To our valued Dublin Advocate readers: Here is the January 2017 issue — all news worthy for Dubliners and neighbors. Read online, or open the pdf from the Current Month link to view the original in color. Request an email reminder when the issue goes live each month from DublinAdvocate@nullgmail.com. —
On the Master Plan
By Bruce Simpson
The Planning Board has moved into its next phase in the Master Plan process, which entails conducting a number of studies that are a prerequisite to drafting an updated Land Use section.
NH law requires the Planning Board to conduct, at a minimum, studies on population and housing, economic activity, and natural, historical, and cultural resources in Dublin. We feel that we should also conduct assessments on traffic, community facilities, recreation, and Dublin’s place in the Monadnock Region.
The Planning Board will begin working on the studies of natural, cultural, and historic resources, community facilities, and recreation with assistance from other town boards and committees. For assistance in completing the studies of population, housing, economic activity, and traffic, we will be working with members of the Southwest Region Planning Commission in Keene who will use their expertise and access to census and economic data to provide us with a snapshot of Dublin’s population, ages, socioeconomic status, educational levels, age and type of housing stock, economic activity, traffic patterns and issues, as well as identifying trends in any of these areas. They will also be preparing maps and graphs as necessary to make the information in all of the studies easier to understand.
We are hoping to have all these studies completed by spring, and will make them available to the public as soon as possible. If there is sufficient interest, we may schedule a public meeting to discuss the results prior to the Board moving on to incorporate the information, and the results of the visioning process, into Dublin’s new Master Plan.
Bruce Simpson is Chair of the Dublin Planning Board.
Monadnock Region Future: A Plan for Southwest New Hampshire
Monadnock Region Future is an online publication that provides information and guidance to anyone with an interest in planning for the future of Southwest New Hampshire.
The Monadnock Region Future, which serves as the Regional Plan and was compiled by the Southwest Region Planning Commission (SWRPC), maps out a vision for the future based on an understanding of the Region’s assets and opportunities as well as ongoing initiatives and current challenges. It encourages the reader to think broadly about the Region and the factors affecting its success, and presents strategies that can enhance current efforts as well as promote new and emerging opportunities.
Here is a link you can use to access the Monadnock Region Future Executive Summary:
http://swrpc.org/files/Monadnock%20Region%20Future%20Executive%20Summary_FINAL.pdf
Community Transportation Directory Is Updated
The Monadnock Region Coordinating Council for Community Transportation (MRCC) and Southwest Region Planning Commission (SWRPC) have updated the Community Transportation Directory. To access Dublin specific information, use this link: http://monadnockrcc.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/0/3/13039095/dublin.pdf.
Designed as a resource for social service agencies, human service providers, transportation agencies, municipalities, and the general public who live within the Monadnock Region, it includes information on the local transportation services as well as tips for how to most effectively use them.
The directory connects people seeking transportation with providers of transportation regardless of their travel needs, abilities, and location.
To view the full report, go online at www.monadnockrcc.weebly.com/need-a-ride.html.
For other information, call SWRPC at 357-0557.
[Ed. Note: Transportation was determined to be one of the top unmet needs of the Monadnock Region in a variety of community-needs assessments conducted by Monadnock United Way, Southwestern Community Services, and Monadnock Community Hospital over the years.]
Dublin Public Library
Making a resolution to try to do more reading? Why not start with short story collections: Collected Stories of Wallace Stegner, A Heinlein Trio, Treasury of Doctor Stories, 14 Dark Tales among others.
During StoryTime, children will find new activities at the library during January. We will begin the first of many painting opportunities on January 4. Materials (and new smocks!) provided will be the inspiration to make covers for their book of colors. On January 11 we will have a new activity with a “guessing box” offering some items to identify using our senses. Using star shapes we will create our own constellations on mini flannel boards on January 18. How cold is it? The penguin thermometers the children make on January 25 will help them learn about temperature. Programs begin at 9:30 am with books, songs, and crafts. Refreshments are served.
New Books
Moral Defense by M. Clark
The Secret Life of Souls by J. Ketchum
Turbo Twenty-Three by J. Evanovich
Sleeping Beauty Killer by M. Higgins Clark
Cross the Line by J. Patterson
Inheriting Edith by Z. Fishman
The Whole Town’s Talking by F. Flagg
Raylynmor Opera: Amahl and the Night Visitors
By Rick MacMillan
This holiday season Raylynmor Opera will present the timeless Christmas classic Amahl and the Night Visitors at Dublin School’s Fountain Arts Building on Friday, January 13, at 7:30 pm and Sunday, January 15, at 2 pm.
