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The Colebrook Chronicle
COVERING THE TOWNS OF THE UPPER CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014
603-246-8998
VOL. 15, NO. 13
In Columbia Nov. 3:
Special Town Vote Set For Meridan Hill Bridge Repair
By Donna Jordan
This week, the Columbia
selectmen hosted a meeting at
the old Columbia Town Hall to
inform residents about their
plans and costs associated with
rebuilding the Meridan Hill
bridge. That bridge had collapsed
spring during floods and heavy
rains. An emergency temporary
bridge has been in place ever
since at a rental cost of $3,000
per month to the town.
Following a rejection from
FEMA for any federal funds to
replace the bridge, the Columbia
selectmen are now turning to the
town’s taxpayers to foot the bill.
They are contracting with a local
business, VR Concrete, to complete the entire job. At the meeting this week, Selectman Don
(Continued on page 2)
Purchase/Sales Agreement In Place
For Howard’s Restaurant Property
By Donna Jordan
At a meeting on Monday,
Colebrook Town Manager Becky
Merrow announced to the selectmen that she had received a
letter from Attorneys Waystack
and Frizzell of Colebrook regarding the completed repair work on
the river wall at Howard’s Restaurant. She also announced that
in the letter, the attorneys
reported that the property is now
under a purchase and sales
agreement with an interested
party. In addition, the letter
informed the town that the prop-
erty was no longer being considered for demolition, something
the Estate of Crystal Ball had
suggested would happen if it
could not be repaired.
The text of the letter, written
by Scott Whitaker to Merrow,
(Continued on page 2)
Groveton students celebrated their homecoming on Oct. 3. Shown is
the Royal Court, from left, Princess Colleen Murray, Prince Joshua
Wheelock, King Daniel Mundell, Queen Renee Kelley. Samantha
McMann photo.
Historic Grange Curtain
Is Shown At Grange Talk
When the former Colebrook
Grange building was being considered for restoration as a new
arts and community center a few
years ago, not very much was
able to be saved. Today that site
is the home of the Tillotson Center, which has become a hub of
activity not only for the performing arts, but many civic and
school events. All that remains
(Continued on page 2)
Our neighbors to the south, the Town of Lancaster, celebrated its 250th birthday year with one of the
largest parades ever staged in Coos County last Sunday. The parade, which did one run through the
length of Main Street, lasted an hour and a half. For more, see pages 8-9. Charles Jordan photo.
Camerata New England Concert To
Showcase Piano At Tillotson Center
The Colebrook Area Historical Society hosted speaker Steve Taylor
at the Tillotson Center on Wednesday night. Taylor talked about the
history of the Granges in New Hampshire. From left, Historical
Society President Arnold Goodrum, guest speaker Steve Taylor,
Historical Society member David Collins. Donna Jordan photo.
A remarkable musical instrument has been reclaimed and is
finding a new home at the Tillotson Center for the Arts. The
beautifully restored 1928 Steinway grand piano will have its
debut performance when Camerata New England returns to
Colebrook at 7 p.m. on Saturday,
Oct. 18, for a concert of piano
quintets by Robert Schumann
and Antonín Dvorák.
“We’re so glad to welcome
Camerata New England back to
Colebrook,” said Charlie Jordan,
president of the Great North
Woods Committee for the Arts.
The restored piano is a fitting
complement to the Tillotson Center, which has also been under(Continued on page 3)
Evelyn Zuckerman of Camerata New England will be the first to
perform on the restored 1928 Steinway piano when it makes its debut
at the Tillotson Center on Saturday, Oct. 18. Courtesy photo.
Page 2
Meridan Hill
(Continued from page 1)
Campbell told the 15 residents
who attended that work is
already underway using town
funds set aside for bridge or road
repair work.
On display during the meeting were several photos of the old
bridge after it collapsed and photos showing the installation of
the temporary bridge. The town
has been renting the bridge from
Winterset for about $100 per
day—the company had made the
bridge available within two days
after the original bridge collapsed. Norm Cloutier, a selectman in Columbia, traveled to the
Winterset office in Vermont to
bring it back for the town’s use
and, with his own crew, immediately set the bridge in place.
During the public information
meeting this week, Cloutier told
residents that after being
rejected for assistance from
FEMA, the three selectmen
determined it was in the best
interests of the town to move
forward on its own. “We talked
to a couple contractors, including
VR Concrete, who came up with
a proposal on a bridge—Winterset worked on it also,” he said.
After a hydrology and engineering study, it was determined
that, while the former bridge was
16 feet wide by 35 and a half feet
long, the new bridge will be 24
feet wide by 53 and a half feet
long. It will also be raised a little
higher than the previous bridge.
A small amount of rebuild will
need to be done on Meridan Hill
in order to approach the higher
span from each direction. The
work that was started this week
included drilling seven well casings for each abutment. Concrete
and rebar will then be put in
around the pipes and then beams
will be set on the concrete block.
“Once beams are in, we will put
ledge in that whole corner to help
with the water flow,” said Cloutier, referring to the 90-degree
turn in the river that had caused
the bridge collapse this year.
It is because of the coming
winter season that work has
already begun using town trust
fund and road money, explained
Selectman Don Campbell. He
and Cloutier both explained that
they authorized VR Concrete to
go forward before gaining voter
approval because the winter season is coming soon. The best
construction time during warm
weather months was filled with
applying for FEMA funds–and
then appealing the FEMA denial—combined with the time
needed to petition the Superior
Court for a special town meeting
to vote on raising the funds for
the project. “We need a special
meeting to spend more than
what is in the road budget for
this,” said Cloutier. “We petitioned the Superior Court, and
after that we had to wait another
set of days, which brings us to
Nov. 1 or 2 (for the special town
meeting). Then it starts to get
cold. So we were looking at
money set aside for the past few
years for that bridge and for
roads. One had $22,000 in one
fund and the bridge fund had
$80,000. So we took that money
The Colebrook Chronicle
and started to go ahead with the
bridge so we wouldn’t have to
wait until freezing weather.”
With the $102,000 available
from those two funds, plus
approximately $20,000 left in
this year’s summer road funds,
the selectmen need to ask for
$187,709 from taxpayers at the
special town meeting next
month. “We will be going for a
loan for five years, which is a
$49,500 payment per year,” said
Cloutier. The funds are needed
to build the new bridge plus to
disassemble and transport the
rental bridge, plus turn the property owner’s land back. The
selectmen say they need
$290,000 for all the work, of
which $250,000 is for the new
bridge and about $40,000 for
removing the rental bridge and
returning the landowner’s property to its previous state.
Campbell explained that had
the town been approved for the
FEMA funds, the cost for the
bridge replacement would have
been $1.3 million, of which the
town was expected to raise
$260,000. Campbell said, “We
have been able to come in so far
underneath that $260,000. Right
now we are at $250,000 for a
75-year bridge. We will continue
to go forward with the state to
see if we can get any funding to
help us pay for this, but right
now we have to move. It was
going to cost us $16,000 a month
if we got into building it in
November, and if we go into
December, it’s an additional
$32,000 for the cold weather
concrete,” he said—adding that
those costs are another reason to
give the approval for the start of
construction before voters have
approved the additional funds.
He also said that the state’s
engineer told the selectmen that
of the $1.3 million FEMA funds,
the consulting fees alone were at
a cost of over one million dollars.
“This is why we have taken the
route we’ve taken. We knew we
could build it for the $260,000 or
less—and VR Concrete came in
under that,” he said. “Then we
decided, instead of a single lane
span, go to a double; it only made
common sense.”
For the next few months, the
selectmen were able to negotiate
the monthly rental of the temporary span from $3,000 down to
$1,500, with the understanding
the new bridge would get done
soon. “We don’t want to be putting good money down the river.
In a two-and-a-half to three week
time span, VR Concrete will have
that bridge completed, said
Campbell.
The special town meeting will
be held on Monday, Nov. 3, at 7
p.m. in the old town hall. Town
Clerk Marcia Parkhurst said
that, following a discussion, polls
will have to stay open for an
hour. The vote will be by paper
ballot, and no absentee voting
will be allowed. It will take a
two-thirds majority to approve
the raising of the funds for the
bridge replacement. Parkhurst
said that, based on a five-year
loan of $190,000, the cost to
taxpayers will be 48 cents per
thousand on the town portion of
their tax bills for the five year life
of the loan. “We want people to
know we are doing everything we
can to minimize the impact,” said
Campbell. Cloutier added that
residents of Meridan Hill have
Friday, October 10, 2014
On Wednesday Steve Taylor gave a talk about the history of the Grange movement in New Hampshire at
the Tillotson Center. The center is on the site of the former Colebrook Grange. Behind Taylor can be seen
the Grange’s old painted advertising curtain, which has been restored. Donna Jordan photo.
been “very patient” with the
town while it addresses the issue
of no bridge. He also thanked a
landowner near the bridge who
allowed the town to cut down
some trees and put the temporary bridge on his property following the floods. The residents
attending the meeting thanked
the selectboard for the many
hours of work they have put into
the project since spring.
Howard’s
(Continued from page 1)
said, “This is to update you on
the current situation regarding
Howard’s Restaurant and to
inform you of the Estate of Crystal Ball’s intent regarding the
future use of the property. As of
Sept. 20, 2014, Howard’s Restaurant was successfully repaired.
Northern New England Field
Services, through its owner Mr.
Dennis Thompson, is responsible
for the successful repairs. As of
the week of Sept. 29, 2014, the
Estate has entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with
a party interested in purchasing
the property. Due to the building
being successfully repaired and
a sale pending, the Estate does
not intend to demolish the building. The Estate appreciates your
efforts in attempting to secure
grant money intended to repair
the building but will no longer be
seeking that as a solution.”
Northern New England Field
Services had stepped forward
recently with a plan to repair the
large hole in the foundation wall
underneath the landmark restaurant—which sits next to the
Mohawk River in Colebrook--following heavy rains and spring
floods. About a month ago,
Thompson’s company went into
the hole from inside the restaurant as well as from the river
side to fill it with concrete and
rock. He told the Chronicle that
a portion of the building’s floor
over the hole had dropped into
the seven-foot deep cavern. All
work was completed within
about four days and had proved
to be an interesting sight to see,
with passersby often stopping to
watch the much-anticipated
progress. Thompson told the
Chronicle at the time, “I got
involved in this because I didn’t
want to see it demolished.”
Who the prospective buyer is
and when final sale papers will
be signed is unknown at this
time. The news of Howard’s
potentially reopening soon, however, has been met with positive
feelings by town officials and
others looking for the historic
property to be functioning again.
Grange Curtain
(Continued from page 1)
of the original building on the
site are the first and second
floors–literally the floors–and a
historic Grange advertising curtain.
It was in the Tillotson Center
on Wednesday night that the
curtain, which was restored a
number of years ago by an organization called Curtains Without Borders, was unrolled from
its spot in the rafters above the
stage to serve as a backdrop to
an interesting speech by former
N.H. Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Taylor. Taylor presented a talk about the history
of the Grange, with a special
focus on New Hampshire. The
program was hosted by the Colebrook Area Historical Society.
Taylor explained in his talk
how Grangers helped bring rural
electrification to the farms of
New Hampshire. It was a
Granger who went to the state
legislature some 70 years ago
and pushed the REA to bring
electricity to the state farmlands
and offered the Grange to serve
as that conduit.
Taylor said that the N.H.
Grange once had 340 local
Granges and its membership
soared to 35,000 right after
World War I. “That means that
one in 11 persons in new Hampshire at the time was a Granger
and there were about a million
members nationally. Today there
are about 66-68 Granges in new
Hampshire and membership is
about 3,000.” He said that the
decline was a result of the shift
here, as elsewhere, away to nonfarming employment and nonfarming lifestyles.
The old Colebrook Grange
curtain, which hung in the hall
at the site until it was closed in
the 1960s, features a lake scene
in the center and a host of advertisers of the day around its borders, forming a frame of sorts. It
carries a date from the late 1930s
in the lower corner.
Media
This week Editor Charlie Jordan announced that Samantha
McMann of Groveton will be providing coverage for the southern
area of the Colebrook Chronicle’s readership.
