Portsmouth Herald
MUSIC HALL WINDFALL
PORTSMOUTH — The Music Hall on March 2 announced the largest gift in its history: a $3 million pledge from Martha Fuller Clark, a former state senator known for her philanthropy. In recognition of the donation, the organization’s recently acquired...
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‘$750,000 is not a lot of money’
PORTSMOUTH — The City Council has scheduled a public hearing for March 16 on several potential changes to the city’s elderly and disabled tax exemptions, including one that would dramatically increase the asset limit while still allowing people to...
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Buckley’s on the Water to open in April
PORTSMOUTH — Waterfront dining enthusiasts, mark your calendars: Buckley’s on the Water, the restaurant succeeding the famed former Martingale Wharf, will open by late April. Management from Michael Timothy’s Dining Group, owner of the restaurant...
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READY TO ROCK
HAMPTON — Melissa Etheridge, Lita Ford, David Lee Roth and the 502s are among the artists heading to Hampton Beach this summer as the Casino Ballroom launches its 99th season. The lineup so far also includes comedian Becky Robinson and “Long Island...
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Historic home saved from four-alarm fire
RYE — Seacoast-area firefighters saved a historic Rye home from destruction during a four-alarm fire Feb. 26, battling deep snow and structural challenges. A building fire at 50 Red Mill Lane was reported to the Rye Fire Department just before 8:30...
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Dick Durette of Dover shares the key to his longevity Going strong at 109
Richard “Dick” Durette celebrated his 109th birthday in February. He credits proper nutrition with supplements of vitamins and minerals not in the food as the key to his health, and his longevity. ● “I can’t say on the whole that I regret my life, what...
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THROWBACK BREWERY UPGRADES
NORTH HAMPTON — Throwback Brewery is seeking approval to expand its outdoor amenities with a permanent ice rink, two mobile sauna units, and a year-round climate-controlled greenhouse. ● Owners Annette Lee and Nicole Carrier recently presented their...
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Hazardous weather
PORTSMOUTH − The New Hampshire Seacoast and southern Maine endured white out conditions and coastal flooding as a blizzard tore through the states on Monday, Feb. 23. “The greatest potential for blizzard conditions will exist during the daylight hours...
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Hampton Beach Casino project delayed until ’27
HAMPTON — The redevelopment of the Hampton Beach Casino complex is now expected to begin after the 2027 summer season, allowing its historic concert venue to reach its 100th season. “We’ve got 99 seasons, but this ain’t the last one,” Casino Ballroom...
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How co-living fits Mark McNabb’s downtown vision
PORTSMOUTH — Developer Mark McNabb believes his plan to redevelop the former J.J. Newberry department store with the city’s first co-living housing project will offer people a key housing option. “I believe we have to have alternatives to people...
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INDELIBLE LEGACY
PORTSMOUTH — One of the most prominent developers working in Portsmouth says he may soon step away from the business because of his frustrations with the expense and time it takes to get projects approved by city land-use boards. Mark McNabb, 64, who...
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Thanks to one student’s drive
HAMPTON — As a manager for the Winnacunnet boys hockey team, Anthony Del Medico’s schedule was already looking rather busy this winter, but the 16-year-old from Hampton decided to up the ante just the same. Del Medico, with a big assist from WHS...
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Newington presses for Seacoast Landing details
NEWINGTON — The town’s selectmen are eyeing a potential May 30 special town meeting on Torrington Properties’ proposed tax increment financing district at the site of the future Seacoast Landing development. Seacoast Landing is the large-scale...
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Phillips Exeter Academy unveils major developments
EXETER — Phillips Exeter Academy, widely regarded as one of the most prestigious private schools in the United States, is embarking on a series of building and infrastructure projects in line with a broader plan for its future. The goal, according to...
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Tax grab rejected
CONCORD — The House Ways and Means Committee has overwhelmingly voted down a bill that would have stripped millions in tax revenue from property-rich communities like Hampton and Portsmouth. The committee, charged with overseeing legislation impacting...
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Dog-walking changes
DURHAM — An upcoming shoreline restoration effort at Wagon Hill Farm may lead to a pause on off-leash dog-walking hours at the town landmark. The town’s Land Stewardship Subcommittee voted Feb. 11 to recommend ending off-leash hours during the course...
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POSITIVE EXPRESSION
Art can be a lifeline for a person with their own creativity helping to clear their head, their stress and their vision for what they want in life. This can be especially vital to a teen in high school surrounded by the pressures of academics, of...
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SOARING MARKET
RYE — Another month, another record in the Seacoast’s pricey real estate market. The median sales price of Seacoast single-family homes exceeded the $1 million threshold in January for the first time. Seacoast Board of Realtors statistician John...
