Pembroke News

Pembroke searches for new town administrator

2008-07-16T20:14:00Z

BY JENN McDOWELL

Pembroke Town Administrator Geoff Ruggles is leaving his post for a different municipal job in Gilford.

The town is currently taking applications for the soon-to-be-empty position.

Ruggles, who lives in Gilford, said he took the finance director job in Gilford to be closer to home and family, adding the pay is about the same as he is currently making in Pembroke.

“It’s a hop, skip and a jump to Town Hall” from his home, said Ruggles.

Ruggles called selectmen on June 27, he said, to notify them of his resignation. It was made official at a special meeting the selectmen called on Monday, June 30.

Ruggles has been working as Pembroke’s permanent town administrator since December, having spent three months on an interim basis before that, taking over for the prior town administrator, Troy Brown.

He has been working in different positions for municipalities for 15 years, he said. His last day is Friday, July 18.

“It’s a great place to work. The people have been very supportive and very easy to get along with and work with, and it’s really just been a great experience,” said Ruggles about Pembroke’s Town Hall employees as well as its residents. “I know that sounds so (trite), but it’s true.”

The town has posted ads in newspapers, at Local Government Center and other places online to advertise for the job, said Selectman Larry Preston. Preston acknowledged that, in his five years on the Board of Selectmen, he has seen a tremendous turnover in town office employees.

This is the first time he feels such a profound sense of loss of one, he said.

“He’s going to be sorely missed by everybody,” said Preston. “The selectmen did everything but break his legs to get him to stay,” he half-joked. Preston added Ruggles put in long hours at the town offices, was extremely organized and knowledgeable and spent a long time learning the ins and outs of the community.

The town looked to the Local Government Center for help in covering Ruggles’ duties. Through LGC’s back-up service, the town was able to secure a temporary replacement, Carroll Murray, to “step in and keep the ship together,” Preston said. “We wish him luck,” Preston said.

Goffstown Gallop perennially draws community of fun-loving athletes

2008-07-02T13:43:00Z

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Bow’s Margaret Burns and Pembroke’s Joanne Welch have been running mates for eight years.

They’re currently preparing for a half marathon in Quebec in August.

The 29th annual Goffstown Gallop provided them an opportunity to participate in a competitive run – without the headaches of a typical road race.

“It’s more of a community event,” said Burns of the event, which took place Saturday, June 28. “It’s kind of competitive, and if you want to go for a run, it’s better to do it with other people rather than by yourself.”

“It’s a good training run,” said Welch. “It’s a nice distance for a Saturday morning. It’s a good tempo run.”

Like Burns and Welch, dozens of runners traveled from all over New Hampshire and even other states to participate in the Gallop. “It’s a family event. A lot of people that come here come year after year after year,” said Dave French, the Goffstown Parks and Recreation director who organizes the Gallop each year. “That’s a testimony to the atmosphere of the race. It’s an old-fashioned race. We don’t do computer chips, we hand out tongue depressors (at the finish line). We’re one of the oldest races in New Hampshire ... More than anything else, it’s a tradition.”

Count Bedford’s Barth Getto as one participant happy to get away from modern competition for a day.

The 46-year-old regularly competes in triathlons, but he was convinced by friends to run the Gallop.

“(The Gallop) is kind of laid back. It’s not as crazy as some of the big races,” said Getto, who finished 55th among more than 170 runners. “It was definitely more fun. When you do these triathlons, people are crazy. You know, they come with $5,000 bikes and these pointed helmets. This is more of a social thing ... It’s all about heart.” No one traveled farther to participate than French’s daughter, Heather.

The 24-year-old, who served as the race’s starter from childhood through high school, returned from her home in Florida to run the race for the first time.

“My dad is getting close to retirement, and I just wanted to run it for him because who knows when his last Goffstown Gallop will be,” she said, adding that training in Florida is much different than running in New Hampshire. “I’m not used to running with all the hills, but it was a really gratifying feeling when I crossed the finish line.”

Another Floridian, Dean Riley, a former Goffstown and Bedford resident, also returned to run the race.

“He ran the race before, and knows it’s the same weekend every year,” said the elder French. “I really appreciate the runners coming back each year."

Athlete of the month: Pembroke Academy runner keeps striding for more

2008-06-25T19:13:00Z

BY RYAN O’CONNOR
Sponsored by Indian Head Athletics

Taking cover from the scorching sun over the University of New Hampshire’s outdoor track, Allison Brehm sipped some water and looked toward her coach.

