Avard: Not happy with vetoes
State Senator Kevin Avard, Republican from Nashua, issued a statement yesterday taking Governor Margaret Wood Hassan to task for vetoing S B 3 2 0, which required parents be notified of and approve their child’s participation in non-academic surveys given in schools. Avard said the bill added an important layer of protection for parents and students by allowing families to decide for themselves what personal information, if any, they want to provide the survey takers. Said Avard, quote:
“This bill, SB 320, would have given the control back to the parents allowing them to explicitly provide consent prior to administering a non-academic survey to their child that asks invasive personal questions relating to religious practices, sexual orientation or family life. I believe these surveys go beyond boundaries of what is necessary in an academic environment and I will continue to fight to restore our parent and children’s rights in New Hampshire.”
Avard also expressed his displeasure with Hassan over her veto of S B 3 2 4, which would have limited the amount of land the federal government could acquire in the state. Avard said the bill strengthened landowner rights.
John Lyscars: Vision realized with ratification of tuition deal
It looks like the seemingly endless negotiations between the Manchester and Hooksett school boards over a tuition contract are actually drawing to a close. Girard at Large received word last night that the Hooksett School Board voted unanimously to approve the contract that has gone back and forth between the boards as they haggled over the fine print following the town’s approval of a warrant article in March approving the agreement’s basic tenets. Having been ratified by the Hooksett board, the agreement will now come back to the Manchester Board of School Committee for a public vote, which could come as soon as this Monday.
Crystal Lake: Closed for E. coli
The Manchester Health Department closed the public beach at Crystal Lake yesterday due to elevated levels of E. coli bacteria found in routine water samples on Monday. Water samples taken at other locations on Crystal Lake did not find elevated levels of the bacteria. The department will re-sample the area today and will determine whether or not to reopen the beach when the results come in tomorrow. We’ve linked to the page on the department’s Web site where you can see their weekly water sample results from Crystal Lake and around the city, just in case you’re curious.
http://www.manchesternh.gov/Departments/Health/Services/Water-Quality
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Rubens: Takes aim at Ayotte on guns
G O P U. S. Senate candidate Jim Rubens has taken aim at incumbent Senator Kelly Ayotte’s move to prevent citizens on the so called No Fly List from purchasing a firearm until and unless they go to court to affirm their innocence. Rubens noted Ayotte sided with California Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein, whom he called quote “one of the most anti-gun senators in the country.” Rubens continues quote:
“These proposals would have done nothing to prevent the Orlando terror attack as outlined yesterday by John R. Lott. Even the ACLU opposes this, stating that, ‘the standards for inclusion on the No Fly List are unconstitutionally vague, and innocent people are blacklisted without a fair process to correct government error.’” End quote.
Ayotte: In Rubens’ sites on guns
Rubens said this was Ayotte’s latest transgression against the Second Amendment, noting her past opposition to Stand Your Ground and Constitutional Carry legislation as the state’s attorney general, and her support of the Manchin-Toomey bill in the Senate. Said Rubens, quote: “With the federal government narrowing liberty in so many directions, we must send a true constitutionalist to Washington.” That, according to Rubens, is him, of course.
Guinta: Word games not a strategy
First District Congressman Frank Guinta, Republican from Manchester, issued the following statement after the Obama Administration released the full transcript of terrorist Omar Mateen’s 9 1 1 call from the scene of last week’s terrorist attack in Orlando, which killed 49 people. The Administration previously released a heavily redacted transcript, omitting Mateen’s oath of allegiance to ISIS and all references to the terrorist group. Said Guinta, quote:
“Word games are no substitute for a real strategy, and widespread outcry forced the Administration to retreat from its refusal to tell the truth about last week’s attack, which Granite Staters recognize for what it was: the Administration’s latest failure to keep civilians safe.”
Even the full transcript of the call has come under fire, with critics doubting Mateen referred to “God” during his calls. They say “Allah” is more likely the term he used, noting the attempts several in the administration have made to equate radical Islamic jihadists with so called, and non-existent, extremists on the Christian right.
Chairman Want: Making progress on redistricting
The Manchester Board of School Committee’s Special Committee on Redistricting made some headway last night. After painstakingly adjusting and adopting goals and objectives by which to measure and score the various redistricting proposals pending before it, the committee announced it will begin evaluating those proposals at its next meeting, which will be held on June thirtieth, a week from tomorrow. The committee drew five of the pending plans randomly out of hat to begin its evaluations. The remaining five plans will be addressed at the subsequent meeting with so called a-la-carte plans considered along the way. Chairman Leslie Want said the initial review will be a soft one, sort of a first look, followed by more detailed investigation of those that survive the initial cut. The goal, said Want, is to narrow the field to four before making final decisions.
MSD: Second forum tonight
Speaking of Manchester schools, tonight is the second open public forum for those wishing to weigh in on the search for a new superintendent. The public input session begins at 6 30 in the school district’s headquarters on the second floor of 1 9 5 McGregor St. An online survey is also available at e c r a survey dot com slash Manchester
Candia Police: Gun lock giveaway
The Candia Police Department is offering free gun locks from Project ChildSafe while supplies last. The department invites residents to stop by the station between 8: 30 and 3: 30 or call 4 8 3 2 3 1 8 if interested.
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