. board member to lobby for Pulitzer.
Washington fighting over what some call
That is the real issue.” “I would think you would have to
the “Big Lie” and lawmakers in Arizona
Sununu pushed back on Trump’s com- question voting among the whole state.
conducting a partisan “recount,” this bed-
ments, calling New Hampshire a model Windham is just a microcosm of what
room community is still wrestling with
for how to do things right. is going on,” he said. “If you can’t an-
the aftermath of 2020.
“A discrepancy of 300 votes out of over swer the question of what happens to
The trouble started when Kristi St.
800,000 cast does not define massive vot- those votes, you might have questions
Laurent, a Democratic candidate for the
er fraud by any means. We passed a bill, about what happened to other votes in
state House, requested a recount after
we’re going to do an audit in Windham. the state.”
falling 24 votes short in the November
If anything, I think the fact that we focus St. Laurent dismisses the idea that
election. Instead of gaining a few votes
on 300 votes goes to the integrity of our Windham’s results should cast doubt on
in her House race as she expected, the
system.,” he said. “We have the best sys- the larger process.
53-year-old physical therapist learned
tem in the country, a system where will Recounts are not unusual in New
that the recount showed that four of the
do any audit even if it’s over a couple Hampshire, which elects 424 lawmakers
Republicans each received an additional
hundred votes. And it’s not for President every two years and allows candidates
300 votes. Laurent lost 99 votes.
Trump or Chris Sununu or Joe Biden, to request recounts if the difference in
“You expect everybody to go up a little
it’s about the citizens who cast the vote. votes is less than 20% of the total bal-
bit so these results were pretty alarming.
That’s why we do the audit, to make sure lots cast. There have been at least 15 re-
... These were just crazy results,” she said.
every vote is counted.” counts after each of the past four election
The discrepancy inspired the legisla-
The latest controversy is over which cycles, with only a handful of outcomes
ture to take up the matter. Lawmakers
auditors will be chosen to examine the changed.
overwhelmingly passed a bill authorizing
results. The audit, she said, should help deter-
an audit of the town’s ballot counting ma-
The law calls for three auditors: one mine what went wrong. But for outsid-
chines and hand tabulations. Republican
chosen by the state, one by Windham and ers who see a wider campaign of voter
Gov. Chris Sununu signed the bill and in-
a third by those two picks. The select- fraud, it won’t matter all that much.
sisted that “New Hampshire elections are
men in Windham voted 3-1 last month to “When there is nothing shown, they
safe, secure, and reliable.”
pick Mark Lindeman with Verified Vot- are just going to go to the next place,”
Conservative media outlets and Trump
ing, rejecting demands from Trump sup- she said. “I am hoping we can return
www.northcountryhealth.org supporters saw things differently. They
porters to choose Jovan Hutton Pulitzer. back to just being our own little town.”
viewed the results in Windham, a town
Thursday, May 13, 2021 The Record 9
Haverhill Highway Department Rift Reaches State House
are responsible for funding their own activities,” Codling said. “Prior to 2019, Haverhill was a very peaceful and coopera-
BY PAUL HAYES
“Woodsville wants the independent power to operate its own tive town. The highway departments worked together when they
Staff Writer
highway department, without accountability to the town voters, needed a little extra help. We didn’t keep a ledger of the time,
yet it wants the town taxpayers, the majority of whom do not we just did it,” he said. “[But] since the hiring of our new Town
HAVERHILL — By law, the Woodsville Highway Depart-
live in Woodsville, to fund it.” Manager, Woodsville has been under siege from town manage-
ment is funded by the entire Town of Haverhill.
Woodsville representatives disagreed. ment. You’ll find that the Town Manager is articulate and charm-
That could change.
Steve Wheeler, a current Woodsville Precinct commissioner, ing, but she has worked hard to disrupt all of our relationships,
Senate Bill 26 would amend the funding formula so that
said the existing state law simply protected Woodsville taxpay- using bullying tactics that include threats of defunding, to enlist-
Woodsville taxpayers would bear the full cost of road mainte-
ers, guaranteeing that the precinct received its fair share of high- ing you folks in Concord to be her heavy hand.”
nance in their tiny, one-square-mile district.
way funds. Guy said Codling/Select Board efforts to consolidate and
It’s a controversial topic in this corner of the Upper Valley.
