Ninety minutes later, her level had dropped to 0.11 percent, still above the legal limit of 0.08 percent, toxicologist Darby VanAmburg testified at Blizzard’s trial yesterday.

Blizzard, 36, of Laconia, is charged with two counts of negligent homicide for the death of Stephanie Beaudoin and with aggravated driving while intoxicated for serious injuries suffered by her other passenger, Nicole Shinopulos.

Two of those charges allege Blizzard was intoxicated when she rammed her boat into Diamond Island at 2:30 a.m. June 15, 2008. VanAmburg was the last witness to testify yesterday, and it was the first time the state has said publicly what Blizzard’s blood-alcohol level was.

The jury of eight men and five women has been hearing evidence in Belknap County Superior Court since Monday and is expected to hear from Shinopulos today and Blizzard tomorrow. Closing arguments are scheduled for Monday.

For much of yesterday, defense attorney James Moir of Concord continued his aggressive cross-examination of Marine Patrol Lt. Timothy Dunleavy, the state expert who determined Blizzard was going at least 33 mph when she crashed.

The defense learned for the first time yesterday that the bouncer working the restaurant and bar Blizzard and her friends last visited before the crash didn’t recall seeing anyone leave the establishment drunk.

And Moir said he has a witness who believes the empty beer cans floating near Blizzard’s crashed boat may not have been Blizzard’s, but rather trash from another boat. However, a state witness said yesterday afternoon, investigators found cans of the same kind of beer in the boat’s cabin.

Alcohol was Moir’s focus during his cross-examination of Dunleavy. Dunleavy revealed yesterday that he interviewed the off-duty police officer working the door at the Wolfetrap Restaurant the night of the crash but never reported it because the bouncer didn’t see anyone who was impaired.

Moir, who said after court that the bouncer has not returned his calls for an interview, was visibly surprised by Dunleavy’s testimony.

“Why didn’t you share that with us?” Moir asked. “Didn’t you think it was important?”

No, Dunleavy said, calling it “an oversight.”

Several state witnesses, Dunleavy included, have said they saw two or three empty beer cans floating near Blizzard’s crashed boat. Yesterday, Moir asked Dunleavy why he never interviewed Diamond Island resident Nancy Stone about those cans.

When Stone read about the beer cans in prior news accounts of the crash, she called Moir and said those cans were likely trash she had collected from the shoreline and put in her dinghy to throw away later. She picks up litter often, she told Moir.

Dunleavy said he didn’t follow up with Stone because he instead asked her husband, Dr. Thomas Rock, whether the empties were in their dinghy when they took it out to assist Blizzard and her friends. In addition, Marine Patrol officers found Bud Light cans, as well as two bottles of vodka, one unopened, in the cabin of the boat.

“(Rock) said he wasn’t sure but (the cans) might have been in the boat,” Dunleavy said. “He confirmed that (Stone) does pick up litter.”

Continuing to challenge the state’s alcohol evidence, Moir asked Dunleavy about his report to a state toxicologist that Blizzard had consumed 4½ alcohol drinks between 8 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. the night of the crash. Blizzard told Dunleavy during their interview that she had had only 3½ mixed drinks and recalled the ingredients in detail.

The state used the drink tally, in part, to calculate Blizzard’s blood-alcohol level, Moir said. Why not give the state both numbers, Blizzard’s and Dunleavy’s, Moir asked.

Dunleavy said he believed his number was better, based on witness statements and the bar tab.

Yesterday’s witnesses also included Dr. Jennie Duval, the state medical examiner who performed Beaudoin’s autopsy. Duval said Beaudoin died from blunt trauma to her head, neck and chest, likely from striking something in the boat when it crashed.

If convicted of all charges, Blizzard could face 7½ to 15 years in prison.

Cunningham stressed “unity rather than partisanship” in his campaign interviews and promised to represent long-term residents and newcomers equally.

In Ossipee, incumbent Kathleen Maloney won approval for another term by a vote of 254 to 250, besting former Ossipee Police Chief Rick Morgan.

