LACONIA — The School Board is expected to adopt a policy that delineates how student athletes are treated after suffering a possible concussion or head injury while participating in any sport.
The board accepted a first reading of the policy that is rapidly being adopted by schools throughout New Hampshire and the Lakes Region this week.
"The Laconia Board acknowledges the risk of catastrophic injuries or death is significant when a concussion or head injury is not properly evaluated and managed," reads proposed policy that has been vetted and recommended by the N.H. School Board Association.
Among other things, the policy spells out the education that adult coaches and trainers are to have regarding head injury and each year the district will distribute an information sheet to parents regarding concussions.
In addition the policy requires the athletic director to review and update any changes in procedures regarding head trauma by consulting with the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association and medical professionals.
The policy sets out standards for removal from play and returning to play as well as incorporating concussion awareness into education models. In the event a student gets a concussion, class room teachers will be taught to observe the student and report to the school nurse any abnormal behavior that could be related to a head injury.
The policy was adopted by Gilford in December of 2012 and is being considered by the Shaker Regional School Board and the Newfound Regional School Board.
The Inter-Lakes School Board, said Athletic Director Jeff Cloos, has adopted a similar policy and along with Shaker, has mandated base-line testing for all athletes before they participate in sports.
Dr. John Grobman of Orthopedic Professional Associates in Gilford, who attends Laconia and Gilford football games, met with the Laconia School Board to discuss head trauma in October of 2011.
He explained that high school athletes are especially vulnerable to what he called the "second injury syndrome" because their brains are still developing.
In 2011 Grobman worked with Athletic Director Jim Chase and Middle School Athletic Director Chris Ennis to institute the base-line testing program developed by Pittsburgh area doctors in the 1990s.
Grobman, Chase, and Ennis also worked with physical trainers at Summit Health to develop the program that has been in place for about two years said Chase yesterday.
Chase said Grobman and the trainer are trained to use the Web-based concussion program and cannot reenter any athletic event after sustaining a head injury without one of them approving it.
Cloos said the policy at Inter-Lakes is that any student who suffers and head injury will not return to sports until he or she passes the base-line test for clearance. Cloos said a trainer has also been added to the sports teams.
He said by was of example he's seen one concussion in a middle school female soccer player and, most recently, a male high school hockey player. He said both were evaluated by the program.
Superintendent Maria Dreyer of Shaker Regional said her board will likely be looking at an official policy shortly but the athletic coaches have all undergone training to evaluate head trauma along with the base-line testing.
"I am familiar with the policy and it is on my list for the policy committee," Dreyer said, adding the members of the Shaker Board are dedicated to the safety of their students.

MEREDITH — The three candidates for the two seats on the Board of Selectmen —Nate Torr, Lou Kahn and Jayne Greemore — along with two incumbent trustees of the library — Pamela Coburn and Mary Richardson — who are seeking reelection unopposed, fielded questions from voters before more than two dozen voters at the Community Center last night.
Torr, who joined the Selectboard soon after retiring after a 40-year career as a high school biology teacher, said that he is seeking a second term because "the town of Meredith has been good to me and this is an opportunity to give back." He confessed to sometimes "being a little crazy as my wife can attest," but added that he was pleased with the work of the board during his tenure.
"I'd like to be a native," said Kahn, "but my New York accent gives me away." Calling Meredith "my hometown," he said that his relationship with the community began 43 years ago. Since becoming a year-round resident in 1998 he has served on the Planning Board for nine years and as a trustee of trusts funds as well as granted the town conservation easements on 200 acres of land bordering the Eames and Hamlin town forests.
Born and raised in Michigan, Greemore trained to become a teacher, but, like her husband Bob, a state representative, ultimately pursued a career in culinary arts, working as chef for a hospitality firm in Boston. Twenty years ago, the couple settled in Meredith, where together they run Bob's Sharp-All, a sharpening business begun by Bob's father.
Torr is running on the record of the track record of the current Selectboard, which was endorsed by Kahn who said "things are going very well. I want to help out and keep things going." He remarked that as chairman of the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) Committee he knew the condition of the town's dump trucks, adding, "I don't want to see a situation like that in a neighboring community where the fire trucks have broken down."
"Maybe with fresh eyes, a different way of looking at things," remarked Greemore, signaling a measure of unease with the status quo, "I can contribute something to the town."
