Here’s some old news from the Andover, East Andover, West Andover, Potter Place, and Cilleyville “gossip” columns of the Franklin Journal Transcript, selected by Heather Makechnie.
March 3, 1966
At a meeting of the Regional School Planning Board held in New London on March 2, 1966, it was unanimously voted to approve the request of the Andover School Board that another vote be taken in that community on the proposed articles of agreement to establish the Kearsarge Regional School District. On February 21, the proposed District was overwhelmingly approved by the voters of all the other towns. The proposal was defeated in Andover by one vote. The State Attorney General gave permission for another vote to be taken in Andover.
A new history of the Town of Andover has recently been written by ex-selectman Ralph G. Chaffee. This covers mainly the last 65 years since the earlier Eastman history was compiled and published.
At that time Andover was just beginning to emerge from the horse and buggy days. There was then no electricity in the local area, and there were no phones, automobiles, or fire departments. There were 14 one-room schoolhouses, each in its own district. $3,000 for publishing the book has been included in the budget to be considered at the March 8, 1966 Town Meeting.
March 10, 1966
Andover passed the warrant in the Town Meeting to regulate all billboards in the town.
Martha Burney, 8th grade daughter of Mr and Mrs Henry Burney, is the winner of this year’s Andover Elementary School Spelling Bee.
Fireman Apprentice Pio C. Shampney, USN, son of Mr and Mrs Chester C. Shampney, is a crew member aboard the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) support aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. The 41,000-ton “Fighting Lady” is the nucleus of an ASW group composed of surface, sub-surface, and air units designed, trained, and equipped to seek out and destroy enemy submarines.
The Southern New Hampshire State Grange Square Dance Festival was held at the Andover School Gymnasium with some 225 Grangers and guests present.
March 17, 1966
The School Board regrets the error which left the name of Donna Keyser, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Peter Keyser, off the Town Report perfect attendance sheet. Donna has had perfect attendance for seven years in a row and is half-way into her eighth year.
Showing at the Regal Theatre in Franklin: The Hallelujah Trail, or “How The West Was Fun!” starring Burt Lancaster and Lee Remick.
March 24, 1966
Andover had its second vote last Saturday and reaffirmed its stand against the Kearsarge Cooperative School District … this time by a margin of 21 votes. “Everyone who was able to walk, and in some cases you might even say crawl, was out Saturday to vote. Voters registered in the Town of Andover but presently living in another area due to their employment made the trip, too, some coming from as far away as Massachusetts. Of the more than 700 registered voters, 545 cast their ballots; 283 against and 262 for.
“All concerned are interested in a cooling-off period now. It has been years since a vote of this dimension has been recorded. And with the vote went a lot of enthusiasm which boiled over in letter writing and telephone campaigns. Now apologies are the order of the day as many renew speaking terms.”