On those occasions, citizens will still be allowed to fire off state-legal fireworks.

The police chief said the fireworks ban is in reaction to vacationers who have been causing a racket on Ossipee Lake.

“They just come up on the weekends, even in September, and blow them off like crazy,” chief Josh Shackford said. “Enough is enough.”

Shackford said he was fine with the amendment allowing fireworks on major holidays and for Red Sox World Series celebrations.

The all-day town meeting was held in the elementary school to absorb expected heavy attendance. The principal said it allowed curious students to watch their government in action and pepper teachers with questions.

“It was so nice having it here because we could do that,” principal Corrinne Rocco said.

A town source said 252 residents were given pink cards authorizing them to participate in the two paper ballot votes that capped a year of meetings, studies and cost estimates – including a debate over whether to refurbish the current Town Office building or abandon it.

Additional information on this vote and other election and Town Meeting news will be published as it becomes available.

Ex-chief Rick Morgan Monday questioned selectman Kathleen Maloney’s “judgment” in attempting to hire an out-of-towner after his resignation. But he said it has provided no additional motivation for his campaign against her. The town votes from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday [today].

“I don’t hold grudges,” Morgan said, adding that the bid by Maloney and then-selectman Peter Olkkola to hire from the outside “has nothing to do with” his candidacy.

Responding to an outpouring from citizens, selectmen ultimately hired Morgan’s second-in-command, Donald Grow, for police chief.

Maloney said she had been advised by the Municipal Government Center that Kevin Smith, a candidate from Abbington Mass., stood out. But she hailed the people making final call.

“In looking at the resumes, I felt he was a good choice as well,” she said Monday. “Fortunately, the people stepped forward and reversed the selectmen’s decision.” “I haven’t seen a rise in crime, so apparently the job is still being done,” she added.

Morgan said he was unhappy with the direction of the board at the time, and even considered running last year until selectman E. Morton Leavitt stepped up.

Maloney touted her three years in office, which saw the historic dismantling of the town waste incinerator. One of a few that remained in New Hampshire, it was targeted by state environmental authorities as a source of air and water pollution.

She said under her tenure the town switched to “total recycling,” and is now reaping profits.

“That is making money for the town,” she said. “That was my vision, not only helping the town but the planet as well.”

Morgan said years as a firefighter and fire commissioner have given him perspective on a landmark study on consolidating the town’s three independently governed fire precincts. A public hearing will be held in the near future to air the controversial question.

Morgan said he needs to be convinced the measure, billed as money-saver, will ensure residents continue to get reliable services. And he said resistance will continue to crop up, in part because two precincts, West Ossipee and Ossipee Corner, will be carrying debt for new fire houses, while Center Ossipee’s station is paid for.

“You’ll have to ask Center Ossipee to pay for the others,” he said. “There are some things that are going to be a tough nut to crack for some people.”

According to Maloney, people said they wanted fire services looked at when they approved funding for the study. But she said fire chiefs found “holes,” and that concerns remained over how it could impact services in the spread-out town.

“Let’s talk about it, look at it and figure out the best way,” she said.

She said she’s tried to bring transparency to town government, urging citizens to turn out for public meetings.

“I’ve really enjoyed serving the people of Ossipee. I think I’ve met every challenge and I’ve learned quite a bit,” she said. “I want more people involved.”

Morgan pointed to his deep connections to community and town government.

“I’ve worked my whole life in town government,” he said. “I’ve spent my entire life trying to make the town of Ossipee a better place to live and raise families.”

Maloney added, “It’s all up to the people. The people will decide [Tuesday].”

Belknap County Attorney James Carroll said yesterday that toxicology results show Blizzard’s blood-alcohol level was 1.5 times the legal limit when she ran her 37-foot powerboat into the island, killing 34-year-old Stephanie Beaudoin of Meredith and seriously injuring herself and another friend, Nicole Shinopulos of Burlington, Mass.

Blizzard, 36, of Laconia, has been charged with two counts of negligent homicide; one of driving while intoxicated when she hit the island about 2:20 a.m., and the other of failing to keep a proper lookout. The former charge carries a sentence of 7½ to 15 years, and the latter carries 3½ to seven years.

