The Berlin Daily Sun, Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Page 1

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2011

VOL. 20 NO. 135

BERLIN, N.H.

752-5858

FREE

Taxes up in Gorham with revenue hard to come by BY MELISSA GRIMA THE BERLIN DAILY SUN

GORHAM — Late last week, Gorham Town Manager Robin Frost announced that the town’s tax rate had increased substantially, from $23.95 (per thousand dollars of assessed value) last year to $26.80 for 2011. That jump of close to $3 per thousand, has some wondering how a town with so much commer-

cial property fared so much worse than a town of similar population with less commerce just 25 miles away. The simple answer is revenue. Unpaid taxes and an overall drop in total valuation are the biggest contributors to lack of revenue. A look at the tax rates calculations for each town side-by side (see chart page 8) show that both had similar bottom-lines in their municipal budgets.

Gorham taxpayers approved $5.4 million in municipal spending, while Lancaster voters approved $5.7 million. Each town also had similar school obligations with Gorham responsible for $5.5 million to the GRS Cooperative School District and Lancaster on the hook for $5.8 million to the White Mountains see TAXES page 9

Historical marker dedicated at Nansen Ski Jump BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN

Executive Councilor Raymond Burton, state Senator John Gallus, Milan Selectman Dick Lamontagne, and Chair George Pozzuto gathered Friday to dedicate the new historical marker for the Nansen ski Jump. (BARBARA TETREAULT PHOTO).

MILAN -- A new historical marker has been placed at the site of the Nansen Ski Jump, commemorating the role of the jump and the Nansen Ski Club in the development of Nordic skiing. Milan selectmen, state Senator John Gallus, and Executive Councilor Raymond Burton gathered Friday afternoon to dedicate the new sign which Gallus said “celebrates the contributions to Nordic skiing in America by Scandinavians immigrants.” Burton called the new marker a great addition to the state’s historical highway marker system. “These plaques are for special places, special people and special events,” he said. The marker notes the jump was built in 1936-37 by the National Youth Administration and the city of Berlin. Clarence ‘Spike’ Oleson was the first jumper, making his

inaugural jump in 1937. The following year the U.S. Olympic ski jump trials were held at the jump. The jump was the site of the United States Ski Jumping National Championships in 1940, 1957, 1965, and 1972. Gallus also noted the contributions of Alf Halverson, Leon Costello, and Leo Guerin to local ski history. Nansen Ski Club claims the distinction of being the oldest, continually operated ski club in the United States. According to the club’s history, it was founded in 1872 as Skilubben Club and open only to male Scandinavians living in Coos County. The club eventually changed its name to honor the Norwegian explorer, Fridtjof Nansen and opened its membership to all. According to the club history, the last ski meet at the jump was in the eighties. The jump has see MARKER page 7

Berlin woman sentenced to 46 months for mail fraud Where to vote

CONCORD, NH - Joan R. Laplante, a 66-year-old resident of Berlin, New Hampshire, has been sentenced to 46 months in prison. A former resident of Pembroke, New Hampshire, Laplante was found guilty of mail fraud at the conclusion of a fiveday jury trial in United States District Court last February. Laplante owned and operated JRL Business Resources, LLC, a business that collected money on account receivables it purchased at discounted prices from 1996 to 2002. Laplante’s business discontinued legitimate business activity, also known as “factoring,” in approximately December 2002. During the ensuing four-year period, however, Laplante obtained loans, totaling more than $2 million, from a

number of people by falsely promising them that their loans would be used to “factor.” As a further inducement, Laplante promised to repay the loans at unusually high rates of interest, usually 12 to 18 percent, compounded annually. Instead, in Ponzi-like fashion, Laplante used the lenders’ money to repay loans that had been previously been made to her business. When the scheme was exposed, Laplante owed more than $880,000 to people who had loaned money to her business. The case was investigated by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bob Kinsella.

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Today is election day in Berlin with competitive races for both school board and city council. Polls are open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Look for results in Wednesday’s Berlin Daily Sun. Voting locations are as follows: WARD 1 - Recreation Center, First Avenue entrance WARD 2 - Berlin Middle School Gym, High Street entrance WARD 3 - Brown School Cafeteria, Eighth Street entrance WARD 4- Community Bible Church (formerly Guardian Angel Church)

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