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News and Information from the Salem Observer
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BY DERRICK PERKINS
Pelham firefighters saluted one
of their fallen brethren with a cigar-
smoking gathering on Monday,
July 21, after learning of the sudden
death of veteran firefighter Howard
Mastropiero.
Mastropiero,
48, a firefighter
with the
Pelham Fire
Department for
11 years, had
been vacationing
out of state
with his wife and three daughters
when he died of a heart attack
Wednesday, July 16.
Chief Michael Walker described
Mastropiero as a “good man, good
father and a good husband.”
“You look at yourself and you
wonder, ‘I wish that I could be
like him,’” Walker said. “I never
heard him say a bad word about
anybody. He was always upbeat
and supportive. He will do anything
for you.”
Mastropiero – who routinely
worked out with Walker in the
mornings – was an asset to the
fire department and to the community,
he said.
He had just begun taking
more of a leadership position
within the department.
“Right now we’re grieving,”
Walker said. “Everyone here
loved him; the community loved
him. We’re going to find out what
we can do for him.”
Outside of the Pelham Fire
Department, the flag flies at half
staff and traditional drape of
dark purple bunting hangs over
the station to signify the loss.
On Monday, July 21, Walker
joined with others to mourn
Mastropiero’s passing and in a
small ceremony held at a cigar
store in Pelham where he used to
purchase his cigars. His funeral
was held that day at Londonderry
Presbyterian Church.
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BY JENN McDOWELL
Police arrested an
18-year-old Pelham man as part
of an ongoing effort to halt the
use and sale
of prescription
drugs, particularly
OxyContin,
in the community.
Krystopher
Draper, 18, of
Pelham was
pulled over on Sherburne Road
on Thursday, July 17, at around
2 p.m. by detectives investigating
several individuals believed
to be consuming and selling the
drug, said Pelham police Sgt.
Gary Fisher.
Draper, who also had a warrant
out for stealing a check
and cashing it in Pelham, has
been charged with possession
of OxyContin and possession
of forged writings, both Class
A felonies, and a misdemeanor
count of drug possession in
a motor vehicle.
Fisher said Draper had one
OxyContin tablet on him at the
time of his arrest. He added
detectives watched Draper enter
his vehicle and drive away
before pulling him over, and
already knew who he was. He
could not say whether Draper
was leaving his home.
According to Fisher, Draper
stole a check from a Nashua
business in November 2007 and
cashed it at a Citizens Bank in
Pelham. Officers investigating
that case were able to get a photo
of him, leading them to look into
the OxyContin use.
Fisher said Draper’s arrest
marks the third in a lengthy investigation
into the drug’s continually
growing use in the community.
He added there would be
more arrests forthcoming as the
investigation reveals new individuals who may be involved
with the drug. Police do not
suspect a drug ring at this point,
Fisher said.
“It’s a very prevalent drug. It’s
easily obtained, and it’s highly
abused,” Fisher said. “I think it’s
becoming a drug of choice.”
OxyContin, often referred to
as “the poor man’s heroine,” is a
member of the opioid group of
prescription drugs, according to
the National Institute on Drug
Abuse.
OxyContin is a time-released
form of the narcotic oxycodone,
and is generally prescribed as a
last resort for patients who are in
severe pain every day. It is meant
to be ingested as a whole tablet to
get the time-released effect, but
abusers of the drug typically chew
up the tablet. Many also crush
it up and snort it, or dissolve the
powder in water and inject it.
According to the National
Institute of Mental Health,
those who take OxyContin according
to their doctor’s orders
do not usually get any euphoric
affect out of it, and can avoid
becoming addicted to it because
their pain absorbs most
of that effect.
However, those who chew,
snort, or mainline the drug to
release the narcotic quicker and
who have no pain to cure can
become very addicted to the
drug in a short amount of time.
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BY JERRY LIPTAK
Coming off an exciting 10-
8 win over Bow in the 11- and
12-year-old Little League state
softball tournament, Pelham entered
the winners bracket final
with wide-eyed enthusiasm.
Lamprey River’s starting
pitcher – at least for one game
– morphed that into wide-eyed
wonder.
Pelham couldn’t catch up
with the fastest fastball the team
has seen in a 10-0, five-inning
loss on Monday, July 14, but the
locals still have tourney life.
They’ll play Friday, July 18,
at 6 p.m. against the winner of
the Merrimack Valley/Auburn
game. The location has not been
set.
A win in that game means
Pelham earns a rematch with
Lamprey River on Monday, July
21.
Pelham’s manager, Steve
Notini, hadn’t picked a starting
pitcher for Friday’s contest. He’d
like to have his daughter Minta,
who pitched well against Bow,
face Lamprey River, but he realizes
his team first has to get
there.
Notini was also pleased with
the effort of Olivia Crane in the
loss. She gave up five first-inning
runs but deserved a better fate;
none of the base hits were well
struck. After that, she shut down
Lamprey River until the fifth inning.
