The Common Loon
By Tom Warren
Throughout history the Common Loon has been a mythical and magical bird. The Chippewa believed the Loon created the world. Pacific Coast natives passed down stories of the Loon’s necklace.
Loons are among the oldest birds, living during the Eocene to early Miocene period, a period of 25-50 million years ago. The Loons you see on Dublin Lake were the same form for millions of years. This is why they appear in the first pages of bird books while songbirds, the youngest in evolution, appear last.
Loons are large and the sexes have similar plumage. The adult is heavier and larger. They can grow up to three feet in length and weigh up to 12 pounds.
Loons breed on many forested lakes and large ponds in the Monadnock Region including Silver Lake, Willard Pond and Howe Reservoir — but not Dublin Lake. More than a 100 years ago, Gerald Thayer, a distinguished artist and naturalist, said ”Loons are still faithful to Dublin Lake as visitors, but not as nesters…summer folks are too much for them.”
Loons return shortly after ice-out in our region. In the autumn, adult loons migrate first, usually separately. The young remain on lakes until freeze-up. They return to their natal lake much like salmon.
Loons primarily eat live fish, which are caught in the upper 15 feet of water, although they have been recorded at depths of 200 feet in search of food. The Loon swallows fish head first using sharp denticles on the roof of their mouths to hold the fish. On Dublin Lake, favored fishing areas in the fall are from Loon Point to the lake outlet where springs provide cold oxygenated water favorable for Brook Trout.
Loons build nests of large plant material and wet vegetation. The nests are often flooded out by heavy June rains. Normally they lay two eggs. The eggs hatch after 28 days with both parents incubating. Chicks leave the nest as soon as they dry off, usually within a few hours and they are able to fly in about 11 weeks. Loons can expel air between their feathers, which allows them to sink low in the water. They perform this behavior when threatened. They are at a severe disadvantage on land and can only fly from water.
Ornithologist Edward Howe Forbush, founder of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, states, “The Loon seems best to typify the stark wildness of primeval nature.”
Listen for the yodel calls of largely males toward evening on Dublin Lake.
Tom Warren, a Dublin resident, is a Trustee of the Harris Center for Conservation Education and New Hampshire Audubon.
Voting Details
By Jeannine Dunne
September 11th is State Primary Election Day. This will be the first election since the new Voter ID Law has gone into effect. Before you vote, you will be asked to provide a piece of photo identification. A document from the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office explaining this law is posted on the bulletin board at the Dublin Post Office next to the sample ballots for the State Primary.
September 4th is the last day that you can register to vote before Election Day, but you can register to vote on September 11, Election Day. If you are already registered as a Republican or a Democrat, you will be given only the ballot for your party. (The last day to change party affiliation was June 5.)
More information about elections is on the Town Clerk/Tax Collector page of The Town of Dublin website (www.townofdublin.org/town-clerktax-collector).
Remember: September 3rd is a Town Holiday (Labor Day).
Jeannine Dunne has been Dublin’s Town Clerk and Tax Collector since 2008.
Dublin Public Library
September…a time for Beginnings at the Dublin Public Library.
September has the feel of a new year. At our Wednesday morning story time we will talk about how school begins for many and how we can stay happy when we have to say good-bye to older siblings. As summer ends and we remember the special times we shared, we begin to understand why we love our family and all the wonderful things we do for each other as we share stories about our brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents. Children especially love crafts, and we have some great crafts as the leaves begin to change color and the apples begin to ripen.
By the end of September, we notice that the days are beginning to grow shorter and the nights longer. The stars are out and we know it is our bedtime. How do we make bedtime earlier after a long day? Checking out a few books to take home will help your little ones settle down more easily. Please join us Wednesday mornings 9:30 to 10:30 for stories and a different craft each week. Refreshments are served.
Let us keep our summer habit of getting outside. The library will have books on outdoor activities — hiking, golf, gardening, and running — ready and waiting to be checked out. Keep that summer habit!
The library is closed September 3rd.
