May 2013

Memorial Day Plans for 2013
By Brian Barden

Dublin’s Memorial Day exercises will be held on Monday, May 27^th, at 11 am. The parade will form in Yankee’s parking lot at 10:45. The parade proceeds to the cemetery for a short ceremony and then returns to the center for a closing ceremony.

Veterans are encouraged to participate; remember, this is your day. If you are a veteran and need a ride, please contact Brian Barden at 563-8006 or 398-8546.

The members of the Memorial Day Committee are Cles Staples, Lewis Hansen, and Brian Barden, but we have many others to thank:

Each year Diddie Staples, Hank and Nancy Campbell, Jim Letourneau and the SEA Cadets help the committee place more than 200 flags on veterans’ graves at the cemetery.

 

The parade band alternates between band members at ConVal and South Meadow Schools. Retired Admiral Dale Gabel will be the Parade Marshall and Rev. Michael Scott, from the Dublin Community Church, will be our guest speaker this year. Wayne Thomas, Commander of the American Legion Post in Peterborough, is supplying the Colors (flags) and rifles. After the parade, the town’s Recreation Committee will furnish refreshments at the end of Yankee parking lot.

Brian Barden has served as chairman of the Memorial Day Committee since at least 1972.

 

Active in the Service Today

1st Lt. John Rebolledo (USAFA 2010) is stationed in Yokota, Japan. He is with the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing (TAW) and flying the C-130 Hercules throughout the Pacific Rim. He graduated from the Dublin Christian Academy in 2006.

 

 

Dublin Public Library

May story time at the Dublin Public Library will be an introduction to our summer theme of Dig into Reading. We will introduce digging in the dirt and flower gardening. We’ll make May baskets on May 1 and create something special for mother or grandmother on May 8 as we listen to the book, What Moms Can’t Do.

We know worms make the soil rich but what do ants do? On May 15 we will find out as we read Diary of a Worm and Two Bad Ants. There might even be a surprise visitor to the library — can you guess who it might be?

May 22 is National Maritime Day. We’ll learn about and create our own ships. If you don’t know about pirates, the library has many fiction and non-fiction books about ships and pirates. We’ll end the month with big machines: tractors, backhoes, anything that digs in the dirt.

We will have the outline of the summer program available as we anticipate another wonderful group of children enjoying the library.

In May, you will find books on display filled with “good intentions” Hiking, running, diet books, how-to books, everything you have always wanted to know about gardening books, and books on celebrating mothers.

New Books:
Daddy’s Gone a Hunting by M. H. Clark
My Backyard Jungle by J. Barilla
Gulp by M. Reach
Don’t Go by L. Scottoline
Starting Now by D. Macomber

New DVDs:
Parade’s End
Les Miserables
Downton Abbey Season 3

 

FDPL Presents Wordplay Workshop

By Emily Archer

Make your own words come alive! Come to a “Wordplay Workshop” on Saturday May 4th, 10 am to 12:30 pm downstairs at the Dublin Public Library.

This morning of facilitated hands-on writing is open to any who would enjoy dipping into new forms and prompts. No pressure, no critique, just optional sharing. Those who may have attended our reading discussion series may meet some familiar images, ideas, and phrases, but the activities are accessible to all, whether you write often, wish you did, or simply want to try.

So come with your favorite pen and paper and enjoy a friendly spring morning with words at the Dublin Public Library.

Lunch and drinks provided. This workshop is funded by a grant from the NH Humanities Council, and sponsored by the Friends of the Dublin Public Library. Facilitated by Emily Archer.

Emily Archer is the facilitator for the series Recasting Monadnock, sponsored by the FDPL.

 

“How and Why the British Discovered North America”

Dublin resident, Advocate reporter and now retired State Curator Russell Bastedo will speak about the 16^th century European world of Portugal’s Prince Henry the Navigator, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, and Henry the Eighth of England at the meeting offered by the Friends of the Dublin Public Library on May 29 at 7 pm.

At a time when the world was divided by the Pope between the two Catholic world powers of Spain and Portugal, England was embroiled in internal wars that kept it from developing. How England broke the cycle of internal wars and became a colonial power in North America is the subject of Mr. Bastedo’s illustrated presentation. It should make for a lively evening.

 

In Memory
Peter M. Shonk
Sept. 7 1918–April 17, 2013
He will be remembered by many with much love.

 

 

Dublin Women’s Club News
By Jill Lawler

We’re now in the home stretch heading toward summer and the Women’s Club Beach Committee is busy making plans for our 2013 season. For 2013 the Board of Directors of the Women’s Club has proposed an increase of the dues to $125 for Club membership with beach privileges. We have been very reluctant to take this step, but we cannot continue to take money from savings in order to pay the increased liability and fire insurance bills, as well as the tax bill for the Cove property. Please remember that in order to enjoy beach privileges, one must be a resident of Dublin.

