Pelham - Windham News | March 2, 2012 - 7 More Letters to our Editor


continued from page 6 must continue to invest in them. A town’s schools play


a vital role in connecting the community to each other, increasing the value of the town and our homes. I believe in Pelham and I believe you do too, but we need to show that support at the polls. Over the last three years I have worked hard to improve communication, be visible at school events, address our facility concerns, and improve the educational process. Having spent three years on the board I am even more resolute in my determination to raise the bar in educating our students and to resolve our facility issues. With that in mind, support of the School District Ballot is as imperative this year as it has been any year. In order to maintain and keep our three schools running smoothly and efficiently passage of all the Warrant Articles is crucial. By passing Warrant Articles 4, 5, and 6 and the fire station you will be making a financial commitment less than what 58.5 percent of you voted for in 2010. On Tuesday, March 13th, I am once again asking you to


show up at the polls to support the School District Ballot and hopefully fill in the circle next to my name. I will leave you with this, From the Annual Report of the Superintending School Committee of the Town of Pelham, for the year ending March 9, 1869:


“Te blessings of our common schools, differing as they do the facilities of the education to the poorest as well as the most favored of the community, cannot be measured. And it is a sad fact that the community is so unmindful of this, as mankind ever are of their richest but most common blessings. Te citizens of this town must be justly proud of their schools and their teachers, but their interest in them should be more active. School houses should be repaired, beautified, and furnished with all the modern implements of education.”


Debbie Ryan – Pelham


Shawn Foster Gets My Vote Tese past 12 years I have had the privilege of watching


Shawn Foster’s life closely. His example of leadership in his family and community have been astounding. As a father to five children he’s had the opportunity to support each one of the children in their growth and development as members of their family and as members of the community at large. He’s offered through his example and speech the opportunity for his entire family to be part of something bigger than themselves as all of them have happily invested into the lives of people in our community, programs for the bettering of society, community projects, and national issues. After hurricane Katrina he brought his entire family, as well as team of people he recruited, down to Mississippi to serve the victims. Tis is who Shawn Foster is; always ready to serve his community, looking out for the good of everyone with discernment and enthusiasm. Shawn Foster has always had a vision for our next generation. He has served in numerous non-profits and spear- headed many initiatives to invest in the future of our children and youth. He has an incredible ability to take in large levels of information and opinions, combine them with the needs of the people, and come up with cutting edge solutions and creative answers to hard questions. I am very excited to see Mr. Foster running for the School


Board here in Windham; it gives me hope for the future of my children as they go through the school system, as well as for the town. Tis is the kind of leadership that Windham desperately needs. He is one of the leaders that will assure this community stays incredible.


Rebekah Schmitz - Windham


Protect Canobie Lake. Vote “Yes” on Citizen Petition 3


Citizen Petition 3 on the Windham Zoning Ballot seeks to


protect Canobie Lake, by extending the watershed protections which Cobbetts Pond presently has to cover Canobie Lake as well. Canobie Lake is a beautiful lake and a precious natural resource. It is in danger of declining if we don’t take steps to protect it.


Te storm water management provisions of the ordinance


are highly recommended by lake management experts. Letters of support from: NH Department of Environmental Services, NH Lakes Association, and Town of Salem Public Works department are posted on the Canobie Lake web site: www. canobielake.org. Please vote “yes” on Citizen Petition 3 on the Zoning Ballot. Tis measure is recommended by the Windham Planning Board, by a 7-0 vote.


Bill Schroeder, President, Canobie Lake Protective Association - Windham


Nearly 300 People Attended Windham Business Expo


Tank you to all that helped out to make the “2012


Growing Windham: Te Business of Education and the Community” Business Expo a huge success! We had 100 businesses and nonprofits participating in the Expo, close to 300 people attending, and over $1,000 in door prizes donated. What an event!


Tis could not have been as successful without the help of many people and businesses. Please accept this “Tank You” as a small token of my appreciation for all you did: Windham High School facility maintenance staff, Jay Yennaco of Delahunty’s, Warf Industries, Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce, Al Getler of the Eagle Tribune, Jacob Vafides, Michelle Kelly, Nick Fairweather, Tim Erdlen, Aleesha Zandien Bruce Breton, Bev Donovan, Bob Young, Sy Wrenn, Phil LoChiatto, Karl Dubay, and Mimi and Walter Kolodziej.


Laura Scott, Community Development Director - Windham


Spruce Pond Recreational Field


To all of those who participate in the Windham Soccer Association program, the WSA Executive Board would like to ask that you join us in supporting Warrant Article 17 on the ballot this March. Article 17 proposes raising funds to build a new multi- purpose playing field at Spruce Pond that will provide WSA members and the entire community with access to much needed field space. Spruce Pond can accommodate a full size 11 v. 11 field that will help alleviate some of the overcrowding that all of the in town sports organizations are now facing. What makes this field feasible for the residents of Windham


is the relatively low construction cost. While we are mindful of the current tough economic times, the construction of this field will cost approximately 30 cents on the dollar. Te reason for this low cost is that the petitioner has to date, acquired approximately $260,000 in donations. Tis donation amount does not even account for the value of the 22 acres of land that is also being donated to the Town. Te WSA Board firmly believes that the construction of this field will result in a positive outcome for the Town and all the sports organizations, including the Windham Soccer Association. Te Town of Windham and the various sports organization will get needed field space for a fraction of the cost.


