Hermon council honors 4 firefighters

HERMON – Four firefighters who rushed into a burning home to search for a child last month were recognized at the Town Council meeting on Thursday night.

Councilors presented Capt. Ben Donnerstag, Capt. Eric Pelletier, Lt. Kelli Leighton and Vicki Gonyea with certificates, applauding their efforts at the fire at 375 Billings Road on July 17. When the four first responded to the home, the firefighters were told one child was missing.

“If the little girl had been in there, it would have given her a chance to live,” Fire Chief Larry Willis said.

The child had safely traveled across the street, and was not in the home, but Willis said the firefighters’ efforts should still be recognized, since they took a big risk entering the home without all the safety equipment completely set up.

Eric and Melissa Tableman lived in the home with their three children, and Melissa Tableman was home with her children and two neighborhood children when the fire broke out. Everyone escaped the blaze without injury, and 10 fire departments fought the fire.

Also at the meeting, councilors discussed a tax revaluation.

Last year, the town was at 89 percent of the state’s valuation. To avoid falling further off the mark, officials are proceeding with a revaluation.

The intention is for the mill rate to drop, so that most taxpayers will see minimal effect, Town Manager Clint Deschene said.

“This will have little effect on most people, unless they have been underassessed for a long time,” Deschene said.

The town will be sending out letters only to residents who will see a 25 percent increase in their revaluation and a 10 percent rise in their property tax bill over last year.

Councilors entered into executive session for more than an hour and a half to discuss three topics, one being litigation.

Councilor Louis LaChance was absent from the meeting. LaChance is filing a lawsuit against the town to retain his snowplowing contract and remain on the council. He has agreed to remove himself from executive session when the council discusses the lawsuit with the town’s attorney in the case, Richard Violette.

Councilor Donald Shepley participated in the meeting via telephone, despite being in the hospital for medical treatment.