Originally written for television in 1951 by composer Gian Carlo Menotti, this one-act opera depicts the story of the lame boy Amahl and his mother who are visited by the Magi, on their way to see the Christ child. The riches of the Magi prove too much for Amahl’s mother, as she attempts to steal their gold meant for the Christ child. King Melchior sounds the opera’s basic theme of charity by offering their treasure to this poor family, saying the Christ child has no need for riches or wealth. Amahl, in turn, offers his only possession, his crutch, as his gift to the Christ child. This act of charity leads to a miraculous healing of Amahl’s lameness; he leaves with the Magi to visit the Christ child.
Raylynmor’s production extends the opera’s theme of charity by asking patrons to bring canned goods and foodstuffs to the performance, which will be donated on their behalf to Keene’s Community Kitchen. A raffle prize will be offered to those who contribute to the offering.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.raylynmor.com and are priced at $30 for adults, and $10 for students and children.
Rick MacMillan is the president of Raylynmor Opera and a former editor of the Advocate.
MVBC Calls a New Pastor
Mountain View Bible Church (MVBC) at 81 Page Road called Kyle Wilcox to be their new pastor on August 14. Kyle and his family arrived in Dublin just before Thanksgiving, and already feel at home. Kyle grew up in Mohawk, NY, the son of a pastor, and his wife, Sarah, grew up less than an hour from Dublin in northern Massachusetts. They are both graduates of Dublin Christian Academy but have lived in South Carolina for the past few years. They have three children: Ethan, Autumn, and Karson. 
Pastor Kyle says, “Our hearts were always here in New England, so when the Lord led us to return to and serve at Mountain View, we were thrilled! We look forward to getting to know our new community and hope you’ll come visit us as well!”
2016 Tax and Equalization Rates
By Dale Gabel
Now that Dubliners have paid the final installment of their annual property taxes, it’s time to once again look more closely at the tax rate. In 2016, the overall tax rate was $27.81 per thousand dollars of a property’s valuation. That represents a 4.9% increase over the 2015 tax rate of $26.50 per thousand. Digging a little deeper into the numbers, the overall tax rate breaks down as follows with a comparison to the 2015 rates:
Tax Rate 2016 2015 Change
County $3.87 $3.37 +14.8%
School $14.30 $13.15 + 8.8%
Town $7.31 $7.34 -0.4%
State Education $2.33 $2.64 -11.7%
In 2016, the Town tax rate constituted 26.3% of the total tax rate, down from 27.7% in 2015. As shown by the figures above, Dublin continues to show commendable discipline in managing its finances. However, the overall tax burden rose almost 5% in 2016 due to significant increases in County and School rates.
The Equalization Rate (or Ratio) for 2016 dropped to 96.4% from 101.2% in 2015. The Equalization Rate is the ratio between the assessed value and the market value of all property in the town. Since Dublin’s Equalization Rate is below 100%, the assessed value of all property in the town is below overall market value. This rate comes into play when a taxing authority is determining how much a town will pay for a shared public good, such as a school. The Equalization Rate is used to equalize all towns to their full market value to fairly distribute the shared tax burden.
Dale Gabel has been a full-time Dublin resident since 2009. He serves on the Planning Board, the Budget Committee, and the Capital Improvement Program Committee, and is a member of Dublin’s Monadnock Rotary Club.
Welcome to Sergeant Jeremy Jeffers
By Ramona Branch
You may have noticed that we have a new police officer in town. Sergeant Jeremy Jeffers joined the Dublin Police Department on October 8. He comes to us from the Marlborough Police Department where he had been an officer for around two years. The Jeffers family, wife Sarah, and sons, Jackson, 3, and Harrison, 2, left the Metropolitan DC area (Alexandria, VA to be exact), to serve with the Marlborough Police Department.
A biology graduate from Utica College, Jeremy thought he wanted to be a physician. But a short time after graduation he realized he wanted to return to his original dream of becoming a police officer. So in 2007 he entered the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Academy. Seven months later he was on the job in our nation’s capital in DC’s 7th district.
“I am very happy to be in Dublin,” Jeremy explained. “I am from Oriskany Falls, NY, a tiny town of about 600 people in the central part of the state. Living and working in the Monadnock Region is just what we were looking for to raise our family. I couldn’t ask for a nicer place to live and work.”
Ramona Branch is on the staff of the Advocate.
Hilia “Alene” McLean, 1927–2016
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 25, 2017 and ending on Friday, February 3, 2017. For those residents wishing to file for office on February 3rd, the clerk’s office will be open from 3 pm to 5 pm.
