Skiing at Gunstock today. It's white out. Life is good.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Merry Christmas
From all of our staff at Matt Randall's Black Belt Academies...
Merry Christmas to all!
...and best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
The family that kicks together…
It’s true! The family that kicks together, sticks together.
Only 3 days left to get our holiday special for the whole family…3 months of lesson and a free uniform for just $59.
Call us today at 603.743.6500
NH parents. Put some Discipline under the tree this year. $59 for 3 months and a uniform. 603-743-6500 http://ping.fm/kl5mT
NH Parents. Only 3 days left to get the gift of CONFIDENCE for Christmas. 3 months, just $59 - 603-743-6500 - http://www.mrbba.com
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Only 7 days left for our Holiday Special - http://ping.fm/14nkJ - call today 603.743.6500 - just 59 for 3 months and a free uniform!
Holiday Special
Only 7 days left!
Put some Confidence, Discipline, and Respect under the tree this year.
3 months of lessons and a free uniform for just $59!
We even gift wrap it for you.
Call today to reserve yours – 603.743.6500
Kung Fu Monkeys Turn Tables On Trainer
A Chinese man who trained monkeys martial arts to entertain shoppers was shocked when they turned the tables on him.
Lo Wung's taekwondo monkeys have become a regular feature outside a shopping centre in Enshi, Hubei province, where they were trained to show off their martial arts skills on each other.
But one quick-thinking monkey saw his chance when Lo slipped - and caught him with a perfect flying kung fu kick to the head. The rest then joined in the affray.
Hu Luang, 32, who caught the incident on camera, said: "I saw one punch him in the eye - he grabbed another by the ear and it responded by grabbing his nose.
"They were leaping and jumping all over the place - it was better than a Bruce Lee film."
At one point the monkey trainer grabbed a staff to hit the monkeys, only to find himself facing a stick-brandishing monkey that cracked him over the head.
Lo only managed to get the monkeys under control by tangling them up in the rope that had been used to stop them running off.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
10 new black belts promoted. Click here to see the photos. http://ping.fm/bY5n1 It was a great test.
10 new Black Belts!
Saturday, December 12th, we tested and promoted 10 new black belts.
7 promoted to 1st degree and 3 for 2nd.
Anyone who wants a free photo emailed to them may take a look at the photos and email a request to Mr. Gene Paltrineri at the following information:
The Black belt exam images are posted at http://tinyurl.com/mrbba-bb
As always, families can receive a free file by simply emailing me with the file number and I will email them to them.
Gene Paltrineri Photography
Certified Master Photographer Craftsman
603-749-4777
800-755-4771
www.genepaltrineri.com
genep@genepaltrineri.com
A big thank you to Mr. P and the rest of our testing board for their time and experpetise during the test as well as all their effort in the previous months preparing these students for the exam. It takes a village to raise a black belt.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Keep you kids a little safer while surfing the web with Google's new SafeSearch feature - http://ping.fm/3uaB8
Google Safe Search
Here's one easy way to make surfing the web safer for your child.
View this video at YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNbHGrGJu8Q&feature=player_embedded.
Keep them safe at school and on the playground with martial arts training also - www.mrbba.com - just had to slide that in.
View this video at YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNbHGrGJu8Q&feature=player_embedded.
Keep them safe at school and on the playground with martial arts training also - www.mrbba.com - just had to slide that in.
38% of kids in US ages 12-14 have a social networking site - http://mrbba.blogspot.com - are yours safe? Talk about the risks and rules.
Social Networks and Kids
Here's a great article that should spark some family conversation.
- Master Randall
Social networks and kids: How young is too young?
By Doug Gross, CNN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Facebook, MySpace require users to be 13, but the sites can't really enforce it
Study found 38 percent of kids ages 12 to 14 have online profiles
One Georgia parent allows kids to use networking sites, but with rules, supervision
Expert: Kids' social networking use is "pretty harmless"
(CNN) -- Status updates, photo tagging and FarmVille aren't just for adults or even teenagers anymore.
Researchers say a growing number of children are flouting age requirements on sites such as Facebook and MySpace, or using social-networking sites designed just for them.
Facebook and MySpace require users to be at least 13. But they have no practical way to verify ages, and many young users pretend to be older when signing up.
Some scientists worry that pre-adolescent use of the sites, which some therapists have linked to Internet addiction among adults, could be damaging to children's relationships and brains.
