Austism Program branded a success

Students in the New England Center for Children partner program,

 now in its second year at Derry Village School, 

have shown significant academic and social progress.

By CHELSEY POLLOCK
Union Leader Correspondent
DERRY — District staff and parents say the New England Center for Children partner classroom has found academic and financial success in Derry.
Massachusetts-based NECC is a private, nonprofit organization that offers consulting services for students with autism and other related disabilities. At 14 Massachusetts schools, NECC operates special education programs within school districts for students requiring care beyond what an individual district can provide.
Last year, Derry hosted the first partner classroom in New Hampshire at Derry Village School, with the help of $900,000 in federal stimulus money spread over two years. In the NECC partnership classroom, Derry students work one-on-one with tutors to develop academic and social skills as part of an individual curriculum that adapts throughout the year as students progress, said Derry Director of Student Services Christopher Kellan. 

Then students and their tutors spend a portion of their day in general education environments, with most students averaging between 12 and 15 hours outside the NECC classroom each week. 

“The classroom is the hub of their universe,” Kellan said. “Students are taught the development of academic and social skills in that low-distraction environment by the one-to-ones and then they are able to practice those academic, developmental and social skills out in the general education setting at lunch, recess or in the classroom.” 
Last year, the elementary level program served five students with autism who either returned to Derry from an existing out-of-district placement or who would’ve likely been placed out of district last year for the first time, Kellan said. This year, seven students are enrolled and the program has moved to a larger classroom at Derry Village School. 
With seven students, Kellan said the NECC partner program will cost about $484,000 annually. But with the average out-of- district placement exceeding $100,000 per student, Kellan said the cost of the program will be covered by the savings of keeping students within the district. 
“A comparable program out of district would essentially cost double or more for the same number of students,” Kellan said. “But it’s also about those intangible benefits. There’s a cost savings and all, but the other benefits are priceless.” 
For 8-year-old Ben Koslouski, who is returning to the NECC classroom for third grade this year, the program has already made a difference, said his mother, Deb. 
“He spends a good majority of the day in the typical classroom, but it’s great because he’s able to ask for breaks,” Deb Koslouski said. “He can get really overstimulated quickly and once you hit that wall, it’s hard to recoup from that, but now he knows he can ask for a break and then go back to the classroom later.” And after that first year, Koslouski said she’s noticed advances in Ben’s verbal abilities. 
“I see a lot more verbal communication. He comes out with some stuff that surprises even me now and again,” she said. “I look at the work that comes home that he does do independently and there’s just a lot more progress academically.” 
Ben was previously attending a program in Lawrence, Mass., and Koslouski said commuting to the out-of-district placement and trying to coordinate school activities across state lines created headaches for her family. 
But with the new program, Koslouski said she’s more comfortable and was finally able to get a job outside the home in February. 
“I managed to get a job because I don’t worry about him at all,” she said. “It’s given me peace of mind that I know he’s with people who completely get him.” 
And Kellan said all students have shown academic success in the program so far. 
In the first year, he said, students showed “substantial progress” in more than 95 percent of their individualized education program, or IEP, objectives. 
And much of that success has been the cooperation of the wider community, he said. 
“It’s the partnership of the NECC, the Derry School District and all of the staff at Derry Village that have been outstanding in supporting and welcoming the new staff, students and their families,” he said. “It’s a partnership between lots of different folks all working together in the best interest of the students.” 
Kellan presented the program’s progress to the Derry School Board last week, where it was met with heavy praise. 
“I’ve heard nothing but positive things from parents and staff,” said school board member Brenda Willis at the meeting. “...That’s what we’re here for. We’re here to make a difference for children and to make sure that they’re educated and we do the best we can. I’m blown away by what has been accomplished.” 
The board approved the NECC partner classroom as a full district program for up to seven students last week, and the cost of the program will now be incorporated into the district’s annual budget, Kellan said. 
And Koslouski, who has another child with autism and a third student in general education classes, said she thinks the partner classroom will help students both in and outside of the program. 
“I think it’s good exposure for my kids to learn from their typically developing peers about how to behave and what’s acceptable,” she said. “But I think the typically developing kids get a lot, too. It teaches them about accepting people who are different, and I think anytime you get an opportunity to work with people who function a little differently, everyone wins.” 

