Backroom Dealing in the Land Use Office

The Planning Board will be discussing and “rendering” a decision in the matter of a “Private Club” at P Squares, Monday, March 19 at 7 pm.  The meeting has been publicly posted, but please note that no one but the Planning Board will be allowed to discuss the matter.

 Mr. & Mrs. John Pasquerelli withdrew their application last month, but has since asked the Board to withdraw their withdrawal and render a decision.  What do you bet, they were told that they were too hasty and should have been patient and let Margaret & Dean work their magic on the board, before storming out of the meeting?  The public hearing had already been closed, but the Chairman “tabled” the matter after John & Regina stormed out in anger. 

 According to the Fire Chief, Barry Kellom, they are required by law to install a sprinkler & emergency system through out the entire building.  The Pasquerellis did not like this demand!  They also felt that it was not necessary to have engineering plans.  When Mr. Kellom was asked to address the issue of the illegal firepit in the back yard, he refused to respond.

 Just goes to show, it’s not what you know, but who you know.   It's another one of Margaret’s “backroom deals”.

Clarifing theSchool ballot

Article One: 494 Yes; 304 No
The taxpayers will be paying the lesser budget of $10,835,479 (vs $11,554,845.21)

Article Two: 438 No; 353 Yes
The teacher aids will not get a raise this year

Article Three: 391 No; 383 Yes
The School Board can’t give them a raise no matter what

Article Four: 456 No; 306 Yes
This article was “for informational purposes only.”

Article Five: 466 No; 317 Yes
No extra monies for the capital reserves fund for special ed.

Article Six: 489 No; 289 Yes
The Budget Committee remains

Article Seven: 651 Yes; 122 No
We will receive our auditor’s reports

Article Eight: 553 Yes; 199 No
The School Board can transact other business.

Article Nine: 478 Yes; 309 No
There will be a $1 to studying the withdrawal from Keene High School

Article Ten: 399 No; 344 Yes
The Budget Committee will not set the default budget

Clarifing theTown ballot

For those of you that didn't have a sample ballot (which appears to be practically everyone), We have created a short synopsis of each article.


Article 2: 629 yes; 111 no
The larger budget failed – we will be paying $3,071,587 (instead of $3,649,829)

Article 3: 581 yes; 159 no
The sewer dept budget passed

Article 4: 568 yes; 162 no
The water dept budget passed

Article 5: 597 no; 352 yes
The additional monies for the sidewalk failed

Article 6: 482 yes; 264 no
The COPS grant finally got approved.

Article 7: 412 no; 306 yes
The money for the COPS grant will be funded – since the #6 passed.

Article 8: 539 yes; 200 no
We now have a capital reserve fund for the Conant Library (if they don’t spend the monies this year, they will sit in this fund until they do and NOT be returned to the tax payers)

Article 9: 570 yes; 160 no
We now have a capital reserve fund for Fire Department.

Article 10: 509 yes; 247 no
We now have a capital reserve fund for property assessments

Article 11: 567 yes; 189 no
We now have a capital reserve fund for  Dale Gray (same as #8 – he doesn’t have to return it to the tax payers)

Article 12: 437 no; 326 yes
The Police Interceptor was defeated

Article 13: 400 yes; 362 no
We now have a capital reserve fund for emergencies.

Article 14: 401 yes; 375 no
The Pickle Festival is funded again

Article 15: 404 yes; 360 no
We now have a capital reserve fund for the milfoil in Forest Lake.

Article 16: 534 yes; 230 no
We now have a capital reserve fund for computers at town hall.

Article 17: 446 yes; 310 no
The Evergreen Trust received $20,000 more this year.

Article 18: 514 no; 224 yes
Tim Hill and Jeanette Duhaime will not get a $1 for their speculative property.