“Olivia, she’s a good pitcher,
but they caught up with her in
that last inning,” he said.
The mentor added the team
was much more comfortable in
its deceivingly close win against
Bow. Pelham trailed early, 4-0,
but strong hitting up and down
the lineup provided a 10-4 edge
into the sixth, when Minta Notini
tired.
Leadoff hitter Chantal Roussel
scored three runs in the victory,
and Erin Long added two.
Nicole DelSignore, who
missed the Lamprey River game,
was perfect at the plate, going 2-
for-2 with two walks and a run
scored. Colleen Ernst, whom the
elder Notini said is a possibility
for the starting pitcher spot on
Friday, collected two hits and
scored once.
Minta Notini helped her
own cause by scoring twice,
while Jaden Yabut singled. Kayla
Andrewchuk also crossed the
plate.
Against Lamprey River’s
hard-throwing Kim McLaughlin,
Nikki Manelas reached on
a walk and nearly collected the
team’s lone hit; she was thrown
out by half a step in the bottom
of the fifth. Left fielder Brooke
Paradis played well on defense,
snaring a line drive in the first inning
and catching another in the
third that prevented a run from
scoring.
Kaeleigh Sparkman and Sophie
Rosselli give their coach
strong bench options.
“Hopefully, we’ll see this
Lamprey River team again,” said
Notini, “and get another shot at
them.”
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BY JENN McDOWELL
A Pelham Elementary School
aid accused of stealing thousands
of dollars from the school’s “sunshine
fund” waived her arraignment
in Salem District Court,
which was scheduled for Monday,
July 14, at 8 a.m.
Lisa Harris, 50, of 50 Windham
Road in Pelham, turned
herself in to police after a warrant
was issued for her arrest on
Tuesday, June 17.
The fund, for which Harris
was in charge of accounting, was
set up by Pelham Elementary
teachers. Teachers would contribute
money to the fund, which
is completely independent of the
school district’s budget, to make
special purchases such as cards
and gifts for special occasions.
Superintendent Frank Bass
explained most schools have
similar funds which incorporate
collections from teachers and
staff for such purposes, including
weddings and funerals.
“These are monies that teachers
put aside. It’s a very normal system.
Most schools have sunshine
funds of some sort,” said Bass.
Since the donated money in
the fund is separate from the
school budget, the missing funds
will not be reflected back onto
taxpayers.
Pelham police allege that
Harris, who has since been terminated
from her position as an
instructional aid at the school
after 10 years on the job, transferred
$4,600 from the sunshine
fund into a Sovereign Bank account.
When the account was about
to be drawn upon for a purchase,
school staff noticed some of the
money was missing.
“We became aware of a discrepancy
in the account when
money was called on for a specific
purpose, and then upon
investigation we realized the
discrepancies were significant,
and the investigation went its
course,” said Bass.
According to police, the
school district reported the missing
funds on May 22. Investigators
reviewed the financial statements,
and found that several
transfers had been made out of
the fund between May 16, 2007,
and May 28, 2008.
Police then reviewed the
Sovereign Bank records for the
account the money was being
transferred into, and found it to
be in Harris’ name.
Harris is now facing a felony
theft charge for which she could
be sentenced to jail time, probation
and fines. She is out on bail, and
her trial has yet to be scheduled.
Bass said the school district
administration and staff, as well
as Pelham Elementary teachers
are shocked at Harris’ behavior,
adding she was a well-liked employee
by all accounts.
“It’s an unfortunate set of
circumstances, and we’re very
disappointed in what has occurred,”
Bass said.
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BY DERRICK PERKINS
Local firefighters have begun
honoring the sacrifices made by
U.S. servicemen and women in a
quiet, weekly nonpartisan show
of support while on the job.
Donning red T-shirts emblazoned
with the words “support
our troops” for the first
time Friday, July, 11, Pelham
firefighters are hoping to create
a weekly tradition of remembrance
until the every
soldier “comes home safe.”
“It’s important to us because
as time goes by, it seems like
folks forget,” said Chief Michael
Walker of the Pelham Fire Department.
“It’s about supporting
the troops. Everyone has their
own ideology. The bottom line
is about supporting those people
over there.”
The idea for the T-shirts came
in the form of an e-mail sent to
James Foley, president of the Local
4546 firefighters union two
or three years ago.
“Someone sent me an e-mail
saying, ‘If you want to support
the troops wear red on Fridays.’
So I started wearing red on Fridays”
Foley said. “So I happened
to notice some Boston firefighters
wearing red in the same light.
One of my friends happened to
get me one of those T-shirts.”
Chief Walker took notice,
Foley said, and supported his
wearing the shirt. With Walker’s
blessing, Foley organized a T-shirt
sign-up sheet for the rest
of the department. After receiving
the red T-shirts a little more
than two weeks ago, Walker and
Foley designated Friday, July 11,
as the first “red shirt Friday.”
