WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2011
VOL. 20 NO. 32
BERLIN, N.H.
A general alarm fire was called out at approximately 12:45 yesterday afternoon at 567 Hillside Ave. Berlin. The fire started at the rear of the building and was difficult to fight because of wind conditions. (RITA DUBE PHOTO)
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A distraught resident and her dog escaped unharmed from the fire on 567 Hillside Ave. Tuesday afternoon. (RITA DUBE PHOTO)
Tuesday afternoon fire destroys Hillside Ave. house BY CRAIG LYONS THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN— A Tuesday afternoon fire destroyed a Hillside Avenue house and left several people homeless. Authorities are still looking into what caused a fire at 575 Hillside Ave. The single-family was occupied at the time of the fire, but a man, woman and dog escaped the fire unharmed. The American Red Cross responded to assist the displaced residents. The fire was reported shortly after 12:30 p.m. Captain Rob Jewett, of the fire department, said
the fire had a head start by the time the first crews arrived on the scene. Nonetheless, he added the first crew on the scene did a great job on the initial attack. The balloon construction of the house made it difficult to fight, said Jewett. First, he said there was an addition on the back of the house and the fire got up into the attic space. He added the fire then spread through the rest of the house’s attic. Secondly, he said a metal roof had been screwed on top of an existing roof. “It was a very stubborn fire to put out,” said
Jewett. At the time of the fire, Jewett said most of the crew was responding to a leaking propane truck near the nursing home, leaving three people in the station to make the initial response to the Hillside Avenue fire. After the fire was reported, crews needed to respond to an accident near the Twelfth Street Bridge and a sprinkler system problem on the East Milan Road. Aside from the fire department and the Red Cross, the police department and ambulance service assisted at the scene.
Council approves budget for public hearing BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN – Fine-tuning some numbers from its budget session, the city council Monday night voted to present a proposed fiscal 2012 budget of $31,320,082 at its May 25 public hearing. The budget eliminates four time positions and reduces a fifth position to part-time. It would result in a tax increase of about 50 cents. Mayor Paul Grenier, who provided the budget outline, said he remains committed to finalizing a budget with no property tax increase. He said he expects there will surpluses in both the revenue and expenditure sides of the current budget that can be used to reduce taxes. He is also looking for concessions from the city’s unions. Figures provided by City Manager Patrick MacQueen and Finance Director Betty Domino reveal the council would need about $200,000 in cuts or added revenue to keep the tax rate at the current
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$32.20 level. To restore the four and a half positions will require $527,800 in cuts or added revenue. Some councilors have stated they would like to see a small tax decrease. Grenier said restoring the positions and providing a 25 cents tax decrease will require $637,800 in savings and cuts. Grenier said his goal is to hold the tax rate and
restore all the positions. But he said he thought there is a chance the city could get a small tax decrease. One unknown is the payment in lieu of taxes that is being negotiated for the proposed Laidlaw/Berlin Station biomass plant and property. Grenier said the see COUNCIL page 8
Man injured in motorcycle accident BY CRAIG LYONS THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN— A Berlin man was taken to the hospital Tuesday after his motorcycle was rear-ended by a truck near the Twelfth Street Bridge. Police say the Dennis Boucher, of Berlin, was headed north through the intersection of Main and Twelfth streets when a pick up truck, driven by Cheryl Cook,
of El Reno, Okla., rear-ended his motorcycle when he attempted to turn into Costello Leon and Company. Boucher was taken to the hospital with possible back injuries and Cook wasn’t injured. Police believe that it is possible Cook didn’t see the directional on Boucher’s motorcycle due to the height of her truck, and that the turn was so close to the light.
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