Horseback riding is only permitted on designated trails at the main part of the forest on Genesee Rd off road bicycling and motorized vehicles .The Bureau of Forestry properties and Department of Parks so please provide drinking water for your activities Ample parking with 2 warm up huts with woodstoves A working maple syrup production facility (sugar shack) and a working sawmill are also located here A network of several miles of marked and unmarked trails traverse the property. These include the Scarbuck Trail, Silent Woods Trail Loop and portions of the Conservation Trail- which is part of the Finger Lakes Trail System. These trails may be used for hiking, snowshoeing and ungroomed cross-country skiing. Terrain varies from gentle to steep. A series of trails are specially designed for equestrian use and snowmobiling The Erie County Bureau of Forestry was established in 1927 in response to the acquisition of several thousand acres of forest and non-forest lands Much of this area was abandoned farmland and is located in various areas of the County; mostly in Concord and Holland The non-forested areas were planted with coniferous species of trees (Red Norway Spruce and Larch) by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930's The purpose of the Bureau is to manage and protect these properties for multiple use activities including: forest management Forests are one of the only renewable resources we have They provide many benefits including: soil stabilization birds and mammals and providing raw materials for lumber Rath County Office Building95 Franklin Street Contact Form         Shelter rentals are available from May 15 - October 15 Camping (depending on site) is available May 1 - October 31 Alcohol is NOT permitted with a Lower Room rental at the Chestnut Ridge Casino Click to Make a Camping, Building or Shelter Reservation! Golf Parks Events Forms & Applications Maple Syrup Winter Sports / Activities Status Interested in donating your time, money, property, or expertise? A Massachusetts developer has pulled out of a project that was set to bring 98 housing units to East Concord on Old Loudon Road which had been in the works for over a year received conditional Planning Board approval With high construction costs and a lack of funding Dakota Partners decided to step away from the site plans the development director for Dakota Partners “We were getting figures back that made the project difficult from a financial perspective,” he said current site owner Mark Bogacz was not surprised that the financing did not work “The city gave them everything they wanted but financing,” he said “I don’t really care that they backed out because it’s a beautiful piece of property.” Dakota Partners approached Bogacz about building on his property in February of 2023 The plans included three buildings – two with 30 units and one with 38 units – on the 13-acre site which he previously used as a photography studio Dakota Partners would have paid Bogacz $1.25 million for the site The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as it used to be the home of Leavitt Farm Little has changed from the original buildings submitted in the summer of 2023 to the Concord Planning Board named the site the Leavitt Farm Apartments the obvious challenge with developing remains the cost The initial project summary noted that separate water and sewer services would be required for the condominium units City staff recommended that the developer “provide a financial guarantee for the cost of installing the separate services.” developers at the Steeplegate Mall have the green light from the Concord Planning Board to begin a partial demolition This site is expected to soon be home to more than 600 housing units building a road through the property and sewer expenses the cost per unit would be much higher than Steeplegate Sewer capacity for any new project is an ongoing issue in East Concord according to Planning Board Chair Richard Woodfin Only so many developments could connect to the existing sewer line without major investments “There’s definitely some sewer concerns on capacity and then certainly with Costco potentially going in and all that development at the mall there is going to be some added load,” he said Dakota Partners received conditional approval from the Concord Planning Board in August of 2023 with a one-year requirement to satisfy conditions After the city sent a reminder to Dakota Partners of this deadline they responded saying they would not be pursuing the project further the city has tried to help the developer find different financing options including applying for a Community Development Block Grant did not qualify for the grant and other applications for financing assistance were also denied it was hard to justify continuing with the development “We didn’t see a clear path to getting it funding in a way that we liked going forward that we thought would allow us to do a successful project there,” he said American Rescue Plan Act funding and subsequent programs it created like New Hampshire’s InvestNH helped developers finance affordable housing To continue to incentivize viable affordable housing projects he hopes the state and federal government will continue to subsidize construction aside from available tax credits The Low Income Housing Tax Credit is one financing tool Dakota Partners has used to finance affordable housing projects, including the Railyards on Langdon Ave in the South End which is nearing completion Working with various communities throughout New Hampshire Vieira said that there is an acute awareness of the state’s housing crisis Estimates show that 60,000 units are needed by 2030 to meet demand “Everyone is very cognizant statewide about the housing crisis and the escalation and housing costs for residents and is doing everything in their power to move projects forwarded that will help alleviate that,” he said Vieira would expect to see another developer pursue plans on the Old Loudon Road site “It would have been a great project,” he said “It very well might be that somebody in a few years steps back in to take  it.” you agree with our use of cookies to personalize your experience measure ads and monitor how our site works to improve it for our users Justin Abbott from the Concord Parks and Recreation Department helps Philip D’Avanza put up the first clock face onto the Eastman clock tower at the intersection of Eastman and Portsmouth Streets in East Concord on Monday a specialist in repairing large tower clocks including the one on Main Street in Concord who kick-started the volunteer Eastman clock tower project looks out the basement of the tower as they work on putting the clock face up Justin Abbott from the Concord Parks and Recreation Department helps Philip D’Avanza works the first clock face onto the Eastman clock tower at the intersection of Eastman and Portsmouth Streets in East Concord on Monday Justin Abbott from the Concord Parks and Recreation Department works the first clock face onto the Eastman clock tower at the intersection of Eastman and Portsmouth Streets in East Concord on Monday Anybody who remembers the disappointment of Al Capone’s Vault which was opened on live TV after being sealed for decades but turned out to be empty will sympathize with the neighborhood group that has rehabilitated the Eastman tower clock monument in East Concord The 19-foot-tall granite obelisk at the intersection of Eastman and Portsmouth streets once had four functioning clocks As part of an 18-month project to rehabilitate the monument the group was eager to get inside the locked room in its base to see what was there – including the brass clockworks by the Seth Thomas company which had powered the four clock faces for a half-century or more “(The city) no longer had a key to the lock that was on it and Doug Finney was down here in five minutes with his bolt cutters with the problem being the tomb robbers had been here long ago,” said Chris Miller It turns out that the monument was worked on in the 1970s somebody absconded with the original works,” said Finney another neighbor long involved in the project as part of rehab of the half-acre park where the monument sits using some of an $18,000 grant from the New Hampshire Council on the Arts’ grant program They were installed last Monday by Philip D’Avanza of Goffstown using a powered lift provided by the city to get up to the top of the 19-foot monument The granite obelisk is also being cleaned and maintenance is being done to the park’s landscaping as an electric line was trenched to the monument The work is being done in anticipation of the 100th anniversary of the monument’s 1924 dedication “That’s coincidental,” admitted Finney of the centennial “We actually discovered that after we started.” The rehabilitation of the little clock tower started some 18 months ago when a few neighbors got tired of walking past it in such a dilapidated shape The city’s Parks and Recreation Department has since gotten involved this site was at the center of transportation corridors into Concord from the Seacoast and points north “All traffic into and out of Concord in those directions would have proceeded by the Eastman monument and set their time by the tower clocks,” says the Concord city website The monument was funded by the Eastman Family Memorial Association to honor Ebenezer Eastman one of the original European settlers to the area It has a State Historical Highway Marker noting the site to be the terminus of the original New Hampshire Turnpike while another marker notes the site as the location of original Merrimack River crossings (Eastman Ferry 1727 Federal Bridge 1799) and a third marker tells of the location of the Rumford garrison house established for the protection of the earliest colonial settlers The granite for the clock tower monument was quarried at the Granite State Quarry on Rattlesnake Hill The monument was made by the New England Granite Works in Westerly former state senator and owner of Draft Sports Bar & Grill and the Concord Casino a small-scale charitable gaming operation in downtown Concord bar and hotel on the city’s east side Concord is expected to see a new casino built on land that was once eyed for a multifamily development The Flatley Company folded on talks for a project in East Concord in 2021 in favor of a different opportunity downtown the 13-acre plot gained Planning Board approval to be former state Sen the Flatley Company asked the city of Concord for a zoning change that would have allowed them to build housing on the site Flatley officials withdrew the request and abandoned the project in favor of purchasing the former New Hampshire Employment Security building on South Main Street Despite the more than $2.5 million in public investment into the building the City Council sold it to Flatley for $350,000 The new building is set to open as the Isabella Apartments later this summer With Flatley out of the east side development Sanborn became the next interested party in the land Concord Mayor Byron Champlin was on both the City Council and Planning Board amid these conversations and said that both developments were in play at the same time While Champlin said he cannot recall the specific sequence of events with the projects he knew the downtown development was a priority at the time given the city had several failed purchasing agreements “Because that was such a prominent piece of property and potentially such a high revenue generating property “But I’m not 100 percent sure that these discussions were going on at the same time.” A year after Flatley withdrew from the site Sanborn requested a preliminary site design review for his 43,000-square-foot gaming hall losing potential housing to a casino development was not an outcome he favored “It’s unfortunate that the Flatley Company decided not to move forward with their housing proposal there and the next interested buyer was the Sanborns,” he said The city only has so much say in development outside of site review “We only have limited control over what a willing seller and a willing buyer decide to do in terms of the future of a piece of property,” he said “We’re limited in what we could do and that’s the situation we were in with the casino proposal… No one is more strongly against casino gambling in the city than I am.” Estimates show that New Hampshire is currently short by about 23,000 housing units to meet current demand and that the state needs to build 60,000 units by 2030 to address the deficit While over 1,000 units are currently in the works in Concord a different builder pulled outof an adjacent site to Break O’Day Drive The East Concord site is still listed for sale for $1.5 million by Premiere Properties Flatley’s choice to pull out of the development is a product of juggling multiple sites at once “I think it’s nothing more than a developer that has lots of different irons in the fire,” he said “They determine which ones they can do at a certain time In a letter to Concord City Council from July 6 said the developer had talked to a slate of Concord city employees about a zoning change at the site to build housing City Planner Heather Shank and Zoning Administrator Craig Walker The only current staff member involved in conversations was Matt Walsh who did not respond to requests for comment Walker from the Flatley Company could not be reached now a senior planner for New Hampshire’s Department of Business and Economic Affairs said Flatley was in talks with the city about the development but never submitted formal plans their role is to help facilitate applications “There is never a discussion about ‘either or,’ anything like that,” she said Our role at the time is to facilitate whatever application comes through the process and sometimes when they come to that process they determine that for whatever reason something is not penciling out for them.” was unaware that the site was discussed as potential housing since formal proposals never came before the planning board Woodfin and his board dealt with an onslaught of public hearings legal challenges and conversations related to Sanborn’s casino proposal a Concord resident filed lawsuits against both the city’s planning and zoning boards over their approval of the casino stating that residents were not notified about the continuation of a public hearing and raising concerns about zoning regulations Merrimack County Superior Court ruled that Cameron does not have standing to contend the decision Sanborn lost his charitable gaming license last year after he fraudulently spent over $800,000 in COVID-19 relief money to purchase luxury cars A judge ruled that he had to sell his Concord Casino although he received a 90-day extension to do so at the beginning of July This article is being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.  