Gratton Gazette August 2008 Serving greater Grafton since June 0 Prison Lawsuit Cuts Tangled Web by Bill Walker A lawsuit filed by Grafton residents will soon decide whether taxpayers of Grafton County will struggle through the impending economic recession saddled with an additional $38 million in debt The petition, “Robert P. Hull, etal. Grafton County, etal”, was fled in Grafton Superior Court on March 5, 2008. The: suit was fled against an “illegal secret meetin held on February Ith. This closed meeting was between the commissioners of Graflon County, the executive director ofthe County, and vendors who would benefit from prison Depositions of several of the atendees, supported by the DVD recording of the public sessions, have now confirmed that this February 11 meeting occured as stated inthe suit. They also confirm that the mecting was not open to the public, nor were any minutes ofthe discussions between county officials and private vendors made public ‘As the public session on the 11th, the commissioners voted down the propsed prison At that point, the commission Chair suddenly recessed the public meeting, and the commissioners and vendors went into closed session. Twenty minutes later, the public meeting re-commenced and a second vote was taken. This time the $38 million dollar bond issue was approved by one vote. Daring the discovery and deposition process of the lawsuit, evidence has been uncovered f other seeret meetings regarding the awarding of lucrative contracts for the new jail. AC least one closed mecting of a quorum of the commissioners of Grafton County aceusred ‘wo months before the public hearing. The suit has been amended to include these newly exposed apparent violations of RSA 91-A-2, the “Open Meetings Act. Fortunately, the existing Grafton County Jail isnot about to fall down, As one ofthe respondents to the suit testified on June 10th, 2/3 ofthe prison structure proposed to be replaced was constructed in 1988, The majority ofthe prison is 20 years ol, not “112 years old” as some newspaper reports have stated. The ease (Superior Court docket # 08 (056) will be decided at trial on August 25th, unless the court issues a summary judgement for the petitioners before then. edition is late. Look for next month's edition sooner! Grafton Celebrates Independence Day ‘See More Photos on Page 6 Angust 2008 Grafton Gazette Page |Page 2 Grafton Gazette August 2008 Letters ‘To The Editor: Bill Walkers article Power to the Parents (Grafton Gezet, July 2008 isthe most regressive article Ihave ever read, As a community et us disregard the cost per pupil analysis fora moment and focus our atestion on what really matters, the dre. ‘A recent test by the International Association {forthe Evaluation of Education has the United Slates just behind the Slovak Republic for 24th place I realize that 4th place leaves room fo improvement but the backward thinking educators inthe Slovak Republic have not yet adopted innovative programs like “No Child Left Behind” This type of futuristic educational programming will have the United States not only move past the Slovak Republic but all she way up the ladder past ‘Macoa-China into tenth place in only one or two generations, We will not have students looked upon as slow, lazy or stupid, all of our children will be virtually the same. This lofty goal of educational utopia is within our reach if we think of the community fist and put aside our greedy individualistic desires ‘The way to achieve tis is not a voucher system with parental choices that idea is ludierous! I challenge Mr. Walker to point 1 one industry in this country that has been improved by competition. The answer les in the community recognizing the “right” of a child o an education trumps any sort of “parental right”. The right to an education in our progressive village actually trumps all other rights ‘The challenge that lays ahead for all of us and I mean all of us (even if you have no children) {sto centalize control of the education at the state Jevel with an Edieation Czar This education ezar will be appointed by the governor and will disperse funds from the State back to needy communities This all knowing education Czar will have the power to do whatever i takes to raise all ofthe money required to help needy children. At the state Ievel, money will be no object at all. Every single citizen including parents will be too busy working to travel all the way to Concord for hearings orto analyze expenses ot programs, With this new educational structure, nt only wil all communal villages have Kindergarten but every Kindergart will be run by an education expert with a PRD, Brian Fellers nT Tssue Prison Lawsuit. 