01/06/2022 Weirs Times by The Weirs Publishing Company

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

VOLUME 31, NO. 1

Happy

& Hea l t h y

New Year!

THE WEIRS, LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE, N.H., THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2022

Happy & Healthy New Year!

Murder Mystery Dessert Theater In Franklin

Outdoor Columnist Amy Patenaude with Zachary Porter on the snow covered open ledges of Big Ball Mountain BECCA MUNROE PHOTO overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee.

Snowshoe To Mount Shaw

by Amy Patenaude Outdoor/Ski Columnist

Mount Shaw, elevation 2,990 feet, is the highest peak in the Ossipee Range and its summit and much of the south slopes of the mountains are part of the of the Castle in the Clouds Conservation Area. At over 5,000 acres, this is the largest property conserved and stewarded by the Lakes

Region Conservation Trust. Mount Shaw is a popular mountain. Mount Shaw is included on the popular hiking list “52 with a View.” The mountain is ranked #178/200 of the NH highest and with 2,330 vertical feet of prominence it is among the top half of the New England Fifty Finest. Yet the most popular and direct route to the mountain is the unmaintained

Mount Shaw Trail beginning on the north side of Route 171 just east of the intersection of Sodom Road in Tuftonboro. Older AMC White Mountain and Southern NH trail guide books include a trail description. It’s also easy to find on-line maps of this area. As always, great care should be taken to know where you’re going and, more importantly, be sure

COMPLIMENTARY

to know how to get back to where you started. At the trailhead parking area there is a sign that reads “Family Owned Since 1918 Please Treat Respectfully, No vehicles, carry in, carry out, Use at your own Risk.” The small parking area wasn’t plowed but the snow was well packed down by cars. Becca, Zachary and I See PATENAUDE on 20

“Eat Drink or Be Murdered” - A Murder Mystery Dessert Theatre Experience will take place on Friday and Saturday, February 11 & 12 at the Franklin Opera House, 316 Central St. in Franklin, NH. 7:30pm. Presented by Franklin Footlight Theatre Co. The Feud between the O’Rileys and the McFaddens continues. It’s Rose McFadden’s 80th birthday and her sister is still convinced Rose has made her fortune from stealing the family recipe for whiskey. Good oldfashioned family hysterics will have you laughing throughout the evening as these two families try to wrangle the secret recipe out of the Irish matriarch. Until someone decides it’s time to put one family member out of their misery. The audience must look for clues and cast their votes for ‘whodunit”. Tickets are $25 each, or buy a table of 6 and save 10 percent. Purchase online at https://www.franklinoperahouse.org or call (603) 934-1901. (Covid Restrictions apply.)

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Increased Costs To The Editor: Anyone knows the President’s statement that no one will pay for the increased spending unless they earn over $400,000 is a lie or he is delusional. When my husband’s business costs increased in our Television sales and service business calls, parts, supplies, and televisions as we could not absorb higher costs that the government put on our business or our suppliers. Every one of us is now seeing the increased costs at the gas pumps, grocery stores, and any other product we must buy to keep alive. Just remember the government has no money unless they take it from people and businesses. Thus when we buy a product from a business they add the cost to the product supplied to them of their help, taxes, and anything else which eventually we the consumer pays for. Please don’t let any politician let you think you get something for nothing. Harriet E. Cady Deerfield, N.H.

China Is Expanding Its Reach

to the United States and countries in Southeast Asia. China is upgrading its air Force and missile systems and is significantly expanding its Navy, which includes aircraft carriers. These offensive forces are designed to project Chinese military power in the world, and especially in Southeast Asia. China is occupying islands in the South China Sea with military installations, and is claiming sovereignty of the South China Sea, which is a major maritime route for trade. The U.S. and other countries have to keep the sea lanes open for unhindered transit of goods, and this could lead to military confrontations. A naval blockade of the Chinese occupied islands by the U.S. and Southeast Asia countries might have to be considered if China impedes maritime trade routes. Japan is a significant force in Asia and is a competitor of China. Since 1945 Japan has limited its military capabilities by adhering to a policy of developing only defensive military forces. It might be time for the U.S. to encourage Japan to somewhat expand its military forces as a counterweight to China. We should also encourage India and Australia to build up their military forces. Donald Moskowitz Londonderry, NH.

To The Editor: Communist China is a potential adversary who poses economic and military threats

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What To Do If You Live On A Private Road To The Editor: The New Hampshire Private Road Taxpayers Alliance (NHPVRTA), a state-wide nonprofit organization is supporting two bills currently filed in the NH Senate for the 2022 legislative session. SB250 enables municipalities to adopt a tax credit for qualified private community property owners. This bill would give a tax benefit to many residents who currently live on a private road. State Senator Sharon Carson with support from State Senators David Watters and Regina Birdsell and State House Representatives David Lundgren, Doug Thomas, Al Baldasaro and Tom Dolan are sponsoring this legislation. The second bill, SB246 is relative to forward looking legislation and would benefit future residents who may decide to reside on a private road. Senator Regina Birdsell with support from State Senator Sharon Carson and State House Representative Wayne MacDonald are sponsoring this legislation. If enacted into law both bills would take effect on April 1, 2023. The NHPVRTA has been working diligently this past year to get the legislation to this point. The 400 plus NHPVRTA supporters representing approximately 70 cities and towns throughout New Hampshire who have signed See MAILBOAT on 30

Our Story

This newspaper was first published in 1883 by Mathew H. Calvert as Calvert’s Weirs Times and Tourists’ Gazette and continued until Mr. Calvert’s death in 1902. The new Weirs Times was reestablished in 1992 and strives to maintain the patriotic spirit of its predecessor as well as his devotion to the interests of Lake Winnipesaukee. Our newspaper’s masthead and the map of Lake Winnipesaukee in the center spread are elements in today’s paper which are taken from Calvert’s historic publication. Locally owned for over 20 years, this publication is devoted to printing the stories

of the people and places that make New Hampshire the best place in the world to live. No, none of the daily grind news will be found in these pages, just the good stuff. Published year round on Thursdays, we distribute 30,000 copies of the Weirs Times every week to the Lakes Region/Concord/ Seacoast area and the mountains and have an estimated 66,000 people reading this newspaper. To find out how your business or service can benefit from advertising with us please call 1-888-308-8463.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

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Boys at Stevens High School giving demonstrations of their exercise routines. allow exercises to be introduced to a class of boys at the school, but, alas, “without dumb-bells.” EvenO r tually, wthough, the school committee allowed money to be made available to provide dumb-bells. Mr. Leighton had an assistant teacher, Mr. B.I.E. Small, who was one of the students. That student was, in due time, given the complete responsibility of teaching his classmates, thus saving the Claremont taxpayers the cost of

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an instructor. Four days during the week the boys met for 15 minutes of exercising. Meanwhile, according to Mr. Leighton, “The young ladies were taught Swedish calisthenics, by one of the regular high school teachers, Miss Bright, at the same time as the boys were exercising.” Mr. Leighton, in explaining why he felt that exercising was so important for students to engage in, made the statement See SMITH on 22

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gymnastics and Leighton wrote “Many times the members of the board of education are ignorant of the work h eline, in the gymnastic C and so know nothing of the value, and of its necessity in the school life of the children.” The suggestion that physical culture be taught at Stevens High was not enthusiastically received at first due to the perceived expense involved. With Edward Leighton volunteering to teach, however, the principal was convinced to

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One of the traditions of the coming of the New Year is that of making resolutions: “I resolve to do ….... in the next year.” One of the favorite themes for resolutions seems to be that of physical health. That could mean resolving to go on a particular diet, or it may be about exercising, or a combination of both. I found an interesting article in a 1900 issue of the Inter-State Journal, an old magazine that most people are probably unaware of, published in White River Junction, Vermont, but meant for citizens on both sides of the river in the states of Vermont and New Hampshire. The author of the article, Edward Everett Leighton, L.L.B. (Bachelor of Laws), introduced “Physical Culture” to the classes offered at Stevens High School in Claremont, New Hampshire. “Gym” is short for

