Freudenberg-NOK brings robotics to Newfound

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January 22, 2019

Freudenberg-NOK grant — The Newfound Area School Board accepts a grant from Freudenberg-NOK that will fund a robotics program in three schools for three years.

BRISTOL — Local manufacturer Freudenberg-NOK has committed to a three-year, $46,170 underwriting of the majority of expenses associated with implementing robotics programs at three Newfound Area schools.

The Newfound Area School Board formally accepted the donation at its Jan. 14 meeting.

A $7,500 startup grant from First NH Robotics launched the program at Newfound Regional High School, Newfound Memorial Middle School, and Bristol Elementary School, but the cost of materials and registration fees at the high school alone amount to about $6,000, according to Superintendent Stacy Buckley.

Not only did Freudenberg agree to provide the funding; it also plans to send nine engineers — three to each school — to serve as mentors for the students, Buckley said.

Freudenberg has worked with the schools on a number of initiatives, especially in offering job shadowing and plant tours that give students an idea of what today’s engineering and manufacturing processes are like. The hope is that, by stimulating an interest in manufacturing careers, students will realize they can have satisfying, high-paying careers without leaving the state to find them.

The Bristol manufacturer is not alone in taking initiatives to show young people that factory work is not the dirty, dangerous job it used to be. Companies across the state have been facing a shortage of skilled workers and have been looking at ways of raising awareness of the innovation taking place in the manufacturing world.

Supporting robotics is a direct way to get students interested in engineering by giving them a chance to solve problems and create ways to accomplish tasks through science. The robotics programs provide kits for students to use in devising their solutions, and a series of competitions leading up to a statewide contest provide incentives to prove what they can do.

While the robotics programs at Newfound will begin at the three largest schools, Buckley said the program will continue to grow, and all of the schools are already doing “a ton” of robotics work in preparation for the expansion.

Science and co-curricular teachers will be involved in the program, along with the mentors from Freudenberg, and as the program gets underway, the district will be able to determine how much of a time commitment is needed.

“Having mentors in our schools is a big part of the puzzle,” Buckley said as she spoke of how robotics can tie in with other community initiatives, including economic development.

Budget committee proposal falls below Newfound tax cap

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T.P. Caldwell

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January 15, 2019

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Newfound Budget Hearing — Chair Ruby Hill and members of the Newfound Area School District Budget Committee conduct a public hearing in the auditorium of Newfound Regional High School. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

BRISTOL — The Newfound Area School District Budget Committee heard calls for more spending or reallocating the money it was proposing in the budget aired during a Jan. 11 hearing, but decided to stick with its number and leave it to the voters to amend the amount if they wished during the upcoming deliberative session.

The budget committee’s $22,004,842 budget proposal for 2019-20, combined with the cost items in the proposed teachers’ contract, represents a 0.76 percent increase over the current-year budget. The Newfound Area School Board had proposed spending $22,174,792, which, with the teachers’ contract, would be a 1 percent increase, falling slightly below the amount allowed under the district’s tax cap.

While the cap limits the increased tax impact to no more than 2 percent, because of decreased revenues, the school board’s 1 percent increase would lead to about a 2 percent increase in the tax assessment to the seven member towns.

Some residents questioned why the budget committee would propose spending that is below the cap, when the cost of doing business increases at a more rapid pace.

Rather than reviewing the entire budget, Committee Chair Ruby Hill highlighted the changes from the current year and discussed how the budget committee’s proposal differed from what the school board had sought.

A $72,454 elementary teaching position that had been budgeted for this year but went unfilled is not in the budget for next year. Also cut was $5,000 for an athletic director at Newfound Memorial Middle School, with the savings coming from a restructuring of positions after the current athletic director retires. A part-time foreign language teacher at the middle school also was eliminated, resulting in savings of $6,500. Another $6,500 comes from a part-time physical education position at the elementary school level.

The school board also eliminated a late bus for a savings of $31,888; and a shade replacement at the middle school, saving $6,500.

Changes in special education needs resulted in $41,000 in savings for an out-of-district placement, and eliminating an out-of-school special education coordinator saved another $20,000. There was also $15,000 in savings that had gone to charter school tuition.

The proposed budget also shows a reduction in a position teaching English as a second language ($8,500), general supplies ($21,000), and athletic transportation ($10,000).

The biggest addition to last year’s budget is the reconstruction of Newfound Road, estimated to cost $249,906. There is also a $21,391 teacher retirement stipend; $168,699 for four new para-educators; $120,558 for a health insurance increase; $113,480 in teacher retirement; $80,000 for a new student information system; and $16,000 for plowing services at Danbury Elementary School and New Hampton Community School.

