Cyra Master

Democratic presidential hopefuls face off over war, baseball

2007-09-27T18:45:00.000-04:00

Eagle-Tribune, Sept. 27, 2007
By Cyra Master

HANOVER - Dubbed the "Duel at Dartmouth," the eight Democratic presidential candidates sparred over the war in Iraq and even their favorite baseball teams as they met on stage last night for their sixth debate.

Local voters who tuned in, on the 47th anniversary of the first televised presidential debate, said that while the candidates did a good job highlighting their differences, there was no real winner.

"It was the first debate I had a chance to see, so I was very interested to get a general sense of the different candidates," said Ola Lessard, 38, of Londonderry. "I felt like I was able to feel where each of them stood."

Lessard said that going into the debate, she was interested in Sens. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards. But her choices changed.

"Coming out of the debate, I think it's more of a split between Hillary and Barack, but I really liked Joe Biden," she said. "He stood out as being strong and very decisive. I liked what he had to say."

Chris Rossetti, 41, of Windham said he had his favorites going into the debate and wasn't swayed by last night's showing.

"I think all the candidates did a real good job distinguishing themselves," he said.

The war in Iraq and conflict with Iran dominated the first half of the two-hour debate, with Clinton, Obama and Edwards saying the drawdown of troops will depend on the circumstances.

Meanwhile, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut pledged to have all troops out of Iraq by 2013 - the end of their first term.

Former Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska urged the senators on stage to stay in Congress and vote against the war every single day for 40 days in a row.

Rossetti, who said the war is his top concern, thought the debate did a good job of showcasing the candidates' positions on the war. He thinks Congress should be doing more to challenge the president and while he said Gravel is "a little out there, I kind of, in a way, agree with him. I do think there is more they could do to put an end to this war and bring the troops home."

Although a large crowd flocked to the college's campus last night, and the local voters who tuned in said they were glad they did, other Southern New Hampshire residents said they had no plans to watch the debate.

Some said the broadcast from 9 to 11 p.m. was too late for a weeknight, while others said that with more than three months until the New Hampshire primary, it is still too early in the political season.

Health care and Social Security were discussed at length, but the local voters said they would have liked to hear more about alternative energy, the environment and public education.

"I didn't hear a lot about energy or job creation," Rossetti said.

For those who tuned in, the benefit was being able to see the candidates interact and watch them answer questions.

"It gave me a chance to see and get advice from some of the people that I just wasn't as familiar with," Lessard said. "Seeing how they react, if they're able to field a question well, knowing they are willing to take a stand on issues, that's very important."

Rossetti agreed, saying the debate was a good way to give the lesser-known candidates a platform.

At the end of the debate, which was broadcast live on MSNBC and NECN, moderator Tim Russert hosted a "lightning round," giving each candidate 30 seconds to answer a question. The topics varied from the campaign donations Clinton received to the candidates' favorite Bible verse.

While some, Lessard and Rossetti, said getting the candidates to keep their answers short was a useful exercise, Rossetti also thought some of the questions should have been skipped, including a proposal to lower the drinking age and a nationwide smoking ban. The debate ended on a light note, with Russert asking the candidates which baseball team they favored, the Red Sox or Yankees.

The question gave the candidates a chance to joke around, with Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio voting for the Cleveland Indians and using the chance to say "Hi Mom!" Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware said that in his grandfather's house "If you weren't a Yankees fan, you didn't eat."

Richardson, Gravel, Edwards and Dodd all backed the Red Sox, receiving applause from the crowd.

The local reaction to the lighter questions was mixed. Lessard said it was a good way to end the night.

"These are people, it's kind of nice to be able to see them smile," she said.

But Rossetti thought the time could have been spent on a more serious issue.

"Men and women are getting killed in Iraq," he said. "I didn't see the value of some questions at the end, like the drinking age. There are so many issues that are more important."

Once the debate ended, campaigns and commentators began discussing and dissecting the event, trying to decide which candidate won. But for local voters, it was a chance to get more information, not a time to make a final decision on which candidate to back.

"I've had this marked on my calendar for a month and a half," Lessard said. "It's one small piece of informing myself and I was very glad I watched it."

Fitness matters; Police officers given incentives to stay in shape

2007-09-21T22:03:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Sept. 21, 2007
By Cyra Master

Hampstead won't be promoting a patrolman to full-time officer status because he failed the police academy's physical entrance exam.

Although Patrolman Adam White was able to do the required push-ups, sit-ups and a bench press, he missed the cutoff for a timed 1.5-mile run by about 30 seconds, according to Hampstead police Chief Joseph Beaudoin.

As the nation has turned its focus to an epidemic of out-of-shape citizens, so, too, has law enforcement.

Because White had taken the test once before and had been passed over for the academy because of high blood pressure, White was not accepted into the police academy.

"We all have bad days," Beaudoin said. "He just had a bad day on the worst day of his life."

But it's not just new officers who have to meet fitness standards. In 2001, New Hampshire became the first state to hold police officers to career-long fitness standards. Any officer who graduated from the police academy since then must pass a fitness test every three years.

The goal is to replace the old stereotype of policemen eating doughnuts with a new image, one of physically fit police officers able to perform a multitude of tasks without losing their breath.

Salem Lt. Ron Peddle, who often works the night shift, thinks the fitness standards are a good idea.

"Especially with new guys, that's probably a big motivator for them," Peddle said. "Law enforcement, it's a lifestyle. Twenty to 30 years of shift work is bad for anybody's health."

Peddle, like other police officers, said the job makes it tough to focus on fitness. For him, eight years in the Army made exercising a habit | one that stuck.

He lifts light weights, but said cardiovascular exercise is more important to him. He runs often and tries to avoid fast food.

"It's a dangerous job, and that's the biggest motivator of all," Peddle said.
Departments offer incentives

Local departments encourage their officers to stay fit. Some provide discounted gym memberships, others have exercise equipment in the station, and one department offers bonuses for passing the test.

In Derry, only 13 of the approximately 50 officers are required to take the physical fitness test every three years, said Capt. George Feole. But, thanks to contract stipulations, many officers hired before 2001 are eligible for a bonus or stipend if they voluntarily take the fitness re-test and pass, Capt. Vernon Thomas said.

Those incentives have older officers thinking about their health and working to stay fit, Thomas said. Physical fitness has not been a problem among his staff, he said, and no one has failed a re-test.

"Overweight and out of shape are two different things," Thomas said. "Can they pass the test? That's the question."

Other departments echo Thomas about their force's fitness. And they say officers haven't had a problem passing the fitness re-test, which includes a 1.5-mile run, sit-ups and push-ups. The police academy entrance exam also includes a bench press.

"Most of the officers keep themselves in physically fit shape," said Kingston police Chief Donald Briggs. "I have seen all my officers in action and feel that they are physically very capable of doing their jobs. If they were not capable, I would ask them to address whatever issues need to be addressed."

Fitness can be a lifesaver

For many police officers, fitness is more than part of the job | it's a way of life.
Hampstead Officer Kathleen Boulter played sports growing up, runs marathons and triathlons, and was a personal trainer before she became a police officer. In fact, her competitive streak and athletic ability may have saved her life.

Last month Boulter, 35, was hit by a car while directing traffic on Route 121A.

"A lot of people said, 'Thank God you work out and were in shape,'" she said. "I guess it does make a huge difference."

Boulter suffered bumps and bruised ribs, but was back to work in a week and ran a road race two weeks later.

"It does help to be in shape," she said. "Sometimes you have to scuffle with somebody
and if you can't take it physically, you're in big trouble."

Fitness has a direct effect on a police officer's ability to do his or her job, said Roger Reynolds, who works for the Texas-based institute that set the fitness standards used in New Hampshire and many other states.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Cooper Institute began collecting data that showed police officers were "fatter and weaker and had less stamina than the general population," Reynolds said.

The institute focused on developing exercises and fitness standards directly linked to officers' day-to-day activities.

Reynolds hopes regular testing will change the way police officers think about exercise, improving not only their job performance but their overall health.

"Physical fitness is not an 8-to-5, 11-to-7 shift thing," said Reynolds, who has worked with thousands of police officers. "It's more about the life you live than the job you work. Some police officers see the gym and the track as torture chambers."

Hampstead's Boulter has simple advice for officers who don't like to exercise: Get moving.

"There are so many types of exercise out there. Rock climbing, mountain biking, or just hiking on trails, there's something for everybody," she said. "Find something fun or a buddy to work out with you; that makes a big difference."

In 2003, Boulter helped her partner prepare for his fitness test, serving as motivator and taskmaster.

"When he was on the treadmill, I made him go faster," she said. "I just made sure he could do everything three or four weeks prior to the test. Then there was no anxiety prior to the test because he had already done it."

Fitness linked to performance

Plaistow Deputy Chief Kathy Jones said her department has not had an officer fail a re-test since 2001, although a few have struggled. To help, the department sent an officer to the Cooper Institute to learn how to motivate and assist other officers.

"If they're slow in certain areas, we'll have (that officer) work with them," Jones said. "The goal is to have them do a little better in the next one (test)."

Regular testing is a way to motivate officers to stay in shape. Officers who fail are put on probation and have up to two years to re-test and pass, said Keith Lohmann, a training specialist with the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council. There are no practical consequences for an officer on that type of probation, he said.

"It just means there is a requirement they need to meet that they haven't met," Lohmann said.

The state doesn't track individual police departments' fitness policies, Lohmann said. Nor does it track how many officers fail the fitness test.

No local police departments have made semi-annual tests a requirement for all of its officers, but many chiefs say they recognize the importance of having a physically fit force.

"Let's face it, if I'm out there, I don't want somebody that can't do the job working beside me. We cover each other, and I want the person beside me to be physically and mentally fit to do the job," said Chester Deputy Chief William Burke. "We talk about how the fitness of an officer can be lifesaving, whether it's yours, or a person you're trying to help, or indeed the person you're trying to apprehend. Your fitness level can make the difference between life or death."

Two more men arrested in Derry murder

2007-09-17T22:01:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Sept. 17, 2007
By Cyra Master

DERRY | Two more men were arrested over the weekend in connection with the murder of a man shot inside his Hampstead Road home last month.

Ryan Mead, 18, of 19 Bisbee Circle in Derry was arrested Saturday morning and charged as an accomplice to armed robbery, Lt. Barry Charewicz said.

Yesterday morning, Andre Rivera, 18, of 6 Beaver Lake Ave. in Derry was arrested and charged as an accomplice to second-degree murder, Charewicz said.

Five people have now been charged in the August murder of 29-year-old Jason Violette, a self-employed carpenter who lived at his parents' home at 207 Hampstead Road.

There were few details available about the latest arrests last night. Derry police would not say where the men were arrested or how they may be connected to the case, referring all questions to the state attorney general's office. No one from that office could be reached for comment yesterday.

Mead answered the door at his home yesterday evening, refusing to comment on his arrest. But next-door neighbors Steve and Maureen Andrews were shocked to hear about his connection to the case.

The Andrews said they sometimes see Mead in his driveway, but don't know him well.

"Our neighbor ... I can't imagine," Maureen Andrews said.

"Next door to our house," said Steve Andrews. "The kid we thought was so quiet."

The Andrews said they have seen police cars at the Mead home before. Mead was one of 11 people arrested at a party in Hampstead in November. He was charged with unlawful possession of alcohol and intoxication.

Although they know little about Mead, they were close to Violette, who was friends with their son and did construction work at their home. The Andrews said they know of no connection between Violette and Mead.

"These guys (Mead and Rivera) were younger," said Maureen Andrews.

Violette was born in Haverhill, Mass., and worked as a self-employed carpenter in Southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts. His death was first reported as a suicide, which surprised the Andrews.

"We knew Jay, we knew he wasn't going to do that," Maureen Andrews said, recalling how Violette always talked about the future and the many plans he had.

"It's really bad to see this happen to Jay," Steve Andrews said.

Violette had gone to high school with the Andrews' son, who died a few years ago.
After his death, Violette started working on their house, putting on a new roof and doing other construction projects, the couple said.

"He's been here so many times to do work," Steve Andrews said. "Every place we look at, there's something he did."

The Andrews plan to have Violette's parents over for dinner to show them all the work Jason did on their home.

"We always said he had a heart of gold," Maureen Andrews said.

On Aug. 12, Violette died of a single gunshot wound, Assistant Attorney General Charles Keefe said last week. Court records said the robbery occurred about 9:45 p.m.

A friend who came over minutes later found Violette's body and called 911, Keefe said.

Emergency workers responding to the home determined that Violette died. Police arrived about 10:22 p.m. and stayed throughout the night.

Christopher Gagne, 25, of Manchester is accused of fatally shooting Violette during the robbery. Jordan Webster, 18, of Derry is accused of breaking into Violette's home with Gagne. Another Manchester man, Troy Whipple, 24, was charged as an accomplice to second-degree murder.

Investigators have refused to comment on the relationship between Violette, Gagne and Webster.

Stray travels from N.J. to Kingston on bottom of car; Cat survives harrowing trip

2007-09-14T21:59:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Sept. 14, 2007
By Cyra Master

KINGSTON | A six-week-old kitten took the ride of her life yesterday, traveling from New Jersey to Kingston on the bottom of a car.

The calico kitten, named Jersey by the town's animal control officer, survived the journey without injury.

It all started at Butterfly Camping Resort in Jackson, N.J. | not far from Trenton. A couple left the campground early yesterday morning. As they were packing up to leave, they heard a cat meowing, but thought nothing of it, said Barbara Glynn, Kingston's animal control officer.

After a few hours of driving, they stopped for breakfast, and again thought they heard a cat, Glynn said.

Without the help of a dog with a keen sense of smell, little Jersey might never have revealed her hiding place.

The couple, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, pulled into an RV store on Route 125 in Kingston yesterday afternoon. By chance, they parked next to a car with a dog inside.

"The dog was barking in the next car, and the cat started screaming. Then they definitely knew it was in the car," Glynn said.

Steven Kooshkalis, who works at Reynolds, the RV store, said the people crawled under the car and looked all over before realizing that the kitten had crawled up underneath the spare tire, which is kept on the underside of the car.

Glynn was called, and when she arrived, she said the campers weren't sure if they needed her or a mechanic.

"All I could see was her ear above the tire," Glynn said.

Someone lent her a pair of motorcycle gloves, and with some maneuvering, she was able to reach up and pull the tiny kitten out.

"It's pretty incredible," Glynn said. "That car had to be going 70 to 80 mph."
Jersey was uninjured, but traumatized by the six-hour, 300-mile trip, Glynn said.

"The kitten was very happy to be separated from the spare tire," police Chief Donald Briggs remarked.

Briggs called the New Jersey campground to see if the kitten belonged to anyone there, but was told that it is most likely a stray.

Glynn said the kitten is still young enough to be kept as a pet. Anyone interested in adopting Jersey should call the Kingston Police Department at 642-5742.

Posted on CNHI Web site, one of 12 chosen from 50 that day for the national site.

Atkinson voters OK water restrictions, Vietnam memorial

2007-09-13T21:57:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Sept. 13, 2007
By Cyra Master

ATKINSON | Nearly 21 percent of registered voters cast ballots last night, preventing businesses from selling local water and directing the town to erect a Vietnam veterans memorial.

The measures were adopted by large margins with 1,127 of the town's 5,385 registered voters participating. Twenty people cast absentee ballots.

Many voters said Article 1, a citizens petition to "safeguard Atkinson's ground water supplies," motivated them to vote in the special election.

The proposed water withdrawal control ordinance was drafted in response to an application filed by Hampstead Area Water Co. to build eight wells in town. The company, owned by Atkinson-based Lewis Builders, wanted to sell some of the water to customers in neighboring towns.

The state Department of Environmental Services denied the request, but the company is expected to file another application.

Harold Morse of Lewis Builders said at a deliberative session July 18 that the company is simply trying to merge the operations of wells owned in Hampstead and Atkinson. But the residents who supported the petition fear that if the water company's request is granted, wells in town may lose water.

"I think that water should stay in this town," Bob Sirois said. "It's incumbent upon us to preserve what we have."

Resident John Hunkele said the issue brought him to the polls.

"I voted to keep the water in Atkinson because my children may need it in the future," he said.

The two-page warrant article, adopted 753 to 368, will prevent businesses from extracting water in town and from buying or selling such water. It gives selectmen the power to fine violators $1,000 a day and allows residents to bring the matter to court if the town fails to enforce the ordinance.

In the weeks before last night's voting, residents received mail from both sides arguing their case.

Hampstead Area Water Co. urged residents to vote against the ordinance, telling them the company would have to shut off water for two months to comply with the town's request for 60 days notice before withdrawing water.

That caught the attention of Hampstead Area Water Co. customer James Haslam.

"I am concerned about anything happening that interferes with the way the system operates," said Haslam, who voted against the warrant article.

But Selectman Fred Childs said he doubts the water would be turned off. Earlier this week, Town Administrator Russell McAllister said he doesn't know if the ordinance will be enforceable.

Petition supporter Carol Grant signed her name to the bottom of another mailing, urging residents to vote for the ordinance. Grant's flier erroneously said the polls were open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and at least 20 people were turned away from the community center after voting officially ended at 7:30 p.m.

Election officials said voters should check with the town about polling times, instead of relying on information from other residents.

The second article, approved 815 to 288, directs the town to immediately place the Vietnam honor roll in front of Town Hall, an attempt to put to rest two years of debate.

In 2005, voters adopted a warrant article to place two stone panels with the names of 71 Vietnam-era veterans alongside another stone in front of Town Hall. But the panels have been in storage since the selectmen voted against placing them there.

The warrant article calls for the panels to be placed as soon as possible so they are ready for Veterans Day. Childs said selectmen have made no plans to put the stones in place.

In December, a court mediator ordered that the stones be placed on the town common with other memorials, Childs said. To place them in front of the Town Hall would be violating that order, he said.

"I'm sure we'll end up in court again," Childs said.

That may anger some voters, who think the stone panels should already be standing.

"It's so overdue, it's disgusting," said Jeanette Ligouri.

Two-alarm fire rips through Salem transfer station

2007-09-10T21:55:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Sept. 10, 2007
By Cyra Master

SALEM | A two-alarm fire struck the town transfer station last night, sending thick plumes of smoke high into the sky and bringing numerous firefighters from several area towns.

The fire began about 7 p.m. and burned well into the night. Since the building's steel doors were closed, the heat built up inside | sparking a major blaze, fire Chief Kevin Breen said.

When firefighters arrived, vinyl from the transfer station's overhanging roof had melted, dripping down like stalactites in a cave.

Although the 100-foot-by-100-foot steel building is noncombustible, its contents were another story, Breen said. The fire had been burning for a while before it was discovered, he said, and when the steel doors were opened firefighters were greeted by thick clouds of smoke.

"The big thing was to keep everyone safe," Breen said. "Although we never make the assumption there is no one inside, it was a good bet."

Since it was not a residence and there were no other buildings nearby that were threatened, the Fire Department was able to carefully devise its strategy for attacking the fire and proceed as safely as possible, he said.

"Literally, it's trash burning," Breen said.

Despite taking precautions, one firefighter was treated by Derry paramedics at the scene for heat exhaustion, but was able to rejoin the others to battle the blaze.

The department had two additional firefighters on duty last night, thanks to a federal grant and the first partial restoration of staff since layoffs in 1991, Capt. Paul Leischner said. The two firefighters started at 6 p.m. and just an hour later they were at the Shannon Road fire

"It just goes to show how desperately they're needed," Leischner said.

Because of the extra people, Leischner said he was able to designate firefighters to ventilate the building, provide water, and attack the fire all at the same time. When the Fire Department went to a second alarm, assistance arrived from neighboring towns such as Atkinson, Plaistow, Danville, Pelham, Hampstead and Methuen, Mass.

"There was a lot of fire and a lot of smoke," Leischner said.

The transfer station is outside the main water district, so water was brought in by tankers. A 4-inch line connected to a nearby fire hydrant was also used, but could not provide enough water.

Firefighters cut a triangular hole in one door to ventilate the building and fought the fire from both inside the building and from the extended ladder of a fire engine.

Leischner said the fire and smoke were dangerous because the transfer station is full of so many different types of refuse, including newspaper, cans, glass and plastic, which can give off dangerous fumes.

"You never know what people are throwing away," Leischner said. "Everything you can imagine and some things you'll never know."

Breen said the blaze is not considered suspicious and that there have been similar fires at the transfer station in the past.

Cyra Master's Resume

2007-09-10T18:55:00.000-04:00

EDUCATION
Emerson College, Boston, Mass., Sept. 2002 – May 2006
B.S., print and multimedia journalism; marketing communications (minor)
Cumulative GPA 3.58, Cum Laude, Honors Program

EXPERIENCE
Non-profit organization, Washington, D.C.
Communications and Publications Coordinator, Nov. 2007 - Present
-Edit policy papers and reports
-Oversee design and printing of publications

Eagle Tribune, Derry, N.H. (Circulation 50,000)
Night Reporter, Sept. 2006 - Oct. 2007
- Tracked night activity of police and fire officals in 13 communities
- Covered town government, school and community affairs in Newton and Kingston
- Updated blog on New Hampshire Primary

The Wall Street Journal, South Brunswick, N.J. (Circulation 2 million)
Intern, June – Aug. 2006
- Chosen for Dow Jones Newspaper Fund program
- Copy-edited and fact-checked stories for National, Asian and European editions
- Wrote headlines for daily business stories
- Edited and approved graphics

The Boston Globe, Boston, Mass. (Circulation 587,000)
Co-Op/Correspondent, Jan. 2005 – May 2006
- Wrote news and obituary briefs
- Assisted with reporting and background research for more than 30 articles
- Updated senior editors on breaking news from TV and radio broadcasts

The Berkeley Beacon, Boston, Mass. (Emerson College student newspaper)
Editor in Chief, Jan. – May 2006
Managing Editor, Jan. – Dec. 2004, Sept. 2005 – May 2006
- Edited an average of 20 stories per week for content, accuracy and style
- Managed staff of nearly 30 students, provided guidance on story ideas and visuals
- Supervised business and advertising managers
- Oversaw budget and expenses
- Wrote key articles (including covering the shooting death of student Victoria Snelgrove)

The Salem Observer, Salem, N.H. (Circulation 8,000)
Intern, May 2004 – Aug. 2004
- Wrote an average of four stories a week
- Took photographs to accompany many articles
- Covered spot news, features, investigative and enterprise stories

The Berkeley Beacon, Boston, Mass. (Emerson College student newspaper)
Campus News Editor, Jan. 2003 – May 2003
- Held weekly brainstorming meetings
- Edited news stories for content, accuracy, grammar and style
- Recorded weekly public safety log
- Covered Student Government Association beat
- Designed news pages using Adobe InDesign

AWARDS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Recipient of New England Press Association Scholarship for work at Salem Observer
Member of the AAJA

SKILLS
- Advanced Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Microsoft Office skills
- Basic conversational Spanish (4 years)
- Basic digital camera photography skills (Nikon D70)
- Basic skills with Hermes copy editing software
- Advanced Mac/PC skills

Councillors spar over land purchases

2007-09-07T21:54:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune/Derry News, Sept. 7, 2007
By Cyra Master

DERRY | Public hearings on the possible purchase of more than 100 acres of conservation land caused heated debate at Tuesday night's Town Council meeting.

Ultimately, the council put off voting on aquiring the properties at Orchard Drive, English Range Road and Chester Road until its next meeting. The deals have been negotiated by the Conservation Commission to preserve open space and protect wildlife.

One proposal is to purchase 26 acres from Gary and Heather Johnson at 7 Orchard Drive for $120,000. The property is connected to the Caras property and would protect the Beaver Lake watershed and Manter Brook, said Paul Dionne, the chairman of the Conservation Commission. Up to 25 percent of the purchase price could be recouped through a grant, which the Conservation Commission is in the process of applying for.

Several commission members spoke in favor of buying the property, which would be subject to the same protections and restrictions as the Caras property. But three residents questioned Dionne and the council, wondering how much money could be received if the land was developed and why this parcel of land was chosen.

Resident Donna Thompson asked why the Beaver Lake watershed continues to get protection instead of other areas in town. Her comments set off a heated exchange between several council members.