Selectman 1 position 3 years
Moderator 1 position 2 years
Town Clerk/Tax Collector 1 position 3 years
Library Trustees 2 positions 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 Dublin’s Town Clerk/Tax Collector. She can be reached at 563-8859.
Options for Local Activity
By Mary Loftis
Even though it’s January in our little town, there’s no need to stop exercising.
If you prefer activities in a heated space, the Dub Hub offers Zumba on Mondays at 5:30 pm, taught by Dublin’s own Deb Giaimo. On Tuesdays, “It’s never too late to exercise” at 11 am is taught by a trained Lynn Heckathorn from the Wellness Center; Qi Gong on Wednesdays at noon is led by Ginnette Groome, and is already well attended; and Yoga is on Wednesdays at 4 by Margaret Gurney. If you are interested in any of these offerings, call Bridget McFall at 801-391-8903 for details.
But maybe you’re not one to join a class. There is exercise you can do in some open space in your home: simple stretching, moving with your breath to some soft music — or vacuuming to some jazzy music! Have fun by yourself or invite a friend over. YouTube has all kinds of options for any kind of activity. As my yoga teacher says, “Stretching is not just for the muscles. It opens the breath, the heart, and gives our inner landscape a chance to expand, soften, and relax.”
However, when you’re ready to embrace the out-of-doors, the Dublin Riding and Walking Club meets throughout the winter for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and skating followed by hot cocoa and fellowship at members’ homes. Contact Tom Warren at 563-7194 or twassociates@nullmyfairpoint.net if you’re interested in being a guest.
For those who are able to step up the intensity of their winter exercise, Dublin XC offers high-level coaching and competitive events such as headlamp ski races, which are open to all ability levels. Check out the various offerings at www.dublinxc.com.
Since we live in a town of striking natural beauty, perhaps the most pleasant and efficient way to get your winter exercise is right outside your house. Just take a walk! I think of my dog Chester as my personal trainer. He and I take some variation of the same walk every day, year-round, and yet it never gets boring for either of us.
Inside or out, when you get moving this winter you have everything to gain.
Mary Loftis is on the staff of the Advocate.
Church Organ Group Invites All
The Monadnock Chapter American Guild of Organists invites all to a Movie n’ Munchies event on Saturday, January 21, at 10 am at the Dublin Community Church.
“Around the Wanamaker Organ in 80 Minutes” will take you through the history of the Philadelphia organ from the comfort of your chair with coffee in hand.
The organ’s prior curator, Nelson Buechner, narrates the story, complete with historic and digital images of the pipe chambers, digital sound samples of pipes, an interview with the current curator and a concert segment. The Wanamaker contains more than 28,000 pipes in seven stories of the Macy’s department store. Come to enjoy the personal virtual tour! Admission is $5 and is open to the public. (Last year’s movie, “Pulling Out All the Stops,” packed the room and spilled out into the hall!) You are welcome to bring a friend.
The Monadnock United Way Campaign
By Bill Goodwin
The Monadnock United Way provides significant funding for about 45 human service agencies and programs in the Monadnock Region. Our goal for the 2016-17 campaign is to raise $2,030,000 through personal donations and support provided by the businesses in the area. By the end of November, we raised $1,423,375 or 70% of our goal. In Dublin, we raised $10,856, thanks mostly to Yankee Publishing and its employee campaign.
Some of the larger agencies that service our area are Home Healthcare Hospice & Community Services (HCS), Monadnock Family Services (MFS), The River Center, Southwestern Community Services (SCS), MAPS Counseling Services, Hundred Nights Shelter and Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention. These organizations provide necessary services for many thousands of our residents. In Dublin, more than 300 services were used during the first six months of 2016. If you or your neighbor are one of those who rely on these programs, think what would happen if the agency or programs were all of a sudden not available to you. This campaign is important for all of us.
We need your financial support. You can mail your tax-deductible donation to the Monadnock United Way, 23 Center St, Keene, NH 03431 or call 352-4209 for assistance.
For more information about the Monadnock United Way, please visit www.muw.org. If you click on the “Campaign” tab at the top of the site and then click on “Real Needs, Real Impact,” you will see the many ways that the United Way impacts the people of the Monadnock Region. Click on the “Give” tab at the top of the site to make a donation online.
Bill Goodwin is Division Chair for the Dublin campaign this year.