“State champion,” she said with a smile, repeating the words to help the reality sink in. “I like the sound of that.”

Brehm had just finished tops in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.74 seconds at the Meet of Champions on June 7.

“It was so ridiculously hot, and it was so weird to watch this very gritty, hard-fought race out of her, and then you see this sweet kid sit back and appreciate what she had just accomplished,” said Lisa Witte, Brehm’s Pembroke Academy track and field coach.

In fact, the junior has accomplished much in three years.

Not only does she hold school records in the 100 and 200, but she also maintained the top long jump mark until teammate Kacie Paradie broke it this season.

And Brehm has already decided to add hurdles to her repertoire next season.

“You always want your fastest sprinters doing hurdles. I mean, when she gets to college any coach is going to want her to do that anyway,” said Witte. “I think the 300 hurdles intrigues her because it’s a very hard race, and she wants to see how she will do. I think you can get her to try anything and she’ll do well.”

Still, Brehm knows what she does best.

“She comes from a family of runners. Her mom was a sprinter. Her older brother is attending UNH and running on the track and field team. She’s just a natural. She’s darn fast and very strong, and she’s fun to watch,” said the thirdyear PA coach. “She respects her ability, too, and doesn’t take it for granted.”

In addition to winning the 100 and coming in fourth in the 200 at the Meet of Champions, Brehm placed in the top 10 among New Englanders in both races, said Witte, who added the junior missed qualifying for the 100 regional final by .04 seconds.

For her accomplishments, Brehm has been named the Indian Head Athletics Athlete of the Month.

“She’s gained a lot of confidence over the last couple years,” said Witte. “She’s not happy where she finished (at New Englands) even though she did very well. She’ll definitely continue to get better. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

The coach and pupil recently had a discussion about the upcoming offseason.

While Brehm has been relying a great deal on in-season practice and natural talent, she agreed to spend additional time training this summer, fall and winter.

That’s bad news for opponents like Milford’s Melanie Forte, who already know all too well the sight of Brehm’s back.

At the MOC, Forte won the preliminary, but fell to the PA standout when medals were on the line.

“If you do happen to place higher than her, it’s a pretty good indication you’ve had a great day,” said Forte, a fellow junior who has competed against Brehm for three years now. Next season, Brehm is hands down the sprinter to beat, she added.

“It’s always been, ‘Oh, I got third or fourth place, that’s pretty good. But Allison is always the one finishing ahead of you.”

Witte said while many high school females lose a step, Brehm continues to get better. “Sometimes it happens with young ladies, when they go through puberty, their bodies change, but I think genes play a big part in it, and Alli is very fortunate that she has that on her side,” said Witte, who noted that Brehm is the top 100-meter sprinter she’s mentored in her 10 to 15 years coaching high school.

Brehm is also near the top of her class academically. “She does not like to be defeated,” said Witte. “She’s got a great attitude when it comes to setting her mind on a race and what she has to do. There’s no one better.”

(Editor’s note: The Athlete of the Month receives a $50 gift certificate courtesy of Indian Head Athletics.)

Pembroke man survives beating

2008-06-25T18:38:00Z

BY JENN McDOWELL

A Pembroke man suffered severe facial injuries and a fractured skull when he was allegedly jumped by several people in Manchester, one of whom allegedly beat him repeatedly in the face and head with a bat.

Larry Edward, 26, of 28 Broadway St. in Pembroke, was walking through a parking lot between Market and Middle streets, right behind City Hall in Manchester, with his girlfriend, brother and his brother’s girlfriend on Saturday, June 14, at around 8:30 p.m., when two cars pulled up quickly, according to a police affidavit.

Upon the responding officer’s arrival, Edward was “laying on the ground appearing to be unconscious, with blood all over his swollen face, and a pool of dark, red blood gathering around his head,” the affidavit said.

Edward’s girlfriend told police four white men and one black man, later identified as Joshua Ewing, 21, of Manchester, had jumped out of the vehicles and began assaulting Edward.

“She went on to say that she saw Ewing pull a bat out of his pants, and begin to hit Larry with it,” the affidavit continues. Edward’s girlfriend also told police the five men had stomped and kicked Edward’s head.

Edward’s brother, Jonathan Edward, 24, also suffered some injuries in the attack.

Larry Edward was taken to Elliot Hospital and released shortly after treatment.

A bystander had Ewing detained a little ways down the street, where police took over. Police allege Ewing had blood stains on his shirt.