Samantha, who has been taking photographs and writing stories for the Chronicle a few
months, replaces Marie Hughes,
who had been covering the region until she recently relocated
to New York State.
Samantha, who is a Registered Nurse, caught the Chronicle’s attention through her
photography on Facebook and
was soon receiving assignments
from the newspaper.
A graduate of Groveton High
School, she is married and has
three children. Her husband Jeffrey works for Ethan Allen Furniture.
Samantha McMann of Groveton
is now covering her region for the
Chronicle. Charles Jordan
photo.
Friday, October 10, 2014
The Colebrook Chronicle
Page 3
Police, Fire, EMS Reports
Camerata New England returns to the Tillotson Center at 7 p.m. on
Saturday, Oct. 18, for a concert of piano quintets by Robert Schumann
and Antonín Dvorák. Evelyn Zuckerman will be the featured pianist.
The concert is sponsored by the GNWCA. Courtesy photo.
Camerata
(Continued from page 1)
going construction, Jordan
explained. “Through the efforts
and donations of many individuals and the diligent work of the
Tillotson Center Committee
members, the Center today
showcases a world-class stage
complete with professional lighting and sound equipment, comfortable theater seating, an art
gallery which recently expanded
into a coffeehouse setting and a
museum.
“One of the missing components, however, was a grand
piano,” Jordan said. Over the
past three years the GNWCA
has hosted over 60 performances
at the Tillotson Center. “Performers would often ask if we
had a grand or baby grand
piano. We’ve had to book those
performers elsewhere. But
thanks to the efforts of many,
the Tillotson Center is about to
offer a truly fine instrument for
the use of our visiting performers, and we’re confident this will
lead to new opportunities for
performances here in Colebrook.”
Colebrook residents Susan
Smith and Bud Hulse noticed
the Tillotson Center’s request
for a quality piano in the local
newspaper. They stepped up
immediately, offering to do the
research and to follow up with
others who had come forward to
help. Jordan was able to put
Smith and Hulse in touch with
Carlos Galvan, board chair for
Camerata New England, who, in
turn, recruited Camerata New
England pianist Evelyn Zuckerman and piano technician
Danny Dover to the effort. Piano
technician Rick Erwin also volunteered to help. Said Erwin,
“As a professional musician,
piano technician, and Founding
Member of the Tillotson Center,
I was happy to do what I could
to support the Center and help
find an appropriate instrument.”
These efforts led to a meeting
with Jude Reveley of Lowell,
Mass. “He found the piano in the
basement of a building that was
due for demolition,” Galvan
explained. “They were just going
to leave it there to make it go
away.” Reveley restored the
abandoned piano to its former
glory. Now this fine old instrument will have the chance to be
played again, for audiences at
the Tillotson Center.
Performing as the Camerata
New England Piano Quintet are
Alice Hallstrom and Joshua
Peckins, violins; Linda Galvan,
cello; Peter Sulski, viola; and
Evelyn Zuckerman, piano. Each
is a remarkable solo and ensemble performer with an extensive
national and international reputation. More extensive bios on
these and all Camerata New
England musicians can be found
online
at
www.cameratanewengland.org.
Tickets for the Colebrook concert are $15 and are available in
advance at Fiddleheads in Colebrook and at the door on the
night of the concert. There will
be a hors d'oeuvre reception at 5
p.m. at the Tillotson Center
open to those who will be attending the concert, with the musicians available to meet the
public between 5:30-6:15 p.m.
Funding is made possible by
the Great North Woods Committee for the Arts and the Tillotson
North Country Foundation. The
Tillotson Center for the Arts is
situated at 14 Carriage Lane in
Colebrook (learn more at
www.tillotsoncenter.org). For
more information on this and
additional GNWCA concerts,
call 237-9302 or 246-8998 or
visit www.gnwca.org.
Visit Our
Website At
www.colebrookchronicle.com
NORTHUMBERLAND
POLICE
On Oct. 3, at 6:29 a.m., officer’s from the Northumberland
Police Dept. as well as N.H.
State Police and Lancaster Police Dept. responded to Yelle
Road for a report of a stabbing
that had just occurred.
Upon arrival officers made
contact with three males—one
male had two stab wounds. He
was stabilized and transported
to Weeks Memorial Hospital by
the Groveton Ambulance Dept.
One of the other males was
treated on scene for minor cuts
to his arm. The male who was
transported to the hospital was
treated for non-life threatening
injuries. He was released by
medical staff and was transported back to the scene by officers
and all three males were detained by officers pending further investigation.
Agents from Customs and
Border Patrol from the Beecher
Falls, Vt., station were called to
assist. Additionally agents from
Immigration and Customs Enforcement out of Manchester responded to assist as well.
The names of the three individuals are being withheld at
this time pending further investigation. Please address any inquiries about this incident to
Chief Platt at [email protected].
TACTICAL TRAINING
HELD AT 45TH
The 45th Parallel EMS
invited Shawn Buxton, EMT-P,
to teach a tactical EMS training
on Sept. 19, 2014. The purpose of
the training was to give the fundamental properties of tactical
EMS; in which Shawn taught the
pneumonic S.C.B.A.S: Scene
Safety, Control Bleeding, Airway, Shock Management.
Scene Safety is the basis of
any operation in EMS. It is
important that all EMS providers assure their own safety and
the safety of their partner. This
action prevents either of the
providers from getting injured
and allows them to provide better care for the patient by maintaining a controlled environment.
Shawn then instructed the
class on various ways to control
bleeding, such as: by packing
wounds with hemostatic agent
(quick clot), and staunching
uncontrollable bleeding with
Israeli dressings. Shawn went
on to explain that the patient’s
airway should be assessed to
assure it is clear and unobstructed so that the patient is
getting plenty of oxygen. Lastly,
Shawn discussed management of
a patient who has signs and
symptoms of shock. This is
accomplished by monitoring the
patient’s blood pressure and
treating as needed. Hypotension,
a late sign of shock, is managed
best by EMS with aggressive
fluid resuscitation, controlled
bleeding, elevating the patient’s
legs and keeping the patient
warm.
Even rural areas such as this
may find themselves in an incident where there is a need to be
Tactical EMS instructor Shawn Buxton watches over 45th Parallel's
Chris Tanerillo as he practices the new skills that Shawn has taught
him. Shawn simulates bleeding with a pressurized circulatory system
through a large piece of meat. Rob Darling photo.
skilled in tactical EMS. Due to
the fact that these types of injuries are infrequent, we as EMS
providers have to prepare ourselves even more in order to be
competent. We are subject to
firearm injuries, including hunting accidents, suicide and homicide. Shawn stressed that the
skills learned in tactical EMS
courses can also be used for farming accidents, logging accidents
and other common accidents here
in the North Country.
Shawn has years worth of
experience with tactical EMS.
He has been a corpsman for the
U. S. Navy for the past 17 years;
the last five working in the Naval
Special Warfare Unit. Aside from
teaching tactical courses, Shawn
also holds many other positions
including: safety officer for Boston's Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT),
NN
tactical Officers Association lead
medical instructor, a medic field
training officer for American
Medical Response and a past
medic for the NH SWAT team.
Shawn's philosophy of teaching
is that EMS providers need to
have hands-on experiences. He
is well known for bringing large
portions of meat to a class which
he attaches to a simulated, pressurized circulatory system for
the class to practice the skills
that he has taught them. Shawn
is a wonderful resource for learning about tactical EMS and presented great content we may all
need to know in the future as we
serve our communities.
–Morgan Phillips, AEMT
45th Parallel EMS
COLEBROOK POLICE
On Sept. 30, at 8:34 p.m.,
police arrested Summer Lynn
Ulman of Colebrook for a false
report to law enforcement.
On Oct. 2, at 12:54 p.m., police
arrested Elizabeth Lampron and
Gary Raymond, both of Colebrook, on charges of failing to
answer summons.
On Oct. 3, at 8:13 a.m., police
investigated a call of a distur-
bance at the Colebrook Elementary School. Officers arrested
Russell L. Marcotte of Stratford
for criminal trespassing.
45TH PARALLEL EMS
Amanda Norton, EMT, has
started orientation with the 45th
Parallel EMS as a part-time
Emergency Medical Technician.
Amanda also works at North
Conway Ambulance and is completing a Paramedic program.
The following is the ambulance call activity report for the
period from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4:
On Sept. 28, at 5:25 p.m., the
department responded to Pittsburg for a possible explosion.
The ambulance was canceled
while en route.
On Sept. 29, at 5:11 p.m., the
department responded to CCNH
in West Stewartstown for a medical emergency. The patient was
transported to UCVH.
On Sept. 30, at 12:21 a.m., the
department responded to UCVH
for an interfacility transfer to
CCNH. At 7:39 p.m., the department responded to Colebrook for
a medical emergency.
The
patient was transported to
UCVH. At 10:46 p.m., the department responded to Colebrook for
a medical emergency. The
patient refused transport.
On Oct. 2, at 11:27 a.m., the
department responded to CCNH
in West Stewartstown for a medical emergency. The patient was
transported to UCVH.
On Oct. 3, 5:14 a.m., the
department responded to Colebrook for a lift assist. The patient
refused transport. At 11:43 a.m.,
the department responded to
Canaan, Vt., for a medical emergency. The patient was transported to UCVH.
On Oct. 4, at 5:36 a.m., the
department responded to Colebrook for a medical emergency.
The patient was transported to
UCVH. At 6:46 a.m., the department responded to CCNH in
West Stewartstown for a medical
emergency. The patient was
(Continued on page 7)
Page 4
Lancaster’s 250th in 2014–
Colebrook’s 250th in 2020
We want to extend our congratulations to our
friends to the south–Lancaster put together a really
impressive parade last Sunday befitting of a town
marking its 250th. The parade was fortunate to
have fine weather and what the large crowds lining
each side of Main Street witnessed was perhaps the
longest and most community involved parade to roll
through a North Country town in some years. Nice
job, Lancaster!
While there we ran into Colebrook Selectman
Jules Kennett and he pointed out that Colebrook is
coming up on its own 250th, which will take place
in just a little over five years–in 2020. Those of us
old enough to remember 1970 know what a fun and
full-town celebration Colebrook’s Bicentennial was
back then.
Lancaster’s floats and marchers were largely local
in nature and it made for a very personal parade
that will be remembered for years to come as a
snapshot of life in one vibrant North Country
community.
There is no shortage of like spirit around here
either and with some planning, Colebrook also can
put together something for the history books. It’s
not too early to start planning for this generation’s
opportunity to do it up big.
Charles J. Jordan
The Colebrook Chronicle
Friday, October 10, 2014
One-hundred years ago, in 1914, Lancaster celebrated its 150th anniversary with many events, much as
has been the case this year as the town marks its 250th here in 2014. A century ago Lancaster’s downtown
was the scene of a memorable auto parade. The automobile had just gained prominence on North Country
roads and the floats celebrated this fact with dozens of gasoline-driven vehicles bedecked for the occasion.
Perhaps the most musical carried Nevers’ Second Regiment Band of Concord which was described at the
time as a “large auto truck which had been draped with the national colors.” During the entire procession,
the band entertained with a selection of popular marches of the day–and reportedly never missed a beat.
Letters
Becky Bean of Errol found these above photos among items in her father’s belongings and wonders if
anyone recognizes the people pictures. She would like to send these to relatives who may want them (see
her letter below).
Editor: Charles J. Jordan; Publisher: Donna Jordan
Reporter/Photographer: Angela Wheeler
Reporter/Photographer: Samantha McMann
Canadian Correspondent: Corey Bellam
Sports Photographer: Tina McKenzie
Colebrook Office Manager/Video Editor: Thomas Jordan
Hi Charlie,
I found these pictures (see
above) with some of my father's
things. The date on a post card
with them is Dec. 30 1914,
mailed at 2 p.m., from Canaan,
Vt. The return address on one of
them is Mr. and Mrs. Elliott
Pine, 690 Bank Street, New London, Conn. Other names found
on items in this group is Mrs.
