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Athletes perform – and watch – at state meet

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:16:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

At the girls gymnastics state championships, the hosts won the title, but the guests – teams and individuals – still enjoyed the show.

Salem High beat second-place Pinkerton and third-place Central on Saturday, Feb. 21, for its third straight New Hampshire championship, but Little Green athletes, as well as individuals from Goffstown, Pembroke, John Stark and West, took their turns on vault, bars, beam and floor, then cheered on friend and friendly foe alike.

“They really appreciate when they see a talented gymnast,” said Ginnie LaVallo, Salem’s head coach, mentioning no team in particular. “They know the work that goes into doing any of this. So it’s nice to see them watching the other competitors.”

Manchester Central
Central’s Ainsley Smith finished fifth in the all-around, helping the Little Green to 130.625 points, 5.575 behind the Blue Devils and two back of the Astros. Spaulding’s Kaitlyn O’Brien won the individual allaround with 36.2 points.

Sarah Conley and Hooksett’s Liz Wong added important points for Central, with Wong a top-10 performer on vault and bars.

Meg Norklun, who coaches Central and the lone West entrant, Jill Dusseault, said the sport fosters friendship because so many of the athletes know each other through gymnastics training centers, not just as school teammates or opponents.

Conley co-captained this year’s Central team with Chelsie Gilbert. They graduate, along with Bonnie Duval, Laura Robitaille and Molly Friedman-Cowan.

But Smith returns as a senior in 2010, and Wong, Abby Noonan, Jessica Carignan and Katie Williamson are back for their junior years. Emily Harrises competed on bars as a freshman.

Manchester West
Dusseault put up a top-20 effort on uneven bars, posting her best score of the year. Afterward, Norklun and Goffstown’s coach, Carol Raza, shared a laugh. “All season long, she’s either jumped off the bar or landed on her butt,” said Norklun good-naturedly. The coach embraced and congratulated Dusseault after the event.

Pembroke Academy, Goffstown and John Stark
Ashley Reade led a trio of individuals with Neighborhood ties in the all-around. John Stark’s Reade placed 19th overall, including a tie for 12th on beam.

Pembroke’s Kelsey Dobe was 25th in the all-around, keyed by strong showings on vault and floor.

Jana Hieber, representing Goffstown, finished 30th in the all-around. Her best performance came during the floor exercise.

Kristin Paradis, Trinity High’s mentor when the school had a team, coached Reade and Dobe, who train together in Bow. Paradis also mentored Prospect Mountain’s Haley Farnham, tied for 18th in the all-around, and Belmont’s Joy Piper, 23rd.

Volunteering thrives as needs grow

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:59:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Although some volunteer organizations are down in numbers, many have experienced a significant increase in support during difficult economic times.

The growth of volunteerism can be seen, especially in Hooksett, where the Kiwanis Club is currently the fastest-growing group in New England.

“By the stroke of luck, we were born into good homes and good communities,” said Kiwanis President Fred Bishop. “That gives us an obligation to share that with the people around the world and in our country. That is what gives me the motivation.”

Currently the club has 67 members, and the club has expanded to the youth of the community, forming the Builders Club, a group that gives Cawley Middle School students the chance to get involved in volunteering.

“I think it’s very personally rewarding because you get a great feeling knowing you’ve helped establish young people serving the community,” said Bishop. “To see the interest, you assume kids are more interested in sports, texting on cell phones and playing video games – then you see these kids really involved.”

A similar group has been formed in Goffstown, where the Goffstown VolunTEENS can be found at the high school twice a month, advertising to the students about 13 organizations they can volunteer for.

Many of the students volunteer at the Goffstown Network food pantry. Although many households are struggling with the current economic climate, donations have actually increased according to David Greiner, a volunteer with the organization.

“I see stories all the time about the plight of food pantries,” said Greiner. “I find the opposite. The demand is definitely way up, but we’re doing well on the supply side because people hear the bad news and react. They see that they need to help. We’ve seen the support really pick up in the last 12 months or so.”

The Goffstown Network is open Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings, and Greiner said that if not for the volunteers, they would be unable to keep up with the heavy traffic.

Pelham’s Good Neighbors Fund has raised money for families in need since 1969, and Frank Sullivan, who has been with the group for 35 years, agreed with Greiner.

“People seem to donate more during tough economic times,” said Sullivan. “As a result of that, we’re able to help a lot more people in return with household expenses and other things.”

David Gilbert, a member of the Bedford Men’s Club said the group’s membership has been growing, and is up about 25 percent.

“I think we have some new people in town, and new people want to get out in the community and make a difference,” said Gilbert. “In our town, we’re no different than any other town. There are people in Bedford who need help, kids who need help, causes that need help. It’s still there, no matter where you go.”

Gilbert said he got involved with the club because of the effect he could have on the Bedford communities, particularly youth.

“I think it’s that I get to make a difference, and not just sit around and watch TV or whatever people do,” said Gilbert.

“We focus on kids in town, and the needs of the kids. It’s nice to do that because anything the kids need or want, they should have. If they see this volunteerism as a kid, maybe they’ll grow up to give back also.”

For the Bedford Lions Club,

Ernest Henrichon said now is the time to give to the community. “Obviously there are more people in need right now,” said Henrichon. “There are very definite needs for people that are less fortunate, and those of us who are more fortunate should step up and help them out.”

One group having a particularly difficult time finding and holding onto volunteers is the Hopkinton Fire Department, which relies on its volunteers to respond to emergencies.

Fire Chief Rick Schaefer’s policy is to have every volunteer become a certified firefighter, which requires a time commitment. Schaefer has been with the department for 30 years and said that there is a rule that will not allow there to be more than 50 members of the department. “I had to be put on a waiting list and waited a year before I could take someone’s spot,” said Schaefer. “We currently have 30 people, and it’s just gone down, down, down.”

Recently Schaefer went to a conference on volunteerism, and the speaker at the event said that in general, people do not volunteer as much as they used to.

“I would love to see two or three new faces every year. It isn’t for everyone,” said Schaefer. “You rely more on mutual aid. If we had an incident years ago we wouldn’t, but now we bump it up and are more apt to call them. You do what you can with what you’re given.”

Those who do volunteer have a positive experience, and Pelham’s Sullivan said he is surprised with the thanks he gets, and not always from the community members receiving assistance from volunteers.

“A lot of the people who donate to us send us thank you cards to tell us how great of an organization we are,” said Sullivan. “They are giving us donations, but they’re thanking us. It’s a tremendous feeling.”

Rules change aims to stifle fouling, raise sportsmanship

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:26:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Consider this: Team A and Team B enter the final game of the regular season. Team A is in first place, and team B is out of contention. At some point in the game a player from Team A goes for the ball and trips a Team B foe in the process.

