02/02/2023 Weirs Times

2022 POND HOCKEY CLASSIC

Amy Patenaude heads down Gunstock Mountain Resort’s Upper Trigger Trail. The mountain view includes white capped Mount Washington and Mount Shaw just across the big Lake Winnipesaukee. Lift tickets are available on-line and RFID tags can be reloaded on-line too. Belknap County Residents are offered a special price, $45 for all ages Sunday through Friday available at the ticket office with proof of residence with valid driver license. Gunstock Nordic Center is open and has 27ks of groomed trails and they rent skis and snowshoes too. The Tubing Park is open nights weekdays and all day on the weekends.

by Amy Patenaude On The Trails & Summits

What a winter!

Just A Fun DAy At Gunstock hockey ereDith

The 14th Annual New England Pond Hockey Classic will take place on Lake Waukewan in Meredith, Friday, February 3rd through Sunday, February 5th.

Waukewan locked in with ice before Christmas and has withstood the rollercoaster of tempera-

smart to purchase lift tickets on-line for the best deal and they do limit ticket sales. If you already have a Gunstock RFID card from a previous visit you can skip the ticket counter line by reloading it on-line and just go straight to the lifts.

ple chair-lift so after we booted up at the car we took a short walk to the chairlift. We did a couple laps there, admiring the terrain park jumps and features before heading over to the lift to the sum mit, the Panorama high-

PATENAUDE on 22

tures since.

Over 275 teams compete in 500+ games across 26 rinks.

Check out the info on events and teams starting on page 15 of this issue.

For game schedules you can go to www.pondhockeyclassic.com/2023nephc-schedule-results.

WEIRS, LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE, N.H., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2023 VOLUME 32, NO. 5

How self-employed individuals can repay deferred Social Security tax

How can low-income families register for monthly Child Tax Credit payments

Focus on fraud: Romance and Remarriage in later years

Late Filer? No Problem

Statutes of Limitation for Tax Collection

Protect Your Tax Returns from Past Years

Why You Should Always File Returns for Past Years, Even if You Haven’t Filed In Years

Time Limits for Refunds and Audits

Remedies for Missing Tax Documents

Are

The Truth Is Out

To The Editor:

I always believed that saving lives was a good thing. The grey area in this belief is of course the lives of children in the womb, the pre-born. The big question: Should the government regulate one’s personal choice to end the life of their baby or not? The left chants “My body my choice”, of course a different story from these folks however when it comes to government mandated vaccines. Reminder: mandated vaccinations contradict the notion of my body, my choice. Be that as it may, the right says ok we’ll agree, to a point, and allow “choice” in the earliest stages of life. This compromise has abortion being legal in New Hampshire through 24 weeks, with exceptions in cases involving a fetal anomaly or where the life or health of the mother is at risk. Notably, NH also requires minors to obtain written consent from a parent or guardian at least 48 hours prior to them receiving the procedure. Public funding is available for abortion in cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment. So, upon inspection, NH abortion laws are not as draconian as the left would have us believe.

But why prohibit late term (greater than six months) abortion at all?

New Hampshire legislators evidently understand that current medical technology frequently sees baby’s surviving to live full productive lives at 6 months maturity or greater. The rules of logic find no alternative other than to say: if a human baby

can survive outside the womb at 6 months, then abortion after 6 months is a procedure that ends a life. PERIOD.

I heard a Democrat, an admitted Catholic, say in a political debate recently that life begins at first breath. I assume abortion at any point prior to the slap on the bum would be ok with her. She and her Democrat supporters in the room were perfectly ok with her belief: “life begins at first breath”. Very puzzling as this contradicts facts, and quite disturbing as seen where it counts; in current US House votes.

As recently as January 2023, we saw US House Democrats (all but two) voting to deny life support for fellow human beings. NH Dems Kuster and Pappas were among the radical Democrats who voted to deny life support to a baby born alive after a botched abortion. Botched meaning the doctor or abortionist did not properly deliver the Coup de grâce (death blow) to the baby and it now lies gasping for life on the birthing table. To me, by any definition we now have a life on that birthing table.

These two people who supposedly represent all citizens of New Hampshire as US Congress members as always voted with their puppet masters, not with their constituents. Rather than looking to Granite Staters they looked to their leaders for direction. Of course, we know minority House leader Nancy P’s position. Ms. Pelosi (a Catholic) commenting on the issue went on to accuse GOP Congress

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

Locally owned for 30 years, this publication is devoted to printing the stories of the people

people of pushing an extreme anti-choice agenda. Apparently in her mind saving lives is extreme.

By consistently denying life support for a living, breathing human baby; no loving attention, no life support efforts, the left has defined itself as the party of death.

Yes, whoever said; “The truth will out.” was a wise person indeed.

The truth is out and it reveals the evil living among us. So sad.

David Rivers, Thornton NH.

Debt Ceiling Lies

To The Editor:

The US hit its debt ceiling . Hysterical lies are told to get you to demand raising the debt limit so that Congressional leadership can continue its irresponsible and wasteful spending.

You’ll hear that seniors won’t get their Social Security payments, Medicare, etc. That’s a lie. You’ll hear that our nation’s credit is jeopardized. That’s a lie. Hundreds of billions of tax dollars are received every month and can be used to pay for essential spending. Some other spending should, and will have to, end.

It’s irresponsible spending that jeopardizes national security. Our $31.5 Trillion debt is growing by $1 Trillion annually. Interest costs about $1 Trillion annually…and we have to borrow that!

See MAILBOAT on 27

and places that make New Hampshire the best place in the world to live. No, none of the daily grind news will be found in these pages, just the good stuff.

Published year round on Thursdays, we distribute 24,000 copies of the Weirs Times every week to the Lakes Region/Concord/ Seacoast area and the mountains and have an estimated 60,000 people reading this newspaper.

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PO

Not So LoNg Ago ...

Exploring ThE lEgEnd & lorE of our graniTE STaTE

new hAMPton literAry institution one hunDreD yeArs AGo

by Robert Hanaford Smith, Sr. Contributing Writer

There were rumors circulating during the winter of 1922-23 that the New Hampton Literary Institution in New Hampton, NH, would be closing its doors and going out of business after the Class of 1923 graduated in June of that year.

The school had celebrated its 100th Anniversary just two years earlier in 1921.

School officials, however, responded to the rumors in the Hamptonia, a school publication, by printing in capital letters, “THESE STATEMENTS ARE ABSOLUTELY UNFOUNDED AND UNTRUE.”

Without knowing the numbers my guess is that World War I had an impact on the school’s enrollment as had the Civil War before it, though after the Civil War many former soldiers enrolled in the school, greatly expanding the number of students.

Enrollment was expected to increase in the

Fall of 1923 at N.H.L.I.

At the annual banquet of the Boston Alumni of NHLI the President of the Board of Corporators, former Governor of Massachusetts McCall, said that the school had been running for one hundred years and it would run for one hundred more years. Of course, that came true in 2021, though the school is now called New Hampton School.

In a speech delivered at the Centennial celebration of the New Hampton Literary Institution Clarence G. Swain pointed out that when the town was founded that the first settlers depended upon manual labor because “labor-saving machinery had not been thought of.” The two fundamental institu -

tions that were in the minds of those men, said Swain, were the Church and the School. District schools were organized to teach the children, but leading men in New Hampton saw the need for a “higher school” of learning, that is, a High School to further the education of its young people. That was an era when academies were springing up in towns across the state, and some, like New Hampton’s are still operating.

Concerning the school’s beginning Swain said of the state granted charter given to town leaders as “The Proprietors of New Hampton Academy,” that these proprietors “ ..were all New Hampton men and all lived in the immediate neighbor -

hood of the school.” He continued by saying, “you can clearly understand that this was

Celebrating the Centennial of the New Hampton Literary Institution in 1921 in New Hampton Village.

BIRDS For The

New England’s Wild Birds & Their Habitats

Winter bird surveys help track the population trends and movements of birds such as the Carolina wren.

by Chris Bosak Contributing Writer

I have received a few emails from folks who have seen evening grosbeaks this winter. There have not been many emails regarding pine siskins or purple finches, and not a single one about redpolls.

As had become typical, there have been plenty of emails about Carolina wrens and redbellied woodpeckers.

The birds mentioned in the first paragraph as known as irruptive species in New England. Some years we see many of them, some years we see a few and some years we don’t

see any. The birds in the second paragraph are species that are expanding their range northward and are now fairly common throughout southern and middle parts of New England.

Anecdotal evidence plays a large role in monitoring bird populations, but a more scientific approach is even better. That is why there are citizen science projects such as the Christmas Bird Count, Great Backyard Bird Count and Project FeederWatch. These massive databases help scientists track bird populations and see which bird species are thriving and which are struggling.

The Great Backyard Bird Count will be held this year from February 17-20. The GBBC is now a global event with hundreds of thousands of birders participating every year. Researchers from National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada use the checklists to learn about and protect birds. It is free, open to all and requires as much or as little time as one can spare.

