June 2015

Congratulations to Dublin’s 2015 Graduates

ConVal Graduates

Allyson Boyd will attend University of New Hampshire this fall and plans to pursue a double major in music education and performance. While at ConVal, she was a four-year varsity member of track and field. She is a member of the New Hampshire Scholar Athletes Association and she was chosen to represent ConVal as a New England Ambassador of Music last summer. Her parents are James and Sandra Boyd.

 

Megan Buydos will be attending Plymouth State University this fall. She received an academic scholarship, and plans to pursue her studies in Sports Management. She hopes to continue basketball on the collegiate level. Megan has been a Varsity player at ConVal High School for four years. She is the daughter of Paula and Richard Buydos.

 

After working full-time for the summer months, Tejas Moses plans to make his college applications in the fall and then spend most of a gap year traveling abroad with a friend. His parents are Robert and Meenakshi Moses.

 

 

Genevieve Weidner will attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the fall to study Political Science and History. At ConVal, she participated in the music programs and held many leadership positions. Genna took part in almost every ConVal theater production, and served on the thespian council. She was a member of the track and field team, was in the National Honor Society and Ocean Bowl, and she volunteered in Dublin. Will and Rosemary Weidner are her parents.

 

Pauline Yates will attend St. Anselm College in the fall and has been accepted into its honors program. She works at the Dublin General Store and is an active member of ConVal’s Interact club as well as the National Honor Society. She is the daughter of Karen and Scott Yates.

 

Also graduating this June from ConVal are Tim Bernier, Taylor Mills, Jeremy Nailor, Kelsey Walker, and Brian Wilder.

 

Homeschool Graduate

Tomas Hayden Kierstead has been accepted at Unity College in Unity, Maine, and plans to major in Conservation Law. He was homeschooled and is an avid outdoorsman. Tomas is the son of Andrea Kierstead.

 

Dublin School Graduate

Jesse Garrett-Larsen will graduate from Dublin School on May 30. He is an honors student and belongs to Glee Club. Jesse has held leading roles in several plays. He has been a member of the varsity soccer team for four years, and was selected for the New England Prep School Athletic Conference All-Star team. Jesse is also a member of the crew team. For his Marine Biology senior project, he built a remote control submersible and became Scuba certified. Jesse will attend The College of Wooster in Ohio next year. He is the son of Dawn and Jay Garrett-Larsen.

 

College Graduates

Jordan Singleton graduated from Swarthmore College with a double major in Computer Science and Engineering. He is on the engineering team at GameChanger in New York City. He is the son of April Claggett and Rhine Singleton.

 

Ying Simpson of Main Street graduated Summa Cum Laude from Southern New Hampshire University on May 9, receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Leadership. She completed her undergraduate academic career with a cumulative GPA of 4.0 and was admitted to the Delta Mu Delta and Alpha Sigma Lambda honor societies. Formerly with the SBW Wealth Management Division of Savings Bank of Walpole, she recently accepted a position with Fidelity Investments.

It is never too late to share your accomplishments and plans with friends and neighbors through the Dublin Advocate (DublinAdvocate@nullgmail.com).

 

Dublin Public Library

It’s time to think about getting yourself and your children outside! It was a long winter/spring so it’s time to walk, play, garden, and explore birds, rocks, and plants. Dublin Public Library has books on all those subjects.

Many of the children that come to Wednesday morning Story Time head to school in the fall. We will read a few books this month that will introduce that next step. Hard to Be Five, There’s Only One You and Giraffes Can’t Dance explain the importance of individuality but also the importance of doing the accepted thing, which can sometimes mean following the crowd. We will also read books and offer crafts about the ocean, extended family, Father’s Day and summer. Weekly programs are on June 3, 10, and 17 from 9:30 to 10:30 am and refreshments are served.

Wednesday, June 24, will be an introduction day for our Summer Reading Program. Drop by the library between 9:30 and 11:30 am and chat with one of the staff about the topics, books, and crafts that we will offer during the summer. After a very successful program in 2014 about communication, this year we will focus on confronting our own uncertainties and supporting our friends through kindness and consideration. We will meet in the multi-purpose room at 10 am beginning July 1st.

Books
Spinster by K. Bolick
The Nurses by A. Robbins
Perfect Match by F. Michaels
Money, Murder, and Madness — A Banking Life by F. Cook
14th Deadly Sin by J. Patterson
On the Move by O. Sacks
Keep Me Safe by M. Banks

From the Friends of the DPL

Marsha Whitney is leading the Book Club every first and last Thursday of the month (June 4 and June 25) at 6:30 pm in the library. Each month participants will chose which book to read. May’s book was “Farm City” by Novella Carpenter. The book for June will be available at the library at the beginning of the month.

Children’s Day at the Library is going to be really special this year: Steve Lechner of The Science Works (http://thescienceworks.com) will be performing a “Water Wizardry” magic show on June 27 from 10 am to noon. And after the show, kids can learn some tricks themselves, such as how to make a storm in a bottle. Come and be amazed!