A yellow card is drawn.

Team A wins the game and locks up the top playoff spot, yet that squad isn’t headed to the postseason.

The yellow card, Team A’s 12th, eliminated the top squad from the postseason based on a new rule. It states, in part:

… Any team, whose players/ coaches receive a collective total of 12 yellow cards during the regular season, will be ineligible for NHIAA tournament play and required to attend a hearing with the Soccer Committee.

(Editor’s note: the rule can be found at nhiaa.org under “Policies & Procedures.”)

Consider the alternative
As recently as five years ago, athletes ran around the pitch with little fear of repercussions. Of course, there were injuries, but there was an underlying lack of sportsmanship as well, said Steve Beals, chairman of the soccer rules committee. He began recording data on the amount of warning cards handed out in 2002, when there were 714 yellow cards among Granite State sub-varsity and varsity boys squads. The girls accumulated 161 such warnings.

Those numbers increased slightly in 2003, and in 2004 the NHIAA instituted rules that, in addition to personal penalties levied against the offending player, disqualified a coach for a game following 10 team yellow cards in a season.

That year, the numbers dropped to 576 yellow cards among males and 124 among females.

In 2006, Beals said teams became noticeably complacent about the rules, and the amount of yellow cards jumped to 676 and 142, respectively.

Last year, such stats were recorded electronically for the first time and only included varsity numbers, which produced a large margin for error in the data, said Beals.

This season, with the new rules in place, Beals said there’s no doubt the policies are working.

“The amount of yellow cards is way down, and there are currently no teams ineligible for the tournament,” he said. “We’re certainly confident we’re moving in the right direction.”

As of Thursday, Oct. 16, the varsity boys teams in New Hampshire had accumulated roughly 232 yellow cards, and the girls garnered 50 cards in that time.

While the results aren’t open to debate, the reasons for success are.

Stuart Pepper has coached boys and girls for many years with Seacoast United, and he’s mentored seven years at the high school level – five at Hollis- Brookline, where his team won a state championship without receiving a yellow card all season, and two years at Bedford, where he’s guided the secondyear Bulldogs to the postseason, again, without a penalty.

Pepper, who said he coaches his players the same way no matter the playing field, conceded he’s torn on the issue of stiffer penalties.

“On the one hand, I support anything that cleans up the game and stops dangerous fouls. But my feelings are, this season, referees are more lenient on giving out yellow cards, and I think many fouls are going unpunished,” he said. “So in a way, I think it’s not helped a team like Bedford that’s a clean team and plays the game the right way.”

Competing without seniors and regularly facing larger opponents would force many teams to adopt a chippier brand of soccer. That hasn’t happened at Bedford High.

“We have players that play aggressive and do compete, but they understand how to play within the laws of the game. Giving away stupid fouls hurts you more anyway. You conceded possession, and you take players off the field,” Pepper continued. “You do see teams that are overly aggressive and use that style of play to win games, but with me it’s a moral and a spiritual thing you take with you as an educator and a coach. You’ve got a job to do, and it’s not just winning games. It’s developing young adults.”

Players are seeing that mentality applied throughout the state.

Following an early-season contest in which the Goffstown boys received two yellow cards in one game, senior Ian Downing said coach Randy Lovering pulled the players aside at the next practice. He told them to maintain their intensity while being wary of unnecessary fouls that could cost the team later in the season. The Grizzlies want to win, said Downing, but they want to be smart about it.

For his part, Downing said he’s still aggressive against players of similar height and build, but takes a more cautious approach when going head to head with a smaller player because he feels he’s more likely to be carded for incidental contact.

There’s little doubt the nature of play is more physical in the boys game, yet Kendrick Whittle, coach of the Salem High School girls soccer team, also has questions about the new rules.

“I think in girls soccer, officials are reluctant to give players cards anyway, but what’s happening is it’s taking the officials’ ability to control the game away from them because nobody wants to keep a team from the playoffs,” said Whittle, who acknowledged he supports keeping the game clean, but noted the difficulty in being fair when cards are such a subjective part of the game.

“People forget a yellow card is nothing more than a warning for hard play,” he continued. “What’s next? Are we going to start penalizing a hockey team for too many penalty minutes or a basketball player for fouling out two games in a row?”

Talking points
R. Patrick Corbin, executive director of the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association, said he and the 11- member soccer board consulted with state representatives throughout the region, which includes schools from New England, New York and New Jersey. He said Connecticut and Massachusetts have the best results in minimizing the amount of cards handed out, so the NHIAA has attempted to model its policies after those states.

“I’d say it’s just another step in what has been a multi-year process to get a handle on the enormous amount of yellow cards and red cards that occur in soccer,” said Corbin, who noted that players and coaches learned to take advantage of the previous set of rules, so it was deemed a priority to make the policies more stringent in those areas.

Since 2004, a team’s 10th yellow card resulted in a onegame suspension for the coach. The count would then recycle. Because a coach didn’t want to miss a playoff game, some sent in players to purposely draw a card with a few regular-season games remaining, all in an effort to reset the count.

That type of loophole, said Corbin, required elimination. At the same time, he added, the committee decided to become less restrictive in other areas. Card counts used to start in the preseason, during scrimmages and jamborees. That’s no longer the case.

“Speaking with officials and coaches, we determined there were a heavier amount of cards given out early, while teams and players were still transitioning younger players and those who played in more lenient summer leagues. We felt that really put teams behind the eight ball before they even got started, so now we don’t start counting until the first game (of the regular season).”

Corbin also said a team is notified when it reaches six yellow cards, giving the athletics director and coach an opportunity to correct the issue before it becomes a real problem.

In addition, Corbin said the NHIAA is making a better attempt to monitor officials because of complaints of a lack of consistency among referees across the state.

“We want to be able to count on good coaching and are increasingly trying to work with officials. If we want better sportsmanship and behavior, a good official can contribute a lot just in the way that they handle routine situations that occur in the course of the game, and a lot of that involves constant communication with players and coaches,” said Corbin. “Whatever system we put in, there are going to be cynics out there. But our primary concern is injuries and trying to protect the students.”

Downing said he’s certainly noticed a change for the better.

“I’m sure (the referee) doesn’t want to be that person that kicks a team out (of the playoffs), but they’ll still give a card when they need to,” said Downing. “I just think they’re more hesitant to throw the card for the more ticky-tack things. They’re more likely to pull you aside and talk to you about it now.”

Paul Ostberg said he can see both sides.

As an official and 10- year coach at Memorial High School, Ostberg said a good referee rarely pulls a card from his pocket.

On the other hand, he’s seen one of his players take a deliberate elbow to the head and another break their clavicle on a hard takedown. Neither play resulted in a card being issued.

