Last Night Wolfeboro Goes Virtual

Last Night Wolfeboro Goes Virtual

After months of planning Last Night Wolfeboro 2020 for December 31, virtual games, music, magic and storytelling will take place, but fireworks have been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.

According to Selectman Linda Murray and chair of Wolfeboro’s Special Events Committee, “As we all know, the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Wolfeboro and beyond has led to the cancellation of many events. Because of this public health concern, Wolfeboro town officials have made the decision to cancel the December 31 fireworks as well as the postponement date. We are also considering the Last Night Wolfeboro scavenger hunt event and will update the public via social media and the town web site if that event changes.”

Meantime, the virtual celebration marking the end of 2020 is being finalized. Last Night Wolfeboro 2020 organizers are inviting people of all ages to enjoy an online New Year’s Eve day of interactive games, magic, music, storytelling and more. The Last Night Wolfeboro scavenger hunt along the Main Street shopping area is also scheduled, pending any final changes.

 “Our Special Events Committee and supporters have worked for months to develop a fun and free New Year’s Eve celebration to take place virtually with everyone’s health and safety in mind,” says Murray.

YuKoriki-magician: 

Enjoy the magical stylings of Brewster Academy alumnus Yu Koriki, on December 31, during Last Night Wolfeboro’s virtual farewell 2020 celebration.

Zoom links for Last Night Wolfeboro will be available @WolfeboroLastNight on Facebook a few days before December 31.  

As the event schedule and plans are finalized, committee member Maria Found, a veteran Brewster instructor and tireless volunteer for many organizations in Wolfeboro, will host live games and shows starting with a scavenger hunt on a Zoom channel arranged by Brewster.

 “Folks will be super excited to get out on Wolfeboro Main Street and nearby sites with their pod of family and friends to answer our scavenger hunt questions,” says Ms. Found. “Then they’ll check in virtually to enter their answers. As always, we’re gathering great prizes for winners of games we’re offering that include the ever-popular Bingo, Escape Room and Quest Competition,” she adds. 

In addition, a second Zoom performance channel will be hosted by Wolfeboro resident, former radio reporter and anchor and committee volunteer, Brenda Jorett. “Crafting this virtual celebration from the ground up presents the chance to showcase our performers’ talents for this very special New Year’s Eve and offer a community gathering in a different way,” says Ms. Jorett.  

Entertainers scheduled to appear on the Zoom channels include:

• String Equinox: featuring local musicians Beverly Woods and Shana Aisenberg, who have performed throughout the Lakes Region and at the Wolfeboro Area Farmers Market.

• Simon Brooks: renowned, award-winning storyteller presenting an original story for the Last Night Wolfeboro audience (recommended for ages 8 and up).

• Emma Jedow: New Hampshire resident and passionate singer, songwriter, musician, and mental health advocate.

• Dan Chan and Company: an internationally renowned, award-winning magician.

• Andrew Long – New Hampshire-based comedian.

• Yu Koriki: captivating magician and Brewster alumnus; now attending Northeastern University in Boston.

• Stacey Kelleher: singer, songwriter, musician from Ossipee, NH now living in Nashville, TN.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, events may be subject to change and will be updated via social media and the Wolfeboro town web site.

Sponsorships, prizes and donations to defray programming costs are welcomed by contacting Wolfeboro Parks and Recreation Director Christine Collins; call 603-569-5639, parksdirector@wolfeboronh.us. Event sponsors to date include: Black’s Paper Store and The Children's Center.

Last Night Wolfeboro 2020 is produced by Wolfeboro Special Events Committee and Wolfeboro Parks and Recreation, with funding from the Economic Development Committee, and major support from Brewster Academy.

Prizes to date have been donated by: The Wright Museum, New Hampshire Boat Museum and Molly the Trolley.

Colonial Theatre complex in Laconia named to National Register of Historic Places

Colonial Theatre complex in Laconia named to National Register of Historic Places

The New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources has announced the Colonial Theatre complex in Laconia has been honored by the United States Secretary of the Interior with placement on the National Register of Historic Places for both its architecture and for its role as a center of entertainment and commerce from the time it was built in 1914 into the 21st century. 

The Colonial Theatre complex is the largest of several mixed-use blocks that were built in downtown Laconia in the first quarter of the 20th century. With its primary entrance on Main Street, the complex includes three sections: The Piscopo Block, Colonial Theatre and Canal Street Annex. 

The complex’s most prominent feature is the theater’s 1930s marquee, which hangs over the main entrance of the Piscopo Block and is topped by a two-story blade-style sign that spells out “Colonial.” 

Colonial Theatre - Laconia is now on the National RRegister. Pictured is scaffolding inside the theatre spaces

The theater’s entrance and lobby retain a majority of their original historic finishes and decorative details, including a pair of 12-light mahogany-stained birch doors with brass hardware, Vermont marble wainscoting, terrazzo floors and ticket booths with arched windows.

The theater space still has its original layout, with an overhanging balcony, orchestra pit and two-tiered box seating at the front of the auditorium. Restored details include the original gilded plaster ornaments, frescoes, high coffered ceiling decorated with images of high arts and floral designs, woodwork and a “1914” medallion centered above the stage.

Storefronts in the Piscopo Block and Canal St. Annex maintain their original recessed entries and are flanked by glass display windows. Prism glass transoms above the entrances to the storefronts and the theater, patented by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1897 and made by the Luxfer Prism Company, enhance the entrance of natural light.

The complex has undergone several reversible changes, including converting the theater space into a five-screen multiplex in the 1980s and alterations to the layout of the office and residential spaces on the second and third floors of the Piscopo Block.

In an effort for the property to be eligible for the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program, rehabilitation work at the complex is following the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Being named to the National Register of Historic Places is a required step for a property to be eligible for federal tax incentives.

Benjamin Piscopo, the original developer of the Colonial Theater complex, was a stone cutter from Italy who emigrated to Boston. He became a successful real estate developer and moved to Laconia, where he developed a number of the city’s business buildings and was an investor in the Tavern Hotel.

Administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of historic resources worthy of preservation and is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect historic and archaeological resources. 

Listing to the National Register does not impose any new or additional restrictions or limitations on the use of private or non-federal properties. Listings identify historically significant properties and can serve as educational tools and increase heritage tourism opportunities. The rehabilitation of National Register-listed commercial or industrial buildings may qualify for certain federal tax provisions.

The Colonial Theater block exterior in years gone by.

In New Hampshire, listing to the National Register makes applicable property owners eligible for grants such as the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program or LCHIP (lchip.org) and the Conservation License Plate Program (nh.gov/nhdhr/grants/moose).

For more information on the National Register program in New Hampshire, please visit nh.gov/nhdhr or contact the Division of Historical Resources at 603-271-3583.

New Hampshire's Division of Historical Resources, the State Historic Preservation Office, was established in 1974 and is part of the N.H. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. NHDHR’s mission is to preserve and celebrate New Hampshire’s irreplaceable historic resources through programs and services that provide education, stewardship, and protection. 

For more information, visit nh.gov/nhdhr or call 603-271-3483.

Hospice Tree of Memories Virtual Celebration of Life

Preparations are underway for the 25th Central New Hampshire VNA & Hospice Tree of Memories Celebration of Life and Remembrance. This annual event will be held on Saturday, December 12. However, due to COVID 19, attendees will not be able to gather in person for the usual event. A virtual Celebration is planned, for more information visit www.centralvna.org. 

Fir trees will still be at the same locations for this ceremony: Huggins Hospital in Wolfeboro and the Wakefield Town Hall in Wakefield.

Central New Hampshire VNA & Hospice provides an opportunity to remember the lives of family, friends and neighbors by participating in a touching ceremony which involves the lighting of a tree, sharing of music and prayers, words of comfort, reading of names and the placing of an inscribed porcelain dove on an evergreen tree. In addition, many local clubs and organizations find this is a wonderful opportunity to honor and remember past members. The same spirit will be celebrated this year through a virtual celebration.

One might ask how did the Hospice Tree of Memories begin? Several years ago, Shirley Richardson and her late husband, Bob, while visiting Cape Cod during the Christmas season, had the opportunity to take part in a meaningful ceremony to remember Shirley’s parents. Organized by the local hospice organization, the event included placing an inscribed seashell on an evergreen tree. It was such a profound experience that Shirley and Bob brought the idea to the local hospice organization in Wolfeboro and in 1995, the first Tree of Memories was established.  A dove was selected to hang on a fir tree as a symbol of serenity, peace and tranquility. A touching ceremony was created and today, 25 years later, that same tradition will continue.

Each year hundreds of doves are placed on the four village fir trees, but this year due to COVID-19, volunteers will hang all the doves on the trees where they will remain throughout the month of December. Proceeds from the sale of doves are used to improve the quality of life for people living in those communities served by Central VNA. 

A reality of the times is endeavors such as the Hospice program require community support through donations in order to meet the increasing needs of over 20,000 residents in over 500 square miles of area served.  

For more information or to purchase a dove, contact Central VNA by calling 1-800-244-8549 or visit www.centralvna.org. The deadline for purchasing a dove is December 8. Everyone is welcome to view the virtual celebration as details become available.

Central VNA’s staff and volunteers share our grief in that they are supportive in our grieving, not only to the patient, but also to the patient’s family. The Hospice staff supports the patient and the patient’s family by providing nursing, therapeutic, medical psychological, social, and spiritual care and bereavement services.

New Hampshire’s Importance in the Presidential Race

New Hampshire’s Importance in the Presidential Race

By Mark Okrant

For anyone under the age of 70, it may appear that New Hampshire always played host to thousands of television, radio, and newspaper journalists at the beginning of each presidential election cycle. In truth, the state owes its special status to a man named Richard F. Upton. 

Campaign buttons

In 1948, Upton, who was Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, passed a law allowing citizens to vote directly for presidential candidates. According to the terms of that law, any candidate could be placed on the primary ballot by submitting 50 petitions from each of the state’s two Congressional districts. Residents of the state could choose delegates who were pledged to a particular candidate. That system replaced one wherein presidential candidates were selected by party members sequestered in smoke-filled rooms. 

Once the primary system was born, the change had an immediate impact. When Estes Kefauver beat incumbent president, Harry Truman, on the Democratic side of the ballot in 1948, Truman saw the handwriting on the wall and withdrew from the race. History repeated itself in 1968 when a sitting president, Lyndon Johnson, nearly lost to Eugene McCarthy in the New Hampshire Democratic primary. Shortly afterward, Johnson went on television to withdraw from the race, an event that attracted the attention of media throughout the nation. Ultimately, rules established by the McGovern-Fraser Commission removed the selection processes from those smoke-filled rooms in other U.S. states. As primaries increased in importance throughout the nation, New Hampshire’s primary assumed its present status in 1972. 

Outside of the state, members of both parties have complained that New Hampshire, with its small (and overwhelmingly Caucasian) population is assigned a level of importance that is considerably outsized. Meanwhile, people in the state are in no hurry to relinquish its first in the nation status, as Title LXIII, Chapter 653 dictates that the secretary of state shall choose a date seven days or more preceding the time when any other state holds its presidential primary. 

Do citizens of New Hampshire love their first in the nation primary? You bet they do; and why not? Anxious to get a head start on their political rivals, presidential candidates tour the state early and often, sometimes more than a year ahead of the actual primary. While some might say New Hampshire voters have become spoiled by the level of attention they receive from the major political figures, others counter that this state has among the nation’s most knowledgeable voters. Given the opportunity to meet aspirants up close at local restaurants, on the street, at house parties, in college student unions, and other intimate settings, Granite Staters have learned to recognize which candidates are the real deal and those that are all flash and no substance. 

Throughout the years, candidates have made a pitch for the support of new voters by speaking at Plymouth State, St. Anselm’s and other college campuses in the New Hampshire. Some senior faculty members recalled that listening to a Jessie Jackson speech was like attending a church revival, such was the level of energy in the room. One Plymouth State professor walked into a downtown hardware store only to be introduced to a regal looking, white-haired woman. It was Barbara Bush, who was in Plymouth campaigning for George Senior. A number of restaurants frequented by locals have been identified by the candidates’ field operatives. The Red Arrow Diner, with restaurants in Manchester, Concord, and Londonderry, proudly lists the names of the impressive number of candidates who have campaigned there throughout the years. 

Governor George W. Bush (center) with Dick and Kathy Eaton on July 3, 1999 in Wolfeboro. hoto courtesy Kathy Eaton photo]

Lakes Region residents are not without accounts to share. Pam Clark, President of the Laconia Historical and Museum Society, recalls family stories about a parade through the streets of Laconia during the early 1950s, featuring Dwight Eisenhower. Clark was a junior in high school, in February of 1960, when Richard, Pat, Tricia, and Julie Nixon, accompanied by David Eisenhower, attended a reception at the Laconia Tavern. Approximately two thousand people were attracted, with the most fortunate attendees having the opportunity to shake hands, and leave with a straw hat embossed with the slogan, “Nixon’s the One.”  A portrait of Nixon, created by cartoonist Charles Bureau, and signed by the candidate, has remained in the Clark family for six decades.

Ann and Mitt Romney with (far right) Kathy Eaton, taken on July 4, 2012

Warren Bailey, longtime radio personality at WLNH in Laconia, was a cub reporter working for WFEA in Manchester, in 1972. Warren had the opportunity to be up close to both Nixon and George McGovern. He recalls how the two men were amazingly kind while treating the young reporter with respect. That single experience ignited a passion for politics in Bailey that hasn’t diminished with the passing of time. He still smiles in amazement when considering how men who would be future presidents could be such kind and caring people. Asked to recall his most memorable moment, Bailey said it was the opportunity to talk with Ronald Reagan during his 1976 primary fight against Gerald Ford. Bailey appreciates how Reagan and Bob Dole were excellent listeners who didn’t dodge questions as has become an all-too-popular tactic. Like so many others, he laments that the respect which was evident during the 1990s has been replaced by nastiness and division.

Kathy Fairman Eaton, who, with Dick Eaton, established The Laker in 1984, has met a number of presidential candidates. Both were among those welcoming James Baker and Bob and Elizabeth Dole to Wolfeboro when Baker and the Doles were campaigning on behalf of President Ronald Reagan in his bid for a second term. On July 3, 1999, the Eatons were photographed with Texas Governor George W. Bush during his run for the White House. Bush, an avid boater, rode in their celebrated Millie B during a parade of boats to the Wolfeboro Town Docks. Visits by presidential aspirants to Wolfeboro did not end there. Candidate and Wolfeboro seasonal resident, Mitt Romney chartered the Eatons’ trolley for the Independence Day Parade during the 2012 campaign. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio was also marching in that parade and Dick Eaton suggested to him that a Romney-Rubio ticket would be great. To that suggestion, Rubio retorted, “You’re right, but the other way around.”

Tara Shore is the operations and program manager at Laconia’s historic Belknap Mill. Shore learned that the property was a popular stop for presidential candidates when she discovered photographs of former presidents Clinton and Obama in the archives. Subsequently, she has had the opportunity to meet a number of candidates during her five years at the Belknap Mill. In 2016, at the end of her first year on the job, she experienced the crush of press and attendees who filled the mill building to see both Lindsay Graham and Marco Rubio. During the most recent primary, she assisted in pre-arrival arrangements for a visit by Joe Biden, later walking with him out of the building. Biden was delightfully nostalgic as he compared Laconia to his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, another former mill town.

