New Boston News : Bedford

Squirts and Mites take titles in state and Boston

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:28:00 GMT

The New Hampshire Avalanche Squirt ’98 AAA team rolled through the Metro Boston Hockey League regular season, posting 35 wins without a loss.

The postseason was no different.

The top-seeded Avs, coached by Mike Potvin; his assistant coaches, Joe Silva, Mark Leach and Gary Saklad; and goaltender coches Bill McWhinnie and Bryan Ash, completed a record-breaking season with a 4-1 semifinal- round win over CD Select from Albany, N.Y., and an 8-0 drubbing of the Springfield Jr. Pics in the championship.

The team included players from Bedford, Hooksett, Goffstown, New Boston, Pelham, Concord, Londonderry, Manchester, Derry and Merrimack.

• • •

The Avalanche ’99 AAA team, the top seed in the tournament, won the Tier 1 Mite state championship.

The Avs handled the Jr. Monarchs, 5-2, and tied the Flames, 2-2, in the preliminary rounds.

In the semifinals, the Mites outshot the Nashua Panthers, 29-10, en route to a 3-1 win. They carried the momentum from that victory into the finals, opening an early 2-0 edge in an eventual 5-1 win.

• • •

The Avalanche Squirt ’97 AAA team won the Metro Boston Hockey League championship.

The Avs defeated the Edgewood Hawks in the semifinals, 2-0. Jeremy Duhamel connected midway through the third period after receiving a pass from Chad Thompson. Cam O’Neil’s empty netter in the final minute secured the win.

In the finals, the Avs outlasted the Springfield Jr. Pics in a shootout after a 2-2 tie. Goalie Michael Robinson turned aside both shots he faced, and Nicholas Burgess and Cole Anderson scored. Burgess and Colton McAllister tallied in regulation, with assists credited to Thompson and Isaac Segal.

The team earlier took second in the Tier I state championship.

• • •

The New Hampshire Avalanche Mites ’00 team beat the Worcester Crusaders in double overtime, 2-1, to become the Mite minor champions of the Metro Boston Hockey League. Reese Popkin, assisted by Kyle Greer and Cody Sullivan, scored the first goal for the Avs, tying the match. Ryan Sledjeski, Cameron Leborgne, Brett Bliss, Daniel Israel and goalie Conner Laurendeau kept the Crusaders scoreless for the remainder of the contest.

First-overtime attacks by forwards Parker Roberto, Cade DeStafani, Drew Parsons, Josh Connor and Mick Pitarys were thwarted, but, 14 seconds into the second OT, Greer found the back of the net on a pass from Sullivan. The Avs, 11-6-1 in MBHL play this season, dedicated the win to defenseman Mason Hobbs, who was unable to make the playoff games.

Hess is more – New Boston man recovers from serious injury to win gold at Senior Games

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:23:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Kristin Johnson and her teammates used to complain about the vigorous training regimen that came with being on West High’s track team.

But Lee Hess changed that.

It was seeing the Blue Knights sprinting coach come back from a tough injury that changed Johnson’s perspective on work ethic, dedication and motivation.

“Last summer he had a really bad fall off a ladder,” said Bedford’s Johnson of Hess. “By winter track he was in the hallways with us, working out as much as he could. To see him out there while we’d joke and complain about having to do it … it was really impressive and motivational.”

A little more than one year after shattering his hip, Hess competed in this year’s annual Granite State Senior Games. The New Boston resident returned to competitive running in January, four months after falling 25 feet off a ladder, running at the Dartmouth Indoor meet.

On Sunday, Aug. 12, Hess won gold in the men’s 55- to 59-year-old division in the 50-meter dash, the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash.

“The doctors said I wouldn’t run for at least a year,” said Hess at the GSSG meet, held at Manchester’s Livinston Park. “But six months later, I was ready to go. I went with the non-surgical option and it turned out it was the best decision I ever made. There was no way I could give up running so I just kept at it.”

After seeing specialists at a hospital in Boston, Hess was limited to crutches for six weeks following the injury. Each day involved stimulating his hip muscles via an automated machine.

Soon, walking and light running became part of Hess’s rehabilitation before he returned to the track at West High; on Sunday, the 57-year-old ran the 50 in 7.18 seconds.

“He’s a sprinting coach, and I did long distance but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t involved with us,” said Johnson. “I’ve been around him all my four years on West’s track team and he’s always been there helping us and showing us how to get better. It was so cool to see him come back from something that could’ve never let him run again to being out there competing a few months later.”

Burglaries prompt police summit

Goffstown Editor — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 17:30:00 GMT

BY ROD HANSEN
New Boston’s police department has been leading the effort to curb a recent spate of home burglaries affecting several local communities.

New Boston’s police department has been leading the effort to curb a recent spate of home burglaries affecting several local communities.

“All the surrounding towns have had an influx of (burglary)- type crime over the past few months,” said police Sgt. Frank Kochanek, who helped organize two recent summits among local police departments to address the problem.

New Boston has experienced four home burglaries in the past month, Kochanek said. Neighboring communities including Bedford, Weare, Deering and Goffstown have also experienced outbreaks in criminal activity, he said.

Such an increase in the number of burglaries generally occurs during during the late fall and early winter and is likely tied to the holiday season, he said. “People are down and out this time of year,” Kochanek said.

“They’re hard on their luck, and what happens is an increase in crime.” A study of burglarized homes in New Boston shows the homes to be fairly secluded, though they are connected to major state roadways such as Route 114, Route 77 and the 2nd New Hampshire Turnpike, Kochanek said.

“The homes that were hit are in places where they could get out of the area fast,” Kochanek said. The burglaries all show signs of forced entry, he said.

The police department is working with other agencies to determine possible links in the crimes, Kochanek said. Areas under investigation include similarities in the dates and times at which the burglaries occurred, connection to major roadways and items stolen, he said.

Kochanek offered some ideas on how residents can protect themselves. He said homeowners should be sure to lock their doors and windows, keep wallets or checkbooks in a secure place, and send out the word if you’re going away for an extended holiday vacation.

“If you’re going to be away for a long period of time, it’s a good idea to tell the police so we can check your property,” Kochanek said. “You might also talk to a neighbor and have them look out for any unusual activity while you’re away,” he said.

New Boston is not alone in its recent rise in criminal activities. Nearby Weare has also seen four recent home burglaries, said Weare Police Chief Gregory Begin.

Though the chief declined to discuss specifics of the cases, he said items taken included money and jewelry. He also cautioned residents to take extra security measures.

“Some of these burglaries have been through locked doors, but make continued efforts to make sure your doors are locked, and keep an eye on your neighborhood,” Begin said.

Weare police are coordinating their investigation with neighboring communities, Begin said. Lt. Mark Bodanza attended the recent summit in New Boston, he said.

Goffstown has also been hard hit by burglaries lately, with that town reporting a total of eight confirmed incidents since Oct. 1.

The break-ins show signs of both forced and non-forced entry, said Goffstown Sgt. Rob Browne. This indicates some residents may have left home without taking the proper precautions.

“People have a hard time remembering whether they locked or didn’t lock a door. In cases where they do forget, that is an opportunity” for burglary, he said.

He also said most of the burglaries have involved money and jewelry, and agreed with Kochanek that residence should inform police and neighbors of any plans to go away.

He also suggested something as simple as a “beware of dog” sign could keep potential prowlers away.

Although Browne said recent burglaries are a cause for concern, he said he doesn’t consider the numbers exceptionally high.

“Any time someone’s home gets broken into, it’s a major event,” Browne said.