Invitations to join the beach will go out at the beginning of May. If you wish to join the beach and do not receive one contact Club Treasurer Nancy Campbell at 563-8480 or PO Box 121 Dublin. Anyone needing financial assistance should contact Jill Lawler (924-7675), Nancy Campbell, Emily Johnson, Shannon Carpenter, Rebecca Oja or Connie Cerroni.

We have scheduled two days for set-up. On Sunday, June 9th, we will meet at 10:30 am to begin to put in the equipment and repair the beach from the ravages of winter. As always, a complimentary lunch will be served to all volunteers. Bring rakes, gloves, and a willingness to work. If needed, we have also scheduled an additional day on Saturday June 15th, also beginning at 10:30.

We are thrilled that our very experienced staff will all be returning. Polly Seymour and Liz Lawler will again teach the lessons, Megan Briggs will be the weekend lifeguard, and Trenton Mills returns as sailing instructor.

Even though the students in the ConVal district get out early thanks in part to Blizzard Bags, our lifeguards/swimming instructors have obligations to their school districts. We plan to have a lifeguard on duty as often as possible beginning on June 17th but swimming lessons will not begin until Thursday, June 27th.

Finally, we thank all those people who have already donated to our annual appeal. It is your generosity that helps us provide this very valuable program that plays such an important part in Dublin’s summer.

Jill Lawler is the chairman of the Women’s Club Beach Committee.

 

The Trustees of Trust Funds Scholarship
By Bill Goodwin

The Trustees of the Trust Funds for the Town of Dublin will be offering four $1,000 scholarships to students who are attending college in the fall of this year. The students must be residents of the town of Dublin to qualify for the scholarships.

The scholarship committee has prepared application forms. They are available at the Guidance Dept. at ConVal High School, Dublin School, Dublin Christian Academy, Fairwood Bible Institute and at Town Hall. Instructions on what is required are on the application form.

Bill Goodwin is Chair of the Dublin Trustees of Trust Funds.

Dublin Summer Playground Begins June 27
By Eliot Pelletier

Hello Dublin Citizens,

It’s finally starting to feel as if spring has sprung, which means of course that summer will be here before we know it. It’s never too early to start thinking about how your kids can fill up those endless hours in the sunshine with fun and safe activities. The Dublin Playground is a 40-year tradition for the children of the town, and your family is invited to be a part of it. Once again I will be directing the playground, held at the Dublin Consolidated School each day from 9:00 until 3:00. The program will run weekdays rain or shine from June 27^th until August 9^th. The program is intended for Dublin children age 5 to 12.

Fees will again be $150 per camper for Dublin residents, although scholarships may be available for those who qualify. If you are interested in reserving your child’s spot at the Dublin Playground for this summer, please take a moment to fill out this registration form (one per family) and send it in to: Town of Dublin, Box 277, Dublin NH 03444.

This will help us to estimate attendance numbers so we can better meet your child’s needs. The playground calendar will be available this month at DCS and the Town Hall. Questions or suggestions may be directed to Dublinplayground@nullyahoo.com.

Eliot Pelletier has been director of the Dublin Summer Playground since 2003. He and Liz Lawler were co-directors in ’03 and ’04.

 2013 Dublin Summer Playground
Early Registration Form

Send completed form to: Town of Dublin, Box 277, Dublin, NH 03444. Thank you.

 

News from the Dublin Consolidated School
By May Clark

We are excited to have finished our third annual — and most successful yet — Read-a-Thon! Our PTO organizes this fundraiser, which is a lot more about reading than about money. The students record their minutes read for two weeks. If we make our goal, we celebrate with a special lunch. Our goal this year was 30,000 minutes, and we hit it out of the park! We had made it more than half way after the first three days! Final totals aren’t in yet, but we read a record amount, and we might have raised a record amount of money too. This year the Toadstool Bookstore offered to provide $100 worth of books for our library if we made it to 30,000 minutes, and those books are in the process of getting their book plates added at this time. We are so grateful for the Toadstool’s support.

We always kick off the Read-a-Thon with a special school meeting too. This year the fifth graders put on a skit that was a sequel to last year’s effort, called TV Man Returns. Super Bookworm, her sidekick, and a number of dedicated readers captured TV Man once again, though we think he may have survived to return another day.

We also had a visit from Horton the Elephant, who read a portion of his favorite story, Horton Hears a Who, to the children.

We want to thank our whole PTO, but especially Jen Bergeron, who put her whole heart and soul into this event.

The second week of the Read-a-Thon was also Turn Off TV week, always a fun week for us at school. We have cool prizes for students who participate, provided by the PTO, and we had our Literacy Night on Thursday, April 18. The storytellers were wonderful, and so many of our families came and enjoyed the event. Vicki Brown gets the credit for this one — it is one of our favorites! The Dublin Community Foundation supports us most generously on Literacy Night — thanks go to DCF too.

