There
will be a CANDIDATES NIGHT on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at the
Northwood Town Hall. It will begin at 7:00 PM. This will be an
opportunity for all voters and interested people to meet those
running for Northwood offices in the March elections. It will be
moderated by former Moderator Robbie Robertson and all candidates
will have an opportunity to speak briefly and answer questions from
the audience. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the
Northwood Library and the Harvey Lake Woman’s Club.
Congratulations to Lily Allen, a resident of Northwood who has been
honored with placement on the Dean’s List at Wheaton College in
Norton, Mass., for the fall 2014 semester. A member of Wheaton’s
Class of 2017, she is the daughter of Thomas Allen and Laura Holmes.
Coe-Brown Northwood Academy
Quarter 2 Honor Roll
Headmaster David S. Smith is pleased to announce the honor roll for
the second quarter.
Grade
12 – Highest Honors
Willden
Butler, Sarah Curtin, Bryan Ekstrom, Mariah Feegel, Audrey Getman,
Nicholas Halka, Hannah Herter, Katheryn Huckins, Ashley LeBlanc,
Megan Leduke, Kyle Nelson, Benjamin Porter, Madison Thivierge,
Nicole Torosian
Grade
12 – High Honors
Samantha Beaupre, Ronald Berry III, Sophia Chartier, Ariel Clachar,
Julia Collins, Joshua Conrad, Liam Corless, Kyana Currier, Rachel
Dallaire, Hjalmer DeVarney, Gregory Doane, Olivia Drew, Nicole
Durell, Emma Easler, Brianna Ferreira, Caitlin Foley, Molly Gibson,
Aurora Goodwin, Kendall Goodwin, Hannah Grady, Erika Grand, Brianna
Hanson, Mason Jimino, Bianca Ketenci, Garrett Kunz, Andrew Lambert,
Alicia Lee, Elizabeth MacEachern, Hanna McCourt, Gaelyn O’Dwyer,
Jessica Ohrenberger, Ashley Perron, Jamie Pratt, Cassandra Rogers,
Mercedes Rollins, Colton Rush, Anthony Russo, Haley Ruth, Katelynn
Scannell, Veronica Swindell, Kate Tomaszewski, Alexander Yonchak
Grade
12 – Honors
Kerry
Baratier, Alexa Barnes, Natasha Canty, Dylan Clark, Tyler Comte,
Catherine Farrar, Aisilyn Guivens, Zachary Huot, Jacob Jackman,
Allison Jones, Samuel Langdon, Austin Leith, Hannah Mausteller,
Lauren Montgomery, Corey Oles, Nicholas Rolser, Carrigan Smith,
Lauren Velleca, Zachary Wood, Luke Zollman
Grade
11 – Highest Honors
Molly
Boodey, Kayleigh Bounds, Elisabeth Danis, Ryu Kondrup, Jolene
Levesque, Katherine Martel, Brianna O’Connor, Billie Pingree, Maria
Rainey, Holly Roman, Henry Turcotte
Grade
11 – High Honors
Brandi
Allen, Hannah Arroyo, Ryan Bailey, Nicole Beaupre, Chloe
Bettencourt, Callie Brochu, Hannah Carlson, Christie Clause, Julia
Cormier, Laura Cozine, Randall Daniels, Casey Davies, Erin Docko,
Hayley Dunn, Megan Elwell, Sydney Fisher, Cheyenne Gardner, Tayla
George, Lavender Goodwin, Rosemary Goodwin, Taylor Goodwin, Emily
Greene, Brittany Guillemette, Arianna Gunderson, Maria Pia Hachem,
Claire Hammond, Tyler Holman, Daphne Jordan, Cameron Lamarre, Brooke
