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West faces future without Bedford students

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:49:00 GMT

By MATT SCHOOLEY

After the final Bedford student walks across the stage during Manchester High School West’s graduation ceremony on June 20, a new era will officially begin at the school.

What that era will consist of remains to be seen.

With Bedford students no longer filling the hallways and classrooms at the school, West administrators will meet challenges, but also find new benefits for their students.

“It is going to impact the whole school,” said Manchester School Board member Art Beaudry. “I think aside from the social part of it, I think the major impact will be in sports. We may be eliminating several sports because of low numbers.”

Beaudry said he believes the best solution would be to move Hooksett students from Central to West, but he knows it is an option that is made complicated by the city’s contract.

“That would make things better for the city of Manchester as a whole,” said Beaudry. “Central is getting overcrowded while West will struggle because they don’t have enough students. The way the contract is drafted we would have to renegotiate it.”

Hooksett School Board Chairman Paul Cournoyer said a high school study committee will gather data on the new West setup, but he believes most questions won’t be answered until the school year begins again this fall. “West will certainly have a new identity, but the Hooksett students will continue to strive, I am confident,” said Cournoyer.

“A smaller school can be a better environment, but that remains to be seen.” After multiple years of having an under-capacity building, the new Bedford High School’s classrooms will finally be full when the new school year kicks off.

Bedford High School Principal George Edwards said administrators expect to fill the building with 1,250 students and about 90 teachers, hosting seniors for the first time.

While Edwards, who recently resigned as the school’s principal but is finishing out this school year, said he is excited about the prospect of Bedford having a full school, he is also aware of the impact that will be felt in Manchester.

“The number of students West has lost is really significant,” said Edwards. “From an academic standpoint, many of the top students have been Bedford students, so when you start to lose a good number of academically talented students, it leaves a hole.”

In Bedford, the first day of school this fall will be a monumental day for the town, and Edwards said the school will benefit from the experience of students who have been in the building since the door opened.

“I think that having the leadership of a senior class next year will be one of the things the students will feel that’ll be different and positive,” said Edwards. It’s been simultaneously exhilarating and exhausting. It’s been professionally rewarding to have the opportunitiy to work with the community and staff, but it’s also been a lot of work.”

While the low numbers and potential impact on programs is a concern, there are also positive ramifications of the loss of Bedford residents.

“There will be less students in the class, so the teachers will have more one-on-one education time with students,” said Beaudry. “Also, classes that may not have been available before because they were full will now be available. That’s a big plus.”

Cournoyer agreed that the smaller numbers could lead to a better learning environment, and also said the board is constantly monitoring the situation to find what is in the best interest of the Hooksett students attending West.

Edwards said there will be opportunities for the remaining West students to step up and fill roles they previously hadn’t in order to keep programs and classes running as they previously had.

“There will certainly be some significant changes at West,” said Edwards. “Hopefully the city will be able to implement some strategies to offset the loss of so many students and continue running the school successfully.”

Hooksett player can’t be varsity at West as population shrinks

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:31:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Although Bedford is the new high school on the athletic landscape, it is Manchester West that is left looking to build from the bottom up once again in order to continue to field competitive teams. The spring sports season will mark the final group of West teams that will include Bedford residents, and Blue Knight coaches and school officials are continuing to search for the best way to continue to keep roster numbers up.

This is creating an issue for at least one Hooksett student, who won’t have varsity hockey available to him next year.

When the process of moving students to the new Bedford High School began, a total of about 65 percent of Blue Knight athletes were from Bedford, according to West Athletics Director Sarah Dumais.

“It was a big hit initially,” said Dumais. “We had some openings and blank spots on rosters. The more the word gets out, we’re coming back. This year was the worst it’ll be. After they’re gone completely it’ll start to turn around because the Manchester kids will know that they’re our focus.”

West’s hockey team is expected to take a significant hit next season, an issue that was brought up during a recent Hooksett School Board meeting by a Hooksett resident whose son attends West and played on this year’s squad.

Because so many Bedford athletes played on the hockey team this year and normally make up the team’s roster, there is a chance the school will be unable to put a varsity team on the ice next year.

“If kids who want to participate come out, they’ll have the opportunity,” said Dumais. “If we have, say, six freshmen and three sophomores with no varsity experience, we probably wouldn’t expose them to varsity play just because of the safety issues.”

If enough students try out for the team but aren’t experienced in the sport, Dumais said it is possible the school will only have a junior varsity team or possibly a club team.

“Socioeconomic is part of it too,” said Dumais. “It’s really expensive to play hockey, and in junior programs you have to pay for ice time. On the West Side, there just aren’t kids playing hockey.”

Hooksett students are typically sent to Central High School if they live east of the Merrimack River and to West High School if they left on the west side of the river, but may choose a different school. Dumais said the number of Hooksett athletes on teams at West is minimal.

Hooksett School Board member James Sullivan said that while West has some advantages, one of the drawbacks of the now smaller school, due to Bedford’s withdrawal, could come in a situation such as the hockey team.

“A small school can offer smaller class sizes, better ability to compete and ability to stand out more with their talents,” said Sullivan. “On the other hand, a smaller school, because of its population, may not be able to offer the breadth of course selections, and or extra activities, such as varsity hockey.”

