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Hopkinton News

News and Information for the Town of Hopkinton

  • Parades and races highlight Hopkinton's July 4th festivities

    BY MATT SCHOOLEY

    Hopkinton residents will get the chance to make the Fourth of July an all-day festivity, as the town’s Recreation Department will sponsor events throughout the holiday, beginning at 9 a.m.

    The day will kick off with a 5K run and walk, which begins in front of the Contoocook Village Fire Station at 9 a.m. Runners, who are asked to wear red, white and blue, can register beginning at 8 a.m.

    Also in the morning will be the canoe and kayak race, which begins at 11 a.m. at Multi Weld on Riverside Road. There is a $15 fee for the event, and racers can register beginning at 9:30 a.m.

    Hopkinton youths will have their chance to parade around town, at the Kids’ Parade at 11:30 a.m., after assembling near the gazebo at 11 a.m. Preschoolers through third-graders are invited to dress up and decorate their bikes for the event.

    Soon after the Kids’ Parade will be the annual Fire Department- sponsored Independence Day Parade, which will start at Hopkinton High School and end at the Contoocook Village Cemetery. The parade will kick off at noon, moving down Park Avenue through the village and toward Penacook Road.

    Hopkinton’s celebration will culminate at Houston Park for a second consecutive year during the Fourth of July Family Fun Day, including food, a variety of games, music and other activities.

    “The whole day is going to be great,” said Justin La Vigne, Hopkinton Recreation director. “From the start, with the road race and canoe race to then end it at Houston Field with food, festivities and music, it’s going to be a blast for everyone.”

    According to La Vigne, the event should receive a large turnout, despite the holiday landing on a Friday.

    “Last year, I was here for the event and saw it. It blew me away to see the community come out,” he said. “We’re expecting hopefully 1,000 people again, like we did last year. It’s a great thing, and a great thing for the community while trying to keep it at a low cost.”

  • Golf tournament raises money for scholarships

    The 11th annual Hopkinton Rotary Scholarship Golf Tournament took place Thursday, June 4, at the Sunapee Country Club. More than 100 golfers and 45 sponsors helped the Hopkinton Rotary Club raise money for $10,000 in college scholarships for Hopkinton area high school graduates awarded this year.

    This year’s tournament was chaired by William Chapin Jr. of RBC Wealth Management.

    “It was a great day because of our sponsors, golfers and volunteers,” said Chapin. “I am especially grateful to Tracy Banks for being our lead sponsor.” Other major sponsors were RBC Wealth Management, Lovering Volvo, The Grappone Companies and Merrimack Savings Bank.

    The Hopkinton Rotary Club is a service organization, and its 38 members are involv ed in a number of projects that serve the local community. The club is part of Rotary International, an organization of business and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

  • Work begins on dangerous Route 202/9 in Hopkinton

    BY MATT SCHOOLEY

    State workers have begun work on Route 202/9 in Hopkinton and Henniker, starting a project that will make the road safer and more convenient for drivers.

    Chuck Davis, New Hampshire Department of Transportation contract administrator, said the project will cost about $3 million and needs to be completed by Oct. 17.

    Workers started grinding the road, and the first phase will include paving about 4 miles. In total, the project will consist of work on 7.3 miles of road from Exit 5 on I-89 to Rush Road in Henniker.

    The second phase of the project will include widening the road, guardrail improvement, turning lanes, and slope and drainage work.

    Davis said the final product will lead to happier drivers.

    “It’s a little of both (safety and convenience). We’re adding the turn lane that should make traffic go more smoothly and be a safety improvement,” said Davis. “The rest is routine maintenance. We’re going to put in shallower rumble strips so they’ll be less noise as well.”

    There will be four turning lanes added by the time the project is completed. The first will be on Stumpfield Road, next at the intersection of Route 127 and Old Concord Road near the Golden Pineapple and Contoocook River, the third at Old Concord and West Hopkinton roads, and the final at Foster Hill Road.

    “We’ll impact the commuters in the morning and afternoon commute, but we’re trying to minimize that,” said Davis. “The best option is to use an alternate route, such as 127 and Exit 6. We’ll try to keep commuters in the loop with what we’re doing.”

    Although the project needs to be completed by the pre-set Oct. 17 deadline, Davis said the project is slightly ahead of schedule, targeting an Oct. 12 completion.

  • Life’s challenges become Hopkinton senior’s strength

    BY MATT SCHOOLEY

    As a child, Jonny Yocum asked his grandfather a delicate question.

    “Grandpa,” he said. “Can I call you dad?”

    Bruce Yocum paused, understanding the difficulty of the situation before answering.

