New Owner of Boston Post Cane: Peter Shonk
Dublin’s Select Chair Charlie Champagne presented Dublin’s Boston Post Cane to Mr. Peter Shonk at Town Meeting on March 16 by in celebration of his status as the oldest town resident.
Mr. Shonk spent summers in Dublin as a child with his parents back in the late 1920s and loved it so much he kept on returning. Peter’s parents purchased property in Dublin in 1934, which cemented the Dublin connection and led to many enjoyable summers.
Peter joined the Navy Air Corp. after college and was stationed on the aircraft carrier Enterprise during WW II. It was during this period, while on leave, that he met his beloved wife, Lucy. Peter is quick to point out that Lucy impressed him with her ability to listen patiently to his stories of take-offs and landings on the Enterprise.
Peter and Lucy were married in 1944 and lived in several states during Peter’s working career including Florida, Rhode Island, New York, North Carolina and New Jersey but always came back to Dublin on summer excursions. Peter and Lucy were blessed with five daughters and two sons.
Peter and Lucy moved to Dublin permanently after Peter’s retirement in 1980. His many contributions to the town are very much appreciated. Mr. Shonk, thank you for making Dublin your home and enjoy that cane!
2013 Dublin Town Meeting
By Ramona Branch
Town meeting lasted around three hours this year due to an expanded warrant of 21 articles. One hundred nine Dubliners turned out for the Saturday meeting at the Dublin Consolidated School.
Article 1 regarding the election of town officers, and Article 2 proposing a language change to a zoning ordinance (which passed), were voted on by ballot at Town Hall on March 12. The remaining 19 articles were expedited at Town Meeting on March 16.
The election summary, with all terms for three years: Sturdy Thomas was reelected as selectman. Beth Walker and Gail Bartlett are the new library trustees. Arthur Sussman is our new water commissioner. Fiona Tibbetts is to be our new rep to the ConVal School Board. Thomas Warren and Dale Gabel are on the Budget Committee. Bruce Fox is our new cemetery trustee. Bill Goodwin is on the Planning Board, and Rick MacMillan is the new trustee of trust funds.
Of the 21 articles (details listed on last month’s cover of the Advocate) all passed except Article 11, which was tabled: $25,000 to pave the Town Hall-Library parking lot will be reconsidered next year.
Ramona Branch is a freelance writer and editor and is on the staff of The Dublin Advocate.
“The test of a community’s character is how it takes care of its least fortunate members.” Peter Tuttle at Town Meeting, prior to the vote passing assistance to nonprofits that provide needed services to our townspeople.
Citizen of the Year: Chris Gallagher
It’s impossible to name the hundreds of youngsters who benefited from the kind, consistent and fair coaching of Chris Gallagher on the baseball diamond over their formative years, but those kids and their parents know who they are. Chris’s determination, quiet but strict adherence to fair play, and his spirit of playing the game well, and often winning, is imbued in the hearts of those young athletes.
Thank you, Chris, for years of dedicated service both to the children and the field.
The town’s road crew set up chairs in the DCS gymnasium before the event. Thanks to all! Photo by Margaret Gurney
Dublin Public Library
Come celebrate the arrival of spring during Wednesday morning Story Time at the Dublin Public Library. Programs begin at 9:30 with a story and song. Later, we march to the children’s area where a different craft is offered every week and refreshments are served. April programs will include Ducks, Rain Showers and Puddles, Birds and Busy Bees.
If you found yourself snowed in during our March Game Night, plan to join us Wednesday, April 24, at 6 pm. Bring a friend along for a fun family night. This program is free and open to all ages that enjoy playing board games. Remember to check out a book or movie for the remainder of your vacation week. Refreshments will be served.
DVDs:
Alex Cross
Anna Karenina
Atlas Shrugged Part 2
Hope Springs
Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 2
Wreck-It Ralph
Books:
A Week in Winter by M. Binchy
Alex Cross Run by J Patterson
Guilt by J. Kellerman
The Story Teller by J. Picoult
The Importance of Being Seven by A. McCall Smith
I was born when the sap runs by R. Webber
“Nature” Reading Discussion
NH Humanities Council scholar Emily Archer will facilitate.
