Atkinson's Year in retrospect

As 2008 winds down the Reporter would like to take a look back at the Town's biggest stories, and scandals of 2008.

1/8/08- The year began with ANOTHER Lawsuit alleging misbehavior on the part of the Chief. 4th in 3 years. And the beat goes on...

1/8/08- Elderly Affairs car clocked at 84mph on highway while driving Mrs. Daisy.

1/9/08- Resident requests $10,000 from donation account to help fallen officer and family, chief says that is not what money is for, but writing desk for pd bathroom is better use of money.

1/29/08- Town Administrator resigns. Happy Days are here again.

2/8/08- Groups try for re- evalution.

2/22/08-Selectman Sapia Screams at Town Clerk in her own office. Thank God and the Voters he is gone.

2/24/08- TRHS and TRMS Academically substandard according to state, noone cares.

3/9/08- Elderly Affairs claims 1644 transports on $19,000 budget. Questions raised as to how this is possible. As usual no answers are provided, messengers attacked.

3/14/08- Temporary signs advertising blog are torn down and stolen by order of selectman Sapia. Signs disappear. Noone investigates.

3/19/08- Chief announces on camera major federal crime of putting fliers on mailboxes! He explains his painstaking investigation of the culprits.

3/27/08- School Board seals minutes for 99 years! and you thought the selectmen were bad.

4/4/08- NHPSTC issues police chief letter of reprimand! If only the selectmen had the stones to do that.

4/19/08- Large Groundwater withdrawals still an issue.

4/25/08- Atkinson grieves the loss of two beloved officers.

5/13/08- Police Chief admits taxpayers bought him two "pleasure vehicles" not suitable for police work. Nothing Done.

5/16/08- Police chief admits falsifying sick time vouchers, in violation of town policy. Nothing done.

5/25/08- Town offers settlement in Federal Civil Rights suit, alleging impropriety by chief of police.

5/31/08- Pete Lewis Passes away

6/25/08- Selectmen continue to attempt to intimidate town bloggers with veiled threats of legal action.

7/25/08- We find out about ongoing NH Attorney Generals Office investigation into the management of the donation accounts.

8/14/08- AGO lays down law to Town and Chief.

8/15/08- HAWC seeks $1.1M to connect Atkinson and Hampstead.

8/16/08- Critic of Chief has car vandalized in his driveway, "Move" and "leave chief alone" scratched into car. Chief says it is not who victim thinks.

8/29/08- Selectmen continue to do nothing about any of the open and still simmering scandals; time card, sick time, cars, donation accounts, etc.

10/01/08- The Town FINALLY has a new library!

10/14/08- Chief starts private slush fund, way around AGO's suggestion.

10/27/08- Selectmen to separate police and elderly affairs... NOT!

11/12/08- Elderly Affairs to cost over $40,000 after separation of budget! Critics were right!

12/14/08- The ICE STORM and power outage from hell!

Whoever said this was a sleepy little town? Weather aside, our police chief never fails to liven up the towns debate, as well as the towns budget.

Residents receive power again just before Christmas Power restored nearly two weeks since storm

From the Eagle Tribune;

Residents receive power again just before Christmas Power restored nearly two weeks since storm
By Margo Sullivan
margosullivan@eagletribune.com

ATKINSON — Twelve days after the ice storm hit, Donna Cloutier's house remained dark.

"Today has just taken a toll on me," she said yesterday, and not just because she faced another day without heat and electricity. Her Christmas Eve tradition was in jeopardy.

The Atkinson log cabin, which she owns with Barbara Fiore, had been dressed for the holiday with a big tree, a snowman and bundles of presents arranged with a decorator's eye. In 24 hours, she had planned to bring her mother down from Maine for the annual get-together with Fiore's family. Everything was ready — except the lights.

"Today, I had enough," she said. "I was on a mission." She planted a sign in the snow in front of her house.

"Day 12, without power," it said. Then she called the town administrator's office.

At 2:32 p.m., as she was telling her story to a reporter, a knock sounded at the door. A crew from Unitil had finally arrived. "I'm a cynical person," she said. "This is because I made all those calls."

But she eagerly ran down the front steps and moved her Toyota out of the crew's way. Cloutier wasn't angry with the linesmen, she assured them. She was fed up with the lack of communication from the company.

"Every time I got in touch with Unitil," Cloutier said she heard the same story.

"The work's done," the customer service representative would say.

"Right," Cloutier would reply. Of course, the work wasn't done.

"Well, we have to fix a circuit."

Finally, Cloutier blew her own fuse.

"There's no flipping circuit," she said. "Everyone's back. All I need is a line to the pole."

The morning after the storm, which left more than 400,000 New Hampshire households without power, the pole at the corner of her house snapped and sent power lines cascading down 400 feet of her driveway.

"We reported it within 15 minutes of its dropping," she said. Unitil warned her to stay away from the wires, but the company didn't send a truck to repair the damage. It was days before she learned she had to hire her own contractor.

Cloutier had tried everything to get a crew over to her house, at one point even flagging down a utility truck. Extra effort didn't help. The crew told her to move along.

The toughest part about the 12 days in the dark was not sleeping at night. She worried about the generator keeping the neighbors awake. She worried about someone stealing it. She worried the power company forgot about her. It was a familiar story for the thousands who remained without power days after their neighbors had their electricity restored.

As day after day passed without electricity, the anxiety mounted for Adria Durkin of Atkinson. Everyone else on her street had power back — except her. She wondered if the power company had forgotten about her house.

Calls three times a day to Unitil brought the same result. She had to tell her story all over again about how the pole went down in her yard Dec. 11, how her electrician came and fixed it Dec. 14, and how the whole rest of the street had lights Dec. 16, and how she was still in the dark.

Unitil said it would be fixed any day now — "hopefully, tomorrow."

But nothing happened.

"I couldn't focus on anything else," she said. "I was so panicky. I thought, I can't go on one more day. But you do."

On Friday, after eight days in the dark, she started e-mailing from work. She contacted newspapers, the governor's office and the U.S. Senate. The governor's office advised her to call the state Public Utilities Commission. The commission called Unitil directly, and the electric company called her back.

"Hopefully, tomorrow," they said. That was the same answer she had received for days.

"I knew I wasn't the only one without power," Durkin said. But even though she reached the governor's office, Sen. Judd Gregg's office and the PUC, she couldn't get a straight answer from her own electric company.

On they way to pick up her son from school, she flagged down a Unitil truck.

"That is the truck that actually showed up," she said. Her power came back Monday between 7:30 and 8 p.m.

"Was it was my persistence with that commission or that I just happened to find a truck?" Durkin said.

At the height of the ice storm, almost the entire town of Atkinson — 2,900 households — was left in darkness. For Pat Goodridge, who lives in Hemlock Heights, the breaking point came Dec. 13.

"I was distraught," she said. "I hadn't eaten for two days, and I was running out of firewood." Goodridge had never in her life gone to a shelter. But that Saturday, she went to the shelter at Hampstead Middle School.

"I was very well taken care of," she said. "But it was stressful."

She kept a diary about her experiences and penned a thank-you letter to Sandra Ouellet and her class.

"I will always remember Hampstead took me in and allowed me to take refuge in Room 202. I slept there," she said. "I was apprehensive. This is a very scary thing. You know, it's not easy living in a shelter when 500 children are going to arrive," but she thought a letter would be important.

Goodridge took some of the teacher's paper, pens and sticky notes for her letter.

The teacher read Goodridge's letter to the class, and pointed out the metaphors and other figures of speech. She told Goodridge that the students usually grumble about writing. But they liked her letter so much, they could not wait to scribble down their own stories about the storm.

Goodridge stayed in the Hampstead shelter until it closed. Then she moved to the Sanborn Regional High School shelter in Kingston. When that shut down Sunday, Goodridge, 70, drove home in white-out conditions. It was that or drive to Londonderry or the Haverhill, Mass., shelter. A neighbor met her at the bottom of the hill near her house. He told her if her car didn't make it, he would push her the rest of the way. Her electricity is back. One zone of her house has heat. Her dogs are still staying at Carol's Grooming.

"I feel guilty," she said.

Nine-hole course planned at Atkinson country club

from the eagle tribune;

Nine-hole course planned at Atkinson country club
By John Basilesco
jbasilesco@eagletribune.com

ATKINSON — Beginning golfers and others could soon have a new 9-hole golf course to tee off from at Atkinson Resort & Country Club.

The club's owners are planning a par-3 course that would be in addition to the current 18-hole course for more experienced golfers, said Peter Doherty, the head golf professional at the country club.

Plans for the course will be up for review at the Planning Board's meeting Jan. 7. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

"We're trying to create a family-friendly golf course that would be enjoyable for anybody — for players at any level," Doherty said. "I'm exceptionally excited about this. I think it's a grand slam for us."

Like all the facilities at the resort, the new golf course would be open to the public, Doherty said.

In conjunction with the 18-hole course and a new learning center for golfers, set to open Jan. 1, the additional course will make it possible to accommodate a wide range of golfers, from beginners to experienced golfers, Doherty said.

Work to build the new course would begin next year, Doherty said.

It would share the same pro shop that serves golfers who use the 18-hole course.

The new course would be within walking distance of the club's main building. Atkinson Resort & Country Club is on Country Club Drive.

Other 9-hole golf courses in the area include one at Brookstone Park off Route 111 in Derry, which opened several years ago.

Atkinson man charged with theft of 5 boats

From the Eagle Tribune;

Atkinson man charged with theft of 5 boats
By Terry Date
tdate@eagletribune.com

WINDHAM — A grand jury has indicted an Atkinson man for stealing boats and scrap metal from yards on Cross Street and West Shore Road.

Paul Getchell, 48, of 62 Meditation Lane, was indicted this month by a Rockingham County Superior Court jury on two felony counts of theft.

One count alleges Getchell stole a boat, motor, staging, a ladder and scrap metal from 21 West Shore Road in April.