Arthur Keniston, dated 1909
from her sister, Ida, and post
marked from Groveton
Does anyone recognize them?
I like to get these photos to their
family members if they are interested.
Becky Bean
Errol
Letter to the Editor:
I was humbled by Martin
Murray’s letter to the editor in
last week’s paper. That such an
august member of the Northern
Pass Transmission organization
would condescend to reply to my
earlier letter criticizing Northern Pass frankly overwhelmed
me. I had not heard such a call
for self sacrifice since George
Bush convinced me that Saddam
Hussein had weapons of mass
destruction, and we had to
invade Iraq to save civilization
from annihilation.
Mr. Murray, for a moment,
had me almost convinced that it
was morally wrong for me not to
want Northern Pass to rip a
five-hundred-foot-wide
strip
through our lovely country side
so that he could install his
134-foot steel towers for the
greater good of providing electricity to Boston. Then an image
of those thousands of steel towers rose up before me, and my
mind cleared. I decided that it
was time to ask Mr. Murray
some direct questions and see if
he has the courtesy to answer
them.
Mr. Murray, let us for once be
honest with each other. Why is a
five-hundred-foot wide strip of
steel towers above ground
marching through our lovely
state a more desirable way of
bringing electricity to Boston,
than burying it? Is it simply
because it is cheaper and you'll
make more of a profit and HydroQuebec, as it has shown in its
own province, doesn’t care a tinkers dam about what it does to
someone else’s environment?
I am waiting breathlessly for
your reply.
Bud Hulse
Colebrook
Hi Mr. Jordan,
I noted that you gave a good
deal of coverage celebrating the
50th anniversary of the Beatles
first appearance on Ed Sullivan
last February.
(Continued on page 5)
Friday, October 10, 2014
Letters
(Continued from page 4)
The “World’s Greatest Rock
'n' Roll Band” (the Rolling
Stones) made their first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show”
the same year, but on Oct. 25, of
1964. I hope, that in the interest
of fair play, to see at least as
much if not more of the coverage
of Rolling Stones in your paper
later this month.
Wes Lavin
Ashland
(Editor’s note: Hi Wes–If you
can get the Stones to play the
Tillotson Center, I’d promise you
front-page coverage–honestly, I
would!)
Letter to the Editor:
Democracy hinges on a number of things, and right up there
is the integrity of elected officials in respecting the expressed
will of the people. Let me tell you
a story.
As one of three selectmen for
the Town of Northumberland, I
hear news of possible businesses
interested in setting up shop at
the former paper mill site. The
lack of infrastructure (water and
sewer, electricity and heat, and
even road access) on rubbled
ground appears to be the latest
stumbling block however.
Thus was birthed a letter to
be signed without public discussion, without a public vote, by
an elected body pledged to working openly. I was handed the
following draft intended for
Northern Pass officials on Monday evening, Sept. 15, after the
regular Selectboard meeting had
closed. This draft letter is
printed here word-for-word for
all to see:
Economic challenges and
financial struggles North Country Communities have faced over
the last 8 to 10 years is not news
to anyone.
The Town of Northumberland, or better known as
Groveton Village, in particular,
has experienced these struggles
first hand with the closing of the
Wausau and Groveton Paper
Mills. These mills in “their day”
employed well over 500 people in
this community and region.
Groveton has seen the closing
of long-standing retail businesses, a credit union, and “mom
and pop” businesses that have
been woven into the fabric of this
town for a long time. We have
seen the better part of a 1/3 of
our skilled work force have to
move or commute to other towns
or states to work. Some of these
families are still “hanging on” to
their homes, hoping things will
turn around as real estate values
are declining and sale activity is
mediocre at best.
Needless to say, this community has been, and would be, very
thankful for any financial assistance offered to assist the
owners/developers of the former
mill site in their plans for the
development of the former mill
site.
This community in particular
is very appreciative of the role
that “Northern Pass” has played
in bringing the cell tower and
cell service to this area. It is a key
element to building a good foun-
The Colebrook Chronicle
dation for a healthy economy.
Any future assistance that is
available would bolster these
efforts further and be of great
value to the region. We support
Northern Pass and appreciate
and recognize that the cell tower
and future financial assistance
are critical in bringing the first
of many new companies to
Groveton.
The Northumberland Board
of Selectmen remains open and
receptive to any and all offerings
to help move toward a healthy
economy for this region.
It was expected I would sign
this without question. Whoa.
Northumberland Town Meeting
voted unanimously in the spring
of 2011 to oppose Northern Pass.
A few months later the Board of
Selectmen at that time voted to
send a follow-up letter to then
Governor Lynch, again opposing
the high transmission towers.
The pressure was on from the
current board yet I insisted this
had to be discussed publicly.
They even pulled in a representative of Green Steel (one of
the owners of the mill site) to
come to my farm to explain the
urgent need to express official
town appreciation for any funding that might be provided by
Northern Pass. People might
recognize why this was done–
pure duplicity–but wink-wink
that was okay. The rep further
explained that if the board was
somehow able to support Northern Pass that would even be
better. Wink wink. He began his
pitch with words along these
lines: “Sometimes you need to
work with the devil to get things
done.”
Meanwhile, the draft above
was printed out on an official
town letterhead and I was told to
sign it and not ask any more
questions. I will acknowledge
that my fellow board members
had sense enough to remove the
“we support Northern Pass” language as being too blatant even
for a secret letter. Still, I refused
to
sign
without
public
discussion…there are also honest ways to get these things
done…and so the next day Jim
Weagle and Jim Tierney signed
individual versions of this letter,
signing off as a selectman but not
for the Board of Selectmen as a
whole. Wink wink.
Groveton citizens need to
know these things. Ours would
be the first town in the North
Country to take the bribe, to
drink the Kool-aid, to break the
unified front of resistance to
Northern Pass.
An American Indian chief
once said that it does not take
many words to speak the truth.
Integrity matters. And the
devil be damned.
Michael Phillips
Northumberland
Letter to the Editor:
Several years ago, Stewartstown officials took a large swath
of my front yard in violation of
both state and federal law. A
downstate attorney said to hire
a landscaper and put my property back to its original condition
and the town “couldn’t do anything about it.” (Right. If they
steal it once they can do it twice.)
The attorney couldn’t believe any
responsible town officials could
do anything so foolish and illegal
in the first place.
As time goes on, access to the
remaining yard gets worse. As of
this year, I could drive over the
ditch at the east end of the yard,
and with a high clearance Jeep I
could drive at an angle off the
“cliff” at the west end. People
without a Jeep or pickup definitely can’t handle the cliff.
Oct. 2 the road was graded.
(That includes the westbound
half of the roadbed, which used
to be my yard.) With grassy clods
in the widening ditch, I’d have to
be an idiot not to notice. A few
years back, one selectman had
the nerve to try to justify the
illegal taking of my property by
saying I have “two driveways.” I
don’t, and that would be foolish
and irrelevant even if I did.
I’ve had it with the irresponsible and illegal activities of several current and past so-called
“public servants” of this town.
We have excellent road agents
now, and the current situation
isn’t their fault. A couple years
ago my road agent even came
over to bevel off the growing cliff
at one end of my yard “as a
courtesy” so people could get in
and out of here. This is well past
anything to do with courtesy.
I will be requesting a substantial decrease in my property tax
assessment to reflect the loss of
property and access to it. (Even
the tax assessor map and
description make the property
theft apparent.) If that is not
swiftly forthcoming, I see no need
to limit the publicizing of such
contempt for state and federal
law where it may do the most
good. Clearly private attorneys
aren’t equipped to handle it.
If you think Northern Pass
can reduce your property and its
value, try dealing with Stewartstown.
Nancy Dodge
Stewartstown
Letter to the Editor:
Just a reminder, the Ellsworth Bunnell discussion group
will meet at Le Rendez-Vous
Saturday, Oct. 11, at 2 p.m.
We would also like to talk
about establishing a Colebrook
Heritage Commission. Anyone
interested in this idea is also
invited to attend.
Bud Hulse
Colebrook
(Continued on page 15)
Page 5
Page 6
The Colebrook Chronicle
Friday, October 10, 2014
Education
Left photo: Groveton seniors Kennedy Lambert, Kyle Audit, Trevor Gibson and Nathan Tetreault lined up for the “pie a senior” fundraiser at Groveton’s Homecoming celebration
on Friday night. Right photo: Kennedy Lambert gets a pie in the face from Konner Shannon. Samantha McMann photos.
STEWARTSTOWN
SCHOOL BOARD
The Stewartstown School
Board met on Sept. 2, 2014.
Present were board members
Kara Sweatt and Kathleen Covell; Principal Jennifer Mathieu;
Cheryl Covill and Robert Mills
of SAU 7; and member of the
public J. McAllaster. The meeting was called to order at 4:16
p.m.
Hearing of the public: J.
McAllaster presented a request
for the school board to purchase
a microwave oven for the cafeteria. It was determined a portable
table would be needed. The
board will look into cost of portable table and microwave.
Principal Jennifer Mathieu
reported that the back-to-school
barbecue was successful. MaryAnn Neary would like to head
up the Washington, D.C., trip
and start fund raising. A list of
suggested fund raising items
was distributed. Mathieu discussed purchasing the student
T-shirts. The board voted to
approve MaryAnn Neary as the
Washington, D.C., adviser as a
volunteer.
Superintendent Robert Mills
discussed advertising (posting
in school) for an assistant principal when Mrs. Mathieu is out
of the building. He discussed the
Administrative Day on Aug. 25.
Presenter Eric Herlan discussed
Harassment, Social Media,
Physical/Sexual Abuse, Confidentially and email. Ann Duckless
discussed
Suicide
Prevention Awareness. Mills
presented
material
from
COPsync911 program and he
discussed the Superintendent
Search. Board representative to
meet with the NHSBA school
representative at the end of September.
Business
Administrator
Cheryl Covill discussed the conversion of the financial package
at the SAU office. She also discussed students riding the bus
from Stewartstown Community
School to Canaan for soccer
practice on Mondays and
Wednesdays. It was discussed
looking into transporting soccer
students to Canaan after school.
The board voted to approve
Wellness Policy JLCF-R as presented.
The board reviewed opening
day enrollment. The meeting
adjourned at 5:17 p.m.
COLUMBIA
SCHOOL BOARD
The Columbia School Board
met on Sept. 10, 2014. Present
were board members Jane
McCoy, Chris Brady and Crystal
Lesperance; Cheryl Covill and
Robert Mills of SAU 7. The meeting was called to order at 5:30
p.m.
Superintendent Robert Mills
discussed the October meeting
date, scheduled for Oct. 9, 5:30
p.m., at the Columbia Town
Office. Mills discussed the COPsync 911 Program.
Business
Administrator
Cheryl Covill discussed beginning year enrollment. The estimated tuition students for K-6
Elem is 51; high school is 21.
Covill discussed grant management: 45 grants SAU wide. Tyler
Technologies conversion was discussed. The balance on hand is
$140,000 projected; the actual
$172,000 amount is unaudited.
Unfinished business: The
board voted to accept numerous
policies for second reading and
adoption.
COLEBROOK
SCHOOL BOARD
The Colebrook school board
met on Sept. 15 at the Colebrook
Elementary School Library. Present were board members Greg
Placy, John Falconer, Eldonna
Brooks, Rick Brock and Lisa
Whitaker; Principals Dan Gorham and Mark Fiorentino; Robert Mills and Cheryl Covill of
SAU 7. The meeting was called
to order at 7 p.m.
The board voted to approve
the minutes of Sept. 2, 2014, as
presented. The Superintendent
nominated the following staff:
Speech Assistant, Kelbie Biron;
Kindergarten
1:1,
Martha
Thompson; Grade 7/8 Para Edu-
Groveton High School juniors created a Class of 2016 “Milky Way” float for the school’s Homecoming
Parade, held on Friday night, Oct. 3. Samantha McMann photo.
cator, Ashley Cross. The board
voted to approve the Superintendent's nominations as presented.
Colebrook Academy Principal
Mark Fiorentino reviewed the
movie “The Hungry Heart” for
showing to high school students
and he discussed the dress code.
