07/27/2023 Weirs Times

A Pinball Odyssey At Funspot

On Saturday, July 29th, Funspot’s first ever sanctioned Pinball Tournament will take place at their newly created Pinball Outpost.

Players will square off to try and earn the most points competing on five different pinballs ranging from the classics to modern era releases.

“Four of the pinballs, F-14 Tomcat, Black Knight, Funhouse and Cyclone have been meticulously refurbished from among some of the extensive collection of classics that have been at Funspot for decades,” said Funspot Tournament Director Zackary Holt who came up with the idea for the Pinball Odyssey tournament. “The fifth pinball in the competition will be a new premium edition ‘Star Wars The Mandalorian’ which was recently added to Funspot’s collection.”

Summer Vacation DayS

Reprinted from The Granite Monthly -August 1910

by M. Bassett Rouke

When the days grow gradually longer and the stamp of confirmed summer is evidenced upon every side, the city dweller, held per force of circumstances to the modern brick life of the period,

displays a restless longing for the annual flitting time to arrive, and speed him far away from the scenes of daily humdrum activity that have well nigh become unbearable.

What, then, can equal the charm of the country, a charm that appeals to tired humanity, and bids weary folks lay aside their

various burdens and rest - just rest. Ears that have grown nerveless amid the thousand floating noises of a large town or city quickly respond to the deep call of beckoning hills, the cheery song of the woodland brook or gentle monotone of the friendly river; the silver flash of limpid streams,

where trout lazily swim and tempt the patient angler to further effort, is a thing never to be forgotten.

The subtle joy of the country is all there, just as of old, before we left the home nest to struggle with the larger life the outer world afforded, and from which we now and

How the tournament works is there will be multiple rounds of play where players face-off for the top placement in each round. The higher the player places the more points they earn. The tournament starts at 11am and at 3pm the points will be totaled with the top four finishers going on to compete in the finals. The winner will receive 70 percent of the prize money with other prizes from See ODYSSEY on 27

D & SHARE ONLINE FOR

WEIRS, LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE, N.H., THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2023

A Doe and

The Black Briefcase

To The Editor:

While reading “ The Presidents Club” I stumbled on Eisenhower telling JFK about “ The Black Briefcase”. Ike introduced JFK to the nondescript man who carried “ The Black Briefcase” containing the nuclear codes. “The Black Briefcase” would shadow JFK everyday in office where ever JFK went.( P. 122)

A mind-numbing chill shivered down my spine as I realized babbling, bumbling Biden” carries a laminated card at all times” which would allow the Bungler Biden “ to pick from thirty pages of lethal ( nuclear) options, activate missile silos or surface ( nuclear) submarines.

( P. 122)

I suppose General Milley will contact the CCP if Biden opens “The Black Briefcase”.

I hope and pray that everyone seriously ponders Bungling Biden with the “ Black Briefcase “ when they vote in 2024 if the USA survives that long.

Charles Bradley Laconia, NH.

Look Beyond Their Words

To The Editor:

Like conmen everywhere, leftists/Marxists/Democrat leaders (“Democrats”) often use commonly understood benignsounding words to deceive people. Examples:

People understand that “Justice” means impartial punishment or award based on law and people’s actions, without regard

to the individuals involved.

When “Democrats” qualify the term “Justice”, e.g., “environmental justice” and “social justice”, they want you to assign it the attributes of “Justice”. But qualified justice isn’t “Justice”. Qualified justice means punishing people for something he/ she/they didn’t do to reward people who he/she/they didn’t harm.

“Democrats” use “Diversity” and “Inclusion” to demand that you accept their Marxist ideology; but their “Diversity” and “Inclusion” don’t include your nonMarxist ideology. People rejecting Democrats’ Marxist ideology are often punished: e.g., threatened, cancelled, fired, injured, had their personal information exposed, and/or prevented from speaking in public.

(Note: “Diversity” doesn’t make a nation strong; diversity is a divider. Strength comes from shared values; that is why our motto is “E Pluribus Unum.”)

“Equity” generally means fairness and impartiality. “Democrats” use “equity” to claim that people must compensate other people that they didn’t harm and perhaps were never harmed; e.g., requiring people who weren’t slave-owners to reward people who were never slaves. (Our courts exist to punish criminals and resolve real claims for injury.)

When “Democrats” speak, look beyond their words to their true meaning.

Don Ewing

Meredith, NH.

Israel Is Essential For Survival Of Jews

To The Editor:

The Evan-les-Bains, France conference of July 6-15,1938 discussed the plight of Jews in Nazi Germany, and was supposed to develop and implement a plan to rescue them. President Franklin D. Roosevelt initiated convening the conference of 32 countries and 24 relief agencies. Adolph Hitler said he would allow the Jews to leave Germany and emigrate to the 32 countries represented at the conference. Unfortunately, 31 countries refused to take in any Jews. Only the Dominican Republic agreed to allow in some Jews. Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King said “We must … seek to keep this part of the Continent free from unrest and from too great an intermixture of foreign strains of blood.” The British, who controlled what is now Israel, refused to allow the Jews to emigrate because of the conflict between Arabs and Jews. The French said they could not help. The U.S. State Department, who had a Jew hater in a prominent position, blocked entry to the U.S. Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama said they wanted no traders or intellectuals. Argentina said it had enough immigrants from Europe. Australia said it had no racial problems and did not want to create any.

After the conference a few countries allowed some Jews See

This newspaper was first published in 1883 by Mathew H. Calvert as Calvert’s Weirs Times and Tourists’ Gazette and continued until Mr. Calvert’s death in 1902. The new Weirs Times was reestablished in 1992 and strives to maintain the patriotic spirit of its predecessor as well as his devotion to the interests of Lake Winnipesaukee. Our newspaper’s masthead and the map of Lake Winnipesaukee in the center spread are elements in today’s paper which are taken from Calvert’s historic publication.

Locally owned for 30 years, this publication is devoted to printing the stories of the people

and places that make New Hampshire the best place in the world to live. No, none of the daily grind news will be found in these pages, just the good stuff.

Published year round on Thursdays, we distribute 24,000 copies of the Weirs Times every week to the Lakes Region/Concord/ Seacoast area and the mountains and have an estimated 60,000 people reading this newspaper.

To find out how your business or service can benefit from advertising with us please call 603-366-8463.

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159 D.W. Hwy, Belmont, NH • 603-524-8821 NO PRESSURE, NO GIMMICKS, NO KIDDING!

Not So LoNg Ago ...

Exploring ThE lEgEnd & lorE of our graniTE STaTE

entertainment at the mountainS 135 yearS ago

by Robert Hanaford Smith, Sr. Contributing Writer

It is often the choice of vacationers to plan a trip to somewhere that is out of the ordinary for them. Time off from customary routines and pursuits is best achieved by a change of scenery, or so it is thought. For those to whom a change of location is not possible, a vacation at least involves a change in routine.

A trip to the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the last half of the 1800’s often involved room and board at a hotel and opportunities to not only see, but to walk on those mountains, and to breathe the mountain air. But it seems that to the hosts, at least, if not also their guests, just being in the mountains was not enough of an experience. Tourists needed to be entertained.

Each summer thousands of people would make their way by railroad, boat, and stagecoach to what

was considered New England’s most popular resort, according to the Among the Clouds publication. The newspaper, published twice a day from the top of Mount Washington, attributed the beauty and grandeur of the mountains as that which brought the tourists to them each year. But they added some stuff!

Then, as now, at times the stillness of the mountains was interrupted with the sound of music. One Wednesday summer evening the Maplewood Cottage in Bethlehem was crowded “from pit to dome” with tourists staying in the area enjoying

the fourth entertainment event of the year which was labeled “Merry and Musical.” There were nine items consisting of musical numbers and readings on the program, but a guest from the audience was also asked to sing. Mr. F.A. Flagg was reported to have a “magnificant bass voice,”

One of the items on the program was what was listed as a “Duettino- Espanola, Castanetto, Piano, Spanish Students.” The reviewer for the Among the Clouds publication wrote, “the audience expected something quite romantic, and of the Spanish order, but it was nothing more

or less than a duet for “bones” and piano, performed by Mr. and Mrs. Richards, and the jolly medley of familiar airs that they played produced such an outburst of enthusiasm as had never before been experienced at Maplewood. Mr. Richards played the bones from an adjoining room, and the effect was like that of castanets.” The Turner House also had a Wednesday night musicale which was said to be “a pleasant diversion for the guests.”

Not to be left out of the entertainment, the Fabyan House also put on a Wednesday eve -

Parking at Franconia Notch in early 1900’s.

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

NH Boat Museum To Host Artist Reception With Kim Bartenhagen

On Friday, August 4 from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., New Hampshire Boat Museum (NHBM) will host a reception for Kim Bartenhagen as featured artist of the month in August.

Resident of Brookfield, NH, Bartenhagen said she is often inspired by found, salvaged, antique, and organic materials. “It is important for me to mix a lot of textures, materials, and colors,” she described. “I tend to gravitate towards colors in nature.”

Noting she has a theme in mind for some of her work, she said ideas, at other times, “come from out of the blue.” “My ideas happen when I am surrounded by objects, such as antiques, old books, nature, fabric, and good junk,” added Bartenhagen, whose work is available for purchase at Zen Glow Wellness in Wolfeboro, NH.

While Bartenhagen’s work will be available for viewing by the public in NHBM’s gallery in August, the Artist Reception is open only to members. “It’s a perk of membership,” explained Martha Cumming, NHBM executive director. “We provide unique experiences throughout the year for members, so this is a nice example of that…Plus, members get to chat with the artist, which is always fun.”

Hoop’s Charity Motorcycle Ride Benefits Ashland Parks & Rec

In an act of kindness Dave Hooper of Hoop’s Charity Ride and Dave Page of the White Mountain Brewing Company teamed up to raise money for local activities. As long time motorcycle enthusiast these two men have been doing this and giving back for many years. This year they decided to donate the proceeds of the “Hoop’s Charity Motorcycle Ride” to benefit the Ashland Parks and Recreation Department for the Children’s Summer Program the sum of Three Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Four Dollars. Thank you to these two local men for their generous donation that will greatly help with the Summer Program.

The Board of Selectmen were there to accept this generous donation on behalf of the town of Ashland. In the Photograph left to right is Dave Hooper ride organizer, Ann Barney Director of the Ashland Park and Recreation Dept, Andy Fitch Vice Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Dave Page the founder of White Mountain Brewing Company of Ashland NH. Photo taken by Selectman Bob Letourneau

Gilmanton Farm And Flax Day

Explore the beauty of the Howe Conservation Area at Gilmanton Historical Society’s Second Annual Farm & Flax Day on Saturday, July 29, from 10 am until 3 pm. Hike the Urner Trail to Meetinghouse Pond and experience Gilmanton’s agricultural heritage. During colonial times, flax was grown, retted and processed at this site. See members of the Flax and Linen Community demonstrate the processing of flax to linen as it was done 200 years ago.

The Farm Museum and Tom Howe Conservation Area is at 245 Meetinghouse Road in Gilmanton. The event will be be held, rain or shine. The program is free and open to the public. Donations are welcome to support the work of the Gilmanton Historical Society. For further information consult the Society’s website: www.gilmantohistoricalsociety.org.

Summer programs continue: Tuesday, August 22nd, 6 pm: Beech Grove Cemetery Walking Tour (rain date Wednesday, August 23). Tuesday, September 26th, 6:30 PM. African American Soldiers and Sailors of New Hampshire During the American Revolution. . Saturday, October 7th 10am-3pm rain or shine. Gilmanton Historic Buildings & Homestead Tour. Cost: $20.

