Week of Feb. 17-23, 2007

Saturday, February 17 The American Skiing Company announces it has reached a "definitive agreement" to sell Attitash in Bartlett as well as Mount Snow ski resort in Vermont for $73.5 million to Peak Resorts Inc., a resort operator based in St. Louis, Mo. Filing period for town offices in Conway is Feb. 21 through March 2. A snowstorm on Wednesday has phones "ringing off the hook" at local hotels and inns as skiers head to the valley for February vacation week.Monday, February 19 A local electrician wants to loosen up town restrictions on lighting of commercial signs, claiming that fluorescent lights, which are banned from Conway signs, are a cheaper, more environmentally-friendly alternative to what is allowed.Tuesday, February 20 The latest public enemy of the health-conscious is trans fat. New York City banned it last year, and now New Hampshire is looking to do the same. White Mountain Transit Authority's boxy shuttles ran the length of North Conway's commercial strip for the second weekend in a row this past weekend, and owners say they're encouraged by the public's response and suggestions for route expansion. A middle-aged couple escapes from their burning modular home in Ossipee when the husband rescues his trapped wife by throwing water on the flames. Prison time faces David Rowe, whose story prompted a critique by his lawyer of the ability of the state corrections system to cope with a chronic drug abuser. North Conway Village museums could be granted a sort of immunity from some zoning regulations if a warrant article, seeking to allow outdoor exhibits on museum properties, is approved by voters April 10. Wednesday, February 21 The odds of the Conway Municipal Budget Committee supporting the school budget appear to be bordering on slim to none, based on a heated broadside delivered Monday against the Conway School Board's proposed spending for 2007-2008. Crack cocaine and marijuana were stashed in a nightstand at Intervale Motel by a woman who was just released from prison after pleading guilty to prescription fraud, police say. The New Suncook School could have a new roof, upgrades to its heating, ventilation and air conditioning system and improved indoor air quality by the start of next school year. The Western Maine school district of MSAD 72 may look to combine adult education forces with MSAD 61 in the Bridgton area. A Maine man can't shop at Chick's lumberyard anymore, after admitting in court to stealing $2,500 in inventory. An article on the Conway warrant would clarify but not change the town's rules for land use.Thursday, February 22 As the steady creep of subdivision development continues to put pressure on the town's road department, voters can expect half a dozen petitioned requests for new town roads on the April 10 warrant. Police had to smash the driver's side window of a white Pontiac Firebird after the 20-year-old driver hit a town snowblower and refused to get out of his car. The Kennett High boys and girls ski team is once again the top overall squad in the state. The Division II State Meet wraps up under glorious conditions in North Conway's Whitaker Woods as the cross-country titles are awarded. Former selectman and school board chair Theresa Kennett declares her candidacy for a three-year term as Conway Police commissioner, highlighting the first day of signups in Conway. Madison police are warning residents about an Internet con artist posing as a Russian widow bemoaning that her life has been upturned by her government's fierce conflict with Chechen rebels. The message from police: Don't send money. A former substitute teacher for MSAD 72 in Western Maine has been indicted on a charge of possession of child pornography.Friday, February 23 On Jan. 24, during Mark Hounsell's first series, "How to Influence Public Policy in this Age of Apathy," the consummate political activist blasted SB2. Conway selectman Mark Hounsell is raising the profile of his "How to Influence Public Policy in this Age of Apathy" series by hosting N.H. Secretary of State William M. Gardner for the second installment on Feb. 28. A car crashes through the glass storefront of an Ossipee Rite Aid in a "complete freak accident" when the vehicle's driver suffers a leg cramp while trying to park, according to police. A Milan man escapes with minor injuries after his Chevy Blazer sails off the edge of Route 16 in Jackson, clipping a telephone pole and briefly knocking out power. A 35-year-old North Conway man facing child sex charges stands to forfeit $10,000 in bail money after missing a court date.