Mike Walker: A Personal Remembrance
Photo used with permission of the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, originally published 4/20/06.
Mike Walker: A Personal Remembrance
By Betsey Harris —
“Gosh sakes alive” (as he would say) how do you write about a man like Mike? He loved Dublin with a passion, and gave so much to the town in so many different ways. Everybody knew Mike, and everybody has a story to tell.
I first met Mike on the Conservation Commission, back in the early 1980s. He taught me about erosion, groundwater, test pits, all laced with horror stories about how things shouldn’t be done. Mike grew up in Dublin, and attributed his love of the land to naturalist Eliot Allison who led Mike’s 4th grade class on walks through the woods. This understanding of the land, of the properties of the dirt and rocks that underlie our town, were at the core of Mike’s career.
Michael V. Walker
Selectman 1997-2006
Conservation Commission 1974-1991; two years as Chair
Fireman for many years
Forest Fire Deputy Warden for 35+ years
Information courtesy Town of Dublin Archives
Mike loved his toys, the bigger and noisier the better. He was never happier than in the cab of a huge yellow backhoe digging holes and pushing rocks with enormous expertise. Watching him at work was a treat. I’m sure he could have picked up an egg with that machine. In the winter, a blizzard was a real joy to Mike, silver pouring from the sky and a challenge in every driveway. Coming out of a late meeting one winter evening as snow had just begun to fall Mike looked up and said “Isn’t that beautiful!” knowing he would be up all night.
His wife, Pat, called him “Mister Emergency,” and this was the way many people knew him. When the water pipe to the barn broke three feet down in the field, Mike was there in minutes. When the spring floods washed out our driveway bridge Mike came with gravel just as the waters receded. Of course when it wasn’t an emergency, the job could take a little longer!
Mike served three terms as Selectman, with an ever-changing team of colleagues. Mike was not shy about voicing his opinions, and meetings could be interesting at times. But he always spoke out honestly because he cared deeply, and he was always ready to make up. One day, approaching home from a trip, we found Mike in his pickup with new Selectman Annie Anable and Joe Cavanaugh, showing them ‘East Dublin,’ doubtless with stories and fables about us all.
Everyone has their stories about Mike, enough to fill a book. For me, he was a very special friend whom I miss enormously.
Betsey Harris served on the Conservation Commission for many years, and is co-founder of the Monadnock Conservancy.
Raptor Observatory Update:
High counts and rarities noted at Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory through early October.
By Phil Brown —
By early October, we were more than halfway through the official hawk watch season at NH Audubon’s Carter Hill and Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatories. With over 5,500 and 11,000 migrant raptors counted at each site, respectively, this year’s count has been above average, but it may be the quality of species that leaves such a legacy in 2012.
The clear highlight of Pack Monadnock’s season, thus far, came on September 10, when a single Swainson’s Hawk was spotted and, ultimately, positively identified by site Staff Naturalist Henry Walters, and volunteer, Katrina Fenton.
September picked up steadily with the onset of Broad-winged Hawk migration, accounting for an unprecedented stretch of 13 out of 14 consecutive days on which more than 100 individual raptors were counted at Carter Hill. At Pack Monadnock onlookers were rewarded with three ‘big days’ of more than 1,000 birds over a nine-day span. Broad-wings moved in above-average numbers at both sites in 2012, but none that rival last year’s record high counts.
After the clearing of several fronts, early October featured excellent migration, highlighted by counts of Ospreys (50), American Kestrels (45), Sharp-shinned Hawks (166), and Peregrine Falcons (9) at Carter Hill – all of which blew away past daily records for these species at this site! Several avid observers and visitors were treated to the season’s first Golden Eagle, an adult bird. This species moves through NH annually in small numbers, usually in mid- to late October. October 15 and 16 each featured a single Golden at Pack Monadnock, too.
So, it is another good year for raptors. From raptor population status perspectives, it is likely that birds to our north fared well during this breeding season, and trends are generally upward for many species, but that’s certainly not to say all raptors are thriving. To read about regional populations and see trend graphs and maps of all raptor species in Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) Raptor Population Index project, visit http://rpi-project.org/2011.
Another exciting development in raptor monitoring occurred recently with the satellite-tracking of a few Ospreys from NH, an effort that will help us learn more about the full lifecycle events of Ospreys, including the threats that face them. The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (SLNSC), in partnership with biologists including Chris Martin of NH Audubon, is monitoring the migration of these individuals to parts of South America and back.
The raptor observatories are so much more than just the hawks. There are many other types of migrating birds to witness. The hawk-watching communities at both observatories continue to expand in both numbers and knowledge and dedicated volunteers enter the fifth year of observation. Daily staff coverage at Pack Monadnock permits regular education sessions with school and other groups, and individuals, alike. Promises of Red-tails and Red-shoulders, Goshawks and Goldens await you.
