The town of Goffstown‘s looking at zoning amendments again. Town planners seem displeased with a warrant article that will have a public hearing on January 9th that would change current zoning to commercial along Mast Road. Planners, we understand, are opposed to the plan as it would remove so called flex zoning that would enable the development of so called workforce housing, otherwise know as large scale, low income rental housing in the affected areas. Planning Board Chairman John Hikel is backing the initiative. He says it will not only improve the ability of the area to develop commercially, but also prevent the development of rental housing. The furor over the ability to develop large scale rental housing was a major factor in the demise of Planned Pinardhood. Hikel will be our guest this morning to give us the details.
Meanwhile, the town of Bedford has called for public hearings on a variety of matters on January 8th. Among the issues the town is looking for public feedback on is the amendment or repeal of the town’s Blue Laws, a k a Sunday Ordinance. Looks like they’re interested in making it easier for businesses to operate on the Lord’s Day. They will also take public feedback on the proposed two thousand fourteen municipal budget, expenditures from the Land Capital Reserve, and proposed amendments to the town’s Tax Increment Financing District Development Program and Financing Plan. We’ve linked to the announcements from this newscast at Girard at Large dot com.
The Miss Auburn Scholarship Program will hold its pageant on Saturday January 4th at the Auburn Village School. More than two thousand dollars in scholarship awards is at stake, however there are only four contestants registered so far. Organizers are looking for more young ladies to compete and take advantage of the opportunity to win some college cash. Interested parties can get details by emailing miss dot auburn at hotmail dot com, that’s miss dot auburn at hotmail dot com. Hurry, the paperwork deadline is this Friday December twentieth. Getting involved could present the opportunity of a lifetime! (miss.auburn@hotmail.com)
News from our own backyard continues after this.
The State G O P is calling on Bill Shaheen, husband of Senator Jeanne Shaheen, to disclose his firm’s client list. They say that after Jeanne Shaheen “Spending Machine” voted for the trillion dollar stimulus in two thousand nine, Bill’s law firm, Shaheen and Gordon, created a quote “Stimulus Opportunities Team” to help private and public sector clients get stimulus money. The firm’s web site, said quote “New Hampshire is slated to receive (eight hundred sixty million dollars) in stimulus funds and the State (sic) is engaged in the difficult task of doling out these funds to worthy projects both public and private. Our Team stands ready to assist government and private entities apply for these funds and advance existing applications.” G O P Executive Director Matt Mowers said, quote “If New Hampshire Democrats are sincerely interested in transparency, they must hold Senator Shaheen to the same standards and call on her husband to release his client lists, especially the ones he helped ‘dole out’ millions of taxpayer dollars to as part of the failed Obama stimulus.” End quote. Mowers couldn’t help but notice that the longer Jeanne was in office, the better Bill’s firm did. We’ve posted the statement with this news read at Girard at Large dot com.
In a related story, State G O P Chair Jennifer Horn congratulated Senator Shaheen on winning PolitiFact‘s two thousand thirteen Lie of the Year Award. You’ll never guess what Jeanne said. That’s right! “If you have health coverage that you like, you can keep it!” Oh wait, she went one step further. She actually said quote “Everyone will have the freedom to keep their health care plan if they like it.” Horn said it takes a truly dishonest and fraudulent statement to win this award but that Shaheen’s phony pledge parroting President Obama’s dishonest promises was a worthy winner. We’ve posted the complete statement with this news read at Girard at Large dot com.
Finally, this morning, Hooksett School Board member John Lyscars, in an OpEd published at Oh My BLOG! on Girard at Large dot com is urging parents and students to turn out for the board’s meeting tomorrow night at the Cawley Middle School at six thirty. He believes that a strong show of force by parents who want the opportunity to send their kids to Manchester’s high schools is necessary to prevent a restrictive contract with Pinkerton from being approved. Lyscars says this affects all parents in town, including those with kids in the third grade or younger who will be required to go to Pinkerton in Derry if this contract passes.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is straight a head!
