Neighbors Speak Well of the Howard Family

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Neighbors Speak Well of the Howard Family

By Ed Oliver
February 20, 2001

A neighbor of the Howards, Paul Chizook of Tyngsboro, told Mass News his son was a very good friend with the Howard’s son Christopher. He said because of that, he got to see the boy almost on a daily basis. “He appeared to be a very well adjusted, normal, sober boy,” said Chizook. He said Chris is a very solid kid who seems very mature for his age.

Chizook said he knew the family for about seven years. They live three houses down on a rural street.

MassNews asked Chizook if Neil struck him as a person who would beat and sexually abuse his kids. Chizook answered, “Absolutely, positively not. There is not a hint of it. The guy is a very hard-working father. He is struggling to keep a roof over his head, food on the table, and he did not miss an opportunity to pick up some extra dollars doing whatever he could like working overtime. He’s an extremely hard-working fellow.”

Chizook said he thinks what happened with DSS is a “gross travesty.” He said there was no due process, the family was threatened and broken up. “It was always my impression that DSS was doing something useful and beneficial, but they seem just hell bent on destroying families.” Chizook said it seems as soon as DSS smelled blood in the water, they were there like sharks and tore the family apart.

Chizook has had the family over for dinner and went out with them. He and Neil took their sons out bike riding one time. He said they were concerned and watchful parents. The summer before all the DSS problems started, he took Chris along on their vacation.

Chizook mentioned how DSS callously handled the death of baby Faith. “It is sickening, absolutely sickening what DSS is doing to this couple.”

A next-door neighbor, Paul Shaughnessy, said the family has been over his house to use his pool several times and got along very well together. “The son seemed very well adjusted, he played with my grandchildren. I could never see any problem.” with the Healthy Families program already instituted although almost no parent has any knowledge of it.

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