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Northwood NH News

March 7, 2012

The Suncook Valley Sun News Archive is Maintained by Modern Concepts. We are NOT affliated in any way with the Suncook Valley Sun Newspaper.



 

Letter

 

Bob Holden has done an exemplary job during his first term as a selectman. He can be trusted and counted on to be a fiscal watchdog for the Northwood property taxpayers. His job as a chief financial officer in the private sector has given him the knowledge, skills and abilities to understand budgeting from a business perspective.

 

Moreover, it allows him to think outside the box. Bob’s philosophy that just because something has always been done that way, is not necessarily considered best management practice is a fresh approach in the municipal government arena.

 

Bob completed the 6-month long Selectperson’s Institute course and has a firm grasp on how municipalities can operate more efficiently and receive "best value" when they purchase goods and services for the town. He is not afraid to ask the tough questions when it comes to department heads requesting to spend taxpayers’ money.

 

As the selectmen’s representative to the budget committee, he was well prepared to answer questions about municipal expenditures and operations.

 

Mr. Holden deserves another 3-year term as your selectman. Please join me in voting for Bob on Tuesday, March 13th. It will be a vote well-worth it. Please don’t sit this election out. Too much is at stake.

 

Sincerely,

Jim Hadley

Northwood

 


 

Your Vote Is Important!

 

Northwood Election Day is Tuesday, March 13 at the Parish Center of St. Joseph’s Church, located next to the Town Hall. Polls will be open from 7 am to 7 pm. This is the first year voters in Northwood will consider All warrant items as ballot votes under SB2 for both the town and school district. There is election of town and school officials, proposed changes to the zoning ordinance, and all warrant articles including operating budgets for the coming year. If you have not already received one, be sure to pick up a copy of the voter’s guide, available at the Northwood Town Hall during regular business hours: M-F 8-4, or the guide may be viewed on the town website: www.northwoodnh.org

 


 

Northwood Planning Board Warrant Articles Recommended

Amendments To Development Ordinance

Submitted By Northwood Town Planner Elaine Planchet

 

The Northwood Planning Board has proposed five amendments to the Northwood Development Ordinance which are on the ballot for voters’ consideration on March 13. All of these proposals may be characterized as "housekeeping" measures designed to add clarity and consistency to the existing requirements and were recommended by town counsel.

 

The first proposal, ballot question 2, would slightly change the ordinance’s definition of "telecommunications antenna" so that it is the same definition as is found in the state law. The second proposal, ballot question 3, would make it clear that only one principal residential structure is permitted on a lot with a mixture of uses (that is, residential, commercial, etc.) This is the case now for lots which have only residential uses. This does not affect accessory apartments (which are allowed under certain conditions), but refers to the principal structure on the property.

 

Ballot question 4 proposes an amendment to the home business section of the development ordinance to make clear that specific performance criteria are required of home businesses. This is currently the case as is specified in the Performance Criteria section; this clerical proposal would make it obvious in the home business section as well.

 

Ballot question 5 would amend the development ordinance by deleting a section which seems to provide an automatic void of a noncompliant sign permit when more process is required. Ballot question 6 is proposed to delete a section of the development ordinance which seems to grant the planning board authority to approve more directional signs than is permitted by the zoning ordinance. The Planning Board does not have authority to grant a waiver of the ordinance; the number and use of direction signs are addressed in another section of the ordinance. Therefore, this section is not necessary.

 


 

Letter

 

To Headmaster Dave Smith, Coe-Brown Northwood Academy:

 

Subject: Outing for the Sight Impaired – February 2012.

 

On behalf of the over seventy adults that participated in the annual Saddleback Lions Outing for the Sight Impaired I want to thank the students from CBNA that volunteered at the event.

 

You are to be extremely proud of the manner in which these students participated in making this a most memorable event. In the words of members from the Lakes Region Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind, "A special thanks to all the students that were so helpful and attentive."

 

It is certainly a testimony to the parents of the students and staff involved in their academic program at CBNA for developing such fine, outstanding representatives of service to their community. They are to be commended for a job well done.

 

Participating from CBNA: Pierce Butler, Paige Doucette, Cody Driscoll, Taylor Hains, Katie Jarvis, Aidan Leavitt, Dylan Leclerc, Nick Nord, Eric Powers, Victoria Sullivan, Charles Therriault, Morgan West, Corey Downing, and parent chaperone Mrs. Nord.