The next batch of T-shirts
will go to the Pelham Firefighter’s
Ladies Auxiliary to be sold
to raise funds to help the station
purchase needed equipment and
for local soldiers charities.
Foley had his own brush
with the war when a cousin who
was serving in the Army was
deployed to Iraq. He is currently
training cadets at West Point
Academy. Foley said the display
of remembrance is a nonpartisan
show of support, without
any political overtones.
“I don’t want to send the
wrong message as an anti-war
statement, because it doesn’t
mean that,” Foley said. “It means
we support the guys over there.
We want to make sure that
they’re remembered.”
With a nephew who is a captain
preparing for deployment in
Iraq, Walker agreed.
“If you like war, you’re a fool,
I don’t care who you are,” he said.
“It becomes necessary at times;
whether you believe in this one
or not, there’s no consequence.
They are people who are doing
what they’re told and doing it
with great honor.”
Walker and Foley aren’t the
only ones in the department
with a connection to the war.
The husband of another firefighter
saw combat in Iraq and
a member of the department’s
search team is currently training
in the Mojave desert in preparation
for a tour of duty in Iraq.
Both men remember the death
of Army Sgt. Dan Gionet of Pelham
in 2006 in an explosion in
Iraq. His mother, Denise Gionet,
will help to manage some of
the funds raised through T-shirt
sales.
“I’m supporting the troops,”
said Ray Cashman, a firefighter
for 23 years in Pelham wearing
his red shirt while out on a call.
“Some people may not support
the war, but you have to support
the troops.”
A firefighter for 19 years, Bob
Chatel hopes to see “red shirt
Fridays” spread across the state
and country.
“I hope to see fire services
everywhere do it,” he said. “Let’s
see them all get involved in
this.”
Foley said he will continue
to show his support until all the
troops come home.
“I currently wear red on Friday.
I will wear red on Fridays
until the guys come home. I can
say as a firefighter there are
long shifts when we’re away
from our wives and children
and when we do get home, hugging
your loved ones is very
important,” he said. “When
they have the opportunity to
get home and put their arms
around their loved ones that
is very important to them. I’m
hoping that they’re all able to do
that and that we won’t lose too
many more lives over there.”
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BY DARRELL HALEN
While Spencer Grant’s friends
are writing college freshman
English papers, sitting in large
lecture halls and cramming for
tests in the library, he’ll be experiencing
a very different kind of
education – deep in the water.
Grant, 18, is pursuing an unusual
career path, that of a commercial
diver.
In early September, he’ll begin
a five-month program at Divers
Academy International in Erial,
New Jersey, which provides 720
hours of practical experience
and classroom training.
“It’s very hands on, and
there’s a lot to learn in a short
amount of time,” said Grant, who
recently graduated from Pelham
High School. “I’m very excited
about going.”
The curriculum of the academy’s
deep-sea diving program
covers a wide range, including
study in performing offshore
oil operations, hazardous waste
operations and emergency response,
underwater welding and
cutting, and bridge inspections.
The school owns a spring-fed 32-
acre quarry where students dive
from a large barge.
“I’m going to be busy,” Grant
said.
Grant, who enjoys scuba diving
with an uncle off Salisbury
Beach, became interested in the
academy after seeing an advertisement
for the school in a magazine.
He and his mother, Ellen,
toured the school last spring.
“The more I learned about it
and was exposed to it, I knew it
was something I really wanted to
do,” he said.
As part of the school’s application
process, Grant had to
undergo medical tests and had
X-rays taken throughout his
body to prove he had no health
problems that would restrict him
from training. Students must be
physically fit to undergo the program.
A career in commercial diving can be exciting and adventurous,
and there is a variety of
offshore and inland work that
can be found after graduating,
according to the school.
Academy graduates have
gone on to build structures and
maintain platforms for oil and
gas companies, conduct repairs
around radiation hotspots, fix
bridges and piers, repair pipelines
and perform other types of
hazardous materials work, and
done other duties.
“You could end up all over the
world,” said his father, Michael.
“It’s a gypsy life, somewhat.”
Ellen Grant said her son, who
will graduate with several high-level
certifications, is the type
of person who wants to work
outside, rather than be in a 9-to-5
job inside four walls. She admits
that she’s nervous about him doing
dangerous work deep in the
water.
“It’s a very dangerous occupation,”
she said. “But after going
down and visiting the school,
we found out they compromise
nothing for safety.”
Like her husband, she fully
supports her son’s decision to become
a commercial diver. They
know he’s following his passion.
“If he loves it and wants to
continue in a career in it afterwards,
we’re behind him a thousand
percent,” she said.
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BY DARRELL HALEN
It is considered by some to
be a historic landmark, a
reminder of a once-thriving
transportation system.
But soon, the old trolley barn
in Pelham’s town center will
be torn down.
It’s not going to be demolished,
however, without a
farewell.