While the experiences of these four people may be exceptional, thousands of New Hampshire residents have been privileged to meet, greet, or sight candidates for the nation’s highest office. As long as the state retains its first in the nation primary status, future generations will experience the special encounters shared by their parents, grandparents and great grandparents.

Stories Of The Past Support Work For The Future

Stories Of The Past Support Work For The Future

By Thomas P. Caldwell

For someone who once envisioned spending his life as a hermit, Richard “Wink” Tapply ended up with quite another reputation — that of a family man and pioneer of community recreation who brought joy to generations of Bristol youths.

The cover of the book.

With the Reverend A.B. Thompson, Wink established the town’s first community center. The Bristol Community Center, now renamed the Tapply-Thompson Community Center in their honor, has offered recreational programs for all ages, including outdoor programs at the Slim Baker Conservation Area for Outdoor Living on Little Round Top. It also serves as home to Santa’s Village, which Wink’s son, Dick Tapply, used as the model for Laconia’s Christmas Village.

If those growing up in Bristol gained a love for the outdoors through the efforts of people like Wink and Conservation Officer Everett “Slim” Baker, Wink’s family learned directly from him to appreciate wilderness skills and sunsets. They recall him telling stories about what life was like a century ago while sitting around the campfire at their camp on Newfound Lake.

When Wink was in his eighties, he made an audio recording which his grandson, Tim Tapply, said was “to preserve the stories that embodied so much of who he was,” based on his memories of life in the 1920s. Tim used that recording, along with his own memories of Wink’s stories, to compile a 68-page book, Bus and Wink: Adventures of Youth, which is being sold as a fundraiser for the Tapply-Thompson Community Center and the Slim Baker Foundation for Outdoor Education, Inc.

The stories involve Wink’s formative years, first as a visitor and later as a full-time resident of Bristol, and his friendship with Clanton “Bus” Martin. The two boys were fast friends, sharing the outdoor pleasures of baseball, camping, and sledding. The “adventure” stories that Wink told with touches of humor and pride involved hatchet-throwing, racing along the top of a board fence, and building a fort in the clay beneath Bristol’s Kelley Park.

Tim said he did an initial draft of the book for his family, to preserve the memory of his grandfather through his stories.

“I think the hermit idea was one my grandfather remembered from his younger days when he was so close with Bus,” Tim said. “But life started to erode that idea. Meeting my grandmother [Ruth] however, really sealed the deal. He fell ‘head-over-heels’ for her.”

He added, “We never knew for sure what happened with Bus once they grew up.”

Publication

The decision to publish the book as a fundraiser for two organizations that were so important to the Tapply family came easily.

“I recall the Community Center as being a place that was built up around my grandparents but it wasn’t until I was older that I appreciated more of its place in the history of Bristol and my memories of Inspiration Point go back further,” Tim said.

The conservation officer, Slim Baker, had envisioned an outdoor education center to promote an appreciation of nature, but he fell ill before realizing his dream. A group of residents who were aware of his illness launched a campaign to follow through on the vision, boosted by a 125-acre land donation by Reba Follansbee Hipson in 1953. Three years later, an adjacent 10-acre field was added, just as a rustic lodge was completed to serve as a base for activities by the various youth groups, including those associated with the Bristol Community Center.

In 1960, the summit of Little Round Top was developed as Inspiration Point, in memory of 28-year-old Dean Stephens, who had died in an airplane crash. A huge wooden cross erected there serves as a site for Easter Sunday sunrise services as well as other events, such as weddings. Inspiration Point also provides great viewing for tracking Central New Hampshire’s annual bird migrations.

Clanton ‘Bus’ Martin and Richard ‘Wink’ Tapply.

Bus and Wink: Adventures of Youth; Stories Told Around the Campfire is available at the Tapply-Thompson Community Center on North Main Street, Bristol, with 100 percent of the sale price going to support a capital campaign to build a covered pavilion at the Slim Baker Area for Outdoor Living, in keeping with the organization’s master plan. In addition to providing a place for the youths involved in the TTCC summer camp, the pavilion would be available for scouting and school programs to advance outdoor learning experiences.

“I understand the pavilion has been on the master plan for the Area for at least 20 years,” Tim said. “It was an idea after my grandfather’s involvement. My father advocated for the pavilion because it brings together the two organizations that meant so much to my grandparents. It will be available for groups to use to enjoy and love the out-of-doors and it will be the home at the Area for the TTCC Day Camp.”

The Tales

In his introductions to some of the tales, Tim speaks of the excitement that Wink displayed while telling those stories — how he would wriggle in his chair and the words would come out in an excited jumble as he reached the end of a tale, seeming to transform him from an 80-year-old to a 10-year-old as he spoke.

For those who only knew Wink and Ruth as the enthusiastic promoters of recreation at a time when some objected to spending money on “play,” the stories of Bus and Wink as pranksters who took wild chances and sometimes-questionable antics may come as a surprise. For his family, it was all part of who Wink was.

One example of Bus and Wink’s flirtations with danger is the story of their “double-runnah” traverse sled. Bristol’s “old-timers” have talked about the days when people would sled down High Street into Central Square, but Wink tops those memories with a tale of riding their “double-runnah” in icy conditions all the way from Round Top, down High Street, through the Square, down Central Street, and over the bridge spanning the Pemigewasset River, ending up in the adjacent town of New Hampton.

Not all of the stories are based in Bristol. Wink also spoke of camping trips to remote locations such as Long Pond in Northwood. Camping out on an island, they practiced hatchet-throwing until their prized scout hatchet missed a tree and fell into the pond. They were unable to find it, despite repeated diving attempts by Bus, and they finally gave up after Bus hit his head on the bottom of the boat.

Then there was the “geranium episode” when their teacher walked in while Bus and another student were tossing her pot of flowers back and forth.

“Watching my grandfather get that excited simply telling the stories, one can only imagine what a mischievous bundle of energy he must have been as a boy,” Tim writes.

For more information about the Slim Baker area, see http://slimbaker.org.

To obtain copies of Bus and Wink: Adventures of Youth; Stories Told Around the Campfire, go to the TTCC website, ttccrec.org, or call 603-744-2713.

Lending a Helping Hand at the Holidays

Lending a Helping Hand at the Holidays

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

The Wolfeboro Rotary Club’s Christmas tree sale circa 1950; courtesy Wolfeboro Rotary.

Each year, as the holidays approach, members of Lakes Region clubs and other organizations plan dinners, concerts, food basket deliveries and children’s toy and coat drives to name but a few ways to help others. It is a large part of belonging to a Rotary or Lion’s Club, or another service-oriented group. Non-members help as well with donations of food, money, goods and services to make the holidays brighter for those less fortunate.

This year, due to the pandemic, we might assume these programs would not take place. That assumption would be incorrect, because with some creative maneuvering and readjusting, many outreach efforts are underway.

The need for meals is great, and the Lakes Region Rotary is stepping up to help. According to Lakes Region Rotary member Gary Adams, the organization will be working with the Salvation Army in Laconia during its important Kettle Drive. Also, the Lakes Region Rotary supports the Salvation Army’s Friendly Kitchen on a bi-monthly basis. 

Says Adams, “Pre-COVID, we helped prepare meals but now, during the pandemic, the free lunches are not taking place on-site. Instead, we are partnering with different restaurants to supply meals.”

Some of the restaurants, including Domino’s Pizza, Sal’s Pizza in Laconia and South End Pizza, provide the pizzas. The pizzas are paid for by the Rotary (and are often generously discounted by the restaurants) and picked up by club members and transported to the Salvation Army in Laconia, where volunteers box up pizza meals for 50 to 65 people per lunch. The lunches are served on a to-go basis. The next Friendly Kitchen lunch with support from the Lakes Region Rotary is November 10, followed by a meal on January 2, 2021. 

“The need is there; pre-COVID we served about 35 meals at a Friendly Kitchen lunch and now we provide meals for up to 65 people per lunch,” observes Adams. 

The Lakes Region Rotary also presents a popular car show each year, and although it had to be a virtual event due to COVID this year, it generated funds. “It is a big fundraiser for us,” says Lakes Region Rotary Club president Mike Robichaud. “We donate to the Santa Fund, a program that provides winter coats, boots, hats and mittens for area children.” Robichaud speaks highly of the Santa Fund, and the good works they do for the area. 

For many years the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction has been a beloved part of the holidays. Indeed, this will be the 39th year for the auction fundraiser that helps many in the community by raising an ever-increasing amount of money. 

Says Jamie Sousa, chair of the auction event, “Last year was a record year for the auction and we raised over $600,000. This year, the event will be broadcast live from December 8-11 between the hours of 9 am and 3 pm from the Bank of NH Pavilion in Gilford. Media broadcasting the auction will be Channel 25 Lakes Region Public Access; Channel 12 Atlantic Broadband; 104.9 FM The Hawk and 101.5 Lakes FM.

“Due to the pandemic, the set will be closed this year and a limited number of volunteers will be on site, but the chance to bid on your favorites items will be as much fun as always.”

Sousa says many people get their Christmas shopping done by bidding on items during the auction, which range from handmade goods to dining gift cards to larger items such as sporting goods equipment, and even vacations in locations around the world, to name but a few categories. 

“We really need donations right now,” Sousa stresses. “We will have an Item Drive on November 27 and 28 from 10 am to 2 pm at Bank of NH Pavilion. During those two days, people can drop off donations.” There also are drop-off locations at many local businesses around the area.

Sousa anticipates an even greater need this year, due to the pandemic. The funds from the auction are disbursed to a number of worthy organizations (applications for funds are online at www.childrensauction.com.) The auction benefits Lakes Region children and families and there is a focus on non-profits that supply basic needs to needy people. You can learn more at the website. 

The Wolfeboro Lion’s Club is an active group dedicated to helping the community. At this time of year, a popular Poinsettia Sale is taking place. According to Lion’s Club information, the club is using the same NH supplier as in the past and they are happy to announce they are able to keep the pricing the same as last year.  Poinsettias are available in red, white, or pink and in three sizes: six-inch, eight-inch and 10-inch. 

This year, because of COVID, there will be no pick-up; all orders will be delivered by the Wolfeboro Lion’s Club to your home or business. Orders received by November 20 will be delivered on Tuesday, November 24 between 9 am and noon. Orders received by December 1 will be delivered on Saturday, December 5 between 9 am and noon.

By supporting the sale, you are giving back to the community. All profits (100%) are disseminated to various Lions projects, some of which are Operation Kids Sight (OKS) that screens school children for potential eye problems; eye exams/glasses and hearing tests/aids for those in need; sponsorship of local Boy Scout troop 165; a college book scholarship; the Doug Cady music scholarship; a NH Boat Museum boat building scholarship; Food Pantry donations and other worthy local causes. To get your order form for poinsettias, e-mail Lion Club member Joe at jrdecho@aol.com or call 603-630-3724.

The Wolfeboro Rotary Club is celebrating its 93rd year and while things are different everywhere due to the pandemic, the club will be holding their annual Rotary Christmas Tree Sale as usual at the Clark House Museum grounds on South Main Street in Wolfeboro. 

“The sale will start on Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving,” says Wolfeboro Rotary president Brian Laing. “The sale will run until the trees are all sold, usually by mid-December. We will have 350 trees for sale, and they are native New Hampshire Balsams and Frasers. We will be open Thursdays through Sundays from 9 am to 2 pm.”

Laing adds that the tree sale is the major fundraiser for the club, and each year the money from the sale of trees goes back to local student scholarships and local non-profit charitable organizations. During the sale, all state regulations for safety during the pandemic will be adhered to. The Wolfeboro Rotary has been presenting the popular Christmas Tree Sale for over 50 years and it is a big part of the holiday season in the area. For information on the Wolfeboro Rotary Club and the Christmas Tree Sale, call Brian Laing at 603-273-2836.

In Meredith, many residents look forward to the Meredith Rotary’s senior holiday dinner. With the coming of COVID, many people wondered if the dinner they look forward to at the holidays would be cancelled. Although the meal cannot be held as usual (it has been held for over 20 years), it will happen in a drive-through format. 

Normally, the dinner is held at Inter-Lakes Elementary School with catering by Hart’s Turkey Farm Restaurant. The menu includes a traditional turkey dinner and dessert with Rotarians serving. The dinner typically sees around 300 seniors in attendance, enjoying the meal and a raffle and a time to socialize. 

The drive-through meal plans are still be coordinated as of press time, but the meal will assuredly take place, this year on December 6.  The meal will be available to Meredith, Center Harbor, Moultonborough and Sandwich residents age 55 and over. The Meredith Rotarians will hand out meals and direct traffic. Those who wish to pick up/order a meal must sign up in advance. For details and to sign up, call 603-279-7600 between November 4 through November 25. 

Many families in the Winnisquam area have a brighter holiday due to the efforts of the Tilton/Northfield Rotary. Members of the Rotary work hard during the Christmas season to gather and put together holiday food baskets and toys for children. The club also does Fruit Baskets for area senior citizens, and they are very popular and appreciated. “The Saturday before Christmas we put together the boxes for a Christmas meal for those in need in the Winnisquam area,” says Rotary past president Chuck Drew. The club coordinates their effort with the local welfare department and Tilton, Northfield, Sanbornton Christmas Fund. For information, visit www.tnrotary.org.

The Gilford Rotary Club is known for their annual Christmas tree sale and a wonderful Senior Dinner during the holidays. The Christmas tree sale will be held this year from November 27 to December 6; the hours will be 9 am-7 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and noon-7 pm on Monday through Thursday. COVID protocols will be in place and as one Rotarian said, “We will have beautiful trees and wreaths for sale.”

The Annual Ray Wixson Senior Dinner is usually held for area Senior citizens at the Gilford Community Church in Gilford village. The popular dinner is hosted and presented by the Gilford Rotary Club, with a holiday dinner, music and a visit from Santa. Due to the pandemic, this year the dinner will be drive-through only. For further information on the Christmas tree sale location and the Senior Dinner, please call 293-7958.

Works of Heart

Works of Heart

The Shape of Things to Come!

Story and photos by Leigh Sharps

When a relative made a special request to Bonni Acton of Holderness to create a metal moose as a mantle focal point, she didn’t know that the new hobby would become such a satisfying pastime for her currently growing small business.

That was 10 years ago and now Bonni sees her artistic opportunities as having no boundaries. In fact, her future is literally in the ‘shape of things to come.’ Those shapes are the basis for the innovative items she produces through her art of metalwork.

“I began by working plasma cut metal by hand to use as hardware in our home. That was before I realized how much more creative and productive I could be with a CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) table set-up. After my step sister asked about making the mantle moose, I went on to fulfill several other requests for her. People began to see what I was creating and started showing interest in my work and I just took it from there,” she said.

This year has been her most prolific thus far. “I’ve been getting many requests from people who get their ideas from everywhere...nature, pictures in books, their pets, family members; they just come up with multitudes of ideas and I take those ideas, design them and produce them.”

