02/24/2022 Weirs Times by The Weirs Publishing Company

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

VOLUME 31, NO. 8

THE WEIRS, LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE, N.H., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022

COMPLIMENTARY

Weirs Times’ Brendan Smith At Cold Spring Farm

Winter scene at Spindle Point, Meredith.

by Robert Hanaford Smith, Sr.

PHOTO ROBERT CLIFFORD ROBERTALLANCLIFFORD.COM

February Memories Linger

Contributing Writer

Times have changed, but four of the five special days marked on my calendar in the month of February are the same as would have been found there in my childhood. They are Groundhog Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, Valentine’s

Day, and Washington’s Birthday. The fifth one is President’s Day which is observed on the 3rd Monday of the month as a result of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which was voted into law by the United States Congress. It has been observed since the year 1971. Presidents’ Day was meant to combine

a celebration of Washington’s birthday with that of Lincoln, but has become a day to honor all United States Presidents. Officially, from a national standpoint, the third Monday of February is still designated as Washington’s Birthday. That was never changed with the change of date. The first presi-

dent’s birthday has been a holiday in the whole country since the year 1885, though observed in some states long before then. As a child I recall that the news letting us know if the groundhog saw his shadow on February 2nd came by radio on the morning of that day, probably by WBZ See FEBRUARY on 30

Weirs Times editor and “F.O.O.L. In New Hampshire” columnist Brendan Smith will be back on the road after a long Covid break at beautiful Cold Spring Farm in Alton, NH. on Saturday, March 5th. Brendan will be telling some of his classic Flatlander Tales as well as stories from his newest book “I Really Only Did It For The Socks - Stories & Thoughts on Aging” where he tackles the ups and downs of getting older. Also performing will be wellknown local musicians Chris Bonoli and Roy D’Innocenzo. They will play a short set at 6pm while everyone gets settled, and another, extended set to close out the evening. Doors open at 5:30pm. Show starts at 6pm. Seating will be first come first served. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at www.tix.com/ticketsales/coldspringfarm/6481 Find out more on Cold Spring Farm’s Facebook page. www.facebook.com/coldspringfarmnh A good time is guaranteed to all .

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

Masking Of Students Up For Vote NO PRESSURE, NO GIMMICKS, NO KIDDING! 159 D.W. Hwy, Belmont, NH • 603-524-8821

To The Editor: At 6pm on March 7 in the I-LHS Gym/Auditorium, the voters in the Inter-Lakes School District will have a chance to vote on petitioned Article 7 at the Annual School District Meeting. The article reads, “To see if the registered voters in the Inter-Lakes School District will vote to approve optional school masking (indoor/outdoor/busing/sports/co-curricular) based solely on parental guidance, for grades pre-K through 12, during the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year.” It seems appropriate for this article be voted by the residents of Meredith, Center Harbor, and Sandwich now, especially when so many states, cities and school districts are dropping mask mandates. The science says it’s time and I say it’s way past time. I’m sure the article’s discussion will be interesting and the vote will definitely be by silent ballot. The article is not about anti-masking, it’s about parental choice. My youngest grandchild has not seen her teachers smile for the majority of her three years in school. Another young grandchild had to run the track on a hot, glaringly sunny, humid day in May wearing a mask, and got off the bus with heatstroke. (I challenged the school board members and Superintendent Mary Moriarty to do the same, but they chose not to.) As I watched volleyball matches last fall, the Inter-

Lakes players were the only ones in many very hot gyms fully masked-sweating, red faced, and breathing hard while playing. Some kids are scared not to mask up and believe that a Covid positive test is an immediate death sentence for all. Guess what! It’s not, especially for kids. Enough is enough. Please come to the Inter-Lakes Annual School District meeting on March 7 at 6pm in the School Auditorium/Gym to vote and discuss the nearly $30 million budget for 948 students, and also to vote Yes on Article 7, giving parents the choice to decide what is best for their children.The School Board and their attorney have stated that Article 7 is advisory only, but we can still give direction if the School Board chooses to accept it. Last time this issue was brought up, the school attorney cited an Attendance law as basis for the board not to even accept the petition. Usually the school district meetings have only a handful of people not employed by or retired from the school. Maybe this year, a few more will show up? Don’t forget to bring your mandated mask, though, or you might be delegated to the band room, which will probably be a lot more fun than the gym/auditorium. FYI, March 8 is Election Day, with the majority of Inter-Lakes School Board seats up for grabs and all positions are contested. No matter what happens with the Article 7 vote, a majority flip of the board

is something to consider for many different reasons, most of which will be covered in a future letter. Karen Sticht Meredith, NH.

Private Road Legislation Vote in the NH Senate To The Editor: If you live on a Private Road, the New Hampshire Private Road Taxpayers Alliance (NHPVRTA) needs your help to get important private road legislation passed by contacting your NH State Senator and asking them to vote YES on SB 246 and SB 250. SB246 is mandatory legislation that requires municipalities to ensure that developers of qualified private road communities build those roads to public standards or that developers fund a Capital Reserve Account for the benefit of the residents to maintain and ultimately replace those roads. SB 250 would enable municipalities to adopt a tax credit program for private road taxpayers. The Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee (ELMA) is recommending to the Senate that SB 250 go to “Interim Study”. Interim Studies are designed to investigate the content of a Bill and make a recommendation. The NHPVRTA feels that an Interim Study is unnecessary since they have researched the private road See MAILBOAT on 33

Our Story

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

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

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

BIRDS For The

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here.” me, flitting around my The pandemic and head.” He wondered if associated quarantines I knew why that might and isolation have in- happen. deed led to a surge in The only plausible birdwatching. That in- answer I could come cludes enjoying them up with is that per“in the wild” and in haps these birds have yards. learned to trust the Eric noted an odd be- stranger filling the feedhavior among his regu- ers and they feel more lar feeder birds. He will safe once the stranger look out at his feeding has made an appearstation and the birds ance. They know predwill not be around, hawks, O u r N esuch e S h opators w catsaswill C o m r gise r Sfoxes even though there or scattore! L athe ter plenty of seed in once a person walks feeders. When he goes out of the house so out to “shake the feed- his presence brings a ers and add to the hop- measure of safety. It’s pers, suddenly a bunch just a theory. Any other of chickadees, titmice ideas? and nuthatches apJon from Keene has pear and crowd around See BOSAK on 36

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The reports keep coming in, so why not dedicate another column to what our neighbors are seeing in their yards? Eric from Surry wrote to say he can’t keep up with the goldfinches and pine siskins and their appetites for thistle (Nyjer) seed. He said it’s been a while since goldfinches have visited his yard in large numbers, but this winter has been different. Eric also has a few Carolina wrens that have been around all winter, while juncos have been around in large numbers. The juncos, as well as a handful of cardinals visit early, so Eric has to make sure the feeders are filled before dawn. Now that’s dedication to the birds and this great hobby. He also gets the usual woodpeckers in addition to red-bellied woodpeckers and yellow-bellied sapsuckers. Eric shared that he had noticed a lower overall volume of birds as of late. Then, he realized several more people within a relatively small radius of his home are feeding birds. “I drive by and see busy feeders at different times of day,” he wrote. “I have more competition than I’ve ever had in 30 years

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES Jetpack Comics To Host Original Power Ranger 3/9

Once a Ranger, always a Ranger… On Wednesday, March 4 (4pm), Power Rangers alumni Jason David Frank will be at Jetpack Comics to meet fans and sign autographs. Frank is best known for playing the original green and white Ranger on the iconic 90’s after-school series, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. In 2020, Frank created the Power Ranger Protection Program to help spur business in comic book shops that have been adversely affected by COVID-19. The event is design to be socially-distanced and follow recommended safety protocols. There is no cost to enter. However, it will be a ticketed event in order to control crowd size and adhere to CDC guidelines. Tickets and event instructions will be available at Jetpack Comics, several days prior to the event. They will make an availability announcement on their various social media platforms. Follow Jetpack Comics on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram for up to date ticket announcements. Fans can also visit www. JetpackComics.com to sign up for the free e-newsletter. Your ticket will be your number in line to meet Jason. Autographs and pictures will be available for purchase. Jason will stay at Jetpack long enough to meet everyone that has a ticket. Jetpack Comics is located at 37 North Main Street, Rochester. Visit www.JetpackComics.com or call (603) 330-XMEN for general inquiries and additional information.

Celebrating Billy Joel At Colonial Theatre The Colonial Theatre of Laconia is proud to welcome Celebrating Billy Joel – America’s Piano Man on Saturday, June 18th at 8pm. Playing international smash hits such as ‘Just The Way You Are’, ‘New York State of Mind’, ‘Uptown Girl’, ‘Vienna’, ‘Scenes from an Italian Restaurant’, ‘Piano Man’ and many, many more; this superb group of multi-instrumentalists pay tribute to one of American music’s greats. This show celebrates the songs and the style of Billy Joel, evoking the energy and passion of live performances in his 70s/80s pomp. Tickets for Celebrating Billy Joel – America’s Piano Man at the Colonial Theatre of Laconia on Saturday, June 18th at 8pm are $29-$59 and go on sale Friday, February 18th at 10am at www. coloniallaconia.com or by calling 1-800-657-8774.

Sugar Camp Guided Hiking Tours Make maple syrup season even sweeter with a Sugar Camp Guided Hiking Tour at Canterbury Shaker Village. Join local land surveyor Mark Stevens for a two-mile (fourmiles total) tour to the Shaker’s remote sugar camp on Saturday, March 12, 19, or 26 from 1 – 5 PM. Tickets can be reserved now at www.shakers.org. Members $25, non-members $50. On this exclusive tour, par ticipants will walk back in time through the remnants of a once thriving Shaker Village maple sugar camp, now seemingly lost and forgotten deep in the woods. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Shakers spent their early spring days gathering sap and their nights boiling maple syrup and making candy. At the conclusion of the maple season, the Shakers would emerge from the camp and return to Shaker Village with their sweet harvest in hand. Records indicate that in 1864, at the height of American Civil War, the Shaker Village Church Family set out almost 1200 wooden buckets for the gathering of sap and produced almost 700 barrels of maple syrup. The syrup was not only an important sweetener for the many mouths they fed daily, but an important cash crop for sale to the outside world. Explore the foundation remnants, compare historic photos with existing site conditions, and hear an excerpt from a journal entry written in the late 1880s by Shaker Brethren Nicholas Briggs, who describes life at this sugar camp when it was a hubbub of activity.

Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra Concert “Nature’s Splendor” The Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra (LRSO) invites you to our concert on Saturday March 19, 2022 at 7pm at Inter-Lakes Community Auditorium in Meredith. The LRSO features renowned local guitarist David Newsam performing the enchanting Guitar Concerto in D Major by Tedesco, a lyrical work balancing solo guitar with orchestral texture. Also on the program are the Rakoczy March by Berlioz, Debussy’s famous Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”. Tickets are $20 - 30 for adults and $10 - $15 for students college-age and under (please no children under age 5). Tickets 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 the concert.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

F O O L NEW HAMPSHIRE A

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My Year? I know that most of you out there are sick and tired of politics and are trying to take a few breaths before this year’s campaign season starts in by Brendan Smith full swing. But Weirs Times Editor I figure there is no better time then now, in the middle of your breaths, to make my pitch to you as I make yet another run for governor on the Flatlander Ticket. I have been considering not running this year and using my time to do something that is actually worthwhile, like binge watching old episodes of The Price Is Right, but as I witness all of the changes happening in politics around the country, I figure this might actually be my year. There has been a bit of a revolution brewing. Lately elections have become more friendly to the outsider as people are clamoring for anyone to be in charge except for those who have been for years. People are angry and they want change. Those few who care to vote want someone with no experience but a lot of great ideas. Someone whose empty promises they most likely will never be able to deliver are exactly the promises they have been waiting years to hear. If you are one of these people, then I am your man (and I plan to stay one for as long as I am in office). Yes, I know this is the twelfth time I have run for office and am not exactly an outsider. I also know I have made some really great empty promises over the years. But no one really has paid much attention to me since all of the focus was on the empty promises of the career politicians who had the resources to hire folks to help them spread

the messages of those promises. I have even tried all of the known gimmicks that have been used by politicians over the years to win elections but most folks wouldn’t give me the time of day. I was an outsider and no one wanted to listen. But this year I feel it will be different. This year there is a lot of anger out there. People are mad as hell and they are not going to take it anymore. People want to believe in some new empty promises. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln (who probably would never have been elected in the television era because of his appearance): “You can fool some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time so you need to keep coming up with new ways to fool as many of them as you can.” Unfortunately, people want stuff as well. It isn’t enough that you make things up that you try to get people to believe will make New Hampshire better, you have to throw in a few things to satisfy their human desire of “What’s in it personally for me?” That is why this year I am bringing back my raffle idea. People who vote for me can send in selfies of themselves with their ballots in the voting booth and one lucky winner will receive a complete home entertainment system including installation. There will be other small prizes as well. These prizes have taken up just about all of my campaign funds to date as well as an additional two grand I have put on my Visa card. It is also important to remember that you will have to “write” in my name since it won’t actually be on the ballot. (It is spelled “Brenda” with an “n”, not Brandon or Brian or Brent. This is a very important detail in order to be eligible for the grand prize.) Yes, this may be illegal, but I am hoping that by the time they sort it all out I may (hopefully) have been elected governor so

CALL FOR FREE ESTIMATE it won’t matter. On the other hand, it sometimes serves a candidate well to have a federal indictment or lawsuit hanging over their head as it helps them become more noticed as people have a tendency to vote for familiar names. I usually tell people about the raffle at the end of my speeches so that will be the last thing they hear and the only thing they remember, hopefully forgetting about the unrealistic promises I made earlier. (I am counting on small attention spans to rocket me to victory.) I will certainly be promoting my lack of experience in order to help me cement my status as an outsider. My campaign slogan of: “He could never run a country, but he should be just fine running a state, and a small one at that.” I will also emphasize that I am beholden (whatever that means) to no one. People like to hear that. (Still, if you are corporation or something that would like to make a large donation, call me. We can talk.) Riding this “outsider” wave may be my last shot at governor. Let me know what promises you’d like me to make so I can hit the ground running and tap into this energy. (You might also want to find out what those smaller raffle prizes are, some are pretty cool.) In conclusion, I promise to promise you whatever promises you’d like to hear. Join me in the revolution. (One of them is a hundred dollar gift card to a well known department store. Just sayin’.)

603-387-0015 / 603-387-0026

Brendan will be at Cold Spring Farm in Alton, NH on Saturday, March 5th, for a fun evening of storytelling and music. Go to Cold Spring Farm’s Facebook page for tickets and more info. www.facebook.com/ coldspringfarmnh

“I Really Only Did It For The Socks & Thoughts On cream, a lobsterStories roll or anything else you may need. YouAging” will be glad you did!

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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)

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Order your autographed copy today for $16.99 plus $3 shipping. (Please include any inscription you would like.) Make out checks or money 374 Governor Wentworth HWY orders for $19.99 to Brendan Smith and mail to: Moultonboro, N.H. 03254 Socks Book c/o Weirs Times, Call 603-476-8887 • F: 603-476-5176 www.skelleysmarket.com PO Box 5458, Weirs, NH 03247 Or order online at BrendanTSmith.com (Autographed copies also avail. at the Weirs Times)

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

Who Murdered All The Asian Women -- And Who’s Covering It Up? I’m a 5-foot-1, 105-pound, 51-year-old woman of Pacific Islander/Asian descent. That’s much more personal data than most women are willing to share publicly, but I’m all about being blunt. Let’s face it: My gender, ethnic background and small stature make me a perfect target for violent crime in big cities that are soft on criminals -- especially by Michelle Malkin repeat offenders who happen to be black. Syndicated Columnist Black-on-Asian violence is a bloody reality. According to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics criminal victimization report published in 2019, 182,230 Asians in America were victims of violent crime in 2018. Black offenders were the perpetrators in a whopping 27.5% of those cases -- the highest of any racial group. Given that black Americans make up only 12% of the population, that means black offenders on a per capita basis commit more than five times as many violent attacks on Asians as whites or Hispanics. The math is the math. The facts are the facts. But you wouldn’t know it from mainstream media coverage (or rather, cover-ups) of the robberies, rapes and homicides committed by black assailants against women who look like me. Here is how The New York Times selectively reported on the grisly stalking, alleged sexual assault and brutal stabbing frenzy this weekend that left a 35-year-old Korean American online producer bleeding to death in her own New York City apartment bathroom: “A 35-year-old woman was killed in her Manhattan apartment by a man who followed her into her building, the police said. Identified as Christina Yuna Lee, she was the latest person of Asian descent injured or killed in a string of attacks in New York City.” Lee’s attacker was not just a “man,” but a black man -- the latest perpetrator of said race arrested in a string of violent attacks against victims of Asian descent in New York City. And Los Angeles. And San Francisco. If Lee’s race is relevant enough to spotlight in the lead paragraph of America’s so-called “newspaper of record,” why isn’t the alleged killer’s? In Woke America 2022, you’re not allowed to ask such questions, let alone notice. See MALKIN on 36

Canada Goes Tyrannical This week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the lightweight, unpopular elected leader of a country with a 93% vaccination rate for those over 60 and a total vaccination rate of by Ben Shapiro 84%, announced that Syndicated Columnist he would invoke the Emergencies Act in order to crack down on the Freedom Convoy -- a group of protesters opposed to government vaccination mandates for truckers. Trudeau breathily announced that invocation of the law was in fact “reasonable and proportionate.” His public safety minister, Marco Mendicino, said that the actions were required thanks to “intimidation, harassment, and expressions of hate.” Why the government would need to invoke emergency powers in order to move some trucks remains beyond understanding; after all, the police had just removed trucks from the Ambassador Bridge, reopening that trade artery with the United States. Meanwhile, provinces across Canada have already begun alleviating their COVID-19 restrictions, from vaccine passports to masking. There is no emergency here that would justify use of the Emergencies Act -- as even the BBC noted, “It is so far unclear which scenario Mr. Trudeau would rely on to justify the use of the Emergency Act -- (the relevant threats have not) been clearly present in Ontario.” Nonetheless, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland explained that the government would be extending laws designed to stop terror funding to now encompass crackdowns on political dissent: “Financial service providers will be able to immediately freeze or suspend an account without a court order. In doing so, they will be protected against civil liability for actions taken in good faith.” In plain language, this means that the government of Canada has now empowered banks to freeze ac-

counts who give money to political causes the government doesn’t like. The move to de-bank disfavored political actors has already been gaining steam -in January 2021, PayPal blocked a Christian crowdfunding site from using its services; the next month, Paypal announced it would work with the Left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center to find users to boot. As one of Paypal’s original creators, David Sacks, wrote, “when your name lands on a No-Buy List created by a consortium of private fintech companies, to whom can you appeal?” In Canada, it’s worse than that: The de-banking has become government sponsored. And if Trudeau is able to invoke emergency powers to de-bank his political opponents -- people he has labeled racists simply for opposing his vaccine mandates -- where, precisely, does this end? What’s to stop powerful political actors from violating liberties on the same pretext? The answer, of course, is nothing. And perhaps that’s the point: from now on, dissent against Left-wing perspectives may be criminalized. Watch what you say -- your bank account is on the line. Over the course of the past century, the political Left made a promise: that if they were granted more and more centralized power, they would protect their citizens, particularly during times of emergency. That promise was always a lie, but the pandemic exploded that lie in particularly egregious fashion. This left the Left with two options: to abandon that article of faith, an idea central to their entire worldview; or to persecute heretics. Trudeau, unsurprisingly, has chosen the latter. Emergency powers will be necessary until the people enthusiastically agree that their betters in government ought to rule them. Ben Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and editor-in-chief of DailyWire.com.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

Canceling Joe Joe Rogan is amazing. Five years ago, I left Fox to start Stossel TV. I left because I was frustrated by live TV. Guests talked so much but said by John Stossel little. Syndicated Columnist I now produce videos like the ones I used to do on “20/20.” I like having a month or more to do research and then more time to edit the video into a short clip that explains complicated things but is also fun to watch. This edited model succeeded.

Our short videos average 2 million views. People are busy. They don’t want to sit through hours of live discussion. But then Joe Rogan proved me wrong. He talks to people, not for an hour, but often for three hours. Yet 11 million people stay to listen. Eleven million! How does he do it? He had no journalism training. He acted on a sitcom and hosted the reality show “Fear Factor.” I happen to be a mixed martial arts fan, so I did notice that Rogan was the best commentator at UFC events.