The four other suspects are still at large.

“We’re still looking for the others involved,” said Manchester Police Sgt. Maureen Tessier. Ewing has been charged with two counts of first-degree assault and awaits a probable cause hearing on Monday, June 30.

He was arraigned in Manchester District Court on Monday, June 16, and denied the charges. His bail was set at $85,000 cash, and he’s being held at the Hillsborough County jail.

Ewing also has unrelated felony and misdemeanor drug charges pending in Goffstown District Court for possession of a narcotic with intent to distribute.

Pembroke Academy senior sees herself working outside the U.S.

2008-06-18T19:19:00Z

BY JENN McDOWELL

Anna Freeman-Woolpert is going the farthest away for college out of her circle of friends, but having already traveled to Kenya last summer, she’s at least semi-ready to leave home.

“I don’t think you can really prepare in your mind for getting out of the house,” the Pembroke Academy senior joked, taking a sip of the mellow, sweet Kenyan tea she brought home with her.

The graduating senior is going to Gilford College in Greensborough, N.C., in the fall, and said she hasn’t quite settled on a major. “Right now, I’m interested in psychology and education and about 10 other different things,” she said. “I just want to get through graduation, then I’ll think about school.”

Freeman-Woolpert traveled to Kakamega, Kenya, last summer with about a dozen others from her Quaker organization to volunteer at an orphanage there. While there, Freeman- Woolpert stayed part of the time with a host family and the other part at the orphanage, working with the more than 40 children who worked there and about 60 more who just came by now and then to get food and interact.

Traveling through Nairobi on the way there, Freeman-Woolpert said the city looked like any other in major hub in the United States.

The outskirts, however, were a different story. Many families lived in slums and neighborhoods plagued by disease and crime.

It occurred to her to feel guilty that her own life in Pembroke had been so privileged in comparison, but that wasn’t exactly what tugged at her heart the most.

“What really struck me most was I think how it seems normal to them to not have that much. It wasn’t like they were in this constant oppressed state,” said Freeman-Woolpert, adding the Kenyans had fruit fields and livestock that they offered to just about everyone.

“In some aspects, they were living a beautiful life,” she said. After all that worldly experience, Freeman-Woolpert was still ready for her senior year, earning a 93 average for the year. She and her mother, Julia Freeman- Woolpert, have also been working with a refugee family from Sudan since Anna was a freshman.

“Anna worked with the kids and did a lot of language activities,” Julia Freeman-Woolpert said. “Anna’s really become a role model for the kids.”

In addition, she has been heavily involved in Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), plays the piano and takes voice lessons.

It’s not likely we’re going to see her on “American Idol” anytime soon though. The music is just for her, she said. “I think it has a different feeling when you do something for yourself than when you do it for someone else,” she said.

Long-term plans, the soon-to-be graduate said, are still up in the air at this point. “I have so many (plans) that I don’t know if they’ll fit in one lifetime,” she said.

Freeman-Woolpert said she’d like to live outside the United States for an extended period. When she was in Kenya, she said, she knew she would be leaving.

“I was still a tourist there,” she said. “The people treated me differently because they knew I was an outsider.”

She added she could see herself teaching eventually, particularly in another torn country.

This year, she completed an internship with Three Rivers School teacher Amy Tremblay, teaching vocabulary to eighth-graders. “She’s a wonderful girl,” said Julia Freeman-Woolpert. “I’m looking forward to seeing her get to college.”

Road rage beating stopped by off-duty cop

2008-06-04T19:19:00Z

BY JENN McDOWELL

An Allenstown man was beaten with a baseball bat by two Manchester men in a road rage incident.

Marty Beauliveau, 29, of Allenstown, suffered minor injuries and refused medical treatment after the incident on Route 3 near the intersection of Route 106, according to Pembroke police.

An off-duty Henniker police officer who lives locally and was on his way home after his shift saw the beating, according to Pembroke Police Chief Scott Lane, and was able to intervene before any serious injury was caused.

Mike Emerson, 22, and Troy Nutter, 27, both of Manchester, were driving down Route 3 on Friday, May 30, at around 5:45 p.m. behind Kristen Turcotte, 30, of Pembroke.

Emerson and Nutter told police they became upset after Turcotte allegedly cut them off, and when she pulled over by the intersection with Route 106 they got out of the car to confront her, said Lane.

They were unaware that Beauliveau, Turcotte’s boyfriend, was traveling right behind them.