A committee tasked with reviewing concepts for housing development on Old North Main Street heard from Lakes Region Community Developers discussed the conceptual plan for the development of a 10-acre parcel A 12-unit raised commercial building was pitched in 2024 to replace the shack businesses but that idea was scrapped following public criticism The site will be cleared and equipped with utility service needed for the new units by the end of 2025 with construction scheduled to start in 2026 A developer plans to construct six buildings with a total of 36 housing units could soon see new life as an assisted-living and elderly housing facility The White House wants to eliminate federal support for public media Congress will vote soon on a proposal to slash millions from NHPR and NHPBS’ budgets advocates braved the cold and wind at a public gathering at Bronstein Park in Manchester to take a stand against youth homelessness JCPenney has sued the Steeplegate Mall’s owner which wants to tear down most of Steeplegate and build some 600 apartments as well as businesses such as Costco or perhaps Whole Foods New Hampshire Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald is implementing a hiring freeze and warning of potential layoffs across the judicial branch as the Legislature looks to make deep cuts to the budget The City of Orlando’s Public Works Department announces the construction of a new overseen by the Public Works Department with its contractor marks a significant milestone in enhancing the safety and efficiency of our community's emergency response services the new Fire Station 6 will replace the current station This new facility is strategically positioned to provide more central access to key areas including East Colonial This prime location will ensure rapid response times during emergencies enhancing the overall safety and well-being of our residents The new Fire Station 6 will feature improved living spaces for our first responders and ample storage for essential equipment and vehicles This modern facility will support our emergency personnel in their critical work providing them with the resources they need to serve our community effectively emergency services will continue uninterrupted The project’s impact on surrounding businesses will be minimal Businesses within the project area will continue to have access to their entrances and driveways and other services will continue as scheduled Unforeseen circumstances and adverse weather can cause delays and increase the project's duration.  City Directory Subscribe to City News Downtownorlando.com Information Locator  News and Information Plenty of things are seen that can't be explained every day in this country.  This one happened in our own backyard We get reports of mysterious activity just about every day here in the United States.  People see things like ghosts and even Sasquatch.  Who would have thought that a fireball would seem like the one that could most likely be explained by science I did not realize a group existed that kept track of these kinds of things, but there is.  It's called the American Meteor Society.  People can report if they've seen meteor activity and things of that nature a person named Cory H reported that they had seen a fireball in the sky in East Concord NY.  They described it as being about the size of a pea if you held it on your finger at arm's length.  But they also found it strange that they heard a sound right before seeing the fireball " At first I thought it was heat lightning and had enough time to think it and discredit the idea before i saw the light streak down. The light seemed to be about the size of a small pea held at arms length on the tip of a finger. It was much larger than any shooting star I have seen. I observed this by naked eye." - Cory H They described the sound as a series of quiet low booms (bup-budda-ba-bup-bup) that lasted for a second or less Cory wasn't alone.  There were also people who described seeing a fireball at the same time and date in Maryland, New Jersey, Other parts of New York, Ohio and Ontario.  They've associated them all as being part of the same event Plenty of things are seen that can't be explained every day in this country. This one happened in our own backyard.\nRead More I did not realize a group existed that kept track of these kinds of things, but there is.  It's called the American Meteor Society.  People can report if they've seen meteor activity and things of that nature " At first I thought it was heat lightning and had enough time to think it and discredit the idea before i saw the light streak down. The light seemed to be about the size of a small pea held at arms length on the tip of a finger. It was much larger than any shooting star I have seen. I observed this by naked eye." - Cory H Cory wasn't alone.  There were also people who described seeing a fireball at the same time and date in Maryland, New Jersey, Other parts of New York, Ohio and Ontario.  They've associated them all as being part of the same event IFLR is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025 Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers You have reached the limit for gifting for this month The Concord Board of Education voted Wednesday night to reverse the decision it made in Dec 2023 to relocate a new middle school to the area in East Concord near Broken Ground School and voted instead to design a new school where Rundlett is now in the South End Concord Board of Education members listen on as teacher Somayeh Kashi speaks in favor of a new school at Broken Ground A rendering shows what the South Street property would look like with a new middle school Rundlett's current footprint is shown in the faint dotted red line who helped write and advocate for the charter amendments testifies at the hearing in favor of Rundlett Midde School science teacher Michelle Ruopp testifies in favor of a school at Broken Ground at the hearing Wednesday Ellen Kenny didn’t need to tell Concord school board members why she backed a new school in the city’s South End over raw land on the East Side “I’ve been telling them to you and exceeding my three minutes for the past 17 months,” she told the board Wednesday night to be brief: “I’ll just say that I believe it’s preferable to spend more on a good decision than less money to perpetuate a bad one.” After a two-hour-long public hearing with more than 100 people in attendance the Concord Board of Education reversed its 2023 decision to locate a new middle school at Broken Ground and will now move forward with designs for a new building next to Rundlett on South Street The Wednesday night vote was 6-3 — coincidentally the same margin as the decision it undid — with board members Brenda Hastings Jim Richards and Sarah Robinson voting against it Few speakers said they wanted the location of the school to be settled by a public referendum passionately urged the board to keep its existing plan to build at Broken Ground in-person testimony pushed for the school to remain where it is by a more than 2-1 margin While multiple board members said they still believed that the plans at Broken Ground had more to offer delivering a better school for less time and money the last year had shown them that they didn’t have the public support to build a school on that belief “We can’t move forward without community support,” said board member Jessica Campbell “I can think that Broken Ground is the better decision but our community is asking loud and clear for Rundlett and I can’t sleep at night knowing that this is what we’ve been asked for.” those were words they wished they heard the board say a year ago people won’t care that rebuilding at Rundlett was a few million dollars more,” South End resident Andrew Gould said “They’ll just be happy that you made the right choice.” especially some parents who spoke at the meeting the contentiousness and campaigning that unfurled over the last year over the location hasn’t represented them From reviewing the cost and construction estimates and other information resident Casey Stockstill agreed that Broken Ground was the better location But this was the first time she’d been able to attend a hearing and say so “There are many of us who are really passionate that you’re not able to hear from because it’s really hard to come somewhere at 6 p.m if you have kids and other things to do,” Stockstill said “I don’t want a special election because turnout will be poor it will not be any more representative than these meetings where the same people come and talk.” a consistent plea from many Rundlett teachers was to build a new school as soon as possible — which would be at Broken Ground both at the meeting and in submitted written comments adding their concern about the protracted disruption to student learning and excitement about the greater slate of offerings possible at a new site Eighth-grade teacher and soccer coach Joshua Snell noted the middle school’s seven soccer teams must find a way to share the two fields available to them Not only would Broken Ground have more field space but those athletes wouldn’t go years without a field of their own during construction “I want what gets our students to the school that isn’t falling apart around them and a place for sports as soon as possible — Broken Ground is that option,” he said A working school building and outdoor fields doesn’t seem like too much to give them.” Board President Pamela Walsh has long favored Broken Ground for many of those reasons She also believes that a community vote would be the ideal way to move forward because that’s what the charter amendments spelled out “I don’t see it changing how this ends up.” “I don’t want further delay or further divide,” she continued “I ran for school board to focus on education and I want to be talking about algebra in eighth grade a lot more than we’ve been able to do that.” The vote marks the opening of a new chapter in what has become a long saga for the middle school project The board will now start the process of designing a new school on South Street The lack of support for holding a referendum left the board with few options other than Rundlett They had already shot down a motion last week to stay the course at Broken Ground and that path would surely face continued organized opposition from those who had written the charter amendments She hoped that reopening the Rundlett door would mean the project would proceed on common ground Catherine McLaughlin can be reached at cmclaughlin@cmonitor.com You can subscribe to her Concord newsletter The City Beat at concordmonitor.com Nearly 50 people attended a special meeting of the Concord School Board on Wednesday about what the future of the middle school project might be after the passage of charter amendments on election day An election day vote threw plans to build a new middle school into the ringer and the board now faces a variety of options about what to do next but their once-fervent plan for a new school in East Concord has faded Recent discussions largely circled around either an immediate decision to redirect plans to the South End or to hold a referendum of some kind Potential paths outlined by the board include: Continuing with plans to build at Broken Ground or immediately reversing course and creating designs to rebuild at Rundlett They could hold a special election to ask the voters to choose a location or wait until city elections next November to ask voters to choose a location They could renovate the current school or renovate the current school and also build a second they could engage with Merrimack Valley about a “one city one school district” model – or drop the project entirely almost a year to the day before Wednesday’s meeting to locate its new middle school in East Concord rather than rebuild it at its current location in the south end roughly two-thirds of voters approved a change to the district charter that now requires the board to pass any relocation of a school in a referendum vote throwing its plans to replace the current middle school The board is awaiting more information about costs and timelines for each path before it proceeds While no action was taken at a special meeting Wednesday the meeting laid bare how disagreement over the location question “I don’t really like going out in public anymore because of this,” said Sarah Robinson and has been contentious for no reason; it has been really unprofessional and disappointing from so many individuals Because the relocation decision had already been made prior to the new rule going into effect His analysis determined that the board could move forward with building a new school at Broken Ground as planned on solid legal footing “Amendment number one applies to all decisions to relocate schools made after June 30 of 2025 It does not apply retroactively to rescind the December 6 “We’re providing you with a legal opinion… I don’t provide you with business advice I don’t provide you with political advice.” Taking that path — charging ahead as planned — wasn’t officially voted down But board discussion indicated most members see it as unwise — not only because they would seem to flout voters’ expressed wishes but also because they would likely land in court “Although I agree with his analysis of the retroactivity I respect the vote I saw in November,” Board President Pamela Walsh said “I think I would work personally from options coming out of that.” Walsh’s comment aligned with ones she made at a candidate forum in October she pledged to “honor” the amendments if they passed the board didn’t reach a consensus on what honoring the vote really means the amendments were written and advocated for by people who want a rebuild at Rundlett “Hopefully you got the message,” Debra Samaha said during public testimony the public expects you to tell your legal counsel that you want to remain at Rundlett and not litigate or further delay… Now the public expects you to take your thumb off the scale and do what you should have done years ago.” that may not be why all voters backed the rule change the amendments passed with a supermajority But they themselves were not a direct referendum on where the school should be placed I know the Concerned Citizens folks want to paint it as a direct referendum but that’s not what it was,” said Alex Streeter “is the best way to find out what the constituents actually want.” Streeter cited the findings of a Monitor survey done in October in which respondents were divided over where the school should go: 21% agreed with the board’s decision to move it to Broken Ground 44% said they preferred the Rundlett location and 35% were undecided Notably, though, while the vast majority of residents who participated in the survey agreed with the general sentiment of the amendment not everyone saw it as a direct referendum on the location only 35% of respondents said they felt the school board should reverse course now and rebuild at Rundlett At the polls on election day, many voters were unaware that the middle school question would appear on their ballot and told the Monitor they voted in support because of a literal reading of the amendment’s language. As one voter put it, “People should have a say.” some district parents both in the audience and on the board wanted to ensure student needs weren’t overshadowed the best thing for the district is a new school as soon as possible — wherever it goes “I’m thinking about this in terms of what is the fastest cheapest way we can get the school built — a new school rescinding the vote and moving it back to Rundlett is the only option that doesn’t make us wait for a vote in November and doesn’t put us at high risk of litigation,” she said “I think we need to recognize that it’s possible that’s the fastest option.” Nicole Fox similarly urged the board to move forward While she pushed for the board to choose Rundlett a year ago Fox said her primary goal is a new school as soon as possible — and she put in a lot of volunteer hours on committees for this project to make that happen She didn’t want the amendments to pass because she feared their associated delays “It’s really hard for me to look at you guys and have you say that this the community does not want the school built at Rundlett but it’s not going to change the outcome.” “is really just ignoring the voters and wasting time.” board members