Superintendent: ‘Financial storm’ means trouble for Epping schools
November 25, 2008
The school superintendent is painting a bleak financial picture that would mean job cuts and reduced work hours for some staffers.
In a letter to the budget committee, Barbara Munsey described the situation as a “financial storm” that requires slicing $1 million from next year’s proposed school budget.
The financial troubles are compounded by tough times facing the national and state economies, increased costs for salaries, benefits and energy, and a declining student enrollment throughout the district, according to the letter, dated Nov. 22.
“It is disheartening to see our district affected this way; however, I acknowledge that our student enrollment and economic times cannot sustain things as they are,” Munsey wrote in the letter.
If the school board did not make cuts, Munsey said, the proposed budget would increase by $1.4 million to cover an additional $800,000 needed for increases in salaries, benefits and other costs and $600,000 to make up for a revenue shortfall.
Full story from JASON SCHREIBER
Albert F. “Gabby” Dodge
November 18, 2008
If you went to Epping High School in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, “Gabby” was a fixture around the school. He’ll be missed.
Albert F. “Gabby” Dodge, 77, died unexpectedly Nov, 10, 2008, at Elliott Hospital, Manchester.
Mr. Dodge was a monitor for the Seacoast Learning Collaborative in Brentwood.
He was always a hard worker, starting at the W.S. Goodrich brickyard in the 1950s. He was then employed as a shoe worker for Epping Shoe Co. and National Shoe.
He was a custodian at Epping High School for 13 years until his retirement in 1993.
Following his retirement, he worked for 12 years at the Nottingham Post Office, then returned to Epping High School working part time.
He is survived by his wife, Lura (Monroe) Dodge of Epping; two daughters and their husbands, Mary Jo and Moe Lemieux of Concord and Wendy and Bill Koberski of Concord; five grandchildren, Denis, Rian, Jeff, Danielle, and Brittanie; four great-grandchildren, Kyle, Kaylee, Morgan, and Kairi; one sister, Emily Foote of Exeter; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was predeceased by one son, Paul Dodge, who died in 1980.
Full obituary at Seacoast Online.
Volunteers Needed For Project Graduation
September 26, 2008
The 2009 Project Graduation Committee at Epping High School needs the public’s support. Monthly meetings are held every third Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the high school conference room. Students are welcome at all meetings.
Volunteers are needed for sign-ups at booth sales and events. Bake sale items, gift baskets, gift certificate donations, etc., are also needed for the raffles. Raffle tickets will be sold by seniors and also available at the Epping Voting Day booth on Nov. 4.
Project Graduation hosts an all-night event for the seniors immediately following the ceremony on June 19. Seniors will help plan the event, which usually includes dinner and dancing at the Legion Hall and a hypnotist for entertainment. Previous years the group has visited Hilltop Fun Center and ended in the wee hours of the morning with a homemade breakfast provided by the Epping Community Church.
Anyone wishing to provide an item for the raffles, should call 679-1319 or send an e-mail to Eppingprojectgrad2009@gmail.com. Arrangements can be made to pick up any items.
All sponsors will be listed on the 2009 graduation commencement program.
Gift certificates and money donations may be sent to: Epping Project Graduation, P.O. Box 529, Epping, NH 03042.
Epping parents told there’s no free lunch
September 6, 2008
School officials are serving a warning to parents who repeatedly fail to pay for their students’ school lunches: Pay up or face action by the school.
Collecting money for unpaid lunches isn’t a widespread problem, but officials say the small percentage who ignore the rules are costing taxpayers and creating headaches for food service workers struggling to keep their budgets in the black amid rising food costs.
“We’re not talking about the entire Epping population. We’re talking about a few parents who at times take advantage of the system,” Superintendent Barbara Munsey said.
Students haven’t been turned away when they show up in line with no money, but the school board adopted a policy last year in an attempt to crack down on the problem.
Read the full story from Jason Schreiber
Larry Averill To Be New Epping A.D.
August 19, 2008
Larry Averill’s decision took a couple months, but a question posed by his good friend answered it for him while on a car ride back to his home in Newfields.
“I’m stepping back into the fray,” said Averill, referring to becoming the new athletic director at Epping High School
Averill, the longtime girls basketball coach from Exeter High School and St. Thomas Aquinas — and coach of the Exeter Hawks, an AAU team, for the past eight years — takes over the position vacated by Casey Todd. Todd made a career change when she took the AD position at Fall Mountain Regional High School.
Averill returns to the athletic director position he held temporarily seven years ago at Epping High.
Read the full story from Ken Stejbach
Behind in Their School Projects
August 12, 2008
Workers at Skyline Roofing Inc. have started each day this summer by looking at the sky and checking the Doppler radar for dark green blobs.
With New Hampshire stuck in a stubborn pattern of storm after storm, workers are finding only small windows to get their work done on school roofing projects that need to be finished before the school bell rings in a couple of weeks.
“Unfortunately the weather is our main enemy and that’s what we’ve got to deal with. You’ve got to plan your day accordingly,” said Steve Lesniak, president and owner of Manchester-based Skyline Roofing.
While dodging raindrops, workers at Skyline Roofing are trying to finish partial roof replacements at Epping High School, Gilford High School, and Spaulding High School in Rochester.
Full story from JASON SCHREIBER, Union Leader.
105 Seniors in Class of 2008
June 14, 2008
Under sunny skies, with blue and white balloons billowing in the breeze behind them, 105 graduating seniors closed the chapter on their Epping High School career Friday night.
“Graduation is both an ending and a beginning,” Principal Dixie Tremblay told the graduating class, saying it was a time for students to look back at the memories and friendships they have made before moving forward. “Graduation is truly a fork in the road.”
Graduates made their entrance onto the football field behind the school as Jared Breault directed the school’s band in its rendition of “Pomp and Circumstance.” Wearing graduation gowns in the school colors of blue and white, the seniors marched down a center aisle, stopping to pose for photos before climbing onto a stage at the front of the field. The crowd of well-wishers spilled out around the field, many bringing their own chairs for the ceremony.
Read the full story from Lara Bricker on Seacoast Online.
Epping High School Names top 10 Seniors
June 13, 2008
The Epping High School has named its top 10 seniors for the Class of 2008. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
Nathan Alix (valedictorian)
Jessica Anderson
Kaitlyn Chapman (salutatorian)
Kristine DeSotto
Stephanie Hamel
Emily Mong
Jessica Picone
Mark Prescott
Melissa Rivers
Brian Zukas