Founded in 1992 by antique and classic boating enthusiasts, NHBM is committed to inspire people of all ages with an enduring connection, stewardship, and appreciation of New Hampshire’s freshwater boating heritage through compelling exhibits, experiences, and educational programs.

When Books Went To War - Lecture By Author Molly Guptill Manning At Wright Museum

On Tuesday, August 1st, the Wright Museum will welcome author Molly Guptill Manning. This is the eighth program of the Wright Museum’s 2023 Education Series.

When America entered World War II in 1941, we faced an enemy that had banned and burned 100 million books. Outraged librarians launched a campaign to send free books to American troops, gathering 20 million hardcover donations. Two years later, the War Department and the publishing industry stepped in with an extraordinary program: 120 million specially printed paperbacks designed for troops to carry in their pockets and rucksacks in every theater of war.

These small, lightweight Armed Services Editions were beloved by the troops and are still fondly remembered today. Soldiers read them while waiting to land at Normandy, in hellish trenches in the midst of battles in the Pacific, in field hospitals, and on long bombing flights. This pioneering project not only lifted soldiers’ spirits, but also helped rescue The Great Gatsby from obscurity and made Betty Smith, author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, into a national icon.

Molly Guptill Manning is an Assistant Professor of Law at New York Law School, where she teaches Legal Practice, Civil Procedure, and Professional Responsibility.

Professor Manning’s scholarship focuses on legal history and the intersection between law and culture. She has written articles on soldiers’ voting rights, fraud and poetic license, and prisoner’s access to the federal courts. Her articles have been published in the Columbia Journal of Law and the Arts, New York University Journal of Legislation and Public Policy, and the Federal Bar Council Quarterly, to name a few. She has also written several books including When Books Went to War, a New York Times best seller. She is currently working on a fourth book on the First Amendment. She has been interviewed on MSNBC, NPR Morning Edition, and WNYC, and she has given talks across the United States, including at the FDR Presidential Library, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Senate Library. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., the program begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 1st at the Wright Museum’s DuQuoin Education Center, 77 Center Street in Wolfeboro. Admission is $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made online at www.wrigthmuseum.org/lecture-series or by calling 603-569-1212..

I received the news while I was enjoying my morning bowl of oatmeal, raisins and walnuts with a dab of peanut butter.

But now at sixty-seven those delusions have lightened a bit and now I’m excited if I can stay awake past 9pm.

got to lose?”

I think that pretty much sums up the average voters’ feelings nowadays. I mean, how much worse can things get? We keep throwing the same people at the same problems and expect different results.

by Brendan Smith

That’s usually my morning quiet time when I get a few minutes to myself and meditate on the coming day.

I was interrupted by the buzzing of my cell phone, usually set to silent during these quiet moments, I had mistakenly set to vibrate.

I could have just ignored it, but instead I did what we all do when our peace is interrupted by this rectangular piece of metal and plastic we take with us everywhere – I looked at who was calling.

It was a number and name I knew; someone who I hadn’t heard from in a while. I could have ignored it, gone back to my feast, and checked later to see if a voice message was left, instead curiosity got the better of me and I answered.

“Did you hear the news?” my friend excitedly said.

“What news?” I answered, now dreading my decision to answer.

“Sununu, he’s out,” laughed my friend. “He’s not running again. His reign is over and it looks like the perfect opportunity for you for another run. Are you in?”

The news did come as a bit of a shock to me. I had been thinking long and hard about whether or not I would run again for governor as the Flatlander Party candidate. I had already run, with limited success, every two years since 2000. I was thinking it was possibly a good time to call it quits. When I first ran, I was only forty-five with still many delusional years of grandeur ahead of me. Being elected governor was just one of the many aspirations on my grandeur list.

Still, running for the big chair (I hear it is very comfortable) is something I have dedicated a lot of time and energy to, and it would seem foolish not to give it one last try now that the race will be wide open for the first time in years.

These thoughts ran through my head as I held my phone in one hand and a spoon circling the half-eaten bowl of oatmeal in the other. I realized that this could be my last great opportunity.

“Yes, I’m in,” I said.

And that was that.

I was running. Possibly for the final time.

So now it was time to start to work on a new campaign strategy.

I turned on the local news and saw that many of the obvious folks whose entire existence hinges lately on always running for some office or another had already declared their candidacy, the same old same olds surely salivating as soon as they had heard of Sununu’s plans to step aside. They had political resumes already and that gave them some name recognition on the political front.

Realizing that this would most likely be my swan song of politics, I knew I’d have to go all out and try something entirely new. So, I am going to use my twenty plus years of unsuccessful campaigns to my advantage.

It’s time to make people realize that all of these folks they have been electing to different offices over the years, and who now want to be governor have basically…. well…accomplished little or nothing in that time.

So maybe it’s time to go with a loser.

It made me think of one of Donald Trump’s more memorable lines (and there were many) in his successful 2016 campaign for president was: “What have you

So, why not try what yxou keep rejecting? Mainly me. Any good campaign knows the first thing you need is a catchy slogan, Maybe “Smith - Why Not?” or maybe recycling an old favorite from pizza boxes: “You’ve Tried All The Rest, Now Try The Best.” Or maybe even one of those oversized political mailers that will have the faces of all the other candidates with big letters proclaiming: “Vote Smith – Can He Be Any Worse?”

I will also campaign on the fact that this is it for me. Win or lose, I am not going to aspire to any other political office. After all, if I happen to get re-elected for two terms, by the time the second one is done I’ll be about seventy-three and tuckered out, so why in the world would I want to be pursuing even bigger things like being a U. S. Congressman or Senator and having to travel back and forth to Washington all the time. At this stage of my life, I barely want to travel from Laconia to Concord.

So, it looks like this will be my last campaign and I will be pulling out all the stops.

You can keep picking the same old, same olds and then pick some other same old same olds in another two years because you aren’t happy with the original same olds, or you can vote for me.

I’ll be one and done and then I promise to go away quietly.

Now let me get back to my oatmeal.

Brendan is the author of “The Flatlander Chronicles” and “Best Of A F.O.O.L. In New Hampshire” available at BrendanTSmith.com. His latest book “I Only Did It For The Socks and Other Tales of Aging” will be published later this year.

Skelley’s Market Skelley’s

Weirs Times Editor

more thoughtS on affirmatiVe action

by Star Parker Syndicated Columnist

Following the Supreme Court decision finding preferential treatment, i.e., affirmative action, in college admissions unconstitutional, the president of Harvard issued a statement to “Members of the Harvard Community.” This statement tells us how those managing one of the nation’s most prestigious universities understand justice, knowledge and learning.

First, let’s consider what Harvard’s president does not say, which is to recognize the importance of “equal protection.”

The unconstitutionality of affirmative action, per the court, follows from the 14th Amendment requiring “equal protection of the laws.”

Where does this idea of “equal protection” come from?

If we look in our Bible, in the book of Exodus, judges are directed to apply the law equally to all, and not give special treatment to the poor.

We know this is not because the Bible, which emphasizes the importance of charity and sensitivity to others, is indifferent to the unfortunate.

It is because it is not the job of the judge to determine outcomes -- that the world reflect his personal preferences -- but to apply the law.

But at Harvard, everyone is so smart that they feel they know what the world should look like. Good and evil are defined in the president’s office at Harvard.

So, there is less interest in “equal protection” than achieving social outcomes that reflect how the president of Harvard thinks the world should be.

Per the president, “diversity and difference are essential to academic excellence.” And “Harvard must be a place of opportunity.”

But “diversity and difference,” per Harvard’s president, is about race and ethnicity, not about differences among unique individual human beings.

Back to the Bible, standing before the judge is a unique human being with personal responsibility to follow the law. The person’s color, gender or bank account is not the issue. Personal behavior is.

Let’s consider two areas of ethnic differences. The Brookings Institution looked at math scores of high school students in the SAT.

The average score in 2020 was 523 out of 800. Average scores by race/eth-

ukraine, inner citieS, anD character attackS

This weekend, Tucker Carlson interviewed a bevy of Republican presidential candidates in Iowa. Despite the fact that polls show that nearly zero Americans consider the war in Ukraine to be a top voting priority, Carlson spent a disproportionate share of his time grilling the candidates over their position on Ukraine. He took the position that favoring additional aid to Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia amounted to taking money out of the hands of poverty-stricken Americans in inner cities; as he asked Mike Pence, “Every city in the United States has become much worse over the past three years. Our economy has degraded. The suicide rate has jumped. Public filth and disorder and crime have exponentially increased. And yet your concern is that the Ukrainians, a country most people can’t find on a map, who’ve received tens of billions of U.S. tax dollars, don’t have enough tanks?”

by Ben Shapiro Syndicated Columnist

policy and apathy about domestic concerns. Ukraine has become a litmus test not because many Americans care about it as a top issue; it has become a top issue because many commentators and politicians now make the argument that if you wish to spend a dollar in Ukraine to fend off Russian predation, you must be unconcerned about the suffering of American citizens here at home.

There are several problems with this logic.

First off, the basic notion that pouring government money into inner cities somehow cures them of their problems is belied by 60 years of trying just that strategy, to massive failure. In most cases, we’d be better off not spending government dollars on boondoggle programs, no matter where else we spend money.

This same line of logic was utilized over the weekend by Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, who spoke at the Turning Point USA conference in Florida. “There’s no issue that these people with the Ukrainian flags in their bio are more obsessed with, they call it entitlement reform but what they’re saying is they want to cut Social Security... so we can send more money to Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine,” Vance said. Never mind the fact that this is patently untrue: Those with Ukraine flags in their Twitter bios are highly likely to favor massive governmental expenditures domestically. Never mind the fact that Vance himself used to be a proponent of entitlement reform.

The true concern is the absolutely specious link between a hawkish foreign

Then there’s the argument that isolationist foreign policy somehow results in greater American prosperity -- that American citizens would be better off if we simply allowed Russia to march into Kyiv. This argument is disconnected from reality. It has no logical limits -- why not let China take Taiwan or Russia take Poland? What’s the limiting principle? But it also ignores the fact that American citizens have real interests abroad: The Ukraine war has disrupted supply lines in resources ranging from platinum and titanium to grain and oil; Russia’s routine threats against its neighbors and expansionism in regions ranging from Africa to Syria threaten American allies and strengthen America’s enemies, who further threaten American economic and security interests; China, buoyed by a soft Western response, would presumably move toward a full-scale Taiwan invasion.

Hawkishness is not allied to domestic poverty; in fact, hawkishness in the aftermath of World War II helped protect the safety of

SmearS for money

today, the SPLC smears good people, not just “haters.”

Ayaan Hirsi Ali grew up Muslim in Somalia, but now she criticizes radical Islam and sometimes (maybe this is what really bothers the SPLC) fraternizes with American conservatives. The center put Hirsi Ali on its list.

hate gays.”

“No, I don’t hate gay people!” he responds. “I know gay people, and I’ve worked with gay people.” The council merely opposed gay marriage, an opinion they shared with Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton ...

The center also smears the Ruth Institute, a Christian group that believes adoption agencies should first try to place children with straight couples.

I told Ruth Institute President Jennifer Morse that she must be “a hater.”

by John Stossel Syndicated Columnist

The Southern Poverty Law Center just released a report claiming there are 1,225 hate and anti-government groups in America. These groups cause “fear and pain (in) Black, brown, and LGBTQ communities.”

The SPLC lists such groups on its “hate map.”

I once believed the center. Wellmeaning people still do. Apple once gave them $1 million.

But what donors don’t know is that

The center also smears the Family Research Council. I sometimes disagree with the council. But they don’t belong on a “hate map.”

