St. Patty’s Day Corned Beef & Cabbage Dinner

A St. Patty’s Day Dinner sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council #11606 of our Lady of Lourdes/St. Joseph’s Parish, will be held Saturday, March 9, 2013 from 5 pm - 8 pm at St. Joseph’s Parish Hall, Route 4, Northwood, NH.

Tickets: Adults $7.00, Students $5.00, Families $20.00 and children under 12 free. Tickets may be obtained at the door, from any Knight, or by calling Cliff Young at 942-7620 or Al Correa at 942-7689.

A corned beef and cabbage dinner, desserts and beverages will be served. Music by C.J. the D.J.

Important Reminder

Election Day is Tuesday, March 12 for town and school election of officials, and all warrant articles including the operating budgets for the coming year. Voting will take place in Northwood at St. Joseph Church Parish Center, 844 First NH Turnpike from 7 am to 7 pm. All registered voters are encouraged to vote on these important decisions.

Discovering Your Local State Parks

New Hampshire has several state parks and usually the first to come to mind are the ones located in the White Mountains. If you look a little closer, you will find that there are wonderful parks everywhere and although they may not have the magnificent views and terrain you would find in the Whites, they do offer incredible trails and a variety of activities that can be enjoyed close to home.  

I love living near Northwood Meadows, a 674 acre state park located right off of Route 4.  This is a smaller park that offers trails which are very easy to navigate.  The trails are marked with various signs and have kiosks in three places. Northwood Meadows also incorporates the NALMC trail which is a 5 mile trail designed and maintained by volunteers.   There are also other parcels of town land and private land that make up a network of trails for many users to enjoy.

The shortest route is a very flat loop that is about 3 miles in length that will bring you around a man made pond where you can enjoy fishing or take a seat on one of the benches made by the NALMC group and take in the view. In the winter, you will see people on cross country skis, snowshoes and snowmobiles.  If you are feeling more adventurous, take a journey on the yellow blazed NALMC trail. Please respect the field portion of the loop as this is owned by a private landowner who grows hay in the field.  He is kind enough to allow users to follow a narrow path that he mows so that his hay does not get trampled.

The yellow blazed trail will bring you through the field which has incredible sunsets, nice singletrack terrain, snowmobile trails and a nice pine forest.  There are various benches placed along the trail that allow for taking a break to enjoy the views, watch the birds, read a book or have a picnic.  You may also see horses and mountain bikers enjoying the park as well.  

Northwood Meadows is maintained by volunteers and if you are interested in becoming involved in maintaining this beautiful local treasure feel free to contact NALMC or Friends of Northwood Meadows.  

There are 3 trail maps located at the kiosks and the trails are very well marked.  Keep your eyes open for a summer cross country race series at the Harmony Hill Kiosk in June.

Pawtuckaway State Park is 5,000 acres and located in Nottingham and Deerfield. Pawtuckaway has a 783 acre lake and is surrounded by the Pawtuckaway Mountains which are a small, rocky range in a circular shape that form the outline of an ancient volcanic ring dike! There are plenty of trails that go up and over these mountains and a fire tower that will offer some great views!

Pawtuckaway has a wonderful network of trails for hiking, trail running and mountain biking. In the winter there are snowmobile trails that pass through.  In the summer you will find rock climbers at various locations throughout the park. Pawtuckaway is a great place for bouldering and top roping. There are a few places that offer trad climbing as well. If you are interested in learning to climb, hire an AMGA certified guide to take you out for a fun day of climbing!

On a hot summer day the lake can be a wonderful place for swimming and kayaking. A family friendly campground is located within the park where you can choose to camp on or off the water. There is a trail running race in the fall called Vulcans Fury that takes you on beautiful singletrack and challenging terrain.  This is a large park so plan your hike properly.  Bring a map and plenty of snacks and water.

Bear Brook state park is a 10,000 acre park is located in Deerfield, Allenstown and Candia.  Bear Brook offers beautiful trails that are suitable for everyone. You will find snowmobile trails scattered throughout the park. The park also offers miles of singletrack, dirt roads and doubletrack terrain. Some trails are smooth and rolling while others are rocky and technical.

There are views on top of the mountains within the park but most of the park’s beauty comes from the rivers, streams and lakes that the trails meander around.  There is an abundance of wildlife and you may be lucky enough to see a porcupine or a bobcat! There are a lot of horses, mountain bikers, trail runners and hikers, but with the several miles of trails located in the park you will still find yourself alone on the trail and may only occasionally see other people out there.