Windham police arrested Getchell in May, charging him with stealing $15,000 worth of items from the West Shore Road yard.

He was employed by the home- owner at the time of the theft, police said.

Getchell was released on personal recognizance bail after his arrest.

The other indictment alleges he stole four boats from 9 Cross St. on or between Nov. 1, 2007, and Feb. 12, 2008.

Getchell's case will be scheduled for arraignment and trial in Superior Court.

Each of the felony counts is punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 71/2 to 15 years.

ÔÇæÔÇæÔÇæ

Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to eagletribune.com.

Car windows smashed, items stolen

Car windows smashed, items stolen

By John Basilesco
jbasilesco@eagletribune.com

ATKINSON — Police are investigating the thefts of laptop computers and a briefcase from four cars parked outside Atkinson Resort & Country Club on Country Club Lane Thursday night during the ice storm.

Thefts are an ongoing problem at the country club, which is an "easy hunting ground," police Chief Philip Consentino said.

Consentino urges everyone parking their cars there to put all valuables inside their trunks. The four cars were locked; the thief or thieves broke windows to gain access, Consentino said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 362-5536.

Sunlight must shine on public's business

Although the following story is about the Haverhill School Committee it could easily have been written about Atkinson. The name could just as easily have been changed to Atkinson Board of Selectmen and Acciard, Grant, Kaye, et.al.

From the Eagle Tribune;

Our view: Sunlight must shine on public's business

At least one member of the Haverhill School Committee — Joseph Bevilacqua — has it right: The committee does too much of its business in secret.

"We're talking about public education and the public's money," he told reporter Paul Tennant.

That ought to be obvious to everyone on the committee. But too often in Haverhill, as is the case in other communities, officials look for every excuse possible to do the public's business out of the public eye.

The most recent example Bevilacqua cites is the delinquent Haverhill High School electric bill of nearly $300,000. He said he didn't find out about the overdue bill until an executive session, and called for a discussion of secret meetings at last night's committee meeting.

School Committee President Kerry Fitzgerald contends that this is more about Bevilacqua having a personality conflict with her, and wanting meetings to be public so he can get more face time on local television. She says all of the committee's executive sessions are legal, because they fall under the provisions of the state Open Meeting Law. The meeting about the electric bill, she said, was private because the committee was discussing ways to negotiate payment with the power company.

There are two problems with that. First and most important, there is nothing in the Open Meeting Law that allows an executive session to discuss negotiating the payment of a bill. It is permitted to discuss collective bargaining strategy or litigation, neither of which applied in this case.

But even if the negotiation strategy was covered, as Fitzgerald claims, she fails to address the fact that Superintendent Raleigh Buchanan knew about the bill for more than a year before the public did.

It would have been a simple matter for Fitzgerald to state publicly that the high school had been notified that it had a $300,000 overdue bill, and that the committee would be holding an executive session to discuss negotiations with the power company.

The public is going to have to pay the bill. It deserves to know about it.

In general, public officials should err on the side of openness rather than privacy. They claim to want the public trust. Going behind closed doors so frequently is not the way to gain, or hold, that trust.

State workers refuse to give up raises

From the Eagle Tribune;

State workers refuse to give up raises

CONCORD (AP) — State workers are balking at giving up promised raises scheduled to take effect Jan. 1.

Gov. John Lynch wants state workers to defer a 5.5 percent pay increase to help close a $75 million to $90 million shortfall in this year's budget. He estimates the raise will save about $7 million.

Lynch and lawmakers have taken a series of steps to deal with a decline in revenues, but need the permission of about 15,000 rank-and-file workers covered by collective bargaining agreements to defer their raises. They don't need permission from about 5,000 non-union workers.

House Speaker Terie Norelli and Senate President Sylvia Larsen had held next Wednesday open for lawmakers to meet and pass the necessary law to defer the raises, but they announced there's no deal with the unions so there will be no session.

Lynch said he favors deferring all pay increases, but if that isn't possible would like to defer the nonunion raises. Legislative leaders don't want to act unless it affects everyone equally.

Civics Class: Give me an "F"!

from Townhall.com;

Americans are about to get a civics lesson -- and not a moment too soon.

Next month hordes of visitors will flood the National Mall to watch the swearing in of President-elect Barack Obama. Millions more will watch on television. But a study by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute shows that few Americans will really understand what they’re witnessing.

ISI gave more than 2,500 people a 33-question quiz about basic historical and constitutional principles. The average score: 49 percent. By any measure, that’s a flunking grade.

Seven out of 10 Americans who took ISI’s test failed it. And a look inside the numbers is even more sobering.

* Fewer than half can name all three branches of government (legislative, executive and judicial).

* Only 53 percent realize Congress has the power to declare war (even though lawmakers have voted twice in the last eight years to approve foreign wars).

* Just 55 percent know that Congress shares authority over foreign policy with the president. Roughly 25 percent mistakenly believe that Congress shares its foreign policy authority with the United Nations.

And it’s not just the general public that lacks basic civic knowledge. Too many of our leaders fall short as well.

In ISI’s sample, 164 of the 2,508 respondents said they had been elected to government office at least once. There’s no way of knowing if this meant federal, state or local government. But it’s sobering to note that those who say they’ve held office earned an average score of 44 percent on the civic literacy test -- lower than the public they were elected to serve.

Among these officeholders, almost half (43 percent) don’t know what the Electoral College does. One in five guessed it “trains those aspiring for higher political office” or “was established to supervise the first televised presidential debates” instead of identifying its actual role: selecting the president of the United States.

This sort of historical illiteracy jumped out at me when I visited the new Capitol Visitor Center. This $621 million structure (vastly over budget, but who’s counting?) would have been a perfect way to teach visitors about our constitutional republic. Instead it misleads.

An honest Center would have explained that the Constitution laid out certain limited powers for each branch of government. Instead the center focuses on “aspirations,” making it seem as if Congress is empowered to do anything under the sun to make Americans happy. You’d think lawmakers had a blank check to do almost anything.

It’s also deeply troubling to see how the Center omits key references to our religious heritage. “Separation of church and state is vital to our liberty,” writes David Waters on The Washington Post/Newsweek blog On Faith. “But trying to scrub from American history or public life every reference to God or faith isn't just silly. It's inaccurate and misleading.”

If there’s one positive finding in ISI’s report, it’s that most Americans agree we need more civics lessons. Almost three-quarters of those who took ISI’s test said that colleges should prepare students by teaching them about American history.

This isn’t happening, though. The average score on ISI’s test for those holding bachelor’s degrees was only 57 percent. Even those with advanced degrees scored just 65 percent. Both are failing grades. That could change if universities and even high schools rededicated themselves to teaching what students need to know.

Civic literacy, in fact, is something we all need. After all, millions of inaugural viewers are about to get a valuable glimpse into our system of government. They should understand what they’re seeing.

Glimpses, however, aren’t enough. We can -- and must -- do better.

Timberlane parents worried about paying for college

From the Eagle Tribune;

Timberlane parents worried about paying for college UNH financial aid expert gives advice on how to get money
By Margo Sullivan
margosullivan@eagletribune.com

PLAISTOW — With the credit crunch tightening, parents of college-bound seniors hit the books last night to find out how they can pay for their children's higher education.

More than 120 anxious parents packed a classroom at Timberlane Regional High School to pick up tips from Jennifer Smith, associate director of financial aid at the University of New Hampshire.

Many parents said they are unsure how they will swing college tuition without taking out a bank loan.

"That's the worry," Don Olmstead of Sandown said. His son, Patrick, 17, is relying on his parents to pay for college.

"We plan to pay a portion in cash and finance the rest," Olmstead said, so it will be a problem if credit is frozen.

John Sullivan of Sandown said he did not know of any other way to pay for college than student loans. His daughter is applying to Salem State College and Merrimack College.

The federal government will continue to provide students loans, Smith said. Over the past 18 to 24 months, the frozen credit problems have caused UNH to direct federal Stafford Loan recipients to the government's direct lending programs, rather than commercial lenders.

A Stafford Loan will provide up to $5,500 a year for a college freshman. The average cost of attending UNH for a year comes to $24,100 for an in-state student who lives on campus, she said.

Other student loans are available through colleges, she said, so parents should make sure they do not miss the schools' financial aid deadlines.

In her 90-minute presentation, Smith said the student and the family bear the main responsibility of paying for college. In most cases, financial aid will not cover the whole cost of attending school, and students and parents must come up with the rest.

She could not estimate how many high school seniors will have to defer college due to the commercial credit crisis.

"I cannot speak to that at this point," she said. "It's a volatile market. Obviously, lenders have increased (credit) scores."

Longtime Atkinson volunteer dies Flags flown at half-staff to honor DeRosa

From the Eagle Tribune;

Longtime Atkinson volunteer dies Flags flown at half-staff to honor DeRosa
By John Basilesco
jbasilesco@eagletribune.com

ATKINSON — Flags few at half-staff yesterday in memory of Joseph DeRosa, who died over the weekend and is being remembered as a dedicated volunteer for a town he loved very much.

DeRosa, 67, died Saturday night at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass.

He moved to Atkinson from Dedham, Mass., 33 years ago and served on the Board of Selectmen from 1988 to 2003. DeRosa also served on several other town boards, including the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment, Budget Committee and the board of trustees for the town's library.

He was also a member of the town's call Fire Department for 22 years, and a member of the Atkinson Lions Club.

Fire Chief Mike Murphy, who served with DeRosa on the Fire Department, said he will be missed.

"He really did care about the community and the townspeople," Murphy said. "He was always willing to help in a number of ways, including as a member of the Fire Department, the Atkinson Lions Club and many different town boards. He was a good friend of mine. He was always very supportive of the Fire Department and the town as a whole."

