TheLaker_Nov_14

Holiday Events Around the Lake

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

The holiday season is here and there is a festive spirit in the air. Around the Lakes Region wonderful events are planned to bring family, friends, and the community together to celebrate the season. Whether it’s through music, cheerful lights, or arts and crafts, there are many ways to enjoy the festive time.

There’s nothing like a room full of glittering, decorated Christmas trees to underscore the beautiful season. A tradition for many families is a visit to the Wolfeboro Festival of Trees at the Wright Museum on Center Street in Wolfeboro. The charity benefit features a bevy of trees decorated by area organizations and businesses. Enjoy local live entertainment as well as refreshments, while you admire the beautiful and uniquely decorated trees. The festival is scheduled for December 3 and 4, and December 7, 10 and 11, with special hours on Wednesday, December 1 from 6 to 8 pm. Reservations are required for the December 1 viewing. Otherwise, doors will be open from 10 am to 4 pm on December 3 and 10, and from noon to 3 pm on December 4 and 11, with December 7 hours from 6 to 8 pm. For tickets and information, visit www.wolfeborofestivaloftrees.com.

Laconia has many holiday events, and among them is the fun Holiday Parade on November 27 at 4:30 pm. This year’s parade will be a combination car parade and traditional parade. The driving portion of the parade will be-

gin promptly at 4:30 pm from Opechee Park in Laconia. It will meet up with the traditional parade participants at Laconia High School around 5:15 pm. The parade will proceed with the marching portion, ending in Stewart Park for the annual tree lighting.

Many other events are taking place during the holiday season in Laconia; visit www.celebratelaconia.org for a list and more details.

At the Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center in Plymouth, Christmas with the Celts performs on December 2 at 7:30 pm, followed by the John Denver Christmas Show on December 11 at 4 pm. The Flying Monkey is located at 39 South Main Street in Plymouth. Call 603-536-2551

or visit www.flyingmonkeynh.com

The 2022 Festival of Trees takes place at the Franklin Opera House at 316 Central Street in Franklin on December 2, 3 and 4 with free admission. The tree displays are wonderful and fill the Opera House.

The Franklin Footlight Theatre will present Holiday One-Acts, the Little Match Girl, Sharing, North Pole’s Got Talent, An Old-Fashioned Christmas, and The Gift of the Magi on December 8 to 11 at the Franklin Opera House. For information and tickets, call 603934-1901 or visit www.franklinoperahouse.org.

If you enjoy outdoor light displays, there’s nothing like the amazing Gift of Lights event at the New Hampshire

Motor Speedway on Route 106 Loudon. The amazing outdoor display features over 3.5 million twinkly LED lights. This year, the drive-through light show will feature a Tunnel of Lights, arches, toys, numerous scenes including the popular 12 Days of Christmas and much more. Crews will spend more than 650 work hours to set up more than 520 displays and 80 different scenes. Featured attractions will also include the fan-favorite 130-footlong infield entrance and exit tunnels with more than 25,000 lights and the opportunity to roast marshmallows and toast s’mores over open fire pits.

The Gift of Lights event runs from November 24 through January 1. For details and open hours, visit www. nhms.com and click on events, or call 765-664-3918.

The annual Festival of Trees will take place at the Gilman Museum located at 123 Main Street in Alton on December 3 from 11 am to 8 pm, and on December 4 from 11 am to 2 pm. The glittering trees are decorated by local businesses, organizations, and residents. The trees will be raffled off and there also will be a creative gingerbread house display, with voting in youth and adult categories. Admission to see the displays is free; there is a charge for raffle tickets. Visit www.altonbusinessassociation.com for details.

Music lovers will be in for a treat on December 10 and 11 when the Christ• Holiday Events

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mas with the Crooners concert comes to the Lakes Region. The annual holiday concert is presented by Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra, and will feature vocalist Michael Gallagan. Traditional carols and modern holiday standards by crooners Frank Sinatra, Tony Ben nett, Andy Williams, and more, will be performed with grand orchestral splen dor. Planned vocal selections include O Holy Night / Joy to the World / O Come All Ye Faithful / Winter Wonderland / The Most Wonderful Time of the Year / Christmas in Herald Square / I Love the Winter Weather / Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The December 10 concert will take place at the Colo nial Theatre in downtown Laconia at 7 pm. The December 11 concert will be at Inter-Lakes Auditorium in Meredith at 3 pm. For tickets and information, visit www.lrso.org.

Holiday music comes to the Capitol Center for the Arts/Bank of NH Stage in Concord. Mr. Aaron’s Holiday Par ty takes place on December 3 at 11

am. The show offers songs, dancing and more at the Bank of NH Stage, 16 South Main Street in Concord.

The Seamus Egan Celtic Christmas is on December 3 at 8 pm at the Chubb Theatre at 44 S. Main Street in Con cord.

Drumline Live Holiday Spectac ular on December 4 at 4 pm will be at Chubb Theatre. The Capital Jazz Orchestra Holiday Pops offers great music on December 11 at 4 pm at the Chubb Theatre.

Have fun at the Morning Buzz Christ mas Ball 2022 on December 15 at 7 pm in the Chubb Theatre, followed by The Nutcracker Ballet on December 17 at 4:30 pm, also at the Chubb Theatre.

On December 18, Ted Vigil – A John Denver Christmas will be at the Chubb Theatre at 7 pm. Many other shows are scheduled for 2022/2023; visit www. ccanh.com or call 603-225-1111.

If you’ve never seen The Nutcracker classical ballet, mark your calendar for November 26 and 27 for The Nutcrack er at the Kingswood Arts Center from 2 to 4 pm. Presented by the Northeast

ern Ballet Theatre, the state’s premier classical ballet company, this is a show that will delight the whole family. For tickets, visit www.northeasternballet. org. Call 603-834-8834.

Canterbury Shaker Village will pres ent a Holiday Open House on Novem ber 25 to 27. Tour the Shaker buildings, shop for gifts, and have hot cocoa or cider.

Enjoy Christmas music when the Canterbury Singers perform on De cember 11 from 4 to 5 pm. The Canter bury Singers will sing holiday Shaker songs; before the performance, make pomanders and cinnamon trees in the Hubbard Gallery from noon to 4 pm. For more information, call 603-7839511 or visit www.shakers.org. Shaker Village is located on Shaker Road in Canterbury.

If you like poinsettias, get yours at the Wolfeboro Lions Club Holiday Poinsettias Sale from November 18 to 29; call Joe at 630-3724 for ordering information.

Another great fair is the Annual Christmas Craft Fair on November 26 from 9 am to 3 pm at the Kingswood Regional High School, 396 South Main Street in Wolfeboro.

The popular Christmas in Wolfe boro Parade makes its way through the downtown on November 26 at 3 pm. Following the parade, Santa will light the holiday tree in the center of town.

On December 10, attend the Christ mas Spirit Open House from 10 am to 4 pm. Shop all over Wolfeboro, enjoy lunch and hear music. Call 603-5692200.

The First Congregational Church at 115 South Main Street in Wolfeboro, will offer the String Trio – Holiday presented by Wolfeboro Friends of Music on December 11 from 2 to 4 pm. Call 603-569-2151.

In the Newfound Lake area, the An nual Festival of Trees will take place on November 25 and 26 at the Histor ic Town Hall. Hours are November 25 from 4 to 8 pm and November 26 from 10 am to 7 pm.

At the Tapply-Thompson Commu nity Center at 30 North Main Street in downtown Bristol, kids get a chance to do their Christmas shopping on November 22 and 25 at the One Stop Christmas Shop from 4 to 7 pm. Gift wrapping will be offered as well.

Also, at the Tapply-Thompson Com munity Center, the beloved Annual Santa’s Village is slated for December 9 to December 11. The child-centered event has been happening annually for 67 years and includes a visit with

Santa’s Elves as they work on toys and wrap presents. Enjoy one of Mrs. Claus’ famous cookies and be sure to check out the awesome North Pole train station. All families will get to spend time with Santa and will receive a spe cial commemorative ornament. During the event, there also will be a Craft Fair with many holiday gifts for purchase. The cost of admission to Santa’s Vil lage is a donation of a canned good item. The fair takes place on Friday, December 9 from 6 to 8 pm; Saturday, December 10 from 2 to 5 pm, and Sun day, December 11 from 2 to 5 pm. For information, call 603-744-2713 or visit www.ttccrec.org.

On December 10, have breakfast with Santa at the Masonic Lodge in downtown Bristol from 8 to 10 am. The event is free.

From December 1 to 4, the Roches ter Opera House in Rochester will offer Sole City Dance performing The Nut cracker. The show features the mys terious toymaker Herr Drosselmeyer, Clara, and her beloved Nutcracker Prince, dancing snowflakes, battling mice, and many other fantastic and col orful characters.

A Christmas Carol will be present ed at the Rochester Opera House from December 9 to 23. The beloved tale is of the penny-pinching and bad tem pered old miser Ebenezer Scrooge and the awakening of his long forgotten festive spirt. This ghostly tale of the Past, Present, and Future is brought to life in the musical adaptation. Keeping true to the original text and bringing the atmosphere of Victorian Christ mas traditions to the stage, it draws upon the themes of time, family, and redemption to warm even the coldest of hearts. With a cavalcade of colorful Dickensian characters and a ghostly quartet of guardians, A Christmas Car ol is the perfect way to get you into the Christmas spirit. The new adapta tion has something for everyone, both young and old.

The Strafford Wind Symphony will perform at the Rochester Opera House on December 14. Join the Strafford Wind Symphony on a sleigh ride of music for the holiday season with vocalists, narrators, and music to de light everyone: Charlie Brown Christ mas, Nutcracker Suite, Grown-up Christmas, A Hannukah Festival, and more. Children under age 12 are free but do still need a ticket to enter. The performance starts at 7 pm at the Roch ester Opera House.

For tickets for all shows, and infor mation, visit www.rochesteroperahouse.com or call 603-335-1992.

Windham ● Warner ● Tilton, NH

Go Ahead, Turn Down That Thermostat

As we inch closer to winter, many of us have home heating costs on our mind: How much is it going to increase? And what can I do about it?

Well, while we can’t individually control energy and fuel prices, there are things we can do to reduce energy usage related to heating our homes. In fact, there’s one simple thing you can build into your routine that will help: turn down your thermostat while sleeping or not at home.

