Hooksett PD warning residents
The Hooksett Police Department took reports of nearly twenty motor vehicle break-ins which occurred from Monday the nineteenth into the early morning hours of Tuesday. As with recent reports from Bow, the break-ins occurred town-wide and were not specific to one area. Detectives have caught two juveniles who committed the crimes and recovered numerous stolen items. They are trying to identify the owners of the items so they can be returned. Police are asking residents to contact them if they have not yet reported items missing or stolen from their vehicles during this time frame. Once again, department officials are urging residents to LOCK THEIR VEHICLES AND SECURE VALUABLES inside their homes as all of the stolen items came from unlocked vehicles. During an interview, one suspect told the detective that they were quote “Surprised to find so many cars unlocked.” No kidding. Hooksett residents are asked to contact Detective Williams at 6 2 4 1 5 6 0 extension three eighteen with any questions or information about the situation.
Sullivan: Abstention leaves board deadlocked
While we’re in Hooksett, we want to clarify our report from earlier in the week regarding the actions of the school board visa vie their vote to recommend or not recommend the proposed tuition contract with Pinkerton Academy. On January twelfth, the board voted not to recommend the contract to voters, with board members Mike Berry and Todd Lizotte in favor of recommending and Amy Boilard, John Lyscars, and David Pearl opposed. Board Chair Joanne McHugh was absent and James Sullivan abstained from the vote. The motion to reconsider the vote passed, with Boilard opposed and Sullivan abstaining. The motion to recommend then failed on a three to three vote with Pearl, Lyscars and Boilard opposed, McHugh, Lizotte and Barry in favor and Sullivan abstaining. What’s it all mean? Well, it means the contract is not recommended and voters will see the three, three, one vote noted on the ballot with the warrant article.
Merrimack PD: Hiring new officers.
The Merrimack Police Department is seeking to fill Full-time Police Officer positions. Minimum qualifications include a high school diploma or G E D. Current full or part-time police officers employed in the state must be certified by the N H Police Standards and Training Council. Candidates not certified must pass the minimum written, oral and physical agility testing. The current starting hourly wage is twenty three dollars and sixty four cents plus a comprehensive benefits package. Applications are available at merrimack n h dot gov slash position openings, and the Human Resources Office located in Town Hall. Applications are due by four P M on Monday March second. We’ve posted the flier they published with all the details with this news read at Girard at Large dot com.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Artus: “Mr. Metzler”
The Timberlane Regional School Board continues to defy description by rational human beings. After Board Chair Nancy Steensen told Atkinson citizen Leon Artus his questions would not be answered because he referred to Superintendent Earl Metzler as “Mr. Metzler” instead of “Dr. Metzler,” the board deadlocked on a vote to table the shutdown of Sandown Central Elementary School. Several citizens spoke against closing the school and School Board Member Donna Green read the one email she received in favor of closing it. A subsequent motion to close the school and move the fourth and fifth grade classes to Sandown North also failed which means the board has failed to vote in favor of closing the school despite voting to support DOCTOR Metzler’s not-level funded level funded budget proposal which he said necessitated closing the school. So, as citizens head into the deliberative session, they have a budget allegedly without enough money to operate a school the school board has yet to vote to close. I’m thinking we need to play the Benny Hill music for Timberlane from now on.
Green: Data shows need for massive layoffs
Budget Committee Member Arthur Green received news that bolsters his case that the staff reductions his so called Responsible Budget is predicated on can be largely accomplished through attrition, meaning people won’t have to be laid off. Of the sixty five positions filled with new hires last year, fewer than a handful were non-teachers, which just might be why DOCTOR Metzler continues to ignore our request for information on the district’s historic attrition rate. I mean, gee whiz, if you can not hire thirty nine people instead of laying them off, where’s the calamity? Right, none exists.
Coming to get Timberlane’s newly registered student voters?
Looks like taxpayers in Timberlane will have to redouble efforts to ensure their voice is heard at the pending deliberative session, too. DOCTOR Metzler announced that the town clerks of the district’s four towns, Danville, Sandown, Atkinson and Plaistow had successfully gone onto the campus of Timberlane Regional High School and REGISTERED every eighteen year old kid in their respective towns to vote. Even better, sources say the district is apparently going to bus them to the polls so they can exercise their newly registered right to vote during school hours. That might be why Donna Green offered a motion saying the kids should get there in their own time and on their own dime. Of course, the motion wasn’t supported.
Steensen: No “Dr.” No speak. Oh! And NO salary data
Green: Is Steensen kidding?
Speaking of things not entertained, Green’s request that the administration provide her and the school board with the financial system’s salary detail output for the current oh fourteen, oh fifteen budget was spiked by BOARD CHAIR Steensen…better make sure we use HER title…Steensen, who either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that the requested information IS public info, told Green that if she wanted the information, she should make a motion at the board to get it, saying quote “Perhaps you’d like to briefly explain why they would be of use for the benefit of the rest of the board…” Of course, in denying her request, Steensen went on to say that nobody was depriving Green or the board of documents Steensen claimed didn’t exist. Right, because they don’t know and don’t keep records of what they pay their employees. Get all the details here!
Artus, the almost arrested, by the way, will be our guest during the eight o’clock hour.
That’s the news that makes us wonder what’s in the water in our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is next!
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/187488906″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