By Catherine Boeckmann
If you love nature, art, and good reading, join us on Saturday, April 20, at the Library, from 10 am to noon.
We’ll enjoy a lively conversation celebrating the mountain that gives our region its name and beauty. Listen to the voice of writers and poets who know nature’s presence or Monadnock’s “brooding power” intimately; enjoy portraits of the mountain from the palettes of regional artists.
NH Humanities Council scholar Emily Archer will facilitate our discussion, focusing on several readings that you can pick up right at the library counter, or find online: Henry David Thoreau – excerpt from Journals –entry for June 2, 1858, “Start for Monadnock…”
Poems include Wendell Berry – “The Peace of Wild Things”; Mary Oliver – “The Summer Day”; Denise Levertov – “Sojourns in the Parallel World”; Galway Kinnell – “Flower Herding on Mt. Monadnock” (excerpt); Pat Fargnoli – “Still Water”; John Gould Fletcher – “Ascent of Monadnock”; and Emily Dickinson #975 – “The Mountain sat upon the Plain . . .”
Archer will also speak about the paintings of Mt. Monadnock by Meryman, Benson, Thayer, Quigley, James, and other classic Dublin artists.
This is the last spring literary program event. Come and enjoy some food for thought!
Free to all. No pre-registration required. Refreshments served. Sponsored by a grant from the NH Humanities Council and the Friends of the Dublin Public Library.
Catherine Boeckmann is secretary of the FDPL.
Town of Dublin
Public Notice
Effective March 11 – May 1, 2013, all town roads will be closed to all vehicles over 6 tons.
For exceptions, please contact the Road Agent, Brian Barden, at 398-8546.
Dublin Broadband Committee Formed
More residents welcome to join.
By Kate Albert
The Dublin Broadband Committee has met twice in the Town Hall. Members include Carole Monroe, Miriam Carter, Marian Schwaller-Carney, and myself.
In the first meeting, we organized the committee, which included selecting a chair, determined our mission and goal, discussed what we know about broadband availability in Dublin and began collecting preliminary data. We determined to seek answers to questions such as: How does the current Broadband available affect town businesses, library, schools, wireless coverage, and real estate values?
We are seeking information on what services are currently available in Dublin and what plans the various service providers have for increasing Broadband in Dublin, exploring the various options for increasing what we have now.
Our mission statement is to assist in bringing “High Speed Broadband to every premise.”
We encourage Dublin residents to take the “speed test” from New Hampshire Broadband Mapping, which can be found at www.iwantbroadbandnh.com.
We welcome and encourage more residents to join the committee and need feedback on what service residents currently have including: provider, speed, and cost.
Please email me at kate@nullpc-nh.com with your replies. Many thanks.
Kate Albert was elected chair of the new Broadband Committee. Bruce Simpson originally wrote about the need for this group in the November 2012 Advocate.
Dublin Women’s Club News
By Jill Lawler
Although the snow is taking its time melting, the Dublin Women’s Club and the Beach Committee are busy making plans for the spring and summer.
This year the annual Women’s Club Dinner will be held at DelRossi’s on April 30th with happy hour at 5:30 followed by dinner and a meeting at 6:00. Invitations for the dinner will be sent at the beginning of the month.
At the meeting the club will vote on a suggested increase in the dues for next year. The cost for membership in the club and the beach is proposed to be $125; membership in the club only will be $25. We have tried to hold the costs steady and have not upped the fee for membership since 2005; however, rising expenses and the steady increase in the cost of our liability insurance have made this necessary.
People with questions about the beach can contact any of the members of the Beach Committee: Nancy Campbell, Shannon Carpenter, Connie Cerroni, Emily Johnson, Jill Lawler or Rebecca Oja.
Jill Lawler is the Chairman of the Beach Committee.
