05/18/2023 Weirs Times

Are DAnDelions Delicious?

by Eric N Gibson

Simple Feast Columnist

I do wish I had a green thumb. My lawn is a thin mix of tufts, shoots, weeds, and grasses. To call my grass a hybrid cross would be a misnomer. The more appropriate, albeit pejorative term, would be “inbred” for the obvious inference. Its DNA, I am certain, if it were tested, would be a closed loop rather than a twisted chain ladder. So I must admit that the dandelions do add a splash of color, both yellow and green, to my otherwise drab patchy landscape.

Adding insult to injury, with the increasingly warmer weather we have been treated to the frequent visits of woodchucks and cottontails about the acreage. I suppose that I should take their recurrent strikes against my bit of Eden as a complement. Perhaps they think that my meager flora are of superior flavor and therefore offer choice dining? It seems that nothing is immune to the ravenous appetites of these two herbivores whose penchant for unleashing their mischievous masticating mandibles is directed in no small meaSee GIBSON on 12

Rebecca Rule In Tuftonboro

The Tuftonboro Historical Society will hold their first monthly meeting of the 2023 season on Wednesday, May 24th at 7pm in the meeting room of the Tuftonboro Free Library, 221 Middle Road in Tuftonboro. The evening will feature a program by wellknown New Hampshire author and story teller Rebecca Rule. “Moved and Seconded: Town Meeting in New Hampshire,” features stories of the rituals, traditions, and history of town meeting. This program is presented with the

generous support of New Hampshire Humanities and is free and open to all members of the public.

The Tuftonboro Historical Society meets monthly on the fourth Wednesday of the month from May through October and also presents a full calendar of activities through the summer and autumn months.

Simple Feast Columnist Eric Gibson attempts his first foray into gathering dandelions and then creating a dish he had always wanted to try using the greens of this ubiquitous flower. But did the effort pan out as he had hoped? Follow along for the story and recipe.

BIRDS For The

New England’s Wild Birds & Their Habitats

Where hAve All The chipmunks Gone?

by Chris Bosak Contributing Writer

So, what is up with the chipmunk population this spring?

It’s well past the time when they should be lurking and scampering around our backyards and woodlands. The last few years the little imps have been ubiquitous and, depending on your perspective, entertaining or annoying us nonstop.

This year? I’ve seen only a handful, and others have expressed similar observations. I’ll share what others have written based on my request in last week’s column. At the end, I’ll share what my favorite wildlife expert has to say on the topic.

First, the people like me who have noticed a lack of chipmunks this spring:

“I finally saw a chipmunk at our house yesterday,” wrote Susan of Nelson. “Just one so far. We have plenty of gray and red squirrels, and

it has been weird not to see chipmunks.”

“Lots of folks around Cheshire County are noticing a lack of chipmunks and squirrels this spring,” said Deborah from Fitzwilliam. “I believe it is the consequence of the low fall mast last year. Two years ago in the spring, we were tripping over

chipmunks and squirrels after a huge acorn crop the year before.”

Sally from Keene wrote: “I have seen a chipmunk here in Keene. However, just one. They are usually a menace by this time of year.”

“I saw our first chipmunk three weeks ago, and just saw it again

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

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

yesterday,” Rose from Swanzey wrote. “My husband also mentioned we haven’t seen them as frequently as we used to.”

Sue from the Monadnock Region wrote:

“Chipmunks ... we have two. Far fewer than in the past, but it is early.”

Not everyone has ex-

See BOSAK on 17

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

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

chipmunk fills its cheeks with seeds at a bird-feeding station.

CHRIS BOSAK PHOTO

Not So LoNg Ago

The FirsT Bishop in nh - Dr. cArlTon chAse

a dozen clergymen to help him in this whole state, what could he do that would produce a ripple on the water’s surface?”

by Robert Hanaford Smith, Sr. Contributing Writer

“The bishop was not striking and very popular in his style of preaching. He was grave, argumentative, and a good teacher. Thoughtful men were always glad to hear him....he and his duties were of the quiet, un-noisy kind.”

Those words concerning Carlton Chase may not sound especially impressive to a world that is fast moving, noisy, and seemingly impressed mostly with that which is sensational and unusual. Dr. Chase’s position and responsibilities may not at first appear to be of much interest to many. Rt. Rev. W.W. Niles, whose words about Dr. Chase I am quoting, said concerning Dr. Chase’s assignment in New Hampshire, “The work which could be here done by any man as bishop was very small, very modest, very uneventful, very humble, with five hundred communicants (although his church was early in New Hampshire), and ten or

That having been said, it was also said that Bishop Chase was “...a really eminent son of New Hampshire.”

The world loves first things, so let me impress you by introducing you to the first Anglican (Episcopal) Bishop of the State of New Hampshire, whose jurisdiction covered New Hampshire by itself. There was one New England bishop before him whose Diocese included the state of New Hampshire, but

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

NH Boat Museum to Offer Women’s Boating Course

On Saturday, June 3 at Back Bay Town Docks in Wolfeboro from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the New Hampshire Boat Museum (NHBM) will host “Ready To Launch.” A basic boating class for women boaters, the class will be taught by Jacob Marsh from Lakes Region Community College.

“This class is designed for novices and seasoned boaters alike,” said NHBM Executive Director Martha Cummings, who expressed appreciation in again working with Lakes Region Community College.

“This class reflects our broader mission to ensure everyone can be safe and have fun on the water.”

Topics covered in the class include safety inspections, engine fluid checks, batteries, jump starting, safe starting procedures, preparing boats when not in use, and more. “We will cover some boating basics in a safe and comfortable atmosphere for women, ages 16 and up,” added Cummings.

Ready To Launch takes place on Saturday, June 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Back Bay Town Docks in Wolfeboro. The cost is $40 for members and $50 for non-members. To register or learn more about NHBM, visit nhbm.org.

New Hampshire’s One-Room Rural Schools: The Romance and the Reality

The Gilmanton Historical Sociiety opens it’s 2023 summer season on Tuesday evening, May 23. Steve Taylor explores the lasting legacies of the one-room school and how they echo today.. Hundreds of one-room schools dotted the landscape of New Hampshire a century ago and were the backbone of primary education for generations of children. Revered in literature and lore, they actually were beset with problems, some of which are little changed today. The greatest issue was financing the local school and the vast differences between taxing districts in ability to support education .

The program, Tuesday evening, May 23 at the Old Town Hall, on Route 140 in Gilmanton Iron Works, begins at 6:30 pm. Social hour and refreshments begin at 6 pm. The public is welcome. There is no charge, but donations to support the Society’s work are welcome. For further information check the Society’s website: https://gilmantonhistoricalsociety.org

Summer programs continue: June 27: The Past, Present & Future of NH’s Indigenous People. Saturday, July 29, 10 am: 2nd Annual Farm & Flax Day, Farm Museum at Tom Howe Conservation Area, 245 Meetinghouse Road . Tuesday, August 23, 6 pm: Beech Grove Cemetery Walking Tour (Rain date Wednesday, August 23). Tuesday, September 26th, 6:30PM

African American Soldiers and Sailors of New Hampshire During the American Revolution. Gilmanton Historic Buildings & Homestead Tour. Saturday, October 7th 10am-3pm rain or shine. Cost: $20.