St. Patrick’s Parish, which
owns the building, is holding
a movie night fundraiser
– dubbed the “Trolley Barn’s
Last Hurrah” – to say goodbye
to the building and raise
money to remove it.
“It’s a chapter in history
that will be closed,” said Selectman
William McDevitt,
who is disappointed the
building will be demolished
but understands why it must
come down.
The white brick building,
according to Bill Scanzani, a
member of the church’s capital
improvement committee,
is suffering from structural
problems, including a wall
that is separating from the
roof. The building is about
106 years old.
About two years ago, an
engineering review of church
property determined that it
would cost about $1.5 million
to fix the trolley building,
according to the Rev. Robert
Guillemette, the church’s pastor.
The parish doesn’t have the
money to save it, he said.
The building, known as St.
Patrick’s Hall, had been used by
the church’s parochial school for
physical education classes and
was made available to outside
groups for use. But the Diocese
of Manchester, concerned about
safety and liability, closed the
building.
Although the building is commonly
referred to today as the
trolley barn, it is not the barn’s
entire original structure. The car
house portion was razed during
World War II.
The building that stands today
is actually the barn’s power
station, according to McDevitt.
A 50,000-gallon water tank that
supplied water for steam-powered
generators once stood next
to it.
The building is slated to be
demolished in July at a cost of
roughly $40,000. McDevitt is
disappointed that a part of the
town’s history will be lost.
“That is a remnant of what
once was a thriving transportation
system that ran through
Southern New Hampshire,” he
said.
According to the book, “Reflections,”
a pictorial history
of Pelham, the advent of mass
transportation around the beginning
of the 20th century brought
trolley cars into small towns in
the area, including Pelham, Hudson
and Salem.
Electric cars transported
workers to textile mills and shoe
shops in Nashua and in the Massachusetts
cities of Lowell and
Haverhill.
To encourage people to travel
on weekends, trolley car owners
built amusement parks at Canobie
Lake in Salem and Glen Forest
in Methuen, Mass., according
to Reflections.
Eventually, however, trolley
routes were abandoned as automobile
use became more prevalent
during the 1920s.
Seven years ago, a local Boy
Scout established a plaque outside
the trolley barn to honor the
memory of six people who died
and 40 people who were injured
when two trolley cars collided in
Pelham in 1903.
That plaque will be saved
when the building is demolished,
Scanzani said.
Trolley Barn’s Last Hurrah
St. Patrick’s Parish is inviting
the public to a Movie Night
to say “farewell” to this historic
landmark. The movie “Monsters,
Inc.” will be shown on the wall of
the old trolley barn on Wednesday,
July 2. Gates open at 7 p.m.,
and the movie starts at 8:30 p.m.
Bring blankets and lawn chairs.
Popcorn, candy, other snacks,
soda and water will be sold. And
there will be a chance to win a
one-of-a-kind “Monster’s Inc.”
door. Tickets cost $10 per car.
Cars will be parked in the lower
lots at the church. Ticket proceeds
will be used toward the
building’s demolition.
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BY JENN McDOWELL
Pelham High School freshman
Stephanie Picanso failed
her Algebra I class this year.
Had there been a D grade
in the school district’s grading
system this year, her 68 average
would have been a D instead,
and she might not have to take
the class over again in her sophomore
year.
Her mother, Christine Bobola,
explained she enrolled Picanso,
15, in public school for the first
time this year after putting her
through Catholic school for her
early school career.
Picanso had a lot to get used
to, just getting into high school
and transitioning from a private
school format as well, Bobola
said.
She thought a level one Algebra
I class would have been right
for Picanso, who had been in
level one classes prior to entering
Pelham Elementary.
“We had to learn the hard
way, but an F is a really hard way
to learn that she should have
been in a level two,” Bobola said,
adding Picanso worked hard to
keep up with the level one standards
for the class. “It wasn’t like
she got a lazy man’s F,” Bobola
said.
After testing out a grading
system that eliminated the D
grade, the Pelham School Board
recently decided to bring back it
back.
Superintendent Frank Bass
said the School Board wanted
to reinstate the D as a way for
parents and teachers to be more
aware, when progress reports
come out, of a student’s standing
in their classes.
“We look at the D as a warning
signal, as a yellow light, if you
will,” Bass said. “The board wanted
to take it a step further and
say we’d still like to create this
safe harbor for those students
who, despite the best efforts of
the school and parents, reside in
the D range.”
Without the grade, students
who got a 69 average or below in
a class failed.
With the grade added back
into the grading system, students
could pass with a 65 average.
Anything 70 or above would be
a C, said Bass.
The real test, Bass said, will
be after the first progress reports
come out in the 2008-09 school
year. Bass said he wants to take
stock of how many students are
in the D range on their progress
reports, and out of those how
many students get their averages
up into at least the C range.
If parents and school administrators
see a D and treat it as a
warning, they may be able to coax
the student into getting their average
up in the class, said Bass.