The board voted to allow the
principal to exercise his discretion in enforcing the dress code.
He also recommended changing
the consequences for next year
to read: “five days after a warning and 10 days for the remainder of the year. Parents will be
notified upon 10 day revocation
and must come in to pick up the
students device.” He also discussed the Memorandum of
Understanding with White
Mountain Community College.
The board voted to approve
entering into a Memorandum of
Understanding White Mountain
Community College. Fiorentino
discussed the Automotive Program. He would like to research
and provide a cost analysis comparing online book to textbooks.
Superintendent Mills discussed Auto and Health Science
Programs; meeting with Colebrook Selectmen date available
is
Oct. (Continued on page 7)
The first Fun Friday was held last week at the Baptist Church in
North Stratford. This new program for kids is being held on the first
Friday of the month. The children decorated pumpkins and played
Halloween games this month. Front, from left, Adam Howland, Kayla
Howland, Brody Gingue, Patience King, Draegan Cammons, Destinea
Cammons, Kylee Lachance, Jesse King, Paul Cauley, Robert Howland, Brigid Jatkwicz, Skyler Coombs. Kathy Roth photo.
Friday, October 10, 2014
The Colebrook Chronicle
Page 7
Education
In honor of Fire Prevention Week the Canaan Elementary students were visited by the Beecher Falls Volunteer Fire Dept. along with a few fire explorers. Left photo: Pictured
from the left are Todd Nichols, Ben Adair, Zeb Brigham, Erin Owen, Ezra Carr, Ryan Dupuis and Zak DeGray. Right photo: Ben Adair and Zeb Brigham donned full fire gear
to show what a firefighter looks and sounds like. Angela Wheeler photos.
Police, EMS
(Continued from page 3)
transported to UCVH. At 3:10
p.m., the department responded
to UCVH for an interfacility
transfer to DHMC. At 6:42 p.m.,
the department responded to
Androscoggin Valley Hospital
for an interfacility transfer to
UCVH. At 10:15 p.m., the
department responded to Pittsburg for a medical emergency.
The patient was transported to
UCVH.
Pittsburg School recently held its National Honor Society induction. Students returning to the National Honor Society are, from left, Devin
Rodrigue, Kirby Judd, Cassidy DeWitt, Adam Young, Caleb Pfaff, Ryan Egan, Tammy Jeralds, advisor and newly inducted students
Kassandra Amey, Devin Phillips, Garrett Jock, Nathan Reich, Alexis Owen, Melissa McKinnon, Ian Pfaff. Photo courtesy Tammy Jeralds.
20; the nomination for Colebrook
Elementary
Builders
Club
adviser. Mills discussed the
Superintendents search. He will
be meeting with NHSBA School
Boards representative on Sept.
29. He also discussed hiring a
mentor for the Media Specialist
$500. The board also voted to
approve the Superintendent's
recommendation to hire mentor
for the Media Specialist. Mills
discussed parent request for student release from study hall to
attend work. He presented a
letter from Mary Jolles regarding
the “Who Cares About Kelsey”
Oct. 23 showing.
Business
Administrator
Cheryl Covill reported on the
upcoming visit from Dept. of
Safety, Data Communication to
review phones for 911 access;
working on CE driveway repairs
and installation of ballards; and
the disposal of chairs and desks.
He next meeting is Oct. 7. The
meeting adjourned at 8 p.m.
Page 8
The Colebrook Chronicle
Friday, October 10, 2014
North Country Photo Album
A Big Parade For Lancaster’s 250th Anniversary!
Photos by Charles Jordan
The town’s future was well represented with many teens and youth marching in the final event of the year celebrating Lancaster’s
250th.
A giant happy birthday cake for the town’s big
250th celebration.
The Riff Flower Shop flower ladies float.
Stilt walkers on Main Street.
Left photo: Sporting a 250th T-shirt. Right photo: Miss New Hampshire Teen USA
Mikaela Seamans.
The White Mountains Regional High School marching band.
Left photo: A replica of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church passes by the real church (in the background). Right photo: Classic cars and muscle cars also wound their way through
town.
Friday, October 10, 2014
The Kilkenny Cup trophy made an appearance.
The Pleasant Valley Farm float with Chet Savage driving the tractor.
A cake decorating contest took place at Centennial Park.
No, it’s not the dog waving as the fire truck passes by. The grand
parade ended with regional fire trucks and emergency personnel.
The Colebrook Chronicle
Page 9
Page 10
The Colebrook Chronicle
Friday, October 10, 2014
Community News
The Annual CDDA Harvest Fair was held this past Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Colebrook gymnasium. The event kicked off at 9 a.m. and ran until 2 p.m. This year's fair showcased
local crafters and artisans of all kinds. Including, pictured from the left, author Eric Pinder who had several of his books for sale, Lynda Chaffee from Derby, Vt., with her
beautiful hand painted slates, and Jeff and Linda Plaistead of Old Crow Designs. Angela Wheeler photos.
Also at this year’s Harvest Fair were Zelda Gonyer and Lorraine Merrow of Zelda’s Gourmet Preserves, Linda Lomasney and her beautiful baskets, and Rachel Lyons of Rustique
Designs. Angela Wheeler photos.
AURORA GRANGE NEWS
Aurora Grange 235 held its
regular meeting with 11 in
attendance; two brothers, seven
sisters, and two guests from
Riverside Grange. Master Lindsey Gray was in the chair. The
meeting was preceded by the
annual soup and bread supper
with several delicious soup
choices, an assortment of breads
and biscuits, and scrumptious
desserts.
Agriculture Chairman Roy
Amey reported on the fact that
bigger sugaring operations are
now using iPhones and other
smart-phones with wireless networks so that they can monitor
production of maple syrup.
Other members reported that
tomatoes are still producing.
Ann Gray reminded members
to collect their volunteer service
hours and turn them over to her
for her report.
Youth
Chairman
Sarah
Parker reported that there were
six new members inducted into
Honor Society that evening at
the school. She also reported that
Key Club members were on hand
to pass out water to runners in
the Dixville Notch races recently.
Deaf Activities Chairman Ann
Gray continued her discussion of
hearing loss and its connection
with smoking. She reminded
members that giving up smoking
and protecting your ears from
loud noise are two practical steps
that people can take to prevent
hearing loss.
Members voted to accept
Melissa McKinnon as a member.
Obligation will take place at a
later date.
A brief discussion ensued
regarding the fact that Steve
Taylor will be speaking about the
New Hampshire State Grange at
the Tillotson Center in Colebrook
on Wednesday, Oct. 8. Ann Gray
plans to attend; anyone wishing
to ride down with her were asked
to give her a call.
Members voted to hold the
annual pie sale on Saturday,
Nov. 22, beginning at 9 a.m. at
the Grange Hall. This is an
important fundraiser for the
Grange.
In her Lecturer’s program,
Chip Evarts quizzed members on
famous Americans and on information on the national capitol.
Doris Mitton, of Riverside
Grange, and Heather Zybas won
the prizes.
State Deputy Jean Abbott,
brought greetings from the state
master and did the annual fall
inspection. She also installed
Heather Zybas as the Steward.
Members are reminded that
the State Grange conference will
be held in Nashua from Oct.
23-26.
The next meeting of Aurora
Grange will be held on Nov. 5
with
the
annual
Grange/Historical
Society
Thanksgiving gathering. Aurora
Grange will be in charge of the
program.
–submitted by
Ann M.G. Gray
COOS COUNTY
NURSING HOSPITAL
Bingo was played twice this
week. Mona Noyes was the winner of the Blackout Game on
(Continued on page 11)
The Grace Community Church held its Harvest Feast last Saturday, Oct. 4 and it turned out a great
success with people filling the room to sample the many different vegetables and beef pot pie. Angela
Wheeler photo.
Friday, October 10, 2014
The Colebrook Chronicle
Community News
(Continued from page 10)
Thursday. On Saturday, a
Bonus Prize Bingo was played.
The Blackout Game was won by
Jean Belanger. The prize money
had been donated by Paul
Hamel in memory of his daughter, Renee Hamel.
Linda Lomasney of Deeda’s
Baskets taught a basket weaving class this week. Linda’s
classes are always popular with
residents and the staff members
who help out. The class was
funded by the Connecticut Rivers Artisans Group (CRAG).
With the help of Linda, staff
members, Sue Gray and Marsha
Clifford, residents made cute
little baskets with wire snow-
men decorations on the front. In
the Special Care Unit (SCU),
residents worked on a yarn apple
craft, did some beading and other
fall crafts. They did some baking
and enjoyed an apple dessert.
Aaron Swift entertained residents, playing guitar and singing
country western songs for them.
Residents gathered in the
Family Room to watch a collection of “The Carol Burnett Show.”
Residents reminisced with
football trivia and Treasures from
the Attic.
CANAAN HISTORICAL
SOCIETY NEWS
At the Sept. 19 Canaan Historical Society meeting, part of our
discussion was about upcoming
exhibits. If anyone has any
information about the Stew-Can
Boy Scout Troop, please call
Dennis Fuller at (802) 266-3989.
We will be meeting again on
Oct. 17, at 3 p.m. After the meeting, from 4-6 p.m., the Historical
Society and the Alice M. Ward
Library will co-host book author
Caroline Grimm. She will discuss her two books of historical
fiction based on the diary of
Phebe Beach, Wild Sweeps the
Wind about the Civil War, and
Beneath Freedom’s Wings
about the Underground Railroad. Come join us–it should be
interesting.
–submitted by
Canaan Historical Society
(Continued on page 13)
Business
JAIME’S BOUTIQUE
CELEBRATION ON OCT. 17
Jaime’s Boutique at 98 Main
Street in Colebrook is celebrating
its recent “makeover” with a special shopping event on Friday,
Oct. 17, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. All
women’s apparel and accessories
are 20 percent off all day. From
4-8 p.m., complimentary light
fare and beverages will be served,
and there will be hourly raffles
for fashion-related items and one
grand prize.
Jaime’s Boutique is a fresh,
chic venue for women to shop for
contemporary, yet classic clothing
and accessories, with quality
brands like Tribal, Fox, Silver
Jeans and Kona bracelets.
Jaime’s Boutique Owner
Linda Haynes recently updated
the storefront exterior with new
colors and branding, and has also
made improvements to the interior layout.
Linda Haynes and Manager
Susan McKinnon are committed
to ensuring a positive shopping
experience for women of all sizes
by providing personalized attention and a wonderful selection of
fashion-forward clothing. “We
want our customers to find an
outfit or accessories that have the
right fit and make them feel
good,” said Linda.
Through the Small Business
Administration Microloan Program, Jaime's Boutique was eligible for technical assistance from
Northern Community Investment
Corporation (NCIC). NCIC Business Resource Manager Mollie
White connected Linda with
marketing firm, Sullivan Creative, who are assisting with
improvements to the Main
Street store’s curb appeal,
branding, and the online store,
and in developing a long-term
marketing plan.
Jaime’s Boutique is open
Monday through Friday, from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturdays,
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Items are also
available
online
at
jaimesboutiquenh.com.
Media
Watching the Lancaster 250th parade on Sunday from the doorway
of Lancaster’s Methodist Church were these three women who were
a key part of the Coos County Democrat staff back in the 1980s
when the Colebrook Chronicle’s editor also worked there. From the
left, Gloria Fuller, Pat Kenney and Bev Hylwa. All three have many
friends and relatives throughout the region and it was nice to see
them together again. Charles Jordan photo.
Page 11
Page 12
The Colebrook Chronicle
Friday, October 10, 2014
Community News
Last night, Oct. 9, the North Country Chamber of Commerce held a Business After Hours
event at the Colebrook Country Club. From the left, Britni White NCCC, Country Club owners
Michelle and Clay Hinds, and Wayne Frizzell, NCCC President. Angela Wheeler photo.
Folksinger Michael Johnathon, the host of “Woodsongs: The Old-Time Radio
Hour,” entertained at the Tillotson Center last Friday in a GNWCA concert, as
well as showed his film “Walden: The Ballad of Thoreau.” Charles Jordan photo.