Memorial Day Weekend Craft Fair

On Saturday and Sunday, May 27-28, a Memorial Day Weekend Craft Fair will take place at Schouler Park, 1 Norcross Circle, North Conway . Hours are Saturday 10 am to 5 pm & Sunday 10 am to 5 pm . Celebrate your holiday at this amazing arts & crafts fair in North Conway with over 125 fabulous exhibitors! Some of the arts & crafts will include beautiful pottery, handsome handpainted glassware, cedar wood furniture, beautiful soy candles, stained glass art, handpoured soaps, wrought iron creations, amazing American wooden flags, delicious fudge/kettle corn/whoopie pies, awesome alpaca products, gourmet foods, wooden crafts, pet portraits, pet toys, cutting boards, awesome quilts, unique macrame furniture, various styles of jewelry, maple products, granite cheese boards, string art, & lots more!! Friendly, Leashed Dogs Welcome! Rain or Shine Under Canopies! Music with North River Both Days! Always Free Admmission. For more Info Call Joyce 603.387.1510 - joycescraftshows.com

“Interiors” Opens At The Galleries At 30 Main

Art Exhibit “Interiors” will open Thursday, May 18th with a reception from 4-6pm at The Galleries at 30 Main in Meredith. The show features the new works by artists Cilla Sheehan (L) and Carole Groenke. This unique exhibit combines Sheehan’s Assemblages, (a process using found objects to produce three-dimensional compositions) with Groenke’s thought provoking abstract paintings. “Interiors” will run through Sunday, June 4th and is free to the public.

Cilla Sheehan explains, “I had been experimenting with rectilinear black assemblages for months when I wondered what might

result from adding curvilinear elements. The combination of straight and curved lines proved pleasing to the eye and opened infinite possibilities.

The shows theme “Interiors” applies to the box assemblages as well as their titles and the images that the title creates in the viewers mind. Is it what the artist intended? My goal is for the assemblages to draw viewers in and cause them to reflect on the stimulus which connects the artist and the viewers.”

Carole Groenke comments, “This selection of work is representative of the painting, printing and mark making I have been experimenting with over the last three years. The mental interiority represented in each piece starts from inspiration, or a particular state of mind. The inspiration can come from any number of sources including art, nature or poetry and literature. Recently I have been working with the oil and or ink directly on paper or printed on Japanese Hanshi paper which I use to layer over certain pieces. I started working with handmade brushes in the spring of 2019 prior to attending a mixed media workshop at Snow Farm in western Mass. After watching a tutorial on line given by abstract artist Lorna Crane, I made a series of brushes to bring to the workshop. I like the way their marks add movement.

In my work I strive to achieve a sense of movement particular to each piece. This involves an almost meditative state in order to achieve the purity of the stroke. What looks to be quite spontaneous is a result of a concentrated effort to capture the chaos. Once this is achieved, I know that the piece is done.

GeTTinG useD To iT

“Ahh…it’s fifty degrees. Let’s get out the shorts and go for a walk.”

You have to take advantage of the warmer weather seasons here in New Hampshire because, before long, you know you’ll be using your autumn voice again.

“Argh, it’s fifty degrees outside. I’m not going for a walk, it’s freezing out. Turn up the heat.”

It’s all a matter of what you are used to,

Sometimes it’s just a yearly thing; your thought patterns adjusting from season to season. Other times it has to do with life experiences.

It seems like only a few short years ago that we all gathered around our new computers, hooked up to this thing called the Internet, and after listening to the endless hissing and beeping sounds for what today feels like an eternity, a connection to the mysterious internet is finally made. We watched in awe as a picture was downloaded (If we even called it that), line by line, pixel by pixel, for what seemed forever, until, finally, the picture appeared on the screen fifteen minutes later.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” we would say in amazement as a fuzzy photo of something completely unremarkable appeared on the screen.

Nowadays we click on an email on our so-called phones and then the attached photo and it usually appears in seconds. Of course, sometimes things don’t always go as fast as we want and it might take all of ten seconds for the image to appear.

“Man, the Internet is really slow today,” we grumble. “This is really aggravating.”

It’s all a matter of what you are used to.

For us baby boomers, we can take this back even further.

I can recall our family owning a small black and white television whose operation depended on some clunky giant tubes and a piece of metal on the roof that, somehow, magically captured images, sent them down a wire and onto our screen.

Sure, there was only three or four channels which we actually had to get out of our chairs and manually turn a switch on the TV to access, but there always seemed to be something on that would gather our attention and keep us mesmerized. Occasionally, the picture might get a little fuzzy, but that was okay, we’d make it through.

The, for some of us, color televisions and remote control appeared in our homes, It was like a world of magic. We didn’t care what was on TV, just as long as there was something to watch. My friend’s family had one of the first in the neighborhood and we were all invited to come over and partake in the miracle of this new technology, even though it was basically the came four channels, but now in living color.

Today there is a selection of hundreds of channels that we can choose from to watch literally countless types of different programs. Choose a subject, there is probably a station for it…and in high-definition to boot.

“This week on cooking with chimpanzees……”

Still, we often find ourselves, sitting on our couches, remote control in hand, searching through this vast wasteland of entertainment and occasionally moan: “There’s nothing on.”

It’s all a matter of what you are used to.

It wasn’t that long ago that you actually had to push the doors in the supermarket open with your own two hands. We never thought twice about it.

Nowadays if we encounter a supermarket door that doesn’t

open automatically upon our arrival, we stand perplexed, staring at said door we almost walked right in to, wondering what is wrong. It takes about a second or two until our old primitive instincts kick in and we go back to our ancient habits of using our own strength. Maybe you should report this to the store manager so others don’t have to continue to go through this ordeal.

It’s all a matter of what you are used to.

It took me a while to stop looking every time I heard the quick beep of a car horn in a parking lot. My old instincts, before the days of automatic key fobs, made me stop and look. Maybe an old friend had spotted me and was trying to get my attention. Nowadays it is just someone locking their car doors. I don’t look anymore.

It’s all a matter of what you are used to.

It seems to me that all of these technological changes we have become used to over the years has softened us up a bit, made us a more impatient society as a whole. We have access to more information and entertainment at our fingertips than we could ever have dreamed of years ago, but if we can’t access it immediately, we become upset.

Everything moves faster, but no one seems to have enough time to get everything done. We have the latest gadgets but can’t wait to upgrade to the next, faster one.

Unfortunately, that is what we are getting used to.

Still, it’s nice to know God’s “technology” never changes and we don’t constantly need a newer and better version, it’s always perfect and just what we need if we choose to take advantage of it.

So, I am going to get out my shorts and take a nice peaceful walk in the cool spring air and be grateful and try my best to remember to do the same come autumn.

by Brendan Smith

Weirs Times Editor

Why Doesn’T DroWninG in DeBT BoTher BiDen?

The most perplexing thing about President Joe Biden’s stance on the debt ceiling issue is that the staggering national debt does not seem to bother him.

hoW cnn JusT BoosTeD Trump

by Star Parker Syndicated Columnist

In remarks Biden made the other day, he noted that the national debt has “accumulated over 200 years.” And he also noted the debt increased under President Donald Trump.

But the president’s selective memory chooses to overlook that when the Obama-Biden administration took office in 2009, national debt stood at 60% of GDP. When they left eight years later, it was at 100% of GDP.

We also must note that from 1965 to 2008, the annual average growth of the U.S. economy was 3.1% per year. From 2009, when the Obama-Biden administration started piling on the debt, to today, average GDP growth has been 2.1% year.

But let’s forget, for now, the “who did what” of the past. Let’s focus on today.

What is clear is that we have entered uncharted, and dangerous, territory. The Congressional Budget Office forecast of national debt reaching 118% of GDP is a historic high. And then CBO goes on to project that the debt will reach almost twice GDP over the 20 years after.

Why doesn’t this bother our president?

If House Republicans, under the leadership of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, had not passed a bill to set conditions for spending cuts as a quid pro quo for authorizing an increase in the debt ceiling, most Americans would not even know the critical situation we are in. Our president would have been just fine authorizing the debt ceiling increase, taking us further into unchartered debt territory, with little fanfare.

Biden has released a video defining his upcoming reelection campaign.

The theme that he is championing is freedom.

“Freedom, personal freedom, is fundamental to who we are as Americans,” is how he opens the video.

But what can our president be thinking about?

The vision of America’s founders was freedom. It’s why the focus of our Constitution, as originally crafted, was to limit government.

Not so complicated. More government, less freedom.

