|
This week's stories: (click on the headline
to jump to story)
 Goffstown
principal is tops in state
It's
fourth and long for GAHS football
GAHS
principal to retire
Main
Street's mainstay steps down
School
board, teachers' union reach impasse
Goffstown principal
is tops in state
|
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
Maple Avenue School Principal Marc Boyd
has a tough time taking a compliment.
Named New Hampshire's Principal of the Year, he credited nearly
everyone but himself with deserving the honor.
First he tried to say it wasn't him, but his school that deserved
the award.
"I get the award, but no way would it be given to me if
it wasn't a quality school with great staff and parents," he
said.
|
 |
Principal Marc Boyd has a love
and passion for education, say friends and colleagues. (Russ
Choma Photo)
|
But Boyd, who was given the award by the
New Hampshire Association of Principals on Jan. 6, wasn't
content to stop there.
In a letter to the Parent-Faculty Together group, he credited
(among others): the district administration, the school board,
the parks and recreation department, the courts and, of course,
the police and fire departments.
Despite his humility, most of those he wanted to give the credit
to wanted no part of the glory.
For example, Jennifer Theroux, president of the Parent-Faculty Together
(PFT) organization, said Boyd just had a certain quality about
him that made him worthy of the award.
"He's kind of like Santa Claus," she laughed. "The
kids love Marc because he cares so much about all of them."
Theroux noted that Boyd extends his warmth to students who aren't
even at his school by reading to many of the district's kindergarten
students.
More than just caring about his students, Theroux said she has
watched Boyd go to bat for his own staff.
"Marc entirely supports his staff," she said. "He
encourages them in the classroom to better themselves with outside
education."
District Superintendent Dar-rell Lockwood said it's that attitude
that has brought enormous changes to the school and that make
Boyd deserving of the honor.
"I think that he's got an incredible energy and a love and
compassion for education," Lockwood said. "And
anyone who knows Marc sees and probably feels that.
"In terms of his effect on both parents and kids, it's just
wonderful," he said.
According to Goffstown Area High School Principal Mark Roth,
you don't have to be at Maple Avenue to see what Boyd can do
for a school.
"His schools are always happy, kind and compassionate places," Roth
said. "He knows students by their name, and he genuinely
likes kids and the adventure of learning," he said. "And
it's infectious."
School Board Chairman Scott Gross said he's watched this infectious
enthusiasm for education change Maple Avenue.
"He has created a phenomenal culture where he makes learning
fun," Gross said. "It's fun for the teachers, it's
fun for the administrators and it's fun for the students."
And, as a board member, Gross said this means something concrete
in terms of improving the level of education.
"The bottom line for young students is you have to make
learning and school a fun experience, and Marc does that,"
he said. "Rather than little kids agonizing about going
to school, he makes it fun and that's probably his best quality."
Boyd admits he's honored to be recognized for his accomplishments.
"It's like Christmas morning," he said. "It
was a shock; I never thought it was going to happen to me."
He pauses for a moment, and then living up to his reputation
as a cheerfully selfless educator sees an opportunity to
pass the credit on to someone else just one more time.
"I can't tell you the people that have gone to the plate
for me," he says.
Goffstown
It's fourth and long for GAHS football
|
By MARC THALER
Staff Writer
mthaler@yourneighborhoodnews.com
After three years of football at Goffstown
AREA High School, the Grizzlies now face possible extinction
from the gridiron.
The town's budget committee recently turned down the school board's
recommendation to partially fund the program, leaving many athletes,
parents and community members puzzled and frustrated at the thought
of no longer having a varsity football team at the high school.
Grizzlies football serves more student athletes than any other
sport at GAHS. Combining the rosters of the varsity, junior varsity
and freshmen teams, the numbers range from 70 to 80 players each
season, according to figures released by program organizers.
In total, the cost to bring high school football to GAHS is roughly
$49,000 per year. Of that amount, approximately $23,000 annually
is raised through private fundraising activities spearheaded
by the Goffstown Grizzlies Gridiron Booster Club.
|
 |
UNCERTAIN FUTURE: Members
of the Goffstown High School football team wonder about the future
of the football program in the face of budget committee recommendations.
Front to back are Troy Laprise, junior (all state); Kelvin Paris,
junior (all-state honorable mention); Andy Macon, senior (all-state
honorable mention); Matt MacDowell, junior (all-state honorable
mention); and Mike Graydon, senior (all-state honorable mention).