 “I discuss with clients to discover what their specific ideas are and whether they intend their items to be for indoor or outdoor use. My media is called ‘mild steel’ (whose natural color is silverish). If it’s for exterior use I suggest they have it powder coated to preserve the material. That method is durable and never rusts.” Powder coating is a finishing process where dry, free-flowing (thermoplastic) powder material is applied to surfaces, and then it is melted in an extremely hot-oven procedure. The surface hardens into an even coating. It comes in many different colors as well.

Bonni then determines color, size and thickness according to a client’s wishes. Using the Adobe Illustrator program, she draws the design and saves it into a DXF file. (DXF stands for Drawing Interchange Format which was developed by Autodesk). It is a computer-aided design transfer system that takes the drawing and imports it into the CNC Plasma Cam program.  

“From there I can make changes or additions to it, as needed, to personalize the end product. The CNC table is 4x4 and I can cut metal 4 feet wide and up to 3/8th inches thick.” 

Bonni continues, “Once the piece is cut, I deburr it and either bring it to the powder coating finish or I will prime and paint it myself.”

However, she says if a powder finish or a hand-painted finish isn’t desired, a client has the option to choose either the natural silver sheen of the steel or a rusted/vintage patina. All are equally popular, Bonni notes. 

She says the inspirations mainly come from her patrons who “have outstanding ideas but then I tell them I can take their ideas one step further and personalize them with names or themes, for instance.” One example she cites is her latest completed project, an entryway hall sign/coat rack which states ‘Rumney Retreat’ festooned with evergreen tree outlines.

Bonni’s metal outline ‘maps’ of Big Squam Lake are popular as wall hangings in varying sizes, but also as smaller Christmas tree ornaments. A friend’s granddaughter was recently gifted a large ‘Squam Lake’ wall metal artwork by Bonni for her university dorm room. “She told me she loved it, her friends all admired it, but most of all, it reminded her of home. That made me happy.”

For now, Bonni plans on keeping her business small but sees it slowly growing. As the holiday season will soon be upon us, she says, “I’m happy to make Christmas gifts. I’ve always loved the different seasons and holidays and the decorations that go along with them, so themed ornaments, etc. are so special. I’ve made personalized birthday gifts, anniversary presents, military items, business signs and other such unique products.”

Some examples of her work are: standing moose and bear outlines, Squam Lake maps with lettering, military medal racks personalized with a last name, flags (distressed, contemporary, themed), welcome signs for a driveway or end of roadway, signs with last names but customized (with a favorite pet’s outline, a frog, turtle, sailboat, a favorite car or truck, etc.), business signs, car logos, key rings in the shape of your car or specialty vehicle and, of course, special signage with your beloved pet’s face outline or paw print to place over his or her bed or bowls.

One of her best sellers this summer and fall were Christmas ornaments featuring outlines of Squam Lake. “I think tourists like the idea of bringing a trip reminder home,” Bonni explains. “Putting those ornaments on their Christmas trees continues to remind them of what a wonderful and beautiful place the Squam Lakes area and the Lakes Region area, in general, are and they are reminded of that every time they look at their ornaments during that joyous time of year.”

Bonni’s specialty items are gaining popularity every day. Anniversary and wedding gifts, company business signs, plaques and architectural metal are all in her expanding repertoire. She recently fabricated a special wall decoration commemorating a couple’s wedding day, which featured a ski lift displaying their mutual interest in the sport. That is just one example of the singular ideas conceived by clients and fulfilled by Bonni. 

When she says she can make the shape of ’cobras’ she just doesn’t mean the snake. She is referring to the design of the CSX Cobra high-performance sports car. Her craft is a natural progression/offshoot from her husband’s business, Acton Custom Enterprises (ACE), which caters to the restoration and fabrication of parts for the Cobra. Bonni also helps in the business, which is a full-service machine and metal fabrication shop. This consists of shaping, welding, designing, building as well as machining most metals. It’s easy to see how her interest in her husband’s business turned into a specialty art form for her.

Bonni says anyone interested in her work should check her Facebook page. “It really showcases the pieces I’ve already done and I’m always updating it with current work. I can sell all the items on the page or I can customize them to certain specifications. If you have an idea, let's talk!” 

Visit on Facebook: ActonMetalArt, or email bonni.acton@gmail.com. You may call Bonni at 603-279-0241. 

Notable NH Women in Politics

Yesteryear

Notable NH Women in Politics

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

The typical day for the average American housewife in the 1920s and 30s encompassed baking bread, making sure dinner was on the table when the man of the house returned from work, keeping every room clean and tackling the laundry, which was done in a wringer washer and hung to dry on a clothesline in the backyard. Added to this, there were the children to care for and such tasks as mending and sewing to complete. In the Victorian era, the chores were much the same, but you could add keeping the woodstoves going, cooking meals in even more crude kitchens, and generally housekeeping without aid of electricity or running water in some homes.

All this left little time for women to think about a career or life outside the realm of homemaker. That is why it is amazing some women in New Hampshire ran for and were successful in holding public office. 

Whether the women all over New Hampshire knew it or not, one woman in the state was fighting for the right to vote and other freedoms for he gender in the 1880s. Voting was a right Marilla Ricker of New Durham fought long and hard to achieve. A portrait of her in the NH State House, painted some time ago, shows the determination in her face and a steely resolve to get things done.  

It seems amazing that a young woman from such a tiny rural town as New Durham could achieve such great things and go into a much larger world. But Marilla was raised to be a free thinker and while others of her age and gender were dreaming of marriage, her sights were set on other things. Born in 1840, Marilla grew up to work in one of the few professions open to women at the time: she was a teacher. She held the position until she married Joh Ricker of Dover, NH.

Marilla’s husband was a wealthy farmer and when he died in the 1860s, Marilla found herself in the enviable position of being a wealthy widow. She traveled to Europe in the 1870s and gained a wider world view – and a solid education – while abroad.

Little is known of exactly why Marilla decided to become a lawyer, because it was a profession open only to men at the time. But given her years of travel, her free thinking childhood and the opportunities her wealth afforded her, these things likely put her on a career path. 

Marilla began to study law in Washington, DC, and gained admittance to the bar of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia in 1882, according to Wikipedia. She outranked all 18 men who also took the exam. 

Serving the less fortunate during her years as a Washington, DC lawyer held top priority for Marilla and she was known as the “prisoners’ friend.” (She often worked for her clients for free.) In 1884 she was appointed examiner in chancery by the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia and later became New Hampshire’s first woman lawyer in July1890. The irony of her situation was not lost on Marilla: she was a NH resident and lawyer and even ran for governor, the laws of the land did not allow her to vote. (It should be mentioned that Marilla petitioned the NH Supreme Court for the right to practice law in the state after being denied that right because of her gender. The petition won in the court and the female lawyers of NH remember Marilla as a trailblazer.)

Marilla is believed to be among the first women in the state to attempt to vote and because she was a land owner and taxpayer in Dover, she believed she should have the voting right. She fought tirelessly and shortly before her death in 1920, women were given the right to vote.

Another tireless fighter in the world of law and politics was Doris “Granny D” Haddock of Laconia, NH. If you read the news in the late 1990s to around 2000, you surely heard of Granny D who took a walk – a very long walk – to bring awareness to the issue of campaign finance reform. 

She was aware of the issue and especially so after Senators John McCain and Russ Feingold made an effort to regulate campaign finances. The effort failed and Granny D decided to bring awareness to the cause. She started her walk in California in the first of January, 1999 (she was 88 year of age at the time) and ended the walk 14 months later at age 90. Needless to say, her walk and determination brought awareness to the issue, as did her visit to Washington, DC. 

Another Lakes Region woman who made a mark in politics was Bristol’s Maude Ferguson. She was born in 1883 and over the years, she accomplished a great deal.

Her name was actually Edna Maude Ferguson, although she went by the name E. Maude and most likely few called her by her first name. She was born to Edgar and Addie Fowler in August of 1883 in Danvers, Massachusetts. 

State Senator Maude Ferguson of Bristol, NH.

Maude graduated from Tilton Seminary in 1900 and went on to attend the Greeley School of Elocution and Dramatics in Boston, graduating in 1903. Historical information states Maude was an elocutionist, which is the study and practice of oral delivery and the control of voice and gesture. 

Perhaps this training eventually led Maude to politics, but she listed herself on census records as a housewife. This was not unusual at a time when women may have started to venture beyond the confines of home, but still maintained many of the conventions and pride in being a wife first and foremost.

Maude married Samuel Ferguson in 1912; they resided in Bristol (in the Newfound Lake area). When Maude was just one year of age, her father died; Addie moved to Bristol with the young Maude. In those days, Bristol, NH was a long way from Danvers, Massachusetts. What would have brought Addie to the little town?

It can be assumed that, upon the death of her husband, Maude’s mother moved to Bristol to live with her family. Maude’s maternal grandfather was Otis Kilton Bucklin, a successful local businessman. Otis at one time ran a hotel in nearby Grafton and later built and ran Brown’s Hotel in Bristol. He owned a carriage factory, also in Bristol and was a fruit grower with about 2,300 apple trees. He owned over five farms and also maintained property in Florida. Addie later remarried and became the wife of a local doctor and continued to reside in the Bristol area.

Before marriage, Maude had an interesting career. An early newspaper clipping reports a Boston entertainment bureau booked Maude often; she was one of the company’s most successful elocutionists. The same clipping states Maude worked as an elocutionist at her alma mater, Tilton School, at New Hampton Institute and also at Maryland College. 

Once she married, Maude took an active role in local goings on. She was the chairperson of the Bristol Republican Women’s Committee, and she served on the Bristol Board of Education.

Maude became a representative to the NH House of Representative and was given positions on the revision of statutes and the state library. She served as chairman of the joint committee on State Library and in her second term as representative in 1929, she was chairman of the committee on Normal School, a member of the Judiciary Committee, clerk of the Grafton County delegation and the pre-legislative caucus; she was the first woman to serve on the Judiciary Committee.

Politics must have agreed with Maude, because she rolled up her sleeves and jumped into the race for the Republican nomination for state senator in the fifth district. This was quite a bold move for a woman from a small town at the time, but she beat out two male candidates and was the first woman to serve in the senate. 

It is said that her experience and interest in politics led her to study law. It is intriguing to think of Maude, a woman from a rural town, doing so very well in a man’s world. There is no information on her study of law, but she surely would have made a good lawyer, due to her elocution skills and her grasp of politics.

For three years, Maude served as state chairperson of the Legal Status of Women of the NH League of Women Voters. She also was past grand matron of the Order of the Eastern Star and past president of the Bristol Woman’s Club, to name but a few of the offices she held.

Maude passed away in 1932, and the entire Bristol community, as well as the state, mourned the loss. It is a mark of her importance in the community to note that when her funeral was held in Bristol, businesses were closed as a mark of respect. Flags were lowered to half-mast due to her position as senator. Tributes poured in from local groups, as well as from the NH Power Company, the NH Senate, NH Governor Winant and many others. Those who attended her funeral included state senators, Laconia’s mayor, state representatives, and more.

Maude rose to success at a time when most women were at home raising a family. She was certainly liked and respected by her male political colleagues, no easy accomplishment in the 1920s and 1930s when men ruled every corner of the political and business world.

As we prepare to vote in the elections in November, we can look back and give a nod of thanks to the trail blazing women in politics and law, such as Marilla Ricker, Granny D and Maude Ferguson, who rolled up their sleeves and got things done, making the world a much better place for their efforts.

Mornings are Best at Katie’s Kitchen

Mornings are Best at Katie’s Kitchen

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

For many people, breakfast is the best meal of the day. Whether the preferred meal is bacon and eggs, pancakes, a batch of cinnamon toast…or a sweet roll and coffee, a breakfast made and served by an expert is a treat.

Jason Gurnari, owner of Katie's Kitchen, serving up a tray of his famous homemade cinnamon rolls

Jason Gurnari, the owner of Katie’s Kitchen (located in Clarke Plaza at 35 Center Street in Wolfeboro), gets it when it comes to what breakfast lovers want. The menu at the charming little restaurant reflects a love of starting the day with good food in a friendly atmosphere.

As a child, Jason spent summers with his family in Wolfeboro. He loved the area, and moved to New Hampshire permanently about 13 years ago. Jason has been in the restaurant business for years and has served as bar manager at the Wolfeboro Inn, as well as at the Inn on Main. He also was the food and beverage manager at Gunstock, and more recently he was the manager at the Lodge at Smith Point.

However, it was always Jason’s dream to own his own restaurant and when he got a call from the owner of Katie’s Kitchen, he felt the time was right to make the move.

Jason purchased the restaurant in May of this year. The previous owner had run the business for about 35 years and wanted to retire. She made the right choice in Jason, due to his solid knowledge of the restaurant business and his good work ethic and vision to bring the business into the future.

Jason wanted to keep the casual and friendly atmosphere for the eatery, but with necessary upgrades. He knew Katie’s Kitchen was the place where many locals gathered for breakfast and he wanted to maintain that welcoming atmosphere.

“I bought the business when COVID started,” Jason says. For many, that fact would have been a game changer, and they wouldn’t have made the move to take over restaurant ownership at such an uncertain time. But Jason saw opportunity and he knew Katie’s Kitchen already had a loyal customer base. Most importantly, Jason had confidence in his ability to bring the business into the future with renovations and a great menu.

“We did a lot of remodeling,” Jason says. He bought the business in May and spent an intensive few months on renovations, opening to the public on June 28. Much of the former restaurant saw a remodel and new equipment was installed with an emphasis on creating a welcoming atmosphere.

Due to restrictions for the reopening of New Hampshire restaurants due to the pandemic, Jason added some outdoor seating; the total seating is for 29 people. Like all restaurant owners, Jason is aware outdoor seating will not be an option in the cold winter months, but he has complied with the rulings for social distancing for indoor seating, spacing tables apart.

Once open, customers were delighted with the sparkling clean restaurant…as well as Jason’s new menu. Early risers found a warm welcome, and Jason, who turns on the lights to begin his day very early, says locals know if the lights are on and the coffee is brewing they are welcome to come in for breakfast. (Open hours are officially 5 am to noon on weekdays and 6 am to noon on weekends.)

Reviews have been extremely favorable such as these on Trip Advisor: “Visited during (re)opening week and the new owners were super personable and have big plans for this little breakfast spot. Their daily special featured fruit from local farms and neighboring business owners were dining there too (when locals support locals, you know it's a good spot). Great cinnamon buns and great prices too!” and “This little breakfast gem has gotten a fresh new look from the new owner! The portions are very generous and food was delicious. Staff is super friendly. Home-made corned beef hash is great, and prices can't be beat! Will be back often!”

 “We plan to start serving lunch as well very soon and at that time we will be open until 2 pm,” Jason adds.

The switch from serving breakfasts to breakfast and lunch will bring some great menu items to the business. Jason stresses they are no longer frying anything at Katie’s Kitchen. “We use the grill and we will be offering a number of sandwich options and homemade chili and hot soups. Also, we will have a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches on different breads available. Sides will include pasta salad, a veggie option, potato salad and more.”

