Windham News : high school sports

Basketball officials needed

Salem Editor — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:31:00 GMT

The International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO) Metro Board 117 seeks interested basketball officials for its entry level apprentice program.

Classes begin Monday, Sept. 14, at 6:30 p.m., at Alvirne High School in Hudson. Classes run on consecutive Mondays, culminating in a written test in November and floor test in March. The cost of the school is $100, which includes a rule book and computer software.

Successful candidates become certified by the IAABO and are eligible to referee high school games in the state.

For details, contact Dennis Murphy at 432-5533 or murphy.dennis.j@gmail.com. Applicants can obtain an application at http://home.att.net/~iaabo117.

Windham High track will have to wait

Salem Editor — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:22:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

Windham athletic director Bill Raycraft and School Board members agree the new high school is in need of a track, though building one may be several years off.

While the possible addition of a track surrounding a turf field is still in the conceptual phase, Raycraft described eventually building the facility as a necessity.

“What we’re looking for now is really necessities, not any of the frills,” he said. “Right now we have some concerns with going forward with what we have with fields.”

At the moment, the high school’s athletic facilities consists of five fields and a gymnasium. While Raycraft has not yet determined which sports – based on potential student participation and interest within the community – the high school will likely host when it opens in the fall of 2009, the limited existing facilities could pose a problem.

“There are certain things we’re going to be able to do. We’re going to have to look at our field situation and determine how soon,” Raycraft said. “Right now we don’t know what sports can be run. It will be known by next month. We haven’t discussed any of sports.”

Still, by not having a track and field, the athletic department has been put at a disadvantage, given the popularity of the sport, Raycraft said.

According to Athletic Committee member Chris O’Neil, the high school’s limited facilities will create a scheduling conflict for sports with overlapping schedules that share the same space, like wrestling, cheerleading and gymnastics. Having a football field without a second field to practice on will also present a problem, he said.

“Right now we’re going on the recommendations of our athletic director. His first priority is that track with the turf field,” said Beverly Donovan, a School Board member. “Right now we’re gathering the estimates. We’re only in the conceptual stage. We have all agreed that it is a high priority, but that doesn’t mean that it will be on the warrant this year.”

In March voters rejected a proposal for a second gym, three athletic fields and a multipurpose stadium with bleacher seating.

“It was not a wise idea to clump everything together,” said Barbara Coish, board chairman. “From stadiums to baseball fields to extra gyms and all of that is not going to be palatable to this public, and they didn’t vote for it. I think even the electorate will support a track eventually.”

She described a simple fenced-off track with a field inside as something that voters would be more likely to support in the coming years. Bruce Anderson, vice chairman of the School Board, agreed with Coish’s assessment.

“It wouldn’t be a full blown stadium. It might be built to a standard to someday add that layer, but get the field and track first,” Anderson said. “I’m optimistic when the town hears the need for those facilities that they’re going to support it.”

While a warrant article allocating the funds for the new facilities will not likely appear before voters within the next year, School Board members are confident that the high school will eventually host its own field and track.

In the meantime, with the school set to have classes limited to freshman and sophomore students in 2009, Raycraft has some room to maneuver.

“We want to listen to what the community wants,” he said.

Additional athletic facilities on Windham ballot

Salem Editor — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:07:00 GMT

BY DARRELL HALEN

Among the items facing Windham voters on March 11 is the decision of whether to spend money to provide additional athletic facilities to the town’s new high school.

A majority of the School Board is recommending a $5,498,480 bond warrant article to construct additional athletic facilities at Windham High School: three additional fields, a second gymnasium and a multipurpose sports center, which would include a track with an artificial turf field, bleachers and other amenities.

The estimated tax impact on a $400,000 home is $68 per year. The school is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009.

The new facilities were originally proposed in separate warrant articles, but voters approved consolidating them into a single proposal at the school district’s deliberative session. The article requires at least a 60 percent majority on Election Day, Tuesday, March 11.

In order to accommodate the new facilities, voters are being asked to approve a land swap in which 16 acres of recreation and conservation property would be transferred from the town to the school district, and the town, in exchange, would receive 40 acres of school district land.

