An Appeal to Serve
By Sterling Abram
It is nearly time to consider that various positions in town government will need to be filled again. At the annual election in March there will be voting for seats on several town boards. In addition, there will be a number of openings on town boards appointed by the Board of Selectmen.
Our community functions and is made strong by the involvement of those elected to public office, members serving on our committees, and by the many employees and volunteers who contribute to the public life of our town.
My own conclusion from having served as Selectman for nine years is that every effort made for the common good is worthwhile. Obviously, we all have different abilities and temperaments that might determine how we might contribute, but I appeal to all Dubliners to give thought to where you might be able to supply fresh perspective and energy on behalf of the town. I believe that for democracy to work we must make it function well at the most local level, and that much of its strength derives from our commitment to work alongside others in a civilized manner even if we don’t always agree.
If you feel you would like to run for an office, please make note of the positions up for election and the registration requirements outlined in this issue by the Town Clerk. If you would consider serving on an appointed board or in an appointed position, please mention your willingness either to that board or to the Board of Selectmen.
Your willingness to serve will be greatly appreciated.
Sterling Abram is Chair of the Board of Selectmen, and has been a selectman since 2006. He has served as chair three times, as it is an annually rotating position.
Town of Dublin
Public Notice
Filing Period for Town Offices
Residents interested in declaring their candidacy for the following town offices may do so at the Town Clerk’s office beginning Wednesday, January 21, 2015 and ending on Friday, January 30, 2015. For those residents wishing to file for office on January 30, the clerk’s office will be open from 3 pm to 5 pm.
Selectman 1 position 3 years
Moderator 1 position 2 years
Library Trustee 1 position 3 years
Budget Committee 2 positions 3 years
Cemetery Trustees 1 position 3 years
Planning Board 2 positions 3 years
Trustee of Trust Funds 1 position 3 years
Jeannine Dunne is Town Clerk/Tax Collector. She can be reached at 563-8859.
Reminder from the Dublin Highway Department
Please use caution when driving in winter. According to town policy, roads are treated with a 20:1 sand to salt ratio. No straight salt is applied to town roads.
No snow from driveways should be pushed across town roads.
Be careful at intersections. If you see a town truck, leave plenty of room. The driver may be clearing the intersection and may not be able to see you.
Sand is available at the highway barn for residents but not for commercial sanders.
If you have questions, call Brian at 603-398-8546.
Save the Date
Winterfest: February 7
DHS Wish List
The Dublin Historical Society needs a used 8-millimeter film projector in working condition. The Archives prides itself on owning every type of media player, no matter how old the format. When we plugged in our projector this fall, there was an excessive racket while the fan expelled bits of plastic all over the table. When we dismantled the projector, it became clear that the main gear for spinning the reels had disintegrated. On eBay, the shipping costs as much as the machine! If anyone has a working projector that they would consider donating, we would be extremely grateful.
Dublin Public Library
Ahhh, January. Time to relax and enjoy the pleasures of winter. Soup cooking on the stove; books inviting you to sit and read; snow to ski, sled and play in; ice to skate on! Time to just enjoy this new year. Start the year off reading something different. Come check out the displays of biographies, mysteries, non-fiction history, and cookbooks.
The winter magic continues at the Dublin Public Library on Wednesday mornings. Story Time begins at 9:30 with songs and books. A snack is enjoyed “family style” where the children make their first friends. Art supplies are provided each week and the children are encouraged to make a craft that relates to the books we read. This is a wonderful opportunity for the children to share the stories at home with older siblings and grandparents. Our topics this month include clouds, snowglobes, warm mittens, and penguins. Story Time programs will be offered January 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th from 9:30 to 10:30. Remember, children love checking out a book or movie before they leave.
New Books:
Blood Magick by N. Roberts
Blue Labyrinth by Preston and Child
41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush
Flesh and Blood by P. Cornwell
Rules of Betrayal by D. Reich
Airtight by D. Rosenfelt
The Cinderella Murder by M. Higgins Clark
The Escape by D. Baldacci
Things that Matter by C. Karauthammer
DVDs:
The Hundred Foot Journey
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
When the Game Stands Tall
The Giver
News from the FDPL
FDPL Annual Meeting: The Friends of the Dublin Public Library announce their Annual Meeting on Saturday, January 24, at 10 am (snow date: January 31 at 10 am). This year’s guest speaker will be Dr. Robert Goodby, who is Professor of Archaeology and Anthropology at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, NH. 
