02/16/2023 Weirs Times

A song sparrow takes a bath this winter in New England.

Help THe Birds OuT THis WinTerGive THem A BATH

Bible Or the Axe” At Community Church of Alton

Camp Constitution Speakers’ Bureau Presents: The Bible or the Axe: One Man’s Dramatic Escape from Persecution in the Sudan by Pastor William Levi on Saturday, February 18th at 6:30pm at the Community Church of Alton, 20 School St. Alton, NH.

Exile. Persecution. Torture. The riveting story of one man’s escape from the Sudan. By the banks of the Kulo-jobi River, a young Sudanese boy is faced with a decision that will shape the rest of his life.

William Levi was born in southern Sudan as part of a Messianic Hebrew tribal group and spent the majority of his growing up years as a refugee running from Islamic persecution.

He was eventually taken captive for refusing to convert to Islam and suffered greatly at the hands of his captors.

After escaping Islamic forces, William eventually came to the United States where he has been sharing his story nationwide.

Admission is free.

Attracting birds to a birdbath is one of the more underrated joys of the hobby.

by Chris Bosak

Perhaps it is because I failed on my first several attempts to get birds to visit the birdbath I offered. I started to think it was a waste of time to even try, but about then, I glanced out at the birdbath and

saw a magnolia warbler cleaning itself. Of course, birds such as magnolia warblers are not going to visit your birdbath too often, but to see even the most common of birds at a birdbath is a thrill.

Many people focus the majority of their attention on bird feeding, and rightfully so, as that has a high success rate of attracting birds. Bird houses are another aspect of

the hobby that get a lot of attention, particularly bluebird boxes. That is also understandable as it is nice to know that you are helping to assure the next generation of birds.

I have found that far fewer people discuss the birds that show up at their birdbath. It is a bit trickier to attract birds to a birdbath than to a feeder, but when it does happen, it makes the

Donations accepted. For more info call (857) 498-1309.

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WEIRS, LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE, N.H., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

VOLUME 32, NO. 7

“For The Birds” Columnist

CHRIS BOSAK PHOTO

“The

NOTICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING

THE NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS HOLDING A PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING TO DISCUSS A CULVERT AND RETAINING WALL REPLACEMENT PROJECT LOCATED ON MEREDITH NECK ROAD IN THE TOWN OF MEREDITH.

THE CROSSING IS ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AND THE PROPOSED DESIGN IS A RESULT OF COORDINATION WITH THE DIVISION OF HISTORIC RESOURCES AND THE TOWN OF MEREDITH.

The meeting will be held at:

MEREDITH COMMUNITY CENTER

1 CIRCLE DRIVE, MEREDITH, NH

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2023 at 6:00 PM

The purpose of this meeting is to present citizens with information regarding the project. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts regarding potential improvements to ensure that the project decisions meet public transportation needs, community goals, and to protect and enhance the environment. Accordingly, NHDOT assures that this project will be administered according to the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and all related statutes to ensure nondiscrimination. This project impacts cultural or historic resources that are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Individuals or organizations with a demonstrated interest in the potential impacts to historic resources have an opportunity to become Consulting Parties under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Additional information will be made available at the public meeting.

Any individuals needing assistance or auxiliary communication equipment due to sensory impairment or other disability, should contact the Bureau of Right-of-Way, NHDOT, PO Box 483, Concord, New Hampshire 03302-0483 –TDD Access Relay NH 1-800-735-2964. Notification for the need of assistance should be made at the earliest convenience. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED AND ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE

Not So LoNg Ago

by Robert Hanaford Smith, Sr. Contributing Writer

As a contribution to Black History Month I have written a twopart article coming from my research, memories, and thoughts on the subject.

I do not recall having been taught much about New Hampshire Black History during my years of elementary and secondary education in the Granite State. Neither do I remember having been taught anything about abolitionists and their protests against slavery coming from New Hampshire. Nor do I recall having been taught specifically about native American history on a state or local level, though I did

learn about slavery and American Indian history in connection with European settlers.

I was, however, taught some history concerning black people, particularly concerning slavery in the south and the end of slavery as well as stories of some prominent black people like George Washington Carver who

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

was born during the Civil War. I do not know what history is being taught to New Hampshire children in these days, but my experience from years past is that it was not just New Hampshire Black History that was not included in the history curriculum, but most New Hampshire his -

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.

To find out how your business or service can benefit from advertising with us please call 603-366-8463.

tory as a whole, though there may have been some that I just don’t remember.

My childhood was spent in a small community and I was probably well into my childhood years before I saw my first black person. I saw pictures of black people and I read the now socially banned book, “Little Black Sambo,” and became acquainted with Uncle Remus stories. Maybe the first encounter with people who came from a different background than mine involved French Canadians, and the difference was that they had a different accent than mine, and that they would occasionally say something in the French language. The fact that I don’t remember the first time I saw someone who had black or brown skin seems to me to indicate that I didn’t see them as someone who was a lesser person than I was or a different kind of human being.

My upbringing has

See SMITH on 18

George Washington Carver.

by Mike Moffett Contributing Writer

After a long Friday of committee hearings in Concord’s Legislative Office Building, I headed for my car and pulled out my cell phone to check for messages. One text simply read: “Did you hear about Steve Bamford?”

My heart sank and my worst fears were soon realized. The New Hampshire sports legend had passed away in Florida at the age of 79.

An Oyster River hoop star, Class of 1961, Steve went on to Plymouth Teachers College where as a freshman he set a long-standing record with 45 points in a game against Boston State. Despite missing most of one season with a skull injury suffered during a basketball game, he scored almost 1400 career points—another long-standing record.

Bamford went on to teach and coach in Littleton, Dover, and Concord before becoming a school administrator in Hampton. In 1987 he returned to Plymouth State College where he’d serve as Athletics Director for 13 years.

I was then PSC’s Sports Information Director and soon found out that Bamford’s competitive hoop juices still flowed. As did mine. We agreed to

sTeve BAmfOrd

play one-on-one for a soda in the Foley Gym one noontime. You’d have thought we were playing for a million bucks. Bamford asked for no quarter and gave none. With no referee we called our own fouls. And there were a lot of fouls—both called and uncalled. The game went on for a long time before I finally “won by two.”

I headed for the locker room but Steve stopped me.

“You’re not going anywhere,” said Bamford. “Double or nothing.”

Bamford basketball battle resumed, and Steve won his soda back.

“I’ll see you here tomorrow at noontime,” said I.

“I’ll be here,” said the hoop legend.

So we played for sodas for years. At one point he owed me six. But after the last time we played I owed him three. Eventually we each moved on from

the Home of the Panthers, me to NHTI-Concord while Steve later became a commissioner with the ECAC on Cape Cod.

I loved working with Steve. He had energy and drive and those competitive juices were transferred to Panther coaches. He often told them that they could always count on him, “Win or tie!”

In the late 1980s the NCAA instituted tournament drug testing for Division III postseason participants. A Plymouth professor/ ACLU activist got a faculty resolution passed calling for PSC to withdraw from the NCAA.

As a U.S. Marine, I’d regularly been drugtested and had a zero tolerance mentality for drug abuse and I suggested to Steve that we look into addressing substance abuse issues on a broad front— to include local drug testing for both educational and deterrence reasons.

To my amazement, Bamford gave me the go-ahead to work up a proposal. A committee was established that addressed all sorts of legal and procedural issues and a process was proposed to involve team captains who would encourage teammates to volunteer to be screened for performance enhancers and recreational drugs. But all this would cost money that was not in the budget. I succeeded in getting Burger King and Pepsi-Cola to pony up some financial support for the initiative and PSC became the first Division III school in the country to move forward with a comprehensive substance abuse program that actually included drug testing.

Kudos and plaudits flowed in from around

Donna and Steve Bamford.

See MOFFETT on 14

Squam Lakes Association Winterfest!

The Squam Lakes Association (SLA) will host their Annual Winterfest on Saturday, February 18th from noon to 3pm. Be a part of one of the most fun winter events around Squam Lake all while supporting a good cause! Winterfest celebrates the beauty and wonders of winter on Squam Lake and offers many free outdoor family activities such as ice skating, sledding, mini golf, fire pits, ice fishing demos, and loads of fun! The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center will have three live animal programs throughout the event.

