Children Can Play All Day at DSP
By Eliot Pelletier
During the 10 months of the year when I don’t run the Dublin Summer Playground, I dedicate my time to teaching academics to 5th graders in a nearby town. We instruct children according to state and federal standards and endeavor to give our students the skills they will need to be successful in life. We use mountains of testing data to assess student needs, modifying our approach to teaching according to what this information tells us about each child. We keep our expectations high, believing that every child can learn and improve under our tutelage. Due to the constraints of time and the prioritization of academics, little of each day is left to instruct students on socialization; we focus on trying to curb bullying and systemic social issues but can give students little time to practice these skills. We then send our students out for 20 minutes of recess and expect them to play nicely, despite the fact that a growing number of children in our society simply do not know how to play at all.
At the Dublin Summer Playground, children play all day. We give the 5-12 year old campers plenty of options: competitive group games, team-building activities, art and crafts, team sports, educational activities and lessons, even individual “mini-race” competitions, but the real beauty of our program is the large amounts of loosely structured free time that allows children to practice how to play with one another.
If you visited a typical day at Playground, you would see children engaging in all sorts of different activities. You might see older children playing with the younger kids, boys playing with girls, counselors (most of whom were campers at Playground themselves) teaching campers how to shoot a basketball or weave a friendship bracelet, “bake shops” selling carefully crafted mud pies, collaborative chalk art masterpieces, groups taking nature walks to examine ancient stone walls, children playing tag in our field and an endless line at the four-square court.
Everywhere these children are playing, meeting new friends and working through disagreements that arise when you do anything with others. The benefits of learning how to play with their peers will serve these kids as well, if not better than any lesson they learn inside a classroom.
We also give campers other opportunities that they might not otherwise have. Every week we parade up to the Public Library, where the lovely librarians read to the children, run engaging activities and let them take out books. We travel to Manchester to watch the Fisher Cats, to Canobie Lake Park to ride the Yankee Cannonball, and up to the summit of Mt. Monadnock to take in the same sights as Thoreau and Emerson. For many campers these are the only chances they have during the year to visit these special places. The look of awe and excitement on the campers’ faces is contagious.
The Playground has been a tradition for the youth in Dublin for roughly 40 years. As another summer comes to a close I look at the social growth of the campers much as I might reflect on my students’ academic progress. I can see the positive effects of our program, and rest assured knowing that the skills the students learned from playing all summer will help them immensely throughout their lives.
We want to give a special thanks to the Dublin Public Library for running their Summer Reading Program, the Dublin Police Department for running our Bike Rodeo and the Dublin Community Foundation for their generous donations for camper scholarships.
Eliot Pelletier is the Director of the Playground and has been working there since 2003.
Dublin Public Library
Articles on radishes, fireflies and public gardens in Peterborough, NH, can be found in the August issue of Horticulture available at the library.
The Dublin Public Library will have its final “Dig Into Reading” program Wednesday, August 7.
During the 2013 Summer Reading Program, children have made garden gnomes and played a game about what grows above the ground and what grows below the ground. Children were very knowledgeable about gardening and underground animals. We built construction vehicles that “dig” with Legos and learned about underground caves with a guest visitor from the Mariposa Museum. One of our challenges was digging up dinosaur bones and then assembling the pieces puzzle style. Our program is open to young people, preschool through young adult and it has been enjoyable watching everyone work together and make new friends.
Our final weeks will focus on digging for treasure. Our end of the summer party will be held on August 7 at 10 am. Weather permitting we will spend some time outside playing games.
Stories and a craft table will be offered on Wednesdays, August 14, 21, and 28 at 10 am.