Goodby will be discussing how Native American history was revealed when an archaeological study prior to construction of the new Keene Middle School discovered traces of four structures dating to the end of the Ice Age. Undisturbed for 12,000 years, the site revealed information about the economy, gender roles, and household organization of the Granite State’s very first inhabitants, as well as evidence of social networks that extended for hundreds of miles across northern New England. This presentation is free, open to the public and will be held on the lower level of the library, and a brief business meeting will precede it.
Survey — FDPL Wants Your Opinions: Here’s your chance for your voice to be heard about all kinds of things at the library. Let us know what things are working well or others we could use some work on. Please keep a lookout for our upcoming survey about the library coming in the mail with your annual appeal letter or you can fill it out online at www.dublinlibraryfriends.weebly.com (or http://goo.gl/xj7fMC). You can drop off paper/hard copies at the library or mail them to FDPL, PO Box 202, Dublin, NH 03444.
New Museum-Pass Program Begins February 1: The Friends of the Dublin Public Library are excited to announce a new program for Museum Passes. Through this program, library members will be able to “take out” passes that will offer either free or reduced rates to some local and regional museums. For our first year, the museums will include The Cheshire Children’s Museum (Keene), The Currier Museum of Art (Manchester), The Worcester Art Museum (Worcester, MA), The Ecotarium (Worcester, MA), McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (Concord), and The Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA).
We may add other venues as we go along and see which ones people like and use the most, or based on suggestions from our members. We hope you will enjoy this program!
Finding Your Inner Poet
A writing and reading poetry workshop is offered by Rebecca Kaiser Gibson on Saturdays from January 10 through February 14 from 11 am to 1 pm at the Monadnock Yoga and Healing Arts Center (above the Toadstool, 12 Depot Square in Peterborough). Rebecca has been teaching poetry writing at Tufts University since 1997, has been published several times over, has attended fellowships and residences, MacDowell Colony, and on a Fulbright Fellowship recently taught poetry writing in India. To register ($150), please email monadnockyogaandhealingarts@nullgmail.com.
Budget Committee Work for 2015
By Tom Warren
The Budget Committee for the 2015 year began in August with the Annual Budget Summit of Budget Committee members, Select Board Members, Department Heads and Committee Chairs. There was a thorough discussion of best approaches to facilitate a productive review process.
Weekly meetings with department heads and Committee Chairs began in September. Department budget proposals have been carefully prepared and thoroughly discussed. As of mid-December, total operating expenditures are 1-6% higher than last year. This compares favorably to cost-of-living adjustments of 1.7% reported by the U.S. Department of Labor.
However, there are a number of warrant articles that will come before town citizens at Town Meeting in March. The majority of warrant articles are usually approved. If these articles are approved, the impact on taxation will be the following:
2015 Warrant Articles – Preliminary Estimate
Project Cost Funding Source
Charcoal Road Bridge $1,397,000 State/Bridge CR (Capital Reserve)
Replacing Heating System @ TH $20,000 CR Town Building Maint.
Generator Update $7,800 CR Town Building Maint.
Pave Town Hall/Library Parking Lots $55,000 Taxation
Widen Bay Doors at Highway Dept. $20,000 CR Town Building Maint.
Traffic Speed Display Sign $4,820 Taxation
Police Station Security Upgrade $17,800 Taxation
Widen/Pave Entrance to Transfer Station $3,500 Recycling Fund
Completion of PO Painting $8,500 CR Town Building Maint.
Paint the Highway Garage $8,500 CR Town Building Maint.
The Dublin Advocate $2,800 Taxation
Health Agencies $7,679 Taxation
Capital Reserve Accounts:
Heavy Highway Equipment $ 60,000
Police Cruiser $ 13,000
Fire Equipment $ 80,000
Road Construction $140,000
Bridge Repair/Replacement $110,000
Town Buildings Maintenance $ 60,000
Library Major M&R $ 5,000
In addition, two large items are not the responsibility of the Budget Committee:
ConVal School District and Cheshire County
Townspeople are always welcome to come to the weekly Budget Meetings held every Tuesday at 7 pm at the Town Hall.
Tom Warren is Chair of the Budget Committee.