wanted more information about what the timeline and associated costs would be for each option they have now Walsh requested a report to be presented and weighed at a future meeting Members of the school board and the concerned citizens’ group that has criticized it over the last year both feel that neither party has listened to — or is willing to listen to — the other speakers criticized the board for not reconsidering the location debate sooner described the project as an extravagance and accused the board of concealing important financial information and skewing the facts about site comparisons members of the board expressed frustration that what they saw as a genuine pursuit of what is best for Concord schools had not resonated there’s no way that we’re able to have a conversation I don’t feel like any information that I give in good faith is taken as being given in good faith,” Robinson said “I think it really doesn’t matter how much more information we provide — people have made up their minds.” “Children have been completely written out of this conversation We’re gonna have an awesome school for kids’ — My children will never walk through those doors.” From timelines to price tags to the availability or not of state building aid I want to continue to advocate for all of the possible resources that we can get in this process I don’t want to assume we’re not getting a new school I don’t want to assume we’re not going to move forward with what is best for our kids,” she said It’s how it’s built… I don’t necessarily want to drag it out but I want to have the information so that we can make a decision The effect of a very dry autumn is beginning to show up in the region notably with brush fires in Massachusetts and parts of southern New England and while New Hampshire has been spared so far little precipitation is on the horizon with temperatures expected to stay relatively high Concord has pumped some water from the Contoocook River into Penacook Lake The lake looks low to passers-by but that’s not unusual “(The lake is) at the same exact level as we were at the same time in 2022 Historically we have been as much as 18 inches lower than we are currently,” Philippon wrote in an email response to a Monitor query There are no plans to institute any water-usage restrictions in the city because everybody has stopped outdoor irrigation as winter approaches The city’s daily consumption of around 3.5 million gallons per day is normal for this time of year The problem is that it has been very dry: Between the start of September and Friday Concord saw less than half its normal rainfall – 3.8 inches compared to the 30-year average of 8.8 inches – and little of that has fallen lately Automated stream gauges around the state run by the U.S Geological Survey show flow rates at near-record low levels for this time of year the Merrimack River in Franklin was running at 4% of its usual flow rate at this time of year while at Goffs Falls in Manchester it’s just 2% of normal flow rate Hydropower production has also fallen sharply It’s not just central New Hampshire facing the problem since October was the driest month on record for many parts of the U.S The result is that although no drought of any kind was recorded throughout the Northeast at the start of the summer almost the entire region is now classified by the National Drought Center as “abnormally dry” or worse Most of New Hampshire south of the Lakes Region is now in “moderate drought” and bans on outdoor burning are widespread The one bright spot is that up until mid-summer the region had seen above-average precipitation for much of the previous year and so far New Hampshire aquifers appear to be in adequate shape with few reports of wells running dry so far Philippon said he has hopes for winter precipitation Penacook Lake was at the same level as currently the amount of rain and snow over the winter made all the difference: “By April of 2023 the lake was full and spilling – six-foot increase in lake level.” Pumping water from the river to the lake is not unusual for Concord There are years when it isn’t necessary – 2023 was one – and years when it’s frequent During that year more than 1.2 billion gallons were transferred to the lake at the typical rate of around 7 million gallons a day meaning that water was pumped on nearly half the days of that year As for how much any change in lake levels caused by pumping is noticeable Philippon cautioned that it’s “a slow process” because the city consumes 4 million gallons of water a day on average so much of any addition gets used up quickly “Keep in mind every inch of depth in the lake is approximately 10 million gallons so it may take a month to raise the lake a foot if it doesn’t rain You would see it if you pay attention to it but it’s not quick by any means,” he said David Brooks can be reached at dbrooks@cmoni tor.com After receiving new cost comparisons and timelines for a new middle school at either the South Street or Broken Ground locations the Concord School Board will hold one more public hearing before determining its path forward on the project the Concord School Board will hold one more public hearing before determining its path forward A panoramic view of the athletic fields and the gymnasium of Rundlett Middle School on Thursday A new middle school in the South End would carry an $8 million higher price tag than one of the same size in East Concord according to a new comparison presented to the Concord Board of Education The new cost comparisons for each location from architects and engineers come as the public waits for the board to make a decision in what has become a lengthy process Members shot down another attempt to build a new school at raw land near the Broken Ground school and said they’ll proceed after a public hearing Building a school at the current site of Rundlett Middle School is now estimated at $164.6 million while continuing at Broken Ground would now cost $156.5 million — up from the $152 million budget approved in July A new school at Rundlett would open to students in either fall 2029 or winter 2030 depending on whether the school board decides on a location this month or holds a referendum in June — the earliest the city clerk has said a special election would be possible If plans continued at Broken Ground after a public vote the opening of a new school would be 2029 Some of the information presented — including line-by-line site cost details for each location — had been requested by the public for months Other parts affirmed arguments the board has made in defense of the Broken Ground site for the last year — that a rebuild at Rundlett would cost more and take longer than one at Broken Ground and disrupt sports traffic and learning at the current school Among the crowd of 50 attendees and near-hour of public testimony the information did little to change how anyone felt about the drawn-out process Those who believe the South End is the better location and worth some extra costs and delays weren’t moved “This board had a year following the December 2023 vote to try to persuade people that building at Broken Ground was the right thing to do … people didn’t buy it,” said Chris Galdieri “Stop indulging in this Broken Ground fan fiction about something that is never going to happen Those who feared that the contentiousness over the location decision and charter amendments were a costly pursuit for students and taxpayers alike now had numbers to underline their frustration “We made the right decision back in December you guys stood up for it back in June,” Sera Calvin said We are wasting money...We need to be the adults here and not let people with bad faith arguments sway 43,000 people’s future.” the only way to prove what path a majority of residents prefer is to hold a vote which would be at Broken Ground according to the latest construction estimates would be different from the most environmentally and developmentally prudent school would have to pick which is the most important “Let’s make sure we’re all on the same page and move forward from there,” McGregor said “If a vote of the people is the best way to do that the board needs to hold another public hearing formally announcing that possibility “Every group in here can find 50 people to say why they’re right,” board member Barb Higgins remarked “Nine of us have to figure out how to make that work for the community.” they hope constituents will turn out and say whether they want a vote or if they want the board to choose a location A motion made by board member Brenda Hastings to stick with the original Broken Ground plan and timeline failed in a 7-2 vote and a move made by Cara Meeker to nix an election from the slate of options was narrowly defeated 5-4 who feel like they’ve gone to meetings about the middle school and heard the same things over and over she doesn’t care where they put a new middle school and she’s angry that after another year the board is in much the same place it was before “We’re going to keep having middle school meetings and we’re going to keep telling you the same thing,” she said I voted for some of you  to make that  decision.” A meeting of the Concord School Board will allow public comment for the first time since the election The board isn’t expected to take major action during the special meeting on Dec but it will allow the first public input on the project’s future since the passage of two charter amendments The special meeting will include a presentation from the school district’s attorney about the board’s options which members will discuss before opening it up to public comment She could not be reached for an interview Thursday but said in a written communication that a finalized agenda is forthcoming While any member of the board can make a motion at any time she as president does not plan to call for a major vote at this meeting Two amendments to the school district charter passed on election day require the board to get approval from the voters to relocate a district school or to sell a substantial piece of district property Their passage has complicated the course forward for Concord’s middle school project currently being designed by the board for forested land in East Concord near the Broken Ground School The amendments were written and publicized by a group of residents who want the school board to keep the middle school at its current South End location but their passage doesn’t automatically force the school board to rebuild at Rundlett A member of the board said after the election that he didn’t see the amendment’s passage as a clear directive from voters to reverse course on the project The board has met multiple times since the election with its attorney but hasn’t said publicly what it will do now with the amendments in place The state’s Right to Know law allows government officials to meet in private to get advice from legal counsel without a meeting notice or keeping minutes in the board’s meeting room in the basement of the district offices on 38 Liberty St The following day, on Dec. 5, the board’s Capital Facili ties Committee will include a review of the board’s capital improvement plan, summer projects and renovation to Memorial Field The board’s final regular monthly meeting of 2024 will be on Dec Views along the bike plan near I-93 in Concord The overgrown multi-use trailway is both dangerous and an eyesore One of Concord’s hidden jewels is the multi-use path that runs from Eastman Street in East Concord to Delta Drive at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center there are really only 3 choices for crossing the I-93 highway: This multi-use path; the funnel of death that is the Loudon Road-Centre Street corridor that runs by the Exit 14 I-93 on and off ramps; or the Manchester Street-Main Street corridor that runs by the Exit 13 I-93 on and off ramps this multi-use path is certainly the least conflict-free of the alternatives the multi-use path is a key component of the city’s designated north-south bike route running through the city and a key component in the city’s designation as a Bike Friendly Community by the League of American Cyclists Hidden because the path has become so overgrown one can’t travel the path without running into vegetation Remains of a homeless camp lie strewn next to the path A wooden fence that runs parallel to the path is in disarray in attempting to find someone to care for the path city officials say that it’s not their responsibility and state officials say it’s not their responsibility Some allege that it may be NHTI’s responsibility Others imply that with the plans for the I-93 widening that any attention given to this path can wait until then bicycle-on-bicycle collision on a section of the path that bends at a 90-degree angle It’s impossible to see what’s ahead on the path as the corner is filled with bushes and other types of vegetation The Central New Hampshire Bicycle Coalition akin to those often seen at the end of driveways The only reason it hasn’t been installed yet is because nobody can identify any authority that will grant permission for the installation of the mirror It is so frustrating as a citizen to make inquiries into a problem only to keep hearing from authorities that it’s not their responsibility It reminds me of the time there was a broken vase in the house Queen City News CONCORD, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — If you have friends or family in D.C. or Long Island and have been struggling to find nonstop finds There will soon be nonstop flights to those three destinations (IAD and ISP) courtesy of Avelo from Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (USA) “We continue to Inspire Travel by growing our service in Concord/Charlotte with these three new routes As the only airline offering nonstop service to these destinations from USA we are making it more convenient and affordable for our Queen City Customers to enjoy,” Avelo Airlines Founder and CEO Andrew Levy said “We are honored Avelo continues to grow with us – establishing a new base of operations and adding three new routes from Concord to Detroit With eleven exciting destinations to choose from residents and businesses have more options for affordable and convenient air travel direct from their hometown to communities up and down the East Coast from New England to Florida and now to the Midwest too thanks to Avelo,” Concord Mayor Bill Dusch said these are the actual most popular baby names so far in 2025 Whether it’s a short vacation or they’re jetting off to begin their career show the future traveler you care with a meaningful graduation gift National Teacher Appreciation Week begins May 5 take advantage of these freebies and deals Matt Finney (left) and Cindy Shea clear out the underbrush at the roundabout off of Exit 16 of I-93 in East Concord as a car enters the road on Wednesday morning Matt Finney (left) and Cindy Shea clear out the underbrush at the roundabout off of exit 16 of I-93 in East Concord as a truck enters the road on Wednesday morning Chris Miller cuts down the brush along the median of West Porstmouth Street in East Concord near exit 16 of I-93 on Wednesday morning Mary Miller clears out the median between the two lanes of West Portsmouth Street leading up to the roundabout near exit 16 off of I-93 on Wednesday morning Matt Finney (left) and Cindy Shea clear out the underbrush at the roundabout off of exit 16 of I-93 in East Concord as a car enters the road on Wednesday morning Chris Miller carries a load of brush along the median of West Porstmouth Street in East Concord near exit 16 off I-93 