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©copyright 2008 The Amherst Citizen
Published March 6, 2008
Tax Rate Estimate to Increase by $1.22
By Cliff Ann Wales
AMHERST – Souhegan operating budget and warrant article funding the cost of the first year of a professional and support staff agreement on salaries and benefits increases the spending by $598,453 over last year’s default budget of $16,770,070.
Amherst School District operating budget represents an increase of $405,683.
The Town of Amherst’s operating budget plus warrant articles supported by the selectmen is an increase in spending of $477,907. The operating budget is an increase of $93,676 and the articles represent $384,231 in increases.
Together all three budgets total $1,482,043 in increased spending, which is an estimated $1.22 on the tax rate.
Amherst School District Renovation bond article requests $3,995,000 for urgent renovation projects at Clark/Wilkins Schools and the Amherst Middle School. The bond addresses safety/ADA issues, energy conservation, building efficiency and program support. In the first year of the bond, the estimated increase on the tax rate would be $0.07.
All of the above information was provided to the public at the deliberative meetings. The numbers have come from the superintendent’s office and the town administrator’s office. Each district reports separately what the estimated tax impact of their proposed budget and articles will be. The only computation done by this reporter is the addition of the three districts separate tax rate impact to provide the taxpayer with a combined tax rate impact.
This estimated tax does not account for growth in the tax base. The growth in the tax base is expected to grow between 2 to 3 percent thereby reducing the estimated tax rate.
tax base is increased in April and the results of the election are calculated.
As reported by the Ways and Means Committees and the Finance Committee the increase in contractual agreements, salaries and benefits, energy costs, special education, educational programs and technology upgrades and replacements drive the operating budgets. The budgets are supported by the Ways and Means committees and Finance Committee. In addition the renovations at AMS and Clark/Wilkins Schools is supported by the Ways and Means as “necessary, not only to ensure the safety of our children but to preserve our assets. These renovations encompass fire safety enhancements, infrastructure repairs, as well as increasing energy efficiency.”
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Candidates for Public Office – Amherst Town and School Districts
Amherst Town or School
Amherst school Clerk, 1 seat for 3 years Jan Bunker (i)
Amherst school Moderator, 1 seat – 2 years Carol Holden (i)
Amherst school School board, 2 seats – 3 years Nancy Head (i); Rob Graybill
Amherst school Treasurer, 1 seat – 3 years Jan Bunker (i)
Amherst town Cemetery trustee, 1 seat – 3 years Marie Grella (i)
Amherst town Library trustees, 2 seats – 3 years Donald Holden (i); Helen D. Rowe (i)
Amherst town Moderator, 1 seat – 2 years Robert Shaumann
Amherst town Selectman, 1 seat – 3 years Thomas P. Grella (i)
Amherst town Supervisor of the checklist, 1 seat – 6 years Geraldine R. Porter (i); Jeanne G. Ludt
Amherst town Town clerk, 1 seat – 3 years Nancy Demers (i); Linda M. Rossi
Amherst town Trustee of the trust fund, 1 seat – 3 years Andrew F. Pataky; Kevin J. Grassett (i)
Amherst town Zoning board, 2 seats – 3 years Roger Wellington (i); Lorne Fienberg;
Daniel Weldon
Souhegan (Amherst, Mont Vernon) School board member from Mont Vernon, 1 seat – 3 years: Pamela Coughlin
Souhegan (Amherst, Mont Vernon) School board members from Amherst, 2 seats – 3 years: Christine Janson; Mary Lou Mullens
Amherst Police Chief Requests Tasers
AMHERST – At the Town Deliberative session, Police Chief Peter Lyon was asked by Bill Belvin, Ways and Means member to comment on the Chief’s request to purchase tazers for his officers. Mr. Belvin commented that there is $7,200 for five tasers in the police department budget. “Tasers can be deadly, he commented. “They are more than just another piece of equipment.”
A taser is described as an electroshock weapon to subdue fleeing, belligerent, or potentially dangerous subjects from a distance. It is also used to subdue a non-cooperative or simply resistant citizen.
Chief Lyon said that Amherst is no longer a quaint and small town. That the growth in the Route 101A corridor and retail businesses bring their own problems. Arrests in Amherst number around 700 per year. The officers carry guns, batons and spray.
“I’ve spent a great deal of time researching this. We need to be prepared to protect our officers and the community,” he said. “I don’t take this lightly. When physical force is necessary we need the best equipment out there. It’s important for us to have this weapon.”
Amherst EMS
New Device, Big Miracle
AMHERST - Amherst Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has acquired three EZ-IO Product Systems from Vidacare, provider of solutions for immediate vascular access in circumstances when conventional IV access is challenging or impossible.
The EZ-IO system works on the basis of intraosseous (IO) infusion which provides a direct conduit to the blood stream through the bone, a technique which has traditionally only been used on critical pediatric patients has now gained widespread acceptance as an alternative route for administering IV drugs and fluids to all patients young and old. Vidacare’s lithium-battery powered EZ-IO tool and patented needle sets offer Amherst EMS Paramedics an IO option that is stable, secure and capable of delivering essential fluids and drugs to patients in just seconds.
As the number of emergency medical procedures in the US requiring use of an IO device grows in line with the increase in the United States elderly population, the introduction of the EZ-IO system comes at a crucial time for Amherst Paramedics and patients alike. The EZ-IO Product System has already been adopted by a number of local and state hospital and emergency healthcare professionals who have recognised its value as a life-saving tool which helps to circumvent difficult medical situations.
