The selectmen moved swiftly. Fire Chief Frank Carpentino is gone, fired just two months after the board decided to consider consolidating the town's safety services.

So the town departments are ready to move ahead with the plan. Or so they say. Some mystery remains as to how this is consolidation is going to work, and if, indeed, it will save the town any money – aside from Carpentino's $74,000 salary.

For one thing, there will still have to be heads of departments – a fire chief of operations and a police chief of operations are planned, with a public safety director above them. Then there's the matter of training, at some expense, to make sure the members of the separate forces have enough knowledge to work together in one department.

The selectmen have said that although the plan might cost more at the beginning, it will cost less in the long run. We're skeptical, mainly because no real proof has been presented as to how exactly these cost savings will come about, or even what the plan is. It's going to be a tough change and a hard fight, especially if those in the departments are largely against the plan.

Every letter this newspaper has received has been against the merger. While the people of Goffstown directed selectmen to improve the fire department at last year's Town Meeting, no mention was ever made of merging the two departments. Now, without any public input, the fire chief has been ousted and the merger begins.

This change is happening too fast, with no proof and no public input. What on earth are the selectmen thinking?

— Editorials published by Neighborhood News Inc. are written by an editorial board. The board is composed of Publisher and President Amy J. Vellucci, Executive Editor Ginger Kozlowski, Managing Editor Christine Heiser and News Editor Susan Clark.

To the Editor:
I am responding to a letter by Wayne Perrault you published in your Dec. 22, 2005 issue. In that letter, among other things, Mr. Perrault takes to task the Goffstown DPW for various purported inefficiencies and shortcomings.

As Chair of the Solid Waste Commission and of the Capital Improvement Committee, I have knowledge that directly contradicts his allegations. In case any of your readers take Mr. Perrault seriously, I felt compelled to respond.

Mr. Perrault attacks the trash and recycling programs. I personally did the financial analyses concerning the new single stream recycling program to show that, with no increase in recycling from the then 17 percent recycling rate, the new program was designed to provide much better service to Goffstown's residents with a more convenient program, at essentially break-even for five years, and then with a projected $100,000 annual savings after payoff of the bond for the building, truck and recycle containers.

Instead, and as we hoped, the recycle rate has increased to 27 percent, and the town is enjoying an additional $30,000 savings annually. The 27 percent rate is still far short of what can be accomplished. We will concentrate on additional education to get more acceptance from residents for this moneysaving, convenient program.

The new trash and recycling programs, using the “armed” trucks, have drastically increased efficiency, service level standards, and have reduced labor costs. For trash, it used to take two trucks, six people and five days to do what now takes one truck, one person and four days to do. For recycling, we are picking up consistently with one truck and driver, when we used to have complaints about missed service from our old contract with Waste Management. My financial analysis assumed between 5 to 8 percent continued annual increases in Waste Management's fees under the old program, which was our experience up to the beginning of the new program. However, other towns are now seeing contract increases as high as 45 percent.

Both trash and recycling pick up at almost 1,300 stops every day. This is a highly automated process. Occasionally and only due to physical constraints of a specific location, not to do any resident any special favor, the driver may be required to get out of the truck to move a barrel so it can be tipped. This is less than ideal but necessary in a few instances. As far as safety is concerned, I'll take walking in front of a parked trash truck over hanging off the back of one and manually lifting barrels any day.

Mr. Perrault refers to a white truck replaced by a bigger blue recycling truck. The white truck was a loaner truck provided by the trash truck distributor due to delays in the manufacture/delivery of the new blue truck. We used the truck from mid-August through November when the “ordered” truck finally arrived and replaced it.

Mr. Perrault refers to several passes for plowing on Spring Street. It is possible that this happened, but it is not a normal practice. Each plow route generally takes up all the time an operator has, with no extra stops. I am aware that Mr. Perrault is out taking pictures and videotaping the plow operation, day or night, every time it occurs.

Concerning the Shirley Park sidewalk, it was in very tough shape. After a hearing and certified letters, the DPW removed a portion of the sidewalk and loamed and seeded it.

Wings for plow trucks should not be news to anyone. For several years now, every truck is specified with a wing. Plow trucks with wings can do more in less time – they are efficient. The size of the trucks hasn't changed. They are still either six- or 10-wheeled dump trucks.

Space will not allow refutation of all of the arrows that Mr. Perrault slings. I hope that the ones I have addressed give the idea that Mr. Perrault's arguments are baseless.