Today’s clear direction of the

by Ben Shapiro Syndicated Columnist

This week, former President Donald Trump appeared on a CNN town hall. That day, he trumpeted the upcoming event on his social media platforms. “I’ll be doing CNN tonight live from the great state of New Hampshire because CNN is rightfully desperate to get those Trump ratings back,” Trump said with a wry grin. “They were ratings like none other, and they want them back. They made me a deal they couldn’t refuse. It could be the beginning of a new and vibrant CNN with no more fake news, or it could be a total disaster for all, including me. Let’s see what happens, tonight at 8 o’clock!”

Trump pitched the event like a WWE Monday Night Raw.

And it was.

It was kayfabe of the highest order. And it helped Trump immensely.

CNN pitched the event as a kickoff to primary season. In that spirit, they invited Republican primary voters from New Hampshire to fill the auditorium. Moderator Kaitlin Collins, presumably, would ask questions that Republican voters cared about. They would then be able to use Trump’s answers to gauge whether to vote for him.

That’s not what happened.

Instead, Collins asked a series of questions only Democrats care about. She asked about Jan. 6. She asked about Trump’s election denial. She asked about classified documents. She asked about E. Jean Carroll. In short, Collins provided Trump with precisely what he wanted: an adversarial CNN foe he could absolutely pummel, to the delight of the friendly crowd. The entire event played to Trump’s strengths: he was aggressive; he was funny, and transgressively funny at that (of E. Jean Carroll, he noted disbelievingly, “her cat was named Vagina!”); and he refused to give an inch on any of his positions.

Trump under fire from the Left draws nothing but admiration from most Republicans, who constantly feel that they are scurrilously attacked but rarely see a defender willing to go dirty to defend them. Trump defending himself deploys the methodologies they wish Republican politicians would use to defend them. And so, CNN boosted Trump.

CNN found itself on the wrong end of the outrage machine from the liberal commentariat. The irrepressibly insipid Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY., tweeted, “CNN should be ashamed of themselves... Everyone here saw exactly what was going to happen.” MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough likened the event to Jan. 6. The Daily Beast’s Justin Baragona related that a CNN on-air personality couldn’t stop lamenting the “Trump infomercial.”

But was the event bad for CNN? Not really. As Trump -- who always says the quiet part out loud, for good and ill -- stated, CNN brought in the ratings. What’s more, CNN wants Trump to be the nominee. for both fiscal and political reasons. Trump does indeed mean eyeballs, and eyeballs mean cash. And coincidentally, top Democrats want Trump to be the nominee; President Joe Biden tweeted minutes after the town hall, “It’s simple, folks. Do you want four more years of that?”

For now, Trump is the clear front-runner among the Republican candidates. Perhaps his star will dim as he focuses consistently on his own personal Festivus grievances. Or perhaps the media will continue to boost him, providing him with just the adversarial opposition he needs in order to appeal to his base. If the past is any guide, the latter seems far more likely. And then we’ll find out whether the Republican base, which apparently believes in Trump’s electoral invulnerability despite the elections of 2018 and 2020, is correct -- or whether the Democratic base and the media, who apparently believe Trump can’t possibly win despite the election of 2016, are mistaken.

DAnGer -- GovernmenT DiGiTAl currency

“This is a wolf coming as a wolf.”

For months, I’ve tried to get DeSantis to sit down for an interview. What finally got him to agree was government’s plan for digital money.

“If you don’t trust central authority,” DeSantis says, “then you should see this immediately as something that is very problematic.”

-- climate change. You can’t be doing that! You bought another firearm? No, no, no.’”

Canada’s government used its banking system to control people when truckers protested vaccine rules. The government blocked their bank accounts. That stopped the protests.

back and forth between the federal government and the states. We’re pushing back about things we don’t think are good.”

by John Stossel Syndicated Columnist

President Joe Biden and the media are excited about something new: a Central Bank Digital Currency, or CBDC. It’s a currency like Bitcoin, except controlled by the federal government.

Not everyone is a fan.

“Sometimes government does things that may appear to be benevolent but really are kind of like a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” says Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in my new video.

Of course, a lot of people do trust central authority. The Biden administration says a CBDC will “protect consumers, investors ... and the environment.”

“That last one’s a tell,” laughs DeSantis, “they would impose ideology certain criteria ... ‘You’re filling up too much (with gas). Wait a minute

DeSantis is so upset about the Fed’s and Biden’s plan for a CBDC he just got Florida’s legislature to ban its use in their state.

I ask, “This will be a national issue. Why is it the business of a governor?”

“This is part of our role,” he responds, citing federalism. “There’s a

DeSantis questions the CBDC’s legality. “The Federal Reserve has come out and said, We would only do it after ‘consulting with the legislative and executive branches. Ideally, we’d get specific congressional authorization.’ Wait a minute! It’s not ideal that you get Congress. That’s what the Constitution requires!”

Of course, the media is enthusiastic about a government-controlled CBDC.

CNBC says it will be “as trusted as

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n J olT e D B u T s T ill s TA n D in G

Another earthquake has jolted Turkey. But contrary to the seismic calamity which devastated large parts of eastern Turkey in February killing more than 50,000 people this was an electoral jolt whose political shockwaves and aftershocks continue to rattle the entire country from Istanbul, through the Anatolian plain to far off Mt. Ararat on the Armenian frontier.

by John J. Metzler Syndicated Columnist

place recently with approximately 89 percent voter turnout, reflecting both deep polarization and political nervousness. But as is common in such systems with minor party contenders, no candidate reached the mandatory 50% of the vote, thus triggering a runoff between the two rivals.

changes.

Both the incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan (69) and his main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu (74) contested Presidential and parliamentary elections which took

Kemal Kilicdaroglu who leads a fractious coalition of six opposition parties known as the “Table of Six,” ranging from left to right, plans to pull Turkey back to its traditional moorings with the West, the U.S. and NATO. Over the past decade, an increasingly authoritarian and populist Erdogan has purposefully reoriented Turkey towards Moscow and Beijing. Many secular Turks and businesspeople in the cities are increasingly nervous over these

So why is this important? Turkey forms one of those nexus countries; a large strategic landmass connecting Europe and the Middle East geographically. Turkey controls the strategic Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits through which shipping from the Black Sea (Russia, Ukraine, Romania) passes. Equally Turkey forms the underbelly of the Black Sea, a strategic outlet for Russia.

Significantly as long standing NATO member, the Ankara government was admitted to the Alliance in 1952, the country is home to key military facilities including the U.S. Incirlik airbase in the east not far from Syria and Lebanon. Turkey’s huge land army has proven a reliable force in the NATO command

structure. The Turkish military has often played political kingmaker.

Indeed the 83 million Turks are not an Arab people; historically the Ottoman Turks long dominated Arab lands throughout the modern Middle East ranging from Iraq and Arabia through North Africa. Just a century ago in 1923, the modern Turkish Republic was founded by Kemal Ataturk, a tough but visionary reformer who turned this Moslem land into a reasonably modern secular state. Modernism mixed with a secular and Westernoriented styles in the new Republic as hallmarks of the Ataturk era. “Western form, National Content,” became a catchphrase.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan changed

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This series of Letters

From God is an attempt to put the thoughts of God as revealed in the Scriptures.

Letters From God Letters From God

QUESTION: What Do You Think About The End Of Title 42?

To answer your question, I would share a somewhat comical but tragic story. A man went to the hospital and had testing for some serious problems he was facing. When the doctor came back, she said he had news both good and bad and what would you like first? The man responded with, “please give me the good news first.” The doctor said, “they’re going to name a terminal disease after you.” In his case neither the good nor the bad news was good.

Title 42 was one of the ways that your government was able to put the American people first during a deadly crisis. By withholding immigration status to those who may be carrying the COVID virus into the United States, they were not only thinking of the Americans first but thinking of safety first. To allow new people into the country without extensive safety measures through the vetting process of immigration, your government leaders were asking those coming in to follow the same strict standards that were required of citizens of your country. Unfortunately, because of many liberal policies and tolerance of lawlessness, Title 42 was often neglected. Hundreds of thousands were viewed daily entering planes and buses to destina-

tions in your country even without masks and with little or no vetting. By the old standards of immigration vetting, there was virtually no concern for the welfare of the American citizens but only the headlong efforts to repopulate the United States with people of other countries.

