Bow News : Kids & Family

Bow and Hopkinton host Halloween events

Bow Editor — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:38:00 GMT

Children aren’t the only ones who can dress up in a costume and get candy as Bow and Hopkinton will host Halloween events geared for all ages and for those ready to show off their creative styles.

Bow

Bow’s Baker Free Library Director Lori Fisher said the upcoming trick-or-treat event is for all ages.

“We try to tailor our story times to seasonal activities. We’ll be going with fall themes and Halloween themes,” Fisher said. “It isn’t just for kids. We’d love to see adults come out in their costumes as well.”

Fisher also said Halloween isn’t only about the candy.

“October is a great time of year, and everyone loves to recharge their batteries and take in the foliage,” she said. “It’s the one time of year when everyone can dress as wacky as they can, and people don’t blink an eye. Halloween really gives people a chance to get creative.”

The trick-or-treat event at Baker Free Library takes place Friday, Oct. 31, from 3 to 7 p.m., and Fisher said she hopes visitors will grab a book after they take their candy.

Baker Free Library will also host a Spooky Skeletons workshop on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 11 a.m. to noon, giving 5 to 9- year-olds the chance to read a skeleton book and make a Halloween creation from paper plates.

Also in Bow, the Recreation Department will host a Halloween event on Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Community Building for Bow residents in fourth grade and younger.

Children are encouraged to come to the event in costume. Magician B.J. Hickman will also put on a show for those in attendance.

Recreation Department program coordinator Michelle Vecchione said she has been with the department for 20 years, and thinks it has been held annually for about 17 of those years.

“It’s so nice to see the kids. It’s great to see the parents,” Vecchione said. “It’s good to see the community participating, and it’s a safe place for the kids to come. It’s great to have something you can count on this time of year.”

Vecchione also said the children’s tastes in costumes has evolved since the event’s first year.

“As the kids’ programming changes, the costumes change,” she said. “You either get the really scary ones or the cute ones, plus everything in between. You get the regulars, too. I like to see the ghosts and the witches, not the really gory ones.”

Hopkinton

The signature event in Hopkinton is the Haunted House,. This year, the Recreation Department will have an Alien Invasion evening on Sunday, Oct. 26, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Aliens have crash landed at Kimball Lake and the ships are still around,” said Recreation Director Justin La Vigne. “They’ll be walking around the grounds, and there may be some experiments going on in the cabins.”

La Vigne stressed the importance of community involvement when putting on the event.

“That’s what it’s about. It’s about the community, for the community. It’d be impossible for just the seven of us to put this on,” La Vigne said. “We’ll have 30 to 40 volunteers out there, so it’s huge to have the community involved.”

According to the recreation director, there’s another benefit.

“You get to see your friends dressed up as an alien, so that’s fun,” said La Vigne.

Trick-or-treating

Trick-or-treating in Bow is Friday, Oct. 31, from 7 p.m. to dark. In Hopkinton, trick-or-treaters will be going door to door Oct. 31, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Firefighting is a family tradition for the Abbotts of Bow

Bow Editor — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:15:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

There’s one member of his department that Bow Fire Chief Dana Abbott may know better than other members.

Abbott has been in the department since 1971 and for the past 13 years has been working in the same fire house with his son, Justin, who continued the family tradition by becoming a firefighter.

“I think it was when he was young that he realized it was what he wanted to do. All boys like fire trucks, sirens, lights and the excitement,” said Dana. “I was quite pleased when he told me he wanted to do it.”

Since he was a child, Justin said he has spent time at the fire house, soaking in the lessons of the trade before he began studying at Laconia Community Technical College.

“It became almost second nature to me,” said Justin. “I always grew up with it since my dad’s always done it. It’s always been in the family. My grandfather did it, too, so I grew up at the fire station.”

There aren’t any specific calls that stand out from when he was a kid, but there were some memorable times.

“It was just always really neat to be able to ride in all of the different trucks, when the town got new ones and things like that,” said Justin. “I definitely remember riding along in the trucks during the town parades, too.”

Today, as a firefighter, the calls Justin recalls are often the most difficult ones.

“I think the floods were the most memorable for me and everyone who worked them,” said Justin. “We worked hard and really stuck together as a team. We had to work some very long hours and long days, but it was really rewarding.”

Fire Department business doesn’t stay in the fire house, as father and son often talk fires at home as well.

“He’s followed along and I bring a lot of stuff home. We talk to the family about stuff. He’s picked up on how we’ve done different operations,” said Dana. “He’s very dedicated also, and he really enjoys it.”

Justin said he’s glad to have the opportunity to share the experiences with his father.

“It’s been great. It’s a great family thing to do together,” he said. “I really enjoy helping out the community, and helping people.”

Seeing his son in action is something that Dana Abbott takes great pride in.

“I’m proud of what he does. said Dana. “I’d like to see him (be a full-time firefighter) because he’s good at what he does, and it’d be the next step to follow along. I’d like to see him get to that point. I could certainly see him as an officer here or in another department.”

In the future, Justin hopes to become a full-time firefighter and has taken the EMT class, which he’ll take the required test soon.

Although Dana has a different role than his son, Justin said it’s still exciting working with his father.

“When I started we used to go to calls all the time, but he was always more of the supervisor as compared to myself going in. There’s a different end of it,” said Justin.

