Stop NH The Pipeline Newsletter

STOP THE NH PIPELINE / ECHO ACTION NEWS

IN THIS EMAIL BLAST

- Hillary Clinton at Keene State College - Q&A about FERC and pipelines

* Transcribed

* Clip regarding FERC & NED pipeline

* Full Town Hall at KSC including question about fracking at 39 minutes in, followed by NED & FERC

- WMUR plugs Hillary’s response to pipeline question at Town Hall at KSC

- Pipeline opposition attends climate rally in Manchester (Union Leader story & photos)

- “Pipelines Are Scarier Than Halloween”, Oct 31st march, rally, flash mob dance in Keene! Plan to be there!

- Pipeline opposition at the Winchester Pickle Festival

- Pipeline opposition at the Milford Pumpkin Festival

- Pipeline opposition at the Nashua Harvest Parade

- Governor Hassan and the Executive Council in Mason on Monday

- Pipeline Information Pop-In at the Fitzwilliam Library Wednesday night

THE PIPELINE OPPOSITION HAS BEEN BUSY! 

We need you for support. Please come out, get involved!  Your next big opportunity is on Halloween! It’s difficult to to convince elected officials that people don’t approve of the pipeline when few people show up at rallies. Making your presence known is important. We know you’re busy. We are too. It’s a choice to make the time to be present. Speak now, or forever wish you had! Come on out and join us - I promise you’ll meet nice people and have fun!!!

  

 

Hillary Clinton Town Hall at Keene State College, 10/16/15
Question regarding FERC regulations and pipelines (transcribed).

http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4555585/ferc-stephanie

 

“PIPELINES ARE SCARIER THAN HALLOWEEN”

March • Rally • Flash Mob Dance and some surprises too!

* Come do the FERC & Kinder Morgan Monster Smash! *

- Thoughtful signs (cannot go in the ground)
- You may bring wrapped treats and informational handouts
- All pipeline towns welcome and encouraged to attend
- Positive, peaceful protest/vigil
- Costumes encouraged!
- Want to do something about the pipeline? Please come out in numbers at 10:00 am to support this rally!!!

PLEASE RSVP if you have decorated vehicles, floats, or other fun visuals! Keep it safe and friendly!
Keene, Swanzey and Jaffrey have just been added to the proposed pipeline impact towns. Let's draw them in!
* PLEASE SHARE! *

 

 

Citizens can't rely on state laws for protection

Citizens in New Hampshire have been mobilizing to oppose certain large, corporate industrial projects such as Northern Pass or the Kinder Morgan pipeline that threaten the New Hampshire way of life. They are attending meetings and hearings because they believe that the environment will be harmed or that the health, safety and welfare of their families and neighbors are endangered. Many residents believe that once their voices have been heard, the regulators will order major changes to the proposed project or prevent it from being built. Unfortunately, their reliance on the current regulatory scheme is misplaced, because federal, state and local laws cannot be relied upon to accomplish either of these goals. The proposed industrial project will go forward unless the corporation decides, for its own reasons, to postpone or abandon it. Why? Because the regulatory process regulates only how the project proceeds, not if it will proceed.

Throughout the United States, large commercial energy, transportation and building projects are regulated by a host of government agencies, such as the EPA, DOE and BLM. Once the public hearings have been held and the federal rules and regulations (usually fashioned by the industry involved) have been satisfied, the project must be allowed to proceed under federal law. Citizens can’t rely on state laws for protection, because, under the doctrine of preemption, federal law takes precedence over state law.

Similarly, at the state level, where projects are overseen by a myriad of state agencies such as the DES or DRED, the project must be allowed once the corporation meets the required laws and regulations. Local laws are also thwarted. Under “Dillon’s Rule,” because the state allows the municipalities to exist, the state should determine what laws municipalities may enforce. If the municipal law isn’t subject to Dillon’s Rule, it will likely be preempted if the state has already acted. A notable exception was when Durham was able to stop the planned Onassis oil terminal some years ago. However, in order to stop this project, those opposing the oil terminal had to mobilize the whole state to permit the community to do so.

The state allows municipalities to enforce zoning ordinances under the theory that each town can best determine how to manage the land within its bounds, although these laws may not be exclusionary in nature. However, zoning laws are but a temporary impediment to any proposed industrial project with all the necessary state and federal permits. Once all of the requirements of the ordinances are complied with, the project can (and probably will) proceed.

A former presidential candidate once uttered, “Corporations are people, my friends.” He was right. While corporations are a bundle of property rights created to shield the owners from liability, these legal entities have been given the status of “persons” under the law. Over time these artificial persons have been afforded rights under the federal and state constitutions. Corporations have successfully filed suits for damages claiming violation of their constitutional rights. The Fourteenth Amendment has been used to protect corporations claiming harm more than often than it has been used to protect the rights of natural persons. Citing their constitutional rights, large corporations have not been shy about bringing suits against those opposing them.

