A wake-up Call for 4-H lovers

Participants in a shooting sport training weekend raise their hands to signify they’re ready
 to aim and fire arrows at balloon targets. The training, at Pointer Fish & Game Club in Bedford, was held in conjunction with 4-H Youth Development.

By CAROL ROBIDOUX
ROBIDOUX INK INC.
BEDFORD -- Learning how to properly load, shoot and clean a firearm is only part of what young people can gain from 4-H shooting sport training.
Take Daniel Turner of Derry, for example.
After years of instruction through Chester Rod & Gun Club’s 4-H youth program, he has also mastered the fine art of how to lead. Even more important, he said, is that he’s learned how to translate his innate love of the sport into a language that others can easily understand, now that he has the skills to teach.
“It’s been so much more than learning how to shoot a gun. It’s taught me life skills, and responsibility, it’s built character, all while stressing the importance of being safe around guns,” said Daniel who, at 16, is skilled enough to be a junior instructor.
Last weekend he was joined by 45 fellow “students” of all ages from across New England at the Pointer Fish & Game Club in Bedford for an intensive training program that required 18 hours of course work over two days. In the end, Turner and the others earned their certification as junior shooting instructors in one of several disciplines: rifle, black powder, pistol, archery and shot gun. 

Daniel Turner, left, of Derry gives some instruction to
Linda Cody of Swanzey, during a 4H Shooting Sports
training weekend atPointer Fish & Game Club in
Bedford. Daniel was there to become
certified as a junior rifle instructor.

Strafford County 
According to Pointer gun club member Dan Ruppel, who coordinates youth events, sports shooting is booming among younger kids — their youth events draw upward of 75 young people. He attributes that, in large part, to the cohesive programming provided by 4-H through UNH Cooperative Extension, which is the designated parent organization for 4-H across all 10 counties in the state. 
Actually, make that nine. 
Fallout from a tough budget year has forced at least one county to pull the plug on its 4-H programming. 
In March, the Strafford County legislative delegation voted to cut $725,326 from the county budget, effectively defunding UNH Cooperative Extension, which shut its doors and laid off all its employees. 
“The Cooperative Extension has never been defunded in its 100-year history. It’s unprecedented,” said Cooperative Extension Director, John Pike. 
He said the pervasive misunderstanding about 4-H is that, somehow, a legion of volunteers will rise up from the ashes and take over programming. But that can’t be, said Pike. 
“4-H can’t exist without the Cooperative Extension, it’s the only entity authorized by the state to develop and administrate programming,” Pike said. 
He believes the dismantling of 4-H programs was an unintended consequence of cutting the funding. 
Hope for 2012 
Earlier this week, one of the county delegation, Rep. Fred Leonard, R-Rochester, who originally favored the funding cut, tried to get the Executive Council to revisit that decision, after realizing the 4-H programming would cease to exist. 
Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen, at least not this year. Hopefully Strafford will get refunded for 2012,” Pike said. 
He said he was frankly a little baffled at the volume of public outcry, given how hard he tried to sound the warning. 
“I tried to be transparent and open and honest and tried to say to people what would happen if we lost funding. Now I’m left scratching my head, wondering what they didn’t get about the consequences of defunding,” Pike said. 
5,000 volunteers 
Strafford is so far the only county to defund UNH Cooperative Extension. There are still three counties that have until July 1 to settle their budgets — Sullivan, Grafton and Hillsboro. And while Pike said he does not realistically fear the worst, there is no assurance that next year’s budget process will be any easier. 
“We’re talking about a program that includes 5,000 volunteers and reaches more than a quarter of a million people, statewide,” Pike said. “Perhaps it’s a bit of a wake-up call.” 
So much more 
Alden Dill of Northwood, who was volunteering for the weekend sport shooting training session in Bedford, could not be more certain of the importance of supporting 4-H programming. 
Yes, there is a perception among those who don’t know any better that it is somehow only about raising goats to show at the county fair. 
It’s so much more than that, said Dill, who is the proud son of two former 4-H members, and who admits, without hesitation, that he married a girl he met in 4-H — whose parents were also both 4-H members. Together, they’re raising a mob of next generation 4-H kids, for as long as there is funding. 
“It’s so far beyond what it used to be. You can see we have the shooting sports going on here today, but there are also many programs in the sciences, including robotics — and the theme that runs through it all is youth development,” Dill said. “It brings families out to participate in activities together. It keeps kids engaged and involved, and many of them continue into adulthood, as volunteers. 
A ripple effect 
He said unlike other youth organizations, 4-H includes boys and girls together and provides an array of opportunities across many disciplines, no matter what your interest. It promotes cooperation and community at every level, Dill said. 
“And then there’s the trickle- down effect. This group of 45 here today will go out into their communities across New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont, and they will directly impact 300 or 400 people — at least — in their individual clubs, and from there, it just keeps going,” Dill said. “It’s a ripple effect.” 

DISABILITY ACT GETS A MAKEOVER

Maureen Melius of Hampstead has been on both sides of the ADA. She was a nurse practitioner before a
stroke in February of 2010 left her partially paralyzed.

By CAROL ROBIDOUX
Union Leader Correspondent
It has been six months since the town of Wolfeboro settled a lawsuit with the federal government over the town’s lack of accessibility. 

Under the 2010 ADA health clubs and gyms are among
public buildings required to upgrade their accessibility.