(Marc Thaler Photo)
|
This year, the budget committee was asked to approve an allocation
for the remaining $26,000.
"We're looking for the budget committee to put all of the
sports programs on equal footing," said Ray Millet, president
of the Gridiron Club. "They should be equitable across the
board. No other sport took a hit like this. The fact that (other
programs) were either given more money or left at the same level
is offensive to our sport."
John Caprio, the budget committee chairman, said the committee
based its recommendation on a failed 2002 warrant article that
asked taxpayers to help fund the program. The article failed
to win voter approval by 297 votes.
Caprio took issue with the suggestion that the budget committee
rejected the school board's recommendation.
"That's not our intent," he said. "We have a town-wide
constituency and we represent the taxpayers at large. Everything
must be considered when we weigh the town budget. We recommended
cuts where we felt appropriate. If something gets cut, we are
sorry about that, but it is our job to look at the budget and
carefully weigh everything."
The first warrant article in 2002 had described the total cost
of the football program at slightly more than $43,000 a
sum which many voters apparently saw as too costly.
But the text of that warrant article later clarified that the
district would have been responsible for $19,500 of the total,
while $23,600 would have come from private funds.
Tony Laprise is the vice president of the Gridiron Club and has
two sons in the GAHS program. His older son, Troy, received Division
III all-state honors as a junior and stood to be a member of
the first senior class to complete the cycle of playing Grizzlies'
football for four years.
"The school board acknowledges the value of this football
club," Laprise said. "They see 80 kids who are committed
and learning discipline. They've found football to be their niche.
Many of these kids are heavily involved in fundraising, too.
For the past two years, a number of them woke up at 4:30 a.m.
to park cars at Loudon Speedway. These aren't just a bunch of
kids showing up, playing the game and leaving. It's a year-long
commitment on and off the field.
"Even for parents and bystanders, football has turned out
to be a community thing to do," Laprise added. "That
was evident by the turnout for the Thanksgiving Day game against
John Stark. Roughly 2,000 spectators came out to watch."
Elimination of Goffstown football also raises the question of
what to do with funds that have already been raised by the Gridiron
Club and the athletes themselves. Without a program, what happens
to the money that's been earned and earmarked for next year's
football campaign?
Head coach Rob Cathcart spoke at the Dec. 23 town hall meeting
in an effort to help members of the budget committee understand
what GAHS football means to the community and, most importantly,
the student athletes.
"Football has had a positive impact on over 80 families
per year in the fall and in addition, about 30 families in the
winter and spring," Cathcart said.
"It's not just a fall sport. These guys are in the weight
room when they're not on the field. In reality, they receive
three seasons worth of activity. That's a huge bang for the buck."
"It's also important to remember that football attracts
a lot of guys who won't necessarily play another sport,"
Cathcart added. "Without this sport, they'll be out on the
street again. You wouldn't believe the number of comments I've
received from the police department that activity on the street
has lessened in the time we've had football at the high school."
Members of the Gridiron Club plan to continue with their efforts
as boosters, but without partial funding, Millet and Laprise
agreed that one of four scenarios would likely unfold:
· The Gridiron Club would have to raise all of the necessary
money. The booster club did this in the program's first year
of existence, raising $32,000. Those donations, however, came
at a time when the economy was stronger, Laprise said, and allowed
individuals and businesses to make significant contributions.
The club's second year goal was $25,000, which wasn't reached
due to tougher economic times, he added.
· GAHS football would fold for a year with the hope of
coming back for the 2005-06 season, Millet said.
· A modified program would be established for the 2004-05
campaign, which perhaps involves only fielding a varsity team.
Elimination of the junior varsity and freshmen teams is potentially
damaging to the GAHS program because athletes who are too old
to play Pop Warner but too young to play varsity wouldn't have
teams to help prepare them for competition at the high school's
top level, Laprise said.
· Players would have to pay to play. This is also a dangerous
concept, Millet said, because of the potential conflict in providing
playing time for all participants since they've paid out
of their own pockets instead of the standard philosophy
of playing the most deserving athletes.
Millet stressed the need for partial funding to pay for areas
such as transportation, referee fees and coaches' stipends. If
the booster club didn't have to contend with those expenses,
he said, it could concentrate on things like field enhancement,
upgrading equipment and continual weight room improvement.
