Life in a Small New Hampshire Town Pt. 07

Chuckling, I responded, "That's how I described him also. Thanks, Abby."

I got a call over the radio just then.

"Deputy Hinsdale, Sheriff. I clocked that vehicle you asked us to be on the lookout for going 22 mph over the posted limit. I pulled him over and am about 5 miles north of Appleton."

"I'll be there in 5. Write up the violation, but wait for me to arrive before giving it to him."

"Roger that."

I pulled in behind Deputy Hinsdale's car. We approached the car together, Hinsdale on the passenger's side, me on the driver's side.

"You were clocked at 22 mph over the speed limit, Mr. Montgomery. That puts you at 11 points. One more and your license will be suspended. You'll need to drive very carefully for the next year."

"This is outrageous. I'll call my lawyer."

"Do that and tell him or her that we'll supply the dashcam footage documenting each infraction. Please wait in your car while we do a background check on you."

Hinsdale asked, "What's going on, Sheriff?" after we got in my car. I explained what happened at the daycare inspection.

"I have a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. We were counting on it. Maryanne needs to go back to work so that we can get ahead a little."

"It seems that our Mr. Montgomery is a racist, sexist, misogynistic, nasty, self-important bureaucrat with 'little man' syndrome. I'm going to ask you to turn your body camera off, and forget what I just said and what you see and hear next. I'm going to negotiate a deal with him."

We both turned off our body cams and approached the car.

"I ran that background check as promised, Mr. Montgomery. I know why you left Hillsborough County. I also spoke with DA Peterson. You had no grounds to deny the permit. Unless you rethink your position, I'm sure she will find grounds to bring charges against you, and one more traffic violation, and you will lose your license to drive. However, against my better judgement, I'm going to offer you a deal."

"We don't tolerate your kind of behavior in Lake County. We will forget about your traffic violations if you write up an occupancy permit right now, with no violations, give me one copy to take back to Olivia, and transmit the rest to the State today."

"There are two other conditions: the proverbial shit will hit the fan if I hear that you try to do anything to reverse the permit. Secondly, we are going to monitor every inspection that you make in the future. While I understand that it is your job to find and report actual violations, but if we discover that you abused your authority at any time, you will probably wish that you hadn't. Now what's it going to be, Mr. Montgomery?"

He looked extremely unhappy, but he did write out the occupancy permit and marked it approved and handed me the owner's copy.

"One more thing, Mr. Montgomery. Be careful how you drive. I have Deputies all over the county. Have a nice day."

Hinsdale grinned as we walked back to our cars. "I've forgotten everything that I didn't see or hear, but aren't you afraid of repercussions?"

"From him? No. He's a bully, but his only power is from his job and he will be out of that job if he loses his driver's license. I think that we can keep his worst instincts in check. My guess is that he will put in for a transfer. I've never done anything quite like that, but Olivia, Derrick, Erik, and Shiloh have always followed the law and are an asset to our community. They really care for others and are always looking for ways to help. What they've done has already helped rejuvenate downtown Appleton. You, yourself know the need for quality childcare. My guess is that The Beat and Olivia's are most likely going to subsidize the daycare center."

I returned to Olivia's and found her.

"Do you know where Alicia is? I want to talk with the two of you."

"No, but I can call her."

She told me a moment later, "She was upstairs in her apartment. She'll be right down."

Alicia said, "What's up, Sheriff?" when she arrived.

I pulled the occupancy permit out of my pocket and gave it to her.

"Mr. Montgomery had a little change of heart."

"What? How?"

"He realized that he was in error with his first opinion."

Alicia came over and gave me a big hug.

"Let me know if you need anything from me in the future, Alicia Here's my card."

Saturday, May 25

Chris

Today was the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend. People in New Hampshire celebrate this weekend as the unofficial start of summer. While many folks enjoy barbeques and outdoor activities after being cooped up all winter, The Beat was full. Everyone celebrates in their own way.

Alicia was noticeably more relaxed than she had been in all the time that she had headed up the efforts to get everything ready to open next Tuesday now that she had received the occupancy permit. She was sharing a table with both Michael and Zack. She and Michael had been on the dance floor most of the evening, occasionally breaking for food, a drink, or just to rest. Zack spent most of his time alone at the table since Amy was working. Alicia must have empathized with him, as she grabbed him by the hand and shared a couple of dances with him, but returned to the table when Erik played a slow one.