New Books:
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by R. Joyce
Calling Invisible Women by J. Ray
Where We Belong by E. Giffin
Friends Forever by D. Steel
Monkey Mind by D. Smith
Close Your Eyes by I. and R. Johansen
Borderline by N. Barr
FDPL Presents: Explore Emerson and Twain
By Catherine Boeckmann
Saturday, September 15, is the first session of the Friends of the Dublin Public Library’s fall/spring discussion book group, “Recasting Monadnock’s Classics,” featuring authors and artists who have lived in or visited the Monadnock Region.
With the aid of a moderator/scholar from the NH Humanities Council, we’ll discuss two readings: an essay by Transcendentalist philosopher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson called “Self-Reliance” and a delightful story by Mark Twain titled, “The Diaries of Adam and Eve: Translated by Mark Twain.”
Early reports are that the Emerson essay is “perfect for an election year” and that the Twain story (told from Adam and Eve’s point of view) is “hilarious” and was written right here in Dublin!
If you would like to participate, stop by the front desk of the Dublin Public Library to pick up a copy of the readings.” No preregistration is necessary.
If you can’t make the September 15 session, mark your calendars for the two other fall sessions: Saturday, October 20 and Saturday, November 17.
All gatherings are 10 am to noon downstairs at the Dublin Public Library, which is handicapped accessible. Delicious refreshments will be served.
This event, funded with a grant from the NH Humanities Council and sponsored by the Friends of the Dublin Public Library, is free and open to the public.
Catherine Boeckmann is secretary of the Board of the Friends of the Dublin Public Library.
At the IH Meet:
- Dave Whitney provides a little hands-on for children at his stone crusher, an International Harvester on exhibit at the meet August 8.
Oh My Dog Celebrates First Year
After opening its doors nearly a year ago, Oh My Dog, Dublin’s own “doggie spa and boutique” located in the Village Park, has been servicing dog customers from the Monadnock Region.
Understanding that dogs are an integral part of family life, Oh My Dog was the creation of a Dublin resident, Rachael Luke, with a love for animals and especially dogs.
Oh My Dog offers professional grooming services ranging from the basic to the most complex styling needs using all-natural shampoos and conditioners. Each groomer provides one-on-one attention each time, which means that each dog is bathed, hand blow-dried and styled. Also offered is a variety of products including all-natural food and treats.
To celebrate its one-year anniversary, Oh My Dog will be hosting an open house on Saturday, September 8th, from 10 am to 2 pm. The day will be filled with fun activities for dogs and their people including contests, raffles, prizes and treats. A sale and grooming specials will be offered all weekend.
For more information, please call Rachael at (603) 563-7989 or stop by at 1281 Main Street in the Dublin Village Park.
Lake Swim
These brave young people (and nine others) swam from the boat landing to the Dublin Women’s Club Beach on Beach Day, August 10, 2012. Pictured from left to right are: Darryl Bennett, Nicholas Bernier, Jake Weidner, Kamryn Coll and Rilley Harrison
27th Annual Craft Fair in Dublin
Bring a friend and enjoy the fun.
The 27th annual Dublin Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, September 8, 2012 (rain date – September 9).
Artisans from all over New England will gather in a beautiful outdoor setting to present a wide variety of handcrafted items for sale.
“There are so many talented craftspeople in New England and we have a really great core group who participate every year,” said organizer Linda Clukay, “along with crafters who join us for the first time. This is a great place to find gifts for friends, family, or something special just for your self. The quality and variety are excellent.”
Among the items for sale this year will be jewelry, fabric crafts of all types, natural homemade soaps and lotions, bird feeders, gnomes, hardwood toys, stained glass, wooden pens, wildlife art, alpaca yarns, American Girl doll clothes, homemade jams and jellies, and much, much more.
The ConVal Hockey Boosters will be running a refreshment booth as a fundraising project.
The sale will run from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Yankee Field on Rte 101 in Dublin. Admission is free, and there is plenty of parking adjacent to the sales area. Entry into the parking area is from Monument Road.