Friday, October 10, 2014
The Colebrook Chronicle
Page 13
Community News
The staff and students of Colebrook Academy were invited to hike Monadnock this past Monday as part of their effort for the Wellness Committee. The group left school immediately
after attendance then took the whole day for the hike and included some team building activities at the top. The crew also incorporated Cancer Awareness Month into their trip
by distributing pink ribbons for everyone to wear on their packs. Angela Wheeler photo.
(Continued from page 11)
CANAAN SENIORS NEWS
Guests of the Canaan Seniors
on Wednesday were Yvon and
Ghislaine Geroux, and Rita
Doyon. The 50/50 winners were
Fernande Fortier and Ghislaine
Geroux. Free meal certificate
winners were Lucienne Jalbert
and Marie-Paul Marchand. The
bingo winners were Arlene Fauteux, Rita Doyon,Claudette Marquis,
Yvon
Geroux
and
Gernmaine Turgeon. Blackout
was shared by Francoise Bohan
and Celine Chaloux.
Next week’s (Oct. 15) menu
is spaghetti with meatballs,
salad, garlic bread and rice pudding for dessert. For your reservations,
call
Dencie
Cunningham at (802) 266-8206
on or before Tuesday at 10 a.m.
COMMUNITY CHORUS
RETURNS TO REGION
Former members of the
North Country Community
Choir gathered at Grace
Church’s
OctoberFeast
in
Canaan this past weekend and
have once again begun organizing singers and volunteers to
take part in the Community
Chorus this coming Christmas
season.
With its convenient location
between Pittsburg and Colebrook, not to mention the perfect
acoustics of the 140-year-old
building, historic Grace Community Church in Canaan has been
chosen to host the event. Bud
Hikel will once again lead the
musical celebration that brings
the entire community together
for a joyful interfaith choral
Christmas event, sharing some
of the area’s most gifted singers.
Information and sign-up
sheets for the Community Chorus will be available at Grace
Church’s booth at the annual
Canaan Memorial High School
Crafts Fair on Saturday, Oct. 18,
at 10 a.m. in Canaan Memorial
High School gym. Those interested in being part of this event
can contact Bud Hikel, Sharon
Pearson, Melanie Sipe Reese,
Kenn Stransky at (802) 822(Continued on page 14)
Page 14
The Colebrook Chronicle
Friday, October 10, 2014
Community News
(Continued from page 13)
5221 or Dawna Estes at (802)
962-5185. Additional information
is
available
at
www.TheGraceCommunityChur
ch.org or on Facebook (GraceCommunityChurchVT).
GROVETON THRIFT
SHOP’S HALF PRICE SALE
Once again Groveton Thrift
Shop is offering the community
the benefit of a prewinter half
price sale from Wednesday, Oct.
15 through 12 noon on Saturday,
Oct. 18. This provides customers
with an opportunity to shop for
Halloween items and a large
variety of linens and other household items as well as a head to
toe assortment of clothing including caps, sweaters, shirts, jackets, scarves, mittens and boots.
In addition a large selection of
games, puzzles and books for all
ages are included in this event.
A rack of specials and pillows,
jewelry and hand knit items are
excluded from the sale. The
shop’s winter hours are Wednesday through Friday from 8 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m. and the first and
third Saturday of each month
from 9 a.m. until 12 noon.
CRIBBAGE COHORTS
Colebrook Cribbage Cohorts
played its third tournament for
this season. Ten members and
one guest, Yvon Roberts, were
present. Only club members are
eligible to receive points, four
members received points from
this tournament. It was a tight
race for some but a good time
was had by all.
First place went to guest
player Yvon Roberts with 17
game points, seven wins, spread
of 82.
Second place: David Brunelle
with 15 game points, seven wins,
spread of 99.
Third place: Dennis Lunn
with 14 game points, seven wins,
spread of 68.
On Oct. 8 the Tiger Cub Scouts Pack 220 den one took a trip to the Poore Family Homestead for a tour.
They were working on their family badge. Malik Ramirez, Brodyn Cote, Ian Thompson, Jonah Kennett,
Sorin Tourtelotte and Joshua Falconer. Jennifer Falconer photo.
Fourth place: Margaret Frizzell with 14 game points, six
wins, spread of 9.
Fifth place: Mark Cramer
with 12 game points, five wins,
spread of 3.
The Colebrook Cribbage
Cohorts meet every Thursday
night at the Colebrook Country
Club. Games start at 6:30 p.m.
If interested in playing or if you
have any questions, contact Louise Streeter at 237-8602 or Annie
Laughton at 237-4034.
CRAG TO MEET OCT. 16
The Connecticut River Artisan Group (CRAG) will meet at
4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16,
2014, at Indian Stream Health
Center. For more information,
visit www.connecticutriverartisans.org.
COLEBROOK JOB AND
RESOURCE FAIR TODAY
New Hampshire Employment
Security is hosting the Colebrook
Job and Resource Fair on Friday,
Oct. 10, at the Colebrook Elementary School Gymnasium
from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
A number of New Hampshire
businesses with immediate job
openings and future positions
will be on hand to speak and
interview candidates. The career
fields represented by the companies that have registered for this
hiring event include manufacturing, staffing, retail, government,
education, health care, computers and technology, industrial,
among others.
Job seekers
should dress professionally,
bring copies of their resumes and
be prepared to interview.
NHES provides free services,
resources, and tools to assist
both job seekers and employers
with the entire job search process, hiring and employment
needs. NHES has services available online and onsite to assist
job seekers including an automated Job Match System, internet
access,
local
papers,
employment counseling, and
career assessments, as well as,
workshops on job searching,
resume writing and interviewing techniques.
For additional information on
this hiring and networking
event, contact Kevin Myers at
[email protected] or
visit www.nhes.nh.gov.
NEWS FROM CDDA
The Colebrook Downtown
Development
Association
recently hosted its annual chili
and chowder contest during the
Harvest Fair, held last weekend
at the Colebrook Elementary
School. The winner of the Chowder Contest was Carol Pires
from Moose Muck Coffee House,
who was awarded first place for
her traditional clam chowder.
Carol received a $50 cash prize
and a certificate she can display
with pride. The winner of the
Chili Challenge was Bill Jones,
chef at the Spa Restaurant. The
CDDA appreciated everyone
that entered the contest and
hopes to have even more entries
next year.
The CDDA Design Committee also recently hosted its
Autumn window/storefront contest, with several businesses
participating. Connecticut River
Artisan Group members Michele
Johnsen,
Les
and
Patti
Klinefelter volunteered as
judges this year.
Bragging
rights go to the following businesses for their winning designs:
First place store front winner is
the Moose Muck Coffee House,
second place is the Wilderness
Restaurant and the third place
winner is the North Country
Chamber/Colebrook Chronicle. The first place winner in the
window design contest was
George M. Stevens insurance
office, second place winner was
Hick’s Hardware Store and third
place was Aime’s Card and Gift
Shop. Everyone did a great job
highlighting the Fall Season.
The CDDA will soon be hosting the annual Christmas
window/storefront
contest.
There will be prizes awarded for
the first place winner in each
category.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Letters
(Continued from page 5)
Letter to the Editor:
As an ex-Marine myself, I feel
it is my duty to set the record
straight regarding the obituary
of Ernest (Smokey Joe) Stover.
Joe was a Marine, not in the
Army as stated in all the newspaper notices. Once a Marine,
always a Marine. Joe served in
the Korean War. At his death
there was no one left to set the
record straight.
Marine–first in, last out.
Semper Fi.
Sgt. Gene Beauchemin
Pittsburg
Letter to the Editor:
Recently New Hampshire citizens woke up to a clear and
present danger–the threats
posed by greedy energy corporations that damage the environment and wish to exploit New
Hampshire.
Four years ago, the controversial Northern Pass project
announced a 180-mile overhead
high-voltage power line project.
It would cut through the heart
of tourist dependent regions
such as the White Mountain
National Forest, Coos and
Grafton Counties.
Recently southern New
Hampshire was thrust into
another energy battle. In April,
it was revealed that New England States Committee on
Energy (NESCO) was creating
an initiative behind the scenes
to add a natural gas transmission pipeline, paid for by the
public, through Hollis and to
expand
distribution
lines
stretching
throughout
the
region.
Sustainable energy is energy
that maintains a healthy ecosystem necessary to the survival of
humans and other organisms.
Neither of these projects meets
that definition. The environment is being exploited for profits by giant multinational
corporations with little or no
benefit for the residents.
Industrial hydro has decimated the environment in northern Quebec. Hydro-Quebec’s
website states that in creating
its reservoirs and dams, over
seven million acres of boreal
forest were drowned, more than
New Hampshire’s entire land
mass. Impounded water can be
lethal to life in the reservoir and
in the river for miles below.
Dams are the main reason that
one-fifth of the world’s freshwater fish are now either endangered or extinct. Meanwhile,
rotting vegetation releases huge
amounts of methane and CO2.
Natural gas is touted as
“bridge” energy. But the proposed projects are part of a massive overbuild of gas pipeline
infrastructure making overdependence a destination, not a
bridge. Transitioning to cleaner
burning natural gas may reduce
particulate matter, but methane
released during extraction and
transportation makes its carbon
emissions potentially more damaging since methane is a far
more potent greenhouse gas
than CO2. Hundreds of thousands of abandoned and unreg-
The Colebrook Chronicle
ulated wells are leaking methane
into the atmosphere as well.
Also, a toxic mix of fracking
fluids, with their many undisclosed chemicals, are contaminating water supplies and are
suspected in the increase of
earthquakes in some regions.
Hydrofracking does not provide
clean energy when it depends on
the exploitation of scarce water
resources that are vital to other
purposes, such as growing food.
Unsustainable
energy
sources, either foreign or domestic, are not the solution. They
don’t reduce fossil fuel dependence or supply New England
with “cheap” electricity, gas or
oil. In fact, a recent Cornell study
demonstrated that increases in
natural gas supply actually delay
the adoption of renewable
energy. The greater the gas supply, the longer the delay. Cheap
gas prices also encourage higher
consumption leading to even
higher emissions.
The appropriate time for
“bridge” energy was decades ago.
Unfortunately, today with the
earth having already passed 400
ppm of carbon in the atmosphere,
when 350 is the highest number
for sustainable life on earth as
we know it, it’s too late for half
measures. An “all of the above”
energy strategy solves nothing if
we really mean to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The dislodging of the West
Antarctic Ice Sheet may represent one of the first in a series of
dangerous tipping points in the
climate system within the next
few decades. Its detachment
would put the average daily high
tide in New York City above that
raised by Hurricane Sandy. Our
society can no longer afford its
slow response to this risk. Any
genuine effort to reduce this risk
must begin with a reduction in
fossil fuels.
We recommend a practical
and environmentally sensitive
approach to energy. First, everyone should commit to using less
energy. Second, New Hampshire
should hire a sustainability coordinator like Portland, Maine’s to
investigate and recommend the
newest approaches to true sustainable energy production,
transportation, conservation,
and efficiency. Third, NH Local
Energy Work Group is a good
place to start finding ways to
create energy solutions that
don’t sacrifice our environment
for short-term jobs or illusionary
tax benefits.
New Hampshire needs to set
realistic, concrete goals on emissions reduction and sustainable
energy. Measurable goals will
ensure that a new energy policy
can't be quickly undermined and
decisions are made responsibly.
Seven New Hampshire communities have already passed
Rights Based Ordinances for
Sustainable
Energy.
New
Hampshire residents have a
right to a sustainable energy
future in which energy decisions
are made by the affected communities, not by multinational corporations. Without a more
balanced,
earth-friendly
approach to energy, the consequences will be severe. Unsustainable energy will result in an
unsustainable climate.
David Moloney
and Anne Dicicco,
NH Pipeline
Awareness members
Douglas Whitbeck,
350NH member
Peter and Pamela Martin,
No Northern Pass
Coalition members
Page 15
Page 16
The Colebrook Chronicle
Friday, October 10, 2014
Around The Region
Football players lined the newly christened Bob Halsall field, as he made his way to the dedication
ceremony. He spent 38 years as as Sports Activity Director at Alexander Galt High School in Lennoxville,
Que. Corey Bellam photo.