This article was excerpted from an article by Phil Brown, Raptor Observatory Coordinator and Director of Land Management at New Hampshire Audubon in Concord, NH (“Protecting NH’s natural environment for wildlife and people”). He can be reached at (603) 224-9909 x334 or visit http://www.nhaudubon.org/locations/raptor-observatories to read more about the raptor observatories.
Viewing the Eagles
Tom Warren, NH Audubon Trustee, a Dublin resident and frequent observer and field trip leader at Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory, is leading several field trips in search of Golden Eagles from various trails into early November.
Mt. Monadnock Golden Eagle Watch
Saturdays & Sundays, Oct. 27-Nov. 11, 10 am – 2 pm
We will hike to several Mt. Monadnock and Observatory vistas to view the scarce migratory Golden Eagle. These birds are migrating from Greenland, northern Quebec and Labrador. While small in number, they offer a spectacular conclusion to the fall raptor season. If you haven’t seen a Golden Eagle, this may be your best chance in NH! Join us to better understand their migratory patterns in NH. The hikes will proceed only in favorable conditions. Bring lunch and dress for cold weather conditions. Participants will receive monographs on the Golden Eagle.
Contact Tom Warren at 563-7194 for information on sites and directions.
Dublin Public Library
November will be a busy month at the Dublin Public Library. November 1 is National Family Literacy Day, and we will celebrate all month with special displays and activities. We will feature a few different authors each week as well as some books that will ignite your passion for winter reading. Did you know the X-ray was discovered on November 8, 1895? Check out a book on X-rays or the human body. Books on voting, the candidates, Veterans’ Day and past wars are all available. Try making a paper airplane with our template for Aviation month. We are thankful for our town library and hope you’ll find a few minutes to visit.
Wednesday morning story time begins at 9:30. November 7 is Hug a Bear Day and what better way to start our month than with a display of stuffed bears and the book Bear Snores On. November 14, we will read How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? to accompany our program, ‘All about Me.’ Our display of books on hygiene, senses, emotions, family, nutrition, and exercise commemorates Child Safety and Protection month. November 21 we will have Thanksgiving crafts, songs and the book Thanksgiving With Me, and we will end the month by making a paper quilt on November 28 and reading The Quilt.
New Books
The End of Your Life Book Club by W. Schwalbe
Telegraph Avenue by M. Chabon
Live by Night by D. Lehane
Bloodline by F. Francis
Unaccountable by M. Makary MD
Killing Kennedy by B. O’Reilly
Winter of the World by K. Follett
Midnight in Peking by P. French
A Fistful of Collars by S. Quinn
The Dublin Library Book Discussion: Kipling
Visit the library and pick up the reading.
By Catherine Boeckmann
This was the best book discussion ever. It was so wonderful in every way. The leader brought everyone into the discussion by asking about reasons for loving our beautiful area. The participants were lively and shared great personal insights and had such a variety of backgrounds. I very much look forward to the next session. –Sally Shonk
Sound enticing? Join us for the next book discussion gathering at the Dublin Library! We’ll meet again on Saturday, November 17, from 10 am until noon. The reading this month is “How the First Letter Was Written” from Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories. Just pick up the reading from the library desk (or bring your own copy). No pre-registration required.
This yearlong book discussion series, “Recasting Monadnock Classics,” is led by an outstanding moderator who makes the readings more accessible, all thanks to a grant from the NH Humanities Council. Attend as many sessions as you wish.
Here are some more quotes to whet your appetite:
Good for the brain! An introduction to authors I’ve always wanted to read; the moderator really brought it to life.
Great discussion about our connection to each other in society. I found new and surprising ideas.
I couldn’t believe how the time flew. Great intellectual stimulation.
Good people, good talk, and smiles all around. So much fun and I want more.
The program is free and open to all interested (not just Dublin residents). Refreshments, coffee, and good company provided by the Friends of the Dublin Public Library.
Catherine Boeckmann is secretary for the FDPL.
Broadband Needed in Dublin
By Bruce Simpson
Dublin’s a great place to live. It has lots of good things, like natural beauty, friendly people, and good schools. And not much bad stuff, like crime, pollution, or strip malls. But there is one thing that Dublin lacks: reliable broadband internet throughout the town.
The Town’s 2007 Master Plan recognized this problem stating:
Transportation and communication are crucial components of everyone’s quality of life. Affordable, easy-to-use, and flexible transportation and communication options are essential for accessing health care services, establishing and maintaining social and family contacts, and preserving independence and general well-being. In an era with advanced technological options, we should encourage the extension of communication services, including DSL or its equivalent, throughout all areas of town; everyone should have access to high-speed, reliable communication. Universal access to the internet provides economic benefits to the town. As new technologies such as fiber optics become more available, they should be welcomed in Dublin and installed in harmony with this historic and rural village.
With each passing year, the need for broadband internet increases. Students need it for school. Local businesses need it to compete. Commuters can use it to work from home, thus saving them numerous hours on the road, and improving their (and their families’) quality of life. High-tech companies need it to locate here, bringing jobs and income to the town.
