October 2016

Volunteers Spruce Up Lake Beachfront
Almost 20 people add finishing touch to the DWC beach restoration.
By Judy Knapp

As the saying goes, “Many hands make light work.” That was demonstrated on Saturday, September 10, at the Dublin Women’s Club beach. Eighteen volunteers planted the kinnickinnick [bearberry] and the low-bush blueberries that are the next to final touch on the beach restoration project. We had planned on two days for the project but were able to do all the work in three hours.

Our thanks go to Margaret and Greg Blackburn, Nancy and Hank Campbell, Connie Cerroni, JoAnn Hopkins, Janice Moore, Rebecca, Jeff, and Gabrielle Oja, Sarah and Joe Sangermano, Mary and Bronson Shonk, Celeste and Walter Snitko, and Wendy White for all their work on the plantings.

The final work, installation of the cobblestone walkway to the water, should be done by the time you read this. In order for the plantings and grass to establish themselves and for the restoration work to take hold, we are requesting that everyone respect the no-trespassing signs and roped-off areas until next summer when the beach reopens.

Again, a special thanks to the 18 people who gave up their Saturday morning to enable the beach project to reach its final stage. And a special thanks to Chris Raymond for the wonderful job he and his crew have done in reconstructing the beach.

Judy Knapp is Chair of the Dublin Women’s Club Board of Directors.

 

Mountain View Bible Church will hold its 5th annual Trunk or Treat
on Monday, October 31, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. More than 20 decorated cars
will line the MVBC parking lot at 81 Page Rd. to welcome trick-or-treaters.
A free hot dog supper will be served along with drinks.
A bonfire will help to keep the trick-or-treaters warm.
The event will be held inside in case of rain.

Town of Dublin
Trick or Treat
Monday, Oct. 31, 2016
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
per Dublin Police Dept.
563-8411

Dublin Public Library

Children at the DPL Story Time have been learning about harvesting fresh fruit and vegetables and the effect of rain on our precious apples. During October, we will be adding orange, brown, white, and black to our book of colors. We will create our own trees with colored leaves on October 5 and make mood pumpkins and friendly ghosts later in the month. Everyone will have a chance to choose a furry pet for the morning of October 19 and learn about caring for a real animal. Programs begin with a song and a book, and then a craft that reinforces the story. The children enjoy a snack and conversation after setting the table with their new placemats. Story Time is on Wednesdays October 5, 12, 19, and 26 from 9:30 to 10:30 am.

We still have books that were popular the year you were born ready to be checked out. Also it’s the time of the year to freeze and can vegetables, plant bulbs, think about making Christmas gifts and cards, and holiday decorations. We have books to get you excited about doing all those things.

Books
Insidious by C. Coulter
Sheds by Howard Mansfield
The Man Who Made Things Out of Trees by R. Penn
If I Have to Tell You One More Time by A. McCready
Boar Island by N. Barr
The Perfect Horse by E Letts
The Dollhouse by F. Davis

We Need You!

The Friends of the Dublin Public Library and its volunteer board members have faithfully supported the Library and the Dublin Community with outreach programs, children’s events, and other educational programs since its founding in 2000. Judging by the positive reception the Friends’ activities have received, we feel confident that the group is an important and popular addition to resources in town.

We, the Friends of the Library, need to recruit more and new board members, and are therefore appealing to the Dublin community. We need a VP, who would be ready to assume duties of president in April 2017, a secretary, and other positions. It is a fun group with a common aim: to amplify the resources of our wonderful library.

Please email Shari LaPierre, President of the FDPL, at shari.lapierre@nullgmail.com or call 831-6044. Our next Board meeting is on October 26 at 6 pm at the Library; do stop by and check us out! Current board members are Heidi Thomas, Sherin Pierce, Kim Allis, Donna Garner, and Shari LaPierre, and we are all available for questions and answers. Thank you.