It was an expensive lesson that Wolfeboro Town Manager Dave Owen said other towns should heed, given recent changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Municipalities need to be aware that there is a potential liability of many hundreds of thousands of dollars, at least in our instance, to make sure parking lots, bathroom counter heights — all sorts of details you wouldn’t normally think of — are accessible,” Owen said.
In 2006, a resident of Wolfeboro filed a complaint against the town with the Department of Justice, prompting a complete audit of town buildings, Owen said.
“They gave us a big, thick document listing page after page of deficiencies, and we’ve been systematically upgrading ever since,” Owen said. “We’ve had to do a lot of work over the past four years — we installed a new ADA accessible bathroom in our public safety building. That was a $90,000 project. Then we put a new accessible bathroom in our town ice arena — that was another $100,000. This year we did a warrant article for $150,000 to repave all our public parking lots. You can’t have cross-gradients of more than 2 percent in handicapped parking spots. These are things people don’t think about, and the list goes on.”

The settlement requires other upgrades and changes over the next few years, Owen said.
Enacted in 1991
Making the world more accessible for individuals with various disabilities is what recent updates to the ADA are all about. Originally enacted in 1991, the Department of Justice last year revised the law; changes officially went into effect in March.
Town officials, builders, contractors and business owners now have until March 2012 to bring public buildings into compliance, said Kathy Gips, director of training at New England ADA.
She has been fielding questions about the changes in the ADA that range from what the deadlines are for major upgrades such as installing elevators, to fine details over the “wiggles and squiggles” of the law, such as height requirements for light switches and thermostats.
“Now is the time to be thinking about the changes that need to be made,” said Gips. “It’s all about harmonizing of the various building codes that currently exist. A public bathroom in Arkansas shouldn’t be any different than a public bathroom in New Hampshire.”
Knowing the law
One approach is to have someone come and detail what the changes mean to municipalities, said Michelle Bonsteel, an accessibility specialist for the state Governor’s Commission on Disability. For example, she’s been invited to make a presentation in Windham on June 8, to go over how the ADA changes affect landlords, public and recreational facilities and historic sites, what is grandfathered and what applies to future construction.
“It’s a process,” said Bonsteel. “For example, if you have a building in town that’s just changing occupancy, from one retail establishment to another, it doesn’t affect you at all. But if you own a building and are contemplating renovations, you will want to make sure you meet all requirements for accessibility — public buildings, trails, health clubs, amusement parks. Accessibility helps everyone,” Bonsteel said.
In the workplace
Broadening the scope of accessibility goes beyond providing access to public spaces or uniformity issues. It also should help create opportunities in the workplace for those with disabilities, said Clyde Terry, CEO of Granite State Independent Living, a statewide advocacy organization that promotes independence among the elderly and disabled.
“There still needs to be a lot done in the area of educating employers about the provisions of the law and that qualified workers with disabilities can perform the essential functions of a job and are a good investment of time and talent. Also, that most accommodations are inexpensive and enhance the workplace,” Terry said.
One woman’s story
Ultimately, change is good — if it helps make the world a more accessible place, said Joe Melius. After his wife suffered a stroke in February 2010, everything changed for the Hampstead couple. “I don’t think a lot of business places understand how much more business they’d have with just the addition of a ramp,” Melius said
Maureen Melius, 64, was on her way to work as a nurse’s assistant when she had to pull over.
“I knew something was wrong. They didn’t expect me to live,” said Maureen Melius, who was hospitalized for seven months following her stroke. Now that she’s home, getting around by wheelchair has its challenges. She appreciates supplemental services through Granite State Independent Living.
But she misses her independence, and going to church.
“Updating the ADA is a step in the right direction,” said her husband. “ 

BEFORE THERE WAS MEMORIAL DAY, THERE WAS DECORATION DAY

Under the direction of Jake Webb, right, John Noe kneels to read the inscription on a gravestone while Devon Sullivan and Josh Noe look on. The Boy Scouts were placing flags on the gravestones of veterans at Forest Hills Cemetery in Derry on Saturday, May 28.

By CAROL ROBIDOUX
Union Leader Correspondent
DERRY -- Decoration Day used to be a fixed holiday, May 30, so named in 1868 as a day to break from the routine of life and honor our Civil War dead by decorating their graves.Much about how we celebrate this day has changed over time, including its name, said Dot Goldman, a volunteer caretaker of Forest Hills Cemetery.

Twin brothers John and Josh Noe discover
the gravestone of a veteran who died
eight days after they were born in August 1999.

A pair of Boy Scouts search for the graves of veterans.

She would go so far as to say that modern Memorial Day has lost its meaning.
“It’s always been important to me and my family. We always went and decorated graves together on Memorial Day, something that’s just not done so much anymore by families,” said Goldman. “Go to any of the town’s Memorial Day services. It’s just a three-day weekend when people have fun. Maybe they have a moment of silence. Unfortunately, most people don’t take time to honor or respect those who’ve served. It’s all been lost, and that’s sad.” 
Goldman has a particular passion for honoring the dead. For years, she has volunteered her services at the town cemetery. Sunday at 3 p.m. she will be 

there, along with members of the Salem-

based Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, to commemorate one of Derry’s own, Gen. George Thom, who served in the Civil War. 

