Heather Doucette isn’t one to show her emotions. A group of 10 players changed that. The John Stark girls soccer mentor stood at midfield following her team’s 4-1 loss to Bedford in the Class I quarterfinals, embracing 10 seniors before they walked off the field one final time on Saturday, Oct. 31.

“It was really hard. We grew up together and figured out what kind of squad we were going to be,” said Doucette. “I try to be cool most of the time, but it broke my heart seeing it end for them.”

On Thursday, Oct. 29, Lauren Macklin gave her team a 1- 0 victory over Pembroke Academy in the preliminary round of the tournament when she scored with 11:24 remaining to break a scoreless tie.

Macklin waited patiently before stepping around two PA defenders and firing into the corner of the net to propel her team to the win.

The Generals were overmatched by No. 2 Bedford in the next round, falling behind 3-0 in the first half of play. Macklin cracked the scoreboard with 14:17 remaining when she pounded home a loose ball in front of the net, but the Bulldogs responded little more than a minute later to quash any hopes of a comeback. Stark had a prime scoring opportunity in the first 10 minutes of play when Macklin came streaking into the goalie box looking to put a shot on net.

Bedford goalie Aubrey Ouellet had other ideas, attacking the ball and kicking it out of harm’s way before Macklin could pull the trigger.

“They came out on fire and were tackling very tough,” said Bedford’s head coach, Michelle Winning, whose team advanced to a second consecutive semifinal game.

“They don’t give up, and they are a very physical team.”

John Stark loses seniors Macklin, Kayla Hubbard, Emily Pineault, Mia Fournier, Jessica Constant, Sydney Getzin, Megan Gosselin, Angela Beaulieu, Sadie MacLean and Molly Dussault.

Doucette admitted there are a lot of holes to fill next season, though she said with a strong offseason commitment the team can continue its recent tradition of postseason success.

“I felt like we were going against a giant, but we were going to take them on,” said Doucette of her team’s game against Bedford. “We had two more games in our heads. We weren’t ready to say goodbye to our seniors quite yet.”

The Weare town planner said the Planning Board is seeking the opinion of the town’s legal counsel before it proceeds with a River Road asphalt plant proposal.

At the beginning of a public hearing Sept. 30 at Weare Middle School, Planning Board members declared in a unanimous vote that Mt. William Inc.’s proposed asphalt mixing facility would not be considered a regional impact, but the board has since backed away from that decision.

“After listening to some of the testimony that was given (that) night, they decided that maybe it could be” considered a regional impact, said Naomi Bolton, town planner and town administrator. “They voted to send notification to abutting towns.”

However, Bolton said notification has not been given because she would like to wait for the opinion of the town’s attorney, Bill Drescher. Bolton said she was still awaiting his opinion as The Goffstown News went to press.

She said the board made its turn-around decision after listening to several hours of testimony from neighbors of the proposed asphalt facility during the public hearing. Approximately 150 people attended.

Mt. William Inc. owner Chris Bolton told residents he’s proposing a 4-ton to 6-ton asphalt batch plant that would mix materials that already come from the current sand and gravel pit at the site in question. He said about 5,000 tons of asphalt would be generated every year for smaller-sized commercial and residential purposes.

“It’s not some great big plant,” he said.

The vast majority of residents spoke against his proposal, citing concerns about the environment, traffic, property values and quality of life.

Jeb Callen, a Concord-based attorney representing 39 neighbors of the facility, questioned whether it was legal for the Planning Board to accept the plan for review because he said it violates a zoning ordinance. “I believe under your own site plan regulations it’s illegal for the board to proceed with this,” attorney Jed Callen said.

Callen cited section 4 of the town’s zoning ordinance, which he said calls for any proposal to meet to zoning requirements before it can be reviewed and put before a public hearing, which is what occurred Sept. 30. He said the asphalt plant would fall under industrial zoning, but the proposed area is zoned for commercial use. The sand and gravel facility was grandfathered past zoning reguations because it was made before the regulations took effect.

Naomi Bolton said the town has taken Callen’s argument under consideration and is awaiting the opinion of legal counsel, along with the regional impact issue.

Naomi Bolton is the brother-in-law of the applicant, Chris Bolton. Her husband works for him at Mt. William Inc., she said.

Planning Board member Frank Bolton is Chris Bolton’s brother and has removed himself from handling the asphalt plant issue.

Tony Sawyer of Weare was presented with Granite State Communication’s Hometown Hero Award at the 17th annual Customer Appreciation Day on Sept. 26.

The award is presented to a resident who is giving to his or her community to make it a better place.