But hosting three hours of serious talk with intellectuals like physicist Brian Cox or mathematician Roger Penrose without the visual gimmicks that make TV bearable is very different. So, I started listening to Rogan’s podcasts. Suddenly, I found myself spending an hour, sometimes three, with Rogan and his guests. I learned more than I learn watching TV news. I don’t really know how Rogan does it. Maybe it’s because he’s a good listener who asks good questions. He remembers what he learned from past interviews and uses those ideas when he ques-

tions other guests. He somehow makes three educational hours fun. Now Rogan is being criticized for broadcasting “misinformation.” He sometimes has anti-vaxxers on his show who claim COVID-19 vaccines are harmful. Rogan himself didn’t get vaccinated. He believes his natural immunity (he and his family had COVID-19) is enough protection. If he got COVID-19 again, he thinks it wouldn’t hurt him much because he’s fit, takes vitamins, etc. I’m skeptical. I’m about to get my fourth dose of vaccine. See STOSSEL on 35

The Great Joe Rogan N-Word Controversy John Metzler is off this week. White popular podcaster Joe Rogan apologized after someone posted a 30-second compilation clip on YouTube by Larry Elder Syndicated Columnist of Rogan repeatedly saying the N-word. Rogan described his uses of the word, culled from 12 years of shows, as taken “out of context,” but still apologized, now insisting “there’s no context where a white person is ever allowed to say that word.” Not even if and when it is not used as a

racist, derogatory insult? It’s not as if society lacks sensitivity about this word when used as a racist insult. How many words are so problematic that we refer to them only by their first letter? What exactly are the rules? Rappers and comedians, provided they are black, can publicly use the word? But whites who enjoy rap music and black comics cannot even sing the lyrics or repeat the joke if doing so means they say the N-word, whether publicly or privately if among friends? So, whites who enjoy Dave Chappelle, a black comedian who uses the word, may laugh at it, but it stops there? In 2017 comedian Bill Maher apolo-

gized for using the N-word in a joke. Are we to believe that Maher has never used the word or heard it from his many black friends? But when he uses it in a joke on his uncensored cable show he suddenly becomes racially insensitive? Rapper Ice Cube chastised Maher for the joke. Never mind Cube’s repeated use of the Nword in his lyrics. It does get confusing. At a Lollapalooza concert, rapper Kanye West gave white attendees temporary permission to sing the lyrics to his No. 1 hit song “Gold Digger,” which included a word that rhymes with “digger.” Temporary permission? Did the temporary permission expire when the whites hit the lobby as they

left the show, or did it expire when they got to the parking lot or when they drove up to their homes? In his first book, former President Barack Obama rebuked a friend named “Ray” for what Obama considered Ray’s frequent baseless claims of racism. Obama told his friend, “Maybe we could afford to give the bad-ssed n——- pose a rest. Save it for when we really needed it.” At the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2016, black comedian Larry Wilmore also dropped the N-word, after which cameras cut to a laughing Obama. And the president told a podcaster, “Racism, we are not cured of it. And it’s not just a matSee ELDER on 34

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

Watch Your Language

by Leslie Gray, LCMHC

Gray Matters Counseling & Wellness

When I first started driving, my father told me that I was a defensive driver. At the ripe age of 16, I quickly drew an assumption that this was a criticism and leapt to defend myself. I explained that I felt nervous behind the wheel;

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I knew it was a big responsibility and wanted to avoid accidents; I’m not an aggressive person; I like to do things well… He let me rattle on for a minute or two, then stopped me and said, “No, it’s a good thing. It means you are aware of your surroundings and are cautious.” Phew! To this day, I pride myself on being defensive behind the wheel. But why did his use of that particular word have such a negative impact on me initially? It’s because words have power. We develop associations with words. Those associations form through our own experiences, or because of the view other people have on some thing or another. Our brain develops an opinion of words as a result. Even the way we say words has an impact one way or the

other. Take a simple statement such as, “I’m going on vacation by myself.” Notice what it’s like to say it with annoyance, sadness, fear, excitement, disbelief, or pride. Even the tone, influx, and enunciation we use can change the way words can make us feel and how it is perceived by others. Let’s go deeper, literally. Take it down into your body and notice how certain words feel when you say, or even just think them. Your nervous system doesn’t know the difference between thinking about something or actually doing it, so your body will react as if your thoughts and words are fact. It explains why watching scary movies is so… scary. Our heart beats faster, we tense up, our breathing changes. We are not telling our bodies to do this; it’s

just the natural physiological response our body has to the story our brain is telling it (or taking in). We might as well be in the movie ourselves. At the start of the pandemic, we were encouraged to stay home because it was safer. However, many people translated this to, “We are in lock down.” It was an exaggeration of the truth or reality (in NH). In the field of psychology, this is considered a cognitive distortion. In other words, it’s an inaccurate description of what is really going on. Nonetheless, it added to a lot of anxiety and even panic for many folks. Truth be told, I drove away from the grocery store twice out of fear of exposure. “I’ll make do with what’s in the cabinet today,” I told myself as I drove away. I just couldn’t convince

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my legs to step out of the vehicle and walk inside. But that isn’t sustainable, so I had to figure out a way to get myself back in the grocery store. (This is where I’m going to lose a few of you but most of you will likely be able to relate.) I talked to myself. That’s right. I sat in my truck in the parking lot at Hannaford’s and had a very compassionate yet stern conversation with my inner fear. I reminded myself that I was wearing a mask, keeping my distance from others, washing my hands, (and at that time, my groceries when I got home… good grief). I talked to my inner fear like you might talk to a scared child with loving compassion. I told that part of myself that I’m doing everything I can within reason to be safe and healthy, but that not buying food was actually putting me at greater risk than going inside. I told myself that wearing a mask is probably exasperating my anxiety because it made it so hard to breathe and that feeling scared under all those circumstances was perfectly normal. And, I had to find a way to overcome my fears. And it worked. I went on from there to talk with clients about their fears, sharing my own experience to help normalize their feelings. (Gosh, if a therapist is feeling this way, maybe it’s not so abnormal.) I encourSee GRAY on 11

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

Where Love Resides

by Sara M. Woods Kender Clinical Herbalist & Reiki Master

The heart is the energetic center of the body. It’s where love lives. It emits electromagnetic radiation far beyond the confines of the physical body and can affect other people’s energy around you. Some say the energy of the heart can be felt from across a room, or even across great distances. I believe this to be true. I am sure I don’t have to explain why keeping this organ healthy is important, and as an energy healer and clinical herbalist, I can give you tools to do just that. The leading cause of death in the US is coronary heart disease (CHD). Over 650,000 people each year die of issues with the heart. It’s no wonder. The juxtaposition of the digital world connects us across vast distances, but we couldn’t be more disconnected from each other than we are today. Even with the advent of ‘modern medicine’ it seems to have had no affect on heart health. My focus is on prevention and balancing the

emotions of the heart, helping people resolve stuck trauma, with much of it centered around how we love, and how we allow love into our lives. Men are more apt to have heart problems, and I find this fact interesting since men are taught at very young ages to suppress their feelings, falsely pushed as a sign of weakness. Diet plays an important roll here. Many equate fat and salt consumption to poor heart health, but on the contrary sugar is the main culprit. Over consumption of sugar can lead to Type II Diabetes, and subsequently to poor fat metabolism and high inflammation. Fats in general in the diet are anti-inflammatory, but of course moderation is key. Stress plays another important role in heart health. Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol (and others) chronically circulating in the blood, can cause inflammation. This inflammation leads to the thickening of the arterial walls, or the build-up of fat on the arterial walls, which can lead to blockages. The is called arteriosclerosis/atherosclerosis, respectively. Being overweight is also a risk to poor heart health as this puts stress on the heart to work harder. Being overweight also increases your risk of metabolic syndrome

(pre-diabetes) and Type II diabetes itself. So besides reducing stress, changing up your diet to eat half fruits and veggies daily, and losing some weight, herbal interventions can support this organ too. I have many favorites, but I’ll only mention two here today; for the rest you will need to come see my at the shop in Meredith. Hawthorn - Crataegus spp - several varieties of this tree are common in the NH forests and contains plant compounds that reduce inflammation in the circulatory system, reduce high blood pressure, and support this muscle. I have used it for all sorts of imbalances of the heart and circulatory system, and is very safe. It’s considered a tonic

herb, which basically means FOOD. Taken daily in tea, extracts, encapsulations, powders, and even jams, it serves as a vitamin for the heart. We use the flowers, leaves and berries; the berries of which can be harvested in the late Summer and used to make jam. Linden Flowers Tilia spp - this is also a common tree in this area, being planted by municipalities in cemeteries and along downtown areas, you can smell the flowers before you see the tree. Heady and delicious, the flowers can be harvested in late June/July and used in tea, extract, encapsulations, and powders to reduce high blood pressure See LOVE on 11

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

What Science Can Teach Us About Happiness

by Kelly Chapman Meredith Whole Living Center

Is it possible to incorporate evidencebased practices in our lives that not only increase our baseline level of happiness, but also increase our chances of bouncing

back stronger from adversity? According to the work of happiness researcher and psychologist Tal BenShahar, PhD, research has shown that not only is this possible, but there are specific components to a happier life that we can begin fostering in our own lives today. While there is no method that eliminates pain and suffering from the human experience, the field of happiness research offers insights and tools that can incrementally move us toward a happier baseline experience, and create the conditions of what is referred to in the field as antifragility, or the ability of

a system to go beyond resilience and experience growth after difficult experiences. One of several key insights of this work is that, contrary to popular belief, success itself is not a driver of a happier life. This is not to say the two are unrelated, but after studying the results of how clear indicators of success and failure affect those who experience them, it turns out that those instances affect our lives in more fleeting ways. However, raising baseline happiness turns out to have an incredible effect on success. Not only do happier individu-

als experience better outcomes in professional spaces, but they also experience higher rates of success in all of their pursuits, including community activities and relationships. While that may seem somewhat obvious, the implications over a lifetime of minding the components of a happier life have incredible implications, not only for the richness of our years, but in overall health and longevity as well. Another key insight from the research is that pursuing happiness directly and for its own sake has the opposite effect. Rather, focusing on the components that, together, create the foundation of a happy life is a far more successful strategy. So how do researchers in the field of Happiness Studies define happiness? And what are its components? A working definition referred to is “whole person wellbeing”, and its components form the acronym SPIRE. SPIRE breaks down to Spiritual well-being, which includes finding meaning and purpose, and experiencing mindfulness in our lives; Physical well-being, which includes all of the ways we nourish our physical body to enhance our mindbody connection, such as exercise, rest and See TEACH on 11

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

GRAY from 8 aged people to keep it real and replace, “We are in lockdown,” with, “We are safer at home.” And you know what? Not only did that feel better to say, but people actually said it made them feel more in control; more empowered. Staying home became a personal choice in response to a world tragedy vs. an order from our government. So, watch your language. Your body believes the story your mind is telling it. So be honest. More importantly, be accurate. Don’t exaggerate. Mind your tone. Then reap the benefits of keeping it real. Leslie A. Gray is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and operates Gray Matters Counseling & Wellness, PLLC in Laconia NH. Feel free to submit responses or requests for subject content to: askgraymatters@gmail.com.

