NOT JUST FOR THE KIDS

Riders of all ages joined the Roaming Railroad and engineer Dan DeCosmo of Suffield, Conn., seen here in their first appearance at the North Country Moose Festival during the street fair in Colebrook on Friday night. (Claire Lynch photo)

Following a preconstruction meeting last Wednesday, the Town of Colebrook is moving forward with three projects involving the Mohawk River retaining walls and water mains in the area of Academy, Main and Pleasant streets.

The main project will replace the Mohawk River retaining wall under Academy Street. The plan also calls for placement of Gideon baskets to shore up the abutment behind the First Colebrook Bank and install a wall north of Ducret's Sporting Goods where the river has undermined the embankment.

Town officials opted to separate the project into three parts in order to keep the Economic Development Administration (EDA) funding measures clear. The scope of the two remaining projects--to replace water mains at Pleasant Street and north to Main Street--are out for bid until September 3, said project engineer Mike Duffy of Horizons Engineering in Littleton.

"Basically it is a totally new project that is not anywhere near what it was designed before," said Public Works director Kevin McKinnon. "Originally we were going to do the crossing through the wing wall of the [Pleasant Street] bridge."

This plan has been changed for an alternate connection, he said, and the main will lie adjacent to the east side of the river and cross behind the Colebrook Public Library. Easements are in place, he said, to run the main through the parking lot behind the state liquor store and back to Pleasant Street between the American Legion hall and the late Barbara Day home.

The second water main project will continue up the river along the west side to connect just north of Main Street, Mr. Duffy said. There is still a fairly good chance to complete the water main projects this year, as he intends to work quickly to obtain the necessary easements.

Kingsbury Companies, LLC of Waitsfield, Vt., will perform the retaining wall work for $570,952, Mr. Duffy said. Pre-manufactured block will replace the wall along Academy Street, not in-cluding the section beneath Howard's Restaurant, and the area adjacent to Ducret's Sporting Goods, he explained.

The contract begins on Monday, September 13 and must be substantially complete within 90 days, with a break during the winter. "There will be a winter stoppage, where the clock will stop until the spring," Mr. Duffy said.

Final work, such as repaving and landscaping, will be done in the spring. At the prompting of selectman Mike Ouellet, Mr. Duffy also promised a sidewalk along the east side of Academy Street if there is enough funding. In this case, spruce trees would have to be removed, Mr. Ouellet said.

Representatives from Kingsbury Companies will make their presence known this week, setting up trailers in the municipal parking lot behind Ducret's Sporting Goods to be ready for a prompt start. There is a performance bond in place for 100 percent of the project, he said, along with insurance.

(Issue of September 1, 2010)

TRADITIONAL NURSES' WHITES

The nursing staff got into the spirit at Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital's 40th anniversary open house this past Sunday by dressing in traditional white uniforms compared to the more colorful, present-day scrubs. Seen here with longtime local doctor Joseph Capobianco (far right) are Louie Degray, Brenda Thomas, Kelly Smith, Sharon Nelsson, Lindsay Lea and Becky Bean. (Alan Farnsworth photo)

The N.H. Fish and Game Department will host a public hearing on Monday, September 13, to consider a proposed Vermont-New Hampshire reciprocal snowmobile weekend this coming winter.

The 6:30 p.m. hearing will be held at department headquarters, 11 Hazen Drive in Concord. Fish and Game is proposing to establish the third Saturday and Sunday in January as the period when all snowmobiles registered in Vermont may ride any trail in New Hampshire, but only if Vermont allows New Hampshire-registered snowmobiles on all of its snowmobile trails during the same weekend.

More information about the proposal may be found on-line, at www.wildlife.state.nh.us, by clicking on the item under "Newsroom" at the right. Those who are unable to attend the hearing may send written comments by September 24, by e-mail to comments@wildlife.nh.gov (with "Comment on Snowmobile Rules" in subject line); by facsimile to 271-1438; or by post to Executive Director, N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301.

