Nothing to see here! That seems to be the aftermath of our calling out the Manchester School Board Curriculum and Instruction Committee and battling it out with Mayor Ted Gatsas over the elimination of the public’s ability to comment at subcommittee meetings. While Curriculum and Instruction Committee Chair Erika Connors sent us a Facebook message asserting she does NOT wheel and deal behind the scenes and that she was open to whatever the board decided about allowing the public to speak at committee, insisting, by the way, that it was up to the board to decide, not her alone, Board Vice Chair David Wihby left a message yesterday basically saying he’d spoken with Connors and that the whole thing was innocent enough. He said Connors was uncertain as to why public comment wasn’t on the agenda and wanted to speak to him and the mayor about the issue, rather than have public comment and set a precedent for committees the board might not have wanted set. Wihby also said the board’s new clerk, who sends out the agenda, erred in not having the public comment session on the agenda. He said that caused Connors to assume that public comment was a casualty of the rules changes enacted by the board on its opening day and that the matter was solved by the mayor’s announcement that public comment would be allowed at special meetings of the board itself. Wihby said the board had not acted to eliminate public comment when it adopted its new rules and that it would be allowed at subcommittee meetings. Would have been nice if Connors had returned the call I made to her following the meeting that night at about eight thirty and said this herself. Just a reminder to the powers that be, Girard at Large takes no responsibility for stories that might have been different if they’d bothered to respond to our inquiries. For his part, Wihby said he didn’t reply to our inquiries on Tuesday night as he was laid up, recovering from recent back surgery. We can give him a pass and thank him for following up.
We’ll follow one alleged accident with another you don’t hear about very often. A collision between a motorist and a Bedford ambulance shut down New Boston Road in Bedford for four hours yesterday. Occupants of both vehicles were transported to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. Bedford cops are asking anyone with information about the accident to contact them at 4 7 2 5 1 1 3 that’s 4 7 2 5 1 1 3
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen Healthcare Machine has sent a letter to Health and Human Secretary Katherine, it’s okay for 10 year old girls who need lung transplants to die, Sebelius asking her to quote unquote “closely examine” the failed healthcare exchange that has limited healthcare choices in New Hampshire. New Hampshire Republican Party Chair Jennifer Horn has released a statement asking Shaheen why she didn’t quote unquote “closely examine” Obamacare and the concerns of her constituents before casting the deciding vote for it. Horn called Shaheen’s letter an election year stunt. We call Horn’s statement a pretty clever call out on the issue. Nothin’ better than a good cat fight!
Hooksett Town Council Chairman James Sullivan and resident Mike Berry joined the electoral fray yesterday, joining Hooksett School Board Chair Trisha “The Gavel” Korkosz and former Town Councilor Jason Hyde in running for the three three year seats on Hooksett’s school board. Councilor Todd Lizotte filed for the seat with a two year term. And Hyde’s wife Carrie has filed for the seat with a one year term, challenging appointed incumbent Phil Dumbo Denbow. In case you’re wondering why all the different term lengths, Hooksett’s school board is going from five to seven seats in this election. Board Clerk Cheryl “BT” Akstin is said to not be running. Board troublemakers John Lyscars and David Pearl are not up for reelection.
Speaking of elections, more out of state voters have been uncovered at twelve hundred Elm Street in Manchester. Diana Lynn Doukas and Matthew Wagner House, two campaign staffers for failed Democratic U S Senate candidate Paul Hodes registered and voted from twelve hundred Elm Street during their brief in state stint for Hodes’ campaign in two thousand ten. How do we know? Well, a little write up about their recent marriage, how they met and their love affair appeared in the New York Times. We’ve linked to the article for your review at Girard at Large dot com. Meanwhile, the name of Geoff Wetrosky also surfaced in a review of the voters registered at twelve hundred Elm Street. Wetrosky,is listed as having voted in two thousand eight. Some may remember he lived in then N H Democratic Party Chair Kathy Sullivan’s basement here in the city while managing then Mayor Bob Baines’ 2005 mayoral campaign. You may recall he was caught illegally stealing campaign signs. Wetroski who came to the state to run Baines’ campaign, left the state following that campaign to work another campaign in South Dakota. Apparently, he came back to vote in the two thousand eight election