LOVE from 9 as well as reduce the stress response. I love linden in oil too as it heals sunburnt skin……it reduce inflammation inside and out. I often pair this with hawthorn, nettle root, and yarrow to help reduce high blood pressure. This month is all about the Heart, so show your heart, and the hearts of others around you what it is to love and be loved. Reach for an apple instead of a cookie, practice mindful meditations, yoga, or just sit in quiet space for 5 minutes a day focusing on your heart health and your breathing. Tell people you love them. Express the emotion that this organ represents, and stop denying the love you deserve!

TEACH from 10 a healthy diet; Intellectual well-being, which speaks to how much curiosity and growth we foster for our minds; Relational well-being, which is enhanced through meaningful connections and time spent with those we care about; and finally Emotional well-being, which is influenced by how well we’re able to work through difficult emotions and foster more pleasurable ones, such as gratitude. Without offering quick fixes or unrealistic expectations for set-and-forget outcomes, this work is still immensely exciting, because it offers us a clear roadmap for how we can build up each component of a happier life in a way that, over time, leads to a healthier, more connected, meaningful, successful and interesting life on the

whole. Additionally, when difficult experiences and emotions arise, which they will, we’re more likely to experience growth as a result of them. I hope you join me over the next months, as I share in greater detail

how we can incorporate the elements of SPIRE into our everyday lives. This article is part of an ongoing series of distilling evidencebased approaches to increasing happiness

based on the work of Tal Ben-Shahar, PhD in his book Happier No Matter What: Cultivating Hope, Resilience & Purpose in Hard Times.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

Masks, Vaxes, And Novak by Mike Moffett Contributing Writer

NEWS ITEM: Novak Djokovic, the world’s top tennis player, was recently detained and then deported from Australia because he was unvaccinated against COVID-19. He’d earlier been granted a waiver by Tennis Australia, but the Australian Border Force revoked his visa and booted him out from down under. Ouch. When will it ever end? A year ago, with the introduction of several vaccine options, it looked like we were over the hump. By early last summer we seemed headed back to normal. Then came the Delta Variant and then the (mild?) Omicron Variant. Back came the masks and the mandates. The winter of 202122 wasn’t as bad as the previous winter. But still, it was ridiculous to see how much of the sports world responded. Even though youngsters were not imperiled by COVID (approximate 100% survival rate) they were again locked down and masked up. A Concord Monitor sports photo spoke volumes. A picture is worth a thousand words. An unmasked

Novak Djokovic. high school basketball player was driving to the hoop, defended by a masked defender. Or quasi-masked, as his mask was down to his chin. The visiting masked team lost, which was not surprising, given that the visitors had to suck in air through cloth barriers while their opponents could breathe freely. Talk about a home court advantage! Insanity. Then there was NFL sportscaster Erin Andrews and her postgame interview with Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Andrews maintained the requisite six-foot separation during the interview. But immediately afterwards, not knowing she was still live, she went and hugged Rodgers—who’d earlier been the subject of non-vaccination con-

troversy. Overprotective school boards across the state bought into worst case scenarios and dubious science in establishing mask policies that undercut parental rights and traumatized children. The foolish and ineffective mandates were reminders about how stupid rules and bad laws create contempt for authority. Some may remember the energy crises of the 1970s. A consequence was a national speed limit of 55 mph. That’s right, anyone going over 55 anywhere was speeding. Of course, virtually everyone broke 55 on occasion. To underscore the ridiculousness of the speed limit, four drivers got onto a fourlane highway and drove abreast, one in each lane, all going the maximum legal speed

of 55 mph. Naturally traffic back way up behind them and vehicles were passing them on breakdown lanes and otherwise going nuts. There were calls to have the drivers arrested. For what? For observing the speed limit? Imagine lawbreakers calling for drivers to be arrested for following the law. Madness. But the point was made. Stupid rules and bad laws create contempt for authority. With town meetings and school meetings coming up it would behoove citizens to press local candidates on their positions on stupid rules and inane policies—like requiring basketball players to wear masks on the court. It’s too late for Novak Djokovic down under. But he could probably See MOFFETT on 35

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Young Oliver from Old Town Maine was happy with a jumbo white perch he caught with Tim Moore Outdoors. by Tim Moore Contributing Writer

As we have now officially passed the halfway point of the Lake Winnipesaukee ice fishing season, many ice anglers turn their attention to late season fishing, when the fishing is arguably the best of the season. Warm water fish spawn in the spring. The length of daylight in March, accompanied by increased oxygen levels from snow and ice melt, triggers fish to form large schools as they anticipate the coming spawn that will

occur in the shallows after ice-out. This is the absolute best time of the year to fish for white perch. Several small schools will join to form large schools. These huge schools of fish have one thing on their minds this time of year…food! They need to eat before the spawn, and they’re after hatching insects in the mud and smelt. Finding schools of pre-spawn white perch means non-stop action that sometimes lasts all day. When I am fishing for white perch or crappie, you will usu-

ally see me sitting over a basin or on an inside turn as the sun rises. To clarify, a basin is a depression, and an inside turn is like an underwater cove. Whether I’m targeting crappies or bluegills, or white perch, I focus on areas 25 to 30-feet of water. Zooplankton rise from the bottom at dusk and feed until the sun begins to rise at dawn. This concentration of plankton draws baitfish, which in turn draws gamefish. Basins can be fished early and late in the day since zooplankton concentra-

tions will be highest then and the bowl-like feature of the basin will hold the plankton and baitfish in that area, but they can also serve as a resting place for well-fed white perch or crappies, so basins are always worth a look. Other areas to try are deep coves with feeder streams. Warmer temperatures and longer days in March create runoff from melting snow. The only good source of oxygen this time of year will come from streams carrying oxygen-rich waSee MOORE on 32

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

Letters From God Letters From God

This series of Letters From God is an attempt to put the thoughts of God as revealed in the Scriptures as they relate to individuals and the nation of the USA. QUESTION: Didn’t You Tell Us It Is Wrong To Judge Others?

It grieves me to watch people twist my words that are intended to enhance your lives and, as a result of distorting my words, diminishes the quality and longevity of your lives (2 Peter 3:15-16). Twisting and distorting my word has always been practiced by those who malevolently desire to undermine me and my will for all mankind. It is a practice that is hideously evil because it takes what is good and uses it for evil. Yes, I did say do not judge lest you be judged. But remember that a statement whether written or expressed verbally, if it’s taken out of its context, no longer means with the original writer or speaker intended. It can be used to say just the opposite. For instance, when I asked the psalmist to write the 14th Psalms, in verse 1 he said, “there is no God.” If you look at the text it says that. But if you look at the context it says something completely different. It says, “the fool has said in his heart there is no God.” The fool is a person who rejects me and continues to live in rebellion to me and as a result consistently denies my existence, even though deep in

their hearts they know that they are wrong (Romans1:18-21). The context says even more. It says that the reason that they say there is no God is because “their deeds are desperately wicked.” They want to continue in their sin and so instead of turning from them, they have to eliminate the source of judgment, which is me and my standards, by denying my existence. Let’s apply this concept to my statement, “do not judge lest you be judged.” In its context, I am not addressing judgment universally but unjust judgement. It is judgments being made by those who judge others but do not judge themselves by the same standards. In fact, many who use judgment in this way are practicing just the opposite of what they know is right and what they judge in others. In the context I said, first take the log out of your own eye before you try to, unjustly judge others, who only have a speck of dust in their eye. The religious leaders of my chosen people, at the time my Son, Jesus the Messiah, came to the earth, practiced this hypocrisy of upholding my laws but not practicing them. While they judged and condemned others they themselves were violating my laws. Many were practicing greater sins, “logs,” than those they judged who had a mere “speck of dust.” As a result, all those who witnessed their hypocrisy of unjust judgment associated them with me and “blasphemed” my name

(Romans 2:24). Imagine, my religious leaders, living in ungodly ways and judging unjustly, driving people away from me instead of to me. Many of your religious leaders are practicing the same thing today. So are your judges and political leaders. Have you noticed how many have been caught secretly breaking the laws they have made or enforce, while they seek to judge you for breaking those same laws? Righteous judgment is essential for life. I have given you clear standards of what is right and what is wrong. I have never lowered those standards and I will bring judgment for all those who have broken them. Therefore, I expect religious leaders, judges and political leaders to maintain and judge righteously according to my standards. I will judge them and you, if you fail to maintain these standards or if you fail to judge with righteous judgement. Truthfully, your country is slipping into chaos because you have failed to practice righteous judgement. You have allowed my standards to be eviscerated by making your standards, instead of mine, the basis of judgment. You are also giving people what they want and changing my laws in order to please them and in many cases to protect your own power and possessions. At the same time, many of your leaders are violating the laws of the land, most of which were based on my word

and will. Listen carefully, even though you have treated my laws and judgments casually and perverted them, I do not. You and your country and its leaders will stand before me and be held accountable not for the laws you have created but for the standards that I established. So, I challenge you to recognize that you are in a death spiral from the height of your greatness that I blessed you with, when you were one nation under me, God. You must come back to me, and to my laws and standards for life and begin to judge yourself and others with a righteous judgement. If you do, you can avert disaster. If you don’t, my righteous judgement will lead to your downfall. I love you enough to tell you this truth. God These letters are written by a New Hampshire pastor.