Laskowsky, Bethany Levenson, Cortney Lewis, Damian May, Thomas
Mellor, Bianca Nardi, William Ohrenberger, Jason Palmer, Ashley
Reiff, Zachary Rheaume, Meredith Roman, Jake Scarponi, Tyler
Schroeder, Kristina Seavey, Kayleigh Sherman, Andrew Shultz, Henry
Smith, Julie Souryavong, Megan Spainhower, Abigail Turcotte, Sydney
Wilson
Grade
11 – Honors
Parker
Aube, Jared Carlson, Nicholas Chase, Michaela Cirillo, David Coe,
Andrew Comte, James Crosby, Gage Desrosiers, Caleb Dowe, Jack
Fontes, Christen Gallant, Brian Gordon, Nicole Hodgdon, Lily Hunt,
Daniell LaFlamme, Samuel Olewine, Kayla Patten, Christopher Perin,
Hayley Pierce, Mackenzi Prina, Max Ravenelle, Julie Renner, Carter
Rollins, Drew Tessier, Daven Thorne, Mariah Valerio
Grade
10 – Highest Honors
Cassandra Barnhart, Taylor Baxter-Orluk, Joshua Hall, Amanda Lee,
Steven O’Donnell, Zackary Pine
Grade
10 – High Honors
Miranda
Adcock, Ryan Barnard, Summer Barnes, Amanda Bolduc, Kayla Boucher,
Joel Boulanger, Lauren Burrows, Colin Cain, Donovan Corless, Emelia
Cronshaw, Kassandra Crosby, Davio DeLuca, Abigail Devaney, Abigail
Dupuis, Shane Fillion, Sheridan Gancarz, Marissa Gast, William
Girard, Jillian Gordon, Emily Goulas, Alexander Gray, Carter Greig,
Brenda Hayes, Arianna Jones, Catherine Langdon, Caroline Lavoie,
Samuel Lupinacci, Donald MacCallum, William Mathison, Sophia
Menjivar, McKenzie Moehlmann, Cassidy O’Dwyer, Mallory Perron,
Caitlyn Pitre, Allison Pratt, Mikayla Prina, Tanner Richards,
Zachary Richards, Shannon Riley, Tatum Santos, Thomas Sheehan V,
Jacob Snow, Jessica Tolento, Emery Travers, Kylee West, Noah
Wojtkowski, LilyGrace York, Abigail Zollman
Grade
10 – Honors
Brody
Ashley, Sierra Brady, Matthew Brown, Kate Clinch, Teagan Folland,
Joseph Guptill, Emily Hughes, Tristan Jardon, Morgan Labrecque,
Andrew Leas, Rebecca Masison, Jordan May, Michael Mulligan, Sarah
Murphy, Gwynevere Norris, Gareth Owen, Katlyn Palumbo, Anne-Marie
Peacock, Nathan Pinette, Shawn Spenard, Patrick Thurston, Kaylee
Toleos, Kelsey Wallace
Grade 9
– Highest Honors
Raven
Barnes, Sandra Black, Grace Blake, Paul Colson, Sarah Dupuis, Hannah
Halka, Victoria Sheridan
Grade 9
– High Honors
Haley
Arnold-Fuchs, Alicia Baratier, Maxim Begin, Taylor Bettencourt,
Rachel Bouchard, Jaelyn Brooks, Suzannah Buzzell, Orion Clachar,
Emily Cunningham, Domminique Depianti, Sarah Doiron, Jackson
Douglas, Emma DuBois, Derek Elwell, Isabelle Feenstra, Aidan
Fillion, Jocelyn Gagnon, Samuel Godwin, Julia Greene, John Grygiel,
Jordan Haddock, Joseph Hebert-Morello, Cyrus Hiraldo, Brady Johnson,
Nina-Marie Laramee, Olivia Lee, Emily Lentz, Isabelle Lupinacci,
Abigail Mathison, Michaela McAllister, Ahna McCusker, Michael
McKinney, Alexander Mercedes, Cailinn Monahan, Scott Norwood,
Maxwell Nowak, Elizabeth Parece, Shania Patten, Kayla Pollak,
Catrina Purington, Alyssa Reiff, Caleb Rollins, Allison Rose,
Nathaniel Schroeder, Garrett Skidds, Jacob Spainhower, Kiley St.
