FairPoint: Massive Internet outage
Good morning everyone, we’re back! In case you were wondering why we weren’t on your radio yesterday morning, our transmission facility and broadcast tower are connected by a FairPoint high speed Internet connection that was lost in the massive outage that affected the entire state of Vermont and half of New Hampshire yesterday. Company officials blamed the outage on a faulty router in Burlington that malfunctioned during routine maintenance. We noticed our service was back up and running yesterday shortly after eleven A M.
Girard at Large: The show went on!
While our show did not go out over the air, it did proceed online as our Internet stream goes out over our Comcast Internet service. Yesterday’s show is in the archives at Girard at Large dot com. We appreciate the many of you who tweeted, texted, called, facebooked, and emailed to find out where we were. So, just a note for you to remember in the future, if you don’t hear us on the air, check us online at Girard at Large dot com or W L M W on the TuneIn free radio app. And for those times when we’re not online, tune into ninety point seven on the F M dial. The only time both will be off line is if our hub facility is out of power and trust me when I tell you we’re working to fix that, too. Thanks again for your patience and continued support.
Japser: Appoints committee chairs and co-chairs
NH House Speaker Shawn Jasper Republican from Hudson announced the leadership team that will preside over the House and its standing committees over the next two years. Making good on his promise to make Republicans the chair and vice chair of each committee, Jasper appointed a number of veteran republican legislators as well as several who will be serving in a leadership role for the first time. We’ve uploaded the announcement with all the appointments with this newscast at Girard at Large dot com. Those appointed from towns in our listening area include:
- Neal Kurk of Weare will chair the Finance Committee.
- David Danielson of Bedford will serve as Finance Committee Division 1 Vice-Chair.
- Lori Sanborn of Bedford will be Vice Chair Division II of the Finance Committee.
- Chairing Finance Committee Division III will be Merrimack’s Richard Barry (r-Merrimack) and serving as Vice Chair will be Londonderry’s Betsy McKinney.
Naming the holders of the gavel
- John Balcom of Merrimack was appointed Vice Chair of the Education Committee.
- Kathleen Hoelzel of Raymond will Chair the Election Law Committee.
- John O’Connor of Derry is the Vice Chair of The Environment and Agriculture committee.
- Derry’s Jim Webb is Vice Chair of Fish and Game and Marine Resources.
- Hooksett Rep Frank Kotowski is Chair of the Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee.
- The Judiciary Committee will be chaired by Robert Rowe of Amherst and its Vice-Chairman will be Joe Hagan of Chester.
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Infantine: Mr. Chairman
Manchester reps Will Infantine of Ward Six and Tammy Simmons of Ward Ten have been named Chair and Vice-Chair of the Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee
- Dick Hinch of Merrimack was named Chair of the Legislative Administration Committee.
- The Resources, Recreation and Development Committee will be chaired by Merrimack’s Chris Christensen. The Vice Chair is Beverly Ferrante of Derry.
- Londonderry’s Robert Introne will chair the Science Technology and Energy Committee.
- State-Federal Relations Vice Chair is Merrimack’s Phillip Straight
- Tom Walsh of Hooksett will serve as Vice Chair of the Transportation Committee.
More leadership named in NH House
To other leadership positions, Jasper named Sherm Packard of Londonderry as Speaker Pro Tempore, Hinch was named the Majority Whip and Hoelzel will serve as Deputy Majority Whip. Additional leadership positions, including the deputy majority leader will be announced in the next few days.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Metzler: Evasive answers, questionable statements
Despite a marathon session that went until almost eleven thirty, the Timberlane Regional School District Budget Committee did not pass a budget as expected at last night’s meeting. That means they probably will have to hold their meeting scheduled for December twenty third. A primary point of contention before the board and a standing room only crowd, was Superintendent Earl Metzler’s proposal to close the Sandown Central Elementary School in response to the committee’s directive to present a level funded budget. That proposal became even more controversial as Metzler claimed the Timberlane Regional School Board had already voted to close the school.
Green: Were we at the same meeting?
In point of fact, says School Board Member Donna Green, the vote the school board cast at its December fourth meeting was to support the proposed second draft of the budget – not explicitly to close the school. Said Green on her blog, quote “For the superintendent to say that vote gives him authorization to close a school is a stretch bigger than a fat’s man’s briefs and is galactically insensitive to our community.”
End quote. When pressed by members of the committee about what he looked to cut before proposing to close the school, Metzler was vague and evasive, replying quote “everything.” When asked where the one hundred thirty five kids would go if he school was closed, Metzler replied quote “I have names on classrooms.” We’ve linked to Green’s blog which describes the meeting and notes, once again, there was little if any budget data supporting either the request or the proposed cuts, nor was there any information on what Metzler would do to relocate or what it would cost to relocate the district wide special education programs located at Sandown Central.
Toys for Tots: Bedford Police helping out.
The Bedford Police Department is once again a drop off location for anyone wishing to donate to Toys for Tots. New, unwrapped gifts may be dropped off at the Bedford Police Dept between now and December nineteenth.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is next.
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