Mystery Powerball winner the talk of Plymouth

Tuesday, May 01, 2007 posted 12:33 PM EDT

PLYMOUTH – Bonnie Albert was at her cash register yesterday, beaming with pride as customers came in to the New Hampshire State Liquor Store to congratulate her.

"It's the talk of the town," she said.

"Do you know who it is?" she was asked, and shook her head.

"That's what I have heard all day," she said. "I hope it is one of our regulars."

That might be cause for purchasing the finest champagne bottles on the shelves.

Albert was at the cash register last Thursday from 11 a.m. to closing along with clerk Michael Peters. One of the two sold the nation's single winning Powerball ticket worth nearly $32 million before taxes and an after-tax payment of nearly $24 million if taken as a lump sum.

An annuity could be selected by the winner, and that would be a graduated payment over 30 years with the first payment before taxes at $1.2 million.

Payments would increase over the years to keep up with inflation and the final payment in 2037 would be $3.1 million before taxes.

In Plymouth and surrounding towns, news that the Powerball ticket was sold here spread and many were hoping the good luck was falling on someone who lives in the neighborhood.

Albert noted that about half the customers on any given day are locals and half are vacationers passing through along Route 25 or Interstate 93.

What she does know is that she will be splitting a $30,000 gift from the Lottery Commission for selling the ticket.

Albert, a level 2 clerk, and store manager Steve Willey will split a majority of the $30,000, while the rest will be split among five part-time employees based on the hours they are currently working.

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission sold more than $7 million in lottery tickets in 2006, and with 10 weeks to go in the fiscal year, has already sold $6.5 million for its sister state agency, said Maura A. McCann, spokesman for the lottery.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday there had been no word from the winner, she said.

Earlier in the day, one of the store's regular customers came in and told Albert he had lost his ticket and was searching everywhere to find it.

"Just imagine that," she said.

Albert herself said she ran to find her ticket but found it was not a winner.

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