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Run up to primary highlights tops stories of 2019

By Matthew Burdette - Editor in Chief | Jan 2, 2020

As we turn the page on 2019, The Telegraph looks back at the top stories from the past 12 months. From the run up to the 2020 first-in-the-nation primary to local accomplishments and municipal strife, 2019 was filled with major events.

33 Dems File

for #FITN PRIMARY

CONCORD – The field is set for New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation (#FITN) presidential primary, as 33 Democrats and 17 Republicans filed to run by the 5 p.m. Friday deadline.

In addition to big-name candidates such as President Donald Trump – whose 2020 filing information lists his home state as Florida, rather than New York – those registering to run include Roque De La Fuente of California.

It appears De La Fuente decided to double his odds, as the registration list shows he first filed to run as a Republican on Oct. 30 – and then as a Democrat on Nov. 12.

New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner emphasized that he has not yet set the official date of the 2020 primary, but the contest is currently slated for Feb. 11.

Those filing to run for president in the 2020 New Hampshire primary, in order by the date of registration, are as follows:

Republicans

• Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente of California,

• Rick Kraft of New Mexico,

• Donald Trump of Florida,

• Star Locke of Texas,

• Robert Ardini of New York,

• Eric Merrill of New Hampshire,

• Stephen Comley St. of Massachusetts,

• Bob Ely of Illinois,

• Zoltan Gyurko of California,

• Matthew Matern of California,

• President R. Boddie of Georgia,

• Larry Horn of Oregon,

• Bill Weld of Massachusetts,

• Juan Payne of Alabama,

• Joe Walsh of Illinois,

• William Murphy of New Hampshire, and

• Mary Maxwell of New Hampshire.

Democrats

• Mark Greenstein of Connecticut,

• Pete Buttigieg of Indiana,

• Thomas Torgesen of New York,

• Henry Hewes of New York,

• Bernie Sanders of Vermont,

• David Thistle of Massachusetts,

• Marianne Williamson of Iowa,

• John Delaney of Maryland,

• Michael Ellinger of California,

• Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii,

• Tom Koos of California,

• Kamala Harris of California,

• Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota,

• Michael Bennet of Colorado,

• Andrew Yang of New York,

• Joe Biden of Delaware,

• Steve Burke of New York,

• Steve Bullock of Montana,

• Julian Castro of Texas,

• Tom Steyer of California,

• Roque De La Fuente of California,

• Robby Wells of Georgia,

• Joe Sestak of Virginia,

• Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts,

• Lorenz Kraus of New York,

• Raymond Moroz of New York,

• Ben Gleiberman of California,

• Deval Patrick of Massachusetts,

• Sam Sloan of New York,

• Cory Booker of New Jersey,

• Rita Krichevsky of New Jersey,

• Mosie Boyd of Arizona, and

• Jason Dunlap of Maryland.

By CASEY JUNKINS

Originally published Nov. 16, 2019

•••

$172 million bond project is approved

NASHUA – Future middle schoolers throughout the city will surely benefit from the $172 million construction and renovation project Board of Aldermen members approved on Monday during their final session of 2019.

Resolution 19-191 authorizes city officials to issue $118 million worth of bonds to pay for projects as estimated below:

• $82 million for construction of a new middle school in the area of Cherrywood Drive for the purpose of replacing the existing Elm Street Middle School;

• $25 million for renovations and upgrades at Pennichuck Middle School; and

• $12 million for renovations and upgrades at Fairgrounds Middle School.

Although the initial sale is for $118 million, the fiscal note on the resolution states: “It is estimated the interest rate will be approximately 3.5% and the total cost of the bond will be $171,690,000, including interest.”

The resolution received unanimous approval by board members, with 15 “yeas” recorded during a roll call vote on the matter.

During the Monday meeting, Alderman-At-Large Ben Clemons said he asked City Treasurer David Fredette to provide the amount of bond debt service that the city has projected in the next few years, and relayed to board member that he learned it is actually on the decline.