As difficult as it is to see some rough play go unpunished, Ostberg sympathizes with many officials, not only because of the enormity of their task – two referees keeping track of 22 players on a 120- by 80-yard field – but also because he knows they don’t want to punish the whole for the conduct of a few.

“My biggest thing is I don’t think the actions of an individual player should result in a team getting suspended. If you want to punish the player, punish the player, but don’t punish the team for one or two players’ actions,” said Ostberg. “It’s really a terrible thing to have a good season and then not be rewarded by going to the playoffs.”

The Memorial mentor admitted, however, play is cleaner this season, and he said coaches are doing a better job of policing their own players.

Ostberg’s team is one of the cleaner units in the state. The Crusaders maintain a 10-4-0 record and sit in fourth place in Class L. They have two yellow cards all season, and both warnings were given to the same player.

“One of those times (the player) was warned twice not to say anything, and he persisted. I give that official a lot of credit in that situation,” said Ostberg. “It’s amazing what happens when an official calls a player by their first name. That’s the key. Education and communication is probably the best way to get it solved.”

Central keeps Goffstown at bay on field, away in standings

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:07:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Everyone in Class L boys soccer wants to beat Central, but many teams have been unable to do so.

On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Goffstown High School fell into both categories.

The Grizzlies kept up with a fast Little Green team, but two second- half goals propelled Central to a 2-0 home victory over a fast-improving Goffstown team.

“We wear teams down,” said Central’s head coach, Chris La- Berge. “They’re big, strong and definitely the best Goffstown team I have coached against. They were really taking it to us for a while during the first half.”

Goffstown allowed Central few solid scoring chances until Chris Beauchesne pounded home a rebound from a Zachary Hrynowski shot with 19:54 remaining in the game to break the scoreless tie.

Yannick Kabala found the back of the net after a Kyle Thornton shot was saved by Goffstown keeper John Carbonneau with 3:14 remaining in the contest, capping the scoring.

Randy Lovering, Goffstown’s head coach, said his team’s second- half stumble was an aberration. “We may have gotten a little tired towards the end, so we will take care of that,” he said. “It won’t happen again.”

LaBerge said he spends a great deal of time during practices preaching the importance of second- chance shots.

“We work on shooting across the face of the goal. That’s why you shoot low and hard, because you get those second opportunities,” he said. “We talk about it all the time, I yell about it all the time.”

Ian Downing was given Goffstown’s best chance of the contest, and he blasted a shot from about 35 yards out with 28:41 remaining in the second half, a shot that Central keeper Brendan Covey pushed wide of the net to preserve his shutout.

“It was a playoff-like atmosphere out there,” said LaBerge. They want to knock us off at home and really legitimize their season. Teams want to beat Central.”

Goffstown, now 9-4-0 on the season, came into the game looking to make a statement.

“They’re one of those wins you want,” said Lovering. “I sure would like to see them again (in the playoffs).”

LaBerge said his team was constructed to play well on the field turf at Gill Stadium, and the coach of the 11-2-0 Little Green knows the final two rounds of the postseason are played on a similar surface at Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter.

“To play on turf you have to be very quick to the ball,” he said, then continued with a smile. “Believe me, I know where those games are going to be played.”

At games, some adults cross the line of unacceptable behavior

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:45:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Sitting at a youth hockey conference, watching what was likely to be another boring prerecorded training video, Kermit Brunelle sighed.

On the screen, Don Lucia, coach of the national champion University of Minnesota ice hockey team, was giving a speech.

“A lot of people think I have the best job in hockey, and I tell them, ‘You know, I have the second- best job in hockey,’” said Lucia. “‘The best job is being the head coach at an orphanage – no parents to deal with.’” Brunelle chuckled.

The Bedford native has been coaching youth hockey in the greater-Manchester area the past decade.

For nine years, he woke before sunrise, brought his son or daughter to a frigid ice rink and taught half-awake children to skate, handle the puck and, most importantly, play hard and clean. Only this year did he shed the added pressure of coaching one of his own children.

He’s been able to handle the lack of sleep and multiple layers of clothing well enough.

In fact, the experience has generally been positive, even rewarding, but it’s parents who think their child deserves more playing time than another, or those who vocally second-guess a coach or official, that grate on his nerves.

That behavior, said Brunelle, does not reflect the true nature of youth sports.

In some cases, emotions run high; in extreme cases, people are hurt, even killed. Usually, it’s the child who suffers.

Pressure points
As a Little League coach in Goffstown, Bob Gurskis knows all too well the weight parents can put on coaches’ and players’ shoulders.

In a town where baseball roots grow deep, he feels like just another weed to be plucked from the infield dirt, even after leading the Goffstown 9- and 10- year-old tournament team to a District 1 title in 2007.

“Some parents are so demanding, I literally have to talk to them and say, ‘Hey, lighten up, you’re taking the (kid’s minds) out of the game,’” said Gurskis. He said he’s talked to several players so disenchanted they’re ready to quit the sport rather than continue into Babe Ruth. It’s no wonder, he said, that at least one study indicates only 9 percent of children play organized baseball after the age of 12.

Gurskis grew up playing in Nashua and competed in semipro ball. He relocated to Florida and coached Little League there before moving to Goffstown. The attitude toward junior baseball in Goffstown – as compared to everywhere else he’s lived – is astounding, he said. “This year, even more than ever, I think it’s kind of 50-50.

Half the families and half the people involved understand baseball is entertainment. It’s a game. Coaches teach you to work hard. Sports is a healthy thing,” he said. “The other half take the game so far to the opposite direction. Every play is life or death. Every pitch is the last out of the World Series.”

And Gurskis said that mentality has reached the softball diamond, the soccer field and the football gridiron, among other playing surfaces.

“Everyone gets emotional,” he said. “But it becomes personal. ‘Why is your son getting the starting assignment and not mine?’ or ‘Why is he playing four innings and mine is only playing three and two-thirds?’”

Gurskis has clashed with fellow board members and coaches who have exhibited such an attitude, both at games and behind closed doors.

He can deal with the shots fired at him. It’s the collateral damage that concerns him.

“The pressure comes down on the kids, and that’s not what you want,” he said. “They’re going to find pressure in life without us. We don’t need to put more on them.

“Let’s help them try to be successful and analyze and improve what they’ve done wrong rather than scream at them for swinging at a bad pitch.”

It’s not just the coaches and players who are targets.

Leon Kenison of Bow began officiating baseball in high school when he was forced to substitute for a group of absent umpires. Roughly 50 years later he’s still listening to parents, coaches and players question his rulings. Most of it is background noise.

“Because of my gray hair, I guess I don’t get as much grief as some of my younger colleagues, whether it be from parents, coaches or players … But it’s tough to say because I’ve really trained myself not to hear that stuff,” said Kenison. “I know the younger (umps) let it get to them a little. When I’m in the stands I prefer to be a silent spectator and only positively encourage those on the field, but if I’m umping and someone gets really bad, I’ll just turn to them and say, “Gosh, I could use some help.”