Other increases are $52,410 for heating oil; $15,000 for other fuel; $20,000 to move the middle school nurse’s office and add a handicapped-accessible restroom; $12,741 for laptops for the high school art class; $9,952 for a 2 percent salary increase for the custodial staff; a $1,873 tax increase; $24,400 for Chromebook carts; $9,581 for a new junior varsity girls’ soccer program at the high school; $26,000 for English textbooks; $10,500 for third-year PSAT testing; and $26,250 to replace aging faculty laptops.

Hill noted that the school board had proposed replacing all faculty laptops in the coming year, while the budget committee split the purchase over two years. The school board proposed Chromebook purchases for five schools, while the budget committee split that purchase over two years. The school board recommended a $31,000 cut in general supplies, while the budget committee recommended a $21,000 cut. The school board recommended a $4,000 cut in athletic transportation at New Hampton Community School but, because the school has no facility of its own and sends students to the New Hampton (prep) School, the budget committee left the $4,000 in the budget. The school board had made no provision for a raise for the custodial staff, but because they were the only support staff personnel whose pay was not on a par with surrounding school districts, the budget committee included funding for a 2 percent raise.

Comments and questions

Parents questioned the spending priorities that reduced the teaching staff and diverted money from routine maintenance to large projects such as the road paving.

Jonathan Schwab of New Hampton, who is the parent of a Community School student, said positions are not filled at the school and the cost of maintenance is much higher than 2 percent, so he didn’t understand why the budget committee would propose spending even less.

Dorcas Gordon, whose son attends Bristol Elementary School, said there are serious safety issues with crumbling stone steps and falling ceiling tiles. Her son has asthma and the poor air quality bothers him, she said.

Archie Auger of Bristol had a number of questions about the budget handout that the presentation did not address.

“There’s quite a swing in the amount of money in a number of places in the budget, and there’s no way for members of the public to keep track of it,” he said.

There also was discussion on two petitioned warrant articles, one to advise the school board to place capital improvement items in separate warrant articles for voters to decide, and the other to place responsibility for calculating the default budget with the budget committee. Both articles arose from a contentious year in which the school board took the position that the replacement of the high school roof that voters approved two years ago meant that large capital improvements, rather than being one-time expenditures, were part of the ongoing capital improvement program and therefore belong in the default budget.

Vincent Paul Migliore of Bridgewater, who sits on the school board, spearheaded the petitioned article to ask the board to consider establishing a policy that any capital expenditure in excess of $24,999 — the definition of what qualifies for the capital improvement program — would become a separate warrant article. The language of the article is broad to give the school board discretion in implementing it, and passage would be advisory only, but Migliore maintained that it would help to heal the anger that has resulted from the school board’s position.

School Board Chair Jeff Levesque addressed the idea of giving residents the chance to vote separately on capital expenditures, saying, “This article is not sponsored or recommended by the school board. The subject was brought to the policy committee and the school district attorney, and neither found any merit in it.”

Bristol Selectman Don Milbrand, whose wife, Heidi, serves on the school board, sponsored the other petitioned article that would transfer the development of the default budget to the budget committee, as allowed by state law.

“People felt confused over how the default budget was prepared and what should be in it,” Milbrand said. “A group felt that it might be better to have a less-biased group do it.”

Auger agreed. “We’ve been an SB2 district for quite a while,” he said, “and there have been a number of years when there was considerable controversy over the default budget. Perhaps it’s time to ask a different group to prepare it. We can always vote to go back to having the school board do it.”

He added, “They [the budget committee] would have to work closely with the SAU office to develop the default budget.”

A new state law requires the school board to explain how it determines the default budget, but no one addressed that requirement at the budget hearing. A breakdown was included in the 32-page handout.

Bristol Kicks Off Bicentennial Year

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T.P. Caldwell

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January 7, 2019

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Bristol Bicentennial — Joining in the kickoff of Bristol’s Bicentennial year are, from left, Rick Alpers, Wayne Anderson, Lucille Keegan, Don Milbrand, Hilda Bruno, Leslie Dion, Janet Cote, J.P. Morrison, and Nik Coates. (Courtesy Photo)

BRISTOL — The town of Bristol kicked off its Bicentennial year with a proclamation from the selectmen and town administrator on Jan. 3.

Selectmen issued the proclamation after offering their thanks to the members of the Bicentennial Committee, headed by former selectman Janet Cote.

“The planning is in the can,” Cote said; “now it’s the executing, and we need plenty of volunteers.”

The first of the scheduled events will take place at the Slim Baker Lodge on Saturday, Jan. 19, with cocoa, cookies, and a campfire. Visitors are encouraged to bring sleds and snowshoes to enjoy the area, while having an opportunity to warm up at the indoor and outdoor fires, between 2 and 6 p.m.

Also planned this year is a Bicentennial concert on Wednesday, April 10, featuring the bands from Newfound Memorial Middle School and Newfound Regional High School.

There will be a community dance on Saturday, June 22, and a celebration dinner Sunday, June 23. The actual date of the town’s incorporation is June 24, and there will be a birthday party and proclamation for the day on that Monday.

