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.

 

 

Local businesses show their support

We'd like to say Thank You to these Winchester businesses who have a sign in their window and are opposed to the pipeline! 

Please stop in and thank them for their support!

Big Daddy’s RV Sales & Service

- Selling pipeline T shirts, pipeline information available

Kathryn’s Florist

- Pipeline Information

Hair Solutions

- Pipeline Information

Deano’s Pizza & Restaurant

- Pipeline Information

J&J Trailers

- Pipeline Contact Info Cards

Stop NH The Pipeline Newsletter

STOP THE NH PIPELINE / ECHO ACTION NEWS

FERC at FRANKLIN PIERCE COLLEGE - Tuesday, September 29th

Help us FLOOD THE CAMPUS. Yes, it’s that important!

* Everyone attending:  bring a flashlight with fresh batteries. *

WANT TO MAKE WEDNESDAY MORNING'S NEWS???

You cannot stop a pipeline by watching others take action. Get a babysitter or bring the kids. Bring sleeping bags for them to sleep in the car. Take turns with them. You can't afford to sit this one out.

Be present or be silent as their pipeline rips through our towns, raising our electric rates, making US pay for THEIR pipe for EXPORT. 

Are you a student? Please contact Stephanie Scherr to join ECHO Action's campaign for renewables in New Hampshire!

EVENT DETAILS

https://www.facebook.com/events/675783309188848/

 

 

Not much about planned pipeline makes good sense

Trying to stop a pipeline, one might say, is like trying to stop a tropical storm. You know it’s coming, and you can try and get ready for it. Of course the thing coming this way is trouble, right from the get-go. The fact that Kinder Morgan wants to send it through wetlands, and such fragile spaces, shows the desperation of the very notion.

Propane, a byproduct of natural gas processing, is in and of itself relatively clean; however, the method of capture of this gas is not. This gas comes right from the fracking fields, where the pollution and water waste are rampant.

But, of course, the oil barons know their days are numbered, and, are rushing their plans into production. It’s not because they have an endless supply of gas, that is for sure.

But what we have here, is just what they need out West.

A pipeline for water is what they want, right from our pristine aquifers to their thirsty deserts.

Seriously, though, the pipeline should not cross the Connecticut River, but remain somewhere along the Route 91 corridor, where there already is industry.

What about going along the rail corridor right up to Vernon, Vt., and re-animating the one-time nuclear power plant there to run on propane?

Hell, all the wires are still there. Of course there’s probably some reason why that wouldn’t work.

If Kinder Morgan somehow gets to play the eminent domain card, then we will probably be out of luck.

Best chance then, would be if the price of oil dropped so low as to make the whole pipeline project unfeasible economically.

Of course all the usual ways to save energy come into play. The bicycle-riding-skateboarder of tomorrow may find he can get a bit farther with wind and solar power than we have.

There’s more than one way to use the sun to give us power, especially now, with our thin ozone layer and hotter seasons.

As more and more people find ways to get further on less, as always, the need for fossil fuels will diminish.

As we learn more about the nature of electricity, superconductivity, we will get more out of a BTU.

Solar steam and solar batch systems, which provide 24-hour electricity from the sun, are the next generation.

It is likely there will be less call for the other fuels.

Also, as the cleaner burning engines of tomorrow are perfected, we will find that petroleum is best left in its original state, as a lubricant for the tectonic plates.

Whatever the reason, this pipeline business is a real non-starter, if you ask me.

Instead of providing local jobs, like a more sustainable energy picture, most of these pipeline jobs will not go to local company workers but more likely to some subsidiary of the bigger conglomerate.

Better to cover our mountaintops with small-footprint wind farms and solar panel every rooftop than to run a dangerous pipeline through pristine wetlands.

Of course every solution has its problems.

No matter what, in the spirit of progress, you can be sure that when the new technology comes in the old will be abandoned.

After that, we will be left with a brownfield, desecrated, and ruined, for some temporary gain, while greedy capitalists reap a fortune at the expense of someone else. Again.

Our leaders should look long and hard into a mirror and ask themselves a simple question: What kind of world will we leave for the next generations?

Marcus McCarroll

Keene

Cheshire County government on cusp of joining pipeline debate

By Meghan Foley Sentinel Staff
 

Five area towns have been fighting the battle against the proposed Northeast Energy Direct pipeline project for months. Now the Cheshire County government is on the cusp of joining them.

That is, if county officials want to.