There is constant recruiting for umpires, added Kenison, who said he’d rather be officiating than coaching.

“The coaches get a lot more pressure from parents in terms of, ‘Why doesn’t my kid play more?’” he said. “Not only do they have logistic stuff, in terms of scheduling practices and finding fields, which is a nightmare, but they have to deal with the parents of a 12-year-old kid who is going to break into the Major Leagues next week.”

Kenison has umpired and/ or coached at every local level, from Little League to high school to American Legion and beyond, and he’s seen the sport and the attitudes evolve.

In the past, a disruptive parent would be reprimanded and usually calmed by peers. These days, it’s not necessarily a parent’s actions that create problems, said Kenison, it’s inaction. “A kid (is) throwing a hissy fit when they think they’ve been tagged out or something like that,” he said. “… I’m not saying parents should reprimand their kids right on the field, but I certainly don’t see folks getting involved (in discipline) like they did 20 or 30 years ago. I think it makes it harder on the coaches more than anyone.”

Brunelle can relate.

On the ice, he teaches children to play with respect for themselves, their foes and the game, minus the violence generally associated with hockey. He knows other coaches preach a similar approach.

Yet many pupils still exhibit selfish tendencies.

“It’s the trips home from the rink after games,” said Brunelle. “(Parents are) talking about the performance of their individual child, where on the bench we’re stressing team play.”

Every now and then he witnesses the effects of a parent coaching from a distance.

“A lot of parents, I think, try to live vicariously through their children,” he said. “But parents yelling from the stands in such a manner that a child can hear it, that child usually takes it as criticism and internalizes it as a negative experience for them.”

Indeed, such actions generally serve as a deterrent to participate, said Kate Hays, who practiced sports psychology in Concord for 25 years before moving her practice to Toronto in 1997.

“Ironically, a kid may lose interest in being involved in sports because of the huge amount of negative energy involved,” she said. “(The parent) is thinking they’re protecting their kid or standing up for their kid, but most kids actually find that type of intervention embarrassing and feel more pressure to perform.

“Essentially, what may ordinarily be a fun activity with friends begins to have a lot of emotional pieces that in turn create long-term implications.”

Jim Bail not only coaches and serves as a Little League board member in Windham, but he scouts players for the professional ranks.

At one particular American Legion game in 2007, Bail was asked by Concord coach Avril Cate to take a look at a couple players.

Bail obliged and, after the game, pulled one particular athlete aside and told him he’ll never have a chance at the next level if he continues to throw fits over an umpire’s calls.

“I see parents softening their kids up a little more than is good for them,” he said.

More than ever, he added, parents are turning their children into victims.

“(The players) aren’t taking enough ownership for their own issues,” he said. “They try to pout their way onto teams or try to pout their way into starting positions – with mom and dad in the background saying how unfair it is – instead of bucking up and doing it themselves.”

Even in youth football, said Dave Tremblay, a coach receives their share of parent-generated headaches.

Tremblay has coached football at the youth and high school level for roughly 10 years.

“Generally, I think you have two different types of parents,” said the current Pembroke Academy head coach. “You have the parents who expect their kids to be all-stars, and then you have the parents who kind of have the fear of the unknown, the ones who get nervous when their kids are practicing five days a week, and they’re getting used to the physicality of the sport.” The latter is easier to deal with, said Tremblay.

He remembered one incident when he coached the Hooksett Hurricanes.

A neighbor, whose child played under Tremblay, decided to confront him because of a perceived lack of playing time.

A mildly heated exchange ensued, recalls the coach, but he said he learned from the experience.

“First of all, the Pop Warner rules set forth and regulate playing time, but I’ve just learned to be really open with everyone and let them know up front how it’s going to be. I also spread the responsibility among my coaches, so it’s not just my decision, and parents can’t single out one person.”

Even if disagreements occur, Hays said these kinds of moments offer opportunities to positively resolve problems.

More importantly, she said it’s necessary to communicate with the child and identify and separate the aspirations of the young athlete from the parent.

Proof positive
One of Brunelle’s most memorable moments as coach involved a youngster from Minnesota who had transferred to New Hampshire and was moving back to the Midwest with his parents.

“I received an e-mail thanking me for my efforts as a coach, and more importantly it said the one thing the boy remembered is, at the end of the game when you shake hands, you’re supposed to take your glove off.”

That, said Brunelle, was indicative of parents who care, and there are many of them, he said.

In fact, all parties interviewed for this story acknowledged they’ve generally had positive experiences with youth sports, and they said there are some encouraging trends.

Leagues around the country are taking proactive approaches to eliminating inappropriate behavior.

Kenison noted that approximately 10 years ago the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association created a policy that mandates any coach or player ejected from a game must sit at least one additional contest. A second violation brings an immediate end to that individual’s season.

Several other organizations, said Kenison, including Babe Ruth, have adopted similar policies. “It’s sort of a motivational tool to make people behave, and from what I’ve seen, it’s made a heck of a difference,” he said. “People previously felt they could have their say anytime they wanted, and now we just say, ‘See ya.’ I think that’s had a very sobering effect on malcontents and makes the umpiring job much easier.”

Brunelle said USA Hockey and Granite State Youth Hockey have created a parents code of conduct and are enforcing zero-tolerance policies concerning a parent’s verbal or physical abuse of a player, coach, fellow parent or official.

If an individual breaks the code, he said, a 30-day suspension follows, and those punished must go before a board and request reinstatement.

“I think it’s needed just to make sure parents understand this is a game,” said Brunelle, “and winning and losing is not that important, as long as kids continue to develop as players and people.”

Streets are full of potholes; money is running out

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:40:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Long after the snow has melted beneath the warm rays of spring sunshine, New Hampshire towns will still be feeling Mother Nature’s wrath. This time, it won’t be barraging residents from the sky. Instead, it will hit them under their tires.

“I was coming from Hannaford the way I come up every day,” said Jane Stanton-Turcotte of Goffstown. “I come up the road, wasn’t paying attention and bang! It was horrifying. I drive a car that can take anything, but my eggs went everywhere. “When I opened the back of my hatch, it looked like someo

ne had already made breakfast.”

Public Works and Highway departments across the state are struggling with how to fix poor road conditions, and many towns are also struggling with budget issues as an extremely harsh winter winds down.

During Hopkinton’s annual Town Meeting, voters approved the addition of $53,000 to the Public Works Department budget, as selectmen informed voters that the town has already gone over its allowance in salt and sand, and is on pace to do so in several other areas.

Goffstown Director of Public Works Carl Quiram said this winter has been the most devastating in a long time.

