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• Private Contractor Accountant (Friday, January 28 22 07:55 am EST)

  Tony Baker, do your homework! Every community that has had the balls to privatize departments including fire departments saves big bucks. Privatized companies run the show not the employees.

• alicia (Friday, January 28 22 07:30 am EST)

  I have no choice you try a mile in my shoes

• Alicia's landlord (Thursday, January 27 22 08:33 pm EST)

  Alicia you live in a dump cause your a pig get a job work harder you wouldn't need to live in a dump pretty simple stuff but instead be a scumbag and complain or clean the dump up take pride in YOUR dump

• alicia (Thursday, January 27 22 05:52 pm EST)

  Landlords can lower rent, they are too high anyways. Don’t blame the taxes. Blame all the slumlords because they don’t maintain their buildings and take advantage of the tenants. We all know who they are. If everyone maintained their buildings the tax rate would be lower. Believe me I live in a dump.

• tony baker (Thursday, January 27 22 04:17 pm EST)

  Oh I see that now. You would sell the building and then a for profit gym would run it. Well if you can find one which believes there is a profit in running a facility like that in Claremont then it would work. The price would go up, and it would no longer be a Community Center.

• Donk (Thursday, January 27 22 04:06 pm EST)

  I propose selling the center outright.As one of the lowest per capita income with the highest taxes we really cannot afford such luxuries.
  Let them do with it as they please.I don't think we have a whole lot of choices to make.I certainly don't think higher taxes that pushes people out of apartments and houses in the name of keeping a spa functioning is such a good idea.

• Tim Mulligan (Thursday, January 27 22 04:06 pm EST)

  Oh stop your complaining and pay up. If we already have the highest tax rate then who cares if it’s a little bit higher? Boo hoo, get to work and pay up.

• tony baker (Thursday, January 27 22 02:35 pm EST)

  Donk you propose that the contractor would pay the insurance and maintenance out of funds not collected from Claremont? Dream on. they will cut services and raise fee's or they simply won't do the contract. No profit, no bids.

• Donk (Thursday, January 27 22 02:26 pm EST)

  Tony, the liability insurance,and maintenance would be on the new owner.Also no more health insurance and salaries for whatever bureaucracy they have there.
  It's an albatros around Claremont's neck.

• tony baker (Thursday, January 27 22 01:42 pm EST)

  Still can't see how privatizing will save money when the private contractor will be taking 20% of your tax dollars off the top as profit. They will limit services or pay even lower wages.

• Donk (Thursday, January 27 22 01:37 pm EST)

  Tim, we already pay the highest tax rate in the state,by a large margin I might add.I don't think the trash bags renting from landlords can handle the rent as it is.Raise the taxes and the rents have got to follow.Heating oil is already causing rents to rise on it's own.
  How about selling the community center to a private party? How about privatizing snow removal? How long until the fire department gets tired of their toys and tell us we need the newest gadget to come down the pike?

• Tim Mulligan (Thursday, January 27 22 11:16 am EST)

  If you can’t give people adequate pay and benefits or keep the roads paved, I think a walking trail is the very last thing you should prioritize. What we need are some counselors and a City manager that aren’t afraid to raise taxes to get the funding to get the job done. Enough messing around. You want a nice city with well taken care of infrastructure and competent employees then pay for it!!! Enough level funding bull crap.

• Guy (Thursday, January 27 22 09:51 am EST)

  I believe that area was purchased with the intention of making it a water front walking trail. That was over a decade ago, why hasn’t there been progress in making it happen?

• Joseph (Thursday, January 27 22 02:42 am EST)

  Thanks for bringing this up on the Sullivan Report, and also contacting the City Manager Jim.

• tony baker (Wednesday, January 26 22 08:29 am EST)

  Great to see a quick reply to the pictures and comments on What's up Claremont.
  
  Oh and your threats here as well Jim.

• Jim Sullivan (Wednesday, January 26 22 06:37 am EST)

  New article updating the Sullivan Smokestack situation.
  
  Rapid Response!
  
  The article appears on the News Flashes page of this website.

• tony baker (Tuesday, January 25 22 04:07 pm EST)

  Wow, Jim, really venting today. I lost count of your journalistic exclamation points today. Great assault piece today but I think you should have put it as an editorial, you said " in my opinion" way to many times to parade it as news.

• Johnny Cakes (Tuesday, January 25 22 02:39 pm EST)

  The public shouldn’t be down there, trespassing.

• Jim Sullivan (Tuesday, January 25 22 07:57 am EST)

  New article.
  
  Claremont Officials ignore dangerous situation – Public safety in jeopardy!
  
  Article appears on the News Flashes page of this website.

• Pete (Monday, January 24 22 05:58 pm EST)

  You can pop down and ask Councilor Kiloski. I did years ago when this page was blasting him for such. He has every stitch of paper showing all payments made and never owed fica just owned rooms and meals at one point. By the way many restaurants do. I understand the other info about fica was just added fake infortmation which this page does. He had no problems showing me the documents even though it wasn't really my place. I said that was ok and he insisted. They hang right there in the restaurant. You think they would still be there open? I thought that was open and honest to answer when asked. Maybe you should try that instead of poking around here under a fake name. They are yellow pages if I remember correct that show all paid from Revenue Admininstration. Says Revenue Admin right on them. I asked if he was aware what was being said here. I recall him explaining at the time the only people trying to spin it to something it is not are those that don't bother to really ask. Have some nachos while you are at it.

• Educator (Monday, January 24 22 04:59 pm EST)

  Does councilor Koloski still have a lien on his place for unpaid rooms and meals and I think workman's comp and FICA for employees?
  With inflation running the way it is, teachers and administrators are going to need a lit more money going forward.

• Becky (Monday, January 24 22 04:46 pm EST)

  Anyone know how to look up rooms and meal tax licenses? There is a taco place in town that I go to and I have not seen a license posted. They are suppose to be on display I think. Have not seen a liquor license either. Seeing these sales tax conversations its make me wonder if my money is going to the State.

• Concerned C. Citizen (Monday, January 24 22 12:35 pm EST)

  I like John and Jim’s idea to copy the Chinese. Or the movie Boss Baby, with the Acorn school. Cool concept.

• Can we fit that in budget probably not (Monday, January 24 22 11:57 am EST)

  Not to mention how to manage money but hell why teach them that let them learn on there own after first 2 loans that go bad they have learned they will pay for that the rest of there lives why bother trying teach them we teach them so many other more important things lol

• $38 million a year each year (Monday, January 24 22 11:52 am EST)

  Kids don't learn how to sign there name that should tell you about everything ask the majority of high school kids if they learned how

• Concerned Citizen (Monday, January 24 22 11:48 am EST)

  I think that idea was taken from the very successful Chinese model of education.

• John J O’Connor (Monday, January 24 22 11:22 am EST)

  Concerned,
  No, the articles, if I remember correctly, was about having 1 teacher teach multiple classes remotely at different schools at the same time with the help of paraprofessionals stationed in the classroom.
  Again, if I remember correctly, one teacher could teach the same subject remotely to thousands of students that would be in classrooms.

• Concerned citizen (Monday, January 24 22 08:55 am EST)

  Privatize all education?

• John J. O’Connor (Monday, January 24 22 08:42 am EST)

  Now would be a great time to reinvent education.
  Sully…. If I remember correctly, didn’t you do a series of articles a number of years ago dealing with “remote” teachers teaching kids in class ?
  You were ahead of the times.If you can find those insightful articles, I’d appreciate it if you could re-post them for your new followers.
  Please and thank you !!!

• Contractor (Monday, January 24 22 08:24 am EST)

  Yes! turn all of the city services over to for profit contractors and watch the cost shrink!

• Charles Marcus Fenhois (Sunday, January 23 22 07:55 pm EST)

  Privatize all City services and implement school choice. This City will be a shining example of how to do it for the rest of the State.

• Ill Warbemkaul (Sunday, January 23 22 05:08 pm EST)

  School choice is the answer, through and through. Let the money follow the student.

• Ryan (Sunday, January 23 22 04:45 pm EST)

  The Claremont school board members are trying to do what is right for everyone. The nutjobs who want to increase the budget size and the tax rate are going to screw that up. They are tax and spend liberals who do not care about the average working citizens.

• Alex (Sunday, January 23 22 03:23 pm EST)

  If they cut my position down to part time I lose my health insurance.
  You don't want that,right?

• Brian (Sunday, January 23 22 03:11 pm EST)

  Why are they trying to steal our tax break? The director will still be full time just doing a little different job that's all. These people are nuts.

• Tom (Sunday, January 23 22 02:12 pm EST)

  Those scheming to keep Mr. Herzog in a full-time position as only the director of a presently failing facility should not be listened to by anyone. They do not have the community's best interest at heart. Mr. Sullivan offered some solid suggestions in his article as to what the next steps should be. I think we all agree that more technical courses must be offered in the technical center but Mr. Sullivan is right that first a good plan of action has to be created. Throwing more money at a director who in nearly four years has failed to create any programs at all is incredibly stupid. The superintendent should be considering Mr. Herzog's future with the school administration instead of offering him continued employment. Positive changes are needed.

• Joseph (Sunday, January 23 22 02:07 pm EST)

  No sales tax needed.
  State has a surplus and some are to stupid to make the state pay more back to communities, and instead come up with additional tax burden ideas

• Tim Mulligan (Sunday, January 23 22 12:34 pm EST)

  Time for a City sales tax. All are in agreement.

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, January 23 22 10:22 am EST)

  Two new articles published today.
  
  1) Will the public's tax break be sabotaged?
  
  2) No Deal!
  
  Both articles are published on the News Flashes page of this website.

• Hard work determination is right (Saturday, January 22 22 11:38 am EST)

  Hard work is the problem look around we have non working citizens everywhere

• Old Man Wisdom (Friday, January 21 22 04:29 am EST)

  The key to fixing Claremont is hard work and determination. Stop pretending you are a victim of your circumstances. Develop a 100 year view of where Claremont should be and start working towards it every day, together.

• City Insider (Thursday, January 20 22 05:43 pm EST)

  Tax Walmart to pay the City workers more.

• tony baker (Thursday, January 20 22 04:07 pm EST)

  Donk I think you are wrong on the city pay scales. the people doing that work here would get those same benefits at any other city or town, and a higher base pay. It is fine if Claremont wants to be the lowest paying town in NH. Just accept that you will also eventually have the lowest performers in all of the positions. The you will have departments with limited managers who can't manage a budget, and end out spending more to try and correct the problems.

• Donk (Thursday, January 20 22 11:33 am EST)

  It's only a matter of time until small city/town New Hampshire goes bust.
  The problem is that the state has no income tax to assist with things like education,pensions and health insurance for city employees.When you add in health insurance premiums and pensions into city employee pay you will find they aren't as low paid as they would have you think.Now that just may be the way it is everywhere,but without state help we are sunk.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, January 20 22 08:18 am EST)

  Ray,
  Don’t get your panties in a twist, people here like to bully.
  Don’t be intimidated!!!
  I appreciate your suggestion. In Claremont’s present condition, no idea is a bad idea. Creating a sales tax, even as limited as you propose would be aggressively challenged on the State level but it’s a worthy idea for discussion.
  Don’t lose faith, I was a big fan of your Dad and we know he wouldn’t let a few mental midgets run him off.
  Stay strong !!!!!

• Ray Hughes (Wednesday, January 19 22 08:55 pm EST)

  Here’s my email
  Rayhughes30@gmail.com
  Hit me up for real (Bob or John). Cause i really didn’t intend share anything on this useless ass forum until troll boy John took a Facebook thread out of context.

• Ray Hughes (Wednesday, January 19 22 08:46 pm EST)

  Hey bob, I ran for city council and probably won’t again because from what I learning there isn’t whole lot the city council can do. And that’s who I was having a discussion with on a different platform before it moved over here. Let me know when you thumb wears out. I’m not bitching I’m sharing my ideas as to where I see revenue generating for the city without raising residential property taxes and am learning about the obstacles set in place, so I can continue to formulate a plan. What are you attempting to do for the community? Where are your ideas? You take your opinion and stfu. Don’t even have the integrity to put your last name down when calling me out.
  
  John,
  You realize Walmart is as successful as they are because the government at all three levels subsidizes their business. They keep 95% of their employees at part time to prevent unionization Why do you think they can sell shit so cheap.
  Why do you like Walmart? Most of the people on this thread despise the welfare lifestyle and that’s Walmart’s bread and butter. The American way is crony capitalism and corporate welfare. I dislike Walmart because I worked for Stan Kroenke’s Colorado Rapids soccer team and it was a shitty business and organization.
  You can just target specific business for taxes. There is a specific food and meals sales tax.
  
  If we can’t change the tax law and tax them without the state doing it, I don’t really care but I can see why city struggles the way it does.

• John (Wednesday, January 19 22 07:39 pm EST)

  Yeah I don’t think you can tax just one or two businesses. It ain’t the American way. I’m sure Walmart employs more lawyers than the entire population of Claremont and that would be in litigation until the cows come home. Back to the drawing board.

• BOB (Wednesday, January 19 22 07:15 pm EST)

  All I see is Ray doing a lot of BITCHING and not a lot of problem solving!! hey Ray take your Idea's of how to make Claremont better and go before the city council and present them. If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem!!! I don't wanna see any BS here go before the council then come back and run it. Otherwise stfu

• John (Wednesday, January 19 22 05:55 pm EST)

  You are mad at Walmart for being successful and you want to punish them by specifically targeting 3 businesses in town with a tax?

• Ray Hughes (Wednesday, January 19 22 05:31 pm EST)

  What are these better ways?From what i can tell, we can’t act in this town without asking permission from some authority doesn’t care about us or our area.
  Implementing a tax on business whose CEO has never spent a personal cent of his own in this town is theft to you? It isn’t me. What is theft is the property tax on residents being so high that the low income people can’t even own their own slums and others don’t want improve their structures or land because all that means is higher property taxes on top of cost of improvements.
  The slumlords who own and rent out in this town should be targeted too, especially if they aren’t even a residents of Claremont.

• John (Wednesday, January 19 22 04:50 pm EST)

  Tax = theft
  
  There are better ways to solve Claremont’s problems

• Ray Hughes (Wednesday, January 19 22 04:26 pm EST)

  I love how the residents of this town have just submitted to the bullshit funding laws of the state. I understand that Claremont has a bunch of roadblocks for anything other than constant property tax rate and tax value increases. Claremont won two lawsuits and with no improvement to school funding equality, when it because apparently it doesn’t matter what the courts rule, if our legislate is inept to figure it out.
  This is why I think our local government should just do what would help Claremont and don’t really care about laws that keep the residents struggling more than have to. Tax large corporations the right way at the local level. Legalize and sell cannibus or all drugs for that matter. Portugal’s legalization and regulation shows that method is superior to the War on Drugs method to reducing drug abuse.
  If Claremont gets sued for doing the right things for it’s population who cares, nobody seems to care that Claremont won two lawsuits.
  I think it’s time to change the states motto from live free or die.

• John J. O'Conner (Wednesday, January 19 22 03:27 pm EST)

  Wow, just days from the John J rant that he is outa here to back to two post in one day. Last one was a great post that would have added to the dialog on a real forum if he was allowed

• John J O’Connor (Wednesday, January 19 22 02:37 pm EST)

  Ray,
  There are enough states that have legalized and commercialized that all we need to do is follow their format. In Massachusetts they left it up to each town to make a decision if they wanted local retail cannabis shops. Those that did shared in the tax money, those that chose not to, did not.
  Ultimately it comes down to future decisions, the past is the past, Walmart, Rite-Aid, CVS, Home Depot, Runnings and North Country are all in the past, nothing we can do about that now .
  What we do now will echo for decades.

• Ray Hughes (Wednesday, January 19 22 02:21 pm EST)

  John,
  I agree whole heartedly with the cannibus industry, although if it’s not controlled locally, Claremont will just get screwed over given crumbs like always. Look at the restaurant sales tax? Has that helped anybody here? The tax would not apply to the business you speak of unless they are on a public stock exchange. And people crossing the border to stop at those stores doesn’t seem to translate. How much better has Claremont gotten since letting Walmart, CVS l, Rite Aid or Home Depot take over retail in this city. Not north country smokehouse or the local franchise owner already getting screwed by the meals tax or their franchisor. Ideally it would drive companies out of town that don’t provide any sort of meaningful jobs. Who really cares if Walmart leaves town, can’t be any worse than before I was born when Joy left. If sales tax is local than local control can prevent the right business from leaving town.
  A state sales tax being overseen through concord probably would hurt the business we want to help.
  Look at the gambling monopoly the state gave draftkings. They make enough money that Claremont’s annual budget is a r&d write off and yet our state leaders gave them a market monopoly on the gambling addiction that plagues millions.
  If Walmart or rite aid or cvs wanted to provide more than part time minimum wage jobs like say Hannaford or market basket does, maybe I wouldn’t be trying to push this idea. The point is to get more people spending their welfare money at Leo’a market, or the hobby shops on pleasant street.

• John J. O'Conner (Wednesday, January 19 22 01:06 pm EST)

  I second the lack of credibility for this site and this forum.

• John J O’Connor (Wednesday, January 19 22 12:26 pm EST)

  Ray and Deb,
  Thank you for clarifying your comments, they must be on a site I am banned from.
  Ray, a sales tax was hotly debated when I was down in Concord. The overwhelming opinion was having no sales tax is New Hampshire’s advantage. Studies have shown the border towns would be hurt drastically if a sales tax was implemented.
  New Hampshire needs a new form of tax revenue to give the property owners some relief and that would happen if NH legalized and more importantly commercialized marijuana.
  Five years ago it was projected NH would get 60-80 million dollars in new tax revenue. I have to assume the projections would be higher today.
  Deb, I completely agree with you, this site, to be seriously considered as a source of news and information, needs to stop people from posting under aliases. This format lacks any and all credibility.

• John (Wednesday, January 19 22 12:22 pm EST)

  Would this tax apply to businesses like North Country and our other manufacturers in town? What is the threshold? Will Runnings and Hobby Lobby be included? How about Market Basket and Hannafords? Hubert’s? What’s the rate? What are you planning to do with the money? Will it drive companies out of Claremont? Will they go to Newport instead? How about the small convenience stores? They are large national brands?

• Ray Hughes (Wednesday, January 19 22 10:30 am EST)

  I also can’t believe you read that thread and took from it that our assistant mayor is pro sales tax. She just explained why it’s not an option at this time and likely won’t be for the considerable future.

• Ray Hughes (Wednesday, January 19 22 10:16 am EST)

  The city can’t pay competitive wages, the schools are cutting programs and not one person here wants to do anything or than complain about how shitty our under compensated departments are run. Meanwhile I see huge multinational companies thriving off the area and giving a whole back in terms of substance. I know Walmart donates a lot candy and school supplies, how about they donate teacher pay. That’s what I’m trying to get at.

• Ray Hughes (Wednesday, January 19 22 10:07 am EST)

  John,
  Why are you scared of a sales tax on Public Companies like Walmart. If you read the thread you would see that the sales tax I push for is targeted on the business. The locally or small business retail shops on would not be subject to collecting a sales tax. This gives a little bit of help versus companies that have legal budgets larger than our cities entire annual operating cost.

