March 2l PB Meeting - CONTINUING LIES BY SHARRA

The following email was sent to us this morning and we were asked to publish it on this blog. We don't necessarily agree with the writer or some of his comments; but  everyone is entitled to their opinion and we will under the right of free speech publish it.

           LIAR, LIAR - PANTS ON FIRE:  THE CONTINUING SAGA OF THE CORRUPT MARGARET SHARRA and the Planning Bd. of Winchester.

     The following is UNCONTROVERTED:

l)  On March 7 PB Meeting, Sharra DENIED knowing anything about rehearings/reconsiderations  by
the PB.  Sharra herself brought forward a MOTION TO RECONSIDER before the PB on the Robert
Van Dyke matter without Van Dyke or his Atty (Ratigan) being present.  (Oct l5, 2009)
2) At the March 21 PB meeting,Sharra Lied again when she said she DID NOT receive an E-mail
application formMichael Towne to be an alternate on the PB. (How can you miss an E-mail)
3) PB member Gordon made a motion to have the three losing PB members from the last election be
made alternates (staggered). The motion was seconded.  Then Sharra objected because she wanted to
make a motion first. The motion by Gordon that was seconded was not acted upon; the Board improperly and illegally on the Sharra motion, therefore they acted illegally and must be thrown out.
4) Sharra  LIED when she did not allegedly remember her motion one year ago when she put Ken Cole,
Will Dourdonis and Beaman on the Board.  This writer talked with her yesterday afternoon - she remembered

it then. 

5) Larry Hill and another person came into PB meeting with two signs, VOTE FOR BEAMAN. Hill and the other person were voted on the Board, upon Sharra's motion. The other person did not run for office but, who I was told, allegedly lives near Sharra but has been to no planning board meetings in the past

IN A DEMOCRACY

                    THE PEOPLE THAT RUN FOR OFFICE AND LOSE BECOME THE ALTERNATES     

 THAT IS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.

6) SHARRA  Lied to Mary Ryan and John Keenan by saying she did not know of any procedure where
the planning Board. could have a rehearing/reconsideration.
7) SHARRA HAS DEEP PSYCHOTIC PROBLEMS.  She is totally incapable of running a down the middle meeting (Calm and you hear all sides).  She only hears the Developer's side and is rude, obnoxious
to all opposition.  She has a duty to help mitigate legal expenses and tell the truth.  She has an inability
to be fair and unbalanced. 
8) Last night after lying about Towne's application to be an alternate on the board, she took strong umbridge to his candidacy by saying ,
"Mr Towne has cost this town a lot of legal fees, WHEN IT IS MARGARET SHARRA that has  cost the town $25,000 on Van Dyke matter for acting as Van Dyke's agent and requested the board overturn it's denial of his application and RECONSIDER their decision. She acted alone when she did this and her constant flouting of the rules and candor she be grounds for her immediate dismal; but we all know the BOS won't act. Birds of a feather as they say.
SHE SHOULD RESIGN FROM THE PB AND ESPECIALLY STOP TAKING THE MINUTES FOR THE PB.
HER MINUTES ARE SLANTED PROPOGANDA, FULL OF LIES, TOTALLY ONE SIDED
AND UNBALANCED BESIDES BEING A COMPLETE CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

I AM VERY DISTURBED BY WHAT TRANSPIRED LAST NIGHT, BEAMAN WAS ELECTED AS THE NEW CHAIR: BUT SHARRA ONCE AGAIN DICTATED WHAT WENT ON AND WHO GOT
PICKED TO BE ON THE BOARD AS SHE DID LAST YEAR. THIS TAKES THE LEGITIMACY AWAY FROM THIS BOARD AND ANY DECISIONS THEY WILL MAKE IN THE FUTURE.
 I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE CONDUCT OF THE OTHER PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS IN NOT STANDING UP TO HER IMPROPER CONDUCT,

                                                               john douglas keenan
                                         

County Budget Hearing!

