May 2018 – Milton Observer

Milton’s Railroad Line

By Muriel Bristol | May 28, 2018

Railroad - 1860

The railroad line that passes through Milton was built by the Great Falls and Conway Railroad. The railroad was incorporated in 1844, and was then

… authorized and empowered to locate, construct, and finally complete a railroad, beginning at or near the depot of the Boston and Maine Railroad, in Somersworth, and thence running through said Somersworth, Rochester, Milton, Wakefield, Ossipee, Effingham, Freedom, or Tamworth, to any place in Conway (Gregg and Pond, 1851).

The Great Falls and Conway line connected in Somersworth to the Great Falls and Berwick Railroad, which in turn connected to Portsmouth and beyond. The two railroad companies merged under the name Portsmouth, Great Falls & Conway Railroad (PGF&C) in 1848. WW-1851

Construction began at the Somersworth (Great Falls) end and the stretch between there and Rochester opened on February 28, 1849. It had reached “South Milton” by 1850.

An 1851 tourist guide had Gt. Falls & Conway Railroad service terminating in Rochester. Chestnut Hill, Milton, and points beyond were accessible by stage only.

A blasting accident injured three members of a railroad construction crew extending the tracks beyond Milton in December 1852.

Milton was said to be the “terminus” in 1854, but construction had reached Wakefield’s Union village by 1855. There it stalled due to financial difficulties.

A Boston & Maine advertisement of 1861 mentioned that its Portland, ME, train connected with the Great Falls & Conway Railroad at Great Falls, NH, i.e., Somersworth. Wakefield’s Union village is the end of the line; travel beyond there was by stagecoach.

The 8.46 AM Train from Portland connects at Great Falls with the Cars of the Great Falls and Conway Railroad, for Rochester, Milton and Union Village, and Stages for Milton Mills, Wakefield, Ossipee, Conway, etc.; and at Dover, with the Cars of the Cocheco Railroad, for Rochester, Farmington, Alton, and Alton Bay; and with Steamer Dover, in Summer, on Lake Winnipiseogee, for Wolfboro, Center Harbor and Meredith Village, with Stages from Center Harbor for Conway and White Mountains (Willis, 1861).

Railroads have rarely been economically viable. The history of railroads is a history of government subsidies and interventions in favor of railroads. (A notable exception was James J. Hill and his Great Northern Railroad). But the Republican administrations that dominated the post-Civil War era were not overly attached to free market principles. As a general rule, they favored “internal improvements” (now called “infrastructure spending” or government “investment”), including railroad subsidies and other interventions.

The moribund Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway railroad (PGF&C) construction was revived in July 1865, at least to some degree. But serious progress did not happen until the Eastern Railroad (eastern Massachusetts with branches) leased the PGF&C lines in September 1870 (it guaranteed the PGF&C’s bonds).

NEW HAMPSHIRE. At the meeting of the stockholders of the Eastern Railroad in New Hampshire, and the Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway Railroad; held in Portsmouth, on Monday, the lease ot the latter road to the former was voted (Vermont Journal (Windsor, VT), September 24, 1870).

Leasing was a often a mechanism to eliminate competition; mergers often followed those leases.

The Eastern Railroad extended the PGF&C lines from Union to Wakefield, and then on to West Ossipee, between September 1870 and October 1871.

WHIFFS FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE. Last week at a town meeting, Ossipee voted five per cent. of its valuation to aid in extending the Great Falls and Conway railroad from Union Village to West Ossipee. There has been a wrangle over this railroad for several years, the track has been surveyed three times, each time locating somewhat better (New England Farmer (Boston, MA), September 13, 1870).

NEW HAMPSHIRE. Ossipee, having voted five per cent to have a railroad, is puzzled which of the three routes surveyed to choose, and will have to let the conformation of ground, and scarcity or abundance of rocks settle the question for it (Vermont Journal (Windsor, VT), September 24, 1870).

NEW HAMPSHIRE. The first passenger train over the Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway extension passed to Wakefield station, six miles beyond Union, on Monday (Vermont Journal (Windsor, VT), [Saturday,] July 1, 1871).

The Great Falls and Conway Railroad is open to West Ossipee, N.H. (New England Farmer (Boston, MA), October 14, 1871).

By the beginning of July 1872, the Eastern Railroad was advertising that

THE PORTSMOUTH, GREAT FALLS AND CONWAY RAILROAD Is completed and running Trains to North Conway, and in connection with the Eastern Railroad forms the Shortest, Quickest and Only Route to North Conway and White Mountains … (Boston Globe, July 1, 1872).

The North Conway station was built in 1874. The PGF&C connected to the Portland and Ogdensburg Railway line at Intervale in 1875.

The Milton station depicted in old postcards and pictures was built in 1873. The original station stood on the “Lebanon side,” i.e., still in Milton, but on the other side of the Salmon Falls River..

