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News and Information for the Town of Bedford
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Athlete of the Month Sponsored by Indian Head Athletics BY MATT SCHOOLEY Jake Nutter was about five feet tall and not much more than 100 pounds at the time, but his mental makeup was already developing. At the time, the summer before his freshman year at Bedford, Nutter played a round with Manchester Country Club pro Joel St. Laurent, who was preparing to coach the golf team at the new Bedford High School. “You could just see that he had the creativity and imagination to be a good player. He works hard at it,” said St. Laurent. “It isn’t like it comes easy with him. Here it is the beginning of November, and he’ll probably play until the snow flies.” One shot in particular from that round stands out to St. Laurent: Nutter found himself with an awkward approach. He paused to consider the in-between distance, then took out a 5-wood, choking all the way down to the club’s steel shaft. “He hit it past the green, but that wasn’t the point,” said St. Laurent. “He hit a heck of a good shot. Most kids would have taken an iron and swung as hard as they could, but not him.” This season Nutter, Bedford High’s No. 1 golfer, consistently shot par or below it. In the final regular season match near September’s end, he broke his own school record when he carded a five-under-par 31 at Amherst Country Club. When the state tournament began Oct. 1, he was ready. The junior shot a two-day, 36-hole total of 147, just one stroke off the pace of the individual state champ. More importantly, he led the Bulldogs to the school’s firstever boys varsity state championship, an eight-shot team victory, earning him the Indian Head Athletics Athlete of the Month for October. St. Laurent witnessed another moment that signifies Nutter’s composure on the course. On the second day of the state tourney, his top golfer hit a drive out of bounds. He calmly re-teed following the one-stroke penalty and managed a bogey to keep himself within striking distance of the title. “You can’t let things like that bother you. Half of the game is skill and half is mental,” said Nutter. “I knew I was still in it. I could have given up and said it wasn’t worth fighting for, but you have to keep playing. That’s what’s been my strength. By letting one bad shot hurt you, you’re hurting yourself and your teammates.” The junior credits his head coach with much of his success and said St. Laurent has served as a mentor off the links as well. Nutter said he wants to continue building his college resume, and he has yet another goal in mind. “I just want to bounce back and win both of those titles,” said Nutter. “I know we have the players to win the team tournament again, so I want to win the individual as well.” (Editor’s note: The Athlete of the Month receives a $50 gift certificate courtesy of Indian Head Athletics.)
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BY MATT SCHOOLEY Putting shots on net wasn’t the problem for the Bedford boys soccer team during the preliminary round of the Class I playoffs. While the ninth-seeded Bulldogs controlled play against No. 8 Merrimack Valley, the locals were knocked out by a heartbreaking late goal on Thursday, Oct. 29, in a 1-0 loss. Despite playing on a grass surface rather than its synthetic home turf, Bedford maintained a high tempo throughout the contest, easily outshooting Merrimack Valley, 26-6. The Pride made the most of their few opportunities, thanks to a goal from the program’s all-time leading scorer, Aaron Smith. The senior snuck a shot inside the far post with six minutes remaining to give his team the edge. “I think it was one of those games where we could sense that things just weren’t going right for us,” said Bedford mentor Stuart Pepper. “It’s happened to us a lot where we haven’t been able to put games away. It was the story of our season. We’ve been so close, but not close enough.” Bedford posted a 9-5-2 regular season, but lost to Laconia, 2-1, to close the regular season. A win there meant a firstround home match for the Bulldogs, something Pepper said could have made a difference. Freshman Erik Martel created several solid chances in the final third of the Class I opener, but Merrimack Valley’s goalkeeper was up to the task in each case, keeping the Bulldogs off the scoreboard. The team loses seniors Kyle Clark, Brian Comiskey, Jeff Gancarz, Jack Joseph, Mike Laflamme, Mike Marinelli, James O’Brien, Will Pearson and James Shappler. “I felt so bad for the nine seniors. They were the heartbeat of the team and made this program what it is,” said Pepper. “There were tears and sadness, but lots of pride as well. It was an emotional end because of the way we played. As much as it was disappointed, I doubt the boys will forget playing that way.” Because of the many talented underclassmen remaining, Pepper has high hopes for the team in 2010. “We’re not quite the finished article, and next year we need to keep developing and work on our finishing game,” said the Bedford coach. “I think we understand now that we’re close to other programs. “We need to get better,” continued Pepper. “The players who are coming up understand what a top team is in this division, and we are very close to it.”