Next month, the Advocate will run an interview with
DCS’s departing Teaching Principal May Clark,
who is retiring after 11 years of service.
Closer to autumn, we will run an interview with
incoming Principal Nicole Pease.

 

 

Scholarship Awards for 2015
By Tim Clark

 

The Trustees of the Dublin Trust Funds have awarded $1,000 college scholarships to Jesse Garrett-Larsen, Blake Ko Powell, and Genevieve Weidner for the 2015-16 academic year.

Jesse is graduating from the Dublin School and will attend The College of Wooster in Ohio. One of his teachers described him as “the definition of a well-rounded over-achiever with a soft spot for community building” who could go from “the lead in the school musical to MVP on the soccer field.” Jesse is currently engaged in a senior project building a robotic underwater vehicle, which he plans to use to explore lakes and tidal zones.

Ko, recipient of a scholarship last year when he graduated from ConVal, is finishing his first year as a music major at Keene State, specializing in double bass and classical guitar. He hopes to develop recording and management skills to go along with his playing. Don Baldini, Artist in Residence in the Music Department, calls him “one of the best students I have ever had in my 25 years at Keene State.”

Genevieve, whose 4.03 grade point average currently ranks her fifth in ConVal’s Class of 2015, will be attending UMass-Amherst in the fall. She has a long list of community service commitments, including the Monadnock Humane Society, the Hundred Nights Shelter, and the New Hampshire Rebellion, a grass-roots organization fighting for campaign finance reform. ConVal Music teacher Krystal Morin says Genna “is the type of student who will make your institution proud because of who she is, how she carries herself, and all that she does for others.”

Mary Loftis, Balmeet Kaur Khalsa, and Tim Clark chose the recipients on behalf of the Trustees of the Trust Funds.

Tim Clark is a Trustee of Dublin’s Trust Funds.

 

A Little of Your Time Can Make a Big Difference:
If you can make time to volunteer as a driver
for area residents to help get them to doctor’s appointments
or visit food banks, please contact Marsha Gibson,
CVTC Volunteer Driver Program Coordinator
at marsha@nullcvtc-nh.org or call toll-free: 1-877-428-2882, x 5.
Ask about mileage reimbursement, training and insurance.
Drivers can choose rides that work with their schedules;
sign up online or over the phone.

 

A Fun Place to Spend the Summer

Don’t forget to sign your children up for Dublin Summer Playground, held at the Dublin Consolidated School each day from 9 am until 3 pm (June 29 through August 7). All Dublin children ages 5 to 12 are welcome.

Since daily attendance is not required, families have plenty of freedom and flexibility to take trips and spend time together as well. Arrangements for early drop-off can be made for working parents.

Fees will again be $150 per camper, although scholarships are available for those who qualify.

Please fill out this registration form (one per family) and send it in to the Town of Dublin, Box 277, Dublin NH 03444. Questions may be directed to DublinPlayground@nullyahoo.com.

 

 

Lake Host Program at Dublin Lake
By Bill Goodwin

The Lake Host Program is one of the efforts of the Dublin Conservation Commission to preserve the quality of Dublin Lake during the summer months. The program was created by the New Hampshire Lakes Association in 2002 to prevent the introduction and spread of exotic aquatic plants, including variable milfoil in NH lakes.

From Saturday, July 4, through Sunday, August 23, trained lake hosts will be working at the boat landing on the west side of Dublin Lake on weekends from 9 am to 5 pm. They will provide informational handouts regarding various invasive aquatic species, both plants and animals, and will conduct courtesy boat inspections and encourage boaters to examine their boats, trailers and equipment before entering and when leaving the lake for any plant “hitchhikers.”

The greatest concern we have is that unwanted aquatic species, usually plants, can be transferred to our lake from other lakes via boats and trailers. One of the new initiatives recommended by NH Lakes is to encourage boaters to clean, drain and dry their boats after each usage. This applies mostly to motor-powered boats, but also to any boat that is used for fishing or is exposed to potential invasive species.

We have hired two young women as trained lake hosts: Genna Weidner and Annie Garrett-Larsen will “man” the public landing and will report to Bill Goodwin. We encourage you to stop by and educate yourselves about the hazards of exotic aquatic plants and animals getting into our lake.

If anyone is interested in working as a volunteer at our boat launch area this summer, you may call Bill Goodwin (563-7184) for details.

Bill Goodwin is the Point Person for all Lake Host activity at Dublin Lake.

 

 

Memorial Cherry Tree Planted
DHS Annual Meeting is on August 21.

You may have noticed that a slim seedling has been planted in front of the Dublin Historical Society’s Schoolhouse Museum on Main Street. It is a cherry tree donated by the Japan America Society of New Hampshire as a Portsmouth Peace Treaty Living Memorial to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the 1905 signing of the treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War.

The cherry tree is descended from the iconic cherry trees that surround the tidal basin in Washington, DC; they were originally a gift from the Mayor of Tokyo in 1912.

Join us Friday, August 21, for the tree dedication at Dublin Historical Society’s annual meeting, and to hear Charles B. Doleac present “Teddy Roosevelt’s Nobel Peace Prize: New Hampshire and the Portsmouth Peace Treaty.”