Selectmen Chairman Paul Sullivan, who served with DeRosa on the Fire Department for about 10 years, said flags were flown at half-staff at town buildings yesterday in honor of DeRosa's dedication to Atkinson.

"He really enjoyed the town of Atkinson," Sullivan said. "

DeRosa owned DeRosa of Boston, Jewelers, which he established in Boston in 1968 and moved to Plaistow in 1980 before selling the business when he retired a few years ago.

He is survived by his wife, Ellen (Moy) DeRosa of Atkinson; two sons, Gregory J. DeRosa of Merrimack and Jonathan J. DeRosa of Atkinson; and a daughter, Christina M. Hayes of Derry.

Calling hours are Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m. at Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home, 116 Main St., Plaistow.

Middle school students serve up tea for area seniors Middle school students serve up tea for area seniors

From the Eagle- Tribune;

Middle school students serve up tea for area seniors Middle school students serve up tea for area seniors
By James A. Kimble
jkimble@eagletribune.com

PLAISTOW — Barbara Ippolito had to make a snap decision over which poinsettia she would take home.

"This one," she said to the student who came to her table.

Ippolito spent yesterday morning sitting between her grandchildren, Jennifer and Raymond Lipfert, as she enjoyed the music played by nearly 100 students who had been practicing holiday songs for weeks.

"I am really impressed with the work they do with the students here," said Ippolito, of Andover, Mass.

The Senior Citizens Tea is an annual event at the Timberlane Middle School that's been going on for about 30 years.

More than 150 local seniors came to the event to be waited on by middle school students who served tea and baked goods and presented small holiday tokens such as Christmas ornaments.

"It's just a nice way to bring the community together and kick off the Christmas season," school Principal Michael Hogan said. "The grandparents really seem to enjoy the bringing together of two generations."

It's not just grandparents who come every December. Neighbors and friends of the children are invited as well. And many come year after year with their succession of grandchildren making their way through middle school.

"We've had some elderly guests who have been coming here as long as I have been doing this," said Ann Day, a teacher at the middle school and a representative to the Parent-Teacher-Student Association, which hosts the event.

The food and gifts are donated. And students volunteer their time preparing for and working the event.

Hogan said one of the main themes at the school throughout the year is community service, and the senior tea is just one example of this.

Students also recently organized a canned-food drive which brought in 4,500 canned goods for the needy. Another drive is collecting coats, hats and mittens during the winter months.

Grieving family's Santa Fund fund-raiser event marred by fire

From the Eagle Tribune;

Grieving family's Santa Fund fund-raiser event marred by fire
By Mike LaBella
mlabella@eagletribune.com

ATKINSON, N.H. - Nicole Bailey was in the midst of helping to plan a benefit fund-raiser in memory of her brother, John "Jay" Bourdelais, 23, who was killed in an auto accident just a few weeks before Christmas last year.

Her family's plans to raise money for The Eagle-Tribune Santa Fund were interrupted last Tuesday when another tragedy befell them.

An electrical fire destroyed John's old bedroom and caused smoke damage throughout the Atkinson house where he lived with his parents Robin and John Bourdelais. The family is staying in temporary housing on their property until the damage is repaired.

"All my memories of John were destroyed," said Robin Bourdelais.

Also ruined were several baskets that were going to be raffled at the fund-raiser. Friends who had donated the baskets made new ones, she said. Paper goods and party decorations Robin Bourdelais had collected for the fund-raiser were also ruined.

"My mom wasn't going to let a fire put a stop to this event," said Bailey, 25, of Haverhill, Mass. "We're just coming up on the one-year anniversary. The fire was a downer for the holidays, but my mom is coping by working on this event."

When news of the fire spread, John's friends, family members as well as individuals and local businesses responded with a deluge of new raffle items. One New Hampshire business even donated a canoe for the event, something Bailey said her brother would have appreciated.

"John loved to fish," Bailey said.

The benefit intended to raise money for the Santa Fund will go on as planned and takes place tomorrow evening at the AmVets on Primrose Street in Haverhill. Bailey said all 200 tickets to this sold-out event were purchased by friends, family members and those who knew John. She hopes the event will raise $2,000 or more for the Santa Fund.

"My brother's friends really helped out, especially the Shields family of Raymond, N.H.," Bailey said. "They helped my mom and replaced a lot of the decorations and paper goods that were burned. Some of my brothers' friends replaced the baskets that were burned. My brother had great friends and he'd do the same for them."

Bailey said her sisters, Meagan Bourdelais, 22, of Atkinson, and Lori Lopez, 26, of Deerfield, N.H., helped in planning the fund-raiser as well.

She said her brother would have appreciated his family's efforts to help local families and children this holiday season.

"He really had a way with kids," Bailey said.

This family's efforts to help the Santa Fund began last year following the death of John Bourdelais. Because his burial in Atkinson was delayed due to the cold weather, his family had asked that in lieu of flowers, donations in his name be made to the Santa Fund.

"We wanted to do it again this year and we hope to do this every year," Bailey said. "If John knew we were doing this, it would make him so happy."

Those attending tomorrow's fund-raiser were asked to bring along canned goods to be distributed among local food pantries.

"We just wanted to make as many families happy as possible," Robin Bourdelais said.

Weak economy means no raises for Atkinson town employees

From the Eagle Tribune;

Weak economy means no raises for Atkinson town employees
By John Basilesco
jbasilesco@eagletribune.com

ATKINSON — The slumping economy will mean no raises for 121 town workers next year.

For the first time in 21 years, selectmen voted against cost-of-living raises for them, citing the sagging economy. It affects every town worker, except members of the police union, who are currently negotiating a new contract.

Of the 121 town employees who won't get raises, 113 are part time and a dozen are full-time workers.

"Selectmen weren't pleased about it," Town Administrator Steve Angelo said about the board's decision. "They had to tell town employees there would be no increase. But they had to balance the horrible economy and the ability of taxpayers to afford their government."

The board voted 3-0 against granting raises next year. Paul Sullivan, the board's chairman, and Selectmen William Friel and Fred Childs voted against the raises.

Friel said the board's decision was part of an effort to cut back because of the downturn.

"We're trying to be fiscally responsible," he said. "Our town employees do a great job and we support them, but we also have 6,600 residents we represent. Given the (weak) economy, we couldn't justify the cost of living raises. Unfortunately, it doesn't make the Board of Selectmen popular with the town employees."

Friel said this was the first time in 21 years that the town decided against granting raises. The last time was also during an economic slowdown, which started in the late 1980s and continued into the early 1990s, Friel said.

Property Tax time, but are you overpaying?

Webmaster, Please consider this as an article submission

Subject: Your Atkinson Property Taxes


Good Afternoon All Atkinson Taxpayers for Fair Evaluations Committee Mailing List People

It's that time of year again. Your property tax bills must be paid by December 8th and most likely you were over assessed by a minimum of twelve percent in assessed value. If the average value is $358,801.93, that would mean one would be over assessed by $43,056.23 and over paying by $639.82 . Tax Rate this year is: $14.86

Please remember that each dollar you over pay, someone else is not paying his fair share. In other words, you are subsidizing them. In this poor economy, can we really afford to do this?

Have you inspected you property tax card this year for errors? (You should do this every year regardless if you filed an abatement last year.)

If not, we would like to suggest:

1. Go to the Selectmen's office at Town Hall and make copies of everything that is in your property tax folder. (Copy everything front and back) You will be charged fifty cents a sheet by the selectmen. They will also try to convince you that everything is fine and you are wasting your time. (Last year we got back over $130,000.00 for taxpayers and the figure is growing.)

2. Print out your latest Property Tax Card from the CAMA System and compare it to prior years.

3. Check all information on your card for accuracy. (Most cards we have checked have many errors that cost you money.)

4. Keep these copies in a safe place in your home. (Things get lost at Town Hall)

5. If you find errors, you must file an abatement between January 1st but no later than March 1, 2009 to get your money back and lower your assessment.

You can download and printout the abatement form at: http://www.atkinsontaxpayers.org/pdf/AbatementForm.pdf

6. If you need help understanding the codes or filing an effective abatement, please contact
us. We have experience and you do not have to do this alone. We are even willing to visit your home to look for factors/conditions that the assessor did not give you credit for. Conditions that will lower your assessment.

7. If you need help, you can contact us through lartus@aol.com.

Please note that your committee helped two plaintiffs in two BTLA hearing cases against the Town of Atkinson this year. These filings will be on our web site shortly and we will notify you of the court decisions when they are available.

Please do not allow Atkinson's Assessors to assess you for property you do not own.

Sincere regards,
Atkinson Taxpayer for Fair Evaluations Committee

Chief says every withdrawal requested in public, but is that true?

The short answer is no. That, like many other statements is patently false.

But what is the truth?

Now thanks to this blog, and the Atkinson Taxpayers Website, that question is easily answered.

If you go to the Atkinson Taxpayers website, and look at the donation acct. ledgers, you will see many expenditures over the last three years, coincidently the years the board of selectmen was controlled by the chief and his puppet, Sapia, were made with no public disclosure.

This is bad enough, but there were alot of problems with that account, The board was supposed to post notice of the public hearing 7 days in advance, and never did. They were supposed to VOTE to spend any money, and rarely did that!

No, even though most requests were made in public, the public usually had little idea of how that money was being spent.