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

A Saturday Afternoon Of “Kindie Rock” Singers Matt Heaton and Jumpin’ Jamie will collaborate to present a special Friends of Music concert on January 22 at 1:30 p.m. The Great Hall of the Wolfeboro Town Hall is the site of this high-energy “Kindie Rock” event sure to raise everyone’s spirits on a cold winter afternoon. Matt Heaton believes that music for kids can be fun for both children and their parents. His songs are a mix of Rockabilly, Surf, American Roots, and Irish traditional music, imbued with a serious sense of fun. Jumpin’ Jamie performs “Kindie Rock” for crowds of 12 to 12,000 and everything in between. He has performed for celebrities and their families, corporations, and, this past summer, Sesame Street. The Wolfeboro Friends of Music asks that ALL attendees over 11 years of age for whom vaccination is available be vaccinated against COVID. Masks should be worn properly at all times, social distancing is required, and each attendee must legibly complete and sign the CONTACT TRACING sheet. Adult tickets are $25 and are available at Avery Insurance, Black’s Paper & Gift Store, online at www.wfriendsofmusic.org or at the door. High school students with ID will be admitted free of charge and younger children accompanied by an adult ticket purchaser will be admitted free of charge. For more information, visit www.wfriendsofmusic.org or call 603-569-2151.

“Painting Animals In Oils” Class Artist Acacia Rogers will be teaching an 8 week fine art painting course! It will be held in the LRAA Gallery, 120 Laconia Road (Tanger Outlets), Suite 300, Tilton NH. Beginning Tuesday, January 18th, 11am-2pm. Dates are as follows: (1/18, 1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22, 3/1, 3/8) This thorough beginner friendly 8 week class is a perfect start for any new painter, or a great repertoire builder for the intermediate artist. Acacia will use a combination of tested and proven academic principals with her own self taught techniques gathered from over 15 years experience creating animal art to improve and refine your animal drawing and painting skills. We will cover everything from anatomy, form, and perspective, to materials and how to select them, to color mixing and values, choosing references, using layers to build dimension and much more. With ample side by side easel time, live demos, guidance, and critiques. Join me in January to take your animal painting to the next level! Students will bring their own supplies. A supply list and more info can be found at AcaciaRogers.wix.com/FineArt under the “Workshops” tab. Sign-ups begin January 1st! 8 slots only.To learn more or sign up: Email- AcaciaRogersArt@gmail.com or Visit- AcaciaRogers.wix.com/FineArt

Swan Lake Auditions Northeastern Ballet Theatre (NBT), New Hampshire’s premier ballet company and training school, will be holding open auditions for their production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and you are invited to participate! NBT welcomes dancers from all dance schools to be a part of this beautiful, full-length ballet. Auditions for NBT’s Swan Lake production will be held on Saturday, January 15 and Sunday, January 16 at the Dover studio only (located in the McConnell Center, Suite 239, entrance #8) at the following times which are the same for both dates: 2:00 - 2:30pm - 10 - 12 year olds (on pre-pointe or flat), 2:30 - 3:00pm - 12-14 year olds on pointe, 3:00 - 3:30pm - 15+ on pointe, 3:30 - 4:00pm - adults, 4:00 - 4:30pm - boys 10 - 12 years old. Please note there are no auditions in the Wolfeboro studio. There is an audition fee of $35 due at the time of auditions and an additional production fee of $45 which will be due on the first day of rehearsals, however NBT does not require that dancers purchase costumes. The performance dates are May 21 at 7pm and May 22 at 2pm at Dover High School and August 5 at 7pm and August 6 at 7pm at the Kingswood Arts Center, Wolfeboro. For more information please visit www.northeasternballet.org, email info@northeasternballet. org. or call (603) 834-8834.

“Martin And Osa Johnson: Adventure’s First Couple Want to see a century-old safari movie made in Africa by pioneering aviators whose special plane has a New Hampshire link? You can thanks to a new series of humanities programs offered in 2022 by the Aviation Museum of N.H. The series takes off on Thursday, Jan. 27 with a program on Osa and Martin Johnson, an American husband-and-wife team who became world famous in the 1920s with their aviation and motion picture work in remote regions of Africa, Asia, and the Pacific islands. “Martin and Osa Johnson: Adventure’s First Couple” will be presented on Thursday, Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, N.H. The program will include a talk about the Johnsons by Jeff Rapsis, executive director of the Aviation Museum of N.H. Also included will be a screening of ‘Simba: King of the Beasts’ (1928), a full-length documentary feature filmed by Martin and Osa Johnson in Africa. The film will be shown with live musical accompaniment. Tickets at the door are $10 for adults; $5 for kids under 12, seniors 65 and above, and active military. Aviation Museum members are free. The program is not recommended for very young children.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

F O O L NEW HAMPSHIRE A

in brendan@weirs.com

entral Baptist hurch

Live Free or Die.

*A FLATLANDER’S OBSERVATIONS ON LIFE

2022 Predictions Here are my predictions for 2022. This year they appeared to me in a bowl of oatmeal. In March a new variant of the coronaviby Brendan Smith rus will emerge Weirs Times Editor named Vermitacon by the WATNV (World Association That Names Viruses). It will be a milder version of the coronavirus with the only noticeable symptoms being a runny nose and itchy feet. A ban against going barefoot will be implemented worldwide. In April, barefoot protesters around the world will march in solidarity against the restrictions. Hospitals will see a surge in not just Vermitacon cases, but also tens of thousands of foot injuries to the protesters. Dr. Scholl’s will also roll out a new vaccine. A new pill that will relieve the effects of stress caused by listening to the possible side effects of other drugs advertised on TV will be released in June. Side effects will include dry mouth, nausea, pickle ear, loose teeth, high blood pressure and itchy feet (which will at first be incorrectly diagnosed as Vermitacon and eventually removed from the national Vermitacon case numbers). Russia will invade Ukraine after President Biden’s pleas to Vladimir Putin to “C’mon Man! Don’t do the, you know, the thing” are ignored. Some famous celebrities will die, a few others will just fade away. Yet another new social media site with a silly name will be launched where people can spend countless hours expressing their opinions on things that

do nothing except waste countless hours. It will be, unfortunately, very popular. The newest craze will be tattoos of masks on people’s faces. The CDC will decide that they prove to have as much protection as regular cloth masks and approve them for airline flights. Also in the airline industry, American Airlines will hire exwrestlers as flight attendants to take on unruly passengers for new in-flight entertainment. Three aisles of seating will be removed to make room for a small wrestling ring. Ringside seats will be at a premium and passengers will also be able to bet on the outcome. American Airlines new slogan will be “Let’s Get Ready To Travel….and Rumble.” Sixty-five years of age will now be considered the new thirty-five by someone sixty-five. The mid-term campaign season will see a record amount of money spent on television advertising as many heated battles take place around the country. The biggest story of the election will be that a record amount of money was spent on television advertising. A couple in Wisconsin will make the news when they bring in their cat for reassignment surgery to become a Labrador Retriever. The operation will not go well, but it will give hope to all cat (and dog) owners who know that their pets will now have a choice to live out their dreams. The Rolling Stones will go on tour again, this time sponsored by Metamucil. They plan to hold them during the annual Medicare enrollment period and sign up booths will be available at all concerts.

