From the Eagle Tribune;
Atkinson cuts trees at dangerous intersection
By Eric Parry
eparry@eagletribune.com
ATKINSON, N.H. — One of the town's most dangerous intersections was made safer this week, as highway workers trimmed about 10 trees at Linebrook Road and East Road after receiving permission from the property owner.
Police Chief Phil Consentino said the intersection frequently has been the site of accidents because trees blocked the view of Linebrook Road from East Road. Drivers turning onto East Road also had problems seeing other cars.
"You're shooting dice because you can't see if anyone's coming," Consentino said.
Road agent Ted Stewart credited homeowner Bill Fulmore for allowing the town to clear two large maple trees and a couple of spruce trees. The intersection has been a problem for at least 20 years, he said.
The town had made earlier attempts to remedy the situation, but the previous homeowner wouldn't give the town permission to clear the trees, Consentino said.
Stewart said the Planning Board and Highway Safety Committee recently sent a letter to Fulmore and he complied with the town's request.
The intersection, near the Timberlane Regional High School and Middle School, has a lot of bus traffic before and after school.
"It makes everyday life more comfortable on the way to school," Stewart said.
Atkinson Town Hall
The Norman Rockwellian picture of Atkinson
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Atkinson Police Chief Receives Federal Homeland Security Grant for Improved Communications and Denies It!
In 2005, several area Police Departments including Atkinson, Plaistow and Kingston, collaborated on a solution to the police radio communication problem plaguing the area. Plaistow Police Chief Savage headed this effort, a study was done and a Federal Homeland Security Law Enforcement Terrorism Protection Program ( LETPP) grant application was filed with the State of NH Department of Safety. Over $81k was received in 2006 and in accordance with Federal law, reports filed detailing the location of the equipment in Atkinson, Plaistow and Kingston.
Police Chief Consentino has repeatedly and publically denied receiving any grant money. In fact, this equipment was purchased and recorded as being installed in Atkinson! Up until recently, requests for the grant documentation under RSA 91A, were denied by the State of NH, Department of Safety. According to the grant documentation, Atkinson received a receiver, canopy microwave and two IPmux.
According to a recent statement by Atkinson Selectman Bill Bennett, Plaistow Police Chief Savage and Atkinson Police Lt. Bill Baldwin thought the the equipment could be placed on the APD antenna but it wasn;t high enough so it was thrown into a closet in Plaistow. The equipment was never installed but the funds were disbursed to 2-Way Communications for the installation and to the town of Plaistow for the equipment purchase.
Bennett claims that a repeater purchased under this grant was instead installed on Timberlane HS to improve police radio communication in the school. Bennett is also looking to find out what happened to the rest of the equipment Atkinson received since the Atkinson Communication Committee is looking for similar or identical equipment to solve the problem now. Bennett claims that Lt. Baldwin has the information but cannot be reached at his post in the Middle East and has no access to email.
Is anyone else wondering why they pushed so hard for a $700k tower to support $9k worth of equipment?
Where did the repeater at the HS come from?
How much more of this solution was not installed and not used as reported?
The Federal grant indicates that a study was done yet no one knew the APD antenna was not high enough, not sturdy enough?
Why does the application claim that the Atkinson equipment would be installed on the Atkinson Fire Department, while Bennett claims the plan was to install it at the APD?
Correction to date in article:
Atkinson Police Chief Receives Federal Homeland Security Grant for Improved Communications and Denies It!
In 2004, several area Police Departments including Atkinson, Plaistow and Kingston, collaborated on a solution to the police radio communication problem plaguing the area. Plaistow Police Chief Savage headed this effort, a study was done and a Federal Homeland Security Law Enforcement Terrorism Protection Program ( LETPP) grant application was filed with the State of NH Department of Safety. Over $81k was received in 2005 and in accordance with Federal law, reports filed detailing the location of the equipment in Atkinson, Plaistow and Kingston.
Police Chief Consentino has repeatedly and publically denied receiving any grant money. In fact, this equipment was purchased and recorded as being installed in Atkinson! Up until recently, requests for the grant documentation under RSA 91A, were denied by the State of NH, Department of Safety. According to the grant documentation, Atkinson received a receiver, canopy microwave and two IPmux.
According to a recent statement by Atkinson Selectman Bill Bennett, Plaistow Police Chief Savage and Atkinson Police Lt. Bill Baldwin thought the the equipment could be placed on the APD antenna but it wasn;t high enough so it was thrown into a closet in Plaistow. The equipment was never installed but the funds were disbursed to 2-Way Communications for the installation and to the town of Plaistow for the equipment purchase.
Bennett claims that a repeater purchased under this grant was instead installed on Timberlane HS to improve police radio communication in the school. Bennett is also looking to find out what happened to the rest of the equipment Atkinson received since the Atkinson Communication Committee is looking for similar or identical equipment to solve the problem now. Bennett claims that Lt. Baldwin has the information but cannot be reached at his post in the Middle East and has no access to email.
