July 2014

About the Women’s Club Beach
By Jeanne Sterling

In 1935, the Women’s Club appointed a committee of four women to “investigate available bathing property.” There was a lack of access for the residents of this town to one of the most beautiful lakes in the state. The committee approached Bertha Farnham Field and she agreed to ‘rent’ 50 feet of lakefront for a period of five years at the cost of taxes ($5.00) and a $5.00 yearly rent. The proposal was accepted. Five years later Belle Gowing and Dorothy Worcester conferred with Mrs. Field, resulting in the purchase price of $150, as Mrs. Field “had always wanted the children of the town to have a bathing beach.”

On April 17, 1941, the deed to the property was finally executed. At that time, the New Hampshire Federation of Women’s Clubs commended the Dublin Women’s Club for the outstanding civic work done by members in creating a place for residents to enjoy Dublin Lake. Thus, this was the beginning of the swimming program as we know it today.

Again, Belle Gowing was instrumental in acquiring additional property from Oscar and Patricia Sewall. The Sewalls contributed their bathhouse and adjoining property, plus $1,000 to move the building and center it on the two pieces of property. Oscar’s comment was that “In all the years the Women’s Club had the beach next to him, there was a fence. They had never jumped the fence. The water belongs to everyone.” On August 28, 1966, the dedication of an engraved stone marker was placed on the property in appreciation of the Sewall’s gift. An adorable twosome of Sarah Woodward (Sangermano) and John Hartwell presented the Sewalls with a bouquet of roses.

Fast forward to 1986, when the efforts of Beekman Pool and Lucy McDonald resulted in Beech Hill Hospital’s gift of the cove area (cemetery corner). Although not entirely a ‘swimmable’ area, it has buffered the present property nicely.

I remember my two boys, Jere and Matt, taking their lessons, learning water safety, rowing and sailing and, of course, joining in the end-of-the-season swim across the lake. (This last tradition is continued all these years later.) Summer weekdays, around lunchtime, there would be a parade of bathing-suited kids tromping up the hill after playground. With towels in hand, they’d stop at the Burt’s store for their lunches and then on to the beach for lessons and an afternoon of sandcastle-making complete with sluiceways to the lake.

Sadly, the runoff of rain and melting snow, as well as natural wear and tear, have taken a toll on the sandy portion of the property. Gone are the days when Mike Walker could back his truck full of beach sand and dump it in a heap for the children to spread around. Rules and regulations have changed, necessitating the planting of grasses to aid in the prevention of further erosion. The Club is looking into a solution to the problem, while also complying with the strict state guidelines and the process of obtaining permits. All the members of the Women’s Club will work together to tackle the expenses in order to meet the terms set forth by the state.

So often I’m asked if there’s a ‘town beach’ in Dublin. And thanks to the Women’s Club, there is. Although it is a private beach, no Dublin resident is denied membership.

[I would like to thank Nancy Campbell – Dublin Archives for her assistance with this article.]

Jeanne Sterling is on the board of the Women’s Club, is administrative assistant to the Town Administrator and serves as advertising coordinator for the Dublin Advocate.

 

Georgia Fletcher’s Art at the Community Center

A new art exhibit at the Dublin Community Center will feature oil paintings by Georgia (Seaver) Fletcher. Her work has won many awards, including the Juror’s Award from the Thorne-Sagendorph Gallery, the President’s Award from the American Artist Professional League in New York City, and the top award from the American Women’s National Juried Competition in Santa Fe, NM. In addition, her paintings are in private collections in Washington, DC; Atlanta, Colorado, Oregon, New England and in Italy. She is the great granddaughter of the Dublin artist, George DeForest Brush (1855-1941), and a treasured member of the Dublin community. Her paintings can be viewed at times when the Community Center is open for other events or by chance.

 

Dublin Day
For details and agenda on Dublin Day,
July 19, see below.

 

Dublin Public Library

The Dublin Public Library Summer Reading Program will begin Wednesday morning, July 2, at 10 am. The program, “Communicate! Communication! From Smoke Signals to Smiles,” will focus on how we communicate with one another. We will look at ancient cultures that used carvings and smoke signals to communicate — as well as drawings, origami, secret codes and sign language. What we will not be using is electronics, encouraging the children (and all who attend) to “look up” and talk and really listen to what our friends have to say. Activities like charades, one-line jokes and short plays will provide opportunities to actively participate or be part of a respectful audience. All children who come to the library will receive the materials necessary to make a scrapbook to hold their weekly crafts, pictures and writing, creating wonderful summer memories.