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BY MATT SCHOOLEY Michelle Winning questioned how her team would respond after allowing a goal during its quarterfinal match of the Class I girls soccer tournament. Her team supplied a swift answer. After Bedford allowed its first goal of the game, pulling John Stark within 3-1 with 14:17 remaining in the second half, Sarah Kelly notched her second tally of the match to push the edge back to three just over one minute later. The Bulldogs advanced with a 4-1 victory on Saturday, Oct. 31, to earn a match up with Hollis-Brookline, which eliminated the locals last season in the same round of the postseason. “I think it was important to be scored on, and then to respond,” said head coach Winning. “If we get down early, it’s good to know we can come right back.” Bedford’s semifinal meeting with the Cavaliers, scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 4, matches two teams with 16-2-0 records. Both Hollis-Brookline losses were to the Bulldogs, 3-1 and 1-0. Against John Stark, Molly Keefe took a feed from Colleen Murray and scored about halfway through the first half to give her team a 1-0 advantage. Murray added a goal of her own less than two minutes later. Kelly’s first goal came less than five minutes before halftime, and Bedford went into the intermission with a 3-0 lead. However, senior defensive back Kirsten Jean left the game with an injury to her leg. She did not return to the pitch. Within the first 10 minutes of the game, goaltender Aubrey Ouellet kept the Generals off the scoreboard when she came charging out of the net to kick the ball away from fast approaching Emily Pineault. Winning said her team’s trip to last year’s semifinal should help relax the group. “We’ve been there once and that makes a huge difference,” said the Bulldog coach. “Experience will be key for us, as well as the senior leadership that we have now.” John Stark head coach Heather Doucette said she was impressed with Bedford’s skill and with the team’s maturity. “Hollis-Brookline will give them a run, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t win it all,” said Doucette. “Michelle has a quality team. There’s a good chance I’ll be rooting for her. It’s their time.”
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BY JILLIAN JORGENSEN In a unique fundraiser, volunteers “kenneled up” at the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire’s Bedford shelter, raising more than $16,000 in the drive, exceeding its $15,000 goal. “That was an excessive goal,” said Robin McCune, coordinator of events and community relations at the ARL. “When we set it, we thought we were more likely to raise ($8,000 to $10,000.)” The first “Kennel Up” event was held Oct. 22. Fundraising has been especially important for the shelter this year because of a spike in health care costs. The shelter budgeted $39,000 for animal medical expenses in 2009, but has already spent $88,000. “With the economy, a lot of people can’t afford it if their animal gets sick,” McCune said. Volunteers were reaching out to people by phone, email and Facebook, any way they could find to make contact, said Sheryl Hammond, who has served on the ARL’s board of directors in the past and will return next year. Many took pictures of themselves in the kennel – “kenneled up” – and posted them as part of their online fundraising appeals. “Hopefully I will be able to leave a kennel today,” Hammond joked. She said the shelter is not well-endowed and gets no state or federal funding. All the money comes from private donations. “We never have a problem with our enthusiasm and our commitment to raising funds for the animals,” she said. As part of the fundraising drive, there were seminars held throughout the day about the work that goes on at the ARL and the needs of the shelter. Adoption counselor Sara Nicosia asked the volunteers to guess how many pounds of cat litter the shelter goes through daily. The magic number was 300 pounds. The shelter also uses 125 cups of cat food and 50 cups of dog food a day, totaling 63,875 in a year. To illustrate that point, Nicosia brought in Tornado, a chubby cat who sauntered around the room until he finally found a closet where the cat food was stored. “Sometimes, cats like Tornado eat more than their share,” Nicosia said. Nicosia said it costs $2,500 a day to run the shelter, and adoption fees pay for only 10 percent of that. “This is a lovely place for them to stay,” she said. “It costs a lot to run a shelter properly and keep the animals healthy.” Leah Belanger said she did most of her fundraising for the day through e-mail and Facebook. “We’ve had a lot of people give a little bit,” she said. Even though money is tight, animals are still in need, she said. “They’re still in need of our food and shelter and care,” she said. “They’re at our mercy.”
