Warrant Articles for Town Meeting
By Ramona Branch
Dublin residents will let their voices be heard at Town Meeting on March 12. The 2016 Warrant includes 13 articles. The Budget Committee will recommend $1,937,438.19 whereas the Selectmen will recommend more. Allocating money for additional part-time hours for police coverage is what the Selectmen and Budget Committee differ on. The information regarding a part-time police-officer position is not a warrant article; instead it is within the police department’s operating budget (for more information, see article titled “Why We Need Another Police Officer” below).
The articles to be voted on at Town Meeting are:
- Raise $25,000 to pave the Town Hall / Library parking lot.
- Raise $260,000 to purchase a grader — $130,000 will be withdrawn from the Heavy Highway Equipment Capital Reserve Fund for this purpose.
- Raise $3,400 to purchase a tractor to be used primarily by the cemetery.
- Raise $283,000 for the Town Capital Reserve Funds — $100,000 will be withdrawn from the Town’s Unreserved Fund Balance for this purpose:
Heavy Highway Equipment $ 60,000
Police Cruiser $ 13,000
Fire Equipment $ 80,000
Road Construction $ 45,000
Bridge Repair / Replacement $ 45,000
Town Buildings Maintenance $ 35,000
Library Major Maintenance and Repair $ 5,000 - Raise $25,000 to upgrade the playground equipment at the Dublin Consolidated School.
- Raise $4,000 to fund The Dublin Advocate.
- Raise $7,799 to be contributed to eight health and welfare organizations providing services in the Monadnock Region.
- Raise $20,675 to be contributed to the Expendable Trust Funds:
Revaluation $ 6,400
Master Plan $ 1,500
Town Building Expendable Trust (replenish) $ 12,775 - Raise $137,000 to complete the Phase II Project — $137,000 will be withdrawn from the Town’s Unreserved Fund Balance.
- Raise $18,480 to replace the roof at the Highway Garage — $18,480 will be withdrawn from the Town Building Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund for this purpose.
- Raise $9,100 to replace the roof at the Police Department — $9,100 will be withdrawn
from the Town Building Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund for this purpose.
- Raise $11,430 to replace the roof at the Post Office — $11,430 will be withdrawn from
the Town Building Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund for this purpose.
- Raise $4,000 to purchase a 20’ Storage Container for the Transfer Station — $4,000 will be
withdrawn from the Recycling Fund for this purpose.
Ramona Branch is on the staff of The Dublin Advocate [final numbers subject to change].
Budget Hearing
Wednesday, Feb. 10, 7 pm
Town Hall, lower level
(snow date: Feb. 11)
2016 Town Meeting
Saturday, March 12, 9 am
Dublin Consolidated School
(park at Yankee, shuttle down hill)
Dublin Public Library
I decided to get a little help on what books to display during February and discovered “National Day Calendar” with themes from serpents to homemade soup. So stop in the library to see what and how you can celebrate every day in February. I also thought it would be fun to read fiction books with red covers.
Wednesday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30, the Dublin Public Library welcomes families to listen to new books, and join in movement and song. We serve a small snack before heading to the craft table. During the month of February we will explore some of the ways we use our hands to be creative; our behavior when we win or lose; and whether we prefer the country or city life. The programs will be on February 3, 10, and 17.
We will offer a special program on February 24 to celebrate our community of friends during school vacation week. Children enjoy puzzles and interacting with other children, and remember to check out some books before you leave — and maybe a movie as well.
Books
German War by N. Stargardt
The Collapse of Parenting by L. Sax
The Guest Room by C. Bohjalian
Ashley Bell by D. Koontz
Secret Sisters by J. Krentz
Clementine for Christmas by D. Benedis-Grab
Also new books by:
Carly Fiorina
Marco Rubio
Ted Cruz
Rand Paul
DHS Annual Potluck
Mark your calendars for the Dublin Historical Society’s annual potluck supper on Friday, March 18. Adam Boyce will present The Old Country Fiddler, Charles Ross Taggart, courtesy of the NH Humanities Council.
