ANTRIM -- After supporting two articles that could eliminate the town’s deficit by the end of the year, voters approved an advisory budget committee in an effort to prevent deficits in the future.

After declining to deliberate on the question, voters approved an article to transfer $194,077 from a tax increment finance (TIF) district fund to the general fund.

After deliberation of a $450,000 article designed to address the town’s deficit, a single “no” vote rang through the Town Gym at Antrim Elementary School during Thursday evening’s Town Meeting. The remainder of the more than 175 voters at Town Meeting approved the article, although many had questions about the origin of the deficit and the steps being taken to prevent another one.

Details in Tuesday's Ledger-Transcript.

The Conant boys basketball team won a record fifth straight Class M championship on Wednesday night when it defeated Berlin 41-35 in front of almost 2,000 people at Southern New Hampshire University.

The Orioles held the record at four consecutive titles and Wednesday added another to the total.

Going into the game undefeated at 21-0, Conant was matched up with the second seeded Mountaineers, 19-2.

Conant struggled to get anything going offensively in the first half, shooting just 4-for-20 and trailed by three at the break.

It took until about the two-minute mark of the third for the Orioles to regain a lead that had eluded them since the midway point of the second quarter.

A Sean Martin steal and lay-up tied the game at 22 and Kemph Kim put Conant ahead with a lay-up of his own. The Orioles led by four going into the fourth and six early in the quarter, but Berlin came back to tie it at 31 with 3:52 left.

Consecutive baskets by Jimmy Peard and Martin pushed the lead back to four and the Mountaineers never got any closer than three.

Conant shot 8-for-15 in the second half and held a 10-point advantage at the free throw line for the game.

Martin led all scorers with 20, while playing every minute of the game, and was the only Oriole in double figures.

Peard had seven points and seven rebounds before fouling out with 1:39 left. Kim scored five with five rebounds and five assists.

Conant is 108-2 over the last five seasons and has won 43 straight.

Mascenic School District voters overwhelmingly approved the proposed budget, an outcome that will force the School Board to cut another $333,000.

At the deliberative session, voters amended the proposed budget from $15,533,098 to $15,200,000, citing the recent withdrawal of Mason and the resulting 27 percent increase in school tax rates. Superintendent Leo Corriveau has said the $333,098 cut could require the removal of teaching and administrative positions in addition to middle school sports and district technology plans.

By a vote of 1,112 to 570, voters declined to support a larger default budget of $15,984,460, which district officials had strongly supported in the weeks leading up to the election. The default budget would have nearly equaled last year’s proposed budget.

Both the teachers’ contract and staff contracts also failed, by 1,036 to 631 and 1,045 to 611 respectively, as did articles requesting authority for special meetings to address revised contracts within the coming year. Voters defeated the special meetings 992 to 674 and 1,000 to 627, respectively.

Rindge voters sent a clear message Tuesday, rejecting the budget and all but one warrant article with money attached.

The proposed budget, which was $4,000 higher than the default budget, was voted down 553-476.

The only warrant article with money attached to pass called for $72,000 for a state-mandated revaluation of town properties. Two bonds, one for a new fire truck and the other for a new plow truck, received a majority of votes but fell below the 60 percent required.

Voters also rejected a 2 percent pay increase for town employees and an article that sought to have the town treasurer position become appointed rather than elected.

Details in Thursday's Ledger-Transcript.