There has long been debate about whether turning your thermostat down

low actually saves money and energy. You may have heard the claim that the energy a furnace or boiler expends starting and stopping is more than if the device maintains a steady temperature. However, that conventional wisdom actually doesn’t bear out: The amount that you can save by turning the thermostat down during the times that you’re not benefitting from the heat vastly outweighs that startup energy consumption. In fact, the opposite can be true. When recovering from a setback, the burner spends more time

Soups On at Meredith Fine Craft Gallery

The League of NH Craftsmen Meredith Fine Craft Gallery presents “Soups On!” a special exhibit of handmade soup bowls in all shapes and sizes by various artists. A percentage of all proceeds from the sale of soup bowls will be donated to the Belknap House in Laconia to support local families in need. This special exhibit will begin on November 9th and will run until the end of the month.

Stop in the Meredith League of NH Craftsmen Meredith, Fine Craft Gallery to fully appreciate the work of these talented artists. To inquire about

this exhibit, call us at (603) 279-7920, visit our website at http://meredith. nhcrafts.org/, or stop into the gallery at 279 Daniel Webster Highway, Meredith, NH.

The League of NH Craftsmen is a non-profit organization that encourages and promotes the creation, use and preservation of fine contemporary and traditional hand craft. The League represents the signature of excellence in fine craft, through the work of its juried members, and its rigorous standards for self-expression, vision, and quality craftsmanship.

running in the “optimal combustion efficiency zone,” delivering more energy to your home with fewer emissions.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save as much as 10% a year on heating by simply turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for eight hours a day from its normal setting. During winter, the lower the temperature inside your home, the slower the heat loss, so if you can keep the temperature lower for long periods of time – like when you are sleeping or at work – you will save more energy and reduce your heating bill. You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F while you’re awake and setting it lower while you’re asleep or away from home.

If you have a programmable thermostat or the means to get one, this type of routine savings can be even easier. You can set it as low as is comfortable in the winter and then lower the setpoint when you’re sleeping or away from home. Some smart thermostats even have occupancy sensors and will set back automatically when the home is empty.

Turning down your thermostat is just one way to save on energy and heating costs in your home. Here are some others:

Reverse your ceiling fans to bring that warmer air circulating around your home down.

Replace your furnace’s filter regularly to save electricity.

Seal up any leaks or holes; this saves an average household $166 annually. Prioritize the ABCs: Start in the Attic, then Basement, then the Center of your home.

Ensure that any heat sources can deliver heat without restriction. Furniture can block both forced air vents and baseboard heat or radiators.

Put some area rugs in your rooms. This will improve comfort without turning up the thermostat.

During winter, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.

Overall, reducing your heat usage is a great way to save on costly bills and to be more eco-friendly. In areas like New England, where the winter months are cold, heating accounts for 30% to 50% of a household’s annual energy costs. Additionally, home heating and cooling is responsible for nearly 441 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.

So don’t be afraid to see how low you can go on your thermostat dial!

First

$99 Art Sale Opens Nov. 11

Do you remember who gave you ‘that’ gift last Christmas? Perhaps you do, but most likely you don’t because most gifts tend to become ephemeral, i.e.: out of sight, out of mind! However, there is a line of gifts that don’t have the ‘I can’t remember’ issue.

Member Artists and Photographers of Lakes Region Art Association Gallery (LRAA), beginning November 11, through January 5, 2023, Thursdays to Sundays, will be hosting its First Annual $99.00 Holidays Gift Art Sale. All 12”x12” original fine art images are holiday themed and produced in a variety of mediums including oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, graphite, and photography. Every artist’s work is also signed, framed and ready to display. Buying art is a tricky proposition, especially if you plan to give it as a gift. There are three good reasons why gifting art makes sense. First, you may wonder, who you plan to give art to, will they really like it? Not to worry, all artwork in the Holiday Gift Art $99.00 Sale are images about the holidays,

who doesn’t like or appreciate a focus on this time of the year?

Second, there’s a perception that buying original art and photography is much too expensive and unaffordable. Yes, original paintings and photography can be costly, but an original of either for only $99.00 solves this issue, plus, the intrinsic value of original art usually increases over time.

Third and most important, original art is the gift that keeps on giving, forever! No one forgets who gave them a gift of original art, it’ll be on display for years on a living room wall, den, office, bedroom, etc. and very unlikely it’ll ever be thrown away and/or given away.

The Lakes Region Art Gallery is a non-profit organization, managed by its over 30 participating artists and photographers. All member’s artwork is juried before they are allowed to join.

Visit our website for more information about the gallery: www.LRAANH. org

Polarstern Arctic Science Adventure Program

The Lakes Region Chapter of NH Audubon is pleased to present a pro gram with Wood Hole Oceanographic Institute senior scientist Carin Ashjian, who participated in the MOSAiC Ex pedition aboard the icebreaker Polarst ern in 2020, which was the largest Arc tic science expedition ever attempted. The goal of the MOSAiC (Multidis ciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) expedition was to take the closest look ever at the Arctic as the epicenter of global warm ing and to gain fundamental insights that are key to better understand global

climate change. Hundreds of research ers from 20 countries were involved in this exceptional endeavour. Following in the footsteps of Fridtjof Nansen’s ground-breaking expedition with his wooden sailing ship Fram in 18931896, the MOSAiC expedition brought a modern research icebreaker close to the North Pole for a full year including for the first time in polar winter. The data gathered will be used by scientists around the globe to take climate re search to a completely new level.

The Polarstern was already frozen in the ice when Carin and the 60-plus

members of the third team to travel to the ship left Tromso, Norway, in late January, 2020. After 24 days of ice breaking aboard the Russian icebreak er Kapitan Dranitsyn, they reached the Polarstern, planning to stay and do science in their various disciplines, including atmospheric, ecosystem, sea ice, and biogeochemistry, until the end of April, when they would be replaced by the team of Leg 4. Due to the out break of the pandemic, Carin’s team remained on the ship until the begin ning of June, arriving back in Norway mid-June to a world of mask-wearing

Holiday Glass Melting Class

Gallery on Saturday, Dec. 3rd, 2022, from 12 pm – 3 pm that will introduce students

and equipment used to create a beauti ful fused glass holiday ornaments.

In this easy, fun class students will explore glass fusing by making many glass holiday tree decorations in sparkling col ors. Also, make a free-standing hol iday tree or two! These are great holiday gifts! Glass safety, technolo gy and project ideas will be covered. Glass will be fired off site and returned to the Meredith Fine Craft Gallery. Tuition is $85.00 per person with

and quarantines. Carin was a part of Team Ecosystem, and her specialty is the study of copepods, tiny aquatic crustaceans that form the basis of the Arctic food chain.

Carin’s program will be present ed at the Loon Center on Lee’s Mills Road in Moultonborough on Thursday, November 17 at 7 p.m. The program is free and open to the public, and the Loon Center is handicapped accessi ble. For more information, please call the Loon Center at 603-4765666.

no additional materials fee. Space is limited to and pre-registration is re quired. Those who wish to take the class MUST sign up by Monday, Novem ber 28th. To regis ter or inquire about the class, call us at (603) 279-7920 or stop into the gallery at 279 Daniel Web ster Highway, Mer edith, NH.

For more de tails, visit our web site at http://meredith.nhcrafts.org and our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/nhcraft/

Explore the world of melted glass in a fast-paced workshop at The League of NH Craftsmen Meredith Fine Craft

to the techniques, materials,

Consider these 13 gratifying Thanksgiving facts

Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends and reflect on one’s blessings. In 2022, Canadian Thanksgiving takes place on October 10, while Americans celebrate on No vember 24. In anticipation of these hol idays, here are some interesting facts about the Thanksgiving celebration.

1. American Thanksgiving is large ly modeled on a 17th century harvest feast shared by the English settlers and the Wampanoag tribe.

2. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiv ing on the second Monday of October. It is based on European harvest festi vals.

3. The National Turkey Federation says around 45 million turkeys will be eaten on Thanksgiving, which equates to about 720 million pounds of turkey being consumed (with the average tur key size being 16 pounds).

4. The Butterball hotline answers roughly 100,000 calls every year on its turkey question hotline.

5. In 1953, the Swanson company overestimated the number of frozen turkeys it would sell for the holiday season by 26 tons. Rather than waste the meat, Swanson sliced it up, repack aged it and created the first frozen TV dinners.

6. Thanksgiving in America may be older than many recognize. While Thanksgiving is largely tied to the 17th century settlers, the National Parks Service says in 1565 Spanish settlers in St. Augustine (now Florida) celebrated by having a meal to which they invit ed the native Seloy tribe. The Span ish served pork stew, sea biscuits, red wine, and garbanzo beans. Some say the Seloy contributed turkey, venison and maize.

7. Thanksgiving didn’t become a civic holiday until Abraham Lincoln made it one after the Civil War trag edy. Thanksgiving was declared a na tional holiday on October 20, 1864.

8. The Pilgrims did not refer to them

Tapply-Thompson Community Center “One Stop Christmas Shop” for Kids

The Tapply-Thompson Community Center is sponsoring its Annual One Stop Christmas Shop for Kids on Tues day, November 22nd and Friday, No vember 25th from 4-7 pm. This is an opportunity for children in preschool through 8th grade to shop for all fam ily, friends, and teachers in one easy stop. Helpers will be available to as

sist younger children with their shop ping. All gifts will be wrapped and tagged before they leave. There are many items under $1 and most items are under $6. Just give your child a list and a budget and send them in for easy Christmas shopping. For more infor mation call the TTCC at 744-2713.

selves as “pilgrims.” They used the word “separatists” as they were sepa rating themselves from a larger belief system.

9. In addition to Canada and the United States, Grenada, Liberia, the Philippines, Saint Lucia, and the Neth erlands celebrate their own versions of Thanksgiving.

10. Each year, the American presi dent “pardons” a turkey from slaughter on Thanksgiving. This tradition dates back to when Abraham Lincoln’s son was upset that his family’s turkey that was going to be killed for Thanksgiv ing dinner.

11. According to the U.S. Calorie Control Council (CCC), an average American may consume 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving Day.

12. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual tradition. People line the parade route in New York City

or tune in to watch the parade on tele vision. It originated in 1924 and the famed balloons were added in 1927.

13. Apple pie is the pie of choice for Thanksgiving, even though pumpkin pie is prevalent this time of year.

Thanksgiving is a popular holiday in Canada and the U.S. Many traditions have been borne of the holiday, and it is a favorite time of year for many people.

~ Metro

TUBACHRISTMAS Returns to Wolfeboro

Ring in the holidays by attending the eighteenth TUBACHRISTMAS concert in Wolfeboro on Saturday, De cember 10 from 2 to 3 pm at All Saints Episcopal Church, 258 South Main Street. Bring your family and friends to enjoy a free public concert of holi day music and traditional carols, which will be performed by a low brass en semble. All in attendance are required to wear a mask.

