In a follow up to a story we’ve been watching, state officials have come to the conclusion that the Madison Heights Condo Association in East Manchester did noting wrong in clearing trees from land that had a conservation easement. Former Conservation Committee Chair Jane Beaulieu, who was acting in an official capacity despite being termed out of office, had accused the association of illegally cutting trees from the property, despite having issued a letter as chair of the commission granting permission to remove so called hazard trees. In his report, Forest Ranger Neil Bilodeau of the state’s Forest Protection Bureau found the logger accused of wrongdoing on multiple fronts by Beaulieu acted properly under the statutes. Bilodeau did say it appeared as if some of the trees removed required a Notice of Intent to Cut which triggers the state’s Timber Tax. The estimated fifty bucks in unpaid taxes on the timber can’t be assessed however as the statute of limitations, which is ninety days, has run out. Beaulieu, after being told she could no longer act on behalf of the Conservation Commission as a result of her term’s expiration, filed complaints with the state to trigger an investigation. After receiving an initial report, Beaulieu, a state representative and the Clerk of the House Resources, Recreation and Development Committee, which oversees the agency tasked with this investigation, is alleged to have threatened their budget after the initial report turned up no violations which triggered a second review of the situation by Bilodeau’s higher ups. Bilodeau’s email references a Right to Know request filed by Madison Heights to obtain information relative to Beaulieu’s actions. We have requested that information from the Association and will publish it once obtained and have posted Bilodeau’s email exonerating the association and the logger with this newscast at Girard at Large dot com.
The Hooksett School Board has not forwarded an estimated number of students who will be attending Manchester high schools next year and it doesn’t look like they’re going to anytime soon. Mayor Ted Gatsas said in an interview yesterday that as of the day before, the school district had not received the required estimate, but that there had been conversation between Manchester Superintendent Debra Livingston and Hooksett Superintendent Charles P. Littlefield . Since then, Girard at Large has learned that their discussion centered on a prediction that a quote unquote stable enrollment per class is expected as they advance from year to year, but that no quote unquote accurate sense of freshmen enrollment is possible until the Hooksett School Board has finalized its high school options. In other words, because Hooksett doesn’t have a deal with Pinkerton Academy yet, and because Hooksett hasn’t allowed its parents to make any choices yet, and because Hooksett’s school board twice defeated motions to survey the 8th grade class to develop an estimate that would allow it to comply with the legal settlement necessitated by its accusations that Manchester violated the tuition contract, Hooksett is in violation of the legal settlement. When asked about this, Hooksett School Board Vice Chair David Pearl said quote “What a difference a year makes.” Indeed.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
State Rep. Dan Tamburello, Republican of Londonderry, has challenged Manchester State Representative Peter Sullivan, Democrat from Ward 3, to a debate on the Girard at Large Radio Show over his rather interesting comments about State Representative Marilinda Garcia, Republican of Salem, who is a candidate for Congress in the Second District. In some inflammatory tweets, Sullivan put down the good looking Garcia by making unflattering comparisons to Kim Kardashian and saying she was little more than a rubber stamp for former House Speaker Bill O’Brien or little more than Londonderry State Rep. Al Baldassaro in stiletto heels. Republican Leaders have more or less lost their mind over the comments which have garnered national attention demanding apologies for has sexist remarks. For his part, Tamburello has some questions he’d like to ask Sullivan to respond to over Garcia’s background and accomplishments. We have contacted Sullivan, but have yet to receive a reply.
The Manchester Police Department has announced it will assist the annual Marine Corps Toys for Tots Drive. Citizens wishing to donate to the cause may bring a new, unopened and unwrapped toy or toys to the drop off boxes placed inside the department’s lobby located at for oh five Valley Street. As the department is open to the public twenty four seven, you can drop your toys off at any time.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is straight ahead.
