Toddler Time
At
Barnstead Library
The Oscar
Foss Memorial Library is now providing a weekly program for toddlers,
ages 1-3yrs, on Tuesday mornings at 10:30. Join us for some fun short
stories, puppets, songs, and music & movement activities that you can
enjoy with your child. Story Hour is still being held on Wednesday
mornings at 11:00 for preschoolers, ages 3-6yrs. For more information
about these or any of our other library programs, please call us at
269-3900 or visit us the library. Library hours are: Monday, 2pm-8pm,
Tuesday & Wednesday, 10am-5pm, Thursday, 5pm-8pm and Friday, 2pm-5pm.
Barnstead
Youth Baseball/Softball Association will be holding early sign ups for
the upcoming season. Sign up prior to 2/1/14 and get a discount of
$5.00 per child. Sign ups will take place at the Oscar Foss Memorial
Library on January 31, 2014 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Future sign up dates
will be posted at a later time. Please contact
[email protected] with any
questions.
Letter To
The Editor
Let’s Work
Together
As a
lifelong resident of Barnstead I am compelled to respond to the angry
letters regarding our town leaders. I’m sure the resignations and
termination of the department heads does not rest solely on our select
board. Could it be simply that what these department heads wanted was
more suited for a big city rather than a small town? Cities with deep
pockets to pay for all the “wants.”
The select
board deals with “needs” for the entire town not just department heads.
When interviewing prospects to fill these positions maybe it should be
made clear that they need to work within the constraints set forth by
the select board instead of constantly butting heads with them. Is the
situation really that dire? There doesn’t seem to be any interruption in
the effectiveness of our road crew without the department head. The
police department seems to be working fine too. I’m sure we’ll find out
that the fire department would work fine as well. The fine people in all
three departments are perfectly capable of meeting the “needs” of this
town. They have proven this in the past and I’m confident they will
continue to do so in the future.
Roland
LaBrecque
Barnstead
Letter To
The Editor
I joined
Barnstead Fire Rescue as a way to give back to my community. I had no
personal agenda or ulterior motives other than helping out my fellow
neighbors. It has come to my attention that our elected officials do
not operate under the same creed. They are bringing their personal
agendas and ulterior motives into how they operate our town government.
They have bullied and harassed with the most nitpicking micro
management until we no longer have any department heads leading police,
fire, and the highway department. It’s disgusting and disheartening
that they are allowed to do this. They are elected officials. Please
remember that as a selectman you work for me. I am a voting tax paying
citizen of this town.
It is time
the residents of Barnstead start holding the BOS accountable. We have
no fire chief, no police chief, and no road agent. We are down one full
time firefighter/EMT and only have one full time police officer. That’s
no typo, there is only one full time police officer when there should be
six. The BOS have created a giant mess and have no plans to actively
fill the fire chief or police chief positions.
Thankfully
the BOS has a contractual obligation with the Barnstead Firefighters
Association to actively involve members of the fire department in the
search for the new chief. At least they will be held accountable on
this matter and won’t be allowed to appoint whomever they chose.
Please get
involved, come to the meetings on Tuesday night at 5 pm. Ask questions,
hold the BOS accountable for their actions. Remember they work for you.
Sincerely
Amanda
Savage
Letter To
The Editor
To the
Editor:
Let’s hope
that the Barnstead Board of Selectmen heard the public input given in
the packed January 7 Selectmen’s meeting and that they will factor that
input into the plans developed for the replacement of the Fire Chief and
the Police Chief. The repeated message from the public was that they
want the replacement chiefs sought by selection committees and not just
chosen by the Selectmen.
A selection
committee is the best method to find and to hire the replacement chiefs,
and it is required for the hiring of the Fire Chief. In 2010, the Board
of Selectmen signed a contractual agreement with the fire company that
included a specific provision that stated, “Any time the Selectmen opt
to hire a full time Fire Chief, representatives of BFRI, or its
successor, will be involved from the beginning of and throughout the
selection process.”
At the
recent meeting, one Selectman pointed out that the municipal fire
department depends heavily on the call members that form the membership
of the fire company. He acknowledged the fire department would be
unable to function without voluntary response from the call firefighters
to fire and rescue calls. Is this not reason enough to include
representation from this group in the selection process for their next
Chief?
At the
conclusion of the public input regarding selection of the new Fire
Chief, it was agreed between the Selectmen and the fire company to meet
to discuss the formation of a selection process. I am hopeful that this
will result with a process that will be effective to select the next
Fire Chief. Hopefully, the Selectmen create a similar process to find
the next Police Chief.
The
Selectmen should understand the voters are engaged in and will be
closely following this issue.
Eileen
Murley
Barnstead
Men’s Bible
Study
On
Wednesday January 22, Center Barnstead will begin a 13 week men’s Bible
Study entitled, “Growing in Christ”. If you are someone that is looking
to understand who Christ is or someone that wants to grow in their
faith, this could be the study for you.
These
concise studies will help you establish a firm scriptural foundation for
your life. The study will answer such questions as, what does it mean
to be “born again”? Can one really know there is a God? Is heaven real
and if so can I know that I am going there? What do I do if my feelings
tell me one thing and the Bible tells me something else? How do you
live a good life when everything around you seems to be going wrong?
These
questions and more will be consider at the “Growing in Christ” Bible
Study at Center Barnstead Christian Church on Wednesday’s at 6 AM, as
well as, a repeat of the study at 6 PM. For more information or
directions please call the church at 603-269-8831.