Windham News : windam

More than 1,000 apply at new Windham high school

Salem Editor — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 01:28:00 GMT

Finding a large pool of experienced and enthusiastic prospective teachers for the new high school, district officials have found a silver lining to the economic crisis.

“It’s been to our advantage. There’s no doubt in my mind,” Superintendent Frank Bass said. “We had them come in from a lot of places. Usually these people were fearful of how their positions were going to be maintained in their current schools.”

According to Bass, the district received more than 1,200 applicants for about 40 open professional positions within the new high school, some from neighboring schools and others from as far away as Africa.

While Bass said it is not unusual to see a high level of interest in positions within a new school, the nation’s economic woes have been to the benefit of the district.

As Windham opens up classroom positions to educators across the country, other districts are downsizing.

In Salem, school officials declined to renew a total of 13 contracts with teachers, and in Nashua, there could be more than 10 teaching positions cut as officials hammer out the budget. Five teaching positions have also been cut in nearby Merrimack.

Just as the poor economy and municipal budget cuts have increased the pool of potential educators, Bass said the advantages his district’s new facility offers teachers also plays a role. Classrooms will be equipped with smart boards and each student will be issued a school laptop to use both in class and at home as part of the district’s one-to-one computing program.

The high school will also have a partnership with Boston College and Plymouth State University, Bass said.

According to Principal Richard Manley, the technologically friendly environment at the Windham High School has become one of the larger attractions for prospective staff.

“Almost every teacher has cited the idea of the advantages of technology as a draw to the Windham High School. They relate stories of the difficulties they have in their own schools (where) their equipment is older and not working or they’re scheduling the available equipment among other teachers and students,” Manley said. “We are attracting a pool of candidates that are more technologically savvy than we would otherwise have.”

Manley also believes an interdisciplinary approach to teaching the school intends to adopt for next year’s first class of freshmen and sophomore students has attracted educators. Students at the high school will take a humanities class – a blending of social studies and English courses – taught by teachers trained in both fields.

While Manley and Bass have finished with the first round of hirings, Manley said he expects to hire more educators as the high school population expands in subsequent years.

For the time being, Bass is pleased with the crop of teachers that will take center stage when the building opens its doors for the first time at the start of the new school year.

“We’re really thrilled,” he said. “We’ve got a wonderful cross-section; we’ve hired some kids and some seasoned veterans.”

Windham planning director retires

Salem Editor — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:49:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

With 12 years serving as the Windham’s planning director under his belt, Alfred Turner has retired as the town prepares to implement a major restructuring of the planning department.

Turner said a number of factors had gone into his decision and that it was the “right time” to step down. In December, selectmen had effectively eliminated Turner’s position in favor of a new post aimed at attracting economic development. Turner’s last day on the job was Jan. 19.

The selectmen’s move to restructure the department came after an independent review of the planning department conducted last year by an outside consultant found Turner and his staff to be out of sync with the board’s economic vision for the town.

According to Turner, communication broke down between the department and the board early last year when selectmen began moving in a new direction when it came to encouraging economic development. By the time the department adjusted to the new outlook, Turner said both the economy and his relationship with the board had deteriorated quite a bit.

Selectman Charles McMahon said he was thankful for work Turner had done for the town and indicated that the decision to restructure the planning department and eliminate Turner’s long-held position arose out of a decision by the board to meet the challenge of paying for the new multimillion dollar high school.

“I appreciate the work he’s done in the past. He’s decided to move on in his professional life, and we’re moving forward to meet new challenges,” McMahon said. “We’re no longer just a bedroom community, because a bedroom community will not meet the challenge of a first-class high school.”

Though selectmen offered Turner the option of either accepting a vacant planner position – a demotion for the longtime department head – or applying for the new director of community development position, Turner has instead decided to explore his possibilities in the private sector.

Looking back over his 12- year tenure, Turner said he was most proud of developing two town-wide master plans and by bringing in over $68 million in new or expanded commercial establishments.

“The town’s been able to do that basically without much notice. You don’t notice a lot of change and that’s what attracts people to Windham,” Turner said. “Despite all the new community development, the town looks the same it did when you drive down Route 111 as it did 20 years ago. People find that very attractive, and that is why so many people are moving to Windham.”