News from the Dublin Consolidated School
By Nicole Pease
December was a busy month, and the highlight was the Holiday Concert. While a different format than in years past, the students and staff put on a festive performance! Of course, the highlight was a visit from a red and white clad resident of the North Pole. As always, a huge thank-you to the Fire Department for escorting our special friend!
We are very thankful for the early snow, as it adds another level of fun to our recess time. The new playground equipment has been so enjoyed, but the ability to mix it up with sledding is awesome! Additionally, Crotched Mountain is able to host the 30 DCS students participating in the ski program. The students who stay at school on our “Winter Fun Days” enjoy extra recess time, hot cocoa, and other fun-filled activities. The opportunity to have a special afternoon, learning a new skill, or simply spending time with friends is a treasured experience for the DCS students. Thanks to the PTO for coordinating!
It seems strange to be writing about February vacation; however it is looming on the horizon and represents just beyond the halfway point in our school year. Vacation falls on the last few days in February and the first days of March this year. It is hard to believe half of the year is behind us and that we are thinking about next year, but we are. If you know anyone that will have a child five years old by August 25, please have them get in touch.
Nicole Pease, who is in her second year as principal at DCS, is also the SAU1 District Math Coach.
School Board Update
By Bernd Foecking
I hope that everyone enjoyed the holidays with family and friends.
My thanks again to all those who have voiced an opinion on the future of the 5th grade at Dublin Consolidated School. The issue will be on the Agenda for the first School Board Meeting on January 17 at Great Brook School in Antrim. As always, the public is invited and we appreciate your input and participation.
At the School Board and the SAU, we are focused on the budget season. As you might have read in the press, the budget is flat from last year. The assessment will go up by about 1%. This is great news for this year, as the real cost of educating our students is rising.
The administration achieved a flat budget by changing benefits (mainly health insurance) to a more price-conscious structure. These savings were an important factor in keeping next year’s budget at the level it is. Obviously, this is a one-time deal, and we know that the following year might look different. The State is passing down an increased cost to the school districts, while the amount of support we are receiving for adequacy has gone down.
Education is one of the “industries” most significantly affected by what was coined ‘the Baumol cost disease’ in the sixties, after the economist William Baumol: Rising cost of salaries and benefits cannot be made up by increased levels of productivity, as in other industries, and the effect is that costs have to climb at a higher rate than the economy as a whole.
With that in mind, let us enjoy this year’s respite.
I fully support next year’s budget, and I hope you will join me in doing so. You will have the chance to ask questions at the deliberative session, and as always by phone or e-mail to me.
Our teachers and staff deserve our support and the knowledge that we appreciate their work by passing a budget that is lean, effective, and conscious of the tax burden on all of us.
Bernd Foecking is Dublin’s representative to the ConVal School Board, SAU1. He can be reached at bfoecking@nullconval.edu or call 831-6134.
Year of the Rooster
By Ginnette G. Groome
The Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar and for 2017 the New Year begins on Saturday, January 28. It is the year of the Fire Rooster.
When each of the 12 astrological signs is paired with one of the five elements, it will enhance certain characteristics of the sign.
Chinese New Year is a time for families to be together. Celebrations include an annual reunion dinner on Chinese New Year’s Eve, setting firecrackers, giving lucky money to children, ringing the New Year bell, sending Chinese New Year greetings, and dragon and lion dancing.
As a whole, it is said that 2017 will be successful for businessmen, athletes, and soldiers; in general, people of action. If dynamic action gives you strength, then the Red Fire Rooster will appeal to you. Initiative, industriousness, generosity, and honesty are the key positive features of this time period.
Ginnette G. Groome teaches Qigong at the Hub on Wednesdays from noon to 1 pm, about which you can read more on the Hub page later in this issue.
Lucia Agnes Sirois, 1922–2016
By Ellie Hardy
Lucia Sirois, nee Koskela, passed peacefully from this earth on November 29, 2016 at home, in the presence of beloved family, at the age of 94. “She was a mother to the end,” said son Tim Sirois, who described her patting his hand to comfort him a mere few hours before she passed.
Lucia was born at her family’s farm on Valley Road on June 8, 1922. Three years ago, in 2013, she became the recipient of Dublin’s Boston Post Cane, awarded to the oldest resident of town. Lucia added to that accomplishment by having been born in Dublin as well.
Having lived most of her life in Dublin except for a brief period during the war years when the family moved to Barre, MA, to support her husband’s work, Lucia loved the town and had many warm memories of growing up here surrounded by family and friends.