Come celebrate the best of what the season has to offer! Also returning this year is the Annual Chili Cook-off competition. Sample and vote on the region’s best chili donated by local restaurants. Bring your own mug to eat out of, or purchase custom-designed SLA mugs with spoons day-of.

Winterfest is a special event that supports the important mission-focused work of the Squam Lakes Association in conservation, education, watershed wellness and low-impact access to the most beautiful lake and trails in New Hampshire. Bring your sled, skates, and appetites. Play in the snow, warm up with hot cocoa by the fire, and treat your taste buds by sampling chili from area restaurants. Please join us in keeping our Squam Lakes protected and preserved, and celebrate winter with our Squam community!

This event will take place at the SLA building, 534 Route 3 in Holderness. It’s free and open to the public. Winterfest is also a great way to connect with the Squam community. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, or would like more information, please contact the SLA at (603) 968-7336 x11 or email Rcoughlin@squamlakes.org.

Cellist Kari Jurka Pekka Vanio At Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra

The Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra (LRSO) features principal cellist Kari JukkaPekka Vainio on Saturday March 25 that 7pm at Inter-Lakes Community Auditorium in Meredith.

Vainio will perform Concerto No. 1 in C Major for Cello by Haydn, an easy listening, but wonderfully complex work balancing solo cello with string orchestra texture. Also on the program are the West Side Story Highlights by Leonard Bernstein, Humoresque by Dvorak, Concerto for Two Flutes by Vivaldi, and finishing with Haydn’s final symphonic composition Symphony No. 104 “London”.

This March 25th concert is the fifth in the LRSO’s spectacular 2022-2023 season. Reserve the dates for our final dual-performance POPS concert on May 13 and 14 at Inter-Lakes Auditorium, featuring pianist Chris Mega performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The concerts also feature vocalist Madison MacNeill performing Summertime, Embraceable You, S’Wonderful, and other Gershwin-era selections by the likes of Cole Porter, Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and more.

Discount Ticket Packages are available for the March and May performances. March tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students college-age and under (please no children under age 5). Tickets and Discount Packages are available online at www.LRSO.org or by phone using the numbers listed with each concert on the LRSO web site. Any unsold tickets will be available at the door starting one hour before each concert.

Comedy Legend Steve Sweeney In Gilford

After a sold-out opening night comedy event in January, at the Belknap Sportsman’s Club in Gilford, club president Mike Normandin has added two more comedy nights including Feb. 24 with New England legend Steve Sweeney and April 15 with national star Corey Rodrigues.

Tickets are $30 for the Sweeney show and may be purchased in advance by logging on to https:// birdease.com/bcsccomedy . Seating is limited to 130 and proceeds will benefit scholarships and youth programs sponsored by the club.

Sweeney is a national and international star who is known as the King of Boston Comedy. He has appeared nationwide including Las Vegas, Hollywood, New York, and has been seen on Comedy Central, Letterman, Evening at the Improv, Comics Come Home and more. Sweeney also has an extensive film, television, and radio resume.

Appearing with Sweeney will be Joe Espi and Nick Tocco.

“We were really happy with both the turn out (sold out in advance) and quality of the first show,” said Normandin of the event which headlined Kenny Rogerson and Ryan Gartley with Chris Cameron opening. “Those in attendance had a great time and we immediately sold tickets to the Sweeney show.”

The Sportsman’s Club is working with Mike Smith of Laugh Riot Comedy which for nine years booked the comedy events at Pitman’s before the owners of Pitman’s sold the venue and retired.

“The Sportsman’s Club has a lot of the feel of Pitman’s,” said Smith. “And a lot of our Pitman’s fans joined us at the Sportsman’s Club.”

Village Players Of Wolfeboro Present Carolyn Plummer

Ready to laugh WICKED HARD? You are in for a Lakes Region treat when Carolyn Plummers Homecoming Comedy Show hits The Village Players on Saturday July 8th Presented by Hot Mic Events.

Wolfeboro is HOME and we wanted to bring a few of our friends to celebrate this 4th of July Weekend where it all started. Joining Carolyn is a familiar Hollywood face, Lenny Clarke! Lenny is known for his legendary standup with many appearances on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon as well as movie and tv work on Rescue Me and most recently in the new Michael Myers slasher HALLOWEEN KILLS. Also appearing is Boston Comic and radio host from WSRS and WHYN Chris Zito.

Tickets are on sale now at: http://wolfeborocomedy.ticketleap.com/

Admission Ticket $40 - Doors open at 6:45 and show starts 7:30pm sharp at The Village Players in Wolfeboro. Ticket includes general admission access to the after party at Marker 21 in Wolfeboro after the show. CASH BAR for BEER & WINE and bites for sale the before show from MARKER 21.

$60 - VIP MEET & GREET Pre Party UPGRADE- Mingle with our COMIC’s at our VIP preparty from 6pm to 6:45pm with complimentary adult beverage tastings from BELAIRE, Stella Artois & Buena Gave and appetizers from MARKER 21. Meet & Greet with our stars and take a selfie before doors open to general admission at 6:45pm. Ticket includes priority admission to the after party at MARKER 21 (33 Dockside Wolfeboro, NH)

JusT A mATTer Of Time

to spend the time driving their cars themselves.

to the old saying, all these wounds will heal faster.

by Brendan Smith

A survey I recently came across stated that forty-nine percent of people would gladly give up control of their cars to an onboard, driverless navigation system, in exchange for more free time.

This to me, seemed rather ironic.

After all, hasn’t the purpose of all this great technology over the years, from the washing machine to the touch-tone telephone to the microwave oven to the often confusing self checkout at the local supermarket (unexpected item in bagging area? No, I totally expected it, I put it there), been to free up more time for us to do the things we couldn’t get to before because we were too busy doing the things that technology was supposed to help us get through faster so we would have more free time?

It can be confusing.

As far as letting a computer take over total control over my car, while I am sitting in it, supposedly concentrating on some important task because before I was too busy concentrating on driving and never had time to get to it, is something I don’t think I will ever be comfortable with.

I have to question exactly what time will be freed up to do exactly what task that you couldn’t get to before, but now will feel comfortable tackling while sitting in the passenger seat of a car travelling at 70 miles per hour down a busy highway, driven by an unseen entity, jockeying for position with other cars with no drivers and passengers with their heads down engrossed in some important task they never could have gotten to if they had

It seems we always have a lot of things to get done and we can never seem to get around to doing them since we have too many other tasks to complete. In fact, it seems the only ones who have the time to get all of the things done they need to are the folks inventing these great advances in technology that we need so desperately in order to get the things done we can’t otherwise get done since we don’t have the time.

Personally, I admit to not getting everything accomplished that I need to when it needs to get done (like this week’s column for example). I have all of the technology I need to get me through a day much faster than my grandparents did and yet it is still often a problem.

Of course, they didn’t need to check Facebook, Twitter and Instagram a few dozen times a day and they certainly didn’t have the luxury of uploading their every move, meal and mood to their circle of friends several times a day. Instead, they had to catch up with people whenever they happened to run into them and spend precious seconds and minutes talking about what is has happened in their lives.

We are now fortunate enough to not have to do that any longer. The Internet has freed us from personally interacting with others any longer and not only taking our valuable time from us, but their valuable time from them as well. Many of us have been embarrassed to run into an old friend only to realize you are interrupting them as they are posting their recent visit to the deli counter on Facebook to let all their “other” friends know that the smoked ham is on sale for $1.99 a pound.

It can be an uncomfortable situation but, now that everyone has more time, according

I don’t believe that any new technology will create more time to do things we never seem to have more time to do. Giving people more time only creates more space for them to think of new things to do that they wouldn’t have thought of before because they didn’t have enough time to think of them before.

It really is just chasing your own tail in a way. Most of us will never catch up.

As far as spending time in a driverless car working on some project while speeding down the highway, I am of the generation that could never be comfortable with that.

Having grown up with new technology that always found a way to eventually disappoint, I could never feel at ease. (Just think your old eight track tapes getting eaten alive by the tape deck as one simple example.) Travelling down the road at seventy miles an hour in the passenger seat with no human at the steering wheel I would be spending all that valuable time I was supposedly inheriting, white knuckled and perspiring while staring at the road anticipating my certain demise.

Forty-nine percent said they’d be comfortable with this. I’m sure the other fiftyone were over the age of fifty.