It’s all play time for Bow’s recreation director

Bow Editor — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:14:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

When Cindy Rose took over as director of Bow Recreation, she had a great deal of information to learn about her new job. But with years of experience in recreation, it took her about a day to figure it all out.

Rose had worked for the Tilton Recreation Department for 23 years before making the move to Bow just over four years ago.

“I think the main thing was that recreation is such an important part in people’s lives here in Bow,” said Rose. “That meant a lot to me because I wanted to work where it was something people looked forward to.”

For Rose, each season brings a variety of tasks. During the summer, she finds herself running around town to the department’s various programs. During the remaining months of the year, Rose can predominantly be found in her Bow Community Building office.

“I actually enjoy the different parts of each season, because it’s a change,” said Rose. “During this time of year we’re running in so many directions.”

Rose said Bow residents’ level of interest in the Recreation Department makes her job most rewarding.

“There are a lot of great families and people have accepted me really well, which made me feel really good,” she said. “People are really involved in their families and the things they do.”

Between her roles in Tilton and Bow, there are many differences. Rose said her current co-workers, including Michelle Vecchione, who worked closely with Rose when she arrived, made the move a seamless transition.

“It was really easy because Michelle taught me everything in a day. That’s our standing joke,” said Rose. “It wasn’t that difficult because I had been so experienced, although it’s completely different. The people I work with have been here doing these things and they’ve been great in helping me.”

Rose, who grew up in Kennebunk, Maine, said her childhood likely had a lot to do with her eventual career choice.

“I played a lot of sports and spent a lot of time at camps, which probably explains why I chose to go into this field,” she said. “It was because of the great fun I always had growing up.”

The recreation director, whose favorite movie is “The Notebook,” enjoys spending time with her two children when she isn’t at work.

Bow Youth Center set to open August 27

Bow Editor — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:59:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Before the first bell rings at school and after the final one at the end of the day, Bow students will have a place to go, when the new Bow Youth Center opens.

Owners Donna Morrison and her husband, Tim, have been preparing the building, which is located at 21 Bow Center Road, across from Bow Elementary School.

The program has been in the works for more than two years. The building has been under construction since the winter and will be ready for business on Aug. 27, coinciding with the first day of school.

Before and after school, students can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, including hiking on land surrounding the 8,400-square-foot building.

“I am looking forward to working with them and providing a place for them to come and socialize and participate in activities,” said Donna Morrison.

Morrison has heard from about 80 families in town who are interested in using the program, and said she plans to work closely with the families and children, who will range in age from kindergarten through eighth grade.

“When the child enrolls in the program we send them out an interest survey to see what the interests are of each individual, so that way each child can partake in something that they enjoy,” said Morrison. “The main thing is the flexibility. We’ll offer a lot of that, where even if it is just one afternoon a week, we try to meet the needs of all the families.”

Morrison previously worked in Concord at the Early Enrichment Program, and said she has taken a great deal from her 11 years of service there.

The Bow Youth Center has been designed with the children in mind, according to Morrison, who said there will also be opportunities for students to get extra help on their homework, if needed.

Bow schools have been working closely with the Youth Center, and Morrison said several high school students have shown interested in either volunteering or becoming part-time employees.

Next year, the Bow Youth Center will offer a full-time summer program geared toward working parents.

Morrison said the program will give students new experiences.

“Children get to socialize in school, but this is a different location and activities,” she said. “Maybe those who struggle in school can excel in the before-and after-school programs.”

The center will be open full days if weather cancels school.

For more information on the Bow Youth Center, call Donna or Tom Morrison at 856-7245.

Bow girl named Sibling of the Year

Bow Editor — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:24:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Becca Rotman wasn’t diagnosed with bone cancer. She didn’t have her leg amputated. She wasn’t in and out of hospital by the age of 7.

Although she didn’t experience the disease firsthand, Becca was hit hard with the ramifications of cancer.

Becca’s sister, 9-year-old Samantha, was diagnosed with bone cancer two years ago, and the family has been forced to adapt ever since.

“Rebecca is asked to be patient, understanding and compassionate all the time when she is only 10 years old herself,” said the girls’ mother, Shari Rotman. “It’s tough at a young age to always be thinking about someone else.”

The Teddy Bear Foundation recently recognized Becca for her role as a big sister, giving her a Sibling of the Year award, giving her a variety of toys, books and DVDs as a reward.

“I really couldn’t say anything. I hugged them a lot,” said Becca. “Mom had told me the plumber was coming that day so it would be a surprise. I didn’t understand why I had to brush my hair just for the plumber.”

After Samantha’s leg was amputated, children at school often didn’t know how to react.

“A lot of times at school kids would be rude and would stare at me,” said Samantha. “Becca always would stand up for me.”

During the times Samantha was in the hospital, Becca would stay either with friends or with her grandparents, and her parents’ time was often occupied.

“She had a lot of support from Bow Elementary School. She had a very strong team there,” said Shari. “Her fourth-grade teacher, the principal, school nurse, school psychologist all made those extra steps to make sure they were there for her with homework or things on her mind that she wasn’t able to talk about.”

While at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Samantha often asked her parents for her big sister, although she joked, “Then when she got there, I didn’t want her there anymore.”

At the hospital, Becca took on a variety of roles.

“She made me feel better and made me cards. She made me things,” said Samantha. “I remember she would always push my wheelchair around when we would go places.”

Becca said she has grown through the experience.