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BY JILLIAN JORGENSEN Amid recent concerns that the number of jobs saved or created by the American Recovery or Reinvestment Act may have been inflated, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited New Hampshire to tout the program’s success and visit the airport access road, being built in part with federal funds. LaHood spoke to a crowd at C.R. Sparks in Bedford on Oct. 30 as part of the Politics and Eggs series held by New Hampshire’s Political Library. The visit came the same day that Vice President Joe Biden announced that the stimulus package had “saved or created” 650,000 jobs so far, and a day after the Associated Press reported that earlier counts overstated by thousands the number of jobs saved or created so far. LaHood acknowledged that in some cases, actual numbers have been lower than original estimates. The original estimate for jobs created or saved in New Hampshire was 16,000; so far, with half the state’s stimulus money having been allocated, 3,000 have been created or saved. Even if the numbers are below original estimates, they are jobs that would not exist without the package, he said. “There are, around America, thousands of people working as a result of the economic recovery (package), and without it, they’d be on unemployment. So I think the program has worked very well,” he said. He also said he was fully confident in last week’s 650,000 number from the White House. “These are real people with real jobs able to take care of their real families,” he said. “These are real numbers. We’re not making this stuff up.” In a speech and in answering questions from the audience, LaHood touched on issues ranging from distracted driving – he advocated banning the use of cell phones for texting or talking in cars – to Cash for Clunkers, high-speed rail and the transportation reauthorization bill. But the day’s main topic was the stimulus project, and LaHood followed up his breakfast with a visit to the construction site for the airport access road, which will provide a direct connection between the Everett Turnpike and Manchester Boston Regional Airport. The project is slated to be completed two years ahead of schedule and for less money than original estimates, thanks to ARRA funding. The stimulus package has funded 21 full-time jobs at the site, said Gov. John Lynch. The job creation was a great relief to some. Bill McKenney of Nashua was working at the site for Continental Paving. He said he was on unemployment for four weeks before finally finding this job. Lynch said the road will open 1,000 acres of shovelready, industrial and commercial land, adding potential for further economic development. “We’re looking at the potential of thousands of jobs having been created as the result of the acceleration of this airport access road, which is quite significant,” he said. Though much of the available land is in Londonderry, Mike Izbicki, chairman of the Bedford Town Council and member of the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority, said the project is also a boon for Bedford. “That is going to be Bedford’s economic engine,” he said. The road will run through the town’s performance zone. It will open up space for new business property, which will increase the tax base without adding children to the town’s schools, he said. At the construction site, U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H., who recently said the stimulus project had not created the number of jobs Congress was expecting, said she was proud of her vote. “We’re looking at proof today that the stimulus package is working,” she said. But New Hampshire GOP spokesman Ryan Williams said Shea-Porter has nothing to be proud of. “We’ve wasted hundreds of millions of dollars on a stimulus plan that has failed to slow unemployment and deliver the 16,000 jobs promised,” he said.
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BY JILLIAN JORGENSEN The Bedford Town Council discussed switching to a fiscal year at its Oct. 28 meeting. No decisions were made, and the council will discuss the issue again later in the year. The switch would take the town from a calendar that runs January to December to one that runs July to June. The town’s school budget and the state budget both run on a fiscal calendar. With a calendar year, the town meeting in Bedford, held in March, is three months after the beginning of the budget year. Taxes are collected in arrears, six months after the start of the budget year. With a fiscal year, the town meeting could remain in March, or be moved back to May, and the budget would still be formally adopted before the budget year begins, eliminating the months of expenditures the town now goes through before they can bill and collect taxes. A fiscal year would also help with cash flow in the town, since the government would no longer need to “float” unreserved funds while awaiting tax revenue, Town Manager Russell Marcoux said. Crystal Dionne, finance director, said just as a person would not spend money they did not have in their bank account yet, the town should try to avoid spending tax revenue before it is received and before a budget is finished. She said most towns of Bedford’s size operate on a fiscal year. “Changing to a fiscal year is important to the stability of the town,” she said. “It’s very unusual for a community our size with a budget our size to have a calendar year, to collect taxes in arrears.” The biggest concern that emerged last night was how to fund the town for January through the end of June in the year of transition. During the change period, the town would need to bring taxes in arrears up to date, and collect the taxes in advance, which would significantly increase that year’s tax rate, Marcoux said. If the council decided to make the change, it could bond the six-month transition period and repay it over a sixyear or a 10-year term, which could get expensive, he said. Another option would be to collect one 18-month budget in a 12-month period, which would require enabling legislation from the state, he said. If the town did not change over quickly, the cost can be spread out, Marcoux said; they could transition five years from now, and collect an extra month’s worth of the budget for each year until then to be saved. Town Councilor Michael Scanlon suggested that instead of putting that money away, the town could use it for a 13- month budget for five years. This would push the budget back further each month until they were at the July goal, when they would start collecting a 12-month budget on a fiscal year schedule. Dionne said the town was lucky it had not had to send out tax anticipation notices yet to hold the town over as it waits for tax revenue, but it could have to in the future if taxes continue to be collected in arrears.