Window Shop Gift Shop at MCH
The Window Shop Gift Shop at Monadnock Community Hospital has volunteer opportunities for you. Our three-hour shifts require waiting on customers in an attractive, cheerful environment. If you enjoy people and can make change, we’ll teach you the rest.
Our shifts are 8:30–11:30, 11:30-2:30, and 2:30-5:30 seven days a week. We are very flexible with scheduling: work once a week, once a month, or whatever fits into your life. Interested? Questions? Please call Toni Gildone at 603-313-2452.
Proceeds from all sales in and through the Window Shop directly support MCH and the services it provides.
Dublin Consolidated School News
By May Clark
The first day of school, August 29 this year, is always exciting for everybody. This year we are overjoyed to have Emily Brnger returning from her cancer treatments to take on the first/second grade multi-age classroom! This is the same group of children that she had to leave last year, so we are thrilled that she is able to return to them.
Our second joy is that Mrs. Deborah Bennett is teaching our kindergarten class this year. Deb comes to us from many years of teaching all grade levels (and some multi-age!) at St. Pat’s School in Jaffrey. Deb is one of our own Dubliners, and is delighted to be able to give back to her community. So our classroom configuration, which always changes year to year, is this: half-day kindergarten, taught by Deb Bennett; grades one and two, taught by Emily Brnger; grade three, taught by Susan Ellingwood; and grades four and five taught by me, May Clark. Marty Rounds, Vicki Brown, Donna Geer, and Jo-Ann Hopkins are all returning as well.
Look for announcements about our Open House and Curriculum Nights — all are welcome to those events. The staff is working on some great ideas for our ABCs, and many of us have been working through the summer on math and reading programs, adjusting things here and there, especially assessments.
Speaking of assessments, we’re working to improve our communication with families about the common assessments our district uses for all children. If you are a parent, look for periodic announcements about these assessments as they come up. If you don’t have a child in the school, but are interested in what’s happening in education today, please be sure to let us know — we can put you on the list in order to help you learn more about this huge topic.
We are off to a great start, and are looking forward to a fabulous year. You are always welcome to visit; just call or email first!
May Clark is teaching principal at Dublin Consolidated School. She can be reached at 563-8332 or mclark@nullconval.edu.
Art Tour on the Horizon
By Mary Loftis
The 17th annual Art Tour, sponsored by Monadnock Art / Friends of the Dublin Art Colony, will take place on Columbus Day weekend, October 6 and 7. Although this year’s Tour includes the traditional 50 locations in Dublin and five adjacent towns, a number of artists are sharing their studios so there are 58 individual artists participating.
It would take a motivated “art tourist” to visit even half of these locations, so why not start right here in your hometown:
Miriam Carter, on Charcoal Road, will be showing her felt and fiber wearable art. Her work is well known and quite fashionable.
Susan Barker, on Old Marlborough Rd., makes wearable art of another kind: sterling silver and beaded jewelry, which are real “statement pieces”!
Georgia Fletcher, on Lake Road, is a classical oil painter of portraits and landscapes. She will also be showing some very different new work: mixed media assemblages of artful found objects.
Robert Obenland, on Upper Jaffrey Road, is new to the Tour this year. He will be showing archival pigment ink prints.
Heather Avery Stockwell, on Main Street, is a mosaic artist who also uses “up-cycled” objects in often-whimsical ways. You never know what Heather is going to make out of the most ordinary material!
Jennifer K. Bleeg, on Brush Brook Road, is also a first-time participant. She will be showing her acrylic paintings.
Jane Simpson, who lives in Dublin but will be showing her work at her frame studio on Main Street in Peterborough, is known for meticulously crafted mixed media pieces, often using natural materials.
A Preview Exhibition will be held at the Jaffrey Civic Center, where you can see a sampling of works by the artists participating in the Tour. The Opening Reception will be Monday, October 1, from 5 to 7 pm. During the Art Tour weekend, this show will remain open from 10 am to 5 pm.