They also didn’t know that officer Michael Martin of the Henniker Police Department was traveling south on Route 3 and witnessed the altercation that ensued when Beliveau left his car to confront Emerson and Nutter.

After an argument, Nutter allegedly got a baseball bat from his vehicle and hit Beauliveau. He got only a whack or two in before Martin was able to intervene and held both Nutter and Emerson at gunpoint until Pembroke police arrived. “We are very fortunate that officer Beliveau happened on the scene. If not, Beliveau’s injuries may have been much more serious,” Lane said. “He really did an outstanding job of stopping it.”

Nutter was charged with first degree assault, a Class A felony carrying a maximum sentence of 7.5 to 15 years in prison, and disorderly conduct. He has been released on $500 cash bail.

At the time of his arrest, Nutter was wearing a T-shirt which was emblazened with the words, “I have no off button.”

Emerson was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct, and has been released on personal recognizance.

Both Nutter and Emerson are scheduled to answer to their charges in Hooksett District Court on Tuesday, June 24.

Pembroke falls to Bow, just misses postseason

2008-05-21T18:40:00Z

BY JERRY LIPTAK

A playoff atmosphere arrived one week early for two good Class I tennis teams – visiting Bow and host Pembroke Academy. While the day’s end marked the season’s close for PA, Bow’s campaign begins anew.

The Falcons’ depth proved too much for the Spartans in a 6-3 victory in the regular-season finale on Friday, May 16.

Both teams entered the contest knowing the winner would earn a postseason invitation.

Pembroke’s players also knew this was the program’s last of 14 years under head coach Dave Doherty, who plans to retire after more than three decades as a guidance counselor.

The match started well for the hosts, who took a quick 2-0 lead behind the play of their top singles players, No. 1 Bobby Thomas and No. 2 Jake Plourde. Both are seniors, and they share the team captaincy with classmate Dan Bouchard.

Thomas, who has yet to lose a singles match this year and has, according to Doherty, the all-time record at the school for wins, and Plourde also won their No. 1 doubles match, 8-1.

But those were the team’s only points, though Doherty said he was pleased with the effort of each of his players.

Dan Bouchard, junior Luke Underwood and sophomore Bill Bouchard dropped their singles matches at No. 4, 5 and 6, respectively. The score was 8-3 in each.

But PA’s No. 3 singles player, Rick Yeames, nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback. The sophomore trailed Bow senior Jack Mulvaney, 6-3, before knotting the match, 7-7 and then 8-8, forcing a tiebreaker. Still, Yeames fell, 7-5, and the Spartans faced a 4-2 hole following singles play.

The Bouchard brothers at No. 2 and the team of Yeames/ Underwood at No. 3 also succumbed by 8-3 scores.

“These kids did well with everything they had to deal with,” said Doherty, citing one key injury and a grades-related issue that cost the team another veteran. “We came this close to making the tournament.”

The loss dropped Pembroke to 8-6, one game behind the eighth and final seed in the upcoming Class I tournament.

Still, the 2008 Spartans can boast of a convincing 7-2 victory over playoff-bound Lebanon, as well as four 9-0 wins. Also, Doherty said the 2009 team should return Tim Phair, a junior lost to an ankle injury during an early-season setback to unbeaten Portsmouth.

Pembroke will miss its senior tri-captains and, of course, Doherty, who led PA to a 10-win season in 2007 and just missed another playoff appearance in ’08.

“I’ve had 14 good years here,” said the coach, “and I’ve been fortunate to have worked with a lot of great kids.”

PA’s 5-9 record belies across-the-board improvement

2008-05-21T18:35:00Z

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

A losing record usually does not constitute a winning season. Try telling that to Pembroke Academy girls tennis coach Steve Langevin.

Last season, the Lady Spartans won three contests, the most in program history.

This year, they won three in a row at one point and finished with five victories.

“This is by far the most wins we’ve had,” said Langevin. “We’re getting a little better each year.”

Indeed, the team showed promise this season, and now Langevin is hoping that current success breeds more in the future. “This group of seniors started having never really played, and now they’re our (No.) 1, 2 and 3 (players),” said Langevin. “Now we have another good group of freshmen that never played either, but they’re picking the game up quickly.”

In fact, he said the current crop of ninth-graders is as aggressive as he’s seen in his six years at the helm.

“They really like the net, which is unusual because usually the less experienced kids are afraid of the net,” said Langevin. This year’s freshmen included Sarah Kelley, Christina Paradie, Shannon Yeaton, Becca Streeter, Briana Austin and Rebecca Mitchell.

