Epsom
Epsom Old Home Day
Russ Choma Photos
 |
BIG WHEEL, LITTLE WHEEL Six-year-old
Jake Frost drives his John Deere tractor just behind Doug Bailey
of Hooksett on an antique Farmall tractor. Several dozen tractos
took part in the Epsom Old Home Day Parade at Webster Park on
Saturday, Aug. 14.
|
 |
 |
HERE COMES THE PIG Pulling their
barbeque equipment behind them, Steve Merrill (left) and Doug
Reeves follow up the parade route on their way to set up for
the pig roast.
|
Above, the Boys Scouts enjoy a
ride.
|
 |
After digging his hoofs and refusing
to take another step, two-week old Stormy the miniature donkey
had to be carried by owner Shannon Yeaton.
|
State
School Testing
Failing marks
Pembroke, Hooksett schools test as inadequate
by state
By RUSS CHOMA and JENNIFER CLAISE
Staff Writers
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
Despite showing most area students had
made adequate progress, the results of statewide testing given
last spring have left some local school officials livid.
Based on preliminary data compiled from annual assessment tests,
schools in Epsom, Allenstown, Candia and Auburn appear to have
made "adequate" progress in their teaching of state-mandated
curriculum. However, two districts Pembroke and Hooksett
failed to meet the standards.
Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, every school must
demonstrate "Adequate Yearly Progress" by having at
least 60 percent of students score at least "basic"
on the state's assessment tests. In both towns, students as a
whole met that standard, but in the subgroup of special education
students, they did not.
In Pembroke, both the Three Rivers School and Pembroke Academy
failed to meet the standard for the second year in a row. Under
No Child Left Behind, they have both been labeled as a "school
in need of improvement." They must develop a formal plan
to improve their scores.
Pembroke
Pembroke School Board Chairman Clint Hanson harshly criticized
the testing and the policy. Requiring special education students
to meet the same standards as the rest of the population was
"nonsensical" he said.
"By definition, to become eligible for special education
assistance, they not learning at grade level," Hanson said.
"And then what do you do? You go out and test them at grade
level.
"The long and the short of it is it's a stupid test and
it's not accomplishing what it's supposed to do," he said.
"The test and the application of the test is fundamentally
flawed."
Hanson said the size of the special education population in Pembroke
schools was so small that even a few children missing the bar
would unfairly punish the whole district.
State standards said there must be at least 11 students in a
subgroup for the standard to be valid. At Three Rivers, there
were 13 special education students, with only three meeting the
standard in reading, and two for math.
Hanson said an appeal of the label would probably be filed, arguing
the sample sizes were too small. He said this is being done with
reluctance, because it could turn out to be a waste of money.
"What we're doing is taking a pot of money that's already
too small, and spending it on lawyers," he said. "Any
chance I get, I'm going to spend the money on the kids, not the
lawyers."
Hanson said he is not optimistic the system will change, because
he believes the state education program is too firmly entrenched.
"The jerks in public education in this state and everywhere
else have to get off their ass and do something about it,"
he said. "And they won't do that because they'd have to
realize they're (currently) doing nothing. It's that simple."
Hanson said the whole No Child Left Behind system was "more
about politics than education."
"The people who designed these policies were trying to take
it out on public schools. They want to blame public schools for
all the problems in the world," he said. "Public schools
are a reflection of the problems in the world, not the cause."
Hanson defended his school system, saying that in any other standardized
test the district does fine. He also said he has been told by
numerous families that they had moved to Pembroke specifically
because the special education program was so effective.
"I'm more worried we meet it as a group, and identify the
groups who need extra help," he said. "But they say,
'Well, if you don't meet it in certain areas, the whole school
is bad,' which is patently absurd."
Hooksett
Special education classes at both the Underhill School and Cawley
Middle School also failed to meet minimum state standards. Unlike
Pembroke, this was their first year and they are not subject
to any penalties.
Eric Wigode, assistant superintendent at SAU 15, said that, while
concerned, school officials are not in "panic mode."
While mainstream students in grades 3 and 6 exceeded the grading
requirements in almost all tests, special education students
in grade 3 at Underhill failed to reach the 60 percent threshold
for minimum scores in reading.
Sixth-grade special education students at Cawley failed to meet
the standard in both reading and math.
But according to Wigode, no action will be taken against Hooksett
unless they fail to meet the standards again after testing next
May.
