The February Monday Movie Matinee at the Library Barn on Monday,
February 27th at 1:30 is "The Majestic, which is described as a
"valentine to the movies…the story of one man’s discovery of his own
integrity" by Entertainment Tonight’s Leonard Martin. Don’t miss out
– join in on a fun afternoon at the Gilmanton Year Round Library.
Light refreshments served.
Local Youth Services Benefit Magic Show, by renowned "Frates
Creations", at the Epsom Fire Station 2/26 at 2 pm. Sponsored by the
Epsom-Chichester Lions and Fire Aux.
Admission by donation. Refreshments served. Call 736-9942 for more
information.
Letter
Gilmanton Voters:
Senate Bill 2 Information: School SB2
What is SB2? SB2 is a form of school meeting that consists of two
sessions. There is a deliberative session and a voting session,
affecting operational budget only, with an official ballot. Voting
is in a voting booth at the town election or by absentee ballot.
Voting takes place about 30 days after the deliberative session.
All registered voters may vote at the polls or by absentee ballot
even if they are unable to attend the deliberative session.
How is SB2 different? At a School District Meeting you are required
to vote publicly and in person. Currently, the School District
Meeting is held on the Saturday after Town Meeting and usually lasts
less than two hours. Only a small percentage of voters actually
attend this meeting and discussion is minimal.
Summary: SB2 is an optional form of voting. It is not a change in
government. It changes only the method of actual voting. All
eligible voters are allowed to vote. New Hampshire Center for Public
Policy data shows that SB2 does not destroy school budgets and does
not ruin school districts. A 60% majority of votes is required to
pass SB2 on the school ballot.
Douglas Isleib
Gilmanton IW
Letter To The Editor
Kudos to the Gilmanton Selectmen and Budget Committee.
It was wonderful to read recently in a local newspaper that the
Budget Committee as well as the Board of Selectmen in Gilmanton
endorsed the budget for the Gilmanton Year Round Library. It makes
me very happy that we have finally reached this point. I give my
wholehearted endorsement as a citizen and encourage others to do so
as well.
The Gilmanton Year Round Library has become an invaluable resource
to so many folks in town, especially in these tough economic times,
and those associated with it work tirelessly to provide high quality
library services to Gilmanton.
Please join me on March 17th and vote "YES" for the GYRL, a very
important community facility.
Douglas W. Towle
2012 World Day Of Prayer Celebration
Women, men, and children in more than 170 countries and regions will
celebrate World Day of Prayer, Friday, March 2, 2012. World Day of
Prayer is a worldwide ecumenical movement of Christian women of many
traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each
year on the first Friday in March. It was founded on the idea that
prayer and action are inseparable in the service of God’s Kingdom.
Services begin at sunrise in the Pacific and follow the sun across
the globe on the day of celebration. Each year a different country’s
committee serves as the writers of the World Day of Prayer worship
service. This year, the women of Malaysia have chosen the theme "Let
justice prevail."
The Gilmanton Community Church on Route 140 in Gilmanton Iron Works,
will be hosting a worship service on Friday evening, March 2nd at
7:00 pm. The service will feature prayers, scriptures and readings
written by women of Malaysia and read by women from our area
churches; music from Malaysia as well as familiar hymns, a video
about Malaysia, and light refreshments served after the service. A
free will offering will be taken to benefit the people of Malaysia
and the work of World Day of Prayer USA.
All are welcome! Bring a friend! Come join the women of Malaysia in
prayer and song to support ecumenical efforts toward justice, peace,
healing, and wholeness. For more information please contact Barbara
Moulton at 875-5651.
Letter To The Editor
Support SB2 for Gilmanton
Are you ready for a more democratic form of government for Gilmanton
than Town Meeting? The Official Ballot is more democratic. Vote yes
for SB2 Article I on both the Town and School District Ballot on
Tuesday, March 13th.
Overall, having SB2 voting benefits our community. SB2 has worked
very well for Gilford, Alton, Belmont, Pittsfield, Epping, etc.
The advantages are no more long meetings, no lines of voters going
to the microphone, no hassle on how you voted, no reconsideration
vote after everyone else is gone home on a defeated article. It is
proven that a greater percentage of voters turn out for the Ballot
than participation of voters at Town Meeting. Yes, you can vote
absentee. Open voting subject allows one to vote to intimidation;
SB2 privacy.
I feel we have lost control on the overall Town and School District
Budget.
Sincerely,
Judy Price
Gilmanton IW
Letter To The Editor
Each time it seems like the Gilmanton School Board has an
opportunity to provide further information and commit to more
discussion, particularly on the budget, I actually believe they are
prepared to do their due diligence. Then each time I find that I
gave them too much credit for looking deeply into such issues.
At the School Board meeting on 2/7 I thought there was going to be
more discussion on the budget. Instead, I was told by the Chairman
of the School Board, who spoke to me in a very disrespectful manner
and tone, that once the School Board voted on their budget, they
made no further changes. They would not make changes either in
response to the Budget Committee or to the public, but held firm on
their budget number. They then would rely on the body to vote at the
School District Meeting knowing that very few people actually come
and vote. They are able to maintain their budget they derive
according to what they want and not what they actually need without
any challenges. They have stated that they are actually driving
their budget towards having a fund balance at the end of the year.
