Hooksett/Weare
A year later, Barney's
better
By JENNIFER CLAISE
Staff Writer
jclaise@yourneighborhoodnews.com
A 12-pound toy poodle named Barney could
possibly be the most spoiled dog in town. But his owners Ruth
and Lou Mariano or, as they would say, his "mom and
dad" would'nt,t have it any other way.
"Lou told God that if he got through his ordeal, he wouldn't
complain if (Barney) took his side of the bed which is
good, since now he usually does," Ruth Mariano said. "He's
right up on the top now, on the pillows, and I'll usually wake
up to find him nuzzled underneath my arm."
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Barney's "ordeal," which happened
just over a year ago, occurred when he was kidnapped from Ruth
Mariano's mother's house in Weare on Aug. 23. About 27 hours
later, he was discovered in a neighbor's driveway. His legs were
duct-taped together, part of his skin and fur had been sheared
off, and his right eye had come out of its socket. Animal control
officers suspect that Barney was dragged on a road by some type
of vehicle.
In fact, his torture was so brutal the small dog nearly died.
"He wasn't expected to live," Ruth Mariano said. "Of
course, they didn't tell us that until after it looked like he
was going to be OK."
And, for the most part, he is OK today, just about a year after
he returned home from a four-week stay at the Capital Area Veterinary
Emergency Service in Concord, where he battled infection, severe
pain and endured the loss of sight in his right eye. Today, Barney
is 5 years old, but the trauma he endured makes him look much
older. His blind eye is clouded over and has a blueish tint,
and a large patch of fur on his left side is gone, probably forever.
"It looked like some of it might be
growing back, but it doesn't look like it now," said Ruth
and Lou's 11-year-old son, Louie.
Sometimes, Ruth Mariano said, Barney has trouble with his jaw
when he eats. "The vets checked it out, but we're just not
sure what it is."
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FEELING BETTER Though Barney
is blind in one eye and missing fur on his left side, for the
most part he is doing well a year after being bound and dragged
in Weare. His owners, the Marianos of Hooksett, still hope for
a break in the case. (Jennifer Claise Photo)
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And sadly, it seems as though Barney may have memories of his
abuse. He has had two episodes where he curled up into a little
ball with his tail between his legs and started whimpering. One
of the times happened when he was in the car.
"He never did anything like that before, ever," Ruth
Mariano said.
But on the whole, Barney acts like any other dog, running and
jumping around, and yapping at strangers. On the day he was released
from the hospital, he eagerly barked at a crowd of reporters
who had gathered to see him.
"We could tell that he was back to his old self," Ruth
Mariano said.
But it's clear that the Mariano family has not returned to normal,
largely because no one has ever been charged with Barney's kidnapping
and torture, they said Sept. 5, when they gathered near their
Hooksett home wearing matching "Justice for Barney"
T-shirts.
The main suspect in the case, Stephen Hess, 19, of Weare, has
not been charged with the abuse, but recently pleaded guilty
to one count of felony falsifying physical evidence, for concealing
two pieces of duct tape from police. Hess received a 12-month
suspended sentence and was placed on probation and ordered to
complete substance abuse counseling.
Weare police have told the Marianos that the case is still under
investigation, but they have not recently returned calls to the
family, Ruth Mariano said.
And now that so much time has passed, the Marianos are hopeful
that someone might now be willing to come forward with information.
"We believe that someone out there must know something more
about this," Ruth Mariano said. "Now that a year has
gone by, we're hoping that someone might be more willing to talk."
In the mean time, Barney is enjoying all the attention he's getting
almost as much as the Marianos enjoy giving it to him.
"Basically, he needs 24/7 cuddling now, and that's good
because that's what we give him," Ruth Mariano said.
Pembroke
Administrator Stack loses job
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
Longtime Pembroke Town Administrator David
Stack will be stepping down in October, following an apparent
reconstruction of his job.
Stack, who has served the town for 18 years, will officially
step down from his job on Oct. 15. Town officials were tightlipped
on the reason why, chalking the departure up to the natural evolution
of town government.
