Valley News from West Lebanon, New Hampshire • 2

Page A2 Valley News Tuesday August 7 2007 Bv Adam Gohuck cational initiatives at the New England Adolescent Research Institute key was to create something that was available and accessible to The course suggests following guidelines that have long been in place at the Manchester Unitarian Unive realist church They include determining the possible risk to children if a convict or suspect wants to take part in religious activities From there church leaders can create a list of restrictions called a access agreer Such arrangements might include making sure an offender is escorted while in church He might only be allowed to attend adult worship services or one-toone meetings with a minister Christ voted in May to set guidelines for dealing with registered sex offenders aftef a con- vfcted child molester wanted to join the congregation Pilgrim's pastor the Rev Madison Shock-ley declined to discuss the policy or say whether the man is attending services Balancing Acts is designed for Unitarian Universalists but its ideas can be adapted to other denominations and its creators hope preachers from all faiths find it useful They also hope the free course's availability online might make people more likely to use it everyone is likely to pick up the phone and ask someone about howto deal with these said Joan Tabachnick director of edu ity Justice and Healing not ydu have an offender who shows up the congregation is alarmed and nobody knows what to die said there's a splitin the congregation where you have peo- pie saying 'Jesus called us to welcome everyone' and others saying a pedophile comes in I'm quitting' Haffner a Unitarian Univeisalist minister in Westport Conn who helped design the course called said she works with at least two congregations a month grappling With whether to accept a sex offender One of the most publicized cases she was involved in was in Carlsbad Calif where members of the Pilgrim United Church of children safe had a policy in said Sandra Greenfield who was the church's director of education at the time and now holds a similar job at the South Church in Portsmouth NH was no confusion about how we were going to handle the Eight years later Greenfield and other Unitarian UniyersalisLs have created an online course with the Holyoke-based New England Adolescent Research Institute to help churches set guidelines for dealing with a member accused of a sex crime -or a convicted sex offender who wants to join their congregation place of worship needs a safe-congregation Rev Debra Haffner director of the Religious Institute on Sexual Moral Associated Press Writer Holyoke Mass It was a shocking moment for membeis of the Unitarian Universalis! Church of Manchester NH: One of their congregants was accused of sexually abusing an underage relative Church leaders gave the man one chance to remain He had to sign an agreement to stay away from any church setting where there were children limiting himself to events like adult education classes and one-on-one meet1 ings with the pastor He refused and decided to leave but the ultimatum let the church stick to its mission of trying to minister to all while keeping its Ready Set Sand! Edwards Blasts Says Trade Agreement Was Shaped by Corporate Insiders Bv Amy Lohbtizen Associated Press Writer hopefuls will make their appeal to labor In an interview with The Associated Cedar Rapids Iowa Democratic presidential contender John Edwards yesterday criticized former rig the system which is exactly what President Clinton arguing that he they do that Democratic presidential Press Edwards said people who are registered in Washington to Campaign 2008 Canaan residents David Auerbach left and Dan Maville right Saturday during a belt sander race sponsored by Canaan stare each other down before they let their power tools loose Hardware Vaixey News Nicholas Rkhek Bv Barry Massey candidates and Democratic candi- dates and for that matter all candidates should just say we're not taking these money anymore because the way to take their power away frpm them and the way to bring about the change that this country He added: is not specifically just about Senator Clinton or any- -body about restoring the power of the goy-emment back to its peo- pie" Responding to the criticism Hillary Clinton's chifef strategist Mark Penn issued a memo highlighting recent polls showing the New York senator leading the Democratic field and offering a ready answer' to any rivals is the candidate of experience and change a combination no other candidate can match As a result we will likely see more attacks from her Democratic opponents despite their claims to be practicing a new kind of politics or eschewing intraparty Penn wrote Edwards said the trade deal not serve the interests of regular workers It included unprecedented rights for corporate investors but no labor or environmental