I had the privilege of interviewing Lucia for the Dublin Oral History Project in 2015 and learned that she loved growing up on the farm, especially milking the cows and playing with her six siblings. She attended first grade at Schoolhouse #3, on Rte. 137 near Goldmine Rd., walking daily with her brothers and sisters. Lucia took delight in describing how they would remove their shoes for the mile and a half walk so as not to wear them out, putting them on when they arrived at the schoolhouse. The following year she transferred to the Consolidated School and rode the bus thereafter.
Lucia married John Sirois of Jaffrey in 1941 and together they raised eight children. She is survived by her daughter Shirley of Jaffrey, and five sons: twins Robert of Sharon, VT, and Francis of Lancaster, NH; Otto of Quechee, VT; Tim, of Dublin, and Sean, their adopted grandson. She is predeceased by her husband John in 2005, and daughter Lucia in 1986. She attended both the Catholic church with her husband and the Lutheran Finnish church with her family.
After raising her children, Lucia worked as a nursing assistant in Peterborough. She also took care of Nathan Methley whom she described as the “town poet” of Dublin.
Ellie Hardy and her husband Paul live on Valley Rd not far from the farm where Lucia Sirois was born.
Boston Post Cane Recipients
Warren L. Fiske 1909-1918
Hiram Carey c.1943-1960
Henry D. Allison 1960-1963
Jacob Rajaniemi 1963-1964
Phillippine Lehmann 1968-1970
Maude Craig 1980-1986
Margaret Tuttle 1986-1987
Frank McKenna 1987-1989
Emmeline Beardsley 1991-1993
Esther Matchett 1993-1995
Leslie Bailey 1995-2000
Beatrice Fairfield (refused cane) 2001
Beekman Pool 2002-2004
Doris Haddock 2005-2010
Elizabeth Pool 2010-2012
Peter M. Shonk 2013-2013
Lucia A. Sirois 2013-2016
About the Boston Post Cane
In 1909 Edwin Grozier, the publisher of the Boston Post, distributed gold-headed black ebony canes to a select list of New England towns (Dublin was a recipient) as an advertising campaign. The cane was to be presented to the Town’s oldest citizen.
A September 1960 letter from Henry D. Allison to Joe Harrington of the Boston Sunday Globe (in response to holders of the Boston Post Cane), reveals that Mr. Grozier summered in Dublin in the early 1900s. Mr. Allison, as a real estate agent, had rented Mr. Grozier a house.
The Archives team has compiled a list of recipients from the Town’s scant records on the subject. If anyone knows who received the cane before 1943 and during the 1970s, that information would be most appreciated.
Dance & Art at KSC
The Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery on the campus of Keene State College announces
“2125 Stanley Street,” a series of evocative dance performances February 9, 10, 11. Tickets available by calling the Redfern Arts Center Box Office at 358-2168.
“2125 Stanley Street/Traces” is a multimedia exhibit exploring issues and images of hybridity across generations of immigrant families from February 17 through March 26.
And from February 9 through March 26, “Sympathetic Vibration” offers artworks by Rachelle Beaudoin, Janet Hulings Bleicken, Sally Bomer, Brian Cohen, Glen Scheffer, and Craig Stockwell. The Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery is located on Wyman Way in Keene. For hours of operation call 358-2720, email thorne@nullkeene.edu or visit www.keene.edu/tsag.
January at the Hub
Burn Up Holiday Calories. A new 8-week session of Zumba Fitness begins January 2 and runs through February 27. Classes meet Mondays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. An 8-class pass is $35, 4-class pass is $28, and a walk-in is $10. Participants are asked to bring workout shoes and avoid shoes with pronounced treads. Entrance to the Hub is through the rear door at the back of the building. Come and join your friends and neighbors for fun Latin and world aerobic dancing. For information, call Deb Giaimo at 563-8648 or e-mail her at fredebg@nullmyfairpoint.net.
Living the Yogic Lifestyle. What is so hard every day? For many of us it might be balancing work, volunteer commitments, meetings, children, family time, and countless other commitments that make up our daily lives. As we enter the New Year, you are invited to hear Robert and Meenakshi Moses, who work daily to live and be in every moment physically and mentally. They have been teaching and practicing yoga and a healthy lifestyle for both mind and body for decades. They will be speaking together and sharing some of their wisdom on Thursday, January 12, at 7 pm.
Film on Healthy Eating. On January 20, the movie “Fedup” will be shown at 7 pm. It is a 2014 American Documentary Film that links increased sugar intake to the obesity epidemic. It looks at the processed sugars we may be consuming, and government regulations. It may get you to reconsider your eating habits; not just how much sugar you take in, but becoming aware of what you consume and how it affects your health.
