The Goffstown Edge

Maple Ave. Elementary Says Goodbye To Marc Boyd

This is a great picture, don't you think?  DaveSuitorPhotography

Goffstown Youth Broadcasts Fisher Cat Game

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats and Citizens Bank teamed up to create a special “Kids Run the Show” night at Merchantsauto.com stadium for kids ages 6 to 16. The selected youngsters had the opportunity to run the stadium for the Fisher Cats/Reading Phillies game on June 6, serving as general manager, radio broadcaster, sportswriter, scorekeeper and more!

Pat Sheehy, 16, of Goffstown was one of the lucky 12 selected to go behind the scenes with the Fisher Cats.  Pat was teamed with Bob Lipman the Fisher Cats radio broadcaster.  From the press box high above the stadium, Pat worked Bob doing play by play for the WMUR listening audience,  After the broadcast, Pat said "It was really hard, but was really fun".

“We are thrilled to offer kids this unique opportunity to go behind the scenes with the Fisher Cats this weekend,” said Cathleen A. Schmidt, president, Citizens Bank. “We wish all of the participants the best of luck performing their assigned duties, and I am confident the ballpark ran just as smoothly as ever.”

In addition to winning the chance to work on Saturday night, the 12 winners also received free tickets to the night’s game for their families.

Pat Sheehy of Goffstown on the playing field at MerchantsAuto.com stadium and being introduced as the NH Fisher Cats radio broadcaster for a night.  Sheehy with the radio broadcaster for the Fisher Cats Bob Lipman in the Press Booth at MerchantsAuto.com stadium.  Pat was part of the "Kids Run the Show" event sponsored by Citizens Bank at the Saturday night game.

This article and feature photos courtesy of DavidSuitor Photography.

Goffstown Police Open House June 13

Officer Matt Barber demonstrates police dog tactics with Cyrus at the
Goffstown Police open house.

Officer McCrea explains weapons and equipment used by the Goffstown Police

Ayden loveren, 3, admires Goffstown's patrol motocycle.

The Goffstown Police department held its annual open house last Saturday. The station was open to the public for tours which included a display of Goffstown police memorabilia, a weapons display and a finger printing demonstrations.  Outside there were static displays, informational tables from CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and othet groups, and a lunch of  Hamburgers and hotdogs.

The highlight of the afternoon was the demonstration put on by the Goffstown police dogs, Kjel and Cyrus and their handlers Officers Matt Barber and Chris Weeks. In the  introduction to the demonstration, Officer Weeks explained that Kjel and Officer Barber had earlier in the day taken part in a burglary investigation where Kjel located stolen firearms from the robbery.

The dogs demonstrated skills they learned in their formal training and from the work in the field ranging from criminal apprehension to simple control diciplines such as heel.

The police dog and the handler work together their entire career with the length of the career determined by the dog's health and stamina. Cyrus is at the beginning of his career being certified for duty just last week and Kjel is a veteran 2 years. We can feel safer in Goffstown with Kjel and Cyrus on duty.

Photos and story courtesy of DaveSuitorPhotography.

Hometown Hero

Overlooked no longer
By JILLIAN JORGENSEN
Sunday News Correspondent- NH Union Leader
Sunday, May. 31, 2009
GOFFSTOWN – There is a new park here with fresh grass, new benches and a shiny white flagpole. But among all that newness, there is now also something old, something a group of Goffstown residents considers sacred: a small monument for a local hero, Sgt. Lionel Favreau, who was killed in 58 years ago during the Korean War. The monument sat for more than 50 years on an overlooked corner near Cote's Diner, surrounded by heavy traffic, in a place unsafe and unpleasant to visit. Now, after years of trying to find a better spot, the young soldier's monument is finally in a quieter, more permanent place in Abingdon Park.

"It feels good," said Ronald Favreau, Lionel's younger brother, who enlisted in the Army with him but was placed in a different unit after basic training. "I think the spot where he was wasn't too good . . . It seems to be peaceful over here." The monument was re-dedicated yesterday by American Legion Post 16 of Goffstown, which raised a flag next to the stone that bears Favreau's name.