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BY HOLLY DAVIS Police arrested 22 people at a house party on Friday, Oct. 30, as part of their crackdown on underage drinking in town. Officers responded to a call about a large fight on the front lawn of 421 Donald St. shortly after 12:30 a.m. The anonymous tip indicated there were 15 to 20 college-age people at the house, and there had been a party going on there all night. When police arrived, they found a number of people outside and inside, many of them had been drinking alcohol. Officers who first arrived reported about 50 people inside the house. “It was a large party,” said Sgt. Devon Kimball. He said many people left before police arrived. The officers found that many people who had been drinking were younger than 21. Partygoers 21 or older were not arrested. But police followed the town’s new policy of arresting all underage drinkers at a party. Bedford implemented the policy this summer. In the past, and in many other towns, only hosts of an underage drinking party were charged while others were held in protective custody until their parents or guardians picked them up. “I think it sends out a strong message that the Bedford Police Department’s policy is zero tolerance,” Kimball said. A significant number of alcoholic beverages were seized and arrests were made. The residents of the house, Michael T. Yacono, 20, and Thomas N. Oliveria, 20, both of Bedford, were arrested for facilitating an underage alcohol house party and prohibited sales of alcohol. They were released on $750 personal recognizance bail with an arraignment date of Monday, Dec. 7, at 8 a.m., at Merrimack District Court. The following people were issued a summons to appear at Merrimack District Court on Monday, Dec. 7, at 8 a.m. for unlawful possession of alcohol: Samantha Seamon, 20, of East Hampton, Conn.; Danielle Tunak, 20, of Shrewsbury, Mass.; Brock Weber, 19, of Bristol, Conn.; Ned Brady, 20, of Tiverton, R.I.; Juan Suarez, 20, of Goffstown; Anthony Ferguson, 20, of Brighton, Mass.; Adam Archidiacono, 20, of Lynnfield, Mass.; Matthew Shanahan, 19, of Westwood, Mass.; Giovanni Lorusso, 20, of Norwood, Mass.; Kelsey Dakoulas, 20, of Manchester; Helen D’Aprino, 20, of Woburn, Mass.; Amanda Horgan, 19, of Atkinson, Mass.; Michael Kaznowski, 19, of Berrington, R.I.; Michael Koulopoulos, 18, of Scituate, Mass.; Brian Poznanski, 20, of Nashua; Caitlin Heneghan, 20, of South Windsor, Conn.; Garret Gervais, 19, of Chelmsford, Mass.; Thomas Morgan, 20, of Greencastle, Penn.; Elizabeth Webster, 20, of Sandown; Bradley Shoemaker, 20, of Merrimack. They were released to adults who were sober and over the age of 21. Jillian Jorgensen contributed to this article.