Santa Visited the Hub. At our second annual Breakfast with Santa in early December, many families were able to listen to The Night Before Christmas read by Santa’s Elves from Dublin School (Grace Stone and Henry White), get pictures taken with Santa, and enjoy the beautiful crisp winter morning.
The Dublin Community Center would like to thank all who came, all the volunteers, and Steve Baldwin for bringing cuddly gifts for the children from Douglas Cuddle Toys.
Qigong: Promoting wellness through awareness and balance
By Ginnette G. Groome
Qigong (pronounced chee-gong) is a very gentle but powerful Eastern form of exercise, thousands of years old. It allows you to slow down and listen to your body. Through gentle, repetitive movements, the body lets go, opens, and promotes improved circulation of Qi and blood. Muscles and joints are nourished, the mind is calmed, posture improved, and breathing is deeper.
When practiced regularly, Qigong promotes longevity, decreases pain, alleviates stress, and increases balance, strength, and flexibility. An internal martial art, Qigong — most importantly — teaches awareness, of yourself and the world around you, which can assist in promoting a sense of balance in your life.
Classes in Dublin meet Wednesdays, from noon to 1 pm; January 4 through February 22. Cost is $96, payable at first class; otherwise $15 for a single class fee. Wear comfortable clothes and supportive shoes. First class is free!
Ginnette G. Groome, LMT, CAT, is a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist. She began her study of Tai Chi and Qigong in 1990, at the NY College of Health Professions, where she was a faculty member for 11 years. She can be reached at ammatwirl@nullaol.com or by calling 313-9828.
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Remembering Mike King, 1934–2016
By Sheila King
Mike King died on November 20 at Masconomet Healthcare Center in Topsfield, Mass., after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. His passing was peaceful: his sons, Chuck, Matthew and Steve, were with him when he died.
Mike was born in Binghamton, NY, and raised in Cohasset and Marshfield, Mass. He graduated from Vermont Academy in 1953 and received an AB in Art History, English, Film, and Sociology from Dartmouth College in 1957. After graduation he served in the Navy, after which he worked for Parent’s Magazine, selling advertising space, and living in Boston.
In 1963 Mike became the head of the Art Department at Brooks School in Andover, MA where he remained for 36 years, teaching art history, film history, drawing, and painting. He was an enthusiastic, inspiring, and encouraging teacher, much beloved by generations of students.
While at Brooks, in addition to teaching, Mike organized exhibitions for the Lehman Art Center at the school and created artwork of his own. He was an accomplished figurative artist; showing his silkscreen prints in the Judi Rotenberg Gallery in Boston and doing commissioned portraits in the 1960s, until he stopped making art to concentrate on film.
He received his MFA from Boston University in 1985 and, for his sabbatical year from Brooks, Mike studied at the American Academy of Art in Rome, Italy.
In 1986, Mike bought a house on Dooe Road, where he summered with his family, until retiring from Brooks in 1999, when he moved to Dublin full-time.
He was active in the Lake Club, served on the Sharon Arts Center Board and devoted his energy for ten years to the Park Theater Renovation Project in Jaffrey. An avid film scholar, he loved showing classic films from his vast collection and did so many times, in the Dublin Library, at the Lake Club, and at the Jaffrey Women’s Club for the Park Theater Project.
Mike was a kind, sociable gentlemen, who loved life and people. He was an eternal optimist, always cheerful even when his health began to fail. Mike brought joy to many and will be missed.
Sheila King, an accomplished artist herself, is Mike’s sister and also lives in Dublin, frequently participating in the Annual Open Studio Art Tours sponsored by Monadnock Art.
Waterways of Dublin
Part IV: Brush Brook and its Wetlands, Northeast Dublin
By Traceymay Kalvaitis
Brush Brook originates on the expansive eastern slopes of Beech Hill as little feeder streams that eventually converge in Monument Marsh, at the base of Monument road. It’s worth taking a drive down there because the view looking across the marsh to the slopes of Beech Hill is splendid and ever changing. This particular view is remarkable because it encompasses nearly the entire headwater basin of Brush Brook. Just last week, while talking with Will Weidner and Brian Barden, I learned that the Monument/Grimes Hill/Cobb Meadow intersection used to be a 4-way. Cobb Meadow road extended into Harrisville at one time and the logs that formed the old roadbed can still be walked on the north side of the marsh [for a description of this road-building technique, see Felicity Poole’s article in the November Advocate].
