CBNA Hosts 2015 Special Olympics Seacoast Area Winter Games
Teams gather in front of CBNA’S
Smith Hall for Opening Ceremonies
On
Saturday, February 7th, Coe-Brown Northwood Academy hosted the 2015
Special Olympics of New Hampshire Seacoast Area Winter Games. A
proud tradition for about a decade, these games were finally held
again after three years of cancellation due to lack of snow and poor
field conditions. About 200 Special Olympics athletes from many
teams around the state competed in cross-country ski and snowshoe
events ranging from 10 to 7,500 meters in length. Event coordinator
and faculty member Shawn White and Special Olympics Field
Coordinator Miranda Morse would like to thank the many Coe-Brown
faculty, staff, and student volunteers whose efforts both ensured
and enhanced the success of this event. They would also like to
thank the Northwood Crankpullers Association for helping to pack
down snow on the race tracks, and Bryana Clark of Exeter, our
current Miss New Hampshire Teen National, for joining us. We look
forward to next year’s games.
Letter
To all
voting Northwood residents,
I would
like to take a moment of your time to introduce myself as a running
candidate for Northwood Road Agent in the March 10th elections. My
name is Michael (Mike) Lockard and I have had the pleasure of living
in Northwood for the past 8 years with my wife and children. I am
employed as a part time highway department employee here in town. I
was previously employed at the State of NH DOT bringing with me the
experience and schooling dedicated to being an effective new road
agent for our small town. I strongly encourage all town residents
to contact me with any questions or concerns they might have before
the upcoming elections. I can be reached at my home at 942-6435 and
look forward to speaking to anyone that takes the chance to speak to
me on a more personal note! Thank you to all and I look forward to
seeing you all at the polls- (March 10th) don’t forget!
Thank
you ,
Mike
Lockard
Your
eager candidate for road agent!
Letter To The Editor
The
Shrinking Middle Class
On
March 10th Northwood residents will decide whether to add some
$1,300,000 to the property tax bill. Maybe we should look at some
other developments first:
1. Gas
prices are again on the rise. “A former top oil executive says the
price of gas at the pump could double by year’s end,” reports CNBC.
2. Auto
registration fees would rise 35% under Governor Hassan’s proposed
budget.
3. Gas
taxes would rise 12 cents a gallon nationally, under the
Murphy-Corker bill introduced in the US Senate.
4. New
Hampshire had the “highest per-month per-employee [health-care]
premium cost in the country” for state employees, according to a
recent report from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the John D. and
Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
5.
“Local taxpayers could face a large tax increase” when Obamacare’s
so-called Cadillac Tax starts raising town and school health
insurance costs, according to the Washington Policy Center.
6. NH
taxpayers “will likely be facing a hike in county property taxes,”
says the Keene Sentinel, because Governor Hassan has proposed
cutting nursing home reimbursement, downshifting costs from the
state to the counties.
7.
Utilities “across New England have been warning customers to expect
sharp price increases,” reports the NY Times, even though “New
England already pays the highest electricity rates of any region” in
the country.
8. A NH
college graduate’s average debt was the “highest in the nation” in
2013, reports New Hampshire Public Radio. In 2014, we were 2nd
highest.
9.
Although foreclosure rates are declining, about 5,000 NH families
have lost their homes in the last 2 years..
Voting
is March 10th from 7 AM to 7 PM at St. Joseph’s Church.
Michael
Faiella
Northwod
Lions Outing For The Blind
Saddleback Mountain Lions Club once again hosted its annual “winter”
outing for the sight impaired of New Hampshire. Over 50 attended the
event at Lake Shore Farm on Jenness Pond in Northwood. Our guests
were treated to snowshoeing and snowmobile rides. At noon, everyone
enjoyed pizza from Cooper Hill Pizzaria and dessert prepared by
Coe-Brown students.