• John (Wednesday, January 19 22 10:02 am EST)

  Deborah, thank you for clarifying. And yes, my name is John. I’m sorry I had to raise the question, your comments were very unclear.

• Debora Matteau (Wednesday, January 19 22 09:35 am EST)

  John, or whomever you really area, no Deb does not support a local sales tax. Where do you get that??? This is the problem with most posters on here...you like to twist people's words. I am currently having a conversation with someone on facebook (both of us who use our real names) who suggested a local sales tax and I am just explaining why Claremont couldn't even consider that. No where in my comments do I come out in support. Stop trying to stir the pot. And, Jim, I would really like you to consider requiring people to use their real names on here. I suspect most posters would not have the courage to post some of their crap if they had to stand behind it with actual names.

• Tony (Wednesday, January 19 22 09:31 am EST)

  So Jim are you happy that a bigot who can’t get on any other forum is tearing down Claremont on your blog? Require real emails and clean your house.

• John (Wednesday, January 19 22 09:28 am EST)

  Does Assistant Mayor Deb Matteau support a Claremont sales tax? It seems so
  
  Jim and Francis, go investigate.

• Uncle Baby Billy (Wednesday, January 19 22 06:37 am EST)

  I’m not judging you and no I don’t have a place to for to live. My dad allowed one of his places to be rented for subsidized low income resident and with in 7 years it looked like every other low income dump in this town. Fortunately he was able to get the renters out and it sold before it was worth nothing.
  Maybe you should control your own life rather than “marry rich” like your mama said. Maybe she should have said to have stable living situation and income streams before having kids with multiple different deadbeats.
  Why does city council have any obligation to take care of the situation that your choices got you into?

• Leave we have plenty (Wednesday, January 19 22 06:28 am EST)

  Welfare trash pig non functioning drains on society

• alocia (Wednesday, January 19 22 05:31 am EST)

  ron lock me out of facebook i post here for the city council all reads this and
  billy. you have a place we can stay. or. billy we live here but moved here because city welfare gave bus ticket to claremont
  don’t judge me. i have 15 follower
  i should marry rich like mama told me. these guys be jealous in my house but they deal with it

• Uncle Baby Billy (Tuesday, January 18 22 08:14 pm EST)

  The real question Alicia is: Why is the community responsible for trying to figure out your living situation/making sure there are property and houses available that aren’t your responsibility? Why don’t you and 3 other adults figure out a way to own your own roof. The community didn’t give you 4 kids and baby daddies that don’t care to raise their own.

• Tony (Tuesday, January 18 22 06:07 pm EST)

  Because they can. Jim doesn’t require a real email.

• Tim Mulligan (Tuesday, January 18 22 04:23 pm EST)

  Why would you post that here alicia?

• alicia (Tuesday, January 18 22 09:16 am EST)

  i nneed a new place to live u guys done know what Claremont slums and scum broken walls 4 kids
  andrew. Joe. Ornice. move in to see their kids no job i work tik tok need more money 8 people 2 bedroom 3 baby daddy to support one more don’t pay
  prospect street kids walk to Sokol don’t careee but they will play video games famous on youtube drop out
  no one cares. city don’t care. Rates and roaches

• Ryan (Tuesday, January 18 22 06:36 am EST)

  Can the six city councilors who actually played a big role in breaking the city government with their procrastination and decision avoidance actually fix what they broke? I’m not so sure about that.

• Uncle Baby Billy (Monday, January 17 22 06:07 pm EST)

  Ask the organized inclusive team of democrats that got these kids elected why the effort stops after winning the campaign.

• adam (Monday, January 17 22 03:40 pm EST)

  Well we hired the discount manager for the city and then he had to hire underqualified candidates because they would take the offer. Hard to run the city on a cut rate staff with little management.

• tony baker (Monday, January 17 22 03:19 pm EST)

  William I am not sure how long you have followed the Sullivan report but Jim has recommended firing all of the previous City Managers within a few weeks of them starting. Another factor for Claremont is that they are not offering competitive salaries so you hire the candidates who say yes. Qualifications are hard to purchase on salaries stuck in the early 2000's. you will also see problems soon as the union negotiations have been put off and people know they can move to almost any town and write themselves a raise.

• William (Monday, January 17 22 03:04 pm EST)

  The six returning city councilors are to blame for this mess because they did not terminate the last city manager several months ago when they should have. Several of the problems would not have occurred if we had a different city manager before the current budget was drafted and before all of the recent employee hiring’s took place. Jim Sullivan recommended his termination for quite some time now, the councilors ignored him, and that proved to be one big mistake that all of us are going to have to live with.

• Donk (Monday, January 17 22 02:32 pm EST)

  Linda, they have someone on the Council.

• Dave (Monday, January 17 22 02:29 pm EST)

  I am wondering if on-the-job training is in the future for the ladies in the finance office and for the city planner who admitted in the middle of a planning board meeting that housing is a foreign language to her? Mr. MacLean inherited one heck of a mess.

• Steve (Monday, January 17 22 12:22 pm EST)

  I am not happy about taxpayers having to pay for on-the-job training for Mr. Gleason. I do understand why Mr. MacLean is doing this and why Jim Sullivan is supporting the expenditure. Mr. Morris put us in this pickle by hiring someone without any public works management qualifications and at the present time we do not and assistant public works director who can step up, fill in, and do the job. The timing could not be worse because we are now in the middle of a hard winter with the bitter cold and deep snow we are getting today and now is not the time to have someone in charge who does not know what he is doing and that is exactly what we have right now. On-the-job training seems like the lowest cost quick fix for a problem that never should have happened. One can hope that when hired the new assistant public works director will actually be qualified to step into the role of public works director if it proves to be necessary. I know Mr. MacLean talked about a succession plan for employees and that is a terrific idea and hiring experienced staff is the first step to make that plan a reality.

• Linda (Monday, January 17 22 12:21 pm EST)

  Claremont does have site plan regulations. Report what you witnessed to the City Planning Office tomorrow. It is their responsibility to enforce site plans.

• William (Monday, January 17 22 12:05 pm EST)

  I moved here a little over a year ago. Do you guys have site plan regulations? I work in the Big Lots plaza and for 2 seasons now watch Arrowhead Motors push their lots snow across the road in to Dunkin Donuts lot. I was on the planning committee where I lived. I find this to be strange. I wonder if Dunkin knows that they are paying for someone elses snow when they get their lot full. I saw them have to truck it all out last year. Do you guys not have regulations? Today when I went to grab a coffee they are also pushing it up the road in to the neighborhood behind the lot. Any one know where I can look up this information?

• Kevin (Monday, January 17 22 11:43 am EST)

  Watching the most recent city council meeting, I could see a big change is brewing in the attitudes of many of the returning city councilors. I believe the change in leadership with the Mayor and Assistant Mayor to two goal oriented individuals who want to make positive changes will have a constructive influence on the tone and outcomes of each meeting. The presence of John MacLean is a very welcome one indeed. He is a professional city manager and we have not seen the likes of someone like him for some time. Jim is right Mr. MacLean is definitely hitting the ground running with changes. It is apparent that Mr. MacLean is intending to roll up his sleeves and try to solve some of Claremont’s problems before he leaves instead of just keeping the lights on and collect a paycheck so to speak until his successor is hired. That is encouraging. I understand why Jim is appearing optimistic because I know how much he loves this community and I happen to share that optimism.

• Mike (Monday, January 17 22 10:25 am EST)

  I love how he refers to himself as “Former Representative Gauthier” in the third person. Lol

• Tim (Monday, January 17 22 10:23 am EST)

  Why didn’t you run Ethan? It’s easy to type the words, not so easy to put your money where your mouth is.

• Former State Representative Francis Gauthier (Monday, January 17 22 10:16 am EST)

  Prevent Lights and Heat From Going Out in Subzero Weather in Claremont, NH
  
  Fire Chief Burr, at the recent January 12, 2022, Claremont, NH City Council meeting, gave a stern warning to Mayor Girard and the members of the City Council of the possibility of rolling electrical blackouts due to the lack of natural gas at major generating plants in the Northeast. The United States is one of the biggest suppliers of natural gas in the world. Yet, we’re beginning to see across the country this rolling blackout phenomenon. This stems from the Democrats’ national Green New Deal policy, which includes closing pipelines and harassing energy producers in the United States. Both California and Texas have a rolling blackout problem, and it’s coming to the Northeast.
  
  In the YouTube link below, Former State Representative for Claremont Ward 1, Francis Gauthier addressed the City Council. He spoke first about the New Hampshire Community Power initiative, which will not only help alleviate the rolling electrical blackout problem, but will also give all residents and businesses a better price on electric power and better reliability.
  
  Former Representative Gauthier then spoke about the issue we have locally with the Energy Advisory Committee and the Electric Aggregation Subcommittee, which are stacked with Green New Deal and Build Back Better supporters. This translates into a national shortage of electricity, fossil fuels, truck drivers, products on the store shelves, and health care. The members of these energy committees are also big advocates for Electric Vehicle charging stations. Since they’ve been formed, these committees haven’t done anything about energy for Claremont. In Former Representative Gauthier’s estimation, it is not likely that they ever will. For these reasons, Mr. Gauthier proposes that they be disbanded.
  
  This YouTube link is for a 15-minute film clip of portions of the January 12, 2022, Claremont City Council meeting, as described above. Click the links in the description section below the YouTube film clip for pertinent information. If you care about keeping the lights on here in Claremont, I strongly suggest that you watch this film clip! Then, I urge you to get busy and contact the Mayor, Assistant Mayor, and members of the City Council, and the Interim City Manager about your concerns.
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SdHZmy2mhc&list=PLPvoSxiIkoHxaKJDeam9_i-ZG_RZ6s2YO&index=109

• Ethan (Monday, January 17 22 10:07 am EST)

  New City Councilors Matt Mooshian and Lucas Beliveau are not getting off to a good start. If they did not want to serve the people of Claremont and why did they even run for election? I was shocked to learn that Mr. Mooshian had such an incredible absentee problem. Missing 47% of meetings in one year is preposterous and then he runs for City Council. I do not know the man that he seems to have a strong false sense of entitlement and I do not believe he will be a good fit as a representative for anyone. I am beginning to have the same feelings for Mr. Beliveau. It is not because he attended the meeting remotely because it appears that he will not be doing that all the time but his absence of commitment and responsibility and fairness to his colleagues on the Council speaks to his character. I believe Mr. Mooshian is a lost cause and Mr. Beliveau may be one as well. Mr. Contois is also a disaster for other reasons. The citizens of Claremont deserves better representation than these three.

• Jim Sullivan (Monday, January 17 22 09:45 am EST)

  The stipend starts now with the current Fire Chief and is not retroactive.

• John J O Conner (Monday, January 17 22 09:20 am EST)

  First the post from john j is most likely another fake, they didn’t bully anyone. Second, did you really believe he could stay away?

• Discusted (Monday, January 17 22 08:55 am EST)

  So is this STIPEND for the fire chief doing his job retroactive? The late Fire Chief Ford, Fire Chief Chase, and Fire Chief Bergeron did as much and more than the current chief.

• Jern O'Cerner (Monday, January 17 22 08:51 am EST)

  Wait! I thought John J took his ball and went back to the big city? Why is he still here?

• John J.O’Connor (Monday, January 17 22 07:46 am EST)

  What choice did the Mr.McClean have ? He had to spread some money around. It’s bad enough he inherited a DPW Director that needs a tutor (another dead man walking). He had to stabilize the ship before it took on more water with a mass exodus of department heads.
  That costs money. Where does it end ? What about the other department heads, don’t they deserve a little something, something?
  I certainly feel these people deserve the added compensation for the added work but I’d feel a lot better if this stipends were given “after” a full financial evaluation was conducted into the city’s finances.
  You can’t give away what you don’t have.

• Kathy (Monday, January 17 22 07:29 am EST)

  Tim, did you ever think that Jim is pragmatically looking at each individual issue on its own merits? I've known Jim for many years since high school and I always thought he had a good head on his shoulders. He's a thinker and he likes to think things through before coming to a conclusion.

• Jeff (Monday, January 17 22 07:24 am EST)

  Tim, first of all they are small stipends and the Police Chief's is only temporary. Both stipends are deserved. The problem at Paddy Hollow Road is a legal matter with a possible lawsuit pending. Taking two weeks to examine the problem with the goal of solving the problem is a reasonable request. The previous city manager ignored the problem and he would have dragged out the situation so much so that the city would have landed into court. That is the difference between these two city managers. Virtually night and day.

• Tim Mulligan (Monday, January 17 22 07:12 am EST)

  Police chief and/or finance director as acting CM is not new. Fire Chief doing airport duty is not new. An interim manager giving automatic raises and requesting a couple of weeks to answer a question about a road is what is impressing Jim so much? Something stinks here. You will remember the last time Maclean was here there were stalled union negotiations with McNutt and Maclean gave those employees all bonuses for their trouble. It is not new that he throws some money at problems, which is fine, but im surprised Jim is so easily entranced by this behavior.

• Jeff (Monday, January 17 22 03:37 am EST)

  Mr. MacLean is a welcome change from the last two city managers Claremont had. He is decisive and responsive to citizen’s concerns and problems when his predecessor was not. Many of the city councilors had the same problem but that seems to be changing and that is a positive step forward. Jim Sullivan seems to realize that Tim, why can’t you? Embrace the positive change.

• Tom (Sunday, January 16 22 07:47 pm EST)

  Nicely stated Jim. You have always done your best to try to look out for the citizens of Claremont. Your website is a great free resource to educate the populace about what is really going on in local government regarding the spending/wasting of our tax dollars.

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, January 16 22 07:35 pm EST)

  Tim, if Morris was still the City Manager there would be no reason to give Mark Chase any raise whatsoever. In regards to the Fire Chief, no one should be forced to do extra work without extra compensation and that has always been the case because the Fire Chief has been unreasonably expected to also be the Municipal Airport Manager for no compensation whatsoever. It is simply a matter of fairness. Mark Chase's pay stipend will end when a new City Manager is hired. Mark should receive a stipend so long as he is performing extra duties. Again simply a matter of fairness. Tim, you are under the false impression that I am anti-government. I'm not! I am anti-bad government and I am anti-incompetent government officials because they create bad government and when that happens the public suffers the consequences. I focus on problems not to be negative but because solving problems makes things better for all of us. That's a positive thing. I guess it's a matter of perspective.

• Tim Mulligan (Sunday, January 16 22 06:59 pm EST)

  Raises for the highest paid workers within the first two days in the job! What a joke! And what’s Jims big love for Maclean? So much for unbiased reporting. Weird. Of Morris gave those raised Jom would be all over it.

• Dennis (Sunday, January 16 22 04:02 pm EST)

  It seems as if most of the councilors are now going to step up and do their jobs for a change. In the past most of the reelected councilors seemed to cringe at the thought of having to make a tough decision such as fire the ex-city manager. Fortunately he made the decision for them because they were too chickenshit to do it themselves. This year though things seem different. Maybe it's the addition of the new temporary CM into the mix or maybe it's because of the new Mayor and Assistant Mayor or all the above. I don't know but I like the direction it seems to be going so far. I am not impressed with Mooshian and Beliveau not stepping up and sharing some of the committee work responsibilities. That was a real shitty thing to do. I hope they can get the cities finances straightened out as it seems to be one heck of a mess. The ex-city manager really left Claremont's government FUBAR. Good luck Enfield you're gonna need it.

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, January 16 22 01:09 pm EST)

  New article published today.
  
  A few surprises at first regularly scheduled City Council meeting of 2022! Also, more large discrepancies discovered regarding City's Cash Surplus Account!
  
  This article is published on the News Flashes page of this website.

• Tim Mulligan (Saturday, January 15 22 02:45 pm EST)

  Wow, you use your own name.

• John J O’Connor (Saturday, January 15 22 01:16 pm EST)

  Gail,
  Those emails are as phony as the names. It’s ok, I’m a patient man. It’s too good a stunt to keep quiet about it.
  Everyone here knows there are a certain group of individuals that despise this site and those that frequent here, stopping me from posting is a feather in their cap. When the coward finally spills, tells someone and moves to the lead in the herd of haters, that person will now own this coward and can reveal him or her at any time.
  Patience’s is the key, in time the truth will reveal itself.
  You can’t make this stuff up but it sure is interesting on a arctic day.

• Gail (Saturday, January 15 22 12:58 pm EST)

  Well fortunately Jim can get the email addresses for all of the attacks and you can chase them down.

• John J O’Connor (Saturday, January 15 22 09:06 am EST)

  I was told when I first started using my God given name to be careful because I might be confronted in public.
  I began using my God given name because someone, under a bogus name accused someone of something. It wasn’t me, but I was blamed for it. Fromthat point on I started using my name so there could be no confusion.
  The other day a coward started using my name, I didn’t mine the person who use it but spelt it incorrectly because people would know it’s not me. Then someone started using my name correctly and that crossed the line.
  I can discuss anything with anyone that has a different opinion then my own. I don’t get offended or insulted, unless value your opinion, but using my name, the name of my father and Grandfather was extremely cowardly.
  I seriously doubt the person that did will admit it to me but I’m sure you told someone and we all know Claremont is known for its “rats” so I know eventually it will get back to me and you will be held accountable in the “old school” way.
  Keep looking over your shoulder…

• tony baker (Friday, January 14 22 05:14 pm EST)

  Yep, it's the way people get to say things they would never say in the light of day.
  
  Just the way Jim wants it to be. Attack anyone from here, Jim will protect you.

• Tim Mulligan (Friday, January 14 22 04:54 pm EST)

  You all do know you can make unlimited fake email addresses right?

• tony baker (Friday, January 14 22 04:03 pm EST)

  If Jim would require real e-mails then the idiots would at least be accountable

• Joseph (Friday, January 14 22 01:41 pm EST)

  John J O'Connor is one of the few that comments on this forum, that shows any wisdom concerning Claremont's issues.
  Don't let idiots chase you away John !!!

• tony baker (Friday, January 14 22 12:45 pm EST)

  Maybe that was John J's alternate ego?

• BOB (Friday, January 14 22 11:27 am EST)

  I wonder where Donk went?

• tony baker (Friday, January 14 22 10:21 am EST)

  When has this been civil discourse? with the fake e-mail sign in this has always been a place to make unfounded and rude remarks about local politicians and businesses with impunity. that has never been civil discourse. It is exactly what Jim wants, a free range troll farm to attack the seated politicians.

• Tim Mulligan (Thursday, January 13 22 05:00 pm EST)

  Leave John alone. He is entitled to his own opinion and expressing them on this website like anyone else. I for one am sorry he left, he was a good contributor to civil discourse.

• Jon J O'Conner (Thursday, January 13 22 02:38 pm EST)

  This has been fantastic to see unfold. The bully, John J O'Connor, has been outbullied and is taking his ball and leaving. Well done imposter, well done indeed! You aren't the hero we deserved but you are the hero we needed.

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, January 12 22 09:11 am EST)

  Mr. Maclean isn’t going to rock the boat. He will come in and play politician and keep things smooth until the new manager is hired. His job is not to right this ship but rather keep it from hitting an iceberg while the captain takes a nap.

