Also on today’s menu:
Laconia Superintendent’s Contract Renewed
Mayor Honors ‘Fast Eddie’ Fisher
Jen Bisson of Sandown, who founded the advocacy group Support Our Schools NH, handed Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut a stack of letters calling for his resignation during the monthly meeting of the New Hampshire Board of Education on June 9. The organization had been calling for Edelblut’s resignation since March, when the commissioner endorsed House Bill 1671, which would have eliminated art, health, world languages, physical education, engineering, computer science, and digital literacy from the list of core subjects necessary for an “adequate education” in public schools.
The version of HB 1671 that is awaiting the governor’s signature restores most of those subjects to core requirements, adding financial literacy and Holocaust and genocide education to the list.
Board member Richard Sala defended the commissioner, saying, “never once did we ever sit in a dark room and think about how to destroy public education, how to destroy democracy.” He added, “I wish people would come and bring policy differences here, tell us about the policy differences, without the personal attacks.”
Laconia Superintendent’s Contract Renewed
The Laconia School Board, on a 5-2 vote, approved a three-year contract renewal for Superintendent Steve Tucker amidst a backdrop of criticism for the non-renewal of Pleasant Street Elementary School Principal David Levesque’s contract. The reasons for Levesque’s departure have not been disclosed, and an online petition had asked the school board to place Tucker on leave and not renew his contract, claiming ineffective leadership, bullying, lack of transparency, and unfair treatment of Levesque.
During the public comment period at the school board’s June 7 meeting, resident Mark Townsend said those signing the petition “are opposed to teaching in our school that is against sexism and racism. They were opposed to measures to keep our kids healthy and safe.”
Liana Crowell, who identified herself as the author of the petition, said, “It is in the best interest of the district, the board, and the community for the board to resolve these [personnel] issues before considering a contract renewal for the superintendent. His indiscretions could be costly and detrimental to the city.”
Mayor Honors ‘Fast Eddie’
Laconia Mayor Andrew Hosmer presented Ed “Fast Eddie” Fisher with a citation proclaiming Saturday, June 11, the opening day of Motorcycle Week, as Ed Fisher Day. Saturday also is Fisher’s 97th birthday.
Fisher, who lives in northwestern Pennsylvania and who has been riding motorcycles since 1941, won the American Motorcycle Association’s 100-mile Laconia National Road Race in 1953. He continued to race until the late 1950s, when he opened a motorcycle dealership. His son, Gary, won the Laconia Nationals race in 1972.
The presentation was part of a ceremony kicking off the 99th season of the rally, which has grown to a nine-day event that includes races at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, hillclimbs at Weirs Beach and Gunstock Mountain Resort, and organized rides to various attractions around the state.
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