Eversource has contracted with Asplundh to trim all trees or limbs hanging over wires on Dublin roads. “We will be here for quite a while,” one worker said. And not a moment too soon, as mid-January temperatures plummeted and winds picked up.
Thomas P. Wright
1931-2016
Voting on February 9
By Jeannine Dunne
The Presidential Primary is on Tuesday, February 9, and voting will be held from 8 am until 7 pm on the Top Floor of the Town Hall. Voters may register at the polls on Election Day.
The Town Clerk’s office will be open only until 5 pm on Monday, February 8, which will be the last day to return completed absentee ballots in person, or return them by a family member. Absentee ballots returned by mail will be accepted through Election Day, February 9. Thank you!
Jeannine Dunne is Town Clerk/Tax Collector, and can be reached at P.O. Box 62, Dublin, NH 03444; (603) 563-8859 or fax (603) 563-9221.
Not all budget items are recommended uniformly by the Selectmen and Budget Committee. Among those discrepancies is the total that will go forward at the Budget Hearing: The Budget Committee will recommend $1,937,438.19; the Selectmen will recommend an additional $30,000 for a part-time Police Officer (the Budget Committee is only recommending $6,800).
To follow is the Police Chief’s explanation for what he sees as an increased need for coverage in Dublin. The views expressed on this page are not necessarily those of The Dublin Advocate or its staff. –Ed.
Why We Need Another Police Officer
By Stephen Sullivan
As many residents are aware I began the budget season requesting that a new full-time officer be added to the ranks of the Dublin Police Department. My rationale for the request is actually quite simple: I am trying to provide the best police service to the Town of Dublin that I can using the resources we have available.
During discussions with the Board of Selectmen we decided that adding a part-time officer would be a better approach at this time (part-time officers are authorized to work 1300 hours annually).
Although the rationale for the request is simple, it’s not as easy to explain. I wish I could simply produce statistical data showing the need and results, but that is not how policing works.
Police serve in both a reactive and proactive approach, reacting to reports of crime or calls for assistance while proactively patrolling to both observe and deter activity. Officers also have additional investigative and administrative duties that they are assigned that take away from patrol time.
Dublin’s current fully staffed police department is scheduled to have police officers on duty 5,960 hours annually. In a perfect world, we would cover all the hours, providing complete law enforcement coverage to the Town, but numerous things quickly eat away at these hours, such as training, meetings, vacations, sick leave, court, investigations, etc.
Hiring a new part-time officer will not significantly increase the number of duty hours scheduled, but it will provide flexibility in scheduling so we can provide more complete law enforcement coverage by scheduling officers strategically, covering the needs of the Town of Dublin.
Simply stated, I don’t believe we are spending enough time proactively patrolling because of additional tasks that take us away from patrol and other duties. A new officer will allow us to schedule officers to patrol functions while others are handling other duties.
I am available to meet either individually or in groups with anyone who wants to discuss this or any other issue. Just give me a call at 563-8411 or email at SSullivan@nulltownofdublin.org so we can schedule a time to meet.
Stephen Sullivan is Dublin’s Chief of Police.
In keeping with the tagline of The Dublin Advocate,
“to encourage and strengthen our community,”
our newsletter focuses on the dissemination of
community information and entertainment.
The editor reserves the right to select and edit all material.
Real Challenges for Rural High-Speed Broadband
Many communities need better broadband for economic development and public safety.
By Kate Albert
The inability to offer equal and adequate Internet access for everyone in this town is not just a Dublin issue, nor is it even a state issue — it is a national issue that is prevalent in many rural communities. Why can’t we all get access to the same speeds and services?
There are many obstacles that small rural communities face. Rural communities are often very spread out and, in New England, many communities have aging copper wiring and older infrastructure in addition to many trees that block line of site service from being available. The larger companies like Fairpoint are making improvements, but the process can be slow and often dependent on concentration of customers and conditions.