Historian Sarah Ricker seemed to think the station and the ice business began together in 1873, although she did not specify whether the chicken or the egg came first. She further reported that “… the area’s ice industry experienced tremendous success in the 1880s. The Milton Ice Company, one of five such businesses in town, shipped up to 100 carloads of ice to Boston every day.” Ice cutting is a seasonal affair, of course. Those ice companies remained active until the late 1920s. BG820722-Excursion

The Eastern Railroad renewed its lease on the PGF&C line for a period of 60 years in 1878, but the whole was taken over by the Boston & Maine Railroad in 1890, which operated it as its Conway Branch line.

Transporting lumber and ice were early mainstays of the railroad. Mills sprang up, especially in places that had both the train and water power. That added raw materials and finished products to the freight. Milton participated in both ice and manufacture, but the mills and trains enabled also an exodus of sorts. An 1882 description of Milton mentioned that “there has been a small [net] decrease in population during the last twenty years, many leaving town for the cities and larger manufacturing towns for the purpose of engaging in other business than farming.”

The White Mountain Art movement predated railroad access to the White Mountains. This landscape painting movement began with stagecoaches in the early nineteenth century and had its heyday in the mid-nineteenth century. But it did enjoy improved railroad access for a time and it encouraged an initial wave of tourists to the White Mountains. Those tourists came by train. By the latter part of the nineteenth century, the White Mountain Art movement was being supplanted by the Hudson River School, Rocky Mountain art, and photography.

According to the Conway Scenic Railroad, North Conway is the “birthplace of American skiing.” Snow trains began running in 1932 to serve those skiers. “Countless skiers rode the snow trains as the sport of skiing grew with the development of ski lifts.” (See also Milton in the News – 1952 for a description of a snow train journey).

By the early 1950s, improved highways and America’s love affair with the automobile led to a decline in passenger service. Passenger service to Boston ended on December 2, 1961, as a single B&M Budliner headed south never to return. Freight customers continued to decline, too, and the last freight train departed on October 30, 1972 (Conway Scenic Railroad, n.d.).

The Portsmouth Herald published a list of fifteen Boston and Maine Railroad stations that would close as of June 1, 1958:

Here is a list of the 15 Boston & Maine Railroad stations in New Hampshire where passenger service will be discontinued June 1. Bath, Sugar Hill, Jefferson, Randolph, Fitzwilliam, Troy, Keene, Walpole, Hayes, Milton, Union, Burleyville, Mountainview, Mount Whittier, and Madison (Portsmouth Herald, May 9, 1958).

Ray’s Marina had supplanted the Milton Train Station by May 1963. The B&M went bankrupt in 1970. The last passenger train between Rollinsford and North Conway ran in 1972.

The railroad line continues in a limited way under the New Hampshire Northcoast Railroad (NHN). Ossipee is now its northern terminus. (Several disconnected stretches north of there are run as tourist attractions). It carries no lumber, ice, mill products, artists, skiers, or tourists now. It services only the sand pits of Ossipee with twice daily runs. They pass right on through and do not stop here.

Ray’s Marina closed in 2012. The train station’s freight depot building still remains, as a part of the Ray’s Marina complex. (Facing the marina buildings and the pond, it is the small building or shed on the left-hand end).

References:

American-Rails.com. (2018). Surviving New Hampshire Railroad Stations. Retrieved from https://www.american-rails.com/support-files/new-hampshire-railroad-stations.pdf

Conway Scenic Railroad. (n.d.). A Brief History of Our Station. Retrieved from https://www.conwayscenic.com/history/station-history/

Foster’s Daily Democrat. (2016, May 12). Obituary: Rheaume J. (Ray) Lamoureux. Retrieved from http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/fosters/obituary.aspx?n=rheaume-j-lamoureux-ray

Gregg, W.P. and Pond, Benjamin. (1851). Railroad Laws and Charters of the United States. Boston, MA: Charles Little and James Brown

Historic Wakefield. (n.d.). Heritage Park Railroad Museum. Retrieved from http://www.historicwakefieldnh.com/heritage-park-.html

Hurd, D. Hamilton. (1882). A History of Rockingham and Strafford Counties. Philadelphia, PA: J.W. Lewis & Co. (also retrievable from Archive.org: https://archive.org/stream/historyofrocking00hurd#page/n5/mode/2up)

Jonathan (The Shark (102.1 & 105.3 FM)). (2016, April 1). Restaurants Eyeing The Site Of Ray’s Marina In Milton. Retrieved from http://shark1053.com/restaurants-eyeing-the-site-of-rays-marina-in-milton/

Marvel, William (Conway Daily Sun). (2018, May 2). Then and Now: A Conspicuous Manisfestation of Industry, 1890. Retrieved from https://www.conwaydailysun.com/community/history/then-and-now-a-conspicuous-manifestation-of-industry/article_279bf71c-4969-11e8-b663-b7d076758d9e.html

Poor, Henry V. (1860). History of the Railroads and Canals of the United States of America. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=M0YKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA53