What we have now is a mish-mash of options. Dubliners living close to the center can get DSL from Fairpoint. It’s not as fast as true broadband, but it’s okay. Everyone else has to get by with very slow dial-up options, or more expensive satellite or wireless technology, which is not always reliable.
The Planning Board is taking the first steps to looking into what (if anything) can be done to remedy this situation. We have been told there is a Comcast trunk line running along Rte. 101. There may be a way to access it, depending on the number of people interested. There may be ways to expand DSL coverage, or obtain broadband from another carrier. Before we decide what step to take next, it would help to know how many residents are dissatisfied with their current internet access (if any) because having a pool of ready customers is the best way to get a provider to make the investment necessary to serve the town with broadband coverage.
If you would like to be part of this informal survey, please let me know what you have now, what your street address is, and whether you would like to upgrade if better service was available. You can reach me at bruce_simpson@nullmsn.com.
Bruce Simpson is Chair of the Planning Board.
The Board of Selectmen would like to form a Broadband Internet Committee and are looking for volunteers who are interested in doing this. Please contact either Sherry Miller or Jeanne Sterling at the Town Hall (563-8544) to have your names forwarded to the Selectmen. Thank you.
Remember to Vote Nov. 6
Sample ballots are posted at Town Hall and the Post Office.
By Jeannine Dunne
Tuesday, November 6, 2012 is the day to vote for President and Vice President of the United States, Governor, United States Representative, Executive Councilor, State Senator, State Representatives and County Officers, and to bring in your votes for Constitutional Amendment Questions.
The polls will be open from 8 am until 7 pm with voting located on the Top Floor of the Town Hall. Use the elevator out back if needed. Please bring a piece of photo identification with you as you will be asked for it when you check in to get your ballot. We hope that everything will go smoothly as usual on Election Day, but because of the new Voter ID Law requirements, you may want to allow a little extra time.
If you will be voting by absentee ballot and have not yet received your ballot, please call the Town Clerk’s office at 563-8859.
If you will be returning your absentee ballot by mail, be sure to mail it in time so that is delivered to the Town Clerk’s mailbox by Election Day. If you will not be returning your absentee ballot by mail, it must be returned by the person who requested it by 5 pm on the day before the election.
The Town Clerk’s office will be open only until 5 pm on that day, November 5, which is a Monday and the office will be closed on Election Day, November 6.
Your vote is important; we hope to see you there.
Jeannine Dunne is Dublin’s Town Clerk/Tax Collector.
2012 Voters’ Guides from the Secretary of State’s office just became available. They explain the amendments to the New Hampshire Constitution that will be voted on at the upcoming election. They are available at the Town Hall and one is posted on the bulletin board at the Post Office. There is also a link to a pdf version on the town’s website and here: LINK TO Voters Guide 2012-1.
A New Look at New Hampshire —
A new state history, told through State House Governors’ portraits.
The Portrait Gallery: Governors and Early Leaders of New Hampshire (Plaidswede Publishing, 2012) tells the stories of New Hampshire’s political leaders through their portraits in the collections of the State House, Concord, and in a decade-by-decade format and conversational writing style that invite the reader to want to know more about the qualities of the leaders that the Granite State selected over time.
Russell Bastedo, New Hampshire State Curator 1997-2009, has produced a primer, a new look at New Hampshire, using primarily materials in print so that the curious reader can learn more without having to pursue original research. Many of the portrait entries exist with their photographs on state web pages, and on Google and other search engines, but without the historical context added by the author. The Portrait Gallery seeks to put these subject entries into a framework that includes national events, so that the reader can see how New Hampshire’s political leaders reacted to or were impacted by decisions made in the nation’s capitol or elsewhere. The decade-by-decade format aids the reader in this understanding. This is a book that should have appeared before now but hasn’t.
At a time when popular understanding of how we are governed is not at an all-time high, The Portrait Gallery is a welcome addition to histories of New Hampshire. Dr. Louis Fisher, a senior political scientist at the Library of Congress for 40 years and currently Scholar In Residence at The Constitution Project, described The Portrait Gallery as “A major contribution in understanding self-government in America.”
Available at Toadstool Bookshops in Peterborough and Keene, you may order individual copies for $19.95 + $5 S/H from Russell Bastedo, Box 312, Dublin NH 03444 or email russellbastedo@nullgmail.com.
Institutional orders will be handled by Plaidswede Publishing (www.plaidswede.com), PO Box 269. Concord NH 03302-0269.
Japanese Knotweed Campaign
By Jack Lewis
In late September, the Dublin Conservation Commission completed the first year in its public campaign against Japanese Knotweed in town. For two years the Commission experimented with a number of ways to control Japanese Knotweed, an exotic invasive plant that can outcompete and kill other vegetation. It can grow to six or eight feet in a season and its stem resembles bamboo.