“We have it projected out to 2041 of paying less money per year than we are paying now in overall bond debt, and the reason we’re able to accomplish this is because the high schools are being paid off faster now that they’re coming to the end of their years,” Clemons said. “It’s like any other loan – you pay less in the beginning, more at the end.”

Alderman Richard Dowd chairs the Joint Special School Building Committee. He said when a bond is approved, the treasurer does not go out and buy a bond that next day, as the bonds will be bought when needed.

This new school will replace Elm Street Middle School, which was built from 1931 and 1936 as a high school. City and school officials have said that renovating Elm Street would only add millions more to the project’s price tag, and still not meet the necessary middle school requirements, especially in terms of security. They said this is because the building has too many doors. Although there are security cameras, those visiting the school have to walk upstairs to check in to the main office. This then means someone could potentially be allowed into the school and be free to roam around upon being admitted.

Aside from security issues, officials said classrooms inside the school are also too small, according to the new state, federal standards.

Additionally, officials said Elm Street is overcrowded, as it now features about 1,200 students. There are also no athletic fields available to those at the school.

Elm Street is also currently utilizing portable classrooms, just as Pennichuck has been for years.

Both Fairgrounds and Pennichuck will undergo significant upgrades. Fairgrounds is expected the least amount of modification because it can already educate 800 students, so upgrades will include making more open space for students, for example. Pennichuck, on the other hand will be adding at least 10 classrooms, and in turn, the outdated portable classrooms.

Both of these schools will also get upgraded security entrance ways, which the new middle school will also feature. Special education spaces will also receive upgrades, and more intensive special needs students will attend a special wing in the new middle school.

Work on Fairgrounds is slated begin the project, followed by Pennichuck, which could be a 14-month endeavor spanning a couple of summers, depending on how much work can be completed while school is in session. The new school is projected as a two-year project.

Officials still plan to keep the auditorium inside Elm Street, but the destiny of the remainder of the building has yet to be determined.

If the city decides to sell the building for an apartment complex, the money raised through that sale could then be used to offset the bonds.

By ADAM URQUHART

Originally published Dec. 24, 2019

•••

Former Dusty Old Cars owner

scores 20

not-guilty verdicts; additional trial slated for May

CONCORD – By returning 20 not guilty verdicts Friday on theft and forgery charges, a Superior Court jury handed embattled former Dusty Old Cars owner Stephan Condodemetraky a significant boost toward his self-proclaimed goal of full exoneration in a complicated series of cases that once included dozens of charges.

Jurors deliberated roughly five hours on Friday before returning across-the-board verdicts of not guilty on 10 counts of falsifying information on vehicle title applications; nine counts of forgery; and one count of witness tampering, according to the court file on the Merrimack County case.

The forgery charges accused Condodemetraky of forging motor vehicle purchase contracts, while the falsifying information charges alleged he violated anti-theft laws by entering false information into vehicle title applications.

The charges stemmed from allegations Condodemetraky forged information in contracts involving Dusty Old Cars and a customer named Brad West, then presented the documents to the state Division of Motor Vehicles to receive titles to West’s vehicles.

The witness tampering count accuses him of trying to convince one of his employees to give false testimony to the grand jury.

Since the sweeping jury verdicts, only a handful of charges remain pending against Condodemetraky, including one felony theft count on which he was convicted in February, but has since appealed the conviction to the state Supreme Court.

A Rockingham Superior Court judge in September dismissed two additional charges – one count each of theft by unauthorized taking and theft by deception.

Unless something changes in the meantime, Hillsborough County Superior Court-South in Nashua is Condodemetraky’s next trial venue.

As it stands now, Condodemetraky will be tried on seven counts of theft by misapplication, six of which are Class A felonies and one a Class B felony.

During a Wednesday status hearing before Judge Charles Temple, the court scheduled a trial management conference for May 8, and set jury selection for May 18.

