FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2011 VOL. 20 NO. 74
BERLIN, N.H.
752-58
58
FREE
Croteau denies operating a junkyard at his home BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN -- Property owner Paul Croteau denies he operates a junkyard at his home at 6 Francis Street. “I don’t have a junkyard there,” he said. Croteau was responding to complaints from abutter Connie Richards. Richards appeared at Monday’s city council meeting to complain about the condition of Croteau’s property. She told councilors he parks vehicles on both sides of the street, obstructing the vision around the curve and at times blocking the fire hydrant. When vehicles are parked on both sides of the street, Richards said emergency vehicles can not pass. Croteau said he buys, restores, and sells antique cars which he said the law allows him to keep at his property unregistered. He said with antique cars, sometimes you have to purchase two vehicles to restore one. Croteau said he owns a total of 14
antique cars but only four are located at his Francis Street residence. He said he is allowed by law to keep parts for those vehicles outside. Croteau said antique cars are like antique furniture - some people see them as junk and some people see them as gold. Croteau said he did have junk cars at the former Rocket Snowmobile building which was the cause of a lengthy legal dispute with the city. But he stressed he does not store junk cars at his home. Croteau said Francis Street is the same width as other city streets and challenged Richards’ statement that there is a blind spot as the road curves. He said he parks his vehicles on the road just like many people in the city do. “I park along that road just like everybody else does,” he said. Croteau said if the city is going to limit parking on the street near his property, the parking ban should cover all of Church Street.
He denied ever blocking the fire hydrant. In fact, he said he cleans out the hydrant in the winter to make sure it is available in case of emergency. Croteau also took issue with Richards’ comment that sometimes he puts his garbage out several days before it is picked up. He said he usually puts his garbage out half an hour before the collection truck comes. “If I left my garbage out for days, the bears would be all over it,” he said. Croteau charged it is Richards who leaves her garbage cans out for days. When he brought the Francis Street property 19 years ago, Croteau said it was in a farm zone. “We’re out of the city,” he noted. He said over the years they had to get rid of their pigs and chickens. But City Planner Pamela Lafl amme said the property has been in a residential single family zone since Croteau has owned it. see CROTEAU page 7
Injured hiker on Mount Washington
Kiwanis Leader and Verizon Wireless associates award Dori Ducharme with the iPad won at the Bike Rodeo that took place on June11. The Bike Rodeo is a Kiwanis fundraiser that raises money to buy helmets for kids and teens. The rodeo provided bike repairs, bike and rail road safety tips, and goodey bags for those who participated in the event. About 100 people went to the rodeo and about 200 helmets were distributed. This commun ity event took place for 20 years. (l-r) Cecile Strout, President of Kiwanis, Dori Ducharme, winner of iPad, Bod Labnon, Shane Bertrand, and Bethany Poulin, associates from Verizon Wireless of Berlin. Kiwanis leader, Strout, welcomes anyone to participate in future Kiwanis events. The organization meets every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. currently at Camp Sawyer.
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MOUNT WASHINGTON -- At approximately 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20, a teenage boy was assisted up Mount Washington on the Jewell Trail. The boy, along with his two brothers and father were on their annual summer hike of Mount Washington. While descending the Jewell Trail, he injured his right ankle. A 911 call was received through Grafton County Dispatch around 6 p.m. and relayed to the Fish and Game Department. The decision to assist the injured boy up the mountain less than a mile resulted in less pain and work than to hike him approximately five miles down the mountain. The assist up the mountain was quicker with the aid of State Parks personnel and crutches they keep at the summit observatory for these matters. Injuries are not confirmed, however they are defi nitely non-life threatening. Conservation Offi cer Mark Ober said that he was glad to help them off the mountain just as nightfall set in.
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