“We want the parent to know,
we want the kid to know and, of
course, we want to know,” said
Bass. “I think it will be interesting
from my own perspective to
see where kids end up after the
first semester.”
Bobola said adding the D
back into the grading system is
the right thing to do, but wishes
that letter had been around when
her daughter entered a public
high school for the first time, an
adjustment for the freshman on
several levels.
“I mean, obviously she didn’t
get a good grasp of the knowledge,
but I’m not sure as far as
her having to repeat it, how that
has damaged her for the rest of
her high school years,” Bobola
said.
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BY JENN McDOWELL
A Pelham Elementary School
instructional aide faces a felony
theft charge after she allegedly
stole thousands of dollars from
the school’s Sunshine Fund.
Lisa Harris, 50, of Pelham
turned herself in to police after
a warrant for her arrest was issued
on Tuesday, June 17.
The fund is a collection of
money set aside by Pelham Elementary
teachers to purchase
cards and
gifts for occasions
such as
funerals and
weddings ,
school Superintendent
Frank Bass explained.
“We became aware of a discrepancy
in the account when
money was called for for a specific
purpose, and then upon
investigation, we realized the
discrepancies were significant,
and the investigation went its
course,” said Bass, adding Harris
is no longer employed with the
Pelham School District.
Harris, who worked as an
aide for about 10 years, allegedly
stole a total of $4,600 from the
Sunshine Fund, transferring the
money into a Sovereign Bank account.
Harris was in charge of keeping
track of the funds, Bass said,
which were accrued over time
from teacher donations. They
were not a part of the school district’s
budget, Bass said, and the
missing money will not reflect
back onto taxpayers.
“These are monies that teachers
put aside. It’s a very normal system.
Most schools have Sunshine
Funds of some sort,” said Bass.
According to police, the Pelham
School District reported
on May 22 that the money had
been taken from the fund.
After reviewing the fund’s financial
statements, police found
that the $4,600 had been transferred
out of the fund between
May 16, 2007, and May 28, 2008.
Pelham police investigators
were able to secure the financial
records of the Sovereign Bank
account into which the money
was deposited, and found it to be
in Harris’ name.
Police released Harris on
$5,000 personal recognizance
bail. She will be arraigned in Salem
District Court on Monday,
July 14, at 8 a.m.
Bass said the school district
administration and staff, as well
as Pelham Elementary teachers
are shocked at Harris’ behavior.
“It’s an unfortunate set of
circumstances, and we’re very
disappointed in what has occurred.”
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BY JENN McDOWELL
A Pelham woman has been
arraigned on 53 charges after
she allegedly tried to pass off her
employer’s baby as her own.
A probable cause hearing has
been set for Jessica
Provencal,
21, operator of
Child Care on
the Go, for Monday,
July 2, in
Salem District
Court.
Provencal, of
364 Mammoth
Road, had been
caring for Cindy and Jim Chok’s
8-month-old baby since it was
just weeks old.
The parents were horrified to
learn that Provencal had put an
ad up on Craigslist advertising
for a babysitter for “her” baby.
Not only had Provencal interviewed
several candidates for the
bogus job, she’d actually left the
baby with some of them and had
paid them for their services.
“It’s a parent’s worst nightmare,”
said Pelham police Lt.
Gary Fisher.
Provencal is being charged
with 26 counts of kidnapping, 26
counts of endangering the welfare
of a child and one count of
theft by deception.
Fisher said someone called
the Pelham police station on
Monday, June 2. The caller stated
that Provencal was a care provider
for several families in Pelham.
She then told police that
Provencal was telling people
about her 8-month-old baby and
was looking for a babysitter.
The caller said that Provencal
had never been pregnant to her
knowledge.
She also told police about the
Craigslist posting, which police
were able to access.
From there, police tracked
down three babysitters interviewed
and hired by Provencal,
all of whom were under the assumption
that the eight-month-old
was hers, Fisher said.
When police arrived at
Provencal’s home for questioning,
the baby was with her.
At the time, she told police
that the Choks knew about the
Craigslist ad, according to court
records. She also supplied the wrong
address and contact information
for the Choks.
After tracking the Choks
down and questioning them
about their day-care arrangements,
officers learned that
Provencal had been caring for
the baby on Tuesdays and Fridays
since December 2007, when
the baby was about 6 weeks old.
Cindy Chok told police she
specifically told Provencal that
the baby was not to be left with
anyone else and said she was
completely unaware of the Craigslist
posting.
The Choks, who live at 24
Longview Circle, released a
statement expressing relief to
have their child back safely and
thanking the Pelham Police Department
for “their diligence in
investigating this matter.”
The Choks also warned parents
to thoroughly investigate the
backgrounds of the sitters they
hire, including running criminal
background checks and asking
for evidence of all the day care
providers’ certifications and
qualifications.
