LONDONDERRY - It’s opportunity knocking. Or in this case, an opportunity landing.
The Aviation Museum of N.H. is looking for the next school in either New Hampshire or northern Massachusetts to host its innovative high school student plane-building program.
An open house for those interested in bringing the program to their public or private school will be held at the Aviation Museum, 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H. on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 7pm.
October 12th had two meanings for me in the days of my childhood. It was a day to celebrate the discovery of America by one Christopher Columbus and it was the day that Sandwich Fair was held.
There was something
that never felt right to me about that day, however. If it was a holiday why did we have to go to school and, why didn’t the school close for the day so I could go to the Fair? The fact was that though since 1934 Columbus Day had been recognized as a special day of remembering the explorer’s discovery of what became called the New World, it didn’t be -
come an official national holiday until 1968.
It was also true that there was no guarantee that I would be able to go to the Fair if school was canceled for the Day. Today it would appear that the children are being taught about a different side of Christopher Columbus than the one I was taught about many years previous.
New Hampton, New Hampshire resident Stephen Magoon signed his name in a book in the year 1829 that had a section all about the history of Columbus. The book said “...that many persons, are but slightly acquainted with the character of that man, whose extraordinary genius led him to the discovery of the continent,
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The open house will provide an opportunity for school officials, parents, business leaders, and the general public to ask questions and get information about the program. Interested districts are strongly urged to attend to ask questions and learn more about the search and selection process.
Proposals are being accepted through Friday, Nov. 17. The museum’s Request for Proposal can be downloaded from www.aviationmuseumofnh.org.
Started in partnership with the
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To The Editor: The Center for Mental Health Services recently awarded a $6,000,000 (that’s million!) federal grant to the Laconia School District.
Remembering that Ronald Reagan schooled US to be leery when the government claims it is here to help, I read the entire Mental Health Grant twice. The perusal made me wonder if anybody else has. I know Anne Marie Banfield has. She is a N.H. parent who is a well-respected expert on childhood education. Mrs. Banfield opines that this mental health grant turns the public-school classroom into a mental health institution. Unfortunately, I must agree. Here is why:
1. In the Grant narrative, the applicant (the Laconia School District) mercilessly criticizes their own Laconia public school system’s ability to educate our children (its pupils) despite having spent $200 million, $26 million this year, over the last decade to teach the ABC’s.
2. The fickle finger of blame by the Laconia School Board and Superintendent Tucker is pointed at the parents, who have apparently neglected their children and caused a massive mental health problem in the classroom.
3. This Grant finances the identification of each mentally disturbed school child after invasive mental health testing of “ALL” students.
4. The local mental health
organizations are mostly taxpayer funded by 501(c) (3) or (4) “charitable organizations” and will be unleashed to invade the public-school classroom to treat the “supposed” mental illnesses of our children.
Reminds me of the pigs at the trough in Orwell’s Animal Farm. Please read it for the sake of our children. I am sure Superintendent Tucker would gladly provide you with a copy! Implementation is in its very early stages.
Parents need to make themselves heard now.
Charles Bradley Laconia, NH.
To The Editor:
This is the question that a lot of people have been asking lately. A thirty-eight-year-old millennial, Vivek seems to have come out of nowhere, and he’s been making waves throughout the political and cultural arenas, in the media, and within the Republican party, most prominently in the two recently held debates. Vivek is running to be the 47th President of these United States of America, and I want to tell you what I think of him.
First, I’ve been helping out where I can with his campaign, and while doing so I have had the chance to meet him, if only in brief passing. Vivek is a very outspoken man and highly articulate and clear spoken in every word he speaks, which is a rare thing to find these days. It is obvious to me that he cares deeply about
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
this nation, as we all should, and he’s making steps to try to make the future better for all because of that love. There’s a tremendous amount of sacrifice in his decision, to not only step into the political fray but to go up against the Establishment Elite.
Vivek is running on a platform of peaceful revolution. America’s identity has been under assault for decades, and we are coming to a tipping point in our nation’s history. If we don’t stand up and fight for what we still have, and to take back the ground we’ve ceded, we will lose everything. Whether or not some can admit it, this nation is under siege from soothsaying vipers. Communists, socialists, authoritarians. It only takes one person with the courage to stand up to affect change, to inspire others, and ignite the bonfires of hope throughout a nation. Trump exposed it, now let us be the ones to end it! We must bring those who are acting against this country’s best interests, against the People’s interest, and hold them to full account. Not violently, but in the ways that our founders did for decades themselves. They petitioned the Crown for years until they went to war, as it was a last resort. They wanted to have a redress of grievances, but the King would not listen. We don’t want to get to that place. Let’s bypass the threat of a second civil war and do our due diligence by exposing these people culturally and vote these people out through the democratic methods we have at our disposal. The majority of people are rational, common-
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.
Birdwatching is extremely easy. Birdwatching is extremely difficult.
Both of those sentences are true. Everything in between is true as well. I’ve written this before, but one of the many great things about birdwatching is that it is as easy or difficult as you want to make it.
If you are happy identifying a few backyard birds that visit the feeder, fine. If you want to learn a few of the common birds you see on your walks through the woods, fine. And so on it goes until you get to those people who have reached expert status. You know, the people who pick out a first-year Iceland gull among a flock of 200 herring and ring-billed gulls.
Even though I’ve written a birdwatching column for more years than I can count on my fingers and toes, I’m not that expert. I’m not picking out a rare gull because I noticed the trailing edge of its wing is slightly different from the bird next to it. But I still love birdwatching and strive to get a little better each year.
There are several types of bird families that separate the experts from everyone else. Warblers can be
tricky, especially in the fall when they aren’t singing and many of the birds look different than they did in the spring. Sparrows can be difficult when you get beyond the easily identifiable ones. They don’t call them LBBs (little brown birds) or LBJs (little brown jobs) for nothing. As mentioned before, gulls offer their own special challenges. For me, identifying shorebirds has always been frustrating. I can ID the big and easy ones like American oystercatchers, the subject of a recent column. But the little ones that gather along
the shore are tricky.
“Peeps” is the general term for all those birds. Again, they don’t have a group nickname for no reason.
Among the peeps, I can pick out several species, such as sanderling, semi-palmated plover, and piping plover. In breeding plumage, dunlin and red knots are pretty easy to ID as well. But many of the other peeps very closely resemble each other and only subtle differences separate them.
The smaller sandpipers are the trickiest. Is that a least sandpiper, western sandpiper or
See BOSAK on 35
The New Durham Historical Society is honored to announce the return of the Charles W. Canney Camp No.5, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), for the 20th Annual New Durham Civil War Encampment scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, October 7th, and 8th at the lovely site, atop the Ridge. Saturday hours are 10 am to 3 and Sunday 10 am to 2 pm. The address is 16 Ridge Road, New Durham, NH. We are grateful to the Cullimore family for their twenty years of hosting this event in their lovely fields overlooking the White Mountains.
The public is invited to join in for a special presentation commemorating the unwavering dedication of these men from the Charles W. Canney Camp No.5, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) scheduled on Saturday beginning at 11:00 am. Each year during the event all applications received are reviewed and selections are made to award funds to students from New Durham to help with some of the expenses associated with their education beyond high school. New this year will be special period music provided by “The Family Band”. Other activities planned for the weekend demonstrations of open-fire cooking and baking will take place during the days of the event. Displays featuring information about New Durham’s role in the War of the Rebellion, through the Powder Mill and New Durham Railway Stations, and research about local boys who served, and those buried in New Durham will be available for our visitors to see and experience.
The New Durham Historical Society will be hosting its annual bake sale table, filled with yummy homemade baked goods and beverages. All proceeds benefit the scholarship. This is a rain-or-shine event. The event is open to the general public, and donations are greatly appreciated. There will be road signs along the main routes to the event. For additional information about the event or to request a scholarship application, contact Catherine Orlowicz at 603-859-4643. The scholarship submission deadline is October 5, 2023.
See the application for details. Scholarship applications are also available at the New Durham Town Hall, Public Library, and the New Durham General Store.
The program “Digging Into Native History” will take place on Tuesday, October 10th at 7pm at the Gordon-Nash Library, 69 Main Street, New Hampton.
Abenaki history has been reduced to near-invisibility as a result of conquest, a conquering culture that placed little value on the Indian experience, and a strategy of self-preservation that required many Abenaki to go “underground”, concealing their true identities for generations to avoid discrimination and persecution. Our presenter, Robert Goodby, reveals archaeological evidence that shows their deep presence here, inches below the earth’s surface.
Robert Goodby has spent the last 30 years studying Native American archeological sites in New England. He is a professor of Anthropology at Franklin Pierce University and holds a Ph.D. from Brown University, was past president of the NH Archeological Society and a former Trustee of the Mount Kearsage Indian Museum, and served on the NH Commission on Native American Affairs. In 2010, he directed excavation of four 12,000 year-old Paleoindian dwellings at the Tenant Swamp site in Keene, and in 2021, his book
A Deep Presence: 13,000 years of Native American History was published.