 

Dublin Community Church will hold its monthly community supper
on Tuesday, June 23, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm downstairs in the Vestry.
Everyone is invited to join in the fun and have a
delicious spaghetti dinner. It is free for all.

 

 

Don’t Forget to License Your Dog
By Jeannine Dunne

Dog licenses (which were due April 30) are important for a number of reasons. They help to ensure that each dog in town has a current rabies shot. This protects your pets, your children, your neighbors, and you.

Dog license fees are used for NH’s animal-population control, a program that provides financial assistance for low-income, NH-resident pet owners to neuter their cats or dogs. It reduces pet overpopulation and lessens threats to public health and safety.

Getting a license for your dog is the law. If you have one or more dogs 4 months old or older and have not done so yet, please come to the Town Clerk’s office to get them licensed. You can also register them by mail by sending your check with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Dublin Town Clerk, PO Box 62, Dublin, NH 03444. Please include with your check a copy of the dog(s) rabies certificate, or call us first to see if we have a copy in our file (563-8859). We will then put a small crown tag in the mail to you.

The fees for dog licenses are $9 for males and females; neutered males and spayed females are $6.50. Owners over 65 pay $2, and puppies (3-7 mos.) are $6.50. The cost of the license is less than the penalty. Thank you for your cooperation.

Jeannine Dunne is Town Clerk/Tax Collector.

 

Town Clerk/Tax Collector’s office
will be closed on Wednesday, June 10,
for the Town Clerk’s Regional Spring Workshop.

 

 

Dublin Women’s Club News
By Nancy Campbell

Twenty-eight members and guests enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner and fellowship at DelRossi’s Trattoria on April 28 for the Club’s annual meeting. The members reviewed conceptual plans for improvements to the beach area to help with the erosion problems.

Invitations to join the Club have been sent. Dues with beach privileges remain at $125. If you wish to join, please contact Treasurer Nancy Campbell. If you have questions about financial assistance, contact Jill Lawler (924-7675) or any other member of the Beach Committee: Nancy Campbell, Shannon Carpenter, Connie Cerroni, Emily Johnson, or Heather Fletcher.

The Club is still selling tote bags. If you are interested in buying one, contact JoAnn Hopkins.

Reminder: As you know, the beach needs many volunteers. Our first big day is beach set up on Sunday, June 14, at 11 am. The more the merrier as this day includes dock assembly, raking, benches, garden cleanup and lunch. On June 20, if additional beach work is needed, we will begin at 10:30 am. Swimming lessons begin June 29. We hope to see you all there.

Nancy Campbell is Treasurer of the Dublin Women’s Club.

 

 

Birdhouse Raffle to Benefit Community Center
By Nancy Nolan

The year-old Dublin Community Center is celebrating spring with a fundraising raffle for a one-of-a-kind handmade birdhouse. The DubHub, as the Community Center is known, represents the culmination of six years’ work by a team of volunteer citizens. Formerly the Burt House, the volunteers raised funds to retrofit the building so that it houses a modern facility, complete with up-to-date kitchen facilities and WiFi access.

Crafted and donated by former Dublin resident, Jim Sovik, the 3-foot tall wooden replica of the historic Dublin Community Church was made with great attention to detail. It can provide a home for up to six avian families and comes with a 3-foot tall wooden display stand. The birdhouse is valued at $1200. The Board of the Dublin Community Center is grateful to Mr. Sovik for his generous contribution.

Raffle tickets will be available for purchase at www.dublincommunitycenter.org, or at the Hub on Mondays and Wednesdays. Over the summer, the birdhouse will be on display at various events (Dublin Day, Yankee Barn Sale), culminating in a drawing on August 29. Prices for the tickets are $1 each, $10 for 12 tickets, and $20 for 25 tickets.

Funds raised from the Birdhouse Raffle will help the Community Center expand its goals of serving the citizens of Dublin and providing a facility that helps to reinforce the strong community spirit Dublin is known for.

Nancy Nolan is a new member of the Dublin Community Center’s Board.

 

 

Why Summer Camp?
By Cathy Carabello

Remembering back to when my children were in their early years, the school year always had such a fast pace, with numerous sports and activities to juggle. Hurry, hurry. Rush, rush. We longed for the mellow pace of summer. While summer offered lots of choices of activities too, money was always a consideration.

While it seemed that staying home with the kids was the best decision financially, it was not always ideal for them, and after a whole summer of downtime, the kids longed for both the social connections as well as the learning challenges.

In the 21 years that I have been connected to Dublin Community Preschool (DCP), there has always been a summer program. Some years it was very small, but we always pulled it together as a way to offer families the continuity of learning, and bridging the gap between the two school years. We realized the importance of summer camp for the social benefits and as a way to continue learning opportunities in a fun, relaxed manner.

While programs with experienced teachers might cost a little more, the investment is worth the enormous benefits. Summer camp time is an opportunity for incoming preschoolers to get their first glimpse of what the regular school year will be like, lessening the anxiety that many children feel as they begin preschool.