Blizzard also faces an aggravated driving while intoxicated charge for the injuries suffered by Shinopulos. It carries a sentence of 3½ to seven years.

Before opening statements yesterday, the jurors climbed into a yellow school bus and were driven to a state Marine Patrol storage building six miles away. The judge, news media, prosecution and Blizzard’s attorney joined them, while Blizzard opted not to attend.

There, jurors inspected the damage to the 17,000-pound boat, with a chunk of the front hull broken off and the underbelly a mess of shredded fiberglass. Carroll jumped into the engine bay to show jurors where the mounts for the twin 425-horsepower engines had snapped from the impact.

Back at the courthouse, James Moir, Blizzard’s defense attorney, opened by describing for jurors the scene at Lakes Region General Hospital after the crash. Blizzard’s face had been crushed in the wreck and was “floating, basically detached from her skull” as doctors hovered around her while she fought for her life, Moir said.

“They’re saying: ‘Erica, stay with us, stay with us,’ ” Moir said.

Meanwhile, Shinopulos, who suffered a broken jaw but was “clearly going to live,” was approached by a Marine Patrol investigator and asked what had happened, Moir said.

Shinopulos described the course of the evening and admitted to drinking in a Wolfeboro restaurant, but she told the officer “in no uncertain terms, that Erica was not impaired in the least,” he said.

“In order to find Erica guilty, you’re going to have to find that Nicole lied to the investigators,” Moir said.

Moir said he anticipates that Blizzard will testify in her own defense.

“There isn’t a crime here,” he said. “This was an accident.”

Testimony
Later in the afternoon, the prosecution called its first four witnesses – Carroll has listed 30 – to flesh out the events before the crash. First on the stand was Jennifer Ivester, a waitress of 13 years at the Wolfetrap Grill and Rawbar in Wolfeboro who served the window table occupied by Blizzard, Beaudoin and Shinopulos the night of Saturday, June 14, 2008.

Ivester, whose memory was jogged by a statement authorities had asked her to prepare the day after the accident, said the three women sat down about 8:30 p.m. and ordered a round of mixed drinks: a vodka-cranberry drink for Blizzard and Beaudoin and a rum and Coke for Shinopulos. The women then began to flip through photos of a trip they had taken that winter.

About a half hour later, Blizzard and Shinopulos repeated their orders, Ivester said. At 9:45 p.m., Ivester asked the women, now the last table in the restaurant, if they wanted dinner before the kitchen closed. An appetizer of steamers was followed by lobster salads for Blizzard and Beaudoin and a lobster roll for Shinopulos.

About 10:30 p.m., Blizzard ordered another round, but Shinopulos abstained, Ivester said. Blizzard asked Ivester to “make them light,” a request Ivester relayed to the bar.

Blizzard paid the tab on the drinks about 11 p.m., and none of the women seemed impaired, Ivester said. They left their table by 11:45, with Blizzard having consumed three pint-sized drinks made with Grey Goose vodka over the course of three hours, Ivester said. Ivester said she saw the women leave the establishment about 12:15 a.m.

The women then went to Blizzard’s father’s house, according to previous statements. It was a family tradition to prank her father, Lakeport Landing Marina owner Paul Blizzard, on Fathers Day, which was that Sunday. In previous years they had littered the yard with flamingos and balloons; in 2008, it was “Blizzard for Sheriff” campaign signs, Moir said.

Loud explosion
The prank completed, the women were returning from the house in Blizzard’s Formula powerboat when it rammed into the shoreline of 37-acre Diamond Island near the summer home of Tom Rock, a 27-year orthopedic surgeon at Lakes Region General Hospital.

On the stand yesterday, Rock remembered being jolted awake from a sound sleep by a loud explosion.

“I sat up and said ‘What the blank was that?’ ” Rock said.

He went outside, followed by his wife, Nancy, and ran the length of the coastline in an “extremely dark night” and a spitting rain, thinking the sound came from the mainland about a mile away.

