The Hooksett Banner ­ July 15, 2004

They said it couldn't be done Pulling together for Zach Firefighters are heroes twice over to boy stuck in bike

Are you interested in chatting about Hooksett issues? Want to help plan Hooksett's future? Check out the new Internet chat group begun by the master plan committee at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hooksett_chat/ Auburn has a similar group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/auburn/

Epsom

They said it couldn't be done

Epsom Bible Church members build school and offices in just two weeks

By RUSS CHOMA
Staff Writer
rchoma@yourneighborhoodnews.com

Surveying the crews of workers hammering shingles, Pastor John Spring can't help but be amazed.

Just days before, the same workers were at ground level, preparing to frame up the building. Four days later, they were finishing up the roof.

The 22,000-square-foot facility being built will house Epsom Bible Church's Cornerstone Christian Academy and new church offices. One day in the near future, church members say, the site will also be the home of a new sanctuary. "We will never be the same after doing this project," Spring said, taking in the sight ­ and that's not just because of all the new space, the new parking or even the new gymnasium for students to play basketball in. What makes this project particularly special, and what makes Spring think it will change the church forever, is that it is church members, not professional construction crews, doing the work. All the work. From the framing, to the hanging of the roof trusses, to the drywall, it's all being done by church members. "People from age 14 to 76 are working," Spring said. "There's no age barrier and no gender gap. Everyone is pitching in. Everyone is giving something."

HONORING THE LORD WITH WORK ­ John Spring Jr., son of the Epsom Bible Church pastor, helps his crew nail shingles to the roof of the new Cornerstone Christian Academy and church offices in Epsom. They started construction on July 3 and planned to finish by July 17. The original building on Black Hall Road will continue to operate as the church. (Russ Choma Photo)

According to Spring, Epsom Bible Church counts roughly 375 members who attend every Sunday. Of those, six construction teams were created and handed the ambitious task of building the new school in just two weeks.

By building the new church structure themselves, members say they will be drawn together.

"It was not about just getting a building built, or finding the financing for a building," Spring said. "The process is just as important as the product."

And when they began the process, they knew they had a daunting task.

"We were told by the professionals, 'You'll never do it. It'll never get done in two weeks!'" Spring said.

But church members like Scott Friedman knew differently.

"I said, 'If you get enough people and get enough organization, you will get things done,'" Friedman said. "But it's not that anybody or any church could do this," he added. "We've got a lot of talented people."

Spring agreed, but said the church isn't trying to prove anything.

"It wasn't our desire to be different or distinctive," he said. "We just wanted be biblical and honor the Lord."

Auburn

Pulling together for Zach

By DEVON CORMIER Staff Writer dcormier@yourneighborhoodnews.com Zachary Hedstrom presented a challenge to his parents from the start. It took them about 10 years and thousands of dollars to conceive him, said family friend Maureen Gilman. The challenge was certainly well worth it, but now the Hedstroms face another hurdle. Zachary, 6, of Auburn, was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia right after Father's Day, on June 20, after a weekend of fatigue and fever. "It's quite a struggle because nothing's been easy," Gilman said. "Zach was everyone's miracle child."

Zach Hedstrom's photo is on donation canisters around Auburn. (Courtesy Photo)

Family friend and neighbor Karyn Chiachio's 5-year-old son likes to play with Zach. Chiachio said she could tell Zach wasn't well when she picked him up from his last day of school on the Thursday before Father's Day.

"His teacher told me he was sick," Chiachio said. "He looked sick even though he said he was fine. He was just sitting there though, and for a fireball of a kid with a lot of energy, I knew he had to be sick."

The family spent the weekend on the phone with doctors before deciding to take him to the hospital, where they received the news. In addition to the bad news, there was a lot of hope. Chiachio said the doctors believe that Zach is completely curable, but he will have to undergo treatment once a week for two years.

Since the diagnosis, however, things have been tough for the Hedstroms. Zach has endured long hospital stays to undergo treatment.

Zach did have seven great days at home around the Fourth of July, filled with fun, family and fireworks. But on Saturday, July 10, he returned to Children's Hospital in Boston because there was a severe drop in his white blood cell count, Chiachio said. The frequent hospital stays force his mother, Sue Hedstrom, to miss a lot of work. Sue had cut down to part-time so she can spend time with her son. Although Zach has health insurance, the family fears potential financial difficulty. The town of Auburn and other surrounding communities have recognized this need, coming together to support the Hedstrom family through a series of donations, raffles and fundraisers. Team Zach was formed by Gilman, and now about seven people meet each week to collect donations and plan benefits for the family's financial well-being. "I formed Team Zach to get the word out and assist with fundraisers," Gilman said. "A lot of people are now involved that we wouldn't normally see."

