Letter to the Editor of the Concord Monitor Online today.
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Restoring order
Robert Seaman, Concord
For the Monitor
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July 08, 2008 - 12:00 am
June 30, 2008, may be remembered in history as the day Americans began, in earnest, the moral and solemn process of holding their government accountable to the Constitution - under threat of withdrawal of allegiance, support and tax money.
Last Monday, approximately 1,200 American citizens began the process of exercising a profound, but little-known, 800-year-old right first articulated in Magna Carta by formally serving a "legal notice and demand" for redress of grievances upon the president, the attorney general and every member of Congress.
Incredibly, academic research since 1986 makes clear the right to petition for redress is not a redundant statement of the right of speech. It is in fact, the individual exercise of popular sovereignty. Here's what the founders sitting at the first Congress wrote:
"If money is wanted by Rulers who have in any manner oppressed the People, they may retain it until their grievances are redressed, and thus peacefully procure relief, without trusting to despised petitions or disturbing the public tranquility."
Demanding an official response within 40 days, the notice includes seven petitions for redress of grievances regarding substantial violations of our Constitution including the war, money, privacy, arms and tax clauses.
If liberty and constitutional order are to survive peacefully, it is imperative that the people learn about and exercise the unalienable right of redress.
For details about the plan to restore constitutional order, visit www.wethepeoplefoundation.org.
ROBERT SEAMAN
Concord
Tuesday, July 8
Tuesday, July 1
Show me the money Interim administrator leaves Atkinson
From the Eagle Tribune:
Show me the money Interim administrator leaves Atkinson for better paying Plaistow position
By Meghan Carey
Staff writer
Atkinson interim Town Administrator Craig Kleman is leaving for the same job in Plaistow.
The contract was finalized last week, but Kleman asked Plaistow officials to keep it quiet until he could meet with Atkinson selectmen. He confirmed yesterday that he accepted the interim job in Plaistow and plans to start on July 14.
Until then, he'll stay at Atkinson Town Hall.
It's another similarity for two towns that have been searching for a town administrator and town manager for months. In this leg of the search, the town that pays more won.
Plaistow Selectman Larry Gil said they plan to pay Kleman $900 a week. That's $200 a week more than Atkinson pays him.
Plaistow also moved to promise Kleman a longer-term contract than Atkinson had.
Atkinson selectmen and Kleman verbally agreed he would extend his interim contract for another 30 days, but the deal was never inked. They were planning to sign the document last night. Selectman Fred Childs said earlier that Atkinson planned to offer Kleman a permanent job, but that hadn't happened yet.
Kleman's contract with Plaistow extends through the end of October, Gil said.
"That's when we anticipate, we think, we may have another town manager in," he said. "But we wanted to make sure, in case there wasn't an overlap, that we would have somebody on board for budget preparation."
Jason Hoch, Plaistow's former town manager and interim administrator, was going to stay until someone new started, but couldn't reach an agreement with the selectmen. His last day was Saturday.
When Kleman applied for the interim job in Atkinson in April, he also was a candidate for the permanent job. Yesterday, he said he plans to do the same in Plaistow.
"I haven't applied yet, but that is my intention," Kleman said of applying for the permanent job in Plaistow.
The application deadline for the permanent post is July 7.
Plaistow is looking for a town manager, not a town administrator. Plaistow is a larger community with a larger budget, and the salary offered reflects that. Plaistow advertised an annual salary between $84,000 and $95,000. Atkinson didn't advertise a pay range, but paid its last town administrator about $58,000.
Kleman, 51, has town administrator experience — interim and permanent — in Seabrook, Epping and Merrimack, Mass.
Plaistow selectmen restarted their search for a town manager after their first choice from the first round didn't accept their offer. Selectmen said none of the other candidates had town administrator or manager experience, and they wanted to expand the pool.
Atkinson selectmen met in nonpublic session last night to decide what to do. Kleman was one of three finalists for the town administrator job in Atkinson. The position has been vacant since February when Russell McAllister left for a local government job in Iraq.
Tale of two towns
Fact%Atkinson%Plaistow
Interim pay%$700 a week%$900 a week
Permanent pay%$58,000*%$84,000 to $95,000
Population%6,601%7,705
Town budget%$4 million%$7.5 million
Show me the money Interim administrator leaves Atkinson for better paying Plaistow position
By Meghan Carey
Staff writer
Atkinson interim Town Administrator Craig Kleman is leaving for the same job in Plaistow.
The contract was finalized last week, but Kleman asked Plaistow officials to keep it quiet until he could meet with Atkinson selectmen. He confirmed yesterday that he accepted the interim job in Plaistow and plans to start on July 14.
Until then, he'll stay at Atkinson Town Hall.
It's another similarity for two towns that have been searching for a town administrator and town manager for months. In this leg of the search, the town that pays more won.
Plaistow Selectman Larry Gil said they plan to pay Kleman $900 a week. That's $200 a week more than Atkinson pays him.
Plaistow also moved to promise Kleman a longer-term contract than Atkinson had.
Atkinson selectmen and Kleman verbally agreed he would extend his interim contract for another 30 days, but the deal was never inked. They were planning to sign the document last night. Selectman Fred Childs said earlier that Atkinson planned to offer Kleman a permanent job, but that hadn't happened yet.
Kleman's contract with Plaistow extends through the end of October, Gil said.
"That's when we anticipate, we think, we may have another town manager in," he said. "But we wanted to make sure, in case there wasn't an overlap, that we would have somebody on board for budget preparation."
Jason Hoch, Plaistow's former town manager and interim administrator, was going to stay until someone new started, but couldn't reach an agreement with the selectmen. His last day was Saturday.
When Kleman applied for the interim job in Atkinson in April, he also was a candidate for the permanent job. Yesterday, he said he plans to do the same in Plaistow.
"I haven't applied yet, but that is my intention," Kleman said of applying for the permanent job in Plaistow.
The application deadline for the permanent post is July 7.
Plaistow is looking for a town manager, not a town administrator. Plaistow is a larger community with a larger budget, and the salary offered reflects that. Plaistow advertised an annual salary between $84,000 and $95,000. Atkinson didn't advertise a pay range, but paid its last town administrator about $58,000.