While Dumais said she would be thrilled to see more Hooksett students choosing the Blue Knights, it is difficult for her to convince those students to select West.

“We would love for the Hooksett kids to choose West instead of Central,” she said. “We have more room and things to offer here. They have a contract that states they can choose, so there’s no way we can really nail them down and have them come here.”

Several teams had low numbers this year, including the West boys basketball team, which still managed a run into the quarterfinals of the Class L tournament.

Head Coach Sam Carey was down to about eight players on his roster by the end of the year, as he was forced to remove several players from the team for academic reasons.

“I teach at Parkside, so now I know that I need to push it and get those kids motivated,” said Carey. “The biggest issue between Manchester kids and Bedford kids that I had was the grade issue. I’ve got to get kids focused on their grades, and that starts before they get to the high school.”

Though it is a small sample size, of the students Carey had to remove from the team, none were from Bedford.

West softball coach Dan Drewniak expects to have a large group of athletes trying out for the team, but the amount of experience they have will likely be lower without Bedford students.

“The only difference is that a big percentage of the kids are novice players who don’t have game experience,” said Drewniak. “There were at least three girls at open gym who have never played competitive softball and are planning on coming out for my team. That’s the difference.” Drewniak said coaches at the school will need to begin stirring up interest with younger students.

“We’ve got to actively recruit and get the kids more involved at the middle school age,” said Drewiak. “I coached the middle school basketball team and took them over to see games at West. We’re stepping up and trying to get the kids interested in the programs.”

Dumais said the biggest difference between West and Bedford athletes is the amount of exposure they have to the sports they play.

Despite the loss of Bedford students, Dumais is optimistic about the Blue Knights’ future, and is looking forward to working with an increased number of Manchester student-athletes.

“There are athletes out there, but athletes that haven’t had the same opportunities as Bedford kids,” said Dumais. “An athlete is an athlete. If they’re athletic we’re going to take them and coach them.”

West will be playoff-ready, says coach

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:35:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Entering his first season at the boys soccer helm West High School, Stephen Signor undoubtedly smiled when he glanced at his roster. Despite losing his starting striker and left midfielder to poor grades, the Blue Knights returned 18 seniors from a unit that reached the Class L quarterfinals last year.

Though West is off to a disappointing 2-4-1 start following a 1-0 loss at Salem on Sept. 19 and 4-1 loss to Pinkerton on Sept. 23, Signor said the team is built for the postseason.

“We’re going to turn it around,” said Signor. “Right now, we’re just training like crazy for October, and if you look at who is beating who in Class L … and you consider the No. 8 seed won it all for the girls last season, it’s going to be very interesting come playoffs.”

Once the Blue Knights complete a current stretch that includes contests against strong Bishop Guertin and Memorial squads, Signor said the schedule lightens up considerably, providing his players the opportunity to gain some much-needed momentum heading into the Class L tournament.

The team should not only reach the playoffs, he added, it should be right in the mix for a top-eight seed, which guarantees at least one home contest in the tourney.

“We’re hoping our training and conditioning will show in the playoffs,” said Signor. “Once we get there, our goal is no less than going all the way.”

Despite the losing record, the defense has been solid, first-year goalkeeper Erik Bukowski has performed well, and the midfield and offense have controlled play. The problem, said Signor, has been scoring.

“We’re creating plenty of opportunities, it’s just a matter of putting it in the back of the net.” That was never more evident than against Salem on Sept. 19. The contest remained tied until the 75th minute, when a couple costly breakdowns directly resulted in Salem’s gamewinning goal.

Senior captain Sam Kelley, the team’s primary center midfielder, sat out with bruised shins. He may have been the difference, said Signor.

In addition to Kelley, Brad Andrikowich, Max Charamella and Jeremy Lacerte captain the current lot.

They’re complemented by classmates Evan Bennet, Pat Cote, Stephen Doyon, Andrew Klimm, Dan Lavine, Dylan Manz, Andrew O’Brien, Rodrigo Ojeda, Andres Onoa, David Paddol, Neil Pichette, John St. Charles, Brian Soko and Dana Steele.

Also contributing are junior Scott Schechtman, sophomores Bryan Harty and Mark Robichaud, and freshman Tony Muombo.

Hooksett again considers high school

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:58:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

The Hooksett School Board does not know if the town needs a high school. But they are ready to find out.

A newly formed committee – which has not yet held its first meeting – includes elected officials and community members.

The Hooksett High School Committee is charged with considering whether a new high school is a viable option. School Superintendent Charles “Phil” Littlefield said he is not sure what the findings of the committee will be, but is certain the investigation will take the better part of a year, if not longer.

“We really need to study the issue and what are all the factors that go into answering that question,” Littlefield said. “I think the board and I genuinely feel this is a community study and it’s something we should take sufficient time, energy and effort and our position on it should be a data-informed position. It may come out ‘yes,’ it may come out ‘no.’ We have the obligation to study it.”

Regardless of the findings of the committee, the school district is already looking into potential sites should the town eventually need another school. Littlefield said the board is in preliminary discussions with Manchester Sand and Gravel, which has expressed an interest in donating land for future school use.

“People should not make the inference that we’ve decided to build a high school,” Littlefield said. “What we’re doing is in the event sometime in the future this community needs a school, we want to have a site identified and available. It would be a gift. We’re looking at several sites. We haven’t really come to an agreement on a specific site. Hopefully we will. (Manchester Sand and Gravel has) been so good to work with and extremely responsive to what our future needs might be.”

