By Ginger Kozlowski
Staff Writer

January
. The Candia Congregational Church, among many other concerned citizens, collected money to give to victims of the December 2004 tsunami.

Members of a Civil War re-enactment group attended Town Meeting in March. The group is helping raise money to restore the town's damaged Civil War monument. Here, the town thanked them. (File Photo) . In response to a proposal for a transfer station on Brown Road and other changes that happened the previous year at the existing transfer station, several Candia residents formed a citizens group to adopt two warrant articles. One would end further planning of the Brown Road transfer station and the other would restructure town government to remove the selectmen's power to vote on expenditures.

. The Candia Facilities Committee met with residents Jan. 19 to explain the benefits for students and the community of plans for a $5.6 million school renovation plan. The plan included a new gym, new classrooms, storage space and updating to many areas.

February
. Selectman Gary York touted plans for a new transfer station as the answer to Candia's trash disposal concerns. The town's incinerator is likely to be shut down by 2008, and costs are rising to send trash out of town for disposal. York cracked down on the town's existing recycling rules to keep costs down, angering some residents. York said his plan to build a recycling center that other towns would use would not only eliminate the Candia's trash disposal costs, it would generate income for the town.

Residents questioned the plan and the Brown Road location of the proposed recycling center.

. The Candia School Board approved the details of a warrant article on Feb. 3 for a bond for the proposed additions to Moore School. The article was presented to voters at Town Meeting in March. The article asked for $5,982,000 for renovations and additions to the school.

. Candia School Board member Ingrid Byrd stirs up trouble by publicly disagreeing with fellow school board members about the need for the proposed school renovations and additions. She said the plan mixed "needs" with "wants."

. Candia selectmen come out against a proposal to add two more positions to the threemember board of selectmen.

March
. Residents approved increasing the Candia Board of Selectmen to five members, rather than keeping it at three, during the March 8 elections. The special ballot question passed 451- 203. One new selectman will run for a three-year term this year, and the other new selectman will run for a two-year term. After serving those terms, the new selectmen can run for three-year terms.

. Fred Kelly beat Tom Giffen 334-108 for the selectman position was left vacant when Neil Sieminski died Dec. 22, 2004. There were no other contested races for Candia School District or town offices.

. With Candia Moore School packed to overflowing, the majority of voters at Town Meeting made it clear they wanted no part of a regional transfer station in town.

In what town clerk Christine Dupere noted was the mostamended article in Candia's history, a $3 million bond to finance the construction of a regional waste transfer facility was changed to simply ask Candia selectmen to come back to next year's Town Meeting with a "Candia-only solution" to the town's waste disposal problems.

The 10-hour-long Town Meeting also resulted in the establishment of a seven-member budget committee, a reduced town operating budget and approval of most of the other articles on the warrant.

April
. Charles W. Canney Camp 5 . Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War - presented "The Life of a New Hampshire Soldier During the Civil War," on April 13 at the Smyth Public Library. The group is helping the town raise money for the restoration of the Civil War monument in town, found damaged in October 2004.

The Central High School Jazz Band also played for the benefit of the restoration fund.

. A 79-year tradition ends with the transition of the Candia Fire Department from a volunteer- run organization to a town department.

. The Candia School Board asked the public for help and input regarding a new plan for school facilities, after voters at the School District Meeting turned down the plan for renovations and additions.

May
. The Candia Heritage Commission helped eight barn owners preserve their historic structures through a tax relief program.

June
. The Candia School Facilities Committee decided to consider any and all options to bring Moore School up to state standards.

. The Candia Conservation Commission approved spending $370,000 from its conservation fund for the acquisition and permanent protection of 82 acres of fields, forests and wetlands off Deerfield Road. The land was offered to the town by Mary Girard.

. The Candia School Board adopted a policy of solidarity on board positions, which member Ingrid Byrd protests as a violation of free speech. The code of conduct was eventually adopted and adjusted, but not to Byrd's satisfaction.

July
. The Fitts Museum hosted Charles W. Canney Camp No. 5, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, as they set up camp there on July 23. Members not only demonstrated how Civil War soldiers lived, but raised money for restoration of the town's Civil War monument.

. The Candia School Board sent a letter to several nursing homes to see if there was interest in buying the Moore School building, allowing the town to build a brand new school. There was no interest expressed.

. Moore School Principal Michelle Carvalho accepted a principalship in Nottingham. She spent four years as Candia's principal and nine years before that in Hooksett. Robert St. Cyr was named interim principal and eventually principal.

. Teacher Judi Lindsey spends a week in Costa Rica studying sea turtles.

August
. Moore School custodian Roy Dennehy and his partner Bennett Rudomen bicycled 85 miles to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancert Institute.

. Central High School was hit by vandals just before the start of school. Damage was estimated at more than $66,000.

September
. The CYAA field was vandalized by someone doing "doughnuts" on the field. Damaged was estimated at $500.

. Residents urged the Candia school facilities committee to renovate the current building. Mount Zion Christian School had expressed interest in buying the building, but then withdrew.

. A $6,000 viola was stolen from Candia Congregational Church. The instrument was owned by the pastor's son.

October
. Skateboarders clean up the town skate park and plan to rename it for Grant Leavitt, a skateboarder who died the year before at age 20.

. Candia Old Home Day was cancelled after being rained out Oct. 8 and 16.

November
. Ingrid Byrd is one of three people honored by the Nackey Loeb School of Communications for First Amendment leadership regarding her stance against the Candia School Board. The board instituted a policy requiring only the official opnion of the board be presented by all members, with no dissenting opinions allowed to be expressed.

. The Candia School Facilities Committee recommends renovating Moore School, rather than building a new building or persuading other towns to enter inter a cooperative agreement. . Dott Purington's history book, "A Candia Collection," is published.

. Candia's tax rate increased 5 percent to $17.83 per $1,000 of property value.

December
. Candia seventh-grader Richard Post revealed he had ancestors who arrived on the Mayflower when one of those relatives was brought to life by actors at Plimouth Plantation during a school trip.