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August
22, 2007
Plan
to fire cannon in Goffstown backfires |
By STEPHEN BEALE
Union Leader
Correspondents
GOFFSTOWN - A plan to fire a cannon at an annual celebration for local Civil War buffs has backfired, after a neighbor with a heart condition threatened a lawsuit and the town said it was too late to issue a permit for the activity.
The local chapter of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War wanted to fire the cannon at their annual picnic, which is scheduled for this Saturday at the home of Jim Sutherland, a member of the group who lives on Tirrell Hill Road.
Tom Kiander, the commander of the local post and a descendant of two Union solders, said the organization aims to preserve the heritage of Civil War veterans. “It’s a patriotic as well as a service-related organization,” Kiander said.
Kiander said the local group, formally known as the W. W. Brown Camp No. 1, told police two months ago that they wanted to fire a cannon during their picnic. They did not run into any resistance until last week, however, when they circulated a flyer warning residents the cannon would be fired.
The cannon, which is a Civil War-era replica, would have been fired with powder, leaving out the cannon balls. “It makes a loud noise, but it’s harmless,” Kiander said.
A neighbor apparently disagreed, threatening to sue if the cannon was fired, according to Sutherland. The man, whom Sutherland did not want to name, has an anxiety condition on top of an ailing heart and was also worried that the pop of the cannon might traumatize his pet cats and dogs.
Other neighbors were not alarmed by the cannon, according to organizers. “It wouldn’t bother me a bit,” said Richard Tower. “The cannon wouldn’t make any difference than a severe thundershower.”
As it turns out, a possible thunderstorm is forecasted for Saturday, according to AccuWeather.com, and if that wasn’t enough to put a damper on plans for firing the cannon, a veto from the town was.
After their encounter with the neighbor, Kiander said the group decided to ask the town if it was OK to move the cannon firing to the Church Street Fire Station. The town turned down that request because it normally takes 30 days to process the necessary permit, according to Sue Desruisseaux, the town administrator.
“Town Hall received a call when the property owner wanted to move the firing of a cannon from his property to town property,” Desruisseaux wrote in an e-mail. “Since there was insufficient time to acquire the necessary approvals for his event, his request was denied.”
State law allows someone to fire a cannon as long as they do not do it near a commercial building, school, densely populated residential area, park, playground, or other outdoor place where the public can gather. In those areas, the law says written permission from the local police chief is necessary.
Kiander is still planning the picnic for this Saturday, minus the cannon. The event will kick off at 1 p.m. at 433 Tirrell Hill Road.
Undaunted by his unsuccessful battle to make the cannon a part of the festivities, Kiander says the group could bring back the idea for a future event. “You know what, we’ve done our best to demonstrate a patriotic spirit,” Kiander said.
Reproduced by the Goffstown
Residents Association.
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