 

Ann Worcester Walsh
1932-2016

 

Dublin Transfer Station

The Town of Dublin Transfer Station’s new Sunday hours (8 am to 4 pm) will be extended through November 27, 2016. Wednesday and Saturday hours stay the same from 8 am to 5 pm. —Tom Kennedy

 

Report on Planning Board’s Vision Statement
Preparations for Dublin’s future are under way.
By Bruce Simpson

The Dublin Planning Board held a special public meeting on the morning of Saturday, September 17, for further discussion of the ongoing Master Plan Update process. The Saturday meeting was intended both to accommodate townspeople who hadn’t been able to attend the previous evening meetings and to discuss the draft version of the Vision Statement. That statement, intended as a reflection of the townspeople’s vision of Dublin ten or more years from now, was prepared by the Board after consideration of public input, hearings, conversations, and the survey completed in August.

The Chairman, and Dale Gabel, the Vice-Chair, went through the preamble of the statement and the series of bullet points that follow it and set out, in a handout of general statements, directives for the town for the coming years, including preservation of the Town’s scenic beauty and natural resources, expansion of the Village District, and consideration of ways to increase senior housing, minimize the impact of the state highways, plan for future needs for municipal facilities, encourage agriculture and alternative energy, and solve the high-speed internet problem. The Board explained why each item was included and why each was important. Discussions between the Board and townspeople followed.

A lot of discussion focused on the suggestion for increasing the size of the Village District. The Board felt the current Ordinance and the recent doubling of the minimum lot size in most of the town discouraged residential development in favor of decreased density and preservation of land, but that steering residential development to the Village provided a means for some growth, and enhanced the community feel of the village while using up the least amount of land. This was also a goal of the previous Master Plan, but the limited size of the Village District made it ineffective.

After completion of the Vision Statement, the Board will move on to consideration of the Land Use section, which will expand on those provisions of the Vision Statement that deal with land-use issues under the jurisdiction of the Planning Board. The Vision Statement draft, and the minutes of our meetings, are available on the town website (http://townofdublin.org/meeting-minutes/h-planning-board/2016/).

Bruce Simpson is Chair of the Dublin Planning Board.

 

The Latest from DCS
By Nicole Pease

“It has been a busy month,” doesn’t paint the complete picture of all that has been going on. Teachers have completed many of the beginning assessments, which guide their groupings and teaching for the start of the school year. Students have been working on developing school expectations (with staff assistance) to guide their behavior at DCS. This has allowed all of us at DCS to begin our school year with a focus upon how to be a part of an amazing community of learners. We are all still working to adjust to the school routine.

There are many very special things about DCS, and one important community connection is with the Cornucopia Project.

This work begins in the spring with weekly visits from the Cornucopia staff during which time students take part in establishing the gardens, planting, weeding, watering, etc. This work is followed by the Summer Playground continuing to care for the gardens, often watering, which was especially needed this summer. As a result, the gardens are now bountiful and are the center of many different learning activities for our students, including eating a vegetable or two! As the growing season and the month of October wind down, the bounty will be harvested and shared at the Annual Harvest Supper.

Our Open House will occur on October 6 from 6 to 7 pm. This is always a well-attended event at which parents visit their child’s classroom as well as view some of the results of their child’s hard work. It is so lovely to see the pride children take in sharing their efforts.

I feel so fortunate to be the principal of DCS, to be on a team with such a wonderful staff, and to work with a great group of students and supportive parents! I so appreciate all the assistance JoAnn Hopkins provides to all of our families and me. We are so lucky to have her as a part of the DCS team!

Nicole Pease, who is in her second year as principal at DCS, is also the SAU 1 District Math Coach.

School Board Outlook: 2016 / 2017
By Bernd Foecking

The summer is over and the ConVal School Board started the academic year with a whole day retreat at the Barbara Harris Center for Conservation.

The principals and a number of other administrators were nice enough to join us for the morning and to give presentations on specific goals for their schools and grade levels. I saw a group of highly competent leaders presenting ideas and strategies that can, and will, make a real positive impact in our schools in the ConVal School District.

Among them were specific new strategies to increase learning outcomes, especially for those students who might underperform at this point; reduce times where discipline problems have to lead to time outside the classroom; and continue the path to creating positive environments for learning within a supportive and safe community.