“I’ve also learned to be a little more responsible,” she said. “I’ve made a lot more friends. I had a lot of friends before, but some didn’t know what I was going through.”

Shari Rotman agrees that her daughter has matured.

“We were asking her to be more responsible or feel more responsible than more kids do at that age. She was trying to do it and know that she had to for all the right reasons,” said Shari. “She’s definitely become a more compassionate person. We were dealing with a good stock anyway, but I’ve seen her reach out more toward people with physical and developmental disabilities.”

Many organizations are in place for children battling cancer and other diseases, but Rotman said she hopes Becca could, as an adult, create a cause that helps siblings of the children affected.

Though Rotman said her daughters fight like most other siblings, Samantha’s cancer has helped bring them together.

“They are very, very close. When the cards are down and Sammy’s feeling her worst, she was always asking for Becca,” said Rotman. “The whole experience, Sammy knows Becca always has her back, and Becca accepts her.”

Team finds its roots in Latin

Bow Editor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:03:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Most people use Latin every day without even realizing it.

A group of Bow High School students use it every day and know it.

Bow High School’s Latin team members Glenn Walton, Jason Langevin and Tyler McDonough took part in the New Hampshire Student Classics Day at Saint Anselm College on May 9, beating out five other teams to win the competition.

Students were asked questions in multiple rounds about mythology, history, culture and grammar. Bow took the lead early in the competition and never relinquished it.

Kat Braden, the high school’s Latin teacher, was impressed by her team’s performance. “I had a team win some years back, and that was very sweet. We hadn’t had a team win since then. I decided this year that we would really prepare,” she said. “I had them working most of the year on Latin trivia, so it was a very sweet victory. I was proud of the three boys and also the other students. It was a teacher’s dream.”

Walton said the hardest part about the competition was not being able to see the words on paper.

“When he started asking questions in Latin, it was hard because I’m not used to speaking it, just seeing it,” he said. “I was really happy that all of the hard studying paid off.”

Latin is the root of many words in languages throughout the world, something Walton finds beneficial. “It’s great for your English or any other language vocabulary. A lot of things are derived from it. It’s cool to see everything behind it,” he said.

Students taking Latin are continuously learning, according to Braden. “From my own experience, I am almost every day seeing a word for the first time and realizing where it came from and what it means,” she said. “It keeps on giving. Latin also strengthens the mind.”

Braden also said students who study Latin have an advantage heading into their future endeavors.

“You have to be able to think quickly, analyze and put the facts in a row. It’s really rewarding, and it trains students to think better in everything they do for the rest of their lives,” Braden said. “I’ve heard from students who said it helps them all over.”

The language’s background was something that drew Walton’s interest. “I like the language because of the history and culture behind it. I started always thinking about all of the historical people who spoke it and how important it was to some people,” Walton said.

Bow senior finds home away from home

Bow Editor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:00:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

When it comes to snow and ice, New Hampshire is one of the best places to go, but Ian Orton was mostly interested in the ice.

Orton, a graduating senior from Bow High School, left his friends and family in North Carolina and loaded his hockey equipment into the car after being recruited to play for the Manchester Junior Monarchs.

Orton moved in with a host family in Bow last August, and changing from the city life of Raleigh to a small town was an eye-opening experience for him. “It has been good. Everyone has been really nice and they know you since it is such a small town,” he said. “Everyone I have met has been very open and receiving to me and listened to what I have to say.”

Since Orton has no family in the area, his host family did their best to make him feel at home. “Basically, we try to become his surrogate family,” said Meredith Moore, who Orton stayed with while going to school in Bow. “We make him feel like the house is his house and make him fit in like he’s part of the family.”

The transition to a new life was a difficult one for Orton.

“It was definitely a new experience. I have never done anything like this before,” he said. “I gave up all of my friends and family. There was a lot that needed to be done to get used to things up here, and making new friends.”

Despite the difficulties that came with the drastic change, Orton said it was a beneficial experience.

“I learned a lot of people skills and about meeting new people when I came here,” he said. “You learn how to interact with different people, and about not judging a book by its cover.” Moore said she has noticed a change in Orton since he arrived less than a year ago.

“He’s definitely matured. He’s worked very hard and grown up a lot. I think a lot of that has to do with the whole process, moving away from home,” Moore said. “He was 17 and having to make all new friends. Being away from his family was hard, but I think that experience helped him a lot.”

In addition to finishing his high school education, Orton spent most of his time either at the hockey rink or spending time with his teammates taking in some of the ski slopes of New Hampshire.

Orton will take at least one year off playing with the Junior Monarchs before pursuing an education and scholarship at a Division I school, potentially staying in the New England area.

He wants to find a school with a good business program, and said he sees similarities between the classroom and hockey arena.

“I just have to keep practicing hard, working out and pushing myself. I like to strive to be the best at whatever I do,” he said. “I do it to the best of my ability whether it be school, a job or sports. You have to just want to improve yourself as a person.”

Dick Welch named Citizen of the Year

Bow Editor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:55:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

When Bow residents have a project and need a volunteer, many of them know the first person they can call – Dick Welch.

Whether building the flagpole near the gazebo or helping to renovate Old Town Hall, Welch has contributed to his hometown in many ways.

Welch, a Bow resident for 72 years, was recognized for his contributions during the May 14 Town Meeting, and was presented the annual Citizen of the Year award by the Bow Men’s Club.

