It was a year of spirited debate here in the Seacoast. Issues large and small, from repealing the death penalty to noise in Prescott Park, were all on the table, and each month brought forth a new debate. Many of the discussions centered around how our communities are changing: residents in Portsmouth continued to debate the ways in which the city is growing, from large-scale development projects to concerns about noise of all varieties, while Newmarket residents once again said no to a new high school. Others were purely political. Here’s a look back at some of what the Seacoast was talking about in 2014.
JANUARY
The New Hampshire Rebellion kicked off its first walk from the top to the bottom of New Hampshire to draw attention to campaign finance reform. Harvard University constitutional law professor Lawrence Lessig started the project with the goal of carrying on the work of Doris “Granny D” Haddock, who campaigned against money in politics during her walk from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. in 1999. The Rebellion hosted a Seacoast walk in July, and a second statewide walk is slated for January 2015.
FEBRUARY
The 200 lecturers at the University of New Hampshire voted to form a labor union. Lecturers, who teach full-time but are not eligible for tenure at the university, pushed for unionization in order to standardize contracts, job security, raises, and evaluation policies.
In Rochester, city councilors repealed an ordinance that limited panhandling after a challenge by the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union.
MARCH
Voters in Newmarket rejected plans for a new junior/senior high school. A ballot article that would have bonded $45.1 million for a new school was narrowly defeated; however, voters did approve adding $500,000 to a building capital reserve fund in order to make improvements to the current building.
Also this month, voters in Exeter approved a plan to remove the Great Dam on the Exeter River in the heart of downtown.
Great Dam in Exeter
APRIL
The New Hampshire State Senate tabled a bill, sponsored by Hampton Rep. Renny Cushing, that would repeal the state’s death penalty. The bill had support from more than 100 co-sponsors from both parties and made it through the New Hampshire House but did not make it through the Senate. That month, state senators also killed a bill that would have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana.
Also this month, New Hampshire House Speaker Terie Norelli (D-Portsmouth) announced that she would retire at the end of the 2014 legislative session. Norelli was first elected to the House in 1996.
MAY
Brentwood police officer Stephen Arkell was killed on May 12 while responding to a call at the home of Michael Nolan and his father. Authorities said Nolan was arguing with his father. Nolan shot Arkell when he walked through the front door. A stand-off with police followed and Nolan died when the house exploded.
Also this month, the Newington Planning Board approved an expansion of the Sea-3 Propane terminal that included increased transportation of propane along railroad tracks running through Newfields, Stratham, Greenland, Newington, and Portsmouth. Area residents tried to block the expansion, citing concerns about train derailments and the condition of the tracks, which are owned by Pan Am Railways. Portsmouth officials are currently fighting in court to stop the expansion.
JUNE
Rockingham county attorney James Reams resigned his post following a months-long probe by the state attorney general’s office. The AG’s office investigated claims of ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and gender discrimination by Reams. In November, Patricia Conway was elected as the new county attorney.
JULY
Workers at Market Basket supermarkets throughout the Seacoast protested after company president Arthur T. Demoulas was fired in late June. Workers and customers rallied behind “Artie T.” for almost two months. The standoff ended in August when Demoulas accepted an offer to buy out the 50.5 percent share of the company owned by his cousin, Arthur S. Demoulas. Also this month, the New Hampshire gas tax increased by 4.2 cents. It was the first increase since 1991; state lawmakers said the increase would help fund improvements to state highways and help complete the widening of Interstate 93.
AUGUST
Journalist James Foley, originally from Rochester, was killed by Islmaic State militants. Foley, a freelance journalist on assignment for Agence France-Press and GlobalPost, was kidnapped in Syria in 2012.
In Dover, Dickinson Development Corporation formally withdrew from the downtown waterfront development project. The company had been working on the project since 2007 but could not put together financing for the project. The city is now looking at a possible tax increment financing district for the area.
And in Portsmouth, the Prescott Park Arts Festival canceled a double-feature of “Brave” and “Braveheart” in anticipation of complaints about noise in the park. The cancellation kicked off a city-wide debate about noise in Portsmouth that encompassed everything from outdoor music to helicopter noise, spurring the formation of the Keep Portsmouth Loud group.
OCTOBER
The dangers of heroin and opiate addiction came to the forefront in the fall. In Portsmouth, city police said five people died from heroin overdoses in a six-week period, and a report by the national Center for Disease Control and Prevention showed that New Hampshire had a “significant increase” in heroin-related deaths between 2010 and 2012. In Somersworth, mayor Dana Hilliard formed a special commission to discuss community solutions to what he called a “crisis.”
NOVEMBER
The last of the Grimmel Industries scrap metal pile left Portsmouth. The Pease Development Authority voted not to renew Grimmel’s lease after 10 years of operation, and the future of Portsmouth’s status as a working port became uncertain.
In the midterm elections, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen defeated former Massachusetts senator Scott Brown in the first district Senate race. Rep. Frank Guinta reclaimed his seat in the House of Representatives from Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, who defeated Guinta in 2012. Republicans took control of both chambers of U.S. Congress, and in New Hampshire, regained control of the House. Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan was reelected over Republican Walt Havenstein.
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen
DECEMBER
Striking FairPoint workers rallied in Portsmouth on Dec. 5 to mark the 50th day of their strike. The workers chanted and marched around a giant inflatable pig, and U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter stopped by for a visit. The workers have been unable to come to a contract agreement with the communications company since negotiations began last April. Their last contract expired in August, and the strike officially began in October.
FairPoint workers rally in Portsmouth