“Conducting random, unannounced
physical checks of your
child when they are being cared
for outside of your home would
also be helpful. Had we done any
of these actions, we would have
discovered our sitter was not being
forthright with us,” the Choks
said in the statement.
Each of the kidnapping
charges, class B felonies, carry
maximum sentences of up to seven
years. The class A felonies, endangering
the welfare of a child,
each carry maximums of seven
years or more.
Police are still tracking down
other sitters Provencal may have
solicited or other parents who
have left their children in her
care. Anyone with such information
is asked to call the Pelham
Police Department at 635-241.
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BY DARRELL HALEN
When Pelham High
School’s Class of
2008 donned their
caps and gowns and received
their diplomas, they honored
the memory of a student who
should have been with them
– Michelle Lemieux.
Fifteen months after
Lemieux died as the result of
a car accident, she was fondly
remembered at the school’s
Friday, June 13, graduation
ceremony.
Flowers sat on an empty
chair in the front row. Green
tassels and ribbons were worn
in her memory. Lemieux was
born on St. Patrick’s Day and
green was her favorite color.
“In her life, Michelle
taught us to laugh and to
smile often,” Dorothy Mohr,
the school’s principal, told
the audience. “In her death,
she taught us to watch out
for each other, to cherish the
comfort of friends, and to
value the ability to reach out
to others.”
Throughout the evening,
Mohr and other speakers
offered words of encouragement
and praise to the 155
graduates.
They were recognized
for donating 15,035 hours of
community service. Some
graduates each donated more
than 250 hours – far greater
than the 40 hours each student
was required to perform
in order to graduate.
Class essayist David
Pereira, the third-highest-ranking
student, told his fellow
graduates that “the tassel
was worth the hassle.”
“Each one of us has put
the time and effort to make
it here tonight,” said Pereira.
“Our determination and willpower
has been present in
each of our experiences here.
It’s what links us as a class.”
Jennifer Gray, the valedictorian,
told her classmates
that they shouldn’t be afraid
to fail. Failures will bring you
closer to success, she said.
“Learn from those failures
and push forward,” Gray
urged. “Leave the faint of
heart behind and take those
leaps of faith into the unknown,
for the reward may
be larger than the risk.”
William Semrau, a retired
U.S. Coast Guard captain,
came to the ceremony to officially
present Daniel Trainor
with an appointment to the
U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
Superintendent Frank Bass
recognized graduates who
plan to serve in public service,
health careers and in
the military.
Bass told the graduates
that they should never let
anyone discourage them
from achieving their dreams.
“I ask that you shoot for
the stars, and don’t be surprised
if you make it,” he
said. “There are no boundaries,
no limitations that you
can’t overcome.”
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BY JENN McDOWELL
A young Pelham woman is
facing 27 felonies and 26 misdemeanors
after she allegedly tried
to pass off the 8-month-old baby
boy for whom she was providing
day-care services as her own.
Jessica Provencal, 21, of
364 Mammoth Road has been
charged with 26 counts of kidnapping,
26 counts of endangering
the welfare of a child and one
charge of theft by deception, said
Pelham police Lt. Gary Fisher, after
she allegedly
posted an ad on
Craigslist seeking
day-care
services for the
baby and actually
brought the
baby to other
sitters’ homes while she was supposed
to be watching him a few
days a week.
“It’s a parent’s worst nightmare,”
said Fisher.
The parents, Cindy and Jim
Chok of 24 Longview Circle, released
a statement saying they
are relieved to have their child
back safely and thanked the
Pelham Police Department for
“their diligence in investigating
this matter.”
The statement also warns
parents to take greater care in
investigating the backgrounds
of the sitters they hire, including
running criminal background
checks and asking for evidence
of all the day-care providers’ certifications
and qualifications.
“Conducting random, unannounced
physical checks of
your child when they are being
cared for outside of your home
would also be helpful. Had we
done any of these actions, we
would have discovered our sitter
was not being forthright with us,”
the Choks said in the statement.
Authorities were tipped off by
a woman who called Pelham police
on Monday, June 2, informing
them that Provencal was a babysitter
for several families in Pelham
and was attempting to pass off the
8-month-old boy as her own.
The woman who called said
she knew for a fact that Provencal
had never given birth, and told
police that she heard Provencal
was advertising for a babysitter on
Craigslist.
Several people responded to
that posting, and Provencal allegedly
brought the baby to the
homes of unwitting sitters after
interviewing them.
“We’re aware of at least three
different people that she left the
child with,” said Fisher. “They
believed that the child belonged
to Provencal. We also believe
that she interviewed other potential
day-care providers that she
turned down.”
Pelham police are asking
for anyone who has heard from
Provencal regarding day care to
call the police.
Officers went to Provencal’s
Mammoth Road home on Tuesday,
June 3, to question her about
the baby, who was in her arms
when she answered the door and
greeted the officers.
Upon questioning, according
to a police affidavit, Provencal
admitted that she told other people
the baby was hers. She also
admitted to posting on Craigslist
for another sitter.