New eatery, How's Your Onion?, open for business

Alicia Smith, left and husband Michael, settle in at How's Your Onion?, Derry's newest eater,
while waitress Cathy Simpson gets ready to take their order.

By CAROL ROBIDOUX

Union Leader Correspondent

DERRY – Roz Hartley is truly the mother in invention – her son, Marc-Damien Hartley has been the brains behind the transformation of the family's once-thriving neighborhood grocery store into the town's trendiest new eatery.

“I didn't expect to be here at all,” said Roz Hartley yesterday, helping out behind the cash register, as needed.

But yesterday's soft opening of How's Your Onion? was a family success story in every way, said Marc-Damien Hartley, who is executive chef for the 48-seat restaurant, which serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week.

“We have just under 20 employees with a combined 260 years of experience – and that includes three employees with no experience,” said Hartley, who has been waiting for his chance to run the show after years of cooking and coordinating for other area eateries, most recently as manager for Outback Steakhouse in Connecticut.

Doors open at 5 a.m. every day except Sundays, when Hartley gets an extra hour to sleep in, opening at 6 a.m. – old habits are hard to break.

For 26 years Roz and Doug Hartley owned and operated JP's Superette in the very space that now features booth, table and counter seating accented in warm wood and berry tones. The walls display original artwork by his twin sister, Janna – the first in what Roz Hartley hopes will be a long line of local artists, photographers and artisans waiting to use the wall space as a gallery.

Marc-Damien Hartley, left, confers with cook Pete Mannarini.

When the Hartleys bought the neighborhood grocery store it was a bustling a full-service market. Their kids were right there, stocking shelves and helping out as needed. Over the years, business dwindled as the rural landscape filled up with chain supermarkets and drug stores. In the end, the superette served mostly earlybird customers who'd stop for coffee or a muffin and grab some lottery tickets, or a handful of regulars who were still coming for smokes, beer or incidental items.

In February the family took a deep, cleansing breath, sold off the remnants of the grocery business and and decided to bring in the sledgehammers.

In preparing to open a restaurant in a town known for its many other popular eateries, Marc-Damien Hartley relied on his passion for cooking and his six years of military training as an Army cook and pastry chef.

“We did a good organized training session with the staff, and for today, I wanted to keep staffing on the high side, just to make sure we took enough time with our guests, and with the food,” Hartley said.

His efforts were not in vain.

“We love it,” said Alicia Smith, who had been waiting patiently for opening day. “We live around the corner, and were watching the progress. They did an excellent job – the food is great and it looks very different.”

Bill Linsky, a Derry native, said he will probably still refer to the place as the “highway superette,” but he will have no trouble getting used to the cuisine.

“I had a Number 9 – scrambled eggs with cheese, home fries and an English muffin – it was all delicious,” said Linsky. His wife, Bonnie, said she had no idea it was opening day.

“I normally won't go to a restaurant until it's been opened for at least a month, until they get the kinks worked out – I didn't notice any kinks,” she said.

There's no "Open for Business" sign;

when the flag is flying, the food is flowing.

Hartley's seasoned staff has much to do with that – his cook, Pete Mannarini, spent years cooking down the street at Anthony's Cucina, which abruptly closed its doors in August. His waitstaff also has plenty of experience with customer service.

“I've worked at just about every place in town, and I just love it here,” said Cathy Simpson. “What I love most are Marc's ideas – he's covered all the bases and he really knows what he's doing.

At the heart of what he's doing is treating patrons as guests in a family business rooted in homestyle tradition said Hartley, going all the way back to selecting his restaurant's intriguing name.

“How's Your Onion?” is an expression that originated with his maternal grandfather, Alfred Giuffrida, who would ask that question as a sort of greeting – the family had been trained over time to know the right response: “Good enough to make you cry,” which has become the restaurant's catch phrase, featured on staff gear and coffee mugs.

"The whole experience has been exciting -- it came out better than I ever imagined; it's beautiful," said Hartley, looking around at the decor, all carefully coordinated by his sister, Janna.

Success will be simple, he said, as long as he stays focuses on what is at the heart and soul of this business plan.

"If you take care of your team, they will take care of you. If you hire the right people, they will do anything to make sure the business is successful, and that's what we have here," Hartley said.

How's Your Onion? is located at 91 West Broadway in Derry. Hours are Mon. - Thurs., 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 5 a.m. to 6 p.m .and Sundays 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.For more information go to www.howsyouronion.com or find them on Facebook.