If you want to polish off your lunch with dessert, there will be fresh baked seasonal desserts, including everyone’s favorite: homemade pies.

Referring to homemade baked goods, Jason adds that the muffins and his famous cinnamon rolls are made on-premises as well. “The cinnamon rolls are really popular with our customers!” he adds.

Corned beef for the popular breakfast corned beef hash is also made in-house, roasted two or three times a week. Many products are locally sourced, such as the eggs, maple syrup, bacon and sausage and the goal has been and continues to be to offer high-quality meals at a low price.

For those wondering who Katie (as in the business name Katie’s Kitchen) might be, Jason says the name was given to the restaurant by the former owner and he decided to keep the name because it is known to customers.

Extra touches add to the experience of eating at Katie’s Kitchen, such as art exhibits on the restaurant’s walls. The exhibits feature the work of local artists, such as Cosmic Moose Art, and change monthly.

Reviews for the new menu and ownership of the restaurant have been positive, and a check on any given day to Katie’s Kitchen’s Facebook page offers a glimpse at daily specials. For example, social media posts show photos of such mouthwatering breakfast options as blueberry stuffed French toast, strawberry shortcake French toast, onion, tomato, feta and spinach quiche, blueberry and cranberry muffins, and of course those sinfully delicious cinnamon rolls to name but a few menu items.

If breakfast on any given day of the week is your thing, plan a visit to Katie’s Kitchen. Stop by for a cinnamon roll or muffin or a full breakfast and very soon, make Katie’s Kitchen your place to go for a great lunch, just the thing to warm you up as we head into the autumn and winter seasons. Catering is also available, and all menu items also are offered for take-out.

For information call Katie’s Kitchen at 603-569-1406. Please follow “Katie’s Kitchen NH” on Facebook and on Instagram: @katieskitchennh.

Planning for Winter at Ski Areas During the Pandemic

Planning for Winter at Ski Areas During the Pandemic

By Mark Okrant

Photos courtesy Ski New Hampshire

It is well known that residents and visitors to New Hampshire love to ski. The industry provides a big boost to the state’s economy, with ski areas around the state offering downhill and cross-country skiing. A typical snowy winter’s day sees thousands of ski enthusiasts on the slopes, and dining and socializing at ski lodges after a few good runs is part of the fun.

This year, however, it is a very different situation, as we are all aware. Although COVID-19 has been with us for more than six months, its impact has been felt across the entire travel and hospitality industry. Nationwide, the 460 ski areas situated in 37 states have suffered losses estimated at more than two billion dollars.

Recently, the “Reopening Guidance for NH Ski Areas” was released by the Office of Governor Sununu, and ski areas around the state are looking forward to developing operating plans around the guidance provided. 

“The draft guidance we submitted and presented to the Governor’s Reopening Task Force was put together with input and consensus across our ski area members. It’s been a real team effort and I’m very proud of the work that our re-opening committee and ski area members have been able to accomplish together,” said Jessyca Keeler, president of Ski New Hampshire. “The approved guidance takes the health and safety of our guests and staff seriously, and with additional input from the Department of Public Health, we’re confident that we have a guidance document that will lead us through this very different upcoming ski season.”

With the guidance directive now released, area ski areas are optimistic about the season. According to Stacie Sullivan, Communications Manager at Waterville Valley Resort, it is expected people will be out on skis in good numbers, although events will be modified to accommodate the need for social distancing. 

Christine Collins, the director of Wolfeboro’s parks and recreation department, which oversees the Abenaki Ski Area, expects there to be a good deal of social distancing, with Abenaki’s buildings being accessible only to use the restrooms. Many skiers will “boot up” in their cars in parking lots. (Note: some resorts may apply a “drop and go” policy to ski bags.) Food and beverages will be available at Abenaki only at pickup windows. 

The “COVID-19 Reopening Guidance for NH Ski Areas” will be implemented statewide and includes guidance for staff and guests alike to wear face coverings inside buildings (except when eating or drinking), in lift lines and mazes, as well as when loading, riding, and unloading from lifts. The face mask policy applies to other places where six feet of physical distancing cannot be achieved. 

Resorts will implement enhanced cleaning regimens, and apply employee protocols (many of which have been in place since summer operations began. Chairlift rides will only group families and those who have traveled together. Ski areas will shift to more online ticket sales to avoid lines and in-person transactions at ticket windows, and there will be physical distancing requirements and capacity controls within lodges and other indoor facilities. These adaptations and others will be common across the state’s ski areas and should provide a baseline of what guests can expect at any given area.

In addition to topics within the guidance directive that address ski-area specific operations such as chairlifts and lodges, other references must be followed, including the NH Universal Guidance and Guidance for the Food Service Industry, Child Care, Retail Stores, Amateur & Youth Sports, NH Performing Arts Venues, and various CDC Guidance.

Resorts will be responsible for implementing operating plans designed to reduce the risk of infection from COVID-19. Guests will be responsible for following these procedures prior to and when they arrive at the ski area. Skier services will vary by resort, as each area will decide which parts of its operation will be available to its guests. Guests should check each ski area’s website for the status of its offerings and policies before arriving. 

“These guidelines will help our guests to have the confidence to get out to ski and ride. Now’s the time to get pumped for the ski season—the rest is up to Mother Nature,” said Tom Day, Gunstock Mountain Resort president and general manager. 

Looking back at the previous ski season, when COVID started, Ski New Hampshire Inc.’s (Ski NH) 15-member ski resorts and 15-member touring centers were impacted by the directive to self-quarantine immediately last March. The shutdown could not have come at a worse time, as only December exceeds March in importance to the state’s ski industry. Early estimates indicated the cost to ski areas was more than a million dollars during that single month.

According to Ski New Hampshire’s Keeler, “People throughout the country were caught flat-footed. We had to wait until someone told us how to react. Ultimately, they were instructed to shut down operations during March 2020, while not knowing when, or if, they would be able to reopen.”

Keeler adds, “We’re all looking forward to this ski season. It’s almost as if we have some unfinished business after having our season come to an abrupt end in mid-March. That said, the key to opening and staying open this year will be for ski areas to do their part, and guests to do theirs. It’s up to all of us to observe and respect the new protocols being put in place that are designed to keep staff and guests safe and healthy.”

During the 2019-20 season, Ski NH’s 15 alpine areas had a count of 1,961,072 skier visits. The prior (2018-19) season, that count was 2,142,668. This means that member alpine ski areas experienced a decrease in visitation of eight percent, year-to-year. The damage was even greater than these numbers show, however, as there were significant financial losses that would have come in the form of existing season ticket, food and beverage, retail, and other sales, plus vital advance purchases of 2020-21 season passes. 

Among those interviewed, opinions about the forthcoming ski season varied from optimistic to “wait-and-see.” A majority of operators agree with Sullivan’s assessment that more people will be on the slopes and the trails. The logic is obvious: most people feel cooped up; therefore, they will see this winter as an opportunity to escape the doldrums of house sitting and channel surfing. 

The question all ski area operators are facing is how to handle ski passes. Hoping to avoid the necessity to facilitate on-site ticket purchases, lift ticket purchases are likely to be made online. Skiers would order and purchase their tickets using a website, then have them printed at kiosks on the mountain sides, with passes checked using portable electronic devices.

So, how will ticket purchases at the Lakes Region’s three downhill (Abenaki, Gunstock, and Ragged Mountain) and three cross-country (Gunstock, Nordic Skier, and Purity Spring) ski areas look this coming season? One of the most effective recent practices by ski areas is still under consideration. During a typical season, discounts are offered for early purchases of seasonal ski passes. Meanwhile single day passes purchased at ticket windows are offered at a significantly higher daily rate. Under present circumstances, it makes sense to keep this system in place, as it’s also an effective way of keeping people out of the ski lodges. 

Many food and drink services will remain outdoors, as food trucks, tented dining places in parking lots, and outdoor deck spaces are added. Masks and disinfection protocols will be de rigueur, and Plexiglass dividers will be in place to protect the health of staff and guests. 

One positive footnote has resulted from the pandemic and the uncertainty that has followed. Keeler reports that the sense of community among its constituencies—individual resorts, state associations, and the National Ski Areas Association’s membership—has never been stronger. This can only bode well for the future of the nation’s ski industry. 

(Additional information for this story provided by Ski New Hampshire.)

For more information on ski areas, trail conditions, vacation planning, and updated winter events at Ski New Hampshire resorts, visit SkiNH.com. For statewide travel information, go to VisitNH.gov.)

Fall in Love with Autumn Hikes

Fall in Love with Autumn Hikes

Hike Yourself Up and Get Out There: Best Foliage Hikes

Story and photos by Leigh Sharps

While summer hikes and walks are definitely outstanding, it is the amazing array of colorful fall foliage that makes this season so very special, especially during this time of ‘social distancing’.

To get ready for viewing the most exemplary palette of bright and subdued hues, pick one of the best hikes or walks in the Lakes Region listed here to enjoy. 

This year the Old Farmer’s Almanac tells us peak foliage week begins October 5 in northern NH, with the week of October 12 being peak season in the Lakes Region (track the peak on almanac.com).

Curious as to how leaves change their color in New England? The mixture of red, orange, purple and yellow shades is due to chemical changes in the trees. The leaves manufacture the ‘food’ necessary for tree growth. The leaf cells contain chlorophyll (which produces the leaves’ green color). The cells and chlorophyll absorb power from the sunlight, which then transforms water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. Along with that green shade are yellow to orange pigments and a few other pigments. They are always there, but masked by the green pigment most of the year.

In the autumn, the changes in daylight and temperature stop the ‘food-making’ process and the chlorophyll breaks down, causing the green color to disappear and the other colorful pigments to become visible. Another chemical action takes place after only a few short weeks, which severs the leaf stem from the branch, causing them all to fall and bring on the advent of the next season.

Dogwoods and sumac manufacture red and purple tints and, of course, our plentiful sugar maples in this area turn to a brilliant orange. The oak family and some other species hold fast to their leaves, but the majority of trees with the most colorful plumage lose their leaves.

Evergreen trees (pine, spruce, hemlock, firs, cedars, etc.) stay true to their name Ever-Green and stay that color, or greenish, all year round. There is a whole procedure which regulates the falling of needles, cones, acorns and nuts from trees such as chestnut and beechnut and beech trees.

As always, sunlight, temperature, and the water supply to trees (droughts like we are experiencing now) all influence how bright the colors are and how long the color stays with us. Low temperatures above freezing benefit the bright reds in maples but an early frost will dilute those reds. Rainy and overcast days contribute to the intensity of colors.

Because of this year’s lack of rain, the Almanac predicts colors may not be as bright this year and may not last as long either, so get out there as soon as the leaves begin to turn to benefit from the splendor of fall. Clear, dry and cool days are the best for walks or hikes.

A very easy hike/walk with only one slight elevation attainable for all ages and pets is the Bald Ledge Trail in New Hampton. It’s only lightly trafficked, even on weekends and little known but with amazing views of Lakes Winona and Waukewan. One may also see the Sandwich, Ossipee and Squam Mountain ranges. It’s easily located off Dana Hill Road (New Hampton and/or Ashland end). Follow the public launch/canoe signs to Sky Pond, lovely in itself, and well known to fishermen. 

You may park at the pond area and walk up a short hill to the gated trailhead on the left. As of press time, there was logging going on for the first third of the trail and sometimes there is a sign prohibiting access to the trail during the week. Be observant of signs. Beyond that area, though, it is an easy 20 to 30-minute walk to the top for an amazing panorama. It is clearly the easiest hike with a most rewarding view and it is only 1.3 miles out and back. 

Another colorful autumn hike is the Red Hill Fire Tower via the Hill or Cabin Trail (Lakes Region Conservation Trust). From this summit, you may climb the fire tower for the most fantastic 360-degree views and Lakes Winnipesaukee and Big Squam are easily seen.

Hiker Leah Palmiter of Holderness, says, “Red Hill is easy and quick. A little steep but still easy-going. You can climb to the top of the fire tower (not in service) and there are absolutely beautiful panoramic views!” She also says there is a “sweet concession stand at the base.” The trail can be found on Sheridan Road in Moultonborough at the junction of Rtes. 25 and 109. It is a 3.3-mile loop but note that it is busy much of the year.

The West Rattlesnake Natural Area in Holderness and Sandwich features several trails. They range from 0.8-5.3 miles. There are so many choices and most lead to the summits of East and West Rattlesnake Mountains, which offer the most splendid views of Big Squam Lake, especially in the fall. During peak foliage time, the West Rattlesnake approach is generally busy, especially over Columbus Day weekend. There are two parking lots on Route 113 between Holderness and Sandwich to West Rattlesnake. There are strict rules for no parking on road shoulders, which will result in a $50 fine if you try...they are serious! 

The main entrance is the only crowded one, so these peaks can be reached other ways, mainly by attaining East Rattlesnake Mountain and hiking across to West....both have amazing views of the lake and there are massive lichen and moss areas over the steep ledges to discover and spots to picnic.

Trails include: The Old Bridle Path Trail (easy), Five Finger Point Trail (a walk to the foot of the lake with views at eye-level), the Bridle Path, Col Trail, Ridge Trail, Butterworth Trail, Ramsey Trail, Undercut Trail and the Pasture Trail.

 The University of New Hampshire (UNH) owns a portion of the Natural Area (Armstrong) and the Squam Lakes Conservation Society and Squam Lakes Association (SLA) manage and maintain trails. The SLA maintains a 50-mile network of trails in the central NH area.

For views of Newfound Lake, take a short drive to the Bristol/Alexandria area. Rated easy to moderate, it is a lightly trafficked 1.4-mile trail to Little Sugarloaf Mountain. It’s a loop with the trailhead across the street from the beach at Wellington State Park and connecting to the Elwell Trail. That connects to the Goose Pond Trail (splendid views around the pond) and descends back to the parking lot. The Big Sugarloaf Trail is 4.5 miles and loops back to Little Sugarloaf. ALLTrails.com recommends hiking up Little, over to Big, then back to Little and down to maximize scenery viewpoints. Part of this system is on land owned by the state. It is maintained by the Lakes Region Conservation trust and also stewarded by the Newfound Lake Region Association.

To see the best views of Lake Winnipesaukee (The Big Lake) take Rte. 11A from Gilford/Laconia to Alton. You’ll find Mt. Major, an extremely popular trail, so please have alternatives in mind since it can be crowded on nice days, because it has the best fall scenery over the lake. It is also southeast of Straight Back Mountain in the Belknap Range, where there are other lovely trails. Mt. Major has an elevation of 2,201 ft. and there are a few trails up including the Brook Trail, Boulder Loop and South Loop trails. To access these rather than the main entrance and parking lot, use the Jesus Valley Rd. trailhead entrance. The Society for Protection of NH Forests owns and maintains most of the mountain that is part of the Belknap Range.

The main parking lot and a portion of the trailhead were closed after Labor Day for work on the trails by the Society. The first part of the trail will be re-routed for hikers while years of erosion on the trails are repaired. It’s expected everything will re-open before the peak of foliage season.