The concert features the low brass instruments, such as tubas, baritone horns and euphoniums, usually seen at the back of the band. Donations will be gratefully accepted and will go di rectly to the L.I.F.E. Ministries Food Pantry to help provide food and other necessities for area residents.

The Wolfeboro TUBACHRIST MAS concert is a regional event with players from various community, uni versity, and school bands, as well as

professional musicians, both working and retired. Any low brass players in terested in performing should contact the local TUBACHRISTMAS co-co ordinator or visit TUBACHRISTMAS at www.tubachristmas.com. According to the conductor, “The arrangements are wonderful, very fresh, and appeal ing, for they focus upon the melod ic capabilities of the instruments and

their rich, mellow sound when played together in close harmony. For the au dience, it’s very much like listening to familiar music being performed in an interesting new way, quite warm and welcoming.”

Always striving to make your experience as convenient as possible, we offer many of our professional jewelry and watch repair services on-site so you can shop while we complete your service request.

Estate Jewelry, Gemologist Appraisals, Rolex Service, Watch Battery Replacement.

10am • Closed Sunday

Harvey Phillips, a renowned tuba virtuoso and Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Indiana University, School of Music, founded TUBACHRIST MAS in 1974. He conceived it to hon or the great tubist and teacher, William Bell, who was born on Christmas Day in 1902. The famous American com poser, Alec Wilder, agreed to arrange a few carols for low brass ensemble, and the very first concert was held on the Ice Rink Stage of New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza in December 1974, with over 300 participants. Since then, the popularity of TUBACHRISTMAS has grown considerably among per formers and audiences alike, and in 2022, concerts are scheduled in cities and towns across America, plus sever al foreign countries. Claudia Bissett,

of the Strafford Wind Symphony, the Cate Park Band, and is also the flute soloist at All Saints Episcopal Church in Wolfeboro.

The public is invited to attend the Wolfeboro TUBACHRISTMAS concert, which will begin at 2 pm in the sanctuary of All Saints’ Epis copal Church on Saturday, Decem ber 10. If you have never heard a TUBACHRISTMAS performance be fore, you are in for a musical treat, so mark your calendar, bring your family and invite your friends.

For more information about this concert, contact the local TUBACHRISTMAS co-coordinator, Joe Ewing, at 603-569-3861 or visit the TUBACHRISTMAS website.

who holds a Masters degree in Musi cology from the University of Massa chusetts at Lowell, is joining us this year as the Conductor of the Wolfeboro TUBACHRISTMAS. She is a member

Wolfeboro Gears Up for Sixth Annual Gingerbread House Jubilee

The Gingerbread House Jubilee will return for its sixth annual celebration. The event will take place at Harmony Coffee House, located at 21 Central Avenue in Wolfeboro, from 12-2pm on Thursday, December 8.

Several gingerbread cottages made by visitors to the workshop of Amy Knapp (more popularly known as Gingerbread Amy) will be on display and offered free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Gingerbread Amy recommends arriving early to take advantage of the best selection, and she will also offer free gift wrapping if attendees desire.

The Gingerbread House Jubilee grew out of three of Knapp’s great passions: the town of Wolfeboro, the Christmas season and the art of making gingerbread houses. Knapp’s great grandparents built a house here, establishing her lifelong connection to the community. Her mother, meanwhile, was born on Christmas Day and instilled in her daughter a love of all things Christmas.

This naturally progressed to an interest in creating with gingerbread, which Knapp has now been doing for over two decades. She recalls favorite memories of building gingerbread cottages in Wolfeboro with her family during the holiday season, with snow falling and deer nibbling on fallen apples out-

Annual Pie and Bake Sale & More

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, perhaps you are overwhelmed with all you have to do to get ready. Let the Women’s Fellowship of the Union Congregational Church help you out! On Saturday, November 19, from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, the ladies will be offering an abundance of homemade items to help you. Need a pie for dinner? There will be many varieties to choose from, all home-baked! We are famous for our pies! Need something extra for the meal? How about fresh baked bread from an old family recipe! Guests have a sweet tooth? There’ll be fudge for purchase. Why not take some freshly made chowder home for lunch?

Maybe you need a hostess gift. You’ll be all set as you look over our books, puzzles, crafts and gift items for purchase

The Union Congregational Church is located at 80 Main Street in the Village of Union in the town of Wakefield. Drew Chapel is located at the rear of the church, where there is plenty of parking. Additional parking is found along Route 125 and across the street at the Hotchkiss Commons. All proceeds from this event benefit the Women’s Fellowship programs, which focus on outreach in the community and around the world. Call Betty at 603-473-2727 for more information or directions.

side the window. She loves being able to help other people create gingerbread houses—and warm memories—of their own, and hopes to spark some interest during this year’s Gingerbread House Jubilee.

“My husband named me ‘Gingerbread Amy’ in 2017, after finding every surface of the family home covered with a gingerbread creation of some kind,” says Knapp.

“I don’t think he minds being called

‘Gingerbread Geordy’ once in a while,” she says. “I used to joke that Yankee Pedlar was the only brokerage firm in the world with an official gingerbread house division, and the years I spent baking cookies for owners and renters are among the most special of my life. Harmony Coffee House offers the cookies so they’re still available from time to time.”

In a year full of surprises, Knapp was recently named “Maker of the Month” by Surebonder, a manufacturer of high-quality adhesives, fasteners, glue guns and related accessories. She travels all around for workshops, and says that while many artists dream of fame, she dreams mostly of peace and quiet and being able to work creatively as much as possible.

“I love how this gig is,” she says. “It’s simple, sweet and engaging.”

To learn more about Gingerbread Amy and the Gingerbread House Jubilee, visit GingerbreadAmy.com or send her an email at GgProductionsInc@ mac.com (put “GINGERBREAD” in the subject line).

What’s UP

Nov. 15, Bingo at the Lions Club, Moultonborough Function Hall, 139 Old Rt. 109, Moultonborough, doors open 5 pm, bingo starts at 6:30 pm.

Nov. 15, Fiber Arts Gathering, 10-11 am, come knit, stitch, crochet, spin and chat, Sanbornton Public Library, 27 Meetinghouse Hill Rd., Sanbornton, 2868222.

Nov. 15, Painted Boxes with Marina Forbes, 6-8 pm, Moultonboro Public Library, Holland St., Moultonboro, pre-registration required: 476-8895, www. moultonboroughlibrary.org.

Nov. 15, Zentangle Art Lessons, 6-8 pm, Galleries at 30 Main, Meredith, 2790557.

Nov. 16, Silent Film Series: So’s Your Old Man, 6 pm,Flying Monkey Movie and Performance Center, 39 S. Main St., Plymouth, info./tickets: 536-2551, www.flyingmonkeynh.com

Dec. 16, Squam Range Hiking Series, 10:30-2:30 pm, meet at Doublehead Trailhead, Thompson Rd., off Rt. 113, Holderness, info/sign up: 968-7336, www.squamlakes.org.

Nov. 16 & 19, Nature Station, 10 am-noon, Grey Rocks Conservation Area, 178 N. Shore Rd., Hebron, program of Newfound Lake Region Assoc., free, info: 744-8689, www. newfoundlake.org.

Nov. 17, Friends of the Library, Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum program, 6:308 pm, Moultonboro Public Library, Holland St., Moultonboro, pre-registration required: 476-8895, www.moultonboroughlibrary.org.

Nov. 17, Organic Saffron Farming in NH, 6-7 pm, Laconia Public Library, 695 Main St., Laconia, free, contact: 524-4775 ext. 600, www.laconialibrary. org

Nov. 17, Square Dance, 7:30-10 pm, Barn on the Pemi, 341 Daniel Webster Highway, Plymouth, $15 band contribution, 481-0789, email: howe.gen@ gmail.com.

Nov. 17, The Laszlo Gardony Trio with John Lockwood and Yoron Israil, 6-9:30 pm, Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery, Main St., Meredith, tickets/info: www.hermitwoods.com.

Nov. 18, Chris Mega, 6-9:30 pm, Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery, Main St., Meredith, tickets/info: www.hermitwoods.com.

Nov. 18, Christmas at the Castle Preview Party, 4-7 pm, Castle in the Clouds, Moultonborough, www.castleintheclouds.org, pre-registration/info: 476-5900.

Nov. 18, Parents Night Out, 4-8:30 pm, drop off your kids in grades 1-6 for activities and pizza so you can have a night off, pre-registration required: Ossipee Parks & Recreation, info: 539-1307.

Nov. 18 & 19, Village Players Movies, 7:30 pm, Sergeant York, 51 Glendon St., Wolfeboro, info: 569-1396, www.village-players.com.

Nov. 18-29,Wolfeboro Lions Club Holiday Poinsettias Sale, call Joe at 6303724 for ordering information.

Nov. 19, Christmas Fair, 9 am-2 pm, First United Methodist Church, 18 Wesley Way, off Rt. 11A, 524-3289, carolm319@gmail.com.

Nov. 19, Community Holiday Craft Fair, 9 am-2 pm, Meredith Community Center, 1 Circle Drive, Meredith, crafts, soaps, quilts and more, baked goods, lunch items for sale, raffle, 279-8197, sperkins@meredithnh.org.

Nov. 19, Cooking Through the Seasons, Holiday Yeast Breads, 10 am-noon, adult program,Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center, White Oaks Rd., Laconia, info/pre-registration: www.prescottfarm.org, 366-5695.

Nov. 19, Family & Friends Fun: Group Hike, 1-2 pm, 10 am-noon, Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center, White Oaks Rd., Laconia, info/preregistration: www.prescottfarm.org, 366-5695.

Nov. 19, Holly Fair, 8 am-2 pm, Center Harbor Congregational Church, 52 Main St., Center Harbor, 253-7698.

Nov. 19, Michael Gallagan, Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery, Main St., Meredith, tickets/info: www.hermitwoods.com.

536-2551, www. flyingmonkeynh.com

Nov. 19, Thanksgiving on the Farm, 10 am-4 pm, 1305 White Mt. Highway, Milton, info: 652-7840, www.nhfarmmuseum.org.

Nov. 19, Wolfeboro Turkey Trot, 8 am-2 pm, begin/end at Wolfeboro Chamber of Commerce 32 Central Ave., Wolfeboro, 569-5639.

Nov. 19 & 20, Christmas at the Castle, 10 am-4 pm, Castle in the Clouds, Moultonborough, www.castleintheclouds.org, pre-registration/info: 476-5900.