The afternoon was spent identifying school board priorities for the coming school year. In short, the main areas of work for us on the school board will be the continuation of the Strategic Plan; discussion and study of equity between the nine towns and considerations for organization of our school district; learning about and discussing the possibility of strengthening competency-based assessments; and — with respect to needed renovations at the High School (Science Labs; NEASC report) — discussion of how to best fund these efforts.

Please refer to the ConVal School Board website and do remember that our meetings are public and we welcome visitors and input.

Congratulations to the DCS community for the wonderful new playground. The love and hard work that it took to get this asset into place clearly show, and I want to thank everyone involved.

Bernd Foecking is Dublin’s representative to the ConVal School Board, SAU1.

 

Fall Rummage / Yard Sale
Dublin Community Church
Friday, October 14, 1-6 pm: Rummage Sale
Saturday October 15, 8-11 am: Rummage & Yard Sale
Come shop for something new for fall: from pajamas to boots to winter coats and sweaters. Also children’s clothes, and more.
At the Yard Sale you can find furniture, toys, books, tools, decorations, and kitchenware.
Do stop in the Boutique and the Toy/Book room.

All Enjoyed the Gas Engine Meet
By Diddie Staples

The 45th annual Dublin Gas Engine Meet was held September 9 through 11. A variety of gas engine displays, cars, and tractors decorated the field at Cricket Hill Farm. The show was in memory of Robert Weis who hosted the event for more than 40 years.

 

There were several working gas engine displays, including a shingle mill cutting wood shingles. This display included a branding machine, which burnt the emblem of the meet and the year on the shingles. There was also a corn-stalk chopper, a wood splitter, Baker fan, and a log saw that was cutting a huge log! Also up and running was the windmill.

The children enjoyed watching a lathe make wooden bats (as available, the children were able to take one home). The children also enjoyed the toy-filled sand pile along with rides around the field in the barrel cars.

A tractor parade was held on Saturday and Sunday with Bart Cushing giving a brief history of each tractor.

Thank you to all who came to the meet. For some it was a walk down memory lane. For others it showed what our ancestors had to do in order to accomplish many tasks we take for granted today.

Diddie Staples is the secretary of the Dublin Gas Engine Meet.

 

Dublin Health & Benefits Group, LLC
By Rusty Bastedo

The Advocate last interviewed Ken Woods in February 2011, when this new Dublin business had just been established, at 1248 Main Street. Ken has been a specialist in New Hampshire health and benefits programs since 1989; in that first interview he said he had been “an observer of, and a participant in” a series of rapid changes in his area of specialization.

In the years since 2011 those changes have proliferated. Today there are 30 insurance providers operating in the Granite State, U.S. government-funded health and other programs have multiplied, and individuals and small businesses (with fewer than 50 employees) face challenges with tax credits and other issues that many accountants are only now catching up with.

Ken Woods and (now seven) employees work with accountants on how to “expense,” e.g., handle personal savings accounts so that tax thresholds that must be maintained are not exceeded. Or perhaps a self-employed individual can purchase new equipment in order to stay below a tax threshold. Ken Woods and his employees help ensure that clients understand these matters.

Dublin Health & Benefits Group has no charge for a consultation; their fees are collected from any program(s) that they may sell.

For more information, call Ken Woods at 563-8820, or email ken@nulldublinhealth.net.

Rusty Bastedo is on the staff of the Advocate.

 

Nonprofits Offering Humanitarian Services in Town
Fourth in the series of nonprofits assisting Dublin residents year round.
By Phoebe Bray

For 33 years The Community Kitchen has been helping people on limited incomes access supplemental food, either through our Food Pantry or Hot Meals Program, allowing their budgets to stretch to cover other essentials such as rent or mortgage, property tax, clothing, utilities, transportation or medical costs.

Clients can access the food pantry on a weekly basis. On average 450 families come weekly to our Food Pantry. The Kitchen is able to keep the cost of food down by encouraging food drives, accessing food from the NH Food Bank, our Gleaning Project and purchasing food at a wholesale rate. We also collect food on a daily basis from local restaurants, supermarkets, and department stores, on a weekly basis from the VT Food Bank, United Natural Food Inc., and periodically from C&S Wholesale Grocers.