May will bring an artist’s residency. Mark Ragonese will return this month to work with students to create a new installation. In years past he has helped us create our wishing flag display out by the garden (between Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, there’s nothing left of it) and the village mounted in our lobby. Mark brings such a wonderful atmosphere of collaboration and creativity with him — we can’t wait.

Plans for next year are under way too — see the June issue for the latest news about classroom configurations, our newly planted vegetable garden, and more.

May Clark is teaching principal at DCS. You can reach her at 563-8332 or mclark@nullconval.edu.

 

Reminder from the Dublin Community Foundation

The Dublin Community Foundation would like to remind Dublin’s 2013 graduating seniors that a limited number of scholarships are available for anyone going on to a college, university, technical or business school.

Application forms are available from your guidance counselors or by email at dublincommunityfoundation@nullgmail.com. Please note that we welcome applications from students who have been home schooled.

The deadline is May 15th at midnight. If using snail mail (P.O. Box 1036), it must be postmarked no later than May 15th. The deadline also applies to your transcript and letters of reference so don’t delay!

 

Save the Dates:
Dublin Day: Saturday, July 20th
Yankee Barn Sale: July 27
(rain date July 28)

 

Hello, Fellow Dubliners

By Fiona Tibbetts

I am delighted to be your new ConVal School Board representative. I hope to live up to the high standards set by Mary Loftis during her six years of outstanding service to the town of Dublin and the students of ConVal. I am the mother of four boys, all of whom attended ConVal schools before we relocated temporarily to Ohio in 2003. For the last five years I have been the school nurse at Wilton-Lyndeborough Middle/High School, so I have seen public education as both a consumer and a provider.

I decided to seek this post because I care about this school district and feel that the next three years will be critical to the future of ConVal. Like many of you, I want to understand why the district budget keeps rising while the population of students declines. There has been and will continue to be discussion of school consolidation, but we all recognize the value of our local schools. My goal is to find ways to run all of the schools more efficiently to avoid the need for closures.

I have been appointed to the budget/property and policy subcommittees and I know we have our work cut out for us. Now that the election is behind us, we have started the preliminary work on next year’s budget. I want to make sure that all stakeholders in our Dublin community have a voice; your opinions about our schools matter. Please feel free to contact me with any and all concerns, questions, and most of all ideas about the direction you see us heading as a school district. I look forward to working with you over the next three years.

Fiona Tibbetts, Dublin’s new representative to SAU 1, can be reached at 566-2823 or fiona.tibbetts@nullgmail.com.

 

Fine Arts Competition and DCA Graduation

By Kevin Moody

Springtime marks competition time for high school students at Dublin Christian Academy. Every year, our students compete against other American Association of Christian Schools (AACS) on the state and national levels. This is both an academic and fine arts competition in which the students perform speech and music pieces and participate in academic testing. State winners are invited to travel to Greenville, SC, to compete on a national level with almost a thousand other students.

We are pleased and proud to announce the national winners from DCA this year. Jessany Katka won second place in the category of religious reading. In addition, Courtney Torres and Jessany Katka, took first place honors in duet acting. Congratulations!

Graduation is just around the corner on May 25. Please mark your calendars and join us on the back lawn to celebrate with this year’s Class of 2013!

Mr. Kevin Moody is president of the DCA.

 

DCC Children’s Sunday

By Yummy Cady

The Dublin Community Church will be celebrating Children’s Sunday on June 9th at 10 am, with the children from Sunday School leading the entire worship service. The theme will be a liturgical journey through the church year – the Eight R’s: Remember, Review, Rejoice, Reveal, Reflect, Renew, Receive and Respond! This is the day on which the children are celebrated for their participation in church life with the presentation of the traditional Cross and Crown award pins and a begonia plant. Everyone is invited to the All Church Picnic following worship.

Rosamond Cady has been superintendent of the DCC Religious Education program since 2001.

 

 

DCP Art Show, Silent Auction & Open House

By Ruth Thompson

May brings lots of excitement at Dublin Community Preschool and Childcare Center. On May 2nd, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, join the school for its annual fundraiser displaying the children’s art. It is also an opportunity to win lots of donated prizes (see DCP Facebook page for a list).

Then on May 23^rd, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, DCP will host an Open House for the community to learn about the cultural enrichment programs and partnership, meet the teachers, and speak with parent and children ambassadors. As a thank you for visiting the night of the open house, the registration fee will be waived for those who decide to enroll for the Fall 2013/2014 school year. DCP is located at 1283 Main Street, Dublin and can be reached at 563-8508 for more information.

Ruth Thompson is vice president of the board of the Dublin Community Preschool.