While I would encourage everyone to participate in the GBBC, I would also urge New Hampshire residents to take part in the annual NH Audu-

our BiG suMMit

We heard the forecasts, and we were ready for the calls.

We don’t pass judgement or scold those new transplants for their rookie mistakes. They think they know better and dismiss us as a non-entity and then eventually come to us for help.

by Brendan Smith

Even though I consider myself a modest person, I can’t help but feel very proud of the work we have done over the last couple of decades in expanding F.A.T.S.O. from its simple beginnings in meeting monthly at a local grange here in the Lakes Region, to expanding over the years to about a dozen chapters throughout New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.

Of course, F.A.T.S.O. stands for Flatlanders Adjusting To Solitary Oblivion, a winter support group for new transplants to the northern New England States in helping them adjust to their first winters here.

The “we” I mentioned is, of course, my good friend Vinnie who is originally from Brooklyn, but tends to keep a low profile since he is a bit shy and possibly still might have a few enemies from his New York days who hold a grudge.

We never imagined F.A.T.S.O. growing to the level it has and were not really prepared for its success. Even through the tough times of some warmer winters when no one needed our help, we persevered knowing that even the mildest of winters would eventually have folks reaching out to us.

For example, a big snowstorm after a very mild December and January, followed quickly on its heels by a few inches of snow, followed by a little rain, followed by a deep freeze, will catch many new transplants off guard even more so then an eighteen-inch accumulation of light and fluffy snow would.

Soon the phones are soon ringing off the hook.

Last week was the perfect example.

We were them once and we understand. We welcome all, even that obnoxious guy from South Boston who moved up here during the Covid thing. What a know-it-all.

Coincidentally, we had brought up this exact scenario in mid-January when all of our New England Chapters met for first ever F.A.T.S.O. Summit. We originally planned to hold it in Davos, Switzerland, but all the rooms were booked, so instead we met at a Holiday Inn in Rutland, Vermont. (Which, surprisingly, has a magnificent luncheon buffet.)

Of course our meeting, like so many other important gatherings, was not without its share of controversy.

A group of protesters (I counted eight, nine if you include the kid in the stroller) held signs and shouted how we were contributing to these supposed warmer winters by driving our gas-powered cars to Rutland. Even the head of the Vermont F.A.T.S.O, group questioned whether were damaging the environment. (We reminded him that he only had to walk down the street to get to the Holiday Inn and that he was the one who suggested Davos in the first place since he heard the skiing was great. Still, he held his position. We all understood. He is from Vermont after all and those folks can be a little nutty.)

It was really great to finally get together with all my F.AT.S.O. brothers and sisters. (Am I allowed to say that? Too late now.)

There was a wide diversity of ideas that we all could put

to good use to benefit the new transplants of their respective states. (We did miss having Michael from our Portland, Maine chapter there. Sadly, his Chevy Bolt ran out of juice somewhere in Lebanon, New Hampshire and last we heard he was still looking for a charging station. But he was in my thoughts as I used his two free drink coupons on Friday.)

There were many interesting speakers at the summit talking about everything from the latest advances in roof rake technology to the age-old question of salt or sand. (This is an extremely important topic since some new transplants believe these are cooking tips and the proper knowledge can help avoid gastrointestinal issues.)

I would explain more about some of the other great programs, but I did miss more than a few of them since I spent a lot more time than I should have at the luncheon buffet. (Did I mention that it was magnificent?)

Our nights were spent in getting to know each other better and trying to understand the different states’ problems when it come to new transplants. Any political or ideological differences we might have had were put to the side in the spirit of brotherhood. Of course, being the first summit and we didn’t know each other that well, there’d be plenty to comment on amongst ourselves once we got home. (I’m sure that most of us probably thought that Billy from Berlin was pretty insufferable. I know I did.)

All in all, it was a great get together and certainly not cheap. (The luncheon buffet was more than half the cost.) But we are looking forward to next year’s summit which we should be able to afford by raising our membership fees.

Looking forward to putting what we all learned into action.

“I

Order your autographed copy today for $16.99 plus $3 shipping. (Please include any inscription you would like.) Make out checks or money orders for $19.99 to Brendan Smith and mail to: Socks Book c/o Weirs Times, PO Box 5458, Weirs, NH 03247 Or order online at BrendanTSmith.com

(Autographed copies also avail. at the Weirs Times)

Order your autographed copy today for $16.99 plus $3 shipping. (Please include any inscription you would like.) Make out checks or money orders for $19.99 to Brendan Smith and mail to: Socks Book c/o Weirs Times, PO Box 5458, Weirs, NH 03247

Or order online at BrendanTSmith.com

(Autographed copies also avail. at the Weirs Times)

Weirs Times Editor

nAtionAl DeBt reFlects A nAtion thAt hAs lost its wAy

As tensions about raising the nation’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling build, the headline that should be flashing in front of every American is that our country is not working.

Nothing is going to get fixed -- really fixed -- until we come clean about this basic, sad and distressing fact.

—GUEST EDITORIAL—

ProPerty AssessMents For DAMAGeD BuilDinGs

by Star Parker Syndicated Columnist

How can it be that our national publicly held debt is equal to our entire $25.5 trillion economy? And where were we all when this happened? As recently as 2008, debt was 39.2%, rather than 100%, of our GDP.

One of the outcries that fueled the American revolution was taxation without representation. But this is exactly what is going on today. Who is on the line for these tens of trillions of debt? You and me.

There are two ways that federal spending can be financed. Taxes or debt. Politicians don’t like taxation because they have to be honest with citizens that they are taking their money. Borrowing achieves the same end without asking.

The last thing Congress did before shutting down in the last session was pass another $1.7 trillion in spending. There were no taxes to pay for this. It gets layered onto the huge debt, which is on you and on me.

As economist Milton Friedman once said, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” We pay for everything.

Instead of paying our bills honestly through taxes, we bear the burden of debt through inflation and slow growth.

We must appreciate that the discussion about debt and spending is not about accounting. It is about principles.

Our national crisis stems from straying from the basic principles upon which a free nation under God was founded.

Dishonesty, irresponsibility and big government do not define a free nation under God.

Let’s consider the issue of so-called entitlements -- Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid.

About two-thirds of our annual spending consist of mandatory spending -- entitlements. The rest is discretionary spending and interest paid on the debt.

Whenever I write that Social Security is an entitlement, I get letters saying, “Don’t call this an entitlement! I paid for it!”

But the label “entitlement”

by

Recently, I read an article in the NH Union Leader on Dec. 14, 2022 written by reporter Mark Haywood. The title of Mark’s article is what caught my eye “Hotels seek tax breaks over Covid restrictions”, the subtitle was “Parties to suit ask state Supreme Court to decide whether the pandemic qualifies as a national disaster under state law”.

As I read the article I realized that the nine Hotels were at the NH Supreme Court stating that the Hotels should not be forced to pay local property taxes because Gov. Sununu basically shut them down during Covid-19 pandemic, which they called a Natural Disaster”.

At this point I realized they were using RSA 76:21 “Prorated Assessments for Damaged Buildings” which was Senate Bill-382 that was approved and signed into law on June 7, 2012, and became effective on April 1, 2013.

So as Paul Harvey used to say, “Let me tell you the rest of the story”. In early July of 2010 our son was about to move into his new home he had built from lumber he cut off his property, unfortunately it caught on fire, and burned to the ground, which you can imagine was devastating to him and the family. Thankfully no one was hurt, but it was a gut wrenching as well as heart breaking experience that I wouldn’t want anyone to go through.

After three weeks, I suggested to our son to meet with the Orford Selectboard and ask them for a property tax abatement

Selectmen who had the authority to make a property tax abatement said NO to our son and told him to file an abatement with the NH Board of Tax and Land Appeal, which would have taken a year and a half just to get a hearing. So he ended up paying the same amount of taxes as if his new home never was damaged. He paid nine months on a burned out cellar hole and this is why I and many others worked hard to change the law to help others in the future.

which he attempted to do. They said no and suggested he file an abatement with the NH Board of Tax and Land Appeals. I told him back then it may take up to a year and a half just to get a hearing. He did not go forward and ended up paying full property taxes on a burned out cellar hole for the next nine months.

At this point I went to work and drafted language for a Senate Bill that became SB

Tom Thomson Orford, NH.

The remains of our son’s two story, Red Oak Timber Peg home after the fire. The Orford

Photo by Tom Thomson

Have you heard?

The world is about to end!

“60 Minutes” recently featured

Paul Ehrlich, author of the bestseller, “The Population Bomb.”

PoPulAtion PAnic

Yet, “60 Minutes” takes him seriously. “Paul Ehrlich may have lived long enough to see some of his dire prophecies come true,” intoned reporter Scott Pelley. Now, “60 Minutes” says, “scientists say” the earth is in the midst of a “mass extinction”!

Doom sells.

starvation, but they ignored his many other silly predictions. One was that by the year 2000 (because of climate change), England will not exist.

poverty ever.

