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This week's stories: (click on the headline
to jump to story)
 Daughter,
like dad, on track for success
Family
attacked by fox
Chief
calls for 24/7 plan
On
deck: Charity softball and lineup of fun at Villa
Dodge's
a place to socialize and more
Halfway
house a 'no go'
Goffstown
Daughter, like dad, on
track for success
By MARC THALER
Staff Writer
mthaler@yourneighborhoodnews.com
GOFFSTOWN Kayla Cazares is filling
some big shoes with her little feet and putting the pedal to
the medal in the process.
At 8 years old, the Goffstown resident and soon-to-be third-grader
is following in her father's footsteps. Dave Cazares, 33, has
been racing for the past 21 years and now his daughter has taken
a liking to the fast-paced action on the race track.
Kayla, like her dad, is a regular at Weare's Sugar Hill Speedway,
where her long racing season started in April and runs through
the end of October.
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But good luck finding her on the track;
she's most likely a blur while behind the wheel.
"She was born with lead in her foot," said Kayla's
mother, Lisa Lambert, with a chuckle.
Kayla first hopped on her little plastic jeep when she was 1
1/2 and drove her first gas-powered four-wheeler at 2. She climbed
into her first kart race at the age of 7. In just a year, she's
built herself quite a racing reputation.
Inheriting the nickname "Speedy Cazares" from her father,
Kayla buckles into her No. 22 kart, which displays a big image
of Tweety Bird.
The kart number representing the
Feb. 22 birth date of Dave's dad is considered lucky by
the family of racers. The picture of Tweety Bird describes Kayla's
competitive personality behind the wheel.
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DYNAMIC DUO Dave Cazares and
his 8-year-old daughter, Kayla, recently won their races at Sugar
Hill Speedway on the same day. Describing Kayla's natural ability
behind the wheel, Dave said, "There's not much I can teach
her that she doesn't already know. Besides, I have enough trouble
winning my own races." (Marc Thaler Photo)
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"When I get mad that's what my face looks like," Kayla
said.
"She's a sweet kid, innocent," added Dave. "But
you'd never know it when she's racing."
That focus has already helped Kayla compile numerous victories
not only against speedsters her own age, but older racers, too.
So it was only a matter of time before the ultimate racing achievement
took place as far as father and daughter were concerned.
At SHS on Saturday, July 17, both Dave and Kayla won their races.
Dave won his event, the 30-lap "Sugar Hill Modified,"
while Kayla finished first in the 40-lap "Tiger A's"
race.
"For more than two years I've been waiting for that,"
Dave said. "I've been hoping we'd both be able to win races
on the same day."
"It was a big thing," Lisa said. "The crowd was
roaring."
With the wins, the two moved into the points lead in their respective
divisions by day's end on Sunday, July 18.
Still, for all the trophies and trips to victory lane, Kayla
said her greatest satisfaction comes from the compliments she
receives from the competition usually boys.
"A lot of them say I do a good job," the young racing
star said. "One of the older boys said he'd rather race
me than some of the older boys."
One of two girls in her racing division, Kayla said there's no
reason to be intimidated out on the tracks, thanks to a lesson
her dad taught her early on.
"Once we're in the cars, we're all the same," she said.
"Boy or girl, it doesn't matter."
What matters is how she competes while whipping around the track
at over 50 mph.
"She's a very clean racer," said Dave. "It's one
of the most important things not to drive rough. If she
chooses to continue, that could take her a long way in her racing
career."
And as long as Kayla continues to take the wheel, it's a safe
bet she'll receive plenty of encouragement from many people.
"She's lucky she has a lot of support," said Dave.
"All her grandparents, her aunt. She receives a lot of support
from pretty much everyone in her family."
And that family also extends to friends and fellow racers at
SHS.
"It's a very family oriented sport," Lisa said. "Every
family helps each other. Even if you're competing, you still
try to help them."
As for Kayla, her natural racing ability ensures her last name
remains synonymous with success, which means one thing.
"Being in victory lane with my dad," she said.