Officials from Fitzwilliam, Richmond, Rindge, Troy and Winchester plan to submit a letter asking commissioners and delegation members to vote to take a position against the project, and write a letter conveying that stance to the governor and New Hampshire’s Congressional representatives.

The decision to write a letter came during a meeting involving town officials from Fitzwilliam, Swanzey, Troy and Winchester and county commissioners Friday afternoon in Keene. Representatives from the Southwest Region Planning Commission were also present. County commissioners called the meeting, saying they wanted to discuss the project and ways they may be able help, even though what they can do is limited.

Fitzwilliam Selectman Susan S. Silverman volunteered her board to take the lead in drafting the document when it meets Monday. She said the letter could then be sent to other towns — including those with no officials present at the meeting — to sign.

“At this point, I think what we’d ask the county commissioners to do, and I also hope the county delegation, is to write the preferably strongly-worked letter to the governor and our congressional representatives saying they’ve examined all the issues and don’t think this is right for New Hampshire,” Troy Selectman William T. “Tom” Matson said.

The delegation comprises the county’s 23 state representatives.

Officials and residents in Matson’s town and others along the pipeline’s projected route have been submitting comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, he said, but with more than 6,000 already submitted, he is concerned about how much weight is being given to them.

“Our fear is this is going to be a railroaded process,” he said.

FERC’s five-member board will decided whether the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline wins federal approval.

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

The Northeast Energy Direct pipeline would cross 71 miles of southern New Hampshire, including Fitzwilliam, Richmond, Rindge, Troy and Winchester.

Liberty Utilities, which is interested in buying natural gas from the pipeline for its customers, is considering building a line to branch off the pipeline to supply fuel to customers in the Keene area. It’s likely that branch would have to come through Swanzey to get to Keene.

“There has been a lot of activity relative to the pipeline,” Stillman Rogers, chairman of the county commission, said. “The thing that has struck me is we’re going to need to plan for what happens in our towns, if this thing happens.”

That includes having ordinances that would pertain to pipeline development in place sooner rather than later, participating in public meetings and hearings, and submitting written comments when there is an opportunity to do so, he said.

It’s also important that residents and officials push state and federal legislators to come up with laws about the process of decommissioning a natural gas pipeline when it is no longer in use, and who would be responsible for paying for it, he said.

“What happens when pipelines are no longer useful, they get abandoned in place,” he said. “We don’t want towns in the state of New Hampshire to have to pay to rip out 30 miles of pipeline in this county, and pay to do all the soil work and testing because it’s going to be required.”

Silverman said several New Hampshire towns along the proposed pipeline route are members of a municipal pipeline coalition that meets every two weeks.

One of the topics that has been discussed is how Portland Natural Gas Transmission System in Maine is proposing a project that would expand a pipeline built in 1999, she said.

Her husband, Terry, who is chairman of the Fitzwilliam Planning Board, said the pipeline travels 300 miles through the states of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and connects to TransCanada’s system at the border. That project, as well as another pipeline expansion project being proposed along an existing line, could be alternatives to the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline, he said.

“It’s a bigger picture,” Susan Silverman said. “There is a better alternative out there than NED.”

Matson said among the many frustrations associated with the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline project has been that people living in the towns where the pipeline is proposed to pass through are being treated like “ignorant hillbillies.”

“This whole process has disregarded this end of the state,” he said.

He believes that is because elected officials don’t believe this area has the same amount of voters that they’d get from communities such as Manchester, Concord, Merrimack and Nashua, he said.

In addition, many government officials seem to be suspicious of information being presented by people with the pipeline awareness coalitions, and officials are treating them as if they don’t know what they’re talking about, he said.

“I have a conservation commission with two Ph.D.s on it. Is their information valid? I bet it is,” he said. “We’re looking for validation for the work we’re doing as committees and citizens. Government bodies need to recognize that we’re doing a good job and our information is correct.”

Silverman agreed, adding that when she and representatives from other towns along the proposed pipeline route met with Gov. Maggie Hassan, they were disappointed because they felt Hassan wasn’t listening to them, and was more concerned about the state possibly losing businesses if the pipeline wasn’t built.

“The take-away I had was that she was willing to throw away 15 towns so the roughly 20 businesses she mentioned could stay in the state,” Silverman said.

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

STOP THE NH PIPELINE / ECHO ACTION NEWS

                                                                              

PLEASE CALL NOW & SHARE!