• Steve (Wednesday, January 12 22 08:18 am EST)

  I hope that Mr. MacLean can come up with a solid plan to fix all of the problems in our communities municipal government. At least Jim gave him and the councilors a great start with his ideas for solutions. If the city leaders are smart they will use Jim's ideas as a starting point.

• Jessica (Wednesday, January 12 22 06:15 am EST)

  I'm glad that Jim Sullivan is communicating with Mr. MacLean as it seems to have borne positive fruit. Getting to the bottom of the revenue discrepancy of over $700K should be a top priority because that is a lot of money to suddenly appear out of nowhere. The reticence of Mr. Morris and his staff to state were that money came from by writing that there is no document to answer that question is avoiding an inconvenient question. I strongly suspect that the three newly promoted staff members in the finance office have no idea what they are doing and a monumental error was made that is now being covered up. Mr. Sullivan seems confident that Mr. MacLean will uncover the truth about this and the current balance in the city's cash surplus account. I hope he is right because Mr. MacLean will never be successful if he has no idea about the state of Claremont's finances. I am just not convinced that the current staff members in the finance office have the ability to accurately present Claremont's current day financials.

• John J. I Conner (Tuesday, January 11 22 09:27 pm EST)

  Well the problem is that this blog and the forum are pulling Claremont down. Attacks on everyone trying to make a difference accusations and exaggerated problems. It is exactly what Jim wanted to create. A place to lay blame. Nit pick every idea and create negativity for all things not Jim Sullivan. It’s far from harmless, and unhealthy for the city. Jim it’s been years. You lost once but never tried again. Just snipped from the safety of your blog.

• THE ORIGINAL BOB (Tuesday, January 11 22 08:52 pm EST)

  you know if you don't like this page and what it does and how the public forum is run ...well then you can just leave. why don't you just leave and never come back???? OH WAIT I know why your an attention seeker, your day is not complete unless your on here flapping your gums trying to piss everyone off. go away KAREN HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, January 11 22 07:56 pm EST)

  Tim/Jim who are you going to talk to since I’m leaving?

• Popeye (Tuesday, January 11 22 06:52 pm EST)

  Fair winds and following seas. Be going.

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, January 11 22 06:44 pm EST)

  Isn’t anyone going to say goodbye or say something about me leaving?

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, January 11 22 02:49 pm EST)

  Ok….I’m out of here…
  I’ve been a loyal follower and contributor since this sites inception. I am one of the few that use my God given name so I can be held accountable for my comments, but that’s not good enough.
  I don’t threaten, slander or bully . I come here to share ideas and voice my opinion but that is now being taken away from me.
  For the record, from this point in until further notice, I will no longer be posting anything here.
  To the cowards that keep using my name, I’m not sure what I did to deserve such disrespect but I hope you feel better.
  Jim,
  It is a shame you can’t do something to protect your loyal readers but that’s not your problem.

• adam (Tuesday, January 11 22 02:41 pm EST)

  I would like to take this time to point out that John J O Connor is the one who was relentlessly tying Tim Mulligan to Jim Contois. Attacking both and trying to be the big man on the forum. How do you define Bully Jim Sullivan?

• John J. O'Conner (Tuesday, January 11 22 02:26 pm EST)

  Well, yes it is. It has been to attack the city government since Jim lost his election what, 12 years ago? that's what this site is for, about and always has been. If it was a legitimate site interested in improving Claremont this forum would be real, and require real people.

• John J. O’Connor (Tuesday, January 11 22 01:55 pm EST)

  Please stop. That’s not what this website is for.

• John J. O'Conner (Tuesday, January 11 22 01:15 pm EST)

  Wow, How do you like it John? no way to fight back, no way to prove a thing. Just like all the city council members and local business people that get slandered by this forum. Been that way for too long. Jim, what satisfaction do you get by being the last forum to allow any fake to attack with no name. Is it so you can watch Gail, and some of your regulars attack the council you got voted off of? or are you secretly posting all the attacks? I know you will deny that but really, why else would you allow anonymous posting?

• John J. O'Conner (Tuesday, January 11 22 01:07 pm EST)

  Important, You? Get real. You are just another juicy target here in Jim's free attack site. Any person from any location with a web connection can attack you. They already are. How many people do you think have used your name in the last week? As Jim, he can tell you, right.

• John J. O’Connor (Tuesday, January 11 22 12:58 pm EST)

  I am not easy to troll. You are. I have an established reputation and a good name in the community. You should not be co-opting someone else’s name to make ridiculous comments. This site is serious and important. So am I.

• John J. O'Connor (Tuesday, January 11 22 11:33 am EST)

  OK John, and so will anyone on this forum. why we can all be John O and just slam everyone in Claremont all day long thanks to Jim's free range troll farm. Use any email you can think of and apply any name and start attacking. John the simple fact is you can't even prove who you are on this page. Anyone can use your name. You just happen to be a big ego and easy to troll.

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, January 11 22 08:44 am EST)

  Looks like my “stalker” is back.
  I appreciate you being my biggest fan.
  Thank you for your support !!!
  It’s not everyday when a grown man or woman copy’s your name and continues to use it.
  I feel like a celebrity.
  Please continue to use my misspelled name, I find it very flattering.

• John J. O'Conner (Tuesday, January 11 22 08:34 am EST)

  Yes, and one of those free of charge services is to give this forum up to unidentified trolls willing to attack people who have no way to address the attacks. It is not even needed for his "Journalist" pursuits but yet he does not require real e-mails.

• John (Tuesday, January 11 22 06:49 am EST)

  Laura, it is far from “free of charge”. Decades of staff distraction and lost productivity including immense legal fees. Do not be deceived.

• Laura (Tuesday, January 11 22 05:57 am EST)

  Why is it necessary to label Jim Sullivan? He is performing a tremendous free of charge public service to all Claremont residents and others who are interested in Claremont’s future. He informs us of issues that the local news media the E-Ticker News and the Eagle Times routinely ignores because they only want to publish politically correct, local government friendly stories that only represent part of the whole story. Other publications such as the Union Leader and the Valley News barely acknowledge Claremont’s existence and those rare articles are usually not well researched and seem to be there for the purpose of filler for their publications than anything else. Jim Sullivan goes beyond the normal standard of reporting by publishing the proof of his reporting with government documents or excerpts from those documents and unlike the local news media, he tries to impart solutions to those problems and he shares them with those who have been entrusted to make the decisions that affect us all. Mr. O’Connor is correct that Jim Sullivan is a watchdog and a public advocate and we are all lucky to have him as a citizen of our community. The same for local watchdog Francis Gauthier.

• John (Monday, January 10 22 05:32 pm EST)

  John, he is a self proclaimed journalist.

• John J O’Connor (Monday, January 10 22 04:13 pm EST)

  Minorities don’t get arrested, criminals do. Just so happens a large majority of criminals are minorities.
  What makes a journalist?
  Does the simple reporting of the goings on within city government constitute a journalist or just someone sharing a story and opinion?
  I never think of Jim as a journalist, he is an advocate that shares information with the citizens of Claremont.
  Don’t get it twisted…

• John J. O'Conner (Monday, January 10 22 02:00 pm EST)

  SO it's ok to claim you are a journalist and attack people. Just like arresting minorities. It's just business as usual.

• John J O’Connor (Monday, January 10 22 12:34 pm EST)

  I don’t see Jim ‘s articles as being lies and profiling works, that’s why the FBI does it.
  Jim sees problems and makes the public aware. He does a public service and on top of that he gives solutions to these problems.
  Jim should be commended not ridiculed for his decades of public service and I for one would like to thank him for his endless commitment to the citizens of Claremont.
  Thank you Jim !!!!!

• John J. O'Conner (Monday, January 10 22 12:25 pm EST)

  Just like profiling the ethnic groups and getting them off the streets John, Just good ole police work. Nothing wrong with a little lie if it fits your story. Is that why you think Jimbo's "enhanced" stories are so good?

• Patrick (Monday, January 10 22 10:04 am EST)

  John,
  Regarding the school budget proposal, Claremont's Assessed Valuation increased from $750,284,384 to $754,172,301.

• John J O’Connor (Monday, January 10 22 09:45 am EST)

  Opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one and some stink more then others.
  I agree, some of Jim’s articles are “thought provoking” and conversation starters that have very little fact behind him but I see those articles as crime prevention.
  The people in charge know Jim and Frank are watching. It keeps then honest and on their toes knowing someone is watching and not afraid to voice their concerns.
  Jim is not a crime reporter, he is public advocate.

• John (Monday, January 10 22 09:34 am EST)

  “Sully is not accusing anyone of anything” John, every one of his articles is filled with accusations of impropriety against elected officials and government employees. Someone is always hiding something or covering something up or any manner of ill repute.

• John J. O'Conner (Monday, January 10 22 09:24 am EST)

  Well the message smells of Jimbo's MO of making a few facts into a monster of a conspiracy. Only Jim reports these as real journalist have to be sure of the facts and not season the story with opinions.

• John J O’Connor (Monday, January 10 22 09:14 am EST)

  Hate the message not the messenger.
  Sully is not accusing anyone of anything, in his humble opinion there is a discrepancy and he is seeking answers to his questions.
  Thank you Jim for taking the time to look into this matter and for being a advocate for the citizens of Claremont, in my opinion you are keeping the powers that be honest.
  Keep up the good work !!!!!!!

• John (Monday, January 10 22 08:38 am EST)

  Tim, all of them? Really? You think there is some conspiracy between all the elected school board, council, county, and all the hired employees of these organizations? Highly improbable. Not to mention, are they all, all of them, inept in their elected positions and careers? Is Jim Sullivan the only one that consistently figures out all of these issues because no one else in any of these groups of people has the wherewithal or the care to do so? I’m saying not a single chance. I think it’s a matter of spinning the facts and creating drama out of nothing.

• Tom (Monday, January 10 22 06:35 am EST)

  It tells me that the local government staffers do not know what the heck they are doing and if they do realize their mistakes they try to cover them up by ignoring them so the citizens never find out. Jim keeps us informed of what is really going on when the rest of the press has their heads buried.

• John (Sunday, January 09 22 08:19 pm EST)

  Cheryl, Jim is always the only one that finds the “errors”. Don’t you find that to be a little strange?

• Jon (Sunday, January 09 22 06:27 pm EST)

  I disagree vehemently that the sidewalks in the downtown should be made smaller so that full size pickup trucks with plows can comfortably park in the street. Drivers should be responsible and park their vehicles where they fit. I have never had an issue finding parking in Claremont, even with my truck in larger parking spots.

• Cheryl (Sunday, January 09 22 04:46 pm EST)

  Mr. Sullivan you are doing an amazing job reporting the news the other members of the press consistently miss. This week you find a large error that all of the school administrators and school board members missed. You also write a follow-up article on a big error that all of the city administrators and city councilors missed. Doesn't any of these government employees and elected officials know how to do their jobs? They do not seem to be very good at it.

• Timmy Mulligan (Sunday, January 09 22 02:38 pm EST)

  #1 looks like how Jeremy Clarkson describes a Top Gear episode at the beginning of the show lol

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, January 09 22 12:37 pm EST)

  Five new articles published today.
  
  1) Councilors sworn in – Contois shows up –Mayor Dale Girard gives speech.
  
  2) Claremont School Board unanimously approves Fiscal Year 2023 Claremont School District Budget & 4 Collective-Bargaining Agreements – Now it's up to the Voters to make the final decision.
  
  3) Property Tax Rate Setting Discrepancy Update.
  
  4) Rethink Pleasant Street Construction Project needs to be rethought.
  
  5) Important Housing Assistance Program.
  
  All five articles are published on the News Flashes page of this website.

• Tony (Friday, January 07 22 07:55 pm EST)

  They are the only two here.

• Tim Mulligan (Friday, January 07 22 07:36 pm EST)

  Is it just me or does My buddy John appear to be arguing with himself????

• John J O’Conner (Friday, January 07 22 06:57 pm EST)

  Just kidding John, I like your style. Though I agree with Tim more often, he is more down to earth and has an optimist point of view about this City and you are often very negative and are constantly attacking people.

• Tim Mulligan (Friday, January 07 22 05:00 pm EST)

  When did this website become all about John O. Let’s get back to talking about the city manager. I leave for a week and this place goes all to heck.

• John J O’Connor (Friday, January 07 22 01:41 pm EST)

  Bob..
  Not exactly sure what that means but OK. This is all fun and games as far as I’m concerned.

• Bob (Friday, January 07 22 01:30 pm EST)

  John he has your number and you are being suckered.

• John J O’Connor (Friday, January 07 22 12:48 pm EST)

  I’m renting space in your head, you amuse me like the “Maury@ show. You’re pulling something but it’s not my chain, you’re on hook and I’m giving you line.

• John J. O'Conner (Friday, January 07 22 12:27 pm EST)

  Well you are wrong now just throwing a fit and stating whatever comes to mind as you know nothing about. I am protected by Jim's shield. My identity isn't the question, you being accused with no way to respond is the lesson of the day. Now you can see the frustration of those attacked on this site. Thank Jim for the free reign to pull your chain.

• John J O’Connor (Friday, January 07 22 11:45 am EST)

  Tim/Jim/ Matty,
  Do you ever get tired of being wrong ?
  You’re wrong so often you must be use to it by now.
  It’s my understanding that “Laurie’s List” was in regards to truthful testimony and not abusive behavior.
  Why do you criticize a job you wouldn’t have the guts to do yourself?
  Sounds like envy. Did you apply and not make the minimum requirements?
  It’s ok, not everyone can be a Police Officer, only the lucky ones can because it’s not just a job but a calling.
  I’m would expect you to understand, you run from trouble while Police Officer’s run towards it.

• John J. O'Conner (Friday, January 07 22 10:39 am EST)

  Well I guess the bully rarely see's themselves in a truthful way do they. Thanks Jim for allowing me to continue to push is buttons. Your rodeo is a trolls paradise, only now the troll has been trolled. John, lets be honest, if you had been in NH you would be on the Lauri list. Just another bully cop. Claremont doesn't need your pontificating on it's problems, and your election record reflects the inability to legislate. Does not play well with others, Doesn't promote the team. It John up front or nothing.

• John J O’Connor (Friday, January 07 22 10:12 am EST)

  Jim/Tim/Moe/Larry&Curly,
  How can you have a discussion on WUC when everyone has the same opinion? That site does not have accountability it has dictatorship.
  I’ve been banned from that site twice. Once for suggesting that Ray Gagnon become a write in vote in 2018 for County Commissioner and for calling Kip a coward. Ray ran for Commissioner in 2020 and Kip continues to be a dictator and coward.
  I never bully, don’t have to, the truth is intimidating enough

• John J. O'Conner (Friday, January 07 22 09:54 am EST)

  Yes, right at home here practicing the trolling Jim allows with no real emails required. I can say anything I want here about you, your career. I don't need to hide behind a keyboard, Jim provides me the cover to say anything I want. Truth is of no consequence here and so, no truth. Just as Jim designed it. You criticize whatsupclaremont, but they have accountability, and you are the one who can't communicate without attempting to intimidate. That is why you were kicked off. Just a bully getting older and still cranky. This is the world wide web with no holds barred. I can be anywhere and recognize a bully when I see one. Thanks Jimbo for letting me attack John so easily, just like he and others attack Claremont public servants.

• John J O’Connor (Friday, January 07 22 09:32 am EST)

  Tim/Jim/Matty..
  You worry me as much as a cloudy day. People like you are “keyboard” tough guys. You hide behind your keyboard, under an alias, being rude and disrespectful and when confronted, you go and hide behind your keyboard.
  Unlike you, I don’t care what people think , their opinions don’t influence mine.
  If you ever have the guts to get out from behind your keyboard and meet me, trust me, you will apologize.
  I’m not surprised you mentioned the What’s up Claremont site. Kip is the poster boy for cowardice. Keep getting your info from that place, it’s made for you, all like minder people sharing the same brain, not an individual thought among them.
  I’m sure you feel right at home surrounded by cowards…

• John J. O'Conner (Friday, January 07 22 08:47 am EST)

  OK John, funny how quickly you were pushed to feel you needed to retaliate and then realize you will never be able to hold me accountable. Feels good to be the brunt of the joke doesn't it. Now you can begin to feel what the public servants attacked by Gail, Bob, Dan and all the other anonymous posters. You can't hold me accountable because Jim doesn't want accountability on this site. You can't stay on What's up Claremont because they DO hold accountable, and you can't leave your 'Cop' bluster for long enough to treat others with the respect you demand. Get used to it, no one respects anyone on this site. It is exactly the way Jim wants it to be.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, January 06 22 07:01 pm EST)

  Tim/Jim/ Matty…
  I never threaten, only promise. If we meet, you will apologize and be held accountable for your disrespect.
  You know who I am but unfortunately I don’t know who you are, so you have the advantage over me.
  Next time you see me out and about, say hello so I can follow through on my promise.

• John Connor (Thursday, January 06 22 06:09 pm EST)

  Arnold Schwarzenegger
  Terminator
  “Get to the chopper”

• John O says (Thursday, January 06 22 06:06 pm EST)

  “I will would make you accountable” ~John O’Connor

• John J. O’Conner (Thursday, January 06 22 05:05 pm EST)

  You will make you accountable? Or will Jimbo make the site accountable? Or is Timothy the real deal and you just blowing smoke.

• Your name (Thursday, January 06 22 04:48 pm EST)

  I will would make you be accountable

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, January 06 22 04:44 pm EST)

  I really wish you would take your meds, you’re all over the place.
  Tim/Jim/Matty and now John never showed up but it was nice catching up with the old McDonalds crew.
  I understand why you didn’t want to meet up with me, I will would make you be accountable for all the disrespect you have shown to me and we all know couldn’t handle that, you’re a coward.

• John J. O'Conner (Thursday, January 06 22 03:55 pm EST)

  But John, this is what this forum is for. with no real names required, anyone can attack anyone. You can attack Tim and Jim with lies for weeks and never be called to account. Tim said he is real, and you two agreed to meet, but now you both claim the other was a no show. There is no truth on this forum, and no one is accountable, even us, because one of is always lying.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, January 06 22 03:27 pm EST)

  Tim/Jim/ Matty,
  Ever since Sully started this site I’ve been using my real, God given name, that’s is all I can control.
  I don’t pretend to be anything other than what I am and that’s being a man among men, unfortunately you can’t say the same.
  You are always so negative, maybe you should speak to someone professionally.

• John J. O'Conner (Thursday, January 06 22 03:18 pm EST)

  Now stop pretending and admit you are perfectly OK with this site allowing you to pretend to be anyone and post anything you want. Even allows you to pretend you were a good cop. Even lets you accuse people who are genuine and leaves them no defense.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, January 06 22 02:22 pm EST)

  Tim/Jim/Matty…
  If you’re going to pretend to be me the least you can do is spell my name correctly…. Dumbass
  Why must you be so negative all the time ?

• John J. O'Conner (Thursday, January 06 22 12:47 pm EST)

  Great to see a new crop of City Counselors seated last night. Now I have a few new targets for criticism and slander. Should be a great new year.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, January 06 22 09:08 am EST)

  It was nice to see Tim/Jim/Matty at last nights swearing in ceremony, hopefully he continues to show up.
  Congratulations to all those that were sworn in, best of luck in the future.