Of course, universities, media and politicians say capitalism is destroying the earth, so young people throw soup on famous paintings. It’s the moral thing to do, they believe, because we face an apocalypse!

by John Stossel Syndicated Columnist

“Humanity is not sustainable,” he said.

Why would “60 Minutes” interview Ehrlich?

For years, Ehrlich said, “We are very close to a famine” and, “In the next 15 years, the end will come.” He’s been wrong again and again.

Ehrlich’s book sold an amazing 3 million copies. It claimed the Earth’s rising population would lead to worldwide famine.

The opposite happened.

The world’s population more than doubled. But today there is less famine!

“60 Minutes” did mention that Ehrlich was wrong about widespread

Ehrlich won’t talk to me now, but seven years ago, when my producer asked him about his nonsense, Ehrlich said, “When you predict the future, you get things wrong.”

The media should ignore doomsayers like Ehrlich, and pay more attention to people like Marian Tupy, editor of HumanProgress.org.

In my new video, Tupy points out that “life is getting better.” The modern era has brought much longer lives and the greatest decline in

“If you sell the apocalypse,” says Tupy, “people feel like you are deep and that you care” But “if you are selling rational optimism, you sound uncaring.”

Uncaring? It’s the doomsayers who are anti-people. Ehrlich once even floated the idea of sterilizing people, and reducing population growth by having government poison our food.

PerFect storM threAtens GloBAl econoMy

in recent decades the WESP warns. Significantly, slowing economic momentum in the United States and the European Union have “adversely impacted” the rest of the global economy, especially among developing countries.

by John J. Metzler Syndicated Columnist

The lingering aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the widening war in Ukraine and the knock-on effects of food and energy shortages, alongside high inflation have battered the world economy in 2022. Reflecting these grim realities, the UN has issued its annual World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report which presents a “gloomy and uncertain economic outlook for the near term.”

Global growth is projected to fall from an estimated 3 percent in 2022 to 1.9 percent this year, making it one of the lowest growth rates

The report presents a “very sobering” verdict on the current world economy.

Addressing correspondents, Mr. Hamid Rashid, Chief of Global Economic Monitoring, expects 2023 to be a “difficult year” with sharp declines in global growth. He cites the facts the Central Banks “underestimated” inflation, the Ukraine war, and the “monetarist response in the U.S. with a spike in interest rates,” which have especially added to a sharp decrease of growth in the USA.

Viewing developed economies, the WESP warns, “The near term outlook for the economy the United States began to deteriorate quickly during the second half of 2022 amid growing concerns about runaway inflation derailing output growth.” It warns, “As the risk of a recession looms large, the economy is forecasted to grow by only 0.4 percent in 2023.” This marks a significant reduction from 1.8 percent growth in 2022.

Conversely the Report says Japan, “is expected to be among the best performing developed economies in 2023.” GDP is forecast to increase to 1.5 percent. Interestingly inflation in Japan has fallen from 2 percent in 2022 to 1.2 percent his year. China has equally faced a slow comeback from the

pandemic; growth of 8.1 percent in 2021 but slipped badly to 3 percent last year. Growth for 2023 is expected to reach 4.8 percent. Mainland China still confronts a dangerous threat from the COVID virus.

The European Union countries on the other hand weather a deteriorating economic forecast largely due to the Ukraine war. “Soaring energy prices have pushed inflation to multi-decade highs, ” the report adds. Europe’s growth in 2023 is expected to be a tepid 0.2 percent, down from 3.3 percent last year. Europe’s dangerous dependence on Russian natural gas supplies has hampered key economies like Germany, Italy and also the United Kingdom. Germany for example

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.

Letters From God Letters From God

QUESTION: How Will We Know Who The Antichrist Is?

In the last few letters, I have addressed questions about the actual Antichrist, but the focus has been on the “spirit” of the Antichrist that has been in existence since I first wrote about it in my book, the Bible.

This “spirit” is increasingly evident in your leaders and in many world leaders today. It includes characteristics of being godless or of purportedly “godly.” They have a “form of godliness but without its power.”

(2 Timothy 3:5). In other words, they speak of godly principles, but their actions and decisions are devoid of my word and my will. As I said in my book “they never stood in my counsel,” (Jeremiah 23:18-22) yet they represent themselves as my mouthpieces.

Other key characteristics include, being lawless themselves by violating the laws they promised to defend, being overt liars and deceivers and as we spoke in my last letter, making their will contrary to my will, thereby making themselves “God.” Open your eyes and you will see these traits brazenly demonstrated today.

In answer to your question however, I

want to focus this last letter on the actual person who will appear in human history, who will be “the” Antichrist. I have written much about him in both Testaments especially Daniel (Chapters 2,7,9) and Revelation (Chapter 13) but also in Paul’s 2nd letters to the Thessalonians (Chapter 2). I want to leave you with some of the vital details concerning this man. He will lead a “world” government of 10 nations based in Rome (Daniel 2,7,9; Revelations 17:9). He will come to power after an economic collapse and solve the world problems through his leadership (Revelation 6:5-6). As a result he will be hailed as a savior and worshipped as God (Revelation 13:18). He will have the aid of a false prophet (Revelation 13:11-18) and as I stated above, will be religious but only have “a form of godliness without power,” manifest deceptions, lawlessness, and of course, claim to be God. Notice that these characteristics are present in many leaders today.

What is also important to know is that, as a direct result of his leadership, he will lead the world into the final world conflict that will indeed draw the armies of the world into a great battle, that will be fought in the historic valley of what is known as Armageddon (Revelation 16:1216). This is the site of many great battles of the past because of its strategic location and

because of the hostilities that have, over the centuries, been directed at my chosen people, Israel.

Before you dismiss all I have said, have you noticed how Israel today is surrounded by a sea of adversaries and anti-Semitism continues to be an issue in most of the countries of the world, especially the most powerful ones.

I want to remind you of the Antichrist’s final acts that will end human history. Yes, it will end but not through climate change. Read my revelation in the book of Revelation. The earth will be in existence when the Antichrist begins and ends his reign at the end of human history.

If you doubt me, remember that I am God, the first and the last, who is, was and will forever be in existence (Revelation 1:8). I can see and have recorded, that human history will end with the return of my Son, Jesus, just as I predicted his first coming, to be your Savior. Over 300 prophecies, were all fulfilled, including many He could have never manipulated, like the time of His birth (Daniel 9), the place of His birth, Bethlehem, (Micah 5:2) the method of His death, (Psalm 22), and most importantly, His resurrection from the grave (1 Cor 15:38). The odds of anyone fulfilling only 8 of these prophecies, has been calculated as the equivalent of being blindfolded and

then with one chance, choose a marked coin from coins covering the geographic area of Texas, 2 feet thick (Science Speaks, Peter Stoner).

I told you he would come the first time and he did. I have told you that he will come again, not as a suffering lamb to pay for your sins but as the triumphal King of Kings to bring justice to the world. He will come in the midst of the last battle and stop it before it destroys the whole earth.

He will end the Antichrist’s reign of terror and the Devil who inspired him, and then my judgment will begin (Revelation 19:1121).

Only those who have returned to me, by asking my Son to be their Savior, will enjoy the eternal pleasures on a new heaven and earth without sin or death (Revelation 21).

So, there it is. Test all I have said and watch as you move ever closer to the appearance of the Antichrist. But know that I love you so much I made a way for you to be delivered.

The only question is, will you accept it?

God

These letters are written by a New Hampshire pastor.

y

Your

Know You Care!

Five eAsy Diys to DisPlAy your love

(Family Features)

Handmade Valentine’s Day decor is a crafty way to put your love on display. Add a little TLC to your home or share your affection with loved ones by dedicating some time to simple DIY projects that come straight from the heart.

1. Creative cutouts. Places and moments hold special

places in the heart, so memorialize them with decorative wall hangings. Use a treasured photo or map of destinations you hold dear as the base layer. Next, choose a design, such as a heart or a romantic word like “love.” Print your design then trace it on a piece of foam core or matting. Cut out the design to create an opening and layer it over the photo or map. To finish the project, either affix the top layer to the bottom and display as-is or place it in a pretty frame.

2. Sucker for succulents. Hardy and easy to care for, succulents are a stylish way to add some plant life to your home. Add a romantic twist by gathering a selection of small succulents in a variety of colors and textures then clustering them in a heart-shaped basket or planter. Succulents also make great gifts; just create a small planter and attach a card that conveys your heartfelt thoughts.

3. Love is in the cards. Almost everyone has a deck or two of old playing cards laying around, or they’re an inexpen -

sive investment. Using the red-hued cards from the heart suite, punch holes in the top of each card. String heart-themed ribbon through the holes to make a whimsical banner you can hang on a wall or across a doorway.

4. Say it in string. Expressing yourself with string art is an easy project suitable for all ages. Start with a firm backing, such as a scrap of lightweight wood. Add a base coat of paint to make your design pop then sketch your design. Examples like a flower, heart, word or some combination See DIY on 11

of those are all good choices for a Valentine’s Day project. Add thin nails in 1/2-inch intervals along the border of your design. Select your string and tie an end to the nail of your choice. There’s no right or wrong way from there; just loop from one nail to another until your design is obvious. Tie off your string, trim any excess end pieces and you’re done.

