Windham News

Increased school absences cause concern in Windham

Salem Editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:27:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

School officials kept a close eye on attendance rolls last week after a spike of absences at Windham Middle School on Nov. 2 with many students complaining of flu-like symptoms.

Around 200 students missed class the Monday after Halloween with about half that number reporting a flu-like illness, said Superintendent Frank Bass.

“We’re watching it very carefully, he said. “Many of the kids contracted their bout with the flu late last week. We’re not going to be in a position to know what we’re looking at until Wednesday morning.”

Officials had planned to meet to discuss their next move if absences stayed high, which could have including closing one or more schools, said School Board Chairman Bruce Anderson. But by Wednesday, the absence rate began to fall as students recovered and came back to school, he said.

The student population at Windham Middle School wasn’t the only one hit by increased absences on Nov. 2, Anderson said. Roughly 13 percent missed classes at at Center School and 16 percent missed at Golden Brook School. At the high school, absences were at 8 percent, but that’s normal for this time of the school year, he said.

Schools were closed Nov. 3 for a teacher’s workshop and officials took the opportunity to have desks and chairs disinfected as well as water fountains, sinks and bathroom doors, according to Bass. Desks were spread out in classrooms to minimize close contact among students and prevent the spread of the virus, he said.

The day off from school may also have encouraged parents to keep their children home Monday to prevent them from catching the illness, increasing the number of absences, said Anderson.

So far, the flu seems to run its course in about three or four days, he said. Anderson believes many are possible cases of H1N1, though the presence of “swine flu” has not been confirmed.

At this point any cluster of flu cases is considered H1N1, said Marcella Bobinsky, of the New Hampshire Immunization Program. As the state tests flu patients, H1N1 always seems to be the cause, she said.

“Generally, we know it’s probably H1N1,” Bobinsky said. “It’s widespread not only in New Hampshire but throughout the entire country. If you’re feeling rotten and you’ve got the fever and if it happens not to be H1N1, we still want you to take care of yourself. It would be the same if it was H1N1 or not.”

School officials are requesting parents of students suffering from flu-like symptoms keep their children home for a full day after a fever has subsided.

Windham students get different sort of math lesson

Salem Editor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:28:00 GMT

BY DARRELL HALEN

Learning about geometry can involve more than just classroom lectures and textbooks. Flying kites can help, too.

Glenn Davison, a kite flyer, maker, lecturer and workshop leader from Chelmsford, Mass., spoke to two honors geometry classes at Windham High School on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and Wednesday, Oct. 21. His talks with students helped tie together – in a fun way – aspects of math and science and art.

Davison’s presentations, held in the auditorium, covered the importance of symmetry in kites, flight angle, some of the physics involved in kite flight, methods of stability and the importance of sail loading – the ratio of sail area to weight. He had been invited to speak by math teacher Kristin Miller.

Davison had attended the Kites Over Windham kite-flying event during the town’s Harvest Festival during the previous Saturday. Some of Miller’s students were there, too, flying kites. Miller had instructed all of her geometry students to research various kite designs, create a sketch of their design choice and make a kite including required geometry components.

The students worked in pairs using their own materials, and those who had time attended the festival to fly their kites.

“During the kite festival, Glenn provided very valuable feedback to the kite designs of the students,” said Miller. “After his recommendations and a little more work on the part of the students, their kites flew. Glenn was so knowledgeable about kite design and what makes kites fly. I thought his feedback would be valuable to all the students in the class.”

The kite-flying event, held at Griffin Park, was hosted by the Windham Initiative for Renewal Energy. The organization’s mission is to inspire citizens and educate students about the benefits of renewable energy. WIRE also seeks to install a wind turbine, solar photovoltaic array and weather station monitoring system at the high school.

Davison has participated in kite festivals throughout the world, including events in Taiwan, Colombia, Nova Scotia and India. Kites Over New England, a club for kite flyers of all ages that Davison serves as vice president, had been invited by WIRE to participate in the local kite-flying event.

During his presentations at the school, Davison showed a variety of kites to the students, including box kites, a Pelicanstyle kite made in China that is about 30 feet long, a serpent tail-style kite and a large kite that looks like the legs of a soccer player.

“As it flies, the soccer player kicks his legs,” Davison told them.

