Gov. Thomson tells Claremont officials they have ‘caught a dream’

1978

CLAREMONT

New Hampshire Gov. Medrim Thomson Jr. was visibly impressed by the end of a tour of Claremont Friday afternoon at the special invitation of Mayor Charles P. Puksta. Thomson sat through an hour-long briefing covering the gamut of projects in the city’s revitalization plan and then was escorted around the city for a first-hand look at the sites and buildings involved in the effort. “It would seem to me that you people have caught a dream here,” the governor said at the conclusion of the tour.

The city is preparing another salvo in its attack on center city decay and blight. A sweeping plan to rehabilitate substandard housing in the center city and lower village was revealed by the city administration Thursday. The proposal is designed to encourage private renovation of dilapidated buildings into housing for low and moderate-income families.

Even if the New Hampshire legislature doesn’t allocate funding for the handicapped, Claremont will still have an experienced special education teacher. The Claremont School Wednesday okayed Superintendent of Schools George Disnard’s request to enter into a special tentative contract with the present teacher for the preschool children at the Developmentally Disabled Center at the Counseling Center of Sullivan County.

Customers of Connecticut Valley Electric Company can expect a slight decrease in their electric bills in the future, and most will be receiving a slight refund during May and June, reported CVEC Monday. Due to the recent settlement of a wholesale electric rate case by federal power officials, approximately 8,300 CVEC customers will receive about a 1 percent cut in electric rates and a slight refund in the form of a credit on their May and June electric bills.

One thing will be different next Sept. 5 when schools open. There will be hot lunch offered to all students. Plans are already underway. Claremont School Board members adopted a food service feasibility study Wednesday, which outlines steps needed to bring hot lunch to the five elementary schools, the special class and the Unity School. Hot lunch is currently offered to just Grades 7-12.

NEWPORT

Selectman Ronald E. Lemay responded critically this week to a letter by Rosemarie Majoros published recently in local newspapers charging that Lemay, as board chairman, “has taken on the job with a whip in one hand and a chair in the other.” “The time has come when she must be refuted and her statements exposed for what they are — false,” said Lemay. Majoros’ letter made a connection between the town meeting defeat of an article to authorize the selectmen to serve as a franchising authority for the regulation of cable television and Lemay’s announcement that his company, Special Information Services, Newport, was involved in cable television.

Photo Caption — A check for $5,000 from Sturm, Ruger & Company, as a contribution to the 1977 Newport Hospital Benefactors’ Drive, is presented to Gerald Usery, center, administrator, by Stanley Terhune, chairman of the drive and general manager of Sturm, Ruger & Company, as Peter Lovely looks on. The hospital raised $13,545 from the drive and used the money to pay for the pathological incinerator shown in the background.

An increase in officer training at the Newport Police Department last year has led to many more arrests in some areas, according to Police Chief Floyd S. Potter Jr. The most dramatic increases have been in arrests for drunken driving, which grew from 33 in 1976 to 55 in 1977, and narcotic drug law violations, which increased from 17 to 32. Chief Potter said most of the training last year was done on the officers’ own time. The police department had a budget of $500 for training in 1977, but spent only $37.24 in order to balance overexpenditures in its budget.

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Larabee, Kathleen Street, new owners of Bill’s Restaurant, 3 South Main St., have expanded the luncheon offerings and plan to offer evening meals within a month. William Morrow, who purchased the business a year and a half ago from Theodore Demetrakopoulos, established the self-service operation. Morrow said he had no immediate plans for the future but would “try to find another need.”

SUNAPEE

Colin S. Campbell, Potter Place, who has been employed by the Rhode Island Hospital Trust National Bank, Providence, R.I., has been appointed to succeed Grace E. Kemp as manager of the new Sunapee branch of Newport Savings Bank, according to John J. Kiernan, bank president. He will also succeed Mrs. Kemp as assistant secretary of the bank. Mrs. Kemp, who plans to retire, joined the bank staff in 1957.

Lynn Becker, a senior at Sunapee High School, spoke April 7 to an assembly of students about her trip last summer to Indonesia as an exchange student.

UNITY

In a three-hour session Friday, the Sullivan County Delegation adopted a $3,033,454 budget that will require $132,633 less to be raised in taxes than last year. A request by County Commissioner Remington B. Woodhull for the delegation to add $12,000 to the House of Corrections budget to hire three additional guards brought a few screams, particularly from Alton G. Desnoyer, D-Claremont.