 

Our Town Administrator Visits Dublin, Ireland

By Jeanne Sterling

First, the letter, then an email, followed (finally) by phone calls. This is what led up to our Town Administrator’s invitation to Dublin, Ireland, last month. Initially Sherry Miller was wary that this was a scam of sorts. However, after communication from Fiona (representative of the Dublin host, the Lord Mayor Naoise O’Muiri), her doubts started to ebb.

The invitation extended to join other representatives from various “Dublins” across the United States was warm, gracious and sincere. There are 19 “Dublins” in all. Mayors from Ohio, Georgia, California and Pennsylvania opted to accept the invitation as well.

Sherry and her husband, Matt, would be flying to Ireland immediately after the Dublin Town Meeting on March 16th, arriving there the next morning. The anticipation of the journey, the plane travel and settling in at the hotel would exhaust most people. Adding to that, Sherry had to shift gears and be ready to march in their huge St. Patrick’s Parade shortly after their arrival. However, her energy level goes beyond most and she didn’t miss a thing!

A welcoming dinner was held that evening at the Lord Mayor’s Mansion for the visiting “Dubliners” and Sherry presented the gifts she brought from our little town: a green and white Dublin coverlet (donated by the Dublin Women’s Club); the updated history, Village on a Hill, by Tom Hyman; an assortment of note cards graced with artwork by local artists and two antique postcards depicting Dublin circa 1910. Each visitor offered gifts reflecting their regional area as well. Photos were taken that evening, and Sherry made note (in jest) of the obvious display of ‘bling’ hanging around the necks of the Irish officials and the lack of same for the U.S. representatives.

Matt and Sherry took a couple of days to explore and enjoy the Irish countryside on their own, visiting the Guinness factory, castles and pubs. A visit to the Titanic Museum in Belfast was awe-inspiring. The couple had photos taken on the movie-set replica of the grand staircase, and viewed (through a glass floor) a watery example of some of the ships remains. It was the trip and experience of a lifetime. Congratulations and Fáilte Abhaile (welcome home in Gaelic).

Jeanne Sterling is advertising coordinator for the Advocate and writes for it frequently.

 

Swap Shop Volunteer

Rosemary Wolpe is the newest volunteer at the Swap Shop at the Recycling Center.

To sign up, call Town Administrator Sherry Miller at 563-8544 (see related article in April’s Advocate, p. 5).

 

 

Request for Proposals

The Town of Dublin is seeking proposals for the replacement of the roof on the addition of the Fire Station. Project description and specifications are available at the Town Office and / or can be mailed upon request.
The Town of Dublin reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, and to accept any proposal it may deem to be in the best interest of the Town.
Proposals are due by 4:00 pm on Thursday, May 23, 2013, and should be addressed to Town of Dublin – Fire Station Roof Replacement, PO Box 277 Dublin, NH 03444.

 

Dubliner Attends White House Easter Event

By Jeanne Sterling

On April 1, the First Family hosted the 135th annual White House Easter Egg Roll. This year, more than 30,000 people from all 50 states joined them on the South Lawn for games, stories, and, of course, the traditional egg roll.

One of those 30,000 people was Dublin’s Freeman Johnson, eight-year-old son of Emily and Brooks Johnson. Freeman attends Dublin Consolidated School and is in Mrs. Ellingwood’s class.

The family arrived in D.C. on Sunday night in order to be ready to ‘roll’ on Monday morning at 9 am. Freeman’s luck continued, as he was in the first wave of egg rollers, which the First Family attended. Chef Anne Burrell, Food Network critic and chef, posed for a photo op with Freeman (a huge Food Network fan himself!).

Jeanne Sterling is advertising coordinator for the Advocate.

 

 

2013 Knotweed Campaign

“Cut early, spray late” to eradicate this invasive.

By Jack Lewis

Last fall the Dublin Conservation Commission completed the first year in its public campaign against Japanese knotweed in Dublin. (Japanese knotweed is an exotic invasive plant that can outcompete and kill all other vegetation in an area it infests. It can grow to six or eight feet in a season and its stem resembles bamboo.)

During the year the Commission worked with property owners around town on a program where property owners cut their knotweed infestations in late May / early June and the Commission arranged for the spraying of the previously cut areas in late summer. We are confident that there will be significant improvement in those areas that were cut and treated last year.

This year we plan to continue to work with interested property owners on our “cut early, spray late” program, and we are looking for any other property owners with infestations who would like to join the program. We are also expanding our program to include spraying knotweed infestations along roadsides and near streams and wetlands. Spraying these areas requires special state permits, and we have already begun the process of getting the permits needed. We have been assured that we will get the needed permits for the 2013 season.