The main events will occur during Old Home Week, Aug. 22-25, with a Bicentennial parade, concerts, games, fireworks, historical re-enactments and displays, and a community service at Inspiration Point, along with a pancake breakfast, artisan booths, and a barbecue.

Other activities will include an ice cream social, a community picnic, an “Old-Time” baseball game, and a community photo. There is even a two-act historical play in the works.

Members of the Bicentennial Committee, in addition to Cote, are Hilda Bruno, Lucille Keegan, Danna Manfra, Kerrin Rounds, Kerry Mattson, Bill and Nancy Dowey, Al Blakeley, and Jenne Walker, with Stacy Buckley representing the Newfound Area School District and Jennifer Rosene representing the Newfound Area Nursing Association. Leslie Dion is the selectmen’s representative on the committee.

The proclamation that the selectmen read into the record on Jan. 3 states:

“Whereas, the Town of Bristol, Grafton County, New Hampshire, in the United States of America, will recognize its 200th anniversary in the coming year…

Whereas, the Town having been incorporated on June 24th, eighteen hundred and nineteen, during the tenure of Governor Samuel Bell …

Whereas, the Town possessed large deposits of clay and sand similar to the Bristol sand in Bristol, England, used in making fine pottery, giving this town its name …

Whereas, the Town of Bristol recognizes the hard work and sacrifice that the original founders and settlers of Bristol endured to carve out a community in the Lakes Region …

Whereas, the Town of Bristol has enjoyed a long and storied history involving brick making and manufacturing of paper, leather, woolens, flannel, bedsteads, and piano stools …

Whereas, the Town of Bristol has become a summer destination for visitors to enjoy the pristine water of Newfound Lake …

Whereas, the Town of Bristol has become known for its hospitality and natural beauty which are second to none in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire …

Now, therefore, We, the Board of Selectmen in the Town of Bristol, Grafton County, New Hampshire, by the virtue of the authority vested in us, do hereby proclaim 2019 as Bristol’s “Bicentennial Year” to honor the Town and its inhabitants and visitors. We urge everyone to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance.

In witness thereof, we the Select Board set by our hands this 3rd day of January, in the year of our Lord, two thousand and nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America, this two hundredth and forty-third year,

Richard Alpers, Chair; Donald Milbrand, Vice Chair; Leslie Dion, Member; J.P. Morrison, Member; Wayne Anderson, Member; Nicholas Coates, Town Administrator.”

Along with issuing the proclamation, the selectmen’s meeting served to introduce the Bicentennial banners that will be placed on downtown during the year-long celebration.

The town is looking for additional volunteers to help out with events, along with sponsorships to assist in the funding of activities. Salmon Press is a partner in the celebration, and Cote said other members of the business community have responded well in supporting the events.

In addition to the business and family sponsorships, the committee is looking for people to sign up for parade floats, special merchant sales, and period costumes. Blakeley is putting together a trivia contest and is welcoming the contributions of facts to include in the contest. Later this year, there will be commemorative ornaments, a program book, and other items for purchase.

Hebron’s New Trash Agreement With Bristol Reflects Changes At Transfer Station

By

T.P. Caldwell

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January 1, 2019

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Hebron MOU — Bristol selectmen discuss a new memorandum of understanding allowing Hebron to continue using the Bristol solid waste transfer station.

BRISTOL — While the price of the service remains the same, Bristol’s memorandum of agreement with the town of Hebron incorporates changes in the operation of the Bristol Transfer Station that selectmen have implemented over the past year.

The proposed agreement that Bristol selectmen sent to Hebron for ratification continues charging $22,500 a year to accept as much as 200 tons of Hebron’s household trash, other solid waste, and recyclables at the Bristol facility. If the amount dropped off exceeds 200 tons, Hebron would pay an additional $150 per ton, but past history has the town sending far less than that amount.

Since last year’s agreement was signed, Bristol has suspended recycling, due to the collapse of the recyclables market, which made it far more expensive to handle that material than it does to include it with the regular solid waste. Bristol does ask users to separate glass bottles and jars, which can be crushed and recycled.

Other changes in 2018 included adjusting the fees for the disposal of demolition material, appliances, and tires, although Hebron residents are likely to encounter only the increase in tire disposal costs, since the memorandum of agreement does not include commercial entities. Most Hebron residents also take advantage of curbside pickup, and those haulers do not dispose of the solid waste in Bristol.

The memorandum of understanding between the towns also modified the payment schedule. In the past, Hebron paid the bill in nine installments; the new agreement calls for Bristol to bill the town three times a year.

Town Administrator Nik Coates noted that the agreement may be modified to reflect future changes, such as resuming recycling if the market returns. Changing it during the year requires that both parties agree; otherwise, the changes would be incorporated into next year’s agreement. Each agreement is renewed on an annual basis, with the new agreement taking effect on April 1. There is a provision for either party to terminate the agreement with a 30-day notice.

