Grand Opening Ceremony - Affordable housing, education and

www.newhampshirelakesandmountains.com
126TH YEAR, 36TH ISSUE
SERVING THE NORTH COUNTRY SINCE 1889
LITTLETON, N.H., WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015
[email protected]
75¢ (USPS 315-760)
Five new staff members
begin the year at high school campus
BY DARIN WIPPERMAN
[email protected]
LITTLETON—Principal Joanne Melanson
welcomed five new staff
members to Littleton
High School and Daisy
Bronson Middle School
last week. The Courier
chatted with the four
teachers and receptionist last week.
Chad Fillion, who
is pursuing one of the
state’s alternative certification programs, will
be teaching several subjects across the district.
Darin Wipperman/Littleton Courier
Five new staff, including four teachers and an office assistant, started the school year on the
high school campus. Pictured are, from left to right, Shaun Hagan, Samantha Whitson, Janice
Phelps, Stephanie Potter, and Chad Fillion.
Course
assignments
include
broadcasting
at the Career and Technical Center, graphics,
and web development.
Fillion received an
undergraduate degree
in digital animation
in Arizona. He was an
employee at Garnet
Hill and has served as
adjunct faculty at area
community colleges.
The “college ready”
goal of the Gallen Career
and Technical Center
appeals to Fillion. He
said Littleton schools
embrace the “real world
assignments” so critical
to students’ future.
Fillion enjoys seeing
what he deemed the “ah
ha moments” learners
experience when they
work through and understand concepts.
Shaun Hagan has
been a student of history for a long time. He
will be teaching civics
and economics at the
high school.
Hagan grew up in
Bethlehem. He has held
School, PAGE ­­­A16
Congressional delegation applauds outpatient clinic for veterans
testing,
electrocardiograms, X-rays, and medications.
The VA medical center in White River Junction, Vermont oversees
outpatient clinics in
western and northern
BY DARIN WIPPERMAN
[email protected]
LITTLETON—On
Friday afternoon, all
three members who represent the town in the
U.S. Congress helped cut
the ribbon for the new
Department of Veterans
Affairs outpatient clinic.
The facility doubles the
space available for serving the medical needs of
the region’s veterans.
U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster and Senators Jeanne Shaheen
and Kelly Ayotte addressed the crowd of
elected officials, veterans, and residents at the
ribbon cutting ceremony.
The new clinic, at 264
Cottage Street in Mt. Eustis Common, occupies
10,000 square feet of remodeled space. The previous Meadow Street VA
clinic in town offered
about half that area for
exam rooms and waiting
areas.
The Littleton clinic, which opened earlier this summer, offers
many different types of
outpatient
treatment.
Examples include primary care physician
services, mental health
counseling, laboratory
New Hampshire. Deborah Amdur, Director at
White River Junction,
welcomed dozens to the
ribbon cutting.
Amdur thanked Affordable Housing Education and Development,
which owns Mt. Eustis
Common, as well as
Woodsville contractor
H.P. Cummings for making the day possible.
“What a wonderful
place they have creat-
Clinic, PAGE ­­­A16
Regulatory process to
start again on Lloyd’s Hill
AHEAD to take public questions this evening at library
Darin Wipperman/Littleton Courier
A color guard was one part of the dedication of the new
Department of Veterans Affairs Community Based Outpatient
Clinic at 264 Cottage St. in Littleton. The 10,000 square foot
facility, which doubles the space of the former VA clinic on
Meadow Street, provides a range of services for North Country
veterans.
BY DARIN WIPPERMAN
[email protected]
BETHLEHEM—Zoning and planning board
review of the proposed
affordable housing de-
velopment south of Main
Street is starting over.
