06/20/2024 Weirs Times

A chestnut-sided warbler perches in the brush earlier this spring.

Spring Migration SeaSon

by Chris Bosak Contributing Writer

It was one of the better spring migrations I’ve had in a long time. I got out there more than in previous years and visited a greater variety of places. The big week, of course, was the visit to Erie, Penn-

sylvania, during the peak of the migration season. I was there for my niece’s wedding but arrived several days in advance of the event to stay with my brother and visit Presque Isle State Park, a birding hot spot. We saw over 70 species of birds over the

three separate visits.

I also hit my local New England spots several times a week during migration, starting in late March and going into June. It’s always interesting to see how the spring migration starts with a trickle of very few species

and peaks with several dozen species all moving through at once. I had a decent warbler season, which is always a goal of the spring migration. The local highlights included American redstart, chestnut-sid -

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Tri-County Republicans Award Scholarships

The Tri-County Republicans have awarded scholarships to three area high school seniors. The students were asked to submit an essay about this topic, “Why I Respect the NH State Constitution”. They were asked to explain how the NH State Constitution is relevant to their life today and how their life would be different without its protections.

Hannah Hartley, a homeschooled senior, received the firstplace scholarship of $1,000 for her essay outlining how freedom of religion has allowed her to worship God freely without the fear of persecution. She is also thankful for the right to keep and bear arms, both for self-defense and for hunting to provide for her family. Her goal is to become an Ultrasound Technician and she will be attending NH Technical Institute.

Keri Dureau, a senior at Kingswood High School, received the second-place scholarship of $500 for her essay stating that the protection of her religious free -

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New England Wolves Junior Team in Need of Host Families

$525 to family stipend paid monthly.

Healthy goal oriented athletes need housing September 2024March 2025 while in Lakes Region.

Contact Tammy McKenzie for more infojtmckenzie@metrocast.net or 603-455-0153

Response To Clough Letter

To The Editor:

This letter is in response to Deb Clough’s letter “Not Balanced Enough” printed in the June 13th issue.

She complains of the conservative slant of the letters and editorials. I wonder if she has an issue with the leftist slant of every daily paper in New Hampshire.

She took strong exception to Letters from God” by Rev. Sam Hollo, and called for its cancelation. She asked the question: “How can anyone know the mind of God?” The answer is very simple: By reading God’s WordThe Bible.

Hal Shurtleff Alton,NH.

Soviet Style Trial

To The Editor:

New York District Attorney Bragg’s indictment and trial of President Trump is a perfect example of a Soviet style show trial.

Trump was targeted because he threatens Democrats’ political power.

Since Trump didn’t commit any obvious crimes, Democrats indicted Trump for things never charged against anyone else, based on unique, never intended interpretations of laws.

Judge Merchan was deliberately, not randomly, picked to ensure a guilty verdict. Based on New York rules Judge Merchan should have recused himself because of his multiple conflicts of interests.

Judge Merchan put both his feet on the scale of Justice to compel a conviction, including: seating a biased jury, allowing the Prosecution to not reveal the charges against Trump, hindering defense preparation time, hindering defense witness testimony, excluding relevant defense witnesses, allowing a prosecution witness with no relevant but only slanderous testimony, allowing the prosecution to present testimony from a convicted perjurer who again perjured himself on the stand and admitted to stealing from Trump (a worse crime than Trump was charged with), providing jury instructions that allowed conviction without unanimity, and allowing all Trump’s opponents to publicly accuse Trump while putting a gag order on Trump and preventing him from responding to false accusations and slanders.

Democrats are trying to do to Trump what they successfully did to destroy the political futures of Senator Ted Stevens, Governor Bob McDonnell, and Senator John Edwards who were all ultimately determined to be innocent. Trump’s conviction will be reversed … but probably after the November election, after they hope the damage is done.

If Democrats get away with misusing the Justice system to defeat Trump, all future elections will be between convicted felons. Both parties will have to get phoney convictions against their opponents.

Don

Ewing Meredith, NH.

Last July 4th?

To The Editor:

The UN’s New York city Summit of Future on Sept. 21st and 22nd is meeting “to strengthen global governance for both present and future generations.”

The ultimate goal of world government does not include our freedom or independence, but rather the unlimited wealth and power of the UN promoting Chinese-style controls upon the state. The purpose of which is to establish multi-lateral protocols that can be quickly activated throughout the globe to respond to “global shocks.” They want global decrees to automatically respond to a wide range of crises at the expense of national sovereignty.

Check out this planned Emergency Platform at : https://gojt. us/zn6i) Even though Biden will robotically wave it by with a kiss, remember, it must pass the Senate. These plans, if accepted, could make this July 4th the last day we celebrate independence. Did you vote for such disloyalty to the U.S. Constitution that takes your tax dollars and spends them to act as a boomerang that targets your liberty? What can one person do? First, implore your Congressmen and Senators to support the Defund Act (H.R. 6645 & S. 3428). Then take advantage of this campaign season: ask incumbent congressmen and candidates to sign the UN Withdrawal pledge form . Get your copies at (https:got.us/ iunwp).

President Ronald Reagan’s

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This newspaper was first published in 1883 by Mathew H. Calvert as Calvert’s Weirs Times and Tourists’ Gazette and continued until Mr. Calvert’s death in 1902. The new Weirs Times was reestablished in 1992 and strives to maintain the patriotic spirit of its predecessor as well as his devotion to the interests of Lake Winnipesaukee. Our newspaper’s masthead and the map of Lake Winnipesaukee in the center spread are elements in today’s paper which are taken from Calvert’s historic publication. Locally owned for 30 years, this publication is devoted to printing the stories of the people and places that make New Hampshire the best place in the world to live. No, none of the daily grind news will be found in these pages, just the good stuff.

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

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

Muchyedo BankS paddle

The Muchyedo Banks Paddle is one of the five paddling adventures that make up the Merrimack Paddle Challenge. This route starts at the end of the Contoocook River in Penacook and then heads upstream on the Merrimack River. The Merrimack River is the boundary of Boscawen and Canterbury.

While I was hunting for information to learn if there was any way around the dams on the Contoocook River just before it meets the Merrimack River I found the Merrimack Paddle Challenge. Right there on the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests’ website I found the maps I needed and an invitation for another adventure Becca and I could work on this summer.

Becca and I made up our own challenge last summer to sectionpaddle as much of the

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Becca paddles past the statue of Hannah Duston where the Contoocook meets the Merrimack Rivers. The memorial was erected in 1874 and is the first publically-funded statue in New Hampshire and the first statue in the United States to honor an American women. The Merrimack Paddle Challenge is a collection of five destinations in the Merrimack River watershed created and presented by: the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (for more information visit ForestSociety.org), Five Rivers Conservation Trust, Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust and the Merrimack River Watershed Council. The Muchyedo Banks Paddle part of the Merrimack Paddle Challenge.

sofas, coffee

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NEW HAMPSHIRE

conteMplating our exiStence

by Brendan Smith Weirs Times Editor

The famous philosopher Descartes once said “I think therefore I am” in order to help us understand the complicated thoughts about our own existence.

Today we just take selfies.

When they first started to be used, the idea of a selfie made sense. If you were on vacation somewhere you had never been before and were in front of a beautiful setting, but no one around to give your camera to in order to document the occasion, you turned the camera around and did your best to take a photo of your surroundings with you in the photograph.