It's Unanimous: New Administrator is John Anderson

By CAROL ROBIDOUX

Union Leader Correspondent

DERRY – After a unanimous string of "yes" votes, punctuated with words like “enthusiastically,” and “absolutely,” the Council last night named John Anderson new town administrator, effective October 25.

The vote capped off what has been a streamlined process that included input from residents, town employees and every council member. Anderson, who has served for the past decade as Town Manager of Boothbay, Maine, has said he's ready to get started – and looking forward to being part of the community.

So much so, that word on the street is that he has already been house hunting in town, and has made an offer on a place that should be ready to settle by the time he starts his new job.

“That's what we've heard,” said Councilor Neil Wetherbee earlier this week.

Another side effect of Anderson getting the job could be that Councilor Kevin Coyle will renew his commitment to the town and finish his term. Several months ago Coyle confirmed that he had purchased a home in Londonderry and had placed his home on the market.

However, a few weeks ago, Coyle further confirmed that he had found someone to rent the Londonderry house, and that he'd be staying put  in Derry. That confirmation came the same day Anderson told the Union Leader that he hoped Coyle would stick around, should he get the job.

“I guess John Anderson will get his wish,” Coyle said.

In other business, a proposal made by the Nutfield Senior Center asking  the town to set aside money for construction of a senior center to be built adjacent to the Boys and Girls Club was tabled, after senior center organizer John Moody contacted Council Chair Brad Benson prior to the meeting, asking to postpone the request.

Benson proposed that a workshop be scheduled in October so that discrepencies over the amount being requested of the town by the Nutfield Senior Center be settled, and particulars of the proposal be aired publicly.

“I've had several different communications with different numbers of people who want to understand the function and purpose of the proposed senior center, and how it will fund itself. I'd like to see senior staff involved, the downtown group involved, council involved – and anyone else who we think needs to be involved. We need to go from square A to square Z,” Benson said.

Town Administrator Gary Stenhouse said he would get that information posted on the town's Web site as soon as a date was set, likely sometime between the two scheduled October council meetings.

Also discussed was changing the date of the regularly scheduled Nov. 2 council meeting to Nov. 3, because it coincides with Election Day. Benson noted that moving the meeting to the following day is procedurally correct. The council agreed to the change.

Dramatics in Derry: MyTV to air local soap opera, programming

By CAROL ROBIDOUX

Union Leader Correspondent

DERRY – Not since Peyton Place has there been a fictional town with this much drama. But when “Proper Manors,” hits the MyTV airwaves in September, creator/director Pietro D'Alessio hopes his daytime soap will have the same drawing power – and staying power – as its successful serialized New Hampshire-based predecessor.

D'Alessio's storyline promises to take all kinds of soap operatic twists and turns as it winds its way through a small New England town – Proper Manors – and the spirited teenagers who live there with their complicated and intertwined families.

It will launch Sept. 14, the same week “As the World Turns” airs its final episode after 54 years, filling a void for CBS soap fans, who watched another longtime favorite, “Guiding Light,” go dark last year.

It's an ambitious project that should put New Hampshire on the map in terms of hyper local innovation mixed with a bit of old-school TV broadcasting, said MyTV Development Executive Christopher Murphy.

“This is totally unique. No one else in New England, has the resources we have to distribute original New England content to every single home in the Boston designated market area,” Murphy said.

He first met D'Alessio while working together on another film project.

“Pietro was talking about doing this as a small web series, but I saw the potential for regional broadcast,” said Murphy. “I picked it up for MyTV and, in a short amount of time, here we are, set to start filming in August – and we've signed on Victoria Rowell for a recurring role,” a casting coup for those who recognize Rowell as the actress who played Drucilla Winters on daytime drama “The Young and the Restless” and Dr. Amanda Bentley on “Diagnosis: Murder.”

Along with “Proper Manors,” the station is touting the newly-launched “Leslie Taylor Show,” described by Murphy as a cross between Chelsea Handler and Oprah Winfrey. He is also looking to expand programming to include other locally produced content, with a particular interest in independent films that have been left languishing in post-production purgatory.

“I love the Internet as much as the next guy, but let's get back to entertainment. Let's get back to some laughs. Let's get back to some good old-fashioned sit down, watch a show, everyone get together and enjoy TV, and let's do it with local talent,” Murphy said.

