Locals Come Face To Face With Homeland Security

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Locals Come Face To Face With Homeland Security

http://www.caledonian-record.com/pages/top_news/story/c1a9fa4dc

By Martha V. Creegan, Staff Writer, Tuesday November 12, 2002

A few North Country residents got a firsthand look at Homeland Security in progress last week.

Calvin Kittredge and his wife, June, were on their way home to Danville, Vt., from Colebrook, N.H., last Monday when they came upon a check point operated by the U.S. Border Patrol on Route 3 in North Stratford, N.H.

"They didn't say anything or explain anything," said Calvin. "I've never been through anything like it before."

The Kittredges take a trip to Colebrook on business about once a month. Last Monday, at about 11:30 a.m., they were held up between one-half and one hour answering questions and having their vehicle searched.

Just over the hill from North Stratford village in the large parking area along Route 3, Calvin Kittredge said there were federal and state law enforcement vehicles lined up on both sides of the road. Law officials were out of their vehicles with their guns drawn.

He saw six to seven cars were already pulled over by the time he was flagged down. Four officers approached his vehicle, two on each side, with their hands on their rifles. One officer who identified himself as an agent from the federal immigration department asked the questions.

The Kittredges were asked to verify their residency. A driver's license was satisfactory. They were asked why they were in New Hampshire, how long they were in the state and where they were going.

While the immigration officer was doing the questioning, the other officers walked around his 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis examining the car. When Calvin Kittredge tried to ask questions, he received no response.

Kittredge was asked if it was all right for the officers to search his vehicle. "I said go right ahead. I have nothing to hide."

The Kittredges stayed in their vehicle the entire time. Law officials looked in his trunk and even lifted the rear seat to look underneath. When they found nothing, the seat was put back in place.

"They didn't take anything," said Kittredge. "They didn't say much of anything except sorry to have to bother us. And then they let me go along."

Joe Mellia, press agent for the U.S. Border Patrol, confirmed a check point was set up on Route 3 in North Stratford last Monday morning. He could not talk about the specifics, or indicate why or what the agents were looking for that day.

"We're putting up check points intermittently on arteries known to have traffic from the border area," said Mellia.

He said in general the agents are looking for illegal aliens, illegal weapons, drugs and other contraband.

[Remember the checkpoint in Key Largo Florida? Caused a traffic jam all the way down to Key West. they were looking for islanders who may have 'washed up on shore' in the keys and heading for Miami. that checkpoint caused the Key Westers to secede from the US, declare war on the US, then surrender, then demand foreign aid. LOL]

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2002

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Recently I reread Animal Farm. About time to dip back into 1984.

-- Anonymous, November 15, 2002

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