There are always lovely views from your car windows in this area, too. If you can’t, or don’t, want to climb Mt. Major you can pull off Route 11 at the viewpoint drive-offs or continue into Alton Bay, take a left and continue to Wolfeboro where there are wonderful views all around Winnipesaukee with many hiking and walking trails.

Two wonderful boardwalks through wetlands offering low foliage colors this time of year, but no summit views, can easily be accessed off Rte. 25B between Meredith and Center Harbor. These are called the ‘Belknap Woods’. The Beaver Pond Loop is just 1.0 miles and the Outer Loop is 2.0 miles. It is maintained by the Squam Lakes Association and just a few of the many trails they care for in the Squam watershed area encompassing about 12 towns.

Further north, the Kancamagus Highway runs from Lincoln following Rt. 112 to North Conway. There are many hairpin turns before the Kancamagus Pass with the highest point of elevation at 2,855 feet. The descent travels beside the Swift River for the remaining 21 miles. This route never disappoints for amazing vistas.

Other fall foliage hikes: Mt. Cardigan in Alexandria/Groton (see Sculptured Rocks area nearby), Mt. Moosilauke in Warren with a 4,802 elevation, Three Ponds Trail in Warren (2.3 miles one way taking about three hours), the Belknap Mountains (Gilford, Gilmanton, Alton), Mount Tecumseh (Waterville Valley) and Mount Chocorua (Tamworth).

NOTE: Please be considerate and pick up after your pets! Also, practice social distancing outside your group and allow space at the peaks. Follow state guidelines to ‘Leave No Trace’ from your walk/hike. Be sure to tell at least one person where you plan to hike/walk for the day if you plan to hike alone. Always bring water and on most peaks there is room for a little picnic if you want to enjoy more time with your family there. Please carry out any trash.

Some of the above information is from local hikers/walkers and from AllTrails.com. Use GPS or online mapping for detailed directions to your goals.

For those who opt not to travel by foot, don’t forget the Foliage Train rides (Hobo and Winnipesaukee RR system) based in Meredith and Lincoln, and the Squam Lakes Science Center tours of ‘Golden Pond’ via pontoon boats. Learn filming history as well as seeing fantastic foliage. 

Also referenced were hiking books written in the late 1970s by the late local author and hiker, Daniel Doan. The books are still very relevant, especially to dedicated hikers and ‘peak baggers’. Those books include: ‘50 Hikes in the White Mtns.’ now in its seventh edition, ‘50 More Hikes in NH’ (co-written, edited and re-published by Ruth Doan MacDougall of Sandwich) and two personal memoirs entitled ‘The Crystal Years’ about growing up and hiking in Orford, and ‘Our Last Backpack’ each written about Doan’s adventures with longtime fellow hiker and ‘peak-bagger’, the late Dr. Claud Sharps of Belmont.

Other local hiking authors include Mike Dickerman (‘White Mountains Hiking History’), Appalachian Mtn. Club NH hiking and walking books (regional/state-wide) and Marty Basch ‘Winter Trails in VT. and NH’, ‘Explorers’ Guide to 50 Best Hikes in New England’ and many biking books.

If you climb (with your dog) during hunting season, please remember your pet needs to wear a blaze orange vest or harness and hikers need a blaze orange hat and/or vest. 

‘Mini Mount’ Restoration Is Complete

‘Mini Mount’ Restoration Is Complete

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Restoration of the M/V Mini Mount, a one-fifth-scale version of the M/S Mount Washington, now owned by the New Hampshire Boat Museum in Wolfeboro, has been completed and the vessel is waiting to move into its new home at the museum’s Bay Street property.

The original launch of the M/V Mini Mount on July 4, 1995, drew a huge crowd to Wolfeboro’s waterfront. (Courtesy Photo)

The nearly 50-foot vessel that once plied the waters of Lake Winnipesaukee, often mistaken for the actual cruise ship when seen at a distance, has been undergoing a restoration since Doug Smith of Laconia purchased it in 2011. Doug and his neighbor, Tim Lacey, have been repainting it and replacing some rot, but said the overall structure has remained in good shape and the engines had been meticulously maintained.

“It was mostly just surface rust,” Doug said, particularly along the 200 feet of railing which had been covered with a metal mesh that wore the paint off.

Doug Smith holds mascot Tuffy and Tim Lacey looks on as they stand next to the model used for the construction of the M/V Mini Mount, itself a replica of the M/S Mount Washington cruise ship. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Doug purchased the vessel from Mount Washington Cruises, owner of the M/S Mount Washington, which had acquired it after it had been taken out of the water, but had never found a use for it.

He said he ran across an ad when it was placed on the market for sale, and, “I made what I thought was a foolish offer — and it was, because they accepted it.”

The perspective in the top photo makes the M/V Mini Mount appear larger than the M/S Mount Washington, while the bottom photo shows the true size in comparison with the ‘mother ship’. (Courtesy Photos)

Although he had no place to store the Mini Mount, Doug said he couldn’t stand by and see it destroyed or allowed to rot. Because of its size, there were limited places to launch and dock the vessel.

He donated it to the NH Boat Museum in 2015 while continuing its restoration.

Popularity

Tim Lacey, who has spent most of his life in Laconia and “has had a boat since [he] was five,” was surprised to learn that his neighbor had purchased the Mini Mount — and that he had done so without a place to store it.

“Tim adopted it from Day 1,” Doug Smith said.

Having been friends with Dave Ewing of Dave’s Motorboat Shoppe in Gilford, Tim asked whether they would be able to store the vessel at his shop for two years while they worked on its restoration. Today, nearly nine years later, they have finally finished the restoration, allowing the Mini Mount to move closer to its final destination with the NH Boat Museum.

Mike’s Marine Transportation of Gilford came through for them when it was time to transport the Mini Mount from Center Harbor, where it had spent the winter with its “mother ship,” the Mount Washington, to Dave’s Motorboat Shoppe, where Dave provided space outside for them to work on the boat. They had to erect a shelter to protect it from the elements, and found they had several volunteers who offered to help without compensation because of their love of the Mini Mount.

“The best thing about this is the people we’ve met because of their interest in the boat,” Tim said. “People had either seen it on the lake or read about it, and a lot of people feel a connection with it.”

From the time of the boat’s launch on Lake Winnipesaukee on July 4, 1995, crowds would show up to greet it as it made its way around the lake. They especially loved to see it in the vicinity of the ship that inspired it, when photographers could compare the two vessels or use perspective to make it appear that they were the same size.

While the Mini Mount can carry up to nine passengers, its owners used to create the illusion of a full crowd by placing Barbie dolls in miniature seats on the boat. Viewed from a distance, it looked like passengers on the actual Mount Washington.

Origins

It was Jack Miller of Wolfeboro who built the Mini Mount with the assistance of his friend, Ed Aleska. Although they were in their sixties when they undertook the project, it was a labor of love for the two men, as well as their family members.

“Their inspiration was imagination and resources,” Tim said. “Jack Miller had a huge boathouse in downtown Wolfeboro, which allowed him to do the work there.”

Jack and Ed tested the feasibility of the project by first building an eight-foot model that featured all the details the eventual boat would include, such as the mesh screen that ran along the rails and the passenger windows along the length of the ship.

Having created the model, they set to work on the actual boat, which would occupy them for the next seven years. They built a quarter-inch steel hull with a half-inch Duraply superstructure. The boat was propelled by two Crusader 350 V-8 engines, with a third engine serving as a bow thruster to allow it to move sideways. The Mini Mount could reach a top speed of 15 knots.

“It took them seven years to build, working on it every day,” said Tim.

Captain Jack Miller, who built ‘The Little Mount’ or the “Mini Mount’ with his friend, Ed Aleska, holds a sign with information on the vessel in this photo from the 1990s. (Courtesy Photo)

“It was incredibly complex, with 12-volt and 120-volt systems, a depth-finder, radios, intercom, and generator,” Doug noted. “They didn’t skimp anywhere. There’s a steel driveshaft that’s 16 feet long.”

The boat has two miles of wiring to connect everything, they pointed out.

Irwin Marine helped with the engineering, launching, and winterizing “from Day 1,” Tim said.

Tim was particularly impressed with the ship’s horn, which was designed by experts to achieve the same pitch as the Mount Washington. Tim has a video of their test of the horn to make sure it still worked, saying they thought they might have to notify Gilford authorities when they planned to sound it.

They said it was not unusual to come across the Mini Mount while at the lake in the 1990s because Jack loved to show off the boat. He and Ed used to wear uniforms and they had a recording describing the Mini Mount as a child of The Mount.

“Jack was a showman,” Tim recalls. “No one ever had a bad day with the Mini Mount.”

Swag

After Doug purchased the boat, his daughter built a website to promote it and they had Mini Mount sunglasses, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and books. Tim posted information about the restoration on his Facebook page.

“It would have been neat to get it out on cruises, but it was too much,” Doug said.

They did give occasional tours of the boat, most notably with the Granite Region Antique Automobile Club whose members wanted to check it out. New Hampshire Chronicle featured it in one of their segments, and local newspapers have printed stories about the unique vessel.

Martha Cummings, executive director of the NH Boat Museum, expressed the directors’ appreciation “for all the work that Tim has done to care for the boat and his enthusiasm for the history over the years, and for Doug for preserving the boat and ultimately donating it to the museum.” She added, “I look forward to what we’ll be doing with it for the future — something everyone can look forward to.”

Martha explained that, while the COVID pandemic has presented a challenge to everyone, the museum board and its capital campaign team have been working on plans for the continuing care and display of the Mini Mount.

To keep track of the Mini Mount and other programs at the NH Boat Museum, see https://www.nhbm.org. Information on restoration of the boat also is available at https://www.facebook.com/mvminimount.

Embroidering a Life

Embroidering a Life

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

“Jennifer’s approach is a combination of fun and funky, traditional and contemporary, 

primitive but classic—it’s kind of hard to explain.”

“A brilliant combination of Jacobean and Bohemian, her artwork is a stunning example

of a lifetime’s love of this medium.”

Testimonials by a few fans of Jennifer Hubbard Alba’s embroidery

Embroidery has been called a lost art, a throw-back to the 1960s-hippie generation and a link to richly colored 16th and 17th century tapestries. For Jennifer Hubbard Alba, it is a way of life and something she is dedicated to creating for six to 10 hours every day.

Close up of embroidery details

Done with a fabric backing, embroidery floss and an embroidery hoop and needle, Jennifer’s creations are beautiful and whimsical. They invite one to enter an amazing world of florals and scenes and bright colors, all done in a folk-art style that is also tapestry-like.

“I have been embroidering for years,” Jennifer says. “I taught myself to embroider when I was 7 years old. My sister, who was a teenager at the time, owned some embroidered clothes and I love them. I was enthralled with the hippie movement back then and a lot of young people were embroidering denim jackets and shirts and other articles of clothing.”

Amazing embroidery covers a denim skirt

Jennifer was drawn to the beautiful colors of the embroidery floss (thread), which comes in many, many hues. With access to WGBH (public television) as a child, she happened to see a program featuring Erica Wilson, dubbed the “Julia Child of Needlework.” Wilson was showing how to do embroidery on the program and Jennifer was immediately enthralled. She bought an Erica Wilson kit and taught herself to embroider from a Wilson pamphlet. “I was quite motivated and if you want to do something, you find a way to figure it out,” Jennifer says when asked if it was difficult to learn the various embroidery stitches, especially as a seven-year-old child.

Jennifer lived with her family in southern Massachusetts, and while in high school, studied fashion design. Later, she studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts, and also modeled and was immersed in the fashion industry for a number of years.

Because she was around fabrics and great clothing, it was inevitable she eventually saw clothing embellished with embroidery. But all the work was done by machine versus hand-embroidered. 

Jennifer knew she wanted to draw her own designs onto fabric ranging from jackets to shirts and other garments and items, and then hand embroider the pieces. She started drawing and embroidering clothing in middle school for friends and retail shops. “Embroidery is basically coloring with embroidery floss. You can draw something on fabric and then create beautiful designs with embroidery,” she explains.

Embroidered garment in progress

After moving to New Hampshire in 1989, Jennifer and her family were busy renovating an old farmhouse. She is an avid gardener as well as keeping horses and maintaining the farm. She does farm work each morning, and then spends her afternoons and evenings embroidering. “I am passionate about it; if I don’t get to embroider every day, I am quite miserable,” Jennifer laughs. “I get up early and tend to the horses, and then I can get to my embroidery projects.”

The dedication has paid off and she has had a lot of success, doing commissions for many years and now, designing and embroidering whatever project she wishes. “I use seven types of stitches and it isn’t terribly difficult to learn to do the stitches. But you have to be willing to practice to learn to embroider. In just one hour, I have taught a student to successfully do three stitches.”

While many people have felt a certain amount of cabin fever being forced inside during the pandemic, Jennifer has been able to carry on and get a lot of embroidery done. Each piece can take up to 700 hours of embroidery, and Jennifer gets lost in the process, happily working on a piece each and every day. “I like to have background noise when I am embroidering,” she explains. “I can’t watch a television show or a movie with subtitles because my eyes are on the embroidery. But I stream a lot of television for background. To sit and embroider in absolute quiet would be difficult.”

Lest one imagine embroidery is just a fun pastime for Jennifer, that assumption would be incorrect. She is a skilled fabric artist who sells her work at the Artistic Roots gallery on the Main Street in Plymouth, NH. She is an active member (and vice-president) of Artistic Roots and helps out a lot at the co-op gallery, where there are 40 artists displaying and selling their work. (She also was the co-founder of the Ashland Village Artisan Gallery in 2000.)

Embroidery on denim

In addition, Jennifer sells a line of embroidery kits and offers high quality printed versions of her embroidery on totes and home accessories. You can find her work at www.jhaembroiderydesigns.com.

While she can embroider on just about anything, Jennifer enjoys embroidering designs on demin. She does not plan out a design ahead of time, but rather studies the jacket or other garment, getting a feeling for the article of clothing. Then, with a permanent marker, she begins to draw right on the fabric. “The idea for the design just sort of comes out of me as I am drawing it on the fabric,” she explains. “It is a fun process; as I am drawing, my heart beats faster and I feel the creative excitement. The drawing part is quick, and even if I make a mistake, it isn’t a problem because the embroidery will eventually cover it up. As I embroider, I might add more to a design. The fabric, whether it is a shirt or other garment, is the blank canvas.”

Jennifer explains that her embroidery style is distinct and unique to her; she loves a tapestry effect to her work and is drawn to the colors of Moroccan and Mexican needle arts. “I just love folk art in general,” she adds. It seems these styles have always appealed and Jennifer explains that as a child, she visited her aunt in Maine. The aunt had a lot of very large tapestries in her home and Jennifer spent hours staring at the pieces, marveling at the designs and colors.

She is also drawn to English tapestries of the 16th and 17th centuries. These styles have all come together to influence Jennifer’s art to this day.

In her studio, Jennifer has a large worktable with tons of fabrics and thousands of skeins of embroidery floss, but she also spends much of her time embroidering in her living room with the all-important background noise of the television or music. All she needs is her embroidery hoop, fabric, floss, an embroidery needle and a good light source. “Doing this work…nothing makes me happier,” she reflects.