Students took turns showing their kites to Davison, who gave them pointers on how to improve them.

According to Miller, her students were impressed by Davison’s knowledge of kite design and many of them were eager to make improvements to their kites based on what they had learned from him. Miller has instructed her students to write an essay describing their kite design, the geometry components involved and their kite-flying experience.

“They will use Glenn’s information to discuss why their kite flew or didn’t fly and what they would do differently to improve the experience,” she said.

Eight injured in Windham school bus crash

Salem Editor — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:51:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

A driver who police say was distracted plowed his pickup truck into the rear of a school bus as it was letting off a student last week. Eight people were sent to local hospitals with non-lifethreatening injuries.

Carrying nine Windham students from Salem High School, the small bus was stopped on Route 111 near the intersection of Killdeer Road when a black Ford F- 350 Superduty driven by Glenn Maynard, 56, of Hudson struck from behind at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 14, school and police officials said.

Four students were transported to Parkland Medical Center, Fire Chief Thomas McPherson said. The motorist and two other students were transported to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center while the bus driver, Andrea Maines, 61, of Salem was taken to Holy Family Hospital.

Three students refused treatment and were released to their parents, officials said. Officers described the injuries as typical of a rear-end accident and said the hospitalizations were a precaution. Authorities are not releasing the names of those students involved.

Mark Raad, 16, was standing up to leave the bus as it came to a stop in front of his 138 Haverhill Road when the pickup truck struck, he said. Raad was not injured.

“As I got up I flew forward,” said Raad, a junior at Salem High. “I have no idea (what happened next). Everything was white, dusty and glass was everywhere. I walked off the bus.”

His father, Joseph, heard the collision and knowing his son was due home, began running down his driveway.

“Usually, I’m not waiting for him, but I ran screaming, ‘Mark, Mark, are you OK?’ It was terrible, I ran to the bus,” he said. “Thank God he’s OK ... I feel good now.”

Neighbors described the same scene, saying it sounded like a bomb had gone off in the street.

“It made a hell of a noise,” said Phil Park.

“If it had been a car, those people would all be dead,” said Gerry Lavigne, standing in his front yard only a few feet away from the wreck.

Frank Bass, Windham’s superintendent, said the students were juniors and seniors still attending Salem High.

Though Windham opened a new high school to freshmen and sophomore students earlier this year, upperclassmen are graduating with their Salem classmates.

“The bus driver did everything he could,” Bass said. “This underscores the point that when driving pay attention to the road.”

The crash remains under investigation, though authorities have rule out alcohol or excessive speed as factors.

New high school, new technology running smoothly so far

Salem Editor — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:48:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

Phillip Akerman’s single biggest worry as he walked into the new high school just over a month ago was what was going happen to all of his friends?

After a year at Salem High School, Akerman said he wasn’t the only one worried about giving up friendships forged in the neighboring community during freshman year.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to fret for too long.

“I’m friends with almost everybody,” the sophomore said last week, looking up from his school-provided Macbook during a study period.

But there were other challenges in getting used to a new building, new classmates and teachers, he said. The block scheduling has been difficult to get comfortable with and it took a few days to learn the layout of the building, but Akerman rated it a step up from Salem High even if the academic standards were tougher.

Classmate Colby Putnam agreed, describing Windham High as brighter, greener and more technology-orientated than any other school he could name.

“We have all this new technology, and we’re learning in a different way,” he said, pointing to a digital whiteboard taking up the space that a blackboard would have in the past.

“It’s a new and cool system that other schools don’t have.”

Technology – and how students and teachers would adjust – topped a list of concerns school administrators and district officials had over the summer. After getting into the rhythm of the school year, Principal Richard Manley said his main fear was students possibly mishandling their new laptops and teachers struggling to adapt to the technology at their fingertips.

“The students took to that more quickly than we were preparing,” he said. “Although we put a lot of time in planning and preparing for it and are continuing to do it, (the year has) actually has gone off pretty smoothly and some of the things that we thought may have come up didn’t.”

It’s been a learning experience for faculty and students, said humanities teacher Loren Dow. If she has a problem running a computer program, Dow will more than likely work it out with help from her students.

“Overall, things went smoothly. We are all starting to learning along with the kids,” Dow said. “It does take a lot of patience, but there is the fact that we are all in this together.”