Message from Our School Board Rep
By Fiona Tibbetts
Hello Fellow Dubliners,
For some reason, this phrase comes to mind as I write to you… “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Until now, I have been working hard as your representative from Dublin to keep our taxes from going up and our elementary school open. I have to admit I feel as though I am swimming against the tide and would appreciate your feedback at this point. I need to know that I am representing my constituents to continue to feel confident in my work. If not, then how should I change my position? Some issues that come to mind:
- Consolidation of schools
- Funding levels for co-curricular activities
- Arts enrichment funding
- Student fees for athletics
- School funding for summer/after school programs
And the list goes on…
Best wishes to you all for a truly Happy New Year!
Fiona Tibbetts is Dublin’s representative to the ConVal School Board, SAU 1. She can be reached at ftibbetts@nullconval.edu or 566-2823.
Some Fixes to Winter Challenges
Excerpts from gosocial.com
- For icy windshields, make winter window-washing fluid at home: 2 quarts of rubbing alcohol, 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon liquid dish detergent.
- To prevent ice from forming on your car windows, the night before spray 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water.
Rediscovering the Magic of the Woods
By Cathy Carabello
As a long-time educator of young children, I have always understood the importance of outside play time — but it is so easy to get stuck in patterns without stepping back and asking yourself why. It took an inspiring workshop this fall to open my eyes again to the possibilities of expanding our outside experiences with the children. Though there is certainly value to traditional playground equipment, the Dublin Community Preschool has now expanded its outside play space to include time exploring in the woods.
In the last month, what we have witnessed has been astounding. Behavior issues we were seeing in the classroom that often carried over on to the playground are somehow left behind when we enter the woods. We see spontaneous cooperation and teamwork. The shyest of the shy come alive and display confidence in the woods. And no matter the personality of the child, there is something special there for everyone. The undirected play that happens in the woods has strengthened the children’s imaginations and creativity and we have already seen this carry over into all of their play, no matter where they are, inside or out.
The feedback from parents is that our time in the woods is what they hear about even though it’s a short portion of their child’s day.
It is a magical time for the teachers too, and has helped us all remember what was most important in our early lives. We are grateful to be able to give this important connection to nature back to the children and we hope it will carry over into home time as well.
Cathy Carabello is director/lead teacher at Dublin Community Preschool. She started in 1995 and became Director in 2000.
News from the Dublin Consolidated School
By May Clark
A heartfelt Thank You to our Dublin Fire Department, who pulled off their usual visit from Santa at DCS on December 12. He arrived with bells jingling as the children ended their concert, including first- and second-year band performances, sword dancing, and singing from everyone! Thanks especially to Brian Barden, our steadfast announcer, and the man in red himself, who was kind and welcoming to all the little ones. How lucky we are to live in Dublin with such wonderful traditions as this!
We christened the bread oven in December! It needed a morning of just plain burning, for curing purposes, and the next day we roasted our very own garden potatoes for lunch! Yum! Many thanks to Kin Schilling, Shana Brautigam, and Lorrie Lewandowski for their help with the cooking, and to Greg and Nicole Pease, who donated the firewood.
This month we’ll have to get back into the swing of school, after our very long (two full weeks) break! We have a couple of winter rounds of testing, which won’t take too long, and which won’t interfere with the many studies our students will undertake this winter.
The ski program starts this month too. The DCS Ski Club will take more than half our students to Crotched Mountain each Thursday afternoon for a lesson and free ski. Our non-skiers will enjoy some extra sledding and snowshoe time, snow conditions permitting, of course!
We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and we wish you all the best for 2015.
May Clark is Teaching Principal at DCS. She can be reached at 563-8332 or email mclark@nullconval.edu.
Dubliner’s WWII Letters Published
Blake Sabine’s book, Dear Aunt Dorothy, has been published by Grove Street Books, a new imprint of Bauhan Publishing specializing in nonfiction and poetry.
Blake was at Dartmouth College when he joined the Army Special Training Program in 1943. During World War II, he served in England, France and Germany. He was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds received on the battlefield.
Dear Aunt Dorothy chronicles three years of faithful correspondence from the young nephew serving in the Army back to his great aunt, Dorothy Blake, who lived in Castine, Maine, where Blake had spent his summers.
While helping her parents move to Peterborough five years ago, the author’s daughter, Edie Powell, found the box of letters in the bottom drawer of an old desk along with her father’s medals. She and her father decided to put them together into a book. (Edie lives in Dublin with her husband, Jeff, and son, Ko.)
