March 2009
Winter Issue
KICKING UP AND OFF by Karen Tolman was so pleased with the turnout last night (January 30). Nearly 150 local people gathered at the Town Hall to help kick off the celebration of the newly forming Nelson Community Project. Not only did I have a wonderful time, I had the opportunity to meet some people that I hadn’t met before. Meeting new p eo p le , a n d resp ectfully sh ar in g conversations and ideas with each other, is a large part of this project’s goals. And last night enhanced that process for many of us. The evening started with social exchanges and a sumptuous supper organized by Susan Hansel, Lumina Greenway and Val Vanmeier. Kathy Schillem at followed with a brief introduction to The Nelson Community Project’s plans going forward, and then Betsy Street emceed supporting comments from the crowd. The Nelson Community Project, subtitled M O V IN G IN STEP – NELSON’S FUTURE IS CALLING, takes off on Nelson’s long history of square and contra dancing, which for generations has brought people together. Appropriately, the entertainment portion of the evening started with a simple contra dance, called by Lisa Sieverts, with accompanying music by Gordon Peery, Nat Hewitt and Liza Constable. The six lines of contra dancers gradually segued into nineteen small circling “blobs” that mysteriously grew, absorbing people from the sidelines, into
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one large blob that encircled the entire room. Squeezing into the space, we circled around the hall as best we could, getting our feet “MOVING IN STEP”! From this blob, a very, very short skit, (skillfully penned my none other than myself and masterfully directed by Warren Hammack!), played upon our interacting circles. Some of the twenty-nine scripted parts were easily embellished, as they surely needed to be, and lots of laughs (continued on page 5)
Volume 26, No.1 REMINDER ! Nelson School District Meeting is on Friday, March 6, 7:45 pm Polls open 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Nelson Town Meeting Tuesday, March 10, 7:00 pm Polls open 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m.
Nelson’s Ice Storm: Many a yard looked like this on Friday morning, December 12, 2008 (French-Williams house)
ROTARY SCHOLARSHIP he Town would like to remind students about the scholarship fund that has been established by a Nelson member of the Rotary Club of Keene exclusively for residents of Nelson, New Hampshire, who wish to further their education. The criteria are: • You must be a Nelson resident for at least one year. • You must be planning to attend a co llege, tech n ical school o r continuing education class • You must be a resident of Nelson in good standing. • You do have to be a high school graduate; however, consideration will be given to those who may not have graduated. but, are n ow 'non-traditional' students wanting to improve their lives and opportunities through education.
An application is available by request by phoning the Rotary Club Secretary, Peter B rnger, at 358-3 038, at www.keenerotary.org or by writing to
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Mr. Brnger 354 Marlboro Street Keene, NH 03431 Completed application should be submitted no later than Ju ly 1, 2009 to the Marlboro Street address.
My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth. - Abraham Lincoln Born February 12, 1809
argaret Schillemat has declared that she is running for the Selectman position that is open this year. Margaret states that she wants to run for this position because she would like to work for the people of Nelson in a fair and unbiased manner, supporting all the folks in town, regardless of who they are or where they live. She sees herself working toward making the town one that is an even more wonderful place to live for all of us and those who may be t h in k in g o f r e lo ca t i n g t o t h e Nelson/Munsonville area.
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NATURE WALKS WITH PHIL BROWN
The Nelson School PTO is hosting the 2nd annual
Auction Sa tu rd a y , Ap ril 4, 2009 7:00 p .m . N e ls o n T o w n H a ll, N e ls o n C e n te r Bid on items ranging from homemade cookies to a quilt made by school students! Bring a dessert to share and take pleasure in the company of friends and community members. Items will be posted for preview on www.schoolauction.townofnelson.com in March, and the Town Hall will be open to view items and leave silent bids from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on April 4. The auction and dessert buffet will begin 7:00 pm. We a re s e e kin g a u c tio n ite m s a n d s e rv ic e s fro m th e c o m m u n ity ! T o d o n a te , p le a s e e m a il u s a t n e ls o n p to @g m a il.c o m All proceeds will benefit the Nelson School and are targeted to purchase a slide for the school playground. The PTO supports and supplements many events each year such as the Book Swap and artist in residency programs.. The playground has received upgrades, and we have purchased items such as white boards, a TV cart, desks, and more. THANK YOU to all our volunteers and supporters both past and present who help to make Nelson School a wonderful experience for our children!