County Budget Hearing! 
Cheshire County Courthouse -
Tonight, Monday, March 21st
Superior Court house jury assembly room at 7 pm


All Selectmen should attend from every town in the county and people concerned over the increase in county taxes coming and proposed state budget cuts. Let them know you're tired of picking up the tab for all of their spending ways and no means other than to pick our pockets to pay for it.

Town Served: Sharra and Ruth Named Personally

We have received a copy of the most recent lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Keene this past week and served on the town Monday naming the Planning Board and Sharra and Ruth personally for their conduct during the Mitchell Sand & Gravel LLC, application process. The planning board gave Mitchell "conditional" approval January 3, 2011.

Despite overwhelming evidence, provided by the communities of
Winchester , Swanzey and Ashuelot contrary to the applicant's
testimony and citing all of the health risks to the public with both
the manufacturing process and the increase in diesel truck traffic and
more toxic fumes and particulates being released into the air, the
Planning Board completely ignored the evidence and made their
decision.

Included in the 17 page, 101 topics are charges of bias,
prejudgement, rules and regulation violations and many procedural
errors both State and Town and their own Planning Board Rules of
Procedure.

The suit names both Margaret Sharra and Gus Ruth as biased persons and that they both had prejudged in favor of the applicant long before the board granted approval.

That both had misinformed the public and members of the Planning Board itself with their testimony during the proceedings and that Ruth physically demonstrated his approval for this applicant, when he forcefully grabbed the microphone out of Mary Ryan's hand while she was giving testimony to the ZBA on the serious health hazards associated with asphalt mix plants and told her he did not want to hear what she had to say.

The suit also charges Sharra purposely misled Mary Ryan when a request for rehearing/reconsideration was submitted by Mrs. Ryan. Sharra stated she wasn't sure if their were any procedures that covered this request and also stated she would consult with the town's attorney and contact her with the proper information. Sharra never did and in fact opened a hearing without notifying the public or even Mrs. Ryan and the other people who signed the request.

The Planning Board's own Rules of Procedure outlines the proper steps to take when hearing a request for reconsideration and at the LGC ( Legal Government Center ), where members attend instructional classes,
there is a two page document available on Planning Board Rehearing Procedures. Which was submitted to the board as part  of the rehearing request.

The suit also alleges that Margaret Sharra deliberately held back information submitted by Mrs. Ryan and did not give a full 16 page copy of  the request to the members of the board but  instead gave them just the first 4 pages, leaving out all of the supporting evidence to corroborate the many procedural errors they committed and the fact they were breaking the law in granting an approval of the applicant's application. The Supreme Court has already ruled that a Planning  Board can not accept incomplete Site Plan Applications

The file is just too large to upload page by page for all to see but we can  provide for those that do wish to read the full complaint a link to download it.

After reading this latest suit against the town, the opinion of this blog and that of two attorney's consulted, is that the Planning Board violated many procedures and that it did in fact commit errors of law and that both the original request for a rehearing and the court filing were done in a timely manner and within the time frame allowed by law.

 It is quite obvious given the serious nature of this complaint, that some board members acted in bad faith. The question also is, was this done intentionally as the suit claims?

Links to the lawsuit in PDF format;

http://www.fileserve.com/file/jT3EZkh       ( pages 1-12 )

http://www.fileserve.com/file/mv4ajFv       ( pages 13-16 )

Little Faith In Officials

The following are my impressions of what transpired at the Winchester Planning Board meeting Feb. 21 during the discussion surrounding the board’s decision to approve the asphalt plant.

I cannot believe professional courtesy between Winchester town employees is so lacking that when a letter was delivered to town hall asking the planning board to reconsider its approval of the plant, the letter was sent back via registered mail to the person who had already hand-delivered it in order to meet the deadlines for such appeals.

That’s right. Instead of walking the letter to the board’s chairwoman (who apparently works in the building), it was sent back (with costs incurred by the town to do so) without giving the deliverer a chance to respond to the alert left on their answering machine.