Brendan is the author of “The Flatlander Chronicles,” “The Best of A F.O.O.L. in New Hampshire,” and “I Really Only Did It For The Socks- Thoughts and Stories on Aging.” All are available through his wesbite BrendanTSmith.com.

Weirs Times Editor

OmAr nOT JusT AnTisemiTic, BuT AlsO AnTi-AmericAn

The Republican-controlled House has voted to boot Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., off the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

I salute Republicans for leadership, beneficial for the country and beneficial for Black Americans whose interests Omar pretends to represent.

—GUEST EDITORIAL—

sAve THe u.s. cOnsTiTuTiOn: sTOp An Ar Ticle v cOnvenTiOn

by Star Parker Syndicated Columnist

Omar pushed back from the House floor, playing, of course, the race card. She accused Republicans of questioning her as an American because she is of a “certain skin color.”

No. To quote one well-known Black American, this is about the content of her character, not about the color of her skin.

Anyone following the story has read the long series of antisemitic, anti-Israel diatribes from Omar since she has been in Congress.

But she is not just antisemitic and anti-Israel. She is anti-American.

Last year, she lumped Israel and the U.S. together in comparing both to the Taliban. “We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan and the Taliban,” she observed.

A number of years ago, George Gilder wrote a book called “The Israel Test.”

The test, per Gilder, is summarized by a few questions: “What is your attitude toward people who excel you in the creation of wealth or in other accomplishment? Do you aspire to their excellence, or do you seethe at it? Do you admire and celebrate exceptional achievement, or do you impugn it and seek to tear it down?”

Those who admire success and seek to emulate it pass Gilder’s Israel Test.

Of course, the test is about a state of mind, an attitude toward life. Israel is just one focal point.

You must have self-inflicted blindness not to appreciate that no country in the world has ever achieved what the United States has achieved and contributed. The creativity and innovation on every front of science, technology and entrepreneurship is mindboggling.

Americans have won 403 Nobel prizes, 43% of all since the award began 122 years ago.

But Omar and her lefty friends are more interested in focusing on what was and what is not perfect in our nation so they can trash everything and advance their left-wing agenda.

by Hal Shurtleff Director, Camp Constitution Alton, NH

Since 2013, out of state lobbyist, on both sides of the political spectrum, have spent much time and money attempting to get New Hampshire to pass resolutions applying for an Article V Convention. Thankfully, they have been unsuccessful. However, they are back with two resolutions HCR 1 and HCR 4.

What is an Article V Convention?

Article V of the U.S Constitution lists the two ways to amend the Constitution. The first way is where 2/3rds of the U.S. House and Senate pass proposed amendments, and then these proposed amendments go to the states for ratification where 3/4ths of the states must ratify them by state legislators or by state ratifying conventions. Congress decides which mode of ratification to use. The other way, which we have wisely never used, is where 2/3rds of the states apply for a national convention for the purpose of “proposing amendments,” delegates to the convention propose amendments and then these proposed amendments will go to the states for ratification.

Here Are A Few Reasons Against An Article V Convention:

1, There are currently no rules or laws guiding an Article V Convention There have been some “wayward delegate” bills introduced in some states, but they are unenforceable and unconstitutional.

It is the job of Congress, under the “necessary and proper” clause of the U.S. Constitution, to make laws guiding a convention. Over the years, numerous bills to govern an Article V Convention have been proposed by Congress but never passed.

2, We have no idea who the delegates will be. Will the majority be made up of conservative constitutionalists who love the U.S. Constitution or “progressives” who tend to hate the U.S. Constitution and see it as an anachronistic racist relic? Will delegates include members of Congress who Article V supporters rightfully see as part of the problem?

3, We have no idea how delegate will be chosen. Will they be elected by the people, appointed by state legislatures or by governors? If they are to be elected, will out of state money be used to influence the outcome? Will we have to suffer another season of mind-numbing attack ads?

4, A convention cannot be limited to a single issue or topic. State legislators have no Constitutional power to limit a convention.

5, Will the votes of the delegates be one state, one vote as Article V supporters content, or will it be based on electoral votes. I do not know and neither do supporters of an Article V Convention. If votes are based on electoral votes, New Hampshire will have four votes, California 55, and New York 29.

6, Bad amendments can not only pass a convention but can be ratified by 3/4th of the states. The 16th Amendment giving us an income tax and 17th Amendment that radically changed the state-federal balance of power were passed by the 3/4ths of the states. Mike Farris of Con-

mike pOmpeO versus liBer TAriAns

Former CIA Director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will probably run for president.

People call him a “staunch conservative.”

that, under Donald Trump, Republicans spent too much. He surprised me again by saying that entitlements must be cut and that we don’t need to spend more on our military. That was refreshing.

Then we talked about the border.

“Immigrants made America,” I point out.

“Whatever the rules ... you got to enforce it,” Pompeo responds.

“Shouldn’t we change the rules?” I ask.

by John Stossel Syndicated Columnist

In our extended interview, I give him a hard time about that.

“Conservative” once meant promoting limited government. But lately Republicans push new regulations and drive up America’s debt by spending more.

Pompeo surprised me by agreeing

“I’m an immigrant,” Pompeo responds. “My ancestors came through a legal process. This is the difference.”

But today, I point out, the “legal process” for an ambitious person who wants to work is nearly impossible. “You might get in after waiting 12 years!”

“I actually think it’s time to take a break,” says Pompeo. Today, people apply for asylum and then stay until their request is accepted or denied. When Pompeo was secretary of state, he says he told Mexican officials, “You’re not going to have these people traveling in caravans through your country. We’re sending them back to you.”

President Joe Biden reversed that policy. “You can now see 4 million illegal immigrants in just 24 months,” says Pompeo. “This will

cHinese “TriAl BAllOOn” prOBes u.s. AirspAce

It’s a bird. It’s a plane! No, it’s a Chinese “weather balloon” probing American airspace!

can continent from far-off Alaska through Canada’s frigid Northwest Territories to the beaches of South Carolina.

fundamentally change the nature of our country ... drugs came across our borders. There’s not much difference between a cartel leader and a jihad leader.”

“Why not legalize drugs?” I ask. “Then cartel leaders wouldn’t exist!”

“It’s a terrible idea,” Pompeo responds. “You see the decimation that we have from our drug culture today.”

“That’s because it’s illegal!” I push back.

“It’s not,” responds Pompeo. “There’s too much product available. Family institutions are beginning to fray in ways that are fundamen-

The fascinating but the bizarre Chinese “weather balloon” incident has raised disturbing and very unsettling questions about Beijing’s high altitude breach of American airspace and indeed sovereignty. More troubling, the incident was not just a quick incursion into the U.S. Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ) but, an almost leisurely high altitude criss-crossing the North Ameri -

And this is OK? But the sordid saga goes well beyond Beijing’s humiliation tactics.

by John J. Metzler Syndicated Columnist

At first glance the incident could at first be interpreted as a tragic comedy with the U.S. detecting the flying object by chance, being mesmerized by it, and then a full week later finally using lethal force in shooting it down with an F-22 Raptor.

Bravo we got Beijing’s spy balloon!

At first we waited.

But this presents a classic CYA Washington rationalization. We can’t shoot it down over the nearly

unpopulated Aleutian Islands chain leading to Alaska. Nor can we risk a shoot down in the midst of the vast Alaskan wilderness or the sparsely populated Canadian Northwest Territories. Might hit a Moose. Or a deserted hunting camp. But this hesitation is hardly amusing for many reasons. China’s official claims that its “weather balloon” was “regretfully off course” and sailing listlessly across the country but curiously near a highly sensitive Maelstrom Missile base in Montana among others. Pure coincidence if you believe in China’s fairy tales. Did you hear the one about COVID-19 and the bat wings? Are we at this level? Who would have thought tensions with China

would come to this?

Deploying an antenna array to eavesdrop on sensitive American communications, the balloon evoked a floating technological sponge at 70,000 feet, directed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the military.

Yet I feel there’s another reason for the flight.

This is a probe. A conscious move to gauge and assess American political response and intentions. Clearly the balloon was expendable but at the same time was able to test how official Washington would act and react to such an incursion.

Same goes for the U.S. military. How does the Penta -

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: Is The Quest For Ab-

solute Freedom Killing Us?

Yes it is and that is because of the definition of “freedom” adopted by most, that is so far from the “freedom” and liberty I designed and made possible through my Son’s sacrifice for the world.