Host Families Can Help Build Peace
By Cassie Cleverly
The Cyprus Friendship Program (CFP), now in its fifth year, is searching for host families for the month of July. Cyprus has been a divided by a UN militarized buffer zone since the 1974 civil conflict, with Turkish-speaking Muslims in the north and Greek-speaking Christians in the south; only three checkpoints exist for crossing from one side to the other.
CFP is a peace-building and leadership training program for Cypriot teens from opposite sides of the divide who otherwise would have no way of meeting. CFP is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit with no political agenda. The mission of the program is to build friendships between the youth of different communities so they can work together to build a peaceful future for themselves.
A year-round program in Cyprus, CFP has an essential summer residential component where pairs of teens – one Turkish Cypriot and one Greek Cypriot – come to the United States and live with an American host family in a neutral setting. This crucial period of the program allows pairs of teens to experience living peacefully side by side, discovering their daily similarities and differences and solidifying their bond of friendships.
New Hampshire is fortunate to be one of six regions in which CFP operates. All that is necessary is one bedroom with space for two teens to sleep, appropriate supervision (teens are between 15 – 17 years old) and a willingness to include these teens in your summer fun. In the past, many families in the Monadnock Region have hosted, and camaraderie between the families has grown as we all learn more about the Middle East, these amazing teens and their cultures.
If you are interested in building peace by opening your home to future leaders, please contact Cassie Cleverly at cassiec@nullcyprusfriendship.org or call 603.203.6673 for more information.
Cassie Cleverly is executive director of CFP.
News from the Dublin Consolidated School
By May Clark
Something pretty wonderful happened over the winter at DCS this year. Sometime after it started getting cold, one of our students, a third grader, came to school wearing a hat his grandmother had knitted for him. Some of his classmates admired it, and soon they had hats just like his. More students expressed their desire for a hat like that one, and before anyone had really noticed, the whole class had hats. Then some of the teachers began sporting them. Lots of us had warm, colorful heads. By the middle of March, this grandmother had made hats for everybody in the school. So we’re announcing that Freeman’s grandmother, Lolo, is now the official DCS Grandma Lolo.
A few of the other great things that happened in March: Lend An Ear came back to visit the third grade, thanks to Dublin Community Foundation, and the children loved hearing those instruments being demonstrated in their own classroom. Many children displayed their talents at the annual DCS Talent Show, thanks to Ashley Morse, organizer and director extraordinaire.
Our second trimester ended and report cards went home, and all ConVal elementary staff heard about a new report card being developed by a representative group, to be used in the fall for the first time. Grade five had their move-up day at SMS, combined with an all-fifth-grade contra dance, called by David Kaynor. It’s been a busy month, and April promises more of the same.
We are still looking for next year’s kindergarteners, so if you know any families with a child who will be five years old by September 30, please have them call or email us!
May Clark is Teaching Principal at DCS. You may contact her at 563-8332 or by email at mclark@nullconval.edu.
Dublin’s New Rep to SAU 1
By Mary Loftis
Fiona Tibbetts is Dublin’s new representative to the ConVal School Board, winning the seat in a write-in vote on March 12.
Fiona and her husband Peter have owned a home in Dublin for six years, but their roots in the area go back much further. She first moved to Old Dublin Road in Peterborough with her family in 1997.
Currently a school nurse at Wilton–Lyndeborough High School since 2008 and the mother of four boys who are now “out of the nest,” Fiona is excited about committing herself to the opportunities and challenges facing our district. As a taxpayer, parent and school employee, she will have a balanced perspective, and I am thrilled to be passing her the ConVal baton!
Mary Loftis is on the staff of the Advocate.
Swap Shop Re-Opens, But…
By Ed Germain
The Swap Shop at the Transfer Station is open again, from 8 am to 4 pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
For two years after it first opened, Leslie Whone and Jack Donnelly took care of our Swap Shop. Today we need a Volunteer Swap Shop Committee.
If 16 people volunteer, each person would oversee the Swap Shop once every other month, arriving to straighten things up just before closing time at 4 pm. The usual commitment would be less than an hour, between 4 and 5 pm on a Wednesday or Saturday, perhaps 6 or even only 3 times a year (depending on the size of the committee).