It was protested that the planning board doesn’t have any authority in what another town office does, which I would say is true. It was then suggested that the entire problem could have been avoided and all deadlines met had the deliverer brought the letter directly to the chairwoman.

Town Hall is Town Hall.

I don’t think missed deadlines (as perceived by the planning board) and the often cited RSA about appeal procedure supports the board’s position that “they don’t have jurisdiction” over the matter of their decision to approve the asphalt plant.

I guess that means the board considers their decision a done deal and I often heard them contend that it will require direction by the New Hampshire court system to re-open the question. When a board member questioned this decision, her motives for asking her question came under suspicion, rather than having the substance of her question addressed.

I agree with the same board member who said that, as a taxpayer, she would prefer the whole matter be resolved outside of a courtroom.

Look, I get it. This is a contentious issue that has taken up a huge amount of the planning board’s time. But, the seemingly passive-aggressive avoidance to review their decision weakens my faith that they are able to make balanced and fair decisions in the first place.

JENNIFER MARIE BELLAN
Ashuelot

Selectman's Meeting Minutes 03-02-2011

MINUTES of the BOARD OF SELECTMEN MEETING Wednesday March 2, 2011 Board Members Present: Vice Chairman, Roberta Fraser; Theresa Sepe; Kenneth Gardner; and Gustave Ruth. Also present Joan Morel, Town Administrator, and Executive Assistant Shelly Walker.  Chairman Sherman Tedford is absent. The meeting convenes at 7:00 PM. 1st Order of  Business: Open Meeting and Acceptance of Minutes Selectman Sepe makes a motion to accept the regular minutes of February 23, 2011.  Selectman Gardner seconds the motion.  Motion carries 3-0 with 1 abstention.   2nd Order of  Business: Other Business Previously, the Board of Selectmen had a letter composed communicating their deep concern regarding a 15.4% increase of the County budget. At their last meeting the Board made revisions. All Board members signed the letter. The Water Warrant for this quarter has been submitted in the amount of $60,567.86.  Selectman Fraser makes a motion to sign the Warrant.  Selectman Sepe seconds the motion. Motion carries 4-0. Seven customer service windows in the Town hall need replacing. Three companies were contacted for quotes. JA Jubb submitted a quote in the amount of $2,305.00 and Cheshire Glass submitted a quote in the amount of $1,935.00. After a brief discussion, Selectman Sepe makes a motion to accept the quote from Cheshire Glass to replace these windows. Selectman Garnder seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0. The Forest Fire Warden has appointed Barry Kellom, Robert Dingman, and Bruce Lawrence as Issue Agents to issue Burn Permits. Selectman Ruth makes a motion to approve these appointments.  Selectman Gardner seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0. An Elderly Exemption Application for Map 17, Lot 25 has been submitted.  Selectman Fraser makes a motion to approve this application.  Selectman Ruth seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0. Two Veterans Tax Credit applications have been submitted for Map 18, Lot 11. After discussion, Selectman Ruth makes a motion to approve the first application. Selectman Sepe seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0.  Selectman Sepe makes a motion to approve the second application for Map 18, Lot 11.  Selectman Ruth seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0. The Road agent has submitted a copy of a salt purchase requisition in the amount of $2,076.38 for the Board’s review. The Road agent noted on the requisition that this purchase would overdraw the Salt line of his budget by $4,965.36. All Board members noted the fact. A letter granting Dapkus (Stateline) Fireworks permission to sell New Hampshire permitted fire works has been submitted for 2011. Selectman Ruth makes a motion to approve and sign this letter.  Selectman Gardner seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0. In 2010, Article #11 for bus service in the amount of $15,500.00 was approved. Selectman Gardner makes a motion to add this to the carry-over list for the Board to vote on in June.  Selectman Ruth seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0. J.B. Mack of SWRPC would like to schedule a meeting with the Board to discuss the Tannery site , and Tata & Howard would like to meet regarding water issues.  All Board members were in agreement to schedule a work session for March 16, 2011 at 10 AM. WEDC has submitted a Term Sheet proposal for the Boards review. This matter was tabled and will be addressed at the Boards next meeting. The Chairman announced that there is an upcoming workshop “Road Management for Town Officials” to be held in Keene on June 24th.  