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Jim Sullivan

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  • Jaylee (Tuesday, November 18 25 07:16 pm EST)

    No body cares about the dang hookers on the sidewalk. Blue hair and everything. And I can get into no damn homeless shelter, to full. Got them damn bed bugs

  • Call me - Andrea (Tuesday, November 18 25 05:57 pm EST)

    Yeah the “health” office don’t know to have folks wear beard nets. Every man at a prep station droppin mad beard fuzz in the foods around Clam-town
    I miss DONK from the old forum days

  • Visiter center staff leaks $ moles (Tuesday, November 18 25 05:53 pm EST)

    Sick sick sick
    Yall are so morons
    This is insane
    What’s next? Jim releases the frickin visitor center files??

  • Citizen (Monday, November 17 25 03:57 pm EST)

    Where do we sogn

  • Sarah (Monday, November 17 25 09:58 am EST)

    Is there one being circulated?

  • Mark (Monday, November 17 25 09:25 am EST)

    Petition to remove city planner and building inspector for not keeping the city safe and being unqualified for the job

  • Tom (Monday, November 17 25 09:03 am EST)

    More BS from city officials

  • Citizen (Monday, November 17 25 09:00 am EST)

    Greenrose, kolowski, Matteau, Hemingway were all at the ribbon cutting. Along with city staff member and someone from the chamber I spoke with all of them - so your information is incorrect.

  • Steve (Monday, November 17 25 05:41 am EST)

    I watched the entire Raven House ribbon-cutting video and only Mayor Girard was present. The person who recorded the video panned the entire room and only Mayor Girard was there. No other city councilors, the city manager or planning department staff to wish these new business owners well and welcome them to the Claremont business community. These people do not care about Claremont.

  • Jim Sullivan (Monday, November 17 25 05:23 am EST)

    You are right about me not allowing advertising. I just saw it and deleted it.

  • Capitalism (Monday, November 17 25 12:50 am EST)

    It was only a matter of time before advertisers showed up here. Jim: maybe its time to pull a Kipp and ban advertising unless you get a cut.

  • Claremont cares (Sunday, November 16 25 06:19 pm EST)

    Yes but he is claremont cares liberal run by the fat fuck Nelson and looser Raymond allison and queif i mean Keith

  • DeRosa for School Board (Sunday, November 16 25 05:52 pm EST)

    He definitely has financial experience.

  • DeRosa for Council? (Sunday, November 16 25 05:25 pm EST)

    Do we no need to elect Kevin DeRosa to the council and state house?

  • Rim Job Construction (Sunday, November 16 25 05:24 pm EST)

    Why is planet fitness using the wrong kind of plywood for their sign? This is very concerning and will fail in the coming years and cause issues. What planning/inspector approved this for a public building. This is so concerning to me.

  • Touche (Sunday, November 16 25 03:22 pm EST)

    Sunlight. That is some of the dumbest shit I have read as a reply to anyone or anything on this page ever, and that says a bunch. Good one.

  • Sunlight (Sunday, November 16 25 02:50 pm EST)

    Shadow: right on. if only rick had attended the opening of a store in claremont then our roads would be fixed, our schools wouldn't have a funding crisis, student test scores would rocket from the bottom to the top of the state, our poverty rate would plummet, and city employees would stop leaving in mass. how selfish of rick to not attend

    maybe it would be better if rick or the councilors had a job that he was at in the middle of the day to give them a fighting chance to have money to buy a guitar at the shop, or anything anywhere else in the city

  • Shadow (Sunday, November 16 25 02:07 pm EST)

    "Rick" see where the problem is? It is people like you. Did you attend the ribbon cutting for Ravenhouse? I can already tell you the answer to that. If you did you would have seen the Assistant Mayor, Koloski, Hemingway and Greenrose present. So perhaps you meant to state the mayor was present in the photo and ribbon but the council members were not. Simple answer, not everything is a photo opp unless you are some asshole here if thinks everything is about themselves. Leave your armchair sometime before talking shit. So they all attended mid day on Friday for free to celebrate a business opening. Again, you did not.

  • Can we have one good school board candidate? (Sunday, November 16 25 01:00 pm EST)

    Don Lavalette: If you don’t want to answer questions on an anonymous internet forum, that’s your choice. Although you did come here on your own in the first place.