Ricker, Sarah. (1999). Milton and the New Hampshire Farm Museum. Arcadia Publishing: Charleston, SC, Chicago, IL, Portsmouth, NH, and San Francisco, CA

Rochester Courier. (1960, January 7). Close [Sanbornville] R.R. Station. Rochester Courier: Rochester, NH

Rochester Courier. (1960, January 28). B and M Requests Permission to Drop Passenger Service Entirely on Conway Branch. Rochester Courier: Rochester, NH

Wikipedia. (2018). Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway Railroad. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth,_Great_Falls_and_Conway_Railroad

Wikipedia. (2018, March 10). White Mountain Art. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Mountain_art

Williams, W. (1851). The Traveller’s and Tourist’s Guide Through the United States of America, Canada, etc. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=OKAoECHHbM4C&pg=PA10

Willis, William. (1861). A Business Directory of the Subscribers to the New Map of Maine. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=mKm9lz1RH_0C&pg=PA307

Boots Meets a Bobcat

By Muriel Bristol | May 24, 2018

Boots the cat met a bobcat in his backyard on Park Place in Milton last Tuesday (May 22).

Nancy West was in her kitchen in the early Tuesday afternoon when she heard what she thought was her cat Boots howling or hissing out back. She went to check, expecting some spat between Boots and a neighbor’s cat. She looked out the back door to see a bobcat at the foot of her back stairs. He saw her but made no attempt to move.

She turned for her camera and in so doing realized that Boots was hunkered on the porch rail nearest the house, She scrapped the camera idea and opened the door to get her cat. The bobcat turned and ran off as soon as she opened the door.

My Boots is okay but obviously nervous, his little heart was beating really fast when I scooped him up. He stayed very close to me for some time afterwards. Never had that occur in the 32 years I have lived here. The day before Boots had acted nervous when he went out in the am, sniffing everything and looking out in all directions from the front porch. He came in shortly after and continued to act nervous for quite a while, staying very close to me. Wonder if the Bobcat had been there that day.

According to NH Fish & Wildlife Department, bobcats are the most common wildcat in North America. Males are larger than females but, on average, they measure 19-22″ in height at the shoulder, 28-49″ in length, and weigh between 15-35 pounds. They have a characteristic “yellowish-brown or reddish-brown (more gray in winter) color with indistinct dark spotting and streaks along its body. … Their upper legs have dark horizontal bands. The face has thin, black lines stretching onto broad cheek ruff and their ears are tufted.” Their name derives from their short “bobbed” tail, typically 4-7″ in length with 2 or 3 black bars and black tip above and white beneath.

Bobcats live in scrubby or broken forests (hardwood, coniferous or mixed), swamps, farmland, semi-deserts, scrubland, and rocky or bushy arid lands. Their home ranges vary in size depending on sex, season and prey distribution and abundance. Bobcats mark their territory with urine, feces, anal gland scent, and scrapes on physical markers, such as trees. Individuals have one natal den and other auxiliary dens for protection located throughout their home ranges. Dens can be found in caves, hollow logs, brush piles, rock ledges, or stumps (NH Fish & Wildlife, n.d.).

Bobcats are predators that usually follow consistent hunting paths to prey on snowshoe hares and cottontails. However, their diet also includes mice, squirrels, woodchucks, moles, shrews, raccoons, foxes, domestic cats, grouse and other birds, reptiles, porcupines and skunks. The bobcat is capable of fasting during periods of limited food availability, but will occasionally kill large prey, such as deer and livestock, during harsh conditions (NH Fish & Wildlife, n.d.).

Ms. West reported that the bobcat she saw “looked be about 15-18 lbs., possibly as much as 20 lbs. It definitely had the bobbed tail, which I could see clearly when he turned to run off toward the woods out back. He was kind of spotted brownish and black. with some white on its chest.”

I have had several bear visits over the years. Most recently one knocked down the metal pipe I have a bird feeder on. Several weeks earlier a bear was seen at my mailbox by a neighbor early one morning before dawn . That day another neighbor told me a bear had been in their yard. Earlier in the spring there were several sighting of bears close by (Hare Road, Governors Road and Route 153 in Milton). I have taken pictures of bears in my yard several times in years past. I sure wish I was able to get one of that Bobcat, but I had to rescue my Boots.

Boots had a narrow escape. He showed good tactical sense. He had his back to a wall and had positioned himself up on a rail midway between the back door (and the potential of rescue) and a leap to the ground with access to several different options of flight. He did not have to use any of his nine lives.

References:

New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife Department. (n.d.). Bobcat – Lynx Rufus (Felis Rufus). Retrieved from https://wildlife.state.nh.us/wildlife/profiles/bobcat.html

Wikipedia. (2018, May 17). Bobcat. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobcat

Larry Confronts Towering Strawmen

By S.D. Plissken | May 22, 2018

Economic Development Committeeman Larry Brown rose to speak during last night’s [May 21st’s] Public Comment portion of the Milton Board of Selectmen Meeting. (The full text of Brown’s comments appear in indented italics).