This year the commission decided to work with property owners around town to try its most successful control approach, “cut early, spray late.” In late September the Commission had Vegetation Control Service (a Massachusetts-based, New Hampshire licensed herbicide sprayer) spray 16 locations in town where Knotweed infestations existed. Cutting had taken place in June at these sites (see Advocate, July 2012, p. 6).
Members of the Commission, assisted by town residents in a number of cases, also cut Knotweed twice this season along Routes 101 and 137 and Upper Jaffrey Road. We were unable to obtain the state permits needed to spray these roadside locations this year, but have been assured that we will get the needed permits for the 2013 season.
At this point there are only two infestations along these major roads where we have not gotten permission to cut from the owner. We know of only one other untreated roadside site in town, which is on Church Street wetlands and streams at this location make spraying difficult and permits mandatory.
We have been pleased with the response from property owners and residents, and we hope to get even more participants in 2013.
Jack Lewis is chair of the Dublin Conservation Commission.
Dublin Artist on Choice and Chance, Solo Exhibit
Paintings by David Nelson are being shown in an art exhibit held at the Jaffrey Civic Center. Titled “Of Choice and Chance: Exploring the borderlands of intention and occurrence,” it runs through November 10, 2012. The Jaffrey Civic Center is open on Tuesdays, 10 am– 6 pm; Wednesdays through Fridays, 1 – 5 pm; and Saturdays, 10 am – 2 pm.
In his paintings, Nelson investigates life’s balance of control and randomness by spattering primary colors over and around a variety of objects such as ping-pong balls, wooden grids, and even Fruit Loops. The placement of the objects is controlled by random numbers or chance. The colors mix pointillistically and the painting emerges with a will of its own, according to Nelson.
“Everything in life reflects this balance of control and freedom,” Nelson says. “Parenting, marriage, work, religion—and especially art—all make us ask questions like, ‘What will I make happen and what will I let happen? Which will I obey: intellect or intuition, my head or my heart? Should I take charge, or should other factors decide?’”
In his paintings, Nelson starts with a plan for each work, then intentionally introduces systems of chance that make him relinquish control. He describes his work as “an experiment into the meticulously controlled accident; a research into achieving a specific vision through letting go; a look into the paradoxical balance that each of us faces every day.”
See more on Nelson’s work at www.goodartmakesyouthink.com. Jaffrey Civic Center information can be viewed at www.jaffreyciviccenter.com.
Monadnock Rotary Meetings Open to All
The Monadnock Rotary Club meets every Tuesday morning at 7:30 am at the Dublin Community Church. Please join us for breakfast.
Speakers this month include Bill Smith of In Haus Media on November 6th who will be speaking about Local Look Peterborough and David Warner from Genworth on November 20th who will provide an update on Long Term Care Planning. November 13th will be an Assembly focused on club business. There is no meeting on November 27th in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Last month, this Rotary’s hosting of the seventh annual Monadnock Wellness Festival provided free health screenings, exhibits on healthy living and eating, advice from pet experts and live music from a steel band. Hundreds of people — and many of their pets — came to enjoy the day and taste the soups. Due to community participation and the support of Festival sponsors and exhibitors, the event raised approximately $10,000 that will benefit important health-related programs in our community.
The primary beneficiary of this year’s event is Monadnock Healthy Teeth to Toes program, a holistic approach to wellness for children through interactive educational programs.
The primary interests of the Monadnock Rotary Club, which is based in Dublin, are youth development and health advocacy for people of all ages in the Monadnock Region and around the world. Feel free to join in or call Ruth Clark at 924-9505 if you seek more information. The Club is part of Rotary International, a worldwide service organization of more than 1.2 million members.
Monadnock United Way Campaign
By Bill Goodwin
The Monadnock United Way (MUW) kicked off the 2012-13 campaign on September 13th at the Keene Country Club. Through a very rigorous allocations process, it was determined that we needed to raise a total of $2,303,009 to meet the MUW commitment to the agency programs in the Monadnock Region. Here in Dublin, our goal is $8,564.
Effective mid-October, the Campaign has raised $780,900 or 34% of our goal, thanks to the Pacesetter companies and early gifts from some Leadership and business donors in the greater Monadnock Region.
Here in Dublin, we have raised $670 or 8% of our goal. The Dublin Team has been hard at work making initial calls to the local businesses. They are confident that by this time next month, they will have completed most of the follow-up and will be at a much greater percentage of our goal. Yankee Publishing, a major contributor to the Dublin goal, has just started their campaign and hopefully will be near completion by this time next month.
I also want to thank my Dublin team of Barbara Summers (Team Captain), Judy Knapp, Margaret Flick, Rosemary Weidner, Nancy Jackson and Margaret Gurney for their help with making the campaign calls on the businesses in town. We hope that the businesses in Dublin will be as generous as they can.