The program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. www.newhamptonhistory.org
One of Canterbury Shaker Village’s most popular offerings, Stone Wall Workshop returns one final time for the 2023 season on Saturday and Sunday, October 21 and 22, respectively. Providing participants with the unique opportunity to not just learn about history, but help restore it, the workshop is led by master stone artisan and mason Kevin Fife.
“History comes to life with Kevin,” said Leslie Nolan, executive director of the Village. “These workshops are fun and informative, and participants walk away with a practical skill they can practice at home.”
Citing their Stone Wall Workshop as one of many experiential learning opportunities offered year-round at the Village, Nolan said their hope is to inspire people of all ages to learn more about the Shakers.
To enroll in the Village’s Stone Wall Workshop, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on October 21/22, visit shakers.org. The two-day workshop includes materials, gourmet lunch, and drinks. Tuition is $250 per person per workshop.
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.
Carroll County Retires and Senior Volunteer Program RSVP (RSVP) volunteer drivers play a vital role in providing safe and reliable transportation for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and veteran in Carroll County facing transportation barriers to their scheduled local and long-distance medical appointments or non-urgent healthcare needs. Transportation is provided from their homes to medical appointments and then back home again – providing true door-to-door-to-door service – at absolutely no charge to the participant.
Appointment start times must be between 9am and 3pm. While aging can sometimes make independent living difficult, small support, such a safe and reliable transportation to medically related appointments can help seniors maintain independence in their own homes, be active in their communities, and still have access to all the medical services that they need.
Volunteer drivers are needed to help them carry their mission. As a volunteer driver with the RSVP program, you will be on an on-call list along with other volunteer drivers. When new requests for service come in, volunteers receive a notification via email and can pick and choose the appointments that fit in with their schedule. Volunteers are not required to have previous training, and anyone over the age of 50 can become a volunteer driver.
To become a Volunteer Medical Transportation driver, you must:
•Be at least 50 years of age.
•Have a good driving record.
•Hold a current and valid driver’s license.
•Have liability automobile insurance coverage.
•Drive an automobile that is in a safe, road-worthy condition.
•Provide information for criminal background screening.
Mileage reimbursement: Funding is provided to reimburse volunteers of the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation program for their mileage to and from their own residence.
To become a volunteer driver contact Marshall Allan at 603-356-9331 or email marshall.ccrsvp@ gmai.com
What?
You didn’t know it was Flatlanders’ Day Weekend?
by Brendan SmithOf course, you didn’t, I just made it up and I hope you join me in helping to make it a reality.
I have been paying attention to all of the hoopla (love that word) over the past few years where a lot of people are protesting Columbus Day and want it replaced with Indigenous People’s Day (though a good percentage of those folks didn’t even know what the word “Indigenous” meant at first, but just knew they were supposed to want it since someone told them they should.)
In fact, there are more than a few places in the country where people are now celebrating Indigenous People’s Day instead of Columbus Day because the idea caught on.
So, it worked.
So, why not Flatlanders’ Day?
If I can get enough people on my side, we might just have a shot. Besides, a lot of folks already know what Flatlander means so they won’t have to look it up first and we can get the ball rolling faster.
You are probably asking why I would want to have Flatlanders’ Day on the same day as Columbus Day and what some people call Indigenous People’s Day. Isn’t it already crowded enough? So why not pick another holiday to protest and just have Flatlanders’ Day replace that one?
Well, it makes sense to have it on this day. You see, Flatlanders’ Day would sort of work in reverse of the Indigenous People’s format. Those against Columbus claim that he treated the Indigenous People (the
people who were already there when he landed, but may have not have always been there) poorly. In fact, many feel that Columbus probably never actually landed in what we call the Continental United States (the term where the light morning breakfast comes from that is served at many hotels.).
Of course, none of us were there to verify the claims of either of these, so we leave it to the intellectuals to tell us what exactly happened since they were.
So, taking all this as truth, the opposite would be in effect for us Flatlanders. We are those from away who came to this land and met the Indigenous People (those who lived here now, but whose ancestors probably came from somewhere else) who treated us badly.
We have put up with plenty of abuse over the years and many are still alive to tell the tales unlike the folks around in Columbus’ times (except, of course, for the experts).
How many of you Flatlanders moved to a town in New Hampshire, gone to the local hardware store to pick up a few supplies and had to endure the stares and silent whispers from the local natives checking us out?
How about attending your first town meeting wanting to be a part of the process right from the get go, inserting your opinion on an important topic, only to be scoffed at by the locals since they believe you haven’t lived here long enough to have an informed opinion. (Wasn’t it bad enough that you took a seat only to realize later that it was the same exact spot that some ninety-five-year old native sat in at every town meeting and you finally had to move after being stared down by him and everyone else at the meeting?)
How many times were we new Flatlanders told by a na-
tive “You Can’t Get There From Here” only to find out years later, after the invention of the personal GPS system, that you could have gotten there the whole time and were lied to?
The list goes on.
We have endured a lot and mostly kept our mouths shut, but I feel now is the time to make some noise.
We are close enough in history to know that even those who are natives of New Hampshire today have ancestors who were not. A “Flatlander” is, according to definition, “someone from away.” So, in effect, the first person to ever set foot in New Hampshire was from somewhere else, or away, and the main reasons we are all here today.
So, as a Flatlander from Long Island, New York who has lived here now going on four decades, I feel it is finally the time to make things right and push for our own holiday, so why not the same weekend as Columbus Day? It doesn’t even have to replace Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day if that’s your thing.
Couldn’t the three holidays just coexist. Maybe we could put it on a bumper sticker or possibly get folks to include it on their “In This House We Believe…” signs with “Flatlanders Deserve Respect”or something.
Anything would help.
Listen we wouldn’t even want parades or even a statue of one of the first Flatlanders somewhere (some angry natives will probably just tear it down anyway).
Maybe some Flatlanders’ Day specials at local restaurants or something. Just asking for a little recognition and respect.
It really doesn’t have to be a big deal, we will take what we can get right now and then grow on that.
Are you with me?
Happy Flatlanders’ Day!
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Or order online at BrendanTSmith.com
(Autographed copies also avail. at the Weirs Times)
Recently I wrote about Mesha Mainor, who represents a deep blue district in Atlanta in the Georgia state legislature, announcing that she is switching parties and becoming a Republican.
Ben Shapiro is off this week. Please enjoy the following column by Stephen Moore.
sawing that Republicans could possibly do -- even if they had the political will to do it -- these reforms still won’t get us within a country mile of a balanced budget.
by Star Parker Syndicated ColumnistMainor specifically noted her frustration with the Democratic Party in its opposition to improving education through parental choice and ongoing Democratic weakness in building strong law enforcement. I cannot claim a new wave of Black Democrats like Mainor becoming Republicans. But there is certainly a trend.
We now have a meaningful new announcement from Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson that he is switching parties and becoming a Republican.
Johnson was elected mayor in Dallas in 2019 and recently won reelection, running unopposed and capturing 98.7% of the vote.
He is enormously popular because his leadership has been enormously successful.
In a column in The Wall Street Journal, in which Johnson discusses his party change, he ticks off the success he has had in reducing violent crime and in creating a businessfriendly Dallas with tax cuts and a family-friendly environment through infrastructure.
In a recent Gallup poll, which Johnson cites, Dallas was rated by those polled as the safest city in the country in which to live or visit. Seventy-four percent rated Dallas safe.
It’s said that there are two kinds of people: those who want to be someone and those that want to do something.
Politics too often attracts the former. However, those who make a better world are those of the latter variety -- those selflessly looking for truth and how to make things better.
Eric Johnson is clearly someone driven to make things better.
When he writes “American cities need Republicans -- and Republicans need American cities,” it is not because he sees a more promising career path for himself in the Republican Party.
It’s because he truly believes that America’s cities need mayors “to champion law and order and practice fiscal conservatism.”
If we want to see an example of the opposite of what Eric Johnson and Dallas’ citizens have achieved, look no further than Chicago.
by Stephen Moore Syndicated Columnist
House Republicans are in another titanic battle with President Joe Biden on how to balance the budget. Actually, it’s a lopsided debate because Democrats have no interest at all in reducing the deficit. They are operating under the delusional idea paradigm of “Modern Monetary Theory,” which posits that the U.S. government can borrow $2 trillion from now until the end of days and it won’t hurt the economy.
Were these presidential advisers the same Nobel-winning economic sages who swore in the pages of The New York Times that, don’t worry, Mr. Biden, your $6 trillion spending spree won’t cause inflation?
Those of us who live down in here in the real world are horrified by the fiscal future we’re facing. Any week now, our publicly traded debt will exceed 100% of our total annual national output, and that percentage gobbled up by government debt is expected to accelerate from 100% of gross domestic product today to nearly 200% over the next 30 years. That’s the path to Argentina, Bolivia and Zimbabwe.
There’s plenty to cut in the budget, and House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) has put forward a financially fit budget that would chop hundreds of billions of dollars a year of waste, fraud, redundancy and obsolescence.
Here’s another way to shave off $380 billion of spending right out of the gate: kill Biden’s green energy slush fund, which is being run by Democratic politico John Podesta. How about allowing the production of energy that pays taxes -- the oil, natural gas and coal industry -- instead of “renewable” energy that eats hundreds of billions of tax dollars?