Larry Brown. Our Public Comment has been moved around and people don’t remember the meetings from about three meetings ago [April 16], but what I wanted to do was talk about a topic which I am sure is heavy on your minds, which is the old Greek philosophers, specifically Sophists, who had a bad reputation for a good reason.

They were the kind of philosophers who had arguments that were plausible, self-serving, and knowingly deceptive. They specialized in the destruction of fair discussion by questions that could by their very nature have no direct answer.

Few Sophist works survive from antiquity. Most of what we “know” of them was written by their detractors. (Imagine a future in which an ancient Democrat’s description of the ancient Republicans is all that is known about them (or vice versa)).

Brown does not cite or refute any actual Sophist arguments, but merely repeats the prejudicial characterizations of those ancient opponents. He is employing here a Prejudicial Language fallacy (also known as variant imagization), as well as a Composition fallacy, on his way to a full-on Ad Hominem fallacy.

To denigrate the original speaker of April 16th as a Sophist should require some proof. Even if the original speaker’s opinions overlapped to some degree or in some respect those of the ancient Sophists would not by itself make him a Sophist. To assert such is to engage in a Composition fallacy. (Hitler liked dogs, so people who like dogs are evil).

To then employ alone these unanswerable ancient pejoratives and a Composition fallacy to characterize the original speaker as a wicked Sophist is to engage in an Ad Hominem fallacy or attack, i.e., to speak to the supposed characteristics of an opponent rather than to address their arguments. (There’s a lot of that going around these days).

Example: “How can you say you are moving forward when one-sixth of the voters don’t want the town to exist?” Or, “why should we pay for the mistakes of past assessments?”

Brown’s reframing of the original speaker’s arguments so that he might answer something other than those arguments is a use of the Strawman fallacy. The original speaker (April 16th) made that final point about the results of the March election only as an answer to an assertion by Chairman Thibeault that he felt he spoke for the “entire board and the entire community.” It had little, if anything, to do with seeking explanation of the “moving forward” or “change” aspects of Chairman Thibeault’s statement, which was the principal issue.

Brown was answering a question that had never been asked, at least not as he presented it. There was nothing Sophistic in pointing out that the recent election results proved that Chairman Thibeault did not speak for the “entire” community. The original speaker was proffering a valid counter-example to Thibeault’s assertion of a wider mandate than he actually has.

The two new Selectmen rushed to disavow the actions of the prior board (which had then included now Chairman Thibeault) as having nothing to do with them. So, at least when speaking of the prior board’s actions, or lack thereof, Chairman Thibeault was not speaking for the “entire board” either.

The original speaker had refuted Chairman Thibeault’s assertions of representing the “entire” board and community in the tax matter at hand with valid counter-examples. Nothing Sophistic about it.

As to the first, five times as many voters wanted this town to continue and the actions, structure, and the very election of the new board are an example of that moving forward.

As noted above, Brown is here creating and refuting an argument that the original speaker never made. But his own refutation argument – that a five-sixths majority should compel the actions and fortunes of a one-sixth minority, with no stated limit – is fascinating, if somewhat appalling. The minority should be compelled by a majority to participate in a polity they abhor or in actions they oppose.

Brown is putting forward an Appeal to Numbers (argumentum ad populum) fallacy. That is precisely why the U.S. was designed as a democratic republic and not as a democracy. It did compel participation, but it also incorporated safeguards intended to protect the natural rights of minorities (or, at least, of minorities that it considered to be within its polity). Otherwise, what would be the likely fate of permanent minorities, such as the red-headed, the left-handed, those of minority ethnicity, religion, etc.? Not to mention those with dissident opinions.

The Athenian Democracy executed Socrates, a Sophist, by voting for him to drink poison hemlock. They regularly exiled dissidents by “ostracizing” them, i.e., voting citizens into compulsory exile with potsherd ballots (“ostrakon”). Then followed the Tyrants and the Athenian Empire. And then they fell.

As to the second, absent criminal intent, malfeasance, and the explicit penalties in a contract of record, in a court action it will cost more than the cost of the injury alleged and the simple [?} have little chance of success. That’s the reality.

This is not an argument against the justice of seeking a refund for poor services. It employs instead an Appeal to Consequences fallacy (Argumentum ad Consequentiam). The expense of action or likelihood of success should determine our actions, rather than the truth of the complaint or the pursuit of justice.

But the original speaker framed it somewhat differently. He asked instead, if, as we have been told, the original mass assessment was defective, why are we not seeking a refund?

That contains within it the possibility we might not have been told the truth or, at least, not told all of it. It would have been possible for Chairman Thibeault to admit finally to what has become increasingly obvious: that he, the prior board, and other town officials were at fault. The original speaker allowed for such an admission. Were that the truth, there would be no need to seek legal action against the former assessing contractor.