“We get 23.6 percent of the road money because 23.6 percent streamline town services (including the fire department) were a
The bill went before the House Public Works and Highways
of the tax dollars are paid by the people of Woodsville,” he said. power play and could prompt Woodsville to secede from Haver-
Committee on Wednesday, and more than a dozen people de-
Glenn English, who served as Haverhill Town Manager from hill.
livered passionate testimony during a two-hour virtual public
1991 to 2015, said there was a logical reason why Woodsville Darwin Clogston, a former Select Board chairman, offered an
hearing.
received more highway funding — its roads are more costly to opposing viewpoint on the town’s divisions.
Lead sponsor Sen. Bob Guida (R-Warren) said SB 26 would
maintain. He said Haverhill officials and select board members have
fix the existing law — the only state statute that governs spend-
“[Woodsville] streets are paved and in some cases have curb- been harassed for their support of SB 26, and other reform ef-
ing in a specific municipality.
ing, sidewalks and closed drainage systems. They are expensive forts.
In the process SB 26 would end Concord’s interference in
to maintain in relation to the town’s roads, which are rural, most- “The Haverhill Select Board members have been threatened
Haverhill’s town affairs and allow the town to regain local con-
ly dirt, with open ditches for drainage,” he said. and made to feel unsafe. Town Manager Brigitte Codling has
trol, he said.
Guy, the former chair of the Woodsville Precinct Commis- been called ‘useless’ and ‘psychotic’ and ‘bimbo.’ Previous
“Sadly, this issue has fostered deep division within the com-
sion, said the existing state law protected Woodsville residents Town Manager Glenn English said he would, and I quote, ‘cru-
munity. Failure to amend this statute would perpetuate that di-
from contributing to the town and precinct highway departments cify her’ if she attempted to change the Woodsville Highway
vision for the foreseeable future,” he said, adding, “the state’s
simultaneously, which he called “double taxation.” funding formula,” he said.
continued interference in this local budget issue will continue to
“All of the discussion today about how Haverhill people are AUDITS
prevent its resolution at the local level for as long as it remains
subsidizing Woodsville, its just plain untrue, and I think it’s be- Woodsville officials objected to a provision in SB 26 that
Cyan Magenta Yellow Black
in place.”
cause the people that are speaking to you don’t fully understand mandates annual audits, as required by state law.
Former Woodsville commissioner Richard Guy spoke in op-
how it works,” he said. The precinct is already performing a five-year, independent
position, stating that the existing law provided equitable funding
DIVISIONS audit under orders from the Department of Revenue Adminis-
and that efforts to change it through SB 26 was part of a coordi-
The testimony was combative at times. tration because Woodsville did not perform the required annual
nated attack on the precinct’s autonomy. If the bill passed there
At one point, Guy said that the Town Manager (Codling) and audits from 2015 to 2019.
could be serious consequences, he said.
Board of Selectmen were to blame for the current battle over
“There is now a strong sentiment in Woodsville to disengage
highway department funding. See Haverhill, Page 13
from Haverhill; this bill as written could be that final brick in
the wall,” he said.
A similar measure was included last year in House Bill 1234,
an omnibus bill of 40 measures rolled into one. It was approved FURNITURE & FLOORING MATTRESS GALLERY WINDOW FASHIONS
by the legislature, but vetoed by Gov. Chris Sununu (for reasons
unrelated to the Haverhill-Woodsville issue).
The House Public Works and Highways Committee took the
matter under advisement. They will make a decision to pass,
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kill, amend, or retain SB 26 on May 19.
TOWN VS. PRECINCT
SB 26 is supported by top-ranking town officials and a 3-2
majority of the current Select Board.
Haverhill Town Manager Brigitte Codling and Assistant
Town Manager Jennifer Boucher both spoke in support of SB MAY 14 THROUGH 24, 2021
26, saying that Woodsville Highway was over-funded through
the existing state law. FURNITURE, ACCESSORIES & THROW RUGS*
In 2018, Woodsville Highway had an annual budget of RECLINERS & SIDE CHAIRS
$429,000 ($53,650 per mile for 8 miles of road) while the IN-STOCK & SPECIAL ORDERS
MONDAY – SATURDAY
9 AM TO 5 PM
Haverhill Highway Department’s annual budget was $769,000 * EXCLUDES MATTRESSES, WINDOW FASHIONS, & FLOOR COVERINGS & SUNDAY 11 AM TO 5 PM
($10,687 per mile for 72 miles or road). Disagreement over
that funding discrepancy prompted Woodsville to file a lawsuit FREE DELIVERY WITHIN 50 MILES
against the town, which is pending. 0% 12 MONTH FINANCING
FOR QUALIFIED BUYERS
Codling said Woodsville had the right to maintain a highway
department, provided they pay for it, but said the precinct was
trying to “have its cake and eat it too” under the current agree-
ment.
