WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2011
VOL. 20 NO. 156
BERLIN, N.H.
752-5858
FREE
City sees increasing welfare costs due to federal and state cuts BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN – The city welfare office is seeing increased demand for general assistance and requests are expected to grow as cuts in federal and state assistance programs are felt. Welfare Director Angela Martin-Giroux told the city council Monday night that she has already expended all but about $500 of the $22,000 in her budget for general assistance with the fiscal year not yet half over. She estimated the city will need an additional $30,000 to meet the expected demand for this year. The city has already used up or is close to depleting budgeted amounts for electricity, burials, board and care, rent, and fuel. With winter underway, the city is especially worried about the potential demand for fuel assistance. Martin-
Giroux noted the federal government has cut funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and that has resulted in the state limiting the program to the neediest recipients. She said last week she had two applicants for fuel assistance who in the past have qualified for LIHEAP funding. On top of decreased federal funding, Martin-Giroux noted the cost of fuel oil is up over last year so assistance grants do not go as far. The news did not please Mayor Paul Grenier who complained the local communities are being forced to pay for assistance Congress and the state legislature are refusing to fund. Grenier said the city has not cut its welfare budget and has steadily funded its share even though the local economy is struggling. He said the federal and state govsee WELFARE page 6
Council considers requests from police, public works BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN – The city council Monday night agreed to support an application for a $45,000 grant to fund a parttime Intelligence Liaison Officer position in the police department. The council also agreed to allow Public Works to go out for bids to construct a salt and sand storage shed. Police Chief Peter Morency said the federal Homeland Security Act contains funding to establish information fusion centers in each state to allow for the exchange of
homeland security threatrelated information between federal, state, and local governments. The New Hampshire Information and Analysis Center is being established in Concord and Berlin police department has been contacted about staffing a Coos Country liaison to the center. Morency said the person would serve to exchange information on threat-related activities between local agencies and the center. Because the department has no money to see REQUESTS page 3
Matt Michaud
Former Berlin firefighter competes
for wounded warrior benefit BY GAIL SCOTT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
DOVER—Air Force Technical Sergeant Joe Deslauriers, 32, lost his legs and one of his arms below his elbow in a roadside IED explosion in Afghanistan. He and his family are looking at an overwhelming number of problems to return Deslauriers to the civilian world, according to former Berlin Firefighter Matt Michaud, who grew up in Berlin and recently took a job with the Dover Fire
BY MELISSA GRIMA THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
GORHAM—The Gorham board of selectmen took a last look at the 2012 budget and made a few adjustments before sending the proposal on to the town’s budget committee for review. The budget committee started
their review sessions last night (Tuesday, Dec. 13) with a look at the Recreation Department. They will meet again tonight, at 6:30 p.m., in the town hall to review the Fire and EMS budget proposals. Over the course of last Monday, Tuesday see SELECTMEN page 3
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Gorham selectmen keep fireworks funding, send budget to committee
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