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With over 40 of the best of Brendan’s weekly columns he covers everything from politics to health to technology to shopping and more. This is the perfect sampling of his unique humor which has been entertaining readers of The Weirs Times and Cocheco Times for twenty years. Order your autographed copy today for $13.99 plus $3 for shipping. (Please include any inscription you would like the author to personalize your copy with.) Send checks or money orders for $16.99 to Brendan Smith and mail to: Best of a F.O.O.L., c/o The Weirs Times, PO Box 5458, Weirs, NH 03247. Order online at www.BrendanTSmith.com (Pickup autographed copies at the Weirs Times)

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

THE SIMPLE FEAST Grilled or Toasted? Cheese Sandwiches

by Eric N Gibson Contributing Writer

It is probably one of the easiest yet most satisfying hot sandwiches to make. It is comfort food in simplicity. It is also one of the first “big people” sandwiches most all of us made once we were deemed old enough and big enough to use the stove. There really is nothing quite like a Grilled Cheese Sandwich! After all, who doesn’t like melted cheese on bread fried in butter? I can remember working as a laundromat attendant in my teens. Just down the street there was a hole in the wall restaurant who had, hands down, the best food in town. If I had a few bucks in my pocket I would call in an order for Sunday lunch; two grilled cheese and a side of fries. Consisting of a soft white bread buttered on the outsides and white American cheese that becomes all gooey on medium low heat, cooked to a crisp golden brown, the results were both satisfying and filling. If I were really feeling flush I’d add on a Strawberry frappe. As a friend of mine would say, “That was livin’ large!” To this day I cannot make a grilled cheese as perfect

wiches” were not really sandwiches, they were actually open faced toasted sliced bread with grated cheese. It was sometime around or shortly after WWII that they put the second piece of bread on top to create the toasted cheese sandwich, which actually brings me to factoid number 3…

See FEAST on 29 that the first grilled cheese were actually served open face? A cursory search on the world wide web resulted in some little known facts and inadvertently answered some questions that had been in the back of my mind for years. 1)When did grilled cheese become popular? While several websites credit Roman cookbooks from way back with the pairing of cheese and bread, the first menued grilled cheese didn’t actually hit menu boards until the 1920´s here in the US. And then they fast became a staple for ¨cheap eats¨ during The Depression. They were affordable and filling at a time when many could not afford much at all. 2)The first “sand-

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3)Why does my father in law call it a “toasted cheese sandwich?” … because everyone over the age of 70 called it a toasted cheese sandwich. The term grilled cheese sandwich was not put into wide-

as Ron or Mike but I keep trying. Today, I still order my grilled cheese wherever I go, white on white, a trusted combination of ingredients, but at home I tend to try other combinations and I encourage you to do the same. I like bread, probably a little too much, and I actually enjoy hearty multi-seeded breads most followed closely by Pumpernickel, Seeded Rye, and Marble. So when I make grilled cheese at home it’s time to experiment. I keep at least four kinds of sliced cheese on hand at any given time; American, Cheddar, Provolone, Swiss, and either Colby Jack or Jalapeno. As well as assorted shredded and block cheeses. Cheese is great for snacking, cooking, and topping off a dish. And speaking of topping off, did you know

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

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* Here’s an old tip, but a good one: Before going away on vacation, put a couple of ice cubes in a plastic baggie, and set it at the front of the freezer. When you return, if there is any evidence of melting, you will know you lost power while you were gone. If the bag is one big, flat cube, you lost power long enough to suspect all your refrigerator items of being spoiled.

your windowpane. As it dries, crystals will form, creating a frost effect. This is a great solution for a window you don’t want to be clear but also don’t want to permanently alter. The effect washes off with soap and water.

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Explore our rotating draft selection with 12 carefully curated offerings!

TAVERN HOURS Open Every Day, year round

Open Daily At Noon Sun. - Thur. noon -10pm Fri. & Sat. noon - 11pm

Located Inside Funspot, Rte. 3, One Mile North Of The Weirs Beach Sign 579 Endicott Street N. • Weirs • NH • 603-366-4377 • funspotnh.com

RESTAURANT | DAIRY BAR | MARKETPLACE | TAPHOUSE Serving Lunch & Dinner Dine in or Takeout 7 Days A Week

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603.859-7500 | EatAtJohnsons.com

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

OUT on the TOWN

WEIRS TIMES’ BEER FINDER

Great Food, Libations & Good Times!

TIP from 18 * Store plastic wrap in the refrigerator, or even the freezer, to keep it from sticking to itself. * “Take your medication tablets on a spoonful of your favorite yogurt! Place the pills on top of yogurt and they slide down. Follow with a second spoonful and smile.” -- A Reader in Pennsylvania * Do you have a screw loose ... in your eyeglasses? This is an easy fix. Paint the screw with a dab of clear nail polish and quickly rescrew. It works like glue. Dab the top of the screw for a little extra insurance. * “I purchased a roll of reflective tape to mark our basement stairs. It reflects the light from the open doorway at the top of the stairs, and I can turn the downstairs lights off before heading up. I had some left over, so I put a strip on my dog’s collar. When I let him out at night, I can shine a flashlight and spot him instantly, since the tape is more visible in the night.” -- V.R. in Pennsylvania * If you’re leaving your home for a few days, make sure you don’t turn off the heater altogether. Set it at a low 55 degrees F and open up the cabinets that have pipes exposed. This way, air will circulate, and it won’t get too cold to allow the pipes to burst. Have a neighbor turn your faucets to a trickle if below-freezing weather

is expected. * Wrap the metal collar of your paintbrush with masking tape before painting. Then you can peel it off and there’s no stuck-on paint • “For uniform cookies, roll and freeze your dough for 10-15 minutes. Most doughs will harden enough to slice into perfectly even slices, and the freezing doesn’t really affect cooking time too much. (Watch your first batch, though.)” ~ R.L. in Missouri • Lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup. Never pack it down or tap the cup to level. Simply fill and then use the flat edge of a knife to remove the excess back to the original container. It’s best to weigh dry goods if possible, for the most consistent results. • “Here’s a delicious recipe that’s also beautiful: Homemade sugar scrub! Mix a cup of sugar with a tablespoon of salt and a quarter cup of olive oil. Use in the bath to scrub

away rough patches and leave your skin smooth and hydrated. You can add a drop of perfume or essential oil for scent.” ~ R.K. in Indiana

Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.

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215 Laconia Rd. - Tilton • 603-286-2223 273 Loudon Rd. - Concord • 603-715-8600

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ACKERLY’S

Grill & Galley 83 Main Street, Alton 603.875.3383 Akerlysgrillandgalleyrestaurant.com Stoneface -IPA Smuttynose -Old Brown Dog Harpoon -Winter Warmer Great Rhythm -Resonation Moat Mtn -Stout

Bells -Expedition Stout Woodstock- Frosty Goggles Lone Pine - Oh-J ...+30 More On Tap

MORRISSEYS’

Porch & Pub 286 S. Main St., Wolfeboro 603.569-3662 Morrisseysfrontporch.com Smithwick’s COPPER KETTLE Guinness Harp TAVERN Concord Craft Safe Space At Hart’s Turkey Farm Concord Craft Coffee Stout Restaurant 233 D.W. Hwy, Meredith Stella Artois ...+11 More On Tap 603.279.6212 hartsturkeyfarm.com Henniker - Working Man’s Porter OVER THE MOON FARMSTEAD Concord Craft - Safe Space 1253 Upper City Rd, Stoneface - IPA Pittsfield Moat Mtn - Blueberry overthemoonfarmstead. 603 - Winni Amber Ale com ...+6 More On Tap CIDERS: Currant Obsession Black Currant Cider D.A. LONG BEER: TB1 American Pale Ale; TAVERN IPA; Industrial Gold Munich At Funspot Helles Lager; Buzzworthy 579 Endicott St N., Russian Imperial Stout; ESB Weirs - English Special Bitter; Extra 603.366.4377 Stout Irish Stout funspotnh.com SESSION MEADS: Cranberry Lawson’s - Hopzilla Earth Eagle - Armadillo Danger Mead Definitive - Bass Reflex PATRICK’S PUB Wormtown - Irish Red 18 Weirs Rd., Gilford Rockingham - Winter 603.293.0841 Wonderham Moat Mtn - Miss V’s Blueberry Patrickspub.com Patrick’s Slainte House Ale ...+6 More On Tap Great North - Moose Juice Guinness JOHNSON’S Tuckerman - Pale Ale TAPHOUSE 603 - Winni Amber Ale At Johnson’s Woodstock - Moody Brew IPA Seafood & Steak ...+9 More On Tap 69 Rt 11, New Durham 603.859.7500 eatatjohnsons.com/ newdurham Orono -The Way Life Should Be Widowmaker -Blue Comet Northwoods -Glass ** Tap listings subject to change!

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

ACAM

American Classic Arcade Museum

FARM FRESH ICE CREAM

250 ARCADE CLASSICS!

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Located Inside Funspot

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YOUR FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT SUPERCENTER SINCE 1952! Route 3, 579 Endicott St N, Between Meredith and Weirs Beach, NH 603-366-4377 • www.FunspotNH.com • OPEN ALL YEAR

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

PHOTO COURTESY CLIFFORD PHOTOGRAPHY CLIFFORDPHOTOGRAPHYNH.COM

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

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Wedding Planning 101 (Family Features) First comes the proposal then comes the wedding planning. There are dozens of decisions that need to be made before it’s time to walk down the aisle, which can be overwhelming for brides and grooms. To help make it less stressful, these tips from Macy’s can help couples through the entire wedding-planning process, from ontrend apparel and accessories for the entire wedding party to all the essentials to create a perfect registry. Dressing the Ladies When it comes to bridesmaid dresses, the mix-and-match approach is trending in popularity. Start by deciding on a color palette, such as lilac,

PHOTO COURTESY CLIFFORD PHOTOGRAPHY CLIFFORDPHOTOGRAPHYNH.COM

champagne and petal pink. Then have each bridesmaid choose her favorite style within that range of hues. Bring it all together by choosing a uniform

look for makeup, shoes and accessories. There is no better time to thank the ladies than the morning of the big day. A few thoughtful gifts can go a long way, such as matching robes, tumblers to stay hydrated throughout the day and cosmetic cases to stow makeup essentials. Dressing the Gents Similar to bridesmaid dresses, groomsmen attire can be dependent on the venue and overall event aesthetic. While a suit can fit the bill for a country club wedding, a city affair may call for the sleek finishes of a tux. Tuxedo accessories, such as cuff links or bow ties, make great groomsmen gifts and are classic pieces they can use time and time again. Creating the Perfect Registry When building a reg-

istry, it’s never too early to start. People want to give gifts as soon as they know a couple is engaged. Start by taking inventory of what you already have, what you need and what you want to upgrade. It’s also recommended to update the registry regularly so there are enough gifts to choose from, especially if there is an engagement party and bridal shower coming up. To get started, some popular registry items include stand mixers, craft beer glasses, Dutch ovens, bath towels and vacuums. For extra guidance, couples can speak to advisors who can help with the full registry building process at Macy’s stores. For more wedding ideas and inspiration, and to find the right attire and gifts for your wedding planning, visit macys.com.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

Easy and Edible Wedding Favor Ideas a finishing touch with personalized labels in your wedding colors.