But it doesn’t matter how much chain-
That’s because there isn’t enough economic growth to get the revenues to catch up with the spending. Under Biden, the U.S. economy has grown at roughly a 1.5% growth path -- pretty pathetic given that coming out of COVID-19, we should have been booming.
Worse yet, the standard forecast from the Congressional Budget Office is predicated on the assumption of 1.7% annual economic growth. But that’s way below the 3.2% average real growth rate of the U.S. economy from 1950-2005.
To borrow a phrase from John F. Kennedy when he was running for president in 1960: “We can do better.” Actually, a lot better.
Former President Donald Trump gets this. So does Vivek Ramaswamy. When you get more growth, you get more revenues and less spending on social welfare programs. Ramaswamy says it well: “If we get back to 3%-plus economic growth, the fiscal problems start to go away.” Conservative and liberal economists alike have scolded the Trump-Ramaswamy strategy for concluding that “we can grow our way out of the deficit.”
Actually, with a modicum of the spending restraint and a higher growth path, we can avoid the fiscal train wreck.
Committee to Unleash Prosperity economist Louis Woodhill finds that the debt as a share of GDP slopes steadily downward over the next 30 years with a 3% trajectory of growth. And if we achieve 3.5% growth, we can even reach a point where we start paying down the debt. This is called the power of compounding. What a change that would be from a trillion dollars a year in red ink added forever -- which is the Biden baseline.
This also means that any policy that lowers growth
Having a baby?
for many women.
“These policies are motivated by good intentions,” says Calder. “But that doesn’t mean that the consequences of these policies will turn out well.”
Calder, who is pregnant, thinks the law will lead to fewer women being hired in the first place.
people got jobs, year after year. When it passed, almost 30% were in the workforce. But once the ADA passed, employment of disabled workers dropped by half!
dation the woman might ask for.”
It’s safer for the employer to say, “I’m just not going to hire you. There’s no way for the government to know why I didn’t hire.”
by John Stossel Syndicated Columnist
There’s a new law meant for you: the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. America needs this law, say activists, because “pregnant workers, especially those in low-wage and physically demanding jobs, have been forced to choose between their health and a paycheck.”
In my new video, Vanessa Brown Calder, director of Family Policy at the Cato Institute, explains why this new law will make life worse
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a good example of that.
Both Democrats and Republicans applauded when President George H.W. Bush signed it. Everyone loves the ADA.
But the law hurt disabled people who want to work.
Before it passed, more disabled
It happened because of the job “protection.” Employers fear disability lawsuits. They’re afraid that if a disabled person doesn’t work out, they’ll never be able to fire them. Now the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act will make hiring young women risky.
“You may be a lawsuit bomb,” I say to Calder, who nods and says: “It does make women more risky and more costly to hire. Employers don’t know exactly what accommo-
“Companies get good at working their way around these regulations,” Calder responds.
But government officials assume their laws will do what they’re supposed to do. They also are eager to please special interest groups.
The chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission went before cameras to brag that this law has support from “businesses, faith, health, women’s and
A wide swath of Asian security issues were discussed and deliberated upon during the recent UN General debate. Predictably China and Korea dominated concerns though other concerns such as the South China Sea were largely overlooked. Speaking at the start of the 78th Assembly, President Joe Biden politely addressed China’s growing military threat; he said the U.S. seeks “to responsibly manage competition” with Beijing “so it doesn’t tip into conflict.” True but this all sounds a bit mercantile; evoking trade competition, markets and
balance sheets. Not the dangerously tipping military balance in the Pacific.
by John J. Metzler Syndicated Columnist
Biden stressed that U.S. policy towards China is based on “derisking, not de-coupling” adding that “while Washington will stand against China’s aggressive actions, the U.S. is also ready to work with Beijing on issues like climate change.” All pretty vapid. We should note that since the vaunted Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, Beijing’s coal fired energy plants have been puffing away at an alarming rate; China has doubled its coal plant capacity since 2019! Addressing the situation on the divided Korean peninsula, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol warned, “The nuclear and missile programs of the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea pose not only a direct and existential threat to the peace of the Republic of Korea, but also is a serious challenge to peace in the Indo-Pacific region and across the globe.” No question, but despite many Security Council resolutions banning North Korean nuclear and missile firings, the Pyongyang regime continues testing unabated.
President Yoon added warily, “if the DPRK acquires the information and technology necessary to enhance its WMD capabilities in exchange for supporting Russia with conventional weapons, the deal will be a direct provocation threatening the peace and security of not only Ukraine but also the Republic of Korea.” In other words, shall Moscow enhance Pyongyang’s
technological capacity?
He warned, “The Republic of Korea together with its allies and partners, will not stand idly by.”
Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida was a bit less direct stating, “Japan’s policy on North Korea remains unchanged. Japan seeks to normalize its relationship with North Korea… through resolving outstanding issues of abductions, nuclear and missile issues, as well as settlement of our unfortunate past.” He added, he would like to “meet President Kim Jong-un face to face at any time without and conditions.” Nonetheless there were no direct mentions of Mainland China.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong warned, “The Indo-Pacific
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From God is an attempt to put the thoughts of God as revealed in the Scriptures.
As promised in the last letter, I want to continue to explain why faith is essential to receive from me the resources I alone possess as God, in order to know life in all its fullness in your lifetime and for eternity.
In the last letter I explained how important exercising faith is as the means of accessing my resources. In the letter titled Hebrews in the New Testament, I had the writer express the importance of faith when he wrote, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6). There is no other way to enjoy my benefit without faith.
I also explained what faith is first by its opposite which is self-effort or work. When you can acquire something on your own, you go ahead and simply get it. You put in the effort and get what you work for. Faith, on the other hand, is necessary when you can’t get something, and you need someone or something to do what you can’t do (Romans 4:4-8).
I asked you to consider that you actually express faith every day in every way. When you cross a bridge you didn’t engineer, design or build you trust those who did those things to get you to the other side. When you enter a hospital to have a surgical procedure, like open heart
surgery or to have a tumor removed, you simply show up and trust the Doctor to do what you can’t. When you eat food that has been purchased at a store, you trust that those who produced it followed healthy and safe procedures to ensure the food doesn’t make you sick or kill you.
What you need to know is that in order to have a relationship with me and the resources to enjoy life in all its fullness in time and eternity, you must be perfect without any sin or evil in your life. I am without sin or evil and I can’t have relationship with anyone who is less than perfect. Since you have sinned not only once but many times, you are no longer perfect. Nothing you can do can make you perfect again. In fact, trying in your own effort and not trusting me sounds noble, but it is a sin because you make yourself God by trusting in yourself to fix your problem of not being perfect. That is why faith is so important to me and to you.
I sent my son Jesus, who is himself God and eternal, to die in your place and pay for every sin you have ever committed or will commit (Romans 5:8). When a person asks Him to forgive their sins, not because of self-effort but trusting His effort to do what they can’t, their faith leads him to remove all penalties for sins you have committed. In this condition, I look at you as though you have never sinned, or as being perfect. In this condition, I once again can restore you
to myself and begin to pass on all the resources you will need to live now, in a dying world, and for eternity in my actual presence.
Let me expand on this need for faith.
Once you have been forgiven for your sins by trusting my son to pay your penalty , you will still face the power of sins temptation. If you give in to the sin, even though you have been forgiven in my eyes, your sin will lead to pain suffering and death. Because those temptations come from one more powerful than yourself, the Devil who is evil and unseen, you don’t have a chance of obeying me in your own strength. If, however, you ask me and the Holy Spirit to empower you to overcome the power of temptation, you will be able to obey and avoid deadly consequences of sin. Without trusting me you can’t overcome the penalty or the power of sin. Trust me however, and you will have victory over both
Let me expand on this need for faith even more.
When you die, as a person who trusted me and was saved from the penalty of sin and its power, how will you get into my presence in heaven? Do you know the way? What map will you follow? What mode of transportation will you take? You have no idea or concept of how to gain access to me and my kingdom of light and life. Consider how faith can help you once again to do what you can’t do. My son Jesus, told his disciples he was leaving them to return to heaven. In their anxiety over his departure Thomas, one of his
disciples said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” My son, Jesus, responded by saying, “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” (John 14:5-6).
In other words, you don’t need to know the way, you only need to trust, exercise faith in my son, to get you there. When this occurs, you will be delivered from the presence of sin by faith. Can you see the importance of faith? You can’t live without it!
So “ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9) All because you have faith and trust me to do what you can’t.
I love you, God
Israel: A Trip of A Lifetime. Come join Rev. Samuel Hollo, writer of Letters from God, as he guides a tour of Israel, March 18-27th of 2024. Together you will visit major sites of Biblical events throughout Israel of both the Old and New Testament. Each site visited will be viewed for their historical as well as their spiritual importance. This will be a 10-day trip that will be unforgettable and deeply inspirational. For information call (603) 875-5561
Weirs Times F.O.O.L columnist, Brendan Smith’s first book with over 30 of the best of his original Flatlander Columns. From learning to Rake The Roof to Going To The Dump to Buying Firewood for the first time and everything in between, Brendan recounts the humorous tales of his learning to fit into New Hampshire life as a Flatlander from New York.