I have written about my views and thoughts on immigration in a previous letter and I will remind you again that I have always been concerned with welcoming the poor, the needy and the persecuted into my chosen people, Israel. In my book, the Bible, and particularly the book of Leviticus chapter 19 versus 33 through 34, I instructed my people by saying “when a stranger sojourns with you in your land you shall not do him wrong you shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you and you shall love him as yourself for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

I love all of my creation and that includes every person, tribe and nation. I rescued the Jewish people and chose them to be my own when they were strangers in a foreign land, and I instructed them to do the same for others. However, I also told them to carefully vet those who were entering into their land to preserve the values and commands I gave to Israel for their welfare. In fact, there were times, particularly when I gave them the land of Canaan, where I asked them to remove any of the existing inhabitants who, if they coexisted

with my chosen people and caused them to turn from me and my will, they would contribute to my people practicing things which would lead to my judgments and to their expulsion from the land. This careful vetting was vital even as vetting for COVID was vital to protect the health of many of your people. In fact, it was a statement of love, to at times, disallow people from entering into their land.

First, for the foreigner who, if they brought there physical or spiritual disease condition into my people, would face my judgment in order to protect my people. It was also a statement of love for my people because without proper vetting the negative influences, be it physical, moral, or spiritual would lead to their decay and death either through natural or supernatural means. In fact, my people violated my command to carefully vet those who would enter their country and fell prey to the multiple disease conditions they brought with them. As a result, they became so sick morally, spiritually even physically, they were removed from the land I gave them and subjugated to cruel treatment at the hands of Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans and a host of others.

So, in answer to your question, “what do I think about the end of title 42?” I think that it makes little difference because your leaders have already violated your laws of immigration while it was in place and since have egregiously ignored them and now

encourage millions to enter your nation, as an invasion that has potentially catastrophic consequences.

In the past years there has been virtually no control, no vetting, no certainty of the integrity of those entering your country including honoring and respecting the laws of your country, no desire for immigrants becoming faithful adherent to the laws and customs of your country etcetera. For most, the very act of entering your country illegally says much about their integrity and what you can expect once they integrate into society. This invasion is also haphazard and has little planning to care for the needs of these people once they arrive in cities and towns throughout your country. Mayors and leaders in New York, Chicago and even in Maine, have already expressed that they are overrun and do not have the resources to adequately take care of these people. Yet, at this time, millions more will enter and contribute to the coming catastrophe.

You have already made great strides to reject me, my word and my will. That same spirit is rejecting your own Constitution, laws and values. I’d like to say God help you, but I can’t if you won’t let me.

I love you and for this reason I speak lovingly and honestly, God

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

Last month the NFL suspended five players for violating its gambling policy. Detroit Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus and safety

C.J. Moore as well as Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney were suspended indefinitely. Lion wide receivers Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams were suspended for six games.

Were they the only NFL gridsters guilty of breaking the league’s gambling dictums?

Hardly. But they were caught and will pay the price.

The first three suspended players were reportedly banned for wagering on NFL games last season. Berryhill and Williams were suspended for six games for betting on non-NFL games at a “league facility.” Whatever that means.

Whereas legal sports betting (and casinos!) were once limited to Nevada, gambling is now ubiquitous nationally. New Hampshire now has 14 “charitable” gaming casinos and the Granite State legalized sports betting over three years ago. Indeed, New Hampshire was the first state to institute its own lottery, almost 60 years ago.

So is betting bad?

In 1776 America’s Continental Congress

WEIRS TIMES’ BEER FINDER

FooTBAll BeTTinG AnD suspensions

NFL being overly harsh by suspending the aforementioned players? The subject rates discussion. However, if the players knowingly broke rules that were conditions of employment, then they’re “out of luck” when it comes to overturning suspensions.

The NFL Five are not superstars. But if they were, would they be treated differently?

After the Chicago Bulls won their third straight NBA title in 1993, Michael Jordan stunned the sports world by retiring from pro basketball. He returned a couple years later but due to his known gambling predilections, many speculate that his first retirement was a secret suspension.

ACKERLY’S

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At Hart’s Turkey Farm Restaurant 233 D.W. Hwy, Meredith 603.279.6212 hartsturkeyfarm.com

Henniker - Working Man’s Porter

Concord Craft - Safe Space

Stoneface - IPA

Moat Mtn - Blueberry

603 - Winni Amber Ale

...+6 More On Tap

D.A. LONG TAVERN

At Funspot 579 Endicott St N., Weirs 603.366.4377 funspotnh.com

Hidden Moon - Razz What She Said

Shipyard -Smashed

Pumpkin

Jack Abby -Red Tape

Muddy Road -1762 Porter

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

MORRISSEYS’

Porch & Pub

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

Morrisseys’ 20 Year Lager by Great North

Smithwick’s Guinness

Harp

Concord Craft Safe Space ...+11 More On Tap

OVER THE MOON FARMSTEAD

1253 Upper City Rd., Pittsfield overthemoonfarmstead.com

Oatmeal Stout

London Porter

Pitt Stop Pils

Coffee Porter

No Need To ArgueCranberry Mead

voted to use a lottery to help fund our revolution. When I was growing up in Groveton, our local Catholic Church sponsored bingo nights each Tuesday. Attendance at bingo exceeded attendance at Mass! Those of us who own stocks or are involved with mutual funds are certainly gambling, in a sense. It’s all legal.

Many U.S. senators and congresspeople somehow become quite wealthy by parlaying inside information to their investment advantage.

The issue with sports betting involves game integrity. The Chicago Black Sox cast long, lasting shadows after eight of them conspired with gamblers to throw

the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

Pete Rose is still banned from baseball and its Hall of Fame because he broke gambling rules. College basketball point shaving scandals did lasting damage to hoop individuals and institutions.

Still, the current betting brouhahas that went public probably represent just the tip of the gambling iceberg.

Big league sports used to avoid Nevada like the plague due to gambling sensibilities. But now Las Vegas has an NFL team and an NHL team.

The Oakland A’s hope to play there beginning in 2027. America’s gambling landscape has certainly evolved.

So all that said, is the

In 1963 NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle suspended two all-stars for gambling—Green Bay Packer Paul Hornung and Detroit Lion Alex Karras. Hornung admitted to making small wagers with friends. Rozelle claimed Karras made at least six bets of $50 or $100. Those one-year suspensions also cast long and lasting shadows.

Commissioners must protect the integrity of their sports. Indeed, the Black Sox scandal resulted in the hiring of the first baseball commissioner, Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis, to clean things up. But it’s fair to be on the alert for double standards, especially as those sympathetic to the NFL Five

See MOFFETT on 27

Weldworks - Juicy Bits

Dogfish Head - Barrel Aged 120 Minute

Jack’s Abby - Lager Beleza

Prairie - Watermelon Girlfriend

Barreled Souls - Munro

...+6 More On Tap

FOSTER’S TAVERN

403 Main Street Alton Bay, NH 603-875-1234 fosterstavernbythebay.com

Tuckerman - Pale Ale

Sam Adams - Seasonal

Sam Adams - Wicked Hazy

Maine Beer Co - Lunch

Newburyport Brewing CoGreen Head IPA

...+2 More On Tap

JOHNSON’S TAPHOUSE

At Johnson’s Seafood & Steak 69 Rt 11, New Durham 603.859.7500 eatatjohnsons.com/ newdurham

Lone Pine -Brightside

Widowmaker -Blue Comet

Maple Apple Cider ...+6 More On Tap

PATRICK’S PUB

18 Weirs Rd., Gilford 603.293.0841 Patrickspub.com

Patrick’s Slainte House Ale

Great North - Moose Juice

Guinness

Clown Shoes - Bubble Head

603 - Winni Amber Ale

Tuckerman - Pale Ale

...+9 More On Tap

THE WITCHES BREW PUB

At The Craft Beer Xchange

59 Doe Ave., Weirs Beach 603.409.9344

FB @craftbeerxchange

Citizen Cider – Lake Hopper

Voodoo Ranger – Juice Force

Kilkenny – Irish Red Ale

El Sequndo – Broken Skull IPA

Woodstock – Kanc Maple Porter

Southern Tier –Peanut Butter

Cup Imperial Stout

..+30 More On Tap

** Tap listings subject to change!

by Mike Moffett

Contributing Writer

Paul Hornung

sure upon my wife’s hosta shoots, tulips, and assorted spring botanicals.

