Deck collapses at Epping party, 3 hurt
November 1, 2008
Three Epping High School students were injured last night when a wooden deck collapsed during a Halloween party hosted by their friend.
The deck gave way just before 8 p.m. at a condominium at 23 Plumer Court.
Homeowner Tammi Vasseur said six teenagers were standing on the deck at the time of the collapse. The deck, which jutted out over the driveway from the side of the condominium, fell about 12 feet and landed on top of a teenage girl who was standing under it. Witnesses said the girl’s boyfriend quickly pulled her out from beneath the deck and rushed her to the hospital.
Connor Patton, 16, said it appeared she suffered a leg injury. Patton was standing outside in the driveway, about five feet from the deck, when he heard a noise.
Full story from JASON SCHREIBER.
Other coverage:
Deck collapses during party in N.H.
Three taken to hospital after deck collapses during party
Stalled Engine Cause of Epping Plane Crash
October 14, 2008
One man was sent to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries after he was involved in a small aircraft crash on Sunday, Oct. 12.
Epping police Sgt. Sean Gallagher said Paul Aquaviva, 44, of Hampstead, was attempting to land a single-engine Piper Cub when he encountered trouble, crashing into a field on Red Oak Hill Road. Police, fire and rescue crews from the town responded at 12:11 p.m. to the field, which is where the aircraft is kept, Gallagher said.
The plane is owned by landowner Daniel Harvey, who permitted Aquaviva to use the aircraft, Gallagher said. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause of the crash and will be inspecting the plane. It does not appear the crash was weather related, Gallagher said.
Aquaviva suffered facial injuries in the crash and was transported to Exeter Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to Gallagher. As of Monday afternoon Aquaviva was still being treated at Exeter Hospital.
Read the full story from Dave Choate
Pilot Injured in Epping Plane Crash
October 13, 2008
A pilot from East Hampstead was injured in a crash-landing on an Epping farm yesterday, moments after his wife got out of the small, antique plane, according to the plane’s owner.
Phyllis Harvey, who owns the 1939 Piper J3C-50, said she suspects engine failure was to blame for the crash at Red Oak Hill on her family’s farm. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said investigators had yet to determine what caused the crash.
The pilot, Paul Acquaviva, survived the crash with “some cuts and slashes” on his face, according to Epping Police Chief Gregory Dodge.
Acquaviva was taken to Exeter Hospital. He was receiving treatment in the emergency room but was expected to be discharged some time last night, a hospital spokesman said.
Acquaviva had been flying in the single-engine plane with his wife, Nancy, in the front passenger seat, Harvey said. However, she said, he quickly landed and let his wife out because the plane was not running smoothly.
Read this full story from The Union Leader.
Epping landfill chief takes his lumps over mattresses
October 10, 2008
Town officials have found themselves mired in a mattress mess.
Mountains of mattresses collected at the town landfill were supposed to be hauled off to a private recycling company but were buried instead. Meanwhile, residents have been charged $10 per mattress and $10 per box spring to cover the town’s cost of having them taken away to a recycling center.
As many as 200 mattresses may have been left at the landfill, but not all were buried.
Jim Freeman, the town’s solid waste supervisor, decided to have the mattresses buried because there is plenty of room at the landfill and he wanted to save the town from having to pay to recycle the mattresses.
Freeman may have had good intentions, but his decision didn’t sit well with some town officials and residents.
Full story from JASON SCHREIBER
Epping residents express safety concerns to selectmen
October 3, 2008
Residents of Jenness Road want help from the Board of Selectmen to keep the road safe.
Resident John Driscoll recently asked selectmen to do something about a plugged culvert which has caused water to back up onto eight different properties in the area, as well as created a dangerous situation for vehicles traveling along Jenness Road.
“With that (culvert) plugged up, the water backs up and sheets across the road,” Driscoll said. “Then, in the winter it freezes, and the Public works guys are out there all the time chipping it away, and laying down sand. Then the water runs over it again, and freezes over the sand. I’m surprised nobody’s gotten killed on that corner.” The culvert, which was plugged in 1994, has been an ongoing problem for Driscoll and his neighbors. His mother lived there prior to him, and couldn’t understand where the flooding issues were coming from until the day they found out the culvert had been plugged.