All clients are financially verified, making sure the help goes to those truly in need. We require proof of address, date of birth, and income from all who will receive food from the Kitchen. We verify annually.

The Community Kitchen’s Board and staff are grateful for the support the residents of Dublin have provided. When seeking financial support from towns we balance the use made by the residents and ask for what we consider to be a fair reimbursement.

In 2015, The Community Kitchen helped 10 Dublin residents access food through our Pantry Program. These 10 clients received a total of 1,710 meal equivalents through the year at a cost of $2,171.70.

Phoebe Bray is Executive Director of The Community Kitchen in Keene (www.thecommunitykitchen.org).

 

Sunset for MESA
By Ed Germain

The Monadnock Eastern Slope Association (MESA) held its Annual Meeting on August 21 at the Dublin Community Center. For 30 years, MESA has been involved with the stewardship of Monadnock. Members and friends gathered annually to share potluck dinners and hear from speakers with a variety of perspectives on our iconic mountain. This year’s speaker was Ryan Owens, Executive Director of the Monadnock Conservancy and President of the New Hampshire Land Trust Coalition.

Acknowledging the growing involvement in the protection of Mount Monadnock by the Society for Preservation of NH Forests, the NH State Parks Commission, the Monadnock Conservancy, and other organizations, members voted to bring MESA to a close.

The group agreed that copies of the organization’s mailing list will be kept in case of future need, that its records will be given to the Dublin Archives, and that MESA’s remaining financial resources will be donated to the Monadnock Conservancy.

Ed Germain was president of MESA.

 

Volunteering to Recycle & Reuse
By Ruth Thompson

Leslie Whone had an idea 13 years ago to recycle things she and others didn’t need anymore. A free piece of art, dinner plates, a good book? That’s what you might find when you meet Leslie volunteering at Dublin’s Swap Shop.

“I started it so people had someplace to bring their things instead of throwing them out. I have people that come up to me and say it’s the hot spot in town! It’s such a great opportunity to recycle and reuse.”

Leslie and four other volunteers run the swap shop by keeping the items fresh and organized. Leslie remembers about 10 years ago someone dropped off a brand new charcoal Webber grill. “A man stopped by and saw it and asked how much did it cost? I said it’s free and he had that grill in his car and was gone in a flash; I’m sure very happy!”

You never know what you might find at the Swap Shop. While I was there talking with Leslie on a Saturday morning for this article, I was excited to spot an amazing find on the shelf: a beautiful llama with a jointed head that turns back and forth is now standing on my mantel.

You’ll find Leslie volunteering her time on Saturday mornings at the Swap Shop. You might also see her weeding the gardens at the Dublin Library, or helping out on Monday afternoons and for special events at the Dub Hub.

The Swap Shop is located at the Dublin Transfer Station and is open every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm to drop off or pick up items. They accept all things — except appliances and electronics.

Ruth Thompson writes about Dubliners who volunteer anywhere. If you would like to be contacted, email DublinAdvocate@nullgmail.com and Ruth will be in touch.

 

 

Array Proposed at Dublin School
PV to save 30% in first year alone.
By Peter Imhoff

Dublin School has entered into an agreement with New Energy Equity, LLC to build and operate a 400 kW (DC) ground-mounted solar photovoltaic array on approximately two acres of the lower Dublin School campus. The solar array is comprised of approximately 1,330 solar modules. The system is expected to produce 600,000kWh of electricity per year, which is equivalent to the total current electrical needs of the school.

The project is one of two major projects in the State of NH to receive a significant grant from the State of New Hampshire to reduce energy costs. The $175,000 grant, coupled with the overall efficiency of the project, will reduce energy costs to the school by approximately 30% in the first year, with additional savings to the extent that commercial electrical energy costs increase in the future.

As a part of the project, Dublin is significantly upgrading its overall electrical infrastructure on campus including providing three-phase power for the first time. Due to its efficiency, this will further reduce energy costs and allow use of more efficient electrical equipment on campus.

Peter Imhoff is the Director of Communications at Dublin School.