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Jay Heaps, a Major League Soccer player with the New England Revolution and former Bedford resident, was a special guest at the Bedford Athletic Club’s recent player appreciation night. Approximately 85 boys and girls from the BAC, a new Bedford travel soccer league, enjoyed a questionand- answer session, one-oneone drills and soccer games with Heaps, who also peppered some of the young goalkeepers with some shots on net. During the Q&A, Heaps revealed he’s dribbled a soccer ball more than 6,000 times consecutively and, he said, “it took a really long time.” The Duke University alumnus attended school and played many sports in town as a youngster, and he drew a big reaction from the crowd when he mentioned his kindergarten teacher, Sue Tyrie of Bedford Village Morning School; many of the U8 to U14 players attended the same school. “At the end of the day, it is all about the kids and making them happy,” said Shaun Oparowski, BAC vice president. “The league couldn’t think of a better way to show our appreciation than to bring Revolution player Jay Heaps here to Bedford.”
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BY MATT SCHOOLEY The question awaiting answer during the Class L field hockey preliminary round was who would win – Bishop Guertin, Londonderry or impending darkness. After more than two hours, a pair of sudden death overtime sessions and nine rounds of corner hits, Londonderry edged both foes, 3-2, on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Despite the loss, it was an impressive stand for the Cardinals, playing their first playoff game in only the second year of the program. Leading the charge for Guertin the last two years is a core of eight Bedford residents who have played a vital role in the early success of the team. Senior Kristianna Purington of Bedford was the main cog behind starting the team. She approached the administration during her freshman year and began the field hockey team as a club sport. During their inaugural season in 2008, the Cardinals won once, but this year the team went 5-7-2, earning the No. 10 seed in the tournament. “It’s been an interesting road,” said head coach Steve Duprat. “The girls came in as freshmen without a team. Then when they won that one game last year, it was like they had won the Super Bowl. They got the taste, and they built on it in the offseason.” Forward Laura Viel gave BG a 1-0 lead in the first half against the Lancers, but Londonderry notched the equalizer just after intermission. Bedford’s Alexandrea Solms put the Cardinals back in front when she pounded home a loose ball with 14:45 remaining in regulation, and Guertin was poised to pull an upset in its first postseason action. Though goalie Christiana Carlini turned one shot away with a diving save, she couldn’t stop a second effort by the Lancers, who evened the match with only 2:08 left. The teams played two scoreless 15-minute overtime sessions, and the game was decided on corner hits. Neither team managed a goal in the first eight frames, and after the Cardinals missed on their ninth attempt the Lancers capitalized and found the back of the net to advance to play No. 2 seed Winnacunnet. “I couldn’t have been let down whether we won that game or lost,” said Purington. “There are teams who have had programs for six years that don’t make the playoffs, and here we are in overtime against the defending state champions. It’s now an expectation for girls in this program to continue this.” In addition to Purington and Solms, Bedford’s Julia Wright, Morgan Karanasios, Jessica Lambert, Kayla Lambert, Reanica Wong and Karolyn Castaldo all suit up for BG. “Those girls from Bedford are the ones who started this program, and now it helps because girls will say they want to be a part of a program like this,” said Duprat. “(This season) solidifies that we’re actually a program, not just a team that’s going through the motions.”
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BY MATT SCHOOLEY Kurt Hines, Bedford High School’s head football coach, has led the Bulldogs to two wins and some close losses in the program’s second year, and one opposing coach in particular has taken notice. “This team has come leaps and bounds, and it’s because they’re so well coached,” said Hollis-Brookline mentor Milton Robinson, who recently built a program from scratch as well. “I root for Kurt every week.” On Friday, Oct. 23, BHS concluded the Division III portion of the schedule following a 27-13 home loss due to a strong fourth quarter by the visitors. Despite the outcome, Bedford has made huge strides since last year when the team struggled to score at all. In addition to victories over Milford and Pembroke Academy, the Bulldogs narrowly lost on Oct. 17 to ConVal, a team currently holding onto the fourth and final playoff spot. And against the Cavaliers, the Bulldogs built a secondhalf advantage. With his team down a touchdown, Max Hendrickx connected with Trevor Morrissette on a 25-yard TD pass with 11:53 remaining in the second quarter, knotting the score at 6-6. Then BHS dominated on the first drive of the second half, starting on the Hollis- Brookline 45-yard line thanks to a 40-yard kick