The public is welcome 
Although all of General Thom’s direct descendants have died, Goldman said the town’s historical society found a distant relative, Robert Marsh of Bethesda, Md., who grew up summering in New Hampshire.
His daughter, Henrietta Luneau of Hopkinton, is a Sullivan County court judge. 
“I won’t be able to make Sunday’s ceremony, but I am proud of our family’s Derry roots. I’m definitely going to visit General Thom’s grave site this summer,” said Marsh, 82. 
Thom was his grandfather’s uncle. “Until they contacted me, I had no idea he was buried in Derry. I’m proud of his contribution to history and to this country. It means a lot that he is still remembered.” 
Goldman believes that remembering the roots of this holiday is the best way to perpetuate pure patriotism. 
That’s why, for as long as she has dedicated herself to the upkeep of Forest Hills, she has been inviting and recruiting various community groups to join her, not only in the painstaking process of restoring old and damaged stones but also in decorating graves each Memorial Day. That’s what brought a small brigade of ground troops to the cemetery Saturday, with armloads of U.S. flags — many in uniform — Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Venture Scouts. Others, including members of the local Veterans of Foreign War Ladies Auxiliary, joined the troops on the annual scavenger hunt to find the graves of war veterans. Brothers Colin and Ian Dudgeon of Boy Scout Troop 98 had done this before. 
“Everyone helps to contribute to remembering Memorial Day in their own say. Families of those who died go to vigils and assemblies; this is our way,” said Colin Dudgeon. 
They walked together along one of the pathways cutting through the cemetery. It was Ian’s turn to plant a flag. 
“I like going around and seeing that New Hampshire residents have served in the different branches of the military,” said Ian Dudgeon, finding a military marking and poking the wooden flag post into the dirt. 
Fellow Scout Michael Agresti said he just learned in school that Memorial Day used to be Decoration Day, during Trivia Friday at Gilbert Hood Middle School. 
“One of the questions was: When did Memorial Day start, and what was it called? I had no idea, and nobody else knew the answer in my grade,” he said. “Now I know. Being here today, to do this for someone who protected our freedom, feels good to me; it feels right.” 
Besides the volunteers recruited to decorate the cemetery in advance of Memorial Day, Angel and Ray Fontaine were there on a family Memorial Day outing with 5-year-old son Samuel. They strolled together with a small collection of flags, looking for a grave in need of decoration. 
As they walked, Samuel stretched his right arm into the breeze, and the fabric of the small flag clenched in his fist fluttered in the breeze. 
“Don’t let it touch the ground,” said his father, providing just one of many important lessons to be learned as they made their way toward a small granite headstone in the grass. 
“OK, right there,” said his mother, directing him to the right spot. 
“I’m planting a flag,” said the boy, using two hands to poke Old Glory into the dirt. “Yippee. America the beautiful.” 

Sometimes the years fall away

Kathleen Felch, left, of Hampstead, works on Jackie Elsmore’s nails during a day of pampering.
 Felch was one of eight student volunteers who participated in the Day of Caring.

By CAROL ROBIDOUX

Union Leader Correspondent

Rae-Ann Iacuzio of Derry puts some finishing
 touches on the elegant fingernails of
Norma Helbig of Derry during Monday’s
Day of Caring, organized by Pinkerton
 Academy and The Upper Room. 

DERRY -- OVER COFFEE AND SCONES, Joyce Diemer and Caitlin Harper were just a couple of girls who’d lived in Chester with a mutual love for Siamese cats and well-manicured nails.
The 65-year gap between them was nothing more than time and space.
“I lost my husband a year ago, and I miss him every day. But I’m glad we did so much together,” Diemer said to Harper, 17, a student at Pinkerton Academy. The two were paired up for a Day of Caring through Greater Derry Community Caregivers.
Diemer had some advice for Harper: Make the best of everything and cherish every moment with those you love.
“Just before my husband died we went on a cruise to the Maritimes, in 2009. The weather was perfection and the sea was like 

Lois Gibbs, right, compares manicure notes
 with Dianne Burkinshaw. Both women were treated
to a day of pampering thanks to a group of
 volunteers from Pinkerton Academy.