“When they don’t agree with you politically, they’re going to list you as a ‘hater,’” says council Executive Vice President Jerry Boykin in my new video.

“You are a hater!” I tell him. “You

One man became so enraged by what the SPLC wrote, he went to the council’s headquarters to kill people. He shot a security guard. Fortunately, that wounded guard stopped him before he could shoot anyone else.

“He told the judge that he was there to kill as many of us as possible because we were a ‘hate group,’” says Boykin.

“I like gay people!” she laughs. “I have no problem with gay people! That’s not the issue. ... There could be cases where the best person for a particular child would be their Uncle Harry and his boyfriend. ... But we owe it to the children to give them the best we can, which generally is a married mother and father.”

When the SPLC put the institute on

ruSSia PlayS “hunger gameS” With global grain SuPPlieS

The Russians are acting more and more like Soviets. Their brutal war in Ukraine underscores the point that Moscow’s ambitions are not only military but counterhumanitarian too. And now the Kremlin’s shutdown of the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain initiative signals that Vladimir Putin is willing to block food and grain exports from Ukraine in a vain ploy to tighten the political noose on Kyiv. In fact the rope is really being squeezed on global wheat markets and prices as the flow of shipping

is being threatened. At the United Nations, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Moscow of playing “hunger games” with the world’s food supplies through worsening food insecurity.

cant food and fertilizer exports which would be bottled-up by any sort of naval blockades.

by John J. Metzler Syndicated Columnist

In July 2022, just six months after Russia attacked Ukraine, the United Nations along with Turkey, brokered a landmark humanitarian deal with Ukraine and Russia whereby Ukraine’s massive wheat and grain supplies could still be safely shipped via the Black Sea, through Turkey as to keep global food supplies flowing. The logic was starkly simple; Ukraine despite the war with Russia, remains a major food producer for many countries in Africa and the Middle East. Russia too has signifi-

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres who invested significant personal and diplomatic capital to implement and support the Black Sea Initiative, decried the Russian decision to terminate the deal. He stated that food supplies “have been a lifeline for global food security and a beacon of hope in a troubled world….hundreds of millions of people face hunger and consumers are confronting a global cost of living crisis. They will pay the price.”

Significantly, in just one year the Black Sea Initiative insured the safe passage of more than 1,000 cargo ships carrying 32 million metric tons

of food commodities from Ukrainian ports; Antonio Guterres said moreover that the World Food Program has shipped 725,000 tons to humanitarian crises in Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and Yemen.

Though the UN Security Council met to largely denounce Moscow’s moves, no specific actions were taken given the impending blocking action by Russian and Chinese vetoes.

So it’s back to the usual square one with accusations and counter charges swirling while markets face supply shortfalls, people starve and food prices surge.

Naturally there’s the question of what’s next? Shall Russia blockade or sink Ukrainian vessels? Or will

Vertical Jigging StriPeD baSS

Of all the ways to catch striped bass, vertical jigging is one of my favorites. There’s a thrill in feeling the thump of a striper that is directly beneath my boat or kayak, setting the hook. And trying to bring the fish to the surface. Casting to fish, which is also fun, leaves more slack or bows in your line, compromising sensitivity. When you’re vertical jigging, your line is (ideally) straight down, and you feel everything. The fight feels harder, especially in current, and the fish feel bigger. With stricter slot limits the past two seasons and fish caught recreationally measuring over 35 inches being put back, there are more fish in the 40inch range than I’ve seen in years.

One of the most common questions about vertical jigging is where to fish. Striped bass are migratory. Once they are finished spawning, which happens mostly during early spring in the Chesapeake Bay and Hudson River, the stripers continue their northerly migration with one thing in mind…food. If you find the food, you find the stripers. In New Hampshire, the striped bass arrive sometime between Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. This year they were right on time. As we progress into the month of June,

Tim says that while vertical jigging in a kayak on a tidal river is a lot of work, the reward is worth the effort. more, and bigger, fish will arrive. I asked Jack Houghton, co-owner of Daddy Mac Lures and one of the Northeast’s leading vertical jigging specialists, what he looks for when choosing a location to vertical jig for striped bass. “Presence of bait and moving water,” says Houghton. “When moving water is mixed with bait structure does not matter, although you typically find more bait around structure,” he notes.

Choosing the right jig is as important as where to fish. The right color or shaped lure can make all the difference. Color comes down to time of day and the forage. The general rule of thumb is to use bright colors on bright days and dark colors on dark days. When deciding which lure to use try to match the hatch so to speak. Choose a

lure with a good dying action to simulate a wounded or dying baitfish. When choosing a lure Houghton says, “Match the size and shape/profile of the forage, second try to match color. Stripers are opportunistic eaters, a frantically falling or dying bait fish is what they are looking for.” For this reason, Daddy Mac Lures makes a multitude of lures in a wide array of shapes, sizes, and colors. You can really tailor your presentation to what will best entice more or bigger fish to bite.

Probably the most important aspect of vertical jigging stripers is the term vertical. It is imperative that your lure remain as vertical as possible for a number of reasons, most importantly is lure control. Vertical jigs, as the

name implies, are designed to be jigged vertically in order to give you the most control of the lure. You can certainly cast vertical jigs, but they shine when jigged from above. When striped bass are down deep or holding in heavy current vertical jigging may be your best chance at getting one to bite. Sometimes it’s your only chance. You can cover a lot of water by drifting with the current, and often get your lure down below the smaller fish that hang above the bigger ones. Vertical jigging isn’t something that comes naturally to every angler. If you try it one or two times with lackluster results, keep at it. Change your location and presentation until you learn what works best.

Tim Moore is a fulltime licensed professional fishing guide in New Hampshire. He owns and operates Tim Moore Outdoors, LLC. He is a member of the New England Outdoors Writers Association, and the producer of TMO Fishing on YouTube and the Hooked with TMO Fishing Podcast. Visit www.TimMooreOutdoors.com for more information.

This series

From God is an attempt to put the thoughts of God as revealed in the Scriptures.

Letters From God Letters From God

of Letters

QUESTION: How Can We Know That You Hear Us When We Pray?

In my son’s sermon on the mount, he described for all to hear, how you can talk to me in a way in which I will not only hear but answer your prayers (Matthew 6:5-13).

Let me first say that it’s probably best that you understand that prayer is simply speaking to me from your heart either with words or without. I know your thoughts and desires and if you are sincerely seeking to approach me, I will hear and answer when you express your desires in ways that are consistent with what my son, Jesus the Messiah, taught.

He first made it clear that I desire sincerity of heart rather than religious or ritualistic prayers. The clergy of the day uttered words of prayer insincerely, not to trust me to meet their needs, but rather to impress others with their religious show (:5). I will not hear or answer prayers that are insincere and seek to impress others instead of honestly and sincerely speaking to me. I would prefer that you be alone, to show you are not concerned about others seeing you or seeking their favor. There, as you talk to me in secret and sincerely, I will hear and answer you (:6).

I will also not hear the prayers that are spoken “professionally.” By this I mean, the one speaking to me is more concerned about the appearance of being religious, in the eyes of mankind, than they are at simply talking to me (:7). A characteristic of a “professional” prayer is simply saying something over and over again, not even thinking of what you’re saying. I called it “babbling,” where people think that they’ll be heard because of their many and eloquent religious words. There is no need for insincere repetition to get my attention because I know what you need even before you ask (:8). All you need to do is just talk to me sincerely and share your heart and your needs with the expectation that I am listening and will answer. You do not need to be a “professional.”

My son went on to teach a simple prayer that captures the essence of sincerity and which approaches me with selflessness and humility. I love to hear all of you who come to me and follow the pattern he taught. This prayer wasn’t meant to be a vain repetition repeated over and over again, but a model of how you should approach me in order to be heard and to receive what you need from me. Let me share some of the essentials.

First, I want you to approach me not as some cold, hard and distant deity before whom you cower and

fear. I want you to approach me as your heavenly Dad. The word for Father, that my son used, is the word that a child would speak when they first called their father, using words like Daddy or Papa (:9). Though I am almighty and deserve your utmost respect, I long to be your Dad and to love you and guide you into life. Approach me with this understanding of respect but never forget my tender love as your Dad.

Please notice as well, that your concern in approaching me must not be selfish and self-centered “give me” prayers, but selflessly focused on exalting me, my will and my kingdom desires (:9b-10). I am God and you must stop making yourself God and learn to serve and please me. By first seeking that my name be exalted, my kingdom expanded and my will followed, you not only exalt me but humble yourself. Then your humility in approaching me will be rewarded with my richest blessings.

As you first humbly and lovingly give me the praise and thanks for all I have done for you and for my desires for your life, I then want you to share your needs (:11-13). Not with “give me” prayers but with a sincere desire to look to me, your heavenly Father, to meet your needs.

Those needs include meeting your physical needs for food, expressed as “bread,” but also every other physical need (:11). Trust me and I will provide all your needs. It also

includes your spiritual needs like being forgiven of your sins (:12). Sin is any act or thought of disobedience. Even though you have looked to my son, Jesus, to pay for your sins and even though he forgives you when you ask, it is still important to ask for forgiveness when you disobey. Sin is like cancer. If it isn’t quickly removed, it will grow and steal your life away. Ask me to forgive you and I will take away the spiritual cancer and keep you spiritually healthy.

Remember however that unless you are willing to forgive others, I can’t forgive you (:12,14). Forgive them! Finally, my son taught you to ask me to help you avoid sin’s temptation altogether, which comes from the “evil one,” the Devil. Trust me so you don’t sin and acquire the spiritual cancer that follows (:13).

When you pray sincerely and with selfless concerns for me, I will hear your prayers and reward you with heavenly riches to meet all your earthly and eternal needs.

Please know that I love you and long to hear from you and bless you.

God

These letters are written by Rev. Dr. Samuel Hollo, pastor at the Community Church of Alton, NH.

•Carry

behaVior iS a choice

ies, then went on to provide direct services to individuals who were convicted and incarcerated for various crimes while in grad school and beyond.

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by Leslie Gray, LCMHC Gray Matters Counseling & Wellness

As someone who has had a lifelong fascination with human behavior, prior to college I developed a particular interest in criminality. So, I earned a concentration in forensic psychology during my undergraduate stud -

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Upon release from prison, these individuals were ordered to participate in aftercare treatment while serving out probation and parole. I worked primarily with populations that had committed sexual offenses against children and needed rehabilitation to safely reintegrate into society following incarceration. If you’re wondering why these individuals are ever released, it’s because child sexual abuse crimes do not come with lifelong sentences. One more motivating factor to fix this problem.

Although I no longer serve this population in my private practice, I do continue to research and study the topic in my ongoing efforts to help educate the public and prevent future offending; all in the name of protecting children. This knowledge is also helpful in my work with victims of child sexual abuse (CSA).

Part of protecting children is helping those with deviant sexual interests (DSI) learn how to control their urges. It’s not enough to teach parents how to protect their children and children how to protect themselves. We must also go right to the source.

In last month’s article, I provided some

clarity on the topic of CSA. I focused on two primary myths about the precipitants of CSA: prior victimization and intoxication, clarifying that neither are predictors of future offending nor can be used as reasonable explanations for the behavior. In short, the urge to commit a sexual offense exists deep within the brain system of someone afflicted with sexual offending tendencies; however, the decision to act on the urge is always a choice. Afterall, humans have free will.

Being fully informed is one of our greatest weapons against CSA to help protect children. This involves understanding who is at risk and knowing the truth behind the offending mind. It’s important to refute the myths about offending behaviors since they only confuse the issue and allow offenders to believe the excuses they make for themselves.

