Grantham News and Events

Absentee Ballots

The absentee ballots for Grantham Town Meeting, to be held Tuesday, March 12, are now available for registered voters. Please contact the Town Clerk’s Office to obtain an absentee ballot request form. You may stop by our counter in-person or contact us at 863-5608 or [email protected]

February Events at the Center at Eastman

Please join us at the Center at Eastman for presentations on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m, in the Draper Room at the Center at Eastman. All are welcome to these free events.

Feb. 27—Line Dancing with Jamie Orr

Learn to line dance in this very popular program that is toe-tapping, finger snapping and lots of fun.

Feb. 25—Join us for Candidates Night at Grantham Town Hall (lower level)

Please join us for the 2019 Candidates Night, which will occur at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25 in the lower room here at Grantham Town Hall. Candidates Night is an informal event intended purely as a forum where candidates for school and town positions are provided an opportunity to speak regarding their reasons for seeking the position and to answer questions from the audience.

Candidates Night is traditionally held only when the school or town has contested positions (meaning positions for which more than one candidate has declared candidacy). This year we have a total of two contested town positions; they include Selectman and the two DFL Trustee positions (all with three-year terms). Furthermore, there are multiple candidates for two School Board positions.

Lorie McClory, our town Moderator, will be running the town portion of the proceedings; the School moderator will run the school portion. Please mark your calendars and join us for a fun and informative evening.  Scroll to the bottom of this email for biographies from the candidates.

The Candidates

Selectman – 3 Years

Constance A. Jones

Pavel Zagadailov

Town Clerk/Tax Collector – 3 Years

Kenneth Story

Planning Board – 3 Years (2 positions)

Carl Hanson

Mary Hutchins

Trustee of the Trust Funds – 3 Years

Robert Fogg

Cemetery Trustee – 3 Years

Ralph Beasley

Trustee of the Dunbar Free Library – 3 Years (2 positions)

Mark Kendall

Carl (Tod) Lloyd

Beverly Marshall

For the two School Board positions (3 years each), the candidates are:

Christine Conroy

Denise Sullivan

Tanya McIntire

March 6—More than Sad – Community Training for Youth Suicide Prevention

UNH Extension, together with the New Hampsdhire Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and our partners, the Greater Sullivan County Public Health Network and the Kearsarge School District, will host a More than Sad Community Training at the Tracy Memorial Library in New London from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6. (Snow date is March 13.) We encourage and welcome you to attend this free training designed for concerned community members over the age of 18 including parent/guardians, volunteers, educators and friends interested in learning about teen depression and helping to address youth suicide.

Registration is required for this free program; food will be available. Please visit our event web page for more information and to register:https://extension.unh.edu/events/more-sad-youth-suicide-prevention-progam-1

For additional information, please call Gail Kennedy, Field Specialist, Youth and Family at 863-9200 or email to [email protected]

March 9—Showshoe/Hike in Grantham

Saturday, March 9 at 1 p.m .Land Specialist, Andy Deegan, will lead a hike on the Grantham Sawyer Brook Headwaters property in partnership with the Grantham Conservation Commission and the non-profit, The Conservation Fund. 

This will be an opportunity to see this nearly 385-acre property that Ausbon Sargent is working to protect. More information about the hike and directions to the meeting area will be provided as March approaches. 

Visit www.ausbonsargent.org for details and contact Kristy Heath to register for this event at [email protected] or 526-6555. 

March 20—Moonlight Snowshoe Hike at Clark Lookout

Join us at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, as we celebrate the first day of spring and the full moon with a snowshoe/hike to one of the most beautiful places in our region, Clark Lookout.  Ausbon Sargent and the New London Conservation Commission will sponsor the event and refreshments will be served at the end of the evening. 

If you are interested in joining us, please RSVP to Kristy Heath by calling 526-6555 or emailing her at [email protected].

  

Bingo 2019!  Thank you, Grantham Community!

What a great night for all!  It was loud and fun, and a successful fundraiser to provide continued support of the GVS enrichment programs!  We were happy to see so many friendly and excited faces – 304 bingo participants joined in on this little friendly competition. Thank you.

We send a big thank you to the families that contributed to the 14 overflowing gift baskets.  Wow they were amazing.  You are surely a creative and generous group!

And we send a special thank you for the band of 49 faculty, parent, grandparent and administration volunteers who gave their time, energy, skills and good spirit to make this night happen, as well as to collect the fabulous bingo prizes from our sponsors including the grand prize, which was a gift certificate to Purity Springs Resort in the White Mountains.  Thank you, everyone! Your efforts and contributions did not go unnoticed!

Because of the generosity of everyone involved GPTG raised $1,989 toward future enrichment programs!

With much appreciation,

The GPTG Board

Area Seniors in High School Scholarship Applications Now to May 1st.

The Eastman Charitable Foundation is offering two $1,500 scholarships for graduating college-bound seniors who live in Grantham, Enfield or Springfield.

Students applying should have a strong interest in the environment.  Additional criteria and the 2019 application are on the ECF website – ecfnh.org

Applications must be mailed via U.S. mail and this year’s postmark deadline is

May 1, 2019.  We are looking forward to reading your applications!  