"While we are concerned, we're not in a panic-mode right
now," said Wigode, who added that school officials haven't
had time to analyze and interpret the test results yet.
"We have standard procedures that we will take if individual
students cannot receive passing grades."
Allenstown
Condo plan pushed despite sewer issues
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
The developer behind plans to construct
an 85-unit condominium in downtown Allenstown will continue to
seek approval for the project, even in the face of stifling new
sewer restrictions.
Earlier this month, the Allenstown Sewer Commission officially
imposed strict new regulations, severely limiting the number
of new sewer hookups for the entire town to only 10 per year.
This restriction, which sewer commissioners say will stay in
place until expansions can be made to treatment facilities, will
effectively block the proposed McNamara's Landing condo development.
Despite the new regulations, Concord developer J.H. Spain Associates
has indicated it will continue with plans to develop the project.
In an Aug. 10 letter to the Zoning Board of Adjustment, attorney
Richard Uchida, representing J.H. Spain, indicated they would
appear before the board on Sept. 14 to present the latest version
of their proposal.
In May, the zoning board issued a list of more than a dozen conditions
which J.H. Spain must meet before they go forward. Uchida was
originally slated to appear on Aug. 10, for a rehearing on the
thorny issue of alleviating traffic concerns.
In his letter, Uchida wrote that the developer had not yet "finished
our research and discussions regarding the availability of access
(to the site.)" This research is a result of the ZBA's third
condition, which required J.H. Spain to find a second access
route into the site.
The proposed development site is perched on a 27-acre plot of
wooded land, owned by Joann McNamara-Bailey, and located between
Route 3 and Main Street. Because the site is surrounded by steep
inclines, the developer's engineers were only able to find one
direct route of access.
Citing traffic concerns for the sleepy Notre Dame Avenue neighborhood
that the development's residents would use as an access way,
the zoning board ordered J.H. Spain to get the town to OK the
opening of a rarely used, undeveloped section of Lincoln St.
In early June, the selectmen rejected this request from J.H.
Spain, saying the unused stretch of Lincoln Street was far too
steep for the needs of the development.
At that time, significant neighborhood opposition to the proposal
developed. Residents of nearby streets said their neighborhoods
are currently quiet, but a development the size of the proposed
McNamara's landing would seriously disrupt the quality of life.
According to J.H. Spain's original proposal, the 85 condominium
units would be specifically zoned for elderly housing with
each two bedroom unit required to have at least one resident
over the age of 55. The estimated selling price for each unit
would be $175,000 to $185,000.
The units would be located in 19 separate buildings, all of which
were originally designated to be hooked into the town's sewer
system. Because the treatment facility, shared with Pembroke,
is nearly at maximum capacity, the new restrictions were imposed.
Candia
Staggered start times
considered at Moore
By JENNIFER CLAISE
Staff Writer
jclaise@yourneighborhoodnews.com
The school board is considering
a proposal to begin a staggered-start system at Moore School,
according to board Chairman Karen Smith.
Smith said the proposal which is in preliminary stages
and would not be put in place until the fall of 2005 calls
for students in grades 6, 7 and 8 to start the day earlier and
be dismissed earlier, while the students in the earlier grades
would come in later and stay later.
Smith estimated that this offset could be about 30 minutes, but
that the numbers are nowhere near being finalized.
Moore School Assistant Principal Jim Lewis presented the proposal
to school board members earlier this month, and the board agreed
it is an idea they are interested in pursuing, Smith said.
But Smith stressed the board intends to do a lot of research
this year, which includes riding the buses to time routes, before
making any decisions.
"That's the $64,000 question right now, whether or not this
is something we want to get into," Smith said. "We're
going to take this year to do our homework, work out the kinks
and the bumps in the road, and make sure this is done right."
If approved, the staggered-start system could affect the school's
budget, since Smith said the town might require more buses to
accomodate the new routes.
"But if we can do it with the buses we have, we certainly
want to try to do that," Smith said. "That's why this
issue needs to be researched so carefully.
Hooksett
Kids outgrow their clothes
again? The Kiwanis Club can help
By DEVON CORMIER
Staff Writer
dcormier@yourneighborhoodnews.com
The closet is dark now,
but soon a light will illuminate a slew of children's clothing,
boots, coats and shoes for needy children.
The Hooksett Kiwanis Club is an organization that helps children,
and members have just begun a clothing drive to do just that.