Books:
Silver Star by J. Walls
The Yonahlosse Riding Camp for Girls by A. DiSclofani
Where Did You Go Bernadette by M. Semple
Red Azalea by A. Min
Ocean at the End of the Lane by N. Gaiman
Kill Room by J. Deaver
Fast Diet by M. Mosley
A Million Years with You by E. Thomas
DVDs:
Oz the Great and Powerful
Orchestra Wives
Quartet
MESA Annual Meeting & Picnic
By Susan Peters
On Sunday, August 18, the Monadnock Eastern Slope Association (MESA) will hold its Annual Meeting and potluck picnic in Dublin. The picnic will begin at 5 pm, followed by a brief business meeting and then a talk by Patrick Hummel, Manager of Monadnock State Park. The 8th Park Manager in the history of the Park, Patrick Hummel grew up in Jaffrey and began working as a seasonal employee at the Park in 2001 before taking over management duties in 2008.
When not hiking, talking, or thinking about Mt. Monadnock, Mr. Hummel has numerous other interests, including hiking other mountains, traveling, reading non-fiction, Civil War history, and music. He lives at the base of Mt. Monadnock with his wife and three dogs, the latter of whom are not allowed on the mountain.
Members of MESA will have received a printed invitation to the meeting. Those wishing to join MESA and attend the Annual Meeting, may go to the MESA website, http://www.mesa-nh.org/html/mesa_picnic_and_annual_meeting.html, download and complete the registration form, and send it to the address listed on the form. At the meeting, there will be an election of officers, including a new president and secretary.
Susan Peters is secretary of MESA.
Caretakers of Dublin Lake
By Felicity Pool
If you’ve been a regular Advocate reader, you’re likely to have encountered Dublin Lake news at least once or twice a year. In no particular order, you could have read about water quality testing, underwater weed monitoring, erosion control, the Lake Host program, watershed protection.
In the Town Archives you can find out about ice cutting on what was then named Dublin Pond, ice boating, trout (including a now-extinct variety apparently found nowhere else). There’s a list of 34 birds seen at the Lake over the past six decades including sandpipers, geese, scoters, ducks, petrels, loons, gulls, grebes and eagles. Photos from the early 20th century indicate that from any of the roads around the lake you could barely see the water because the band of trees and bushes was so thick and the road edges so far back from the shoreline.
As of this summer, several local groups are working to care for the lake: Beech Hill/Dublin Lake Watershed Association, the Dublin Conservation Commission, Dublin Lake Preservation Committee, Dublin Lake Association, Dublin Women’s Club, the Garden Club of Dublin, and Town of Dublin Selectmen. And of course lakefront property owners and people who enjoy Dublin Lake. The work is about maintaining water quality. What causes it to deteriorate is primarily human activity around the lake: runoff (dirt, salt, sand, oil) from Route 101 and East and West Lake Roads; fertilizer applied to lawns and gardens (washes into the Lake and promotes underwater weed growth); digging projects in the watershed (loose dirt is carried into the water); inadequate septic systems; invasive weeds carried on boat propellers.
The counter measures promoted by state biologists, hatchery experts and the Volunteer Lakes Assessment Program (VLAP) are: preserve and enhance the banks so a network of roots filters pollutants; minimize use of road salt; avoid fertilizer application in any watershed property; conduct regular tests of water quality and monitor aquatic weed growth; educate boaters to check propellers and ensure any weeds are removed well away from the water.
Resources for Shoreland Program: http://townofdublin.org/conservation-commission/; http://nhlakes.org and http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/lakes/.
Felicity Pool is a member of the Dublin Lake Preservation Committee.
Planters Extraordinaire
Our hard-working Flower People are back again. Wonderful, colorful hayracks and planters now grace the Dublin Town Hall and the Dublin town signs. The committee was headed up by Louise Werden whose meticulous plans for the planters where followed by her trusty volunteers from the Garden Club of Dublin and local residents. The volunteers will dead-head, water and give the plants TLC throughout the summer. Interested in joining this group? Call Louise Werden at 563-8143.
How’s Howe (Reservoir)?