 

Hub Events for October
By Bridget McFall

Randall Merchant is October Artist: Randall Merchant of Keene, the featured artist in October, will transform the familiar main room at the Hub with his paintings as well as wall and window installations constructed of white Styrofoam packaging.

Randy says of this airy, long-lasting medium: “The shapes can be industrial or steam punk but often they are organic and anthropomorphic, an unconscious reflection of the object they contained. I collect, collate, and assemble the shapes into harmonious or meaningful abstract relationships.”

Randy’s Styrofoam installations are not simply a commentary on 21st century consumerism. He creates order and beauty in assembling these molded white pieces that otherwise might be resting in landfills for the next 1000 years.

Come see this exciting new show and meet the artist at a reception on Saturday, October 1, from 5 to 7 pm. Light refreshments will be served.

 

Hear Paul Hertneky Speak: Paul Hertneky, author of Rust Belt Boy, will speak Thursday, October 6, at 7 pm. For more than 25 years, Paul Hertneky has written stories, essays, and scripts for the Boston Globe, New Hampshire Union Leader, Gourmet, National Public Radio, and many more. His work centers on culture, food, industry, the environment, and travel, winning him two James Beard Award nominations. Rust Belt Boy: Stories of an American Childhood portrays a moment in time; the last gasp of the industrial north where European immigrants had raised families and built communities and cities, but saw the end of their way of life looming on the horizon.

 

Relive Her Dream: “Granny D” Haddock, a one-woman performance by Dixie Tymitz, will take place on Thursday, October 13, at 7 pm. Dixie portrays 90-year-old Doris Haddock, who courageously walked from California to Washington, DC, to raise awareness about the need for Campaign Finance Reform. She spoke with many people along the way with the hope of influencing Congress.

 

HCS Offers Flu Clinic: Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services (HCS) will hold a flu immunization clinic on Tuesday, October 18, from 12 noon to 2 pm.

HCS Wellness Nurses will administer a 4-strain vaccine, aiming to provide broader protection against the four major strains of circulating flu viruses that are expected this season. It is important to get a flu shot every year because the viruses that circulate may vary each season and protection provided by vaccination declines over time.

This clinic is open to the public ages 19 years or older. No appointment is needed. Medicare, Anthem BCBS, MVP Health Care, and Harvard Pilgrim insurances will be accepted, or there is a $35 fee for the vaccine.

Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services provides wellness services throughout southwestern New Hampshire. For a complete listing of clinics, visit HCSservices.org or call 352-2253.

 

Learn “Thriller” and Benefit the Food Pantry: If you have always wanted to learn the dance in Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video, come Wednesday, October 19, from 6 to 7:30 pm, where Deb Giaimo will teach you how to dance a simplified version. When you leave at the end of the class you will know the basics so that you can impress your family and friends!

The event is also a fundraiser for the Peterborough Food Pantry. Your $5 contribution at the door and any non-perishable food items you donate will go directly to the pantry. Wear comfortable, loose clothing and bring clean shoes that do not have heavy treads. Please enter the Hub through the door at the rear of the building. For more information, call Deb Giaimo at 563-8648.

 

Witches & Sorcerers Party: Witches & Sorcerers Party, with music and storytelling by Michael Lang, is a fundraiser for the Hub on Friday, October 21, from 7 to 8 pm.

Tickets are $25/person or $40/couple or $110 to reserve a table for six. If you miss dressing up in costume, join us and come hear Michael Lang from Durham, NH, tell original stories and tales from around the world for audiences of all ages. Drinks and refreshments will be served. To reserve your tickets, please call The Hub at 563-8080 or email bridgetmcfall0@nullgmail.com.

Bridget McFall is Director of the Dublin Community Center, aka The Hub, which is located in the center of Dublin Village.

 

What to Expect in the Latest Old Farmer’s Almanac
By Tim Clark

The 225th edition of the Old Farmer’s Almanac is on sale, predicting a slightly colder, slightly wetter than normal winter with about average snowfall for the Dublin area.