Order your autographed copy today for $13.99 plus $3 for shipping. (Please include any inscription you would like the author to personalize your copy with.) Make out checks or money orders for $16.99 to Brendan Smith and mail to: The Flatlander Chronicles, c/o The Weirs Times, PO Box 5458, Weirs, NH 03247. Order online at www.BrendanTSmith.com (Pickup autographed copies at the Weirs Times)
When I was a youngster life was so much simpler. Old-timers will agree. In 1967 there were 63 MLB, NHL, NFL, and NBA franchises. Today there are 124 such teams.
One could go on forever about those simpler times, unfettered by computers, social media, or millions of illegals flowing across our borders. While those simpler times weren’t necessarily better times in all respects, things then just seemed easier to comprehend.
Back then boys were boys and girls were girls. Males played on male teams. Females played on female teams. But what seemed so commonsensically simple back then has now become complicated.
Biological males now play on female teams.
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas switched from the University of Pennsylvania men’s swim team to the women’s team. Thomas subsequently won the 2022 NCAA Division I National Championship in the 500-yard freestyle.
Thomas’ controversial title created a firestorm of controversy. Did Thomas rob a woman of a championship?
ine a 95-pound XX female soccer player running head on into a 165-pound XY trans athlete in pursuit of a 50/50 ball? Things could end badly for the smaller girl. Such situations create legitimate safety concerns.
(BTW, there is also ovotesticular syndrome, an intersex condition in which an individual is born with both ovarian and testicular tissue. However, the number of such cases is infinitesimally small, with gender generally being selected shortly after birth.)
Thomas broke no NCAA rules. That governing body requires transgender studentathletes to document sport-specific testosterone levels beginning four weeks before their sport’s championship selections. They need documented levels at the beginning of the season and a second documentation six months after the first. They also need to document testosterone levels four weeks before championship selections.
To meet targeted reduced testosterone levels requires drugs— which is disconcerting to many. An NCAA that drug-tests for performance enhancers now requires athletes like Thomas to take drugs to change their body chemistry. Yikes.
The sports world is obviously much more
complicated than it was in 1967.
Swimming in these uncharted waters raises many questions. What are the long-term physical and emotional consequences of the NCAA-required testosterone-related drug regimen?
But there are other issues as well. Is it fair for biological males, born with the XY chromosome configuration, to compete against biological females, born with the XX configuration?
Males and females are physically different. Males generally have much more muscle mass, on average, and are generally bigger and stronger. Thus, the outrage about Thomas’ designation.
But what about team sports? Imag -
Inevitably, the situation has been politicized. In 2021 our N.H. House Education Committee heard testimony on a sports gender bill, HB198. Of the 33 folks who testified at the hearing, 32 advocated for trans athlete participation in all sports. Many of the testifiers were moms hoping to see their trans children have every possible opportunity. Would one expect otherwise?
The bill was retained in committee and did not go to the full House.
Like the NCAA, the NHIAA has developed some guidelines in this area which also generated emotional responses.
Other parents subsequently sounded off, advocating for their kids and expressing safety and fairness concerns re: non-trans
by Tim Moore
When late summer begins to feel like early fall, usually right around when trout and salmon season closes, a lot of anglers give up on fishing for the season. They winterize their boats and put away their rods, because they believe that cooler weather means fishing season is over. Many head into the woods for hunting seasons and while I love to hunt too, there are too many great fishing opportunities in lateSeptember and October for me to stop fishing. These fall fishing opportunities are driven largely by the phenomenon known as lake turnover and the fishing turns on in a way that you almost have to experience to believe. If you love to fish, then fall can be the most memorable time of the year.
Lake turnover and length of daylight drives fall feeding for many species, but anglers often don’t understand how and why it works.
By late August, the temperature of most water bodies has warmed and stabilized. Warmer water sits on top while more dense cool water has settled to the bottom. Larger lakes develop a thermocline layer that separates the upper layer of warmer water from the layer of cool water below. However, when the air temperatures begin to drop,
Fall in New Hampshire offers some excellent fishing opportunities. Some that many anglers miss by putting their boats away early.
usually right around the first day of fall, surface water temperatures begin to cool. This cooler water is denser and sinks, forcing warmer water to the surface. The cycle continues until the lakes freeze. Hence the term lake turn over.
When lakes and ponds turn over, coupled with shorter days, many fish species are triggered to feed so they can bulk up for the coming winter. Warmwater schooling fish such as crappie, white perch, and sunfish will move to their wintering areas and form large schools, where they spend their
Almost all water bodies have some sort of basin or depression. Low light periods, such as early morning, late afternoon, or cloudy days, are the best time to target gamefish in basins, as this is when plankton is most active. For those waters that do not have a welldefined basin, the challenge is figuring out the feeding patterns and behavior. On windy days, the windward shorelines often hold bait that gets pushed there by prevailing winds. Watch for nervous water where bait may be pushed to the surface by predatory gamefish or seek out submerged shoreline structure to find fish, or simply look for groups of loons diving out in open water.
days chowing all the food they can get. While many of these species are in schools most of the year, the schools get bigger and the feeding activity gets more aggressive.
Most times, warmwater schooling fish will head for basins after a lake turns over. Basins hold plankton, which attracts baitfish, which in turn attracts gamefish. Plankton rises from the substrate during low light. Baitfish will feed on this plankton and the panfish follow the baitfish. There is an abundance of life in basins during the fall.
Some of my favorite lures include the Live Baby Shad from Lake Fork Trophy Lures, the Bobby Garland Baby Shad Swim’R, and the Z-Man Shad FryZ. These soft plastics work well on a small jig head and drifted through a school or sometimes I cast them toward a school and just let them sink. Crappie almost can’t resist it. You don’t even really need to jig it. Just get it down just above the school and drift. Another great panfish lure is a small Leech Flutter Spoon or Tikka Mino from Clam Outdoors. Choose your color based on light conditions and water clarity, but don’t be afraid to experiment.
by Eric N Gibson Contributing Writer
“Mom wants to know if you want to have dinner with us this year?”
“What are we having?”
“Dad says, Pot Roast!”
I visibly blanched as flashbacks, haunting memories, began to spill forth from the darkest cerebral recesses where they had managed to remain hidden for nearly 359 days.
It was Christmas Eve, my “extended family” were seated around a formal dinner table replete with candles, white linen, and fine tableware. We were all quietly looking somewhat perplexed, heads turned solemnly downward toward our plates as we relentlessly chewed like a herd of bovine ruminating their cud. The first clue that this train was heading off its rails was when the knife at each place setting could not even begin to score the main fare. My best friend and I both pulled out our pocket knives and began to face the challenge head on.
As we all sat melancholy, methodically masticating in silence I could hear my inner voice begin to recite, “Quaker Meet has begun, No more laughing no more fun, If
one of the elders across the table. I watched intently, silently hoping for Mr. McDonough’s uppers to pop out and join us at the table. But, alas, he was able to retain both his partial and his demure composure despite the audible struggle. The occasional subtle clearing of throats as one or another attempted to dislodge their quid for another go’round, and the soft tinkle of melting ice cubes as they buoyantly jiggled from side to side in crystal glasses set back on the table cloth were the only other appreciable tones.
To say the least, it was the worst Pot Roast I have ever had! My friend’s mom had left specific instructions for his dad on how to prepare and cook the roast. She, having gone off to choir practice before the Christmas Eve services, would be home just in time to enjoy dinner with family and friends, the customary visit from “Santa,” then dash back to church for Christmas Eve services.
To say something went horribly wrong between conceptualization and execution would be an understatement. I am, however, certain that this was far from what Martha had envisioned for family and friends. Since that time, when asked if I wanted to stay for supper, my standard reply has been,
“If your mom made it, maybe. If your dad made it, NO! I’d sooner take my chances dumpster diving for cold pizza
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rhythm with the swing of the pendulum. An occasional muffled clacking of loose bicuspids. False or real? It was hard to discern. But, I was certain it came from 25 - 40% SAVINGS ON ALL OUTDOOR FURNITURE
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*Flatlander’s Observations
With over 40 of the best of Brendan’s weekly columns he covers everything from politics to health to technology to shopping and more. This is the perfect sampling of his unique humor which has been entertaining readers of The Weirs Times and Cocheco Times for twenty years.
Order your autographed copy today for $13.99 plus $3 for shipping. (Also available on Amazon andlocal bookstores
Send checks or money orders for $16.99 to Brendan Smith and mail to: Best of a F.O.O.L., c/o The Weirs Times, PO Box 5458, Weirs, NH 03247. Order online at www.BrendanTSmith.com
With over 40 of the best of Brendan’s weekly columns he covers everything from politics to health to technology to shopping and more. This is the perfect sampling of his unique humor which has been entertaining readers of The Weirs Times and Cocheco Times for twenty years.
Order your autographed copy today for $13.99 plus $3 for shipping. (Please include any inscription you would like the author to personalize your copy with.)
Send checks or money orders for $16.99 to Brendan Smith and mail to: Best of a F.O.O.L., c/o The Weirs Times, PO Box 5458, Weirs, NH 03247.