Kleman, 51, has town administrator experience — interim and permanent — in Seabrook, Epping and Merrimack, Mass.
Plaistow selectmen restarted their search for a town manager after their first choice from the first round didn't accept their offer. Selectmen said none of the other candidates had town administrator or manager experience, and they wanted to expand the pool.
Atkinson selectmen met in nonpublic session last night to decide what to do. Kleman was one of three finalists for the town administrator job in Atkinson. The position has been vacant since February when Russell McAllister left for a local government job in Iraq.
Tale of two towns
Fact%Atkinson%Plaistow
Interim pay%$700 a week%$900 a week
Permanent pay%$58,000*%$84,000 to $95,000
Population%6,601%7,705
Town budget%$4 million%$7.5 million
Saturday, June 28
Atkinson Woman Shot in Sandown Driveway
ATKINSON, N.H. — The family of a 20-year-old woman who was fatally shot at a home in Sandown Thursday night is mourning the loss of the 2006 Timberlane Regional High School graduate.
Deidre Budzyna of Atkinson was inside a sport utility vehicle with three friends in the driveway at 9 Morrison Lane in Sandown when she was shot in the back and later died at Parkland Medical Center in Derry, said James Boffetti, an assistant state attorney general.
Investigators have classified Budzyna's death as a homicide because it was the result of a gunshot wound inflicted by another person. But that doesn't necessarily mean criminal charges will be forthcoming, Boffetti said. The gun may have been discharged accidentally, he said. An investigation will unravel how the shooting happened and determine whether anyone will be charged, he said.
Budzyna's friends and relatives gathered yesterday at the home of her parents, Walter and Gail Budzyna, 15 Hemlock Heights Road in Atkinson. Near Big Island Pond, the house is where Budzyna grew up and where she was still living.
While family members declined to discuss any details of her untimely death, they said Budzyna was a wonderful, caring person who always thought of everyone else before herself and treated her friends like members of her family. She loved Jet Skiing on Big Island Pond and was working full time as a nanny for a family with three young children, they said.
"I love my daughter," her father said. "She was the best thing in my life. I'll always love her. She loved life. She loved people."
Her older sister, Nicole, 23, said, "I lost my baby sister and my best friend. She was always helping other people — always looking out for others before herself."
As they talked, family members cried and wiped away tears.
Her aunt, Irene Chenard, of Dracut, Mass., said there was a very close bond between Deidre, her sister and their parents.
"There was a special closeness between Nicole and Deidre," Chenard said. "It was special how they supported one another and cared for each other."
In fact, their father was planning to bring both daughters with him and their mother, Gail, on a trip to Hawaii next year to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
The shooting that claimed Budzyna's life happened at the home of Gloria Caron, 9 Morrison Lane.
Neighbors said they were shocked by the news.
"It's horrible; it's a tragedy," said next-door neighbor Randy Cawthron, 7 Morrison Lane. "It's hard to believe someone was killed next door."
Cawthron's son, Ryan, 17, who was home at the time of the shooting, said he didn't hear a gunshot.
"I just heard the normal commotion whenever they have a party next door, just talking," he said.
His father said a lot of young people "hang out" at the residence because there's a swimming pool there.
When a reporter called the Caron residence, an unidentified woman who answered the phone said, "We're all set. We're not talking."
Boffetti said Budzyna was still alive when rescue workers arrived. They administered medical treatment at the scene and took her to Parkland Medical Center in Derry where she was pronounced dead.
Deidre Budzyna of Atkinson was inside a sport utility vehicle with three friends in the driveway at 9 Morrison Lane in Sandown when she was shot in the back and later died at Parkland Medical Center in Derry, said James Boffetti, an assistant state attorney general.
Investigators have classified Budzyna's death as a homicide because it was the result of a gunshot wound inflicted by another person. But that doesn't necessarily mean criminal charges will be forthcoming, Boffetti said. The gun may have been discharged accidentally, he said. An investigation will unravel how the shooting happened and determine whether anyone will be charged, he said.
Budzyna's friends and relatives gathered yesterday at the home of her parents, Walter and Gail Budzyna, 15 Hemlock Heights Road in Atkinson. Near Big Island Pond, the house is where Budzyna grew up and where she was still living.
While family members declined to discuss any details of her untimely death, they said Budzyna was a wonderful, caring person who always thought of everyone else before herself and treated her friends like members of her family. She loved Jet Skiing on Big Island Pond and was working full time as a nanny for a family with three young children, they said.
"I love my daughter," her father said. "She was the best thing in my life. I'll always love her. She loved life. She loved people."
Her older sister, Nicole, 23, said, "I lost my baby sister and my best friend. She was always helping other people — always looking out for others before herself."
As they talked, family members cried and wiped away tears.
Her aunt, Irene Chenard, of Dracut, Mass., said there was a very close bond between Deidre, her sister and their parents.
"There was a special closeness between Nicole and Deidre," Chenard said. "It was special how they supported one another and cared for each other."
In fact, their father was planning to bring both daughters with him and their mother, Gail, on a trip to Hawaii next year to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
The shooting that claimed Budzyna's life happened at the home of Gloria Caron, 9 Morrison Lane.
Neighbors said they were shocked by the news.
"It's horrible; it's a tragedy," said next-door neighbor Randy Cawthron, 7 Morrison Lane. "It's hard to believe someone was killed next door."
Cawthron's son, Ryan, 17, who was home at the time of the shooting, said he didn't hear a gunshot.
"I just heard the normal commotion whenever they have a party next door, just talking," he said.
His father said a lot of young people "hang out" at the residence because there's a swimming pool there.
When a reporter called the Caron residence, an unidentified woman who answered the phone said, "We're all set. We're not talking."
Boffetti said Budzyna was still alive when rescue workers arrived. They administered medical treatment at the scene and took her to Parkland Medical Center in Derry where she was pronounced dead.
Friday, June 27
Schools not properly preparing kids
From www.Townhall.com
http://townhall.com/news/us/2008/06/27/poll_schools_not_properly_preparing_kids
It's not much of a report card.
