THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
VOL. 20 NO. 137
BERLIN, N.H.
752-5858
FREE
Two taxpayers owe close to $500,000 to town Residents call for personnel, service cuts to lower budget BY MELISSA GRIMA THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
GORHAM — The outstanding tax bills of two taxpayers limited the ability of the town to mitigate the
recently announced $2.85 rise in the 2011 tax rate. Gorham town officials said they were unable to access close to half a million dollars to offset the tax rate in 2011, as they had in previous years. The main cause for the lack of access was concern by the auditor over $460,000 in unpaid taxes owed the town. As a result, that money was taken from the town coffers and placed in a reserve fund to protect the town in
the case that money is not received. The bulk of that $460,000 in tax debt can be attributed to two taxpayers, according to Town Manager Robin Frost. Munce’s is responsible for $237,165 in unpaid taxes spread over 13 properties, while Currier Trucking is responsible for $222,964 in delinquent taxes for two properties. Frost estisee TAXPAYERS page 6
Berlin native to sign copies of latest book at SaVoir Flare Saturday BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
Berlin native Giles Laroche has written and illustrated a new children’s book, entitled ‘If You Lived Here: Houses of the World’ and will be signing copies of it this Saturday, Nov. 12, at SaVoir Flare on Main Street in Berlin from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
BERLIN -- Native son Giles Laroche returns to Berlin this Saturday, Nov. 12, to sign copies of his latest children’s book, ‘If You Lived Here, Houses of the World’, at SaVoir Flare from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Laroche is a critically acclaimed writer and illustrator of children’s book as well as an abstract painter. Growing up in Berlin, Laroche was in second grade when a teacher piqued his interest in drawing. Now living in Salem, Mass., Laroche said he saw his first fine art books at the Berlin Public Library and had his first real art experiences at Berlin High School. “I especially enjoyed sketching the mountains, old farmhouses, and mill buildings which surrounded Berlin, New Hampshire, the town I grew up in,” he wrote on his web page. In an earlier interview with the Berlin Daily Sun and in a more recent e-mail exchange, Larouche said after graduating from Berlin High, he
worked several years at Converse Rubber Factory to earn money and eventually went to Montserrat College in Beverly, Mass. After graduation, he worked part-time for a while at an architectural firm and eventually in 1987, Little, Brown, & Company gave him a contract to illustrate the book, ‘Sign a Song of People’. He did four additional books for Little, Brown, & Company, followed by four books for Penguin Putman Publishers. His last three books have been for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. His most recent books, ‘What’s Inside? Fascinating Structures Around the World’ and ‘If You Lived Here: Houses of the World’ were written as well as illustrated by Laroche. Laroche said the idea for ‘Houses of the World’ came from school children he has worked with doing artist-inresidence programs over the years at schools in eastern Massachusetts. Many times, he said the subject is communities with the kids making people, see BOOK page 8
Hunter fatally shot in hunting related incident in Lisbon CONCORD, N.H. -- A 31-year-old man who was hunting with his father and brother on the opening day of New Hampshire’s firearms deer hunting season was fatally shot today at approximately 8 a.m. by another hunter in the vicinity. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident occurred off of Mt. Eustis Road in Lisbon, N.H. The alleged
shooter was unrelated to the victim’s hunting party and is being interviewed by authorities. The incident is being investigated by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the New Hampshire State Police. No further information is available at this time; updates will be posted at http://www.wildnh.com/Newsroom/newsroom.
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htm. Fatal hunting incidents are unusual for New Hampshire, which has a generally good record for hunter safety, largely attributable to mandatory hunter education and the increasing use of blaze orange clothing by hunters. The average number of see HUNTING page 8
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