The only downside to technology? With classes available by podcast and homework assignments downloadable, there’s no excuse for missing work, Putnam said.

As for the friends Putnam left behind at Salem High, there were no worries for him there.

“It was tough to leave everybody I became friends with, but it’s school,” the 15-year-old said. “You can always hang out afterward.”

Windham history comes to life during cemetery walk

Salem Editor — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:20:00 GMT

BY DARREL HALEN

Visitors to the Cemetery on the Plain for a “ghost walk” traveled back in time – learning details of Windham’s history from 14 volunteer actors who portrayed real citizens buried there.

The characters, whose dress and speech reflected the times in which they lived, presented factual narratives of their lives as they stood at their graves. Their stories shed light on some of the town’s history, especially its early days.

“I tried to live what I preached,” Rev. Calvin Cutler, portrayed by resident Dennis Butterfield, told a group during the Sunday, Oct. 11, event. “Because of this and my education, men from all over sought my advice on business, personal, as well as spiritual matters. My house was open to all. It was a ministerial tavern, if you will.”

Cutler – born 218 years ago – served as a minister in town from 1828 to 1844. He comforted the sick and injured, was an early proponent of the anti-slavery movement and drew a ministerial stipend of $450 annually.

The walk was sponsored by the Friends of the Windham Historic Commission to benefit restoration work at Searles School and Chapel. All the characters were portrayed by Windham residents.

Marion Dinsmore, one of the event’s organizers, wrote letters to residents who organizers thought would be a good fit for a role – and received a good response.

“It’s good for people to know what the (town’s) history is,” she said. “We did research to make sure the facts were right. (The actors) were really good. I can’t get over what a good job they did.”

Some of the other citizens whom people met on the walk included: Dr. Benjamin Simpson, who spent two years studying medicine before setting up his first practice; David Gregg, a boy killed in 1749 by Indians and the first person buried in the cemetery; the painter and teacher Mary Bradish Titcomb; James Betton, who served as an agent to the Continental Congress; and Robert Bartley Jr., a local merchant and member of the Whig Party.

Bartley married three times. A group of listeners laughed when they learned that his first wife gave him seven children and his second wife bore eight children.

Through the stories they heard, listeners got an idea of what life was like for people living in Windham during the 18th and 19th centuries.

They learned of the customs people practiced, the struggles they endured, the diseases they suffered, the crops they grew, the churches they worshipped in, and the animals that inhabited their forests.

More than 115 people attended the walk. Organizers, who also sold etchings of the old part of the cemetery and copies of town histories, heard positive reviews from the people who attended.

“I think it was fantastic,” said resident Judy Mentuck after she finished her walk. Mentuck has lived in town for 30 years but didn’t know much about its history. Now, she’s interested in learning more.

During their walk, people learned about the littleknown Garaphelia Park. In 1913, Mr. and Mrs. Horace Berry acquired a piece of land adjoining the cemetery to create the park in memory of his first wife, Harriett Garaphelia Hughes Berry.

State Rep. Mary Griffin, portraying Harriett, shared that history and invited people to walk over to see the park’s marble monument in her memory.

At the other end of the cemetery, Elva Tarbell, portrayed by Charlene Cochrane, talked about her son, Wilbur E. Tarbell, a Navy man who was lost at sea while serving on the USS Scorpion submarine.

He’s believed to be the only World War II casualty from Windham. An inscribed arch at the cemetery honors his memory and the local American Legion post is named after him.

School Board seeks public input for future facilities needs

Salem Editor — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:13:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

With the town’s new high school up and running, the School Board is taking a hard look at the rest of the district’s facilities and asking residents to get in on the process.

The board held the first of several planned public forums focusing on the district’s future facility needs late last month, a discussion that school officials are describing as a success. According to Vice Chairman Michael Hatem, roughly 75 residents turned out to voice their concerns and share their thoughts.

“Most of the commentary was all positive,” he said. “We were looking for input from the public for what they thought was the best steps to take forward with the population crunch we’re seeing now.”

Hatem said the board came to the meeting with four proposals. One option would update the district’s current facilities to today’s needs at a cost of roughly $18 million, while the other three included reconfiguring the community’s existing schools or possibly building a new school, all with varying price tags, according to Hatem.