Have you been waiting for summer to arrive so you can read all those books on your list or that you have seen or heard about from friends? A number of the past months’ new books are on the revolving stand or on the bookcase by the window seat. Stop in and pick up a few. Also don’t forget magazines, which can go out for a week.

 

Books

Delicious! by R. Reichl
Doing Harm by K. Parsons
Chineasy by Shaolan
The Skin Collector by J. Deaver
Pete Rose by K. Kennedy
Live to See Tomorrow by I. Johansen
Bittersweet Manor by Tory McCagg
The Corsican Caper by P. Mayle
The World According to Bob by J. Bowen

Revitalize the heart of Dublin!
See the Dublin Community Center’s great video, The Dub Hub: www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-dub-hub/

 

Come to FDPL’s Ice Cream Social

The Friends of the Dublin Public Library announce the 2nd Annual Ice Cream Social with live music on Wednesday, July 23, from 6 to 8 pm on the lawn behind the Library. Everyone is invited to bring the family for an old-fashioned summer evening of toe-tapping music and free Kimball’s greater-than-great ice cream!

Bring your picnic if you wish, don’t forget your lawn chairs or picnic blanket and bug spray. When the library lot is full, you will be directed to park at Yankee and the church.

Rain date is the following week, Wednesday, July 30^th.

 

 

Monadnock Music in Afternoon

Monadnock Music returns to Emmanuel Church in Dublin on Sunday, July 27, at 3:00 with a solo recital by cellist Rafael Popper-Keizer. Hailed by The New York Times as “imaginative and eloquent,” Rafi is one of the busiest and most versatile musicians in New England. A member of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP), the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and Emmanuel Music, he has also appeared regularly with Monadnock Music for the past decade. Further information for this special Dublin afternoon is available at www.monadnockmusic.org.

 

Annual MESA Meeting

Professor Peter Palmiotto will explain what’s happening to Mount Monadnock in a Changing Climate on Sunday, August 17, at Monadnock Eastern Slope Association’s annual potluck meeting. Everyone is invited.

For details, visit www.mesa-mh.org or call 563-8007.

 

Dublin Day: Fun for All

Saturday, July 19th — 8:30 am to 3 pm
Yankee Field, Route 101
Free Parking and Entrance

The Dublin Recreation Committee invites you to our annual Dublin Day Celebration! Activities, entertainment, food and music will be ongoing throughout the day. Crafters and artisans will be selling various items. Join us for a fun day! (Times listed below may be subject to change.)

Activities

7:15 Registration for Terry Dwyer Memorial 5K Run/Walk Road Race

8:30 5K Run/Walk Road Race (awards immediately following)

9:30 Children’s Fun Run

10 – 2 Friendly Farm petting zoo, Dunk Tank (come see who will be dunked this year!), face painting by Linda Abram

10 – 3 Children’s Bouncy House, kid’s games provided by Dublin Summer Playground, arts and crafts booths, 24-ft. portable rock climbing wall (staffed by professionals), Dublin Community Preschool Booth (celebrate DCP’S 50th anniversary with games, cupcakes, and raffle)

10:30 Crowning of Miss Dublin – Who will win this year? Look for places to vote around town soon!

11 – 2  Pony rides

Entertainment

10:30 – 11:30 Heart’s Accord Barbershop Quartet

10:30 – 1:30 Confetti the Clown performs and creates with balloons!

10:30 – 2:30 Caricatures by Justin Contois

11:30 – 2:45 Gap Mountain Band (musicians from Dublin)

1 – 2 Tanglewood Marionettes Puppet Show perform “The Fairy Circus”

Food

8 – 11 Coffee, tea, juice, and doughnuts sold by Dublin Community Church Sunday School

10:30 – 3 Homemade lemonade sold by Dublin Community Church Sunday School

11 – 3 Burgers, hot dogs, soda, and chips sold by Dublin Consolidated School PTO

Also pizza and soda sold by Dublin Community Church Sunday School; BBQ pork sandwiches, Kettle corn, and Brian Barden’s famous homemade ice cream

 

The Memorial Day Parade of 2014

 

Thanks to Shari LaPierre for recording the parade. To view live links, go to:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ryc5ygH80w

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLALBs4WxIA

 

Lake Hosts Under Way 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 the lakes of New Hampshire.

From Friday, July 4,through Sunday, August 31, we will have this season’s trained lake hosts to work 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, 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 and animals (snails) can be transferred to our lake from other lakes via boats and trailers. We have been fortunate to have clean boats entering our lake over these past years.

We have Olivia Thomas and Genna Weidner back with us from last year and will also have Annie Garrett-Larson working with us this summer. All three of these young ladies have been formally trained at NH Lakes Association and will be sharing time during the summer weekends. We encourage residents to drop by and introduce themselves.