While the future may be bright for his young squad, Langevin admitted the team must often focus on small victories; Pembroke Academy is not in an area of New Hampshire known for producing groomed tennis talent.

This year, for instance, PA beat Milford for the first time in program history – a 6-3 triumph on April 6 – and the Lady Spartans’ No. 1 singles player, Lindsay Tiddes, collected an 8- 4 record facing some of the top players in the state. She has a legitimate chance to reach the individual state tournament.

More important than wins and losses, however, is the way the athletes conduct themselves on the court, said Langevin.

In fact, the mentor said his squad has won the Class I sportsmanship award the last four seasons. “We have all really nice kids, and the seniors are great role models,” he said. “They show the younger kids how to act when they’re playing tennis, whether they win or they lose.

In addition to Tiddes, seniors Melissa Lussier and Melinda Blais, PA’s No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, set fine examples and played solid tennis this season, said the coach.

Others seeing playing time for Pembroke in 2008 included Lindsay Crete, Steph Allen, Sara McJuary, Megan Bobola, Kayla Reeves, and Jessica Genest.

Pembroke Academy scores at track and field meets

2008-05-14T22:46:00Z

The Pembroke Academy track and field teams competed in Pelham on May 6 and Coe-Brown Academy in Northwood on May 10, finishing in the middle of the pack at each meet.

The boys were second behind Milford at the meet hosted by Pelham High, while the girls finished third among four teams.

Ryan Gilligan’s first-place discus throw of 112 feet, 9.5 inches led the boys.

Allison Brehm raced to first in the 100-meter dash, posting a time of 12.5 seconds. Also, the 4 x 400-meter relay team of Brehm, Kacie Paradie, Colleen Moore and Maeghan Lizotte finished in 4 minutes, 33.7 seconds to take first place.

At the sixth annual Black Bear Invitational, hosted by Coe- Brown, the girls finished 11th among 18 teams, and the boys took 13th.

Brehm was tops in the 100, and the junior also took first in the 200-meter dash. Paradie took sixth in both the high jump and long jump.

For the boys, Ben Gibbs tossed the javelin 149-1, good for first place. Dan Kinney was fifth in the 100, Dan Kroll took fifth in the shot put with a throw of 40-7.75, and Gilligan was fifth in discus. The 4 x 400 relay team of Matt DeAngelis, Jay LaRochelle, Ben Decato and Kroll took sixth place.

Pembroke Academy lacks experience, not dedication to and enjoyment of game

2008-05-07T18:43:00Z

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Rich Fortier, Pembroke Academy’s girls lacrosse head coach, reviewed the list of names, pen in hand. When he handed back the roster, 15 of the 21 players had check marks next to their names.

“Those are the players with two years of experience or less,” said Fortier, who coached the school’s club team last year and has watched his fledgling Division- III group struggle to take flight in 2008.

There is no feeder program in town, and few yearround players. Still, the Lady Spartans, said Fortier and assistant coach Rose Galligan, gladly take the field to play a game they must enjoy, for now, as beginners.

The team’s 15-1 loss to host Pelham on Thursday, May 2, was a perfect example of the slow process in building a competitive program.

Ground balls and completed passes were the almost-exclusive domain of the Lady Pythons. PA’s effort was consistent. It’s simply not on par with most of its D-III foes.

Pelham took a 4-0 lead before Heather Hill, whom Fortier described as an aggressive, dedicated individual on and off the field, left-handed a shot past the Lady Pythons’ goalkeeper.

“Heather has been on a mission to make sure she wasn’t going to be part of the last senior class to play lacrosse here,” said Fortier, referring to the uncertain future of the school’s sports programs.

Along with fellow senior captains Faye Lesniewski, Rose Palmer and Audrey Wills, as well as classmates Katie Cotnoir, Hannah Poirier and Bonnie Smith, Hill is one of eight upperclassmen on the team. Junior attacker Stacie Lavoie is the other.

The remaining 13 athletes – six sophomores and seven freshman – share playing time with their older mates. This group is led by sophomore Elisha Lacey, who has roughly nine years of experience playing against some of the area’s best competition on a regular basis.

“That’s bad (that she’s the most experienced) because she’s only a sophomore,” said Fortier. “But it’s good because she’s only a sophomore, too.”

Freshman goalie Allison McIntosh, forced into action because Smith was unavailable, stopped numerous shots in her first varsity start.