Goffstown
Family attacked by fox
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
GOFFSTOWN - Two people, including a 5-year-old
girl, were bitten by a potentially rabid fox in a frightening
daytime incident near downtown Goffstown.
The attack occurred on July 25, around noontime, at the Depot
Street home of Ray and Michele Blondeau.
Ray Blondeau said he and his wife were working in the garden,
when the fox attacked his daughter, Sierra Rae, who was playing
nearby.
"The fox crept up behind my daughter and bit her ankle,"
Ray Blondeau said.
Michele Blondeau, who is pregnant, moved to protect her daughter,
grabbed the fox by its tail and wrestled it off. The fox then
turned on Ray Blondeau, biting him several times.
Although the fox only weighed 20 to 30 pounds, Blondeau said
the fox was persistent and highly aggressive.
"I tripped backwards and blew my whole back out, so I was
stuck on my knees fighting it," Blondeau said. "It
was pretty miserable."
Blondeau said he continued to fight with the fox, punching its
head, while his wife was able to get the children into a gated
area of the garden.
Blondeau retreated to the area as well, but said the fox remained
for several minutes and attempted to get into the area.
Goffstown police responded, apparently scaring off the animal,
but were unable to find it.
According to the Blondeau, the fox stayed in the area, returning
later that night to a neighbor's house, where it attacked a cat.
According to Vivian Blondeau, Ray Blondeau's mother, animal control
officials found two dens but said they think the the animal is
dead.
Despite these assurances, Vivian Blondeau said the fox was spotted
at least one more time on July 27.
Ray and Sierra Rae Blondeau were transported to the hospital
and are receiving shots to prevent rabies.
Ray Blondeau said he is concerned the fox is on the loose, because
there are a number of families in the area and frequent walkers.
"We've been tracking it for a couple of days now,"
he said. "But we just haven't been able to apprehend it,
and trapping isn't as easy you think."
The only way to confirm the fox has rabies would be to kill it
and send samples for testing.
Goffstown Police Capt. Glenn DuBois said it is notoriously difficult
to find and kill diseased animals, especially in urban settings.
Blondeau said if he saw the animal again, he would not hesitate
to shoot it. Until the fox is confirmed dead, Blondeau urges
any walkers in the area not to go out alone or unarmed.
"It might be good for people to invest in a walking stick,"
he said. "Something that might give you a last line of defense,
so you don't have to have hand-to-hand combat like I did."
Eric Orff, a biologist for New Hampshire Fish and Game, said
the fox's reported behavior is a strong indicator of rabies.
Orff said animals exhibiting symptoms of rabies don't usually
live more than 10 days.
Until then, he said, there may be some danger to residents.
"By the time (animals) get to this stage they don't live
long, so it's likely that it's dead already," Orff said.
"This will be a day-long event, not weeks."
Orff recommended keeping pets inside and avoiding the fox if
at all possible.
"If you see a fox, distance yourself," he said. "Get
in your vehicle, get in your house, get behind a gate."
Despite the danger this particular animal may pose, Orff praised
both foxes and coyotes, in general, as an asset.
"They are in all of our communities, but for the most part
remain silent partners in our fields and our woodlands, doing
their duty, catching mice and squirrels," he said.
Foxes are mostly nocturnal, he said. This time of year, female
foxes may venture into the daylight to hunt because they are
under stress to feed a full litter.
Orff said juvenile foxes may also be out "doing dumb things,"
but would likely be overly cautious and avoid human contact.
"(This kind of attack) is a very rare thing," he said.
"It's been more like raccoons attacking people. But technically
(any animal could be infected) and you could have a beaver attack."
Despite Orff's assurances that the fox may be dead, Vivian Blondeau
said she remains concerned.
"We have eight kids in the neighborhood and no one can go
out," she said, adding she was even afraid to venture into
her garden to pick vegetables. "Like my son said, 'I guess
we're going to have canned vegetables.'"
Goffstown
Chief calls for 24/7 plan
By JENNIFER CLAISE
Staff Writer
jclaise@yourneighborhoodnews.com
Calling its personnel system old, aging,
and in dire need of replacement, Goffstown Fire Chief Frank Carpentino
has proposed a new plan to meet the town's needs.
