On this episode of the Freecast, The Coat Lives, Coast Transportation is a Sieve, and the north country gets combative. Let’s hit it.
NEWS
Coat of arms, staying or going?
Seacoast online came out with an article on April 14th that caused a bit of a stir, claiming that the historic district commission approved the renovation and creation of a new restaurant where the coat of arms currently is.
When Seacoast online tried to reach Coat of Arms for comment, whoever answered said we have no comment and hung up.
And the Coat of Arms had a hilarious response on their facebook page the following day, April 15th saying that “If we ever decide to knock it on the head we will let you know.” and had the Monty Python’s Holy Grail clip from the “I’m not dead yet” scene.
Assuming this article is correct, the new design for the building would paint the exterior white and on the right facing side of the building there is a huge jackalope(a rabbit with deer antlers)
Former city councilor Esther Kennedy questioned the art during public comment on the project saying she was “really discouraged” by the artwork.
“I’m looking at this when I realized it was a bunny rabbit I was thinking … is this the bunny palace or what is it we’re promoting here? I’m having a hard time with that particular piece of art.”
Portsmouth Fire Chief, Steve Achilles, told Portsmouth city council that a sprinkler system probably would have saved State Street Saloon.
City Councilor Eric Spear referenced the lack of a sprinkler system in the State Street Saloon building and said “what might be good for other parts of New Hampshire, might not be good for Portsmouth.”
In terms of requiring restaurants to use sprinkler systems, Portsmouth’s ordinances are based on state fire code, Achilles said.
The state code requirements are based on the type of building, what it’s used for, the number of seats, and the number of people who visit the establishment.
The state code didn’t require the State Street Saloon building to be sprinkled. Due to the Dillon rule, it’s improbable that the city of Portsmouth can pass an ordinance regulating sprinklers further than state law.
Questions for Mike: What would happen in a stateless society if you owned an adjacent building? Would you have recourse?
Rochester fairgrounds in financial trouble, may not have a fair this year
Approximately $1 million in the hole
$800k in mortgage debt and $150k needed for capital improvements
The fair hasn’t made money for at least the past 5 years
The fair has been an annual tradition every September since 1874, this would be the 144th fair this September.
Private funding for fair so that’s cool…
COAST bus looking for a free ride from the taxpayer
The Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation, more commonly known as the COAST bus is celebrating its 35th anniversary.
Their annual budget is $6.2 million partly funded from bus fares, advertising and federal and local dollars.
About 60 percent of the government funding COAST receives is federal money.
In all communities except Somersworth, most bus rides cost $1.50 regardless of boarding location or destination. COAST offers several ticket options, including a 15-ride punch ticket for $20 and a monthly pass for $52. Most routes are free for passengers displaying a valid University of New Hampshire or Wildcat Transit ID.
Special Guest Kyle Mohney!
Freecoast Festival information – “Living a Voluntary Life, Today!” Why can’t we start living our principles today, without waiting for the government to get out of our lives?
At Freecoast Festival, we will be talking about that. We will have a panel on parenting voluntarily headed by Ken Justice to talk about ways that we can raise our children without coercion and force.
Our two main speakers, Hannah Braime and Jake Desyllas, will also be talking specifically about this topic and go more in-depth with how they live their voluntary life.
Philosophy of Liberty
Homeschooling vs Unschooling. What is the difference? How do Kyle and Rodger educate their children?
Seacoast History
Republic of Indian Stream
Pittsburg
Land border with Vermont
Only town in NH to border Maine and Vermont
More than double the size of the next largest town in NH, (Lincoln)
Treaty of Paris 1783 resolving the American Revolution created an ambiguity, Typical government?
Relevant text from the treaty, “… (westward) along the said highlands which divide those rivers that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence, from those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the northwesternmost head of the Connecticut River; thence down along the middle of that river to the forty-fifth degree of north latitude; from thence by a line due west on said latitude … ”
The surveyor of the 45th parallel put the line about ¾ mi north of the actual parallel giving more land to Vermont
To be fair, the lands at that time were mostly inhabited by Indians and was most likely never visited by whites so the physiology of the rivers and tributaries probably wasn’t known
For those who don’t know the geography, the Connecticut river forms the western border of NH and around the northern border of Vermont, the river has a bend eastward and then northward at the 4 Connecticut lakes. So the start of the Connecticut river starts about halfway between Vermont and Maine and the tip of the “cap”
The key issue is what is the northwesternmost head, Is it the head of the actual named river? Or is it the head of the northwesternmost tributary?