“Freedom” is now being understood as being able to do whatever one wants with no restrictions. It is being manifested in a demonstration of a virtual lawless environment. As in the time of the Judges of Israel it was said, “there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6).

Notice there was no central authority, there was no King. Notice as well that there were no clearly defined laws. People simply did what they wanted when they wanted and there were no restrictions. Absolute “freedom” brought bondage and death.

Think about this for a moment.

Imagine your country and society in which there is no central authority and no clearly defined laws so that whatever anyone did was considered an expression of “freedom.”

Imagine intersections as you drive in which green, red and yellow lights meant whatever you wanted them to mean. Imagine moral

standards, particularly with respect to sexual activity and behavior between men, women, boys, girls, children, animals and whatever, being limited by nothing but one’s desires with no moral consequences. Imagine this including raping, sexual transforming oneself at will, with all men and women subjected to whatever the whim of the transformed, indoctrinating children in any and every sexual fantasy with as many and as often as possible whenever libido “called.”

Imagine criminal activity such as looting, lying to hurt others in order to advance a personal or group agenda, drugging, mugging, breaking and entering with intend to harm and even wantonly taking the life of another simply because you could.

Imagine open borders in which anyone with sincere or malicious intent could flood your country with an invasion of values and desires completely opposite of those which have made your country prosper and thrive until the values, laws, strengths, resources, unity and common purpose are so depleted, the country collapses on itself. Imagine leaders who are themselves lawless and make commitments to defend the laws established in the past that have sustained your country for hundreds of years, yet use every opportunity to break those laws and encourage others to do the same. Imagine leaders whose only concerns are not those of the populace but their own and the privileges

that come with their positions of power.

Imagine a world where people hate one another and persecute one another with true or even false claims of racial bias, ethnic differences or skin color and then seek to redress any failures with punitive and cruel measures. These and so many others, describe a nation whose definition of liberty and “freedom“ is being able to do whatever they want without restraint.

When Israel departed from me as God and King with no central authority and became a law unto themselves, they lost true “freedom” and devolved into debauchery that led to their national collapse and destruction at the hands of foreign invaders who cruelly enslaved them till death eclipsed them.

Read the later chapters of Judges and witness the debauchery and cruelty of “freedom” being defined as license (Judges chapters 19, 20, 21). Now look at your TV’s, newspapers, and other media outlets and see it in real time. You can’t survive if “freedom,” as a cover for lawlessness, is allowed to reign.

What is genuine freedom? It is the ability, through power, to restrain the evil aspects of your life so that you do what is right for you and others around you. What is right? It is what I, your Creator have designated in my “laws” contained in my word, the Bible, which I have given you as your manual for life. Without me and my power you will be led by a sinful and destructive nature that is marked by, sexual immorality, impurity and debauch-

ery, idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealously, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” (Galatians 5:19-21). With me and my power however, you will have the ability to follow my will and create an environment of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:20-21). In a society governed by these attributes you cannot help but flourish in the true “freedom” that will accompany such a state. But I close by reminding you that you are all slaves to your sin nature and are powerless to do what is right without being set free. It is only as you are forgiven from your sins and receive my Holy Spirit that you will be empowered to do what is right and enjoy genuine “freedom.”

That is why Paul my apostle said, “through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Humble yourself, receive my Son’s gift of forgiveness and be restored to a relationship with me. You will know the truth and it will set your free (John 8:32).

I love you, God

These letters are written by Rev. Dr. Samuel Hollo, pastor at the Community Church of Alton, NH.

ski Trip TO mAine - BlAck mOunTAin, sAddleBAck & suGArlOAf

Last winter we took a day trip to Saddleback and we vowed we would make plans to come back next winter. Bria and I planned this ski trip last summer with our decision to rent a cabin in Eustis, Maine for a couple nights. Bria made a few clicks on her cellphone and found us a place. Months later as our reservation date came near we rallied our husbands to join us.

Our plan was to ski Sunday at Black Mountain of Maine, Monday at Saddleback and Tuesday at Sugarloaf.

The rest of us all have the full Indy Pass that gives us two days at over 120 independent resorts. Black Mountain and Saddleback are on the Indy Pass, Indyskipass.com.

Charlie is only cross country skiing and he purchased the Nordic Indy Pass. Black Mountain of Maine Nordic and Rangeley Lakes Trail Center are part of the Indy Pass family. We invited our friend Danielle to join us since she has an Indy Pass too. She couldn’t miss work but was happy to go on a day trip with us on Sunday. I caught a ride to Black with her so Charlie could arrive later in the day to cross country ski.

Bria and Jeremy wanted to ski in the morning at Mt. Abram in Bethel on their way to

Bria in the trees. Saddleback Mountain, Rangeley, Maine has many acres of glades for lots of fun tree skiing. We found a lot of joy in the Dark Wizard and Intimidator Glades. Saddleback has 68 trails and a drop of 2,000 vertical feet. Just a short way down the road from the ski resort is the Rangeley Lakes Trails Center, which has over 50 kilometers of groomed cross country skiing. These resorts are part of the IndySkiPass.com network of independent alpine and xc ski resorts, Indy Pass. Black. This winter they are offering $35 dollar lift tickets on the weekends–made possible by L.L.Bean. This small ski area has 1,150 feet of vertical drop.

Black has a long history beginning in the 1920’s with a ski jump and Nordic trails supported by the Chisholm Ski Club. Today there is a triple chairlift to the summit and offers 1,380 feet of vertical. There are 17 kilometers of groomed trails. The resort is a non-profit and operates Thursdays

through Sundays and selected Wednesdays through the winter. Danielle and I checked in at the ticket office to redeem our passes and I signed up for the fun race, only five dollars! We hit the slopes and skied every groomed trail. The mountain was 100% open but overnight the snow had frozen and a crust formed on the snow left natural. We most wisely stayed off that tricky snow. The lift was running full and the lift line was less than a minute

or two.

Bria & Jeremy arrived as we were finishing our early lunch. There was no lunch line at 11:30am and we needed a break. We all then went right out to ski and it began to snow hard.

I had watched them set up the race course and thought that can’t possibly be the fun course. It was a fast top to bottom set on their race trail–Kennebec to Androscoggin trails. I jumped in the race

FUNds 4 Paws

The Simple Feast

BlAck BeAn BrOWnie BiTes WiTH sunBuTTer frOsTinG

by Eric N Gibson Contributing Writer

The Simple Feast Simple The Simple

I know, I know… I can hear the gasps, the guffaws, the “Oh Eric! How could you?” But really this Black Bean Brownie is actually quite good. Delicious, in fact! And yes, I am keenly aware that this is going to be a hard sell to some of you. But this brownie, while something out of the ordinary, is worth the effort to those who want something different. Perhaps even a bit on the healthy track. Still, this creation tastes like a brownie. It is rich, moist, chocolatey, and really gooey right from the oven.

Lauded as the

“Healthy Brownie” telling people that this brownie is made with black beans, for some, conjures up visions of the 1970’s food co-ops, communes, Yule Gibbons and the back to nature craze. But fear not, while this is an alternative brownie, it is not one of “those” Brownies. (Probably disappointing to some while a relief to others.)

No, nothing too funky about these brownies unless you forget to puree the beans, but more on that later.

For me, this brownie

was an experiment. I was furthering my quest for something lower in carbohydrates and gluten free (GF) while still having the taste and texture of a chocolatey, delicious, gooey, brownie. Cup for cup I was not overwhelmed with the results on carbohydrates and not wholly disappointed either. But, that is a story for another time. Remember last week, I noted in the article on White Chocolate Crunch that my son needed to bring a snack to a meeting? Well, he also mentioned that the request was made for a Gluten Free Snack too. So, along with the White Chocolate Crunch I made these Black Bean Brownie Bites with Sunbutter Frosting and bid him “Bon Voyage!” as he was up at the crack of dawn

headed for Columbia. (That would be Columbia, NH lest anyone be confused.)

So why the Black Bean Brownie? Well I took inspiration from my dining hall days when we hosted interns from the RD program on campus. I remembered a Black Bean Brownie that these interns made. Not too bad as I recall.