Right now we have 4 volunteers. We need at least 12 more. (One nearby town has 70!)
In our Swap Shop people have found skis for their kids, a beautiful ceramic platter for a Christmas gift, a wagon, a complete stereo system, a set of crystal wine glasses, an exercise machine, a gas grill, toys, tools, books, fabric and more—all in good shape and working order. The Swap Shop is a real asset for Dublin, a place where people can leave items they no longer need and others can find things they have a use for. This is efficient and effective recycling.
To volunteer, leave your name and phone number with our town Administrator, Sherry Miller (564-8544).
And if you have questions, give me a call: 563-8007.
Ed Germain just ended his term as a member of the recycling committee.
DCF Accepting Applications for Scholarships
Dublin Community Foundation is accepting scholarship applications from 2013 graduating high school seniors who are Dublin residents. A limited number of scholarships are available for students planning to continue their studies at a college or university, technical or business school. The deadline for applying is May 15, 2013.
Applications are available from guidance counselors at ConVal, Dublin Christian Academy, the Dublin School and Fairwood Bible Institute. DCF welcomes applications from those Dublin students who have been home schooled.
We can also send applications by email on request.
Completed applications may be returned to us by USPS (DCF, PO Box 1036, Dublin, NH 03444) or electronically to our email address: dublincommunityfoundation@nullgmail.com.
Dubliners On Stage
Abbie Brown, daughter of Vicki and Milton Brown Jr. of Dublin, recently played the role of Iris, a dancer, in the Keene State College performance of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” held at the Redfern Arts Center.
Abbie, whose on-stage presence is simultaneously athletic and graceful, has been dancing most of her life. She has had a long affiliation with the Monadnock Performing Arts Academy, both as a dancer and choreographer. She is currently a first-year student majoring in dance performance and choreography.
Abbie graduated from ConVal High School in 2010 where she danced in a number of theater productions.
Another Dublin resident, Cindy Cheshire was also a member of “The Tempest” cast. She is the campus minister and director of The Newman Center at KSC.
Children and the Arts Day – May 18
A day to celebrate art with, for and by children.
On May 18, 2013, the 20th annual Children And The Arts Day will be held in downtown Peterborough and Dublin children always participate. The theme of this year’s free festival is “Puppet Palooza,” and the streets fill with song, laughter, parading Giant Puppets, food, fun, dancing, chalk art and the Art Walk.
A year of planning and great community cooperation enables local students to produce puppets with artists, regional puppet troupes will be performing, and we will be bringing back Giant Puppets from the past.
Several dozen adult volunteers are needed to help make this festival a success each year. Morning and afternoon shifts are available at the event venues throughout Peterborough. For information about volunteering, contact committee member Felice at 502-8566.
For a schedule as the event approaches – please check out www.childrenandthearts.org. This festival is free due to generous individual and business donors from ConVal communities and beyond.
The Children and the Arts Festival received two grants this winter to help fund two new tents to expand festival offerings and to fund local artists and residencies for the 2013 festival: the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation granted $4,500 to purchase two large tents to provide expanded performance and hands-on space.
If you are able to make a tax-deductible donation to this annual event, please send donations to Children and the Arts, PO Box 771, Peterborough, NH 03458.
The Kalvaitis Family
By Lorelei Murphy
Beautiful sandy beaches, warm tropical air, gentle breezes, magnificent vistas. This is Kaui, where two people originally from the East Coast wound up encountering one another and where the Kalvaitis family love story begins.
Traceymay and Rimai had graduated from college where they both majored in sciences and secondary education and were living and traveling on the West Coast. Their mutual love of the outdoors brought them to Hawaii where, on the sandy beaches of Kaui, they caught a glimpse of one another and experienced love at first sight.
Although they would travel back to the East Coast every few years to visit family, North Carolina for Traceymay and New Hampshire for Rimai, they always returned to Hawaii. And it was important to Traceymay and Rimai that their four children, Kamanakai (age 12), Avelea (9), and twins Surasa and Nakoa (4), would spend their early years in Hawaii.