The person who lives at the end of the road often shares their speed with many customers before them and by the time it reaches them their service can be slow and unreliable. Other options for broadband service like satellite have other limitations such as data limits and poor service in bad weather. The larger companies claim they are making improvements, and in some areas they are. In areas with few choices residents tolerate their only service options and are often dissatisfied with their connection and possibly customer service. The monopolies are often not the answer for a broad town solution. The larger companies are driven more by the bottom line and what they are required to do to continue to receive funding and avoid being fined for not delivering.
So what is new for rural communities? In recent years rural communities have started to form Broadband Committees and task forces focused on finding better broadband solutions. They are looking at all of the options available for their town. Thinking “outside of the box” is crucial to finding broader long-term solutions. This often requires an engineering study for the town, often at a price tag of $15,000 or more. This amount often must be voted on by the community and have official town support.
Many communities are now realizing that better broadband is not only a want but a need for economic development and public safety. Many rural towns are also experiencing issues with public school online national testing. Their Internet connection is not fast enough for the standard computer testing and does not allow for accurate data due to slow Internet response time. Dublin Consolidated School has recently received an updated connection in response to this issue.
Many NH communities are now seeking a blended fiber/hybrid wireless model that will bring them the most high-speed coverage with faster, more reliable speeds. Pilot projects of this nature are now happening in Massachusetts using state and local funding; New Hampshire has several towns that are working toward this same approach and looking at creative funding models.
In many areas the smaller providers are making it part of their action plan to work on blended solutions for greater access in their rural communities, but there are still obstacles. Many small providers are privately funded and face financial challenges. It is becoming clear that new broadband-funding options must be sought for a successful long-term solution in rural towns.
More recently some trends seems to be changing. State and county law enforcement, and state and local economic organizations, are trying to form plans for rural development and safety despite these obstacles. Only recently have new grants been offered for rural communities to gain greater Internet access and to improve emergency communication within a region.
Broadband in New Hampshire has been put on the back burner for many years, and it is now obvious that schools, property values, economic development, safety, and residences need better broadband to thrive and retain their residents and businesses.
Stay tuned for more information on new broadband projects in our area and information about what you can do to help bring a better solution to Dublin.
Kate Albert is Sales Manager at WiValley Inc., a local wireless provider, and heads Dublin’s Broadband Committee.
Here are links to two articles about a local wireless provider, WiValley, and its owner, Brian Foucher:
http://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/foucher-s-solution-to-poor-internet-became-a-business/article_bb143413-e354-5763-a542-41374b7fba6c.html
https://stateimpact.npr.org/new-hampshire/2012/04/17/wivalley-battles-hills-budgets-to-connect-monadnocks/ -Ed.
News from Dublin Consolidated School
By Nicole Pease
What a strange winter it has been! The students at Dublin Consolidated School continue to perform the “snow dance” in hopes of having enough snow to sled and snowshoe. Mother Nature doesn’t seem to hear us, and we have not had much outside recess recently. Thankfully, Crotched Mountain is equipped with great snowmaking so they can host half of our students on Thursday afternoons into February. Those kids who stay at school on our “Winter Fun Days” enjoy extra recess time, hot cocoa, and other fun-filled activities.
We have many after-school activities this year. Mondays and Tuesdays bring Big Brothers Big Sisters for some of our students, pairing them with students from Dublin School. This has been a great community connection, and we hope the Dublin School students feel the same way. Tuesdays also bring Science Club with Steve Lechner providing varied science concepts (see photo). On Wednesdays there is a Yoga for Kids’ class directed by Bridget McFall, allowing students time to strengthen their bodies and minds. Thursdays, when we don’t have our Winter Fun Days, there is Ping Pong offered at the Community Center. Thanks for all the people who provide these wonderful opportunities for our students!
February vacation is the last full week in February this year. It’s hard to believe half of the year is behind us and that we are thinking about next year, but we are. If you know anyone that will have a child five years old by August 25, please have them get in touch.
Nicole Pease, M.Ed., is Dublin Consolidated School Principal and the Math Coach for SAU1.
Dublin School Presents a Musical
Dublin School will present Urinetown, the Musical, the Tony award-winning Broadway show from February 18 to 20 at the Fountain Arts Building on its Dublin campus.