The letters begin when the writer is 17 years old and away at school. From there they follow his progress through intensive training and over into the European theater of war, all the while written to reassure his great-aunt that all was well despite being shot. Some letters were written from the hospital in England where he recuperated before returning to France, where he was stationed in Marseille. From there he went back to Germany, this time to help keep the peace while troops were being sent home.
After the war, Blake returned to Boston and graduated from Harvard University in 1949. He lived for many years in Dublin and is now at Rivermead in Peterborough, with his wife, Thea (Cabot).
Dear Aunt Dorothy is available at the Toadstool Bookshop or can be ordered through www.bauhanpublishing.com/grove-street-books/ in Peterborough, NH. Sarah Bauhan continues the Bauhan tradition of fine craftsmanship and creation of beautiful books, and Henry James, Art Director for Bauhan Publishing, was the book designer for this volume.
A Year of Movement for the Global Autism Project
Extending the reach into rural areas.
By Molly Ola Pinney
This year has been a year of growth for the Global Autism Project; many people joined the movement as traveling volunteers for sustainable outreach and we have expanded our partner sites to include Aprendo in the Dominican Republic.
Teachers are seeing children in a new light for the first time, parents acknowledging their child’s potential for the first time, and children growing and maturing to be all that their bodies and minds have equipped them to.
Our partner site in Kenya, Kaizora Consultants, has grown in its capacity to serve students through larger enrollment and the development of a vocational-skills program with a local bead shop. The clinical director of Kaizora has also become certified as East Africa’s first-ever Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
The accomplishments are many, but we continue to keep our eyes on the movement. For many years, we have pondered how to extend our reach to more rural environments. Rural outreach is difficult due to linguistic, financial, and cultural barriers, but as an organization we believe that geography does not determine one’s potential and that all children, regardless of where in the world they live, should have access to services that allow them to reach their potential.
With this in mind, we are in the process of piloting a new Program for Rural Outreach. With generous family and friends supporting us, we have been able to raise more than $5,000 so far that is put directly toward extending our reach into the rural areas. We are continuing to brainstorm, plan, and fundraise in order to reach children with autism, as well as their parents, teachers, and caregivers — no matter where in the world they live.
Molly Ola Pinney is Founder/ CEO of the Global Autism Project (252 3rd Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215) and travels extensively for her work. Molly was raised in Dublin, and her family still lives here.
[The Advocate first covered Molly’s work in the January 2011 cover story, then again in August 2012, when she and her team rang the NASDAQ bell in Times Square (Advocate, Sept. 2012, p. 6). Now Molly’s nonprofit (http://globalautismproject.org) has just completed its first online fundraising campaign in order to expand its mission of helping autistic children and their communities.]
Two Dubliners Take on Yoga Studio
With the ringing in of 2015, Grace Aldrich and Balmeet Kaur Khalsa (née Cassie Cleverly) will transition into owning SOUL Yoga, Healing and the Arts, located at the Union Mill in West Peterborough. The studio will continue to serve as a center for a range of healing practices flourishing in the Monadnock Region, including yoga (Kundalini, Ashtanga, Hatha, Sat Nam Rasayan), kirtan, chanting, dance, and seasonal cleanses. In addition to its ongoing schedule of classes, SOUL will host special series, such as courses in Astrology, workshops and discussions for those interested in the healing professions, and seasonal musical events.
Originally owned by Robert and Meenakshi Moses, also of Dublin, the studio was bought by Hari Kirin Khalsa in 2011. Under her care, the yogic community has continued to flourish and SOUL has grown into a yoga teacher-training center. Grace and Balmeet will continue to work with Hari Kirin, who can now focus more on sharing the teachings of Kundalini through trainings and workshops worldwide as well as here in the Monadnock area. Always open to ideas and feedback, Grace and Balmeet can be reached at soulyoganh@nullgmail.com.
Upcoming Community Events in January at SOUL: On January 3, an Open House will be held with members of the community presenting some of their healing practices (massage, Sat Nam Rasayan, and sound healing). There will be handmade crafts for sale. On January 4, Hari Kirin will lead the workshop New Year’s Envisioning through Art and Yoga. And on January 18 is a Women’s Circle, a supportive environment where women come together to recognize their inner wisdom through community art and yoga.