Bristol is in the midst of a major reconfiguration of its transfer station, using funds from the termination of the Concord Regional Solid Waste/Resource Recovery Cooperative, of which Bristol is a member. When the cooperative closed the Franklin ash landfill, it was obligated to return money to the member communities, and Bristol established a revolving fund with those proceeds so it could use the money toward upgrading its transfer station.

There will be a new traffic pattern, new bins for trash and recyclables, and a new hut for the transfer station attendant. The site will provide more space for the highway department which currently abuts the solid waste storage.

Bristol hopes to eventually install scales to accurately weigh the material being dropped off at the transfer station, which will enable the town to more fairly distribute the cost of running the facility.

Interviews for vigilant successors?

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T.P. Caldwell

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December 27, 2018

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By Vincent Paul Migliore

It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which we retain our liberty is eternal vigilance; which condition if we break, servitude is at once the consequence.

Little did John Curran know when he spoke these (slightly paraphrased) words he spoke of a warning to registered voters of the Newfound Area School District — Alexandria, Bridgewater, Bristol, Danbury, Groton, Hebron and New Hampton. But for one or two, energized on occasion or when a hot issue surfaces that more find time to attend as a crowd (more on that below) a School Board meeting … held at your high school on the 2nd Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. — for the most part, no one appears (read: shows-up) to argue for the taxpaying citizenry in the public forum provided to do so. Well, technically — Mr. Archie Auger of Bristol’s been present at numerous meetings to watch what’s been going on. He’s spoken up and both praised and critiqued with severe chastisement at times — actions of the School Board. He comes with a broad breadth of extensive hands-on expertise as a long-term educator, district employee, school administrator, a fine purveyor of detailed knowledge in state law, as well as public servant and as a competent past School Budget Committee Chairman.

Mr. Archie Auger attends every Deliberative (first) Session of the Newfound Area School District and votes in every election held, (the second session of the same meeting a month later when we vote at the polls). We will someday need a nominee to take the reins from him, from his commitment to eternal vigilance to be that local beacon to inform those who serve us they’re being watched carefully. With that nomination may come the application of an elixir to soothe any pain we may feel as excess taxation, which feeling this year has been particularly justified. It stems simply from those in our administration who fall back on the legal profession you employ on their behalf just recently saying “… our lawyer said she is 60% certain she could defend our recommended action to the Board in court.” Why not make a more simple choice in the taxpayers’ favor instead of hoping and gambling you might be more right legally than simply wrong in principal?

A simple analysis reveals from the district’s own publicly available information that the average unexpended fund balance for each of the past seven (7) years (read: the amount of money left over in late spring from our school budget that it turns out we didn’t need to tax you for during the prior year) has averaged roughly $952,000. This past year, we reported very late in the school year when we were finally done with scheduled and budgeted spending, a roughly $1,500,000 unexpended fund balance — (again, read: the amount of money left over from our school budget that it turns out in late spring we didn’t need to tax you for during the prior year, but did so). The highest I can ever recall. This past year, consistent with several of the past recent years, our student enrollment declined, and while it varies it’s always in negative double-digit numbers and yet this net loss includes having those who tuition in to NASD from Hill, NH. Yet, somehow, we always seem to need build a budget that barely comes in “just under the tax cap” (that only allows a 2% increase on monies raised from taxes during the prior year — now do you understand why you get over-taxed each year? It allows us to come in “just under” a HIGHER budget that we haven’t needed to the tune of $952,000 per year, for the last seven). How about we stop that practice and build a budget at this year’s Deliberative Session on February 2nd — with your help in attending — that simply doesn’t overtax you almost a $1,000,000 more each year than has actually been needed for the past seven (7) years, based on our own data? Isn’t that proof we haven’t had to “come in just under the tax cap” in a continually declining statewide and local enrollment situation? Why continue to grant so many more requests for funding each year, providing a savory menu from which leftover taxpayer funds can be selectively spent prior at the end of the fiscal year in June? And be told in the newspaper the prior autumn the list was “hard to cut” … how can something be cut from something that doesn’t exist yet? Aren’t those just items we’d like to have, but would simply put us over our tax cap? Instead of focusing on all our building improvements again this year, why not consider giving our worthy support staff a modest raise to help with an increase in a cost of living? Our professional staff is poised for one. Doesn’t it take an entire village to raise a child?