RUN FOR THE CURE
The sky was sunny and the
spirits were high Sunday morning for the Run for the Cure
Breast Cancer Run, taking place
at Jacques Cartier Park in Sherbrooke. Close to two thousand
people showed up dressed in
pink–and some very entertaining
costumes–to take part in the 5th
annual CIBC Run for the Cure
Breast Cancer walk or run event.
The people started showing
up around 9 a.m. to get their
shirts and get registered for the
event. At around 9:30, Joanne
Gonthier, the former MNA for
Compton-Megantic, took the
stage and told her story about
when she was diagnosed with
breast cancer a while ago and
how she retired from her post to
undergo treatments for her
breast cancer. She is now cancerfree and full of energy. The walk
and run started at around 10
a.m. The lake was calm and the
trees were all colors, a perfect
setting for the day.
Figures for the run were
unavailable, but they are expecting with the three runs in Sherbrooke, Quebec City and
Montreal to raise $2.5 million
for the cause. The foundation
made a statement on Sunday
that that thanks to the money
raised at these walks, the survival rate has gone from 71 percent in 1974 to 88 percent in
2008 and they expect it to be a
lot higher by now. Many major
steps have been made over the
years to treat and prevent breast
cancer. It was a perfect day for
the cause.
–Corey Bellam
GEOCACHING AT
COOKSHIRE SCHOOL
Last Friday, we were invited
to the Cookshire Elementary
School to learn about geocaching.
Shelley Riimand from Brantford,
Bob Halsall, at right, joined by his successor, Robbie Fisk, standing
in front of the honorary sign above the scoreboard. Corey Bellam photo.
Ontario, came to visit the school
to introduce the children to the
fun activity of geocaching. The
children caught on faster than
the adults, and before long, we
were finding all sorts of things
that Shelley had hidden around
the property. A very interesting
event for sure.
For those people that are a
little behind, like this reporter,
geocaching is an outdoor activity
in which you use a GPS to hide
and find containers called geocaches, or just caches. A typical
cache is a waterproof container
with a log book and a pen. The
geocacher enters the date they
found the cache and signs their
code name. After that, it is put
back in the exact spot for someone else to find. Larger containers
like
Tupperware
or
ammunition boxes can be used
and contain items for trading
such as toys or such of little
value. Geocaching was first done
in 2000, and it is fun to do. The
only equipment you need is a
GPS and a pen to write in the
logbook. You also need a lot of
patience!
–Corey Bellam
HALSALL FIELD
At 1:30 p.m. last Friday, the
Chronicle, along with other
(Continued on page 17)
Friday, October 10, 2014
The Colebrook Chronicle
Page 17
Around The Region
A group of Bishop’s University workers posed for a photo at the start
of the Run for the Cure Breast Cancer event in Sherbrooke last
weekend. Corey Bellam photo.
On Saturday, Oct. 4, Sunnybrook Montessori School in Lancaster celebrated its 40th anniversary by
posing for a group photo of some current and past students, staff members and supporters in the Lancaster
Town Hall. The photo capped an evening concert featuring the regional Celtic group Islay Mist Ceilidh,
harpist Bill Tobin and musician McGowan Southworth, the latter two performers being former
Sunnybrook students. Charles Jordan photo.
Close to 2,000 people showed up dressed in pink to take part in the
fifth annual run. Corey Bellam photo.
Emily Sylvester gave us a big grin as she splatted her Science teacher
Mr. Berrigan during a fundraiser Pie Splat event at Alexander Galt
Regional High School‘s Galt Spirit Day. Corey Bellam photo.
(Continued from page 16)
medias, were invited to Alexander Galt Regional High School in
Lennoxville to attend the dedication of their football field to Robert “Bob” Halsall. They named
their field Halsall Field. Bob
Halsall has become a true Alexander Galt High School hero over
the 38 years he spent there as
Sports Activity Director. Bob
retired last year from his post
after many years of coaching and
being a good friend to all the
players and everyone at the
school. He had his small office
down in the Central Block of the
school. It wasn't very big, but
held a lot–the walls were lined
with trophies and banners and
all sorts of things. Then there
was Bob's desk, usually piled
with papers. Bob knew where
everything was, though. If someone asked him for something, he
would stop and think for a second. “Oh yeah, it's over here.
Here ya go!” he would say.
When Bob retired, Robbie
Fisk took over the massive job of
replacing him. Bob Halsall was
well loved at that school he gave
so much to. We spoke with Robbie Fisk and asked how it was
going with his new job. We were
told “Good, but Bob's shoes are
big ones to fill.” I was told people
still phone and want to talk to
him about sports.
Last Friday, the school
showed just how much they
think of him by naming their
football field Halsall Field. Bob
strutted up onto the field with
players lining his way and
thanked everyone for this great
honor. He then, in true Halsall
style, threw the first football to
Jeremy Gouin Gosselin, who is
one of Galts players. The field
was then Halsall Field. A big
sign was unveiled on top of the
scoreboard.
We spoke with Bob and asked
what his retirement plans were.
He just said, with a chuckle, “I'll
find something to fill my days
up.” He is still going to be helping with coaching for the hockey
team. Maybe Bob can sit and
enjoy a game now without having to keep everything running
smooth. We bet, though, that
he'll be right up there coaching.
–Corey Bellam
LENNOXVILLE PUMPKIN
AND HARVEST FEST
Last Saturday, we visited the
Dairy and Swine Research Center in Lennoxville to help them
celebrate their 100th anniversary. This place is much better
known as the Experimental
Farm, located just before Lennoxville on Rte 108.
In 1914 it all started, the
same year World War I began
and Charlie Chaplin hit the big
time. The Experimental Station
has since become the Dairy and
Swine Research Center. This
past Saturday, they held an open
house to let the public in to
check out just what goes on in
those huge buildings. This farm
shows farming of today, which is
very high tech and precise.
The day all started at 10 a.m.
in the heart of the complex. We
visited a lovely display of old
farming tools supplied by the
Eaton Corner Museum. Inside,
we found antique hand farming
tools like cream separators,
hand hay rakes and such. In one
corner, we found Marc Nault
President of the Eaton Corner
Museum, with his models of
timber frame barns.
We then hopped a bus to be
taken over to the dairy complex,
where we found a lovely herd of
cattle chewing on very sweet
feed. This being a research
place, a lot of the cows had
windows in their sides that
opened so the lab techs can
check how certain feeds digest
in their rumens. We then got a
tour of the milking room, where
these cows are milked three
times per day. A very high tech
place indeed, with computers
everywhere. This farm is very
important to the region, because
it employs over one hundred
people between the farm and the
labs.
–Corey Bellam
JIM ROBINSON
IN CONCERT
Trinity United Church presents Jim Robinson In Concert at
2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19, Trinity United Church, 190 Principale,
Ouest,
Cookshire.
Admission is $10, with light
refreshments available. For
more information, call (819) 8753796. All are welcome to join in
this fun-filled afternoon.
Many of the people in this
area know Jim Robinson. He
was a “down homer,” brought up
in Bulwer and went to high
school in Cookshire, played with
his dad in Prescott’s orchestra
at Nick Dean’s Barn, graduated
from Bishop’s and became a
teacher, had a well known rock
band in the ’70s with AW Fish,
lives in Montreal’s West Island,
and is a singer, songwriter and
entertainer. Many of his ballad
type songs are about local people, past events of this area,
and descriptive narratives of
our rural surroundings. He will
put on a good show.
–Corey Bellam
CALENDAR LISTINGS
FOR WREN
The following are the upcoming events for WREN for Oct.
17-31:
Wednesdays, Oct. 15 to Nov.
19, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Peaceful
Joyful Parenting with Michelle
Maitri-Mudita, M.Ed. at WREN
in Bethlehem.
Thursday, Oct. 16, from 10
a.m. to 1 p.m., Effective Brown
Bag Lunch Series, Effective
Hiring with Lynne Warren, Life
Coach and Training Professional at WREN in Bethlehem.
Thursday, Oct. 16, at 12
noon, WRENagades Ancestry
Workshop at the Bethlehem
Public Library in Bethlehem.
Thursdays, Oct. 16 to Nov.
20, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Peaceful
Joyful Parenting with Michelle
Maitri-Mudita, M.Ed. at WREN
at 117 Main St., Berlin.
Friday, Oct. 17, from 4 to
5:30 p.m., Intro to Guitar with
Ross Boyd at WREN in Bethlehem
Friday, Oct. 17, from 6 to 9
p.m., Not a Normal Art Class
with Andre Belanger at WREN
at 117 Main St., Berlin.
Saturday, Oct. 18 and 25,
from 12 to 3 p.m., Porcelain Doll
Making Workshop with Carol
Walker of The Doll Dreamer at
WREN in Bethlehem.
(Continued on page 18)
Page 18
The Colebrook Chronicle
Friday, October 10, 2014
Around The Region
The Dairy and Swine Research Center in Lennoxville celebrated their 100th anniversary with an open house last Saturday. Left photo: Tours were given of the high-tech milking
parlor. Right photo: The farm opened in 1914 and currently employs over 100 people…and dozens of cows. Corey Bellam photos.
(Continued from page 17)
Thursday, Oct. 23, from 6 to
9 p.m., Eureka Writers Night!
With Carrie Gendreau at the
Bethlehem Public Library on
Main Street in Bethlehem.
Friday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 8
p.m., Peyote Stitch Tube Beads
with Karen Crowe of Meadowsweet Designs at WREN in
Bethlehem.
Tuesday, Oct. 28, from 6 to 8
p.m., How to Manage Your
Online Presence for Artists with
Katherine Ferrier at WREN in
Bethlehem.
LEGENDS OF
NEW ORLEANS JAZZ
Kingdom County Productions
will present the exclusive northern New England production,
“Legends of New Orleans Jazz”
featuring rhythm-and-blues ace
and six-time Grammy nominee
Allen Toussaint joining forces
with the Preservation Hall Jazz
Band for the first time, on tour.
Showtime is 7 p.m., Tuesday,
Oct. 21 at Fuller Hall, St. Johnsbury Academy. Tickets are now
on sale at KingdomCounty.org
or by calling (802) 748-2600.
The Preservation Hall Jazz
Band has toured the world since
its founding in the early 1960s
as the essential vehicle to keep
traditional New Orleans jazz
traditions alive. During recent
years, the band has played 150
annual dates at venues ranging
from Carnegie Hall to Lincoln
Center and the Hollywood Bowl.
And they have branched out to
ensure a future as a living and
breathing group driven by fresh
influences and inspirations, adding a number of dynamic new
musical directions to their rocksolid repertoire of the classic
New Orleans style.
Preservation
Hall
has
appeared onstage with artists
ranging from Dr. John, Wynton
Marsalis, and the Grateful Dead,
to The Black Keys, Bonnie Raitt,
and Tom Waits. In an Oval Office
White House ceremony, the
group was awarded the 2006
National Medal of Arts, the
nation’s highest honor for artistic
excellence. In 2010, the San
Francisco Examiner called Preservation Hall “The best jazz band
in the land.”
Allen Toussaint ranks as a key
figure in the development of
R&B, and his songs have been
recorded by a staggering array of
artists including Otis Redding,
Phish, Boz Skaggs, The Who, The
Rolling Stones, Aaron Neville,
The Doors, Glenn Campbell, Warren Zevon, The Yardbirds, Jerry
Garcia, Paul Butterfield, Derek
Trucks Band, Ringo Starr, Trombone Shorty, Three Dog Night,
and The Hollies. Other collaborations include The Band, Paul
McCartney, Elvis Costello, Bo
Diddley, Levon Helm, and Robert
Plant and Alison Krauss. Toussaint’s many awards and recognitions include his 1998 induction
into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Elton John recently remarked,
"When I meet someone like Allen
Toussaint–that for me is like
meeting, you know, someone the
equivalent of the Dalai Lama,
because for me, he influenced the
way I played the piano. He’s an
historical part of rock-and-roll.”
