NEWS & NOTES Candidates file
The final round-up of candidates for major office submitted their official paperwork as the filing period came to a close. On June 8, Republican Executive Councilor Chris Sununu came under fire for comments he made about a lack of leadership amid the drug crisis as he filed his candidacy in the gubernatorial race. The Union Leader reported Manchester Police Chief Nick Willard took issue with the statement, calling it “idiotic” and suggesting local leaders such as himself and others have been leading in the fight against opioids. Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas, another GOP candidate for governor, called on Sununu to apologize. Gatsas and Sununu met privately at the Windham GOP cookout, where Gatsas asked Sununu to apologize again. NH1 reported Sununu stood by his statements but clarified that he did not intend to include police or fire departments when he referred to a lack of leadership at the local level. The next day, Republican Jeanie Forrester, a state senator from Meredith, filed to run for governor, as did Democrat Mark Connolly, the former head of the state’s Bureau of Securities Regulations. Forrester used the moment to criticize Gov. Maggie Hassan and later her GOP opponent Sununu for his comments the day before. She said they pointed to his “immaturity” and “lack of wisdom” stemming from the “political dynasty” he comes from, referring to his father, a former governor, and brother, a former U.S. senator. The AP reported Forrester said she will not seek higher office in Congress if elected governor. On June 10, the final day for filing, GOP candidates Gatsas and state Rep. Frank Edelblut of Wilton and Democratic Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern filed for the governor’s race, the Union Leader reported. That same day saw the filings for Congressional candidates. Democrat Carol Shea-Porter filed to take back the 1st District seat held by Republican Frank Guinta, and Democratic incumbent Ann McLane Kuster got another challenger on the ballot when Republican state Rep. Eric Estevez HIPPO | JUNE 16 - 22, 2016 | PAGE 4
filed for the 2nd District seat. Estevez joins a crowded primary field that includes state Rep. Jack Flanagan of Brookline and former state Rep. Jim Lawrence of Hudson. Meanwhile, Shea-Porter’s principal Democratic challenger, Shawn O’Connor, filed after announcing he would run as an independent, the AP reported. O’Connor, a Bedford businessman, has been at loggerheads with party officials.
Concord mall
The project, which would cost $6.8 million to overhaul the space, aims to provide inpatient services and work release housing for inmates with addiction problems and co-occurring mental illnesses. It’s modeled after a similar facility in Sullivan County that boasts an 18-percent recidivism rate. Merrimack County’s recidivism rate is currently 50 percent. Meanwhile, in Manchester, work on converting the old Hoitt furniture building into a recovery center run by HOPE for New Hampshire Recovery officially began. The ceremonial groundbreaking took place on June 7 with project organizers and Mayor Ted Gatsas hammering a large hole through an internal wall to reveal a banner that read “Breaking down the walls to Recovery.” The center will offer peer support services and meeting spaces in the first floor with some housing services in upper floors provided through other organizations.
Donald Trump returned to the Granite State on June 13. NHPR reported he spoke at Saint Anselm College in Manchester but cancelled his event at Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth and an evening fundraiser at the Rye home of Republican businessman CONCORD Bill Binnie. His campaign cited the Orlando tragedy as the reason, according to WMUR. Hooksett
Fire department officers in Derry gave demonstrations to area residents on how to give CPR and administer Narcan in the event of an opioid overdose. The Union Leader reported a large crowd came to the local elementary school gymnasium, where Narcan kits were also distributed.
The Steeplegate Mall in ConUnder a proposed $263.8 cord has a new owner. The Union million budget, Nashua Goffstown Leader reported Namdar RealMayor Jim Donchess says ty Group of Great Neck, New taxes would go up by 2.5 York, purchased the mall and percent. The Union Leader MANCHESTER reported Donchess’ spending its 51 acres in a sealed-bid aucplan is $3 million more than tion. The price Namdar ultimately the current budget. paid for the mall was $10.3 milBedford lion, which was less than a third of the financially troubled mall’s Derry Merrimack A new greenhouse Amherst at Hudpeak value and less than half of son’s Alvirne High School the city’s assessed value of more Londonderry has beenMilford made almost than $25 million. Greater Concord entirely out of recycled plasChamber of Commerce president tic bottles. The Union Leader Tim Sink praised the deal, say- Granite Hammer reported the unusable boting Namdar has a reputation for As lawmakers consider creatNASHUA tles intended for Coca-Cola were donated by Southeastbuying properties in decline and ing a statewide $1.5 million grant ern Company, which has a breathing new life into them. program for law enforcement to plant in town. crack down on major drug dealers, the police department that PFOA $1,000 tax break for middle-class Add Salem to the list of towns piloted the enforcement model for Hassan’s plan whose drinking water is affected the program has no more money Gov. Maggie Hassan unveiled families, tax credits to incentivby the man-made chemical used to continue it. The Union Leader her economic plan as part of her ize entrepreneurship, a reduction in making Teflon-coated products. reported Capt. Mark Sanclemente, U.S. Senate race platform. The of student loan burdens and highThe Union Leader reported about the head of Manchester’s undercov- Union Leader reported Hassan er taxes for wealthy businesses 50 Salem residents were told their er narcotic and plainclothes street claimed her plan, titled “Innovate and individuals. Sen. Kelly Ayogroundwater may be affected by units, told lawmakers the city needs NH 2.0,” will revitalize the mid- tte’s campaign issued a prepared a concentration of perfluoroocta- more money to continue the Gran- dle class and improve the U.S. response to Hassan’s plan, saying noic acid, or PFOA, detected in a ite Hammer operations that inspired economy. Touting the success- she mismanaged the state’s econformer landfill. The state’s Depart- the legislation. The city funded the es of New Hampshire’s economy omy and has not been focused on ment of Environmental Services is operations with $100,000 and they as a model for the nation’s econ- doing her job. offering free well testing to those resulted in 94 arrests last year. omy, Hassan’s plan includes a residents notified. Most of the monitoring wells at the Lowell Road landfill area found PFOA levels exceeding the safety threshMCKENNA HOUSE CONCORD SCHOOL DISTRICT old of 70 parts per trillion and A homeless shelter in Concord has broken ground Hackers gained access to sensitive employee two monitoring wells had levels on a long-awaited expansion. The Concord Moninformation at the Concord School District, exceeding 400 ppt combined. The itor reported the year-round shelter McKenna according to investigators. WMUR reported landfill was used for construction House currently has room to house 26 adults and the data breach compromised 2015 W-2 tax the expansion will add another 16 beds for a toforms on file, which included Social Secuand demolition debris.
Treatment/recovery
Two planned facilities for drug treatment and recovery reached important milestones. The Concord Monitor reported Merrimack County delegates voted 22-6 to approve transforming an old jail in Boscawen into a state-of-theart treatment facility for inmates.
tal capacity of 42 individuals. There will be room for 13 women and 29 men and the new construction will include space for classes and make the shelter more accessible for handicapped people. Right now, the shelter cannot accept women if they cannot walk up the stairs to the second floor, where the women’s shelter is located. While construction has started, it’s still $30,000 to $40,000 short of its fundraising goal. The new section should be open by September. McKenna House is operated by the Salvation Army.
rity numbers, addresses and tax and contribution funds information. The cyber attack took place on April 7 but it went undetected until June 1. Superintendent Terri Forsten recommended school district employees contact banks, credit cards or other asset institutions to set fraud alerts or other security measures. The district is also offering free credit monitoring services.