WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2012
VOL. 20 NO. 168
BERLIN, N.H.
Gallus hopes to amend HB334 Amendment would exempt colleges, arenas from the bill
BY MELISSA GRIMA THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
A bill scheduled for hearing in Concord today by the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee removes restrictions on the possession of firearms on any state property, except where prohibited by law. The proposal, HB334, has come under fire by many for opening the door to allow guns on college campuses and other crowded public areas, but one of the bill’s sponsors may be looking to close that door a bit. According to a spokesman at Senator John Gallus’ office in Concord, an amendment is being drafted that would exempt some of the more controversial sites from the bill should it pass. Gallus staffer Richard Parsons said that the amendment will look to exempt the University System of New Hampshire, Community College System of New Hampshire and large venues like the Verizon Wireless Arena, from being obligated to
allow firearm possession on their premises. Gallus is one of seven sponsors of the bill, which was introduced in 2011. The bill, as it is written, is unpopular among local college administrators, students and law enforcement. “We are very clearly opposed to this legislation,” said White Mountains Community College President Kathy Eneguess. She said the bill, if passed, would create an untenable situation for law enforcement, faculty and students. Eneguess said she had spoken with some members of the Coos delegation to express her concerns that the bill would be detrimental to the campus. She added that throughout the course of the debate in the fall, she heard from many students and faculty opposed to the idea of having firearms on campus. While proponents of allowing guns on campus cite a deterrence factor, or the ability of individuals
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Two shots fired in struggle during home invasion Second man arrested
BY BARBARA TETREAULT
Bacon told police she and Mulinski were in bed when she heard a knock at the door. When she answered the door, she said Leite said he wanted to speak to Mulinski. Bacon said she told Leite to come back later and tried to shut the door but he forced his way inside. Once in the apartment, Bacon reported Leite took out a black semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at her. She told police Leite followed her into the bedroom and demanded Mulinski and Bacon go into the living room. There, Leite allegedly demanded money from the pair. When Mulinski replied that he didn’t have any money, the affidavit said Leite told him he better call someone and handed him a cell phone. Mulinski called Letourneau and asked him to come over. When Letourneau arrived, Leite opened the door and greeted him. Once inside, however, the affidavit said Leite pulled
THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN – Two shots were fired when a struggle broke out during a home invasion on New Year’s Eve, according to court documents filed in the case. Jonathan Leite, 28, of 816 Third Avenue, Berlin, was arrested Saturday for attempted armed robbery and burglary. Nicholas Belanger, 23, of Berlin was arrested Monday for conspiracy to commit robbery and criminal liability for the conduct of another. In his arrest affidavit, Berlin Detective Nathan Roy said shortly before 1 p.m. on Dec. 31, David Mulinski called 911 to report someone had just attempted to rob him at his 653 Cheshire Street home. Roy said when he arrived at the apartment, Mulinski, Ashley Bacon, and Donald Letourneau were there. Roy said he interviewed them separately and found their stories were consistent. All three reported knowing Leite.
see GUNS page 7
see ARREST page 6
Council approves new telephone system, two councilors say goodbye
Toys for Tots donation
BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
On behalf of the students at BJHS, the Student Council donated over five-hundred dollars worth of items for the Toys for Tots charity. Pictured student council members top row L-R; Jenna Arguin, Julianne Plourde, Kayleigh Eastman, Brianne Morneau, Robyn Parker, Mr. Murphy Advisor, and Renee Morrissette. Bottom row L-R; Tim Glover, Cory Fauteux, Rylie Binette, and Julie Downs.
BERLIN -- The city council Monday night approved purchasing a new telephone system for city hall and the courthouse. Meeting on the New Year’s holiday, the council covered a range of routine matters. The meeting was the last official one for outgoing councilors Tom McCue and Mark Evans. Housing Coordinator Andre Caron, who also serves as the city’s IT expert, reported the current phone system in city hall needs to be replaced. He said spare parts for the system are hard to come by and in recent years the city has been forced to purchase refurbished sets on EBAY to replace defective sets. Currently, Caron said the system is experiencing dropped calls, signaling that a total system failure may not be far away. “The system is showing its age,” he said. With $28,025 set aside in the current budget to replace the system, Caron said the city issued a request for proposals. Four companies responded to the RFPs and three ultimately submitted proposals. Caron said he was recommending going with Goulet Communications, Inc., of Stark, even through there proposal was slightly higher than one of the other vendors when all factors were considered. He said he was recommending Goulet because of the quality of the proposal and equipment, the contract was the only one to provide free labor for a year, and its hourly maintenance cost was far lower than the others. Caron said Goulet also has worked for the city before and see COUNCIL page 8
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