Stay updated on classes and events at SOUL’s website: www.soulyoganh.com.
River Center Offers Tax Help and Safe Sitter Training
At the River Center, free help is available from IRS-certified tax preparers for the 8th consecutive year. This program is designed to help people with moderate and low incomes file their taxes on time. Find out if you are eligible for tax credits, and don’t pay unnecessary fees! Call and schedule your free tax preparation beginning January 12, or email info@nullrivercenter.us.
The River Center is also offering a Safe Sitter babysitting course on Monday, January 19, from 9 am to 4 pm. This all-day course is designed for students ages 11 to 13. In this one-day program, students will learn basic first aid, how to care for a choking infant, personal safety for the sitter, how to care for children (feeding, diapering, etc.), behavior management, babysitting as a business, and more. Fee is $65 per student. Advanced registration is required, and space is limited. Call The River Center at 924-6800 or email info@nullrivercenter.us to request registration forms.
The River Center, a Family and Community Resource Center located at 46 Concord St. in Peterborough, provides resources and opportunities for people of all ages and abilities through parenting support, economic opportunity programs, and community connections. Funding is provided in part by the Monadnock United Way, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and through the donations of local businesses and individuals.
For more information, please call 924-6800 or visit www.rivercenter.us.
Bill Farrell and Farrell Video Productions
By Rusty Bastedo
Bill Farrell spent many summers working on his grandparents’ dairy farm in nearby Spofford, NH. With 34 years teaching mathematics in New England secondary schools, he knew about Dublin School. So when Dublin’s headmaster, Brad Bates, hired Farrell and his wife Shelly, they eagerly brought their teaching skills to Dublin.
At Dublin School, Bill taught mathematics and coached the endurance sports of competitive mountain bike racing and Nordic skiing. His wife Shelly works as a tutor in Dublin’s Learning Skills department. Unfortunately, a vision problem with his right eye in the fall of 2012 suddenly forced Farrell out of teaching and he needed to find a new career. His eye problem was eventually diagnosed as being an annoying eye floater that is usually associated with the aging process.
Ever since childhood, Farrell had been involved with some form of film. In the 1970s, Farrell worked with 16mm black-and-white film to record the results of automobile accidents for a research laboratory and, in the 1980s, he began editing and producing commercial footage for corporate training films. Since then, Farrell has immersed himself in digital-video technology and now produces web-based videos for a growing list of clients.
During this past year, Farrell produced a 27-minute piece for the Monadnock Art/ Friends of the Dublin Art Colony organization for its 19th Annual Open Studio Art Tour, which can be viewed online (https://vimeo.com/98079816). This project featured interviews from several local artists and craftspeople to showcase how their creative processes are translated into tangible work products. It was shown this past summer on Cheshire TV.
Farrell relies on many communications skills that he acquired through his years of teaching. How to listen to a client and how to write a script are essential in his line of work. However, there is also the hard work involved with many 10 to 14 hour days of editing to produce in time to meet deadlines.
During this past summer, a small group of students from the Dublin School asked Farrell to mentor them in an independent study called Digital Video Production. He couldn’t refuse their request and added, “It’s rewarding to be working with young people again, especially when I’m teaching them an important 21st century skill set.”
If you want to know more about Farrell’s work, please visit http://farrellvideoproductions.com or e-mail him at bill@nullfarrellvideoproductions.com.
Russell Bastedo was formerly New Hampshire State Curator from 1997 to 2009. He has served on the staff of the Advocate since 1999.
Monadnock Rotary Speakers
In the month of January there will be three speakers at Monadnock Rotary breakfast meetings, which start at 7:30 am and end promptly at 8:30 in the Vestry of the Dublin Community Church.
January 13: Jeanne Gerulskis and Bob Marda from the McAuliffe–Shepard Discovery Center in Concord.
January 20: Tonya Albee, owner of Group One Realty, board member and Chairperson of QUEST program for the Jaffrey/Rindge Rotary on the progress of QUEST (Quality Unlimited Educational Summer Training) over the last four years.
January 27: May Clark, Teaching Principal at Dublin Consolidated School, on the role of the small town school in our ConVal district.
Monadnock Rotary welcomes guests free of charge; come join us. Questions? Call Wendy White, 563-8239.
Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery Offerings Continue
At the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery, located on Wyman Way on the Keene State College campus, art visitors will find an ongoing exhibit titled “Intersection: Art, Culture, and Identity,” which includes object-based learning using the Thorne’s permanent collection.
