Londonderry News

Celebrating our School Resource Officers!

What is going on in our school district?

At the most recent School Board meeting, the Superintendent, who presides during and until the election of a Chairman, called the meeting to order. This was because of the resignations of two sitting board members - the existing chair and vice-chair.

There was little discussion before a member self-nominated themself to the temporary chair role. (Why temporary? That is a whole other discussion.) This set a very questionable tone for the evening that left the community feeling that the decision had been made without transparency and "behind closed doors" prior to the meeting.

When the first school board member resigned in August, proper procedure was followed; a notice was posted and applications were accepted by the school district for a replacement. Moments before the process was set to close, a second school board member resigned, an occurrence that was unprecedented. The district office decided unilaterally that the application process for both open positions was complete. There was no fair notice to the community to absorb the second vacant seat or an opportunity to review possible new submissions for this position.

The meeting was even more nefarious when individuals who had submitted their applications were being appointed. You know the saying, “It’s rigged, I tell you.” Shenanigans continued when a board member motioned to conduct public interviews of the applicants. The member was glazed over and ignored by the others, even though all of the candidates had been invited to attend the meeting. This made the selection process appear to be pre-ordained.

During the discussion on the reopening plan, numerous solutions were presented; ‘parent’s choice’ was the clear consensus throughout the community. Many hours have been spent debating all the options. The school district even created a task force on this issue.

In addition to not listening to tax-payers (which 75% of their yearly tax bill goes to supporting the district), discussions of the board continued on frivolous spending. A discussion took place on using money granted by the State for COVID relief, and to spend $100k on at-home PCR tests. Also, administrative staff continued to advocate to the board that the schools could administer vaccinations.

Discussions like this beg the questions: Since when did the school district get into the medical business? Why does the district and the board want to take on that liability? These monies could be better spent by continuing advancement of HVAC systems, safer cleaning products, or hiring incentives to fix the low staff issue caused by COVID. Or it could even be used to offset the budget after the taxpayers paid for many requested expenditures when COVID reared its ugly head.

The meeting ended abruptly and in total confusion when one of the members stood up and left due to an emergency. The whole room was stunned. No quorum was present and no business could be further conducted. The room was out of order.

When the chair asked for recess, a ‘non-meeting’ took place that involved the remaining school board/district administration/legal counsel. One of the applicants for the open positions was also reported to have entered the room.

The lack of decorum and order by the board resulted in several concerned citizens filing 91-As (a Right to Know Law), which would grant access to all communications within the school district office. Since the meeting, the teacher’s union has sent a mass message to school district staff about the 91-As, and guided them in the use of personal email addresses for school-related discussions.

What was on display at the August 24th Londonderry School Board meeting was a School District in complete disarray and with an absolute lack of leadership. A political show at its worst. The behavior of the Superintendent, Staff, and Board Members was extremely disappointing. Instead of trying to heal a fractured community, their actions further advanced the distrust of those in leadership, and continued to divide the citizens. The public’s confidence in the district has been shattered.

As we continue to feel the ramifications of COVID, our children are falling behind in their education. We can all agree the children are feeling the gravity of COVID the most. Regardless of economic level, social demographic, or home life situation, children and young adults are being adversely affected, resulting in rising mental health issues that could last for decades. We need leaders that will set their differences aside, find common ground, and put our children first.

Said best by Russel B Long; “A government by secrecy benefits no one. It injures the people it seeks to serve; it damages its own integrity and operation. It breeds distrust, dampens the fervor of its citizens and mocks their loyalty.”

Kathy Wagner is a former Londonderry Town Councilor and a Town resident for over 30 years. She has served on various community committees and is currently in the process of renovating her 1700’s historic farm house and barn located in Londonderry.

While we do not experience frequent vehicle thefts or break-ins, we got hit hard last night in the center part of town to include Colonial Drive, Columbia Drive, Lawson Farm Road, Alexander Road, Tanager Road, Justin Circle to name a few roads.

If your vehicle was rifled through or damaged last night (or ever), please call in to file a report. These cases can be tough to crack but when we do, it is important to aggregate them together. Our patrol officers are working with our Detective Squad to ID suspects and involved vehicles. If you have a house camera, Ring doorbell, or surveillance system, please SAVE YOUR VIDEO from last night; it could help break our case!

Included with this post are some recommendations from Goodyear.

Calling all cars! The Old Home Day Car Show needs your help getting cars to participate in the show. Please consider putting your custom ride in this year and encourage others too!

Hello concert lovers! Finally finally FINALLY! Our first concert is this coming Wednesday at 7:00 on the Londonderry Common (fingers crossed for good weather)!! We put the "trees banner" up and we are ready to ROCK! Dottie will be there with the ice cream truck, but we will not have a food truck this week. B's Tacos will be with us the following weeks, though (yumm!). The fantastic Martin and Kelly will be performing, and we cannot wait to have them kick off our 21st season of Community, Great Music and Summer Evenings! Hope to see you at the concert! 🎸❤️🎹❤️

The Town website has all the forms available for all things Old Home Day in Londonderry.

https://www.londonderrynh.org/old-home-day-committee

Old Home Day Committee | Londonderry, NH Click Here to Visit the Old Home Day pageDisclaimer: You are leaving the Town of Londonderry's secure website. The website you have selected is an external one located on another server. We have no responsibility for an external websiteMissionThe observance of Old Home Day has been a long-s...

Old Home Day is almost here.

The mask task force is still in discussion. However, I would hope we would continue on this course as a community and not a political agenda.