Because one abutter did
not receive the required
public notice, the zoning
board’s special exception
granted last month and
the planning board’s site
plan review work for the
Lloyd’s Hill development
Hill, PAGE ­­­A16
Lakeway Elementary School welcomes four to staff
BY DARIN WIPPERMAN
[email protected]
LITTLETON—Sharing a motivation to help
students and work collaboratively with fellow
educators, four new staff
members started the
school year at Lakeway
Elementary. They each
spoke with the Courier
the afternoon prior to
the first day of school.
Matina Fenoff graduated from Littleton High
School.
“This is my 16th year
teaching,” she said.
Originally an undeclared major in college,
Fenoff took an education
class during her sophomore year. The course
required a one-day visit
to a classroom, which
Fenoff completed at
Lakeway.
After the very formative experience of her
visit to Lakeway, Fenoff
said education would be
her career.
“I just knew that is
what I wanted to do,” she
said.
Fenoff taught first
grade in Whitefield for
12 years. She is teaching
fourth graders at Lakeway this year.
Fenoff’s philosophy
focuses on her belief that
“all children have the
potential to learn.”
Staff, PAGE ­­­A16
Darin Wipperman/Littleton Courier
Four new staff members at Lakeway Elementary started the
school year last week. Pictured are, from left to right, Title
I reading teacher Cristine Rowe, counselor Lisa Harold, sixth
grade teacher Elizabeth O’Dwyer, and fourth grade teacher
Matina Fenoff.
Holiday makes for early deadlines
LITTLETON — The offices of the
Littleton Courier, located at 16 Mill
St., will be closed Monday, Sept. 7
in observance of Labor Day.
In order to ensure that our Sept. 9
edition arrives at local newsstands
and in subscribers’ mail boxes on
schedule despite the holiday, the
submission deadline for any press
releases, letters to the editor, and
obituaries intended for publication that week has been moved
up a full business day, to Friday,
Sept. 4 at noon. Submissions may
be dropped off in person at our offices or e-mailed to couriernews@
salmonpress.com.
Any submissions received after
Littleton, N.H., 36 pages
16 Mill Street
noon on Friday the 4th will be held
for publication on Sept. 16.
For information regarding the
holiday deadlines for display advertising, please contact our sales
representative, Tracy Lewis, or
sales assistant Lori Lynch at 4443927.
For information on holiday
deadlines for classified ads, please
call 1-877-766-6891 or e-mail [email protected].
The staff of the Littleton Courier thanks our readers for their cooperation with this change in our
usual publication schedule, and
wishes one and all a safe and happy
Labor Day.
INSIDE
Local News....................... A2
Sports......................... B1-B3
Editorial........................... A4
Cartoon............................ A4
Real Estate. .......................B9
Letters. .................... A4 & A5
Classifieds. ................. B9-B15
From the front..... A11 & A15
Arts & Entertainment........B4
Obituaries. ...................... A18
Area News. ....................... A8
Calendar............................B6
Photo
by
Courier
intern
4-H club holds puppet show and bake sale
Theo Augstein
Members of the Littleton-based Amazing Adventures 4-H Club held a bake sale and puppet show
outside of Little Village Toy and Book Shop on Sunday.
LOCAL
INSIDE
Bernie Sanders
rocks the Opera
The Economic
Impact of
Littleton Regional
House A11
Healthcare
A15
A2
The Littleton Courier, Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Local News
New federal mortgage program
announced at Better Homes AHEAD
Mike Claflin, Executive Director of Affordable Housing Education and Development, spoke on
Friday afternoon at the Better Homes AHEAD site on Cottage Street. He helped announce a new
federal program that provides Rural Housing Service mortgages for energy efficient manufactured housing that will be placed in a mobile home park. Those with Claflin included, from left
to right, Tony Hernandez, Administrator, Rural Housing Service; U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster; and,
Ted Brady, USDA Rural Development director for New Hampshire and Vermont.
housing opportunities,
homes.
tured home.
Brady opened the assisting communities
More than 22,000 New
infrastructure
Hampshire families live event on Friday. He with
in manufactured hous- said Rural Development projects, and promoting
ing on leased lots, about provided $180 million small town businesses.