Wednesday morning Chris Miller carries a load of brush along the median of West Porstmouth Street in East Concord near exit 16 of I-93 on Wednesday morning Mary Miller and Matt Finney take a break in the heat between the two lanes of West Portsmouth Street leading up to the roundabout near exit 16 off of I-93 on Wednesday morning Mary Miller grew up in East Concord and is proud of her community and when she noticed the roundabout near Exit 16 was looking overgrown “Just driving by it daily and seeing the absolute neglect and nobody’s stepping up to beautify or take care of it,” she said “And it’s just a very unwelcoming sight when you’re driving off Exit 16 into East Concord.” could be seen standing on the grassy island surrounded by asphalt starting at 7:30 a.m pulling weeds and otherwise tending to the plants there which is situated at the intersection of Mountain Road “The city made that very clear that neighbors would have to step up and adopt this and maintain it,” Miller said While Miller said she isn’t a landscaping expert and a neighbor starting his own landscaping business agreed to stop by afterward to remove the unearthed unruly weeds “We’ve had a lot of people come by and honk and say thank you,” Miller said Chuck and Diane Souther work on the hill overlooking Apple Hill Farm in East Concord Farmers Diane and Chuck Souther at Apple Hill Farm in Concord Extension specialist Jeremy DeLisle picks a peach From sweet and tart to delicate and floral there’s nothing quite like a juicy peach during the dog days of summer Although the scale of production for peaches in New Hampshire is far less than that of apples Extension is supporting growers by researching peach and nectarine varieties These are some of the questions that have guided a three-year study conducted by Extension specialist Jeremy DeLisle alongside farmers Chuck and Diane Souther at Apple Hill Farm in Concord the Southers operate a pick-your-own business (strawberries black currants and apples) and a farm stand that sells a wide variety of fruits and vegetables The farm also produces homemade products like jams jellies and pancake mixes for sale at retailers and farmers markets The Southers initially teamed up with former extension specialist George Hamilton who secured funding from the Essex County Fruit Growers Association in Massachusetts to plant trees in 2018 He has focused on quality assessment and evaluation of the fruit itself — aspects like bloom time An important aspect to this trial came from partnering with Renae Moran a tree fruit specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension “The collaboration with Renae and the University of Maine greatly improved the benefits of this trial Her research background and specialized equipment allowed for incremental hardiness testing across a range of temperatures contributing to a better understanding of which varieties are hardier than others.” This partnership also allowed DeLisle to “focus on the aspects of harvest windows and quality characteristics providing growers with additional information when selecting suitable varieties for their markets.” The collaboration began after the two specialists connected through Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic Moran was waiting for peach trees in Maine to grow to an age when they could be tested in the lab when she found out about the research in New Hampshire It takes at least three years for peach trees to reach a size where shoots can be sacrificed for testing “Apple growers have been experimenting with new peach varieties for more than 10 years but with little knowledge of which varieties will survive in Maine or New Hampshire,” Moran says “There have been some failures that cost growers money when trees failed to bear fruit from lack of winter hardiness and when the variety promoted by the nursery turned out to be a dud That is why Jeremy and I started variety trials — to take the guesswork out of peach growing.” Moran will be publishing a report this year and both Extension organizations are sharing findings from their trial with growers the yellow-fleshed peaches Redhaven and Contender were the most cold-hardy This information will help growers understand what varieties are best to plant — saving time money and the headaches that come with a failed crop School Board President Pamela Walsh was re-elected to a second full term on the Concord School Board Tuesday an educational consultant with four kids in Concord Schools will be the only newcomer to the Concord School Board in 2025 She's pictured with City Councilor Stacey Brown who held signs outside the polls on Tuesday in Ward 5 Incumbents Barb Higgins and Pamela Walsh as well as newcomer Sarah Sadowski narrowly edged out three competitors to claim seats in the at-large race for Concord School Board Voters could choose up to three candidates from an open pool of six followed by Walsh with 7,689 or 18.3% percent The three unsuccessful candidates were Clint Cogswell with 6,891 votes Andrew Winters with 6,705 and Joe Scroggins with 4,919 The win for Walsh and the loss for Winters and Scroggins stand in stark contrast to the decisive success of the two amendments to the district charter that were up for a vote Walsh was the only vocal opponent of the amendments in the race and Scroggins and Winters both ran with the express purpose of revisiting and reversing the school board’s decision to build the new middle school in East Concord Sadowski had called the middle school decision a “flawed public process,” and pledged to support the outcome of the votes “I’m super humbled and really excited to get to work,” she said Tuesday night “It’s going to be a long wait until January.” Many Walsh backers saw their votes on the candidates and the charter amendments as interconnected worried about candidates who were only running on the middle school issue He felt they lacked experience and backed Walsh a longtime former principal and school board member in Concord “We’ve got several people running for school board that are single-issue people without seeing a big picture of education,” he said “I think they’re running purely on the geography of where a school is built What do they do about what’s in the next math curriculum?” After initially supporting rebuilding Rundlett at the current location the voices of teachers who see Broken Ground’s forested backdrop as a better educational setting “I like the idea of keeping the school where it was I wasn’t thinking about the quality of education of the next generation.” “They’re looking at a bigger picture that I don’t see.” who has both expressed reservations and support for the amendments at different times As a longtime former teacher and coach in the district and as the board’s longest-serving member — she’ll now serve a fifth three-year term “I’ve known Barb pretty much the bulk of my life and I believe she has worked for the school as well as been in the school board for a while and I think she is a fair one to stay in,” Doneka Chamberland Some voters were either unaware that there was a school board ballot or had only heard about the proposed charter amendments and not the school board race They said in interviews they either left it blank or chose people at random For those coming in cold to the booth on those issues many weren’t comfortable choosing a school board candidate But they read through the amendments and decided whether or not they agreed with them Everyone interviewed in this situation voted yes on both 2025 at 9:08 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}​The estimated initial cost of a rebuilt Rundlett Middle School in the South End is about $165 million — but officials fail to include state aid or interest on the debt NH — The Concord School District SAU 8 Board of Education will hold yet another public hearing on Wednesday night to consider building a new middle school at the current Rundlett Middle School site The hearing will be held at 6 p.m. in the Christa McAuliffe Auditorium at Concord High School The board was presented with timelines and costs during a Jan. 15 meeting (view the documents posted here) the board approved a motion to hold a hearing on building a new school at the current site and is asking for more public comment The estimated cost of the building is $164,623,927 not including state aid or interest on the debt more studies specific to the site need to be conducted a schematic design and design development completed and the board would still need to approve the final proposed costs and the authority for the district to bond the project Concord TV broadcast the previous meeting on Jan Public comment is also being accepted at info@sau8.org Several pieces of information were missing from the presentations The district has already been approved for around 40 percent in school building aid initially about $70.5 million based on a 2022 plan to spend around $176 million — or about double the cost from a few years ago which brings the principal to around $99 million Business Administrator Jack Dunn has estimated the district would be able to get loans of between 4 and 4.5 percent — bringing interest payments to around $65 million to $75 million This brings the final total cost of the new middle school to between $230 million to $240 million The plan also proposes knocking down the entire school even though a third of the building is only 35 years old and perfectly fine Concord School District taxpayers are still paying off previous bonding on the middle school and previous debt services since the district never lowered rates and preserving artificially high property tax rates Prior school boards also promised taxpayers there would be no new middle school project until the $90.8 million elementary school consolidation plan was completely paid off Do you have a news tip? Please email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel Follow the NH politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Joe Scroggins is one of more than 1,500 people who signed petitions to reduce the power of the Concord School Board and to rebuild the middle school in the South End where he lives with his family After months of conversations with neighbors who were similarly upset with the school board’s vote to move the middle school to East Concord “I can’t complain about the board if I’m not willing to do something about it,” said Scroggins who has two children in the school district he is one of three people running for at-large positions on the Concord School Board because of how its current members have handled the middle school project The filing period closes at the end of the day on Monday Not everyone who wants the middle school to stay in the South End supports efforts to reduce the school board’s power over the issue and he said he supported reductions to the board’s power that go beyond what is proposed in charter amendments on the ballot this year it’s definitely important to me that there is a release of authority from the board back into the community in some form or another,” he said Scroggins also pushed for smaller increases to the budget by prioritizing academics and curriculum development over other investments though he didn’t name specific cuts he’d make “Having a community that cares for all people to say we have to spend money to solve those issues is not always the right approach,” he said “Primarily my focus would be on academics and on strong programs Then we have to ask tough questions about what remains and whether spending money on those is the right solution or if there are alternative approaches to kind of support.” Scroggins feels his experience in business as a regional director for Service Master equips him to navigate the budget process “That’s forced me to think through those tough questions and come up with alternative solutions that don’t cost money,” he said He sees his ability to hold people accountable ask tough questions and be frugal as the key skills he would bring to the board Two of the three incumbents up for re-election Board President Pamela Walsh and longtime member Barb Higgins have said they intend to run again but have not yet filed The candidates with the top three vote totals in the city-wide election will win seats on the board Look for coverage of any last-minute filers and the third newcomer who has announced a run 2024 at 5:52 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Clint Cogswell and Andrew Winters are all running for three Concord SAU 8 at large board of education seats along with presidential and congressional elections voters in Concord have competitive board of education races since an incumbent chose not to run this year are up for grabs in the SAU 8 Concord School District Six city residents are vying for the seats: Clint Cogswell All six candidates participated in a one-hour forum hosted by Concord NH Patch and Concord TV in their studio at Concord High School including how they would tackle healing the city's divide over a controversial decision to build a new nearly quarter-billion-dollar middle school on the city’s east side They also gave opinions about two charter amendment ballot questions seeking to reestablish some voting rights for residents over land sales and school location decisions (Click here to watch the forum if you don't see the embed) The candidates were also asked about budgeting the decline in school quality in the Concord school district based on recent data rankings what traits and characteristics they would like to see in a new school superintendent if one is needed in the next three years and the controversial hire of a new elementary school principal who was a superintendent in another district and involved in a since-settled wrongful termination lawsuit That lawsuit concerned a request by the new hire to spy on the emails of the city’s school board members at the behest of another school board member As its president and its longest-serving member Pamela Walsh and Barb Higgins are fixtures of the Concord School Board They’re both being challenged by four candidates who are running because of how the board’s decision last December to move the middle school to East Concord has divided the community Whether on that project or other works-in-progress in the district the two incumbents say that they bring valuable experience to the table Higgins is seeking a fifth term on the board which would bring her time in that seat to 15 years “What we have now is an incredibly new board… You don’t have to go grow up here to run for school board but when you have almost half your board only having lived here under a decade that takes away a lot of perspective,” she said I’ve been a parent with kids in the district Walsh first assumed her seat through a special election in 2020 and is now running for her second full term She was chosen by the board to be its president at the start of this year she said she brings professional expertise to the board through her work in government As former chief of staff to then-governor Maggie Hassan Walsh wants to see through the district’s ongoing work to improve academic performance after the pandemic “I first ran for school board because of COVID because I felt like kids needed to be back in school,” she said “We’ve introduced a new reading curriculum to return to a solid foundation on phonics we’re expanding foreign language… but I think we still have a lot of work to do in that area.” In the divisive vote last December to locate the new school in East Concord Walsh stands by her vote to move the school and the board’s decision to continue forward despite community