After another solid year. Bow racer on track to move up

Bow Editor — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:54:00 GMT

BY DAVID SUITOR

Brad Zahensky wants to race NASCAR someday, and in preparation he is learning his craft by kart racing at Sugar Hill Speedway in Weare.

The 11-year-old already has three years of experience on paved oval tracks. After taking second in the Tiger Sprint A division, he’ll move up in class next year to the Junior Outlaw division for 12- to 15-year-olds.

Zahensky’s No. 7 racing kart is powered by a menthol-burning, single-cylinder, four-stroke Briggs and Stratton Raptor racing engine. That’s roughly 18 horsepower. Couple that with slick tires and an aerodynamic body for racing on an asphalt oval, and the young Zahensky can reach speeds in the 50 to 60 mph range.

For safety, the karts have a full roll cage, an aluminum racing seat and a five-point racing harness.

Zahensky, a good all-around athlete, also plays soccer, basketball and baseball. When the weather won’t allow on-track racing, he and his family go offroad on their snowmobiles.

The Bow Memorial School fifth-grader is a second-generation racer. His father, Paul, raced dirt cars at Orange County Speedway in New York for many years. The elder Zahensky now turns the wrenches, as well as serving as crew chief, transporter driver, marketing director and instructor for his son, one of four children.

With the help of his experienced coach, the younger Zahensky strives to be a smooth, smart racer. He certainly has the pedigree, as well as good equipment and sponsors, to reach his goals.

Bow's REACH program piques students’ interests

Bow Editor — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:01:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Thanks to the Bow School District’s REACH Program, students have found themselves in an operating room, performing chemistry experiments and even meeting Gov. John Lynch. Not bad places to be before graduating middle school.

The REACH mentoring programs gives students the chance to expand their interest in areas thanks to the volunteers in a variety of fields.

Small groups of students meet with the mentors usually once a week for about 45 minutes, either before or during school. The students are often recommended to the program by teachers or parents, but Bow Memorial School students often approach coordinator Christy Romano as well.

“I want to provide that opportunity for students who want to go above and beyond. It’s the neatest thing because I have mentors from the community, I have parents, teachers, school board members, high school students,” said Romano. “It’s a great relationship that’s formed. It’s cool to sit down and share that common interest.”

The program is entering its seventh year, and Romano said it helps students continue their learning even when it isn’t going to be seen on a report card.

“There’s no homework, there’s no grades; everyone gets to talk,” Romano said. “In a class, not everyone is going to have that opportunity, so it’s something that has been working.”

Romano organizes a variety of mentors, with topics on math, science, leadership and others.

“Students have the opportunity to learn more about what they’re passionate about and to gain perspective from someone who has a little more to share in that interest,” she said.

Students who took part in the inaugural year of the REACH program are now students in college and, Romano said, many of them are studying the subject they took an interest in during the mentoring sessions. She also said it will be interesting to see where the students currently in the program end up once they head into the professional world.

“Maybe we have some early engineers or doctors in the program,” said Romano.

Students have now returned to school following their summer breaks, and Romano has already been working to get mentors for children in the program.

“It’s nice to have the summer to reflect on the year and what I would do differently, and then you get rejuvenated,” said Romano. “You start talking to people, and I have already talked to about a half dozen people for mentoring, and four have said yes.”

With the first bell ringing each year comes a new challenge for the students, and for Romano.

“I know I’ll have kids who will be so excited to be a part of the groups. It’s something new and exciting each year, and every year it’s different,” said Romano. “No year has ever been the same.”

Bow News : bow memorial school

After another solid year. Bow racer on track to move up

Bow's REACH program piques students’ interests