Anyone who would like more information about the program, or who would like to get some great exercise by chopping and disposing of knotweed, should feel free to call Rusty Bastedo, Miriam Carter or Jack Lewis, or to come to a Conservation Commission meeting. The meetings are normally on the second Wednesday of the month at Town Hall at 7 pm.

Jack Lewis is chair of the Dublin Conservation Commission. [To read earlier Advocate articles on this topic, see the November 2012 and July 2012 issues.]

 

Lake Host Program at Dublin Lake

By Bill Goodwin

The Lake Host Program is one of the efforts of the Dublin Conservation Commission to preserve the quality of Dublin Lake during the summer months. The program was created by the New Hampshire Lakes Association in 2002 to prevent the introduction and spread of exotic aquatic plants, including variable milfoil in NH lakes.

From Saturday, June 29th, through Sunday, August 18th, we will have trained lake hosts working at the boat landing on the west side of Dublin Lake on weekends from 9 am to 5 pm. They will provide informational handouts regarding various invasive aquatic plants, will conduct courtesy boat inspections and will encourage boaters to examine their boats, trailers and equipment before entering and when leaving the lake for any plant “hitchhikers.” The greatest concern we have is that unwanted aquatic plants can be transferred to our lake from other lakes via boats and trailers.

We have a need for one more Lake Host this summer. We have Olivia Thomas back from last year, but should have two people trained and available to work on weekends. Applicants should be at least 18 years old (we do accept applicants as young as 16, but we must have parental approval). The job pays $11.00 per hour. Applicants may contact Bill Goodwin at PO Box 184, Dublin, NH 03444. Candidates will be interviewed for this position. Please provide address and phone number where you can be reached.

Bill Goodwin is Point Person for the Dublin Lake Host program.

 

Dublin School Graduates Four from Town

Dublin School will graduate four students from the town this month. Charlie Imhoff, who plans to attend Carleton, was engaged in several extracurricular activities at Dublin:

proctor, theater, dance, mountain biking, India Trip, Yeats Ireland Trip, crew, film club, and student council. Charlie is the son of Teresa and Peter.

Jamie Pierce, the son of Sherin Pierce and the late John Pierce, will attend Johns Hopkins.

His extracurricular interests: Nordic skiing, cross-country running, and crew. He worked at the Mariposa Museum.

Olivia Rau has been accepted at Anderson, Pace, and Suffolk.

Her extracurriculars: dance, cross-country running, equestrian, photography, and portfolio. She worked at Lee & Mt. Fuji. Her parents are Wendy and Lawrence.

Colin Sistare was accepted at Colby-Sawyer, Roger Williams, and Wheaton.

His extracurricular activities include soccer, basketball, tennis, and trips to Ireland and Europe. He is the son of Kathleen and Jonathan. Congratulations all.

 

 

This Year’s College Graduates

Charles Gurney graduates from the University of New Hampshire on May 18 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He graduated from Cushing Academy in 2008.

He is the son of Bill and Margaret.

Stefan Jadaszewski is graduating from the University of New Hampshire in May. He will be graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Philosophy. He was recently named a Presidential Scholar. Stefan plans to go on to graduate school after getting more experience in counseling. He is interested in practicing therapy with people suffering from mental illnesses. Stefan graduated from ConVal in 2008. He is the son of Jeannine Dunne and Eryk Jadaszewski.

 

A Post Graduate

Kaitlyn Smith graduated from the University of New Hampshire on December 15, 2012, with her MS in occupational therapy (OT).

After passing the national board exam in March she is officially a Registered OT. Kaitlyn continues to volunteer at New England Disabled Sports at Loon Mountain and more recently has been acquainted with the Paralympics. Kaitlyn is excited to begin her journey as an OTR/L and hopes to specialize in traumatic and acquired brain injuries. Kaitlyn graduated from ConVal in 2007. She is the daughter of Penny and Marty.

 

[Editor’s Note: More graduates will be included in the June issue of the Advocate.
If you have any recent scholar graduates in your family for publication in the Advocate, please send material to DublinAdvocate@nullgmail.com
before the 15^th of the month. Photos welcome.]

 

Spelling Bee all the Buzz at River Center

The River Center is back to celebrate its 8th Annual Community Spelling Bee. Teams of three will compete for the glory of being the best spellers in the community. Costumes, food, raffles, and mental rigor are all part of the evening. It begins at 7 pm (reception starts at 6 pm) on Friday, May 3rd, at the Peterborough Players Theatre.

The Spelling Bee is a fun, highly visible and popular community event.

It is also a major fundraising event for The River Center, supporting a range of parenting and economic opportunity programs.

Submit your team of three super spellers. Buy your tickets! Donate baked goods! Contact The River Center at 924-6800 or visit www.rivercenter.us.