“Right now we have the middle school, the brand new high school and two elementary schools: the Golden Brook and Center schools. Center School and the middle school are both in good shape, but need some maintenance. Golden Brook is now our biggest school since kindergarten was added and is in the worst physical condition,” Hatem said. “What we’re looking for is how do we restructure the district?”

A plan to build a facility designed solely to house kindergarten students met with criticism after residents voiced concerns over the cost of hiring a new principal, according to Hatem. Residents prefer keeping the district’s current four-school configuration, he said.

Board Chairman Bruce Anderson said keeping the residents and voters in the loop was the leading factor behind holding the public forum. The public discussion allowed the board to lay out their concerns when it came to the district’s facility needs and solicit input before moving ahead with a new plan on the March ballot.

“People are concerned about the tax rate. What we were showing them are some ideas on how we build for the future. We just finished paying off a bond for the expansion of the Center School and now that building is almost overcrowded again. If we have to do something new ... give (the residents) a solution that’s not as soon as you pay the bond off you have to do this again,” Anderson said. “I think they understand there is an issue. I think they understand that the facilities getting overcrowded will have an effect on student performance.”

Still, Anderson said the board was sensitive to the state of the economy and did not plan to put any large spending articles before voters this year. Voters would more than likely be asked to sign off on architectural designs in March, ranging somewhere between $800,000 to $500,000. Anderson said the board would have a better idea of the cost as they moved forward.

“When I came on the board five-and-a-half years ago it was at the point where we had to the build the high school. We were kind of in a position to build our own high school, but in this case we’re starting from a blank piece of paper,” he said. “We have facilities and we have to make the best use of them we can to expand for the future ... Residents can make some comments, and I think what it does is we get ideas back from the public and the public can understand the thought process to how we got to where we are. It gets voter buy-in.”

The board plans to hold several more public forums on the district’s facilities this year, but no specific times or dates have been set, according to Hatem.

EEE in Windham

Salem Editor — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:53:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

After a local pool of mosquitoes turned up positive for Eastern equine encephalitis last week, town officials are again urging residents to take precautions to avoid the insect.

According to David Poulson, Windham’s transfer station manager and health officer, town officials learned about the positive test on Sept. 22. Officials did not immediately release the exact location where the infected mosquito was found, but Poulson said it was important for residents across town to take steps to avoid contracting EEE.

According to Poulson, not knowing whether the mosquito carrying EEE was native to that particular spot or had flown in from another region added to his hesitancy to release the particular location where the pool was taken from.

“Mosquitoes have no boundaries ... Say you’ve had a positive hit in ‘Area A.’ That doesn’t mean those mosquitoes are never going to leave that area. You can’t (assume) that those mosquitoes are going to stay at a specific spot. Those mosquitoes could travel anywhere within a certain area in Windham,” he said.

Those precautions include wearing protective clothing, using insect repellent, eliminating standing water and avoiding spending time outdoors at dusk or dawn, according to an informational flier public officials released to residents on the town’s Web site earlier this week.

Poulson said the town did not plan to take any emergency mosquito control action in the wake of the positive test result. The community’s agent, Swamp Inc., sprayed the town’s athletic and recreational fields for the pest after Rockingham County fell under a state public health threat for EEE earlier this month.

The spray is considered effective for two weeks to a month and officials hope colder weather in October will eliminate the problem before more action is needed, said Poulson. According to state officials, more 3,000 pools have been tested for EEE statewide this season, with 53 coming up with a positive identification. One human case has been reported in Candia, officials said.

Windham High’s XC race includes Pelham runners

Salem Editor — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:36:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Windham doesn’t quite have a home-course advantage yet, but the Jaguars now officially have a course to call home.

Though nearly all of the teams at the newly opened Windham High School are junior varsity, the school’s cross country team is competing at the varsity level.

On Sept. 22, the school hosted its first-ever Windham Invitational, with the girls grabbing sixth in the eight-team field and the boys finishing in eighth, including a 10th-place time of 19 minutes, 33 seconds from Colby Putnam.

Windham’s best finisher from the girls team was Kate Farrell with a time of 21:44.

“To host the first meet here and have as many teams as we did, it was an amazing day for Windham High School,” said the Jaguars girls head coach, Kate Jackson.