McIntosh’s classmates – Tamara Boudette, Kinsey Brassaw, the injured Breanna McCormack, Emma Pinard, Heather Sherburne and Megan Tassie – join sophomores Jordan Fallon, Sarah Freeman- Woolpert, Jillian Gallagher, Brianna Hughes, Lacey and Jennifer Lamontagne in completing the roster.

Repeatedly, PA made one or two good plays in a row against Pelham, but the Lady Spartans routinely couldn’t complete a sequence and score.

That, said Fortier, come with time and experience. For now, Pembroke continues in search of its first victory. The girls dropped a one-goal game to Somersworth, 6-5, on April 28 and show no signs of letting up, let alone giving up.

“They’re having fun and playing hard,” said Fortier, “with what little experience they’ve got.”

Volunteers build dugouts at Three Rivers

2008-04-23T19:46:00Z

BY TAMMY BOUCHER

The newly constructed Three Rivers School softball team dugouts are a hit – and it was a real team effort to bring these much-needed structures to reality.

When the Pembroke School Board earlier this year reached out to the Pembroke Action League for Schools (PALS) to see if the organization could be of assistance with the project, the answer came back immediately – yes.

The weather to undertake the project was not as responsive, however, and Saturday, April 19, was the first good weather day to begin construction.

Volunteers from PALS, Jeff Dumont Builders, the Three Rivers School Softball Team, the School Board and Pembroke School District Grounds and Maintenance all played a role in making it happen.

“It’s all about showing a little hometown spirit. Nothing is more satisfying than helping the Pembroke community,” said Jeff Dumont of Jeff Dumont Builders. Dumont’s company donated materials and labor for the project.

Donations were also received from Lowe’s, Home Depot and Big Jim’s. Many people assisted with the effort by donating food, transportation or equipment. PALS will pay for any costs associated with the project that are not covered by donations.

To help raise funds to cover the costs, the organization will host a PALS Night at the New Hampshire Fisher Cats game on June 27. For more information, contact Tina Newberry at 661-2041 or tina@tinanewberry.com.

“The community really came together to support us in this effort,” said Tina Newberry of PALS. “It is truly amazing what a community can accomplish by working together to impact our children’s educational experience.”

PALS, a group of parents, teachers and interested community members, works to enrich education in Pembroke by assisting with activities within the schools, providing cultural events such as musical, theatrical and literacy programs and helping fund purchases for the schools that are “not within the budget.” The dugout was one such project.

Pembroke Academy’s early-season job is melding upper and underclassmen

2008-04-16T20:48:00Z

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

They’re not there yet, but with a strong core of veterans and some talented underclassmen in the mix, coach Deb Smith said her Pembroke softball team has the potential to be a legitimate threat in Class I this season.

PA, which features seven seniors and five juniors, opened the season on Friday, April 11, with a 10-3 home loss to St. Thomas Aquinas, but rebounded on Monday, April 14 to hold off upstart Bedford, 6-5.

Last season, the Spartans finished above .500 and reached the state quarterfinals. This year, a lot depends on the cohesiveness of the players on the diamond, said Smith.

“Like any year, our big goal is to make the tournament, but … right now we’re just trying to meld that good upperclassmen leadership with the younger folks coming in,” she said. “Once they learn what it takes to compete in Class I, which is very strong – and I mean playing solid defense, creating and taking advantage of opportunities on offense, and being aggressive with the bat and getting on base – if you’re doing all those things, we’ll start to click. And if we can get in the tournament, it’s a whole different world.”

Still, the team, like every other squad around the state, has spent almost the entire spring practicing inside, so mastering the aforementioned basics is still a work in progress, said Smith. “Right now, we’re just excited to be outside and playing games,” she said.

The 2008 Spartans are led by the offense of seniors Sam Boisvert and Katie Schofield, as well as junior Jen Poulin – the No. 3, 4 and 5 hitters.

Seniors Jill Boucher and Devin Cleary are in charge of getting on base in front of the big bats, while seniors Sam Beauchesne and Alyssa Mc- Queen, junior Mollie Griggs and freshman Marissa Letendre round out the starting lineup.

Cleary, called up late in the 2005 season as a nervous freshman, now is a key component to the 2008 squad and one of the team leaders, said Smith.

Defensively, Boisvert looks to improve upon her junior season, when she threw out three runners at third base, where Poulin defends the hot corner.

Boisvert, said Smith, is a strong leader, but is working on being more vocal from behind the plate.