Half of Americans say U.S. schools are doing only a fair to poor job preparing kids for college and the work force. Even more feel that way about the skills kids need to survive as adults, an Associated Press poll released Friday finds.
"A lot of kids, when they get out school, are kind of lost," said Jamie Norton, a firefighter in Gridley, Calif. "When you get out of high school, what are you educated to do?"
The views of the general population echo concerns from business and college leaders, who say they have to spend a lot of time and money on remedial education for people who completed high school but don't have the skills to succeed at work or in higher education.
Education ranks behind the economy and gas prices as a top issue for Americans, the survey said. However, nearly all those polled said the quality of a country's education system has a big impact on a country's overall economic prosperity.
Education was generally viewed to be as important as health care and slightly ahead of the Iraq war. Among minority parents, education is just as important an issue as the economy.
Minorities and whites rate schools differently. Fifty-nine percent of whites rate their local school as good or excellent, compared with 42 percent of minorities.
Minority parents are more likely to think their children are getting a better education than they received as children. Overall, the majority of those surveyed said the quality of U.S. schools has declined over the past 20 years.
Three-fourths of those surveyed believe schools place too much emphasis on the wrong subjects. Asked what subjects should be given more time in school, more than a third said math. English was a distant second, at 21 percent. A tiny fraction picked art, music and the sciences, such as biology and chemistry.
Parents may want more math in school because they feel unprepared to help at home, said Janine Remillard, who teaches math-related courses at the University of Pennsylvania's education school.
"Math is the subject that parents are often intimidated by," she said. "We've allowed a lot of kids to just say, 'I'm not good at math,' .... and those kids become parents."
Most think the United States is just keeping up or falling behind the rest of the world in education. On some recent international tests, U.S. students have posted flat scores and landed in the middle to bottom of the pack when compared with other nation's children.
Americans have mixed views about standardized tests, which have grown in importance. The 2002 federal No Child Left Behind law judges schools based on math and reading tests taken by their students. Schools face increasingly tough consequences for scores that miss the mark.
About half of those polled said standardized tests measure the quality of education offered by schools well, while the rest disagree.
The vast majority think classroom work and homework _ not standardized tests _ are the best ways to measure how well students are doing.
Larry Michalec, a computer programmer in San Deigo, called the testing a waste of time. "They're standardized and people aren't standardized," he said. "Children get taught to the test. They get taught to take the test. They don't get taught to learn." Continued...
http://townhall.com/news/us/2008/06/27/poll_schools_not_properly_preparing_kids
It's not much of a report card.
Half of Americans say U.S. schools are doing only a fair to poor job preparing kids for college and the work force. Even more feel that way about the skills kids need to survive as adults, an Associated Press poll released Friday finds.
"A lot of kids, when they get out school, are kind of lost," said Jamie Norton, a firefighter in Gridley, Calif. "When you get out of high school, what are you educated to do?"
The views of the general population echo concerns from business and college leaders, who say they have to spend a lot of time and money on remedial education for people who completed high school but don't have the skills to succeed at work or in higher education.
Education ranks behind the economy and gas prices as a top issue for Americans, the survey said. However, nearly all those polled said the quality of a country's education system has a big impact on a country's overall economic prosperity.
Education was generally viewed to be as important as health care and slightly ahead of the Iraq war. Among minority parents, education is just as important an issue as the economy.
Minorities and whites rate schools differently. Fifty-nine percent of whites rate their local school as good or excellent, compared with 42 percent of minorities.
Minority parents are more likely to think their children are getting a better education than they received as children. Overall, the majority of those surveyed said the quality of U.S. schools has declined over the past 20 years.
Three-fourths of those surveyed believe schools place too much emphasis on the wrong subjects. Asked what subjects should be given more time in school, more than a third said math. English was a distant second, at 21 percent. A tiny fraction picked art, music and the sciences, such as biology and chemistry.
Parents may want more math in school because they feel unprepared to help at home, said Janine Remillard, who teaches math-related courses at the University of Pennsylvania's education school.
"Math is the subject that parents are often intimidated by," she said. "We've allowed a lot of kids to just say, 'I'm not good at math,' .... and those kids become parents."
Most think the United States is just keeping up or falling behind the rest of the world in education. On some recent international tests, U.S. students have posted flat scores and landed in the middle to bottom of the pack when compared with other nation's children.
Americans have mixed views about standardized tests, which have grown in importance. The 2002 federal No Child Left Behind law judges schools based on math and reading tests taken by their students. Schools face increasingly tough consequences for scores that miss the mark.
About half of those polled said standardized tests measure the quality of education offered by schools well, while the rest disagree.
The vast majority think classroom work and homework _ not standardized tests _ are the best ways to measure how well students are doing.
Larry Michalec, a computer programmer in San Deigo, called the testing a waste of time. "They're standardized and people aren't standardized," he said. "Children get taught to the test. They get taught to take the test. They don't get taught to learn." Continued...
Wednesday, June 25
Intimidation of Bloggers attempted again...
Carol Grant said...
Publius,
Please accept as a separate article. Thank you.
Carol Grant
INTIMIDATION ATTEMPTS CONTINUE AGAINST ATKINSON BLOG AND BLOGGERS
This past spring, re-printed on the blog was a copy of an accusatory and threatening letter sent by Phil Consentino to Mark Acciard, threatening legal action against Acciard because Consentino did not like an Anonymous blog submission critical of himself. There was no proof or reason to think that Acciard wrote the blog submission, but Consentino blamed and accused him anyway.
Mr. Acciard bought Consentino’s letter to the attention of the selectmen as part of a complaint against Consentino. The selectmen stated that they had DEFINITLY NOT authorized the letter although it was written as official town correspondence on official Atkinson Police Dept. Stationery, with Consentino’s signature appearing over the title Chief of Police.