pushback I did my homework and at the end of the day looked at what I thought was best for students and what was best for taxpayers,” she said She pointed to how a school at the Broken Ground location would be able to be completed sooner and it would allow students many of whom were in formative years during the disruptions of the pandemic to transition without a gap from one school to the next Higgins voted against changing the school’s location but she felt the question should have been tabled until the new year when a newly elected board could decide she’s open to having that conversation again Is it too late to rescind a vote and relook at the vote would give the board a chance to rebuild community buy-in on the project “We’ve had all these committees to plan the building and all of that but enlisting the support of the community before we decided to put it at Broken Ground didn’t happen And when the community did come and speak out Despite divergent views on how the board has handled the project both spoke critically of the proposed charter amendments which would force the board going forward to pass any school location change or substantial land sale in a voter referendum but said the two proposed “are not the right changes to make.” “I don’t think they realize how much red tape we cut through having board autonomy compared to other districts who have to wait and wait and wait for very simple decisions to be made,” she said some of the things they will prevent us from doing will not help the district and how we run the district.” Walsh also described the amendments as a threat to the ability of the board to act quickly and flexibly saying she’s worried the district would have to get voter approval to relocate students if one of the district schools were destroyed in a fire saying that the delays to the project caused by the amendments would make the new school far more expensive a lot of people said they wanted a say on the cost these amendments don’t give them a say on the cost,” she said “And I think people should be aware that the end result of this is a higher cost project if they pass.” Both also touched on education in New Hampshire finding itself in political cross-hairs the school board stands between local schools and legislation in the statehouse she described as “draconian.” “Our students and teachers are getting used as a wedge,” she said “There are great things happening in our schools.. and it’s our job to defend the ability of our teachers to teach.” Higgins said political rhetoric by parents board members and other community members had “infiltrated everything” and gotten in the way of productive work “I think one of our biggest challenges as a board is to remain neutral,” she said “Our goal isn’t to be a red school board or a blue school board Our goal is to be a school board that supports and loves and educates all children.” The two are facing off against four challengers three current parents with middle-school related motivations to run and one former board president The top three vote-getters of the six will get spots on the board With both big state and national elections on the ballot in November and ongoing debates over the charter amendments 2024 at 3:12 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Mountain Road/Route 132 and Hoit Road intersection is being converted to a four-way stop on Tuesday the New Hampshire Department of Transportation will convert the Mountain Road/Route 132 and Hoit Road intersection to an all-way stop intersection which is weather-dependent and will require “short duration” lane closures “The project will convert the traffic control configuration of the intersection from an existing two-way stop control to an all-way stop control where all approaches are regulated by a ‘stop’ sign,” Jennifer Lane of the NH DOT said “The goal of this project is to improve overall driver safety by reducing the number and severity of motor vehicle collisions.” Collisions have been an issue at the intersection for several years with city officials noting it was one of the most dangerous rural intersections in Concord Lane said portable message boards will be at the intersection warning motorists to stop for about a month Signs alerting drivers to “new” panels and “stop ahead” warnings will also be installed Lane added federal officials recognize all-way stop intersections as effective “lifesaving projects,” with data showing a “significant” decrease in fatalities and serious injuries in rural intersections where conversions are made 2024 at 1:13 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Residents have placed two questions on the November 2024 ballot seeking to change the SAU 8 charter to give residents the power to vote on district changes regarding school relocation and property transactions NH — The Concord School District Board of Education will host a public hearing on Monday night concerning two ballot questions on the November 2024 ballot which seek to change the charter to allow voting rights when addressing school relocation and property transactions Opponents of a plan to build a new middle school in East Concord near the Broken Ground Elementary School and Mill Brook Primary School gathered more than 1,500 signatures toward ballot access for the two questions one would add a “mandatory voter approval for school relocation” provision to the charter The second would require “voter oversight on property transactions” of more than an acre needed 965 confirmed signatures to gain ballot access — 15 percent of the number of ballots cast in the previous district election SAU 8 represents all of Wards 3 through 10 and about two-thirds of the southern section of Ward 2 at the Christa McAuliffe Auditorium at Concord High School at 170 Warren St after the board held a special meeting to decide on a hearing date The board changed the date of its regular monthly meeting to accommodate the public hearing While mostly opponents of the project spoke at the Aug several residents spoke out against the ballot questions spoke in favor of building the new middle school on the east side of the city The filing period for candidates begins at 8 a.m To run, candidates must be registered to vote and domiciled in the Concord School District (a district map is linked here) This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page 2024 at 1:53 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Robert Mancini speaks in favor of two Concord School District charter questions that seek to require voter approval for school relocation and property sales The questions will be on the November 2024 ballot NH—School board members in Concord received an earful from opponents and supporters of two ballot questions proposed to amend the SAU 8 Concord School District charter to reestablish voting rights concerning school relocation and property sales State law required the board of education to hold a public hearing before placing the two questions on the Nov 5 ballot after activists opposed to a new middle school on the east side gathered more than 1,500 signatures to put the amendments on the ballot would give some voting rights back to residents They would require the school board to obtain voter approval by a simple majority to relocate any school in existence as of Jan would require the board to seek voter approval Many of the signature gatherers’ primary motivation was a December 2023 decision to build a new middle school in East Concord on the Broken Ground Elementary School site instead of rebuilding at the current South End site The vote was made after a failed attempt to purchase land on Clinton Street for a new school which many community members roundly rejected with slightly more speaking against the amendments After approving ballot placement of the questions board members voted 8-0 to not recommend approval for each ballot question not unlike other proposals on Town Meeting ballots in March and April across New Hampshire While the primary motivation was the middle school issue the commenters’ comments showed that the continuing rift between new or newer residents demanding new buildings and long-time residents who think the projects are too expensive and school taxes are too high is still intact nearly a generation after the elementary school consolidation project began in 2005 which led to the destruction of structurally sound historic buildings in the city nearly all the opponents of the questions were new residents to Concord or parents of younger children which will cost close to a quarter of a billion dollars when interest is included nearly all the proponents of the amendments were long-time residents of the city frustrated with the autonomy of the board and district and their fiscal decisions Elizbeth Lahey of Mountain Road opened the hearing Lahey was concerned about the length of time it would take to build a new school at Rundlett compared to the east side who works for the district and is also a parent said the proposal of requiring a vote would “hinder flexibility,” “delay necessary decisions,” and “increase bureaucracy and administrative burden,” which would consume time and resources She wondered if people would be so active in future decisions said he was disappointed in a legal notice offering a negative connotation to residents trying to regain voting rights with these two processes people should “accentuate the positive” — by empowering voters to make choices about their schools choosing locations to minimize the heavy load taxpayers bear and choosing locations that preserve wildlife and trails He added it was a sharing of authority with taxpayers which would improve healthier communications and the city’s well-being Rebecca Mancini said one of the issues between the public and the board was trust — something that was crucial to restore Allowing the public to play a role in the decision-making process would accomplish this The voters should have “a greater part” in “the farthest-reaching decisions which the ones the amendments speak to.” The past where the board makes decisions for and has no requirement for citizens to be a part of any decision an abutter to the project on South Curtisville Road He said voters should be able to make decisions and criticized a new plan to have a traffic committee 10 months after already deciding to build the project on the east side “This decision should have been made prior to that vote,” he said Michlovitz said the board had been silent about other studies and work done and did not address any of the existing safety concerns He also wondered how students from three schools would be evacuated safely in an emergency like a plane crash or bomb a long-time resident and another proponent of the amendments said they were constitutional and offered the citizens the right to redress when government structures were not representative Many provisions exist for the public to vote during this process Russell also cited the state’s “right of revolution,” Article 10 “Reform is what this petition seeks to do,” Russell said a resident of 45 years who raised two children in Concord said she had lost confidence in the board and its autonomy She also rattled off a bunch of “F words” to convey her thoughts Samaha said she was tired of hearing the board cut people off during meetings and blaming the community for delaying the project when the board had fritted away time another longtime resident who raised children in Concord and was a former police officer called himself a member of the “great silent majority.” He called on everyone in the community to come together and decide how money was spent on big-ticket items for the school system “We have to keep in mind that we can’t tax senior citizens out of their homes,” he said I’d like to stay here in Concord for my golden years.” Reilly noted the new elementary schools had not been paid off and the board should not have spent money the community did not have said not everyone knew what was going on but they deserved the right to vote She was concerned about traffic but called the building plans “beautiful” while adding “I’m not sure that is what we need or want.” Student populations calling them “reactionary” because they were connected to the change in the school’s location and would delay the project She noted the project had already been in the works for eight years could raise the project’s cost due to higher costs “Our community and the education of our children should not have to wait any longer,” she said Lovell worried Rundletts’ roof could collapse or something else might make the school inhabitable She also suggested most residents “do not have the bandwidth to keep on with everything going on in Concord” while raising families and working full-time Lovell said change was “hard” and added the process reminded her of her children who often want to change the game rules when they start to lose supported the amendments because it was a vote of “no confidence” against the school board to look at the cause of why the amendments existed: Because in December 2023 “as far away from a school board election as possible,” there was a 6-3 vote to build the school in East Concord Two votes to move the school were by members on their way out the door The board also gave no reason for moving the school before deciding to do so there were “weird grudges” by members about certain parts of the city “Can I get a show of hands about anyone who hired a babysitter to be here?,” he said Galdieri called the board’s discussion about equity “pretty rich,” considering a board member was removed when she became homeless The public does not get any straight responses about infrastructure costs Amanda Savage also spoke against the amendments and said she agreed with many of the comments made by Lahey also opposed the amendments and challenged some of the organizers’ cost assertions She said market conditions across the industry had significantly changed since the pandemic Carter also said she worked with a company on a Nashua school project that used creative solutions to reduce costs The company involved in that project was also involved with the Concord project an educator of more than 40 years in Concord said the amendments did not eliminate the autonomy It empowered residents to become more involved and make the best decisions Kenney said there was a rapid loss of biodiversity and the destruction of acres of trees would be devastating to the ecosystem Environmentalists working on the project were trying to make a wrong decision better but that was not possible while cutting down 28 acres of trees “I just want to make a comparison,” she said while board President Pam Walsh attempted to cut her off before she could finish her last two sentences “an acre is approximately a football field.” reiterated that the amendments did not impact teachers or the district’s delivery of high-quality education only the movement of school buildings and sale of land Tracey Lesser of Ward 1 also opposed the amendments and mentioned her role as a charter commission member elected in 2021 She said members preserved the original proposal 10 years before to have zone members elected to the board to ensure greater access Lesser then challenged whether the public should be allowed to petition to change the charter if they were unhappy with a decision “We are opening ourselves up to retribution every time there is a decision isn’t liked,” she said Lesser said the board might need to act quickly a parent who is also on the middle school building committee said she did not agree with the decision to not build at Rundlett But