By Rusty Bastedo and Jack Lewis
Anyone who drove past the Howe Reservoir between late June and (at least) mid-July saw that the portion of the Howe Reservoir that is south of Route 101 has suddenly become a mud flat. The reservoir was created circa 1910 by the Dublin Electric Company, to create both a power source and flood control. It is a concrete structure with a spillway constructed of two steel I-beams and three dozen thick wooden planks. The Dam Bureau of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services currently owns the dam, and inspects it regularly. When the Bureau inspected in June it found that the steel I-beams had rusted out and needed to be replaced before they failed completely and sent a six-foot by ten-foot wall of water into Chesham Reservoir and down into Marlborough.
As a result the Dam Bureau “dewatered” the reservoir so that a rain and spillway failure wouldn’t cause a flood. This dropped the water level in the reservoir by over six feet and made the southern sector a mud flat. The Bureau prepared replacement I-beams on an emergency basis, but we were then hit by lots of rain before the Bureau could replace the I-beams.
The Bureau was finally able to replace the I-beams on Wednesday, July 11, and all three dozen boards are back in place. What we need now is some good rain so that the reservoir can be “rewatered.” The dam is just off the Monadnock/Sunapee Greenway, and is about a 45-minute walk from the Greenway entrance on Route 101, or a 10-minute walk from the Greenway entrance on Brown Road in Chesham. The Advocate will stay on the case, and make a further report on the matter.
Rusty Bastedo is a member and Jack Lewis is chairman of the Dublin Conservation Commission.
Dublin Women’s Club News
By Nancy Campbell
More than 125 members, their families and guests have been enjoying another hot summer at the Women’s Club Beach. We have been fortunate to have back long-term employees, Polly Seymour and Liz Lawler, to provide swimming lessons to many young Dubliners. Trenton Mills is our sailing instructor this year and Megan Briggs is our weekend lifeguard.
The Beach Annual Fun Day, with the Lake swim, a cookout, games and sandcastle building will be held on Friday, August 16th.
The Board of Directors and Beach Committee thank our employees and others in the community who contributed in any way to making our beach a pleasant place to be on a hot summer day. We also thank all those people and organizations that so generously contributed to our annual appeal.
Nancy Campbell is treasurer of the Dublin Women’s Club.
Justin Carpenter: Fighting Fires for 20 Years
By Ramona Branch
Justin Carpenter was just 20 years old when he signed on to be a Dublin firefighter. Justin was working at Belletetes at the time. “Joe Sangermano, a longtime Dublin firefighter, came into Belletetes and saw me reading ‘Fire House’ magazine,” he said. “Joe asked me if I would come by the fire station Monday night, meet the fellas and see if I might like to become a volunteer firefighter. That was it for me.”
Captain Carpenter has been with the Dublin Fire Department for 20 years. His responsibilities revolve around orienting new people to their job. He explained that when you sign on there are many things over and above the fire-fighting training itself that a person needs to know. He supports them in the myriad details until they are comfortable and all their questions are answered. He also issues the new recruits the proper fitting firefighting gear. In addition to his firefighting experience, Justin has also completed EMS training and often assists the EMTs with medical rescue aspects.
Justin works full time for Allen & Mathewson Energy Corp. driving an oil truck. A Dublin resident for 17 years, he and his wife, Shannon, have one daughter, Emma, who is 8 years old. Emma goes to Dublin Consolidated School. Justin says Emma beams with pride when he comes to school, outfitted in full firefighting gear and to talk to her classmates about his job as a firefighter and why he finds it so satisfying.
“The job of putting out a fire, rescuing people and seeing that they get the medical attention that they need is an incredible experience,” Justin said. “I can’t explain the satisfaction that goes along with that. I would love to do firefighting as my full-time work.”
Writer’s Note: This is the fifth in a series of articles about Dublin’s volunteer fire fighters.
Ramona Branch is a freelance writer and editor and is on the staff of the Advocate.
Rovena Robinson: A Remembrance
By Judy Knapp
A friend of mine, who only came to know Rovena recently, sent me an email that sums up Rovena “…She loved to read and I loved that about her. She was interesting and interested in so many things…a special person… I hope when my time comes someone can say, as I can say now, that I didn’t see her often but when I did she was so welcoming and so kind.”
