by Ian | Mar 15, 2015 |
The Ball’s Costume Contest Winners from Last Year
For the last several years, they’ve thrown a fundraising masquerade ball which I’ve enjoyed attending and sponsoring. 2015’s event is coming up in less than two weeks at the Keene Country Club, 55 West Hill Rd, on Saturday, March 28th. (Here’s a facebook event.) Doors Open at 7:30pm and the event will feature the Murphy’s Blues Band, hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, cash bar, and plenty of dancing!
Sadly, I’ll be out of town on business that weekend, so it will be the first year I haven’t been able to make the event. Thankfully, Derrick J Freeman will be going in my stead! Tickets are just $50 per person and goes to a good cause – Hundred Nights! Call 352-5197 or drop in to Hundred Nights at 17 Lamson St to get your tickets.
by Ian | Mar 12, 2015 |
VICE has previously reported on the Free State Project in other pieces on nanobreweries and Rich Paul’s heroic stand for cannabis freedom. Now, VICE moves on to Liberty Forum, the FSP’s yearly hotel convention that attracts hundreds from around the globe.
It’s good coverage, focusing on the variety of interesting characters and opinions found at the annual gathering. Will we see VICE at Porcfest 2015?
Here’s the text of the full piece: (more…)
by Ian | Mar 11, 2015 |
With a solid veto-proof margin, the New Hampshire house of representatives overwhelmingly passed cannabis decriminalization today, 297-67, according to state rep Kyle Tasker. That’s a significant increase over 2014’s 215-92 vote on decrim. 297 votes is 38% higher than last year’s 215. A total of 74.25% of the house’s 400 members voted for the bill and 16.75% voted against. That leaves 9% who did not vote. Of those who voted, over 81% voted in favor of decrim.
If this isn’t a mandate, I don’t know what is. Now the bill moves on to the senate, where it died last time. However, it’s a new senate and a new year. With evidence of cannabis legalization’s success mounting, and now even Washington DC legalizing, politicians in NH are finding a little backbone. Sadly, they are late to the party – the other New England states have decriminalized cannabis, some more recently, but Maine as far back as the 1970s.
Maybe the overwhelming support for decrim in this house vote will transfer to the senate, or maybe not. If it passes the senate, unless governor Maggie Hassan finds her conscience, they’ll have to pass this with a 2/3rds veto-proof margin in order to stop Hassan from striking this much-needed legislation down.
In related news, last week the state house voted to add more conditions to the medical cannabis statutes. That also now goes to the senate.
by Ian | Mar 10, 2015 |
Over 560 attendees from around the world came to the eighth annual 2015 New Hampshire Liberty Forum over the weekend in Manchester at the Radisson. Some of those attendees included the media. Here are some major stories published in the Union Leader and the Concord Monitor about the event:
Union Leader:
“Free State Project Gathers in Manchester”
“It’s a Match: Free Staters and Bitcoin”
Concord Monitor:
“For liberty-minded reps, House agenda is proof N.H. needs Free Staters”
by Darryl W. Perry | Mar 10, 2015 |
On March 10, 2015, approximately 1100 Keene voters turned out to elect 3 School Board members and vote on a budget and 12 other Warrant Articles.
Of the 4 articles placed on the ballot by petition and amended at the Deliberative Session, only Article 13 was approved by voters. This was the article originally intended to prevent electioneering by the School Board, but ratified to authorize the School Board to electioneer within accordance to State Law.
Christine L. Parshall, George J. Downing & Susan Hay were elected to the School Board, and the larger budget was adopted by voters. This year, for the first time in many years, voters could have actually decreased the budget, but rejected that option by a vote of 805-282.
KSD election 2015 results
by Ian | Mar 5, 2015 |
The Free State Project‘s yearly convention, the NH Liberty Forum, has begun! Now in its eighth year, the Liberty Forum attracts hundreds of liberty-loving people from around the world to network, see great speakers, and socialize. The event features dozens of speakers both from New Hampshire and elsewhere, banquet dinners, and parties both in and out of the hotel. The fun started today with a tour of the state house in Concord and tomorrow the convention events begin in earnest at Manchester’s Radisson hotel, continuing through Sunday morning. You can see the schedule and get further details here on the NH Liberty Forum website.
The largest newspaper in NH is the Union Leader. The editorial page editor, Drew Cline, promoted the event today in a glowing article that affirmed that the Free State Project will help make New Hampshire even more awesome. Check it out:
Last year, the Free State Project’s Liberty Forum, held at the Crowne Plaza in Nashua, felt a little crowded. About 350 people attended, according to organizers. Today, the event kicks off in a bigger venue, the Radisson in downtown Manchester. Organizers expect about 500 attendees. Roughly half of them will be “liberty lovers” who do not live in New Hampshire. Yet.
Some of the out-of-staters showed up last weekend to participate in Tour New Hampshire, a series of self-guided tours throughout the week offered by the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance, a separate organization not part of the Free State Project. That there is a tour of New Hampshire organized by locals to cater to Free Staters is an indication of the group’s increasing clout. (more…)
by Ian | Mar 3, 2015 |
James Out of Jail in VA
After being arrested on an insane war on drugs charge for allegedly having prescription Klonopin pills in box truck regularly used to transport items purchased at storage unit auctions, James Cleaveland has been released! An early mover for the Free State Project, Cleaveland is known for being a major player in “Robin Hood of Keene“, his epic run for state representative, and now for being the entrepreneur behind the successful 101 Deals Thrift Store (across from Cheshire Oil on Rt. 101). He’s known for his willingness to stand up for his beliefs, and this case is no exception.
Yesterday, liberty activists in Keene and Virginia sprung into action to help James after he was kidnapped by armed men calling themselves the Dinwiddie County Sheriffs. Major kudos to Jimmy Higgins and Nate Cox from Virginia Cop Block for their assistance in springing James from his cage and promoting the situation in Virginia.
James is out, but has to deal with retrieving his box truck that was stolen by the police gang. Then, once he can escape Virginia, he’ll ultimately have to come back for what will likely be all manner of unnecessary court dates, costing him thousands in travel fees alone. Of course, “the state” people have no case, but they’ll draw it out as long as they can, likely. We’ll keep you informed here at Free Keene. Stay tuned for more on James’ situation.