“The Woodsville Fire District, like other precincts, is a sepa-
rate and distinct municipality from the town. The entire purpose
of forming a precinct or village district is to allow a smaller 802 Railroad Street
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group of residents to manage their own needs by removing
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some power from the existing municipality, in this case, the crowds, appointments are available. Let us know how we can assist you! MayosFurniture.com
town. Woodsville has a separate legislative body and a separate
governing body, through which it exercises its power. Howev- MAYO’S. EVERYTHING FOR YOUR HOME. DELIVERED.
er, with that power comes responsibility. Specifically, precincts
10 The Record Thursday, May 13, 2021
News Briefs vice will take back the equipment.
Grafton County Sheriff’s Lt. Frederic James said the forensics
physical property or bought the name or is planning a purchase did
not receive a response.
Continued from Page 7 unit, launched in 2018, has hundreds of thousands of dollars in A voice mail message left on Friday with Ed Kent, of EWP, re-
equipment and training from the Secret Service and the department garding the status of DG Whitefield and if EWP is still involved in
zero increase in the amount to be raised by taxes, but my guess is it is only asking taxpayers to fund one tool. operations and ownership was not returned by presstime.
will be less than 1 percent.” The equipment and training come from a federally-funded grant It was undetermined how many employees remain at the Bethle-
County budgeting in any given year, pandemic or not, can be with the requirement that the county cannot make money on it, in- hem and Whitefield facilities.
challenging, as well as frustrating for some towns because the cluded making money through a fee-based program, he said. The current assessed value of the 16-megawatt DG Whitefield, at
county could reduce taxes by 5 percent, for instance, but one town There is a memorandum of understanding in place stating that 260 Airport, is $1.75 million for the land and building.
could see their county taxes go up by 5 percent because of each the federal grant funds are being appropriated as a resource for The current assessed value of the 15-megawatt Pinetree Pow-
town’s apportionment of county taxes, which has to do with town- communities, said James. er, at 1241 Whitefield Rd./Route 116, is $894,600 for the land and
wide valuations and when towns report it, she said. If the tool requested is not approved for funding, James said the building.
“We do what we can to keep taxes down, “said Lauer. Grafton County Sheriff’s Department will still conduct investiga- The town of Bethlehem was told by Harrington that he purchased
One county department presenting its proposed budget is the tions and take in certain devices, but will need to determine if it’s Pinetree Power for about half of its assessed value and he will be
sheriff’s department, which went to a county commission discus- something they can do. requesting a tax abatement.
sion last month regarding its digital forensic unit, the only one of If not, the sheriff’s department has access to the tool at another A tax abatement request was also filed with the town of White-
its kind in the North Country that investigates crimes ranging from law enforcement agency in southern New Hampshire, but taking it field, but to date the ownership stated in the abatement, Stored So-
computer and other offenses against children to drug cases, homi- there won’t mean it will be cost effective, he said. lar, could not be verified.
cides, and just about any other crime that has some sort of digital Combs said that last year the sheriff’s department unlocked 123 According to records at the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s
footprint. devices with the tool, and if Grafton County didn’t have it, those office, Harrington registered the names Stored Solar Bethlehem
The U.S. Secret Service provides Grafton County with the equip- devices would have had to be shipped out or brought to southern LLC and Stored Solar Whitefield LLC with the state.
ment, which the unit, headed up by Grafton County Sheriff’s Detec- New Hampshire, which he said is not cost-effective or efficient use The Bethlehem name shows a mailing address with a P.O. box in
tive Justin Charette-Combs, uses to explore digital devices brought of time. West Enfield, Maine.
to him by state police and local police departments, some of them On Friday, Lauer, in looking at the county’s agreement with the The Whitefield Stored Solar name shows a mailing address in
outside of Grafton County, and at no charge to the police agencies. Secret Service, said she doesn’t see how the county can now move Mt. Laurel, New Jersey.
Earlier in the year, the three Grafton County commissioners to a fee-based program for the digital forensics unit. On March 17, Vermont Digger reported that Stored Solar pur-
requested that the sheriff’s department establish a fee for digital “I think the sheriff is doing what he can to minimize the impact chased the Ryegate Power Station in Vermont.
forensics investigations after they expressed a need for a fee as- on the taxpayers,” she said. On Tuesday, town officials with Ryegate said they were in-
sessment for services provided outside of Grafton County to offset formed a number of months ago that the Ryegate Power Station
some of the program costs. would be under new ownership, but no record of a transaction has
During the April 14 commission meeting, Grafton County Sher- Status, Ownership Of Biomass been seen there.