One of the most powerful tools I learned in serving these individuals in aftercare was helping them understand that they had a mental health disorder that created a deviant sexual attraction to children. Once they understood that they weren’t just horrible monsters for having these urges, many were able to shift their focus to what they could do to control the urges. They became aligned with the therapists, pa-

role officers, and other group members in the war against child sexual abuse. It was a remarkable transformation to witness. Many held deep shame about their urges and, of course, their behaviors. They didn’t want these disorders. But they also didn’t know how to control themselves.

Studies repeatedly demonstrate evidence that brain structure, whether due to abnormal development in utero or traumatic brain injuries from drug abuse or accidents, best explains the presence of mental health disorders that cause deviant sexual interests. Genetics have also been proven to be a contributing factor. Like any condition, having a relative with such a disorder does not guarantee that future generations will develop it; however, it can put them at a predisposition.

Humans operate in a fairly uncomplicated manner when it comes to urges in that, much like emotions, urges are temporary. Giving in to them in the moment is easy. Being self-disciplined, on the other hand, takes personal strength and integrity. Implementing a variety of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral interventions helps safeguard individuals from acting on their urges. Ultimately, they have to strengthen their impulse control, decision

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CHIROPRACTIC... BECAUSE THE BODY HEALS ITSELF.

The saying, “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” is one you may have heard to describe uncomfortable heat, and the link between the two is actually a real consideration for remaining both comfortable and healthy during summer months. While some groups of people are more susceptible to heatstroke and other heat related health concerns, everyone becomes at risk when certain combinations of temperature and humidity are combined, as humidity makes it more difficult for our bodies to release sweat, our natural self-cooling mechanism. As a result, it’s important to be aware not only of the temperature, but also the heat index, which accounts for the effect humidity has on the way a temperature affects the human body. Fortunately, there are many ways we can keep ourselves healthy on hot, humid days, and most preventative measures and early interventions are easy and inexpensive.

Understanding who may be at elevated risk, and why, is one way to help prevent negative heat related impacts. For instance, older people are at higher risk

Staying healthy When temPeratureS riSe

because our body’s selfcooling ability naturally declines as we age, athletes and young, healthy people may push through early warning signs of heatstroke without realizing they’re at risk, and anyone taking medications with diuretic properties will lose the hydration our bodies rely on to sweat more easily, impairing the body’s ability to selfcool. For all groups, prevention is the best way to stay healthy.

While many of us in New England wait all year to enjoy hot summer days outside, when temperatures and humidity rise beyond what’s comfortable, simply finding or staying in a cool environment is a great way to prevent heat related illness. If you don’t have air conditioning at home, spending time in a library, grocery store, or other publicly accessible air conditioned space will help keep you cool. Drinking more water than usual, wearing light, loose-fitting clothes, limiting outdoor physical activity (particularly mid-day), and taking a cool bath or shower are all strategies for staying comfortable and safe during extreme heat. It’s also important to make sure never to leave children or pets in cars for any period of time, even for a brief amount of time, and even if the windows are cracked and the air conditioning is on, as car windows are particularly efficient at

trapping heat. Additionally, avoiding alcohol is helpful, both because of its diuretic properties and because it can cloud our judgment and prevent us from noticing the distress signals our bodies send when we’re in danger of heat related illness.

Early signs of heat distress include headaches, fatigue, dizziness and profuse sweating. During this stage getting to a cool area, resting and drinking water can cool our systems effectively. However, if you or someone else begins showing signs of escalation to heat stroke, including extreme fatigue, muscle cramping, rapid heart rate, weakness, confusion, and a rise in core body temperature to 103 degrees or higher,

this is a medical emergency and requires medical intervention. By this stage it’s recommended to move the person to a cooler area and apply cool washcloths to their extremities while you wait for help to arrive. It is not recommended to give them anything to drink at this stage. By understanding how to recognize how our bodies signal heat related distress and practicing preventative measures, we can continue to enjoy our warmer months safely. As always, community is one of our best sources of wellness, so please remember to check on older individuals and others at higher risk to ensure they have what they need to stay safe.

by Kelly Chapman

Meredith Whole Living Center

making, and emotion regulation skills, to name a few.

I really do have empathy for anyone who has been afflicted with these conditions. Not only do many hold deep shame and self-loathing as a result of their urges and/or behaviors, they also bear the burden of prevention. I have the utmost respect for anyone who has the willpower to resist their temptations and who is brave enough to reach out to a professional for help. Fear of incarceration for their attraction to children prevents many from getting the help

they need before it’s too late. But the truth is, our legal system can’t arrest someone for having thoughts. Only actions.

Despite how embarrassing, shameful, or terrifying it might be to admit to someone that you have a sexual attraction to children, getting treatment has been proven to significantly reduce the risk of acting on urges. This involves meaningful participation in evidence-based treatment programs with professionals trained in forensic psychology. Many studies in the US and other countries are demonstrating the pos-

itive effects in reducing recidivism through these programs.

As a practitioner, I encourage anyone with these sexual urges to seek the help of a qualified therapist. And please know that not all therapists are qualified to treat these conditions so it’s important to locate therapists with a forensic specialization.

For those afflicted, it may not be not your fault that you have this condition. However, it is your responsibility to manage it. Your behavior is your choice. And you do not have to go it alone. Help is available. You can either be pro-

active, reaching out for help before you harm a child. Or you can be forced into doing treatment following criminal charges and incarceration. The choice really is yours.

Leslie A. Gray is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and operates Gray Matters Counseling & Wellness, PLLC in Laconia NH. Feel free to submit responses or requests for subject content to: askgraymatters@gmail.com

GRAY from 10

aSk Dr. roach: hoW certain Diet StyleS Work to loWer heart DiSeaSe riSk

and the Mediterranean-style diet -- but there are many others that show benefit and a few that show harm.

by Dr. Keith Roach Syndicated Columnist

DEAR DR. ROACH: Which diet styles in particular are associated with a lower risk of heart disease? Many people get confused about what a healthy diet actually consists of. Is a Mediterranean diet easier than an extreme low-fat diet? -- D.H.H.

ANSWER: There are several styles of diet that have been proven to be healthier than a typical North American diet. Two of the best that have been studied are the ones you mentioned -- the extreme low-fat diet

In a landmark study published by Dr. Dean Ornish in 1998, intensive lifestyle changes reduced the amount of heart disease (measured by blockages in the heart arteries) more than those in the control group without medication. This remarkable result required a diet that was mostly vegetarian (egg whites and only 1 cup of milk a day) and no more than 10% fat (the average American diet is 30% to 35% fat).

In addition to dietary changes, participants performed aerobic exercise (3 hours per week), stress management (1 hour per day) and group psychosocial support (4 hours twice a week), and they also had a 100%

smoking cessation rate. It is unclear how much of the benefit in reversing heart blockages is due to diet and how much is due to other beneficial behavior changes, or whether they all worked together (which seems likely to me).

The Mediterranean diet, when studied, also reduced risk of heart disease, with a roughly 30% relativerisk reduction in heart attack, stroke or death due to heart disease. This diet is characterized by:

-- An abundant use of olive oil

-- High consumption of plant foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, nuts and seeds)

-- Frequent but moderate intake of wine (especially red wine) with meals

-- Moderate consumption of fish, seafood, fermented dairy products (yogurt and cheese), poultry and eggs

-- Low consumption of red and processed meat as well as sweets There isn’t a doubt that the Mediterranean diet is much easier for most to comply with. The two diets haven’t been compared, so I can’t say which is better, but I more commonly recommend the Mediterranean diet. However, I do not recommend drinking wine for any kind of health benefit. Exercise, stress management and psychosocial support would be likely to improve outcomes with any kind of favorable dietary change.

The DASH diet -- a lower-salt diet with 4

to 5 servings of fruit, 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 3 servings of low-fat dairy

per day, with less than 25% of daily caloric intake from fat -- has

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BIRDS For The

New England’s Wild Birds & Their Habitats

by Chris Bosak Contributing Writer

The challenge lately, it seems, is to find a field or meadow without goldfinches in it.

Mid to late summer is the time for goldfinches to shine and take the spotlight in the birding world. While most birds have completed or are winding down their nesting seasons, American goldfinches are just getting started.

There are several theories on why goldfinches nest so late compared to other birds, but it is abundantly clear that their nesting season coincides with the availability of seeds and certain nesting materials in nature.

Seeds are more plentiful in July and August than they are in April or May, and goldfinches use the fluff from thistle and other plants to line their nests. Goldfinches are almost exclusively seed eaters and rarely supplement their diet with insects. That goes for the babies as well, as they are fed regurgitated seeds. Nearly all other songbirds feed their young a mix of insects and seeds, or just insects, which are higher in protein.

An interesting tidbit that shows up on many bird internet sites is that brown-headed cowbird babies rarely survive being raised by goldfinches because of the all-seed diet. Cowbirds, as you recall, are nest parasites

An American goldfinch rests on coneflower.

and lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, allowing the host bird to do the arduous task of raising the young. Cowbird hatchlings need a more protein-rich diet and most perish within a few days of hatching from a goldfinch nest. I’ll look at this more closely in an upcoming For the Birds column.

As an aside, it’s too bad that many people regard thistle as a weed. Sure, it grows prolifically and is toxic and prickly, but it has so many uses in the natural world, not to mention its attractive pink and purple flowers. As mentioned above, goldfinches use thistle plants for their seeds and fluff. I’ve also

seen numerous types of butterflies feeding from those pink flowers.

Anyway, back to goldfinches. American goldfinches are year-round birds in New England. They look slightly different during each month of the year as they molt twice a year, and each molt takes several weeks or even months to complete. New birders are often surprised that the dull yellow birds at their Nyjer feeder in January are the same brilliant yellow birds they see in July.

Since it is nesting season for these muchadored birds, here is a little more information about their nesting habits: male and fe-

male birds construct the nests and help raise the young, nests are about three inches across and high, females lay four to six pale blue eggs, and each egg is about half an inch long and takes about two weeks to hatch.

I’m lucky enough to live by and work near several fields and meadows. It’s always a thrill to see goldfinches perched on a bent flower or weed or to flush a dozen or more previously unseen goldfinches from the tall grasses as they sing their sweet, undulating song in flight. Goldfinches are a treat yearround, but summer is when they really shine.

On Wednesday, August 2nd at 7 PM, historian Susan Weeks will speak on the history of Cow Island at the Lake Winnipesaukee Museum. Since seating is limited, reservations are requested, by e-mail to lakewinnipesaukeemuseum@ gmail.com or by phone 603-366-5950. This program is free for Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society members; for non-members there is a $5 fee.

Susan Weeks is the Curator of the Tuftonboro Historical Society, and at this upcoming event she will discuss the facts and many fictions associated with Cow Island, Guernsey

hiStory of coW iSlanD at lake WinniPeSaukee muSeum

cows and the Pillsbury family. It is said that Paul Pillsbury first settled Cow Island, and he built a wind-powered gristmill there after 1812. The old windmill at the peak of the island, a site of interest for tourists in the 1890s, was destroyed by storms in the early 20th century. However, a replica windmill structure built in 1935 later became part of Camp Idlewild for Boys, which was active from 1891 until 1975.

The Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society was founded in 1985 with the mission to promote and preserve the history and heritage of the Big

On Wednesday, August 2nd at 7 PM, historian Susan Weeks will speak on the history of Cow Island at the Lake Winnipesaukee Museum.

Lake and its vicinity. Programs focusing on New Hampshire history are held on Wednesdays during the summer season. Located at 503 Endicott Street North, next to Funspot

in the Weirs, the museum is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 AM to 4 PM, July 1st through mid-October.

by Mike Moffett Contributing Writer

Groveton’s not part of the Weirs Times distribution area, but there are folks there who read it online. And because I spoke at the latest Groveton High School Alumni Association banquet up north on July 15—and because there were numerous sports references in my remarks—this column will reprise some of those Coos County sport-thoughts.