The Oct. 21 concert is being
produced and presented by Kingdom County Productions working
in association with Lyndon State
College, Passumpsic Savings
Bank, Cabot Creamery, Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, St.
Johnsbury Academy, Vermont
Broadcast Associates, Vermont
Public Radio, and Catamount
Arts, which also handles box
office services for KCP events.
Show sponsors include: Donna
and Jerry Senturia, Kingdom
Taproom, Peacham Café, Ann
Mills, PointFM, Newport Daily
Express, and Abel Toll and
Ronny Lyster of the AutoSaver
Group.
For more information, go
online to KingdomCounty.org or
contact series producer Jay Craven ([email protected]).
FULLER’S SUGARHOUSE
PARTNERSHIPS
Fuller’s Sugarhouse, located
on 267 Main Street in Lancaster,
is pleased to announce some
recent new sales partnerships
with Whole Foods Market
(Nashua, NH), Dana Farber
Cancer Institute (Boston, MA),
LaBelle Winery (Amherst, NH),
and the new New Hampshire
Welcome Center (Hooksett, NH)
– for its premium maple syrup,
maple candy, maple cream and
maple sugar.
Fuller's Sugarhouse’s Pure
Maple Syrup is now available for
purchase in all size glass bottles
and plastic jugs at the Whole
Foods Market in Nashua, as one
of its locally produced product
vendors. As Whole Foods Market
expands to future locations in
Bedford and Portsmouth, Fuller’s Sugarhouse’s products will
be sold in those locations as well.
Fuller’s Sugarhouse medium
amber maple syrup is featured
in the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund’s 2014
Holiday Collection of cards and
gifts that are proudly made in
New England. Proceeds from the
sales of the Holiday Collection
are used to fund cancer research
and provide support to patients
confronting cancer. “We are honored to partner with Fuller’s
Sugarhouse and include their
maple syrup, a traditional New
England treat, in our 2014 Holiday Collection,” said David Giagrando, assistant vice president,
corporate partnerships at DanaFarber and the Jimmy Fund.
“This season, the Collection is
completely New England-made
The children of Cookshire Elementary School were introduced to the
activity of geocaching this past week. Corey Bellam photo.
Kingdom County Productions will present the exclusive northern New
England concert date for the upcoming tour of six-time Grammy
nominee Allen Toussaint alongside the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
The show is 7p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 21, at Fuller Hall, St. Johnsbury
Academy. Courtesy photo.
and we’re proud to have Fuller’s,
a local favorite, join us in supporting adult and pediatric
patient care and cancer research
at Dana-Farber.”
Fuller’s Sugarhouse created
a custom maple syrup for
LaBelle Winery in Amherst. The
maple syrup infused with a Madagascar vanilla-bean and a
medium amber maple syrup are
being sold in wine bottles under
the LaBelle Winery private label.
(Continued on page 19)
Friday, October 10, 2014
The Colebrook Chronicle
Page 19
Around The Region
The Comptonales Weekend included music, dance, crafts, good food,
and above all, fellowship. Corey Bellam photo.
We recently visited Compton, Que., to attend the Comptonales Weekend. This is a weekend where the whole Town of Compton throws open
its arms and welcomes the public in to their many businesses. These
pumpkins were one of the many sights. Corey Bellam photo.
(Continued from page 18)
The maple syrup is part of
LaBelle's Winemaker's Kitchen
line of culinary products, available for purchase at the Amherst
Winery
and
online
at
labellewinerynh.com. “LaBelle
Winery is delighted to partner
with
Fuller’s
Sugarhouse,
another great New Hampshire,
family-owned company,” said
Amy LaBelle, founder and winemaker at LaBelle Winery. “They
provide quick, professional service and top-quality products
that fit well within the LaBelle
Winery culinary line, The Winemaker’s Kitchen.”
Visitors to New Hampshire
can purchase Fuller’s Maple
Syrup at New Hampshire's
newly redeveloped visitor centers
off Interstate 93 in Hooksett.
Fuller’s products will be available with other New Hampshire
made products in the Visitor
Center’s Country Store.
Since 1972, Fuller’s Sugarhouse, family-owned and operated
business,
has
been
producing quality, award-winning maple syrup, candy, cream,
and sugar, sold at the sugarhouse on
267 Main Street in
Lancaster,
online
at
www.fullerssugarhouse.com, and
at retailers throughout the
Northeast. Fuller’s maple syrup
has been judged the best in New
Hampshire and the world by
national and international maple
syrup organizations. The stateof-the-art sugarhouse incorporates maple production, packaging and sales - all in one building.
Each spring, Fuller’s taps more
than 10,500 maple trees and
boils down more than 174,000
gallons of maple sap to produce
more than 4,000 gallons of maple
syrup.
RIVERFIRE FESTIVAL
The Androscoggin River
becomes a river of fire during the
annual RiverFire Festival on
Saturday, Oct. 18. As one of the
Grand North’s marquee events,
RiverFire features illuminated
piers and pumpkins along the
river in Berlin and draws more
than 5,000 people each year. The
renowned festival kicks off at 1
p.m. with a host of family fun at
the Northern Forest Heritage
Park, 942 Main Street, in Berlin.
Admission is free. After an afternoon of family-friendly autumn
and Halloween games, promotions, and food, the Androscoggin
River comes alive with fire at
night.
“People come from all over the
northeast to take in the spectacular sights at RiverFire,” said
Paula Kinney, of the Androscoggin Valley Chamber of Commerce, which puts on the
RiverFire Festival with the Berlin Main Street Program. “The
historic boom piers on the
Androscoggin River were once
used to guide logs sent down the
river to Berlin’s mills. During
RiverFire, those same piers are
stacked with pallets and lit
ablaze, creating breathtaking
floating fires. The lighting of the
river creates dramatic visuals,
particularly the contrast of the
bright flames and radiant jack-olanterns against the dark water,
while at the same time paying
homage to Berlin’s logging past.”
The day-long event boasts a
long list of fun, including bounce
houses, rock climbing, pumpkin
carving, bungee trampolines, a
petting zoo, duck races, a children’s
Halloween
costume
parade, and hayrides. Duke, one
of New England’s best bands,
will be cranking out country,
rock and pop tunes all afternoon.
The Beer Tent and food vendors
will be available all day.
“You will not regret visiting
Berlin for the RiverFire Festival,
which is one of the Grand North’s
‘can’t miss’ events each fall,” said
Karl Stone, marketing manager
for New Hampshire Grand, the
official visitor information source
for Coos County. “Along with the
great activities, food, and fun,
the RiverFire Festival is also an
opportunity to take a stroll down
Berlin’s historic Main Street,
before taking in the festival’s
floating fires at night, complete
with glowing jack-o-lanterns on
the bridge. RiverFire is one of the
many great reasons to visit New
Hampshire’s Grand North in the
fall. Between the astounding
foliage, the 1000-plus miles of
ATV trails, the chance to see a
moose, and the great food, shopping, and beautiful places to
stay, the Grand North is beckoning. ”
Additional events the day of
RiverFire include the Zombie
ATV Poker Run that kicks the
morning off at 9 a.m. ATV enthusiasts are encouraged to dress
like zombies and decorate their
ATVs for a chance to win prizes
for best costume and most festive
ATV. In poker, the best hand and
worst hand also receive prizes.
Register at Motorcycle Snowmobile Service, 299 Main Street in
Gorham, and ride to the Northern Forest Heritage Park in Berlin. Registration takes place from
9-11 a.m. Parking is free.
For guests looking for more
action, thrills, and the macabre,
the 2nd annual HorrorFest aims
to leave guests frightened out of
their minds. Presented by Theatre North, the terrifyingly
haunted village spans two
twisted and spooky acres of Heritage Park. The haunted village
is being completely redesigned
from last year. The spooky event
is recommended for thrill seekers 13 years and older. HorrorFest opens at 7 p.m.
The 2nd Annual RiverFire 5K
Run/Walk provides a chance to
work off all the delicious food
available at the event. The race,
which begins at 2 p.m., takes
runners from Heritage Park,
over the 12th-Street Bridge to
the Cemeteries and then back to
Heritage
Park.
Visit
www.androscogginvalleychambe
r.com/riverfire-festival to register.
This year’s RiverFire sponsors include: Aerial Site Communications, AutoNorth, Bank of
NH, Great North Woods Container Service, Guardian Angel
Credit Union, Jericho Motorsports, Motorcycle Snowmobile
Service, Northeast Credit Union,
Northway Bank, P & L Auto
Parts, Inc., Personal Touch and
ReMax Realty.
For more information, call
603-752-6060,
visit
www.androscogginvalleychambe
r.com/riverfire-festival/ or visit
the RiverFire Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/riverfire.berl
innh.
The annual RiverFire Festival, which takes place on Saturday, Oct. 18, in Berlin, features a series of fires
on the Androscoggin River’s historic boom piers, along with glowing jack-o-lanterns on the bridge, pictured
here. Photo credit: Mark R. Durcharme Photography.
Page 20
The Colebrook Chronicle
Friday, October 10, 2014
Obituaries
Bert J. Howe
Adam Hill
BERT J. HOWE
MANCHESTER–Bert
J.
Howe, 89, formerly of Lancaster,
passed away Tuesday morning,
Oct. 7, 2014, at Catholic Medical
Center.
Howe was born in Lancaster
on Dec. 20, 1924, the son of Harlie and Ester (Forbes) Howe.
During the Korean Conflict,
he served with the U.S. Army
and was stationed in France.
For 35 years he was employed at
the Wambec Mills, a manufacturer of fabrics, and then worked
10 years in custodial services for
AIG Insurance.
In his earlier years, Bert was
an avid fisherman and hunter
and enjoyed spending time with
his dad and son fishing and hunting in the North Country. In his
later years, he enjoyed his retirement, watching his grand children and great-grand children
grow.
He spent his later years vacationing with his family at
Moosehead Lake in Rockwood
Maine. His son and daughter-inlaw felt blessed to have him live
with them for the last eight
years.
Surviving family members
include a son, Alain Howe, and
his wife Donna of Manchester;
granddaughters Melissa Carder
and her husband Heath, and
Megan Pothier and her husband
Craig; a sister, Harlene Huntoon,
and her husband Bernard; several nieces and nephews, two
great grandchildren and three
step great-grandchildren. His
wife, Jeannine Howe, predeceased him.
A visiting hour will be held
Friday afternoon, from 1 to 2
p.m., at Bailey Funeral Home in
Lancaster. A service will follow
at 2 p.m. at the funeral home.
Life Cycle Celebrant Wendy MacDonald of Randolph will officiate.
Burial will follow in Summer
Street Cemetery, Lancaster.
Donations in lieu of flowers
may be made in his memory to
Easter Seals New Hampshire
Adult Day Program, 555 Auburn
St., Manchester, NH 03103.
Please go to www.baileyfh.net
for more information or to send
an online condolence.
ADAM HILL
WHITEFIELD–Adam
Thomas Hill, 34, of Union Street,
died unexpectedly on Sunday,
Oct. 5, 2014.
Adam was born on May 19,
1980, in Lancaster, and lived
most of his life in the Sugar Hill/
Littleton area. He was known
for his big heart and loved having
a good time. He loved music and
playing the guitar and he also
enjoyed fishing.
Adam is survived by his
daughters, Jessica Hill and Justice Adamovage, and step-daughter Miranda Hayes, all of
Littleton; his mother, Melody
Fenoff of Whitefield; brothers
Matthew Hayward and wife
Megan and children Thea,
Corbin, and Darius, all of Whitefield, and Joey Hill and wife
Amanda and children Alex, Brianna, and Jaheias, all of
Groveton; his sister, Heather
Lackie and husband Michael,
and children Abigail and Jacob,
all of Dalton. He was also very
blessed with two special dads,
Tony Carriere of Whitefield and
Paul Hayward of Littleton; several aunts, uncles, cousins and
extended family.
A private memorial service
will be held at the ArmstrongCharron Funeral Home in
Groveton at the convenience of
the family. A public Celebration
of Life will be held on Saturday,
Oct. 18, 2014, at 2 p.m. at the
Eagles Club, 793 Main St., Bethlehem, NH 03574.