5. Collage of comrades. Paying tribute to those you hold near and dear is easy with a stylized cork board. Select snapshots of loved ones and attach them to a basic cork-

board using push pins in classic Valentine’s colors like red, white and pink. Then add accents with tape, stickers, gemstones and other embellishments.

Explore more DIY ideas to enhance your home at eLivingtoday. com

Let Your Sweetheart Know You Care!

by Mike Moffett Contributing Writer

As a citizen-legislator, I know very well how hard it is to pass a law. It shouldn’t be easy but gosh, I sometimes wonder why it’s often so difficult. Still, it’s very rewarding to finally get a bill over the “goal line” and into statute.

Likewise for rules. Rules are everywhere. Every organization has them, as do most families. My dad had a few rules, for instance. But he could change them as he wished—without a hearing, vote, study committee, amendment, or quorum.

Most organizations have rules which can usually be changed by processes somewhat more involved than those governing my dad’s rulemaking—including the National Football League.

Which brings us to football icon John Madden. While the late Hall-of-Fame coach is well known for the video gridiron game that bears his name, he also co-authored (with Dave Anderson) a best-selling book entitled One Knee Equals Two Feet (and Everything Else You Need To Know About Football).

The title referred to what constituted an NFL player being inbounds after making a catch. If one knee hit inbounds after a reception, then it was

GILFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT

one knee equAls two Feet— AnD FootBAll rule chAnGes

a catch. But each of a receiver’s two feet had to stay inbounds for a reception to be a catch. In college football only a single foot needs to be inbounds for a good catch. That’s a much better rule.

The NFL requirement results in countless video reviews to determine whether or not both feet are inbounds. It takes up time almost every game. It’s exhausting and unnecessary. Just adopt the college rule.

But nooooooo! (As John Belushi might say.) The NFL continues to stick with the One Knee Equals Two Feet rule. Adopting the col-

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playoffs. Millions of fans watching replays on TV saw that Ja’Marr Chase clearly made an endzone catch for a TD that was overturned. Even worse, think back to the Patriots’ epic loss to the Raiders in Las Vegas on December 18. (I know some of you have blotted it out of your memory. Sorry.) With the Pats leading the Raiders 24-17 with 32 seconds left, Las Vegas QB Derek Carr hit Keelan Cole in the back of the endzone for a TD. But upon further review, it was clear that Cole got neither a knee nor two feet inbounds after receiving the ball. While that was obvious to the millions watching on TV, the replay geniuses still ruled it a TD and the game was tied.

lege rule would result in more completions, less video reviews, and more scoring. But the NFL’s Grand Poobahs won’t “change the rule!”

(I don’t exactly know who these Grand Poobahs are, but they remind me of the ne’erdo-wells who sabotage the bills that I try to move through the New Hampshire House of Representatives!)

Anyway, as if things weren’t already bad enough, NFL officials sometimes STILL get it wrong after exhaustive video reviews—as when the Cincinnati Bengals were screwed out of a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in the

This, of course, set the stage for the zaniest ending in NFL history, when, with the clock already having run out, Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers tried to throw the football back to QB Mac Jones. It was picked off by Chandler Jones who ran it 40 yards into the endzone for a 30-24 Vegas victory.

Anyway. Non-ne’erdo-well readers surely get my point. Enough with the One Knee Equals Two Feet NFL nonsense. Adopt the college one foot standard.

This change has been proposed year after year after year after year to the Grand

2022 NE PO 2023 NE POND HOCKEY CL ND HOCKEY CLASSIC ASSIC

Schedule of Events for the 2023 NEPHC Thurs. Feb 2nd -

THURSDAY, FEB. 2ND

5:00 - 10:00 pm Coors Light Welcome Party & Player Check In Location: Winnipesaukee Ballroom, Church Landing, 281 Daniel Webster Hwy, Meredith, NH 03253

FRIDAY, FEB. 3RD

7:00 am Event Shuttles Begin from Event Parking Lots

7:00 am Tournament Village Opens

8:00 am-4:35 pm Tournament Games

9:00 am Coors Light Tournament Village

10:00 am Stage Opens with DJ and Tournament MC Adam Furious

5:00 pm Coors Light Tournament Village Close

5:00 pm Last Event Shuttle Departs Tournament Village to Event Parking Lots

SATURDAY, FEB. 4TH

5:00 pm Last Event Shuttle Departs Tournament Village to Event Parking Lots

8:00 pm Playoff Brackets/Schedules Announced (Online)

SUNDAY, FEB. 5TH

8:00 am Parking Lot Opens at Middleton/LaValley’s Building Supply - NO EVENT SHUTTLES TODAY

8:00 am Coors Light Tournament Village Opens

9:00 am-2:00 pm Playoff Games

1:15 pm Championship Games

2:00 pm Coors Light Tournament Village Closes

The above schedule of events is subject to change, any changes will be posted at... pondhockeyclassic.com/nephcscheduleofevents

2023 NEPHC Teams by Division For Complete Game Schedules Go To

OPEN

RIPPERS - Rockland, MA

Shamrocks - Groton, MA

Axial Financial - Burlington, MA

IFPT Hockey Club - Londonderry, NH

Ingalls Pictures - Grand Rapids, MI

Junior Convalescents - Winchester, MA

Leftover Leopards - USA

Rover Kings - Bridgewater, MA

Grassy Pond - Westford, MA

Young Guns - Boston, MA

Bunch of Nobody’s - Revere, MA

DOGS III - Newburyport, MA

D.C. Armed Forces Team #1 - Washington, D.C.

D.C. Armed Forces Team #2 - Washington, D.C.

