A Little Rain Must Fall

By CAROL ROBIDOUX

Union Leader Correspondent

DERRY – Al Kaprielian seems subdued. As he politely talks about the current atmosphere inside the MyTV New England studio, how slumping economic fronts and the high pressure of bottom lines formed a dark cloud over his 26-year career, the jovial, zany Weatherman Al who has cornered the local meteorology market is vapor.

     Then he leads you to his office. It is utilitarian – three computers, a telephone and a small pile of paperwork. White walls are punctuated with a handful of year-old photocopied sheets of paper, wishing him a Happy 25^th Year in the weather business. Hanging from the ceiling light fixture is one more paper, “High Pressure,” it reads. That phrase has become a hallmark of Kaprielian's unique elocution, a trademark phrase he delivers consistently, weather permitting, in registers that could break glass or round up a pack of dogs.

     "High pressure always brings the good weather. It's happy. I've always just tried to be sincere and enthusiastic. I like to make weather fun,” he says, a glimmer of that on-air sunshine peering out from the cloud of pending unemployment doom.

     Kaprielian was one of eight from the local cable network notified earlier this month that they will be out of a job come Dec. 31. A lifelong New Englander, it has been Kaprielian's one and only gig. He was hired in 1983 right out of college on the merits of his work at the student-run TV-station and, of course, based on a memorable audition at the burgeoning local network. His fresh-faced unscripted delivery of the weather includes a wide range of vocal and facial expressions, props, whimsical graphics and off-the-cuff weather-related insights.

     First-time viewers have wondered out loud whether Kaprielian is for real. What comes off at first like a “Saturday Night Live” weatherman spoof has actually put Kaprielian on the map of most memorable weather prognosticators – perhaps the region's most beloved meteorological marvel since the advent of Doppler Radar.

     As he leans over one of his computers and checks the graphics for his upcoming 55-second weather update, Al the Weatherman rises from the gloom. He excuses himself three times to answer the phone, once to provide a rapid-fire up-to-the-minute weather flash for a fellow employee. He sidles over to another computer and clicks on a map he has configured to track a storm currently swirling over the the south.

     "I can loop this map for 384 hours,” says Weatherman Al, demonstrating a stop-action feature to illustrate where the storm will be, hour by hour, as it heads north.

     “And there it is, Sunday afternoon,” he says, his voice rising. With a flourish of his arm as he clicks through the colorful radar map, releasing the mouse and grinning, like a Grinch who found Christmas.

     He spends another 10 minutes going deep into meteorological territory, rattling off radar-related lingo as momentum returns to his voice and animation, to his face.

     “I'm 48 years old. I'm not ready to retire. I'm looking for what's next. I will still be doing some radio weather, but it's not where I want to be. I want to stay in the public eye,” says Kaprielian. “Hopefully I'll still be doing some charity stuff, and continue going to schools to talk to the kids about weather.”

     That is familiar territory for Kaprielian. Not just because he's done plenty of guest appearances in local schools over the years; it taps into his primal passion for weather, something that dates back to his own childhood, circa 1960something – he's not sure when he first discovered the outside world, but it was early on, and right outside his door.

     “I was always excited about the weather, I can remember watching every thunder storm and snow shower from my window as a kid. By the time I was in sixth grade, I was doing daily weather reports in class. That lasted all the way through junior and senior high school,” says Kaprielian.

     His meteorological rise continued right after graduation in 1979 from Natick High School. Kaprielian enrolled at Lyndon State College in Vermont – because it had a strong meteorology department, preparing him well for his 26-year run at MyTV, formerly WNDS, in Derry.

     “I've thought about my options. It would be tough to move somewhere else. I hear the big stations are cutting back, too – even the Weather Channel,” he says.

     Besides, he's a New Englander to the core. This is the weather he loves and understands, from its traffic-stopping “blizzahds” to the always welcome jet streams bringing “hiiiiigh preshah” followed by blue skies.

     “I just don't know if they'd get the accent someplace south, like Florida,” he says. “Not everyone gets it.”

     As he searches for the next opportunity of his lifetime, Kaprielian wants to revisit some of his other passions.

     “I enjoyed playing sports as a kid. I used to be on a bowling league at Fairway Sports World in Natick. I've been thinking about getting back to bowling. Maybe now's a good time,” he says.

     His immediate outlook includes enjoying the holidays, spending time with family down in Massachusetts, and looking for that silver lining.

     “It's been an excellent run. How many people these days can say they've had the same job for 26 years?” he says. “Whatever I do next, I want to be involved with the public – on-air again, and staying involved in every way I can. If they wanted to end it here, that's their business. It may be over in this building, but it's far from over for me.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: Since this story ran in the Dec. 18 New Hampshire Union Leader, Kaprielian has resurfaced on MCAM, Manchester Community Access channel 23. While it is an unpaid gig, it keeps Kaprielian on the air, providing daily one-minute forecasts. For more, go to www.mcam.org

Bike Trail as Transportation Corridor

Mark Connors, left, and Dave Topham hit the trail.

By CAROL ROBIDOUX
Union Leader Correspondent

DERRY – There is an unmistakable pride in the way Mark Connors pushes the pedals of his bicycle along the newest stretch of the Derry Rail Trail, freshly paved in July.