The trial itself is now scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on May 19. The court estimates a seven-day trial, to be conducted during the course of two weeks.

Meanwhile, Condodemetraky, in a statement he issued to news outlets announcing the 20 not guilty verdicts, both celebrated the development and criticized state prosecutors.

“I look forward to my next day in court … ,” he said, referring to the May trial in Nashua.

“The state continues to assert false claims against me,” he said, adding that it’s the state that “bears the responsibility for consumers losing the ability to be paid in full for their vehicles.”

Condodemetraky, after thanking the jury “for evaluating the witnesses and the evidence presented at trial … and returning not guilty verdicts,” further chided prosecutors for “choosing not to publicize the verdict in my favor … “ and “attempting to exclude testimony and evidence that vindicated me.”

He said he believes prosecutors “went to great lengths to bolster an apparent smear campaign against me and the company,” referring to Dusty Old Cars.

By DEAN SHALHOUP

Oirginally published Nov. 19, 2019

•••

Time needed for Performing Arts Center

NASHUA – Progress continues on the downtown Performing Arts Center, as city officials and volunteers chip away to complete the considerable endeavor.

During a Tuesday interview with The Telegraph, Nashua Director of Economic Development Tim Cummings said the total project cost – including the city’s obligation, private sector funding and tax credits – comes within the range of $20 to $21 million.

He said the $15.5 million figure represents just what the city’s obligation to the project would be. This calls selling bonds in the amount of $15.5 million.

On top of that, there is the private funding and tax credit money that needs to be collected and tabulated. Cummings said the city was recently awarded a New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority tax credit in the amount of $367,500.

Cummings told The Telegraph on Tuesday that he is unsure how much private money has been raised for the project to this point.

“I just don’t know how much on the private sector side,” Cummings said.

However, he did confirm some private money has been raised. Currently, officials are still designing the final structure and assembling sources of funding.

He said there is probably another six months or so of design that needs to happen. The project is currently about six weeks behind schedule, while officials make sure that the design stays on budget.

“It may be coming together a bit slower than originally anticipated, but we’re working toward having a great project at the end of the day,” Cummings said.

Cummings hopes for at least $4 million in New Market Tax Credits, and somewhere around $2.5 million for the private sector fundraising.

Although it was originally thought that spring 2021 would be the opening date, Cummings said it will now be later.

“I’m really excited and thrilled with all the work that the various volunteers have put into this project,” Cummings said. “Members of the Steering Committee, members of the Fundraising Committee, members of the Board of Aldermen have all really rallied behind this project and it’s going to be a great catalyst for the downtown.”

Cummings said he will likely provide an official update on the project during a Board of Aldermen meeting next month.

By ADAM URQUHART

Originally published July 10, 2019

•••

Pelham church shooter subdued by wedding guests

PELHAM – In the midst of a wedding ceremony Saturday morning, approximately 40 guest at New England Pentecostal Church at 955 Bridge St. were confronted with an active-shooter situation that ended with two individuals shot and one suspect in custody.

At 10:12 a.m., the Pelham Police Department responded to a call of an active shooter at the church, during which the suspect, Dale Holloway, allegedly arrived during a wedding ceremony and shot Bishop Stanley Choate in the upper chest and Claire McMullen, 60, in the arm before being apprehended by wedding guests.

“Responding officers arrived within three minutes of the call. Upon arrival, a wedding was occurring at the church and the police officers discovered a suspected shooter being detained and subdued by the guests of the wedding,” said Pelham Police Chief Joseph Roark during a press conference following the shooting. “They placed that individual into custody and arrested him.”

Choate was taken to Tufts Medical Center in Boston, and is listed in serious condition.

McMullen was taken to a local hospital and is listed in good condition.

In addition to the Choate and McMullen’s injuries, another parishioner sustained injuries during the incident, as Mark Castiglione, 60, received a minor injury after being struck in the head with an object. He was treated at a local hospital and has since been released.