Anyone interested in attending should notify the Executive Assistant so that she may enroll them. The Chairman read a letter of Resignation from John Hann, the Chairman of the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The Financial Department has submitted a request for clarification on the normal Highway Department hours for payroll purposes. Selectman Gardner makes a motion to set the Highway Department hours for during the months of May thru October, their work week will be Monday thru Thursday, 6 AM to 4:30 PM and for November thru April, their work week will be Monday thru Friday, 7:00 AM thru 3:30 PM.  Selectman Ruth seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0. Jason Lodge of Hoyle & Tanner has submitted Change Order #1 for the Old Westport bridge project.  There are no costs associated with this change order, only the completion date would change from April 30, 2011 to May 25, 2011.  Selectman Sepe makes a motion to approve Change Order #1.  Selectman Ruth seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0. The Board reviewed a memo regarding racetrack applications for permits and fees.  Selectman Fraser makes a motion to set the permit application fee to $100 per track. Selectman Sepe made a friendly amendment to include applications must be filed in a timely manner with the Town Administration setting the due date.  Selectman Fraser accepts the amendment.  Selectman Ruth seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0. 3rd Order of  Business: Office Documents A memo has been submitted from the Financial Department regarding seven pair of uniform pants that were lost by an employee.  Crown uniform has offered to replace all seven pairs if the Town pays $120.00 for four pairs of pants. After a brief discussion, Selectmen agreed that the employee was responsible.  Selectman Gardner makes a motion that the Town will not pay for the lost pants.  Selectman Sepe seconds the motion.  Motion carries 4-0. 4th Order of Business: Open to the Floor (15 minutes) Herb Stephens came before the Board to notify them that Vermont Yankee will be conducting a drill on March 8, 2011.  That is voting day, so a skeleton crew will respond. Dan Bechard came before the Board to discuss re-opening his father’s salvage yard and repair shop. The Board directed him to speak with the Land Use Assistant about the process. Theodore Whippie handed out photocopies of an article recently published on cnn.com relating to skyrocketing water bills.  Mr. Whippie briefly discussed with the Board his concern of the cost of new replacement water meters in town. The Chairman reminded everyone that March 8, 2011 is voting day, and polls will be open from 8 AM-7 PM. 5th Order of Business: Any Other Business The Town Administrator had given all Board members an informational handout on a possible policy for meeting minutes.  The Town Administrator would like the Board to review and edit this information before composing a policy regarding minutes. 6th Order of Business: Adjournment Selectman Ruth makes a motion to adjourn.  Selectman Gardner seconds the motion and it carries 4-0.  The meeting adjourns at 7:45 PM. Respectfully recorded, Shelly Walker Executive Assistant March 2, 2011 BOS Regular Minutes approved by:                          Sherman Tedford, Chairman        Roberta Fraser, Selectman Gustave Ruth, Selectman Theresa Sepe, Selectman          Kenneth Gardner, Selectman

Planning Board Headed Back To Court

A lawsuit against the Town of Winchester's Planning Board has been filed in Superior Court as a result of the ruling giving Mitchell Sand & Gravel a Conditional Approval to build an asphalt plant. The ZBA gave Mitchell a special exception to build the plant in the Agricultural Zone on top of the Protected Aquifer Zone despite the numerous health hazards associated with a plant of this type and the threat of contamination to the Ashuelot River;  the Town's water source as well as many private wells. Rushing to judgement; both the ZBA and Planning Boards hastily ruled in favor of this project despite mounds and mounds of evidence and testimony from many concerned citizens of both Swanzey and Winchester.

The suit was filed based on procedural errors and regulation violations which is the norm for this board under Margaret Sharra's direction and will once again result in costly litigation. A copy of the complaint against the town will be made available once the town has been officially served. This is not a frivolous lawsuit as will be claimed by certain individuals; but a very serious matter and violation of laws and regulations on procedures that were simply ignored. It's too bad that we can not hold these individuals that voted in favor of this proposed project, responsible for wasting the town's hard earned taxpayer money defending their illegal actions.