    “I wouldn’t let him,” he said. “I told him, Jon, you’re like a son to me, but you’re my grandson.”

    Now a graduating senior at Hopkinton High School, Jonny Yocum, 18, has met with more challenges than many students face.

    Having a father whose name he barely knows, seeing his mother once in recent memory and being raised by his grandparents, Jonny was forced to adapt.

    When he was born, Jonny’s father was not ready for a child. He was abusive to his newborn son, and Jonny’s mother, Samantha, decided she wanted her son out of that situation.

    So his mother brought Jonny to live with Bruce and Thongkum Yocum in Hopkinton, something that wasn’t always easy for the active youngster.

    “It’s not been easy. It isn’t like they’re young or hip. They’re so much different,” Jonny said. “They’re used to quiet and being settled, and I just wanted to be a kid.”

    Growing up without parents wasn’t the only obstacle Jonny had to overcome.

    “Hopkinton is not a poor school, so it’s hard to fit in. I don’t have a lot of money around here, and I grew up with no parents. People gave me a hard time about a lot of things,” said Jonny. “It’s hard to make friends. Every day would be hell. I had to learn to deal with everything myself.”

    Despite the difficulties, Jonny still became one of the more well-known faces in the hallways of Hopkinton High School.

    “He’s a very social person. Everyone I know knows Jon because he’s such a social butterfly,” said Evan Morse, Jonny’s best friend since fourth grade. “He loves to be around people and loves to be the center of attention, and not in a bad way.”

    Jonny’s mother now lives in Seattle, Wash., while his father has been in and out of jail. When asked what his father’s name is, Jonathan said, “This sounds bad, but I am not totally sure. I think it’s Ted or something.”

    If he needs to, Jonny can still call and talk with his mother, though they have only seen each other once recently. Despite his father’s abuse, Jonny visited his father during one of his stints in prison.

    “Even though he wasn’t the greatest to me, I still gave him the chance to make it right,” he said. “I believe everyone deserves a second chance. I decided to face it and see who he really was.”

    Although Bruce Yocum said it was difficult at times raising his grandchild, it is in many ways the same as other parent-child relationships.

    “It had its high and low points. In many ways it was typical. He was a child who was growing and learning and making mistakes, making you proud,” he said. “In many ways, it was just like a typical childhood, but the only difference is I was older and couldn’t keep up as fast.”

    Jonny said he wasn’t always as comfortable talking about his past as he is now.

    “It’s something I don’t mind talking about. It used to bother me,” he said. “I eventually started talking about it and learned to laugh at myself. It made me stronger instead of weaker.”

    It was talking about it that Bruce Yocum said may have helped Jonny arrive to where he is now.

    “Probably the hardest part was the fact that he just had a lot of difficulty, asking, ‘Why can’t I have a normal life?’ That was one of his big issues, his feeling of difference,” said Bruce. “The way we got through it was simply with lots and lots of talks.”

    Morse said he has learned a great deal of independence since he became friends with Jonny, while talking over favorite video games and television shows in fourth grade.

    “I’ve learned a lot about doing things on my own. I used to rely on my parents a lot and then after hanging out with him, I made my own path,” said Morse. “I planned out what I want to do in life and told them about it. They were impressed.”

    After graduation, Jonny plans to attend Southern Maine Community College, where he wants to study communications. He looks forward to a new life, applying a lot of what he has learned throughout all of his experiences.

    “I want to be kind of far away from here,” said Jonny. “It’s like the more things kept falling apart and breaking, the more I wanted to just get out of it. Instead of just sitting down and giving up, it motivated me to keep trying instead of letting myself give up. The more things went wrong, the more I wanted to make it right.”

    Being 3,018 miles away from his mother and having an abusive father in and out of jail, Jonny has spent his entire life learning, and not just on school grounds.

    “I’ve learned a lot. I learned that no matter how bad things are, there is always a way out. There’s always another answer,” said Jonny. “You don’t lose until you completely give up, you always have a chance to keep trying. I believe I’ll be OK no matter what happens.”

  • Hopkinton students pooling their money to make wish come true

    BY MATT SCHOOLEY

    A group of Maple Street School students wanted a swimming pool, even if they may never set foot in it.

    Fourth- through sixth-graders at the Hopkinton school organized a fundraiser for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, specifically for a 9-year-old cancer patient, Samantha.

    Samantha’s wish is to have a pool she can swim in for the summer, and to have it built by the beginning of July.

    Maple Street guidance counselor Mary-Chris Duncan and her group of peer leaders wanted to find a way to donate to Make-a-Wish, but with a personal connection.