return by Jordan Garron. Garron and Morrissette rushed for 24 and 10 yards, respectively, putting Bedford near the goal line. Hendrickx ran a bootleg on the next play, spinning in for the 1-yard score. After Tyler Weber’s successful point-aftertouchdown, the locals took a 13-6 edge. Hollis-Brookline knotted the score late in the third quarter and put up 14 unanswered points in the final frame to drop the Bulldogs to 2-6; a non-division matchup with Lebanon remains. “We’ve come light years compared to last year,” said Hines. “We’ve come further than most people expected us to. We’re much improved both physically and mentally, and we’re only going to get better.” The game also served as the program’s first senior night. Captains Dan Constantino, James Harris, Tyler MacKay and Weber graduate in the spring after leading the fledgling program through its unavoidable growing pains – and some memorable moments. In addition, Ronnie Zamore, Hendrickx, Kyle Norton, Morrissette, Matt Mara, Andrew Galucki, Derek Gookin, Jacob Lademan, Kyle Soucy, Garrett Constant, Cam Oliwa and Luke Schappler were honored. Still, Hines is excited about the returning players, including Garron and freshman quarterback James Caparell. While BHS featured a run-heavy offense its first two years, Caparell’s strong arm could make the coach reconsider, though the mentor said that depends on his young signalcaller’s offseason improvement. Hollis-Brookline’s Robinson said the entire roster bears close scrutiny by more established D-III programs. “(Hines) has kids who play hard for all four quarters,” said Robinson. “I’m just impressed by them, and I know they’re going to be a force in the future.”
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On Friday, Oct. 23, at approximately 11:45 p.m., officers from the Bedford Police Department located two suspicious vehicles behind a closed business on Chestnut Drive. They began to check the building and observed through a window a subject duck under a desk and kick a chair away. They called out to the subject inside and did not receive a response. Additional units responded and one of the officers could see two people inside of the building near a window, but still did not get a response. The tenant occupying the office was contacted and advised that no one should be inside. Officers on scene continued to attempt to make contact with the people inside, but they would not respond. A K-9 unit from Manchester PD was contacted to assist in searching the building. At 1:10 a.m., officers conducted a search of the building and found two people hiding inside. Christopher Belair, 18, and Ariel Bourgeois, 18, both of Bedford, were charged with burglary (Felony Class B) and held on $10,000 cash bail with an arraignment date of Monday, Oct. 26, at 8 a.m., at Milford District Court.
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BY DARRELL HALEN While donning a torn white shirt and wearing makeup, Erin Johnson, 17, moved like a zombie across the Bedford High School gymnasium floor. Johnson, along with more than 100 other zombies, danced to the hit Michael Jackson song, “Thriller,” during a charity event aimed at helping set a new world record for the largest simultaneous dance while aiding a local student afflicted with a neuromuscular disorder. “Thrill the World, Bedford, NH,” held Saturday, Oct. 24, raised $4,000 for Holly’s Hope, a local nonprofit organization. The money will be channeled to Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance, a Virginiabased organization known as FARA that is committed to finding a cure for Friedreich’s ataxia, a debilitating, life-shortening, degenerative neuromuscular disease. “It’s going to a good cause,” said Johnson, a Bedford High senior. “It’s exciting to be part of a world record. People responded and wanted to be in it. I’m impressed people dressed up and came to support a member of our community.” “Thrill the World” is an annual international dance phenomenon. As the “zombies” in Bedford performed the six-minute “Thriller” dance, starting at 8:30 p.m., so, too, did thousands of other people around the globe. Last year, 4,179 people in 10 countries simultaneously danced to the song. Because of Jackson’s death last June, organizers hoped to draw 270,000 participants this year in order to break a Guinness World Record. Going into Saturday, there were registered dance events in more than 33 countries. Volunteers who organize a “Thrill the World” event in their community can tie the dance to a cause of their choice. Holly’s Hope is named for Holly Franz, 15, a Bedford High sophomore who has FA and uses a wheelchair at school. Kelsey Poremba, a BHS senior, organized the local fundraiser. Her efforts will help her fulfill the Creativity Action and Service activities requirement of the school’s International Baccalaureate program. “I think the turnout was amazing,” Franz said. “There were so many dancers and so many spectators. To (attach) Holly’s Hope to this event – that was so great. We didn’t ask for it. Kelsey said, ‘We want to do this for you.’” Holly’s Hope was started by Holly and her friend and schoolmate, Jess Wojenski. The organization sells handmade jewelry and donates the proceeds to FARA to help find