With kindest regards,
Frederick R. Plett
Goffstown

To the Editor:
The New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown could be the only winner in the ongoing fiasco between the Goffstown Board of Selectmen and the Goffstown Fire Department including its (former) fire chief, Frank Carpentino. The institute could benefit by having political science students research the colorful political issue playing out at the Goffstown Town Hall, right across town from its location on campus. I think they may find through their research that the democratic process of government in Goffstown has been replaced by the “good old boy” system of dirty politics!

On the surface, we have Chairman of the Goffstown Board of Selectmen Gossett McRae. This Goffstown resident (at least we believe he is a full-time physical resident, but I guess that needs to be proven by him) was in a bit of controversy when the McRaes brought a lawsuit against the town of Goffstown to stop the building of the Goffstown kindergarten.

The kindergarten was meticulously planned out and creatively presented to the voters by an energetic Goffstown Kindergarten Committee and received a majority vote by the voters of Goffstown.

Then in another controversial move, the Goffstown Board of Selectmen and veteran Selectman Robert Wheeler appoint Gossett McRae to the board of selectmen (to fill a vacancy) and also name him as chairman of the board, all without a legal vote from the voters that he is supposed to represent. In the months to follow, a microscopic eye was focused on Fire Chief Frank Carpentino and the Goffstown Fire Department. The purpose for this micromanagement was not to follow the voter 's wishes for a first-class fire department, which Carpentino was hired to create, but, upon further investigation, it appears that McRae has a personal score to settle with Carpentino.

In November of 2005, it is learned by the public that McRae and fellow Selectman and Goffstown resident Robert Wheeler (at least we believe he is a resident, but he also has to prove to the voters of Goffstown that he still is a full-time physical resident of Goffstown) have been hard at work creating a legal scheme to fire the Fire Chief Frank Carpentino. This scheme will allow McRae and Wheeler to remove Carpentino as the fire chief by creating a new department head called “Chief of Public Safety,” gifting this position to current Goffstown Police Chief Michael French and removing the position of fire chief from the Goffstown Fire Department! All under the headline “Fire Chief removed to save Goffstown taxpayers money!” A unanimous vote in favor of the plan was passed by the board of selectmen.

To the students of any political science class, there are undeniable mistakes in the way in which the Goffstown Board of Selectmen functions! The selectmen may say that everything they do is legal, but is it the appropriate and democratic method?

As an educator, I often find myself defending the democratic system of government to youngsters that believe that they cannot make a difference because of their belief that “most politicians are crooked.” I respond that very few are crooked, but they are the ones that make an impression on you.

In the case of the Goffstown Board of Selectmen, the Goffstown Town Administrator and the Goffstown Police Chief vs. the Goffstown Fire Department, I would have a difficult time defending to my students any of these people. They have enabled two Goffstown selectmen to promote their personal agendas at taxpayers' expense while they hide behind the veil that Goffstown taxpayers will benefit from their actions. They know, and some of the voters of Goffstown know, that their plan or lack of a plan was fabricated not to save money but to legally cover up the firing of Frank Carpentino!

I, for one, plan to demonstrate to my students that I have a duty to make sure that the people the voters elect follow the democratic form of governing.

With this said, I will do whatever I can to suggest the replacement of Susan Desruisseaux, town administrator, and Michael French, police chief, and practice my right in the voting booth to replace the following Goffstown selectmen:

Gossett W. McRae, Robert L. Wheeler, Philip A. D'Avanza, Bruce F. Hunter and Barbara J. Griffin.

If you believe in democracy and wish for better representation in the town of Goffstown, then I invite you to do the same.

Bruce Lemire
Goffstown

To the Editor:
(Read to members of the Goffstown Board of Selectmen, Dec. 12, 2005)

I am aware that Chief French has spoken to members of the fire department. Having said that, since none of the other selectmen have had anything to say publicly, I would like to direct my comments and questions concerning the proposed merger of the fire and police departments to Selectmen McRae and Wheeler.

It is my understanding that as of the selectmen's meeting of Dec. 5, that no selectman has requested any input from the fire department to assist in the possible merger. This input would appear to be absolutely necessary to me, on such a major change in the town's structure.

You have demonstrated (at least to me) once more, you really do not give a hoot about the safety and well-being of the citizens of Goffstown by providing the maximum protection available.

Perhaps this is part of your “plan.” You have succeeded in passing the buck on your asinine merger scheme to Chief French.