I reference that most recent past anti-blog, anti-blogger letter only because, to our great surprise, my husband and I also recently received one of those type of letters. It was written by Atty. Garry Lane who was hired by the town’s insurance company to represent four town officials in my recently settled law suit against them.
it seems that at least one of the defendants, possibly/probably in a snitty-fit because of having paid me a settlement, went whining to Lane about the fact that an Anonymous resident recently dared to exercise his/her right of free speech and free expression to express on the blog an opinion about how “It’s time to take these corrupt selectmen out of office and sue them personally.” That particular blog submission also said “It’s time to put a stop to... people running our town. People like Polito, Childs, Sapia, ...Police Chief, Town Administrator, and any other political hack that wants to participate.”
Lane referred to the blog posting as a “potentially very serious matter.” I personally think that the only “potentially very serious matter” is the fact that Lane and one or more of his defendant clients feel that they can get away with unsubstantiated false accusations against Ken or I for something we didn’t do.
When I submit something to the blog, it’s never personal. It always concerns a ballot or public issue, like the Vietnam Honor Roll or protecting our water resources---and I sign my name to what I submit. If Lane or his un-named whiner client feel that either Ken or I are going to tolerate the garbage of false accusations from EITHER of them, he/they better think twice.
You would think that town officials who just went through a defamation suit would have learned that false accusations and disparaging innocent people have serious consequences. Obviously, instead of counseling his un-learning client about the lesson the lawsuit should have taught him, Atty. Lane decided to pander to him.
In my response letter to Lane, I strongly pointed out the hypocrisy of his making false accusations on behalf of clients recently filed against for defamations and disparagements.
In speaking about public officials, Thomas Jefferson stated that “When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property.”
That’s very true. As long as blog postings are not recklessly, deliberately or knowingly slanderous, Atkinsonians have a constitutional freedom and right to post and express their own opinions and criticisms of elected or appointed public officials. Certain officials wouldn’t have such a bad reputation in town if they hadn’t worked so hard at earning it by their misconduct.
Since the start of the blog, Atkinson residents have strongly criticized certain Atkinson officials for actions which residents see as misconduct and immoral and unethical behavior. It is and will continue to be the right of residents to criticize.
Criticized public officials could have cleaned up their act at any time but arrogantly chose not to, considering themselves above accountability to the residents of Atkinson. They bring public criticism on themselves by their repeated mis-conduct. Hopefully, critical postings will encourage public officials to clean up their act.
If there are more critical postings to come in the future from angry or disgusted Atkinson residents, so be it!
Bloggers shouldn’t ever allow themselves to be intimidated by insulting letters such as was sent by Atty. Lane.
In conclusion, it is repugnant to free speech that any resident should ever receive a letter sent in an attempt to intimidate or restrain anyone in the exercise of their free speech rights.
Carol Grant
Publius,
Please accept as a separate article. Thank you.
Carol Grant
INTIMIDATION ATTEMPTS CONTINUE AGAINST ATKINSON BLOG AND BLOGGERS
This past spring, re-printed on the blog was a copy of an accusatory and threatening letter sent by Phil Consentino to Mark Acciard, threatening legal action against Acciard because Consentino did not like an Anonymous blog submission critical of himself. There was no proof or reason to think that Acciard wrote the blog submission, but Consentino blamed and accused him anyway.
Mr. Acciard bought Consentino’s letter to the attention of the selectmen as part of a complaint against Consentino. The selectmen stated that they had DEFINITLY NOT authorized the letter although it was written as official town correspondence on official Atkinson Police Dept. Stationery, with Consentino’s signature appearing over the title Chief of Police.
I reference that most recent past anti-blog, anti-blogger letter only because, to our great surprise, my husband and I also recently received one of those type of letters. It was written by Atty. Garry Lane who was hired by the town’s insurance company to represent four town officials in my recently settled law suit against them.
it seems that at least one of the defendants, possibly/probably in a snitty-fit because of having paid me a settlement, went whining to Lane about the fact that an Anonymous resident recently dared to exercise his/her right of free speech and free expression to express on the blog an opinion about how “It’s time to take these corrupt selectmen out of office and sue them personally.” That particular blog submission also said “It’s time to put a stop to... people running our town. People like Polito, Childs, Sapia, ...Police Chief, Town Administrator, and any other political hack that wants to participate.”
Lane referred to the blog posting as a “potentially very serious matter.” I personally think that the only “potentially very serious matter” is the fact that Lane and one or more of his defendant clients feel that they can get away with unsubstantiated false accusations against Ken or I for something we didn’t do.
When I submit something to the blog, it’s never personal. It always concerns a ballot or public issue, like the Vietnam Honor Roll or protecting our water resources---and I sign my name to what I submit. If Lane or his un-named whiner client feel that either Ken or I are going to tolerate the garbage of false accusations from EITHER of them, he/they better think twice.
You would think that town officials who just went through a defamation suit would have learned that false accusations and disparaging innocent people have serious consequences. Obviously, instead of counseling his un-learning client about the lesson the lawsuit should have taught him, Atty. Lane decided to pander to him.
In my response letter to Lane, I strongly pointed out the hypocrisy of his making false accusations on behalf of clients recently filed against for defamations and disparagements.
In speaking about public officials, Thomas Jefferson stated that “When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property.”
That’s very true. As long as blog postings are not recklessly, deliberately or knowingly slanderous, Atkinsonians have a constitutional freedom and right to post and express their own opinions and criticisms of elected or appointed public officials. Certain officials wouldn’t have such a bad reputation in town if they hadn’t worked so hard at earning it by their misconduct.
Since the start of the blog, Atkinson residents have strongly criticized certain Atkinson officials for actions which residents see as misconduct and immoral and unethical behavior. It is and will continue to be the right of residents to criticize.
Criticized public officials could have cleaned up their act at any time but arrogantly chose not to, considering themselves above accountability to the residents of Atkinson. They bring public criticism on themselves by their repeated mis-conduct. Hopefully, critical postings will encourage public officials to clean up their act.
If there are more critical postings to come in the future from angry or disgusted Atkinson residents, so be it!
Bloggers shouldn’t ever allow themselves to be intimidated by insulting letters such as was sent by Atty. Lane.
In conclusion, it is repugnant to free speech that any resident should ever receive a letter sent in an attempt to intimidate or restrain anyone in the exercise of their free speech rights.