First produced in the fall of 1792 by Robert B. Thomas, the Old Farmer’s Almanac is now the oldest continuously published periodical in North America (a record it has held since the mid-19th century, when the word “Old” was added to its title).

Among the special attractions in this issue are birthday congratulations from President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a reproduction of the first few pages of the first edition (including advice for removing freckles), and articles on tastier tomatoes, beer-brewing Presidents, mysterious mangroves, web-based wooing, and lots more alliteration.

Tim Clark has been working for the Old Farmer’s Almanac in many different capacities since 1978.

 

The 2nd Annual Chicken BBQ
Included entertainment for diners.
By Ramona Branch

The Community Center outdid themselves for their second annual barbecue dinner. In addition to the tasty chicken, the corn on the cob, Cole slaw, baked beans, potato salad, and cornbread, Bruce Simpson and fellow musicians provided folk music and popular tunes.

The Dublin Community Center Board of Directors and volunteers who made the event happen are to be congratulated for providing the community with such a fun and enjoyable evening!

Ramona Branch is on the staff of the Advocate.

 

Raylynmor Opera Performs Shakespeare
Last such performance on Columbus Day weekend.
By Rick MacMillan

Raylynmor Opera is celebrating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death this year by producing operatic performances highlighting the many reflections of Shakespeare’s genius in music. In February, in conjunction with the Park Theater, we produced “Shakespeare Goes to the Opera” featuring both local talent and rising young opera stars from Chicago, Boston, and New York.

In August we celebrated the bard with “A Midsummer Musical Fete” at Knollwood in Dublin, introducing the Raylynmor Opera Chorus and featuring music and verse geared toward a delightful summer’s evening. Some 100 patrons attended this acclaimed event.

Raylynmor will close out its year with the production of Verdi’s Macbeth, at the Peterborough Players on Friday, October 7, and at Heberton Hall in Keene on Sunday, October 9. This imaginative production portrays Shakespeare’s infamous power hungry couple, set against a backdrop of the American political scene. It will feature rising young opera stars from Chicago, Boston, Washington, DC, and New York, as well as members of the Raylynmor Opera Chorus. Learn more about this production at www.raylynmor.com.

Rick MacMillan is a former editor of the Advocate.

 

Monadnock Quilter’s Guild “Fall Festival of Quilts”

The feature of this show is Quilts of Valor, which are made for past and present members of the armed services. We anticipate that around 60 of our members have made and will donate Quilts of Valor. We expect more than 200 quilts on display at the show. We will offer door prizes, vendors, a boutique, a cafe, demonstrations, children’s activities, and raffle the quilts. A portion of the proceeds from this raffle will go to the Childhood Cancer Lifeline of New Hampshire.

The Monadnock Quilter’s Show runs from Saturday, October 8, from 10 am to 5 pm and on Sunday, October 9, from 10 am to 4 pm at the South Meadow School, 108 Hancock Road, Rte. 202 North, Peterborough, NH (handicap accessible).

 

Hear the Cheshiremen, or Even Join in

The public is invited to come hear the Keene Cheshiremen Barbershop Chorus rehearse at the Dublin Community Church on Tuesday, October 25, at 7 pm upstairs in the Sanctuary.

Since there is also a Community Supper that Tuesday, downstairs in the DCC vestry, come have a meal and stay for the rehearsal. All are welcome (including children) to listen, watch, and even participate.

The Cheshiremen, who normally rehearse every Tuesday evening at the UCC Church in Keene, will now circulate around area towns for their normal Tuesday rehearsals. Call Bob Meissner at 499-3633 with questions.

 

Art Tour’s Open Studios
Preview at the Jaffrey Civic Center October 3.
By Mary Loftis

The 21st Annual Art Tour, sponsored by Monadnock Art / Friends of the Dublin Art Colony, will take place Columbus Day weekend, October 8, 9, and 10. This will be the first year that some participating artists will keep their studios open on Monday of the long holiday weekend; it is also the first year that some artists will host guest artists from outside the six participating towns.