You have a way to take back some modest control with a petitioned warrant article option — at least one this year, that advises your School Board with omnipotent control over spending tax money YOU choose to appropriate, to implement a policy that allows YOU, as voters to decide whether capital improvements should be completed or not — by a vote of the public annually, not just by them. Please consider supporting it. It’s your money that gets taxed — so, shouldn’t YOU decide? To do this, plan to accompany Archie Auger — your eternally vigilant public guardian of the public trust — to the district-wide School Meeting. “Nominations” so to speak, to add others to such public trust resources exemplified by him, are Saturday morning, February 2, 2019 at 10:00 a.m., — it’s the Deliberation Session meeting folks — where you vote on matters put before you, decide what the voters will see on a physical ballot a month later in March when many more will visit the polls to cast their choice on what YOU (or your neighbor? Or only your School Board?) will decide what they see on that final ballot. This is where you will be further educated on how to take up this mantle to get control of the most significant local taxation you control each year. Remember, while our Congress may very well be beyond our reach, your local government is not … at least, yet. That’s why we supposedly like local control in NH. Now prove it. See you at the high school the one time each year you have some say at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning, February 2, 2019. (The inclement weather date is two days later, on Monday).

“It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which we retain our liberty is eternal vigilance; which condition if we break, servitude is at once the consequence.”

Vincent Paul Migliore

198 Whittemore Point Rd So

Bridgewater

Roger Carroll’s Story

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T.P. Caldwell

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December 25, 2018

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Roger Carroll’s Story from Liberty Indy Media Project on Vimeo.

See https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news/a-journey-through-nh-s-mental-health-system-part-of/article_cc9a152e-07cc-11e9-b23c-1f08564fdf18.html

Student vaping a concern for Newfound administrators

By

T.P. Caldwell

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December 18, 2018

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Juul skin — Users of Juul vaping devices can select 'skins' that include the American flag.

BRISTOL — School Administrative Unit 4 Superintendent Stacy Buckley discussed her concerns about student “vaping” with the Newfound Area School Board on Dec. 10, telling them administrators know of as many as 30 students, from sixth grade up, who are using electronic cigarettes.

“It’s at the sixth-grade level, so it’s only a matter of time before it gets to the elementary level,” she told the board.

Buckley said administrators are trying to figure out how to deal with the problem, and think they need to start with parent education.

E-cigarettes are ostensibly designed to help adults cut back on smoking, and are considered less harmful than cigarettes, although there has been little research into the long-term health effects of vaping devices, despite being on the market since 2007.

Most devices heat a flavored solution that includes nicotine, allowing users to inhale the vapor. Some concerns have been raised about the units themselves and whether the vapor may contain chemicals from the materials in the container. Of greater concern is their use by teenagers who might avoid cigarettes because of their known health risks, but think that the e-cigarettes are safe.

Buckley said many teens don’t believe there is any nicotine in the devices, which offer a variety of flavors to make them more attractive.

Newfound is not alone in worrying about teen usage of e-cigarettes. Of particular concern is the Juul pod, which is small and resembles a flash drive for computers. It is hard to detect, allowing teens to surreptitiously use the Juul during classes. Each pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes and, while it does not contain many of the other chemicals that make cigarettes so dangerous, it can cause nicotine addiction.

On Dec. 18, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams took aim at e-cigarettes, especially the Juul, saying that parents, teachers, health professionals, and government officials must take “aggressive steps” to keep children from using e-cigarettes. He said the nicotine can impact learning, attention, and memory, as well as leading to addiction.

The government has estimated that 3.6 million U.S. teens are using e-cigarettes, which represents one in five high school students and one in 20 middle schoolers.

It is tough to take on a $6.6 billion business, with the Juul estimated to hold 75 percent of the market. Adams said Juul’s liquid nicotine mixture is specially formulated to give a smoother, more potent nicotine buzz, which poses special risks for young people.

Buckley said the liquid in the devices also can contain ingredients from marijuana and, while they give off a distinctive smell, the vapor dissipates more quickly than smoke.

As for apprehension, she said that, in order for the police to do anything about it, the students must have it in their possession when confronted.

“We feel we need to take a strong stance on this,” she said.

Administration: Lawmakers’ attempt to ‘bring clarity’ to default budget leaves a lot to legal interpretation

By

T.P. Caldwell

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December 17, 2018

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Default Budget — Newfound Area School Board discusses its default budget.

BRISTOL — Lawmakers who earlier this year amended RSA 40:13, the Official Ballot Law, sought to bring clarity to the provision of that law that has caused the most confusion through the years: the default budget. They tried to do a better job of defining how the governing body — the municipal or school board that determines the default budget — makes the calculations and explains that method to the legislative body — the voters.

School Administrative Unit 4 Business Administrator Michael Limanni, however, says the tinkering still leaves a lot of area for interpretation. In suggesting the default budget that the Newfound Area School Board should consider for the 2019-20 fiscal year, Limanni said the school administration did its best to straddle the line between what was reasonable and what was allowed by the new language.

Central to the issue was the revised law’s use of the word “authorized” when referring to the previous year’s budget. Limanni said that the top lawyers in the field have concluded that, when voters reject a proposed budget — as Newfound voters did this year — and a default budget goes into effect, it is not an “authorized” budget and, therefore, in calculating the next year’s operating budget, officials have to go back to the last budget that voters did approve to determine what qualifies as “contracts previously approved” and how to calculate what the new figure should be.