Of course, in the old days (Pre-2008) when you had to carry around a camera, the odds of taking a good photo of yourself were small since you couldn’t see exactly what the framing of the picture looked like.

Selfes also made sense since, with a regular old camera, someone would need to take the photo and that meant that they most likely wouldn’t be able to be in the photo as well, so a selfie was a way to get around that.

Still, film used to cost good money as did developing the picture, so you added this keepsake to your collection of photographs despite the lousy framing. So, you often you ended up with a great picture of the grand canyon behind you, but only your left earlobe and eyeball or a photo of two heads with us the eyes and nostril showing in extreme close up. The idea in keeping these photos were that when you were old and gray and your grandchildren would come to

visit you would take out your battered box of photographs and share them while sitting around the dining room table.

“Is that you at the Grand Canyon grandma? It looks like your eyeball. Is that Grandpa’s nostril?”

These are the kinds of memories that are, I am sad to say, gone forever.

Today there is no need to lug a camera along on a trip, today we bring along our smartphones which have not only a great camera to take photos with, but also provide an instant source of communication with the rest of the world in case something should go wrong. They also provide a sense of amusement in case any part of our trip should get a little tedious.

No longer do we have to be bored by the unending rows of the same looking vineyards as we take a tour of California’s wine country. Today, we can now cut through the monotony by using our phones to connect to Facebook to see what our “friends” are eating for breakfast back on the East Coast.

Maybe, if it is an exceptionally good day, someone will post a video of their cat falling off a chair while sleeping which we can share with anyone else on the bus under the age of fifty (Those over fifty will roll their eyes over this intrusion of technology during such a beautiful tour, but they will still try and sneak a peek of the video over your shoulder while you aren’t paying attention which, of course, since you have a smartphone, you never are.)

The best part of today’s smartphones are the built in cameras for they give us the opportunity to memorialize our trip with a photo of our giant smiling head in front of each landmark (which will be barely visible in the background).

They also give us the oppor-

tunity to see the photo immediately after it is taken and if we don’t like it, we can quickly erase it and take another and another and another until we catch the impromptu moment perfectly. (This can often take hours.)

Better still, we can instantly send the photo to Facebook for all of our friends to see and be jealous of our journey. We will then spend a great deal of the rest of our vacation time checking Facebook to see if our friends commented on just exactly how jealous they are.

One of the benefits of being able to take a “selfie” over and over again until you get exactly the look you want is that you will be preserving for your children and grandchildren a series of perfect photographs for them to enjoy for generations.

“Gee grandma you really look great in this photograph, just like you do in every photograph. Is that the Eiffel Tower behind you?”

“Eiffel Tower? I don’t remember seeing that. But it is a great photo of me giving a thumbs up. Don’t you think?”

The age of the selfie is most likely here to stay. In fact, some folks are now using small drones that can be programmed to hover around them all day and film their every move which can then be posted online.

The claim is that people can use the drone produced selfies to promote their business or skill without the cost of a big production, but I think the creators really know what most people will use it for.

As Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard famously said: “I’m ready for my closeup Mr. DeMille.”

And to paraphrase Descartes: “I click therefore I am.”

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

Now In 5th Printing! The Flatlander Chronicles

Weirs Times F.O.O.L columnist, Brendan Smith’s first book with over 30 of the best of his original Flatlander Columns. From learning to Rake The Roof to Going To The Dump to Buying Firewood for the first time and everything in between, Brendan recounts the humorous tales of his learning to fit into New Hampshire life as a Flatlander from New York.

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)

Letters From God

QUESTION

What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom? Do you need God to have wisdom?

This is such an important question and the answer is so important to both the quality and quantity of your life. There is a vast difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is essentially the ability to learn and acquire information. You traditionally think of it as the educational process in which you learn the various genres of education including subjects like reading, writing, history, science, math, music etc.

Information retention or intelligence, however, has no influence on your relationship with me or with your quest for “life that is truly life.” Wisdom, however, is the ability to know, understand and practice those life principles that I designed when I made you and which I have taught in my book, the Bible.

Since I Created you and I am the source of life, it is only as you know and live according to my thoughts, will and desires, that you will truly enjoy life now and for eternity. You must always consult and build ac -

cording to the designer if you wish to enjoy the delights of the design (Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.”) If you only have knowledge but it contradicts my wisdom it will ultimately hurt you. I am perfect and I love you and I know what is best for you If you live according to my wisdom, you will know maximum pleasure and minimum pain in life. When you acquire wisdom, you become skillful at living. It is great to acquire skill at things like a trade, a hobby, an ability to teach, coach or lead.

Imagine, however, being wise at maximizing life now while you are alive and then for the acquisition of eternal life. There is no better or more important skill in life than to be wise at living. Let me give you an example. Jeremiah the prophet once spoke for me and said, “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom, or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:2324)

You may have all the skills mentioned above, but as Jeremiah said, unless you know me, your Creator who alone can

give you life, all those skills you acquired will be lost when you die. So will YOU be lost, because you will remain separated from me for eternity if you are without wisdom or skill at living.

Let me illustrate how important gaining wisdom is for temporal life. Solomon, the son of David, was a great King over a great nation, Israel, because he sought my wisdom and he lived and led according to my will. In the course of his reign however, he walked away from me and my wisdom. He then began to practice things that I expressly said were wrong and he became a fool. As a result, he made foolish choices that naturally undermined his leadership and his nation and also resulted in me needing to discipline him and Israel.

As a result, when he died, the damage to Israel was so great, that he split the nation. His kingdom, being divided, could not stand. Israel would lose their national sovereignty and become slaves of foreign powers who cruelly subjugated them and mistreated them almost to annihilation.

Let me give you another illustration of how important it is to gain wisdom not just for temporal life but also for eternal life. When my Son came to walk among you, he told the story of a man who was foolish and lacked my wisdom, so that he

made the goal of his life the acquisition of wealth. It became his god and he couldn’t give it up even to have a relationship with me, the only God. He neglected his soul and his relationship with me, the source of life and he died. When he did, he not only left behind all the wealth he acquired, so it was useless to him, but he was rejected by me because He never had my wisdom to reestablish a relationship with me by asking my Son, Jesus, to forgive his sins.

He is spending his eternity in hell instead of heaven (Luke 16:19-31). He gained the whole world but lost his soul. What a tragic and permanent mistake. Please know that I love you and would you listen to me before it is too late. Become wise not just intelligent. Make me and my will a priority in your life, ask my Son to pay for your sins and enjoy the eternal benefits for life, wisdom provides.

God

These letters are written by Rev. Dr. Sam Hollo of Alton, NH

Byron donaldS tellS the truth & left hateS it SucceSS in claSSrooMS

by Star Parker Syndicated Columnist

Several weeks ago, Wall Street Journal columnist and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan wrote a column with the headline “We Are Starting to Enjoy Hatred.”

Her point was that, in our divided and polarized country, each side is no longer trying to “win over” those with whom they disagree. Sides are now just entrenched in hatred for each other.

It is impossible to not wake up and read the news, or simply walk out into the street into a demonstration, which is becoming business as usual in Washington, D.C., where I work, and

not appreciate the truth of Noonan’s observation.

As a Christian Black conservative, as I happen to be, dealing with personal attacks is something I accept as part of my business.