Lion
Chairman Dave Linden & assistant, Bill Lounsbury could not have
accomplished this event without the help of many volunteers and
would like to thank the following students from Coe Brown Academy
for their assistance: Deborah Peabody, Austin Anderson, Meraya
Knight, Nick Lounsbury, Ally Jones, Jolene Levesque, Nichole
Hodgdon, Lexi Arsenault, Julia Cormier, Kayla Williamson, Ashley
Reiff and Sidney Fisher. The adult volunteers Lions were: Marie
Tarlton & Dot Chasse from the Somersworth Lions Club; Judy & Dick
Gibson from the Epsom-Chichester Lions Club; Bill Hanlon and Corey
Davidson from the Sandown Lions Club. Special “thanks” to Marlene
Graham and Bob Sawyer who gave snowmobile rides.
We
would also like to thank the Epsom Dunkin’ Donut folks for providing
donuts and coffee which brought many a smile to those who may have
missed breakfast.
Our
guests traveled from all parts of the granite state to enjoy a
fun-filled day.
Once
again, thanks to all who helped to “make a difference” for those who
truly appreciated a wonderful “winter outing.”
Fruit Pruning Demonstration - Strafford
On
Saturday, March 21, 2015 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm UNH Cooperative
Extension will conduct a home gardening demonstration on pruning
techniques for apple, peach and pear trees as well as raspberries
and blueberries. UNH Cooperative Extension Fruit Specialist
Emeritus, Bill Lord will demonstrate pruning techniques as well as
speak on various topics including fertilizing your fruit trees and
managing deer and voles.
Strafford County Food & Agriculture Field Specialist Kelly McAdam
will also be on hand to provide resources for the upcoming growing
season.
This
workshop is hosted by Lars & Jennifer Szatko at their residence at 4
Leighton Corner Road in Strafford NH. Please be sure to
come dressed for the weather as this workshop will be held rain/snow
or shine.
Pre-registration for this free workshop is not required. For more
information, or if you require special accommodations, please call
UNHCE Strafford County at (603) 516-8110 or e-mail
[email protected].
CBNA Theatre To Present In A Grove: Four Japanese Ghost Stories
March 6 & 7
The Oni chorus in In a Grove
rehearses a scene entitled The Oni Dilemma.
CBNA
Theatre will present In a Grove: Four Japanese Ghost Stories by Eric
Coble on March 6, 2015 at 7 pm and on March 7, 2015 at 12 pm and 3
pm in the Gerrish Gym on the Coe-Brown Northwood Academy campus.
The
story begins with Obosan, a traditional Japanese priest, who steps
forward from the darkness. He explains that where we now see a grove
of trees, bushes, and grassy hills, was once the village of Kogisu,
and Obosan was once the village priest. Where did all the people go?
What happened to the homes and shops and pathways? Obosan promises
to answer all of these questions in four tales as he takes us back
in time hundreds of years to watch the supernatural history - and
ultimate destruction - of an entire village.
Leading
the cast is sophomore Cassandra Barnhart as Obosan. The rest of the
cast includes seniors Olivia Anatone, Kyle Bousquet, Sophia
Chartier, Rachel Dallaire, Hannah Grady, Dylan Groves, Lizzie
MacEachern, Jordan Roach, Colton Rush, and Alec Schleich; juniors
Janais Axelrod, David Coe, Jessica Cooper, Isaac Guzofski, Damian
May, Jared Neal, Stosh Szatko, Emily Therrien, and Ryan Wadleigh;
sophomores Sierra Brady, Lauren Burrows, Camryn Chick, Joe Guptill,
Arianna Jones, and Kelsey Wallace; and freshmen Sandra Black, Erin
Boodey, Zachary Helm, Nina Laramee, Cailinn Monahan, Kayla Pollak,
Allison Rose, and Courtney Snow. 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 are available after March 2 by calling 942-5531 ext. 237, by
email - [email protected] or at the
CBNA main office. Tickets will also be available at the door.
Letter To The Editor
All-Day
K vs. Half-Day?
Some
people are having trouble accepting that kindergartners can do more
and learn more in 6 Hrs. than they can in 2 Hrs. 45 Mins.