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‘I’m so excited that this is finally happening’
ELIOT, Maine − Tami Schoff, a 6th grade teacher at Marshwood Middle School, will be off to Alaska later this month, representing the state of Maine as one of three national finalists for the 2027 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail program. The Iditarod...
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Man shoots self at condemned bookstore
PORTSMOUTH — Police said a man was hospitalized Feb. 11 after an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on the property of the condemned Antiquarian Bookstore, where the store’s owner has been at the center of an eviction dispute with the city. The...
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Il Cornicello ranks high
EXETER — Il Cornicello is among some elite company. ● The rustic Italian eatery on Water Street, renowned for its handmade pasta and rotating menu, was among the top 10% of all U.S. restaurants on Resy, the reservation platform owned by American...
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Portsmouth store owner ends fight
PORTSMOUTH — The owner of a condemned bookstore off Lafayette Road has dropped his appeal of an eviction notice ordering him and his 21 vehicles full of books off the property, according to City Attorney Susan Morrell. The bookstore owner, 80-year-old...
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Seacoast’s most romantic restaurants
It might be the glow of warm candlelight. It might be the pristine white tablecloths. It might be the beauty of a dining room’s architectural details or the staying power of 300-year-old historical elements that have stood the test of time. Whether...
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Portsmouth students walk out to protest ICE Seeking to ‘make a difference’
PORTSMOUTH — Three Portsmouth High School seniors — Lyla Caldwell, Luci DiMeco and Amelia Murphy — organized a student walkout from classes Feb. 3 to take a public stand against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s actions under the Trump...
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‘It’s been very aggravating’
PORTSMOUTH — Middle Street resident Paula Chalfin said she is tired of having snow plowed from the street up against her historic home. ● The 79-year-old said Feb. 2 that ever since she moved into her home 12 years ago at 496 Middle St., she has faced...
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EXPANDING BREWS
EXETER — Fat Hen Brewing Co. may not be just a microbrewery for much longer. The longtime friends behind a taproom that has become a favorite of locals since its opening in October 2024 are planning a large expansion of their production capabilities,...
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‘Membership discount club’ unveiled for plan
NEWINGTON — A 152,000-square-foot membership discount club has been unveiled as part of Torrington Properties’ plan for the future Seacoast Landing development. The Boston-based company’s negotiations with anchor tenants for the redevelopment of the...
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ROCKINGHAM COUNTY Protesters urge rejection of detainee deal with ICE
BRENTWOOD — In her six years as a county commissioner, Kathryn Coyle has “never seen so much community engagement” at a meeting. Coyle, a Portsmouth Democrat, was referring to the crowd that arrived in Brentwood Jan. 29 to demonstrate against the...
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Seacoast realtors foresee a ‘strong seller’s market’
Single-family home sale prices on the Seacoast have skyrocketed since 2020, with some communities registering a 50%-plus increase. ● While prices are no longer climbing as fast, they’re not expected to come down in 2026, according to local realtors. ●...
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Roberto’s Restaurant hits the market in Ogunquit
OGUNQUIT, Maine — A local restaurant is on the market for the first time since it opened close to 50 years ago, with its longtime owner ready to pass the torch. Roberto’s Restaurant, located at 200 Shore Road, is for sale for roughly $2.78 million,...
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False gun report blamed on Nextdoor app
PORTSMOUTH — Superintendent Zach McLaughlin is assuring the community there was no student with a gun on the Portsmouth Middle School campus, contrary what he said was a false notification through an outside mobile app. McLaughlin emailed the school...
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HISTORIC LISTING
YORK, Maine — The historic beach house at 99 Freeman St. — long shrouded in mystery because officials could not identify its owner — is now on the market a year after the town foreclosed on it for unpaid taxes. Known as Pebbledene, the three-story...
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The magic of learning from Christa McAuliffe
Grief still catches in MaryJo Drewn’s throat when she tries to talk about the Challenger tragedy. She can still feel the harrowed silence of the auditorium at Concord High School, where she and other students gathered to watch the space shuttle launch...
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NH BILL SEEKS TOLL INCREASE
HAMPTON — Tolls at the I-95 plaza in Hampton could double from $2 to $4 for out-of-state and cashpaying drivers under a proposal now before state lawmakers. The increase is part of a bill from Sen. David Watters, D-Dover, who told the Transportation...
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Gentle encouragement
PORTSMOUTH — John Broderick, a former chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, repeatedly asked “what are we doing?” while speaking about mental health issues many teenagers face on a day-to-day basis Jan. 22 at the Portsmouth High School...