Acclaimed as a “side-splitting send-up of greed, love, revolution (and musicals!), in a time when water is worth its weight in gold,” Urinetown satirizes our legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, municipal politics and musical theatre itself. The show’s clever brand of storytelling and eclectic score are inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill and, since its premiere in 2001, audiences have raved over the outright hilarity this witty, if irreverent, play summons forth. Appearing in this production are many local students in key roles, and as directors and managers.
Performances run February 18 to 19 at 7 pm, with a 2 pm matinee on Sunday, February 20. Admission is free (donations welcome), reservations are suggested; please call 563-1285.
Dublin School Granted $50K for World Language Program
Dublin School announced that it has received a $50,000 matching grant from the E.E. Ford Foundation to develop and further explore its new World Language Initiative.
Taking advantage of its unique size, strong community, and collaborative culture, Dublin School will create an intentional focus on world-language learning by developing a school-wide program with every student studying the same language.
Dublin School will build the program around the Spanish language. According to Head of School Brad Bates, “Dublin School has a long history with the Spanish language and we believe it is a cognitively accessible language for a majority of our domestic and international students and provides access to a diverse group of Spanish-speaking cultures.”
The E.E. Ford Foundation grant must be matched by an equal $50,000 sum to be raised by December 31, 2016. According to the grant, Dublin School plans to use the money to develop a foreign language travel program, to support professional development for the language department, to support optional Spanish language learning for the school’s staff, and more.
The School currently has one committee exploring the best practices and methodologies in language learning and a second committee developing ideas for extracurricular opportunities for the initiative, including but not limited to ideas around foreign travel, guest speakers, summer reading, optional language immersion housing, and foreign language meals.
Dublin School is a boarding and day school founded in 1935 by Paul and Nancy Lehmann.
Elizabeth Szidloski
1936-2016
Fire Prevention Talk at Hub
By Nancy Nolan
Fire Chief Tom Vanderbilt gave a talk January 9 at the Dublin Community Center about how to prevent fires in our homes. The audience learned that in 2014, there were 1,298,000 fires in the U.S., with 3,275 fatalities and 15,775 fire injuries. There was $11.6 billion in direct property loss. Many of these fires could have been avoided by simple preventive measures.
Chief Vanderbilt advised us to install smoke alarms, have an escape plan in place, and to install a carbon monoxide detector/alarm. There is a program offered by the American Red Cross New Hampshire and Vermont Region for free installation of a smoke detector as part of their Home Fire Preparedness Campaign. Call (702) 697-1707 to request an installation. Many new smoke detectors come with a 10-year battery, but if your smoke detectors are more than a few years old, it may be time to install new ones.
In the event of a power outage, Chief Vanderbilt reminded us to always place our portable generators outside of our homes or garages in order to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Two Dublin residents won door prizes of single-use Fire Blankets that can extinguish a stove fire in seconds or protect a person from smoke and flames in a fire. New Hampshire Fire Protection of Swanzey provided re-chargeable home fire extinguishers at a special reduced price for the audience to purchase.
Chief Vanderbilt reminded the audience to always call the Fire Department at 563-8137 (if not 911) if you suspect a fire in your home.
Nancy Nolan is on the board of the Dublin Community Center.
Enrichment and Fellowship at the Hub
On a snowy Saturday, the executive director of the Hub, Nancy Cayford, called together all those who volunteered in 2015 to honor them. A delightful brunch was served and all received recognition. Nancy emphasized that the Hub could not be kept open without the dedication of the 18 people who volunteer. Nancy Cayford and Bruce Simpson, the original co-founders of the Community Center, retired at the beginning of 2016 after serving on the board for eight years. Successors will be announced.
Artist of the Month: Heather Stockwell
Heather Stockwell of Dublin will be the featured artist at the DubHub for the month of February.
Talented as a mosaic artist and tile setter, Heather also works extensively in mixed media. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, February 6, from 4 to 6 pm. All are invited to attend; refreshments will be served.