A $1.25 million bond article would fund the construction of a second access road to the new high school. The road would be built over the area of the former London Bridge Road from the school’s entrance to Castlehill Road. If the article is approved, officials would have the authority to use federal, state and private funds toward the project. The article requires a 60 percent majority.

The School Board is proposing a $34,453,396 operating budget, which includes three new positions at the middle school and eight new positions at the high school.

Also on the ballot is a new collective three-year bargaining agreement between the School Board and the teachers union which provides increases in salaries and benefits of $484,060 in 2008-09; $507,620 in 2009-10; and $483,618 in 2010-11.

There are a half-dozen other warrant articles, most of which seek money for capital improvements and new positions. Voters will decide if they want to form a study committee to explore Windham breaking away from School Administrative Unit 28, which also includes the Pelham School District.

Two seats are available on the School Board, and five candidates are running: Michael Hatem, Mark Brockmeier and Chris Lane, along with write-in candidates *** Forde and Laura Bellavia.

Town ballot

There are 26 zoning questions, 29 warrant articles and a contest for a pair of seats on the Board of Selectmen on the town ballot.

If voters approve, the town will hire four new firefighters and use a federal homeland security grant, if obtained, to defray some of the costs. From 2008 to 2012, the town’s share will be $1,154,925, and the grant will provide $421,700.

After that, the town assumes full cost of the new firefighters. The article will be null and void if the town doesn’t win the grant.

A revised blasting ordinance has been proposed. Under the proposed new rules, blasting and detonation would be allowed only between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and not permitted on weekends and town-observed holidays.

Selectmen are proposing a 2008 operating budget of $11,645,020. If the budget and all money warrant articles are approved and officials receive all the revenues they hope for, the town tax rate will increase roughly 34 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Some of the money sought by officials will allow them to move forward with capital improvement projects which are being partially funded by the state.

Voters are being asked to approve spending $501,585 to replace the Castle Hill Road Bridge, which crosses Beaver Brook at the Windham-Pelham border. By approving a warrant article to authorize this expenditure, voters will also allow selectmen to accept 80 percent in bridge aid from the state and an $89,000 donation from a developer, leaving $11,317 to be raised by taxes. The total cost of the project is $636,385.

Selectmen are asking voters to approve spending $73,200 to fund a portion of the town’s 20 percent share of the costs to construct bike paths along Lowell Road from Route 111 to Golden Brook School. The state will pay for 80 percent of this project. The town’s estimated 20 percent share is $233,200 and $160,000 has already been raised at previous town meetings.

Officials hope to renovate and repair the buildings and grounds at the old train depot area on Depot Road. Voters are being asked to approve spending $33,000 this year for engineering and design plans. The state will provide 80 percent of the $210,000 project.

Two seats are available on the Board of Selectmen, and four men are running: Planning Board member Ross McLeod; former selectman Galen Stearns; Zoning Board of Adjustment member Bruce Richardson; and state Rep. Charles McMahon, a former selectman.

Voters will cast ballots between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. at Golden Brook School.

Board adopts athletic plan

Salem Editor — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:35:00 GMT

BY DARRELL HALEN

In a 3-2 vote, the Windham School Board adopted an athletic master plan for the site of its future high school.

Al Letizio Jr., the board’s chairman, along with Bruce Anderson and Beth Valentine voted to adopt the conceptual plan, which includes athletic facilities for the high school and a future middle school at the site.

“I look at the master plan as something we adopt but knowing that over time future school boards will have to revisit it, revise it, because things do change,” Valentine said.

The adoption of the plan is contingent upon the school district securing town approval to use a portion of the Gage Land, townowned recreation and conservation property, on which to place some of the athletic facilities.

And fields on a 32-acre parcel at the site must be positioned to maximize the land’s future use. Beverly Donovan and Barbara Coish voted against adopting the plan.

“What really worries me is that we’ve really sped through this the past couple of meetings,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of things thrown at us. We haven’t really deliberated much at all ... I still do have a lot of questions.” Letizio and Valentine argued that the matter had not been rushed.