30+ OPEN

Dirty Dekes - Boston, MA

Hoptown Bulldogs - Hopkington, MA

The Dump Trucks - Woburn, MA

ICE HOLES - Wakefield, MA

THEM - Hollis, NH

Winnipesaukee Whalers - Meredith, NH

Modest Roots Brewing - Tyngsborough, MA

Polish Embassy - Krakow, POL

Puck Bearers - Norwood, MA

Plimoth Hams - Plymouth, MA

Labatt Blue Balls - Boston, MA

Paddy’s - Lexington, MA

Cabaret - Wakefield, MA

Bud Knights - Massachusetts

Outlaw Josie Whalers - Medford, MA

Broots Magoots - Amherst, NH

Southern Nh Red Line - Hollis NH

40+ OPEN

Crompton Bombers - Moultonborough, NH

Shrinkage - Framingham, MA

Top Notch - Methane, MA

Stan Jonathans - Bedford, MA

Hopothecary Ales - North Reading, MA

RKM Shamrocks - Foxboro, MA

Iceholes - Milton, MA

Eastern - Wolfeboro, NH

The Boot - Providence, RI

Bills Auto - Woburn, MA

Richman Club “RC” - Scituate, MA

Wrap Solutions - Reading, MA

50+ OPEN

Milton Maple Leafs - Milton, MA

Bumbles - Laconia, NH

Benson Lumberjacks - Londonderry, NH

The Stride - Melrose, MA

Essex 73’s - Nashua, NH

Markham Metals Puck Steelers - Winchester, MA

Night Owls - Billerica, MA

Doggie Style - Gilford, NH

Shooting Blanks - Rehoboth, MA

Cheevers Pack - Winchester, MA

Andover Convalescents I - Andover, MA

The Boot 2 - Pawtucket, RI

DarkStar - Byfield, MA

60+ OPEN

Bud Heavies - Andover, MA

Richard Cranium Hockey Club - Londonderry NH

WHDH Shamrock Legends - Randolph, MA

Nagog Construction - Acton, MA

Lake Rats - Billerica, MA

SHINNY 21+

Triboro - Marlborough, MA

Sunnyvale’s Finest - Newburyport, MA

Slush Pups - Hudson, MA

To beer determined - Boston, MA

Dutchmen - Boston, MA

THE SQUAD - Seacoast, NH

Sweater Kittens Hockey Club - Pinehurst, MA

Wasted Talent - Gilmanton, NH

Hands Like Feet - Newburyport, MA

Barn Muckers - Boston, MA

Gunrack - Boston, MA

Loons - Holderness, NH

Original Stix - Mystery, AK

TJ Yoshi - Byfield, MA

Community Sauce - Portsmouth, NH

Central House Kings - Westborough, MA

Mass Cape Bulldogs - Boston, MA

Glory Hounds - Moultonborough, NH

Shanks - Boston, MA

Dangle, Snipe, Seltzer - Reading, MA

Tea with Ms. McGil - Boston, MA

Sparx Hockey - Acton, MA

Hit The Net Sports 2 - Acton, MA

MooseKnuckles - Lowell, MA

Hardo City - Malden, MA

Predators - Franklin, MA

Simple Dishes - Washington, DC

Last Call - Red Bank, NJ

Thirsty Turtles I - Boston, MA

Thirsty Turtles II - Boston, MA

Green Beavers - Boston, MA

Easton Fection - Boston, MA

The Locals - Center Harbor, NH

Sundercutters - Boston, MA

DangleBerries - Boston MA

Slump Busters - Pawtucket, RI

One Eyed Willy - Boston, MA

THE SQUAD TOO - Seacoast, NH

Boston Harbor Rats 11 - Westwood, MA

Kelley’s - Haverhill, MA

The Healthy Scratches - Londonderry, NH

Fish Cove Eskimo Brothers - Windham, NH

Shamrock Entertainment - Boston, MA

Average Joes - Somerset, MA

Plimoth Pilgrims - Plymouth, MA

Odo’s Amber - Westborough, MA

Zipper Rattlers - Westborough, MA

Of Moose and Men - Beverly, MA

The Pig Pen - Boston, MA

Aulet Sisters - Belmont, MA

Sea Weasels - Portland, ME

Hit the Net sports 3 - Acton, MA

Log Splitters - Salem, NH

Saukee Shots - Exeter, NH

The Freezers - Wakefield, MA

Mounted Reinbeers 2 - Seacoast, NH

Streaker Sports - New York City, NY

Soup Dawgs - Washington, DC

SHINNY 35+

Grittys Grinders - Wyomissing, PA

Frosty Mugs - Abington, MA

Tri-State Sprinkler - Londonderry, NH

Hit The Net Sports - Littleton, MA

Fighting Majors - New York, NY

Done By Saturday - Bridgewater, MA

Hatetoquitit Ducks - Rye, NY

Shed Kids - Wolfeboro, NH

Reggie Dunlop - Framingham state

Massholes - Fitchburg, MA

United Cultivation - Ashby, MA

HIBLITS - Bedford, NH

MUNNY Shot - East Lansing, MI

Bash Brothers - Massena, NY

Dirty Lew - Lewiston, ME

Sons of John Wensink - Norwell, MA

Emerald Bandits - Boston, MA

The Mighty Cucks - North Reading, MA

Prestige Worldwide - New England

Toxic - Melrose, MA

Turkeys - Hudson, MA

Blades of Grey - Massachusetts

Angry Yeti - Washington, DC

Green Bees - Manchester, NH

Boston Harbor Rats - Westwood, MA

NH Silver Bullets - New Hampshire

Coors Lightning - Lexington, MA

Puck Monkeys - Somersworth, NH

Krackin’ - Boston, MA

Hatrick Swayze - Woburn, MA

East Coast Bulldogs - Quincy, MA

STATE - Tewksbury, MA

Baker Bruisers - North Reading, MA

Ogies - Lexington, MA

Rath Young & Pignatelli - Concord, NH

Yesterday’s Heros - Bridgewater, NH

Green Mountain Boys - Groton, VT

Buncha Somebody’s - Exeter, NH

MUGS - Gloucester, MA

Dress to Impress - Boston, MA

Van Buren Boys - Clemson, SC

2022 NE PO 2023 NE POND HOCKEY CL ND HOCKEY CLASSIC ASSIC

Ice Sages - Meredith, NH

Andover Convalescents II - Andover, MA

NOG - Milton, MA

Direct Kitchen - Beverly, MA

Paugus Bay - Laconia, NH

Dennis Courtney Hockey Club - Cambridge, MA

Puck-It - Farmingdale, NH

Lakeview Tavern - Burlington, MA

The Boot 3 - Providence, RI

Rusty Blades - Newburyport, MA

Vineyard - Oak Bluffs, MA

The Flying Eggplants - CT, MA, NY, ME, IL

DUSTER

Fireball Hockey- Black - Raleigh, NC

Fireball Hockey - Cary, NC

Irish Car Bombs - Manchester, NH

What About Bob? - Braintree, MA

Methuen Goons - Methuen, MA

Puck Ewe Too - Brighton, MA

Cup Crackers - Beverly, MA

Nitro Patch - Moultonboro, NH

Yo Soy Twig - Boston, MA

Rain City Bitch Pigeons - Hartford, CT

BSV Red - Walpole MA

BSV Gold - Walpole, MA

French Revolution - Worcester, MA

SHINNY 50+

Mammoths - Wrentham, MA

Off The Bench Hockey Club - W. Concord, MA

Suzanne Hanrahans - Windham, NH

Icemen - N. Reading, MA

Moose Island Marauders - Alton, NH

Boston Whalers - Dracut, MA

South Shore Bogmen - Hanson, MA

Planet Fitness - No Critics - Rye, NH

Johnny Cash - East Providence, RI

Those Guys - Hooksett, NH

WOMEN’S OPEN

The Boston Beauties - Boston, MA

The Boston Cuties - Boston, MA

Happy Cows - Windham, NH

Quincy Fightin’ Squirrels - Quincy, MA

Wrinkly Panthers - Plymouth, NH

Team Ztending - Bristol, PA

B Line Benders - Milton, MA

Eastern - Wolfeboro, NH

WOMEN’S DUSTER

The Edge - Hingham , MA

Bitchin’ Babes - Center Harbor, NH

4Play - Hingham, MA

Bad Booze Bears - Hingham, MA

Red Hot Chili Puckers - Boston, MA

Blind Betty’s - Hingham, MA

Goal Diggers - Rehoboth, MA

Saucy Dames - Boston, MA

TWIG

Mutha Puckers Hockey - Winchester, MA

Ivy Lane Gang - Sutton, MA

Tuukka Dump - Boston, MA

The 68’s - South Burlington, VT

Southie Sharks - South Boston, MA

Frozen Piggies - South Boston, MA

Jersey City Police Enforcers - Jersey City, NJ

Mounted Reinbeers - Manchester, NH

Fat Pucks - Boston, MA

Beacon Bears - Reading, MA

Wheeler Boys - New Ipswich, MA

The Maggots - Arlington, MA

No Regretzkies - USA

The Mighty Drunks - Dorchester, MA

Just The Tip - Everywhere, USA

Original Badgers - Andover, MA

Bob House Benders - Washington, DC

Blackstone Valley Brewins - Hopedale, MA

Fatback’s - Rutland, VT

No Clowns Allowed - Mason, NH

Not the Starters - Los Angeles, California

Puck Nuts - Meredith, NH

Lint Heads Hockey Club - Manchester, NH

Reggie Gremlins - Boston, MA

The Bad Guys - Winthrop, MA

Mug Shots - Andover, MA

The Drunk Uncles - Manchester, NH

Live Free & Dangle - Londonderry NH

Iron Hearts - Londonderry, NH

Puck Ewe - Boston, MA

Pond Hockey Hooligans - Boston, MA

Punch List - Boston, MA

ECH Bulldogs - Quincy, MA

Beers - Lovell, ME

Casella Waste Systems - Kittery, ME

The 5th Line - Billerica, MA

O’Brien Car Care/TC’s Training - Dorchester, MA

Sully’s Angels - Nashua, NH

Bearded Clams - Braintree, MA

STAGS - Portsmouth NH

Beer Thrashers - Auburn, MA

Beaver Beaters - Cherry Hill NJ

Dump n’ Chase - Wakefield, MA

Granite State Wild - Salem, NH

Monday Night Jacks - Washington, DC

Spare Parts - Hudson, NH

The Barn Burners - Methuen, MA

Looneybin Knuckleheads - Laconia, NH

New Hampshire Brew’ns - Moultonborough, NH

Quick Pinch - Hudson, NH

Manning Building Company - Narragansett, RI

Sea Bass - North Andover, MA

Rusty Nuts - Chelmsford, MA

Ztending Hockey Club - Bristol, PA

Remax Hackers - Meredith, NH

Pucking Embarrassing - Berlin, NH

La Carreta - Londonderry, NH

Ricotta Warriors - New York City, NY

Mustache Rides - Burlington, MA

Blue Waffles - Ya mums

Chancellors of Dangleslavia - Center Harbor, NH

Deed’s Pizza - Rochester, NH

Koopa Troopas - Rochester, NY

Casella Waste Systems 2 - Belmont, NH

The Simple Feast

celeBrAtinG FeBruAry

WEIRS TIMES’ BEER FINDER

by Eric N Gibson Contributing Writer

The Simple Feast Simple The Simple

February, for many of us, marks the midway point of winter in our minds’ calendar. November and December with all of their holidays go pretty fast, then January rings in the new year with a week of celebration followed by a blizzard of yuletide recovery. And before we know it, February second is close at hand. With days gaining in length, we realize that half the winter has nearly vanished. So, long about the First we begin to turn our attention toward Pennsylvania and wait upon the next day’s dawn with eager anticipation for a furry little harbinger, to see, if indeed, there may be, six more weeks of winter.

Who began this tradition, that of old men congregating together dressed in their Dickensesque finery, heavy winter overcoats and beaver skin top hats, to await the arrival of one Marmota Monax; better known to all as “Punxsutawney Phil”? And, said creature, upon not so much seeing their own shadow but rather a crowd of onlookers replete with flashbulbs and micro-

phones besieging their threshold, is expected to not only prognosticate but procrastinate to pontificate upon the forthcoming meteorological events of two score days plus two. Well, is it any wonder, what with all this pageantry, this fanfare, this decadent brouhaha, that this bashful “Prophet of Omen” seldom lingers at his stoop but rather turns tail to hibernate for six more weeks?