The North Country is not what it once was, largely due to the closings of major paper mill operations in Berlin and Groveton. It’s painful for a GHS grad like me to see the population shrink in those places, especially given the North Country’s wonderful sports traditions.

Consider 1933. Berlin won the NHIAA’s Class A basketball championship while Groveton won Class B. The two title teams had a subsequent playoff which was played in Lancaster. Groveton won. Go Purple Eagles!

My remarks touched on the time the legendary Jim Thorpe brought his traveling team of baseball ringers to Groveton to play the locals. Groveton won when “Honey” Beaton hit a towering home run that not only cleared the baseball field but traveled across Route

groVeton high SPortS

3 to land atop the high school. If only folks had video-phones back then.

The above story is around 90 years old and is well known to locals. But I also touched on a sports story from over 50 years ago that was not well known—at least until July 15. It was about a basketball player getting extra detentions for being a basketball player. Me! True story.

When Warren Bouchard became GHS principal in 1971, he decreed that students with cars could not drive at lunchtime. They had to walk from the high school to the elementary school cafeteria. I lived near the high school and had lunch at home. I got my driver’s license that November. The next day, at lunchtime, my dad mentioned he had to get something to the Post Office.

“No problem, Dad. I’ll do it.”

I jumped in our car and drove to the Post Office—going right by the high school with everyone out during lunch. I was waving

and showing off, trying to impress the cheerleaders.

After lunch I walked back to school and in no time the intercom blasted out.

“Michael Moffett to the Principal’s Office. Immediately!”

Mr. Bouchard was very mad. All puffed up and red-faced.

“Who do you think you are? Driving a car around like that! Report for detention tomorrow.”

“But I thought I could drive from home. I had to mail a letter for Dad.”

“So you don’t think the rules apply to you? You think you’re special? Report for detention tomorrow.”

“But Mr. Bouchard, we have a basketball scrimmage down in Alton!”

Mr. Bouchard got even madder.

“We don’t give special favors to athletes. What’s wrong with you?”

Mr. Bailey, the basketball coach, was there in the office. He wanted me to play in the scrimmage. He just shook his head.

Then I had an idea.

“Mr. Bouchard! I have an idea!”

“And what might that be, young man?”

“How about if I do two detentions instead of one and then you let me play in the basketball scrimmage?”

Mr. Bouchard got even madder.

“What do think this is here, the LET’S MAKE A DEAL show?”

But then Mr. Bailey spoke up.

“I think Michael is on to something. If he does two detentions instead of one, then

The old Groveton High School, which was destroyed by fire in 1984.”

The Simple Feast

camPing on the Street

The Simple Feast Simple

by Eric N Gibson Contributing Writer

I admit that street corn wasn’t fully on my radar as a contemporary taste a few years ago when I was first introduced to it. But, when two people in one week talked about making “Mexican Street Corn,” well… I was inspired to give it a try.

The Simple

My son was heading off with some friends for a weekend of camping. Responsible for the lunch menu on Saturday, Thursday night he asked me what he should make.

“When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow… About 3:30.”

“Well, I guess it could be worse… like waiting until tomorrow at noon to ask me.”

As we trolled the internet, I on my laptop and he on his smartphone, ideas were plentiful. He settled on corn.

“Corn on the cob?” I asked.

“Yeah, why not?” He had caught the note of hesitant skepticism in my voice.

“Well, you’re camping. It’s already going to be stinkin’ hot this weekend, and you’re going to steam up the camper by boiling corn? But, if your friends don’t care, I’m not there so I guess

it doesn’t matter to me,”

Barely paying attention to my opinion, busy scrolling web pages, “Oooo!” he said. “How about Mexican Street Corn?”

About that same time I came across a Street Corn Salad. It was as if we were looking at the same page.

“How about Street Corn Salad?” We both said the words at nearly the same moment.

With the decision made, now all he needed were the ingredients. Being near the end of the week, the fridge was a bit shy of the needed veggies. Planning a shopping spree into his morning errands the following day, he decided to make the salad that afternoon before leaving.

“Cutting it a bit close, aren’t you?”

¨Meh. You want to help me make it?¨ It was my turn to say, “Meh.”

“Com’on. It will be like old times. You know,

for a bunch of single twenty-somethings with big appetites for food and fun landed in our basket.

back when you used to help me with my homework till the wee hours of the morning. Cramming to get it done the night before it’s due. It’ll be fun!”

I shivered at the thought of his idea of “FUN.” Those many nights spent trying to figure out the “new math” his fifth grade year only so he could tell ME that I was doing it “wrong.” And all those late nights “editing” and arguing over his papers for high school.

“Obviously,” I grumbled, “all that cramming taught you nothing about timeliness.”

At the store the next day we played a rousing game of “Grocery Grab.”

It seemed as if we were not the only ones trying to get a jump on the weekend. The cart was filling with what each of us thought would be the right ingredients for Street Corn Salad. As well, many other odds and ends appropriate

So, what is Mexican Street Corn? (Can we even call it Mexican Street Corn without offending someone nowadays?) That conundrum aside, Mexican Street Corn is, in its traditional form, a snack food of sorts. Very popular in regions of Mexico, Street Corn is corn on the cob that is buttered, grilled or lightly seared, then garnered with a creamy flavorful “dressing” of Mexican Crema or Creme Fraiche laced with notes of lime and chili spice. The corn is topped with a sprinkle of cotija cheese; a pungent, salty cheese that crumbles. (Think parm or romano or a really sharp rank-nasty delicious cheddar.) Dusted with a little cracked black pepper and seasonings, this corn or “Ëlote” as it is referred to in Mexico, is a street vendor’s classic. (I’ll have to take others at their word as I have never been to Mexico.) This street corn is said to have its modern origins from the early 1900’s. As with most contemporary food trends, Mexican inspired Street Corn has become widely popular in upscale restaurants, putting their own spin on a common classic dish.

Upon his return home Sunday, tired but in great spirits, having had a great time spent with friends, I asked how the Street Corn Salad went over. My son said, “Great! Everyone loved

Lochmere Golf is located in the heart of the lakes region. Our Plush greens and fairways make it for an enjoyable round of golf.

We have 5 sets of tees for all skill levels with yardage ranging from 5200-6700 yards

Over the past few years, we have undergone several changes and upgrades to the course and

Summer

Fun! Summer Fun!

The Best Summer Ever Starts Right Here! The Best Summer Ever Starts Right Here!

muSic on the green to feature Vital toneS

Held on the expansive grounds of Canterbury Shaker Village, Music on the Green returns on Sunday, July 30 at 4pm with Vital Tones, which features Chris Guzikowski, Stefanie Guzikowski, and Julie Alexander. With a blend of covers and original music, the group is known for its creative melodies and harmonies and a unique mixture of Indie Rock and Americana.

Held outside in a natural, intimate setting, Music on the Green features various types of music for every age on Sundays, 4-5pm, from July 2 to September 17. “If rain is in the forecast, we will hold the concert indoors in our North Shop, so join us rain or shine,” said Leslie Nolan, executive director of the Village.

Admission is free with a suggested donation of $20. Music on the Green is sponsored by CCA Global Partners,

New Hampshire Dance Collaborative (NHDC), and Kathleen Belko, Trustee.

In addition to Mu -

sic on the Green on Sundays, the Village offers tours before performances. These tours include Shaker Stories:

History & Legacy, Innovations & Inventions: Shaker Ingenuity, and Hale & Hearty: Shaker Health. To purchase tour tickets or learn more about the Village’s Music on the Green series, visit shakers.org

Canterbury Shaker Village is a member of the NH Heritage Museum Trail, which connects the public with culturally rich heritage institutions in New Hampshire. For more information, visit nhmuseumtrail.org.

The Vital Tones will perform at Music On The Green at Canterbury Shaker Village on Sunday, July 30th from 4-5pm.

Summer Fun! Summer Fun!

The Best Summer Ever Starts Right Here! The Best Summer Ever Starts Right Here!

Summer craft fair in tilton

Don’t miss the Summer Fun Craft Fair to be held once again at Tanger Outlets in Tilton on July 29-30, Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm.

There will be fabulous chain saw demonstrations on Saturday & Sunday by Elise. Don’t miss her amazing talents.

Some of the other exhibitors will include amazing wildlife photography, handsome

soy candles, cedar wood furniture, beautiful leather jewelry, personal care products, beautiful art prints, gourmet cookies, stained glass, amazing metal creations with nuts & bolts, laser engraving, home decor & signs, cribbage boards, pottery, fabric cre -

ations, NH maple syrups, beautiful wooden spoons & ladles, hats/ tee shirts, Icelandic sweaters, handpainted pottery, coin jewelry, sublimation art, & lots more.

Food - Rain or Shine

Under CanopiesFriendly, Leashed Dogs

Summer Fun! Summer Fun!

The Best Summer Ever Starts Right Here! The Best Summer Ever Starts Right Here!

alton olD home Week to celebrate 100th anniVerSary of Silent film claSSic ‘Safety laSt’

It’s a cinematic image so powerful, people who’ve never seen the movie instantly recognize it.

The vision of Harold Lloyd hanging from the hands of a huge clock, from the climax of his silent comedy ‘Safety Last,’ (1923), has emerged as a symbol of early Hollywood and movie magic.

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the film’s

original release with an outdoor screening of ‘Safety Last’ on Tuesday, Aug. 15 at Alton Town Gazebo in Alton Bay.

The screening will feature live music for the movie by silent film accompanist Jeff Rapsis.

All are welcome to this free family-friendly event, which will start at dusk. Attendees are encouraged to arrive no later than 8 p.m.

Movie-goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and enjoy ‘Safety Last’ under the stars.

The show is part of this year’s Alton Old

Home Week schedule of events, which run from Aug. 11-20.

Silent film at the Alton Town Gazebo will give audiences the chance to experience early cinema as it was intended: on the big screen, with live music, and with an audience.

“Put the whole experience back together, and you can see why people first fell in love with the movies,” said Rapsis, who practices the nearly lost art of live silent film accompaniment.

Rapsis performs on a digital synthesizer that reproduces the texture

of the full orchestra, creating a traditional “movie score” sound. Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Harold Lloyd’s iconic thrill comedy ‘Safety Last’ (1923) with a screening on Tuesday, Aug. 15 at dusk at the Alton Town Gazebo in Alton Bay, N.H.

All are welcome to this free family-friendly event, which will start at dusk. Attendees are encouraged to arrive no later than 8 p.m.

Summer Fun! Summer Fun!

The Best Summer Ever Starts Right Here! The Best Summer Ever Starts Right Here!

fiDDlerS three concert in tuftonboro

The well-known fiddlers, Ellen Carlson, Melissa Caron and Kathy Sommer, will perform a concert at The Old White Church in Center Tuftonboro, on Sunday, August 6 at 7:00 pm. The Church is located at 149 Middle Road (Route 109A), across from the Tuftonboro General Store & Post Office. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children under 12. Pay at the door, cash or check.

Fiddlers Three, accompanied by Shana Aisenberg on guitar and Brendan Dowd on bass. feature spectacular high energy and sweetsounding fiddles along with resonant heartfelt vocals. The trio has been fiddling together for years with a fun approach to many styles of music and to hear them perform is a joy.

Ellen Carlson is a New Hampshire fiddler with a strong grasp of several genres of music. Melissa Caron is a Maine-based fiddler known for playing and teaching many different styles of music. Kathy Sommer is a violinist, fiddler and mandolinist known for her tasteful and polished style, versatility, and energetic stage presence.