Vincent Paul Migliore, the school board member from Bridgewater who also serves in the state legislature, has a different understanding of what the language means. He argued that, when voters rejected the proposed budget, they were, in effect, authorizing the implementation of the default budget. Therefore, in his view, it is the most recent budget that serves as the base for calculating next year’s default budget.

There was also disagreement about what constitutes a contract. Migliore felt the language was very clear: “‘Contracts’ as used in this subdivision means contracts previously approved, in the amount so approved, by the legislative body in either the operating budget authorized for the previous year or in a separate warrant article for a previous year.” He therefore could not understand why Limanni was proposing a $120,000 increase in health insurance.

Limanni explained that the teachers’ contract referred to a “structure” for calculating health insurance costs. The specific amount is affected by the number of teachers and whether they are taking an individual or family plan. He said that, if they calculated the amount according to the staffing level and projected increase from the last approved budget, it would result in a $400,000 increase. That did not make sense, he said, and they used the lower figure, based on the current staff numbers and currently projected health insurance rates.

“The school board has the right to say no,” Limanni said, “but we feel [the numbers] are legally defendable.”

Migliore said the cost of healthcare was part of the discussion when the legislature was debating the bill, and “that contract amount can only be what was previously approved.” By increasing the number, he said, “We run the risk of having it come out of another line item.”

Other board members agreed with Limanni that the prposed numbers were valid.

“I think I can defend this,” said Chair Jeff Levesque of Groton. “It’s not taking advantage of anybody.”

In the end, they agreed to set the default budget at $22,200,457, a number that is higher than the tax cap budget. Suzanne Cheney of Alexandria, Heidi Milbrand of Bristol, and Levesque voted in favor of the motion; Migliore was the only vote in opposition. Jason Robert of Hebron and Christine Davol of New Hampton were absent, and Danbury has a vacancy on the board.

While the school board developed a budget recommendation that falls within the tax cap (with Migliore voting against it), the budget that will go before the voters in March is the one being developed by the Newfound Area School District Budget Committee, which is working separately to put together a spending proposal.

From Whence the Anger?

By

T.P. Caldwell

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December 10, 2018

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They thought I was kidding when I said I found it offensive.

Work colleagues were talking about how funny the “People of Walmart” website was — you know, the one where people post photos and videos of shoppers and tack snide comments beneath them about the shape of their bodies, their style of dress, or generally how tasteless those people are.

They are the poor “white trash” folks who gravitate to Walmart for bargains or convenience. Not all are white, and not all are poor, but they certainly are not as privileged as those who take great joy in ridiculing them.

There was an incredulous look in the newsroom when I called the site offensive; my co-workers weren’t sure if I was kidding or not.

“No, really, I find it offensive,” I repeated, and I’m sure my face displayed the anger that wells up inside me from that form of humor.

Afterward, when I was calmer, I pondered why that website provokes such a strong sentiment. I generally don’t take offense at anything. I enjoy a good joke as much as the next person, and simply dismiss the lame attempts at humor. What was it about the People of Walmart that brought out those deep feelings of outrage?

Thinking about it, I realized it came from Babe Caldwell. Jovial around others for the most part, he would turn pale and stern when he heard someone poke fun at someone who was physically or mentally deficient. “They can’t help the way they are,” I heard him say on more than one occasion.

Babe treated everyone the same way, whether they were wealthy or poor, capable or inept. He might joke about something stupid someone did, but he would still respect the person. Growing up around him, I never paid much attention to anyone’s social status, ethnicity, or religion. We were all just people.

Certainly there were issues in the background. We would recognize that we were not as wealthy as our more affluent neighbors. We had Catholic friends and Protestant friends, but knew that marriage between the two was forbidden. When I was a teenager, there were moments of shame when the school bus arrived while Babe was in the yard, dressed for the sawmill or hunting, rather than banking or management.

Still, he was wise in his way, and his lessons became ingrained — so much so that, when our children were growing up, we emphasized to my son that he should associate with the outcasts as well as the popular ones at school; and when a girl stole coins from my daughter’s purse, we let her know that, while the deed was wrong, the girl was very poor and probably needed the money.

I never really gave much thought to the reasons Babe felt the way he did. I knew he had it hard growing up as part of a large family. I also knew that it bothered him to remain at home during World War II while others went off to fight. He was an epileptic and could not serve.

He never wanted anyone outside of the family know that he had epilepsy. He was afraid he would lose his driver’s license if anyone found out. That we knew; what we didn’t know was that there might more to that fear.

It was only recently that I made the connection between his fear of exposure and the very real danger that it held in the 1920s through early 1970s. The eugenics movement, which helped fuel nazism, was embraced in this country when it came to the “feeble-minded” — a term for the mentally ill that also included those with brain malfunctions such as epilepsy. They became outcasts — people to be purged from society. The Laconia State School became a repository for the mentally ill, but for some of them, the “illness” was a failure to conform — and for others it was epilepsy.