“For years he has led us in all kinds of different projects, whether it’s mechanic or carpentry work,” said Men’s Club Secretary Charlie Griswold. “Any time you ask him to do anything, he’s right there, the first to volunteer.”

Welch has watched the town grow during his years in Bow, and with that has come a higher sense of community.

“It went from, when I was a kid, 900 people and now we have 8,000. It makes it a lot different. I think volunteerism has gained a lot,” Welch said. “There are a lot of people who do a lot of these things strictly because they want to. They just do it.”

When Welch was given the Citizen of the Year award during the first half of Town Meeting on May 14, he showed another of his personality traits, Griswold said – he brought it back during the second part of the meeting on Wednesday, May 28.

“He has such a great sense of humor,” said Griswold. “He told me he brought the trophy back because he put it on eBay, but wasn’t satisfied because he didn’t get any bites.”

The Memorial Day parade in Bow is also a result of Welch’s contributions to the town, as he is among those who heads up the planning of the event. He also has been involved in roadside cleanup.

“Dick has the unique ability to get people and groups to work together,” said Griswold, adding the award was long deserved. “It was a unanimous choice by the committee. We think with all of the things he’s done, this was the year.”

Welch joked about his favorite aspect of living in Bow over the decades.

“We have a good location. We’re 10 minutes from town and I don’t think I’d want to go anywhere else,” said Welch. “It used to be low taxes, but that’s come to an end.”

Bow Elementary students learn to save money

Bow Editor — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:38:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Bow Elementary School second-graders now know something about saving for the future, and you can bank on that.

Fidelity Investments and Jump$tart Coalition sponsored a program at the school on Thursday, April 17, to show students the difference between wants and needs, and the importance of saving their coins.

To prove the value of investing, the groups gave each of the students a three-section coin jar and $10 in coins to put into it.

“We were really happy to be able to pair with Jump$tart to (conduct) this class because we have a strong belief that being educated about finances is a lifelong experience,” said Joe Murray, Fidelity’s director of public affairs.

Second-grader Sonya Delorie couldn’t wait to deposit her newly acquired coins into her jar.

“I liked that we got these jars, and I am really excited to put my quarters in it,” said Delorie, who knows exactly what she wants to save up for.

“I want to buy a dictionary because I want to use it for school.”

Each of the banks given to the students had a section to help save money for both future expenses such as college, as well as entertainment.

Gillian Martin, a second-grader at the assembly, had plans for her coins as well.

“I was really excited because I will put a few coins in each part so I don’t spend it all in one area,” she said.

The program was the first the groups had sponsored, and Murray said he is hopeful on the lasting effects it will have.

“We expect that it’ll be a memorable program. Kids have a lot to learn in reading, writing and arithmetic,” said Murray. “Learning to save money isn’t something that is always taught, so we hope this has a lasting impact in terms of their behavior when it comes to money.”

About 150 students packed the school’s library to view slides and interact with the presenters, writing down on Post-it notes one example of a want and one example of a need.

Some students at a young age already realize the importance of spending money on the essentials, as one student raised his hand and told presenters he would need to spend money on life insurance and college.

After learning about saving, Martin is looking toward the future.

“I think it would be important to save money because if I don’t have enough money when I get older I can’t afford things like water, TV and cables,” she said.

Science raises awareness of concussions and their consequences

Bow Editor — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:07:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

In his 25-plus years as athletics trainer at Salem High School, Sean Cox has witnessed his share of hard hits to the head.

And he’s seen the ramifications.

Football player Matt Starr, for instance, experienced an early-season concussion – a jarring injury of the brain resulting in disturbance of cerebral function and sometimes marked by permanent damage.

After missing a week of action, he returned to play, then experienced another head trauma several games later. Starr not only lost the remainder of his 2003 gridiron schedule, but the majority of the wrestling season as well.

The one thing Cox has never dealt with is a player’s death, though he knows others have been in that situation. That’s why Cox and many other trainers, team doctors and coaches are constantly re-educating themselves on the dangers of repeated head trauma.

It wasn’t long ago, after all, that a player took a hard hit to the head, answered a few questions and was swiftly inserted back into a game. Now, re-entry isn’t so easy.

“A football player who whacked his head in a football game in 1982 would kind of stumble off the field, and we’d kind of kid about it – ‘Oh, my ears are ringing,’ ‘You got your bell rung.’ – that kind of stuff, and as soon as they improved and became functional, they were right back in there,” said Cox. “We didn’t care so much about a little dizziness, a little headache, a little upset stomach. They went back in.

“Now we know you have kids that are not completely healed from a head injury, and then they get hit again, and it can even be kind of minor, but it causes their brain to shut down rather quickly. I mean, they can die in a couple minutes,” he added. “It doesn’t happen very often, and I try not to operate scared, but it’s a great motivator to make sure a kid is fully recovered before you let them play again.”

The data

According to a recent study published by, among others, Dr. Barry P. Boden and Dr. Robert C. Cantu in the July 2007 edition of the American Journal of Sports Medicine, roughly seven direct catastrophic football head injuries occurred each year between 1989 and 2002 in scholastic athletics.

Catastrophic injuries are defined as direct – resulting from participation in the skills of a sport – or indirect – resulting from systemic failure secondary to exertion while participating in a sport. Each classification is further subdivided into three categories:

• fatal – the injury causes the death of the athlete;

• nonfatal – the injury causes a permanent neurologic functional disability; and

• serious – while severely injured, the athlete has no permanent functional disability.