Sawyer is president of the John Stark Generals Football Association, as well as a coach. He is also coordinator of the Hillsborough County Corrections Community Service Program, in which qualified inmates volunteer in communities throughout Hillsborough County, including Weare.

Sawyer said he was overwhelmed by the award.

“I’m very surprised, and very humbled by it,” he added, noting that the recognition is nice, but that isn’t what drives him. “I do this for the kids. They should have a place to experience positive things and I want to make sure they’re going in a positive direction.”

Sawyer said he’s also surrounded by a lot of great parents and volunteers, most of whom worked tirelessly to raise more than $30,000 to build a new concession stand at Weare’s Francis A. Bolton Memorial Park, known to most residents as Bolton Field.

Money raised by the concession stand will be rolled back into the organization, to pay for items such as team jerseys and having referees and EMTs at each game. Eventually, Sawyer would like to see lights at the field, so that teams can play evening games.

Sawyer has lived in Weare with his wife, Kerri, and their two children for eight years. He said that even when his own children are grown and it’s time to move on, he wants to leave the Generals “in a good place.” In his involvement with the Generals, he said he’s learned that “it really does take a community to raise a child.”

The Customer Appreciation Day also included a barbecue lunch, pumpkin decorating, a magic show by local magician Steve Thomas, balloon animals for kids and a child ID booth hosted by the Weare Police Department and John Stark senior Kris Begin. An interactive tour of the building provided visitors with a chance to explore what new services Granite State Communications has to offer, including fiber optic technology. Participants were given a scavenger hunt-type quiz to learn about fiber optics, and correct entries were entered into a raffle to win a Wii fit.

For the time being, the John Stark girls soccer team is undefeated, but Heather Doucette still sees plenty of room for improvement.

The Lady Generals knocked off Kearsarge, 3-2 in overtime, to kick off the Class I regular season on Friday, Aug. 28, but the team’s mentor wasn’t satisfied.

“We’ve got a lot to work on,” said Doucette. “They have the potential of being a very strong and competitive squad, but you just never know.”

Following a semifinalround playoff setback last year, the 2009 Generals field a combination of veteran leadership and young talent.

Two freshmen in particular, Rachel Russell and Becca Titcomb, have impressed Doucette during the weeks of preseason training.

Doucette said Russell brings versatility and quickness to the midfield and front line, while Titcomb is also waiting in the wings ready to break into the starting lineup during her first season.

Molly Dussault, a senior, is a first-year starter at goalie, and she has transitioned well into the role after years of pushing older teammates as a backup.

Seniors Emily Pineault and Laura Macklin return as offensive threats on the front line, while senior Allison Harris has stepped seamlessly into the role of center-midfielder.

Kayla Hubbard remains a familiar face in the defensive backfield, returning for her third year as a starter. Doucette said her team has confidence on offense knowing Hubbard is behind them at sweeper, brushing aside potential mistakes.

The on-field chemistry pleased Doucette during the season opener, though that should continue to develop, too.

“We have some very exciting players who aren’t used to playing our style of play,” she said. “We weren’t as composed as we should have been, and a lot of that has to do with getting to know each other.”

Stark played in a Seacoast tournament recently, and Doucette said the girls handled the ball with more maturity and composure than in past seasons.

Historically, the Generals have snuck up on teams while making deep runs in the tournament, so it is strange for the squad to be viewed as a division favorite.

Yet after nearly playing in last year’s title game, Doucette said her team is not satisfied with another close call.

“They saw that they needed to change some of the style of play, so they want to make sure we’re definitely doing this as a unit,” said Doucett. “They want to get back, and they’re on a mission to do that.”

Weare has hired a new town admimistrator, Naomi Bolton, who officially took the post Aug. 7.

Bolton has worked for the town since 1995 in various posts. She has been the land-use coordinator since 2001. She is cross-trained and certified by the state of New Hampshire to do motor vehicle registrations. She has been the secretary in the Highway Department. And she is the finance administrator’s backup.

“I’ve actually worked in every department,” said Bolton. “I’ve been here for the last seven or eight town administrators. I’m very active in the community. I was ready to take the next step. I was ready to lead the ship instead of working on it.”

Bolton’s annual salary as town administrator is $60,000, $12,000 less than what Fred Mullen, the previous town adminstrator earned.

Currently, Bolton does not hold a degree in public administrator, however, she does plan to further her education, as she was given an annual $6,000 educational allowance.

“I plan on taking some classes, but balancing the classes, night meetings and family, it’s going to take some time,” said Bolton.

She has, however, done many hours of study through Local Government Center.