• Jennifer (Tuesday, January 04 22 06:24 am EST)

  Jim the beginning of your article was chilling to see all of the problems that you have reported on in recent months all combined in one list. You could have left it at that but instead you have given us all the gift of hope by sharing your wonderful vision of Claremont with practical and realistic suggestions to help fix the problems created by Mr. Morris and our inattentive city councilors. Unfortunately six of the city councilors who allowed these problems to occur are all returning to public office so I personally do not have a lot of faith in their ability to lead our great city forward. I do hope they have the intelligence to adopt your vision for Claremont and put your suggestions quickly into practice because it would not only solve some of the current day problems but also propel Claremont into the future with the vision that would allow Claremont to achieve its full potential.

• William (Monday, January 03 22 06:55 am EST)

  Thank you Jim for taking the time to write an article stating many of the highest priority problems facing our great city because of deplorable management and then offering some very well thought out solutions to either lessen the severity of or eliminate the problems and suggests ways to reprioritize the use of Claremont's limited assets. The city councilors have been acting like brainless zombies just going through the motions and approving most of the city administrator's desires without much fanfare or questions. There have been some exceptions but they are few and far in between. These councilors have also ignored problems and done everything in their power to delay making difficult decisions, which is not in any way, shape or form the definition of leadership. That being stated, I have seen a change in the last few months and I think you may have played a role in that with your articles many of which you have emailed to the councilors as you always tell us when you do so. I believe those articles have made an impression on some of these councilors to begin asking better questions in regards to issues that you raised in your articles. However Jim this is not a criticism of you because this is not your job or your responsibility but city councilors asking difficult questions is not enough. The councilors have to begin facing these problems and making difficult decisions to address these problems because we are most definitely in a crisis as your article listing the problems really drives that point home. With six councilors returning I remain unconvinced that they will be up to the challenge but you appear to be more hopeful than I and for Claremont sake I hope you are right and this new city council can step up and meet the challenge of the many problems plaguing Claremont. For Claremont's sake I hope these councilors listen to you and begin dealing with these problems either using your solutions or coming up with good solutions of their own. Claremont cannot afford another two years of wasted time because the city government appears to be circling the drain and several top ranking city employees have left presumably because of it. More may follow. Jim you seem to think that John McLean can bring some stability to our city government, I hope you are right in your assessment of his abilities because we need strong leadership right now to start turning things around.

• Linda (Sunday, January 02 22 09:22 pm EST)

  Fantastic article by Jim Sullivan detailing the very real serious problems within Claremont’s city government and offering excellent solutions to several of these problems. Our elected leaders on the city council should take these good suggestions to heart and follow through with them. The returning city councilors should also make one very important New Year's resolution and stick with it and that would be to stop procrastinating and dreaming up excuses to avoid making difficult decisions that may upset some in the community. Pandering to special interests needs to stop. It is time for our elected city leaders to start anew and begin facing these problems and solving them for the good of everyone in this magnificent community.

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, January 02 22 04:12 pm EST)

  New article published today.
  
  Challenges facing Claremont in the new year. Article also includes several of my recommendations to address some of these problems.
  
  This article is published on the News Flashes page of this website.

• John J O’Connor (Sunday, January 02 22 08:00 am EST)

  Is Jim/ Tim now Matty ?
  Sounds an awful lot like him, would anyone be surprised if it is him ?
  I’ll play the odds and the odds say Jim/Tim is Matty based on the fact that the conversation died the minute Jim/Tim/Matty posted that ridiculous woke comment.
  I hope you’re better then that Jim/Tim/Matty… but the odds are against it.

• BOB (Saturday, January 01 22 03:38 pm EST)

  Hey Matty :WHAT IS (THEY / THEM) are you talking for a group of people??

• Matty (they/them) (Saturday, January 01 22 11:42 am EST)

  Any woman city manager would be better than these toxic masculine men who have oppressed women for centuries. You are all guilty.

• Tim Mulligan (Saturday, January 01 22 10:41 am EST)

  Ron, traditional qualifications are ridiculous and not a good predictor of success at all. Elon Musk is incredibly successful hiring non traditional candidates. Her reputation speaks for itself.

• John J O’Connor (Saturday, January 01 22 10:14 am EST)

  Jim,
  You never worked with her ?
  I’m calling bullshite in that one.
  You recommend her for City Manager but you don’t know her qualifications for the position, do I understand you correctly ?
  You can call me any name you like, we all know who I am, unlike you.
  Keep your suggestions rolling.

• Tim Mulligan (Saturday, January 01 22 09:10 am EST)

  Ron, I have never worked with her. Also, her qualifications are for the council to determine.

• John J O’Connor (Saturday, January 01 22 08:54 am EST)

  Jim,
  Since you have inside information being a sitting City Councilor, can you tell me what Mrs. Lovett’s qualifications are to run a city of this magnitude?
  I think she did a fine job being the spokesperson and number 1 cheerleader. I would often see her down at the statehouse giving testimony before committees on Claremont’s behalf but I don’t see how that qualifies her to run a multi million dollar city.
  So please enlighten me as to her qualifications since you worked so closely with her in your time in office, you would know .

• Tim Mulligan (Friday, December 31 21 09:29 pm EST)

  Happy New Year Ron. I hope you find more productive things to do with your time Ron. Dan, Mayor Lovett is the best thing that’s happened to Claremont government since Mayor Whipple. You’ll never find another like either of them. The funny thing is Mayor Lovett is a top contender for City Manager! See you next year and oh sorry for no spoiler alert. The MRI contract is just a sham to make it look like they have looked elsewhere but everyone knows Lovett will be the new CM.

• Dan (Friday, December 31 21 05:13 pm EST)

  As we say farewell to the year 2021we also say good riddance to Mayor Charlene Lovett and Assistant Mayor Allen Damren, who have poorly represented the people of Claremont. We will also soon say good riddance to Ed Morris, our sorry excuse for a city manager. He will now be Enfield's headache in the coming year. The people of Enfield will need to learn the hard lesson that Claremont citizens are learning now, take better care in who you elect to public office because it could lead to disastrous results. Happy New Year everyone and let us hope for better days ahead with new leadership.

• John J O’Connor (Friday, December 31 21 05:08 pm EST)

  Jim,
  Hopefully for the new year you will be more creative.
  Happy new year

• Tim Mulligan (Friday, December 31 21 04:45 pm EST)

  You’re like the kid on the playground that keeps calling you the wrong name trying to get to you. You can call me Jim it doesn’t bother me, Tim Mulligan is fairly close to Jim Sullivan. I think I will find a name for you, how about Ron? Ron, I hope you have a happy new year.
  
  (And the crickets)

• John J O’Connor (Friday, December 31 21 03:39 pm EST)

  Jim,
  Thank you conversation killer…

• Tim Mulligan (Friday, December 31 21 07:41 am EST)

  John, good point.
  
  (And queue the crickets)

• John J O’Connor (Friday, December 31 21 07:32 am EST)

  It is concerning when any company loses experienced employees but that’s business.
  People come and people go.
  Everyone thinks they are so important they can not be replaced.
  News flash, they can be.

• City Employee (Thursday, December 30 21 05:26 pm EST)

  Bob you have no idea how important these city workers are until you start losing them and oh how sad you will be on that day. We keep this place running and without us this city is in much worse shape.

• BOB (Thursday, December 30 21 04:54 pm EST)

  For the CITY EMPLOYEE'S that are leaving with Morris..BYE...don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

• adam (Thursday, December 30 21 12:15 pm EST)

  Nah, the council should negotiate with Morris for higher pay and better benefits to make him want to stay. Finding another manager just creates instability and Maclean has no vested interest in the city. Did they even try?

• City Employee (Thursday, December 30 21 05:11 am EST)

  I hope Claremont finds a new manager that is as good as Ed Morris. It totally makes sense that another community would steal a great leader like him. Many of us are leaving with him. Most people I know want to see Hunter from Newport come make some serious tough decisions like he has in Newport.

• Tarm Kanulan (Wednesday, December 29 21 08:19 pm EST)

  Breaking news 8:18PM Eastern Time
  
  Press Release
  
  Official
  
  http://indepthnh.org/2021/12/23/tis-the-season-of-weirdos/

• Tony (Wednesday, December 29 21 05:01 pm EST)

  Admin
  
  Allowing Anonymous post allows attacks on businesses and individuals they cannot defend against. Been business as usual for this site for years

• Admin (Wednesday, December 29 21 04:52 pm EST)

  All your name are belong to us!

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, December 29 21 02:05 pm EST)

  Jim should require real names! Any legitimate website does.

• John J O’Connor (Wednesday, December 29 21 11:44 am EST)

  Jim/Tim,
  Again…. Another conversation killer.

• adam (Wednesday, December 29 21 11:43 am EST)

  Real names? Jim could require that and the forum would go away pretty quickly. Vast majority are not going to use real names, that might lead to real world repercussions.

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, December 29 21 09:52 am EST)

  People don’t comment because they know I am right. Nothing to argue with.

• John J O’Connor (Wednesday, December 29 21 09:25 am EST)

  Jim/Tim… the conversation killer……
  Your coward comment was amusing, you see in others what you see in yourself.
  In this case, I totally agree with you.

• Real News (Tuesday, December 28 21 08:30 pm EST)

  https://www.eagletimes.com/news/claremont-city-council-begins-search-for-new-city-manager/article_55d3a965-98fb-5744-a888-bf49cf1eb80f.html

• Tim Mulligan (Tuesday, December 28 21 04:02 pm EST)

  Why do so many people use fake names? Is it embarrassing to have people know you read this website like it’s some conspiracy theory haven? Use your real name cowards.

• Agree it sounds crazy (Tuesday, December 28 21 03:15 pm EST)

  I think mulligan is a liberal idiot but I agree with his last comment and the one about get to the meeting in person contois you looser oh and Mooshian is a complete mess embarrassment to the community

• Tim Mulligan (Tuesday, December 28 21 01:48 pm EST)

  Yes, and they should. City employees are highly underpaid and undervalued. They have to put up with the public who are rude and entitled.

• Donk (Tuesday, December 28 21 01:42 pm EST)

  Do you think the new council will act on the $80,000 study showing Claremont city employees are under paid.McDonald's is paying $16/hr.

• Mr. Howard (Tuesday, December 28 21 01:24 pm EST)

  Tax and spend liberals coming to the council soon to outnumber the few that really care about Claremont

• Pete (Tuesday, December 28 21 11:23 am EST)

  Hope Mooshian takes his council seat more serious than his planning board seat. Watching these meetings he misses almost all of them including last night. I really was not suprised tuning in and not seeing him show up yet again. Can't be bothered to return calls either. Heard this from several people. The mailers I go to win my vote over told me otherwise.

• Tim Mulligan (Tuesday, December 28 21 09:35 am EST)

  “Nice conversation”?
  
  You mean more whining and complaining? Some people, like those on this forum, and like you John O’Connor, are only happy when they are miserable.
  
  As for your confusion as to who I am, I think everyone should be present in person for all council meetings. I also thing they should disallow phone calls. It is not good for business and not good for the public, it is very counterproductive.

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, December 28 21 08:05 am EST)

  Jim/Tim,
  You know how to kill a conversation. Before your “witty” comment there was a nice discussion going on, you drop a comment and everything stops.
  Everyone knows you’re a phony.
  Come clean and go to the next council meeting, do your job!!!!!

• Tim Mulligan (Monday, December 27 21 06:47 pm EST)

  Crickets on here when there is good news!

• Tim Mulligan (Monday, December 27 21 12:54 pm EST)

  Taxes are going down!

• Donk (Sunday, December 26 21 04:23 pm EST)

  Should we tell the people that Morris hired from Vermont that they can stop pretending they know what they're doing and go home now?

• Dennis (Sunday, December 26 21 03:20 pm EST)

  The city councilors do deserve at least some of the blame for the mess the city government finances is in today. Several of them hired Mr. Morris, who did not have the experience to manage a city the size of Claremont. Then they made the mistake of ignoring all of the numerous warning signs that Mr. Morris was not a good fit for Claremont as pointed out by Mr. Sullivan in well researched and well documented articles on nearly a weekly basis. Ignoring the truth that is staring you in the face is not the mark of a good leader and all nine of these city councilors are guilty of that as Mr. Morris did not leave until he was ready to go on his own terms when he should have been fired quite some time ago. I do not know how anyone can have faith in these city councilors who will be returning in January as they let everyone down by doing nothing and continuing on as if nothing was wrong.

• Laura (Sunday, December 26 21 02:00 pm EST)

  Mr. Morris promised that his budget would not increase the municipal property tax rate so the city councilors approved it with few questions or concerns. A few months later the budget has many problems with overspending that could leave the budget short at the end of the fiscal year in June and that is not counting a $.95 tax rate increase that may be happening. Mr. Morris promised $1 million in funding for road paving. He convinced the city councilors not to take the money from the Police Department just yet and wait until January. Then in December he and the police chief cook up a scheme to spend all the extra money in the budget and the greater number of the city councilors go along with it so no $1 million in paving money but Mr. Morris did get his neighborhood beautifully paved while the rest of us still have broken down roads in front of our homes. Mr. Morris promised that the radio project for the police department would cost $1 million so the city councilors vote in favor of that municipal bond and then part way into the project we find out it will cost more like $2 million. The city councilors are told that the music center project in the old restaurant building will be just fine and they believe that and approve a property transfer and a $500,000 grant from the state. Mr. Sullivan's investigative reporting uncovers the truth that the project doubles in price and it needs another $1.8 million to be raised to finish the project. Mr. Morris and Mrs. Merrill gets a one-year extension from the state but it does not seem that they told the truth to get that extension and Mrs. Merrill now has an impossible task in front of her that she will not be able to manage to do. I always thought she was incompetent as the director of the planning office and nothing that I have seen over the years has convinced me otherwise. The rest of the management team has all quit so it does not look good for the city or the taxpayers. There is a very definite pattern of behavior here from Mr. Morris and his municipal Department directors. Say anything to the city councilors to get what you want on that day and the city councilors are gullible enough to believe it every single time. The city councilors fall for this trick every single time so they are just not cut out to be leaders but we are stuck with them for another two years. Mr. Sullivan recognized the problem with Mr. Morris and his staff members right away and he reported it to the public and to the city councilors and he was ignored when he should have been listening to because he was right about Mr. Morris and what he and his staff were doing to the detriment to everyone in Claremont. Mr. Morris should have been terminated from his position many months ago and if the city councilors had listened to Mr. Sullivan he would have been gone and all of us would have been far better off. I am praying William is right for all of our sakes that the returning city councilors will reflect on their many past mistakes and not repeat them again. They need to stiffen up their spines and show true leadership in 2022 and beyond. Let's all pray that they are up to that challenge because there are a lot of problems that Mr. Morris is leaving behind for the city councilors and the new interim and then the new permanent city managers to address.

• Donk (Sunday, December 26 21 12:41 pm EST)

  So are the raises for everybody out?

• Ken (Sunday, December 26 21 12:29 pm EST)

  Yikes! The pleasant restaurant project is a total mess just like the Police radio project and the Downtown Claremont project and so many other things because of Mr. Morris’s bungling management. I agree with William that Mr. Morris cannot leave quick enough. The city councilors are so fainthearted and spineless they just cannot make a painfully obvious decision for the betterment of our community. Unfortunately, most of them won reelection so we are stuck with their incompetence for another two years. God help us all.

• Greg (Sunday, December 26 21 11:20 am EST)

  I would like to see Mr. McLean start cleaning house by firing some of the municipal department directors who are not up to par. Starting with the finance office and the planning office and the public works department. Hiring competent department heads and key staff members would be a great start to try to turn things around. Without a good management team, what do we have? Absolutely nothing, that is what we have.

• William (Sunday, December 26 21 10:17 am EST)

  Ed Morris cannot leave Claremont fast enough as far as I am concerned. I am deeply dissatisfied with our city councilors for not heeding Jim Sullivan’s well-documented warnings about Mr. Morris and keeping this moron at City Hall where he wreaked havoc with everything he did. His budget is a disaster and the councilors rubberstamped it without looking too closely because it was politically palatable in an election year to sell to a naive citizenry a property tax rate stable budget even though it was a fairytale. It seems we are not going to live happily ever after with this budget because of all of the sneaky tricks Mr. Morris and his staff played with the budget figures. Cost overruns galore and now it looks like there is a property tax rate snafu that will add almost one dollar to our property tax rate and a lot more to our property tax bill. I am hoping with the infusion of three new city councilors some common sense will prevail and the reelected councilors will wake the heck up and stop dithering around with problems because they are too scared, too indecisive or maybe too stupid to make a decision. The city is in one heckuva financial crisis that the councilors helped cause by their inattention to their elected duties. I think all of us here in Claremont had better pray for a better 2022 and that what Jim Sullivan wrote a week or so ago is accurate that Mr. MacLean can bring some stability and professional commonsense leadership to Claremont’s city government because it is sorely needed.

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, December 26 21 07:17 am EST)

  Three new articles published today.
  
  1 DRA sets unexpected lower Municipal Property Tax Rate for Claremont; it may be a big problem!
  
  2) New disturbing revelation begs the question; did the Morris Administration mislead the Governor & the Executive Council?
  
  3) Claremont City Council moves forward with the MRI contract.
  
  All three articles appear on the News Flashes page of this website.

• John J O’Connor (Friday, December 24 21 08:25 am EST)

  Merry Christmas to all and to all a safe night.

• Tim Mulligan (Thursday, December 23 21 03:07 pm EST)

  I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and don’t forget that this holiday is about Jesus and nothing else.
  
  I’m sure this will give John another reason to disagree with me. :)

• Bob (Thursday, December 23 21 12:57 pm EST)

  Who’s Tony silvera? New city manager?

• alicia (Wednesday, December 22 21 03:56 pm EST)

  is tony silvera still here?

• Dillon Adams (Wednesday, December 22 21 03:50 pm EST)

  What is the point of this website? What a strange place.

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, December 22 21 09:01 am EST)

  John, indoor water park was a joke as I am guessing your projects idea was. Equally ludicrous. Chill dude. It’s hard to talk to someone like you who takes himself too seriously and attacks anyone whom doesn’t think exactly like you. I’m kinda glad you didn’t show up for breakfast Saturday.

• John J O’Connor (Wednesday, December 22 21 08:19 am EST)

  Ohhhhh indoor water park!!!
  Why didn’t you say so in the first place ? That’s a fantastic idea. That will solve all of Claremont’s problems, brilliant.
  We are so lucky to have someone like you Tim/Jim, you’re so intelligent with so much common sense, it’s humbling.
  That’s sarcasam…
  Jim, I just realized what an empty suit you actually are. If an indoor water park is the best you can come up with, I’ve given you way too much credit.
  At the end of the day, you’re living up to the stereotype of a typical Claremonter.

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, December 22 21 04:51 am EST)

  Indoor water park John. But I was being sarcastic, because the idea is equally as asinine as yours.

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, December 21 21 09:55 pm EST)

  A water park ?
  Last time I checked, this area gets about 6 months of winter and 2 months of summer.
  Do you really think a years worth of revenue could be created in 2 months ?
  I apologize, I thought we were having a serious conversation, I just realized I’ve been talking to an idiot.
  My bad, won’t happen again.