Currently, the Hooksett School District sends its students to Central and West high schools in Manchester and reimburses the Manchester School District for the costs of educating each student. Hooksett, Candia and Auburn have an agreement with Manchester for the city to provide high school services through June 30, 2023.

During the 2007-08 school year, Karen Lessard, business administrator for the Hooksett School District, said 497 Hooksett high school students attended school in Manchester and the estimated tuition bill totaled more than $3.5 million, or about $7,100 per student.

In addition to tuition, the Hooksett School District is obligated to contribute about $930,000 a year to the Manchester School District to help pay off old renovation loans. When the Manchester high schools were renovated a few years ago, Lessard said, various school districts that send students into the city for high school, agreed to contribute a proportional amount toward the loan based on the numbers of students sent.

Although the financial obligation to the Manchester School District – which last year totaled about $4.5 million – is a good reason to consider building a high school in town, Hooksett Town Council Chairman Dave Dickson said he anticipates it will cost much more to operate a new school.

“I think we have to explore it,” said Dickson, who will represent the Town Council on the high school committee. “I’m going in with an open mind. It’s going to be a long process and it’s ultimately going to be up to the taxpayers.”

Central, Memorial and West eye future, prepare for present season

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:44:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

She played under one coach and with another.

Now their peer, Kris Komisarek rolled out the welcome mat for the second straight year for her former mentors.

You see, Komisarek played under local legend Peter Lally, who has spent the last 36 years maintaining a perennial girls soccer powerhouse at Manchester Central.

Last year, she took the head coaching reins at West High School from Michelle Winning, a former Lady Blue Knight standout who left West to accept the same position at Bedford High School. Winning was a senior captain during Komisarek’s freshman year at Notre Dame.

Now, instead of the once familiar green, Komisarek is clad in blue. She’s crossed over to her formal high school rival. But that doesn’t mean she’s taking the responsibilities of the job any less seriously.

In fact, she’s not only maintained the annual West High School girls soccer preseason jamboree, but this year she expanded it to include teams from classes M and S, in addition to the traditional squads from Classes L and I. Lally and Winning’s squads, of course, were at the top of her invite list.

“I was recently talking to (Lally) about the golden years when I was a great player (at Central), and he said he now foresees me being a great coach,” said Komisarek. “But I told him, ‘You know, it started with you.’”

It wasn’t just acquaintances of Komisarek who were invited to the jamboree, however.

Dan Wyborney, coach of the Memorial girls soccer team for the last eight years, said the West jamboree offers many opportunities to evaluate your squad.

“It’s obviously very important so that we can find out – especially with the new kids coming in – what they can bring to the table this season,” said Wyborney. “You can see it in practice a little bit, and scrimmages are nice, but it’s also nice to play two games in one day at a jamboree so you can see the way the new-bees and the returners play together and where your fitness level is at, as well.”

Moreover, he added, the jamboree offers players the opportunity to test their mettle against top competition from other classes, a chance they rarely receive during the regular season.

Central
In 2007, Central carried a 15-0-1 record and No. 1 seed into the playoffs, but the Little Green were upset by Pinkerton, 2-1, in double overtime of the Class L quarterfinals. This year, the Green return 10 players, and 36-year head coach Peter Lally said his squad is prepared to make another run at the title.

“If they play up to their (talent level), I think they can be as good as last year,” said Lally. “If we stay away from injuries, we’ll be fine.”

Included on this year’s squad are Hooksett’s Liz Belanger, Sarah Barnes, Lindsay Johnson, Abby Wurtel, Jillian St. Pierre, Amanda Davis, Jane Kelly, Deven McKiernan and Sarah Velasquez, and Auburn’s Jillian Graff, Tory Lund, Jordan Muse and Cassandra Muse. The Muse twins, Belanger and Keily Funk captain this year’s team.

Memorial
Returning nine starters from a team that reached the state semifinals in 2007, Wyborney said he’s optimistic about the upcoming season.

A handful of Auburn standouts, including sophomore goalie Ashley Gendron and senior midfielders Desirae Van Rossum and Chantel Van Rossum lead the team.

“We love having the Auburn girls in the program,” said Wyborney. “It’s nice because they’re really the only ones coming in from a feeder program in middle school, so they usually have a good amount of experience by the time they get here.”

The Lady Crusaders also bring back senior Katie Roberge, Class L’s leading scorer for three years running, as well as Lauren Bernard, Emily Menafra, Chelsea Kirker and Shaun Simpson.

West
After finishing fifth in Class L in 2007, the Lady Blue Knights graduated 10 players but return 10 seniors.

Among those returning are Bedford’s Heather Harrington, Cassie Barnard, Meagan Bellemore and Kelsey Connors.

This year’s soccer season marks the last for Bedford players at West High School.

“If anything, this year is it. We’ve got to build this program up from scratch next year without the Bedford kids,” said Komisarek. “But I think it’s a positive thing in the long run because it gives those Hooksett and Manchester kids a chance to step up.”

Hooksett juniors Dani Ithier and Alyssa Nelson lead that charge. They combine with the aforementioned Bedford quartet and six other seniors to headline this year’s squad.

