WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011
VOL. 20 NO. 12
BERLIN, N.H.
FREE
752-5858
Snowmobiler’s body recovered from Conn. River BY CRAIG LYONS THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
LANCASTER— N.H. Fish and Game officials recovered the body of a Vermont man from the Connecticut River Tuesday morning. The body of Adam Debartolo, 28, of Perkinsville, Vt., was recovered from the river by the N.H. Fish and Game Dive Team at 9:35 a.m., on Tuesday, after he was last seen snowmobiling on the river Sunday, according to a press release. Authorities began searching for Debartolo Monday after he and two other men where skimming, which is when snowmobile goes over open water at a high rate of speed,
rear the Route 2 bridge and fell into the river. The incident is still under investigation, but authorities arrested Aaron McCarty and Dwayne Secord, the two other riders, for driving while intoxicated, since it appears alcohol was possibly a factor in the incident. Debartolo was last seen Sunday afternoon after he and his snowmobile fell into the river. Reports state he was struggling in the water and then disappeared from view. Officials presumed Debartolo had drowned. One of the other men also fell in the river but made it to the shore. The third man made it to the
shore without falling in the river. The men were skimming an area adjacent to the bridge that had about 75- 90 feet of open water, according to Fish and Game. Skimming across the water is illegal in New Hampshire. Officials resumed searching for Debartolo Tuesday after the strong current and ice flow on the river made efforts difficult on Monday, according to the press release. It adds the search team did locate a phone and driver’s license belonging to Debartolo Monday. The dive team encountered a difficult search since see SNOBILER’S page 7
Fr. Sergious is back BY GAIL SCOTT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
Fr. Sergious Gerken is delighted to be back as the priest at the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Christian Church in Berlin. He has been absent for 14 years during which he oversaw the renovation of an Orthodox Christian nunnery, built in 1841, in Calistoga, Calif. He has begun regular Vesper services at 6 p.m. on the weekdays as well as regular Sunday worship at 9 a.m. and the other observances that take place in this Christian calendar season leading to Easter. (GAIL SCOTT PHOTO)
BERLIN—Fr. Sergious Gerken has returned as the fulltime priest of Berlin’s Holy Resurrection Orthodox Christian Church. The ebullient Fr. Sergious says he is delighted to be back. Already he has been greeted by neighbors who stayed in touch for the 14 years he was gone. During those 14 years, Fr. Sergious was assigned to renovate an historic nunnery in Calistoga, Cal., which appears not to have been hardship duty. “Everything will grow there,” remarks the Father who is a dedicated horticulturist. But he regards the Berlin congregation as family, he is happy to be among his friendly neighbors and dedicated parishioners, and, although he has yet to unpack all his belongings, he is answering constant phone calls with the cheer of the return of a native son. The coffee pot is on in the kitchen, awaiting the next visitor. In the church, Fr. Sergious has started vesper services at 6 p.m. every day but Sunday. These are short, lay reader services. “The priest reads and sings with others. Singing praise is a good way to end the day,” Fr. Sergious says. The Sunday liturgy is at 9 a.m. If there are weekday services, they will be at 8 a.m. and there will be no vespers in the evening. The church must be delighted to have him back. It has been without a resident priest and dependent on the services of see FR. SERGIOUS page 6
Grants dominate council discussion Majority of Coos reps BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN – Grant discussions dominated Monday’s city council work session as city departments increasingly look for outside sources of money to ease the city’s fiscal constraints. Superintendent of Schools Corinne Cascadden sought council approval to apply for a $1 million grant through the N.H. Public Utilities Commission to replace the oil-fired boiler at the high school with a biomass boiler. Cascadden explained that the school district is looking at funding options to do the project which is estimated will cost around $1.5 mil-
lion. Last month, the district applied for a $250,00 grant for engineering services for the project. Cascadden stressed there is no guarantee the city will be awarded the grant. The current boiler, which would remain as a back up, is 40 years old. It is estimated moving to a biomass system would save the district $79,000 in fuel costs the first year. Water Works Superintendent Roland Viens said water works wants to apply for a $1 million Rural Development loan/grant package to replace or repair the transmission line that supplies water to the city’s system from God-
vote against state budget BY CRAIG LYONS THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
CONCORD— Four of Coos County’s 11 representatives voted in favor of the budget the N.H. House of Representatives passed last week. The N.H. House of Representatives voted Thursday to approve a $10 billion state budget by a 243- 124 vote. The budget approved reduces spending further than what Gov. John Lynch initially presented in February. The budget reportedly cuts state spending by more than $700 million. see VOTE page 8
see COUNCIL page 7
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