The New York Giants will change their name so as not to be offensive to people under six-feet tall. The Biden Administration will propose a bill to keep Social Security solvent for future generations by increasing the deduction by two percent and raising the Full Retirement Age to ninety-five. (Don’t worry, you will still be able to start collecting a lesser benefit at age eightyseven.) A new poll shows that eighty percent of people think that polls are inaccurate, including this one. USPS will suggest that people mail their packages by February 28th to guarantee on-time Christmas delivery (or by New Year’s Eve at the very latest). A new reality TV show called “American Idle” will premiere where viewers can text in, from the comfort of their own couches, to answer questions testing their knowledge about other reality shows they have been sitting and watching. Scientists will finally figure out how much wood a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood. Many will argue the validity of the finding on that new social media site. A cure for negativity will be discovered, but no one will believe it. Happy New Year! Brendan is the author of “The Flatlander Chronicles” and “Best Of A F.O.O.L. In New Hampshire” and his latest book “I Only Did It For The Socks and Other Tales of Aging” . All are available at BrendanTSmith. com.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

Still Standing With Steven Baca Before Kyle Rittenhouse became a household name, there was Steven Baca. You probably never knew or maybe have forgotten who Steven is. I’d like to dedicate my last column of 2021 reminding you of his plight and asking you to help me support his defense of the right to selfdefense. Steven’s case matters because the woke, George Soros-funded district atby Michelle Malkin torney leading the witch-hunt prosecution Syndicated Columnist against Steven may soon be New Mexico’s next attorney general if good people do nothing. Flashback to June 15, 2020: Across America, mayhem and mob anarchy reigned. It had been three weeks since the police-involved death of Minneapolis career criminal and drug addict George Floyd. Black Lives Matter terrorists weaponized chaos nationwide to loot, pillage and burn down businesses small and large. Antifa militants exploited every opportunity to target precious symbols of our national heritage and history, vandalize federal court buildings and churches, and menace all who stood in their way. On June 15, 2020, as I reported on social media just hours after the violent events unfolded, Steven and several other friends and neighbors gathered peacefully at Tiguex Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to protect a statue of Spanish conquistador Juan de Onate. Esther Rivera, a 14th-generation Albuquerque grandmother, showed up to guard the memorial and told me that night: “I was there to pray for peace and the preservation of these statues and preservation of historical art.” The Onate monument had long been a trigger for local agitators identified as Black Lives Matter protesters. Onate, of course, had zilch to do with St. George Floyd or any alleged victim of “institutional racism” in America. But his legacy is part of the fabric woven by the settlers, pioneers, colonizers and founders who made America America. And there’s nothing that the social justice crowd hates more than anything or anybody that represents our historic American nation. Livestream video broadcast during the melee at Tiguex Park showed protesters wielding pickaxes and other objects. They strapped chains to the Onate statue while several belligerent women verbally assaulted Rivera. Some screamed falsely that she was a cop. In See MALKIN on 28

The Year of Living Unreasonably In 2020, Americans learned that if emergency dictated, we could lock down, mask up, and blow out spending to temporarily stymie the impact of a global pandemic. We learned that if uncertainty by Ben Shapiro required massive reSyndicated Columnist sponse, we could mobilize massive response, including the creation of new vaccines within one year. And in 2021, Americans learned that it’s easier to flip the switch on toward topdown control and government dependency than to turn it back off. We have vaccines that likely reduce the chances of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 (somewhere between 0.05% and 0.1%) to below the infection fatality rates of the flu (somewhere between 0.1% and 0.2%). We have effective therapeutics, including a new therapeutic pill that will reduce post-COVID-19 diagnosis hospitalization and death by around 90%. And we have a new strain of COVID-19. Omicron reportedly infects at 140 times the initial rate of COVID-19, and about 70 times the rate of delta; it hospitalizes, according to South African data, at about 20% the rate of delta. Which means that nearly everyone will get omicron, and that very few people will die. And yet here we are, nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, with our expert class informing us that we must vaccinate and boost, no matter our age (in reality, only those who are older than 65 or immunocompromised truly require a booster); that we must continue to mask up, even if that means using cloth masks against omicron (even Leana Wen, CNN’s resident COVID-19 hawk, calls cloth masks “facial decorations”); that we must vaccinate and mask our small children and possibly shut down schools again (children are at near-zero statistical risk from COVID-19); that we

must test the asymptomatic, sending the economy into soft lockdown (attempting to prevent transmission is a fool’s errand given the transmissibility of omicron); that we must put in place vaccine passports (even though the vaccinated are getting and transmitting omicron); that we must continue to spend money at record rates in order to prop up an economy that we are destroying for no good reason. We have, in other words, lost our minds. It turns out that learned helplessness sets in extraordinarily quickly -- and that proponents of such learned helplessness become unreasonably angry when others refuse to engage in it. Thus, President Joe Biden spent most of this year deriding his political opponents as friends to the virus and attempting to mobilize sentiment against the unvaccinated. Today, the media continue to preach that red states are the COVID-19 problem despite the fact that case counts are at record highs in states ranging from New York to New Jersey to Massachusetts. Biden did announce this week that there was “no federal solution,” stating that the pandemic would be “solved at the state level.” This came after Biden tried to cram down a federal vaccine mandate, chided former President Donald Trump for his supposed failures of leadership, and went to rhetorical battle with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for refusing to engage in COVID-19 hysteria. But his administration just as quickly bought back Biden’s comments, suggesting that “we’re going to get through this by working together”; meanwhile, the sainted Dr. Anthony Fauci announced the possibility of a vaccination passport for air travel. It may take the election of 2022 to remind blue-state Democrats and the elitists in our media that unreasonable policy has consequences. Either way, we can only hope that 2022 is the year that Americans return to reality rather than continue living in a pandemic-paranoid fantasy.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

Money It’s the season for giving. I’ll give. This week I’ll donate to the Doe Fund, a charity that helps drug users and ex-cons find purpose in by John Stossel life through work. Syndicated Columnist “Work works!” they say. It sure does. Most Doe Fund workers find more joy in supporting themselves than they ever found in drugs. I’ll also donate to Student Sponsor Partners, a nonprofit that gives scholarships to at-risk kids so they

can escape bad public schools. SSP sends them to Catholic school. I’m not Catholic, but I support SSP because government-run schools are often so bad that Catholic schools do better at half the cost. Thousands of families have broken the cycle of poverty thanks to SSP. When I was young, I assumed government would lift people out of poverty. “It’s inexcusable that there are so many poor people in this rich country,” my college professors taught. “Government programs will raise skill levels, improve parenting, give a leg up to the poor.” That’s when the War on Poverty began.

At the time, many Americans were already lifting themselves out of poverty. Year by year, the number of families below the poverty line -- defined as earning less than three times what they need to feed themselves -- had decreased. Then came the people from the government with their programs. They spent almost $30 trillion on their “war.” They made some progress. For about seven years, the poverty rate dropped. But then progress mostly stopped. That’s because many people became dependent on government handouts. Learned helplessness, it’s called.

Government poverty programs created an “underclass,” generations of people who don’t work because they lose benefits if they do. This passivity was something new, and bad. That’s why it’s better when charities help people. Charity managers can make judgments about who really needs help and who needs a kick in the butt. Charities can discourage dependence. But there’s an even better way to help people: capitalism. Not that I’ll convince most people. When Elon Musk was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, See STOSSEL on 29

Covid Gloom Shadows World As the New Year brings hope and possibility for a global reset and renewal, the tragic reality remains that the Covid-19 virus by John J. Metzler with all its deadly Syndicated Columnist variants, continues to plague the planet now fully two years after the malady emerged from Wuhan, China. Thus, despite much justified optimism over wider vaccinations, the pandemic has not broken its deadly grip on societies, economies nor the collective psychology of most people. So here we stand more than a year after Operation Warp Speed produced three vaccines in record

time saving millions of lives worldwide. Yet stunningly during 2021, and despite widespread vaccinations across America, the USA actually suffered more Covid deaths than in 2020! Fatalities in the U.S. now number staggering 825,000! The global toll remains grim; Brazil recording 619,000 deaths, India 481,000, the United Kingdom 149,000 and France 124,000. Additionally more than twenty countries on four continents have seen a Covid surge recently.New York City once again has become the epicenter of the Omicron surge in the USA, though significantly Omicron is not nearly as lethal as the Delta strain. Positively, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore have weathered the crisis with relatively small numbers

of fatalities. As for the People’s Republic of China from where the virus originated, genuine data remains sparse and it would be a bad joke to accept official statistics. Nonetheless, we lurch from one crisis to another and nervously react to the latest pronouncements from alphabet soup agencies from the CDC to the WHO. Yet our once near pavlovian response to the mantra of Dr. Fauci with his many scientific rectitudes are now often viewed with little more than passing disdain. His ever-changing advice and edicts during the pandemic, have become footnotes to the sad story. Mixed messaging only compounds a confused situation. America suffers from an acute case of Pandemic Funk, a justifi-

able but overplayed fear stoked by some public health officials and government agencies and reflected by media malpractice. First people were encouraged to get two vaccines to be safe. Then, better get the booster! But has that solved virus transmission? But beyond the obvious public health requirements needed to tackle Covid, there’s a troubling political narrative that equates health security with social control. Vaccine mandates be they here in the United States or throughout Europe are based on levels of control not seen since WWII. We’re talking about the curfews, lockdowns, health vaccine passes, and the electronic data scoops which have all become part of daily life. FedSee METZLER on 30

Happy

New Year!