Carol Grant
Town Administrator trying for Plaistow job!
From the Eagle Tribune;
One candidate, two towns Kleman interviews for jobs in Plaistow, Atkinson
By Meghan Carey
Staff writer
Atkinson selectmen thought they had their man, but he's looking elsewhere.
Selectman Fred Childs said last week the board planned to offer a permanent position to interim Town Administrator Craig Kleman. They have been searching for a new administrator since winter, after the departure of Russell McAllister.
Plaistow selectmen also have been searching for a town manager since winter and, more recently, for an interim town administrator.
The parallel searches just became even more similar. Kleman met with Plaistow officials in nonpublic session Monday night. He confirmed yesterday that he was interviewing for the interim position in that town, too, but said he didn't want to comment beyond that.
Kleman has worked as interim administrator in Atkinson since mid-April. He was a candidate for the full-time job when he took the interim position. Selectmen liked the idea of a candidate "test drive," according to minutes from the selectmen's meeting March 31.
Childs said yesterday he heard Kleman probably was looking elsewhere — and he wasn't surprised. He said that's why it's tough to keep a town administrator for long — they're always looking. But he's confident Atkinson is Kleman's first choice.
"He wants the job," Childs said. "I know that."
Just last week, Childs said the selectmen planned to offer Kleman the full-time job, but they haven't yet. At the next meeting, scheduled for Monday, the selectmen and Kleman are expected to sign a 30-day extension to his interim contract, Childs said yesterday.
"I don't think he's too happy with that," Childs said. "I think he'd like to get it settled right away, and I can't blame him. There's other opportunities out there."
The other opportunity Kleman is trying for pays a lot more.
In Plaistow, he would likely make more than the $700 a week Atkinson is paying him in the interim job. Plaistow interim Town Administrator Jason Hoch is making $1,395 a week. He started as a full-time town manager and transitioned to an interim town administrator two months after giving his notice.
Hoch's last day is Saturday, and Plaistow selectmen are trying to get someone to take over right away. After Kleman's interview Monday, the selectmen said they were done interviewing candidates. Selectman Dan Poliquin said yesterday the town has made an offer for the interim position and will announce it Friday.
If Kleman is trying for the permanent position in Plaistow, too, he stands to make more money than he would in Atkinson.
Plaistow selectmen advertised a salary range of $84,000 to $95,000 for the town manager position. Atkinson didn't put a salary range in its advertisement because each administrator wants something different, Childs said. He would not say what range the selectmen are considering now that they have a candidate in mind. McAllister made about $62,000 a year.
Atkinson selectmen plan to hire a permanent administrator in the next month. Plaistow doesn't plan to have a town manager onboard until October.
One candidate, two towns Kleman interviews for jobs in Plaistow, Atkinson
By Meghan Carey
Staff writer
Atkinson selectmen thought they had their man, but he's looking elsewhere.
Selectman Fred Childs said last week the board planned to offer a permanent position to interim Town Administrator Craig Kleman. They have been searching for a new administrator since winter, after the departure of Russell McAllister.
Plaistow selectmen also have been searching for a town manager since winter and, more recently, for an interim town administrator.
The parallel searches just became even more similar. Kleman met with Plaistow officials in nonpublic session Monday night. He confirmed yesterday that he was interviewing for the interim position in that town, too, but said he didn't want to comment beyond that.
Kleman has worked as interim administrator in Atkinson since mid-April. He was a candidate for the full-time job when he took the interim position. Selectmen liked the idea of a candidate "test drive," according to minutes from the selectmen's meeting March 31.
Childs said yesterday he heard Kleman probably was looking elsewhere — and he wasn't surprised. He said that's why it's tough to keep a town administrator for long — they're always looking. But he's confident Atkinson is Kleman's first choice.
"He wants the job," Childs said. "I know that."
Just last week, Childs said the selectmen planned to offer Kleman the full-time job, but they haven't yet. At the next meeting, scheduled for Monday, the selectmen and Kleman are expected to sign a 30-day extension to his interim contract, Childs said yesterday.
"I don't think he's too happy with that," Childs said. "I think he'd like to get it settled right away, and I can't blame him. There's other opportunities out there."
The other opportunity Kleman is trying for pays a lot more.
In Plaistow, he would likely make more than the $700 a week Atkinson is paying him in the interim job. Plaistow interim Town Administrator Jason Hoch is making $1,395 a week. He started as a full-time town manager and transitioned to an interim town administrator two months after giving his notice.
Hoch's last day is Saturday, and Plaistow selectmen are trying to get someone to take over right away. After Kleman's interview Monday, the selectmen said they were done interviewing candidates. Selectman Dan Poliquin said yesterday the town has made an offer for the interim position and will announce it Friday.
If Kleman is trying for the permanent position in Plaistow, too, he stands to make more money than he would in Atkinson.
Plaistow selectmen advertised a salary range of $84,000 to $95,000 for the town manager position. Atkinson didn't put a salary range in its advertisement because each administrator wants something different, Childs said. He would not say what range the selectmen are considering now that they have a candidate in mind. McAllister made about $62,000 a year.
Atkinson selectmen plan to hire a permanent administrator in the next month. Plaistow doesn't plan to have a town manager onboard until October.
Sunday, June 22
Coffee shop proposed in Atkinson
Coffee shop proposed in Atkinson
By Meghan Carey
Staff writer
ATKINSON — Residents may soon have a place to grab a morning coffee and to chat.
Lincoln Jackson has applied for Planning Board approval to build a 9,000-square-foot restaurant and office at 117 Main St. The local resident said he plans to use the space for a coffee shop, according to Shirley Galvin, the Planning Department's administrative assistant.
There are a few tables outside the Village Store and restaurant dining at the Atkinson Country Club but really no coffee shop in town, Galvin said.
The Safety Committee and Planning Board both reviewed the plans at their meetings this week. The Planning Board continued the site plan hearing to its next meeting July 23, Chairwoman Sue Killam said yesterday.
The continuation will give the town's engineer time to examine the most recently submitted plans, she said. The board accepted the initial plan in April.
Killam said she expects the proposal to go forward.