If you are on a mountain bike try to dismount your bike if you approach a horse. They can be scared easily and throw the rider off of their back. You should also bring a map with you and pay attention to trail intersections. There are some trails that have missing or unmarked signs so you may have to count intersections on your map.  Most trails are not blazed and are only marked with a sign on either end of the trail.  Pay attention to where you are and look behind you so that you will recognize the trail in the other direction.

The park also offers camping where there is a lake to enjoy, a small camp store and a playground for the kids.  There is a hiker lot for people looking to ride their bikes or hike and there is an area in Hayes Field where equestrians bring their horses to ride.  A trail marathon occurs in July and is a single 26.7 mile loop!  That gives you an idea of how large the trail network is at Bear Brook!  Be sure to bring plenty of food, water and a map. A headlight is also a good idea in case you become lost. 

Some parks charge a small fee so be prepared to stop at a toll booth on your way in. With some permission from the park it is possible to hold a wedding or small event.  Always be respectful of other trail users and carry out any trash you carry in; including apple cores, banana peels and orange peels. If each visitor left one piece of trash or food with each outing the trails would not be a pleasant escape into nature.  There are plenty of online resources to plan your local adventure, so download a map and discover how your local park can bring you and your family fitness, wonderful memories together and an appreciation for the outdoors!

Letter

What If?

Let’s suppose just for a moment—what if there weren’t any Educational Support Personnel--ESPs?

What would become of our schools and where would education be?

If not for the dedication of each Educational Support Professional, how could our schools ever survive or even function at all?

There are many ESPs—custodians, kitchen workers, para educators, and secretaries--who give so much, each in a different capacity.

For to each ESP, education is far more than just another job or utility.

Education is each child’s future, the hope and prayer of our nation.

For that future, each day, ESPs give their work, love and dedication.

--Written by Dave Arnold

--Adapted by Linda Royer

Please consider all the places where Northwood School’s ESPs support students and the certified staff and administration on a daily basis when exercising your right to vote on the Northwood Educational Support Personnel Association’s 2013-2016 contract on March 12th. The Association thanks you for your time and consideration.

HLWC News

Harvey Lake Woman’s Club (affiliated with General Federation of Women’s Clubs) met March 5, 2013.Guest speaker, Betty (Bailey) Olivolo, shared her experiences while living in Africa and other countries. Betty grew up in Northwood and graduated from Coe Brown Northwood Academy.

Other Club activities during March are:  Sponsoring a food table at the Town Election on Tuesday, March 12. Proceeds will benefit the Scholarship Fund. 

A workshop to make Comfort Pillows for breast cancer patients at Concord Hospital will be held on Friday, March 22, 9 am to 12 noon at the Congregational Church.

HLWC is a service organization and a member of General Federation of Women’s Clubs-NH. Its object is to promote sociability and culture and to make itself a  power for good in the community.  All women in the area are invited to join us.

Letter To The Editor

In 2012, the U.S. Postal System issued stamps declaring “liberty,” “justice,” “freedom.” I love sending my correspondence with these attached reminders of our American values.

In 2012, the re-election of Barack Obama reissued his and our commitment to these core values. Barack and I aren’t always in agreement, but I love him as our president.

In 2012, I didn’t vote for Bruce Hodgedon. But after introducing myself to him at our polling site and speaking with him a couple of times subsequently, my “audacity of hope” allows me to accept his narrow victory and the faith of his constituents in him to do the right things for our town and state and country. I love the perseverance, dedication, and intellect of his opponent in that closely contested seat for the NH House, and I appreciate her continued efforts for social justice and fiscal responsibility as a concerned citizen of our community. What a “behind the scenes” advocate! Thanks Lucy!

When I review the roll call for the current Legislative session, I’m really hoping, Bruce, that you are representing Northwood with thoughts of justice, liberty, and freedom. As a senior citizen of NH, I’m looking forward to many more winters at Cannon Mountain, where I can Ski Free or Die.

So in 2013, please make thoughtful choices, share responsibilities with clear, mindful voices. Reflect on our blessings; be mindful of all tasks. Let’s keep New Hampshire special. That may mean some tax! Let’s care for each other and care for our earth. New Hampshire is a treasure with immeasurable worth.

Donna Duff

Letter

My name is Betsy Colburn and I am running for re-election to the Northwood Budget Committee.  As a lifelong resident of Northwood with 16 years of volunteer service on the Budget Committee, I am running for re-election this year to provide a strong voice for fiscal management in the school and town budgets.  I am currently serving as Vice-Chair of the Northwood Budget Committee.

