Pelham-Windham News 11-27-09

An Independent Weekly Newspaper Supported Through Advertisers
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
Countdown to
��
Christmas ��
30 Days
News
Volume 7 Number 21 November 27, 2009 14 Pages
Wall Street
Windham’s Great Tricycle Race
Committee Meets
staff photo
b
by Barbara O’Brien
y Doug Robinson
The idea of having a connector route running off Route 111
in Windham, near Shaw’s Supermarket and Sovereign Bank,
and extending along Wall Street, has been bandied about for
almost seven years now. To move the concept forward, the
State Department of Transportation (DOT) contracted with a
private engineering ﬁrm earlier this year. The purpose of that
contract is to conduct a feasibility study of how best to address
trafﬁc concerns in this area.
State DOT ofﬁcials determined that there were to be three
components to the feasibility study:
1. The feasibility of extending Wall Street beyond its current
location;
2. A study of the existing New Hampshire Route 111 corridor in
Windham;
3. A study of the possible relocation of Route 111 in Windham
to alleviate trafﬁc congestion in the area of the Village Center.
As for the scope of the study, DOT representatives said the
ﬁrst step was to do an analysis of existing conditions; focusing
on the Wall Street extension concept while future projections
for this area were to be studied later in the process. After
all these studies were completed, both short- and long-term
projections were compiled this past summer.
The feasibility study is intended to be a collaborative effort,
one that will take public input into serious consideration. The
goal is to preserve existing scenic, aesthetic, historic, and
environmental resources while, at the same time, maintaining
safety and trafﬁc mobility through this section of Windham.
In order to begin gathering public input on the issue,
members of the Wall Street Study Committee held a
recent forum — a session attended by approximately 60
residents. Selectman Ross McLeod, who serves as one of the
representatives to the Wall Street Committee, said the purpose
of the get-together was to begin developing the scope and Center School’s Assistant Principal Fulton and Principal Derosiers prepare for the race.
vision of the potential project.
Although progress was made during the initial public
by Doug Robinson Children are excited about reading and the children have taken up
meeting, McLeod is encouraging more residents and business
During the summer of 2009, students in the second, third, and sides as to who their favorite was going to be.
owners to become active in expressing opinions. “We need
fourth grades of the Windham school system were challenged The tricycle race took place in the school’s gymnasium and
people to get involved,” he said.
to read, as a collective body, 250,000 words during the summer the race course was designed by Windham’s District Librarian,
Other town ofﬁcials who serve as committee members
months. The challenge was given to both Windham’s Golden Joel Burdette. Orange cones lined the gym and as the two
include Selectman Bruce Breton, Economic Development
Brook and Center Schools. As a prize, the winning school would administrators continued to banter between themselves, the Center
Director Laura Scott, Windham Fire Chief Tom McPherson, and
host a tricycle race between school administrators. School Students cheered, shouted, and applauded their mentors.
Windham Police Chief Gerald Lewis. Anyone who is interested
When the tally of the tapes was taken, the students of the Center As Desrosiers and Fulton strategically aligned their tricycles on
in becoming active in the discussions may contact any of these
School read in excess of 295,000 words for the summer months. the starting line, the students began aligning themselves with their
committee members for further information.
Mrs. Bergeron’s ﬁfth-grade class read 18,138 words, while Mrs. favorite administrator.
Sotkwich’s ﬁfth-grade class came in second place by reading Desrosiers took the lead down the straightway, and then took a
17,142 words. Ms. Morabito’s fourth-grade class read 13,775 tumble off his tricycle as he began to enter turn number-one. His
words and Mrs. Fay’s third-grade class read 6552 words. challenger, Fulton, overtook him and never looked back again.
As the day of the great tricycle race approached, Center School’s As hard as Desrosiers pedaled, he could not catch his female
25 Years
Principal, Andy Desrosiers, and Assistant Principal, Cherrie Fulton, opponent. At the photo ﬁnish, Fulton won by the horn on her
could be heard “trash talking” as to who was the better trike racer. tricycle.
Desrosiers’ large, 6’2” frame better “ﬁtted him for the Radio Flyer “It was a fun event for the kids, the administrators, and all who
Tricycle instead of the Blue Tricycle with the off-road tires, as the participated. The real winners were the kids who enjoyed their
and Counting
seat ﬁt him better,” commented Desrosiers. Fulton stated that “he time reading, learning, and exploring the world of reading,”
watches too much NASCAR. He doesn’t have a chance.” commented Joel Burdette, District Librarian and organizer of the
All the fun, banter, and enthusiasm created by Desrosiers and event.
Fulton have created a buzz of excitement about Center School.