During the incident, Roark said standard active-shooting response was a key in the apprehension of the suspected shooter, and that the Pelham Police Department has within the last year held active shooter training at the church.

“From my understanding, they basically gang tackled him. A struggle ensued, minor injuries occurred to the other guest who were in the struggle with the shooter,” Roark said.

“I do know that our agency provided active shooter training to that church within the last year,” he added.

When asked about how the guests responded, Roark said their methods were along the lines with how people are trained to react to active shooter situations.

“I think that is a standard that is being taught now is to address the threat,” he said.

After being subdued by the wedding party, and taken into custody, Holloway was arrested on alternative counts of purposely and knowingly causing bodily injury by means of a deadly weapon. He is being held awaiting arraignment, which is anticipated to be scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday in Hillsborough County Superior Court South.

Had the wedding not been interrupted, there was a scheduled memorial service later on Saturday to celebrate the life of New England Pentecostal Ministries Pastor Luis Garcia, who was shot and killed earlier this month in Londonderry.

There was no indication if that murder had any connection to Saturday’s shooting, and with the shooting still under investigation, Roark declined to comment.

The church is rooted in the Nashua-based Church of God in Christ, a congregation founded decades ago by the late Bishop Estee Newman.

It was renamed New England Pentecostal Ministries in 1984, and in July 1987, the congregation dedicated the new church building at 327 Gage Hill Road, the address that later became 955 Bridge St.

Choate and his wife, Ruth, a pastor and the daughter of Bishop Newman, have led the church since then.

During the situation, Pelham’s Police Department was assisted in town by Salem and Windham’s police departments, as well as the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office, New Hampshire State Police and the Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms Office. They also received mutual aide from Dracut and Tyngsborough police departments, securing the southern border, while Salem, Londonderry and Windham assisted with ambulances on the scene.

The shooting is currently being investigated by the state Attorney General’s office, the Pelham Police Department and the Major Crime Unit of the New Hampshire State Police.

Officials said that according to the preliminary investigation, the shooting does not appear to be a random act.

“This does not seem to be a random event at this point,” Roark said. “At least that is what our preliminary investigation is telling us.”

By MATHEW PLAMONDON and

DEAN SHALHOUP

Originally published

Oct. 13, 2019

•••

E-scooters hit streets today in Gate City

NASHUA – VeoRide bikes have been in Nashua for about a year now, and the company is adding another form of alternative transportation with 75 e-scooters this week.

“It’s meant to be a sturdy transportation device to get people from point A to point B and to really supplement the bikeshare program that we’ve seen have so much success so far already in the past year; and they’re also quite a bit of fun,” VeoRide Regional General Manager Matt Briggs said during a special Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday night.

He stopped by Nashua City Hall with an e-scooter to deliver board members a brief presentation before taking questions. He said e-scooters are very capable of handling potholes and cracks in the road.

One of the education elements of the program that the company plans to push in their messaging is that these devices operate in many of the same ways as the current bikeshare program. That means e-scooters will still need to be out of the right-of-ways.

Additionally, as those living and working in the city got more accustomed to seeing the VeoRide bikes around town, he said issues and complaints dropped significantly.

“We want to continue that momentum and just showcase that these operate under many of the same rules,” Briggs said.

“You still scan it with the app – that starts the clock, off you go. It unlocks the motor and when you’re done, you lock it in the app and that’s that. Leave it parked responsibility and ride according to the rules that have been agreed upon.”

Moreover, he also said that part of the user agreement entails that those who choose to use this service are then accepting liability for their actions.

E-scooters are currently being used in several larger cities across the country including Chicago, Austin, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee.

Members of the board raised a number of concerns during Tuesday’s meeting, but Mayor Jim Donchess was able to resolve those issues. He said in other cities, people enjoy similar scooters and actually use them. So, when these devices come to downtown, it will be via a trial pilot program.