With smaller enrollment during summer, children are able to connect with their teachers and peers and receive lots of individual attention. It is an opportunity for children who will be transitioning into kindergarten to continue the momentum of learning while exploring more informal topics in the outdoor world. Though the summer themes might seem less academic, the depth of learning can last a lifetime.

For information on DCP summer camps, call 563-8508 or email cathy@nulldublinpreschool.org.

Cathy Carabello is director/lead teacher at DCP.

 

 

News from Dublin Consolidated School
By May Clark

It’s June? Already!? It got warm in a hurry, and our gardens have been planted and are thriving. Students started some plants indoors and transplanted them outside, and are continuing to plant other crops outdoors for the first two weeks of this month. We look forward to the harvest in the fall, as well as lots of crunchy munchies during the summer for the Dublin Summer Playground kids!

We are busy wrapping up this year and planning for the next, as we welcome Nicole Pease as the new principal, and solidify our numbers so we can decide on classroom configurations for the fall. End-of-year activities are always a blast, with artist- and scientist-in-residence presentations going on, as well as water fun, spring social, and our traditional annual reading of Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s On First?”

We want to remind everyone that during the Dublin Summer Playground, there will be free breakfast and lunch available for all children every day at DCS. This is an offering that seems too good to be true, but it is real, and delicious!

All of us at DCS wish everyone a happy ending to the school year, and a lovely summer!

May Clark in is her last month as Teaching Principal at DCS. She can be reached at 563-8332 or mclark@nullconval.edu until she retires.

 

 

Drive 55 to Lower Your Carbon Footprint
By Allen J. Davis

“Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle” was a theme that ran through the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript-sponsored Energy Forum. Since we have no choice but to re-use and recycle all our planetary air, reducing atmospheric contaminants is urgent.

1. For most of us, a car is our biggest fossil fuel footprint, followed by our homes.
2. Approximately 30% of CO2 emissions come from vehicles.
3. The average American drives between 12,000-15,000 miles a year.
4. Each gallon of gas burned produces 20 pounds of CO2: Visualize a 20-pound rock left by the side of the road with each gallon your automobile burns.
5. A typical car gets 25 mpg and an average American drives between 12,000-15,000 miles annually; using the conservative number of 12,000, that’s 480 gallons of gas and 9,600 pounds of CO2!
6. Driving 55 mph cuts your CO2 emissions between 15%-32% (“Step On The Gas? Not So Fast,” Consumer Reports, August 2013).
7. To cut your yearly auto emissions by 1,440 to 3,072 pounds per year, all you have to do is slow down! Drive 55 mph for 10 years and you’ve avoided dumping 14,400 to 30,720 pounds of CO2 into our air. If 1,000 people follow your lead it becomes 1,440,000 to 3,072,000 pounds saved, and so on.

So, without buying a new car (e.g., a Tesla or Prius) or waiting until you can invest in other technology (e.g., solar panels or geothermal heating), you can make a huge difference in creating a more sustainable future.

I hope you will pledge to Drive 55. If you have any questions or want to work with me to promote this grassroots campaign, send me an email at drive55tosurvive@nullgmail.com.

Allen J. Davis lives on Snow Hill in Dublin. He can be reached at (603) 563-8428.

 

For Monadnock Rotary speakers in June,
see the May Advocate, p. 10.

 

 

ConVal Band and Chorus Compete Successfully in Ohio
Several attendees were Dubliners.

By Shari LaPierre

On May 7, more than 80 members of the ConVal band and chorus boarded two coach buses and headed to Cleveland to compete in the Cedar Point Music Festival and see the sites in the area. Dublin’s student performers included Anita Anable, Allyson Boyd, Emily Edick, Lucy Freeman, Tim LaPierre, Gillian Thebodeau, Genna Weidner, Jake Weidner, and Grace Wirein.

The Cedar Point Music Festival is one of the largest in the country. Middle and high school bands and choirs from across the U.S. attend during the month of May. ConVal’s visit was facilitated by music teachers from Bowling Green State University.

After their performances, Dr. Ken Thompson complimented and critiqued both groups, working with them on specific parts of the pieces they played to help them with technique and interpretation. Both the concert band and chorus attained Gold standing, which means they scored over a 90% out of 100% from the adjudicators.

ConVal band director James Wickham and choir director Krystal Morin led chaperones and more than 80 students on our tour. On Friday, the first stop was the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on the shore of Lake Erie. The students ate lunch at the House of Blues and got an unexpected treat to assemble on the stage before renowned funk musician George Clinton set up for that evening’s performance. The day ended with a tour of Severance Hall, the home of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, and dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe where the students (and adults) sang to music videos while they ate.

Saturday included the Cedar Point Music Festival Competition, time at Cedar Point Amusement Park, and an evening performance back at Severance Hall of “The Damnation of Faust” – all followed by an overnight bus trip home in time for Mother’s Day on Sunday.

Shari LaPierre joined the trip as one of the 10 parent chaperones who also included Suzette Edick and Will and Rosemary Weidner.