Bill Goodwin is point person for the Dublin Lake Host program.

 

 

 

DCP’s Open House and Booth at Dublin Day
By Cathy Carabello

Started by a handful of Dublin women who had a passion and a vision for the early education of our community children, Dublin Community Preschool is still growing strong 50 years later.

On July 19^th, beginning at 9 am until 10 am, we are hosting a community open house — come see the school we are so proud of! We will be offering snacks and a children’s craft project.

Then continue to celebrate our 50-year milestone with us at our booth on Dublin Day, also July 19th. Here’s what’s going on:

• 50/50 Raffle
• Cupcake contest – Open to all! Be looking for information on how to participate!
• DCP 50th birthday T-shirts on sale all day
• Science experiments: 11:00, 12:00 and 2:00
• Memory book: alumni, come share your memories of DCP!

On display, come to see:

• Quilt made from DCP T-shirts from over the years
• “50 Pebbles” mosaic project created by the class of 2013-2014
• Alumni group photo

Volunteers welcome and wanted! Please contact Cathy at cathy@nulldublinpreschool.org. Hope to see you there.

Cathy Carabello is the director/lead teacher of the Dublin Community Preschool.

 

More Graduates

Thomas W. Atmer graduated from Tufts University last May with a double major in Chemical Physics and Environmental Studies. He currently works as a researcher for the Robbat Research Group at Tufts, a lab focused on green chemistry, and hopes to continue working analytically in the environmental field.

Laura Cerroni graduated on May 19th from the Connell School of Nursing at Boston College with a Master’s degree in Nursing. She was selected as a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Upon passing her boards, she will be working as a Family Nurse Practitioner with the Beth Israel Deaconess Family Medical Practice in Needham, Massachusetts.

Stefan Jadaszewski, who graduated from UNH a year ago, is pursuing a PhD in Counseling Psychology at Akron University in Ohio beginning this fall. He is the son of Eric Jadaszewski and Jeannine Dunne.

Mary A. McLellan (ConVal 2004) graduated from UC Berkeley with a concentration in pure mathematics in May. She will continue in law school at the University of California. She is the daughter of Holly Alderman of Jaffrey and Fletcher Armitage McLellan of Fort Pierce, FL, formerly of Dublin. Mary, who has been teaching part time for seven years, is the niece of Mary and John Lord of Peterborough and Martha and Bill Raymond of Jaffrey and Stephen McLellan of Dublin.

Kaitlin Mosher (ConVal 2010) graduated Summa Cum Laude from Franklin Pierce University with a BS in Arts Management with an emphasis in Dance. She was also inducted into Sigma Beta Delta, the International Honor Society in Business Management and Administration. Currently, Kaitlin is doing an internship with the Atlanta Ballet. She is the daughter of Mike and Barbara.

 

It is never too late to let the Advocate know of any
graduates in your family. Send along your info
with a photo to DublinAdvocate@nullgmail.com.

 

DCA Celebrates 50 Years in Education
By Kevin Moody

May 24, 2014, marked the 50^th graduating class of Dublin Christian Academy. From its simple beginning in 1964, on the property of a dairy farm turned school campus, and with two graduates that first year, DCA has been investing in the lives of young people for the last five decades.

In addition to the traditional outdoor commencement ceremony, a special 50^th anniversary celebration was held in the evening. More than 300 alumni and friends gathered under a big tent for a catered BBQ dinner, followed by a program featuring music, testimonies and a presentation of the 50-year history of the school through stories and hilarious old pictures.

In spite of the on again/off again rain showers throughout the day, the evening ended with a special fireworks display by Atlas Fireworks. The many faculty, staff and alumni who came in from all over the country to celebrate with us made this a truly memorable event.

Kevin Moody is Head of School at DCA.

 

Dublin Community Foundation News
By Rosemary Mack

The Dublin Community Foundation has completed its funding for 2014. This year the Foundation provided funding to assist Dublin youth in the following programs: the Dublin Playground Summer Program, DCS/PTO Literacy Program, Dublin Baseball Boosters, Dublin Community Preschool, Dublin Women’s Club, DCS Ski Program, Peterborough Soccer, ConVal Cheerleader Camp, Peterborough Art Academy, Children and theArts, Camp Takodah, Voyagers, Monadnock Music’s Lend an Ear program at DCS, and NH Dance Institute in support of its Dublin participants. DCF also provided partial funding of the Harris Center and Cornucopia’s programs at DCS andinitiated a Coats ‘n Hats Fund at DCS.