So, I was sure, with the progress of time, GF Black Bean Brownies had increased in popularity and therefore someone must have developed a better recipe with time. Searching the internet I was not disappointed, for there were a ton of Black Bean Brownie recipes. I found one in particular that appealed to me at the joy food sunshine website: https://joyfoodsunshine.com/black-

bean-brownies/ and as usual I did a little modification to make it ¨my own¨ or atleast fit the ingredients I had on hand and still be considered GF. Now, unfortunately I could not find anything close to the official history of the first Black Bean Brownie so I cannot tell you with certainty the who, what, where, when, and why of this delicious dessert but here are some interesting facts about brownies in general gleaned from an article by Carla Martin titled Brownies, The History of a Classic American Dessert.

The first recorded recipe for a brownie was in Fanny Farmer’s Boston Cooking School CookBook 1896 edition. But, did you know that Ms. Farmer’s recipe for a Brownie did See FEAST on 25

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Records You Need to Keep

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

FINDER

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 Argue -

Cranberry 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

MOFFETT from 3 appreciate that he gave my idea a chance.

the region and indeed the country. ABC radio commentator and syndicated columnist Paul Harvey call the initiative an inspiring “model for the nation.”

Bamford no doubt paid a price with some of our distinguished faculty members, but I will always

I was also grateful that his son Todd returned to the Plymouth area after graduating from college to occasionally help me in the Sports Information office. I was happy to help point him towards a job in SID field at Norwich University.

Speaking of Norwich, Bamford had a good eye for talent and in 1993 he hired a Norwich grad named Don Brown to coach the Panther football team. PSC would go on to win a Freedom Football Conference title and an NCAA playoff berth. Steve was actually a prime mover behind the establishment of the FFC in the 1990s.

Brown would go on gain national recognition as a head coach or an assistant coach for Division I gridiron powers like UMassAmherst, Northeastern, Connecticut, Boston College, Maryland, Michigan, and Arizona.

In 2022 Brown returned to New England

for a second tour as UMass-Amherst head coach. The UMass Director of Athletics who hired him back was none other than Ryan Bamford, Steve’s other son.

What goes around truly comes around.

But the game clock of life never stops ticking and time eventually runs out for every team, every player, and every coach. But that final buzzer is especially harsh when it sounds for folks we know.

My “to do” list included making a trip to Cape Cod some time to look in on some friends down there to include Steve and his wife Donna. I never got it scheduled and I’ll always be sad about that.

I still owe Steve those three sodas.

Sports Quiz

What was Plymouth Teachers College known as before 1963?

(Answer follows).

Born Today

That is to say, sports standouts born on February 16 include tennis great John McEnroe (1959) and Pittsburgh Steeler running back Jerome Bettis (1972).

Sports Quote

“We’re going to hang our heads high.” –Milwaukee manager Harvey Kuenn after his Brewers lost to the Cardinals in the 1982 World Series

Sports Quiz Answer

Plymouth Normal School.

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.

Some of Plymouth State College’s all-time leading basketball scorers at an alumni event in 1983. (l-r) Steve Bamford, Bill Haubrich, Mark Bergeron, Carl MacAllister, and Mike Moffett.

Here’s A Tip

by JoAnn Derson Syndicated Columnist

* “It can be tricky to add new keys to a key ring, especially if you don’t have much of a fingernail. I have found

a foolproof way to get the key started. Just use a staple remover. It works wonders!” -- T.R. in Indiana

* If you find that you have small scratches in your wood furniture, try this old trick: Rub a walnut over dings to cover them up. Or find a matching brown crayon, rub it lightly into the scratch, and finish with a hair dryer held 10 inches away for about 10-15 seconds. It melts the wax of the crayon, and then you can buff it with a soft rag. Any excess is swept away and the color remains.

* Got small kids? If your little one keeps rolling out of his bed, here’s a tip: Use a pool noodle tucked under the fitted sheet, lengthwise along the edge of the bed. It’s just enough of a bumper to send a sleeping child back to the center of the mattress.

* “If you have many mismatched frames that you would like to use, you can try spray painting them all the same color. I had several that were different colors and a little bit beat up, but I wanted to use them in one big group. I painted them all glossy black, and they look great!” -- W.F. in Arkansas

tally dangerous to the United States.”

His answer makes no sense. Families fray, and drugs are shipped despite our drug war. The war creates a black market that causes crime. There are no alcohol “cartels,” only because we ended Prohibition.

But I won’t convince Pompeo. Or you, probably.

I ask Pompeo why America needs 54,000 troops in Japan and 36,000 in Germany. “We won those wars! Now those countries should defend themselves.”

Xi Jinping is the “singular greatest threat in the history of our nation,” says Pompeo. If we bring all the troops home, that will “put the American people at enormous risk.”

Pompeo calls Edward Snowden “a traitor” who should be executed. Snowden stole documents from the National Security Agency that showed how our government illegally spied on Americans.

I call Snowden a hero for risking his freedom and career to reveal the truth.

Pompeo says secrets Snowden revealed endangered Americans. But our spies often exaggerate their importance. For instance, the NSA claimed its mass surveillance stopped 54 terrorist attacks. Then the number dropped to seven. Then government reviews concluded that mass surveillance did not stop a single at -

tack.

“You can’t just steal American secrets,” says Pompeo. “If you find something illegal, there is a process to correct it.”

But people who used that process had their homes raided -- their careers ended. I understand why Snowden sneaked out of the country.

Another area where Pompeo and I disagree is Trump’s tariffs.

“Tariffs mainly punish the American consumer,” I point out.

Tariffs make goods more expensive.

“Tariffs are a very blunt instrument,” acknowledges Pompeo, but they “solve a very real challenge. How is it you prevent an adversarial nation from screwing you in their trade relationships?”

The Chinese do cheat. They steal intellectual property. But tariffs haven’t stopped that. The Chinese also foolishly subsidize some industries. But so do we!

Free trade benefits everyone. That’s one reason I’m a libertarian.

Pompeo does want to cut government. Why isn’t he a libertarian?

“I grew up libertarian,” he says. “The idea of less government power being better for the American people is something that is very near and dear to my heart.”

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.”

taught me to value the life of all people and not to consider myself better than others, particularly based upon superficial characteristics like skin color or nationality.

My first interaction with Black people as well as Asian and Hispanic was probably not until I was in college. I had some Native American contact there as well as previously here in New Hampshire. I worked in the College kitchen while a student there and at one point two black African Christians who had come to the states to study and spoke limited English were washing the pots and pans and singing their African spiritual songs as they worked.

You might ask if I felt that it was unfair for these two black men to have to work at such a menial job. I never had that thought or any feeling that they were lowering themselves by accepting and cheerfully undertaking such an assignment, for you see their job had been my job for many months be-

fore I was reassigned to a cooking position and eventually a supervisory position in the kitchen.

My assumption in my younger days was that slavery was something that was limited to the southern states and was never a part of the northern states. That assumption was not true, though slavery was never practiced in the north to the extent it was in the south. The decision of southern states to withdraw from the Union came about because the northern states and the United States government would not agree to the demand of the south that the north agree that they had a right to own slaves. The fact is that, though not considered one of the major ports for importing slaves, Portsmouth, New Hampshire was one of the entry points for the slave trade in America.

Also, though slavery does not appear to have had wide-spread support in New Hampshire, there were some slaveholders in the Granite State. And others who were not slave-holders profited from the slave

report went on to insist that slavery was not only morally wrong, but there was also an economical evil of slavery, meaning “that capital invested in slaves is unproductive.” The argument was that it was more costly for the plantation owners to own slaves than it would have been for them to have hired free men to do the labor.

trade in other ways.

The 1865 report of the United States Commissioner of Agriculture had some interesting comments on slavery, including why it was not as well-received in the northern states and why, in the Agriculture Department’s opinion, was not as profitable to agriculturists as was the use of free hired employees.

A section of the report titled Resources and Industrial Condition of the Southern States was written by Daniel Goodloe of North Carolina, an abolitionist. The rebellion of the southern states, and their defeat, according to Goodloe, resulted in a social and political revolution, forcing the people into a whole new way of doing things.

So he wrote: “The whole structure of southern society was founded on slavery. It was the one great controlling interest. The institution was a curse to the country.” This was not true of northern states where there were some slave-holders, but the practice was not generally accepted.

