Sounds from the past accompany
historic Suncook tours
Hooksett neighbors upset
sex offenders are nearby
Bomb threat at Hooksett school
tests new emergency plans
Candia kindergarten project
goes to Eclipse Construction
Pembroke man was stabbed
over lack of alcohol and cigarettes at host's home
TUNING UP Stuart Morash of Contoocook tunes
his trombone prior to the 39th National Guard Alumni Band concert at the
"Meet Me In Suncook" walking tour. There were also antique cars
on display, as well as tours of historic Suncook. (Eric Baxter Photo)By ERIC BAXTER
Staff Writer
SUNCOOK For one sunny afternoon, time on the streets of downtown Suncook was rewound to an earlier era of with a slower pace, a focus on the simple pleasures of village life.
On Sunday, May 16, the Meet Me In Suncook committee led a walking tour of the Prospect Street neighborhood, once the most fashionable part of the village.
Committee member Ingrid Lemaire said the walk was the first of two scheduled for this year and was designed to draw people into the downtown area, appreciate its history and see the value of revitalizing the area.
The group blocked off much of Main Street and classic car collectors were invited to display their cars and trucks.
While guides showed area residents the beauty of the Prospect Street neighborhood, largely untouched since it was first purchased by Philip Sargent in 1870 and subdivided into house lots in 1876, minutes were sold to help refurbish the clock tower. People strolled the street and sipped sodas beneath the green trees on the Methodist Church lawn.
Between the stained glass windows of the Methodist Church, the narrow, winding staircases and staid oak wainscoting of the Mason's Lodge, to the stately brick homes of the Village elite, Suncook Village offered an attractive display of its past.
CLASSIC CHEVY Bruce and Paula Kudrick examine their 1954 Chevy
pickup. It was one of several classic and vintage vehicles on display Sunday,
May 16, as part of the Meet Me In Suncook walking tours. (Eric Baxter Photo)As the tours wound down and the sun dipped below the church tower, the 39th National Guard Alumni Band tuned instruments to a cacophony of scales, random notes and yelled conversation.
The familiar noise was one which had not been heard since the Suncook Band, a group of local amateur musicians, stopped playing in the 1980s.
Between 1930 and 1980, with a peak of popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, Suncook Band concerts were a summer and fall fixture in the village.
Royal Blais, 72, a lifetime "trumpet man," first heard the Suncook Band when he was 14, in 1940. He joined two years later.
"It was a great sound. They would play anything, marches, boogie woogie, classical, whatever came to mind," said the retired carpenter.
For Blais, the 1950s and 1960s were his favorite period.
"We had all the key men around, you know? They were engineers, custodians, carpenters, anyone who could and wanted to play," Blais said.
"I remember on rainy days we would play on the porch of that house and people would listen to us under umbrellas," he said pointing to a white house with green trim next to the church. The house, also having changed over time, no longer has the long farmer's porch wrapping around its front.
As the village decayed, so did the band. Members became harder to find and the dedicated ones slowly passed away or moved from the town to look for work.
Today, only Blais and one other member, living in Manchester, remain of the original core of the band.
However, Blais wasn't sad about the fate of the band. Instead, he was more excited to be playing again in the sun, in front of the church, with his trumpet, lawn chairs and blankets fanning out in front of the band.
"This is great," he said with a smile.
The next walking tour is tentatively scheduled for November. Meet Me In Suncook is planning on examining slices of the town on an in-depth basis.
For more information on future events or to volunteer contact Ingrid Lemaire at 485-9817.
By ERIC BAXTER|
Staff Writer
HOOKSETT A new group home on 31 Whitehall Road in Hooksett, housing two registered sex offenders, has stirred neighborhood and area reaction.
The home is less than one mile from Underhill School and in an area populated with children. It opened on Feb. 5.
"I don't relish the thought of my kids growing up this close to people like that," said resident Rick Szczesniak. More disconcerting was area residents were not given an opportunity to voice their opinions on whether the home should be placed in Hooksett.
"I'm not begrudging anyone a second chance," said Szczesniak, "but they could have picked a better location.
In a letter to The Hooksett Banner, neighbor Ed Gross questioned the sensibility of the decision to house sex offenders in his neighborhood.
