By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

January
• School officials hosted a public hearing regarding a proposed 10-year $6.7 million bond for Epsom Central School.

About 75 people – a majority of them children – attended “Animal Encounters,” a part of Camp Wannaread, an Epsom Public Library program designed to interest kids in reading over the summer. (File Photo)

The plan included eight classrooms, a new heating system, a new cafeteria and library expansion.

• The Epsom-Chichester Lions Club raised nearly $1,000 for victims of the tsunami that devastated much of Southeast Asia. Crepes, home fries and flowers were some of the big earners at a breakfast benefit.

February
. Voters deliberated on the proposed school warrants for nearly two-and-a-half hours, though ultimately no changes were made to the proposals. Residents did, however, vote to include estimations of tax rate impacts on the warrant descriptions as had been done in the past.

Hoping to convince voters of the need for the $6.7 bond for capital improvements at Epsom Central School, school representatives began offering public tours of the facility.

March
. Epsom voters rejected there proposed $6.7 million bond warrant for improvements to Epsom Central School by a vote of 517-430.

"I'm very disappointed," said Don Harty, member of the school board's building committee. "The need is not going to go away."

. Gordon Ellis won the road agent seat in the only contested race in town. Coincidentally, snow blanketed the roads throughout election day.

. Residents voted not to spend $160,000 to pave a quarter mile section of New Orchard Road, despite complaints from some that dirt and dust was highly problematic.

. Voters approved a police officer position, allowing the department to provide aroundthe- clock coverage seven days a week.

. Epsom Central School Principal Jane Fargo was granted a leave of absence by the school board. She was then hired as a second-grade teacher at ECS. Fargo said - despite a pay cut - that she wanted to spend more time with her family. She was replaced, on an interim basis, by Patrick Conners, who has since led the school through half of the 2005-06 school year.

April
. Faced with a default budget, following the elections, school officials had to make about $250,000 worth of cuts, said then-principal Jane Fargo. Cuts included a primary teacher, an after-school tutorial, a bus for Pembroke Academy students, some field trips and $20,000 in supplies, said Fargo.

May
. Cumberland Farms expressed interest in buying the site of the Epsom Bible Church and there building a gas station/convenience store.

Hoping to save the historic 1864 structure, one of few historic landmarks in Epsom, residents poured into the town offices for support.

The church's pastor, John Spring, said the retail company was willing to work to save the building, but suggested that the sale was imminent.

Volunteers have since been devising ways to move the large building to a nearby site. The Epsom Bible Church is preparing to move into a new structure on Blackhall Road.

. Former Epsom Police Chief Henry Farrin was arrested following complaints of a domestic disturbance. Charges were later dropped.

Farrin and his family made headlines in August 2004, when their Florida home was destroyed by Hurricane Charley. On the same day, while serving in Iraq, Farrin was injured by a roadside bomb.

June
. Fearing that the kindergarten program was going to be cut, about 45 people attended a June 1 school board meeting. Board members stressed that kindergarten was safe for the 2005-06 school year.

The board drew some fire from the crowd regarding a proposal from board member Gordon Ellis to look into exit exams for Central School students. Several teachers in the audience suggested that students were already burdened with enough standardized testing.

. Two weeks later, the board appointed a new member, Barbara Doughty, indefinitely shelved the exit exam idea and again confirmed to parents that kindergarten was safe for the coming school year.

. A 30-year-old Manchester man, Jeffrey Lessard, was charged with breaking and entering, and felonious arson after he allegedly burned down the Epsom home of someone he suspected was sleeping with his wife.

July
. Epsom resident Carey Lafleur founded the New England Park for Canine Placement, a nonprofit organization that she hoped would combine the services of a traditional dog shelter with obedience training.

. A dispute over records related to the investigation of 17- year fire department member Floyd Graham led selectmen to replace Chairman Joni Kitson. All but Kitson voted for Mary Frambach to assume the chairman position.

. The Save the Church Committee . hoping to preserve the 1864 structure that houses the Epsom Bible Church - devised a plan to move the building across Blackhall Road on Route 4, to land owned by the state. With the Bible Church moving to a new location, Cumberland Farms had expressed interest in building at the site of the historic structure.

"If we're able to do this, we could save that structure for a future generation," said then Epsom Historical Association President Harvey Harkness.

August
. Walter Durack, owner of Pesky Tree Removal, and his family struggled to cope with a lumberjacking accident that left Durack's left arm completely paralyzed. Durack, however, was optimistic.

"We firmly believed that God planned this for us," he said. "Yeah I get a little crabby every once in a while, and sometimes I'm up and sometimes I'm down - but I'm also a little excited about what God's plans are for this family."

. Epsom Old Home Days drew hundreds of visitors to Webster Park despite three days of stifling heat and humidity.

. Fire Chief Stewart Yeaton and Bill Yeaton were honored with Epsom Citizen of the Year awards. They were praised for their work saving the Batchelder farm from a fire.

. Floyd Graham, a captain and 17-year member of the Epsom Fire Department was released from town employment after charges including treating a minor with an IV, and doing so while off duty.

September
. Zeus, a German shepherd who was the eyes, ears and nose of the Epsom K-9 unit for eight years, was retired.

"All Zeus cares about is working," said Zeus's owner, Police Chief Wayne Preve. "But it's time for the old guy. He's done his job - done a good job - and it's time to relax."

. After decades of fruitless dedication from people throughout town, ground was finally broken at the Route 4 site of the new Epsom library.

"This is one of the biggest things ever to happen to Epsom," said Joyce Heck.

The capital campaign for a new library was spurred by a $250,000 bond warrant in March.

. An Epsom man who has taught music to children in several area towns, Thomas (T.J.) Rand, was charged with multiple counts of child pornography. Merrimack County Sheriffs officers had been investigating Rand for more than a year.

October
. An internal police investigation documenting numerous incidents of insubordination and unacceptable performance led the Board of Selectmen to fire 10-year police department member Keith Yeaton.

. Epsom School Board members announced they had no plans to fill the seat vacated by Brian McCormack in September, despite state statutes requiring the board to search for a replacement. The seat is still vacant.

. Scores for Pembroke Academy 10th-graders surged after the school was dubbed "in need of improvement" under the federal No Child Left Behind act. Another year of adequate scores would remove the "in need" title from Pembroke Academy.

November
. Epsom's tax rate was cut in half, a reflection of the recent revaluation of all the town's taxable properties.

Avitar Associates of New England performed the revaluation, which nearly doubled the total valuation of the town.

. After testimony from former and current firefighters, selectmen unanimously upheld a previous decision to fire Capt. Floyd Graham, a 17-year member of the town's fire department.