From Monument Marsh, Cobb Meadow road parallels Brush Brook until just before the Transfer Station, where the waterway flows under the road and heads north where it eventually joins Stanley Brook.
The mouth of the brook is as easy to view as the headwaters in the winter months, driving on 137 north towards Hancock, as you drive over Brush Brook about seven-tenths of a mile from Carr’s store. There is a two-car parking area there for the West Ridge trail to MacDowell Dam; a one-minute walk will take you to a wooden bridge that crosses at the confluence of Brush and Stanley Brooks. [Part V in this series will highlight Stanley Brook and Mud Pond.] This spot is definitely in my Top 10 for Dublin Natural Wonders. Just downstream is the historical marker for the original village of Dublin.
We can drive to view the headwaters, and drive to within 50 yards of the mouth of Brush Brook, but most of the seven miles of streams and wetlands are out of view. There are eight small ponds along the way; the most familiar is Doc Wood’s Pond, beside the Town Barn on Cobb Meadow road. This pond is the starting point, or headwaters, of a branch of Brush Brook that flows west towards the Transfer Station and then wraps almost entirely around the Boulder Drive neighborhood before joining the main stem of the brook near Greenwood drive.
The origin of the name of the brook is unclear; I like to think that the name is connected to the family of George deForest Brush, the famous painter who bought a farm along the brook in 1901. His descendants still live there and elsewhere in town. His granddaughter, Libby Haddock, recalls many childhood memories along the brook. She also remembers Doc Wood’s cabin along the shores of the pond that still bears his name.
Brush Brook might be mostly out of our sights, but there are two things about this waterway we should remember. Number one: a Wetlands Assessment, completed by Rick Van de Poll in 2001, states, “The entire wetland overlies an aquifer of medium yield. Should groundwater be required in the future for public drinking water in Dublin, the Brush Brook aquifer could serve as a valuable resource.” Number two: Wetlands are not considered prime real estate, but they are invaluable in improving water quality through filtration. The 36 acres of wetlands in the Brush Brook basin are an asset to our town.
Traceymay Kalvaitis is on the Conservation Commission.
Nonprofits Offering Humanitarian Services in Town
Seventh in a series of nonprofits providing essential care to Dubliners.
By Margaret Nelson
The River Center is a family and community resource center serving Dublin and the towns of the Eastern Monadnock Region. In the past year, 53 Dublin residents were served by The River Center 86 times. These services included parenting support, job search assistance, free tax preparation, and referral to community resources.
As a resource for families we offer parenting tips for parents of infants to teens; the Farm to Table program brings parents and their children together to visit farms and cook using local produce; weekly parent groups meet in Peterborough and Jaffrey; a Mother-Daughter book group; and home visiting for at-risk pregnant women. We also offer a group for grandparents who are parenting their grandchildren.
Our Employment Resource Center helped Dublin residents create or update resumes and use the internet for the job search and to define career goals. Many job seekers find online job application portals difficult to navigate and receive needed assistance at The River Center.
A number of Dublin residents benefited from the free tax-preparation program for low- and moderate-income households in 2016. Appointments for the coming tax season begin on January 18, 2017.
When you don’t know what to do or where to go for assistance of any kind, call The River Center at 924-6800. We will connect you to the resources in this region that can help. We are here for you, your family, your neighbor, Dublin, and this region.
Margaret Nelson of Dublin is Executive Director of The River Center: Family and Community Resource Center, which is located on Vose Farm Road in Peterborough across from ConVal. She can be reached at mnelson@nullrivercenter.us.
HCS Offers Support Group
Staff are on hand to talk with you about specific concerns.
Hospice at HCS offers “Coping with Unexpected Loss,” a bereavement support group with an emphasis on understanding and coping with the effects of traumatic loss. The group will meet at Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services (HCS) at 312 Marlboro Street in Keene starting on January 10 from 2 pm to 3:30 pm and will continue on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays monthly through March 28.
There is no charge to participate, but registration is necessary. Please call Marguerite Cheney at 352-2253 to register, or for more information.
Hospice at HCS, a Monadnock United Way agency, is a comprehensive nonprofit hospice program, providing end of life care to patients and support to family members. Care is offered in the home, in assisted living facilities, or in nursing homes throughout southwestern New Hampshire.
Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services (HCS) welcomes residents of Dublin to “Walk-in Wednesdays” on the first Wednesday of every month from 3 pm to 5 pm at the HCS office in Peterborough, 45 Main Street, Suite 316. The next Walk-in Wednesdays are scheduled for January 4 and February 1. Those who are not able to stop by are encouraged to call 532-8353 for information anytime.