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‘It’s frustrating’
PORTSMOUTH — Mayor Deaglan McEachern remains “frustrated” by a lack of support in the New Hampshire Legislature for creating a so-called “pillow tax” and what he sees as the unfair distribution of monies from the state meals and rooms tax. “It’s...
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FOREVER HOME
KENNEBUNK, Maine — Butch and Cassidy have new digs. Their names may bring the late, great Paul Newman to mind because of the movie he made with Robert Redford in the early 1970s. Butch and Cassidy, however, are not a couple of outlaws on the...
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Study: Portsmouth water and sewer rates too low
PORTSMOUTH — The money the city takes in from its water and sewer operations will not be enough to cover current or projected expenditures in Portsmouth’s water and sewer enterprise funds. That was one of the main conclusions of a water and sewer rate...
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New housing
HAMPTON — Ron’s Landing, the longtime Hampton Beach landmark on Ocean Boulevard, was torn down Jan. 19 to make way for two oceanfront condo buildings. Working through light snowfall, the demolition began in the early morning hours and is set to be...
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Anneke Jans building in Kittery sold
KITTERY, Maine — The mid-19th-century “Cook Block” building has sold for $2.49 million, and its new owner is on the hunt to bring two new eateries to the Foreside. The 60-68 Wallingford Square property houses eight residential apartments, the David...
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THE SEACOAST IS LITTERED WITH HIDDEN GEMS Here are 24 fantastic restaurants to discover
They’re the local restaurants loyal customers return to again and again, maybe more than once a week. They’re the bars where you want them to know your name. They’re the places that serve that one dish or one cocktail you just can’t get enough of, but...
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Rye teens are against paid beach parking on Route 1A
RYE — High school students are fighting to keep free public access to the town’s coastline by opposing a plan to charge for beachside parking on Route 1A. Lorax Reed and Aidan Chin, two Rye teenagers and friends since sixth grade, organized an online...
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‘FIELD OF DREAMS’ AT PEASE?
NEWINGTON — The New Hampshire Air National Guard is exploring installing athletic fields on the roughly 42-acre north apron at the Pease airfield. • The conceptual pitch was delivered to Newington selectmen by Brig. Gen. William Davis, commander of the...
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Clement gets prison for 2024 hit-and-run death
DOVER — Paul Clement was sentenced Jan. 9 to 5-10 years in prison for the hit-and-run collision in Rochester that took the life of Brig. Gen. John Pogorek, 57, commander of the New Hampshire Air National Guard at Pease. Clement, 82, a Rochester...
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Martha Stewart makes surprise stop at York shop
YORK, Maine — Time stopped for Maureen Bane when Martha Stewart walked into her home décor store Signature Finishes this past weekend. “Time stood still,” Bane said. Bane, a star herself in the global empire of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, said she was...
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2026 developments
PORTSMOUTH — Peter Britz, the city’s director of planning and sustainability, said the recent housing development surge in Portsmouth is the biggest he can remember. “Starting at 2018 you’d be safe to say that. It’s been very busy for housing,” Britz...
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‘Onward and upward’
EXETER — The long-awaited Gateway at Exeter project is slated to break ground this spring, bringing hundreds of residential units to Epping Road after years of delays. The developer, Tom Monahan, said 90% of the site work and 80% of the construction...
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Vincenzo Panetta receives sentence
BRENTWOOD — Vincenzo Panetta, convicted of negligent homicide in the August 2023 fatal fall of Rochester resident Zachary Colbroth from a Portsmouth parking garage, was sentenced Jan. 2 to between 3.5 to 7 years in state prison. Panetta was sentenced...
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Full speed ahead for shipyard hiring in 2026
KITTERY, Maine — Hiring hundreds of workers is at the top of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard commander Capt. Jesse Nice’s to-do list. After assuming the post in June, Nice and the centuries-old shipyard got the go-ahead to hire 820 workers this fiscal year,...
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250 years strong
The first written state constitution in American history will return to Exeter, the place of its drafting, on Jan. 5, 2026, exactly 250 years after it was adopted. Accompanied by an honor guard comprised of 1st New Hampshire Regiment reenactors, it...
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‘Working for ourselves’
DOVER — The Hampton couple behind the Big Bad food truck have finally found a home for their first full-service restaurant: Molly’s has opened at the former location of Diverge and Kelley’s Row. Ben and Molly St. Jeanne have already accomplished a lot...
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HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026
There is no print edition of the paper today, but you can find today’s puzzles, comics, national news and sports here in the eNewspaper.
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Man’s videos help kids with cancer smile again
YORK, Maine — A song about a giant pickle monster collecting hamburgers can go a long way for a young child. James Orrigo, a York resident, spends many days working with children battling pediatric cancer, scripting stories from their wildest...