 

 

Goodbye Local Knotweed
By Miriam Carter

Early spring in Dublin revealed that our efforts to control Japanese Knotweed in town continue to be successful. We visited all of the locations that were sprayed in past years as well as new areas. Several residents contacted us and have been put on the list for the spraying in the fall. We are delighted at the success of this project and continue to encourage anyone who finds Knotweed on their property to please call Miriam Carter at 563-8046. (For a lengthier article on Dublin’s fight against Japanese Knotweed, see the Advocate article in May 2014 by Katrina Farmer.)

Miriam Carter is Chair of the Conservation Commission.

 

 

Planting Trees on Cobb Meadow Road
By Walt Snitko

The Selectmen’s Office will be working in cooperation with the Dublin Conservation Commission to develop a plan for replanting trees to replace the trees harvested last year near the town garage. Depending on the type and maturity of the trees utilized, this will occur some time during the summer and into the fall. If you have any input to offer concerning this project, please contact the members of the Conservation Committee.

Walt Snitko is one of three on the Board of Selectmen (BOS); we voted him in last March.

 

 

Be the Voice for a Child in Need:
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of New Hampshire
launched its 100 Men for 100 Children campaign, seeking to recruit 100 men
to volunteer as advocates in court on behalf of the state’s abused and neglected children.
Each year, CASA of NH advocates represent more than 1,000 children,
and last year accepted 87 percent of the cases. Visit www.casanh.org/100men,
call 603-358-4012 or email speakup@nullcasanh.org.

 

A Day of Collecting Foodstuffs
By Margaret Gurney

The recent success of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Food Drive an early Saturday in May can be measured not only in pounds but also by participation, which far exceeded our letter carrier Margaret Schillemat’s expectations.

She and our postmistress, Kathy Moore, filled two “pumpkins,” those large hampers one can see on wheels in the back portion of the Post Office. Kathy passed the original memo on to Margaret, who accepted the challenge, and acknowledged that “Margaret did all the heavy lifting,” collecting the food on May 9.

As far as they know, the whole country participates in this food drive, and certainly the whole region, as bags could be seen at mailboxes in neighboring towns on that same morning.

More than 700 pounds of food collected in our town has already been distributed to the two food banks in Peterborough serving our townspeople, one at All Saints’ Church on Concord Street (where the donations from Dublin Community Church go) and the Peterborough Food Pantry, located at the new community center on Elm St., site of the Wednesday Farmers Markets and next to the Cornucopia Community Garden.

Margaret Gurney is the editor of the Advocate.

 

Remember Chick Babneau?

Chick Babneau (1920-1986) was Dublin’s Road Agent for about 20 years until he retired in 1985.

He and his wife, Dot (1924-2012), raised five girls (Betty, Dottie, Linda, Nancy and Kay) and a son, Eddie, all on Cobb Meadow Road in a house currently owned by Joe Carignan.

We all know Dottie Bunk, who has been working at the Dublin General Store for 11 years and has only missed 2 days of work, but do you remember her father, Chick? This photo provided by Linda might help.

 

 

 

Remembrance: Jeanne Foley, 1929-2015
By Tim Foley

 

Trying to keep this brief is difficult because there are so many wonderful memories to choose from. I will share just a few memories precious to me.

Mom’s laugh was infectious because her humor was like that of an innocent child who could laugh at the most simple and clean jokes. And because her laugh was so pure, it made all of us feel the warmth of her presence and want to do something to make her laugh. Mom was always good for a huge laugh that would brighten my day.

On one occasion when it was just Mom and I trading thoughts, I was going on about how impressed I was with someone, some rock star or pro athlete, or the like. Very quietly she looked at me and said, “If you aspire to be like someone when you get older, you don’t need to look any farther than your father. If you can turn out anything like him, you will have done very well for yourself.” This was probably the first time I realized the strong bond and respect that my parents shared for one another.

During another casual chat, Mom and I got to the subject of friendship. She told me with absolute belief that her best friend of all, and one that she leaned on every day, was Jesus. And my father continued the process of supporting my journey in discovering the love of our Lord.

Mom and Dad were the absolute best team for 64 years of marriage. And while this remembrance is to be about the celebration of Mom’s life, it cannot be complete without an understanding of Dad’s contribution to her peace of mind and good humor.

My father, Larry Foley, was her caregiver. With time, it became apparent that she needed more care and understanding, which Dad took on patiently. My dad is a man who, at nearly 88 years old, is still guiding me on what it means to be a real man in God’s eyes and how a man can demonstrate his love. He said to me one day that his greatest worry was that Mom might become fearful of things. Thankfully — because of his love, patience, and caring — that never happened. By supporting her in this way, he gave to all of us as well because all of our memories can be good ones: the way she cared for us as children, her contagious laugh, and her rock-solid commitment to her husband and family. While we remember Mom, it can’t be done without also remembering her lifelong teammate, Dad.

Tim Foley, one of Jeanne and Larry Foley’s five children, lives in Jaffrey with his family. Larry Foley lives in Dublin.