(Family Features) With all the expenses and things to plan, many brides overlook party favors for their guests. But these small tokens of appreciation allow the bride and groom to put their own unique touch on their big soiree, while also leaving a lasting impression with guests. Here are a couple of easy favors to add a little sparkle to your special day: Homemade Granola - The gift of homemade granola is a perfect way to thank guests for attending your big day. Start with mason jars and fill with delicious granola straight from your kitchen. Granola mixes can be savory or sweet. Be sure to craft a cute label with your initials or wedding date as an added touch. Complete the look by tying a raffia bow or ribbon around each jar. Regional Goodies Chances are you have some guests from outof-town. Capture the essence of your hometown or wedding venue Sacred Heart Church 291 Union Ave Laconia, NH 524-9609 St. Joseph Church 30 Church St. Laconia, NH 524-9609

Creating memorable gifts and party favors for a wedding doesn’t have to break the bank. Add your own unique touch for a lasting memory your guests will cherish long after the party has ended.

location with a regional treat. For example, a wedding in Kansas City could send guests home with barbeque sauce, or a peach jelly for a wedding in Atlanta. Fresh Fruit - For weddings in the warmer months, nothing is better than a juicy, healthy gift for guests to take home. Decorate paper bags by stamping your initials or wedding on the outside. Then fill with your favorite regional fresh fruit - grapes and cherries make an adorable touch.

Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans - Do you and your spouse-to-be have a favorite local coffee house? Pick your favorite whole bean roast and cover with melted chocolate bark. This sweet, yet rich treat can be stored in any favorite decorative bag or even a Chinese food take-out box. Cookie Nibbles - For the bride who loves to bake, put your skills to the test and create delicious take-home cookies for your guests. Purchase paper CD sleeves with plastic windows to wrap up the cookie. Then add

St. André Bessette Parish Masses now open to the public at Sacred Heart Church

Saturdays: 4pm; Sundays: 7:00, 8:30 & 10:30am Livestreamed Mass: Sunday 8:30am Daily Masses: Monday & Thursday: 8am, Tuesday: 5:00pm, Wednesday: 8:15am Both churches are open daily for private prayer

We will be following the Governor’s guidelines for COVID-19. .. 40% seating capacity, social distancing, masks & hand sanitizer required.

www.standrebessette.org

Very Reverend Marc B. Drouin, V.F., Pastor

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

How Many Couples Make Long-Term Financial Decisions Together? Just 20% (BPT) - Should married women and men be equally involved in long-term financial decisions? Your answer is likely a resounding yes! The problem is, although everyone agrees a joint financial approach is best for spouses, it’s rarely happening in reality. According to the 2021 “Own Your Worth” report from UBS, the world’s largest global wealth manager, nearly 100% of women and men believe women should be more involved in long-term financial decisions, such as investing, fi-

nancial planning and estate planning. What’s more, women and men overwhelmingly believe that unless women are equally involved in these decisions, there will never be true gender equality. Despite these strong beliefs men continue to manage most of the finances. Seven in 10 men say they take the lead on long-term financial decisions, often believing they know more about long-term finances than their spouse. But there’s good news: Among men who take the lead, nine in 10 wish their spouse was more involved in long-term financial decisions. Both women and men agree that making longterm financial decisions together would increase their confidence in the future, minimize financial mistakes and reduce anxiety about money. Currently, only about 20% of couples make long-term finan-

cial decisions together. Surprisingly, this is even more common in younger couples. Prior to marriage, 88% of millennial women plan to share long-term financial decisions equally or take the lead. But after marriage, only 15% of millennial women make these decisions together. Fifty-one percent defer to their spouses - more than any other generation. The importance of equal spousal participation is something that became clear the moment that John had an unexpected heart attack at age 34. “It dawned on me while I was sitting on a hospital gurney thinking I was going to die that my wife doesn’t know where most of our investments are,” he said. “I’m using my last breaths to tell her exactly where the funding is.” Fortunately, John See COUPLES on 28

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

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: Please contact Kathy Baker at 603-677-2513 khwaukewan@metrocast.net for more information. khwaukewan@metrocast.net for more information. 166 Waukewan Road

PHOTO COURTESY CLIFFORD PHOTOGRAPHY CLIFFORDPHOTOGRAPHYNH.COM

Center Harbor, NH

603-279-6661

www.waukewangolfclub.com

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

COUPLES from 26

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survived and he and his wife, Chris, learned an important lesson. They now communicate regularly about finances and have everything documented in writing. This gives them both confidence in the future no matter what happens. John and Chris’s story is part of “Real life, real stories,” an Own Your Worth video series found at UBS.com/ women which shows how real people manage money, what’s at stake and lessons learned. “Participation is the key to change,” says Carey Shuffman, Head of the Women’s Segment at UBS. “It’s critical for women to take their seat at the ‘money table’ so they can actively design the life and legacy they want. Men can be instrumental allies in removing barriers so active participation is possible.” Male allyship is a priority for both Michael and George, two men featured in one of the videos. “It’s a 50/50 partnership, but we split up the work and hold each other accountable,” said Michael, a millennial husband, about his equal financial partnership with his wife, Michelle. George, a retired Baby Boomer and husband to Bonnie, agrees. “With us discussing all the financial decisions that we made, it helped us to make the best decisions because two heads are always better than one. My wife has a good handle on all the finances,

so when I’m gone I have peace of mind she will do the right thing.” First Steps For Equal Financial Involvement Every couple’s situation is unique, but the most important thing is to get started together. Schedule regular conversations about where your finances are currently and your vision for the future. Be open, honest and value each other’s opinions. To help share long-term financial decisions equally, ask each other some questions: * What do you want to accomplish in your life? * Who are the people that matter most to you? * What do you want your legacy to be? * What are your main concerns? * How do you plan to achieve your life’s vision?\ “When couples participate equally in longterm decisions, they feel greater confidence in achieving their goals, greater satisfaction in their financial situations and less stress about money, so this is a very powerful step in any marriage,” said Shuffman. “The importance of participation in long-term financial decisions doesn’t just apply to women in couples - women who are not in a partnership can ask these questions of themselves, or speak with other trusted loves ones, peers, or a financial professional, to help them get started.”

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

GRILLED TOMATO AND HAVARTI W/ DILL ON HANNAFORD ALL NATURAL 9 GRAIN LOAF Ingredients:

2 slices bread 4 thin slices of tomato 8-10 thin slices of Havarti with Dill (it´s a small block about 1.5 inches x 3 inches across the face) 2 Tbsp. Butter - Arrange a layer of cheese slices on a slice of bread - Arrange the 4 thin slices of tomato on top of the cheese - arrange the remaining cheese slices on top of the tomato - top with second slice of bread

FEAST from 17 spread practice until sometime in the 1960’s. Before that it was a toasted cheese sandwich. About the same time Kraft sliced cheese singles started to hit the market around 1965 was when the grilled cheese name came into use. And lest you think grilled cheese isn’t big business, it is reported on the website “recipes. howstuffworks” that Kraft budgeted 1.4 billion dollars in 2007 for advertising, a significant portion of which, it is speculated, went to Kraft singles ad campaigns. So why do we put stuff into our grilled cheese sandwiches? I’d

hazard a guess as to say because we, as Americans, like to tinker. We just cannot leave things alone. Our innate sense of always wanting to push boundaries, explore new horizons, and go where no one has gone before is behind our penchant for seeing things as “not good enough” and wanting to improve them. It’s that pioneering spirit that drives us ever forward. It’s that same drive that got us across oceans, across continents, and to the moon in a tin can. That is the same adventuresome spirit that puts tomatoes, tuna fish, and heaven only knows what else between two or three types of cheese,

- Over Low to Medium heat melt one tablespoon of butter in the fry pan and carefully place the sandwich into the hot fry pan. - Heat for a few minutes but do not burn (unless you like your grilled cheese extra toasty). - Remove with a spatula and melt remaining butter in pan. - Flip the sandwich, carefully placing it into the hot pan of melted butter. - Heat to desired doneness and remove to plate.

- Serve immediately with chips and soup of choice if desired. and two slices of bread and slathers it all in real butter and cooks it to a crispy golden brown outside and gooey yummy hot mess on the inside. I´d say that it is this same reason that has us putting stuff in our grilled cheese sandwiches. Regardless of whether you are a purist (American cheese between two slices of white bread)

or dare to walk on the wild side (Prosciutto, Pineapple, and Jalapeno Cheddar on King Hawaiian Loaf ), paired with tomato soup and some chips, a grilled cheese sandwich is the quintessential Simple Feast! It’s basic, easy, inexpensive, and it is only limited by your imagination.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 — SMITH from 1 in Boston, but perhaps by WLNH in Laconia. Carl DeSuze was the early morning host of a show on WBZ. February would find the pupils at the rural one-classroom school I attended in New Hampton, the Hanaford School, making valentines- one for each pupil, ranging from grades one to eight. I struggled trying to come up with something to write on the valentines that didn’t say “I Love You.” Those were extra special words and for a grade school boy to write that on a valentine would be embarrassing. I did wish that my valentines would look as nice as those

try. Mr. Irving Brown acted the part of George Washington, dressing in colonial garb. Mrs. A.B. Chase attended as Martha Washington, but other ladies were said to have also dressed as Mrs. Washington would have in those Colonial times. The pupils of Mrs. Chase entertained the attendees with patriotic songs and piano recitals. At Plymouth the Lower Intervale Neighborhood Society hosted a Washington’s Birthday party with the ladies beHanaford School in New Hampton. 1950. Where I was taught about ing “..gowned in the old Lincoln and Washington and made valentines for classmates. fashioned way, some having on dresses a made by more artistic Henry Harrison had a know the birthdates hundred years old, some classmates. birthday in February or of George Washington aprons and caps of that Concerning the Presi- that a Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln same age, while others dents, I don’t remember was also born in that had earrings knowing that William month, but I came to or shoulder capes and shawls.”It was popular in those days, and it would appear, for many years before and after to have parties honoring Washington and Lincoln. In Campton a church designated a Sunday as Lincoln William Henry Harrison, 9th M e m o r i a l President, Born on Feb. 9, 1773. D a y . T h e Shortest presidency in history. Died C a m p t o n Village Bapafter 31 days in office. tist church as well as I knew my s e r v e d a s u p p e r o n Washington’s birthday own. On February 14, “..such as was served in 1905 the trains were Washington’s time.” The Ashland Citizen late arriving in Plymouth with the tardi- reported in its February ness being blamed on 11, 1905 issue that Feb. the mail because of 17th was Frances Wilthe number of valen- lard’s birthday and the tines that were sent day would be observed to the students at the all over the land. The Normal School. The boys and girls throughLadies Circle of the out the school were to be Campton Congrega- involved in presenting tional Church cele- a program on the 17th. brated Washington’s The boys and girls were birthday in 1905 with to contribute a small a supper and literary sum to go into the Franprogram in the vesSee SMITH on 31

