TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2011
VOL. 20 NO. 99
BERLIN, N.H.
752-5858
FREE
Berlin school enrollment continues to decline BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN --Continuing a five year trend, total enrollment is down at the Berlin public school system Superintendent of Schools Corrine Cascadden reported at Thursday’s school board meeting. On opening day, there was a total of 1,280 students in grades K-12. That compares to a total of 1,345 students at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year - a decrease of 65 students. The high school had 438 students, compared to
474 in 2010, the junior high had 231 compared to 221 in 2010, Hillside had 345 compared to 380 in 2010, and Brown School had 266 compared to 249 in 2010. The system has experienced a decrease of 279 students from 2007-08 when it had 1,599 students. That represents a drop of 17 percent over five years. During that same time, Cascadden pointed out the system has also cut employees. In 2007-2008, there was 292 employees. On opening day this year, that number was 252, a reduction of 40 personnel or
almost 14 percent. The trend of declining enrollment is one of the driving forces behind the Berlin school board’s interest in the upcoming community forums on the future of public education in the Androscoggin Valley. Cascadden and SAU 20 Superintendent Paul Bousquet obtained a grant from the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund to hold the facilitated forums. The first will be Wednesday, Sept. 14 at the Berlin High School Library, starting at 7 p.m. see ENROLLMENT page 3
Cate Street Capital closes on financing for biomass plant BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
Ahoy Mattee! The theme for this year’s Coos County Nursing Home family picnic was ‘Pirates’. Residents and family members were treated to a outdoor barbecue and music by Denise Doucette and Bill Adams. Enjoying the festivities were resident Faye Howland, daughters Colleen and Alice Howland and niece Megan Merchant. (RITA DUBE PHOTO)
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BERLIN – Cate Street Capital has finalized its financing for the Berlin Station biomass plant, paving the way for construction to get underway this week. “They’ve been funded,” said Berlin Mayor Paul Grenier. Grenier said Cate Street Capital officials notified him of the closing late Friday afternoon. “I think this is the beginning of a new economic era for the city of Berlin,” he said. The settlement agreement reached between Public Service of N.H. and the six independent smaller biomass plants called for the company to complete its financing by Aug. 30. Cate Street Capital President John Halle on Tuesday said he was in the process of finalizing the financing but said it would take a complete of days to complete all the paperwork. Halle said Cate Street Capital has been working on the financing for over a year. Grenier said Babcock and Wilcox will be on site this week to start the construction. Halle said the company, which built the chemical recovery boiler that is being converted to burn biomass, will set up shop on the site in the old warehouse building. The company is serving as the engineering, procurement, and construction firm for the project. The mayor said Cate Street Capi-
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