But many other experts say there's not any solid research to back that up and that most children seem to use social-media sites in moderation, and in positive ways.
"For the most part, although there's so much press about all the bad things they're doing, much of what they do on these sites is stuff they would be doing anyway," said Kaveri Subrahmanyam, a professor of psychology at California State University-Los Angeles.
In two surveys reported this year by Pew Internet Research -- of 700 and 935 teens, respectively -- 38 percent of respondents ages 12 to 14 said they had an online profile of some sort.
Sixty-one percent of those in the study, ages 12 to 17, said they use social-networking sites to send messages to friends, and 42 percent said they do so every day.
The data in the study was from 2006, so it's not a stretch to assume those numbers are higher this year. Research on younger children is limited, but anecdotal evidence shows that many of them are also logging on.
CNN iReport: How much do you let your kids reveal on social networking sites?
"Of course they are," said Amanda Lenhart, a senior researcher at Pew and one of the report's authors. "They're using them because that's where their social world is. Because there's no effective way to age-verify ... children very quickly realize, 'I just say I'm 14 years old, and they'll let me use this.' "
Marc Bigbie, a software salesman who lives near Savannah, Georgia, said he has three children -- 14, 12 and 11 -- who all have accounts on at least one social-networking site.
His oldest daughter, then 11, was the first in the family to create an account, on MySpace. And it was without her parents' permission.
"It was kind of a negative thing at first," he said. "We kind of took it away from her. But, finally, we said, 'You can have it, but we need the password so we can be on there at any time.' "
Since then, all three of the kids have gotten Facebook accounts, with their parents even agreeing to fudge their ages.
Bigbie said he makes sure his children's accounts are set to provide as little personal information as possible, and they allow their activity to be seen only by confirmed friends. He and his wife monitor the pages to make sure they know the friends that their children have added.
He said the oldest daughter is the only one who uses the account almost every day, while the younger children log on briefly every now and then.
In the past couple of years, some scientists have voiced concerns that children are spending too much on these sites and that such online socializing could have lasting negative effects as they mature.
"My fear is that these technologies are infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and who live for the moment," Susan Greenfield, an Oxford University neurocientist and director of Britain's Royal Institution, told London's Daily Mail in February.
"I often wonder whether real conversation in real time may eventually give way to these sanitized and easier [online] screen dialogues," she said.
Other scientists criticized Greenfield's comments, calling them speculation, not science.
Subrahmaynam said a study of high school students showed that in most cases, the people they interact with most often online are people they also socialize with in person.
Children today have spent their whole lives on computers, and their brains are better adapted than those of adults to integrate online activities with their offline lives, she said.
"You'll always have the small minority of kids who are not using it appropriately," she said. "I do think you're going to have a few people that are doing things that kids probably couldn't do with telephones a generation ago.
"But we don't want to get swept away by the general fear. It's here, and it's pretty harmless."
Many parents also worry that younger users of social sites could be targets for online predators. While there are some concerns that kids aren't mature enough to make good decisions about their privacy, Subrahmaynam and Lenhart said most are savvy enough by their early teens to know what, and who, to avoid. Younger children, they say, need more parental supervision.
Alternately, a growing number of networking sites are geared specifically toward younger users. Sites such as Disney's Club Penguin -- mainly a game site, but with limited social functions -- WebKinz and Whyville feature more restricted and supervised networking.
Such kids-oriented sites are "sort of a training ground" for future use of mainstream social networks, Lenhart said.
Children as young as 5 have accounts at KidSwirl, a kids' social-networking site patterned loosely on Facebook, said creator Toby Clark.
Clark said the average user spends about five minutes on the site per visit -- far less than Facebook's average of more than 20 minutes.
He said he limits the amount of time his two children, 9 and 6, spend on the site, but that any parent who bans their children from such sites isn't facing the facts.
"The reality is that we're a technology-driven generation," said Clark, who launched the site in February and said it has about 10,000 users. "That's not going to change."
So what long-term effect will social networking have on children? Scientists say it may be hard to know for sure.
"We've lost the control group," Subrahmanyam said. "How do you find a group of kids that are not using the computer?"
- Master Randall
Social networks and kids: How young is too young?
