budget committee meeting tonight

It has been awhile since the Attorney General sent the cease and desist order to the current chairperson of the Newmarket Budget Committee Amy Thompson- May 21, 2014 to be exact. Since then there have been a couple schools of thought. One being she should be removed from her position for partaking/ spearheading the letters sent to Newmarket residents that were full of lies and misinformation. The other one being to let her stay and complete her term on the committee.

I feel there is another way to end this situation. Let her stay however make it known on the Budget Committee record of minutes that not everyone on the Budget Committee was a part of sending those letters and in no way did each member of the committee agree with what was in them. Some of the members were a part of the Vote No group and had their hand in the letter, they managed to keep their identities a secret. 

This is one of those town issues that should not be swept under the rug and forgotten over the years. 

A resident of our town. 

An elected official on the Budget Committee. 

The Chairperson of that committee. 

Sent out Vote No letters to residents with no valid group name or author.

Even after discussions were had online and in the newspapers, no one came forward saying they were a part of this group calling themselves "Newmarket Citizens for Responsible School Solutions/ NCFRSS". It was all very secretive.

Why be so secretive if you believe in something that strongly?

The letter below appeared in the newspaper in June and is from Amy Thompson.

Free speech denied being denied in Newmarket

Saturday, June 7, 2014

It’s a dark day indeed when ones constitutionally guaranteed free speech rights are used as a battering ram.

(See: http://tinyurl.com/Newmarket-vote)

Acting as the chairperson of a group of taxpayers called “Newmarket Citizens for Responsible School Solutions” which advocated a “no” vote on the seriously flawed plan for a new school facility that could have bankrupted the town, I sought guidance on how to proceed with a mailer. I was given vague and misleading information by both the state and the postal service. In one instance it was explained to me that the governing RSA 664:14 applied only to statewide issues. It was because of this misinformation that our mailing was “out of compliance”. The AG’s office has stated that this is a “Closed Matter”. There is no “there” there.

That is the sum total of what happened. I sought information in an effort to be sure that we were in compliance and I was, I assume, unintentionally misinformed. The losing side of the school issue would insist that I (we) made a deliberate attempt to deceive and conceal our identities and that is a complete falsehood.

It’s that simple.

No vast conspiracy to mislead anyone and I can assure you that any future mailers will most certainly be in compliance.

As Americans we have a constitutionally guaranteed right to express ourselves on public matters. Sometime we win and sometimes we lose the argument. It’s utterly appalling how some will resort to aggressively vicious personal attacks simply because they wind up on the losing side of an issue. It’s one thing to suffer a loss at the ballot box but it’s quite another to be subjected to the thuggishly aggressive attacks of the sore losers.

This same group would further attempt to punish me for the exercise of my free speech rights by urging my removal from the chair of the Newmarket Budget Committee, once again, because I actively disagreed with them on the totally unrelated matter of how to proceed on the school issue.

I want to thank the people of Newmarket for all the messages of support and understanding. I’m not going away. I am a woman who will not be pushed around because of my opinions.

These outrageous attempts to silence me on public matters will not succeed.

Amy Thompson
Newmarket

Yes Amy Thompson does have the right to free speech. But she needs to follow all the laws accordingly to use that free speech.

Her passing the buck on being "unintentionally misinformed" by receiving "vague and misleading information by both the state and the postal service" is just that.... passing the buck. I did a Google search of RSA 664:14 and found the information quickly.

II. Political advertising to promote the success or defeat of a measure by a business organization, labor union, or other enterprise or organization shall be signed. The name of the enterprise or organization shall be indicated and the chairman or treasurer of the enterprise or organization shall sign his name and address. Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit contributions which are prohibited under RSA 664:4.


III. In the case of printed or written matter, the signature and address of signer shall be printed or written in a size of type or lettering large enough to be clearly legible.

