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This week's stories: (click on the headline
to jump to story)
 Spadaro's
resignation sparks sadness
Church's
mission of mercy brings hope and health to island nation
Soldier's
story deferred until he finishes school
Abutter
appeals fizzle out; Irving Oil gets go-ahead
Town
explores charter school
As
library debate continues, supporters regroup to figure out plan
Goffstown
Spadaro's resignation
sparks sadness
By KATE BENWAY
Staff Writer
kbenway@yourneighborhoodnews.com
WEARE Weare Middle School secretary
Sharon Fudala was choking back tears when she picked up the phone.
"Every time I look at him or I think about it, I cry,"
she said, of Principal Jim Spadaro, who, just a day earlier had
informed his staff that he would be leaving his post after this
year.
"The school is losing someone who cares about the school
and the kids," she said.
The day after a townwide vote left Weare Middle School without
the additional space and staff Spadaro had asked for, the Weare
resident resigned from the position he has held for three years.
One ray of light for him the Weare School District budget
had passed by just a few votes, but at press time was teetering
on the brink of failure after a formal request for a recount
was filed.
"The last time we had a recount, the budget failed," he
said.
The Weare School District has been on a default budget for the
last two years, and if the recount changes the outcome of this
year's vote, the district could be on a default budget once again.
It's a situation Spadaro is tired of.
"I'm not mad and I'm not blaming anyone," he said.
"But I don't know why the voters won't do it, won't help
us. I really thought we would get more things, but without
these things, I can't move the school where it needs to be."
Spadaro plans to finish out this year, but is done on June 30.
He said he has no plans to move from Weare, as his son is a junior
at John Stark Regional High School. He does not have a new job
and he hasn't won the lottery, he said.
If fact, said Spadaro, he doesn't know what he'll do next.
Meanwhile, the Weare School Board will now begin the process
of trying to fill Spadaro's shoes.
And, according to his staff, students and school board members,
those shoes are big ones to fill.
"They're losing an educator and a coach," said Derek
Geddes, an English teacher who teaches seventh and eighth grade.
"They're losing a friend, they're losing an honest person,
they're losing all the adjectives you can think of to describe
a quality human being."
For their part, teachers and staff said they thought some of
the requests on this year's warrant would pass.
Some said the dean of students position was a long shot, but
Spadaro thought he'd made a good case for needing a third person
to help him and Assistant Principal Meeta Brown.
Many officials also thought this would be the year the school
would get a second guidance counselor.
Spadaro has asked voters for the added position for the last
three years. He's quoted statistics and standards that say the
guidance counselor-to-student ratio should be 1-to-300. At the
middle school, there are roughly 615 students.
"My kids desperately need to have another guidance counselor," he
said. "I believe in my heart that the middle school kids
are not getting what they need."
Most who've met him say Spadaro is a champion of the middle school.
According to school board officials, Spadaro has been the biggest
advocate and cheerleader for the Weare children attending fifth,
sixth, seventh and eighth grade.
"We're devastated absolutely devastated," said
Matt Thomas, chairman of the Weare School Board. "He came
to us last year and talked about a middle school philosophy,
and it was one of the most impassioned speeches I've ever heard.
It got us motivated."
Spadaro speaks freely of his passion and dedication to middle
school students. He dubs them the "forgotten" students,
as he watches a phenomenon by which, he believes, voters cater
more to elementary and high school students.
He can't explain it, but it seems people think the middle-schoolers
get by just fine without some of the much-needed staples.
"For a great school, you need awesome students and we win
that hands down. You also need a staff that's willing to try
new things and we have that, too," he said. "But you
need the community willing to help get the school what it needs,
and we don't have that. I don't have the skills to get us where
we need to be with the resources the voters are giving me."
Meanwhile, school board members are gearing up to ask voters
next year to build a new middle school.
The current facility is inadequate for use as a school; students
are packed in classrooms as many as 30 at a time, and the back-up
heating system has been dubbed a fire hazard by an engineering
firm, say school board members.
And with five years' worth of disappointing voting history behind
them, officials are worried residents won't respond well to the
request.
"Knowing that I need a new middle school and knowing that
I can't even get a budget passed, how am I supposed to get 60
percent (the majority that would be needed to vote through the
building of a new school)?" said Spadaro.
Thomas said school officials are nervous as well. And more troubling
than the thought of getting voters to pass key items is the thought
of what the school is losing in Jim Spadaro.
"Weare police Detective (Mark) Bodanza told me the other
day that incidents of criminal behavior by middle school kids
has been reduced significantly in the last couple of years,"
said Thomas. "He draws the correlation to the after-school
program Jim and Meeta have developed."
Thomas said he's given the students at the school free reign
to try to convince Spadaro to stay. But that probably won't happen.