By Doug Gross, CNN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Facebook, MySpace require users to be 13, but the sites can't really enforce it
Study found 38 percent of kids ages 12 to 14 have online profiles
One Georgia parent allows kids to use networking sites, but with rules, supervision
Expert: Kids' social networking use is "pretty harmless"
(CNN) -- Status updates, photo tagging and FarmVille aren't just for adults or even teenagers anymore.
Researchers say a growing number of children are flouting age requirements on sites such as Facebook and MySpace, or using social-networking sites designed just for them.
Facebook and MySpace require users to be at least 13. But they have no practical way to verify ages, and many young users pretend to be older when signing up.
Some scientists worry that pre-adolescent use of the sites, which some therapists have linked to Internet addiction among adults, could be damaging to children's relationships and brains.
But many other experts say there's not any solid research to back that up and that most children seem to use social-media sites in moderation, and in positive ways.
"For the most part, although there's so much press about all the bad things they're doing, much of what they do on these sites is stuff they would be doing anyway," said Kaveri Subrahmanyam, a professor of psychology at California State University-Los Angeles.
In two surveys reported this year by Pew Internet Research -- of 700 and 935 teens, respectively -- 38 percent of respondents ages 12 to 14 said they had an online profile of some sort.
Sixty-one percent of those in the study, ages 12 to 17, said they use social-networking sites to send messages to friends, and 42 percent said they do so every day.
The data in the study was from 2006, so it's not a stretch to assume those numbers are higher this year. Research on younger children is limited, but anecdotal evidence shows that many of them are also logging on.
CNN iReport: How much do you let your kids reveal on social networking sites?
"Of course they are," said Amanda Lenhart, a senior researcher at Pew and one of the report's authors. "They're using them because that's where their social world is. Because there's no effective way to age-verify ... children very quickly realize, 'I just say I'm 14 years old, and they'll let me use this.' "
Marc Bigbie, a software salesman who lives near Savannah, Georgia, said he has three children -- 14, 12 and 11 -- who all have accounts on at least one social-networking site.
His oldest daughter, then 11, was the first in the family to create an account, on MySpace. And it was without her parents' permission.
"It was kind of a negative thing at first," he said. "We kind of took it away from her. But, finally, we said, 'You can have it, but we need the password so we can be on there at any time.' "
Since then, all three of the kids have gotten Facebook accounts, with their parents even agreeing to fudge their ages.
Bigbie said he makes sure his children's accounts are set to provide as little personal information as possible, and they allow their activity to be seen only by confirmed friends. He and his wife monitor the pages to make sure they know the friends that their children have added.
He said the oldest daughter is the only one who uses the account almost every day, while the younger children log on briefly every now and then.
In the past couple of years, some scientists have voiced concerns that children are spending too much on these sites and that such online socializing could have lasting negative effects as they mature.
"My fear is that these technologies are infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and who live for the moment," Susan Greenfield, an Oxford University neurocientist and director of Britain's Royal Institution, told London's Daily Mail in February.
"I often wonder whether real conversation in real time may eventually give way to these sanitized and easier [online] screen dialogues," she said.
Other scientists criticized Greenfield's comments, calling them speculation, not science.
Subrahmaynam said a study of high school students showed that in most cases, the people they interact with most often online are people they also socialize with in person.
Children today have spent their whole lives on computers, and their brains are better adapted than those of adults to integrate online activities with their offline lives, she said.
"You'll always have the small minority of kids who are not using it appropriately," she said. "I do think you're going to have a few people that are doing things that kids probably couldn't do with telephones a generation ago.
"But we don't want to get swept away by the general fear. It's here, and it's pretty harmless."
Many parents also worry that younger users of social sites could be targets for online predators. While there are some concerns that kids aren't mature enough to make good decisions about their privacy, Subrahmaynam and Lenhart said most are savvy enough by their early teens to know what, and who, to avoid. Younger children, they say, need more parental supervision.
Alternately, a growing number of networking sites are geared specifically toward younger users. Sites such as Disney's Club Penguin -- mainly a game site, but with limited social functions -- WebKinz and Whyville feature more restricted and supervised networking.
Such kids-oriented sites are "sort of a training ground" for future use of mainstream social networks, Lenhart said.
Children as young as 5 have accounts at KidSwirl, a kids' social-networking site patterned loosely on Facebook, said creator Toby Clark.
Clark said the average user spends about five minutes on the site per visit -- far less than Facebook's average of more than 20 minutes.