Selectmen Chairman Tom Clow said the town received approximately 60 applications for the town administrator position. After a lengthy process of weeding out resumes and interviewing candidates, the selectmen felt Bolton was the best person for the job.

“More than anything, we’re looking for a level of stability we feel Naomi can give us. She’s extremely dedicated to the town,” said Clow. “Naomi is a good match for the town, and we’re looking forward to many years of stability in that position.”

Bolton has lived in Weare for 25 years and resides with her husband, Bill; and has two sons, Jason and Jeremy.

Friends of Sean Sandmann recently gathered in the atrium of John Stark Regional High School in Weare, where they quietly paid their respects and wrote heartfelt messages on a small memorial.

This fall, Sandmann would have been a senior at the school.

According to police, Sandmann, 17, was riding a 2009 Kawasaki motorcycle east on Reservoir Drive on the afternoon of July 27 when he crossed over the center of the road on a corner and collided head-on with a 2006 Ford F-350.

Rescue personnel performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but Sandmann died at Concord Hospital.

Senior Matthew Gonthier, 17, said he has known Sandmann since the fourth grade.

“Here at the high school -- the atrium – this is where we hung out during lunches, breaks … he was always around,” said Gonthier.

He said Sandmann always made time for others.

“Sean was very outgoing; he would even laugh just to make you feel good, you know what I mean? He’d tell a stupid joke and he’d laugh along with you,” Gonthier said, pausing to compose himself.

“He would listen. You’d come in and be like, ‘Aw, dude, I had so much homework last night,’ or, ‘I couldn’t do this because of that’ or whatever it was … he’d just sit there and listen to whatever was going on with you that day.”

Principal Michael Turmelle described Sandmann as being a “fairly quiet, unassuming kid,” who went about his business and had a lot of friends.

Turmelle said Sandmann was also an avid mountain biker.

Kyle Morin, 16, and Zach Russell, 17, said Sandmann loved riding his mountain bike for fun and in downhill-style competitions.

Morin said he’d always remember a camping trip he took with Sandmann. “One time we were camping out in the woods by his house and he found a spot; we set up a tent, made a fire and we hung out all night in the woods,” Morin said. Russell chuckled, adding: “Then it started to pour and we had to run inside. We all camped in his basement.” “It was just great to be with him, and we talked about everything,” Morin said.

Beyond the walls of John Stark High, a steady stream of people who knew Sandmann stopped at the crash site on Reservoir Drive.

There, students put together a memorial featuring roses, cards, notes and several white crosses and gathered to talk about the impact Sean had on their lives, Russell said. “I don’t think there is a kid that didn’t like him,” he said. “We made a memorial for him at the crash site, and (Monday) night there was probably 40 people there and not one of us really knew each other.”

Sandmann was the son of Randall Gardner and Jean Elizabeth Sandmann, and brother to Ryan Sullivan Sandmann.

Memorial donations can be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 814 Elm St., Suite 300, Manchester, NH 03101.

The Weare School Board has approved a plan to mix elementary and high school students on the same buses.

The board gave the nod to this plan at the Tuesday, June 16, School Board meeting. At an informational meeting about the busing policy on Monday, June 15, concerned parents expressed their dislike for the plan, and many said they would even drive their children to school before putting them on the bus.

According to SAU 24 Superintendent Doug White, the district looked at various busing scenarios, and this was the option that would save the most money – approximately $110,000. It would also reduce the fleet by two buses.

The new busing schedule would also change the school start times, but not as drastically as originally discussed. Schools will start in the same order as they do now, but with starts adjusted slightly. Middle school hours will be from 7:30 a.m. to 2:05 p.m., elementary school hours from 8:40 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. and high school hours from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.

At the informational meeting, resident Kathy Remillard said she knows there are behaviorial problems on the buses, and suggested if this proposal is agreed upon by the School Board, that a monitoring system might be put into place.

White said among items discussed at the School Board was investigating the use of monitors on buses. Monitors would be an additional adult on the bus and could be a teacher, paraprofessional or other school employee.

This is something the bus company would work out.

“The bus driver needs to drive the bus. That’s a full-time job,” said resident Shawn Forrey, father of a 6- and 11-year-old. “These little guys are going to be on a bus with people who are developing their sexuality and may have attitudes. I don’t need my 6-year-old hearing that.”

Resident Monique Nelson is a Weare bus driver and takes her 5-year-old along with her each morning.

“My 5-year-old is worse than my 11-year-old due to how the high school kids act on my bus,” she said.

Zach Grattan, a 14-year-old student in Weare, echoed the sentiments of many parents.