Youth and high school players face a greater risk of catastrophic injury, and those with a prior head injury, especially in the same season, are more likely to suffer another trauma.

Though Boden’s study indicated no clear reason for a higher incidence of catastrophic injuries among high school vs. college football players, Gregory Soghikian, the former West High School and current Bedford High School team physician, said some coaches and researchers point to inexperience.

“One of the problems may be that kids haven’t learned to hit properly. They use their head as a weapon,” said Soghikian.

He also said younger athletes may be at greater risk because their skulls are not fully developed.

“Their cranium, or brain shell, has not fully matured and is not as strong as an adult cranium,” said Soghikian. “There is a presumption a developing brain is more susceptible to being disturbed … physically. The electrical pathways are more easily scrambled, but the exact reasons why, we don’t know.

“At the same time, the younger brain seems to have the ability to heal quicker,” he added. “I don’t know if it’s because that area heals better or if the brain has the ability to set up different pathways and sort of bypass the injured area.”

Boden’s study also noted there were 497 reported fatalities on the gridiron between 1945 and 1999, and 69 percent were caused by brain injuries, with a spike in deaths from 1965 to 1969 when football was flourishing and equipment wasn’t keeping pace with the sport’s popularity.

While the number of deaths may seem relatively low, research headed by Dr. Kimberly G. Harmon at the University of Washington’s Sports Medicine Clinic indicated that, of the roughly 1.25 million athletes playing high school football each year, up to 20 percent sustain a concussion during their career.

Laura C. Decoster, executive director of the New Hampshire Musculoskeletal Institute, said there is no New Hampshire-specific concussion data available.

There were, according to the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association, 3,305 state athletes who played high school football in the 2004-05 academic year.

Assuming Harmon’s national study translates proportionately to New Hampshire, up to 661 of 2004’s state high school football athletes have suffered or will suffer a concussion while playing the game.

Double trouble

Joe Cacciatore, a certified athletics trainer at Pelham High School, said concussions generally occur from a collision but sometimes happen when an athlete’s head hits the ground or another surface. The force of impact is hard enough to cause the brain to rebound off the skull or bruise at the direct site of impact. While one in five high school football players face a serious head injury, Soghikian said concussions are not limited to “contact” sports such as football, lacrosse and hockey.

Whether it’s a batter hit in the head with an 85-mph fastball or two basketball players colliding during play, concussions occur on all playing surfaces, he said. That’s why it’s important for coaches and players to become educated about the risks.

The biggest concern for medical professionals today is second-impact syndrome.

According to a 1999 assessment by Harmon, second-impact syndrome was first described in 1973 and involves a player returning to action before symptoms from a prior injury have subsided.

“A second blow to the head, even a minor one, can result in a loss of autoregulation of the brain’s blood supply,” said Harmon. “This leads to a vascular engorgement and subsequent herniation of the brain that is usually fatal.”

Between 1992 and 1999, Harmon said 17 cases of second-impact syndrome were reported in football alone.

The pressure to play No one denied it, not the coaches, not the trainers, not the doctor and not the player. All parties involved said the same thing: the pressure to have an athlete on the playing surface is undeniable.

Dave Tremblay has coached at both the youth level, mentoring Pop Warner teams with the Hooksett Hurricanes for seven years, and in high school, where he took over as Pembroke Academy head coach in 2007.

He said his experience is that high school athletics trainers tend to be more conservative than EMTs and nurses on the Pop Warner sidelines.

Tremblay said because trainers have the final say, high school athletes are less likely to be reinserted into a game after a hit to the head.

“Trainers at a high school game have liability concerns, especially because most of them are contracted by the school district,” he said. “If they send a kid back in there, it’s on them.”

For a coach, that creates some frustrating moments.

“There are definitely times when our trainers say (a player) can’t go back in, and I think they can,” added Tremblay. “We have some kids take some pretty good hits, and you can usually tell if the kid really got their clock cleaned … but it’s probably good, in those situations, that (the decision) is taken out of the coach’s hands.”

Cox said he understands the pressure and feels it too, but noted most coaches today are like Tremblay: They want to win but, first and foremost, respect the health of their athletes.

There have been times when a physician has given a player the thumbs up to return to action, and Cox balked.

He said his approval is contingent on a player remaining asymptomatic following physical exertion tests such as backpedaling and running.

In fact, both Cox and Soghikian said the clock for a player’s return doesn’t begin to tick until symptoms have completely subsided. Sure, the parents are disappointed at times, sometimes angry, but Cox simply lets them know playing isn’t an option. He’s even called the doctor and explained his position, and nearly every time, the doctor acquiesced.

“That’s one of those battles I have chosen to fight,” said Cox. “Sure I (get pressured). Of course I do … I’ve never had it happen, but if a coach disagreed with me and I had to walk out onto the field, stop the game and physically remove (a player) myself, I would.”

But there is no greater pressure than from the players themselves.

“They expect each other to be able to play and not react to an injury,” said Goffstown’s head football coach, Rob Cathcart. “If someone has a sprained ankle, they play through a sprained ankle. If it’s a separated shoulder, they play with a separated shoulder. That’s the mentality you want a football player to have. But with a head injury, the idea they’re now susceptible to a greater injury, that’s the tough one to get kids to understand.”

