war on drugs becomes war of words in Rochester

The Rochester School Board and Rochester Mayor John Larochelle have encountered some harsh criticism over the past few weeks. The city’s predicament began a few weeks ago, when two members of the School Board, both also state legislators, voted to decriminalize small quantities of marijuana.

House Bill 1623, which would make possession of less than one-quarter ounce of marijuana a violation instead of a misdemeanor, recently passed the House 193-141. Democrats Pamela Hubbard and Bill Brennan, both members of the Rochester School Board, voted in favor of the bill. But at least one vocal Rochester resident thinks their votes send the wrong message to students. Fred Leonard, father of two teenage sons in the Rochester School District, believes Hubbard and Brennan should resign from the School Board.

“I am upset,” Leonard said. “It would be different if they weren’t on the School Board.”

Leonard noted that School Board members are supposed to play an influential role in children’s development. He believes the recent votes by Hubbard and Brennan send mixed messages to students, considering the school’s zero tolerance drug policy. Leonard feels that Mayor Larochelle should ask the two School Board members to resign as part of a “symbolic gesture” from the “city’s caretaker.”

Larochelle does not plan to heed that advice.

“I know what the politically correct thing to do is,” Larochelle said. “I’m not going to do that.”

Larochelle said he would like to dig deeper into the issue and understand both sides of the argument over decriminalizing marijuana. Noting that prohibition of alcohol failed in the 1920s, he suggested that simply outlawing marijuana might not be enough to solve the drug problem. Convictions for marijuana possession could send teenagers down the path to more use by derailing their futures, he added.

“I am serious when thinking about how we reduce the impact of illegal drugs, but Pam and Bill may actually have a point,” Larochelle said. He would like to see the city promote a drug-free lifestyle by increasing educational and recreational activities.

But Leonard does not believe those measures adequately address the immediate dangers posed by the drug world. Decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana would result in a greater degree of accessibility, he said. Children who become entangled in this precipitous atmosphere must deal with potential felons, and Leonard would rather not see his children exposed to that situation.

HB 1623 would make possession of less than one-quarter ounce of marijuana a violation punishable by a $200 fine. Under current law, the crime is punishable by a maximum fine of $2,000 and up to a year in jail. The bill now comes before the Senate, but Gov. John Lynch has vowed to veto the bill if it gets to his desk. 

state promotes safe routes to school

The once standard tradition of walking or biking to school has given way to a flood of cars and buses each morning, resulting in congested streets and unhealthy children. The trend has resulted in a lack of adequate safety measures for the dwindling number of children who still walk or bike to school on community streets.
The N.H. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Planning and Community Assistance is making an effort to reduce those dangers through its Safe Routes to School program. The program offers grants to municipalities or schools that devise plans for minimizing travel risks for pedestrians and cyclists who commute to school. The travel plans must be submitted as part of a competitive application process. Applications will be accepted through Monday, May 12.

A number of schools in Portsmouth received grants during the first round of the program last year, including the Dondero, Little Harbor, New Franklin, St. Patrick’s and Middle schools.

The schools are working to improve intersection safety, crossing signals, signage, trails, traffic enforcement and children’s education.

According to SRTS coordinator John Corrigan, Portsmouth “had one of the most ambitious projects,” and the city will be reimbursed accordingly. The N.H. DOT offered Portsmouth a grant of $93,000 in December.

The reimbursable grants provide financial backing for communities to improve their transportation infrastructure, traffic enforcement in school zones and educational programs about safe walking and biking. The community initially must fund the improvements themselves, but, if approved, DOT will reimburse them with the grant.
“Communities, once they’re approved for reimbursement funding, they have to raise the money locally and spend the money locally, and then they can send in the vouchers to us,” said Corrigan.

In order to be eligible for the grant, each applicant’s proposal must be prepared by someone qualified in the realm of public transportation. The plans must promote walking and biking among kindergarten to eighth grade students who live within a two-mile radius of their school.

“The whole idea of the program is that people at the local level will find a solution,” Corrigan said.
Corrigan stressed that proposed plans must connect residential areas to schools. During the last round of submissions, he said, many applications were denied because they only addressed travel routes from schools to other public facilities.

This year’s grant recipients will be revealed in August, following a series of interviews and discussions with regional and statewide planning committees. To learn more about the program, visit www.nh.gov/dot/bureaus/planning/SRTS_home.htm or call John Corrigan at 603-271-1980. The Web site includes a complete list of proposal requirements.