Nov. 22, Bingo at the Lions Club, Moultonborough Function Hall, 139 Old Rt. 109, Moultonborough, doors open 5 pm, bingo starts at 6:30 pm.

Nov. 22, Fiber Arts Gathering, 10-11 am, come knit, stitch, crochet, spin and chat, Sanbornton Public Library, 27 Meetinghouse Hill Rd., Sanbornton, 286-8222.

Nov. 22, Zentangle Art Lessons, 6-8 pm, Galleries at 30 Main, 30 Main St., Meredith, 279-0557.

Nov. 23, Squam Range Hiking Series, 10:30-2:30 pm, meet at Brooks Fisher Trailhead, off Perch Pond Rd., Holderness, info/sign up: 968-7336, www. squamlakes.org.

Nov. 24, Turkey Trot, 9 am, Newfound Country Store, 408 Mayhew Turnpike, Bridgewater, info/pre-register: www.ttccrec.org.

Nov. 24-Jan. 1, The Gift of Lights, spectacular light display depicting holiday scenes, NH Motor Speedway, Rt. 106, Loudon, tickets/info: www.nhms.com and click on events, or call 765-664-3918.

Nov. 25, Warren Miller’s Daymaker, 3 & 7 pm, Flying Monkey Movie and Performance Center, 39 S. Main St., Plymouth, info./tickets: 536-2551, www. flyingmonkeynh.com

Nov. 25 & 26, Annual Festival of Trees, Historic Town Hall, downtown Bristol. Hours 11/25 from 4 to 8 pm and 11/26 from 10 am to 7 pm.

Nov. 25-26, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 4:30 pm, Colonial Theatre of Laconia, 609 Main St., Laconia, www.coloniallaconia.com, 1-800-657-8774.

Nov. 25-27, Christmas at the Castle, 10 am-4 pm, Castle in the Clouds, Moultonborough, www.castleintheclouds.org, pre-registration/info: 476-5900.

Nov. 25-27, Holiday Open House, tour the buildings, shop for gifts, sample cocoa and cider, Canterbury Shaker Village, Shaker Rd., Canterbury, 603-7839511.

Nov. 26, Christmas in Wolfeboro Parade, 3-4 pm, Main St., Wolfeboro, www.wolfeborochamber.com.

Nov. 26, Comedian Juston McKinney, 7:30 pm, Flying Monkey Movie and Performance Center, 39 S. Main St., Plymouth, info./tickets: 536-2551, www. flyingmonkeynh.com

Nov. 26, 24th Annual Christmas Craft Fair, 9 am-3 pm, Kingswood Regional High School, 396 South Main St., Wolfeboro, krhscraft@gmail.com, www. kingswoodcraftfair.com.

Nov. 26 & 27, The Nutcracker, 11/26: 7-9 pm, 11/27: 2 pm, Kingswood Arts Center, 396 South Main St., Wolfeboro, Kingswood Arts Center, www. northeasternballet.org, 834-8834.

Nov. 27, Laconia Holiday Parade, 4:30 pm, downtown Laconia, www. celebratelaconia.org.

Nov. 28, Squam Range Hiking Series, 11:30 am-1 pm, meet at Cotton Mt. Trailhead parking lot, Holderness, info/sign up: 968-7336, www.squamlakes. org.

Nov. 29, Bingo at the Lions Club, Moultonborough Function Hall, 139 Old Rt. 109, Moultonborough, doors open 5 pm, bingo starts at 6:30 pm.

Nov. 29, Discovery Tour, noon-1 pm, adult program, Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center, White Oaks Rd., Laconia, info/registration: www.prescottfarm.org, 366-5695.

Nov. 29, Fiber Arts Gathering, 10-11 am, come knit, stitch, crochet, spin and chat, Sanbornton Public Library, 27 Meetinghouse Hill Rd., Sanbornton, 2868222.

Nov. 29, Zentangle Art Lessons, 6-8 pm, Galleries at 30 Main, 30 Main St., Meredith, 279-0557.

Dec. 1, MetaBeat, 6-9:30 pm, Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery, Main St., Meredith, tickets/info: www.hermitwoods.com.

Dec. 1, Preview Gala of Festival of Trees, 6-8 pm, takes place at Wright Museum of WWII, 77 Center St., Wolfeboro, benefits Kingswood Youth Center & Child Advocacy Center of Carroll County, cocktail reception, advance tickets/ reservations only: www.wolfeborofestivaloftrees.com.

Dec. 1-2 & 3-4, The Nutcracker, by Sole City Dance, Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 335-1992.

Dec. 1-4, The Servant of Two Masters, Winnipesaukee Playhouse, 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith, tickets: 279-0333, www.winnipesaukeeeplayhouse.org.

Dec. 2, Charlie Jennison, Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery, Main St., Meredith, tickets/info: www.hermitwoods.com.

Dec. 2, Christmas with the Celts, 7:30 pm, Flying Monkey Movie and Performance Center, 39 S. Main St., Plymouth, info./tickets: 536-2551, www. flyingmonkeynh.com

Dec. 2-4, Festival of Trees, free admission, Franklin Opera House, 316 Central St., Franklin, info.; 934-1901.

Dec. 3, Alton Outdoor Craft & Vendor Fair, crafters and vendors selling wares, Prospect Mountain High School, 242 Suncook Valley Rd., Alton, 8753800.

Dec. 3, Chris Mega, Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery, Main St., Meredith, tickets/info: www.hermitwoods.com.

Dec. 3, 1940s Christmas on the Farm, 10 am-4 pm, 1305 White Mt. Highway, Milton, info: 652-7840, www.nhfarmmuseum.org.

Dec. 3, Family & Friends Fun: Getting Ready for Winter, 1-3 pm, Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center, White Oaks Rd., Laconia, info/preregistration: www.prescottfarm.org, 366-5695. Multi-generation event.

Dec. 3, Gilford High School Holiday Craft Fair, 9 am-3 pm, over 100 craft vendors, food, Gilford High School, 88 Alva Wilson Rd., Gilford, 527-9663.

Dec. 3, Homemade Soaps – Layers, 10 am-noon, adult program, Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center, White Oaks Rd., Laconia, info/preregistration: www.prescottfarm.org, 366-5695.

Dec. 3, Mr. Aaron’s Holiday Party, 11 am,Bank of NH Stage, 16 South Main St., Concord, 225-1111, www.ccanh.com.

Dec. 3, Seamus Egan Celtic Christmas, 8 pm, Chubb Theatre, 44 South Main St., Concord, 225-1111, www.ccanh.com.

Dec. 3, Wolfeboro Festival of Trees, 10 am-4 pm, takes place at Wright Museum of WWII, 77 Center St., Wolfeboro, benefits Kingswood Youth Center & Child Advocacy Center of Carroll County, tickets/info: www.wolfeborofestivaloftrees. com. Also, on Dec. 4 from noon-3 pm; Dec. 7 from 6-8 pm; Dec. 10 from 10 am-4 pm & Dec. 11 from noon-3 pm.

Dec. 3-4, Festival of Trees & Gingerbread Decorating Contest, 12/3: 11 am-8 pm; 12/4: 11am-2 pm, by Alton Business Assoc., Gilman Museum, Rt. 140 & Main St., Alton, free to attend, www.altonbusinessassociation.com.

Dec. 3-4, The Nutcracker, Colonial Theatre of Laconia, 609 Main St., Laconia, www.coloniallaconia.com, 1-800-657-8774.

Dec. 4, Drumline Live Holiday Spectacular, 4 pm, Chubb Theatre, 44 South Main St., Concord, 225-1111, www.ccanh.com.

Dec. 4, Wolfeboro Festival of Trees, noon-3 pm, takes place at Wright Museum of WWII, 77 Center St., Wolfeboro, benefits Kingswood Youth Center & Child Advocacy Center of Carroll County, tickets/info: www.wolfeborofestivaloftrees. com. Also, on Dec. 7 from 6-8 pm; Dec. 10 from 10 am-4 pm & Dec. 11 from noon-3 pm.

Dec. 6, Bingo at the Lions Club, Moultonborough Function Hall, 139 Old Rt. 109, Moultonborough, doors open 5 pm, bingo starts at 6:30 pm.

Dec. 6, Fiber Arts Gathering, 10-11 am, come knit, stitch, crochet, spin and chat, Sanbornton Public Library, 27 Meetinghouse Hill Rd., Sanbornton, 2868222.

ONGOING

ArtWorks Gallery & Fine Crafts, works by 35 artists, classes & events. Open 10 am-5pm, Thurs.-Monday, First Fridays from noon-7 pm, 323-8041,132 Rt. 16, Chocorua,www.chocoruaartworks.com.

Belknap Mill, 25 Beacon St. East, Laconia, gallery and textile museum, events and programs, info/call for hours: 524-8813, www.belknapmill.org.

Canterbury Shaker Village, walk the grounds, Shaker Rd., Canterbury, 7839511, free, dawn to dusk, programs, tours/info: www.shakers.org.

Chapman Sanctuary and Visny Woods, nature trails open for hiking, 740 Mt. Israel Rd., Center Sandwich, 284-6428, www.chapmansanctuaryvisnywoods. com.

Chocorua Lake Basin View Lot, mountain views, benches for seating, sketch, paint, meditate, free,directions/info:www.chocorualake.org.

Country Village Quilt Guild, meets the first and third Wednesday of each month from 1:30-3:30 pm, Public Safety Building (back entrance to Police and Fire Dept.), Rt. 25, 1035 Whittier Highway, Moultonboro. Schedule/info. email:countryvillagequilters@yahoo.com.

11/26-11/28 Buy $75 Gift Card get $25 Gift Certificate 11/29-12/5 Buy $75 Gift Card get $15 Gift Certificate 12/6-12/19 Buy $75 Gift Card get $10 Gift Certificate (Gift Certificates Valid from 12/26/21-5/31/22)

In the Round, Sundays at 8:45 am, thought-provoking topics related to tolerance, Benz Center, Sandwich, 284-7532.

Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild, meets second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, 10 am-2 pm at First Congregational Church, 115 Main St., Wolfeboro. A second group meet first and third Tuesday of each month at Community Center, 22 Lehner St., Wolfeboro, www.llqg.net.

Laverack Nature Trail at Hawkins Brook, nature trail on boardwalk, free, trail starts to the left of Meredith Village Savings Bank, Meredith, info: 2799015.

League of NH Craftsmen Meredith Fine Craft Gallery, fine handmade crafts and art for sale, workshops, 279 Daniel Webster Highway, Meredith, hours/info: 279-7920.

Live Entertainment, Patrick’s Pub & Eatery, Gilford, 293-0841, www. patrickspub.com.