The 1865 agricultural

One reason given to explain why most farmers in the north did not own slaves was that their farms were generally smaller and the labor was done by family members. Small farms in the south did not generally resort to slavery for the farm labor. “It is also to be remarked,” declared the agriculture report, “that in all the free states, except Maine and New Hampshire, the farms were smaller in 1860 than in 1850. This is a healthy tendency, as it implies better husbandry and a wider subdivision of the soil among the people.”

In an obvious attempt to encourage a peaceful transition from a society in which the slavery of black people was suddenly “destroyed,” the United States annual agriculture report sought to convince former slaveholders that the change was to their benefit as well as that of the blacks who were then forward to be considered their equals.

“No rational man,” the report said, “could expect them all to go to work quietly for their former masters without a prospect of fair wages, yet, in point of fact, thousands have done so, and there is abundant reason for believing that, as a class, the negroes will become an industrious, thrifty, and law-abiding people, eminently docile, and emulous of improvement..”

Isaac Newton - First United States Commissioner of Agriculture - and an abolitionist.

Almagra Barn At Waukewan Golf Club

Located in the heart of the Lakes Region, this 1800’s farm offers everything you are looking for in a charming New England setting. The Property had operated as the Almagra Farm before it became a golf club. “Almagra” translates to “Red” in native languages. The function facility is an elegant post & beam barn, with a beautiful fieldstone fireplace and large dance floor. We are surrounded by majestic mountain views. It is a perfect place for weddings, receptions, rehearsal dinners, business meetings and conferences or special occasions.

Please contact Kim Hale at 603-677-2649 or email: khwaukewan@metrocast.net for more information.

Please contact Kathy Baker at 603-677-2513 khwaukewan@metrocast.net for more information.

166 Waukewan Road v Center Harbor, NH v 603-279-6661 v www.waukewangolfclub.com

PHOTO BY CLIFFORDPHOTOGRAPHYNH.COM

cHOOsinG A WeddinG dATe

by Gina Brown

The most commonly asked question you will hear when your friends and family are informed of your engagement is “When is the wedding?” Choosing a wedding date is very important because almost all of your wedding planning

details will revolve around the date that you choose. Here are some things to take into consideration to help you pick a perfect date for your wedding. If you already know where you would like to have the ceremony and reception, you should call them and

St.

confirm what dates they have available. If you are set on a specific location, your wedding date will have to coincide with the availability of the location, especially if you have chosen a very popular location because these places tend to get booked

Parish

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very quickly. Take into consideration what type of wedding you have in mind. For example, have you always dreamed of a beach wedding surrounded by the calming sounds of the ocean or a fall wedding with beautiful red and orange leaves in the background? You will have to choose a date that is appropriate in terms of temperature and seasons. In addition, if there is a particular style of dress that you have in mind, the time of year will influence your bridal attire choices.

Have you always

PHOTO BY CLIFFORDPHOTOGRAPHYNH.COM

Brenda

by Frankie Janiyan

You are in a position of honor. Your close friend is assuming the position and he needs your help. He has asked you to be his “best man”, to stand by his side and support him through his last act as a free man. You relish your thoughts of all the fun aspects of your job; you get to help coordinate a stag party, ok, so maybe that’s the extent of the fun parts. Still you want to help your old buddy make as cool and smooth transition to the other side as possible; you want to be the best best man you can be. You’re going to have to make a speech, a verbal representation of

GivinG THe BesT mAn speecH

fact that as the deliverer of a speech, you need to project not only your voice, but others projectiles like enthusiasm, positivism, confidence, and an entertaining sense of composure. I know it sounds like a lot. Don’t worry; we have a plan to bring you through to the successful side of this speech writing/delivery.

The most important component of your speech is not

the words you choose to deliver, it is how you present them to your audience. Think about it, you know that the last thing that they want to endure is a long winded, nonpersonally relevant, over-mushy, big bag of wind. They want entertainment. They want lighthearted laughter. They want it to be over relatively soon so that the celebration can continue. So there is your first lesson. In a

See SPEECH on 23

good times past, current times observed in a promising light, and words of ominous wisdom pertaining to the future of the newly

linked couple. Let’s break this speech thing down into some workable components. You need to first embrace the

PHOTO BY CLIFFORDPHOTOGRAPHYNH.COM

wanted a wedding during a specific holiday such as Christmas? Christmas is a popular time because many wedding locations are already beautifully decorated at this time of year. However, getting ready for a wedding in addition to all the activities that occur during the Christmas holidays such as shopping, parties, wrapping gifts can be too much for some people.

Maybe you thought having a wedding during a holiday would be easier for your guests due to the three day weekend. Some people may appreciate that your wedding is during a long holi -

day weekend while it might be difficult for others because many people plan their own vacations during these times of the year. Are there important people in your life that you feel must attend the wedding? While there will always be people who will not be able to make it, some people may be higher on your priority list than others. For example, if your maid of honor is giving birth the same month you choose to have your wedding, you may want to give her a little time after the birth to feel more comfortable in her bridesmaid dress. Or maybe your parents have a vacation

already planned for the same time. Prevent scheduling conflicts as much as possible by discussing your wedding date with these important people to avoid any problems.

Gina Brown writes articles on a variety of wedding topics. To learn more about wedding planning, Gina recommends you visit: http://www.AWeddingToPlan.com

nutshell: Be confident; speak up; smile a lot; don’t belabor your points. These aspects of delivery will make even a poorly written speech flow easier thereby enhancing the undercurrent of the whole ceremony.

You are going to need to at least write a flowchart to have in front of your eyes to keep you on task. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll be able to fake your way through it. Most people are not fluent public speakers. This has nothing to do with you; it’s just that public speaking, sometimes especially in front of friends and acquaintances who you would think you’d be at ease in front of, makes people nervous. Without some notes for reference, speech-

makers commonly will draw a blank at the crucial moment of deliverance. Although the friendly crowd won’t judge you for a poor performance, in retrospect you will wish that you had shined when the focus was on you. You will want to flow like a pro, making all wonder how you pulled off such an orchestrated masterpiece. As for the content, that is where you are the expert already. Remember that you got this job because of your knowledge. You know the groom. You probably know him better than his new wife (mostly), especially if you have been friends for an extended period of time. Use your knowledge to bring out the lighter side of life. Keep topics non-offensive and

lighthearted for the most part. It is expected and would be a letdown to the crowd if you did not do at least a little grilling. Poke some borderline, yet still clean, fun at the groom and whoever else may be present as a target of your roomcaptivating speech. Spontaneity is a beautiful thing as well. If you draw a blank, just take a breath and tell a little story that nobody but you and the groom would know. The audience will appreciate being made to feel like insiders, and you will be remembered as the best man who knew how to lay it down like a breeze through the trees. Salute!

Engagement parties • Wedding receptions

131

Colorful glassware and gold flatware bring added sophistication to a farm table.

Frankie writes for Eclipse Leisure.

233 Daniel Webster Highway Junction of Routes 3 & 104 Meredith, NH 03253

extra effort well worth it.

It is particularly rewarding to see birds at the birdbath in the winter. More than any other aspect of birdwatching in any other season, I think a birdbath in the winter is the biggest help to birds.

Feeding birds is really supplementing their diet. It may help the birds more in the winter than in other seasons, but even without bird feeders, birds would find enough food to survive. There are also many natural cavities in the woods for birds to find

homes. Granted, there are far fewer natural cavities because

so much land has been developed, but there are still plenty of

dead trees for birds to find homes. An argument can be made, of course, for the necessity of bluebird boxes, as that species was in peril due to the lack of suitable places to nest. The bluebird box program has helped the species immensely. Even birdbaths, while convenient for birds, are not completely necessary for most of the year, as there are plenty of other water sources to be found. But when a hard freeze occurs and those other water sources are frozen, birdbaths are a godsend to the birds, which need to drink and keep their feathers clean for survival. Which begs the

question, how do you keep water in a birdbath unfrozen so the birds can utilize it? There are a few different ways to do this.

The easiest way is to buy a heated birdbath or a heater designed for a birdbath. This requires a bit of an investment to purchase the bath, a sturdy extension cord and a reliable outdoor electrical outlet.

Another way is to try a bubbler system. This requires either a strong extension cord and outdoor outlet, or there are some on the market that run on batteries. I have tried one that runs on batteries and did not have much success as the water simply froze around legs that were supposed to be wiggling.