It was about this time I was just finishing the book, Stalking the Good Life: My Love Affair with Nature by Euell Gibbons, in which the subject of dandelions seemed to be a perpetual theme. Edible from root to flower,

Dandelion Greens w/ Bacon & Garlic

Yield: 3-4 Servings Time: Approx 15 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 Bunch of Dandelion Greens (In season)

6 Strips of Bacon cooked, chopped 1 ½ Tbsp. Bacon grease (approx.)

2-3 Cloves Garlic (minced)

TT Black Pepper

1 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

— Preparation —

- In a hot skillet cook the bacon until crisp but do not burn. Remove to a paper towel to drain.

- Carefully remove the hot bacon grease from the skillet leaving about 1 ½ Tablespoons.

- Into the hot bacon grease add the minced garlic and lightly saute for about one minute or so.

- Add the Dandelion Greens and continue to saute over medium low heat for about 4 to 5 minutes until the greens are coated and wilted.

- Turn off the heat. Crumble or chop the bacon strips and sprinkle onto the greens, add a dash or two of Black Pepper, and a Tbsp. of grated Parmesan. Give a light stir and serve plated or right from the hot skillet with a few Dandelion Blossoms as a garnish.

- Pick out and eat the bacon bits and discard the rest.

one can make all sorts of delectable green salads and sides to accompany a main course. Not to mention all the tinctures, potions, teas, and elixirs one can yield from roots to blooms. Why even the bright yellow petals can be used as an edible garnish on everything from main dishes to desserts. How fortuitous!

Indeed, Spring is an amazing time of year.

My walks are a daily renewal of admiration for this season, particularly as I stroll past the neighbors house. Again and again, day after day various shades of green for as far as you can see continue to crop up.

However, one day, I noticed my abutters acres of greens were heavily bespeckled with yellow. But rather than curse these blooms as

unwelcome invaders across the verdant landscape something began to stir within me. Watching these yellow blooms swaying in the breeze, thoughts of teas, wines, and bountiful green salads, and even cakes festooned with bright yellow confetti petals danced through my head. Yes, I admit I began to eye my neighbors lawn in a new shade of green.

Now that color of “Envy” truly is a deeply darkened hue. As I

paused at their gatepost in awe it was as if I were the Grinch himself conceiving a plan to take Christmas from those poor little Whos down in Whoville. Why, I even found myself curling the end of my mustache between my fingers as I gazed upon the new found beauty in this bounty before me. I could feel that covetous green eyed monster within was rearing its ugly head, for here was a crop of magnanimous proportions going to waste while my thin pithy yard with its thatchy tufts of green and wispy dandelions quite literally paled in comparison. My yield, my dandelion hoard, would scarcely be considered a passable crop. Yes, admittedly, these luscious greens were truly greener on the other side of that fence separating me from them. Have you ever wondered what dandelion greens taste like? I can remember ever since I was a child people have claimed dandelion greens were edible but, no one I knew had ever really tried them in ear-

nest. Dandelion greens were always something I wanted to try but just didn’t have the gumption nor the recipe for such. Now, I’m sure a few adventurous souls out there have plucked a leaf or two and chewed cautiously on these tender green sprigs. But have you really tried a plate full? Well, now, I can honestly say, “I have!”

Armed with renewed vigor, spurred on by Spring and Mr. Gibbons’ book filled with its anecdotal stories, essays, and treaties on the virtues of wild flora as edible fodder; I decided to “tackle the green” sort of speak. But Gibbons too was lacking recipes in his book. It is more of a layman’s guide offering suggestions as to the gathering and pairing with, rather than recipes with definitive measures. He suggested that these tender greens be sauteed in bacon drippings. (Mr. Gibbons, you have my undivided attention!)

Now for those in the know this will not come as a surprise but to the

GIBSON from 1

TrollinG sTreAmer Flies

by Tim Moore Contributing Writer

Ask any five anglers who regularly fish Lake Winnipesaukee for salmon how they troll streamer flies and you’re likely to get five different answers, and none of them would be wrong. The fact of the matter is, there are many ways to troll streamers. The list of variables is lengthy. From speed and depth to color and size, tandem versus single hooks, flashers or dodgers. I could go on, but for this writing I will discuss how I troll streamer flies for landlocked salmon on Lake Winnipesaukee rather than try to convince you that my way is best.

I don’t typically troll streamer flies until after the smelt runs are over, because during the smelt runs the smelt are in shallow water and the salmon are there feeding on them. Local bait shops will carry live smelt as long as they can get them, which usually ends with the smelt runs. Once the smelt spawn, they move back out into the main lake body and the salmon move back out with them. I could keep trolling live smelt, and many anglers do with good success, but when the salmon move back out into the main lake in the spring, they could be anywhere. Water temps are still cool throughout the entire water column, affording the salmon the luxury

A well-placed streamer fly is the author’s most valuable tool for landlocked salmon.

of going wherever they want. The main reason I switch to flies is trolling speed.

The optimum speed for trolling smelt is 1MPH, since any faster would cause the bait to spin in the water rather than a gentle roll. Plain streamer flies can be trolled at almost any speed really, but I usually troll them around 2MPH depending on whether I add a dodger or not. The result is that I can cover twice as much water with flies as I can with live smelt. When finding the salmon is the most difficult part, doubling my trolling speed allows me to locate more fish. In fact, I have trolled plain streamer flies as fast as 3.5MPH in the past.

Which depth to fish during the spring is an age-old question. The fish could be anywhere they want, but that doesn’t mean they will be all over the place. I troll as many lines as the law allows and stagger them at different depths until I find fish. Generally, once I find a salmon, I will move all my lines to the depth that I caught the fish at and troll through that same area a couple more times. You’d be surprised how many times I catch another fish or two in the same area.

Favorite color is another variable that seems to change from angler to angler. I find that it changes throughout the season, but if I

could only choose one it would be orange. Flies, such as the Maynard Marvel, Golden Demon, or Pumpkin Head are proven flies that you will always see in my fly case. Others include the Winnipesaukee Smelt, Grey Ghost, and Wolfeboro Bay. Even when one particular fly is hot, I will always run one variable just in case that fly produces better that trip. Most of these flies can be found or tied on a variety of sized hooks or as tandem (two hooks) flies.

Flashers and dodgers are popular among many who troll for salmon. They are basically large spoons designed to impart action on your lure, and are

A Canada Goose sitting on her nest in the back waters of the Connecticut River

kiDs inviTeD To ‘minicAmp’ AT AmericAn inDepenDence museum This summer

This summer, kids (ages 7 - 11) will have the chance to immerse themselves in hands-on 18th century life at four MiniCamps at the American Independence Museum (AIM) in Exeter.

At each MiniCamp, which takes place on a Thursday in July, campers will dress in colonial clothing, participate in games and activities, create projects, and enjoy colonialinspired snacks. “These camps are meant to be fun with history mixed in, too,” said AIM’s Sarah Jaworski, who developed the MiniCamps. “We can’t wait to have our first camp.”

Taking place on Thursday, July 6, AIM’s first MiniCamp, Daily Life, will show kids what life was like living in the shadow of the Revolution. In Land Connection on Thursday, July 13, kids will discover why Exeter was

settled, how nearby Squamscott River provided jobs and food, and the impact of the changing seasons

on food and daily habits. In Protest and Engagement on Thursday, July 20, kids will learn

how ‘The People’ have the power to make change and keep the nation strong. In Taking Sides, Patriot or Loyalist on Thursday, July 27, kids will learn what it meant to be a patriot and loyalist and how the choice to be one or the other was often very complicated.

