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This week's stories: (click on the headline
to jump to story)
Hooksett
remembers its veterans
Photos by: Karen Braynard
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FLYING COLORS The Muchachos
Senior Drum and Bugle Corps kept the flags flying.
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LIKE A ROCKWELL ILLUSTRATION Above,
Hooksett Boy Scouts march past Robie's store, rounding up the
end of the Memorial Day Parade on Sunday, May 30. (Karen Braynard
Photo)
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IN STEP Hooksett's Cawley
School marching band leads the parade across the bridge. (Ginger
Kozlowski Photo)
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CURBSIDE WAIT Above, Joe Rockwell,
8, Taylor Barker, 8, Sarah Guillemette, 11, Peighton Barker,
4, and Charlotte Launier, 4, all of Hooksett, await the parade
from the curb by town hall. (Ginger Kozlowski Photo)
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A SOLEMN MOMENT Above,
Hooksett Boy Scouts march past Robie's store, rounding up the
end of the Memorial Day Parade on Sunday, May 30. (Karen Braynard
Photo)
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Allenstown
Traffic worries
Plan to build condos concerns those living
in Notre Dame Avenue area
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
ALLENSTOWN The granting of a special
exception to zoning laws has put a controversial new condominium
development one step closer to final approval, but some worry
that access to the development will cause problems.
Developers behind McNamara's Landing, a large condominium development
being proposed for downtown, were granted a special exception
by the zoning board at its May 18 meeting.
The developers are proposing 85 condominium units, restricted
to residents age 55 and over. The two-bedroom units would be
in 19 separate buildings on a 27-acre plot sandwiched between
Route 3 and Main Street. The units are slated to have sale prices
ranging from $175,000 to $185,000.
A study, paid for by the developers, found that because each
unit must have at least one occupant older than 55, the development
would have little impact on the town's already financially strapped
school system. The study predicted only three to six children
would live in the development. A town consultant predicted slightly
more.
The lack of children was hailed as a major benefit by the developer.
Attorney Richard Uchida, representing the developer, told the
zoning board that the development would add up to $200,000 in
taxes.
Despite the rosy financial picture painted by the developer,
not all residents are sold on the proposal. In particular, neighbors
to the proposed development say they're concerned over the board's
requirement that developers use Lincoln Street as an exit.
Carol Merrill, a resident of Notre Dame Avenue, the proposed
development's other entrance, said she and her neighbors are
not happy at the prospect of more cars.
"This is a very quiet neighborhood, with a lot of little
kids and no sidewalks," she said. "We have problem
enough with speeders."
Merrill said the neighbors, 30 to 40 of whom turned out for the
zoning board's meeting, thought opening the currently dead-end
Lincoln Street would also be dangerous.
"We feel that if (the developers) have enough money for
the development, they should be putting in a separate road,"
she said.
Although the proposed condos would generate an additional 500
cars going through the neighborhood each day, Merrill said it
is preferable to the alternative of single-family homes.
"If we have to have one or the other, I'd rather see condos
than homes," she said. "The town really can't afford
that. We're tax poor as it is. We know there will be kids, but
there won't be as many (as with single-family homes.)"
Sandra McKenney, chairman of the board of selectmen, said the
developers will meet with selectmen on Monday, June 7, to discuss
the opening of Lincoln Street.
McKenney agreed with Merrill that the condos would have less
of an impact on the schools, but questioned the developer's assertion
it would be positive on taxes.
"It is going to affect the town," she said. "It's
more street work, more garbage pickup, more water and sewer,
more police and fire.
"A lot of people have concerns because we're on a default
budget," McKenney said.
McKenney said she had yet to decide one way or the other if she
is for or against the development, and plans to listen to the
developer's pitch.
"I'm kind of on the fence right now," she said. "Right
now, I'm listening to the residents, and the residents don't
want it right now."
Merrill said she and the other residents will continue attending
meetings on the matter, ensuring that whatever development may
be done is done carefully.
"Once (the developers) get it up, they're gone and we'll
suffer," she said. "And our town is suffering money-wise
enough as it is."
Allenstown
Escape artist caught
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
Nelson Santana has outrun the cops at least
twice before. So when bail bondsmen showed up at his Allenstown
residence recently, it was no surprise he decided to make a break
for it.
This time, however, he got caught.
Allenstown police arrested Santana, 21, of 22 Emile Drive, charging
him with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct after he led
them on a lengthy May 25 chase.
According to Allenstown Police Lt. Shaun Mulholland, Santana
was being sought by the bondsmen for violation of bail conditions
related to a recent Manchester arrest. Knowing he had a history
of flight, the bondsmen were accompanied by two Allenstown police
officers, who hid in the woods while the bondsmen led Santana
from the house.