Stack said he met with the board of selectmen recently and was
told they would be revising the job expectations for his position.
In addition to the redesigned job description, Stack said he
was told there would be a significant reduction in pay. The new
job is already being advertised in local newspapers, and Stack
said he had been told he could apply for the new position if
he wanted.
"I told them I wasn't interested," Stack said, explaining
he and the board came to a mutual agreement that he would work
until Oct. 15. He was not fired, nor did he resign, he said.
Brian Tufts, chairman of the board of selectmen, said the change
is simply due to natural growth by both the town and its administrator.
"As people stay in a position for a long time, in a small
town, they grow and move on, and sometimes don't always match
the needs," said Tufts, who declined to speak on specific
personnel issues, or reasons for personnel changes, and said
a new job description for town administrator had been developed.
He would not say specifically what changes had been made.
"I don't discuss that part of it," Tufts said. "Other
than I can tell you the selectmen do go back through and review
all the job positions and make changes to the job descriptions."
One major change to the job description is a dramatic reduction
in salary for the revamped position. According to the newspaper
advertisement, the new position would pay between $55,712 and
$66,090, depending on experience and qualifications. Even if
he was paid at the maximum level, the new salary scale would
represent a $8,295 pay cut for Stack, who currently earns $74,385
a year.
"I'm not going to take a pay cut," Stack said, explaining
the salary was a large factor in his decision to leave. "I've
been here 18 years and I have a lot of experience, so, no, I
just wouldn't stay for that."
Stack said he would not have left if the changes had not been
made, but avoided characterizing his departure as being forced
out.
"Your role as administrator is to make policy recommendations
and then they decide and you follow their wishes," he said.
"If that's their decision, I'll accept their decision, whether
I agree with it or not."
Pressed for details on the reason for changes, Tufts said the
reorganization is needed because several other town officials
have seen their responsibilities grow.
"We have hired a director of finance that has a significant
portion of the responsibilities that now reside with (town administrator),"
he said. "And we have made some changes in our level of
supervisory duties for the department heads. They have taken
a great deal more responsibility for budgeting and human resources
in their own divisions."
"These are changes that have gone on and have lessened some
of the overall responsibilities of the town administrator,"
Tufts said.
Because the job has already been posted, Tufts said he and the
other selectmen are optimistic the process will move quickly.
He said there is no specific timetable set up, but he expects
the position will be filled in 30 to 60 days.
Tufts said he is not concerned that Pembroke will struggle to
fill the position like neighboring Hooksett has.
"I think they're looking for a different level of person,"
he said. "And they have some problems in other areas, but
we're a much smaller town, and our needs and requirements are
much smaller than someone going to Hooksett."
Hooksett
Fluoride yes
By DEVON CORMIER
Staff Writer
dcormier@yourneighborhoodnews.com
Voters from Bedford, Goffstown, Hooksett,
Londonderry and Manchester took the fluoride issue to the polls
on Tuesday, Sept. 14.
Residents voted overwhelmingly to keep Manchester's water fluoridated,
which was surprising since the initial vote in 2000 was won by
a slim margin of about 600 votes.
Manchester Director of Public Health Fred Rusczek said the vote
was heartwarming.
"This is all about the power of community," Rusczek
said. "This isn't because the public health department says
it's important; it's about the community. I think it's wonderful
what folks did to keep Manchester's water fluoridated."
According to the town clerks of each town, the votes are as follows:
· Bedford: 1,481 yes, 603 no.
· Goffstown: 1,311 yes, 781 no.
· Hooksett: 667 yes, 414 no.
· Londonderry: 1,191 yes, 450 no.
· Manchester: 5,805 yes, 3,762 no.
· Total: 10,455 yes, 6,010 no.
Note: These numbers are unofficial and were provided by each
town separately. By press time there were no official numbers.
Manchester state Rep. Barbara Hagan said she was disappointed
by the results but not surprised.