Order online at www.BrendanTSmith.com
(Pickup autographed copies at the Weirs Times)
Our friend Tom Thomson sent us this photo of a Black Bear enjoying a few apples behind his house in Orford, NH, before he wandered over to the corn field for his main course of food for the day. In the Orford area they’re very few acorns or Beech Nuts due to the hard frost earlier this spring, which both Bears (that den up) and Deer depend on this time of year in order to put enough weight on to make it through the winter months.
The annual Sandwich Fair is back this weekend at the Sandwich Fairgrounds.
Saturday through Monday, October 7-9.
Gates open at 8 a.m.andclosewhen alltheanimalshave finished competing and there are not enough people on the grounds for the ridestorun!Usual closing time is around 6pm on Saturday & Sunday. 5pm closing on Monday.
Please: pets not allowed on fair groundsorinparked cars(forthesafetyof our animals and yours).
Cash only (ATM insidegates).Mobility scooters for rent at mainentrance.
TheSandwichFair.com
by JoAnn Derson Syndicated Columnist
* Cellphones get dirty, especially touch-screen phones. Be sure to wipe the surface of your phone daily during cold and flu season. Use an approved antiseptic wipe for electronics.
* I used to hate planning our family’s weekly meals. Now we decide together at dinner on Friday night. We agree on meals for the week, and I can get a shopping list together in time for weekend shopping. It’s made for less groans at meal -
See TIP on 19
TIP from 18
time, and the kids have been surprisingly creative and flexible about trying new things now that they are part of the choosing process.
-- T.L. in Minnesota
* To keep things running smoothly in the morning, all four of my children must be dressed, with shoes, and seated for breakfast before any television can come on. There’s suddenly a lot of peer pressure to get up and dressed, and much more helpfulness in my morning routine.
-- A.M. via email
* I have found myself with an abundance of peppers from my garden, so I cleaned and chopped them, then froze them. I am able to take out what I need, and they won’t spoil. -C.E. in Florida
* Creative uses for kids’ artwork: Tape to cardstock for a homemade greeting card for any occasion. Hang from the bathroom mirror. Laminate and use as placemats. Large pieces can be used as wrapping paper. Frame and donate to local senior centers.
* To keep windshield wipers clean between replacement periods, dampen a soft cloth with rubbing alcohol and wipe the length of the blade.
Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.
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
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
Proclamation - Vacation
Boy
Southern Tier - Caramel
Pumking
Prairie - Lemon Slice
Foam - Dead Flowers
Woodstock - Burst of Green
Southern Tier - Warlock
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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
At Johnson’s Seafood & Steak
69 Rt 11, New Durham 603.859.7500
eatatjohnsons.com/ newdurham
Lone Pine -Brightside
Widowmaker -Blue Comet
+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
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
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
At The Craft Beer Xchange
59 Doe Ave., Weirs Beach 603.409.9344
FB @craftbeerxchange
Spaten – Oktoberfest
Ayinger – Oktoberfest
Moat – OPAs Oktoberfest
Jack’s Abby – Copper
Legend Oktoberfest
Able Ebenezer – Gemutlich
Oktoberfest
von Trapp – Oktoberfest
+30 More On Tap
** Tap listings subject to change!
Whether you are in the market to build, remodel, buy or just want something fun to do, we invite you to be our guest at the 2023 Lakes Region Parade of Homes.
(Family Features)
Weather fluctuations are the norm these days, and cold winter weather is on the horizon.
This winter, don’t get caught out in the cold when it comes to heating costs. There are things you can do now to help save money by reducing your energy consumption. Consider these tips from the experts at Carrier to help you reduce usage and home heating costs this season.
1. One of the easiest ways to save on your heating bill is turning the heat down to the lowest setting you are comfortable with.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, turning the temperature down an additional 10-15 F while you
are sleeping or away can help save about 10% a year on energy costs.
2. Installing a programmable thermostat can make turning down the heat automatic. De-
pending on the model, you can set different temperatures for when you are home, away or asleep. Better yet, a WiFi-connected smart thermostat can make automatic adjustments
and is controllable remotely using a smartphone.
3. Keep up with regular maintenance of your home heating system so it runs efficiently. Change your filter as recommended by the manufacturer and have a professional conduct an inspection and tune-up before the weather gets cold and appointments become harder to get. A dirty or clogged furnace filter can cause your furnace to work harder than needed and waste energy in the process. According to the experts at Carrier, regular, routine maintenance and cleaning can help your furnace run more efficiently and potentially extend its life.
4. The average life of a furnace is 15-20
No matter where you live, investing time caring for your landscape now will pay off with a healthier, more beautiful landscape next spring and for years to come. Incorporate the following practices into your fall maintenance to support pollinators and the plants in your landscape.
Don’t rake the leaves to the curb or haul them to your municipality’s composting center. Instead, handle them with your lawn mower. Shred leaves and leave them on the lawn as you mow this fall. As the leaves break down, they add organic matter
to the soil and as long as you can see the grass through the leaf pieces, the lawn will be fine.
Put any extra fall leaves to work in the garden. Add shredded leaves to your compost pile or dig them into annual gardens as a soil amendment. Just dig a two-to-three-inch layer of shredded leaves into the top 12 inches of annual or new planting beds. The leaves will decompose over winter adding organic matter to the soil. By spring, your garden bed will be ready for you to finish preparing and planting.
Spread some of the fall leaves on top of the soil around permanent
plants as a mulch. They help insulate the roots, conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and as they
break down improve the soil. Fall mulching gives you a jump on
On Saturday and Sunday. October 7 & 8th the 17th Annual Lakes Region Parade of Homes will take place and everyone is invited.
The event is always held over Columbus Day weekend and parade-goers get to meet builders and trade professionals scattered around six communities.
A $20 ticket gets you two days of interactive touring fun, inspiration, trending design ideas, home decor and epic views of the lakes and mountains with lots of leaf-peeping opportunities as you drive to each location.
Whether you’re looking to build a new home, renovation project, switch up the décor in your home, or find a home to purchase, the annual self-guided tour offers something for everyone!
Tickets may be purchased online or during the event at the first home visited.
Ticket proceeds go towards inspiring young people to explore the trades through scholarships, quality tools and job opportunities. For tickets, directions, builder descriptions go to: lakesregionparadeofhomes.com
(StatePoint) Achieving your dream home through a remodeling project is an exciting prospect. Just ask the 55% of homeowners who reported renovating a part of their home in the past year.
As eager as you are for the work to get started, taking the time to ensure the job is done smoothly, safely and securely is important. Before contractors begin, take the following steps first:
1. Ensure that any contractor working
on and having access to your home is adequately insured and bonded should there be a mishap, injury on site, or damage to your property. It is appropriate to ask for your contractor’s license as well as proof of insurance, coverage limit details and a lien waiver.
2. Read the contract carefully and ensure it includes a construction schedule, detailed hard and soft cost estimates, and any other information that may be required by
your city’s building inspection department, such as construction drawings or permitting plans.
3 . Make a good investment by checking references and reviewing any Better Business Bureau ratings or complaints that have been filed against the company. Some states also provide public access to civil and small claims cases that have been filed against companies or individuals. This is important, considering homeowners spend
significant sums to renovate their spaces according to their vision. In fact, the Joint Center for Housing Centers of Harvard University estimates that Americans will spend $485 billion on home improvement projects in 2023.
4. You can’t be there at all times to let in contractors. Certainly, don’t start giving out your garage door code or leaving your door open -- this comes at high risk for theft. Instead, invest in a versatile lock box for which only you control the combination so you can grant access to a particular contractor on a given day, and then change the combination for the next need or worker. From the front door to the pool gate to the storage shed, find lock boxes that fit your project’s needs. The newest models from Master Lock include #5480D, which features a removable shackle for easy installation in many locations; #5481D, which is wall-mountable, and #5482D, which features a removable cable that provides flexibility to secure it in hard-to-reach and discreet locations. All feature double the storage capacity to accommodate keys, fobs, garage door openers or key cards in all shapes and sizes.
“We studied customers’ needs and reimagined our product solu-
years, so be prepared when it comes time to replace. Oftentimes, people wait to buy a new furnace until their current system breaks down and have to resort to buying what’s in stock. Planning ahead lets you shop for a system that’s right for your home and preferences. Right now may be a good time to consider replacing your aging furnace with available manufacturer promotions, energy company incentives and tax credits associated with the Inflation Reduction Act.
5. If you replace your furnace, consider switching to a high efficiency model. They offer a higher level of comfort and energy cost savings. Many homeowners are opting for higher efficiency heat pumps, units that handle both heating and cooling. They are powered by electricity and a growing choice for consumers who want to use less fossil fuels. For example, Carrier’s award-winning Infinity line is among the most energy efficient on the market and operates down to -15 F.
6. Check for drafts around doors, windows and other openings. Seal with caulk or weatherstripping. Also ensure your home is insulated properly. Some utility companies offer to check your home’s insulation for free. Having less cold air to heat can yield considerable cost savings.
Being prepared for cold weather can help save money in the long run. Find more tips at Carrier.com/Residential.
next spring’s landscape chores. It also provides winter homes for some beneficial insects and insulation for bumblebee queens, frogs, and others that overwinter in the soil.