1 Independence Day 1 Walter Whitford Tribute 3 Genealogy 5 ‘The Way I See It 7 Go Local! 7 Solar Fest. 8 Us #1 “ sone Passive Billing. .nunsmnnnnnnnnnd) ‘Switzerland. 10 Cynthia's Garden. 10 Boy Scouts. 1 Heating Options. n Beets. R More Thoughts About Mary The layout department didnot receive this in time forthe July issue. Our apologies to the submitter ~Edivor Contradictory. Not exactly a word ‘most of you would have come to mind when you think of Mary. After a lo of ing this isthe one word I came up with fo describe her. She is the only woman 1 know who could not give a sh*t about one thing and care all to much about it tthe same time. A woman who always shared het opinion, whether you wanted to hear it or not, and [ must admit (looking back) a Jot of the time I didn’t even realize that her opinion would make me contemplate situations in a different light. [was trying to think ofa story, a time with Mary I could share. Everyone has a “ob, she did this —— Tél. Energy Shield Realty, Inc. Hanover Road Prtesson’ Garter PO Boc B58 Hanover, New Hampshire 05755 Busines (a) 69-0127 ot. 19 Home) 23-9908 (64S 605 Eta Lamberto! eneshiekicon Web Ste wunc2terenysied com story or “she was so giving”. I figured | ‘would tell a “Real Mary Story’ Quite awhile ago, after recent bout with cancer and going through chemotherapy, Mary stormed in to my office one day in Mary-type fashion, curly brown bar all disheveled and plopped herself in the chaie atthe desk next to mine Thad been on the phone, in the middle of « conversation when | Jooked over and saw Mary siting there bald as an eagle, hair in hand. I lost rack of my tain of thought and was shocked beyond belief having to eut my conversation short, ended the call abruptly, [looked over at Mary, not quite knowing what to say or how to react, And Mary, as only Mary ean, looked at me with her sly smile and said, “Munchkin, losing yout hair sucks", and we laughed. That's ‘what I will miss about Mary, her shocking antes that always made me laugh. ‘Kelli Morton Rhoda L. Lambert ‘ian Advertise In the Grafton Gazette Help the area's newest newspaper help your Full Page $100 * Quarter Page $40 * call 780 business. Half Page $60 Business Cards $10 ‘4779 Multi Issue Discounts Grafton Gazette ‘The Grafton Gazette is published by ‘your fellow freedom-loving friends and neighbors, Jay Boucher Eaitor Bob Constantine Editor Bill Walker Contributing Editor Brian Fellers Contributing Editor Dawn Fellers [Employee Retention Lloyd Danforth Anchor (Cynthia Walthour ‘Wall Flower Kat Kanning. Guest Editor PO Box 213 Grafton, NH 03240 603-780-479 editor@graftongazete.com We welcome your letters and contributions of local news and interests, Space permitting, we will consider publication ofall points of view. We reserve the right to respond, Target deelines are the twenty-third day ofeach month, All material published is ‘written by the staff unless otherwise noted. Te current edition of the Gazette is also available at ttp:Avww-GraftonGazette-com,August 2008 Walter Whitford, "Whittler", Dies James W. Whitford Danbury, NH. James Walter "Wally" Whitford, 8 4, died July 27, 2008, at his home. Grafton Gazette $2, of Route He was born in Wakefield, Mass, Dee 3, 1926, to G (Horak) Whitford, jon J. and Matie V ‘Mr Whitford had a shop on Vernon Street in Wakefield for many years where hae repaired lawamowers and sharpened tools. He later moved to Plaistow, NH and eventually o Danbury, NH where he became known as "The Village Whites”. He continued sharpening tools and enjoyed ‘woodcarving, making wildlife wall plagues, walking sticks and fotem poles. He also bull teepees and birdhouses. Mr Whitford served in the Merchant Marines and the US Army Air Corps during World War I James Walter Whitford ~Wally~ SA CRN ied eee He liked to camp and was an excellent storyteller. He was a wonderful father, grandfather and great grandfather, He also enjoyed collecting Native Americ Arfaes, His companion of many years, Donna Jervis, died in 2007, Family includes daughters Bonnielee Charette of Standish, ME; Janis Maxwell of Crouse, NC; and Dawn Mayo of Pompano Beach, FL.; sons David Whitford of ‘Gamer, NC; and Seott Whitford of Gastonia, NC; eleven grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; sister Jean Burke of Wakefield, MA.; brothers Fred Whitford of Oo Cee ao) Yorcalla, OR; Bruce Whitford of Morristown, TN and Leonard Whitford of Naples, aaa ME; many nieces and nephews. A Tribute James Walter Whitford, also