With three grown children who have all gone through the Northwood school system, I support a strong educational program that is fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of Northwood. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Financial Management and have over 30 years experience in municipal accounting for both the school and town. I have actively served on several school and town organizations, including the Northwood Fire-Rescue as an EMT and Explorer Advisor, the Recreation Committee, and Northwood School Ski Program.

I believe that the Budget Committee plays a key role in the budget development process for both the school and town budgets, and that my financial background in municipal accounting will provide valuable support to this process.

I would like to thank you for your support, and ask that you continue to support me for another 3-year term on the Northwood Budget Committee.  

Betsy Colburn

Card Of Thanks

The family of Andrew John Lane of Northwood wishes to thank all of those who provided support and well wishes during our period of mourning. The food, flowers and the large turnout for his funeral showed us how well respected John was within the community and his church.

A special thank you goes out to the Northwood Fire-Rescue and the Epsom Fire-Rescue who provided critical emergency care.  The Concord Hospital staff and especially to the staff at Presidential Oaks in Concord who provided exceptional care and compassion during his stay there.  A special thank you also goes out to the Rev. Gayle Murphy and all the members of the Northwood Congregation Church for their help and support.

Thank you to everyone who knew and was part of John’s life.

Jean W. Lane

Betsy and Jim Colburn

Peggy and Pat Riley

Letter

John Lane

I’ll miss running into John and Jean Lane together. I didn’t know John well at all, but he was always a kind of inspiration to me. 

Like everyone else in Northwood, I was accustomed to seeing the couple just about everywhere. John was in his 80s, but he looked sturdy and trim, with a distinctly military bearing. Seemingly, wherever I went in town I would see him devotedly and tirelessly attending his devoted wife, pushing her wheelchair, getting her into or out of the car, or standing patiently and silently by while she talked with neighbors.

John was a man of few words, but his actions were eloquent. Wherever Jean was, John was. John seemed to believe that life might be a serious business, but it was nothing to complain about. He was a model of so many legendary Yankee qualities. He was reserved, steadfast, reliable. He did what he could? and that was a great deal.

Strength of character like John’s has a long tradition in these parts. On the morning of May 19, 1780, the sky darkened in New England to the point where a newspaper could not be read at noon. The cause was apparently smoke from a huge Canadian forest fire, but no one in New England knew that. People were terrified. The Connecticut legislature considered adjourning, certain that the Day of Judgment was at hand.  One legislator, Colonel Abraham Davenport, spoke up:

“I am against adjournment,” he said. “The Day of Judgment is either approaching, or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for an adjournment; if it is, I choose to be found doing my duty.”

On the Day of Judgment, as on other days, John Lane was found doing his duty.

Michael Faiella

Northwood

Letter

I am running for reelection to the Northwood School Board. I have been on the Board for 5 years and hope to continue. My original reason for running was to participate in the search for a Principal who would be willing to make a long-term commitment to the school. We  met this goal when we hired our current principal, Rich Hartford.  I hope to continue working with Board members, citizens from other boards, and Northwood residents to find a balance between the costs of education and affordability.

I have volunteered for the town of Northwood in many capacities: former President of the Northwood Youth Softball and Baseball Association, former Chair of the Northwood Recreation Committee, and School Board representative to the Budget Committee.

I have been married to my wife Lorraine for 30 years and have 3 children who are in, or have graduated from, the Northwood School system. 

Thank you for your support. I look forward to continuing my work on the Northwood School Board.

Dave Ruth

Northwood School Board Candidate

CBNA Theatre Presents Neil Simon’s Fools

CBNA Theatre students left to right Kestyn Ritchotte (Mishkin), Jesse Felber (Slovitch), Marianna Barnhart (Yenchna) and Gwyneth Horne (Snetsky) rehearse a scene from Fools.

Prepare for an evening of hilarity as Coe-Brown Northwood Academy Theatre presents Fools by the great comic playwright, Neil Simon, on March 7, 8, 9, 10, 2013, at 7 pm in the Gerrish Gym on the CBNA campus. 

Fools is the story of Leon Tolchinsky who has just landed a terrific teaching job in Kulyenchikov, an idyllic Russian hamlet. When he arrives he finds that the town has been cursed with chronic stupidity for 200 years and it is his job to break the curse. No one tells him that if he stays over 24 hours and fails to break the curse, he too becomes stupid. Does he break the curse? Does he get the girl? Does everyone live happily ever after?  