The mission of Monadnock Art / Friends of the Dublin Art Colony is to “celebrate the vital and continuing role of the visual arts in the Monadnock area …”. Hundreds of people have come to anticipate this free, two-day event every fall — along with the changing leaves. It’s a chance to bump around on the back roads during a beautiful time of year, look at an incredible variety of art, and also to see the environment in which it is made.
Mary Loftis is vice president of Monadnock Art / Friends of the Dublin Art Colony.
Dublin Day 2012
The Dublin Recreation Committee would like to thank everyone who assisted us with Dublin Day 2012! It was another beautiful, fun-filled day for our annual community event. We would like to especially thank Yankee Publishing for once again allowing us the use of Yankee Field and for their continued support.
Highlights from Dublin Day
By Jen Bergeron
The Terry Dwyer Memorial 5K Road Race started off the day with 100 runners* participating. Holly Macy was the first Dubliner to finish in 12th place overall. The first Dublin male was John Ladue who finished 23rd overall. Congratulations to all runners. It’s a challenging course!
The Children’s fun run followed the 5K and was another big hit with the younger athletes! Eddie the Yedi made an appearance again this year with some of the children chasing him!
Other highlights of the day included music by the Gap Mountain Band & Heart’s Accord Barbershop Quartet (Jim Kirschner, Larry Graves of Dublin, Leif Arvidson and Mark Brosseau), animals from the Friendly Farm,
Sherry the Balloon Lady, face painting by Linda Abram,
pony rides, the rock climbing wall, a magic show, the dunk tank, a bouncy house, children’s games and crafts, the Silver Lining Circus Performers,
and the New Hampshire Police Association Pipes & Drums. Vendors from all over New England sold various arts and crafts.
Congratulations to Gabrielle Oja for being crowned Miss Dublin! Thank you to last year’s Miss Dublin, Emma Carpenter, for crowning Gabrielle.
In addition, there were many delicious food options available: Dublin Community Church sold breakfast items in the morning and pizza in the afternoon. Dublin Consolidated School PTO cooked up wonderful hot dogs and hamburgers as well as veggie wraps. Dublin Community Preschool made refreshing lemonade, which really hit the spot on such a hot day. An ice cream truck provided cool treats. There were also French fries, chicken tenders, BBQ pork, and kettle corn available. Something for everyone!
If you couldn’t make it this year, join us next year. The goal of the Dublin Recreation Committee, made up of volunteers striving to bring the residents of Dublin together, is to provide family fun for everyone (and our events are free). We welcome new members, volunteers and suggestions. Please contact us if you are interested in helping. It’s fun and rewarding!
The Dublin Recreation Committee members are Vira Elder, Chair; Dan Albert, Jen Bergeron, Kelly Blanchette, Mike Caron, Bambi Kierstead, Ken McAleer and our newest member Becky Stapleton.
* Mark Miller from Marlborough won in a time of 16:06. Second place went to Greg Hammett of Chesterfield and in third was Riley Henry of Peterborough. The first female finisher was Emma Bolduc of Peterborough.
Jen Bergeron has been on the Recreation Committee since 2002. She is also vice president of the DCS PTO.
Dubliner Receives National Accolades
Molly Ola Pinney recognized for Global Autism Project and rings NASDAQ Bell.
By Margaret Gurney
On August 2, Dublin’s own Molly Pinney rang the NASDAQ bell at the close of the day. This followed an announcement on July 20 that Molly, founder and CEO of Global Autism Project, was honored at the Comcast NBCUniversal Leadership Awards.
According to the NASDAQ release, “Global Autism Project, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the global gap in the resources and understanding of autism, will visit the NASDAQ MarketSite in Times Square. The Global Autism Project’s model for change merges best practices in clinical services and sustainable development in order to build local capacity of quality services for people with autism in Ghana, Peru, India, Kenya and the United States.”
This has been an exciting year for the Global Autism Project. In April, it was featured on CNN International for World Autism Awareness day.
A graduate of ConVal High School, Molly has dedicated her adult life to those affected by autism (see Advocate, January 2011, cover story). After moving to Ghana, West Africa, in 2003, to work with one little boy with autism, she founded the Global Autism Project when people started showing up at her house looking for the ‘lady who knows what autism is.’