According to McMahon, the town already had two candidates in mind for the positions of town planner and director of community development. An announcement would be made pending a background check on both individuals, he said.

Pelham/Windham’s Junior Pee Wees head to national championship

Salem Editor — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:15:00 GMT

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Pelham/Windham Razorbacks’ stifling defense stopped the Connecticut champs cold in a 20-0 win that delivered the Junior Pee Wee squad the American Youth Football League’s New England crown.

With the victory on Nov. 22, the Razorbacks head to Orlando, Fla., for a chance at the AYF’s national title. That tournament takes place Dec. 6 through 12.

Both Pelham/Windham and the New Britain Raiders entered the contest with 11- 0 marks, but the Razorbacks jumped ahead, 2-0, on Zach Masiello’s safety. That play set the tone on a bone-chilling day at Bryant University’s frozen field in Rhode Island.

The Pelham/Windham offense then heated up, with linemen Mitch Hullihen, Masiello, Jack Harrington, Nick DeCarolis, Josh Gallagher and Ryan Cloutier pushing New Britain’s defense around. Ultimately, Kurtis Jolicoeur broke through for a touchdown, and the Razorbacks took an 8-0 lead into intermission.

If anything, the defense, which has yet to allow more than one touchdown in a game, improved in the second half. New Britain had trouble recording a first down as defensive end Joe Frake handled the Raiders’ outside ground game, and pressure from Kevin Anderson, Michael Goglia, Gallagher and Harrington denied New Britain’s attempts to pound the ball up the middle. Frustrated, Connecticut’s best tried to pass the ball, but safety Kellin Bail’s interception thwarted that route as well.

P/W quarterback Brendan McInnis and running back Bail handled the ball well on a subsequent drive. Jolicoeur bulled his way to a second score after a McInnis-to-Frake pass play drew an interference penalty, giving the locals a first-and-goal. On the ensuing kickoff, Pelham/Windham put the contest out of reach when Goglia caused a fumble that kicker Bail pounced on at New Britain’s 12-yard line. Two plays later, McInnis bounced off two defenders and stretched to reach the end zone, capping the scoring.

Game notes

Harrington’s hard-nosed running helped the team control the clock in the fourth quarter. Brendan Mullen aided the offense with his strong blocking on Jolicoeur’s 40-yard jaunt early in the game.

Windham to use portable classrooms to make room for kindergarteners

Salem Editor — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:42:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

The Windham School Board has decided on a temporary facilities plan to get kindergarten up and running by the state’s deadline of September 2009.

The board voted unanimously at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 16, to place portable classrooms at one or more of the school district’s existing schools, but a definite spot has not yet been selected.

The state would pay for the portables and the materials needed to run them, as well as provide the school district with $1,200 per student for the year in funding.

“The only thing we’d have to pay for would be the cost of the teachers, and the state is providing some incentives there,” said Frank Bass, superintendent for the Pelham and Windham school districts, both of which are on the list of 11 towns who need to begin a public kindergarten program by the start of school in September 2009.

The per-student funding would likely cover the cost of paying teachers’ salaries, leaving little to nothing left for taxpayers’ bills, Bass said.

The $1,200 represents half of the average daily membership, which the state gives to all communities to educate each public school student. Because the state mandates only half-day kindergarten, they will reimburse half.

The New Hampshire Board of Education included at least half-day public kindergarten in its definition of an adequate education during their session in spring 2007, requiring the districts in the state without such programs to get one in place. The other school districts who were without public kindergarten programs at the time the mandate went into effect were Salem, Chester, Litchfield, Derry, Milford, Lyndeborough, Hudson, Auburn and Mascenic Regional.

When it first was set, the mandate was largely unfunded, sparking controversy among those districts without kindergarten. They demanded state funding solutions, and more or less got them.

A long-term solution to kindergarten facilities will include an in-depth study on the Windham School District’s current facilities, looking at enrollment projections, possible upgrades to current buildings, and possibly building new ones.

“We have yet to determine what route we want to take,” said Bass, adding a committee devoted to the facilities study was formed in August.

Communities have been calculating how many students they would need to accommodate in kindergarten programs by taking 80 percent of the amount of children who will be kindergarten age by the time school starts. Using that estimate, Windham would need to make room for about 215 to 225 students.

