Barnstead honors veterans over emotional Memorial Day weekend.
By Jim Shilander
Staff Writer
BARNSTEAD — Much of Barnstead turned out at the town hall May 30 for a celebration and remembrance of those who have been lost in the armed services. The members of American Legion Post 42 headed the annual Memorial Day parade and celebration, which brought Barnstead’s youth together with its senior citizens, and its old veterans remembering long-lost comrades in arms with new veterans reminding the town to remember those still fighting and dying today.
Post Commander Vincent Miller greeted the crowd enthusiastically, introducing Pastor Sandy Pearson who opened the day’s festivities with a prayer, in which he invoked Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, asking that the town remember those "who gave the last full measure of devotion." Sage Landeiu, a Barnstead resident recently returned from Iraq reminded the audience to "continue the support" and thanked the town for their support thus far for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The event then turned again to remembering the past as Priscilla Tiede, head of the Women’s Auxiliary, read a poem written by Barnstead student Heather Tempest, which chronicled the nation’s wars since World War II from the perspective of a veteran who had served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. It also urged people to remember those veterans, especially those who might think their own contributions to have been forgotten.
Legion member and Vietnam War veteran Bob Simpson then presented a special plaque to Miller to honor him for his service to the community and the Legion. He added that Post 42 had placed a memorial tree next to their lodge to remember Miller’s daughter, who passed away tragically last year. He added that Miller was "a mentor," who "drives vets to the VA, pays bills and donated his time and money." As he stood to accept the award amid a loud ovation from the crowd, Miller teared up and hugged Simpson. He then thanked the crowd for their support and urged them to go over to the legion and view his daughter’s tree.
The next speaker was Jack O’Neil, the town’s welfare officer and a Selectmen. O’Neil was decorated as part of the Air Cavalry and Special Operations units in Vietnam. O’Neil said that he was impressed by the turnout on the day, which he deemed "historic." O’Neil spoke about the importance of remembering the sacrifices made by those in war, even if those who fought wanted to be thought otherwise, "those who don’t want to be called heroes, just those who did their jobs." He added a quote from General George Patton, "No one hates a war more than a warrior." While a brief, but heavy thundershower did dampen, literally, the parade, the ceremonial 21-gun salute at the bridge near town hall and the memorial at the town library went off without a hitch.
The Memorial Day activities were also observed the previous week. Barnstead Elementary school hosted a Memorial Day program May 27, which Legion members and Women’s Auxiliary members also attended. Interim Principal Michael Tocci told the assembled student body that "The true meaning of Memorial Day is for honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice." Tocci remembered his own father, a World War II veteran, as "one of the fortunate ones," who also remembered those that "did not have the same fortune he had." Tempest’s poem, along with poems by other Barnstead students, helped to further teach students about what Memorial Day meant, as did a memorial ceremony performed by teacher Annette Brown and her husband, a World War II veteran who had buried many comrades in the war. The students and teachers loudly clapped and sang along with the chorus’ rendition of "You’re a Grand Old Flag."
Barnstead School Board looks at goals for the future
By Jim Shilander
Staff Writer
BARNSTEAD — Members of the Barnstead School Board agree that goals need to be set for the school’s continued growth. With that in mind, the board met in a special work session May 31 to go through potential ideas for future goals for the district.
School Board chair Eunice Landry outlined a series of general goals she felt would be wise for the district. These included a continued effort to meet the average yearly progress mandated by No Child Left Behind, as well as improvement of "the general climate of the school," which included such issues as curriculum space and environmental needs and staffing. Landry also stated that the board should be attempting to look at as many federal, state and local funding sources as possible, as well as to create five-year-plans for the school’s physical plant, including books and other issues, and for the board itself to begin to look into strategic planning.
Other members looked at more specific issues. Keith Couch hoped to look at several of the goals that the Joint Management Board (which operates Prospect Mountain High School) has for Barnstead. Couch also that he hopes to see district report cards by the start of next year, so the board will better understand how to proceed in the future, especially with regard to preparing students for Prospect Mountain. Continuing in that vain he added that he hoped to see more social events taking place between Barnstead and Alton students, in order to make the transition smoother in high school. Superintendent Owen Conway added that issues similar to that were addressed in the Memorandum of Understanding’s provisions to align the curriculums of Barnstead and Alton. The memorandum was also a topic at the board meeting.
Diane Beijer urged the development of a study skills course for students, especially those getting set for high school. Kathy Preston added that she believed space issues to be imperative, adding that the school needed to accommodate new programs in the future. She also urged the development of a more vibrant program for gifted and talented students, as well as the development of a "homework club" for younger students without the benefit of a good home life. Also, she urged that the alternative program put together by Interim Principal Michael Tocci be continued – the board agreed that it potentially could be expanded in the coming years.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Alton, Barnstead, and JMA boards was also a topic of discussion. Conway gave the board an update on the plan, which will be discussed further at a joint meeting between the boards June 6. He added that the state was keenly interested in looking at the final agreement, and Preston added that the timetable for the school’s accreditation might be delayed if the MOU was not acted upon with sufficient speed.