Merrimack Valley won the girls team event with a score of 29, while Bedford dominated among the boys thanks to four runners in the top five. The Bulldogs tallied a team score of 22.

Pelham also took part in the event, as the young Python teams finished sixth and seventh in the boys and girls races, respectively.

Pelham’s head coach, Todd Kress, said his teams were not running at full speed, however, opting to use the race as a training day for the Manchester Invitational, which was Saturday, Sept. 26.

Freshman Brandon Hannon had the best time for the Pythons, running the 5-kilometer course in 20:58, good for 36th among 122 racers.

“In this sport, regular-season standings don’t matter, so there are certain races that you point to as big races, with Manchester being one of those,” said Kress. “(The Windham Invitational) was really about building confidence and gearing up for our next race.”

Hannon was one of the runners who Kress said benefited from the confidence boost, as the freshman is normally the team’s No. 5 competitor, but was able to run with the top Pythons throughout the hilly course.

Ethan Ely came in four spots behind Hannon, while Erin Krawczyk crossed the finish line just 15 seconds later. Senior Emily Spognardi was the best finisher for the Lady Pythons, grabbing 14th place with a time of 22:53. Jaguars boys head coach Mick Grant said the program’s future is promising because of the current members of the team, plus the strength of the middle school program.

The mentor also expressed his excitement about the inaugural invitational.

“We have a beautiful school, and before the race a lot of the teams wanted tours. It was a lot of fun,” said Grant. “It was great to be able to show off to the schools in the division.”

Two alleged bank robbers face charges after injuring officer in high-speed chase

Salem Editor — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:56:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

A local officer injured during a rush-hour police chase on I-93 on Sept. 18 is expected to make a full recovery, according to authorities.

Sgt. Carl Wagner said officer Jason Dzierlatka suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries after he was struck by a green Dodge Avenger driven by an alleged bank robber near the weigh station just north of Exit 3. Dzierlatka had deployed stop sticks in an attempt to halt the vehicle, according to police.

While Wagner did not comment on the extent of Dzierlatka’s injuries, he said the young officer had been transported to a Boston hospital and had “a good outlook.”

“We believe he will return to work, albeit it will be a matter of months,” Wagner said.

Dzierlatka had been with the department for two years, according to authorities. It is his first job in the field of law enforcement.

Though Dzierlatka was unable to stop the fleeing vehicle, authorities later apprehended the driver, Clint E. Pickering, 24, of Epsom and passenger, Patrick McKeen, 23, of Laconia on Route 110 in Dracut, Mass., after they crashed their vehicle.

According to authorities, one of the men entered the Bank of New England at 58 Range Road in Windham at about 4:36 p.m. and handed the teller a note demanding an undisclosed amount of money. Witnesses later spotted the pair fleeing eastbound on Route 111 toward the Exit 3 onramp where authorities began a police pursuit that took them north to Londonderry, through a crossover and back south across the Massachusetts state line to Exit 46.

Though officers from multiple police departments were involved in the pursuit, Wagner said the pair was taken into custody by the Massachusetts State Police and were held as fugitives from justice at the Andover, Mass., barracks before being transferred to the Essex County Jail in Middleton, Mass.

Both men were arraigned in District Court in Lowell, Mass., on Sept. 21, according to state police. The pair are due back in Salem District Court on Sept. 29.

Pickering is facing multiple charges, including robbery, first degree assault and attempted second degree murder. McKeen has been charged with robbery, criminal theft and criminal liability of another.

Windham sees less bad behavior with new permit

Salem Editor — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:16:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

Though 13-year-old Bryan Deraniane always follows the skate park rules at Griffin Park and wears a helmet, he said he has seen some other skaters go without.

“We’ve seen some other kids not wearing their helmets, or they’re wearing hats without stickers,” he said, taking a break to lean against the chain-link fence last week. “They get away with it.”

Still, according to Windham’s Recreation Coordinator Cheryl Haas, the town’s new permitting program – requiring skaters to register with the Recreation Department – has significantly cut down on the number of incidents at the park from previous years. Numerous problems with vulgar language, trash and a disrespectful attitude toward town employees, including local police officers, had left the five-year-old community skate park on the cusp of being closed.