glass. That would be my best advice to you: Go on some cruises and enjoy your life,” Diemer said.
Monday morning was planned as a day of pampering and girl talk across the generations, as seven Pinkerton Academy students were matched with seven seasoned citizens for manicures and a movie. They met at Journey Church, a newly renovated factory-turned-contemporary house of worship on Tinkham Avenue.
Seated at tables set up like a coffee house, the multi-generational meet-up began with light refreshments and coffee.
The students were asked to bring along nail polish and lotions, which provided their manicure partners with plenty of colors to choose from.
Shana McKinnon was working on Elaine Duke’s nails.
“It’s called Hot Sexy Pink,” said McKinnon, who mentioned that it was the color Duke had requested by name.
“Yup, I sure did,” said Duke, who had already won McKinnon over by mentioning that she’d often regarded her husband of 39 years as “a bit of a pain.”
“I love that,” said McKinnon, sharing another laugh with Duke, between brush strokes.
“We were double dating when we met. He was going out with my friend, but he kept looking in the rearview mirror and winking at me,” said Duke. “He promised me we’d be married at least 57 years, but we didn’t make it.
He didn’t make it.”
Duke met her husband when she was just 17 — the same age McKinnon is now.
“I guess I think about having a family and a husband someday, but right now I’m focused on college and a career,” said McKinnon.
Cindee Tanuma, executive director of the Greater Derry Community Caregivers, had a feeling this event would be a hit for everyone involved.
She said she looks forward to the annual Day of Caring because it gives her a chance to orchestrate important moments, like this one.
“After we do the nails we’re going in to watch an old movie, ‘The Bells of St. Mary’s,’ and then we’re going to have tea sandwiches together,” Tanuma said. “I guess you’d say the real mission of this is for intergenerational learning. Sometimes older individuals have a perception about teen girls today, that maybe they’re not so sweet or innocent. But they quickly learn that there’s something universal about being 16 or 17 — there really is no difference, except their life experiences.”
For the past 13 years, Pinkerton Academy instructor Roger Konstant has been putting out the call each spring for student volunteers who’d like to get involved in their community. He connects students with various agencies who assign tasks, including the Caregivers, The Upper Room, Vintage Grace, Meals on Wheels, Camp Carpenter and the Nutfield YMCA.
“I was just thinking about this today while I was driving home, thinking about why we do this every year. It occurred to me that kids in our community get a lot of help through various groups while growing up, like Scouts or Little League or church. A lot of people have helped them along the way, and so this is really just a chance for them to begin to give back,” Konstant said. “I don’t know if they realize how much support they have as kids growing up here, but they come away from this experience really having a great time and learning something in the process.”
Jackie Elsmore was fanning her nails, admiring the handiwork of her hand stylist, Kathleen Felch, 17. Waiting for the movie to start, they’d moved on to small talk.
“Jackie was telling me how she has always loved singing and dancing, and was an entertainer in the USO, and how she beat 10 men swimming once at Lynn Beach,” said Felch. “Oh, and, how she was a goalie for her high school’s hockey team when she was about my age, and lost two teeth when she got hit with the puck.”
“Yeah,” said Elsmore. “I stopped it with my mouth.
I was a bit of a tomboy back then, but thinking about it now, it doesn’t seem so long ago.”

With a push from Sarah, she rides

Elizabeth Kester will test the limits of her endurance, in honor of her niece,
Sarah Heath, during this year's Pan-Mass Challenge.

By CAROL ROBIDOUX
Union Leader Correspondent

Elizabeth Kester with her niece, Sarah Heath, during a
Pedal Partner gathering at Fenway Park.

LONDONDERRY -- As uncomfortably familiar as we are with the ravages of cancer, there is something about the stories of inspiration that rise up from the depths of cancer’s despair that help heal the soul.
Elizabeth Kester of Londonderry has been inspired by her 14-year-old niece, Sarah Heath, a cancer survivor.
While Kester is no athlete, she knew she had to do something to match Sarah’s will to live when she fought her way back from acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2007. Kester wanted to find a way to push her own body to the edge of her comfort zone, a symbolic nod to all that Sarah had endured. Kester asked her husband, Eric, for a bike for Christmas. Her goal was to ride in this year’s Pan-Massachusetts Challenge Bike-a-Thon, which benefits the Jimmy Fund of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
A snowy winter and wobbly legs have made training tougher than expected, but her plan is to pedal the route that covers 84 grueling miles, raising $3,000 for cancer research.
“I don’t know what possessed me. I’m not an avid cyclist. I hadn’t ridden a bike in years. But I decided a few years ago to choose one big effort and do something that was bigger than me, in my life,” said Kester.
She’s sort of worked her way up to being ready for the bike marathon that will take her from Wellesley to Bourne. While her niece was still recovering from chemo, Kester and her sister Melissa Heath — Sarah’s mom — did the Susan G. Komen Three-Day for a Cure walk. “Torturous but awesome, to be caught up in the energy,” Kester said of the 60-mile bonding experience.
The next year they did a Dana Farber fundraising marathon.“Sarah taught us to never give up, to never give in and to always do something good, despite the difficulties that may surround you,” said Kester, a registered nurse who works in labor and delivery at The Mom’s Place at Catholic Medical Center.
In the context of her work she is confounded daily by the miracle of birth and the joys of motherhood. Another reason her niece’s cancer diagnosis at the age of 10 made no sense in her world.
“It was one of those moments that truly does change your life. Melissa is my only sister. Sarah is my sister’s oldest child — she was pregnant with Sarah when my husband and I first met. Sarah was our flower girl when we got married. She was the closest to a daughter that we could have had, until we had a daughter of our own. She’s always been an intimate part of our lives. When you hear the word ‘cancer,’ it’s like someone reaches into your chest and pulls something out,” Kester said.
She was still in nursing school when Sarah was diagnosed. But she put her own life on the back burner, making sure she was on call so that whenever her sister needed someone to lean on, she was there.
“Elizabeth was my rock,” said Heath, who said it was Kester who updated the Internet-based CarePages that let everyone know Sarah’s progress during treatment at Children’s Hospital in Boston.
“I was overwhelmed with everything that was going on with Sarah, and so Elizabeth took care of a lot of the day-today stuff. And she was in her last year of nursing school at the time, something I can really appreciate now,” said Heath, who since then, gave up her day job for nursing school, following in her sister’s footsteps. “Cancer changes your perspective on what’s important. Honestly, some kids we met through Sarah’s journey, unfortunately, their outcome wasn’t as good. You learn that for some, the only enjoyment they get to have while they’re struggling through cancer treatment is the chance to go to camp, or Make-A-Wish, before they are gone — all things that are made possible through fundraisers, like the Pan-Mass,” Heath said. “I vowed that if I could be there to help another parent through the difficult times, I would — and that’s something I hope I can do, as a nurse.”
Heath said many family members of cancer survivors not only want to participate in fundraisers but almost feel they have to, as a way of working through the stress and turmoil wrought by the disease.
“What my sister is doing — what we’re all doing — is part of the healing process. By learning how to give back, you learn how to pay it forward,” Heath said.
Kester and her husband, Eric, are hosting a fundraising Retro Rock the ‘80s Party June 3 at 7 p.m. at Jillian’s in Manchester to help reach the $3,000 fundraising goal.
“The one thing I really feel good about is that 100 percent of the money raised for the Pan-Mass Challenge goes to the Jimmy Fund, not administrative costs or race jerseys. I like being able to tell people that, and I think it’s part of why it’s so successful,” Kester said. “Their goal this year is to raise $34 million, and I’m just really happy to be part of it.”
For those not quite ready to publicly revisit the 1980s, donations to sponsor Kester can also be made online at www.pmc.org/egifts/EK0062.