Unofficial Results of Yesterday's Town Election

A very poor voter turnout resulted in the following;

BOS:  Roberta Fraser 274

Thayer Library:  Irene Clark  293

            Kim Gordon  235

            Hubert Crowell  228

            (Dianne Skawski-Pride  226)

Thayer Library:  Julia Ferrari 186

Budget Committee: 

            Jack Marsh  395

            Richard Horton  252

            Brian Moser  220

Planning Board:

            Jack Marsh  228

            Dean Beaman 194

Warrants

2. yes 442

3 yes  324

4 yes 333

5 yes 410

6 yes 311

7 yes 419

8 yes 369

9 yes 420

10 yes 285

11 yes 355

12 yes 382

13 yes 349

14 yes 285

15 yes 312

School –

Board :

Wendy Hildreth 272

            Trevor Croteau  256

2 yes 415

               3 yes 264  (no 259)

4 yes 270

5 yes 259

6 yes 462

7yes 410

Censorship and Secrecy Part II

Who is responsible for removing several pages of past, public record, meeting minutes of the Planning and Zoning Boards and for what reason? Why has someone gone to great lengths to remove these records from the town's website and for what purpose? Is someone who has access trying to hide something from the public, something that would either result in another law suit or provide information and evidence in a case already filed?  Are these public records now being altered, information being removed or added to suit someones agenda? Sure is awful suspicious behavior for a town with a so-called open door policy. None of these things ever took place on Bob Gray's watch. What's really going on downtown and just who is behind all of these strange and unlawful acts?

To the citizens and voters of Winchester

This letter was submitted to the Sentinel and hadn't been published as of yesterday so we thought we'd put it up for the public to read before the election tomorrow:


Tomorrow we go to the polls and by casting our ballots, we choose the direction Winchester takes for the next year or more. As everyone knows, these are tough times for many of us, more so than in the past and our choices of candidates and spending issues will decide whether our town moves forward in a positive direction for the good of all; or whether it remains more of the same and Winchester continues to be a stagnant, sleepy little town, controlled by a few who bask in misinformation and under a veil of secrecy..

This year, more so than in the past an effort has been made to put into process changes that affect the way we as citizens can obtain information from the town; from what transpired at meetings, issues of spending and basically every town function that we as citizens have the right to know and question. Our new town Administrator has ,with the help of the Board of Selectmen, implemented many changes that prevent the free flow of information we once had when Bob Gray cheerily greeted us from behind the window of his office and asked if there was something he could help us with. Now, behind drawn blinds secrecy rules and service is next to non existent. New policy dictates how and who controls public information and when and if you'll receive it sometime in the future. There is really something wrong with people in public office who refuse to have any public contact and who spend countless hours of time changing policies to effectively hide public information from citizens. This is just so wrong !

There's an old saying that comes to mind; "You can always tell who is telling the truth, a liar will eventually change the story they tell, while the truthful person only has one story to tell, the truth."  How many times have you heard numerous versions regarding what happened coming out of Town Hall?

I'm running for Selectman and need your votes to overturn these unjust and unfair policies and to implement the open door policies we had in place when Bob was here. As a former Marine, honesty, integrity and a sense of pride are deeply instilled in me and I am a fierce fighter when it comes to defending the public's right to know, the word quit is not in my vocabulary. I promise to work diligently for you, to carry out my duties fairly and justly and to at all times have the best interests of the citizens of Winchester as the driving force in all of the decisions I make. I will make myself accessible to everyone and provide answers to every question asked and work with you to solve problems and help those that need it, to never turn my back to anyone who seeks me out and to listen with an open mind.

A wise man once said, " The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. "

If you do nothing else tomorrow, please join me at the polls and cast your votes. The future of Winchester and yours depend on it.  Don't let someone else make those choices for you.