He said he limits the amount of time his two children, 9 and 6, spend on the site, but that any parent who bans their children from such sites isn't facing the facts.
"The reality is that we're a technology-driven generation," said Clark, who launched the site in February and said it has about 10,000 users. "That's not going to change."
So what long-term effect will social networking have on children? Scientists say it may be hard to know for sure.
"We've lost the control group," Subrahmanyam said. "How do you find a group of kids that are not using the computer?"
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
3 months of training and a free uniform for just 59 - call us today at 603.743.6500 - expires 12/23! http://www.mrbba.com
Parents-bring in your kids for a free movie while you shop downtown Dover-Wed 12/9 from 3-5pm - http://ping.fm/iFaol
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Go ahead. Ask me why I've been teaching women's personal protection for over 20 years for free. http://ping.fm/SyTM1
Earl release + free movie = shop local. This Wed drop off the kids for free movie and shop local. http://ping.fm/GsLjW
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
10 year old boy stops 3 bullies
Learn how a 10 year old boy developed the confidence to stop 3 bullies from harassing him daily at school…
how a middle-aged man got into great shape while earning his black belt…
how a mother of 2 found a way to spend more quality time with her children…
how a little girl developed the leadership skills to teach adults…
and how a boy with learning challenges became an entrepreneur.
Download the full report here.
www.mrbba.com
www.mattrandall.com
www.confidenceforkids.org
how a middle-aged man got into great shape while earning his black belt…
how a mother of 2 found a way to spend more quality time with her children…
how a little girl developed the leadership skills to teach adults…
and how a boy with learning challenges became an entrepreneur.
Download the full report here.
www.mrbba.com
www.mattrandall.com
www.confidenceforkids.org
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
When your children meet your adult friends, do they say "Hey" or "Hello, Ma'am"? http://www.mrbba.com - we teach respect.
Question-what is the one thing the entire family can enjoy that will keep them in shape and develop confidence? http://www.mrbba.com
Question - What's the one thing families can do together that is good for them, healthy, safe, fun and develops leadership skills? http://www.mrbba.com
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Martial arts training bonds families.
Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 8:53 AM
To: office@mrbba.com
Subject: Testimonial
Hello Sir,
We want to say thank you for your incredible school! It has been a wonderful and positive experience for our entire family! We have all seen such amazing changes in ourselves and each other. It has been a fun activity we enjoy together and has encouraged many new goals and habits in a fun and enthusiastic environment. You have a helpful and friendly staff and every student has been so kind and welcoming! Thank you again!
The Christie Family.
www.mrbba.com
www.mattrandall.com
www.confidenceforkids.org
To: office@mrbba.com
Subject: Testimonial
Hello Sir,
We want to say thank you for your incredible school! It has been a wonderful and positive experience for our entire family! We have all seen such amazing changes in ourselves and each other. It has been a fun activity we enjoy together and has encouraged many new goals and habits in a fun and enthusiastic environment. You have a helpful and friendly staff and every student has been so kind and welcoming! Thank you again!
The Christie Family.
www.mrbba.com
www.mattrandall.com
www.confidenceforkids.org
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Parents-in just 28 minutes we can show you a dramatic change in your child's confidence, discipline and respect - http://ping.fm/E01Zi
28 Minutes could change your life!
In just 28 minutes my incredible staff can show you how to develop amazing confidence, great self-discipline, and respect that will make you stand out from the crowd. Parents - yes, we can do this for your child also. Don't take my word for it. Call today - 603.743.6500 - and try it for yourself. What do you have to lose? More importantly, what could you gain??? 603.743.6500 - Master Randall
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Martial Arts are good for the body and brain.
Positive body changes
After about three weeks of true martial arts training, a wide range of physiological changes take place. Practitioners will exhibit improvements in blood sugar, blood pressures, blood lipids, brain neurotransmitter balance, blood supply to muscles, and capacity of somatic muscles and the liver to store carbohydrate in the form of glycogen, calcium metabolism and other basic parameters. The changes are not mutually exclusive; interactions among systems and their functions are the rule.
These changes translate into better functioning of the body and brain, and overall risk reduction for such diseases as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, osteoporosis, obesity, anxiety states, mild to moderate mental depression, chronic fatigue, and breast and colon cancers. An increase in breathing exercises and forms training helped me recover from type 2 diabetes and I am no longer insulin dependent because of it.
The brain and nervous system.