See the full story from Terrill Covey
Epping Man Sentenced to Federal Prison
October 3, 2008
Jeffrey Lance Brown, 37, of Epping, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Concord to serve three years in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro also ordered the defendant to serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison.
The prosecution resulted from an incident on Nov. 9, 2006 when Epping Police discovered the defendant in possession of a shotgun while hunting. Brown had been convicted in 1991 of bank robbery in Oklahoma and thus prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm. Brown was identified in the robbery after wearing an Epping High School jacket during the crime.
The case was investigated by the Epping Police Department and the Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde Garrigan.
Volunteers Needed For Project Graduation
September 26, 2008
The 2009 Project Graduation Committee at Epping High School needs the public’s support. Monthly meetings are held every third Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the high school conference room. Students are welcome at all meetings.
Volunteers are needed for sign-ups at booth sales and events. Bake sale items, gift baskets, gift certificate donations, etc., are also needed for the raffles. Raffle tickets will be sold by seniors and also available at the Epping Voting Day booth on Nov. 4.
Project Graduation hosts an all-night event for the seniors immediately following the ceremony on June 19. Seniors will help plan the event, which usually includes dinner and dancing at the Legion Hall and a hypnotist for entertainment. Previous years the group has visited Hilltop Fun Center and ended in the wee hours of the morning with a homemade breakfast provided by the Epping Community Church.
Anyone wishing to provide an item for the raffles, should call 679-1319 or send an e-mail to Eppingprojectgrad2009@gmail.com. Arrangements can be made to pick up any items.
All sponsors will be listed on the 2009 graduation commencement program.
Gift certificates and money donations may be sent to: Epping Project Graduation, P.O. Box 529, Epping, NH 03042.
Vandals cause $15,000 damage at soccer field
September 25, 2008
Vandals caused more than $15,000 in damage to a soccer field complex Monday night when they sliced apart soccer nets and large banners, fired paintballs, flipped over portable toilets and drove across one of the fields.
Police are now searching for the culprits behind the vandalism spree at Seacoast United Soccer Club’s outdoor facility on Shirkin Road.
“I don’t know if somebody was trying to be vindictive or wanted to have some fun, but it was just sickening. It’s nothing more than just a kick in the teeth,” said Paul Willis, the club’s executive director.
The damage to Field 4 was discovered late Monday afternoon when members of a team showed up for practice. As many as 14 large banners advertising the names of sponsors were cut up with a knife, along with the soccer nets. The field was littered with the banners and trash that was left behind by the vandals.
Willis said paintballs had also been shot at the shelters that cover the area where players sit. The players and staff cleaned up the mess.
See the full story from JASON SCHREIBER
Epping parents told there’s no free lunch
September 6, 2008
School officials are serving a warning to parents who repeatedly fail to pay for their students’ school lunches: Pay up or face action by the school.
Collecting money for unpaid lunches isn’t a widespread problem, but officials say the small percentage who ignore the rules are costing taxpayers and creating headaches for food service workers struggling to keep their budgets in the black amid rising food costs.
“We’re not talking about the entire Epping population. We’re talking about a few parents who at times take advantage of the system,” Superintendent Barbara Munsey said.
Students haven’t been turned away when they show up in line with no money, but the school board adopted a policy last year in an attempt to crack down on the problem.
Read the full story from Jason Schreiber
Town Considering Four-Day Work Week
September 2, 2008
Town officials are considering a switch to a four-day work week to cut heating costs at town hall.
The proposal is the latest town attempt to save money in the face of rising energy costs.
Under a four-day week, the town hall would most likely close Fridays since the building currently closes early that day. The change would mean that offices would add hours to other days during the week.
Town Administrator Dean Shankle said the additional hours might be beneficial for residents who are unable to get to the selectmen’s office before it closes at 4 p.m. That office and others, like the town clerk’s office, would be open later.
“Now we leave before anybody gets out of work,” Shankle said, adding that having the offices open later would make them more easily accessible to working residents.
“To me, the savings is nice, but I think it would result in an increase in service to people,” he said.
If approved, Shankle said the change would affect only town hall employees.
Full story from JASON SCHREIBER.