Or you can try my labor-intensive method, which is to bring a pot of hot (not boiling) water and dump it in the birdbath whenever it freezes. Sometimes this is required only once after a cold night followed by a relatively warm sunny day. Or it requires several trips to the birdbath when temperatures remain bitterly cold throughout the day. To me, it is worth the effort to make these several trips.

Of course, this method works only when you are home and have the time to make those multiple trips. I am lucky enough to be able to work from home a few days a week and those are the days I can take the time to make the trips back and forth. When I am at work, unfortunately, the birds are on their own.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when offering water to birds in the winter. I would

not recommend using a glass or ceramic birdbath as they can easily crack or otherwise break when ice forms in the bowl. I lost a nice ceramic birdbath one winter when I let the neighbor kids come over to try to break up the ice with a hammer. Looking back, it was not the most intelligent decision I’ve ever made, but you live and learn.

Putting the bath in a sunny spot will help keep the water from freezing completely. Even if the water is mostly frozen, a few puddles of liquid are better than nothing as the birds can take a drink.

I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary at my birdbath this winter, but I have had pretty good luck with the more common species. I get daily visits from cardinals, blue jays, song sparrows and mourning doves. Less frequently, there have been goldfinches, chickadees, robins and bluebirds. Then there was the day the Cooper’s hawk perched on the birdbath and used it as a lookout.

Keeping unfrozen water in a birdbath in the winter gives you a leg up on your neighbors for attracting more birds. The birds may still get food from various backyards, but there are likely not too many places to get a drink from a birdbath.

Let me know your birdbath tips and what interesting birds you are attracting.

Goldfinch and Bluebird at bath.

Black Bean Brownie Bites

Yield: 25 Each Time: Aprox. 45 Minutes

BROWNIE

1 - 15oz. Can Black Beans (rinsed)

¼ Cup Honey

½ Cup Butter (melted)

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

¼ Cup Coconut Sugar (you can use regular or brown)

¼ Cup Cocoa Powder

½ tsp. Salt (dash will do)

2 Lg. Eggs

1 - 3.5oz. Bar Extra Dark 72% Cocoa (Dark Chocolate broken into pieces)

SUNBUTTER FROSTING

¾ Cup Sunbutter

½ Cup Butter (melted and cooled)

½ tsp. Vanilla Extract

2 Cups + ¼ Cup Powdered Sugar

½ tsp. Salt (optional)

2-4 Tbsp. Milk

— Brownies —

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare (lightly grease) a 8X8 baking dish.

- Into a food processor or blender combine the rinsed black beans, honey, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Blend thoroughly for a smooth consistency.

- Add to this mixture the coconut sugar, salt, and cocoa powder and continue to mix.

- Add eggs, one at a time and blend thoroughly. Then empty into a mixing bowl.

- Take your wrapped dark chocolate bar and give it a few good whacks against the counter to break it up into different size pieces. Unwrap it and dump the contents into the mixing bowl. With a plastic spatula give this a good stirring to distribute the chocolate.

- Pour batter into a greased baking dish and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. The sides should just start to pull from the pan. Remove from the oven and let cool.

— Sunbutter Frosting —

- In a small mixing bowl combine sunbutter, butter, salt, and vanilla extract mixing thoroughly.

- Add the 2 cups of confectioners (powdered) sugar a little at a time and mix completely. It will get thick.

- Add in milk a Tablespoon at a time and thicken to the consistency you desire. (You may need to add some more sugar if it is too thin.)

- This can be chilled for up to a week. To thin for spreading and piping leave on the counter for a little while or microwave for not more than 10 seconds and stir.

- Pipe onto brownies or gently spread with a knife. (For ¨piping¨ without a pastry bag, fill a zipper sandwich bag with frosting, snip off a corner, and start squeezing. Not super fancy but with a bit of practice you can get creative with simple designs. Plops and blobs are fun too!)

not contain chocolate of any kind? Neither did I! But, it’s true! While it did contain nuts, it did not call for chocolate. It actually called for molasses.

Ms. Martin claims that the first published recipe for a Brownie that contained chocolate appeared in the Service Club of Chicago´s CookBook of 1904, called a Bangor Brownie, in reference to Bangor Maine(?). The article further points out that in 1904 a Ms. Eleanor P. Quimby included

a near exact recipe as found in the Service Club of Chicago’s CookBook in her Home Cookery (published in Laconia NH) in 1904, with only the addition of salt and vanilla extract. No specific timeline of the two publications was given to determine which came first. So, was this just a coincidence? Perhaps a case of something so deliciously good the news of this delightful confection inspired great minds to think alike? The world may never know. But, if you

are looking for a good read to go with your brownies I would encourage you to check out Ms. Martin’s article here: https://ushistoryscene.com/article/ brownies/

Getting back to Black Bean Brownies, these brownies are good either warm or cold and both temperatures have their merits. Let’s face it, there is something deliciously sinful about a warm, gooey, fudgy, chocolatey, brownie. With a cold glass of milk, it just hits the spot.

body structure with the chunks firming up to offer a bit of a subtle chocolate bar “snap” with a robust chocolate fudge flavor coming through. And never fear, you can reheat these in the microwave for just a few seconds if you like your brownie slightly warm.

The one caveat with any Black Bean Brownie recipe is that you must puree the black beans into a paste, otherwise you will have whole beans, partial beans, and even less appealing, bean skins. This was a mistake I made with my first batch, I didn’t puree the beans but rather just let the paddle blade mash them up in the mixing bowl. The fussy eaters in the house were highly critical of the results. Had I run the beans through the blender or food processor for a smooth texture and then made the batter, the consistency would have been much more pleasing to the consumer.

Using a 8x8 glass baking dish the end product comes out about an inch and a half or so thick. I cut these brownies into 5x5 for 25 bites. Already a generous serving for those looking for a rich chocolate treat, making them bigger is certainly an option. And too, these brownies would make a great base for a Brownie Sundae. Warmed and topped with a premium ice cream, some homemade hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry; that’s a winner right there! Or maybe even put some Sunbutter Frosting in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it up a bit and drizzle it over the top of the ice cream only to have it firm back up? Oh, the scrumptious possibilities are endless! Topped with Sunbutter Frosting these Black Bean Brownie Bites are a delicious ending to any Simple Feast.

Enjoy!

Still warm within a half hour after coming out of the oven (if you can wait that long) these Black Bean Brownie Bites retain their moist gooeyness while the chocolate flavor has some time to evolve but the chocolate chunks are still melty, giving these baked goodies that extra “gooey” factor. But then again, for those who like a fudge brownie, chilled, these brownies take on an almost fudge like quality. Firming up in the fridge but not like rocks, just a solid

FEAST from 13

and it was fast and fun. There were a few kids in speed suits that were really fast. Also, a lot of little kids and others like me are just trying to ski fast for fun.

The four of us skied together until almost closing. Danielle and I made 16 runs, almost 18,000vf. Charlie was done cross country skiing too and he was waiting for us in the lodge.

Way back in 1993 Charlie and I competed in the United State National Cross Country Championships held at Black. Bates College held their college carnival races here in January. Charlie had a good cross country ski and it was nice to recall some good memories.

Danielle headed back home to New Hampshire. We drove in the snowstorm to Rangeley and then to our sweet little rental log cabin in Eustis.

Bria prepared us a yummy pasta bake dinner. I served my mother’s blueberry pie for dessert. We watched a

Yours truly, Danielle, Bria and Jeremy enjoying the snowstorm on top of Black Mountain of Maine, Rumford, Maine. 50 trails and glades for fun alpine skiing and there are also 17 kilometers of groomed Nordic trails. Suitable terrain for the whole family. Fun giant slalom races are held on Sunday afternoons that are open to everyone. In the lodge is The Last Run Pub and apres ski is always hopping and has live music. SkiBlackMountain.org.

movie and went to bed early.

We made it to Saddleback as the lifts were opening at 9 am. About 5 inches of new snow covered the slopes and the sun was peeking out. The three of us

really enjoyed the new snow. Saddleback skis really big with its 2000 foot vertical drop and its big vista over the Rangeley Lakes that reaches far. Yes we could even see Mt. Washington. And not far above the

lift terminals and the trees the Appalachian Trail crosses the bare summit of Saddleback Mountain.

I didn’t see any closed trails and we watched the ski patrol drop the ropes on the glades.