Kind, welcoming, voracious reader, Red Sox fanatic, loving and proud mother, grandmother, wife, sister, friend and neighbor. That is how I will remember Rovena. As rare as it was to see her wearing something other than white, it was just as rare to see her without a smile or a kind word for and about everyone she knew.
She loved her family, not just her children and grandchildren but Tom’s sons and grandchildren. And they loved her. Meme was always there for them and, to the very end, they were there for her.
And her books. She was never without a book and her collection of mysteries was better than any library in the area. I can remember the summer (and it took all summer) that she cataloged and shelved all of her mysteries by author. Then whenever we went to a used bookstore she assiduously sought out the missing volumes to fill out her collection. Only once was I able to introduce Rovena to a mystery author she had not already discovered. But it wasn’t only mysteries. Her love of books, especially fiction, was deep and unquenchable.
And the Red Sox. While she loved baseball, the Red Sox were her first love. While she didn’t go to many games at Fenway, she and Tom had season tickets for Spring Training all the years they were in Florida. If there was a Sox game on, Rovena was to be found coaching from “her corner” of the couch. She would get so excited during the games that her son suggested that she listen to the games on the radio instead of watching them on TV.
She was a friend, neighbor, confidant and wise counselor. I will miss her and enjoy all the good memories I have and will remember her as the amazing person she was.
Judy Knapp, a resident for over 35 years, serves on the Dublin Budget Committee and is a Supervisor of the Checklist.
Community Center Update
Progress is being made for the future Dublin Community Center. Thanks to many donors we raised enough money for Phase II: to renovate the existing first floor into useable space.
Construction will be starting in the next few weeks, so be on the lookout for changes. We hope to be open in the late fall, and we will announce our schedule in the Advocate as soon as we know it.
In the meantime, we are planning what we need for furnishings! We’ve come up with a Wish List on the chance that folks might want to buy something specific, or donate funds for an item on our list.
• We’ll need about 100 stackable chairs.
• Two 30″-round folding tables for the front windows.
• Six computers, preferably Macs.
• Two printers
• 10 folding tables: 8′ x 30″
• 60″ mountable TV, with wall mount
• Wii or Xbox 360, whichever is best for exercise
• Projector for presentations
• Plates, bowls, mugs, and flatware for 30
Maybe someone in the town has a connection to resources for some of these items. Or maybe you’d rather donate the funds for one item. Either way, we would certainly appreciate any help you can give us.
Many thanks to all,
The Dublin Community Center Board of Trustees
The Plot Has Grown
By Mary Loftis
Agriculture is alive and well in Dublin! John Sandri and Garret Sundstrom have run Farmer John’s Plot for four years now, and have expanded from a series of raised beds at Stonlea on Main Street to a larger garden and greenhouse off Chesham Road (just east of the Harrisville border). They have also added farm-raised chickens, turkeys, sheep, cows and eggs to their offerings, which allowed them to transcend the vegetable-growing season.
As the volume and variety of their offerings has expanded, so has their means of marketing. Many will remember John and Garret at their Saturday morning farmstand in the parking lot between the Dublin General Store and the Post Office, where they demonstrated not only horticultural talent but also a knack for attractive presentation. The customer base they developed there (and through participating in the Fresh Chicks Farmer’s Market held on Mondays at Monadnock Community Hospital’s parking lot) led them to offer CSA shares, prepaid weekly offerings of seasonal bounty. In addition, they now have a “permanent” farm stand just off Rte. 101 on Chesham Rd. here in Dublin, open daily from 9 am to 8 pm, year-round.
Next year John and Garret are hoping to expand by adding a third farmer, Jasen Woodworth, and a third plot of land. They’re currently on the lookout for a two- to three-acre field of tillable, relatively flat land.
If you haven’t stopped at the farmstand yet, you’re in for at treat.
