Champs hold off upstart Newfound, head to Final Four

1 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022 GILFORD, Town establishes two different seasonal beach passes BY ERIN PLUMMER. Gilford will have two types of seasonal beach passes at two different prices following approval by the board after extensive discussion. During its Feb. 9 meeting, the board of selectmen unanimously approved a motion to have two differ- ent types of seasonal guest passes: a nontransferable pass for $250 and a transferable pass for $500. The decision came after several meetings worth of discussion and resident input at a recent public hearing. The town established a $200 seasonal pass for the first-time last year and would allow Gilford res- idents to give a beach pass to guests. Guests would be allowed to enter the beach as many times as they wanted without being accompanied by a town resi- Joe Souza dent.

2 Several residents raised concerns that this led Newfound senior Malaki Ingram goes to the hoop between Gilford's Jalen Reese (55) and Sam Cheek during NHIAA Division to overcrowding at the beach by nonresidents, espe- III boys' basketball quarterfinal action. The two-time Division III champion Eagles advanced to the semifinals with a 67-44. win. cially those with short-term rentals. Champs hold off upstart The town also issues a daily guest pass for $15 that requires a Gilford resident to accompany guests and a commercial guest pass for hotels and similar prop- erties at $5 each. Newfound, head to Final Four BY JOE SOUZA size and experience as the hosts experience, the top-seeded Gold- Following discussion over a few meetings, the selectmen held a public hearing to raise the price of seasonal guest passes from $200 to $500 on Jan.

3 26. During the public hearing a few residents spoke Contributing Writer pulled away for a 67-44 victory in en Eagles had an answer for ev- against raising the price. Some comments against GILFORD Postseason con- front of a packed gym. ery response Newfound had. The said that was too much for this pass, the price would tests are battles to the wire, re- We talked a lot about these ninth-seeded Bears, who were be a hardship for their visiting family members, and sponding to each challenge right swings. We came out fast and coming in off their first postsea- questioned if there was any overcrowding in the to the end. they fought back. In these games son win since the school's 1995 parking lot. One resident did send correspondence Gilford and Newfound ex- (tournament), you exchange run to the Class M state champi- in favor of increasing the price.

4 Changed blows through the early punches and we wanted to make onship, ran out of responses. The board decided to not take any action that stages of Friday's NHIAA Divi- sure we were going to have the We came in with a plan and night and would review the matter further. sion III boys' basketball quarter- next punch, Gilford head coach we executed it pretty well, New- A motion was made during the Feb. 9 meeting to Final contest, but in the end the Rick Acquilano said. found head coach Jesse Mitchell establish two types of seasonal passes, both of which Golden Eagles had too much Leaning on their postseason SEE Champs PAGE 9 SEE PASSES PAGE 9. Fire Department seeing increased call volume, inspections BY ERIN PLUMMER cent of where we were had an impact, though is often driven by popu- assistance.

5 Which he said is a sig- last year, Carrier said. not necessarily because lation numbers. Since The department has nificant increase. Depu- The Gilford Fire and I think it'll level out. of COVID-19 itself. He a lot more people were also made many more ty Fire Chief Brad Ober Rescue Department has Selectman Chan Eddy said in general they staying in town, includ- fire inspections in 2021 has been handling the seen a big increase in asked if this increase is didn't see a lot of medi- ing staying at their sec- than the previous years. inspections and Carri- call volume and requests related at all to the pan- cal transports for people ond homes and vacation Carrier said the number er said he has also been for inspections while demic. Carrier said he ill with COVID-19. Car- properties, this resulted of home inspections has helping the Department also working through did think the pandemic rier did say call volume in more people in need of gone up by percent, SEE FIRE DEPT.

6 PAGE 9. personnel turnover. Fire Chief Steve Car- rier gave the selectmen GHS classes test teamwork, creativity in chain building challenge a regular update on his BY ERIN PLUMMER. department during the Feb. 9 meeting. Some long paper During his last update chains across the Gil- Carrier told the board ford High School gym the department had a were the results of a significant increase in unique exercise where call volume over 2021. students had to put Carrier said Gilford Fire their heads and tal- Department respond- ents together in a short ed to 1,935 calls in 2021, amount of time. a percent increase Last Monday morn- over the previous year. ing, students in each The call volume in advisory were asked to January, however, was team up and make a pa- slightly slower than per chain with the ma- normal, which Carrier terials enclosed in their said might be the con- packets in around half tinuing trend.

7 An hour. Each teacher I would suspect in gave the students one 2022 we might some see packet that included some sort of leveling, the same number of pa- maybe even a little drop- per sheets, a glue stick, off in incident numbers, and a pair of scissors. but we'll see how it Each of the students goes, Carrier said. had to work together in Board Chair Gus Be- their classes to try to navides asked why Car- build the longest chain rier figured this would for a sweet prize. be the case. Carrier said Principal Antho- Erin Plummer it has been a general ny Sperazzo said the Students in each advisory at Gilford High School came together in a challenge to make the longest paper chain. trend in the department Building the Chain vate, Critically Think, now the program is be- After a discussion chain building activi- that a spike in calls is activity was a way to Self-Direct, and Col- ing introduced during between administra- ty.

8 Usually followed by the help incorporate the laborate. Eventually class time. tors and educators, Sperazzo said the volume leveling off or four key attributes teachers will incorpo- We're just trying Sperazzo said Technol- scant instructions in- reducing. of the Portrait of a rate the Portrait of a to embed these as part ogy and Engineering cluded in the packets It's just such an un- Learner program into Learner principles in of our culture in a fun teacher Dan Caron put was the only direction usual number; 10 per- the classrooms: Inno- assessments, but right way, Sperazzo said. forth the idea of the SEE CHAINS PAGE 10. A2 THE GILFORD STEAMER. Local news THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022. Step Up Parents awarded grant from Meredith Village Savings Bank Fund for second year MEREDITH Step Up Parents kicked off 2022 receiving another $5,000 grant from the Meredith Village Savings Bank Fund.

9 This grant will support the nonprofit's mission of offering financial assistance to relative care- JOSHUA SPAULDING. givers in New Hampshire who are raising the children of parents with substance use disor- The United States and Canada women's hockey teams warm up before their gold medal matchup last week. Barnes, US hockey women bring home silver der. In addition to taking on parenting again later in life, these relative caregivers have suf- fered the devastating effects of addiction with their own child or relative. This grant comes New Hampton School graduate earns her second Olympic medal at a critical time, as so many of these selfless BY JOSHUA SPAULDING and beyond. Marie-Philip Poulin in the second, Hila- caregivers and their families are struggling to Sports Editor Whenever you get gave Team Canada a ry Knight scored a make ends meet.

10 BEIJING, China the chance to represent two-goal lead with just short-handed goal to put We are so grateful to the MVSB Fund for After the gold medal your country on this under five minutes to Team USA on the board supporting us again this year, said Denyse excitement of the Pyeo- stage, you have to leave play in the first period with 3:21 in the second. Richter, Founder and Executive Director of ngChang Winter Olym- it all out there, the New after she snuck the puck About halfway through Step Up Parents. Their support will help pics four years ago, New Hampton graduate said under Alex Cavallini's a Team Canada power us assist the growing number of families we Hampton graduate Cay- after the gold medal arm stick-side. play, Knight and Han- serve. In 2021, we had a 64 percent increase in la Barnes and her US game.