Salem Community Patriot 6 - March 4, 2011


Mom Needs Some Help : Salemhaven


by Stephanie Micklon Marion is 84 years old with a number of medical problems and


was in the hospital with pneumonia. Her daughter Gail is dealing with her own health issues and is feeling


very guilty and upset about placing her Mom in a facility, but the doctor believes Mom has reached a point where Gail cannot give her the type of support and safety she needs for quality of life. And frankly, Gail is getting worn out and not taking care of herself. So with the help of her sister Ann who has flown up from Florida to help with the move, they are visiting skilled nursing and rehabilitation


centers.


Since Marion had lived in Salem most of her life before moving in with Gail in Windham and still had friends in town, the first place they wanted to check out was Salemhaven. They had heard many wonderful things about Salemhaven, but this was their mother who had taken such good care of them and they loved her with all their hearts. They needed to be sure they were selecting the right place. They needed to know that it was clean, the food was good, and that the staff was caring and well trained. Ann made the call to set up


a personal tour for her and her sister on a Saturday morning with Stephanie. Salemhaven, although right in the heart of Salem, is located in a


private, peaceful woodland setting with beautiful grounds. When they walk into the lobby, they are surprised to find it is more like a living room with residents having coffee and donuts talking, laughing, and watching a Tony Bennett concert on TV. The friendly receptionist pages Stephanie and she comes out to greet them, hands them an admission packet, and escorts them down to her office. She asks them about their Mom and then tells them more about Salemhaven, which is a 110-bed, skilled nursing rehabilitation center. It is Medicare & Medicaid-certified and provides general medical and 24-hour nursing care, as well as a number of specialized programs and services to the residents. She tells them that Salemhaven is privately owned and not-for-profit, with a volunteer board of directors made up of local citizens. Salemhaven is 30 years old and was built by people in the community, and has worked hard over the years to maintain close relationships with groups in the Salem community. Because of these ties, Salemhaven is able to offer its residents the extras that many facilities can’t and is different from other facilities in so many ways. For example, it has activities 7 days and 7 nights a week, which includes everything from field trips, crafts, live entertainment, and so much more. Salemhaven also offers rehab services 7 days a week and many of the staff have been with Salemhaven for a very long time. In fact, Salemhaven can boast of a Department Head who has been with us since the doors opened, a volunteer who has been with us all 30 years, and a resident who has also been here since the doors opened. A registered dietician is on staff to ensure the nutritional


Selectmen Approve Sewer Main Upgrades


by S. Aaron Shamshoyan Selectmen approved upgrades to the sewer force main


on Keewaydin Drive Monday night, at the request of Public Works Director Rick Russell. The plan is to have the town replace 1,500 linear feet of the sewer main and the state will replace the remaining two-thirds of the pipe as part


of the Exit 2 and Pelham Road reconstruction project. In total, 4,500 linear feet will be replaced. “If we do our third of it, we’ll replace that entire length of line from the station all the way to South Policy Street,” said Russell. The eight- inch, cast-iron pipe is 40 years old, and at the end of its service life.


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Cast-iron pipe used for water main has a much longer life span then when used for sewer. The pipe will be replaced with a plastic one. Russell explained that with a water main break, the water flows into storm drains and is absorbed by the ground, but with a sewer break, there could be serious health issues. The pipe replacement will allow the sewer pump station in the area to be utilized more effectively. The replacement will cost the town $143,500 from the unreserved sewer fund balance. The DPW took over the pipe in 1974 and estimate it was installed four years prior.


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needs of residents are met and our award-winning chef makes sure that our meals are not institutional, but are “comfort foods” that our residents and staff will enjoy. Salemhaven has an on-site chapel and Champlain and is fortunate enough to have over 400 hours of volunteer services donated each month. After giving Gail and Ann an overview of Salemhaven, Stephanie takes them on a tour to see comfortable semi-private rooms decorated in traditional design where residents personalize their own space. A spacious dining area, quiet library, full-service beauty salon, and versatile activity room all contribute to the quality of life for our residents. While on the tour, Gail and Ann talk to residents who tell them they are certain their Mom would be happy at Salemhaven and how much they love how it feels like home. Gail and Ann feel so much better after the tour, as Salemhaven is not like what they imagined a long-term facility would be like. Stephanie explains that our experts in geriatric health care work closely and collaboratively with the individual resident and their family members, physician, and community providers in designing a plan of care. If Salemhaven was the place they wanted for Mom, the next step would be for them to call our Admission Director or have the social worker at the hospital set up an appointment for her to come and do an evaluation on Mom to make sure we were the right facility for their mother’s needs. Hopefully, Salemhaven would be a great fit for Mom and if a bed was available, it would be offered to her. That is exactly what Gail and Ann did and Mom is now a resident at Salemhaven, gaining weight, getting stronger, and enjoying new and old friends who also reside at Salemhaven. They are so happy now to see Mom being her old self and Gail knows she and her sister made the right choice for all concerned.