“I couldn’t see anything,” he said, including the contrast between land and water. He finally spotted the boat, which had bounced back from the impact about 15 to 20 feet into the water, and took a dinghy out to reach it, climbing onboard.

The tilted boat had filled with water up to his knees, Rock said, and he could see gasoline and shards of windshield glass. Blizzard, bleeding profusely from massive facial injuries, was lying across the dashboard but had a pulse. Shinopulos was hysterical Rock said, and he had to repeatedly ask her to sit down. And Beaudoin, with no vital signs and a “floppy” neck as he tried to revive her, appeared to be dead, he said.

Afterward, while standing with the police, Rock said an officer pointed to several beer cans bobbing near the boat. Rock said, however, that debris often washed up along his shoreline.

As Rock gave his testimony, Blizzard lifted her glasses and dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. Much of the rest of the time, she could be seen taking notes as the witnesses spoke.

The last witness of the day was Brian Blanchette, a Gilford emergency medical technician who responded after receiving a call at 2:27 a.m. With “no moon, no real stars,” Blanchette said he could not see the island as his rescue boat approached.

“I know where we’re going, but I can’t see a thing,” he recalled being told by his partner, who was driving.

Blanchette said as he tried to put an air tube into Blizzard’s mouth while on the boat, he “smelled what appeared to be alcohol.” However, Blanchette said while being questioned by Moir that the odor of alcohol only indicates someone has been drinking, not how much they have consumed.

Roland was a Veteran of the US Air Force serving as Staff Sergeant from 1950 to 1954, during the Korean Conflict. He had worked for Cy Moody as a laborer for several years. After his retirement he worked for the New Hampshire Department of Forests and Lands.

Roland took great pride and enjoyment serving as a Watchman for the Green Mountain Fire Tower for several years. Roland also served as Fire Warden in Ossipee Corner and as a Deputy Fire Chief of the Ossipee Corner Fire Department.

Roland was an active member of the Tuftonboro United Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Frances “Dee Dee” (Estes) Libby, of Water Village, two daughters Cynthia Morrill, Hutchinson, Kan., Debbie Bolobanic, Rochester, and a son Alan Libby, Effingham, 11 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

Roland is also survived by a brother, John Libby, Ossipee; and two sisters, Annie Jacobsen, Ossipee, and Thurley Litwhiler, Vestil, N.Y. Roland will also be greatly missed by Michael Bedley, a grandson who was raised by his loving grandparents.

Calling hours will be Saturday, March 6, 2010, from 6-8 p.m. at Lord Funeral Home, Wolfeboro. Funeral services will be Sunday, March 7, 2010 at 1 p.m. in the Tuftonboro United Methodist Church, Pastor Murray Nickerson, Jr. and Pastor Bill Hartford will  officiate.

Burial will be in the Water Village Cemetery, Water Village, later in the spring. Donations in his memory may be made to the Tuftonboro United Methodist Church or the Ossipee Corner Fire Department.

[Alliance Editor's Note: Harry Libby was profiled in the Autumn 2006 issue of Ossipee Lake Report. Access the issue by clicking here].

Blizzard, 36, of Laconia, is charged with two counts of negligent homicide in the death of 34-year-old Stephanie Beaudoin of Meredith and aggravated driving while intoxicated for the injuries suffered by her other friend, Nicole Shinopulos of Burlington, Mass.

Blizzard is an experienced boater and was president of the New Hampshire Recreational Boaters Association when she crashed her boat into rocky Diamond Island on June 15, 2008. At the time, Blizzard was preparing to take over the family business, Lakeport Landing marina, from her father, Paul Blizzard, who was moving toward retirement.

One of the negligent homicide charges alleges that Blizzard was under the influence when she hit the island at 2:30 a.m., killing Beaudoin. The other alleges Blizzard wasn’t keeping a proper lookout when she crashed. The first version carries a prison sentence of 7½ to 15 years. The other two charges each carry sentences of 3½ to seven years in prison. Blizzard is represented by Concord attorney James Moir. She has undergone several surgeries since the crash.