Lets Look at the Donation Account Ledger for 2007;

On 1/10/07 $400.00 to William Anderson for Gift cards NEVER DISCLOSED
On 1/10/08 $50.00 to Rick Theberge for a mailbox NEVER DISCLOSED
On 1/16/08 $117.00 to William Anderson for Senior Drivers Jackets NEVER DISCLOSED
On 3/7/07 $58.00 to William Anderson for Logos on Jackets NEVER DISCLOSED
On 3/7/07 $40.00 to Rick Theberge for Sand/salt driveway NEVER DISCLOSED
On 3/28/07 $40.00 to Charlie McCarthy Senior-4 pops tickets NEVER DISCLOSED
On 3/28/08 $250.00 to Atkinson Youth Baseball for sponsorship NEVER DISCLOSED
On 6/6/07 $21.65 to Charlie McCarthy for Staples/plug/parking NEVER DISCLOSED
On 7/18/07 $175.00 to Details on wheels for wax and buff durango NEVER DISCLOSED
On 7/18/08 $90.00 to Harolds Locksmith for new key for Mercury NEVER DISCLOSED
On 7/25/08 $65.00 to Charlie McCarthy for wax senior car NEVER DISCLOSED
On 7/25/07 $50.00 to Freshwater Farms for Cammilieri(Flowers?) NEVER DISCLOSED
On 10/24/07 $50.00 to Phil's signs for flu shot signs NEVER DISCLOSED
On 10/24/07 $100.00 to ram printing for envelopes NEVER DISCLOSED
On 10/31/07 $216.00 to Lynn Card co. for Police badge cards NEVER DISCLOSED
On 10/31/07 $18.58 to Charlie McCarthy for Rx items NEVER DISCLOSED
On 11/14/07 $173.00 to C&D Auto clinic for car repairs for senior NEVER DISCLOSED
On 11/14/07 $57.00 to Freshwater Farms for Crowley(Flowers?) NEVER DISCLOSED
On 11/14/08 $48.00 to Pulsar Alarms for Med alert NEVER DISCLOSED
On 11/20/07 $15.00 to Phil Consentino for parking fee Boston NEVER DISCLOSED
On 11/20/08 $100.00 to Phil Consentinno for gift certificate NEVER DISCLOSED
On 12/19/07 $45.00 to Exeter flower shop for flowers Kinney NEVER DISCLOSED
On 12/31/07 $486.75 to Murphy and Sons Oil for heating oil assist. NEVER DISCLOSED
On 12/31/07 $75.00 to Rick Theberge for assist snow removal NEVER DISCLOSED

TOTAL SPENT WITHOUT PUBLIC DISCLOSURE $ 2,740.98

And that's just one year! This has been going on for 15 years!

Sorry chief, we know how you hate people to use the word LIE in describing your tales, so can we say untruthful?

We will just let the people decide for themselves. The facts are presented.

Atkinson Lions bring cheer to lonely residents

From the Eagle Tribune;

Atkinson Lions bring cheer to lonely residents
By John Basilesco
jbasilesco@eagletribune.com

ATKINSON — In groups of two and three, members of the Atkinson Lions Club will deliver holiday baskets and pay a visit to lonely residents, many of whom have no families of their own.

Through a community service program started three years ago, club members will mobilize Dec. 13 to deliver baskets and spend time chatting with each recipient.

"The baskets aren't just about giving them some food," club President Al Goldstein said. "For some of these people, we're the only ones who visit them on the holidays. They have no family. In thank-you notes sent to the club, it's amazing how they focus more on the fact that we stopped what we were doing to talk to them for half an hour than the fact that we gave them food."

The idea came from club member George Winchell, who coordinates the annual event with Goldstein and other members.

"Going out and delivering the baskets — and being asked to come in and sit and chat — is one of the best things about it," Winchell said. "You can't describe the look on their faces. It's very moving, very touching."

The beneficiaries are people in need of an emotional boost, Winchell said. They include individuals who have lost a spouse and are spending their holiday alone for the first time. Others include elderly people living alone.

One of the recipients last year was a young woman, recently divorced, facing her first Christmas alone with her children, Winchell said.

"We do it to show them that someone's thinking about them around the holiday season," Winchell said.

Two or three Lions go to each person's house to deliver the baskets. A lot of the people who receive the baskets are by themselves and just want someone to talk to them, he said.

They send touching thank-you notes to the club, which Goldstein reads at club meetings.

"You can hear a pin drop when he's reading them," Winchell said.

The baskets are filled with an assortment of food, including fruit, crackers and a canned ham.

ATKINSON POLICE CHIEF TRIES TO MISLEAD THE TAXPAYERS AGAIN

PLEASE CONSIDER THIS AS AN ARTICLE SUBMISSION

ATKINSON POLICE CHIEF TRIES TO MISLEAD THE TAXPAYERS AGAIN

Phil Says: Forced changes in elderly improvement
From the Eagle Tribune;



Letter: Forced changes in elderly fund no improvement

To the editor:

This letter is in response to your editorial of Nov. 17. I would like to set the record straight for the second time with your paper. I previously came to your office and explained the process of how the Elderly Affairs Department and the Police Departments Donation/Equipment fund worked. I will again advise you of the process that has been in place since 1994.

SECOND TIME, WHEN WAS THE FIRST? IS PHIL RESPONSIBLE FOR MARGO LEAVING THE EAGLE TRIBUNE? WHAT RIGHT DOES PHIL HAVE TO ADVISE ANY NEWSPAPER ABOUT ANYTHING?

You mention in your editorial the word "transparency" of the funds we received and how those funds were spent. Let's set that record straight. Whenever the Police Department wanted to use funds from our Donation/Equipment fund, the selectman were required to hold a public hearing during their regularly scheduled meeting. During this posted public hearing, I advised the selectmen exactly why we wanted to take funds out of this account. The selectmen then opened the public hearing to the public to see if they had any questions on how or why these funds were being requested. At the conclusion of that public hearing, the selectmen took a vote to authorize the withdrawal of these funds.

THIS IS A HALF TRUTH. GRANTED, A MEETING WAS HELD, BUT NO VOTE WAS EVER TAKEN. HALF TRUTHS DO NOT SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.

Once a receipt was obtained for the items requested, that receipt was turned into the town's bookkeeper and she then produced a check. That check was sent to the Board of Selectmen for another approval prior to the funds being expended. That is open and full transparency.

IF THIS WERE TRUE, WHY DOESN’T THE AMOUNTS MATCH UP WITH THE AMOUNTS REQUESTED? AGAIN, MORE LIES FROM OUR CHIEF. SHAME ON HIM FOR MISLEADING THE TRUTH TO THE PUBLIC THAT PAYS HIM.

PLEASE SEE:
http://www.atkinsontaxpayers.org/pdf/Donation_Ledger2005.pdf
http://www.atkinsontaxpayers.org/pdf/Donation_Ledger2006.pdf
http://www.atkinsontaxpayers.org/pdf/Donation_Ledger2007-08.pdf


At least once a month, a resident would come to the bookkeeper's office to look over all of the receipts that were paid out of the Police Departments Donation/equipment fund. That again is full and open transparency.

THE PEOPLE OF ATKINSON WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE NAME OF THE PERSON (S) WHO DID THIS ONCE A MONTH. WAS IT THE CHIEF’S WIFE?

Now let me tell you how the new approved system is working. All funds received into the new Atkinson Police Charitable Fund are no longer open to scrutiny by the public, because, under direction of the attorney general's office, we were required to open a nonprofit charitable trust that is not open to public scrutiny under the right to know law.

THIS IS ANOTHER LIE. THE AGO DID NOT DEMAND THE TOWN SET UP A NON-PROFIT THE TAXPAYERS WOULD NOT FIND TRANSPARENT. THAT WAS ONE OPTION. THE AGO RECOMMENDED TURNING THE DONATION ACCOUNT OVER TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE TRUST FUNDS FOR MANAGEMENT, BUT THEN PHIL WOULD HAVE HAD TO BE OPEN AND TRANSPARENT OR THE TRUSTEES WOULD SAY NO, UNLIKE THE SELECTMEN. PHIL CREATED HIS OWN ACCOUNT SO IT WOULDN’T BE TRANSPARENT. THIS IS HIS OWN PRIVATE NON-PROFIT ACCOUNT. THE GOOD NEWS IS TAXPAYERS CAN STILL DONATE TO THE TRUSTEE OF THE TOWN TRUST FUND. THAT ACCOUNT IS TRANSPARENT. WHY WOULD ANYONE DONATE TO PHIL’S ACCOUNT. THE ANSWER IS: BECAUSE PHIL WILL FORCE THEM TO, IF THEY WANT SERVICES TO CONTINUE.

We are not required to advise anyone how these donations are going to be spent, or provide any receipts for these expenditures. This account no longer has full transparency as it did prior to the separation.

THIS IS WHY THE CHIEF SET UP HIS OWN ACCOUNT. STAFFED BY HIS OWN EMPLOYEES!


You also stated that I was the only person who decided how these donations were to be spent. That was not true. Any senior that needed assistance only had to ask the Police Department and we then provided them with the assistance they requested. Now that these funds are under the control of the charitable fund, we will adhere to the state laws governing a nonprofit charitable fund. Under the guidance of the attorney general's office, we set up a board of directors. They are Philip Consentino, president; William Anderson, vice president; Robert Neill; treasurer, Roger Culliford, secretary; and Richard Magoon, recording secretary. All of the directors are members of the Atkinson Police Department's Elderly Affairs Division.

OF COURSE THEY ARE BECAUSE THEY WILL DO ANYTHING THE CHIEF TELLS THEM TO DO.

Most seniors would rather go without than to go to the Town Hall and fill out a 15-page life history form just to get a one-time assistance with an oil delivery. That is why so many seniors know that they can always come to the Police Department and get the help that they need. So nothing really has changed except we are no longer transparent.

BECAUSE THAT’S THE WAY THE CHIEF WANTED IT. AND THERE IS NO 15 PAGE APPLICATION FOR HEATING ASSISTANCE. HEATING ASSISTANCE IS A STATE FUNDED PROGRAM WITH A SHORT APPLICATION, TO QUALIFY.

There will no longer be any public hearings advising the residents of how these donations will be spent. You will no longer be allowed to look over all of the receipts and slips indicating what these funds were used for. Remember, this new charitable trust was set up by the N.H. attorney general's Charitable Trust Division.

NO IT WASN’T, YOU DID THIS CHIEF.

We did not request to take the transparency away from the public; this was done against our wishes.

THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT THE CHIEF WANTED, SO IT WOULD NOT BE TRANSPARENT.

As far as separating the Police Department from the Elderly Affairs Department, this is a lose-lose situation for the town. We now have to turn over the full responsibility of the two old police cruisers and the new wheelchair van to the Elderly Affairs Department.

IT’S THE BEGINNING OF A WIN-WIN SITUATION. IT WILL BE AS SOON AS WE GET PHIL OUT OF ELDERLY AFFAIRS COMPLETELY.

Who is going to maintain these vehicles? Who is going to pay for all of the repairs? All of these expenses were paid through the Police Department's Donation/Equipment Fund. This can no longer be accomplished, because these vehicles are no longer under the control of the Police Department.

YES IT CAN, WE WILL TAKE IT OUT OF YOUR POLICE BUDGET AND PUT THE MONEY INTO THE ELDERLY AFFAIRS BUDGET WHERE IT BELONGS. NO MORE BLOATED POLICE BUDGET FOR YOU CHIEF.SINCE WHEN IS IT ONLY THE POLICE DEPT. WHO MAINTAINS VEHICLES?

Who takes the calls from seniors looking for rides to the doctors? Who houses all of the medical supplies? Who helps seniors when they have a problem with Medicare or a contractor that did not complete a job? That's right, the Police Department. The Elderly Affairs program cannot provide the services to our seniors that we do without the interaction of the Police Department.

YES THE COMMUNITY CENTER CAN DO ALL THESE THINGS WITHOUT PHIL.

Can you tell me is this new separation and new charitable fund going to help the residents of Atkinson or is it now going to reduce or completely dissolve the Elderly Affairs program?

THE ELDERLY AFFAIRS PROGRAM WILL NOT BE DISSOLVED. WE INTEND TO INCREASE SERVICES FOR EVERYONE (NOT JUST YOUR CHOSEN FEW) WHILE BEING TRANSPARENT. THE ELDERLY WILL DO BETTER WITHOUT YOU CHIEF. WE WILL SEE TO IT. AS MUCH AS YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE YOU ARE THE BEGINNING AND END ALL FOR ELDERLY AFFAIRS, YOU ARE NOT.

Please get your facts straight prior to printing your editorials.

THE PAPER HAS IT FACTS STRAIGHT. IT’S THE CHIEF THAT IS MISLEADING THE PUBLIC.

PHIL, STOP INTIMIDATING AND LYING TO THE PUBLIC AND OUR ELDERLY! THEY DON’T DESERVE BEING MISTREATED. YOU SIR, ARE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE HAVE IN OUR TOWN. STEP DOWN NOW.

PHILIP V. CONSENTINO

Police chief

Director of elderly affairs

President of the Atkinson Police

Charitable Fund

Atkinson, N.H.


ATKINSON TAXPAYERS COMMITTEE

Some Advice For Atkinson.

From the Plaistow Town Crier;

Thank you, Mr. Herrick

Some Advice For Atkinson.
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Plaistow, NH Town Crier ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Dennis Herrick on November 19, 2008 at 09:29:06:

The whole Elderly Assistance Program should be run out of the Community Center by someone other than Consentino. But, your Selectmen are soo afraid of losing the support of the elderly and their chances of a lasting legacy, that they've started catering to Consentino again. All the recent charges are mere cosmetics. They're dancing to the Chief's tune again.

Start focusing on the Selectman's race coming up next year. Who's up for election this time? Is it Childs? Start looking for a neutral player to run against him. How about drafting Fire Chief Murphy? I know he doesn't want it. What sane person would? Make him take it for the good of the community. He could serve for just one term. That's all it should take to clean up the mess. The last thing you need is another Selectman that wants to remain in office forever, working on some imagined legacy.

And a little bit of encouragement for the Atkinson Reporter II. It's your blog, run it the way you see fit. Maybe all the complainers will band together and start their own blog. They can call it Speak-Out-Atkinson. I'm sure Curt Springer would lend a hand. So lonely blog master, if you feel you've been demonized lately, then become the demon. If you think the government is acting like the "parents from hell", then you have a responsibility to act like the "kids from hell". You can do nothing less.

And remember this. If you were back in the 1700s and posted a story about the Boston Tea Party, these complainers would probably say, protests like these are just childish, divisive, nonsense. So keep up the good work.

Phil Says: Forced changes in elderly fund no improvement

From the Eagle Tribune;

Letter: Forced changes in elderly fund no improvement

To the editor:

This letter is in response to your editorial of Nov. 17. I would like to set the record straight for the second time with your paper. I previously came to your office and explained the process of how the Elderly Affairs Department and the Police Departments Donation/Equipment fund worked. I will again advise you of the process that has been in place since 1994.

You mention in your editorial the word "transparency" of the funds we received and how those funds were spent. Let's set that record straight. Whenever the Police Department wanted to use funds from our Donation/Equipment fund, the selectman were required to hold a public hearing during their regularly scheduled meeting. During this posted public hearing, I advised the selectmen exactly why we wanted to take funds out of this account. The selectmen then opened the public hearing to the public to see if they had any questions on how or why these funds were being requested. At the conclusion of that public hearing, the selectmen took a vote to authorize the withdrawal of these funds.

Once a receipt was obtained for the items requested, that receipt was turned into the town's bookkeeper and she then produced a check. That check was sent to the Board of Selectmen for another approval prior to the funds being expended. That is open and full transparency. At least once a month, a resident would come to the bookkeeper's office to look over all of the receipts that were paid out of the Police Departments Donation/equipment fund.

That again is full and open transparency.

Now let me tell you how the new approved system is working. All funds received into the new Atkinson Police Charitable Fund are no longer open to scrutiny by the public, because, under direction of the attorney general's office, we were required to open a nonprofit charitable trust that is not open to public scrutiny under the right to know law. We are not required to advise anyone how these donations are going to be spent, or provide any receipts for these expenditures. This account no longer has full transparency as it did prior to the separation.

You also stated that I was the only person who decided how these donations were to be spent. That was not true. Any senior that needed assistance only had to ask the Police Department and we then provided them with the assistance they requested. Now that these funds are under the control of the charitable fund, we will adhere to the state laws governing a nonprofit charitable fund. Under the guidance of the attorney general's office, we set up a board of directors. They are Philip Consentino, president; William Anderson, vice president; Robert Neill; treasurer, Roger Culliford, secretary; and Richard Magoon, recording secretary. All of the directors are members of the Atkinson Police Department's Elderly Affairs Division. Most seniors would rather go without than to go to the Town Hall and fill out a 15-page life history form just to get a one-time assistance with an oil delivery. That is why so many seniors know that they can always come to the Police Department and get the help that they need. So nothing really has changed except we are no longer transparent.

There will no longer be any public hearings advising the residents of how these donations will be spent. You will no longer be allowed to look over all of the receipts and slips indicating what these funds were used for. Remember, this new charitable trust was set up by the N.H. attorney general's Charitable Trust Division. We did not request to take the transparency away from the public; this was done against our wishes.

As far as separating the Police Department from the Elderly Affairs Department, this is a lose-lose situation for the town. We now have to turn over the full responsibility of the two old police cruisers and the new wheelchair van to the Elderly Affairs Department.

Who is going to maintain these vehicles? Who is going to pay for all of the repairs? All of these expenses were paid through the Police Department's Donation/Equipment Fund. This can no longer be accomplished, because these vehicles are no longer under the control of the Police Department. Who takes the calls from seniors looking for rides to the doctors? Who houses all of the medical supplies? Who helps seniors when they have a problem with Medicare or a contractor that did not complete a job? That's right, the Police Department. The Elderly Affairs program cannot provide the services to our seniors that we do without the interaction of the Police Department.

Can you tell me is this new separation and new charitable fund going to help the residents of Atkinson or is it now going to reduce or completely dissolve the Elderly Affairs program? Please get your facts straight prior to printing your editorials.

PHILIP V. CONSENTINO

Police chief

Director of elderly affairs

President of the Atkinson Police

Charitable Fund

Atkinson, N.H.

Separation of police and elder affairs is overdue

From the Eagle Tribune;

Our view: Separation of police and elder affairs is overdue

The Atkinson, N.H. Police Department and Elderly Affairs Program are now officially separate.

It's about time.

It has been years since residents began questioning both the ethics and the legality of police Chief Philip Consentino also being the director of elderly affairs, controlling various donation accounts to both departments and personally selecting who gets money from them.

It has been months since the New Hampshire attorney general said the practice was illegal.

But it took until this past week for the Board of Selectmen to sign off on a plan to separate the two departments, which includes numerous rules and regulations to comply with state law. Consentino will continue as volunteer director of the elder program, but must answer to selectmen.

Consentino argued for years that there was nothing wrong with the way he collected and spent donations to the Police Department and for elderly assistance.

And he has remained popular in town, particularly among senior citizens.

Consentino has conducted a donation drive each year, sending out solicitations on police letterhead.

The money collected is distributed among the Special Senior Fund, the Atkinson Police Department Donation/Equipment Fund and the DARE fund.

But popularity does not trump the law. Terry Knowles, assistant director of the AG's charitable trust unit, recommended that besides separating the jobs of police chief and elderly affairs director, that a system be established for determining who receives money.

So the board of directors of a new nonprofit, the Atkinson Police Charitable Fund, will administer disbursements and issue annual, public reports on account balances and activity.

Finally, the drivers who perform services for elders — a group of retired men — will stop wearing police uniforms.

Consentino deserves credit for his civic activism, but it will be better for him — and for those he says he wants to serve — for the management and distribution of charitable donations to be transparent and decided by a set of standards, not the discretion of one individual.

The Atkinson Reporter Blog exists for what reason(s)?

Anonymous said...

Publius: Article Submission:

The Atkinson Reporter Blog exists for what reason(s)?