Martial arts training brings about remarkable changes in brain chemistry. The concentrations of various neurotransmitters that are responsible for facilitation or inhibition of nerve impulse transmission in the central nervous system -- acetylcholine, norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), glutamic acid, endorphins and others -- are changed so that a new balance is attained. The clinical signs and symptoms that ensue are easier to record than the actual neurotransmitter levels, and many studies are in agreement on the emotional, behavioral and physiological changes that accompany martial arts training. A few recent investigations, however, have pinned down the neurochemical changes, as well. Eighty-nine year old Grand Master Yong Woo Lee, founder of JungDoKwan Taekwondo credits his years of martial arts training for his good health and mental sharpness at his age.
Among the early changes seen when individuals engage in a martial arts training program are mood elevation, heightened energy levels, enhanced self-confidence and self-esteem, lower anxiety levels, resistance to depression and improved coping ability. Changes in blood pressure and heart rate, which are, to a large extent, mediated by the central nervous system, occur soon afterward. Heart rate is slowed, and hypertensive blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) is reduced toward normal. Hapkido Grand Master Gary Pointer says: "Martial arts training keeps me going strong with a smile on my face! It is the ultimate mental and physical health program."
These physiological changes are a function of the rebalancing of the sympathetic (fight and flight) and parasympathetic (rest and repair) halves of the autonomic nervous system. Studies by the Inchon Sports College of Korea have found increased parasympathetic tone in martial arts trained subjects, and ascribe the slowing of heart rate and reduction in blood pressure to this increased tone. Others have recorded lower plasma catecholamine levels associated with lower blood pressure following martial arts training. Resting heart rate is largely controlled by the parasympathetic fibers of the tenth cranial nerve (vagus) to the heart's pacemaker (SA node). But blood pressure is much more complex, and more body chemistry, especially hormonal chemistry, is involved. The bottom line is that martial arts training reduces hypertensive blood pressure, and that the response is distance/intensity-graded.
Excerpt taken from http://www.fightingmaster.com/articles/medicine/medicine.htm
After about three weeks of true martial arts training, a wide range of physiological changes take place. Practitioners will exhibit improvements in blood sugar, blood pressures, blood lipids, brain neurotransmitter balance, blood supply to muscles, and capacity of somatic muscles and the liver to store carbohydrate in the form of glycogen, calcium metabolism and other basic parameters. The changes are not mutually exclusive; interactions among systems and their functions are the rule.
These changes translate into better functioning of the body and brain, and overall risk reduction for such diseases as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, osteoporosis, obesity, anxiety states, mild to moderate mental depression, chronic fatigue, and breast and colon cancers. An increase in breathing exercises and forms training helped me recover from type 2 diabetes and I am no longer insulin dependent because of it.
The brain and nervous system.
Martial arts training brings about remarkable changes in brain chemistry. The concentrations of various neurotransmitters that are responsible for facilitation or inhibition of nerve impulse transmission in the central nervous system -- acetylcholine, norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), glutamic acid, endorphins and others -- are changed so that a new balance is attained. The clinical signs and symptoms that ensue are easier to record than the actual neurotransmitter levels, and many studies are in agreement on the emotional, behavioral and physiological changes that accompany martial arts training. A few recent investigations, however, have pinned down the neurochemical changes, as well. Eighty-nine year old Grand Master Yong Woo Lee, founder of JungDoKwan Taekwondo credits his years of martial arts training for his good health and mental sharpness at his age.
Among the early changes seen when individuals engage in a martial arts training program are mood elevation, heightened energy levels, enhanced self-confidence and self-esteem, lower anxiety levels, resistance to depression and improved coping ability. Changes in blood pressure and heart rate, which are, to a large extent, mediated by the central nervous system, occur soon afterward. Heart rate is slowed, and hypertensive blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) is reduced toward normal. Hapkido Grand Master Gary Pointer says: "Martial arts training keeps me going strong with a smile on my face! It is the ultimate mental and physical health program."
These physiological changes are a function of the rebalancing of the sympathetic (fight and flight) and parasympathetic (rest and repair) halves of the autonomic nervous system. Studies by the Inchon Sports College of Korea have found increased parasympathetic tone in martial arts trained subjects, and ascribe the slowing of heart rate and reduction in blood pressure to this increased tone. Others have recorded lower plasma catecholamine levels associated with lower blood pressure following martial arts training. Resting heart rate is largely controlled by the parasympathetic fibers of the tenth cranial nerve (vagus) to the heart's pacemaker (SA node). But blood pressure is much more complex, and more body chemistry, especially hormonal chemistry, is involved. The bottom line is that martial arts training reduces hypertensive blood pressure, and that the response is distance/intensity-graded.
