Ivy Green Rebekah Lodge #36 is hosting a Scrap Book event on
Saturday, March 10th from 1-9 pm at the Epsom Public Library. Call
Vickie at 736-4707 or Jennifer 736-8681 to reserve your spot! Food
and beverages will be included in the fee. Plan to spend the day
with us for a great time of scrap booking and fun! Please bring a
donation of diapers and/or baby wipes to help the lodge with their
community outreach.
St. Patrick’s Day Supper, sponsored by the American Legion Post 112,
Short Falls Road, Epsom, NH, will be Saturday, March 10, 2012, 4:30
pm to 6:30 pm.
Donations: $8.00 Adults, $4.00 children 6-12, under 6 free.
Corned beef and cabbage, all the fixin’s, dessert, and beverage will
be served.
Door prizes and 50/50 raffle. Proceeds to benefit Post 112 community
activities.
Michael Briggs Spaghetti Dinner
Please join us for the 6th annual spaghetti dinner in honor of
officer Michael Briggs. It will be at Epsom Central School, Tuesday,
March 13th from 5-7 pm in our cafeteria. The cost continues to be
$5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children. We will also have our
convenient take-out service. Hot, fresh, and ready to go! Tickets
may be purchased ahead of time at the school office or sold at the
door the night of the dinner. Bring your appetite for Mrs. Kiley’s
delicious spaghetti.
Any questions please call Mrs. Donovan or Mrs. Paine at 736-9331. We
hope to see you there to support this worthy cause.
Bentley University Names Local Students To
President’s List For Fall
2011 Semester
President, Gloria Cordes Larson, along with Dean of Business, Roy
(Chip) Wiggins, and Dean of Arts and Sciences, Daniel L. Everett,
recently announced William Markow of Allenstown has been named to
the President’s List and honored for his outstanding academic
achievement in the fall 2011 semester.
To be named to the President’s List, a full-time student must have a
grade point average of 3.7 or higher with no course grade below 3.0
during the term.
Bentley University Names Local Students To
Dean’s List For Fall 2011 Semester
President, Gloria Cordes Larson, along with Dean of Business, Roy
(Chip) Wiggins, and Dean of Arts and Sciences, Daniel L. Everett,
recently announced Jacob van Berkum of Deerfield, Katherine Goodwin
of Epsom, and Mackenzie Segura-Cook of Northwood have been named to
the Dean’s List and honored for their outstanding academic
achievement in the fall 2011 semester.
To be named to the Dean’s List, a full-time student must have a
grade point average of 3.3 or higher with no course grade below 2.0
during the term.
Letter To The Editor
Support Epsom Teachers
As a member of the Budget Committee, I abstained from supporting the
teachers’ contract, since the third year of the contract included a
double step raise and a percentage increase. Since then, I have
changed my mind due to the following:
1. The contract was signed by the School Board.
2. Our teachers got no raise or step increase last year.
3. 28 out of 42 teachers will not be eligible for step increases
after September.
4. The second step increase in the third year of the contract
replaces the step lost last year.
5. The teachers made concessions; they’ll work an extra day each
year and pay a small percentage of their health insurance.
6. The education provided by Epsom Central is the best in the area.
Last fall in Common Assessment Score testing for math and reading in
grades 3-8, Epsom placed first or second nine times out of 12
compared to six local schools.
7. Teachers, staff, and the administration have a sincere concern
for the security of the children, as well as their mental and
emotional well being.
8. Children are constantly urged to finish their homework, sometimes
in spite of themselves.
9. As a volunteer at the school, I see much caring and thoughtful
interaction between adults and students.
For these reasons, I ask you to support this contract by voting to
approve Article 2.
Bob Sawyer
Epsom taxpayer
Letter
I was built in 1861. For years I stood on the corner of Route 4 and
Black Hall Road. In 2006, I was sold to Cumberland Farms and was
slated to be demolished. A group of people got together and formed a
committee. After about a year they finally got the $90,000 needed to
have me moved. It was close, just 3 days before the deadline the
town voted to accept me and I was on my way to my new home. A lot of
preparation had to be done before hand, just in case I was accepted.
Volunteers worked for weeks, cleaning out the rooms underneath me
and removing the building on the side. After that, they jacked me up
and put the wheels under me. While that was happening, someone was
preparing the sight up by the library.
That Sunday morning in February, at 5:30, I was on my way. I filled
up the whole road. Hundreds of people lined up to watch me pass by.
All the wires that were across the road had to be dropped and then
put back up after I went by. The crowd cheered as I turned the
corner and went up the grade. After they turned me around, Dick and
Bruce climbed my tower and rang my bell. "I made it, I’m here!" it
rang out. What a day!
Later they poured the foundation and moved me on to it. After that,
they filled in the hole in my side and gave me a new paint job. They
fixed my steeple, gave me a new roof, and built on a new deck.
I am all ready to be finished on the inside. The committee has been
trying to raise the money for the past 4 years, but the town keeps
voting it down. Now I hear they are only asking for $25,000 to buy
some material. They have a lot of volunteers who want to help out
doing the work.