All MiniCamps take place from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on July 6, 13, 20, and 27. The cost to attend these MiniCamps ranges from $45 to $195. To register for one or all four camps, visit independencemuseum.org/minicampsHome to a world-class collection of 3,000 historic artifacts, AIM develops programs, events, and exhibits that honor and invite inclusive and diverse perspectives. To learn more about AIM or upcoming events, visit independencemuseum.org.

BOSAK from 2 jays around this past winter and early spring

perienced a dearth of chipmunks, however.

“I have your chipmunk!” exclaimed Joyce from Keene. “He’s becoming part of the scenery now that he has discovered my new bird feeder. This feeder does a good job of frustrating the squirrels, who give up after a few munches. Mr. Chipmunk settles himself down within the middle part, and pigs out for quite some time.”

Carol from Winchester and Diane from Keene have also seen several in their yards.

“I have at least two or three chipmunks running around the yard,” wrote Carol.

“I have had at least four different chipmunks in my backyard in the last few weeks. Three are familiar little friends, including one I call Stubby for his ‘shortened’ tail,” Diane wrote.

Based on the responses overall, it’s fair to say that chipmunks are not as plentiful as they were the last few years. Why is that? Like I often do, I turned to Meade Cadot of the Harris Center for Conservation Education. Here’s what Meade had to say (Deborah from Fitzwilliam called it correctly):

“There may be multiple factors, but I think the number one reason there are so few chipmunks now is that there was a widespread mast failure last fall − very few red oak acorns fell, and around here no beechnuts ether; and it was a pretty bad seed year all around,” Meade wrote. “You may have noticed there were very few blue

− for the same reason

− no acorns or beechnuts.”

Thanks to all who

wrote in and to John from Swanzey who suggested the topic. A bonus to the chipmunk responses is that I received a good amount of

other bird and wildlife sightings from readers as well. I’ll share those in a column coming soon.

(BPT) - There comes a time when every homeowner looks around at their house and ponders a few upgrades. Sometimes, those ideas turn into full-on renovations as you reimagine your space to better meet your lifestyle. But before you start calling contractors, ask yourself: Does remodeling make financial sense?

Here are three tips to help you decide if a home renovation benefits your home and your finances.

Identify Your Wants Vs. Needs

How necessary are the improvements you want? Some home projects may end up costing you more than the value they provide. That doesn’t mean certain projects aren’t worthwhile.

“Home renovations come in all shapes and sizes. For some, it may

be about the investment and increasing the home value, for a good few it might be about what looks the best, while others might not have a choice,” said Adam

Fingerman, assistant vice president of equity lending at Navy Federal Credit Union.

“Whatever the reason, it’s always a good idea to understand how a

large renovation might impact your finances and the overall value of your home.”

Know Your Budget

Consider creating a chart with all of your cost estimates, and include columns for high-, medium- and low-cost options. Don’t forget supplies for doit-yourself projects and always allocate a certain percentage for unexpected expenses. Also be sure to get estimates from different contractors and compare them. Carefully check references and business licenses.

Explore Financing Options

Ideally, you’ve already established a

Roulette peppers have the citrusy flavor of habaneros but not the heat.

mAnAGinG The heAT oF hoT peppers

by Melinda Myers

Don’t worry if the rest of your family does not appreciate the spicy heat your favorite hot peppers add to entrees, beverages and desserts. Proper pepper selection, care and preparation can help you turn down the heat as needed.

Hot peppers’ spicy heat is measured in Scoville Heat Units named for Wilbur Scoville. The level of heat was originally determined by a panel of individual tasters. Chili peppers were ground and added to a sugar-water solution. The solution was continually diluted until the panelist found the solution no longer burned their mouth. Each pepper was assigned a

number based on the amount of sugar-water solution needed to reach that point. Today a more accurate less subjective high–performance liquid chromatography method can be used for measuring the pungency of hot peppers.

Poblano and Siracha rate between 1,000 to 2,500, jalapenos up to 8,000, cayenne can peak at 50,000, habaneros up to 350,000 and one of the hottest, the ghost pepper, at as much as 2,200,000 units. If you like the citrusy flavor of habaneros but not the heat, try the All-America Selections winner Roulette.

Ornamental peppers are edible as well as pretty. Most rate any-

where from 10,000 to 50,000 Scoville units. Chilly Chili ornamen -

tal pepper produces an abundance of attractive

Tips For homeoWners To improve sAFeTy AnD susTAinABiliTy

(StatePoint) The International Code Council’s 43rd annual Building Safety Month campaign has begun, and week one’s theme: “Building Safety Starts at Home” highlights how building safety impacts our everyday lives.

According to InjuryFacts.NSC.org, about 16 out of 100 people were injured in a home or community venue in 2021. The leading causes that contribute to these injuries, such as drowning, fire smoke, and general home maintenance, can be prevented by acting ahead of time.

As the leading global source of model codes, standards and building safety solutions, the Code Council is passionate about educating homeowners on fire safety, home maintenance and sustainability practices. Here are some safety tips from

the Code Council to help prevent accidents and keep your family and community safe:

Fire Safety Tips:

• Put a smoke alarm on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area and inside every bedroom. Test each smoke alarm regu-

larly and replace it every ten years.

• Install home fire sprinklers. They are relatively affordable and can increase property value and lower insurance rates.

• Make an escape plan with a meeting place outside so everyone

knows how to get out fast.

• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from portable heaters.

• Keep all items that can burn away from your home. Remember to clean leaves from your gutters and clear dead leaves and branches from shrubs and trees surrounding your home.

Home Maintenance Tips:

• Never overload electrical cords or power strips.

• Don’t use appliances that have damaged cords.

• For mold prevention, watch for leaky pipes, condensation and wet spots, and fix sources of moisture problems as soon as possible.

• Keep in mind that there are several ma -

Lumberyard Customer Service

yellow, orange and red upright fruit on 10 to 12” plants. As the name suggests, they have almost no heat. Mix with flowers for decorative displays in containers and garden beds.

Peppers grow and produce best when day temperatures are 70° to 80° F and night temperatures are 60° to 70° F. Cold, heat and drought are the most common cause of blossom drop, misshapen fruit, and a poor harvest.

Use a hand pruner or garden snips to harvest peppers without damaging the plants. Harvest most hot peppers when fully mature and red for the strongest flavor. Green chili and jalapeno peppers are harvested when green. And some like jalapeno, habanero and Anaheim, are hot whether harvested when

green or red. When your summer is filled with long hot days hot peppers tend to be even hotter.

Avoid hot surprises when cooking by labeling hot peppers when growing, harvesting and storing them. Many sweet and hot pepper varieties look similar and confusing the two could be unpleasant. Just keep a glass of milk handy in case you need to neutralize the sting.

Turn down the heat, if needed or desired, when preparing your favorite recipes. Since most of the capsaicin, which gives hot peppers their heat, is in the white membrane that houses the seeds, just remove this and the seeds if you want the flavor with less heat.

Wear rubber gloves and avoid touching your face and eyes when

working with hot peppers as they can burn. Wash your hands, utensils and cutting boards when finished.

Turn a portion of your pepper harvest into pickled peppers for the hot pickle fans in the family to enjoy throughout the winter. The key to success and safety is using a tested recipe that contains the right amount of ingredients and processing it properly. Check University or other vetted sources for safe recipes and processing guidelines.

Try some of these strategies and mention the many health benefits to encourage reluctant eaters to try hot peppers. Although hot peppers and spicy food can add to the pain and irritation of ulcers, they do not cause them contrary to some of the hot pepper myths. They do,

however, provide gastric relief, kill cancer cells, prevent sinus infection, reduce inflammation, and even burn fat. Over time you may be able to turn up the heat on your favorite recipes for all to enjoy.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.

MYERS from 19

terials and items that should never be flushed down the toilet, including medication, disposable wipes, coffee grounds and more.

