'Fired' coach tackles issue
Ex-head football and baseball coach at Andover High School Ken Maglio said he finally gets to meet with the School Committee to find out why he was not rehired just six weeks before this year's football season started. The meeting is Monday, Oct. 26, at 3:30 p.m. in the School Committee room.
"This will be an opportunity to ask and find out who met and why this happened after all these months of stalling. I have excellent evaluations by their primary evaluator - the athletic director - who the taxpayers pay to evaluate the coaches and the programs," Maglio wrote in an e-mail to the Townsman this week.
His supporters placed an advertisement in the Townsman this week to alert townspeople about the meeting.
— Judy Wakefield
Special order for Lunch
Phil Christie, whose family owned the Andover Lunch at 11 Main St., is searching for old photos of the former popular downtown hangout. Anyone with information or photos can contact Townsman editor Neil Fater at 978-475-7000, or nfater@andovertownsman.com. The Strawberry Tree is now located at 11 Main.
Snow can't stop Trot
Despite weather more befitting winter, 150 people braved the elements to compete in the 17th annual Trot for Special Tots 5-kilometer race to benefit Andover's Professional Center for Child Development on Sunday, said Ellen Waddill. The overall winner was Andover resident Simon Voorhees 15, in 16:37. Susan Bond, who was featured in a Townsman story last week, won her age group with a time of 26:14.
Give me an 'A'...
Now, it's your turn to cheer. Andover High School will once again host this year's high school Merrimack Valley Conference Cheering Competition on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 1:30 p.m. in the Dunn Gymnasium. Last year, the Andover cheerleaders went to the state finals.
Towns participating in the competition include Andover, Billerica, Chelmsford, Central Catholic, Dracut, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, and Tewksbury.
Tsongas hits two years
Having hit the two-year mark in office, US Congresswoman Niki Tsongas visited the Townsman this week to discus her service so far.
Tsongas, who represents Andover and the rest of the Massachusetts Fifth District, offered her case for including a public option in the nation's health care-reform bill saying it "gives people a choice and forces insurance companies to hold their costs down."
She also discussed the recovery act, the proposed new Interstate 93 interchange for Andover that would open 700 acres to development, and changes made along the Shawsheen River. More on the discussion will be included in next week's Townsman.
- Neil Fater