Our Elected officials called for us to be heard. After the FERC presentation and elected officials speak, there will not be enough time for the public to speak and hear others speak. Remind them that we told them to go to the Cheshire Fairgrounds and their permit was approved. They sheltered in at FPU. FPU's Rick Kohlmorgen said they are shutting down at 10 PM. Jim Earle, VP of Student of Student Affairs said FPU only booked the space until 10 PM. This is unacceptable. Call now and demand your time to be heard!

ERIC TOMASI AT FERC

(202) 502-8097

GOVERNOR HASSAN

Concord, NH

(603) 271-2121

CONGRESSWOMAN ANNIE KUSTER

Washington, DC 20515

(202) 225-5206

Concord, NH

(603) 226-1002

Nashua, NH

(603) 595-2006

SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN

Washington, DC

(202) 224-2841

Manchester, NH

(603) 647-7500

Nashua, NH

(603) 883-0196

SENATOR KELLY AYOTTE

Washington, DC

202-224-3324

Manchester, NH

603-622-7979

Nashua, NH

603-880-3335

SENATOR ANDY SANBORN

Bedford, NH

603-682-1165

Also call your regional state representatives!

   ECHO Action: Earth & Energy • Climate • Health & Habitat • Outreach

   Twitter: ECHOactionteam

   STOP THE NH PIPELINE: Fitz/Troy/Rich/Win

   Twitter: StopTheNHPipe

   NHspirit.org

Winchester Pickle Festival hasn't soured after nearly two decades

By Melissa Proulx Sentinel Staff
 

WINCHESTER — In upcoming years, a dollar might be all organizers of the Winchester Pickle Festival need from the town. That’s the amount selectmen had allocated to the annual event last year, before town meeting voters approved a $3,999 boost. And now the Pickle Festival’s new organizer aims to make the event self-sustaining in the years to come.

The annual briny bash was at a crossroads earlier this year after Roberta A. Fraser, chairwoman of the board of selectmen, stepped down from her position as one of the main organizers during a Feb. 3 meeting. She had been in charge of the festival’s committee for 13 years.

“I’m a single mother of three going to school full-time and working. The festival is a lot of work, and I just can’t do it anymore,” she said during the meeting.

After Fraser made her announcement, the selectmen provided $1 of funding for the annual event. Local officials agreed to commit only to that amount until someone else stepped up to take Fraser’s place.

But Richard Horton, head of the local group Winchester Proud, said he decided to help continue the bread and butter of the event — bringing people in to see what the town and its residents have to offer.

“It’s important for our kids to have something that the community comes together for,” Horton said.

The group got the OK for the festival in March, when voters approved a warrant article to provide $4,000 in funding for the event, which is in its 17th year.

He said his goal is to make the festival self-funded — needing no financial support from the town — within the next three years.

This year is a good indication that it’s possible to do that, he said.

Organizers will raise money to fund the event through a variety of sources, according to Horton: vendor fees, sponsorship, donations and memorabilia sales.

The festival will be held in downtown Saturday starting at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Already, Horton said he’s expecting the festival to be full of flavorful offerings. More than 50 vendors have signed up to participate in the festival, Horton said.

“Vendor-wise, we’re maxed out,” he said. “That’s one tell-tale sign of the success of the festival.”

Horton said he’s unsure how many vendors have been at other festivals, but estimates this year’s number is a little bit higher than previous ones. He said there’s also been an increase in new vendors coming to partake in the event.

Attendees will be able to enjoy live entertainment, kids’ activities, crafts and — of course — pickles.

Festival goers will also get a free pickle spear. Horton said organizers ordered 7,000 of them — nearly double the number they had last year — just to make sure they don’t run out.

“I would expect a minimum of 5,000 people this year,” he said.

Attendees come not just from the Monadnock area, but from surrounding states as well, according to Horton. This has made the festival a vital part of the town because it brings visitors who might otherwise pass through Winchester on their way to Massachusetts or Vermont, he said.

Winchester resident Gary O’Neal started the festival nearly two decades ago. When Horton asked him why he started the festival all those years ago, his answer was simple.

“He said to me, ‘Nobody else is doing it,’ “ Horton said. “He wanted something that could really showcase our talents and it seemed like the right thing to do.”

Mr. Pickle himself will be there as well, despite a minor setback.

“There was a little bit of a worry that he couldn’t find his pickle suit,” Horton said.

New Hampshire Rep. Henry A. L. Parkhurst, D-Winchester, as he’s more commonly known, has played the pickle mascot for more than 15 years. Each year, Parkhurst dusts off his green suit and puts on his matching top-hat to march through the streets.

