A composite picture of the iconic “Old Man of the Mountain” state land mark. ~ Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

FRANCONIA, NH – The New Hampshire State Parks department has announced that they are launching a pilot shuttle service in Franconia Notch State Park. This service, which starts tomorrow (8/3/18), offers a safe and legal alternative to parking on Interstate 93 for people visiting the popular tourist attractions in the Notch. The shuttle service will run out of Cannon Mountain’s Peabody Base Lodge parking lot (Exit 34C) and run through Sunday October 14. Hikers can park for free in the lot and take the approximately 10-15 minute ride one-way to Lafayette Place. Then the shuttle will pick visitors up at the Falling Waters/Bridle Path and return them to the Peabody Base Lodge parking lot. The shuttle will run continuously from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM Friday through Monday (rain or shine). The initial cost will be $5 per person and only cash will be accepted.

State Officials said that since it is a pilot program, dogs will initially be allowed and Lafayette Place and Falling Waters/Bridle Path trailheads will be the only stops other than the Peabody lot. State officials will evaluate the shuttle service pilot program, adjusting as needed and determining its overall feasibility.

Phil Bryce, director of NH State Park said “Although a shuttle service is not a normal park operation for us, we felt that we should step up and provide a safe and legal parking alternative for visitors hiking in the park and national forest.”

Increased visitation to the White Mountains Region, particularly at the Falling Waters/Old Bridle Path trailheads near Lafayette Place, has caused parking lots to fill quickly, resulting in illegal and unsafe parking along Interstate 93. For the past year, state agencies, the White Mountain National Forest and other partners have been working together to explore alternatives to parking on the highway. This included reaching out to the private sector to provide a shuttle service but no interest was shown.

For information on additional available hiker parking lots, parking lot capacity and trails accessed from parking lots, visit franconianotchstatepark.com.

JACKSON, NH – A Jackson woman is being indicted after the people she kicked out of the Inn she was working at accused her of a hate crime and assault.

The New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald and Carroll County Attorney Michaela Andruzzi announced the indictment of 32-year-old Priscilla Protasowicki, on two counts of simple assault subject to the hate-crime enhancement.

The charges allege that on April 20th Protasowicki, while working at the Covered Bridge Riverview Lodge in Jackson, assaulted two patrons in an effort to remove them from the establishment because of their religion and perceived national origin.

The indictments accuse Protasowicki of pushing Mohamed Ghallami and Chahrazade Mounaji saying she was “substantially motivated to commit the crime because of hostility towards the victim’s religion, race, creed or national origin.”

Protasowicki said the couple, became upset when they arrived and saw a 9/11 first-responder’s badge in the lobby. They demanded a refund, but refunds aren’t possible under the inn’s policy.

According to The Conway Daily Sun Protasowicki said Ghallami told Mounaji to get her phone out and start recording the dispute and that they would make a lot of money posting the video on YouTube. Adding that she never touched Mounaji , and that she “barely touched” Ghallami after he refused to leave or to show their IDs or the credit card used to book the room.

The charge of simple assault subject to the hate-crime enhancement carries a possible maximum sentence of five years in the New Hampshire State Prison.

On July 17, 2018, the Attorney General initiated an action against Ms. Protasowicki pursuant to the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act based on this same conduct. Each violation of the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act carries a maximum civil penalty of $5,000.

The court may also enjoin further violations of the Act, a violation of which constitutes a class A misdemeanor, award restitution to the victims, and grant other equitable relief that it deems appropriate.

Protasowicki is scheduled to be arraigned in Carroll County Superior Court on August 22^nd, with the hearing on alleged Civil Rights Act violations scheduled for August 24^th.

Protasowicki was convicted of simple assault after a confrontation with a guest in 2011.