What can you do? Fight back. Support the New Hampshire Community Rights Network proposed amendment to the New Hampshire Constitution designed to elevate the rights of real persons over the rights of artificial persons. Visit the network at nhcommunityrights.org.

Lorraine L. Hansen

Council for Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund

LL Hansen Legal PA

P.O 1115

Portsmouth

New pumpkin festival at Cheshire Fairgrounds ready to roll out

By Susan Reing Sentinel Staff
 

NORTH SWANZEY — Jennifer Matthews is about to be bombarded with pumpkins, but she’s sitting in her newly rented office just a stone’s throw from the Cheshire Fairgrounds looking as cool as a cucumber. Matthews’ company, Memorable Events LLC, is tackling the job of putting on the first Monadnock Pumpkin Festival at the Swanzey fairgrounds Saturday, Oct. 24, and she’s determined to make it a success — and an annual event for years to come.

A professional event planner based in Westmoreland, Matthews said the idea for hosting the festival came to her as she was driving past the fairgrounds in April. The week before, the Keene City Council had denied a permit for the 2015 downtown festival following rioting in the city last October outside the annual event’s footprint.

She wondered why it couldn’t simply be moved to a better-suited location.

“Without the downtown component, it becomes a whole lot less insane,” she said.

Matthews had helped put on the 2005 Keene festival as a member of Center Stage Cheshire County, and knew the logistics it would involve. She just had to get enough people excited about the idea to get it off the ground.

They weren’t hard to find.

Past participants and businesses stepped up. Former members of Let It Shine Inc., which organized the past four Keene festivals, lent their expertise. And the region loves its pumpkins, she noted.

She’s counting on that love to bring out lots of people, all carrying carved pumpkins (and candles) to add to the festival display. Matthews isn’t out to break any records (Keene holds the Guinness record for most lit jack-o’-lanterns), but she wants and needs those pumpkins to turn the fairgrounds into acres of glowing gourds.

To that end, Memorable Events will host a free community pumpkin-carving event Thursday, Oct. 22, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Cheshire Fairgrounds. Pumpkins will be provided; participants are asked to bring their own carving tools. The Stoddard PTO will host a bake sale for those who need a sugar boost to complete their jack-o’-lanterns.

People can drop off their pumpkins Friday, Oct. 23, from noon to 6 p.m., or just bring them on Saturday when they come for the festival.

“It’s been a great community effort, and a lot of it has been grassroots,” she said.

She’s also working with downtown Keene businesses to ensure they get to see a share of the day’s profits.

Some will offer discounts to those who display their entry bracelets from the fairgrounds. A few will have a presence on-site, directing festival-goers to offerings downtown. There will also be booths for local artists and craftspeople to promote their work.

And she’s gone out of her way to ensure that local nonprofit groups — many of which have depended on the annual pumpkin festival in Keene as their major fundraiser — get in on the action. Matthews has 25 booths set aside just for nonprofit groups, and they’ll be paying about $300 for the spaces, half the price they paid for a space downtown, she said.

Matthews has planned live music, a large tent filled with activities for kids, pumpkin carving and catapulting contests, a children’s costume parade and a fireworks display to close out the day’s events.

The costume contest has taken on a life of its own, she said, with people clamoring for “cosplay,” or costume play, where participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character from manga, anime, comic books, cartoons, video games, or live-action films and television series.

There will also be “larpers,” live-action role players, who act in character, interacting with one another as part of a larger performance.

The Great Pumpkin Mile road race will benefit a new Elm City Rotary Club project, which gives away pairs of new sneakers to 2nd-graders in Cheshire County. The club also puts on the annual Clarence DeMar Marathon. Sponsors have lined up to host the “The Pumpkin Mile” and donate prizes to the winners.

In addition to the road race, there’s Fright Fest, put on by the Keene Lions Club, with proceeds from that attraction going to support the club’s community outreach programs.

Then there’s the baking contest — pumpkin pies for adults to enter for competition, pumpkin breads for kids. She’s asking each participant to make two: one to judge, the other to sell, with proceeds benefiting The Community Kitchen in Keene.

And she’s promising the pumpkins will be a very visible part of the new event. She’s not giving away too many details at this point — she wants it to be something of a surprise — but there will be zigzag scaffolding to display the entries, as well as pumpkin-laden towers and structures designed by the Keene State College architecture department.

The one thing that won’t be available at the fair is alcohol. Matthews says it’s going to be a dry event, and backpacks and coolers will be subject to search by fair security guards. Those found with alcohol in their possession will be asked to leave.

The fairgrounds, being an open space, has no occupancy limit, so the crowds are limited only by the amount of parking Matthews is able to line up.