Ask yourself, what would you do if one day you too were to go and retrieve the morning paper dressed only in your forenoon ensemble: underwear, bathrobe, and pink fuzzy slippers? Gnawing on your toothbrush, aimlessly groping for the door knob, elements

of slumber still stuck to the corners of your nearly closed eyes, in your twilight stupor you manage to open the door. And there before you, are the media, like vagabonds camped upon your doorstep. You begin to melt in the blinding artificial light, vaguely aware of cameras clicking as a barrage of questions are fired in rapid succession, wavering microphones thrust mere inches from your nose. Why, it’s as though these invaders of privacy were answering a casting call for the next “Wizards in Wonderland” movie.

Accompanied alongside these nomadic news hounds are scads of strangers. With vacant stares fixed upon you, they have been

awaiting your emergence. Untold numbers more observe from the comfort of their own homes. Everyone pensive with breathless anticipation, expect to see not only if you will see your shadow, but your response to the umbra. Will you turn tail and hide? Or will you joyfully greet this intrusion into your AM routine, imparting some sage-like wisdom regarding the climatic events of the weeks ahead? I dare say that with the eyes of the nation, not to mention the world, upon me, I too would slam the door shut and not come out for another six weeks! How silly we are! How desperate we have become! While people are being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to give study to some of the most advanced technological equipment at their fingertips we still find it a challenge to predict with 100% certainty the weather for the morrow. And here we think that moth eaten vermin, a rodent whose carcass nary suitable for the stew pot, is of greater intellect and intuition?

I say Phooey! It is only by reflexive instinct, fight or flight, that this poor urchin is able to predict that which we already ostensibly comprehend: winter is but half over, calendar not withstand.

So, why all this silly nonsense about groundhogs in February? Well, rest assured good and faithful readers, this is not an arti-

See FEAST on 25

ACKERLY’S

Grill & Galley

83 Main Street, Alton 603.875.3383 Akerlysgrillandgalleyrestaurant.com

Woodstock - Dbl Pig’s Ear

Stoneface - IPA

Baxter - Coastal Haze

Tuckerman - Pale Ale

Sierra Nevada - Celebration

COPPER KETTLE

TAVERN

At Hart’s Turkey Farm

Restaurant 233 D.W. Hwy, Meredith 603.279.6212 hartsturkeyfarm.com

Henniker - Working Man’s Porter

Concord Craft - Safe Space

Stoneface - IPA

Moat Mtn - Blueberry 603 - Winni Amber Ale

...+6 More On Tap

D.A. LONG TAVERN

At Funspot

579 Endicott St N., Weirs 603.366.4377 funspotnh.com

Schilling - Old Mission

Founders - Sweet Repute

Prairie - Pineapple Whip Treat

Mast Landing - Chasing

Satellites

Southern Tier - French Toast

Tuckerman - 50¢ Day ...+6 More On Tap

FOSTER’S TAVERN

403 Main Street

Alton Bay, NH 603-875-1234

fosterstavernbythebay.com

Tuckerman - Pale Ale

Sam Adams - Seasonal

Sam Adams - Wicked Hazy

Maine Beer Co - Lunch

Lord Hobo - Boomsauce

...+2 More On Tap

JOHNSON’S TAPHOUSE

At Johnson’s Seafood & Steak 69 Rt 11, New Durham 603.859.7500

eatatjohnsons.com/ newdurham

Lone Pine -Brightside

Widowmaker -Blue Comet Shipyard -Smashed Pumpkin

Jack Abby -Red Tape

Muddy Road -1762 Porter

Northwoods -Autumn Buzz ...+30 More On Tap

MORRISSEYS’

Porch & Pub

286 S. Main St., Wolfeboro 603.569-3662 Morrisseysfrontporch.com

Smithwick’s

Guinness

Harp

Concord Craft Safe Space

Concord Craft Coffee Stout

Stella Artois ...+11 More On Tap

OVER THE MOON FARMSTEAD

1253 Upper City Rd., Pittsfield overthemoonfarmstead.com

Oatmeal Stout

London Porter

Pitt Stop Pils

Coffee Porter

No Need To ArgueCranberry Mead

Maple Apple Cider ...+6 More On Tap

PATRICK’S PUB

18 Weirs Rd., Gilford 603.293.0841 Patrickspub.com

Patrick’s Slainte House Ale

Great North - Moose Juice

Guinness

Clown Shoes - Bubble Head 603 - Winni Amber Ale

Tuckerman - Pale Ale ...+9 More On Tap

THE WITCHES

BREW PUB

At The Craft Beer Xchange 59 Doe Ave., Weirs Beach 603.409.9344 FB @craftbeerxchange

1911 – Cider Donut Cider

Able Ebenezer – Lady of the Lake Lager

Wormtown – Blizzard of ‘78 Sixpoint – Cold Seal DIPA

Tuckermans – Rockpile IPA

Widowmaker – Candymaker

Peanut Butter Choc Stout

...+30 More On Tap

** Tap listings subject to change!

will see its GDP growth slip from 1.7 percent to minus 0.4 in 2023. The UK will slide from an impressive 4.3 percent last year to minus 0.8 percent in 2023.

Russia/Ukraine represents the region primarily impacted by geopolitical and economic jolts and a worsening economic outlook. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last

February opened the floodgates for massive destruction, refugees, and population dislocations, not seen in Europe since WWII. Ukraine faces a devastating economic hit with minus 36 percent growth down from a 3.4 percent the previous year. Given the complexities of the conflict, there’s no prediction for Ukraine this year. Tragically post-conflict recon -

struction for Ukraine’s infrastructure and cities is estimated by the World Bank to cost between $350 and $500 billion.

Russia faced a minus 3.5 economic slip last year and expects an additional minus 2.9 percent slide in 2023. Moscow’s energy intensive export economy was hampered by European cutoffs of Russian energy supplies as well as widespread international trade sanctions. Interestingly WESP states that Russian energy exports actually increased last year, not from the traditional European buyers, but “trade with China, India and Turkey surged,” albeit at discounted prices.

East Asia offers some

better news but with political cautions. “After rebounding to 7 percent in 2021, the region’s economic growth is expected to slow to 3.2 percent in 2022,” and accelerating to 4.4 percent in 2023.

Hong Kong suffered from economic turmoil and Beijing’s political meddling. Growth of 6.3 percent in 2021 fell to minus 3 percent last year and is expected to rise only 1.7 percent this year. South Korea which saw 4.1 percent growth in 2021, slipped to 2.7 last year is expected to record 2 percent this year.

One standout is India whose economic growth went from 8.7 in 2021, to 6.2 last year and is expected to maintain 6 percent growth this year.

Higher food and energy prices pushed more people into poverty with food insecurity facing 345 million people. Crippling debt remains the looming iceberg in the water for most economies.

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.

METZLER from 7

bon Backyard Winter Bird Survey, which takes place this year on February 11 and 12. NH Audubon is a conservation organization independent of the national Audubon Society.

Similar to the national bird surveys, the Backyard Winter Bird Survey helps biologists from the state get an annual snapshot of what birds are in New Hampshire during the winter. For instance, cardinals and titmice are common backyard feeder birds throughout most of New England these days. A relatively short time ago, however, these birds were considered southern birds and rarely seen this far north.

In fact, according to the NH Audubon website, the project was originally the “Cardinal-Tufted Titmouse Census” before being expanded to include more species in 1987. Cardinals and titmice are still fairly rare in northern New Hampshire, but their numbers are increasing there. Surveys like this help monitor those trends.

It is likely that the Carolina wren and red-bellied woodpecker will continue to expand northward and increase their population where they are already established. The Backyard Winter Bird Survey will play a major role in tracking those populations.

But it isn’t all about cardinals, titmice,

Carolina wrens and red-bellied woodpeckers. Nor is it only about the irruptive species such as siskins, redpolls and grosbeaks. It’s about all the species you see in your backyard. It may not seem worthwhile to report every chickadee you see, but what if suddenly chickadees started to appear on fewer checklists and in smaller numbers. Biologists would get an early warning that perhaps something is amiss with the chickadee population.

For this survey, backyard birds go beyond the birdfeeder. Any bird flying overhead, swimming in a pond or lurking in the woods should be counted. In general, any bird you can see while standing in our house or on your property may be counted. Use separate forms if you have two properties and count birds from each.

Forms for the survey are available online and results may

be submitted online. Find more information about the survey at nhbirdrecords.org/ backyard-winter-birdsurvey/ or by calling

(603) 224-9909. Get those results in, but also let me know if you see anything out of the ordinary.