He said to do so would "tempt fate by having this element in an area where many children reside and attend a grade school about a mile away."
However, public understanding of the exact nature of the home, administered by Moore Center Services of Manchester, and the people listed as being sex offenders has been inaccurate.
Gross characterized the home as a "halfway house" and other residents were under the impression the people living there were from Easter Seals, another service agency based in Manchester.
According to Moore Center Executive Director Paul Boynton, the agency serves clients with developmental disabilities, either mental or physical, from just after birth to senior citizens.
Boynton said the state sections off New Hampshire into 12 areas, each served by an agency. The agency given charge of an area is responsible for all people with developmental disabilities in that area, regardless of their criminal status.
Currently, the Moore Center services more than 1,000 clients with developmental disabilities. Of those, only four are registered sex offenders.
"We provide a service and give them the care, supervision and support they need," said Boynton. "These two individuals went through the court system which ordered the needed care with us."
The home in Hooksett currently houses three male clients. Two are registered sex offenders, one of whom is wheelchair-bound. The house is staffed by a rotating group of 12 employees and the men are never left alone. Boynton said all doors and windows have alarms and the staff is "awake-overnight," meaning at least one of the staff members remains awake and alert through the night.
Boynton, aware of the public outcry created by similar homes he has administered in the past, asked people to look at the Hooksett home in light of the other registered sex offenders in the community without disabilities who receive no care, no counseling and have no supervision.
Stressing a "good neighbor" policy, Boynton said he had sent a letter to abutters and met with police and the school department to inform them about the home, security measures and the nature of the clients.
State law requires them only to inform the police.
"First and foremost, we care for the developmental disability. The crime comes second. These men will receive more help than if they were on their own," said Boynton. "They are well supervised and pose less of a risk to the community."
Boynton offered to speak with any area resident with concerns or questions about the home. He can be reached at Moore Center Services, Manchester, 668-5423.
By ERIC BAXTER
Staff Writer
HOOKSETT In the days after the Colorado massacre, school officials and administrators reviewed emergency procedure, pinpointed weak areas and set down improvements to their own school and the others in Hooksett.
Little did they know that within weeks, their school would be forced to use those safety plans.
On Wednesday, May 12, Hooksett Memorial School received a call informing them of a bomb in the building.
The call was received at about 1:15 p.m. and officials were told the bomb was set to go off at 1:30 p.m. Students and staff were quickly evacuated from the building. A sweep through the school by state and local police, fire officials and school administrators failed to find the bomb.
Given the time of the threat, school administrators simply called an early release and sent the students home.
School Administrative Unit 15 Superintendent Lyonel Tracy could not answer whether the threat was a copycat crime or had anything to do with the students at the school.
Police are continuing to investigate the threat.
"There is no question that this situation was taken seriously," said Tracy. "Anytime a tragedy like Columbine occurs, we intentionally review our emergency plans."
In the days following the threat, meetings with students and parents were held and a letter sent to parents in the district.
Tracy was surprised at the lack of public response to the incident.
"I believe it is because of the attention we pay to the safety of the students," said Tracy.
Despite the serious nature of the crime following hard on the heels of the Columbine shootings, more than 95 percent of the student population reported to class the next day.
Tracy reported only 15 calls from parents regarding whether it was safe to send their children back to school.
"We turned a potential hazard into a successful response," said Tracy.
By MARY W. TEMKE, Ph.D
Extension Specialist, Human Development, UNH Cooperative Extension
Close on the heels of the Colorado crisis, violence and threats of violence are occurring in New Hampshire schools. Parents are seeking help on how to deal with their children's fears. What can they do and say to help reassure their children?
The following are some guidelines for parents suggested by Dr. Judith Myers-Walls of Purdue University:
· Don't assume your kids don't know about the violence. The New Hampshire media is filled with stories about school violence in other states as well as in New Hampshire. Adults and children are talking about bomb threats and hit lists.
· Be available and "askable." Let your children know it's okay to talk about these events. Listen to what they think and feel. Often children have misconceptions about the events that you can clarify. Also, by listening, you can gain an understanding of the types of support they need.