The little building, which has an adorable “crew cut” of grass on its roof, is filled with vegetables and poultry from Farmer John’s Plot as well as many treats from other local farms. On the day I visited one fridge was stocked with lettuce, cukes, tomatoes and eggplants (in early July!) and another contained yogurt, kefir, eggs and cheese. Frozen beef and chicken were available in a large chest freezer, and shoppers were invited to reserve a Thanksgiving turkey. Since paying is on the honor system and I still had a dollar to make up the twenty I put in the cash box, I bought a delicious gluten-free macaroon for the ride home.
Dublin used to be a farming town, and it’s heartening that the “localvore” movement is supporting the farming livelihood of these two impressive young Dubliners. John and Garret can be reached at farmerjohnsplot@nullgmail.com.
Mary Loftis is on the staff of the Advocate.
Next month the Advocate will feature other local agricultural endeavors.
The Almeidas’ Celebrate Their 65th
By Larry Foley
It is my pleasure to invite Advocate readers to join the Foley’s in saluting Frank and Marion Almeida for celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary in July. Such a long reflection of love and fidelity is rare and even more noteworthy as our nation’s culture undergoes many transformations.
Yankee magazine enticed the Almeida’s first visit and they never regretted choosing Dublin to be their home after Frank retired 24 years ago. Two daughters, Wendy and April, live locally. Steven and his family live nearby in Massachusetts.
While Marion preferred to continue still-life painting at home over becoming engaged in community affairs, Frank quickly made new friends by joining Dublin’s Riding and Walking Club. Soon thereafter, his time, energy, and talents were channeled as a volunteer with the Conservation Commission, RISE, and Monadnock Community Hospital.
I am grateful for having had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with Frank and Marion over the years.
Larry Foley has lived on Cobb Meadow Rd. for 22 years with his wife and two beagles.
Dublin Organizations Provide Sponsorships
By Cathy Carabello
Dublin Community Preschool and Childcare Center offers seven weeks of summer camp opportunities for three to six year olds. Each camp week has a separate theme and all themes emphasize outdoor exploration that goes beyond what is possible during the regular school year.
Due to sponsorships received from some Dublin organizations, five local children were able to participate in various DCP summer camp opportunities. Thanks to the Garden Club of Dublin, two children will benefit from our “Sprouts” camp in August, designed to teach basic gardening skills as well as the garden to table experience so important to the basis of healthy eating habits in young children.
SCM Associates and the Dublin Community Foundation went a long way in providing our area children with opportunities that would not otherwise have been possible.
It takes a village to run a school. Thank you, Dublin, for your heartfelt generosity!
Space is still available for our “Sprouts” camp beginning August 5th. Call DCP for further info at 563-8508 and “Like” us on facebook to see what we’ve been up to!
Cathy Carabello is director of the Dublin Community Preschool.
Granite State Gas and Engine Meet
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 7 & 8
Weis Field off Rte. 101
The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
By Tom Warren
The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is the only species of breeding Hummingbird in the eastern United States. Arriving in Dublin about May 1st, this bird frequents flower gardens until the middle of September. They are called hummingbirds because they beat their wings at about 80 times per second and this creates the humming sound we hear.
It only weighs 3.5 grams as an adult but makes an annual round-trip flight of nearly 1,000 miles to its winter home in Central America mostly nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico in both spring and fall. Some migrate along the coast in the fall. To do this they double their weight by eating nectar and insects before the long flight.
Hummingbirds have color vision and drink nectar from flower species, especially red and orange flowers. They can be easily attracted to homes by hanging commercial nectar feeders and using a mixture of dissolved 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water (heat and allow to cool). It pollinates many species of flowers.
Hummingbirds have rapid heartbeats, fast breathing rates and high body temperatures, all of which require large amounts of food daily.