Then, beginning January 24 and lasting through March 26, the Biennial Regional Jurors Choice Competition will host an exhibition of juried work in all media by artists living within a 30-mile radius of Keene, NH.
The Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery is open Sunday through Wednesdays from 12 to 5 pm; Thursdays and Fridays from 12 to 7 pm, and Saturdays from 12 to 8 pm.
Questions may be addressed to thorne@nullkeene.edu, or www.keene.edu/tsag, or by calling 358-2720.
YogaWeekend to Benefit Hospice at HCS
YogaWeekend, set for Saturday, January 24 and Sunday, January 25, is an opportunity for those new to yoga, as well as the more experienced student, to try a variety of yoga styles first-hand with classes led by several local instructors.
Doors open at 8 am each day. Classes will begin at 9 am and the last class will start at 3 pm.
Massage and Reiki will be available throughout each day. Continental breakfast and a light lunch are provided. There will be a raffle for a stay at the famed Kripalu in Stockbridge, MA, and a silent auction with many items donated from area businesses and individuals.
All classes, massage, Reiki, and breakfast and lunch are by donation, with proceeds benefiting Hospice at HCS, the local non-profit hospice providing end-of-life care to people at home, in assisted living facilities and in long-term care facilities in southwestern New Hampshire. HCS is a Monadnock United Way agency with offices in Keene, Peterborough and Charlestown.
YogaWeekend 2015 will be held at Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services, 312 Marlboro Street in Keene.
For more information, call HCS at 352-2253 or visit HCSservices.org.
Frona S. Avery: A Remembrance
By Judy Knapp
When I think of Frona, four words come to mind: family, food, music and friends. The most important to Frona was family: daughters Heather Stockwell and Wyckham (known to us all as Wycky), grandson Woody, son-in-law Dan, sisters, nieces and nephews. The importance of family was exemplified by the vanity plate on her green Subaru: “2 and Fro.”
Frona was born and raised in Pennsylvania but she and her former husband Steve (from New York) chose to raise their family and make their life here in Dublin.
When Frona went to work at Dublin School, she not only brought her degree in music education from West Chester State University (PA) but also her skill in the kitchen. At Dublin School, and later at High Mowing School in Wilton, her kitchen provided the students with sustenance for both the stomach and the soul. It was just natural that she would fulfill her dream and open Deacon Brodie’s Tavern (on Rt. 101, where Hurricane Hill is today). The eclectic menu reflected Frona’s taste for the exotic. The Moroccan Lamb was highlighted in Bon Appetit and the haggis was the high point of the New Year’s Eve celebration.
But Deacon Brodie’s was not just about food, it was also about music. Every weekend brought live folk music to the restaurant. This combination of food and music continued when Frona went to work at the Folkway in Peterborough.
Cooking continued to be an important part of her life even after the restaurant was sold as Frona began catering in the area for weddings, events at Antioch New England Graduate School and local parties. When Frona returned from four years in New Mexico, it was with southwestern cuisine and green chilies in tow.
Music was an essential part of Frona’s being. What a voice she had! Nothing was more intimidating than sitting in front of her when it came time to sing a hymn or Christmas carol at the Dublin Community Church. Luckily for those of us who are tone-deaf, she could usually be found in the choir loft and not in the pew behind us. With her great range, she was found singing the soprano or alto parts and often filled in for tenors when needed.
In addition to being a consummate singer, Frona was a musician and regularly performed in a local jazz ensemble plucking her bass fiddle. One of the first things she did when she resettled in Nashua was to join the choir of her local church. In fact, she was singing in the choir when her knee gave out (the service continued even as the EMTs took her to the hospital). That same choir came to her hospital room and sang to — and with — her on the day she died.
Frona was the best friend anyone could have. In the mid-‘80s our families would meet at my home after the Candlelight Service at the church. After a few years it was not just our families but a tradition with our extended family and friends. I can still hear Frona and Pam Snitko singing carols with our visitors from the USSR in the late ‘80s. Maybe that contact with the Russians was what led Frona to introduce Black Russians into the celebration. Christmas morning was not complete in our family without the sticky buns that Frona had baked and left for us on Christmas Eve.