Although Jennifer has taught embroidery classes in the past, she is not doing so presently. Before COVID changed everything for so many people, she was working to prepare pieces for a show at a London gallery. The show has been postponed (due to the pandemic), but some of those embroidered works will be on display and for sale at Artistic Roots in Plymouth, NH. 

For those who wish to try embroidery, which Jennifer says is a lot of fun and a great way to embellish an article of clothing as she began to do in the 1960s “hippie years”, all it takes is some dedication and basic supplies. It is a great project for kids and it is not messy. Also, embroidery is quite portable and offers instant color. (Indeed, Jennifer takes her embroidery along when she travels and goes to the beach or even when she attends a rock festival!)

The future is a place of beauty for Jennifer, who plans to keep making new designs and embroidering many hours every day. “I am just enjoying the process,” she concludes, embroidering a life of beauty and creativity.

To see a vast array of colorful embroidery by Jennifer Hubbard Alba, visit www.jhaembroiderydesigns.com. Find JHA Designs on Facebook or at www.instagram.com/jhubbardalba. 

For information on Artistic Roots, visit www.artisticroots.com or call 603-536-2750. The gallery is located at 73 Main Street in Plymouth, NH.

An Enchanting, Cosmic Landscape

An Enchanting, Cosmic Landscape

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Alison Joyce describes her partner, Charlie Kuizinas, as a happy-go-lucky, whimsical creature, much like his spirit animal and artistic inspiration, the moose. For Charlie, Cosmic Moose Art is his way of expressing the fun side of life.

Charlie Kuizinas works on one of his paintings.

“It’s so serious,” Charlie says of life, “but we need to laugh a little, smile.”

He describes his approach to art as “something that’s a perfect outlet for me, to provide kindness and happiness.”

His paintings, posters, and cards, most of which feature a moose wearing “cosmic glasses,” have caught on with visitors to the area as well as local businesses. He has framed pieces on display at Katie’s Kitchen in Wolfeboro as well as several other locations near his home base in the Newfound Area — a total of 30 locations in New Hampshire. He designed a new logo for the Newfound Country Store in Bridgewater, a place that features many of his works, including a painted 1967 Volkswagen bus.

Charlie and Alison go on the road with items ranging from wooden cutouts to beach towels, displaying at such events as the annual Hebron Fair, the NH Made Expo in Manchester, and an art show at Keene State College.

He also promotes community events such as the annual Run Your Buns Off race, which this year will be a virtual event.

“I created a giant, four-foot sticky bun for the race,” he said.

Charlie does a number of commissioned pieces, but said he tries to find time to do one more painting for the Cosmic Moose Art line each year. He and Alison, who handles the merchandising aspect of the business, also try to come up with new items all the time — most recently beach towels and stickers.

Charlie said he has been drawing and doodling most of his life, and eventually his creatures started evolving.

“The moose may be my spirit animal,” he said. “I put him in fun situations.”

Those may include fishing, barbecues, and time at the beach, with other animals playing parts in the scene. A barbecuing bear, swimming loon, or mischievous raccoon are likely to join in the outdoor fun.

“I love New England,” Charlie said, adding that, although he was born in Spencer, Massachusetts, and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he now considers New Hampshire his home.

“I missed New England — the topography, the hills, the beaches — so I bought a one-way ticket back 20 years ago,” he said.

‘Jam’ by Charlie Kuizinas

Finding an Audience

Charlie originally created large prints, but said that, after meeting Alison eight years ago, “she was able to take the paintings and turn them into something we could make a business of.”

Alison has a marketing background and recognized that they needed to offer items at different prices, beginning by offering greeting cards with his images.

Once they started offering greeting cards, as well as matted and signed prints, they began building an audience that now includes residents as far away as Michigan, Colorado, and California. Cosmic Moose Art has found a place in campgrounds and motor homes, with the smaller items making great impulse buys, Charlie said.

Whether on greeting cards or on wooden cutouts, Cosmic Moose Art invites viewers to look closely at hidden things.

“When I was small, I’d get close to paintings, intrigued by how artists were able to get their effects,” Charlie recalls. “I love things to do with the universe and vibes, and want people to see invisible things.”

He said, “Cosmic Moose Art just came to me. It needs a raccoon with mischief, bears with a hungry stomach, and a moose with cosmic glasses to see the vibrations around you. It’s a land without time.”

‘Pontoon’ by Charlie Kuizinas

Charlie said he hides a lot of things in his paintings which people can see if they look closely enough. While he signs the works KUZ — an abbreviation of his Lithuanian surname — he hides another KUZ somewhere within the image. He also will hide hearts, representing his brother, who died in 2010. “I feel him right here near me,” he said.

“My whole heart and soul go into these paintings,” he added. “There’s a lot to find if you look closely enough.”

Charlie said that, while he may have something in mind when painting a scene, everyone sees something different in his work. “It feels good to get someone to crack a smile — it’s a powerful tool.”

While he may not make a fortune selling his artwork, Charlie said, “I’m rich because I’m happy. It’s simply a magical thing. People are very responsive. Our first beach towels sold out in a single day.”

He also created an 18- by 24-in. acrylic map of the Newfound Area to feature area businesses. The project took more than six months, and, as Charlie explains on his website, “I wanted it to feel Magical. I wanted it to feel like you want to go and explore this area. It needed creatures. Lots of cool magical creatures like Gnomes and Bigfoot and Moose and Bears.”

Alison Joyce and Charlie Kuizinas show some of their new products, a beach towel and a wall plaque. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Happiness Through Adversity

Charlie says he grew up facing adversity, but he emerged happy.

“This is him,” said Alison. “If he’s a character, he’s a moose — a happy-go-lucky, whimsical creature.”

“It’s magical that we’re here in this moment in this universe,” Charlie said. “We’re surrounded by talented people — artists with good vibes. I have a million ideas, a product of 47 years of life, and I try to pick them strategically. It’s happening the way it’s supposed to be happening.”

To see the entire catalogue, visit cosmicmooseart.com or search for Cosmic Moose Art at etsy.com.

A six-month project, a map of businesses in the Newfound Area features some of the creatures from enchanted New Hampshire. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Barefooting with the Lake Guys

Loon Update: How the Majestic Aquatic Birds Are Faring This Year

By Mark Okrant

Many U.S. states are home to special species of wildlife. The Dakotas have bison herds and Florida offers aggregations of manatees. Here in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, the Common Loon is what residents and visitors want to see and hear. Much like their human counterparts, 2020 has been a challenging year for the loon population.

Display of a loon

Common loons are one of five loon species; others are the red-throated, Pacific, Arctic, and yellow-billed types. A common loon has a rounded black head, black bill, thick black neck with white-striped collar, long and flat body, and black-and-white plumage in a checkerboard pattern. Male loons are 25 percent larger than females, although their coloring is identical.

Central New Hampshire is situated at the southern end of the common loon’s geographic range. For this reason, climate change has a very real impact on their well-being. Loons are migratory. They winter on the ocean, then arrive at the area’s inland lakes during the spring when ice-out has occurred, in time for breeding season to begin. Once here, they dive in search of an abundance of fish. Depending upon a season’s weather, loons will remain until late fall or early winter before returning to the ocean. Loon pairs have exhibited a tendency to return to the same breeding lake each year. They will mate with the same partner unless one of them dies or is otherwise displaced.  

In 1975, the Moultonborough-based Loon Preservation Committee (LPC) was created to address a growing concern about a declining loon population and the impact of human activities upon them. It became the central mission of the LPC to preserve loons and their habitat by monitoring, conducting field research, designing and implementing a management protocol, and educating the public. 

During a typical season, the LPC uses an extensive network of dedicated members and volunteers to monitor 330-350 lakes; however, this season, they monitored an amazing 375 lakes. Why go through all this effort? Loons serve much the same purpose as a canary in a coal mine—if their population is suffering, it is an early indication that the welfare of the environment is under threat.

Each year, the LPC team undertakes a census of the loon population. While a count of all adult loons is attempted, the best indicators are numbers of loon pairs and chicks. Overseeing this ambitious initiative is Harry Vogel, senior biologist and director of the LPC. For the past 22 years, Vogel, his staff, and volunteers have spent many waking hours attempting to ensure the health and productivity of the adult and chick loon population is restored and maintained.

Asked to appraise the present season, Vogel described it as a “mixed year” and one of the most challenging ones in recent memory. This season, people in the field counted 320 loon pairs (and perhaps a few more). If this number holds after the census is finalized, it will represent a two percent increase in the number of pairs compared to 2019. Vogel indicated it is easiest to count loon pairs as they are territorial, as opposed to single loons that are scattered throughout the waterways within the region.  

Vogel cited one of the key parameters of reproductive success: “We need 0.48 chicks per adult pair per year to maintain the loon population.” That is a figure the LPC has achieved during six of the last 10 years. This year’s figure—0.47 chicks—fell just short of the LPC’s goal. While Vogel did not mask his disappointment, he remains proud of the fact that their 10-year average remains over 0.48. 

So, what were some of the causes and effects of this “mixed year”? There certainly have been many positives. Approximately 33 percent of chicks hatched in the region this year came from the multitude of loon hatching nests, or floating platforms, built and distributed by the LPC. Nesting loons face a number of challenges during their 28-day incubation period. Among these, the most serious is human-induced water level changes. Fluctuations in the lakes can cause eggs to be washed away or become unreachable by parent loons. On the other hand, the nests built by the LPC continue to float regardless of changes in water conditions. Therefore, the loon hatching nests are an excellent alternative to traditional nesting sites that are under continuous threat from recreational water use, shoreline development, or scavenging wildlife. 

Another success story was protection provided in the form of ropes and signage. It is estimated that more than 100 nesting loon pairs were protected from approaching humans, thereby remaining with their eggs, and later, with their hatchlings. 

Other achievements include informing dam owners and operators about the loon nesting season. In each case, those people complied with the LPC’s request to maintain water level stability. Additionally, the LPC had a successful season of banding loons, and took blood samples in an effort to identify genetics and disease. Finally, hidden cameras were placed in strategic locations where potential threats exist.

Among challenges faced by the LPC, several were a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been a very difficult year to find enough private boaters to transport field biologists to sites. Paradoxically, another factor has been the presence of a surprising number of recreation boaters on the lakes. With other forms of recreation temporarily absent, boating activity appears to be at an all-time high this summer. As a consequence, uninformed boaters present a constant threat to nesting and swimming loons. Vogel discussed a phenomenon called wakeboard boating. Wakeboard boats are designed to create a large, specially shaped wake that cause water skis or tubes to jump from side to side so aerial tricks can be performed. Unfortunately, when the wake hits the shoreline, it can cause erosion and wash away natural loon nests.  

The LPC is fighting an ongoing battle against lead sinkers and lead-headed jigs. These antiquated forms of fishing tackle have a deadly effect upon loons and other forms of wildlife. Already this year, the state has lost three loons to this toxin. Owing to the LPC and other environmental organizations, lead sinkers and lead-headed jigs have been banned for sale and use within the state. Moreover, its lead tackle buy-back program in cooperation with fishing tackle retailers is being effective. Fishermen who are interested in exchanging their lead equipment should go to www.loonsafe.org; a $10.00 voucher will be provided to participants.

If you’re fortunate enough to hear the haunting wail of a loon, the memory of that sound will never leave you. Owing to enormous effort by the Loon Preservation Committee, the struggle to maintain and expand common loon populations continues. To meet its future challenges, the LPC is raising funds to build a new conference, library and office space, to expand lab space, to create a collaborative living/work area, and to provide more room for storage. A capital drive entitled the Campaign for the Future has raised $1.75 million toward its target of $2 million.

For more information or to contribute to the Campaign for the Future, contact Harry Vogel at hvogel@loon.org, or call 603-476-5666.

Barefooting with the Lake Guys

Barefooting with the Lake Guys

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

They’re just two “lake guys” as they call themselves. They like being out on the water and find it best out there in the early morning. Very early as a matter of fact. 

When Jeff Luby and his friend Charlie grab their gear and head out in a boat, it is still dark. By the time the sun is rising over the mountains, you will find them skimming the surface of the glass-like, calm water, pursuing a sport both enjoy. It isn’t boating or tubing or jet skiing or even water skiing. Instead, it is barefoot skiing that Jeff and Charlie are passionate about; it is an amazing sight to see the skilled bare footers skimming over the surface of the water using their bare feet versus water skis.

While many people have heard of barefoot skiing and a few people have actually seen others do it, not many have tried it. It is a skill learned over time, and safety is a must. But for those who do it, the emotional and physical rewards are many.

Jeff, who resides with his family on a Lake Winnipesaukee island each summer, and Charlie, who summers in the Lakes Region, had both barefoot skied in the past. However, they now pursue the sport with a dedication and passion that sets them apart from novice barefooters.

Both got started in the sport in their younger years - Jeff at around age 13 and Charlie in his 30s when he was part of a water ski club in Massachusetts (the Long Pond Water Ski Club). “I was self-taught,” Jeff recalls. “I did it from a knee board, with no boom. These days, people use a boom for all types of water sports. I had done water skiing and grew up on Lake Winnipesaukee. My parents weren’t really into wake sports, but I had a neighbor who took me out on the lake.

“I had seen others barefoot skiing and I decided I wanted to try it. I was knee boarding and I managed to flip around and sit, and then I just stood up and went about 100 yards by barefooting. I didn’t really have access to a boat then, but I was just happy to try it.”

Jeff says that while he water skied as a kid, he just wasn’t as interested in it, but he loved the lake and boating. Fishing was a big pastime when he was a teenager. Although he was avidly into fishing, he did water skiing at times and he explains, “My brother and I were active members of the Abenaki Water Ski Club (in Wolfeboro) for years. We did shows in Wolfeboro Bay and Alton Bay back when I was a kid. I didn't do any barefooting in the shows but often I was used for pyramids. Charlie was asked to barefoot for the Abenaki Water Ski Club shows occasionally when the club didn't have a barefooter who felt skilled enough to handle the always-rough water on show days. It was always rough (water) on show days from all the boats that used to gather and boats running around in preparation for the show. Charlie would gladly do it and always managed to put on a show, even in the most extreme conditions. He and I never met during those times but we know all the same people and skied with them as well, but never at the same time apparently.”

After living elsewhere, Jeff moved back to the Lakes Region and it was an important turning point in his life. “I was a Dad by that time, somewhat overweight and not feeling as great physically. My doctor suggested I lose some weight, so I started going to a gym in Wolfeboro. I made some gym friends, and that is where I met Charlie.”

Joining the gym was serendipitous and the start of a great friendship. “We both love the lake, and we got talking about barefoot water skiing,” says Jeff. Both men knew it was a sport they wanted to try again, but it would require someone to drive the boat and to take turns while each barefooted. And also important, both would need to be willing to get up very early in the morning to get out on the lake before a lot of boats were out there making waves. (Barefooting is best done on calm waters with few or no other boats on the lake.)

“We go out early for a few hours every day in the summer. It is our time to do something we both love. We take turns driving the boat and barefooting. Charlie is an accomplished barefooter,” Jeff says with admiration.