Right now, between the fairgrounds, the nearby Dillant-Hopkins Airport and the donation of parking from Moore Nanotechnology Systems, down the road from the fairgrounds, she’s got space for about 8,000 vehicles at any given time. Cost is $10 per car, with some of the proceeds going to the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention; the Cheshire Fair Association, which owns the fairgrounds property; and Rouleau’s Taekwondo school.

She expects some turnover — the folks who arrive at 10 a.m. aren’t likely to still be there 10 hours later when it wraps up — and she’s keeping her fingers crossed for good weather.

“But if social media is any indication, it’s going to be well-attended,” she said.

The Monadnock Pumpkin Festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Cheshire Fairgrounds in Swanzey. Admission is $5, with children ages 5 and under free. Information: monadnockpumpkinfestival.org or on Facebook.

So what's this BS that natural gas heat is cheaper?

Earlier this month, the National Association of State Energy Officials hosted its 2015 Winter Energy Outlook Conference, where an official from the U.S. Energy Information Administration unveiled its projected fuel costs for the winter.

The association is a Virginia-based nonprofit organization for energy officials and serves as a resource for state energy offices.

People who heat their homes with oil are projected to save 25 percent from last winter and those who use propane are expected to save 18 percent, Howard Gruenspecht, the deputy administrator at the U.S. Energy Information Administration, said at the conference.

Homeowners using natural gas are expected to save 10 percent and those with electric heat are expected to save three percent, Gruenspecht said.

Two factors that play a role in the savings are the drop in price for fuel and a winter that’s predicted to be warmer east of the Rocky Mountains than last based on a winter forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to Gruenspecht.

The drop in oil prices is explained by supply and demand, according to a New York Times article from last week.

Over the past six years, domestic oil production has nearly doubled, which forced out some foreign oil, the article says. Plus, Europe and developing countries’ economies are weakening, and vehicles are becoming more efficient, which drops demand, according to the article.

The price for heating oil from Cheshire Oil Company in Keene is about $2.20 per gallon. At this point last year, the price was between $3.35 and $3.49, according to owner James Robertson.

Swanzey Oil is charging $1.99 per gallon for heating oil, which is down from when it was between $2.99 and $3.10 last year, said owner Lisa Patnode.

“I think it’s definitely helped the customers,” she said. “We’re seeing a lot more people getting oil sooner. Filling up their tanks rather than sticking with the 100-gallon minimum. They’re tending to put more oil in their tanks because it is less of an expense for them.”

Patnode said she’s also heard from customers that they’re choosing to burn more oil this year because it’s cheaper than other heating sources. She also said her customer base has grown with the falling prices.

“We’ve definitely had a very good influx of customers, which is very nice to see,” she said.

Talk on health effects of natural gas compressor stations Oct. 25

(Published in print: Tuesday, October 13, 2015)

 

NORTHFIELD — Northfield Pipeline Awareness will present a talk on the health effects of gas pipeline compressor stations on Oct. 25 with Dr. Curtis Nordgaard.

The event will take place at the Northfield Trinitarian Congregational Church at 147 Main Street at 3 p.m.

Dr. Curtis Nordgaard is a resident pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center. He has an interest in environmental health, and in particular, climate change and asthma, two environmental health problems facing many of today’s children.

The proposal of natural gas projects in New England challenged him to explore their potential health impacts. He’s been particularly focused on the Spectra Pipeline expansion and the health impacts from compressor station emissions in affected communities in the eastern part of the state.

Northfield and Windsor, N.H., have been targeted for large compressor stations by Kinder Morgan subsidiary Tennessee Gas Pipeline’s Northeast Energy Direct Project. Natural gas compressor stations burn methane and emit a mixture of volatile organic compounds. In general, these pollutants have been linked to heart disease, respiratory diseases, low birth weight and pre-term births.

There have been very few studies looking at local pollution and health complaints around compressor stations. The few that have been done suggest pollution levels are high enough to increase local health risks. Communities with compressor stations face multiple challenges of learning about the risks these compressor stations pose to local residents, deciding whether the risks are acceptable and determining what can be done to address them.

The talk will address what data are known about how air pollutants are distributed from compressor stations, what kinds of pollutants are released, what the health consequences are for local residents where these facilities are located, and what communities facing natural gas infrastructure development can do to prepare themselves.

There will also be discussion on how residents can get involved at the local level, and information will be available from the Northfield Pipeline Awareness group.

Source URL:http://www.recorder.com/news/18961172-95/talk-on-health-effects-of-natural-gas-compressor-stations-oct-25

Company proposes expanding natural gas service to 4 local towns

By Meghan Foley Sentinel Staff

 

A utility company is seeking to expand its natural gas distribution system to four Cheshire County towns on, or abutting, the proposed Northeast Energy Direct pipeline route. And while some view the move as an opportunity to boost the region’s economic development, it’s not sitting well with those opposed to the pipeline.