Ellen, Melissa and Kathy are all well known in Northern New England. As if this weren’t enough, they are the directors of the Fiddleheads Jam Camp and of the NH Fiddle Ensemble. Their new album featuring an eclectic variety of sung songs and instru-

mentals garnered rave reviews in the Fiddler Magazine: “This album is loaded with great musical moments. Each one of the fiddlers is an accomplished musician demonstrating not only extreme discipline in an ensemble but also the ability to take a melody and run with exquisite improvisation. The diversity of the material is stunning.” Included were songs written by Bob Wills, Chuck Berry, and Guy Clark plus all manner of fiddling styles are incorporated. They have fun together and it shows!

The historic Old White Church of Center Tuftonboro located on Route 109A, just across from the Tuftonboro General Store & Post Office, is an intimate, cozy setting that regularly hosts weekly Country & Bluegrass jam sessions and other music

concerts. The doors will open at 6:00 pm, and the concert begins at 7pm. Seating is limited to 100, so be sure to come early to avoid

disappointment. For more information about this concert or to reserve tickets, call Joe Ewing at 603-569-3861.

Wolfeboro Pirates Cove

bear iSlanD ymca camPS Program in mereDith

The decades old YMCA camps on Bear Island will be the subject of the next Meredith Historical Society’s speaker series on August 1st at the Meredith Community Center. The presenters will be Charles Seifert who is the Director of the Camp Lawrence boys’ camp on south Bear and Gretchen Seifert who is the Director of the Camp Nokomis girls’ camp on north Bear. They will provide rich insight into the history and the diverse day-to-day activities of the camps.

Both camps have long histories on the island and continue to flourish. Camp Lawrence enjoyed its 100th anniversary in 2021, while Camp Nokomis’ history extends back over 70 years. Both are owned by the Lawrence, Massachusetts

YMCA but enrollment is open to everyone. They are an integral part of the Meredith islands and have generations of alumni who either live in Meredith or return summer after summer thanks to the wonderful experiences they enjoyed at the camps as youngsters.

“We are delighted to offer this presentation about the camps

on Bear Island,” said Karen Thorndike, President of the Historical Society. Children’s camps on the lake are as much a part of the Winnipesaukee experience as the Mount Washington and the Sophie C. These two camps especially play an important role in the history of our town, contributing a wholesome experience that resonates with families for the rest of their lives.”

The program begins at 7:00. Doors will open at 6:30. Light refreshments will be provided by the Historical Society. This is a free program open to everyone. For a complete schedule of the Society’s 2023 Speaker Series visit them on Facebook or our web site at www. meredithhistoricalsocietynh.org.

SOUTHWEST STREET CORN SALAD

Servings: 6-8 Time: About 45 Minutes Plus 2-6 Hours In Fridge

INGREDIENTS

2 15oz. Cans Corn Niblets (well drained)

2 Tbsp. Butter

2 Roma Tomatoes diced

½ Large Green Pepper diced

⅛ Cup Red Onion diced

2 tsp. Jalapeno Pep. fresh fine diced

1-2 oz. Cilantro Chopped

1 Cup Sour Cream

2 Tbsp. Mayo (you can use ¨Whip. Salad Dressing¨

2 Small Limes, juice and zest

2 drops Liquid Smoke

½ packet Taco Seasoning

½ tsp. Black Pepper Fresh Cracked

½ Cup Extremely Sharp Cheddar (crumbled or grated)

— Preparation —

- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the drained corn niblets and heat until the corn begins to brown, stirring occationally.

- Place the browned corn into a refrigerator safe bowl and chill while you prepare the remaining vegetables.

- Combine all vegetables and cilantro in a bowl and set into the refrigerator while you make the dressing.

- For the dressing, combine the sour cream, mayo, fresh lime juice and zest, liquid smoke, taco seasoning, and black pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine completely. Ensure that the taco seasoning did not clump.

- When completely cold, combine corn with the other vegetables. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve.

- When ready to serve, serve the salad, dressing, and cheddar crumbles in chilled bowls for people to add their own.

it! The only suggestion was to use Taco Seasoning next time.”

“Now that’s an idea!”

And it certainly brings simplicity to this recipe. Finding a few minutes, I sat down and reworked the recipe we had put together on a whim from two or three different yet similar ones used for inspiration. Incorporating the packet of taco seasoning while pulling out the similar spices, this new recipe was soon to be tried. My niece was coming over for another session of “Cooking with Uncle Eric.” Street Corn was on her “wish list” along with wanting to

try her hand at making baby back ribs. I thought, ¨Well why not?¨

A rack of ribs with a rub and complementing BBQ sauce, a Southwest Street Corn Salad, and round out the ensemble cast was a Peachy Cornbread. If we’re going to heat up the house in the summer we may as well make it worth our while. This Southwest Street Corn Salad was a real kick in the taste buds! It is reminiscent of that corn salsa served at those “South of the Border Bowl” fast food restaurants. The pan seared corn was delicious and complemented by the fresh garden

flavors of tomato, onion, diced pepper, jalapeno, and cilantro adding a salsa-like quality. The fire from the jalapeno and onion were tamed a bit by the cool notes of the sour cream, mayo, and lime in the dressing while the mild taco seasonings gave it a noticeable Southwest flare. The extremely sharp cheddar crumbles I used gave this “ensalada” the salty pungent flavor accent it needed to round out the Street Corn theme. I think the only thing I would change is to serve this salad with the dressing and cheese on the side to offer greater eye appeal,

rather than mixed in as seen in the accompanying photo.

Southwest Street Corn Salad served cold is a refreshing summer treat. Quick and easy to prepare, paired with CornBread or on its own, this Southwest Street Corn Salad will complement

a fall meal of Enchilada Casserole or Pulled Pork just as easily as it does ribs, steak, or chicken on the summer grill. You really cannot go wrong with this South of the Border inspired Simple Feast. Enjoy!

Dumont Cabinet Refacing & Counter Tops

FEAST from 19

A FUNSPOT

SATURDAY, JULY 29TH, 2023 • 10:30AM CHECK IN

Featuring five of Funspot's new and newly refurbished classic pinballs!

• Black Knight

• Funhouse

• Xenon

• F-14 tomcat

• Mandalorian

Premium

PRIZES:

1st Place: 70% of Prize Fund

2nd Place: 30% of Prize Fund

At Funspot's new Pinball Outpost!

TOURNAMENT DETAILS

• 20 player limit

• Entry fee $20 — $10 from each entry goes to prize fund

• Pinball row will be open to players to play while they wait

• Check-in with entry fee will start @ 10:30 am

• 11:00AM is tournament start

• Qualifiers will be 11:00AM to 3:00PM

• Finals start at 3:30PM or when last qualifiers finish

• Prizes and award ceremony will be after finals finish

3rd Place: $50 Funspot Gift Card

4th Place: $20 Funspot Gift Card

Pizza and soda included! LARGEST

A JOURNEY THROUGH SPACE AND TIME OF PINBALLS FROM PAST AND PRESENT.

cash to Funspot Gift Cards awarded to the other finalists.

Funspot has recently been sanctioned by the IFPA (International Flipper Pinball Assoc.) and the tournament results will be recorded to the IFPA’s international player standings. Funspot is also an official location for weekly pinball leagues hosted by the New England Pinball League (NEPL).

The Pinball Odyssey Tournament entry fee is $20 per player and

is limited to the first 20 players to sign up. Entry fee includes a pizza and soft drink lunch. It is recommended that players preregister online early since entries are limited. For more info visit FunspotNH.com or email Zack at zackholt@ funspotnh.com.

“The Pinball Odyssey Tournament is the first of many to come to Funspot,” said Holt.

“We have already been part of an NEPL weekly league with another season scheduled to begin in early September.”

Visit nepl.org for more information on joining

the league.

Funspot’s new Pinball Outpost which was recently built on the second floor of the World’s Largest Arcade is open every day for players of all ages to enjoy. This new attraction has an Outer Space theme and houses a growing collection of tournament ready machines that will entice pinball enthusiasts of all levels.

(The other dozens of classic pins can still be found on the third level of Funspot in the World famous Classic Arcade Museum.)

Holt gave special rec-

ognition to Ryan Fields, one of Funspot’s game technicians and Sarah St. John of MyArcadeRepair.com, who

have been keeping these games in the Pinball Outpost in great working condition. (See our front page article on

Fields’ restoration of the Xenon pinball in the Weirs Times’ January 19, 2023 issue.)

As another sign that Funspot is upping its pinball appeal, it has also joined as an official location of “The Stern Army.’ Stern, a renowned pinball and electronics game company since the mid 1970s. Along with some of the original classic pinballs created by Stern, Funspot now has incorporated some of their new line of pinballs, including “Star Wars The Mandalorian” and “James Bond 007” which have the capability to be “insider connected” where players are issued a unique QR Code that can be used to identify that player at any connected Stern pinball machine, anywhere in the world. When a player logs into the machine, they can track their progress, earn new game specific achievements, engage with the player community and participate in promotions and Challenge Quests.

The new Pinball Outpost at Funspot in the Weirs houses a well-cared for collection of machines ranging from the classics to the most recent releases.

Zakary Holt, Funspot’s Tournament Director, checking out “Funhouse,” one of the five pinballs to be played in the first Pinball Odyssey to be held Saturday, July 29th.

ODYSSEY from 1

that’ll show that athletes don’t get special breaks.”

“Okay,” said Mr.

Bouchard. “You can play in the Thursday scrimmage and then do detentions on Friday and Monday.”

The new problem was we also had a scrimmage on Monday— which I pointed out.

“Fine” said Mr. Bouchard. “You can play on Monday and then do two more detentions next Tuesday and Wednesday.”

I was then up to four detentions. And I did all four. And I played in both scrimmages.

Now that I’m a lawmaker—and know a little law—I believe that I was in my rights to go to the post office for my dad on my own time. But it’s too late to appeal now. I got screwed.

Years later Mr.

Bouchard hired me to teach history in Groveton. I thought he’d bring up all the detentions he gave me, but he didn’t.

I went on to close my remarks by referencing my dad’s 1944 GHS Yearbook which had a summary of basketball results. When Berlin visited Groveton, GHS led 22-0 at halftime en route to a 34-12 win in Groveton. That yearbook also had two full pages listing around 200 Groveton men who were serving in the Great World War II.

Senior Carolyn

MOFFETT from 17 See MOFFETT on 29

Boucher wrote:

“Scattered on battlefronts all over the world today are our Groveton boys. Many former athletes. Champs who exchanged bright purple jackets for khaki or navy blue and who are now fighting the greatest game of their lives on Uncle Sam’s team. And we know that with all these Groveton boys in the fight, that our school, our town, and our country will not perish from the earth.”

And that long list didn’t even include the members of the class of ’44 who’d yet to put on a uniform—like my dad, who joined the Navy that year. Or later many more from the Class of ’45. By the time the war ended countless more Groveton men and women had donned their country’s uniform.

Not bad for a little Coos County mill town that was also home to a wonderful little high school “amid the gleaming northern snow, beneath the Pilot Range.”

Sports Quiz

For whom did Jim Thorpe play Major League Baseball? (Answer follows)

Born Today

That is to say, sports standouts born on July 27 include baseball great Leo Durocher (1906) and Gold Medal-winning figure skater Peggy Flemming (1948).

Sports Quote

“Her has enough power to hit home runs in any park, including Yellowstone.” – Baseball general manager

Paul Richards regarding Minnesota Twin slugger Harmon Killebrew

Sports Quiz Answer

Thorpe played six years in the big leagues, for the Giants, Reds, and Braves.