Al Kaprielian Visits SHS, Discusses the Effects of Climate Change


submitted by Salem High School Last Tuesday, meteorologist Al Kaprielian visited Norma Bursaw’s Environmental Science class to discuss the effects of climate change on the weather. Kaprielian explained the effects of high and low pressure, as well as how the position of the jet stream affects the weather in New England. An increase in global temperatures results in higher water temperatures in the ocean, which results in more frequent and more intense storms.


SHS Students Win Engineering Competitions


submitted by Norma Bursaw, Science Teacher, Salem High School Three Salem High School seniors presented their projects from the 2010 NH Science and Engineering Expo to the NH Society of Professional Engineers (NHSPE) at their annual conference on Thursday, February 17. Kristina Terrio of Windham and Anthony D’Onofrio of Salem had won the Pasta Bridge competition, and Jonathan Gallant, also of Salem, took first place for the Paper Tower Challenge. NHSPE had awarded the students with scholarship funds for winning the engineering competitions. The students explained their projects to the engineers and also had the opportunity to learn about careers in engineering. NHSEE will be held March 17 at the NH Technical Institute in Concord. For more information, visit www.nhsee.org.


Anthony D’Onofrio, Jonathan Gallant, and Kristina Terrio, all Salem High School seniors. Anthony and Kristina won first place for the 2010 NH Science and Engineering Expo Pasta Bridge competition, and Jonathan Gallant and Jimmy Wilder won first place for the Paper Tower competition


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reduced, burdens on towns like our own will invariably increase. To promise citizens that there will be no more taxes is wishful at best. What can be committed to, however, is the promise of fiscal accountability. I view our town’s allocation of revenue as a form of


investment rather than spending. As a consultant of nearly a quarter of a century working with hundreds of companies (from Fortune 50 to the “mom & pop” small business) on implementing technology-based solutions, I have professionally dedicated myself to working with companies on determining the best way to invest their corporate income in solutions that will better them and make them more competitive in their fields. Rather than myopically looking at the cost of investment as nothing more than “spending,” we worked together to determine the value of the investment. In some cases, an investment was tactical and necessary to keep the business operating. In other cases, the investment provided strategic and longer-term benefits for the well-being of the company and its employees and shareholders. In all cases, the decision to invest or not to invest included a well-articulated rationale for the decision. It was not just about saying “yes” or “no”; it was about the “whys” as well. I feel that our town’s budgetary approach should


follow these same tested principles. To wantonly dismiss allocation of revenue with the statement “because that is spending” does a disservice to our town’s residents, business owners, and employees. The town’s officials, including the members of the Budget Committee, should be held accountable to clearly communicate why decisions are made with regard to the town budget in ways that all residents can use to make their own educated decisions come Town Meeting and Voting Day. Our town continues to face financial challenges


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moving forward. From infrastructure to essential services, we regularly are asked to make choices as to where to invest our town’s income. I believe Salem needs leaders with an ability to see beyond the dollar outlays and look at the return on investment and its impact on our quality of life and property values. I commit to using my experience in providing such guidance and recommendations, if elected to the Budget Committee. On March 8, I hope you will provide me the opportunity to serve each and every one of you. Thank you.


Don Sorcinelli - Salem


Paul Welch for Budget Committee


This is to announce my candidacy for Budget Committee in Salem. I am Paul Welch of Salem Street, Salem. I ran one time before for the Board of Selectmen; it was a learning experience, to say the least. Having been a resident here going on nine years, one can’t help but notice the ever-increasing property tax. I am not a Ph.D., or a lawyer, or have a MBA. What I have is my life experience and all-American common sense. Having been a Fire Department Lieutenant (from Mass, ret.) and a licensed electrician, it has given me a working knowledge of what goes on in municipal departments. I also worked for myself for many years. You can be assured I know how to add. It’s interesting to me that the candidates for office in Salem never mention any party affiliation. I am a registered Republican and supporter of the TEA party. With the constant attack on the TEA party by the mainstream media, maybe a reminder is needed here to say the acronym TEA stands for taxed enough already. The majority on the boards and committees in Salem are held presently by Democrats. They have the same plan for Salem that they had before; tax and spend. The various dept. heads come forward and explain the need for bigger budgets and more personnel. They’ll tell you they “need it.” No concern shown at all if the taxpayers “need it.” If an article is defeated by the voters at the booth, no problem—bring it back at a deliberative session and have it passed there. The Board of Selectmen’s way of saying sit down and shut up. Any of you there that get the same feeling? Actually, I


know there is from talking to people around town. One reads in the paper that the town manager takes direction from the Board of Selectmen; the Board of Selectmen heeds the advice of the town manager, so the two entities play patty cake and no one ever says no! Have no doubt, if the same people keep getting elected, the free spending spree will continue unabated. If you’re tired of having your vote looked at in utter contempt, please elect some new faces to the contest before us. My hope is that after reading this, you will get out the vote on March 8. I ask for vote for Budget Committee, and I promise to do my best to hold down


the spending of your money. Paul Welch - Salem


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