"I'm going to represent my district," Councilor Janet Fairbanks said. "Are there any parcels in West Derry that meet the Conservation Commission's criteria? Do we not have aquifers? Do we not have wildlife corridors? Do we not have wildlife habitats?"

When Fairbanks asked Dionne if any Conservation Commission members live near the property, council Chairman Craig Bulkley stopped her questioning.

"I'm a little annoyed, to say the least," Bulkley said. "I anticipated this, that someone would bring up the issue of east versus west. Some of you were elected to represent a certain district, but there are times when all of us need to represent the best interest of the town."

Councilor Kevin Coyle said he would not be comfortable voting on the parcel of land unless he reviewed the purchase-and-sales agreement and conducted a site walk. Councilor Beverly Ferrante tried to move the issue to a vote, but Coyle raised a charter objection and the matter was pushed to the next meeting.

The council also held off on voting whether to purchase the development rights for about 94 acres owned by Phil Ferinando of J & F Farms. The land at 112 English Range Road and 121 Chester Road is actively farmed and would remain in use. The Conservation Commission would purchased the development rights for $250,000 and the conservation easment would assure the land is always used for agriculture, Dionne said.

The issue of location came up again when resident Maureen Rose questioned Dionne about how close he lives to both properties.

Rose was ordered to sit down several times by Bulkley, who ultimately called a five-minute recess to stop Rose's questioning, which he called a personal attack. After the break, Rose was allowed to return to the microphone and ask the rest of her questions.

Dionne later told the board that he lives near both parcels of land, but does not think it affects his position on the Conservation Commission.

The commission has the money to purchase both the Johnson property and the Ferdinando development rights through its land conservation fund. Half the cost of the Ferdinando property could be reimbursed through the federally funded Farm Protection Program, Dionne said.

Councilors will walks both properties on Saturday and will vote at their Sept. 18 meeting.

Londonderry drug firm admits to selling fake Cialis

2007-09-05T21:52:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Sept. 5, 2007
By Cyra Master

LONDONDERRY | A local pharmaceutical company faces a fine of up to $500,000 for conspiring to traffic in counterfeit prescription drugs and sell them in the United States.

Vee Excel Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Inc. of 15 Sutton Place in Londonderry pleaded guilty to shipping thousands of fake Cialis tablets from India to undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the United States, U.S. Attorney Tom Colantuno's office said.

As part of a plea agreement, the corporation must forfeit all money in its bank account. The company is to be sentenced Nov. 29.

Director Narendra Bansal admitted at a hearing Thursday in Concord that the company conspired with an Indian corporation of the same name to ship counterfeit Cialis into the United States in falsely labeled packages identifying the tablets as chlorine, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

The tablets were identical to prescription Cialis tablets made by Indiana-based Eli Lilly and Co. to treat erectile dysfunction, according to an affidavit filed by the federal Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations. The shape and embossment of the tablets are registered trademarks with both the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

In October 2004, Eli Lilly was informed that a shipment of counterfeit Cialis was seized in Israel. A subsequent investigation by a private agency working for the pharmaceutical giant led to Vee Excel Drugs, the affidavit said. The company's Web site, vxldrugs.com, lists an address in Uttar Pradesh, India, and names Vipin Bansal as the company's CEO.

Eli Lilly's investigation revealed that the tablets contained tadalafil, the active ingredient in Cialis, but that the chemical analysis was not consistent with the trademarked drug, the affidavit said.

The private investigator made several deals with Vee Excel Drugs in India and Belize, where the company has an office, and was instructed to send payments to its account at Citizens Bank in New Hampshire, the affidavit said.

In March 2006, Eli Lilly, working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arranged to have 5,000 Cialis tablets sent to Boston for $1.10 per pill, the affidavit said.

Four shipments containing a combined 5,014 counterfeit tablets were mailed to the undercover agent in Boston.

The documents sent with the tablets identified them as free samples of chlorine tablets for treating swimming pool water, the affidavit said.

A few months later, an undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent met with Vipin Bansal in India. At that meeting, Bansal said he was selling 4 million counterfeit Cialis tablets a month, about 30,000 of which were being sent to the United States, the affidavit said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations received several thousand counterfeit Cialis tablets from Vipin Bansal and the Indian company during the undercover investigation, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

In January, the company's U.S. headquarters in Londonderry was searched and checkbooks, financial records and business records were seized.

The headquarters is a tan Colonial home with green shutters in a quiet neighborhood. No one answered the door yesterday evening and Narendra Bansal could not be reached by phone.

Romney serves burgers, political jabs at GOP picnic

2007-09-04T21:42:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Sept. 4, 2007
By Cyra Master

SALEM | More than a hundred people gathered at the annual Salem Republican Town Committee picnic yesterday to mix politics with pleasure, catch up with friends and meet politicians, such as presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.

Although the former Massachusetts governor only spoke for about 10 minutes, he got in jabs at Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Chris Dodd. After his brief speech, he spent more than an hour at the picnic, shaking hands, flipping burgers and talking to voters.

For Eleanor Poulin, 71, of Salem, Romney's presence was an added bonus. She said she attends the picnic every year, but welcomed the chance to hear him speak.

"We know the election is a long way away, but we're trying to get familiar with all the candidates and what they represent," Poulin said.

Romney was definitely the big attraction for many.

"I come to this event every year," said Ed Declercq of Salem. "This year was special because the governor was here."

When Declercq lived in Massachusetts, he supported Romney. He got to tell the former governor that yesterday afternoon when the two shook hands and had a brief chat.

"I think he's the best candidate, he's always very sincere and honest," said Harvey Nadeau, 65, of Windham, who attended the event for the first time to see Romney.

U.S. Sen. John Sununu also attended the event and told voters he was ready to fight for re-election, receiving applause. State Sen. Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield, said he may run for governor.

The event is both a fundraiser and a public service, said Judy Galluzzo, chairwoman of the picnic. It is free to the public, but donations are accepted.

"It's a service to Salem and Windham and the surrounding towns, it's free for the public to come out and listen to (politicians) and a chance to mingle," Galluzzo said. "This has proven to be a very popular event."

Nancy Stickney, a North Salem resident who attends the picnic every year, said the event has a few benefits.

"It's a really good mixer. It gives the community a chance to get to meet people running," she said.

Once local Republicans decide who they will support in an election, they tend to divide into groups and stay that way, she said. This event, which falls on the day the national media dubs the official start of the campaign season, is a good way to get everyone together before that happens, said Stickney, whose red shirt said "The Pachyderms," above a picture of an elephant | the Republican symbol.

Dad, neighbor deliver when baby boy wins race with paramedics

2007-08-23T21:50:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Aug. 23, 2007
By Cyra Master

SALEM | Ronald and Beverly Couillard will have an interesting birthday story to tell their new son.

The Salem couple's third child was born Tuesday night, arriving about a week before his due date. He arrived early in more ways than one.

Police received a 911 call at about 7 p.m. from Ronald Couillard, saying his wife was in labor and didn't think she would make it to the hospital. An ambulance rushed to the family's Cypress Street home, but the baby boy won the race and was born just as paramedics arrived.

Beverly Couillard was folding laundry on her bed Tuesday night, taking it easy after she spent hours in the hospital on Sunday night with contractions. She felt something and walked to the doorway, when her water broke.

"I did one of those swipes and got all the laundry off the bed," Ronald Couillard said. "I asked her, 'Do you think you can make it to the truck?'"

By the time Ronald Couillard had dashed to his neighbor's house for help, his wife was having contractions. The baby, who has yet to be named, wasn't waiting for a ride to the hospital.

With the help of neighbor Sue Rayno, who had made an earlier offer to watch the couple's daughters while they were at the hospital, and a 911 dispatcher, Beverly Couillard delivered the 7-pound, 9<1/2>-ounce boy then and there.

"It was about 12 minutes," Ronald Couillard said. "It was 7 p.m. and the Red Sox were just starting when she yelled to me."

Rayno, a mother of three, said when she walked into the Couillards' house she heard a familiar scream and knew the baby was on his way.

"Beverly said to me, 'Have you ever done this before?' and I said, 'Only from your end, honey,'" Rayno said yesterday.

Rayno helped Beverly Couillard with her breathing exercises as the 911 dispatcher talked her and Ronald Couillard through the process. The dispatchers and officers at the Salem Police Department heard Ronald Couillard say he could see the baby's head and then, a few seconds later, heard the newborn's cry over the telephone.

The 911 dispatcher continued to give Rayno and Ronald Couillard instructions.

"It was a crazy night," Rayno said. "I'm a secretary. I have absolutely no background in that at all, other than the fact that I have three of my own."

Ronald Couillard found a shoelace to tie the baby's umbilical cord and they tied it off as the paramedics arrived.

"It was a shock," the proud dad said last night from Caritas Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, Mass., where mother and baby were resting comfortably. "Thank God for the dispatcher. She really talked us through everything. Sue and I would have been lost without her."

Beverly Couillard said that while she was in labor all she could think about was her other two children.

"My kids were going through my mind," she said. "The 3 <1/2>-year-old wouldn't leave the room. She was scared and I was concerned about that, concerned about this little guy when he popped out."

All three of the Couillard's children are fine. Ronald's parents flew up from Florida for the birth and were watching 3<1/2>-year-old Laci and 17-month-old Cassidy last night.

The family is looking forward to bringing its newest member home today, Ronald
Couillard said. The couple also wanted to thank the Salem Fire and Police departments, the 911 dispatcher and their neighbor for all their help.

"We want to make a point to thank everyone," Beverly Couillard said last night.

Newton takes action to stop EEE

2007-08-22T21:49:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Aug. 22, 2007
By Cyra Master

NEWTON | Selectmen held an emergency meeting last night to address the news that a resident from the northeast section of town has been hospitalized with Eastern equine encephalitis.

Although no details are being released on whom the Board of Health will only say is a "middle-aged man," state epidemiologist Dr. Jose Montero said he is expected to recover. The unidentified victim is in a Massachusetts hospital and no longer in a critical state, Montero told The Associated Press.

To prevent additional cases of the deadly virus, which killed a 20-year-old Newton woman two years ago, selectmen voted unanimously last night to authorize Dragon Mosquito Control to spray roadsides across town to wipe out mosquitoes carrying EEE.

Only a handful of residents attended last night's meeting, which lasted about 15 minutes. Carrie Hayes arrived at Town Hall just after the meeting ended, but was glad to hear the town would be spraying.

"I'm so nervous, I just want to make sure they're doing enough," said Hayes, who has three children. "I'm a wreck. To have the first human case in New Hampshire be in this town, it's crazy."

Dragon Mosquito, based in Stratham, is expected to trap and test more mosquitoes, and continue ground spraying until the season ends.

"The first and best line of defense is personal protection," Health Officer Robert Leverone said.

Residents should wear long clothing when outdoors, use insect repellant and avoid being outside at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, according to town officials.

Dragon Mosquito has mapped out routes and will conduct two evenings of spraying, from 7:30 to 10:30. Weather permitting, the company plans to start spraying tomorrow night, said company representative Sarah MacGregor.

The trucks travel at about 10 to 15 mph along the roadside and release the spray from the back, MacGregor said. When the truck passes, residents should go indoors and close all windows and doors for about four hours. The spray looks like a cloud of fog and settles over 300 to 1,000 feet.

The town, which already had a contract with Dragon Mosquito for monitoring mosquito pools and ground spraying, had built the cost of roadside spraying into the budget, selectmen Chairman John Ulcickas said. He estimated the cost to be between $3,000 and $4,000.

Dragon Mosquito sent more than 8,600 mosquitoes to the state for testing | samples from more than 600 pools, MacGregor said. On July 24, a pool from Packers Meadow Drive tested positive for the virus.

On Monday, the state Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Newton man was the first person in the state to contract the virus this year.
Keith Pfeifer, superintendent of the Sanborn Regional School District, said that after the positive test result was announced, the district was handing out information on the virus and how to guard against it.

At last night's meeting, Pfeifer announced that athletic practices at the high school will end at 6 p.m. The soccer and field hockey teams will continue to train at the middle school because those practices end by 4:30 p.m., he said. The games will be moved to Kingston to protect people around dusk when mosquitoes are most active.

The school district purchased 10,000 bug spray wipes yesterday and will hand them out to students who have parents' permission to use them, Pfeifer said. The wipes will also be available to staff and spectators at athletic events.

"We're prepared to do whatever is necessary to combat this," said Pfeifer, who attended the meeting with officials from the middle school and Memorial Elementary School.

A representative from the state Department of Health and Human Services told selectmen the state will help the town in whatever ways it can.

EEE is transmitted to humans through mosquito bites and causes brain swelling.
Mosquitoes become infected when they bite infected birds. Symptoms of the virus may occur between two to 14 days after the person is bitten. The symptoms can include headaches, fever, a sore throat and a change in mental status.

In September 2005, Labell, 20, became the first New Hampshire resident to die from the virus.

"The town is doing what they need to do and as much as they can do to protect people," Rick Labell, Kelly's father, told The Eagle-Tribune last night.

His daughter's illness was misdiagnosed as the flu, then as a urinary tract infection, he said. Now that more is known about the virus, the symptoms can be caught early and treated. Labell said he has spoken to the family of the infected man.

"My family wishes them the best, and we're praying for them," Labell said. "We're very, very happy their family member was able to survive this."

Labell is holding a fundraiser in his daughter's memory in October and hopes to make some of the money collected available to area towns to help pay for EEE monitoring.
"That's what Kelly would have wanted," he said. "That's the kind of person she was."

Baby of crash victim dies in Boston hospital

2007-08-20T21:48:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Aug. 20, 2007
By Cyra Master

Rachel Lee Stanley, a baby who beat the odds when she was delivered through an emergency Caesarean section after her mother was run over and killed, died last night.

A spokeswoman at Massachusetts General Hospital said the 11-day-old girl died yesterday at 6:05 p.m.

Rachel Lee was delivered at Parkland Medical Center in Derry, N.H., on the afternoon of Aug. 8, shortly after the accident that killed her mother, 24-year-old Tonya Wells.

The baby was then rushed by helicopter to Boston as family members stood outside the Derry hospital and wept while watching Wells' body being placed in a hearse. The child had been in critical condition since she was born.

Wells and her boyfriend, Joseph Stanley, 24, were driving on Island Pond Road in Derry when the accident occurred. Stanley told family members they were arguing and then Wells suddenly opened the passenger-side door. She threatened to jump out, but ended up falling out of the truck, they said.

Stanley told family members he was driving about 20 mph. He also told his uncle that he got out of his truck, ran over to Wells, and held her in his arms.

The accident took place about 2:40 p.m., near 246 Island Pond Road, a bucolic stretch near Taylor Mill bordered on both sides by open fields.
Wells was run over by a back tire of the white 2000 Chevy truck, police said. She was three days from her due date.

The couple, who had been together for seven years, have three other children, boys ages 5, 3 and 1, family members said.

The couple had been living at Hidden Valley RV and Golf Park in Derry for "quite awhile" before the accident, the owner said. They left a few days before the accident, taking their trailer and belongings with them. They also spent time at a home on Rockingham Road in Derry and a home on Cross Street in Salem.

Stanley took his sons to the hospital to meet their baby sister a few days after the accident.

Derry police said last night the accident is still under investigation. No charges have been filed.

Woman lied about break-in, attempted sexual assault, police say

2007-08-09T21:46:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Aug. 9. 2007
By Cyra Master

PELHAM | Police say a Misty Lane woman wasn't telling the truth when she claimed a man broke into her home on a Sunday afternoon last month and tried to sexually
assault her.

After more than a week of searching for a suspect matching the woman's description, police announced last night that inconsistencies in her testimony led to a confession that the incident never happened.

Not even the cut on her leg came from the attacker, who the woman said she fought off with anything she could grab from kitchen counter, police said.

Suspicions were raised early this week when the woman, whose name police did not release, was working with officers to create a sketch of her alleged attacker. What she told police then was "quite a bit different" from what she said to officers when reporting the attack July 29, Lt. Gary Fisher said.

The woman may face a charge of filing a false report, a Class A misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a fine up to $2,000 or both, police said.

"When she gave the description for the composite, it didn't coincide with what she originally said," Fisher said.

The woman told police that "part of his face was covered. If that was the case, how could she describe that part of the face to the sketch artist?" Fisher said.

That, along with other inconsistencies on which Fisher said he could not elaborate, prompted police to question the woman again. Yesterday, she confessed to having made up the ordeal.

"She recanted her story," Fisher said. "She said somebody did not enter the home and somebody did not attempt to sexually assault her."

On July 29, the woman told police a man broke into her home through a side door and tried to sexually assault her. She told police she fought back and then the man fled. She was taken to Southern New Hampshire Regional Medical Center in Nashua for treatment of minor injuries.

Police now believe the cut on the woman's leg was self-inflicted. There were no wounds inflicted by an attacker, Fisher said.

Police spent hours searching the neighborhood and woods for the suspect and asked possible witnesses to call them if they had any information. But earlier this week, police delayed releasing a sketch of the suspect to the media because of their suspicions.

"Investigators had a good idea at the beginning of this week and the sketch added to their doubts," Fisher said. "We didn't want to raise that issue" by releasing the sketch.

Fisher said police believe they know why the woman lied but are not yet making that information public.

Machine-gun fundraiser brings hundreds to Pelham

2007-08-06T21:44:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Aug. 6, 2007
By Cyra Master

PELHAM | The sound of rapid bursts of machine-gun fire echoed on a quiet summer day, each spent bullet casing representing a few cents raised for the Manchester Republican Committee.

The loud bangs and pops could be heard yesterday at a fundraiser organized by the committee with the help of the Pelham Fish and Game Club and the Manchester Firing Line Range. The money collected will be split between the three groups.

For the Republican group, the event was more a chance to raise money while giving the public an opportunity to see and shoot a vast variety of machine guns, from Prohibition-era Thompson submachine guns to the M16s used by soldiers in Iraq.

"It's nice. A lot of folks here have never seen ... a machine gun or shot one of historical significance," said Rick Olson, an organizer with the Manchester Republicans. "There isn't a firearm out there that wasn't used in our history."

Olson, also the president of the Londonderry Fish and Game Club, worked as a range officer during yesterday's event, spotting those who came to shoot.

"It's been a very, very safe event and a very successful event," Olson said.
Olson and committee Chairman Jerry Thibodeau estimated that 300 to 350 people passed through the Pelham Fish and Game Club yesterday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Some came to check out the gun show inside the clubhouse, where everything from pistols to T-shirts were for sale.

Visitors were charged $10 to enter the club. Those who wanted to see the shooting up close paid another $10 for a spectator's pass, which allowed them to walk up the trail to where the targets were set up and the guns were laid out. For $35, plus 75 cents per round of ammunition, thrill seekers could fire almost anything, from an Uzi to an AK-47.

The Fish and Game Club occasionally holds machine-gun shoots for its members, but this was the first event open to the public featuring such a wide range of firearms.

John Errico, president of Pelham Fish and Game Club, said the group had been considering an event like this for a few years.

"If they (the committee) had not proposed it, we would have had one ourselves eventually," Errico said.

As for the political part of the event, Errico said the Fish and Game Club would be open to any party organizing an event at the range.

"If the Democrats came to us, or the Libertarians came to us, we would have said, 'Absolutely,"' Errico said. "We enjoy our sport. It wouldn't have mattered who came."

The Manchester Firing Line Range provided many of the guns for the event.

"It's the MRC, but we're not endorsing any one candidate," committee Chairman Jerry Thibodeau said of the event. "It's a fundraiser."

No presidential candidates attended, but supporters of presidential hopeful Ron Paul handed out campaign information.

While some came out for the thrill of handling guns so often seen in movies, others were also eager to support the Republican Party.

While many of the men who came to shoot proclaimed it "a guy's thing," a large number were accompanied by wives, daughters and girlfriends.

"It's been an interesting event. It truly has been a family event," Olson said. "The reason this has gotten so much attention is not the event, it's because of who is sponsoring it."

While the event drew criticism from the chairman of Manchester's Democratic Party, those who attended thought it was a creative way to raise money.

"People who have a problem with guns or the Second Amendment aren't qualified to hold public office in New Hampshire," said Lou Perich of Londonderry. "It's part and parcel of being an American and living in a free country."

Perich said he thought the fundraiser was a good idea and that he had come out to feed his curiosity.

"I like to exercise my Second Amendment rights," said Ed Reddish of Waterboro, Maine.
Reddish drove for an hour and a half to the club, where he shot an AK-47 and a few other semiautomatic machine guns in a pit surrounded by high dirt mounds. The targets, suspended bowling pins, were about 25 yards away from the tables where shooters stood. Organizers said there were no injuries during the event. Pelham police were parked in a cruiser at the entrance of the club during the event.

Hundreds ignore heat to hear Edwards outline issues

2007-07-30T18:05:00.000-04:00

Eagle-Tribune, July 30, 2007
By Cyra Master

LONDONDERRY - "Mother Nature must like the senator, because they weren't predicting a day like this," said the musician as he warmed up the crowd yesterday at Mack's apple orchard.

Not that they needed to be any hotter on an extremely humid day with temperatures climbing into the 80s. The forecast called for thunderstorms, but it was the words of Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards, not rain, that brought people to their feet yesterday afternoon.

Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina, began his speech by letting the audience know that his wife, Elizabeth, is doing well. She was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year.

That personal note carried through his speech as he introduced his health care plan with the story of a man he met on a trip to Appalachia.

Edwards said he was outraged when the 51-year-old told him he had been born with a cleft pallet so severe he could not talk. He could not pay for the surgery to correct the problem so he was rendered speechless until he was 50 and a doctor performed the procedure for free.

Edwards was upfront about the costs of his plan to provide universal health care, saying he would help pay for it by repealing "Bush tax cuts" for people making more than $200,000 a year.

"Washington is broken," Edwards said to cheers. "My campaign is a campaign of change. Big, strong, bold change."

That's the kind of attitude Tab Julius is looking for in a new president.

"More than anything else, I'd like to get our government back," said Julius, 44. "The Constitution has been shredded. I want to change that."

Although Julius has not chosen a candidate to support, he made his political stance clear. The Derry resident wore a black T-shirt with a picture of George W. Bush above the title "Worst President Ever."

Many in the crowd of several hundred said they had not decided who to vote for in the primary. But Julius was not alone in looking forward to the end of the Bush administration.

Bob Lucas, a self-described lifelong Democrat, is eager to hear all the candidates speak before he decides whom to support.

"It's a big decision," the Londonderry man said. Lucas, 56, said the difference between political parties is that "folks on the right wing just do what they're told whereas I see a lot of Democrats come out. They're not just giving money. (Democrats) come out to be part of the vote."

The picnic area at Mack's Apples provided a picturesque setting as people, a few wearing straw hats, sat on the lawn near a sun-dappled pond. Edwards addressed the audience under a willow tree while casually dressed in jeans and a blue button-up shirt, pacing in the grass as he outlined plans to reduce carbon emissions, stop genocide in Darfur and end the war in Iraq.

"If a candidate comes roaring in here, gives a 15-minute speech and doesn't take questions, then he isn't ready to be president," Edwards said. It is important to "stand here, be cross-examined, be quizzed. And best I can tell, people in New Hampshire are not shy."

Edwards spoke for about 25 minutes and then took questions from the audience on everything from the threat posed by China to the No Child Left Behind Act. After about an hour, Edwards promised those sitting at his feet that he would answer their remaining questions through e-mail, assuring he would personally respond if they mentioned attending the event.

The Margolins of Londonderry said they were impressed by Edwards but are not sure whom they will support in the primary.

"He had a lot of answers that sounded good," Paul Margolin, 53, said. "I'm open to anybody who has a way to deal with the Iraq war and can make for some real change."

His wife, Linda Margolin, 50, said she was drawn to Edwards' desire to make the United States a "better world citizen."

The event was organized by the Londonderry Democratic Committee, which has not yet endorsed a candidate.

"Senator Edwards covered a lot of territory in a heartfelt way," committee member Margot Gibbs said. "The Londonderry Dems are hopeful that these events will gain the involvement in this political year that is necessary to elect the best candidate."