“We’re putting 6- and 7-year-olds with 17- and 18-year-olds. All these things – sexuality, swearing – will be taught to these kids,” said Grattan, who has a 12-year-old sister. “My bus is terrible as it is. They don’t need to learn the behavior we have.”

“It should not be mixed,” said resident Nicole Desainde. “It’s totally different social levels.”

Currently, Weare has a fleet of 15 buses. There are 10 middle school buses that go out in the morning to get students for a 7:45 a.m. start time. Five additional buses go out behind those, often trailing each other along the same route, for the high school run, dropping off students for a 8:05 a.m. start.

After those 10 buses finish the middle school run, they go out again to pick up the elementary school students, getting them to school for a 8:45 a.m. start.

“We’re here (June 15) because we could not pass a budget,” said Weare School Board Chairman Matt Thomas. “We find ourselves in this position far too often. Every other year, we’re on a default budget. This is the year it caught up to us.”

Due to the school district being on a default budget, this year there is a $500,000 budget shortfall, forcing the School Board to find ways to make up for it.

“I know any time there’s change, it can be difficult,” said White.

New bus routes and start times will be available Friday, June 19, on the SAU Web site, www.sau24.org.

The Weare School Board has approved a plan to mix elementary and high school students on the same buses.

The board gave the nod to this plan at the Tuesday, June 16, School Board meeting. At an informational meeting about the busing policy on Monday, June 15, concerned parents expressed their dislike for the plan, and many said they would even drive their children to school before putting them on the bus.

According to SAU 24 Superintendent Doug White, the district looked at various busing scenarios, and this was the option that would save the most money – approximately $110,000. It would also reduce the fleet by two buses.

The new busing schedule would also change the school start times, but not as drastically as originally discussed. Schools will start in the same order as they do now, but with starts adjusted slightly. Middle school hours will be from 7:30 a.m. to 2:05 p.m., elementary school hours from 8:40 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. and high school hours from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.

At the informational meeting, resident Kathy Remillard said she knows there are behaviorial problems on the buses, and suggested if this proposal is agreed upon by the School Board, that a monitoring system might be put into place.

White said among items discussed at the School Board was investigating the use of monitors on buses. Monitors would be an additional adult on the bus and could be a teacher, paraprofessional or other school employee.

This is something the bus company would work out.

“The bus driver needs to drive the bus. That’s a full-time job,” said resident Shawn Forrey, father of a 6- and 11-year-old. “These little guys are going to be on a bus with people who are developing their sexuality and may have attitudes. I don’t need my 6-year-old hearing that.”

Resident Monique Nelson is a Weare bus driver and takes her 5-year-old along with her each morning.

“My 5-year-old is worse than my 11-year-old due to how the high school kids act on my bus,” she said.

Zach Grattan, a 14-year-old student in Weare, echoed the sentiments of many parents.

“We’re putting 6- and 7-year-olds with 17- and 18-year-olds. All these things – sexuality, swearing – will be taught to these kids,” said Grattan, who has a 12-year-old sister. “My bus is terrible as it is. They don’t need to learn the behavior we have.”

“It should not be mixed,” said resident Nicole Desainde. “It’s totally different social levels.”

Currently, Weare has a fleet of 15 buses. There are 10 middle school buses that go out in the morning to get students for a 7:45 a.m. start time. Five additional buses go out behind those, often trailing each other along the same route, for the high school run, dropping off students for a 8:05 a.m. start.

After those 10 buses finish the middle school run, they go out again to pick up the elementary school students, getting them to school for a 8:45 a.m. start.

“We’re here (June 15) because we could not pass a budget,” said Weare School Board Chairman Matt Thomas. “We find ourselves in this position far too often. Every other year, we’re on a default budget. This is the year it caught up to us.”

Due to the school district being on a default budget, this year there is a $500,000 budget shortfall, forcing the School Board to find ways to make up for it.

“I know any time there’s change, it can be difficult,” said White.

New bus routes and start times will be available Friday, June 19, on the SAU Web site, www.sau24.org.

The Weare School Board has approved a plan to mix elementary and high school students on the same buses.

The board gave the nod to this plan at the Tuesday, June 16, School Board meeting. At an informational meeting about the busing policy on Monday, June 15, concerned parents expressed their dislike for the plan, and many said they would even drive their children to school before putting them on the bus.

According to SAU 24 Superintendent Doug White, the district looked at various busing scenarios, and this was the option that would save the most money – approximately $110,000. It would also reduce the fleet by two buses.

The new busing schedule would also change the school start times, but not as drastically as originally discussed. Schools will start in the same order as they do now, but with starts adjusted slightly. Middle school hours will be from 7:30 a.m. to 2:05 p.m., elementary school hours from 8:40 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. and high school hours from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.