During the times the family lived in NH, they would see Mt. Monadnock and feel a certain pull. It was almost inevitable that during one of the times the family lived in NH, Traceymay and Rimai would work in the Monadnock area at the Meeting School in Rindge while Kamanakai attended Mountain Shadows and Avelea attended Cobb Meadow.
A big draw for settling back in this area was being able to put Kamanakai back in the school he had started in and having his sister, Avelea join him there, although the family had no idea where they would live. Fortuitously, Traceymay saw a For Rent sign at a Dublin driveway and knew this home would be perfect for her family even though they would need to move out during the summer months. That was three years ago.
Traceymay had an opportunity to work at the Monadnock Waldorf School in Keene to be their Life Sciences Teacher, which would have taken a lot of time away from her family. So when she and Rimai were offered teaching positions at Mountain Shadows they jumped at the chance to not only teach there but to see her children throughout the day. Traceymay works four days a week as a homeroom co-teacher and math teacher for 1st and 2nd grade and literature / writing to 4th, 7th, and 8th grades. She also coordinates the garden plantings with all the grades and takes care of the barn animals on weekends with her daughters while Rimai, who is an avid outdoorsman, often goes up to the White Mountains with their sons winter camping, ice climbing, cross country skiing and alpine sledding. He teaches Outdoor Experiences to all the grades focusing on outdoor activities such as reconnecting to nature, maple sugaring, carpentry, building tree houses, fire making and sledding, just to mention a few. He is the main caregiver to the couple’s twins, working on Traceymay’s day off.
During the summer months the Kalvaitises live with Rimai’s parents in Contoocook where the family looks forward to spending time with their extended family while going on multiple camping trips and doing water activities. They are looking forward to the upcoming whitewater boating season.
The Kalvaitis household is television and Internet free. They are totally immersed in Dublin where they can be found at the Community Church, spending a great deal of time at the library, frequenting the Dublin General store, and spending time outdoors, whether it is biking, cross country skiing, ice-skating, sledding, or hiking Mt. Monadnock.
Because they have traveled back and forth so many times to Hawaii, each family member keeps a small medicine bag which contains memories of trinkets, shells & those small items that can connect them to the special places and times in their lives. But their most special memories are of the times they all spend together as a loving family.
Lorelei Murphy is on the staff of the Advocate.
Going Once, Going Twice….!
Dublin Community Preschool and Childcare Center will host its annual children’s art show, silent auction and raffle fundraiser on Thursday, May 2nd, from 5:30 to 7 pm at 1281 Main Street.
Many local products and services will be featured including a Sarah Chatfield-Seaver photograph of Mt Monadnock, six-month membership to Pulse Fitness in Jaffrey, massages, salon gift certificates and more. Beginning mid-April, you can find auction items posted on the DCP Facebook webpage as well as at www.Dublinpreschool.org.
All proceeds from this event will benefit the school’s cultural enrichment programs and scholarship fund to allow more children to reap the benefits of a preschool experience.
Raffle tickets may be purchased ahead of time through the school or the night of the event. If you would like to donate an item or purchase tickets, please contact Cathy Carabello at 563-8508.
DCA Holds Second Benefit Auction
By Kevin Moody
Dublin Christian Academy will be hosting its 2nd Benefit Auction on April 26-27. There will be a silent auction that opens at 5:30 pm on Friday, April 26 and closes on Saturday, April 27, at 12:30 pm. The live auction will open on Saturday, April 27, at 12:00 pm. The auction will be held in the main auditorium of the DCA campus, 106 Page Road, Dublin. Concessions will be available; all proceeds go to the Dublin Christian Academy general fund.
That same weekend, April 25-26, will be the Junior High play, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” This is a great time to visit the school and see what Dublin Christian Academy is all about. There will be a matinee showing on Thursday, April 25, at 2 pm and a Friday evening performance at 7 pm. Come and preview the auction items and enjoy the play Friday night, too. The play is free of charge so save your money for the auction!