“I really think this just gives the pipeline another strong reason to come through unfortunately,” Winchester Selectmen Chairman Roberta A. Fraser said. “We are opposed to the pipeline. It’s not good news for us, but we’ll work with what we have to do.”

Liberty Utilities, which is also known in New Hampshire as EnergyNorth Natural Gas Inc., has submitted a petition to the state Public Utilities Commission asking its members to approve a gas franchise covering Jaffrey, Rindge, Swanzey and Winchester.

The approval is needed for Liberty Utilities to build, own and operate natural gas distribution systems in those towns, which now don’t have access to such systems.

Move keeps options open
 

Liberty Utilities plans to tap into the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline to provide natural gas to the four towns. But company officials say in the petition that they’re requesting the natural gas franchise rights for the communities regardless if the pipeline is built.

Liberty Utilities filed the Oct. 9 petition about a week after the Public Utilities Commission approved an agreement between Liberty Utilities and the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. allowing Liberty to buy natural gas off the proposed Northeast Energy Direct pipeline.

William J. Clark, a business development professional for Liberty Utilities, referenced the decision in testimony to the state commission, saying that the plan is to supply the four towns with natural gas from the pipeline.

However, Liberty Utilities would look at the options of serving communities with liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG), if the pipeline is delayed or not built, he said.

Liberty Utilities has 1,250 customers in Keene connected to a propane-air mixture distribution system, according to its petition.

If the pipeline isn’t approved, company officials would analyze converting that Keene system to liquefied or compressed natural gas and extending it south to Swanzey and Winchester, Clark said.

Liberty Utilities “would also evaluate the possibility of serving Rindge and Jaffrey with LNG and CNG,” he said.

Signs of a Keene lateral
 

Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. LLC, a Kinder Morgan company, is proposing the 30-inch diameter transmission pipeline, which would carry natural gas from shale gas fields in Pennsylvania through upstate New York, parts of northern Massachusetts and into southern New Hampshire before going to a distribution hub in eastern Massachusetts.

The pipeline’s proposed route has it crossing about 70 miles of southern New Hampshire, including Fitzwilliam, Richmond, Rindge, Troy and Winchester, and carrying up to 2.2 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas. The amount is equivalent to providing electricity for 1.5 million households.

The pipeline is still in the pre-filing stages with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has the power to approve or deny the project. Tennessee Gas Pipeline officials plan to file the full application for the project with FERC this fall. Company officials anticipate it will take a year for the pipeline to receive federal approval, if it does.

In its Oct. 9 petition, Liberty Utilities’ officials wrote that Jaffrey, Rindge, Swanzey and Winchester have a total of about 8,530 single- and multi-family homes. There are also commercial centers along the state highways in those towns, the petition said.

“By approving this Petition, the Commission will be creating opportunities for economic development and cost savings for both existing and new commercial and residential customers in these towns,” company officials wrote in the petition.

Liberty Utilities is a subsidiary of Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp, a company that has its headquarters in Canada and is participating in the development of the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline with Kinder Morgan.

In his testimony, Clark said the route of the distribution system for Swanzey and Winchester would start in Winchester, where Liberty Utilities’ line would connect to the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline. The system would then extend north into Swanzey and connect to Liberty Utilities’ distribution system in Keene.

That would be done by extending gas mains along Routes 10 and 12 from the Keene system, which would be converted from its current propane-air mixture to natural gas at the same time as the expansion is being done, Clark said.

What Clark described matches what Liberty Utilities’ officials have proposed as the Keene Lateral, a line that would branch off the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline to provide natural gas to Liberty Utilities’ customers in Keene.

Liberty Utilities’ officials were unavailable for comment by press time this morning.

Out of loop
 

Included with Clark’s testimony were maps of the proposed route Liberty Utilities’ natural gas distribution systems would follow in each town (see related sidebar), as well as estimated expansion costs.

The Winchester project’s estimated cost is $1.3 million.

Richard Horton, chairman of the Winchester School Board, said Liberty Utilities filing the petition for a gas franchise is “purely a way to show there is some sort of need for it.

“I can tell you from the school’s aspect, we don’t have a need for natural gas. We have a need for conserving energy, but not a need or desire for natural gas,” he said.

The school board has publicly taken a stance against the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline.

Horton added that the filing so soon after the N.H. Public Utilities Commission approved the agreement between Liberty Utilities and Tennessee Gas Pipeline — and with no notice to residents in the affected communities — is pretty consistent with how things have been happening recently with the pipeline.

Swanzey selectmen learned at Tuesday’s board meeting of Liberty Utilities’ proposal, and that company officials want to schedule public presentations in each of the four towns included in the requested gas franchise.

Selectmen Chairman Deborah J. Davis said Wednesday she hadn’t given the proposal much thought since the meeting. But board members plan to schedule Liberty Utilities for a presentation to residents, business owners and town officials.

“It has potential, maybe, but I think it’s too early to tell,” she said. “We’d have to find out more specifics.”