Conway noted that the boards still had some disagreement over when costs incurred by districts, with regard to special education. Barnstead would prefer to see the number set at four or five students, anything over that would become a routine cost. Alton sets no number, meaning that the individual districts would each pay for their students no matter how many students were involved in the programs. Their was also discussion of what costs would have to be incurred by Prospect Mountain and the home district in special cases where students might need to be expelled or suspended for a long term.
Prospect Mountain Students showcase work of all kinds
By Jim Shilander
Staff Writer
ALTON — Its rare that you see a robot and homemade pillows in the same room together. This occurrence, and many similarly odd pairings were part of the first annual Prospect Mountain High School Arts Festival.
The goal of the show, and the reason for so many different exhibits, was to show the many talents of students at Prospect Mountain, according to the event’s organizer Troy Corriveau, the head of a department that encompasses art, music, foreign languages and drama.
The festival, which featured performances by Prospect Mountain musical groups and art hung all around hallways and inside the school’s display cases, also featured creations from the school’s technology and family and consumer science departments. Baked goods made during classes shared space with homemade dresses and pillows, which sat next to the technology department’s big creation, a robot created as a part of the US FIRST program.
Corriveau says that this being the first year of the festival, the organizers wanted to "start on the smaller side."
Corriveau and Prospect Mountain principal Russ Holden said that next year, the festival would be expanded to include every department at the school. "We want to be as dynamic as we can possibly be," said Corriveau.
Holden said that the festival "gives out students the opportunity to show off their talents for the community." "A lot of people look at how many people graduate, and what they don’t realize is that there’s a lot of things that happen before you graduate."
Corriveau also noted that he believed that, with Prospect Mountain’s modern facilities, the school "has the potential to be the center in this area for all this activity (arts, technology, other areas)."
The robot was one of the centerpieces of this year’s event. Built by students as part of the FIRST competition, the robot, Big Bad Bob, can stretch out and use a series of hooks to grasp objects. Bob can even pull itself up as a person would, when doing a chin-up.
Industrial arts teacher and team mentor Brian Hikel, who brought the program with him from Alton Central High School, said he has been involved with the program since its inception in 1989, and been a part of the program in the area since 1992. The program, which was started by Dean Kamen (the inventor of the Segway), encourages students to develop their interests in applied science and mathematics.
Hikel said that the competition involves over 1,000 schools and even extends internationally.
Hikel said that many high schools are corporately underwritten, or even get assistance from corporations and government organizations, while Prospect Mountain has no such corporate sponsorship. Hikel said, "We’ve beat the big companies."
The competition, which begins every January, takes six weeks. Each school gets only those six weeks to brainstorm and construct its robot from a prescribed list of parts. Ben Wood, a sophomore at PMHS, said that he and his fellow amateur engineers "lived here for six weeks," and Senior Brian Roy described the whole process as "intense."
Still, the whole night was about the celebration of the first year of Prospect Mountain High School, and what the staff certainly sees as brighter days ahead.
Artist takes a new track
Bike paintings with a purpose
By Jim Shilander
Staff Writer
ALTON — G.E. Lacey is a self-described "Military Brat." His father, an Air Force Colonel, served all over the world, and his family came with him. But the military tradition in the Lacey family extends beyond his father. Lacey’s grandfather was killed in World War I, and his father-in-law served in Korea. Now semi-retired from the technology business, Lacey does what he loves, he paints. His subjects, frequently, are the Harley-Davidson motorcycles he has a passion for, set with backdrops of Americana, like a farmhouse or small gas station. Now, however, Lacey has found a way to combine his passions and honor his family’s sacrifices.
Lacey’s newest work, entitled "Never Forgotten," places his familiar work with Harley-Davidsons into a new context, the sacred, hallowed ground of Arlington National Cemetery. The red, white and blue and classic styling of the Harley-Davidson set against the rows and rows of white headstones at Arlington. Lacey says that he used the subject matter to pay an homage to what he calls "the collective American family" as well as his own. Lacey says that he used his own father-in-law’s Army dog tags in the painting, so the painting does carry some personal touch and tribute as well.
Lacey said that he began to be interested in art while traveling around Europe growing up. He ended up attending a London art school on a scholarship before returning to the US and earning a business degree. While he was involved in public relations and design for a career, he lapsed from painting. Then, he says, after a family illness and the company he worked for going under, Lacey "picked up the paintbrush again," following moving to the Lakes Region.