Three residents of Dublin who are graduating seniors were awarded higher education scholarships: Theresa Edick, Zach Letourneau and Ko Powell.

DCF would like to thank the many Dublin residents whose generous donations made these contributions possible.

Established in 1966, the primary mission of DCF has been to provide financial assistance as needed to ensure that all Dublin children are able to participate in school and community programs. DCF is a private foundation within the meaning of section 509 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Rosemary Mack is President of the DCF. Board members are Jane Keough, Lisa Foote, Connie Cerroni and Jeff Oja.

 

Winners of Trustees of Trust Funds Scholarships
By Tim Clark

The Trustees of the Dublin Trust Funds have awarded $1,000 college scholarships to three high school seniors from Dublin this year: Nicholas Jadaszewski, Blake “Ko” Powell, and Olivia Thomas.

Nicholas will be entering his junior year at Keene State College in the fall. A “mature, serious, and hard-working student” according to one of his mentors, Nicky recently switched majors from health science to chemistry. He spent part of his sophomore year helping seniors to survey Keene High School students, their parents, school faculty, and prison inmates on drug use in and around Keene. The findings of the report were presented to the Keene Board of Education along with recommendations for changes in school drug policy. Nicky is the son of Eric Jadaszewski and Jeannine Dunne.

Ko graduated from ConVal High School in the top quarter of his class. His band teacher, James Wickham, calls Ko a “fantastic student and leader” who, in addition to leading both the guitar and bass sections of the band, has acted as a teacher’s aide in Wickham’s Music in Film class. Ko’s parents are Edie and Jeffrey Powell.

Olivia, a ConVal graduate who will be attending Messiah College in the fall, has been active in Student Council, the Revolution Ethics Project, and was one of the founders of the girls’ hockey team. “In an age when students volunteer for everything in hopes of padding their resumes, it is refreshing to have a real leader like Olivia stepping up,” wrote social studies teacher and Student Council Adviser Eric Bowman. Olivia is the daughter of Peter and Heidi Thomas.

Tim Clark, Balmeet Kaur Khalsa (Cassie Cleverly), and Mary Loftis are the members of the Trustees of Trust Fund Scholarships Committee.

 

Yankee Barn Sale: July 26
By Linda Clukay

The 33rd annual Yankee Barn Sale is set for Saturday, July 26. Employees of Yankee Publishing Inc. and residents of the local area will be selling their attic treasures at the Yankee Field on Rte. 101, near Peter Pap Oriental Rugs, from 8 am to 1 pm.

Treasures come in all shapes and sizes at approximately 80 selling spaces. Cocker Spaniel Rescue of New England, Inc. will be one of several nonprofits selling items to help support their work. Refreshments will be available in the sales area.

Parking is $1.00 and entry into the parking area will be from Monument Road. Watch for signs.

In case of inclement weather, listen to local radio stations Saturday morning starting at 6:30 am. If it should rain, the Barn Sale will be held on Sunday, July 27.

Stop in for great bargains, good food, and lots of fun.

Linda Clukay, a Yankee employee, has organized the Yankee Barn Sale for many years now.

 

If you live in Dublin, and wish to announce the birth
of your baby, we would love to hear from you. You may
include a photo if you wish. Send to DublinAdvocate@nullgmail.com.

 

Dublin’s Pie Baker
By Mary Loftis

Aubrey Saxton, owner of Saxy Chef, is a young woman on the move! Her company, which specializes in pies and other treats, as well as sweet and savory jarred delicacies, supplies such local businesses as the Monadnock Food Coop, Brattleboro Food Coop, Rosaly’s, Blueberry Fields, Farmer John’s Farm Stand and Orchard Hill Breadworks. Not only does Aubrey personally bake and cook all her products but she also delivers them in many different directions!

Aubrey grew up in Keene, attended Keene schools, and then headed to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. After graduating, she moved to Missouri for several years and worked in the restaurant business, where she did both cooking and baking. She noticed that dessert was often treated as an “afterthought” and thought that it should be given as much consideration as the rest of the meal. Thus her interest in baking delicious pies and sweet treats began.

When Aubrey returned to the Monadnock Region, she worked as a baker and instructor at First Course, an affiliate of Monadnock Developmental Services providing culinary job training for adults with disabilities. She was able to use the kitchen at First Course to start baking pies, which she sold in Alstead, as well as at several regional farmers markets and Rosaly’s. Her business started to take off around the same time the First Course program closed and she switched her baking and cooking operation to the Neighbor-Made Kitchen in Keene, an “incubator kitchen” that offers commercial equipment as well as the opportunity to buy ingredients as part of bulk orders.