Liberty Utilities’ officials estimate the Swanzey expansion could cost $990,146 along Route 10, and about $1.1 million along Route 12.

Rindge Selectmen Chairman Robert Hamilton described Liberty Utilities’ proposal to expand natural gas service into Jaffrey, Rindge, Swanzey and Winchester as a “deflection of the NED pipeline.”

“I’ve read over the petition, and I have a multitude of questions,” he said.

Two, he said, are whether the town has any say in the franchise agreement, and whether Liberty Utilities is willing to dedicate its funds to providing natural gas for the entire town.

“It’s a very minuscule area of town they would be providing gas to,” he said.


 Proposed natural gas distribution routes

Liberty Utilities submitted the following proposed routes in its petition to the N.H. Public Utilities Commission to expand natural gas service to Jaffrey, Rindge, Swanzey and Winchester.
In Winchester, the system could provide natural gas to Applewood Rehabilitation Center on Snow Road, as well as homes and businesses along Warwick Road (Route 78) from where it intersects with Manning Hill Road (Route 10) and General James Reed Highway (Route 119) southeast to just past Snow Road. The system could also extend to properties along Route 10 between the intersections of Routes 78 and 119, and Main Street (Route 10) and Richmond Road (Route 119).

The distribution system could then continue along Richmond Road, ending in the area of Plumb Pak Corp. There would also be a branch line off Main Street at Parker Street that would follow the road to the Winchester School, which enrolls students in preschool through 8th grade.

Two lines could be run through the neighborhood near the school, connecting the Parker Street and Richmond Road pipelines, according to the map.

Swanzey would stand to get natural gas service along West Swanzey Road (Route 10) in the town’s west village, and Monadnock Highway (Route 12) in the community’s north section.

The maps submitted to the Public Utilities Commission show the line along Route 12 traveling southeast from Keene past the Lake Street and Swanzey Factory Road intersection, stopping just before the Cheshire Fairgrounds and Safford Drive.

The map from West Swanzey shows only the natural gas line traveling along South Winchester Street to just over the town line, stopping at Market Basket.

In Rindge and Jaffrey, company officials propose distributing natural gas along Routes 119 and 202. The expansion project for those communities would be done in two phases, with the first estimated to cost $2.1 million and the second projected at $2 million.

According to the maps, the distribution system could run from where it connects with the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline north to the intersection of Routes 119 and 202 before continuing up Route 202 to Jaffrey.

At the intersection, the system could also travel west along Route 119 ending at Franklin Pierce University.

Meghan Foley can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1436, or mfoley@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @MFoleyKS.

WINchester Pipeline Awareness

IMPORTANT WARNING FOR ALL

DO NOT APPROACH SURVEYORS.

VIDEOTAPE ANY AND ALL INTERACTIONS.

CONSIDER THE Right of Way TO BE UNSAFE TERRITORY.

- Some town police departments are acting on Kinder Morgan's cries of eco-terrorism and threats, regardless of peaceful action.

- Police are being advised by Kinder Morgan and may receive training from the FBI on handling what they consider to be unruly protesters.

- NH Spirit's Board is discussing fund raisers to prepare for legal counsel assistance for those who are arrested under peaceful, unarmed resistance circumstances. We encourage others to do fund raisers for NH Spirit. We need to protect ourselves and each other.

- Please discourage "shadowing" surveyors. This has caused an increased armed guard/police presence along the ROW and interactions are increasing. If you do arrange shadowing, be prepared to assist those you have sent into battle zones when and if they run into trouble.

- Many of the ROW entries are now gated. Consider this fair warning that you should proceed with caution, at your own risk, and follow any and all posted information.

- Police seem to be siding with surveyors and may not be clear on where boundaries are and rely on information from Kinder Morgan and contractors.

- We have already had one comrade fall victim to arrest on serious, trumped up charges of trespassing in an attempt to keep property from being trespassed upon. Try to avoid becoming the next KinderVictim. 

DO contact police when you witness trespassers.

DO continue large scale public protests.

DO act verbally and physically in a peaceful manner.

DO use social media to address our elected officials directly.

DO remember that climate change must be addressed by our elected officials. Call them on their inaction and support the comments of others.

BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LAW. Kinder Morgan claims to be victimized. Protect yourself and others.

IN PUBLIC:

- Do not pursue or call after those are not interested in information or disagree.

Please be kind and use a soft approach. It will also serve us well when Kinder Morgan claims that we are the bullies, not them.  :)

- Do wish them a nice day!

THANK YOU so much for the many things you all do! 

Winchester selectmen vote to join pipeline coaltion

By Meghan Foley Sentinel Staff

WINCHESTER — What has been a mostly easy decision for officials in 14 towns along the proposed path of a controversial natural gas pipeline, has been a struggle for selectmen here. To join, or not to join the N.H. Municipal Pipeline Coalition? The question has surfaced during several Winchester selectmen meetings since southern New Hampshire communities started banning together in January against the planned Northeast Energy Direct pipeline.