With Same
Auditing Firm
Student Leaders Raise Funds to
by Barbara O’Brien
It wasn’t a unanimous decision and the issue gener

ated
a great deal of discussion, but when all was said and done,
Beautify Courtyard
Windham selectmen decided to stay with the same auditing
ﬁrm that has been reviewing the town’s books for the past 24
years. by Gloria Sullivan
By a vote of 4 to 1, selectmen approved a new three-year In a quiet area
contract with Vachon and Clukay, a Manchester-based auditing of the Pelham
ﬁrm, which has been checking out Windham’s ﬁnancial Elementary School
transactions circa 1985. Voting to stay with Vachon and Clukay courtyard, just outside
were Chairman Galen Stearns, Charles McMahon, Roger the library, there is a
Hohenberger, and Ross McLeod. The only dissenting vote was little area that some of
from Bruce Breton, who said, after the vote, that he felt the last year’s ﬁfth graders
other four selectmen had done the town “an injustice.” are responsible for.
As instructed by selectmen earlier this year, Assistant Town There are three very
Administrator Dana Call had put the town’s auditing needs large new picnic
out to bid. As a result, four proposals were received, with tables, two of which
representatives of each ﬁrm being personally interviewed by are wheelchair-
Selectman Breton, Call, and Town Administrator David Sullivan. accessible. The now
staff photo
Of those four ﬁrms, two were selected as ﬁnalists. sixth graders walked
Prior to selectmen reaching a decision, Call said the two over to their alma
ﬁrms that were still in contention for the job were Vachon and mater to attend a
Clukay and the Melanson Heath Company. Melanson Heath small ribbon cutting b
y
maintains ofﬁces in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and ceremony this week. Gloria S
Massachusetts. The students were
The major difference between the two proposals, Call said, involved with the
came down “to hours and cost.” Either company, she said, Student Leadership
ulli
would do an excellent job of auditing Windham’s books. program. The group
v
an
“We’re not looking for fraud,” Call added. was chosen for the
Vachon and Clukay has done a very good job in the past, program based on Student Leaders pose proudly at their ribbon-cutting ceremony in the PES courtyard
Call said, and also continues to offer the town “a good price.” their being responsible,
Melanson Heath, on the other hand, has proposed a more in- dedicated, loyal, trustworthy, having good grades, and good
provided the hard-scape at cost. Charlie Boyden of Boyden
depth audit and, because it is not yet familiar with Windham, behavior. Student advisors Kelly Masiello and Cheryl Andrews,
Landscaping ﬁxed the surrounding grassy areas.
more time would be needed to perform the audit. both ﬁrst-grade teachers, met with the class once a month to
Although the crisp fall weather is not currently inviting for staff
Vachon and Clukay quoted a bid proposal of $10,000 for a discuss how the class could raise funds. They sponsored a school
and students to be using the new area; on a warm day, faculty
total of 112 hours, while Melanson Heath’s proposal came in at store in order to raise the funds. The PTA was instrumental in
have been seen having their lunches in the fresh air. “What I like
$22,000 for a total of 220 hours. Call said Melanson Heath’s helping the class run their store during lunch periods by providing
is being able to come out here with kids when you do outdoor
bid did include more hours on site by principals in the auditing parent volunteers to sell at the class’ store. The PTA parents also
activities,” ﬁrst-grade teacher Cheryl Andrews said. “When the
ﬁrm, while Vachon and Clukay’s proposal included more supervised the students as they were assigned to work at the store.
weather is nice, we could use this area for rewards. We could
hours involving associate auditors. Referring to the $12,000 They were able to raise enough money to purchase three coated
come out as a class and have lunch out here. There was a nice,
difference between the two proposals, Call said some of the metal picnic tables, which cost about $4,000 total.
warm day recently, and I came out here and had my lunch. It was
higher price quoted by Melanson Heath can be attributed to “a “They are role-model students,” Masiello said. The students who
very nice,” she added.
new ﬁrm getting comfortable” with a new client. participated in this program were Ryan Ajemian, Taylor Burke,
Principal Alicia LaFrance would like to have a tree planted by
Sullivan said it would be difﬁcult to compare the two Armand Noel, Katharine Birch, Tyler Viger, Jamie Harrington,
the end of the school year in memory of Justin May, a third-grade
proposals, as the one from Melanson Heath calls for a much Christina Conrad, Colin Soucy, Taylor Sacco, Trevor Gagnon, Jacob
student who passed away this month. Masiello and Andrews hope
more in-depth process. Cunningham, and Caitlin Ernst.
to install a plaque of some kind to commemorate the class’ efforts
Generous members of the community put in the cement patio
and generous donation.
continued to page 11- Auditing Firm that the tables sit upon. Steve Schwab of Curren Construction
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12 | Page 13 | Page 14