In his two agenda items, the original speaker actually questioned how we could safely “move forward” or “change” without knowing the truth of what had happened. It was the town officials that had for months shifted blame onto the prior assessor. The original speaker appears to have called their bluff. The Town Administrator began to speak instead of the prior assessors having done things differently, rather than incorrectly, as she and the Selectmen had either stated or implied over a number of months. She also admitted that the then Selectmen had used a “sample ‘reval’ [revaluation]” in setting the rates. So, the original speaker elicited some truths previously obscured. Socrates would approve.

Assessing is an art, not a science.

That would be frightening indeed, if true. How would one ever know an assessment was invalid, as opposed to not quite suited to one’s artistic taste and sensibilities? Not to mention the problem of balancing the artistic tastes of taxpayers versus those who benefit from increased taxes.

If you want more information you can go to the DRA website and you can look up the mathematical formulas which set equalization. The Municipal Association has an article written by Stephen Hamilton, who I knew when I was in municipal and county government. He has been for years the person in charge of the Property Appraisal Division of the DRA and his comments on classical statistics and small sample overrepresentation and the goal of central tendency are still very much on target for assessing today.

Here Brown concludes with an Appeal to Authority fallacy (argumentum ad verecundiam). As an argument, it counts for nothing. Hamilton’s work likely has merit, but none of it has been cited to any particular purpose. It just sounds good.

So, the comments come late and thank you for your work.

Brown failed to show that original speaker employed any Sophist techniques at all, nor did he show why that would have been a bad thing. Nor did he respond to anything that the original speaker actually said. On the contrary, it was Brown himself who employed quite a few logical fallacies and “merely” rhetorical devices in his comments.

Perhaps, for some reason of his own, he intended to provide us with a practical demonstration of his notions of Sophism?

References:

Milton Board of Selectmen. (2018, April 16). Milton Board of Selectmen Meeting, April 16, 2018. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/IK0JE0Yi3mw?t=3986

Milton Board of Selectmen. (2018, May 21). Milton Board of Selectmen Meeting, May 21, 2018. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/SrojxJNx1ck?t=82

Wikipedia. (2018, May 19). List of Fallacies. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies

Wikipedia. (2018, May 20). Sophist, Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophist

Milton in 1859

By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | May 21, 2018

A description of Milton as it appeared in an 1859 gazetteer:

MILTON, in the southeastern [SIC] part of Strafford County, is an irregularly-shaped town, containing 27,000 acres, and is forty miles from Concord. It formerly belonged to Rochester, from which it was set off and incorporated June 11, 1802. The settlers came principally from Dover, Madbury, Rochester, and towns in that vicinity, and were a hardy, industrious, and intelligent people, early manifesting an interest in religion and education. The Congregational church was organized September 8, 1815, under the labors of Rev. Curtis Coe, who continued to preach as long as he was able; but prior to his settlement they had occasional preaching. With the exception of Teneriffe Mountain, which runs along the east part, the surface is comparatively level, and the soil good for pasturage. This is an agricultural community, and stock is raised to some extent. Salmon Falls river runs along the whole eastern boundary, thirteen miles, while a branch of the same river crosses from the south part of Wakefield, uniting near the centre of the eastern boundary. Milton pond and Gould pond are the only bodies of water. There are three villages – Milton Three Ponds, South Milton, Goodwinville, and Milton Mills; two church edifices – Congregational and Christian; twelve school districts, and three post-offices – Milton, Milton Mills, and West Milton. The Milton Mills, with a capital of $50,000, have eighteen looms and 1,200 spindles, and manufacture woolen and cotton goods to the amount of $90,000. The boot and shoe industry is also prosecuted to a considerable extent, there being $480,000 invested. The Great Falls and Conway Railroad passes through Milton. Population, 1,629; valuation, $494,066.

Previous in sequence: Milton in 1857

References:

Coolidge, Austin J., and Mansfield, John B. (1859, April). A History and Description of New England, General and Local. Boston, MA: Austin J. Coolidge

Rochester’s Pink Cadillac Diner Closes

By S.D. Plissken | May 17, 2018

The Pink Cadillac Diner (at 17 Farmington Road (Exit 15)) in Rochester closed Monday, May 14, after 17 years (it opened in December 2001).

The owner posted a farewell to the diner’s Facebook page on the afternoon of May 14:

It is with a heavy heart that we must confirm the closing of the Pink Cadillac Diner.

To our dedicated and exceptional staff that stood by us every day, we cant express enough sorrow or gratitude for every day, every ounce you had, every laugh and every milestone we got to be apart of. Thank you for giving us more than we ever could have asked for. We are here for whatever you may need, please reach out.

To our customers, past, present, near & far, we cannot thank you enough for allowing us the opportunity to serve you over the last 17 years. You have all become friends and family; you have been there for us and we have had the ultimate privilege of being there for you.

We are saddened to have to make this decision but please know, we are dealing with the loss as well. If you care to reach out, we will do our best to accommodate in any way we can.