• Timmy Mulligan (Tuesday, December 21 21 04:23 pm EST)

  Boardman center as in the old crappy looking storage building on Main St.

• Tim Mulligan (Tuesday, December 21 21 03:56 pm EST)

  Not happening!
  
  Maybe the city should buy the Boardman center, knock it down and create a waterpark destination. That would be a money maker. Maybe Mr. Maclean could set up a lemonade stand in Tremont square and collect some moneys.

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, December 21 21 03:21 pm EST)

  Jim.. stop lying…
  And it’s not projects, it’s Resort Style Residential Housing.
  Huge difference.
  You have a better idea ?

• Tim Mulligan (Tuesday, December 21 21 02:33 pm EST)

  Is this what you were planning to talk about if you actually joined me for breakfast on Saturday? Maybe it’s good you didn’t show up. Lmao

• Tim Mulligan (Tuesday, December 21 21 01:40 pm EST)

  Build projects to save Claremont? Really John? We might want to go back to the drawing board on that one. Sorry bud, I’m not seeing this one.

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, December 21 21 09:58 am EST)

  Great point but getting experienced, qualified people to run it wouldn’t be that difficult.
  Claremont already has people that operate it’s senior/disable housing it would be an easy transition.
  It’s not about the housing, it’s about the income that would be provided by that housing.
  City housing is profitable.
  Again, it’s easy to crap on this idea, what’s your solution?

• Idea john thanks for the advice (Tuesday, December 21 21 09:49 am EST)

  There isn't a person that works for the city in management level smart enough to run a duplex rental house but let's build a resort lol they couldn't figure out how to do pleasant st over fiscally and efficiently lol bunch of duds that's why they work in govt jobs get a clue you do nothing idiots

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, December 21 21 09:25 am EST)

  Jim,
  Why won’t it work in Claremont when it works in every major city in the United States ?
  As I said, it’s easy to crap on this idea, what’s your idea ?
  The City needs to generate income from means other than taxes. If raising taxes is off the table, how can the city generate the income needed ?

• Tim Mulligan (Tuesday, December 21 21 08:34 am EST)

  The City should NEVER, I repeat NEVER, get into housing and compete with others in the housing business. Your proposal to turn around a City that can barely manage what it has is to grow the government by getting into the housing business??? No no no!

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, December 21 21 08:13 am EST)

  Jim,
  A number of years ago cutting services was proposed, a group called SOS ( save our services) was formed and all those candidates that supported cutting City services were loudly defeated.
  This city needs to be proactive, they need to start generating income. The City needs to get in the housing business.
  I’m not talking about building projects, I’m talking about building resort style apartment buildings with amenities like a swimming pools and tennis courts.
  It would be extremely expensive to build but with the City’s bonding ability, it’s entirely doable. The City would be the landlord to market to above market rate units and Claremont would be a destination for resort style living.
  Bringing in these housing units that the City would benefiting financially from will allow Claremont to retain its essential services and improve the fix the antiquated infrastructure.
  It will be easy to crap all over this idea but do you have anything better ?

• Tim Mulligan (Tuesday, December 21 21 06:22 am EST)

  Greedy. The community can only collectively afford so much. Claremont is not an affluent community that can afford every service known to man. Cut the services, be prudent with all financial decisions and run the city and school with a 100 year horizon. No more quick fixes.

• John J O’Connor (Monday, December 20 21 08:54 pm EST)

  Jim,
  There is never enough money. Landlord’s have been used and abused during these covid years, I’m surprised they pay anything considering there tenets aren’t paying them.
  The city can either go cheap or go big. Going big will fill pot holes and repair infrastructure but it will also force people from their homes.
  That’s just the evolution of home ownership.
  We all know what the results are when you go cheap, we have been living with it for over 25 years…

• Tim Mulligan (Monday, December 20 21 08:08 pm EST)

  You can’t even get my name right. You are in an alternate reality. You think we need more tax money? I don’t. But I do think the landlords should pay their fair share. There is a small group of slum lords around that keep their property in terrible condition just to minimize their tax bill while at the same time being the most drain on the system. Hire a couple of guys to hold these guys accountable and see the neighbors change very quickly.

• John J O’Connor (Monday, December 20 21 07:20 pm EST)

  No reality issues here. No need to lie Jim, it’s beneath you.
  All the problems of Claremont can easily be cured, with enough money, end of meeting.
  Money is always the problem or solution, you never have enough.
  Citizens complain of high taxes and poor road and have been doing so since Roman times.
  So taking taxes and poor roads off the table, what else is wrong with Claremont?

• BOB (Monday, December 20 21 05:32 pm EST)

  Tim: ROFLMAO good one

• Tim Mulligan (Monday, December 20 21 04:45 pm EST)

  T Bakes…there’s only one reality and John ain’t living in it. I’m the only one that brings a voice of reason to this website and the only one who is willing to actually meet in person to discuss the issues here. I wouldn’t be surprised if ol Johnny boy lived in a cozy shack down in Florida while he pontificates about the real issues we are having here in Claremont. I have been seriously contemplating applying for City Manager.

• tony baker (Monday, December 20 21 04:37 pm EST)

  Seems like Tim and John have two separate realities.

• Tim Mulligan (Monday, December 20 21 11:08 am EST)

  Everyone should be present at the meetings, that is what vaccines and boosters are for. Wear a mask if you want. Wear two if you want. We are two years in folks, enough is enough.

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, December 19 21 03:30 pm EST)

  Unfortunately no. The City Charter does not allow for it.

• Guy (Sunday, December 19 21 01:58 pm EST)

  Can Contois be recalled ?

• Greg (Sunday, December 19 21 01:12 pm EST)

  Does anyone feel sorry for the people living in Enfield? They have no idea what a loser they are getting for a town manager.

• Donk (Sunday, December 19 21 12:39 pm EST)

  I would suppose that if Mr. Morris is to make himself available to Mr. MacLean for any questions perhaps $95 per hour would be fair compensation.
  Time is money and nobody works for free.

• Brenda (Sunday, December 19 21 11:14 am EST)

  I am hoping the future will be brighter next year for Claremont's city government with the changes on the city council and an experienced city manager Mr. MacLean in charge of daily operations at City Hall. I am hopeful Mr. MacLean will fix many of the problems that Mr. Morris created with his inexperience and poor decision-making.

• Emily (Sunday, December 19 21 10:28 am EST)

  Councilor Contois is an embarrassment to our great city. He continues to stay home and not be present for city council meetings in City Hall as all the other eight city councilors routinely do. He adds little or no benefit to the discussions of important municipal issues. He votes in favor of whatever the administration employees wants most every time. I am a ward two resident and I am very displeased with his representation of myself and my family. His underhanded approach to reinstate the zoom meetings for his own benefit and Institute a mandatory mask wearing rule does not surprise me as I have watched enough of his behavior over the past two years to see what type of man he really is and he is not the type of man that I want representing me or my family.

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, December 19 21 08:22 am EST)

  Two new articles published today
  
  1) Next Steps.
  
  2) Contois Strikes Back!
  
  Both articles are published on the News Flashes page of this website.

• John J O’Connor (Sunday, December 19 21 07:54 am EST)

  Tim/Jim,
  Stop lying, you weren’t there.

• Tim Mulligan (Sunday, December 19 21 06:49 am EST)

  Yesterday Bob and I discussed having regular meetings at Dusty’s, maybe every other week and inviting you all from this forum. Maybe we can come up with some ideas to make the City a better place and lower taxes. Anyone interested contact me at tmulligan65@gmail.com

• Tim Mulligan (Saturday, December 18 21 12:05 pm EST)

  Haha, I had some nice eggs and toast while I waited for my no show friend here. I have a receipt. It was nice to see Bob from the forum though.

• John J O’Connor (Saturday, December 18 21 10:43 am EST)

  No surprise to me.. Jim/Tim was a no show… he is just another keyboard tough guy…

• Tim Mulligan (Friday, December 17 21 09:13 am EST)

  Sounds like a plan. I will wear a floral Hawaiian shirt.

• John J O’Connor (Friday, December 17 21 09:11 am EST)

  Ok Jim/Tim,
  I call you out on that … tomorrow 9 am Dusty’s..
  Wear a flower behind your ear so I’ll recognize you..

• The Infamous Tim Mulligan (Thursday, December 16 21 05:11 pm EST)

  I’m not. And I offered to meet anyone here for coffee, my treat. I was born Timothy Mcguyver Mulligan in 1965 and have been that way since.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, December 16 21 04:55 pm EST)

  Tim/ Jim ,
  That’s perfectly ok. If I’m wrong, call me out on it.
  Just like when you are being a moron, I will call you out on that.
  We all know you’re Jim Contois…

• The Infamous Tim M (Thursday, December 16 21 04:45 pm EST)

  Well…I wouldn’t normally say a word but when you lead all of your comments with “moron” pointed towards me I can’t help but point out that you are too only human.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, December 16 21 03:35 pm EST)

  Sorry anal retentive Jim/Tim for the typo. Thank you .

• Tim (Thursday, December 16 21 10:27 am EST)

  “They would over their head”
  
  Ok Bud

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, December 16 21 09:44 am EST)

  Moron,
  Guy Santagate was his own man who knew how to run a City. He turned the city’s finances around by making tough decisions and brought respectability back to Claremont.
  McNutt and Morris were out of their league, they would over their head, not capable of doing the job and it showed.
  Guy was a man among men.

• Tim Mulligan. (Thursday, December 16 21 09:28 am EST)

  Santagate was a puppet, and very successful. He was a peace keeper and compromiser. McNutt was not a puppet, and very abrasive, and was let go for clashing with too many council members. Morris was somewhere in between, but he is leaving of his own accord. Know your facts before you make yourself look silly John.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, December 16 21 09:09 am EST)

  Jim/Tim,
  Moron…we already had 2 puppets a 3rd will destroy the city.
  The city needs to be run like a business, it needs to be more proactive and generate income. It needs to create massive public housing, not low income, but affordable, market rate housing.
  The city also needs to increase its senior/disable housing.
  The City needs to invest in itself.

• Buck (Thursday, December 16 21 09:08 am EST)

  John you are almost correct. People talk. Nothing I found out from the inside after the fact was privileged information. No need to hide it now. As far as top tier I am not aware of that but if you are correct from your inside information I would say the financial package was known up front. Not sure why they applied. A manager needs to talk reality and some toes will get stepped on and feeling hurt. Until that happen the city will continue to be a country club for city workers.

• Tim Mulligan (Thursday, December 16 21 08:56 am EST)

  fear mongering. We could easily find a puppet for the council among the ranks of locals that would be happy to get a few thousand more dollars per year for the trouble. Don’t forget, the CM makes considerably more than most people in the City. Heck, I would take the job for 80k and benefits and do the bidding for the council. Yes ma’am no ma’am yes sir no sir is all it takes to be successful.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, December 16 21 08:45 am EST)

  That sounds like inside information Buck. I’d be careful you will give yourself away.
  It was my understanding, the top tier candidates priced themselves out of contention with their exorbitant financial demands.
  Those they chose, might not have been the sharpest pencil in the bunch but at they accepted the salary offered.
  The next City Manager will have to be young, inexperienced and hungry to make a name for themself…. in a positive way.
  For this, the city won’t have to pay top salary, they can pay what would be appropriate for someone that is learning the job.
  This is an extremely important juncture for the future of Claremont, the last 2 City Managers have crashed and burned, that’s 2 strikes… one more strike and we are ALL out.

• Herb (Thursday, December 16 21 08:45 am EST)

  Same story. Council got 3 finalists. Had to choose one. Sounds like a search committee member stomping their feet that they didn't get their way. Give Sullivan this supposed email or back up your comments that you post over and over with proof besides this crybaby Fake bs. Who is this candidate?. Why don't you post the names?

• Tim Mulligan (Thursday, December 16 21 08:36 am EST)

  Own it and move on. Find a new candidate. Stop dwelling in the past.

• Passing the Buck (Thursday, December 16 21 08:22 am EST)

  @Guy Blame goes to the council. A message was sent to the council highly recommending the #1 pick. Unanimous vote. A half hour the council hired the #3 pick. The hiring committee did there job with what they had for candidates. The council let them down. Politics.

• Guy (Thursday, December 16 21 08:09 am EST)

  Hey Buck,
  If you don’t blame the hiring committee for presenting such inferior candidates, who do you blame ?
  And Tim, stop hitting on our new Assistant Mayor, she’s married.
  Go hit up Tinder if you’re lonely.

• Passing the Buck (Thursday, December 16 21 07:44 am EST)

  If the council pursued the number one pick of the last hiring committee we would not be going through this. Instead they pick the number three. Now they try to hang blame on the committee. Up same old same old.

• Tim (Thursday, December 16 21 07:42 am EST)

  Only to very sensitive people with nothing better to worry about.

• Get it Right (Thursday, December 16 21 07:39 am EST)

  To Tiny Tim!
  Leaving assistant off a persons title is Hugh.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, December 16 21 07:02 am EST)

  Jim/Tim,
  Words matter… moron!

• Tim Mulligan (Thursday, December 16 21 06:15 am EST)

  Yeah, that’s obvious. I just didn’t bother to write “assistant”. Who cares? Don’t you guys have better things to worry about? Everyone knows who I’m talking about.

• BOB (Wednesday, December 15 21 08:59 pm EST)

  Tim: thats what I thought you meant, she can pretend to be the mayor all she wants,BUT she is not, or better yet you can say she is the mayor all you want doesn't change the fact she is NOT # DEBSNOTTHEMAYOR HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, December 15 21 02:41 pm EST)

  Wrong

• John J O’Connor (Wednesday, December 15 21 07:39 am EST)

  Jim/Tim…
  Wrong, again, as usual.
  Dale Girard will be our new Mayor, Deb will be the Assistant Mayor.
  You should know this, you’re on the damn council !
  I pity the people you represent.

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, December 15 21 05:28 am EST)

  She’s taking over for Charlene and pays close attention here so it’s a good place to ask questions.

• BOB (Tuesday, December 14 21 04:59 pm EST)

  Tim who is Mayor Deb??

• Tim Mulligan (Tuesday, December 14 21 11:33 am EST)

  Not a bad idea on Doree…
  Jim Sullivan, Mayor Deb, you should pass this along and see if you can make this happen.

• Alpha (Tuesday, December 14 21 07:02 am EST)

  Promoting Doree to City Manager would be the best possible decision. No one knows the job and characters involved better than she does.

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, December 12 21 06:42 pm EST)

  Three new articles published today.
  
  1) Morris Administration continues to stonewall regarding the release of financial records for the Rethink Pleasant Street Construction Project.
  
  2) Blindsides galore during the December 8, 2021 Claremont City Council meeting.
  
  3) Councilor Stone's Police Disciplinary Records may soon be released.
  
  All three articles appear on the News Flashes page of this website.

• Russell Platt (Sunday, December 12 21 02:22 pm EST)

  Donk/Tony, you could send one of your buddies from Manch to straighten Clamtown out. Maybe you could try your hand?

• Donk (Sunday, December 12 21 12:00 pm EST)

  Perhaps we should contact the Enfield City Council and let them know about the tutor and that we're not real sure he's ready for the real world all by his self.
  
  We're not so sure he can fly after being pushed out of the nest.

• Confidant (Sunday, December 12 21 10:45 am EST)

  The council is approaching Jim Sullivan to be a paid consultant for the new City Manager. The council will recruit a local businessperson, and has their eye on three presently.

• Donk (Sunday, December 12 21 07:47 am EST)

  Will he be bringing his tutor with?

• Cindy R. (Saturday, December 11 21 02:27 pm EST)

  Says "Adam" who works for the city. Can't use the name Jim. Too many of those on here already.

• Pete (Saturday, December 11 21 02:03 pm EST)

  Inside sources. You mean the same message that was press released and posted on eticker before here. Inside sources must me slow on this one.

• adam (Saturday, December 11 21 01:41 pm EST)

  I wonder who Sullivan’s inside sources are? Did they make a deal to keep them out of the headlines of this website? Let’s go through the articles and see who is missing from the scrutiny. I bet there is at least one council member and one person that works at city hall.

• Donk (Saturday, December 11 21 08:47 am EST)

  Sullivan, are you excited that Morris has resigned? Tell your people your thoughts

• Jim (Friday, December 10 21 07:01 pm EST)

  Best Day Ever!!

• Jim Sullivan (Friday, December 10 21 06:44 pm EST)

  Special Report!
  
  Morris officially resigns!
  
  Full details are published on the News Flashes page of this website.

• John J O’Connor (Friday, December 10 21 10:03 am EST)

  Tim/Jim,
  All those you mention are fine candidates but what makes you think they know how to run a city?
  Each know how to run their departments and they run them well but to think they can run the City is to think a City Manager can be a Police or Fire Chief. It’s like putting a square peg in a round hole then getting upset because you thought it would fit because both pieces were wood.
  Claremont needs to be run like a business not like a department, we need a CEO type, not a chief.

• Donk (Friday, December 10 21 09:51 am EST)

  What the heck happened at the Newport School board meeting last night?

• Tim Mulligan (Friday, December 10 21 09:28 am EST)

  John, I agree. But I don’t think the manager has to be young and inexperienced. Why don’t we offer the job to former Chief Bergeron or former Chief Alex Scott? Maybe promote Chief Chase or Chief Burr?

• John J O’Connor (Friday, December 10 21 08:35 am EST)

  The next City Manager will have to be young and inexperienced and that’s ok but this time hire a tutor at the same time and not a year later.
  I suggest hiring Guy Santagate to help the newbie navigate through the turbulent waters surrounding our public advocates (Jim and Frank) and to teach him or her how to run this city.
  I like to congratulate Chief Chase for being proactive in trying to retain his experienced Officers. My suggestion, instead of a retention bonus, offer a “longevity “bonus.
  Starting on your on their 5th year of service, they will receive $5,000. Every anniversary after they would receive another $1,000 (6th year-$6k, 7th year-$7k) capping out with $20,000 on their 20th year and another $20k every year after.
  Sounds expensive but it’s cheaper then raising wages to marketable rates.
  Food for thought…..

• Russ Howard (Thursday, December 09 21 05:39 pm EST)

  Mayor Deb, wound you consider hiring Jim Sullivan as your City Manager?

• Tim Mulligan (Thursday, December 09 21 04:21 pm EST)

  I agree adam, Sullivan should put his application in for Manager.

• adam (Thursday, December 09 21 04:01 pm EST)

  Adam, why not bring back Sullivan? he already knows all the things a city manager has to do and the the best ways to do them! Why no one could possible be as good at this as he is. That is obvious with his 20 years of correcting mistakes.

• adam (Thursday, December 09 21 08:36 am EST)

  Whipple is sharp as a tack and knows the City inside and out. We need a successful business owner who has some experience leading to take the manager seat. The years when Whipple was mayor we’re some of the best that Claremont has seen. The groundwork he laid down is still fruitful to this day. I’ve worked for him, and you couldn’t ask for a better person to lead us forward with strength, resolve and true direction.

• Guy (Thursday, December 09 21 07:59 am EST)

  Whipple is 139 years old…. Next .

• adam (Thursday, December 09 21 06:24 am EST)

  Bring back Whipple!

