Greenfield, Jaffrey move forward

In Greenfield, voters put $20,000 each into capital reserve accounts for a future fire truck purchase and improving the town office building.

And in Jaffrey, residents okayed everything on the warrant, including the $6,975,714 budget.

Troy approves everything, as does Dublin

Troy and Dublin voters okayed everything on their warrant. In Troy, voters added money for the police to help with the high fuel costs and okayed a plan to spruce up the fire station. Dublin residents added money for their highway department after the harsh winter.

Dublin voters said goodbye to their longtime town clerk, Barbara Sovik, who's served the town for more than 12 years. Karen Bunch was named citizen of the year.

10:54 a.m.: Date set for recount

We just received word that the recount for Article 1 in the Keene School District, (Unit 29), will be on Wednesday, March 19, at 5 p.m. in the conference room at the Cheshire Career Center, Keene High School, 43 Arch St., Keene.

3:30 p.m.

We'll be updating the blog on Saturday to let you folks know what happens at meetings in Dublin, Hancock, Marlow, Greenfield and other towns.
Keep checking back ....

A funny moment in Richmond:

At Richmond’s town meeting, Neil Moriarity zeroed in on a proposal to spend $8,595 to expand the Earl R. Howard Memorial Cemetery.He told his fellow citizens that, given the small town’s death rate, it would be financially prudent to do only half the job now. “There’s room for 40 people (in the cemetery) now,” he said, arguing that the proposed 2008 allocation could be safely pared by $4,000. “We can wait five years and do more (work) later on.” To which Norma Thibodeau, an advocate of doing the entire cemetery development job at one time, said, “I hope there’s no epidemic.” Her remark was greeted by laughter by the crowd, which then went on to vote through Moriarity’s spending cut.

Good night, sleep tight ... and pleasant dreams to you ...

It's all over but the shouting. Well, that's not strictly true ... because there was probably some shouting going on tonight.
Nevertheless, thanks for joining us.
You'll find in-depth coverage of town meetings in tomorrow's Keene Sentinel and on our Web site, http://www.sentinelsource.com/.

Newsroom Blogger

More from Winchester

Voters rejected the town manager form of government and ... then voted down the budget, 379-311. The town will operate using a default budget, which is 96.000 less.

Alstead:

Town voters approved each of the 11 proposed articles on the town warrant, including a $245,000 proposal for the town to purchase a 16-acre property on Bragg Lane and High Street.
Voters also approved the selectmen’s $1,431,013 budget request, as well as a $113,885 article for repairs to Thayer Brook Road.

Why getting there is more than half the battle

From Sentinel reporter Dave Greisman:
The town of Acworth, population 882, is on the edge of The Sentinel’s coverage area, about 45 minutes to the north of Keene. It is one of the few towns I had yet to visit in the eight months since I arrived in the Granite State. My Tuesday night assignment was to attend its town meeting.
But first I’d need to get there.
After a quarter of a century in my native Maryland, I was fortunate to be far from directionally challenged while I navigated from one corner of the state to another.
Not so up here.
No matter how often I used Google Maps and no matter how often I ask my knowledgeable colleagues where and when to turn, I nevertheless tend to find myself pondering replacing my dashboard-mounted satellite radio with a GPS unit. Tonight was one of those nights.
"Drive north on Route 10, then turn left at 123," a coworker had said. "Turn right at the general store. You can’t miss it."
I wasn’t so sure.
I knew Route 10 – a month going to Newport and back for a murder trial imprinted that highway in my mind. And so I turned left at Route 123 upon entering Marlow, waiting for the next step to come.
And waiting. And waiting.
Into Alstead. Onto Route 123A. Into Langdon. Frost heaves. Sharp turns. Worst of all, doubt. A quick glance earlier in the day at Google Maps had suggested I turn left from Route 10 onto 123A. I had probably misheard my colleague and added unnecessary distance to my travels. But then I saw a trusty road sign with an arrow telling me a left turn would take me to Acworth. As I continued uphill and into the dark, the increasing number of handmade political signs indicated I was probably getting closer.
Finally, I was.
The axiom reads that getting there is half the battle. Not so. I knew how to get home.

Marlow's in the house

Mark Lanier won a three-year term as selectman in town through a write-in campaign. He beat Allan Blank, 66-49.
Elizabeth Sharp was elected supervisor of the checklist; Bonnie Parker won a one-year term as the overseer of welfare. And Sue Burgh and Kate McNally both received write-in votes to win three-year terms as trustees of the library.

From Langdon:

Jake Berry (who celebrates his birthday today ...which explains the lights on his computer monitor) reports that in Langdon residents passed the budget. They approved all of the articles on the warrant ... including one which will establish a committee to study town officials' salaries.

From Winchester:

News staffer Sarah Palermo reports that the town is not getting a new sewer plant. The current facility is 30 years old, but votes did not approve the $2.1m the new plant would have cost. The measure needed to be approved by 60 percent of the voters in order to pass; it only received 51 percent.
Also, Roberta Fraser was reelected as a selectman, defeating John Pasquarelli.

One more funny from Marlborough:

Marlborough resident Rita Grace, who is also chairman of the cemetery trustees, had only one thing to say about Article 10: "They gotta come down." The town agreed and up to $20,000 was set aside for the purpose of tree removal at the East Cemetery.

Light moments from Marlborough:

From staffer Amanda Borozinski:

John Northcott chairman of Marlborough selectman stated that the town needed to increase the operating budget for a variety of reasons including some "new dam fees." Then he went on to laugh and say "I mean D. A. M. N. ... Oh no wait... I mean D. A. M. fees..."

Also town moderator John F. Fletcher, who has been moderating in Marlborough for ten years, referred to the selectman committee as the selection committee.

After the meeting ended and residents were filing out, Robert Bennett announced that he lived at the bottom of Frost Hill and that he and his wife would be happy to bring Band-aids to police officer Steve R. Berry (the new mountain bike officer Marlborough) when he crashed at the bottom of the hill.
"We are excellent at collecting riders who crash at the end of Frost Hill. It's very steep you know," he said.

From Chesterfield:

Article 10 failed ...it was a proposal to buy a fire cistern (a water storage vessel) near the center fire station. The budget passed.

Also from Keene:

Kathy O'Donnell, Neil Donegan and Carter Chamberlain were elected to the school board. All three were endorsed by Keene Cares a group that bills itself as 'pro-education.'

From Nelson: Article 23 fails

Jonny Sheehan reports in that the wording was incorrect on the ballot for Article 23. It was from last year.

KEENE: IT'S OFFICIAL

the school proposal failed ...by a less than 1 percent margin.

From Swanzey:

First ...yes, we are getting results from Keene. We need to wait for the official numbers. Soon. I promise.
Swanzey: Out of 4376 registered voters, 1323 participated today. A couple of election results:
Nancy Carlson won a seat as selectman, beating out Tyler Tommila, 873 to 290. Swanzey voters also approved making the fire chief a full time position ... 690 to 510.

From Marlborough:

Shelby Stanton, who is not yet old enough to vote, attended the Marlborough town meeting and reports that all 18 articles passed.
Thanks Shelby.