Again, thank you all for everything. We love you, thank you.

The owner gave no reasons for the closure, which appears to have been rather sudden. He had been advertising for additional help as late as March 22. The closure was announced in the late afternoon. Most (but not all) of the staff were informed by telephone. The diner did not open the following morning.

The Pink Cadillac is the third Rochester restaurant to close recently. Mel Flanagan’s Irish Pub & Café (at 50 North Main Street) closed back in January, and Gary’s Sports Restaurant & Lounge (at 38 Milton Street (Route 125)) will close on Friday, May 25, both due to their owners’ respective health issues.

It worth noting that, in several respects, the Pink Cadillac Diner at Exit 15 in Rochester was exactly what is always being put forward as a panacea for Exit 17 in Milton.

References:

Pink Cadillac Diner. (2018, May 14). Pink Cadillac Diner Facebook. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/pinkcadillac.nh/

Kiley, Karen (WOKQ). (2018, May 16). Popular Rochester Diner Suddenly Closes Leaving Customers Stunned. Retrieved from http://wokq.com/popular-rochester-diner-suddenly-closes-leaving-customers-stunned/

Stucker, Kyle (Foster’s Daily Democrat). (2018, May 15). Rochester’s Pink Cadillac diner abruptly closes. Retrieved from https://www.fosters.com/news/20180515/rochesters-pink-cadillac-diner-abruptly-closes

Hot Water for Itchy Bug Bites

By Muriel Bristol | May 15, 2018

The itching caused by bug bites, as well as that caused by poison ivy and poison oak, may be relieved by the brief application of hot water.

Run the affected part under the hot water tap, or soak it in a bath of hot water, or apply a washcloth soaked in hot water. It should be as hot as you can stand it, but for just a few moments (about 5-10 seconds or so). (The water should be 120 to 130 degrees in temperature, which should not be damaging during such a brief exposure. (120 degrees is the mandated upper limit for modern water heaters)).

Obviously, when you can no longer stand it, withdraw the body part. DO NOT SCALD YOURSELF. This should not be used for open irritated wounds or more chronic skin diseases.

This should provide localized itch relief for 2-3 hours, at which point it could be repeated, if necessary.

This method is a folk remedy of long standing. It appeared in print in the 1961 textbook Dermatology: Diagnosis & Treatment. It is thought to work because itch and pain receptors are intertwined. Overloading them with hot water blocks the itch.

Burning a Hole in Their Pocket

By S.D. Plissken | May 13, 2018

The Milton Town Administrator calculated during the Joint BOS and Budget Committee meeting of Monday, December 4, 2017, that the mass assessment had caused some $1.4 million to be collected above and beyond that needed to cover the budget. According to the breakdown in the Press Release of November 13, 2017, that would be a $247,660 overage for the county and state school taxes, $403,900 overage for the Town, and $748,440 overage for the local school tax.

The Board of Selectmen (BOS) have never explained in any public setting how this came to be. (It is not apparent that they understand it themselves). Nor have they ever explained how they plan to return the overages to the taxpayers, either as refunds, tax credits, or by some other method.

Like as not, they are incapable of ever retrieving the state and county amounts totaling $247,660 that were over-collected as a result of this “process.”

Instead, they have devoted themselves to parking issues. It seems that there are rental units near the dam that lack the currently mandated two parking spaces per housing unit. The BOS have never explained whether that shortage is the result of a failure to enforce that mandate or whether those units predated the requirement. In any event, those renters without parking at their residence park instead on White Mountain Highway (the state highway), presumably to the detriment of the business owners that front that highway. Except during the winter parking ban, when they park on the state land near the dam.

Meanwhile, the purchasers of the former Ray’s Marina property have found that they too are short of parking requirements. The former owners had access to the parking spaces now occupied by the Milton Crossing strip mall (Dunkin’ Donuts/Dollar General), as well as a triangular patch on the pond side. The new owners had intended to open a restaurant, but one that also had some associated residence units. Their redevelopment process has been stalled for at least a year, reportedly over their parking shortage.

At the most recent BOS Meeting, that of Monday, May 7, 2018, item 10 on their Agenda was the Parking Plan, Design & Purchase. The Town Administrator explained that they had discussed the Parking Plan at the most recent Workshop meeting (not recorded). She reminded them that the DPW Director, Pat Smith, had arranged for them all to visit the property in question. It was 25 to 30 with “metes and bounds” or 15 to 20 without those “metes and bounds.” He “… really wants the Board to make a commitment on buying the land and moving forward with it.”

Chairman Thibeault recalled that the “… number was $400,000 with the assumption that 70% of that was ledge.” Selectwoman Hutchings recalled that it was “closer to $500,000 … not including the purchase price of the land either.”

Selectman Lucier wanted to “table” the issue until the next meeting. The Town Administrator reminded them that the DPW Director sought a commitment. Chairman Thibeault gave his opinion that he “… is all in favor of improving parking downtown, but I think this particular spot needs to be abandoned and we need to look at different options. It’s way too expensive for what we have.”

