LIVERMORE FALLS — The Regional School Unit 73 board observed a moment of silence Thursday evening for Diane Gould, a longtime member from Livermore who died in a car accident last month.
The Livermore Board of Selectmen appointed Mark Holt, who was unable to attend Thursday’s meeting, to take her place.
She will be greatly missed, RSU 73 board Chairwoman Denise Rodzen said.
Jay board member Shari Ouellette later said she was privileged to have been able to call Diane a friend.
Rodzen also announced benefit suppers for two people in RSU 73.
A spaghetti supper is planned from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at Spruce Mountain High School to help pay for a robotic arm for 14-year-old student Bryan Riley. A fundraising webpage has been set up for the purchase of the $40,000 arm at www.crowdrise.com/BryanRiley/fundraiser.
Another benefit supper is planned for longtime educational technician Cathy Newell Nichols, who is battling cancer. That supper will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7, also at the high school cafeteria. A facebook page has been set up for her at Caring for Cathy.
In other matters, the board accepted the resignations of four staff members who are retiring. Together they have devoted a total of more than 120 years to the district, and to the former Jay and Livermore/Livermore Falls districts.
They are Deborah Packard, Jay Elementary School kindergarten teacher; Michael Methvin, Spruce Mountain Middle School physical education teacher; Jennifer Easter, middle school sixth-grade language arts teacher; and Randy Easter, middle school technology coordinator.
The board also accepted the resignation of Spruce Mountain Adult Education Director Eileen Miazga.
Rodzen asked Superintendent Kenneth Healey to look into bullying at the middle school, and agreed that the board will take another look at the middle school handbook after Christina Maberry described bullying incidents against her child. A grandparent of another child in the district, Dennis Coombs, said he also knows of bullying in the school.
“We do have a zero tolerance for bullying,” Rodzen said.
The board entered a closed session with Drummond and Woodsum lawyer Tom Trenholm, members of the RSU 73 employees’ union, Healey, and Spruce Mountain High School Principal T.J. Plourde at discuss a grievance.
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