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

y h t l a e H &

Happy & Healthy New Year!

Healthfirst Family Care Center Designated As Recovery Friendly Workplace

NH’s Recovery Friendly Workplace (RFW) Initiative led by Governor Chris Sununu, challenges stigma and encourages workplaces to provide support for employees in recovery and all those impacted by substance use disorder (SUD). On December 15, 2021, HealthFirst Family Care Center became the most recent organization in NH to receive the Governor’s designation as a recovery friendly workplace. Kim Haney, MAT Pro-

Hearing Loss Leads to Lost Cognitive Function

Austin wants to tell you about a very important finding in medical research. Any decline in hearing results in declines in cognitive performance and brain function. Audiology Specialists provides cognitive screening that can measure some aspects of cognitive performance. This is an in-office, computerized screening. This is not an IQ test or list of questions. It is a simple, automated assessment that takes about ten minutes to complete. The results of this screening are not affected by hearing loss. The results help your audiologist determine which hearing aid is most appropriate and ensures your hearing solutions are right for you. The screening can be repeated at any time in the future to identify changes in cognitive performance. Please call for more information or to schedule an appointment at 603-528-7700.

(L-R) The HealthFirst MAT Team of Nancy Nemcovich, Kelley Watkins, Kim Haney, Kristie Curtis - Recovery Friendly Workplace Advisor, and Tricia Furbish are shown accepting the Governor’s Recovery Friendly Workplace designation. gram Manager stated, “HealthFirst places a high value on assuring a welcoming, inclusive environment and culture of health that optimizes work and life potential for all our staff and the clients we serve. In keeping with this value, we are committed to creating a healthy, safe, and stigma-free work environment through our participation in the New Hampshire Governor’s Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative. We want to encourage an environment where our

employees, their families, partners, and our communities collaborate to create positive change and eliminate barriers to recovery for those impacted by addiction.” The Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative provides no-cost benefits for participating workplaces that include trainings on how to create and support a RFW culture for all employees. Additionally, it partners with RFW advisors to help meet customized business needs related to SUDs and it connects

employees to an array of community prevention, treatment, and recovery resources. Haney continued, “To achieve a high level of employee health, wellness, safety, and productivity, HealthFirst is working to build an office culture where we support our employees and their family members who have been directly and/or indirectly impacted by substance use as we would in the case of any other serious health condition. We will foster See FAMILY on 10

Happy

y h t l a e H &

Happy & Healthy New Year! T o Y our G ood H ealth

by Dr. Keith Roach M.D. Synidcated Columnist

Less Mercury in Flu Shot Than In Can of Tuna --DEAR DR. ROACH: How much mercury is safe? -- A.C. ANSWER: The chemical element mercury exists in three forms: elemental mercury, which is the kind in thermometers; inorganic mercury, especially mercuric chloride; and organic mercury, including methyl and ethyl mercury. All of these have toxicities, but the types of toxicities are different for each, and the safe level depends on which type it is. Elemental mercury is dangerous primarily when it is inhaled, which occurs mainly in occupational settings. Accidental swallowing of the small amount of mercury in a thermometer has very low toxicity, but I still don’t recommend it. Inorganic mercury is seldom a problem, as it is almost never used these days in the U.S. and Canada. Most products containing this form of mercury have been banned. Methyl mercury is

New Year!

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

the major concern for consumers, as this is found in fish. It accumulates in the environment, and tends to be worst in larger fish, which eat the smaller fish and over their lifetime accumulate the methyl mercury, which was formerly used as a fungicide. The Environmental Protection Agency warns an average-size person not to exceed 70 mcg per day of methyl mercury: Below this dose, toxicity is unlikely. This translates to two to three servings of fish per week, but no more than one serving of highest-risk fish for methyl mercury per week. High-risk sources include most tuna, halibut and snapper. Ethyl mercury is significantly less toxic than methyl mercury, as it is removed from the body more quickly. There is no EPA recommendation for ethyl mercury levels. Ethyl mercury has been used as a preservative in vaccines, but it has been removed from all childhood and most adult vaccines. It is still used in some flu vaccines -the ones in multidose vials: Single-use vials do not need a preservative. The amount of ethyl mercury in a flu shot is less than the more dangerous methyl mercury found in a can of tuna. DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been experiencing spells of dizziness (not spinning), along with tiredness and feeling out of breath. I take tamoxifen to prevent

breast cancer. When I started, my red blood cell count was normal at 3.95, but now it is low at 3.61. Could tamoxifen be causing the dizziness? -- J.Z.

ANSWER: Tamoxifen has both estrogen-like and anti-estrogen effects, and has been shown to reduce risk of breast cancer in highrisk women. However, it has many potential side effects, including hot flashes, blood clots, endometrial disease and coronary artery disease risk. Two less-common side effects are dizziness and anemia. Dizziness can mean vertigo (often described as spinning), but also lightheadedness, which is what I think you mean. I suspect your case is due to the tamoxifen relaxing your blood vessels (called vasodilation), which leads to flushing and low blood pressure. However, about 5% of women taking tamoxifen will have anemia. (A low red blood cell count is a sign of anemia, although it is more common to follow hemoglobin level or hematocrit percentage.) The combination of vasodilation and anemia could certainly cause dizziness. If continuing the tamoxifen is important to you in preventing breast cancer, you could try increasing your salt and water intake. Discuss this with your doctor ahead of time to be sure your blood pressure can handle that.

DEAR DR. ROACH: My sister, 75, is taking only two drugs for the past three years, and they are both for high blood pressure. Now she finds that her blood pressure is 110/70 and wonders why she can’t take less of her medications as an experiment. For instance, if she cut her pills in half and still has her blood pressure under 120/80, would there be any problem with this? -- R.I. ANSWER: The optimum goal of blood pressure treatment is still not known; however, evidence is accumulating that it might be lower than the less than 140/less than 90 that is has typically been the target. At least in higher-risk people with high blood pressure, a large trial found that a goal blood pressure of less than 120/less than 90 had See HEALTH on 10

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ter discussing with her doctor, she tried reducing the dose of one of the medications. If her blood pressure remains lower than 120/80, she could continue that lower dose. However, if she feels perfectly well on her current dose, there is not a reason to reduce the dose. In either case, don’t reduce the dose without a discussion, nor cut the pill in half without checking with the doctor or pharmacist. Some pills shouldn’t be cut in half.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 82-year-old woman in good health. I recently had lab work that showed my TSH level is 6.14. I was told that I would need thyroid medicine because eventually I would feel tired and cold all the time. I do not have either of these symptoms. I’m usually warm when others say they are cold. I wake up at 6:30 and am ready for the day. Do I have an underactive thyroid? I

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don’t think so. -- R.K.

ANSWER: I don’t think you have an underactive thyroid either. The thyroid stimulating hormone level is a measure of the pituitary hormone TSH, which stimulates the thyroid gland to release thyroid hormone (thyroxine, or T4). Many people, especially older women, have a high TSH level and normal thyroxine levels. There is some controversy about whether people in your situation need to be treated. Certainly, people with symptoms that are clearly from low thyroid benefit from treatment. There is also new evidence suggesting that younger people may benefit from treatment in order to reduce risk of heart disease. This effect was observed when TSH levels were higher than yours (above 7). My personal practice is to not treat people with high TSH, normal thyroxine and no symptoms unless the TSH levels are above 10. Treating people under 65 with TSH above 7 might also make sense. Some of my colleagues will measure anti-thyroid antibodies, since people who have high levels of these antibodies are more likely to go on to develop symptomatic low thyroid levels. Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual questions, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med. cornell.edu.