If all goes as planned, “Proper Manors” will lead the way for the future of local programming. Filming on location around the state, using local businesses as sets or even backdrops, will help not only with advertising, but in creating a sense of ownership for viewers.

There is already buzz within the production industry for D'Alessio's project. Today's third casting call should draw actors from far and wide to MCAM studio in Manchester, just as the first two rounds of auditions did, with aspiring soap stars coming from as far as Los Angeles and New York.

“This would be a life-changer,” said Alison Whitney, a polished New York actress looking for a lucky break. She was going over her lines in a large holding room, along with six others from New York, one from Jersey and one lone New Hampshire actress, representative of the 75 out-of-work actors who showed up last month in Derry for a shot at one of 35 recurring roles in the 26-episode soap opera.

Cinda Donovan is called in for her four-minute audition in front of a row of production assistants and D'Alessio. The Massachusetts-based actress enters the studio and is greeted like an old friend – in part because she is, sort of.

“It's her third audition with us for the role of Blanche,” says D'Alessio, a role based on his own southern belle of a step-mother. “I love her. She is my mother,” he says, giving Donovan some direction.

“The dislike and hatred of your mother has ruled every breath you breathe on this planet; you're a bitch on wheels. Go for intensity. Go for the jugular – and have fun with it,” said D'Alessio, who created “Proper Manors” as much an homage to his old hometown of Plant City, Fla, as to his circle of family and friends.

His inspiration was the drama of his youth, magnified by televised drama like “Falcon Crest,” and “Dynasty,” where cliff hangers combined with strong women and manipulative men for must-see TV that hooked viewers in week after week.

“Of course, me being me, I'm balancing it all out with a Christopher Guest approach to all the seriousness,” D'Alessio said, with a gleam in his eye.

“We're filming primarily here (in southern New Hampshire) and the Seacoast, but will take our characters wherever they need to go,” said D'Alessio. “I think we're getting so much buzz because these are well-developed stories. I mean, how often do you get to create a place where a New York Italian Jew meets Southern aristocracy, a story where the Mafia, white trash and beauty pageants are all woven together with plenty of scandal? I've never had this much fun on a project in my life.”

Still Trying to be Safe at Home

Bjorn Bruckshaw, service dog Dawsen, and Jackson, the basset hound.

By CAROL ROBIDOUX

Union Leader Correspondent

DERRY – Next month Bjorn Bruckshaw will lace up his running shoes and make sure Dawsen, his service dog and running companion, is well hydrated. Then, he will take a deep breath as he gets in his truck and heads to Boston for the inaugural Run to Home Base 9k, facing his first two hurdles – traffic and crowds.

Since returning from war, Bruckshaw also avoids crowds and fireworks, and worries that “bad guys” may be lurking in parked vehicles as he drives.

Bruckshaw is running because the cause is dear to his heart – all proceeds go to a new program at Massachusetts General that treats veterans of war in Iraq and Afghanistan who, like Bruckshaw, have suffered traumatic brain injury or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“I heard about the run from a friend of mine who works at Mass General, and wanted to do it because I know how it is. I see a therapist two times a week and have been going to rehab every day for the last year and a half,” Bruckshaw said.

Nine years ago this May, Bruckshaw enlisted in the Army. He was 18 and aimless, having just graduated from high school. His father, a former Army man, thought a stint in the military would give him direction.

Before he finished basic training, terror struck New York's Twin Towers, and his orders to deploy with the 82^nd Airborne Division were written.

He endured the 18-month deployment – and a direct hit during his shift patrolling a Pakistani guard tower by a rocket-propelled grenade. He was one of three from his unit injured that day.

“It tore my arm up, there's a lot of nerve damage. I can't really feel it,” says Bruckshaw, lifting his left arm and running his right hand along the scar tissue. “And it threw me. My brain was rattled.”

However, Bruckshaw completed his three-year military obligation and was discharged. He headed home to Warwick, RI, and tried a few civilian jobs, but nothing seemed a good fit – not after jumping from airplanes for a living. So he decided to join the Rhode Island National Guard.

He went to dental school in Texas on the GI Bill, where he was just about to graduate when he was deployed, this time to Iraq, with a field artillery unit – chosen mainly because he already had combat experience. Although he had never thought seriously about the prospect of seeing action again, Bruckshaw spent the next year in combat.