Loon Center, walking trails, 183 Lees Mill Rd., Moultonborough, 476-5666, www.loon.org.

NH Farm Museum, old-time farm, programs, events for families, 1305 White Mt. Highway, Milton, call for info/open hours: 652-7840, www.nhfarmmuseum. org

Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center, 928 White Oaks Road, Laconia, www.prescottfarm.org. Call ahead for event information and to inquire if pre-registration is necessary: 366-5695.

Quilting Group, 1-4 pm, meets every 2 weeks, Ossipee Public Library, 74 Main St., Ossipee, schedule/info: 539-6390.

Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm, 58 Cleveland Hill Rd., Tamworth, tours, walking trails, programs, info/hours: 323-7591.

Sanbornton Community Arts Festival, second Saturday of every month. Old Town Hall, 19 Meeting House Hill Road, Sanbornton.

Sculpture Walk, tours of outdoor sculptures around downtown/lakeside areas of Meredith, free, Greater Meredith Program, maps/info: 279-9015.

Tuftonboro Country Bluegrass and Gospel Jam, every Tues., through Dec., 6:30-9:30 pm, $2 donation requested, Old White Church, Rt. 109A, across from Tuftonboro General Store, 569-0247 or 569-3861.

Wolfeboro Area Farmer’s Market, Nov. & Dec., 3-6 pm, Maker’s Mill, Wolfeboro, www.makersmill.org.

Laconia

Thanksgiving Day Recipe Ideas

By Chef Kelly Ross

Hello friends, I’m back! I trust everyone is well as we get ourselves ready for this dreary time of year now that all those beautiful colors are on the ground and most of the trees are bare. I find this a sad time as it’s very gray and boring right now as far as Mother Nature is concerned. It’s raking season, wood splitting and piling season, filling our oil tank season, just changed the clock season meaning shorter days, UGHH. Not an awful lot to jump up and down about as far as outside is concerned.

Likely more than any other time of year, it’s officially up to us to be creative, to do our best, to find something to be positive about. One of the best reasons I can think of to smile is cook-

ing some good eats while hanging at

home, and even more so today, let’s start talking Turkey Day.

Having cooked professionally for 4+ decades, I have cooked a gazillion turkeys, not to mention while helping to manage the catering department for a bunch of years at Harts, so turkey isn’t real high on my love list, but I could eat stuffing until I’m stuffed. Today is dedicated to a whole bunch of delicious and eclectic stuffing recipes, some you may be familiar with and others I’m sure you haven’t. Regardless, I think you will love a bunch of these to give you some options on Thanksgiving, not to mention year-round as stuffing is definitely not restricted to just Turkey Day. So, let’s start having some stuffing fun. I’m going to start with a couple using some untraditional breads, first using one of my favorite breads ever, that being focaccia, combined with some bread of the more traditional kind.

There is no bad focaccia in my book, and I know there are many styles and varieties, and any and all will work. I suggest you stick to one that fits the likings of your crowd with their herb options. This recipe also includes apples and sausage, so there will be plenty of awesome flavors jumping out at you once you dig in. This will give you 6 servings and total time will be in the

ballpark of an hour. If your house is anything like mine on Thanksgiving, I suggest doubling up on this recipe.

Apple & Sausage

Focaccia Stuffing

2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for greasing dish

4 cups cubed day-old focaccia

4 cups cubed day-old country bread

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

½ lb ground Italian sausage of choice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

Kosher salt

Fresh grind black pepper

2 baking apples, such as Honeycrisp or Jonagold, diced into ½ inch pieces

3 tbsp chopped fresh sage

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 ½ cup chicken stock

¼ cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter large casserole dish and set aside. Spread bread over two sheet pans and bake until dry, 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and cook sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until browned, 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Return skillet to stove over medium heat and melt butter with remaining sausage fat. Sauté garlic, onion, and celery until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add apples, sage, parsley, stock, and milk. Bring to a boil and simmer 1 minute, then transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool 5-10 minutes. Toss bread and sausage into liquid mixture, then transfer to casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown, another 20-25 minutes.

So, we went with focaccia with that first one, and for this one we use “everything” bagels. Not everyone likes all the spices and herbs in that style of bagel, but if you do, this is for you. You will also need an “everything” ba• ‘Cue the Grill

gel spice mix, whether store bought, or I have a quick and easy recipe to put your own together. This will yield you 8 servings, take 30 minutes to prep and the total time will be close to 2 hours.

Everything Bagel Stuffing

For The Stuffing

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 red onions, thinly sliced 4 celery stalks, finely chopped Kosher salt

Fresh grind black pepper

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

10 cups cubed everything bagels, about 6 large bagels, dried overnight ¼ cups chopped chives, plus more for serving

1 tbsp freshly chopped sage

2 large eggs

½ cup sour cream

3 cups vegetable broth, divided 4 tbsp butter, cut into ½ inch pieces

For The Everything Bagel Sprinkle ½ cups vegetable oil

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

2 tsp poppy seeds

2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 3-quart baking dish and set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tbsp oil. Add onions and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, 6-8 minutes. Add vinegar and cook, scraping up any brown bits, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl, then add bagel pieces, chives, and sage and toss to combine. In a

separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, and 2 cups broth. Pour over bread mixture and toss until evenly moistened, adding more broth ¼ cup at a time until bagel pieces seem hydrated. You might not have to use all the broth. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and dot the top with butter. Cover dish with foil and bake until a knife inserted in the center of the stuffing comes out warm, 30-35 minutes. Increase heat to 425 degrees and continue baking, uncovered, until top is deeply golden, 10-15 minutes more. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, heat vegetable oil. Add garlic and cook until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels using a slotted spoon. Add shallot to oil and cook until golden, 4- 6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels using a slotted spoon. Let garlic and shallot cool slightly, then add to a small bowl with poppy seeds and sesame seeds. Serve stuffing sprinkled with poppy seed mixture and garnish with chives. Pretty darn good stuffing.

Onto the next recipe with a unique bread to use in your stuffing as this one uses soft pretzels. Use the best quality soft pretzels possible, and there are a few to choose from in your supermarkets freezer section that you can bake in advance using the directions on the package. If you can lay your hands off them as they come out of the oven, let them sit out for a couple of days to dry out. This recipe is for 6 or so again, so this “may” be one to double up on.

Total prep/cook time will take an hour.

Soft Pretzel Stuffing

3 tbsp butter, plus more for greasing

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt

Fresh grind black pepper

10 cups soft pretzels, diced into ¼ - ½ inch cubes, toasted and left out to harden

3 cups chicken broth

2 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add celery, onion, and carrots and cook until softened and tender, 1012 minutes, then stir in thyme and season with salt and pepper. Add pretzels to a large bowl with vegetable mixture and pour in broth and eggs. Toss until combined and season with salt and pepper. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish, then spoon in stuffing mixture and bake uncovered until cooked through and golden, 35-40 minutes. Check on it periodically and if it darkens more than you want it to, tent with foil to finish it up.

For the last one using a different option of bread, this is one most have heard of, that being cornbread. This recipe includes making the cornbread

from scratch, which is always better than making from a boxed mix, but both ways work out great. I suggest making the cornbread a day or two in advance of making the stuffing. On game day of making the stuffing, it will take a total time of 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours and will give you 8 servings.

Homemade Cornbread Dressing

For The Cornbread

1 ¼ cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 stick butter, melted 1 ¼ cup buttermilk

1 large egg

For The Dressing

2 tbsp butter, plus more for baking dish

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb ground Italian sausage of choice

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

2 tsp fresh sage, minced

Kosher salt

Fresh grind black pepper

¾ cup chicken broth

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Continued on page 20

¼

cup milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish Let’s start with the cornbread. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8-inch baking dish or 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, buttermilk, and egg. Add dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until there are no more dry spots. Batter will be thick. Transfer to prepared baking dish, smooth out top, and bake until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool, then chop into 2 inch cubes. For the stuffing, grease a 9-inch square baking dish with butter. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Cook sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until golden and cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl. To the same skillet, add butter, onion, and celery and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and sage, then season with salt and pepper. Add broth to deglaze, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then transfer to bowl with sausage. Add cornbread pieces, then stir in milk and eggs. Season generously with salt and pepper and stir, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until everything is well incorporated and cornbread pieces are a mixture of smaller chunks and crumbs. Add mixture to prepared baking dish and bake until golden and crispy on top and set in the center, 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley before serving.

If we were to get 10 people in a room and ask them what their favorite kind of stuffing is, we would likely get a bunch of different answers, but if we ask them what their favorite part of the stuffing is, my guess everyone says, “The crunchy topping.” With that in

mind, I introduce you to Sheet Pan Stuffing. This recipe is truly a win/win in that the whole thing has that buttery crispiness to it, and since it is cooked on a sheet pan, meaning it’s a thin layer of stuffing on the pan, it cooks up quicker than the usual way. This one has sausage and apples in it as well as some other yummy ingredients, but remember as I often say, tweak any recipe to your liking, and there isn’t much reason why you can’t try any stuffing with this method. This will again give you 8 servings and prep/cook time as a 1 ¼ hours.

Sheet Pan Stuffing

1 loaf rustic bread, cut into ½ inch cubes, about 12 cups

1 stick butter, cut into pieces

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 Honeycrisp apples, chopped into ¼ - ½ inch pieces

Kosher salt

Fresh grind black pepper

½ cup white wine

1 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary

2 tbsp freshly chopped sage leaves

1 lb ground sweet Italian sausage

2 cups chicken broth

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

¾ cup freshly chopped flat-leaf pars-

ley

½ cup chopped dried cranberries ¾ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crisped but not golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and apples and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and start to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Add wine and simmer until almost completely reduced. Stir in rosemary and sage. Scrape mixture into a large heatproof bowl. Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add sausage, and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up into small pieces, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Pour off any excess grease and then add sausage along with toasted bread, broth, eggs, parsley, cranberry, and pecans to the bowl with vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and toss until well combined.

Scrape stuffing mixture onto a large, rimmed baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake until crispy on top and cooked through, about 30 minutes,

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Continued on page 21

pull and serve as soon as possible as the thin layer won’t hold the heat as long as the normal casserole style type stuffing. Your crowd is going to love

this!

This next one is probably the most unique of the day. We all know that one key part of most Thanksgiving meals is butternut squash, well this stuffing uses cubed butternut to coin-

cide with the bread. This is very fun and very incredible. I know many stuffings have sausage as a key ingredient and this one is no different except that it uses andouille, which adds a great spicy kick to things. Your crowd will be floored by the presentation of this dish to start with, and then by its delectable flavor. This should give you 10-12 servings and total prep/cook time is around 2 hours. It’s well worth it, trust me.