Please note the correct dates of Old Home Day. Contact Kirby Brown at the Town Hall if you have any questions.

Please see the Press Release below regarding the correct dates for this year’s Old Home Day celebration. We hope to see you all at one of the many events during the multi-day celebration—more details to follow!

We plan on howling at the Moon.

https://www.wmur.com/article/julys-full-buck-moon-will-light-up-the-sky-tonight-heres-when-to-watch/37113194

July's full 'buck' moon will light up the sky tonight. Here's when to watch Here's when July's full moon will be at its peak and how long you'll be able to catch a glimpse.

Happy Birthday!

Saw this live. It was wild. Great job LFD and LPD! Happy everyone was safe.

Pancakes and a hike. Love NH!

National Geographic Named This New Hampshire Trail One Of The Best In The World This is one trail you'll want to cross off of your bucket list!

Have a happy 4th. Looking forward to a drive for Pancakes.

How I Live Free: Polly's Pancakes

New Hampshire’s White Mountains named most scenic place in US New England has countless beautiful places for photographers to treasure.

4th of July Holiday Trash & Recycling Schedule

Good news to share! The Town has been awarded a $500,000 grant to stand up a rebate (reimbursement) program for qualifying households (who are not currently being provided bottled water and a long-term solution by a Responsible Party like St. Gobain) for up to $500 of their costs expended on certain qualifying PFAS mitigation measures. However, we are still at the beginning stages of finalizing the grant with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, so the program is not yet up and running. Once it is, we will post and publicize all the details, including the application and verification process. Thank you for your patience!

Yummy, yummy in our tummies.

Pick your own strawberries Wednesday 16th June
We are letting the berries ripen and skipping over the rain that is coming in for Monday and Tuesday.
Pick your own cherries will be starting soon followed by pick your own blueberries first week of July.

Sunnycrest Strawberries!

Pick your own Strawberries are open!
7am till noon everyday!!!
New beds are out back of farm.
Walk or drive to fields.
Hotline 603-432-7753!
Farm market opens at 9am
With fresh breads muffins ,gluten free and vegan ,fresh vegetables
Come in and enjoy fresh.

UPDATED (6/7/2021)

Below is a list of road construction locations for Londonderry. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation.

Londonderry Concerts on the Common Schedule — Londonderry Arts Council We have a fabulous schedule of concerts for our 21st season! Enjoy wonderful and talented performers each week. Grab a lawn chair or blanket - and join us for a fun evening of community and music on the Londonderry Town Common. Every Wednesday 7:00 - 8:30.

Memorial Day trash & recycling pick-up will be delayed one day.

Come out to support our Veterans.

ATTENTION, residents! Are you aware of the drinking water PFAS-related contamination issues in Southern NH? PFAS is a man-made contaminant which has been discovered in the drinking water all around the United States, but particular to us, in Londonderry and several surrounding towns. By now, many of you may have received a letter from the NH Department of Environmental Services (DES) notifying you that your well is within 500 feet of someone else’s well which has tested in excess of the PFAS standard in NH. As part of the Town’s ongoing efforts to address the PFAS issue, DES will be providing a FREE, virtual-but-interactive informational session to Londonderry residents on Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 6:30 PM. This presentation will include information on PFAS as it relates to Londonderry, PFAS health effects, the current status of the PFAS investigation in Londonderry, what this means to our residents, actions to help mitigate exposure, and a Q&A session with DES and its experts on the matter. PLEASE see the information below or visit the Town website regarding how to register, and feel free to share this information with your friends and neighbors!!

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3029203327767773199

Londonderry senior Gruchot finds his niche LONDONDERRY — An injury forced Alex Gruchot to become a faceoff specialist. Now, it’s all working out for him.

Employee Spotlight:

This month we would like you to meet Officer Muzafer Aku, aka: Muz, or Moose. Officer Aku moved to the United States when he was 9 years old from Iraq and is fluent in Kurdish.

Officer Aku came to LPD with about 8 years of law enforcement experience. Officer Aku is a defensive tactics instructor, RAD (R**e Aggression Defense) Instructor and a member of the Accident Reconstruction Team. You can find Officer Aku patrolling the streets on day shift!

Officer Aku enjoys spending his off time with his wife and 4-year-old son. Officer Aku and his family are expecting a new addition to the family in October!

Londonderry Residents: The New Hampshire Dept. of Environmental Services (NHDES) is in the process of notifying all homes within the St. Gobain consent decree area which are within 500 feet of a well which has tested in excess of the new PFAS standards. (The letter will indicate if you live within the consent decree area!)
Please see the following blog post for an explanation and what to do should you receive one of these letters:

NHDES Groundwater Contamination Notification Within the Saint-Gobain Consent Decree Area – NH PFAS Investigation NHDES Groundwater Contamination Notification Within the Saint-Gobain Consent Decree Area Posted on April 23, 2021 by Jim Martin NHDES has recently identified a deficiency in our notification procedures within the Saint-Gobain Consent Decree Area. When contaminated groundwater that exceeds state Ambi...

IT’S OFFICIAL: Londonderry will be hosting its Old Home Day event this August. However, we need YOU to help us continue our long-standing and beloved Old Home Day celebration! For many years, a small group of volunteers put on an outstanding Old Home Day celebration, BUT those folks have stepped down and we need new volunteers to keep it going. PLEASE consider joining the Old Home Day Committee to bring Old Home Day back to life after this past year. Please join us on Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 6:00 PM in Town Hall to start planning Old Home Day 2021. Questions? Contact Kirby Brown at [email protected]. Come one, Come all-- We know our Town will step up!