TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2012
VOL. 20 NO. 179
Home invasion suspect indicted for alleged witness tampering BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
LANCASTER – A Berlin man, already facing charges for an alleged home invasion on New Year’s Eve, now has been indicted for witness tampering in the case. Meeting Friday, a Coos Grand Jury returned two counts of witness tampering against Jonathan Leite, 23, of 816 Third Avenue. The charge is a Class B, carrying a sentence of three and a half to seven years in prison and a $4,000 fine. Leite already faces charges of attempted armed robbery and burglary stemming from the Dec. 31 incident. Leite is charged with calling Nicholas Belanger on Jan. 2 from the West Stewartstown Jail and telling him to recant his state-
THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
GORHAM—The Gorham budget committee nearly completed its final votes on the town department 2012 budget numbers at its meeting Thursday. The public hearing on the Gorham budget for the coming year is scheduled for February 8. The public is welcome to attend all meetings of the budget committee. At the beginning of the Friday meeting, Chairman Bruce Lary said that he “recommended and requested Mr. (Bob) Balon recuse
BY MELISSA GRIMA THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
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see INDICTED page 10
himself from voting on the police department, the highway department, recreation and fire department (budgets) due to public comments and statements.” “There is no authority to force you to do anything like that. This is just for the public record. It would be wise for potential legality issues for the town, but, nevertheless, it would be your option,” Lary said. Committee member Balon replied, “I have participated in all of the discussions, so I will particisee BUDGET page 8
School budget hearing is Wednesday GORHAM — The Gorham Randolph Shelburne Cooperative School District will present a nearly $8 million budget proposal to voters at a public hearing on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. If voters approve all warrant articles, the total district appropria-
752-5858
ment and refrain from talking to law enforcement. Belanger, 23, of Berlin is alleged to have dropped Leite off and picked him up after the home invasion. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and criminal liability for the conduct of another. The home invasion occurred shortly before 1 p.m. on Dec. 31. Leite is charged with going to the Cheshire Street home of David Mulinski and Ashley Bacon in Berlin and demanding money from the couple at gunpoint. When the couple insisted they did not have any money, Leite is reported to have handed them a cell phone and told the pair to call someone. They called Donald Letourneau and when he arrived, a fight broke
Gorham committee closes in on final Gorham budget numbers BY GAIL SCOTT
BERLIN, N.H.
tion is proposed at $8.5 million. SAU 20 Superintendent Paul Bousquet said that revenues are down this year and the budget is up only slightly. A summary sheet shows that the 2012 appropropriation was $8,525,088 while the 2013 figure (including warrant) is $8,537,690, a difference of $12,602. see HEARING page 10
Friends and family of Doris and Rodney Fortier watched as the couple’s home burned Friday morning. The family lost three pets in the fire which authorities have ruled was accidental. (BARBARA TETREAULT PHOTO)
House fire ruled accidental BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN – Fire Chief Randall Trull said the fire that destroyed a single-family residence at 388 Standard Street Friday morning started in the kitchen near the stove. He termed the fire accidental and said the owners, Rodney and Doris Fortier, were in the process of renovating the building. Trull said the last family member left the house at 7:30 a.m. and he believes the fire smoldered for a long time before neighbors noticed smoke coming from the building. “It had a good start,” said Captain Richard LaPointe. The fire was reported at 10:18 a.m. and the Berlin Fire Department was on the scene two minutes later with four firefighters and Chief Trull. “It was puffing smoke out of every window when we got there,” Trull said. LaPointe said the first floor was engulfed in flames and one window blew out as firefighters entered the building. A general alarm was issued and eventually a total of 18 firefighters responded. Both Trull and LaPointe said the balloon-style construction of the building and the on-going renovations that created
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open spaces helped the fire spread quickly to the second floor and attic. Firefighters were forced to cut a hole in the roof to ventilate the fire. Firefighters worked for close to 90 minutes to bring the fire under control and remained at the scene until shortly before 1 p.m. While a section of the second floor did not see much fire damage, Trull said there was heavy smoke and water damage throughout the building. LaPointe said the couple was not able to salvage much except some tools. The family also lost three pets in the fire. An attached garage was not damaged in the fire and Trull said firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading to a neighboring house that was only about three feet from the Fortier home. Rodney Fortier was on jury duty at Coos Superior Court Friday at the time of the fire and was allowed to leave to respond to the emergency situation at home. Trull said it appeared the Fortiers had done a lot of work on the house. “I feel very bad for the people who live there,” he said. Red Cross and Berlin Emergency Medical Service responded to the fire. Public Works and Berlin police also helped out at the scene.
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