Mike Towne

If we say YES to the contracts - we get stuck with this

Think before you cast your votes tomorrow, understand these new changes.

Evergreen law's repeal takes effect

Governor neither vetoes nor signs

By Matthew Spolar / Monitor staff

March 2, 2011

The state's evergreen law has been repealed without a veto attempt by Gov. John Lynch, marking the new Republican-controlled Legislature's first rollback of a law signed by the Democratic governor.
"I think it signifies that the majority has the ability to act quickly on certain pieces of legislation," House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt, a Republican from Salem, said yesterday. "I think this is a good indication of things to come."
The evergreen law, signed by Lynch in 2008, continued pay plans for public employees after contracts expired, effectively assuring teachers and other public employees they would receive salary step increases based on years of experience instead of having their wages frozen until a subsequent contract was approved.
The law had heavy support from labor unions, which saw it as keeping a promise to public employees who take jobs under the assumption that they will see incremental raises each year until reaching the top of the pay scale.
But the law quickly became a target of Republican lawmakers on behalf of public employers like towns and school districts, which argued that guaranteeing employees automatic step increases tilted negotiations toward unions and away from taxpayers.
As the repeal legislation - Senate Bill 1 - sailed through the Senate and House, Lynch had remained mum about whether he would attempt to veto it. Primary sponsor Sen. Bob Odell, a Republican from Lempster, said he spoke with the governor when the bill reached his desk last week and was still unsure which way Lynch was leaning.
"The main thing was it becomes law before (annual) school meetings and town meetings (this) month," Odell said. That way, voters could approve or deny contracts knowing whether the evergreen law would apply once the contracts expired, he said.
Lynch decided to let the bill sit on his desk for five days, rendering it law without his signature. Republicans hold veto-proof majorities in the House and Senate, and the prior floor votes in both chambers suggested a challenge by Lynch would have been overridden.
Mark MacKenzie, president of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO, said the governor "understands the political reality of where he's at with this piece of legislation."
"I think the governor is faced with a number of bills this year that he's going to have to make some decisions on in terms of what he does and his use of his veto," said MacKenzie, who had testified against the repeal. "I understand that is a process that takes a lot of time and thought."
Lynch's spokesman, Colin Manning, said the governor didn't veto the repeal because he "believes that the law hadn't worked out as well as it had intended" in bringing both sides to the table during public employee negotiations.
But the governor also chose not to sign the repeal bill into law, Manning said, because he felt the legislation could have been improved and he was not convinced a full repeal of the evergreen law was needed.
Now that the evergreen law has been repealed, only contracts that contain specific evergreen language negotiated by unions and employers will continue to be subject to evergreen provisions. For all other contracts, whether they were signed while the evergreen law was in place or after it was repealed, public employees will not see automatic salary step increases once the contracts expire.
Rick Trombly, New Hampshire spokesman for the National Education Association, which represents teachers unions, said "we will be looking at what action we might take" with regard to the repeal immediately eliminating evergreen oversight from contracts signed while the law was in place. MacKenzie said he was aware of attorneys meeting on the issue to discuss possible litigation.

Please call the Attorney General’s office TODAY!

Lack of Voter Confidence! 

This will make two years in a row that the Town Clerk has produced two (2) different “Official Absentee Ballots”.

This time last year, voters discovered during the counting of the ballots that there were two “official” ballots and several different count totals. During the election, several voters and checkers of the check-list noted a Selectman opening the absentee ballots and placing them in the machine without following the proper voter certification of the checklist process.

Can you say, “rigged”?

The last election to decide on the withdrawal of the SAU 38 was also flawed. The officials proclaimed that only one person voted against. This was not correct! A recount was requested.

Can you say, “rigged”?

Again, this election – several recipients of the absentee ballots were notified by the Town Clerk that the “Official Absentee Ballot” that they original received in the mail were no longer valid. They needed to fill out a new ballot with Frank Amarosa III under the Thayer Library’s one-year term. You ask, “…how legal is this?” This is NOT LEGAL. Ballots sent out by the Town have to be counted. Once the ballot has been printed and sent out, it cannot be changed!