In conjunction with the Hooksett Emergency Relief Committee (HERC),
Hooksett Family Services and the Hooksett Salvation Army, a room
in the Little Apples Day Care Learning Center will soon be stuffed
with kids' clothes.
Kiwanis board member Debbie Liebel said she got the idea for
the Kid's Closet when she attended a HERC meeting as a Kiwanis
representative.
|
"The meeting,
for me, is when the need was identified," Liebel said. "I
thought it would be a great match between the two sides of the
coin. We have the time and effort and HERC can identify the need."
Liebel discussed the idea with Kiwanis members, and they decided
to go ahead with the idea. Bins were donated by Home Depot, and
storage space by Little Apples. Kiwanis got dozens of jackets
and boots before the bins were even put out.
"It really struck a chord with people," Liebel said.
"I was surprised at the number of families that could really
use this help."
President of the Hooksett Kiwanis Club, Todd Rainier, said Kiwanis
had been looking for a long project and this fit the bill.
Kiwanis won't stop there
Rainier said. The four-year-old club already has ties with the
Salvation Army and other organizations, and has been performing
different charity events since its conception. What's next? Maybe
a community swimming pool or community center, Rainier said.
|
 |
Kiwanis president Todd Rainier and board
member Debbie Liebel stand in front of the many coats and boots
they have collected for the Kid's Closet. The bins hadn't been
put out yet, but Liebel still collected about 60 garments for
needy children. Kiwanis is storing the clothes in a room behind
Little Apple Day Care and Learning Center.
(Devon Cormier Photo)
|
Rainier is a charter member of Kiwanis. As a business owner he
owns Goodale's Bike Shop he was asked if he'd be interested
in starting a Hooksett Kiwanis, and he was.
Liebel's story went a little differently. Liebel's daughter,
Katherine Pike, became an honorary member of Kiwanis as Miss
Hooksett.
Liebel began to attend meetings with her daughter, and became
enthralled with the club's mission. It wasn't long before she
joined herself.
"I saw all these people I knew and realized Kiwanis was
all about children and supplying them with needed things,"
Liebel said. "I really thought what they did was phenomenal.
Liebel is heading the Kid's Closet project in her third year
in Kiwanis. She will organize the efforts of volunteers to pick
clothes up and get them cleaned and sized. Liebel stressed that
the closet is not for the public. HERC and a few other people
and organizations, such as school nurses, will have access. Also,
the bins are only for children's clothes.
"It's a great way to make Kiwanis known," Liebel said.
The bins are located at the three Hooksett schools, Hooksett
Town Hall, the library and outside the Great West Trading Company
on Route 3, where Liebel's office is.
The Hooksett Kiwanis Club has about 60 members, and is one of
the largest clubs in the New England District. New members and
volunteers for any event are always welcome, Rainier said.
Rainier said the club meets on the first Wednesday of every month
at 5:30 p.m. and the second and fourth Tuesday of every month
at 7:30 a.m. Meetings are open to the public and held in the
Southern New Hampshire University Independent Room in the athletic
building. Rainier can be reached at Todd@Goodalesbikeshop.com
COLOR="#000000".
Hooksett
Old Home Day schedule:
Hooksett Old Home Day will
take place Saturday, Aug. 21, at Donati Field in the Village.
Neighborhood News will be there with a table, so stop by and
say hi. Children may draw pictures to be published in The Hooksett
Banner.
7 to 10:30 a.m. breakfast at the Hooksett American Legion.
9:30 a.m. teen wiffleball game, lower Donati Memorial Field.
11 a.m. Donati Memorial Field Manchester Fisher
Cat Mascot and the Amoskeag Strummers.
Noon Opening ceremony with Miss NH, and the Lions Club
Citizen of the Year.
Noon to 5 p.m. fun for all at Donati Memorial Field with
antique and classic cars, local vendors, crafters, police and
fire demonstration, fun activities, clowns, music, kids' tent,
dunking booth, basketball foul shoot, mini golf-putting contest,
quilting and more!
1 to 4 p.m. Entertainment including a talent show and pageant,
karate demonstration and pie-eating contest.
4:30 and 6 p.m. chicken barbecue; buy tickets in advance
at Robie's Country Store.
6 to 9 p.m. live music with Brick Yard Blues.
Dark fireworks.
For more information, visit www.cedcoh.org/hooksettoldhomeday
|