everyone was focused on creating the best project on the site decision now She said the school was “desperately needed and should not be delayed any longer.” Fox said the changes would “jeopardize the independence” of the school board She also said the charter was changed every 10 years and “we believe that this was the best opportunity to make changes to the charter when charges can be considered in a holistic manner.” Fox suggested anyone unhappy with the decision could elect new school board members in November strongly opposed the amendment since it would delay the construction of a new building even if she did not think it should be built in East Concord “I do not want important decisions made by the school board to be made by a majority vote of residents of Concord,” she said “because people may or may not put in the time necessary to understand all the nuances of the issues and that is what we elect our school board members to do.” also opposed the amendments and read a letter from another Ward 5 member who could not attend the meeting and former school board member David Parker while long-time political activist and parent James McConaha supported them and Noemi Wierwille also made varying comments against the amendments and for a new middle school After approving not recommending the first ballot question a couple of board members said they were confused about the point of the second ballot question — which made a valid point about the structure of the meetings and the lack of back and forth between board members and the community did not understand the motivation for the second question Cotton said he understood what the second question said but needed to understand why there was interest in limiting the school board from selling land He said there were “surplus or potentially could become surplus” properties and they should not be kept from selling anything based on a November vote which is not the best time to sell property “I don’t understand what the driving force behind that is,” he said “I think the amendments are reflecting a sentiment more than they are reflecting an actual logistical change for the charter,” she said “And I caution (voters) to be very careful when they read this language … I think a lot of folks don’t know yet what impacts these have.” the board’s public hearing structure does not allow any school board member to engage in give-and-take with the public None of them also seemed to have asked any of the petitioners privately precisely why the second question was proposed Board members should consider this a slight dereliction of duty Was there not even a hint or curiosity about the motivation for limiting land sales The current process does not allow for actual discussion in a public setting about any issue facing the board Rumors have circulated that influential people in the city are interested in developing the current Rundlett site And anyone who looks at 20 acres of land with a minor wetlands setback surrounded by tiny single-family homes fetching $400,000 a piece or lots in the city selling for $100,000 to $150,000 or the Isabella Apartments on South Main Street valued at nearly $40 million on less than acre There is also a NIMBY issue of maybe not wanting a large apartment building full of families in your backyard there has been talk about expanding the Concord Regional Technical Center on the RMS site This makes one wonder why it is OK for a regional technical center but not a middle school how many tens of millions of dollars will taxpayers have to fork over to revamp the building for a new CRTC on top of everything else Those items include elementary school consolidation that will not be paid for until 2041; the new middle school project which is going to cost the average homeowner another $400 to $500 annually for another 30 years; SAU 8 residents are paying the highest education tax rate in 27 years with the highest assessments in the history of the city; and property taxpayers are still overtaxed for bonding that has long since been paid off There is also the issue of the 60 acres of land abutting Broken Ground and Mill Brook that could be sold — and almost was in 2005 if a middle school is not built in East Concord The district also has other properties it could sell including the former Eastman Elementary School and other holdings Zone A School Board Member Jessica Campbell also made a passionate plea to the public to become more involved there was a need for energy from the public to become more involved “There is a whole other world out there,” she said “We welcome you to come and volunteer and help us.” while everyone is entitled to their opinions people are not entitled to their own facts Several people who spoke against the proposals seemed to need help understanding the process or why there was even a public hearing considering their prior public statements about “rights” and “democracy,” which the two provisions seek to obtain for voters in Concord — something they have not had for more than 60 years Fox mentioned the charter being reviewed every 10 years While promoting her work on the charter commission Lesser did not mention members approved and forwarded the end of the 10 year review process this means the only way to reform the charter or change things is more empowerment by the exact process activists used via initiative petition it was surprising to hear Gilles Bissonnette While he was speaking personally and not for the organization he has been known throughout the state for purporting to support “individual rights and liberties.” Just like it’s not your parent’s marijuana it would appear to not be your parent’s ACLU either Gilboy mentioned Concord was a city with an elected school board and not a town He said the amendments were “not realistic for a community and a school district that’s the size of Concord.” This was amusing since two of the largest school districts in the state — Bedford and Londonderry are third and fourth behind Manchester and Nashua Both communities have voting rights on everything involving their schools annually SAU 8 in Concord is now fifth in the state — or smaller than Bedford and Londonderry or a strong mayor system where the taxing authority is decided by an elected person not autonomous appointees making taxing decisions people should not be allowed to voting rights on school issues It was another puzzling statement since residents of the village of Penacook and they get to vote on everything involving their schools Galdieri made a relevant point about two of the votes to move the school to the east side from an appointed member and a second member who was a lame-duck school board member the appointed member who was installed to replace a board member who no longer lived in the zone she was elected in had been elected several times before to represent those voters It was not like he was just placed there to be a cheerleader for the relocation of the middle school project 2024 at 1:52 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Sarah Sadowski (Sarah Sadowski) Patch Candidate Profile My husband Jon and I live in East Concord with our four kids and a fifth and a third grader at Broken Ground Does anyone in your family work in politics or government MA from Clark University in International Development I served in the Peace Corps and then shifted to nonprofits Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office https://www.vote4sadowski.com The single most pressing issue facing our (board Our kids deserve safe schools where they can focus on learning coupled with the fact that the district is still paying down debt on Rundlett has resulted in clear public opposition to the current plan We have new information about this project: it currently has limited public support What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post I have frequent experiences with three different schools in the district and understand what district policies look like at the student level for different types of learners I am also likely the candidate most versed in disability law and policy and probably spend the most time chaperoning and volunteering at school-sponsored events Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: The middle school project is only one of many issues I have focused on using evidence-based research to advocate for policies that support children and families too many families in our district are struggling Over 100 children are receiving services related to homelessness We can harness the power of evidence-based policy-making and invest where it matters Low student-teacher ratios and students feeling a sense of belonging and that they matter are proven ways to support our students I am also very interested in the way state-level policies impact local decision-making and fostering trust and communication between the community and the school district What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this position I've had to make difficult decisions as a supervisor and been a dissenting vote on boards I have served on I wrote the successful $330,000 Preschool Development Grant that the district received in 2020 I worked to set up internet hotspots for students who were remote during COVID I've successfully worked on teams where I had a different opinion from those around me and deliberately worked to improve my listening skills I've won awards for board service and for championing issues for kids- but what matters most is that I work hard I was facing a moment early in my career where I enjoyed providing youth after-school programming but was worried about the challenges some students faced David Keller shared the Desmond Tutu quote "There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river We need to go upstream and find out why they're falling in." That influenced me to look at how systems and policies impact youth and families What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions The top three values that I would draw on in this work are transparency, stewardship, and communication. I am grateful to this community for so much and would be honored to represent the whole city and all our kids on the board. Please check out my campaign website at https://www.vote4sadowski.com and let me know what matters most to you 2024 at 9:32 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Andrew Winters an attorney with Cohen & Winters of Concord and a long-time capital city resident filed to run for one of three citywide SAU 8 board of education seats on Sept NH — A long-time city resident and local attorney was the first new candidate to file to run for three citywide SAU 8 school board seats on Friday filed to run citywide primarily due to the decision by the school board to construct a new middle school on the east side of the city “There’s a groundswell of people in the community who are feeling this way” and he would be interested in having a revote on the issue “how that would work … we’d have to look at it I can’t say how that would be brought onto the agenda or how that would look like Winters called the decision controversial “and rightly so,” adding the move to build a middle school in East Concord “threatens to dramatically alter the character” of both sides of the city He said there was widespread opposition in both neighborhoods to the decision especially with enrollments at less than 800 students When asked if he supported a completely new school at the current Rundlett Middle School site which is expected to cost slightly more than the $225-plus million new school or renovating the school for around $10 million and waiting until the elementary school consolidation project was paid off Winters said he would not be taking “a hard position” at this time Voters have been promised a lot of things over the years I don’t think I have enough information to say that now.” who has lived in the South End about 13 years and also served on the zoning board said he has read the current status report and has been there since his daughter attends the school But I’m not saying I’m opposed to it either.” While the middle school issues were his primary motivator for running Winters said he would also focus on balancing the duty to provide a high-quality education with responsible public funds management He would like to take a deeper look at the budget issues “(Declining enrollments are) a huge challenge,” Winters said where there has been population stagnation; it’s an older population … nobody has a crystal ball but it seems very unlikely that enrollments are going to be going up because of fewer young people and more alternatives.” especially with inflation is “off the charts and exceeding the cost-of-living … yeah Winters said he did not think any one board member or one board is going to be able to tackle that problem singlehandedly “But should they be something the board needs to be hawkish about it or needs to be a check on Winters said he was intrigued with the idea of merging the Concord and Merrimack Valley school districts and would like to study it “It’s an interesting proposition,” he said I would imagine there will be institutional resistance for a lot of reasons to it Winters noted that SAUs have also split apart even if but officials and parents could not get along One example was the tiny town of Hill leaving Franklin and joining the Newfound Area School District about a decade ago — putting Franklin in a financial bind to the point where school officials have wanted to break the city’s tax cap while also advocating for a broad-based tax to pay for its schools instead of rightsizing its district or trying to attract other smaller communities to send their kids there the Contoocook Valley Regional School District announced two warrant articles filed by Dublin and Francestown to study withdrawing from ConVal “Will it work is a question … do I think it should be studied more the current board president who holds one of the three at-large seats confirmed Friday she intended to file for reelection “I am proud of the work that we have done as a school board,” she said “revamping our reading program to focus on phonetics implementing a new math curriculum and expanding foreign language in the middle school; improving school security and safety; advocating for parents and students; and keeping local property tax rate increases well below inflation.” another at-large school board member and the longest-serving board member said she would decide whether to run again sometime next week said Friday he was still on the fence about whether to run again signed up to run for another term as treasurer And this is a little bitty way to do that.” The filing period for candidates runs through 4 p.m co-founder of the Community Players’ Children’s TheatreProject receives her award named for her after 29 years of bringing Children’s Theatre to Concord Karen Braz was already a long-time member and performer with The Community Players of Concord she raised the idea of expanding the group to include a children’s theatre “I was at Bob and Phyllis Stuart’s house and I was talking about this idea for a children’s theatre and this pall fell over the room,” said the energetic Karen Braz humorously recalling when she first approached the Community Players about starting the Children’s Theatre Project She subsequently sent the group a video of a show she directed for the Junior Service League which helped persuade them the Players were well on their way to building their own rehearsal studio in East Concord and Braz’s quest to offer theatre programming for children finally became a reality the