SCAM ALERT FROM CHIEF PARSONS:

I wanted to pass along some information concerning scams that are occurring in the area.

As we get closer to tax season, the emails or phone calls from someone claiming to be from the IRS or Social Security Administration are rearing their ugly heads.  These range from wanting you to confirm your personal information, or that you are delinquent in your tax payments.  With the delinquencies, you are told that if you do not pay right away, the local police will be called.  They ask for payment by either credit card, some form of gift card, or Western Union money transfer. 

As I have said in the past, and with no disrespect towards any federal employee, but a phone call from the federal government?!?  Just think about how long one usually waits on hold, when you initiate a call to a federal agency.  And why would the IRS want a large sum of money in Wal-Mart gift cards?

With some of the email scams, you may be asked to click on a link in order to access an information page or see an invoice.  These emails may seem like they come from someone or a business that you are familiar with/do business with.  Pay attention to the subject/sender headers.  Does the email address look legitimate?  How about the grammar/punctuation used in the body of the email. 

Take the extra few moments to really read through the entire email.  This could save you a lot of pain, grief, and aggravation in the long run.  If something gives you the hebee-gebee’s, call the person/company directly and check into it.  Use a phone number from a reliable source, not one that is listed on the email itself.

A member of our community has recently received two scams that I had not heard of before.  One was sent to their work email, the other to their work phone.  The email stated that they had just purchased a home and wanted to know if the recipient performed security work and accepted payment via credit card.  When the email recipient responded, they received a follow-up email about a residence that was listed for sale in Grantham. 

With the phone message, the recipient was informed that their social security number was suspended, and if they wanted to receive more information about why it was suspended, to press “one.”

Probably the most concerning was one that occurred recently in another part of the state.  A homeowner received a phone call from someone claiming to be from a satellite TV provider.  The phone number on the caller ID was the provider’s customer service number.  The caller stated that the company wanted to do some work on the satellite dishes, and they needed to get into the house to move some equipment around.  The caller also asked for descriptions of the interior of the house.  The homeowner declined to provide any information, and in calling the company, found this was a scam.  The company’s customer service phone number had been cloned.

Vigilance with one’s personal information, as well as trusting your “gut” if something does not seem right are key steps you can take to help reduce the chance of being a victim of a scam.

 Chief Parsons

Dog Licenses Due for 2019

It’s time to renew your canine companion’s license for 2019!  License renewals must be purchased by April 30.  If you haven’t yet obtained your 2019 dog license (and the classy new jewelry to add to your pet’s collar), please purchase your pet’s license in-person at the Town Clerk/Tax Collector’s Office or on-line by clicking here. 

All dogs four months of age and older must be registered.  Note:  your pet’s rabies certificate must be up to date, and a copy must be filed in our office in order to purchase a license, so be sure to have an updated rabies vaccination if the current one has expired. 

If you licensed a dog in Grantham for 2018, but you no longer have the pet, please contact us to let us know what has become of the dog in order that we may remove the pet from our database.

Feel free to contact the office at 603-863-5608 or at [email protected] with any questions.

2019 Transfer Station Hang Tags Required

Stickers for 2019  are available. If you are updating an existing one, bring your old hang tag(s) to the Selectmen’s Office for a 2019 sticker. If you have more than one tag, updating the others will cost $10 each.  If you are a renter, you will need to have a signed copy of your lease agreement (either hard copy or electronically); cost is $10 each.  Please remember that hang tags are assigned to your vehicle so please have your license plate number available. 

SAU 75 Winter Newsletter

Please click the link here to read the SAU 75 Winter Newsletter! We’ve highlighted some of the current work of the Grantham School District to provide more information before our public hearing– February 5, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. in the GVS Cafeteria.

Looking for Something to Do? Passes to Area Museums Are Waiting for You at Dunbar Free Library!

Do you and your family need a break from snow activities? Don’t forget the museum passes available at DFL. Visit the website at dunbarlibrary.org, click on Services, then Museums, and look at our list of museums and venues you can visit.

Reminders

Food Pantry Is Always There for Those in Need

Please be generous by remembering to add extras to your cart at the grocery store so that our community members who go to our local food pantry can find the items that they need.

Our local Food Pantry is always in need of cereal, spaghetti sauce, Progresso soups, canned tuna, canned baked beans, and other staples. They also accept personal care items such as soap, shampoo, diapers, etc.  Donations can be dropped off in the foyer of Grantham Town Hall. If you would like to make a monetary donation, checks can be mailed to PO Box 672, Newport, N.H. 03773.   

DHMC New Blood Donor Rewards Program

The Blood Donor Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock is excited to announce donor Rewards! Every time you donate blood, platelets, or plasma at the Dartmouth-Hitchock Blood donor Program, you earn points redeemable for rewards from local businesses (for Example: a round of golf at Eastman Golf Links). It’s that easy: you help build a sustainable blood supply for our community with your life saving donation while supporting local businesses and earning cool prizes. View complete information about the donor program at https://www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/blood-donor-program/donor-rewards.html.Questions? Call (603) 653-3775 or email us at [email protected]