Earlier this year and prior to the opening of the skate park for the season, elected officials recreation department officials decided to make a last ditch effort to cull the bad behavior and disregard to park rules. That translated into having residents fill out an application and sign a rules sheet before having permission to use the park. Nonresidents were required to take a mandatory training class as well. At the end of the process, skaters would receive a sticker permit that must be worn on a helmet at all times within the skate park, giving the town the ability to track those who violated the facility’s rules.

At the time, Haas said she didn’t expect the skaters who were actually causing trouble at the park to go through the trouble of registering and sitting down for a training class. Now as the activity around the skate park quiets down with the end of summer, Haas is calling the registering and permitting process a success.

“I never had to shut (the skate park) down, but we had some issues with trash once or twice this summer,” Haas said. “I think it went very well. We didn’t have many issues, maybe now and then, but I think that’s normal.”

Haas could only remember one incident where the police were called to the park, when a large group of children were skateboarding without helmets, but said the officers were not making the trip to the skate park nearly as often as before.

Lianne Deraniane, Bryan’s mother, said the family had been aware of the skate park’s troubles in the past, but had not seen any issues arise in the couple of times they had come to use the facility over the course of the summer.

“We’ve been living in town for a while and we’re familiar with the problems at the park,” she said. “This (program) is new and It seems like it’s working ... It seems like a really good idea.”

According to Haas, 340 residents and another 210 nonresidents have registered for permits with the town. This past week alone, about 20 residents had put in for a permit, she said. With the park slated to close down on Nov. 15, Haas said she plans to discuss continuing the program next year with the town’s recreation committee.

Man hurt in cycle crash

Salem Editor — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:12:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

The operator of a motorcycle sustained serious injuries after a car struck him from behind while he was attempting a left turn at Rockingham Cycles on Route 28 on Sept. 4, authorities said.

According to Police Chief Gerald Lewis, Douglas Magliozzi, 56, of Atkinson was propelled from his motorcycle and onto the pavement around 1:42 p.m., suffering wounds to his head and leg. While drugs or alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the crash, Lewis said the operator of the Chevrolet Malibu, Michael Schneiderat, 40, of Massachusetts did not make any effort to stop or brake before plowing into the rear of the motorcycle and driving over it.

Authorities said the motorcyclist was transported to Parkland Medical Center and flown by helicopter to a Boston hospital.

He was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, according to police.

Schneiderat, the sole occupant of his vehicle, was uninjured in the collision. Though the accident remains under investigation, Lewis said charges will likely be forthcoming.

Route 28 was temporarily closed between Bissell Camp Road and Flat Rock Road while authorities investigated the scene.

Windham police received assistance from the Windham Fire Department and the New Hampshire State Police.

Windham fields teams with keen eyes toward the future

Salem Editor — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:38:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

When Bill Raycraft was brought in as Windham High School’s first athletics director, he knew whom to turn to for advice.

Raycraft, seeking a quick start for the fledgling program, contacted Thor Nilsen, who guided Bedford High School through a similar process, and did so with early success.

“That was one of the first phone calls I made when I was hired,” said Raycraft. “We talked about what worked for them and what they may have done differently. There are a lot of similarities in our communities, so I think the standards are equally high for us.”

Windham’s teams went to work recently, with the majority of coaches overseeing their first tryouts Monday, Aug. 17, on the various fields surrounding the vast high school campus.

The Jaguars begin their inaugural campaign with junior varsity programs, and girls soccer coach George Kendall said the first students taking the field have many lessons to learn.

“It’s about educating them to a new coach, system and school,” said Kendall. “They may not realize yet what they are going to be a part of. It will take them a little while to see that they’re really a part of history in town.”

On the first day of tryouts, the girls soccer team focused on fitness training outside, while in the gym girls volleyball hopefuls focused on basic setting and passing skills. The volleyball team’s mentor is no stranger to building a program.

Jill Bartlett helped the Bedford girls lacrosse team notch three victories in its first varsity season this spring, but more importantly, she set the standard for her team’s work ethic.

“It keeps you positive to have gone through part of the process before,” said Bartlett. “Even when it gets frustrating, you know you’ll make it through. Some of the teams won’t be as successful right away, but there are going to be some teams who will hit the ground running.”

In addition to his role as athletics director, Raycraft is also serving as the Windham football coach, where he is excited to finally be able to take to the sidelines.