Even though Frona traveled extensively (she lived not only in the Monadnock Region but New Mexico, Massachusetts and Andorra) she always returned to New Hampshire where her loves of family, food, music and friends came together.
Judy Knapp is a former Budget Committee member and is currently a Supervisor of the Checklist.
Remembering Paul F. Biklen
By William Raymond
“Say to them that are of a fearful heart,
Be strong. Fear not.
Your God will come and save you.”
Thus starts the musical anthem by Arthur B. Jennings called “Springs in the Desert.”
I first became aware of Paul Biklen when he sang those lines in his lyric tenor voice as a member of the Dublin Community Church Choir. When Paul sang that melody, it made you shiver.
Singing with Paul was the start of a long friendship with the Biklens. First with his wife Anne and then, after Anne’s death, with his wife Eleanor.
When Paul’s hearing started to fail, he had to stop singing as he could not hear the other parts and he couldn’t hear the choir director. But he still loved music and he still loved coming to church.
Paul Biklen was born in 1915 in Burlington, Iowa, son of parents who worked hard and instilled in him and his two brothers the importance of hard work and education. Paul graduated from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, whose mission was, and is, to educate its students “for the different professions and for the honorable discharge of the duties of life.”
Paul learned that mission well and went on to a distinguished career in the advertising business with Ogilvy & Mather, one of the foremost advertising agencies in the country. He ended his advertising career developing and implementing a training program for Ogilvy in the Far East where he and Anne lived for several years.
And then they retired to Dublin. They knew of southern New Hampshire and it would not be a stretch to imagine that Dublin’s affinity with the arts appealed to Paul. He consulted for Yankee Publishing. He ran for the Planning Board. He joined the Community Church Choir. And he and Anne traveled.
Paul had developed a sense of design, which he carried with him at all times. His son Doug noted that Paul would comment on the design of a house he might see while driving around — that it “had good lines” or remark that “the garage shouldn’t be the first thing you see.”
Paul knew good design when he saw it and he also took great care to be well dressed at all times. A closet full of custom-tailored (or as he liked to refer to them, ‘bespoke’) suits and jackets obtained while in the Far East insured that he was always properly dressed. Further, Paul’s regimen of daily exercise insured that his clothing always fit perfectly, even years after purchase.
He loved his family. His two sons, Doug and Steve, were a source of great pride, as well as his grandchildren, and he enjoyed recounting their accomplishments. But you had to ask. As Reverend Mike Scott noted at Paul’s memorial service December 7th, Paul was not one to “fly his own flag.” That applied to his family as well.
Paul was interested. He was interested in you and what you were doing. He was interested in world events. He was interested in the arts and music. He was interested in his sons’ careers. He was interested in the careers of those he trained in the advertising business.
But above all, for me, Paul was a gentleman and a gentle man. He set a standard and lived up to it. He was a wonderful example of a life well lived.
Each year, he would achieve an age that he never thought possible. “Bill,” he’d say, “I’m 87 years old. I’m so lucky. Just so darn lucky.” I wish I could have been there for his 99th.
I think maybe we were the lucky ones.
William Raymond, a former Dubliner, lives in Jaffrey with his wife, Martha.
Community Conversation in Peterborough
The next Community Conversation, “Spirituality: The Quest for Meaning in the Monadnock Region,” will take place Tuesday, January 13, at 7 pm in Bass Hall (Monadnock Center for History and Culture, 19 Grove St., Peterborough. It is a collaboration of the Monadnock Center for History and Culture and the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript.
Panelists include Swift Corwin (forester, poet, photographer); Jamie Hamilton (Rector, All Saints Episcopal Church); and Hari Kirin (artist, author, yoga teacher); and Phillip Gammons (Baha’i Faith: property Manager of the Historic Dublin Inn).
Following a short presentation by each of the panelists, the conversation will open to all who wish to share ideas or present questions.
For more information, call 603-924-3235 (www.MonadnockCenter.org).
The Many Interests of the Garrett-Larsens
By Ramona Branch
Performing arts, nature and teaching take center stage in the Garrett-Larsen household. Dawn and Jay Garrett-Larsen met at the New England Folk Festival and 23 years later they are still involved in the things that brought them together. They have made their home in Dublin since 1997, two weeks before their second child was born.