Francis, Drew Stevens, Hailey Stevens, Devin Sullivan, Evan Tanguay,
Caitlyn Ustaszewski, Mitchell Wade, Ander Wensberg
Grade 9
– Honors
Emily
Anderson, Bailey Arnold-Fuchs, Sarah Fortier, Sydney Gast, Sydney
Ho-Sue, Jeremy Knight, Nicholas LaRose, Kathryn Levesque, Jacob
Lock, Jacob Lorden, Eric Nelson, Amaya Newport, Nicole Rogier,
Samantha Schroeder, Kailey Ward, Lindsay Wright
Letter To The Editor
Too
Little Government?
Is more
government always better?
To some
it apparently is. The appetite for more government power, spending,
and scrutiny often seems insatiable.
Taxes
are never high enough. Regulations are never strong enough.
Government workers are always underpaid. Kids never spend enough
hours of the day or years of their lives in public school. Every
government program and institution is underfunded. Every problem
cries out for a government solution.
Did the
New Englanders who gathered around the Liberty Tree before the
Revolution demand a more powerful and paternal government? Is that
why they established the Constitution? Were they asking for rulers
who would scrupulously regulate their subjects and solve their
problems for them? Was it in government that they had their faith?
Where
is their spirit of liberty today, with the persistent clamor for
more numerous and expanded government programs, especially, it
seems, in New England?
As
Judge Learned Hand said in 1944, “Liberty lies in the hearts of men
and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can
save it; no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help
it. While it lies there, it needs no constitution, no law, no court
to save it.”
Whenever we increase the power and scope of government we help
extinguish a little more of our liberty. Still, there’s always hope
of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again.
Michael
Faiella
Northwood
Strafford Regional Planning Commission Announces EDD Status
On
Friday January 31, Strafford Regional Planning Commission received
word that their request for federal designation as an Economic
Development District (EDD) was approved by the U.S. Economic
Development Administration (EDA). This EDA status allows SRPC, and
its communities, non-profits, and educational institutions access to
funding opportunities for projects and planning related to local and
regional economic development.
The
Strafford Economic Development District includes the communities
located in Strafford County, in addition to Brookfield and Wakefield
in Carroll County. The communities of Northwood, Newmarket, and
Nottingham are included within the boundary of the Regional Economic
Development Center (REDC) of Southern New Hampshire.
Strafford Regional Planning Commission applied for this designation
in November of 2013, with the application drawing a wide array of
support from communities with the Strafford Region, in addition to
economic development corporations, local banks, and adult learning
institutions. SRPC was happy to apply for designation on behalf of
these entities in order to secure eligibility for future funding
opportunities to help our stakeholders accomplish their local and
regional goals. Strafford Regional Planning Commission is excited to
share this news with our communities, stakeholders, regional
businesses, and residents.
Stanley Shares His Adventures With Second Grade
Submitted By Christy Bates, Vonda Cunningham, and Ellen Gibson
The
students in second grade sent out their own Stanleys to friends and
relatives around the world before the December break. Those who
received Flat Stanley went on all sorts of adventures taking
pictures along the way to send back to Northwood. Each class has
been plotting every adventure on the maps in our “Bubblegum” hallway
as the envelopes arrive one by one. The maps are labeled with the
locations that Stanley has visited. This project has been an
exciting way to learn the states, continents and some countries. So
far, these are places Flat Stanley has visited: New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania,
California, Florida, England, Sweden, Africa, Rhode Island,
Washington, Arizona, Vermont, Mississippi, and Japan.
Northwood Recreation Update
On
Saturday, February 21st, the Northwood Recreation will begin holding
our Annual Ice Fishing Derby. The Derby will be held on Harvey Lake
from 8:00 AM to noon. Children do not need a fishing license.