Residents and voters of Newmarket- let us not forget this incident as we go forward in trying to solve our school situation. Remember who has done and said what when their terms come to a close in March 2015.

so very sad

This letter was in one of the local papers, found this posted online. I am saddened by this letter in many ways. Mostly because once again the No voters have used scare tactics, slandering of the superintendent and misinformation to bring this Newmarket resident to the vote No side.

I am also saddened that this individual has "more than 35 years of professional classroom experience" and cannot see the writing on the wall as to the condition of the school building and all that has been done over the past twenty years and more that this issue has been dividing the town. I also wonder if he has taken a tour of the Junior/ Senior High School because the size of the classrooms alone is a scary factor to come face to face with.

Read on and I will dissect the points after-

Let us start with the statement "that Newmarket dropped the ball when it took steps that leave the town quite alone in dealing with the needs of our students." I am wondering how the entire town of Newmarket did this? Was it failing when there was a Facilities Committee formed years ago to look into all possible options dealing with the Junior/ Senior High School situation? Was it failing when every option that was brought up was looked into thoroughly by the school board and the superintendent (both current and previous)? Or was it the No voters who failed Newmarket's children when cheaper options were presented which included State Aid were voted down?

Speaking to "many long-time residents of the town" and the conclusion reached by all is "that the superintendent of schools failed in his responsibility to press the potential Oyster River resolution to a satisfactory conclusion". There were NUMEROUS meetings between both districts since the previous years deliberative sessions and there were chances for these long-time residents to speak out at these meetings as well as school board meetings yet they did neither of these. The School Board of Oyster River voted NOT to accept our students as it would push their numbers too close to their maximum capacity whereas Barrington's students would not do so, I think that "conclusion" is wishful thinking on the part of the No voters. Get off of the bandwagon that Dr. Hayes did not do everything he could to get our students to Oyster River. There is paperwork to prove that the agreement was signed and ready to go to Oyster River- even if those with "much good sense" do not want to believe it.

We are a "relatively small demographic based" community, yes we are. However our tax rates in previous years were well over $40/ $1000 and that was BEFORE the town approved the building of these three and four bedroom neighborhoods. I don't see anywhere the dire straights that the No voters are speaking of by having an increase in the tax rate at this time. The town allowed those homes to be built to reduce the tax rate. Now these houses have families with children who MUST BE EDUCATED. Time for Newmarket to pay the piper and do what is legal and necessary to uphold their contract when they built those homes. Let's remember that the golf course is also getting ready to be turned into housing which will in turn bring in revenue for Newmarket as well as more families with children who will need an education. It is a vicious circle to invite families into your town yet not have a plan to educate them.

"Ideally, one solution is to return to a possible relationship with Oyster River." Again I say- they refused our students as it would bring their student population to the maximum capacity for the facility which they are not comfortable with. Returning to hound them will not change their minds on accepting our students.  "Ideally" it would be great to hop into the DeLorean and take the state aid from 2006 (and earlier) to build a new school. That isn't happening either.

"An alternative solution must be found for Newmarket in relationship with another high school." ummm.... hello McFly. Been there done that. Exeter voters gave us a resounding NO to accepting our students. Epping as well voted NO to us. We reached out to other towns but they are happy with their current arrangements with their schools of record. How many  more times do you think we can keep asking these towns? How much more waiting do we have to do before we can get a new school built? I'm sure you have heard from those "long- time residents" how much time they have wasted by putting things on the back burner; for example the water treatment plant, the dam,  and the pipe from the well to main street. 

Bernard K. Gordon- if you were truly a part of the Yes vote, you would have all these answers to your questions. All of these items that you point out have been thought of and investigated. Just because the No vote side does not like the outcome of all of these options - meaning Newmarket is on their own in this situation- does not mean we can keep revisiting them. You also have to understand that the No vote is anti- Dr. Hayes at all costs. No matter what he says, they say he is lying. No matter what information is distributed- it is not all there or not the truth. For whatever reason- the No voters will never believe anything from him or the school board. Maybe if they were as vocal at an actual school board meeting as they are on Facebook, they would have all the answers they demand.