BOSAK from 4

Yours truly and Bria checking out the slope side trail map at Gunstock Mountain Resort. Skiing began at the Gunstock Recreation Area in the mid 1930’s and in 1962 a double chairlift was built to the summit of Gunstock Mountain. Gunstock has 5 chairlifts, including the Panorama high-speed quad serving 1,400 vertical feet of drop, a tubing park and a Nordic Center.

speed quad.

Bria recalled learn -

fast lift was built it was a long slow ride to the top of the mountain. We chuckled that it has been almost twenty

years since this lift was installed but we still remark how much we appreciate how fast it gets us to the top. Kids

today just don’t know how lucky they are today to enjoy speedy rides to the top. The trails had good snow coverage edge to edge with lots of loose

were the stunning views we enjoyed. It was a bit strange to see the big Lake Winnipesaukee with completely open water. We could see all the way to bright whitecapped Mount Washington and Mount Shaw just across the Lake.

Typically,Thursday afternoons are when high school races are held at New Hampshire ski areas. So it was no surprise to see a high school ski race in progress on Tiger. We also saw a good number of groups of school children taking ski and snowboard lessons.

My favorite trail of the day was Red Hat. I like the steep pitch of this black diamond trail and the snow was nice and grippy, perfect for making nice quick slalom turns. This trail is one of the few that are not part of the Gunstock Mountain firearm themed trail names. The trail is named after circa 1950’s Gunstock manager Frizie Baer–he always wore a red hat.

After a couple hours of skiing we started to get hungry. We peeked inside the summit Panorama Pub. The grand

mountain views of the Lake and the mountains from its deck were excellent but the view inside was blocked by the frost and snow covering the windows. The Pub, this mid-week day, was only offering drinks and snacks so we decided to head down to the lodge for sometime more for late lunch.

We went right down to the lodge and straight to the Powder Keg Pub and restaurant. We found two seats at the end of the bar. I ordered a nice hot cider drink, while Bria took a minute to decide which draft beer to order. We split a delicious chicken-bacon ranch flatbread pizza. While we were waiting for our pizza a couple of friends showed up and joined us. The Powder Keg is a busy fun place. We all went back out to ski and more friends would be showing up for night skiing. Adult race league racing is held on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Teams are filled for this season, by the way, but adult racing is fun and

A group of local school children out on the slopes with their ski instructor at Gunstock Mountain Resort.

Yours Truly and Bria enjoying apres ski at the bar of the Powder Keg Pub and Restaurant located inside Gunstock’s Historic Lodge.

PATENAUDE from 22

the NASTAR age graded system is used to score team points.

Night skiing is held Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 3pm, the summit Panorama chairlift closes at 4pm so you can get an hour of skiing from the summit before the lights are

turned on. 5 lifts and 22 trails and the terrain parks are open at night. On weekdays the lifts stop spinning at 8pm but on Friday and Saturday nights the lifts run until 9pm.

Gunstock Mountain Resort also has a wonderful Nordic Center, with groomed classic

and skate trails, rental shop, ski school and snowshoeing. Check out their Snowshoe Ridge Tour–take a ride up the Tiger lift and snowshoe back along the Ridge Trail over Mount Rowe and back to the base. This tour offers a great taste of what it is

like to hike/snowshoe the mountains in the Belknap Range. Contact the Nordic Center for availability and more information.

I quit before closing time because another storm was bearing down on New Hampshire.

By the time I got home it was snowing pretty hard. Yippee, have fun.

There is a warm cabin with a big vista on top of Gunstock Mountain--the Panorama Pub.

purely a New Hampton enterprise.”

Speaking at that one hundred year mark of the school Swain said that the school’s history was divided into four parts. Part one was from its founding in 1821 to 1825 when it became a church run school under the Baptists. That second period under Calvinist Baptist control lasted from 1825 until 1853 when those Baptists moved their interests to Vermont and the Freewill Baptists took over as the third period in the school’s history that lasted until 1916. The School then became a non-sectarian institution under the control of the alumni.

Going back to the beginnings, however, some of the names responsible for the school’s start include William Kelley, Nathaniel Norris, Josiah Ma-

goon, and John Harper. A two story building was built for the school next to the Town House in the section of town then called the Center, but now called the Old Institution. It is assumed that the lumber to build that first school structure came from John Harper’s mill.

So the New Hampton Academy first opened on September 17th in 1821 as a Seminary to instruct young men and ladies. Tuition was $3.00 a quarter and board was from $1.00 to $1.30 per week.

An editorial in a 1923 issue of the Hamptonia indicated that the higher school or academy should build upon some surfaces the home and primary schools had supplied, namely, physical strength, morals, intellect and spiritual strength. Basketball was introduced as a new competitive sport for both boys and girls in the 1922-23 school year. The old gym, though small, was repaired to enable the teams to play, and the men were able to schedule six games during their first season with two games each with Meredith, Plymouth,

defeated the “Fighting Five,” but then graciously provided lunch for the team they beat.

and the New Hampton town team. The school team won half of their games, which they felt was a good record for their first season of playing together.

When the girls were approached about playing basketball as a winter sport it was said that “everyone immediately wanted to play.” Practice under the supervision of Miss Darling and Mr. Parker was set up for three-fifteen every day with enough players for first and second teams. So, after several weeks of practicing, “sometimes happily, occasionally scrappily, but always snappily,” the girls thought they were ready to play other teams. Games were scheduled with Plymouth and Meredith only to have them canceled.

“Meredith could not play because the girls could not find transportation. Plymouth could not play because a number of the girls were unable to come.”

So the girls divided into two teams and played several games among themselves with the first game happening on January 30th one hundred years ago. The “ Winning Wonders”

Skiing was another winter sport enjoyed by 1923 students attending N.H.L.I. And they found transportation on an open fourhorse sled driven by Mr. George Dicey and Mr. Henry Plastridge to participate in a competition at the Annual Laconia Winter Carnival. Howard Gwynne Dyer won a second prize in ski jumping, but was unsuccessful in trying to do a somersault, though he was risking his life in the try according to the Hamptonia. Margaret Dicey won a second and third prizes in skiing races matching the same prizes won by Jerome Gordon.

School closed for Christmas Day in 2022 at N.H.L.I. , which was a Monday, but was open again for classes on December 26th. The first annual carnival at N.H.L.I. Was held on February 9, 2023 with races being held on the athletic field and ski-jumping happening on Shingle Camp Hill.

The Bi-centennial year of the New Hampton School has now gone by showing Gov. McCall’s accuracy in predicting it, but let me share a joke or two or three from the N.H.L.I. student publication of one hundred years ago:

1. “Electricity in Franklin’s time was a wonder. Now we make light of it.”

2.“ Earle-‘I was a fool when I married you.’ L.C. I knew it, but I thought you might improve.’”

3.“ Sign in a Bristol store – cup of coffee and a roll downstairs, 10 cents.”

Band with flag-holder at the NHLI Centennial Parade.

Cover of the Hamptonia in 1923 - A NHLI publication.

Whiskey Almond Cake

Yield: 2 Loaf Pans or 1 Bunt Pan Time: Aprox. 75 minutes

CAKE INGREDIENTS

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix (15.25 oz.)

1 Package Instant Vanilla Pudding (3.4 oz.)

¼ Cup Almond Flour

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Nutmeg

4 Eggs

½ Cup Butter Melted

½ Cup Butter Melted

½ Cup Sour Cream

1 Cup ½ and ½

1.5 oz. Bourbon

1 tsp. Almond Extract

¼ Cup Sliced Almonds

HARD SAUCE AND GARNISH

1 Cup Brown Sugar (packed)

1 Cup ½ and ½

½ Cup Bourbon

½ Cup Sliced Almonds (toasted)

— Directions —

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease your pans.

- In a mixing bowl combine cake mix, pudding mix, almond flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg using whisk attachment to stir together.

- Add melted butter, eggs (one at a time and mix well), add half and half, sour cream and extract, again mixing well after each addition. Batter should form to be light and fluffy. Remember to scrape the sides of the bowl.

- Add almonds to the batter. Divide batter evenly (if using loaf pans) and scoop into greased pan(s). Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 55 minutes. Check for done at 50 minutes. (Internal temp is above 165 degrees and stem thermometer comes out clean.)

- While the cake is baking, make the Hard Sauce and Toasted Almonds by combining the butter, brown sugar, and bourbon in a small saucepan. Stir continuously, bringing to a simmer over low heat, then add the half and half, and continue to stir and simmer over low heat until smooth and reduced. Should taste more sweet and less alcohol. Sauce should be pourable but coat the back of a spoon.

- In a small skillet over low heat toast almonds for garnish, ¨stirring¨ often so as not to burn.

- When cake is done, let it sit for 5 minutes before turning out loaves onto a wire rack. Poke holes over the top of the loaf with a toothpick or similar object and then pour 2/3rds. of the hard sauce over the top of the cake(s), reserving one third for table service. Sprinkle toasted almonds over the cake for a garnish. Serve warm or room temperature with coffee.

cle extolling the virtues of Woodchuck Stew. Rather, like much of my prose, it is to both recognize and even, perhaps, celebrate the mundane. February

not only celebrates Groundhog Day and Valentine’s Day, February celebrates Presidents Day. Originally commemorating Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays separately, somewhere in the not so distant past (during the Johnson administration) the Uniform Holiday Bill of 1968 was signed. This bill effectively combined the two days and proclaimed the third Monday in February, Presidents Day. As a side note, no

fewer than four (so far) of our Chief Executives were born in February; George Washington, William Henry Harrison, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. And February carries with it the distinction of being that month which ushers in the psychological “halfway point” of winter. This calls for celebration!

