Not Guilty. That’s what Manchester District Court Judge William Lyons said about Alexander Ramasci, the Manchester man caught in a December 7 sting operation by Manchester Police. Ramasci took what appeared to be an abandoned purse from a shopping cart in the TJ Maxx Parking lot. The cops left it there to entice would be thieves as a way of making shopping areas safer during the busy Christmas shopping season. Ramasci was charged with the theft of lost or mislaid property for taking the purse and putting it in his trunk. He said he was taking it home to see if he could identify its owner. The cops arrested him shortly after leaving the shopping center’s parking lot. Ramasci’s attorney was none other than Manchester Alderman at Large Joe Kelly Levasseur. I think I’m going to leave that one alone.
Yesterday, we told you that David Lang, President of the Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire, said he had no idea why Falck, the parent company of ambulance contract bidder American Ambulance, sent him a letter on April 30th regarding the company’s professed non-interest in taking over fire departments. Today, we can tell you that the letter was sent to Lang in response to an email from I A F F Local 856 saying that American Ambulance was quote unquote” the last company the committee should choose” because it had a purpose to privatize fire fighting operations. Boo Heffner, President and C E O of Falck U. S. A., American Ambulance’s parent company said after being made aware of that email, he left several messages, both email and voice mail, for Lang to assure him that the company had no intention or desire to manage fire departments. Lang, he said, did not reply to any of his messages, so he put it in writing. We’ll have more on this during this morning’s show. The plot thickens, as they say…(Here’s the “reference” alleged to have been given in the IAFF’s email Campasano reference)
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Looks like the conferees from the New Hampshire House and Senate have come to terms on a ten point seven billion dollar budget. The budget will have to pass the senate with a two thirds majority because the conference committee went past the deadline set for agreement. Democrats’ attempts to hike the cigarette tax by another twenty cents per pack and hike the gas tax by sixty three percent were killed, as was their desire to expand Medicaid to implement Obamacare. The study committee wanted by the senate will happen. The budget also reduces personnel costs by twenty five million dollars while adding seventeen million bucks to grant some pretty hefty pay raises over the next eighteen months.
Former Manchester Mayor John Mongan, who served two non-consecutive terms in the 1960’s died yesterday. He was eighty eight years old. Mongan, a graduate of West High, cut his political teeth in the late fifties when he nearly toppled iconic Mayor Josaphat T. Benoit in his bid for a ninth term. Mongan, the Irish Republican, was a bit of a maverick figure in this town that was then firmly controlled by French Democrats. In a statement released yesterday, Mayor Ted Gatsas conveyed condolences on behalf of himself and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen saying Mongan was a visionary who had the foresight to preserve land on Brown Ave., attract industry, grow jobs and expand the tax base.
Did you hear or see any military fighter jets above the city yesterday? Personally, I didn’t but some of you did and you asked me about it. Turns out that the New Hampshire Air National Guard held training exercises across the state yesterday and that’s why they were in the air.
The Office of Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas announced that the city’s swimming pools will be open to the public starting this Monday, June 24th. A complete schedule of the pools’ availability is posted with the write up of this newscast at girard at large dot com.
Public Swimming Opening Press Release
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is just 30 seconds away!