Now Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, also a Black conservative, and someone whose name has been floated on Donald Trump’s “short list” of possible VP running mates, is getting a taste of this unpleasantness.

At a recent Republican gathering in Philadelphia, Donalds observed, “During Jim Crow, the Black family was together. During Jim Crow, more Black people were not just conservative -- because Black people have always been conservative-minded -- but more Black people voted con-

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by John Stossel Syndicated Columnist

Governmentrun schools keep failing.

It shouldn’t surprise us. Monopolies rarely serve customers well.

People call them “public schools,” but “governmentrun” is more accxurate. After all, charter schools are available to the public. Privately run supermarkets are open to the public for more hours than “public” schools are.

International tests show American kids don’t learn as much as kids in other countries. During the pandemic, they did even worse because our teachers unions kept schools closed. It’s even worse in my state, New York, where big government and unions thrive. Here, kids’ tests scores

are well below the national average. In New York City, scores are even lower.

But here’s one dramatic exception: The aptly named Success Academy succeeds where government-run schools fail.

The chain, led by former Democratic City Councilwoman Eva Moskowitz, now runs more than 50 schools.

On math tests, they outperform every school in New York State. Yet Success Academy kids mostly come from low-income families.

“That is redefining American public education,” says Success’ LaMae de Jongh in my new video. “Our Black and Hispanic students outperformed their peers by double, triple percent in their math.”

How? By trying new things.

At Success schools, principals spend time in every classroom, giving

un Security council conSenSuS

SlaMS north korea huMan rightS

by John J. Metzler Syndicated Columnist

North Korea’s ongoing human rights violations have been slammed and shamed by most members of the UN Security Council. In a powerful briefing by both diplomats and a high profile North Korean political defector, the fifteen member Council underscored the noxious relationships between the regime’s massive military buildups at the expense of both its population’s human rights and physical well being, namely the access to sufficient

food and nutrition.

Mr. Gumhyok Kim, while a North Korean student in China in 2011, became increasingly disillusioned about his country’s communist regime. Though a privileged student studying abroad, he recounted, “I realized that the Kim family that I had wanted to serve were not my heroes, but dictators denying countless people’s freedom just to build their own power,” he said, speaking “on behalf of millions of North Koreans who are denied humankind’s most basic freedoms.”

After he and a group of like minded dissident students were discovered, he decided the escape to South Korea for freedom. The others in his group never made it. He told delegates, “If

they developed the economy instead of missiles, there would be no need for any North Koreans to starve to death,” he observed, pointing out that “if North Korea were a normal State, it would contribute to world peace rather than threatening it.”

Gumhyok Kim implored the international community, “Please stand on the side of the North Korean people, not the dictatorship.”

Political repression, control on people’s movement and a suffocating surveillance state remain the cornerstone of the Pyongyang regime, under Kim Jong-un’s leadership.

Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, addressed the “unmitigated suffering” in this East

Asian country. “Today the DPRK is a country sealed off from the world. A stifling claustrophobic environment, where life is a daily struggle devoid of hope,” he stressed.

High Commissioner Turk described the DPRK as a “landscape of misery, repression, fear, hunger and hopelessness in the DPRK is profoundly alarming.”

South Korea, the president of the Council for June, put forth a number of social political initiatives; The political trails and tribulations of their fellow Koreans in the quaintly titled Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, aka North Korea, was a key human rights theme.

See STOSSEL on 29 See METZLER on 26

Not So LoNg Ago ...

Exploring ThE lEgEnd & lorE of our graniTE STaTE

Where there’S a Will

by Robert Hanaford Smith, Sr. Contributing Writer

“Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by Thine help I’m come.” Those are the words in a hymn that some of us have sung in church services. But what is an Ebenezer? In Hebrew the word means “ stone of help, “and in the Bible Samuel set up a stone as a monument of the victory of the Israelites in battle over the Philistines and called it Ebenezer, to remind the people that God was their help. Probably some readers thought of Scrooge when they saw the word, but it is Webster, not Scrooge, that I direct your attention to.

Daniel Webster, the famous orator, had a great-grandfather, a grandfather, and a father who were all named Ebenezer Webster. The Biblical Samuel set up his “Ebenezer” stone many centuries before Ebenezer the 1st died in 1735, which was 23 years before the hymn mentioning Ebenezer, “Come Thou Fount,”

was written in 1758 by Robert Robinson. I use the year of Ebenezer Webster I’s death because he also wrote his will in that year, and that was a document I want to share with you in this article. My limited observation on the subject of who gets whatever we leave behind when we die is of great concern to some people, while others are content to let others make those decisions.

Ebenezer Webster, the first, of Kingstown, in the Province of New Hampshire, for New Hampshire was indeed then a province of Great Britain, was very sick and weak in body. Ebenezer thus decided to write his will which he did,

beginning with the words, “In the Name of God Amen the Twelfth day of January Annoq Domini 1735/6...” Ebenezer I was born in Hampton, NH, in 1667, being the son of Thomas Webster. He became one of the proprietors of Kingston, and a prominent citizen of the same town and had taken part in the Indian Wars. His will began with consideration of his wife: “Imprimis I Give & Bequeath unto Hannah my Dearly beloved Wife One Acre of Land out of my Homestead place to be good profitable Land fit for tillage as near & Convenient for her as may be found for her to hold Dureing her natural Life; & at her Decease to return to those Children in

whose part it may fall; & also one Room in My House which she shall Choose; & also one Third part of the Cellar Dureing her state of Widowhood; And also all the Household stuff or moveable Estate within doors forever to be at her Dispose Except one feather Bed which at her decease is to return to my son Ebenezer; And also seven Bushels of Indian Corn & Two Bushels of English Corn & One Bushel of malt One Hundred pounds of good Pork, fifty pounds of good Beef yearly & every year Dureing her state of widowhood to be Raised and Levied out of my Estate, viz; out of that part of my Estate which I shall hereafter in this Instrument Give

— ALL BRANDS SMALL ENGINES — 3 Waterford Place, Gilford 603-387-6623 • allbrandssmallengines.com

Postcard with home of Ebenezer Webster the third, and father of Daniel lived and Daniel’s birth place..

“a hero of tWo nationS” progaM at Wright MuSeuM of WWii

WOLFEBORO — On Tuesday, June 25th, Wright Museum

SUMMER SANDALS

Executive Director Peggy Hennelly-Maniates will be presenting a lecture entitled “A Hero of Two Nations.” This is the fourth program of the Wright Museum’s 2024 Education Series.

Learn the story of a young paratrooper who is the only known American soldier to have served in combat with both the United States Army and the Soviet Red Army in World War II. He took part in Mission Albany, the airborne landings of the 101st Airborne Division on June 5–6, 1944, as a member of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

He was captured by the Germans and sent east as a prisoner of war.

After three unsuccessful attempts, Bey-

rle escaped from the German Stalag III-C in January 1945 and joined a Soviet tank battalion under the command of Alek -

sandra Samusenko. Wounded, he was evacuated and eventually made his way to the United States in April 1945. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., the program begins at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25th at the Wright Museum’s DuQuoin Education Center, 77 Center Street in Wolfeboro. Admission is $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made online at https://wrightmuseum.org/lectureseries or by calling 603-569-1212. The region’s leading resource for educators and learners of all ages on World War II, the Wright Museum features more than 14,000 items in its collection that are representative of both the home front and battlefield. For more information about the 2023 Lecture Series, or museum, visit wrightmuseum.org.

by Mike Moffett Contributing Writer

… has been in the news. Actually, the sports news. More specifically, women’s basketball news.