It would seem that the BOS has decided to spend public money for private purposes, i.e., parking for either private residences or businesses, or both. They drew back from this particular property as being too expensive – price plus $400,00 to $500,000 of site work – but apparently it would all have gone differently had it been cheaper.

It is likely legal for them to solve private parking problems with public money, but is it legitimate, ethical, or even politically-savvy for them to do so?

Back in April, Selectmen Lucier questioned the purchase of a tractor for the beach. He thought rightly that a purchase of that size should go before the voters. (“I don’t think the three of us [Selectmen] should make a $10,000 choice. It should be the voters or taxpayers of Milton. They’re the ones who are paying the bills”).

But that does not matter now. They have $403,900 of taxpayer money and it is burning a hole in their collective pocket.

References:

Milton Board of Selectmen. (2017, December 4). Milton BOS Meeting, December 4, 2017. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/iHs1VF2tO28?t=3269

Milton Board of Selectmen. (2018, April 2). Milton BOS Meeting, April 2, 2018. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/hOJyH7ZPHEI?t=3141

Milton Board of Selectmen. (2018, May 7). Milton BOS Meeting, May 7, 2018. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/6oeKNRKTPSw?t=4010

Milton Town Administrator. (2017, November 13). Press Release. Retrieved from http://www.miltonnh-us.com/uploads/index_683_1719174841.pdf

Black Flies Return

By Muriel Bristol | May 11, 2018

The very last vestiges of packed snow situated in shady spots disappeared by Mayday. The Spring warmth that dissipated the snow also brought out the black flies. They are typically a nuisance between about Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. I try to remember what my grandfather always said: we need the black flies, as they are food for the fish and birds.

According to a UNH Cooperative Extension fact sheet, New Hampshire is home to 40 species of black flies, of which only 4 or 5 are considered to be either annoying or “significant” human biters. Only the female bites and most species feed on birds or other animals.

Black flies breed in running water. Females lay their eggs on stream vegetation or the water surface. When the larvae hatch (as water temperatures reach the 40-to-50 degree range), they attach themselves to rocks, leaves, grass or other submerged objects. The larvae pupate underwater and emerging adults rise to the surface to fly in Spring or early Summer. They mate near their hatching site and female seeks a blood meal (you) before laying eggs to begin the cycle again.

Only two species of black flies in New Hampshire consistently and abundantly bite humans. These are Prosimulium mixtum and Simulium venustum. Simulium venustum, the so-called “white-stockinged” black fly emerges in early to mid-May in southern New Hampshire and remains a pest until the end of May. In the north, it emerges in late May to early June and can remain abundant until the end of June in some areas and even into July in higher mountain localities (UNH/CE, 2009).

Light clothing colors such as orange, yellow and light blue are less attractive to black flies than dark green, brown and red. They are drawn also to perfumes and aftershaves.

The same remedies used for mosquitoes work also on black flies, although less effectively. The Centers for Disease Control recommend DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, and Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus for use in repelling biting anthropods, including black flies.

Years ago, Ole Time Woodsman Fly Dope was considered quite an effective repellent (although it had a very strong smell) and it was widely available in sporting goods stores. Johnson’s Baby Oil was said to be effective also.

Black flies are active only during the day. They do not bite at night. Depending on weather, black flies tend to be more active at certain times of day. Activity peaks tend to occur around 9:00 to 11:00 AM and again from 4:00 to 7:00 in the late afternoon and early evening, or until the sun falls below the horizon. They tend to be most active on humid, cloudy days and just before storms. If possible, avoid activity during times when black flies are most active. Early morning, midday and late evenings are the best times to work outside (UNH/CE, 2009).

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension has been quoted as saying that

Generally black fly bites cause some itching and minor swelling from the first few bites of the season, following which an immunity develops, with subsequent reduced reactions. Nonetheless, even individuals who have lived all their lives in black fly country and are exposed every season, can have greater effects if they get an unusually high number of bites on their first exposure of the season, or have some significant change in their physical condition or medical status.

Good luck.

Probably … Not

By S.D. Plissken | May 10, 2018

Milton Police Chief Krauss asked the Board of Selectmen (BOS) to accept a “free” police dog at the BOS Meeting of Monday, January 8, 2018. Controlled K9, LLC, was “seeking an organization” to which to donate a 3-year-old Dutch Shepard K9. The dog had received minimal training, thus far, and there would be a need for further training going forward, including drug activity training. (The chief had already had the dog evaluated by experts as having “trainability”).

It has long been known that drug dogs are not reliable. While they do have keen senses, they are more interested in pleasing their handlers than in the task. That causes accuracy rates of less than half (i.e., less accurate that the flip of a coin) or even less. Bomb- and mine-sniffing dogs are much more accurate. Their handlers do not have the same biases and incentives towards arrest quotas and asset forfeitures: they want mostly to live.