The answers to these questions will be brought to the CBNA stage by seniors Marianna Barnhart, Timothy Cedrone, Ashlyn Correia, Ryan Cunningham, Jesse Felber, Kylie Gagnon, Allison Irish, Moriah Mazzochi and Kestyn Ritchotte; juniors Grace Axelrod,  Shane Chittum, Samantha Corwin, Gwyneth Horne, and sophomores Julia Collins, Lizzie MacEachern and Colton Rush. The production stage managers are juniors Kathi Cozine and Hannah Heselton and the production is directed by faculty member Elizabeth Lent, with assistance from faculty member Kolby Hume. 

Reserved tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors and will be available after March 4, 2013 by calling 942-5531, ext. 237, by email [email protected] or at the main office.

SAU 44 Action On Special Education Applauded

I was very pleased to hear that the SAU 44 Joint Board voted on February 25th to proceed with an “independent” performance review of the special education programs. Introducing the proposal was one of Nottingham’s newest school board members, Gail Mills, who had given a presentation to her board several days earlier.

Similar audits had been done in other school districts and the results have been impressive. Special education expenditures have been curtailed and made more cost effective while student achievement has improved. Representing about 25% of Northwood’s total school budget, many of the special education systems and costs go unaudited.  The misnomer that all special education costs are fixed is a fallacy.  

The SAU has formed a subcommittee to work on this special project. They will be issuing an RFP (request for proposal) to several qualified firms to perform the work. Only one joint school board member voted against having an independent review performed. That person was Northwood school board member Dave Ruth, who was given a copy of a similar review done for the Rochester school district more than a year ago. Although he had claimed that he gave it to Northwood’s special education director, I have since learned that it ended up in the “circular” file.

I’m not sure why Mr. Ruth would vote against improving Northwood’s special education program, unless he is trying to cover-up something. (i.e. waste and abuse of property taxpayer’s funds?) 

Since he is up for re-election to the school board on March 12th, voters will have a chance to let him try to continue to cover-up any alleged irregularities in our special education program or they could vote for change and transparency with our school board. If so, they should vote for Bonnie Sears to have ethics restored to our school board.   

Sincerely,

Jim Hadley

Letter

Chat With The Chief

I would like to cordially invite the citizens of Northwood to join me and the members of the Northwood Police Commission Thursday, March 7th at 6:00 pm at the Northwood Town Hall for a “Chat with the Chief.”  This is an informal quarterly conversation with the citizens of Northwood to promote an open dialogue between the citizens and the police department.  This will be an opportunity for citizens to voice their concerns, learn about the general operation of the police department, hear about existing programs and future programs run by the department, and to strengthen the relationship between the citizens and the Northwood Police Department. I truly hope to see you there.

Respectfully submitted, 

Glendon L. Drolet

Chief of Police

Letter

Dear Northwood Voter:

The Northwood Teachers are asking for your support in the upcoming vote on Northwood School’s Warrant Articles. Northwood School is a safe, supportive, and academically challenging environment for the children of Northwood.  As teachers, we take the responsibility of maintaining that environment very seriously. The teachers at Northwood School are a dedicated group of professionals who consistently strive to improve their teaching skills. That professional improvement takes the form of attending workshops, taking courses, and participating in group discussions on educational literature. All those efforts are directed toward the education of the children in our care.

We are well aware of the economic times. As teachers, we have not had an increase in our salary schedule in 5 years, since 2008. Like many people, we have seen increases in the cost of living and decreases in our pay as a result of increases in retirement and insurance. We ask that on March 12, 2013, you exercise your right to vote and support your children’s school and their teachers.  Thank you for your consideration.

Northwood Teachers’ 

Association

Every child. Every chance. Every day.

Letter

Lies, Damn Lies And Statistics

When I was a boy, I remember reading an item in Reader’s Digest about an article in Pravda, the Soviet newspaper, which reported on an international road race: the Soviet vehicle had finished second, while the American vehicle had finished next to last. Pravda did not disclose that it was a 2-car race.

I thought of this when I read Jim Hadley’s letters in defense of the proposed Road Bond and the proposed 2% tax cap on school spending. In the first instance, he assured us that the annual State Highway Grant of “approximately $100,000” would cover the annual bond payment. In fact, the 2012 grant was only $89,795 – a $10,205 shortfall.

In the second case, Mr. Hadley uses Northwood’s ranking among Rockingham County towns to suggest that we are spending too much on educating our students. The anecdote from Pravda should alert you to the danger of using rank order for comparison purposes.  The other caveat that applies here is: “all other things being equal – which they never are.” Within Rockingham County, there are big and small towns. What can we learn from Northwood’s ranking within this group?  Not much.