Zumba Dance Party to Benefit the Food Pantry
On Thursday, February 18, from 5:30 to 6:45 pm, the DubHub will be rocking to the sounds of Latin and World music as Deb Giaimo hosts a Zumba Third Thursday of the Month Dance Benefit for the Peterborough Food Pantry.
Participants are asked to contribute $5 to the event and are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item or two to help fill the pantry’s shelves. Of particular need are cold cereals, chunky soups, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta and sauce, peanut butter, and tuna fish. Deb requests that expiration dates are carefully checked before donating, as the Food Pantry cannot accept outdated food.
Parking is at the back of the DubHub, and participants are requested to enter through the ramp entrance at the rear of the building. Please remember to bring clean shoes to change into as dirty street shoes are not allowed on the dance floor. Light refreshments will be provided, but it is recommended that you bring your own water. Dress in loose, comfortable clothes and prepare to sweat!
If you are unable to attend the Zumba Dance Party on February 18 but would like to contribute to the Food Pantry, non-perishable food items can be brought to the DubHub any Monday evening between 5:15 and 6:45 pm. Monetary contributions (check made out to Peterborough Human Services) are also gratefully accepted during that time. No contribution or donation is too small.
The Holiday season is over, but the need to keep the pantry’s shelves filled is greater than ever during the winter as people in our community struggle to pay their heating bills.
Please join Deb for 75 minutes of Zumba on February 18 to help ensure that all our neighbors will have both a warm house and food on the table.
HCS Wellness Clinic during Community Lunch
Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services (HCS) is offering a Nurse Is In wellness clinic at the Dublin Community Center on Tuesday, February 16, from 12 pm to 1 pm, during the regularly scheduled monthly community lunch. An HCS wellness nurse will check blood pressures and be available to answer questions about home care and any health concerns you may have. This screening is open to residents of all area towns and is offered free of charge. No appointments necessary.
Nurse Is In clinics are sponsored by Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services, a Monadnock United Way agency. For more information, visit HCSservices.org or call 352-2253.
Fairwood Dessert Banquet
The mild weather we were enjoying before Christmas helped boost attendance at the Fairwood Dessert Banquet in December, but the festive evening of carols and desserts helped it to feel more like Christmas instead of June! The Bible School students and some of the staff children put on a short skit with a heart-warming message, called “You’re Special.” It was a wonderful evening of visiting with friends in a beautiful, relaxed setting, and enjoying an abundance of delicious food, both sweet and savory. Hope to see you there next Christmas! For those of you who like to mark your calendars early, we plan on having it on the second Sunday in December every year, so that’s December 11th this year.
Yankee Publishing — A “Physical” at 80 Years of Age
By Rusty Bastedo
With rapid changes in American media markets – exploding numbers of media organizations, the “digital revolution,” a population that appears to be giving up on print media – staying active in a game of “musical chairs” is required today. This reporter recently spoke with Yankee Publishing CEO Jamie Trowbridge about how Yankee stays fit and competitive. Here is a recipe that works for an 80-year old Dublin institution.
First, a magazine publisher needs more than one magazine in order to stay in today’s media markets. Like shopping centers, there needs to be at least two “anchors” to draw a crowd. For Yankee Publishing, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been a major “anchor” for decades. Robb Sagendorph, who founded Yankee Magazine in September 1935, had an opportunity to take over “O.F.A.” in 1939, and without that acquisition Yankee would not have survived its first 20 years.
The sculptor Gerome Brush was the magazine’s first Art Advisor; the poet Robert Frost wrote for early issues; but Yankee did not begin to build its audience until the early 1960s. The Old Farmer’s Almanac, with its quirky type and fascinating weather predictions, carried Yankee for 25 years, and it is still responsible for 50 percent of publication revenue in 2016.
Second, Yankee Publishing is still owned by one family. It is not a publicly traded company. The shareholders worry constantly about survival in today’s fractured media markets; the board has had contentious battles about direction and policy, and at one point financial difficulties necessitated bringing in “outside” talent to help reduce corporate debt, 1988-2000. But debt has been reduced, and Yankee Publishing has overcome its 20 years of financial pain and survived.