CVTC Welcomes New Volunteer Drivers
Volunteer Drivers are the life-blood of CVTC. Without them, the organization would not exist. They give their time to take people to medical and social service appointments, grocery shopping, banking, and to the pharmacy. In 2016, the drivers clocked in more than 84,000 miles. Of the nine new drivers joining our team of 61 active drivers, one is from Dublin. Congratulations and thank you!
Higher volumes of trip requests are coming in from Keene, Swanzey, Troy, Hinsdale, Winchester, and Fitzwilliam. Consider becoming a Volunteer Driver and make a difference with each mile you drive. When you give a ride, you help your neighbors with transportation to non-emergency medical and support services; you can drive when you want, as often as you want; select your destination; and mileage reimbursement is available.
Please visit Community Volunteer Transportation Co. at www.cvtc-nh.org or call 1-877-428-2882, ext. 5 or email to info@nullcvtc-nh.org. It is a Monadnock United Way Partner Agency.
Del Rossi’s Announces Bill Staines
Bill Staines In Concert on Saturday, January 28, at 8 pm: $15 at the door.
One of the premier founders of the NE folk scene, many of Bill’s songs have become classics in the genre: River, Roseville Fair, All God’s Critters Got a Place in the Choir. His shows are mellow, full of warmth and wit, and beautiful music. David and Elaina DelRossi have been proprietors since 1989, serving Italian cuisine and featuring homemade pasta. DelRossi’s Trattoria (www.delrossis.com) is located on Rt. 137 N, Dublin. For reservations, call 563-7195. Closed Mondays.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker
By Tom Warren
This bird has become a familiar woodpecker taking up permanent residence in the Dublin area with the advance of global warming. Over the last 50 years it has expanded its range from its more southern origins.
It is of medium size and is somewhat misnamed as most of the reddish-orange is on its head with a small reddish belly patch. It is often mistakenly called a Red-headed Woodpecker, which has a complete red head. This bird has a buff color with a black and white striped back. They have the same color all year long.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker prefers our forests of mixed pines and hardwoods where it searches for fruit, mast, seeds, and arthropods. A Red-bellied Woodpecker can stick out its tongue nearly two inches past the end of its beak. The tip is barbed and the bird’s spit is sticky, making it easier to snatch prey from deep crevices. It will readily come to sunflower and suet feeders. Males forage on tree trunks and females on tree limbs.
On each foot they have two toes forward and two toes backward, which assists in climbing trees.
Males and females communicate with each other during spring mating season by mutual tapping on trees, especially dead limbs. While they are monogamous, they remain together for only one season.
They begin nesting in April with both birds excavating the nest cavity. The female lays four white eggs that hatch in 12 days. Young birds leave the nest in 25 days, a longer period than most songbirds. The adult birds feed the young for about 10 weeks after they leave the nest.
Red-bellied Woodpeckers usually migrate and defend a territory year round, but they will move south in harsh winters.
Like all woodpeckers they have a long sticky tongue and a thick skull to protect their brains from concussions.
Predators include starlings, hawks, snakes, cats and both Red-headed and Pileated Woodpeckers.
Tom Warren is Dublin’s resident ornithologist, and serves as a trustee of both the Harris Center and the Audubon Society.
Statewide Bird Counts Ends January 5
NH Audubon’s Christmas Bird Counts take place between December 14 and January 5. There are 21 counts in New Hampshire, and they are open to all interested birders. Each Christmas Bird Count (CBC) takes place in a designated area and the participants pick the count day for their area. The count area is a circle, 15 miles in diameter, which stays the same from year to year. A coordinator assigns teams to count birds in each section of the circle, but if you live in the circle you can simply count the birds in your backyard. For a list of all CBCs in New Hampshire, visit http://nhbirdrecords.org.
If you’d like to count the birds coming to your feeder but aren’t in a count circle, you can participate in NH Audubon’s annual Backyard Winter Bird Survey in February. Check the web site for more information, at http://nhbirdrecords.org/bird-conservation/bwbs/backyard-winter-bird-survey/or e-mail bwbs@nullnhaudubon.org and ask to be added to the mailing list.
Group Forming about the Future of 5th Grade at DCS
We are interested in forming a group of parents and community members to be involved in determining the future of the 5th grade at DCS. This will be an informational committee with the goal of presenting our town’s recommendation to the school board. If you would like to be included in communications regarding this committee and our findings please respond to dcsfifthgrade@nullgmail.com. Thank you, Karen Niemela, Corey Boyd, Alan Edelkind