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MARGARET SCHILLEMAT RUNNING FOR SELECTMAN
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hil Brown from New Hampshire Audubon will be leading two nature walks this spring. They are:
Wo o d c o c k Wa lk - April 17 (Friday) beginning at 6:30 pm at Nelson Town Hall. Free and open to everyone. Trip meets unless heavy rain. Join Nelson residents and leaders Phil Brown of NH Audubon and Julie Tilden to experience this annual spectacle. Be prepared for muddy conditions. Call 908-705-7954 or email downtownpab@yahoo.com for details. Sp rin g Wa rb le r M ig ra tio n Wa lk - May 21 (Thursday) beginning at 6:30 am at Nelson Town Hall. Free and open to everyone. Trip meets unless heavy rain. Join Nelson residents and leaders Phil Brown of NH Audubon and Julie Tilden for an early morning warble ramble through town. Call 908-705-7954 or email downtownpab@yahoo.com for details.
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Power trucks and workers taking a much needed break from the 24/7 job of cleaning up the mess from the Ice Storm. On this particular evening, Monday, December 21, there were ten trucks idling around the Common and up Center Pond Road. Some of Nelson had their power back by this day, but many others did not get power back until Christmas Eve or even after Christmas. Everyone helped each other as we all made it through those rough days without power. It was also great to have the new firehouse facilities for showers, clothes washing, shared dinners and comradery. Most of us managed to maintain a good bit of humor throughout as noted by this parody below.
THE TWELVE DAYS W ITHOUT POWER Christmas Season 2008 Rewording by Laurie and Jonathan Smith and Sung to the tune of the Twelve Days of Christmas Dedicated to all the hardworking souls who got us all back on line.
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n the first day without power my true love said to me, " Let’s get a pizza and see a movie."
On the second day without power my true love said to me, "Let's dine by candle light. Or get a pizza and see a movie." On the third day without power my true love said to me, "Gee! I'm glad we have a wood stove, let’s dine by candle light, Or get a pizza and see a movie."
shower, I can't find my headlamp........, Better haul some water, Glad we have a wood stove, Let's dine by candle light Or get a pizza and see a movie." On the seventh day without power, my true love said to me, " I stoked the fire last time, You need a shower, I can't find my head lamp........ Better haul some water, Glad we have a wood stove, Let’s dine by candle light Or get a pizza and see a movie."
On the fourth day without power, my true love said to me, "We'd better haul some water, Glad we have a wood stove, Let's dine by candle light Or get a pizza and see a movie."
On the eighth day without power, my true love said to me, " How do we do all these dishes? I stoked the fire last time, You need a shower, I can't find my headlamp......, Better haul some water, Glad we have a wood stove, …….
On the fifth day without power my true love said to me, "I can't find my head lamp.......…. Better haul some water, Glad we have a wood stove, Let's dine by candle light, Or get a pizza and see a movie."
On the ninth day without power, my true love said to me, " Your turn to fill the wood box, How do we do all these dishes? I stoked the fire last time, You need a shower, I can't find my headlamp......….