So far, the Pelham School Board has yet to decide what avenue they will take to begin kindergarten in their district.

“We’re still exploring several options,” Bass said. “I think that will be a running conversation for each and every meeting of the Pelham School Board.”

The state has said they would provide 75 percent in aid for construction costs to build new facilities for the communities facing public kindergarten establishment. This could happen at the same time the communities are receiving the total funding for portables in the short term. All of the 11 school districts without kindergarten have until Dec. 1 to submit their long-term plans for kindergarten to the state.

Windham town employee arrested for sex assault

Salem Editor — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:39:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

A Windham town employee has been arrested for an alleged sexual assault after the victim reported the crime to a victim’s advocate.

Robert Dobson, 55, of 5 Princeton St., Windham, was arrested the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 19, Windham Police Chief Gerald Lewis said.

Dobson was charged with aggravated felonious sexual assault for the incident, which court records alleged happened between July and September 2008.

Dobson works at the town’s transfer station/recycling center, and has for about 20 or 25 years, said David Poulson, the station’s manager. Poulson would not comment further on Dobson’s arrest.

According to court records, Windham police Sgt. Wendy Foley met with a guidance counselor at Windham Middle School on Tuesday, Sept. 16. The guidance counselor, identified in court records as Julie Lichtmann, told Foley a student had reported being sexually assaulted by Dobson.

Linda Wilmoth of the state’s Division of Children, Youth and Families interviewed the victim at the Child Advocacy Center in Derry, court records show, on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

During that interview, the victim described the alleged assault in detail, naming Dobson as the assailant.

At their weekly meeting on Monday, Sept. 22, the town’s Board of Selectmen discussed Dobson’s arrest in nonpublic session as a personnel matter. Police and town officials have released little else about the arrest.

After his arraignment, Dobson was released on $25,000 personal recognizance bail. He will appear in Salem District Court on Wednesday, Oct. 8, for a probable cause hearing.

Emergency detours in Windham will help if I-93 closes

Salem Editor — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:57:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

At least one local police chief has hailed the permanent blue emergency detour signs marking alternative routes around Interstate 93 as a “significant benefit.”

Windham Police Chief Gerald Lewis said the newly placed road signs gave motorists, local drivers and his department a serious advantage should the interstate close in the event of an emergency.

“If we get up on 93 or Exit 3 for a situation where the road has to be closed, when we get those people off the road they’re immediately met with a detour route,” he said. “As it stood before the signs, getting off the highway, (motorists had) to figure it out on their own.”

In the past, according to Lewis, it had not always been possible for police officers or other town officials to have detour signs already in place for drivers coming off the highway during an emergency. Having a permanent route marked by signs has given his department an added advantage in dealing with those types of situations, he said.

“It makes it easier in the fact that we don’t have to worry about explaining one on one to motorists how to circumnavigate a route or spend staff hours setting up detour signs. The signs are already in place,” Lewis said. “It eliminates one very important task because its already in place. (The signs) are a tremendous benefit for us.”

Created as part of the project to widen and rebuild the swath of I-93 from the Massachusetts border to Manchester, the alternative routes form a planned detour in the event an emergency shuts down the highway. According to the project manager for the I-93 project, Peter Stamnas, the newly implemented alternative route system for the interstate has given local police, fire and public works departments a better handle on managing highway emergencies in the future.

“The purpose is to provide appropriate routes in case of diversion,” said Stamnas, of the state Department of Transportation. “They’re a part of our incident management plan for Interstate 93.”

Stamnas coordinated with local police, fire and public works departments – as part of a steering committee – to create the most effective emergency management plan possible for the highway. As part of that management plan, municipalities were asked to draw up permanent detour routes for motorists should an emergency require the closure of I-93.

Though the amount of traffic the alternative routes could bring to local roads – especially Route 111 – and the impact that may have on the emergency response times of the department remains a concern for Lewis, he said the advantages outweighed any potential negatives.

“We’re certainly going to have to be extra cautious and the fact that you have vehicles that are unfamiliar with the route – they may want to turn around, may make unannounced turns – we’ll have to be cognizant of that,” he said. “It’s going to push the traffic off onto the local roads, but that’s going to happen anyway.”