The plans are available for review in the planning office at Town Hall, she said.
James Lavelle Associates presented the plan to the town, but the company could not be reached yesterday for comment.
The vacant Main Street property is for sale for $299,000 through Coldwell Banker. Jackson, the potential owner, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
By Meghan Carey
Staff writer
ATKINSON — Residents may soon have a place to grab a morning coffee and to chat.
Lincoln Jackson has applied for Planning Board approval to build a 9,000-square-foot restaurant and office at 117 Main St. The local resident said he plans to use the space for a coffee shop, according to Shirley Galvin, the Planning Department's administrative assistant.
There are a few tables outside the Village Store and restaurant dining at the Atkinson Country Club but really no coffee shop in town, Galvin said.
The Safety Committee and Planning Board both reviewed the plans at their meetings this week. The Planning Board continued the site plan hearing to its next meeting July 23, Chairwoman Sue Killam said yesterday.
The continuation will give the town's engineer time to examine the most recently submitted plans, she said. The board accepted the initial plan in April.
Killam said she expects the proposal to go forward.
The plans are available for review in the planning office at Town Hall, she said.
James Lavelle Associates presented the plan to the town, but the company could not be reached yesterday for comment.
The vacant Main Street property is for sale for $299,000 through Coldwell Banker. Jackson, the potential owner, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Saturday, June 21
Monday, June 16
Proposal could affect water supply in 2 towns
From the Eagle-Tribune today!
Proposal could affect water supply in 2 towns
By Rebecca Correa
Staff writer
NEWTON — The water supply for more than 150 families in Plaistow and Newton could be affected by a plan to build pump houses in the town's largest aquifer.
The Hampstead Area Water Co. has proposed a 742-acre water franchise, or pump houses, on land that abuts Plaistow. The proposal is meant to serve Sargent Woods, a senior housing project with 80 units, now under construction in Newton.
But Plaistow and Newton officials said the water franchise could affect those who already live in town — and they're hoping residents attend an informational meeting about the topic tonight.
Newton Planning Board member James Doggett said in the worst-case scenario, the proposal could limit the water supply for every house along Smith Corner Road, Peaslee Crossing Road and part of Route 108.
And it won't just be Newton's private wells that are affected.
"There are houses in Plaistow that sit on the aquifer that could potentially be looking at water problems because HAWC petitioned (to withdraw) 30,000 gallons a day," Doggett said.
Plaistow plans to send representatives to the meeting tonight for exactly that reason.
Specifically, the proposal would hurt residents of Sweet Hill Road and Greenfield Drive, according to Leigh Komornick, Plaistow's planning coordinator.
Residents in the Sweet Hill Road neighborhood are already experiencing water pressure problems and drawing more water out of the same aquifer would only make their problems worse, Komornick said.
"From what I understand, they (are) concerned about the adequacy of water now," she said. "I don't know if it's the amount or the pressure, but they are already having problems."
Komornick said a third housing development has been approved on the Newton border, but construction hasn't started yet. Houses there could be affected, too, she said.
"I think there's going to be significant withdrawal going on," Komornick said.
The withdrawal does not require town approval and the state would have given the water company the OK. But Newton selectmen intervened at the request of the Planning Board.
Doggett said the intervention allows for the public meeting tonight. At the very least, he said, it will give residents a chance to be informed and stall the installation of more than a dozen pump houses.
"What selectmen can do to try to affect the (state) Public Utilities Commission decision is limited," he said. "But if 600 people showed up to the meeting tonight and said they don't want this, the Public Utilities Commission, one assumes would actually listen to this."
The Hampstead Area Water Co. is based in Atkinson and has been in business for about 30 years. It is the third-largest private water provider in the state and serves at least 10 communities.
A phone call to the general manager of the company was not returned.
Doggett said he doesn't like the lack of local control that comes with the proposal. If the pump houses are put in, he said, the opportunities for the company are endless. For starters, if the town ever wanted municipal water, the Hampstead Area Water Co. would have the rights or could require the town buy them out.
"They can actually petition the rights to bottle water right here in town, too," he said. "The franchise is sort of like telling residents you can only shop at that car dealership or shop on a store on your street. Individual homeowners have certain rights and no company should be able to petition the state and take away your right to make a decision."
Doggett said Planning Board members are also unhappy the company didn't compromise with them and build a smaller franchise.
"It seems way in excess of what they need," he said. "They also offered to reduce the size of their franchise request and they rescinded that offer just two weeks later."
But most residents in both towns don't know enough about the proposal to make up their minds one way or another.
Newton town office manager Mary Winglass said the meeting is a prime time for people, herself included, to find out exactly what the positive and negative impacts of the proposal would be.
"What we're trying to do at this meeting is, first of all, get answers to questions about it," she said. "We want to find out what kind of rights does it give the homeowners. Will water taken be off the property and can we manage this?"
Doggett said he's sure most people in town don't know about the water franchise, but everyone should become informed and attend the meeting tonight to voice their opinions. The Public Utilities Commission will also hold an informational meeting at a later date this summer.
"Nine out of 10 people who have no idea what's going on will assume the Planning Board blessed this, and we don't," he said. "We've struggled hard and long to make sure the town is well served and when the townspeople don't pay attention, there's only so much we can do."
Staff writer Meghan Carey contributed to this report.
Water Worries
Who: Residents of Newton and Plaistow
What: Informational meeting about proposed water franchise
When: Today at 7 p.m.
Where: Sanborn Middle School gymnasium, 31A West Main St.
Why: Discuss a water franchise scheduled to be built on the Newton/Plaistow line
WOW!! Did you read THAT???
THE NEWTON SELECTMEN INTERVENED IN THE PROCESS ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN AT THE REQUEST OF THE PLANNING BOARD!
This is what the citizens of Atkinson asked our esteemed leaders, Selectman Sapia, Childs, and Sullivan to do on our behalf, and they told us;
Sorry, it's the States problem, not ours!
GUYS, It is YOUR problem to do what the voters ask you to do, NO MATTER WHAT!!!
Our planning board, and selectmen, were only too happy to ignore this potential problem.