• To prevent your pipes from freezing in the winter, drain water from the swimming pool and water sprinkler supply lines following the manufacturer’s or installer’s directions.

• Make sure all pedestrian gates in the barrier fence of your swimming pool are self-closing and self-latching.

Energy And Sustainability Tips:

• Install water-saving shower heads and lowflow faucet aerators and use your water meter to check for hidden water leaks. These steps can improve water conservation.

• To prevent stormwater runoff pollution, never dump anything

down storm drains.

• Change the filters in your home’s heating and cooling system regularly to increase energy efficiency.

• Replace your light bulbs with LEDs, which use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.

• Build green and design your home with materials that are easily recyclable, reusable, renewable, durable, affordable and low maintenance.

• Build a rain garden to capture roof drainage and divert it to your garden or landscaping to recycle non-potable water. Be sure to check your local rules on rainwater harvesting prior to installation.

For more information, check out the Code Council’s Safety Tool Kits and additional resources at iccsafe.org.

home improvement savings plan. But if you’re planning to borrow, explore your financing options through your trusted bank or credit union.

“Think about the size of your project, whether or not you’ll have ongoing expenses, and your current finances,” said Fingerman.

For example, Navy Federal offers members various options for funding home improvement projects, such as home equity loans, home equity line of credit or personal expense loans. Members also have access to a wealth of information to help them make informed decisions about the right financing products for their home improvement goals.

Home renovations of any size - large or small - can be overwhelming. Consider these tips to help make it easier and more affordable in the long run.

Navy Federal Credit Union is federally insured by NCUA. Equal housing lender.

SENSE from 18

TIPS from 21

rest of us, the dandelion is a bit on the bitter side and would truly benefit from a balancing herb or flavoring of some sort. I decided on garlic with some black pepper. What better way, I thought, to mask the bitterness of the greens. And all of it sauteed in bacon grease! Oh, how magnificent! And too, a finish of Parmesan to give it a bit of a pleasing pungent saltiness. Mmmm… I thought I was on to something.

So, just how does one go about harvesting such a crop you may wonder. Well, for starters make certain your harvest area is free of weed killers and other such chemicals. And too, it would serve you well to steer clear of areas frequented by dogs or cats. But, deciding on a clean patch, take a colander out into the yard with you because you will need some sort of vessel to put the greens in.

Too, I have found, a gardener’s tricycle is the ideal mode for such en-

deavors as the picking of greens. A three wheeler with a pivoting tractor seat built very low to the ground and complete with a tool caddy, the trike saves great wear and tear on the knees and hips. I must have been quite a sight to some passersby, my six foot four inch frame hunched over my lawn, seated on a forest green tricycle with bright yellow wheels. I can just hear the scoffs, the guffaws, “Why there goes ‘King Dandelion’ himself, set atop his pivoting throne, scooting his way across the manor plucking his weeds.” Was it worth it? Well, the thought that comes immediately to mind is, there is a reason cows have four stomachs and lazily graze the day away. While the bacon was delicious and the garlic too, the greens were not as tender and flavorful as I had hoped. In fact they were downright bitter! I can honestly say that after five minutes of chewing I was no further ahead, only having extracted

the juices and flavor out of what one would describe as a ball of twine between the check and gum.

My son put it more aptly when he declared quite rightly that he would, “leave the weeds to Chuck and Rabbit and eat them before ever again trying another plate of Dandelion Greens!”

I think that sums up quite nicely this Simple Feast.

Enjoy!

not exclusively.

Let me remind you that the first churches in the State of New Hampshire were all Puritan churches except the one that was in Portsmouth and that was an Anglican one whose first Pastor left after a few years of ministry. It was the Anglican Church which was the Church of England whose influence the Puritans’ were trying to escape by coming to America. Thus the Puritans of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, who controlled the Massachusetts government, were not very receptive to those still aligned with the Church

of England establishing churches in the Granite State.

That is one reason why, even in the middle of the nineteenth century, it was not an easy task to start new Anglican (Episcopal) churches in the Granite State. The Puritan churches became the Congregationalists and were for many years the prominent church group in New England. New England history is only fully understood in connection with church history.

Carlton Chase was born in Hopkinton, NH, in the year 1794 of what has been called “sound New England stock.” He

attended local schools and Salisbury Academy and Dartmouth College, took theological courses in Rhode Island, and later studied at the University of Vermont, receiving his Doctor of Divinity degree. In his senior year at Dartmouth, a young Mr. Chase rode 50 miles by horseback to his hometown church in Hopkinton to be baptized.

After graduating from Dartmouth in 1817 and teaching school for a few terms, Carlton Chase became the pastor of the Immanuel Church in Bellows Falls, Vermont, where he ministered for a quarter of a century until he was chosen to be the first Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire. While holding that position he moved to Claremont, New Hampshire, where he served as rector of Trinity Church along with his oversight of the Diocese. His consecration as a bishop took place at Philadelphia on October 20th, 1844.

The challenge he faced to add Episcopal clergymen and communicants from New Hampshire can be seen by looking at statistics given by Rev. W.W. Niles, who became a successor of Dr. Chase’s in the bishop’s office.

When Dr. Chase assumed his duties, there were eleven or twelve active Anglican clergymen in the state, overseeing five hundred church communicants. When Dr. Chase died there were twenty-two clergymen and thirteen hundred communicants under his jurisdiction. Living in Claremont, Chase had to make the commute to Concord, as Rev. Niles commented, being compelled to leave his bed “...at dead of night, in the depth of winter and to come by stage all the way from Claremont to Concord, before ten or eleven o’clock...and to do this dreadful thing year by year always, and by a man never endued with health, and growing old besides!”

Though not engaging in sports, the bishop was a gardener and tree grower as well as a handyman. He is said to have constructed the settees for the chapel at the church in Bellows Falls. There were places where the Bishop tried to plant new churches but was not successful. Those places were said to be few with the expectation that the failures would become successes with the passage of time. The names mentioned in Dr. Niles’

remembrances of Dr. Chase were Laconia, Ashuelot, and Epping.

Carlton Chase married Harriet Cutler of Bellows Falls soon after he moved there and they became the parents of eight children. They lived frugally as the salary at the church there was 500 dollars a year throughout their stay there with Chase keeping his habit to tithe ten percent of his income. When moving to the church at Claremont and serving as Bishop of New Hampshire, his salary rose to nine hundred dollars a year. So Bishop Carlton Chase was credited with being a successful first bishop of New Hampshire without making a lot of noise or drawing attention to himself.

Another bishop thought the word “steadfast” best described his ministry. Another expressed his high regard for the bishop by seeing him as “...a wise, churchly, just, intelligent, peaceloving man.” Others spoke of his humility. Dr. Niles emphasized his faithfulness to God and to duty.

Dr. Chase served as Bishop of New Hampshire from 1844 to 1870. In 1900 in writing in The Granite Monthly, Bishop Rev. Dr. Niles wrote of another person warning him of the difficulties of becoming a bishop in New Hampshire at that time and gave him this advice: “Plenty of work in New Hampshire needs to be done. You would go on well and pleasantly with the people. But you can get no resources with which to do it. There are no churchmen in New Hampshire. The few who are there haven’t any money. The few who have a little money didn’t get it to give away, but to keep. Wholly impossible you will find it to enkindle any interest, any confidence, in New Hampshire, old and dried up, among your friends outside the state. They are asking you to go to sea in a boat without oars. That is asking too much of any man! You had best stay where you are well off.”

The response of Dr. Niles, the new bishop: “How doubly true was all this when the first bishop meekly took up the work! I thank God that he did!”

Bishop Niles, who followed Dr. Chase as Bishop of New Hampshire for the Episcopal Church.

St. John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth. Portsmouth was the site of the first Anglican (Episcopalian) congregation in New Hampshire.

from 11

know that many other players also bet on games, but surreptitiously, through friendly intermediaries.

I’ll bet that professional league gambling policies will “evolve” somewhat in the coming months as the debate over the NFL Five continues.