In my opinion, Chief French is more than qualified to, and does, direct the operations of an excellent police department, one of the best, if not the best, in the state. I question, however, if he is qualified to be merging these two departments without some basic input by the selectmen and information from the fire department.

These two departments represent the physical safety of our citizens and their property.

Again, where is your concern for us, the citizens, ignoring our safety just to satisfy your egos and to get rid of Chief Carpentino by way of the proposed merger. This would be laughable if it were not reality.

When and how do you propose to get the necessary information from the fire department? How can you justify your lack of interest? Perhaps this is part of your “buck passing” plan. If the merger goes astray, you two are safe, you can say it was Chief French's fault.

By the way, what is happening to the fire department's proposed budget? I requested, and have received, a copy of the slimmed down budget proposed by the selectmen. These figures are a matter of public record and I urge anyone watching to request a copy of them. You probably will not be surprised to note the difference is a loss, when the selectmen got through with it. The fire department's 2005 budget was $2,030,096.

The department requested an additional $95,325. Instead, with the citizens' safety in mind, you slashed the 2005 budget by $76,608. This is unbelievable, but I suppose you will let Chief French handle your can of budget worms.

Finally, I have heard rumors that Selectman Wheeler will not be running for another term. I have not heard about Selectman McRae's plans. I believe that neither would stand any more chance of being re-elected than the proverbial snowball surviving in hell.

With this in mind, and your apparent success in getting rid of Chief Carpentino, I am asking you to do the honorable thing as your last acts as selectmen.

First, rescind your asinine merger plans, and second, resign as soon as possible for the wellbeing and safety of the citizens of Goffstown.

Robert L. Dunn
Goffstown

To the Editor:
What a pathetic display of political baloney from the Weare selectmen the other week toward a dedicated volunteer – Chuck Metcalf.

Chuck is chairman of the park and recreation committee. He has served our community in this role for several years and has served on the finance committee.

He has worked for years with the Cub Scouts in Weare.

The selectmen demeaned this hard-working volunteer publicly, and this writer is outraged at the little goon squad.

The park and recreation committee voted to sponsor a firstand second-grade basketball team with the Weare athletic club. Well, Chuck went out of courtesy to explain the reasoning behind their decision. Park and recreation has an activities line to expend from. Working hand and hand is important to both organizations.

The selectmen treated Mr. Metcalf with downright disgust.

How dare you try to spend taxpayer money on a private group they howl. This point would have merit if nothing like this has been done before.

You see, these same selectmen forced the park and recreation committee to expend $1,500 of our taxpayer money on a private group called The Happy Wearites this year from the senior activities line. That is 50 percent of that line item on 20 seniors out of more than 300 in Weare.

The park and recreation committee thought that was an inappropriate expense but was overruled by the selectmen. What is the difference between this group and the Weare athletic club? I am sure it has nothing to do with the fact the selectmen and their families are friend with several members of the Happy Wearites – yeah, right. Is this good old-fashioned favoritism or corruption?

The mean-spirited board then publicly expound that the park and recreation committee have done nothing but start trouble this year. Treat the volunteers with respect – sound familiar to anybody?

This writer has called the board out on a few things as a private citizen, and other members have disagreed with them on a few topics. To say such a thing is wrong and deceptive.

the playground would not have been brought to fruition without the committee's help. The nice grassed area at Chase Park that so many of you enjoyed this year – you got it – park and recreation volunteers. I suppose those selectmen organized those summer concerts? Yet another successful summer protecting Lake Horace from exotic weeds and protecting thousands of dollars of assessed lake-front property value – sound familiar, selectmen?

Chuck, you are a better person than all those selectmen. I am honored to work under your direction. I am proud to call you my friend.

Allow me to move on to another topic. Would one or more of my fellow Weare citizens help this writer find out something please? I have filed several right-to-know requests regarding taxpayer monies or insurance monies that may have been paid to any past employees of Weare. This request was not fulfilled by the selectmen on multiple requests. Never mind RSA 91 spells out this is public information.

This writer would have to sue to get this information, and I will not do such a thing. Maybe one of the Happy Wearites can pick up the phone. I am just trying to find out where our taxpayer money is going, but I guess favoritism affects public information, too.

One last thing before I end.

The selectmen have changed our park and recreation director 's job description and duties recently. He now will have to work many more hours with possibly the same pay. He will report to our town administrator (if they ever hire one) and not to the committee he works with.

This is a bad and unfair decision. This from the board that cut their meeting schedule in half and still gets the same pay as before. Ethics is what you do – not what you say.

Brian McDonald
Weare