    The foundation’s Manchester branch led Duncan to Samantha’s wish, and the school began fundraising in the beginning of May.

    “We knew we couldn’t come up with the funds for the whole pool, but we said we would raise as much as we could and have it matched by some corporate sponsors,” Duncan said. “We raised some money with daily donations.”

    Students made donations in each classroom and for three Tuesdays during the month, Duncan helped organize a table at the school with healthy snacks and treats for sale.

    A parent of one of the students involved with the fundraiser agreed to match whatever the students raised during the “Tuesday Treats” sales, bringing the total to about $300.

    In total, the school raised $800 to donate to Samantha in about three weeks of work.

    “It’s very heartening. The kids were very enthusiastic about this,” said Duncan. “It’s a very busy time of the school year and, quite frankly, I wasn’t sure how a fundrasier would go in May.”

    The peer leaders were also joined by the Friends of Rachel Club at the school, with the two groups heading the fundraising efforts.

    For every $5 students donated, Duncan added a paper link to a chain that began in her office and stretched down the hallway. Each piece signified a positive chain reaction of kindness and was decorated with a personal message from a student.

    “They would check and count the links, and it was also like a math thing.,” Duncan said. “Even kids not part of the fundraiser would check the links. The kids in the school were excited to do something for Samantha.”

    Duncan said the fundraiser affected more than one child.

    “I think any time you allow kids to help out someone else, particularly another child, that’s huge. For them it’s very positive and very powerful. Kids like to help others and give back,” she said. “It was something that created a lot of positive energy in the school.”

  • Hopkinton bumped from baseball playoffs after surprising regular season

    BY RYAN O’CONNOR

    Dave Chase is the first to admit it. His seventh-seeded Hopkinton baseball team was hosting a first-round playoff contest, but the game was in jeopardy before the players even took the field.

    In fact, said Chase, it was in trouble a week prior, when the Hawks blew a 10-0 second-inning lead at home against Newport and fell, 14-10.

    That setback cost them the No. 5 seed and what Chase said was probably the easiest path to the Class M championship. Instead, they opened the postseason against one of the top pitchers in the state, Franklin’s Derek Sylvester.

    “We ran into a better team, or at least on that day they were a better team,” said Chase following Hopkinton’s 9-4 season-ending loss on Thursday, June 5. “I mean, this kid, Sylvester, he throws mid- to high-80s. He’s going to Boston College to play (Division I baseball), and he was getting his fastball over the plate, plus both of his different curveballs, which kept us off balance.”

    So when Hopkinton gave up a first-inning one-out walk, followed by a two-run home run and back-to-back doubles, Chase knew his team was in for an uphill battle.

    “I give (Franklin) credit. They capitalized on good fortune and adrenaline and the next thing you know we were down four runs in the first inning, and against a pitcher like that … By the time we finally got a run it was pretty much over.”

    Evan Levy hit a solo shot to make it 7-1, but the locals never drew close.

    Still, Chase said he was proud of his squad’s effort.

    “We ended up with eight hits and four runs … Against a quality pitcher like that, you’re doing pretty well, but still, we fell behind early and put ourselves in a position where we can’t bunt. We can’t move runners. We can’t be aggressive because we don’t want to give up those outs.”

    Though the season is over, Chase said the team exceeded the expectations of many around the state.

    “As I said to the guys, 13-5 is pretty impressive,” he said. “I think, in a lot of ways, we overachieved. After losing those four (starting) seniors (from 2007), I think we had a pretty rewarding season.”

    Chase loses six more players, including first-team all-staters David Brandt and Matt Story, and Matt Demers, a second team all-stater. Dan Forrester, Sean Pirttiaho and Nick Babson also graduate.

    “If you take a look at those six, and then the four from last year, basically we have a whole new team coming back from two years ago,” said Chase.

    Yet he’s still excited for next year.

    “I look forward to a lot of new faces and new energy coming in,” he said. “We may not compete for a title next year, but we’re in a pretty good spot in that we have a lot of good baseball players that are phenomenal athletes coming in. I’m excited about the youth and their potential to play. I definitely see us back in the thick of things in a few years.”

    The JV team currently fields seven eighth-graders who now have a year of high school baseball experience.

    And Chase has just the guys to lead the youth movement. Joe Merrow and Nick Windhurst have already been named captains for 2009.

    Also likely to return are Levy, Steve Bower, Kyle Hatch, Dennis Frasier, Jarrod Rouleau, Jay LeBlanc and Jimmy Angell.