Third, Yankee has been able to stay true to its founder’s 1935 vision, which was and is to celebrate New England. A front page story in The Wall Street Journal (October 19, 1973) was headlined “Rustic Retreat: A Magazine Succeeds by Making Northeast Seem like a Fairy Land.” That may be a little too enthusiastic a headline, but the magazine today deals with contemporary New England issues, e.g., a contentious New England debate on how to bring in new energy resources, by writing about how the debate over a proposed pipeline impacts individual landowners and communities in its path. In this way it stays true to its founder’s vision of what the magazine should be. It respects the New England past and its people, while facing the New England future.
Fourth, Yankee Publishing is meeting the challenge of meeting the media needs of a new generation of readers. Yankee has a digital edition, replete with slide shows and audio; “Yankee Plus” offers 12 issues of its magazine to web page subscribers, versus six editions of its print magazine to regular subscribers.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac website, Almanac.com, attracts 5 million unique visitors each month. The print edition of Yankee has 290,000 subscriptions, versus much higher figures in the 1980s. The median age for subscribers is the mid-fifties, with three-quarters of subscribers coming from New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. These figures have been remarkably stable for decades.
The market for magazines is not what it once was, but the family members who control Yankee Publishing feel no urgency to sell. Family members are in accord, if not always in unanimity, and the physical condition of the patient remains as healthy as it was 80 years ago, if not more so. Try a copy, and you’ll see!
Rusty Bastedo is on the staff of the Advocate.
Monadnock Rotary Speakers
By Sue Copley
The Monadnock Rotary Club meets on Tuesday mornings at 7:30 am in the lower level of the Dublin Community Church to enjoy fellowship, breakfast, and to hear engaging, interesting speakers. The club’s mission is community service with a special focus on youth development and health advocacy for people of all ages, locally and internationally.
This local service club includes members from Dublin, Peterborough, Marlborough, and other local towns. Monadnock Rotary Club has provided support for organizations such as Monadnock Hospital’s Healthy Teeth to Toes initiative, the region’s Home Health and Hospice Care program, local food pantries and food banks, the Contoocook Valley Transportation program, and many other charities.
All are invited to come and hear any of the Monadnock Rotary Club’s presenters:
February 2: Brian Wallace, Director, Thorne-Sagendorph Gallery at Keene State College.
February 9: “Farmer John” (John Sandri), Founder and Director of Farmer John’s Plot and Farmstand.
February 16: Ellen Avery, Director, Contoocook Valley Transportation Co., whose volunteer drivers take people to doctors’ appointments, the pharmacies, or grocery-shopping.
February 23: Major Hank Colby, Director of Programs, Cheshire County Dept. of Corrections.
If you are interested in learning more about the exciting and worthwhile programs of the Monadnock Rotary Club, including its annual Wellness Festival and its Youth Leadership and International Exchange programs for high school students, please contact President Rob Harris at rob@nulljreharris.com.
Sue Copley is a member of the Monadnock Rotary Club.
Shakespeare, Opera, and Politics
By Rick MacMillan
This year marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, April 23, 1616. It also marks an ambitious attempt by Raylynmor Opera to wed, through opera, the political themes of Shakespeare’s plays with what promises to be a tumultuous election year.
The stage will be set the weekend of February 26-28, when the Raylynmor will present “Shakespeare Goes to the Opera,” a program of arias and choruses from operatic productions of Shakespeare’s plays. Music from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Falstaff, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth will be featured. This program will be presented Friday, February 26, at Heberton Hall in Keene at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, February 27, in conjunction with The Park Theater, at the Women’s Club of Jaffrey in Jaffrey at 2:00 p.m.; and Sunday, February 28, at RiverMead in Peterborough at 2:30 p.m.
Under the direction of Ben Robinson, Artistic Director for Raylynmor, the program will feature five young opera stars from New York, Chicago, and Boston. It will also incorporate children from Jaffrey’s Project Shakespeare group.