At the informational meeting, resident Kathy Remillard said she knows there are behaviorial problems on the buses, and suggested if this proposal is agreed upon by the School Board, that a monitoring system might be put into place.

White said among items discussed at the School Board was investigating the use of monitors on buses. Monitors would be an additional adult on the bus and could be a teacher, paraprofessional or other school employee.

This is something the bus company would work out.

“The bus driver needs to drive the bus. That’s a full-time job,” said resident Shawn Forrey, father of a 6- and 11-year-old. “These little guys are going to be on a bus with people who are developing their sexuality and may have attitudes. I don’t need my 6-year-old hearing that.”

Resident Monique Nelson is a Weare bus driver and takes her 5-year-old along with her each morning.

“My 5-year-old is worse than my 11-year-old due to how the high school kids act on my bus,” she said.

Zach Grattan, a 14-year-old student in Weare, echoed the sentiments of many parents.

“We’re putting 6- and 7-year-olds with 17- and 18-year-olds. All these things – sexuality, swearing – will be taught to these kids,” said Grattan, who has a 12-year-old sister. “My bus is terrible as it is. They don’t need to learn the behavior we have.”

“It should not be mixed,” said resident Nicole Desainde. “It’s totally different social levels.”

Currently, Weare has a fleet of 15 buses. There are 10 middle school buses that go out in the morning to get students for a 7:45 a.m. start time. Five additional buses go out behind those, often trailing each other along the same route, for the high school run, dropping off students for a 8:05 a.m. start.

After those 10 buses finish the middle school run, they go out again to pick up the elementary school students, getting them to school for a 8:45 a.m. start.

“We’re here (June 15) because we could not pass a budget,” said Weare School Board Chairman Matt Thomas. “We find ourselves in this position far too often. Every other year, we’re on a default budget. This is the year it caught up to us.”

Due to the school district being on a default budget, this year there is a $500,000 budget shortfall, forcing the School Board to find ways to make up for it.

“I know any time there’s change, it can be difficult,” said White.

New bus routes and start times will be available Friday, June 19, on the SAU Web site, www.sau24.org.

The Weare Skatepark Committee is putting out the call for help with fundraising and for increased membership.

A small group met on Thursday, April 30, to get the ball rolling toward its goal – to get new equipment installed at the skatepark located next to Weare Middle School.

“The primary discussion involved fundraising, and several excellent ideas came forth,” said Joe Fiala, who’s helping organize the effort. “Most immediate is a raffle.”

Tim Farmer, of S&W Sports in Concord and a member of the committee, agreed to donate three skateboards – one longboard, a mini board and a regular skateboard.

Fiala said the group hopes to start selling raffle tickets after the next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, May 14, at Weare Middle School. Tickets will be $5 each or three for $10, with a limit of 600 sold.

Other ideas discussed were to make T-shirts, which could be sold along with the raffle tickets, selling concessions at sporting events, placing collection cans at local businesses and creating discount cards.

“We also discussed participating in the Patriotic Celebration parade to raise awareness and set up a booth to raise fund and sell items,” Fiala said.

The town’s original skatepark with concrete ramps had to be moved when the new Weare Middle School was constructed. The equipment was moved to Ineson Field on Quaker Street.

“The move significantly damaged some of the pieces, thus the condition of the park is less than ideal,” Fiala said. “I also consider the location poor due to lack of visibility, a problem for parks in other towns as well.”

A new asphalt pad, already poured and fenced, sits near the entrance to Weare Middle School, ready to be the home of the new skatepark.

Fiala said the pad was put in when the new middle school was being constructed. The money was part of the construction budget, and they also received a donation from a local business.

How much money they need to raise for the new park depends on the type and size of the equipment, and how much of it they buy, Fiala said, which has yet to be decided.

“There are many ways to build them, so I made a point of visiting as many as I could,” he said.

New Boston has high-tech synthetic and steel ramps which are high quality but costly. Fiala said the town paid $30,000 for just a few small pieces of the high-tech equipment.

Hopkinton has large wooden ramps with high-tech materials.

Fiala said last year they spent $15,000 repairing their park. “Because of the durability and cost, I like the concrete ramps. However, wooden ramps are perhaps safer and ride more smoothly,” he said. “I could see using either or both for our park.

“I believe we could construct some nice wooden ramps for $1,000 to $2,000,” Fiala said. “These would only last so long and would be a temporary measure until we had enough money to buy some more permanent fixtures.”

To put a ballpark figure on it, “My guess is $25,000 would get us a nice park,” Fiala said.

To learn more about the project or make donations, visit http://gardenplum.com/skatepark.