“If there’s problems, we will deal with those as they arise,” Donchess said.

During Tuesday’s meeting some board members raised concerns about the use of helmets; the devices not being seen by motorists along Main Street; and use while impaired. The company encourages helmet use and requires users to observe all local traffic laws. Additionally, the same parking rules for the bikes will apply to the scooters, with people being encouraged to park them on the sidewalks.

Alderman Brandon Laws raised a concern relative to those who may go out and have too much to drink while spending time at bars and restaurants downtown. The concern is, what would happen if someone used an e-scooter to avoid driving a vehicle while under the influence.

“I have not had overwhelming support expressed to me in favor of this program, and I think we need more information,” Alderwoman Mary Ann Melizzi-Golja said.

She also said that if officials decide to put these out on the streets, and someone uses one because they believe they have had too much to drink, that is a a problem. She believes the company should reach out to the Nashua Police Department so that it can be made clear to residents what this involves.

However, Donchess said that according to state law, it is very clear a scooter is not a vehicle.

“Since a scooter is not a vehicle under state law, that eliminates all of those concerns,” Donchess said.

On Wednesday, however, Briggs said this is a common concern. The reality seen in other cities where these e-scooters are zipping around is that it has not really been an issue.

“Looking at the data and what we’ve seen in recent operations, it is not a major concern,” Briggs said.

There is soft launch of the e-scooters today. The official launch is set for 10 a.m. Friday at City Hall, 229 Main St.

Additionally, once these e-scooters are zipping around the city, Briggs wants to make sure people understand they can get in touch with VeoRide. The customer service number listed online is, 1-855-VEO-2256.

“They can reach out and talk to us at any point if they have any questions or concerns,” Briggs said.

By ADAM URQUHART

Originally published June 27, 2019

•••

New Hampshire repeals death penalty as Senate overrides veto

CONCORD (AP) – New Hampshire, which hasn’t executed anyone in 80 years and has only one inmate on death row, on Thursday became the latest state to abolish the death penalty when the state Senate voted to override the governor’s veto.

The Senate vote came a week after the 400-member House voted by the narrowest possible margin to override Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s veto of a bill to repeal capital punishment.

“Now it’s up to us to stop this practice that is archaic, costly, discriminatory and final,” said Sen. Melanie Levesque, D-Brookline.

With New Hampshire’s action, 29 states allow capital punishment, but in four of them, governors have issued moratoriums on the death penalty, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Twenty-one states have abolished or overturned it.

New Hampshire’s death penalty applies in only seven scenarios: the killing of an on-duty law enforcement officer or judge, murder for hire, murder during a rape, certain drug offenses, or home invasion and murder by someone already serving a life sentence without parole.

The state hasn’t executed anyone since 1939, and the repeal bill would not apply retroactively to Michael Addison, who killed Manchester Officer Michael Briggs and is the state’s only inmate on death row. But death penalty supporters argued that courts will interpret it differently, giving Addison a chance at life in prison.

“If you think you’re passing this today and Mr. Addison is still going to remain on death row, you are confused,” said Sen. Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry. “Mr. Addison’s sentence will be converted to life in prison.”

Carson argued that New Hampshire has a narrowly drawn law and a careful, deliberative process to ensure innocent people are not executed.

“This is not Louisiana of the 1920s where Old Sparky was put on a flatbed truck and driven from prison to prison and people were executed. We are not those people,” she said. “That doesn’t happen here in New Hampshire.”

The Senate vote, 16-8, was exactly the two-thirds majority necessary to override the veto. Twelve Democrats and four Republicans supported ending the death penalty, while six Republicans and two Democrats voted to keep it. The latter included Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, D-Manchester, who represents the district in which Officer Briggs was killed. He urged his colleagues to remember law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day.

“I can’t abandon these people,” he said. “These people are there for us. They’re there for us, and I believe strongly we have to support them.”

Sununu, who vetoed the repeal bill surrounded by officers at a community center named for Briggs, said Thursday he was incredibly disappointed in the vote.