The only real problem with the blue alternative route signs – which Stamnas compared to the hurricane evacuation route signs in Florida – has been their placement. In some cases, residents have complained the signs have blocked their view at a turn, but they have not garnered any noticeable interest from residents.

“They signs are rather self-explanatory,” Lewis said.

As only one part of a larger plan to better manage emergency situations on I-93, Stamnas has also pointed to a number of other strategies designed to facilitate traffic congestion on the highway. Smart work zones, extra emergency accesses, and electronic message boards with variable messages are all ways to keep motorists on track, Stamnas said.

According to Lewis, the alternative routes passed their first real test on Aug. 25 when a van collided with a tractor-trailer during rush hour just before Exit 1 northbound on I-93 in Salem.

With the highway closed while rescue teams attempted to extricate the van’s driver over the course of about a half an hour, motorists began coming up Route 28 and getting back onto the highway at Exit 2 in Salem and Exit 3 in Windham.

He called the alternative routes an “absolute” success so far.

Recycling made easier in Windham

Salem Editor — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:11:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Windham will undergo a change in its recycling process when it switches over to single-stream recycling starting on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

Windham Transfer Station manager David Poulson said converting to the new system will save the town at least $150,000 per year.

It will also encourage more people to recycle, as it makes things easier on the average consumer of goods who doesn’t want to have to think about which types of materials are recyclable.

“People get apathetic because they don’t want to separate the wastes,” said Poulson. “Roughly, you can raise recycling rates by 15 percent with single-stream.”

Right now, Windham residents who recycle have to pay close attention to what they’re recycling to make sure they are not trying to recycle certain materials, such as specific types of plastic, that the Windham transfer station cannot process.

The items then go to the transfer station for sorting. The transfer station then sells bales of the recycled products to companies who are willing to take it. The transfer station uses a broker to set up facilities to take the waste that is suitable for recycling.

Single-stream recycling puts all the sorting and processing effort onto selected material recovery facilities, who then become responsible for selecting which items can be recycled.

Instead of getting a price for each commodity, such as paper, aluminum or plastic, the Windham transfer station will now get one lump sum from one facility for all the recyclables based on how much it weighs, not necessarily what its contents are.

The savings will come from staffing costs, but also from being more efficient in not having to sort out items that can’t be used, Poulson said.

It will also make it easier for residents who aren’t sure which types of items they can or should be recycling.

Poulson said a temporary single-stream vendor has been set up to make the switch in September, but added they will go out to bid for a permanent vendor with the idea of having a solid contract combining the transfer station’s single-stream recyclables and regular trash disposal for January 2009.

“The key right now is to save money for Windham on the municipal garbage,” Poulson said. “We’re trying to go with a vendor that has both capacities.”

Windham access road debated

Salem Editor — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:06:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

Selectmen received mild support and pointed criticism over the possible construction of a $1.25 million secondary access road for the high school during a deliberative session on Tuesday, Aug. 12.

The town is gearing up to vote on two warrant articles during a special Town Meeting on Sept. 9, one of which is a $1.25 million bond to construct a 24-foot-wide paved road connecting Route 111 to Castle Hill Road to provide a secondary access to the high school.

State law requires that the high school constructed in that location have a second access for emergencies unless a waiver is signed by the local authorities. Fire Chief Tom McPherson has stated he will not sign off on the building unless the secondary access is constructed, though he has said publicly that he will work with town officials to find a feasible solution.

“I’ve been to a lot of town meetings and school district meetings when I’ve had to sit through long and boring over-detailed projects ... I’ve never come to a town meeting about a $1.25 million project and not had a presentation made,” resident Betty Dunn told selectman, to applause. “This is an important step in the democratic process and I would like to have a presentation on what it is and what we’ll be voting on.”

Debate focused on the standard of the proposed road with town residents arguing both for and against the proposed construction of a paved road with underground conduits for electrical wiring and underground drainage as outlined in the warrant article.

“We’re here because we’re trying to get the school opened by 2009 and in order to do that, we need a second egress. That’s been determined by our fire chief. In order to do that, we feel that we need this special meeting to begin the process of (building the road),” Selectman Roger Hohenberger said. “Past discussion has been over whether it should be paved, gated or a through road. What we have been talking about is a through road.”