Lacey’s work focuses on the understanding of the motorcycle itself as a piece of art. He adds that he has to do a great deal of research for each painting, to make sure that each part of the motorcycle is correct, as well as issues like where those parts would cast shadows. He told a story about a contractor who owned one of the exact bikes used in one of Lacey’s paintings, which, Lacey says, "would have saved two months in research."
With the upcoming Bike Week, Lacey hopes to capitalize on an obvious demographic of potential consumers of his work. He also is using a contest to spur interest. Lacey has hidden a playing card number and suit in five paintings, the first five individuals who find their card and disclose it will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win $5,000, as well as prints for the rest of Lacey’s life.
What makes Lacey happiest, however, is that he has finally been able to marry his vocation and his avocation – that he finally gets to do what he loves to do most.
Local seniors go for gold at Senior Olympics
Dedicated (and tall) guys are secret weapon
By Jim Shilander
Staff Writer
ALTON — Walk into the Prospect Mountain High School gym on Sunday nights and you’ll see something you might not expect. Balls sail through the air, tough defense gets played every time up and down the floor, and the odor of sweat and effort fills the air. Sunday nights are the night for pick-up games and practices for the Young Associates, a group of basketball players from all around New Hampshire competing at some of the highest levels they can. But this isn’t some elite AAU or high school team. Most of the members of the Young Associates squad are over 60-years-old.
The Young Associates are a part of the Senior Olympics, a yearly event for athletes over 50 with events ranging from horseshoes to track and field. The Young Associates are headed by Conrad Young, a 69-year-old from Loudon. Last year, Young says, the team qualified for the national events, which are being held in Pittsburgh June 4-8. Young says the team plays eight games across New England every summer competing against other three-on-three basketball teams in every state. Young says the Granite State chapter of the Senior Olympics puts competitors in nearly every sport. Although there is no women’s basketball in the state organization, Young says many neighboring states do have opportunities for women to play ball, as well as to compete in the sports New Hampshire does offer.
The Senior Olympics are divided by age, so the 60-65 year old bracket the Young Associates play in will only feature teams with players in as old or older than that age bracket. Many competitors, Young says, compete well into their 80s, and perform well.
As for the team’s prognosis for the coming week Mike Akstin, a resident of Barnstead, and the longest serving member of the team at seven years, says that the team’s chances are improved by a basic basketball truth. "I think we’ve picked up a lot of tall guys," Akstin says. He adds that the team could probably win "three, four or five games in the first rounds depending on the draw."
Real estate office brings local touch
By Jim Shilander
Staff Writer
New Durham — New Durham has become a real growth area. Recently, an independent group that came to assist the Planning Board in looking at growth said the town population could rise as much as 60 percent in the coming years. Northern Exposure Realty is hoping that this housing boom in the area will make for good business, but they also know that much of what attracts newcomers to New Durham is its small town atmosphere.
Northern Exposure Realty has been open since October when Mary Beth Hertel and John Hertel purchased their New Durham office from Shirley Currier, who had been there for five years, and worked with the two in the past. Mary Beth Hertel says the two "jumped at the chance" to purchase the office. A majority of the offices business, Jeff Hertel says, gets done in New Durham and Merrymeeting Lake, but the office also serves the rest of Strafford county as well as parts of Carroll and Belknap counties. The office employs six agents, and an office manager, Barbara Potter. Each agent lives in New Durham.
Nancy Terry, who has been an agent for five years, says the appeal of New Durham is obvious, "This is a great town to live in for families," she says "It’s a magnet for folks. It’s a reasonable place to live with a great school system." She also mentioned the many recreational opportunities, adding that the town is only "20 minutes from ski areas." Bruce Grigg, who merged his own real estate business with Northern Exposure, and who works as an associate broker, with over 25 years in the field, added that the town is "an easy commute everywhere," and cited the small town atmosphere as a reason for New Durham’s growth. Potter, who worked for Currier before the office changed hands, says New Durham is "the quintessential small town, everybody knows everybody."
Potter added that locals often stop by the office just to talk and gossip about what’s going on in town, and that they always seem to "look out for each other".
In addition to their efforts in business, the office is also involved with community events. Mary Beth Hertel says that the office put together a food drive at Christmas time, and will be putting together a "Christmas in July" drive later this summer. The also helped raise money for the New Durham School’s tsunami drive. Hertel says the office is "looking to give back as much as possible," including looking for a youth baseball team to sponsor this upcoming season.
While the office certainly likes to see some growth in New Durham for the sake of their business, agents also mentioned that they were looking for ward to looking at the Town’s new Master Plan, which is currently being worked on by the Planning Board. New agent Kara Forsythe said that she believed "the appeal of what it (New Durham) is what it is. People are looking for their place in the country." With a local touch, Northern Exposure will try to be a part of the area for many years to come.
This is maybe the most adorable thing ever, so take that everything else
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