After years of searching by local residents -- including Dick Gagnon, the head of the Greater Goffstown Community Association; Betty Harris, who tended the old site with Cub Scouts Pack 102; Georgette Lavalliere and others -- the monument found its new home when Robert and Anne Cruess, of the TFMoran land-development company, said they had a place for it in a park they were adding to their land on Mast Road.

Favreau was killed in 1950, during the fierce battle of Kunu-ri. Four days into the "Home by Christmas" offensive, the gunner stayed with his tank as hundreds of Chinese soldiers surrounded his combat team, which was trying to lead other units to safety. Favreau continued to fire from inside the burning tank, ignoring orders to abandon his position, so that he could hold the enemy back while others escaped. He died after that battle, at 20 years old. Ted Eaton, the chaplain for the American Legion Post 16, fought in the same battle, as part of an Army radio relay team. "It's surprising, because I didn't realize that he was there," Eaton said. "It was a hell of a fight."

Favreau has received many honors, including the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, and comic-book version of his story, "The Stubborn Sergeant," was included in a volume recounting the tales of real-life wartime heroes. But for years, the honor he had received from Goffstown, that stone marker, had been tucked away in a forgotten spot, where people only stopped because of a red traffic light.

"This is going to be nice. It's in his name, but it's for all veterans," Lionel's older brother, Arthur Favreau, said of the new location.

The old spot for the monument, he said, was a nuisance for drivers because of the way it jutted into the road. "Every time the neighbors had to go around that, they didn't say no prayers," he said.

New Hams

Brian Fox and Meridith Suitor both of Goffstown proudly display their new amateur radio (HAM) licenses.  The Contoocook Valley Radio Club sponsored the radio classes and administered the required test.  The newly licensed radio operators will be using their new capability in support of the Goffstown Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Goffstown Police Awards Dinner

The Goffstown Police held its annual employee awards dinner on Saturday January 10, 2009. Presented at the event were the annual Part-Time Employee, Employee and Officer of the Year Awards for 2008.
            Presented with Part-Time Employee of the year was Special Officer Christopher McRae. Officer McRae has been an employee with the Goffstown Police Department since 1987. Officer McRae was recognized for his continued efforts in assisting the department with its goal in achieving reaccreditation.
            Communication Specialist Raymond Brule who has been employed with the Goffstown Police Department since 1984 was presented with Employee of the Year for his demonstrated leadership abilities in scheduling and work preformed within the department’s Communications Division.
            Officer Thomas Hammond was award Officer of the Year. Officer Hammond has been employed with the Goffstown Police Department since 2004. He is currently assigned in the Patrol Division where he serves as a Field Training Officer. Officer Hammond has completed assignments in Detectives, a Motorcycle Officer, and developing programs on crime prevention topics.

GHS Teacher is Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year!

Eric Romein, a Social Studies teacher at GHS, has been awarded the Wal-Mart NH Teacher of the Year award, an honor that came as a complete surprise.  During a recent department meeting Romein was presented with a cake, a $100 gift card to Wal-Mart, and the school was given $1000 to spend on classroom supplies. 

Romein has been teaching at Goffstown High School for 10 years, and during that time he’s accomplished much to be proud of.  Having taught Economics, American Civics and US History, he then turned his attention to developing an Advanced Placement United States History curriculum that allows students to earn college credit if they pass the competitive College Board exam.  Nearly 80% of his classes pass this challenging test.  Romein now shares this class with GHS teacher Bob Ward, and is currently working on a curriculum entitled Great Decisions.  Dept. Chair Kim McCann suggested to Romein that GHS offer a class for seniors that examined world events.  A program was selected from the Foreign Policy Association, and Romein is currently fitting this class to the GHS curriculum.

He explains that his teaching philosophy is simple.  “I read somewhere that good teachers have 3 qualities.  They are extremely familiar with the curriculum, there is a mutual respect between teacher and students, and students learn from the class.  I think these three qualities speak to my teaching and are what I set out to do each day.  I think I won this award because my relationships with students are real.  Many people have asked how I can work in a high school and I say how can I not?  It’s hard to believe sometimes that I get paid well to be with and teach teenagers.  They are hungry for knowledge and are engaging every day.”

