MEREDITH — The Inter-Lakes School Board awarded a contract to reconstruct the Inter-Lakes Elementary School playground at a meeting on Tuesday night.
Board members also reconsidered recurring topics of traffic safety for vehicles as they enter and leave the Meredith campus, and the possibility of recording board meetings for access through the Internet.
"The chairman and I have spoken a few times about videotaping our meetings," superintendent Mary Ellen Ormond told the board. "I would like to move forward with this and get some basic pricing."
Ormond said she'd like to gather pricing information for the microphones and camera needed to record meetings, which could be posted for viewing on the district website. A few years ago, with a different superintendent and a different school board, a similar proposal was rejected as an inexpedient use of taxpayer dollars.
For years Meredith Selectboard meetings have been broadcast live, and recorded for later broadcast, on Lakes Region Public Access television.
"This is just a discussion," Ormond said. "I would look at what it might take  to do... at least start off low-tech, see how many hits it gets. If people are watching it, we might invest some more."
Earlier in the meeting, Ormond told the board that she and other district representatives recently met with the chiefs of fire and police departments in the school district's three towns to discuss safety issues, including the topic of vehicular traffic exiting the Meredith campus and turning onto Route 25, especially those turning left to head toward Center Harbor. Vehicles stopped in the left-turn lane have poor visibility if there's a driver in the right-turn lane, an issue which has long been of concern at the school.
Board member Sally Whalen, one of the Center Harbor representatives, recently asked Ormond to see what could be done to mitigate the hazard.
Although there have been a few accidents at that location, Ormond said, they have been minor and haven't resulted in serious injury. Hiring a police officer to work the intersection would cost about $28,000 per year, she said, and officers wouldn't stop traffic during winter months due to the steep hill just to the south of the school campus. "The biggest fear is that someone would hit their brakes and cause more problems than it would solve," she said.
Board member Howard Cunningham, who had been on the board when it previously looked at the problem, said, "The most effective solution would be the purchase of property, construction of road for ingress/egress out of Prescott Park (to Rte. 3 North)." That plan would prove expensive, he said. Other board members noted that it would also direct far more traffic through and around Prescott Park's athletic fields, which might cause additional safety concerns.
Whalen and board member Carol Baggaley suggested redirecting left-turning traffic to the campus's northern exit, which features only one outgoing lane. "The visibility is so much better," said Whalen. However, the better sight lines come with a requirement of increased patience as the northern exit is also the one used by buses. Drivers also must drive past the high school's main entrance, which often sees a lot of back-and-forth foot traffic as students walk to athletic fields.
"It's a conundrum to try and parse through," said Ormond., who agreed to attempt a "pilot" program in which left-turning traffic would be diverted to the northern exit, and a crossing guard would be stationed at the high school's entrance for pedestrian safety. Ormond said she would give the board a report on the effectiveness of the pilot. "At least then we can make some hard decisions."
Lastly, the board unanimously agreed with the playground committee's recommendation to hire M.E. O'Brien & Sons, a Medfield, Mass. company, to construct a new playground at Inter-Lakes Elementary. The winning bid of $126,640 was less than a competing bid from Utiliplay Parks & Playgrounds, Inc., and more than that of Pettinelli & Associates.
Assistant superintendent Trish Temperino, representing the playground committee, said the M.E. O'Brien & Sons bid was favored because its proposed design was deemed superior to the others.

SANBORNTON — After considerable discussion, voters chose to add a total of $33,650 to the Budget Committee's recommended 2013-2014 operating budget of $3,776,638 at Annual Town Meeting last night.
The increases adds $19,879 to the Police Department for raises for patrolmen, $10,925 to the Fire Department for two additional per diem firefighters to be on duty during the week, $1,500 to the Highway Department for renting a vibrator roller and $1,344 to the library for fixed operating costs.
The increases raise the total operating budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 to $3,810,286.
About 150 people — approximately 7 percent of those eligible to participate — were at the meeting and the only vote regarding the operating budget that was close was about the vibrator-roller rental, which passed by a vote of 83 to 64. The reason for the rental, said selectmen, was because the old one keeps breaking and parts are becoming more and more expensive and hard to get.
Selectboard Chair Dave Nickerson said the rental would give the selectmen a year to decide whether to continue to rent a vibrator-roller, buy a new one or subcontract the work to an outside agency.
The police asked for between 4 and 12 percent raises to stop the migration of police officers from Sanbornton to other communities who can pay them more money.
By means of example, Sgt. Justin Howe, who is also a town resident, said over the past 14 years, Sanbornton has paid about $250,000 to train new officers. He said each officer now requires $35,000 each in training and can't become completely effective for six months to a year.
The request for raises beyond the across the board 2 1/2 percent was triggered by the recent departure of one of the department's senior patrol officers and lead investigator who took a job in Hooksett that will pay him $10,000 more after he completes his in-house training.
The issue, said Chief Stephen Hankard is that all police officers in New Hampshire require the same training but once they get a few years of experience, they become targeted by bigger towns that can pay them considerably more money.
He said the pay increases will not bring Sanbornton to the same pay scale as other communities in the area but will make it more competitive.
"If we can get close they won't jump for the money," Hankard said.
Fire Chief Paul Dexter said his goal was to add two additional per diem officers so there are three people, including himself, who are in the fire station four days a week. He said this gives him more than two people to respond to an incident and frees him to be the incident commander.
He said the department and the town have done a great job of building up the equipment used by the firefighters and EMTs and now is the time to invest in manpower.
As always, the library is a bone of contention between some members of the Budget Committee and the Board of Library Trustees. Speaking for some member of the BudCom was Chair Earl Leighton, who said the $1,344 was eliminated from the budget request because either the line items were underspent, overspent or the money was spent on non-budgeted items like a refrigerator and and air conditioner.
Leighton also said the library pay overtime rates to people who work more than 10 hours — a statement that Director Cab Vinton said was not true.
What makes the library different from the rest of the town departments is that once the money is appropriated by Town Meeting, the library trustees take over the budget administration; selectmen cannot take money from the library and spend it in other department without permission of the library trustees.
He also said that, by law, the library cannot over spend its budget, unlike other departments in town that can ask selectmen for transfer money from another department to overcome a shortage or an emergency.