Parkhurst, too, has said the festival’s a great way to showcase Winchester and all that is done by its residents.

“This is community support of the highest order,” he told The Sentinel at last year’s festival.

As the event continues to grow, Horton said he looks forward to seeing it spread throughout Winchester. He hopes to expand the festival beyond its footprint downtown.

“We’re bursting at the seams and I think, in the future years, you’ll see us expand and create more venues in town,” Horton said.

“It would make it kind of like an old home day.”

Melissa Proulx can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1409, or mproulx@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @MProulxKS.

STOP THE NH PIPELINE / ECHO ACTION NEWS

TROY • FITZWILLIAM • RICHMOND • WINCHESTER PIPELINE TEES!

 IN THIS NEWS BLAST…

- Southwestern NH Pipeline Tees are coming!

- Pipeline Opposition at the NH Democratic Convention!

- TODAY: "Pipeline Procession” performance art, Pulpit Falls, Winchester, 5:00 pm

- TOMORROW: Prime Wetland Study Presentation, Fitzwilliam Town Hall, 7:00 pm

- NEXT SATURDAY: Winchester Pickle Festival, 

- COMING UP - FERC HEARING AT FPU, September 29th, 6:00 pm (more)

SOUTHWESTERN NH PIPELINE TEES ARE COMING!

Troy - Fitzwilliam - Richmond - Winchester - we have one just for us! 

Get one before the September 29th FERC hearing!

Take pride in our towns as we fight the Kinder Morgan pipeline!

* Our design is ready to roll, but we are in need of assistance in starting our order. If you are able to offer financial help, we will pay you back as our shirts sell. Remember, we do all of our work unfunded - travel, copies, banners, flyers, logos, meetings, etc. 

We are taking pre-orders and expect them to be rolled out next Saturday at the Winchester Pickle Festival (details below)! Want one? Order now! Children’s shirts and special sizes must be special ordered unless ordered in advance. Know you want one? Contact us TODAY before the order is in!

$10.00

FRONT & BACK on NEON GREEN shirts! (approximate color)

 Available on Saturday at the Winchester Pickle Festival!

Show your concern for Southwestern NH natural resources!

Get yours to wear to the FPU FERC hearing September 29th!

Pre-Orders now being taken! $10 each !
$12 for 2X
Left: Front - Right: Back

* Sponsors still needed to assist in purchasing shirts. We want to say NO PIPELINE, but with a positive message that there ARE ALTERNATIVES, and that we want to protect OUR TOWNS! Join us in saying SUNSHINE, NO PIPELINES!

                                                 FRONT

                                                 BACK

STOP THE NH PIPELINE / ECHO ACTION NEWS

GET UP, GET OUT, AND HELP STOP THE PIPELINE this Saturday!

HUGE VISIBILITY AND NATIONAL MEDIA PRESENCE!

PEACEFUL, POSITIVE, HIGH-ENERGY CLIMATE RALLY!

MESSAGING SUGGESTIONS

- Stop Kinder Morgan "Northeast Export Direct"(NED) Pipeline

- Stop Spectra Pipeline

- Stop Constitution Pipeline

- No New Pipeline Infrastructure Anywhere

- KM Pipeline = Increased Utility Rates to Pay for Export Pipe

- NH Renewables NOW

- Divest NH, Divest the Nation

- President Obama or Bernie Sanders carbon reduction quotes

- Green Energy + Green Economy = Green Jobs

- Nearly 6,000 FERC Comments --> #1 is NH Renewable Energy Now!

- No Eminent Domain For Corporate Gain

- WALK the Environmental TALK

- Shut Down FERC

- Stop Corporate Corruption

- Direct messages to NH elected officials

* Keep messaging appropriate.

PEACEFUL, RESPECTFUL, ORDERLY

- High energy, but peaceful.

- Sidewalks, public areas.

- Share the message that THE FOSSIL FUEL AGE IS OVER.

PIPELINE & ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS

- Organized groups encouraged.

- Plan, carpool, review expectations in advance.

- Reminders that this is a peaceful event. You are responsible for your behavior and that of your group.

TRASH - WALK THE TALK!

- Carry In / Carry Out

- Pick up after yourself and recycle! Reusables preferred.

- Take Back The Tap! No throw away containers please.

- Skip the plastic baggies and single use bottles! No glass.

INFORMATION

Group organizers please contact ECHO Action.