Romein is a recognized master teacher, and was awarded the 2007 National Honor Society Teacher of the Year Award. “ The ceremony was one of my proudest moments of my life because the award was chosen by kids/students.  As with this Wal-Mart award, I feel like students appreciate what I do for them.  That’s all any one could expect for their lives.”  Having graduated from GHS himself in 1989, he is very proud of the education that he and his fellow teachers are providing to their students, and looks forward to seeing his three children attend.  As an active member of the Goffstown Community, he has coached Varsity Girls soccer team, founded a community service group affiliated with the Rotary, and was an Advisor of the Youth and Government program at GHS.  Luckily for the community, he has says he is, “Very happy in Room 201!”

MVMS Student Hits the Big Screen!

Goffstown celebrated their own mini-Golden Globes on Sunday when local teen Kallie Tabor hosted a screening of the new hit movie, Bride Wars, in which she played a role as one of the classroom students.  Kallie is a 7th grader at Mountain View Middle School, and her neighbors might recognize her as one of the kids who sings along in the GTV production, “A Visit With Mrs. Claus.”  She was also the 2001 and 2003 Pumpkin Princess during the Goffstown Main Street Pumpkin Regatta.

Filming a Hollywood movie was an exciting experience, and Kallie was very impressed with the production process, especially with how much energy and time go into producing a 90 minute feature.  Mom Dawn Tabor listed all the actors that they met on the set, “Kallie met Anne Hathaway, Kristen Johnston, Kelly Coffield-Park, Emily Stikeman and Robert Capron.  They were all very nice to the kids.  Her whole experience was a positive one and the industry really makes sure that kids’ rights and money are protected.”  It’s no surprise that 12-year old Kallie really enjoyed the food services, and being treated like a big star.  The whole Tabor family went to New York City for the film premier, including Kallie’s Dad and her 10-year old brother, Ben.

Kallie’s family knew when she was only 2-years old that she had, “Something special.”  She would recite the words to The Wizard of Oz, or perform the dance moves to Cats and at age 5 she became a member of the Bedford Youth Performing Company.  She has performed in many local productions at the Palace Theater, and has also filmed a movie for TNT and a Hasbro commercial.  She is currently taking ballet, pointe, and jazz at Dance Vision, and continues to audition for musical theater around the Manchester area.  Kallie plans to continue with her acting career both locally and in NY, where she one day hopes to live as a professional actress.

Hometown Hero- Sunset Tree Farm

“My dad was a good steward of this property, a real good steward.”  Linda Seager is talking about her father, the late Kenneth Marvell, who inherited the Sunset Tree Farm in New Boston from Eugene Marty in 1978. 

Kenneth and Dorothy Marvell were born and raised in Hollis, NH, and that’s where they raised their own family.  A farmer all his life, Marvell accepted a position at the South Hill Farm in 1966, and he and his wife settled into their new community.  It wasn’t long before the industrious Marvell caught the eye of a Swiss immigrant, Eugene Marty, who was living with his wife on the 150 acre tree farm.  Alone in their adopted country, the Martys were growing older with no one to offer any help or companionship, and Marvell was never one to turn his back.  Accepting an offer for room and board in return for help on the farm and in the house, the two couples lived together for some years before the Martys finally passed away.  Nobody could have been more shocked than Marvell to discover Marty’s Swiss family were disinterested in their distant relative, and the Marvell’s had inherited the whole property.

Mr. Marty was an intuitive man, and knew what he was doing when he chose the Marvell’s to champion the tree farm.  “Dad was always full of ideas and things to do,” says Saeger.  “He left the other farm and this is what he concentrated on.  There was an awful lot of work to be done on the property.  It hadn’t been tended and trees needed to be weeded out.  Everything dies eventually, but you don’t want to cut too soon or too late.”  Forests are like any garden only larger, and need to be cleared and tended so the sun can reach between the limbs and nourish all the growth, not just the tree tops.  Marvell would do most of the work himself, one log at a time.  If there were a more intense harvest, he would bring in a logging operation.  He was a believer in sustainable forestry so he took care to make sure the forest would  repopulate itself.  It’s difficult work to tend to a tree farm.  Unlike a Christmas tree farm, “You don’t clear-cut every tree.  He left the younger trees and what he called the Yummy Trees, the seed pines and the ones that are so out of control with branches you just enjoy looking at them,” laughs Saeger.

