Ashooh: Graceful concession
Well, it took a while, but we now know who won the Republican nominees for governor and Congress in the First District.
Incumbent Congressman Frank Guinta won the hard fought primary with Rich Ashooh. Ashooh graciously conceded the race yesterday as the Republican Unity Breakfast got underway. The final margin of victory for Guinta was seven hundred nineteen votes. Setting up a fourth campaign against former Democratic Congressman Carol Shea Porter. Guinta beat Shea Porter in two thousand ten, got beat by her in two thousand twelve and beat her again in two thousand fourteen.
Sununu: A narrow win
In a much tighter race, only eight hundred four votes separated District Three Executive Councilor Chris Sununu from Wilton State Rep. Frank Edelblut, who conceded the race in a joint press conference between the two on the State House steps yesterday afternoon. Edelblut, who came out of nowhere to almost topple the dynastic Sununu name, said he would campaign across the state for Sununu and advocate for a conservative agenda.
In a refreshing turn of events, both Ashooh and Edelblut said defeating the Democrats this fall was the priority.
Results in three area state senate races show recounts are likely on the horizon.
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Terrio: Up by 5
In District Eighteen, which includes Manchester wards five through nine and the town of Litchfield, Manchester School Board Member Ross Terrio eked out a five vote win over former Litchfield State Rep. George Lambert.
- In District Eight, which, in our listening area, includes the towns of Weare, Francestown, Bennington, Deering, Hillsboro, Antrim and Windsor, Ruth Ward bested Jim Beard by just nine votes.
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Nyquist: Narrow win
Seventy nine votes separated winner Lee Nyquist from challenger Jeanne Dietsch in District Nine Democratic primary, which includes Bedford, Mont Vernon, New Boston and and Lydenboro in our listening area.
Soucy: Crusade against fast food wins award
Manchester is one of seven winners of the 2016 Culture of Health prize awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted solely to health. The prize honors communities for their efforts to ensure all residents have the opportunity to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. Chosen from nearly 200 applicant communities across the country, Manchester’s award winning efforts include its response to the emerging opioid and heroin epidemic-which has successfully mobilized emergency responders, community organizations, and health care providers to connect residents with critical treatment services. Also recognized was the city’s efforts to partner with residents worked to transform schools in the city’s most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas into neighborhood health and education hubs. While we’ve linked to the strategy for you to take a look, we know they really won the award because Manchester Health Officer Tim Soucy criticized the number of fast food restaurants on Second Street for making people fat and suggesting the zoning be changed to make hassle their existence. That’s the way it works! Twenty five thousand dollars in cash comes with the award.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Capano: Nothing nefarious
The Manchester Police Department has gone live with a new radio system and not everybody’s happy with how they’ve chosen to use it. The radio they’ve installed is a Motorola A P X 7000 L. The cops say it’s top notch in the industry. Controversy has arisen over their decision to encrypt or “code” their communications so that they cannot be listened to on scanners or smart phone apps.
Assistant Police Chief Carlo Capano said blocking the public from being able to hear their radio traffic was done for several reasons, including protecting the privacy of those who police respond to. Capano pointed to medical calls, criminal checks, juvenile calls and victim information as needing privacy. In a statement released yesterday about the change, Capano also said officer safety was a concnern. Quote:
The use of the “coded” system allows our officers to respond to events and call in their locations without the concern of some people following our officers around and some even interfering with the officers (sic) duties. Given the national narrative regarding police officers and the attacks on them, this was an important factor in our decision. End quote.
Hastings: Cops censoring communication
And that’s the problem, says photojournalist Jeffrey Hastings, proprietor of the Manchester Information Facebook page. Blocking scanners means the only information the people get is what the police want them to get. Illustrating the point, Hastings sent an email to the department and local media outlets, writing, quote (without edits):
On Monday afternoon the bearcat was deployed with multiple officers shutting down streets in the area of Kelly St. Several followers sent photos and feared for their safety and inquiring what was going on.
On Tuesday morning at or near the intersection of Wayne and Cartier the bearcat was deployed, again with several heavily armed officers. Again followers of our page feared for their safety.
We have awaited the press releases per the protocol but MPD has not issued press releases on bearcat deployment. The question for the citizens and followers is what happened? Is there reason for concern? Is their neighborhood in danger?
We know press releases are only issued on items MPD feel are newsworthy but the West side citizens are worried about 2 bearcat deployments in less than 24 hours.
I am not sure who wants to respond but I am sending this as a request for some reasonable level of information for the citizens.
Unexplained deployment on city streets
Not only has M P D not responded to our follow up inquiry to know why the bearcat was twice deployed in the same neighborhood, the bearcat was deployed for the third time in seventy two hours yesterday without the police not saying a word about it.
That’s news from our own backyard! Girard at Large hour ___ is next!
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