"We did what we could do with the resources we had,"
Hagan said. "I think we made some good points, but I can't
tell people how to vote."
Auburn and Derry were not allowed to vote because they have fewer
than 100 direct connections to Manchester's water system.
They went to court to try and get a vote, but the judge ruled
that it was too close to the election to get ballots made up
for Auburn and Derry residents.
The people involved in the lawsuit may take further action in
the future, according to Hagan, who is involved in the lawsuit.
Candia
School roof needs repair,
surplus could pay for it
By JENNIFER CLAISE
Staff Writer
jclaise@yourneighborhoodnews.com
The school board will hold a public hearing
Thursday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m., at the Moore School, to discuss
increasing the district's appropriation for emergency repairs
to the school.
According to Candia School Board Chairman Karen Smith, structural
engineers who were doing a facility study at the school discovered
that roof support beams in the 1961 addition, which runs from
the main office to the library, are cracking.
While they didn't do a full inspection of the whole wing, the
engineers said it's possible that several more beams are also
cracking due to age, and there's a possibility that the roof
could collapse.
"They said it's not like the roof is going to collapse tomorrow,
but we might see it starting to sag," Smith said. "But
if we have a bad winter, we could have a catastrophe on our hands."
Smith said the school is seeking approval to set aside an additional
$100,000 from a state adequate education grant to repair the
roof. The district had expected to receive a million-dollar grant
from the state; instead, they received $1,280,460, Smith said.
But legally, the district can't simply spend the extra money.
Instead, there must be a public hearing, and then a special school
district meeting Thursday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m., asking voters
to support a warrant article giving the district permission to
adjust the budget by $100,000. They require a simple majority
for the article to pass.
The amount they are requesting is the estimated maximum that
repairs would cost, if the damage proves to be extensive. If
it's not, the total will likely be much less, Smith said.
"It's sort of like ripping up an old bathroom," Smith
said, "since you don't know what you're getting into until
you actually do it. The contractor won't know what it's going
to be until he gets in here."
If approved, Smith said that school officials would like to get
the work done over the students' winter break, since students
cannot be present when the work is done. They will ask the crew
to work weekends to finish in time, if necessary.
"We're assuming the town will be fine with it, since this
is extra money that we hadn't anticipated," Smith said.
The remainder of the excess will go back to the town, she added.
"It seems like a no-brainer to me, and I'd like to think
that people will see that it's important to protect our kids,"
Smith said. "We don't want to wait god forbid we were
to have a really heavy winter. We just don't want to take that
risk."
Pembroke
Teacher contract OK'd
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
After only a short discussion, focused
largely on the town's tax rate, residents approved a new contract
for Pembroke's teachers, by an overwhelming vote of 108 for and
22 against.
The new contract, which calls for $938,166 in raises over three
years, was the product of a lengthy, and often acerbic, negotiating
process between the school board and union negotiators. Middle-ground
was reached earlier this summer, and on Saturday, Sept. 11, residents
turned out for a court-ordered special election to consider the
deal.
Both school board members and union officials said they were
pleased with the large margin of victory.
Pembroke Education Association President Marge Poznanski said
she was both "pleased and relieved."
"It was such an overwhelming vote and morale-wise,
that sends a good message to the teachers," Poznanski said.
"We're not paid as high as some districts, but we're at
least appreciated.
The contract calls for salary raises over the next three years
of: 4.29 percent in 2004-05 at a cost of $261,125, 4.17 percent
in 2005-06 at a cost of $264,825 and 4.02 percent in 2006-07
at a cost of $266,025. The new contract will have a tax impact
of 80 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value this year.
For the owners of $150,000 home, this amounts to an additional
$120 this year.
Tax impact
Prior to the vote, a handful of voters stood to complain taxes
in town are already too high, even before consideration of the
contract.
Including school, town, county and state property taxes, residents
will have a tax rate of $44.76 per $1,000 of assessed property
value. This means the owner of a $150,000 home will pay $6,714
in property taxes this year.