MUW agency programs were used 309 times by Dublin residents and over 61,500 times by residents in the Monadnock Region in 2011. Usage will likely be higher this year because of the impact of these difficult economic times.
About 90% of the funds received go toward MUW agency programming. For more information about the Monadnock United Way, we invite you to go to www.MUW.org.
Bill Goodwin is General Campaign Chair for the Monadnock United Way campaign for 2012-13.
Dublin Consolidated School News
By May Clark
Last year we had two feet of snow on the ground for our Halloween parade up the hill to Yankee Publishing, Town Hall, Library, and Police Station. It was memorable! I am writing this before Halloween, so here’s hoping that we have a not-too-cold day, with more October-like ground cover! We are always so grateful for the participation of all our friendly top-of-the-hill folks, who help make Halloween the child-centered holiday that kids love.
In October, DCS children were doing a lot of testing, which they completed with energy and skill, with lots of activities in between. Two of the classes are in full swing with Jaime Hutchinson of the Harris Center working on various projects. We are enjoying her well-planned lessons and creative ideas.
• Third graders are focused on rocks and minerals, and fourth and fifth graders have been tromping around in a brook, exploring landforms and erosion.
• Grades K-2 had a different sort of adventure: they learned how to be a pirate at a show at the Colonial Theater. They’ve been wearing their pirate skullcaps and shouting, “Aaargh, mateys!” In between we’ve all enjoyed lessons from Kat and Kat, two Cornucopia teachers who have been working with all the classes putting the gardens to bed, revitalizing the compost heap, and harvesting lots of carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, and leeks.
Speaking of garden bounty, we are joining with Cornucopia to host a special community dinner at DCS on November 30 at 6 pm. Everyone is invited! We are celebrating International Food Day (which actually happened in October) by focusing on local, sustainable agriculture, and enjoying simple food prepared from homegrown vegetables. Here’s how it will work: all of our students will do the cooking, preparing three kinds of homemade soup along with bread. We’ll also have a healthy (sort of!) dessert (chocolate zucchini cake – yum!). Everyone who comes must bring his or her own soup bowl, spoon, and what Kin Schilling calls a “proper napkin,” which means a cloth napkin. Everyone will carry his or her own dishes home, so we will use very little energy serving and cleaning up. The children will prepare a short presentation for entertainment, and we hope everyone will enjoy a good, old-fashioned get-together with community members! Put it on your calendar!
May Clark is Teaching Principal at DCS. She can be reached at 563-8332 or email mclark@nullconval.edu.
Full Day K
By Mary Loftis
Last April, the School Board made a controversial decision about Kindergarten in the District: unless it was combined with a first-grade class, as it was in some of the small schools, Kindergarten would be a half-day program. We made this decision to be consistent. Some schools had flip-flopped from single grade to multi-age K-1 configurations depending on the crop of five-year-olds in a given year, and sometimes the full-day Kindergarten program stayed in place. Some parents raised the legitimate issue of parity across the District; others were outraged at the decision to offer less education to our youngest students.
To come to grips with this conundrum, the Education Committee undertook a study of half-day versus full-day Kindergarten under the leadership of Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Saunders. The research we looked at demonstrated that full-day programs do give children an advantage in the early grades, but that the advantage diminishes over time. However, other research pointed out how essential it is that kids are competent readers by third grade (the magic time when they have “learned to read” and begin to “read to learn”). If they aren’t reading well in third grade, it is very hard to catch up. We concluded that providing any advantage in those early grades was worthwhile.
Another compelling argument in favor of full-day Kindergarten is that it is a socio-economic equalizer. Some children come to Kindergarten with literacy skills, having been read to since infancy. Others may come from homes with no books. The full-day program provides the time and space to develop literacy and social skills so important to success in school. It also leaves time in the day to play – another important part of Kindergarten!
For these reasons, the Education Committee recently voted to recommend to the School Board a District-wide full-day Kindergarten program beginning in the 2013-2014 school year. Although we feel it is the right decision, it comes with a significant cost, approximately $250,000 in a year when there are unprecedented increases to the fixed costs of running the District. We don’t know how this will play out, but we’re hopeful that ConVal will join the growing ranks of districts offering five-year-olds a full school day.
Mary Loftis is Dublin’s representative to the ConVal School Board, SAU 1.
Annual Art Tour: Dublin’s Participants
Dublin was well represented in the recent 17th Annual Open Studio Art Tour sponsored by the Friends of the Dublin Art Colony/Monadnock Art. From the top:
Robert Obenland creates archival pigment ink prints.