Butternut Squash and Andouille Stuffing

1 small butternut squash, about 1 ½ lb, diced

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided Kosher salt

Fresh grind black pepper

8 oz andouille, sliced ¼ inch thick

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

10 cups torn baguette or other crusty bread, dried overnight

¼ cup freshly chopped sage

2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley, plus

more for serving

2 large eggs

3 cups vegetable or chicken broth, divided

4 tbsp butter, cut into ½ inch pieces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss squash with 2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper in a large bowl and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until golden and tender, 20-25 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees. Heat remaining tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add andouille and cook, stirring often, until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes, then transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon. Add onion and celery to skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, 6-8 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl and add baguette pieces, sage, parsley, roasted squash, and andouille and toss to combine. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together

•

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the Grill Continued on page 22

eggs and 2 cups broth. Pour over bread mixture and toss until evenly moistened, adding more broth ¼ cup at a time until baguette pieces seem hydrated, again knowing you might not use it all. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and dot with butter. Cover dish with foil and bake until a knife inserted

in the center of the stuffing comes out warm, 30-35 minutes. Increase oven to 450 degrees and continue baking uncovered until top is deeply golden, 1520 minutes more. Let rest for 10 minutes, garnish with parsley and serve. Here is another from the wild and crazy stuffing world. In the hundreds of catering jobs I have done, the most popular appetizer dip by a long shot

is a spinach and artichoke dip. It’s always a ginormous hit, so how about a stuffing utilizing that mentality? This may not be everyone’s cup of tea for Thanksgiving, although most of my group of friends is all over it whenever I serve it, but if not for Turkey Day, I strongly suggest using this one at some special occasion while entertaining. This is the quickest of the recipes today as far as casserole style of dishes as you will have this done in less than an hour and it should get you 8 servings.

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffing

1 large loaf French bread

2 cup frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed/drained completely

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2 cup shredded mozzarella, divided

1 tbsp butter

½ onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp freshly chopped sage

1 tsp freshly chopped thyme

1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary

½ tsp red pepper flakes

1 ½ cup chicken broth

8 oz cream cheese, cubed Kosher salt

Fresh grind black pepper

Tear or slice bread into cubes and leave out overnight to dry out. Alternately, place bread on baking sheets and bake at 200º for 20 minutes to dry out if needed, then let cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a large baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the dried bread, spinach, artichoke hearts, and 1 ½ cups mozzarella. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and celery and cook until onion is translucent, 3-4 minutes. add garlic and herbs and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and cream cheese and bring to a simmer until cream cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Pour bread mixture into prepared baking dish, making sure it is evenly distributed. Pour

• ‘Cue the Grill Continued on page 23

over cream cheese mixture and sprin kle with remaining mozzarella. Bake until liquid is evaporated, and cheese is melted and golden, 20-25 minutes. Serve. So Good!

As much as Thanksgiving is a great day reuniting family and friends, it’s no mystery that whoever is in charge of the kitchen and cooking that day has their hands full and is often getting their fanny kicked. The oven is always full and the art of timing things to come out all at once is an art in and of itself and generally the biggest obstacle of the day. With that in mind, what if you didn’t need the oven for the stuffing to help with things? I introduce you to crock pot stuffing and this batch is the most traditional of the day as it sticks to the basics. You can prep this in ad vance, which takes 15 minutes, and then it takes 4 hours to cook without a care the rest of the day as far as the stuffing is concerned. This will get you 6-8 servings.

Crock Pot Stuffing

1 stick butter

3stalks celery, finely chopped

1medium onion, finely chopped

1tsp fresh thyme leaves

1tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1tsp sage, finely chopped

2large eggs, beaten

2cup chicken broth

Kosher salt

Fresh grind black pepper

7 cup stale bread, cubed into small pieces

1tbsp parsley, finely chopped, plus more for garnish

In a large skillet over medium heat,

melt butter. When melted, add celery, onion, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper and cook until onions are trans lucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Grease the inside of your crock pot and add your cubed bread. Pour vegetable mixture, eggs, broth, and parsley over bread. Toss to combine and cover. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, stirring after 2 hours have passed. Garnish with parsley before serving.

One thing I have always loved to stress is having recipes that are not only delicious and fairly easy to throw together, but also fun, and this one is fun. For this stuffing, it’s baked in in dividual servings in muffin cups. Yup, stuffing muffins. Like the sheet pan stuffing that is crunchy all over, these have much of that mentality as the out side of the muffins get that way as well. This will be a fun conversation piece the first time your guests see them, and wicked yummy to devour. Prep time is a half hour, bake time about the same and it makes a dozen muffins.

Stuffin’ Muffins

4tbsp butter

1lb ground pork sausage

1medium onion, diced

2cloves garlic, minced

1½ cup celery, diced

1tsp thyme

1tsp rosemary

1tsp ground sage

8cups bread cubes, about 1 loaf

Kosher salt

Fresh grind black pepper

2cups chicken broth

1egg, lightly whisked

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Add the onion and celery and continue to sauté until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, sage, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat to let cool slightly. In a large bowl, com bine bread cubes, sausage mixture, and chicken broth. Check for seasonings and season with salt and pepper, if nec essary, then stir in egg. Divide stuffing mixture between muffin tin cups. Bake until warmed through and golden on top, about 25-30 minutes. Let them sit for 5 minutes in the pan before popping them out. I think you will find many of your guests will want 2-3 of these if you don’t set them up on a portion control kind of thing.

Lastly today, when I do a feed for most of my friends as opposed to fam ily, this one is a huge hit, but maybe that’s because it has beer, cheese, and bacon in it. Yes, that defines my friend crowd, as well as me I must admit. Maybe not the most traditional of Tur key Day stuffings, but it’s very popu lar. I often make 2-3 different stuffings for certain events, and when I use that mentality, I always toss this one into the equation. This generally will give you 8 side dishes and total prep/cook time is just under 1 ½ hours.

Beer Cheese Bacon Stuffing 2 tbsp butter, cut into ½ inch pieces, plus more for baking dish 8-10slices bacon

1large onion, finely chopped 4celery stalks, finely chopped Kosher salt

Fresh grind black pepper

½ cupmedium-bodied beer, such as an IPA

10 cup cubed French bread, dried overnight

1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar, divided

1tbsp fresh thyme leaves

2cup chicken broth

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2large eggs, beaten

Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and butter a 3 qt bakingdish. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, about 8 minutes. Drain on a paper towel–lined plate, then chop. Add onion and celery to the ba con fat in skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add beer and simmer, scrap ing up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add bread, 2/3 cup of ched dar cheese, thyme, and half of cooked bacon and toss to combine. Add broth, Worcestershire, and eggs and toss to combine.Scatter the top of the stuffing with remaining 1/3 cup cheddar cheese and cooked bacon and cover with foil. Bake until a knife inserted into center comes out warm, 45 minutes.Let rest 10 minutes, then garnish with parsley before serving.

I hope all of you have a great Thanks giving Season and I’m sure your taste buds will have a flavor overload, so enjoy the food and friends and family. I’ll see you again in a couple of weeks, and until then, if you care to reach out with any questions or feedback, please email me at fenwaysox10@gmail.com

Bidding is Fun at the ArtWorks Charity Silent Auction

Chocorua Creative Arts Center at ArtWorks Gallery is holding their 3rd Annual Charity Silent Auction this year to benefit Cynthia’s Challenge and Children Unlimited.

Cynthia’s Challenge is a nonprofit which raises funds to provide a wheel chair accessible van for a special needs

child to improve the mobility of the en tire family.

Children Unlimited, another nonprof it, has provided support for many under served children with challenges since 1986 and now includes support for their families as well. To this end they aim to provide a foundation for each child to

fulfill their greatest potential as part of the family and community.

The offerings for your bids will be for wonderful collections of fine art, crafts, goods and services donated by member artists from ArtWorks as well as our generous business supporters through out the community.

We are proud to partner with such venues as Cranmore Mountain Resort, King Pine at Purity Springs Resort for lift tickets, Black Cap Grille, Hobbs Tavern, Yankee Smokehouse, Batter Up, Mae Kelley’s Cottage, White Gates Farm, Club Sandwich, Farm to Table Market, Lowe’s, Home Depot and many more.

Visit ArtWorks Gallery, 132 White Mt. Hwy ( RT 16 ) in Chocorua Village to browse and bid during open hours or you may preview the items at our online auction site, https://www.32auctions. com/ArtWorksSilentAuction22,where you can bid remotely and keep abreast of the current offers to ensure you win your choices.This is a new feature for

2022 which we hope will make your participation even easier and more fun. You are all welcome to join us for the First Friday Reception on December 2 from 5-7 pm where we will treat you to apps and libations, introduce you to some of our artists and let you browse the great offerings on display. Bidding closes at 5 pm December 5.

This is the perfect way to do some unique holiday shopping while support ing local nonprofits which enhance life here in the Valley and it is our way of partnering with you and all these busi nesses to make that happen each year. Thank you for your support and see you for a sip on the 2nd…it’s always fun.

In November and December, Art Works Gallery/CCAC is open10-5 pm Thursday to Monday, and First Friday Art Nights from noon-7 pm, 603-3238041,www.chocoruaartworks.com.

Owls of the World – Who Watching You?

On Saturday, December 3 from 12:30 – 2 pm, the Friends of Moul tonborough Library will present Owl of the World. This program introduces you to the owls of New England and beyond. Mark and Marcia share the field marks, signs and naturalist’s skills that you can use to find wild owls with out disturbing them. And you get to meet six live owls up close.

Marcia and Mark Wilson founded Eyes on Owls in 1994 as an educa tional enterprise to teach people about owls and their habitats. The owls they

care for are permanently disabled and they have federal and state permits to display the owls for educational pro grams.

Space is limited and registration is required. If you had signed up for the original event in October that was post poned - you will need to re-register. Visit the Library or go online at: moultonboroughlibrary.org

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Moultonborough Public Library.

New Hampshire, New Normal

While the effects of climate change may not yet be as dramatic in New Hampshire as in some other places, its impacts are being felt by the tourism and other industries, by municipalities, in demographic changes to the state, and by the land and water and all who dwell therein.