Carpentino outlined his 100-page proposal, which calls for the
hiring of five new firefighters and the staffing of the Church
Street fire station 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to selectmen
recently.
While they consider the proposal, the selectmen unanimously voted
that Carpentino should present a 2005 budget under current operating
standards. The proposal will need to be presented at the town's
budget meeting in September and then be voted on as a special
article, according to Town Administrator Susan Desruisseaux.
And while the proposal if implemented would
mean a major change for the town, the argument behind the chief's
proposal is nothing new.
In researching the proposal, Carpentino, who has been chief for
10 months, found that every former fire chief since 1967 has
argued that the department needs additional firefighters to serve
the town.
Currently, the fire department has full-time firefighters on
duty weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and it relies on a force
of call firefighters to handle calls made throughout the night,
and on weekends and holidays.
The call firefighters are also called in to fill shift vacancies.
But as the town continues to grow, the call force has become
burned out with unreasonable and unrealistic expectations and,
therefore, is in desperate need of relief for themselves and
their families, said Carpentino.
According to Deputy Mark Hurley, the call force received 1,694
calls in 2003 an average of more than four calls per
day.
"Their original intent was to give back to their community,
not to have part-time employment," Carpentino said. "It's
quite a bit more than when most of these people came in. The
system in place today is not what it was 37 years ago."
As a result, evening response times average about nine minutes
twice that of daytime response times since
the call firefighters must first respond to the station and then
head out to the call.
This process can eat up several minutes of valuable time, especially
when most of the firefighters no longer live right near the fire
house.
Carpentino stressed that his proposal does not eliminate the
need for a call force, it simply gives more of a role to the
full-time firefighters, and redistributes when and how the call
firefighters are used.
Capt. Denis Pinard, a call force employee who fully supports
Carpentino's proposal, questions why the Goffstown Fire Department
operates so differently from those of surrounding towns such
as Bedford and Hooksett, which already have full-time coverage.
"For a town of 17,000 or 18,000, you need an immediate response
all the time," Pinard said. "We can provide a good
response, but we can't provide an immediate one."
Pinard added that about half of the approximately 50 call force
employees support the 24/7 proposal, and he suspects that those
who do not are worried that a reduced role for the call force
will mean reduced income for themselves.
Call force employees are paid between $11 and $24 an hour, depending
on their level of certification, he said.
"You can't always look at it as a monetary issue for yourself,"
Pinard said.
Instead, supporters of the proposal are urging people to look
at the benefits of the 24/7 system, which they say will include
quicker response times, greater peace of mind, and better training
for call-force members, who will be able to spend more time working
with the full-time firefighters.
"The call force and the full-timers mesh together very well
when you give them the opportunity to do it," Hurley said.
Of course, these benefits come with a significant price tag.
According to the proposal, the department would save on call
force expenses. The cost after adding five full-time employees
would be about $221,000 more per year.
This total reflects the full-time firefighters' proposed agreement
to work 56 hours per week rather than their current 45 hours
per week. Eventually, the department would look to hire more
full-time firefighters in several years to reduce the overall
workload.
Desruisseaux said she suspects that the selectmen will likely
have more discussions with and questions for the chief as they
continue to consider the proposal.
"I anticipate that it's going to be an ongoing discussion,"
she said.
On deck: Charity
softball and lineup of fun at Villa
By MARC THALER
Staff Writer
mthaler@yourneighborhoodnews.com
After a month of anticipation, it's finally
time to play ball!
Eight teams are scheduled to take part in charity softball games
benefiting Crispin's House at Villa Augustina Field on Friday,
July 30.
Following a week of intense speculation regarding the evening's
schedule, Laurie Hambleton, the executive director of Crispin's
House and league commissioner, finally announced the lineup.
Four contests are on tap with several activities intertwined
into the evening.
First to take the field will be the Lions and Rotary Clubs at
5 p.m., with the Main Street Board of Directors taking on the
Department of Public Works at 5:15 p.m.
