The Northwood Food Pantry would like to extend a heartfelt Thank You to the Coe Brown Class of 2011 for their very generous donation.  Your generosity will help many community members who have fallen on hard times and who need a little help to get through these trying times. Your act of kindness is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Watershed Annual Meeting

The 2011 Annual Meeting of the Northwood Lake Watershed Association was held July 16 at the Northwood Town Hall. President, Jim Vaillancourt, presided.

Topics covered were: 
• Exotic Plants: There are three invasive species in Northwood Lake.  These are Milfoil, Phragmites and Loosestrife. 

Milfoil was treated in June.  The worst spots treated for Milfoil this year were 10 acres in front of the public boat launch and one acre in front of the book store.  The Town of Northwood gave the Northwood Lake Watershed Association $4,000 for this year’s Milfoil treatment from the Town’s Milfoil Fund.  We appreciate their support.

Phragmites will be evaluated and treated this fall.  Two stands of Phragmites were addressed in 2010 and a third area near the Boy Scout Camp is being treated with an ethnic barrier.

• Lake Hosts: Point Person, Doug Chamberlin, gave an overview about the Lake Host Program.  Three paid Lake Hosts are scheduled weekends, 8-12 am, during the summer.  Volunteers cover other spots.  Lake Hosts inspect vessels entering and leaving the lake for invasive aquatic plants.

• Water Quality:  Andrea Tomlinson, Water Quality Coordinator, does the water testing.  There are two hot spots coming from two streams that come into the lake near the public boat ramp. 

• Weed Watchers:  Andrea also coordinates the Weed Watcher Program.  Training is provided by the State of New Hampshire.  The program identifies invasive species of plants and report findings to the NLWA divers.

• Dive Team:  Five divers were certified for Milfoil removal in 2010.  We need more volunteer divers.  Mac Callum’s Boat House donated a used pontoon boat that will be used as a dive platform. 

• New Officers and Directors:  Nominated and elected to open Officer and Director positions were:

Secretary: Joe Randazzo; Treasurer: Helen Ash; Director: Tom Barker; Director: Pam Papadinis; Director: Marie Damon; Director: Andrea Tomlinson.

Margaret Hagen, New Hampshire Cooperative, was the featured speaker.  She explained how our landscaping choices impact surface and ground waters and how with easy maintenance practices we can protect and even improve the quality of our water resources.

The Northwood Lake Watershed Association’s purpose is to preserve and protect Northwood Lake.  Why not join us? For more information see www.northwoodlake.com

State Board Of Education Affirms SAU #44’s

Termination Of Judith McGann And Dismisses Her Appeal; New Hampshire
Supreme Court Awards Costs To SAU #44

On July 13, 2011, the State Board of Education issued a final order affirming School Administrative Unit (SAU) #44’s  termination of Superintendent Judith McGann’s employment contract, and dismissing her appeal in its entirety.

The State Board’s final order was issued consistent with the New Hampshire Supreme Court’s unanimous May 26, 2011 decision in which the Court ruled in SAU #44’s favor on every single issue raised by both parties in the appeal. Although the State Board had initially ruled in McGann’s favor when it concluded that SAU #44 violated its administrative rules by refusing to provide McGann with pre-hearing discovery, the Supreme Court disagreed, and reversed the State Board on that issue.

Consistent with SAU #44’s arguments from the beginning of this case, the Supreme Court concluded that McGann received all of the process that was due under the State Board’s administrative rules and state and federal constitutional due process.

In addition to finding unanimously for SAU #44 on all points, on July 22, 2011, the Supreme Court ordered McGann to pay SAU #44 all costs it accrued on appeal. Court rules provide that only certain costs are recoverable, including the cost to file the appeal, obtain transcripts, and file briefs and appendices. The total costs in this case are approximately $1,300.

For further information, please contact SAU #44 counsel Beth G. Catenza, Sulloway & Hollis, P.L.L.C., at 224-2341.

Northwood Recreation Update
By Kathy Boudreau, Recreation Director

1st Annual Summer Concert Series is coming to Northwood.  Grab your blankets, lawn chairs, and dancing shoes and join us for a fun, casual evening of live music at the Northwood Athletic Fields, 611 1st New Hampshire Turnpike. 

Concerts are scheduled for the 2nd and 4th Saturday in July and August.  See the list of remaining concert dates and performers below.  All concerts begin at 6:00 pm.  Food will be available for purchase at the park beginning at 5:30 pm.  We will be offering Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, chips, and beverages.

We have worked very hard to ensure that shows are appropriate for all ages.  The concerts are free for the public to enjoy.  All concerts are weather permitting.  Cancellations will be posted on http://recreation.northwoodnh.org.  Concerts will not have rain dates.

Contact the Recreation Department at 942-5586 x209 if you have additional questions or check us out on Facebook.

August 13th
• Celtic Knot, from Manchester (Irish Folk)
• Craving Chaos, based locally (Classic Rock)

August 27th
• Bohica Band, from Northwood (Classic Rock)
• Coldstream, from Hampton (Acoustic Folk).

Letter To The Editor

To the Editor,
I should probably list this under “beware what you wish for, you might get it”. Recently the Northwood School Board selected me to fill a vacancy.  Those of you who know me are probably quite surprised at this due to my persistent criticism of the finances and education at Northwood School.  Simply put we pay a whole lot more for a whole lot less than our sister towns. That being said, it is time to put my money where my mouth is.

The School Board took me at my word that I would be a team player and I absolutely will. There is no way to solve our issues without a concerted effort from the Board, the school, the town, yes the Budget Committee, surely the SAU and most importantly the students and their parents. The problems are staring us in the face, failure is not an option.

As a simple man I think simply and therefore believe that there should be four votes in the education of a student. One must go to the parents, if we learned anything last March the taxpayers have one also, as they should, and # three and four go to the student with all ties, also, going to the student. Teachers, administration and the rest, no vote, with rare exceptions, they are in for the money.

Simple, yet we fail. As a School Board member I would be a fool to ignore the voters’ message in March and May. We are their liaison to the school administration and they are not happy. But to be honest every school administrator I know feels that the majority of parents are also failing. So, a challenge is before us as a team.

I intend to work tirelessly to improve the education of our students, I also intend to help make every tax dollar go as far as it possibly can in educating our children to the best of their ability.

Tim Jandebeur

Northwood

Ann White Northwood Theater Workshop Presents The Odd Couple

The Ann White Northwood Theater Workshop will present Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple on Friday, August 12th and Saturday, August 13th at 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, August 14 at 2:00 P.M.  Ticket prices are $12 and can be purchased at the door or reserved by calling 226-0039.  All performances will be held at our new home, The Scenic Theatre, in Pittsfield.

The setting of this classic comedy is the apartment of divorced Oscar Madison where “the guys” have assembled for a night of poker.  And if his messy living condition is any indication, it’s no wonder his wife left him!  Late to arrive is Felix Unger who has just separated from his wife.  Due to his fastidious and tense nature along with his recent marital split, the guys fear he might do “something stupid.”

When Felix finally arrives, the guys run around locking windows, scarcely allowing him to go to the bathroom by himself.  As the action unfolds, the clean-freak and the slob ultimately decide to room together with hilarious results.

The show is directed and produced by Carole Neveux.  The cast consists of Kevin Barrett, Ray Dudley, Sandra Ross, Kat Abdelwahid, Mike Hobson, Ernie Bass, Cody Goodwin, and Paul Pfaff.

The Odd Couple is chock full of non-stop laughter.  You don’t want to miss it!  To reserve your tickets call 226-0039.  We promise you will laugh all the way home!