“All of the work, research and scheduling will finally pay off,” said Raycraft. “Not only for football, but for all sports, we’re building for the future. While we’re building the foundation now, next year is when things count, so we have to be prepared.”

Bartlett said it’s critical for her to keep small, manageable goals for her young team, while keeping in mind the reward that comes after a few years together.

“The big picture is critical,” said Bartlett. “And it’s a great picture to be staring at.”

Windham, Salem trail areas ripe for recreation and development, say proponents

Salem Editor — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:21:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

When Kay and Jon Normington turned an old Victorian home not far from the long since abandoned Manchester and Lawrence Railroad line into a country store five years ago, they had no idea what would be coming down the tracks.

Since then, much of the former railroad line, which at one time brought passengers, mail and freight loads into Windham, has been put to a new use – a 4.1-mile paved bicycling and pedestrian path that will someday link Salem with Derry.

Though folks using the path were already stopping by for a bite to eat, the Normingtons said plans to rehabilitate the exterior of the town’s two decaying depot buildings and turn the area just around the corner from their Kitchen at Windham Junction into a trailhead have got them excited.

“It used to be the heartbeat of the town,” Normington said, standing beside a collection of photographs and postcards from a time when the now quiet intersection just around the bend from the railroad station was home to a sawmill, cider press, post office and general store.

“(With the buildings repaired) this will become a destination again. It’s an asset to the rail trail. This brings business to the rail trail just as they bring customers to us. It works both ways,” she said. “This is a jewel in our town. It’s different and unique, and we’re lucky to have it.”

Using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Mark Samsel, chairman of Windham’s Depot Advisory Committee and a member of the Windham Rail Trail Alliance, expects stabilization work on the exterior to begin sometime late fall or early next spring. That will include removing several additions put onto the buildings in the 1960s, doing some electrical work and putting on a new coat of paint. Samsel envisions the Windham Depot and the railroad line returning to a transportation connection with commuters, tourists and residents flowing back and forth from Derry through Windham and into Salem.

“It was an asset that I don’t think many people in town realized was there. They weren’t aware of it,” he said. “When the trail was developed, the trailhead (was) where people parked and that’s where we draw people to now, they’re recognizing the buildings ... Now it’s gained importance and awareness. There is a lot more interest in that area.”

Spreading to Salem The project in Windham to revitalize the railroad line and the depot buildings has been successful enough to spur on similar efforts in neighboring Salem. Standing outside the once deteriorating Salem Depot building, nestled between a restaurant and a strip mall on the busy corner of Main Street and Route 28, Beverly Glynn points to the Normingtons’ store as an example of what she would like to see develop around the train station once Salem’s section of the rail trail is complete.

“With the help of the rail trail, I think the depot will revitalize some of the businesses here. We’re hoping people will stop by for an ice cream cone and do a little shopping or go to Sal’s for a pizza,” she said. “This was the focal point of Salem at one time, and we’re hoping it will revitalize this area and bring more people into town.”

To date, the town’s Historic Commission has raised about $170,000 of what is estimated to be a $210,000 restoration project, largely through private donations, contributions from local businesses and charity groups and games of chance at the Rockingham Park race track, according to Henry LaBranche, spokesman.

The group is hoping to raise a further $70,000 from local businesses in the next six months through a state tax credit program.

LaBranche hopes the twoyear long project will be done this fall, but said that the work was completely dependent upon donations. When finished, the depot will house a transportation museum highlighting the town’s history, space for a second tenant and a public restroom for the bikeped corridor.

While the intersection still retains the “depot” name associated with the railroad – which once took hundreds of spectators to the races at Rockingham Park – the rail line stopped carrying passengers in 1953 after more than 100 years of operation.

All that remains now are a few feet of partially buried trolley car tracks and rusted nails, but the depot intersection retains notoriety as one of the most highly trafficked roadways in town.

Supporters of Salem’s Bike-Ped Corridor believe – as do their counterparts in Windham – that the paved path along the railroad will eventually serve as a transportation conduit through the region, replacing the old railway while taking cars off of the road. To that end, the group has partnered with Windham and Derry rail trail advocates to apply for a state transportation enhancement grant that would fund a 10-mile path connecting the three towns and running right through the Windham and Salem depots.