Realizing arrest would be imminent, Santana managed to break
away from the bondsmen and sprinted across streets and through
several back yards in an attempt to escape. Despite losing a
shoe and being hit by a stun gun wielded by one of the bondsmen,
Santana was on the loose for 25 minutes and ran nearly a mile.
Finally, with the help of two state police K-9 units, the Allenstown
police were able to corner Santana behind a shed on Townhouse
Road.
This is the second time Allenstown police have pursued Santana
in less than a month. On May 15, Mulholland attempted to make
a routine traffic stop on Santana after noting an expired inspection
sticker. Instead of stopping, Santana took off down Chester Turnpike,
eventually ditching his car and disappearing into nearby woods.
He escaped despite a lengthy search involving police from Hooksett
and Pembroke.
Santana's most improbable escape came last summer, when, facing
arrest by Auburn police, Santana led lawmen on a highway chase
all the way to Exeter. After tire spikes took out his tires,
Santana continued to drive until his car burst into flames, ignited
by sparks from the bare rims. Ditching the car, Santana slipped
away into downtown Exeter, shaking police and K-9 units.
Following the most recent escape, Allenstown police issued three
warrants for Santana's arrest, including the felony charge of
operating after being a habitual offender. It was the issuance
of these warrants that triggered the violation of bail conditions
from a May 11 arrest in Manchester.
At that time he was charged with three other counts of operating
after being a habitual offender.
Following the May 25 arrest, Santana was sent to the Merrimack
House of Corrections, where he is being held on $21,000 bail.
Hooksett
Hooksett best off under new school aid
plan
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
Although the legislature narrowly approved
a new formula to distribute state education aid, the debate appears
far from finished.
With demands for amendments and threats of lawsuits leaving the
final status of the bill up in the air, area educators are tentatively
considering the effects on their budgets.
Under Senate Bill 302 (SB302) all local school districts will
fare well in terms of the education aid that's doled out this
year.
By far, the biggest local winner is Hooksett. Although receiving
$75,000 less in state education aid than last year, the new plan
targets Hooksett for much more aid than the previous plan did.
Under the law in place prior to SB302's May 25 passage, Hooksett
was slated to get $1,598,121 in state education aid. Now, the
district is scheduled to receive $2,718,821 a $1.2 million
difference.
The area's next biggest beneficiary in aid for this year is Auburn.
Under the old law, Auburn was set to receive $1,269,276, while
SB302 marks the district for $1,818,819. Although an improvement
over the old education aid formula, this is still a roughly $200,000
cut from last year's aid levels.
The Candia School District is in a similar situation. Last year,
the district received $1,489,959 in state aid, but under both
the old and new legislation, saw that funding cut. The good news
is that SB302 offers roughly $280,000 more aid to Candia, bringing
this year's aid to $1,334,294.
Epsom also benefited under SB302, which assigns it $1,638,029
in state aid a $233,860 change from what it would have
received under the old legislation. Epsom, unlike the other towns,
will actually see its total state aid increase from last year's
numbers.
Pembroke is one of the few towns that will see less state aid
under SB302 to the tune of $40,417. Despite this cut, Pembroke
will still receive $3,905,015 in state aid this year, more than
$500,000 over what the district received last year.
Like Pembroke, Allenstown will also lose aid under SB302, but
still is better off than last year. Although the new legislation
cuts $108,000 in aid to the financially strapped school district,
Allenstown will still receive $3,603,588 over $600,000
more than 2003 aid.
Although most area districts are better off this year, if not
better off than last year, SB302 remains a controversial bill.
In total, the new formula for distributing state education aid
gives out $420 million. This is $200 million more than the old
legislation approved, but still less than what last year's aid
formula handed out.
The law bumps up the state property tax by nine cents to $3.33
per $1,000 of assessed property value. It also keeps the widely
criticized concept of donor towns communities with high
property values that pay money into the system but receive no
aid in return.
Lawmakers now concede that in the hurry to pass SB302 before
the legislative session ended for the year, the bill was allowed
to pass despite containing some errors.
In the midst of the Senate floor debate on the issue, state Sen.
Ted Gatsas (R-Manchester) pointed out that the bill excludes
utilities when determining a town's equalized property valuation
how property rich or poor a town is. At the time, there
was no chance to make an amendment and Senate leaders simply
promised to fix the bill so it more closely matched the writers'
intention.
Because it still reduces the total amount of aid being given
out by the state from last year's levels, the bill also created
a new class of losing communities.
Although a number of the smaller local communities may see the
windfall of SB302 this year, several large, powerful communities,
such as Manchester and Portsmouth, got the short end of the stick
regarding aid.
Manchester Mayor Robert Baines announced on Friday, May 28, that
he will go to court to make sure SB302 never takes effect. Manchester
is slated to lose $4.5 million in aid under the new plan.
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