This will be the first presidential election 19-year-old Kaleigh Schwalbe can vote in and her main concern is the war in Iraq. To her, living in New Hampshire offers a unique opportunity to hear the candidates' positions in person.

"I just want to get involved in this election," the Londonderry woman said. "I want to listen to what all the candidates have to say."

Even though Robert Bergendahl, 22, said he identifies more with conservative ideas, his concerns seemed more in synch with Schwalbe's. He came to hear Edwards' positions on the war, health care and immigration.

"It's like Brussels sprouts," said Bergendahl, also of Londonderry. "You don't know until you try it."

Fruits of his labor; Vineyard offers a taste of Italy in Sandown

2007-07-30T18:03:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, July 30, 2007
By Cyra Master

SANDOWN | The sun-dappled vines with wide green leaves could easily be thriving in California or Italy.

But these grapes, still about a year away from being bottled and corked, draw their strength from the soil of Sandown.

After a few years of hard work and fermentation, Zorvino Vineyards has begun to bear fruit.

The vineyard started as nothing more than a barn on 80 acres of land. It was originally imagined as a place for Jim Zanello to enjoy his retirement with his antique cars and perhaps a woodworking shop. It quickly grew into something else.
Zanello teamed up with friend and fellow wine enthusiast Dr. Vinnie Paolino, and the seeds were planted, so to speak.

"It was just a hobby that grew," Zanello said of winemaking.

Trips to Italy and California inspired him to try his hand. His small-scale experiments have grown into 1,000-gallon batches.

"I got a little liking of wine and thought it would be a good thing to have around here," Zanello said.

While a vineyard in New Hampshire may seem counterintuitive, Zanello is quick to point out that Canada and Germany are well-known for producing wine in similarly cold climates. And the state is home to at least half a dozen wineries today, most of them less than 20 years old.

Of course, only certain varieties can stand up to New England weather, so some of the grapes Zanello uses are brought in from California, Italy, Washington and Chile.
Inside the tasting room, visitors can sample the latest offerings while in the midst of next year's batch. The stainless steel tanks hold liquids in various stages of fermentation.

Upstairs is a post-and-beam function hall built with wood taken from the property. The function hall hosts weddings, holiday parties and fancy sit-down tasting dinners. Zanello said the summer has been booked nearly full for weddings by word of mouth alone. The vineyard and winery are "semi-complete" and Zanello has not done much advertising.

A few acres of Valiant and Niagara grapes have been planted, and St. Croix and Frontenac will soon join them. There is landscaping to be done, walking paths to be designed, and a waterfall to cascade down the hill next to the stone steps that were recently laid down.

What started as a "fun venture to keep me occupied in my old age" has turned into another full-time job for Zanello.

He bought the Main Street property in 1999 after he sold his electric packaging business.

"So far, I am still enjoying myself," he said. "It's a lot bigger than I suspected; it has grown fast."

But there is help to be had. In August or September, when the grapes are ready to be picked, family and friends are always eager to help, Zanello said. He and his six employees do as much as they can on the property, from construction to pruning the plants.

There is no denying that wine has become more popular recently. For Zanello, the more people interested in wine, the better.

"Wines are always different. It's entirely to taste," he said. "Not everyone gets the same thing from a glass of wine."

That variety means he is not in direct competition with two other winemakers in the area | in Lee and South Hampton. In fact, he said, they have been willing to give him advice and answer questions.

Zanello admits he does not have the sophisticated palate of a sommelier. He can't detect hints of tobacco or violet in a glass, but he does know how to enjoy it.

He has hired someone to oversee tasting in the wine cellar. Once a month, visitors can taste six wines and three appetizers for $20 or can attend a four-course wine dinner for $65.

His advice for people tasting wine is very simple: If you're going to try more than a few different kinds, don't swallow everything you taste.

"Spitting is just a matter of good taste so you don't get snookered," Zanello said with a smile.

The labels on his bottles carry a photograph of the vines, with the white winery in the background against a blue sky. The name, Zorvino Vineyards, stands out against the white. The name came from Zanello's Italian grandparents. Their surname was Zorzanello.

"They cut the 'Zor' off. I picked it back up," he said. "And 'vino' is wine."
The vineyard's products range in price from $10 to $15 a bottle. Three varieties have sold out entirely.

"In my opinion, what makes a wine expensive does not always make it better," Zanello said. "Every wine is good for a different occasion."

Granite State vineyards
- Zorvino Vineyards, Sandown
- Flag Hill Winery and Distillery, Lee
- Jewell Towne Vineyards, South Hampton
- LaBelle Winery, Walpole
- Piscassic Pond Winery, Newfields
- Candia Vineyards, Candia

Woman faces fourth DWI charge in running down Derry officer

2007-07-26T23:08:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, July 26, 2007
By Cyra Master

WINDHAM | A woman out on bail for a third drunken-driving arrest was drunk again when she got behind the wheel yesterday afternoon and struck a police officer directing traffic on Route 28, police said.

Patrolman Robert Moore, 34, was flown by helicopter to Boston Medical Center for treatment of injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, Windham police said. A hospital spokeswoman said Moore was still being assessed in the emergency room at 9 p.m.

Susan A. Foss, 43, of 16 Windham Depot Road in Derry was taken into custody and charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, Windham Sgt. Carl Wagner said.
Foss, driving a pickup, was out on bail following a July 8 arrest on a drunken-driving charge in Pelham, Wagner said. Previously, she was convicted of driving while intoxicated in 1998 and a second time in 1999.

The accident occurred about 3:15 p.m. where work was being done on the Route 111 bypass project. Moore had stopped traffic to allow a construction vehicle to pass, according to Windham police Chief Gerald Lewis.

After the vehicle left, Moore, who was in uniform and wearing a lime-green vest, turned to motion to let the northbound traffic pass when he was hit by Foss' southbound Chevrolet pickup. "His hand was still up when the car ran into him. It (the pickup) never stopped in the first place," Lewis said.

Moore, a six-year veteran of the Derry department, was semiconscious when rescue workers arrived. He was treated by the Windham Fire Department before the medical helicopter arrived, Wagner said.

"He is being held overnight for bumps and bruises and scrapes," Wagner said. "He did bang his head, so they're going to watch him overnight."

Foss was not injured but was taken to Parkland Medical Center for a blood test to determine if she was intoxicated, Lewis said. The test results were not available last night, Wagner said.

At least five people witnessed the accident and gave statements to police, but none would comment.

Following the accident, Foss' black Chevrolet was parked at the top of the hill where Moore was hit, the passenger side door wide open.

Construction vehicles were left idling as workers and witnesses gathered and stared at the spot where the accident took place. The road was closed for about an hour from Cyr Lumber at 39 Rockingham Road in Windham to the intersection of Routes 28 and 111 in Salem.

Raymond Giuffre was inside the RG Carr building at 20 Rockingham Road when the accident occurred.

"It's too bad. You don't want to see MedFlight come and take somebody away," Giuffre said. "I thought this road would be good. It's not a good sign that starts like that."

The construction work is part of the Route 111 bypass, which will eventually join Route 111 in Salem at Route 111 in Windham, near Interstate 93. Wagner said it is normal for area police officers to work extra traffic details in Windham. Road work has been going on for about a year, and this was the first accident at the site, Lewis said.

"It's not dangerous as long as people are paying attention," Lewis said. "There's a lot going on here, but the officers are plainly visible from a distance. This driver should not have been on the road in the first place."

Foss was to be held overnight at Rockingham County Jail in Brentwood and be arraigned in Derry District Court this morning.

Romney scoops out ice cream, politics at Kingston shop

2007-07-23T21:37:00.000-04:00

Eagle-Tribune, July 23, 2007
By Cyra Master

KINGSTON - Some were there for the frozen sweets that have made Memories Ice Cream a local landmark, but many others were drawn by the prospect of a different kind of treat - a chance to meet the man who may become the country's next president.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney stopped off at the ice cream shop yesterday as part of a full day of campaign events. The presidential hopeful began the morning as the keynote speaker for the Nashua GOP's summer luncheon, then attended a house party at the Salem home of state Rep. Mark Pearson. Later in the day, he would visit Brown's Seabrook Lobster Pound.

Although he spent the first part of his day talking politics and policy, calling Democratic rivals unprepared to lead the country, Romney's stop at Memories was more casual.

That was what drew Veda Paloetta of East Kingston. Of course, the butter crunch ice cream helped.

"I'd like to hear what he has to say," Paloetta said of the Republican candidate. "It will be a more relaxed atmosphere."

Paloetta said she usually votes Republican, but has not decided who to vote for in the primary.

But those hoping the stop would allow Romney to answer local voters' questions were disappointed. During his brief visit to the ice cream shop, he was more like a rock star than a politician. Romney posed for photographs and signed books, shirts and magazines on the porch and in the parking lot.

Mel Edwards of East Kingston came to Memories with his wife, children and father-in-law. Romney's visit was a chance to get everyone out of the house and to check out the candidate.

"It's an opportunity to meet him and hear more of what he has to say," Edwards said as he waited for Romney to arrive. Although Edwards may not have heard any of Romney's stump speech, he did get a chance to shake his hand.

Marc Brown, who owns Memories with his wife Patricia, said the experience of hosting Romney's visit was a little surreal.

"It's exciting, thrilling," Brown said. "He could very well be the next president and he's in your business."

Brown said Romney's visit brought about double the usual number of customers for a Sunday afternoon. Mixed in with the families wearing blue "Mitt '08" stickers was a line of motorcyclists who formed a line to leave at the same time as Romney. The Kingston police officer directing traffic gave Romney's Jeep the right of way, while some onlookers chuckled at the juxtaposition.

After meeting the crowd, Romney pulled a lime green Memories shirt over his white shirt and red tie and got to work scooping ice cream. The first and only order he filled was for his wife, Ann.

She wanted a sundae with rocky road ice cream and marshmallow topping. Although he didn't get it quite right, Ann Romney said the creation was just as good with hot fudge.

"He can't make a banana split to save his life, but it was nice of him to stop by here," joked Jeffrey Phaneuf of Newton.

While many at the ice cream shop said they have already decided to vote for Romney, others were not there to be convinced.

"I just like to see all the candidates," said Sheila Bergeron of Newton. "I'm probably the last person who would vote for him, but I do want to see him. It's good to see (candidates) face to face."

Bergeron was at Memories with friend Connie Smith. Smith brought her 19-year-old daughter Cassie and her friend Emily Traynor, who will vote in their first presidential primary next year.

"I want to hear what he has to say," said Cassie Smith, who confessed she is not very involved in politics.

"It might spark an interest," Connie Smith said.

While Cassie Smith and Traynor are just learning about politics, Tom Coe is an old hand. The former Massachusetts resident has already voted for Romney once before.

Coe said Romney is a "solid man from a family of solid men. I would be very proud to vote for Mr. Romney."

The family moved to New Hampshire because they thought Massachusetts was heading in the wrong direction, he said.

"I voted for you in Massachusetts," Coe told the former governor as they shook hands.

"Do you live up here now?" Romney asked. "Vote for me again."

Boy badly injured in golf cart accident

2007-07-18T21:36:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, July 18, 2007
By Rebecca Correa and Cyra Master

NEWTON | A 9-year-old boy from Haverhill, Mass., was seriously injured after he fell off the back of a golf cart and struck his head on pavement.

Police said they were called to 8 Laura Lane about 3:30 p.m. Monday because a child who was visiting relatives was unconscious from head injuries he received in a fall.
Chief Larry Streeter said the boy's injuries were so severe the decision was immediately made to transport him by medical helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he remained last night.

The boy was one of five children, ages 7 to 11, who were riding around the Laura Lane cul-de-sac in a family-owned golf cart, police said. It wasn't clear how many children were in the golf cart at the time of the accident.

When the 9-year-old driver took a sharp turn, the boy riding on the rear fender fell off the cart, Streeter said. None of the other children were injured, Newton fire Capt. Dale Putnam said.

Streeter said the child driving continued on for about 25 feet before any of the other children noticed the victim had fallen off.

Police said the children ran to the house, owned by Kevin and Jeanette Sheehan. A group of adults carried the child into the home and called for an ambulance.

Putnam and an emergency medical technician were at the scene within minutes. The boy was on a couch inside the house and was vomiting when they arrived, Putnam said. There were no visible wounds, but Putnam said the boy had signs of a head injury.
The victim's name was not available from police last night.

"I spoke to the parents once today," Streeter said. "I just want to give them time to advise everyone in the family and let them digest."

He said the department may release the boy's name today.

A man who answered the door at the Sheehan home yesterday identified himself only as a "concerned parent" and said he could not comment on the accident.
"I'm sorry," he said from the door of the yellow Cape, "I can't talk right now."

The Sheehans have children of their own, neighbors said, and the yard was littered with a skateboard, a stroller and a small bike. There was a basketball hoop in the driveway, a swing set in the yard, and a plastic skateboard jump in the road near the home.

Next-door neighbor Cheryl Giordano was at home watching her children in their backyard pool yesterday afternoon.

"We really don't know what happened," Giordano said. "We were in the pool when it happened; we didn't witness it."

Giordano, who lives at 6 Laura Lane, said she didn't know the boy who was injured.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with that boy and his family," she said.

The cul-de-sac is at the end of a short road and the Sheehan home is one of the few that is not set back from the road by a long driveway.

Neighbor Kevin McCarthy was at home when the accident occurred, but didn't see anything.

"All I saw was the cruiser and the ambulance go by and that's the only reason I knew anything happened," he said.

Jan Gardner, whose home is at the top of a long driveway, hadn't heard anything about the accident. But she said the fact that a golf cart was involved did not surprise her. She said a few of the neighbors with children own them, and the children often ride up and down the street.

"Normally, they have adult supervision," Gardner said. "The parents know they're on them."

But she did note the neighborhood children usually don't wear helmets when they ride up and down the street.

"I'd be scared if my little kid was on it," Gardner said.

Another neighbor, who did not want to give her name, said she often sees children on golf carts, but there is usually someone older with them.

The Sheehans own the golf cart, Streeter said. He said it wasn't unusual for the children to drive the cart.

"There is no specific law addressing the age you need to be to drive," he said. "It's like driving a go-cart. It's whatever is reasonable."

But police said it is illegal for anyone to drive a golf cart on a public road. It is still unclear if the 9-year-old driver will face juvenile criminal charges or if the family will face any penalties.

"Right now, we're focused on the apparent injuries to the victim," Streeter said. "It remains under investigation."

The victim was flown by medical helicopter to Boston from Newton Memorial School, which is about a mile away from the accident scene.

Dodd impresses voters at Salem house party

2007-07-16T21:34:00.001-04:00

Eagle Tribune, July 16, 2007
By Cyra Master

SALEM | Although it was a hot, humid day, Democratic presidential hopeful Chris Dodd said he was ready to take a little heat yesterday as he discussed the war in Iraq and other national topics with local residents.

"A little heat in the room isn't a bad thing when we're talking about these issues," Dodd said.

The five-term senator from Connecticut kicked off a two-day trip to the Granite State by stopping at the home of Salem Selectwoman Beth Roth, delivering an outline of his plans for the country and highlighting his previous experience for a crowd of about 20.

While some pressed Dodd to detail his plans to withdraw troops from Iraq and deal with immigration, the candidate had a few warnings of his own.

"It's a heavy burden the people in this state assume," he said, reminding the house guests that their votes in the New Hampshire primary will help shape the national election. To allow others to experience the atmosphere of a candidate house party, Dodd's campaign recorded Sunday's event and will post it on the Internet.

Dodd said the good will that swept Democrats into Congress in November will not last until the general election unless more is accomplished. He used that point to highlight his success working with Republicans.

"We're all sort of the same," Dodd said of the Democratic candidates. "What's missing in all of this is the ability politically to get it done."

Dick O'Shaughnessy first met Dodd last year when he lent his support to Roth's failed bid for a state Senate seat. Since then, the Salem resident has been interested in Dodd's position on the issues, although he has not decided whom to back.

"I would like to think he could perhaps bring a certain level-headedness and certain ideas to the presidency that are sorely lacking now," O'Shaughnessy said. "A president who would make good decisions for the right reasons for the whole country."

O'Shaughnessy and another guest, Jan Kelliher of Salem, were of the same mind when they said they would like to see Dodd gain momentum in New Hampshire.

Kelliher said that while Dodd is often thought of as a "third-tier" candidate, he has been the top choice for her since day one.

"Health care, Iraq and the way he's been a top senator for years," Kelliher said are the reasons she supports Dodd, whom she often watches on CSPAN.
Yesterday, Dodd made sure his Salem appearance was a little more livelier than the typical broadcast from Congress.

When answering a question from a fellow Peace Corps volunteer about what he did after his time in the Dominican Republic, Dodd told a story about hitchhiking around South America, lugging a heavy Mexican coffee grinder he wanted to give to his mother for Christmas.

When he presented it to her, his siblings laughed because printed on the wheel was a label that said "Made in Connecticut."

The crowd laughed with Dodd, whose tanned face broke out in a smile.

Another former Peace Corps member, Paula Mahon, connected with Dodd's story. Mahon decided to attend the house party after receiving a letter that was sent to Peace Corps alumni about the candidate's schedule. The fact that the senator served in the Peace Corps gives him an advantage on her ballot, she said.

"You learn things in the Peace Corps, how to behave to other people. You can't be a successful Peace Corps volunteer and have an attitude of 'My way or the highway,'" Mahon said. "He succeeded in the Peace Corps, so consequently ... ."

The Derry resident said she liked what she heard from Dodd and will probably vote for him in the primary.

"It's kind of like being in a foxhole together," said Mahon, who worked in Kenya. "It's a shared experience."

Dodd spent more than an hour in Salem, shaking hands and talking to the group after answering questions. He then headed north for a barbecue in Plymouth and another house party in Gorham. Today, Dodd will be in downtown Berlin from 9 to 10:30 a.m. In the evening, he will attend a house party in Grantham.

Blaze strikes Derry apartment building

2007-07-13T21:31:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, July 13, 2007
By Cyra Master

DERRY | Several people gathered in the street, some in their pajamas or whatever clothes they could quickly grab, only moments after fleeing a late-night fire on Maple Street yesterday that damaged their apartment building.

The blaze began just after 11 p.m. as flames and heavy black smoke poured from 5 Maple St., just off West Broadway behind the Adams Memorial Building.

No one was hurt, including one resident who was still moving boxes into his new second-floor apartment when the fire broke out.

"I just moved in today," Dan LeMay said with tears in his eyes. "Everything I own is in there. I just moved everything in."

The fire was contained to the second floor of the three-story, five-unit apartment building. Derry firefighters knocked it down within half an hour.

"We had a full 18 people on duty today and that made an exceptional difference," said Battalion Chief Jack Webb.

At least one apartment, where the fire started, was badly damaged, Webb said. The extent of the damage to other apartments was unknown as firefighters continued to sweep the building looking for hot spots.

Webb could not say how many people live in the apartment building, which town records say is assessed at $289,500 and owned by 5 Maple St. LLC. The Salvation Army and the Red Cross were called to assist the tenants.

For James Moore, who lives in an apartment on the first floor, the first sign that something was wrong was the sound of breaking glass.

"I heard a window break out and I thought it was a fight on the second floor," Moore said. "But then I went outside and saw smoke, I knew Dan was up there and I thought he was breaking windows to try to breathe."

Moore, who was standing outside in jean shorts and little else, said he grabbed a T-shirt to cover his mouth and tried to run up the stairs to check on his new neighbor.

"I couldn't make it up halfway, the smoke was too thick," Moore said.

His girlfriend, three children and a cat along with a box of young kittens all escaped unharmed. His girlfriend helped another tenant rescue her cat as well.
Moore said he didn't hear a fire alarm go off.

Jim Moore, James' father, moved out of the Maple Street building only two days ago.

"I saw the smoke when I was taking the dog out and I ran straight here with a (police) cruiser. One truck was here and they had it knocked down pretty quick."

The fire was declared under control at 12:26 a.m. after firefighters checked the building for hot spots. Webb said the building's construction made it particularly vulnerable to flare-ups.

A crowd gathered after police blocked off a portion of West Broadway. Some stood across the street from the building outside the Firehall Pub on West Broadway. Others were scattered along Maple Street, where firefighters on a ladder truck doused the building with water.

Ginette Macero, who lives down the street, heard the firetrucks and walked down the street with her 13-year-old son, Chris.

"I saw a whole bunch of smoke and the windows crashed, and a lady came out and she was worried and crying," Chris said. "She was all upset her apartment was on fire but she got her cats out."

Auburn and Windham provided mutual aid while Londonderry, Chester, Salem and Hampstead provided station coverage. The fire's cause was still under investigation early today.

Salem man remembered as 'gentle soul,' technical expert

2007-07-04T21:13:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, July 4, 2007
By Cyra Master

SALEM | Nathan Moir loved to help people.

When two friends in art class got into a fight, he persuaded them to make up. When a teacher's computer was infected by a virus, Moir happily de-bugged the machine.

The 19-year-old Salem man, who was found dead Monday afternoon in Canobie Lake, is described by friends as a good person with a passion for technology.

David Minkle, 46, of Manchester met Moir through the Big Brothers program 10 years ago. The two connected despite the age difference and remained close friends, even after Moir graduated from Salem High School in 2006.

It was Minkle who exposed Moir to video production, a hobby he quickly adopted as his own.

Minkle would bring Moir along when doing camera work for the school district, an experience that prepared him for the television production classes he took in high school.

"Nathan would shadow Dave and learn the ropes," said Bob Berthel, the district's audiovisual coordinator.

Moir did camera work for the community television station, manning the platform camera at the Christmas parade and taping school plays and concerts.

"It kind of all comes down to Dave; Dave exposed him to all of this," Berthel said.

Moir was on the way to making his other passion | computer technology | his career. He took some classes at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, Minkle said.
Based on his experience in high school, Berthel said, it was an area in which Moir would have excelled.

"He would volunteer to help so many teachers with their personal computers. He loved to get rid of spyware, that was his speciality," Berthel said. "He loved to research that. We work in computers and he'd teach us (new things) all the time."

Moir also loved concerts, acted in a few productions in Manchester, and was great with young children.

In the last few months, Moir spent a lot of time with Minkle and his wife in Manchester. Just last week, they went to Story Land with Minkle's sister and her children, and Moir took the youngsters on the rides.

"He was just a good kid," Minkle said. "I'm going to miss him a lot."

That sentiment was echoed by Berthel, who said he and his colleagues have been thinking of Moir since they received word of his death through e-mail from the high school. Berthel and Tom Giarrosso, executive director for Salem Community Television, plan to attend the funeral with other faculty members.

"Above all, Nathan was a gentle soul," Berthel said.

Erin Reddy, who graduated from Salem High this spring, met Moir in an art class during her sophomore year. She and a longtime friend connected with Moir during class.

"We got into a fight that year and (Moir) was so concerned, all he wanted to do was help us," said Reddy, 18. "We stayed friends through the years."

Moir was always willing to lend a hand, Reddy said. He even turned a cafeteria punishment into a chance to help.

At the high school, anyone caught throwing food or making a mess had to stay to clean up after lunch.

"He used to volunteer to do it because he was nice," Reddy said. "He just wanted everyone to be happy."

Calling hours will be Sunday at Douglas and Johnson Funeral Home at 214 Main St. in Salem from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A funeral Mass is set for 11 a.m. on Monday at St. Patrick's Church in Pelham.

Salem man's body recovered from lake

2007-07-03T21:11:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, July 3, 2007
By Cyra Master

SALEM | The body of a 19-year-old man was pulled from Canobie Lake yesterday afternoon at the same time his mother was at the police station to report him missing.

Nathan Moir of 4 Lake Shore Road was pronounced dead after rescue personnel in boats recovered his body from the water off Goodridge Avenue.

A Lake Shore Road resident reported seeing a body in the water about 3 p.m., Salem police said. At the same time, Moir's mother was filing a missing persons report at the police station.

"It was my understanding that he had gone out and didn't return all night," Sgt. Eric Lamb said. "In the afternoon, they came in here to file that report, and at the same time we got the call from the lake."