Late last month, the majority of Winchester selectmen finally answered in the affirmative, joining Amherst, Brookline, Fitzwilliam, Greenville, Litchfield, Mason, Merrimack, Milford, New Ipswich, Pelham, Richmond, Rindge, Temple and Troy.

Together, representatives from the communities meet regularly about the proposed pipeline. The only cost is for legal services.

Brookline Town Administrator Tad Putney, who represents that town on the coalition, said last week being part of the group is a way for towns to share information, and have greater strength in effectively opposing the pipeline as a group instead of individually.

Twelve of the 14 towns have signed on to be involved in legal matters with the coalition, which is represented by a lawyer, he said. He expects Winchester will become the 13th community to be part of that group, he said.

Meanwhile, two other towns that aren’t on the pipeline route, but nearby, have expressed interest in joining the coalition, he said. He declined to name the communities.

Winchester residents and non-residents, particularly those associated with the Winchester Pipeline Awareness group — and officials from neighboring towns — had pushed Winchester selectmen for months to take a stand and at least join the coalition. But board members wouldn’t vote, saying they needed more information about costs the town could face if it joined the coalition, and more information about the pipeline project.

That was until Sept. 30, when Winchester selectmen voted 4-1 to join the coalition and donate $500 toward its legal fees. Selectman Theresa G. Sepe was the dissenting vote.

Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. LLC, a Kinder Morgan company, is proposing the transmission pipeline, which would carry natural gas from shale gas fields in Pennsylvania through upstate New York, parts of northern Massachusetts and into southern New Hampshire before going to a distribution hub in eastern Massachusetts.

The pipeline’s proposed route has it crossing about 70 miles of southern New Hampshire, including the Cheshire County towns of Fitzwilliam, Richmond, Rindge, Troy and Winchester, and carrying up to 2.2 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas — an amount equivalent to providing electricity for 1.5 million households.

Kinder Morgan officials say the influx of natural gas into New Hampshire will drive down high winter energy costs, and help prevent an energy shortage in the region.

Members of the pipeline awareness groups in the region question those claims, and say the pipeline will do more harm than good to the communities it passes through.

The vote last month came as a surprise, albeit a welcome one, for Susan L. Durling, a founding member of Winchester Pipeline Awareness, who attended the meeting.

Durling said she had no idea Selectmen Chairwoman Roberta A. Fraser was going to start the meeting talking about the pipeline and in such strong terms that it would be of no benefit to the community, and therefore the town should join the coalition.

A message left for Fraser wasn’t returned by press time Saturday.

“We are very glad the town finally made this decision,” Durling said. “We hope this means a change in the tide, and town officials are going to step up and help their citizens understand what is going on with the pipeline, and reach out to them to education them.”

She said resident Christopher Steadman will be the town’s representative to the N.H. Municipal Pipeline Coalition.

Meghan Foley can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1436, or mfoley@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @MFoleyKS.

NH RIGHT TO LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT AMENDMENT TO BE INTRODUCED IN LEGISLATURE

NH RIGHT TO LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BE INTRODUCED IN LEGISLATURE

A CELDF-drafted state constitutional amendment recognizing the rights of communities to govern themselves is being introduced in the New Hampshire legislature. Our New Hampshire Community Rights Network advanced the legislation and obtained sponsorship by Representative Susan Emerson. If adopted, the state constitution will guarantee the right of self-government at the local level, such that the rights of people and nature across New Hampshire are paramount over corporate power and privilege. Read CELDF's press release here.

 Sign Up to receive CELDF news and information

 

For countryside setting, pipeline bad fit

It is inconceivable to me to imagine the proposed Kinder Morgan 30-inch gas pipeline and 40,000 horse power compressor station plunked down on land in the Monadnock Region. A large pipeline and giant industrial compressor station complex does not belong in such a setting. It is like trying to fit a large ocean liner into Dublin Lake. No matter how you try, an ocean liner does not belong in a lake and there is no way a compressor station of this magnitude belongs in the countryside of rural New Hampshire.

It is an outrageous situation to have a huge profit-making corporation plan to drop a massive industrial complex (with pipes, lights and noisy contamination) on a beautiful, historic and rural area. It has no relation whatsoever to the heart and timber of the people. It bypasses any honest concern for the health of those people, the land or the animals living there.

A recent Harvard scientific study points to the undeniable health hazards of living next to a compressor station. And though I say rural, thousands of people and animals along the pipeline would be directly affected. It bears mentioning as well, that expert witnesses in the energy field from various N.H. organizations have testified that this gas pipeline is not necessary for Southern New Hampshire’s energy needs.