On the sixth day without power my true love said to me, I (you) need a
On the tenth day without power my true love said to me, " Something
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somewhere smells bad, Your turn to fill the wood box, How do we do these dishes? I stoked the fire last time ….. On the eleventh day without power, my true love said to me, "WHAT ! ANOTHER blizzard ? Something somewhere smells bad, Your turn to fill the wood box, How do we do these dishes ? …. On the twelfth day without power, my true love said to me, "What another blizzard? WHAT ! ANOTHER blizzard?! Something somewhere smells bad, Your turn to fill the wood box, How do we do all these dishes? I stoked the fire last time, You need a shower, I can't find my headlamp....... Better haul some water, Glad we have a wood stove, Let's dine by candle light, Or get a pizza and see a movie " This piece was performed at the Christmas Contra Dance in Nelson by Lisa Sieverts and Max Nunnenmaker.
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CHURCH NEWS
Ch ap e l-b y -th e -Lake
W from Hope Lothrop Ne ls o n Co n g re g atio n al Ch u rc h uring February vacation three adults and seven youth from N e ls o n , H a r r is v ille , a n d Peterborough went to the DC area on a Mission Trip. Two and a half days was spent working with Habitat for Humanity and two and half days working with food for the needy distribution. Rev. Luther Durgin filled in for Dawn while she was with the youth on the Mission Trip on February 22. Ash Wednesday was on February 25. We observed the start of Lent by sharing in a joint worship service at the Chesham Church at 7:00 pm. On March 14 there will be a Corned Beef & Cabbage dinner. We will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Come wearing your green and enjoy a great meal and camaraderie. Tickets are on sale now – Contact Joy Birdsey-Smith for more info. Holy Week will be celebrated with a Palm Sunday Service, April 5; a Maundy Thursday soup and bread supper that will be joint service with members from The Chapel-By-The-Lake at the Nelson Church. The supper will be at 6:00 pm followed by a Tenebrae service at 7:00 pm. Good Friday will be an observance of prayer and reflection. The church will be open d urin g t h e d ay. Sunday morning at 6:30 a m , April 12, we will hold a Sunrise Service on the church s t e p s followed by a pancake b re a k fa s t a t 7:00 am. The fam ily E a s t e r Worship will be held at 9:30 am. A ll are welcome.
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orship services are at 10:00 am with Bible Study following the Worship service.
The Knitting Club meets Saturdays from 10:00 – Noon. For more information and to confirm meeting dates, call 446-7857 or 847-3231 Maundy Thursday will be a joint venture with the Nelson Congregational Church this year. There will be a soup and bread supper at 6:00 pm at the Nelson Church followed by a Tenebrae Service at 7:00 pm. We invite all our parishioners to share in this event with our brothers and sisters of the Nelson Church. We are hoping that possibly next year we can host this supper and service.
mistakes made on a tax return. Some are medical expenses, state and local taxes, ch aritab le contrib utio n s, m o vin g expenses, etc. The Nelson Olivia Rodham Memorial Library presents Fix Your Cookbook. This program will teach you how to repair a book that has a damaged binding. Why not rebind one of Mom’s favorite cookbooks for Mother’s Day? This program will be at the library Wednesday, March 25, and Wednesday, April 1, at 6:30 pm. Anne Ames will be teaching this class. Please call 847-3214 for more info and to sign up, or email nelsonlibrary@wivalley.net. The Nelson Library now has NH Downloadable Audio Books. Browse and search hundreds of great titles and download them to your computer, transfer them to a portable device (an MP3 player, sorry no IPods yet), or burn some titles onto a CD for your enjoyment anywhere, anytime. This service includes many best selling authors, free software, automatic return, no late fees and they are available anytime on a high speed connection. Stop at the library to sign up and get your audio book number. If you would like to browse the site go to http://nh.lib.overdrive.com. For more information call the library at 847- 3214 or email nelsonlibrary@wivalley.net
LIBRARY NEWS
THE PATIENCE OF MARCH by Karen Tolman
from Kris Finnegan T h re e n e w p ro g ra m s a t th e O liv ia R o d h a m M e m o ria l Lib ra ry he library is offering one more free educational "Tax Talk". This talk will be presented by people from H&R Block, but will not be soliciting business for H&R Block. C o m m on ly M isse d Deductions and Mistakes will be presented on Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 7:00 pm. Wouldn't it be nice to know if you were getting everything that you're entitled to? Absolutely! The tax talk will provide you with the 10 most commonly missed deductions and
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MARCH 2009
Muddy March roads, Harbingers of spring. Dark and light weighed, ‘Til balance brings The vernal equinox, Growing daylight again. Impatiently slowed, By these miry tracks, I yield to time’s gift, To nurture my own path, Weighing dark and light, With the patience of March.