I would love to hear some opinions as to what the true purpose of this blog really is. I've read so many opinions as to why we have this blog. Here some potential reasons that crossed my mind.

1) Freedom of Speech: Atkinson's voice from the populace has been stifled by the police chief. Technology allows the repressed to speak out freely and anonymously without fear of retribution from the Nazi leader (not to say it is all the officers as we regularly hear most are good). Symbolic of the American Revolution against the King of England. Anonymous posters hide behind trees and stonewalls (now firewalls) taking potshots at the King's troops. Come out into the open and fight you cowards!

2) Forum for discussion of new ideas: Swap ideas and discuss the merits of potential changes to improve Atkinson that might actually reduce spending and taxes. Now there's a novel idea.

3) Slander and defamation league: Great place to spread mistruths. Especially against those who are really good at it. Also a good place to make fun of Demlicans and Repubocrats that voted for anyone in the last election.

4) Vendetta Voice: Those who are out after the chief and his "good name" are united in a cause, for absolutely no good reason mind you, to get him and his family even after all the good they have done for the elderly and the town.

5) Expose graft and corruption that permeates our town government. Led by their fearless leader, Chief Bigum Heado, it is one obligated crony after another elected to numerous positions and committees by his taxpayer funded political machine known as the Dept of Elderly Affairs. The old obligation con lives on and on in our town.

Other reasons? Comments? What is the purpose of the blog, anyway?

Timberlane students embrace Great American Smokeout

From the Eagle-Tribune;

Timberlane students embrace Great American Smokeout Timberlane students help classmates stop smoking
By Margo Sullivan
margosullivan@eagletribune.com

PLAISTOW, N.H. — Don't try to say you don't know about tomorrow's Great American Smokeout if you're a student at Timberlane Regional High School.

You can't turn a corner inside the school without seeing a neon-colored poster, according to 17-year-old Ashley Gillan, a senior in the Peer Outreach group. The posters announce that 75 percent of your classmates don't smoke, and if you do, here's help.

This is the Great American Smokeout "in your face," she said yesterday.

Ashley and about two dozen other students plan to adopt a smoker for the day. They will sit outside the cafeteria from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and offer students who want to quit a one-day contract to sign pledging not to smoke.

Ashley also will carry a supply of "quit bags" to help ease the nicotine craving. For the Great American Smokeout, the Timberlane students stuffed dozens of plastic bags with lollipops, Tootsie Rolls, Jolly Ranchers and gum with the hope the candy would help their classmates quit smoking.

And for people who respond to more dramatic appeals, a set of pig lungs — one healthy lung and one with a tumor — will be on display to show the damage smoking can do to the human body.

"You can even touch the tumor," teacher Tim Lena said.

Rich Cran, a tobacco specialist with the state's Department of Health and Human Services, said he buys the lungs from a mail-order company that provides supplies for smoking cessation groups. The pigs are already dead when the tumors are simulated, and the lungs are subjected to smoke to represent 18 years of a cigarette habit.

"No pig was harmed for this Smokeout," Ashley said.

About two dozen students have spent the past two weeks preparing for the Smokeout — observed nationwide since 1977 — and said smoking is still a problem.

Although fewer high school students light up today compared with the number of teenage smokers six years ago, some cling to the notion that smoking is cool, Cran said. He believes prevention programs such as the Smokeout do work.

"They show more kids are not smoking than are smoking," he said. Asked how many students smoke out of 10, teens will answer six or seven. The reality is two or three, he said.

The latest data shows New Hampshire is winning the battle against teen smoking, said Michael Dumond, chief for the Bureau of Prevention Services at the state Health Department. Between 2001 and 2007, for example, the percentage of seventh-graders who smoke dropped from 8.4 percent to 3.5 percent, he said.

Most of the other age groups, between the seventh and 12th grades, showed similar successes. Seven years ago, 25 percent of all high school students smoked. In 2007, that figure fell to 16.8 percent. Asked why, Dumond cites several reasons, including education, police enforcement and price increases due to cigarette taxes.

"We're going in a good direction, generally speaking," he said, "but we still feel it could be brought down further."

Overall, 19 percent of New Hampshire youths smoke compared with 20 percent nationwide. But although New Hampshire is doing slightly better than the national average, other states outshine the Granite State.

Maine, for example, has brought its percentage of youth smoking down to 14 percent.

Cigarettes are still popular with high school students, Ashley said.

After school, teens are lighting up and smoking cigarettes on streets near the high school, according to Megan Truche, 16, of Sandown. Megan, a junior at Timberlane, said she runs into people smoking outside all the time and most are teens.

"I can't go anywhere without someone blowing smoke in my face," she said.

Crime Wave Hits Atkinson?

It has been noted by many residents that this past week has seen many advertisements placed upon mailboxes around town. There have been the fliers for plowing, a landscapers ad, and a BSA food drive which hung shopping bags from mailbox flags. And even worse the food drive involves Shaw's and Market Basket supermarkets! Two Large corporations, and a non-profit organization, attacked, not just a few mailboxes, but THE ENTIRE TOWN! This TOWN WIDE CRIME WAVE can not be tolerated!

Many of us will remember chief Consentino's exhaustive investigation into, Carol Grant's placing of fliers on mailbox posts, prior to the 2007 special town meeting, wasting taxpayer time and money. Many of us remember how he came into the selectmen's meeting, on camera, over the cautioning instructions of selectman Sullivan, and laid out his case against Mrs. Grant.

Many of us will remember his admitting that he followed her for two days, as she did this, painstakingly documenting his surveillance, with photographic evidence, his interviews with the Atkinson Postmaster, and his request for back up to the United States Postal Inspectors Service! His accusation that Mrs. Grant was violating FEDERAL LAW! His implication placing her somewhere between John Dillinger and Bonnie and Clyde.

We also remember that although it has been pointed out to him and the Atkinson PD, at least 7 separate times that this Blog knows of since that time, he has never treated another violator in a similar manner. When the suspect was Mrs. Grant He went all out to besmirch her reputation, stating in a high dudgeon that "THE LAW IS THE LAW"!

We wonder if with this new crime wave sweeping our sleepy little town, can we expect another dramatic performance by our keystone Coppish police chief? We will, as always, be watching.

Atkinson separates elderly affairs from police on paper only!

From the Eagle Tribune;

Atkinson separates elderly affairs from police It's official: Selectmen sign off on plan
By Meghan Carey
mcarey@eagletribune.com

ATKINSON — The ink is on the paper.

Months after the state attorney general's charitable trust unit began looking into police Chief Philip Consentino's elderly affairs program, the selectmen signed off on a plan to separate it from the Police Department Monday night.

The Atkinson Elderly Affairs Department now has numerous rules and regulations it must follow, as well as a seven-page document that outlines the director's role, Selectman Bill Friel said this week.

Consentino will sign that document and continue as the volunteer director of the program, but he must regularly answer to the selectmen, Friel said.

"So, we monitor it on a weekly basis now," he said.

Time slips from the department's four drivers and Consentino's volunteer form will be turned in to Town Hall and available for public inspection, Friel said. It will ensure the program remains transparent, which was one of the complaints residents had when they first contacted the attorney general's office in April.

Friel put together the packet based on numerous letters from, and a meeting with, Terry Knowles, director of the charitable trust unit. He said once he developed all the documents, he sent the whole package to Knowles to approve before the selectmen adopted it.

Consentino said the new plan will be a "hassle," but worth it to keep the elderly affairs program alive.

"As a volunteer, I have to do more work than as a paid employee," he said. "How many hours do I volunteer? I have to sign off that I don't expect to be paid."

But he will still get to help seniors with fuel costs and medications, get household repairs done and even send them birthday cards. Most of that will be funded through donations to the Police Department Charitable Trust he set up in response to the state's inquiry.

More than $2,000 was donated toward it last week alone, Consentino said.

That money, plus what's left from previous donations now held by the Trustees of the Trust Fund and a $2,500 line in the proposed budget for next year will be used to assist seniors, Consentino said.

The budget will fund the transportation part of the Elderly Affairs Department, which provides rides to medical appointments and social events.

But nothing will happen without paperwork and regulations. There are instructions for how to accept, use and withdraw donation money from the trustees, Friel said. There are transportation request forms, fuel forms and a mission statement.

The setup does drive up the cost of the department and next year's proposed budget reflects that, but Friel said it was necessary to separate it.

The department will have to do its own repairs and replace its cars now, something that used to fall under the Police Department budget.

The cruisers will be relettered with the department's new name immediately, and the drivers — who are a group of retired men — will stop wearing police uniforms, according to selectmen's Chairman Paul Sullivan.

"I think it's a lot better and it really puts it in the hands of where it should be," Sullivan said.

Documentation obtained during discovery phase of State Water hearings now available

Article Submission -

Webmaster says -

Documentation obtained during the discovery phase of the HAWC-PUC hear is now available at
www.just-goaway.com .

There were a number of documents listing potential abutters to the pipeline. I've not included those for privacy purposes.

I'm not going to comment or editorialize on the documents. I will leave it to you to form your own opinions.

A number of people have asked the PUC to hold a public hearing before they make their decision. It is not required but it has been pointed out that the public has had very little input into this whole process. If you feel the same, use the mailing list on the web site and let them know.

Our Tax system explained in laymans terms.

From the Plaistow Town Crier;

by Linda W.
Member since: October 26, 2006

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer
and the bill for all ten comes to $100.

I am not sure who wrote this but hopefully it might make a few people think.

If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something
like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the
arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.'Since you are
all such good customers, he said,'I'm going to reduce the cost of your
daily beer by $20. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the
first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But
what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they
divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But, if they subtracted
that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would
each end up being paid to drink his beer.
So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's
bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the
amounts each should pay.

And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before And the first four continued
to drink for free. But, once outside the restaurant, the men began to
compare their savings.

'I only got a dollar out of the $20', declared the sixth man. He pointed
to the tenth man,'but he got $10!'