Article 19: 428 yes; 225 no
The ELMMCC received their funds

Article 20: 455 yes; 296 yes
The Sheridan House will not receive any monies

Article 21: 373 no; 371 yes
The Sportsmen’s club did not get their insurance monies

Article 22: 426 no; 288 yes
The Budget Committee will remain intact

Article 23: 394 yes; 316 no
The Budget Committee will be reduce next year to 7 members instead of the current nine (9)

Article 24: 457 no; 226 yes
The Budget Committee will not determine the default budget

Article 25: 512 yes; 179 no
The town will continue to keep the bare minimum Conflict of Interest rules

Article 26: 470 yes; 240 no
The Highway agent will remain appointed

Article 27: 525 yes; 176 no
The ambulance can be used at will by the selectman’s families

Article 28: 405 yes; 226 no
Planning Board

Article 29: 378 yes; 264 no
Planning Board

Article 30: 393 yes; 252 no
Planning Board

Article 31: 429 yes; 241 no
Planning Board

Article 32: 326 no; 305 yes
Planning Board

Article 33: 368 yes; 267 no
Planning Board

Article 34: 328 yes; 292 no
Planning Board

Article 35: 384 yes; 275 no
We no longer have a Wetland protection policy ( Thank you Margaret Sharra )

Article 36: 392 yes; 233 no
Planning Board

Article 37: 558 yes; 139 no
Accept the reports of the auditors

Article 38: 549 yes; 143 no
Permission to the BOS to legally transact stuff

Town Election Results

814 voters

Selectman:
528 Ken Gardner
      481 Sherman Tedford

Checklist: Denis Murphy II
575

Moderator:
 Kenneth Harvey 382
 Chris Thompson 163
William Kelly Jr 140

Trustee:
 Harvey Sieran
576

Conant Library:
 Alice Picard 539
    Jane Sheeran 509
     Janet Mantelo 498

Conant 1-year:
Erica Benson 55

Thayer 3 year:
Julia Ferrari 510
      Harriet Charland 492

Thayer 1 year:
Dianne Skawski-Pride 546

Budget Committee:
Elisha Jackson 446
      Jacqueline Beaman 316
Kenneth Cole 279
   Richard LaPoint 214
Sue LaPoint 210
     Jason Cardinale 188
Robert Davis 177
     John Pasquarelli 123

Planning Board:

 Larry Hill 328
      Brian Moser 262
           Jason Cardinale 236
            Michael Doherty 203
      Art Charland 189

Musterfield:
Parkhurst 663
1-year:
Malcolm Perkins 606

Article 2:  629 yes
                111 no

Article 3: 581 yes
              159 no

Article 4:  568 yes
               162 no

Article 5:  597 no
                 352 yes

Article 6:  482 yes
              264 no

Article 7:  412 no
                 306 yes

Article 8:  539 yes
               200 no

Article 9:  570 yes
               160 no

Article 10: 509 yes
                247 no

Article 11:  567 yes
                 189 no

Article 12:  437 no
                   326 yes

Article 13:  400 yes
                 362 no

Article 14:  401 yes
                375 no

Article 15:  404 yes
                360 no

Article 16: 534 yes
                230 no

Article 17:  446 yes
                 310 no

Article 18: 514 no
                  224 yes

Article 19:  428 yes
                  225 no

Article 20:  455 yes
                  296 yes

Article 21:  373 no
                  371 yes

Article 22:  426 no
                   288 yes

Article 23:  394 yes
                 316 no

Article 24:  457 no
                    226 yes

Article 25:  512 yes
                179 no

Article 26:  470 yes
                 240 no

Article 27:  525 yes
                 176 no

Article 28:  405 yes
                226 no

Article 29:  378 yes
                264 no

Article 30: 393 yes
                252 no

Article 31:  429 yes
                241 no

Article 32:  326 no
                   305 yes

Article 33:  368 yes
                 267 no

Article 34:  328 yes
                 292 no

Article 35:  384 yes
                275 no

Article 36: 392 yes
                233 no

Article 37:  558 yes
                 139 no

Article 38:  549 yes
                 143 no

School Ballot Results

Total Voters:

814

Voting Results

Treasurer - Brian Moser

School Board
Elisha Jackson  409
Richard Horton  337
Collen Duquette  208
Jacqueline Beaman  148
Bill McGrath  147
Jason Cardinale  110