"I'm going to miss that intensity during game day,"
said junior Matt MacDowell, a Division III all-state honorable
mention for the 2003 season. "During the year, nobody wants
to go to practice, but we do and we work hard because
we all want to play on game day. Everybody gets hyped up and
the crowd gets really excited. This leaves an empty feeling for
me. It's just not right."
But Caprio said that while the budget committee makes recommendations
on spending matters, whether or not to fund a program is ultimately
left to the voters.
"When the final decision is made, we don't have the ability
to remove anything," Caprio said. "All we can do is
make our recommendation. It's up to the legislative body, and
we want them to have the opportunity to weigh in on the decision.
Citizens have recourse if they don't like our recommendation.
This is a recommendation. That's all it is."
In an effort to counter the budget committee's recommendation,
football boosters will present a petition warrant to the school
board with 25 signatures asking that a question reversing the
budget committee's recommendation be placed on the ballot in
March. The deadline for the petition is Tuesday, Jan. 13, which
is also the date for the budget committee's public hearing.
At that point, the budget committee and school board can only
vote to recommend or not recommend the article to voters.
Should the first option fail, the second option for voters is
to attend the School Deliberative Session on Monday, Feb. 2.
At that time, voters can make a motion to increase the school
budget in order to cover the cost of football at GAHS.
"We're not asking for everything," Millet said. "But
we're not going to walk away from this. To us, it's a matter
of fairness. We're no longer just a growing program. Goffstown
football has proven to have a large number of kids who continue
to come back each year. Again, we're not asking for everything
and we're not looking to take down other programs. We just want
to know how and why it got to this point."
Goffstown
GAHS principal
to retire
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
In a surprise announcement shortly before
Christmas, Goffstown AREA High School Principal Mark Roth
said he will step down from his post.
Roth, who has been the principal for three-and-a-half years,
told staff in a Dec. 23 letter that his retirement will become
effective at the end of January.
There are a variety of reasons for his departure, both pragmatic
and personal, he said. For instance, he had been told by the
retirement board that if he waited until June to retire, he would
lose money.
Aside from that, however, the 56-year-old principal said his
own parents are growing older and he wants to spend more time
with them.
"My parents are aged, their health is fragile, and I want
to spend my time with them as much as possible," he said.
Roth also said that after the recent funeral of a good friend,
he realized he didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to
spend time with his family and friends.
He said after examining what he has accomplished in his tenure,
he decided this was a good time to leave.
"I'm project-based," he said. "My motivation is
for projects, and my orientation for the school is that. If I
were to start something, I'd like to see it through. So just
from that perspective, the projects I set out to do are pretty
much done."
After 30 years in education, Roth said he's looking forward to
having no project to focus on.
"What I've done is make the decision to not think about
my future until I've taken care of my present," he said.
"I've basically put aside a couple of months to renew, rejuvenate,
relax and restore."
He said he would like to stay involved with education on some
level, but does not believe he'll ever be a high school administrator
again.
SAU 19 Superintendent Darrell Lockwood said he's pleased with
what Roth has accomplished in his time at Goffstown.
"I think Mark came to us in a time of incredible transition
at the high school," said Lockwood. "We were in the
middle of an incredible growth curve. Over the past two years,
he's headed the building project and a school that's gone from
850 to 1,243 kids."
School Board Chairman Scott Gross said Roth helped give the growing
school a strong sense of identity and pride.
"He took over a high school that lacked an identity," Gross
said. "He asked the board what we wanted, and that was to
regain a pride in the school and build self esteem within each
student. He did that. He made a really big difference and
will be missed."
Lockwood said the district is in the process of finding an interim
principal to oversee the school for the rest of the year.
"We're going to post the interim position with a goal of
having a recommended candidate in two weeks," Lockwood
said.
He also said a simultaneous effort is being launched to find
someone to fill the position permanently, starting this summer.
"(The board) will be forming a committee to do a search," he
said. "They are targeting the end of March or April as a
time to appoint the principal."
As Roth works out his final days at GAHS, he said after 31 years
as an educator there's one last challenge he'll be facing
leaving.
"Leaving is the toughest part," he said. "I don't
know anything but getting up and living a structured school life."
"And I have both rebelled against it and thrived in it,"
he said. "And so I'm taking a pretty big risk and giving
up a job that I love with people that I love, to see what's out
there."