At 6 p.m., Max the Monarch is scheduled to visit for one hour.
A half hour later, while the Goffstown Fire Department gets going
against WZID at 6:30 p.m., the children from Team Crispin who
raised money for Peer Outreach at Goffstown High School will
be recognized and treated to their own personal limo ride provided
by Grace Limousines.
Also at 6:30 p.m., Dance Nation will feature a special performance
by their VIP Dance Team. The group of "Very Impressive Performers"
are all kids from the Neighborhood.
More recognition is on the way at 7:45 p.m., this time for the
winner of the Neighborhood News T-shirt design contest, plus
the recipient of the Gail Thomas Here for Youth Award.
Then at 8 p.m. comes the main event: Neighborhood News against
the Goffstown Police Association.
"There's an attempt to overthrow the executive branch of
government on July 30th," said Weare Detective and Crispin's
House board member Mark Bodanza, barely audible in a recent telephone
interview due to uncontrollable laughter.
The whole time there will be a dunking booth, cotton candy, silent
auction, pitching contest and information stand.
"We'll be asking for donations at the gates," Hambleton
said. "Donations are totally optional, but help us in providing
our services to whoever needs them."
Hambleton, on behalf of Crispin's House, wished to thank the
long list of individuals and businesses for their help with the
annual charity softball games.
"Brown Graphix has done an awesome job getting a lot of
our T-shirts printed up and has been a great sponsor of this
event by providing posters, design and screen printing,"
Hambleton said.
The league commissioner also extended thanks to the Manchester
Monarchs for sending Max to the festivities, as well as Grace
Limousines for donating a limo to honor Team Crispin's Kids.
"Thanks to Goffstown Junior Baseball," said Hambleton.
"This is a really busy and exciting week for them and we
really appreciate the use of their fields and facilities.
"Thanks to The Goffstown News, too," she added. "The
News has been very kind to Crispin's House, and the paper's participation
is a huge contribution to all of the efforts we make on behalf
of kids."
Lastly, while she thanked all the players for taking time out
of their schedules and stepping up to the plate for a good cause,
Hambleton couldn't help but throw one last good-natured jab at
the participants.
"Age shouldn't be a factor," she said. "My grandma
played softball into her 80s. Most of our players are younger
than that. At least I think they are."
In the event of rain, "lots of rain," as Hambleton
put it, the event will be rescheduled.
New
Boston
Dodge's a place
to socialize and more
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By DEVON CORMIER
Staff Writer
dcormier@yourneighborhoodnews.com
Dodge's Store isn't just
a place to grab some quick groceries; it's a meeting place for
residents and a lunch destination for the busy.
Smack in the middle of town, the store's wide farmer's porch
and wooden benches make it a central point for people to come
together and chat.
"It's unique and it's a center point for the community,"
said owner Michael Danzinger. "It's a modern store but we
kept the old-town charm, I think that is very important."
Although the general store is no longer in the Dodge family,
its name and purpose remain the same. The same Dodge's Store
sign saying 'Est. 1872' still hangs above the checkout counter.
Danzinger fell into his
job of selling groceries to stores and supermarkets when he was
just 22 years old. Now 42, he owns Dodge's Store and Country
Three Corners in Weare.
And, he says, "I'm
always looking for new stores if they're right."
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SANDWICHES AND CONVERSATION Dodge's
Store in New Boston has been a popular meeting place since 1872.
Owner Michael Danzinger said it's a modern store with an old-town
charm and that's the way the patrons like it. (D. Cormier
Photo)
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Danzinger said he was familiar
with Dodge's Store and when he saw it was up for sale, he couldn't
resist the amazing opportunity.
He loves the old-time charm and wishes he could spend more time
down on the floor and out on the porch to chat with the locals.
"It's nice," Danzinger said. "You get to meet
people and talk. I love that. It's a friendly town. Everybody's
always waving. I lost a lot of that when I bought my other store.
Now I'm always back and forth."
The porch is usually packed in the summer months, but 9 a.m.
is when the real crowd gathers to chat before work.