· Share your feelings. Tell your children if you're afraid, angry, or sad. Also, let them know how you are coping with these feelings. For example, you may be helping your school implement policies on school safety. By talking about your feelings, you help your children realize these feelings are natural. You're also teaching them appropriate ways to deal with their feelings. This is a perfect time to help children understand the feelings of other children, and ways to help children in need.
· Let children express their feelings in creative ways. Many times children have difficulty expressing strong or negative feelings through words. They may use art or music to express their emotions.
· Reassure young people and help them to feel safe. Some children may react strongly to the violence they're hearing about. Others may not. Yet, when tragic events happen, many children are afraid the same will happen to them or to their schools. Let your children know that parents, school administrators and teachers, and law enforcement officials all are working together to keep their school safe. Although you can't promise your children nothing will happen at their school, your calm responses to their concerns will help them to feel more secure.
· Help children and youth find a course of action. One way to reduce stress is to take action. This is true for both children and adults. Support children's developing sense of caring and empathy. Encourage them to become involved in considering ways to prevent violence in their schools. Children and youth have many good ideas about helping other children and resolving conflicts in peaceful ways. By taking action, children feel hope about their future.
By LAURA GUINAN
Correspondent
CANDIA By a unanimous vote the Candia School Board awarded the contract to construct a new kindergarten wing at Moore School to Eclipse Construction Inc. of Bedford. The firm submitted the lowest bid out of six $4,400 below the projected construction budget.
The board members took this action at a special board meeting on Monday, May 17. Ronald Chapman, business manager for School Administrative Unit 44, said the six bids were opened and evaluated by the architect, CMK Architects Professional Association of Manchester who designed the project. Bids ranged from a high of $327,700 to a low of $268,957 submitted by Eclipse.
Chapman told school board members that the architect has worked with this company previously and is satisfied with their performance. Eclipse has worked on projects for the Bedford Inn, Howard Johnson Motor Lodges, and the Manchester Airport. The company recently did the construction of the kindergartens at Brookline and Allenstown.
Chapman said officials from CMK were looking for the lowest responsible bidder. Eclipse was $3,000 below the next lowest bidder.
School Board member Kevin Farley asked about the company's ability to finish the construction in a timely manner.
"I wouldn't want to see the kindergarten sit idle for a year because families felt the program would not be available in time," said Farley.
Chapman said this was the primary reason for holding the special board meeting, so that the contractor could start ordering materials, such as steel beams and heating units, which have a long delivery time. Steel beams take from 12 to 14 weeks for delivery.
Chapman said school officials are also looking for space in nearby buildings, so the program can start in September and move into the new facility when it is completed.
Candia voters approved the $273,360 construction project at the 1999 school district meeting. State kindergarten building aid will finance 75 percent of the building cost.
HOOKSETT Michael H. Dunn, 50, of 48 High St., Pembroke, remains in jail after being charged with first-degree assault, a class A felony, on April 24 in Pembroke.
Dunn entered no plea at Hooksett District Court on Tuesday, May 11, and remains in custody in lieu of $25,000 cash bail.
According to court records, police responded to 16 Central St. for the report of a stabbing.
At the scene, police found Keith O'Brien with a wound on his side. O'Brien told police he had been stabbed by Dunn.
A short time later, Dunn turned himself in at the station and admitted he stabbed O'Brien.
According to the report, Dunn told police he had a lot of pressure on him. His brother had committed suicide the year before, his mother had recently passed away and he could not afford to keep the home he had shared with his mother until her passing. He was also being investigated by the Pembroke police for allegedly forging his mother's Social Security checks. He was depressed and felt suicidal, he told police.
According to court records, Dunn said he had spent the previous two nights with O'Brien, said he hadn't slept and wanted a drink of alcohol and a cigarette but didn't have any.
In the early morning, he decided to stab O'Brien, he told police.
Dunn took a knife from the kitchen, hid it under the blankets on the couch where he was sleeping and after he and O'Brien had morning coffee he walked up behind O'Brien, reached around in front of him and stabbed him, according to the court record.
O'Brien took away the knife and Dunn fled the apartment and went to the Pembroke police to turn himself in.
Eric Baxter