Police, fire and state Marine Patrol personnel used a motorboat and a rowboat to recover Moir's body, which was pulled to shore at 15 Goodridge Ave. | about a half-mile from his home.

There were few details available last night, including the exact cause of death, but police did say foul play was not suspected. Sgt. Steve Malisos said alcohol and drugs did not appear to have been factors in the teen's death.

A woman reached by phone at the family's home refused to comment on Moir's death.

"Everyone's been worried about him," said a neighbor outside the family's home yesterday afternoon. "I don't know what happened at all."

The woman, who did not want to give her name, then went into the backyard of the white, one-story house decorated with red, white and blue ribbons and a large Red Sox flag.

The Moirs' home is around the corner from Goodridge Avenue, which slopes down and leads to houses on the water. One of those homes, 15 Goodridge Ave., was used as a staging area for rescue workers. A large wooded area around two or three homes was blocked off with yellow caution tape while emergency personnel searched for Muir.

Dennis Cardone, who was staying at a friend's house on Goodridge Avenue a few homes away, said he noticed the yellow tape blocking the road, the four fire vehicles and three police cruisers parked on the gravel road when he returned to the house yesterday afternoon. Police asked him if he had heard a party in the area Sunday night.

"I was here last night, and I didn't hear anything," Cardone said. "Everything was quiet."

Cardone said he came home about 1 a.m. yesterday and the only thing he heard was a neighbor's radio that had been left on.

About 5 p.m., a light blue hearse from Douglas and Johnson Funeral Home in Salem drove slowly down the sloping gravel road to the yard of 15 Goodridge Ave.

John Hughes, who has lived on Goodridge Avenue for more than 20 years, said the lakefront is usually quiet.

The area is part of the town reservoir, and swimming is not permitted. But down the road from the Moir residence, there is a small break in the brush on South Shore Road that is wide enough for a person to walk through to get to the water, Hughes said.

"There's no swimming allowed in the lake, so it's very unusual," Hughes said.

The shoreline is rocky, Hughes said, but not very deep and the water is generally
calm and placid. The lake is about 56 feet at its deepest point.

Police would not say if Moir was wearing a bathing suit or if anything was found on the shoreline to indicate he had planned on swimming. The investigation will continue, police said.

Big band music returns to Canobie Lake dance hall

2007-06-11T16:22:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, June 11, 2007
By Cyra Master

Audio Slideshow

SALEM | The band was different and the dance hall wasn't as crowded as it was 70 years ago, but the brass trumpets still shone under the bright lights as they blared Glenn Miller's "Little Brown Jug."

Although it was only for one afternoon, the big band classics of the 1930s and 1940s returned to the Dancehall Theater at Canobie Lake Park yesterday as the Salem High School jazz ensemble performed for a crowd of about 50.

Among those who gathered to hear the music of an era that has long since passed were Bill and Joan Bartlett.

The local couple, who attended their senior prom there more than half a century ago, spent yesterday afternoon reminiscing and dancing to many of the same songs they loved as teenagers.

For the Bartletts, it was as if nothing had changed. But their friend Don Clough, 78, who attended the concert with his wife Pauline, 77, noted one big difference.

"I didn't do much dancing in those days," said Clough, recalling many nights when he would stand on the sidelines with his friends and watch other couples swinging to the music. "Back then, you were classified as sort of a sissy if you danced."

But Clough took quite a few spins on the dance floor yesterday with Pauline, joining a handful of couples who could still keep up a lively beat after so many years.

For two hours, the jazz ensemble, led by band director Marty Claussen, played 32 jazz and swing songs that were popular in the 1930s and 1940s.
The show was a return to the building's roots.

The Dancehall Theater was built in 1936 and although it changed names several times, much of the original structure remains, including the stage.

Some of the most famous musicians of the era, including Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra, performed on that stage.

Even though its surroundings have changed, Pauline Clough said she went to so many dances in her youth that she didn't need directions to the hall, which is inside the amusement park.

"I danced until the place closed all the time," she remembered.

Claussen, who remembers his grandparents listening to big band music when he was a child, organized the concert. Before the performance, he told the 17-member student group about the history of the stage.

"It wasn't just the jazz greats; Aerosmith played here, the Beach Boys, Sonny and Cher," Claussen said. "It's great for the kids in the group to understand its history. Someday, they can tell their grandkids, 'I played on the same stage Duke Ellington was on.'"

Chris Correia, who plays the alto saxophone, said the significance of the venue's history didn't hit him until after the performance was over. What made it special while he was playing, he said, was the crowd.

"When the first people got up and started dancing, I looked out and thought 'This is so great,'" Correia said. "It really lit up the band."

Gertrude McDermott remembered a dance many years ago where she met a fellow from Boston. She said they danced for so long, she ended the night in her stocking feet | an unconventional occurrence in those days.

Back then, McDermott said, the dance floor was so full, you could barely move.

Although the crowd yesterday was small for the building, which can handle 1,200 people, many said they would love to return. Those who came had to pay the regular admission fee for the amusement park, which is $28 for adults and $19 for children and seniors.

Frank and Grace Baglione remember getting gussied up for dances at the Dancehall Theater.

"There was a lot more glitz here in the old days," said Frank, 85, who noted he wore suits and ties back then to impress the ladies.

Grace, who is also in her 80s, recalled the days when she danced the jitterbug in halter dresses and high heels.

The pair relived their youth yesterday afternoon and hearing those old songs again made Frank quite nostalgic.

"Music today doesn't seem to have the same meaning," he said. "It was more romantic then ... I know, I sound old-fashioned."

Good times roll at teachers' bowling bash

2007-06-08T17:14:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, June 8, 2007
By Cyra Master

WINDHAM | Standing at the top of the lane with socks pulled over his pants and two-toned bowling shoes, Londonderry High School social studies teacher Mark Corbin psyched himself up.

"My scholarship is on the line," he joked, "to the bowling academy."

Corbin bowled a strike, pushing his team, Good Times, a few points ahead. But they still didn't beat the Pinheads from Fisk Elementary School in Salem.

This was the championship evening in the third annual Teachers Roll Off for the Merrimack Valley Teachers League. Once a month, teams from the 400-teacher-strong group from Southern New Hampshire schools in Derry, Salem, Windham, Londonderry and Hampstead as well as Methuen and Lawrence., Mass., convene at Park Place Lanes to bowl in teams of four.

It's a competition that started as a teachers appreciation event at the venue and has grown into sort of a school-spirit event. While many teachers said they joined the league for a laugh, it was evident at yesterday's event how serious the competition has become to some participants.

Sarah Mele, captain of the Woodbury Turkeys from Woodbury Middle School in Salem, said her team made T-shirts with painted handprint turkeys and glued on feathers to wear on bowling night.

"But we decided they're not good luck," the seventh-grade language arts teacher said, explaining her striped T-shirt. "Every time we wear them, we do poorly."

Kerry Powers, a special education teacher at Hampstead Central School, said the league has helped her settle into her first year on the job. Now, she is known as the competitive one on her team, It's Not a Gutter.

It's Not a Gutter bowled next to another Hampstead Central team, Perfect Ten.

"We're not rivals, we just don't want them to win," joked Perfect Ten member Janet Burns, a special education assistant.

Hoping to get more strikes, the members of Perfect Ten moistened their hands on a wet sponge before bowling, though Burns admitted she didn't know why.

"We saw some professional-looking people with it one day, so we thought we'd bring it in, too," she said. "They looked like they knew what they were doing."

Many bowlers said their students are amused by the idea of their teachers and schools bowling against each other.

"They think it's awesome," said Lori Watson, a third-grade teacher at Barka Elementary School in Derry and a member of the Barka Buddies.

The bowling league has become a big deal in Derry, Watson said. The principal at Barka announces team scores over the loudspeaker, and some children participate in the student league at Park Place.

In Hampstead, the competition has been "the buzz" around school, Powers said.

"(The students) can't believe we actually have fun outside of school," she said.
By the afternoon's end, the theatrics, the matching shirts and the dances for strikes and spares seemed to matter more than the scores.

"That's what we did it for, to get out of the house and have fun," said Debbie Richardson of the Barka Misfits.

After the competition, the teachers gathered for pizza and the presentation of trophies. Although the Fisk Pinheads won the Roll Off trophy | a handmade vase that will sit in the school for the next year | the highest-scoring teams from each town also took home awards.

Lori Chase, a special education case manager at Londonderry High, summed up the afternoon in two words.

"Bowling bonds."

Police pull the cork on underage drinking

2007-05-23T19:20:00.001-04:00

Eagle Tribune, May 23, 2007
By Cyra Master

Hampstead police have issued a stern warning to people under 21 - If you are caught drinking, you will be arrested.

The Police Department is cracking down in the wake of 14 arrests over the weekend at an underage drinking party on Laura Lane. But Hampstead isn't the only Southern New Hampshire community where young people are reveling with prom season in full swing and the end of the school year around the corner.

On May 13, eight people were arrested at a party in Windham. In Salem, 24 people under the legal drinking age were arrested Friday night at a large party. As Hampstead Detective Ken Owen warns, drug and alcohol use by minors will not be tolerated in his town.

"If the Hampstead Police Department responds to a party where there is underage drinking, we want residents and students to clearly understand that anyone who is underage and is found to have consumed alcohol or to be using or in the possession of controlled narcotics, will be arrested," Owen said.

Other local police departments also are gearing up for what can be a busy time of year when it comes to breaking up illegal parties and putting a stop to underage drinking.

"We're very strict, it's very serious with alcohol," said Sgt. James Chase, one of seven officers who responded to the party on Mary's Lane in Salem on Friday night.

Salem police bring a Breathalyzer when they go to break up parties, Chase said. If underage party-goers register more than a .02, they can be charged with internal possession of alcohol and summonsed to court.

Under state law, anyone under 21 with a blood-alcohol level of .02 or higher is considered intoxicated and faces a minimum fine of $250, which cannot be waived by the court.

Regardless of the Breathalyzer results, those caught at a party have to be turned over to a sober adult. If the person in custody is under 18, that adult must be a parent.

"What it comes down to is our responsibility as police officers to make sure these kids get home safe," Chase said.

Hampstead police said they will often tow the cars of intoxicated minors for safekeeping. Parents can regain possession of those vehicles through the Police Department, Owen said.

That forces parents to get involved, police said.

"Most of the time, it's a positive," said Sgt. Glenn Record of the Windham Police Department. "It's usually an eye-opener, the parents are not aware the child was at a party."

The end of the school year is a dangerous time for teens, according to the Community Alliance for Teen Safety, a Derry organization that offers safety and public awareness programs for young people. Statistics show that prom night ranks high for increased instances of underage drinking, with 65 percent of youths getting their alcohol from parents or parents' friends, the alliance said.

Record said most towns see more parties in the spring and summer as teens celebrate the end of high school and college students return home for the summer.

In 2005, more than 2,900 people under the age of 21 died in alcohol-related traffic fatalities nationwide, the alliance said.

Locally, several young people have died in drunken-driving accidents.

In 2005, 19-year-old Katelyn Contraros of Derry was killed when a drunken driver crossed the center line on Route 111 in Windham and crashed head on into her car. In November 2005, a crash involving alcohol killed two Pinkerton Academy students, Carl Burke and Steven Hodgeman, both 17.

Police later arrested a Derry teen, accusing him of hosting several underage drinking parties, including one the Pinkerton students attended on the night of the fatal crash. Alex Matson pleaded no contest to alcohol-related charges in 2006.

Like Matson, those who host parties can be held responsible even if nothing as serious as a car accident occurs.

A 2004 state law made hosting an underage house party with alcohol a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $2,000 fine. The law says that anyone hosting a party where there are five or more underage people - and at least one of them has consumed alcohol or drugs - will be charged with a misdemeanor offense and subject to civil liability.

At last weekend's party in Hampstead, police charged Glenn Harrington, 20, of 122 Laura Lane with unlawful possession of alcohol and holding an underage drinking party at his home in the absence of the homeowner.

In December, Matthew Quale was charged with hosting an underage drinking party in Windham. It was not the first time he faced the charge, police said. He was arrested earlier in 2006 and charged with hosting another illegal party and unlawful possession of alcohol.

Windham, like Hampstead, has a zero-tolerance policy toward underage drinking.

"Like all the other towns, we're going to have (parties)," Record said. "We just have to try and prevent them whenever possible."

Tips to prevent underage drinking

* Communicate. Talk about prom plans in advance. Discuss how teens will deal with any situations that may arise, such as being offered an illegal drink, going to a pre-prom or post-prom party where there is alcohol, or having a driver who may be using alcohol or drugs.

* Talk with your child about the dangers of underage drinking. Make sure he or she understands the dangers of drinking and driving, accidents and other issues with impairment and alcohol poisoning.

r Be a good role model. Show your teen that you can enjoy social events without alcohol.

* Disapprove of underage drinking and assist your teen in ways to decline offers to drink or use other drugs.

* Reinforce that underage drinking is against the law. Make sure they understand the New Hampshire Party Host Law, which makes it a crime to host a party in which there is underage alcohol use. Penalties can include up to a $2,000 fine and a year in jail.

* Supervise your child and other youth in your home. Make sure the parents of your teen's friends are doing the same.

* Recognize problem behavior and seek help when necessary.

Source: Community Alliance For Teen Safety, www.catsevents.org.

No butts about it; Windham bans smoking on town beach

2007-05-22T18:54:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, May 22, 2007
By Cyra Master

WINDHAM | While supporters say banning smoking on the town beach will keep children safe, opponents want to know what human rights will be taken away next.

Windham became the fourth community in the "Live Free or Die" state to prohibit smoking on its beach last night after selectmen voted 3-1 to adopt a ban.

The measure, like a proposed statewide ban on smoking in restaurants and bars, has been divisive.

"When I was a kid, I was at the beach a lot and now I have skin cancer," said resident Bob Coole. "Maybe we should close the beach except on rainy or cloudy days."

Coole echoed the sentiments of the few residents who attended the public hearing.
Three residents spoke against the ban last night in contrast to the two who expressed support for the measure at an informational session last week.

The Board of Selectmen adopted the ban after about an hour of debate, with Selectman Roger Hohenberger voting against the policy. Chairman Al Carpenter did not attend the meeting.

Selectman Margaret Crisler, whose mother died from lung cancer, said the decision would keep children away from harmful secondhand smoke.

"We shouldn't subject children to this," Crisler said.

But Coole and Hohenberger said they worried about the precedent the ban could set.

"I think what we're doing here is dangerous," Hohenberger said. "What right do we have to tell somebody how to live?"

The regulation prohibits people from using pipes, cigars, cigarettes and anything else to smoke tobacco on town beach property, including the parking lot. It is to be enforced by the Police Department and violators may face fines of up to $1,000.

"I have no interest in trying to regulate lifestyles," Vice Chairman Dennis Senibaldi said. "It's about a safety issue ... I don't think children should be exposed to it."

The matter first came up a few weeks ago when Recreation Director Cheryl Hass suggested setting up a separate area on the beach for smokers.

She said lifeguards often have to stop children from playing with cigarette butts and adding them to the tops of their sand castles. The small beach leaves little space for people to escape secondhand smoke, the selectmen said, and Hass also worried that children running across the beach could be burned by lit cigarettes.

Last week, the selectmen took the debate a step further and considered enacting a smoking ban for all town recreational property. Those in favor of such a measure argued that prohibiting smoking on fields and in parks would set a good example for children. But after lengthy debate and several proposals, the board decided that people may not be bothered by secondhand smoke at other recreation areas, which are larger than the town beach.

Those opposed to the smoking ban agreed that people should refrain from lighting up on the beach, but still wanted to designate a smoking area.

"If I'm going to be there for four or five hours with my kids, what am I supposed to do?" asked resident Galen Stearns.

But Senibaldi compared allowing smoking on the small town beach to having a smoking section on an airplane. And the board was concerned that if it designated a smoking area, parents might leave their children on the beach unattended.

Coole called the ban discriminatory; Hohenberger said it was ludicrous.

"We used to pride ourselves on being the 'Live Free or Die' state," Hohenberger said. "We're starting to drift into this area where we're subjected to the rule of the few."

Hass said Holderness, Peterborough and Wakefield have similar smoking bans on their beaches.

Keene adopted the state's first restaurant smoking ban in 2001. In Manchester, smoking is prohibited at circuses, carnivals and other amusement venues. In Concord, the use of all tobacco products is prohibited at six of the city's 18 public parks and playgrounds. The remaining 12 parks have specific areas for tobacco use.
The regulation will go into effect immediately in time for the beach's opening June 9.

Cigarette smoking sparks bans at state, local levels

2007-05-14T18:57:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, May 14, 2007
By Cyra Master

With a possible ban in the works and a proposal to increase the tax on cigarettes, the "Live Free or Die" state is becoming less friendly to smokers.

Cigarettes have become the target of legislation in New Hampshire at both the local and state levels. While earlier this year the Senate passed a bill banning smoking in restaurants and bars, that same measure is now being discussed by a House committee.

And in communities across the state, municipal officials are drafting their bans.

In Londonderry, an ordinance was adopted about six months ago to prohibit smoking within 20 feet of municipal doorways and gates to town properties. A sign outside the door to the town offices alerts smokers of the ban.

Tonight, a proposal will be considered in Windham to prohibit smoking on all municipal property | including the beach and recreation areas. Smoking is already prohibited indoors.

Many who oppose the smoking bans, locally and at the state level, invoke the state motto "Live Free or Die."

"In general, we don't believe in forcing people to do things on that type of level," said Tracey Brogan, 32, of Derry, a nonsmoker. "It's a personal freedom thing."
Sen. Maggie Hassan, who supported the state smoking ban in the Senate, said the motto doesn't just apply to people who smoke.

"Live Free or Die belongs to every citizen of the state and one person's freedom can limit another person's freedom sometimes," said Hassan, D-Exeter.

Representatives from local branches of national health organizations think the shift toward smoking bans is a reflection of nonsmokers asserting their rights.

"I believe it's because of the preponderance of scientific evidence that has come out in recent years, talking not only about primary tobacco use but secondary smoke," said Nancy Pederzini, advocacy director for the American Heart Association of New Hampshire. "People realize that nonsmokers have as much of a right to breath clean, smoke-free air as a smoker does using a tobacco product."

Londonderry Town Councilor Mark Oswald said he hasn't heard any complaints since the ban was enacted in his community and the town has not had to fine anyone for breaking the rule.

"I've actually had a lot of compliments from people saying it's long overdue," Oswald said.

Oswald, who originally proposed a ban on smoking on all public property in Londonderry, said he acted on behalf of those who elected him.

"The reason I initiated this was I had constituents calling me in concern, particularly about their children," Oswald said. "I think each town has to represent the best interests of the people that elected you and that's what I was doing."

A handful of cities and towns have acted ahead of the state, which is now debating Senate Bill 42.

Keene passed the state's first restaurant smoking ban in 2001. In Manchester, smoking is prohibited at circuses, carnivals and other amusement venues. In Concord, the use of all tobacco products is prohibited at six of the city's public parks and playgrounds. The remaining parks have specific areas for tobacco use.

Christine MacDonale, 42, of Londonderry said she thinks smoking bans are good idea.
"It's not a good role model for kids in an athletic environment," said MacDonale, who admitted to occasionally smoking. "Kids are going to learn from what they see, not what you tell them."

But not everyone thinks the government should step in.

"The bottom line is you have the right to walk away (from smokers)," said State Rep. Al Baldasaro, R-Londonderry. "It's a freedom thing."

An online advocacy group called The Smokers Group Inc. works to prevent anti-smoking bans from being passed. Regional Director Gary Nolan said the nonprofit group is about property rights, not smokers rights. The organization views smoking bans as opposing the free market.

"Suppose the smokers got together and passed a law forcing smoking in nonsmoking restaurants," Nolan said. "You would call that the tyranny of the majority and that's what we're practicing here."

About 20 percent of New Hampshire adults smoke, said Beth D'Ovidio, director of communications for the American Lung Association of New Hampshire.

"This is a democracy and I think it's interesting, I have spoken to many people who are smokers who still don't want to dine in a smoking atmosphere," D'Ovidio said.

Baldasaro said the choice should be left to restaurant owners and customers.

"If I don't want to take my kids to a restaurant where there's cigarettes, that's my choice," Baldasaro said. "It's not the government's choice."

In Windham, tonight's public hearing begins at 7:30 in the Planning and Development department.

Lightning, fire destroy Windham home

2007-05-11T19:00:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, May 11, 2007
By Cyra Master

WINDHAM | A lightning strike ignited an enormous blaze that tore through a Timberlane Road home last night, leaving the million-dollar residence a charred shell.

The roof burst into flames shortly before 6 p.m. as thunder and lightning swept through the area along with quarter-sized hail and a brief shower. Five other Windham homes were struck by lightning, but the 2 1/2-story residence at 1 Timberlane Road was the only one to catch fire, said Windham fire Chief Thomas McPherson.

The fire was well underway by the time firefighters reached the scene with flames spreading across the roof of the blue and white home and shooting skyward, mixing with plumes of black smoke.

"When they arrived, they encountered heavy smoke and heavy fire on all sides of the house," McPherson said. No one was home, and neighbors said the owners have been on vacation since last week.

Tom and Deanna Missert, who live two houses away, were leaving their home when they heard the storm and then spotted the fire.

"We were debating whether to take the kids to a softball game, and we saw the smoke," Tom Missert said. "There were neighbors banging on all the doors when the Fire Department arrived."

Dozens of firefighters from as far away as Nashua and Dracut, Mass., helped Windham, Londonderry, Derry, Pelham, Salem and other communities get the blaze under control.

"It was just one bolt of lightning," said Deanna Missert, shaking her head in disbelief.

The flames destroyed the house, which sits on 2.09 acres off Castle Hill Road.

Although the owners' names were not available from police or firefighters last night; town tax records show the home is owned by Jose and Maria Azevedo and assessed at $1,011,900.

The fire was under control by 8 p.m., but sections continued to flare up and the roof collapsed. By dusk, only the shell of the house remained, with open sky visible through the remains.

From the road, a crowd of at least 50 people could see straight through the front door into the backyard.

In a brief statement to the media, McPherson called a lack of accessible water the "biggest obstacle." He did not elaborate.

Tom Missert said the nearest hydrant was up the hill and around the corner, about 800 yards away. Firetrucks continued to come and go, making numerous trips to refill their tanks.

Fernando Ferreira was watching the house for the owners while they were out of the country. He said he checked the home two days ago and everything was fine, then he got a call from an alarm company telling him about the fire.

Ferreira was holding the owners' grandson, a toddler, as he watched the house burn.

"They built a pool last summer," Ferreira said. "We had such a good time here last summer, and we planned to do it again this year."

Water from hoses ripped shingles off the roof and broke windows as firefighters struggled to get the fire under control. A ladder truck was used to douse the roof from above.

Once the blaze was contained, firefighters took a break to determine if the building was structurally sound. McPherson said the home was probably not safe for workers to enter.

No firefighters were injured in the blaze, avoiding heat exhaustion on a day when temperatures soared into the 80s. Firefighters, who remained at the home late into the night, could be seen sprawled on the hilly lawn, taking a break from the heat. Cases of Gatorade were brought in to combat dehydration.

"We have one of the higher houses," Tom Missert said. "I'm thankful it wasn't ours."

"It's a shame," added neighbor Kevin Edwards, who noted there was a large brush fire nearby just last year, burning about 60 acres on the Windham-Pelham line. "I was watching the lightning out of my back window when I saw all the smoke."

Edwards said there is a lot of iron in the hill on which their homes are built, causing some neighbors to have levels of the mineral in their water. "I figured sometime we'd get whacked," he said.

The owners' son, who would not give his name, said he called his parents to give them the bad news. They were due back from their vacation Sunday, but rescheduled their flight to return home as soon as possible.

When asked how his parents handled the news, he had just one word.

"Distraught."

Voters OK 16 percent spending increase at Town Meeting

2007-05-10T18:47:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, May 10, 2007
By Cyra Master

CHESTER | Voters gathered last night for Town Meeting and approved 15 warrant articles, authorizing the spending of $3,638,271 in the upcoming year.

