January

Nine people, including a 47-year old mother and her four sons, were arrested after police seized drugs, cash and weapons from their home. The raid at 13 William Drive followed a twomonth long investigation into the sale of marijuana and Oxycontin in town.

Lt. Robert Chatel, Lt. Robert Deschene and firefighter Gregory Atwood were honored at the 73rd annual Pelham Firefighters Ball for helping two women trapped in rapidly moving floodwaters the previous May.

The state’s Division of Pesticide Control fined LawnMaster of Methuen, Mass., $2,000 after learning that the company applied pesticides within 400 feet of a gravel-packed well at Pelham High School without a special permit.

February

Six portable classrooms opened at the high school, enabling officials to move approximately 150 students out of the building where serious fire code violations had been discovered. The extra space is being leased by the school district.

Memorial School social studies teacher William Dugan was honored as the state’s winner of VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award in the middle school category. Dugan won the award, which recognizes excellence in teaching, for the second consecutive year.

March

Michelle Lemieux, a PHS student known for her spirit and her smile, died as the result of a two-vehicle collision. She would have turned 17 on St. Patrick’s Day, one week after the accident.

Robert Haverty and Hal Lynde topped a five-candidate race for the Board of Selectmen. Voters rejected a $7.3 million bond article to construct a new fire station. Eleanor Burton and Cindy Kyzer were re-elected to the School Board. Voters approved $350,000 for engineering and architectural fees for a new school and rejected a new threeyear contract for teachers.

April

Torrential rain and heavy winds downed wires and trees, closed some bridges and sections of roads and resulted in the loss of power in the Marsh Road area.

Capt. Joseph Roark became chief of the Police Department. He was selected by selectmen to replace Evan Haglund, who retired to become chief of police in Topsfield, Mass. Roark worked his way up through the ranks since becoming a patrolman in 1996.

Daniel Joseph Maldonado, a former PHS student, pled guilty in federal court to being trained by a foreign terrorist organization. Maldonado, who participated in training camps where members of al-Qaida were present, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in July.

The St. Patrick’s Knights of Columbus Council No. 6902 observed 30 years of service in the community. The group raises money for charities, hosts blood drives, provides scholarships, organizes Easter egg hunts, hosts fish frys during Lent and more.

Gov. John Lynch visited Muldoon Park to attend the opening ceremony of the 2007 Pelham Little League season.

May

Citing personal and business commitments that required him to leave town, Tom Domenico resigned from the Board of Selectmen. The following month, selectmen appointed Budget Committee member Doug Viger to serve out his term.

Pelham Elementary School Principal Alicia LaFrance kept her promise to kiss a pig after students reached their goal to raise $5,000 to fight diabetes. The students actually doubled that, bringing in more than $10,000 for the Dollars for Diabetes fundraising campaign.

After taking one of their pumper trucks out of service, fire fighters found a new owner for the vehicle – by putting it up for auction on eBay. Engine 3, a 22-year-old fire truck, fetched $4,201 from a family of volunteer firefighters in Monterrey, Mexico.

July

Frank Bass became superintendent of Pelham and Windham schools. Bass, who previously served as an assistant superintendent in Manchester, succeeded Elaine Cutler, who retired.

National Grid informed selectmen that it would undertake a hazardous tree mitigation program in town, cutting down or trimming parts of trees to minimize power outages.

Leland Brennan joined the high school’s staff as assistant principal. Brennan, who succeeded James Wilhelm, brought experience working in four high schools, including 16 years as an assistant principal.

Following a rash of vandalism at several town parks, Police Chief Joseph Roark told selectmen that his department is beefing up patrols and working on other ways to combat the mischief.

August

Contractors finished making safety improvements to the high school to enable students to evacuate the building faster during emergencies. The project, which $395,000 was earmarked for in the school district budget, included eliminating a dead-end hallway, reconfiguring classrooms, covering combustible walls with flame retardant material, and other improvements.

Rev. Bill Ferguson became the new pastor of the First Congregational Church of Pelham. He came to the job from the Hampstead Congregational Church, where he served six years as associate pastor.

Police and emergency workers had a busy night when a rash of mischief – including two shed fires, damaged mailboxes and thefts from cars – are reported in the southeastern part of town. Four young men were arrested and charged in connection with the crimes.

September

A bench is dedicated outside the high school in memory of Michelle Lemieux, the student who died as the result of a car accident six months earlier. Many students wore light green shirts with the words “My Michelle.” The bench features an image of Michelle’s face and a quote from her MySpace page: “You were born an original, don’t die a copy.”

State transportation officials presented four solutions to improve safety and alleviate congestion in the town center

during a public forum. The meeting is part of a process known as Context Sensitive Solutions, in which transportation officials work with local residents to come up with a solution to traffic problems that improves safety and mobility, fits an area’s physical setting and preserves scenic, historic and environmental attributes.

A five-and-a-half hour standoff ended peacefully after Jones Road resident George LaBonte Sr., who refused to come out of his home, surrendered to police. He was charged with resisting arrest and simple assault after surrendering to a police SWAT team.

Ed Gleason resigned from the Board of Selectmen. In his resignation letter, he wrote that his goals and objectives can’t be met in the “current environment” and may be contributing to disharmony within the board and with Budget Committee members. Selectmen later appoint former selectman William McDevitt to serve out Gleason’s term.

Voters approve a new threeyear contract for teachers during a special election. The new contract provides lower salary increases than the agreement voters rejected last March.

A Lowell, Mass., driver is arrested after allegedly grazing police officer Eugene Stahl on Windham Road. The driver’s vehicle tore Stahl’s portable radio off his duty belt and broke his gun holster. Stahl, who was responding to an accident on the road, got into his cruiser and stopped the man.

October

The purchase of an executive desk chair by school Superintendent Frank Bass that cost Pelham and Windham taxpayers $995 drew criticism from several School Board members. Bass defended the purchase as a reasonable one and was supported by a pair of Windham School Board members.

November

The School Board voted to approve the installation of surveillance cameras at the high school. Police Chief Joseph Roark told the School Board his department received a $17,400 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, which the department will match. In addition to the cameras, funds will be used to hire a security consultant to create a video survey of the town’s schools.

December

The School Board announced that it has a $3 million agreement to buy two parcels, totaling approximately 43 acres, off Windham Road as the site for a future high school. The purchase is contingent upon voter approval in March.

Citing a new job and family matters, Michael Conrad announced his resignation from the Pelham School Board. By announcing that he will leave in March, one year before his term was to expire, officials can put a one-year board position on the school district ballot.