CUTLINE: Retired Deputy Fire Chief Steve Surowiec hugs current Fire Chief Paul Dexter after officials recognized him for 33 years of service to the Sanbornton Fire Department.

LACONIA — "We are shooting for $1 million, we're 80 percent there," said Ed Emond, business administrator for the Laconia School District. As the High School construction project approaches completion this summer, providing the district with a reconstructed Huot Regional Technical Education Center and a best-in-the-region athletic facility, the district is redoubling its efforts to raise an even million from private sources.
The project, which includes several new science labs, is projected to cost a total of $16.8 million.
A recent update from general contractor Harvey Construction, according to Emond, reported that the project was progressing under budget and well on schedule to be completed this summer. Soon, workers will place the granite steps leading up to Fitzgerald Field — named after former football coach Jim Fitzgerald — at Bank of New Hampshire Stadium. Those steps, as well as pavers and bricks that will line the path into the stadium, are available for purchase by local organizations or individuals who wish to be a lasting part of the project.
Of the 20 granite steps, said Emond, six remain unclaimed and can be engraved with a name or message in exchange for a $5,000 donation to the campaign.
For a $1,000 gift, donors can engrave a 12-inch-square granite paver, of which 40 were initially available and 15 are still up for grabs.
Emond said there are also opportunities for donors to sponsor a brick in the walkway; a large brick for $250 or a smaller one for $125.
"It's an opportunity for people in the community to participate in this project," said Emond. Those interested in learning more about the opportunity, visit the district's website at www2.laconiaschools.org or call the district office at 524-5710.
The first phase of the Huot Technical Center project is complete, with students in several programs already utilizing a newly-constructed, 34,000-square-foot building along Dewey Street. Attention has now turned to the old Huot space, which will be renovated and reconstructed. Meanwhile, crews have also been busy all school year behind the school, moving countless truckloads of earth to re-shape the hill behind the former site of the football field into a three-tier configuration.
The first tier, located where the football field used to be, has been converted into a parking lot with room for 140 cars, with a small practice field to the south side. Raised above the parking lot will soon be a state-of-the-art synthetic playing field — Bank of New Hampshire Stadium — able to host all sports that play on a rectangular field. Grandstand seating is in place for 775 cheering fans, including a press box donated by Mas-Con. A third tier, yet higher than the playing field, will be the site of Bobotas Field, a natural grass practice field.
City Councilor Matt Lahey, one of the proponents of the campaign, said much of the progress toward the million-dollar goal has been thanks to corporate donations — Bank of New Hampshire, Irwin Automotive Group, Irwin Marine, Meredith Village Savings Bank, Eptam Plastics, among others — and Lahey said there are further naming rights available. For example, he's courting possible sponsorships for the stadium's press box and concessions stand, as well as for the Huot Center's automotive program.
For those who don't have a corporate account from which to make donations, though, Lahey said the stair, paver and brick sponsorships represent a rare opportunity for individuals. "As residents of this city, as alumni, they have a chance to play a role in a significant improvement," he said.
Craig Kozens, teacher, football coach and soon to be the school's athletic director, noted that the stadium will be the premier athletic facility in central New Hampshire, and is likely to remain such for a long time. For those who sponsor a portion, however large or small, he said, "They'll have a lasting piece of the entire project."

CAPTION for LHS FIELD PROJECT in AA:
Teacher and football coach Craig Kozens, left, and City Councilor Matt Lahey look out over the rapidly-progressing construction project that will soon result in a new athletic facility and Huot Regional Technical Educaiton Center on the Laconia High School campus. The capital campaign, helping to fund the project, has a few remaining opportunities for individuals and companies to leave their mark on the facility. (Laconia Daily Sun photo/Adam Drapcho)