Males and females remain together only during breeding season. Breeding season usually begins with the flowering of the wild columbine in the Dublin area. The tiny nest (averaging 1½ inches in diameter) is made of soft downy-like materials held together with spider webs. Frequently lichen is woven into the nest for camouflage and it is able to expand as the babies grow. The clutch is usually made of two eggs that hatch in 14 days with the young fledging at 21 days. The female feeds the young by regurgitation.
The northern limit of the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird here in Dublin is determined by the presence of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Before flower nectar is available, Hummingbirds depend on sap wells drilled by the Sapsucker. Jewelweed is a favorite plant because it can increase nectar production and this in turn results in increased pollination by hummingbirds and more jewelweed seeds in the fall showing how both plant and bird have adapted well to the mutual benefit of each species.
Tom Warren is a Trustee of the Harris Center for Conservation Education and New Hampshire Audubon.
Meet Your Neighbor: Dan Scully, Architect
By Rusty Bastedo
Dan Scully has been a practicing architect in the Monadnock Region since 1974, but he pursued a circuitous route to get here.
Entering college, Dan wanted to be an engineering student, but he soon learned that what he was really interested in was architecture. Dan transferred to Yale University’s School of Architecture, and he interned with architect Louis I. Kahn in Kahn’s Philadelphia office while pursuing his BA and MA degrees.
Louis Kahn was working in an evolving new style and working on major contracts with Yale University. Kahn was breaking away from the traditional American Gothic designs used at Yale before the 1960s; he was also working full throttle on other projects that demanded considerable attention, notably the Bangladesh Capitol Building and the new School Library at Exeter Academy in NH. As an intern in Kahn’s office, Dan had an opportunity to witness the pressures, joys and perils of both national and international work.
Several years after graduation from Yale, Dan joined Total Environmental Action, in Harrisville (NH). The firm was only two persons strong when Dan joined TEA; it grew to 35 employees before he left the firm (1981). Dan rented a room from the architect, Richard Monahon, another young architect who had come to Harrisville to help design a survival plan for the closed Harrisville textile mills. Dan taught Passive Solar Design at TEA, and Scully and Monahon were partners in a Peterborough (NH) architectural firm (1981-83) before Dan created his own architectural practice. During the 1990s Dan created the Band Conductor Platform at the University of Michigan’s Band Practice Field (1998), and he created the Master Plan and Campus Center Building for the College of the Atlantic in Maine. Dan’s firm has since moved to Keene (NH), where he has five fulltime employees and one intern as of this writing. Recent work by his firm has included designing renovations for Dublin Town Hall, and three new buildings including the new food co-op on land in Keene formerly owned by the railroad and used for coal storage.
Dan pursues racecar driving in his free time because his mind cannot wander while he is behind the wheel of a fast-moving automobile. His favorite racetracks are at Mont Tremblant, Canada, Loudon (NH), and Lime Rock (CT). Dan’s son Michael is Creative Director for the auto company BMW, and when Michael is racing, Dan works as one of the pit crew. Michael designed the US Olympic Team two-man bobsled entry for the 2014 Russian Winter Olympics.
After 40 years in the Monadnock Region, Dan Scully is today more and more focused on reinforcing the contextual architectural character of communities, seeking to preserve (with modern updates) the whole rather than single buildings. He is a consultant to numerous groups whose interests match his own. Dan retains his sense of humor and his high standards of excellence while serving on numerous boards of trustees, and his buildings continue to gain awards and prizes as his 40th year of architectural practice (1974-2014) approaches.
Russell Bastedo is a member of the Dublin Historical Society and has been on the staff of the Advocate since its inception.
August Speakers at Monadnock Rotary
By Ruth Clark
All are welcome to attend weekly breakfast meetings of the Monadnock Rotary Club at 7:30 am at the Dublin Community Church. When you join us for breakfast, you will hear from District Governor David Hoopes for the annual club visit on August 6. The public is invited to this opportunity to learn more about club projects.
On August 13 Tom Westheimer, a member of the Peterborough Rotary Club, will talk about his Eyeglasses for Thailand Project. On August 20, Michelle Aldredge, creator of the Gwarlingo art blog, will be sharing her project and on August 27 Keri Weiderspahn, Executive Director, Sharon Arts Center will update the club on SAC happenings.