Cathcart said he’s had players argue with him on the sideline. Bow High’s hockey coach, Tim Walsh, knows the feeling.

“I don’t even listen to the kids,” said Walsh. “If a kid gets his head hurt, and he says he’s fine, I don’t believe it because they’re supposed to say that. You want them to want to play. Until a trainer or doctor says, ‘OK,’ I don’t even pay attention. A concussion (is) different.”

But the greatest fear of concerned adults is the injury only the player knows about. Starr, a sophomore when he suffered his season-ending concussion in 2003, said trainers and coaches knew of only three or four of the seven or eight significant head injuries he experienced in high school.

“If it was serious enough, I couldn’t hide it, but once I learned the symptoms, I pretty much figured out what I had to do to keep playing,” he said. “I was just a stupid high school kid. It was pride. I didn’t want to show weakness.”

Starr said he hasn’t competed in a contact sport since 2006, but admitted he may suffer from short-term memory loss.

“The kid who has a minor bell-ringing, who decided not to tell his coach or trainer because he doesn’t want to be taken out of a game or miss games, and then they get a second injury shortly thereafter, those are the ones we worry about, and those are the ones most at risk of serious injury, even dying,” said Soghikian.

“That’s my anxiety,” said Cathcart. “That’s where I think the culture lies in that a kid won’t tell anyone because he’s afraid he will let his teammates down.”

But Soghikian said things are changing.

“We’re trying to get away from that cultural mentality,” said Soghikian. “Sometimes kids won’t tell you, but they tell their teammates, and more and more often you’re seeing those teammates come up to us discreetly and saying, ‘Hey, so-and-so has a headache’ or ‘So-and-so got hit in the head and didn’t say anything.’ That’s a nice change in culture in that kids are becoming protectors of teammates rather than, ‘Hey … tough it out and get back out there.”

Technology’s impact – good and bad Tremblay said head injuries are becoming rarer, mostly due to technological improvements.

“There are times when they get their bell rung, that’s for sure, but I haven’t seen too many major head injuries,” he said. “We get a lot of broken legs and things of that nature, but with the helmets nowadays, truthfully enough, we don’t see a whole lot of head injuries.”

Cathcart is trying to further reduce the risk. After reading “Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis from the NFL to Youth Leagues,” by former Harvard football player and World Wrestling Entertainment employee Chris Nowinski, Cathcart realized the value of good equipment.

“We used to be very middle-priced oriented in terms of helmets and other equipment, but after reading that book, we made the decision to go with the top-of-the- line helmets,” said Cathcart. “And the bigger thing that we learned is that virtually as important as the helmets is how you handle the jaw area.”

The Goffstown program made two pieces of equipment available to players. The first, said Cathcart, is the Brain-Pad mouth guard. Unlike conventional mouth guards, which cover only the upper portion of a player’s mouth, the Brain-Pad fits over the lower teeth as well and includes a hole for easier breathing. It allows an athlete to bite all the way down, eliminating a loose lower jaw and, added the coach, drastically reducing the chance of concussion.

The other upgrade GHS is promoting is a chin strap with a hard outer shell. Cathcart said the risks associated with blows to the chin are just as great as hits to the cranium, and a soft chin strap does little to protect a player during a direct hit.

“A lot of people don’t have money to buy a top-of-the-line helmet,” said Cathcart. “But they certainly have the ability to get the $15 chin strap and the $20 mouth guard, which is a whole lot better and greatly reduces your risk.”

Unlike football, modern hockey has seen certain technological upgrades actually increase the amount of concussions, said Walsh.

The boards and glass have become stiffer in newer rinks to limit awkward bounces of the puck, Walsh said. In turn, there has been a noticeable increase in head injuries.

“Very rarely is it the openice hit. Sometimes you get a hard elbow or something like that, but usually the wind just gets knocked out you,” said the coach. “The majority (of serious head injuries) have been collisions with the opposing player and the boards. A player’s head gets caught between rigid glass and a 230-, 240-pound kid, and something’s got to give.”

Data from the National Hockey League backs up Walsh’s perception. “The reported concussion rate in the NHL during the last five years is more than triple that of the previous decade,” concluded a study completed by R.A. Wennberg and C.H. Tator and published in August 2003 in the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences. “Bigger, faster players, new equipment and harder boards and glass have all theoretically increased the risk of concussion in the NHL in recent years.”

Prevention and, if necessary, diagnosis

While collisions in hockey are inevitable, and Walsh has seen his players absorb and deliver plenty of vicious checks, he said those on the ice can avoid serious injury with intelligent play.

“The biggest thing we tell our kids is when you go after the puck to skate through the puck, not to the puck,” he said. “When you stop moving your feet, that’s when you ask for trouble with that big hit.”

Once that big hit happens, however, there are usually telltale signs something is wrong, and the time for playing games is over.

According to Harmon, early indicators of concussion include headaches; dizziness; confusion; tinnitus, or ringing in the ears; nausea; vomiting; and vision change.

In the long term – extending into weeks, sometimes months and, in extreme circumstances, years – those falling victim to a traumatic brain injury often experience memory disturbances, poor concentration, irritability, sleep disturbance, personality changes and fatigue.

Soghikian said sports medical professionals, to improve diagnoses, are adopting innovative approaches such as neuro-psychological studies.