State Representative Mike Moffett was a Sports Management Professor for Plymouth State University and NHTI-Concord. He coauthored the awardwinning “FAHIM

WEIRS TIMES’ BEER FINDER

SPEAKS: A WarriorActor’s Odyssey from Afghanistan to Hollywood and Back” which is available on Amazon. com. His e-mail address is mimoffett@comcast. net.

THIS WEEKEND SPECIALS

FROG

ACKERLY’S

Grill & Galley

83 Main Street, Alton 603.875.3383

Akerlysgrillandgalleyrestaurant.com

Woodstock - Dbl Pig’s Ear

Great Rhythm - Squeeze

Baxter - Coastal Haze

Tuckerman - Pale Ale

603 - Summatime

COPPER KETTLE TAVERN

At Hart’s Turkey Farm Restaurant 233 D.W. Hwy, Meredith 603.279.6212 hartsturkeyfarm.com

Henniker - Working Man’s Porter

Concord Craft - Safe Space

Stoneface - IPA

Moat Mtn - Blueberry 603 - Winni Amber Ale

+6 More On Tap

D.A. LONG TAVERN

At Funspot 579 Endicott St N., Weirs 603.366.4377 funspotnh.com

Barreled Souls - V for Vanilla

Jack’s Abby - Bella Lago

Weldworks - Brightside Tide

Hitachino Nest - Red Rice

Ale

Cisco - Shark Tracker Light

Austin St. - Patina Pale Ale

+6 More On Tap

FOSTER’S TAVERN

403 Main Street Alton Bay, NH 603-875-1234 fosterstavernbythebay.com

Bud Light

Tuckerman - Pale Ale

Aqua Vue Haze -Muddy Road Brewery

Sam - Seasonal

Allagash - White

Maine - Lunch IPA

+2 More On Tap

JOHNSON’S TAPHOUSE

At Johnson’s Seafood & Steak 69 Rt 11, New Durham 603.859.7500

eatatjohnsons.com/ newdurham

Lone Pine -Brightside

Widowmaker -Blue Comet

Shipyard -Smashed

Pumpkin

Jack Abby -Red Tape

Muddy Road -1762 Porter

Northwoods -Autumn Buzz +30 More On Tap

MORRISSEYS’

Porch & Pub

286 S. Main St., Wolfeboro 603.569-3662 Morrisseysfrontporch.com

Morrisseys’ 20 Year Lager by Great North Smithwick’s Guinness Harp

Concord Craft Safe Space +11 More On Tap

OVER THE MOON FARMSTEAD

1253 Upper City Rd., Pittsfield overthemoonfarmstead.com

Oatmeal Stout

London Porter

Pitt Stop Pils

Coffee Porter

No Need To ArgueCranberry Mead

Maple Apple Cider +6 More On Tap

PATRICK’S PUB

18 Weirs Rd., Gilford 603.293.0841 Patrickspub.com

Patrick’s Slainte House Ale

Great North - Moose Juice

Guinness

Clown Shoes - Bubble Head 603 - Winni Amber Ale

Tuckerman - Pale Ale +9 More On Tap

THE WITCHES BREW PUB

At The Craft Beer Xchange 59 Doe Ave., Weirs Beach 603.409.9344

FB @craftbeerxchange

Maine Beer – Lunch IPA

Dogfish Head – 120 Minute

Kilkenny – Irish Red Ale

Foundation – Tropical Jam

Woodstock – Honey Lemon

Blonde Ale

Founders – Imperial Breakfast

Stout +30 More On Tap

** Tap listings subject to change!

MOFFETT from 28

nicity were: Black, 454; Hispanic, 478; White, 547; and Asian, 632.

Around each average score is a distribution of individuals above and below that score. There may be Black students with a score way above the 454 average. However, for Harvard, most important is a student’s “blackness” rather than his or her individuality.

Pew Research reports that the percentage of 40-year-old Americans that have never been married is now 25%, an all-time high. In 1980, this stood at 6%.

Clearly, marriage is breaking down. But here are the ethnic/racial differences among the percentage of never-married 40-yearolds: White, 20%; Black, 46%; Hispanic, 27%; and Asian, 17%.

Is there meaning in the fact that the order of the percentages of never married 40-yearolds by race/ethnicity is the same as the order of the math scores?

Does it say anything that Asians, where marriage is most intact, have the highest math scores? And that Blacks, where marriage is least intact, have the worst?

Marriage, family and children flow out of a worldview that everything is not about me -- that there is right and wrong, that there is a future, that there are eternal values, that there is personal responsibility, that there is love.

As these values have broken down in America, marriage has broken down.

It is these same values that establish a legal system that demands “equal treatment” under the law -- that judges do not decide what the world should look like, but instead apply equally God’s law.

In other words, knowledge, truth, learning and justice emerge from a world of unique individuals that recognize there is truth and personal responsibility.

The Harvard take on things -- politics and moral relativism -- has hurt Black Americans, not helped. It is the problem rather than the solution.

The court’s decision is a victory for American individual freedom and achievement and a defeat for the plantation managers at Harvard.

Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show “Cure America with Star Parker.”

PARKER from 6

ning musical program. The large 1988 audience there enjoyed a program of “gifted amateur musicians” with the help of Buffum’s Orchestra with a number of instrumental and vocal solos. Special interest was taken in Miss Minnie Hahn’s violin playing and the elocutionary talents of a Miss Cohen for her recitation of “Magdalene.”

Wednesday evening seemed to be the night of choice for summer entertainment in the mountains and places in the town of Bethlehem were hosts to many of them. A progressive euchre ( card game) was organized at the Strawberry Hill House by some misses from Chicago with a large number of participants. The Highland House also hosted a progressive euchre event, and “pleasure and excitement were at flood tide” at the Sinclair House for their euchre party, all happening on a Wednesday.

The Centennial House held a bug entertainment that was said to have been “novel, unique, and highly amusing.” It was held on a Tuesday, however, not Wednesday, probably because Wednesday evening was the time for the donkey party at the Centennial, mentioned as being a “famous mirth making institution.” The music was on a move as a “party of tallyho coachers from the Highland combined laughter with music as they traveled on their coach between Bethlehem and Littleton. The moving singing party in their decorated coach attracted much attention, according to the mountain news-

paper. The second White Mountain Coaching Parade was scheduled for August 20, 1888. The hotel proprietors were invited to have their hotels participate in the event. Prizes were offered in four categories: coach load of the prettiest ladies, best decorated coach, handsomest turnout, and coach coming the farthest distance. A committee had to be appointed, however, to solve the problem of the Sinclair House and Hotel Lookoff having adopted the

same colors for the parade, orange and white. The committee decided that the colors of the Sinclair should be apple green and white. The newspaper reported that “the parade will be followed by athletic sports in the afternoon, and pyrotechnics in the evening.”

Other summer entertainment in the White Mountains included baseball games. Somehow enough level playing fields were found to enable some talented athletes to show -

case their talents to the tourists. A game was played on August 9, 1888 at the Twin Mountain House between the Kearsarges and the Twins with the visiting team beating the local twins by a score of 18 to 8. The difference in the scoring was attributed to the fact that the Twins had to face one of the best amateur pitchers in the country, by the name of Bates, and that Kearsarge had nine players who were more experienced in playing together than

tain themselves by making use of the billiard rooms, the dance halls, bowling alleys, and children’s playgrounds. Vendors would go to the hotels which might also have souvenirs and other goods on site. Tournaments of different types were common as the hotel proprietors worked hard to provide the entertainment that would keep the tourists returning each summer to experience mountain

life. The biggest attraction, though, had to be the mountains themselves, beautiful to see and exciting to explore.

Years ago, when I brought a friend to New Hampshire for the first time, the one thing that seemed to catch his attention were the rocks.

“Rocks! Rocks! Rocks!” he exclaimed as he viewed the mountainous terrain.

the Twins, that is, the nine from Twin Mountain. The game was delayed until four p.m. to wait for the arrival of Bates, who came from New York. Large delegations attended the event from the Crawford, Fabyan, Oak Hill, and other housing establishments, and a rematch was scheduled in North Conway. After the August 9 game a group of men from Fabyan House challenged the Twin Mountain team to a game of baseball against them. Among the Fabyan nine were the likes of Rustic Caler, Neighbor Cutting, Ned Gould, John Sol, Wild Jack, and O.G. Barron.

It should be remembered also that the hotels had facilities for guests to enter -

Crawford Notch (from old postcard)

Reverend Marc B. Drouin, Pastor

The Old Man of the Mountains- Popular White Mountains attraction (from Postcard)

then return, stamped with an irrepressible individuality that life brought us.

With mingled feelings of relief and gratitude we find ourselves in some quiet hamlet, high on the hills or low in the valley; it may be among scenes once dearly loved, or gazing with appreciative eyes upon entirely new scenery, but conscious only of the supreme “blessedness of the average excellence of life” in the homes whose hospitable doors open wide to receive us. There we find the real heart of the country folks, gentle, simple, sincere. With quiet dignity they utter the everyday commonplaces, do the everyday little acts of kindness and charity, often bravely suppressing the vision of glorious possibilities that they may remain true to a circumscribed

round of duty — duty gentle, mayhap, but inflexible withal. “Heroes of the average life’’ some one has called them, and we who know fully agree. The old faces, the old voices hold their distinctive place in our memories that even the rush of modern existence fails to eradicate, and their kindly words of greeting ring true as we meet them, here and there, in their favorite village haunts.

It is well if our first day of relaxation finds us up with the lark, ready and eager to travel far afield. The old porch supports a glistening drapery of morning-glory vines, whose beautiful white and blue blossoms peep shyly out to bid us welcome; the clear air of early day is sweet with all the freshness of a new-born earth, offering its matin sacrifice to the jubilant

sun, now rising beyond the eastern hills. All the remembered sights and sounds of summer break upon our quickened senses with the comforting conviction that within us yet wells the eternal fount of unquenchable youth, with all the receptive joy we once believed was forever lost.

The garden (for there is always room for a garden in the country) is surely a thing of joy in its pristine, dewdrenched loveliness, where cinnamon roses, mignonette, clover, pinks and honeysuckle are filling the morning air with matchless perfume; up in the old elm tree a golden robin is caroling forth his gay greeting in recognition of the swelling chorus pouring up from wooded dells or crested peaks.

Faring out along the roadside the happy loiterer finds much to

speculate about in the wild riot of sweet-briar, mountain laurel and grape vines that outline and overgrow every stone wall and fence corner, while up the hillsides and down the hollows the wild roses are reveling in fair June’s honor. Humble descendants are they of that magnificent rose of Damascus, toast of ancient days, but oh, how lovely in their unostentatious beauty! And the grasses—-how luxuriantly they grow! What child has not delighted in the beautiful quakegrass, and the tall spikes of timothy, head high along the stone walls? The lanes and by-ways are lined with wind-sown wild oats and darnels, the yellow rattle and lotus, the cocksfoot and foxtail, while all the meadow lands rejoice in their thick carpeting of purple burnet and

See DAYS on 33

The old porch supports a glistening drapery of morning-glory vines.

lighter air-grass.

Across these meadows and gliding into the neighboring wood a little brook ripples and sings upon its lonely way; its banks are steep and grassy in some places and in others sink away into the quiet shelter of overhanging alders and silver birches. Here the children come for the earliest violets in the spring, and later reap rich harvests of wild parsnips and dog daisies. We fishermen know this brook well, and many an angler, proud possessor of a three-foot pole, with bent pin accompaniment, has solemnly fished for trout many weary hours,— weary, perhaps, but never to be forgotten.