Is anyone else wondering why they pushed so hard for a $700k tower to support $9k worth of equipment?
Where did the repeater at the HS come from?
How much more of this solution was not installed and not used as reported?
The Federal grant indicates that a study was done yet no one knew the APD antenna was not high enough, not sturdy enough?
Why does the application claim that the Atkinson equipment would be installed on the Atkinson Fire Department, while Bennett claims the plan was to install it at the APD?
If I read all this right, gov. equipment was not returned to Homeland Security but was put on top of a school? You got to be kidding me.
Read it again. Im stunned like a deer in a headlight.
Does the FBI know?
Wait~ the equipment was not installed but they were paid to install it?
The documentation is being posted on the Taxpayers website.
2_Way Communication of Newington, NH was paid to install everything and performs scheduled maintenance.
The audit report dated May 5, 2008 indicates they are obligated to inventory and tag all the government furnished equipment, report on it for 2 years hence and also the disposition of any equipment must be reported.
The inventory lists four pieces of equipment installed in Atkinson and valued at $9k.
The plan indicates the equipment was to go on the Atkinson Fire Dept.
This application was signed by the Police Chiefs of 6 surrounding towns: Plaistow, Atkinson, Kingston, Danville, Hampstead and Newton.
Quick, someone call Dennis Herrick.
The reports states that the equipment will minimize the number of radio dead zones and increase safety.
I guess the Communication Committee has nothing left to do.
Oh, that's right, the equipment is missing and they are trying to buy it again.
See what happens when you put people in charge of something they know nothing about?
So when phil yelled at us to "GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!" at town meeting two years ago, about the tower, he already had equipment that would solve the problem, but wasn't telling us?
This is the same guy who is using police dispatcherss to work for his private company while they are being paid by the town?
Yup, same guy.
Someone needs to post the video of the meeting when the Chief denied getting this money to Mr. Kaye.
I'm sure that Bennett was just repeating what he was told by the PD.
This is a federal crime.
Bill Baldwin is in California. I'm sure they have email too.
WOW, I just had a chance to look at the blog. Someone has good intel. I just received basically the same info, from Mr. Bennett in response to my request for info on the whereabouts of the equipment obtained through the grant a few days ago.
I have not yet had a chance to find out if the Timberlane equipment actually is the equipment obtained through the grant, busy week.
This is potentially troubling. Especially since the grantees certified to the NH Dept. of Safety and by extension the Dept. of Homeland Security in 2007 and 2008 that the equipment was Installed and functioning on a tower in Atkinson to fulfill it's requirement of minimizing police communications dead spots within the Plaistow Atkinson area.
Mark,
The interesting thing is that Bennett said that they put a repeater on the HS yet Atkinson did not receive a repeater.
The plot thickens. Evidently Atkinson is not the only town that did not install their equipment, ah..er or should I say 2-Way did not install equipment in more than one location.
Maybe they ought to check out that closet again.
Wow, if this is true than this is another sign of the corruption in this town that has Phil Consentino's name written all over it.
Again, if this is true than the selectmen have no choice but to fire him and bring charges of fraud against him for misappropriation of Federal grant money.
A police chief involved in this stuff has no right to be a police chief. He has no right to be in law enforcement at all. Time for this criminal to go.
This should be everyones opinion, not just mine.
No wonder Chief wanted a tower - he had this equipment and he had nowhere to put it after they claimed it was installed.
OMG
I agree, get the cuffs and leg irons out.
They could implicate alot of people here. Other town police and 2_Way personnel, the Atkinson BOS.
Where is Dennis Herrick?
Perhaps someone should check Consentino's bedroom closet. Might be surprised how much illegal equipment he is hiding on his property.
Oh, forgot the chief of police would have to file for a search warrant. Nice how he's able to cover his tracks again.
Selectmen should put him on unpaid leave till they get to the bottom of this problem.
Funny you should mention his closet. I have heard over and over from town cops that he has all kinds of surveillance equipment at his house because he used to work from home in the olden days.
This equipment will have serial numbers and can be tracked. Not just government inventory tags but serial numbers in case someone ties to pull a fast one.
So they already have the equipment that they want the taxpayers to pay for?
So they already have the fix for the problem but have been whining about bad radio coverage for years?
So they organized three committees since they got this equipment to look into something that was already solved?
...so Concentino, Baldwin, and Bennet uh...FORGOT to communicate to the Communication Committee...that they already had the grant and all this equipment?
What do the Communications Committee members think? I would think I was played.
What the heck is going on here? When are the documents going to get posted so I can read up?
They were submitted for posting, please have patience.
Plaistow has Atkinson police radio communications electronics in a closet? Whose closet? Where in Plaistow is it?
They got this money in '05 and got the equipment in '05 and '06.
Why the big secret? I dunno. Something to hide?
This up all day now. Plenty of hours for a town response but there is none.
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