Now, most of the playground has to be ripped out for safer plastic and metal pieces - provided that money can be found to pay for them. As it was 12 years ago, this is a worthy community project, and we encourage everyone to donate to the cause. But it does make those of us who grew up more than a decade or two ago wonder how we ever survived the dangers of our old playgrounds when this incredible one didn't even meet code.
-Ginger Kozlowski, Editor
The faculty of the Candia Education Association at the Moore School would like to thank all the townspeople for voting to accept the new three year teachers' contract.
We appreciate everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to attend the School District Meeting and vote to support the hard work done between the negotiators of the school board and the CEA teachers union.
Thank you for supporting our contract and the work we do with all the school children at Henry W. Moore School.
Judi Lindsey, Nancy Fraher and Joanna Aleksy
Teachers at Moore School
I would like to thank everyone that supported me in the race for selectman in Candia.
I congratulate Fred Kelley for a good victory and for running a clean race, and I wish him the best success as selectman.
In the next year, Candia has the power to make a lot of positive changes, and I plan on helping Fred and the rest of the board in any way that I can.
Tom Giffen
Candia
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for all those who supported me during my recent run for selectman of Candia.
As your selectman, I will always be open to listening to your ideas, opinions and concerns about our town.
Again, much appreciation and thanks.
Fred Kelley
Candia
I would like to thank all who came to my rescue on that snowy day of Jan. 12, when I fell on ice in my driveway and shattered my leg. Hooksett Police Department Lt. Gary Blanchette, who recognized the address and alerted my husband, the Hooksett Fire Department members who responded, the firemen/EMTs who held my hand as I screamed in pain, Tri-Town Ambulance with Christine and her partner being as gentle as they could be, and Hackett Hill Health Care for taking such good care of me during my rehabilitation. And a gigantic thank-you for my guardian angel, neighbor Doreen, who saved my life by stopping that day.
I would also like to thank my awesome neighbors for taking care of my house, husband and dogs, as well as visiting at the rehabilitation center. Thank you for the many cards, flowers and plants.
Maureen P. Beauregard
Hooksett
We.d like to thank the dedicated townspeople of Candia for spending their beautiful Saturday indoors all day to vote on the various issues pertaining to our town. We especially appreciate their waiting until almost the end of the meeting (6:30 p'm .) to vote on the $200,000 warrant article for the Candia Conservation Commission.
It would have been so easy for people to go home midafternoon and rely on others to vote the "right" way. We are indebted to you for giving us that type of support.
We expect this will be a good year to help our town save open space. We now have increased leverage to meet the financial demands of acquiring property, which will conserve some of our forest, fields, rivers, wetlands, wildlife habitats and water resources.
Thank you!
Ed Fowler and Judi Lindsey
The Candia Conservation
Commission and the Open
Space Committee
I am writing to express my objection to your editorial on the Candia School District and Town Meetings. Your assertion that "the majority would rather keep their blinders on and their ears plugged rather than hear information that could possibly sway their opinion" is an insult to the good people of Candia. And it smacks of the kind of disdainful elitism that too often permeates today's media. Why is it that when the public says "no" to a new proposal, it's always because they are illinformed?
Being a relatively small town, Candia seems to be pretty effective at getting information around. The fact that so many people showed up at those meetings with their minds already made up tells me that they had enough information. I personally had seen and heard both sides of both issues well before those meetings and I knew how I was going to vote when I showed up.
Furthermore, on both of the big issues in question (the school renovation and the transfer station) the folks who were pitching them had the opportunity to present their proposals at the beginning of the meetings. And in both cases, they did a nice job. Afterwards, the majority felt ready to vote without further discussion. You apparently see that as a sign of ignorance. I disagree.
Maybe it's time to re-examine the format of the School District and Town Meetings. While I enjoy these meetings and would not want to see us go to SB2, I can appreciate that there are people who are ready to vote and do not want to (or can't afford to) spend an entire Saturday listening to arguments that they feel they have already heard. This does not make them "blind." Perhaps there are options to modify the meetings in order to accommodate more voters.
David Maloney
Candia
I read the "Hooksett to vote again on school budget" article in the March 17 issue of The Hooksett Banner with much dismay. It was surprising to find out that the "official ballot law" that the town operates under allows the school board to authorize a second vote in May. This is a very bad precedent; a vote is a vote, not the first of two chances to get something passed.
Does this mean that a group of dissenting voters could get together and arrange for a second attempt to vote down an approved budget? The fact that the budget for the second vote in May will be approximately $100,000 less is irrelevant.
It would be even more of a mockery if the school board used the May 10 town vote because the school board did not support a consolidation of the school vote and the town vote, which would have saved time and money in the first place.