Please join us for the Benefit Auction, and check www.dublinchristian.org under the “Giving” tab for details and pictures of donations as they arrive.
Kevin Moody is President/Administrator, Dublin Christian Academy.
Dublin School Offers Chat by the Fire
Dublin School welcomes the community to join us to discuss “Old Fashioned Eating in Modern Times” on Tuesday, April 16th, from 7:30 to 8:30 pm in the School House on the campus of Dublin School. This will be the last discussion of the season.
Organic, Local, Raw, Slow Food…all new ways of talking about healthy eating but in many ways an old fashioned concept. Taking advantage of local farmers’ markets, small plot gardening and home canning are a means to achieving it, but can we really live/eat this way in the rush of modern times? Especially within a budget? Come share your thoughts, frustrations and solutions!
For more information, please contact Erika Rogers at erogers@nulldublinschool.org or
(603) 563-1230.
The Committee for Community Discussions: Lisa Foote, Dorine Ryner, Erika Rogers, and Lucy Shonk.
Monadnock Trail Breakers
The local snowmobile club, Monadnock Trail Breakers, participated in the annual Dublin Winterfest for the 11th year. The club has participated in Dublin’s Winterfest for all these years giving children and their families rides behind their snowmobiles through the woods behind Dublin Consolidated School where the event is held, some for the first time.
The Monadnock Trail Breakers, largely responsible for making the recreational use of many local trails possible through the winter months, belongs to the NH Snowmobile Association and is active in the Cheshire County District. Grooming trails from Dublin through Peterborough and all the way to Hancock for walkers, runners, hikers, skiers, snowshoers, snowmobilers and other winter recreational activities. Currently the club is able to provide these trails for public use through the volunteer efforts of members and is always looking for new members and volunteers to participate in trail improvement and other community activities.
The Monadnock Trail Breakers is a snowmobile club but they encourage recreationists of all ages to join them in their volunteer efforts to keep the trails in great condition for everyone and are always looking to build relationships with landowners and volunteers to create new trails in our area. To learn more about The Monadnock Trail Breakers, please visit www.monadnocktrailbreakers.com
Dublin Artist Wins Second Place at SAC Pastel Show
At the Members Exhibition of the Sharon Arts Center’s 8th Annual Pastel Society of NH (held March 1 through April 27), Maryann Mullett of Dublin won second place for “The Thinking Chair.”
Robert Carsten, PSA, the juror of awards, describes his reason for the jury selection on her piece: Maryann “has excellent execution of pastel application.” He enjoyed the play of light on the seat and the arm of the chair.
The Pastel Society of New Hampshire hosts a Juried Exhibition and a Members Show each year. Workshops of varying duration with pastel artists of national renown are offered. Membership meetings are scheduled four times per year. The Pastel Society of New Hampshire is a member of IAPS, International Association of Pastel Societies, linking their members with the world of other pastel societies and their members.
For details, see www.sharonarts.org or call the Gallery at (603) 924-7676. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday 10 am to 6 pm, and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm.
Cobb Meadow School 3rd Annual Puppet Show, Silent Auction & Bake Sale
To be held April 6th at Peterborough UU Church.
Cobb Meadow School invites all to enjoy their 3rd annual puppet show, silent auction and bake sale fundraising event on Saturday, April 6, at 11:00 am at the Peterborough Unitarian Universalist Church (25 Main St.).
Children and adults will enjoy the Cobb Meadow Puppeteers as they present “The Pancake Mill,” a light and humorous puppet show for all ages. The Cobb Meadow Puppeteers, a multigenerational troupe of Waldorf teachers, have performed throughout New England and beyond. Admission is $5 for adults and children, with a maximum of $15 per family.
Bidding for the silent auction begins at 10:30 am and ends at noon sharp! Featured items include massage sessions, Waldorf toys, handmade and felted items, jewelry, art classes, gift certificates to local shops and restaurants, and much more.