This is his first time on the art tour. Photo by Ramona Branch
Georgia Fletcher continues with her soulful painting and adds three-dimensional creations. Photo by Margaret Gurney
Jennifer Keeney-Bleeg, new to the tour this year, celebrates her entry with encaustics. Photo by Margaret Gurney
Jane Simpson shows her work at her frame shop in Peterborough. Photo by Margaret Gurney
Susan Barker, left, creates sterling silver and beaded jewelry. She has been on the tour several years. At right is Susie Catlin with her granddaughter, Alex. Photo by Ramona Branch
Miriam Carter and friends model her stylish new felted creations. Photo by Mary Loftis
Grief Support Groups
By Susan Ashworth
Hospice at HCS will offer “Dealing with Grief and Loss at the Holidays,” two eight-week groups meeting in Peterborough or Keene for those who have lost someone close to them and would like support during the upcoming holiday season. The Peterborough group will be held on Mondays from November 12 through December 31 from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm at the HCS Office at 45 Main Street in Peterborough. Call Lorraine Bishop at 532-8353 to register.(Call Lynn Anne Palmer for info on Keene classes at 352-2253.)
Both groups are free. Hospice at HCS is a local, not for profit hospice providing end of life care for residents at home, in nursing homes and in assisted living facilities. Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services is a Monadnock United Way agency.
Susan Ashworth is Director of Community Relations at Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services.
DCC Offers Fall Luncheons
Join the fun at the Fall Soup and Bread Lunches
Two Wednesdays, 12-1 pm
November 7 and 14
Dublin Community Church
Homemade and delicious!
Proceeds donated to local food banks where every dollar buys two meals,
a very necessary and worthy cause.
Who Are Our Firefighters?
By Ramona Branch
Have you ever wondered who is answering the alarm to put out fires in Dublin?
While police officers are visible to us everyday in their patrol cars and protecting us in various public settings and events, firefighters are visible to us only when they are doing their job of ‘putting out the fire.’
We wanted to learn more about our local citizens who put themselves in danger’s way on our behalf so in this issue we are inaugurating a series on our volunteer firefighters.
Tom Vanderbilt, Dublin’s Fire Chief, has 17 individuals reporting to him.
First Deputy Brian Barden’s responsibilities include equipment management, running the pumps at the fire and providing training to his colleagues.
Brian says he became a fire fighter because his friend, Mike Worcester, who was Dublin’s chief at the time, told him he needed help. This was in l967. So when you do the math … yes, 45 years of putting out fires in Dublin. That, in my book, is a real record.
Brian has lived in Dublin since 1968. He and his wife Jean have two adult children, Melissa and Jason. When he’s not wearing his fire fighter hat, Brian is our Road Agent, charged with the care and maintenance of Dublin’s paved and dirt roads.
Ramona Branch is a freelance writer and is on the staff of the Advocate.
Waldorf Children Celebrate the Season
Cobb Meadow School and other Waldorf communities worldwide celebrate Michaelmas, a fall festival named for Saint Michael, one of the four archangels. Saint Michael is the angel of courage, the angel of the fight against evil. This celebration, traditionally held around the time of the autumnal equinox, invites us to take courage from Saint Michaelmas for the long dark winter ahead.
Established in 1992 by Jim and Libby Haddock at their home in Dublin, the school was founded to provide Waldorf-inspired educational opportunities for nursery and kindergarten age children. The school has limited openings for children ages 3 to 6 years old for the 2012-13 school year. Cobb Meadow is celebrating its 20th anniversary, as well as its new status as a full member of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America. For more information, please visit www.cobbmeadowschool.org or call (603) 563-7755.
Sharon Arts Center Opens Digital Lab
The Sharon Arts Center has opened a new digital lab at its School of Art & Craft, on Rt. 123 in Sharon, thanks to generous support from the Lizzie J. Cheney Charitable Foundation and the Samuel P. Hunt Foundation, along with computer donations and a large-format printer from the New Hampshire Institute of Art, Manchester, with supplies from Grace Electric, Jaffrey.
The new digital lab has 14 Mac computers with the Adobe Creative Suite 6 that includes Dreamweaver, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Lightroom. Upcoming digital classes to be offered in the new facility include a one-day Workshop titled “Creative iPhoneography” on Saturday, Nov. 3 from 10 am to 2:30 pm, and a Teen Workshop in Digital Painting to be held Saturday, Dec. 15 from 10 am to 4 pm.
For more information or to register for upcoming digital classes and other art classes being offered, email register@nullsharonarts.org or call 924-7256.
Bluegrass Coming to Town
Michelle Canning & Rough Edges Bluegrass Band, a five-piece traditional bluegrass band featuring 2009 NE Banjo Champion Michelle Canning, will play at DelRossi’s Trattoria (Rt. 137N) on Saturday, November 3, at 8:30 pm; $10 (at the door).
Plus, DelRossi’s offers free Celtic Fiddle Sessions every Wednesday at 6:30 pm for a Beginner jam; and from 7 to 9 pm, an Open jam. It features traditional Celtic (and New England) instrumentals on fiddles, guitars, mandolins, and more. These weekly Irish music jam sessions are open to all acoustic musicians as well as the listening public. Let’s not forget that David & Elaina DelRossi are celebrating 23 years as proprietors of DelRossi’s (www.delrossis.com).