The project that started in 2003 with one partner has grown over the years to have four International service partners and provide services and support in countries all over the world.
Molly, who has been called on to speak at conferences about her work, has been featured on CNN International several times.
Since its inception in 1995, the Comcast NBCUniversal Leadership Award (City Year’s highest honor award) has been presented to 80 of City Year’s more than 16,000 alumni who have shown a continued dedication to philanthropic work and innovative service since completing their City Year program, which Molly completed in 2001. As one of five recipients this year, she received a monetary Leadership Grant to further her efforts in promoting services for those with autism worldwide.
This award comes at an auspicious time for the Global Autism Project, as it begins to stretch the legs of its new SkillCorps Program, which takes special-education professionals to work with the organization’s international partners in Peru, India, and Kenya.
For more information about Global Autism Project’s other programs, visit www.globalautismproject.org or email info@nullglobalautismproject.org.
If you wish to support the work of the Global Autism Project, visit their site and see why their motto reads: “Autism knows no borders; fortunately neither do we.”
Margaret Gurney is editor of the Advocate.
September is National Preparedness Month
By Tricia J. Wadleigh
A month-long Joint Information Virtual Exercise (JIVE) is designed to increase NH residents’ preparedness for an emergency while testing public information systems by communicating relevant messages to the public via newspapers, cable access channels, websites, Facebook, and Twitter.
Please follow the links below to register if you are interested. You can choose which activities to participate in according to your organization’s capacity. You will receive pre-composed messages throughout September that you can easily copy and paste to your social media sites.
Please pass this information to any partners that might be interested in participating.
Website: http://co.cheshire.nh.us/PublicHealth
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ReadyMonadnock
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GreaterMonadnockPublicHealthNetwork
Tricia J. Wadleigh is Public Health and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator and Regional SNS Coordinator for the Community Health Department at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene. You may contact her at twadleigh@nullcheshire-med.com or call 603-354-5454 ext. 3030.
Glenna Eaves: A Remembrance
By Jeanne Sterling
I first met Glenna in 1963. She and her husband, Russell, were very good friends of my ‘steady,’ Michael Worcester. Actually, Russell had worked at Worcester’s Garage for Michael’s dad, Spook, and then alongside Michael. Glenna had kindly offered (on several occasions) to drive to West Keene to pick me up and deliver me to Dublin, in order to save Michael the trip after working all day.
Michael and I married in 1964 and built our home on Snow Hill Road. Russell and Glenna helped us so much in preparation for our eventual move there. Even though my mom was ever ready to help and guide, I knew that Glenna would pick up any slack.
Every trip down Dublin hill called for a quick look to the kitchen window of the house just across the street from Monument Road. There sat either Russell or Glenna – or sometimes both – watching their world pass by. And I knew that I could stop there any time of the day and be welcomed…maybe even lucky enough to arrive when her to-die-for lemon meringue pie was offered.
Glenna was, without a doubt, a formidable woman. Strong in conviction and sincere in her friendship to those she deemed her friends. I was fortunate enough to be one of them.
Glenna passed away on July 31st at her home in Jaffrey, but she’ll always live in Dublin.
Jeanne Sterling is advertising coordinator for the Advocate, and frequently writes for it.
Ruth Blount: A Remembrance
By Jeanne Sterling
Ruth Blount passed away on July 16th at age 90. She was the widow of Rhode Island industrialist, F. Nelson Blount, who died in 1967. The Blounts founded the Dublin Christian Academy (formerly the Staghead Farm) on their homestead property on Page Road in 1964.
Ruth was also an integral part of Nelson’s creation of his lifelong dream, Steamtown USA, which operated briefly in Keene, eventually moving to North Walpole, NH, with steam train excursions out of Bellows Falls, VT. The railroad collection is now housed at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA.
Throughout her life, Ruth enjoyed boating and taking airplane trips with her adventurous husband.