    If you’d prefer to only deal with people using their real names, you can go over to WUC or WRUC on Facebook and hold a Q&A. Most of the City Council candidates did exactly that. A good fraction of the town is on there. Or create your own campaign site.

    But having the town tell you what their concerns are and then saying people need to show up in person at a meeting to ask questions, that’s not going to win my vote.

    John J. O’Connor: Sure, there are trolls here. But a lot of people read these forums. Making a case online is much more effective than hoping voters show up to a school board meeting on a weekday evening early.

  • Mayor McReality (Sunday, November 16 25 12:29 pm EST)

    Mayor McCheese: This isn’t a tv show where everything gets fixed with small-town cheer and a Christmas tree lighting.

    If you want to argue that Claremont’s problems aren’t rooted in weak economic fundamentals, then point to a city with similar demographics, a similar business base, and similarly limited development that doesn’t face the same issues.
    Towns like Berlin, Franklin, Laconia, and Newport all have similar economic profiles and problems. They each have the remnants of industries that once anchored the local economy but later left and they struggle with many of the same challenges we do.

    On the other side, show me a city with strong economic development that still has Claremont-level problems.
    Look at Hanover, Amherst, Portsmouth. They have people who complain online too and don't participate in local community, but they still have great services and are a great place to live and raise a family because they have resources and an economic base.

  • Secret Fan (Sunday, November 16 25 11:19 am EST)

    Jeff,
    Say it isn’t true!
    Wheee will we get our technology guidance from…

  • Mayor McCheese (Sunday, November 16 25 11:07 am EST)

    Rick, grow up. Most think the problem is a lack of growth, investment, or jobs. JIM thinks ots the elected council and everyone that works for the city......But that’s not the problem at all. The real issue is that most people believe they live in a community that isn’t worth caring about, so they don’t. They don’t get involved, they don’t show up, they don’t shop local, they don’t pick up trash, and they don’t bother to make things look nice. All those little signs of apathy add up. It’s toxic for communities and devastating for the people who live in them. It drags down every business, every school, every hospital, and every local institution. It weakens the economy and it stifles the spirit of the place.

    You think its council not listening to you on Facebook or on the Sullivan report?!? Are you hanging out with Tetu? You , Jim and all the internet troll bitch'n rather than doing are the problem.

    Blah, blah...
    Standard response = chase growth. add jobs, build subdivisions, recruit Starbucks, and invite. Those things might not be bad, but none of them change how you or other residents feel about their town.

    The real challenge is figuring out how to take people who don’t care and pass the blame on others , like you & Jim, and help them care a little bit more. When you start to look at it through that lens, you realize why the usual approaches fail. They were never designed to fix a problem of care and concern. Once you understand that bitch'n is comunication then you can start having meaningful conversations woth those who are not listening to you.

    Apathy is the real challenge, but we treat it like a money problem. I bet you think think a new employer, some fresh investment, or a few cheap developments will save us. But those quick fixes don’t make people care more. They often make things worse. They pull wealth and ownership out of the community and reinforce the idea that local effort doesn’t matter.

    If you want people to care, focus on what actually makes them care. Human connection. Identity. Ownership. Beauty. People care about other people, so create ways for them to connect. They care about identity, what their town stands for, what it’s overcome, what makes it special. They care about ownership, supporting businesses run by people they know, in buildings that belong to the community. And they care about beauty, because when a town looks better, people feel better. A more attractive place leads to more attractive behavior. Pride follows.

    If half of the effort from the readers of this forum was directed to the above we would be moving towards what we all need. A better Claremont.

    You can’t hire your way to civic pride. You can’t franchise your way to belonging. If you want a thriving town, make it easier for people to care about where they live. Public negativity drains progress. Focus your efforts on building a place people would never dream of leaving. Forget the forum for a bit and ask yourself one question: do people care about this place they call home? If the answer is no, figure out what might help them care more. Then do that. Do it again. Tell council about it, And again. After a few years of that, go back and look. You’ll see they finally moved in the right direction. Because bitch'n doesn't lead.

  • Rick (Sunday, November 16 25 09:36 am EST)

    Now that the election is over the city councilors have returned to their old ways. Only the mayor attended the ribbon cutting for the Raven House. The city councilors will continue to ignore us for two more years. They got what they wanted from the public; their vote.