Meanwhile, Blizzard has been named in a civil lawsuit filed by Lakes Region Marine Construction, the outfit that recovered and removed Blizzard’s boat after the crash at the request of the New Hampshire Department of Marine Patrol. The company initially sued the state seeking payment of its $33,390 bill. The state then moved to add Blizzard as a defendant, saying that she, not the state, is responsible for the bill.

‘Difficult Process’
The criminal trial promises to be a difficult and emotional one for both sides, with Blizzard on trial for the death and injuries suffered by her good friends. Just after the crash, Beaudoin’s sister, Linda Hamilton, told the Monitor that boating with Blizzard was Beaudoin’s favorite thing to do.

Shinopulos, who suffered facial injuries in the crash, is on the state’s witness list. And Blizzard will join jurors on the first day of the trial to view her damaged powerboat.

Belknap County Attorney James Carroll, who is prosecuting the case, said given the three women’s close friendship, this case is “a difficult process to walk through.”

“I think you have to be sensitive to everybody’s loss,” Carroll said. “But my job is what it is. I certainly try to be objective in decision making and compassionate in understanding the losses everyone has suffered.”

He declined to say whether Shinopulos is a willing witness. “I prefer not to talk about that,” he said. “She’s also a victim in this case.”

Moir was away from his office last week and could not be reached. The list he filed with the court has seven witnesses, some of them experts in toxicology testing and boat crashes. Blizzard’s blood was tested for alcohol several times after the crash. Moir tried to keep at least some of the results out of trial, but Judge Kathleen McGuire ruled the blood test results were admissible. The results have not been disclosed publicly.

Carroll’s witness list includes 30 people, many of them officials who responded to the scene, treated Blizzard and Shinopulos or investigated the case. The trial is scheduled to last between four and five days, and it’s not certain Carroll will call all of the witnesses. He’ll call those who can “trace the night” of the crash for jurors, he said.

Fuzzy Timeline
Court records reveal a bit about what the three women were doing before the crash. Shinopulos told a Marine Patrol officer that she, Blizzard and Beaudoin were on Sleeper’s Island on Lake Winnipesaukee until about 8 p.m., then left to get dinner and drinks at the Wolfe Trap restaurant in Wolfeboro.

Shinopulos told Officer Joshua Dirth she had ordered a mixed drink but disliked it and ordered a Bud Light beer instead, according to Dirth’s report. Blizzard and Beaudoin each had “two (mixed drinks), if that,” she said.

They left the restaurant about 11 p.m. and went to Blizzard’s father’s house on Governor’s Island to decorate the lawn for Fathers Day, which was the following day. Shinopulos said the three stayed there about 15 minutes and then returned to Sleeper’s Island, Dirth’s report said.

He described Shinopulos as somewhat disorientated during questioning at the hospital. And in her ruling on the blood test evidence, McGuire called Shinopulos’s timing “questionable” because the ride from Governor’s Island to Sleeper’s Island should take only 10 minutes.

But according to Shinopulos, the women left Governor’s Island nearly three hours before Blizzard crashed the boat into Diamond Island, according to court records.

The loud crash awoke Dr. Tom Rock, who was sleeping in his camp on Diamond Island. He and his wife were the first to discover the crash and call the authorities. At Rock’s request, Shinopulos told him her name and the names of the two others in the boat. Rock and his wife realized then that they knew the women, he told the Monitor after the crash.

He said he attempted to resuscitate Beaudoin with CPR but couldn’t because she wasn’t breathing and had no pulse. When the authorities arrived, they noted in their report there were three empty Bud Light cans with the boat.

Rock is also on the state’s witness list.

Scott M. Cunningham, Challenger
Freedom Board of Selectmen

Why are you running for this office?
I have deep roots in Freedom dating back to 1917. I made my first visit here when I was 3 months old and have viewed Freedom as my home ever since. I have been a full time resident since 1996. Five generations have lived in our house on Watson Hill. It is time for me to “give back” to the town that has given me so much. I know the town well and love Freedom’s values, traditions and quality of life. With my long history in town I know many long-term residents and their interests and concerns well. I also know people who have arrived more recently. Thus I am one candidate who can truly represent everyone’s interests.