Fortunately, as I mentioned in a previous letter, the Town of Bow
is considering All-day K and established a Study Committee to
research various aspects of the initiative. You can find their
report at:
www.bownet.org/.../KindergartenReview/
Kindergarten_Presentation_October_2014.pdf
The
research they referenced concluded:
1.
Teachers and parents indicate that they prefer All-Day K because it
also provides children more time for creative activities and
development of individual interests within a more relaxed
atmosphere.
2.
All-day kindergarteners exhibit more independent learning, classroom
involvement, productivity in work with peers and reflectiveness than
half-day kindergartners.
3.
Children in All-day kindergarten classrooms spend more time in
self-initiated activities and teacher-directed individual work and
less time in large group interaction.
4.
All-day K allows a more consistent schedule for children and reduces
the ratio of transition time to class time, reducing stress for
children.
5.
Research clearly indicates that All-day K is highly successful at
significantly reducing dissimilarities in academic readiness as
children enter the crucial two years of Grades 1 and 2.
6. In a
longitudinal study of students from K through Grade 8, students in
All-day K performed better on every category of The Comprehensive
Test of Basic Skills in Grades 3, 5 and 7.
7.
All-day K students earned higher GPAs than their half-day peers in
Grades 6 – 8.
8.
Parents of children in All-day K report higher levels of
satisfaction with their children’s schedule and curriculum and the
program’s support for working families.
More
than 87 school districts in NH now offer All-Day K, up from 59 five
years ago. It’s time we did the best thing for our children, too.
Tom
Chase
Chesley Memorial Library News
Elder
Law Attorney Edward “Ted” Beasley will hold a free legal seminar to
discuss how to protect your house and lifetime of savings from a
prolonged nursing-home stay, how to avoid probate, plus strategies
for passing assets safely and efficiently. Attorney Beasley, former
chairman of the American Bar Association Elder Law Committee,
presents this lively and engaging seminar in everyday language, and
there will be plenty of time for questions. Chuck Stephen of
Glenwood Investment Group will offer his top financial-planning
tips. Join us Tuesday, March 3rd from 1-3 p.m. at the Chesley
Memorial Library. Please call 1-800-370-5010 to register for this
FREE program.
Letter To The Editor
Northwood Deserves All-Day Kindergarten
Did you
know that 76% of kindergarteners attend full-day programs in
America? Did you also know that there are over 80 districts in New
Hampshire that already offer all-day kindergarten? It’s time for
Northwood to do what’s right for the students and give them the same
opportunities.
Chloe
R. Gibbs at the University of Virginia completed the
first-of-its-kind randomized trial of full-day vs. half-day
kindergarten and it shows sizable learning advantages for full-day
students at the end of the kindergarten year. All prior research on
full-day K has been sparse and contained non-experimental studies,
making them less reliable. Those against all-day K cite studies that
find no advantage long-term because the students tend to “fade-out”
and catch up to their peers by 3rd grade. What they fail to mention
is that these studies also show better adult outcomes in these
students as far as higher earnings and better health, etc. Full-day
K wins here.
Did you
know that with better schools comes higher property values? Research
shows, holding all else constant, homes in high-performing districts
sell for higher prices than homes in low-performing districts. The
impact can measure in the thousands and increase home values as much
as 14%. It’s well known Coe-Brown is a top-notch high school,
ranking 16th in the state on niche.com. Many people move here for
the great high school. Northwood School was only ranked 127/227
elementary schools in NH on schooldigger.com. If we want to keep
attracting people to Northwood, we need to do everything we can to
improve our schools. All-day kindergarten is an investment in our
students and our community.
Please
vote to pass the petition warrant article on March 10th for all-day
Kindergarten. If you support us, please like and share our Facebook
page-Northwood Parents for All-Day Kindergarten.
Thank
you,
Amy
Hanavan
Letter To The Editor
Vote NO
on Full-day Kindergarten
Much of
the research does suggest that a full-day kindergarten program, if
planned and implemented properly, would be beneficial to the
student. However, in Northwood this program is being introduced
prematurely as a petitioned warrant article by a citizen. At their
January 26 meeting our school board, not surprisingly, voted not to
recommend supporting this full-time program.