“Basically, we’re talking about fine-tuned cognitive studies to determine if somebody has some long-term issues related to a head injury,” he said. “… We want to try to get a baseline on the person beforehand to determine any variations.”

Trainers generally adhere to 16 to 20 guidelines for evaluating and grading a head injury. All safety guidelines, said Soghikian and Cox, should be met before an athlete can play again.

The minimum amount of time players miss often depends on the amount of trauma they’ve experienced. Cantu, chief of neurosurgery and director of sports medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass., and other researchers recommend an escalating scale based on the severity of the injuries and the number of occurrences.

In many cases, multiple concussions end an athlete’s season, sometimes a career.

That, said Soghikian, is better than the alternative.

Annual Winterfest is Feb., 9

admin — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:02:00 GMT

BY IRENE CLOTHIER

Tell the kids to grab their mittens and ice skates!

The annual Bow Winterfest is on Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Bow Recreation Department. Despite recent warmer temperatures, there is still enough snow on the ground to hold the event, regardless of weather. Co-sponsored by Bow Rotary and the Recreation Department, the event brings families together for a day of fun, games and celebration.

“I think my favorite part is the enthusiasm with the kids. It’s a real family event,” said Bill Gunn of the Bow Rotary Club. “We’re really focused on the kids and doing all of the different activities. It’s the excitement around the family doing something together.”

The classes will be grades 1 through 8, unless otherwise noted, with boys and girls competing separately. Winners for all events will be announced and ribbons awarded.

“We want to have something for everyone. If you have a family with a 3- or 4-year-old and an 11-year-old, there’s something for each. Everyone can shine a different way,” said Gunn.

The following is a list of scheduled events:

• 8 to 10 a.m. – Winterfest kicks off with an all-you-can-eat breakfast with pancakes, sausage, orange juice, hot chocolate and coffee. The cost is $3 for adults, $2 for children. “We’re prepared for about 150 people with a great breakfast,” said Gunn.

• 9 a.m. – Sliding races will be the first outdoor activity.

• 10 a.m. – Skating races commence for grades 1 through 6, with boys and girls racing separately.

• 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Poster contest commemorating Winterfest. Supplies will be available. The contest is open to all individuals, families and groups. Winners will be announced at 3:30 p.m.

• 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Make your own snow sculpture. Individuals, families and groups are invited to register and compete. Judging takes place at 1 p.m., with winners announced at 4 p.m.

• 11 a.m. – Indoor obstacle course for grades 1 through 8.

• 1 p.m. – Hockey Puck Shootout on the ice.

• 1 to 3 p.m. – Bow Pioneers Snowmobile Club will give rides on the town pond for a donation to Easter Seals.

• 2:30 p.m. – Wood hockey puck toss happens out on the ice. The Bow High School Interact Club will be selling tossing pucks for $1 each, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. A prize will be awarded for the best toss.

• 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. – Indoor basketball foul-shooting contest. Classes will include grades 1 through 8, with boys and girls competing separately; plus ninth grade to adults.

• 5 p.m. – Bonfire will be ignited to cap off the day. A 50/50 raffle will be held throughout the day. All events are free of charge unless otherwise noted. For additional information and last-minute changes, visit www.bowrotary.org.

– Staff writer Matt Schooley contributed to this article.

Bow basketball puts learning in kids’ court

Bow Editor — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:48:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

They may not be able to dunk yet, but Bow first- and second-graders are learning how to play basketball, as well as lessons that will stay with them when they step off the floor.

The Bow Youth Basketball program teaches aspiring athletes the basics of the sport, teamwork and good sportsmanship.

“I think it’s important that kids start at a young age. Now you see youth sports with kids starting at 3 and 4,” said Lisa Sileau, one of the coaches in the program. “Not only is it important for them physically, but socially. When they’re in school everything is structured. This is structured, but fun. It isn’t the competition, but socializing as well.”

At the youngest level of Bow Youth Basketball, there are no games. Teams practice for one hour twice a week working on basic skills.

“It’s a lot of helping each other and being positive. It takes practice and it’s like some other things in school, too,” said Dee Treybig, who has been coaching her husband, Phillip’s, team while he’s away on business. “It’s like, how do you get better in math or writing? You have to practice. It’s OK to not get it right now. It’ll come over time.”

With the age of the children and only an hour to practice, Sileau said the practices are fast moving.

“You have to make everything you’re doing quick. You don’t want to drag it out and lose their attention,” said Sileau. “We try to make it as fun as possible so they want to go further and keep them continuing to come.”

Due to snow, some of the teams have lost practice times since the program began about two weeks ago, but, Sileau said, there has already been a noticeable difference in her young athletes.

“Surprisingly, we noticed a difference on our second practice,” she said. “The kids are extremely enthusiastic about it. The second night they were already doing what we did the first day. It was amazing what they learned in just that one practice. They soak in so much and learn so much.”

Learning the new skills is not only beneficial for the children, but also for the coaches.

“I really enjoy seeing the kids when they figure out a new skill, when they just get it,” said Treybig.

“They’re so eager and honest at this age that they don’t try to ‘act cool’ or anything. They’re open and honest about their expressions. Watching them and being part of their new experience is great.”

Bow offers a variety of programs for youth and adults, including: a American Red Cross babysitting course beginning Feb. 4.

“Kinder Karate” class for children 4 to 6, which runs Mondays from 10:55 to 11:35 a.m. The town skating rink has opened, but users should call to check that the ice is solid before visiting.