“I have consistently stood with law enforcement, families of crime victims, and advocates for justice in opposing a repeal of the death penalty because it is the right thing to do,” he said in a statement.

But Sen. Bob Giuda, R-Warren, a former FBI agent, said while he greatly respects law enforcement, the death penalty is at odds with his pro-life principles. He called execution a “ghastly” process and urged his colleagues to “move our civilization” past it.

“I think we’re better than that,” he said. “I choose to move our state forward to remove the death penalty.”

New Hampshire lawmakers have been considering and rejecting repeal efforts for the last two decades.

Former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, vetoed a similar bill in 2000. Another Democrat, former Gov. John Lynch, signed a bill in 2011 expanding the death penalty to cover home invasions in response to a machete and knife attack that killed a woman and maimed her daughter in Mont Vernon.

From Staff & Wire Reports

Originally published May 30, 2019

•••

Concerns linger after audit of Assessing Department

NASHUA – “I’m very upset. We all knew. You had to be a moron not to know that there was a problem in the Assessing Department,” Nashua resident Laura Colquhoun told Board of Aldermen members during a Thursday meeting that lasted well into the evening.

The Management Audit of Nashua’s Assessing Department was performed by Chief Financial Officer John Griffin and Kim Kleiner, who serves as chief of staff to Mayor Jim Donchess, from Nov. 20 to March 1. It proposes sweeping changes to the structure of the department, as well as procedures and policies.

The report made recommendations to eliminate the chief assessor position and re-establish the administrative services director, as well as to perform a full measure of property in the city for the first time since 1992. Still, some residents and property owners do not believe this goes far enough.

After a special meeting during which the report was presented, residents expressed feelings of concern regarding the findings and recommendations put forth by Kleiner and Griffin. The feedback from the public ranged from disappointment in the audit, to questioning whether changes proposed would achieve the improvement that is hoped.

Colquhoun, of 30 Greenwood Drive, expressed major dissatisfaction, saying she only got involved when she realized there was such a vast disparity in land valuations. She said information on the city’s website is either missing blocks of data, or there have been no land values assessed to certain properties.

“I’m very disappointed because it’s not what I thought the audit would be about,” Colquhoun said in addressing the report. “I assumed that this audit was going to look at the problems within the assessing department as far as the garbage within the website.”

Others said they were concerned with whether Griffin was the right person to help usher in changes to the department.

“The man (Griffin) didn’t have enough time to do his job, but here we are moving forward now and we’re supposed to trust that the people who are going to make this right are the people who don’t have time,” said Michael O’Connor of 42 Berkeley St. “The CFO didn’t have time to oversee the management issue in the office he is responsible for, but now he has time to fix it.”

Berkeley Street property owner Laurie Ortolano, who has spoken at length about her struggles with the city – going as far as filing a formal complaint to the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration in February, agreed with O’Conner’s concern over Griffin’s role in the Assessing Office’s reform.

Ortolano also raised major concerns regarding where the Board of Assessors fits in the structure of the assessing function, be it in terms of procedure or policy. Referencing the department’s organizational chart presented in the audit’s report as well as the mission statement on the cities website.

“The Board of Assessors does not seem to know where they fit in that chart. One of their mission responsibilities on their website is to review all policy and make sure all policy is implemented,” Ortolano said to the Aldermen. “When I saw them three months ago, I came with their mission statement and I read to them, ‘You’re job is to implement policy, review policy and make sure its happening.'”

With the Board of Assessors deferring to Jon Duhamel, who formerly held the position of chief assessor, regarding certain policies, Ortolano wonders where these board members now fit into the department’s organizational structure.

By MATHEW PLAMONDON

Originally published March 9, 2019

•••

Judge denies state’s motion to dismiss EES suit

NASHUA – The battle for the public to obtain information about New Hampshire police officers with credibility issues took a new turn on Wednesday, as a Superior Court judge found the state’s Exculpatory Evidence Schedule – formerly known as the Laurie List – should not be considered part of a confidential personnel file.