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

Frances Willard - Founder of Women’s Christian Temperance Union. Died on a February 17th. Life celebrated by school programs in early 1900’s. SMITH from 30 ces Willard Memorial Fund. The announcement said “Every parent and all interested in the great cause of temperance are invited to be present at the school building on February 17.” They were encouraged to give towards the fund. Frances Willard was a founder and president of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. She was known for advancing the concerns of women. The only problem with the newspaper account was that her birthday was actually in September. Feb. 17th was the day of her death. Reading old New Hampshire newspaper articles going back a century and more I find that winter-time offered multiple activities for people. Schools, churches, the grange and other organizations, in addition to

entertainments galore. A century or more ago New Hampshire was a much more agricultural state and farmers had to get their goods to market. Winter was a good time to do that, but the weather wasn’t cooperating in early 1908. The Boston markets were not receiving goods from northern New England farmers, and the farmers were not receiving cash. The Boston Herald reported a change in early February after four days of heavy snow. It reported:“Farmers are making their way to market with stores of produce and wood which have been held up all winter because of the impassable country roads, which were without snow for sledding and too dangerous for wheels on account of the deep mud ruts.” With crews out

es. Cold weather had also arrived, making the demand for warm clothing and boots increase. Wagon loads of wood and hay were being sold, and chickens, eggs, and butter were among the items going to market. Eggs were selling at 25 cents a dozen, the lowest price since September. With the demand for wood high, lumbermen were looking for men to cut the wood, increasing the amount of their pay to attract them. Men looking for work in the woods earlier in the season had been unable to find employment and had sought jobs on farms and in factories, so the work force was now smaller. The fact was that the coming of snow and cold weather in February of 1908 was good for the economy of northern New England. It’s a different world we live in today, but there is much we can learn from the past. I found an item in the February 1905 newspaper that said, “ Born to Mr. and Mrs. Bradly H. Smith, Monday, Jan. 30, twin boys, Felix and Forest. Felix didn’t live.” Mr. and

Mrs. Bradley Smith are my grandparents and I knew my father had twin brothers, and I knew that Forrest didn’t live long, either. What I didn’t know was that the other twin whom I have known as Morris, and whose

gravestone identifies as Morris, was also known as Felix. So, Uncle Morris, when I get to meet you in Heaven, I’ll ask if I should call you Uncle Felix.

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Order your autographed copy today for $13.99 plus $3 for shipping. (Please include any inscription you would like the author to personalize your copy with.) Make out checks or money orders for $16.99 to Brendan Smith and mail to: The Flatlander Chronicles, c/o The Weirs Times, PO Box 5458, Weirs, NH 03247. Order online at www.BrendanTSmith.com (Pickup autographed copies at the Weirs Times)

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Another February tradition - the groundhog. regular meetings, held suppers, entertaining and educational programs, dances, political discussions, and winter

with snow rollers and shovels, roads were being opened for farmers to take their goods into towns and villag-

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 — MOORE from 14 ter and microorganisms into the lake. As lake smelt begin to stage in shallow water, they will congregate in these areas and the white perch will follow. Coves will be hot and cold however, because the fish will move in and feed until they run the bait out. Then it will take some time for the bait to return and the process to repeat. My go-to lures are a size twelve white and orange Epoxy Drop or a 1/8-ounce Blade Spoon with a single hook (In New Hampshire you must use a single hook with a single hook point if you wish to use bait.) from Clam Pro Tackle, tipped with three or four spikes (maggots) or a tiny piece of worm. The Epoxy Drop sinks fast, getting you back down to the fish quickly, which is important when a school

Good friend of the author, Rick C., with a dandy Winnipesaukee white perch. moves in. The color really depends on the water clarity and light conditions. On bright days use bright colors, on dark days use dark colors, and in stained water use neutral colors. March ice fishing is a blast, but later season seems to turn on all the fish in the lakes I fish. This is your best chance at catching

big numbers of big fish, especially when targeting warm water species since they spawn in the spring. Most anglers enjoy the warmer temperatures that occur in March. After a long cold winter, it’s nice to be out on the ice catching huge panfish and not need to bundle up as much. As ice conditions can change by

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the hour this time of year, it is important to stay safe. If you hear the ice popping and banging it might be a good idea to get back near where you came from. New pressure ridges can form, or existing ones can collapse, and late ice pressure ridges are some of the most dangerous. Play it safe but have fun out there. Tim Moore is a fulltime professional fishing guide in New Hampshire. He owns and operates Tim Moore Outdoors, LLC. He is a member of the New England Outdoors Writers Association, and the producer of TMO Fishing on YouTube and the Hooked with TMO Fishing Podcast. Visit www.TimMooreOutdoors.com for more information.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 — MAILBOAT from 2 issue for the past 2 years. Please act now because the Senate may vote on these Bills on Thursday, February 24, 2022. Please sign up and encourage other private road residents to sign up at www.nhpvrta.com by clicking on Visitor Sign-Up on the Menu and filling out the form. Then go back and click on the Yellow Post-it Note “LEARN MORE,” then click on the NH State Senators button to find out who your Senator is and how to contact them. Phone calls are better than emails. Whether email or phone call, identify yourself as a constituent of the Senator, leave your name, town, and phone number. For email, ask that your email be made part of the public record. Whether you call or email, let them know that you want them to vote YES on SB 246, and YES on SB 250 as amended since an Interim Study will not disclose any information that has not already been presented to ELMA. If private road residents don’t respond in large numbers these bills will fail and resolution will be delayed another year. John Goglia

Running for Gilford Budget Committee To The Editor: My name is Kevin Shea. I am a long time resident of Gilford. I am a father and grandfather who loves and appreciates the quality of life that our town offers. I am running for a seat on the Gilford Budget Committee to serve my community and to be a

strong voice for fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers. I will act as a fiscal watchdog to ensure our tax dollars are spent efficiently and appropriately. I am a retired corporate VP of a Fortune 500 financial institution, with a background in Cyber Security and I have also worked in finance areas for other companies. I have served as a member of a Board Of Directors for a public Credit Union and a Condo Association here in Gilford. Last, and dearest to me, I have served our country in the military and I am a proud U.S. Army veteran. If elected, I feel that my professional and personal background, as well as being a concerned member of the town of Gilford, more than equips me to meet the challenge to fill a position on the Gilford Budget Committee. Please spread the word and show your support at the upcoming election Tuesday March 8, 2022. Visit my website, for my contact information, and ways you can support my candidacy. www.shea4gilford.us Vote and make your voice heard ! Kevin Shea Gilford, NH

A Question To The Editor: A sincere question to our Washington politicians, referred to in this email as “you”. What are you going to do to secure our border? I have no words to describe the disgust I have for our current political leadership, of both parties, and their complete indifference to securing our border. Our VP travels to Eu-

rope to help secure the border of Ukraine. We send our young military men and women, along with millions of dollars in military equipment, to defend a foreign country. Yet you, and the rest of our apathetic political “leadership” in Washington, do nothing for the American people to secure OUR BORDER. You refuse to finish building the border wall, or even allow our Border Patrol Agents to do their job. You refuse to pass common sense immigration laws, or at least enforce the ones we have until you do. Failing to secure our border poses a real and present existential threat to our country. We’re tired of hearing you talk about it, get it done! While you dither, drugs continue to pour across our border, killing hundreds of thousands of innocent American citizens. While you dither, millions of unknown and unvetted foreigners, including real terrorists, human traffickers and violent criminals, continue to stream across our border. You are responsible for whatever harm they cause. Your inaction is costing American taxpayers millions of dollars,

while also endangering the safety and security of all Americans. However, what you are willing to do, is to spend more taxpayer dollars to illegally relocate them all across our country, educate them, medicate them, house them and feed them. All of those actions, along with your inactions, reflect a total disregard for the Constitution, and the oath you took to defend it. So please answer this simple question for me: What are you going to do to secure our border? Please refrain from responding with phrases such as: Let me refer you to the department of…, it’s in committee, it’s being debated, I’m reaching across the aisle, or someday we plan on passing “comprehensive immigration reform”. These are all overused political talking points, and they are just as tired and useless as the people who use them. Here are two antithetical examples of responses you might want to consider: “Truthfully, I’m a politician, only concerned with my political agenda and getting reelected. Therefore, I plan on actually doing nothing to secure our border.

I am not interested in protecting the citizens and sovereignty of our nation.” “I plan on taking the lead on this issue. I will immediately be taking the following ACTIONS to secure our border in order to protect American citizens and their families. These actions include____________.” In other words, do you plan on protecting

your constituents, or illegal immigrants? So again, I ask you to directly, clearly and succinctly answer this simple question. What are you going to do to secure our border? Michael Petruzziello Major, USMC (Ret) Wolfeboro, NH

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ELDER from 7 ter of it not being polite to say n——- in public.” And then-Sen. Joe Biden, at a committee hearing, read out loud part of a memo that quoted racial slurs used by a Louisiana legislator, “We already have a n——- mayor (in New Orleans); we don’t need any more n——- big shots.” Now the senator was quoting someone, but didn’t Rogan say no matter the context? Quentin Tarantino, the white filmmaker, used the N-word in many of his films, including “Pulp Fiction.”