When I asked Aubrey how often she’s at the Keene kitchen, she said, “all the time!” She bakes four days a week and makes deliveries on Fridays. A hallmark of Aubrey’s baked goods is the use of local ingredients. For instance, she might buy berries at Rosaly’s, turn them into pies, and bring the pies back for sale. She has 19 different pies in her repertoire, which she rotates seasonally and according to the preferences of her different vendors. Many of the eggs she uses come from Merrymeeting Farm in Alstead, where her dad lives.

Aubrey says that she always bakes something extra for herself and her fiancée Steve and enjoys the reminder that she likes her own food! Late this summer she will be baking cupcakes for her own wedding. She and Steve will be married over Labor Day weekend at the Alstead farm – but she says she’ll be back in the kitchen a few days later.

Mary Loftis, who is on the staff of the Advocate, was Aubrey’s art teacher in middle school.

 

Hear about the “Monadnock News”

The Nelson Summer Forum, sponsored by the Trustees of the Nelson Library, opens its 2014 Forum on July 10 at 7 pm at the Nelson Community Church with a presentation about a local newsletter published in Nelson during World War II.

The Monadnock News informed service people of events in their hometowns of Nelson, Harrisville, and Dublin, and received letters in response from service people. Many names will be familiar, even to new residents of these towns, for their children and grandchildren are still among us.

The presenter on July 10 will be Ethan Tolman of Nelson, whose parents published the Monadnock News. He will speak on the many interesting items found in its pages, as well as read excerpts from some of the letters service people sent to the newsletter.

Introduction with local music and refreshments will be served.

 

Guest Musicians at the DCC

The Dublin Community Church will host several guest musicians during the summer at the regular service, beginning at 9 am during July and August. The Monadnock Brass Quintet will perform on July 6th, with two trumpets, trombone, tuba and French Horn. Other musicians include the Hancock Village Ringers; Scott Mullet and Jazz band; Lili Hanft, Harpist; Olga Litvantsova, violinist; and the Mac brothers and sisters, on strings. The music is made possible through the generosity of the McIntyre fund, in order to provide opportunities for young performers.

ConVal Offers Summer Food Program for All

ConVal Food Service is participating in the summer food service program, a nonprofit program for children through the age of 18, sponsored by the federal government. The program is held at the Dublin Consolidated School, and you do not have to be part of the Dublin Playground to participate.

Meals are served in the multipurpose room through the front door and straight ahead. You do not have to sign up or give your name, just show up on the days you want.

Breakfast is served from 9:45 to 10:15 am; Lunch is served from 12:00 to 12:30 pm. The program begins July 1 and runs through August 15th, weekdays, except for July 4th.

Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any USDA-related activity should write or call immediately to U.S. Department of Agriculture Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or by fax (202) 690-7442, email is program.intake@nullusda.gov. Voice and TDD: (202) 690-2600.

 

Goodbye Local Knotweed
By Miriam Carter

Early spring in Dublin revealed that our efforts to control Japanese Knotweed in town continues to be successful. We visited all of the locations that were sprayed in past years as well as new areas. Several residents contacted us and have been put on the list for the spraying in the fall. We are delighted in the success of this project and continue to encourage anyone who finds knotweed on their property to please call Miriam Carter at 563-8046.

Miriam Carter is a member of the Conservation Commission, and may even be president.

 

Use Your Community Resources

Did you know that you can dial 211 for help with finding resources provided in New Hampshire? You can find out about fuel assistance, housing assistance, food banks and community suppers. They are also online at www.211.org.

Another local resource is the River Center Factbook, which is online at www.rivercenter.us.

 

 

Brian McDonald: A Son’s Remembrance
By Chris McDonald

Recently, the town of Dublin lost a great man. Many of you knew him as Brian McDonald, some of you knew him as Lucille McDonald’s husband, but to me he was dad. He was the Brian McDonald of Main Street who resided there long before the posting of the street numbers on the houses; when people from out-of-town would often have to ask for directions to locate the appropriate residence.

This Father’s Day, just days after his passing, memories of my dad came to mind that are so closely related to the Dublin-that-used-to-be that they cannot be separated from each other: a late afternoon drive to the top of the hill to pick up a few groceries at the Dublin General Store (where the Dublin Community Center is now), followed by getting the mail at the Post Office (now one of Yankee Publishing’s buildings), and occasionally getting a gas fill-up at Worcester’s Garage. I also remember seeing my dad walk his daughter, Penny McDonald, down the aisle of Our Lady of the Snows church on her wedding day where she would take her husband’s name of Briggs. These are some of the memories that came flooding in as I remember my dad and his strong ties to Dublin.