“It has been the worst in recent memory, and it’s just the way the weather has been,” said Quiram. “It’s been an unwinnable battle with potholes. We have a lot of new potholes on roads we wouldn’t have anticipated.”

Stanton-Turcotte’s pothole disaster happened on Laurel Road off College Road in Goffstown. “The sign says ‘Frost Heaves,’ but that’s not what it should say. It should say ‘Caution: Amusement Park Ahead,’” she said. “They (potholes) are everywhere.

Just going down St. A’s Drive is terrible, and so is my street. We have Manchester beat this year. It’s like when you go in the ocean and float over the big swells, except you’re driving in the street.”

Budget dilemmas
For Quiram, in addition to the battle with potholes, his and other departments in town are facing another battle.

“We took some heavy budget cuts, so it’ll make for an extremely tough year. You do what you have to do,” Quiram said. “We’re not going to not salt roads because we have no money. That’s where the policy comes in. Are we just going to ride it out? Or do we have to hold off on some summer projects?”

Jim Stanford, Bedford’s Director of Public Works, said he has not yet run into issues with salt, as the town built a new salt shed in 2004, and has been able to stock up in that area.

Working on a calendar year budget, Stanford said he is not sure yet what financial challenges his department will face. “I’ll let you know in November,” he joked. “You look at a day like today and say maybe we’re through this. But in November and December you never know. The sun is a lot higher now, so if it snows, it doesn’t stick around as long.”

Stanford said Bedford is not having as many struggles with potholes as other towns, but is struggling in other areas. “It’s not so much the potholes, but more the deterioration of the pavement and the frost heaves,” said Stanford. “It isn’t like all of the sudden one pothole pops up, but we have roads where the whole section of pavement has failed.”

Bedford has a computerized pavement management database that shows every road in town as well as its length, when it was constructed and the condition of it.

Although two road bonds in Bedford were defeated on Election Day, Stanford said the town still has money left from two previous road bonds.

Dale Hemeon, Hooksett director of highways, said the routine for his workers is the same on a daily basis. “I send out a crew for potholes every day if it isn’t snowing,” he said. “To end this battle, you put them in today and they’re gone tomorrow. It’s been a rough winter. There’s been a lot of damage. It’s really strange.”

Hemeon said he is far over on his overtime, fuel and salt budgets. The town’s budget goes from July 1 until the end of June, so Hooksett still has just over three months remaining on its current budget.

Another problem on the roads has come with the amount of snow.

“The tough part was that we have no more room to put snow. The banks are so high. We need to just get through until April when we can get some asphalt,” said Hemeon. “For the first month of spring we’ll be out paving and patching roads.”

Bow’s Chum Cleverly goes against the Public Works norm in neighboring towns, as he said this winter has been no different from other winters in his recent memory.

“We haven’t done much different from other years. Every year is average. Some years there a few more on some roads, and none on others. It’s always similar,” said the Public Works director, who said he has the most trouble with roads that were paved long ago.

Cleverly said he does expect cost issues for next year, with prices on the rise.

“Trying to keep the roads in good shape with the increasing cost of asphalt is big. Next year, we’re expecting a 30 percent rise in cost of salt,” he said. “I assume that the manufacturing and transportation is the cause of that with the increased cost of oil. I just talked to two truckers who have parked their trucks and won’t move until cost of fuel goes down.”

Temporary fix
Departments are constantly putting cold patch, a compound that is only meant as a temporary fix, into potholes. Hot top is not available for towns until sometime in April, which means many departments are fixing the same potholes on a daily basis.

“The people have to understand that at this time of year, these situations are beyond our control, it’s Mother Nature. Drivers have to slow down and make sure they have proper air inflation in their tires so they don’t blow their tires out,” said Russell.

“Some of them we could patch three times a day. The cold patch is a temporary fix, that’s it. Nothing replaces putting hot top in.”

Russell said the Salem department already has to turn its attention toward potential flooding in addition to filling potholes. His workers are spread thin.

“I have 12 employees who are dedicated to the streets for a town this big to maintain all of the sidewalks and drainage,” he said. “People think we have a 400-man department, but we don’t. We have 41 total in the Department of Public Works, but only 12 assigned to that section.”

In Hooksett, Hemeon summed up what many Public Works employees are feeling across the Granite State. “It’s been a long, frustrating winter for everyone – my guys and the residents,” he said. “Hopefully, spring isn’t too far away.”

Online access – Web sites make it easier to stay in the know

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:58:00 GMT

BY GINGER KOZLOWSKI

When it comes to getting access to public information, your best bet is often to go in person to the town hall, school district office or police department itself. But that is time consuming and difficult for many people. Going online is not only simple but available at any time.

The Right to Know Law does not specifically address electronic communication, since e-mail and the Internet did not exist at the time of its writing. Many towns and school districts do make minutes and other information available online. One police department in the 16 towns covered by Neighborhood News has even put its arrest logs online.

The law requires minutes to be posted within 144 hours (six days) of a meeting. Posting usually consists of pinning a printout to the bulletin board in a town hall, library or other public spot.

In the six years since Neighborhood News first took a look at what local governments make available online, things have changed significantly. Auburn, Allenstown, Candia, Epsom, New Boston and the Bow SAU didn’t even have Web sites at that time.

Today, every town and school district can be accessed online. Only the Hooksett Police Department has no Web page at all, while most police departments offer at least basic information through pages on a town Web site, and the Weare and Pelham police departments have their own complete Web sites. In one unique twist, SAU 24 has video of a school board meeting right on its home page for all to view.

Most town sites post not only the minutes to the town council or selectmen’s meetings, they also include planning, zoning and other committee minutes.

Costs

Costs associated with Web sites can mount, but hosting one is not always expensive.

In Auburn, Kate Lafond, administrative assistant to the Board of Selectmen and the person who updates and maintains the town’s Web site, said two years of Web hosting cost $48 and the town pays $8.99 annually to use its domain name.

In Weare, Town Administrator Fred Ventresco said they pay about $180 every two years to their Web host.

Keeping up the content

The big cost may be just keeping Web sites up to date. Someone has to put that content online. Lafond typically updates the Web site once a day.

“It takes a few minutes, depending on how much I need to post,” she said. “It’s fairly easy to do.”

Goffstown Town Administrator Susan Desruisseaux said the Web site’s design and maintenance are performed internally.

The minutes are uploaded to the site as soon as they are available and all press releases are sent to the town’s information technology worker.

“The economic development council originated it to get news out to attract business and industry to the town several years ago. It’s grown to provide more public information as time went on,” Desruisseaux said.

Lisa Cox, the Web site coordinator for SAU 53, said she spends anywhere from half an hour to multiple hours per week updating the content on their Web site. The district’s individual schools, she said, maintain their own Web sites.