So, it is with this in mind that I began a search to find what, if anything, did our two most historically famous presidents enjoy at their dinner table and perhaps their birthday? For this I turned first to that most favored but untrusted of sources, the internet, for a few leads, and only then

narrowing my search to cake. It seems that Mr. Washington enjoyed Martha’s Whiskey Cake (and for those of you late to the party, that would not be Ms. Stuart of recent fame, but Mrs. Washington). Mr. Lincoln however, favored his wife’s Almond Cake.

Armed with this knowledge, and after a bit more sleuthing the web, I then consulted “The Original White House CookBook 1887 Edition ” Copyright 2003 given to me this past Christmas by a dear friend who knows I enjoy reading cook books like many enjoy a good novel. There, on page 267, was a recipe for Almond Cake. Leafing through the cake section a bit more, I then found all manner of cakes with both almond and whiskey in them.

I decided to work up my own version using a foundation from the internet and a bit of inspiration from the cookbook. Adding some cinnamon and nutmeg, two common ingredients of the times and

enjoyed by both men, along with bourbon for George and almonds for Abe, and a few other ingredients, I came up with the recipe presented here. (Sorry Phil, the Carrot Cake will have to wait.) A light fluffy batter that bakes off in about 55 minutes, this cake is delicious served warm and soaked in the hard sauce. Almost two cakes in one, the top becomes overtly moist with a sweet bourbon flavor while the bottom remains light with that hint of almond. It is a very pleasing rendition of two favored flavors of two of this nation’s most influential leaders of their respective times. A loaf cake with lots of punch, it is perfect for breaking up the winter doldrums. With flavor and flare, this Whiskey Almond Cake is ready to share at your next celebration whether it be a birthday, inaugural ball, or just the Simple Feast. Enjoy!

FEAST from 19

Poobahs. But the rule stays the same. That’s the NFL.

Happy Groundhog Day!

Sports Quiz

What NFL team drafted John Madden in 1958? (Answer follows).

Born Today

That is to say, sports standouts born on February 2 include Hungarian swimmer Alfred Hajos (1878), Chicago Bear coaching icon George Halas (1895), and baseball Hall-ofFame infielder and manager Red Schoendienst (1923).

Sports Quote

“The fewer rules a coach has, the fewer rules there are for a player to break.” – John Madden

Sports Quiz Answer

Madden was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. But a preseason injury kept him from ever playing in a regular NFL game.

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.

382 I asked my State Senator Jeanie Forrester if she would sponsor my bill and she did. As a public member of the NH Assessing Standards Board (ASB) I asked them to review the language, which they did and made positive changes to the bill.

I was pleased that the ASB voted to support this bill, with their help and Senator Forrester’s leadership and hard work SB 382 became law.

This of course did not help in our son’s situation but from the very beginning my involvement in SB 382 was to help some family in the future whose home or building was destroyed by fire or a natural disaster such as a hurricane, tornado, flooding etc.

Today, if this happened to someone in your family and your taxable building is damaged due to unintended fire or a natural disaster to the extent that it renders the building not able to be used for its intended use, all you need to do is pick up a form titled “Taxpayers RSA 76:21 Proration Application to Municipality” from the Selectboard or Assessing officials at your Town Office. I hope you never have to request this form, but if you do the law is in place to help you and your family.

For me and I believe everyone who worked on and supported Senate Bill 382, the intent was very clear and it was not for Hotels renting rooms during the Covid-19 Pandemic. During the testimony on Senate Bill 382, I do not recall any Lobbyist for the Hotels or Hotel owners who were testifying in favor of SB 382.

Our Senators and Congressmen were sent to Washington to ensure our tax dollars are spent appropriately, but past Congressional leadership kept them from doing that.

National Security is threatened by Congressional leadership that avoids the normal budgeting process and demands immediate passage of enormous Omnibus spending bills, created mostly in secret, to avoid a government shutdown.

All bills should go through the committee processes so our elected representatives can eliminate waste and inappropriate spending (as the new Republican House Leadership has committed).

Congressional leadership passed a $1.7 Trillion Omnibus spending bill like this just last month; few, if any, of our Representatives had time to read it. Little of this money has been spent; most of the allocated money should be cancelled and a proper budget passed.

Apparently there’s about $1 Trillion of unspent and uncommitted money from the Infrastructure and Covid Relief bills; those allocations should be cancelled.

We don’t have a debt limit problem; we have a debt problem, a Congressional mismanagement problem, and a wasteful spending problem. Don’t let them scare you into approving more wasteful spending.

Don Ewing Meredith, NH

is a government label for payments that are mandatory for the government to make, as opposed to discretionary spending, like, for instance, defense spending.

Those who think this a personal right should ask if they are entitled to get out from the system. And the answer is, of course, no. The government remains entitled to make you pay payroll taxes and then make payments to you when you retire. Government decides what those taxes and payments will be. And here we have more dishonesty.

Social Security is broke. According to the system’s trustees, there are insufficient funds to meet obligations beginning 2034, 11 years from now. Every young American entering the workforce now must pay taxes into a system that does not have the resources to pay promised benefits.

There is a lot of rhetoric whether entitlements should be part of the debt ceiling negotiations. And I agree, no. Not because these programs aren’t broken. But it is too complicated to fix in overnight negotiations.

Fixing Social Security should not be about cuts but about reform and changing the whole system.

The system is broken because it is not based on American principles of ownership and personal responsibility. It is based on government dependence.

Every American could earn far more, without taking on unnecessary risks, if they could take ownership of their payroll taxes and invest in a personal retirement account.

We have dishonesty

and irresponsibility rampant because we have allowed government to take over so much of our lives in a country where individuals are supposed to be free and responsible only to their Creator in Heaven.

It’s time for big changes in America. The only choice is whether we want to

have a future or not.

Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show “Cure America with Star Parker.” To find out more about Star Parker and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www. creators.com.

Tom Thomson is a Tree Farmer from Orford, NH.

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“Ehrlich sees human beings as destroyers rather than creators,” says Tupy, “no different from rabbits. When they consume all grass around us, their population explodes, but then it’s going to collapse. But human beings are fundamentally different. We have the capacity to innovate.”

It’s counterintuitive to think that people can be good for the environment. “We use stuff,” I

say to Tupy.

“We use stuff, but we also grow stuff,” he responds. “What matters is new knowledge. Think about something as simple as sand. When we started melting down sand to create glass, we used the first glass for glass beads. Now we create microchips.”

Similar innovation in farming, transportation and genetic engineering is why our growing population doesn’t de-

stroy nature.

“Forests have grown by 35% in North America and Western Europe in the last 20 years,” Tupy points out. That’s because innovative humans found ways to produce more food on less land. Also, prosperous countries can afford to protect nature.

But this idea that human innovation helps nature is nowhere near as popular as the idea that humans destroy

earth.

Many young people are so misled that many don’t want to have kids. But that would hurt the world! Fewer women having babies today is probably more of a threat than climate change. Not only do we need young people to take care of the growing number of us old people, we need them to invent the things that will solve the Earth’s problems. More children means

more people who might grow up to cure cancer or invent a carbon-eating machine.

However, more people by itself is not enough to provide the innovation we need.

“Certainly not,” says Tupy. “If the number of people was all that mattered, China would have been the richest country for centuries. What you need is people, andfreedom. If you let human beings be free, they will create

more value for everyone.”

Every Tuesday at JohnStossel.com, Stossel posts a new video about the battle between government and freedom. He is the author of “Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media.”

PUZZLE CLUE: SCRAMBLING TO GET THINGS DONE

B.C.

by Parker & Hart

Magic Maze Sudoku

THEME THIS WEEK: - INJURY

Caption Contest

OUR PICK FOR BEST CAPTION

CAPTION THIS PHOTO!!

Runners Up : Now let me see if I’m understanding you correctly.. You want me to hit the top of this shell as it comes off the assembly line to confirm it’s not a dud??? - John Brennick, Rochester, NH.

Frank and Ed mistakenly install a time bomb instead of a time capsule in the town square.

-David Doyon, Moultonborough, NH.

Since we have finished the boardwalk, let’s build a park place. We could have a monopoly..here. - Dave Barth, Laconia, NH.

Okay, so you get the bullet and I keep the gun. That’s called gun control? -Joe Vitali, Belmont, NH.

Send your best brief caption to us with your name and location within 2 weeks of publication date... Caption Contest, The Weirs Times, P.O. Box 5458, Weirs, NH 03247 email to contest@weirs.com

PHOTO #949

PHOTO #947

The Winklman Aeffect by John Whitlock