Having been born and raised in Peterborough, then moving with his wife Lucille to Dublin, Brian had a love for Dublin and the Monadnock Region. With the exception of the annual two-week summer vacation to South Carolina with his motor home and post-retirement winter journeys to Florida and some time in Maine, he felt comfort and a sense of belonging in the Dublin community; it was home. The roots that he put down in the town were many — family, work, and community service which required him to wear many hats.

Some of you may remember him driving the red Dublin Oil pickup truck as he would plow out his in-laws, Alfred and Cecile Pellerin (also of Main Street), and various customers in Dublin during snowstorms. Others may remember him as he drove the orange and white riding mower to precisely cut lawns (his and estates around the lake). Perhaps some of you remember him in his green work uniform as he would service your family’s oil furnace. I’m sure that some of you remember him as he wore the black umpire’s uniform during little league games at the Dublin Baseball field. Maybe he touched your life as he responded to an emergency call during his 25 proud years of service with the Dublin Fire Department.

Brian’s life was one of service, faith, and love for others — neighbors, family, friends and community.

Chris McDonald lives in Jaffrey with his wife, Melanie and their son, Henry. Chris works for the Department of Health and Human Services where he conducts fire inspections of healthcare facilities.

 

The River Center Offerings

The River Center, which is located at 46 Concord Street in Peterborough, has the following offerings in July.

Farm to Table Program: Parents and children enjoy 8 weeks of field trips and cooking fun, beginning June 19th. Thursdays from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Register at 603-924-6800 or info@nullrivercenter.us.

Project Girl: A five-week, girl-lead, arts-based program that inspires girls to become more critical consumers of media and advertising. Beginning July 2nd (ages 11-14). Wednesdays from 5 pm to 6:30 pm. Register at 603-924-6800 or info@nullrivercenter.us.

Employment Resource Center: Define your employment goals, write your resume or create a job search plan. Contact Donna to schedule an appointment: 603-924-6800 or dbrand@nullrivercenter.us.

 

Volunteering Has Always Been Part of Dan Albert’s Life
By Ramona Branch

Daniel Albert grew up in Windsor, CT, just outside of Hartford. His parents moved down from their native Quebec to start their family in Connecticut in the 1960s. From a young age Dan’s parents taught him about giving back to his community whenever possible. His mother often took him to volunteer at the community soup kitchen and he volunteered for several Special Olympics events. Dan was an active church member who organized many youth outing events at an early age.

At 16 years old, Dan joined the Wilson Fire Department in the Explorer program. He was always impressed by the dedication and kindness the firefighters showed as they helped people on medical calls, during fires, and with automobile accidents. He and his family experienced the kindness of EMTs when his mother was taken to the hospital on several occasions. He was impressed by the concern he witnessed as he watched the firemen try to save his neighbor’s house that had caught fire while they were away. “I really looked up to them as a child and still do,” Dan said. “Helping people through difficult times and seeing them smile was always a factor that played into my decision to get involved in firefighting.”

Dan joined the National Guard at the age of 17 with his parents’ permission. He returned to finish his senior year in high school after completing his basic training down south. He spent four years in the CT National Guard and was honorably discharged in 1991 after briefly serving in Desert Shield. Dan then went on to the University of New Hampshire to join his fiancé Kate and completed coursework in its business program. After Kate graduated from UNH they moved to Raleigh, NC, for better job opportunities. Dan earned a degree in computer science from ECPI University in Raleigh.

In 2001 they moved to Dublin to be closer to their families. They both have careers in computer technology. Dan and Kate owned and operated PC Media Designs at the Dublin Village Park for a number of years. Now Dan is part of the IT team for Fenton Family Dealerships in Keene and Swanzey. Kate is employed as the Sales Manager for WiValley, an Internet service provider based in Keene offering fiber, hybrid, and wireless broadband service.

Excluding his time in the military and college, Dan has been firefighting for ten years, four of those years as a volunteer firefighter in Dublin. He is currently working on getting a boating license for water rescue and hopes to take additional firefighting classes in the future.

The couple has two children Hailey, 14, and Lily, 5 (shown here). The family’s favorite activity together is camping. Dan and Hailey also love to go four-wheeling and kayaking.

Being involved in the community is key to Dan. “Showing my kids how to consider other people and help them is important,” he emphasized. In addition to being on call nights and weekends as a firefighter, Dan has been a member of the Dublin Recreation Committee for seven years. (And we all know how many fun activities and events that our Recreation Committee coordinates for us.) Dan reported that the Recreation Committee cooked 450 hotdogs on Memorial Day and that he and Hailey ran the dunk tank together at Dublin Days for many years. Dan plans to continue volunteering in his community and to encourage his children to do the same.