After adding the cost of the warrant articles to the $3.2 million operating budget, Budget Committee Chairwoman Rhonda Lamphere announced that the town would increase its spending 16 percent in the next year.

Among the most expensive measures adopted was $100,000 to replace the furnace and boilers in the municipal complex and $50,000 to repair the exterior of Stevens Memorial Hall.

But it was the less-costly items that provoked the most debate.

An article that proposed spending $21,323 to hire and train a full-time firefighter/emergency medical technician was moved to the top of the agenda and amended to convert a current part-time officer into a full-time employee. The article was voted on by ballot and approved 106-55.

The fire chief and two firefighters spoke in favor of the addition to the department.
"I am in shock, as a professional firefighter, at some of the equipment they have to deal with," said Mark Munroe, a town resident who also is a lieutenant with Massport Fire and Rescue.

The Fire Department's budget will increase 18 percent, mostly due to the need to replace equipment.

Residents voted 112-51 to spend $13,900 on the numbering of every house in town as part of an emergency services plan.

Voters, almost unanimously, adopted the New Hampshire Climate Change Resolution, which supports national action to address climate change.

A proposal to spend $250,000 to repair the Wason Pond Dam was reduced to $75,000 after the Budget Committee announced the town was close to meeting the "10 percent rule." The total amounts approved in warrant articles cannot exceed more than 10 percent of the budget. The $75,000 will pay for an engineering study and some repairs.

Voters adopted nearly every article on the ballot, tabling only a measure to raise $50,000 to improve the interior of Stevens Memorial Hall. Selectman Jack Cannon said the board will seek the money next year to "spruce up" the building for its 100th birthday in 2009.

The four-hour meeting adjourned about 11 p.m. Earlier in the evening, there were about 200 registered voters at the town complex, but by the end of the night, that number had dwindled to about 90.

Warm weather sparks fire danger across state

2007-05-09T19:02:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, May 9, 2007
By Cyra Master

A brush fire on English Range Road in Derry yesterday afternoon ravaged 2<1/2> acres before firefighters could get the blaze under control.

The fire broke out at 3:30 p.m. on a day when the entire state was warned of extreme fire danger.

The New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands cautioned that high temperatures, low humidity and gusty winds would make outdoor fires unpredictable and dangerous statewide.

While large brush fires on the West Coast usually make headlines in the summer, April and May are the most dangerous months in New England, said Brad Simpkins, chief of forest protection for the state.

"That span between when all the snow melts but before things green up," Simpkins said. "There's a lot of dry fuel on the ground from last fall and the sun is able to get down on the forest floor."

It took six towns and at least 40 people to get the blaze in Derry under control, said fire Chief George Klauber.

"We've been expecting it all day," Klauber said at the scene. The Fire Department rescheduled some training seminars so it would have enough personnel available if, or when, a brush fire was reported.

"It may seem like overkill but it's not," Klauber said. "We need as many men on the scene as soon as possible."

There was concern that the high winds would cause the fire to spread to residential areas. It came within three-eighths of a mile of homes on English Range Road and Buttonwood Drive.

A pattern of dry days with unseasonably low humidity and bright sunshine contributed to the fire danger, drying out tree stumps and fallen logs and making fires burn longer and larger.

"The wind is just like a blow-dryer and all those things combined have dried out fuels," Simpkins said.

A fire that started Monday afternoon in Chesterfield burned through the night, destroying 30 acres on Wantastiquet Mountain in western New Hampshire. Simpkins said the state only sees a handful of fires that large each year.

The causes of both fires are unknown, but Simpkins and Klauber said they were likely due to people in the woods.

"Ninety-five percent of our fires are caused by humans, unlike in the West where there are a lot of lightning strikes," Simpkins said.

The most common causes include unattended or improperly extinguished campfires and smoking materials. Juveniles playing with matches or lighters and off-road vehicles also can cause dangerous sparks.

New Hampshire experiences about 500 brush fires a year, and only about 24 of those are caused by natural elements such as lightning, Simpkins said.

The best way to play Smokey Bear and prevent outdoor fires is caution, fire officials said. People are required to apply for burn permits at their local fire departments, where an officer will outline rules and safety tips.

Londonderry Fire Marshal Mark Tetreault advises residents to get their permits the day they plan to burn, so they get the most current safety information.

On high danger days such as yesterday, considered a Category 5 day, a person asking for a permit would be told no burning is allowed.

"Category 5 is the highest fire danger so anything | if somebody throws a cigarette out a window | it would likely start a fire," Tetreault said.

Even items commonly found at home such as charcoal grills become a hazard. Residents should keep grills away from grass and brush, and should wet the area around the grill as an extra precaution, Tetreault said.

"The important thing is not to take these things for granted. A small fire in these conditions can grow rapidly and have devastating effects," Klauber said.

Fire warnings are expected to continue through much of the week.
"It we get rain, that will lower the danger, but in the long term as the woods green up, the fire danger goes down," Tetreault said.

The National Weather Service is reporting a 40 percent chance of rain Friday.

Richardson encounters scrutiny in Salem

2007-05-07T18:49:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, May 7, 2007
By Cyra Master

SALEM | Presidential candidate Bill Richardson faced some tough questions last night when he stopped by a local house party.

A 92-year-old woman asked what he planned to do about the wasteful spending that has cut into Social Security.

A physician in the audience challenged him to provide specifics on a universal health care program and offered to provide his staff with the details of her own suggestion.

About 50 people gathered at the home of Salem Democrats member Beth Roth to meet the governor of New Mexico. Richardson spent about an hour with the crowd, outlining his plan for the presidency and answering questions.

"This is how I campaign," Richardson said. "I don't come in for big rallies and leave."

Richardson outlined his first six days in the White House if elected, briefly addressing the war in Iraq, energy consumption, education and health insurance.

But the abbreviated stump speech was not enough for some voters, who pressed him for specific details.

Freda Smith, 79, of Salem held up her father's citizenship certificate and questioned Richardson on illegal immigration.

"My father came the right way," said Smith, whose father emigrated legally from Poland. "Let them come the right way."

Looking tired but at ease, Richardson answered Smith's question and others put to him, jumping a bit from subject to subject and joking with the crowd. He said he planned to attend as many house parties as possible, especially in New Hampshire.

"You test people, you scrutinize us. You look in our eyes," Richardson said. "I like the tough questions."

Many of the people present said they did not know who they will vote for in the primary next year. But as the afternoon came to a close, it was clear that Richardson had held the attention of his audience.

"He's down to earth, sincere and genuine," Smith said. "I like a lot of what he had to say, but my big concern remains immigration."

Lynne Snierson of Salem, a student of politics, said she has been researching the candidates and seeing them speak as often as possible. Snierson said she already has her field narrowed down to two candidates: Barack Obama and Richardson.

"The more I see of him, the more I like him," Snierson said of Richardson. "His qualifications are spectacular."

Richardson served as secretary of energy and ambassador to the United Nations under President Clinton. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four times and is serving his second term as governor of New Mexico.

Roth, who invited Richardson to her home, has also hosted other candidates, including John Edwards.

"The media just looks at the top (candidates)," Roth said. "We need to get to know everyone in the field."

She said she plans on hosting more candidates as the year goes on.

"The good news about the Democrats is everyone in the field is qualified," Roth said.
Hampstead Middle School teacher Katie Wolff questioned Richardson about the federal No Child Left Behind Act and extended an invitation to visit her eighth-grade history class.

"It's good to appreciate the first-in-the-nation primary and an opportunity to meet the candidates and ask the tough questions," Wolff said.

Ann Spires, the doctor from Haverhill who challenged Richardson to consider a single-provider plan for universal health insurance, said she plans to attend as many house parties as she can.

"It's a good way to figure out who the candidates are and get a better idea of their platform, or if they have one," Spires said. "I don't always vote 'Democrat' but in this field, I'll be able to find someone to vote for."

Still plenty of presidential candidates; Fundraising hasn't whittled primary field

2007-05-03T18:13:00.000-04:00

Eagle-Tribune, May 3, 2007
By Cyra Master

They hail from Arkansas and Alaska, New York and New Mexico, all competing for the highest office in the nation. The 20 candidates come from 17 states, bringing different platforms - and disproportionate bankrolls - to the race.

And despite early speculation that the millions of dollars raised in the first quarter by front-runners would force lesser-known candidates out of the race, just two of the 22 original candidates have dropped out.

But local political analysts say that having 20 candidates is not unusual in an open field.

"It does seem like a lot, but it's not unprecedented, especially in a race that's so open," said Dante Scala, a political science professor at St. Anselm College. "What is unusual is that ... you have not one prominent front-runner, but two or three that are very prominent."

Those with name recognition - Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards - will make it difficult for other Democratic candidates to raise money and move forward, Scala said.

"If you're a Bill Richardson, a Chris Dodd or a Joe Biden, you're facing not just one front-runner, but, in essence, three," Scala said.

The proliferation of big-name candidates could cause problems for both sides, agreed political scientist Andy Smith.

"It's the people in the middle, the Joe Bidens, Chuck Hagels, Chris Dodds, that have national stature, but have to decide what to do," said Smith, the head of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. "People like (Dennis) Kucinich don't expect to win. They're here to make their ideas on positions known, so they can go in there and campaign without much money."

Analysts predict that the 2008 election will be the most expensive in history. In the first quarter alone, Clinton, Obama and Mitt Romney each raised more than $20 million.

But with about eight months until the New Hampshire primary, there is little between now and then to force second-tier candidates out of the race.

"With the increasing number of debates, the intense media coverage ... there is a lot of opportunity for other candidates to get their message out," said Dean Spiliotes, research director for the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

At some point, the media will focus on the lesser-known candidates, if only to have something new to add to the story, he said.

"I think a lot of candidates probably calculate that, for better or worse, 2008 is (their) shot," Spiliotes said.

The 2008 general election will be the first since 1928 in which neither a sitting president nor a sitting vice president will run.

So what will narrow the field before New Hampshire and Iowa?

"No money and no movement in the polls," Smith said.

Second-quarter fundraising reports are due at the end of June and may push some candidates to withdraw, Smith said. Other factors, like the closely watched Iowa straw poll in August, may also have an effect.

Until then, the field is full. Tonight's GOP debate will feature 10 candidates. To manage time in last week's Democratic debate, the moderator asked the eight politicians to answer some questions by a show of hands.

The reality, Spiliotes said, is that voters can only pay so much attention to that many people.

"It doesn't move the campaign narrative forward in terms of any great depth," Spiliotes said.

However, the benefit of having so many horses in the race is the range of positions that come to light.

"These candidates ... can have a big impact on what people will talk about, particularly if they have support from some activist portion of the base," Spiliotes said.

Former Alaskan Sen. Mike Gravel grabbed headlines after last week's debate when he said Congress should pass a law making it a felony to stay in Iraq.

"At some level, it prevents the top candidates from controlling the campaign discourse, particularly in these large cattle call debates," Spiliotes said.

At the end of the day, however, it comes down to one question.

"Is it financially viable to continue a campaign?" Scala said. "At some point, a politician will say, 'If I want to have a career in politics, does a continued run damage my reputation?'"

Candidates will spend a good deal of time this summer in money states like California and New York.

"Part of it is that they are really concentrating on where the money is, as much as where the early votes are, and the money is not in New Hampshire," Scala said.

But as the year progresses, the Granite State will become more of a focus for candidates hoping to gain recognition in the first-in-the-nation primary. Some, like Clinton, Richardson and Tom Tancredo are already averaging one visit per month. Richardson and Romney are already running television ads to maintain a presence, Smith said.

While many states have moved up their primaries or caucuses, Smith said the importance of the New Hampshire primary will not be diminished.

"When these voters start paying attention after Iowa and New Hampshire, there's only going to be a week or so (before the next primary)," Smith said. "Think of how much momentum the candidate that wins New Hampshire will have. The perception is that whoever wins is going to be the winning candidate and people like to back a winner."

Name - Party - Number of N.H. visits
Joe Biden D 3
Sam Brownback R 1
Hillary Clinton D 6
John Cox R 8
Chris Dodd D 5
John Edwards D 6
James Gilmore R 2
Rudy Giuliani R 3
Mike Gravel D 4
Mike Huckabee R 4
Duncan Hunter R 5
Dennis Kucinich D 5
John McCain R 3
Barack Obama D 4
Ron Paul R 1
Bill Richardson D 6
Mitt Romney R 7
Joe Schriner Independent 0
Tom Tancredo R 8
Tommy Thompson R 1
Source: Campaign spokesmen

House OKs mandatory seat belt bill

2007-04-06T19:39:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, April 6, 2007
By Cyra Master

New Hampshire is one step closer to joining the rest of the country after the House narrowly passed a bill yesterday that would make seat belt use mandatory in nearly every situation.

After a 153-140 vote, the bill moves to the Senate for further discussion.
Under House Bill 802, police would be able to pull over and ticket drivers for not wearing seat belts. First-time offenders would be charged $50; subsequent offenses would cost $100 each. Passengers in taxis and buses are exempt.

"I think it's necessary," said Rep. David Dalrymple, R-Salem, a member of the House Transportation Committee. "It's for our own good, it's a safety issue." Under current law, anyone under 18 is required to wear a seat belt.

The committee has heard many similar bills in the past, said Rep. Robert Williams, D-Concord, the panel's vice chairman. But he said public opinion has been shifting and the Departments of Safety and Transportation, the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, and many hospital workers supported the legislation this year.

"People in the health care field and various hospitals have become more vocal because they're so aware firsthand of what happens in car accidents and how so often a seat belt would make the difference, either to save the life or to reduce the injury," Williams said.

While supporters of the bill seemed eager for the state to join the rest of the country in requiring seat belt use, opponents said New Hampshire is abandoning its "Live Free or Die" ideals.

"This is a sad day for the citizens of New Hampshire," said Rep. Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry.

Packard, a nine-term legislator, said he was unhappy with the vote's outcome, but not surprised. In his many years in Concord, he has opposed several similar bills, which have ultimately failed. This year, Packard thinks the bill will become law because of the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.

"I don't believe that the citizens of New Hampshire have to be told that they have to wear a seat belt," Packard said. "I believe they know that it is a good idea, but I do not believe the government should be stepping in every part of our lives when it comes to personal responsibility and personal safety."

But advocates of the bill say New Hampshire's voluntary seat belt use is at about 64 percent | the lowest in the nation. If the bill becomes law, Williams predicts that number will increase by about 10 percent in the first year of enforcement.

"It's a safety issue," said Plaistow Deputy police Chief Kathleen Jones.

Every other state in the nation, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and every province in Canada have mandatory seat belt laws.

"It will be a change for New Hampshire to have this law enacted," said Kingston police Chief Donald Briggs. "I think in the long run it's going to be a good thing. It will reduce injuries and save lives."

If enacted, the legislation would be a "primary" law | enforceable on its own merits. In states where there is a "secondary" law, including Massachusetts, drivers can only be ticketed for not wearing seat belts when pulled over for another infraction.

A proposed amendment would have made it a secondary law, but that was voted down. The House also killed a bill that would have banned the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.

A 2002 study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that seat belt use in states with primary laws was 80 percent, compared with 69 percent use in states without primary laws. In 2003, only 18 states had primary seat belt laws.

"New Hampshire is the last state in the union, maybe in North America, to not have a restraint law and our death and injury rates are among the highest per capita in the country," said police Chief James Valiquet of Bradford.

Valiquet is the president of the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, which supported the bill throughout the debate in the House.

"Manufacturers are doing their part by putting seat belts in cars," Valiquet said. "All we need to do is to get people to buckle up."

Valiquet said a doctor from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center told him of the stark difference between accident victims from Vermont and New Hampshire.

"When people from Vermont got into accidents in New Hampshire, they were far less serious because they stayed buckled up," Valiquet said.

Opponents of the bill agree that seat belts save lives but said state government is overstepping its bounds.

"Car manufacturers have installed alarms in all cars to remind you to buckle your seat belt, so anybody who doesn't is making a conscious decision as an adult not to do it," said Sen. Mike Downing, R-Salem. "I agree that seat belts save lives ... however, I still think it should be the choice of the individual. You can't legislate common sense."

Downing, a former police officer, said he thinks the bill will pass in the Senate, but fears it will be the beginning of "a slippery slope."

"You're taking away the innovative spirit that this state has always had," Downing said.

He won't support the bill when it reaches the Senate.

Colin Manning, press secretary for Gov. John Lynch, said, "The governor believes seat belts save lives and he'll be talking to lawmakers about the bill."

If passed, the law would take effect immediately.

School Board picks new chairman, agrees to mediation

2007-04-04T19:31:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, April 4, 2007
By Cyra Master

WINDHAM | The School Board has a new chairman, but Al Letizio's election was not without the drama that has become the norm for the board over the past year.

Letizio and Barbara Coish both received two votes for the position from their colleagues. But Bruce Anderson, who chaired his final meeting last night, refused to cast his tie-breaking vote until the board agreed to attend a mediation session on how to work together.

"I have tried every way I knew how to try to bring this group back together," Anderson said. "If you want me to cast my vote tonight, then you have to agree (to mediation)."

Coish, who served as vice chairman for the past year, was nominated by Beverly Donovan. The two have often been the dissenting minority on the five-member board, especially leading up to the March Town Meeting.

Coish and Donovan supported a warrant article, referred to as Option A, that would have allowed for construction of a new high school with no tax impact. Anderson, Letizio and Beth Valentine supported Option C, which would have added a variety of facilities and would have cost about $7 million.

Voters ultimately adopted Option B, a compromise that will cost about $3 million.
While Anderson acknowledged the vice chairman usually takes over the role of chairman when positions change, he ultimately cast his vote for Letizio.

"Barbara, I love you, but I think it's difficult when the vice chair does some of the things you did during the election," Anderson said.

Coish and Donovan were often vocal and up-front about their opposition to Option C. At previous meetings, Coish said she thought the school expansion could wait for a few years until the extra space was needed.

The superintendent of schools, Elaine Cutler, supported Anderson's suggestion of group mediation.

"No one's really saying anything new," Cutler said, interrupting several minutes of discussion between Donovan and Valentine, who nominated Letizio. "You really do need to work as a board."

The board members laughed as they continued to disagree: Letizio said he wanted Anderson to vote at the meeting and Coish said she would like him to wait.

Business Administrator Brian Gallagher weighed in on the timeframe for the vote.

"In order to look to the future, you need leadership," Gallagher said. "New leadership could begin the healing and that could begin tonight."

Anderson cast his vote only after the four other board members agreed to the mediation. Cutler said she would try to set something up within the next two weeks.
Valentine and Donovan were nominated for the vice chairmanship. Valentine won in a 3-2 vote.

Letizio and Valentine will take on their new duties immediately.

"This is not to make every vote 5-0," Anderson said. "It's to make people respect each other and respect the board."

Londonderry man arrested after passing out in display bed

2007-03-20T20:40:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, March 20, 2007
By Cyra Master

LONDONDERRY | A 20-year-old man who stumbled into Sears Essentials and passed out on one of the bed displays was arrested Sunday morning, police said.

Police responded to the store at 5 Garden Lane around 9:45 a.m. and spoke to an employee who said a man had "walked into the store bleeding, stumbled over to a bed, got in and went to sleep," police Capt. Bill Hart said.

Michael James Depiero of 86 Hovey Road appeared to be drunk and was placed in custody, Hart said.

The responding officers recognized Depiero from a domestic disturbance earlier that day. Police had responded to 86 Hovey Road at about 7:15 a.m. for a disturbance between Depiero and his father. Once things had calmed down on Hovey Road, Depiero left with his girlfriend and the couple got into an argument in her car.

Depiero told police he jumped out of his girlfriend's car during the argument, causing his injuries, Hart said. He had minor lacerations and abrasions.

During a routine search, a small amount of marijuana was found on him. Depiero was charged with internal possession of alcohol and possession of a controlled substance. He was released on $500 personal recognizance and will appear in court April 1.

Father, and mother, know best? Bill would let parents of twins make classroom-placement decisions

2007-03-19T20:48:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, March 19, 2007
By Cyra Master

Jared and Nicole Withrow's daughters aren't just twins | they're best friends.
So when the Derry family moved across town as the 7-year-olds prepared to enter second grade, their parents wanted them in the same class, which they had been in preschool and first grade.

"They do well together and get a bit anxious when they're apart," Nicole Withrow said.

But when they enrolled the children at Barka Elementary School, Principal Daniel LaFleur said it was his custom to separate twins, the Withrows said. They met several times with school officials and provided two notes from doctors before LaFleur relented, they say.

In an effort never to repeat their summer of anxiety, the Withrows have joined a group of supporters of the Twin Bill, which passed a state Senate vote March 8 and is headed to the House.

Similar to a 2005 Minnesota law, the legislation would allow parents of multiples in elementary school to decide with the school if their children should share a classroom. A principal could deny a request after meeting with parents only if he or she believed the placement would be disruptive to the class.

While LaFleur said it never was a policy to separate twins at the school, in his experience he's seen children bloom on their own. But a number of factors prompted him this year to begin meeting with parents to make placement decisions, and to support the Twin Bill.

"It's a great way for parents and administrators to dialogue with one another," LaFleur said. "I think those placements should be decided on a one-to-one basis."

Identity crisis?
As at Barka Elementary, most local schools leave placement of twins up to the principal, according to administrators.
Londonderry Superintendent Nathan Greenberg said his district doesn't have a written policy, but many factors, including balanced classes in terms of size, gender and achievement level, are considered in student placement.

"Parents always try to have the best interest of their children at heart, but I think providing a special set of rules for a particular group of students may not best serve an entire class or particular grade level," Greenberg said.

Trisha Korkosz, a mother of 5-year-old twins from Hooksett, began researching twin separation after reading about the Minnesota law. A member of the Queen City Mothers of Twins Club, she quickly found a number of other parents with similar concerns and began to work with legislators to draft a bill.

Korkosz said many educators believe separating twins is good for their developing identities. But recent studies show that separating twins at age 5 can cause short-term problems, said Dr. Rachel Franklin, who has written in support of legislation like the Twin Bill.

"By third or fourth grade, 99 percent want to be separated. They want to be able to have their own friends," Korkosz said. "The problem comes in when it happens before they're emotionally ready for it."

Twin theories
As the mother of adult twins, Nancy Barcelos, assistant principal at Danville Elementary school, has seen the issue from both sides.

When her daughters were young they were in the same readiness class, not because she requested it, but because there was only one class. It worked out fine, she said, but she believes it's important to consider twin placement on a case-by-case basis.

"My personal belief from a mother's point of view and an educator's point of view is
that it's best to separate them," she said. "They will always have a special bond, but they will not be able to go through life together all the time."

Allison Rowe, mother of twins Isaac and Isabelle, 7, supports the bill and has a similar view to Barcelos. She chose to separate her children in the first and second grades at Derry Village Elementary.

"We just wanted them to be seen as individuals and have a chance to get their own friends," Rowe said, noting that one of her children has a tendency to be more dominant. "The school system was very supportive when I went to talk to them, but I think that's not always true, and that's what we want, for parents to be able to have that option."

Derry Village Principal Stephen Miller said the school has no written policy on the placement of twins.

"It all depends on the kids," he said. "(Separation) is probably a debatable issue, but if everybody is working toward the good of the child, then we're all doing the right thing."

Isaac and Isabelle Rowe said they like being in different classes at school.

"We see each other at lunch and recess," Isaac said.

"And at assemblies sometimes," Isabelle added.

After school there is plenty of time to do their homework and play together.

The Rowes' neighbor, Denise Unkles, is also a mother of twins who supports the bill. And she, too, separated her 7-year-old sons, Dave and Jake, so they could make their own friends.

"The feeling with our twins was they needed not to have to compete with each other in the same class," she said. "Even though they're twins, they're different."

Barcelos said elementary school should be a good time to separate twins because it's a place where children can take risks.

"If they step out and find out it wasn't the right choice for them, there's always someone in an elementary school to support or guide them," Barcelos said. "It makes more sense for us to empower kids to make choices when they're younger."