Asked about the condition of the library, Coburn, a denizen of the library since the age of two, spoke about the "deferred maintenance," which would require between $300,000 and $400,000 to overcome, then turned to the need for additional space in the future. Describing the library as "a democratic institution, a great leveler," she stressed its importance as a means of providing cultural resources and opportunities to those of modest means. Richardson, a mother of two who volunteers at the library, briefly echoed the remarks of her more experienced colleague.
Torr explained that the the library is governed by the trustees and the role of selectmen is confined to appropriating funds for its operation.
"There's no question the library needs some spending," said Kahn, who noted that the trustees have yet to approach the CIP Committee.
Greemore said she was not sure what municipal funding was available and suggested the trustees explore other sources, such as bake sales, while conceding they would not in themselves be sufficient.
All three candidates for the Selectboard doubted much could be done in the near future to ease the congestion in the summer months at the junction of routes 3 and 25. Greemore acknowledged that a roundabout could be the best solution, but warned "we're going to lose buildings, parking and a lot else. There is no real easy answer."
Both Torr and Kahn said that with the state short of funding for highway projects there is little likelihood the intersection will be addressed in the foreseeable future. "I think we're stuck with it," said Kahn, who added that residents have found ways around it and the immediate challenge was prevent heavy trucks from using these alternative routes.
Torr feared if the town pressed the issue "we'll be stuck with a roundabout" and suggested "leave it alone."
Paula Triombi, referring to a letter Greemore sent to the press remarking on the "tax and spend mentality" of the Selectboard, asked her where she would reduce the budget. Greemore replied that she had not an opportunity to review the budget, but repeated that "all taxes, federal, state and local are going up. It's inevitable."
Torr explained that since 2009 the Selectboard has budgeted to peg the amount raised by property taxes to the level of 2008 while conceding there would be some increase in 2013 to compensate for deferred investment in infrastructure and equipment.
Asked what is their "pet peeve," Kahn replied "maybe I see too much sunshine, but I really don't have a significant gripe."
Greemore urged residents to bring their concerns to the selectmen.
And Torr said "why are they digging up the road in front of the bank again," referring to the recurrent problems with the sewer line belonging to the Winnipesaukee River Basin Project on Route 25.
The election will be held on Tuesday, March 12.

GILFORD — A Belmont man was ordered held on $5,000 cash bail Wednesday for allegedly stealing some money from a woman's home in which he was a guest.
According to affidavits from Gilford Police, Dean M. LaPlante, 19, of 129 Lamprey Road took between $1,000 to $1,500 in cash from a strong box under the bed of a home on Lake Shore Road.
Police said the victim and her three youngest children were on vacation and returned home on February 5. She said her eldest daughter stayed home and had three friends come over to watch television — one of whom was LaPlante.
The day after she returned from vacation she went to look for her strong box and noticed it was missing. She said she also noticed her jewelry box was in disarray.
She told police the next day that the lock box contained "several pieces of valuable jewelry that she had been collecting her whole life" as well as several important documents and $5,470 in cash.
He daughter told police that she believed LaPlante had a "drug problem" and had stolen from her and her friends.
The investigating office contacted local pawn shops the day of the report and one shop in Tilton told her that LaPlante was in there "all the time" and had been there within the past few days to sell some jewelry and some "scrap gold."
Tilton Police took custody of two pieces of jewelry,
including a Tahitian pearl necklace that the victim described as "very rare and precious" and some gold earrings for which he received $68. Tilton Police took custody of two items of jewelry and the victim was able to positively identify the pearl necklace as hers.
On February 12, LaPlante went to the police station voluntarily to be interviewed. The interview was taped and recorded. Affidavits said he signed a statement saying he stole the lock box and pried it open but there was $1,140 in it.
He told police he no longer had any of the victim's jewelry and that he had panicked and hid the lock box in a tree house. He said it still contained a passport and some other papers, and he could retrieve it and return it by 6 p.m. that day.
He said he had also sold a number of pieces of jewelry from the box to a Laconia pawn shop and had gotten $425 for them.
When he didn't return to the police station by 6 p.m., the investigating officer tried to contact him the next day. Unsuccessful, she applied for and received a warrant for his arrest.
He was charged with one count of theft by unauthorized taking and once count of breach of bail because he committed the alleged theft of the money occurred while he was on bail after being arrested by Belmont Police for one count of burglary in December.
Judge Jim Carroll ordered he be held on $5,000 cash bail unless he could gain acceptance into a facility for drug treatment. Carroll also ordered the Belknap Department of Corrections to help get LaPlante into a such a program.
Bredbury said yesterday the Gilford Police and the Belknap County Attorney are still investigating the theft.
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, LaPlante was no longer at the Belknap County House of Corrections.