THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2011
VOL. 20 NO. 109
BERLIN, N.H.
752-5858
FREE
Donate to Team LERA’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s and help millions BY GAIL SCOTT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
GORHAM—When Lera Scott, 53, sang “Amazing Grace” at the Riverside Assembly in Gorham last year, she brought tears to eyes of all in the congregation. Scott was accompanied by her sister, Wendy Browning, who went to the front of the church with Scott and whispered two words at a time to her as she sang in the sweet voice her family remembers from always. Scott has early onset Alzheimer’s. She couldn’t remember the words without Browning’s help. But she remembered the melody and that she loves to sing. Now members of her family and friends plan to take part in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Portsmouth Saturday, Sept. 26. They hope to raise $1,000 in a cause that is close to their hearts, and Scott, who remembers that she loves to walk even if she can’t remember words, will be walking with them.
Anyone who would like to donate to the team walk, can call Scott’s sister Tammy Herman at 723-9717 or send a check to Herman, made out to the Alzheimer’s Association, at 625 Lincoln Ave., #2, Berlin. Please note Team LERA on the check in the notation space. The team also has a space on the Alzheimer’s Association web site, but they seem to be registered under Lera Scott, team leader, not under the name Team LERA. “When she learned about the walk, she got so excited,” said Herman, in a recent interview. “She still wants to make a difference. She loves to walk. She can’t walk by herself because she can’t get back. But she can participate. She is our team leader. She is going to walk and make a difference.” According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s— see LERA’S page 7
A family reunion just before Lera’s diagnosis. Front row (l-r) brother Tim petting Rosco, cousins, Mickey and Margie Cochran. Back row (l-r) sister-in-law Sandra, sister Wendy, brother Steve, sister Tammy, Lera and sister Vickie.
GRS Coop math SAT median slightly better than national BY GAIL SCOTT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
SHELBURNE—Among the myriad issues the Gorham/Randolph/Shelburne Cooperative School District board considered at their September meeting Tuesday were the district’s most recent median SAT scores, reported by Gorham Middle/High School Principal Keith Parent. Contrary to the national trend, Gorham High School students’ math median score in 2010 was 545, above the national score of 516 and the New Hampshire
median of 524, but below Gorham’s 2008 score of 583. Otherwise, Gorham’s scores were on a par with or worse than the national and New Hampshire medians. In reading, Gorham’s median was 501, the same as the national score but 19 points lower than the New Hampshire median. In writing, Gorham’s median was 489 to 492 in the nation and 510 in New Hampshire. These two Gorham scores were the worst in the past five years with the exception of 2007 when Gorham’s read see SAT page 6
Financial housekeeping at meeting BY MELISSA GRIMA THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
Last year’s King and Queen Zach Donaldson and Felicia Arsenault returned to BHS homecoming parade and have two future hopefuls to ride with them. (JEAN LEBLANC PHOTO)
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BERLIN — The City Council tended to a number of miscellaneous financial items at their meeting and work session this week. After discussing the pros and cons of signing the city into a
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