Others likely to see playing time this season include senior Shannon Keeler, juniors Kaitlyn Moulton, Nicole Mason and Katie O’Connor, sophomore Ashley Kennedy, and freshmen Danielle McQueen and Haleigh Parker.

Kennedy, said Smith, came up late last year and contributed in the playoffs, while Moulton, a student of the game, missed the season with an injury, but stayed on as a manager, supported the team and returns eager to earn playing time.

Game notes
Against Bedford, Alyssa Mc- Queen pitched six and two-third innings to lock down the win, and her sister, Danielle, came in late to shut down the last batter and earn a save.

Poulin, arguably the team’s most explosive hitter, went 2-for- 4 with an RBI, as did Boisvert, Schofield, and Alyssa McQueen. Schofield hit a hard single up the middle in the seventh inning, which kept PA ahead and turned out to be the deciding run.

Letendre, who had been struggling, lined a sharp single up the middle in the sixth to earn an RBI as well.

Pembroke Academy grabs first win with strong pitching, defense

2008-04-16T20:41:00Z

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

After a 3-11 record in his first season as Pembroke manager, John Graziano isn’t anticipating a championship, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t expecting improvement.

And why not? The Spartans are already a third of the way to their 2007 win total, and they’ve played one game.

On Monday, April 14, Graziano’s squad traveled to Bedford and held off a late rally by the hosts to win, 8-5.

Aside from a couple base running gaffes, the manager was elated with the effort.

Not only did PA play solid defense all day, but the infield turned three double plays. “I don’t remember seeing that in a high school ballgame in a long time,” said Graziano, who added that starting pitcher Kyle Cooper, a junior, provided six innings of strong pitching. “He threw 92 pitches, which was probably 20 more than we were looking for from him, but he had a quick sixth inning,” Graziano continued. “He was just masterful out there.” Knuckleballer Nate Langone entered in the seventh and finished off Bedford.

“This is the first one … Now hopefully we can build on it,” said Graziano. “We still made some mistakes out there that hopefully we can change, but overall I’m excited about what I saw out there.”

Leading the Spartans this season are captain Ben Mitchell, a catcher who played designated hitter against Bedford because of an injury, and senior center fielder Drou Goff, who contributes both with his speedy defense and his bat.

Senior Jon Gattuso knows how to get on base, said Graziano, and Tom Steele provides stellar defense from first base. Sophomores Zach Cogswell, a third baseman, and Connor Maroney, a shortstop, are both expected to have fine seasons as they become more comfortable as high school players.

Rounding out the starting lineup are left fielder Doug Turnbull, right fielder Jake Demchak and catcher Mike Verville.

Others contributing at the varsity level in 2008 include Brandon Valley, Nate Derkacz, Geoff Soriano, Josh Hardy, Brian Pahigian and Mike Giovanditto.

Pembroke Academy comeback not quite enough for a finals appearance

2008-03-12T20:11:00Z

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Hanover coach Tim Winslow and his defending state champion Marauders thought they were seeing double most of the second half.

With his team ahead, 37- 19, early in the third quarter of the March 5 Class I semifinal against upstart No. 9 Pembroke, Winslow said he assumed his fourth-seeded squad was well on its way to the title game.

The pesky Spartans had a different idea, however, forcing fans to wait until the final seconds before the outcome was determined.

The Marauders won, 56- 48, but they’ll likely see visions of Pembroke green in their sleep for weeks.

After failing to score the first several minutes of the second half and watching Hanover extend its lead to 18 points with a 6-0 run, Pembroke, led by the up-tempo play of senior guard Justin Muniz, scored the next eight points – and 26 of the next 34.

“We were just getting in each other’s heads, trying to psych each other up,” said Muniz of the second-half run. “The feeling is so hard to describe. You’ve just got everything in your body pumping, and you just want to go a thousand miles (per hour).”

For those on the Hanover bench, it was obvious the Spartans had indeed shifted into overdrive.

“The thing that makes Pembroke great is it seems like they have seven players on the floor, and that’s what you want,” said Winslow. “You want your defense to make it seem like there’s more than five jerseys out there, and that’s what they did in the second half.”

The Spartans also shut down 6-foot-4 Class I player of the year candidate Casey Maue, who entered the contest averaging more than 19 points per game. He scored nine points in the semifinal matchup.

“They contested everything,” said Winslow. “Every time Casey went to the basket there was someone right there, and they made him work to earn everything.”