For more information call Julie or Anne at 563-7755 or email info@nullcobbmeadowschool.org.
Also, on April 12, Cobb Meadow is having an Open House from 9:30 – 11:00 am in Dublin. Children are welcome and everyone is encouraged to dress for the weather to enjoy some time outside. The open house is free; please call Anne to pre-register at 563-7755.
Cobb Meadow School, established in 1992 by Jim and Libby Haddock in their home in Dublin, is a full member of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America.
The Waxwings
By Tom Warren
As the beauty of the swirling snow enchants us, some people turn to the warmth of hot toddies and glogg; some birds turn to fermented crabapples to warm their bodies.
The Cedar Waxwing and Bohemian Waxwings are two such birds that make their appearance especially in neighborhoods with crabapples, mountain ash, bittersweet and other fruiting shrubs.
Bohemian Waxwings, named for wide-ranging patterns of winter flocks, moves throughout Holarctic regions of the world seeking crops of winter fruits.
About the size of a starling, the Bohemian Waxwing has a gray breast and cinnamon-tinged forehead. It has red wax-like tips to its secondary feathers as well as yellow and white tips to its wing feathers. The red and yellow colors come from their diet. They also have a distinctive crest. The Cedar Waxwing is smaller with a brown plumage. Both have a black mask.
In March and April, Bohemian Waxwings travel in large numbers, sometimes approaching several thousand birds.
Their diet consists of sugary fruits and insects during warmer times of the year. Both Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings have a digestive enzyme that helps them digest huge volumes of fermented fruit. Their intestines are two times wider than other birds. They can metabolize ethanol 23 times higher than other birds.
Both Waxwings are often found lying on the ground under crabapple trees. At first we think the bird has expired. Upon closer inspection, we can see a heartbeat and realize the poor bird is merely inebriated. Soon the bird recovers and, like alcoholics of the human variety, is back in the tree enjoying its favorite libation.
It is no accident that both the Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings have the largest livers in the bird universe, an evolutionary adaptation to thousands of years of overindulging.
Tom Warren, a Dublin resident, is a Trustee of the Harris Center for Conservation Education and New Hampshire Audubon.
Hazardous Waste Collection
Do you wish to remove toxic wastes from your basement, workbench, garage, and cupboards? If you think it’s hazardous, take it to the Keene Recycling Center any of three days in April: the 13th, 17th, or 27th, between 8 am and 1 pm.
Any products marked toxic, poison, corrosive, irritant, hazardous, flammable, or danger are eligible. Do not mix products. What to turn in? latex paint, ammunition, fireworks, mercury, radioactive materials, make-up and toiletries.
Empty containers can be recycled but no containers larger than five gallons will be accepted. Containers must be labeled as to their contents.
Collection takes approximately 10 minutes from time of arrival in Keene. To get there, take Route 12 North approximately five miles and the Keene Recycling Center will be on your left, or call 352-5739.
Peter’s Pondering
By Peter Hewitt
Change isn’t always for the better.
Lulu was a nurse, a proud graduate of Columbia P&S (Physicians & Surgeons). She wore a striking uniform; it fit her beautifully, and gave her the air of an army officer of elevated rank.
I have now returned from another hospital go-round, and I couldn’t tell who the nurses were.
Can’t we turn the clock back to the era when nurses wore uniforms and consequently received the respect they deserved?
Peter Hewitt is a former resident of Dublin who retired to RiverMead along with several other Dublin residents.
Monadnock at Home Holds Informational Session
By Sandra Faber
Monadnock at Home, a nonprofit membership organization serving towns east of Mount Monadnock, provides people over age 62 with the support system needed to keep them in their homes and live their lives to the fullest, as they grow older.
With close to 80 memberships from area towns including Dublin, as well as pre-screened volunteers and service providers, MaH provides social, wellness and educational opportunities, including workshops and trips.
On Tuesday, April 23rd, MaH invites all to the Mariposa Museum in Peterborough from 4 to 5:30 pm, to learn more about the support programs and benefits that we provide to our members. Cindy Bowen, MaH Executive Director, along with Dwight Schenk, MaH Board Chair, and Bobbie Gilbert, MaH Membership Chair, will give a brief presentation, followed by an open dialogue and discussion from current members.
