By Darrell Halen
 

The Windham School District has a baby grand piano – thanks to the generosity of a local couple.

School Board member Beverly Donovan said Al and Cathy Pappalardo, who recently sold the Guesthouse Inn and Suites in Methuen, Mass., donated the Kawai baby grand piano to the Windham Endowment for Community Advancement.

The Windham School Board, in turn, accepted the donation from the nonprofit foundation.

The piano was appraised at $6,500, according to Donovan.

“The appraiser said it was in wonderful shape,” she said.

The piano is currently on loan to Windham Middle School, and will be used as the stage concert piano in Windham High School’s auditorium when the school opens in fall 2009, according to Donovan.

Donovan’s family paid $60 for the appraisal and $300 was donated by School Board member Barbara Coish to transport the piano.

Cathy Pappalardo, a first-grade special education teacher at Golden Brook School, said the piano used to be located in the hotel’s function room. She said she and her husband, who have a daughter in seventh grade, like that the piano will be used at the schools.

“It’s actually quite beautiful, black and shiny, real nice, and it has great tone,” she said. “We’re hoping it will be enjoyed.”

Diane Carpenter, another resident involved with the endowment group, said the Windham Woman’s Club donated $200 to purchase a cover for the piano.