For information on any of the department’s programs or to register, call 228-2222.

School in jeopardy

Bow Editor — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:46:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The future of the Celebrating Children Preschool will be decided by the Bow Board of Selectmen in late November, as the school may be forced to move or close.

On Wednesday, Nov. 28, board members will discuss space issues regarding the school. Classes are currently held at Town Hall, but it may be difficult for them to stay there because of space issues.

Parents were given a notice about the Nov. 28 meeting, and have begun circulating a petition to show board members that the community supports keeping the school open.

“My son is doing excellent socially, learning so much and meeting people in the community,” said Dawn Gorton, a Celebrating Children parent. “To try to find a preschool where we could find those things would be so tough. The staff and directors at the school have been so great, and I’d hate to see it shut down.”

The Nov. 28 meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building’s Meeting Room A.

Beloved pug finds his way to family in a roundabout way

Bow Editor — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:54:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The odds were certainly stacked against Wilbur.

The 8-month-old 5-pound pug could have gone from house pet to dinner, but thanks to the help of a community member, Wilbur returned to the Clark home after four days and four nights in the woods of Bow.

On Tuesday, Oct. 9, Wilbur, his owner Susan Clark and one of Clark’s friends were hiking through Nottingcook Forest, when something startled the animal and he took off running through the woods.

For hours, the two searched through the woods looking for the dog, followed by another two and a half hours that night in the pouring rain. But, there was no sign of Wilbur.

After spending the following day making and posting fliers, the family received a great response from the community, she said.

“Many people noticed the fliers and called to say they were going hiking and would look for him. There was a huge response from people in town. My husband and I had to go away Thursday morning, so I had to leave this whole mess undone,” said Clark.

While Clark was away, she left her children at a friend’s home on the other side of town on Woodhill Hooksett Road.

Enter George Reed.

Reed, a resident of the road, was driving along in his black pickup truck when he saw a small pug walking by itself. He stopped and picked it up to try and locate the dog’s owner.

About 100 yards away, Clark’s son, Ryan, was out in the driveway of his friend’s house playing. When Reed approached the home to ask if anyone was missing a pug, Ryan immediately

yelled Wilbur’s name.

Clark said she is amazed by the coincidence.

“It’s so surreal that we lost him, and that he would be found and driven to the house the kids were staying. It was incredible,” she said. “First of all it’s incredible that a 5-month 8-pound puppy could be in the woods for that long and not be eaten by something. To think that he made it out on his own, got to the road and stayed there. That’s amazing.”

Reed said he didn’t think twice about scooping up Wilbur, who was the runt of his litter.

“It was a very natural thing to do. I saw him walking along, and I didn’t think that was right, so I picked him up,” said Reed. “It must have been some sort of divine intervention. It was very nice to see how happy the family was to get the dog back.”

After getting his dog back, Ryan called his mother to tell her the news.

“I couldn’t even believe it,” said Clark. “He called on my cell phone screaming. It took me two minutes to get him calmed down to tell me what had happened.”

The Clark family met up with Reed to thank him for his kind deed and also invited friends who helped search to dinner to thank them.

Reed was happy to meet the family whose dog he returned. “They are a very sweet family,” he said. “It’s a sweet family story for you.”

(Editor’s Note: Susan Clark of Bow has no relation to The Bow Times News Editor Susan Clark.)

Dogs reunited with owners after missing six months

Bow Editor — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:21:00 GMT

BY SARAH LEBRUN

When Becky and Matthew Carr’s two Shih Tzus went missing six months ago, they thought they would never see them again.

That all changed on Friday, March 22, when Becky received a call from Hope Bourdeau, the kennel manager at the Concord-Merrimack County SPCA in Penacook. Their dogs had been found.

“I just started bawling,” said Becky. “I threw some clothes on and went right to the SPCA.”

According to Bourdeau, a Concord man brought the dogs to the shelter March 21, after Annabelle allegedly bit the family’s 2-year-old daughter. The dogs had been living in the couple’s home for six months, after they were found wandering in Bow.

“He drove up (to the SPCA) in a Mercedes, and he refused to pay a surrender fee,” said Bourdeau.

The Bow family’s dogs, Annabelle and Oliver, got out of the house Sept. 4, 2006, when the family’s cat opened a sliding door.

“They hadn’t been gone 10 minutes before my husband took off on the four-wheeler looking for them,” said Becky.

According to Becky, the dogs were not wearing any identification when they got out, as they had just been to the groomer that day.

“I don’t know how somebody could think we just left them when they’d just been groomed,” said Becky.

The Carrs posted missing dog fliers in towns within a 50- mile radius – at police stations, veterinarian offices and animal shelters, offering a $500 reward if found.

“My husband and I spent weekends for two months putting up fliers,” said Becky.

Thinking they would never see their dogs again, the Carrs got a new dog – a pomeranian and shih tzu mix named Milo.

“He was a Valentine’s Day gift to our son,” said Becky.

“(Our son) Matty was heartbroken when (the dogs) left,” said Becky. “His first word was doggie. Not mommy or daddy. Doggie.

“I feel like I’ve been living in a dream world since they returned.”

“We’re just glad to have them back,” said Matthew. “They’re in pretty good spirits – better than we were for six months. We can’t think the SPCA enough.” According to Concord police, there is an ongoing investigation, and no additional information is being released.