“I think any team in Class L has a chance, but these kids on this team ... It’s in their minds and it’s in their hearts,” said Komisarek. “This is a strong team that’s worked hard on team bonding.”

Hooksett’s Etana Jacobi is YWCA’s Young Woman of Year

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:42:00 GMT

The YWCA recently awarded its Young Woman of the Year 2008 award to Etana Jacobi of Hooksett, a senior at West High School. The Young Woman of the Year award is presented to a young woman who:

is between the ages of 13- 18 and lives within the YWCA service area, which includes Manchester, Auburn, Candia, New Boston, Goffstown, Bedford, Weare, Hooksett, Derry and Londonderry;
by her example, encourages peers to make healthy life choices;
has demonstrated a commitment to civic action/community service;
and has shown particular growth in confidence and leadership skills through civic action/community service activities.

Jacobi was selected as the YWCA Young Woman of the Year from applications received from each of the schools of the cities and towns that the YWCA serves.

Jacobi has been enrolled in a rigorous college prep program for the last four years, taking accelerated college prep courses and Level Four honors and AP programs. Jacobi is an honors student and has an accumulated grade-point average of 3.76. She is looking forward to studying political science and international relations at Hofstra University in the fall.

Outside the realm of academics, Jacobi has been a major contributor at West High School. She is a four-year member of the student council. She serves on the Student Council Executive Board and has been the School Board representative for the past two years. She is also a member of the National Honor Society and serves as secretary to the State Board of the NHS. In addition, she has been a member of the Debate Team, Mock Trial and Steering Committee, and has participated yearly in the Community of Caring.

In the community, Jacobi teaches and tutors for Summerbridge. This is a break-through program that works with disadvantaged junior high students and encourages them to work on their academics. Jacobi also serves on the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council. As a member of the council, she has worked on programs such as Day for Kids, Youth Run Debates and the documentary “My First Vote.”

Jacobi has also been very active in the Cinderella Project of New Hampshire, and the Penguin Plunge, which benefits the Special Olympics. She has also participated in the Walk for Hunger and Make-A-Wish Foundations Turkey Trot.

Hot rod makes prom special for West couple

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:06:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Carissa D’Agata didn’t require an enchanted pumpkin and body-morphing mice to get to the prom.

Nope, she just needed the sleek, fuschia hot rod she saw driving down her street once in a while.

She’d seen the car in prior summers, and wondered whether the owners would be open to provide chariot and chauffeur to the West High senior prom on Friday, May 30.

Not knowing who owned the car, D’Agata, 17, and her father chased the car down the street on Monday, May 26.

The 1950 Mercury slid into the driveway of Tom and Pam Alberts on Elmer Avenue, just around the corner from the D’Agata home on Alice Avenue.

D’Agata’s prom entrance was made perfectly classic when the Alberts agreed to drive D’Agata; her boyfriend and prom date Christopher Tonn, 18; and their friend Elizabeth Hebert, 17, to the prom.

“I was very excited, I would love to be a part of this for her,” said Pam Alberts, who played the role of coachman for the evening. “I love my car, and if someone else can get joy from it, why not?”

D’Agata said she just wanted something different and vintage to arrive at the prom in, and made many of her friends jealous in the process.

“I have a friend who’s going in her boyfriend’s new Escalade,” said D’Agata before stepping into her coach before the prom. “When she saw a picture of this, she said ‘I want to go with you now instead of him!’”

Tom Alberts said the couple built their beloved hot rod from scratch 13 years ago, and have enjoyed it ever since as members of the Cruz’n Knights car club out of Manchester.

Teen who threatened school shooting released on plea agreement

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:25:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

After pleading guilty in Manchester District Court to five counts of criminal threatening, a Manchester West High School student who threatened to “do a Columbine” and shoot teachers, administrators and other students was released from jail.

Sterling Lindbloom, 17, of 659 Montgomery St., Manchester, spent more than two months in jail before striking a plea bargain with the prosecution in the case, earning him suspended sentences of one year each on all counts with time served on one count.

The terms of the agreement stipulate that Lindbloom be on probation for two years, be mentally evaluated and comply with the findings of such an evaluation, turn over the evidence police seized, and adhere to a curfew between midnight and 5 a.m.

It also states Lindbloom will not be allowed at West High, and must steer clear of the subjects of his threats and the student who reported his threats.

Lindbloom’s jail time, served at Valley Street, was the result of a preventative detention order that lawyers on both sides agreed upon, following the threats on others and his own life.

According to police reports, Lindbloom, upset over breaking up with his girlfriend, called the girl and threatened to bring a gun to school and re-enact the Columbine school shootings.

Lindbloom’s former girlfriend told Manchester West Assistant Principal Keith Puglisi about the phone call on Thursday, Feb. 21, during which Lindbloom allegedly said she would be the last person to die in the act before himself. She said the call had occurred between 3 and 6 p.m. on the previous evening, Wednesday, Feb. 20.

“People need to watch their backs because something bad is going to happen at the school,” the ex-girlfriend told police and school administrators about the phone call, according to court records.

During the phone conversation, Lindbloom specifically threatened the lives of school resource officer Jamie Branch, Assistant Principal Gary Dempsey, Junior ROTC Commander Ed Hafner and another student at West, according to Branch’s affidavit.