The state school inmates were subjected to inhumane treatment because they were considered inferior, and many were involuntarily sterilized to make sure they would not pollute the gene pool. Even today, there are traces of the eugenics movement in comments about people being from “the shallow end of the gene pool.”

Whether Babe was aware of that or not, he knew there was a certain stigma associated with epilepsy because a grand mal seizure can be frightening to see. Medication could control it to a certain extent, but the dosages had to be right, and sometimes were ineffective. People were understandably unnerved by the disease, and that alone could make one seek anonymity in connection with epilepsy.

Whatever his reasons for hiding his affliction from those outside the family, Babe may have seen something of himself in the people who were being ridiculed when “they can’t help the way they are.”

Regardless of what prompted it, the lesson was valid. People do what they do for many reasons, some of them beyond their control. There are hundreds of health conditions that affect people’s ability to do what they would like to do, and there are thousands of other factors — wealth, social status, religious background, ethnic history, and education among them — that help determine their choices. One student may be awkward and abrasive without intending to be so; another may steal money from a purse without thinking about the consequences. Someone may wear pajamas to Walmart because other clothes are uncomfortable.

Despite our dissimilarity, we’re not all that different from one another, and we have a lot in common when we’re not focusing on our differences. All people value affection, appreciate an understanding attitude, and long for comfort and security. Everyone needs a kind ear to listen when talking about what is troublesome or difficult to overcome. Sometimes providing a little encouragement is all the other person needs.

The Quest Blog began with Backcountry Ben. Click here to undertake an expedition into the wilderness of thoughts and ideas inspired by nature and the travels of Backcountry Ben.

Newfound Area Tax Rates Drop

By

T.P. Caldwell

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December 2, 2018

0

BRISTOL — Tax rates for towns within the Newfound Area School District are lower this year, due in part to the return of $1,069,556 of the school district’s $1.5 million year-end unexpended fund balance as of June 30.

The Newfound Area School Board retained the remaining $438,593 to cover any unanticipated expenses that may arise.

The New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration had not yet set the rate for New Hampton in its most recent posting of tax rates around the state, but the trend was clear in the remaining six towns.

Bristol’s local education tax rate fell 3.38 percent, from $9.77 per $1,000 of valuation in 2017 to $9.44 per $1,000 in 2018. That is still $1.11 or 13.33 percent higher than the 2016 rate. A vote to override the tax cap in 2017 to make repairs to the high school roof boosted the baseline budget by $800,000 at a time when the state’s adequacy funding to schools reduced total revenues. The result was a jump from $8.33 per $1,000 in 2016 to $9.77 per $1,000 in 2017.

Bristol

The total 2018 property tax rate is $21.80 per $1,000 of net assessed valuation, a drop of 33 cents (1.49 percent) from 2017 when the rate was $22.13. It remains $1.18 (5.72 percent) higher than the 2016 rate of $20.62.

A reduction in the tax rate does not necessarily mean a lower tax bill, however.

The town’s net assessed valuation is $469,466,793. Since 2016, it has increased by $1,228,690 (0.26 percent). That means that a hypothetical $200,000 home that paid $4,124 in taxes in 2016 might be valued at $200,520 today, and would have a tax bill of $4,371.34. The actual change for a $200,000 home will vary based on the type of structure, location, and other factors, including how much of the increased valuation is due to new construction in the town.

The breakdown of the tax rate shows that the municipal portion has been dropping since 2016, from $8.22 to $8.21 to $8.18 this year. The decrease can be attributed in part to the use of the town’s unassigned fund balance to offset taxation.

The county portion of the tax rate is $1.94 per $1,000, a 14 cent (7.78 percent) increase from 2017 and a 16 cent (8.99 percent) increase from 2016.

The state education tax rate is $2.24 per $1,000, 11 cents (4.68 percent) higher than in 2017 but 5 cents (2.18 percent) lower than the $2.29 rate in 2016.

Tax bills went out on Nov. 29 and are due on Dec. 31.

Alexandria

Alexandria’s 2018 tax rate, set on Oct. 23, is $22.78 per $1,000, a $2.39 (9.5 percent) decrease from the 2017 rate of $25.17. That is still $1.78 (8.48 percent) higher than the 2016 tax rate of $21.

The town’s total valuation is $197,218,893, an increase of $578,400, or 0.29 percent, since 2017, and $2,259,247 (1.13 percent) since 2016.

Using the example of a home assessed at $200,000 in 2016, which would have paid $4,200 in taxes, that home might be worth $202,260 today, with a tax bill of $4,607.48.

The municipal tax rate of $6.13 per $1,000 is down $1.03 (14.39 percent) from 2017 but is 68 cents (12.48 percent) higher than it was in 2016.