"It can be extremely disheartening to be faced with the
same challenges every year," he said.
And the staff and students know that, too. Geddes said his students
who run the school newspaper had a good understanding of the
vote and have asked why residents keep turning requests down.
Linda Wood, a paraprofessional who has lived in Weare her entire
life and has been with the school for 15 years, said the students
are saddened by Spadaro's decision.
"They ask a lot of questions and they say, 'We don't want
a new principal,'" she said. "He is the best principal
that Weare has seen in a long time."
Fudala agrees.
"Everyone supports Jim and what his decision is," she
said. "I talked to parents and I believed that they were
going to go forward. We're all hurt and frustrated, too. It's
just so sad. The school is losing a best friend."
Goffstown
Church's mission
of mercy brings hope and health to island nation
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By TIM RYAN
Staff Writer
A group of 26 adults and high school students
from the Goffstown Christian Fellowship have a calling: to help
provide medical and dental care to people in the Dominican Republic.
The group, composed of members of five New Hampshire churches,
will leave for the Dominican city of Moca on April 24.
Although a week's worth of work in orphanages and makeshift clinics
may not seem like a long time, part of the mission is continuing
to build on what the Christian Medical Mission has started, said
Laurie McMicken, wife of pastor Chris McMicken.
"We can accomplish a lot in a week," she said. "It's
not a hit and run. We're working on an established relationship.
Even though the team may change, we're building on long-term
goals."
McMicken will be making her first trip
to the country, and is excited about the possibility of helping
those in need.
"People walk for miles when they know
(help) is coming," she said. "These people have no
other form of medical and dental care."
The project began in 1995, when Jack Meibaum, RN, and Mark McDonald,
McMicken's dentist, helped a group from the Grace Bible Fellowship
journey to the Dominican Republic.
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REACHING OUT TO THOSE IN
NEED Valerie Guerette; Sierra Gilmore, 5, of Goffstown;
Ian Rauthier, 5, also of Goffstown; and Laurie McMicken will
deliver crayons and markers to children in the Dominican Republic.
(Tim Ryan Photo)
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Upon their return to the states, Meibaum
and McDonald decided more work needed to be done in the area
of medicine in the country.
More trips were made, and the Christian Medical Mission, a nondenominational
collaboration of New Hampshire churches, was founded.
The missionaries will assist medical workers providing medical
and dental care to residents of Moca, Santiago, and surrounding
areas in the northwest corner of the Dominican Republic. A group
of seven University of New Hampshire students, including McMicken's
19-year-old daughter Lydia, traveled to the Dominican Republic
during the week of March 14 with a similar objective.
Going on such a mission is important, because it is possible
to bring change in a third world country that is reasonably close
to the United States, McMicken said.
"This is something that's accessible and affordable,"
she said. "We can go for a week and have an impact on the
country."
In addition to their luggage, the missionaries will be bringing
medical, hygiene and educational supplies; crayons and markers
will be distributed to children who are treated in the medical
checkups, McMicken said.
Still, there are some concerns with the recent military coup
in Haiti, which shares the island of Hispanola with the Dominican
Republic.
Although the State Department has not issued a travel advisory
for the Dominican Republic, the missionaries must be wary of
the potential for danger spilling into the country, McMicken
said.
"It's such a small island," she said. "We've got
to be careful and we'll take precautions."
Group members have met once a month since November in preparation
for the trip, and have been planning for what they'll do when
they get to the island.
The missionaries have also had hepatitis A and B, malaria, tetanus
and polio shots, McMicken said.
In addition , Valerie Guerette, the director of In His Steps
learning center, will help lead Sunday school classes in Moca,
with lessons tape recorded in Spanish by Goffstown High School
Spanish teacher Reina Reidy.
"I think there's a lot of work that can be done there,"
Guerette said. "I think God is moving us in some good directions."
Weare
Soldier's story
deferred until he finishes school
By KATE BENWAY
Staff Writer
kbenway@yourneighborhoodnews.com
Alex Peterson speaks with the measured
self-confidence of a man twice his young age.
At 17, he sits in Army fatigues, his last name stitched in gray
lettering above his pocket and his gear outfitted with a knife
and canteen.
It's a little bit scary in these times, he says, but it's about
camaraderie, bravery and integrity in Peterson's world, as a
part of the Army National Guard's Charlie Company, 3/172nd Mountain
Infantry.
His unit was called up at the end of December and they recently
left for Kuwait to train for the 18 months they'll spend in Iraq.
Peterson is not permitted to join his unit, as the John Stark
High School junior has not yet completed basic training.
"I'd like to be over there serving my country and putting
my training to use," said Peterson from his Weare home.
It's difficult, he said, to know the men and women he's trained
side by side with for months are on a mission without him.
