Story Time, again

Sorry about missing this past week. I've been busy, plus I really couldn't find a lot to write about. I decideed to send out personal greetings to the graduates privately. So I'll write tomorrow, but here's last weeks stories. One of my stories got held for this week, so there's four, one of which was in the Granite:


Local Man Uses work experience to invent new tool
By Jim Shilander
Staff Writer
BARNSTEAD — Tim Smith worked for more than 15 years in the propane industry as a technician. He installed the copper tubing that brings propane into homes and businesses, but he, and many of his colleagues, found it difficult to tighten the "t-valves" that propane needs to use to connect pipes in various areas of a building. The valve has two horizontal ends, and has brass fasteners, which can be tightened easily with a wrench, Smith explained. The third end is not so easily tightened, because tightening would turn the rest of the valve along with it, leading to lots of frustration and, potentially, increased liability for installers, because often, the lateral end would not be as tight as the other two.
Using these experiences, Smith came up with a new tool, one that he believes makes life a lot easier for those in his former profession. His home business sells his invention, the "Timmy-T-Tight," which helps to tighten the "T-Valve" by holding the two ends in place, allowing the user to tighten the lower valve without hassle. Smith says that a prototype, currently being used by a propane company in North Carolina, has proven to be very popular with installers. "They tell me that their guys have been fighting over it," he says, obviously very proud that his tool has proven to be a big hit.
Smith says that he has been working on his invention over the past three years, working to perfect the design, as well as to go through the patent process. While his patent is now pending, Smith has begun selling his tool online at his company’s website (www.takmacllc.com). While marketed primarily for use by professionals installing propane and heating oil, Smith is working on other models for use by other industries as well.
Smith has not been alone in putting his invention out into the world. He has been assisted by members of his family, which include his sisters helping him with both marketing and sales, and his daughter, Kayley, helping run the office. Smith’s longtime girlfriend, Amy Hall, also helps him with shipping, he says. Smith also credits local machinist David Lebrecque for assisting with the engineering and casting of his invention.
Smith also serves the town of Barnstead as a fireman. While he says that the fire department does get the occasional call related to propane, it was his experience as a propane installer that got him to work on this new tool. "It’s a liability risk for those installing propane," he says, "they’re the ones held responsible if something goes wrong." Smith hopes that the "Timmy–T-Tight" will help to alleviate some of those fears that installers might have, and make things safer for everyone else.


First Meeting in Nearly a month focuses on finance issues
By Jim Shilander
Staff Writer
BARNSTEAD — After missing a regularly scheduled meeting because it fell during spring break, the Barnstead school board used their May 10 meeting to discuss several issues, including approving the hiring of new teachers and accepting a bid for next year’s heating oil needs, and the approval of next year’s school calendar.
The calendar, in keeping with the school’s move to a trimester grade reporting system, will feature more days set aside for parent teacher conferences. While the October conference day will be reserved for meeting with all parents, other meeting days in January and in March will be on an "as needed" basis, with both teachers and parents able to ask for conferences. Barnstead Education Association Co-President Linda Nelson said that the calendar’s changes would still allow for the school year to end on time, as well as allowing for more interaction between parents and teachers.
Interim principal Michael Tocci also reported that the Community Work days for the construction of the school’s new playground would be held on the 15 and 16 of July. He also reported that the school’s new alternative program was off to a good start, with relatively positive reactions from students so far, and that the program was successful in changing "the culture within the classroom" for the better.
The board also approved the hiring of two teachers currently serving in positions on a one-year contract to permanent one. Sixth grade teacher Amy Fuddy and Kindergarten teacher Gwen Starr both were filling in for teachers on leaves or absence who decided not to return. Both were judged to have done a very good job this year, and the board unanimously approved their hiring.
The board also approved a transfer of funds for more than $14,000 to cover costs incurred throughout the year. They also accepted a bid to purchase next year’s heating oil supply, from Frank Fuller Oil Company, to provide the school with its 24,000 gallons of heating oil. Board member Keith Couch asked why the bid was for about 30 cents more than he is paying for his own heating oil to the same company, and district business administrator Donna Clairmont replied that a spike in oil prices over the last few months contributed to the increase. The board also approved payment of $2,500 to an engineer from Kohler and Lewis to look at the school’s air quality, which for some reason had not improved following maintenance by its current company, Johnson Control.
The board also discussed its committee structure, and the charter for the Building and Grounds committee will be discussed at the next meeting, following a meeting between its members and Clairmont. The next school board meeting will be held on May 24, with a workshop following a week later.


