Gilmanton Selectmen’s Corner
Submitted By Carolyn Baldwin
The following summary, compiled by
Carolyn Baldwin, is drawn from the
minutes of Gilmanton Selectmen’s
meetings of October 6 through
October 27, 2008. An earlier
summary, August 25th through
September 22nd, was not published in
the SUN. Therefore, I have included
here several items which may still
be of interest. Complete copies of
all approved minutes are available
at the Selectmen’s Office during
their business hours and can be
viewed on line at the Town’s
website:
www.gilmantonnh.org.
Academy (Town Office) building. The
selectmen have dealt with several
major maintenance issues at the
Academy building. These include:
removal of the cupola, which was
deteriorating. The cupola has been
removed and will be stored pending
determination of the cost of
repair/reconstruction and inclusion
in the budget for next year. The
contract for removal was awarded to
Four Corners Landscaping. A
contract to correct drainage on the
north side of the building was
awarded to DuPont Construction. The
sprinkler system on the upper floor
has been repaired, and the entire
system will be checked. Other
Academy issues include mold
abatement, upstairs floor and carpet
in the selectmen’s office. These
will be included in the 2009 budget.
Appointment. Melba LaRoche retired
as book-keeper of the Trustees of
Trust Funds after 30 years of
service. Neil Roberts was appointed
to replace her, as a member and as
Treasurer of the Trustees of Trust
Funds, effective until election in
March.
Crystal Lake Park. Vandals
destroyed the skateboard ramps and
spray-painted graffiti at Crystal
Lake Park. The selectmen noted that
the people affected by this action
were the young people who use the
park.
Planning Administrator. Lynne
Brunnelle, planning administrator,
will have regular hours, 10:30 a.m.
to 4:30 pm Monday, Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday. She and the
office staff, received a letter of
thanks from JoAnn Oxner for their
“courtesy, respect and honesty.”
Old Town Hall. The building has been
sealed and the bat guano cleaned up.
The septic system has been replaced.
A summary of the work of the
feasibility study committee, by
chairman Israel Willard, was
published in the SUN.
Fire Department. The selectmen met
with Chief Lockwood (K-G). He
introduced senior students Matt
Gilman, Thomas Trask and Scott
Larose and freshmen Noah Halgren,
Kyle Botteron and Trevor Ritter.
Donald Pickowicz, Robin Marcotte
(certified firefighter EMT), Keith
Thibault, Barbara Frederick and
Kristen Markham have joined the Fire
Department. Volunteers have worked
on the Corners Fire Station,
including Burt Morse, Wayne Ogni,
Frank McClary and Bob Flanders.
Randy Perkins donated a 6,000 watt
generator. Repairs have been made to
some department equipment; other
repairs will be needed. When the
work is completed an open house will
be held.
At the suggestion of George
Carpenter, KG has instituted a
community check-in program
particularly for elderly people who
live alone. Fourteen volunteers have
signed up for the program.
The Chief has identified some
confusion of road names (we have a
Leavitt Road off Middle Route and a
Levitt Road near the Alton line.
Some numbering will also need to be
changed to avoid confusion for 911
emergency purposes.
Class VI Road Study Committee. Ella
Jo Regan, who chaired a committee to
study Class VI (non-maintained
public) roads in Town, met with the
selectmen to review the committees
recommendations for a policy to
guide the board when considering
requests for building or development
on such roads. The minutes of
October 20 include details of the
recommendations and discussion.
Belknap County Economic Development
Council. The selectmen met with
Jennifer Boulanger of the BCEDC and
Gilmanton’s representative Nate
Abbott. The organization assists
local and regional businesses
wishing to locate or expand with
advice. They also manage a
revolving loan fund. For details see
the Minutes of October 6.
Get The Facts On Reverse Mortgages
At MVSB Seminar On Dec. 4
Free Seminar And Luncheon Hosted By
Meredith Village Savings Bank
In the midst of rising costs and an
uncertain economy, seniors on fixed
incomes are finding it increasingly
difficult to make ends meet. Those
who own their own homes face the
extra burden of property taxes,
repairs and other household expenses
that can seem insurmountable.
A reverse mortgage can help seniors
face these challenges, allowing them
to enjoy the retirement years
they’ve worked so hard for while
staying in the homes they love.
But how do you know if a reverse
mortgage is right for you?