History is everywhere -- you just have to look

North School fourth graders Jordan Bergeron, left, and Nathan Cripe, look for history scavenger hunt answers on the New Castle Bunker Hill Revolutionary War monument at the town common.

 By CAROL ROBIDOUX                                                                                                               
Union Leader Correspondent
LONDONDERRY --  A pack of kids swarmed the town common Wednesday like a mob of fourth-grade scavengers on the hunt for history. 

North School students search the artillery for a clue
about when it was made.

Mostly because they were a mob of fourth graders, from North School, wrapping up day one of their school-sanctioned historical scavenger hunt.
“Look, look — there! It’s a ‘V.’ That must stand for Vietnam,” said one of the students, rubbing her index finger over the worn gun metal gray paint of a bygone relic.
“Wait. No, wait! It says 1907. Was that Vietnam?” asked a classmate, standing 

nearby. The group of about eight students, all holding clipboards and pencils, huddled closer to the faded inscription on the heavy metal artillery parked in the center of town.

North School teacher Regan Deignan, second from right
helps her students unravel their town history.

Fourth-grade teacher Liz Anderson to the rescue.
“Actually, if you think about that date — 1907 — what would that tell you?” Anderson said, in that leading teachery-type voice that tells you the answer is just within reach, if you just think a little harder.
“If that gun was made in 1907, which war do you think it might have been used in?” Anderson asked the group.
“World War One?” came a quizzical voice from the crowd, and with that, a series of invisible light bulbs clicked on over top eight heads. They all began writing simultaneously on clipboards before dashing off toward the next historical monument.
There really is no better way to engage students in their communities than to introduce them to the pieces of history scattered, like unmarked treasure for all to see, in plain view, said teacher Regan Deignan, who joined Anderson for the team-teacher take on history.
Of course, what fourth-grade field trip would be complete without a stop at the old town tavern — White’s Tavern, that is, famous for its Presidential pedigree, including stopovers by Presidents Andrew Jackson, Franklin Pierce, James Polk and storied statesman Daniel Webster, among others.
“White’s Tavern was a popular pit stop for travelers between Concord and Boston. They’d change out their horses there,” said Deignan. “It’s really hard for the kids to picture how things used to be. These kinds of trips, where we can tell stories and bring history to life for them, really help.”Next week the students will head to Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth for a glimpse into Colonial life, said Deignan.
“Today we also drove by Frost Farm, and we visited the Morrison House,” Deignan said, of the pre-revolutionary home-turned-museum on Pillsbury Road. “We have had a great trip so far. Even the bus driver learned something today.”
From behind the wheel of the idling school bus Sherrie Bolding, of New Boston, nodded in the affirmative. “Really a fun trip. There are a lot of things I didn’t know about Derry and Londonderry,” she said.
She wasn’t the only one who scored big on the scavenger hunt. “I learned there are a lot of people in Londonderry who are famous but don’t get spoken about,” said Sarah Duarte.
“And a lot of places in Londonderry that a lot of people don’t get to see,” added Jenna Sullivan.

Endangered Leaders

Pinkerton Academy seniors Hayden Hicks, left, and Matt Shumway collaborated on creating CrutchEZ, an easily adjustable crutch mechanism for people who otherwise struggle going up and down stairs. The assignment was part of their Project Lead the Way curriculum, designed to make math and science learning relevant in students' lives.

By CAROL ROBIDOUX
Union Leader Correspondent

A bicycle hand brake is the key to
the CrutchEZ design.