Brady said the new
six percent of the state’s to New Hampshire last
mortgage program is an
housing stock. Many year.
“Each one of those example of how partnerof those homes are older models that are far dollars stands behind a ships can allow families
to see “the American
less cost effective users person,” Brady said.
Rural Development Dream of affordable
of energy compared to
Better Homes AHEAD focuses on expanding home ownership.” The
new program is available for the first time in
New Hampshire, Brady
continued.
AHEAD was vital to
launching the new program, Brady noted.
“They are the reason
the North Country is
looking better and better,” he concluded.
“I’m super excited to be working with
our friends at USDA,”
Kuster said.
She said New Hampshire deserves a better
return on investment
of the tax dollars sent to
Washington, and USDA
is making that happen.
Hernandez
said,
“Housing is the conduit
to family, neighborhood, and community.”
Of the new program,
Hernandez continued,
“This is not a handout.”
People must qualify for
the low-interest mortgage.
In a statement, Hernandez added how older
manufactured
homes
are “notorious energy
hogs.”
He continued, “By encouraging the purchase
of a newer, energy efficient home, USDA can
save the homeowner
money, reduce the risk
of default, and fight climate change.”
Recalling his youth
in Delaware, Claflin
said he understands
how families can flourish in manufactured
housing communities.
He said Better Homes
AHEAD is dedicated to
providing people the
“energy efficient homes
they deserve.”
Bradley echoed Claflin’s sentiment. He said
both AHEAD and USDA
merit praise for services “vitally important
to low and moderate income home owners.”
The median home
price in the state is
$229,900.
The Better Homes AHEAD
two-bedroom manufactured home eligible for
the new USDA program
starts at only $45,100.
Brady estimated that
home would have a
mortgage of about $200
under the new program
announced last week.
For additional information, go to: www.
betterhomesahead.org
or http://www.rd.usda.
gov.
Co-op has provided “a
real boost to the local
economy.” In 2009, the
store had $5.4 million
in sales, 1,200 members,
and 42 employees. For
this year, sales are estimated to reach $9.6 million, with nearly 5,000
members, and 74 employees.
O’Brien said the Coop’s work with local
vendors “helps make us
responsible community
partners.” Several Coop suppliers, including
Prospect Farm in Lisbon
and Joe’s Brook Farm
in Barnet, Vt., provided
samples at last week’s
meeting.
The growing number
of customers at the Coop created the need for
the expansion project.
As
O’Brien
said,
“We’re basically out of
space.”
King added, “We’re
really looking forward
to this project.” The expansion, which will add
nearly one-third of the
Co-op’s current space
to the west side of the
building, should break
ground next summer,
with possible completion by the end of 2016.
Architect Gregg Gossens, based in Montpelier, Vt., provided an
overview of the plans for
the expansion. Energy
efficiency is central to
the project’s goals.
Decreasing
energy
used for refrigeration
is the number one way
to save energy for a grocery store, Gossens said.
From ensuring fresh air
in the store to utilizing
solar energy, the project
aims to provide more
choices for customers
while helping the planet,
as well.
Onsite offices, in addition to expanded grocery
space, will be part of the
expansion.
The offices and employee break
areas are slated for a
mezzanine overlooking
the main level shopping
area, based on Gossens’
presentation.
The Co-op seeks to
minimize the amount
of disruption shoppers
will experience during
the expansion. The store
will communicate with
the community about
the expansion so as to
keep the public informed
as the process unfolds.
From employees who
serve as expansion liaisons to a Facebook page,
information on the expansion will be readily
available.
Information about the
expansion, including the
slides from the project
presentation, are available at: http://www.littletoncoop.com/expansion.
With the enhanced
ability to serve the community, King said, the
expansion will “set the
Co-op on a good sound
footing for decades to
come.”