“She explained that she could
not watch him every Tuesday
and Friday, due to her other
babysitting jobs, so she posted
the ad. I asked her if (the baby’s)
mother was aware of the posting
on Craigslist. She stated that (the
baby’s) mother was aware and
gave her permission to do this,”
O’Donnell said in the affidavit.
Provencal also told O’Donnell
she had received a response from
the Craigslist ad, and that she’d
met with and interviewed the
woman who responded, hiring
her for $50 for Tuesdays and Fridays
between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Provencal said she told the
woman that the baby was hers.
When asked, she could not produce
the last name of the woman
she’d hired to care for the baby,
according to O’Donnell.
Provencal tried to throw officers
off by providing the wrong
address and telephone number
for the Choks, the affidavit said.
After tracking the Choks down
and questioning them about their
day-care arrangements, officers
learned that Provencal had been
caring for the baby on Tuesdays
and Fridays since December
2007, when the baby was about
six weeks old.
Cindy Chok told police she
specifically told Provencal that
the baby was not to be left with
anyone else, and said she was
completely unaware of the Craigslist
posting. The police assisted
the Choks in making arrangements
to get the baby out of
Provencal’s home immediately,
the affidavit said.
After speaking with the
woman Provencal hired, police
brought Provencal to the police
station for questioning on June 3.
During the interview, Provencal
admitted to leaving the baby
with two other individuals besides
the one police had already
spoken to.
Provencal will answer to her
charges in Salem District Court on
Monday, June 16, at 8 a.m. She has
been released on $2,500 cash bail.
Each of the kidnapping charges,
Class B felonies, carry maximum
sentences of up to seven years. The
Class A felonies, endangering the
welfare of a child, each carry maximums
of seven years or more.
Fisher said Provencal has not
been in trouble with Pelham Police
before, and that she’s been
running a day-care service called
“Child Care on the Go” out of her
home for several years.
Police are still in the midst
of tracking down other sitters
Provencal may have solicited or
other parents who have left their
children in her care.
To offer information on this
case, call the Pelham Police
Criminal Bureau at 635-2411.
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BY JIM DEVINE
Homelessness is hard to
comprehend for those who can’t
see it, according to members
of St. Patrick Parish in Pelham.
They want to make it a bit more
understandable in their community
with a demonstration to
raise money for local shelters.
Beginning at 2 p.m. on June
14, and continuing through
noon the following day, parishioners
will camp out in the second
annual shantytown benefit
for local shelters, said Cheryl
Brunelle.
“It was only 24 hours, but it really
brought to the forefront the
idea of being homeless,” Brunelle
said. “We get a chance to go home
and take a shower to get back to
normal, but this is normal for so
many other people.”
Brunelle said the idea came
about last year as a lesson to the
parish’s confirmation class.
“Our confirmation director
last year felt it was important
that the kids get involved in a
project that would help them understand
the plight of homeless
people,” Brunelle said.
Following through on the
lesson’s intent, the demonstration
spun off into a fundraiser,
which raised $10,000 for seven
local agencies in Nashua, Hudson,
Pelham and Lowell, Mass.
Creating a shantytown-style
camp of improvised shelters,
participants will take a closer
look at how the homeless live
with cardboard shelters and a
small shared meal.
During the course of the
evening, representatives of each
charity group will make presentations
about how they help
people in need.
The group is also banned from
using items such as cell phones
and electronics, she said.
Those interested in participating
in the event, sponsoring
someone or making a general donation
can call the parish office
at 635-3525 or e-mail Brunelle at
cdbrunelle@comcast.net.
