An
invitation. Community members interested in: (1) Being a Vendor
at a Regional Farmer’s Market physically located in Northwood on
Sunday afternoons, or (2) Being a board member of said Regional
Farmer’s Market.
Interested community members should contact Linda at
[email protected]
Letter To The Editor
To
the Editor,
Happily, the election season is coming to an end.
More brutal than usual. While I’m never surprised, it is sad to
see the extent to which people will go to hurt others. For
example, Mr. Chase calling Bree Gunter “Max (the
reluctantly-antlered dog).” PHD mouth, “term used to describe
the pointless babble that comes out of the mouth of professors
with many degrees. Often followed by the denial of self
absorption.” Newt Gingrich. Name calling is bullying at
Northwood School.
The
tirade on Ms. McGuigan’s Facebook by Heather is another tell.
She points out that I was “fired from his job at Bradleys”
(misspelled). True, fired for stealing a toothpick. It is a fun
story, I tell it often. She doesn’t say that within the week
Bradlees hurriedly settled on me the largest check I’ve ever
cashed. Bought us our first pet store. She goes on “Started a
rabies epidemic in Concord at his subpar pet store.” That
was the “rabies epidemic” where a cat sold by us, out of our
store for three weeks supposedly died of rabies. This was during
the time when rabies was racing up the east coast killing
millions of animals in its path. She doesn’t tell you that the
State Veterinarian confiscated 37 health certificated cats,
killed them, tested every one of them, no rabies. She doesn’t
say that over 400 people at NH’s expense received rabies shots
because of this panic. Some epidemic. We lost an incredible
amount of money, too, but because of sovereign immunity could
not sue the State Vet.
I
couldn’t care less what they think of me. I out them because
they’ll do this to you too. Totally without ethics.
Tim
the “Grinch” , “vindictive, vituperative and vain-glorious”
Jandebeur
Northwood
This Weekend’s LRPA After Dark Feature: 1936’s “Great Guy”
Join Lakes Region Public Access Television at 10:30 p.m. this
Friday and Saturday night (March 17 & 18) for our “LRPA After
Dark” presentation of 1936’s seldom-seen crime drama “Great
Guy,” starring James Cagney and Mae Clarke.
The
plot for “Great Guy” is fairly straightforward. Retired
prizefighter Johnny Cave (Cagney), engaged to his girlfriend
Janet Henry (Clarke) and trying to make a decent living, accepts
the position of Deputy Chief in the New York City Bureau of
Weights and Measures. Soon enough, he discovers that his
department is filled with corruption, deceptive business
practices and lies, all of which are cheating hard-working
families struggling through the final years of the Great
Depression. Cave takes on the dishonest bureaucrats and
businessmen, rebuffing threats and bribes, and getting into more
than his share of physical altercations. His career, his life
with Janet, and his future are all under attack, but what can an
ex-boxer and all-around “great guy” do, except to fight for what
he believes is right?
“Great Guy” was Cagney’s first film at Grand National Pictures,
one of the so-called “Poverty Row” Hollywood studios that
specialized in low budget B-movies. Cagney had been out of the
spotlight for more than a year due to litigation over his
walkout at Warner Bros. He was sick of being typecast as the
“tough guy” and wanted more control over the types of roles he
was being offered. The production values on “Great Guy” are
decidedly low, especially by comparison to the movies that
Cagney had made up until that time, but the storyline is solid
and entertaining, and the performances, particularly those from
the two leads and the many supporting actors, are solid. The
viewer will realty feel the influence of the Great Depression on
this film: the average American was feeling the economic pinch,
and our hero fought for their everyday struggles. If you’re a
Cagney lover, then “Great Guy” is for you. It showcases the
actor’s unique charisma and his reflection of American
integrity, doing what’s right, even if the costs are high. It
has been described by some film devotees as the “most off-beat
film noir that you’ll ever see.” How can you resist? So grab
your popcorn and meet us after dark for this rare gem of a film.
TIF Hearing Q&A
Submitted By Hal Kreider
The
final hearing for the proposed TIF district on the west side of
Northwood was held at the February 14th Selectmen’s meeting.
Formation of the TIF district was presented as a tool that could
help attract businesses to Northwood. This would improve
employment opportunities and help expand our tax base and thus
help support our schools and municipal services. Questions
and Answers from the hearing are given below.
Q:
If the TIF is approved, what happens to the taxes currently
being paid by the properties within the district?
A:
The current taxes, which are based on the current assessed
values, continue to flow to the schools and town. There
would be no change in our existing tax revenues if the TIF is
approved.
Q:
How does the TIF fund the proposed projects?
A:
Funding comes from assessments on new (i.e. incremental) assets
within the TIF – for example a new building.
Q:
Will the town be at risk financially for TIF projects?
A:
No. Our TIF development plan specifically states: This TIF
will only fund projects from accumulated TIF funds or funds
based on incremental assets already in place, on the town’s tax
roll and generating tax revenue.
Q:
If we are able to attract businesses without the help of TIF
projects, are we required to implement the proposed TIF
projects?
A: No. Project implementation is not
mandatory.
Q:
What happens to the on-going TIF funds once the projects are
paid off or if we do not need to implement the projects?
A:
The incremental assets now become part of our tax base.
This would permanently increase our tax revenue going forward.
Q:
Will the TIF enable property owners to bypass our planning
processes or other town regulations?
A: No. Planning
and code requirements do not change if a property is in the TIF
district.
Q:
Can the TIF process be applied to other properties in town?
A: Yes. The existing district can be expanded.
And new districts can be formed. All we need is an
affirmative town vote.
Letter To The Editor
Democracy in Northwood
How
healthy is democracy in Northwood? Consider the following
recent occurrences:
A
town committee holds a public hearing for citizen comment and
questions after--not before--their work is done, when citizens’
opinions and suggestions can have little or no effect.
At
deliberative sessions--meetings intended to seek citizen
questions, comments, and discussion--the call to end all debate
is a frequent, and usually successful, occurrence. Some of the
people seeking an end to deliberations are public officials.
Calling for a secret ballot on controversial questions results
in angry public criticism.
Citizen petition warrant articles are changed so as to say the
opposite of the petitioners’ intent, thus preventing the
petitioners from offering the voters a choice on election day.
A
board decides, after being defeated at the ballot on two
initiatives, to use its power to insert these programs in the
budget, thus nullifying the voters’ decisions.
In
Northwood’s town hall hangs a copy of the famous Norman Rockwell
painting called “Freedom of Speech.” It depicts a young workman,
crumpled newspaper in pocket, standing to speak his mind at a
New England town meeting while his well-disposed neighbors
listen attentively. It represents New England democracy at its
best. It’s an ideal worth striving for.
Michael Faiella
Northwood