We had a yippee kind of day. No lift lines on a Monday morning, we felt like we had the trails to ourselves most of the time. We made an honest effort to ski every trail but we did ski a couple of our favorites of the Kennebago Steeps. We skied everything between Tight Line and Mule Skinner. Oh, the glades were so much fun, the powder snow just piled up in the trees.

Charlie spent the morning at the cabin playing his guitar and practicing his German with Duolingo. He had a great ski, the classic tracks were perfect. The Nordic Center is just a little ways down the road from the ski resort. He knows the trails well there because we have skied in the Rangeley Lakes marathon a few times.

I met Charlie in the pub just past 3pm, I had skied 21 runs and over 23,000 vf. Bria and Jeremy stayed out for a couple more runs.

Jeremy had to head home to go back to work. Charlie drove us back to our cabin and it started snowing again.

We happily ate leftovers for supper and we went off to bed early again.

In the morning I had to brush the snow off the car before we loaded up all our stuff. We cleaned up and said goodbye to our cabin. Charlie dropped us off at Sugarloaf and he went off to the Nordic Center.

It was a lot colder and windier than the previous two days and more people were on the trails than the day before. A big elite junior downhill race was being held on Narrow Gauge and race training on the Competition Hill.

We got our tickets and headed up to do laps on the high speed Sugarloaf Superquad that delivers an amazing 1,750 vf for each lift ride. Timberline lift to the summit was closed due to the wind. Sugarloaf boasts a summit elevation of 4,237 feet and a continuous vertical drop of 2,820 feet.

The snow was firmer with some wind blown powder and it was cold. We made sure our faces were completely cov -

See PATENAUDE on 27

Yours truly skiing at Sugarloaf with a big view of the Bigelow Mountains. Sugarloaf is the biggest resort in Maine with more than 60 miles of trails and glades. Sugarloaf has direct access to the lift IKON pass.

ered. The black diamond Hayburner Trail really held its snow all morning.

Most people skied past it to ski the less steep trails.

We made it over to the King Pine lift and the snow there looked like the snowfields above the treeline, well probably because it is near

the treeline–lots of big chucks of packed powder dotted the upper part of the trails. We noticed around 11 o’clock that there were a lot less people out on the slopes. I am guessing the locals all went home for the day. Nothing beats mid-week day skiing.

We skied 15 runs and, to our amazement,

Cheers! Apres ski and we’re settling down for the night in our cozy cabin. We made our cabin reservation last summer and we were lucky with the super powder snow conditions.

logged in 26,000 vf! We met Charlie at the lodge at 2:30 and it was our turn to drive back home to New Hampshire. On our way home we stopped at Moose Al -

ley in Rangeley: a family run entertainment business with state of the art bowling–ten lanes, billiards and an arcade. We ate good comfort food in their

Cafe. Fun for the whole family. Reminds me a little of that Funspot I like in the Weirs! Have fun.

PATENAUDE from 26

gon reaction unfold and how precisely?

Equally the reactions it highlights are crisis management flaws by both Washington and Beijing.

Keep in mind Russian forces regularly probed Ukrainian territory, though not with balloons, over the past years before this recent conflict.

And for well over a year the Beijing regime has been probing the air defenses of democratic Taiwan with harassment tactics by using lethal squadrons of military jets flying near the small island offshore Mainland China.

Reactions in both capitals were tense but measured. China’s Foreign Ministry in Beijing blustered with self-righteous sophistry that shooting down

the balloon was “irresponsible” and the actions against Beijing “may be part of the U.S. side’s information warfare against China.”

The Biden Administration politically postured but still prefers to view the Beijing regime as a political and economic competitor rather than a clear and present danger that it truly is.

Then, less than a week later three more “unidentified objects” were shot down by the USAF, one over Alaska and another over Canada’s Yukon. I know it’s not polite to ask but how many times has the USAF shot down suspected “unidentified objects” over the U.S. since WWII??

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)

is tasked to monitor U.S. and Canadian airspace. Both the U.S. Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force share defense responsibilities.

Still despite rising geopolitical tensions, when it comes to commerce the U.S. China relationship is booming massively in Beijing’s favor! Two way trade between the U.S. and China during 2022 reached a record $691 billion! And the annual trade deficit with China soared to $383 bil-lion.

Why Now? Communist China holds a perception of American weakness and is thus willing to probe the margins. The Biden Administration’s debacle in Afghanistan, its policy indecision towards Islamic Iran, and allowing essen -

tially unsecured borders, does this lead to China probing the perimeters, in this case American airspace? Thus this “trial balloon” signifies so much more.

Indeed in the postwar era, it’s hard to recall a period of simultaneous global conflicts, crises and tensions ranging from China, to Europe, and the Middle East. We may be on the cusp of a very transformational power matrix.

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.

SHURTLEFF from 6 national emergency. This will incentivize permanent national emergencies and make them constitutional.

vention of States, who recently testified before a New Hampshire committee, is calling for structural change of the Constitution, including a 50 member Supreme Court-something he failed to tell committee members.

Professor Larry Lessig, a colleague of Convention of States founder Mark Meckler, called for a rewrite of the U.S. Constitution. I actually videotaped an interview with him and Wolf PAC founder Cenk Uygur where he hoped for a “runaway convention.”

www.youtube.com/ watch?v= mEJWeLab8Ao

7. All of the proposed balanced budget amendments, promoted by “conservative” supporters of an Article V Convention, have two escape clauses: war and a

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8, A term limits amendment proposed by “conservative” Article V supporters may “get the bums out” after 12 years, but will also limit good members of Congress. It will also give us a permanent “lame duck” Congress.

Article V Convention supporters incorrectly contend that the Founders gave us the convention method to rein in an abusive federal government. The Founders gave us the convention method if Congress was unwilling to correct defects in the Constitution. Our problem is not a defective U.S. Constitution but defective elected officials and voters many of whom support an abusive federal government.

Without realizing it, Mark Meckler, founder of Convention of States, made an excellent argument against an Article V. In a statement made to an entity called Living Room Conversations, https://livingroomconversations. org/about-us/team/ where he is listed, along with Van Jones, as a “champion,” he said: “I have come to realize that the largest divide in this country is not between the citizens of one party or another but between the citizens and the Ruling Elite in Washington, D.C and the state capitols.”

In my opinion, he is playing into the hands of the elites he claims to be against.

Readers who would like more information on the subject are welcomed to contact me at campconstitution1@ gmail.com

METZLER from 7

Israel’s story is miraculous beyond words. Out of nothing, in just 75 years, a booming modern economy has been created, despite having to fight at least three major wars along the way against enemies that far outnumbered them.

Omar and her crowd hate this. They hate a story in which individuals take personal responsibility for their lives, fight, struggle

against great odds and achieve.

Omar deserves to be booted because of her antisemitism. But more deeply, she deserves to be booted because she fails Gilder’s Israel Test.

She loves to talk about her childhood in Somalia. Somalia has a national per capita income of around $500. Why doesn’t she spend time trying to inspire change in her beleaguered home country?

Omar and her colleague Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez prefer making allegations about institutional racism rather than looking at what really drives poverty and underachievement in our poor communities. As a start, it is perpetuated by the Omar-AOC mindset looking for whom to blame, looking for whom to hate, rather than starting with freedom and personal responsibility.

We’re in the mid -

dle of Black History Month.

Let’s not let Omar and her lefty crowd hijack our great American story.

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said in his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, the problem is not our great American values, but failures to live up to them.

The struggles, and achievements, of Black Americans to participate fully in the American saga and

dream have made this country greater.

We are getting closer. But we must turn from the naysayers and move in the direction of life, family and freedom.

As for Omar, she ought to spend less time accusing others of denying that she is an American and more time learning and embracing the values that define, and make great, our free country under God.

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.

PUZZLE CLUE: ALLOW TO BE ADDED

B.C.

by Parker & Hart

Magic Maze Sudoku

THEME THIS WEEK: ---LOVE

Caption Contest

CAPTION THIS PHOTO!!

OUR PICK FOR BEST CAPTION

Building a new public restroom in Antarctica.

-Norma Brennick, Rochester, NH.

Runners Up : “Dusting to an inch heh” - Bob Watson, Bristol, NH.

These Easter Egg hunts in Siberia are much tougher than the ones back in New Hampshire.

- David Barth, Laconia

Avid golfers clear the driving range to get some early swings in -Robert Ferlito, Lynbrook, NY.

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 #951

PHOTO #949

The Winklman Aeffect by John Whitlock