 

Thank you again for allowing the students from CBNA to once again participating in this extremely important event in the lives of many. And of final note, the sheet cake made by the students was award winning!

 

Sincerely,

Frank Markiewicz

President, Saddleback Mountain Lions Club

 


 

Letter To The Editor

 

The hard-right agenda now playing out in Concord doesn’t even attempt to address real needs here in the Granite State. The current House Speaker and Majority Leader are water-boys for Koch Industries and for the Free State Movement, which definitely does have an agenda: to encourage out-of-state activists like Speaker O’Brien to move to New Hampshire, run for office, and take over the state government. Sadly, they have already done so with ruthless efficiency.

 

Why did the proud old NH GOP allow these carpetbaggers to seize power? Why are NH Republicans condoning the systematic dismantling of our already-bare-bones social safety net? The people of New Hampshire will not soon forgive or forget this assault on our way of life, or this slavish adherence to out-of-state interests. This is not the New Hampshire way.

 

Sincerely,

Ted Wilkinson

Northwood

 


 

Saddleback Mountain Lions Club Makes A Difference

 

The Saddleback Mountain Lions Club ("Saddleback Lions") participated in the "Warmth from the Millyard" initiative and collected over 300 clothing items for donation to local area charities.

 

Lion Linda Markiewicz commented, "The quality and amount of clothing collected exceeded our expectations and was a welcomed addition to the inventory of local area churches and organizations providing warm jackets, socks, hats, mittens, and many other items to area residents. This was an extremely important endeavor for our members and was successful with the tremendous generosity from residents and our community and business partners."

 

Those that provided a location for the drop off collection bins are to be commended for their support and participation as valued community members. There are: Nottingham Elementary School, Deerfield Veterinary Clinic, Northwood Town Hall, Hannafords Supermarket, and School Administrative Unit #44.

 


 

Letter

Pay or Go

 

The idea that any of us are home owners is an illusion. Consider: Even if we don’t have a mortgage, all we do is lease our house from the government.

 

What happens if we don’t pay the rent on our home? The real home owners, our Town and its partner the State, demand that we pay or leave. If we don’t leave, our landlords will get the police to evict us. Then they will sell our house; that is, they will get someone else to pay for the right to rent it from them.

 

Do we have any say in the matter? Very little. All we can do is unite with our fellow lease-holders to lower the rent, or at least to keep it from rising too much too fast. We can do that at town meetings and on election day.

 

That’s when our neighbors decide how much rent we will pay to the government. It is the time when a majority of voters with particular spending ideas can force everyone, including the minority, to pay higher rent. It is also when a majority can decide to lower the rent for everyone, if only a little, by voting no.

 

When a majority choose to raise the rent higher than it already is, all must pay or lose their homes. On the other hand, when a majority choose to keep the rent at its current level, the minority still has a choice.

 

People whose spending plans have been disappointed can always make voluntary contributions to expand or create the programs they want.

 

Michael Faiella

Northwood

 


 

Letter

 

To the Voters of Northwood:

We would like to correct some misconceptions about the Support Staff Contract.

 

1. The support staff is comprised of the secretaries in the school office, Title one tutors, Special Ed Para-educators, one to one Para-educators, classroom Para-educators, custodians.

 

2. The support staff agreed previously to change to One health plan (Matthew Thornton Blue), and increase their co-pay (from $5.00 to $20.00); which was done in the year contract was a savings of over $10,000. The actual rate has decreased by 1.6%. The different amounts have been in effect for many years, at least since the early 1990s and previously the 35 hours only applied to the secretaries and full time custodians. We are attempting to make everyone the same whether they work 32.5 hours or 35 or more hours a week.

 

3. To correct misinformation in a letter of Feb. 8th, the Partner Program Para-educators are not all under the 15/85 insurance. In fact, there is only one who has this coverage. These 7 do work more hours and have specific training to work with children on the Autism Spectrum; which will be offered to everyone.

 

4. This is a three year contract not four as Mr. Jandebeur states. The raises are $0.15 the first year, $0.25 the second and $0.35 the third and last year of this contract

 

5. We agreed to keep our number of accumulated sick days to 75. We earn 15 days a year. Many of the Para-educators do not use all of these days. The School Board agreed to pay any Para-educator who has over 75 days at the end of the school year for 7.5 of these days at the sub rate.

 

Please support us by voting for Article 5 on March 13th.