Michael

Alicia had seemed a little different this evening, a little more relaxed, and seemed to be flirting all evening. She sat just a little closer to me when she returned to the table after a few dances with Zack. We were hungry from the dancing and were enjoying sliders, fries, and a locally favorite beer. Zack left to use the men's room when Alicia leaned in close to me and said, "I've been nearly totally focused on opening the center. I like you, Michael, and I'd like to get to know you better and spend some more time with you now that we have the permit. Would you like to get together tomorrow?

"How about if we go out for brunch? There's a place on Long Lake that serves all the standard brunch fare. The food's good and it's right on the water's edge."

"That sounds lovely. I'd like that."

I arranged to pick her up at 9:30.

Sunday, May 26

Michael

The Water's Edge was nearly full when we got there. We elected to sit on the deck and bask in the late spring sun since it was already 70 degrees out. The server dropped menus off and took our coffee order.

"What's good here?"

"Virtually everything. They do their own baking in-house. The pancakes and waffles are served with local maple syrup. There are all the regular egg options. I'm a fan of their Crab Benedict, so that's my choice."

Alicia ordered the traditional Eggs Benedict with Canadian bacon. We were relaxing and sipping our coffee while we waited for our food. I didn't want our time together to end, so I asked,

"Would you like to do anything after brunch?"

"Any recommendations?"

"The water's still too cold to go swimming. We could hike the Zealand Falls Trail. The annual Memorial Day weekend Arts and Crafts Fair is happening at the Greensboro fairgrounds."

"I don't have my hiking shoes with me. It's early enough that the trail may still be muddy. Let's save that for when we can plan ahead better. 'Arts and Crafts' sounds like a pleasant way to enjoy this fine weather."

***

Alicia

We drove up to Greensboro and wandered around the fairgrounds. There were vendors selling everything and anything that a person could possibly want, much less need. Everything from original artwork, wooden crafts, tee shirts, pottery, homemade preserves, too many others to list them all, were there displaying their wares. There were also several food trucks offering a wide variety of menu items. I did buy a tee shirt printed with an image of the Old Man of the Mountain. The State practically went in mourning when the rocks forming his face collapsed in 2003. The image still appears on highway signs, State vehicles, even the reverse side of New Hampshire drivers' licenses.

We headed home after exploring all that the Arts and Crafts Fair had to offer. Michael asked, "What would you like to do now?" on the drive to Appleton.

Good question. I enjoyed our time together, dancing sharing brunch, learning more about each other while wandering about the Fairgrounds. While I wanted to spend time with Michael, I had been so busy this week attending to the final details of getting the space ready to open on Tuesday that I needed some personal time to attend to some domestic chores.

"I unfortunately need to catch up on grocery shopping, laundry, and a few other things that I've been neglecting. I'm assuming you are taking tomorrow off since it's a holiday?"

"Yes. Zack and I work for ourselves, so we set our own schedules within limits, but our production is on schedule and we are off tomorrow."

"We could plan something for tomorrow if I take the rest of the afternoon and this evening to catch up, and you're interested."

"I'd like that. Any suggestions?"

"I've lived in New Hampshire all my life and have never been to Tuckerman's. I'm a skier, but not that hardcore. I'd just like to see it."

Tuckerman's Ravine is a semi bowl-shaped area on the eastern facing side of Mt. Washington. It is the recipient of winds carrying snow over the top of the mountain all winter since the prevailing winds are from the west, and it fills the ravine with a snowpack to a depth of 50 feet or more by spring. Skiers have to hike in a couple of miles to the base, then hike up to the headwall and ski down. Since parts of the glacial cirque are as steep as 55 degrees, Tuckerman's is only for the most experienced extreme skiers, and certainly is not for the faint of heart. Tuckerman's has claimed the lives of several people over the years. I'm a decent recreational skier, but I know my limits.

"I've been up to watch, twice. It's really something to see. I'm game." said Michael.

"Why don't you come over for breakfast, say around 8:00. I'll pack something for lunch. Any requests or restrictions?"

"No. Do you have a walking stick? One may be useful for the hike in this time of year."

"Not here."

"I'll bring you one."