Upon questioning, Lindbloom said he had a store of weapons in a small structure in the woods behind his house, which police later discovered. In it were found four knives, two hatchets, 31 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, a copper pipe and blankets.

No guns were recovered, but according to a police affidavit Lindbloom said he had plans to obtain one from the home of a friend’s uncle in Massachusetts.

The weapons stash was on a separate piece of property from the one Lindbloom resided on. An inquiry to the owner of the property revealed the owner had no knowledge of the stash of weapons, Branch said.

West’s strengths carry team early, lumber must wake from slumber

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:14:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Every game is an adventure.

So Dan Drewniak and his Lady Blue Knights are enjoying the excitement, though they won’t be needing a nail file anytime soon.

West, which currently maintains a 4-4 record on the young softball season, averages 1.3 runs scored per game – second to last in Class L.

Though Drewniak is the first to admit the number is not impressive, he’s quick to point out his team also holds opponents to, you guessed it, 1.3 runs per game – tied for tops in the state.

Of the Lady Blue Knights’ four victories, two have been by one run. Their largest margin of victory, and also their highest run total, came during a 3-0 triumph at Winnacunnet on April 23.

Three of their losses have been by two runs, and they have yet to allow more than four runs in a game.

“We had a good season last year, finishing 11-8 and making the playoffs, but this year has been a real good start for us, and it’s not hard to tell what’s carrying us right now,” said Drewniak. “It’s pretty easy to see we have trouble scoring runs, but our pitching has been phenomenal, and we play some real good defense.”

West is led by six Bedford players – all upperclassmen. Seniors Kurstin Provencher and Lynn Brewster, both captains, alternate between pitcher and shortstop.

Though Provencher threw a no-hitter against Concord, one of Class L’s top four teams last season, Drewniak said there is little difference between his two starting pitchers.

Emily O’Hara, the team’s third captain, catches Provencher and Brewster, and Jennifer Skilton patrols first base.

“The four seniors are outstanding student-athletes, and all four have started for three years for me,” said Drewniak. “They’re excellent team leaders who’re doing a great job helping the younger players along.”

Juniors Sarah Lacaillade and Tricia Tardif, who patrol left field and right field, respectively, have also helped mentor West’s underclassmen, including three Hooksett standouts.

Sophomore Alyssa Nelson starts in center field for the Lady Blue Knights, and classmate Abby Johnson sees significant playing time at both third base and designated hitter.

Freshman Ariel Wilson backs up at both catcher and in the outfield.

Also contributing for West this season are Kayla Johnson, Kelsea Dowse, Amanda Zedon and Meghan Rumore.

“Our goal this year was to finish in the top eight, get a first-round home game and then go as deep into the playoffs as we can,” said Drewniak. “Last year we lost to Concord, 1-0, in a 15- inning game in the first round, so we certainly hope to improve on that, but regardless of our record, this is a great group of players to coach. They work great together, and they have a lot of fun.”

Many 11th-graders fail state test

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:11:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Results from the first year of 11th grade New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) testing show local high school students are performing below statewide averages in math, reading and writing.

Acting Superintendent of the Manchester School District, which educates students from Hooksett, Candia and Auburn, Henry Aliberti, said the scores serve as a point of reference, October 2007 being the first time the test was administrated to more than 16,000 juniors across the state.

“I would look at this as baseline information,” Aliberti said, adding he realizes the results point to curricular and professional development practices that need to be implemented in schools.

Districtwide, 22 percent of Manchester students scored at least proficient in math, 55 percent earned proficiency in reading and 25 percent were proficient in writing.

These numbers are lower than the statewide averages: 28 percent proficient or better in math, 67 percent in reading, and 33 percent in writing.

Out of 520 students tested at Central, 22 percent scored proficient or better in math, 62 percent earned proficiency in math and 40 percent got to that level in writing.

Just over 500 juniors at West were tested in all three subject areas. In math, 27 percent scored proficient or better, the best math results for the Manchester School District.

In reading, 56 percent of West students attained proficiency and 21 percent were scored at least proficient in writing.

Out of 559 students tested at Manchester Memorial, which takes on tuitioned students from Auburn, 19 percent scored proficient in math, 52 percent in reading and 17 percent in writing.

Pembroke Academy, which includes students from Pembroke, Allenstown and Epsom, fared slightly better in math, also gaining a higher mean math score than all three Manchester schools. Pembroke Academy also has less than half the student enrollment of any of the Manchester schools.

Out of 210 students tested in math, 59 students, or 28 percent, scored proficient or better. In reading, 60 percent scored proficient or better and 31 percent scored at least proficient in writing.

Central Principal John Rist said he does not feel the results for his students reflect their actual grasp of the three subject areas, adding the state averages, particularly in math, show a need to examine the test format more closely.

“If I give a test and 78 percent have unacceptable performance, I’m going to look at the test,” Rist said.

Rist pointed out that New Hampshire has exceptionally high per-student SAT scores, likely because there is substantial motivation for students to perform well on the SATs.

Some students didn’t even bother to read the test, Rist said, but just filled in the bubbles, negatively reflecting in the school’s results.

Rist said Central is ahead of the curve in implementing the grade span expectations and building their curriculum around them.

“Now people can again classify Central High School as a failing school,” Rist said. “There’s no category that says ‘Gee, good job, you’re headed in the right direction’.... There’s no reward for that.”