 

 

Remembering Marion Almeida: 1926-2015
By Wendy Almeida

 

After my mom died, I thought about what I wanted to share with others at the memorial service. But due to family considerations, there was only a visitation. I thank The Dublin Advocate for letting me share a few stories about Mom.

Growing up, I had a friend who was taught by the generation of nuns who sometimes terrified children with stories about God’s wrath. One night I couldn’t sleep because she had informed me that we (people in general, not the Almeidas specifically) were evil and God was going to send another flood. Mom got out her Bible, read me the story about Noah, and sent me back to bed believing God had promised not to destroy us again. Years later, when I reread the section about God’s covenant with Noah, I realized Mom had done a bit of editing. The promise specified no more floods, but didn’t say anything about fire, famine or war. A mom who isn’t afraid to edit the Bible to comfort her kid is a good mom.

My sister April’s favorite Mom story occurred after a school trip to the Bronx Zoo. April had a miserable time until she discovered a treasure in the gift shop – a tiny model of a zebra. She’d only had the toy a few hours when our dog chewed it up. April was heartbroken and cried for so long that Mom considered calling our doctor. She finally fell asleep and when she woke up, the zebra was on her nightstand, almost completely restored to his former glory. A mom who stays up all night repairing and repainting a two-inch tall zebra is a great mom.

The mom who taught me how to tie my shoes and knit left-handed was still teaching me at her death. She was having rehab at a nursing home after breaking a hip. She wasn’t eating much and we were asked to suggest something she liked. We said, “Ice cream.” Well, ice cream was a no-no. They were afraid she would aspirate because of a swallowing problem and might catch pneumonia.

In late February, my ice cream-less mom died – of pneumonia. The lesson: Eat ice cream! Because life, even one that’s almost 89 years, is too short.

Wendy Almeida is the eldest of Marion and Frank Almeida’s three children. Marion’s other children are April Gregg and Steven Almeida. Frank Almeida now lives in Peterborough.

 

Tom and Cindy Marriner, The Carpenter’s Shop
By Rusty Bastedo

Tom and Cindy Marriner married and began their life together in 1957. They moved to Dublin with their three teenaged daughters in 1975, and they have lived in Dublin ever since.

Tom was the son of the CEO of a Massachusetts textile company. Newly married, he was serving a six-year apprenticeship that was designed to expose him to all aspects of the company, so that he would be ready to succeed his father. Apprenticeship was a time-honored part of American industry and American business during the Machine Age, unlike today, and Tom learned the family’s business from the ground up. But the business outlook for America’s textile mills was not good in the early 1960s. Global conditions were changing, and world markets were exposing American business and industry to stiff competition.

In addition to the new competitive uncertainties of the early 1960s, Tom decided that he was not really meant to be a Machine Age business executive. In 1963 he began working with wood, and he discovered that he had what he calls his “God-given talent.” His business, called The Carpenter’s Shop, specialized in handmade oval wooden boxes, following 19th century Shaker communities’ designs. Tom developed a market for these boxes at gift shops, and they were sold at Sturbridge (MA) Village, Hancock (MA) Shaker Village, and Canterbury (NH) Shaker Village. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts also sold Tom’s boxes in its gift shop.

For 30 years, Tom made his boxes, with Cindy’s help, in six different sizes; he estimates that he made more than 50,000 boxes before giving up that work. He also briefly experimented with production of Shaker metal stoves, and with a very limited production of fiberglass-reinforced wooden kayaks.

Now retired, Tom confines himself to repairing wooden chairs that need tightening, or new rungs or rails, and he enjoys replacing the cane or rush in worn-out chair seats. His hands have to stay busy, and he keeps his mind moving when he is at a lathe or a related activity.

Keep Tom and Cindy Marriner and The Carpenter’s Shop in mind for needed repairs to old and valued family furniture.

Russell Bastedo is on the staff of the Advocate.

 

NHPTV Highlights Towns in NH
By Jill Lawler

“Our Hometown,” a new television series produced by New Hampshire Public Television, made its debut in March with a focus on Peterborough. Before the series concludes, NHPTV plans to feature episodes for each of New Hampshire’s 221 towns and 13 cities.

Produced in partnership with each featured community, NHPTV invites residents to tell their own stories; these are video-recorded and then edited into a 30-minute television program.

In a recent show, Dublin residents will recognize many of our Peterborough neighbors and businesses, but of particular connection to our community are stories about long-time resident Bob McQuillen and an interview with Sarah Bauhan about the resurrection of Bauhan publishing company, which was founded by Sarah’s father Bill Bauhan. (To view the Peterborough information — and others as they occur — go to http://www.nhptv.org/hometown/about.asp.)

Rebecca Rule, a well-known New Hampshire author and storyteller, hosts the series. It is not clear when it might be Dublin’s turn out of the 234 scheduled segments, but in the meantime it is interesting to learn the stories of our neighbors. (If you missed the Peterborough episode, it is available online at http://video.nhptv.org/video/2365452171.)

Jill Lawler is on the staff of the Advocate.