Black filmmaker Spike Lee slammed Tarantino for doing so, while the characters in Lee’s films say it in various ways and for various purposes. Never mind, according to actor Samuel L. Jackson, who frequently appears in Tarantino movies and insists that in nearly all of his films his character is usually “the smartest person in the room.” Mel Brooks used the N-word in his hit comedy “Blazing Saddles,” in which the butt of the jokes were dumb, racist whites. Bill Cosby criticized black comedians for us-

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ing the word, while, as we now know, Cosby serially drugged and sexually assaulted women. But he drew the line at black comics using the N-word. Race-hustling incendiary Al Sharpton weighed in on the Rogan controversy, calling his apology insufficient without “some penance.” Never mind that Sharpton once called the first black mayor of New York City a “n— —- whore.” To this day Sharpton refuses to apologize for perpetuating the Tawana Brawley hate crime fraud when Sharpton knowingly and falsely accused a former white assistant district attorney of raping the black teenager. In 1979, toward the end of his stand-up career, comedian Richard Pryor apologized for decades of using the N-word in his performances. But contemporary comedians like

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D.L. Hughley, Katt Williams and Chris Rock use it, despite Pryor’s regret. Meanwhile, as the blacks-are-victims-ofracism media obsesses over the Rogan “controversy,” never mind the real problems affecting the black community. But, hey, at least Rogan groveled. Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk show host. His latest book, “The New Trump Standard,” is available in paperback from Amazon.com and for Nook, Kindle, iBooks and Google Play. To find out more about Larry Elder, or become an “Elderado,” visit www. LarryElder.com. Follow Larry on Twitter @LarryElder.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 — MOFFETT from 13 turn a couple Aussie phrases back against the Australian Border Force. As former Aussie Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said when pleading for fair treatment for all: “All we want is a fair go, mate. A fair suck of the sauce bottle. A fair crack of the whip!” I couldn’t have said it better myself …. Sports Quiz Who is the world’s #2 tennis player, behind Novak Djokovic? (Answer follows) Born Today That is to say, sports standouts born on February 24 include Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Pirate shortstop Honus Wagner (1874) and Finnish tennis star Aki Rahunen (1971).

Sports Quote “Have a go, you mug!” – Common Australian cheap seat lament at sports events, aimed at those who don’t give it their all or who refuse to take risks. Sports Quiz Answer Daniil Medvedev of Russia. 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.

STOSSEL from 7 But I still like hearing Rogan question anti-vaxxers and other people with unusual ideas. I learn from his show. But other people say, “Rogan must be stopped. He kills people by broadcasting ‘misinformation.’” Also, “He’s racist because he said the Nword.” Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and some other musicians who I bet have never listened to Rogan pulled their music from Spotify, the service that carries his podcast. They and others demand Spotify drop his show. Spotify hasn’t. And Rogan, unlike many people attacked by the mob, didn’t hide. He did what all of us should do if we’re attacked for something we say: fight back with

more speech. He quickly (without TV cosmetics -- looks like he shot it in his backyard) released a video on Instagram, pointing out, “Many of the things that we thought of as misinformation just a short while ago are now accepted as fact. ... If you said, ‘I don’t think cloth masks work,’ you would be banned from social media. Now that’s openly and repeatedly stated on CNN. If you said, ‘I think it’s possible that COVID-19 came from a lab,’ you’d be banned from many social media platforms. Now that’s on the cover of Newsweek.” Rogan is right. The smug arbiters of truth versus misinformation are often wrong. Then Rogan faced another controversy. A video of him using the N-word was circulated. Rogan apologized

but again fought back with more speech. He said he never called anyone the N-word; he’d only said it when others said it. “I was quoting a Lenny Bruce bit,” said Rogan. “Or a Paul Mooney bit. Or I was talking about how Quentin Tarantino used it repeatedly in ‘Pulp Fiction.’” Rogan’s a comedian who’s done thousands of shows and hundreds of podcasts. Of

course he’ll make mistakes and offend some people. So what? He corrects his mistakes. Let Rogan speak. John Stossel is creator of Stossel TV and author of “Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media.” For other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www. creators.com.

—OBITUARY— PAUL WIENER, 90 It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Paul Wiener of Meredith, who passed away surrounded by family on Monday, February 14, 2022, after a brief illness. Paul was born on June 21, 1931, in Brooklyn, New York, to Edward Samuel and Jean (Gurtov) Wiener. In 1972, Paul moved his family to Meredith, New Hampshire, and opened up a Western Auto Store with his wife, Bunny, on Main Street. It grew quickly and was rebranded Sports & Marine Parafunalia in 1975, and moved into a newer and larger space in The Meredith Shopping Center on Route 25. As the Lakes Region grew, so did the store, as it not only doubled in size at the Meredith location, but also added another storefront at its current location in Gilford in 1985, which was and is now, owned by his youngest son, Bart. In 2005, Paul closed the Meredith store and semi-retired, working the summer months at the store in Gilford before ultimately retiring for good in 2009. Paul loved the frenetic pace of the store, but more importantly loved the interaction with the customers. Paul is survived by his wife of almost 13 years, Susan Chinetti of Meredith; his daughter, Patti Jucha of Clearwater Beach, Florida; son, Tod Weston and his wife Nancy and grandson, Jake of Pompano Beach, Florida; youngest son, Bart Jeffreys and his wife Merry Sweeney Jeffreys and grandchildren Kelin and Hayley. Paul was predeceased by his first wife of 52 years and mother of his children, Bunny in 2006, his son-in-law, Bill Jucha in 2013, and his grandchild, Tod and Nancy’s son, KJ, in 2020. Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, feel free to make a donation in Paul’s name to Make A Wish NH, 814 Elm Street, Suite 300, Manchester, NH 03101-2230. Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246 is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit www.wilkinsonbeane.com.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

MALKIN from 6 I notice. When Chinese American financial executive Michelle Alyssa Go was pushed to her death off a subway platform in the Big Apple a month ago, the Black Lives Matter-crusading media played racial hideand-seek. NBC News headlined a piece decrying the crime: “NYC subway station death of Michelle Go leaves Asian Americans reeling.” Described simply as a “homeless man,” Go’s admitted murderer is a serial black offender with a long rap sheet dating back to 1998. His race was not mentioned a single time in the NBC News story, which drummed up hysteria about “hate crimes.” When Filipina American nurse Maria

Ambrocio was fatally attacked in Times Square last October, Yahoo News made sure to put her ethnicity in the headline but described her attacker -- in the midst of a violent crime spree -- as merely a “mentally ill man” of unidentified race. I’ll let you guess. When Vietnamese garment worker Than Than Htwe was murdered last July in NYC, WABC radio reported: “Asian Woman Pushed Down Subway Stairs Dies; NYPD Identify Suspect.” Once again, the race of the victim earned its place in the headline, but not the race of the suspect, David Robinson. Guess again. Why does it matter, you might ask, that the Black Lives Matter-worshiping media selectively plays

up the race of Asian victims while deliberately whitewashing the race of the perpetrators in these horrible cases? It matters because when you remove “white privilege,” “white supremacy,” “white patriarchy,” Donald Trump and the Republican Party as scapegoats, uncomfortable facts, statistics and realities about these violent outbreaks of failed coexistence in America remain. Woke white academics and political propagandists are part of the cover-up. So are clueless woke Asian liberals. For merely noticing and sharing my observations with others who have noticed, I’ve been flagged by the Southern Poverty Law Center, banned by Airbnb and, most

recently, tarred as a white supremacist sympathizer by the Idaho Statesman. No matter. You can rig the headlines and algorithms. You can smear and condemn. But you can’t stop those with eyes open from noticing. Michelle Malkin’s email address is MichelleMalkinInvestigates@protonmail.com. To find out more about Michelle Malkin and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

BOSAK from 3 also seen more goldfinches at his feeders than in past winters. He noticed they looked fatter than usual and recalled that birds often puff up their feathers to trap warm air near their bodies as a defense against the cold. “Then I observed one right outside the window puffing himself up and then dropping back to normal a couple of times,” he wrote. “Pretty damn cool to watch,” he added. I can’t argue with that. William from Somersworth gets daily visits from eastern bluebirds to his “mealworm boutique.” In addition to a variety of other birds, including turkeys, William also sees deer, and hears coyotes and a family of bobcats. My friend Andree from

Quebec reports that her front and back yard are full of American goldfinches and pine siskins. She estimated there more than 200 at a time, based on photos she took. True to their reputations, the siskins went through copious amounts of seeds during their short stay. George from Keene sent in a few photos of a handful of mallards visiting his feeder. It was a first for his yard. The next day, nine mallards came to enjoy the offerings. How did you do during the Great Backyard Bird Count? Drop me a line and let me know.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

Paw’s Corner Pets Keep Owners Fit and Healthy by Sam Mazzotta Syndicated Columnist

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I’ve read that pets can keep seniors healthy, through reducing stress, etc. How does that work? -- Joel P., Fort Myers, Fla. DEAR JOEL: Researchers have found that seniors who own pets have a reduced rate of stressrelated ailments, so they’ve

theorized that having an animal companion helps seniors feel less alone and somewhat empowered as they care for a cat, dog, fish or other pet. The unconditional love and affection that pets provide can help their owners feel needed and important, and can help to enhance their quality of life. So, the simple act of caring for a pet can create a longer, happier life for many people. But there are more ben-

efits to pet ownership. Owners are more likely to interact with other animal lovers. They tend to exercise more than pet-less people -especially dog owners, who must take their pooches for frequent walks. Of course, if a senior doesn’t want a dog or cat, the idea shouldn’t be pushed. Owners must be able to care for, walk and feed their pets, and provide training and activities. Not everyone can meet these re-

quirements. There also are financial considerations, such as regular veterinary care, food and medicine. An alternative to owning a pet is to visit one (or have one visit) occasionally. There are organizations across the United States that sponsor pet visits for seniors who love animals but cannot care for one full-time. These visits help provide some of the health benefits of pet ownership to those

who otherwise would not receive them. If nothing else, take time out to say hello to the neighbor’s dog, or spend time with relatives and their pets. They’ll love the attention, and you’ll love the stress relief that pets can provide. Send your tips, questions or comments to ask@ pawscorner.com. (c) 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

Super Crossword

PUZZLE CLUE: MUNICIPAL APPLICATION

B.C.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —

Sudoku

Magic Maze THEME THIS WEEK: CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS

Caption Contest OUR PICK FOR BEST CAPTION

Runners Up : Jim and Jill were at the head of their class in Bartender School. Alan Dore, Rochester, NH. One’s beer on tap comes to a head from a barrel, whereas a bottle of beer on one’s head can be tapped! - Jean Cram, Pittsfield, NH.

CAPTION THIS PHOTO!!

PHOTO #900 Send your best brief caption to Even in the olden days us with your name and location within 2 weeks of publication the question remained; “Honey, move away tastes great / less filling! quickly if they take a bow. date... Caption Contest, The Weirs Times, P.O. Box 5458, -Joe Vitali, Belmont, NH. -Bob Patrick, Moultonboro, Weirs, NH 03247 NH. email to contest@weirs.com

PHOTO #898

The Winklman Aeffect

by John Whitlock

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, February 24, 2022 —