The Residence at Back Bay

WOLFEBORO, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Finding a home at Taylor means more than access to a stunning new apartment – it means receiving the keys to present and future peace of mind.

Coming soon to picturesque Wolfeboro, NH, e Residence at Back Bay features beautifully appointed private apartments, assisted living with a purposefully designed memory care neighborhood, and private nursing care. Here is a sampling of what living at e Residence at Back Bay o ers...

• spacious common areas

• libraries and a salon

• wellness suite and spa

• expansive outdoor seating areas

• private balconies

• resident gardens

• beautifully landscaped grounds with walking paths

• chef-prepared, anytime dining from our talented culinary team

• full calendar of social, educational, recreational and cultural activities

• personalized wellness plan and wellness activities

• indoor lap pool with a full schedule of tness classes

• walking distance to the waterfront, and only a short drive or stroll to downtown Wolfeboro

• complimentary transportation

• 24/7 sta and security

One of the biggest bene ts to becoming a resident of Taylor is our continuum of care, as it ensures that you never need to worry about nding another place to call home down the road – come join us!

Contact

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Granite State Guns

The Granite State Guns article by James Pindell [March-April 2023 issue]misleads readers and contradicts his own sentiments on the questionable data he presented about N.H. voters and national gun statistics. Strict enforcement of existing gun laws versus escalating restrictions on the legal gun owner is the more relevant debate. States with the most restricted gun ownership laws ineffectively prosecute criminals using illegal firearms while penalizing a law-abiding citizen’s right to self-defense. Infusing topics like Roe v. Wade, sexual preference, marijuana and mental health are each important issues that stir emotion but are unrelated to the article’s headline. I only hope the author researched more than platitudes about gun ownership and the 2nd Amendment. It was not evident in the writing.

I urge James to place a gun in his hands and experience the process of buying a firearm. Then, visit a local shooting range to interview firsthand the citizens he is referring to. This can enlighten and humble anyone without basic knowledge of gun ownership.

Yes, N.H. proudly respects the 2nd Amendment with open-carry laws extended to any law-abiding citizen. Anyone reading that article now knows less about N.H. residents and sadly even less about the 2nd Amendment.

— Tom Columbia, Merrimack

Still Grappling with Mass Murder

I always enjoy James Pindell’s columns on New Hampshire politics, and I enjoyed his current piece as well on the gun debate in our state. But I cannot let the following go unchallenged: “New Hampshire has also never had a headline-grabbing mass shooting — a tragedy that forces a community to really grapple with the issue.”

One day in 1997, in Colebrook, NH attorney Vickie Bunnell, newspaper editor Dennis Joos, and state policemen Scott Phillips and Les Lord were murdered by Carl Drega. This was one of the nation’s first mass shootings involving an AR-15, and it grabbed headlines not only all over the nation, but all over the world. The North Country has been grappling with the consequences of that incident ever since. Please, let us not forget.

— Rick Carey, Sandwich

Editor’s note: Our apologies for this unfortunate oversight in writing and editing this piece and thanks for the reminder.

Clarifying NH Green Burials

Many thanks for the recent article “Green Burials” [March-April 2023 issue] that broached the subject of family-directed funerals and natural burials in N.H. I think it’s important to clarify a couple of additional points for readers.

While most people choose to hire funeral directors, it is not required by law; neither are caskets or embalming or hiring someone else to drive to the cemetery. It’s important to note that there are laws for private citizens that are not the same as rules and regulations that funeral directors have to follow as terms of their licensure.

Green burial plots across the country cost the same as conventional ones. Green burials in rural areas tend to cost less than conventional burials, partly due to not having to pay for a vault. N.H. cemeterians are finding inventive ways to keep costs down and still fulfill their public mission, including winter burials.

At NHFREA, we help people learn the facts, and the demand for information is increasing exponentially. The funeral industry’s own surveys have shown a marked increase in interest in recent years, up to 84.4% in a May 2021 Kates-Boyleston study. Often, people who might have chosen cremation become natural burial advocates once they know more — what we call “cremation conversions.” I’m sure your readers will be interested in learning why, and about what’s in the works here in New Hampshire regarding natural burial. The NH Funeral Resources website has plenty of information to get them started: nhfuneral.org.

— Lee Webster, director, NH Funeral Resources, Education and Advocacy

Editor’s note: Thanks for the corrections and additional information. We have a feature story on Death and Dying in N.H. planned for later this year, and we’ll revisit this topic at that time and look forward to your assistance in composing a more accurate piece.

Independent vs. Private

I found your “Independent School Guide 2023” interesting. I guess the rebranding of private schools might make taxpayers forget that our governor likes the idea of taxpayers paying for private schools now.

— Irene Grand, Strafford Editor’s Note: The “Independent School” rebranding of “private” schools has been underway for quite a while. Our editor’s first good job in New Hampshire, 33 years ago, was working for a small private school in Canterbury that was a member of ISANNE (the Independent School Association of Northern New England).

Remember the Nurse Practitioners

As an introduction, I am a multi-year reader of your magazine, with the last two years being frequent via purchase and subscription. I leave a copy in my Airbnb, as my guests enjoy reading about a place they are visiting for the first time, finding out about local happenings, or simply learning new things about the Granite State.

After reading through this year’s Top Doctors [March-April 2023 issue], and referencing back to Top Dentists and Top Nurses, I realize I have never read anything on Top Physician Assistants or Nurse Practitioners.

Point being made, it is an injustice to not call out all the exceptional PAs and ARNPs our fine state is lucky enough to call medical professionals. I encourage you to keep this in mind and consider recognizing them for the integral work they do.

— Joseph Hults, Middleton

Editor’s note: We are once again celebrating the state’s “Nurses of Excellence” in our June issue so keep any eye out for that, and I’ll pass your comments along to our friends at the New Hampshire Nurses Association who oversee the selection process. I’m not sure how we might expand to give due recognition to PAs and ARPNs, but it’s worth discussing.

Turned Off in Keene

New Hampshire Magazine is such a beautiful magazine, but I’m not renewing my subscription. “Diversity” is what has completely turned me off. I grew up when things needed to change and Martin Luther King did just that. The way things are now, America is so divided and this “diversity” is partly responsible.

I may change my mind over time, but right now I’ll do without New Hampshire Magazine.

— Maureen Faircloth, Keene

Editor’s note: 603 Diversity is actually a free supplemental magazine that is sent out, quarterly, to our subscribers, but I hope you’ll give it another look. While the “diversity” movement can itself sometimes be divisive, the goal of 603 Diversity is all about simply getting to know some people and cultures that share our state whom you might not otherwise meet.

Spot four newts like the one here hidden on ads in this issue, tell us where you found them and you might win a great gift from a local artisan or company.

To enter our drawing for Spot the Newt, visit spotthenewt.com and fill out the online form. Or, send answers plus your name and mailing address to: Spot the Newt c/o New Hampshire Magazine 250 Commercial St., Suite 4014, Manchester, NH 03101

You can also email them to newt@nhmagazine.com or fax them to (603) 624-1310.

Last month’s “Spot the Newt” winner is Michael Nawoj of Franklin. March/April issue newts were on pages 9, 13, 23, 89

Need A Good Reason For Spotting The Newt?

The prize is a gift certificate for $50 to use online at nhmade.com or at the New Hampshire Made Store, 28 Deer St., Portsmouth. New Hampshire Made is our state’s official promoter of products and services created here in the Granite State, and the online store and downtown shop are packed with delightful gifts and specialty foods made with Granite State pride. nhmade.com