And they wonder why they get so much criticism....
Proposal could affect water supply in 2 towns
By Rebecca Correa
Staff writer
NEWTON — The water supply for more than 150 families in Plaistow and Newton could be affected by a plan to build pump houses in the town's largest aquifer.
The Hampstead Area Water Co. has proposed a 742-acre water franchise, or pump houses, on land that abuts Plaistow. The proposal is meant to serve Sargent Woods, a senior housing project with 80 units, now under construction in Newton.
But Plaistow and Newton officials said the water franchise could affect those who already live in town — and they're hoping residents attend an informational meeting about the topic tonight.
Newton Planning Board member James Doggett said in the worst-case scenario, the proposal could limit the water supply for every house along Smith Corner Road, Peaslee Crossing Road and part of Route 108.
And it won't just be Newton's private wells that are affected.
"There are houses in Plaistow that sit on the aquifer that could potentially be looking at water problems because HAWC petitioned (to withdraw) 30,000 gallons a day," Doggett said.
Plaistow plans to send representatives to the meeting tonight for exactly that reason.
Specifically, the proposal would hurt residents of Sweet Hill Road and Greenfield Drive, according to Leigh Komornick, Plaistow's planning coordinator.
Residents in the Sweet Hill Road neighborhood are already experiencing water pressure problems and drawing more water out of the same aquifer would only make their problems worse, Komornick said.
"From what I understand, they (are) concerned about the adequacy of water now," she said. "I don't know if it's the amount or the pressure, but they are already having problems."
Komornick said a third housing development has been approved on the Newton border, but construction hasn't started yet. Houses there could be affected, too, she said.
"I think there's going to be significant withdrawal going on," Komornick said.
The withdrawal does not require town approval and the state would have given the water company the OK. But Newton selectmen intervened at the request of the Planning Board.
Doggett said the intervention allows for the public meeting tonight. At the very least, he said, it will give residents a chance to be informed and stall the installation of more than a dozen pump houses.
"What selectmen can do to try to affect the (state) Public Utilities Commission decision is limited," he said. "But if 600 people showed up to the meeting tonight and said they don't want this, the Public Utilities Commission, one assumes would actually listen to this."
The Hampstead Area Water Co. is based in Atkinson and has been in business for about 30 years. It is the third-largest private water provider in the state and serves at least 10 communities.
A phone call to the general manager of the company was not returned.
Doggett said he doesn't like the lack of local control that comes with the proposal. If the pump houses are put in, he said, the opportunities for the company are endless. For starters, if the town ever wanted municipal water, the Hampstead Area Water Co. would have the rights or could require the town buy them out.
"They can actually petition the rights to bottle water right here in town, too," he said. "The franchise is sort of like telling residents you can only shop at that car dealership or shop on a store on your street. Individual homeowners have certain rights and no company should be able to petition the state and take away your right to make a decision."
Doggett said Planning Board members are also unhappy the company didn't compromise with them and build a smaller franchise.
"It seems way in excess of what they need," he said. "They also offered to reduce the size of their franchise request and they rescinded that offer just two weeks later."
But most residents in both towns don't know enough about the proposal to make up their minds one way or another.
Newton town office manager Mary Winglass said the meeting is a prime time for people, herself included, to find out exactly what the positive and negative impacts of the proposal would be.
"What we're trying to do at this meeting is, first of all, get answers to questions about it," she said. "We want to find out what kind of rights does it give the homeowners. Will water taken be off the property and can we manage this?"
Doggett said he's sure most people in town don't know about the water franchise, but everyone should become informed and attend the meeting tonight to voice their opinions. The Public Utilities Commission will also hold an informational meeting at a later date this summer.
"Nine out of 10 people who have no idea what's going on will assume the Planning Board blessed this, and we don't," he said. "We've struggled hard and long to make sure the town is well served and when the townspeople don't pay attention, there's only so much we can do."
Staff writer Meghan Carey contributed to this report.
Water Worries
Who: Residents of Newton and Plaistow
What: Informational meeting about proposed water franchise
When: Today at 7 p.m.
Where: Sanborn Middle School gymnasium, 31A West Main St.
Why: Discuss a water franchise scheduled to be built on the Newton/Plaistow line
WOW!! Did you read THAT???
THE NEWTON SELECTMEN INTERVENED IN THE PROCESS ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN AT THE REQUEST OF THE PLANNING BOARD!
This is what the citizens of Atkinson asked our esteemed leaders, Selectman Sapia, Childs, and Sullivan to do on our behalf, and they told us;
Sorry, it's the States problem, not ours!
GUYS, It is YOUR problem to do what the voters ask you to do, NO MATTER WHAT!!!
Our planning board, and selectmen, were only too happy to ignore this potential problem.
And they wonder why they get so much criticism....
Timberlane community wants academic improvement
From Today's Eagle Tribune;
Timberlane community wants academic improvement
By Meghan Carey
Staff writer
PLAISTOW — Extracurricular activities are stronger than academics at Timberlane Regional High School, according to some parents.
The voices of 43 parents who recently participated in an e-mail survey speak louder than their sum. Some 44 percent of responding parents said the quality of a Timberlane education has declined in the last three to five years, and 70 percent said academics are what need improvement at the high school. Approximately 1,600 students from Atkinson, Danville, Plaistow and Sandown students attend Timberlane High.
Those parents aren't alone. Local bloggers and discussion board members are echoing the sentiments online. Four local blogs and online forums have had a flurry of postings in the last two weeks under threads labeled "Timberlane has lost its way" and "Timberlane is going down the tubes."
While the posters allege the school administration doesn't see what's going on, Superintendent Richard La Salle said last week he knows improvements are needed at each school.
"I think that there's always a problem with quality," he said.
Administrators have targeted reading and writing at the elementary and middle-school levels as the areas that need immediate attention, La Salle said. At the high school, the superintendent said he has a problem that just 70 percent of graduates go on to some form of college. The statewide average is 75 percent.
"In this day and age, I think the minimum standard is some form of post-secondary education," La Salle said. "We have to get that number up."