     There are only a few others out on a blustery October afternoon at this particular juncture, but Connors knows that the efforts of the Derry Rail Trail Alliance – to complete the remaining stretch of unpaved rail bed between Derry and Windham – are not in vain.

     He knows because those who have discovered the scenic pathway have told him so.

     “The number-one question we get is: when are we going to extend it,” said Connors, who got involved with the local trail advocacy group from the perspective of a dad whose kids were already loving the town's bike loop, established 20 years ago connecting parks and schools.

     Once he stumbled upon the trail, he wanted to know more about the path, specifically when was the unpaved section between Derry and Windham going to be finished. Since then, he has been part of the volunteer effort to complete the 10-mile stretch that would connect the two towns – and beyond.

     Last week Connors joined a delegation of trail supporters who are looking ahead to the next phase of the regional project, which would snake north along the old M&L railroad corridor, eventually connecting to Concord. They are lobbying for a share of limited state money.

     Their pitch is simple: This project means more than a way for families to wile away an hour on a sunny day; it's the future of alternative transportation.

     “Statewise, when we need political clout to make our voices heard, we can look to one another, and we might save some time and repeated effort solving the same problems and issues along the way,” said Dave Topham, of the Bike Walk Alliance of New Hampshire, a 22-town collective of like-minded groups pushing ahead with the vision of an alternative transportation corridor.

     Such trails get at solving several of the issues of the day – obesity, health care, boosting tourism, green alternatives to fossil fuel, says Topham.

     “Believe me, we are preaching to anyone who will listen. We're billing this to be a transportation corridor that runs parallel to I-93, connecting three of the four most densely-populated communities in the state – Derry, Manchester and Salem,” Topham said.

     “The buzz word that pops up lately is 'intermodal' transportation – theoretically, people could bike to the park-and-ride at Exit 2 in Salem, or 5 in Derry, load their bike into the luggage compartment of the bus, then take the bus to their destination. From there, they could bike to a train or get wherever they were going,” Topham said.

     All examples point to Windham's rail trail. More than a success story, it is a source of inspiration to those in towns along the rail bed who want to replicate what has become a heavily-traveled scenic route for bikes, pedestrians – even horseback riders.

     Mark Samsel, president of the Windham Rail Trail Alliance, said it was a true community undertaking, completed with 85 percent private donations.

     “We've accomplished what we set out to do, making this trail useful for bikers,or babies in strollers, or a great place for a kid to see a horse for the first time, close up,” Samsel said. “We've actually had more horse traffic now than before it was paved. This kind of community interaction would have never happened as the trail was being managed nine years ago. It has truly opened up opportunities for more users, including the elderly, who wouldn't have found it passable as it was.”

John Dalrymple rides daily for his health.

     Case in point: John Dalrymple, of Atkinson, who was pedaling his 10-speed along the trail Saturday, as he does just about every other day of the week, weather permitting.

     “It's fantastic, but I'm ready for more,” said Dalrymple, 71, who has found daily bike rides a boost to his health.

     Others, like John Smith and Brian Grafton of Derry, have found a clear and direct path to an optimal fishing hole.

     “We used to walk down here to go fishing when I was younger, but the train tracks made it impassible. I left town in 2006, just before this happened. I only just discovered this trail a few months ago. It's definitely an added bonus to life in Derry,” Smith said. “I even ride my bike on it.”

     “And the fishing is awesome,” added Grafton.

Paula and Frank Quigley talk with Topham on the trail.

     Paula and Frank Quigley of Salem were doing laps up and down the uninterrupted four-plus miles of smooth blacktop with their teenaged sons, Chris and Pat.

     “We've been having great family time since this was paved,” said Paula Quigley. “We'd never be able to do this otherwise. A friend of mine introduced me to it – we trained for a 5k here because it's perfect – it's level and there's no traffic. I only want to know when they are going to get it finished down to Salem. What do I have to do to help make that happen?”

     Topham tells her that the plan as of right now is to extend the trail into Salem by 2011. As for helping the cause, Topham said the best thing anyone can do if they are interested in seeing the rail trail continue to grow and thrive is to use it.

     “Once people have been out here, and they understand not only the beauty of nature that's all around, but the different opportunities it provides, they get excited about it, and they help to spread the word,” Topham said.

     Creating an alternative way to see the state, from a tourism standpoint, should encourage businesses along the route to cater to foot or bike travelers. But it will need promoting if it is going to succeed.

     “Ideally, you could walk to Derry from Windham for an ice cream with your family, or to shop,” Topham said.

     The broader rail trail picture includes replication and expansion of initiatives with state and federal backing, such as PATH – Program for Alternative Transportation and Health – a pilot bike share program between St. Paul's School and New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord. It provides free bikes to anyone who wants to use the program, as long as the bike and lock are returned within the agreed-upon rental period – 24 to 48 hours. It's a method growing in popularity in cities abroad that may set the standard for creation of bike commuter-friendly cities and towns around the state.

     “They're currently working out the finer points, but once they do, they are looking at expanding the bike share to human services, police and state offices on Hazen Drive,” Topham said.

     On the web: For more information on supporting efforts to complete the trail in Derry, or to find interactive maps: Derry Rail Trail, www.derryrailtrail.org; For more on expanding bike paths, bike safety and legislative action, Bike Walk Alliance of New Hampshire, www.BWANH.org