Trunk or Treat
A night’s worth of candy in one stop.
Mountain View Bible Church is holding a Trunk or Treat event on Halloween during trick-or-treating hours from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in the MVBC parking lot at 81 Page Road. It will be set up for visitors to collect candy from car-to-car and enjoy cider, donuts, coffee, and a bonfire.
All are welcome to come and enjoy the festivities and meet MVBC’s new pastor, Dan Pelletier.
(A correction to last month’s article welcoming Pastor Pelletier: the correct address is www.mtnviewbible.org.)
Exhibit at Dublin School
By Earl Schofield
The Dublin School’s latest exhibit in the new Putnam Gallery currently features works by Jeri Eisenberg, which manages the neat trick of being both striking and nuanced at the same time. Whenever I see her work anew, I invariably have an Ooohh! Aaaaah! moment, yet her work is delicate and subtle in more ways than one. Jeri is an unabashed acolyte of Venus, an advocate of beauty and its role in healing and nourishing human beings.
Jeri Eisenberg’s work allows us to see the staggeringly beautiful in the “mundane” world we live in, and asks us to examine the complex concept we call “Vision,” something we also take for granted day to day.
I tell my photography students, “I should always know what you want me to see in a photograph. It is your job to make me see what is right in front of my eyes in a way that teaches or exposes something I never noticed before, or that is worthy of a closer look. Anything that is in a photograph should help show me that or it shouldn’t be there at all.” I am delighted to have this opportunity for my students to see just how that is done.
Earl Schofield is an art instructor at Dublin School.
Peter’s Pondering
By Peter Hewitt
Do you know where ragtime came from?
Well, I think I may have figured it out.
Rags, if played at a comfortable tempo, are great to march to, as good as Sousa’s best.
And they are put together just like a military march, with separate, tuneful sections, generally in different keys.
I can hear in my mind’s ear one of those wonderful New Orleans marching bands starting to experiment with a tad of syncopation here and there. Before long you’re hearing “The South Rampart Street Parade.” And then you’re hearing someone like Jelly-Roll Morton playing it on a piano.
And all of a sudden you’ve got ragtime!
Peter Hewitt retired to RiverMead along with several residents of Dublin.
Counting Our Blessings
By Advocate Staffers
Despite my best efforts to hold onto its meaning, Christmas often seems like a final exam. There are always too many presents to buy, too many cookies to bake, too much stress. By contrast, Thanksgiving has its priorities straight: it’s about cooking a delicious meal over the course of a leisurely day, enjoying it with friends and family, and taking a walk in the soothing post-foliage landscape. The only stress revolves around cooking the turkey – and it’s always delicious even if it’s not perfect! Thanksgiving is the best holiday of the year; even its name is gently instructive. –ML
As a type A personality, it’s important that all the details are addressed ahead of time. That’s why hosting the first family Thanksgiving dinner wasn’t a problem for me. Two hours before my husband’s family was to arrive I proudly announced to my parents that I had everything under control. My dad said he was surprised he didn’t smell the turkey roasting. The turkey? I had forgotten all about the turkey! We ate dinner at 8 – five hours later than I had planned! -LM
The meal has been eaten, my sister and I have cleared the table and are starting to do the dishes. Since I was old enough to stand at the sink, this has been the post-Thanksgiving dinner scene. It continued on through the years, sharing the holiday back and forth with my sister. The one ‘constant’ each year, no matter where we celebrated, was our mom’s contribution. Taking off rings and bracelets, rolling up her sleeves, Memere delved into the remaining turkey carcass with the skills of a surgeon, removing every last morsel of meat. Neatly packed into containers, the leftovers were ready for any future recipe. Since my mom’s death four years ago, I now remove my rings and bracelet and carry on the tradition. (It gets me out of doing dishes!) -JS
Every Thanksgiving for the last 12 years, beginning at 6 am and lasting for two hours, is the annual celebration of gratitude at our local yoga studio. The class is free, and the room fills up very fast — many come to take part. Everyone brings at least one foodstuff that is left in a basket to be distributed to the local food bank. When class begins, our teacher suggests that we dedicate our practice that morning to a person for whom we feel most grateful. After class we return home refreshed and with plenty of time to prepare for the auspicious day. -MG
Grateful as we are for the bounty in our lives, for the service people who give their lives to this country, and for the beautiful area in which we live — there are people who live here who go hungry. We can help so easily by dropping off cans of food (or any other items of sustenance) at the Dublin Community Church or the food banks in Peterborough (one is at the Episcopal Church on Concord Street, the other at the Armory on Elm St.) Help a neighbor get through the holiday season, as well as the winter ahead.
Hunt NH This Fall
With bow season already open, hunting season has begun; be sure to don orange when in the woods.