Resident Don Girard, who identified himself as a retiree, said
the tax rate is strangling elderly residents, and no new spending
should be added. Girard estimated one third of his Social Security
check goes to paying taxes, and said the message to seniors is:
"If you can't pay your taxes, move out."
Another resident, speaking after Girard, said increased taxes
made it tough for farmers to survive. The resident said he was
concerned teachers' union members, many of whom are from out
of town, weren't considering the impact of their salary on taxpayers.
"There's a lot of farmers suffering, and we're not catching
up here," he said. "(Teachers) gotta understand we
don't have an unlimited amount of money to continue paying this."
Poznanski said union members were, in fact, aware of the tax
impact of their salary requests.
"I think teachers understand," she said. "Even
those of us who don't live here live in places with property
taxes."
Hanson said those who are unhappy with high local school property
taxes should look at the legislature, not the teachers' union
or school board.
"Someday, somehow, people will understand property tax is
not the way to raise money for schools," he said. "We
have this aversion to broad-based taxes. It seems to be lost
on people in New Hampshire that the more people you have paying,
the less individuals pay."
Despite concerns over high taxes, the vote results indicated
many voters agreed with resident Peter Daly, who spoke in support
of the contract.
"You can't put a value on our future," Daly said. "We're
dealing with the individuals who deal with our children."
Duck
falls
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Auburn residents enjoyed their last days
of summer at the annual Great Massabesic Duck Race on Saturday,
Sept. 11. This year's event sold 1,190 ducks, shown here falling
over the dam in the middle of town. Former Auburn resident Donna
Panzieri was the "lucky duck," winning the $1,000 grand
prize. Herb Chase of Manchester and Gary Webster of Derry won
$250 and $100. There were several smaller prizes also given out.
Almost $7,000 was raised, with all proceeds going to the Auburn
Historical Society. (Karen Braynard Photo)
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Neighborhood
News wins seven awards at Better Newspaper Contest
The staff of Neighborhood News Inc. earned
seven awards in the New Hampshire Press Association's annual
Better Newspaper Contest. The awards were presented to the winners
at the association's annual banquet on Friday, Sept. 10, at the
Manchester Country Club in Bedford.
Sportswriter Marc Thaler got two awards, first place in Sports
News for a story on the struggle to fund the Goffstown High School
football team, and second place for his contribution to a feature
on identity theft. Sharing in the prize for Feature Story for
the identity theft story were former Goffstown News editor Henry
Metz and former staff writer Kate Benway; that feature story
was published in all four Neighborhood newspapers.
Benway also won second prize for Spot News Story for her coverage
in The Bedford Bulletin of the shooting of a police officer in
Bedford. Editor Susan Clark also had a role in this story.
Staff writer Russ Choma took first place for Education Story
or Series for his three-part series on education funding, which
ran in all four Neighborhood newspapers.
Kristin Crawford won first place for Sponsorship Pages, Black
and White, for her Downtown Manchester advertising section, and
Ginger Kozlowski won second place for Front Page for The Hooksett
Banner, a design category.
Jamie Gorton of Hooksett, now a junior at West High School, was
awarded High School Writer of the Year. The entries included
his coverage of two town meetings and an Eagle Scout feature
in the Banner.
Amy J. Vellucci, publisher and president of Neighborhood News
Inc. and vice president of the New Hampshire Press Association,
said she's proud of her staff's accomplishments.
"We publish four quality, free community newspapers every
week, full of local news and advertising, and it's nice to be
recognized by your peers for the hard work that goes into these
publications," said Vellucci.
Neighborhood News Inc. publishes The Bedford Bulletin, The Bow
Times, The Goffstown News and The Hooksett Banner, with a total
circulation of 38,800.
The Bedford Bulletin is mailed free to every home in Bedford
and The Bow Times is mailed free to every household in Bow, Hopkinton,
Contoocook and Dunbarton. The Goffstown News and Hooksett Banner
are distributed free in many southern New Hampshire locations.
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