By 2007, the war had escalated. Bruckshaw worked with prisoners and joined convoys under the constant threat of firefights and rocket blasts.

“There were points where I was getting afraid to go out, to be around other people. I was having nightmares. Some days I wouldn't eat because I was afraid to leave my bunk to go to the chow hut. Finally, I told one of my commanders, who took me to see a chaplain,” said Bruckshaw.

That chaplain wasn't assigned to his unit, and told Bruckshaw he couldn't counsel him for that reason.

“He handed me a golfball and said, 'Do you like to play golf? Here, go hit a golf ball.' I needed to talk to someone, but no one wanted to talk to me. My peers were making fun of me. It got so bad that I started to call home and just cry and cry and cry. I felt let down by the system,” said Bruckshaw. “I still get let down by the system.”

He returned home to Rhode Island in 2008, initially relieved and hoping to get back to his life.

“My girlfriend of seven years had cheated on me, and was pregnant by another man. My parents were getting a divorce. My uncle had died, and no one told me. So one night I almost drove off the Newport Bridge, but my car got stuck,” said Bruckshaw.

He was admitted to a hospital psychiatric unit then transferred to the Veteran's Hospital in Bedford, Mass, where he spent 18 months. Eight months ago he was matched with a service dog, a black lab named Dawsen, through the Canine for Combat Veterans program administered by NEADS, which provides specially trained animals for the deaf and disabled.

Dawsen can turn on light switches and provide a warm muzzle to comfort him, as needed now that he's living on his own. Six months ago he moved to a small apartment in Derry with a room mate he met while hospitalized.

“Having Dawsen is helping me in that, plenty of days I don't want to get up or go outside, but because of her, I have to,” Bruckshaw said. He recently got a companion for Dawsen, a bassett hound puppy named Jackson.

I just want to find a way to be normal again,” Bruckshaw said.

Bruckshaw is fortunate for the help he's getting. While an estimated 300,000 of veterans return from Iraq and Afghanistan with lingering symptoms of depression or stress disorders, only about half seek help.

Complicating Bruckshaw's recovery is the tangle of red tape he's stuck in. He says he's been told his benefits have been reduced because service records from his first deployment are “lost.” He recently had to drop out of a criminal justice program at Middlesex Community College because his education allowance was cut.

Lost records and benefit disputes are a growing problem not at all unique to Bruckshaw, said Chrissy Stevens, of the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit policy and action group, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

“This is a common issue, especially one that comes up from veterans making the transition from (Department of Defense) benefits to VA benefits,” said Stevens. Her organization estimates hundreds of thousands of veterans are forced to wait months – sometimes years – for full benefits and disability compensation, stuck in a system that is overwhelmed and antiquated.

Filling in the gaps and creating new avenues for service is why supporting the Home Base Program at Mass General Hospital is so important, said Dr. Mark Pollack, the hospital's chief medical officer and clinical and research leader from the post traumatic stress disorder program, and Run to Home Base coordinator.

“The tragedy is, while help is available, many don't get it. They may feel stigmatized, so a great part of our work has to do with outreach,” Pollack said.

The innovative program was really a direct result of the Boston Red Sox 2004 World Series win, Pollack said.

“A traditional part of winning is that teams go to the White House and also to visit Walter Reed (Army Medical Center). It was during that trip that some of the team owners met soldiers recovering there, and were really moved – so moved that they made a commitment to doing something,” Pollack said.

They formed a partnership with Mass General to create a unique program that not only treats veterans, but offers services to families, Pollack said.

“We sometimes forget that the families of our service men and women sacrifice an awful lot. When their loved one returns from war suffering with depression or anxiety, by extension, many husbands and wives, parents and children have difficulties coping, too,” Pollack said.

For Bruckshaw, doing something to help the cause is part of his own healing process.

“I want my life back. One of my goals as a kid was to be a good husband and father one day – I feel that will be difficult now. Dating is hard. I've had a girl say she didn't want to be with a guy who had a service dog. Others don't want someone who's been in the military. I spend most of my time playing softball,” said Bruckshaw, who plays in several different leagues to keep his mind and body occupied.

“I can't say the good days outweight the bad, but there are enough good moments in a day now that I don't feel like driving off a bridge,” said Bruckshaw. “I've come a long way, but I still have a long way to go.”

There's still time to register for the May 23 Run to Home Base. Go to www.runtohomebase.org.