King said the Co-op
will provide the first
patronage rebate next
BY DARIN WIPPERMAN
[email protected]
LITTLETON—
Through a partnership
with federal officials,
Affordable
Housing
Education and Development hosted the announcement of a new
mortgage program on
Friday.
The product
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
will help people buy
highly energy efficient
manufactured housing
for placement in a mobile home park.
U.S.
Rep.
Annie
Kuster, USDA Rural
Housing Service Administrator Tony Hernandez, Rural Development State Director Ted
Brady, and President
Paul Bradley of Resident Owned Communities USA joined AHEAD
as the program was
announced. The festivities took place at the
Better Homes AHEAD
site on Cottage Street.
The Better Homes
AHEAD lot includes
three model homes,
built with a focus on energy efficiency. One of
the three models could
be purchased using the
new USDA mortgage
program.
The three Better
Homes AHEAD homes
reduce energy costs by
30 percent compared
to a standard manufac-
Darin Wipperman/Littleton Courier
Good news fills Co-op’s annual meeting
BY DARIN WIPPERMAN
[email protected]
LITTLETON—
Founded in 2009, the
member-owned Littleton Food Co-op strives to
provide a variety of local
foods as another option
for grocery services in
the region. All the hard
work has paid off, as the
Co-op looks to expand
floor space and pay patronage rebates to members for the first time.
Details were provided
during the Co-op’s annual member meeting,
which took place last
Wednesday at the Opera
House.
Board President Trish O’Brien welcomed
the public to the meeting.
“I’m really happy to
see the turnout. Thank
you all for joining us,”
she said.
General Manager Ed
King discussed how the
Co-op, PAGE ­­­A16
A16
The Littleton Courier, Wednesday, September 2, 2015
The Rest of the Story
CO-OP
(Continued from Page A2)
month. Members could
receive a check or mer-
STAFF
(Continued from Page A1)
After time in southern New Hampshire,
new Lakeway counselor
Lisa Harold has lived
farther north for ten
years.
“I’ve always enjoyed
working with children,”
she said.
Harold’s 15 years of
counseling experience
HILL
(Continued from Page A1)
must begin anew.
Affordable Housing
Education and Development has proposed a
25-unit town home style
development on the 44acre property near the
Maplewood Golf Course.
Several residents near
the proposed development expressed concerns at public hearings
last month.
To answer questions
from the community, the
town library is hosting a
CLINIC
(Continued from Page A1)
ed,” Amdur said.
Amdur also asked all
veterans in the crowd
to stand. She thanked
them for their service,
then noted how Littleton’s new outpatient
clinic will serve “the veterans of Grafton County
and beyond.”
Shaheen addressed
the crowd by noting
she was pleased “to celebrate this wonderful,
expanded clinic here in
Littleton.”
Shaheen
expressed
thanks to New Hamsphire National Guard
Brig. Gen. Peter Corey,
a Littleton native, who
was a member of the
SCHOOL
(Continued from Page A1)
teaching positions at
Lin-Wood and on the
Seacoast.
Great teachers Hagan had at Profile were
a motivator for his decision to become a teacher. His parents helped
instill an interest in
chandise
certificates
based on how much they
have purchased at the
store.
Members can also
decide to donate their
patronage rebate. King
said the community
fund for these donations
provides money to other
cooperatives.
O’Brien summed up
the supportive philosophy at the Co-op. She
said the store is “a community, and I think that
strengthens us all.”
She concluded, “This
is a place that’s really
part of our lives.”
included time at White
Mountains
Regional
High School and Winnisquam Regional in Tilton.
Believing all school
staff has a role to play
for students, Harold
looks forward to “collaboratively working to
meet all the individuals
needs of kids.” Focusing
on the team approach
and valuing everyone’s
input in the education is
vital, she concluded.
Elizabeth O’Dwyer,
a new Lakeway sixth
grade teacher, recently moved to Bethlehem
from Long Island. The
North Country offered
many very appealing
features for O’Dwyer
during 20 years of vacation trips to the region.