Even if we grow slowly, Freedom will face the challenge of protecting our rural character as we see new development. There are no easy answers, but I know that I want Freedom to be just as good for my grandchildren and future great grandchildren as it has been for me. My candidacy is about service and making a contribution to meeting the challengs to Freedom in the future.

What qualifications, qualities or experience would you bring to this position?
I have been a management consultant and business manager for over 40 years. I have worked with companies, of all sizes, in solving management, strategy and financial problems. I have line management experience as president of a number of companies. I am currently president of a management consulting firm I started 38 years ago. Early in my career I taught at Harvard Business School. I bring these skills and experience to the Select Board. I have served on a number of boards for corporations, colleges and non-profits.

I am an independent and will vote for what I think is right for Freedom. However, I am also a team player and have helped many companies to develop their team decision making skills. I would strive to bring consensus to board decision whenever possible. Unity rather than partisanship would be my objective.

What do you consider the three major challenges your town or district is facing?
1) We need to keep taxes low. We need to balance what we want with what we need – and can truly afford. 2) Freedom is a very special place. We must protect its character, values and traditions. 3) Town government should be open, transparent and courteous with maximum input by residents from all parts of town. 4) We need to be proactive in addressing town-wide concerns; considering all the facts and looking at alternatives.

What would you do to address these challenges if you are elected?
1) As a fiscal conservative, I would emphasize our long-term financial planning. The town needs to be realistic about what we need and how to manage our debt carefully. I would maximize the quality of our analysis. We must consider all the facts and develop  alternatives. 2) I would move gradually not abruptly; evaluating each decision in terms of its impact on quality of life, town traditions, and finances. I would seek to retain and enhance the best of Freedom’s values.

3) I will make my and the board’s communications to the residents complete, timely and accessible. I will reach out to encourage more citizen input. As a Selectman I will always be available via phone or email. 4) I will propose another town-wide survey to ensure that we have complete citizen input. I will encourage meeting participation by residents. I will seek to routinely use the time, skills, and expertise of Freedom’s many qualified residents from all parts of town.

Have you held political office before? Please list positions, date and towns where served.
I am currently Vice President of the Freedom Historic Society. In the past, I was appointed to the finance committee for three years for a town of 20,000. We were responsible for analyzing, monitoring and approving town budgets including the school budget. I have had many leadership positions in business and other organizations.

Please provide any  additional information you wish to share with voters.
I served for three years as an enlisted man in the U.S. Army. I am married to Anne and have three children and eight grandchildren.

James “Jim” Brown, Incumbent
Freedom Board of Selectmen

Why are you running for this office?
To be elected and keep on with the job ahead.

What qualifications, qualities or experience would you bring to this position?
I’ve been in management for 40 years. Companies managed include Holiday Inn, Burger King, New England Inn, and two lumber companies.

What do you consider the three major challenges your town or district is facing?
Keeping taxes as level as possible; to see that new buildings are built with a low tax impact; and to keep Freedom a small rural town.

What would you do to address these challenges if you are elected?
I’ve had challengers for the last three years and need three more to continue the work that needs to be done.

Have you held political office before? Please list positions, date and towns where served.
I’m currently a board of selectmen. I have served the town for many years as school treasurer, planning board member, selectman in the 1980s.

Please provide any additional information you wish to share with voters (i.e.: business/occupation, affiliations, educational background, volunteer or community service, spouse and children).
Freedom has been my home for 60 years. I attended Freedom Elementary School when it was up on the hill, Fryeburg Academy, and in college I was a management major. I worked for the Freedom Police Department for 20 years. This experience  has allowed me to know the needs of this town. I have no agenda for any group with special interest, or any personal gains from this job. I have three children, Jennifer, Desiree and Ryan. I am also a Vietnam Veteran with a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, 16 air medals and more. I also belong to the Mason’s Carroll Lodge 357 right here in Freedom.