Michael walked me to the door when we arrived at my place, then embraced me with a nice hug and a kiss before he departed.

***

Monday, May 27

Alicia

I took the opportunity to replenish my cupboards and refrigerator yesterday. I had a cantaloupe sliced, the omelet ingredients ready, plus bacon, bread ready to toast, and coffee brewed in preparation for Michael's arrival. I loaded my backpack with two wraps, two oranges, some trail mix, a thermos of hot tea, and a second with water.

Michael arrived, we ate, then drove to the trailhead at Pinkham Notch. it felt like late spring and the trail was mostly dry at the base. The ground began to be snow covered as we approached Tuckerman's Ravine. The side of Mt. Washington and the ravine appeared before us in all their majesty once we got to the base.

There were a couple of hundred people there ahead of us, the majority of whom were just spectators, but many were skiers. We found a rock and sat down to watch. There was a steady stream of people hiking up and carrying skies on their backs. The left side was the gentlest slope, with the steepest section on the right.

We watched the skiers hike up then speed down while we ate lunch. While it was still fairly warm, sitting on the rock, surrounded by snow covered ground had a chilling effect. The hot tea hit the spot.

Although it was interesting to have finally seen Tuckerman's Ravine, the spectacle in front of us began to get repetitious, so we headed back to Pinkham Notch. We headed home after stopping at the Appalachian Mountain Club hut to use their restrooms.

***

"I have some last-minute preparations that I need to do for our opening day tomorrow, Michael. We can get together next weekend if you'd like."

"I'd like that. Is there anything I can do to help you prepare?"

"Thanks, but no. It's more like final checks, making sure that everything's ready."

Tuesday, May 28

6:00 AM

Alicia

I was up early and didn't really want to eat, but knew that I needed to in order to get through today. Daycare workers don't wear good clothes; too many chances for mishaps. Our 'uniform' was jeans or shorts, depending on the season, and staff t-shirts that Olivia had printed for us. Jeans and shorts had to be in decent shape, no tears or holes as is the current style.

Besides myself and Jessie, our staff included Michaela Miller, aka MM, Brittney, aka Britt, Kelsey, Kyle, Sarah, and Deborah, aka Deb or Debbie. Sarah was the oldest at 38, and only worked afternoons, charged with the kids who were dropped off after school. There also was Nichole who was available to substitute as needed, but didn't want a full-time position. She was working to help out while we got our routines down during opening week.

Our hours were 8:00 to 6:00. We had 32 children for most of the day, and 8 more after school to start with. I went down at 7:00. The staff had arrived, by 7:30, as well as Shiloh, Sierra, and Erik. Shiloh had her camera with her and was prepared to document our opening. Also there, surprisingly, was a reporter from the local weekly paper.

Olivia had come over and greeted the reporter with, "We weren't expecting you, John. Slow news day?"

Olivia

"This is actually big news, the biggest event to happen in Appleton since, well, since you opened The Beat. I can't tell you how many people have asked me about this place."

"It was Shiloh and Erik who recognized the need and turned an idea into a reality. We were lucky to get Alicia to manage it."

Parents were streaming in to drop their kids off. Alicia had interviewed all the parents and greeted most of them by name. Alicia had stickers with the child's name printed on it, to be worn until the staff got to know their charges. The kids put what belongings they had in their assigned cubbies.

The children had been divided up by age groups, with one or two staff assigned to each group. Alicia had collected pertinent information on each child and had created a database which included the parents' contact info, medical conditions, allergies if any, parental restrictions as appropriate, basically anything that it was important to know about the child. I returned to the restaurant once the arrivals decreased to a trickle.

***

Alicia

The day went remarkably smoothly considering that everything, the children, staff, physical space, and protocols were all new. We did have a couple of the youngest ones who missed their mom and dad, but the staff was able to settle them down. One 4-year-old boy displayed bullying mannerisms, but the staff cleverly diverted his attention to more constructive behavior. I was happy with the way the day went overall.

Olivia came over as she was leaving work just as the last child was picked up.

"How was it? How are you?"

"Good and good. It was pretty much a typical day at a daycare center."

"That actually says a lot about the work you put in to make it happen."

"Thanks."

