Metzler: The rouse continues.
The Timberlane School Board is holding a public hearing tonight so that folks with something to say about Superintendent Earl Metzler’s plan to close the Sandown Central Elementary School can be heard. The meeting takes place in the basement of the S A U building on Greenough Rd. in Plaistow, adjacent to the Vic Geary Center and starts at eight thirty. I guess the board doesn’t want to make pretend it’s going to listen to folks too early in the evening.
Timberlane: Use of students in budget propaganda continues
While we’re on the topic of Timberlane, Superintendent Metzler has so far failed to reply to our inquiries on the story we brought you last week about students being photographed in school, during school hours with signs protesting proposed cuts to the school budget. I mean, hey, if kids are being photographed on school grounds during school hours so that photos and videos can be posted to Facebook in protest, somebody had to authorize it, right? Should not the parents and taxpayers of Timberlane know to what degree taxpayer funded staff is participating in an effort to pry more taxpayer dollars out of their wallet?
Green: Nails Metzler on “unemployment” cost claims
Metzler has also ignored our request for information on the district’s historic staff attrition rate. We inquired about that after he claimed that, because of the cost of unemployment insurance, sixty nine people would have to lose their jobs to find the savings Budget Committee Member Arthur Green said would be found by not filling thirty nine staff positions. Last year, the district filled sixty five positions over the summer. So, since it makes sense that not filling thirty nine of them would result in savings without unemployment compensation having to be paid, we thought we’d ask if that number was normal or not. Somehow, we think we know why we’re not going to get an answer.
Green: Now not the only wrongly accused
Meanwhile, Girard at Large has learned that Metzler called the Plaistow Police Department and filed a false complaint against a critic again. This time, he sicked them on a citizen who was critical of the proposed budget at the Public Hearing on January fifteenth. Our good friends at the Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers tipped us off to Metzler’s complaint against Leon Artus, who happens to be the Chairman of the Atkinson Taxpayers for Fair Evaluations, for allegedly sending menacing emails.
Metzler: Files another bogus complaint with cops
When contacted by Girard at Large, Artus said two hours after speaking with Plaistow’s finest, the file was closed. Apparently, Metzler didn’t have great answers to questions Artus requested they ask. The complaint was made just days after Artus questioned Metzler and the budget committee at the public hearing on the budget. But, the emails in question were sent in mid December. So, what was so threatening that it took Metzler a month to complain to the cops? Well, seems Artus had overheard Metzler talking about problems with Christmas lights and he asked in the first emai whether or not they’d come on yet and, in a follow up four days later, he asked if they’d gotten the lights working and offered his assistance if needed. Artus, who has filed a right to know request to document exactly what happened, will be our guest tomorrow morning.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Lizotte: Quit because he didn’t get his way
Fallout from Tuesday’s meeting of the Hooksett School Board will continue. After watching the first hour of a four hour meeting, yesterday, it’s pretty clear what happened. Girard at Large has obtained a copy of the letter Board Member Todd Lizotte read in resigning his post. Clearly, the board’s refusal to recommend the Pinkerton tuition contract was the impetus for his quitting.
Boilard: Suffers insults
That action by the board also prompted a bizarre broadside against Board Member Amy Boilard by Phil Denbow, one of two incumbents not just defeated, but destroyed in last year’s elections. He accused Boilard of betraying the children of Hooksett by voting not to recommend the contract to the voters and told the board they’d taken a choice option away from Hooksett’s children by their action.
Denbow: Slinging the mud
Denbow and others also warned that big, bad Manchester would gobble them up if the contract failed and accused Boilard of colluding with board members John Lyscars and David Pearl to sabotage the Pinkerton option, which is interesting since Denbow never supported the choice model he said he was there to defend. Instead, he just wanted to force all kids to Pinkerton, which is what the contract he supported did. We’ll have more from that meeting tomorrow.
Lock it or lose it in Bow.
The Bow Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance to identify the person, or persons, responsible for a dozen thefts from vehicles over the past month. These thefts have occurred town-wide. The culprits are entering unlocked vehicles in driveways and garages, taking any cash they may find. Police say they want to hear from residents who’ve suffered these thefts, but have not reported them and are asking residents to contact them immediately if they witness activity, a vehicle, or a person that looks suspicious. They say that sometime things that seem insignificant can lead to an arrest. Anyone with information regarding these thefts is asked to call Bow Police at 2 2 8 0 5 1 1 or call the Concord Regional Crime Line at 2 2 6 3 1 0 0 to leave an anonymous tip. The police are reminding residents to remove all valuables from their vehicles and always lock the doors.
Guinta: Hosting town hall, launching Operation TAXPAYER
Congressman Frank Guinta will be hosting his first town hall meeting of the year to hear from Granite Staters about their legislative priorities and concerns for this session of Congress. During this time, Guinta will also unveil and discuss his new initiative – Operation To AX Persistent Abuse of Your Earned Revenue, or Operation TAXPAYER – to save billions in taxpayer dollars by identifying and ending frivolous and duplicative government programs and projects. The meeting will take place this Saturday afternoon, from one to two in the Community Room of the Hampton Police Department.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is next.
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