#LaconiaCityBoxscore — June 15

LACONIA — Retired Brig. Gen. Donald Bolduc related an unusual story about his late father, Armand A. Bolduc, on Monday when a plaque was unveiled outside the City Council Chambers, officially naming the room for the man who served there for 34 years as a city councilor.

Donald Bolduc recalled working as a police officer for a time and arresting a large man during Motorcycle Week.

“My brother is 6-foot-6,” said Bolduc, who is just average size. “Well, this guy was a couple inches taller than my brother and had him by at least 220 pounds.

“I bring this guy in to the Weirs Beach police station and, unbeknownst to me, my dad is in there.

“I’m booking this guy and he decides to go crazy, and the next thing I know, every cop in there is jumping on this guy, trying to get him down.

“I’m wrestling him down and I’m reaching behind and trying to get his tree trunk of an arm back behind him.”

As Bolduc struggled with one of the man’s hands, he saw someone reach out to grab the man’s other hand.

“I said, ‘Hold his bleeping hand while I get my cuffs on him,’ and I look up and it was my dad. I said, 'Oh, hi, Dad.’”

Bolduc said his father was always very helpful to city employees and the public. He was known to throw himself into charity and municipal work, donating freely of his time and energy.

Bolduc died in his home at age 78 on April 1, 2018. He had been diagnosed with advanced cancer.

They said it:

"Realistically, there really isn't an alternative if we are to go forward. It will be a tough decision for the City Council." — Mayor Ed Engler, discussing how councilors will likely be asked to fund a portion of the $4.8 million that failed to materialize in federal New Market Tax Credits for the revitalization of the Colonial Theatre.

"I can confirm there is a funding gap for the Colonial project and we are working hard to identify funding sources to fill that gap with our funding partners and the City." — Justin Slattery, a spokesman for the Belknap County Economic Development Council, which is organizing the project, in response to a question of exactly how much money councilors will be asked to provide and whether there are alternative sources of funding.

Facebook:

“No one wants to see such beautiful architecture razed. It's sad, but sadder yet is the apostasy of so many born Catholics who have left the church. Form follows function and no attendance brought about this current crisis.” — Ken Peters, on efforts to save the circa-1929 St. Joseph Church despite plans by the Diocese of Manchester to knock it down.

“Can't it be turned into something else? This is timeless architecture that we don't see being built anymore. Very sad!” — Jessica Jackson.

Coming up:

A solar power generating facility would be built on the site of an old landfill under a special exception request to be considered by the Zoning Board of Adjustment on Tuesday.

New England Solar Garden Corp. of Portsmouth wants to put rows of solar panels on a 59-acre site off Sterling Drive, about 2 miles north of Laconia Municipal Airport near New Hampshire Route 11B.

“After construction of the solar farm, maintenance and upkeep will be minimal, resulting in minimal traffic or other nuisances,” the company says in its applications. “The solar farm will have no customers or vendors coming to or from the property and maintenance traffic is typically limited to one light truck on an infrequent basis. As such, the solar farm will not increase traffic or impede the ability of pedestrians to safely use existing public rights of way.”

The company also said the facility will have a “low profile, will not be an eyesore or nuisance.”

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The Huot Technical Center will celebrate the construction of a 192-square-foot “Tiny House” in an event at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

“Meet the students who built the home and recognize the many business partners that helped with donations, mentoring and volunteering their time to make the project possible,” the school said in a news release.

The public is invited. The Tiny House is for sale.

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The Lake Opechee boat ramp will be closed Monday through Thursday, through May 1.

The closure is required because Eversource is upgrading the Messer Street Substation, which is next to the ramp.