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MOVING IN STEP
RABIES CLINIC
(continued from page 1) ensued. The large blob continued to circle around the space, forming some smaller blobs in the middle of the hall in order to make room for all of us. Many heels were kicked-up, keeping time with the music, as we finished up the “blob” dance. Additional contra dances, one called by Iva deMartelly and Elena Mednick (NELSON’S YOUTH ARE CALLING), rounded out the evening, as dessert and more information about The Nelson Community Project were shared in the Library. Our community thanks all who shared in this wonderful evening
Saturday, March 21, 2009 (snow date: April 4) 9 a.m. to 12 noon Nelson Town Hall Dogs, cats, ferrets, & rabbits. $10.00 per animal. Pets must be on leashes or in carriers. Town Clerks from Nelson, Sullivan & Stoddard will be available to do dog registrations. Bring your current Rabies Certificate. All communities welcome! Nelson: A reminder that all dogs must be licensed annually by May 1. A certificate showing an up-to-date rabies shot must be presented to the Town Clerk at the time of licensing. Also, since 1995, Nelson has had a dog control law that basically requires all dogs to be under the control of the owner and not wandering about getting into mischief.
TOWN OF NELSON ON THE WEB e sure to visit our new town website. It has some great information on it including a town calendar, some up-to-date news stories, town office hours, and other town information. The home page of the website is: http://www.townofnelson.com There is now a section for the Grapevine, too. So if you want to see the Grapevine in c o lo r check it out at: http://www.townofnelson.com/cultural-life/the-grapevine
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The Nelson Olivia Rodham Memorial Library presents
Fix Your Cookbook This program will teach you how to repair a book that has a damaged binding. Why not rebind one of Mom’s favorite cookbooks for Mother’s Day?
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Grapevine- 2 830 Nelson Road Nelson, NH 03457
Wednesday, March 25 and Wednesday, April 1 at 6:30pm. Anne Ames will be teaching this class. Please call 847-3214 for more info and to sign up or email nelsonlibrary@wivalley.net
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nlike public radio and television fund-raisers, we don’t have a toll-free number for you to call or a nifty premium to offer, nor do we have corporate sponsorship; but we do need your financial support. The Grapevine- 2 is supported solely by donations from you, our readers. Our only costs are paper, printing, labels, and postage. If you enjoy receiving the Grapevine, please use the enclosed envelope to send a contribution to:
MARCH 2009
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
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EVENTS Peterborough Folk Music Society Concerts - 2008-2009 March 6, Co-Bill with David Mallett and the Red Mollys April 5, John Gorka, Eliza Gilkyson and Cliff Eberhardt
MISSING PICTURES e seem to have mislaid the Old Home Day pictures that were on display as posters in the Town Hall the past few years. If you know where these might be, please get in touch with Beth Williams at 847-9064 or with Kris at the Library at 847-3214. Many thanks!