Following this introduction to Shakespeare and opera, Raylynmor is planning a choral celebration on Saturday, April 23, featuring local talent. As the year and the political process progress, Raylynmor will add drama to the fall campaigns with programs focusing on the parallels between an ambitious politician in Verdi’s Macbeth and those in our election year. Who will represent the three witches? Lobbyists? Who will represent the fallen king Duncan, or the vanquished Banquo, the redeemed prince Macduff, or Lady Macbeth? The plot has yet to be played out, and the characters of sound and fury yet to be cast.
Rick MacMillan, a former editor of the Advocate, is president of Raylynmor Opera.
Remembering Igor Bella
By Ivan Bella
Rev. Dr. Igor Vladimir Bella died on December 13, 2015, at his home after a period of failing health. He was born on June 20, 1933, in Bridgeport, CT, the son of Rev. Dr. Julius Igor Constantine Bella and Anna (Antolik) Bella.
Igor grew up in Bridgeport, CT. His father, on behalf of the Lutheran World Federation, moved the family to Bratislava, Slovakia. Igor was sent to Geneva, Switzerland, to attend high school at the Ecole Internationale from 1948 to 1952. Upon graduation he received a Certificate of Education from Cambridge University. He subsequently entered the medical school at the University of Geneva but switched to the theology school.
As his family moved about, Igor attended various universities including the University of Salzburg, the theological school at Heidelberg University, the Philadelphia Theological Seminary, and the Wittenberg Hamma School of Theology where he received his Masters of Divinity degree.
When he moved to Strasbourg, France, to work on his PhD at the University of Strasbourg, he met his wife to be, Amédine Allis. The two were married on September 3, 1960, in Cambridge, MA, and moved to Toledo, OH, where Igor was ordained as a Lutheran minister following in the footsteps of multiple generations before him. They moved back to Strasbourg where Igor completed doctoral studies and received his doctorat en sciences des religieuses in 1966. Upon returning to the U.S., Igor touched the hearts of countless parishioners as he served several parishes throughout Ohio including Trinity Lutheran Church in Clinton, St. John’s Lutheran Church in Martins Ferry, and St. John Lutheran Church in Deshler. After raising two children, several cats, and a dog, the two retired to the Monadnock area in 1999. Igor was a passionate reader of everything from philosophy to Agatha Christie mystery novels. He loved music, spending many hours playing the piano by ear; the family has enjoyed many post-dinner concerts and birthday serenades. He also cherished museum visits, ballet performances, and world travels with his family.
The family remembers him fondly for many things including being a fabulous grandfather, his pride in his Slovak heritage, sandman gifts, French toast, being a coffee barista extraordinaire, tinkering, the endless battles to protect birdseed from squirrels and bears, great ski trips, watching Bond movies and ‘70s sitcoms, bad puns, and a great laugh.
Igor is survived by his loving wife Amédine A. Bella of Dublin, NH, his son Ivan N. Bella of Gaithersburg, MD, and his daughter Alyssa B. Landahl of Albuquerque, NM. He will also be missed by his grandchildren: Madeline, William, and Sally, and his sister Ellen Masset of Geneva, Switzerland, with two nieces, Thérèse-Anne and Nadia.
Ivan Bella is the son of Igor and Amedine Bella.
Christmas Bird Count
By Tom Warren
The annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) for the Keene/Peterborough area provided the usual surprises. The Count started 115 years ago in the United States and Canada in response to hunters killing birds instead of observing them.
The CBC, sponsored by Audubon, takes place in hundreds of locations in all kinds of weather and is a remarkable example of citizen science as the data is used to monitor avian populations. It compiles a remarkable database showing fluctuations in population.
In contrast to last year’s bitter cold, we were birding in mild December conditions — the warmest on record since records have been maintained since 1875.
All lakes and rivers were open water and many still are (1/7/16). Ducks included Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser, Common Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck — and other water birds that are normally not here for Christmas Counts included Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, and Common Loon.
Raptors included Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, Coopers Hawk, and Northern Goshawk.
The usual winter finches have not made an appearance yet, but 125,000 Redpolls were sighted recently in Quebec, so we may yet have plenty of them when winter makes its appearance.