Leave healthy perennials to stand over winter. They will add motion and texture to the landscape. The seedheads add beauty and many provide food for the birds. Hollow stems of a variety of perennials provide winter homes for many native bees and other beneficial insects. This also increases winter survival as research found perennials left standing are better able to tolerate the rigors of winter.
Be sure to cut back and dispose of any diseased or insect-infested plants. Removing these reduces the source of disease and insect pest problems in next year’s garden. Use a bypass pruner to cut the plants back to just above the soil surface. Corona’s XSeries Pro bypass pruner (www.corona -
toolsusa.com) is lightweight and professional grade with its blade ensuring smooth, clean cuts on both green and dry stems and branches.
Continue watering throughout the fall and only during the day when soil and air temperatures are at or above 40F. Trees, shrubs and perennials suffering from drought stress in fall and early winter are more subject to root damage and subsequently insect pest and disease problems. Make sure new plantings, moisture lovers, evergreens and perennials in exposed sites are thoroughly watered when the top four to six inches are crumbly and slightly moist.
Add some new plants to the landscape this fall. The soil is warm and the air is cool, providing excellent conditions for planting and establishing trees, shrubs and perennials. Include some fall favorites like pansies, asters and mums to containers and garden beds for instant color and
food for late-season pollinators. Many garden centers add healthy new plants to their inventory specifically for planting this fall.
No matter where you live or the size of your garden, get outdoors and enjoy the beauty of fall. And be sure to invest a bit of time and energy now to ensure your landscape is ready for the season ahead.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Corona Tools for her expertise to write this article. Myers’ website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Manchester (N.H.) School of Technology in 2019, the student plane-building program gives young people the opportunity to build a real flyable airplane. Working alongside volunteer mentors, high school students assemble a two-seat allmetal Van’s RV-12iS, a popular kit-based light sport aircraft.
The finished plane is then sold on the open market, with proceeds used to pay for the school’s next aircraft build.
The program in Manchester completed its first aircraft in August 2022; a second aircraft is now under construction.
With the success in Manchester, the nonprofit Aviation Museum is now seeking a second district ready to add “Airplane Building” to its course offerings in the 2024-25 school year.
The plane-build program is open to any educational institution enrolling students of high school age, including public, private, charter, and parochial schools.
“We’re looking for the right school ready to embrace this innovative hands-on program, which has the potential to change students’ lives,” said Jeff Rapsis,
executive director of the Aviation Museum of N.H.
The program is open to schools located in New Hampshire south of the White Mountains, or in Massachusetts in Essex or Middlesex counties.
The program is offered at no direct cost to local taxpayers. The Aviation Museum of N.H. will commit to raising start-up funds of $210,000 needed to launch the planebuilding program, after which it will be selffunding.
The Aviation Museum will also supply a team of trained adult mentors with backgrounds in the aviation or aerospace industries.
“Our volunteers often bring decades of experience to the workshop and form a crucial part of the plane-building program,” Rapsis said.
A partner in the venture is Tango Flight, Inc., a Texas-based educational non-profit specializing in student plane-build programs.
Tango Flight provides accredited curriculum to support the program, plus carries liability insurance covering the program and the aircraft itself.
In addition to the students themselves, school districts are asked to supply suitable workshop space,
and also use federal grant funds to cover the program’s curriculum costs.
Interested districts must submit a proposal to be considered. A copy of the Request for Proposals may be downloaded online at www.aviationmuseumofnh.org. Proposals are due by Friday, Nov. 17, 2023.
The Aviation Museum, a non-profit 501(c)3 tax-exempt or-
ganization based in the 1937 Art Deco passenger terminal at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, is dedicated to preserving the Granite State’s rich aviation past, and also inspiring today’s students to become the aviation pioneers of tomorrow.
Named “Best Place to Take Kids” in southern New Hampshire three years in a row in the HippoPress Readers Poll, the Aviation
Museum of N.H. was recently awarded the prestigious ‘Non-Profit Impact Award’ by the Center for N.H. NonProfits.
For more information, visit www.aviationmuseumofnh.org or call (603) 669-4820. Follow the Aviation Museum on social media at www.facebook.com/ nhahs.
behind the Mini Mart on Gasoline Alley.”
Tomes have been written about Pot Roast.
Its origins alone could fill volumes. It seems funny to me that such a seemingly simple meal can be both challenging and elicit some definitive opinions; most people either like it or hate it. And, both reactions stem from the same factors: the cut of meat, cooking method, time, and to use or forgo an acid.
The Cut: The ideal cut for Pot Roast is Chuck. A Chuck Roast will have some fine marbling throughout the meat (muscle) and that meat should be separated by definitive nice white fat, not streaks of gray translucent gristle, real fat because fat adds flavor. Now, some will argue roasts cut from the round are best
Serves:10-12 Time: About 8 Hours & 30 Minutes
4.5 pound Boneless Chuck Roast
2 tsp. Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Cup Pizza Sauce or Tomato Sauce
1 12oz. Bottle Domestic Beer
½ tsp. Black Pepper med or table grind
6 stalks Celery chopped into thirds
12 Mushrooms quartered
1 pound carrots cut into thirds
1 Med Spanish or Yellow Onion chopped
2-3 Sprigs Rosemary (fresh)
1-3 Sage Leaves (fresh)
3-4 Cups beef stock or water
3.5 pounds of small to medium yellow potatoes (cut if needed)
- Into the slow cooker (Crock Pot) goes the celery, mushrooms, carrots and beer.
- In a skillet, heat the olive oil.
- Cut the strings on the chuck roast and divide the chuck roast into quarters. Brown the meat chunks on all sides and place into the Crock Pot. Turn on to high heat.
- into the hot skillet goes the onions to brown. Once caramelized, remove the onions and toss into the crock pot.
- Deglaze the skillet using about a half cup of the beef broth making sure to get all the little bits of beef and onions (fond) from the skillet. Let the liquid in the skillet reduce over medium heat to about a quarter cup and turn off the heat and pour the contents of the skillet into the crock pot.
- Add into the crock pot the soy, worcestershire sauce, remaining broth or water, black pepper, and tomato / pizza sauce. (Liquid should be about an inch to half inch lower than the meat.)
- Cover the crock pot and bring to a boil / simmer for the next 6 hours.
- Two hours before ready to serve, add in the potatoes, cover, and bring back to a simmer for the remaining two hours.
- Chuck Roast should fall apart with a fork.
- Serve the entire meal family style on a large platter with the heavy broth or remove the potatoes for mashed potatoes and remove 2 cups of broth to a saucepan to thicken with a rue for gravy.
for Pot Roast but I can tell you with confidence and over 35 years of experience that they are not! Round for Oven Roasts? Marginally better, perhaps, but that is another topic. But Round for Pot Roast? No. Why? Because those cuts found on the round typically offer little marbling (those little fat freckles in the muscle). The round offers several cuts that are clean, clear full muscle meat, better suited for a lesser quality steak and, dare I say it… lesser quality oven roasts. (Think Top Round, Bottom Round, and Eye Round.) But, in my humble opinion, all these are better suited to cube steak,
maybe shaved steak, or more likely, should be ground for burger.
(And yes, I am a meat snob of sorts.) If you want Pot Roast that falls apart and will be both flavorful and tender, some of the best for the money is Chuck. Now this comes with a caveat and our next factor.
Chuck is flavorful and typically has a good fat to meat ratio, but it’s tenderness and its ability to fall apart are very much dependent upon the cooking method. In this case Low and Slow is ideal. For this method I turn to the Crock Pot. In
my experience, even at their highest setting, the Crock Pot´s heat is usually not so intense as to be too hot.
The traditional cooking method for Pot Roast is to sear the outside of the roast using a thin layer of oil in a skillet to ¨lock in¨ natural juices and this too adds flavor. Then, transfer the meat to a roasting pan, add liquid and vegetables, cover, and finish cooking in the oven. But, this is not a sure fire method for a tender Pot Roast. And this is often where the mistakes happen. People will buy a ¨Round Roast¨, shove it in the oven without searing, add a little liquid with-
Pot Roast in the Crock Pot and no that is not string! It is the stem of fresh Rosemary
FEAST
out covering, and just “let ´er rip” on a high heat for a few hours, expecting the magic to “just happen.” Well… it doesn’t. And when it doesn’t, they blame the roast for being tough. Actually, they are half right.
Because they didn’t use the right cut nor cooking method, nor did they give it enough time nor an acid to break the connective tissue down, the results were one tough cookie, errhh Roast! You really need a low heat and slow cooking time; it’s a process. And when coupled with an acid
such as a tomato product, wine, or vinegar, the right cut of meat, the cooking method, and a longer cooking time all work together to break down connective tissues that hold Chuck together. And, as those little freckles of fat (marbling) melt, they keep moisture within the meat while the larger portions of fat throughout the roast keeps constriction of the meat tissues to a minimum. By comparison, most of the fat on cuts from the Round are on the outside with little to no marbling. This is why cuts from the Round are not a
Sponsored by Laconia Putnam Fund &
Saturday,
good candidate for Pot Roast.