SPRINGFIELD

Fred Davis was re-elected chief of the Springfield Volunteer Fire Department at the annual election April 9 at the fire station. Other officers are Edgar Broadhead Jr., assistant fire chief; Charles Klein, Matthew Waddell and Raymond LaClair, engineers; Jerry Mullican, clerk and Broadhead, treasurer.

GRANTHAM

Daniel Field and Teresa Field were among the candidates who received the sacrament of confirmation April 8 at St. Patrick’s Church, Newport.

Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Shepard Sr., East Grantham, who have spent the winter months in Bradenton, Fla., have returned to their home.

GEORGES MILLS

Easter weekend guests of Mr. and Mrs. William R. Murphy were their daughter and her family, Mr. and Mrs. Keith Burke and son, Christopher, Hancock; their son and his friend, Robert Murphy and Gail Rothermell, Newbury, and Marblehead, Mass.

1963

CLAREMONT

A move to cut $75,000 from the proposed 1963-64 Claremont School budget will be made at the annual school district meeting Thursday night, it was announced last night by members of the Citizens Tax Committee. George Bourque of the committee revealed its plans to about 200 people at the third in a series of meetings which have been called by the committee to discuss the school budget.

Claremont voters will choose two men for three-year terms on the Claremont School Board at the polls Thursday. Incumbents Robert A. Easter, present chairman of the board and Harold Winer, vice chairman are running for re-election. Three other candidates have also filed. They are Harvey D. Hill, Robert M. Love and Alfonso J. Riviezzo.

Photo Caption — Workmen prepare to unload a big bulldozer at the site of Claremont’s new Tampax facility. Others may be seen engaged in demolishing buildings of the former St. Pierre farm property. Officials of Tampax have said the new factory will hire about 50 persons to start, most of them women. MacMillin Construction Company of Keene is the prime contractor.

Karle Rice and his wife, Dr. Marion Rice, and Mrs. Katherine Davis, all of Windsor, have leased the Hotel Moody on Tremont Square in Claremont from the CNS Company Inc., and expect to take over Sunday. The long-time Claremont hostelry will henceforth be known as Hotel Moody Inc. Rice and Mrs. Davis were formerly affiliated with the Windsor House in Windsor in managerial positions.

Steve Ostopowich, airman, U.S. Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Wood of 217 Main St., was graduated recently from Aviation Familiarization School at the Naval Air Technical Training Center, Memphis, Tenn.

NEWPORT

The resignation of Town Manager Alvin Heidner was unanimously refused by selectmen last night. Board chairman Maurice Cummings made the motion to retain Heidner after a 15-minute off-the-record discussion on the matter. Newsmen were present during the discussion, which was preceded by a statement by Donald Conroy, selectman, that, “We need to have a few ground rules settled before we go forward.”

Fourteen juniors will begin a four-week teaching program at three Newport schools next Wednesday morning. They are Diana Currier, Kathryn Mosley, Sandra Descoteau, Cheryl Strange, Brenda Thibault, Richard Buckley, Norma Trudeau, Terry Walker, Cynthia Fisher, William Spanos, Thomas Shadis, Randy Sanborn, Stuart Jones and Paul Harlow.

Mable Gallup, South Main Street, has returned home after spending two weeks with her daughter and her family, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Liberman, Brockton, Mass. She helped celebrate her twin grandchildren’s birthdays on Easter Sunday.

Erwin Caplan, Claremont, has purchased a local business known as Amos Shepard and Son, distributors of Cott’s Quality Beverages. He will continue the operation of the business locally under the name of Caplan Distributors Company. Mr. Caplan, vice president of the Caplan Dusting Mill, 169 Sunapee St., Newport, will operate his business from the same office. His warehouse has been established on Ash Street.

CONCORD

If a vote had been taken at last night’s Senate hearing on the controversial sweepstakes bill, it would have lost by a 2-1 margin. But if the vote could have included the petitions brought in, the bill would have won. And this points up the problem that members of the powerful Senate Ways and Means and Finance committees face as they try to decide what action to take on the bill. About 350 attended the evening hearing, which was designed to give the working man a chance to be heard. Edward Decourcy of Newport, a weekly editor, testified he believes gambling is immoral and that the sweepstakes will fall far short of solving the fiscal problems of New Hampshire.