Rist also pointed out Central’s mean scores were affected by extremely polarized scores on both ends of the spectrum.

Memorial Principal Arthur Adamakos said the results represented a period of adjustment students are going through in switching over to the upgraded grade span expectations and new testing format, which places more emphasis in conceptual knowledge than the NHEIAP (New Hampshire Education Improvement and Assessment Program) testing used in the past.

He added he does not think juniors taking the NECAP took the testing as seriously as they should, saying there is no motivation for students to do well.

“We’ve got to place some kind of importance on the test,” Adamakos said, agreeing with Rist’s argument that students take the SATs seriously because their futures hinge on it to a degree.

Adamakos did say he believes the tests were fair, and the task ahead is to align curriculum to comply with state standards of proficiency and adequate yearly progress for students.

Aliberti said the school district would continue to improve their curriculum in grades 6 through 12 using the assessment results, paying particular attention to differentiating instruction for subgroups.

Currently, the Manchester School District employs two secondary curricular professionals, one for math and one for reading.

Aliberti admits it is hard for these two staff members to make it to all the schools as frequently as is needed.

Superintent Thomas Haley of SAU 53 was unavailable for comment on Pembroke Academy’s performance.

West student threatens ‘a Columbine’

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:06:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

A Manchester West High School student remains jailed after his ex-girlfriend told police he said he was going to “do a Columbine” at the school, Manchester District Court documents show.

Sterling Lindbloom, 17, of 659 Montgomery St., Manchester, allegedly called the girl on Wednesday, Feb. 20, and made threats to bring a gun to school and shoot the school resource officer, administrators and other students. He has been charged with several counts of criminal threatening, a misdemeanor.

Lindbloom was placed on preventative detention until his next court date, attorneys on both sides agreeing his suicidal tendencies made him a danger to himself and others. A hearing on the preventative order scheduled for Monday, Feb. 25, was continued.

Lindbloom said “People need to watch their backs because something bad is going to happen at the school,” the girl told police and school administrators, according court records.

No guns were recovered, but, according to a police affidavit, Lindbloom said he had plans to obtain one from the home of a friend’s uncle in Massachusetts.

Lindbloom’s former girlfriend told Manchester West Assistant Principal Keith Puglisi about the phone call on Thursday, Feb. 21, during which Lindbloom allegedly said she would be the second to last person to die in the act before himself. She said the call had occurred between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on the previous evening, Wednesday, Feb. 20.

He allegedly specifically threatened the lives of school resource officer Jamie Branch, Assistant Principal Gary Dempsey, Junior ROTC Commander Ed Hafner and another student at West during the phone conversation.

Branch said in his affidavit Lindbloom did not deny any of the specific threats when he questioned Lindbloom at his home after speaking with the girl and school administrators.

According to Branch, Lindbloom’s name had come up before regarding a $50 theft from a teacher at West, and he asked Lindbloom a few questions about that to lead into a discussion on the phone call.

At first, Lindbloom said his words were misconstrued, saying his words were, “I’d rather do a Columbine in the school than deal with what I have to deal with.”

According to police, Lindbloom had recently broken up with another student at West and was upset. He admitted to Branch that he was suicidal at the time of the call, which he said was around 4:30 p.m.

He was placed under arrest on Thursday, Feb. 21, and while waiting in Branch’s cruiser for transport to arrive, mentioned the small structure in the woods.

After he was picked up, Branch said in the affidavit, Branch looked in the woods and found the structure containing the weapons.

An inquiry to the owner of the property revealed the owner had no knowledge of the stash of weapons, Branch said.

Memorial, Central, West all earn invitation to Meet of Champions

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:47:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

The coaches from Manchester Memorial, West and Central, realizing their respective wrestling squads had little chance to pin down a Division I team title, focused on sending as many wrestlers as possible to the Meet of Champions. And from that perspective, the state meet was a success.

Manchester’s public high schools combined to bring 34 athletes to the two-day D-I event at Exeter High School.

They also sent eight athletes to the MOC, set for Saturday, Feb. 23, at Londonderry High.

Following early-round action on Friday, Feb. 15, the finest wrestlers from the Queen City’s three public schools joined the rest of the best from around the state on Saturday, Feb. 16.

Two area wrestlers, West‘s Jared Crain at 135 pounds and Memorial’s Jacob Gagnon in the 215-pound division – reached the state finals before falling.

Another local grappler, Central’s Juan Taveras at 189 pounds, reached the state semifinals before ultimately losing the third-place match, 11-4.

But those weren’t the only fine efforts from the Crusaders, Blue Knights and Little Green.

The top six finishers from the Division I state meet, along with the top four from the Division II, battle at the Meet of Champions.

Manchester Memorial Three athletes led the Crusaders to 12th place among 18 teams, the strongest team showing of any Manchester school.

Gagnon battled Concord’s Marshall Gleason into the third period before he was pinned.

Still, Gagnon earned that coveted trip to the Meet of Champions, along with sixth-place finishers Brandon Marquez at 130 pounds and Chris Violette at 189 pounds.

“I’d rather see the six kids in the Meet of Champions than worry about the team title,” said Memorial’s mentor, Jacob Doerfler.