There is a tremendous amount of documented material written about the ills caused by fracking, pipelines and compressor stations, and about the safety violations of Kinder Morgan. I hope people throughout the Monadnock Region realize what is happening in their neighborhood.

We have been placed in a position to stand up and to fight this environmentally catastrophic proposal or look the other way and pay no attention to something that if it happens, will never go away and will effect New Hampshire forever. A documentary worth watching is one called Gasland (found on Youtube) and it’s successor Gasland II, which can be found on Amazon.

Francie Riggs

New Ipswich

Study: Winchester business park is feasible

WINCHESTER —
Converting a former gravel pit into a business park is doable, but at a cost, according to a draft feasibility study.
However, the benefits of having such a facility would be the addition of potentially 2,000 jobs to the area and the lowering of the tax burden on residents, not to mention the boost it could give to the local economy, Mark Tigan, chairman of the Winchester Economic Development Corp., said.

The nonprofit organization has been managing the project, which has been in the works for about three or four years.

“We have a high poverty rate and high unemployment rate in Winchester,” Tigan said. “There are a number of people who are unemployed looking for better jobs.”

The Stone Mountain Business Park would help with fixing that, and with strengthening the nearby downtown area, which has already seen some recent investment, he said.

The study was paid for with a $12,000 Community Development Block Grant and funds left over from an economic development warrant article voters passed several years ago, he said.

He said the study, which is in draft form, not only stated that the business park was possible, but it was a good idea, albeit at the “cost of a few bucks.”

According to the study, the cost could be as much as about $4.6 million, or as little as approximately $1.2 million, depending on the approach town officials take developing the property. For example, town officials could decide to build one building to get the park up and running, which would put costs at the lower end of the spectrum.

The study was the subject of a public hearing before the selectmen last month. It included two options for building out the roughly 62-acre property — which is made up of multiple parcels — off Richmond Road (Route 119) for “environmentally friendly businesses and manufacturers,” the infrastructure improvements needed to make development of the site work, and how such a project would be financed at minimal cost to town taxpayers.

“There are a number of funding sources that are optional, and we’ve begun to look at those,” Tigan said. “I promised the selectmen it would not be their money.”

According to the study, which was prepared by Holden Engineering and Surveying Inc. of Bedford, the town-owned property is zoned commercial and could support more than 500,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space. The main entrance to the site would be on Richmond Road with a second entrance providing emergency access from Forest Lake Road, the study said.

The property, which is behind Musterfield Cemetery and Musterfield Park on Richmond Road, was taken by the town for unpaid taxes five to 10 years ago and abuts a parcel owned by Winchester Sand and Gravel, which is for sale.

The study presents a concept of constructing seven buildings on the town property ranging from 40,000 to 150,000 square feet for a total of 455,000 square feet. The second option proposes five new buildings ranging from 40,000 to 200,000 square feet for a total of 515,000 square feet.

Both proposals would require water, sewer and road improvements in the area, according to the study.

Tigan said the selectmen have accepted the study on the condition of public works and water and sewer officials look into the infrastructure situation.

The next steps for the Winchester Economic Development Corp. would include marketing the property with input from the selectmen, he said.

“Given the interest (the business park) is currently generating in two or three prospects, I’d say we’d probably see some action in the zoning or building permit process on one or two of the parcels within the next six to eight months,” he said.

Selectmen Chairman Roberta A. Faster said this morning that the feasibility study was exciting and board members liked it. However, if the project is going to be realized, it’s going to take a lot of money, and would likely have to be done slowly and in stages, she said. Selectmen are hopeful the project can be funded by grants and other avenues of funding that don’t involve town taxes, she said.

“Right now this is all new to us,” she said. “This is a process, and we’re figuring out where to start.”

She said she expects selectmen to begin discussing the matter soon, and residents are welcome to attend the board’s meeting to offer questions and input. She doesn’t foresee any town meeting warrant articles at this time, she said.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the Winchester Economic Development Corp. was one of five organizations in New Hampshire to receive the agency’s Rural Business Development Grant. The grant the development corporation received was $47,000 to provide technical assistance to small and expanding businesses in Winchester, according to a USDA news release.

Tigan said those funds will be used toward studying which types of businesses would be suitable for the business park, particular of agricultural nature. The grant would also look at in what ways the business park could co-exist and benefit the downtown.

Meghan Foley can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1436, or mfoley@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @MFoleyKS.

Buster Keaton films with live music on Friday, Oct. 9 at Winchester's Arlington Grange

FRIDAY, OCT. 2, 2015 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com

 

Buster Keaton double feature at Winchester's Arlington Grange on Friday, Oct. 9
Classic silent film comedy masterpieces to be screened with live musical accompaniment

WINCHESTER, N.H.—He never smiled on camera, earning him the nickname of "the Great Stone Face." But Buster Keaton's comedies rocked Hollywood's silent era with laughter throughout the 1920s.