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A snowy Nelson road on a non-storm day. Photo by Dave Birchenough
It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. - Charles Darwin Born February 12, 1809
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A Nelson Directory
Shrub branches laden with nearly an inch of ice after the storm. Photo by Gordon Peery
NEXT ISSUE G RA PEVINE -2 Grapevine-2 is a quarterly newsletter serving the Nelson/Munsonville community and is sponsored by the Nelson Congregational Church. It is made possible mostly by voluntary donations from readers, with some supplementary assistance from the church. Should donations exceed costs, the surplus goes to the church. Contributions of articles, ideas, photos, or art are always welcome. To contact the Grapevine-2, call Elizabeth Williams (Beth) at 847-9064, or email to: elizabeth48@earthlink.net, or snailmail to: Grapevine-2 75 Log Cabin Road Nelson, NH 03457 Grapevine-2 Committee: Hope Lothrop Kelly French Bert Wingerson Beth Williams
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he next issue of the Grapevine-2 will be published in mid June and is our School Issue. We will be looking for pictures, essays, and other items that have to do with our Nelson students. We always welcome stories, poems, news items, and event listings related to Nelson. You may em ail subm issions (preferred) to elizabeth48@earthlink.net or mail them to Elizabeth Williams, 75 Log Cabin Road, Nelson, NH, 03457. Please have items to Beth by May 15. If you have questions you may call Beth at 847-9064.
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Emergency (Mutual Aid) . . . . . . . . . . 911 All fire, illness, and accident calls Selectmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847-0047 Old Brick Schoolhouse; Tuesday, 9 a.m. - 12 noon Wednesday, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Wednesday, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Meeting Thursday, 9 a.m. - 12 noon Jane Kirk (Chair), Sam Bouchie, Mike Blaudshun Town Clerk/Tax Collector . . . . 847-9043 Old Brick Schoolhouse, Tuesday, 9 a.m.-12 noon, Wednesday, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. - 12 noon Teri Upton (Notary Public) Town Administrative Asst. . . . . 847-0047 Joan Bosely Planning Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847-9082 Old Brick Schoolhouse 2 nd Thursday, 7 p.m. Kathy Schillemat, Chair Zoning Board-Adjustment . . . . 847-3403 Old Brick Schoolhouse 1 st Tuesday, 7 p.m. Dona Girvan, Chair Highway Department . . . . . . . . 847-9705 Mike Tarr, at Town Barn Fire Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847-9045 Rick Lothrop Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352-1291 Richard Pratt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chief Building Sexton . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847-9719 George Warner State Representatives, District 24: Daniel A. Eaton Tara A. Sad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lucy Weber State Senator, District 7 & 8: Harold Janeway . . . . . . . . . . . Bob Odell Supervisors of the Checklist . . . 847-3290 Rita Schillemat, Bea Warner, Betsey Church Olivia Rodham Memorial Library . . . . . . . . . . 847-3214 Kris Finnegan, Librarian HOURS Monday, 3 - 7 p.m. Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, 5 - 8 p.m. Thursday, 2 - 5 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-12 noon Nelson School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847-3408 School Board - 2 nd Wednesday, 4 p.m. at Nelson School Conservation Commission . . . . 847-9995 Bud French, Chair Youth Groups: Cub Scouts Boy Scouts, Rich Crowe 4-H
The Grapevine-2 is printed by our friends at Sims Press in Peterborough, NH.
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LOCAL SERVICES & CLASSIFIEDS For Sale C u s to m Wo o d e n Jig s a w P u zzle s From your artwork, photos, prints, etc. Call David Beffa-Negrini at Fool's G old®, 827-9825 o r em a il: info@foolsgoldpuzzles.com Gra n ite La ke M a p le P ro d u c ts - Pure NH Maple syrup by Nick Barrett, 66 Old Towne Road, Nelson, NH, 03457. 603-847-3457. Email: granitelakemapleproducts@ yahoo.com. In d e p e n d e n t C o u n s u lta n t fo r T h e P a m p e re d C h e f© - Save money while preparing easy delicious meals for family and friends that won’t break your budget. Quality Kitchen Products, Service, and Information; Home and Catalog Shows, Fundraising, Wedding Registry, Own Your Own Business. Call Judi Lang 847-3277 N e ls o n g ro w n y a rn , fle e c e and roving from our flock of Romney sheep. Also available are knitting kits and finished products: scarves, hats, mittens, blankets, etc. Call Susan Weaver 847-9763 H id d e n B irc h Fa rm - Chevon (Goat Meat) raised on our farm, choice of cuts; Farm fresh eggs; Livestock Fence installation - 96 Nubanusit Rd - Tiger & G igi Batch elder 827-2950; www.hiddenbirchfarm.com Personal Services T h e Villa g e Sh a m a n , Contemporary shamanic processes for accelerated healing and growth. Energy medicine of the Incas. Carol Raynsford Healing Arts Practitioner, 847-3443 Other H a rris v ille C h ild re n ' s C e n t e r year-round programs for children 6 months to 6 years old. 827-3905. Art Le s s o n s - for children and adults. Watercolor, oil, composition, and drawing. Summer/Fall. Beginner thru advanced instruction. Marylise Reilly Fajal, 847-3382 or 355-7337.
