Epsom Central School Staff and Faculty
Mr. Richard Dougherty, Middle School Language Arts
Rich welcomes a visitor to his classroom with an open smile, ready
handshake, and a conversation sprinkled with examples of his humor.
The visitor is then treated to an intriguing discussion of Rich’s
passions: children and reading. Rich teaches 8th grade Reading and
Language Arts and one section of 5th grade Language Arts. He
graduated from Marist College, NY with a BA in English, and from
Franklin Pierce College Teachers’ Certification Program. Rich worked
for IBM as a technical writer and in banking and insurance before
coming to ECS 23 years ago. He also coached a year of college
soccer.
Rich sees Epsom as a nice town populated by “his kind of people:
regular, hard-working, middle-class people who want their children’s
lives to be better than their own, a desire shared by the children.”
At ECS, he has served as the yearbook coordinator and has coached
basketball, baseball, and soccer. Rich’s favorite aspect of teaching
is getting a kids excited about reading and writing at the age of
14, before they’re “lost.” He likes working with his students as
well as his colleagues, and believes that Epsom is fortunate to have
the technology and libraries enjoyed by all. Rich says that the
Accelerated Reader program offers incomparable resources for
teacher, parent, and student, and use of the program has resulted in
Epsom children being well into intermediate words, both in spelling
bees (for which he announces) and classrooms.
Rich would say to parents to stay involved in their kids lives;
before you know it, they’re gone. He believes that Epsom children
want to do well. Northfield is home for Rich, his wife, and three
children, two of whom are in college. In his spare time, Rich loves
fishing anywhere, anytime, and in any temperature.
Local Youth Named NH Idol 2013
Meaghan is with Mr. and Mrs. Bouchard, Nazzy, and Molly Ricker.
On Friday, March 15th Meaghan Tinsley of Epsom, became NH Idol
2013. The event was a talent search and fundraiser put on by Molly
Ricker for five month old Brooklyn Bouchard and her family. Brooklyn
was diagnosed with SMA, a disease that took her life only days
before the event.
The top ten faced off at the Office Suites in Concord, hosted by
Nazzy from WJYY, and judged by Tony Schinella, a journalist and
broadcaster; JoJo Gator, producer and owner of Gator Bait Records
and Film, LLC; Lucas Gallo, a local music promoter and musician;
Jennifer Yeaton-Paris, a professional musician and instructor; and
Jeof Jarnot, a musician from the band The Joint Chiefs.
The top ten were hand picked by Molly Ricker and other preliminary
judges through auditions, which were held over a week’s time. The
top ten ranged from 13-42 years old. Meaghan, being the second
youngest, belted out Mamma Knows Best once she made it to the top
five to take the top Honors. This includes a chance to record a
single with JoJo Gator in Cranston, Rhode Island with hopes to
promote and market the recording to be played on the radio.
Videos of Meaghan’s performance can be found on youtube under
Meaghan Tinsley.
Letter
To my constituents in Allenstown, Epsom, and Pittsfield:
This week, the House voted 193-167 to increase the tobacco tax to
$1.88 per pack, 10 cents from the scheduled expiration of a tax cut
two years ago, plus 10 cents increase. I heard that the Governor
wasn’t satisfied and wants the tax increased to $1.98; getting
funding at the cost of cross-border sales.
HB271, stating New Hampshire will not accept expanded Medicaid, was
debated at length and killed, 206-155, on a largely party line vote.
I supported the bill because expanded Medicaid provides inadequate
coverage to a few uninsured individuals, and the data show that it
does not increase access to medical care (an insurance card is
useless if doctors won’t accept it) nor reduce emergency room
visits. The Democrats were largely (from comments I overheard)
swayed by the idea that “free” federal money will pay for it for
three years.
We also debated HB242, requiring passenger restraints for children
up to seven years old and 56” tall. An amendment to require all
children to be in the back seat was killed, 63-290, but the bill
passed 224-137. I opposed it because I trust parents to take care of
their children – and, as was pointed out in the debate, all seven
year olds are not the same size.
HB573, medical marijuana, was briefly debated and passed, 286-64,
with wide bipartisan support: all the representatives from the
district voted for it.
HR6, commemorating the 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, was tabled,
239-111, before the first of at least a dozen people spoke on it.
Since I wanted to kill the bill, I voted for tabling as a way to
short-circuit the discussion and let it die on the table.
Interested readers can email me for my newsletter, with more details
than can fit here.
Representative Carol McGuire
[email protected]
782-4918
Obituaries
Charles E. Butler
Charles E. Butler, 92, of Epsom N.H., passed away peacefully
Saturday, March 16, 2013 at Pleasant View nursing home in Concord,
N.H.
Charlie was born on May 31, 1920 in Leominster, MA to Fred and
Susan (Harrison) Butler. He grew up on a farm in the New Rye area
of Epsom, and graduated from Concord High School in 1938. He was a
veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corp and served actively during WWII in
the European theater as an airplane mechanic, servicing B-26
bombers. After the war, Charlie worked at various carpentry jobs in
the Epsom area and at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft in Connecticut. He
eventually took a job at the University of New Hampshire doing
electrical and refrigeration service, where he worked for 23 years
until his retirement in 1987. He enjoyed outdoor activities such as
hunting, fishing, and canoeing, and was co-founder of the Epsom
Circle Breakfast Club.
Charlie was predeceased by his wife Claire (Jaquith) (Cofran);
sister Doris (Snell) (Reynolds); and daughter Pamela (Cofran)
Steinberg. He is survived by daughters Sharon (Cofran) Skinner of
Keene NH and Debora (Cofran) Taylor of Pembroke NH; sons William of
Houston TX and John of Barnstead NH; seven grandchildren; eight
great grandchildren; two nieces and one nephew.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Charlie’s name to the
American Legion Post #112, P.O. Box 691, Epsom, NH 03224.
The Bennett Funeral Home of Concord is in charge of the
arrangements.
Messages of condolences may be offered at
www.bennettfuneral.com
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