Senate Bill 78: The Twin Bill
Primary sponsor: Sheila Roberge, R-Bedford
What the bill says: Schools may not have a policy to automatically separate or place twins together. Parents of elementary school twins may request placement status 60 days before school starts. The principal can deny the request only after meeting with parents and determining the placement would be disruptive.
Status: Passed Senate unanimously March 8. Moving to the House in the next few weeks.

Studies on separation
The Tully Report, which studied 878 pairs of twins, found that separated twins ages 5 to 7 had poorer reading scores and more behavioral problems than twins who were kept together in school.
Dr. Rachel M. Franklin, an Oklahoma-based doctor, says the separation of twins at age 5 results in short-term behavioral disturbances and impaired reading skills. In the long term, there is no appreciable difference.
In an Australian study, 20 percent to 25 percent of twins separated in elementary school were reunited within a year due to academic or emotional problems.

McCain optimistic about war in Iraq; Local residents not so sure

2007-03-19T19:33:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, March 19, 2007
By Cyra Master

WINDHAM | As he addressed the Greater Hudson Chamber of Commerce last night, Sen. John McCain saved the most touchy subject for the end of his speech.

"Iraq is hard and tough and frustrating and saddening," the Arizona Republican said at the organization's 38th annual awards dinner at the Castleton Banquet and Conference Center in Windham. "This war has been very badly mismanaged, but now we have a new strategy and a new general, and I think we can succeed."

McCain won New Hampshire's Republican primary in 2000. But one of the biggest issues of the current presidential campaign, the war in Iraq, may shift some of his support.

"If the war goes well, he'll win," said Sandra Ziehm of Hudson, one of about 175 people who attended the dinner. "If it doesn't, he may not fare as well."

The midterm election defeat of the state's two longtime Republican congressmen and the election of vocal anti-war candidate Carol Shea-Porter marked a change in New Hampshire.

"The Democrats got in because of the war," said Jean Serino of Hudson, referring to the midterm elections nationwide. Serino said she thinks McCain's support of the war and President Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq will hurt his chances in New Hampshire.

"To say we are fighting evil, that's one of the reasons we're in this mess," Serino said. "Making a whole group of people evil and we're the good guys, I'm surprised he would say something so ... that's what Bush has been saying."

While other big-name candidates such as Hillary Clinton and John Edwards have already made several stops in the Granite State, this past weekend marked McCain's first time back since announcing his bid for the presidency.

He wrapped up his trip in Windham after a town meeting in Exeter, a house party in Dover, and several other stops in the last few days.

McCain said his latest trip to New Hampshire was "great," adding that he got to see a lot of old friends on the campaign trail.

He addressed Iraq briefly, saying that given time, the United States will win the war. But he warned that it will cost more lives and take time. Today marks the fourth anniversary of the war.

"If we withdraw, there will be chaos, there will be genocide, and ... they will follow us home," said McCain, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. "At the end of the day, it's not only military, it's the hearts and minds thing."

Asked if politicians in Washington are underestimating the threat of radical Islam, the only Iraq-related question he fielded, McCain said many people have become complacent.

"The Bush administration deserves some credit," he said, noting that many experts thought there would have been another terrorist attack on American soil by now.

Addressing the deep divide in politics, McCain said he can't remember a time when Washington has been more partisan and bitter.

"Presidents don't lose wars, parties don't lose wars. Nations lose wars, and when nations lose, the nation suffers," McCain said. "Give us a chance there."

While his support for the war drew raised eyebrows from some in the audience, many more people said they think McCain's honesty and experience will serve him well.

"I think his military experience is going to supersede all that," said Nancy Paulson of Nashua.

State Sen. Robert Clegg, R-Hudson, said the most important part of McCain's speech was the question he answered about Islamic extremists.

"He speaks from the heart," Clegg said. "John McCain is telling people the truth (about Iraq.)"

Following his speech, in which he also touched upon education, health care and immigration, McCain said he doesn't think about his stance on the war in political terms.

"I don't think about it, I don't worry about it. It's too important an issue to affect, for my political ambitions to affect my position," he said. "I would rather lose a campaign than a war."

E-mail on high school causes rift on School Board

2007-03-07T20:51:00.000-05:00

Eagle Tribune, March 7, 2007
By Cyra Master

WINDHAM | A School Board member's e-mail raising questions about high school construction costs caused a stir at last night's board meeting after portions were posted on a local Web site.

The board approved placing three high school warrant articles on the March 13 ballot, giving voters three options to choose from.

In the e-mail, board member Beverly Donovan said she can only support option A, which would not increase the tax impact of the $43.8 million project. Options B and C would raise the cost and the tax impact by increasing the school's capacity and adding some amenities.

Chairman Bruce Anderson, who favors option C, disputed nearly every one of the 12 points Donovan raised in her e-mail, calling on representatives from Lavallee/Brensinger Architects and Harvey Construction to back him up.

Donovan said she had no involvement in the Web site and did not know how her e-mail, which she said was private correspondence sent to a friend, had been circulated.

The discussion of the e-mail and the Web site, www.windhamjaguars.com, which board member Al Letizio said "stole" its name from the school district, became heated at times.

"It's terribly irresponsible to participate in that type of forum," Letizio said.

"I didn't know lynching was going to be on the agenda," Donovan said. "The message I'm hearing loud and clear is that option A is not an option at all. ... Those are my observations and my opinions that someone spread, but maybe it's a good thing if anything comes of this."

One point of contention was the proposed multipurpose field that would be used for physical education classes.

"This one is most humorous!" Donovan's e-mail reads. "I asked Anne Dodd of Harvey what we would have in the same area shown on the plan as a 'practice field' if we don't vote for it. Guess what? It is going to be a grass field regardless of what label it carries. Grass field either way! It was always planned as a grass field. But, by calling it a 'practice field' we can attach a price tag of $200k."

Dodd was at the meeting and addressed the issue.

"I was misquoted, and I am not happy about it," she said. "There is a huge difference between a lawn and a practice field."

The practice field will be constructed to withstand constant use, while a lawn might not even be completely flat, Dodd said.

"We didn't just pull numbers out of the air," Anderson said.

Anderson also said the Web site contained information that was "factually wrong" about the proposed upgrades to the high school.

The anonymously posted site compares the Windham project to similar projects in Sanborn, Bedford and Exeter, all of which were less expensive.

Representatives from both companies said the comparison is unfair because of inflation, discrepancies in size and other factors.

"If you're trying to compare them as apples to apples, you're going to come up with some misconceptions," said Carl Dubois, the director of project planning.

Woman burned trying to save cat from fire

2007-02-22T21:12:00.000-05:00

Eagle Tribune, Feb. 22, 2007
By Cyra Master and Shelley Thompson

DERRY | A Brenda Drive woman suffered serious injuries early yesterday when she ran back into her burning mobile home to save her cat.

Charlene Carr, 52, was taken by Londonderry fire ambulance to Elliot Hospital. From there she was MedFlighted to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was in fair condition last night, a hospital spokesman said.

Chuck Handy, Carr's next-door neighbor, followed Carr's ambulance to Elliot Hospital and visited her before she was transferred to Boston. He said she had burns on her feet, arms and neck and was suffering from smoke inhalation.

When the fire broke out at 39 Brenda Drive about 1:30 a.m., Carr fled barefoot and with just a long coat on and ran to another neighbor's house, where she called the Fire Department. She then went back inside her home to save her cat, Handy said, but could not find the animal.

When firefighters arrived, they saw heavy flames in the 40-by-10-foot mobile home. They extinguished the fire, but the mobile home and its contents were a total loss, Derry fire Battalion Chief David Hoffman said.

Handy said that when he first heard the commotion yesterday morning, he thought it was a neighbor having a party. When he went outside, he saw the firetrucks and the flames, which were so high they singed the trees above Carr's home.

"Everything was completely lost," Handy said. "She's in such a state, totally penniless."

The neighborhood spent much of the day looking for Carr's cat, but there was no sign of the animal.

"She was extremely close to the cat," especially after her father died last month, Handy said. Carr's father had lived with her, and the two were close.

Handy said he would call local animal shelters today to see if anyone had found the cat.

While he was searching yesterday, he came across the only thing that survived the fire: a family Bible.

Although the binding was broken and the edges of the pages were singed and crumbling, the text remained visible through the soot.

Handy bundled the pages and cover in a brown paper bag and told Carr's sister of his find.

"Her sister said it was her dad's and it meant a lot to (Carr) and her father," Handy said. "When I found the Bible, I knew she'd be OK."

Handy has set up the Charlene Carr Benefit Fund at Citizens Bank in Derry. Carr was unemployed.

"It will help her tremendously," he said. "It will help restore her faith and give her some hope."

Windham, Londonderry, Auburn, Chester and Hampstead fire departments assisted Derry firefighters at the scene. Other local departments provided station coverage.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. The department does not yet know if smoke detectors were in the home.

Millions at stake as Sanborn considers letting Fremont in

2007-01-26T20:47:00.000-05:00

Eagle Tribune, Jan. 26, 2007
By Cyra Master

KINGSTON | If Fremont wants to become part of the Sanborn Regional School District, it'll have to pay up.

Fremont would be expected to pay about $6.5 million to join the district, said Electra Alessio, chairwoman of a cooperative planning committee studying the proposal.

But committee members from Fremont have suggested paying only about $1 million, Alessio said.

The committee is trying to nail down the amount Fremont should pay to essentially buy into the Sanborn district, which now includes the towns of Kingston and Newton.

Fremont has a 20-year tuition contract to send its high school students to Sanborn. Fremont has also contributed millions to help build the new high school in Kingston | a $34 million project. If the cooperative district were approved by voters in both the Fremont and Sanborn districts, the money Fremont has already contributed as part of the tuition agreement would be credited back to the town.

The state assessed the property values of each district over the summer, and the value of Fremont's school property has been factored in to the $6.5 million suggested buy-in price, Alessio said.

"Sanborn feels that there should be some form of buy-in into the cooperative because we feel we have net value in the buildings we own, and we have more of them. It makes sense that Fremont would pay something to become part of the district," Alessio said.

At a committee meeting last Thursday, members passed 14 of the 17 Articles of Agreement that would create and govern the proposed district. A number of "housekeeping" issues were agreed upon, including transportation and the name of the school, said Linda Zukas, a committee member from Fremont.

The election and make up of the School Board and the breakdown of capital expenses are still under discussion, but the real sticking point lies in Article 15, which outlines how the net worth of current property will be calculated and divided.

"It's a big nut to get over, but I have to say that every member of the committee is working very hard to keep it moving forward, even if it's inches at a time, because we believe educationally it will be best for the kids in the three towns," Alessio said.

The committee, which includes members from Fremont, Kingston and Newton, will not meet again until the end of March, when it will look at samples of net-worth formulas from other districts. Alessio said she hopes the Articles of Agreement can be completed by the end of the school year.

The committee will present a final report in March 2008. If the recommendation is to add Fremont to the district, voters in all three towns would make the final decision on the March ballot. The measure would need a simple majority to pass.

Fishermen: Sink saltwater license proposal

2007-01-25T19:38:00.000-05:00

Eagle Tribune, Jan. 25, 2007
By Cyra Master

A proposal to raise revenue for the state's struggling Fish and Game Department by charging for saltwater fishing licenses was met with opposition at a public information session last night.

The marine recreational fishing license would generate new money for the department and would help the state keep track of saltwater anglers, something that will soon be required by federal law.

Nearly 100 commercial and recreational fishermen attended the informational session, held at the Elliot Alumni Center at the University of New Hampshire. After a brief presentation from Fish and Game Executive Director Lee Perry, members of the audience were given a chance to ask questions and voice their opinions on the proposed fee.

"Saltwater licenses work good down South, but up here it's a money issue," said Don Swanson of Derry. "They're looking at it as just another tax, another fee."

To balance its 2008-09 budget, Fish and Game would have to eliminate 28 full-time and 36 part-time positions from its staff of about 200, Perry said. But by charging charter boats and individual fishermen the department would be able to raise about $1 million.

The other benefit of the proposed fee is that it would address the Magnuson-Stevens Act, a new law that requires the federal government to create a registry of all marine recreational anglers. Marine anglers will be exempt from federal registration if their state has a licensing system.

But very few people who attended the informational session seemed to support the proposal.

"There's no question in my mind that this is a huge mistake. People aren't going to come here, they aren't going to spend their dollars here. You're talking about a lousy million dollars? It's a huge risk for the potential reward," said Doug Anderson who runs a fishing charter out of Portsmouth.

The main concern was that the state, in an effort to balance the Fish and Game Department's budget, was moving too quickly. The Atlantic coast states from North Carolina to Florida and the Gulf and Pacific coast states require licenses for saltwater fishing, but New Hampshire would be the first New England state.

"If you're going to push it here, how's that going to attract tourists and money? Nobody is on board. New Hampshire stands alone," Mark Godfroy of Seabrook said.

Godfroy said he had contacted Massachusetts and Maine to see if they are considering similar proposals and was told they were not. Perry disagreed and said that both states would be working on similar proposals in another year or two.

Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the federal government could begin charging for saltwater fishing licenses in 2011, said Glenn Normandeau, chairman of the Fish and Game Commission.

"It would benefit every state to go along with this program," Normandeau said. "No state is going to want to throw that revenue away."

Though the licensing program would allow Fish and Game to bring in revenue while keeping track of marine fishermen under the new federal guidelines, Perry admitted that even if the Magnuson-Stevens Act hadn't passed, the department would still be considering the fees.

Jim Timmins of Loudon was one of the few people who said he would not object to the proposal.

"I really love the sport, and I'm willing to pay my way," he said. "But I agree that the general public takes advantage of the scenery and beaches and should contribute as well."

Other ideas for raising money | from charging for kayak permits to online hunting registration fees | were suggested by the public. Perry said the saltwater licenses are not the only avenue the department is exploring.

The proposal presented to the public set the fee at $15 for a season pass or $5 for a day pass for residents and $30 a season or $10 for a day pass for nonresidents. Charter boats would pay $100 ($400 for nonresidents), and party boats would pay $300 ($500 for nonresidents). However, the bill will move through the House and Senate without specific dollar amounts to allow for flexibility, said John Nelson, Marine Division chief.

Locked out? Free help may be on the way

2006-11-30T20:21:00.000-05:00

Eagle Tribune, Nov. 13, 2006
By Cyra Master

Two weeks ago, Ann Evans spent a cold and rainy night on her porch, huddled under throw rugs with her three dogs.

Evans, 58, was locked out of her Derry home at 3 a.m. when she stepped outside to let her dogs out and accidentally let the locked door close behind her.

She then walked to her brother's house to call the Fire Department, assuming a firefighter would come to help her unlock the door. That's when she learned of the department's new policy allowing firefighters to respond to lockouts only in emergencies.

Evans returned to her house to be with her dogs and spent seven hours outside in her nightgown while she waited for a locksmith to arrive the next morning.

Derry Battalion Chief Mike Gagnon said the fire department's lockout policy changed over the summer. Unlike many other local departments, Derry will only assist in residential lockouts in an emergency, like when a child is locked inside alone or a stove is left on.

Frustrated by the ordeal, Evans said she would like to see the department redefine an "emergency situation," although she said she could understand the Fire Department referring callers to locksmiths during the day.

"If you've got a woman in the cold, in her nightgown, do you have an emergency situation? Do you leave her like that?" she asked.

While Plaistow has a similar emergency-only policy, most local towns will assist residents locked out of their homes or vehicles.

Salem fire Capt. Kevin Campbell said his department responds to about a dozen residential lockouts a year.

"We prefer people to call us in an emergency," he said, although the department will respond to all lockout calls.

Fire departments handle home lockouts because they have more equipment than police do to get inside, officials said.

In Windham, fire Lt. James Brown said his department usually finds a way in without doing any damage, whether it's climbing through an open window or using door spreading tools.

Unlike getting into a locked car | a service most local police departments offer for free | getting into a home doesn't require opening the lock.

Unlucky drivers who have found their keys locked in their cars may feel better if it happens in Atkinson, Chester, Danville, Kingston, Londonderry, Pelham, Windham or Sandown. Police in those towns have tools to unlock car doors and can save local drivers the $40 to $50 charge estimated by local locksmiths.

In Kingston, where police will help unlock cars and homes, police Chief Donald Briggs estimated the department gets one or two calls a week, on par with other departments.
Briggs said that having officers respond to lockouts doesn't interfere with day-to-day operations, and he noted that many of them are emergencies where children have been locked inside or the car has been left running.

Most departments have drivers sign a waiver before they attempt to pry open a car door. But the prospect of being held liable for damage is the reason the Derry Police Department only opens vehicle doors in emergencies, police Lt. John Muise said. Salem has the same policy.

In some towns, unlocking doors has been a tradition for years. Atkinson police Chief Philip Consentino said his department has spent the last 40 years helping owners locked out of their vehicles.

"It's a service," he said, estimating that a vehicle lockout costs about $50. "If we can provide that service free of charge, we're more than glad to do it."

But not everyone agrees with town lockout policies. Some locksmiths, like James Broadhurst of Salem, aren't pleased with the free ride. Broadhurst, president of the New Hampshire Locksmiths Association, said the issue is a hot topic at meetings and frequently shows up in trade magazines and on Web site message boards across the country.

"The government should not be competing with private enterprise," he said. "We're paying business taxes and having tax money competing against us."
Broadhurst said his business, EKeys4Cars, doesn't respond to many lockouts, and he said he has not been hurt by the policies. He said his concern is as a taxpayer, not as a business owner.

"If we have enough cops to go around unlocking people when 80 percent of them have some sort of (insurance) plan, we ought to lay some cops off," he said.

Numbers dwindling in Neighborhood Watch programs, but police and participants say crime's down under their patrol

2006-11-19T19:21:00.000-05:00

Eagle-Tribune, Nov. 19, 2006
By Cyra Master

Most nights, Robert Beaulieu checks out his neighborhood at Bangs Mobile Home Park in Derry.

Sometimes Beaulieu walks around with a flashlight. Other times he drives his truck around a 15-minute circuit, up and down the five roads in the park of about 100 trailers.

Sometimes his trek starts at 7 p.m. Other times, he's setting his alarm clock so he can hit the road by 3 a.m.

At that hour it's clearly no joy ride.

As a member of his local Neighborhood Watch group, Beaulieu, 39, is looking for things out of place, unfamiliar faces, strange cars, and generally patrolling the park's streets to make sure they are safe.

Around the country, people belonging to more than 2,000 registered Neighborhood Watch groups make commitments similar to Beaulieu's. The idea is that a community's residents have the highest investment in its safety, and so are in a position to be eyes and ears of local police departments.

Local police and participants believe in the programs and say crime diminishes in neighborhoods with watch groups, even as they struggle to keep groups active when issues that prompt their formation fade from the spotlight.

The national Neighborhood Watch program was created in 1972 to fight residential crime. In 2002, Neighborhood Watch and another group, USA on Watch, combined to centralize the program and track formation of groups that register with them.

"Often they form as a result of something that has happened in the community, whether it be an officer shot, a drug house on the corner, or somebody's child getting into trouble," said Robbi Woodson, a program manager for USA on Watch-Neighborhood Watch.

Such was the case in Beaulieu's Derry neighborhood when a group of 14 residents noticed an uptick in crime and strange cars in the area and decided to start the group.

The group, which has lost a few members since it began almost two years ago, schedules a rotation of daily patrols and paid for blue-and-white signs at the park entrance warning that all suspicious activity is reported to police.

Some of the group's members are retired and walk around the park once or twice a day in pairs, according to Barbara Moynihan, 73, one of the walkers.
Beaulieu, the sole night watchman, mixes up his patrol hours so they won't be predictable.

Other active groups in the area also began in response to specific incidents.
In Hampstead, Woodland Pond Neighborhood Watch began when residents complained of minor vandalism and juvenile pranks, like doorbells being rung late at night, said Hampstead Detective Ken Owen.

"Last winter there were cars broken into and vandalized, lots of cars speeding around," said Jeff Sullivan, president of the watch group. "It's a nice area and you wouldn't think you'd have these problems."

The Salem Safe Kids program started in 2005, after the 12-year-old son of resident David Grant was approached by a stranger. When two or three similar incidents were reported within a month, the group formed.

While most groups work with local law enforcement, only two in Rockingham County | Arlington Pond Neighborhood Watch and Salem Safe Kids | are registered with USA on Watch-Neighborhood Watch.

Statewide, only 22 currently are registered, Woodson said. Those that do register get access to support materials, informational packets and free bumper stickers.
Local police departments support the groups, designating an officer to meet with members to provide training and information. They say the groups have a positive impact, not only within their neighborhoods but also in building relationships between police departments and communities.

Officer Joyce Chadwell, a Derry police community relations officer, said she believes Beaulieu and Moynihan's Derry neighborhood group has been effective.

"As far as Barbara's case, it has quieted down in her area since the neighborhood watch," Chadwell said. "I think word got out and I think it helped them."
Beaulieu, a 30-year resident, is confident they've made a difference, too.
"Right now is the best it has been," Beaulieu said.

Sullivan believes Woodland Pond Neighborhood Watch in Hampstead also has made the area safer.

The group, formed last winter by Sullivan and a friend, patrols a subdivision of 105 homes. Members of 43 of the homes participate. They report to a street captain, who brings information to Sullivan and vice president Lori Felch. Then Sullivan and Felch decide which incidents should be reported to police.

"Since the inception it's been much safer," Sullivan said. "The speeding cars have slowed down. Loitering at the parks has come to an almost complete stop. It's just been good."

Police Detective Owen concurred, saying things have "really quieted down."
Like most groups, the Woodland Pond one posted signs, which can leave a permanent mark. That can be important, as groups do dissolve, especially as incidents that prompted their formation fade from the spotlight.

Salem Safe Kids once boasted 200 members on its e-mail list, and 20 or 30 people attended each meeting, member David Grant said. But attendance has dropped to two or three people and meetings are on hold for the time being.

"We met regularly for about three-quarters of a year, but as time passed, the memory of the incident in town became more distant," Grant said.

Woodson, from USA on Watch-Neighborhood Watch, said his organization has been trying to broaden the mission to keep groups alive.

"We encourage groups to go beyond crime prevention," Woodson said. "We try to provide information to continue their involvement and foster community relations and networks."

A Newton group that sprang up last summer after a registered sex offender began working at a florist shop in a residential neighborhood is broadening its mission.

The group, Newton Watch, has a core membership of eight people who meet monthly and work with the police, Parent Teacher Association, School Board and local government.

To date, Newton Watch has coordinated informational sessions with the Sad Cafe on topics like Internet safety, as well as setting up a demonstration on escape moves by a local martial arts teacher and two Safety Days.

This year's Safety Day at the Memorial School featured a K-9 demonstration by police and booths by a variety of groups raising awareness about drugs, child safety, Internet use and EEE.

In addition, the Molly Bish Foundation provided every child with a safety booklet, photograph and fingerprints.

Newton police Chief Larry Streeter says he's pleased the group is maintaining its momentum.

"I think any awareness group like this is a great bridge between the community and the Police Department, and it's worked very well for us," Streeter said.

In N.H., year-round measures keep children safe

2006-10-29T20:17:00.000-05:00

Eagle Tribune, Oct. 29, 2006
By Cyra Master

In a growing number of states this Halloween, legislators are turning their attention to a threat more serious than tainted chocolate or teenage mischief: sex offenders.

But while some states have policies to keep registered sex offenders away from trick-or-treaters on Halloween, New Hampshire officials are relying on year-round measures to keep children safe.

"We have our own internal sex offender registry and we try to keep a close eye on these subjects," Salem police Sgt. Eric Lamb said. "There's nothing special to enforce, just the normal vigilance we would keep with those individuals."

New Hampshire has no state law in place to prevent registered sex offenders from participating in Halloween activities, said Jeffrey Lyons, public information officer for the Department of Corrections.

But, Lyons said, parole officers in New Hampshire will be keeping an eye on offenders under their watch.

"Halloween night can be a very active night for law enforcement, and I'm sure our parole officers will be making sure offenders under their supervision are following their rules," Lyons said. "If that means unscheduled home visits or something of that nature, it will be carried out."

Parents: Know your neighborhood
Wendy Soldani, a Newton resident, said she isn't worried about her children ringing the wrong doorbell on Halloween.