But the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that a dog’s actual accuracy does not matter as much as its certification (Florida vs. Harris). For that reason, drug dogs are often described as “probable cause generators.” They are a court-sanctioned way to reliably manufacture probable cause where none actually exists.

Chairman Rawson remarked that it would be “Wonderful. A great asset for the Town of Milton.” Selectman Long asked where the dog would be housed and Chief Krauss replied that the dog would be kept at his residence. Not mentioned, or apparently even considered, were any costs for evaluations, additional training, certification, veterinary expenses, or upkeep. Without further ado, Selectman Thibeault moved to accept the K9 donation, Selectman Long seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously. None of them expressed any constitutional concerns.

A month later, the Rochester Voice reported (on Friday morning, February 9, 2018) that Nute High School Principal Jan Radowicz had that day said that “Milton and State Police conducted a drug sweep through Nute High and Middle School today, but found no drugs.” No warrant or probable cause was mentioned. The students were confined to their classrooms while the dogs “swept” the hallways and classrooms. Principal Radowicz mentioned that the school would continue to work with the police. Her constitutional concerns, if any, were not reported.

Chief Krauss returned to the Board of Selectmen on Monday, March 5, 2018, to report that, despite “continual training,” the donated dog just lacked the “drives” to continue training. The BOS voted to contact the donor to see if they will be willing to take the dog back under their care.

Chief Krauss did not mention any plans or intention of replacing the dog with one that had more “drives.”

References:

Balko, Radley, Washington Post. (2015, August 4). Federal appeals court: Drug dog that’s barely more accurate than a coin flip is good enough. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2015/08/04/federal-appeals-court-drug-dog-thats-barely-more-accurate-than-a-coin-flip-is-good-enough/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.a4ad19ec7063

Hinckel, Dan, and Mahr, Joe, Chicago Tribune. (2011, January 6). Tribune analysis: Drug-sniffing dogs in traffic stops often wrong. Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-01-06/news/ct-met-canine-officers-20110105_1_drug-sniffing-dogs-alex-rothacker-drug-dog

Long, Rebecca, 60 Minutes. (2004, January 5). Does The Nose Know? Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/does-the-nose-know/

Rochester Voice. (2018, January 9). Police, drug-sniffing dogs sweep Nute Middle High. Retrieved from http://www.therochestervoice.com/police-drug-sniffing-dogs-sweep-nute-middle-high-cms-9475

Town of Milton (2018, January). Milton Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes, January 8, 2018. Retrieved from http://www.miltonnh-us.com/uploads/bos_agendas_770_2631624852.pdf. (There is also a video of the brief dog discussion and acceptance on Youtube at https://youtu.be/jDlhSg8plKo?t=1601).

Town of Milton (2018, March 5). Milton Board of Selectmen Meeting Minutes, March 5, 2018. Retrieved from http://www.miltonnh-us.com/uploads/bos_agendas_794_1363558446.pdf. (There is also a video of the brief dog rejection on YouTube at https://youtu.be/F6wbcKpHQSk?t=6642

Local NH Liquor & Wine Outlet Stores Join Business Migration to Route 11

By S.D. Plissken | May 1, 2018

The NH Liquor & Wine Outlet stores at the Lilac Mall in Rochester and on Route 11 in Farmington have closed.

The NH Liquor Commission (NHLC) announced on March 2 that it would “… open a new, 20,000-square-foot New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet on Tuesday in Rochester. The state-of-the-art, freestanding store, which is located within The Ridge Marketplace on Route 11 just off Exit 15 of the Spaulding Turnpike, features an enhanced shopping experience, more than 6,600 sizes and varieties of wines and spirits, and a strategic location providing exposure to more than 36,000 daily motorists. NHLC anticipates this new store generating $9.5 million in sales each year. This new, larger location will replace the existing Lilac Mall store on Route 125 in Rochester and the Route 11 site in Farmington.”

NH Liquor Commission Chairman Joseph Mollica said, “We are constantly evaluating our stores looking for opportunities to optimize our sales success, which last year reached an all-time record of nearly $700 million. This new store will serve our customers in Farmington, Rochester, and neighboring communities in Maine, as well as the traveling public.”

The new Ridge Marketplace location opened as planned on Tuesday, March 6. It is 5 miles from the former Farmington location and 3.4 miles from the former Lilac Mall location.

In related news, the NHLC closed the Dover and Somersworth outlets in favor of a larger new Somersworth outlet. The Portsmouth Circle outlet is being expanded in place.

New Hampshire is one of seventeen states that chose to create state-run monopolies when Prohibition was repealed in 1933. (The other choices being continued state-level prohibition and licensing private vendors).

NH Public Radio (NHPR) ran a short report of the history of NH liquor licensing on its Only In New Hampshire show in December 2017: You Asked, We Answered: Why Do All New Hampshire Bars Have To Sell Food? (11:28).

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