Goffstown
Main Street's
mainstay steps down
By KATE BENWAY
Staff Writer
kbenway@yourneighborhoodnews.com
Sometimes the people with the most energy and vigor need a break,
too.
Robbie Grady, director of Goffstown's Main Street program since
the town was deemed a Main Street community in July of 1999,
said she'll step down from her post in favor of some time off.
She gave the program's board of directors notice of her resignation
on Monday, Jan. 5. Grady's last day will be Friday, Feb. 13.
"It's a very time-consuming, challenging job and it's now
time for someone else to pick up the challenge," said Grady,
49, adding that the decision was a difficult one to make.
"This was extremely difficult because this has been a wonderful
job. I have worked with some terrific volunteers and board members
and townspeople. They've all been wonderful."
Grady was tapped as the Main Street director in 1999 and became
a certified Main Street manager through the national Main Street
program.
Focused on advocating business development and encouraging a
hometown feel in the Village commercial district, the Main Street
program, under Grady's direction, has established strong roots
in town.
"We've made huge strides and accomplishments over the years,"
said Jim Beauchemin, president of the board of directors.
"Robbie was indeed a catalyst for the Main Street program
from the beginning. She was the best we could ask for."
Beauchemin, along with the program's other directors, will soon
begin the process of finding a replacement for Grady, identifying
skills and talents they'll need in their next director.
"She will definitely be missed," said town administrator
and board member Sue Desruisseaux. "She's done a lot for
the area and the downtown merchants."
Grady said her future plans are undecided. For now, she's headed
for a nice, long break.
"I plan to head home for a good rest," she said. "My
husband and I will spend some time relaxing, then I'll start
job hunting or thinking about what I'll do next."
In addition to the many accomplishments credited to the program,
Grady said one of her fondest memories will be that of a small
but collaborative effort she helped organize in 2001.
"It involved the removal and replacement of a picket fence
at a private residence opposite town hall," she said. "It
was a project that spoke to the heart of the community. It involved
local businesses, the Boy Scouts, the homeowner, two landscapers
and our program."
And watching the community come together to support local businesses
has been rewarding, she added.
"It's very fulfilling watching businesses take hold and
become part of the community," she said. "And I can't
take credit for the Pumpkin Regatta that was Jim Beauchemin's
idea but I can't think of anything that's brought the community
together and put smiles on people's faces."
Grady said she'll miss the excitement of the job, but noted the
next director will need to take Goffstown Main Street to "the
next level."
"The program is poised to see several large changes,"
she said.
Beauchemin agreed.
"I can assure the citizens of Goffstown that the Goffstown
Main Street program will continue as strong as ever," he
said. "This is definitely a tremendous loss for the program,
but we will continue with bigger and better things over the years."
Goffstown
School board,
teachers' union reach impasse
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
After a 12-hour mediation session failed
to yield results, the school board announced it had reached an
impasse with the teachers' union.
The next step in negotiations cannot be completed before Jan.
13 the deadline for warrants to be submitted and
as a result there will be no teachers' contract on the ballot
in March.
The current contract expires on June 30. However, under state
law teachers must continue working without a contract.
After June 30, the teachers will work under what is commonly
referred to as an 'evergreen clause,' which provides for the
extension of the current contract conditions. This will include
current salary and benefits, but will freeze any increases.
According to a statement released by the SAU, negotiations stalled
over several issues, including salary, health insurance and working
conditions.
Specifically, the statement said, the board offered a four-year
contract with annual salary increases that added no more than
4 percent to the payroll. The statement said the union had proposed
a two-year contract with salary increases amounting to 9 percent
in two years.
The board's statement also said the union refused to agree to
a shift in teachers' health insurance contributions and the establishment
of a 186-day work year.
School officials said the board did not feel the current teachers'
benefits package was reflective of what is happening in other
communities, both in the public and private sectors.
Jenny Sinclair, a teacher at Mountain View and head of the
Goffstown Education Assoc-iation, said she was unable to comment
without discussing the situation further with fellow faculty.
In the release, School Board Chairman Scott Gross said negotiations
had failed, "In spite of best efforts."
The two sides have been negotiating since July.
After an initial collective bargaining process failed, they moved
to a mediation.
The next step in the process calls for a fact-finder. There is
no binding arbitration in New Hampshire, which means if the fact-finding
fails, the two sides will return to collective bargaining.
|