  • Hopkinton girls take crown again; boys move up to fourth

    BY RYAN O’CONNOR

    Hopkinton’s Sam Schlephorst finished tied for third in the pole vault at the Class M track and field championships. He cleared height of 11 feet, 6 inches. -Bow Times/Ryan O’Connor While other squads competed against fellow Class M-S programs, Hopkinton track and field traveled the state – often with head coach Rick Welch driving one of the buses – and faced some of the top competition from Class I and L schools with student bodies sometimes two or three times larger.

    “And they held their own,” said Welch. “It’s not a whole lot of strategy. If you get invited to a big meet, why not go?”

    Calculated or not, when the Class M-S championship finally arrived, even the fog enveloping Gilford High School couldn’t mask the clear result of Hopkinton’s arduous schedule.

  • Hopkinton teen among Youth of the Year

    Seven New Hampshire young men and women were recognized for their contributions to their families, schools and communities in ceremonies at the State House on May 14.

    The seven youth were chosen by each of their local Boys and Girls Clubs as Youth of the Year for their club, based on their exemplary leadership skills, academic performance and contributions to society. The seven individuals underwent a vigorous screening process that included an essay contest and interviews with community volunteer judges. They are recipients of the highest award given to club members.

    “The Youth of the Year program, for youth ages 14 to 18, has been an integral part of Boys and Girls Clubs of America for over 60 years,” said Rich Lowney, president of the New Hampshire Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs. Nationally, this program is supported by the Reader’s Digest Foundation. In New Hampshire, the statewide Youth of the Year program has received support from Comcast and the Ninety- Nine Restaurants, said Lowney.

    The winners were each recognized by Speaker of the House Terie Norelli and the 400 member House of Representatives at the beginning of their session and then met with Gov. John Lynch in his office. The winners were also individually recognized by Senate President Sylvia Larsen and received proclamations from the Senate.

    The seven Youth of the Year are Sean Pirttiaho of Hopkinton, Joe Aberle of Derry, James LaBrie of Laconia, Joe Calderon of Manchester, Jessica Hatch of Milford, Kaitlyn Beal of Salem and Rocio Camacho of Nashua. Rocio Camacho has also been chosen as the New Hampshire Boys and Girls Club Alliance statewide Youth of the Year and will represent New Hampshire in the regional competition in New York this summer.

    Boys and Girls Clubs in New Hampshire served more than 19,000 registered members and reached more than 45,000 young people last year, through programs and activities run by seven clubs at 28 program and 16 school-based sites, reaching 82 communities in the state.

    New Hampshire clubs are headquartered in Concord, Derry, Lakes Region/Laconia, Manchester, Nashua, Salem, Souhegan Valley/Milford. Thet are proud to be part of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, a national network of more than 4,000 community and neighborhood- based facilities annually serving some 4.8 million young people in all 50 states and on U.S. military bases worldwide.

    As “The Positive Place for Kids,” clubs provide guidance-oriented programs on a daily basis for children 6 to 18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key Boys and Girls Club programs emphasize character and leadership development, education and career exploration, financial literacy, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation and family outreach. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

  • School test scores fall short in Bow and Hopkinton

    BY MATT SCHOOLEY

    The Bow and Hopkinton school districts both had blemishes on their adequate yearly progress reports recently released by the state.

    Bow Elementary School did not meet the state’s criteria in the reading category, while in Hopkinton both Harold Martin and Maple Street schools fell short in reading.

    Students across the state in grades 3 through 8 and grade 11 were given the NECAP test in fall 2007. Students’ progress at the school and district level is measured based on the results and students are broken into different subgroups, including special education and economically disadvantage, for analyzing the performance of particular groups of students.

    If one of those subgroups fails to meet the bar in a particular subject area, the entire school is considered not having made adequate yearly progress. If a school fails to meet those standards for two years in a row, it earns a “school in need of improvement” designation. Such a school needs to make adequate yearly progress for two years in a row to exit that status.

    High school students across the state were not tested last year to allow a transition from spring to fall testing, but high schools retained whatever status they earned from the prior year’s adequate yearly progress results.

    In most cases, school officials say, the special education subgroup caused the school to miss the mark, which was the case in Bow and Hopkinton.

    “We were disappointed that the elementary school didn’t pass AYP. We’re not panic-stricken yet,” said Bow Superintendent of Schools Dean Cascadden. “We have a number of initiatives we’ve been putting on. In the budget this year, we put an additional special education teacher, so we’ve had our eye on this area. It’s an area we’re going to pay attention to and have a response plan we’re ready to put into place.”

    Hopkinton Superintendent of Schools Brian Blake said the district will analyze the results, but is cautious not to overreact.

    “Overall, I don’t place a ton of weight in the results. That’s one assessment of several that students take,” said Blake. “We’re looking at the results, and looking to further help the students who didn’t do as well as we had hoped.”