Before
this program is implemented, the school district must include a plan
which focuses on the full alignment of kindergarten standards,
curricula, and services. That plan is missing in Northwood and until
such time as the school board supports a full-day program it should
be defeated by voters.
In 2013
a comprehensive special education study (audit) was conducted for
the three towns in SAU# 44 at a cost of about $35,000. That study
made 55 recommendations for improvement to control costs and to
increase student achievement. Over $783,000 was identified as
potential special education savings.
According to a memo issued in December 2013 by the SAU#44 special
education director to stakeholders on this study, their plan is to
“use the recommendations to improve our schools and the outcomes for
our students over the next few years.” Given the comprehensiveness
of this study, the school board should be focusing their efforts to
ensure that a majority of the recommendations get implemented,
especially those that provide the most cost-effective benefits.
Following this, the school board can then devote time to the proper
development of a full-day kindergarten program in the year 2018.
That will allow them the time necessary to also include a component
for conducting a systematic, ongoing, longitudinal evaluation of the
academic, social, and behavioral effects of attendance in a full-day
kindergarten program.
Throwing money at a new program without proper planning is not good
public policy.
Jim
Hadley
Northwood
Letter To The Editor
To the
Editor,
I want
to thank the Friends of the Library for putting on Candidates Night.
You did a great job and we appreciate it. Thanks also to Robbie for
moderating.
I’m
still rankling over the discussion about two employees who will not
even be on the ballot. It happens often but still surprises me when
small people blame the lowest people on the food chain when things
go wrong. For instance, those two people (who are not on the ballot)
did not make the incredibly stupid, asinine, moronic decision to buy
a mower and mow lawns all spring and summer allowing ditching,
trimming, pot hole filling and the like go wanting. Somebody else
did.
Think
about this: not one employee in our entire town has had a
performance review in at least four years. Not even our Town
Administrator. It is hard for me to even contemplate! How about
this: at least six town owned vehicles are going home at night
regularly. Some are being used as personal transportation having
dropped kids off at school, and being seen all over this state doing
non-Northwood business. Policies are routinely ignored and abused; I
could go on and on.
Northwood has been on auto-pilot for some time now. No one has been
at the helm. Thanks to some very, very dedicated Northwood
employees, who have had our back, we are not in bad shape.
Auto-pilot only works for so long though.
What
happened to the “buck stops here” philosophy. You need to go up the
food chain and find the common denominator when applying blame. You
need to think about that when you are in the voting booth on March
10th.
Tim
Jandebeur
Northwood
Letter To The Editor
I am
Joseph McCaffrey, running for planning board again in Northwood.
Here’s
a hypothetical. Imagine yourself in an audience. You are asked to
stand up, if you own any property in town? And if you consider it
your private property? (Are you still standing?) You get to pay
the mortgage on it, the taxes on it, likely the insurance it, BUT do
you really own it?
There
are folks in town who really don’t think so in their heart of
hearts. Now mind you, they don’t want to pay your taxes. As a
matter of fact, they often have plans for your taxes which have a
way of growing.
Do you
have the right to use your property as you see fit, essentially as
generations before did? Maybe. No you can’t infringe on the same
rights of your neighbor making use of his/her own property. And
yes, certain parts of town may be designated by residents’ common
agreement for particular use to help organize the function of the
town, but this must be in constant regard for the individual owners’
rights, not in the special interests of small groups claiming it is
for “the community.”
My
opponent thinks it’s more important that the “community” has greater
rights to your property than you do as she said in objecting to my
emphasizing respect for each resident’s private property. My effort
has been to respect each applicant before the planning board
equally and fairly with regard to our ordinances which are meant to
respect property rights, which in turn protect our particular
natural resources’, most notably our lakes.
The
“community” does not pay taxes, and the “community” only works when
individual property owners feel they are not being unfairly imposed
upon by whatever boards or committees. If you agree, vote for me.
Joseph
McCaffrey
Northwood
Letter
Dear
Town of Northwood,
On March
10, 2015, exercise your vote!
Stan &
Kathy Somers
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