"We go to neighborhoods where I know people and I don't let the kids go by themselves," she said. Even her 15-year-old son goes out with his younger siblings and his mother. "I always keep them at arm's reach."

But Soldani, 34, knows where the sex offenders in her neighborhood are. New Hampshire, as part of federal legislation known as Megan's Law, requires sex offenders to register their address with local law enforcement and makes that information available to the public. Many offenders are required to register for 10 years after they leave custody, while those with more serious convictions, including felonious sexual assault and kidnapping, must register for life.

State police keep a database of registered offenders and there are Web sites that produce maps of sex offenders around almost any address.

As of last April, there were 3,357 registered sex offenders in New Hampshire, according to the Web site of the Klass Kids Foundation, an organization founded after 12-year-old Polly Klass was kidnapped and murdered in California in 1993.
Though Steve Marshall, 35, of Salem said he hasn't consulted a sex offender database before venturing out on Halloween, his wife did map their neighborhood before they bought their house.

Heidi Gagnon, 37, of Pelham said that she had never thought to check out the neighborhood before she took her children out. Even though she knows the people where her family collects candy, she is aware that things aren't as safe as they once were.

"It's not like it was when I was a kid and we would go to different neighborhoods," Gagnon said.

Local police departments said they haven't see an increase in parents inquiring about their neighbors around Halloween, but many support the idea of preventing registered sex offenders from handing out candy.

"It's something that doesn't cross your mind, but makes perfect sense," Plaistow Detective Dorothy McGurren said.

Targeting offenders

Halloween policies in other states vary and many are pre-emptive measures enacted in the past two years. Under the restrictions, many registered sex offenders are subject to surprise visits from parole officers, barred from giving out candy, or even from answering the door during trick-or-treat hours.

Officials in one Ohio town planned to round up about 40 convicted sex offenders last week to keep them away from trick-or-treaters. And, in North Carolina, one county has ordered sex offenders to report to the courthouse during this year's trick-or-treat hours to watch an informational video, register address changes and learn about new sex-offender laws.

"What is effective (about a Halloween policy) is that it brings attention to the issue of sex offenders in the community, which makes this child-oriented holiday an ideal opportunity to be aware of the issue and to talk to children about staying safe the rest of the year," said Carolyn Atwell-Davis, director of legislative affairs for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

But Atwell-Davis said placing such an emphasis on one night may not be the best policy.

"On Halloween or any other night, nothing takes the place of parental supervision," she said.

Windham police Capt. Carl Wagner said the best way to protect children is to make sure they travel in groups and have an adult with them at all times.

Wagner said he couldn't recall any complaints in Windham of a child coming in contact with a sex offender on Halloween.

Meanwhile, state Rep. Marshall "Lee" Quandt, R-Exeter, said that in his 27 years of work as a probation/parole officer, the issue of Halloween restrictions never came up. But, if there were an interest in creating a statewide policy, he said it would be fairly easy to enact through the commissioner of the Department of Corrections.

"It could be as simple as a parole officer telling an offender, 'Look, you're a sex offender, you're registered, let's not encourage any issues or problems, in no way encourage any kids coming to your door,'" he said. "To be quite frank, I think the majority of them who are trying to get their life back together are going to say, 'Hey, thanks, I don't want any more trouble.'"

Quandt said parole officers working with local law enforcement is the best way to keep children safe, as they team up to keep track of offenders by driving by homes and talking to neighbors.

Quandt said he used to go out on the day of the Rose Bowl to check on his alcoholics, to see if they were drinking beer and watching the football game.

"You have that same situation," he said. "Any of your predatory sex offenders that you know may be at risk of re-offending, you stay on them like stink on roadkill."

Check the list
To find sex offenders in your neighborhood, go to www.familywatchdog.us.

Tears for a son, a brother, and a friend; Hundreds of mourners pay respects as Salem soldier is laid to rest

2006-10-18T20:13:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Oct. 18, 2006
By Cyra Master

SALEM | The mother and sister of Cpl. Nicholas Arvanitis clutched red roses, leaned against each other and wept as they said their final farewells to the fallen paratrooper.

More than 300 people attended Arvanitis' funeral, packing St. Joseph's Church. Many others later lined Main Street, holding flags and saluting a long procession that made its way through Salem.

The Salem Police Department and 103 motorcycles driven by the Patriot Guard Riders led the hearse and stream of cars to Pine Grove Cemetery.
Arvanitis was killed by enemy fire in Bayji, Iraq, on Oct. 6, a day after his 22nd birthday.

Arvanitis' sister Kimberly, a former Air Force police officer who also served in Iraq, choked back tears while speaking at the funeral. The crowd consisted of many uniformed military personnel, as well as friends, family and others who knew him.

Kimberly Arvanitis said she once saw her brother repeatedly jumping off his top bunk bed onto a beanbag chair, so he was destined to be a paratrooper, it seems, though that was not his original plan.

Nicholas Arvanitis joined the Army Rangers in 2003. But after a few weeks of training, his sister said, he decided they "weren't hard-core enough for him." He began training as a paratrooper.

Nicholas Arvanitis, a member of the 82nd Airborne, was deployed to Iraq in August and had spent a year in Afghanistan, beginning in November 2004.

He was offered a job as a recruiter before returning to Iraq, his sister said, but he turned it down because he wanted to serve with his unit.

"He wanted to be a major player in the war," Kimberly Arvanitis said. "Nick may have been my baby brother, but I looked up to him."

Nicholas Arvanitis' sense of duty struck others, too.

Ben Adams, a teacher at Salem High School, taught both Nicholas and Kimberly Arvanitis. He recalled talking with the teen about the war during his senior year. At the time, his sister was in Iraq.

"He was truly affected by the conflict and felt compelled to do something about it," Adams said. "I want to thank Nick for making me the student."

The last time Adams saw Nicholas Arvanitis was after his high school graduation in 2003, when he told his teacher he'd enlisted in the Army.

"He could see I had concerns because he was going to be in harm's way, and he said, 'Mr. Adams, it's something I have to do.' And he gave me that half smile, half grin," Adams said.

Marty Claussen, Salem High School's band director, remembers Arvanitis as a talented guitarist who became a key player in the school's jazz ensemble.
Claussen cited three traits: selflessness, the ability to connect with others and devotion. He then referred to the famous West Point speech by Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

"Duty, honor, country," he said. "I don't know if Nick ever heard that speech, but I do know that's how he lived his life."

The soldier's friends touched upon his lighter side, telling stories of the "Nick Arvanitis Experience."

"When we went out, I always thought it would be the first night we spent together in a cell," said Bill Croft, who played in a heavy metal rock band with Arvanitis.
"Like the quote says: A friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend is the one sitting next to you saying, 'That was awesome.'"

A chuckle rose up in the church as the crowd reacted to Croft's stories of late-night trips to Denny's and Arvanitis' penchant for mooning passing cars.

Bob Stickney, a fellow paratrooper and father of a longtime friend, expressed pride in watching Arvanitis grow up.

Stickney said Nicholas Arvanitis was like a son and later became like a brother. They both served in the 82nd Airborne, and Stickney said he enjoyed swapping jump stories with him.

Others in the crowd included Gov. John Lynch, Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., state Sens. Chuck Morse, R-Salem, and Robert Letourneau, R-Derry, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Coburn, Town Manager Henry LaBranche and Selectmen Chairman Mike Lyons.
Even those who did not know Arvanitis were able to watch him grow up in a slide show, from the time he was born to recent photos in Iraq.

Groups of people holding flags stood on the sidewalk from the church, past the fire station, Woodbury School and all the way to the cemetery.

The electric sign at Canobie Lake Park read "America Salutes Cpl. Nicholas Arvanitis: You will be remembered." Banners with similar messages hung from an overpass near Exit 1 on Interstate 93 South.

At the cemetery, members of the 82nd Airborne fired three shots. Two students from Salem High School played taps as soldiers from Arvanitis' unit conducted a flag ceremony.

The folded triangle was presented to his mother, Maureen, who stood graveside, supported by her daughter and parents.

Chaplain Lt. Col. Patrick D. Neal of the 82nd Airborne asked people to hold hands as the Rev. Art Pare of St. Joseph's read a prayer.

Neal pointed to the people leaning on one another in the cemetery as symbolic of the many people who were able to lean on Arvanitis in his short life.

Arvanitis is survived by his mother, Maureen, and sister, Kimberly, both of Manchester; his father, Richard, of Methuen, Mass.; his grandparents, Leonard and Rita Dill of Salem; and his grandmother Linda Arvanitis of Lawrence, Mass.

Salem native killed in Iraq

2006-10-09T20:05:00.000-04:00

Eagle-Tribune, Oct. 9, 2006
By Cyra Master

SALEM, N.H. - On Thursday, Cpl. Nicholas Arvanitis turned 22 while on a night mission in Iraq. As hours of his birthday dwindled away, Arvanitis and his unit faced a large firefight. With only half an hour left of the day, one of his fellow soldiers mashed together three fudge cookies and presented the small mound to Arvanitis. He took one bite and then passed around the makeshift cake to share with his team. That, said a fellow soldier in an e-mail to Arvanitis' family, is just the kind of guy he was.

The next day, Oct. 6, Arvanitis was killed by enemy fire while on a mission near Bayji, a city between Baghdad and Mosul in Northern Iraq. The Department of Defense has not released Arvanitis' name, but his sister confirmed his death yesterday.

Arvanitis grew up in Salem, N.H., and graduated from Salem High School in 2003. He was a star wrestler who also played guitar in the school jazz band. As a child he played Pop Warner football, Little League and soccer, his sister said, but his passion was music.

In high school he was in a heavy metal band that played at the Sad Cafe in Plaistow and he wanted to pursue a career in music after his time in the Army. He was a paratrooper for the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division based in Fort Bragg, N.C.

Arvanitis was on the high school wrestling team with Robert Moscillo, a Marine who died in May. Moscillo died while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was 21.

Kimberly Arvanitis said that when her brother heard of Moscillo's death, the first thing he did was contact his group of friends to make sure they were coping alright. It was, she said, just another sign of how close to his friends he was and how much they relied on each other.

A heavy metal enthusiast, Arvanitis loved to cover Pantera songs. Another soldier e-mailed Arvanitis' family to share a story. One night, just before their unit shipped out in August, a large group of soldiers went to a club. There was a live band playing and Arvanitis jumped onto stage, grabbed a guitar and began to play. He was playing so hard he dropped his pick, but he kept rocking, his friend wrote.

"My brother had so many sides," said his sister, Kimberly Arvanitis in an interview last night. "He touched so many people."

Arvanitis joined the Army before he turned 18 and had to have his mother sign forms to allow him to join. Both of his grandfathers served in the Navy, one in World War II. Two men he looked up to, his wrestling coach at Salem High School and one of his history teachers, were in the Army and Arvanitis "just followed their path," his sister said. "He loved being a soldier."

He knew what each tassel and ribbon on his uniform symbolized and was proud of the history of his unit. He once told his sister how awe-struck he was during an opportunity he had to meet World War II veterans from the 82nd Airborne.

"He said 'how do you talk to a hero?' and now he is one himself," she said. "He always found honor in wearing the uniform."

Arvanitis had recently gotten orders to become a recruiter and his sister said she pled with him to take the job and stay out of Iraq.

"He was dead set on going and nobody was changing his mind," said Kimberly Arvanitis, 24, who was an Air Force police officer and also served in Iraq. "He said 'I gotta go, I want to be with my men.'"

This was his second tour of duty. He was deployed to Afghanistan during the 2004 elections, at around the same time his sister was in Iraq. Their time in the region nearly overlapped but they never had a chance to serve together, something Kimberly Arvanitis said she regrets.

"He's the type of guy I'd want to serve with," she said. "He was such a great role model. Young guys looked up to him and leaders counted on him."

About 750 people from his base attended the memorial service held in Iraq and Arvanitis' roommate traveled with his body to Kuwait, just another sign of how important he was to his friends and his unit, his sister said. E-mails have poured in from soldiers in Iraq and friends in Salem.

Another soldier wrote that all the cliches people say when someone dies are "anything but cliche when I think about Nick."

Services are still being arranged, but Kimberly Arvanitis said she wants the end result to reflect the many facets of her brother's life. She has asked the Salem high school band to play "Taps," members of his unit to do a flag ceremony, and has reached out to some of his closest friends to ask them to be pall bearers.

He is also survived by his mother Maureen Arvanitis of Manchester.

"Everyone keeps saying he was a like a brother to someone, and that's what's leveling the family out," she said. "We knew Nick, but to see how many lives he touched ..."

Taking in the foliage | from 1,200 feet

2006-10-06T20:00:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Oct. 6, 2006
By Cyra Master

Joe and Kathy Devine took an early morning drive to New Hampshire last week to check out the fall foliage. But the Sudbury, Mass., couple left their car in Londonderry in favor of a more adventurous mode of transportation | a hot air balloon.

"Talk about a bird's-eye view," Kathy Devine said as the red, white and blue balloon glided over the treetops early Tuesday morning. "This is truly beautiful."

The Devines spent about an hour in Dennis Ferreira's hot air balloon, floating 1,200 feet above Windham and Salem, admiring the leaves that were just beginning to change.

With the long weekend marking the unofficial start of leaf-peeping season, Ferreira and three other balloon companies based in Derry said they are booked almost solid for weekend rides in October. Most companies offer sunrise and sunset trips, and can take anywhere from four to seven passengers, depending on the size of the balloon. The four area companies charge $200 per person and still have openings for fall flights on weekdays.

"People love to look at dead leaves," joked Jason Boucher, owner and pilot of Infinity Ballooning in Derry. "It's a different view of it. People never get an opportunity to soar through the air and see the trees from that vantage point."

Ferreira took his customers over Searles Castle in Windham and was able to point out Boston, the White Mountains and the ocean as the early morning sun reflected off the water. Two other balloons, one bright yellow with a teddy bear on it and another decorated with a lilac, joined Ferreira's Patriot in the sky.

"You get everything," he said. "You get the first rush of adrenaline because you don't know what to expect; then it's peaceful; then you get the adrenaline again for the landing, all by 8:30 in the morning."

Kathy Devine's nerves, which had her wondering out loud before takeoff if the basket would hold, dissipated as the balloon soared.

"I didn't think it would be this quiet," she said with awe as a few early-morning walkers looked up and waved at the trio of balloons passing overhead.

"The advantage with a hot air balloon is that you can see the full landscape," said Bob Edmonds, former head of the forestry and wildlife program for the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. "I've been recommending people get up in fire towers or climb some mountains, but that's not for everyone. The hot air balloon offers that ability for people with all capabilities to get up and see panoramic views."

Local balloonists have flown passengers from all around the country, from as close as Boston and Meredith to as far away as Arizona and Texas. Tony Sica, owner of High 5 Ballooning in Derry, said he has had customers from almost every continent in his 11 years in business.

"I think New Hampshire foliage is kind of legendary," he said. "Even though there are other places that have nice foliage, it doesn't get as brilliant as it does here."

The businessmen agreed that while the summer months are popular because of the warm weather and good flying conditions, September and October peak with the leaves. What makes the view from a hot air balloon unique, Boucher said, is how far and how much can be seen.

"We don't follow the road. We go down into the swamp; we get into the areas where the colors are great," said Boucher, owner of The Bear Ship in Derry. "It's amazing how much woods there is when you get up there."

Local Companies
The Bear Ship
78 Warner Hill Road, Derry
432-6911
www.hotairballoon.org/nh/bearship

High 5 Ballooning
4 Joseph St., Derry
893-9643
www.high5ballooning.com

Infinity Ballooning
78 Warner Hill Road, Derry
321-5562
www.infinityballooning.com

Patriot Ballooning
Londonderry
548-4181
www.patriotballooning.com

Suggested land routes
Massachusetts:
Route 133 winds along country back roads and the quintessential New England towns of Essex, Ipswich, Rowley and Georgetown. Route 1A from Beverly to Newburyport travels through open spaces and past farms via Ipswich, which boasts more pre-1725 houses still standing than any other town in the country. Route 127 winds along the coast through Beverly, Manchester-by-the-Sea and up to Rockport.
Source: Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

New Hampshire:
Apple Way in Londonderry is a 10-mile trip, starting at the town offices. From there, take Gilcrest Road and turn east when you hit Pillsbury Road. Take the following roads in order: High Range Road, Elwood and Adams. The last road, Mammoth, will bring you back to your starting point.
Leave Manchester on Route 27 East to Candia. After East Candia, turn right onto Route 107. Drive through Raymond and follow Route 107 and then turn onto Route 102, heading south toward Chester and then Derry. Route 28 will take you back to Manchester.
Source: www.visit-newhampshire.com

Why leaves change color:
A cell layer that forms on the base of each leaf is responsible for the color change each year. The cells stop the flow of moisture and prevent the renewal of the chlorophyll that makes leaves green.
Birches, white ash, linden, aspen and hickory trees offer yellow and orange foliage in the fall. Sugar maple, red maple, northern red oak, sumac, mountain ash and tupelo show the most vibrant red leaves.
Source: www.visitnh.gov

Don't be fooled by falling fuel costs, experts warn; Weather a key factor as homeowners weigh heating options, costs

2006-10-02T19:29:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Oct. 2, 2006
By Cyra Master

Oil and natural gas prices have fallen steadily in recent weeks, but predictions of a chilly winter are keeping consumers and suppliers on their toes.

If this winter is colder than last year's, the increase in fuel consumption could push prices up.

And that has some homeowners giving oil the cold shoulder.

Romeo Croteau, the owner of Northeast Coal, Wood, Pellets and Stove Sales in Pelham, said as oil prices increased last year many people turned to coal and wood to keep warm.

"We're trying to help supplement some of the oil and gas prices," said Croteau, whose company also sells pellet stoves and wood.

While usage varies, wood stoves typically burn between two to six cords of wood per winter, and a cord can cost anywhere from $200 to $300.

"Some people are buying wood to cut back on fuel and heating oil," said John Tinkham, the owner of Firewoodguy.com in Londonderry. "I think the majority use wood for supplemental heating."

Croteau charges $249 for a ton of loose coal and said an average size ranch home could spend about $900 on coal for the entire winter. But the hottest thing on the market, he said, is the pellet stove.

The stoves burn pellets of compressed sawdust. Many models have a thermostat, so the temperature can be regulated.

"Last year was so outrageous. We sold so many it was hard to make sure there were enough pellets," he said.

It's too early to say whether this winter will see more homeowners turning to sources other than oil, natural gas and propane.

The cost of natural gas on wholesale markets is about half of what it was last January because of high inventories and the anticipation of record amounts in storage by the time the heating season begins in November.

Fuel oil has seen dramatic price cuts in recent weeks as crude oil prices have declined, and inventories have increased. Propane prices also have dropped.
But government analysts and industry executives cautioned that weather is still the big unknown.

An eye on the market
Oren Havey, an employee at Fred Fuller Oil in Derry, said the market has fluctuated so much recently that it's hard to predict if this winter's oil prices will be higher, lower or on par with last year.

"There's no rhyme or reason to what (the market) does anymore," he said.

According to the Energy Information Administration, a government agency in Washington, D.C., 78 percent of the 8.1 million American homes that use oil heat are in the Northeast. This customer base, which purchases billions of gallons of heating oil, makes up 82 percent of total residential fuel oil sales.

"It's been sort of a rollercoaster ride with crude oil prices this year," said Neil Gamson, an economist with the federal agency. "They started very high as a result of hurricanes the previous year. Then we had a warm January which helped a little, then in the driving season petroleum prices all over the world went up and peaked around August, when there was a lot of uncertainty in the Middle East. They were as high as $77 a barrel, and now they're about $61 a barrel."

The prices from area dealers vary, but many local retailers are selling oil for around $2.20 a gallon. Fuller Oil has a cash price of $2.19 | a marked difference from the $2.49 a gallon they were asking for at this time last year.

"I should have been worried last winter," Margaret Julian, 84, of Salem said. "We didn't lock in, and we should have."

Getting locked in
Fuller offers a lock-in rate that is slightly higher than its cash price at the time of the lock in, but also offers down side protection, which allows customers to get a lower rate if the price of fuel drops below the lock-in price.

"We already locked in the spring. That way we're all set and have it all done," said Michelle Bush, 32, of Derry.

While some have taken advantage of lock-in rates, others are approaching the upcoming winter with the weariness of well-worn warriors.

"I don't lock in," Steve DePaula, 61, of Derry said. He bought two coal stoves during the oil embargo of the 1970s and now uses them when the price of oil goes up. "I don't really have to worry about it."

Although oil dealers hesitated to estimate how much current prices will change as temperatures drop, Gamson said natural gas rates are expected to be about 8 percent lower than last winter.

But the price drops may not necessarily mean big savings for consumers.
Daphne Magnuson, a spokeswoman for the American Gas Association, said many utilities began buying natural gas six months ago when prices were higher, not anticipating such a dramatic decline. Those higher costs will be reflected in the retail price this winter when that stored gas is used, she said.

Meanwhile, Northern Utilities Inc., a division of Bay State Gas, serves 11 communities in Rockingham County. The company recently filed an adjustment that would lower the commodity price of a therm of gas from $1.35 to $1.19. A therm is equivalent to 100,000 Btus.

The commodity price, however, is only 75 percent of a total bill. According to a company statement, the average residential customer uses 932 therms from November through April, which would make this winter's total bill about $1,451, a 10.2 percent decrease from last year.

The company also offers customers the chance to join an equalizer plan in July. It estimates a resident's annual gas cost and divides it into equal monthly bills, so they know what they will pay ahead of time.

Public Service of New Hampshire, the state's largest electric utility, offers a "heatsmart" rate which reduces charges on base and water heating by almost 23 percent. At the heatsmart rate, it would cost about $2,400 a year to heat an average-size home with electric heat, while oil would cost about $2,300 a year, said Bruce Fulmer, a resident energy efficiency program administrator for PSNH.

"Our rates don't change as often as the oil might," Fulmer said. "(Electric) rates are locked in on an annual basis, so there's some stability there; it takes out some of the worry."

Angela LaMarche, 36, of Salem, echoed Fulmer's statement.
"I don't worry (about heating bills)," she said. "I have electric heat, so it stays consistent."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Keeping warm this winter
Whatever kind or combination of fuels area residents plan on using this winter, there are some simple tips to help save energy and money:
r Remove air conditioning units
r Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic sheeting
r Turn the thermostat down two or three degrees
r Make sure fireplace dampers are closed when not in use to keep heat from escaping through the chimney
Source: Energy Information Administration

The high cost of heat
Estimate of annual heating bills for an average-sized home
r Electric: $3,618
r Oil: $1,914
r Wood: $1,628
r Pellets: $1,472
r Natural Gas: $1,412
r Coal: $1,216

Source: Calculated on Hearth.com based on area retail prices.

Woman finds $350k prize 'too good to be true'

2006-09-28T20:37:00.000-04:00

Eagle Tribune, Sept. 28, 2006
By Cyra Master

Julie Thomas received a letter yesterday that could have changed her life | but not for the better.

The plain white envelope that arrived from Canada contained a check for $2,150, only a small portion of her lottery winnings, according to the accompanying letter. The only hang-up, Thomas said, was that she knew she had not entered any lottery.

"If it's too good to be true, it can't be," she said.

Thomas, 30, was immediately suspicious of the letter, which claimed that her credit card receipts had been entered into a lottery. As one of three lucky winners, the letter said, Thomas was approved for a cash prize of $350,000. The enclosed check would help pay "the applicable fees" on the winnings. All the Derry resident had to do was send in a $1,750 processing fee using the check provided and her money would be wired to the bank of her choice.

"If I won $350,000, I think they would do it a different way, letting me know," Thomas said.

She called Lottery, Resources Management & Payment Verification, the company listed on the letterhead, and spoke to a woman named Hillary McPherson.

"She was not hostile but not excited," Thomas said. "But there was a big push to get the cashiers' check cashed."

Thomas then called the JP Morgan Chase branch that was listed on her check, which was printed in full color and had a watermark. They verified the account and routing numbers, but when she called another phone number for the bank, which she found online, they quickly told her that the check was a fake.