Learn more at a free seminar hosted
by Meredith Village Savings Bank on
Thursday, December 4, 2008 at the
Laconia Country Club at 607 Elm
Street in Laconia from 11:30 a.m. -
1:30 p.m. Lori Borrin and Lynn
Ostrand, reverse mortgage
specialists at MVSB, will thoroughly
and clearly review available options
and answer your questions. The event
features a plated luncheon with a
choice of chicken cordon bleu or
stuffed haddock.
To register for the seminar, call
279-9101. To set up an appointment
to discuss whether a reverse
mortgage is right for you, call Lynn
Ostrand at (603) 528-7406 or Lori
Borrin at (603) 279-9241.
“Reverse mortgages can help the
growing number of older people in
our communities who lack the savings
to stay in their homes and fully
enjoy their retirement years,” says
Carol Bickford, vice president of
retail lending at Meredith Village
Savings Bank. “We know that many of
the seniors in our communities are
struggling with rising property
taxes, growing healthcare costs, and
a higher cost of living which is
outstripping their retirement
savings. We can help.”
Meredith Village Savings Bank is an
independent mutual savings bank with
11 offices serving individuals,
families, businesses, organizations
and towns around Lake Winnipesaukee
and the Plymouth area. MVSB has
offices in Alton, Ashland, Gilford,
Center Harbor, Laconia, Meredith,
Moultonborough, Plymouth, and
Wolfeboro. More information about
the bank can be found at
www.mvsb.com
A Gilmanton Energy Committee Update:
The Jordan Institute
Sponsored by the Gilmanton Energy
Committee, Gary O’Connell from the
Jordan Institute gave a joint
presentation to the School Board,
and the Board of Selectmen on
October 27th.
The Jordan Institute is a non-profit
organization that is helping
municipalities and schools become
more energy efficient. The Jordan
Institute conducts energy audits for
municipalities and schools, then
helps target which buildings really
need the most help in terms of
energy losses. The main goal of the
Jordan Institute is to reduce carbon
in the atmosphere and to help slow
down climate change. They are doing
this by targeting municipalities and
schools because buildings are the
number one producer of carbon into
the atmosphere and the number one
consumer of energy in New Hampshire.
The Selectman decided that it would
be a good idea to have all of the
municipal buildings evaluated by the
Jordan Institute, at no cost. The
School Board has also taken the
first step with the Jordan Institute
to do an initial energy audit for
the school at no cost. This is the
first step in reducing the town of
Gilmanton’s energy loss as well as
saving the town money in the future.
Solar Tour
The Gilmanton Energy Committee was
fortunate enough to be able to tour
Tim and Linda Freese’s house on
October 18th. The Freeses have been
living with solar power since 1984.
The house is situated facing south
and the warmth of just the sun alone
was hot enough for shorts and
t-shirts. The Freeses do have a back
up generator and gas run appliances,
but the rest of the house is run off
of solar panels.
Living off the grid is not for
everyone. One of the first major
steps of trying to live off the grid
is to curb your energy use. This is
harder than people think, that is
why it is not for everyone. If you
make a conscious effort to reduce
your electricity use, it is a start.
You have to consider not having a
clothes dryer, unplugging all
appliances, and really becoming
energy savvy.
Hopefully, another solar tour will
be planed for the spring that will
open to the public, so please watch
for an announcement come springtime.
What Can You Do?
One of the biggest issues these days
is trying to save money on heating
expenses. One of the first steps
that is recommended is to start with
the insulation of a house to ensure
that heat that you are using is not
going to waste. Simple ways to
improve your house’s heating is to
make sure your house is insulated
around, doors, windows, basements
and attics. Just making these
changes can help reduce heat loss
considerably.
The energy efficient light bulbs are
another way to reduce the cost of
your electric bill and help the
environment. Some electric companies
actually give you instant rebates if
you choose to purchase the light
bulbs at certain stores.
Another way to reduce your electric
bill is to unplug your appliances
when you are not using them. The
plugged in appliance still draws
electrical current to the machine
even if it is not on. Think about
how many appliances you have plugged
in right now. I started to unplug my
appliances and saw a $20.00 a month
decrease in my electric bill. I know
that it doesn’t sound like a lot but
it is $20.00 that can go to
groceries or fuel. Look around your
house just to see where your
electricity is being used idly and
by making small changes could add up
to big savings.
Amy Russell -Gilmanton Energy
Committee