See for yourself with a screening of 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924) and 'The Cameraman' (1928), two of Keaton's landmark feature films, on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Arlington Grange Building, 9 Mechanic St., Winchester, N.H.

The films will be shown with live musical accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis, a New Hampshire-based performer regarded as one of the nation's leading silent film musicians.

The public is welcome to attend. Suggested donation for this family-friendly event is $7 per person to help defray expenses.

In 'Sherlock Jr.,' Buster plays a small-town movie projectionist who dreams of working as a detective. But then Buster's romantic rival frames him for stealing a watch from his girlfriend's father. Fortunately, the situation mirrors the plot of the movie currently playing at Buster's theater. Inspired by the movie, can Buster find the real thief and win back his girl?

'The Cameraman' tells the story of a young man (Keaton) who tries to impress the girl of his dreams (Marceline Day) by working as a freelance newsreel cameraman. His efforts result in spectacular failure, but then a lucky break gives him an unexpected chance to make his mark. Can Buster parlay the scoop of the year into a secure job and successful romance?

Both films focus on exploring the potentials of the motion picture, then a brand-new medium.

In 'The Cameraman,' Keaton uses the movie business itself to create comedy that plays with the nature of film and reality.

Keaton, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, stands as one of the three great clowns of the silent screen. Many critics regard Keaton as the best of all; Roger Ebert wrote in 2002 that "in an extraordinary period from 1920 to 1929, (Keaton) worked without interruption on a series of films that make him, arguably, the greatest actor-director in the history of the movies."

As a performer, Keaton was uniquely suited to the demands of silent comedy. Born in 1895, he made his stage debut as a toddler, joining his family's knockabout vaudeville act and learning to take falls and do acrobatic stunts at an early age. He spent his entire childhood and adolescence on stage, attending school for exactly one day.

A remarkable pantomime artist, Keaton naturally used his whole body to communicate emotions ranging from sadness to surprise. In an era when movies had few special effects, Keaton's acrobatic talents meant he performed all his own stunts.

All those talents are on display in 'Sherlock Jr.' and 'The Cameraman,' which was selected in 2005 for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

"These films are audience favorites, and people continue to be surprised at how engrossing and exhilarating they can be when shown as they were intended: in a theater, and with live music," said Rapsis, who accompanies more than 100 screenings each year at venues around the nation

Rapsis improvises live scores for silent films using a digital synthesizer to recreate the texture of the full orchestra.

"It's kind of a high wire act," Rapsis said. "But for me, the energy of live performance is an essential part of the silent film experience."

The Arlington Grange of Winchester will present Buster Keaton in 'Sherlock Jr.' (1924) and 'The Cameraman' (1928) on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. in Grange Hall, 9 Mechanic St., Winchester, N.H. The public is welcome to attend this family-friendly event, which features live musical accompaniment for both films. Suggested donation is $7 per person to defray expenses.


CAPTIONS FOR IMAGES

PHOTO A:
Buster Keaton stars in 'The Cameraman' (1928), part of a double bill of classic silent comedy to be screened with live music on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Arlington Grange Hall, 9 Mechanic St., Winchester, N.H. The public is welcome to this family-friendly event. Suggested donation is $7 per person to help defray expenses.

PHOTO B
Buster Keaton stars in 'The Cameraman' (1928), part of a double bill of classic silent comedy to be screened with live music on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Arlington Grange Hall, 9 Mechanic St., Winchester, N.H. The public is welcome to this family-friendly event. Suggested donation is $7 per person to help defray expenses.

PHOTO C
Buster Keaton stars in 'The Cameraman' (1928), part of a double bill of classic silent comedy to be screened with live music on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Arlington Grange Hall, 9 Mechanic St., Winchester, N.H. The public is welcome to this family-friendly event. Suggested donation is $7 per person to help defray expenses.

PHOTO D
Jeff Rapsis will provide live musical accompaniment to Buster's Keaton's acclaimed comedy 'The Cameraman' (1928), part of a double bill of classic silent comedy to be screened with li

ve music on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Arlington Grange Hall, 9 Mechanic St., Winchester, N.H. The public is welcome to this family-friendly event. Suggested donation is $7 per person to help defray expenses.

POSTER
An original poster for Buster Keaton's 'The Cameraman' (1928), part of a double bill of classic silent comedy to be screened with live music on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Arlington Grange Hall, 9 Mechanic St., Winchester, N.H. The public is welcome to this family-friendly event. Suggested donation is $7 per person to help defray expenses.
 

For more info, contact:
Jeff Rapsis • (603) 236-9237 • jeffrapsis@gmail.com
Images attached. More high-resolution digital images available upon request.

 

 

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Please stop in and thank them for their support!

Big Daddy’s RV Sales & Service

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Kathryn’s Florist

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Hair Solutions

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Deano’s Pizza & Restaurant

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J&J Trailers

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