• Phil (Wednesday, December 08 21 04:01 pm EST)

  City managers are paid on average 91K a year...https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=City_Manager/Salary
  
  So Claremont is on the higher end of the scale as far as salary and bennies. Laconia population 16,000, a couple years ago raised their CM from 135k to a salary of 142k. So Claremont is competitive and should be seeing very good candidates. I don't know if it's just bad luck, or an inefficient search process, but something needs to be done to raise the bar as far as candidate quality. You also have to wonder just how big the pool of "good" city managers there is out there. The vast majority of candidates for a position like Claremont, are going to be coming from smaller communities. Guy Santagate was an exception, coming from a large metropolitan area city to manager a small one. Getting the right person is a hard job and in this case you may have to kiss some frogs before the right person presents themselves. Claremont is also suffering a retirement problem with no experienced people ready to step in to take over the complex positions. So the search has to be done externally. And you're then starting from scratch. I have read with interest the reporting here and find it amazing how simple stuff doesn't get done. Mr Sullivan and Mr Gautheir seem to have high level knowledge on how things should be done. I would like to see both offer to help the city in any capacity. Maybe the next manager will be smart to make them allies. I grew up in Claremont, but haven't lived here since graduating HS. But I will always consider this my hometown with pride. The potential is there for a renaissance which a good city manager with a vision can help lead.

• Dean Washlen (Wednesday, December 08 21 03:20 pm EST)

  Help Wanted

• Donk (Wednesday, December 08 21 02:08 pm EST)

  Project Claremont Verona

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, December 08 21 02:07 pm EST)

  Claremont Classified

• Richard J. Steam (Wednesday, December 08 21 11:59 am EST)

  John and Adam you are speaking out of school. Leave James and Francis alone, they are having fun and causing no harm. This place is neato and cool beans to visit. I have nothing else to do. It should be renamed though, what should we come up with for a name for this website?

• John J O’Connor (Wednesday, December 08 21 11:50 am EST)

  Again, all true but that’s the greatness of America. It takes many different kinds to make up this world we live in.
  Jim and Frank do have “got ya” issues but it’s not because they want to be celebrities, it’s because they truly believe something is wrong.
  As far fetched it might be, intent is important. I don’t feel there is any personal animosity or personal vendettas, maybe some misdirected conspiracy theories and people with too much time on their hands (myself included) but there is no intent to personally harm anyone.
  My personal beef with this site is the ability to be a coward and use aliases. There are only a handful of people that give their god given name and then there’s Jim that uses a real name, unfortunately it’s not his. I wish something could be done about it because it would bring more civility to the conversations here.

• adam (Wednesday, December 08 21 11:22 am EST)

  Well it's a poor kind of luck. Claremont has lots of problems, and most of the politicians involved are sincerely trying to move the city in a direction. Debatable about the direction, but none deserve the vilification from this anonymous firing squad. An attack from here cannot be responded to, lies cannot be disputed, and slanderous comments can not be proven wrong. Jim claims no responsibility for the commenters, the lies go unchallenged. Also the views from the two you mentioned are really 'gotcha' news, and not often really improving the city in any way.

• John J O’Connor (Wednesday, December 08 21 10:45 am EST)

  Adam…
  Good points…but I truly feel Jim motivation is to help the city.
  Many different roads lead to the same place.
  Jim is a necessary evil. He is needed just so our elected officials know there is someone out there watching and now we have Frank watching too.
  Aren’t we lucky !!!!

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, December 08 21 10:27 am EST)

  Adam what is your issue with Jim? Why don’t you just stay away from this website and mind your own business

• Adam (Wednesday, December 08 21 10:19 am EST)

  John the attacks were on all of the previous managers including a very experienced professional. Jim attacks for his own ego and to avenge a lost election. Job performance has nothing to do with Jumbo’s attacks over the longer span.

• Watchdog (Wednesday, December 08 21 09:59 am EST)

  The council drives the ship and the the culture of the City government. Look there and you will find the problem.

• John J O’Connor (Wednesday, December 08 21 09:42 am EST)

  Adam,
  I agree with everything you said except the “hostile work” environment comment.
  Jim is not the City Managers boss.
  Does he throw shite against the wall to see what sticks? Does he take a small fact and spin it into a big truth ? Does he keep our elected officials on their toes ?
  The answer to all is a resounding “YES” but that doesn’t create a hostile work environment. Being incapable of doing the job, constantly being overwhelmed by routine tasks and a failure to do as he was instructed will led to excuses … a hostile work environment is a great excuse because it’s so judgmental and almost impossible to prove.

• Adam (Wednesday, December 08 21 09:20 am EST)

  Watchdog, I see a pattern of attacks from a blogger who is very good at creating a scandal out of nothing, suspicion about normal operations and then providing an anonymous discussion board to make the attacks more personal and slanderous. While Jim rarely managed to get his news into the real world. It’s a very personal attack on the last twenty years of city management. Jim always knows better and slammed any and all initiatives. That’s the hostile work environment.

• Watchdog (Wednesday, December 08 21 09:05 am EST)

  You don’t see a pattern?

• John J O’Connor (Wednesday, December 08 21 08:16 am EST)

  Watchdog ,
  What makes you think it’s the City Councils fault that the City Manager quit ?
  Is it possible that he was unqualified, over his head, unable to accept the fact that he had a boss?
  He decided to run away while in the middle of a major infrastructure project.
  You think he finally realized he wasn’t qualified or capable of doing the job ?

• Watchdog (Wednesday, December 08 21 06:49 am EST)

  Eagle times should seek an interview with former City Managers about the work environment created by the City council. It’s time we know the truth about why we can’t keep a manager. The common thread is the City Council.

• Mark Little (Tuesday, December 07 21 07:44 pm EST)

  Bring Whipple back as City Manager! A true leader who knows how to run things! Lower taxes and demolish all the slums these landlords rent for outrageous money and never put a dime into!

• Donk (Tuesday, December 07 21 07:17 pm EST)

  Adam I don’t think you know what Claremont needs

• adam (Tuesday, December 07 21 11:19 am EST)

  Tim, I think we all need Jim toleave Claremont alone. He has cast a shadow over this town giving it a huge Handicap for way too many years just because he lost an election. In that point, Trump may have learned from Jimbo

• Tim Mulligan (Tuesday, December 07 21 10:17 am EST)

  adam, leave Jim alone

• adam (Tuesday, December 07 21 09:21 am EST)

  Wow, Jim has learned how to spin lies from the previous admin. If you miss the scoop, just shad the truth and say you didn't report the truth as you don't believe it was a done deal. Trump taught you well Jimbo.

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, December 07 21 09:06 am EST)

  The decision to stay with a City Manager form of government was decided more then a decade ago, times change.
  If I remember correctly, it was a hotly heated debate but the contributing factor as to why the motion was defeated was because, at the time we had a very competent City Manager (Emperor Santagate) again, times change.
  At the present time, in our current situation of being unable to find or retain capable candidates, maybe it’s time to discuss a new form of government.
  It’s worth a discussion because what we are currently doing in the hiring of City Managers isn’t working.
  Keep doing what you’re doing, you will keep getting what you’re getting…. Chew on that for a while.

• Johnny K (Tuesday, December 07 21 08:34 am EST)

  Donk, most towns are run by a town manager and selectman type model. That is similar to what Claremont has. There is no reason why Claremont should move to the strong mayor model, as a matter of fact the people have spoken and do not want that type of city government.

• Donk (Tuesday, December 07 21 07:45 am EST)

  You make a strong argument for a mayoral management, rather than private city manager.I agree that 12,000 people and not much to write home about in the way of lucrative businesses are here in Claremont.On the positive side Claremont will never have smash and grab thieves looting junk stores.
  Claremont likes to call itself a city but it doesn't have the horsepower to make it so.
  Claremont is in reality a town and should be run and financed accordingly.

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, December 07 21 07:38 am EST)

  I’d like to take a moment to mention the passing of The Honorable Paul LaCasse.
  I met Paul a number of years ago because we shared the same political interests. Paul was extremely knowledgeable about national but more importantly local politics.
  Paul’s knowledge about Claremont’s political history was extremely interesting and his perspectives were debatable, which hopefully he will enjoyed.
  Claremont lost a true son with his passing, I never met anyone that had more pride and passion about his hometown.I also never met anyone that had an answer for every problem the city or state faced.
  He was truly one of a kind and will be missed.
  Rest In Peace my friend, until we meet again in the other side.

• Linda (Tuesday, December 07 21 06:35 am EST)

  I cannot believe that any person could perform a job so badly as Ed Morris has and still keep his job until he decides to leave and yet that is exactly what has happened. Our city councilors have let every single person in this community down with their indecision. Either they do not care or they are too afraid to face reality and those are characteristics that do not make even mediocre leaders. Right now I have no faith in any of the city councilors who will be returning in January because they did nothing with a very long list of undeniable reasons courtesy of the excellent reporting by the Sullivan Report as to why Ed Morris is an inept bungler in the performance of his duties as city manager. With so many poor leaders returning to the city council next year I worry for the future of our community.

• John K (Monday, December 06 21 04:48 pm EST)

  No one is taking advice from a man named Donk who has watched one too many episodes of Billions. Ain’t nobody gonna pay $250k for a city manager of 13-14k people lol

• Donk (Monday, December 06 21 04:16 pm EST)

  Apparently you did, enough to comment.
  My point was that you will never get any person of quality for $125k/yr
  Hell, that's starting pay for a wet behind the ears rookie cop in Cali.
  
  Claremont will wind up with another room temperature IQ civil service slob.If you upped the pay to $250k the pool would improve greatly and the candidate would probably more than pay for themselves with added efficiency knowledge this town so sorely needs.
  Somebody that actually manages for the people not trying to give away the farm to local civil servant dullards that aren't even worth the cost of their health insurance.It would be nice to have someone that knows who he/she works for.

• John K (Monday, December 06 21 03:27 pm EST)

  Honestly Donk, who cares?

• Donk (Monday, December 06 21 02:20 pm EST)

  Also John, don't worry about using his schlub hedge fund.The minimum balance id $1 Mil.

• Patrick (Monday, December 06 21 02:11 pm EST)

  Word on the street is they are looking for McNutt to make his return.

• Donk (Monday, December 06 21 01:59 pm EST)

  John - I didn't say he was the manager, he's middle mgmt.
  Totally capable of running circles around Morris even with his tutor.
  
  Don't forget though that the private sector gets more done by 9AM the guberment workers do all day.

• Tony Baker (Monday, December 06 21 01:36 pm EST)

  Wow, now comes the hard part of this. Hiring a replacement when they know they will be attacked relentlessly no matter what they do. Sullivan will cost us a premium to hire a manager willing to battle a hostile blogger and the council

• John K (Monday, December 06 21 12:15 pm EST)

  Donk, sounds like a schlub of a hedge fund manager only making $500k remind me of who he is or works for so I can steer clear.

• Backatit (Monday, December 06 21 11:52 am EST)

  John you are correct on being part of the solution. A good place to start is for the council to take the advise of the hiring committee and hire the number one pick. We wouldn’t be having this conversation had they did that. Stone, Matteau, Osgood, and Smrkovski did a good job. Get them back.

• Donk (Monday, December 06 21 11:14 am EST)

  I'd say my brother would be a great manager, he's a hell of a number cruncher.I don't think he'd be interested in $125k since he makes $500k for a hedge fund.

• Jim (Monday, December 06 21 09:05 am EST)

  The Chief of Police or MRI John Maclean will be the interim manager.

• John J O’Connor (Monday, December 06 21 08:54 am EST)

  All kidding aside but this isn’t good for Claremont. This was the situation I was concerned about, the city manager leaving and no one prepared to take his place.
  In the past the position was filled by the Finance Director. Our current Finance Director is inexperienced at her current position, she is definitely not prepared to run the City .
  What experienced executive would ever want to work in this shit show? Odds are the next City Manager will either have little to no experience or have a dark cloud hanging over their employment head.
  My advice, hire a tutor at the same time a new City manager is hired instead of a year later.
  Also, Jim and Frank need to give the next City Manager time to learn the job. Constant requests for “I got ya” information has to stop , at least for the first year so we don’t scare off another one.
  And for the record… I’d like to be the first one to volunteer to be on the next City Manager search Committee. If you’re not a part of the solution, … you know the rest.

• Donk (Monday, December 06 21 08:05 am EST)

  I wonder if Morris dreamt about the low pay Enfield employees are receiving?
  Good thing he has the money changer contractors on speed dial.
  First order of the day is allocate $80,000 so we may know that we are paying these people enough.

• Mike (Sunday, December 05 21 09:56 pm EST)

  Dan did you watch that planning board meeting when the new city planner said that housing was a foreign language to her? I happen to watch the city board meetings on CCTV and I remember her saying that. A city planner should be well-versed with housing. The city manager hired someone unqualified for the position. I do not personally know Jim Sullivan so I do not presume to speak for him but in my opinion that is not having it in for anyone it is just stating the truth. A truth you seem to want to ignore for some strange reason.

• Dan (Sunday, December 05 21 08:09 pm EST)

  I wonder what Sullivan has against the new city planner, he really has it out for her. The extensive two LinkedIn profile research is a far cry from actually talking to someone and seeing what the truth is.

• William (Sunday, December 05 21 06:25 pm EST)

  Jim I just wanted to say you did an excellent job with today's articles. I know you have been getting beat up a little bit here on the website's public forum but I think it has more to do with you being so successful at ferreting out the truth that other reporters from other publications could never find either due to laziness or incompetence. You are angering public officials who are not used to being challenged because our city councilors are as blase as they come. I cannot believe how incredibly stupid Ed Morris is by playing all the games he did with this year's budget. How could he have not realized that the budget would not be sustainable with the changes he made? I know the city councilors gave him a difficult task of bringing back a budget with no tax increase. It required difficult decisions and budget cuts that Ed Morris refused to make and now with his probable departure he will not be the one bearing the burden of his poor decision-making it will be the city councilors and the taxpayers having to deal with all of these problems that he has created with the help of his pitiful staff. I wish Enfield the best of luck because with Ed Morris in charge they are going to need all of the luck that they can get.

• Donk (Sunday, December 05 21 04:05 pm EST)

  Why not $20,000 for retention bonuses for cops?
  
  You don't need to offer any bonuses since defund the police across the nation means do not replacing retired cops.
  
  They aren't going anywhere and god bless if they do

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, December 05 21 03:46 pm EST)

  Steven, I reported events correctly. Deforest's comments occurred during the October 25 Claremont Planning Board meeting, which Morris was present for. Morris was absent for the November 8 meeting.

• Steven (Sunday, December 05 21 03:18 pm EST)

  You should rewatch the planning board meeting. Morris was absent. You state he was present . Its not always about being first its about being right remember.

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, December 05 21 03:09 pm EST)

  Two articles published today.
  
  1) Is Morris leaving?
  
  2) Stunning admission!
  
  Both articles are published on the News Flashes page of this website.

• Donk (Sunday, December 05 21 01:00 pm EST)

  Now for the bad news- Pleasant Street will now be costing $10 Million to complete and Ed Morris wishes the new manager luck as he hands over the keys.
  
  Then the new manager will blame the Morris for Pleasant Street project pushing past $12 Million.
  
  It's only money, but I don't think the tenants of Claremont will accept $1,000 per month 1BDRM Apts. so readily.We'll always have Pleasant Street

• William (Sunday, December 05 21 12:51 pm EST)

  John I disagree with your conclusion as to who was responsible for Mr. Morris's alleged resignation. Mr. Gauthier's email request and how that all played out was a huge embarrassment for Mr. Morris there is no doubt of that. The entire drama of that incident was reported on the Sullivan Report first and the most thoroughly. However there are many other issues that were raised by the Sullivan Report that also contributed to the dissatisfaction of the city councilors in regards to Mr. Morris's job performance. If you have been paying attention you would have noticed that Jim Sullivan has been emailing copies of selected articles to the city councilors with increased frequency. The city councilors have been asking better questions and most of those questions were raised first on the Sullivan Report. I do believe Jim and this website not only perform a terrific public service of informing the citizenry of how their tax dollars are being wasted and what their city officials are secretly up to but these articles are also influencing greater scrutiny by the city councilors and instigating new courses of action that will be beneficial to our community. Mr. Gauthier's contribution is a fine thing and I am pleased that he wishes to contribute more by serving on the Electric Aggregation Committee but if Mr. Morris is really leaving then I think it is more realistic to say that Jim Sullivan and several city councilors also played an active role with Mr. Gauthier in regards to Mr. Morris's alleged resignation.

• John J O’Connor (Sunday, December 05 21 11:34 am EST)

  Tim/Jim,
  You are a bit out of line, if Ed did resign it’s not Jim or this sites fault, it’s Frank Guathier’s.
  Congratulations Frank, I’m sure your requests for E-mails and the embarrassment it caused, pushed him over the edge.
  It’s not a total loss for Ed, at least he got his neighborhood paved.
  I hope Frank displays Ed’s scalp in a place where everyone can see it. You broke him.

• Tim Mulligan (Sunday, December 05 21 10:57 am EST)

  Morris resigned, the world will go on. Dream come true for Sullivan and crew? Who knows. I think they would have rather a public humiliation brought on by one of their articles. We now have a new council, new mayor, and a soon to be new Manager and mark my words nothing will change about this website. I give it 6 months until they are calling the the new guy to quit or be fired.

• Commish Gordon (Sunday, December 05 21 09:24 am EST)

  Can it be true if Claremont’s Cape Crusaders( Jim & Frances) don’t report it ?

• John J O’Connor (Sunday, December 05 21 08:48 am EST)

  Thank you Wayne.
  I’m shocked sully was scooped!
  Whatever happened to his “inside” sources ?
  Say it ain’t so , Sully is losing his edge .

• Wayne McElreavy (Sunday, December 05 21 08:41 am EST)

  If you google "Eagle Times" and "Ed Morris" part of an article will appear in the results. One has the headline of, "“Ed Morris to resign as city manager, accept Enfield position” If you click the link to see the article on the Eagle website, you get, "Sorry, the page you're looking for cannot be found."

• John J O’Connor (Sunday, December 05 21 08:11 am EST)

  Rick,
  Don’t get hooked. Fake news!
  If the City Manager resigned Sully would have post it two days before the Eagle Times.
  I’m certain the thought is constantly in the City Managers mind but even he knows how lucky he is, he won’t quit.
  A new Council will inherit this mess so that gives the City Manager at least 6 months to impress the newbies, by then it won’t matter if he stays or goes, the damage will be done.

• Rick (Saturday, December 04 21 07:00 pm EST)

  Tony, I just looked at the Eagle Times website again and there is no article anywhere. I looked in the Friday edition and Saturday edition and nothing there either. So what the heck are you talking about?

• tony (Saturday, December 04 21 05:56 pm EST)

  1 day ago — Claremont hired Morris as its city manager in 2019 to replace former city manager Ryan McNutt, whom the Claremont City Council terminated in ...

• Rick (Saturday, December 04 21 03:45 pm EST)

  Tony, I can't find it on the website for the eagle times, where is it?

• tony Baker (Saturday, December 04 21 02:36 pm EST)

  It's up on the Eagle Times page. Looks like they get the scoop this time. They usually do when it's actual news.