They were notified just five days before the Tuesday, March 8th, Election Day. For those voters living out of state, there will NOT be sufficient time to insure that they receive and return the new ballots in time for the elections. However, according to RSA 659:46 the Town is required by law to count the original ballot. Are the counting all of the Absentee Ballots?

Can you say, “rigged”?

It is the opinion of this website that our town officials lack the ethics and integrity to run a fair and honest election. Our confidence in the election process no longer exists!

We ask that all of you take a few minutes today and please contact:

Attorney General's

Toll Free Election Line:

1-866-868-3703

1-866-VOTER03

Ask them to fully investigate this matter and have a representative from their office at the polls on Tuesday to insure a fair and equal election process.  Let them know you no longer have their vote of confidence. Please follow the links below for further information -

http://www.doj.nh.gov/elections/
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/lxiii/659/659-mrg.htm

To the Voters of Winchester and Ashuelot:

My daddy taught me that if I want to initiate change, I can’t sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to do it—especially if I expect results.  It’s one of the reasons I decided to run for Thayer Library trustee.  The quaint little library is located just across from the covered bridge in Ashuelot.  For those living in the community, there is confusion about the purpose of this public library.  If you’ve ever been there hoping to find a good read, you were probably directed to the Conant Library in the center of Winchester, much as I was when I stopped there for the first time about eight years ago.  Over the years I have fixated on this library because it’s a resource in the community not being used.
Last year when I first decided to run for the trustee position out of my concern to try to find a way to revitalize the library in the village, I was told by the current librarian that the reason the library wasn’t being used by anyone is because kids today don’t read.  Ironically, I was told this information last March, during the same time that the school where I work in Brattleboro was conducting the March Reading Challenge.  Many of my freshman and sophomores participate in the program every year because reading is a priority for everyone.
The children of Winchester and Ashuelot aren’t any different from the kids living in the Brattleboro area.  On March 1st I had the opportunity to visit the Winchester School where I happened to witness the joy of kids celebrating reading, not just for the day, but throughout the whole school for the entire week.  People from the community had volunteered to come in and read to students and were just leaving when I had arrived.  I noticed the paper chain strung throughout the halls, each link identifying a specific book title.  Principal Jim Lewis later explained that students were asked to pick their top three favorite books and write them on a strip of paper that was later assembled into the colorful chain I was now looking at.
Anyone who works with kids, whether it be teenagers, middle school students, or elementary level students, knows that our job as adults is getting kids excited about reading.  There are so many amazing people living in our community that work hard to make sure kids are excited about school, sports, after school programs, etc.  What saddens me is the attitude of some associated with the Thayer Library that it’s perfectly acceptable to go around and tell people that kids just don’t ready anymore.
On Tuesday, March 8th there will be an opportunity for voters in Winchester and Ashuelot to decide the future of the Thayer Library.  Don’t just sit on the sidelines and complain.  Bring the Thayer Library into the 21st century by voting for people who see what the library could be rather than what it is.  Vote for Julia Ferrari, Kim Gordon, and Dianne Skawski-Pride for Thayer Library trustees.
Sincerely,
Dianne Skawski-Pride
Ashuelot

Ferrari’s good for library

In a short while, Winchester voters will have the opportunity to return Julia Ferrari to another term as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Thayer Public Library.

Julia has worked diligently and with great dedication to meet the goals envisioned by Julia B. Thayer when she established a trust fund for the maintenance of the “Free Reading Room and Library in Ashuelot.”

In her capacity as a library trustee, Julia Ferrari’s efforts resulted in obtaining a $10,000 grant from the N.H. Moose Plate Program for the painting and preservation of the historic structure that is the Thayer Public Library.

It is efforts and due diligence such as this that will restore the library to its proper function, ensure its longevity, and once again be a jewel in the Ashuelot community and the town of Winchester.

Please join me in voting for Julia Ferrari on March 8, 2011.

HARRIET CHARLAND
Trustee
Thayer Public Library