Adults are welcome to fish, but must be licensed to fish in the
State of New Hampshire. Prizes will be given to children 15 and
under in a categories including first fish, shortest fish, and
longest fish. Please bring your ice fishing gear. If you are not
an avid ice fisherman, the Recreation Department will be providing
some tip-ups and bait for those who would like to try something new.
This is a FREE event. The Northwood Congregational Church will be
opening their doors to offer bathroom facilities and will be selling
light concessions. Parking is available at the Northwood
Congregational Church. Register at the derby upon arrival. The
event will be held rain or shine, safe ice permitting. Contact the
Northwood Recreation Department at 942-5586 x209 or by e-mail at
[email protected]
for additional information.
Chesley Memorial Library News
Chesley
Memorial Library and Cornerstone VNA invite you to attend a
Volunteer Information Session on Thursday, February 19th from 6:30
pm - 7:30 pm. Cornerstone VNA, a non-profit home, health and
hospice agency, is currently seeking individuals to join their
“Circle of Caring” by becoming a Companion Volunteer. Companion
volunteering provides much needed support, respite and friendship to
patients, families and caregivers. Just by visiting as little as
two hours each week, volunteers can decrease loneliness for home
bound patients and community members. If you’d like to brighten
someone’s day, share a cup of tea, play a game of cards, or just
share some conversation, come to this information session to learn
more. Light refreshments will be served. If you are unable to
attend, but would like more information, please contact Erika Lee,
Assistant Director of Advancement/Volunteer Coordinator, at
603-332-1133 x203.
Local
NH Author Debuts The First Of Three Children’s Books
“Using
his field scope to explore the backyard, Anthony can see all the
tiny creatures that live between the blades of grass, in the pond,
and deep down in a hole.
But
that’s not all that he can do.”
Local
author P.J. Holt (also known as Pam LaBrecque) will debut the first
of three children’s books, Anthony’s Amazing Adventures and
Incredible Discoveries in the Backyard, at Chesley Memorial Library
in Northwood, NH on Saturday, February 14, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. Copies
of the book will be on sale for $10.00 each. Her grandson, Anthony,
was the inspiration for the book, and she collaborated with
illustrator Elizabeth Moisan to bring the story to publication. In
addition, P.J. Holt is the founder of an online blog “On My Mind
Today - A Journal of a 50+ Woman’s Observations, Reflections and
Life’s Lessons."
Teddy Bear Sleepover at the Chesley Memorial Library!
February 13 is the night the teddy bears (and their other stuffed
friends!) have their sleepover at the library and get ready for
Valentine’s Day! Bring your cuddly friend to the library on Friday,
February 13, at 6:00 p.m. Make a Valentine for your friend then
enjoy snacks and stories with special guest reader Sandy Ross. Tuck
your friend in for the night and come back to the library at 9:00
a.m. on Saturday, February 14, to join your friend for breakfast.
Local
author P.J. Holt (also known as Pam LaBrecque) will be on hand to
read her book Anthony’s Amazing Adventures and Incredible
Discoveries in the Backyard. No registration required; all ages
welcome. (Don’t let the kids have all the fun, adults have stuffed
friends too!) If you would like your friend to join the sleepover
but you are not able to drop him or her off on Friday night, please
call the library at 942-5472 to make other arrangements.
Letter To The Editor
Did you
know our public schools are for the public good? It’s been this way
since 1838, when the first public schools were supported by local
tax dollars. The purpose of universal schooling was to create
informed citizens and promote well-being in our communities through
education.
It’s
177 years later, but the original goals endure. Teachers are the
“hands and feet” of our local school. While some educational goals
have remained constant, today we ask so much more or our teachers.
Every teacher on the Northwood School staff has revamped their
teaching strategies and acquired new skills by furthering their
education. Teachers are continuously updating strategies to achieve
greater student engagement. Recognizing that societal issues have
changed, teachers have responded by seeking opportunities to learn
methods to help students who may be dealing with mental health and
family issues that influence their education. An educator’s
responsibility is to consistently interpret data, analyze the
results at Professional Learning Communities and adjust instruction
accordingly.