• John OSullivan (Saturday, December 04 21 02:15 pm EST)

  Maybe he is waiting for a second confirmed source??? What’s the scoop Jimmy?

• Deb (Saturday, December 04 21 05:25 am EST)

  Jim is always late to the party.

• Guy (Friday, December 03 21 09:41 pm EST)

  Donk,
  Where is the official statement?
  How can it be true is it’s not posted here?
  I’ll believe it when I see it here.

• Donk (Friday, December 03 21 08:41 pm EST)

  Hello Guy, you are kidding right? It’s only the biggest news around town.

• Guy (Friday, December 03 21 08:13 pm EST)

  Is Morris leaving?

• Donkey Smithers (Friday, December 03 21 08:08 pm EST)

  Jim…time to dust off the old hat and throw it in the ring for a chance at City Manager. You’re the only one with the brains to do the job as proclaimed by you. What’s holding ya back?

• tony baker (Friday, December 03 21 10:17 am EST)

  Well Ed is moving on. Shocker that he got a better offer from a smaller town.

• Tim Mulligan (Thursday, December 02 21 07:02 pm EST)

  I’ve never been elected.

• Coverup (Thursday, December 02 21 06:51 pm EST)

  So I had to go to the Eagle Times to get this information because I don’t usually waist my time on it.
  
  “As of Sunday, Nov. 14, the city manager has closed the Central Collections Office (the city clerk) due to COVID-19 exposure of employees, along with symptoms,” Contois wrote.
  
  There is only one “(the city clerk)” and most people know who that is. That violates the city charter No Interference rule for the council!!!
  That also violated the federal HIPA law and I believe that is a felony. I don’t believe there is an exemption for Democrats in NH unlike the Swamp in DC. Contois should be removed at the very least. I would expect the “city clerk” if this person chooses would have a good civil case under the HIPA law.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, December 02 21 07:19 am EST)

  Tim/ Jim… you bring it upon yourself.
  You are a local elected official but you continue to pursue a national agenda. You are more interested in BLM then you are about local issues affecting your constituents.
  You come here under a phony name, you’re not fooling anyone. One of your colleagues outed you a long time ago but you still continue this act.
  If Jim is targeting you it’s because you have given him good reason to.
  No one is asking you to be “Ronnie Reagan” but you weren’t elected to be “AOC” either. Show up and do the job you were elected to do.

• Tim Mulligan (Thursday, December 02 21 06:07 am EST)

  Ol Nick must love not having the spotlight on him for once from the people here. Looks like Contois is the new ire of Sullivan and his follower. He might have even replaced the City Manager as this websites focus.

• Keith (Thursday, December 02 21 06:03 am EST)

  Patrick Adrian did his typical half-ass job reporting about the Jim Contois letter to the editor controversy. He only interviews Contois and Ed Morris, who will only speak in vague comments on a good day. Patrick did not interview any city councilors to produce a balanced article so the only real side of this issue that was heard was that of Jim Contois. Crap reporting from a crap news publication.

• Dennis (Thursday, December 02 21 05:12 am EST)

  Councilman James Contois is an arrogant P.O.S. He violates city employees privacy rights with private health information by including in a letter to the editor he wrote and had published in several newspapers. This was confidential information that the city manager privately shared with the councilors and now in the Eagle Times Contois tells reporter Patrick Adrian of the ET that he did nothing wrong. That what he did is legal. I question that, at the very least, what Contois did is unethical and immoral, and he did not even have the decency to apologize. It is all about James Contois and his continued selfish wants and needs to be able to stay at home and comfortably play the role of a city councilor while his wife whispers in his ear what to say and what to think. I guess they do not think that people watching the meetings from their homes can hear them. Guess what we can.

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, December 01 21 08:16 pm EST)

  But seriously though: I’ve emailed a copy of this forum to the entire council.

• Clue (Wednesday, December 01 21 08:12 pm EST)

  Oh I love this game. Jim Sullivan is: Jim Sullivan/John OConnors/Bob/Deborah Matthau/ Fran Gauthier
  Donk is:Tony S/Russ/Alicia/Matt
  Tim Mulligan is Tim Mulligan

• Donkey (Wednesday, December 01 21 05:45 pm EST)

  Tony baker, there are 3 people that post under several aliases.

• BOBSYOURUNCLE (Wednesday, December 01 21 05:15 pm EST)

  tony baker: says the guy talking in the echo chamber, Go away hypocrite.

• tony baker (Wednesday, December 01 21 04:07 pm EST)

  Seems good and quiet in here. Maybe you finally realized it's just an echo chamber with 5 occupants

• John J O’Connor (Monday, November 29 21 08:26 am EST)

  I’d like to give a “shout out” to those that decorated Broad Street park, EXCELLENT JOB!!!!
  In past years tree lights would barely go up half the tree, now they go to the top… GREAT JOB!!!
  This is what can happen when people come together for a common cause, great example of community involvement.

• Jim Sullivan (Monday, November 29 21 06:33 am EST)

  Insider, I would welcome any information that either you or anyone else wishes to share. I can be reached at
  
  jim_sullivan1@comcast.net

• Insider (Sunday, November 28 21 07:46 pm EST)

  Jim I’d like to work with you on these articles. I think I could provide a valuable perspective.

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, November 28 21 01:54 pm EST)

  Two articles published today.
  
  1) Rethink Pleasant Street Construction Project – Following the Money.
  
  2) Some interesting topics on the December 8 Council meeting agenda.
  
  Both articles appear on the News Flashes page of this website.

• alicia (Saturday, November 27 21 02:42 pm EST)

  donk u ain’t miserable u have thanksgiving at my partment and fix my ceiling and other things i pay rent when government pay me for these jr. like we talking about i see u agin sune?

• Donk (Saturday, November 27 21 09:49 am EST)

  Another miserable day here in Claremont. Why is it that the people here are only happy when they are miserable?

• Spence (Saturday, November 27 21 09:06 am EST)

  Better question is how is Taverne operating 3 days a week? A restaurant with a liquor license by NH state law has to operate 5 days a week minimum to maintain their liquor license. Seems like a risky gamble to take.

• John J O’Connor (Saturday, November 27 21 08:26 am EST)

  Is that the only business still operating on Pleasant Street ?
  I see the Tavern on the Square is only open 3 days a week, how do they survive?
  I’m sure Pleasant St. will look 4.5 million dollars better but at what cost to the business’s that barely survived Covid?
  Claremont will have the nicest, abandoned, downtown area in the state when this project is finished.
  Timing is everything….

• Watchdog (Saturday, November 27 21 07:55 am EST)

  Excerpt from a recent Eagle Times article about the Pleasant Street project. Too bad the city can’t communicate with the business owners a little better. WTF!!
  
  Melissa Maranville, owner of Granite State Hobbies on Pleasant Street, said she is relieved to see the roadway reopening just as holiday shopping begins to increase.
  As a popular area vendor of remote-control vehicles and parts, Maranville said her business has probably fared better than some during the construction, because her inventory is not widely available and caters to a strong and avid customer base.
  
  There was a sizable drop in business during the first month of construction in August , which Maranville suspected was partly because many customers were confused by the new downtown navigation and did not know where to park. Maranville weathered the slowdown and adapted by offering customers a curbside pickup service. Eventually her customers began to figure out the downtown parking options.
  “When people break their RC cars and want to play, they don’t care how far they have to walk to the store,” Maranville said.
  Maranville said Pleasant Street businesses probably also experienced a loss of customers during the fall leaf-peeping season, which usually brings a flux of tourism through town. Additionally, the city decided to close the street entirely in October to help the construction crew get back on schedule
  The city’s communication of the closure was Maranville’s only significant frustration during the project. Initially city officials had visited businesses and proposed only a two-week street closure. But then the street has since remained closed.
  “Nobody ever came back around to say this was the new plan,” Maranville said. “And I get that it’s probably easier to keep it shut down, but you would think there would have been a little more communication.”
  Pleasant Street businesses will have to weather another phase of construction in the spring, when the highly-anticipated aesthetic and recreational renovations begin.
  The second construction phase will expand sidewalk spaces by 50 percent to accommodate more pedestrian traffic, outdoor dining and seating for relaxation and social gatherings; install new benches and seating; plant more sustainable trees and shrubbery; and improve lighting and signage. The new street will provide angled parking and add a bicycle lane.
  Originally Pleasant Street businesses had expected the entire project — the infrastructure upgrades and street reconstruction — to be constructed during a single construction season. But when contracting with B.U.R., the city opted for a two-phase project, which would save the city in cost and be a more feasible construction approach.
  Maranville said the second construction wave is a bit anxiety-inducing for herself and other business owners, particularly given late spring and early summer is a busy business season. But she is optimistic that customers and residents have adapted to the construction this season.
  “I know it will look beautiful when it’s done and will hopefully bring a lot more traffic to the downtown,” Maranville said.

• Tim Smugillan (Friday, November 26 21 08:25 pm EST)

  Anyone that comes here is lonely, don’t worry anonymous.

• Anonymous (Thursday, November 25 21 05:28 pm EST)

  I’m so lonely

• Matt (Wednesday, November 24 21 08:03 pm EST)

  No one uses clocks anymore boomer

• John J O’Connor (Wednesday, November 24 21 07:20 am EST)

  Hahaha Tim/Jim,
  It’s been my experience that even a broken clock is right twice a day.
  You are a broken clock.
  Happy thanksgiving.

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, November 24 21 06:15 am EST)

  John, I have found that most people agree with me eventually, once they come to their senses.

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, November 23 21 08:03 pm EST)

  Tim/Jim,
  Maybe I’m just in the holiday spirit but I agree with you.
  This is personal not business which translates into none of my business.

• Tim Mulligan (Tuesday, November 23 21 04:00 pm EST)

  The thing is, you just don’t know what you don’t know. So stop your darn speculation.

• tony baker (Tuesday, November 23 21 01:11 pm EST)

  Well what is Jon hiding? Seems to be something he seriously does not want in the public view. That alone makes it worth the reporters efforts to find out. and it is two separate new agencies seeking the info. I could be embarrassing on several levels, and may point out the actions of a "good old boys" sweeping under the sealed documents carpet. Could be he just had more complaints than most officers. Could be he had a problem with weapons and might loose his gun business. He seems to willing to pay a lot to keep it out of the public eye.

• John J O’Connor (Monday, November 22 21 08:45 pm EST)

  I’m having trouble understanding the purpose of unsealing Jon Stones personal file from 15 years ago. If there was anything criminal in nature, odds are the statute of limitations is up so no criminal charges could be filed.
  So the purpose is to embarrass.
  The longer this goes on it’s quite obvious the sole reason is personal.
  Damien Fisher is using the court system to settle a personal vendetta. The voters have re-elected him multiple times, they don’t seem to care about his past employment troubles so why does Damian?
  Maybe someone needs to do a “Right to Know” and see if Jon Stone had any professional interaction with Mr.Fisher during his time as a Police Officer, that would explain why .
  It’s been over 15 years, it’s time to move on.

• The Real Tim Mulligan (Monday, November 22 21 07:28 pm EST)

  Looks like I hit a nerve with old “BOB” hahaha

• Timmy Mulligan (Monday, November 22 21 07:27 pm EST)

  I could give a crap about what is said on this website lol

• Tim Mulligan (Monday, November 22 21 07:22 pm EST)

  you hurt my feewings so now I will call you names.

• Tim Mulligan (Monday, November 22 21 06:54 pm EST)

  Every time I speak the truth people start posting on here with my name. I think me, Jim Sullivan and John O are the only honest people here that use their own names. Bunch of cowards.

• Tim Mulligan (Monday, November 22 21 06:12 pm EST)

  I have no life that's why I post on here.

• Tim Mulligan (Monday, November 22 21 05:22 pm EST)

  I think we just learned who “BOB” is!!!! LOL
  
  Reading this website is like playing Clue crossed with the high school locker room.

• BOB (Monday, November 22 21 05:14 pm EST)

  Jesus H Bill get over it. If stone crossed the line and committed a crime he would have been tried for it. He is not a cop any more he resigned and made a deal with the city. CASE CLOSED. It is only opened up again because of a cry baby freelancer named fisher. he and stone had words he got his feelings hurt and now fisher tries to defame stone every chance he gets just read his articles "garbage" he has to freelance because no paper in their right mind will hire him.

• Bill (Monday, November 22 21 09:16 am EST)

  Very interesting article in the Valley News about Councilor Stone. Why is he spending thousands of dollars in legal fees if he has nothing extremely embarrassing to hide.
  It’s time for Mr. Stone to tell the truth.

• Donk (Monday, November 22 21 07:31 am EST)

  That is not the real Donk posting.
  That's little pee pee or winkee

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, November 21 21 10:03 pm EST)

  Donk, the original article about the Central Collections Office being closed on Wednesdays was published on October 19, 2021. The reason for that original closure was because of short staffing created by Morris' musical chair hiring practices, not because of a COVID test. That was a very recent turn of events that has now closed the Central Collections Office down from the public completely. I found out about the reason why for this new expanded closure just before any of Contois' letters were published. Because there are now only two employees working in Central Collections because of Morris' hiring practices, Contois' irresponsible public statements regarding the reason why violates the privacy of both of those city employees in regards to their medical records. There was never any deception on my part. I apologize for any confusion that I may have inadvertently caused.

• Donk (Sunday, November 21 21 07:09 pm EST)

  Funny how Jim says he didn’t report the medical issues because his sources are very good but he has journalistic integrity but the way he spun the story was that the office was closed due to the City Managers ineptitude. So did you just lie or did you choose to mislead us? If you knew the office was closed due to medical issues why did you write a whole article about how terrible Morris is because of the closure?

• Ray (Sunday, November 21 21 07:03 pm EST)

  Jim,
  
  Do you think that is acceptable? Why can’t a type of local tax specifically targeting these corporations implemented and keep the revenue local?
  They did it to restaurants an already low margin industry.
  We can’t trust the federal government to properly regulate their business, look at the opioid settlement. Has that only cost the city on around 9000 a year? Three of those businesses I mentioned made huge revenue selling those pills.

• Over The Line (Sunday, November 21 21 06:04 pm EST)

  Contois clearly interfered with day to day city operations when he exposed two employees status and announced the closing of central collections. I see this as violating the council interference part of the city charter and that requires termination. Let’s see what the council does Wednesday.

• Dennis (Sunday, November 21 21 12:07 pm EST)

  Why are the city councilors not firing Mr. Morris? I watch the meetings and it is painfully obvious that he is out of his depth. I also find his actions to lack empathy for the people of Claremont and also be devoid of ethics. The city councilors gave him a simple task to present a budget for this fiscal year that would not increase the property tax rate. Jim Sullivan just proved that Mr. Morris and presumably his staff members in the finance office manipulated numbers to create a false impression of a property tax rate level budget. It looks like increasing Claremont's property valuation on paper that Morris and his staff over the goal line based on a complete lie perpetrated not only on the city councilors but on the taxpaying public. This is unacceptable and it should be grounds for his termination. As our elected representatives the city councilors should be firing Mr. Morris.

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, November 21 21 11:55 am EST)

  Ray, property assessments are supposed to be based on property value period. However that is not always the case. One thing big business does that most average homeowners do not do is file for a property assessment abatement if they believe that they are being over-assessed on the property value, which means they are also being over-taxed. Generally speaking, when these businesses file for a property assessment reduction, while they may not get all that they want, they usually get a reduction of some kind.

• Linda (Sunday, November 21 21 10:23 am EST)

  Mr. O'Connor, I respectfully disagree with you. Mr. Sullivan explained that with only two employees in the central collections office, the private information City Councilor James Contois revealed to the public places the attention on just those two employees. This is private medical information that should have never been revealed. Mr. Contois should be deeply ashamed of his actions and his thoughtless disregard for this employees privacy and for dragging in the other central collections office employee into this drama. Mr. O'Connor I do agree with you that Mr. Contois is not representing the citizens of Ward two by staying home all the time. He should never have run for reelection but his swelled ego is overpowering common sense.

• Ray (Sunday, November 21 21 09:22 am EST)

  Where are the increased assessed values for the following public companies: HD, WMT, RAD, CVS, DLTR, DG? Shouldn’t these companies be reassessed annually based on the billions in revenue they collectively take in?
  These companies have thrived the last 3 years while people in areas like ours have struggled, yet the residential property tax is what goes up.
  Can somebody explain to me why the city can’t tax these companies taking more from area than giving back before raising residential assessed values?

• John J O’Connor (Sunday, November 21 21 08:43 am EST)

  Jimmy… I think you’re reaching in trying to jam up Contois. I read his “Letter to the Editor”, I didn’t see where he mentioned any names of employees?
  It was my understanding that the requirements for using the phone for a teleconference was having a Councilor out of town or if they are convalescing at home . I wasn’t aware that being “afraid” was also a reason.
  If Councilor Contois is so afraid to go to Council meetings he is not representing those that recently elected him. If his fear is paralyzing his ability to actively engage in meetings it’s time for him to step down.
  Shame on him for taking a National political stand and hurting his constituents.
  I am a resident in Ward 2 and I want my Councilor to be present in City Hall chambers for all meetings, if not, have the decency to resign .

• Brad (Sunday, November 21 21 08:36 am EST)

  Councilman James Contois is really bad news for Claremont. A complete embarrassment. Actions do have consequences and his callous actions may have placed Claremont into a legal bind with the city employees working in the collections office. The voters of Ward two really messed up by reelecting this narcissistic imbecile.

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, November 21 21 06:51 am EST)

  Three new articles published today.
  
  1) Councilor James Contois crosses an ethical line that should never be crossed!
  
  2) Francis Gauthier applies for the Electric Aggregation Committee & the Claremont Energy Advisory Committee.
  
  3) Claremont's 2021 MS-1 document reveals interesting facts!
  
  All three articles are published on the News Flashes page of this website.

• Tim Mulligan (Saturday, November 20 21 08:08 pm EST)

  John/Jim, don’t waste your breath. Sullivan is on a single track to glory.

• John J O’Connor (Saturday, November 20 21 07:45 pm EST)

  Tim/Jim… you are out of your depth.
  Jimmy… here is an avenue for inquiry. The recent decision to scrap the school relocation plan. How much time and money was spent on that plan, a plan that had already been rejected by parents a few years ago .
  That might be a good question for your “good buddy”.

• Tim Mulligan (Saturday, November 20 21 06:48 pm EST)

  John (aka Jim C.) trying to distract Jim S. From his main purpose in life. JoHn/Jim you don’t understand, it was never about the taxes or making a real difference.

• John J O’Connor (Saturday, November 20 21 03:09 pm EST)

  Well Jim,
  When I was in Concord I asked a few leading economists what Claremont had to do, first thing they said was to get your tax situation in order.
  It was recommended that Claremont should drop its combined(County, City, school) budgets by 7-10 million so then we could be more competitive within the state. As you know, the SAU has the highest budget, certainly there must be something there for you to sink your teeth into.
  I can appreciate you not going out of your way to burn the Superintendent, you take care of those that take care of you and responding timely and respectfully goes along way.

• Jim Sullivan (Saturday, November 20 21 01:49 pm EST)

  John, I would not say that I have a cozy relationship with the Superintendent of Schools. I've never actually met the man in person .Simply that whenever I request information from him that he always responds in a civil, respectful and professional manner.
  