Dublin’s artists include:

– Sheila King on High Ridge Road, who will show paintings done in egg tempera.
– Rebecca Welsh on Old County Road, showing hand dyed silk and ceramics.
– Susan Barker on Old Marlborough Road, who with her daughter Nina Brogna, will show sterling silver and beaded jewelry.
– Jane Simpson, of Dublin, will be showing at her new studio shop in Peterborough, 14/A3 Grove St. (handicap access via elevator).

The Art Tour has become a harbinger of autumn over the past two decades. In addition to allowing visitors to get an up-close look at the creative endeavors that thrive in the region, it affords an opportunity to do some leaf peeping during this beautiful time of year. Art tourists can get an advance look at the work of participating artists at the Preview Exhibition at the Jaffrey Civic Center on Monday, October 3, from 5 to 7 pm.

Maps for the Tour can be picked up at local businesses and the Dublin Community Center – or look online (www.MonadnockArt.org) for an interactive map.

Mary Loftis has served on the board of MA/FDAC since its founding.

 

Ruffed Grouse
By Tom Warren

“Everyone knows…that the autumn landscape in the north woods is the land, plus a red maple, plus a Ruffed Grouse.” — Aldo Leopold, 1953

With autumn approaching, nature highlights an autumnal species common to the Monadnock Region. The Ruffed Grouse is found throughout both deciduous and coniferous forests of North America, from Alaska to Georgia.

Leaves, buds, and fruits of forest plants make up the vast proportion of its diet, especially birch and hemlock. In colonial days, it was known as the “Fool Hen” as it was so tame a person could knock it down with a stick.

The plumage is a mix of gray, brown, and black coloration. It comes in color morphs of gray and brown. It has a dark band near the tip of its tail.

It is known by the drumming sound produced by the male bird when it rapidly flaps its wings in front of its body. This occurs mostly in the spring to attract a female mate. It uses a drumming log to make the sound.

The Grouse is regularly hunted and there are bag and seasonal limits. The population is limited not by hunting but by the growth of successional forests. Populations disappeared in some states in the late 19th century as land was cleared. It is a permanent resident throughout most of its range.

It eats foods high in cellulose and can digest all kinds of fibrous foods. Tree twigs and buds are an important food source in winter with green leafy plant parts and fruits making up its diet. It will also eat mushrooms and insects such as grasshoppers and crickets.

The nest is built on the ground and is primarily a depression of leaves and vegetation. It lays an average of 11 eggs, which hatch in 24 days. The young leave the nest in 24 hours and can feed themselves immediately. After 12 weeks the family breaks up and chicks are on their own.

Hawks, owls, small mammals, and hunters are their predators.

In New England, the Ruffed Grouse has long been a most valuable game bird.

Tom Warren is Dublin’s resident ornithologist, and serves as a trustee of both the Harris Center and the Audubon Society.

 

New Hampshire Wildlife Calendar Is Out
“Connecting you to life outdoors.”

The all-new 2017 New Hampshire Wildlife Calendar, honored as one of the top wildlife calendars in the nation by the Association for Conservation Information for the last four years, features close-up images of native wildlife and includes hunting and fishing season dates for the Granite State.

Every calendar purchase ($9.95) helps support the N.H. Fish and Game Department’s work managing the state’s natural resources for all to enjoy.

Visit www.wildnh.com/shop/calendar.html or purchase in-person at the N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH (open Monday through Friday from 8:15 am to 4:15 pm).

 

The Peterborough Food Pantry on 27 Elm Street at the
Peterborough Community Center, which is now open Monday through Saturday,
9 am to noon, will absorb the recently closed Monadnock Area Food Pantry,
which was located at All Saints Church, 51 Concord Street in Peterborough.

 

Western Waterways of Dublin
Part II: Know Howe
By Traceymay Kalvaitis

Crossing over on the 101 bridge on the way to and from Keene, one would never know that Howe Reservoir waters extend nearly five miles and cover 258 acres. In 1924, a 30-foot-tall dam was built to transform river into lake and hold back the spring floods of snowmelt from inundating Marlborough and Keene. There is a small host of people listed in the town archives whose lives were connected with this waterway prior to the dam construction. If your house was built between 1830 and 1880, chances are that its boards were milled by Samuel Allison using the waterpower he harnessed from cascading falls in the river. The mill stood just east of the 101 bridge; the Micah Howe family later bought the mill.

