WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2011
VOL. 20 NO. 116
BERLIN, N.H.
752-5858
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Supreme Court rules in city’s favor on tax suit BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN -- The state Supreme Court has ruled in Berlin’s favor in a tax dispute with North American Dismantling over the former pulp mill property that dates back to 2007. In 2007, North American Dismantling challenged the city’s $7.917 million assessment for the 122-acre site. The company charged the assessment “was in excess of a just and proportionate valuation” of its property. The legal dispute was expanded to include the property’s 2008 valuation of $5,459,500. At stake for the city was over a quarter of a million
dollar in tax revenue. - North American Dismantling’s 2007 tax bill was $153,815 and its 2008 tax bill was $84,250. In October 2010, Coos Superior Court Justice Timothy Vaughan ruled in the city’s favor for both tax year 2007 and 2008. Vaughan said the city’s expert, George Sansoucy, had established to the court’s satisfaction that the valuations adopted by the city were arrived at through appropriate methodology. North American Dismantling appealed the Superior Court decision to the Supreme Court, which last month upheld the lower court decision. In its appeal, North American Dismantling argued the Superior Court failed to consider all factors
affecting the property’s valuation, did not recognize the purchase price was the best indication of value, erroneously found that all standing buildings had value, and did not allow company President Rick Marcicki to testify as an expert witness. In an unanimous decision, the court said it found that Sansoucy prepared an extensive valuation and analysis of the property and the trial court found his methodology to be appropriate. North American Dismantling argued the $3.598 million it paid when it purchased the property from Fraser in 2006 was the best indicator of the value of the site. The Supreme Court decision said the trial see COURT page 9
Vets share 60 years of experience at conference BY GAIL SCOTT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN—From 91-year-old Roger Paris to 15-year-old Katarina Lindskog, six speakers in the Intergenerational Panel at the North Country Veterans Conference Saturday told of lives shaped—for good or ill—by military service. The theme of the conference was “Celebrating Generations,” but it might also have been “surviving the experience,” the topic of a talk by Pastors David and Linda Canter, of Lambs Chapel, in Berlin earlier in the day. Marine Corps veteran Paris led off the panel’s part in the program, which was less a discussion than a series of vignettes of the impact of military ser-
vice. Davis recalled the chaos of recordkeeping in the pre-computer days at the end of WWII when some vets had a hard time getting their claims processed. Those were the days of the first Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (The GI Bill) when veterans were generally honored for their service and the government offered low interest, zero down payment home loans for servicemen, money for education, and the 52-20 clause. The last enabled servicemen to receive $20 once a week for 52 weeks while they looked for work— the equivalent of $246 a week today. Paris noted that he and his cohorts see VETS page 5
The Intergenerational Panel at the North Country Veterans Conference at the Berlin Armory Saturday told of lives shaped—for good or ill—by military service. The theme of the conference was “Celebrating Generations” and had a day long series of programs related to helping service people. The Armory was lined with the booths of helping organizations. The panel members are (l-r): Roger Paris, of Londonderry; Gerald O’Brien, of Londonderry; Dave Dubey, of Milan; Dori Hamilton, of Lisbon; Katarina Lindscog, of Frank; Bea Picknell, of Blue Star Moms; SPC Zachary Gilding. (GAIL SCOTT PHOTO)
City council racing deadline for redistricting decision BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN -- Racing the calendar, the city council Monday night instructed City Planner Pamela Laflamme to make some additional adjustments to the latest plan for redistricting the city. Frustrated with trying to arrive at a suitable solution to even out population among the current four wards, the council is now proposing a charter amendment to consolidate the city into two wards. City Clerk Debra Patrick warned the council that it must make a final decision by Oct. 10 to get the
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issue on the primary ballot in January and avoid the expense of holding a special election. The latest plan splits the city into two wards using Main Street as the dividing line. The proposed Ward I includes all of the current Ward IV, most of Ward I, and part of Ward III. The new Ward II includes all of Ward II, a good part of Ward III, and a slight part of Ward I. Mayor Paul Grenier said he thought consolidating the city into two wards was the best solution. He noted it reduces the need for election workers because there would only be two polling places.
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“I think this is the least painful way,” he said. But Ward I Councilor Lucie Remillard raised objections to the way the new proposal splits the avenues in Ward I between the two wards. She said the line divides what is a neighborhood into two different wards. “I can’t jump on board with this,” she said. “I do not agree with this at all.” Remillard said she preferred the first option presented by the city planner to the latest option. She noted Councilor Mike Rozek had complained about
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