DERRY -- It’s a quiet afternoon in Mr. Cunningham’s Engineering Design and Development class. That means students Hayden Hicks and Matt Shumway can take some time out from thinking about how to make stuff happen to show off how they have actually made stuff happen.
Theirs is a thought-provoked project that has been a school year in the making.
“They’re designed to go up stairs,” said Shumway, pointing the end of an aluminum crutch into the air. “We call them Crutch-EZ.
You can say it ‘Crutch E-Z,’ or just ‘crutches.’ It works either way.” Hicks, a home-schooled student who attends Pinkerton solely for the hands-on engineering program, borrowed a hand-brake from his little sister’s bicycle to create a convenient grasp handle inside the crutch. When squeezed, the bike cable that is threaded through the hollow leg of the crutch engages the pin locking device, allowing the user to easily adjust the length of the crutches.
In researching a problem to solve by way of invention, Hicks and Shumway came across a study about mobility problems among children and adolescents who use crutches for leg injuries.
“We learned that every year there are several thousand injuries in kids who use crutches, and one of the problem areas was injuries in trying to go up and down stairs with crutches,” Hayden said.
The two senior students have spent the year working out the bugs of their invention, a successful project which is the capstone of Pinkerton Academy’s Project Lead the Way curriculum, part of the school’s Center for Career and Technical Education, or CTE, program.
Project Lead the Way, a national incentive program, aims to make math and science more relevant for students, regardless of their ability level. It is centered around projectbased learning. At Pinketon, students can begin freshman year and build, course by course, until they end up in Cunningham’s engineering/ design class.
Pinkerton Academy is one of 3,000 high schools nationally that offer a Project Lead the Way. Hicks and Shumway have each earned nine college credits through the program, which gives them a good jump on their chosen college majors.
For Hicks, that means going on to the University of New Hampshire for mechanical engineering. Shumway will attend Boston University for computer science.
“I was really impressed with the projects that came out of the class this year,” said Joe Cunningham, who is a master teacher for Project Lead the Way, which means he invests some of his summer in training other teachers to teach the rigorous courses.
Shumway, who got his start building with LEGOs as a kid, said it was important to be able to focus on a project like this during school hours.
“I probably wouldn’t like school as much without CTE.
I really like the hands-on learning,” Shumway said.
For Hayden, more of a K’NEX kid, leaving the home school environment to collaborate with other students, under the influence of a teacher of Cunningham’s caliber, is inspiring.
“I don’t know where I’ll be in 15 years, but I’m better off for having had this course,” Hayden said.
Despite the obvious advantages of having such programs in place, said Jack Grube, director of Pinkerton’s CTE program, right now the future of CTE education here — and across the country — is threatened by local and federal education cuts.
Grube explained that when New Hampshire lawmakers voted to cut $1.5 million in CTE funding, known as Perkins Act funding, they also put $7 million in federal allocations tied to that $1.5 million on the chopping block.
A requirement of the Perkins Act, which underwrites vocational education, says that if states pull back on their percentage of administrative funding, it disqualifies them from the rest of the federal dollars that follow, Grube said.
There is even more at stake than the money, said Lisa Danley, director of Career and Technical Education for the state Department of Education.
The Carl B. Perkins Act of 2006, which goes to every state, was designed to improve the caliber of vocational training, thus boosting the economy by making sure training courses were up to industry standards and graduates left voc-ed programs job ready, Danley said.
Without funding, many vocational training centers around the country will be devastated, said Grube. Here in New Hampshire, schools that serve as magnets for students from surrounding towns, like Manchester School of Technology and Concord High School, will be hardest hit.
“Manchester School of Technology and Concord High School rely heavily on out-of-district students, and they will be most impacted by these cuts. But every CTE center in the U.S. will be affected, even Pinkerton,” said Grube.
Part of the federal funding model provides for biennial renovation of two state-certified CTE centers. Pinkerton and the Huot Technical Center in Laconia were due to receive renovations and upgrades this year, Grube said.
“At this point, we’ll have to wait and see. Everything hangs in the balance,” Grube said.

The Course of History

Sure, it's scenic. But for Jim Busby of Derry, the third hole water hazard is not
 always a pretty sight at Hoodkroft Country Club.

By CAROL ROBIDOUX

Union Leader Correspondent

Before it was a golf course, it was all dairy cows and farm land.

DERRY -- Before there was a sprawling nine-hole golf course in the center of town, there were cows.
Lots of cows.
It’s been more than 40 years since H.P. Hood Inc. sold off the herd, bringing an end to the local dairy farm operation that put this town on the map.
But the legacy left behind by all those cows continues.
Hoodkroft County Club President Ken Conti would dare you to find a course where the greens are naturally greener, 

thanks to acres of well-fertilized grass. 

Bob Mazalewski of Sandown points out the new 
advertising placards available to businesses,
which helps support the Hoodkroft Country Club.