 The 145 acre property includes two ponds with geese, turtles, snakes and singing frogs.  There are beavers, herons, ducks, deer, fox, coyote, turkey, and recently a bear came to visit.  The Geese nested on a beaver hut for years, then moved to another hut for years.  The next time they moved in secret, but, “They bring the little ones to the pond by the house to show off!”  David Saeger  is fighting a no-win battle with the beaver down at the big pond, “They come in at night and block the culvert to raise the water level.  Doesn’t mater how high it is, it’s never high enough for them!”  Claire points out her father’s ‘Beaver Stick’, which is a series of evenly-gnawed wood lengths carefully nailed to a beam against a tree.  After a small tree  fell across the pond, the beavers removed one length each night, which Marvell would collect in the morning till he could rebuild the tree with his hammer and nails.  “He had a lot of fun doing it,” says Saeger.  Another Marvell trick was to use the bark from the felled trees for out-buildings and furniture.  The viewing huts he crafted still stand around the edges of the pond.

The main house was built in 1850, with an addition constructed in 1950.  There’s a unique stone wall on the property that curves instead of forming right angles, and the miles of trails are sometimes hidden only to those who know the land well.  The Seagers moved to the farm in 2000 to take care of Linda’s parents, and at that time the property was put into easement with the town of New Boston, so 135 of the acres are protected against further development.  The Seagers and Mrs. Marvell welcome church and school groups, scouting parties, and educational tours conducted by the County Extension office.  David Seager installed a wood-fueled furnace and tends the property much the same way as his father-in-law before him.  Kenneth Marvell was a much-respected man, and the community installed a memorial marker on the property after he passed away in 2006.  “He had a real love for this property,” says Linda Saeger.  David adds, “The Lord owns this land, we’re just the caretakers.”

Rev. Bagley Shares Her Sabbatical Adventure

As tough jobs go, being a pastor falls just below President of the United States in terms of responsibility and stress.  The Reverend Cindy Bagley tends to the varied needs of all who live in her community, even though only 4% of them actually attend Dunbarton Congregational Church.  When the opportunity arose to accept a Conference-approved sabbatical, she was ready for the break but concerned about her parishioners.  “You’re just never off, especially when you are a one-person operation, as most Pastors are here in NH.”  Careful preparations were made, and with the blessing of her entire congregation Reverend Bagley began making her travel plans.

With a short window of opportunity and other obligations crowding her schedule, eventually the Reverend found herself seeking suggestions from a higher source, “I don’t know, Lord,” she said.  “Tell me where I’m going!”  Apparently South America was on the agenda, and so Cindy Bagley took off for Ecuador and Peru.  “I had no expectations for this trip, it all happened so fast.  I did all this traveling courtesy of a grant from the Tampa Bay Foundation.  I was very fortunate.”

Reverend Bagley had three goals.  She was looking for insight into other cultures and faiths, she wanted to spend a good deal of time laughing, and she crossed her fingers for good health.  She requested a roommate and was blessed with a “marvelous woman from Missouri” who enhanced the trip in many ways.  “One of the things I did was read a lot and learn more about the spirituality of different cultures.  Time is fluid and the future has a way of reaching back and summoning you to what you were meant to be.”

Bagley started out as a Strategic and Marketing Consultant, before she had what she calls, “The most spectacular midlife crisis.”  Suffering a family tragedy, she decided to change her entire life and attend the BU School of Theology.  With the support of her three children, she eventually wound up visiting Dunbarton Congregational, and said to herself, “What a jazzy little group!”  One thing led to another, and now the Reverend has just begun her 6th year with the church.

A letter from her son brought her back early from Peru and sent her to Finland to see him play lacrosse in the European Championships.  “We stood in the cold rain every day for 2 weeks!” Watching his team take the title, she says, “I just felt so incredibly proud!”

Asked what she learned on her sabbatical, Reverend Bagley is introspective.  “I was reminded how exquisitely beautiful the Earth is,” she says, “And I’ve also learned that if I live to be 120 I’ll never be able to pack efficiently!  But primarily, I learned just how important it is as Christians to see and embrace the many faces of God.”  Although she won’t be eligible for another sabbatical for 5 years, this experience certainly met her criteria to “Make my heart sing!”