The success of your Fall Apart Pot Roast really depends upon you. Your time and effort in selecting the right cut: a Boneless Chuck Roast. The cooking method used: time in a slow cooker such as a Crock Pot. And, an acid to help break down the connective tissues of the meat. All these factors add up to a memorable Fall Apart Pot Roast suitable for a Simple Feast. Enjoy!
Enjoy an enteraining lecture about the often surprising history of presidential taste: what they ate, why they ate it, and what it tells us about the state of the nation.
• Question & Answer session with the author
• Author signing (books for sale at Innisfree Bookshop in advance and at the event)
and whose singular sufferings ought to excite the indignation of the world.”
I find that the older books about the man with the name of Columbus emphasize the sufferings of Columbus while the newer books about him emphasize the sufferings they say he caused. Children today are taught that Columbus didn’t discover America because there were people already here, which is true, but for European’s it was a discovery and a huge one.
On Columbus day, Mr. Magoon no doubt read in 1829, or thereabouts, that in the late 1400’s navigation of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea was a regular means of commerce, but sailors were reluctant to venture far out into the ocean. The Portuguese, however, were interested in finding a water passage around Africa to India which would make things easier to import from that country.
It appeared as if that would not happen soon. “But Columbus,” said the old book, “by an uncommon exertion of genius, formed a design no less astonishing to the age in which he lived, than beneficial to posterity.”
I don’t remember in detail what I was taught or read about Christopher Columbus during my school days, but some of the teaching probably happened as I sat at my desk on October 12th wondering what was happening at the Fair in Sandwich. I doubt if I was subjected to the same accolades about Columbus that Mr. Magoon read in his book about the explorer.
I may have been told that “He had made great proficiency in geography, astronomy and drawing..,” or that “his discerning mind...always knew the application of every circumstance that fell in his way, and observed several facts, which by others would
Friday Oct. 6th 9am-2pm
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United Methodist Church, 35 Tower St. Weirs Beach
derstood the earth to be round, though I have a 1910 history book that says at that in Columbus’ time the earth was generally supposed to be flat.
As I sat at my desk in the one-room school on an October 12th, I probably didn’t care much what Columbus’s contemporaries thought about the shape of the earth as I perhaps wondered
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were finally persuaded to finance the expedition. We were told about the three ships that were put into the service of Columbus to provide the transportation for the brave explorer and his sailors, the ships being t he Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria
The voyage wasn’t an easy one across the Atlantic Ocean, but Columbus felt that he was on a mission for God Whom he had asked for His blessing before their departure.
Part of the purpose of the mission was to convert the natives they encountered to Christianity.
when October 12th would fall on a Saturday. You see Columbus Day always came on the 12th in those days and Sandwich Fair was held on Columbus Day.
I do remember being taught that Christopher had the plan to sail west in search of India but did not have the money to finance his dream trip, and the monarchs of Spain,
After some difficult weeks at sea, it was on a Friday at two in the morning that land was sighted, and though the explorer thought he had reached India he had found Islands in the Caribbean inhabited by naked people. Columbus was made Governor of the land he discovered, made several more trips to the area, and was accused of making slaves of and otherwise mistreating the natives, at one time being taken back to Spain in chains. He defended himself against the accusations made against him, but some present day writers seem interested in changing opinions about the character of Christopher Columbus.
Knowing that he was ridiculed and not always respected by those among whom he lived, and that he often faced opposition to his ambitious goals, it is not surprising that some did not speak well of him. He never set foot on what is the territory
of the United States, but he, with his reluctant crew, open the way for others to follow who came, not just to America, but to the United States of America.
So I think back to those October 12th days of my childhood, with the scarlet and golden leaves of Autumn dotting or blanketing the landscape, and being aware that on that date in the year 1492 something
significant happened that would not only have consequences for a place named San Salvador, but eventually for another place that would be called New Hampshire.
Other men would come along and make their own discoveriesmen like Martin Pring and John Smith, followed by the settlers carving out homes in the wilderness where people they called Indians had lived before those who followed
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St. André Bessette Parish
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Columbus knew that they existed. Whatever failures Columbus had do not warrant removing his name from the calendar or the history books.
Robert Hanaford Smith welcomes your comments at danahillsmiths@yahoo.com
sense individuals who oppose tyranny. We can affect this change within a few generations, but it has got to start with us. Vivek can help at the federal level. He’s carrying the torch for the people, and We The People should be at his back.
There are concerns I have, being a man of faith, and I want to address that. I have friends who are concerned about his faith being other than that of the God of the Bible. I’ve been having conversations with myself over and over internally in re-
gard to this, oftentimes thinking to myself, “Self, Vivek has stated that he is on the side of Truth, and he states that God is real. He has stated that he is a Hindu, and wouldn’t that bring some kind of judgement from God if he’s not a Christian?”
First, I know there are many people who don’t believe in God, but this is also open to you to examine in your own internal monologue. If even just out of curiosity.
I feel particularly led to point out that God can use whomever He wishes. If God could use Donald Trump, a man
who was brash, arrogant, a womanizer, and a prime example of the success and pride of life, who plastered his name on basically every building he owns, He can use Vivek. If God could use the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, a man who built a gargantuan statue in his image and forced every single one of his subjects to bow down and worship it, lest they be thrown into a furnace of fire, I believe He can use Vivek. There are many other kings that God chose to use for His good purpose. Saul. David, the man after God’s own heart, and
his son Solomon who was the richest and wisest man who ever lived. Remember, your vote isn’t for your favorite celebrity but for the future of this nation. Use it wisely with a sober mind.
Zechariah David Toce Belmont, NHTo The Editor: China implements systems designed to gather intelligence on U.S. military and other facilities. It has
launched and directed spy balloons that have flown over the U.S.to gather information.
It appears China is negotiating an agreement with Cuba to install a spy station to gather intelligence on facilities in the eastern U.S. This would enable China to monitor communications at our military bases and other sites from Florida to Washington D.C.
China would have a potential base in Cuba which could be expanded to house offensive weapons aimed at the U.S. We nearly went to war with Russia in 1962 when Russia installed offensive missiles in Cuba, which were eventually removed due a naval blockade of Cuba, including one of the ships I subsequently served on.
If diplomacy does not work with Cuba to remove the equipment, we could jam the communication gathering system with systems in Florida or possibly from our ships in international waters.
China is expanding its military capabilities partly due to the wealth generated by goods exported to the U.S. We have to get U.S. corporations to realize they are contributing to a weakening of our national security; and get them to bring back manufacturing facilities to our country or move them to friendly countries with cheap labor.
Donald MoskowitzLondonderry NH.
To The Editor:
I attended the Candidates Forum sponsored by Choose Franklin. There has been a concerted effort by a vocal, I believe, minority to trash the current
administration. They have accused the current leaders, mayor, councilors, city manager of playing fast in loose with the way they meet, make decisions and how money is spent. They have insinuated that this administration has played fast and loose with spending our tax money, lack of transparency, etc. When I have asked for facts, there is no response.
Ms. McLaughlin chose not to participate in the Q & A forum with all the other candidates on the ballot. She sat, instead, with Tom Boyce, the only write-in who bothered to show up. Writeins were given 4 minutes to describe who they are and their vision. They did not need to answer any questions as did the other candidates and Ms. McLaughlin used this opportunity to attack Mayor Brown. She had to be shut down by the moderator. Many people who came specifically to hear both mayoral candidates answer the same questions left when they found out Ms. McLaughlin was not going to participate on the same playing level. We need a steady hand, one who educates herself on all issues, one who has forged relationships with the governor’s office, Sen Shaheen and others that have helped move our city forward. I do not picture Ms. McLaughlin being able to represent Franklin in a good light. Jo Brown gets my vote.
Judith Ackerson Franklin, NH.semi-palmated sandpiper? Beats me. Ask the expert next to me. Those sandpipers are very close in size and plumage. Other sandpipers, such as spotted, solitary or purple, look different from their cousins and, to me, are distinguishable.
Field guides, particularly the older field guides with only one drawing or photo of each species, are of little use as they do not reflect the myriad plumages of the birds based on age and season. Also, many field guides typically don’t show adequate sideby-side comparisons with similar species. I had mentioned dunlin and red knots before. In breeding plumage, they are easy to tell apart. In nonbreeding plumage, however, they are very similar. The sandpipers look similar regardless of age or season.
The differences lie in details such as bill length and shape, head size, shades of brown or gray, and leg color. To me anyway, those details are hard to pick out. Even leg color is often difficult to discern in the field. Head size
or shape? Nope. I’m not making a positive ID looking through a spotting scope at a six-inch-long bird based on whether the head is round, oval or “blocky.” There are people who can make the distinction and thank goodness for them. I lean on them often.
I faced this dilemma earlier this month when I took a walk along a rocky beach. The oystercatchers were easy to ID. The hundreds of small peeps by the water’s edge were not so easy. Some of the birds I simply regarded as peeps and left it at that. Some birds, such as the dunlin, I was able to ID based on size and experience with the species. It was a great, memorable and healthy walk regardless of whether I could ID every bird I saw. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you can identify all the birds, none of the birds or some of the birds. Being out there caring about nature and having fun is what really matters.
athletes.