a cure. Volunteers at the dance sold raffle tickets, “Thrill the World” T-shirts, jewelry and food. Tracey Ivester of Tracey’s Boutique of Merrimack painted faces for $6 each. Ivester, the sister of guidance counselor Lisa Jacques, donated half of her proceeds to the cause. “Thriller” was released in the early 1980s. A 14-minute music video of the same name features Jackson dancing with zombies and a dialogue by Vincent Price. The dance, held a week before Halloween, was decorated to create a spooky look. Bleacher railings were draped with cobwebs and orange lights. A skeleton was dressed in a black cape. As people walked into the gym, they encountered a long, yellow tape carrying the warning, “Caution: Enter if you dare.” Organizers encouraged people of all ages to participate and hosted a pair of workshops at the school earlier in the month to teach the dance. Many of the participants also practiced at home while watching a video online. “It’s fun,” said Karla McManus, who came with her daughter, Hannah, 9. “We learned a new dance and we’re supporting Holly. It’s a good cause.” “I always loved ‘Thriller,’” said BHS freshman Daniel Alvarado, 14, who was excited to help set a possible new world record. “It’s a great song. It was really heartbreaking for everyone all over the world when (Michael Jackson) died.” In addition to the dancers, the event drew 120 people who paid to watch from the bleachers. People even came from Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine. Some participants hadn’t previously met Holly but had read about the fundraiser in the newspaper. “It puts together two things near and dear to me – helping someone and dancing,” said Vicki Farer of Bedford, a former dance instructor. “I love the ‘Thriller’ dance and the music video and learning the dance,” said Sherie Prior, 25, who drove about an hour from Webster, a small town near Concord, so she could join in the fun. “Now, you can break out (and do the dance) at parties.” When the dance ended, participants hugged each other and exchanged highfives. And they cheered when they learned how many people came and how much money was raised. Organizers already are talking about making the dance an annual fundraiser. “Hopefully, we’ll get some people to do this next year,” Wojenski said. “That would be cool, if we could get it going again. It could be an annual event here.” The dance was not the first time Bedford High students have rallied to help Holly’s Hope. A talent show held last January raised more than $5,000 for the cause. Holly’s mother, Hannelore Federspill, is grateful to the school community for their efforts. “I don’t know if words can describe it,” she said after the dance. “I was overwhelmed. I was so appreciative. This high school never ceases to amaze me. They all have good hearts.”
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BY JILLIAN JORGENSEN Cemetery regulations will be up for discussion at a public meeting Monday, Nov. 9, following complaints from some in town over new cemetery regulations drafted by the cemetery trustees and approved by the Town Council in February. The changes to the bylaws that govern the town’s four cemeteries included limiting the number of potted plants at graves to two, allowing American flags only from 10 days before Memorial Day until just after Veterans Day and allowing “special mementos” for just one month after a burial. The bylaws advise people to “consider all decorative items to be prohibited,” other than those exceptions. “Any disallowed items at any location are subject to removal by the custodian or Trustee at any time,” the bylaws state. After several members of the community raised concerns about the new rules, the Town Council added it to its agenda on Oct. 14. At that time, the council voted 7-0 to set up a meeting with cemetery trustees and interested people to draft potential changes to the policy, which would then be presented to the council. The council also voted 7-0 to suspend the February changes to the bylaws until that meeting. Russell Marcoux, town manager, said the trustees will be looking at rules at other cemeteries, many of which are similar to the revisions made in February, and said the changes were not made in a vacuum. Marcoux said he understood the need to be sensitive to mourners about the decorations they want to leave. “You’ve got to be a little sympathetic to families, as long as it’s not rampant,” he said. He said in Nashua, where his parents are buried, the rules are very strict, but he still leaves items there. “I go on each of their birthdays, for my parents, and I leave flowers there,” he said, even though he knows they will be removed. The meeting will give the public another chance to add their input to the trustees’ process of crafting bylaws. “Some of the stones, people just get carried away,” Marcoux said. But he said different people in different circumstances might want to express their grief in different ways. “It’s pretty hard when you lose a 10-year-old son,” he said. The meeting is Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at the McAllaster Room in the Bedford Library. It will be chaired by Councilor Paul Roy, facilitating chairman of the subcommittee on cemetery rules.