CHARLESTOWN

The presentation of monogrammed championship jackets highlighted the firemen-sponsored banquet and program for Coach Ralph Silva and his unbeaten Fort basketball team here Saturday night. Jackets went to co-captains Carl McAllister and Jim Hogancamp, Rog Conant, Jerry Hill, Pudgy Fisk, George Pebbles, Hess Gates, Walt Piletz, Tommy Herzig, Bob Putnam, Mark Holden and Billy Billado.

LEMPSTER

At the Goshen-Lempster Cooperative School meeting held at the school last Saturday, the following members were elected to the school board: Mrs. Dorothy Lewis and Stanley Williamson, both of Goshen, and Mrs. Marion Kosotsky of Lempster.

GOSHEN

Susan Wright was appointed from the sophomore class at Towle High School to be a Junior Library Trustee of the new Newport library.

Stanley Michaelson was named to the Dean’s List for the first semester at the University of New Hampshire with high honors.

SUNAPEE

William A. Cronin was elected first president of the Sunapee Region Board of Realtors when it was organized at the Stone End Lodge here March 28. L.L. Saucier, Claremont, was elected vice president and other officers include Mrs. Richard Chatellier, secretary; Mrs. L.L.Saucier, treasurer and Bradford White, Kenneth Stahl and Seth Lamson, directors.

GRANTHAM

A jam of ice on the east branch of the Sugar River had to be blasted out by Wilbur Reney, State Highway Department, Sunday afternoon.

CROYDON

RM2 Raymond Spencer Jr., who is stationed at Long Beach, Philadelphia, Pa., spent a few days this week with Mr. and Mrs. William Call, Croydon Flat.

1948

CLAREMONT

Mrs. Zeila LaLiberte quietly observed her 88th birthday yesterday at the home of her granddaughter, Mrs. Leo A. Issoire of 40 Pearl St. Mrs. LaLiberte’s son, Jeffrey Laliberte of Gewitt City, Conn., and her daughter, Mrs. Albert Mongeon of Pawtucket, R.I., were guests over the holiday.

Advertisement — Wainshal-Hurwitz Furniture Store — Simmons Metal Bed Outfit, complete for only $39.89; Rollaway Bed complete with pad, $16.95; Sofa-Bed Bargains, $49.50 and Up.

Fred Kaufman was elected president of B’nai B’rith Lodge Meyer-David at a meeting held last night in the synagogue. Other officers elected were Abe Heller, Judge Jacob Shulins, Milton Sklar, Jack Bayer, Jack Weiner, Allan Hirshberg, Henry Yaffa, Barney Bass, Maurice Firestone and Maurice Shulins.

St. Mary’s High School class honors announced today named Leonard Foisy as valedictorian and Juliette Martel and Loretta Pinard, salutatorians. Pinard carries an average of 94.2, while the girls’ averages were 93.1.

A talent show by students of Stevens High School was presented at the weekly assembly in the school auditorium yesterday morning. A Fred Waring arrangement of “Dry Bones” was given as the opening song of a chorus composed of Grace Putnam, Doris Howe, Priscilla Hadley, Donald Galbraith, Betty Brown, Elma Griswold, Malcolm McDonald and Raymond Matheson. Virginia Galbraith was accompanist.

Miss Norma M. Boudette, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Boudette Sr., has been named to the Dean’s List at Boston University. Miss Boudette is a student at the general college.

The last annual report for the Town of Claremont has been issued. The next report will be marked “CIty of Claremont.” More money was spent to run the town in 1947 than at any other time in Claremont’s 184-year-old history as a town, the report indicates. In addition, according to the report, 1947 was among the snowiest and, at times, among the driest the town has known.

NEWPORT

Beginning Sept. 1, 1948, for the first time in history of Newport school, a teachers’ salary schedule will be in operation, it was announced today by Superintendent Gordon B. Flint. The schedule is based on a single salary for all teachers with equal training and experience. The minimum figure for non-degree teachers is $1,700 with a maximum at $2,800. Beginning salary with a bachelor’s degree is $2,000 with the maximum at $3,200. Holders of the master’s degree would start at $2,300 and their top salary would be $3,500. Teachers carrying more than a normal load of extra work will receive additional compensation, according to a point system worked out by the teachers.