“It is very up to date and accurate, as it’s maintained on a daily basis. And I also feel that’s it’s visually appealing and easy to navigate,” Cox said, adding that the last time she updated the site was Thursday, Sept. 20.

Sandi Babson, webmaster for Hopkinton’s town site, said she oversees the updates made by 10 other people from different departments.

“Each department is responsible for updating their own department’s information,” she said. “It makes it easier because, as a webmaster, I wouldn’t necessarily know what’s out of date and what isn’t,” she said, adding that the police department update their logs on a monthly basis.

For the most part, she said, updates are made on time.

“We try to always meet that five-day Right to Know (period), just to keep everybody covered,” she said.

Unique features

Most sites provide the type of information you would expect to find on a town, school or police department. Some offer some unique features.

In Salem, the town runs a monthly photo contest, where contestants are asked to submit photos of the town reflecting a monthly theme. The winners are posted online and will become part of a calendar for the next year.

New Boston introduces itself as the “Gravity Center of the World,” thanks to Roger Babson and his Gravity Research Foundation located in the town.

The Hopkinton Web site is the only one offering police logs online, though the Salem Police Department is close to doing the same.

Fit to be tied – Despite dominating play, Central deadlocked by Goffstown

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:37:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

The Central girls soccer team entered the contest on Friday, Sept. 21, with a sterling 7-0 record. Its opponent, Goffstown, had compiled a lowly 2-5 record.

Yet following 100 minutes of play, including two overtimes, the Little Green walked away with a 1-1 tie, the only blemish on their record.

“It’s girls soccer. Anything can happen on any day,” said Goffstown head coach Larry Houghton. “I think they were a stronger team, faster, and maybe a little bit more athletic, but we maintained our composure.”

Though Central controlled the ball for at least 90 percent of the highly physical match-up, outshooting the young Grizzlies 36-5, the locals failed to net the game-winning goal after junior Elizabeth Belanger of Hooksett tallied the first score of the contest at 29:33.

Goffstown scored three and a half minutes later.

“Too many bars, too many posts, too many (shots) right at the keeper,” said visibly dismayed Central head coach Peter Lally of his team’s failure to put away a foe it dominated the entire game. “Nothing we can do about it. We controlled play, lived in their end and just couldn’t finish it off. We’re still undefeated.”

Prior to the deadlock at Goffstown, Central handily outscored its previous seven opponents 21-3.

Hooksett players on this year’s Little Green squad include seniors Amanda Davis, Jillian St. Pierre, and Lindsey Jarnutowski, juniors Belanger and Sarah Barnes, and sophomores Abigail Wurtele and Lindsay Johnson.

Goal-getters – This year, Hooksett 10 and 11s build on last year for next year

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:37:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Hooksett assistant coach Jim White said his team’s No. 1 priority is to improve each year as it faces similar foes in postseason all-star play.

Last year, as 9- and 10-year-olds in the District 1 Little League all-star tournament, the team finished 3-2 and lost, 16-8, to Pelham.

This year, in the 10- and 11-year-old bracket, Hooksett avenged last year’s loss to Pelham with a 10-2 victory in the losers bracket finale and compiled a 5-2 record, losing both its games to offensive juggernaut Goffstown, including a 6-1 tournament championship defeat on Saturday, July 21.

“Winning is nice, but it’s really about constantly improving and coming together as a team, and they did that,” said White.

“Goffstown is a perennial winner, so next year, hopefully it’s the same thing. We beat Pelham this year. Maybe we come back and we’re the ones carrying the trophy next year.”

Though Hooksett allowed five home runs to Goffstown in a 11-1 loss June 30, knocking the locals into the losers bracket, manager Mike Boucher promised his team would limit Goffstown’s power in the rematch.

The District 1 champs went ahead in the top of the first inning, 2-0, but Hooksett quickly rebounded to keep the contest close.

Aidan White hit a one-out double and scored two batters later, when Drew Groves plated him with an RBI single, bringing the contest to 2-1.

The next inning, however, Goffstown scored four more runs. Still, Hooksett players maintained their focus and prevented the opposition from scoring again.

After White, Hooksett’s starting pitcher, kept Goffstown scoreless in the third, Matt Paradis pitched three innings, allowing one hit and fanning three.

But at the plate, Hooksett had difficulty grouping hits.

“It’s cliché, but we kept telling the kids, ‘It’s not over ’til it’s over.’ We’ve been hitting so well this year that we just said, ‘Keep your heads in it, try to stay patient at the plate, string some hits together, and make it a game,’” said White. “We started making some contact, but everything we hit was right at them, and they made some really nice plays to keep us from getting back in it.”

White reached base twice, as did Scott Robidoux, who singled and walked.

Others reaching included Groves on the RBI single, Brian Jutras on a base hit, and Cam St. George who drew a base on balls.

The elder White added that in the championship loss, much like the rest of the tournament, he was impressed with his team’s versatility.

“We never had one player stand out every single game,” he said. “Each time we played, different players stepped up and did something to make us win. Goffstown just prevented one or two players from really stepping up today.”

Hooksett’s contributors throughout the tournament included Reed Macey, Chris Moquin, Conner Boucher, Austin Sprague, Tanner Walls and Jake Parker.

Prior to the championship setback, Hooksett crushed Bedford, 20-8; edged Manchester West, 8-6; lost to Goffstown; squeaked past Manchester East, 2-1; slammed Suncook, 9-1; and took revenge on Pelham.

Back again – Hooksett 10 and 11s face nemesis Goffstown for title

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 20:30:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

Last time Hooksett played Goffstown, it gave up five home runs in an 11-1 loss in the winners bracket of the District 1 10- and 11-year-old Little League all-star tournament.

Now, after victories over Manchester East and Suncook and a 10-2 win over Pelham in the losers bracket final, Hooksett has its chance at revenge against Goffstown in the tournament championship.

“After the way we’ve played the last three games, I think we have a very good chance (against Goffstown),” said manager Mike Boucher. “If we play the field well and we keep hitting like we have been, I think we can beat them, but we absolutely have to play our very best ball because they are a very good team and they all can hit.”

But to prevent a repeat of the previous outing, Boucher says his team will have to keep the ball in the park.

“We’re going to keep the pitches down,” he said. “We have kids that can throw against Goffstown, we just need to keep the ball low in the strike zone because everything that was hit out (the first game) was letter high.”

Against Pelham on Saturday, July 14, Hooksett came alive in the second inning after a scoreless first.

Matt Paradis led off with a double, and Scott Robidoux and Cam St. George followed with back-to-back walks before Brian Jutras knocked two in on an RBI double.

St. George and Jutras advanced on an overthrow to the plate, and Aiden White connected on an RBI double to give Hooksett a 4-0 lead.