On an idle Thursday afternoon, three men sat on the benches chatting
and laughing. Two of them claimed they came to hunt down Walter
"Yogi" Leach.
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Leach said he practically
runs his New Boston sand and gravel business off Dodge's porch.
Danzinger confirms that they often get calls for Leach from friends
and customers.
"I'm here every morning at 9 a.m.," Leach said. "It's
like my office people call and ask for me."
He added, "I think Mike is doing a real good job."
George Whipple lived in New Boston his whole life, but after
moving to Francestown recently, he now returns to Dodge's to
find Leach and to chat with his buddies.
"You should see it at nine in the morning," Whipple
said. "Most of us here all went to school with each other."
Former owner Homer Dodge still stops in to chat every once in
awhile. Homer's brother sold the store, and it was his great
grandparents who started it.
Homer is happy with the
way the store is being run and enjoys stopping in when he visits
his sister in New Boston.
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HAVING LUNCH Walter "Yogi"
Leach, Bill Barss and George Whipple relax in front of Dodge's
Store. Leach practically runs his sand and gravel business at
the store. The trio enjoys the benches and good sandwiches. (D.
Cormier Photo)
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What has changed? "They make sandwiches now," he pointed
out.
The bench-sitters concede that they are really good and filling.
"It's like it used to be," Homer said. "It hasn't
changed too much and I like it like it is."
Pinardville
Halfway house a 'no go'
By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com
A plan to build a halfway
house in Pinardville has been nixed.
This spring, a Boston-based nonprofit group that runs halfway
houses, wanted to renovate the old St. Edmond Convent into a
federal halfway house. The company, Community Resources for Justice
(CRJ), runs several facilities in Massachusetts, and proposed
the idea of a 24-bed halfway house in Pinardville.
The building actually straddles the Goffstown-Manchester border,
with most of the proposed facility in Manchester.
John Larivee, CEO of CRJ, confirmed that his company decided
to withdraw the Pinardville proposal.
"After consultation with city officials and listening to
members of the larger Manchester community, we decided to pursue
a different location," he said. "The new property better
meets the criteria that all agreed was best for our clients and
program, easier access to social services, public transportation
and employment opportunities."
More than 50 neighborhood residents turned out for a May 5 meeting
with CRJ officials in opposition to the plan.
In a July 23 letter to Manchester Mayor Robert Baines, Larivee
notified the city that his company was dropping its proposal.
Instead of Pinardville, CRJ is now focusing on two townhouses
on Elm Street, just north of downtown Manchester.
Dan LaRochelle, owner of King Bowling Lanes in Pinardville, helped
CJR officials organize the May 5 meeting, and confirmed the news.
"I'm very pleased it's not coming here to Pinardville, because
I don't feel that's the appropriate location," he said.
"At any location someone's going to object to it. But I
do feel Elm Street has better transportation, as well as a lot
more jobs than the Pinardville area."
According to CJR plans, the facility would house felons who are
returning to the area after serving out most of their terms in
a federal prison. On May 5, Larivee told neighbors the prisoners
would mostly be in prison for drugs and white-collar crimes.
Although Larivee promised a screening process would be used to
filter out violent offenders and sex predators, he could not
promise that no sex offenders would be housed at the facility,
despite several residents' demands that he do so.
LaRochelle, who last spring expressed opposition to the plan,
said CRJ called to personally tell him the news. They thanked
him for organizing the meeting in May and helping to gather resident
reaction.
"(They said) they appreciated the meeting we put together
and the response they got," he said. "And (the angry
reaction) is part of the reason they're looking for another neighborhood."
The building, located at 48 Henriette St., is currently divided
between apartments set aside for elderly housing, and a boarding
house. The boarding house rents rooms largely by the week, but
has several permanent residents. At the May meeting, those residents
told Larivee they were concerned that they would be forced out
of their home and would have no other options for affordable
housing.
LaRochelle said although CRJ backed off its plans, the building
is still for sale and is open to other development.
"Who knows what will happen," he said. "I hope
to see someone go in there and turn it into apartments rather
than the boarding house."
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