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‘Just one day at a time’
Robin Berounsky says the life of her 23-year-old son Lincoln Berounsky Kelley changed forever Dec. 5, and so did the lives of the people who love him. The 6-foot-4-inch, 240-pound man was working as a welder fabricator, not far from the Charles River...
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Many eateries opened or closed this year
From new restaurants opening to old favorites being revived, 2025 has been a typically busy year for the dining scene in Seacoast New Hampshire and southern York County, Maine. Here’s a look at the openings and closings of the year: FEBRUARY The...
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Returning the ‘Legend’ to sea
An overhaul of the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Cheyenne has been completed nearly two months ahead of schedule, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard officials announced Dec. 23. ● It is the first submarine to complete the Service Life Extension Program...
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Seacoast police deal with the hidden toll of trauma
At 8:21 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 18, New Hampshire’s 911 dispatchers received a report that multiple people may be dead inside a Madbury home. Because state police cover the small-town neighboring Dover during evening hours, troopers from Troop A in Epping...
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‘WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER’
PORTSMOUTH – The goal for Home For All leaders with its Seacoast Pop-Up Care Villages is simple: Meet unhoused and housing-insecure people where they are with the help they need. “We are here to meet people where they are at and remove the barriers...
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Man living in woods severely injured in fire
SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — Stephen Goodale, 78, of South Berwick, is slowly recovering from burns he suffered during a fiery accident before midnight on Dec. 8. He was using a portable propane heater to stay warm in his makeshift home in the woods off...
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Rye Harbor shacks get new deals
RYE — Proprietors at Rye Harbor were given oneyear extensions to operate their shack businesses in 2026, while Tighe & Bond, an engineering firm, has recommended the structures stay put after a previous threat of demolition and redevelopment. The...
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10 restaurants loved for their classic cuts
The Library Restaurant remains one of the most beloved dining options in Portsmouth. It's where you go to celebrate life’s milestones, to cheer an accomplishment or to propose to that special person. It also continues to be one of the best places on...
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Holiday lights return to York’s beloved Nubble Lighthouse
YORK, Maine — The holiday lights are back at the Nubble Lighthouse, outlining the historic landmark and its adjacent keeper’s home once again against the night sky. About a fourth of the white lights on the Nubble are newly replaced by keeper Matt...
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Savers to close in Newington two days before Christmas
NEWINGTON — Savers will permanently close its Newington Park Shopping Center location two days before Christmas, sending several dozen employees out of a job during the holidays. The thrift apparel and merchandise company confirmed the Newington store...
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Reducing the fumes
HAMPTON — A bill introduced in the New Hampshire legislature, if passed, would ban smoking at Hampton Beach State Park beginning in 2027. Introduced by state Sen. Debra Altschiller, D-Stratham, and state Rep. Chris Muns, DHampton, the legislation...
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Mother-son duo brings Picklr to Granite State
SEABROOK — New Hampshire’s first Picklr pickleball club is set to open on Route 1 in March, offering a 25,000-squarefoot indoor facility with nine courts for one of the nation’s fastest-growing sports. The franchise will be operated by the...
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American Cruise Lines to return to Portsmouth in ’26
PORTSMOUTH — American Cruises Lines has committed to returning to the city in 2026, according to Richard Hartley, the recently named director of the Division of Ports and Harbors. Hartley stated during a Dec. 10 interview that American Cruise Lines...
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‘They helped me in so many ways’
ROCHESTER — Kathrine Nickerson has proudly raised successful, good children, but her success story comes on the heels of a devastating time in her life that she says she likely would not have survived without Community Action Partnership of Strafford...
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Robotics club marks 10 years of innovation
YORK, Maine — York’s middle and high school robotics club is marking its 10th anniversary, building on a history that includes multiple trips to international competitions. The robots zoom around on wheels and move blocks by pushing, flinging, or any...
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‘Gentrified’ Gilley’s Diner?
PORTSMOUTH — The city Historic District Commission voted to continue its review of the proposed redevelopment of the iconic downtown Gilley’s Diner until next month, after members raised concerns about the plan. Commissioners pointed to issues with...
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Continuous construction
PORTSMOUTH — City officials say traffic has improved in the rapidly developing North End, where a number of construction projects are ongoing. But as that progress is happening, according to police and Department of Public Works officials, the city is...
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NO ROOM FOR PORTSMOUTH’S DEAD?
PORTSMOUTH — The City Council recently asked for a report on the potential to allow green burials in the city. City Councilors Andrew Bagley and Kate Cook made the successful motion to “request a report back from city staff and the Cemetery Committee...
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