And that’s mostly good.

The former Iowa hoop star is now playing for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. While that team has the second worst record in the twelveteam league, the Fever leads the league in home attendance and sometimes even sells out on the road.

Why? Caitlin Clark.

The all-time college basketball scoring leader, the Fever rookie has captured the imagination of basketball fans everywhere, after leading her Hawkeyes to two NCAA women’s tournament finals.

WNBA TV ratings are at an all-time high. Apparel is selling like never before. And the WNBA even made this SPORTTHOUGHTS column.

“Clark Fever” has raised league awareness while also generating humongous new revenues. The rookie only gets paid $76K, which doesn’t seem like much, considering NBA Rookie-of-the-Year Victor Wembanyama signed a four-year $55 million pact with the San Antonio Spurs. But comparing the NBA to the WNBA involves two very different products,

caitlin clark …

and Title IX doesn’t apply to pro sports. Still, Caitlin is definitely underpaid hoop-wise. But I’m sure her endorsement opportunities have already made her a millionaire.

A recent news story involving Clark centered on her “snub” by the U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team. But that squad was pretty much selected weeks ago.

Other Clark news involves her getting pushed around by WNBA rivals, to include some egregious cheap shots. Physical play is part of the game. I can specifically recall receiving some really nasty intentional elbows back when I played basketball many years ago— inflicting pain in ways Clark will never know.

So why do nice people like Caitlin and me get whacked by dastardly opponents? In Caitlin’s case the reason clearly involves jealousy. Veteran WNBA stars must bristle at all the attention the rookie’s receiving. I understand. Inevitably there’s also speculation about race and sexual orientation—Clark being a

20 include pro football quarterback Len Dawson (1935) and MLB catcher Andy Etchebarren (1943).

Sports Quote

“I always say that women’s basketball isn’t just suddenly good. It’s always been good.” – Caitlin Clark

Sports Quiz Answer

straight white female in a league largely populated by players with other characteristics. Would Clark be pushed around the same way if she was a different color? Who knows? Maybe not.

But as many have pointed out, jealous players need to ponder how much Clark has done for their game.

Duh!

I’m happy for Caitlin. I really am. Unlike her WNBA rivals, I am not jealous.

Okay, maybe I’m a little bit jealous.

So, here’s a “One-onOne” challenge for the Fever rookie. After the WNBA season ends, of course. We’ll each put up $10K. Winner takes all. Make it, take it. And I promise not to throw any elbows.

Sports Quiz

The U.S. women have won the last ten Olympic Basketball Gold Medals. But what other country’s hoopsters won the first two women’s Olympic Golds? (Answer follows).

Born Today

That is to say, sports standouts born on June

The Soviet Union won the first Women’s Olympic Basketball Gold Medal in Montreal in 1976, beating the USA in the final. The Soviets also won in Moscow in 1980, when the Americans boycotted those games because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

State Representative Mike Moffett was a Sports Management Professor for Plymouth State University and NHTI-Concord. He co-authored 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.

New Hampshire

The Meredith Historical Society continues its 2024 Speaker Series with a second program on the individual considered the town’s founder and guiding light.

“Ebenezer Smith: Town, State, and Country Founding Father” is an original program that will be presented Tuesday, July 2, by Rudy VanVeghten, a member of the Society’s Executive Board. It is the sequel to a program presented in April focusing on the early life of this Meredith luminary.

Included in the program will be recently researched material centered on the later life of Ebenezer

“eBenezer SMith: toWn, State, and country founding father”

Smith, including his legislative leadership in the newly independent State of New Hampshire in the 1770s, ’80s, and ’90s. Material for both programs is drawn from a forthcoming book titled Ebenezer Smith, Meredith’s Prime Mover: Biography of a Founding Father.

“Smith’s role in the early settlement of Meredith is relatively well known,” said VanVeghten. “But few realize his important contributions in creating the constitu -

ety. “Now we will learn about his equally important role in our state’s early history. This is a program of special appeal to everyone with an interest in our local history.”

tional government of New Hampshire, as well as the critical role he played in the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.”

“Ebenezer Smith was essential to the formative days of Meredith,” noted John Hopper, president of the Mer -

A long-time former editor of the Meredith News, VanVeghten is the author of several books on Meredith’s history including “These Sons of Liberty”: Meredith in the Revolutionary War and The History of Meredith Bay. He also

and copy editor for de Halve Maen (The Half Moon), a journal of early Dutch-American history.

This program will be held July 2 at the Meredith Community Center, 1 Circle Drive. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for light refreshments. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. All programs of the Society are free, and all are welcome.

For a complete schedule of the Society’s 2024 Speaker Se-

book or our website at www.meredithhistoricalsocietynh.org. Programs of the Meredith Historical Society help fulfill its mission to preserve, develop, and promote the knowledge and awareness of Meredith’s unique history.

The Simple Feast The Simple Feast Simple

by Eric N Gibson Contributing Writer

Anyone who reads this feature with regularity knows that two of my favorite things are food and history. When I can marry the two, even better! While the box mix brownie has been around since I can remember, its exact origins are shrouded in mystery. Intentional? Not sure. But, in all of my exhaustive research (an entire afternoon spent scouring the internet 8 hours before my midnight deadline) I managed to find very little that specifically shed light as to the definitive birth of the box mix brownie.

The Simple Box Mix BroWnieS

for content packaging. Up to this point it was the waxed paper bag that reigned supreme in food circles.

As near as I can figure, it was beyond the latter half of the twentieth century when the first brownie mixes that we recognize today hit the shelves. A new era was dawning. Food manufacturing and production, spurred on by achievements in innovation during World War II, were taking full advantage of the scientific breakthroughs in food preservation methods and materials made during the war. One of these modern miracles was the simple plastic bag

By the turn of the century (1900), the simple brown bag, that unsung hero of lunches all across the fruited plain for those without a lunch pale, was the favorite vessel of vendors. Everything from candy to coffee and other loose edible sundry items was carried in this nondescript paper sack. But it was about to yield favor to the paper waxed coated bag.

Introduced in the early 1900’s waxed bags for food items dominated the packaging scene up through the late forties, fifties, and beyond. Danielle Ohl in her essay “Packaging History 101: The Evolution of Snack Packaging” , found on the Viking Masek website

(a company that makes and sells packaging equipment), states that in 1900 Frank Peters “patented the first wax paper lined cardboard boxes to keep crackers fresh”. Peters, it seems, was friends with the president of Nabisco (how fortuitous) and a deal was struck to use this waxed box.

The Kellogg brothers quickly followed in about 1906 with their cereal, Corn Flakes, being packaged in a box and that box was then packaged (on the outside) and heat sealed in a “Waxtite” waxed paper bag. “Later”, Ohl notes, “the wax bag was moved to the inside of the box” somewhere around 1924.

Waxed paper bags remained the dominant packaging material up through the 1950’s and beyond, even though plastic laminate bags began to come into use.