    Blake said there are several areas the school looks at to assess student performance.

    “We look at not only the NECAP, but student grades in the courses they’re taken, the assessments given by students’ reading inventory,” he said. “We look at all of the data in terms of how we can help our students learn the information better.”

    None of the schools are designated as a “school in need of improvement” because it was the first time coming up short on the test for each.

    Cascadden said he is pleased to see Bow Elementary students improved in math over last year’s results.

    “This year, their math scores were a definite increase. You have an issue, you look at it, and, hopefully, you get a good response. Our score increased significantly because we’re paying attention to it,” said Cascadden.

    “No one wants to not make AYP, but if it’s an area we need to work on we’ll put a plan together, pay attention to it and we’ll be tested again this October.”

  • Hopkinton softball team's quick rise followed by recent bumpy ride

    BY RYAN O’CONNOR

    A recent rough stretch aside, Dan Meserve said things are looking up for his Lady Hawks – now and in the future.

    After beginning the season 4-1, the Hopkinton softball team flip-flopped in its last five contests. The result is a 5-5 record through Friday, May 9 – just past the midpoint of the season. But that doesn’t mean the squad’s goals are unobtainable.

    “We’re hoping to finish strong and certainly meet our expectation of making the playoffs,” said Meserve. “Our ultimate goal is to get a (postseason) home game, and we still have a shot … It’s a little bit of a long shot, but we certainly still have a shot.”

    A 6-2 record from this point, said the coach, is likely needed for the team to secure homefield advantage in the first round of the Class M tournament.

    Though many Class M teams returned their No. 1 pitcher this season, Hopkinton did not. Still, Meserve said the locals have compensated with solid defense.

    Leading this year’s unit are senior captains Jackie Reen, Christina Gleason and Elizabeth Brown.

    Reen pitches and plays center field, Gleason patrols right field, and Brown mans third base.

    Backup outfielder Dayna Jewell, in her first year on the team, is Hopkinton’s fourth senior.

    Junior Remley Johnson, who pitches or plays the outfield, leads a solid group of juniors.

    Kelsie Benson and Kaylah Lessard see time in the outfield as well, and Megan Wasserman backs up Brown at the hot corner.

    It’s the team’s crop of sophomores, however, that has Meserve giddy about the future.

    “I started three freshmen last year, and this year I’ve had games where my entire starting infield has been sophomores,” said Meserve.

    Emma Brown catches, Katie Babson plays first base, and Melissa Baron and Hannah Richard hold down the middle infield at second and shortstop, respectively.

    Miranda Murphy is the team’s utility infielder, and Ashley Gleason pitches and plays the outfield.

    “It’s truly a nice, strong group of sophomores with some seniors that have done a great job of leading – and a good group of juniors as well,” said Meserve. “Yes, we are a young team because we start a lot of sophomores, and you can definitely look at it and say, ‘In another year we can be a powerhouse,’ but this year we still have a great group of girls that create a good blend and have a chance to do very well.”

    Game notes

    The Hawks dropped a 4-3 battle with Sanborn on Friday, May 9.

    Reen led off with a walk, stole second and was driven home by Babson, who went 3- for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.

    Richard and Lessard each plated Babson, but the Lady Hawks lost the contest when Sanborn took the lead for good in the sixth inning.

    Hopkinton finished the contest with seven hits. Reen pitched six innings and gave up three earned runs on six hits while striking out five batters.

    The Lady Hawks next host 6-5 Campbell of Litchfield on Friday, May 16.

  • Hopkinton college student goes to Democratic National Convention

    BY DARRELL HALEN

    When Barack Obama was running for president in the New Hampshire primary, Hopkinton’s Erin Thesing devoted hundreds of volunteer hours to help his campaign.

    This summer, she will support him in a different way – as an Obama delegate from New Hampshire at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

    It’s heady stuff for a 20- year-old University of New Hampshire sophomore involved in her first presidential campaign.

    “I’m blown away, really,” said Thesing. “A year-and-ahalf ago, I would never have thought I’d be doing anything like this or be this involved in the campaign.”

    Soon after the Illinois senator declared his candidacy in February 2007, Thesing became a devoted Obama supporter. She telephoned voters, help at events and canvassed homes – all part of the unglamorous but necessary “grunt work” of a presidential campaign.

    At UNH’s Durham campus, she devoted 10 to 15 hours a week. As an intern in the campaign’s Concord office, she put in long days leading up to the Jan. 8 primary.

    “I have a tendency to give 100 percent to things,” she said.

    Obama lost the primary to Hillary Clinton, but in Hopkinton he beat her 898-526, and in Durham, he finished well ahead of her, 1,302 to 806.