Water brings Representatives to Barnstead
By Jim Shilander
Staff Writer
BARNSTEAD — Efforts by the Board of Selectmen and local activist Bruce Shearer brought more than 30 people from area towns and villages to discuss water issues effecting central New Hampshire at a meeting held May 4 at Barnstead Town Hall. While much of the meeting was spent watching a documentary, "Thirst," which discussed issues related to public versus private ownership of water in areas around the world, which included the United States, much of the meeting was spent discussing possible strategies to avoid the kind of problems faced by nearby towns like Barrington, Nottingham and Farmington in recent years.
Various officials, including three members of the district’s representation in Concord, attended the meeting, as did a representative from Governor Lynch’s office, who mentioned that the governor’s office "was happy to talk with the people." The meeting was also attended by community members and by officials in nearby communities including Pittsfield, and representatives of Save Our Groundwater, which has been fighting the USA Springs bottling plant for many years in Barrington and Nottingham.
The film primarily looked at scenes from a World Bank conference on water issues, as well as scenes of rioting in Bolivia after its third largest city privatized its water supply, and water rates rose for citizens there. A 17-year-old was killed in the fighting, according to the film. The film also shows efforts in Rajasthan, the desert state of India, to preserve their own water supply, and the dispute in Stockton, Calif., following the decision to privatize the town water company.
Many in attendance admitted that they hadn’t been thinking about water issues, but that the film made several key points that they took interest in. Veterans of the campaign against USA Springs suggested that they, too, were in the same position before the controversy hit their town. Several members of the Barnstead Board of Selectmen also attended the event, and made their own statements as well. Selectman Gordon Preston mentioned that he was especially concerned about the possible sale of community water for commercial purposes. He also said that the selectmen "were interested in local control, but they don’t know how much water is there (in the town’s wells)." Currently, he explained, the town uses a privately owned firm to provide water from the aquifer. Jack O’Neil mentioned that, in his role as town welfare director, he found that of all the utility companies, the water utility, because it is corporately owned, was the only utility he couldn’t make deals with to help families facing difficult times. He also added that he was concerned about the potential for bottling companies to go into the White Mountains to get their water, which he feared would hurt everyone in the area as tourism decreased.
Representative John Thomas, who represents Alton, Barnstead, Gilford and Belmont, said that he was impressed that meeting like this were going on in the area but warned the gathering that, "you have to keep committed. You have to stay involved with other communities." Gilford Representative Alida Millham, when asked at the meeting to rank the general awareness of the water issues in Concord, ranked it low, saying, "The awareness is not where it should be for most members."
Selectmen from other towns said that they were also concerned about the situation in their area. A Pittsfield selectmen stated that her town was now trying to take back their water company, which had been sold, using eminent domain, but that there might be the potential for one company to start controlling water in several communities at once.
Bill McCann, of Dover, a member of the board of directors of Save Our Groundwater, urged citizens to stay involved, saying that "this isn’t a Barrington or Farmington issue, it’s the entire state." Others at the meeting voiced some pessimism about how effective they could be, with water companies having the resources to hire several lobbyists to be in Concord all the time on their behalf. O’Neil did say that he felt that if citizens stood "with enough voices," they could make a difference. He also suggested that concerned townspeople could form a non-profit, which would allow them access to local media as well.
Shearer said that he has been working on the water issue "for about six months." He said that he was aware of the issues involving USA Springs, but that as he became involved in the Grassroots New Hampshire organization, water became a major issue for him. Shearer says that he would like to see an unamended version of House Bill 68 pass, which would give local communities greater control of their water. He also wanted to alert people in the area of "the environmental concerns of bottled water," including their disposal and materials. He hopes that Barnstead’s Board of Selectmen, who he said were invaluable for their help in setting up the May 4 meeting, will draft a strong ordinance regarding water that will be a model for other communities. Selectmen Mike Akstin also expressed similar hopes at the meeting.


New Machine gives doctors "Second Look" at mammograms.
By Jim Shilander
Staff Writer
WOLFEBORO — Members of the Huggins Hospital department of Medical Imaging and Radiology departments have a new tool to help with the diagnosis of breast cancer. The hospital recently has come into possession of a new iCad machine, which will allow radiologists and mammogram technicians a "second look" at screening mammograms. While this does not replace the standard mammogram machine, it does allow for a closer look at certain areas that doctors and medical professionals might not initially see. The technology can improve the early detection by about 23 percent, according to literature provided by the manufacturer.
The new machine, Mammographer Louise Saxby said, will start to be used this week, after two weeks of test runs at the hospital. She says the new technology will be used, "primarily for screening mammograms."
"It digitizes the (mammogram) images, and prints out a paper report that highlights areas of concern for the radiologist," she said.
Saxby explained that the machine's software looks for areas of particular density that might be of concern. "There are subtle changes (in yearly breast examinations)," she said, "there isn't any bone to see broken or anything like that." Saxby said that she and the hospital’s other mammographers, Debbie Taylor, Darlene Ramsdell and Laura Smith perform between 2,400 and 2,600 mammograms a year at Huggins.
Dr. Gregory Vance describes the machine as "an important tool" in what he terms a "team approach to looking at a mammogram." But still, he says, "the human factor takes over" in the actual diagnosis of cancer.
Saxby made the point that the radiologist is still the one that considers risk factors for cancer, like age or family history, and that the radiologist takes factors like those into account while looking at the reports of the iCad.
Michael Wilkes, Director of Metal Imaging at Huggins, says that the department will be making attempts in the next few years to improve its technology. Currently, most all of the equipment still produces photographic images. Soon, according to Wilkes, the department will be trying to do more digitally.
Each Huggins professional emphasized the importance of early detection in breast cancer, including the importance for women, especially those over 40, to receive yearly mammograms. Early detection is important, as survival rates are far higher when the cancer is caught early on before it metastasizes.