Dawn was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1988. She served eight and a half years as minister of the Federated Church of Marlborough and now serves as minister of the Nelson Congregational Church, where she has been for the last 13 years. Dawn says she strives to put creativity and inspiration into each worship experience. One example would be the service where she led the congregation in writing a song, or this Advent season, when all her sermons were first-person stories featuring characters like John the Baptist and Mary. On Christmas Eve, she told the story of Jesus’ birth from the perspective of the donkey.
When she first arrived in Nelson, Dawn says the church was focused inwardly with very little outreach. Now the members are committed to various outreach and mission projects. Every other year, Dawn takes a group of youth on mission trips to communities in need.
Jay is a third grade teacher at The Well School in Peterborough. He is also the school’s Summer Camp Director. The camp includes three different sessions: outdoor adventure, musical theater, and acting arts and adventure. Dawn and her daughter, Annie, work with Jay in the musical theater camp session where they choose 20 show tunes and string them together with a fun plot to create a new show each year.
With a BA in psychology, Jay has focused his work on children and helping them understand nature. His first job was working with runaway children. As a naturalist intern in Ohio he taught 6th graders about nature. At the Harris Center he worked in the schools program and directed the Wol’s Nest summer camp.
Jay received an MA in Environmental Studies and a certification in elementary education from Antioch University. “Third grade is my favorite age to teach!” says Jay. “I just love helping them learn and grow.”
In their free time, Jay and Dawn are Morris Dancers and Rapper Sword dancers performing frequently at local festivals. They enjoy camping and kayaking with their daughter Annie, 19, a sophomore at Bard College in New York, and son, Jesse, 18, a senior at Dublin School.
Ramona Branch is on the staff of the Advocate.
The Evening Grosbeak
By Tom Warren
This thick-billed northern finch is often a common visitor to feeding stations, especially feeders filled with sunflower seeds, in the winter months. The Evening Grosbeak occurs in large flocks, sometimes numbering 100 or more birds.
![[Photo by Robert McGraw for Ontario Nature]](http://dublinadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Evening-Grosbeak.jpg)
A boldly colored bird of yellow, black and white, this bird has a large conical bill with a broad skull and large jaw for crushing seeds. Its powerful beak can apply forces of 27-57 Kg to break open seeds. It will also eat the berries of ash, crabapple, Russian olive and Juniper.
Evening Grosbeaks are fond of bathing in winter and can be found in open streams on the coldest days. They are very tame and will feed from a human hand. They are also attracted to salt and often can be seen feeding by the roadside.
If Evening Grosbeaks come to your feeder, buy your sunflower seed in 50-lb. bags. They are gluttons when eating. One Saskatchewan farmer who grew sunflowers for the market always set some of his crop aside for his local grosbeaks. Last winter, that amount was two tons.
Tom Warren is a Trustee of the Harris Center for Conservation Education based in Hancock and New Hampshire Audubon.
Winter Wild Turkey Survey Starts January 1; Summer Survey Results
New Hampshire now has an estimated 40,000 wild turkeys. With the advent of snow cover across the state, wild turkeys are gathering at backyard birdfeeders. If you see a flock of turkeys in New Hampshire this winter, our Fish and Game Department is asking you to report it. Last winter, volunteer turkey watchers submitted 1,787 flock reports, totaling 28,389 turkeys.
You can report any turkey flocks seen from January 1 through March 31, by filling out a simple electronic survey form on the Fish and Game website at http://www.wildnh.com/turkeysurvey. Please do not report multiple sightings of the same flock. Participants are asked to report the number of turkeys in the flock; where they were seen; the type of habitat the birds were observed in; and what the turkeys were feeding on (acorns, beechnuts, seed at birdfeeders, corn silage, etc.).
Fish and Game is monitoring for two viruses that have appeared in New Hampshire’s turkeys in recent years (see http://wildnh.com/Wildlife/turkey_virus.html). Look for “warty protuberances in the head and eye area.”
Fish and Game has tallied up results from the now-complete 2014 Summer Brood Survey, an online reporting survey that helps monitor turkey hens and poults. The public reported 724 broods last summer, almost half of them from the southeast part of the state. For a summary of 2014 results, visit http://www.wildnh.com/turkeybroodsurvey/report_pdfs/2014_Brood_Survey.pdf.
Turkey research and monitoring in New Hampshire is funded by the federal Wildlife Restoration Program, supported by the purchase of firearms, ammunition and archery equipment.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department works in partnership with the public to conserve and manage the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit http://www.wildnh.com.