If they do have their "own" voting day in May, where will the funds come from to cover the cost of the vote, taxpayer funds? If a dissenting group was able to get a second vote, would the taxpayers be forced to pick up the tab for that vote?
These opinions in no way reflect my feelings or support of the budget in one way or another. The process as it turns out seems to be stacked slightly in favor of one side, and that is not right. We should not create a system that allows one side multiple attempts at passing a budget. This could potentially create a situation where a "preferred" budget is presented, knowing that if it fails, there is a secondary budget waiting in the wings for a second vote.
I would also like to point out what I think is an inaccurate statement that Michael DiBitetto made in his "Amending Hooksett's zoning laws to stem growth is wrong." In his letter he stated that there are certain developments in town that are "grandfathered" and exempt from the "impact fee ordinance" that was passed by the voters several years ago.
The intention when that ordinance was designed and implemented was that no developments would be exempt after the passing of the zoning amendments covering impact fees. And the town prevailed in a lawsuit challenging the grandfathering of a subdivision to those zoning amendments.
If indeed Mike is correct, then someone should have to answer to the taxpayers as to why these impact fees are being waived, when the design, intent and legal standing of the ordinance says otherwise.
Jim Graham
Hooksett
Can you say belligerent? The school board fits the definition accurately. They say they are going to keep our money after we said no. They intend to keep the money until we vote to let them keep the money, hmm. Who the (bleep) do they think they are? They are acting like spoiled children, trashing the toys they can't play with.
They want to spend money on more projects, when they haven't even been able to get the contractors to finish the two school jobs we paid for. Every election at the Cawley School brings me there to be aggravated, seeing the unfinished and substandard work. I have had the opportunity to point this out to some officials but, like the under-marked Underhill School zone, belligerence is evident. I'm certain that if I were to tour the other 95 percent of Cawley, there would be more of the same. I encourage them to take me up on this dare.
Regarding the "Growth Ordinance;" it is, on its face, a reaction and defense against the large developers. Drastic, but not unreasonable in the face of what is happening. Sewer, trash, water, traffic, noise and yes, smog are becoming problems. Growth is a problem, yet our "trustees" keep encouraging it. Who are they working for? It doesn't seem that our best interests are anywhere on their messy desks, nor spilling onto the floor. Our interests must have been placed into the "circular" file.
I'm sick and tired of the bigmoney people forcing us to pay for their plans. I'm sure I'm not alone in being (bleeped) off by the tax bills growing so fast that leaving Hooksett may be the next step. I'm begging all readers to vote! We must stop this runaway spending and belligerence. They are stealing our money and liberties.
We have civil servants "carrying water" for outsiders, at the peril of residents. It is time to do some laundry. Our forefathers would be shooting people, long before this stage. I'm not encouraging such behavior, but do encourage some noisemaking and, if need be, some civil disobedience. Enough is enough, please vote!
Dave Ross
Hooksett
A vote in favor of warrant Article 4 will provide $1.5 million to renovate the former Village School to be fitted for new town offices and lay the groundwork for a new community center. This is a great civic and financial investment and here's why.
Every citizen will benefit, from children to seniors and everyone in between. The community center can offer after-school and summer programs for our youth, senior and family health and wellness programs, Meals on wheels and Head Start Preschool programs, a computer lab training facility, a teen center and more. Discussions with several organizations to provide these programs has already been started. These organizations include the Manchester Boys and Girls Club, the Concord Regional Visiting Nurses Association, the Merrimack County Community Action Partnership and InterCED.
This is also a financially sound investment. To build from scratch with no land or buildings would cost the town nearly $4 million for a new building of similar size. This would not include the cost of land.
The Village School provides 40,000 square feet of area and sits on about 15 acres of prime property in Hooksett Village. Currently, the market price for land in Hooksett is approximately $150,000 per acre. Simple math tells us that 15 acres would cost $2.25 million. Add the cost of a new municipal building at $4 million, and the total cost is $6.25 million. The $1.5 million warrant is well worth the investment!
The former Hooksett Village School building was sold to the town of Hooksett by the school board for $1. We, the Hooksett taxpayers, now own the land and building clear of any encumbrances other than maintenance. We have essentially over $6 million in assets on the positive side of the balance sheet. We should invest and improve this asset and utilize it immediately.
Our current town offices are an embarrassment for a community populated with 12,000 people. Hallways are full of file cabinets since offices are too small to house them. Our town planner's office is located in what used to be a storage closet. This is not a building where town employees can efficiently manage our community worth over $1 billion in assessed value.
Investing in a community/ municipal center shows that we take pride in ourselves and that we care about our citizens and town employees and their needs. It shows we care about our future and that we are willing to invest and improve ourselves as a community.
Please vote for the passage of this $1.5 million warrant article. Take pride in our community and invest in our future.
Steve Korzyniowski
Hooksett