known to his trends as Wally the Village Whiter, passed away July 28, 2008. He will be ‘missed by many. 1 know I'l never forget al the wonder times we spent camping out in his tipi, Wally was a true mountain man, and Iam glad had the chance to play his squaw on the rendezvous trail. Tam truly blessed to have known him, eave you with this. Death ~ how can one see death and not realize how Meeting life is? How ean one not see death for what itis: a new beginning, tru, but the end of life, Why ignore it? I wil not {goavay. Itmay hesitate for a moment but ‘twill come tall. Itbecomes a rae for ime. For some death is good thing. For others i is terrible with its fear of the unknown, the unwantedness of tall, black and cold final. The Grand Finale. Grand you say? Each day should be a good day to ic. For if you have lived each day to its fullest, seize each and every grand moment, then death will become but another adventure, A passing sigh of rele, is that all there isto i Why was I worried? Irlife js buta moment then death must be the grandest adventure of them al Keep your head up and your matches dry, see ya round the campfire, Brenda (Mountain Woman) Pierson End Of An Era by Michael G, Shanks ‘On July 27, 2008, we lost local legend, though we would not know until the next day He was a man who was liked and loved by ‘everyone who knew him, and it was hard t0 find enyone, sound these pats, who did not know hit, ora least, know of him. James Walter "Wally" Whitford was ‘known as the Village Whiter. He lived ‘without running water in log cabin he built himself end bade small shop on Roste 4 in Danbury, NH where he sharpened sews and ‘other tools and made woodcarvings of wildlife, hiking sticks, birdhouses or anything else he thought of Wherever he traveled, he made news. Over the years, dozens of newspaper articles have been writen about him, his woodearving a is homebuilt ruck camper o just the ‘way he lived his life, There was even an spisode ofthe TV show, "New Hampshire Chronicles” filmed abo him, and the host of the show, Fritz Wetherbee, won an Emmy for ‘that particular episode Wally used to say to me, "I don't know at show won an Emmy.” ‘One day told him that I knew why. was because it made people feel good. It showed folks that ina world that seems to get crazier, faster mare confusing and more ‘complex with each passing day itis til possible to lve the simple life and be happy: ‘Over the years, Ihave told many people about my Uncle. Wally, describing him as Mountain Man who was bom inthe wrong century but decided not o lt thet stop him from living as Mountain Man. Wally family and mine were iiends ‘before Iwas bom so my siblings and I grew up caing him Uncle Waly, It was well into iy teenage years before I wondered about it andl ially asked my Mom how the why Whitfords were related to us. She explained ‘that Wally's wife and her had been best fiends since the second grade, but ‘genetically, we were not actually related. Recently, while attending some classes, [met a young local woman who is nineteen ‘years old. She told me that she too, grew up calling him Uncle Wally, and it track me that the age difference between this young woman, and myself represented a time span equal tat least two or tree generations, and ‘yet we both knew him as Unele Wally. Thea I ‘wondered about how many others, of those ‘generations in between this young lady and myself, also called him Unele Wally, and realized that Wally must have more unofficial nieces and nephews then any man alive! ‘As akid, [always admired the way he «dd things. With his easy-going nature and ‘offbeat sense of humor, I used to say T wanted tobe like him, much tothe confusion of my Mother In those days, Wally had his shop just down the street from our house, in Wakefield, Mass. I would often stop in there on my way ‘home ftom schoo! and hang out with Wally. Daring the 1970s, [was living in itsburgh, PA. Every year, Pd make a trip up to my hometown aad then down to Viegina to visit my folks, but my fist stop, on these tips, ‘would be in Plaistow, NH to see Wally Jn 1979, I ended up in California and in 1988 I rode my motoreycle across the country. When I got back to New England, rmy frst visit was to see Wally. He had just finished building his cabin in Danbury and we spent much ofthe day banging out and talking. Later, we went to a small eafé and hhad lunch and then to some guy's property so Wally could dowse the place and tll him ‘where to put the well, In 2006 I was reunited with Unele Wally ‘when, after twenty-eight years on the West Continued on page 5