  • Jim Sullivan (Sunday, November 16 25 07:47 am EST)

    Four new articles published today on the News Flashes page of this website.

    1) North Street closed Monday, November 17.

    2) School Update

    3) Que the Claremont City Council Power Grab just days after the election!

    4) Sting

  • Mushy (Saturday, November 15 25 04:37 pm EST)

    Let's hear from Jimmy how bad our inspectors are. He's got them all over his apartment. I bet the new owner doing the renovations on factory st would drop some reality. Let's hear how bad they are and get them out.

  • John J. O’Connor (Saturday, November 15 25 02:15 pm EST)

    Don,
    Save your breath and time, the people on this site have absolutely zero political influence.
    No answer will be a good answer and every answer will lead to more stupid questions so save yourself the frustration.

  • Don Lavalette (Saturday, November 15 25 12:21 pm EST)

    Happy to answer questions from those willing to use their real names. Scrolling through the posts it looks like only John and Sully provide their names. Please note I don’t maintain an online presence and tend to limit my internet time.
    Also plan to arrive early to the next board meeting to allow time to answer questions and the week after that I plan to grab a coffee at the Barn and welcome those who want to meet and ask questions. Day and time to come.
    Don

  • Ford (Saturday, November 15 25 05:47 am EST)

    Why is big lots allowed to use the wrong plywood.

  • Mixed News (Saturday, November 15 25 12:24 am EST)

    Good on Loren for calling out the $4500 spent on communication consultants. Apparently they have been billing us to watch the board meetings. And to think the rest of us have been doing that for free. but hes still in my doghouse for voting for the corrupt deal to bring back Frank tho.

    Good on Frank for pointing out that school employees haven't been paying the share of insurance. bad on Frank and the rest of 'em for letting that happen for so long. course, Frank probably knew about it because his wife wasnt paying what she should of had to.

    Good on Angell for proposing a modest contract for himself when he could have gotten more for himself. he appears to be smarter, hardworking and more decent then 99% of the rest of them. but wish he'd put more effort into his financial presentations. still not sure he has figured out where everything is

  • Be Better Than The Board (Friday, November 14 25 03:33 am EST)

    Jim,

    You expose the rot like no one else—thank you. And I, for one, appreciate it.

    This week, though, how about leading with the Stevens girls’ soccer team winning state? First title since the 1980s, in spite of the (disgraced) school boards complete defunding of the team. The whole town’s damn proud.

    Or if soccer isn't your thing, in the holiday spirit before the end of the year maybe find one small, honest good thing in Claremont that warms your heart and run it up top.

    We’ll know it’s still your voice. Then go right back to exposing the corruption.

    Do it and I’ll personally petition to rename the county in your honor.

  • Eric (Thursday, November 13 25 07:20 pm EST)

    Planning and development is a joke anymore. Rude women, unqualified inspector and a joke of a planner. That office use to be great when Merrill ran it but now no leadership and credibility to that office.

  • Insider (Thursday, November 13 25 01:26 pm EST)

    Oh boy, here we go again with the wife swapping. Sick freaks

  • Sound of Silence (Wednesday, November 12 25 08:23 pm EST)

    Public: I have some concerns about Lavalette.
    Lavalette: That's not fair. Let me clear things up, I'll answer any question anyone has.
    Public: Great! Here are some questions ...
    Lavalette: [crickets]

  • Juicy apples Yoshi (Wednesday, November 12 25 07:52 pm EST)

    Non public at city council meeting tonight is gonna be juicy!!

  • Silent Genius? (Wednesday, November 12 25 02:19 pm EST)

    Everyone makes fun of petrin for not saying much. but he voted for the corrupt bargain, and hasn't gotten 1/100 th the amount of crap for it that heather whitney got. Seems like the real genius. Bill also voted for it. I kind of like bill's independent spirit, digging into things on his own and calling bs. i hope he leans independent and not align with either of the good ole boy clubs. voting for frank was was not a good sign

  • Reality (Wednesday, November 12 25 01:32 pm EST)

    to be fair to chris, every single candidate ran on a platform of 'blanket statements and buzzwords with no substance'. And they were the same blanket statements and buzzwords for every single candidate! needs vs. wants, lower taxes, more efficient government, transparency, etc.