Hohenberger said the proposed road would give the town’s police and fire departments better access not only to the high school but to other neighborhoods in the town.

“To have this second access, not only because it’s a requirement, but because we have a school located down a mile of the road that is one way in, one way out,” Chief McPherson told the board and members of the audience. “As you know, the town of Windham operates with one station. We don’t have the luxury of having substations. (There is) limited travel to the other parts of town. Certainly this road, from a public safety standpoint, serves multiple purposes.”

Though building a gravel access instead of a paved road remained a viable option, both selectmen and town public safety officials said that move would cost more than paving the road.

According to selectmen, the gravel road option would cost $150,000 less and violate agreements with abutters who had donated the land to the town for the project in return for the paved road. The cost of annual maintenance of the gravel road combined with the price of buying out the abutters would make any savings negligible, officials said.

While residents also raised concerns over traffic issues, the presence of young and inexperienced drivers along the proposed route and the lack of either sidewalks or a bike path, the wording on the warrant survived the session unchanged and will retain the same wording when it is brought before voters in September.

“I think there’s one thing we can all agree upon – nobody is happy being here at this stage of this project dealing with this issue. It’s distressing. That’s reality. We are here and we are in this place and we have to face this reality,” Dunn said. “I am convinced we need another real access road. If you look at in theory, its one thing, but if you look at it and see how difficult of a road it’s going to be, you might be more inclined to say we need to do this.”

Access road and conservation easement to be discussed at Aug. 12 Windham deliberative session

Salem Editor — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:17:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Windham voters who want to weigh in on constructing a second access road to Windham High School, currently under construction, and a proposed conservation easement in the town forest area should attend a deliberative session on Tuesday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m., at the Town Hall.

The two articles on the warrant will be included as part of the vote in the Sept. 9 primaries.

Article 1 asks voters to authorize the town to secure a $1.25 million bond to build a new town road over the existing London Bridge Road for the purpose of providing a second access to the high school.

The proposed plan includes extending the road to Castle Hill Road, allowing emergency vehicles to more easily access the western side of town, cutting down on emergency response time.

Earlier this month, the Board of Selectmen unanimously approved the plans for the 24-foot wide paved road after much debate on whether the road needed to be a standard sized paved road or a smaller gravel one. A similar ballot question was included on the school district ballot in March, but failed to get the 60 percent majority vote needed to pass.

Many residents at a public hearing on the parameters of the access road on Monday, July 21, said building a paved town road was going overboard.

Both the state Board of Education and Windham Fire Chief Tom McPherson have said the school needs a secondary access road before it can open in September 2009.

The Windham Fire Department has been a proponent of paving the road and making it full size to allow for emergency vehicles to pass easily and to ensure the road is properly maintained. Potholes would be prevalent on a gravel road, said Assistant Fire Chief Robert Leuci at the public hearing, making it difficult to plow and likely more expensive to maintain.

If voters approve the bond, the first payment would be made in September 2009 in the amount of $175,000, including the principal payment and interest. The amount of the payments would decrease by $5,000 yearly up until the end of the bond payment schedule in 2018.

Selectman Roger Hohenberger, charged with looking into the costs of a paved road versus a gravel one, said at the hearing a paved 24-foot road would only cost $150,000 more than a gravel road, adding the gravel would be much more expensive to maintain over the years due to erosion.

At the weekly meeting on Monday, Aug. 4, the board heard comments from the public on the second article on the ballot, regarding putting two parcels of land off of Goodhue road into a third-party conservation easement, which would be held by the Exeter-based Southeast Land Trust.

The Windham Conservation Commission currently owns the land, but if the land is placed with a third-party group it becomes eligible for a reimbursement for most of the purchase cost because of the land’s proximity to Salem’s water supply.

The parcels are separated by other town-owned pieces of land in the town forest, one of them about 53 acres and the other about 20 acres.

The question of whether to put the land in trust sparked debate among the selectmen, a couple of whom felt the parameters of the easement were too strict.

A conservation easement would limit the use of the land and prevent building residential or commercial/industrial structures on it, and getting out of the easement would be impossible without going through the eminent domain process.