 

 

Phase II Under Way at Community Center

By Bruce Simpson

The Dublin Community Center is excited to announce that Dublin Community Church members decided to make a donation of $90,000 to our Center. Equally exciting is the fact that this generous gift triggers a matching gift in the amount of $100,000. Together with a donation received earlier this year from the Partridge Foundation, as well as a number of smaller gifts, we now have the funds needed to get through Phase II of the Community Center project.

Phase II entails completion of the downstairs of the existing building so that the Center should be able to open in early fall. This step will include finishing a large meeting room where the old general store once was, and constructing a kitchen, a study area, two handicap-accessible baths, and a small office. It will also include the creation of additional parking behind the building.

The work will be going to bid soon, and is expected to be completed by the end of summer.

The subsequent phase, which we would like have done by the end of the year, will complete work on the two apartments upstairs. The income from these apartments will be a major source of revenue for the Center, and will be used to maintain the building and fund a variety of programs for the community. After that, the final step will replace the existing garage in the back of the building with a new addition providing additional meeting space, which will allow more than one meeting or event to be held at a time.

Our sincere thanks to the Community Church, the Partridge Foundation, the anonymous donors of the matching gift, and everyone else who has supported this labor of love. There will be a good deal of activity in the old general store this summer, and hopefully we’ll see you all in the newly opened Community Center this fall.

Bruce Simpson serves on the board of the Dublin Community Center.

 

Bryant Landscapes

By Rusty Bastedo

It has taken us three years to catch up with Derek Bryant and his landscaping company, but Advocate readers will be interested to know what we have found out. Derek was born in Keene. He moved away for several years but moved to Dublin in 2003 and graduated from ConVal High School in 2008.

Derek learned site construction with Interval Construction, and landscape work with Simpson Landscapes, both of Dublin. He lives on Dublin Hill and started his own landscape firm in 2009.

Derek handles approximately 40 landscapes for residential property owners; he does snowplow work for another 40 customers; and he has the Town of Francestown maintenance contract.

Russell Bastedo, who served as New Hampshire’s State Curator from 1997 to 2009, has served on the staff of the Advocate since its inception in 1999.

 

A Race: Dublin School Memorial Mile

Participants of all ages and abilities welcome to run in Dublin School’s first annual road race.

The race date is set for Saturday, May 25, 2013, beginning at 9 am, and hosted by the Parents’ Association at Dublin School. To register online, go to memorialmile.dublinschool.org. This is a USA Track and Field Certified course: #NH 12020TY. Fees are $20 for ages 18 and older; $15 for ages 17 and under.

For any further information, please contact Race Director Michelle Lange at (603) 562-6998 or michellea.lange@nullgmail.com.

 

Rummage Sale & Yard Sale
Dublin Community Church
Friday, May 3: Rummage Sale, 1-6 pm and
Saturday, May 4: Yard Sale & Rummage Sale, 10-1 pm
Spring and summer clothes, wonderful bargains on housewares,
interesting items in the boutique and something you have always wanted.
Join us!

The Harrises Move Close By

By Mary Loftis

They’re only moving five miles to the east, but there’s something “not right” about John and Betsey Harris leaving Dublin, as Tim Clark acknowledged at this year’s Town Meeting. The Harrises, individually and as a couple, are part of the fabric of this little town, although they have only lived here full-time since 1980. After living in New York City for 10 years after their marriage, they moved to NW Connecticut and ran a large dairy farm across the border in SW Massachusetts. While still living in New York, the Harrises had purchased their current home, Stonewall Farm on Page Road, to give their two children an alternative to life in the big city. Betsey recently recalled that then-realtor Walter Peterson showed them the property in the middle of an April snowstorm. They made an offer that day, even though the stunning view of Monadnock above sweeping farm fields was not visible.

John and Betsey wasted no time in getting involved. John first applied his talents at historic preservation to the Cheshire County Historical Archives in Keene but around 1984 was enlisted to organize the archives of the Dublin Community Church, which led to a vault of unsorted town papers in the basement of Town Hall. He set to work in a space over the Post Office and, along with colleague Nancy Campbell, has been at it ever since. Money was raised to build an archives building behind the library, which opened in 1996. The result is the most impressive town archives in the area, where John spends every morning working on historical archives, while Nancy focuses on those of the Town. He told me that he leaves this work, an incredible legacy to Dublin, “light of heart” because Lisa Foote has volunteered to carry it forward.

Meanwhile, in the early ‘80s Betsey got involved in Dublin affairs by volunteering in town government. She joined the Conservation Commission and then the Planning Board, both groups that coincided with her interest in conservation. In 1989, Betsey, along with Bruce McClellan and Abe Wolfe, co-founded the Monadnock Conservancy, a land trust for southwestern New Hampshire. More recently she has served on the board of the Beech Hill / Dublin Lake Watershed Association, which protected the Beech Hill property from development and preserved it for walking, riding and skiing.