FAMILY from 8

this culture by supporting healthy lifestyle choices. We will also provide resources to make it easier to access services to support recovery from substance use disorder and support those both directly and indirectly impacted by substance use. We at HealthFirst should strive to be inclusive through our words and actions.” The RFW Initiative has shown to produce positive outcomes for participating workplaces which include healthier employees, increased productivity, less absenteeism and turnover, greater employee satisfaction, increased customer loyalty, a more supportive culture, increased morale, and overall improved communication. “Participating in the Governor’s RFW Initiative just helps to solidify HealthFirst’s existing integrated model of caring for the whole person. We’ve been offering these services to our patients, but it is time we do this for our own employees as well. By accepting the Governor’s designation, we will work diligently to reduce the stigma for those in recovery, while providing them enabling services to support their recovery all while maintaining employment,” said Audrey Goudie, Director of Marketing & Communications. If you or someone you know needs support services, HealthFirst offers Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the use of

medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies for the treatment of substance use disorders. This combination of therapies is effective and can help some patients to sustain recovery. HealthFirst first initiated its medication assisted treatment program to address the ongoing opioid crisis. People from all walks of life have become dependent on opioid medications and substances. HealthFirst’s patient-centered approach values and encourages treatment of the whole patient, including mind and body, physical and emotional. They have assembled a specialized team dedicated to helping patients achieve sobriety and live a life free of substances with a goal to help patients learn to live without drugs by developing healthier coping skills during their course of treatment. To learn more about HealthFirst’s MAT program or to schedule an appointment, call 603-934-1464 or visit https://healthfirstfamily.org/contactus/ to complete our patient appointment request form.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

Letters From God Letters From God

This series of Letters From God is an attempt to put the thoughts of God as revealed in the Scriptures as they relate to individuals and the nation of the USA. QUESTION: Should White People Be Punished For Systemic Racism?

It grieves my heart to watch your country coming apart without me. Your leaders and much of the populace have turned from me and my wisdom and are relying upon their own. As a result, you are making the same mistake as those I addressed in Rome, who claimed to be wise but because they were following their own wisdom, they became fools (Romans 1:22). Racism is found in every race and every culture, white, black, yellow, brown etc. Racism is the result of proud, selfish and sinful hearts. Racism can only be eliminated by acquiring my heart, through my Son, Jesus the Messiah, and through my Holy Spirit living within you to bring transformation. For hundreds of years you have fought against the scourge of racism. Because you are now choosing to reject me, however, you are rekindling the racist heart that plagued your nation for so long. Blaming all white people for systemic racism ignores the fact that all white people have not been racist toward blacks, as evidenced by all they have done

to break this plague, including electing a black President. It also ignores the fact that those who do not practice racism should never be held accountable for the sins of past generations. I have made it clear that I will never hold the sins of the fathers against their children, unless of course they repeat those sins (Ezekiel 18:20). If they, however, fight to reverse the sin patterns of their fathers and mothers, they will never be judged by me for their parents’ sins nor will they be punished for those sins. I will “remember their sins no more.” (Isaiah 43:25). But you are not following my pattern, but that of the Devil. He is rightfully called Apollyon, the destroyer. He seeks to bring division and destruction in every way possible. By promoting this current philosophy of blaming and punishing all white people, while declaring the need to end racism, you are using a noble pursuit as a cover for evil intent. This, if it continues, will not end well. You are breeding race and class hostility that, if left unchecked, will explode into civil war. Remember the Civil War of your nation. Remember why it was fought. It was fought over the issue of slavery. There were those, mostly whites and mostly Northerners who fought passionately to end the scourge. It was whites in England, like Wil-

berforce and others, who first changed the laws and began to turn the tide. Because, however, much of the rest of the country refused to recognize the immorality of human enslavement and the need to make the “land of the free”, truly the land of the free, Civil War erupted. Its impact, mostly in the loss of human life but in so many other tragic ways, was devastating to the life of your country. For anyone who neglects the advances made over the years and now attempts to convict every white person and all of American culture as racist, they are practicing reverse racism, as ugly as the Southerners of the past. That is not to say that there isn’t much work to be done. But it is to say that if you destroy the good work that has been accomplished and create a new hostility based on exaggerated lies and misinformation, especially if they are politically or racially motivated, you are fools and will suffer grievously as a result. Would you consider my wisdom and reject reverse racism for what it is; a vile attempt to pit one against another, for reasons of gaining power, wealth or revenge. Not one of these motives are godly but all are from hell. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and when wrong motives belie what is presented as a good cause, it will be a dead

end street. For any one individual or corporation who has succumbed to pressure based on false guilt or to enjoy favored status with the revolutionaries of this racist movement, you must recognize that you have exchanged the future for present gratification. Play out this movement and the division and punishment that will follow, and you will not see profit but only loss, monetarily and physically. You must become wise before it is too late. Look closely at this movement, and you will see a self-driven, worldlywise wisdom, much of which is not only against my will but flagrantly flouts my will. No individual, movement, or country has every prospered when they reject me, my word and my will. I am God, and I am still on my throne and my will, will be done. If yours is in line with mine, it will succeed. If not, it will fail badly. Be wise and reject the wrong & live according what I have called right, before it is too late.

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by Chris Bosak Contributing Writer

It’s time for my favorite column of the year; a look back at my top 10 birding highlights from the previous year. For all its faults, 2021 was a pretty good year for birdwatching. One thing that is not on this list for the first time in nearly 20 years is the Christmas Bird Count. I look forward to the all-day event for months leading up to it, but I had to bail on my birding partner Frank this year. An as-of-yet undiagnosed foot ailment that comes and goes was acting up, so I had to sit out this year’s CBC. Bummer. But the year did include several high-

A bobcat rests in a field in New England in March 2021. CHRIS BOSAK PHOTO

lights. Here are the top 10: 10. Crossbills. A sizable flock of red crossbills entertained New England birdwatchers at a Connecticut beach in March. They flew from spruce to spruce and the birder paparazzi followed their every move. Crossbills are unique in that their upper and lower bills cross rather than meet uniformly. The adaptation helps them get at seeds in spruce cones.

9. Loons. If I see loons in any given year, it will make this list. I was camping with Katie at Woodford State Park in Vermont and I was hopeful but not optimistic that we’d see loons. Sure enough, despite the campground being fully booked, a pair of loons swam at the far end of the lake. 8. Feeder birds. My new home is not the birding paradise that

my old place in the woods was, but a fair number of birds visit. I get most of the usual suspects, but the highlight was a small number of redbreasted nuthatches that came regularly last winter. 7. Fall warblers. Birding in the fall can be tricky with the songbirds passing through in their nonbreeding plumage. Warblers can be parSee BOSAK on 24

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

Gillette Stadium And Our Football Patriots by Mike Moffett Contributing Writer

My first excursion to a New England Patriots NFL game was way back in 1979. Then teaching at Groveton High School, I made the long journey to Foxborough with the GHS soccer coach to watch the Patriots crush the Colts 50-21. The next day the Boston Globe ran a major story about drunken and lawless fan behavior accompanied by numerous arrests in and around Foxborough and Shaefer Stadium. This, of course, invited comments from our fellow GHS faculty members. “We should have known you guys would cause big trouble down there!” We pled innocent. Shaefer Stadium was a no-frills edifice built in 1971 for a mere $6 million. It later was renamed Sullivan Stadium after the team owners. When the Sullivans sold the team it became Foxborough Stadium. The last game played there was in January of 2002—the infamous snow game when Adam Vinatieri kicked a last-second 45-yard field goal in a blizzard to force an overtime. It was arguably the greatest kick in NFL history. Vina-

The sports columnist and State Representative Tim Lang by their seats on the 30-yard line at the recent Patriots-Bills game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. tieri then kicked another field goal to give Tom Brady and the Patriots a 16-13 win. They went on to win their first Super Bowl. The team moved to Gillette Stadium the next year, which cost a lot more than $6 million. Actually over $325 million. But the next 20 years saw an unprecedented run of football success at a true jewel of a stadium. It’s probably the only major stadium that’s not located near a major highway, meaning that Pats fans must plan accordingly and get to Foxborough early on game day. And so it was that

N.H. State Representative Tim Lang and I headed to Foxborough on Dec. 26 to watch the showdown between the Patriots and their AFC East rivals from Buffalo—the dreaded Bills. We got to within three miles of the stadium when we were stuck in the inevitable traffic jam. We paid $40 to park on a homeowner’s lawn and hoofed it the rest of the way to the stadium. Even at my age I still love the energy and excitement of a big game in front of 65,000 fans with millions more watching on television.