ACKERLY’S

Grill & Galley

83 Main Street, Alton

603.875.3383

Akerlysgrillandgalleyrestaurant.com

Stoneface - IPA

Moat Mtn. - Blueberry

Great Rhythm - Pale Ale

Baxter - Coastal Haze

603 - Amber Ale

COPPER KETTLE TAVERN

At Hart’s Turkey Farm

Restaurant

233 D.W. Hwy, Meredith

603.279.6212

hartsturkeyfarm.com

Henniker - Working Man’s Porter

Concord Craft - Safe Space

Stoneface - IPA

Moat Mtn - Blueberry

603 - Winni Amber Ale

+6 More On Tap

D.A. LONG TAVERN

However, as Ohl notes, it was not for another 20 years before plastic bags fully replaced waxed bags as the medium of choice for food packaging. I can remember even into the 1980’s some smaller local producers, a potato chip vendor in particular, was running out their stock of waxed bags before changing over to the bags we are familiar with today.

But this still does not answer the question, “When did the first box mix brownies hit the shelves?” Well, I can remember cake and brownie mixes as far back as the late 1970’s. To go further back, my research took me to the U.S. History Scene website. Here Carla Martin has written an extensive treatise titled “Brownies: The History of a Classic American Dessert”. While her foSee FEAST on 23

JOHNSON’S TAPHOUSE

At Johnson’s Seafood & Steak

69 Rt 11, New Durham

603.859.7500

eatatjohnsons.com/ newdurham

Lone Pine -Brightside

Widowmaker -Blue Comet

Shipyard -Smashed

Pumpkin

Jack Abby -Red Tape

Muddy Road -1762 Porter

Northwoods -Autumn Buzz

+30 More On Tap

MORRISSEYS’

Porch & Pub

286 S. Main St., Wolfeboro 603.569-3662

Morrisseysfrontporch.com

Morrisseys’ 20 Year Lager by

Great North

Smithwick’s

Guinness Harp

At Funspot

579 Endicott St N., Weirs

603.366.4377 funspotnh.com

Little Willow - Tree Hugger

Stoneface - Duderino

Allagash - Little Sal

Mill 77 - Sunshine Daydream

Feathered Friend- Spring

Fling

True North - From the Patch

+6 More On Tap

FOSTER’S TAVERN

403 Main Street

Alton Bay, NH

603-875-1234

fosterstavernbythebay.com

Tuckerman pale ale

Aqua Vue Haze

Allagash white

Maine Lunch

Guinness

Stoneface IPA

+10 More On Tap

Concord Craft Safe Space +11 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

Moat Mtn.– Matilda’s Red White Mtn. – Beer 30

1911 – Raspberry Cider

Vulgar – Not My Chair Not My Fault

Able Ebenezer – Lady of the Lake

Mighty Squirrel – Cloud Candy +30 More On Tap

RESTAURANT OR BAR OWNER?

Contact Us Today to Find Out How to Promote Your Business here! sales@weirs.com or 603-366-8463 x 319

** Tap listings subject to change!

Here’s A Tip

by JoAnn Derson Syndicated Columnist

* “Use a bandanna to strain coffee if you’ve accidentally had a filter bust. It works. I first used this tip when camping, but I have used it at home, too. The coffee goes through it faster than a paper filter, which is fine when it’s already brewed, since you lose less heat.” -- T.R. in Arkansas

* Recycling notes: Cardboard that’s greasy or food-caked is just not recyclable.

It’s trash. On the plus side, your glass jars don’t have to be perfectly clean, nor your cans crushed, in order to take them to the recycling center or drop curbside if your community has a plan in place.

* “To freshen stuffed animals, dampen a cloth with a solution of 1 cup vinegar and 3 cups water. Wipe outside fur thoroughly, being careful not to soak. Secure in a delicates bag or tie inside a pillowcase, then put in a dryer at low heat until completely dry. Adding a fabric softener sheet for the final five minutes is nice, too.” -- D.W. in Oklahoma

* “Remove tea stains from your teapot with a few drops of bleach added to a pot of hot water. Let sit for five or so minutes, then swish with a brush. Most tea stains will come right out. Be sure to rinse well.” -- A.A

dom has helped her be an empathetic, confident and happy person. Her faith in God has given her a foundation for living her life. She is attending Florida Atlantic University with a goal of becoming either a Physician’s Assistant or a Medical Doctor specializing in dermatology.

Noah Silva, a senior at Kingswood High School, received the third-place scholarship of $250 for his essay. He plans to attend Saint Anselm College on a track to eventually study dentistry. He wrote about three of the rights – how education is essential to the preservation of a free government, how the freedom of speech “empowers him to voice his opinions and to advocate for causes he believes in”, and finally, he values the right to due process and equal protection under the law “which

protects teenagers like him from discrimination”. All three students submitted outstanding essays and their effort brings confidence that the next

generation respects their freedoms and this country.

To contact the TriCounty Republicans, email tricountyrepublicans@gmail.com.

word point out our noble obligation: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same , or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was like in the United States where men were free.”

Russ Payne Merrimack, NH.

Raspberry & Wool Day In Canterbury

Historic Clough Tavern Farm invites you to join us them for Raspberry & Wool Day on Saturday, July 20th from 9am-4pm. You can join in celebrating the farm’s main crops:

•Pick Your Own patch open as long as the berries last

•Master Gardener and growing raspberries

•Teeswater Sheep -learn about our critically endangered breed and “Shave’em to Save’em” Livestock Conservancy program

•Farm Tours at 10am, 12 & 2pm RSVP please (limited to 10 per tour)

•Clough Tavern Farm wool products and Two Sisters’ Garlic herb and spice blends

•Wool Demonstrations – shearing. skirting, carding, spinning, felting, knitting

•Local Craftspeople selling Ag inspired wares, and antiques

•Farm-style raspberry-inspired goodies - drinks and light lunch for sale at The Yellow House No entrance fee, tour donations accepted Please, no dogs wandering the property.

Historic Clough Tavern in located at 23 Clough Tavern Rd, Canterbury, NH

For more info@cloughtavernfarm.com or call 603-731-5574

Follow the “Raspberry and Wool” signs through town.

4th Annual Lions Club Car Show Returns To Wolfeboro

Get ready to rev your engines at the 4th Annual Wolfeboro Lions Club Car Show, happening on July 6 from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. at the picturesque Nick Recreation Park located at 10 Trotting Track Road in Wolfeboro. This exciting event promises to be a highlight of the Wolfeboro 4th of July festival, offering a free, fun-filled experience for car enthusiasts of all ages. Unlike traditional car shows, the Lions Club Car Show is a nonjudged event with no classes, allowing participants to showcase their vehicles without the pressure of competition. Whether you’re showcasing a classic car, muscle car, hot rod, or motorcycle, all makes and models are welcome! There’s no need for pre-registration - simply bring your vehicle and join in the festivities. As a token of appreciation for participating, dash plaques will be given to drivers and, door prizes will be awarded to lucky attendees throughout the event. Plus, don’t miss your chance to win big with a 50/50 raffle, offering exciting opportunities to support the local community while potentially walking away with a cash prize.

Feeling hungry? Be sure to visit the Lions Club concession stand, where you can enjoy a great lunch while mingling with fellow car enthusiasts. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a summer day in Wolfeboro while supporting a great cause.