Pelham kept it close for another inning, scoring a run in the third, but in the top of the fourth, Hooksett pulled away.

Austin Sprague led off with a base hit, then sped around the bases to score from first on a Conner Boucher single.

After White took a base on balls, Chris Moquin drove in two on a double, and Drew Groves followed with an RBI single.

Two batters and two outs later, Tanner Walls hustled his way to an infield single, scoring Paradis for a 9-1 edge.

Hooksett, after giving up its second run in the bottom of the fifth inning, answered immediatley when Groves singled and St. George later plated him with an RBI single.

In its previous game against Suncook on July 11, Hooksett put together a similar performance in a 9-1 victory.

Down in the fourth inning, 1-0, Paradis, St. George and Boucher all were hit by the opposition’s pitcher to load the bases with no outs. White took advantage, notching an RBI and reaching on a fielder’s choice before Reed Macey and Robidoux drew walks, bringing home another run. Moquin then cleared the bases on a line-drive triple past a diving right fielder, and Groves contributed a base-hit RBI for Hooksett’s sixth run.

The next inning, St. George led off with a single, and Jake Parker moved him over with a bloop single to center field.

After White walked to load the bases, Macey brought two runners home with a long double over the head of the center fielder, and Robidoux capped the scoring with an RBI single.

Suncook Manager Mike Caraway said he was impressed with Hooksett’s dedication and sportsmanship.

“I thought Hooksett was a tremendous team and if we were going to lose, I’m glad it was to somebody close to home and not down in the southern part of the state,” he said. “It’s nice to see this area represented by players that conduct themselves well on both sides.”

Boucher says it has taken a lot of hard work, by both the coaches and players, to put Hooksett in a position to win the District 1 title.

“We kept the nucleus of last year’s 10-year-old team together, and now they’re 11-year-olds, and we’ve worked really hard with them and feel very comfortable with the product,” said Boucher. “We’ve got a good mix of infielders and outfielders that we’ve rotated around, we’ve hit the ball well, and our pitchers have done extremely well.”

Hooksett and Goffstown play for the District 1 championship on Saturday, July 21 in Windham. If Hooksett wins, the teams play again the next day at the same location.

A final defeat – Trinity nine’s remarkable run ends in championship-game loss

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:09:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

The losing team didn’t force insincere handshakes or meaningless pats on the back. The winning team didn’t applaud half-heartedly when the opposition received its runner-up plaque.

No, this year’s Class L baseball championship post-game festivities included genuine smiles and heartfelt hugs.

Maybe it was because newly crowned state champion Merrimack understood what the journey to the finals meant. Or maybe it was because runner-up Trinity had already beaten the Tomahawks during the regular season.

But it was probably because, despite all the doubters, regular-season records and postseason seedings, the Pioneers proved they earned their chance to play for the plaque.

“A lot of teams will say we didn’t deserve to be here,” said Pioneers head coach Eddie Poisson. “But this team deserved to be here. We beat the teams we needed to beat, won when we needed to win and went through three teams to get here just like any other team would’ve had to do.”

After an emotional extra-inning win over eighth-seeded Goffstown in the semifinals, No. 13 Trinity took the field at Merchantsauto.com Stadium to face No. 10 Merrimack on Sunday, June 10. Pitting one of Class L’s smaller teams – Merrimack – against one of its youngest, the Tomahawks prevailed, 7-2.

Behind the bat of Hooksett native Matt French, whose eighth-inning home run against the Grizzlies helped propel the Pioneers to the finals, and the arm of sophomore hurler Sean Lyons of Bedford, Trinity finished its season with an 11-12 record.

“I led off the inning (against Goffstown),” said French. “It was an 0-2 count, and I knew he’d come with a fastball. So I just waited. We had a great season. It just stinks it ended like this.”

Trinity spent no time over .500 this year, and Poisson said the idea of both gaining a winning record and taking the title in the same game provided unique motivation.

It’s not as if the Pioneers needed motivation coming into the game.

“No one thought we’d even be here,” said a somber Lyons after the loss. “We knew we had the potential to win this. We knew we were capable of proving everyone wrong. It’s just hard to face the crowd knowing we didn’t work to our potential today.”

Lyons was roughed up for five runs on six hits and one error in 1 2/3 innings before giving way to sophomore Dylan Clark, who started against the Grizzlies. Clark held Merrimack’s offense at bay, then Bedford sophomore Garrett Cole took the mound.

The Pioneers’ only offense came in the top of the fourth when Stefan Wagner doubled and scored on Kalvin Fosher’s RBI single. Cole’s RBI double scored designated hitter Peter Gray for the other Trinity run.

“We’ve got four sophomores and one freshman leading the rotation,” said Poisson. “They’re all back next
year. Look at what we did this year. We’ll be back. Don’t feel sorry for us. We’ll be back here, that’s for sure.”

Hooksett joins up with city promoter

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 15:33:00 GMT

BY NICHOLAS BROWN

The Hookset Town Council has joined a growing list of area towns in support of Metro Center, a regional economic development initiative promoting the greater Manchester area as a desirable place to live, work and play.

Metro Center, a program that grew out of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, allies 14 area communities to discuss issues of regional impact, and market the greater Manchester area as a hot spot in which to live and do business, said Robin Comstock, president and chief operations officer of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

“We think what affects one community in this area really affects all the communities,” Comstock told the Hooksett Town Council at its Wednesday, Dec. 6, meeting.

The council voted 5-1 to sign a nonbinding proclamation in support of Metro Center at the meeting. Councilor Jason Hyde cast the lone dissenting vote.

The state Department of Resources and the Southern New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission are also partners in the Metro Center, along with towns including Raymond, Derry, Londonderry, Goffstown and Bedford.

Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission Executive Director David Preece said Metro Center allows for dialogues between participating towns that may not have previously existed.

Such talks will be critical, he said, if municipalities want to compete for new businesses with greater Boston.

“I think together we can create a very strong economic engine that can bring jobs back from Massachusetts,” he said.

Real estate reality, Home prices still strong, though slower to sell

Hooksett Editor — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 16:39:00 GMT

By Staff Writers

Sharon Livingston has seen a change in the housing market first hand. Two years ago, she and her husband offered to buy their Windham Colonial-style house about an hour after it went on the market.

“I snapped it up,” said Livingston, who paid $629,000 for the house.

“It was such a small market (then), “ she added. “There were hardly any houses.”

The Livingstons are now moving to Tilton and their Colonial is up for sale. Their asking price is $619,000.

The house has been on the market about three weeks. A few people have looked at it, but there are no buyers yet, she said.

“It’s such a different environment (now),” Livingston said.

Area real estate experts and agents suggest the recent shift is more like a return to normalcy than an impending catastrophe.