Do I want my taxes going up? Heck no. But if they have to go up (and they will as we try to band aid the current school into a working condition) I would much rather have something to show for my money than an old, run down, too small for DOE standards building. The children of this town deserve it. Continuing to do nothing will cost this town much more in the future. How will the No voters feel when the town is bankrupt due to parents suing Newmarket for failure to provide necessary services promised when Newmarket approved those housing developments? I bet they will wish they had voted yes to a new school.

R E S P E C T one another

*** the below post is my opinion only and not the opinion of any other individual and/ or group ***

The following Bitstrips show how respectful the No voters are toward the Yes voters in our town.

 There was an editorial from the Seacoast Media Group in the paper (who are not based in our town or live in our town or have a horse in this race) stating what a bad idea it is for our town to build a school. Sorry. Unless you live here, you do not get a say on what is a good or a bad idea for Newmarket. So why would we give it an ounce of thought as to what they say?? Guess that made the No voters upset.

This one really scares me to no end. Shooting a television? What is next -- supporters on Main Street? People coming out of the polls on March 11th? This Bitstrip is very offensive to me. Almost to the point of feeling bullied by it.

Funny- I feel the same way about your posts.

They are stalking our signs to see where they are in town. I hope this doesn't show guilt over the vandalized signs in town. Maybe they went around and uncovered them in the snow storms as a kind gesture?

This could be flipped around to be "the Yes side is picking on the No side." As this is how they seem to be most of the time- crying foul and slandering our cause. If anything is said that is against what they believe in- they scream "bullying" and "unfair" tactics.

Yes they are popping up. However they are two and three in one location. Like that this one in the Bitstrip is in red which is the Vote Yes colors. Freudian slip much??? 

(and they do not have a group name/ individual name on them which is against an RSA which I do not have handy at the moment)

These Bitstrips were pulled off a No voters Facebook page. (I am not friends with this person- the wall is public) All had comments from other No voters saying how funny they were, how hilarious the author was, and that these comics were so true. I am posting them here to show how grown up and mature these life long residents are towards others who do not share their opinions.

I do not want to be associated with that group in the least. Please join me in voting yes on March 11th. The new school is the only option left.

Opinions are mine as this is my blog and I can post what I want on it.

what the hell is going on in newmarket?

This seems to be the question lately. The new school article on the ballot this March 11th has done something awful to our town. It has split us into two camps. I am very concerned that on March 12th no matter the result, we will not be able to call ourselves a community that cares. Both sides- No voters and Yes voters are so far divided over what is the best for our town, I do not see that gap being bridged. 

I am sad to see life long residents being petty to the point they are telling parents to move to Durham if they want a better education for their children. The No voters are posting misinformation about the bond on the new school -$45.1 million will be the bond amount NOT $79 million. These same residents are bad mouthing other residents who chose to put themselves in the spotlight to fight for a cause they are passionate about. 

Once something is posted in cyber space- it cannot be taken back. Even if it is deleted by you at a later time someone has read it, copied it, and passed it along to others. Think before you post. Remember at the receiving end of your comment is another human being with rights, opinions, and feelings. You may not agree with that human being but belittling them for not thinking like you is plain cruel. 

The latest controversy to befall us? 

The use of the community BANDSTAND which houses our veterans war memorial. The No voters are shocked and dismayed that there are children climbing on the bandstand while the Yes voters (their parents) are trying to educate anyone who is not up to date on our small town issues. They think it is disrespectful of those children to be on the bandstand at all. And how dare the Yes voters choose that spot in the whole town to show their support. If the bandstand was not meant to be climbed on, why are there stairs bringing you to the top?

Let's remember that those men and women in the armed forces died for everyone to have the right to support whatever cause they choose to support. This is a free country with the right to gather. Just because the Yes vote is in direct conflict with your No vote does not make where or how they choose to support their cause disrespectful to those brave service people.

