“Papa Joe” will be remembered

By Chris Shott
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Andrew Cossar, manager-in-training of the Acorn Pub at Linden Ponds, recently made a donation of $500 to The Textbook Project of the Haverhill School District in memory of his grandfather, Joseph Dallaire. Cossar, a 1999 graduate of Haverhill High School, still lives in the city.

“My grandfather had a passion for Haverhill schools,” Cossar says. “He was a school crossing guard for many years. If I have children in the future, this donation may help them. I know it will help some kids.”

Joseph Dallaire was a beloved figure at Haverhill schools for many years.

“We grandchildren called him ‘Papa,’” Cossar says. “Over the years, he became ‘Papa Joe’ to school students in Haverhill.”

Donation from bonus
Cossar used his work bonus to make the donation to The Textbook Project. “The bonus enabled me to give more money to the school fund than I had anticipated,” Cossar says.

According to a published report, Haverhill’s Textbook Project has amassed more than $18,000 for the purchase of new textbooks for the city’s public school students. School officials are seeking to replace outdated textbooks in every city school from kindergarten through grade 12 by 2011.

Ongoing financial difficulties
“The schools in Haverhill badly need money for new textbooks,” Cossar says. “Some of the social studies textbooks say Richard Nixon is still President of the United States.”

According to Cossar, Haverhill schools have faced serious financial difficulties for many years.

“When I was a senior at Haverhill High, the system flirted with academic probation and has not been in good shape recently,” Cossar says. “Fortunately, things are changing for the better. The high school building has just been renovated. I’ve always looked to help Haverhill schools.”