Saving the Pinkerton: Town explores options

By CAROL ROBIDOUX
Union Leader Correspondent
DERRY – Momentum to “save” the Pinkerton Tavern has gathered steam in the months since it was formally announced that the popular restaurant was likely to be razed to make way for the widening of Route 28.
So far the process is mired in complexities, but may get a boost from state-funded relocation program.
One complication is that the building and lot are owned by Arnold Goldstein of Bedford, while the business is owned by husband-and-wife restaurateurs Jen Lutzen and Guy Streitburger, who still have a dozen years left on their 20-year lease.
Once the TIF District project was defined and approved by the council, the town sent offers for land acquisitions to17 property owners along that stretch of highway. Lutzen and Streitburger are not included because they aren't the physical property owners.
For the record, only three of the 17 property owners have officially accepted the town's offer.
Yesterday, Goldstein said he's satisfied with the appraisal on his property, which would drive the town's offer, a figure that has not been publicly announced. However, the current assessed value of the property, including the building, is $627,300.
“Relocating Jennifer and Guy is more important than working out issues with me,” Goldstein said.

Streitburger and Lutzen

The town landmark has been damaged by fire over the years, but retains enough sentimental and historic value to have the support of the town's Heritage Commission in trying to leverage a deal to save the structure.
Town officials are seeking the best solution, one that would retain the Pinkerton Tavern as a local eatery. But the amount of land in front of the inn needed for the highway project would require moving the tavern 30 to 40 feet. While the physical move is not an impossible mission, wetlands behind the building prevents that.
On Friday, Town Administrator Gary Stenhouse said the town has through its economic development arm, contacted a relocation specialist and is exploring three possible options – reopening the restaurant with reduced parking on the same site, relocating the building to another nearby lot or reestablishing the business at an entirely new location in a different venue.
“I've authorized the Arnett Group to retain some experts – we want to do this with an independent set of eyes,” Stenhouse said. “We're trying to do the right thing. Part of our problem is ignorance. We had forgotten about the Uniform Relocation Reimbursement Act. New Hampshire law is pretty much copied right from the federal law, all according to a formula.”
Under the URRA, homeowners and businesses can qualify for compensation from state and local government programs that include help relocating and losses of net income up to a maximum of $10,000.
Dave Allen Motors, located next to the Pinkerton Tavern, is also slated to lose a chunk of real estate in to the widening project. Allen said yesterday he is among those property owners that have not yet responded to the town's offer.
“Honestly, I'm in limbo. I won't know what I will do until I find out what's happening with the Pinkerton,” Allen said. “For example, if they move that building, it would be a much better alternative for my driveway than the one they have proposed.”
Allen also has offered a one-acre buildable lot that sits behind his business as an alternative location for the tavern, an option he's mentioned to both the town and to Lutzen and Streitburger.
“I have put it out there. I called (Town Public Works Director) Mike Fowler on Friday to remind him, and I think they have some engineers looking at it. But no one has said, 'Hey, great idea; we'll take you up on that.' So for now, I don't know what I'm going to do,” Allen said.
“Everyone wants something to happen, but I don't know what's going to happen. I think it's further along than exit 4A,” said Allen, with a laugh. “The town claims they're ready to go to work in July on the project, but I don't see how.”
Stenhouse said optimistically, the widening project would still be on target for the end of the summer, given the need to resolve the Pinkerton issue and settle up with the other 13 businesses involved. He speculated that the other businesses may simply be exercising their right to an independent appraisal, under state law.
“If they think they can get more money, as a business deal, why shouldn't they try? If their appraisals come in lower, then that will be up to the Board of Land and Tax Appeals to decide. Some may settle before we get to eminent domain. Regardless, we're on top of the situation, and once we get all this together, we will sit with the council and decide on the best option, including financial options,” Stenhouse said. “We will know the answers within four weeks.”

Proposed senior center bridges generation gap

By CAROL ROBIDOUX

Union Leader Correspondent


DERRY – After eight years of germinating, a big idea is about to take root in Derry. A local senior-centered organization is moving full steam ahead with fundraising to build a first-of-its-kind activity center in East Derry by adding onto the existing Boys and Girls Club of Greater Derry.


     “We're the fourth largest community in the state, and we have more than 2,100 seniors, yet we don't have a dedicated senior center,” said State Rep. Beverly Ferrante, R-Derry, a board member for the Nutfield Senior Center.