Betsey is an outdoor girl, who has walked a succession of Yellow Labs around the Stonewall Farm property in all seasons. She described first meeting Bruce and Mary Elizabeth McClellan (who later went on adventurous sailing trips with the Harrises) when she rode her horse up to their house. An avid and successful vegetable gardener, Betsey also has the Yankee instinct to put food by, and her friends have been the lucky recipients of jams and relish.

John is erudite, charming and humorous, and always seems to have just the right thing to say! Although his focus has been the history of Dublin, he clearly has a deep appreciation for the present-day town and its residents. Both Harrises are sociable and engaged – which is why we’ll miss them so much. But typically they’re anticipating this move to the new village at RiverMead with good spirits and optimism. John has set his sights on organizing the library there and will apply his archivist’s talents to family papers. Betsey has already reached out and met “some very nice new people.” They’re also bringing their elderly Lab Phoebe, and some friends from Dublin and Harrisville will be living in adjoining cottages. And the Harrises will surely be back in Dublin for social events, meetings and church. It IS just five miles east!

Mary Loftis is on the staff of the Advocate.

[In the next issue, the Advocate profiles Tom and Story Wright’s contributions to town.]

 

The Bluebird

By Tom Warren

Soon we will welcome the bluebird and all that his arrival means. Spring is returning despite the fact that snowdrifts lie in northerly shadows, and dark skies yield flurries and gusty winds are still chilly, but we know spring is here when we hear the bluebird’s cheery warble.

The bluebird is occasionally the victim of severe cold and snowy weather in the south. In the late 1800s bluebirds were almost wiped out by severe storms. They were also victims of the starling and English sparrow, birds that nest in hollow trees and birdhouses frequented by the bluebird.

Bluebirds were loved by the early settlers for their beautiful blue plumage, tame personality and attraction to nest boxes. They are small thrushes closely related to the robin, another spring favorite. The young of both species have spotted breasts revealing them to be members of the thrush family.

The bluebird has a wide distribution from Ontario to Central America. Here in the Northeast we have the Eastern Bluebird while out west is the Western and Mountain Bluebird. The two western bluebird species split from the Eastern Bluebird 2½ million years ago.

In New Hampshire the bluebird prefers open fields and yards, especially old orchards. Easily attracted to nest boxes, the bluebird raises two broods during our short summer. In a study of more than 3,000 bluebirds by Cornell University, it was discovered that the nest box should face east or southeast away from prevailing winds. They will also nest in abandoned woodpecker holes.

Four to five pale blue eggs are laid, with five often found in first broods and four in a second nesting. One egg a day is laid between dawn and 8 am and they hatch in 14 days. Young remain in the nest for 18 days and remain together for about three weeks attended by the male while the female prepares for a second brood.

Bluebirds eat a variety of insects including beetles, grasshoppers, sow bugs, earthworms and tent caterpillars, which accounts for about 70% of their diet. The remaining 30% consists of wild fruits in the autumn and winter.

In mild winters bluebirds remain in our area, but usually they migrate to the southern United States. They have benefited from the construction of hundreds of thousands of nest boxes by school children, scouts and bluebird enthusiasts.

Tom Warren, a Dublin resident, is a Trustee of the Harris Center for Conservation Education and New Hampshire Audubon.

 

A New Citizen

Liz Pacilio, Scott Maslansky, and their son Atticus are thrilled to share that their family has grown!

Claudia Joy was born in Arizona on March 11th, was in their arms on March 14th, and came home to Dublin March 22. Welcome to Claudia Joy.

 

 

Don’t Forget Your Best Friend!
Dog licenses were due by April 30th.
Please call the Town Clerk at 563-8859 or stop by.

 

Community Breakfast

The Dublin Community Church is having its annual Community Breakfast on Saturday, May 18^th, from 7:30 to 10:30 am. Menu will include pancakes (with real maple syrup), sausage, fruit, granola, yogurt, juices, coffee and tea. No charge — freewill offering accepted. Come enjoy breakfast with your family, friends and neighbors.

 

Art Show: “Minis on Main!”

View more than 100 pieces of petite-sized art: paintings, collages, prints and photographs (4” x 4”) on Friday, May 3, from 3 to 8 pm and Saturday, May 4, 10 am to 5 pm at 30 Main Street, in Peterborough. Three-dimensional pieces no greater than 6” x 6” x 6”. All work available for purchase. Meet many of the 38 participating artists at Friday’s opening reception, some of them from Dublin.

 

Peter’s Pondering
By Peter Hewitt

Last week, while waiting for a friend to eat lunch with, I picked up a big, heavy book off a coffee table that contained pictures by Norman Rockwell. Many of them had first appeared on Saturday Evening Post covers.