“We are delighted to be working closely with Vidacare on the implementation of the EZ-IO device,” said Brian Gleason, director for Emergency Medical Services for Amherst. “In our research we have found its speed of use and simplicity beneficial to patient care. Importantly, when traditional IV cannulation is unsuccessful or appears too difficult to attempt we know we can immediately turn to the EZ-IO and be confident that we will have access within seconds to deliver life saving drugs or fluids.”
Heart disease is the United States number one killer, with almost 1,200,000 heart attacks and 451,00 cardiac arrests annually. Up to 25% percent of these patients arrive in Emergency departments without viable IV access, and for every minute that passes after these types of cardiac episodes, the chances for survival decreases by 10 percent. In contrast, the EZ-IO system has the potential to eliminate the occurrence of cases where there is no viable IV access, thus greatly increasing the chances of patient survival.
The EZ-IO product system is an exceptional product for immediate vascular access when conventional IV access is difficult or impossible. The EZ-IO facilitates the administration of fluids and drugs to the patient securely, easily and quickly. EZ-IO’s unique design yields an ease of use that allows vascular access with minimal trauma to the patient’s tissue or bone. This unique design allows the Paramedic to know precisely when the insertion needle has entered the intraosseous space giving them superior control, even in the most difficult cases.
EZ-IO allows emergency medicine professionals to work expertly to securely attain vascular access in seconds. The result is the ability to achieve required flow rates safely and with confidence. EZ-IO can help improve the clinical excellence of the EMS and the hospital, ultimately becoming a contributing factor in saving patients’ lives.
New England Spring Flower Show
Tuesday, March 11
Join with the Amherst and Milford Garden Clubs for a welcome breath of Spring as we visit the 2008 New England Spring Flower Show at the Boston Bayside Exposition Center.
Sponsored by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, this year’s theme, Rhapsody in Green, will be interpreted by over 40 fully landscaped gardens at the center of the five-acre event. Ecological aspects of the theme will be explored in gardens featuring green roof technology, low-water and reuse water gardens, and recycled materials. A special exhibit of “Garden Club Gardens” will be 8 x10 patios featuring container plantings and interesting structures. In the Garden Marketplace you will find over 200 vendors selling plants, seeds, flowers, plus garden-related gift and artwork.
Price: $38 (includes coach, show admission, driver’s gratuity). Depart 1:30 p.m. - the Meeting Place (Rte. 101) Amherst; return 9:00 pm. Please make your check out to the Amherst Garden Club and mail to Amherst Garden Club, Spring Flower Show, P.O. Box 694, Amherst, NH 03031. For more information, call Jan Madigan 673-8718 or Linda Dobbins 672-8202. NOTE: Our bus sold out last year, so be sure and get your reservation in early.
Newcomers’ “Out and About” Club
The “Out and About” group, one of Newcomers’ many groups, was formed in the Fall of 2007. The group’s mission is to explore the many artistic and cultural resources primarily of New Hampshire, though trips to Boston are also planned. Some of the previous “outings” have included: Andre Institute of Art, Brookline, NH, New England’s largest outdoor sculpture park, “Christmas in Amherst Village” tour and the Sharon Arts Center’s “60 Annual Members’ Exhibition” in Peterborough
The next “Out and About” trip will be Friday, April 4, at the Currier Museum of Art.
This is a Special Public Tour with Chief Curator Andrew Spahr . This tour is offered only during the Museum’s free reopening week and will begin at 1 p.m.
A trip to the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston is planned for May.
For further information, please contact Barbara 673-3232. Newcomers’ is open to the residents of Amherst, Mont Vernon and Milford. Both long time members of the community and new residents are welcome.
AJWC to Distribute Funds
The Amherst Junior Women’s Club invites nonprofit organizations in need of charitable contributions to apply for a donation from the Club. During the year, the AJWC raises funds to give back to the community at large. At this time, the AJWC is accepting requests for these funds. All individual requests must be affiliated with a nonprofit organization. These organizations need not have Amherst-based addresses, but must service the local community. All requests must be in writing, submitted by March 31 and contain all of the following information: * Name of organization, address, telephone number. * Contact person, amount requested, and how the funds will be used. * Short biography/history of organization and when established. * How organization is funded? * Provide high-level annual budget and shortfalls, if any, expected. What other resources or funding sources have committed to help accomplish your objective? * How would the donation be used? Applicant shall describe its purpose for requesting funds and what objective these funds will help the organization accomplish. * How would objective benefit Amherst and the greater community? How does it correspond to AJWC’s mission? Questions may be directed to Patty Casey, President, Amherst Junior Women’s Club, at (603) 672-5514 or via e-mail at caseyamherst@comcast.net .
Only recipients of donations will be contacted and once approved, funds will be distributed by the AJWC no later than June 15. Please mail (postmarked no later than March 31, 2008) to CIP Request, Amherst Junior Women’s Club, P.O. Box 513, Amherst, NH 03031. The Amherst Junior Women’s Club is an organization of Amherst, New Hampshire women who volunteer their time, energy, and talent to enhance the community.
The AJWC mission is to focus efforts on civic needs, educational advancement, and those less fortunate. AJWC’s fundraising goals are achieved with the assistance and generosity of businesses, organizations, and individuals.