Instead, the coach received half his wish. Among Memorial’s remaining nine athletes, Ha Hoang at 112 pounds, 140- pounder Jeff Stanzel and Brian Prindiville at 160 each earned a pair of victories, but none reached the MOC.

Bryant Vallat, 119 pounds; Denis Duquette, 125; Drake Mosman, 145; Eddie Cole, 152; Seth Grimes, 171; and Jeremy Bryant, 289, contributed to Memorial’s effort.

Manchester West
Crain’s second-place finish led the Blue Knights to 14th place overall.

“Jared is a very aggressive wrestler,” said West’s head coach, Adam Langlois. “He’s a guy who stays after practice and complements Casey (Bradford) as captain.”

Two other Blue Knights extended their seasons. Bradford, a 145-pound wrestler, also reached the MOC with his fifth-place effort and 3-2 record, as did John Miller at 189 pounds with a 4-2 mark.

Derek Kuhn at 152 pounds won two matches, and John Blouin at 130 pounds won once.

Chris McCormack, 140 pounds; Adam Young, 160 pounds; Steven Gibson, 171; Aaron Mitchell, 215 pounds; and Chris Brownlie, 289 pounds, also competed for the Blue Knights.

Manchester Central
The Little Green placed 16th, paced by Juan Taveras’ fourth-place effort at 189 pounds. In fact, each of the city schools sent their 189-pounder to the Meet of Champions.

“Juan’s focused on making the right moves, and in the proper order,” said his head coach, Josh McLaughlin.

That strategy allowed Taveras to join 152-pounder Miles Davis, who finished sixth at states, for the trip to Londonderry and the MOC.

Trevor McKenzie also put forth a strong, multi-win effort at 285 pounds.

However, McLaughlin said the team lost senior Ben Champagne at 135 pounds to injury last week, then classmate Billy Chebook, a 215-pound wrestler, following a first-round win during the state meet.

Joe Saliba of Hooksett collected a win in three 125-pound matches.

Fellow junior and Hooksett resident John Crockett dropped both matches at 140 pounds.

Brian Fontaine, 103 pounds; Marc Therrien, 112; Jesse Therrien, 119; Ben Williamson, 130; Jason Woodside, 135; and Nick Thibedeau, 160 pounds, grappled for the Little Green, too.

In ‘Blue’ battle, Salem pulls away from West

Hooksett Editor — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:11:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

The Division I match-up between 9-4-0 Salem and 5-6-2 Manchester West had a little something for every ice hockey fan: fine goaltending from both starting netminders, hard-hitting confrontations in the corners, frenetic action from blue line to blue line, even some heated verbal exchanges.

Ultimately, the visiting Salem Blue Devils had a little too much of everything for the host West Blue Knights to combat, taking a 6-1 victory at JFK Coliseum on Saturday, Feb. 9.

But at first, and well into the second period, West maintained a precarious hold on the lead, thanks largely to Mike West.

The junior goalie turned aside 16 shots in the first 24 minutes of action, thwarting odd-man rushes and pointblank attempts from a relentless Salem group.

In the meantime, the Blue Knights took a 1-0 lead 5:30 into the match when junior Andrew Sterling beat Salem’s sophomore keeper, Robert Liberatore, on assists from classmates Devin Greaney and Brad Sommer.

Salem’s head coach, Mark McGinn, said he didn’t need to chastise his players during the first intermission.

“We came out flat, no energy to speak of. We weren’t really excited,” said McGinn. “I didn’t have to say anything about that (in the locker room). The guys really picked up the pace from there.”

Indeed, Salem peppered West with 12 shots in the second period. Three found the mark. All were scored in a twominute span.

First, Ryan Desroches knocked in a rebound from Joel Vastl’s shot, knotting the score 9:19 into the period.

Just 34 seconds later, Michael Frahm, sandwiched by two Blue Knights, managed to push the puck past West for a 2-1 Salem lead. Seniors Derek Tomes and Joshua Frahm assisted on the sophomore’s go-ahead goal.

The deluge concluded 1:07 later when Vastl tipped in Mark Baroni’s left-handed blast from near the blue line. Desroches also earned an assist.

From that point, Salem and West players became testy, leading to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Blue Devils after the second period ended.

That meant the Blue Knights took the ice in the third period with a power-play opportunity.

Instead of West cutting into the lead, the game was effectively decided on two short-handed tallies.

Joshua Frahm picked off an errant pass and, 10 seconds into the third, gave Salem a 4-1 edge. About one minute later, Desroches scored his second goal on another Josh Frahm helper.

West’s first-year head coach, Bob Rougier, replaced his goalie when Derek Tomes capped the scoring with less than five minutes remaining. Tyler Vigue assisted on that goal.

Rougier, though frustrated by another uneven effort, was pleased with West’s night between the pipes, as well as what he called aggressive, intelligent play from Keith Pilotte and Jon St. Charles, both juniors.

“He does what the coaches tell him to do,” said Rougier of St. Charles. “He’s a leader out there.”

West owns victories against .500 Pinkerton and secondplace Hanover, and Rougier absolutely expects a postseason appearance by his team. However, he said the group, which currently has only two reliable lines, must continue to develop a third line and avoid the lapses that proved insurmountable against Salem.

West considers special academies

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:23:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Administrators at West High School have announced a plan they will bring before the city’s School Board to establish a series of academies at the high school.

