Houghton High School

Vandalism in Webster baffles retired teacher

WEBSTER  —  When he muted the television during a war movie Saturday night, retired teacher Gary F. Napierata could still hear something. It sounded like a burglar trying to get into his Houghton Street home.

He went downstairs, saw nothing, checked the doors and went back to his movie. It was about 10 minutes after 10 p.m.

Yesterday morning, in the daylight, he found the holes in his window. Three of the four sections of the pricey triple-pane glass were pierced by pellets, and the entire window must be replaced.

He called police, who checked out the damage and made a report.

Sgt. Thomas Ralph said that, unfortunately, such incidents aren’t uncommon, even in areas like Houghton Street, which Mr. Napierata believes is a middle-to-high-class area.

Most of the people living nearby are retirees, Mr. Napierata said, and no other vandalism was reported. He thinks he’s being targeted and the latest incident is a frightening step up from the frequent egging of his car.

“Starting about five or six months ago, my car was being routinely egged on weekends,” he said. “I’d go out and wash it off. But this is worse. This is going to be expensive.”

Mr. Napierata said he’s “clueless” as to who might be “systematically targeting” him. No one comes to mind: no crazy ex-wife, no angry former student with a grudge that lasted the eight years since Mr. Napierata retired from Bartlett High School, no one at either of the two jobs he works in order to pay for remodeling he’s doing.

Now the money will go toward a new window first because the deductible on his insurance is high to keep the policy affordable.

He’s checking out security cameras and other measures to try to stop the problem, but he’s also hoping the responsible person might be bragging about the shenanigans and perhaps someone will alert police. He’d love to find the culprit and maybe even get restitution if the person can be prosecuted.

O'Neill-Dennis Funeral Home » Helen M. Loranger

She was born on Quincy Hill on December 3, 1924, to the late William and Mabel (James) Schaaf. She attended Quincy School and was a graduate of Hancock Central High School. She was employed at The Daily Mining Gazette in Houghton as a proofreader.

Helen was married to Richard Loranger, who also worked at the Gazette. He preceded her in death. An infant daughter, Marilyn, also preceded her in death, along with brothers, Jack, Ray, Don and Ron Schaaf; and sisters, Beatrice, Myrtle, Ethel and Eleanore.

She is survived by a son, Joseph (Cintia) Stimac of Stanton; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; a sister, Evelyn Hixson, a resident at the Houghton County Medical Care Facility; two brothers, Gordon Schaaf of Hancock and Bernard Schaaf of Great Falls, Mont; and several nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at Saints Peter & Paul Lutheran Church in Houghton with assistant pastor Aaron Gehrke to officiate. Friends may call at the church from noon until time of services. Burial will be in the Forest Hill Cemetery in Houghton.

The O’Neill-Dennis Funeral Home in Hancock is in charge of the arrangements. Leave online condolences at oneilldennisfh.com.

Time July 28, 2011 at 12:01 am

My deepest condolences to the family. I did not know Helen, but was close to Dick during our youth and through Houghton High School playing in the band together and doing all sorts of carrying on as kids. I remember Dick working at the Gazette on the old linotypes at night while he was still in High School. Lost track of him and never knew that he and Helen were married or had a family.

The Amygdaloid : class book of 1926, Houghton High School

Adolescent Reputations and Risk, Developmental Trajectories to Delinquency

In innovative and accessible terms, Adolescent Reputations and Risk:Addresses delinquency throughout the course of childhood and adolescence.Offers the first ...

Nineteen minutes, a novel

"In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates.

The business of the college

Life Sketch ERBERT PIERREPONT HOUGHTON was born at Brooklyn, ... He prepared for college at the Stamford High School, Stamford, Conn. ...

The American school board journal

Published by Houghton, Mifflin & Co., New York, Boston, Chicago. English Composition and Literature. By WF Webster, Principal of the East High School, ...