The county rate is $1.81, a 5 cent (2.84 percent) increase from 2017 and a 15 cent (9.04 percent) increase from 2016.

The state education tax rate is $2.21, down 1 cent (0.45 percent) from 2017 but 3 cents (1.38 percent) higher than in 2016.

The local education tax rate is $12.63, down $1.40 (9.98 percent) from 2017 but 92 cents (7.86 percent higher than in 2016.

Bridgewater

Bridgewater’s 2018 tax rate is $9.48 per $1,000, a 14-cent (1.46 percent) decrease from 2017, but it is 5 cents (0.53 percent) higher than in 2016.

With a net assessed valuation of $348,266,000, the town has added $2,338,400 (0.68 percent) to its tax base since 2017, and $4,306,300 (1.25 percent) since 2016. A $200,000 home would have paid $1,886 in taxes in 2016 but, with a potential valuation of $202,500 today, its 2018 tax bill would be $1,919.70.

The municipal portion of the tax rate is $3.03, a 17-cent (5.94 percent) increase from 2017, and a 38-cent (14.34 percent) increase since 2016.

The county tax rate is $1.90, a 7-cent (3.83 percent) increase since 2017 but a 3-cent (1.55 percent) decrease from the 2016 rate.

The state education tax rate is $2.20, down 25 cents (10.2 percent) from both 2016 and 2017, when the rate was $2.45.

The local education tax rate is $2.35, down 13 cents (5.24 percent) from 2017 and down 5 cents (2.08 percent) since 2016.

Danbury

The 2018 tax rate is identical to the 2017 rate in Danbury — $23.50 per $1,000. It is 50 cents (2.17 percent) higher than the 2016 rate of $23.

Danbury’s net assessed valuation is $108,925,635, a $1,327,028 (1.23 percent) increase from 2017 and a $2,186,698 (2.05 percent) increase from 2016. A home worth $200,000 and paying $4,600 in taxes in 2016 might be worth $204,100 today, with a tax bill of $4,796.35.

The municipal tax rate is $6.41, a 58-cent (9.95 percent) increase from 2017 and a 37-cent (6.13 percent) increase from 2016.

The county tax is $2.90 per $1,000, a 7-cent (2.47 percent) increase from 2017 but a 3-cent (1.02 percent) decrease from 2016.

The state education tax is $2.13 per $1,000, a 20-cent (8.58 percent) decrease from 2017 and a 43-cent (16.8 percent) decrease from 2016.

The local education tax rate is $12.06 per $1,000, down 45 cents (3.6 percent) from 2017, but 59 cents (5.14 percent) higher than in 2016.

Groton

Groton’s 2018 tax rate is $14 per $1,000, a drop of $1.64 (10.49 percent) from 2017, but a $2.30 (19.66 percent) increase from 2016.

Its net assessed valuation is $80,713,550, a one-year increase of $1,189,002 (1.5 percent) and a two-year increase of $1,828,948 (2.32 percent). A home worth $200,000 in 2016 would have paid $2,340 in taxes, while today it might be worth $204,640, with a tax bill of $2,864.96.

The municipal tax rate is $1.53, a 60-cent (64.52 percent) increase from 2017, and it is $1.13 (282.5 percent) higher than in 2016, when the rate was 40 cents per $1,000.

The county tax rate is $2.81 per $1,000, the same as the 2016 rate, but 33 cents (10.51 percent) less than the 2017 tax rate.

The state education rate is $4.30 per $1,000, a 19-cent (4.62 percent) increase from 2017 and an 87-cent (25.36 percent) increase from 2016.

The local education rate is $5.36, down $2.10 (28.15 percent) from 2017, but 30 cents (5.93 percent) higher than it was in 2016.

Hebron

Hebron’s 2018 tax rate is $8.36 per $1,000, a decrease of 58 cents (6.49 percent) from 2017, but 4 cents (0.48 percent) higher than the 2016 rate.

The town’s net assessed valuation is $263,205,865, an increase of $3,088,890 (1.19 percent) from 2017 and an increase of $4,908,165 (1.9 percent) from 2016. A home assessed at $200,000 in 2016 would have had a tax bill of $1,664. Today it might be assessed at $203,800 with a tax bill of $1,703.77.

The municipal tax rate is $3.76 per $1,000, a decrease of 41 cents (9.83 percent) from 2017 and a decrease of 9 cents (2.34 percent) since 2016.

The county tax rate is $1.96, a 15-cent (8.29 percent) increase from 2017 and an 8-cent (4.25 percent) increase from 2016.

The state education tax rate is $2.21, down 22 cents (9.05 percent) from 2017 and 12 cents (5.15 percent) since 2016.

The local education tax rate is 43 cents per $1,000, a drop of 10 cents (18.87 percent) from 2017, but 17 cents (65.38 percent) higher than in 2016.