“We’ll have a very nice transportation corridor tying two major park and ride locations at Exit 2 in Salem and Exit 5 in Derry, and a lot of people could commute short distances by bike,” said David Topham, spokesman for the Salem group. “If this was developed from Salem to Derry and then on to Manchester, this becomes a tourist-type destination and money comes into the state and the town. People will travel to ride a bicycle on a rail trail because they feel a lot safer there than on the road and with that comes money – they have to eat.”

Oddly enough, Topham said most of the opposition to the bike-ped corridor plan has come from “railroad buffs,” people who want to see the trains running from Lawrence to Manchester once again and are concerned the project could derail any attempts to bring the railroad back. He believes that the bikeway – which runs parallel to Interstate 93 – will preserve the once vital railroad bed for any future use.

“There are the railroad buffs out there who say the only use for an old rail corridor is to put trains on it again ... By using the corridor for bike-ped use, the corridor is being kept in (condition),” he said. “If trains came back, it is right there.”

Windham hosts beach yoga

Salem Editor — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:02:00 GMT

The Windham Recreation Department and Amy Spencer announce the return of Yoga on the Beach. Spencer teaches students at every level, beginner through advanced, and always encourages students to work at their own pace. At 8 a.m., Saturday Morning Power Vinyasa Class will take place at the town beach, weather permitting. The class will run for 90 minutes. Classes will run on a drop-in basis for $15 per class. If you do not have a yoga mat, there will be a limited amount available for a $1 rental fee.

If you are interested, contact Spencer at amy@gracesimplyis.com. You will need to be added to an e-mail list so that you can be notified of the location if inclement weather forces the class to meet indoors.

For any additional information, call 425-8195 or visit www.gracesimplyis.com.

Windham School District to cover insurance for laptops

Salem Editor — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:54:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

With more than 300 laptops set to be distributed to the student population of the new high school in time for classes to start next month, officials have opted against charging students and their families a fee to insure the computers.

According to Bruce Anderson, chairman of the school board, the question of how to insure the Apple laptops – part of the school’s one-to-one computing program – against theft or damage came up last summer when he and fellow board member Mark Brockmeier first took a look at the idea of handing out individual computers to students for use in class and at home rather than investing in computer labs for the high school.

“That topic came up a year ago and we had parents asking, ‘Is there some insurance that I can get because what if my kid uses it for second base and breaks it?’” Anderson said.

The school district had two options, according to Anderson. Either insure the equipment with an outside insurance provider or self-insure the laptops by pooling together funds collected in a lab fee charged to students or their families to cover the costs of repairing or replacing any laptops that get damaged, stolen or lost throughout the year.

With some officials concerned that setting aside a single self insurance fund would leave the district vulnerable to losing money if the laptop program had a particularly rough year, Anderson said the board chose to pursue negotiations with an outside insurance carrier.

The district now plans to spend roughly $20,000, at an estimated cost of about $63 per laptop, to insure each of the computers for the next school year, according to Anderson. For any laptop that is damaged or lost, there will be a $25 to $50 deductible that the individual student will be expected to pay, he said.

“What you’re going to find is that in most of these districts (with a one-to-one computing program) the breakage rate is very low. The kids like the machines and they become a part of their life and they care about them,” Anderson said.

Richard Manley, principal of the high school, contacted several other school districts that had implemented oneto- one computing or a similar program after the board asked him to see how other schools protected against damage not covered by the warranty.

According to Manley, the biggest problems other districts like Yarmouth, Maine, and the Empire School District in Arizona had run into was the occasionally misplaced laptop.

“The students (do not) experience a great amount of theft because every student has one and they don’t generally experience a great amount of losses because the students load onto these computers much of their academic experience and many other parts of their personal life,” Manley said. “They do sometimes leave them in one classroom or another, and they may be reported missing, but not frequently reported as stolen or gone permanently.”

Still, Manley said students and their parents will go through an orientation program at the beginning of the year designed to reinforce how to keep the laptops safe and undamaged throughout their academic career at the high school.

“We are educating students on the proper use of machines, making sure they have to exercise the proper care with the laptops and not only treating them properly, but making sure that they are kept in places that will remain safe,” Manley said. “It’s not particularly complicated, but it is important that people are aware that they have to be treated in a particular way so they last and are very reliable, and that is dependent upon the proper exercise of due care.”