Towle Headmaster Ernest M. Perkins today announced that 23 members of the senior class of 63 pupils had received an average of over 85. Leading the class were Joanne Pariseau, Barbara Keane, Dolores Putnam, Elihu Budd, Mary Lehtinen, Jeanette Sherman, Miriam Perkins, Patricia Shaw, Faith Sargent and Phyllis Harvey. Speakers selected for the class, which will graduate in June are Valedictorian Joanne Pariseau and Salutatorian Barbara Keane, Class Essay, Dolores Putnam; Class Oration, Elihu Budd; Class History, Wilfred Chartrand; Class Will, Janet Pratt; Class Prophecy, Robert Leaver; Class Gifts, Dominic Digilio and Virginia Wright; Class Marshal, Robert Morrow.

Leon E. Fitts, for the past five years, town manager of Corina, Maine, (Population 629) was appointed to that capacity for the Town of Newport at a meeting of the selectmen and advisory committee Sunday. In Newport he will be compensated for his duties at the rate of $4,000 per year beginning on May 1st.

The following first graders from Mrs. Johnson’s room received 100 percent on their spelling tests last Friday: Priscilla Schoch, Robert Reed, Lawrence Cunningham, Laura Reed, Sandra Therriault, Albert Rozokat, Louis Marr, Carolyn Hurd, Joan Hemingway, Stanley Radford, Priscilla Hooper, Norman Wilson, Henry Blain, Albert Cusanelli, Martha Cain, Claire Andrews, Dorothy Perkins, Sonja Siren, Sally Lehr, Phyllis Conroy, Connie Lewko, Bobby Kanerva, Peggy Pye, Billy LaCroix, Sandra Devenger, Kendall Flint, Sharon Perry and Edith George.

GRANTHAM

The third and fourth degrees were conferred at the meeting of the Blue Mt. Grange Friday evening. The candidates were Joey Dunbar, Nina Barton adn Janet Spooner. An oyster stew was served after the meeting.

NORTH NEWPORT

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Manning and son Donald of Claremont spent an evening last week with Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Gardner.

CROYDON

Easter service was held in the Congregational Church by our pastor, Rev. Clarence Clark of Newport. There were 27 present. Following the worship service, there was a special meeting of the church members called for the purpose of voting upon the proposed merger. Mrs. Norma B. Heidenbald was elected to serve as clerk and Mrs. Chester Smith to serve as treasurer for the ensuing year.

CORNISH FLAT

Paul LeClair has accepted a job in Crawford Notch and will move his steam shovel there the first of the week.

Friends of Maurice Butman are glad to see him able to be out in his yard and to walk to the post office after several weeks’ illness.

WEST UNITY

A birthday party was given Lawrence Shute on Saturday evening at the home of Beverly Lord. Those who attended were Daniel Ellis, Raymond Currier, Gerald Lord, Mrs. Florence Bates, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Perry, Austin Strout, Alden Boardman, Richard Robinson, Ralph Hunt, Beverly, Alice, Phyllis and Kenneth Lord. Games were played and refreshments served. The party broke up at 10:30 o’clock.

LEMPSTER

The sugar season has been very poor. The quality was not up to standard. When the farmers in this section started sugaring, the snow was three to four feet deep in the woods.

SUNAPEE

George H. Bliss, manager of the Granliden Hotel properties at Lake Sunapee, has announced that he has formed a syndicate of former guests who have just recently purchased the Granliden Hotel, cottages and golf course from the Covell Estate. The purchase includes the 125-room Granliden Hotel, eight guest cottages, the nine-hole golf course, riding stables, three employee dormitories, private bathing beach, boat houses, caddy camp and 200 acres of ground. Mr. Bliss manages the Sarasota Terrace Hotel of Sarasota, Fla., during the winter season.

GRANTHAM

Harold Hastings had the misfortune to break his leg when he fell in his father’s dooryard last week.

The Misses Patricia Walker and Marjorie Hastings, New Hampshire University students, were at home for the Easter vacation.

CROYDON

Mrs. Edward McCullough has 500 chickens for busy work. She received the chickens about March 1.

According to the Old Farmers Almanac, thunder showers in March foretell a fruitful season. We have had two thunder showers to date.