Well, I wish the town would vote for the money and finish me up so
they can use me, otherwise, I’ll be sitting here empty and idle for
who knows how long?
Please vote yes on Article #10 and Article #17.
Thank you,
Epsom’s Historic Meeting House and my committee
Epsom Library News
The Epsom Public Library school vacation events include Story Time
and a children’s movie on Tuesday, February 28th at 2 pm, Family
Movie Night on Wednesday, February 29th at 6:30 pm featuring
"Zookeeper" rated PG.
Popcorn and drinks will be provided at both movies, Story Time and
Lego Club on Thursday, March 1st at 3:30 pm.
The Epsom Public Library is having a Dr. Seuss Party on Saturday,
March 3rd at 9 am. Children and their families are invited to a Dr.
Seuss themed breakfast! Make your own "Cat in the Hat" pancake hat
and sample a "Green Eggs and Ham" surprise. After breakfast the
children can listen to their favorite Dr. Seuss stories, make a fun
craft and watch a Dr. Seuss movie. Admission is free but
reservations are required as seating is limited. Call the library at
736-9920 or sign up at the circulation desk to reserve your spot.
Letter
Epsom Central School would appreciate your assistance in informing
parents of children who will be turning five (or six) before
September 30, 2012 of our upcoming kindergarten and first grade
screenings. These literacy screenings would apply to children that
are entering Epsom Central School for the first time.
The registration/screenings for the 2012-2013 incoming kindergarten
students will be held Tuesday, April 3rd, Wednesday, April 4th, and
Thursday April 5th, between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, as
well as extended hours on Tuesday, April 3rd from 4:00-5:30 pm.
If your child will be an incoming first grader, literacy screenings
will be held on Tuesday, April 3rd, from 8:30 am - 5:30 pm. Please
call Wendy Burns in the main office, 736-9331, to schedule your
child’s 45 minute block for either of these screenings. Please
remember to bring a copy of your child’s immunization record, birth
certificate, most recent physical exam, and two proofs of residency,
including a purchase/sales or rental agreement.
Sincerely,
Patrick Connors
Principal
Letter
Vote Yes to decrease your taxes! Epsom Central School Warrant
Articles are a win-win for the citizens of Epsom, and our
school. The Epsom Central School Board and the Epsom Teachers
Association have been hard at work. An annual school budget was
developed, and ECS teachers and support staff contracts were
negotiated. The result will be an overall decrease in the tax impact
to Epsom residents. You read that right - a decrease in taxes. There
will be a one cent decrease per $1,000 of assessed property value if
School Warrant Article 1 (operating budget), Warrant Article 2
(collective bargaining agreement for Epsom Teachers), and Warrant
Article 3 (collective bargaining agreement for Epsom Support Staff)
all pass. A decrease in taxes is reason enough to vote yes,
but there are other compelling reasons to support these Warrant
Articles.
ECS is staffed 100% by Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) in their
field. More than 1/3 of our teachers have a master’s degree, yet,
the average ECS teacher salary ($52,542) is below the state average
($52,706).
Even though staff salaries are below state average, the ECS New
England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) testing results are at or
above state average for nearly every grade and discipline. Testing
scores can be found at:
http://reporting.measuredprogress.org/NHProfile/reports.aspx.
We have a strong education system in Epsom, and we want to keep it
strong. A strong school helps to maintain strong property values.
Last year, Epsom voted against the teachers’ contract. We cannot
continue to expect exceptional results from repeated no-confidence
voting. I am encouraging all Epsom voters to vote yes on ECS
School Warrant Articles 1 - 3.
Voting is Tuesday, March 13 at Epsom Central School gymnasium from
8:00 am until 7:00 pm. Vote yes for our town!
Tracey Stephens
Epsom
Letter
To my constituents in Allenstown, Epsom, and Pittsfield:
This week the House session covered a long list of relatively minor
bills. HB1301, on challenges to voters, brings laws back to what
they were three years ago. It passed 212-129. HB1342, prohibiting
towns from hiring lobbyists, was debated between forcing people to
fund causes they might not support, and trying to dictate to voters
how they could spend their tax money, and killed, 248-57. I could
see both sides and finally voted to not make a change; the other
three Representatives voted in favor of the bill.
The Fish & Game Committee, usually very quiet, provided the
liveliest debates of the session. HB1219, on deer farming, was
advocated as a pro-business bill, while the committee wanted to kill
it due to fears of disease. I like the idea of the bill, but was
concerned that it seemed to completely ban the sale of even farmed
venison in the state. It was killed 241-100. HB1332, changing the
enforcement authority for searching fishers and hunters from
"reasonable cause" to "probable cause", was vigorously debated by
lawyers, hunters and supporters of the game wardens. Finally the
bill was not killed, 171-174, and passed, 181-165. I voted for it as
the distinction between these levels did not seem either clear or
consistent, and probable cause is the constitutional protection.