Excerpt taken from http://www.fightingmaster.com/articles/medicine/medicine.htm
Martial arts training against dogs???
Minnesota Man Uses Martial Arts to Save Woman From Rottweilers
Saturday August 22, 2009
It used to be that you learned martial arts to defend against people. As Jesse Piotrowski found out on Tuesday morning in Mankato, Minnesota when he was awoken by a woman crying, those moves can be used against man's best friend as well. Actually, it was more like man's best friends. You see, jumping from his bed in only his shorts, he came outside to find that a woman was being attacked by two rottweilers.
Not a situation that anyone looks forward to. Still, in true hero fashion Piotrowski used some undefined martial arts training to punch the dogs and help the woman back into her home before the owner of the dogs showed up and stopped them. The woman suffered a broken wrist and Piotrowski left with bites on his leg. By the way, this isn't the only situation where martial arts techniques were used to stop a dog in recent days. Not too long ago, a boy used a rear naked choke to quell a pitbull that was attacking a friend of his.
These are different days. At this point, we don't know what style of fighting Piotrowski has practiced, only that he mentioned pivoting on his feet martial arts style to deliver his punches. Regardless, he certainly came through when needed.
Don't you think everyone could use some basic self-defense training?
Saturday August 22, 2009
It used to be that you learned martial arts to defend against people. As Jesse Piotrowski found out on Tuesday morning in Mankato, Minnesota when he was awoken by a woman crying, those moves can be used against man's best friend as well. Actually, it was more like man's best friends. You see, jumping from his bed in only his shorts, he came outside to find that a woman was being attacked by two rottweilers.
Not a situation that anyone looks forward to. Still, in true hero fashion Piotrowski used some undefined martial arts training to punch the dogs and help the woman back into her home before the owner of the dogs showed up and stopped them. The woman suffered a broken wrist and Piotrowski left with bites on his leg. By the way, this isn't the only situation where martial arts techniques were used to stop a dog in recent days. Not too long ago, a boy used a rear naked choke to quell a pitbull that was attacking a friend of his.
These are different days. At this point, we don't know what style of fighting Piotrowski has practiced, only that he mentioned pivoting on his feet martial arts style to deliver his punches. Regardless, he certainly came through when needed.
Don't you think everyone could use some basic self-defense training?
So, you don't think you need self-defense???
So, you think you don't need self-defense???
We talk to so many people who think they don't need self-defense beacause we live in "small town" New Hampshire.
Think again...
Muggers steal cash, jacket from teen on Main Street in Somersworth
By Jason Claffey
jclaffey@fosters.com
Thursday, October 22, 2009
SOMERSWORTH — Four men mugged an 18-year-old teenager and stole his cash and jacket in an alley near the Eagles Club on Main Street Tuesday night, police said.
Officers responded to the area at about 8:45 p.m. but were unable to locate the attackers. The teenager suffered "superficial" injuries and did not require hospitalization, according to police Captain Russell Timmons.
The teenager, who was with a friend when the incident took place, reported the attackers flashed a knife. Timmons said he was forced to give up a "small amount" of cash and a red jacket with a fur hood.
A police investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on the incident can call Somersworth police at 603-692-3131.
Isn't it time you thought about learning to protect yourself better?
Call us at 603.743.6500
We talk to so many people who think they don't need self-defense beacause we live in "small town" New Hampshire.
Think again...
Muggers steal cash, jacket from teen on Main Street in Somersworth
By Jason Claffey
jclaffey@fosters.com
Thursday, October 22, 2009
SOMERSWORTH — Four men mugged an 18-year-old teenager and stole his cash and jacket in an alley near the Eagles Club on Main Street Tuesday night, police said.
Officers responded to the area at about 8:45 p.m. but were unable to locate the attackers. The teenager suffered "superficial" injuries and did not require hospitalization, according to police Captain Russell Timmons.
The teenager, who was with a friend when the incident took place, reported the attackers flashed a knife. Timmons said he was forced to give up a "small amount" of cash and a red jacket with a fur hood.