Thank you.

 

 

THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND…the Milford Labor Day Parade.

It was a busy holiday weekend with a BIG EVENT for the pipeline resistance

 

 

STOP THE NH PIPELINE / ECHO ACTION NEWS

THIS JUST "LEAKED". OH, NO, IT WASN'T A PIPE THIS TIME.

JUST IN CASE YOU FELT LIKE CARRYING A SIGN TOMORROW...

KINDER MORGAN TO SIGN AGREEMENT WITH THE NEW HAMPSHIRE BUILDING TRADES TO WORK ON NORTHEAST DIRECT PROJECT

1. This is created news, not actual news.

2. Keep pushing pipeline peeps, KM is feeling the need to justify their existence and now trying to gain support for temp jobs in NH.

3. Who has a press conference to announce they'll give work to residents?

4. How many southerners will now be taking residence in NH?

 

SEPTEMBER 10TH - CONCORD

The New Hampshire Building and Construction Trades Council (NHBCTC) will sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Kinder Morgan for work on the company’s proposed Northeast Energy Direct (NED) underground natural gas pipeline. The signing will include members of the NHBCTC as well as representatives from Kinder Morgan.  The MOA states that Kinder Morgan and all of its construction contractors will use union labor at all pipeline construction sites in New Hampshire, and negotiate a project labor agreement (PLA) for work on the project. This project means the creation of hundreds of local construction jobs and is expected to also reduce the cost of living and doing business in New Hampshire. 

 

The media and members of the public are invited to attend this event. 

- "Invited"? As in "BRING YOUR SIGNS"???

 

LOCATION - In view of Governor Hassan's office?

Signing event will take place at IBEW Local 490, 48 Airport Rd, Concord.

 

TIMING - Middle of the work day...

Thursday, September 10th, 2015 at 11:00 AM

 

 

 

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO FIGHT THE PIPELINE TODAY?

TOMORROW

Kinder Morgan Open House, 6:00-8:00

Fitzwilliam VFW Hall, Route 12 at the Eversource substation entrance.

- Bring your notebook. Ask questions, write down the answers you receive.
- Have a friend video answers if possible.
- Gather materials. 
- Contact STOP THE NH PIPELINE: Fitz/Troy/Rich/Win afterwards for TRUTH TALK as a follow up to what you receive at the event.

* DIRECTIONS FROM TROY, RINDGE, RICHMOND/WINCHESTER *

DIRECTIONS FROM TROY:
- Follow Route 12 and pass the sign entering Fitzwilliam on the right side (pipeline sign below it).
- You will see a large wetland on the left and the electrical substation.
- The VFW is up on the hill at the same entrance as the substation.

DIRECTIONS FROM RICHMOND & WINCHESTER:
- Follow 119 into Fitzwilliam.
- Continue through town passing the Town Hall and the large fountain on the common on your right.
- Stay on 119 as it goes through town and makes a right after the common.
- Blinking light at the corner of 119 & 12. The Flip Side Grille on right & Mr. Mike's diagonally to your left.
- Make a left onto Route 12 heading north towards Keene.
- The VFW is up on the hill on the right side about 1/2 mile down.
- When you see the UTILITY SUBSTATION ON YOUR RIGHT, that's the entrance to the VFW.

DIRECTIONS FROM RINDGE:
- Follow 119 into Fitzwilliam.
- Blinking light at the corner of 119 & 12. The Flip Side Grille diagonally on left & Mr. Mike's on your right.
- Make a right onto Route 12 heading north towards Keene.
- The VFW is up on the hill on the right side about 1/2 mile down.
- When you see the UTILITY SUBSTATION ON YOUR RIGHT, that's the entrance to the VFW.

https://www.facebook.com/events/763678237075037/

EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Winchester Pipeline Vigil

4:30 PM at the Winchester Town Hall

Corner of Route 119 and Route 10

EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT

Northfield Pipeline Vigil

4:30 PM at Gulf Road

Northfield, MA

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH

Winchester Pickle Festival

Pipeline Booth and Information - Volunteers needed

Please wear your pipeline opposition shirts and help us have a strong presence for Richmond & Winchester!

WANTED! PIPELINE PEEPS TO ADOPT A NH FALL FAIR OR FESTIVAL!

Want to fight the pipeline? We need people to spread the word throughout the state! The only way to fight this is with INFORMATION. You don’t need to have all the answers. We will supply you and your group with information, flyers, banners, etc. Please help!