HB1339, prohibiting hunters from making deals with landowners to ban
other hunters, was debated as an imposition on the right of
landowners to restrict hunting to those they want on their land. It
was not passed, 133-216, and killed by acclamation, with all
Representatives from the district against it.
Interested readers can email me for my newsletter, with more details
than I can fit in a letter.
Representative Carol McGuire
[email protected]
782-4918
Letter
Teachers. Teachers. Teachers. Are they perfect? No.
I’m not from the group that thinks that because they are our
Firemen, Policemen, Congressmen or Teachers that they are good or
great and that all the problems we read and hear about are in other
towns or states.
I’m not going to get into that this state and federal government
pretty much dictates what is taught and how to think or whether the
teachers or school board agrees or disagrees on who should be
deciding these things.
What I am going to inform you is that our teachers have our students
reading, which has transcended our students into the top 10% of the
schools in the state taking the state and federal mandated test.
We, the school board and the teachers negotiated for hours and hours
in good faith to come up with a good working contract.
I am asking you to vote yes on the Teacher’s Contract. It’s both
reasonable and fair.
Gordon Ellis
School Board Member
The Spartan Singers Are Invited To Sing At The 2012 National
Festival Of The States Concert Series In Washington, DC
As Part Of The National Cherry Blossom Centennial Festival April
2012!
Who Are The Spartan Singers? They are a group of extremely talented
students/vocalists from Pembroke Academy in Pembroke NH that consist
of 120 male and female students ranging from freshmen to seniors.
This group is conducted by Ms. Cheryl Lafond. They have had the
opportunity over the past several years (since Cheryl has taken
these students under her wings) to perform in the All-American Music
Festival that has been awarding musical prowess in high school
student music groups for almost 30 years. Some of the most
competitive and talented music groups travel from all over the world
just to compete every year at this prestigious event. Our talented
Maestro and Spartan Singers received the highest award given at the
Great East Festival.
It is with great honor to announce that the Pembroke Academy Spartan
Singers have been invited to perform at the 2012 National Festival
of the States concert series in Washington, DC as part of the
National Cherry Blossom Festival Centennial in April of 2012! What
an honor! We are so proud of them and look forward to another award
winning performance by this very talented group, lead by one amazing
instructor!
Letter
To Epsom Voters:
Thank you to all voters who supported returning the Estimated Tax
Impact on the town and school ballots. I wish to thank
Representatives Carol and Dan McGuire along with Senator Jack Barnes
for sponsoring this important legislation, which is House Bill 1170.
This bill restores the right for any town to legally print the tax
impact for each article as it relates to spending. As of this
writing, it is hoped to be signed into law soon, as it has sailed
through the House and has been heard by the Senate this past
February 21. It may take until March 2014, as it may take another
warrant and town vote to make it official.
Meanwhile, there is still more involvement needed by you, the voter,
to be informed. At the recent deliberative town and school meetings,
a host of new warrants, spending and non-spending, are being
considered. There are the town and school budgets, the new 3-year
teacher and paraprofessional contracts, a capital reserve for road
construction, an additional full-time police officer and full-time
firefighter/paramedic, as well as a warrant to pay for building
materials for continued improvements to the historic meetinghouse.
There are sample ballots and more information on these and the 12
additional warrant articles not mentioned here available at the town
offices.
There is also a "meet the candidates" forum at the Epsom Library at
2 p.m. on Sunday, the 4th of March. Because the estimated tax
impacts will not be printed on the ballots, there may be an insert
in The Suncook Sun forthcoming with more information as well
as available outside at the polling place.
Please support our town by voting on Tuesday, March 13th, between 8
am and 7 pm at the Epsom Central School gym.
Respectfully submitted,
Tom Langlais
Epsom
Obituaries
Carl Alen Stiles
Carl Alen Stiles, 51, of Pleasant Street, died Tuesday, February 21,
2012, at the Concord Hospital after a brief illness.
Born in Berlin on August 19, 1960, Carl was the son of the late
Arnold Stiles and Lucille (Nadeau) Stiles.
He grew up in Epsom and attended Pembroke Academy. Mr. Stiles had
been employed by the State of NH Liquor Commission.
Carl enjoyed fishing and bike riding and loved his ‘69 Chevy Nova.
In addition to his mother, who lives in Penacook, Carl is survived
by 6 siblings, Merle Stiles of Laconia, Kenneth "Bucky" Stiles and
Arlene Cushing, both of Epsom, Marilyn Cushing and Cheryl McJuary,
both of Concord, and Brenda Mitchell of Penacook. He also leaves
several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Mr. Stiles was
predeceased by his sister, Brigette Stiles.
Friends and family are invited to gather at the Still Oaks Funeral &
Memorial Home, 1217 Suncook Valley Hwy. in Epsom on Saturday, March
3rd beginning at 12:30 pm, with services at 1:30 pm. Pastor Dean
Stiles will officiate. Immediately following the service, a
reception will be held at the funeral home. Burial will take place
at a later date in the Hillcrest Cemetery in Milan.
Family and friends may sign an on-line guestbook by visiting
stilloaks.com.
|