protections in the core text And over the past 13 years we have seen the growing inequality in the United States and Mexico and in Edwards used the campaign appearance to offer his'trade proposals The 2004 vice presidential nominee said the economy is growing and productivity is at an all-time high but wages keeping pace with the increased costs of education health care and retirement He blamed technological change and globalization as well as outdated labor and workplace laws for a system that is benefiting the wealthiest and shortchanging allowed corporate insiders to shape the1993 North American Free Trade Agreement that has cost US jobs Edwards' complaints about the former president beloved by voters in his own phrty was a defiant ttuve meant to highlight rival Hillary Rodham Clinton's relationship with special inter-: ests' It cotries two days after Clinton refused Edwards' challenge to stop taking campaign donations from lobbyists saying many represent good causes time that (he president stood up and fought for American Edwards told a crowd of about 300 people at a union hall iri Cedar Rapids time to have a president that always puts the interests 'of the American people While Edwards' speech did not mention the name Clinton the object of his complaint was obvious Edwards criticized the presidential leadership during the 1993 passage of: NAFTA which was started by President George HW Bush and pushed through by Clinton He said the trade agreement by the United States Mex- icoand Canada was by insid-ere in all three Edwards said the policies of Presi-dent George Bush have devastated towns and communities all across America but is not just his far too long presidents from both parties have entered into trade agreements agreements like NAFTA promising that they would create millions of new jobs and enrich he said too many of these agreements have cost jobs ami devastated towns and communities across this Edwards' remarks come a day before he will share a stage with Hillary Clinton and other Democratic candidates at an AFLCIO forum in Chicago' in which tfce White House Few Grumblings in Home State more than 200 votes through late and Sam BrOwn back R-Kan had missed third the Democrats Hillary Rodham -Clinton York and Barack Obama of Illinois had only a handful of votes while Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut had missed about a quarter rtf the votes Grumbling about travel has been muted in New Mexico so far needs to spend less time with his agenda and more time with the' state of New said Lisa Orona 40 of Albuquerque NM a -Republican need to limit the time he spends out of state After all paying for him to be here taking bare of governor Richardson is paid $110000 a year Van Der Aa Keeffe 29 said New Mexico gained national exposure because of Richard presidential bid and not seen a drop in performance as governor because publicity has been really positive for the lave family members from out-of-Slate that have told me looks like you've got a (presi-' dential) And not often that we have a New Mexico candidate said Van Der Aa Keeffe a catering supervisor at an Albuquerque hotel and an independent who voted last year to re-elect Richardson Some New Mexico lawmakers complained in March that Richardson forced them to return to Santa Fe for a special legislative session and then left the state to campaign for president governor if so important to you you should be-here while Republican state Rep Dan Foley of Roswell NM said at the time From late January through July Richardson traveled outside the state for all or part of at least 109 days according to his campaign schedules and published reports of his campaign appearances That count nearly weeklong trip to North Korea in April The total number of Richardson's out-state travel days is likely higher because his campaign initially didn't disclose when the governor left New Mexico to attend fundraisers For elected off" cials who campaign for president absenteeism from their taxpayer-paid job is inevitable When George Bush first ran for president he took himself off the public payroll as Texas governor in 2000 when he was absent from the state for a full day Associated Press writers Holly Ramer in Concord and Melanie Dabovich in Albuquerque NM contributed to this report Assqciated Press Writer Santa Fe Voters in Iowa New Hampshire and other states have seen more of Democratic Gov Bill Richardson than his New Mexico constituents since he announced his bid for president Richardson has traveled outside of New Mexico about 60 percent of the time since entering the race in late January and more recently in June and July he was on the campaign trail three out of every four days When Richardson leaves the state Lt Gov Diane Denish serves as acting governor! Richardson maintains not neglecting his duties despite his frequent absences He said he conducts state business by