  I'm curious, what exactly are you referring to within the school system that you think I should look into?

• John J O’Connor (Saturday, November 20 21 11:40 am EST)

  Hey Jim,
  I know you have a cozy relationship with the school superintendent but maybe it’s time to look into the goings on within the school system with the same vigor you look into City hall.

• Basement News (Saturday, November 20 21 08:37 am EST)

  Is Contois doxing people and illegally exposing city employees medical information in the eagle times. Editor should have protected them as well.

• Joe (Friday, November 19 21 06:51 pm EST)

  Looks like Alicia is subleasing one of ol’ Donk’s apartments. Good luck Donk.

• alicia (Friday, November 19 21 10:21 am EST)

  thank you donk apartment nice 2 bedroom stay with friend cracked. Ceiling you come fix?

• Tim Mulligan (Friday, November 19 21 10:18 am EST)

  John replies to himself.

• John J O’Connor (Friday, November 19 21 09:32 am EST)

  Drop the mic… walk away…

• John J O’Connor (Wednesday, November 17 21 09:50 pm EST)

  Brenda,
  I don’t have to watch anything, the proof was in the election. You can’t insult someone’s profession and expect them to be fair, these people are only human, they are not machines.
  Clinton and Obama were media darlings because they treated the press like they were Late Night TV hosts. They knew how to use the media(spoken and print) to their advantage. Clinton cheated on his wife with a intern. He admitted committing a sex act. He was impeached for lying about it but now is revered and looked at as an elder statesmen.
  Imagine if Trump knocked boots with an intern 30 years his junior, the 4 estate would crucify him.
  Imagine if there were pictures of Trumps kids smoking crack and banging hookers, do you think the media would ignore it like they did with Hunter.

• Brenda (Wednesday, November 17 21 08:29 pm EST)

  "who never understand the importance of the 4th estate. You can’t continuously call them fake, insult their profession and expect the media to give to fair and unbalanced coverage." I think he does know who they are. Here you go John , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yshJn7lgVsY - It’s called “broadcast programming” for a reason

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, November 17 21 07:03 pm EST)

  The real world is overrated.

• Tony (Wednesday, November 17 21 02:24 pm EST)

  Maybe they are spending some time in the real world.

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, November 17 21 02:19 pm EST)

  Anybody home? You guys are quiet lately!

• John J O’Connor (Tuesday, November 16 21 07:53 am EST)

  Joe,
  My first question to you, are you an American citizen?
  If the answer is yes, he is your President too, you look like a buffoon when you say any President isn’t your President.
  As I’ve said, elections have consequences. To sit there and say it wasn’t a fair and honest election shows what a moron you actually are.
  I’m no fan of Biden but be honest, the Democratic Party won, not Joe Biden, the Democratic Party .
  The DNC had a fantastic grass roots campaign. They understand the new voting regulations better then the republicans. The DNC went door to door in every rural community in the swing states and made a substantial effort in getting out the vote. They also had the foresight to understand that having control of local statehouses would benefit them in regards to creating new election laws.That is what won the election.
  You will sit there and spit RNC talking points about inaccurate counting machines or fraudulent mail in votes which may all be true, maybe the DNC did cheat but shame on the RNC for not thinking about doing it first.
  The Republicans lost the last election because we had a flawed candidate who never understand the importance of the 4th estate. You can’t continuously call them fake, insult their profession and expect the media to give to fair and unbalanced coverage.
  Trump played the game by his rules and LOST, constantly crying about it only hurts Republicans.
  The election is over, move on !

• Joseph (Monday, November 15 21 10:40 pm EST)

  John, he can be your President, but not my President.
  He is a courptly elected crook, in my opinion, and would never lower myself to labeling him as my President, even if unfortunately he is.
  Enjoy your proudly self labeled President, and all he does for you.
  See you in the bread lines maybe.

• Howard (Monday, November 15 21 03:16 pm EST)

  Mayor Deb, thanks for clarifying.

• Jean Claude Lesalle (Monday, November 15 21 03:09 pm EST)

  I wonce new a girl name Debbie and she had 11 kids all by difernt daddys she lovd hangin out at the bar sheed celebrate daylite saving like it were christmas cause the bar was open a extra hour

• Debora Matteau (Monday, November 15 21 02:27 pm EST)

  Howard, you are being very presumptuous thinking that this "Deb" who posted that is "Debora Matteau", the Asst. Mayor Elect. You can clearly see by all my posts that I post under my FULL REAL NAME. So this "Deb" is not me. Lots of people share the same first name.

• Howard (Monday, November 15 21 01:48 pm EST)

  Weird to have a mayor talk like that

• John J O’Connor (Monday, November 15 21 11:50 am EST)

  It’s not weird it’s ignorant.
  I was never a fan of Obama but the never thought he wasn’t my President.
  I’m not a fan of “Brandon” but he is my President.
  Elections have consequences, work harder for your candidate in 2024 but realize, whoever wins… that person is your President.

• Howard (Monday, November 15 21 08:32 am EST)

  Deb, that’s a weird thing to say.

• Deb (Sunday, November 14 21 07:22 pm EST)

  The scumbag your president maybe not most people's

• Debora Matteau (Sunday, November 14 21 06:54 pm EST)

  Howard, the city manager will be pursuing the infrastructure funds. Guidelines etc are yet to be released. The president is signing it tomorrow.

• Howard (Sunday, November 14 21 04:12 pm EST)

  Deb, will you be looking at getting infrastructure funds from the trillion dollar infrastructure bill?

• John J O’Connor (Sunday, November 14 21 01:37 pm EST)

  Tim/Jim,
  You are completely wrong. Sully has made positive postings.
  There was this one time when he posted …… and then there was another time when he reported….
  Ok, maybe you got a point.

• Tim Mulligan (Sunday, November 14 21 11:47 am EST)

  Would Jim Sullivan ever admit when someone does something positive?

• Jim Sullivan (Sunday, November 14 21 08:17 am EST)

  Two new articles published today.
  
  1) Proposed Claremont Elementary School Reconfiguration Plan ceased by the Claremont School Board for now! .
  
  2) November 10, 2021 Claremont City Council meeting synopsis.
  
  Both articles are published on the News Flashes page of this website.

• John J O’Connor (Sunday, November 14 21 08:01 am EST)

  Unfortunately, Donk is right.
  There are exceptions to every rule but if you treat your rental like shite, you will do the same to anything you own.
  It amazes me that certain renters don’t have any pride. Some are not willing to do simple repairs or throw up a coat of paint to improve their own living conditions.
  I feel sorry for property investors, the system is stacked against them especially, if they rent to low income, tenants have more rights then you do. They have people and agencies looking out for there well being , making sure they are not taken advantage of.
  Where are the people or agencies looking out for landlords ?

• Donk (Sunday, November 14 21 07:45 am EST)

  Tim- fixing up apartments in Claremont is a losing proposition on both fronts.
  You get taxed more for the investment in the property.
  
  You also have a clientele that really has no respect for property pride.They fuck it up faster than you can imagine.If you evict them for non-payment that really fuck it up.There is no legal recourse against people that have nothing.You're wasting your time and court fees trying to recoup.
  These are not regular people that I speak of.They have no shame,no pride in personal appearance,and hygiene that is reminiscent of that movie Thunderdome.These people live day to day hand to mouth.
  They're not about improving their lot in life, they've long given up on anything that resembles aspiration.Their one and only mission is how so I get high today.
  There are exceptions sure, but any of them with any inkling of decency are preyed upon by the packs of various addicts and drunks.
  I had a different attitude 20 years ago.I wanted to bring back these properties and contribute to a thriving community.It's much like shoveling shit against the tide.
  Now I'm just trying po preserve wealth.I don't want to hear the sob stories of how you couldn't find a ride to work,or you overslept.
  NO MONEY-GET OUT

• Tim Mulligan (Saturday, November 13 21 05:04 pm EST)

  Donk, get over it. You choose to own property in Claremont, that means you choose to pay the taxes. Fix up your places and stop making excuses. If you have a problem with it, sell, now is the time to do so.

• Alicia (Saturday, November 13 21 02:52 pm EST)

  friend lives on prospect white apt I can move in she says we share rent no more slum lord have good rent kids shovel driveway and walk to cumby w. Sr. Pick up

• Donk (Saturday, November 13 21 11:09 am EST)

  To Gadget: There are two reasons why my properties appear to be in disrepair.
  The first reason being is that landlords are penalized for renovation.I made the mistake of doing this to one of my properties and really regret it.The building value was assessed much higher,thus making the property tax increase tremendously.
  The second reason is the fact that the wages of the box stores or the welfare transfer payments don't support higher rents.As it stands now,especially since utilities are skyrocketing the working poor just don't make enough to pay more.So basically landlords are forced to keep buildings together with chewing gum, not unlike the stress crack road repair that Claremont has embraced.
  
  To Alicia: I'm sorry to say that I couldn't rent to you as you have too many children in your household.Children use a lot of water and water is included in my rentals.You all have seen the way that water bills and sewer bills are exploding upwards in Claremont.What you receive from section 8 could not make up for the short fall in paying for the utilities.Why don't you ask investor Ross? Aparerently he doesn't read the demographics of Claremont like I do.Claremont is a shrinking,aging community.What's worse is that Claremont suffers from brain drain.The kids that are smart go-getters in Claremont leave for greener pastures and better incomes.90% of the young people that stay in Claremont are hopelessly drug or alcohol addled.The damage has been done and their futures look quite bleak, much like yourself Alicia.

• Building Inspector Gadget (Friday, November 12 21 08:26 pm EST)

  Donk why dont you remind us all about the pos buildings you have. That Meth lab on Myrtle was a real beauty. You are part of the problem. Its the people you pray upon to inhabit your shitholes.

• Ross Vanti (Friday, November 12 21 04:19 pm EST)

  Dude, I don’t care about your poor rental management issues. I don’t have those issues. I’m not going to just sit back and complain, I’m here to invest and make changes. Property owners have rights too.

• Alicia (Friday, November 12 21 03:08 pm EST)

  Donk you have place for rent real cheap i need new place 4 kids 1 iguana 1 ferret no stink cat or dog

• Donk (Friday, November 12 21 12:38 pm EST)

  I'm not advising you on how to invest your money,that's your business.If you moved here because of the "Live Free or Die"
  motto where should I send the flowers?
  In Claremont Government controls all.They think of taxpayers as merely sheep for the fleecing.
  The Right to Know policy in Claremont should tell you something.I myself own properties locally and to tell the truth they're more trouble than they're worth.When I see the mommy smoked crack last night at rent collection time I get every excuse under the sun.No rent means get out and no you can't use your security money for rent.9 out of 10 of the evicted druggie moms leave the places filthy and wrecked.I love when they ask for their security money back after leaving the place like they do.

• Ross Vanti (Friday, November 12 21 11:08 am EST)

  Donk, I don’t need advice on where to invest my money from someone like you in the internet. I have properties all over the country.

• Donk (Friday, November 12 21 10:52 am EST)

  Ross, I certainly hope you didn't pick Claremont out of the whole state of New Hampshire.
  
  Claremont has the highest taxes in the entire state.The locals wonder why the rents are so high.It's the taxes and now fuel oil,and electricity rates that are making even modest shithole living out of reach for many in the area.

• Ross Vanti (Friday, November 12 21 10:39 am EST)

  I see no friends of the working man here. What happened to freedom? I came to NH for the live free or die motto not the government tells you what to do motto.

• John J O’Connor (Friday, November 12 21 08:25 am EST)

  Ross,
  Deb is nice enough to come here, be accessible, answer questions when others in her position run from this site, and you ask her an unanswerable question.
  Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay , so feel free to charge whatever you like. If it’s worth the price people will rent it.
  Regulations are to help tenants with slumlords. They are needed because there are far too many unscrupulous property owners just looking to make a buck with no regard to the living conditions of their buildings.

• Debora Matteau (Friday, November 12 21 08:18 am EST)

  Ross, most of the building codes now enforced are state-wide codes, not adopted by the city, but the state. The city does have a minimum property code. If any property owner has a grievance about how any code is applied, there is an appeal process. But, in the end, if you want to collect rent from tenants, you need to provide a safe rental unit.

• Ross Vanti (Thursday, November 11 21 08:23 pm EST)

  Deborah, when will the city deregulate rentals? The codes are creating a housing crisis. I want to invest but not until the City gets real about what to ask from working class property owners.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, November 11 21 07:36 pm EST)

  Bob,
  No argument, this is what a healthy discussion looks like.
  I might not agree with what Deb says but I will defend her right to say it.
  I appreciate an elected official answering questions here. Not everyone is allowed (me) to view the Whats Up Claremont page where it’s my understanding current Councilors frequently post comments and answer questions. I have known quite a few elected officials, past and present, that religiously read this page but don’t have the guts to post or post under their God given name.
  So thank you Deb for coming here and answering a few of your constituents questions….
  The sky won’t start falling.

• BOB (Thursday, November 11 21 04:58 pm EST)

  The Mayor giving new life to the Sullivan Report. This site is now legitimate. There’s no way an elected official is arguing with someone on here, must be fake news.

• Debora Matteau (Thursday, November 11 21 04:25 pm EST)

  John O'Connor....I'm not saying I am opposed to replacing them....we will need to look at that during budget. If there were to be an unexpected breakdown, we can always revert to old school hand counting. But yes, it should be reviewed.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, November 11 21 04:18 pm EST)

  Deb,
  It’s better to get rid of something a year too early then a year too late. Imagine if a problem occurs during a Presidential/Governor primary or national election, not only would the city need to get new machines but now you will have to clean up a public relations problem.
  What you might save getting an extra year or two, you will loose in a poor PR image.

• Debora Matteau (Thursday, November 11 21 03:48 pm EST)

  Matthew - or whatever your "real" name is, I never claimed to be an expert. I was merely trying to answer a question posed by another writer on here. Stop being so negative!

• Matthew (Thursday, November 11 21 03:17 pm EST)

  I don’t think she’s all the sudden a voting machine expert because she ran unopposed in a local election.

• Debora Matteau (Thursday, November 11 21 03:16 pm EST)

  Lisa - I did read what was written here about the age and life expectancy of our voting machines. I would venture a guess that we are not the only community still using perfectly functioning machines that may be beyond their recommended replacements. That said, if the council were to entertain replacing them, it would likely be a budget discussion. I, personally, am not in favor of replacing machines that are not malfunctioning and are checked every year by our city clerk, especially when there are more dire needs in the city right now, but we can cross that bridge when and if its discussed during budget time. Nothing failed with the machines during this election.

• Lisa (Thursday, November 11 21 02:20 pm EST)

  Councilor Debora Matteau, about those vote counting machines, Jim Sullivan included in an article a excerpt from city council meeting minutes that says in plain English that the vote counting machines have a useful life of twelve years. In that article Jim included another excerpt from the meeting minutes of another city council meeting from a few years ago attributing comments from Councilor Kristin Kenniston, the City Clerk from Lebanon New Hampshire, that over two years ago the vote counting machines were fifteen to twenty years old. This puts the current day age of those vote counting machines at about double their useful life. Jim reported that the city council has only set aside $3,686.17 to purchase three new vote counting machines. Councilor Debora Matteau when do you think those three vote counting machines should be replaced?

• John (Thursday, November 11 21 02:08 pm EST)

  So the same thing is happening 30 years later, wow!

• Debora Matteau (Thursday, November 11 21 02:05 pm EST)

  Read all my recent posts. I said this occurred 30 plus years ago.

• John (Thursday, November 11 21 01:50 pm EST)

  Only in Claremont, how did they prosecute them so fast it’s only been a couple days? More corruption in Claremont. Deb are you gonna do something about it?

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, November 11 21 01:25 pm EST)

  Deb,
  Thank you for the information and history lesson. Every vote deserves to be counted but sometimes peoples stupidity is overwhelming.

• Debora Matteau (Thursday, November 11 21 12:55 pm EST)

  John - he changed the tally totals on the sheet, which altered the results and a candidate backed by a local conservative group at that time won, and unseated a long time board member. It was reversed once it was discovered. They did prosecute the guy who did this, but he only got a minor slap on the wrist. I like the machine counting much better...less of chance for corruption.

• John (Thursday, November 11 21 12:44 pm EST)

  So the supervisor of the checklist was erasing votes…great

• Debora Matteau (Thursday, November 11 21 11:57 am EST)

  There is not a problem with the vote counting machines. They do exactly what they are intended to do...they count ballots that are filled out in accordance with instructions. The problem lies when folks don't fill in the little circle. They make x marks or circle names, but the machines don't pick those up....they are not intended to. On a hand recount, the counters can look at the ballot and ascertain the "intent" of the voter, even though it was not filled out properly. That is how there were a few extra votes for each candidate. This is not unusual, and how it is done all over the country. I can tell you from personal experience that after recounting a school board election from 30 plus years ago, hand tallying is not foolproof. In that recount, it was discovered that a supervisor of the checklist tampered with the results and erased tally sheets, changing the outcome of the election. So, really, nothing is foolproof.

• Lisa (Thursday, November 11 21 11:47 am EST)

  I was surprised to see that all of the candidates in the at-large category all received larger vote counts with the hands-on recount than before with the electronic counting machines. Reading the Sullivan Report, everyone knows that the electronic counting machines are long past their useful life and maybe they are beginning to show wear and tear and losing their proper counting effectiveness. Maybe Claremont should go back to hand counting all of the ballot votes for better accuracy and forget the electronic counting machines altogether.

• John J O’Connor (Thursday, November 11 21 11:02 am EST)

  Thanks Joe…

• Joe Osgood (Thursday, November 11 21 08:36 am EST)

  Joe @ John O’Conner I suggest you listen to my podcast on Steve Smith podcast WCLN 94.7 fm 1010 am about the recount. It will clear up allot of you question.

• Tim Mulligan (Thursday, November 11 21 04:27 am EST)

  Beats me

• John J O’Connor (Wednesday, November 10 21 09:25 pm EST)

  Tim/Jim,
  I’m trying to be positive but I’m having a problem trying to figure out how people can’t count correctly.
  The election people have one job… count the ballots accurately, that’s it .

• Tim Mulligan (Wednesday, November 10 21 07:27 pm EST)

  Counting is hard

• Jim Sullivan (Wednesday, November 10 21 04:49 pm EST)

  Revised Claremont City Council At-Large Recount Election Results are published on the News Flashes page of this website.

• Kathy (Wednesday, November 10 21 12:08 pm EST)

  Mr. Morris will have a chance to respond when he answers Jim's questions and releases the missing documents. Jim's article states what he knows now and he is seeking more information to get at the bottom of this. You sound like someone who wants to protect the city manager, who has done a shameful job of managing the city. Maybe you are one of the city councilors who is not doing their job of protecting the public's best interests.

• Blue (Wednesday, November 10 21 11:01 am EST)

  Half the story is told here.

• Jim Sullivan (Wednesday, November 10 21 09:22 am EST)

  New article published today.
  
  Discrepancies Regarding Rethink Pleasant Street Construction Project financial documents found in Right to Know Request!
  
  The article is published on the News Flashes page of this website.

• Tim Mulligan (Monday, November 08 21 05:53 pm EST)

  Right, how about you plant some trees too while you are at it John Denver.