At the elementary and middle schools, a new reading program is already in place. Teachers use six steps to help them identify students who are struggling with reading before their grades start to reflect it, La Salle said. His hope is that will prevent students from falling too far behind now, especially since reading is a basis for all subjects.
Anne Isenberg, a mother of two from Atkinson, was recruited this spring to work on the Strategic Planning Committee. She said there's a discrepancy between the community's opinions of the school district and what the district is doing.
When she and her family moved to the area in 1995, she started talking to people about the schools. What Isenberg found was a community distrust in the schools — and she says that hasn't gone away. A lesson in public relations would help the situation, she said.
"They have been very quiet," Isenberg said of school administrators. "They have to realize that without any communication, the rumor mill fills in."
Improvements in communication can go both ways, according to School Board member Stephen Brown.
There's a time at every meeting for parents and taxpayers to make comments about the district, but that time is rarely used. Brown said it's a much more appropriate forum than posting on blogs.
"We listen, we discuss and reply to those comments," Brown said. "We are constantly striving to make the school district better."
The Strategic Planning Committee, which is made up of parents, administrators, teachers and a School Board member, is striving to do the same.
Isenberg and Kate Delfino of Atkinson, two of the parent representatives on the committee, are taking their roles seriously — starting with conducting the parent e-mail survey.
Isenberg said she didn't have every parents' e-mail address, but tried to get the survey to as many people as possible. The results are not scientific and from a narrow segment of the population, but both women said they are still indicative of parents' general opinions.
"It's one piece in a very large puzzle that we are putting together," Delfino said. "It's really just to be able to quantify some of the thoughts and concerns that are on some parents' minds."
Thirty-five percent of those parents said the quality of a Timberlane Regional High School education has stayed the same. Just 12 percent of those surveyed said it had improved over the last three to five years. Forty-four percent said quality has declined.
When asked what the strengths of the high school were, most parents said performing arts and athletics. Safety and security, clubs and special interests tied for third.
Academics didn't make the list.
Whether community sentiment changes in the future, the plan is to change the education provided to the students over the next 10 years, La Salle said.
The Strategic Planning Committee is collecting data from another parent study, state assessment testing, SAT and ACT scores, and the NHEIAP — a state Department of Educational improvement and assessment program — report, the La Salle said.
When the data is turned into a 10-year plan this fall, La Salle said it will be used as a planner during the coming budgeting process and for the years to come.
Timberlane community wants academic improvement
By Meghan Carey
Staff writer
PLAISTOW — Extracurricular activities are stronger than academics at Timberlane Regional High School, according to some parents.
The voices of 43 parents who recently participated in an e-mail survey speak louder than their sum. Some 44 percent of responding parents said the quality of a Timberlane education has declined in the last three to five years, and 70 percent said academics are what need improvement at the high school. Approximately 1,600 students from Atkinson, Danville, Plaistow and Sandown students attend Timberlane High.
Those parents aren't alone. Local bloggers and discussion board members are echoing the sentiments online. Four local blogs and online forums have had a flurry of postings in the last two weeks under threads labeled "Timberlane has lost its way" and "Timberlane is going down the tubes."
While the posters allege the school administration doesn't see what's going on, Superintendent Richard La Salle said last week he knows improvements are needed at each school.
"I think that there's always a problem with quality," he said.
Administrators have targeted reading and writing at the elementary and middle-school levels as the areas that need immediate attention, La Salle said. At the high school, the superintendent said he has a problem that just 70 percent of graduates go on to some form of college. The statewide average is 75 percent.
"In this day and age, I think the minimum standard is some form of post-secondary education," La Salle said. "We have to get that number up."
At the elementary and middle schools, a new reading program is already in place. Teachers use six steps to help them identify students who are struggling with reading before their grades start to reflect it, La Salle said. His hope is that will prevent students from falling too far behind now, especially since reading is a basis for all subjects.
Anne Isenberg, a mother of two from Atkinson, was recruited this spring to work on the Strategic Planning Committee. She said there's a discrepancy between the community's opinions of the school district and what the district is doing.
When she and her family moved to the area in 1995, she started talking to people about the schools. What Isenberg found was a community distrust in the schools — and she says that hasn't gone away. A lesson in public relations would help the situation, she said.
"They have been very quiet," Isenberg said of school administrators. "They have to realize that without any communication, the rumor mill fills in."
Improvements in communication can go both ways, according to School Board member Stephen Brown.
There's a time at every meeting for parents and taxpayers to make comments about the district, but that time is rarely used. Brown said it's a much more appropriate forum than posting on blogs.
"We listen, we discuss and reply to those comments," Brown said. "We are constantly striving to make the school district better."
The Strategic Planning Committee, which is made up of parents, administrators, teachers and a School Board member, is striving to do the same.
Isenberg and Kate Delfino of Atkinson, two of the parent representatives on the committee, are taking their roles seriously — starting with conducting the parent e-mail survey.
Isenberg said she didn't have every parents' e-mail address, but tried to get the survey to as many people as possible. The results are not scientific and from a narrow segment of the population, but both women said they are still indicative of parents' general opinions.
"It's one piece in a very large puzzle that we are putting together," Delfino said. "It's really just to be able to quantify some of the thoughts and concerns that are on some parents' minds."
Thirty-five percent of those parents said the quality of a Timberlane Regional High School education has stayed the same. Just 12 percent of those surveyed said it had improved over the last three to five years. Forty-four percent said quality has declined.
When asked what the strengths of the high school were, most parents said performing arts and athletics. Safety and security, clubs and special interests tied for third.
Academics didn't make the list.
Whether community sentiment changes in the future, the plan is to change the education provided to the students over the next 10 years, La Salle said.
The Strategic Planning Committee is collecting data from another parent study, state assessment testing, SAT and ACT scores, and the NHEIAP — a state Department of Educational improvement and assessment program — report, the La Salle said.
When the data is turned into a 10-year plan this fall, La Salle said it will be used as a planner during the coming budgeting process and for the years to come.
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ATKINSON's Vietnam HONOR ROLL as VOTED and PASSED by 2005 Town Meeting and re-approved at Special Town Meeting Sept. 12