Writer’s Note: This is the ninth story in a series featuring members of the Dublin Volunteer Fire Department.

Ramona Branch is on the staff of the Dublin Advocate.

 

Stonlea Turns a New Chapter
By Rick MacMillan

Stonlea, that graceful, white mansion, overlooking Dublin Lake, is being transformed into a 21st century icon. While many of her sister chateaux have fallen to disrepair or the wrecking ball to make way for modern McMansions, this elegant lady of the Lake lives on.

Built in 1891 by the Catlin family from St. Louis, Stonlea was a marvel of the times. Boasting some 23 rooms, it served as the summer residence for the Daniel Catlin family, who started coming to Dublin in 1887. Houses of this genre were built for summer residence only, and then generally boarded up to endure the long harsh New England winters. The house remained in the family throughout the 20th century, eventually coming under the stewardship of Anne and Tom Blodgett. They had purchased the house from the estate of Anne’s mother, Martha Blagden in 1998.

The Blodgetts set about making Stonlea a year-round residence. They made extensive repairs, replacing the roof, re-wiring and painting the whole of the house, restoring fireplaces, and adding the stone walls facing the lake. The house was the site of the memorable turn of the century New Year’s Eve party in December 1999. It was the first time since the visit of President William Taft in 1910 that a private estate had been open to the public at large. As described in Village on the Hill even though a “major renovation was…underway…the overall style and grandeur of the place was very evident.”

Time changes many things. In 2009, the Blodgetts found a worthy steward of the grand house on the Lake in Polly Guth, a New Hampshire native who had decided to move closer to her daughter Holly. Holly had purchased the cottage next to Stonlea, and encouraged her mother to make the move.

Growing up in Manchester, Polly was well acquainted with the forests and fields of the State, and the beauty they offer. She was schooled in Franconia, and then in Virginia. Later residences included New York City, Switzerland, and Corning, NY. While living in Corning (her husband John was affiliated with Corning Glass Co.), she helped establish a curriculum for parenting affiliated with the local community college, and also founded with John, The Woodcock Foundation, dedicated to the educational, economic, and environmental improvement of the needy.

When Polly acquired Stonlea, she was struck by the prospect of adapting a 12,000 sq. ft. house built for summer use to a year-round efficient dwelling. In an earlier era, the house was self-sufficient. To return it to that state required utilization of current technologies in solar and geothermal energy, and insulation. Hence a brigade of more than 100 solar panels occupy the rear field, geothermal heat pumps warm the interior, and double-glazed windows protect the house from winter’s elements. “My goal,” says Polly, “was to conserve and preserve, without creating a feeling of taxidermy: replacing everything as it was, at all costs. One cost being livability. We wanted to breathe new life into the house: inspiring, literally.” While Hugh Hardy of New York served as lead architect, Dan Scully served as site architect, responsible for the oversight and execution of the revitalization plan.

To capture and share her vision of revitalizing an ageless house, making it relevant and livable in the 21st century, and promoting stewardship of our resources and assets, Polly has just published Stonlea An Old House Remade for Our Times, a comprehensive guide to the renovation of a Dublin architectural treasure. It is being published by Bauhan Publishing and authored by Peter and Victoria Chave-Clement.

Rick MacMillan is a former editor of the Dublin Advocate.

 

Peterborough Players Opens 81st Season
By Fred Leventhal

The Peterborough Players opened its 81st season on June 25 with Family Secrets starring Carolyn Michel, who played Ann Landers in the 2011 production of The Lady with All the Answers. In this funny and poignant domestic comedy, Michel, who plays all five members of the Fisher family, exposes the skeletons in their closets as she portrays the joys and sorrows of love, childbirth, and parenting. Family Secrets runs through July 6, including a performance on July 4.

From July 9 to 20 Neil Simon’s hilarious The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, a Broadway hit and a successful movie, will be performed with Kirby Ward as the long-married Barney Cashman, a decent man determined to have at least one adulterous fling before middle age overtakes him. His real-life wife, Beverly Ward, plays the three women who are the targets of his unsuccessful attempts at seduction. Kirby and Beverly last appeared together in Peterborough in 2012 in I Do! I Do!

The season’s third production will be the world premiere of a new “comedy of ill manners,” Chuck Morey’s The Granite State. Morey, former Artistic Director at the Players, is the author of Laughing Stock, that affectionate satire based on the past history of the theatre. Morey’s new play concerns “America’s greatest living author” who lives quietly in Hancock, NH, until he wins a $2 million prize, at which time ex-wives, son, and mistress descend upon him in the hope of getting a share of the winnings. The play features Anderson Matthews, film and stage star, in his Players debut and Joyce Cohen, longtime Players’ favorite, last seen on the Players’ stage in 2004. The Granite State will be performed from July 23 to August 3.