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BY MATT SCHOOLEY In the case of the Bedford girls soccer team, the grass is never greener on the other side. That’s why the speedy Bulldogs are trying to keep sod out of the equation. Following a 1-0 win against Hollis-Brookline on Monday, Oct. 19, Bedford improved to 12-2-0 on the year and put itself in prime position to play the postseason on artificial turf. “I told them after (the Hollis- Brookline) game that if we win the next two games we don’t have to play on grass again this year,” said head coach Michelle Winning. “Hopefully we can take that and run with it. When we play on grass we have a disadvantage. When we’re on turf we have a cleaner game.” Bedford concluded the regular season with a victory against Pelham on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and a game scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22, against sub-.500 Laconia. Wins in both seal home games in the first two rounds before the Bulldogs reach potential semifinal- and finalround games at Exeter High and Southern New Hampshire University – both synthetic surfaces. The Bedford mentor said opposing teams who normally play on grass have a hard time keeping up with her team on its home surface because of the game’s fast pace. One Bulldog attacker who has consistently put pressure on opponents is Colleen Murray, who has scored 24 goals and added 10 assists. Bedford can play a variety of styles, winning seven games by three or more goals but also securing five wins by two or fewer tallies. Casey Levis and Kirsten Jean anchor the defensive backfield for a team that has allowed 13 goals in 14 games, including six shutouts and five one-goal performances. Because of the new format for league standings – giving greater weight to victories against stronger teams – Class I opponents consistently target the Bulldogs in hopes of climbing the rankings. And Winning said the competition has helped her squad prepare for the postseason. “All these teams are coming out gunning for us,” said the Bedford mentor. “It’s good to know we can stand up against teams who are coming out and giving their best. It gives us confidence in the sense that we’re seeing teams at (their) best, and we now know we can hold our own come playoff time.”
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BY MATT SCHOOLEY Rather than their usual positions on the sidelines of a football game, members of the Bedford Jaguars spirit teams took center stage at Bedford High School during the third annual Season Premiere Cheerleading Competition on Saturday, Oct. 17. The Jaguars teamed up with the Goffstown Screamin’ Eagles to host the event, which brought together 84 teams from across New Hampshire, more than 1,000 individuals. Each team performed a routine of about two and onehalf minutes for the judges, and while Bedford and Goffstown were not eligible to place during the competition, it remained an important day for the athletes involved. “It really breathes fresh air into cheerleading as a sport and shows people how much cheerleading has evolved,” said Jaguars 13U head coach Kacey Graham. “It’s not just a sideline sport. It’s truly girls doing their own sport.” The Bedford High School gymnasium was transformed thanks to a safety mat covering the basketball court, a tunnel through which teams entered after introductions, and bright lights flashing while music played during routines. Five teams from Bedford competed and considered postroutine notes from the judges in preparation for the upcoming state championships. Carla Ferreira, coach of the 11U squad, said her team’s performance was just what she was looking for. “I was more than proud of them for being able to go out on the mat in front of a full gym and perform with smiles on their faces,” she said. “That’s what it’s about, putting their fears behind them.” While the majority of teams were competing against each other, there was also a friendly atmosphere among the cheerleaders. At the conclusion of each age group, teams came down to the mat to dance and share smiles while the judges compiled scores. Ferreira said the event illuminated the strides cheerleading has made. “It’s a sport that’s changed over the years,” said Ferreira. “It’s about the girls being athletes. There are many skills that go into this event. They train like any other athlete does. For us to give them the opportunity to show those skills, that’s really important for them.” Lori Reine’s mascot division team was the youngest squad on the mat; for many, it was their first opportunity in the spotlight. “It’s their introduction into the sport,” said Reine. “The goal is to learn the fundamentals and have a good time. It’s fun to see them just enjoy it and be in front of an audience.” For many of the older competitors, getting to work with the younger teams is the highlight of the event, and it’s also a return to the roots of their cheerleading careers. “I always stress to our girls how they’re such role models. It’s important to have that mentoring,” said Graham, the 13U coach. “They’re so innocent and all about having fun. It reminds them that they were little once too.”
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