Five
years ago, when 6 certified teachers were cut from the staff at
Northwood School, we learned to do more with less. Teachers picked
up additional committee assignments. The amount of work that is
done in committees after the last bell is impressive. Committees
responsible for school safety, technology, school improvement,
academic achievement, special education, and curriculum are just
some of the additional expectations of teachers.
A “Yes”
vote for the Teachers’ Contract is the right choice. It’s been five
years since a Teachers’ Contract has passed in Northwood. It’s time.
The proposed contract agreement was unanimously approved by the
School Board and Budget Committee. On March 10th, please vote “Yes”
on Article #4 of the School District Ballot. Contact
[email protected]
or visit our website at Northwood Teachers for Learning.
Sincerely,
Northwood School Teachers
Letter To The Editor
To the
Editor,
The
Inside Story: Northwood Teachers Contract.
This
year the Northwood School Board and the Northwood Teachers’
Association began negotiations early, in May. Frankly, this is the
most difficult aspect of being a Board Member. It can be a very
harsh place, between you the taxpayer and 38 teachers who want to be
fairly compensated for their work in educating our children.
Opinions, rhetoric, and heart felt needs abound.
I want
you to know that the Northwood School Board is 110% behind the NTA
and our negotiated contract with them. The NTA truly came to the
table this year ready to negotiate in good faith, willing to
understand some of your concerns and finally, compromise. Our
teachers have not had raises in 4 of the last 5 years. The contract
will cost us $88K, a bargain.
We
negotiated out the JY insurance plan. It was costing 36K but will go
up 9K to around $45K next year. Yes, really, so this alone is worth
approving the contract. All teachers will now pay part of their
healthcare cost. No longer must the Board match sick bank days,
another big savings. There are lots more including 15 additional
minutes of instruction each day equaling 45 hours a year.
To keep
and attract good teachers we need to fairly compensate them. The NTA
was professional, ready to listen and deal. Your support will not
only show appreciation to them but will be a big help in future
negotiations. Obamacare and its incredible costs are the future.
Health Insurance costs alone increased the 15/16 year budget by
$118,861. Approving this contract will mitigate some of that.
Vote!!!! Vote in favor of the NTA and Support Staff contracts.
Tim
Jandebeur
Northwood
Letter To The Editor
Step One
towards All-Day K
The
School Budget Deliberation Session was held last Thursday, 2/5, and
I was gratified by the turnout and the outcome. I presented the
petitioned warrant article for All-Day Kindergarten, explaining as I
had in my letter how I decided to do this when the School Board
didn’t. And I briefly stated my opinion that a full-day program is
needed in order to cover the curriculum requirements and allow time
for play, snack, socializing, “specials,” lunch and one-on-one
teacher-student interaction. What followed was a series of parents
making their own points so that I didn’t need to make them.
One
spoke as a high school special-ed teacher and parent who noted that
it is a lot less expensive to educate youngsters than it is to try
to correct the deficits later. Several moms spoke of their wish to
have their children better prepared going forward.
As
expected, Mike Faiella spoke against it, citing the study he found
online. But he was refuted by Ellen Schreiber who quoted a Stanford
University professor of Early Education who called the study
methodologically flawed and making generalizations that were not
supported by the data.
And Joe
McCaffrey antagonized many by suggesting that parents were just
looking for free day-care for their kids.
Most
importantly, after conferring with Supt. Robert Gadomski about the
estimated cost of implementation, I amended the amount upwards to
$100,000. Although some advised me to keep the figure at $46,000 to
promote passage, I thought that this would be underhanded, and would
necessitate that the balance be taken from regular education.
So now
we are on to the March 10 ballot. I think All-Day K for 20 kids at
$100K is $5K per kid. Considering that Coe-Brown costs over
$14K/kid, it’s a bargain – and money well-spent.
Tom
Chase
Northwood
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