'Yeah, that's right', exclaimed the fifth man.'I only saved a dollar,
too. It's unfair that he got
ten times more than I!'

'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man.'Why should he get $10 back
when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!'

'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison.'We didn't get
anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat
down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill,
they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money
between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls , journalists and college professors, is how
our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most
benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being
wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore.

To All of our Servicemen, and women, past and present, THANK YOU!

A time to give thanks for the air of freedom

Today, Nov. 11, we recognize, remember and give thanks to all who served in the armed forces of the United States. Those traditional ceremonies will range from parades to speeches at local monuments, rifle salutes and invocations. But the fact is that veterans deserve our thanks every day of the year as do those still serving in the military.

The tradition dates to Nov. 11, 1921, when an unknown American soldier from World War I was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, in recognition of World War I veterans and in conjunction with the timing of cessation of hostilities at 11 a.m., Nov. 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month).

President Warren Harding requested that: "All ... citizens ... indulge in a period of silent thanks to God for these ... valorous lives and of supplication for His Divine mercy ... on our beloved country." Inscribed on the tomb are these words: "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God." The day became known as "Armistice Day."

In 1954, Congress, wanting to recognize the sacrifice of veterans since World War I, proposed to change "Armistice Day" to "Veterans Day" in their honor. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, former Supreme Commander in World War II, signed the legislation.

This Veterans Day finds Americans still in the thick of battle in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their physical and psychological wounds must be tended to upon their return, something which President-elect Barack Obama says will be a priority of his administration. On that, he and his Republican opponent, John McCain, were very much in agreement.

McCain was just the latest in a long line of military men beginning with George Washington who have sought to serve their country in the role of civilian commander in chief. That willingness to serve was noted early in Obama's victory speech last Tuesday night.

"He (McCain) fought long and hard in this campaign," Obama observed, "and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader."

Fortunately, there are relatively few who have undergone the hardships McCain experienced during his five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. But everyone who serves in the armed forces faces the possibility of imprisonment, injury or death, and it's due to that sacrifice we remain a country of free men and women.

Indeed, it was a U.S. Marines chaplain, the Rev. Dennis Edward O'Brien, who put into words what each of us should remember not only on this day, but every day that we are blessed to breathe the air of freedom:

It is the soldier, not the reporter,

Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,

Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,

Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, who salutes the flag,

Who serves beneath the flag,

And whose coffin is draped by the flag,

Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Southern N.H. tax rates climb, but property values drop

From the Eagle-Tribune;

Southern N.H. tax rates climb, but property values drop
By Jarret Bencks
jbencks@eagletribune.com

Property tax rates are up in towns all over Southern New Hampshire, but that doesn't necessarily mean homeowners will pay more taxes in 2008.

Pelham's tax rate increased almost 10 percent, but residents will pay about $200 less on average than they did in 2007, according to Town Administrator Tom Gaydos. The drop is a result of a combination of cuts to the budget, falling property values and increased value for commercial properties, Gaydos said. Home values fell more than 11 percent in Pelham, while commercial property values increased by 30 percent.

The state Department of Revenue Administration, which assists towns in setting their tax rates, has seen rates going up in towns across the state as property values continue to fall, according to Barbara Robinson, DRA spokeswoman.

In Derry, residents will be paying more in taxes, but not as much more as the $3.50 rise in the property tax rate would indicate, because homes in Derry were revaluated this year.

The average Derry home was valued at $300,000 in 2007, but that dropped to $267,600 in 2008. The average homeowner paid $6,615 in property taxes last year. This year, the average residential property tax bill is $6,832. The $217 hike can be attributed to increases including sand, salt and pavement, chief financial officer Frank Childs said.

"This town provides a good level of services to its citizens," Childs said. "We have a high level of recreation services, an ambulance service, and provide other services to our citizens."

In other towns, where homes were not revaluated this year, increases have been more subtle. Salem saw a 5 percent increase in its tax rate from $13.21 to $13.88. Salem's 2007 property tax rate was the 49th lowest in the state, according to data from the DRA. Derry's tax rate was the highest in the region for 2007, ranking 202nd on that list. Statewide statistics from the DRA aren't available for 2008.

Londonderry's tax rate increased from $18.22 to $18.48, with the increase coming entirely from the education portion of the budget, according to Town Assessor Karen Marchand. The average homeowners in Londonderry will pay $78 more in 2008 than they did in 2007.

2008 tax bill for a $300,000 home

Atkinson: $4,458

Danville: $6,090

Derry: $7,659

Hampstead: $5,967

Kingston: $6,288

Londonderry: $5,544

Newton: $5,694

Pelham: $5,205

Plaistow: NA

Salem: $4,164

Sandown: NA

Windham: $5,400

Plaistow and Sandown have not set their 2008 tax rates.

Atkinson residents heads to Lesotho today

From the Eagle Tribune;

Atkinson residents heads to Lesotho today Woman starts 2-year Peace Corps stint in South Africa today
By Meghan Carey
mcarey@eagletribune.com

ATKINSON — Nicole Evans is about to call a round mud hut with a thatched roof home.

The Atkinson resident leaves today for Lesotho, a small South African country where she'll serve in the Peace Corps for two years. She applied for the program a year ago, but found out just six weeks ago that she'd been placed.

Evans, 25, said she's had the Peace Corps on her mind since she attended Central Catholic High School. Max Shaw, her art teacher there, shared many stories with her about her own time serving in Bolivia in the 1990s.

Evans wanted to go to Asia, but was offered the South Pacific or Africa.

"I just figured, when else would I get to go to Africa?" she said.

But when she started researching Lesotho, she soon found that the country is mountainous and has four seasons. That's sure to make an avid hiker from New Hampshire feel a little more at home.

Evans went to Plymouth State College, where she graduated with a degree in childhood studies and a minor in art. She's worked as an at-risk teacher at Timberlane Regional Middle School and a paraprofessional at Epping Middle School since graduating in 2006. She's certified to teach elementary and middle school, but said she purposefully didn't do so after college.

"I knew in my head I was leaving," she said. "And I knew if I took a classroom job, I'd get stuck."

In Lesotho, Evans will use her education and experience to train teachers and teach HIV/AIDS awareness.

More than 2,077 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Lesotho since the program was established in 1967, according to spokesperson Asha Michener. Many of those volunteers work through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program to address HIV/AIDS issues, Michener said.

Evans' mother, Lori Silva, is proud, but said she doesn't want her daughter to leave.

Vance Evans, her dad, is planning a trip to visit her next fall. And, in the meantime, Evans has set up a blog so she can share what's going on with friends and family at home.

Of course, she'll have to travel into the city to an Internet cafe to blog, since she won't be guaranteed hot water or electricity in her hut.

"I'm not getting my hopes up about having much," Evans said.

There are 23 other Americans in her group, and Evans said she's been in touch with many of them over the Internet. They'll train together for three months, then each separate into his or her own two-year assignment.

"They are freaking out, nervous, excited, too," Evans said. "So it's a big help to know that."

This trip won't be the first time Nicole has been to a Third World country. She has one other friend from high school who is serving in the South Pacific, and Evans visited that friend last year.

But it will be the first time she's lived outside New Hampshire.

OBAMA TO REQUIRE CHILDREN TO SERVE THE US THROUGH MANDATORY COMMUNITY SERVICE

This has been Moved to Atkinson Reporter Presidential Blog.

The Decency of George W. Bush.

This Article has been Moved to the Atkinson Reporter Presidential Blog

The "Taxing Times" hits Atkinson!

Yes many of you have awoke in recent days to find a copy of the "Taxing Times" on your doorstep. This is an informational newspaper put out by the Coalition of NH Taxpayers a number of times a year. There are 50,000 copies of this newspaper in the hands of concerned taxpayers all over the state, right now, and Atkinson is featured prominently in this issue.

Ed Naile's article, first published right here on the Atkinson Reporter, about our colorful police chief, dominates page 8, with Atkinson featuring prominently among the towns, in which taxpayer advocacy groups are operating. Unfortunately, as Ed has mentioned on his weekly radio program, and as we have noted many times on this blog, Atkinson's Taxpayer group is the only group in the state, that feels the need to remain anonymous, for obvious, and numerously stated reasons.

It is sad that a group whose sole purpose is to force accountability upon the officials of Atkinson, must take the very same precautions needed by the underground resistance groups in Europe in WWII, and for much similar reasons.

But, rest easy, fellow Atkinsonians, the winds are a changing. Business is now being conducted in public. No more twice a week meetings at the police station between selectmen Sapia, and Consentino. No more meetings after the meeting, as noted by the Eagle- Tribune, in the past. The corruption is being forced into the recesses, by the light of public awareness, shown on these corrupt practices by this blog, and the Atkinson Taxpayers Website, and the Atkinson Factor, and others. Perhaps we will one day reach a time, when the law is followed because it is right and proper to do so, not because of fear that their corruption will be exposed. Perhaps we will reach the day, when our public officials, will do what is right, without having to be taken to Court to force them to.

Garrity elected with more votes than there are voters in Atkinson!

From the Eagle- Tribune;

DeSimone, Garrity elected in House District 6

Atkinson's House District 6 race for two seats was uncontested, but a ballot machine error gave the incumbent more votes than there were voters in town.

Deborah DeSimone: 2,269

James Garrity*: 6,713

* = incumbent

John Stossel's Politically Incorrect Guide to Politics!

This is John Stossel at his best!


John Stossel's Politically Incorrect Guide to Politics from Stryder on Vimeo.

Atkinson's tax rate climbs 21 cents

From the Eagle-Tribune;

Atkinson's tax rate climbs 21 cents
By Meghan Carey
mcarey@eagletribune.com

ATKINSON — The town's portion of the tax rate is going up — 21 cents per $1,000 of valuation — for the first time in years.