Despite the cold. And the COST. If you haven’t been to a Pats game lately, then brace yourself and get out a credit card. All the seats cost at least $135, and most cost much more than that. If the Pats end up hosting the AFC Championship game on January 30, then the cheapest ticket will cost $516. Heaven knows what the choice seats would go for. But that January 30 scenario became unlikely after the Bills beat the Patriots. Buffalo led throughout— although the Patriots made it interesting when they cut the lead to 26-21 in the fourth quarter. But Bill quarterback Josh Allen then hit tight end Dawson Knox for a late score to seal the Pats’ doom. Final Score: 33-21, Bills. Neither Allen nor Pats quarterback Mac Jones had great stats. But Allen led his team in rushing and even scored a touchdown. A mobile quarterback creates so many opportunities as opposed to a QB like, well, Tom Brady, who never moved all that well. Brady may well be the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) but imagine how much better his record and stats would have been if he could have scrambled a bit. Anyway, Tim and I had reasonably good seats near the field See MOFFETT on 25

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

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Now Here’s A Tip by JoAnn Derson Syndicated Columnist

* Generally, for every degree you lower your thermostat during heating season, you reduce your energy costs by 3%. * Just in time for soup season (and my new year’s resolutions), here’s a great fat swap: Drain and rinse 2 cups of white beans and puree with a cup of no-sodium vegetable broth. You can use this as a thickener in place of heavy cream for soups and stews. -- JoAnn * To keep snow off your windshield, use a flannel-backed tablecloth stretched to cover both windshield and wipers. Put it flannelside to the glass. Then you’ll be able to lift it (and the snow) off your windshield to drive. * Wondering what winter fruits and vegetables are in season? Here’s a sampling: apples, dates and pears, as well as citrus, like grapefruit, oranges and tangerines. For vegetables, consider endive, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, kale, leeks, mushrooms, parsnips, radicchio, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, turnips, yams and winter squash.

* “Want to keep your pants from creasing on the hanger? Grab an empty paper-towel tube and slit it down the side. When you slip it over the bottom of the hanger, it creates a wide curve for the pants to lie across, and no more crease!” -- M.U. in Colorado * Remember that as temperatures drop and layers of clothing increase, children in a car seat need special consideration. Remove heavy coats before strapping in a small child or baby. Winter wear can compress during an accident, and it interferes with the straps. * Save the peel on oranges and grapefruits. You can toss them on a fire for a nice smell. * After-Christmas sales are a great time to buy not only gift wrap (look for solid colors that you can use all year long), holiday cards and decorations, but also next season’s winter wear. Things like scarves and gloves can be great bargains. And even coats can go on sale. Take advantage -- especially if you have kids -- and buy up. -- A.K. in Tennessee * Fold and snip a coffee filter into a paper snowflake. Lay over an iced cookie or cake to sift a sugar design on top. See TIP on 19

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

OUT on the TOWN Great Food, Libations & Good Times!

TIP from 18 * Cookies are so fun to make (and to eat). To save some of your favorites for the new year, simply place dough balls on a cookie sheet and freeze. Pop into a freezer-safe bag, and you can have freshly baked cookies pretty much anytime! -- JoAnn * “When planning to visit my hometown for the holidays, I set aside a few hours to take the kids to the park or a nice playground. I message all my old friends and classmates with kids (Facebook is great for this) a few weeks ahead of time and let them know when I’ll be there. It’s great to catch up while the kids play, and even if no one shows up, we still have a fun break.” -- F.L. in California * “When there are big family jobs to be done (like getting ready for the holidays), we write all the tasks down on slips of paper and put them in a hat. We take turns choosing tasks until all the paper is divvied out. Sometimes we trade, but we all get a fair chore list.” -- V.O. in Oregon

cheese (your choice) and 1/3 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. Form into a ball, roll in coating of your choice (dried fruit pieces, chopped nuts, spices, etc.) and chill. Wrap in a pretty cellophane bag and bring with pita chips, crackers or pretzels as a hostess gift. * “Wax drippings from candles can be scraped off of most hard surfaces with the side of a credit card.” -- T.E. in Kansas

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* To prevent candle wax from sticking to a candleholder, swipe the inside with a little olive oil. It’ll do the trick! * Make a holiday cheese ball simply: Combine a package of cream cheese with a cup of finely shredded

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PATENAUDE from 1 met at 8:30 am and we weren’t the first car in the lot. We put on our snowshoes and grabbed our packs and headed up the trail. The path was tracked out and we probably didn’t need the snowshoes but they would be very nice to have soon. We planned to make a loop up over Big Ball and Black Snout on our way up and to do a little bushwhacking off-trail. The Mount Shaw Trail continues straight up along the bank of Fields Brook and we turned to the right up another road where the snow was not tracked out and the path was marked by a few green blazes with a red dot in the middle. As we made our way up the mountain the snow increased from 4 inches to well over 8 inches. The bare summit of Big Ball, sometimes called Tate Mountain,

gave us big views south over Lake Winnipesaukee and we could see Gunstock Mountain’s ski trails. It was a hazy cloudy day but bits of sunshine were shining through along the way. Between Big Ball and Black Snout we followed fresh moose tracks! After reaching Black Snout we were now on the Castle of the Clouds carriage paths that are well blazed and signed. Since we had our snowshoes and a compass we pretty much made a beeline for the top of Mt. Shaw and cut the corners of the carriage paths. Mount Shaw has a wonderful open view but the clouds were rather low so we couldn’t see the big prizes of the White Mountains. But we had nice views of the rest of the Ossipee Mountains See PATENAUDE on 21

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

Becca and Zachary making their way around an ice flow somewhere between Big Ball Mountain and Black Snout. cars. Our route was about 7 miles. It was wonderful to be out in the snow on a mild winter day. Have fun. Amy Patenaude is an avid skier/outdoor enthusiast from Henniker, N.H. Readers are welcome to send comments or suggestions to her at: amy@weirs.com.