When contacted by The Eagle-Tribune, McPherson said her supervisor would have to comment on the allegation that the check was fraudulent, but no one else at the company could be reached. The phone number for JP Morgan printed on the check seemed to connect to the same voice mail service as the number for the Toronto company, and no one there could be reached either.

"I thought it would be cool to find out how scams like this work," Thomas said, explaining why she continued to track the check, even though she had been told the account on the check did not exist.

After a few hours of investigation, she reported the letter to the Phone Busters National Call Center in Ontario. The anti-fraud organization immediately recognized the style of the letter, which was mailed from Canada.

"Every week or month the letter changes, or the letterhead changes," said Deb Bell, a detective sergeant at Phone Busters. "But if they ask you to send them money for prize money you're supposed to have won, it's not legitimate."

Elizabeth Flumignan, a Londonderry resident who took an AARP course on fraud, said people should be wary of checks that look official and prizes that are unsolicited.

"I wouldn't even cash a check I got in the mail because it might obligate you to do something else," she said. "The traps are endless."

Bell said that often a bank will hold the customer who cashed the check responsible if it is invalid, even if they are the victim of fraud.

Flumignan, who held an informational meeting about different types of fraud at the Londonderry Senior Center last week, said the best way to avoid being had is to be skeptical and to keep communication open. She routinely clips articles about different fraudulent operations and shares them with friends and neighbors.

Bell reiterated that advice, saying that spreading the word quickly will help people become more aware.

"We try to tell people that they shouldn't be ashamed to come forward and contact the authorities if they've been had," Flumignan said. "These are very bright people who are doing this."

Derry police Capt. Vern Thomas said the department often gets reports of scams.

"If they didn't participate in a contest they know ... they should not provide any personal information to anybody who solicits them," he said. "A lot of these ask you for you bank account or your date of birth or Social Security number, which will allow them to do something in your name."

Wall Street Journal

2006-06-04T23:04:00.000-04:00

Selected Headlines from Wall Street Journal
Summer 2006

Police standoff shuts parts of Route 495

2006-04-16T13:50:00.000-04:00

Boston Globe, April 16, 2006
By Cyra Master

Students voice safety concerns

2006-02-23T20:19:00.000-05:00

Berkeley Beacon, Feb. 23, 2006
By Cyra Master

Police Commissioner Kathleen O'Toole returned to her former beat Tuesday evening.

But instead of patrolling the streets of the Theatre District area making drug arrests, she stood in the Bill Bordy Theater and gave Emerson students a rare opportunity to speak directly to the woman in charge of the city's police force.

O'Toole's visit, which was moderated by Linda Peek Schacht, the chair of the organizational and political communication department, allowed students to voice concerns about issues and ask questions of O'Toole and Captain Bernard O'Rourke, who commands the area that includes Chinatown and the Theatre District.

Area safety was the predominant concern of the students who asked questions during the hour-long visit.

Mariana Velasco, an organizational and political communication major from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, asked what it would take for the police department to see the area around Emerson as a "big challenge."

"I've never felt so unsafe as in Boston," Velasco, who said she has seen people being beaten up and stabbed from her 40 Boylston St. apartment, told O'Toole. "It's an everyday thing."

Other students brought attention to what they perceive as an increase in drug dealers, prostitutes and thieves around Boylston and Tremont streets.

O'Toole and O'Rourke said that while overall crime in the city dropped by 7 percent last year, violent crime and juvenile crime has increased.

According to O'Toole, 85 percent of violent crime takes place in three neighborhoods: Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan.

In the area around Emerson, however, O'Rourke said he has seen more prostitution arrests, while O'Toole said the department has noticed "a huge increase" in the theft of iPods, cell phones and other electronics.

Both said that the amount of drugs in the area has also grown, in part because of efforts of community groups in Chinatown to push dealers out of that neighborhood.

The displaced dealers and users have been forced out of this area and into the Theatre District, O'Rourke said.

Lucas Lee, a senior audio/radio major, voiced concerns similar to Velasco's.

"You can't feel safe here," he told the commissioner.

O'Toole said that while crime decreased last year, the perception of crime has not.

"Communication is key," she said. "We need to balance perception and reality, and when we determine reality we address it head on."

Velasco said she felt O'Toole's visit was worthwhile, because she was able to alert the commissioner to the constant violence that she says surrounds her apartment building.

"I have done my job," Velasco said. "I'm not sure what will be done, but hopefully we can move from theory to practice."

Lee, however, felt that the forum could have been more productive.

"I was upset with the way it was set up," he said. "When I got up there, they were like you have one minute, I basically gave my comment and didn't get to ask my question."

Lee was concerned with recent thefts around the 7-11 on the corner of Stuart and Tremont streets and apparent lack of police presence in the area.

O'Toole said the Boston Police Department is working with a few hundred officers less than it needs.

The number of officers on patrol in each district is determined by the crime statistics in that area, O'Toole said. This results in a decrease of visible police presence in other areas, including District A1, she said.

However, O'Rourke said after midnight, eight to 10 officers patrol District A1, and last year responded to 75,000 radio calls, the most in the city.

Lee said he thinks patrols must increase because students are in danger.

"It's a growing campus ... all we are is prey [to criminals]," he said, "We are non-athletic kids, we have expendable cash. They [criminals] may be there for the drugs, but their side project is to harp on us."

BPD officers disciplined in Snelgrove shooting

2005-09-22T20:18:00.000-04:00

Berkeley Beacon, Sept. 22, 2005
By Cyra Master

Six members of the Boston Police Department (BPD) have been demoted or suspended for their roles in the shooting death of Emerson College junior Victoria Snelgrove last October.

The BPD's Bureau of Internal Investigations will discipline Superintendent James Claiborne, Officers Rochefort Milien, Samil Silta and Thomas Gallagher and Sergeants Francis Flynn and Harold Cataldo, Police Commissioner Kathleen O'Toole said Friday in a press release.

Snelgrove, a broadcast journalism major, died after a projectile fired from the "less lethal" weapon Milien was using for crowd control struck her in the eye. She was shot on Oct. 20, 2004 following the Red Sox win in the final game of the American League Championship Series after large, unruly crowds gathered around Fenway Park.

The Bureau found Milien to have used unreasonable and excessive force. He was removed from the Special Operations Division, will serve a 45-day suspension without pay and undergo re-training in the use of force, the press release said.

Claiborne, who was in charge of operations on the night of Oct. 20, 2004, was demoted from superintendent to captain and has been appointed as the commander of District-13, Jamaica Plain, Spokesman Michael McCarthy said.

Silta was given the same punishment as Milien.

According to the District Attorney, who investigated Snelgrove's death, Silta fired the FN303 at a man more than a dozen times at close range.

The victim, Paul Gately, had been hit in the face by a pepper spray pellet while climbing on the girders around Fenway Park. Gately was bleeding from the face when he approached Silta for help, the District Attorney's report said. Silta told investigators he fired at Gately because he felt his manner was threatening and aggressive.

The BPD charged Silta with four counts of unreasonable judgment and three counts of excessive use of force, according to the press release.

Flynn was found to have used unreasonable judgment and to be employed outside the department without permission. He will serve a five-day suspension. Gallagher and Cataldo, who failed to secure crime scene evidence, have accepted written reprimands the press release said.

District Attorney Daniel Conley said last week that while the officers used poor judgment the night Snelgrove was shot, they will not face criminal charges.

In May, the city awarded Snelgrove's family a $5.1 million wrongful-death settlement, the largest in city history. Last week, her parents filed a lawsuit seeking $10 million in damages from the weapon manufacturer, FN Herstal, according to documents filed in Suffolk Superior Court.

Senior journalism major Katarina Yee, Snelgrove's friend, said she had hoped for harsher discipline.

"I was disappointed by the leniency of the punishments, but it's not something I'll dwell on," Yee said in an e-mail. "I would much rather continue to keep her memory alive

Snelgrove family files lawsuit

2005-09-15T20:15:00.000-04:00

Snelgrove family files lawsuit
Boston Police officers will not face criminal charges in Emerson student's death
Berkeley Beacon, Sept. 15, 2005
By Cyra Master

Former Emerson College student Victoria Snelgrove's parents filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking $10 million in damages from FN Herstal, the manufacturer of the 'less lethal' weapon that caused their daughter's death.

The broadcast journalism major died on Oct. 21, 2004 after being shot the night before by Boston Police using the FN303 launcher for crowd control during the disorderly celebration following the Red Sox victory over the New York Yankees in the final game of the American League Championship Series (ALCS). An innocent bystander, Snelgrove was on Lansdowne Street when she was struck in the eye by a pepper spray pellet shot from a compressed air rifle.

The suit alleges that the company misrepresented the weapon, presenting it as one that would never perforate the skin or cause cranial trauma, according to documents filed in Suffolk Superior Court. The documents also claim the FN303 is unsafe and negligently designed, manufactured and marketed.

Patrick Jones, the family's spokesman and attorney, would not comment on the pending suit, which was filed the day after the Suffolk County District Attorney announced that no criminal charges would be brought against any of the officers involved in last October's shooting.

"Let me be very clear, Victoria Snelgrove's death was avoidable," District Attorney Daniel Conley said at Monday's press conference. "It resulted from a series of poor decisions made at several critical junctures. Poor judgment, however, is not the standard for criminal charges."

Conley said Officer Rochefort Milien, who fired the fatal shot, was aiming at a specific target-a man throwing bottles in the direction of a mounted police officer. He said Milien was justified in using less-than-lethal force in the situation, which could have put the crowd in danger, but he should not have fired at a moving target without properly sighting his weapon.

"Officer Milien's decision to fire was negligent, but not wanton and reckless, a legal standard which must be met to support a charge of manslaughter," Conley said.

Conley found leadership failures by former Deputy Superintendent Robert O'Toole, who was in charge of operations on Lansdowne Street, to be a major part of the problem that night. Conley described it as a "tragic chain of events" that began with poor planning and ended in "a series of good faith but flawed decisions."

There was no evidence that any of the officers on Lansdowne Street that night acted with the intent to commit a crime, according to Conley.
"The family did not have any comment," Jones said Wednesday in a phone interview with the Beacon.

"[Conley] approached it in a thoughtful and thorough way and his decision seems sound," said former U.S. attorney Donald Stern, who headed the independent investigation into the 21-year-old's death.

Although none of the officers involved in Snelgrove's death face criminal charges, they still could face internal discipline from the department, said Commissioner O'Toole.

At a May 25 press conference, Commissioner O'Toole said five officers, Superintendent James Claiborne, former Deputy Superintendent Robert O'Toole, Officer Samil Silta, Officer Milien and Officer Thomas Gallagher, were recommended for disciplinary action by the Internal Affairs Unit.

"We haven't drawn up official charges but I think the facts speak for themselves," Commissioner O'Toole said at Monday's press conference. She would not specify say what consequences the officers face but said she "would consider everything up to and including dismissal."
Many of Conley's findings matched those of the seven-member Stern Commission was appointed by Commissioner O'Toole.

That report placed much of the blame on Robert O'Toole, who is not related to Commissioner O'Toole, saying he "contributed to the environment in which other officers under his direct command carelessly fired FN303 projectiles at persons in the crowd."

Yet, Robert O'Toole will not face internal charges because he retired from the force this summer. "Robert O'Toole did retire and as far as internal discipline, there's not much we can do now that he's gone," Police Spokesman Sergeant Thomas Sexton said last week in a phone interview with The Beacon. "He's a public citizen now. I don't believe his pension will be affected."

Thomas Drechsler, the attorney for Officers Silta, Milien and Gallagher, did not return calls for comment.

In early May, the City of Boston settled with the Snelgrove family for $5.1 million dollars-the largest wrongful death settlement in city history. The city also agreed to contribute $100,000 to a scholarship fund in Snelgrove's name.

The Stern Commission's report was released on May 25, which was nearly a month after the settlement was announced, during a press conference at which former U.S. attorney Donald Stern and Commissioner O'Toole spoke. During the press conference, Stern said Snelgrove's death was "the result of inadequate planning, incomplete training, unclear policies on the use of the weapon, a breakdown in command discipline and some serious errors of judgment."

The lengthy report examined the events of the night of October 20th, the planning for Game 7 of the ALCS, the weapon that killed Snelgrove and the training of the police officers involved. The report also set forth 12 recommendations to change training and policy within the Boston Police Department, such as designating one officer to be in charge of training for all less-lethal weapons.

The Commission also recommended the police department improve planning for large events, clearly outline the role of commanders in operational plans and develop specific use-of-force policies for each less lethal weapon.

While Stern and Conley placed blame on the officers involved in the shooting, they also pointed to the fact that the officers believed the FN303 was truly non-lethal.

"The officers were under the impression that the weapon was the equivalent of a paintball gun," Commissioner O'Toole said Monday. "[They had] no clue that that device could cause the devastation that it did." But, O'Toole was careful to say that misconception "doesn't excuse the conduct of the officers."

The Stern Commission recommended the FN303 not be used until complete tests could be done, and on Monday Commissioner O'Toole said the weapon had been permanently shelved.

"The FN303 will never be used again in the Boston Police Department," she said.

In the terms of the May settlement, the City of Boston said it would fully cooperate in any legal action against FN Herstal. As it stands, the city could get half of any award, up to $2 million, awarded to the family.
In August, Richard and Dianne Snelgrove told The Associated Press that they have "immense respect" for Commissioner O'Toole and are pleased with the changes the department has made.

They held the press conference in Brockton to announce the creation of the Victoria E. Snelgrove Memorial Fund, which will fund a broadcast journalism internship with the Brockton Rox baseball team as well as scholarships at East Bridgewater High School and Emerson College.

"Our life's been shattered, but I hold no grudges against anybody," Richard Snelgrove told the AP on Aug. 19. "What happened, happened."

Professor advocates for the gifted; Acceleration aids students who are ready

2005-07-10T19:45:00.000-04:00

Boston Globe, July 10, 2005
By Cyra Master

When he taught seventh-grade social studies in a Westchester County, N.Y., school, Nicholas Colangelo noticed bright students who weren't being challenged, but didn't know what to do about it. The lack of options for those students stuck with him, and he began studying the education of gifted students while working on his doctorate. Over the years, Colangelo, now a professor of gifted education at the University of Iowa, has written and presented a number of papers on what schools can do to challenge their students. Colangelo spoke at a conference on gifted education in April in Westford. He co-authored ''A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students," a two-volume report published last year to familiarize schools and parents about the various options for bright or gifted students. In an interview with Globe correspondent Cyra Master, Colangelo talked about his research on gifted students.

Q: What are the different ways schools can advance a gifted child?

A: Basically what acceleration comes down to means moving a child through the curriculum at a faster rate or a younger age. That can be done two ways: bringing advanced material to the child, so if your son is in third grade, we would bring fourth-grade math to him . . . so that he would be challenged but still stay with his age-mates. The other way is that we move him through the system a little quicker, from third grade to fifth grade so when he is older he can graduate earlier. So either the material moves and the child stays, or the child moves. If the thing is the child is really good in math, he can take math with fifth-graders but then come back [to third grade.] If you're going to be grade-skipped, you need to be strong all around and take into account interpersonal and social maturity. If the material comes to you, cognitive ability is much more important than . . . interpersonal skills.

Q: You used the terms bright, gifted, high ability, etc. synonymously in your report. What do these phrases mean?

A: The word gifted is so loaded, it generates a lot of different feelings for people. Interchangeably we use highly able, capable, readiness. Acceleration is all about if your [child] is ready for that curriculum. That is the issue. [Those words] trigger so many other emotions in people, but the bottom line is readiness. Teachers respond well to that because they know they have kids ready for something different. The issue is do you try to meet that.

Q: Do you see parents pushing their children to skip a grade or go into higher-level math or reading when they may not be ready? How do you deal with that?

A: When I sense a parent is wanting a child to accelerate when there is no good cause, I'll show them evidence and say 'If you do this, I don't think it would be good. Why would you want to put a child in a situation not the best possible for them?' And they usually back off. We have this in academics and sports; parents feel their kid is ready for something they're not. When a child is skipped to a grade, that child should be among the best in that grade. If they are not, then that grade skip should not have happened. For example, if you bring a ninth-grader up to a varsity team, it makes no sense to bring him up and have him sit on the bench. That's one of the things, when parents are pushing, I will use and say the only way it's good is if she's going to be [excelling] in the setting.

Q: What about using private tutors, specialized camps, and summer courses to challenge bright students rather than advancing them to another grade?

A: One of the reasons I am very much in favor of acceleration is that it's financially equitable. It really is cheap compared to so many things in education. It matters because I think there are a lot of things we do for gifted kids that are very expensive, like summer camps [at colleges.] As blunt as I can make it: What does it cost the school to send a fourth-grader to a fifth grade? At the most, desk space. They're not hiring a new teacher; they're not building a new building. They can do something really worthwhile and not always have to pay a heavy price.

© Copyright 2005 Globe Newspaper Company.

Complex evacuated after scare

2005-07-03T23:00:00.000-04:00

Boston Globe, July 3, 2005
By Rebecca Mahoney & Cyra Master

Emerson College vice president will resign next spring; Silverman cites personal reasons

2005-06-10T22:52:00.000-04:00

Boston Globe, June 10, 2005
By Jenna Russell & Cyra Master

Teacher makes mathematics accessible; Bagels, laundry become tools for learning

2005-04-24T19:44:00.000-04:00

Boston Globe, April 24, 2005
By Cyra Master

James Tanton first became interested in mathematics as an 8-year-old boy growing up in Australia. He would lie in bed at night and make up math problems by looking at the pewter squares on his ceiling. This penchant for creating and solving problems propelled him into a career of research and teaching.Tanton was codirector of The Math Circle, an after-school math activity program for Boston-area students ages 5 to 18. A former Milton Academy teacher, he is currently teaching at St. Mark's School in Southborough, and working to create the school's Institute of Mathematics, which offers activities and workshops to the community. In 2001, the Mathematical Association of America published his book, ''Solve This: Mathematical Activities for Students and Clubs." His next book, ''The Encyclopedia of Mathematics" will be released in the fall. In an interview with Globe correspondent Cyra Master, he spoke about ways to make math understandable to children -- and fun.

Q: Your book, which won a prize a few years after being published, is described as ''activity-oriented." What makes it unique?

A: The real reason I wrote [the book] is that I believe mathematics, even complex mathematics, is accessible to all. I call it a math club book because it uses objects that are very familiar to show the deep math hidden behind simple ideas. The book contains 30 activities using things like a bagel, folded laundry, playing cards, coins, bits of string. It's using stuff that makes math accessible and non-threatening.

Q: How do your real-world problems differ from problems set up to mimic an aspect of the business or technological world?

A: There is a whole movement to make real-world [math] problems, but so many are absolutely hokey; kids can sense that falseness. Instead, say ''Here it is, play with it in this way" -- kids can handle and appreciate that. Kids can handle going through twists and turns and false leads; that's life.

Q: Your teaching style is more about exploring the problem than getting the results. Is your view of success honed to reflect that?

A: I try to make it very clear that not succeeding is OK, especially in the research world. You have to not succeed to find out how something works. Mankind struggled with math for 5,000 years, everything [that has been proved] usually took hundreds of years to get right, so it's not surprising to me that as an individual, one has to go through a similar struggle to get to the point.

Q: What advice would you give to parents whose children either need extra help in math or new challenges to keep them engaged?

A: Do not sit down with a textbook and do problems, under any circumstance. Play with ideas. My advice would be to look for little gems of problems that allow for a sense of play and explore them. If you start poking around and looking at the Internet, you'll find things, but be careful of ''fun" math problems on the Web because they don't lead anywhere. A really good fun idea is one that has a tidbit that grabs you, but has more questions and leads you on to more questions.

Q: Is it more important that a child understands and memorizes formulas and processes or that they are able to question problems and results?

A: We like to think there's a certain set of skills kids need to know for whatever job they go into, but the fact is we don't actually know what skills they'll need in 20 years time. What's a more fruitful goal is flexible, adaptable, innovated thinking that will produce success later on.

Thirty years ago you had to know how to do square roots by hand. Today, long division is important, isn't it? Who knows? You can't predict, so the focus we should be teaching is on how to adapt the mind, not skills for the SAT.

© Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.

BPD identifies officer who shot Emerson student as investigation probe continues

2004-11-11T20:12:00.000-05:00

Berkeley Beacon, Nov. 11, 2004
By Cyra Master

The Boston Police Department (BPD) released a statement last Friday identifying the police officer who fired the fatal shot that killed Emerson College student Victoria Snelgrove. The statement also detailed the events leading up to Snelgrove's death and said that the investigation will continue.

Snelgrove, a broadcast journalism major, was shot by a pepper pellet during early-morning celebrations in Kenmore Square on Oct. 21 after the Red Sox won the American League Championship, defeating the New York Yankees in Game Seven in the Bronx.

The most recent press release from the BPD outlined the sequence of events that led to the shooting, as well as named Officer Rochefort Milien as the officer who fired the projectile that struck Snelgrove.

The BPD released the statement after interviewing dozens of officers and civilians, as well as reviewing video footage and physical evidence.

The statement outlines the events that the department feels it can "responsibly confirm," stating that, after a large crowd of people descended upon Kenmore Square, the crowd became increasingly "disruptive and violent," with small fires lit, projectiles thrown and property damaged.

The press release stated that crowds damaged two motor vehicles in the Fenway Park area and that Deputy Superintendent Robert O'Toole deployed mounted units to help occupants of one car get to safety.

According to the department, the mounted officers became a target of attack as projectiles-including coins, bottles and flaming paper-were hurled at the officers, burning one horse's tail.

O'Toole then authorized the use of the FN303 compressed air rifle as part of his "tactical response to the acts of violence being committed by the crowd."

The press release said that the three officers, O'Toole, Milien and Officer Samil Silta, discharged their weapons at "targeted individuals," although it is unclear the amount of time that elapsed between the vehicular damage, the deployment of the mounted officers and the use of the less-than-lethal weapons.

"The investigation indicates that at least four persons were stuck by the FN303 projectiles, including Victoria Snelgrove," the press release read. "Victoria Snelgrove was not targeted; she was struck when the projectile missed its intended target. Officer Milien has been identified as the officer who fired this projectile."

Video evidence that the BPD reviewed suggested that Milien was 25 to 30 feet (approximately 9 meters) away from the intended target when he fired.

The FN303 manufacturer, FN Herstal, states on their Web site that "it is recommended to aim at a suspect at a distance of 30 meters," approximately 98 feet.

Two Boston Globe reporters who viewed a 30 second video of the Oct. 21 shooting reported seeing Milien "pointing a gun at shoulder height."

A Northeastern student who was near the scene taped the video.

The manufacturer's Web site states "for safety reasons, never aim towards face, throat or neck," and repeats the warning "never aim at the face" in another section of product information and usage instructions.

The BPD refused to comment beyond the press release, which noted that Milien, a grenadier assigned to Special Operations, was certified to use the FN303.

Other news agencies have reported that the weapons, which were purchased for crowd control during the Democratic National Convention, had not been used outside of training before Oct. 21.

Milien's attorney, Thomas Drechsler of Boston-based Finneran, Byrne and Drechsler, LLP, did not return multiple telephone calls from The Beacon.

The BPD's internal investigation is ongoing, as is an external probe by the Suffolk County District Attorney's office.

The Associated Press reported last week that Milien is on paid injury leave.

Emerson student dies in post-game reveling

2004-10-28T22:26:00.000-04:00

BPD takes blame, criticized for crowd control, student death and aftermath
Berkeley Beacon. Oct. 28. 2004
By Cyra Master

Dalrymple leads suicide prevention

2004-07-01T14:45:00.000-04:00

Salem Observer, July 1, 2004
By Cyra Master

Scooters new option for savvy spenders

2004-06-10T22:57:00.000-04:00

Salem Observer, June 10 2004
By Cyra Master

Summer job drought expected

2004-05-27T13:45:00.000-04:00

Salem Observer, May 27, 2004
By Cyra Master

PD policy to focus on off-time

2004-05-20T22:49:00.000-04:00

Salem Observer, May, 2004
By Cyra Master