Also speaking up was Riley Gaines, a several-time All-America swimmer who opposes transgender ideology and who fights to defend her basic beliefs – that men are men and women are women. Not coincidentally, Gaines was beaten by Thomas in those NCAA swim championships.
Gaines explained that she represents like-minded traditionalists who feel bullied by the political left which demonizes those who challenge their new age liberal sexual orthodoxy.
“When the left tries to shout you down profanely, when they viciously attack you –that’s when you know you’re saying the right things,” said Gaines. “For those who are attacked, vilified, and persecuted for their support of America’s founding principles and traditional American values, the Riley Gaines Center sends a message that they are not alone – because I will stand bravely with them.”
This is a sports column that would have been inconceivable in 1967. I don’t pretend to have definitive an -
swers to these new and complicated trans questions. But by shining lights, learning, and communicating we’ll hopefully get to places and policies that make sense re: the greater good.
Okay. Next time we’ll get back to those 124 Major League teams and simpler, 1967type sports issues— such as the need to fire BoSox manager Alex Cora.
What woman just became the first female non-kicker to play in an NCAA football game? (Answer follows)
That is to say, sports standouts born on October 5 include Bonnie Bryant, the only lefthanded golfer to win an LPGA Tour event (1943) and tennis star Chris Evert’s sister star Jeanne (1957).
“There are always new and grander chal-
lenges to confront, and a true winner will embrace each one.” – USA women’s soccer star Mia Hamm
Haley Van Voorhis saw some time at safety during Shenandoah University’s 48-7 win over Juniata College on September 23.
Mike Moffett was a Sports Management Professor for Plymouth State University and NHTI-Concord. He coauthored the awardwinning “FAHIM 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.
Fall offers some of the best panfishing of the entire year. The catching is often non-stop and there is a multitude of lures that work well. Panfish are excellent table fare. They usually have a mild flavor, depending on where they are caught. Fall panfishing is also an excellent activity for kids. The often non-stop action will keep everyone busy for hours. By late October nearly every lake and pond has turned over, and I’ll probably be on one of them right up until ice-in.
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.
Earlier this year, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who served from 2019 to 2022, became the first Chicago mayor in 40 years not to get reelected.
Over this period, serious crime in Chicago increased 33%.
Lightfoot’s rejection seemed like the lights were going on among Chicago voters that the progressive agenda is not going to solve their horrible crime problem.
Paul Vallas, a conservative Democrat running on law and order and strengthening police enforcement, finished first in the February mayor election in which Lightfoot finished third.
However, with no candidate capturing a
majority, the election moved to a runoff, and progressive Brandon Johnson, who finished 11 points behind Vallas in the first round, edged him out 52.2%47.8% in the runoff.
Johnson brought in socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders and successfully peddled the same failed progressive message to Black and Hispanic voters in Chicago.
In the same Gallup poll in which Dallas was selected as the safest city in America, Chicago came in next to last, with only 27% saying that Chicago is safe.
For sure, Chicago voters bought more of the same and will get more of the same failures.
Last year, Whole
Foods closed its store in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago and Walmart has closed four stores.
All because of crime.
What is Mayor Brandon Johnson’s solution? Government-run grocery stores.
“The city of Chicago is reimagining the role government can play in our lives by exploring a public option for grocery stores,” said a spokesperson for Chicago’s Economic Security Project.
For sure this is an idea destined for failure.
Citizens of all ethnicities in Chicago deserve leadership that they will not get from their Black Democrat mayor that Dallas is getting from their Black Re -
publican mayor. Safe and prosperous communities. Limited government, individual freedom, rule of law and traditional family values. Conservatism is the answer.
Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show “Cure America with Star Parker.” Her recent book, “What Is the CURE for America?” is available now. To find out more about Star Parker and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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tion to provide bigger, easier to use lock boxes that work for any door, piece of property or access point,” says Becky Fellows, senior category manager at Master Lock. “And after the remodel, you can repurpose it to provide a dog walker or short-term renter access to your property.”
5 . Make a plan for pets. This could be as simple as using gates to separate them from construction. However, if the project is kicking up dust and debris, or your pet is sensitive to loud noises, consider having them stay elsewhere, whether that’s with
friends or at a pet hotel.
6 . Protect your property and make life easier for your contractor by clearing their work area of furniture and other items. Determine whether you’ll relocate these items to rooms not being remodeled, store them in the garage or shed, or use a third-party storage space.
No matter the size of your home project, if contractors are involved, you’ll want to ensure they are up to the task, and that your home is prepared for their arrival.
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-- for example, not drilling for U.S. oil and gas -- makes the deficit forecast worse.
This is why tax increases on investment and work are so counterproductive. Those taxes would reduce investment and growth and make a balanced budget even more unachievable. Under President Bill Clinton, we had fast growth, spending restraint, and a booming stock market; three years later, we had a balanced budget. What if our politicians set a national priority to do everything humanly possible to make the economy grow at between 3% and 3.5%, not the anemic growth rate of that pace as the CBO predicts? Many people think that’s impossible because of low birth rates and low labor force growth, but we can and should import the workers we need -- especially the brainiacs -- from the rest of the world to keep labor force growth from shrinking.
We can achieve bursts of growth from the next age of hypertechnological advances in areas like energy production, robotics, artificial intelligence, and gene therapy that could make the internet revolution look like a blip. New billion-dollar factories will be filled with very fewer workers and a lot of robots -- which translates into gigantic leaps forward in productivity that could make 3% growth a layup.
There is one more virtue of a growth agenda: Americans want prosperity far more than they want a balanced budget. We all want a balanced federal budget in principle, but more important to voters is that their own family budget is growing.
is home to unprecedented military buildup, yet transparency and strategic reassurance are lacking.” She added, “Tension is rising between states with overlapping claims in the South China Sea, and disputed features have been militarized.”
Minister Wong asserted, “North Korea continues to destabilize with its ongoing nuclear weapons program and ballistic missile launches, threatening Japan, the Republic of Korea and the broader region.”
Interestingly Czech President Petr Pavel argued, “We deplore China’s military actions which raise tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and its unfriendly actions against partners in the South China Sea. Any dispute or contagious issue must be solved peacefully. Any potential armed conflict in the region would have negative consequences for the whole world.”
In the absence of President Xi Jinping or his Foreign Minister Wang Yi, China sent a mid-level delegate vice president Han Zheng, who reaffirmed Beijing’s dedication to close links with the developing world aka the Global South. Han nonetheless became strident on Beijing’s views of its national sovereignty; “No one, no force should ever underestimate the firm resolve, strong will or the power of the Chinese people to safeguard their sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said. All part of Beijing’s classic bullying and threats towards democratic Taiwan.
Han’s remarks underscored that there is only one China in
the world represented by the government of the People’s Republic of China; “Realizing China’s complete reunification is a shared aspiration,” his Government will “continue to strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and utmost effort.”
Despite China’s assertions, more than a dozen UN members such as Guatemala, St. Lucia and Paraguay called for Taiwan’s participation in the United Nations.
Myanmar aka Burma, controlled by a military junta, has routinely trounced human rights and sanctioned humanitarian crackdowns; but Burma’s fate was barely mentioned except by Singapore’s eloquent Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Anwar Ibrahim who decried, “The barbarism and depravity inflicted upon the people of Myanmar is indefensible.”
All studiously careful words from world leaders, who are tiptoeing around China’s growing military threat and North Korea’s blatant missile proliferation.
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.
civil rights organizations!”
So, what?
“Activists think of the short-term effects of the law,” says Calder. “It’s pretty easy to get behind a superficial reading of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and think that it could be a good idea.”
“The momentum is always for more rules,” I say.
“Oftentimes there’s guidance issued many years after the fact,” says Calder. “This is probably just the beginning.”
The growing number of rules kills jobs in several ways.
Since the rule applies to companies with 15 or more employees, it’s an incentive for companies with 14 employees to stay small.
“You get penalized as you grow,” says Calder.
“Without a law like this, who would hire someone like you?” I ask. “You might have more medical problems. You’re going to leave, for weeks at least.”
“Pregnant workers bring a lot to the table,” she responds. “Many employers see that. But when you create a one-size-fitsall policy like this, it starts to raise many employers’ concerns.”
I ask: “The Cato Institute should have the right to fire you because you got pregnant?”
“I think they should,” responds Calder. “Because I want people like me to be able to be hired in the first place.”
Exactly. I’m a stutterer. I didn’t have my stuttering under con -
trol when I applied for my first job. Had the ADA existed then, I could have demanded special accommodation. “Disability lawyers” would have been ready to protect my “rights.”
No TV station would have risked hiring me! I would have never gotten a chance. Now the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act will kill opportunities for women.
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.”
THEME THIS WEEK: THINGS WE PEEL
OUR PICK FOR BEST CAPTION
The atmosphere is great, but I think the drinks are watered down.
Runners Up : The dealer pauses when he sees to his left and barely breaking the water’s surface, a card shark approaching the table.
- David Doyon, Moultonborough, NH.
‘Water’ we going to do when the pool closes?Bob Jaskolka, Brunswick, OH.
Outdoor dining where you don’t have to leave the table to use the bathroom.
-Barbara Bowman, Franklin, 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