group’s newly formed Children’s Theatre Project featuring a cast of young actors ages 8 to14 performing at Concord’s now-defunct Annicchiarico Theatre “CTP” has presented a fully produced play or musical every fall (now at Concord City Auditorium) with the exception of pandemic year 2020 Karen and her team have offered a Winter Vacation Theatre Camp where young thespians spend five days rehearsing shorter adaptations of shows with a pizza party for the cast and a free on-stage performance for family CTP has also offered a similar Summer Theatre Camp every August The number of children who have been involved in the plays musicals and camp productions directed by Braz is at this point almost incalculable The average Concord area resident may or may not be familiar with community theatre shows generally but one need not go far to find someone who will perk up at mention of the name “Karen” as they fondly recall the positive theatre experiences their children or grandchildren have had with CTP over the decades The 25th Anniversary of the Children’s Theatre Project occurred during the pandemic leaving the Community Players with little opportunity to recognize and celebrate the occasion as they felt it – and Karen Braz – truly deserved When a board member recently suggested creating an annual award in her name to recognize above-and-beyond support for the Children’s Theatre Project the response was instant and unanimous approval called the “Karen Braz Children’s Theatre Project Award,” was first presented at the Players Annual Meeting on Saturday was thrilled to present the award to Braz on behalf of the Players the positive impact of children’s theatre on the children it serves – both those on stage and in the audience - cannot be overstated.” Burger says “We are immensely proud of and thankful for CTP’s work and hope this annual award will serve as an enduring testament to Karen’s remarkable contributions and as inspiration for the dedicated adults who devote their talents to supporting children’s theatre.” who has supported the technical aspects of countless CTP shows “Working with Karen for nearly two decades I have had the firsthand opportunity to see her impact on the youth in our community She has helped countless kids achieve everything from overcoming stage fright to pursuing a living in the performing arts The Community Players are lucky to have had such an impactful person working in this area all these years.” Braz took time out from directing to be interviewed by ConcordTV there are people who look at me like I’ve got nine heads because I work with kids,” Braz said They are great to work with and they are the future if you want techies – this is where they start.” In a sudden reflective mode “There are kids for whom this niche is really important at the Anniccharico – I’m not sure what camp we were doing – and he looks up at me and he goes ‘This is the best night of my life!’ ” Braz laughs as she tells the story but adds “often you don’t realize until years later when kids come back and tell you how much it meant to them.” Braz was stunned and grateful when the award was announced at Community Players’ Annual Meeting The Children’s Theatre Project Summer Camp is fully subscribed with forty campers enrolled and will present Sister Act Admission is free and no tickets are required CTP’s 29th season marches forward in the fall and with Charlotte’s Web on October 18 at 7 p.m Tickets will be available at the Players website later this summer Information about the Community Players’ Children’s Theatre Project can be found at communityplayersofconcord.org 2024 at 11:34 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Clint Cogswell a longtime educator and SAU 8 school board member (Tony Schinella/Patch; Clint Cogswell)CONCORD NH — A sixth candidate filed to run for three citywide SAU 8 Concord School District board of education seats a long-time educator in the city and a board member for several terms filed on Monday as the last candidate to sign up He will face incumbents Barbara Higgins and Pamela Walsh and three challengers Cogswell is a former teacher and principal who served previously on the board for about a decade He also served on the district’s charter commission in 2012 and 2022 Cogswell said one of the reasons he stepped down from the board was to spend more time with his wife allowed him to serve again because he had time on his hands Cogswell said the couple traveled a lot and spent time with family during the last few years Cogswell had been watching recent situations with the board including the decision to build a middle school on the east side of the city as well as two ballot questions forwarded by residents upset with that decision He supported the current charter and the district’s autonomy having voted against changes allowing any voting rights to residents during two charter commissions Cogswell also said autonomy had been handy in the past allowing the board to make quick decisions like converting schools to natural gas after the Concord Steam bankruptcy instead of implementing full-day kindergarten Another was building the new elementary schools all at once which was cheaper than spreading them out due to the Great Recession mandatory voter approval for school relocation Cogswell said the board would have to stop the project and reexamine everything “I’m anxious to see how the ballot initiative turns out,” he said the board has to be very conscious of what the voters are telling them (The board) would have to blow open everything and relook at it I’m not for or against a (middle) school at the Rundlett Middle School or Broken Ground What I am open to is whatever the voters tell us.” Cogswell said he needed help understanding the motives of the second ballot question But he added it was clear many people in the community think “something is going on behind the scenes and I don’t know what it is … there is a lot of information not getting out to the community.” The second question was bewildering because the district had few landholdings left to sell Cogswell said the problem was the need for more money from the state and the heavy reliance of all school districts on property taxes had always been the critical point for the district going back to his days as a principal in the early 1980s The process is “pretty extensive.” Balancing all the other costs even more so now that his spouse has passed and he expects to receive less Social Security When asked whether the Concord and Merrimack Valley school districts should consider merging in the wake of enrollment drops and the need for cost reductions and property tax relief Cogswell said he did not have enough knowledge to make a comment and had not thought a lot about it He added consolidation “would really help with the budget.” Concord Police apprehended five people who they say resisted arrest and fled on foot after ditching a stolen car containing a handgun “A good possibility” exists that the group is connected with an uptick in recent car thefts in the city and the department is investigating further Concord Police responded to calls around 3:35 p.m that a car had crashed off the road on Appleton Street and its occupants Police learned that the gray 2007 Toyota Camry had been reported stolen and located a gun in the car and another firearm discarded in the woods With the possibility that others could be armed Concord Police called in a police K-9 and drone units as well as State Police to assist in the search and responded to areas near South Curtisville Road with five people being arrested by roughly 6:30 p.m. including the lockdown of a childcare center on East Side Drive near the Broken Ground school Concord police did not release any information until nearly 24 hours after the incident Concord Police said they arrested 18-year-old Jayden Ballam-Quiah who is facing one charge of resisting arrest Three juveniles were also arrested and charged with resisting — one of the three also was charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a minor and the third faces an additional charge of marijuana possession A second adult was arrested on charges yet to be disclosed Concord Police had encountered this group several times before “These kids are always with each other,” he said Ballam-Quiah has faced previous charges for resisting arrest The car was reported stolen on July 16 in Hampton from a Massachusetts family who likely had been at the beach Concord Police believe that someone in the car stole it but the incident as a whole is still under investigation Concord Police are also looking into whether this group is connected to a rise in car thefts in the city and further charges are expected to be announced (WKBW) — Cowboys aren’t made — they’re born — and East Concord’s Shane Masterson is living proof of that "The feeling you get when you do it just feels amazing," said Shane Two years ago Masterson was still playing hockey I asked them and asked them and then eventually they agreed to let me do it," said Shane His mom Lindsay of course had some motherly hesitations “The hope was that maybe he’d try it once and be like 'OK that was enough I don’t want to do that ever again' but he took his first ride at a practice pen and came running back and said 'I want to do it again'," Lindsay told 7 Sports Little did Lindsay and the rest of the Masterson family realize that Shane would turn into a rising star Shane is now a New York State Champion Junior Bull Rider along with a few other events which secured him a spot in the 19th annual National Junior High Finals Rodeo in Des Moines Dom Tibbetts: “How cool was that moment for you?” Shane Masterson: “It just kinda felt like winning other sports championships...like hockey...like football...just great." When Shane does hit the trail for the National Championships in Des Moines he’ll have a chance to do a lot more than just win more belt buckles He’ll have a front-row seat to the best classroom a cowboy could ask for “He knows there’s a lot to learn from every kid out there every adult out there and he likes to learn as much as he can," Lindsay added rodeo is a battle of one fearless teen and beast 2024 at 3:00 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A display in the SAU 8 school district office on Liberty Street shows the three new middle school options being considered at the Broken Ground parcel NH — Dozens of residents upset by a vote to move a new middle school to the east side of the city have launched an effort to make charter changes in the wake of the decision has been meeting for months after the Concord School District Board of Education voted 6 to 3 in December 2023 to build a new middle school in East Concord on the Broken Ground parcel where the district owns dozens of acres of unused land the board has moved full steam toward building a new school currently priced at around $176 million with a final cost of around a quarter of a billion dollars The board has held several meetings discussing the project while working with architects “Tentative” community “Q&A” meetings are lined up for June 11 and June 18 with a June 26 “tentative” working session with the board to “review cost estimate.” the long-time school board member who was chairwoman of the buildings and facilities committee She believes it was due to her vote against the project — although Pamela Walsh about a dozen activists responding to “serious public concerns and questions” about relocating the school to “the Broken Ground forest,” have forwarded two changes to amend the district’s charter The group proposes to add a provision for “mandatory voter approval for school relocation” and “voter oversight on property transactions.” The first charter amendment mandated any plans to relocate the middle school to receive approval from the voters first The second provision “demands voter consent before the sale of certain school-owned real estate,” including the current Rundlett Middle School “This initiative seeks to allow a community voice before the actions of a single school board can bind our district for many decades or forever,” the org said after review and approval by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Revenue Administration a petitioner’s committee will begin collecting the signatures needed for ballot access was in “direct response” to the “lame-duck school board” vote to move the middle school to East Concord “without answering key questions raised by the public over months of testimony.” The group claimed “widespread opposition” to the project even though only a dozen or so activists out of tens of thousands of residents questioned the proposal in December 2023 (an online petition garnered around 1,200 signatures The org noted the price of a new middle school had more than doubled during the past few years But the charter changes proposed will not prevent the building of a new school the building of a new school on the east side of the city or the selling of the district’s land holdings A new middle school could receive voter approval despite the city being told during the elementary school consolidation process that a new middle school would not be built until that bond was paid off in 2041 the district would need to do something with the 19 acres currently zoned for housing at the Rundlett site Changing the SAU 8 charter may not be easy to revise due to changes made and approved by voters in 2022 In 2021, a new charter commission was seated, and those members made drastic changes to the previous charter The first change was to remove the provision requiring another review of the charter in 10 years to never require another revision A second change appeared to require school board approval before any changes can be considered Voters approved the new charter in November 2022 stated he was reviewing the request by the organization and had no comment about whether the new language in the charter required school board approval before placing the amendments on the ballot the amendments were forwarded to the attorney general’s office The 49-B process referred to in the first paragraph was state law and controls the process The second section allows the board to do so in an alternative way Russell said the org had sent the proposed amendments to the state for comment “If your interpretation is correct,” he added “then the state will tell us that before we start gathering signatures.” might be to acknowledge they were not amendments but proposals for change requiring signatures “I’m confident it’s an amendment,” Russell said Linda and Donald Matson at a community center luncheon earlier this month At Linda and Donald Matson’s house in Alton they had nearly 11 acres of land to themselves the forest bled into their backyard and two neighbors lived at the foot of their street but as they got older they looked to downsize When the Matsons moved to Concord seven years ago they bought a manufactured home that was half the size of their old house They were now closer to their adult children and doctors in the area But with their move came a new tax bill that they’ve watched grow year to year With a proposed $170.5 million budget in Concord for the 2024-25 fiscal year residents will see another tax increase of nearly 4% the city portion of their tax bill will increase by $130 – which does not account for local school City taxes have historically comprised just over 30% of the total tax bill While City Manager Tom Aspell said the proposed budget “is aligned with the City Council’s priorities and goals” in his introductory letter They say the continued increases are pricing them out of the