Below the towering dam lies the Eliza Adams Gorge, which is like a small natural wonder one might expect to find in the White Mountains. My family picked a basket of edible mushrooms there recently and, even in low water, it’s a verdant paradise. Little is known now about Eliza Adams and I try to imagine what kind of force she must have been to have the gorge named after her. Following her father’s death in 1873, Eliza worked the family farm for nearly 40 years, well into her 80s. Perhaps this is the place she loved most in the world.

We are still drawn to the water, even if it’s just gazing out over the sparkling expanses as we drive by. Fisherfolk, boaters, ice-skaters, and cross-country skiers value the area for recreation, and waterfowl find a safe haven. No one raves about the scenery of the drained upper ponds late fall through early spring, but the migrating shorebirds would really miss the rich food they pluck from the mudflats. Some of these birds migrate over 10,000 miles yearly!

Waters and the forests they run through are intricately connected. Intact forests filter snowmelt and rainwater before it enters rivers, ponds, and lakes. As much as 10.5 square miles of forests drain into Howe, whose shores are buffered from development because of two adjacent forests, Leighton and Brewster. Our town owns three parcels, thanks to the Rathbun, Grant, Blagden, Eaton, and Tamposi families.

The 40-acre Tamposi parcel is now Dublin Rotary Park, due to the gumption of Jerry Branch and the dedicated Monadnock Rotarians who rallied the community to create new trails, a picnic area, boat launch, forest habitat, and protected shoreline. Look for the sign and entrance heading west along the north side of 101.

A myriad of creatures — terrestrial, aquatic, and avian — find refuge in these woods, waters, and wetlands. I invite you to get to know Howe and discover for yourself one of Dublin’s most precious resources.

Traceymay Kalvaitis is on the Dublin Conservation Commission.

 

Four Art Events at Jaffrey Civic Center
By Regina G. Vorce

The Monadnock Art/Friends of the Dublin Colony will begin its 21st Art Tour with a Preview Exhibition and Opening Reception on Monday, October 3, from 5 to 7 pm at the Jaffrey Civic Center’s second floor Cunningham Gallery. This opening is free and open to the public and the exhibit will run through Monday, October 10, from 10 am to 5 pm. (The Monadnock Art Tour/Friends of Dublin Art Colony will be held on October 8, 9 and 10. The Tour travels through the towns surrounding the beloved Mount Monadnock: Chesham, Dublin, Hancock, Harrisville, Jaffrey, Marlborough, Peterborough, and Sharon. Visitors tour the workplaces of painters and printmakers, potters and jewelers, sculptors, fiber artists, photographers, woodworkers, glass shapers, and more. For a look at a sampling of their work, visit the Artists pages at www.monadnockart.org.)

“Monadnock Farming: Our Heritage” is the fourth triennial exhibit of fine art featuring agriculture — its landscapes, activities, and participants, both human and animal — in the Monadnock Region. The exhibit will be on display from October 14 to November 12. Opening Reception: Friday, October 14, 5-7 pm.

Public Call-of-Entry: The Jaffrey Civic Center is seeking artwork from the public to be included in our Annual Autumn Art Exhibit. We are looking for all types of media including but not limited to photographs, paintings, drawings, textiles, glassworks, paperworks, pottery pieces, woodwork and other 3D disciplines. The show will run from Friday, November 18 through December 16. Opening reception: Friday, November 18, from 5 to 7 pm.

Entry forms are available.

William C. Turner Exhibit: The oil paintings of William C. Turner will be exhibited from October 14 through November 12. Opening reception: Friday, October 21, from 5 to 7pm.

All Jaffrey Civic Center exhibits are free and open to the public. The Center is located at 40 Main St., Jaffrey, with parking in rear. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am to12 noon, 1 pm to 5 pm, and Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm. Admission is free. For details, call 532-6527, e-mail info@nulljaffreyciviccenter.com, or visit www.jaffreyciviccenter.com.

Regina Vorce is Executive Director at the Jaffrey Civic Center.