He mentions the many moves Charlie can do while barefooting, and the practice and skill it takes. He also laughs as he says Charlie is so into the sport that he would barefoot when the ice went out and keep going till the lake ices over the in late fall/winter. (Indeed, Charlie says he once went barefooting on Christmas day!)

The two men barefoot ski all over the lake, such as in the Broads, and sometimes they go all the way to Alton. “You start to become an expert at knowing where you are out on the lake by watching the trees and the shoreline, and the water and wind. As far as weather conditions, barefooting can be done on rough water, but it is a lot less enjoyable because it is too bouncy. But Charlie can barefoot in water that most people can’t even waterski in.”

It should be said that Charlie is in his 60s and Jeff also not in his first youth. At a time when many people would think a sedate walk around the neighborhood was a good workout, these “lake guys” are staying fit and having a great time doing so while barefooting.

Jeff adds that barefooting is a great “old man’s sport” but that is probably downplaying the skill they each have for the sport. (Although it is a low impact sport, if not properly trained, one can get injured.)

And what about the feet of a barefoot skier? One would assume that bare feet versus water skis, would get beat up on any given run. “The feet take time to toughen up,” explains Jeff. “As I got stronger, I felt it less. It is a process. When I barefoot ski, I don’t notice any foot pain until the next day. But soon it doesn’t bother me at all.” (Charlie says, with a shrug, that he rarely notices any foot pain from barefooting.)

The equipment needed to barefoot is important. Jeff says he and Charlie both have Malibu Flight Craft boats that create a small wake. The powerful boats go over 60 mph but are good for barefooting. A tower on the boat is needed as well, with an upward angle to help pull the skier out of the water. The handle for the barefooter to hold should be wider for grabbing. A barefoot line is another piece of equipment that is important, and Jeff says the line is typically longer than a water ski line. 

Boat safety is vital, as both men stress. Anyone wanting to barefoot should understand what happens with a barefoot boom. You should be aware that you do not need to go really fast when driving the boat. Barefooting depends on your shoe size and weight. You should also be patient and willing to learn in a series of steps. It is a progression and it is best to learn with the help of an experienced instructor. “And you should relax and have fun!” Jeff adds.

Charlie, with the greater barefooting experience, instructed Jeff how to drive the boat. The boom makes it fairly easy to start barefooting. The steps are learning how to sit and stand up and eventually being ready for deep-ups. Learning to tumble by spinning and maneuvering is a process as well. 

“Some summers are better than others,” Jeff says. “This summer has been really great and we have been out barefooting a lot. We are out there about two hours, from around 5:30 to 7:30 am. We fall into a routine of warm ups and then we take turns each barefooting about three to four mile runs.”

Jeff loves the sport and isn’t shy in saying that while his mind says he can do more involved tricks, he knows he must be sensible. “I can safely barefoot at around 37 mph. I enjoy lower speed tricks. Charlie can do more than I can, such as barefooting backwards.”

Indeed, Charlie has experience as a barefoot skier, and he loves to be out on the lake. There is admittedly a bit of the daredevil in him, and his wife says with a laugh when asked if his water pastimes worry her, “I gave up on him a long time ago!”

Charlie has been boating since he was 14 years old. In his 30s, he was a member of the Long Pond Water Ski Club, and got interested in barefooting when it was in its infancy. Others in the club were interested as well, and they got together and hired a professional water skier – Mike Seipel – to teach them to barefoot. Mike was “the man” when it came to the sport back then, according to Charlie. “He now runs Barefoot International, a provider of barefoot skiing equipment. And Mike also was World Champion in the 1980s.”

Charlie kept up with barefooting and tried to find someone else who might be as interested in it. “No one was doing it,” he recalls. “It is more fun when you barefoot with someone else who likes it too.”

Thus, meeting Jeff was advantageous, and allowed both men to pursue the sport with someone else who understood and enjoyed it. And someone who was willing to get up as the sun was rising to barefoot!
“We go wherever the water is calm, such as the Alton Bay area and Winter Harbor. Barefooting for six miles is the longest I have gone,” Charlie says. While six miles may not seem like much when driving it in a car, it is an amazingly long way to ski on your bare feet.

What does the future hold for the “lake guys”? Both are interested in helping with adaptive barefooting. Charlie has a friend who is involved in UNH’s Northeast Passage program. According to www.nepassage.org, “The mission of Northeast Passage is to empower people living with disabling conditions, both visible and invisible, to define, pursue and achieve whole life health, community engagement and fulfillment through the purposeful use of sports and recreation; to develop and promote best practices in the fields of Therapeutic Recreation and Adaptive Sports.” 

Imagine barefooting as an adaptive sport for the handicapped or a Wounded Warrior. If taught correctly by experts like Charlie and Jeff, barefooting could be a viable option and a confidence builder for anyone.

Jeff and Charlie would also love to share their knowledge and skill at barefooting with others. They feel it is important that anyone wishing to learn the sport do so safely. Says Charlie, “Just trying to step out of your water skis and barefoot is the old way of doing it and it is difficult.” There are indeed better, safer ways to learn, and Jeff and Charlie are willing to share their skill with others. If interested, you can contact Jeff for more information.

Because Charlie is a die-hard barefoot skier, you just might see him celebrating Christmas day with a run across the lake should the conditions be right. Jeff admits he is not as dedicated as to barefoot on a cold early spring or winter’s day before the ice is in or out, but he applauds Charlie’s passion for barefooting. (Jeff pursues other sports in the winter, and is an avid Alpine skier and an Alpine Patroller with the National Ski Patrol. He also works as an Outdoor Emergency Care instructor and enjoys ice hockey as well.)

Charlie, who would rather be barefooting than doing just about anything, sums it up when asked what his future might hold, “I just plan to keep doing this till I die!”

For information on barefoot skiing, contact Jeff Luby at 603-515-6178 or visit Jeff’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/lubycrewmx. (There are some amazing photos of Charlie and Jeff barefooting on the page and it is worth checking out.)

Modified Schedule for Motorcycle Week at NHMS

Modified Schedule for Motorcycle Week at NHMS

New Hampshire Motor Speedway will host plenty of on-track action during the 97th annual Laconia Motorcycle Week Rally, taking place from August 22-30, with a modified schedule of activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Charity rides, select competition events and limited camping will take place at the speedway, but vendor displays, concessions and demo rides are canceled for 2020 in order to support proper social distancing.

Racing action kicks off August 22-23 with the United States Classic Racing Association’s FIM North American Vintage Championships on the 1.6-mile road course at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Riders take to the 1.6-mile road course at New Hampshire Motor Speedway during the Mae West Memorial "For the Love of Pets" Ride.

The Loudon Road Race Series will host the 97th Annual Loudon Classic – America’s longest running motorcycle race – as an expert Middleweight Grand Prix on August 29 as part of the three-day third round of competition for LRRS, August 28-30.

The Granite State Legends Cars, which are powered by motorcycle engines, will get the on-track action started August 29-30 when the Road Course Series hits the track.

Riders on the 14th Annual Peter Makris Memorial Ride (on August 22), AMA Gypsy Tour Ride (August 23) and the Mae West Memorial “For the Love of Pets” Ride for the Humane Society (August 24) will enjoy a couple of laps on the 1.6-mile road course as part of the rides, and Penguin Roadracing School will host instructional sessions (August 27) for riders looking to improve their skills.

“This year looks and feels a bit different all around, but we’re looking forward to welcoming riders to the Speedway to enjoy on-track action during Motorcycle Week,” said David McGrath, executive vice president and general manager of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “The health and safety of every rider and attendee is our top priority. Based on the unique layout of activities for this event off-track, we, along with Katancha Event Management, felt removing display and concession areas was the best decision for 2020. We’ll come back bigger and better in 2021.”

Modified Event Schedule for Motorcycle Week at NHMS:

• 14th Annual Peter Makris Memorial Ride (Aug. 22)

• United States Classic Racing Association’s FIM North American Vintage Championships (Aug. 22-23)

• AMA Gypsy Tour Ride (Aug. 23)

• Mae West Memorial “For the Love of Pets” Ride for the Humane Society (Aug. 24)

• Penguin Roadracing School (Aug. 27)

• Loudon Road Race Series (Aug. 28-30)

• 97th Annual Loudon Classic (Aug. 29)

• Road Course Series (Aug. 29-30)

• Limited Camping (Available Aug. 21-29)

Canceled Motorcycle Week at NHMS Events:

• Vendors

• Demo Rides

• American Flat Track’s Laconia Short Track

For information, www.nhms.com.

Where Boating Began

Day Tripping

Where Boating Began

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

I have a great fondness for the NH Boat Museum. I have been writing for The Laker long enough to recall an early interview/tour of the museum in its first location at Weirs Beach. That was some time ago and these days the museum and its programs have grown by leaps and bounds, located on Center Street/Route 28 in Wolfeboro. 

Poster from water ski display

Admittedly I am not a boater, so why my fondness for a museum that focuses on this lake pastime? It is easy really: I love local history and old items, wooden boats and waterskiing years ago and the boat builders who grew the age of boating in the Lakes Region. 

It seems others love the history of boating as well, and this led to the formation of the museum in 1992. According to information at www.nhbm.org, “Originally the museum was called the ‘New Hampshire Antique and Classic Boat Museum’ and then modified in order to better reflect the museum’s mission.  After moving around Lake Winnipesaukee for a few years, in 2000 NHBM found a permanent home in Wolfeboro in the former Allen ‘A’ Resort theater and dance hall.  The Allen ‘A’ hall, a large, barrel-round, Quonset hut style building built in 1954, cannot be missed on Route 28 north on the edge of town. Visitors can also experience the thrill of riding in a replica vintage boat in NHBM’s very own 1928-style Hacker Craft mahogany triple cockpit, the Millie B.”

You do not need a boat or to even know a lot about boating to appreciate the NH Boat Museum and I visit at least once a season. (The museum is open from spring through around Columbus Day, although due to the pandemic, the museum opened a bit later this year). 

This season, the exhibit at the museum is called “Locally Produced” and it is just as the name implies. Viewers are treated to the origins of boating and how it grew in the Lakes Region.

I visited on an August afternoon, and an employee at the front desk greeted me and led the way into the large and airy museum with its high ceilings and at the far end, a stage area where bands once played for the Allen A guests.

The first display focuses on the early days of waterskiing in the area. As a lover of all things old and also old signs and photos, I just adored this portion of the overall museum. Information told that the increasing power and speed of boats on the lakes in the 1920s led to the idea of skiing behind a boat. It seemed like a rather logical – if perhaps at first not too safe – idea. The daring new sport caught on; by the 1950s, water skiing was one of the fastest growing recreational sports in the country. It also seems logical that New Hampshire and specifically the Lakes Region was in the thick of things when it came to water skiing. Two national brands of skis were manufactured in Laconia and they were AquaSport and Northland. 

One of my favorite posters in the exhibit was a large advertisement that told of the National Water Ski Championships which were held from August 21-23 in 1959. Sponsored by the Boston Herald-Traveler the competition took place in Laconia in cooperation with the Weirs Ski Club. 

An AquaSport Water Ski Rope Tow in its original box was a great part of the exhibit, along with old photos of local water skiers and water skis. Not to be missed in the waterski exhibit area was a large original watercolor by famed local artist Peter Ferber.

As I began my tour of the main display area, I was amazed at the beauty of one particular huge old wooden boat. It was a shining thing of beauty and it did not take much imagination to dream about the days when this boat plied the waters of Winnipesaukee with a young man at the wheel and a party of genteel folks with picnic basket and lounge chairs aboard.

At this point I was joined by Boat Museum executive director Martha Cummings, who smiled as she gazed at the boat. “Isn’t it gorgeous?” she asked. I was curious about the boat and Martha told me its name was Regina. It was constructed by Goodhue & Hawkins in 1913 and is only one of six of this type: long-necked launches commonly known as Lakers. Five of the ultra-elegant boats still reside on Lake Winnipesaukee; the location of the sixth of unknown.

“If you stand here,” Martha requested, indicating that I stand facing the very front of the boat, looking down the length of the Regina, “you will see my favorite view.” Indeed, when one stands with feet firmly placed on the floor and gazes down the length of the boat, you are treated to the sleek lines and artistry of the Laker’s construction.

Boats at the museum_ the Laker_Regina is on the left

The Regina was a donation to the NH Boat Museum from Howard Newton and the gift was an incredibly generous one. This is especially true when one considers, according to Boat Museum volunteer and ____, that Howard was on a 40-year quest to obtain the boat. The boat will be kept in perpetuity so those in the future can have a chance to view this important part of the area’s past. (Fun fact: it is believed the boat was originally built for the estate of Lydia Pinkham, known as “the Queen of Patent Medicine.” The boat was built after Lydia had passed away, and was kept in her Alton Bay property until obtained by a boat enthusiast.)

Certainly, part of the story of boating in the Lakes Region cannot be told without focusing greatly on Goodhue & Hawkins, whose business in Wolfeboro in the early 1900s led to the popularity of boating. 

A time line display of the business tells us that Goodhue & Hawkins opened in 1903 when Nathaniel H. Goodhue and Chester E. Hawkins began operations on Sewall Road in Wolfeboro. They offered a wide range of services, including boat repair of steam and gasoline yachts and launches. It was not long before the business was building custom wooden speed launches to carry passengers, as well as renting boats. Between 1903 and 1933, they were building Goodhue Lakers, the long deck launches. The hulls were framed and planked at a boat yard on Clark Point and floated to Sewall Road, where their engines were installed and the craftsman-style finishing woodwork was completed.

The history of the company and also boating in the Lakes Region takes the visitor through the years and all the types of boats to the present-day Goodhue Boat Company.

A second slightly smaller boat is also part of the exhibit. The Goodhue & Hawkins Good-U-Tility was a custom utility runabout. At 24 ft., 6 in. in length and sporting a beam of 7 ft., 4 in., the boat was a bit longer than the standard 21 in. length. Modeled on off-shore lobster boats, the design was a bit unusual for Lake Winnipesaukee boating. 

Before I was done viewing the Goodhue & Hawkins timeline area, John van Lonkhuyzen, NH Boat Museum trustee and volunteer curator pointed out the unique, original blueprints that are on display. They are the original drawings for the Laker boat; the original contracts are on display as well.

The exhibit also offers a look at boats built at the Laconia Car Company. Originally, the company built passenger and freight railcars and trolleys. Later, they decided to build boats. The original production debuted at the 1928 New York Boat Show. Information in the exhibit tells us two boats were offered by the company: a 12 ft. Speedster and a 16 ft. Sportser.

I also enjoyed a display of flotation devices, ranging from a Cork Life Jacket that reminded me of the ones worn in the movie Titanic. The jackets were made until 1913, followed by the Kapok Vest until the 1940s. Also on view is a 1943 Kapok “Horse Collar” life vest in the orange color most of us are familiar with; other vests are on display, through the 1970s Stearns Type III Polyfoam Vest.

A sailboat from Piper Boatworks is also on display, giving a nod to this type of boat building and boating, which is as important as the faster power boats.