Although I had seen most of them before, I was blown away by how good they were. By my standards, Rockwell wasn’t just an illustrator; he was an artist and a darned good one.

It wasn’t only this beautiful and oh-so-accurate detail. In a subtle and moving way, Norman Rockwell depicted a view of American life that was real, funny, and great to look at.

Peter Hewitt retired to RiverMead a few years ago along with several other former Dublin residents. (Above, Peter is on the right; taken last memorial Day.)

 

Farmer’s Market: Outdoors Once Again

The Peterborough Farmers Market will open at Depot Square on May 15^th, 2013. We have lots of new vendors, award-winning pickles, Sawyer’s cheese (Joe Sawyer won at the Big E this year —he beat Cabot and Grafton County), local ice cream, milk, eggs, honey, maple syrup, confections, and artists of various mediums.

 

Local Artist Exhibits

Maryann Mullett has an exhibition at Sunflowers Café in Jaffrey from May 7th through June 11. Opening reception: Sunday, May 19th from 3 to 5 pm. Scott Mullett Trio will be playing for the opening. Come see new paintings with a floral summer-bloom theme.

 

Monadnock Rotary Meetings Open to All
By Ruth Clark

The Monadnock Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at 7:30 am at the Dublin Community Church. Please join us for breakfast.

Speakers this month include Pastor Joel Cortes Ramirez who is the director of the Centro Victoria Hogar de Niños (Centro Victoria Home for Children) in Ciudad Juárez, México, on May 7. Monadnock Rotary Club has teamed up with a Rotary Club in Juarez, Mexico to provide funds for much-needed bedding and school equipment for the Juarez orphanage Centro Victoria.

In addition, Michelle Thevenin, the new Executive Director of Monadnock Humane Society, will be speaking about creating a humane community in the Monadnock Region on May 14. Phil Heber, Executive Director of Big Brothers, Big Sisters will also be addressing the Club on May 21.

The Monadnock Rotary Club is based in Dublin and is dedicated to community service. The Club’s primary interests are youth development and health advocacy for people of all ages in the Monadnock region and around the world. The Club is part of Rotary International, a worldwide service organization of more than 1.2 million members.

Ruth Clark is past president and current publicity chair of the Monadnock Rotary. She can be reached at 924-9505 with any questions.

 

Marionette Show Kicks off Children and the Arts

On Friday, May 17^th, from 7 to 8 pm, the Tanglewood Marionettes will present “The Dragon King” at the Peterborough Town House. This free performance will kick off this year’s Children and the Arts Festival, themed “Puppetpalooza.” The festival will continue on Saturday, May 18th from 9 am to 4 pm with activities throughout downtown Peterborough. The Sharon Arts Center helped fund and made arrangements for puppeteer, Lorraine Gilman, to work with more than 200 local students designing and creating handmade puppets. Student musicians will be singing and performing music. And as always, the parade will be filled with handmade puppets.

This festival is free due to generous individual and business donors from ConVal communities and beyond. If you are able to make a contribution to this annual event, please send donations to Children and the Arts, PO Box 771, Peterborough, NH 03458. Donations are tax deductable. More details can be found at www.childrenandthearts.org.

 

Rabbit Ear Films Launches Indiegogo Campaign

Just $15,000 needed to complete documentary on Monadnock.

Rabbit Ear Films, a local non-profit filmmaking company, is launching an Indiegogo Fundraising Campaign on Wednesday, May 1, to help complete the documentary called “Monadnock-The Mountain That Stands Alone.”

The feature-length high-definition film is in the final phase of post-production, which is when taped interviews of first-person stories about the mountain are combined with still photographs, video taken on the mountain, narration and music. Research and production are completed. This has been a three-year effort with film completion targeted for the end of 2013.

The Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign, where people contribute to the film project online in whatever amount they choose, will continue through Friday, June 14. All contributions will be tax deductible. To make a donation, visit www.indiegogo.com/projects/monadnock-the-mountain-that-stands-alone/x/2733517.

For further information about the Indiegogo fundraising campaign and the Mount Monadnock documentary, visit monadnockfilm.com and facebook.com/rabbitearfilms.

[For the full story see Advocate issues: August 2012, October 2012 (cover), and February 2013.]

 

Monadnock at Home

Please join Monadnock at Home on Saturday, May 11th, for a screening of the movie, Age of Champions at the Peterborough Community Theatre from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. It is an award-winning documentary that follows a handful of seniors as they train and compete for the Gold in the National Senior Olympics. The film will both entertain and inspire you! A healthy snack will be provided as well as a brief discussion on fitness and demonstration of helpful, simple exercises. Admission is $5 for MaH members, $8 for non-members. Monadnock at Home is a non-profit 501(c)(3) membership organization, helping seniors live independently at home. For more information about MaH membership and programs, visit www.monadnockathome.org.