Mostly, though, local golfers are grateful for the legacy left behind by the father of Hood Inc., one Harvey Perley Hood, a humble milkman who moved from Boston to Derry Village in 1856 to see if he could build a business with the help of the newly constructed railroad system in town.
His sons eventually took over the business, and in the end, grandson Gilbert H.
Hood was the one who made sure that the 130 acres of well-grazed farmland would remain as open recreation space for the town.
“It was Hood’s vision,” said Ed Holm, director at Hoodkroft. “He had an offer to buy this piece of property, but he turned it down.”
In 1971 the golf course was built — the original clubhouse was across the street, where Chen’s restaurant now stands.
“There was a pool behind that building, and there used to be clay tennis courts over there,” said Holm, pointing toward the golf course parking lot. “It was ahead of its time in 1971. That’s how they built private clubs back then, designed for the upper echelon players. This has always been a rookie man’s club, but it’s one of the best. I believe we keep the nicest greens in the state.”
You won’t get an argument from Bob Mazalewski of Sandown, who has been a member at Hoodkroft for 25 years. He belongs to the Derry Men’s League, which is still going strong since it was established in 1947 at the Derryfield Country Club in Manchester.
Mazalewski introduces the rest of his foursome for the Thursday afternoon league play.
“That’s Ron ‘The Show’ Megan of Salem, Gene ‘Dancing in the Rain’ Kelly of Derry, and Jim ‘The Buzzard’ Busby, also of Derry,” says the guy the others call “Mazzy,” especially in unison when he hits a straight shot down the center of the fairway.
As Kelly tees up, Mazalewski explains why Hoodkroft’s third hole is one of the toughest in the state.
“There’s water on the left, sand on the right, it’s a twotiered green and it plays from 185 yards all the way back to 240 yards,” Mazalewski said.
“It’s evil.”
Four swings later, and the four players were heading toward the flag, Mazalewski shifted toward the sand trap for his errant ball, while Busby hunted through the high grass next to the pond for his.
It takes the better part of two hours to cover the ninehole course, particularly on a picture perfect spring evening like this one. Fox pups watch the action from atop their den on the edge of the woods. A chorus of song birds flutter through the pines, their music punctuated by a pair of geese grousing in the water nearby. A fat beaver waddles toward a pile of sticks, and a brown bird with lemony wings pokes around for bugs. White seed puffs float in the breeze, like tiny tumbleweeds, as the sun casts long shadows across the manicured greens.
Mazalewski tees up on the fourth hole and hits a long shot that arches just left of the fairway.
“It landed in the vicinity of my father’s tree,” he says, explaining how he planted a small flowering dogwood in memory of his dad, Bob Mazalewski Sr., who was a club member for years before he died. “There are a lot of trees and memorial benches around, dedicated to past members.”
That’s one of the many things that gives Hoodkroft its appeal, especially to the hometown crowd. It’s the history and the legacy, the exposure to nature and the peaceful backdrop to a pastime that is all about having some fun.
There are plenty of larger golf courses within driving distance — even in town, said Conti. But if you ask these guys, they will tell you nothing beats the value of having a community golf club like Hoodkroft.
“One of the benefits of this club is that we don’t require tee times during the week — only on weekends,” said Conti. “Many of the other clubs around are so busy, if you wanted to play tomorrow, you couldn’t.”
When the course was laid out, there was room for future expansion to 18 holes, something that never materialized as the town eventually expanded, and land on the far side of the golf course, behind Parkland Medical Center, was dedicated for recreation as Alexander-Carr Park.
Ideally, the club would like to see membership grow by 25 or 30 this year.
“Sure, some new members would be great. Our maximum is about 200, and we’re not quite there. But what we’d really like to see are more greens fees players; we welcome both. But in the spirit of being a community golf course, anybody should be able to come here at any time and enjoy a game of golf.”
For more information about membership and daily or weekend special rates, call 434-0651, or go to www.hoodkroftcc.com.

Pets & People Blood Drive in Nashua helps all kinds in need

Zoe required three attentive veterinary technicians at
Nashua's Animal Medical Center to draw a vial of blood from her
jugular vein to be typed and tested. If everything checks out, Zoe
will be able to donate blood for her fellow canines in need.

By CAROL ROBIDOUX

Union Leader Correspondent

NASHUA -- Oscar is a golden retriever with humane tendencies. His owner, Pat Cambray of Brookline, said bringing her dog to Animal Medical Center of New England for Saturday's pet blood drive seemed to line up with her pet's giving spirit.

"He does pet therapy. Oscar has a volunteer mentality already, so I thought it would be a good thing for him to do," said Cambray, who noticed a flyer at the gym advertising the People and Pets blood drive, sponsored by the American Red Cross.

"He's been healthy, but I've had dogs that needed treatment, and the blood has to come from somewhere," Cambray said.

A relatively new trend in animal care includes identifying dogs and cats as donors through blood drives, said Dr. Shalsee Vigeant, who was on duty Saturday to give potential doggie donors an exam.

"Most people don't know about blood donation for pets, but cats and dogs need blood products just like humans do," said Vigeant, who described the medical center on Main Dunstable Road as an ICU for animals.

Aside from Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, there are few if any animal blood blanks available to local veterinarians.

"Most will get blood from a national company, which takes time and shipping, and in many cases you don't have time to wait," Vigeant.

Pets and their owners who arrived Saturday for the blood drive were briefed on the process, which begins with a routine blood test to determine blood type and to screen for blood borne diseases, including Lyme's disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Those animals that checked out will be rescheduled for an appointment to give blood.

"There are incentives. For example, clients who come in from Animal Hospital of Nashua, which is right behind us, get a credit on a future bill. Other vets will give a bag of food in exchange for a pet's donation," said Vigeant. "And any pet that donates, if they ever need blood, they will get it for free."

Jen Cunningham of Tyngsborough, Mass., was not one of those who brought a pet in for testing. Her dog, Rayman, a 3-year-old cocker spaniel, has been on the receiving end of the local pet blood bank for several weeks, suffering from a liver deficiency following a bout with pancreatitis. He has been coming for daily plasma transfusions.

"It means a great deal to us to keep him going -- he's happy and otherwise healthy. Without the transfusions, he's expire. His prognosis is guarded, but we're hoping for the best. We're hoping his liver will kick in and start doing what it's supposed to do," Cunningham said.

Cost is a factor for Cunningham, who has considered pet insurance, but so far, hasn't bought a policy.

Vinnie, a unique breed known as a Belgian Tervuren,
raised his paw in the name of volunteerism, and was tested to become a
canine blood donor. Owner Patty Naimo of Manchester said Vinnie is
also a service dog, and "just has that giving spirit."

"We spent $6,000 in two weeks, and to be honest, we really can't afford it for much longer. We've had some help from my parents, and are basing all of this on Rayman's quality of life. Right now, he's doing fabulous, but we will soon have to make a decision if nothing changes," Cunningham said.