The Monadnock Rotary Club, based in Dublin, 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 with more than 1.2 million members.
For further details, please call Ruth Clark at 924-9505.
Local Artist Honorably Mentioned
Jane El Simpson has received an Honorable Mention for her work entitled “Henry David” currently on display in the Fitchburg Art Museum’s 78th Regional Exhibition of Art and Craft. The exhibit, which was juried by Nina Gara Bozicnik, runs until September 1, and is open Wednesdays through Fridays from 12 to 4 pm; Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm. It is located at 25 Merriam Parkway in Fitchburg, MA. For details, visit www.fitchburgartmuseum.org or call 978-345-4207.
Baha’is Host Program in Dublin
By Phil Gammons
This year the Baha’is of the Monadnock Region will commemorate the visit of Abdu’l-Baha to Dublin in the summer of 1912.
Abdu’l-Baha, the son of Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, came for an extended visit to the United States and stayed in Dublin for three weeks during the summer of 1912. During His stay He gave several public talks including one at the Dublin Community Church, along with other talks at various homes and at the Dublin Inn.
On Sunday, August 11th, there will be a program at the Dublin Community Church to commemorate Abdu’l-Baha’s visit. The service begins at 3 pm, and will include readings, music and a talk by Dr. John Woodall. He is a Baha’i from Newtown, CT, and will be speaking about Abdu’l-Baha’s message of peace to the world.
A reception will follow at 4 pm at the Dublin Inn located at 1265 Main Street. All are welcome to attend. For more information, call 563-8809 or visit http://dublininn.bahai.us.
Phil Gammons has been the property manager of the historic Dublin Inn since it was acquired by the Baha’i national organization in 2005. He and his wife Ruthie live and work on site. The public is welcome to visit.
Musicians in August at the DCC
Every Sunday in August at the Dublin Community Church, special music is included as part of the 9 am Worship Services. On July 28 is a Vocal Quartet. On August 4, we will hear Scott Mullett on Classical Saxophone. On August 11, the program is Jazz meets Baroque — piano, bass, and percussion. Olga Litvantsova, violin and piano, will revisit us on August 18, and on August 25 is Andrew Koutroubis, cello and piano. All are welcome, and join us for coffee hour after the service.
August at the Peterborough Players
By Fred Leventhal
The Peterborough Players continues its 80th birthday season with a revival of Laughing Stock from August 7 to 14. Written and directed by former Artistic Director Charles Morey, this hilarious backstage farce, last seen in 2004, depicts a playhouse unabashedly reminiscent of Peterborough Players in decades past. Performed across the United States, it has recently been produced in Moscow in a Russian translation.
Sir Alan Ayckbourn’s celebrated comedy, Absurd Person Singular, last seen at the Players in 1977, follows from August 21 to September 1.
This play by the reigning master of British comedy traces the shifting relationships and fortunes of three interconnected couples in three kitchens on three successive Christmas Eves.
The Second Company will present five performances of Scapino! August 24-31. This madcap comedy, successfully staged at the Players in 1982, is based on Moliere’s 1671 play, The Pranks of Scapin.
Evening performances are Wednesdays to Saturdays at 8, Sundays at 4, and Tuesdays at 7. Tickets are available at 924-7585 or at the Players’ box office.
Fred Leventhal, a Dublin resident, is a trustee of the Peterborough Players.
Amos Fortune Forum
By Fred Leventhal
The Amos Fortune Forum’s 67 year continues with four speakers on Fridays in August at the Jaffrey Meetinghouse at 8 pm.
Sara Mansfield Taber will speak on what it is like to grow up as the daughter of a spy on August 2. Based on her memoir Born Under an Assumed Name, Taber provides a unique perspective on the world of intelligence and the effects of espionage on a spy and his family.