The 4th Annual Wolfeboro Lions Club Car Show is proudly organized as part of the Wolfeboro 4th of July festival, bringing together families and communities for a day of celebration and camaraderie. Whether you’re a car enthusiast, a supporter of local charities, or simply looking for a fun way to spend the day, this event has something for everyone.Mark your calendars for a memorable day at the 4th Annual Wolfeboro Lions Club Car Show. For more information, contact Gina Lessard, at 603-651-6598 or visit the Wolfeboro Lions Club Facebook page..

ACTIVITIES

ArtsLIVE 2024!

The Lakes Center for The Arts is excited to host their 3rd ArtsLIVE event at the Meredith Community Center and offers a live look at artists of the Lakes Region. A curated selection of talented artists will set up their own mini studio spaces, and will be available to discuss their creative journey, and exhibit and sell their work. Many will be offering demonstrations and hands-on activities for the whole family.

Participating artisans this year are: Pam Bartlett, Gail Brunt, Ann Dutile, Kathryn Field, Suzan Gannett, Tom Hitchcock, Michelle McElroy, Aurelia Moran, Bridget Powers, Cassandra Real, Ian Raymond, Joanne Reynolds, Michael Sean, Marilee Sundius, and Sue Vachon. This is a free family friendly and educational event Saturday, June 22, 10am- 2pm at the Meredith Community Center, 1 Circle Drive, Meredith, NH. ArtsLIVE 2024 is made possible by a grant from CDFA (Community Development Finance Authority). The Lakes Center for The Arts is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) dedicated to promoting the arts in the Lake Region and runs on generous donations from the community. For more information about the organization check out our website: LakesCenterforArts.org or email us at lakecenterforthearts@gmail.com.

Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio

Kicks Off Music On The Green

On Sunday, July 7 at 4:00 p.m., Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio will kick off Music on the Green, an annual concert music series hosted and presented by Canterbury Shaker Village.

A critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated composer, Tirrell-Wysocki will be joined by fellow NH natives Matt Jensen on guitar and Chris Noyes on upright bass.

Held outside in a natural, intimate setting, Music on the Green features various types of music for all ages and runs on Sundays July 7, July 21, August 4, August 18, and August 25. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $20. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. Music on the Green is sponsored by Coldwell Banker Lifestyles, New Hampshire Dance Collaborative (NHDC), and Kathleen Belko, Trustee. Village tours are available before Music on the Green performances. Visitors are also encouraged to explore the extensive trail system on the Village’s nearly 700-acre property. To purchase tour tickets or learn more about the Village, which interprets Shaker life through tours, exhibits, buildings, gardens, and programs, visit shakers.org.

Canterbury Shaker Village is a member of the NH Heritage Museum Trail, which connects the public with culturally rich heritage institutions in New Hampshire. For more information, visit nhmuseumtrail.org.

Community Arts Festival

•

•

•

Attendees

lake diScovery drop in dayS at nh Boat MuSeuM

On Fridays, July 19 and August 16, New Hampshire Boat Museum (NHBM) will host Lake Discovery Drop In Days, a free program in which kids can engage in a variety of interactive, boat-related activities. Focusing on the ways in which the state’s waterways connect the past to the future, families will participate in handson projects such as arts and crafts, games, and science experiments that highlight lake ecology.

Group. Owners/REALTORS Glenn and Angela Smith expressed excitement regarding

their support of “a local program that gets kids involved with the lake.” Families with children in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to take part in the program. In addition to Lake Discovery Drop In Days, NHBM programs and activities of interest for kids (and families) include Boat Building, Boat Cruises in the ‘Millie B’ and ‘Miss Lauren,’ and more. “At the boat museum, we educate kids and families about our freshwater boating heritage, safety, and awareness of ecology to preserve our lakes and rivers,” added Cummings. Lake Discovery Drop In Days will take place on Fridays July 19 and August 16 between 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at NHBM’s Moultonborough campus, 130 Whittier Hwy (Rte 25). Those interested in participating in activities can stop by anytime during the twohour program. More information about the event can be found at nhbm.org.

Founded in 1992 by antique and classic boating enthusiasts, NHBM offers dynamic exhibits and engaging programs and events tailored to the diverse boating lifestyles and values of people of all ages. To learn more about NHBM, visit nhbm.org.

This year, the program is sponsored by Lakefront Living Realty - The Smith

& Markus Wildlife Sanctuary

The Loon’s Feather Gift Shop Selling “all things loon” & more! •FreeAdmission•Award-winningvideos,exhibits&trails!

Lee’s Mill Rd, Moultonborough, NH

603-476-LOON (5666) • www.Loon.org

July eventS at SquaM lake natural Science center

To register for events go to www.nhnature. org or call 603-9687194.

Dinosaurs Return

Opens July 1 and then open daily, 9:30am-5pm (last trail admission at 3:30 p.m.)

Visitors to Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness will see life-size dinosaurs similar to the way they lived during pre-historic times at Dinosaurs Return. The temporary exhibit features five life-size dinosaurs. The dino -

saurs look, move, and sound like the real thing. The featured dinosaurs are Allosaurus, Baryonyx, Diabloceratops, Dimetrodon, and a Parasaurolophus. The dinosaurs range in size from the 23’ long fish eating Baryonyx, to the 9’ long Parasaurolophus located just beyond the Science Center’s Admissions are that can climbed upon for photos. Dinosaurs Re-

turn is every day from July 1 though November 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with the last trail admission at 3:30 p.m. Dinosaurs Return is included with regular trail admission (free for members).

Cost: Dinosaurs Return is included with regular trail admission Trail rates are $26 for adults; $24 for seniors (age 65+); $20 for youth (ages 3-15);

free for children 2 and under and Science Center members.

Lecture: Climate Change and the Upslope Movement of Montane Birds Wednesday, July 10, 6-7pm. A lecture for adults about Climate Change and Montane Birds. Dr. Jason Hill, of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, will talk about the current and future elevational trajectories of montane organisms, especially montane birds from the spruce-fir zone of New England. Dr. Hill oversees the community science program, Mountain Birdwatch, which tracks the population status of high elevation specialists like Blackpoll Warbler and Bicknell’s Thrush across Northern New England and New York. Existing modeling efforts predict that New England will lose most of its montane bird specialists by the end of this century due to poleward range shifts of those species in response to climate change. The lecture will explore those scenarios and examine what the data already show about how our montane forests are changing.

Cost: No charge but reservations are required.

Advance registration required.

Summer Fun! Summer Fun!

Birthday Bash for the Animals

Thursday, July 11, 10am-4pm.

One-of-a-kind birthday party to celebrate the animals with unique enrichment gifts at a Birthday Bash for the Animals. Visitors will learn how animal care staff provide a rich and stimulating environment for the animal ambassadors through daily enrichment activities. Watch the animals open their birthday presents at special Up Close to Animals presentations held at different animal exhibits throughout the day. Visit the Giving Tree to make the animals’ wishes come true. Select an item featuring an enrichment toy and donate to allow the Science Center to purchase it as a gift to our animals. Docents will be on hand with touchable objects and to answer questions.

Cost: Birthday Bash activities are included with regular trail admission.

Trail rates are $26 for adults; $24 for seniors (age 65+); $20 for youth (ages 3-15); free for children 2 and under and Science Center members.

Kirkwood Gardens

Guided Tour

Tuesday, July 16, 3-4pm.