The town would also have to reimburse Southeast Land Trust for part of the cost of the land in that event, something Hohenberger said was unfair despite his support of conservation.

“I think that restriction is going to potentially make a lot of people possibly vote the wrong way,” said Hohenberger.

Selectman Galen Stearns agreed, saying putting the land in a third-party trust would tie the hands of future town officials and voters.

“I don’t have a crystal ball. I don’t know what the town’s needs are going to be,” he said.

Ellen Snyder, a representative of Southeast Land Trust, said the whole point of a conservation easement was to preserve it forever.

Resident Margaret Case said the town can do a good enough job of preserving the land without putting it in the hands of a third party.

“Why can’t we trust the people in this town to do the right thing?” she asked, reiterating Stearns’ point that no one could be sure of the town’s needs in the future. “We don’t know what we are going to need perhaps to survive in the next 30 or 40 years. My final word on this is, I hope the people vote ‘no.’”

Selectman Bruce McMahon, who helped get the article on the ballot, said the easement should have been part of the Conservation Commission’s purchase to begin with.

He added the easement was needed to get the state funding reimbursement, which would amount to about $177,000, in order to purchase other pieces of land for conservation. Typically, conservation land is purchased through money collected from current use penalties.

“What’s the purpose? It’s funds, because we’re running out of current use penalty land,” McMahon said.

Windham knife fight ends in two arrests

Salem Editor — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:59:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

Police said an alcohol-fueled argument led to a motel room stabbing on Rockingham Road that left two people hospitalized with knife wounds and another two under arrest.

Leo Martin Jr., 41, and Diane Batchelor, 31, both of Salem, were taken into custody on assault charges after police responded to a report of a shooting – later found to be erroneous – in Room 115 of the Manor Motel at 1:56 p.m., Thursday, July 24.

Authorities found Joseph Young, 48, and Maureen Cobbett, 50, injured with multiple knife wounds.

Martin and Batchelor fled the scene in a Ford Ranger pickup truck and were later caught and arrested by Salem police.

Young and Cobbett were treated for their injuries by Windham and Salem fire department personnel and transported to the Parkland Medical Center in Derry.

Cobbett suffered a severe cut on her thumb and Young had two stab wounds.

On two separate occasions earlier in the day, police responded to the same location after receiving reports of an assault and loud noises.

At the time of the second altercation, Batchelor was already under investigation for assaulting Cobbett after the couples began arguing earlier in the day.

Man with foot fetish faces assault charges in Windham

Salem Editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:20:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

After Windham police received an anonymous tip, a man suspected of assaulting female yoga and fitness instructors has been caught.

Eric Henson, 31, of 116 Barretts Hill Road, Hudson, was arraigned on three charges of simple assault in Salem District Court on Tuesday, July 22.

Henson admitted to placing the feet of his female victims against his groin while they demonstrated a stretching movement. He told them he was a karate instructor looking to open a business in town, police said.

All three Windham assaults took place in the neighboring Commons and Village Green plazas on Route 111.

Windham police Sgt. Michael Caron said Henson admitted to the alleged Windham acts during questioning, adding Henson is suspected of similar crimes on about a dozen other occasions in other New Hampshire towns as well as in his former town of Wakefield, Mass.

“I think this individual certainly has a problem that needs to be addressed,” Caron said after Henson’s arraignment.

Caron said Henson moved to town on or around Friday, June 27. The first assault was Tuesday, July 1, at the Windham Pilates and Wellness Center at Village Green.

In that incident, the pilates instructor was showing Henson some moves after he entered the studio and said he wanted to learn some exercises to speed up his recovery from an injury. She pulled away and confronted Henson verbally, and he left.

The next two assaults were on Thursday, July 17, at The Commons Plaza at approximately 5:30 p.m. Police responded to a call from a woman in the parking lot who said a man had approached her and said he was a karate teacher and wanted to show her a move. According to a police affidavit, Henson also told her she had nice legs and feet.

Henson allegedly said he had to grab her leg and foot to do it. He then placed her foot against his crotch, according to police.

While police were dealing with that call, another woman who works at Yoga Sanctuary in the same plaza told officers that a man with a similar description had entered the studio and asked for massage advice. Flynn demonstrated the massage, and Henson allegedly took her foot and put it against his crotch.