 

Password Safety
By Shari LaPierre

Passwords for online accounts and email are a necessity in these modern times, but maintaining them can be tedious. Some of us have used “password” or our birthdates to simplify things. Or, we use the same password for every online account we have, for convenience. The truth is that these practices make it easy for hackers to hijack our online accounts. If you have an email account or do any type of financial transaction online (shopping, banking, or paying bills), follow these important tips to help keep your information secure.

1. Use a long password made up of numbers, letters and symbols. The longer and more complex your password, the harder it is to guess. Try using a familiar phrase and replace the vowels with numbers and symbols.
2. Consider changing your passwords every 6 months for email accounts, financial institutions, or ecommerce sites where you have credit card information stored. Definitely change your passwords immediately if you feel a service has been hacked or compromised.
3. Use a unique password for each of your online accounts. It may be inconvenient, but it’s safer.
4. Some sites, like gmail or Yahoo Mail, offer password recovery options. You can update your profile with an alternate email address or use your cell phone number. It’s an extra layer of security and if you forget your password they will send you a code so you can still access your account.
5. Keep a record of your passwords – handwritten or on your computer. Keep printed lists in a safe place out of sight. There are also many software options called “password managers” that can help you keep track.

Shari LaPierre is on the staff of the Advocate.

 

 

Farmer John’s Plot, A Five-Year Business
By Rusty Bastedo

This reporter had the opportunity to speak with Jasen Woodworth, who transitioned from fast foods to an “all natural” diet after his 2012 graduation from Antioch New England (Keene, NH). Jasen responded in 2012 to a flyer on an Antioch bulletin board about work on a new “non-certified organic” farm being developed in Dublin.

Jasen and his wife have been a part of Farmer John’s Plot ever since 2012, and he has been a part of developing the half-acre of leased land into a thriving farm that today produces crops all season long.

Farmer John’s Plot was (and is) the dream of John Sandri, who returned from a two-year stint with the Peace Corps in 2010. Sandri had worked with orchards and solar-passive greenhouses during his years in Moldova, a part of the former Soviet Union. On his return to the USA, Sandri has developed his leased half-acre, which currently produces ten varieties of tomatoes, six varieties of peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, and okra, new this year. Winter radishes, carrots, parsnips, and salad greens, plus early peas are additional crops as this is written, with new crops added annually as soils are rotated and crops exchanged.

In order to get from “concept” to “operating” Farmer John’s Plot has required lots of help. A Dublin supporter has helped build raised beds, and has also leased to Farmer John’s the half-acre currently under cultivation. Greenhouse Number One came courtesy of a Farmer John’s Plot grant application to the US Department of Agriculture, as did the leaseholder’s application to USDA for Greenhouse Number Two. If all goes well, it is hoped that a third greenhouse can be installed for additional fall-winter-spring offerings. Additional land may have to be leased, however, as Farmer John’s Plot added (since 2011) raising turkeys to their variety of products for sale. Heritage pasture-raised Thanksgiving turkeys are now a rapidly growing part of the business.

Dublin and area residents may share in the bounty from Farmer John’s Plot by purchasing a share in a Community Support Agriculture (CSA) program ($23/week, or $376 for 16 weeks). Interested Advocate readers may contact Farmer John’s Plot at www.farmerjohnsplot.org; farmerjohnsplot@nullgmail.com or call 603-289-5927.

Russell Bastedo was formerly New Hampshire State Curator from 1997 to 2009. He has served on the staff of the Advocate since 1999.

 

 

Players Begin 82nd Season
By Fred Leventhal

The Peterborough Players launches its 82nd season on June 17 with “Red,” John Logan’s multi-award winning drama about the famed abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko. Described by Variety as “an electrifying play of ideas,” Red is a two-character tour-de-force set in Rothko’s studio in the moment of creation of the murals commissioned for the Four Seasons restaurant in New York’s Seagram Building. Although Rothko painted more than 30 murals during 1958-59, the project was eventually scrapped when the artist decided that a luxury restaurant was an inappropriate venue for his work. (A later set of murals, commissioned by Harvard University, is currently on display at its Art Museum until July 26.) Gus Kaikkonen, Artistic Director of the Peterborough Players, returns to the stage in the challenging role of Rothko.

“Red” will be presented from June 17 to June 28, with performances at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings; at 8 pm on Friday and Saturday evenings; and a 4 pm matinee on Sundays.

The Second Company of young actors who serve as interns at the Players will open its production of “The Jungle Book,” based on Rudyard Kipling’s Mowgli stories, on June 20 at 10:30 am. Additional performances will be offered on June 26 and 27 and on July 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 17, and 18, all at 10:30 am. The play is suitable for children and adults.

The Players’ season, which runs until September 13, will include seven additional productions, among them Broadway comedies, a classic farce, and a “new” play by Shakespeare.

Fred Leventhal, a Dublin resident, is a Trustee of the Peterborough Players.

 

 

Historical Tidbit: Charcoal Road
By Felicity Pool

A road’s name can mark a mere moment in history. The northern portion of Charcoal Road was there by 1860, but the name comes from a brick kiln for making charcoal that was only in operation from 1876 through 1878 or ’79.

