Steve Bolton Archives - Granite Grok

ORTOLANO: When Emotion Replaces Judgment, Taxpayers Pay

September 21, 2025 Laurie Ortolano

On July 31, 2025, the Superior Court held a hearing on my motion to disqualify Corporation Counsel Steven Bolton and Deputy Corporation Counsel Celia Leonard from my cases. The issue wasn’t about winning a motion; it was whether two city lawyers, locked in years of conflict with a citizen critic, could still do the job “with … Read more

Ortolano: Ethics without Ethics in Nashua

July 10, 2025July 10, 2025 Laurie Ortolano

In April 2025, a citizen, Fred Teeboom, filed an ethics complaint against Nashua Board of Aldermen President Lori Wilshire. The concern centered on her decision to appoint herself to the Pennichuck Corporation Board of Directors, a city-owned utility subject to Aldermanic oversight, without disclosing she would be paid $12,000 annually, discussing the inherent conflict of … Read more

Are Attorney Bolton and Bob Burns Kindred Spirits?

July 28, 2024 Julie Smith

My RTK journey began almost 2 years ago when the City of Nashua was appraised for new property values (Laurie Ortolano has a wealth of examples to supplement mine). Shocked by my personal copy of their report, I sought to know specific methods in which specific types of properties were appraised, compared to one another, … Read more

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Attorney’s Steve Bolton and Celia Leonard Exercise their First Amendment Rights – What About the Rights of the Nashua Citizens?

May 9, 2023 Laurie Ortolano

The City has hired Attorney Russell Hilliard to represent a Right to Know Petition alleging record violations within Director Cumming’s Economic Development office. Mr. Cumming built a publicly financed Art Center, denying the public access to financial and construction records, and installed barriers downtown without proper noticing of public meetings. Attorney Bolton and Attorney Leonard … Read more

The Colossal Stupidity of the Nashua Legal Office

August 27, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

The Nashua Legal office is in need of a major overhaul. Like the Assessing Office, the Mayor has promoted incompetent leadership and lawyers who disregard citizens’ rights and ignore their professional conduct codes. Who are the major offenders? Attorney Bolton and Attorney Leonard.

How Much Are Nashuans Willing to Pay For Secrecy?

July 28, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

Citizen participation in their local government depends on the goodwill of those serving. Laws exist that permit citizens access to meetings and records, but without the goodwill of those serving to provide access and records, it all falls apart.

City of Nashua Admits They Were Wrong to Take Down My Save Women’s Sports Flag

May 14, 2022May 9, 2022 Beth Scaer

My husband and I raised the Save Women’s Sports flag on the Citizen Flag Pole on Nashua City Hall Plaza on Saturday, October 10, 2020 with permission from the City of Nashua. It was supposed to stay up until Friday, October 16.

Unchecked Power and Corruption in Nashua City Hall – An Affront to a Democratic Process

March 5, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

Mayor Donchess, As you are most likely aware, the legal office offered a settlement, minutes before my Right to Know trial was to begin on Monday, February 28, 2022.

Enough with COVID – Welcome the Public into City Hall

February 5, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

A Monday visit to the customer service area of the clerk’s office proved to be enlightening. City Clerk Lovering and the Nashua Legal office informed me that my time in the office posed a health hazard. Mind you, neither one of these people was present.

save womens sports flag on citizen flag pole

Will the US Supreme Court Force Nashua to Fly the Save Women’s Sports Flag?

January 31, 2022January 31, 2022 Beth Scaer

It’s a Bad Look To Arrest Citizens in City Hall

August 13, 2021July 23, 2021 Laurie Ortolano

At the June 30, 2021 Board of Assessor’s meeting, Deputy Attorney Celia Leonard made a statement on record regarding my February 17, 2021 arrest in City Hall.

Nashua Should Be Ashamed Of Its Attorney Bolton

June 24, 2021 Laurie Ortolano

Good afternoon,

I watched the Board of Aldermen meeting this morning and was stunned by the conduct of Attorney Bolton representing the City as Nashua Corporation Council.

The City of Nashua Lost, I Won – Assessors Hit Hardest

June 18, 2021 Laurie Ortolano

I won my property lawsuit against the City. The Board of Tax and Land Appeals granted in my favor and said I carried the burden of proof. The City wanted the 2018 assessment set to $711,000 and 2019 is $710,000.

Update on Right To Know Lawsuit against Nashua City Hall: Crooks and Liars

April 26, 2021April 26, 2021 Laurie Ortolano

As some of you know, I have a substantial Right-to-Know lawsuit filed against the City of Nashua for denying access to public assessing records. The City with its deep pocket stuffed with taxpayer money has made this a costly, epic battle.

Keeping Nashua Residents in the Dark

April 10, 2021 Laura Colquhoun

This is how the City of Nashua’s mayor wants transparency but in reality, the mayor is stealing money from the taxpayers’ to pay off for his Downtown Master Plan. Remember the Nashua mayor is only interested in downtown.

City Officials Believe Unwritten Policies Supersede the State’s NH Right to Know Law

April 8, 2021 Doris Hohensee

A friend was arrested outside City Hall attempting to pick up Right to Know information with a confirmed appointment. Rather than expect her to return to get the information, I called the Clerk’s office to make an appointment to review and copy the same election documents, the machine tapes from the November 3, 2020 election.

Nashua City Attorney Tells Aldermen They Can’t Restrict Content of Speech

October 14, 2020 Beth Scaer

At last night’s Nashua Board of Aldermen meeting, the aldermen debated an ordinance to put new restrictions on public comment at public meetings. They discussed banning public comment that is “rude or profane.” City Attorney Steve Bolton warned the alderman that such a ban could be ruled unconstitutional.