Finally, in his most recent letter, Mr. Hadley resorts to distortion and fear-mongering to promote his tax-cap scheme: “Currently the school board is looking to increase your school taxes by up to 25% per year.” This is an outright lie.  

When voters at the School Deliberative Session realized that the tax-cap warrant could not be killed outright, one insightful voter moved to increase the amount from 2% to 25%, insuring that – pass or fail – the tax cap will not prevent the School Board from doing what they have been elected to do: develop and manage a responsible budget. It was the voters on hand who did this, not the School Board.

Tom Chase

Letter To The Editor

I am running as candidate for School Board and would appreciate the vote of all who want a better education for Northwood’s children and to accomplish this while saving money for taxpayers. This is the flip side of the coin that has called for more dollars while delivering less education. I suppose the other candidates would also say they want to improve the performance of our grammar school (who wouldn’t?) which absorbs the majority of the money we spend - I want to do it while saving money. I know it can be done - there are success stories all around.

But there is another distinction between myself and the other candidates. For many years previous school board members, however well-intentioned, have been satisfied with partial fixes and gradual improvement schemes that have been lackluster at best. Slight improvements are made here and there, hit and miss. We need big improvement successful methods that don’t have to cost more! Imagine that. Yet without consistency or high goals, they will be still a disservice to the children first, and I would think to the expectations of parents, and frustrating to the efforts of good teachers. Each year lost to a child in a ‘slightly’ improving program is a long term loss for that child. An important study several years back revealed what some parents already know. An average child who spent three successive years in under performing class instruction (especially early on) was damaged significantly in the child’s future learning performance. Whereas the same cohort of similar children in three years of high quality instructional environment would then go on to outperform their peers (and of course the plan would be to keep it up). Slight improvements are not enough. Let’s go for better education while spending less money!

Vote Joseph McCaffrey 

For Northwood School Board

Letter To The Editor

I’d like you to understand what, in my opinion, is going on with the teachers’ contract. When you’re younger and have a family, benefits are very important; health insurance, sick pay, vacations etc. Benefits were the push. 

Teachers retire at half the pay of their three highest years. Now that we have a large contingent of teachers nearing retirement they want a larger paycheck because that will give them a larger retirement for over 20 years. Money is now more important, but they aren’t willing to negotiate benefits.

Healthcare is ridiculous and going up quickly. We have some teachers on the JY program that will cost $35.815 for a family plan next year. They pay $6,625; we will pay $29,189. They receive life, dental, disability and unemployment insurance. Teachers work 187 days a year, 6 hours and 15 minutes a day (some work much more) which includes paid lunch period. They get 15 sick days, 5 emergency days, 3 personal days and 3 professional days.

There is so much more. We actually have some teachers that I would give a 10K raise tomorrow if it was within my ability. We have young, excellent teachers that deserve more but until things change will not get it. Go to the school website and check it all out. Get the information you need and please go vote.

Tim Jandebeur

Northwood, NH

Letter

A Response To Mr. Hadley

Mr. Hadley states the Northwood School taxes are higher than the total tax rate in Nottingham. Well, the Department of Revenue Administration (Jan 30th, 2013) would disagree.  The 2012 School tax rate of Northwood is $15.92 ($23.20 total tax rate).  The total tax rate in Nottingham is $20.42.  Nottingham has a lower tax rate because their property values are higher.

Mr. Hadley references the fact that Nottingham has 20 more students than Northwood in grades K-12.  He fails to mention that Northwood has 45 more high school students (265 vs. 220) than Nottingham, at a cost of $13,462 per student. Just these 45 students add $605,790 to Northwood’s budget. Nottingham also sends high school students to both Dover and Coe Brown at a budgeted cost of $11,066 per student, a difference of $527,120.  Over $1.1 million of the $1.7 million referenced is in High School tuition alone!

Mr. Hadley implies that the Northwood School Board is looking to increase their budget by up to 25%.  The SB’s proposed budget for next year represents a 3.7% increase from the current year’s operating budget. He also implies in his letter that the SB increased the percentage from 2% to 25%. Had Mr. Hadley been at the Deliberative Session when this was discussed, he would have known that it was clearly stated when the motion was made, that the figure of 25% was being used to assure that the article will be defeated.  The taxpayers at the DS then voted by a vast majority to place the 25% figure on the ballot, not the SB.

The Northwood SB is made up of 5 very dedicated taxpayers. We are going to continue to focus on ways to reduce spending in areas that we can control, especially in areas like Special Education. 

Chris Andrews

Northwood School Board Chair