Please join the Cook Memorial Li brary and the Chocorua Lake Conser vancy on Wednesday, November 16, at 7 PM for “New Hampshire, New Normal,” with New Hampshire State Climatologist Dr. Mary Stampone, the first program in the CML/CMC series “Climate & Community.” This

free program will provide an overview of climate change in New Hampshire looking at recent past and possible fu ture changes in temperature and pre cipitation, and offer context for inter preting changing weather patterns in a changing climate. The program will include findings from the New Hamp shire Climate Assessment 2021, pub lished in the summer of 2022 by Mary Stampone and colleagues Cameron Wake and Elizabeth Burakowski.

This program is free. Please register in advance at bit.ly/CC-111622. You will receive a Zoom link in the con firmation email. Then, on Wednesday,

November 30, we would love for you to join us for a Community Climate Conversation. What would you like to learn about climate change? What will help our community be resilient and able to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change here in our state?

About the Presenter:

Dr. Mary Stampone is an Associ ate Professor of Geography at the University of New Hampshire where she teaches undergraduate courses on weather, climate, and natural haz ards. As an applied climatologist, her research focuses on monitoring and modeling variability and change in re

gional-scale climate system processes with an emphasis on hydroclimatic hazards (i.e. drought, flooding, severe weather). Dr. Stampone also serves as the State Climatologist for New Hamp shire, providing citizens, educators, and government agencies with weather and climate information in support of environmental management and adap tation activities. She co-authored the “Northeast” chapter of the 4th National Climate Assessment, served on the NH Coastal Flood Risk Science and Tech nical Advisory Panel, and continues to serve as a member of the NH Drought Management Team.

Lawton Read Receives Golden Hammer Award

A resident of Meredith, NH, Lawton Read has received the New Hamp shire Boat Museum’s Golden Hammer award for his contributions as a vol unteer. Noting his involvement at the museum began late last year, Executive Director Martha Cummings said Read “jumped in with both feet.”

“He is in the Boat Restoration Group, and he has built these beautiful motor stands to display the museum’s out board motor collection for starters—he has wonderful carpentry skills,” she said. “He has also put in new doors and door frames for the office.”

Citing the award as recognition for volunteers who embody “a jack of all trades mentality and go above and be yond,” Cummings said volunteers are “indispensable” to the New Hampshire Boat Museum (NHBM). “Our volun teers are the heart of our operation and continued growth,” she said.

In April 2022, NHBM announced an expansion to a new location at 130 Whittier Highway in Moultonborough, NH. “We will have a year-round, cli mate-controlled building for exhibi

tions and educational programming and a better space to preserve and dis play our collection,” Cummings noted.

“Our wonderful core of volunteers are the silent heroes behind this success.”

Expressing surprise at the recogni tion, Read said NHBM captured his attention during his first visit in Sep tember of last year. “I was impressed by the boats, their careful renovations, and the stories told about them,” he said. “The displays included the sto ries of the men and women who built, owned, and skippered them. I read ev erything—I joined the museum that day.”

As for his “prior life” before NHBM, Read said he was “an Information Technology (IT) guy” and worked on everything from programming, design ing and tuning to infrastructure and management before retiring. “I ended my career managing a team of highly talented IT architects for a Fortune 500 company solving its internal business needs,” he said. “I’ve had a lifelong interest in boating, mechanics, and woodworking, so it’s a good mix for

volunteering at NHBM.”

Founded in 1992 by antique and classic boating enthusiasts, NHBM is committed to inspire people of all ages with an understanding of, and appreci ation for, the boating heritage of New Hampshire’s fresh waterways. NHBM

is sponsored in part by Goodhue Boat Company, Eastern Propane and Oil, Stark Creative, KW Lakes and Moun tains, Meredith Village Savings Bank and FL Putnam. To learn more about NHBM, visit nhbm.org.

Spider Web Gardens

Open Daily 8-4, Except Tuesdays and Holidays 252 Middle Road (Rte. 109A) • Ctr. Tuftonboro, NH • 603-569-5056 • spiderwebgardens.com

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Yesteryear

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

Sandwich village is sandwiched between the mountains of rural New Hampshire. Its name seems fitting, due to its geography. Like many small towns, it seems like another pretty vil lage with a school, library, and a few stores. Yet, Sandwich has untold sto ries of heroic people, interesting plac es, and unusual deeds.

The community has had its share of notable people, among them actor Claude Rains. He was a character ac tor famous for his role as Inspector Re nault in the 1942 film, “Casablanca.” Rains came to Sandwich with his wife when they brought their daughter to summer camp in the area.

Claude and his wife must have loved the Lakes Region and decided to pur chase a beautiful home vs. something more modest. The house they chose was located on Route 109, heading into Sandwich. Claude made some ren ovations to the large home, but he kept much of it intact. After his death in 1967, Claude and his wife were buried in a Center Harbor cemetery.

Long before the days when Claude Rains lived in Sandwich, it was first settled in 1767. While it might be as sumed the town was named for its geographical location, “sandwiched” between the mountains, Governor Benning Wentworth named it in 1763 for John Montague, the fourth Earl of Sandwich.

Settlement was rapid and by 1830 the town numbered 2,744 inhabitants. It was a busy community, with farms, stores, schools, and houses of worship, blacksmiths, and many other business es. At the time, the town was one of the

most heavily populated in the area.

Many churches started up in those early years, with Methodists, Congre gationalists, and even Quakers num bering large congregations.

In the late 1700s, the Society of Friends, or Quakers, had a popula tion in Sandwich. Soon, the Sandwich Meeting (of Quakers) was started as a branch of the Salem, Massachusetts group. At a time when Quakers were persecuted elsewhere, Sandwich seems to have been a haven, and according to Sandwich, New Hampshire, 17631990 by the Sandwich Historical Soci ety, many Quakers attended the Sand wich Meeting in the early 1800s.

Schools sprang up early in the his tory of the town, and a local teacher who is still written about to this day is Dudley Leavitt. About 1830, Leavitt was a teacher in Sandwich area and later wrote a popular almanac for New England.

As the years progressed, the town grew, and one big economic boost in the 1830s was the manufacture of shoes. Many residents of the bustling town worked as shoemakers, and by the 1870s as many as 30,000 pairs of shoes were produced yearly. In the 1860s about 13 boot and shoe manu facturers were in business in the town, employing about 80 men and 40 wom en. Clearly, the shoe industry boosted the economy and brought newcomers to the area. These businesses were of a small, individual shop variety, and when the huge shoe factories came into being after the Civil War, the industry faded in Sandwich.

In the 1890s, a group of local men and women met at the Grand Army

of the Republic Hall in Center Sand wich. Soon, they purchased the town’s Quaker meetinghouse (membership was down among the Quakers by that time). It is interesting to note the peaceful Quakers saw their original church burned in 1863 in protest to an ti-slavery and anti-war meetings that had been held in the building, accord ing to information from the Sandwich Historical Society.

The beautiful, peaceful town encour aged artists and creative people to live in Sandwich and one such person is known in the area to this day.

Albert Gallatin Hoit was born in Sandwich in the early 1800s. Hoit painted throughout Maine in the 1830s and specialized in portraits of wealthy citizens of the state. Later, Hoit trav eled to Canada, where he painted por traits of leading citizens and politicians and their families. The artist captured on canvas some Sandwich residents as well, but perhaps his most famous portraits are of poet John Greenleaf Whittier and General William Henry Harrison, elected president in 1840. The portrait of Harrison is in the Na tional Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. When Hoit died in the 1850s, he had risen from a resident of the rural New Hampshire town of Sandwich to

recognition as a nationally acclaimed portrait painter.

Fred George Quimby was a local resident. He left Sandwich when in his 20s to move to Boston. He became a successful portrait painter but must have been drawn to the landscapes of his hometown and returned to paint scenes of the area. He also painted a stage curtain for the local Mt. Israel Grange Hall.

Another famous person settled for a time in Sandwich. Ex-President Grover Cleveland summered in Sandwich in 1904 and 1905. The ex-president had a “cottage” in Tamworth, the village near Sandwich. Cleveland’s son, Fran cis, for years oversaw the Barnstorm ers, a summer theatre in Tamworth.

Antislavery became a heated topic of debate in the early to mid 1800s. An Antislavery Society was formed in New Hampshire in 1833 and one of its members, George Storrs, visited Sand wich and spoke at the local Methodist Church on the evils of slavery. Other speeches in the town followed and lo cals became enlightened on the issue. A few years after the speeches, residents General Johnson Quimby and Gener

• yesteryear

al Daniel Hoit traveled to Concord as delegates from Sandwich, at an annual meeting of the New Hampshire Antislavery Society. Soon after, the first meeting of the Sandwich Antislavery Society was held in the village.

Many local notables, such as selectmen and businessmen, attended the meeting. When a petition was sent to Congress in 1838 asking for the abolishment of slavery, Sandwich could be proud of the men and women, numbering over 400, who signed the petition. Also, at a time when women held little or no power or decision making, over 200 women from Sandwich signed the antislavery petition.

When the Civil War ensued, men of all ages enlisted from Sandwich. As with all towns, the toll in lives lost was tremendous. At the end of the war, farms, businesses, and families felt the loss when many men never returned.

What followed for Sandwich was years of readjustment. Eventually the notion of summering in the country gripped wealthy city folk with a passion. Sandwich was able to profit from the trend and many boarding houses and some larger hotels sprang up. Three Sandwich hotels of note were the Pleasant House, the Maple House, and the Sandwich House, all in business in the 1870s. The more sophisticated summer residents brought the outside world to Sandwich.

As the years moved on, Sandwich adjusted with the times. By the 1920s, resident Alfred Quimby realized his dream of a vocational school for the town when a vocational high school was established. It was called the Quimby School and aimed to train young men and women for jobs in the community. Girls were taught cooking and housekeeping in a real-life kitchen setting. Boys were taught to run a farm while training on the school’s ground by working in gardens and handling

livestock. The school was quite unique and ahead of its day by operating with a hands-on teaching experience. Students worked in gardens and fields, learned to chop trees, handle livestock and other farm animals, can vegetables and fruits, organize parades, play football and other sports, among many useful tasks.

Male students also learned to do woodworking, ironworking, plumbing, and electricity, while girls became knowledgeable in childcare, sewing, textiles, and other crafts and family courses. So industrious and well organized was the Quimby School that one of their kitchens appeared on a cover of a U.S. Department of Agriculture brochure.

At its high point, the school produced a newspaper, theatrical plays, as well as broadcasting radio plays. The school closed after years of service to the community in the early 1960s. Students were bused to high schools in Meredith or Moultonborough, and the days of vocational training in Sandwich ended.

No business has had such a lasting impact on Sandwich as the founding of the Sandwich Home Industries, which later branched out to become the statewide League of NH Craftsmen. The local shop was started by Mrs. J. Randolph Coolidge, a longtime summer resident from Boston.