“The market is not all the doom and gloom you see in the media,” said Jeff Keeler, owner of Pembroke’s Keeler Family Realty and chairman of public policy for the New Hampshire Association of Realtors. “The sky is not falling.”

Keeler said many homes have been staying on the market longer, frustrating many sellers. But he said sellers and real estate brokers have been living the high life until now.

“What we’re seeing is a reaction to 11 solid years of appreciation,” said Keeler.

Keeler described the last six months as a kind of “plateau” period.

No cooldown in Hooksett

Ken Culbertson, owner of Hooksett’s Coldwell Banker Culbertson Realty, said the problem relates more to educating sellers and real estate agents who may unreasonably still expect to seal a good deal in three to six weeks.

“Right now it’s more historically normal,” he said. “It’s normal for it to take three to six months.”

One sign of a reasonably active local market, said Culbertson, is that a wave of new Hooksett homes are selling at prices unseen in town before.

“Houses are being built in Hooksett that are $100,000 or $150,000 higher than they’ve ever been here,” said Culbertson.

Hooksett Assessing Coordinator Sandy Piper said one Hooksett home sold for $624,000 in August.

Reviewing the numbers and types of home sales in recent months, Piper said she’s noticed little, if any, cooling effect.”

“Honest to goodness, I don’t see it cooling down,” she said.

Piper said there are perhaps more homes on the market, but said sales numbers aren’t lagging.

“I’m finding a lot of people who have homes in Hooksett are buying new houses in Hooksett,” she said. “They’re upgrading.”

Why there’s a change

Keeler said while the local market may not be as disastrous as many may perceive, a portion of the housing market is creating a statewide crisis.

He suggested town restrictions on developers, like growth controls and excessive fees, that have cropped up in recent years have led to a shortage in affordable housing.

“The towns put as many impediments as they can on residential growth,” he said.

The result, said Keeler, is that builders build more expensive homes in order to make a profit.

Keeler said the New Hampshire phenomenon has led to a surplus in homes in the $350,000 to $500,000 range, but said there’s still a need for housing for young families, which he suggested invigorate local economies.

“There’s none of it being built,” he said. “$225,000 and below, it’s pretty much still a seller’s market.”

Livingston agreed with that assessment. She thinks a huge building glut in town has changed the market.

“I think it’s obvious that the activity level has certainly slowed down compared to six months ago and I think sellers have to negotiate a little more than they did six months ago,” said Sandy Heino of Sandy Heino and Associates Realty in the Bow/Hopkinton area. “Part of it is just this time of year, in the fall, when things usually slow down, and I think part of it is when people listen to the TV or the radio and hear that it is a buyer’s market and things are going to get worse, they believe it,” she said.

Slower to sell

“Our inventory of houses is very high, with a low inventory of buyers. Lots of sellers, but there aren’t as many buyers as we’ve had in the past,” said Anna Fish of Century 21 Advantage Realty, with offices on Mast Road in Goffstown.

While Fish said prices have remained static over the past half decade, buyers are not as quick to snatch a home off the market.

“A few years ago, the prices were about the same as they are now,” Fish said, “but if I bought a house in January, I could sell it in six months and make a profit. I can’t do that now.

“People are beginning to realize the party is over, we’re back to where we were before it started. People are starting to realize that, because their houses are sitting longer,” Fish said.

To offset the change, Heino said sellers are offering incentives to build buyers confidence such as paying points and closing costs, offering one-time price reductions during open houses, or updating appliances and flooring.

“Sellers need to make their house stand out above everything else,” she said. “You only have one chance to make that first impression.”

It had been a “seller’s market” the past decade, according to Nancy Casagrande, general manager of ERA The Masiello Group in Windham.

Now, there are more homes than buyers, she said.

“Obviously, we are in a buyer’s market,” Casagrande said. “Prices are adjusting.”

Casagrande said that, conservatively, prices of existing homes have come down 10 to 15 percent.

Average home prices

Home sale prices show a wide range of numbers. The 63 home sales in Goffstown between July and August ranged in price from $50,000 for a mobile home to $435,000 for a residence, while New Boston saw 25 home sales spanning $10,000 to $770,000 and Weare’s 41 home sales covered financial territory from $54,000 to $412,000, according to data from Real Data Corp., an online database tracking public record information in New Hampshire and Vermont.

Goffstown saw 140 home sales in 2005 for an average of $258,958, according to information from the Northern New England Real Estate Network. The same report shows 39 home sales in New Boston last year averaging $386,162, and Weare showing 81 home sales with an average price of $246,795.

Of 41 standard house sales in Pelham between mid-June and mid-August, the average price was $398,571.

The highest sale was $660,000 for an eight-room Colonial-style house built on nearly six acres last year. The lowest sale was $206,000 for a 1974 Cape Cod-style home situated on one acre.

In July and August, 40 traditional homes including two exceeding the $1 million mark changed hands in Windham. The average price was $481,135.

At the highest end was a modern/contemporary Beech Street home in Windham that fetched $1.225 million. At the other end was a 34-year-old condominium that sold for $153,466.

More foreclosures

Real estate agents said foreclosures have increased.

Joanne Riopel of Innovative Realty in Pelham said sometimes a family buys a new home before their current one sells and carries two mortgages. But the house they left doesn’t sell as quickly as they had hoped, and the family finds themselves in a financial bind.

Reviewing the number of foreclosures in Goffstown, one town official pointed to a sharp jump in that statistic.

While Goffstown has record of 14 foreclosure notices since June of this year, the town counted 15 foreclosures in all of 2005.

“It seems like a lot of foreclosures,” said Deputy Tax Collector Rene Millson. “I can tell you the folder (of foreclosure notices) is pretty fat.”

National trends

“While new-home sales have been quite strong throughout 2005, we see a cooling of the market to a healthy and more sustainable pace in the months ahead, as substantiated by recent surveys of our builders,” said NAHB chief economist David Seiders. “For 2006, we expect to see a 6 percent to 7 percent drop in sales, but certainly no reason for alarm. This would make 2006 the second or third best year in housing history.”

If you must sell

A seller’s best bet it to listen to their agent when setting a price for their home, Fish said.

“If you’re moving and you need to quickly, you better list it for what your agent tells you to list it for, because they know. A lot of the reason why houses are slower to sell is because sellers start out with an asking price that’s too high,” she said.

“Right now is a good time to buy and some buyers are making offers with great, great reductions to sellers,” Berge Nalbandian of Berge’s Real Estate in Salem said. “I’ve been doing this for 50 years and it’ll come around again like in the years prior.”

In the meantime, builders have been giving discounts and extras in new homes that aren’t normally included, he said.

Nicholas Brown, Darrell Halen, Rod Hansen, Jim Devine, Joseph Edgerton, Ryan O’Connor Steven Andrews and Robert Inks contributed to this story.