As the noontide creeps on, the drowsy hum of the locusts beguiles the wayfarer into seeking the pleasant shelter of the trees at the edge of the pasture-land, where mildeyed cattle are gently cropping the young clover-tops or standing

knee-deep in the mirror-like pond, where white and yellow lilies grow. The distant hills, with their mantles of blue haze, seem dozing in the sunshine, and the dark pine trees stand like silent sentinels, straight and motionless under the bluest of June skies. Deepest peace reigns within and without us and the whole substance of the universe seems bound up in the myriad summer sounds floating ‘twixt earth and sky; the little furry creatures of the wood venture into our immediate neighborhood to curiously gaze upon us, but soon escape into the friendly undergrowth nearby; only the birds show any degree of fearlessness and from leafy retreats pour forth sweetest melodies for our enchantment.

Sunset now, and the hills are flushed a yellowish pink; the little clouds that cluster above the western horizon range in color from deepest violet and rose to old ivory;

mote from the feverishness of our busy lives? Thoughtfully we pursue our way back to the farmhouse, from whose open door and windows the cheerful lamplight is streaming.

The purple shadows of night have fallen about the old buildings and covered with loving tenderness all the evidences of Time’s harsh dealing, and a subdued and altogether mysterious loveliness transforms the erstwhile commonplace exterior. But what pen can

hope to portray the infinite glory and wonder of summer moonlight in the country?

Like a silver tissue falling upon the earth, it drapes with celestial beauty and grace every object it enfolds. Prince and peasant alike have been moved by its deathless splendor, and men of all climes and ages have sung its praises; dreams have invariably followed in its train and from time immemorial lovers have plighted their troth by its silvery light; and Ave, the

busy, everyday toilers of the world, have been soothed and comforted into temporary forgetfulness of much of life’s disillusionment.

Back to the city we carry many happy remembrances of our country holidays, refreshed and strengthened, physically, mentally and morally, and in our hearts some of that wondrous “joy that shall accompany us to the gates of God.”

ripples of air begin to whisper among the maple leaves, and the haymakers are turning homeward. As we follow them down the dust-white road the long twilight of our New England summer softly enfolds us. Over in the thicket the katydids are voicing their monotonous assertions, provocative of much thought on the naturelover’s part, and nearer at hand bob-white is piping up his cheery note. Dear little feathered brothers, singing your mediocre lullaby, how speedily are you forgotten in the ecstacy that thrills us through and through when, out of the shadows, clear, unexpected, the liquid sweetness of the hermit thrush’s song bursts upon our enraptured ears. Motionless we stand while that glorious tune shakes the silence and finally fades into the hush of the hour, and the memory alone is ours. Shall we ever hear anything again so sweet, so touched with the divine, so re-

Sunset now, and the hills are flushed a yellowish pink;

DAYS from 32

STOSSEL from 7 SHAPIRO from 6

the oceans and the skies, thus leading to the greatest outpouring of prosperity in history. But regardless of what you think of America’s support for Ukraine, it is dishonest to suggest that those who seek to fund Ukraine are universally apathetic about their fellow Americans.

That implication is yet another symptom of our broken and polarized politics, in which nuanced arguments are ignored in favor of character attacks.

Ben Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and cofounder of Daily Wire+.

its hate map, its bank cut them off.

“You’re an organization that promotes hate, violence ...,” wrote the bank. “Therefore we’re not doing business with you.”

The Ruth Institute and Family Research Council are still on the hate list.

“There’s no appeal.

I sure don’t know how you get off,” Morse complains.

I suspect the center keeps its hate list long to bring in lots of money.

The center pays some of its people more than $400,000 a year.

“More than my entire annual budget,” Morse says. “So yeah, whatever they’re doing -- it pays.”

It sure does. Harper’s

Magazine once reported that the center was the richest civil rights group in America, one that spends most of its time and energy trying to raise more money.

They promised they’d stop fundraising once their endowment reached $55 million. But when they reached $55 million, they raised their goal to $100 million, saying $100 million would allow them to “cease costly fundraising.”

But when they reached $100 million -they didn’t cease. They collected $200 million. Then $400 million. Now they have $730 million.

Yet they still raise money.

“Much of which is in offshore accounts in the Caymans,” says Boykin.

It’s true. You can see it on their tax forms.

Today the SPLC even smears groups like Moms for Liberty and Moms for America, calling them antigovernment extremists because they oppose sexually explicit content in schools, and seek school board seats to try to “stop ... school districts (from) disregarding the opinions of parents.”

Give me a break. The center puts Moms for America on its “hate map,” but not Antifa, the hate group that beats up people on the right.

Today the Southern Poverty Law Center is a hate group itself.

It’s a left-wing, money-grabbing smear machine.

Every Tuesday at JohnStossel.com, Stossel posts a new video about the battle between government and freedom. He is the author of “Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media.”

ROACH from 13

been shown to reduce blood pressure. Moreover, in people with high or normal blood pressure, this diet lowers risk of colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. It’s also easy to maintain.

Many people ask me about ketogenic (“keto”) diets, which typically involve large amounts of meat and, consequently, a high proportion of protein and fat. Although these types of diets can cause short-term weight loss, a recent study showed these diets unfortunately increased cholesterol levels and more than doubled the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes (heart attack and death).

So, I recommend against following this type of diet and remind readers that weight loss does not necessarily translate into better health. As the above studies have shown, a person of any weight can better their health by having a more plant-based diet, getting regular exercise, managing their stress and receiving psychosocial support. The changes you make do not need to be extreme in order for you to receive better health.

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual questions, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.(c) 2023 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

METZLER from 7 Vladimir Putin has floated the initiative that Russia will actually provide free food and grain shipments to needy countries. Putin claims his country “is capable of replacing the Ukrainian grain both on a commercial and free-of-charge basis, especially as we expect another record harvest this year.”

the Ukrainian ships sail with military convoys in tense standoffs with the Russians? Can or will NATO provide security through the Black Sea en route to Turkey?

Already Moscow unleashed air attacks on the key Ukrainian port of Odessa causing infrastructural damage and destroying 60,000 tons of stored grain. Equally Moscow targeted the historic Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Odessa in one of it’s expanding cultural crimes in Ukraine.

At the same time Russian grain exports are reaching new highs; just over the last year Moscow’s wheat exports reached 45 million tons while fertilizer sales are rebounding to pre-war levels. So in a warped sense Putin’s plan is designed as much as to hurt Ukraine’s economy, cripple its still viable farming sector, and equally to eliminate agricultural competition.

“The simple truth is that Russia has made a cynical calculation; by blocking grain exports from Ukraine, it will make higher profits from its own exports,” stated European Union Ambassador Olof Skoog. He added, “We call on Russia to stop using food as a weapon and rejoin the Black Sea Grain Initiative.”

So what is to be done? Moscow’s diplomatic dialectic seems focused on thwarting Ukraine’s robust agricultural exports as a way to financially contain the Kyiv government. This remains a conflict after all viewed through the Kremlin’s political/ military prism much more than the UN’s humanitarian agenda. At the same time,

Turkey remains a key player both as a par-

ty to the original UN Black Sea deal as well as reflecting on her own geography controlling the strategic Bosporus. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan doesn’t want to lose the advantage of political leverage, being an economic facilitator and his prestige as a diplomatic partner. Ukraine’s war has entered a very dangerous phase given the perception of Putin be-

ing cornered by NATO. The Russians are acting like Soviets. Enough said.

John J. Metzler is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of Divided Dynamism The Diplomacy of Separated Nations; Germany, Korea, China.

to emigrate, including 120,000 to the U.S. during 1938 to 1940; Britain--- 100,000; Australia--- 15,000; and the Dominican Republic--- 800.

From 1940 to 1945 approximately 6,000,000 Jews were murdered by Nazi Germany. (Note: Approximately 3,000,000 Polish Christians and 5,000,000 Russian Christians were also

murdered).

In 1948 Israel was established as a homeland and safe haven for Jews. It is the only country where Jews are 100% free of discrimination and persecution, and the Jews have learned their survival depends on having lots of guns and bullets.

Donald Moskowitz Londonderry, NH.

MAILBOAT from 2

BUY WILL I

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Old toys, banks, trains, sports memorabilia and comic books. Over 40 years experience in the antique business. Chinese and Asian arts, jade, ceramics, oriental textiles, furniture and art.

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Sterling silver flatware, tea services, trays and all silver and gold.

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Member: New Hampshire Antique Dealers Assn.

603-496-1811 603-934-5545 jlake@metrocast.net

THE CLASSIFIEDS

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1st Shi� Schedule: Monday-Thursday 7-3:30pm, Friday 6-2:30pm ½ hr paid break

2nd Shi� schedule: Monday-Thursday 3-10:30pm, Friday 2-9:30pm ½ hr paid break

Posi�ons are full �me with an impressive benefits package with 100% medical including family, short & long term disability, 401K matched re�rement plan and paid vaca�ons and holidays. Salary is Send resumes to: Email: jane@miteebite.com (note position in subject line)

Mitee-Bite Products LLC Attn: Human Resources PO Box 430, Ctr. Ossipee, NH 03814 (603)-539-4538

Our products may be reviewed on our website at www.miteebite.com

WE ARE HIRING!

PSI Molded Plastics is located in beautiful Wolfeboro, NH.

We offer competitive pay rates

Benefits include Health & Dental Insurance, Vision, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance, 401k, 10 paid holidays, paid vacation time, paid sick time, and many other incentives!

SANDERS 2ND SHIFT – Pay $19.00 to $24.00, plus shift differential.

SANDERS 3RD SHIFT – Pay $19.00 to $24.00, plus shift differential.

PAINTERS 2ND & 3RD SHIFT – Pay $21.00 to $27.00 depending on exp, plus shift differential.

ASSEMBLERS 2ND & 3RD SHIFT –Pay $18.00 to $24.00, plus shift differential.

PRESS OPERATORS 1ST, 2ND & 3RD SHIFT – Pay $18.00 to $24.00, plus shift differential.

MOLD SETTER MECHANIC 1ST, 2ND & 3RD SHIFT – Pay $21.00 to $28.00 depending on exp, plus shift differential.

PROCESS TECH 2ND & 3RD SHIFT – Pay $23.00 to $32.00 depending on experience.

MACHINIST 2ND SHIFT – Pay $22.00 to $33.00 depending on experience.

MAINTENANCE TECH 3RD SHIFT – Pay $22.00 to $33.00 depending on experience.

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**$1,000 SIGN ON BONUS

**SUBJECT TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS**

For immediate consideration, please come to Five Wickers Drive Wolfeboro, NH to complete an application or visit our website for more information at www.psimp.com.

You can also email your resume directly to donna.doyle@psimp.com or call me at 603-941-0022.

Please be specific as to what shift and position.

PSIMP an Equal Opportunity Employer. ISO 9001:2015 Registered.

B.C.

SUPER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE CLUE: STOPPING STITCHING

by Parker

&

Hart

MAGIC MAZE SUDOKU

THEME THIS WEEK: ---HOOD

CAPTION CONTEST

OUR PICK FOR BEST CAPTION

“I knew I should’ve got an Uber with a sunroof”

-Stephen Scardigno, Middleton, NH.

Runners Up : “Llama off at the next corner!” - John Peterson, Meredith, NH.

“It looks like I could run home to Peru faster than this cab can make it to the airport!”.

- Roger Dolan, Milford, Mass.

“ Hey! I’m not an alpaca, I’m a llama.” - MIchael Marion, Meredith, NH.

CAPTION THIS PHOTO!!

Send your best brief caption to us with your name and location within 2 weeks of publication date... Caption Contest, The Weirs Times, P.O. Box 5458, Weirs, NH 03247 email to contest@weirs.com

PHOTO #975

PHOTO #973

The Winklman Aeffect by John Whitlock