Mrs. Blount is survived by her sons, Frederick, Stephen, Bob and Bill Blount, and daughter, Carolyn Sousa, 14 grandchildren and 31 great grandchildren.
Mrs. Blount was laid to rest with her beloved husband, Nelson, on July 28th, here in Dublin.
Jeanne Sterling is advertising coordinator of the Advocate.
Images Captured in Time
Creations elicit awe from onlookers.
By Margaret Gurney
Sarah Sangermano keeps busy this time of year in her garage, where her workshop is open-air. She is capturing moments in time, and is having fun doing it.
Sarah picks ferns, or collects large hosta or rhubarb leaves, and presses onto them a concoction she mixes using white cement, contractor’s sand, water-soluble glue and water. “It’s all green,” Sarah explains, “Everything is non-toxic; I recycle everything.”
Sarah dons her blue latex gloves and a face mask (for the dust), and once the mixture is fluid, and it passes her spatula test and the “hand patty” test, she presses it on top of a chosen leaf or other imprintable item.
Sarah is creating little birdbaths, stepping stones, and ‘puddle collectors’ designed to be laid on the ground, just like one would find them in nature. Although she prefers these creations natural, sometimes she paints them.
“You can make them any shape you want, there are never two alike, and none of them are perfect.” In the past, Sarah has made smaller containers for collecting paperclips and the like. (Maybe you saw some at the 2011 Craft Fair.)
These fossil-like works of art are inspired by nature and so allow intricate patterns woven by nature to be “frozen in time.”
Sometimes Sarah uses peat moss, chopped-up hay, or vermiculite — all to prevent cracking, which, Sarah says, can happen easily anyway. Curing takes two to three days depending on the day; humidity and moisture can slow progress. Once cast, the cement creations are sprayed daily and covered and sealed in recycled plastic drop cloths, and carefully await unveiling in the garage some days later.
Sarah originally found a recipe for hypertufa in ‘Birds in Bloom,’ “but there are thousands of similar recipes on the web.” She has mixed and matched her own formulas, and has gotten to know what the mixture should feel like. She remarks that the satisfaction gleaned from the process is similar to baking. When closing up the pot she completed in front of me, she said, “and now we just let it cook.”
Yet Sarah says she just pretends to know what she’s doing. “The most important thing,” she says, “is that God’s the artist here, not me. God gave us these beautiful creations.”
Sarah has no plans to turn her summertime craft into a business, as then it wouldn’t be so much fun. She hopes to exhibit this year at the Craft Fair, so you can still catch a glimpse of her variety of cement creations. I wonder what she’ll think of next.
Margaret Gurney is editor of the Advocate.
Monadnock Wellness Festival: September 29
By Ruth Clark
Something is planned for every member of the household, whether human or animal, at this year’s Wellness Festival on Saturday, September 29, sponsored by the Monadnock Rotary. All activities will be held in and near Peterborough’s Town House between 10 am and 2 pm.
The theme for the 2012 festival — “People, Pets, Soup” — will offer health screenings, live entertainment and exhibitors who will share about healthy living choices.
The River Center’s Farm to Table project will be holding an interactive salad-making session for children and the Rotary will partner with ConVal Wellness Committee’s Walk for Wellness, which starts at 9 am on Saturday morning behind the Toadstool. Also, pet-related offerings will include demonstrations, educational seminars with cat and dog behavior experts, and a session on dog-bite prevention.
• The pet-related activities take place from 10 am to 2 pm in the courtyard between the Town House and the Historical Society.
• Pet-related services and exhibitors will be on Grove Street.
• There will be a Farmer’s Market on Grove Street and healthy food from the Monadnock Community Hospital food wagon.
• The Red Cross Bloodmobile will be at the parking lot on 45 Main Street near People’s United Bank.
• The Soup Tasting will be held from 12:30 to 2:00 behind the Historical Society.
Proceeds from the Wellness Festival will be donated to the Healthy Teeth to Toes Program of Monadnock Community Hospital and to other local organizations promoting healthy living.
The sponsors for this year’s Monadnock Wellness Festival are CIGNA and One Stop Country Pet Supply, the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, Bentley Commons of Keene and Monadnock Community Hospital.