Caron said an anonymous caller told police the culprit was Henson. Investigators were able to reach Henson through his work cell phone around noon on Monday, July 21, and asked him to come to the station for an interview.

Henson came to the station about an hour and a half later, and admitted to committing the Windham assaults in addition to nine to 15 others in other New Hampshire and Massachusetts towns.

“(Henson) claimed he would use the same ‘stretching’ routine to get women close to him. He stated that he has a foot fetish and that it has become a problem.

He admitted that this all started about two to three years ago, but it has been an issue for about year,” the affidavit said.

Caron said Henson admitted to having a problem, and seemed remorseful towards the end of the interview.

Although Henson is suspected of many more similar crimes, most of the victims did not inform their local law enforcement agencies, Caron said.

Windham police do know of one similar incident that took place in a public park in Wakefield, Mass.

Salem District Court Judge John Korbey set Henson’s bail at $25,000 cash or surety. Prosecutors at the arraignment argued Henson had close ties to Massachusetts and was a flight risk.

Assault reported at Windham yoga center

Salem Editor — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:33:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Windham Police are still looking for a man who reportedly assaulted a yoga instructor after she showed him some yoga moves.

The woman, an employee of Windham Pilates and Wellness Center, reported the alleged assault to police shortly after the incident occurred at around 7 p.m. on Monday, July 1, said Windham Police Chief Gerald Lewis.

She described the suspect as about 5 feet, 10 inches tall with blond hair, possibly in his early 30s. He was wearing a white T-shirt, a gold chain and either jeans or khaki pants at the time of the incident.

Contrary to news reports already published about the incident, Lewis said, the woman was not a victim of a sexual assault in the accepted sense of the term.

“There was an assault that took place that was sexual in nature. There was no rape that took place, and no attempted rape,” said Lewis, adding the assault was of very short duration.

According to the woman’s account, the man entered the studio and asked the woman about some physical therapy exercises he could do for an injury he had sustained.

The assault took place as the yoga instructor demonstrated some exercises. The perpetrator fled upon being confronted verbally with his inappropriate behavior, Lewis said.

The pilates studio was open at the time of the incident, as were several other businesses in the Village Green plaza on Route 111, where the studio is located.

Nobody who was working in any of those businesses saw the suspect, Lewis said, nor was anyone able to provide police with the description of a vehicle in which he may have fled.

Upon taking the report, the Windham Police contacted the police departments in surrounding towns as well as the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Department with a description of the suspect. No leads have been generated thus far, Lewis said, and no similar incidents had occurred in other towns.

Lewis said they are still hoping to identify the man. Anyone with any information regarding the incident should call the Windham Police Department at 434-5577.

Two Windham men nabbed again

Salem Editor — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:27:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Two Windham men who were already facing charges for an attempted robbery in June were arrested again for assaulting a Salem man the night before they were to appear in court on their previous charges.

Salem police arrested Thomas Winward, 17, and Shawn Mahoney, 18, both of Windham, and charged both with simple assault and drug possession on the evening of Monday, July 7, after they allegedly entered the Salem apartment of Nick Pettiford and attacked him.

According to Salem police Capt. Shawn Patten, Pettiford’s girlfriend was at the apartment when Mahoney and Winward showed up at the apartment to confront Pettiford about some guns and a video game they believed Pettiford stole from Winward’s home.

Winward and Mahoney allegedly attacked Pettiford while inside the apartment, at which point Pettiford’s girlfriend reported the incident to police.

“When the girlfriend called police, the two suspects fled. (Pettiford) went after them and got a bat from his car,” Patten said.

When police arrived, Patten said, Pettiford was swinging a bat at Winward and Mahoney but did not land any blows. Pettiford suffered minor injuries to his face and head area in the attack. Neither Mahoney nor Winward was injured.

Both Winward and Mahoney were carrying about an ounce of marijuana each, Patten said, and were also charged with possession.

No charges are being filed against Pettiford at this point, said Patten, adding an investigation into the claims that Pettiford had stolen guns and a video game from Winward has turned up nothing.