Other canine heroes of the day included Zoe, a one-year-old "purebred mutt" who made the veterinary technicians work hard for the small vial of blood they finally were able to extract from the dog's jugular vein. Zoe's owner, Carley Engle of Dracut, Mass., a dedicated human blood donor, said something about it all just felt right.

"If I can help someone else by donating blood, why can't she?" Engle said.

Also ready to lend a paw was Vinnie, a spirited Belgian Tervuren, who works as a therapy dog at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester and Derry Healthcare & Rehab.

"I've had five huskies before, and most of them lived to old age. Four of them ended up with cancer and a couple of them needed blood transfusions," said Vinnie's owner, Patty Naimo, of Manchester. "I know how grateful I was that the blood was there for my dogs when they needed. When I heard about this, I knew it was the right thing to do."

Animals can be tested anytime to see if they qualify as donors. For more information find Animal Medical Center of New England on the Web at www.AMCNE.com, or call 603-821-7222.

This Land is Their Land

Phil Ferdinando’s grandson, Mason, tries his hand at feeding the cattle.

By CAROL ROBIDOUX
Union Leader Correspondent
DERRY -- Phil Ferdinando steps back from the barn where his yearling steers are under the spell of his 4-year-old grandson, Mason.
The pint-sized farmer-in-training towers over his bovine minions, having scaled the barn railing.
“Watch,” he says to no one in particular, banging his small fist on the metal bar. Although it doesn’t make a sound, Mason swears the young cows hear it, and obey.
“Grampa, your cows are staring at me,” he says, about to climb down the railing and run for a third handful of long grass, which is key to keeping them eating out of the palm of his hand, in more ways than one.
“I thought they were your cows,” says Ferdinando, the permanent wrinkles on his sunworn face growing deeper with his smile. 

"Farmer Phil" spreads another row of plastic for crop protection.

This has been the family farm for more than a century, founded by Ferdinando’s grandparents in 1906. Making sure it remains in the family for at least a few generations more is what keeps Ferdinando moving forward. 
Plowing and planting is only a fraction of what it takes to run a modern-day farm. 
In addition to his farm stand, and regular local deliveries to retailers, the farm is on the Web now. Ferdinando’s three daughters are constantly 
promoting produce, eggs, beef, chicken 
and pork products on Facebook. Selling at weekly farm markets, which took off last summer, will continue this season, not only in Derry, but in Salem and Plaistow, as well. 

 Phil Ferdinando with grandson, Mason, who Ferdinando
 hopes will one day carry on the family farm business.

And next weekend, J&F Farms will host the first annual 5K for FFA, a cross-country run/walk fundraiser for the New Hampshire Chapter of Future Farmers of America. 
“They approached us about having the race here, and we thought it would be a great way to promote the farm,” said Amanda Ferdinando, who, at 23, has fully embraced her place as a third-generation Derry farmer. 
“What better place to have a race for the Future Farmers of America? It’s a gorgeous setting, and we will have the farm stand open, and our petting farm. This is the future of farming. Everything’s changing. Just look at the whole buy local, eat local thing,” she said. 
In New Hampshire there are more than 800 FFA members. 
Nationally, there are more than half a million kids excited about the future of farming, said Debbi Cox, N.H. FFA secretary. 
“In other parts of the country, FFA is hugely popular. 
They wear their FFA jackets like other kids wear their football jackets. We’re not as well-known here, so we’re trying to promote agriculture education and help make the group more visible,” Cox said. 
“Truly, the face of farming has changed.” 
That’s not all that’s changing. As an industry, farming is no longer just about keeping chickens in their coops and crops clear of caterpillars. 
It is entrenched in technology, and today requires a farmer to approach his work as part science, part art form. 
Cox said both her daughters joined FFA through Pinkerton Academy. Both went on to serve as state chapter presidents. 
And both have found a niche in agriculture, career paths they never would have considered without FFA. 
“One of my daughters graduated from UNH with a degree in agricultural communications and then accepted an internship with Disney, as a conservation education presenter. Now, she’s working full time at Disney in Environmental Initiatives. 
My other daughter went in a different direction. She’s currently attending Manchester Community College to get her associate’s degree in welding — she got turned on to farm mechanics at the national convention and is really excited about her future,” Cox said. 
Her daughters reflect the national trend toward agribusiness, which includes biotechnology, agricultural mechanics, horticulture and agricultural education. 
Established in 1928 as FFA, the organization eventually changed its name to National FFA Organization to reflect the expanding definition of farming, said Cox. 
“Membership in the organization nationally was declining for a while, but in the past six years or so, the numbers are up. I believe nationally, we are at record membership right now — and growing,” Cox said. 
On Ferdinando’s farm, it’s the farmer’s daughters who are elevating the operation to farming 2.0. 
“These girls are doing a great job, and that’s the whole idea, to make the farm viable for the next generation. They do everything different from the way I did it — mainly, it’s the communication with customers. They are finding more ways to connect with the public, through the farmer’s markets and here at the farm stand,” Ferdinando said. 
“And it’s not just about the farmers. There are bakeries and maple producers; small businesses struggling to get their products out there. That’s what will keep us all going, working together and supporting each other,” Ferdinando said. 
Advance registration for the May 21 5K for FFA is $12 and officially closes May 13. After that date, the cost is $15. Onsite registration at J&F Farms, 120 Chester Road in Derry, begins at 8:45 a.m. on race day. Forms can be downloaded online from www.NHFFA.org. 
For more information, contact Cox at spcderry@comcast.net.