We hiked through a magical wintery scene on the locally known Banana Trail between Big Ball Mountain and Black Snout. PATENAUDE from 20 and of the snow covered Ossipee Lake. We enjoyed our sandwiches and the view at the outlook. Soon three women joined us on the summit, they all wore micro spikes on their boots. On the way back down we followed our tracks and when we popped out onto the Black Snout carriage road we landed right in front of three people who had just come from Mount Shaw. We must have missed them while we were bushwhacking. They started all the way

from the Castle In the Clouds, taking the longer High Ridge Route. It was easy to find the Mount Shaw Trail since the route was well packed out by many hikers and snowshoers. We kept our snowshoes on for the benefit of having solid footing on the slippery packed snow. We passed by several small groups of people who were headed up the trail. Most of the people wore micro spikes instead of snowshoes.. Zachary kept his snowshoes on all the way back to the car. Becca and I took them

off at the brook crossing and kept them off. The parking area was now full with about a dozen

Moose Tracks! Always exciting to see fresh moose tracks.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

SMITH from 3 that physical culture and athletics are not the same thing. He wrote: “Athletics is a competition of brawn and endurance, and in which only a few can excel.” “Physical culture,” he continued, “is the systematic exercise of the muscles, for the perfection and strengthening of the human body.” Such exercising is for everyone with the goal of building “the human body into as near as possible the perfect one, that the Almighty intended.” The Stevens High School exercise leader warned his readers that when one’s brain is active blood rushes to the head, meaning that an over active brain can become clogged with blood, hindering, rather than helping, the actions of

Stevens High School, Claremont, NH, from an early 1900’s postcard. the brain. “This is of course especially the case,” he wrote, “of persons of sedentary habits, such as professional men, school teachers and their scholars.” Physical culture helps to distribute the blood through the body and thereby takes the surplus away from the brain. He insisted that the exercise keeps the blood flowing in a healthy manner, “increasing the capacity for brain work.” His observation at Stevens High School was that the introduction of physical culture (gym) had decreased the amount of sickness, like colds, by one-half. He warned that if young men and women didn’t have a proper balance of mental study and physical exercise they could find themselves with a “strong

mature brain,” and a “puny deformed body.” The education of children should, according to the 1900 physical culture promoter, involve other helps in exercising before the student arrives at the dumb-bell use stage. The younger children are taught to imitate the movements of objects around them, like trees. They should sway like the branches, bend like the trunk, and breathe to the sound of the wind in the tree tops. Copying other things in their movements, like flying birds, had the added benefit of helping the children to be aware of their surroundings. The boys and girls became skilled enough to merit an exhibition by some of them at the Opera House. The boys later presented an exhibition of their gymnastic skills under the leadership of Mr. Small before the Connecticut Valley Teachers Association at West Lebanon. Mr. Edward Leighton sought to convince school committees that their schools could offer physical culture classes to their students without being burdened with large expenses. Teachers could easily use books to guide them, and older boys could be sent to places where the subject was taught and return to their schools to lead the class. By the time I attended school we received informal exercise in our recess and lunch times at grade school by playing games, but not regular formal exercise classes. Nevertheless, I never had the feeling that my brain was clogged by too much blood, exSee SMITH on 23

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

Another photo of the boys at Stevens High School giving demonstrations of their exercise routines. SMITH from 22 cept, perhaps, when I tried standing on my head. However, by the time I reached high school and gym classes were required, some gymnastics and calisthenics were included, along with some athletics, but maybe not enough of the former to completely unclog my brain. It has taken me a long time to figure out what my problem was back then.

Moreover, Mr. Leighton left, back in the year 1900, “for people of advanced years,” some exercises that he said would be of “great value.” I’ll leave just one with you. “After undressing, just before retiring, lie flat on the back on the floor, arms at sides. Then slowly raise the legs to an upright position, without moving the body, and slowly resume former position,

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flat on the floor. Repeat until the muscles on the abdomen feel tired.” The purpose is to strengthen the abdominal muscles, reducing the waist measurement in the process. Bear in mind

that I take no responsibility for Mr. Leighton’s instructions or the science involved and if you do the exercise you do so at your own risk because I won’t be around to help you up from the floor. After exercising, Leighton advised taking advantage of a cold bath which, he said, was important for a body in a state of perspiration for the purposes of cleanliness and preventing taking a cold by exposure. So gym classes under the title of physical culture were begun at Stevens High School that its young men and women might have sound minds and bodies. Robert Hanaford Smith welcomes your comments at danshillsmiths@yahoo.com

BOSAK from 14

ticularly tricky. But this fall, I had a few walks whereby palm warblers and yellowrumped warblers (two that are relatively easy to recognize in the fall) were very numerous. It was like a little flashback to spring ahead of the long winter. 6. Clapper rail. Katie and I walked along a marsh in the spring and heard the unmistakable call of a clapper rail. We looked at an opening in the marsh and the unusual bird ran across the mudflat and disappeared into the tall marsh grasses. 5. No owl, but buntings. I walked the length of a Connecticut beach where a snowy owl had been being seen reliably for quite some time. I

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 — came up empty on the owl, but did enjoy the snow buntings and larks that were there. 4. Cooperative indigo bunting. Indigo buntings are a thrill to see regardless of the circumstances. One August afternoon, I came across a brilliant male indigo bunting singing from an obvious perch close to the trail. Bird photography should always be so simple. 3. Road eagle. Anyone who drives to work knows the daily commute can get rather monotonous. One morning, as I passed a swollen part of a creek where wood ducks occasionally swim, I noticed a large bird perched on a snag over the water. It was an immature bald eagle either resting or look-

Palm warblers are still moving through New England. ing for prey in or around the water. A break from the norm, for sure. 2. Continuing For the Birds. I have written my For the

Birds column for well over 20 years now. I enjoy writing it as much, if not more, than people enjoy reading it. I love hearing from long-time readers as well as new readers. A

CHRIS BOSAK PHOTO

lot has changed in the world over the past 20plus years, but New England’s passion for nature has only gotten stronger.

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1. Bobcat! Without question, this was the nature highlight of the year. I spotted the bobcat from afar in a field and walked in its direction. It kept walking and going about its day. When it stopped and sat in the field, I stopped and grabbed a few shots with the camera. Then I slowly walked backward away from the impressive animal. I can’t wait to see what 2022 brings. In many ways, it’s off to a poor start, but let’s remain positive and create some great nature highlights. Drop me a line and let me know your highlights. Chris Bosak may be reached at chrisbosak26@gmail.com or through his website www.birdsofnewengland.com

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 — MOFFETT from 15 on the 30-yard line. But I didn’t realize that the fans stand there throughout the game. Tiring! Although as I’m over 6-foot-3 watching the action wasn’t a problem for me. However Tim’s a bit shorter. At halftime we scanned the stadium and saw two empty corner seats at the top of the upper deck behind the west end zone. The two worst seats in the stadium. “You want to check them out?” “Sure.” It was a long and difficult journey but after ascending many ramps, passageways, and stairs we made it. The wind was blowing hard up there on the two worst seats at Gillette, but at least we didn’t have to stand up to see the field. And, as a “Man of the People,” Tim wanted to hang out with the nonpretentious fans in the “cheap” seats. “How much did you pay for your seat?” Tim asked a fan who was sitting next to the two worst seats at Gillette. “Only $135!” (I couldn’t help but to think back to my first game at Fenway Park, when I paid $2 to see the Red Sox beat the Indians.) Of course, being social media aficionados, Tim and I naturally shared Facebook photos and videos of our Gillette skyviews from the stadium’s worst seats. Oddly, there were consistent responses to our posts. “You guys are at the Patriots game? That’s definitely TROUBLE!” We pled innocent.

State Representative Mike Moffett was a Sports Management Professor for Plymouth State University and NHTI-Concord. He coauthored the awardwinning “FAHIM SPEAKS: A WarriorActor’s Odyssey from Afghanistan to Hollywood and Back” which is available on Amazon.com. His e-mail address is mimoffett@ comcast.net.

A view from the worst seats at Gillette Stadium. The original Moffett/Lang seats are circled in red. 1970, the year before they moved to Foxborough? (Answer follows) Born Today That is to say, sports standouts born on January 6 include football coaching legend Lou Holtz (1937) and former NFL star and current TV football commentator Howie Long (1961).

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England Patriots losing the 2008 Super Bowl to the New York Giants after going 180. Sports Quiz Answer Harvard Stadium. (The Patriots earlier played at Fenway Park and at Boston College. The first AFL game ever, in 1960, was a Friday night game at Boston University which saw the Denver Broncos beat the Patriots 13-10.)

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Super Crossword

PUZZLE CLUE: TAKING OUT THE MIDDLE

B.C.

by Parker & Hart

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

Sudoku

Magic Maze THEME THIS WEEK: THOMAS JEFFERSON

Caption Contest OUR PICK FOR BEST CAPTION

Runners Up : Average American family photo “circa 1965” - Alan Doyon, Meredith, NH. The “Glam Fam” Kardashians are always hungry for the limelight! - Jean Cram, Pittsfield, NH.

PHOTO #891

We’re gonna need a bigger bird. -Todd Hyatt, Augusta, Montana.