To attend, contact Cindy Bowen, Executive Director at 371-0809 or myself at 525-3376. You may also check out www.monadnockathome.org or follow us on Facebook.
Sandra Faber is Local Coordinator for Monadnock at Home.
New Groups Offered at HCS
Support Group for those with Chronic Illnesses: Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services (HCS) is starting a new support group for those with chronic illness. If you are dealing with diabetes, autoimmune disease or any debilitating disease, come share with others and know that you are not alone. The group will meet starting on Monday, April 8, from 4:30 pm to 6 pm and continue for six weeks.
Hospice at HCS will also offer a Writing Workshop to explore thoughts, feelings and memories through writing stories and poems. You do not need to be a writer to join; this group is for anyone who has lost someone close to them. The group will begin on April 17 and continue for six weeks. Meetings will be held from 5 pm to 6:30 pm.
Dublin residents are welcome to attend; there is no charge. Both groups will meet at HCS, 312 Marlboro Street in Keene. Advance registration is necessary; call Lynn Anne Palmer at 352-2253.
Mark Your Calendars
Rummage Sale & Yard Sale at Dublin Community Church
Friday, May 3: Rummage Sale, 1-6 pm &
Saturday, May 4: Yard Sale & Rummage Sale, 10-1 pm
Spring and Summer clothes, wonderful bargains on house wares, interesting items
in the boutique and something you have always wanted at the yard sale. Join us!
Hikers Share Story
By Dion Owens
The Jaffrey Civic Center is pleased to host “It’s Not About the Hike,” a presentation conducted by Nancy Sporborg and Pat Piper, on Thursday, April 11 at 7 pm in the 1st floor Auditorium-Gallery.
This presentation that will bring you into your heart, lift your spirits, and inspire you to climb that next mountain in your life. It is not a presentation of “look at these two women…see what they did.” It is a presentation of “look inside you…you can do it too.”
This hour-long program highlights the journey of two 50-plus year old non-hikers who one day decided to climb the 67 mountains in New England over 4,000 feet. Nancy Sporborg and Pat Piper are two ordinary women who went on an extraordinary journey over the mountain summits and into their hearts. This is the story of what they found inside themselves as they hiked over 1,600 miles to the tops of over 244 mountains through all four seasons.
The Jaffrey Civic Center is at 40 Main Street, Jaffrey, or call 532-6527.
Dion Owens is director of the Jaffrey Civic Center.
Ruffed Grouse, Cottontail, Wood Frogs & Turkeys
Head into the briar patch in search of the elusive endangered New England cottontail in the March/April 2013 issue of NH Wildlife Journal magazine. Get a “bunny’s eye view” of regional efforts to restore this rare rabbit to our landscape.
Also get to know the ruffed grouse, a bird with a passionate following. Find out how the changing nature of New Hampshire’s forested landscape affects future prospects for both grouse and New England cottontails.
Plus in the “Beginners Guide to Hiring a Guide,” cartoons illustrate the article that’s a tip sheet on hiring a professional guide, which can be a great way to reduce the stress of figuring out all the details when you’re trying something new in the great outdoors.
The March/April issue also profiles wood frogs, whose duck-like quacking will soon herald the arrival of spring. Readers will get an armchair tour of several excellent boat access points for paddling the northern reaches of the Merrimack River, enjoy the adventures of Fish and Game Conservation Officers in Warden’s Watch, and more.
NH Wildlife Journal, published six times a year by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, contains no commercial advertising. One annual $12 subscription helps the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department conserve and manage the state’s fish and wildlife, promote conservation education and create opportunities for outdoor recreation in the Granite State. Visit http://www.wildnh.com.
Last but not least, NH Fish and Game is reminding turkey watchers to report sightings of winter wild turkey flocks at the Department’s online survey at http:/www.wildnh.com/turkeysurvey.