Sept. 15 – Dec. 15 Deer/archery (some archery closes on 12/8)
Sept. 15 – Dec. 15 Fall turkey/archery
Oct. 15 – Oct. 19 Fall turkey/shotgun (in certain WMUs only)
Sept. 2012 – March 2013 Small game and furbearers/dates vary by species and region
Oct. 1 – Dec. 31 Pheasant
Oct. 20 – Oct. 28 Moose (permit only)
Oct. 27 – 28 Youth deer-hunting weekend
Nov. 3 – Nov. 13 Deer/muzzleloader
Opens Nov. 14 Deer/regular firearms (closes one week early in WMU A).
For more information on season dates, hunting FAQs, licenses, maps and more visit NH Fish and Game at www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/hunting.htm or just Google “HuntNH.”
Also, NH Fish and Game launched its all-new 2013 Calendar, showcasing professional photography depicting a wide range of New Hampshire’s fascinating wildlife. Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the calendar’s handy hunting, fishing and Off-Highway Recreational Vehicle season dates, from free fishing day to the youth deer hunt weekend. This year’s calendar also highlights opportunities for “citizen scientists” to participate in science-based management across the state.
By buying a calendar for $9.95 from www.wildnh.com/Shop/calendar.html (free shipping for 1-5), you help support New Hampshire’s natural resources that we all enjoy — the state’s fish and wildlife and their habitats.
Dublin’s Jim Thompson Is a Champ
Machinist, master mechanic and now, NASCAR Racing Series Champion.
By Rusty Bastedo
Jim and Ruth Thompson moved to Dublin in 1996. Dublin was a halfway point between their workplaces. During the week Jim works as a machinist in Peterborough – but on weekends he pursues his true love, racing cars. Jim has raced cars since he was 25 years of age, and before that, as a boy, he traveled with his father during racing season to dozens of county fairs and racetracks around New England. Jim has lifelong friends from those days when automobile racetracks were small and scattered in isolated areas, and when Jim drives in races today he always sees people he has known for most of his life.
Jim has been driving for 27 years primarily in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series at Monadnock Speedway. Monadnock Speedway is one of approximately 100 tracks nationwide that participate in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, and this year Jim won 2012 points Champion of the NASCAR “Thunder Stock Division,” a group of 16 to 20 cars that races weekly at Monadnock Speedway, and at other NASCAR New England tracks throughout the racing season. It is his first Championship.
Recognized at the track at the last race of the season, having had a radio interview with Bear Country 95.3, he and his wife do not take this win lightly. You can see the points standing at www.monadnockspeedway.com/points.htm and scroll down to Thunder Stock division.
Jim drives a customized 1987 Buick Regal – the “police car” hero of many TV action films – because, he says, the newer American-made cars do not have the solid-steel frame of earlier American-made cars. With a solid-steel frame the danger of serious accidents is greatly diminished, and Jim plans to drive for many more years. His garage currently has two Buick Regals in various stages of construction/ deconstruction. This season Jim won two races and placed among the top three finishers in many others. His photo will be used in NASCAR advertising, and Jim has received a gigantic trophy and a sizeable cash award.
“Jim does all the work himself,” his wife Ruth adds. “He builds the car from a chassis ground up including the motor and transmission, he does all the maintenance and he drives it. Unlike many of others who have teams, he’s on his own and that includes at the track too — he doesn’t have a pit crew, making his winning of the points championship that much more of an accomplishment. Jim taught our son to work on the race car and he raced for the past two years prior to heading off to school; it gave him such focus in his spare teen years that he actually got to the top 10 in points and won the Sportsmanship award for his division. A true testament to working with Jim…”
Jim and Ruth Thompson look forward to many more years in Dublin.
Rusty Bastedo has served on the staff of the Advocate since 1999.
Monadnock RSVP Volunteer Center
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) announced that more than $4 million in RSVP funding has been awarded to support organizations and nonprofits across the country that use senior volunteers to tackle pressing community needs.
The funding also includes 16 RSVP augmentation grants to existing RSVP sponsors for increased funding to focus on veterans and military families.
Monadnock RSVP Volunteer Center has been awarded a $7,000 grant to recruit veteran volunteers age 55 and older to transport veterans to medical appointments through a local volunteer transportation program. Veteran volunteers are also being recruited to serve in RSVP’s independent living program, Neighbors-In-Deed, to provide companionship and assistance to enable veterans and military family members to remain in their homes as long as possible.
RSVP is part of Senior Corps, which is administered by CNCS. Established in 1971, RSVP is now one of the largest senior volunteer organizations in the nation and engages older Americans in opportunities that meet the most urgent needs in primary focus areas including: education, healthy futures, economic opportunity, environmental stewardship, disaster services and veterans and military families.
Monadnock RSVP provides services in 33 towns of the Monadnock Region and RSVP offices are located in Keene (357-6893) and Peterborough (924-7350). Monadnock RSVP is sponsored by Monadnock Family Services, a Monadnock United Way Agency.
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