Thursday, May 30

Mid-afternoon

Alicia

Some of the younger ones were still napping when I saw Deputy Sheriff Hinsdale entering.

"You're here early, Deputy Hinsdale. Is everything okay."

"Yeah. My wife is getting off early today and asked if I could pick up our daughter. Even though Maryanne wanted to get back to work, she misses her time with Elyssa, and please, just call me Al."

"Okay, Al. Oh, crap."

"What?"

"The State inspector just walked in."

Deputy Hinsdale

Alicia walked over to greet Montgomery as I called Sheriff Farnsworth.

"Sheriff, Hinsdale here. I was picking up Elyssa at daycare when in walks our old friend, Inspector Montgomery....... Yes, sir, I'll stay right with him until you get here......Five minutes? Got it."

I walked over and heard Montgomery say, "As you know, I'm required to do a follow-up inspection after you open. We need to review all your records."

"We just did that a week ago. Nothing's changed."

"And we are going to do it again."

I stepped in and said, "I don't think so."

"Who the fuck do you think you are? I can have you arrested for interfering with my official duties."

Alicia laughed, "Let me introduce you to one of Lake County's finest, Mr. Montgomery. This is Deputy Sheriff Hinsdale. Maybe he can arrest himself."

"He's not in uniform. How do I know...?"

I showed him my badge. "I'm undercover today, but don't worry, Sheriff Farnsworth will be here in a couple of minutes. Maybe you can convince him to arrest me. Maybe you can complete your 'inspection' and be on your way before he gets here."

"This is preposterous. I need to do my job."

"Let's move this conversation to the other room. I don't want to hear you swearing in front of my daughter again. We don't want to disturb the children you are here to protect, do we? Come along now." I put my hand on his elbow to direct him out the door when he turned and tried to pry it off.

"Bad move, Mr. Montgomery."

Sheriff Farnsworth walked in at that moment and asked, "What's going on here, Deputy Hinsdale?"

"I was just escorting Mr. Montgomery, here, away from the children so that we can discuss his inspection."

Sheriff Farnsworth said, "Come along, Mr. Montgomery," as he took hold of Montgomery's other elbow and we guided him into The Beat.

"Okay, Deputy Hinsdale, what's really going on?"

I explained that Montgomery was allegedly doing the post opening inspection when it was clear that he was fishing for any excuse to manufacture a violation and close this place down. I detailed all my interactions with him.

"The way I see it, Mr. Montgomery, you're in a world of shit. First, I'll encourage Ms. Powell to file an unprofessional conduct complaint against you. We both know that your excuse for not passing the inspection last week was bogus and probably grounds for dismissal. You were also swearing in front of the children who you're are supposed to be protecting. That's not good. I'm sure that DA Peterson can add sexual and racial harassment charges based on your behavior towards Ms. Powell. You disobeyed a lawful order from a law enforcement official and then tried to attack him today. We're talking serious charges here. I also noticed your State car outside is still not inspected. I warned you about that last week. Finally, I kept those tickets Deputy Hinsdale and I wrote last week. Altogether, you'll have too many points to continue driving if I submit them."

Montgomery whipped his head around and looked at me. Recognition dawned on him.

"Yeah, we meet again."

Sheriff Farnsworth continued, "I thought that I made it explicitly clear last week that the shit was going to hit the fan if you tried to reverse the permit. Now it has, and the deal I offered you then is off the table. This is the new deal. I want your resignation submitted by 4:00 PM tomorrow. You can expect your life to be a nightmare if not. Make the right choice and you get to keep your pension. Make the wrong choice and, well, do you have any idea what they'd do to a scrawny little guy like you in prison?"

"Now, I understand that you were about to complete your inspection. Let's get that over with now! I have a Deputy standing by outside by the way. Afterwards, he'll follow you to make sure that you get home safely."

Montgomery completed the paperwork, gave the Sheriff a copy and left.

"One of the hardest parts of law enforcement is knowing when to be a hardass and when to show compassion, Al. It's generally a bad idea to do what I just did. I gave him the benefit of the doubt last week and he chose to revert to his old ways. This daycare center is benefitting the greater Appleton area. Closing it down, because he's a self-important low-level bureaucrat with a chip on his shoulder, would be wrong. It's a fine line to walk, but if you can correctly assess a situation and give someone a path forward, most people will take it."