The state Department of Revenue Administration confirmed the tax rate at $14.86 per $1,000 of valuation last week, selectmen Chairman Paul Sullivan said. That's a 76-cent increase over last year's rate.

The owner of a $300,000 home would see a $4,458 tax bill under the new rate, a $228 increase.

"We wanted to keep it down," Sullivan said. "We took $450,000 from the general fund and applied it to help with the tax rate."

That's something the selectmen have done before, Sullivan said. This year they left a balance of $899,200 in the general fund for anticipated expenditures and to make sure they retained at least a 5 percent savings for the future, he said.

The town's portion of the tax rate is $2.15 per $1,000 of valuation, up from $1.94. The local school rate increased 67 cents, from $9.02 to $9.69.

The state education component dropped from $2.28 to $2.16. The county rate remained steady at 86 cents per $1,000 of valuation.

Final PUC Hearing on HAWC's Request for Loan for Pipeline.

Article Submission

Final PUC Hearing on HAWC's Request for Loan for Pipeline.

John Wolthers says:

Dear Friends,
Tuesday, November 4, 2008, is the final testimony day regarding Hampstead Area Water Company’s desire to receive MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLAR LOAN ($1,000,000.00) for a twenty (20) year period at 3.44% interest. The LOAN is for the interconnection of Atkinson Town Water with the Town of Hampstead. HAWC has also applied for a full expansion of their franchise to all of Atkinson. I ask that all residents who are concerned about the Public Utility Commission approving the above immediately contact the PUC with your views. A few of the reasons to site would be:

1. Excessive water loss history of HAWC.

2. The interconnection of water flow between Hampstead and Atkinson is against the town ordinance.

3. More than 54% of HAWC’s revenues are paid to HAWC’s related companies without competitive bidding.

4. No town approvals for site or franchise expansion.

If anyone can put this information on the Town TV Channel, it would be helpful.

You can find the complete list of email address to whom you can address your concerns and any other communications at
www.just-goaway.com

Thank you for your support.
John

Webmaster says:

It can be stressed enough how important this hearing is to the people of Atkinson. The citizens will be represent by an able group of people, BUT, the PUC needs to hear from you also. There is power in numbers. Tell the people on the EMAIL list that you are very concerned and that you do not want this pipeline and you do not want HAWC to franchise the whole town. Thank you.

Our Elderly Affairs is a great service, but....

it has been mismanaged, managed illegally, and corruptly, and used as a political backstop for too many years. In these tough economic times, we MUST DEMAND better!

Finally, this year someone complained about the town donation accounts, which for years, have amounted to little more than the chief of police's own personal slush funds, which he has been happy to use to supplement his budgets as he saw fit, and to help out elderly residents in town.

The problem is that these funds have been managed illegally by the town for years. For example;

1.) The Town is REQUIRED, by law, to accept donations in public, but they never have.

2.) The Town is REQUIRED, by the warrant article establishing the accounts, to ONLY withdraw funds after a properly posted public hearing. They have spent money without public disclosure.

3.) The Town is REQUIRED, by law, to post the public hearing in 2 public places, for 7 days prior to the hearing. They have NEVER done this. In some cases they have failed to post the meeting 24 hours in advance, as required by law.

4.) The Town was required, legally, to place all donated funds under the management of the Trustees of the Trust Funds. They didn't until this month after a resident complaint, and the AGO telling them to.

5.) The chief of police has spent money out of those accounts payable to himself!

6.) The chief of police has refused to tell us how many people use the service, until recently, or how many rides they actually give, preferring instead to state some random number that he can not demonstrate.

It is for these reasons, that the selectmen should be using this investigation by the AGO, to get some accountability on this dept.

It should be totally separated from the police dept.,

It should be run for the betterment of the seniors.

No one should be refused the use of this service.

It should never be used as a fall back to excuse the chief's other bad behaviors.

But, as usual in Atkinson, the right, the honorable, the obvious thing to do is the hardest, politically, not because of the people, but because of the chief's ability to misinform, obfuscate, manipulate, and prevaricate, to, the people of Atkinson, particularly the elderly.

Atkinson chief still head of elderly affairs program Brand new name, new uniform, same leader

From the eagle tribune;

Atkinson chief still head of elderly affairs program Brand new name, new uniform, same leader
By Meghan Carey
mcarey@eagletribune.com

ATKINSON — The town's three elderly affairs cruisers are getting new decals. Their four drivers are getting new uniforms. But the program isn't getting a new home or director — at least for now.

The elderly affairs program is still going to provide senior citizens with hundreds of rides to doctors appointments, assistance with paying utility bills, birthday cards and other services. But it will soon do so as a town department, not a division of the Police Department.

The shift was six months in the making. In April, the state Attorney General's Charitable Trust Unit fielded complaints from residents about the program's donation accounts and police Chief Philip Consentino's control as its volunteer director.

Charitable Trust Unit Director Terry Knowles spent three months "inquiring" about the senior citizen service program and Consentino's practices. Her recommendations were to separate police and elderly affairs, and she's worked with selectmen over the last month to do that legally.

Selectman Bill Friel has put together a separation plan packet, which Knowles approved. It was on the selectmen's agenda Monday night to discuss and vote on the plan, but Chairman Paul Sullivan said he hadn't gone through the packet yet and asked to wait a week.

Some details of the plan were discussed, however, as Consentino read his proposed 2009 Elderly Affairs Department budget. Consentino arrived at the meeting in his police uniform, which he rarely wears. In case selectmen pushed for him to keep his duties separate, he said yesterday, he had also brought an elderly affairs jacket that he could have put on to hide his uniform.

The separation will cost $5,250. That includes money to take the "Atkinson Police Community Service" writing off the cruisers and replace it with "Town of Atkinson Elderly Affairs Department." There's also money to buy the part-time elderly transport drivers new uniforms since they currently wear police uniforms.

The Elderly Affairs Department likely will get a bigger budget in 2009 — $37,668, up from $24,149. That will include the one-time cost of separating its name from the Police Department. On Knowles' recommendation, the budget includes line items for car maintenance, postage and payroll.

Prescriptions, fuel assistance and other items Consentino usually purchases with donations will still be funded the same way. The money can come either from previously donated money, now controlled by the Trustees of the Trust Fund, or from new donations to the charitable trust Consentino set up — the Atkinson Police Charitable Trust.

Selectmen voted Monday to transfer the balance of the previous police donation account — $11,412 — to the Trustees of the Trust Fund. Consentino will have to go to the trustees with specific expenditure requests to tap into that money.

There are written instructions for receiving and spending donations in the plan selectmen will likely adopt.

Consentino said he could donate money from his charitable trust to the town to cover some of the elderly affairs budget.

"Some people don't understand we take in $10,000 to $12,000 a year in revenue to offset what it takes to take care of seniors' needs," he said.

But Consentino said he is thrilled that much of the program, which he started, will remain the same. The senior citizen transports will still be coordinated inside the police station and he is still in charge.

For now, Consentino will have to document his time spent as the paid police chief and his time as volunteer elderly affairs director. In the future, Selectman Fred Childs said, the idea will be to have the departments run by two different people.

Elderly Affairs to cost over $40,000.00 after separation of budget!

This blog would have to guess that the critics of the chief's shady accounting practices were correct!

Estimates by people in the know, last year, such as Brian Boyle, Mark Acciard, and Jane Cole, estimated the total cost of the elderly affairs dept. at about $35,000.00 or so, and it looks like they were right, but low.

So for all of you asking how elderly could have provided 1644 rides for $19,000, the answer is they couldn't. The other $20,000 or so was being spent out of the police dept., this is why separation was so important.

Did anyone notice how chief Consentino also said that the budget was going to increase because monies that used to come from the donation account would not be available anymore?

WHY NOT?

Are you NOT going to use the money donated to your private slush fund for the same purposes that you used to?

But that cant be, in his letter to everyone, he said; " The police dept. equipment fund/ senior donation acct. now operate under a new name, the Atkinson Police Charitable Fund"

If it is just operating under a new name, then the money should go to the same places.

Timberlane schools and grounds in need of repair Schools, grounds need work

From the Eagle Tribune;

Timberlane schools and grounds in need of repair Schools, grounds need work
By Meghan Carey
mcarey@eagletribune.com

There's a hole in Atkinson Academy.

"We did some hedge trimming and made an interesting discovery," facilities manager Jim Hughes said. "The siding is sliding."

Moisture from the hedges that line the front of the historic part of the school has rotted a portion of the clapboards. But because the 1802 building has a thick sill and foundation, it's just the exterior of the building that has been damaged, Hughes said.

Repair work there is just one of many projects that will need to be done next year to keep the Timberlane Regional School District buildings in working order. Hughes made his first budget presentation to school officials late last week, and he's asking for an additional $43,360 just for building repairs.

That would bring the building repair line of the budget up to $734,360.

The request comes on the heels of a New England School Development Council's recommendation to either renovate and add on to the middle and high schools, or to build one new school and renovate the other. Those buildings are 35 and 42 years old.

There's a list of 43 building projects and six site projects throughout the district that the facilities committee will prioritize tomorrow morning, business manager George Stokinger said. The site project estimate is $58,400.

At Pollard Elementary School, there's a 3-inch drop in the handicap ramp outside the main office and many of the sidewalks around it are crumbling and cracked, Hughes said. Roadwork also needs to be done at Sandown North, where a misplaced catch basin has caused part of the driveway to wash out, he said.

The costly repairs are necessary, given the age of many of the district's schools, School Board member Michael Mascola said. Voters may think school officials constantly throw money at projects, but he said it's necessary to maintain $88 million worth of property.

Superintendent Richard La Salle said the district also is considering putting forward a warrant article for a second phase of renovations in the high school woodshop area. The first phase, which created a physics and chemistry lab and cost $500,000, was funded through the operating budget.

It's up to voters to decide on the budget and any potential warrant articles, but La Salle said it is officials responsibility to put forward the logical projects that are safety issues.