 

Thank you,

Northwood Educational Support Personnel Association

 


 

Letter To The Editor

 

As you know, I am running for the School Board. In the past year I have been a member of the Budget Committee, Planning Board, Economic Development Committee and the Capital Improvement Project sub-committee. I’ve worked with many of you and enjoyed being part of groups of people who worked together for the betterment of Northwood. Very Satisfying.

 

I also served on the School Board. My goal is simply to educate our children to the best of their ability. It’s a well known "secret" that we haven’t been doing that for years. It is also apparent that taxpayers are tired of supporting a country club atmosphere that has failed miserably to educate their kids despite spending far more per pupil than sister towns. Your School Board cannot and has not been able to work with other Northwood officials in any professional way.

 

Money, money, money. There is simply never enough because this SB cannot say no. In the budget to be voted on this March 13 is everything that Principal Hartford asked for and everything on his additional wish list.

 

Consider this, our Special Education Director announced that we would not have to pay for a $273,000 student, but that she had used all but $30,000 elsewhere. A week ago she announced that NECC had saved the District $524,000, yet we only have about $100,000 left of a $12,172,000 budget to get us through June.

 

So, 6 Teachers, 4 para-educators, $12,072,000, $524,000 and $273,000 all gone, poof! Last week the SB voted 3/1 to hire a new para-educator. This person is not in this years budget nor next years. They can’t say No!

 

If you elect me, I will get to the bottom of this morass. I will keep asking the tough questions and demanding transparency in our Northwood School System.

 

Thank You,

Tim Jandebeur

Northwood

 


 

Letter

 

To the Citizens of Northwood:

We would like to thank the voters of Northwood who attended the School Deliberative Session and voted to amend the school budget to the proposed School Board recommended budget. This budget will now be voted on by registered voters on Tuesday, March 13 at St. Joseph’s Parish Hall between 7 am and 7 pm. This budget is a decrease of 1.1% or $133,514 less than the current year’s operating budget, yet will allow the Board to hire back one of the six teachers that was cut this year and hire a .6 time technology teacher.

 

Also, this budget will support technology and curriculum materials that have been cut over the last few years. If this budget is not voted in, additional cuts will have to be made to Northwood School. In addition to the operating budget, articles to approve the costs of the support staff contract and teachers’ contract will be on the ballot. These contracts include an increase to school staff salaries, yet will also add 15 minutes of instructional time to the students’ school day. Teachers will also be paying more of their health insurance costs.

 

Article 9 asks for full day kindergarten. If this is approved, cost savings on half day kindergarten transportation will cover over one third of the cost for full day. Other articles to be voted on are monies to be raised to put into the Special Education Capital Reserve Fund and the High School Tuition Capital Reserve Fund. Putting money into these funds this year may help avoid a deficit in the future if unanticipated special education or high school tuition costs are incurred.

 

For more information and how to get an absentee ballot visit www.northwood.k12.nh.us and click on the School Board link. Please support the children of Northwood and vote on March 13th.

 

Sincerely,

Northwood School Communication Committee

 


 

Letter To The Editor

Is It Really About The Children?

 

Most, if not everyone, agrees with the common refrain heard from many well meaning people : "educating children is for the future". Of Course! Isn’t that what underpins a democratic society? Without an educated population, civilization is doomed. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams et als made this point repeatedly. We’ll revert to some road warrior state of bare survival otherwise.

 

So, education is vital, of course. Education, like all goods and services, requires resources. Money. In Northwood we spend as a total average $17,000 plus per student - a twelve million dollar budget for 700 +/- students. This is actually a lot of money. But regardless of the amount, I submit for your consideration this thought. If this is really ‘about the children’, the Quality of education is in fact the most important issue. Otherwise what’s the point in the whole exercise?

 

But it is so much easier (confusing the way we manage to do it) to argue over inanimate dollars while the real objective, the children’s education, takes a back seat. And equally part of this approach is to pretend that more money means better education. It does not.

 

Virtually every measure of the process of solid education covering a period of the past 50 years has shown that simply spending more money does not produce a superior education. The U.S. spends more money per child than all nations but one. In N.H. our grammar school is in the lower third - a school "in need of improvement". Something is wrong folks, and it’s not more money.

 

Aside from spending money efficiently the real ongoing focus needs to be on excellence in education not "adequate". Excellent teachers, supported by excellent administrators, supported by a school board and parents demanding excellence. Then and only then will it be "About The Children."

 

Sincerely,

Joseph McCaffrey

Northwood

 


 


 

 











 
 

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