John Reardon hands a trophy to Jessica Trickett at the Auburn Little League's annual Big Family Day. Raffles and donations at the event raised $2,200 for Zach Hedstrom, an Auburn 6-year-old with leukemia. Reardon is coach of the Viking Oil farm team. (Courtesy Photo)

What's in store:
· A benefit party is planned for Saturday, July 17. Chiachio said they were able to sell 104 tickets at $10 per person for the party at Sidelines in Derry.

· On Thursday, July 22, there will be a cruise night, where people can come together and look at hot rods and old cars ­ and make donations. The show will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Stonebridge Country Club.

· On Aug. 21, there will be a motorcycle ride beginning at Nashua Harley and ending at the Auburn Pitts restaurant on Rockingham Road with a free barbecue. It starts at 9 a.m. and costs $10 a person. Zach will be there at the end with a fake check, and all are urged to wear his favorite color ­ well, blue or green, because he can't decide.

A pool party is in store for Zach's birthday on Aug. 1 ­ his first pool party. The 18-foot above-ground pool was given to Zach by friends, but various companies donated more than $500 in supplies to get it put together.

On top of that, there are donation cans in local stores where people have been generously donating, Chiachio said, and an account for Zach that people can send money to.

But Team Zach doesn't just help the Hedstroms financially. Members have been cleaning the Hedstrom house and mowing the lawn to help with the stress of Zach's illness. Although Zach's father, Mark, said mowing the lawn takes his mind off it, Chiachio said the team insists on helping.

"It's just amazing," Chiachio said. "It's unbelievable how many kindhearted people there are. Auburn's had a lot of bad news lately and it's amazing how many people have been coming together."

The team meets each Wednesday. To make a donation or find out more, contact Karyn Chiachio at 315-8538, Maureen Gilman at 860-6007, Christine Mabel at 232-4227 or Liz and Corky Hazen at 860-7538.

Hooksett

Firefighters are heroes twice over to boy stuck in bike

By DEVON CORMIER
Staff Writer
dcormier@yourneighborhoodnews.com

When Roman Oliszczak grows up, he wants to drive the fire truck.

Hooksett firefighters changed the 6-year-old's first experience with the fire department from bad to good.

It was before dinner on Wednesday, June 23, when the fire department got a call that a boy had his leg stuck in a bike in the Hackett Hill area. They rushed to the Oliszczak house to find little Roman still caught between the pedal of the bicycle and the frame.

His mother, Marina Oliszczak, said Roman was learning how to ride his bike when the accident occurred. She said he was going down the slight decline in the driveway while she was moving the garbage. Marina saw him headed for the family van and coached him to backpedal to engage the brake.

Roman couldn't do it and he hit the van. When he turned around, Marina encouraged him to pedal back up the driveway, but he very calmly said, "I can't, I'm stuck." Marina couldn't dislodge his foot and called 911. Scared, Roman patiently waited with his mother and twin sister for the fire truck to arrive. Firefighters John Hill, Bill Palmer and Steve Colburn arrived shortly thereafter. Worried about hurting his foot, they ended up using the Jaws of Life to cut the bicycle off Roman. Roman was happy to be free, but upset that his three-day-old bike was in pieces. "I was sad 'cause they cut my bike," Roman said. "But I wasn't scared." Upset, the firemen went to Target and bought Roman the same bike they destroyed with money out of their own pockets. "It's not every day that you destroy a little kid's bike with hydraulic rescue equipment," Hill said. "We wrecked his bike. We felt bad." When Marina heard the fire truck approaching again, she looked outside and saw them coming.

BACK ON TRACK ­ Roman Olizszczak, 6, of Hooksett, with his new bike and the Hooksett firefighters who bought it for him. The men felt obligated to replace the bike after they cut up his old one when he got his leg stuck between the pedal and the frame. From left are John Hill, Roman Olizszczak, Bill Palmer and Steve Colburn. (Devon Cormier Photo)

"They were walking up in a line. They looked like Ghostbusters," Marina said. "I saw they were carrying a bicycle in the box. Roman was so happy."

"I am confident that any shift would have done the same," Hill said.

The Hooksett Town Council wrote a memo to the firemen to thank them for their kindness and good service. Hooksett Fire Chief Michael Williams said he couldn't be happier with the generosity of his men.

"I'm very happy," Williams said. "They did a great job. They went beyond what they needed to do. They just did a great job."

Roman knows exactly how to backpedal to stop his bike now, and does it with great pride. He has also figured out how to climb up the fire truck when no one is watching.