Richard Morgan, Challenger
Ossipee Board of Selectmen

Why are you running for office?
I have spent my entire adult life trying to do my part to make the Town of Ossipee a better place to live and raise our families. I have the time, energy, and most importantly the passion, because for all its quirks and problems, I love this Town. I know the Town, its history, and many, many of the residents and I believe that I have a depth of experience that would be helpful to the board.

What qualifications, qualities or experience would you bring to the position?
I have lived in the Town of Ossipee since I was eight years old. I served six years as a military police officer in the USAR, and nearly 23 years with the Ossipee Police Dept, 17 of those years as Chief. I retired in 2008 and now am a self-employed contractor. I am very familiar with all aspects of Town Government. I have good established relations with all the Department heads, and I know the employees and they know and trust me. I live in the same home that I purchased when I was eighteen years old, and between my wife and I we have six children and two grandchildren. I know what its like to struggle  and raise a family in this area.

What do you consider three major challenges the Town is facing?
1. The proposal to consolidate the fire departments. 2. Taxes and control of spending 3. Economic development to create jobs and better living for our residents.

What would you do to address these challenges?

1. I served on the fire department for 13 years and was an elected precinct commissioner in Center Ossipee for six years. I have knowledge of both which I believe will be helpful. I have an open mind on the subject. I am especially committed that we must decide what is best for the delivery of fire and rescue services to our residents. You can always cut budgets, but at what cost to service. I also believe that the men and women who have served our town for 20, 30, 40 and even 50 years should not be vilified. They deserve our admiration and thanks.

2. I am a fiscal conservative. The residents appropriate the funds at Town meeting. I as a selectman will do my best to spend those funds wisely and get the best bang for the buck. I believe in competitive bidding and I would like to establish a program to challenge and reward the Town employees for finding ways to save money. I am very concerned about the increasing taxes and fees, especially the impact it has on the elderly and fixed income residents. 3. I know having grown up here that there are very limited job opportunities for our young people. I would like to see the selectmen work closely with the planning and zoning boards to encourage clean commercial development.

Have you held political office before?
In addition to those items above, I started the Town’s fishing derby and ran it for more than 20 years. I was a founding member of the Old Home Week committee a and served as chairman or co chairman for most of its years. Until last year I ran the fireworks celebration at Constitution Park. I am a past member of the board of directors of OCC, Chairman of the Rescue advisory board, and have served on many other committees and fund raisers.

Please provide any additional information you wish to share with voters.
I have no intention of buying political signs to litter people’s lawns. Kathleen and I are both pretty well known and no matter who you choose, I encourage all citizens to exercise their right and vote.

Kathleen Maloney, Incumbent
Ossipee Board of Selectmen

Why are you running for this office?
I am running because I care about our town.

What do you consider the three major challenges your town or district is facing?
The three challenges are the economy, employment and the environment. The entire country is in an economic downturn. It is my hope that more businesses choose Ossipee as a base for their companies and that would provide employment opportunities for our citizens.

What would you do to address these challenges if you are elected?
Presently Ossipee Lake is experiencing a milfoil infestation. Hand pulling has proven to be a costly yet ineffective method of eradication. The state has submitted a plan yet it appears to have changes midstream. I believe more evidence needs to be examined thoroughly before our beautiful lake is uninhabitable for fish and fauna.

Have you held political office before?
I am currently the board of selectmen chair and have served since 2007. I served on the budget committee from 2006 to 2007.

Please provide any additional information you wish to share with voters.
Ossipee Old Home Week committee chair; NRRA member; Phi Theta Kappa Society; US Navy, Inactive Reserve, Nurse Corps Officer; VFW Auxiliary; Volunteer with Civilian Emergency Response; St. Joseph’s Catholic Church; Ossipee Ad Hoc Energy Committee; Educational background includes New Hampshire Hospital School of Nursing and Selectman’s Institute 2008. My husband is active duty in the Navy, and we have three children, two in college and one senior in high school.