  • Keith Raymonds Handler (Wednesday, November 12 25 01:25 pm EST)

    Let me get this straight — you said yes to running, then had a committee made up of former councilors and self-described “non-partisan” Democrats create your flyers and signs for you. You haven’t even been sworn in yet, but you’re already offering people a playbook on how to run for council? The next election is over 2 years from now.

    You barely scraped a win, haven’t attended a single training or orientation for boards and commissions, yet now you’re suddenly a pro-level expert on campaigning and governance? And your platform for advice is The Sullivan Report?

    From everything I saw during your campaign, it was all blanket statements and buzzwords with no substance. But now you’re positioning yourself as the voice of experience? Please.

  • Cogswell (Wednesday, November 12 25 12:39 pm EST)

    Other Anon,
    People running who aren't qualified is just part of the process. It's a part we may not like, and the fact that they get so many votes is concerning, but it is what it is. But I prefer it to being left with two completely unappealing choices, which is what often happens in a two party system controlled by the rich and out of touch. We are a democracy. I understand the concern, but I trust the citizens to get it right most of the time if the system isn't rigged against them.

    The guide is a means to allow truly independent people to run for office, which I think is a good thing. Power shouldn't be vested only in those with the money or knowledge to manipulate the system.

  • Pepto Plus (Wednesday, November 12 25 12:37 pm EST)

    Damien Fisher is the only person covering the school stuff for NH Journal. He has a conservative bias. Frank and Heather are in the conservative camp, which is why they get quoted all the time in his articles. (which is why its so insane that howard gave them control) I'm not suggesting Damien is onboard or in cahoots with the heather frank style corruption. But he is very friendly with them and maybe doesn't want to upset the apple cart.

    Say what you want about Jim Sullivan, but he's doing 10 times deeper reporting than Damien. Damien is basically just summarizing meetings and press releases, with a quote from good ol Heather and Frank thrown in for good measure.

  • Pepto please (Wednesday, November 12 25 12:25 pm EST)

    Valley News and NH Journal have been eerily silent about the Frank Sprague coup. I wonder if it is because Sprague is good old friends with the lot of em

  • Another Anon (Wednesday, November 12 25 12:07 pm EST)

    Chris,

    While this is a an admirable effort, I have some reservations. It isn't hard to figure out how to run for city council. If someone can't figure out how to do that without a "running for council for dummies" guide, do you really think they are going to have the skills to be effective? We already have enough candidates that don't understand the basics of what the council can and can't do, and they get a shockingly high % of votes.

  • Cogswell (Wednesday, November 12 25 11:06 am EST)

    Claremont,
    One thing that came up in this last election was that people didn't feel that they could easily get involved to be part of this process. And that is a shame. One of the best things about New Hampshire and the United States generally is our ability to take part in the political process and our history of everyday people working to make a difference.

    In the spirit of trying to improve the average citizens ability to get involved I'm creating a folder and documents on how to:
    1) Run for City Council and get involved in boards and commissions
    2) Create political groups to raise funds and promote candidates
    3) Attend meetings and make your voice heard

    You can find the folder below. If you'd like to help on the document creation please reach out to me and I will add you as an editor. My hope is that people from all political viewpoints can take part in this process and try to make the system as open and transparent as possible.

    https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16I1eSxa-IuJSQCOO-poCA1A2iVAp3XKm?usp=drive_link

  • the problem isnt the teacher (Wednesday, November 12 25 08:48 am EST)

    we need to demand the entire school board be sent packing they helped us into this mess or at the very least failed to warn us

  • Union Schmunion (Wednesday, November 12 25 08:17 am EST)

    The absolute last thing this school board needs is anyone, ANYONE who has any ties to the evil teachers union or any other union. They have been fleecing us for years! They have unheard of benefits in SAU6 (they only pay 5% of their insurance premiums. This was set up back in the day because our salaries were out of whack and we needed something to attract and retain teachers. Those days are GONE. our salaries are competitive, our benefit package is still the most favorable to the teachers in the state. It is time to get back to the negotiation table and bring them back down to earth.

  • Anon (Wednesday, November 12 25 05:21 am EST)

    Don,

    I don’t think anyone’s painting you as a “cartoonish mob boss.” People are expressing concerns that others share. That’s a gift. It’s your chance to understand where they’re coming from and shape your message accordingly.