The Monadnock Rotary Club, based in Dublin, is dedicated to community service. Its primary interests are youth development and health advocacy for people of all ages in the Monadnock Region and around the world. The Club is part of Rotary International, a worldwide service organization of more than 1.2 million members.
Ruth Clark handles public relations for the Monadnock Rotary Club.
Local Farmers’ Offerings
Local farmers and cooks abound, and Dublin is well represented at the Fresh Chicks Marketplace held Mondays at the northwest corner of the Monadnock Community Hospital parking lot.
Below, Carl Webber sells both at Fresh Chicks and the space between Dublin General Store and the Post Office.
Andrea Kierstead sells her baked goods at Fresh Chicks in August.
Local Food All Year ‘Round
A winter market that will continue on Wednesdays straight through the winter from 3 to 6 pm is forming at the Peterborough Community Center (formally the Armory), across from Valley Automotive on Elm Street in Peterborough.
Andrea Kierstead of Dublin and chair of the Peterborough Farmers Market at Depot Square, organized this transition. The new winter market will join vendors from the Depot Square collective and Fresh Chicks Marketplace.
Andrea says, “It is going to be a great market and will serve the community well.”
Plus, there are plans for donations to the food pantry newly relocated and “we will also be donating again to Kin Shillings’ Cornucopia project.”
Monadnock United Way Campaign
By Bill Goodwin
We are so blessed to have the human service support system that we have in our region. It covers a wide range of needs including emergency aid, healthy meals, dependable daycare, mental health counseling, substance abuse services, medical transportation and so many others. Last year help was provided over 61,000 times throughout our Monadnock Region.
As we all know, our region has experienced reduced funding at many levels. The agencies we support are more dependent than ever on Monadnock United Way (MUW) to meet their financial needs.
To determine our annual goal, Monadnock United Way goes through a rigorous process to carefully examine each agency and their programs to determine the community need and the justification for our financial support. Without our help, many of these programs would no longer be available to our residents.
The theme for this year’s campaign is Give-Grow-Live:
When you GIVE to Monadnock United Way you are planting the seeds that help build a better community. Your contributions stay local, helping our human service agencies and programs.
Thanks to your support, our community will GROW into a vibrant and sustainable place. Your gift will have a positive impact on the quality of life for everyone in the region by addressing the greatest needs and challenges.
The programs funded by Monadnock United Way help our residents to LIVE better lives. This has been possible because of the kindness and generosity of people like you.
If you are currently a Monadnock United Way donor, we thank you and hope that you will continue to support our agency programs. I invite you to join me and consider increasing your gift this year so that these challenges can be met.
If you have not given to the Monadnock United Way in the past, please think about the people in our community that need the services provided by our network of agencies. It could be one of your family members, a neighbor or a friend. Please be as generous as you can be.
This year, Barbara Summers will be Team Captain for the Dublin Campaign. She and her staff will be contacting the town businesses with the goal of raising $8,564. The total regional goal for the MUW campaign is $2,303,009. The campaign kickoff is scheduled for September 13th. We are hoping that the town businesses will help us to meet or exceed our financial goal this year.
Bill Goodwin is the General Campaign Chair for the 2012 Monadnock United Way Campaign.
At the Peterborough Players in September
By Fred Leventhal
Opera Fest –
Six Encore Operas from the MET: Live in HD
shown on the Peterborough Players Big Screen
Tickets: $15 Adults/$10 Students
Lucia di Lammermoor -September 12 – 8 pm
Le Comte Ory – September 13 – 8 pm
Les Contes D’Hoffmann – September 14 – 8 pm
Anna Bolena – September 15 – 1 pm
Don Giovanni – September 15 – 8 pm
Der Rosenkavalier – September 16 – 1 pm
Janie Condon: Raw & Unchained!
by Jane Condon
September 19 – 23
This is described as “a funny and moving personal one-woman show about how a girl with working-class roots became a Greenwich, CT housewife.”
