District Four Executive Councilor Christopher Pappas, Democrat of Manchester, has quote “no policy input” end quote regarding online sex education materials provided by Planned Parenthood that teach children about bondage and sadomasochism. Bedford parent and education advocate Ann Marie Banfield says she came across the online materials while researching how to make K through twelve education better. Noting that the Executive Council reversed course and voted to give Planned Parenthood of Northern New England nearly three million bucks, Banfield asked Pappas if he thought such materials were appropriate and whether or not he would support funding an organization that teaches children to respect the dignity of of their boy or girl friends. We’ve already told you Pappas’ answer, which was given against the usual backdrop of the state money, which comprises some fifteen percent of the organization’s operating budget, doesn’t fund things like sex education or abortion. Pappas did say he does support parents and local districts determining what is appropriate for their children in an education setting, but that really sidestepped the issue which wasn’t about sex ed in schools. Following up on Pappas’ answer to Banfield, Girard at Large sent an email requesting he actually answer Banfield’s questions regarding the appropriateness of a taxpayer funded entity targeting children with “how to” B D S M information and whether or not he’d support funding organizations that taught individual dignity and respect of one’s significant other. We also asked whether or not he believed taxpayer funding enabled money to be spent on such things, regardless of that funding’s restrictions. We sent those questions on Friday and the crickets have been chirping in our email inbox box since. We’ve posted Banfield’s inquiry, Pappas’ response and our follow up questions in their entirety with this newscast at Girard at Large dot com.
Speaking of incredible statements, Hooksett School Board Member John Lyscars got a whopper from Superintendent Charles Littlefield in response to a Right to Know request. Lyscars filed the Ninety One A request to discover how long a February tenth non-meeting meeting with Attorney Gordon Graham lasted, the rate he charged for the meeting, the complete charge to the district for Graham’s services that day and a copy of the invoice. Littlefield’s reply? Quote “The document you requested does not exist. When an invoice is received, your request will be honored.” End quote. Given that neither Littlefield nor any member of the board’s Big Three majority have neither briefed Lyscars on what took place during the non-meeting meeting, which he couldn’t attend due to a death in the family, nor allowed the attorney to share the details, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that Littlefield’s gone the extra mile to deprive an elected official of basic information that is readily available and should have been provided upon request. Littlefield certainly knew how long the meeting took and what the billing rate was. If he didn’t that would raise its own set of questions, now wouldn’t it? (Related Story: Pearl Lists Litany of Hooksett School Board Offenses.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
The wheels have come off a couple of campaign wagons in Goffstown as new controversies have erupted in the hotly contested race for selectman and on a warrant article question. Goffstown Today dot com’s reporting that selectman candidate Peter Georgantas placed a very large sign on private property without the property owner’s permission. According to publisher Bill Wynne, the owner of the property along Route One Fourteen took the sign down, but shortly thereafter another sign went up, albeit a smaller one. Placing political signs on private property without the landowner’s permission is a violation of R S A six sixty four colon seventeen. Meanwhile, Selectman Mark Lemay may find himself in hot water over political leaflets he was observed placing on mailboxes throughout Pinardville over the weekend. Witnesses say Lemay was placing brochures from the Goffstown Fire and Rescue Association, of which he is the president, supporting Warrant Article Eighteen, which would spend money to renovate the town’s three fire stations, on mailboxes. That’s a no no under federal law that could lead the association, which interestingly lists the fire station in Goffstown Center as its place of business, to pay some heavy fines. We’ve linked to both stories from this newscast at Girard at Large dot com.
The Hooksett Youth Achiever of the Month for February was announced at the last meeting of the Hooksett Town Council. Recipient Alex Autenrieth is an honor roll sophomore at Central High who earned his Eagle Scout rank in December. His project was building a changing shelter at the skating area of the Hannah-Ho-He Pond. He will be attending his third year at the Police Academy training camp as a Leadership Cadet. Town Councilor Don Winterton asked us to share this good news from the town of Hooksett and we are glad to do so.
That’s at least some of the news from our own backyard! Girard at Large hour ___ starts right now!
