THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
VOL. 21 NO. 11
BERLIN, N.H.
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752-5858
It was the end of a era yesterday afternoon as the last of the Rite Aid buildings on Main Street were demolished. Over the past two months, the remaining block of buildings purchased by Rite Aid Corporation back in 1998 have been razed. Rite Aid initially purchased the buildings with plans to build a new store there but the company ran into financial difficulties soon after purchasing them and never moved forward on the project. The buildings have sat vacant except for the one occupied by J.C. Penney, which continued to operate until the summer of 2010. Fittingly, the J.C. Penney building was the last to be torn down. Couture Construction, the contractor for the demolition, began working on the J.C. Penney builing last week. Yesterday, it took several hours and a few mishaps but the final corner section was down after just noon. Phil Bedard of Couture Construction said he was relieved that the demolition of the buildings was completed without any major mishaps. It took four excavators and a full crew of workers to do the project. Rite Aid Corporation said it will market the vacant lot. (PHOTOS BY RITA DUBE AND BARBARA TETREAULT).
Search suspended for body of man who New FEMA maps add 100 fell into crevasse in Tuckerman Ravine properties to flood zone BY ERIC EISELE THE CONWAY DAILY SUN
PINKHAM NOTCH — Unsafe conditions have forced rescuers to put on hold the search for the body of a Boston man who slid into a crevasse in Tuckerman Ravine on Sunday. Norman Priebatsch was descending Tuckerman Ravine on foot, according to a U.S. Forest Service statement, when “he fell, slid over a rock band, and continued downslope before falling into a deep crevasse at about 3:30 p.m.” Rescuers see no chance that Priebatsch is still alive. Several skiers and other members of Priebatsch’s party witnessed the fall. They tried shouting down into the hole but heard no response, prompting them to call for a rescue. U.S. Forest Service snow rangers, assisted by several other agencies and volunteers, tried late into the night to locate Priebatsch. One snow ranger was “lowered with lights and rescue equipment approximately 50 feet
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into the crevasse,” according to the forest service statement. “Visibility was restricted to about 80 feet. The crevasse, filled with hanging ice, running water and undermined snow, narrowed below that point. It was determined that lowering further into the crevasse was not possible due to significant safety concerns for rescuers.” It was 11 p.m. by the time the effort was over, and there was still no sign of Priebatsch. The search was put on hold at that point, according to the statement. “The accident site will be constantly monitored for changing conditions to allow resumption of recovery efforts.” “As of today the snow conditions remain pretty dangerous,” said Tiffany Benna, a forest service spokesman. “Efforts are still suspended.” Other rescuers involved in the effort, however, suggest that suspension will last for a while. see SEARCH page 7
BY BARBARA TETREAULT BERLIN – New flood insurance mapping by the Federal Emergency Management Agency will dramatically increase the number of city properties listed as being in a flood zone. City Planner Pamela Laflamme said currently there are 12 properties in the city considered in a flood zone. Based on her analysis of the revised maps, she believes that figure will increase to approximately 115 properties. Laflamme said the affected properties are along the Androscoggin River, Jericho Brook, and the Dead River. “There are a lot of people
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who will now be affected,” Laflamme said at Tuesday’s planning board meeting where the subject was discussed. The change in the flood zone designation will have a considerable impact on property owners. Homeowners in flood zones are required to purchase flood insurance if they have mortgages with lending institutions. Flood insurance can be fairly pricey. The re-sale value of property in a flood zone can also be affected. “We’re going to have some upset residents,” Laflamme predicted. Laflamme said she has see FEMA page 8
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