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BY DARRELL HALEN Riding a bus back to school with her softball teammates after a game, Jennifer Gray grabbed her coach’s laptop computer so she could finish an English paper that was due. It was an example of Gray’s commitment to her school work. The young Pelham woman’s dedication to doing well in school was a key factor in becoming the top student in her class. When the members of the Pelham High School Class of 2008 receive their diplomas on Friday, June 13, Gray will be recognized as valedictorian. Not that she cares for being in the spotlight. “I don’t really put much on it,” she said of graduating first in her class. “I just do what I have to do for my grades, what I want for me. If I get low grades, it really ticks me off, so I just try my hardest. I wasn’t really thinking of getting No. 1.” This fall, she enter Boston University, where she’ll study biology and possibly enroll in the premed program. “I’ve always been intrigued by the science field and the human body,” said Gray, 18, who enjoyed studying anatomy and physiology. “I want to be a pediatrician, I believe, because I love working with little kids. Why not do something where I can mix all my likes together?” Gray, who credits determination for her academic success – she’s stayed up until 3 a.m. working on school projects – never earned a grade lower than an A-minus on her high school report cards. She played varsity softball and soccer, is a member of the Spanish Honor Society, was active in Peer Outreach, served on the community service committee and was a member of Future Business Leaders of America. Although she’s moving on to college, Gray is sad about leaving Pelham. She’s been at the school “24/7,” she joked – competing in sports, participating in after-school activities and working as a computer technician for the school district’s technology director. She’s at the school so often, she said, that science teacher Bob Moore jokes she should keep a sleeping bag in the chemistry lab. “I’m going to miss everybody,” Gray said. While Gray takes up biology, David Irwin, 17, the class salutatorian, will study aeronautical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The No. 2 senior took honors-level and Advanced Placement science courses during his high school career. “I’ve always loved science and always been good with it and also with math,” Irwin said. “I figured you put the two together and get engineering, and I’ve always had an interest for planes.” Irwin, who said that he and his parents have high standards for him, admits that school work has been easier for him than for some other students and that he hasn’t had to study much. He has participated in spring track and cross country, is a member of the National Honor Society, and served on the community service committee. While going to school, David Pereira’s parents pushed him to earn good grades. And he was also inspired by his sister, Rachel, who worked hard and graduated second in her class two years ago. “She was a great role model for me,” said Pereira, 17, who, like Irwin, never received a grade lower than a B-plus on a PHS report card. He will graduate as Class Essayist, the third-highest- ranking student. Pereira, who serves as class vice president, is a member of the National and Spanish honor societies, served in FBLA and on the community service committee, and competed in golf, track and tennis. He’s going to Bentley College in Waltham, Mass. He’s not sure what he wants to do in business but will probably do something related to arts and the media. Like Gray and Irwin, Pereira will deliver a speech at the graduation ceremony. But graduating feels a bit surreal, he said. “It hasn’t even hit me yet we’re graduating after four years of dedication,” said Pereira. “We haven’t gotten our diplomas yet. I’m sure when (my diploma) is in my hand, I’ll be like, ‘Wow, it’s over.’ I’m really excited to go to Bentley and see what else is in store for us at our next level of education.”
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BY JERRY LIPTAK
The Pelham High School
boys tennis team tweaked the
old argument – the end justifies
the means – in 2008. This was a
team that proved sometimes the
end just defies the means.
Yes, unbeaten state champ Hanover
concluded the Pythons’ season
with a quick 9-0 defeat in the
Class I state semifinals on Saturday,
May 24. But Pelham reached
that point by disposing of Coe-
Brown in the quarterfinals, 5-2.
The relatively lopsided victory
on Thursday, May 22, came
less than one week after the locals
edged the Black Bears May
17 by the narrowest of margins
– 5-4 – to lock up the No. 4 seed
in the playoffs, push Coe-Brown
to No. 5 and thereby host the
postseason rematch.
That tenacity, the desire to
improve and the will to battle, endeared
the Pelham players to their
head coach, Lisa Terwilliger.
“The seniors were like, ‘You
know guys, this is our time to
shine,” said the third-year coach.
“And I think they really enjoyed
the pressure.”
Scott Connatser and Ryan
Fyfe, the team’s No. 1 and No.
2 singles players, respectively,
dropped their matches in the
first meeting with Coe-Brown.
In the tournament, though, each
won, as did Brian Shapiro at No.
3 and David Pereira at No. 4.
Though Jon Wallace and
Matt Mercier dropped their
matches at No. 5 and No. 6, the
Pythons still took a commanding
lead into doubles play.
Once there, Fyfe and Pereira
ended the overall match, taking
a convincing 8-3 decision over
foes they handled by a slim 9-7
margin just five days earlier.
Terwilliger, who starred at
Castleton State College in Vermont,
praised co-captains Connatser
and Pereira, as well as
Wallace, for their exemplary approach
to the sport.
Wallace played at less than
full strength at No. 5 singles after
suffering an injury during the
team’s match with Portsmouth
earlier in the year.
Pereira, said the coach, is a
well-rounded, outspoken, funloving
leader.
And Connatser was more
than the team’s top player.
“Scott has been like an assistant
coach to me,” said Terwilliger.
“He’s the most unselfish
person who’s willing to help the
team in any way.”
Pelham finished with a 12-
4 record, including 11-3 in the
regular season. The team’s losses
were to unbeaten and second-ranked
Portsmouth, 7-2; third-ranked
and twice beaten Con-
Val, 5-4; and Hanover by shutout
in early May.
Even against Hanover, Pelham
showed vast improvement.
Terwilliger said the locals took
just nine games total in that May
7 meeting. In the state semifinals
little more than two weeks later,
Pereira alone won 12 games
– four in his singles match and
eight more while teaming with
Fyfe and pushing their doubles
opponents to a tiebreaker.
Pelham returns Fyfe and
Mercier as juniors, and Terwilliger
said she’s already talked
with the soon-to-be-senior Shapiro
about embracing team leadership.
In addition, the coach
said a few talented eighth-graders
should have an immediate
impact on the program.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m going
to miss this group of seniors
so much – the kids on my team
are so wonderful,” said Terwilliger.
“But I’m definitely looking
forward to next year, too.”
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