About a third of Hooksett high school students currently attend West.

The preliminary plans, which will go before the School Board sometime in February, would start specialized academies of performing arts and computer technology first, eventually adding health and human services, business, and arts and humanities academies.

The general studies program would be expanded and developed into an academy as well, and the school’s Army ROTC program would also be built upon.

Freshman and sophomore academies would also be started. Students would pass through those before choosing the specialized academy they wish to enter in their junior year.

School administrators are not revealing costs or details of the programming associated with the plan at this time, as the School Board and Mayor Frank Guinta have not yet seen a proposal.

West Assistant Principal Gary Dempsey said the academy plan was developed in collaboration with about 30 people, including parents and school faculty.

Dempsey, formerly an assistant principal at Nashua North High School, said he saw the academy system working in Nashua. A similar program was implemented following the split of the old high school into Nashua North and Nashua South with the construction of a second high school starting in 2002.

“The academy approach is designed to have each kid map out a plan for what their 10-year plan is,” Dempsey said.

Since talks about Bedford opening its own high school in town began a few years ago, which meant West would lose about half its student population, the question of West’s future has been undetermined. Guinta has called for a long-term plan for the school.

Bedford High School opened with just grades 9 and 10 this year, with a total of about 550 students. According to enrollment projections, a few freshman and sophomore students living in Bedford remained at West. Bedford student enrollment was projected at about 440 students for the 2007-08 year.

In the 2008-09 year, the shift of students is projected to be more dramatic as the Bedford high school phases in the 11th grade, for a total of more than 950 students. In 2009-10, the 12th grade will switch to the new Bedford school, leaving West with a projected seven Bedford students still at the school.

All Bedford students are expected to be phased out of West by the 2010-11 school year.

As the plans are still very preliminary, there is no word on whether the West academies will serve as a magnet program for students from other areas of Manchester or other towns.

Dr. John Avard, Manchester School Board member, said an English Language Learners program was among curriculum changes to help bring in freshman students who currently attend Central for that special programming.

He added the exodus of Bedford’s students from West will not leave the school half empty, as West had some overcrowding issues in the past.

Ariel Wilson, 15, of Hooksett, is a freshman at West and wants to get into marine biology. None of the planned academies would likely fit her career interests, she said, but thinks other students would benefit.

“I think it would be a good idea. I guess it would depend if there was an interest in it,” she said.

West thoroughly beaten by defending champs

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:14:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Pinkerton Academy head coach Brian O’Reilly said he and his team were looking to make an example of someone. They found a victim in West High School.

The Astros lanced the Blue Knights, 34-7, on Saturday, Nov. 10, in first-round playoff action.

The week prior, PA, the twotime defending state champion, was stymied at home, losing its first Division I contest in more than two years, 30-7, to Nashua South.

“After embarrassing ourselves last week with our style of play, we needed to send a message to ourselves as well as anyone (else), that it’s playoff football time, that we’re the team people are supposed to contend with, and we need to start playing like it,” said O’Reilly.

The Blue Knights, on the other hand, entered the postseason after coming back from a two-touchdown deficit at beat Salem on the road, 17-14, in a must-win contest.

Moreover, West had nearly defeated Pinkerton in Derry on Sept. 15 when it took an early 14-0 lead.

But by the time the Blue Knights scored against the Astros again, it was almost two months and more than six quarters later, and they had allowed 50 unanswered points to the D-I power.

The locals fell in the regular- season matchup, 16-14, and were down 34-0 late in the fourth quarter of the semifinal contest when senior tailback Nick Clement broke loose for a 67-yard touchdown.

“The kids played confident. We had a good week of practice.

You know, after we came here earlier in the season, we thought we should have won that game,” said West coach Travis Cote. “We thought we had a good chance today to come in and play, and they just outperformed us.”

Pinkerton, utilizing its speedy rushing attack, scored first five minutes into the game.

After West turned the ball over on downs, the Astros punched in another score on the first play of the second quarter and ran in three more touchdowns by halftime, taking advantage of two more turnovers in the process.

PA didn’t score in the second half, and they didn’t need to. O’Reilly said the difference between the first time the two squads met and the postseason slaughter was as simple as studying film and making necessary adjustments.

Cote tipped his hat to the opposing coaching staff for altering Pinkerton’s schemes on both sides of the ball. He said, unlike the first contest, it was difficult to be upset because the game was so one-sided from the start.

“Fortunately, this year we’ve been able to do some things … to outscheme (foes) and keep us in games against teams that are bigger than us,” said Cote. “Today we weren’t able to do that.

They came after us, and offensively they just moved us off the ball and drove down the field on the ground.”

Despite the poor end to the season, Cote said the program continues to improve.

“Over the last few years we’ve been very competitive in this league,” said Cote of a West team that’s reached the D-I playoffs two of the last three years.

“It’s going to take some time to get that experience, and hopefully we will continue to build on the seasons we’ve had the last few years.”

Pinkerton remains the only team Cote has not beaten in his four-year tenure as West mentor.

Team notes
West features nine Hooksett players including seniors Kevin Beaudoin, Sam Leger, Adam Lula, Alex Mason, Chris Wallace; juniors Nathan Collins, Nick Florence and Kevin Germain; and sophomore Jeff Wallace.