Earlier in the meeting, Donovan said that using some of the Gage Land, through a land swap, had become a hot topic in town. But Valentine disputed that. “I have to say 100 percent of the people I hear from have told me: it’s our land. Let us have the opportunity to weigh in on it,” Valentine said. “Some people might support it, some might not.”

Some of the discussion focused on where the best place would be to build a proposed football stadium.

Valentine said she doesn’t support placing it on the 32-acre section because hundreds of spectators will park along a street, creating a dangerous situation.

“I’ve heard about issues with safety. I’ve heard about issues with security and maintenance that tells me this is the right spot for this,” Letizio said of putting the stadium on the Gage Land.

The school district, he said, is capable of delivering a two-forone swap for a portion of the recreation and conservation land.

Windham siblings key to Derryfield’s championship

Salem Editor — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:02:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Lauren Satkwich, in her fourth year playing Derryfield field hockey, had come ever so close to winning a Class M-S title, losing in the state final in 2005 and 2006.

When the Windham native finally hoisted the coveted trophy, she did it with her younger sister, Tayla, at her side, following a 3-0 victory Oct. 28 against Newfound Regional. Derryfield’s first title in more than 20 years made history’s bite taste that much sweeter.

“It was nice to not only win it, but win it with my sister,” said Lauren. “I think when a lot of our seniors graduated last year, we thought it was going to be a rebuilding year. But we got a couple strong freshmen, and Tayla and I worked really hard and played really well together and are obviously really happy we won a championship together.”

Tayla Satkwich, in her first year playing with her older sibling, said having Lauren on the team made the transition to high school field hockey relatively painless.

“I was kind of scared at first because I didn’t know what to expect, but my sister and all her friends on the team were really warm and welcoming and made me feel like a member of the family right away,” said Tayla.

“It was nice to have a sister on the team because when I was doing something wrong she was really motivating and helped keep me (mentally) in the game.”

On the field, Lauren also literally had her back. The elder Satkwich played left defense and her younger counterpart started on the same side in the midfield.

So when the ball worked past the freshman, it comforted coach Lenny McCaigue to know he had a senior there to scoop it up.

“They locked down the left side for our team and did a great job with that,” he said.

“Playing close to each other was great. They sort of looked for each other, and it was really nice to watch that combination play out.”

There are some notable differences between the two, however.

“Tayla … does more with field hockey outside of school in terms of camps and playing with the travel club. She really is passionate about the sport,” said McCaigue, who noted Tayla played JV high school basketball in eighth grade. “She is quite the athlete.

I think getting some high school competition in middle school definitely helped her with the transition to varsity field hockey this year.”

Lauren, on the other hand, while not necessarily as natural an athlete as her sister, excels in everything she does.

“At Derryfield, our mission is to see kids do very well in terms of academics, the fine arts and athletics, and Lauren really epitomizes what it’s all about. She has been a star in several school musicals, is strong academically and now has a state champ medal.”

And though McCaigue returns a strong midfield next season, anchored by Tayla and fellow freshman phenom Anne DiPastina, along with the team’s top scorer in Katherine DiPastina, he said Lauren’s experience will be difficult to replace in the backfield.

“Lauren played a great leadership role on the team,” said McCaigue. “Most offenses attack on (their) right side of the field, so having a strong defensive presence on the left side was critical for us. She added that little bit of aggression to the defense in terms of winning the ball and providing good transition to the offense.”

That presence was never more evident than in the state final when Lauren helped shut down a Newfound squad that scored 105 times during a previously undefeated campaign, decimating opponents to the tune of almost seven goals a game.

“She was determined,” said McCaigue. “She wouldn’t be denied on that day.”

Now Tayla recognizes she will have to elevate her game next season to make up for the loss of her veteran sibling.

“I think it’s going to be a little harder. I mean, when I was playing with my sister, we knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses and had a lot of time to work together. So with a new person we are going to have to feel each other out a little bit,” she said.

In the meantime, the Satkwich sisters likely have at least one more season together as both plan to play softball in the spring.