    People are accusing the present board member of lots of things. And they aren't even bothering to show up to explain anything at all. That's also a gift.

    FWIW, I think Mr. Tyson would also be welcome if he wanted to join in the conversation here or in any of the platforms where Claremont politics are discussed.

  • Eagle Eye (Tuesday, November 11 25 10:07 pm EST)

    At the last meeting, Whitney’s approach to calling votes raised some questions for me. She counted the affirmative votes for Lavalette but tried to not count the opposing ones, and later declined to call a vote for Tyson on the grounds that it wouldn’t pass. That’s not how procedure is supposed to work. She has called a million votes before and she has never done that. I'm going to pay close attention to how votes are handled going forward. I don't know her angel, but I don't trust her as far as I could throw her.

  • Shane (Tuesday, November 11 25 09:05 pm EST)

    I wonder if a public document request for what fire inspections the chief is handling on his own might be in order. Who's the police commish here? I didn't know we had one.

  • Neighbors (Tuesday, November 11 25 06:21 pm EST)

    Pam,

    I heard that the fire chief has even pulled his own inspector off the “good ole boys” cause he’s to hard on them. As a property owner I have multiple occasions with the fire inspector and he is nothing but fair and knowledgeable. The good ole boys know how to work the system and the fire chief will help them out but won’t help others out. Time for politics to get out of Claremont and let the people that we hire do there job regardless of friends or whatever!

  • Pam (Tuesday, November 11 25 05:10 pm EST)

    Some things never seem to change in Claremont. While visiting the City’s Visitor Center recently to obtain a permit, I overheard a conversation about an incident at the Planning Office involving a member of the public and a city official (Inspector). From what was said, it appears the situation escalated to the point where police were called, and one of those involved may have been a sitting Police Commissioner and his partner.

    If that’s accurate, it raises serious questions about conduct, accountability, and whether certain individuals continue to benefit from an “old boys’ network” that undermines fairness in city operations. It’s also concerning to hear that the Fire Chief may now be self drawn into this matter, possibly under pressure to appease others rather than focus on public safety. Circumventing the inspection process.

    Situations like this contribute to the perception that Claremont struggles to retain qualified inspectors and other staff—not because of the work itself, but because of the internal politics surrounding it.

    Leadership should take these issues seriously. Transparency, consistent enforcement, and professional accountability are the only ways to restore public confidence in our departments and boards. It’s time for City Hall to take a closer look and ensure that personal connections never outweigh fairness and professionalism.

    Seems Insider is on to something. Mr. Sullivan you seem to be a sleep at the wheel.

  • Curious Voter (Tuesday, November 11 25 04:07 pm EST)

    Mr. Lavalette, because of the recent screwups we’re in a spot where the pie’s too small to go around. Students, teachers, and taxpayers are all going to have to share the pain, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

    There’s a real concern, given your background, that you’ll lean toward the teachers and the union at the expense of everyone else. That might not be fair, but it’s something you need to address head on. My suggestion is to spend more time responding to that concern and less time talking about the history of Claremont. Wayne McElreavy only gets one vote.

    In response to your comments, give me one example of a teacher who was fired purely for being bad, based on teaching performance or test scores, not for bad behavior or clashing with admin. How long did it take to deal with the middle school teacher grooming a student? There were multiple public incidents while she was still employed. I know Henry and Pratt weren’t in your union, but how those cases played out is typical of what one does see in the union setting. Even when there’s clear evidence of serious misconduct, it takes forever to actually fire someone. In the real world, you’re gone as soon as the problem is found, not after endless due process or a sweetheart severance package.

    The union also pushes for contracts that make it impossible to do a midyear reduction in force. I get it, a teacher can’t easily find another job midyear. OK, but the same should apply the other way around. Teachers can walk out midyear with no consequence. That’s been a big problem this year, and it really screws over the schools.

    Same thing with the Bluff move, all this negotiation about timing, weekends, and process. In the real world, people just work things out with their employer when they’re in a bind. I get how contracts work, but at some point we need to look at how the rest of the world operates.

    That said, I’m pro-teacher. We should have higher expectations, teacher employment should look much more like real world employment, but the pay should match that.

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