On the stage area, I was treated to an outboard motor display. Admittedly, this might seem a bit out of my range of interest, since I am not a boater. But like everything the NH Boat Museum does, the outboard information and display was fascinating. Those who put the exhibits together seem to have a real talent for making everything about boating – even the motors – of interest. 

Information told of Evinrude, Mercury and Johnson outboards, among other interesting motors. Standing on the stage is also helpful to get a different view of the boats on the main floor, reinforcing how graceful and gorgeous the boats were in their heyday.

Back on the main floor, there is also an extensive exhibit about the M/S Mount Washington (after all, no exhibit on Lakes Region boating would be complete without a history of this major player of boating on the lake).

Martha also pointed out an exhibit of photographs by Wolfeboro artist Amy Piper. I was familiar with Amy’s amazing photographs and I strongly suggest visitors spend time checking out this wonderful exhibit which will be on view until August 26. From that point until the closing of the museum for the season on Columbus Day weekend, an exhibit of Peter Ferber’s new artwork will be featured.

There also is a children’s area with activities, which show that no one in the family has been overlooked when it comes to getting everyone interested in boating.

Martha says the pandemic has created some challenges and plans for the summer have been altered somewhat. A one-way traffic pattern through the exhibit has been created and hand sanitizer stations are offered and visitors must wear masks. “We are open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday we are open from noon to 4 pm. We are closed on Mondays for deep sanitizing,” she explains.

Martha also told me about a canoe raffle that is ongoing with a drawing to be held in December. What a great holiday gift this canoe would make and well worth purchasing tickets for a chance to win. Sign up to become a NH Boat Museum member now through November 30, 2020 and be entered into the raffle. 

As my tour ended, I got thinking about how far the NH Boat Museum has come since its origins back in 1992 by a group of antique and classic boating enthusiasts. It has grown extensively and if plans are realized, an even bigger and permanent home for the museum and its programs will happen in the near future. (Fundraising is underway and ongoing.)

Perhaps it is because I saw the original museum so many years ago, or maybe it is my admiration for a group with a big mission and a love of old boats. Whatever the reason, I just adore the NH Boat Museum. Stop by to view and learn about the history of boating and to see the old boats, lovingly cared for and shared with all.

For information on the programs and membership and riding on the Millie B, call 603-569-4554 or visit www.nhbm.org.

Trails Blend Health and History

Trails Blend Health and History

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Outdoor recreation remains among the healthiest activities to pursue, and one of the best offerings in the Lakes Region is the series of walking, hiking, and biking trails that are being developed alongside the lakes and rivers, many of them utilizing old railroad beds.

Landscaping for Bristol Falls Park, built on the site of a former railroad station, was completed on July 23, the first part of a trails project slated to create a multi-use path along the Pemigewasset River extending to Profile Falls. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

The latest development is Bristol Falls Park, located at a former railroad branch station at the confluence of the Newfound and Pemigewasset rivers. The park, completed on July 23, will serve as the stepping-off point of the Pemi Trail, proposed to connect downtown Bristol with Profile Falls in the Franklin Flood Control Area.

Today, that trail consists of a path that largely follows the old railroad bed that served the Bristol Branch, coming out of Franklin. Plans call for a phased approach involving the construction of a bridge over a washed-out area and widening the overgrown path with a hard-packed surface suitable for bicycles as well as pedestrians.

The town has discussed such a trail with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the last three decades, but the effort picked up support in 2018, when Bristol entered into a partnership with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension as part of the Community & Economic Development team’s new Downtown & Trails Pilot Program. The UNH Extension has been providing assistance in the exploration of action that could leverage the area’s natural assets for economic vibrancy, according to Bristol Town Administrator Nik Coates.

“The project had been envisioned many years, including being brought to the fore when the design charrette was done which was also the spark for the redevelopment of [Central] Square,” Nik said.

Multi-use trails have proven to be economic drivers, bringing walkers and bicyclists — and snowmobilers in the winter months — to the stores and restaurants lying near the paths. The Northern Rail Trail, for instance, which runs from Boscawen to Lebanon, spurred a revitalization that included businesses in downtown Danbury, situated at the halfway mark.

An old photograph shows the former Bristol Railroad station at the confluence of the Newfound and Pemigewasset rivers in Bristol where a new town park now exists. (Courtesy Bristol Historical Society)

The Winnipesaukee River Trail, built along another railroad bed, extends from Prospect Street in Franklin to Park Street in Northfield, with another section running from the Tilton Police Station to Route 140, for a total distance of 4.2 miles. The first section of the trail, from downtown Franklin to the “upside-down” sulphite railroad bridge, is paved, after which it has a packed dirt surface. The section from Franklin to Cross Mill Road in Northfield largely follows the Winnipesaukee River, known for its Class IV rapids popular with kayakers. From Cross Mill to Park Street, the trail veers away from the river but passes two ponds that boast abundant wildlife. The trail ends at the Northfield Freight Depot. From there, users need to travel along sidewalks on Elm Street in Northfield and cross into Tilton on Cannon Bridge, then use the sidewalks from downtown Tilton to the Tilton Police Station parking area, where the trail resumes.

The Winni Trail passes mill ruins that are highlighted on informational signs placed along the path to highlight the history of the area. That is something Bristol plans to do with its new park and trail system.

Bristol already has a multi-use trail on its north end, extending from Mill Stream Park to Newfound Lake. Part of the trail lies across the Newfound River, but most of it runs alongside Lake Street and, at one point, requires crossing the road.

The new park, Nik says, is a beautiful spot that showcases nature while being just a short distance from downtown Bristol.

Building a Park

All that remained of Bristol’s former train depot were the ruins, with stone foundations and remains of a bridge. In order to create Bristol Falls Park, the town had to bring in tons of dirt and rock to even out the terrain, and build a new bridge over the Newfound River. Except for the bridge, which required hiring an outside firm, the majority of the work was done by town staff.

A grant from the New Hampshire Water Conservation Fund covered part of the cost of the project, Nik said, adding that the town hopes to obtain a similar grant to extend the trail 2.5 miles to Profile Falls. In order to formally apply for the grant, however, the town needs a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the Franklin Flood Control Area.

Nik credits Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s office for helping to get the ball rolling. The town had been having conversations with the Corps of Engineers since 1987, but after Shaheen got involved in March or April and agreed that the trail would create “the economic resilience we need,” Army officials expressed support for a memorandum of understanding that would allow the project to move forward.

“Once we have an MOU in hand, we can apply for grants,” Nik said, noting that the major expense in completing the trail is building a bridge over the eroded “canyon” that lies along the first portion of the trail. That bridge, he estimated, will cost $360,000, and the total cost for the trail is estimated to be about $1 million.

Once the trail reaches the area of Profile Falls, users will be able to continue through Old Hill Village to Franklin. Formerly the main route between Bristol and Franklin, that section of road was abandoned when the building of the flood control dam forced the town of Hill to relocate on higher ground — the state’s first project overseen by what would become the Office of State Planning. Today, the old road to Hill and Franklin is used by bicyclists, walkers, and pet owners who can explore the many side trails, fields, and wooded areas, as well as enjoying the Pemigewasset River as it flows toward Franklin and joins the Winnipesaukee River to form the Merrimack.

On the other side of the Pemi, off Route 127, the Franklin Flood Control Area boasts 10 miles of multi-use trails. Local Boy Scouts also cleared an area that was to become part of the Heritage Trail between New Hampton and Franklin.

The Winnisquam-Opechee-Winnipesaukee Trail cuts through downtown Laconia and extends to Lakeport, with plans to expand to The Weirs. (Tom Caldwell Photo)

Also in New Hampton, the town created an .89-mile nature-fitness loop behind the police and fire department building with river overlooks and exercise stations. When dedicating the trail, then-Selectman (now Town Administrator) Neil Irvine said it resulted from “a collective awareness of how important it is to have recreation in our lives.”

Other Trail Systems

Beyond Tilton’s terminus of the Winnipesaukee River Trail is another multi-use trail, the Winnipesaukee Scenic Trail in Belmont which skirts Lake Winnisquam. It begins by the Winnisquam Agway store and continues to the Laconia town line, offering occasional glimpses of deer, foxes, beavers, and birds, including bald eagles. There also is an osprey nest at Ephraim’s Cove.

At the Laconia town line, the trail becomes the Winnisquam-Opechee-Winnipesaukee (WOW) Trail, continuing through downtown Laconia to Lakeport.

The WOW Trail grew out of the desire of the late Fred Toll, a Laconia City Councilor known for his support of recreation, to make use of the little-used railroad corridor. Toll initiated the Laconia Rails with Trails Exploratory Committee which grew into the WOW Trail Committee which oversaw the first section of the trail system, covering 1.3 miles, from downtown Laconia to Lakeport Square. The second phase extended the trail westward to Belmont, and the committee is now looking to extend the trail in the other direction, to Weirs Beach. Eventually, the trail may extend to Meredith, for a total distance of nine miles.

Meredith has its own set of seven trails for walking, hiking, and pets. The 4.5-mile Hamlin Trail lies in the Hamlin Conservation Area; Waukewan Highlands is a 1.7-mile trail in Waukewan Highlands Community Park; Page Pond and Forest has 3.3 miles of trails; the Stonedam Island Long Loop Trail extends 1.8 miles; Ladd Mountain Trail is 1.5 miles long; Stonedam Island Main Loop Trail is 0.8 mile long; and there are several short trails in Swasey Park. 

These are but some of the hiking and biking trails one can find in the Lakes Region, an area that has always recognized the importance of outdoor activities. It is part of what makes the region such a popular place to live or visit.

Let the Music Play On

Let the Music Play On

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

If you ask Chuck Farrell the recipe for his success in the music business, he would likely laugh and say, “It’s five percent talent and 95 percent luck!”

While being in the right place at the right time probably helped, Chuck got to the “right place” by talent. As a musician for many years, he has played guitar with such notables as James Montgomery, Jon Butcher and others.

Chuck Farrell

After growing up in the seacoast area of New Hampshire, Chuck headed to the West Coast and specifically, San Francisco. “That was in 1990,” he recalls from his home in Center Tuftonboro. “I went there because it was the farthest I could get from New Hampshire!”

This is said jokingly, but what Chuck really means is he needed to get out on his own, try a different music scene and network with other musicians.

While living in California, Chuck worked with a variety of musicians, some he recalls, were bands he had admired since he was a kid. Later, back on the East Coast, Chuck worked with James Montgomery, Diane Blue, as well as former members of Boston, Joe Cocker and Tina Turner, to name a few.

After 9/11, when the world changed for most people, Chuck says it was a wake-up call for him as well. “I am not shy in saying I was living a decadent lifestyle,” he explains. No one can live that way forever without some amount of burn-out. “The eventual move back to New Hampshire was a good one,” he adds.

The many contacts and friendships made with musicians around the country have endured, and even after Chuck and his wife, Dina, moved to the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, he continued to tour seasonally with members of those bands.

Chuck sings the praises of his wife, who runs a wonderful farm property called The Olde Ways at Mustard Seed Farm. He says he helps her with some farm chores, but she is the driving force in the farm, which keeps her very busy while he continues in the music business.

How did the couple meet? Chuck laughs as he recalls that it was a long-distant relationship for quite some time. While he met plenty of women in California, there was a deeper, more satisfying connection with Dina and eventually she traveled to the West Coast for a visit. The couple clicked and were married in 2003, settling at their Center Tuftonboro property.

Never one content to rest on his former fame, Chuck decided, a few years ago, to bring some of his friends to the area for concerts. He saw a need in the area for the sort of concerts many found appealing: southern rock, blues and now and then, acoustic.

“We settled on dong shows in Wolfeboro, because the Inn on Main Street has a great barn venue that fit our needs perfectly. It has plenty of indoor seating and we could offer dinner to those attending the shows,” Chuck says.

Musicians who will perform for an acoustic concert on Aug. 21 & 23

Well received, the concerts brought such talented musicians as Jon Butcher and Diane Blue, among others, to the area. Chuck sometimes plays with the performers, but always he is there to coordinate the events and offer support to the artists. He puts it all together via his company, Can You Hear Me Now Productions.

This year, however, the pandemic has created a different environment with many events throughout the area being cancelled or postponed. Chuck has altered some of his plans as well, but found there are ways to keep the music going.

An upcoming August 21 and 23 concert to be held in Alton, coordinated by Can You Hear Me Now Productions, will be a unique and entertaining event featuring members of bands Chuck knows well and has played with in the past. Titled Once an Outlaw featuring Chris Anderson of The Outlaws and Chris Hicks of the Marshall Tucker Band with Jeff Howell of Foghat, the concert will be held at a beautiful country location, Cold Spring Farm Estate, in Alton, where there is plenty of room for social distancing. 

The concert, with a dinner and champagne reception, will be an acoustic show. The musicians have a loyal following in the area, and only 100 tickets will be sold for each of the two evenings of the event. A meet-and-greet will also be featured and will allow concertgoers a chance to chat with the musicians.

At a time when the pandemic has created little to celebrate, the concert is a way to bring a bright spot to the Lakes Region, all done within safety guidelines.

Chuck says the tickets are selling well, due to the loyal fan base and the uniqueness of the event.

“We also may be back in the area for an electric version of the concert on Columbus Day weekend. It would be an outdoor event as well,” says Chuck.

He adds that he thinks the audience will enjoy the acoustic show with a style that is a bit different than an electric concert, and there will be no end of songs from which to choose. You can expect to hear music from Marshall Tucker, Blackfoot, Foghat and of course, The Outlaws.

The mission for Chuck, who loves the Lakes Region where he now resides, is to bring big shows to intimate settings. He has certainly succeeded in doing so with shows in Wolfeboro; the Alton concert is one more opportunity to “keep the music coming” as Chuck would say.

The musicians who will be playing in the concert have been in the Lakes Region in the past, many performing at Meadowbrook in Gilford. All loved the Lakes Region and are excited to return for the August concert.

Marshall Tucker were scheduled for a 30 city farewell tour with the late Charlie Daniels in 2021. With the recent passing of Mr. Daniels, Chris Hicks’s schedule, as well as the schedules of other members of the band, allowed for a new project. Once an Outlaw decided to have the first round of rehearsals in the Lakes Region around the Alton shows and the second round in Nashville after the first of the year for spring/summer dates in 2021.  

The owners of the Alton venue have a desire to bring great music to the area and the location is stunning. With a delicious catered dinner before the show, the upcoming August 21 and 23 shows are decidedly upscale, but in a personal way that gives a nod to the great rock music of the bands Chuck has played with for decades. (Chuck will be playing at the concert as well.)

Chuck has settled into a life that offers him the best of all worlds (although the word “settled” might not appeal to a rock ’n roll musician who has toured with some admitted bad boys of rock over the years). He has a beloved wife and children, a family farm, a peaceful community and area in which to reside and a chance to continue to tour with the bands he has been part of for years. 

While the pandemic may have altered lives, the Once an Outlaw upcoming concert is happening because of Chuck’s hope to see the music, in times good and difficult, play on.

For tickets/information about the upcoming August 21 and 23 concerts, visit www.ticketleap.com, or call 603-387-0246. You can also purchase tickets at Black’s Paper Store in downtown Wolfeboro (603-569-4444).