A police investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on the incident can call Somersworth police at 603-692-3131.
Isn't it time you thought about learning to protect yourself better?
Call us at 603.743.6500
Our students are real community leaders
MacKenzie Randall helps move frame shop from Rollinsford to Dover.
Somersworth High student gives community service to local business owner
Thursday, September 10, 2009
SOMERSWORTH —Somersworth High School freshman MacKenzie Randall volunteered his holiday weekend to help move Mill River Custom Frame Shop and Art Gallery from the Lower Mill at Salmon Falls in Rollinsford to its new home of 22 Chestnut Street in Dover.
Randall, a Rollinsford resident, gave over ten hours of labor on his day off from school the Friday before Labor Day. He spent most of his time hauling artwork and framing equipment through the long halls of the old mill.
Sandy Kots, owner of Mill River, was delighted to have the extra help. Randall enjoyed helping the frame shop and took great pride in the completion of the move.
Matthew Stiles demonstrates his leadership through community service
EJ Hersom/Staff photographer Tae Kwon Do black belt candidate Matthew Stiles, 7, strikes a martial arts poseTuesday with the toys he collected for the Dover Fire Department's annual toy drive.
Article published Oct 7, 2009
7-year-old Dover boy spends summer collecting toys for needy
DOVER — It wasn't a typical summer for 7-year-old Matthew Stiles.
While many of his peers were thinking about going to the beach or playing sports, Stiles was thinking toys, toys and more toys.
And the toys weren't even for him.
Stiles is a student at Matt Randall's Black Belt Academy and is seeking his black belt in Tae Kwon Do. As part of the black belt process, Stiles did a community service project where he collected toys for the Dover Fire Department's annual toy bank.
On Tuesday the department reaped the benefits of Stiles' hard work, as he presented the bank with 257 toys.
"Something like this certainly helps to jump start our efforts," said retired Capt. Dave McLean, who has organized the toy drive for several years.
Stiles said there were several community service projects he could have done, but said he was focused on helping other kids not as fortunate as him have a good Christmas.
"I thought people would be happier to have more than one or two or no toys," he said.
Stiles said he started his toy drive in the summer so he could collect some "summer toys," such as Wiffleball equipment and toy water slides.
"I didn't want there to be just winter toys," he said.
Stiles placed drop-off boxes at five locations across the city, including at a few grocery stores, Matt Randall's Black Belt Academy and the Garrison School, where Stiles is a second-grader.
He attached a note to each box explaining his project and why he was doing it. Stiles and his parents, Patti and Howard, originally set a modest goal for the amount of toys to collect.
"My goal was 100, then we started to get 150, then we collected 50 Wiffleball bats and then we got more," he said.
Stiles attributes the success to people's generosity and said he feels good to help with a noble cause.
"They're going to be very, very happy," he said of the kids, "and that makes me feel happy."
Patti said she was impressed her son took on such a lofty project.
"When he went with toys and explained to us why, it filled our hearts with joy that he would do this and think of other kids," she said. "He's a very special boy."
Howard added, "We're very proud."
Firefighter Dale Spainhower, who also runs the toy drive, said he hopes Stiles' donation sets a tone for this year's toy drive.
"I thought that it was great for a 7-year-old to do this and think of other kids in need," he said.
The need for toys this year is expected to be equal or greater than last year, according to McLean.
Firefighters are now accepting donations for the annual toy drive and those interested in donating can drop off toys at any of the city's three stations.
Beyond the community service project, Stiles still has several physical and mental challenges awaiting him before he can earn his black belt. He has been participating in Tae Kwon Do for 31⁄2 and has excelled at it in that period, his mother said.
"He use to be very shy and it really helped to build his confidence," she said.
Stiles will go for his black belt in December.
Our students are great leaders.
Congratulations to our students who are demonstrating their leadership skills at school.
Mr. Luke Dobson was elected as Vice President of the student council at Dover Middle School.
Mr. MacKenzie Randall was elected to serve on the student council at Somersworth High.
Mr. Mason Randall was elected as the Student Council President at Rollinsford Grade School.
Great job gentlemen!
Mr. Luke Dobson was elected as Vice President of the student council at Dover Middle School.
Mr. MacKenzie Randall was elected to serve on the student council at Somersworth High.
Mr. Mason Randall was elected as the Student Council President at Rollinsford Grade School.
Great job gentlemen!
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