      She said if all goes as planned, doors could open on the Nutfield Senior Center by fall.

      Tonight's Council meeting agenda includes a request by Nutfield Senior Center President John Moody on behalf of the center for $396,000 in town money toward the $1.2 million needed to complete the project. He is proposing a match-funding deal similar to the one extended to the Derry Rail Trail Alliance two years ago, which provided that the group raise matching funds before receiving money from the town.

     “If we can get the town council to allocate the money, that will go an extraordinarily long way to get others to jump on board,” said Moody. “I'm optimistic that we can do this – not everyone who's talked to me bout it is. They say this isn't the time, or the economy is bad, or what have you. But we've been down that road before in our community, and I believe there are sometimes when it's got to be about what is the right thing to do.”

     He said the town has a healthy capital reserve fund from which it could set aside the money for a project that will attach the 5,000-square-foot addition onto the existing 30,000-square-foot Boys and Girls club, resulting in a reconfigured 35,000-square-foot community center at a fraction of the cost.

     “They don't need to do anything other than leave the money there until we raise an equal amount. If we aren't successful, their money is not at risk. To me, it's a no-brainer,” Moody said yesterday.

      The group has already received a $396,000 non-construction federal grant with the help of Sen. Judd Gregg, which can be used for furnishing the new center and other programming expenses.

      Supporters of the endeavor spent the weekend distributing information to residents during the town's annual Frost Fest, officially launching the community fundraising push, Ferrante said. Brochures have been mailed and checks are starting to trickle in.


      “Sometimes, in a down economy, you find people for whatever reason are more inclined to give. I have already gotten $50 checks from some seniors, which is fantastic,” Moody said.

     Late last year the group announced its plans to collaborate with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Derry to solve the problem of finding a home for a senior center. Current programming for seniors has all but outgrown the Marion Gerrish Center across town, which provides space for more than 140 different organizations in addition to seniors.

     “We had done a lot of research, and looked at 10 other senior facilities, in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut. We wanted to see what was going on in senior citizen land, and we found out that it's a changing landscape,” Ferrante said.

     Not only will the new center supplement existing senior programs,but given its unique location, open new doors of programming opportunities, said Eric Bodenrader, the town's Park and Recreation director, who currently coordinates senior activities.

     Although Moody has been the driving force behind the project, it was someone else who gave the project its wings.

     About a year ago, Derry Chief of Police Ed Garone, a 35-year member of the Boys and Girls Club board of directors, had a brainstorm: Instead of starting from scratch, what if there were a way to build the senior center as an addition to the existing Boys and Girls club building, which is already fully equipped with a kitchen, a gym and plenty of turf?

     “My wife and I are grandparents, and we enjoy our three grandchildren very much. It just seemed to me that there may be a way to create some melding between the two age groups that would be advantageous for both,” Garone said. “There are a lot of kids with no grandparents, and a lot of grandparents with no grandkids around. I thought this might create an opportunity to service both segments of the population.”

     Garone ran the idea past Moody, who was immediately on board. The idea was also an easy sell to Boys and Girls Club director Art McLean, who was intrigued by the possibilities for breaking new ground, not just physically, but philosophically.


      “Our board of directors voted over a year ago to make the offer to the senior citizens center, to allow them to build an addition to house the center here, and they've been working hard toward that goal for 12 months    now. Although their facility will run independent of the club, they will be able to use our building while the kids aren't here – which is great, because the building is under utilized during the day,” McLean said.

      But this collaboration is really about the ways the newly configured community center can become an inter-generational hub for residents of all ages, he said, making it the first such collaboration nationally in Boys and Girls Club history.

      “Most exciting is that by combining a youth organization with a senior organization, it opens up all kinds of possibilities for cross-programming,” McLean said.


      Although the group is optimistic that the council will vote in favor of supporting the project following the public hearing set for March 2, they are prepared to see the project through no matter what happens, said Moody.


      Garone has confidence in Moody's sense of confidence.

     “In the person of John Moody we have someone with a lot of motivation behind him. Yes, it is a horrible time to be raising money. But I suppose if we waited for the perfect time we wouldn't get a whole lot done,” Garone said.


      “If we can pull this off, I think it will be a trendsetter for many other clubs and senior citizen centers around the country, to take this lead and to try it themselves. It's a natural fit.” Garone said.