Science Center

Lead Horticulturalist Emma Erler leads a guided tour of beautiful Kirkwood Gardens

for teens and adults. This is a great opportunity to learn about the incredible history of Kirkwood Gardens, identify what is in bloom, and ask any gardening questions on this personalized tour. Youth must be accompanied by an adult.

Cost: $9/member; $11/non-member. Advance registration required.

SQUAM from 20

Summer Fun!

caStle in the cloudS to hoSt a day of creativity and fun

Moultonborough, NH – One and all are invited to attend the highly anticipated 2024 Community Arts Festival on Saturday, June 22nd. Presented in collaboration with the Lakes Region Art Association, this event will be a dynamic celebration of creativity and community. The festival is free to the public and will run from 10:00am to 4:00pm. In case of rain, the

Sailing Classes on the Big Lake!

and up,

festival will take place on June 23rd.

The 2024 Community Arts Festival at Castle in the Clouds will feature over 100 booths to explore with local crafters, artists, and community organizations. Attendees can look forward to a variety of performances happening throughout the day, a scavenger hunt, art activities for kids, and much more.

“Bringing together a diverse array of artistic talents and community spirit, the Community Arts Festival offers something for everyone,” said Charles

Clark, Executive Director of Castle in the Clouds. “We are excited to see the incredible artwork and performances that will be featured and to share this vibrant experience with the community.”

For more information about the 2024 Community Arts Festival, please visit https://www.castleintheclouds.org/event/ community-arts-festival-2024

ABOUT CASTLE IN THE CLOUDS

As the premier historical museum in the beautiful Lakes Region of New Hampshire,

Castle in the Clouds provides each visitor with a look into the past while providing contemporary comforts to make every visit memorable. Originally called Lucknow, this breathtaking 6,300acre property was developed in 1913-1914 by Thomas G. Plant, a wealthy shoe manufacturer, to create a luxurious lifestyle with state-of-the-art amenities, beautiful handmade furnishings, and a large staff to run the estate. These days, visitors come from all around the world to tour the mansion and exhibit gallery, dine in the Carriage House Restaurant or Café in the Clouds, hike miles of hiking and walking trails maintained by partner organization the Lakes Region Conservation Trust, or enjoy one of our many programs and events. Operated by the Castle Preservation Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Castle in the Clouds is revered as a cultural and educational resource and listed on the National Register of Historic Places with national significance. Castle in the Clouds is also available as a fairytale wedding venue and versatile private event rental. For more information about Castle in the Clouds, visit www. castleintheclouds.org.

cus is on the history of the brownie proper, she does indulge the reader who has that burning desire to know when the first brownie mix hit the supermarket shelf, well… sort of. Martin actually cites a 1965 commercial for Betty Crocker’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie mix which touts the virtues of consistency in a commercially prepared box mix, “With Betty Crocker, you always get chocolatey, chewy, candy bar-good brownies made with all Hershey’s cocoa.” As Martin also points out, a little cobranding never hurts all interested parties. In this same article Ms. Martin offers her readers a 1960 Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake mix commercial, indicating to me that commercially available mixes have been around since at least 1960. She cites the candy bar industry as altering America’s perception of chocolate, “making it less chocolatey” while making it “sweeter, increasing its shelf-life, and mass producing it”, chocolate candy became “more affordable”. It was these advancements in chocolate that helped give rise (no pun intended) to the box mix cake and brownie.

So why all this chatter about the box mix brownie and when it came about? Well, it was a subject I began

to ponder one evening this past week when I was wanting something ooey, gooey, and chocolatey. Now, around here that usually means brownies, and the ooey-er, gooey-er, and chocolatey-er, the better. So I reached into the pantry and pulled out a box mix brownie; milk chocolate as I recall. Good enough in a pinch! Getting out the eggs and oil and drawing a bit of H2O on draft (that would be tap water for those of you non-chemistry majors), I proceeded to make brownies. Long about the time I had greased the pan I began to realize that the pan was going to be too big for the mix. I like thick brownies, at least an inch if not thicker. So, back to the pantry for another box mix. However, I didn’t have a second box of the same. With the oven hot and the first mix poured into the pan, I threw caution to the wind, cracked my egg, added my oil and some water, beat it all together, and then beat it some more to get the lumps mixed in. Then I beat it some more to get the lumps mixed in. Then I flogged the batter without mercy to get the darn lumps mixed in. Still lumpy, I then read the label: “SUPREME TRIPLE CHUNK” and realized that the lumps were supposed to be there. With this revelation firmly rooted into

my cerebral cortex, I poured the second mix into the pan and gave it all a bit of a stir to combine the two. Then I slid the pan into the oven and in 40 minutes out came a screaming hot pan of ooey, gooey, (HOT!) chocolatey brownies that were really yummy.

The satisfaction of making brownies from scratch is no doubt a feat that swells the heart with pride for those who can achieve consistent success. But, then again, there really is something to be said for the consistent results achieved with a good quality box mix. With the millions of dollars put into research and development by the “big boys”, they literally have the making of brownies down to a science. Will we ever know for sure the answer to that nagging question, “When did the first box mix brownies hit the supermarket shelves?” Probably not. But, if history offers us a clue, we can be sure that it was sometime during the not too distant future of the post war era. And while we may never know just when it happened, one thing is for certain, when science and technology set out to simplify our favorite foods, it may be flavorful, but it is seldom a recipe for the Simple Feast. Enjoy!

Paddling on the Merrimack along the Muchyedo Banks where the Bank Swallows live. Muchyedo? What does it mean? Trashpaddler.com quoted an account from the Genealogy of the Corser Family in America--”Much ye do.” was the answer Pawgemucket gave when he was asked how he climbed those banks after being chased by an angry mob of settlers

PATENAUDE from 3

Contoocook River as we could. We portaged around dams and technical white water sections and we paddled from Bennington to Penacook–just shy of meeting the Merrimack River. I noticed right away we had already completed one of the Merrimack Watershed routes included in the

Challenge. We could check off the Contoocook River Paddle on the list! We had already paddled from Contoocook to the last boat ramp

Four miles up river we turned back and the paddling was easier and faster going along with the flow of the river. When going on an adventure, save enough energy to return and watch the time--it is always best to get home before dark! Did Mother Nature place this pile of rocks in the River or did someone pile them here long ago?

in Penacook before the dams. It would have been nice to have had their nice map.

After work we Becca and I met at the Rivco Boat Launch at the end of Merrimack Street in Penacook. We were in our boats at 4:30 pm and of course we tried paddling up the Contoocook but we didn’t get very far. The water

was too fast and too shallow. We weren’t able to get near the dam. So we began the Muchyedo Banks Paddle.

Leaving the Contoocook River we passed underneath an old railroad bridge. There was a man fishing on the shore beneath it and he wasn’t catching anything. The water didn’t feel like it was moving fast so we easily turned left and paddled upstream on the Merrimack River.

After a few minutes of paddling we could see on top of the island’s bank above us, the memorial statue of Hannah Duston. Next we paddled under the Route 4 bridge, there was some nonsense graffiti on the concrete abutments.

We could tell we were paddling upstream, if we stopped paddling our kayaks would start floating back downstream. We hoped we could paddle two miles an hour so we could make the turn around at 4 miles in two hours. The way the river mean-

ders and forms oxbows the depth of the river and speed of the water varies a lot.