Article One:  494 Yes
                    304 No

Article Two:  438 No
                     353 Yes

Article Three:  391 No
                       383 Yes

Article Four:  456 No
                      306 Yes

Article Five:  466 No
                      317 Yes

Article Six:  489  No
                   289 Yes

Article Seven:  651 Yes
                      122 No

Article Eight: 553 Yes
                    199 No

Article Nine:  478 Yes
                     309 No

Article Ten:  399 No

                    344 Yes

As Town Elections Approach , Let's Set The Record Straight

There has been misleading information to the residents of Winchester about Rick Horton and Elisha Jackson, School Board Candidates.  I am compelled to respond in a compassionate and thoughtful manner to show politics can be positive.

I live here, VOLUNTEER here, and managed the bank in town for over nine years. I thought that I had a great presence in our community and my credentials spoke for themselves, until I read Mr. Bigelow’s March 7^th letter.  I thank Mr. Bigelow for bringing to my attention that people might not know who Elisha Jackson is. I hold a Bachelor degree in Accounting, have 19 years finance, banking, and community development experience, elected Budget Committee Member, current Treasurer of the Cheshire Fair Association and Treasurer of the NH State 4H Association, previous Treasurer of the ELMMCC and WGYB just to name a few. I have handled individuals’ and business’ finances responsibly for the people in our town. I’ve also seen the hardships our community faced when the School increased its budget last year from $10.5 Million to $11.1 Million raising taxes to $30.03 per thousand. People in our community lost their homes, others couldn’t refinance to lower rates because property values declined. My reason for running for School Board is more than just budget related. I have a son that is in our school system and have been actively involved in our school for over nine years. I care about our community and most importantly, our children. 

“Just because they said it doesn’t make it so” is the exact reason I dedicated over 100 volunteered hours researching and verifying school budget information provided by the School Administration. Rick Horton and I uncovered over budgeted line items including tuition enrollments to Keene, retirement benefits for SAU staff calculated at 11.36% which is the teacher rate, and other items not disclosed by School Administration. I believe in researching information for myself and encourage the voters to do the same. Check the Annual Report, opening day enrollments for Keene High have decreased in the past three years, don’t be fooled that people are moving in every week.

We need people who listen to the public, research information, and then make responsible decisions with the best interests of our children in mind.   Please vote “yes” on Article One and Horton and Jackson for School Board.

Elisha Jackson

227 Keene Rd.

Winchester, NH 03470

(603) 239-4999

I ask for your vote on Tuesday

I'm tired of my taxes going up because of the constant litigation Winchester faces because boards cherry-pick which rules and procedures they wish to follow. Why are we paying for a town counselor whose advice is too often selectively followed by boards, resulting in the town ending up in court? That's not a win for Winchester and those costs get passed on to taxpayers.

Why is our Select board advising to remove the checks and balances for the town by advocating the removal of the Budget committee? If you don't like someone on a board, don't vote for them next time. Why are we paying for a town administrator who is unable to keep her biases in check? Doesn't she work for the entire town? Why are town ambulance services used privately by a member of the Board of Selectmen that involves driving their family member to another faraway state? And more importantly, why is this kept a secret from the public and news reporters. Apparently a closed mouth policy protects our Selectmen from their misbehavior and wrongdoings—and keeps us in the dark about how much it costs Winchester.

For these reasons, and many others, I have decided to run as a write-in candidate for the Winchester Selectman's Board. Let's get Winchester on a more positive track. I would appreciate your vote on Tuesday, March 13th.

Jennifer Bellan

PO Box 3

Ashuelot, NH  03441

603-239-7206

Winchester School Board Deliberative Session Minutes 2012

It's a shame that pertinent information and conversations were left out of these minutes so that people could better understand what was going on. Perhaps the School Board's Minutes Policy needs to be amended by warrant next year.

For those of you who were working or to busy to attend, here's the School Board version of what took place on Feb 9th at their Deliberative Session.