    “I love how committed this kid is,” said Susan Covert, headed of the Obama campaign in Hopkinton. “She put her heart and soul on the line to make a difference.”

    Covert said Thesing’s involvement embodies what Obama is all about – getting people excited and drawing them into politics.

    “He inspired this young woman and she worked her heart out for him,” she said.

    Thesing will be one of 30 delegates and four alternate delegates from New Hampshire at the convention.

    Within the delegation, 13 members, including Thesing, include: At-large – former Ambassador Terry Schumaker of Concord (for Hillary Clinton); former state Rep. James Demers of Concord (Barack Obama); Sen. Lou D’Allesandro (Clinton); and Edgar Helms of Concord (Obama). District level delegates – Carol Moore of Concord (Obama); Ann Kuster of Hopkinton (Obama); and Senate President Sylvia Larsen of Concord (Clinton). Among the alternate delegates is City Councilor Rob Werner of Concord (John Edwards).

    Superdelegates – Congressman Paul Hodes of Concord (Obama); and Gov. John Lynch (unpledged).

    Among the Pages are Whip, Gerri King of Concord; and assistant delegation chairman/liaison to elected leaders, attorney Martin Gross of Concord.

    As an at-large delegate, Thesing will gather with thousands of other Democrats in Colorado. There, the party will make history, nominating a woman or black man to run in the 2008 presidential election.

    Obama is in a tight race for delegates with Clinton, but Thesing thinks he’ll have secured the party’s nomination by the time the convention opens.

    The closest thing to a national convention that Thesing has ever been to was a mock convention four years ago at Hopkinton High School, when she had been assigned to be a delegate for John Edwards.

    Prior to Obama entering the 2008 presidential race, Thesing had been passionate about several issues, including environmental protection, but wasn’t enthusiastic about politics. Obama changed that. She likes his position on key issues, such as opposing the war in Iraq and making the fight against global warming a national priority and admires his ability to bring people together to solve problems.

    “He’s really been able to engage people, and bring people into the process who’ve never been involved before,” said Thesing, who early in the campaign was impressed as she watched Obama at a roundtable discussion on health care.

    “It takes something more than just being a leader and changing policy and pushing through certain legislation. It takes, I think, a fundamental change in our country and in its people to be able to bring about a progressive change,” Thesing said.

    At UNH, Thesing displays an Obama campaign button on her book bag and jacket, and campaign signs in her dormitory room. She was one of about 35 UNH students who helped the campaign, and one of their key accomplishments was getting more than 300 out-of-state students to register to vote.

    It was frustrating for her to encounter students who were apathetic and weren’t planning to vote. Thesing’s support for the campaign isn’t limited to New Hampshire as she has worked in Massachusetts and Maine, and will soon be helping in Oregon.

    Even while devoting hours to the campaign, Thesing has continued to earn high grades at UNH. Volunteering didn’t leave much time for a social life and came with some financial sacrifices.

    But Thesing appreciates the unique role New Hampshire plays in the presidential race and the affect she has had.

    Thesing is studying anthropology and French, but doesn’t know what she’ll do after she graduates in two years, but hopes to be involved in public issues.

    “I think the campaign has made me a life-long activist,” she said.

  • Hopkinton boys lacrosse takes road win with speed, strong goalkeeping

    BY MATT SCHOOLEY

    Visiting Hopkinton High School jumped out early on host John Stark and minimized a second- half charge, continuing its recent dominance of the Generals with a 7-2 victory in Division- III boys lacrosse on Friday, April 18.

    Hopkinton’s David Wood opened the scoring roughly three minutes into the first quarter of the contest, firing a deep shot that found the back of the net. Less than a minute later, Doug Meyer gave the Hawks a two-goal lead, weaving through the General defense and scoring past John Stark goalie Andrew Seccareccio. It was the first of Meyer’s three goals during the game.

    Joe Dammann then added two goals within a minute of each other, and the Hawks, behind goalie Bryan Libby, who turned several difficult shots away, held on for the win.

    “We got a normal game out of (Libby), with normal meaning outstanding,” said Hopkinton’s head coach, Doug Maynard. “He’s doing a great job in net. He can play outside the crease and make outlet passes. He’s been the total package.”

    Early in the second half, John Stark scored when Nathan Goldsberry fired from close range after receiving a pass from Parker Gage. That cut the lead to 4-1.

    Following Meyer’s second goal late in the third quarter, John Stark answered when Goldsberry notched his second goal of the game to make it 5-2. Hopkinton iced the contest with two fourth-quarter goals.