Among other unusual birds seen during the Christmas census: Hermit Thrush, Chipping Sparrow, Flicker and Ruby-crowned Kinglet were identified. Southern birds that moved into the Dublin area with climate warming were in short supply. Carolina Wren and Red-bellied Woodpecker were not seen on many other counts. Perhaps they were confused by the unseasonably warm weather and headed south.
The Christmas Bird Count always includes some of the area’s and the nation’s leading field ornithologists, good cheer, and a festive potluck dinner as the total observations are compiled.
Tom Warren is Dublin’s resident ornithologist, and serves as a trustee of both the Harris Center and the Audubon Society.
How Many Birds in Your Backyard?
N.H. Audubon needs your help on statewide bird survey.
Fill up those bird feeders and dig out your binoculars for New Hampshire Audubon’s Backyard Winter Bird Survey. This annual statewide survey will take place on Saturday, February 13, and Sunday, February 14. Biologists need assistance from citizens all over the Granite State to get a clear picture of what’s really happening with our winter birds.
To receive a copy of the reporting form and complete instructions on how to participate, send a self-addressed, stamped, long envelope to New Hampshire Audubon, Winter Bird Survey, 84 Silk Farm Road, Concord, NH 03301.
Find more information about the survey at www.nhaudubon.org under Birding.
The River Center’s Upcoming Events
Whether you’re looking for a job or just want to know how to use a computer, our Introduction to Computers training will meet you where you are and teach you the basics. This free program is on February 16 from 2 pm to 3:30 pm.
If your 11-14 year old is interested in babysitting, our Safe Sitter® training teaches life-saving skills so they are safe when home alone or watching younger children. It runs on March 7 from 9 am to 4 pm. Financial assistance available. To register call 924-6800 or email info@nullrivercenter.us.
Annual Spring Art Show at Jaffrey Civic Center
An opportunity for new local artists to show their work.
The Jaffrey Civic Center announces the Call of Entry for its Annual Spring Art Show, which will run from March 18 through April 16. Artists may deliver their artwork beginning Tuesday, March 8, through Saturday, March 12. An opening reception will be held on Friday, March 18, from 5 to 7 pm.
Each artist may submit two pieces in any medium, and two shrink-wrapped, matted pieces of art for the floor portfolio. The sales commission is 30 percent and the entry fee is $25 per person. After the exhibit, work must be picked up between April 19 and April 23. Admission is free.
For Call of Entry forms, call 532-6527, email info@nulljaffreyciviccenter.com, or visit www.jaffreyciviccenter.com. The Civic Center is located at 40 Main Street, Jaffrey, NH 03452 (next to Jaffrey’s Library, with parking in back.)
Bluegrass at Del Rossi’s Trattoria
On Friday, February 5, DelRossi’s is hosting the Jesse Brock Bluegrass Band at 8 pm. Nashville and New England super-pickers join together to perform a mixture of traditional and modern Bluegrass music with hot pickin’ and two, three, and four-part harmony vocals. Jesse Brock won the 2009 Ibma’s Bluegrass Mandolin Player of the Year; he appears with Rodger Williams on Dobro, John Miller on Guitar, Gary Filgate on Banjo, and Rob Ravlin on Bass. For reservations ($15 at the door), call DelRossi’s at 563-7195.
David & Elaina DelRossi, proprietors since 1989, serve fine Italian cuisine, that features their own homemade pasta. Visit www.delrossis.com for hours.
Impact Child Abuse with CASA
Due to the opioid crisis, there are more child abuse and neglect cases all across NH. Have you been troubled about recent news of child abuse in NH? This is your opportunity to make a difference in young lives.
CASA of NH, a statewide non-profit, provides guardians ad litem to be the voice for these children in court proceedings; to identify and advocate for what is in the child’s best interest in these cases; to ensure that child grows up in a safe and permanent home.
CASA provides all the training required and will offer a training in Nashua for men and women who wish to volunteer their time and talents in advocating for their community’s abused and neglected children. Visit CASA of NH to apply, or call 603-626-4600. Write CASA at PO Box 1327, Manchester, NH 03105; www.casanh.org/onlineapplication.
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