Both Britain and NH claimed both of these areas
Most of the settlers of the area were from the US, only a handful of families were from Lower Canada(modern day Quebec).
The area became de facto part of NH. And taxes were paid to NH from time to time.
By 1830 a majority of the inhabitants said that it Indian Stream was part of the United States but not NH.
The federal officers of NH and Vermont then countered in 1831, levying customs duties on their goods as they entered the states
In 1831 British Canada forced some of the Indian Stream citizens to perform military duty
July 9th 1832 Indian Stream declared independence and passed a constitution, I read it all. Very similar to the US constitution with exception of the branches of government. (Can elaborate if necessary)
Most relevant part of the Constitution:
“Part Second ? Form of Government
The people inhabiting the Territory formerly called Indian Stream
Territory do hereby solemnly and mutually agree with each other to form themselves into a body politic by the name of Indian Stream and in that capacity to exercise all the powers of a free, sovereign and independent state, so far as it relates to our own internal Government till such time as we can ascertain to what government we properly belong.”
The first couple of years there wasn’t much incident.
July 1835 the sheriff of Coös County asked for the militia to come.
The sheriff preceded the militia and appeared before the assembly in August and issued an ultimatum saying we will occupy by force or “voluntarily”
The assembly capitulated and gave up and ceded authority to NH.
British not happy
In October 1835 deputy sheriff of Coös county, Richard Blanchard and fellow “streamer” led a small party to arrest John Tyler(no relation to President Tyler) for an unpaid hardware store debt and escape arrest on the way to Lancaster to jail.
Later on that month three men, one of whom was Tyler, came to Blanchard’s house and arrested him on the ground that Blanchard had been concerned in an unlawful attempt to arrest Tyler, a subject of His Majesty. And brought him to nearby Hereford in Lower Canada.
Blanchard’s 14-year-old son, roused alarm throughout the town and the NH leaning men went south to alert the citizens of NH of the arrest.
About 30 men came to Blanchard’s rescue in Canada and retrieved him.
A $5 bounty was awarded for the arrest of Tyler.
Two of the thirty men went by horseback to Canadian judge Alexander Rea’s house armed to arrest Tyler. Rea ordered them off the king’s highway and one of the people tried to grab the horse by the griddle and the others started throwing rocks towards the 2 men. A warning shot from the NH party was fired and the rest of the thirty men came
The Canadian judge went running for the woods with his party but was caught and fell then surrendered. One Canadian was shot in the groin but survived and Judge Rea had a saber injury to his scalp.
This incident causes the NH militia to send 50 troops to occupy Indian Stream to avoid any further uprising.
This caused a diplomatic crisis and both British and American governments decided a war started over an unpaid hardware store debt wasn’t a good idea.
Canada kept a hands-off approach until the border was resolved.
1840 residents petition to change the name of the town to Pittsburg, named after William Pitt, Prime Minister of England.
1842 Webster-Ashburton treaty is signed, ending the border dispute.
Social media
Freecoast Fest will be here before you know it. We’re always looking for sponsors to help fund the event.
* Level 1 ($250) x50
* 2 general admission tickets
* 1/4 page logo
* Level 2 ($500) x5
* 5 minute presentation schedule TBD (build these into the Stone Church schedule at least 5 of them)
* 2 cruise tickets
* 2 t-shirts
* 1/2 page logo
* Level 3 ($2500) x1
* 15 minute presentation on boat
* 4 cruise tickets (all inclusive)
* 4 t-shirts
* 1 full page logo (back page)
And lastly, any sponsor will get a shout out right here on the freecast. To become a sponsor contact freecoastfreecast@gmail.com or Jessica Paxton at jessica@thepaxtonfamily.com
Featuring: Host Matt Carano, Mike Vine, Nick Boyle and Rodger Paxton
Special Guest: Kyle Mohney
Producer: Rodger Paxton
Editor: Matt Carano
Check out this episode!