Winward and Mahoney were two parts of a trio of midnight prowlers who were arrested when they tried to break into a Pelham Road home on Sunday, June 1. Daniel Smith, 19, of Salem rounded out the band of would-be bandits.

Despite the July 7 arrest, both Mahoney and Winward appeared in Salem District Court July 8 for probable cause hearings for the attempted robbery and to be arraigned on the new charges. Smith waived his probable cause hearing.

The Pelham Road incident resulted in charges of criminal trespassing, criminal mischief, prowling, resisting arrest and unlawful possession of alcohol.

During that arrest, all three suspects were extremely uncooperative and combative with arresting officers, Patten said. One officer was actually injured in the process of trying to subdue the three men, sustaining a knee injury that sent him to Parkland Medical Center for treatment. Officers had to Taser Mahoney at the time because of his out-of-control resistance, Patten said.

By the end of their day in court, probable cause was found to prosecute both Winward and Mahoney for their alleged roles in the attempted burglary. Bail was set for the new charges at $10,000 cash or surety for both Winward and Mahoney. They will appear next in court on Wednesday, Aug. 20, for their trial on the new charges.

Budget cuts slow I-93 widening project in Windham

Salem Editor — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:22:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Engineers from the state Department of Transportation met with the Board of Selectmen to update them on the progress of the I-93 and Route 111 improvements, a project that is chugging rather than gliding forward at this point, due to deep gouges in the state’s budget.

The Windham section of the project, which includes adding lanes to I-93, shifting Route 111A to the north and reshaping the interchange of Route 111 and I-93 by Exit 3 and exchanging the loop ramps for a diamond-shaped design, is projected to be completed by 2015, said project manager Peter Stamnas. The entire I-93 project is supposed to be complete by 2017.

The Board of Selectmen pondered issues of limited access to Route 111, landscaping and future surplus land that could eventually be sold to bring commercial development to Windham.

When Route 111A is moved north, motorists will only be able to make a right hand turn onto it from I-93, said Stamnas. The remaining part of it would become a town-owned road.

“One of our biggest issues in this town is economic development. By making that limited access, that kind of bars us from doing stuff in the future,” said Selectmen Chairman Dennis Senibaldi.

Selectman Roger Hohenberger voiced concern over the transition from four lanes down to two on I-93, which will also take place by Exit 3.

“Now we’re going to be the bottleneck where Salem used to be the bottleneck. It didn’t work in Salem, what you guys did, so I was just wondering how you’re going to make it work in Windham,” Hohenberger asked Stamnas.

Stamnas said the location of the bottleneck allows ample time for people to merge and that it is the least complex way of doing it. “We looked at three or four different versions and we came up with one that we feel is best suited not only for traffic volume but also for finance,” Stamnas said.

Hohenberger said the change is going to cause commuters coming up I-93 to detour onto back roads through Windham.

The state is also still trying to figure out where to install one or more conduits for sewer and electricity through I-93, a piece of the project that has become tricky with the grading associated with the added lanes.

Stamnas said the state has some ideas for the installation, but said the DOT and Selectmen need to meet “immediately” to discuss where, when and how to install that conduit.

“I don’t have any information for size. There really isn’t a great spot,” Stamnas said. “It’s not going to be an inexpensive piece of work. The town would have to pay for the installation,” he said.

Hohenberger said the state promised to pay for the installation several years ago, and Selectman Charles McMahon said if something has changed since that promise, Stamnas should look into it and inform the town right away.

Stamnas was also trying to get the board’s feelings on a $225,000 landscaping layout that would surround the interchange by exit 3. The plan includes hundreds of trees which Stamnas described as low-maintenance.

The state would install all the greenery for that plan, but after a year the town would take on ownership and responsibility for maintaining them.

Both McMahon and Hohenberger thought the money the town would have to spend to maintain the landscape each year would be too much. Final maintenance costs have not been calculated yet.

Senibaldi said the board needs to sit down with a professional to go through the plans and get the best estimate for how much the maintenance wold cost the town each year.

“We’re making a decision for the future taxpayers of Windham, and we need to be sensitive to that,” Senibaldi said.

Breton said the board should go with the landscaping plan, as previous boards had approved it and the location is the gateway to the Windham community.

“We spend money on other projects that don’t have the magnitude of what this project is,” said Breton.