Who pays? We do. Please vote on Tuesday 2/13 and attend the School
District Meeting on 2/24 at the Gilmanton School at 10:00 am.
There have been several letters in the newspaper concerning SB2
petitions in Gilmanton this election season. It is important to note
that since the school and the town are separate entities, there are
two separate petitions.
Since there are two separate ballots a voter may choose either or
both or none. Some of the letters don’t define that separation but
rather seem to combine the town with the school and that is not the
case.
Joanne Gianni
Gilmanton IW
The Gilmanton Boys 5th and 6th grade boys basketball team just
finished an impressive season by winning the Suncook Valley
Tournament and were crowned league champs! The team finished the
season with a 13-3 overall record. Front row left to right: Brian
Tremblay, Brendan Bushnell, Nate Hudson, Jackson Brulotte and Nick
Bugnacki. Back row: Coach Brian Tremblay, Garrett Peaslee, Carter
Segalini, Mitchell Juneau, Ethan Warren, Sandor Gamache, Cameron
White and Coach Sean Hayes.
Letter
Dear Gilmanton voter:
My name is Perry Onion and I’m running for Selectman. My wife and I
came to Gilmanton 37 years ago. We’ve raised a family here, made
many lasting friends and sunk our roots deep. I taught school in
Laconia and Gilford. Now I’m retired and have more time to give.
These 37 years have been hectic. I was able to serve 12 years on the
Historic District Commission, some of it as Chairman. I was also
President of the Historical Society a couple of years, volunteered
my skills when the Corners Church was being renovated, served on
committees for the Academy and Heritage, NH and recently served on
the Cupola Committee. In addition, my wife has served eight years on
the School Board and three on the HDC. I feel these experiences have
given me a good understanding of the way our town works.
I have no agenda, unless helping to preserve our community is an
agenda. Some growth is inevitable and even healthy, but uncontrolled
growth could do us great harm. Balance is everything – balance and
constant reassessment. Everybody’s taxes are too high. More
commercial activity would be helpful, if it’s in the right place.
But that’s a long way off in this economic climate, and geography is
against us. That leaves town expenses, which should be held to an
absolute minimum.
My friends would tell you I’m open-minded, patient, fair and
objective. Basically, I just like to be a listener. I could use your
vote.
Perry Onion
Gilmanton
Letter
AN APOLOGY IS DUE!
During the past few weeks there has been a series of hostile and
usually inaccurate letters directed at the Gilmanton School Board.
Most have not been worthy of a response; however, the last series of
letters cannot go unanswered. The writers accuse the school board
and their representative, the superintendent, of violating
electioneering laws. The board and their representatives are always
very careful to honor and support the laws of New Hampshire. Before
the board members sent out a letter last year expressing their
reasons for believing that SB 2 could have a serious negative effect
on the Gilmanton School, they consulted an attorney. To quote from
his reply, "School board members do not give up the right to send
out political mailing just because they are members of a school
board providing they do so at their own expense." At the very least
the writers of these letters owe the superintendent and the school
board an apology, and I would hope that in the future they would aim
for greater accuracy and would respect the free speech right of all
citizens.
In closing, I wish to point out that despite an open seat on the
school board, not one of these vocal critics had the courage to step
forward and become part of the solution.
Ella Jo Regan
Gilmanton
Obituaries
Frank C. Bosiak, Sr.
Frank C. Bosiak, Sr., 79, of 125 Upper City Road, died at his home
Saturday, February 11, 2012. He was the widower of Jacqueline M.
(Boisvert) Bosiak who died in 2006.
Mr. Bosiak was born July 19, 1932 in Allenstown, N.H., the son of
Stephen and Jadwiga (Dudka) Bosiak.
Mr. Bosiak graduated from Pittsfield High School. He had been a
resident of Epsom for many years before moving to Gilmanton in 1948.
He was a dairy farmer and was owner with his sons, of the Bosiak
Farm.
Mr. Bosiak was a man of strong, religious faith and was a
communicant of St. Joseph Parish of Belmont. He was a longtime
member of the Gilmanton Budget Committee and involved in many town
functions as well as a member and past director of the First
Congregational Society, Smith Meeting House.
Mr. Bosiak enjoyed working on the farm and in later years, spending
time with his grandchildren.
He is survived by two sons, Frank C. Bosiak, Jr. and Steven P.
Bosiak, both of Gilmanton; two daughters, Ann Randall and her
husband, Matthew, of Westbrook, Maine and Catherine Jennings and her
husband Jason, of Delray Beach, Florida; five grandchildren, Caitlin
Randall, Shannon Randall, Christian Randall, Grayson Randall and
Callie Jennings and many nephews and nieces.
In addition to his wife and his parents, Mr. Bosiak was predeceased
by his brothers, Joseph and Peter Bosiak, and by a sister, Ann Byk.
Spring burial will be in the family lot in Floral Park Cemetery,
Pittsfield.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the St. Joseph
Parish Food Pantry, PO Box 285, Belmont, N.H. 03220 or to the
Gilmanton Community Church Food Pantry, PO Box 6, Gilmanton I.W.,
NH, 03837.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services,
164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, NH, 03246 is in charge of the
arrangements. For more information and to view an on line memorial
go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com
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