“Because the officers listed on the EES do not share an employee-employer relationship with the DOJ … the court finds the EES is not a personnel file …,” Temple wrote in his 12-page order issued Wednesday.

He referred to the state Department of Justice, attorneys for which argued from the outset that the EES – which now includes roughly 260 police officers statewide deemed to have credibility, excessive force or mental health issues – is an extension of the officers’ personnel files and therefore should remain confidential.

Temple’s order came two months after the roughly two-hour Superior Court hearing, during which attorneys for both sides argued their positions.

“Today’s court ruling is not a victory for just newspapers and journalists. It is a win for the public, because the public has a right to know if there has been misconduct that could potentially impact the community at large. We never considered this to be personnel information and subject to exclusion. The court also agreed that this is vital information critical to public safety and public trust. At The Telegraph, we keenly understand that we are the gatekeepers for open records and are happy we were able to collaborate with the ACLU and other newspapers in the state,” The Telegraph Publisher and General Manager Heather Goodwin Henline stated on Wednesday.

The case results from a lawsuit the ACLU-NH and six news outlets filed last year, claiming the state was violating the Right-to-Know law by withholding documents the plaintiffs deemed public.

While ACLU-NH legal director Gilles Bissonnette declared victory Wednesday, calling Temple’s ruling tantamount to a final order, state Solicitor General Daniel E. Will disagreed with Bissonnette’s assessment.

“The court’s order is not a final order in the case, and therefore not subject to immediate appeal” to the state Supreme Court,” Will said in a statement.

He added that while the court denied the state’s motion to dismiss, it “did not order the immediate production of an unredacted EES.”

Will and other attorneys for the state are reviewing the order, he wrote, and will determine their next course of action.

The DOJ has 10 days to file a request for reconsideration, and up to 30 days to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.

Bissonnette, in praising Temple’s ruling, said the order he issued “is clear and unequivocal that (the EES) is a public document.

“In the context of his order, the judge agreed the EES is public, and the document belongs to the public,” Bissonnette said, adding that Temple issued “an incredibly strong opinion … for accountability and transparency.”

In light of Temple’s ruling, Bissonnette said, the unredacted EES “should be produced … released” by the state in timely fashion.

Will, along with Senior Assistant Attorney General Geoffrey Ward, said their arguments for keeping confidential the names of disciplined officers was based on enforcing existing laws, not, as Will said at the February hearing, “trying to protect police or trying to be pro-police.”

The names of the police officers are redacted on the EES lists the state has released to date, leaving only their department and a brief, basic description of the misconduct or discipline visible.

That practice, Bissonnette argued at the February hearing, “hurts public confidence in law enforcement” by “casting suspicion over the entire department.”

That in turn “minimizes the hard work and dedication shown by the vast majority of police departments,” Bissonnette said.

Originally called the Laurie List after the 1995 first-degree murder conviction of New Hampshire resident Carl Laurie was overturned because prosecutors allowed a police officer with credibility issues to testify against Laurie, the list became the EES in 2017 under then-Attorney General Joseph Foster.

The list, now kept and maintained by the DOJ, is designed to alert prosecutors when testifying police officers have credibility, excessive force or mental health issues that resulted in discipline.

Prosecutors are then constitutionally mandated to disclose the discipline to criminal defendants if it is considered exculpatory evidence, meaning evidence that is favorable to the defendant.

By DEAN SHALHOUP

Originally published April 25, 2019

•••

Board of Education gets five new members

NASHUA — Jennifer Bishop, Jessica Brown, Sharon Giglio, Sandra Ziehm and Paula Johnson will join the Nashua Board of Education as a result of the Tuesday Municipal Election.