Facts- the Yes group has permission from the police chief to be there. This is a high traffic area in our town and one of the few spots where the sidewalk is actually wide enough to allow pedestrians to pass by while the group is gathered. Especially with the height of the snowbanks recently. The parents were keeping their children safe by having them on the bandstand and out of the flow of traffic. Nothing has been left behind by this group to cause a trash issue or vandalism to any part of the area. In fact, trash in the area has been picked up by the vote Yes supporters while they are there.

Question for those No voters who are so shocked over the use of the bandstand- how is the Yes vote using the bandstand different than bands playing there? Maybe the types of music being played is offensive to service people? Or did the Yes vote beat you to the punch of using the bandstand yourselves?

This is the latest incident of the pettiness that has befallen our town.

I am opting from this point forward to not engage the No voters that are overly vocal to the point of offensiveness. Flap your gums. Pass along your misinformation. I am going to continue to educate as many voters as I come in contact with to the truth of the situation.

The old school needs to go. It has been used to the point it is falling apart. It cannot be saved. And why would we want to save it? So we can remember how divided a community can become over an issue? To see our tax dollars that have been used to band aid the situation for way too many years? It is not a fine piece of architecture that needs to be preserved. It is a school that needs to be put out of its misery before it breaks and kills a student.

VOTE YES FOR A NEW SCHOOL!

where is your line?

That line in the sand.

The one you say you won't cross.

Where is it?

Is it in place because of your wallet?

Your heart?

Your beliefs?

Misinformation?

Or

The truth?

I am wondering where this line is for all the NO voters in my town. You have the right to vote NO every time a new school is put on the ballot. But I am wondering, what do you expect to happen IF you win on March 11th?

Do you expect the YES voters to go away?

Do you expect us to give up?

No, we will not. 

If that bond gets defeated, we will once again continue the educating of voters with truth and not fear and misinformation. 

From the history of our town, we have been shown that waiting and doing nothing only increases the amount we have to pay when push comes to shove. Unfortunately we are at the shove stage with the school building.

So I am asking each and every No voter in Newmarket....

"Where is your line drawn?"

Will it make a difference if the building is closed down in September 2015? Will that make you consider a new school?

How many more times do you have to be shown the timeline of the school's history and all that has been done since it was built before you will believe it has fulfilled its purpose and needs to be replaced?

How much more misinformation will you generate to keep a new school from being built?

How many reports can be generated with the same information that has been presented before you believe the condition of the school?

How many more times do you expect the school board to approach neighboring communities to hear the same NO response to taking in our students?

Do the parents have to take the town/voters to court over the condition of the building and lack of anything being done to correct it?

Remove the emotion.

Remove your anger towards the school board and the superintendent.

Remove the blinders.

Look at the information that is out there with an unbiased and open mind.

Take a tour of the building, which lost heat over this past weekend.

Look at the size of the classrooms and see how feasible it is to put thirty plus kids in each room. (and all the other issues with the current building) read here for a larger list

Don't only believe what you are being told.

Believe your own eyes.

It is time to build a new school for Newmarket.

It is the ONLY option left for us.

That is my line in the sand.

I am not budging an inch.

february vacation

It is once again that time of the year where we get a glorious week off. It has been a long time in getting here. It seems like FOREVER since we had Christmas break, and it really hasn't been. Must be all that snow that we had and continue to look at.

oh yeah... we are expecting more on Wednesday??!! I am not expecting it and would not be disappointed if it missed us. The only good part if it does snow, we won't miss school!!

I do believe we will be laying low and having some indoors kind of fun and laughs. We all need it. I see naps and lazy days ahead of us..... ahhhh looking forward to it. (and some scrapping!)

**SCHOOL UPDATE**-Sunday it was discovered that the boiler at the Junior/ Senior High School stopped working. NICE. More money thrown at this aging building as a band aid when what it really needs is a bulldozer and a wrecking ball! Best part about that... there was a reporter that was in town working on a story about our issue and was able to get a tour of the school and see first hand the condition of the school.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR MY 

NEWMARKET PEEPS--

Do not give up! The No votes may have put a few more signs up but we are further ahead of them in educating the public. They are using scare tactics and misinformation to try to secure the No votes. It is heartwarming to hear talk of the discussions you have had to turn some of these No votes into YES votes just by giving them the TRUTH! Keep fighting the good fight!

