In The News

08/27/09 - Backpack program helps area children

04/09/09 - Boys & Girls Club plans garden for good health

03/05/09 - Rebels win 3 state championships

January 28, 2010

DERRY — On Jan. 9, the Derry Boys and Girls Club's Wrestling Rebels youngest wrestlers (in Grades 1-4) competed in a tournament in Merrimack.

All of Derry's wrestlers placed in the tournament. Hunter Ickes and Jack Mackiernan led the way by winning gold medals.

Logan Ickes, Spencer Clark, Matt Sigman and Tyler Mackiernan brought home silver medals for their efforts.

Robert Fahey and Mike Gorham registered third-place finishes.

The Wrestling Rebels recently participated in two extremely competitive tournaments.

On Jan. 16, a contingent of experienced middle-schoolers traveled to Canaanto participate in the Cardigan Mountain School Invitational Wrestling Tournament.

Brenden Sullivan finished third and Joey Lydick registered a fourth-place finish. Shayne McCann, Dylan Barreiro, Seamus Dolan and Christopher Bradford wrestled well for the Rebels.

On Jan. 17, the team went to Exeter to participate in the Blue Hawk Big Trophy Tournament. Eight Rebels wrestled their way into the finals and four came away as champions.

Dylan Barreiro, Seamus Dolan. Keaton Peterson and Kyle Peterson were crowned champions.

Tim Beimel, Deene Hill, Shayne McCann, and Shiloh Vanhyll finished second. Spencer Clark, Drew Chase and Brenden Sullivan finished third, while Joey Lydick and Andrew Lydick registered fourth-place finishes.

Logan Ickes, Jack Mackiernan, Tim Bonagura, Matt Sigman, Connor Charron, Hunter Ickes, Tyler Mackiernan, Marc Shook, Ryan Kittery, Keygan Nacos, Christopher Bradford, Kyle Milovanovic, Tyler Wilson and Bret Wilson wrestled well representing the Rebels.

Backpack program helps area children

By Julie Huss
jhuss@derrynews.com

Children participating in programs at the Greater Derry Boys and Girls Club are part of a program in which students receive backpacks full of school supplies just in time for the classroom bell to ring.

State Rep. Phyllis Katsakiores, R-Derry, along with the Office Depot Foundation, announced that several organizations in the Derry area have been chosen to receive backpacks full of essential school supplies. The donation was part of the fourth annual National Backpack Program, in partnership with the National Foundation for Women Legislators.

The colorful backpacks are filled with things students will need for the year ahead, including pencils, rulers, glue sticks, pencil sharpeners and erasers.

In addition to the Boys and Girls Club, other organizations receiving backpacks include the Upper Room, St. Thomas Aquinas' outreach program, the Salvation Army and the local soup kitchen.

As a team leader for New Hampshire's National Foundation of Women Legislators, Katsakiores said she was happy to work again with the Office Depot Foundation on the project. She praised the group's efforts to make children's lives easier by providing them with basic school supplies.

"The backpacks are fully supplied," she said. "With the economy the way it is, it's a help."

She added the packs will go to the children having the most need.

For the fourth consecutive year, 300,000 backpacks are being donated across the United States and Canada.

In addition to the backpack program, Office Depot partners with the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of America, the National Court-Appointed Special Advocates Association, the Kids in Need Foundation, City Year, Teach for America, Nourish America, and Feed the Children. These organizations focus on education, domestic abuse, national disaster relief and other vital issues and will assist in distributing the backpacks to children all over the world.

Boys and Girls Club plans garden for good health

By Julie Huss
jhuss@derrynews.com

The club in East Derry plans a gardening project in cooperation with the Derry Garden Club as part of the club's efforts and mission to teach good health and nutrition habits to the area's youth.

Last week, Garden Club members stopped by the club to map out the garden space and plan the future rows of vegetables and plants that will eventually grow there.

The club's executive director, Art McLean, said the garden project is a way for the club to help teach children good eating habits and also give them the chance to learn about gardening and growing healthy foods. He added the garden project will compliment what the club is already doing to make sure children learn about being healthy and strong.

"We decided to take it to the next level [with the garden project]," McLean said.

By enlisting the experts from the Derry Garden Club, McLean said it makes the community ties between youth, club, and local gardeners all the more strong and fun.

Garden club member Blanche Garone is spearheading the garden project and came out to the club one day last week to help map out the space near the club building for the garden. During her visit, soil samples were gathered to send off to University of New Hampshire for testing. Once the soil is tested and analyzed, the proper nutrients will be added to the soil for best results.

The space will be large, about 30' by 60', and will include many varieties of vegetables and plants. McLean said the youth are very involved in planning the garden, what to plant, and all that goes into a growing project like this.

Older students will tend to the work of digging and preparing the soil, while younger children will get involved with actual planting of the seeds and the care afterwards, he added.

About 25 students are currently on board to plan the garden's preliminary digging and tilling stage, while many more are interested in helping with other garden work once the weather warms a bit more.

McLean said the garden should truly begin to take shape by May, and students will spend their time at the club maintaining and watching over their crops. Once the vegetables and flowers bloom and grow, children will continue garden work to harvest the crop and then take them home to prepare and enjoy.

Hundreds of area children come to the club every day for afterschool programs and special events. Since 1969, the local club's vision has grown and changed to meet the needs of the children in Derry and surrounding areas, providing events and activities to promote self-esteem, good health, and positive growth and values. To learn more about the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Derry or the garden project, call 434-6695.

Rebels win 3 state championships

The Rebels placed five wrestlers in the finals and three won gold medals.

Andrew Lydick, Shane McCann and Deene Hill finished first in their respective weight classes.

Drew Chase and Hunter Ickes brought home silver medals.

Ryan Kittery registered a fourth-place finish. Michael Carpenter wrestled well representing the Rebels.