“I’ve always enjoyed
watching the process of
a child learning,” O’Dwyer said.
She added that educators can assist students
“find the potential within themselves” by taking a holistic approach
that “teaches the whole
child.”
Interacting with students provides many
chances for O’Dwyer to
laugh.
As she said, “They
crack me up. It’s a fun
job.”
Regarding students,
O’Dwyer
concluded,
“If we build their confidence, they can learn
anything.”
Cristina Rowe spent
the two previous years
as a paraprofessional at
Lakeway. She is now
the Title I reading teacher at the school.
Rowe received certi-
fications in elementary
and special education
after an 18-month program at Granite State
College. She grew up in
Groveton, and has lived
in Littleton for 13 years.
Work as a paraprofessional motivated Rowe
to earn her teaching
certification. She looks
forward to helping Lakeway students develop
the core skill of reading.
session tonight at 6 p.m.
This meeting will allow
AHEAD representatives
to discuss their plans
with area residents and
take questions prior to
the new zoning and planning board hearings.
The zoning board will
redo the special exception hearing on Sept.
10, with the planning
board’s process slated to
start on Sept. 23.
After the granting of
the special exception,
an abutter requested
an appeal of the zoning
board’s action. The Sept.
10 hearing will focus on
the original application
for the special exception,
rather than the appeal of
the earlier decision.
Based on a conceptual
discussion with the planning board last week, one
major concern from residents may be addressed.
AHEAD is studying the
possibility of residents’
access to the Lloyd’s Hill
development from Main
Street/Route 302, rather than James Street, as
first proposed.
Last month, residents
of the neighborhood ex-
pressed concerns about
how traffic from Lloyd’s
Hill could impact quality of life and pedestrian
safety along side streets
under AHEAD’s original
proposal.
According
to
AHEAD’s Executive Director Mike Claflin, “We
took another look at the
access being exclusively
from Route 302.”
Plans originally called
for only construction vehicles to use a temporary
road from Route 302.
Abutters have also
wondered about how de-
velopment on the wet lot
could cause additional
runoff problems. Claflin
said he wants to assist
the town on that matter,
including allowing the
town to place snow from
nearby roads onto the
large AHEAD parcel.
Based on state wetlands rules, AHEAD
would be responsible for
ensuring the amount of
runoff from the property is no greater after the
lot’s development.
Later in last week’s
discussion, several residents reviewed updates
to the proposed map
for Lloyd’s Hill, which
shows the sole access at
Route 302. Members of
the public discussed the
map and other plans for
the development with
AHEAD officials and
planning board members.
Rents at Lloyd’s Hill
would be capped at 30
percent of a resident’s
income. As a way to
reduce operating costs
for tenants, AHEAD is
planning a large array of
solar panels to power the
development.
audience. As part of his
duties last year, Corey
assisted in the response
to the Ebola virus in Africa.
“It’s nice to have you
back home,” Shaheen
said to Corey.
Regarding the clinic,
Shaheen predicted, “It’s
going to provide wonderful service.”
She was pleased to see
the addition of audiology services at the new
clinic.
“For many people on
the front lines,” Shaheen
said, hearing health services are “a real need.”
Ayotte praised the
“great
collaboration”
that made the new Littleton clinic possible.
She said the state’s veterans often have long
commutes to receive VA
medical care. Now, the
new clinic means veterans “no longer have to
go long distances to get
the care they earned for
serving our great nation.”
Ayotte noted the
strong bipartisan effort
to expand VA services
in Littleton.
“I was
honored to work with
Sen. Shaheen and Rep.
Kuster” to help make
the clinic possible, Ayotte concluded.
Kuster also noted the
bipartisan work that accomplished an important function. She said
the outpatient clinic will
“make sure we honor
those who have served
us.”