The Spartans came all the way back, bringing the score to 47-45 and then 49-47 with under three minutes remaining in the contest.

At that point, the game became a free-throw shooting contest. While the locals shot 1-for-4 from the charity stripe in the last two minutes, their opponents went 5-for-8.

“We’ve got to make those free throws, and maybe a couple of those shots that we made against Oyster River didn’t go down, but we got good looks, and if we tie the game or go ahead, maybe it’s a different result,” said PA coach Matt Alosa, who added his squad wouldn’t have been in that position without its frantic full-court press.

“We go on spurts. We don’t do it all the time, but when we need it, it’s there for us. We pressed from the beginning, but it wasn’t as aggressive as (in the second half),” added Alosa. “We had to turn it up because otherwise they were going to beat us by 20.”

While each player contributed on defense, there was no presence more noticeable than junior Tyler Yeaton.

With the Spartans facing a team that outsized them at nearly every position, Alosa said he knew the 6-foot-5, athleticallybuilt center had to play well if the Spartans were going to compete. Yeaton pulled in 10 rebounds, netted eight points and garnered six steals.

“Those Hanover guys are pretty spectacular. To tell you the truth I just tried to keep my hands up and stay out of foul trouble,” said Yeaton, who laughed about a sore hip and limp created by one too many meetings with the hardwood floor.

And Muniz, of course, was invaluable to both the game’s and season’s success, said Alosa. “Muniz is our heart and soul. The way he goes, we go, and they follow him,” said the coach. “We just try to ride him with his defense and heart and handling the ball. He’s just tenacious.”

Now, the Spartans must move forward without their spark plug, as well as his backcourt mate, Drou Goff, and sixth man Matt Lavoie, each instrumental in the postseason run.

Even in defeat, the experience will do nothing but benefit the young squad, said Alosa. “The kids who played, and even the kids who didn’t play, Hanover is so composed, and that comes from experience, and I think that experience, for us, is huge,” he said. “We’ll have a little bit of a different team next year, but we’ve got a lot of kids who you haven’t even seen this year that are going to get a chance next year, and I think we’ll be back.”

Game notes
Goff dropped in 13 points, and Muniz contributed 10. Guards Jon Grenier, a junior, and Sheldon Benson, a sophomore, each contributed six to the scoreboard, and freshman Taylor Vazquez added five points.

Pembroke voters increase school budget instead of cutting

2008-03-12T19:22:00Z

BY JENN McDOWELL

Pembroke will not suffer any staff cuts or eliminate any sports programs after voters at the School District Meeting decided in a 95-71 vote to pass the School Board’s proposed operating budget.

“The meeting went exactly the way it should have gone,” said School Board Chairman Clint Hanson, adding there is no animosity with the Budget Committee. All warrant articles, including the hotly debated operating budget, were adopted after some changes.

Special education costs, which put the district about half a million in debt this school year and comprise almost two-thirds of the school budget increase, dominated the discussion at the meeting on Saturday, March 8.

The final approved 2008-09 operating budget for the school district is $22,447,206. The budget will result in a projected local school tax rate of $14.68 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Based on revenue projections, if the town’s proposed budget and warrant articles go through unscathed, the projected tax rate is $26.02 per $1,000 of assessed value, including state school and county taxes, $2.36 more than the current rate.For a home assessed at $250,000, this would be a $590 increase on the tax bill for a total bill of $6,505.

The Budget Committee recommended a budget $230,000 less than that, having asked both the School Board and Board of Selectmen to cut their respective budgets to reduce the combined 10 percent increase in taxes.

With the passing of both budgets and all articles, the Budget Committee’s number would be a slightly less drastic 6.7 percent increase.

For Pembroke schools, that meant cutting a staffed teaching position from each of the schools as well as the lacrosse and golf programs at Pembroke Academy, cuts many voters felt were unacceptable.

The final decision left members of the Board of Selectmen with some anxiety about the Town Meeting on Saturday, March 15.

“The town as well as the school had a very lean budget,” said the selectmen’s representative to the Budget Committee, Larry Preston. “I just hope that the voters don’t come in next week at the Town Meeting looking for extra cuts.”

The only thing left to cut on the town side is the roads budget, said Selectman Fred Kline. Voters meet at 10 a.m. at Pembroke Academy on March 15.

Pembroke voters selected their town and school district officials at the polls on Tuesday March 11. All races were uncontested, with Tina Courtemanche being written in for selectman and all open positions filled.