And I’ll also bet on NFL games again this fall. But to be safe, I just won’t do it at a “league facility.”

Whatever that means.

Sports Quiz

What NBA referee went to jail after the FBI accused him of betting on games he was officiating? (Answer follows).

Born Today

That is to say, sports standouts born on May 18 include Oriole Hallof-Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson (1937) and MLB slugger Reggie Jackson (1946).

Sports Quote

“Money won is better than money earned.”

- Paul Hornung (who won the 1956 Heisman Trophy while at Notre Dame, before his Hall of Fame NFL career with the Packers).

Sports Quiz Answer

Tim Donaghy officiated NBA games from 1994-2007. He was sentenced to federal prison in 2008.

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

MOORE from 13

especially useful with flies, which don’t generally have much action on their own. A flasher is designed to wobble and spin as you troll it. Dodgers only wobble back and forth and are much more speed sensitive. I prefer dodgers over flashers, but that’s just my personal preference. I have had swivels fail with flashers and the result was leaders so twisted that they were not salvageable. Like I said though, most of this comes down to personal preference. My biggest dilemma when trolling isn’t usually what to switch to, it’s when. Since half the battle is often finding fish, I hate taking my lines out to switch lures. A line out of the water will never catch a fish. So, I like to give a particular fly at least an hour, since I’ve really only covered a mile in that time. I am constantly adjusting my depth, sometimes shifting briefly into neutral and back into gear or speeding up for a few minutes. I also try not to get stuck in the rut of fishing in the same place over and over if I’m not catching. I see a lot of boats that seem unable to pull themselves away from their favorite spot, even when

they aren’t

catching. Some areas will be good at certain times of the year or day, and others will be good for a period of time and then the fish move off or have been caught up.

As a professional guide, one thing my clients never hear me say is, “That’s why they call it fishing and not catching.” Not because I always hammer the fish, but because I truly believe I leave it all on the lake. No one wants my clients to catch fish more than I do, but sometimes even Tom Brady missed a pass or two in his prime. I use my best judgement on every trip. If or when to switch lures, where to fish, what depth, and when to change it up are all decisions that I make on the fly…pun intended.

Tim Moore is a fulltime licensed 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.

country, particularly under the leadership of Biden, is toward much more government and much less freedom.

We’ve got staggering national debt because politicians choose to not be honest with citizens by raising their taxes every time they increase spending. Instead, they spend and borrow.

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, federal expenditures accounted for 25% of our GDP in 2022. In 2015, they accounted for 20%. One not-so-subtle hint where Biden stands is his calling the $4.5 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years proposed by Republicans “draconian.” The total spending in the budget recently submitted by Biden calls for $82.2 trillion in spending over 10 years. $4.5 trillion cuts out of $82.2 in spending is anything but draconian. What does all this mean for minority Americans Biden claims to care so much about?

The median age of the nation’s white population is 43.7; of Blacks, 34.6; and Hispanics, 29.7.

The growing debt burden over time will fall disproportionately on these younger black and Hispanic Americans. A legacy of massive debt, bloated government, sclerotic economic growth, and life on an ever-expanding government plantation is the future Biden is laying out for the minority Americans he allegedly cares about.

A just-issued report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office bears the title “The Nation’s Fiscal Health:

Road Map Needed to Address Projected Unsus-

tainable Debt Levels.”

Everyone seems to understand that national debt larger than our entire national economy is a crisis needing attention.

Everyone, that is, except Biden.

If America’s future is to be free, the work needed today is to get government back in line, the point of the Republican Limit, Save, Grow Act. Otherwise, we can continue the current ride to socialism and a future as a country that once was great.

situations you could find yourself in while on the water To search/register for a Boating Education Class visit our website at www.boatingeducation.nh.gov or for information regarding boating laws and regulations visit www marinepatrol nh gov Remember t o wear your lif

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the trajectory of Turkish politics twenty one years ago when his populist AKP party gained power; Erdogan was Prime Minister and now serves as President.

Once a reliable American and NATO ally, under Erdogan Turkey has been leaning towards Russia and indeed China. A once staunchly secular Muslim country, Erdogan has brought a decidedly Islamic tilt to the social and political fabric, thus creating an aura of the Middle East not of Europe. Erdogan views the West, through the lens of suspicious historical theories, as plotting to topple his rule.

Since 2017, Erdogan has governed Turkey as a political strongman with sweeping and powerful presidential powers; the “Sultan” has transformed a traditional parliamentary system into a centralized Presidential regime.

But two events sidetracked Erdogan’s smooth reelection chances.

Turkey’s economy is buffeted by runaway inflation officially at 44 percent, currency devaluation and a cost of living crisis. Yet ironically Erdogan’s first decade in power were characterized by strong economic growth, infrastructural development and a tourist boom. That’s no longer true.

The February 7.8 scale Turkish earthquake which killed over 56,000 people and displaced at least 3 million more people has proven the biggest jolt, underlying the Erdogan government’s slow initial response and the often tone deaf

actions by the President in treating his own citizens.

Nonetheless the massive earthquake on the Turkish/ Syrian border underscored the fact that since

the start of the Syrian civil conflict more than a decade ago, Turkey has given humanitarian refuge to at least four million Syrians from the war.

So it’s a runoff between the two top candidates on 28 May.

President Erdogan’s AKP party and its nationalist allies lost seats but still control the 600 seat Parliament. But with a third ultra-nationalist candidate with only 5 percent now out of the running, the bargaining begins for those needed votes.

The Turkish Republic, founded in 1923, will soon choose its destiny for its second century.

John J. Metzler is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of Divided Dynamism

The Diplomacy of Separated Nations; Germany, Korea, China.

cash, as convenient as a payment app, yet also benefit from the same blockchain technology which underpins cryptocurrencies.”

“When I started talking about some of the dangers from privacy,” DeSantis tells me, “the corporate press ... all of a sudden (said) ‘DeSantis is trying to promote conspiracy theories!’” MSNBC even called it “ unhinged conspiracy theory.”

DeSantis wonders why the media even care. “Is it really because they are really that invested in crossborder transactions?” he asks. “Of course not. It’s because this is something that could help them advance their ideology of having more central authority ... over the average American.”

I push him, “America’s going to fall behind!” The Wall Street Journal says America’s financial system is outdated and CBDCs will modernize it.

“Oh, please,” DeSantis sneers. “They want to move to a cashless society, which would basically mean the Federal Reserve, Treasury Department would have supervisory jurisdiction over all of your transactions.”

“Cash is independence,” adds DeSantis.

“You have the cash in your wallet ... It’s not dependent on somebody else.”

In other words, cash is private. So is cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin. People can buy gas and guns without using government money at all.

Advocates of government digital money don’t like that.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren says, “Legitimate digital public money could help drive out

bogus digital private money.”

“She clearly would be somebody that rejects any type of digital asset that’s not controlled by a central authority,” DeSantis responds.

The federal government, says DeSantis, wants “to displace all cryptocurrency because they can’t control that,” telling me, “the dangers so far outweigh any proposed benefits.”

DeSantis and I then talked about many other things, like sex education and what critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” law, Florida’s anti-mask mandates, America going broke and his flying migrants to Massachusetts.

I will cover those topics in a future column.

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

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MAGIC MAZE SUDOKU

THEME THIS WEEK: MOUNTAIN CABIN

CAPTION CONTEST

OUR PICK FOR BEST CAPTION

Catching fish that are stiff as boards are perfect for making fish sticks!

-David Doyon, Moultonborugh, NH,

Runners Up : Though the first marketing attempts ended in failure. The game immediately caught on once the fish were replaced with cards.

- John Brennick, Rochester, NH.

We work hard ,and all we get are leftovers ?Denis Dione, Laconia, NH.

You Reckon Ma, We didn’t even use our fish pole! - Molly Labrecque, Thornton, NH.

CAPTION THIS PHOTO!!

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

PHOTO #964

PHOTO #962

The Winklman Aeffect by John Whitlock