telephone and keeps in PAMPAlfN contact through e-mail with his Blacks vjAMrAHjiv Berry 2008 usually spent a day a week in New Mexico My voters knew whenl ran for re-election I may be undertaking this face and they're Richardson said recently during a campaign stop in New Hampshire Besides Richardson the six senators seeking the presidency four Democrats and two Republicans have made varying attempts to keep up with Senate business in Washington while campaigning John McCain R-Ariz had missed about half the June about a Among of New missed As Kevin has campaigning state 1 Local Regional Briefs Alleged Parking Spat Preceded Hit-and-Run Bv John Curran tha Kilmurray protesting the possible development of a vacant lot were shocked by police after refusing to leave the property They were cited for trespassing Schiff said Taser use should have a place in the Brattleboro Police arsenal but says he was appalled by the use of it against the protesters in that case On July 30 the Selectboard imposed the moratorium on stun gun use pending a review of police policy He said he has heard from abouta doze i people with two-thirds supporting the use of force and one-third disapproving NH Vacation Bill Questioned Reward for Information on Missing Student Haverhill (afJ A missing group is getting involved in the search for a Massachusetts college student who went missing in New Hampshire more than three years ago The group' Arkansas-based Let's Bring Them Home is offering a $75000 reward for information that could solve the mystery of what hap-' pened to University of Massachusetts nursing student Maura Murray Murray disappeared on Feb! 9 2004 Her car went rdf the road on Route 112 in Haverhill but she was nowhere tp be found when police 1 arrived Private investigators working on the case say they have several theories about what happened and have 1 not ruled out that Murray may have been abducted or killed Bring Them Home also has a toll free tip line to gather information about disappearance Protest Planned For Taser Incident Brattleboro Vt (ap) Uproar over police use of Tasets continues in Brattleboro where a protest is being planned for today A group of people plans to march through downtown in a aimed at letting town leaders know how they feel about the use of Tasers in a July 24 incident iri which two demonstrators who refused police orders to move were stunned with the devices people who supervised the police are the Selectboard and they need to know how people in town said Leo Schiff the organizer of today's event The town has already suspended the use of Tasers in the wake of the July 24 incident which occurred when Jonathan Crowell and Saman New England vacation The Sarkozys have been staying in New Hampshire at an estate on like Winnipesdukee that is owned by former Microsoft Corp executive Michael Appe The estate can be rented for $30000 (euro 21900) a week according to a rental Web ate Sarkozy told reporters a day earlier that some friends had rented the hduse and invited him and his family He did not identify the friends French people have the right to know which generous donor is paying sucji a price for our president and to whom he must show his gratitude to in one way or former Socialist Agriculture Minister Jean Glavany said in a statement Another Socialist former European Affairs Minister Moscovici said: is not about casting suspicion on his honesty his integrity or independence but the head of state is not like everybody scene of a fatal accident in the death of Dickson 32 who was struck by a Jeep as he walked across a bank parking lot in downtown Rutland The collision occurred after Dickson who didn't know Garrow chastised him for parking in a handicapped spot according to Ryan Fil-skov 26 who was one of three passengers in the vehicle Garrow drove away after that exchange but then he spotted Dickson walking along the sidewalk and pointed him: out to his passengers Fil-skov told investigators according to the affidavit filed Monday by police Detective Raymond LaMoria Jr Another confrontation ensued with Garrow screaming at Dickson as Dickson stood near the vehicle before the vehicle accelerated and hit him according to Filskov Associated Press Writer Rutland A motorist accused in the hit-and-run death of a pedestrian had quarreled with the victim over a handicapped parking space earlier that night according to an affidavit filed yesterday Bryaht Garrow 20 was charged with manslaughter in the April 2b death of Stewart Dickson eliciting an angry response from the father they said the bottom fell out of me" said James Dickson 78 was murder there's no getting around it one way or the Garrow 20 of Proctor is also charged with gross negligent operation of a motor vehicle and leaving the Paris (ap) Politicians from opposition Socialist Party yesterday demanded to kriow who was footing the bill for conservative French President Nicolas.