“You’ve been patient,” Kuster said to the
veterans at Friday’s ceremony, “and we are here
for you.”
She promised the
delegation’s continued
hard work on behalf of
veterans.
Adjutant General William Reddel said Gov.
Maggie Hassan believes
in “Fort New Hampshire,” making sure the
state looks after those
in need. As part of that
concept, he continued,
the state wishes to honor
veterans and assist them
wherever possible.
A veteran, Reddel
said, believes, “I will
give my life for this
country, and for you
all.”
After the ribbon cutting, those who attended
the ceremony were given a tour of the new clinic. Several people noted
the telehealth technology in the physical therapy room. Telehealth allows those in Littleton to
have video discussions
with clinicians or veterans in other locations.
Navy veteran and
county
commissioner
Linda Lauer was very
pleased with what she
saw on the tour.
“This is a good day
for North Country veterans,” she said.
Lauer said the White
River Junction medical
center is “an outstanding facility.” However,
having more care options closer to home will
be a great advancement
for veterans in the region.
As she looked over
the number of counseling rooms, Lauer noted
the importance of such
services.
“I’m very pleased
we’ve got counseling
available,” she commented.
Often, a veteran will
feel more comfortable
opening up in a place
dedicated to their care,
Lauer concluded.
history and the world
around him during visits to historic sites while
on trips.
Stephanie
Potter,
who grew up in Penacook, will be teaching
eighth and ninth grade
English this year. She
spent six years teaching
in Lancaster prior to
starting in Littleton.
Potter went to college
in the Finger Lakes region of New York, and
is happy to be in New
Hampshire.
Potter’s
freshmen
literature class will
provide an opportunity
for her to help students
understand the world
around them. She said
reading George Orwell’s
1984 in 11th grade led to
her interest in teaching
about literature.
The junior English
teacher “guided me
to become the type of
teacher I am,” Potter
said. Focusing on concepts with students
makes teaching enjoyable, she added.
Potter will be teaching her “favorite age”
this year, she said.
Eighth and ninth grade
is a very formative time,
and she looks forward to
helping the kids learn.
Samantha
Whitson focused on science
while growing up in
Rhode Island.
“I really like the natural world,” she said.
Close to the ocean
in her youth, Whitson
liked “sitting by the water and thinking.”
Whitson arrives in
Littleton after teaching
two years in Whitefield.
She likes how teaching
brings constant change
to her day while allowing her “to get my creative juices flowing,”
she said.
Whitson’s
eighth
grade class will focus
on earth and space. She
will also be teaching
a “consumer science”
class.
She said the
course teaches students
“how to prepare for the
life ahead of them” by
instilling a variety of
life skills.
Janice Phelps looks
forward to assisting
the front office with her
customer service experience. She will be answering phones, tracking attendance, and
helping out in the busy
main office.
Phelps grew up in
Missouri, and has lived
in Vermont for about 20
years. A devotee of the
outdoor lifestyle, Phelps
calls Northern New England, “a beautiful place
to be.”
MEADOW LEASING
Littleton, N.H.
Storage Trailers
28' - 48'
Office Trailers
Ground Level Containers
20' - 40'
1-800-762-7026 • 603-444-7026
Let Us Help You With All Your Storage Needs.
Need A Root Canal?
Has your dentist recommended you travel out of town
for this procedure, often requiring multiple trips?
In the time it takes to travel out of town,
Dr. Taylor could complete your needed care,
saving you extra time and lost work expense.
Dr. David Taylor’s proven success with Root Canals
spans 32 years with thousands of happy patients!
Combined with Dr. Taylor’s skill and advancements
in technology, root canals are virtually Pain-Free and
most can be completed in One visit.
Lunch time appointments available / flexible scheduling
Please call
(603) 444-7761
David A. Taylor, DDS
LittLeton FamiLy DentaL Practice
110 W. main St.
LittLeton, nH 03561
Sell it
in the
c­ lassifieds!