The future of Newmarket rests on this vote.

Showing off the amazing drawing.

Reminder to vote yes on March 11th.

And all that has been done with our school since it was opened in 1925. It is more than time to build a new school!!

VOTE YES!!

scare tactics, misinformation and little else

I am posting this amazing letter that appears in one of our local papers today (Foster's). It was written by a Newmarket tax payer and parent Craig Dionne. He is spot on in all of his statements. As a side note, Craig has since received a private message on Facebook telling him that "calling them out on the BLS example and $79 million bond was unfair." They hate it when they are proved wrong in their lies.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

This letter is in response to a mailer I received from an organization called “Newmarket Citizens for Responsible School Solutions.” The letter, which was sent to most, if not all of the homes in Newmarket, was filled with scare tactics, misinformation and little else.

First off, I am not aware of any group called “New School at Any Cost.” People who are in favor of a new school have been responsible about the financial impact, even asking Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Jim Hayes, to visit and reduce the cost of the plan to make it more attainable and achievable for our small town. As a result, the cost of the facility was reduced by $5 million.

The mailer talks about Boston Latin School (BLS) and how it is considered one of the finest public high schools in the country despite having a building that is over 90 years-old. Through my 20+ years in college admissions, I am well acquainted with BLS so I know how they are so successful.

In the late 1990s, Boston Latin School was in a position to lose their accreditation through the New England Association of Schools in Colleges (NEASC), much like the situation Newmarket is facing today. Also like Newmarket, NEASC’s major concerns at Boston Latin were its inadequate facilities. Rather than risk de-accreditation, the people at Boston Latin spent over $50 million on capital improvements, which is a higher amount than Newmarket is planning on spending on our new school. BLS added a three-story art wing, a new main entrance, a 12,500 square foot library/media center, and a new dining hall, among other improvements. So, thank you for bringing up Boston Latin, as it’s a clear example of the correct way to handle a facility crisis. And, when the facilities were updated, they saw an increase in interest and standardized test scores.

To mention an inaccurate figure of $79 million in bonded debt is completely irresponsible and is a deliberate way to scare those that haven’t been following the school issue. The bonded amount is $45.1 million and no more than that. If you buy a house for $200,000 and finance it for 30 years at 5% you don’t tell everyone you bought a $386,511 house. You bought a $200,000 house. We are not taking out a $79 million bond. We are taking out a $45.1 million bond.

Another point that’s troubling about this letter is that it was not signed, and no one has taken ownership for its contents. It’s the law that any political mailers, signs or other materials need to list the names and addresses of the chairpeople taking responsibility for its content. I will be following this up with the Attorney General’s Office. The vote YES side is playing by the rules. The NO side should do so, as well.

What bothers me the most about this mailer is that the writer or writers state that they know the school needs updating and that they want to bring the school up to current standards. But, they vaguely suggest the need for a solution, and don’t share any concrete ideas for what their proposed solution would be. We have explored and exhausted a variety of options over the past decade. The only viable option is a new school.

The State Fire Marshall tells us our building is not safe. NEASC tells us we will lose accreditation without a new building. NEASC accreditation is critical. Ninety-six percent of all high schools in New England are accredited. Not being accredited will have a harmful effect on our students, our school and our town. The New Hampshire DOE tells us that 90% of our building is not up to current standards. The people of Newmarket have the power to solve these problems. We can build a safe school that’s up to code and meets current standards. We can settle an emotional debate that our town has faced for more than a decade. And, in creating a new, safe, educationally appropriate school, we can also increase our homes’ values, attract new business and new families to our town, and enjoy a variety of other benefits. All we have to do is vote YES on March 11.

Craig Dionne

WELL DONE CRAIG!!

VOTE YES ON MARCH 11TH!