Fred Leventhal, a Dublin resident, is a trustee of the Peterborough Players.

 

Amos Fortune Forum in July

The 68th season of the Amos Fortune Forum is under way. All talks are on Fridays from 8 pm to 9 pm and take place at the old Meetinghouse in Jaffrey Center, about two miles on Route 124 west of downtown Jaffrey. There is no admission fee. There is a reception after the talk next door in the parish hall of the First Church. (August speakers will appear in the next issue of the Advocate.)

July 11: Charles Lewis, a national investigative journalist for more than 30 years, will speak on The Future of Truth and the Decline of America’s Moral Integrity. He founded the Center for Public Integrity and is a professor and founding executive editor of the Investigative Reporting Workshop at the American University School of Communication.

July 18: David Fairchild on Medicine in Transition: Moving from “Illness–care” to “Health-care” — David Fairchild will talk about the underpinnings of the current health care system and what changes lie ahead for both patients and physicians as we navigate health care reform.

July 25: David Leventhal on The Arts as Lifeline: Dance, Parkinson’s and Aging Well —David Leventhal will discuss how the artistic and creative elements of dance open doors for a wide range of people who otherwise risk entering a state of permanent medicalization.

Visit amosfortune.com for details.

 

Sign Up for a Trail Skills Workshop
By Katrina Farmer

Gain the know-how you need to help maintain Dublin’s trails. Many local groups and communities have trails in their towns but lack formal training and resources to maintain or expand those trails. On Saturday and Sunday, July 12 and 13, from 9 am to 4:30 pm each day, a trails workshop offered at the Calhoun Family Forest, White Brook Road in Gilsum, will help participants gain the skills needed to facilitate trail projects of their own.

There will be an introduction to tools and safety procedures, followed by instruction on trail design, construction, and maintenance, including structures such as timber bridges, stone steps, puncheons, turnpikes and switchbacks. The training will also include emphasis on volunteer management.

Food will be provided. A non-refundable registration fee of $10 applies. Presented by Monadnock Conservancy, Student Conservation Association and Stewardship Network: New England. Please register in advance; call Emily Hague at 603-357-0600, ext. 104 or email Emily@nullMonadnockConservancy.org.

Katrina Farmer is communications manager for the Monadnock Conservancy.

 

Friendly Farm Turns 50
By Margaret Gurney

We all know what Allan and Mary Alice Fox

were busy doing in July 1965. They were starting the Friendly Farm, a place on five acres of carefully fenced plots at the western gateway of our town on Route 101 where you (especially little ones) can experience farm animals first-hand.

Indeed the Friendly Farm has become a tradition for many families all over New England, it is a haven for people to bring their youngsters to interact with chickens, ducks, goats, rabbits, pigs, horses, donkeys, cows, geese, sheep, you name it. One can also view peacocks and llamas.

 

The Foxes’ son, Bruce, took over the Friendly Farm around 1977, and all four of his and his wife Sylvia’s sons grew up working summers on the farm through college, along with cousins, nieces and nephews. By now, all four sons (Nick, Jonathan, Ben and Abe) have completed college, and some are married with children of their own, but there has always been a Fox in the henhouse, so to speak.

Onsite, for just a dollar, little hands are supplied with grain, ready to attract lots of attention from goats and chickens. And we Dubliners keep going back, if not for us, for our houseguests or our grandchildren. Once there, it’s not unusual to find a pig that has recently given birth to little piglets, or a chicken that has escaped to the cow pasture, or the peacock opening his fan for all to admire.

Then there are those tiny bunnies inside the barn, and children are often asked to hold a milk bottle for a hungry kid, not to be confused with the human kind. Bruce chuckles as he recounts all the pregnant creatures soon to be delivered to the farm, and that’s not counting all the ducks brooding in the corners of the barn.

On the way out of the farm is the gift shop, where an assortment of wonderful farm gifts puts the crowning touch on a heartwarming day.

An admission discount card, which is good for 15 admissions goes for $75, and the Junior Farmer’s package is a season pass for one kid (the human kind), plus a T-shirt that earns them entrance, and a little bag of free grain to distribute.

Just ask Ben Fox, third generation, who’s on staff again this summer, keeping the family business alive for another glorious season, how much it costs to get in for one day. And don’t forget to pack a picnic.

Margaret Gurney is editor of the Advocate.

 

Save the Date:
Aug 4^th, Public Hearing on Parking Ordinance
7 pm, Town Hall