Asa Knowlton, who lived to be the last Civil War veteran residing in Dublin, built the kiln near his home and apparently worked it by himself until physically unable to continue, at which point the kiln was abandoned.

Felicity Pool is a member of the Dublin Historical Society.

 

Exhibits at the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery

Ongoing Intersection: Art, Culture, and Identity II; Object based learning using the Thorne’s permanent collection.

June 5 through July 23 Furniture Masters 2015: Our Stories — Founded over a decade ago, the New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association (NHFMA) members create studio furniture in an array of styles including Period, Early American, Shaker, Neo-Classical, Traditional, Contemporary and Art Furniture.

Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery is located on Wyman Way of Keene State College in Keene, NH 03435-3501. Contact thorne@nullkeene.edu; www.keene.edu/tsag; or call 603-358-2720 for summer hours.

 

Butterfly Release and Salute to Veterans:
The Fourth Annual Butterfly Release in Butterfly Park,
located next to HCS in Keene, will be held on Friday, June 19,
at 4 pm at 320 Marlboro Street. Local veterans are invited to attend
and be recognized for their service. Donations accepted; the first
butterfly is free, additional butterflies are a suggested donation of $3 each.
Proceeds benefit Hospice at HCS, a Monadnock United Way agency.
For information, call 352-2253.

 

Dublin Day is July 18 and Yankee Barn Sale is July 25

 

 

The Wood Thrush
By Tom Warren

From the words of Thoreau’s Journals, 1852: “The thrush alone declares the immortal wealth and vigor that is in the forest. Here is a bird in whose strain the story is told…Whenever a man hears it, he is young, and Nature is in her spring. Whenever he hears it, it is a new world and a free country, and the gates of Heaven are not shut against him.”

The flutelike song of the Wood Thrush is a familiar song to lovers, young and old, especially at dusk and dawn. Males are capable singers, sometimes singing two notes at once.

The Wood Thrush winter in Central America, fly to the Yucatan in Mexico during April, then fly over the Gulf of Mexico at night and make their way slowly northward arriving in Dublin around May 1.

They are a stocky thrush, a cousin to the American Robin, about the size of a robin with a cinnamon back and a white breast mottled with large dark spots. The Wood Thrush eats a variety of vertebrates and ants by scratching and flipping leaves. In late summer and fall it turns to a variety of fruits, including black cherry, elderberry, dogwood and spicebush. These are converted into fats for the flight back to Central America.

The Wood Thrush builds a compact nest of skeletonized leaves, leaf mold and rootlets, about 10” to 15” high in a small sapling. They often add cellophane to the edge of the nest. Aromatic leaves are used in building the nest, which repels insects and feather-damaging bacteria. They usually lay four blue eggs that will hatch in about 13 days, and the young are able to leave the nest in 12-15 days. A second brood is often raised in August.

The Wood Thrush has declined by about 70% over the past 50 years owing to forest fragmentation in summer territory and winter homes, Cowbird parasitism and nest predation by animals such as hawks and snakes.

In the words of Anton Chekhov: “Whoever once in his life has seen thrushes migrate in the autumn, when on clear, cool days they sweep in flocks over the village, will never really be a townsman and to the day of his death will have a longing for the open.”

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

 

Post Your Dublin-based Business Online:
The five most recent additions to the Advocate’s
online Business Directory are AVA Restoration Services LLC,
Dublin General Store, Eastern Slope Corporation, Monadnock Financial LLC
and Frank D. Colon, Optimum Financial.
Any business that is located in Dublin can be listed for free
by sending your details to DublinAdvocate.com.
Please follow the format as shown at
http://dublinadvocate.com/business-directory/.

 

Get Your Weather from People Who Live Here:
If last winter taught us one thing it is to understand the weather
here in the Monadnocks. Rich Lefko, provides daily forecasts, storm warnings,
advance notice of stormy weather when possible, both through the site
and an e-mail advisory list. Let him help with outdoor forecasts for
special family events. Visit RichLefko.com to sign up for the every
Thursday Weekend outlook e-mails and weather alerts. It’s free.

 

Watch Out for Frogs and Salamanders

 

Late spring rain, when combined with mild temperatures, signals the time when frogs, spotted salamanders and toads will be on the move to breed in temporary waterbodies called vernal pools. They must get to the breeding pools, mate and lay eggs, and the young must hatch and grow legs before the vernal pools dry up this summer.

In a changing climate, New Hampshire summers are tending to be hotter and dryer, which causes vernal pools to disappear sooner than they normally would. The late spring this year delayed the start of amphibian migration, which means the young will have an even shorter window of time in which to develop into terrestrial (land-based) stages.

Over the next several weeks, you can help by limiting driving after dark when it’s raining. If you are out on a rainy night, slow way down and try to avoid hitting dots in the road. Migrating amphibians should be fairly easy to spot, as many will be hopping.

Another way to help: If you see frogs or salamanders while out on a walk, Fish and Game encourages you to report your sightings to the Reptile and Amphibian Reporting Program (RAARP). Learn more at www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/Nongame/reptiles_amphibians.htm.

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