In lieu of flowers, memorial
donations may be made in
Adam’s name to the Make-AWish Foundation at wish.org or
4742 N. 24th Street, Suite 400,
Phoenix, AZ 85016-4862.
To send the family condolences via the online register
book,
please
visit
www.armstrongcharronfuneralh
ome.com.
GARY M. PLOSS
LANCASTER–Gary M. Ploss,
54, died suddenly on Friday, Oct.
3, 2014, at his residence in Lancaster.
Ploss was born in Danvers,
Mass., on Oct. 20, 1959, the son
of Charles and Maralyn (McKay)
Ploss.
Gary moved to northern New
Hampshire at a young age and
was a graduate of White Mountain Regional High School. After
graduation he enlisted in the
Army. Upon Gary’s discharge
from the Army, he found employment as a master carpenter and
had last worked with Tile Etc.
When Gary was not working, he
enjoyed playing drums and guitar and played in a local band
named Black Sunrise. He also
enjoyed hunting and bike riding
during his free time.
Surviving family members
include his parents; his wife,
Susan; five children, Christopher
Ploss of Lancaster, Joshua
Laverdure of Gorham, James
Ploss of Lancaster, Daniel Ploss
(Debbie) of Claremont, Emma
Ploss of Lancaster; five grandchildren, Dylan, Joshua, Kerste,
and Chris Jr.; two brothers,
Charlie Ploss of Ashville, N.C.
and Mark Ploss of New Boston;
four sisters, Kristi Racine of
Windsor,
Mass.,
Suzzanne
Andrews of Mass., Wendy
Krupicka of Brookline, Mass.
Cindy Sergi of Manchester; and
many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be
held on Friday afternoon, Oct.
10, 2014, at 1 p.m. at the American Legion Post in Whitefield.
Burial will follow at the Summer
Street Cemetery in Lancaster.
Reverend Suzzanne Andrews
will officiate.
Arrangements are under the
direction of Bailey Funeral
Home, Lancaster. Please go to
www.baileyfh.net for more information or to send an online condolence.
THOMAS MERCER
GRAVESIDE SERVICE
COLEBROOK–Thomas A.
Mercer, Jr., 56, passed away on
Aug. 14, 2014, in Colebrook. A
graveside service will be held on
Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014, at Noon
in the Colebrook Village Cemetery. A “Celebration of Tom’s
Life” will immediately follow at
the Colebrook Country Club.
Expressions of sympathy in
memory of Tom may be made to
Helping Hands, 119 Main St.,
Colebrook, NH 03576.
Funeral arrangements are
under the direction of Jenkins
and Newman Funeral Home in
Colebrook.
can also help youngsters learn
about the environment, conservation, tradition and ethics, and
it can build a deep and abiding
appreciation for the wildlife and
wild places that many of our
citizens and visitors cherish.
New Hampshire has offered a
special youth deer hunt since
1999. Nonresident youth may
participate in New Hampshire’s
youth deer weekend only if their
state of residence allows New
Hampshire youth to participate
in its youth deer hunt.
For more about New Hampshire’s youth deer hunting weekend,
visit
http://www.huntnh.com/Hunting
/Youth_deer_wknd.htm.
dates for the 2015 and 2016
Tri-state Snowmobile Reciprocity Weekends, which snowmobile
enthusiasts in New Hampshire,
Maine and Vermont look forward
to each year. The hearing is set
for Friday, Oct. 24, 2014, at 12
noon at the N.H. Fish and Game
Dept., 11 Hazen Drive, Concord.
N.H. Fish and Game is proposing to set the dates for the
weekend that allows reciprocity
for Vermont and Maine snowmobile registrations to be Jan. 30
through Feb. 1, 2015; and Jan.
29-31, 2016.
The complete rulemaking
notices, with original and proposed rule language, can be
viewed
at
http://www.wildnh.com/Legislati
ve/Notices_summary.htm.
Written comments must be
received by Oct. 31. Send to:
[email protected] (use
subject line “Comments on Snowmobile Weekend”); or write to
Executive Director, N.H. Fish
and Game Dept. 11 Hazen Drive,
Concord, NH 03301; or fax to
271-1438.
Outdoors
N.H. YOUTH DEER HUNT
SET FOR OCT. 25-26
New Hampshire’s youth deer
weekend, Saturday and Sunday,
Oct. 25-26, 2014, is the perfect
time to take a youngster hunting.
This special weekend gives
young people age 15 and younger
the opportunity to go deer hunting with an adult mentor, without the pressure of competing
with thousands of adult hunters.
Accompanying adults must be
licensed hunters and are not
allowed to carry a firearm; the
idea is to concentrate your time
and attention on coaching your
young companion.
Prospects for this year’s youth
season are good, according to
Dan Bergeron, Deer Project
Leader for the N.H. Fish and
Game Dept. New Hampshire’s
deer population is healthy and
will provide excellent opportunities. In 2013, young hunters took
483 deer during the youth weekend.
“The weekend presents a
great opportunity to introduce
your son or daughter, grandchild,
or even a young friend to the joys,
excitement, and rewards of deer
hunting; all under the careful
guidance of an experienced
adult” said Bergeron. “You can
help teach them about the sights
and sounds of the forest, how to
interpret wildlife sign, and how
to use this knowledge to track
and harvest a white-tailed deer.
It’s a great excuse to get young
people and yourself, out in the
fresh air, have some fun, and
enjoy some beautiful fall foliage.
Teaching a young person how to
hunt and seeing their excitement
can help even the most avid
hunter remember why they love
the sport so much. This shared
experience can build bonds that
last a lifetime. We hope hunters
will spend the weekend teaching
the state’s youth what hunting is
all about."
Bergeron notes that hunting
FISH AND GAME
SPECIAL MEETING
The N.H. Fish and Game
Commission will hold a special
meeting on Friday, Oct. 17, 2014,
at 9 a.m. at the N.H. Fish and
Game Department, 11 Hazen
Drive, Concord, for the purpose
of further discussing proposed
bear guide permit rules.
The Commission also has
announced a date change for its
regular monthly meeting in
November. That meeting will be
held on Wednesday, Nov. 19,
2014, at 1 p.m. at the N.H. Fish
and Game Dept. 11 Hazen Drive,
Concord.
Meetings of the N.H. Fish and
Game Commission are open to
the public. As they become available, meeting agendas and minutes
are
posted
at
http://www.wildnh.com/Inside_F
andG/commission.htm.
The N.H. Fish and Game
Dept. is the guardian of the
state's marine, fish and wildlife
resources and their habitats.
Visit http://www.wildnh.com.
PUBLIC HEARING ON
RECIPROCITY RULES
An upcoming public hearing
will discuss setting respective
YOUR AD LOOKS
GOOD IN
THE CLASSIFIEDS!!
Classifed Ads
in the Chronicle are
seen by the
Thousands–place
yours today!
Call us at 246-8998
Or stop by our office at
4 Titus Hill Road
(at 82 Main Street)
in downtown
Colebrook
Friday, October 10, 2014
Business Directory
JP FRAMING
JEFFREY PETTIT
603-237-5039
Stewartstown, NH
Additions • Garages • Houses • Camps
The Colebrook Chronicle
Page 21
Page 22
The Colebrook Chronicle
Classifieds
For Sale
Central Boiler E-Classic OUTDOOR
FURNACES. Heat your entire home
and hot water. EPA Qualified. Call
today, 1-800-295-8301. (603) 2378301. 12/26
Friday, October 10, 2014
Call (603) 246-8998
Storm
aluminum
windows,
aluminum doors, electric stove, gas
furnace, two double top stainless steel
sinks, wood windows, wood/maroon
closed shutters and much more to see.
Call 630-6179. 10/31
Dryer, Kenmore, in very good
condition. $150 obo. Three mobile
home axles with tires, plus two extra
tires. Call (603) 331-5047. 10/24
1957 Chevy BelAir Coupe, $35,000;
1933 Plymouth, $14,000 (antique);
1999 Chevy Blazer with studded
tires, $1,200; 1994 F150 with cap,
$1,200; or best offer on each. (603)
259-6494. 10/24
Services
Music Lessons: Guitar, Ukulele,
Banjo, Mandolin, Bass, Dulcimer,
and Voice. Children ages 5-8 for
$60/month, includes instrumental
rental. All other students, $75,
instrument rental $15. Roberta’s
Studio, (603) 331-1628. TFN
Would like to haul your junk and
unwanted vehicles. Call Rusty
Edwards. (603) 237-5676. 7/31/15
Farm Fresh
LINE CLASSIFIED
ADVERTISING
BUY 2 WEEKS, GET THE THIRD WEEK FREE!
$4 per week for up to 30 words,
12 cents per word if over 30 words.
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_______________________________________________________________________________________
Drop your classified and payment at our downtown Colebrook office:
4 Titus Hill Road (at the corner of 82 Main Street)
Or mail to: PO Box 263, Colebrook NH 03576
Classifieds must be accompanied by payment.
!**NORTH COUNTRY**!
**MARKETPLACE
& SALVAGE**
104 Colby Street, Colebrook
603-631-1221
http://www.marketplaceandsalvage.com/
Offering Local Produce & Products
Vegetables Are In!!
Open: Tues.-Fri. 9-5
Sat. 9-2
TFN
Wanted
Top dollar paid for junk cars and
trucks. Also, steel, batteries,
aluminum cans. Call (603) 636-1667
days or (603) 636-1304 nights. TFN
Buying snowmobiles, ATVs and
motorcycles. Call (603) 538-6963 or
(802) 334-1603. TFN
Friday, October 10, 2014
The Colebrook Chronicle
Page 23
Sports
The Groveton Eagles fell to Colebrook 0-4 in their Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 4. Eagles Ryan
Laverty, left, and Brandon Dorr look to shut out Colebrook from possessing the ball. Samantha McMann
photo.
Eagle Christian Simpson looks to stop Mohawk Nathan Cass from
scoring. Samantha McMann photo.
Groveton’s Morgan Felix and Colebrook’s Lexi Lawson battle it out
for the ball in Groveton’s Homecoming game. Samantha McMann
photo.
38TH DIXVILLE
HALF MARATHON
The 38th annual Dixville Half
Marathon was held among beautiful autumn colors. Runners
started at Coleman State Park
in Stewartstown and made their
way to the finish line at the
North Country Community Recreation Center in Colebrook. The
Recreation Center has been hosting the event for a few years now,
having taken over from a local
committee of runners and enthusiasts. The event also includes a
“fun walk” component, for participants who prefer the slower
pace of walking for a few miles
through the beautiful autumn
scenery.
The results of the winners are
as follows:
Individual Half Marathon:
First Place Overall Male–Tim
Dumas; First Place Overall
Female–Kristin Dacko. Dennis
Joos Award, First Place Local
Male–Tim Dumas. Vickie Bunnell Award, First Place Local
Female–Bridget Freudenberger.
Four Person Relay: All Male,
FirstPlace–Road Runners; All
Female, First–Agony of De Feet,
SecondPlace–The Braided Four,
Third
Place–Sole
Sisters;
Mixed, First Place–Parenteau
Family, Second Place–Buns on
the Run, Third Place, Green Legs
and Ham.
Two Person Relay: All Male,
First Place–Armands Army Two,
Second Place–Two Old Farts,
Third Place–Whitetail Chasers;
All Female, First Place–Two
Team Running Machine, Second
Place–Wicked Fast, Third Place–
Armands Army Too; Mixed, First
Place–Rosenberg, Second Place–
Black Bear Racing, Third Place–
Armands Army.
Groveton’s Tatum Hudson and Colebrook’s Michaella Biron fight for
the ball in Groveton’s Homecoming game on Oct. 4. Colebrook won,
6-0. Samantha McMann photo.
Page 24
The Colebrook Chronicle
Friday, October 10, 2014
Sports
Chris Guay of Groveton and Creed Cooney of Colebrook face off on Groveton’s field during the Oct. 4
Homecoming game. Samantha McMann photo.