Jaffrey resident Robert Putnam will make a return appearance at the Forum on August 9, speaking on The Opportunity Gap: Reviving the American Dream. A prize-winning author and Harvard political scientist, Putnam explores the economic, social, and moral implications of the growing disparity between children from the upper third of the social hierarchy and their peers from the lower third.
On August 16, Joseph S. Nye will address the forum on 20th Century American Presidents and foreign policy. Nye, former Dean of the Kennedy School at Harvard, will assess the distinctions between “transformational” leaders, like Wilson and Reagan, and “transactional” leaders, like Eisenhower and George H.W. Bush.
What Oceans are Telling Us about Climate Change is the subject of a talk by James J. McCarthy, Professor of Biological Oceanography at Harvard. McCarthy, who lives in Francestown, is Chair of the Board of the Union off Concerned Scientists. McCarthy will look at whether the earth is really warming in predictable ways, sharing information on deep-sea temperatures, multi-year climate cycles, and changes in Arctic ice.
Fred Leventhal is on the Amos Fortune Forum Committee.
Peter’s Pondering
By Peter Hewitt
You will know you’ve come of age when you can count thirteen automobiles that have disappeared during your lifetime.
I can, and I may have overlooked a few. Here they are:
Hudson, Essex (made by Hudson), Marmon (there was a 16-cylinder model!), Pierce Arrow (head lights on fenders), Franklin (air cooled), La Salle (stripped down Cadillac) and Oldsmobile (GM products), De Soto (Chrysler product), Edsel and Mercury (Ford products), Packard, Willis (remember the Willis “Knight”?), Nash (as in Rambler).
We’re down to the three American companies that have survived: Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler (now partly owned by Fiat).
Should we bring back the Stanley Steamer?
Peter Hewitt retired to RiverMead a few years ago along with several other former Dublin residents.
Cobb Meadow Hosts Summer Garden Days
Cobb Meadow School, a Waldorf preschool and kindergarten, invites families to Summer Garden Days, an informal and fun summer program on Wednesday, August 7 and Wednesday, August 14 from 9:00-10:30 am.
Garden Days are an opportunity for children and caregivers to enjoy the summer garden and outdoor playtime. A refreshing snack will be provided. Gardening days are free and no registration is necessary. Attend one Garden Day or attend them all!
Cobb Meadow School, now celebrating 21 years, was established in 1992 to provide the greater Peterborough area with Waldorf educational opportunities for nursery and kindergarten age children, Cobb Meadow School provides a deeply nourishing and satisfying early school experience for the young child. The school is now accepting applications for children ages 3 to 6 years old for the 2013-2014 school year.
Cobb Meadow School is located at 273 Cobb Meadow Road (crossroad is East Harrisville Road), Dublin, NH. For more details, please call Anne at 563-7755, or email info@nullcobbmeadowschool.org.
Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services
By Chaille Cohen
Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services (HCS) is offering three foot care clinics in August to residents of all area towns. A nurse will be on hand to offer basic foot care. There is a $20 charge for foot care services. Appointments are necessary and can be made by calling 1-800-541-4145, ext. 118 or 352-2253.
All clinics will take place at HCS in Peterborough at 45 Main St. You may make appointments for August 7, 13 or 14 between 10 am and 2 pm.
Chaille Cohen is Community Relations Assistant for HCS – Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services.
CASA of NH
Skill-based volunteering (SBV) is a valuable opportunity for everyone involved. Use your professional skills and experiences and make a meaningful difference in the community by helping a child needing advocacy. To learn more about skill-based volunteering at CASA of NH, visit www.casanh.org or call Jen Buteau at 752-9670.
A First Annual Amateur BBQ/Pulled-Pork Competition
Will be held at Alyson’s Orchard Sunday, August 4, from 11 am to 3 pm.
Sponsored by Alyson’s Orchard & The Pit Stop Smokehouse it is with a Food Drive for the benefit of the Fall Mountain Food Shelf. For rules and details, call Fran Imhoff at 756-9800.