city the Matsons will pay nearly $6,000 in property taxes for their manufactured home with a value of $200,000 Their tax bill is more than what they paid for a home twice the size in Alton As Concord continues to increase its tax rate alongside rising property values they fear their fixed incomes won’t keep pace with impending bills “This was supposed to be our forever home,” said Linda the Matsons have watched for-sale signs planted and removed across the neighborhood two manufactured homes around the corner sold for over $250,000 it’s a reminder that their valuation will likely go up “It seems like the owners every time they sell any property everybody gets affected and because there’s such a shortage,” said Donald an increase to his property value would be a good thing if he were looking to sell “We don’t want to move,” he said While New Hampshire state law requires that communities offer tax credits and exemptions to the elderly veterans and people living with disabilities with Donald on submarines and Linda in the reserves Alton provides the maximum tax credit for veterans at $750 – which is taken off a homeowner’s bill city councilors voted in April to increase the benefit from $200 to $300 That’s not the only difference they see between their two towns marinas along the lakefront generated property tax revenue for the town means that the burden falls to other payers Aspell noted that an increase in building permits was one area where revenues increased for the city While the high taxes and rising values were a surprise to the Matsons when they decided to downsize in Concord Wesley Pereonto is no stranger in the city city council decisions and superfluous spending are to blame there is no accountability for nothing,” he said Pereonto retired two years ago after a career as a builder He made a living fixing other people’s homes Now he fears he’ll have to get rid of his I’m going to end up selling my house,” he said the council adopted a budget with a 3.95% tax increase any increase stretches wallets thin for those on a fixed income it just seems to go up all the time,” he said I scrimped and saved to do what I could do.” Concord’s proposed budget also does not include big-ticket capital projects that have been in conversation among city leaders renovations to Memorial Field and the Beaver Meadow Golf Course clubhouse “There’s just wasteful spending on some of the stupidest things that I can possibly think of,” he said the Matsons were heading to Chuckster’s for a round of mini-golf organized by the American Association of Retired Persons They’ve volunteered for AARP for a few years now setting up a table at events across the city or hosting outings they often talk to seniors about Social Security and saving for caregiving expenses property taxes are brought up more frequently in conversation that the concern over property taxes is an uncomfortable reality as a retiree she remembers advocating the new regional high school “For me to complain about taxes is kind of a strange thing,” she said But she doesn’t understand the city’s decision to build a new middle school in East Concord at the Broken Ground site it’s an example of another cost overburdening taxpayers The city council is expected to vote on the proposed budget on Monday it’s estimated that 24% of landfill waste is composed of food ranging from grocery store surpluses and imperfect farm produce to rotten leftovers and forgotten bananas on countertops with nearly 1 in 10 residents experiencing food insecurity as highlighted by a recent Feeding America report While the issues of food waste and food insecurity are intertwined the director of the Center for Social Policy in Practice at the University of New Hampshire points out that their relationship is complex and not unique to New Hampshire One major challenge is food transportation before items near expiration or are on the brink of spoilage “The logistics of making sure that we’re able to move the food from the places where it is to the places where it needs to be is a practical barrier that I think takes some solving no matter where you are and certainly in New Hampshire where distances can be long,” said Carson the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) reported that 171,785 tons of food waste from in-state sources such as residents businesses and institutions were sent to landfills This estimate assumes that 24% of the municipal waste landfilled is food waste aligning with the EPA’s nationwide figures for food waste generation the executive director of the New Hampshire Food Bank suggested that a significant portion of this food waste was likely not consumable The New Hampshire Food Bank has seen considerable support from local farmers and grocery stores in tackling food insecurity Farmers across the state often donate excess produce particularly if they feel it isn’t saleable Grocery stores like Shaw’s and Hannaford Supermarket participate in programs such as Fresh Rescue which aims to prevent food waste by freezing and donating surplus protein to the food bank Liponis pointed out that the quantity of food donations from grocery partners has significantly decreased “We’re seeing less leftover for us,” she said Liponis explained that for the food bank's operations they are now purchasing over 600% to nearly 700% more than they used to One complicating factor in food donations is the inconsistency in food labeling with terms like “best before,” “sell by,” and “use by” often causing confusion about food safety When the food bank receives pallets of food approaching their expiration dates they reach out to manufacturers to verify if the items can be safely consumed beyond their labeled dates and possibly extend their expiration before collecting and distributing them to those in need This process is crucial in ensuring that the food distributed is safe but it adds another layer of complexity to food donation logistics The distribution of food stores across New Hampshire also highlights disparities that contribute to food insecurity particularly in northern areas like Coos County which has the state’s highest food insecurity rate at 13.3% These areas often lack sufficient grocery stores due to lower population densities creating “food deserts” where access to affordable nutritious food is limited and often takes a long distance to get to Supermarket chains and grocery stores are typically clustered in the more densely populated southern regions of the state there are sizable swathes where access to purchasing groceries is challenging “There are places in the state where it’s quite a long distance to the nearest kind of store and just because it’s not densely populated doesn’t mean that nobody lives there,” said Carson “So we need to be thinking not just about the rural nature but also about the ways that people get to purchase and transport the food they need.” The state’s overall food insecurity rate is 9.7% with Merrimack County slightly surpassing this figure at 9.8% the average cost of a meal in New Hampshire is $4.11 children experience significantly higher levels of food insecurity data from New Hampshire Hunger Solutions revealed that 41% of adults and 54% of children in the state lived in households reporting insufficient food Addressing this issue is intrinsically linked to addressing poverty “Food is usually at the end of the list,” she said emphasizing that basic necessities like housing What remains in the budget for families is then allocated to food impacting the ability to purchase more nutritious options “Those are the necessities and then what’s left you make do and get the food that you can with it So if there’s more leftover to be disposable then you’re able to buy the more nutritious food that you need,” she said Despite the existence of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to assist low-income families in buying nutritious food many eligible residents in New Hampshire are not enrolled New Hampshire expanded SNAP's income eligibility to 200% of the federal poverty line the  New Hampshire Hunger Solutions reports that as of June 2023 less than one-third of the eligible population had enrolled Liponis noted that low enrollment is primarily among the elderly who often feel that others need assistance more than they do the LGBTQ+ community is underserved due to the added stigma of seeking help for food while also facing stigma related to their identity Addressing food insecurity requires a collaborative effort involving the implementation of policies aimed at food security and providing outreach and education about available opportunities “There's no silver bullet for food security,” said Carson making sure that folks know how to and are able to and are comfortable leveraging our federal nutrition safety nets.” a bell signaled when a customer needed gas Here lies the old bell in the office at East Concord Mobil and Auto Repair Derek Contarino comes out of the service area on Tuesday Derek Contarino has been working on and off at the East Concord Mobil and Auto Repair for the last 14 years helping owner Fadi Sarkis with pumping gas and helping with repairs at the full service station right off of exit 16 in Concord Derek Contarino waits for customers to pump gas inside the station on Tuesday Derek Contarino pumps gas at the full service pump on Tuesday Contarino has been working on and off at the East Concord Mobil and Auto Repair for the last 14 years Derek Contarino works at a full-serve gas station in East Concord Ray Duckler—Monitor staff John Reardon pumps his own gas at the self-serve station in East Concord so he can spend time with the staff A calendar issued during the East Concord Mobil's rookie season Jill Doyle got her tank filled at the gas station near the East Concord traffic circle recently and received plenty of warmth on a freezing morning She stayed comfortable in her car while an attendant pumped her gas at East Concord Mobil an establishment labeled as a full-service operation will forever be tied to the “ding-ding” that signaled to an employee that someone needed gas after their car had rolled over a hose although the original bell used decades ago sits on the floor in the office But there were still plenty of signals that turned the clock back Doyle’s words cut through a strong wind and temperatures in the 20s expressing herself as a woman who stops for gas at East Concord “pretty regularly.” I don’t know if there are more gas stations like this one the warmth that had escaped through Doyle’s cracked window was replaced when Derek Contarino walked over to return her credit card “This is the nicest young man,” Doyle pointed out “And the owner is a wonderful man and we just like supporting a local business.” a Lebanese immigrant who’s leased the station for 14 years a Concord High graduate whose parents received full-service from Sarkis while Contarino was in high school “My family knew him and I pretty much found this because my family kept coming to get gas.” The two have joined forces to provide a service that is viewed in much the same way as a phone booth approximately 80% of convenience stores have self serve pumps Sarkis’s business was full service when he took control 14 years ago and he said He pulled in for some gas with his 16-month-old Golden Retriever “I come in here all the time and I recommend them all the time,” Reardon said “There are not many people like (Sarkis) around anymore.” Reardon is different from lots of other customers pumps his own gas and then goes inside to see his friends “Fadi has trained me to do my own,” Reardon joked That gives him a chance to catch-up with the East Concord Mobil staff There’s a pot of coffee and muffins each morning A tipster told the Monitor that Contarino had helped a couple who lived in their car and stopped in for gas every few days So Contarino parked their car near the office squeezing in time to address the heater between filling gas tanks “I know a lot of the customers and what they want at the pump,” Contarino said the homeless man was “so happy it was in there,” Contarino said Doyle remembered Contarino’s kindness as well “Last year I had old tires and he was always filling up my tires,” she said The station is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m and Sarkis have a panoramic view of the traffic circle from their office and even people driving the wrong way around the loop “They were so nice and my daughter brought her car here to get fixed all the time,” she said moments before pulling out of the parking lot on a cold morning “Thank you so much,” Doyle said to Contarino Kaitlyn R. Reed, 34, of Concord received a summons at 7:31 p.m. on Aug. 24 on a conduct after an accident charge as well as a following too closely violation after an incident or investigation on Loudon Road John E. McCormack, born 1963, of Concord was arrested at 5:40 p.m. on Aug. 12 on a bench warrant after an incident or investigation at Cumberland Farms at 196 N. Main St Ramona Glenn Reid, born 1965, of Concord was arrested at 9:50 p.m. on Aug. 11 on burglary and second-degree assault-strangulation charges, both felonies She was arrested after an incident or investigation on South Street Paul A. Faella 10 on a driving after revocation or suspension charge after an incident or investigation at the Mobil Kwik Stop at 81 S He was arrested after an incident or investigation at Cobblestone Design Company at 81 N 5 on a bench warrant after an incident or investigation on Manchester Street on July 30 on driving under the influence and disobeying an officer charge after an incident or investigation at the McDonald’s Restaurant on South Main Street in Concord 2024 at 9:26 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Jayden Ballam-Quiah of Concord who faces an active felony reckless conduct gun charge after a shooting on Hanover Street in January was arrested on July 22 on a resisting charge NH — Just a day before he was due in superior court for a dispositional conference hearing on a reckless conduct gun case a local teen was arrested after being accused of fleeing the scene of a crash involving a stolen car out of Hampton police received multiple calls about a crash on Appleton Street According to Deputy Chief John Thomas of the Concord Police Department police learned the car had been stolen in Hampton “Responding officers observed a handgun in the vehicle,” he said New Hampshire State Police arrived to assist and brought a K-9 unit and drone Along with tips from the public and troopers assisting five people accused of being in the stolen car were identified Jayden Ballam-Quiah, 18, of Concord, along with a 17-year-old, were arrested on resisting arrest or detention “During a secondary search of the area,” Thomas said Ballam-Quiah was taken to police headquarters for processing and held on preventative detention He was arraigned in the Concord District Court on Tuesday the same day he was scheduled to appear in Merrimack County Superior Court on a felony reckless conduct-deadly weapon charge after being accused of firing a gun on Hanover Street in January Thomas said the incident was still an open investigation and more charges could be pending He also stated the group of kids involved in the incident could possibly be connected to other car thefts in the capital region adding more information would be released soon Police asked anyone with information about this incident to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 603-225-8600. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the Concord Regional Crimeline at 603-226-3100 or online at concordregionalcrimeline.com