Cyan Magenta Yellow Black
iff Jeff Stiegler said if Grafton County charges fees, the Secret Ser- Plants Remains Unclear According to the Valley News story, Stored Solar also bought
biomass plants in the New Hampshire towns of Springfield, where
Your Community Health Partner Since 1975 Although the towns of Bethlehem and Whitefield were told a EWP has operated the plant, and in Tamworth, where ENGIE had
number of months ago that the biomass plants have a new owner, been running a plant.
there is as yet no record of a transfer of ownership and no plans on The Springfield plant was last assessed at $1.166 million.
how the company intends to make the facilities financially viable. In Springfield, Stored Solar filed for a tax abatement in Febru-
Following the governor’s veto in 2019 of a bill that would have ary, saying that plant was bought “at fair market value in a bidding
required electric distribution companies, among them Eversource process dramatically below the assessed value,” according to the
Ǧ Ǩ Energy, to purchase renewable energy credits from the wood-fired Valley News.
facilities to help keep them running until they become self-suffi- According to Stored Solar’s website, the name solar refers to
cient, the industry took a hit. biomass as stored solar energy and not energy generated from solar
Plants across the state, including Pinetree Power in Bethlehem panel arrays.
and DG Whitefield, both of which began operating three decades Stored Solar was incorporated in Maine in 2016.
ago, were soon stalled, their fates uncertain. State Contact With Stored Solar
On April 8, the Valley News reported that Stored Solar LLC, of Meeting with Harrington in August and currently working with
West Enfield, Maine, acquired several plants last year, including him is Benoit Lamontagne, industrial agent with the Division of
ACHS = Integrated Health Care Pinetree Power, owned or previously owned by the Houston-based Economic Development of the New Hampshire Department of
ENGIE North America, and DG Whitefield, owned or previously Business and Economic Affairs.
Primary Care owned by the New Jersey-based EWP Renewable Corp.
But officials in a number of New Hampshire towns who were
“They are looking at different options at this point on what
they’re going to do with each one of the four plants,” Lamontagne
Behavioral Health made aware that there would be a change in ownership have re- said Friday.
ported no documents recording a sale or change in status coming The plants in Bethlehem and Whitefield are not yet back in op-
Dental & Oral Health across their desks. eration.
Checks at the town offices of Whitefield and Bethlehem and with “We’ve had several meetings in Whitefield at the plant and I do
the registries of deeds at Grafton and Coos counties show no re- know they are in the process of looking at specific options for both
Ǧ cords of a transfer. plants,” he said.
On April 30, William Harrington, manager and principal of The majority stockholder of the company, Fahim Samaha, the
ACHS accepts most major insurances, Stored Solar, was contacted via email and asked if he has already president of Stored Solar, is from Paris, France, and Lamontagne
Medicare & Medicaid, and bought or is buying the physical properties or the names of the has spoken with him as well.
plants; if EWP Renewable or ENGIE North America are still in- Harrington is based outside of Chicago.
ơ volved in any capacity with operations; what current operations are The BEA’s involvement with Stored Solar, said Lamontagne, is
Ǥ and how many employees are working there (at full capacity, the the same as the department’s involvement with any manufactur-
Bethlehem and Whitefield plants employed some 20 people); if the ing business looking to set up shop in New Hampshire - assessing
Call our NEW PATIENT Hotline
plants are currently accepting wood deliveries; which times of the the business’s needs; connecting it to financial and other resources;
toll-free at 1.866.201.5076. year the plants are expected to be running; and what his plan is to helping with employment needs; assisting with any permitting that
make operations viable. might be required, such as from the Department of Environmental
Ammonoosuc A voicemail message was also left with Harrington on Friday. Services; connecting to any federal resources; and keeping a focus
Community Health Services No response was received as of press time Friday.
Inquiries made on April 30 and on Monday to Sandrine Deparis,
on business retention, expansion, and recruitment.
“We help businesses to be successful and create as many jobs
Littleton • Franconia • Warren • Whitefield • Woodsville spokesperson for ENGIE North America, to determine if ENGIE is
603.444.2464 • www.ammonoosuc.org still involved with Pinetree Power and if Stored Solar bought the See News Briefs, Page 11You can also read