    Generals head coach Mark Schaub said his team has had lopsided contests with Hopkinton in recent match-ups, and he was happy his team was able to keep the score closer this time.

    “In the past it would have been hard for us (falling behind early), but this team has a good mindset,” said Schaub. “We didn’t think we were out of it. I was proud they could focus on what they knew they could do.”

    Maynard said the key to the victory was his group’s determined effort to control play.

    “I love seeing more men getting on the ground balls,” said the coach, whose team improved to 2-1. “We had great hustle, and we worked very hard.”

    Schaub said John Stark, now 1-3, had a difficult time controlling the speed of Hopkinton.

    “They’re a fast team, and they really kept us running. That was impressive,” he said. “They moved the ball well, and when our defense got out of position, they found the hole.”

  • Contoocook candlemaker lights the way for world peace

    BY KRISTEN SENZ

    As Pope Benedict XVI lit a prayer candle at Ground Zero in Manhattan, Martin Marklin felt a sense of peace and solidarity, but he was also keeping an eye on the candle’s performance. That’s because his family-run business, Marklin Candles, was selected to make the handcrafted wax pillar – with a red, blue and gold inlay of the Pontiff’s Coat of Arms – that burned as Pope Benedict prayed for peace on Sunday, April 20.

    “We are a family that believes very much in peace,” said Marklin, as he prepared the Papal candle to be shipped to New York.

    A company that specializes in custom-made, hand-decorated liturgical candles, Marklin also made the 62-inch tall Paschal candle used during the Pope’s outdoor Mass at Yankee Stadium on April 20. That candle required the extra engineering of a special wick and a wind-resistant chimney to shield the flame, Marklin said.

    Although contributing one of his candles to such a large-scale Papal event was an honor, Marklin said, seeing the Pope light a Marklin candle at Ground Zero held special significance for his family.

    “My mother and father-in-law were in the Empire State Building when it happened,” he said of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. “So we have a personal connection there.”

    Marklin’s wife, Christine, who helps run the candle business, said her father was working in the Empire State Building and her mother had just stepped out for a cup of coffee when the attacks occurred.

    “There’s going to be a silent power and a quiet intensity to the World Trade Center, in terms of calling people to think about peace in today’s times,” said Martin Marklin.

    The manufacturing process at Marklin Candle is more typical of a century ago. It relies on “The Mark of the Human Hands,” the company’s trademark, to furnish a truly handcrafted candle. Workers at the Marklin production facility and retail showroom in Contoocook hand-dip the candles using 51 percent beeswax, a specification that was once required for all liturgical candles. An artist then uses an Exacto knife to carve intricate, custom designs on the candles. Hot colored wax is poured into the grooves and adorned with genuine silver or 24-carat gold leaf.

    “By infusing hot molten wax into the candle, we’ve developed a unique inlayed wax process,” said Marklin, who started his company 23 years ago in the basement of his parents’ St. Louis home.

    Marklin, who also made candles for a visit by Pope John Paul II to the U.S. in 1995, said he believes his company’s “liturgical awareness” and dedication to fine craftsmanship have led to its selection for the Papal events over his six U.S. competitors, some of which are based in New York. Having grown out of a childhood curiosity about the decorated candles Marklin saw in church around Easter, Marklin Candles has now branched into retail sales, making custom commemorative funeral and birth candles.

    The company also has produced smaller versions of the Pope Benedict’s papal candle for those who couldn’t make the trip to see him in person.

    “There’s a sense that perhaps these people who can’t get there can experience union with him through these candles,” said Marklin. “It’s a way of doing a virtual pilgrimage.”

  • Hopkinton teaches larger-school foes a lesson at meet

    BY RYAN O’CONNOR

    If you didn’t look closely enough, you may not have noticed that a recent track and field meet in Pelham featured a Class M team in the midst of several Class I powers.

    And if you did miss the oddity, then you probably also didn’t notice that the Class M team was best of all.

    Hopkinton, facing seven schools with larger student bodies on Saturday, April 12, finished tops among girls teams and second among boys.

    What’s more impressive, said coach Rick Welch, is that up until a couple days prior to the event, the team was relegated to practicing in the hallways of Hopkinton High School, while squads farther south, like Class I Bedford and Pelham, prepared outdoors.

    Scorers for the girls, who finished with 135.66 points, included: Junior Quinn Nichols took first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes, 29 seconds.

    Sophomore Emily Cousens was tops in the 1,600 at 5:42, and senior Alison Bartlett came in fifth in the 1,600 at 5:58.

    Sophomore Cass Mellen earned first place in the 3,200, finishing the run in 12:58. She was followed by teammate Shannon Mackenzie, a junior, who took second at 13:05.