Peterson joined the Army National Guard in October, on his 17th
birthday. It was the fulfillment of a life-long dream to join
the military.
"I've always wanted to do it," he said. "Actually,
I've been wanting to join since I was 5 or 6."
He's trained one weekend a month and two weeks a year since that
time as part of the mountain division. The infantry unit focuses
primarily on training in mountainous terrain. They ski, snowshoe
and run combat drills in difficult terrain.
"Our mission statement is to engage and neutralize enemies
in mountainous or rough terrain," said Peterson.
And while some of his classmates might be doing homework or out
at a weekend party, there are times when Peterson has spent his
spare time hiking up mountains, sleeping on the ground and braving
monster snowstorms.
He's been trained in mock combat situations with laser systems
and climbed Mount Major during a blinding snowstorm.
"The wind was unbelievable and the snow was really deep,"
he said. "But it was fun. I've always liked being outdoors.
Some of my friends think I'm crazy, but some think it's cool."
While Peterson stays behind to complete his training, at least
part of him remains at all times with his unit.
"My unit is over in Kuwait right now so they can get used
to the desert conditions before going to Iraq," he said.
"And there are eight guys from the unit training the Afghani
military, too."
Stateside, Peterson, along with the other "non-deployables,"
still trains in New Hampshire and will continue to do so through
his senior year in high school. Once he's graduated, he'll head
to AIT Advanced Individual Training for five weeks.
At that point, he'll be eligible to be deployed, but Peterson
expects his unit will have returned by then.
Peterson said he plans to attend the University of New Hampshire
and enroll in ROTC there.
Ultimately, he wants to become an Army Ranger.
The group, he said, is meticulously trained and often embarks
on missions behind enemy lines.
"It's a really hard thing to do it's very physical.
There are three phases of Army Ranger school," said Peterson.
For his parents, Bill and Susan, their son's military path is
a source of pride and some worry.
"Obviously, you have second thoughts when the unit's deployed,"
said Bill Peterson. "As a parent, you have those thoughts
in your mind that you could lose a child. But Alex has charted
his path on his own."
And for Alex Peterson, the worries and fear are offset by the
pride and camaraderie he's developed along with his unit.
"You have to trust in the guys you're with," he said.
It's that attitude that Bill Peterson is most proud of.
"Alex is well-grounded and he's rationalized it pretty well," he
said. "His mom and I are very proud of him."
Goffstown
Abutter appeals
fizzle out; Irving Oil gets go-ahead
By KATE BENWAY
Staff Writer
kbenway@yourneighborhoodnews.com
After months in limbo, Irving Oil has gotten
the green light to build a gas station and mini-market at the
corner of Mast and Henry Bridge roads.
The Hillsborough County Superior Court recently upheld the planning
board's approval of the project after neighbors William and Patricia
Wynne fought the decision.
Unhappy with the court ruling, Patricia Wynne said she and her
husband will not appeal it, despite their assertion that the
gas station is not an appropriate use of the property.
"I think the judge's decision was pretty lame," she
said. "This judge allowed a decision by a (planning board)
member who did not attend any of the meetings."
The project has been a source of contention from the May 2000
outset. The planning board tacked on a number of stipulations
Irving Oil needed to abide by to stay in compliance, and neighbors
lobbied hard against the project.
A particularly contentious point was the vote cast by board member
Ryan Belanger, who voted during his first meeting as an official
member of the planning board. Despite a warning from board chairman
James Raymond that his vote could be grounds for an appeal, Belanger
contended he'd seen enough of the board's previous meetings on
videotape to become familiar with the issue.
It was that assertion the Wynnes vehemently disagreed with. But
the court delivered a different verdict.
"(The court) upheld the decision of the planning board.
There's a pretty high standard to overrule a planning board decisions,"
said Maria Dolder, one of the attorneys for the oil company.
Steve Griffin, Goffstown's town planner, said if the courts had
found anything procedurally wrong with the way the planning board
handled the issue, the town would have lost.
The town, however, did not lose, and construction machinery is
on the site, ready to get the project underway.
Irving Oil officials have obtained the necessary permits and
complied with orders to widen the left turn lane going into the
gas station.
Meanwhile, the Wynnes, who have lived at their 292 Mast Road
home for five years, will consider selling their property, but
only after it's rezoned commercial.
"Why would we move and not rezone it first," she
said. "We thought it was a pretty safe bet to move here,
but apparently not."
Goffstown
Town explores
charter school
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
After several years of growth and expansion
in Goffstown schools, education officials are looking for
more.
They're looking for more classes, more opportunities and potentially
more students.
But if the plan goes through, Goffstown residents won't be feeling
it in their pocketbooks. That's because the plan being explored
calls for a separate charter high school.