The five current board members who had seats up for election were Doris Hohensee and Howard Coffman, who joined the board in January 2016; William Mosher who joined the board in 2008; Susan Porter, who was elected in March 2018 to fill the spot of Robert Hallowell; and Elizabeth Van Twuyver, who was elected in January 2012.

Bishop

Bishop is a graduate of Nashua High School South and currently works as a social worker. She said she’s been working with children since she graduated college.

During past forums, Bishop said she has a goal of making sure all students are provided the opportunity to succeed with a well-rounded education.

Bishop also said she believes she is the candidate to elect because she is level-headed and is aware of the needs of the most vulnerable populations.

“As a social worker, I see a lot of the issues in Nashua and the things that we need to be focusing on,” Bishop said during a recent forum.

Bishop was unable to comment before The Telegraph’s publication deadline.

Brown

Brown is a parent of an elementary school and middle school students in the Nashua School District. She is also a teacher and has experience serving on a nonprofit board.

During past forums, Brown has focused on school renovations, fostering an environment of love in schools and keeping Nashua families a priority.

“I’m really excited and I’m really looking forward to working for the city of Nashua,” Brown said Tuesday evening.

“I hope to bring to the board an optimistic view and a sense of community. I would like to see the Nashua School District be a mark of excellence through the state and I look forward to representing my constituents to the best of my ability,” Brown added.

Brown said she looks forward to working on the middle school building project, addressing both the compensation and training of paraprofessionals and making sure that the administration has a good line of communication with both the parents and the community.

Giglio

Giglio is bringing her 30 years of experience in education to the board.

Giglio began her career in education in the early 1990s as a paraprofessional at New Searles Elementary School, while she worked on a master’s degree in library science.

Following this, she worked as a school librarian in Massachusetts until 2016 when she retired. Upon retirement, Giglio was offered the opportunity to cover as a long term library substitute at Ledge Street Elementary School. She also has worked in the libraries of Birch Hill Elementary School and Mount Pleasant Elementary School.

“I see on a day-to-day basis what the challenges are for both the students and staff and I feel that I can make a difference,” Giglio said during a recent candidate forum.

Issues of concern for Giglio include meeting the needs of the whole child, which includes taking care of social emotional needs and academic needs, addressing the district’s substitute shortage and hiring more English language learner teachers, social workers and school psychologists.

Giglio was unable to comment before The Telegraph’s publication deadline.

Ziehm

Ziehm previously served as the board chair and has served on every committee of the board, which is experience she believes is valuable.

“I hope that there will be a better team effort with the new board, I hope the makeup of the new board will bring about a better team effort but obviously you know that remains be seen,” Ziehm said. “Who would have ever thought this last one was going to be as contentious as it was?”

“We should be able to have different ideas without insulting each other. It’s all right for you to think chocolate and me think vanilla. It’s OK for you to think north and me to think south; you to think up, me down. I think it’s healthy if we learn from each other that way,” Ziehm added.

Ziehm is hopeful that this board will take a turn in the right direction for the children of Nashua.

“My hope is that we’ll set an example for our kids to follow and that we’ll be the role models we need to be,” Ziehm said. “There are better things to come.”

Johnson

Johnson said it is going to feel great to be back on the board. It will be exactly 20 years since she last sat on the board.

“I’m really up for the challenge,” Johnson said. “I’d like to thank the voters of Nashua for remembering me. I would like to thank the voters for entrusting me to take on the hard job of three new middle schools and the nightmare of some of the things that are happening on the board… with the bullying, getting kids back to the basics of reading and writing, getting those proficiency scores back up.”

Johnson added, “I look forward to working with all eight of the members of the board; I look forward to working with Dr. Mosley; and having a meaningful relationship with everyone.”

Johnson believes the focus must remain on the students, the parents and the taxpayers. She also believes there needs to be stability on the board.

“We need to be professional adults on the board and respect everybody’s opinion,” Johnson said.

The terms of the new members are set to begin in January.

By GRACE PECCI

Originally published Nov. 6, 2019

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