    Junior Amelia Paquette finished third in shot put at 30 feet, 2.5 inches, and freshman Kaylee Foote was second in discus with a toss of 73-6.5.

    Senior Maureen McAulliffe placed third in long jump at 13- 10 and was seventh in the 400 with a time of 1:09.6.

    In the 300-meter hurdles, senior Gretchen Loft placed second in 52.2 seconds, followed by sophomore Carolyn Maynard at 52.9. Freshman Hallie Loft placed sixth in 57.7 seconds.

    Mackenzie took first in the high jump, and junior Katie Jackson finished third. Alexandra Trahnstrom and Chiara Herlihy tied for seventh.

    Jackson came in third in the triple jump at 27-5.

    The girls also won the 4x400- meter relay in 4:28.

    The boys, who compiled 118 points, had several strong efforts as well.

    The 3,200-meter run proved most fruitful for the Hawks, who placed six in the top eight.

    Senior Sam Schlepphorst won the event in 11:25. He was followed by sophomore Ben Helm in 11:43. Sophomore Jesse Bostic was fourth with a time of 12:07; Ben Dalzell took fifth in 12:17; sophomore Ian head placed sixth in 12:19; and Doug Fuller finished eighth with a time of 13:41.

    Schlepphorst also won the 1,600 in 4:59, and Helm was third in 5:18.

    Joey Harrington, a senior, won the 400-meter dash at 54.8 seconds, and Sam Grady took sixth at 58.3.

    Harrington also placed second in the javelin with a throw of 127-4, and Troy Namini finished fourth with a toss of 114-6. Senior Steve Claggett took second in the 110-meter hurdles in 18.4 seconds. Zach Cousens was fifth with a time of 19.5 seconds, and freshman Sam Helrich earned sixth in 19.7 seconds.

    In the 800, senior Rohan Nobis finished fifth at 2:14, immediately followed by junior Tim Denoncour at 2:16.

    Claggett earned fourth in the long jump with a distance of 17- 3, and Namini was seventh at 15-8.75.

    Cousens placed fifth in the triple jump at 37-3.5, and Alexander Hubbard came in eighth in the 300-meter hurdles. The boys finished second in the 4x400 and sixth in the 4x100.

  • Science museum opens

    BY MATT SCHOOLEY

    It may not yet be apple season, but visitors will soon be returning to Contoocook’s Gould Hill Orchard as the Little Nature Museum will be opening for the season.

    The museum, run completely by volunteers, gives visitors a chance to learn about science with a hands-on focus.

    “We started with a bunch of collections, and that can be pretty boring,” said Little Nature Museum Director Sandra Martin. “I like to remove things from the collections and have something to engage the visitor, instead of just reading the label.”

    Although the museum is closed from the end of fall to the beginning of spring, Martin keeps busy planning the season’s programs.

    One thing Martin hopes to improve for this season is to get more visitors to visit the museum before late summer.

    “What I’d love to have is more visitors come earlier in the season. They all come during the apple-picking season, and they don’t get the most out of their visit,” Martin said. “That type of individual one-on-one experience is more likely to happen earlier in the season.”

    Martin became interested in science while at the Museum of Science in Boston, where she learned to convey her passion for the subject.

    “The Museum of Science is what got me inspired, and it was a hands-on experience. It got me to want to go into the field of science, and to start my own nature center,” she said. “The hands-on experience that I’ve had stayed with me all my life.”

    Hopkinton’s Little Nature Museum may be smaller than some of the other area museums, but Martin said she would put the experience at her venue up against any other in the state.

    “There aren’t too many places where you can get the experience that you can get here,” she said. “I don’t like the idea of having a one-size-fits-all museum.”

    The status of Gould Hill Orchard is somewhat up in the air, Martin said she hopes the Rotary’s plan to sell shares could lead to one of the busiest summers the museum has seen.

    “This year is going to be different. We’re trying to get a number of organizations to have different set ups for our Naturefest (in the fall). I hope by that time, the Rotary will be in the process of selling shares,” said Martin. “The number of visitors may surpass anything we’ve had in the past, maybe just out of curiosity.”

    Until new programs begin, children can learn all about archeology on Saturday, April 19, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., when the Hopkinton Library hosts “Dig into the Past: The Mystery of the Sites.”

    Sheila Charles, historic and archaeological research consultant and Strawbery Banke archeologist, will present a hands-on children’s program.

    In addition, the museum is taking part in “Discover Wild New Hampshire,” at Fish and Game on Hazen Drive, Concord, on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

    For more information, visit www.littlenaturemuseum.org or call 746-6121.

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