(Issue of September 1, 2010)

MAKING A MOVE

Canaan's Raelene Begin looks to keep the ball away from a Concord defender during Saturday's soccer jamboree in Concord, Vt. (Jake Mardin photo)

A petition from residents seeking the return of trash cans to Colebrook's Main Street did not effect a change when considered at the selectmen's meeting last Wednesday, August 25.

The board decided earlier in the summer to remove the trash cans after household waste was left in the receptacles several times. The items dumped included jars of food, dirty diapers and packages of meat.

"A lot of it is people with campers that stop with a load on their way out of town," said selectman Bob Holt. "It's not recycled." In one instance, said town manager Donna Caron, it appeared as though someone had cleaned out a refrigerator.

As a cost- and labor-saving measure, the town followed suit with the state of New Hampshire, which removed trash receptacles from state rest areas. The Department of Transportation "had the exact same problem," Mr. Holt said.

The petition listed 45 signatures on three pages, including the names of several who are not residents of Colebrook but live in Bristol and Columbia, N.H., and Canaan and Barton, Vt. "We the people of the Town of Colebrook wish to express our rights to have a clean downtown area," the petition reads. "We need to have the garbage receptacles replaced on Main Street. We feel they should be emptied on Monday and Friday, fine the citizens for abusing the services."

None of the household rubbish that town crews found in the trash cans contained addresses identifying the offenders, explained Mrs. Caron. "The theory is good, but they're not the ones that have to pick up the trash and maintain them," Mr. Holt said.

He recommends that the originator of the petition, who was not identified, address the issue at the next town meeting in March. Any proposal presented should include a dollar amount, he said.

"If they want to pay the hauling or take care of it themselves, then so be it," agreed selectman Mike Ouellet.

(Issue of September 1, 2010)

WGO, RED SOX

Bob Kidder of Woodville joined the auto show in Canaan on Saturday and took home a trophy for second place in the Special Interest category for his tribute to the Red Sox, which combines a 1971 Honda with a 1973 VW Bug. The Red Sox ride includes Louisville Slugger bats, autographed balls on the shifters, and a custom paint job. The car, built by Todd Goodness of East Concord, Vt., is now the subject of a series of documentaries. More information can be found at www.bottomofthe9thmovie. com. (Claire Lynch photo)

State Police and N.H. Fire Marshals executed a search warrant at the former Millennium Designed Muzzleloaders plant in the Colebrook Industrial Park on Thursday, August 26.

The search was part of an ongoing investigation of the May 14 explosion that destroyed the plant and killed two employees, Jesse Kennett, 49, of Stratford, and Donald Kendall, 56, of Colebrook. MDM's BlackMag operation was leasing space in the former Manchester Manufacturing building, owned by Rex Jacobsma of California.

The intent of the search was to "audio- and video-record the entire premises both inside and out of the building and all its contents," states a supporting affidavit filed at Colebrook District Court. In that document, Det. Sheldon Belanger of the N.H. State Police cites an interview with attorney Dave Eastlack from the Law Offices of Robert A. Stutman, which represents Mr. Jacobsma.

Det. Belanger related a statement from Mr. Eastlack that the building owner is "intending to secure/destroy/remove portions of the building before winter in order to secure it in a safe manner that would not pose a continuous hazard to the public." Det. Belanger said these plans for the building would "permanently alter this incident scene, and any additional scene inspections or examinations will not be able to be conducted."

Investigators also examined all electrical components in the building, to include wall outlets and conductors. An interview with a licensed electrician after the incident reportedly revealed "a potential wiring issue or electrical hazard...in one of the main production machines prior to the incident." Earlier searches recovered a tub grinder/mixer that may have been the source of the explosion.

In the affidavit, Det. Belanger stated that "during the course of the investigation we have discovered violations of state statutes and administrative rules governing the safe handling, manufacturing and storage of this type of powder/explosives material, and general fire safety."

Mr. Jacobsma was not available as of press time yesterday to comment on plans for the building, which was heavily damaged in the explosion.

(Issue of September 1, 2010)