Gail Kushner, SAU 19's assistant superintendent, said details
are still sketchy, but the district has received $19,600 in preplanning
grants from the state to explore the possibility.
"We're looking at how to expand the opportunities for Goffstown
students, and it may not always be in the traditional way," Kushner
said.
A charter school is set up independent of the local school district
and accepts students whose tuitions have been paid by area school
districts. Earlier this fall the state received a $7 million
federal grant to explore charter school possibilities, and Goffstown
is one of several communities receiving preplanning grants.
Although the proposal is not yet in the initial planning stages,
Kushner said SAU officials and Goffstown School Board members
have brainstormed some possibilities.
"Our hope is the students will probably be 16 or older,
and that they really would have a specific career focus," she
said. "And this would be a school of choice and would be
focused on technology and business."
Goffstown School Board Chairman Scott Gross said the school would
be independent of Goffstown AREA High School, but there is the
possibility that it could make use of district facilities. Gross
noted this is a potential source of revenue for the district,
but it would require unconventional thinking.
"In preliminary discussions, the possibility (exists) of
a situation where classes might be offered in the late afternoon
or into the evening," he said. "It could take advantage
of not only adult education, but students who want to supplement
their daytime education."
Gross said the charter school's focus on technology could be
an asset to regular GAHS students.
"Students could take part in interdistance learning where
students could take a course that isn't even taught in the state
of New Hampshire," he said.
Kushner agrees the possibilities could offer students opportunities,
but nothing has been decided.
"That's why we're having the preplanning," she said.
"To find out what is the need and do some sort of feasibility
study."
Kushner said residents who are interested in finding out more
about the charter school concept or the preplanning process can
attend a meeting at the SAU on March 23 at 7 p.m.
Depending on the results of the preplanning study, Goffstown
may be eligible for more grant money. Gross said he's enthused
at the prospect of simply exploring the concept of a high school
separate from the district.
Without school board involvement, he said, the school would be
free to explore education structures that the larger district
isn't flexible enough to look at.
"Something such as a charter school in Goffstown gives a
fresh look at education," he said.
New Boston
As library
debate continues, supporters regroup to figure out plan
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By LARA SKINNER
Staff Writer
lskinner@yourneighborhoodnews.com
NEW BOSTON Three times wasn't the
charm for the library trustees this year. A three-fifths vote
was necessary to approve the building bond for $888,500, and
trustee Timothy Cady said they only got 50 percent of the vote.
The trustees and Friends of the Library met on Tuesday to discuss
what their next step will be.
"Our needs haven't changed," Cady said.
Neither have the needs of the residents, it seems. Property taxes
increased by $3.22 in 2002, and that is a big concern for Tony
Cardone. He moved to town 10 years ago with plans to stick around
for a while. But with taxes at $27.95 per $1,000 of assessed
value, he said he isn't sure he can retire in the small town.
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QUALITY TIME: Colleen Jorczak
and her daughter, Hannah, 4, spend time at the Whipple Free Library.
Jorczak is in favor of building a new library. (Lara Skinner
Photo)
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Cardone stood on the porch at Dodge's with
Dana Briggs and Dave Hawkins on Friday afternoon. It was the
regular afternoon lunch rush of sandwiches, coffee and a smoke
before returning to work. The three men agreed that a library
would have a greater effect on the taxes than numbers the trustees
have presented.
"The bottom line is it's going to be an impact," Cardone
said. "It's going to be a cost factor."
New building plans and a reduced bond amount weren't enough to
convince Briggs that a new library is necessary.
Trustees have raised just over $200,000 in private donations
to offset the cost, and $98,400 for the project would come from
the town's capital reserve fund and money left from a 2000 warrant
article. Still, the total project cost is $1.2 million.
Once the building is finished there is maintenance to think about,
Briggs said. Safety for the children in school would push the
cost up, too, he said. Walking to the library from the school
is a short trip with the library in the center of town. He has
heard suggestions of building a bridge over the Piscataquog River,
or providing a bus to drive students to the new library building.
Each of the projects, he said, would mean more money.
"We knew it was going to cost more than they say. (large
projects) always do," Briggs said.
Across the street at the Whipple Free Library, there are residents
who have heard these arguments, but still support the new building.
Colleen Jorczak was there on Friday with her two daughters. Funding
for a new library is the one question that really gets people
out to vote, she said.
It is a source of dispute in her family because her father doesn't
support the proposal.
"He said, 'Well, pretty soon everything's going to be on
CDs and computers anyway," Jorczak said.
She said she can understand the concern over property taxes,
but would like to have a library that her daughters can grow
up with.
How Cady, the rest of the trustees and the Friends of the Library
will meet their goal is the next question for the groups. Town
support might be split down the middle, but Cady said he will
keep working to get the library built.
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