FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2012
VOL. 20 NO. 178
BERLIN, N.H.
752-5858
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Moving Downtown Forward Action Plan detailed BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN – Energy was the focal word for Wednesday’s night’s meeting on the new economic and design strategy for the downtown – Moving Downtown Forward. Consultant Stu Arnett said the plan recommends capitalizing on energy in two senses of the word. First, he noted Berlin’s unique status as a city that produces more energy than it consumes. With its hydroelectric facilities and the biomass plant, the plan recommends Berlin brand itself as the renewable energy capital of the region. Second, Arnett noted the energy of residents and merchants dedicated to revitalizing the downtown. He said merchants have remained positive and committed despite the tough economic times.
Arnett said the goal of the plan is to rebuild, not just the downtown, but also the sense of community it embodies. “What we’re really rebuilding here is community. We’re building home,” he said. Arnett and his co-consultants, Jay Poulin and John Wacker, presented the findings of their action plan to a packed house at the city council chambers. The total price tag to implement the action plan is $15 million. While Arnett said the bulk of the money should come from private sources, he said it is important the city make a financial commitment to the project. The plan calls for the city to fund ten percent of the project - $150,000 annually for ten years. Arnett said that money will see PLAN page 6
Jay Poulin, of HE Bergeron Engineering, described the Moving Downtown Forward action plan for revitalizing Berlin’s downtown at Wednesday’s presentation at city hall. The $15 million plan was developed by Poulin, Stu Arnett, and John Wacker. (BARBARA TETREAULT PHOTO).
Heated discussion follows budget committee questions on petition to abolish it BY MELISSA GRIMA THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
Clad in some stylish headwear, the North Country Crew of Penguin Plungers gathered for a group photo at Isaacson Steel this week. On February 5, the group will be plunging into the ocean to raise money for Special Olympics and several businesses have stepped up and have found ways to help them reach their goal. Currently IGA and Woodlands Credit Union are selling paper penguins. Your purchase of one will go directly to the local group. On January 21 Ledgend’s Bar will have a music machine and donate the proceeds from the admission at the door. On January 27, Fagins Pub will sponsor the night to the group and they will be raffling off tickets to the Bruins, Red Sox and Monarch’s. Also if you would like to make a personal donation you can go to www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/northcountrycrew or you can contact Paula Poirier at 752-6680 x165. Pictured are: front row, from left, Kristy True, Danielle Roy, Lindsay Dumont, Nicole Demers; second row, Tina Demers, Keenan Carrigan, Kim Allain, Emily Frizzell, Katie Nelson; third row, Pam Couture, Sue Styles, Paula Poirier, Gail Pelletier; back row, Bronson Roy, Bill Patten, Jamason Levesque, Ron Demers, Bronson Frizzell, Ray Couture, and Dan True. Plunging, but not pictured are Amy Bugeau, Ray Rowe, Brandon Steady and Laura Lemieux. (MELISSA GRIMA PHOTO)
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GORHAM — The selectmen announced on Tuesday evening that a petitioned warrant article had been received asking the voters to abolish the town’s budget committee. On Wednesday evening, the budget committee and supporters of the petition shared their feelings during the budget committee meeting, with the discourse at time dissolving into personal attacks. The purpose of Wednesday evening’s meeting was to hear from the water and sewer department on their 2012 budget. The commissioners and superintendent presented the two operating budgets with a combined decrease of around $6,800. The committee has no power to change or endorse the water and sewer budgets so the post-presentation conversation turned to the other matters, including that of the petitioned warrant article that proposed to abolish the budget committee.
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A major point for some budget committee members was that the bulk of the signatures on the petition, were town employees and their immediate family members. PJ Cyr, the town’s Chief of Police, who spearheaded the effort, was on hand and explained that he believes many more signatures could have been gathered but he felt it necessary to just provide the minimum. Under questioning from committee members, Cyr said he did not feel that any employees had violated the town’s code of ethics by taking part in the petition, and assured them that he collected the signatures in his free time. When asked about his motives, Cyr said that he was struck by the way some of the budget committee members conducted themselves regarding town employees. He said employees had been publicly called addicts, abusers, alcoholics, and even thieves on open Facebook pages. He also told the committee that one of their members, Robert Balon, had appropriated a see PETITION page 7
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