Fred Leventhal lives in Dublin and served as Trustee of the Peterborough Players 2006-2012.
Peter’s Pondering
The Unfairness of War
By Peter Hewitt
RiverMead, where I now live, has just had a book published containing the residents’ memories of World War II.
Most of them are from people who actively served in uniform.
What bothered me is that some men, regardless of branch of service or program, ended up getting shot at — we didn’t hear from the ones who’d been killed — while others never left this country, possibly ending up as an instructor — or playing in a band, as I did, albeit in Okinawa.
So much of it seemed a matter of chance — and I was one of the lucky ones, and very thankful for it.
Peter Hewitt is a former resident who retired to RiverMead with several other Dublin residents.
41st Annual Gas Engine Meet September 8 & 9
10 am til dark
Cricket Hill Farm
Granite State Gas & Steam Engine Association, Inc.
In memory of Albert “Slim” Anderson
Two Announcements from HCS for Fall
Hospice Volunteer Training:
Hospice at HCS is offering a volunteer training program starting on September 26 for those who are interested in becoming volunteers. The training will continue on Wednesday mornings from 8:30 am to noon through November 14. Sessions will be held at the HCS Keene office at 312 Marlboro Street in Keene.
Volunteers learn to become members of the hospice care team, providing support to the patient and family members. After completing the training, volunteers assist hospice patients with interests such as writing letters, reading, playing board games, scrap booking, or may accompany a patient to a community event or to visit friends; volunteers also provide respite to family members. Hospice volunteers are especially needed during the day, but time can be very flexible and work around work and travel commitments.
Hospice at HCS is a not for profit hospice with training programs offered free of charge, but registration is necessary. To register, call Lorraine Bishop, Hospice at HCS Volunteer Coordinator at 532-8353 or lbishop@nullHCSservices.org.
Bereavement Support:
Hospice at HCS is also offering several bereavement support groups and workshops this fall. All programs will meet at Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services, 312 Marlboro Street in Keene. Groups are offered as a community service at no charge, but registration is necessary. Contact Lynn Anne Palmer at 352-2253 to register or for more information.
• “Parents Dealing with the Loss of a Young Adult” will provide an opportunity for parents to find support with others. This group will start on September 18, and continue on Tuesday evenings from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm through October 23.
• A Writing Workshop will let you explore thoughts, feelings and memories through writing stories and poems. You need not be a writer to join this group. The group will meet on Wednesday evenings from 5 pm to 6 pm from October 3 through November 7.
• Ongoing bereavement support is available on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, from 10 am to 11:30 am monthly, open for anyone to drop in.
Hospice at HCS is Dublin’s local non-profit hospice program, providing end of life care to patients and support to family members. More information is available at HCSservices.org.
I Am for the Child
Become a CASA volunteer and make a life-long difference.
I am for the child who has attended eight schools in four years, because he is in foster care. Because his birth mother, debilitated by mental illness, neglected him. I am for him. The child who almost died. Who now sits, surrounded by strangers, in the back of yet another class, failing, because he is without glasses and nearly blind. I am for that child. So I am there for that child. To listen to him. To stand up in court for him. To speak for him. To champion without compromise for what’s in his best interest. Because if I am there for him, I know he will be half as likely to languish in foster care, and that much more likely to find a safe, permanent home. That is the child I am for. I am a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer.
Being a CASA is a life-changing experience. CASA volunteers work with families, social workers, attorneys and judges to ensure safe, permanent homes for these children. They commit to a particular case and visit monthly with the child or children involved. They also attend all court hearings on the case and monitor its progress. They spend an average of 8-12 flexible hours a month per case and work with the courts closest to where they live. September training in Manchester and Plymouth; October training in Dover and Keene; November training in Manchester and Littleton. CASA of NH invites all interested individuals to learn more about the program, download the application, or view the statewide training calendar at www.casanh.org, or call 800-626-0622 for more information.
Diane Valladares is Training & Recruitment Coordinator for CASA of NH, based in Manchester. She can be reached at diane@nullcasanh.org or call 603-626-4600, ext. 2106.