Mrs. Coolidge had recognized the beautiful hooked, braided, and woven rugs and textiles produced by Sandwich women and organized an exhibit of their work in the 1920s. As the craftspeople in the area came together, it was clear to Coolidge and her husband that an organized shop to sell the wares of local women was a viable business venture. Soon the Sandwich Home Industries shop was born in the village. The shop grew over time and eventually became the League of NH Craftsmen group of shops that display and sell only the finest in New Hampshire-made crafts today.

What is Plaid Friday?

Locally owned small businesses are vital components of many thriving communities. The unique role locally owned small businesses play was never more apparent than during the pandemic, when many such establishments were forced to close, reduce their hours of operation or downsize their offerings as consumers were urged to stay home and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In the wake of those changes, communities across the country soon realized how vital local businesses are to their local economies.

Job creation and tax revenue are two ways that locally owned small businesses support local economies. These businesses also make communities unique and serve as a source of pride for residents, which underscores the importance of supporting them as the world slowly emerges from the pandemic.

Businesses big and small look to the holiday season as a great time to increase their revenue. Big business gets a significant boost from Black Friday, which occurs on the day after Thanksgiving and marks the unofficial opening of the holiday shopping season. But consumers who want to support

locally owned small businesses as they start their holiday shopping can look to Plaid Friday.

Plaid Friday was initially organized in Oakland, Calif., in 2009. Back then, Plaid Friday, which takes place on the day after Thanksgiving, was intended to serve as a more laid back alternative to Black Friday, a day that’s become as notorious for incidents threatening public safety as it has for great deals.

Plaid Friday efforts promote locally owned small businesses and encourage residents to patronize these establishments as they begin their holiday shopping.

Since 2009, Plaid Friday has caught on outside of Oakland, and many communities now embrace it. Many small business owners host Plaid Friday sales, and some even offer extra discounts to customers who wear plaid, which has come to symbolize support for small, independently owned businesses.

This year Plaid Friday occurs on November 26. Residents are urged to support small, locally owned businesses, many of which could use a boost after a challenging 2020 holiday season.

~Metro

Restoration Effort Relies Upon Pipe Organ Donors

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Sometimes there is a need for a dif ferent type of organ donor.

The closure of many once-prominent churches around the country has meant that the parts needed by the Sanbornton Congregational Church, UCC, in its efforts to restore its aging pipe organ were available with a bit of searching. Still, the task took five years to com plete.

The Sanbornton Congregational Church dates back to 1771, and has played a vital role in the community. Its Estey pipe organ was installed in 1968 and, although it had undergone a number of repairs and upgrades over the years, it was in failing health when when the church’s current organ ist, Laura Belanger, came on board in 2017.

“The existing organ was sort of op erating,” Laura said, “but when I came here, it was warm weather. When the winter came, the organ began to real ly act up —and that’s not unusual for certain organs — [but] the organ really began to demonstrate some real prob lems.”

Instead of scrapping the organ in favor of a newer electronic organ, as many churches have done when faced with the expense of a major overhaul of an old pipe organ, Laurie and Den nis Akerman, minister of music at the church, contacted local organ-builder K. Robert Bengtson to discuss how they might go about restoring the in strument themselves.

Hiring an organ company to do the

work would have cost “many hundreds of thousands of dollars,” while Bob Bengtson estimated that they could re pair it for $60,000.

The 75-member congregation ap proved their plan and raised the money in less than two weeks.

They found that a Facebook page called “Pipe Organ Garage Sale” would be helpful in locating the organ parts they needed.

“Through that we were able to locate components pretty much all over the Northeast,” Laura said.

The discovery of an Austin console for sale in New Jersey was what Den nis called “a fork in the road” for them.

“We knew now that we had some thing to work with,” he said.

Genesis

Sanbornton Congregational Church’s original Estey Opus 1281 pipe organ

had been purchased in Carlisle, Massa chusetts, in 1968. In 1976, the church replaced the console, which holds the manuals (keyboards), pedals, and stop controls, with an electro-pneumatic Estey console, and added a wind chest and several ranks (rows of pipes).

In 1985, William A. Brys, an or gan-builder from Charlestown, re placed the old chests and did a major reworking of the organ.

Other modifications to the organ continued through 2014, including re placement of the open diapason (organ stop) in 1995, and enclosing the swell division, which controls loudness, in a new swell box in 2003.

By 2017, however, it was apparent that many of the organ’s critical parts were worn out.

The discovery of the Austin console, which dated from 1975 and had light

use in a church in upstate New York, was a major find for the group. Bob estimated that building such a console today would cost more than $100,000; they were able to acquire it for $500. They saved the clock from the old con sole and placed it on the new one in a nod to the past.

Moving on, they located a person in Pennsylvania who deals in used or gan parts and could provide many of the pipes that needed to be replaced. Another source or organ parts was in Rhode Island.

One thing that many people do not re alize is that there are many more pipes in an organ than the ones in front of the facade. In order to produce the sounds of the different types of instruments, each rank of pipes has its own char acteristic sound, and those pipes take up a lot of space in the organ chamber behind that facade. If a keyboard of 61 notes controls a group of 10 ranks of pipes, its means 610 pipes are required.

The Austin console usually has 83 notes on a rank, Dennis said, and the organ at the Sanbornton Congregation al Church has 1,464 pipes.

In restoring the organ, they were able to save five ranks of pipes from the old organ, but had to replace the rest, making sure that pipes from different sources matched up.

“The challenge in any organ design — and I’m not saying that we’re ex perts at it,but with Bob’s guidance,

• Pipe Organ

Continued on page 30

and he’s experienced in the organ in dustry — is assembling essentially all these parts that weren’t meant to be together,” Dennis said. “That was the challenge for us: auditioning all these pipes and saying, ‘Do they work to gether,’ and ‘is it really right?’ It may sound good by itself, but will it work with the organ? So, we’re pretty proud of what we’ve done.”

Laura said that a big part of the ex pense in installing a pipe organ is ad justing the “voice” to achieve the cor rect tone.

Beyond The Pipes

In addition to sending wind through the pipes to create the notes, there are “swell buttons” that control a set of buffers that determine how loud the sound is. The swell pipes pivot to con trol the volume, and they are contained in a swell box.

Because of the number needed, the restoration effort included building a larger swell box.

As they rebuilt the organ, they also had to purchase a larger blower to han dle the amount of air needed to reach all those pipes. They found the one they needed in Tennessee, at a church that was converting to an electronic or gan, Laura said.

While Bob and Laura knew what they needed for the organ, it was Clif

Mills, a member of the congregation, who had the electronics skills they needed to get it all working. Modern pipe organs have complex electronics with several large cables running from the console, each containing a number of thin wires that carry the signal to the heart of the system, where the wind chest and swell box send air to the se lected pipes.

“There’s a lot of electronics and elec trical stuff involved,” Laura said, “so Clif has just jumped in.”

“This really is a labor of love,” Den nis added. “Going the electronic route, that’s the easy thing to do, but some people really love the idea of a more traditional pipe work.”

Saying that both older and newer or gans have their place, Laura said, “This to me is the epitome of a good church organ, which has to serve a lot of needs. It has to be able to accompany hymns for hymn-singing for the congregation, but it’s also worthy of doing recitals.”

To celebrate the completion of the restoration, Laura scheduled an organ recital at the church on October 23.

“Between the console and the all of the newer pipes that we have, we’re kind of keeping the legacy of other churches alive,” Laura commented. Many of the pipes came from what had been a thriving Episcopal church in Warwick, Rhode Island, before it closed. Now, “part of it stays alive.”

e Evidence Is In!

“ e Laker is great Jim! Two Tu onboro condo jobs booked last week in two week old paper!” anks, Steve Beaulieu, Arborist, Hollis, NH

“Got two estimates in Moultonborough to do on Friday for installations. Saw our ad in the Laker. I’ll let you know how it goes.” anks!

Rick Nantel, Anrik Irrigation, Milford & Laconia, NH

“I can’t believe how many coupons I got. Really happy.” ank You, Carrie Gendreau, Emma & Company, Littleton, NH

You have really been very supportive of Wil’s endeavor and we appreciate the great value! He had his best weekend so far this past weekend. A friend of mine said to me on Sunday, “Look at all the NH plates on the cars.” I would say the ads are working. anks again.

Dave Cote, Lakeview Orchards/RoMac Orchards, Acton, Maine

Recycle and reduce waste for the holidays

The holiday season is a special time of year. Individuals often spend a little more on gifts, indulge a little more on rich foods and treats and make a con certed effort to enjoy more time with their loved ones during the holidays.

The tendency to overdo things during the holiday season can create a lot of waste. In fact, Americans produce 25 percent more garbage from Thanks giving through the end of the year, according to Waste Advantage mag azine, a publication of the waste and recycling industry. That uptick equates to one million tons of extra trash per week throughout the holidays.

Extra food, plastic and paper waste is generated this time of year, but peo ple can be mindful of the potential to go overboard and take some steps to be more waste-conscious as they en tertain.

• Reuse a small portion of wrap ping paper or look for other wrapping items. Sunday comics, newsprint, col orful magazine pages, and even pieces of fabric can be used to wrap gifts in lieu of purchasing new wrapping pa per. Otherwise, collect used wrapping paper and reuse it next year, doing the same with boxes and bows. According to researchers at Stanford University, if every American family wrapped just three presents in reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.

• Skip disposable party items. It’s certainly easy to use disposable plates,

napkins and cups when hosting holi day parties, but that is very wasteful. Opt for durable, reusable products that can be packed away and used each year during holiday events.

• Buy durable and reusable items as gifts. Avoid fad gifts and focus on items that will have staying power. Homemade gifts, such as foods, knit ted scarves, artwork, and more, are generally eco-friendly.

• Set up marked trash and recycling receptacles. Remind party guests to recycle the appropriate materials by clearly marking a pail designed for collecting recyclables, such as cans, plastic beverage bottles and glass wine bottles. Most hard plastics can be re cycled.

• Remove your name from catalog lists. Call companies and ask to be taken off promotional mailing lists to reduce paper waste.

• Send a photo. Mail holiday card re cipients photos of the kids or the entire family in lieu of cards. They’re apt to save the photos and display them, help ing to keep even more paper trash out of landfills.

• Research new recipes for leftovers. With an abundance of food remaining after entertaining, turn leftovers into new meals by exploring recipes from friends or by doing a little research on line.

Waste can get out of control during the holidays, but there are ways to tame the excess. ~ Metro

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