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When a bird in hand does Send your best brief caption to us with your name and location not match the plates in within 2 weeks of publication hand, dial “Two In The date... Caption Contest, The Bush” for take out.-Bob Weirs Times, P.O. Box 5458, Patrick, Moultonboro, NH.

Weirs, NH 03247 email to contest@weirs.com

by John Whitlock

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

MALKIN from 6 several videos of the toppling of the Onate statue, at least two of the agitators can be seen laying hands on Rivera. She told me one woman tried to steal her phone. As she was pushed to the ground, Steven Baca tried to rescue her. A swarm of women blocked Steven, and multiple videos show him trying to peel the women off of him and Rivera. He was a defender, not an aggressor. As I wrote in my syndicated column last year, assailants screamed falsely that Steven was a cop to stir up the mob as they tore down the statue. “I’m gonna f---ing kill you,” “Get his license plate,” and, “Kill him,” they threatened -- all captured on video. Steven retreated from the

crowd, separated from Rivera. He ran into the street, where several rioters beat him in the head and body with a large skateboard (a “longboard”) -- eerily similar to what happened to Kyle Rittenhouse just two months later. That is when Steven drew his weapon and fired several shots at his attackers. The man who is captured assaulting Steven with the skateboard is Scott Williams, a left-wing rabble-rouser whose social media accounts promoted antifa, BLM, Saul Alinsky and extremist efforts to “decolonize history.” A police report on Williams I obtained documented his alleged harassment and threats against Albuquerque musician Alan Ledergerber for contributing to a GoFundMe

campaign supporting free speech dissident Milo Yiannopoulos in 2017. Williams encouraged his friends to dox other donors. The APD report detailed Williams’ posts encouraging property damage and messages from Williams promising to “throw first blows” against Ledergerber and destroy his career in the arts. The Bernalillo County district attorney Raul Torrez brought no charges against Williams for assaulting Steven Baca. Instead, he charged Steven with aggravated battery and unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon. No trial date has been set, but pretrial hearings have been completed, and the case hangs heavy over Steven’s life. I remind you that Raul Torrez is one of

dozens of George Sorossubsidized subversives who put “social justice” above equal justice. A Soros front group called the “New Mexico Safety & Justice” PAC -- procriminal, pro-rioter, anti-cop, anti-Second Amendment -- dumped more than $107,000 into Torrez’s campaign in 2016. Torrez is now a leading contender to run for New Mexico attorney general in 2022. He is sitting on campaign coffers filled with $334,000 in cash. Steven, meanwhile, continues to face threats to his safety. After the Rittenhouse verdict, one agitator at a New Mexico protest told local media: “It will not be justice if Steven Baca is acquitted. ... We will not stand by if he walks free in New Mexico.” I will not stand by

and let Steven Baca be abandoned by socalled law-and-order conservatives and feckless Republicans who have ignored his plight and discouraged others from speaking out. Steven is banned from Facebook and GoFundMe, but 1,275 donors have joined me in raising $60,000 for his case. You can find the crowdfunding campaign here: https:// fundly.com/standwith-steven-baca. It’s us or the anarchotyrannists. Choose. Michelle Malkin’s email address is MichelleMalkinInvestigates@ protonmail.com. visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 — STOSSEL from 7 Sen. Elizabeth Warren complained that Musk should “pay taxes and stop freeloading off everyone else.” Freeloading? “I will pay more taxes than any American in history ($11 billion this year),” Musk responded. “Don’t spend it all at once ... oh wait you did already.” Love that answer. Musk is skeptical about charity, too. The United Nations World Food Programme asked billionaires to donate

$6.6 billion. Musk replied that if the WFB could describe “exactly how $6B will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it.” The WFB already spends more than $6 billion, and the group says “$6B will not solve world hunger” but “will prevent geopolitical instability, mass migration and save 42 million people on the brink of starvation.” Musk didn’t donate. That may be wise, given how much internation-

al food aid already gets wasted. Musk does give to charities, but he’s called a “cheapskate” for not giving more. I’m OK with Musk not giving more. It doesn’t make him a bad guy. Some billionaires do nasty things. Mark Zuckerberg censors truthful reporting. Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos sneakily lobby for regulations (like a minimum wage) that hurt their competitors. But I’d still rather they spend their money

than give it to some charities. Zuckerberg invents better ways to connect with people. Bezos makes shopping cheaper and easier. Musk makes satellite internet available to more people. Businesses do things like that because competition forces them to spend money well. If they don’t, they disappear. Government never disappears, even when it fails. Warren calls Musk a “freeloader” because he

doesn’t pay more taxes, but entrepreneurs like Musk are national treasures. Capitalists are the people who do the most good for the world. People hate them, but it’s capitalists who create the jobs, lift people out of poverty and feed the world. I’m a reporter, not an entrepreneur. I’m not likely to invent something new and useful. So today, I’ll give money to charity. It makes me happy. But the world ben-

efits more from people like Elon Musk, if they just keep inventing things. John Stossel is creator of Stossel TV and author of “Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media.” For other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 — METZLER from 7 eral mandates loom. The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) concedes, “While there were 1.8 million recorded deaths in 2020, there were 3.5 million in 2021 and we know the actual number is much higher.” This sobering worldwide tally has been rising amid the Omicron strain. Yet, WHO’s Director General Tedros stated, “I still remain optimistic that this can be the year we not only end the acute stage of the pandemic but we also chart a path to stronger health security.” Dr. Tedros added, “Right now, Delta and Omicron are twin threats that are driving up cases to record numbers, which again is leading to spikes in hospitalizations and deaths. I am highly concerned that Omicron being more transmissible, circulating at the same time as Delta

is leading to a tsunami of cases.” But beyond America’s borders the writ and power of central governments is clearly growing from France to South Korea. Australia presents a travesty of vaccine lockdown and bureaucratic overreach. In France the government has announced that wearing masks in public spaces would become mandatory for children as young as six years old. The Netherlands remains under a tough lockdown. Austria’s fourth national lockdown of the pandemic has ended but tight restrictions remain for unvaccinated people. In all cases there have been growing antilockdown protests. Germany’s Health Minister Prof. Karl Lauterbach told broadcaster ZDF, “at no point in time would there be a risk that the country’s health system would be over-

whelmed.” He added optimistically, “I do believe that we can live with the coronavirus. That we can get our normal life back completely, That’s what we are fighting for.” He’s right. Have we beaten Covid? Not yet, but Keep Calm and Carry on. John J. Metzler is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of Divided Dynamism The Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China.

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MAILBOAT from 2 onto the website at www.nhpvrta.com are probably not enough to get the attention of all the necessary legislators and ultimately the governor to pass this legislation. The NHPVRTA strongly urges affected residents to register now on the NHPVRTA website and take an active role in meeting, telephoning, emailing and/or writing to their respective State Senators, State House Representatives and the Governor’s Office, requesting their support of both of these bills. Information about the bills and contacting your Senators, Representatives and the Governor’s Office can be found by clicking on the yellow post-it note at www.nhpvrta.com. Both bills have currently been assigned for hearings before the Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee (ELMA) on a yet to be announced date and time most likely in January, 2022. Concerned residents should immediately request the en-

tire ELMA committee to support both bills via a single email located on the NHPVRTA website. Private road residents should also share all this information with like-minded individuals and encourage them to act now. SB-250 grants municipalities the authority to offer tax credits to qualified private community residents but does not include any types of rental units. This is not mandatory legislation but gives towns and cities the option of offering a tax credit based on what they reasonably estimate it would cost them to provide the same services received by public road residents. Individual private road residents would have to apply for the credit yearly. SB-246 would only pertain to new private road construction and it would be mandatory for developers to initiate a Capital Reserve Fund in the amount of 50% of what they determine to be the estimated costs to replace those roads and related infrastructure at the time of completion of the project. SB246 would provide some financial protection to private road homeowners at no cost to municipalities. John J. Goglia NH Private Road Taxpayers Alliance

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, January 6, 2022 —