GRAPEVINE -2 830 Nelson Road Nelson, NH 03457
N e w En g la n d Artis a n s Stu d io - Visit our online studio where crafts people and artisans throughout New England have the opportunity to present their creations: www.neartisansstudio.com Fo r R e n t – Granite Lake summer cottage. Call Mable Bergeron, (603) 363-8086. Fo r R e n t – Seasonal Cottage right on Granite Lake Call 603-847-3277 or 304-594-3539 C re a tiv e We b Site s for Creative People Center Pond Communications www.centerpond.com Building, etc. Eth a n T o lm a n - Excavating, bulldozer, truck, loader/tractor work. Field, driveways, building, moving. Years of experience. 827-3414 N e w h o m e s , decks, kitchens, and baths - Remodeling our specialty. Nubanusit Building and Remodeling. Ron Trudelle, 827-3251. Exc a v a tio n - Septic Systems, Driveways, Site work, and Foundations, Trucking, Plowing and Sanding: Phil Hamilton 847-3288 Ad d itio n s , renovations, remodeling, barns, - Steven Reilly. 847-3382 or 3557337. R e s id e n tia l P a in te rs - Interior, exterior. Experienced, reasonable, reliable. Heidi Tompkins and Tal Gregory. 847-0000 G W Fra s e r & So n s , Tractor & Excavator Service. Post holes to complete site work. No job to small. Free estimates. 25 years experience. Greg Fraser - 603-731-0808 Home Services R u b b is h re m o v a l Granite Lake Services, Ed Schillemat, 847-3290.
Ga rd e n in g , cleaning, animal care. Organic vegetables in season and cut flowers - Barbara Fraser, 847-9555. La n d s c a p in g , spring clean-up, mowing, brushwork and light chainsaw work. Call Owen, 499-0686 SP C o m m Sta rp o w e r - Home TV and Satellite Systems, High Speed Internet access, 2-w ay R adio , So un d R einforcem en t, H o m e T h eat re w w w .ST A R P O W E R -satellite.tv o r wildjimwilder@aol.com. Music Gu ita r I n s tru c tio n - Beginner through advanced instruction in folk, blues, and jazz styles. Liza Constable, 847-3067. M u s ic f o r w e d d in g s and other occasions - New England country dance music, folk, blues, jazz. Nat Hewitt & Liza Constable, 847-3067. M e m o ra b le So u n d s & X- T re m e Lig h tin g C o . - mobile music for all occasions. DJs specializing in weddings, company functions, social events, dances. Call Chris or Mike Blaudschun at 847-9082 to book your event. E-mail: blaudschuns@hughes.net M u n s o n v ille Au d io Location & Studio Recording / Sound Reinforcement. Pro-grade mixing, high resolution digital recording, microphones & signal processing coupled to custom monitor mixes and an extremely powerful yet well mannered FOH sound system. High quality recordings expertly mixed, mastered & made ready for distribution. D em o recordings a specialty. 603 499-2904 Web: www.MunsonvilleAudio.Com EMail: CJLeake@MunsonvilleAudio.Com
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