We have an opportunity to act now to preserve this much needed green space for the Town of Windham; it is for this reason that we respectfully request you to join us on March 13 in voting yes on Warrant Article 17.


Ann Senibaldi, Windham Soccer Association – Windham


To Be or Not to Be Ethical? On March 13, the residents of Windham will be asked


to vote on two citizen petitions dealing with ethics. On the surface, these two petitions seem pretty straightforward. However, when you look at the ramifications if they pass, you will see that these petitions are anything but straightforward and have nothing to do with ethics. Tese two warrant articles are overreaching and were designed with a broad based approach to eliminate fundamental rights of employees, businesses and residents. Here are some of the fundamental flaws of warrant articles 18 and 19. I’ll start with myself as an example: I have dedicated over 10 years of volunteerism to both recreation and conservation, but if these two warrant articles pass, I will be prohibited from serving on these boards. If I owned a second property in town and needed to go to ZBA, BOS or Planning Board, I would be prohibited. I would not even be allowed to apply for a pistol permit. Now that was just from an employees perspective, but


residents and businesses would also have the same preclusions from seeking approval from any of the various town boards if they in any way donated or volunteered anything to the town. Te following are some current examples where businesses donate services to the town or have donated in the past: (1) Woof Woof of Windham, who donated their services with border collies to help chase away the geese at Griffin Park; (2) Delahunty Nurseries who has donated labor and materials at various places throughout town; (3) all the businesses that donate items to recreation or community development to help make town sponsored events successful, and; (4) even when Santa Claus comes to town for the annual tree lighting, he would not be allowed to appear before any board if he needed to seek any approvals for a business that he might own in town. I could go on with these types of examples, because the list is endless. Te way this ordinance is written basically infers that anyone who would donate or volunteer must want something in return. Tis has never been the case. Windham has been very fortunate; we have many caring business owners, employees and resident who step up just because they are good people, employees and businesses that all look to make Windham a cherished place to live. Now, one must ask why someone would make such suggestions or write such an ordinance? Tat question is easy to answer. Te petitioner, Marc Sneider, and some of his neighbors have been involved in a legal battle with the Town and Bauchman Towing for many years costing the Town and Bauchman Towing thousands of dollars in legal cost. It appears that Mr. Sneider is unhappy with how the Town and Court have handled the issue, because in the end, Bauchman Towing was allowed to keep his tow trucks on his property. Mr. Sneider also filed several petitions with the Planning Board trying to change what size pick up trucks you can keep on your property. He also has a petition about fences and what is and what is not a fence. Troughout the process, Mr. Sneider claimed that his petitions had nothing to do with Bauchman Towing, but every picture he had was from Bachman’s property. I ask the residents of Windham to see through this farce of an ordinance and join me on March 13 to vote “no” on Warrant Articles 18 and 19.


Dennis Senibaldi – Windham Letters to our Editor - continued to page 10


Please Pick Up After Your Dog at Benson’s Park


To all you irresponsible dog owners [you know who you


are] who do not abide by the rules of the Benson’s Park. Read the sign at the entrance. We have had a dog since he was eight weeks old. He is now


over 2 1/2 years old. Suggested solution: Plastic sandwich bags are cheap. Put your hand into the bag, pick up the feces, which you never touch, invert the bag, twist it, dispose of it in the containers provided at the park. Simple as that. If you want to leave your dogs droppings, leave it in your yard, not at a public park. Your actions show complete disrespect of a beautiful park designated for all the public. In my opinion dogs should not be allowed to go into the children’s play area. Let’s hear from some other ‘dog lovers’ who do go by the


rules and respect their ownership and being able to bring their pet to Benson’s for a leisurely walk. And guess what? We don’t even live in town!


Ed Shiebler - Pelham


Re-Elect Dunn as Windham’s School Moderator


I am excited to be supporting the re-election of Betty


Dunn as School Moderator in Windham. In her years as School Moderator, Betty has proven to be both professional and experienced in her position. At the beginning of each session, she explains the procedures of the meeting in great detail, is always open to answering attendees’ questions, and ensures that everyone who wishes to speak is given the opportunity. Betty is fair, respectful, and courteous to all those in attendance and has the legal background that makes her more than qualified for this position. Please join me in voting to re-elect Betty Dunn, for Windham School Moderator, on Tuesday, March 13 at Windham High School.


Jennifer Simmons - Windham


Vote “No” on School Articles 2,3 and 6 and Town Article 17


When I moved to Windham 15 years ago, one of the attractions was the CIP (Capital Improvements Plan). All big-ticket items for the town and schools were put into a systematic order by the CIP Committee, after well-researched, well-reasoned deliberation, with the purpose of keeping our taxes at a steady and reasonable rate. Do we build a new fire station or take on a big school renovation? Do we fund improvements at Griffin Park or make capital improvements at some of the town facilities? All these questions were dealt with by the CIP Committee; and when someone presented a warrant article outside the CIP because they didn’t want to wait for their pet project’s turn, the voters steadfastly said “no.” All projects got done in due time. Somewhere along the way we got away from this


procedure. Oh, we still have the CIP, but we have now gotten into the mindset that we have to have the biggest and best of everything and we have to have it now. At the same time, we have continually rejected expanded commercial development, which would improve our tax base by taking some of the burden off of the homeowners in this town. I invite you to compare your own property tax bills over the last 10 years. If you don’t have your old tax bills, you can look at your IRS Form 1040, Schedule A, line 6. My property taxes have gone up 58 percent in the last five years, where they only went up 40 percent in the preceding five years.


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