The Town of Canterbury manages conservation lands that make up a nice sandy beach at Riverland. There were no people on the beach but lots of footprints had been left behind in the sand. The water looked clear and the sandbar looked like a fun place.

Soon we could see the sandy cliffs of Muchyedo Banks. There were hundreds of Bank Swallows and the birds fled their “holes in the wall” nests as we paddled past. They flew in circles above the river as they waited for us to go away. This was exciting to watch the birds fly out and in their holes in the bank. Their holes aren’t round, we noticed but wider at the top to allow their wings to enter more easily. We could hear Interstate 93’s traffic roaring, too many motorcycles are too loud. The Muchyedo Banks are

Yours truly paddling up the Merrimack River past the sandy cliffs of the Muchyedo Banks.

near the highway but as we paddled more the oxbow led us away from the highway again.

There is almost no development along the River here. Much of the land is held in conservation and agricultural easements.

We saw a Great Blue Heron, the big bird would fly away from us and then stop and then as we neared it took off again.

We also enjoyed seeing a few small Sandpipers. They were so cute running up and down the sandbar.

There were no other boats on the river except one solo kayaker coming downstream who said he had come from Boscawen.

We were running out of time, two hours had come and gone fifteen minutes ago. We were out of snacks too. The last instruction on

Paddling up the Contoocook River. The Merrimack River is just on the far side of the railroad bridge. On the left is the island the Hannah Duston Memorial Historic Site. The path to the monument island starts at the Park & Ride at Exit 17 on I-93 and a walking visit takes less than half an hour

the mouth of the Contoocook.” Maybe they should have added, “ Don’t forget what time it gets dark.”

At 4 miles, we hit our solid turn around time and we reversed our direction at two piles of rocks in the river. We had no way of knowing if Mother Nature had piled these up or were they made by man? We met the solo kayaker paddling upstream and we wondered how he’d get back by dark?

Downstream paddling was almost twice as fast and a lot of fun. We were happy to get back earlier than we had planned.

Since it was only 7:30 pm and we still had some daylight to burn, we tried to paddle around the Han -

nah Duston Island. But there wasn’t enough water to make it all the way around–it was grown in and grassy. It appears water only flows from the Contoocook here in very high water.

This was a fun adventure that I don’t think I would have thought of doing. Now Becca thinks we should continue North on the Merrimack River all the way to its beginning where the Pemigewasset and the Winnipesaukee rivers meet in Franklin.

Of course we still have three more Merrimack Paddle Challenges to complete.

Have Fun

the suggested route is “make sure you turn around with enough energy to paddle back to the launch point at

PATENAUDE from 24

China and Russia opposed discussing human rights in the Council meeting, calling for a vote to block this proceeding. However, their motion was procedurally defeated by the other members. Nonetheless the blocking moves by Moscow and Beijing all but assured that any formal Council resolution or even a watereddown presidential statement would be vetoed.

South Korea’s Ambassador Joonkook Hwang warned, “the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s obsessive pursuit of nuclear weapons and its Orwellian control of its people have one

single root cause: the survival of its peculiar regime, regardless of the cost.” He went on to say that the country is run by “a bizarre family cult dynasty.”

Ambassador Hwang added, “North Korea is like a two-headed chariot driven by nuclear weapons and human rights violations. If human rights violations stop, nuclear weapons development will also stop.”

North Korea’s nexus of political repression, weapons proliferation and threats to international peace and security was well stated by U.S. UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Green -

field who said, “This repression and totalitarianism, proliferation and gamesmanship, makes each and every one of us less safe.” She added, “The efforts by both Russia and China to block this meeting today is another effort to support the DPRK, and is also emboldening their actions.”

Japan’s delegate Yamazaki Kazuyuki asserted, “The intertwining of human rights violations with international peace and security cannot be more obvious in the case of North Korea.” He recounted, that food security for the North Korean population remains dire; he noted

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that nearly half of its population, a staggering 12 million people, is under-nourished.

There’s a glaring human and political rights chasm on the divided Korean peninsula, between the dictatorship in the North and the democracy in the South.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is soon set to visit Pyongyang, to reinforce the political and military relationship with the isolated DPRK. Russia has tried to rekindle the once close ties between the two countries. North Korea sends conventional artillery and munitions to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.

But it’s the provocative and witheringly expensive nuclear and ballistic missile program which has put the the DPRK’s pampered military ahead of its downtrodden population. The North Korean regime has long stressed neutrons for military development over nutrition for its own people. Not much seems to be changing.

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.

ed warbler, magnolia warbler, blackthroated blue warbler and blackburnian warbler. Presque Isle warbler highlights included several baybreasted warblers, Cape May warblers and Nashville warblers.

It always seems as though certain species are particularly plentiful some years. This spring, I had great luck finding wood thrushes, warbling vireos, yellow warblers and catbirds. Catbirds are always plentiful, but this year, it seems, they are everywhere in high numbers.

In contrast, each year some birds seem to be less frequently seen than usual. We are into June, and I’ve seen only one hummingbird all spring - and that was at the local preserve. My feeder has been out and filled with fresh food since the middle of April, but so far, not a single visitor, at least not that I’ve seen. In previous years, they had been daily visitors starting in early May.

I usually see at least a few indigo buntings at the local preserve each spring. I know just where to find them and they are very reliable. This spring, one fleeting glance in poor lighting is all I’ve had of the electric blue songbird.

the wrong time, missing them right in front of me or not going to the right places. That’s what makes bird databases like eBird so valuable. The collective data from thousands of birdwatchers would pick up trends much more reliably than the musings of a single birdwatcher.

So now we head into summer. This is a good time of year to get out there and look for young birds. It’s always fun to watch parent birds raising their babies and teaching them the ways of the species. It’s also nice to know that any bird you see in the summer is likely breeding in the area. I love the birds that pass through on migration, but I have an even stronger affinity for those that stick around to raise their young.

As always, feel free to drop me a line and let me know your birding highlights.

Chris Bosak welcomes your questions and feedback. Contact him at birdsofnewengland@gmail.com

The yearly fluctuations of a single birdwatcher are certainly not a reliable way to gauge the health of a species. Just because I haven’t seen many hummingbirds or buntings this spring doesn’t mean there’s a problem with those species. I could be visiting at

Doors as Cattle Horse Sheep &c & all Impliments for man and Beast; & also hereby willing and ordering my s son Ebenezer to pay all my Debts; & to make y above mentioned Provision for my Wife as y above mentioned Corn Indian & English & malt pork Beef Cyder & Also to provide her A Horse to be at her service & also to keep and maintain her a Cow Constantly & to keep for Two sheep Dureing her state of Widowhood.”

That wasn’t all of

the residue of my S Homestead place as followeth viz: to Joseph I Give Fifteen Acres with y Privileges & Appurtenances thereto belonging: & to Iddo I Give the rest be it more or Less & to Iddo I Give all my out Lands & If there be any thing Left out of this my Last will I Give it to my s son Iddo...”

Ebenezer Webster, the first, then affirmed that this was his last Will and Testament. I don’t know why the

date has 1735-6 on it, but I am assuming that the original document was not clear enough to determine if the date was 1735 or 1736. Three men called Subscribers (Witnesses) signed the document underneath Ebenezer Webster’s signature. This will shows that there were both advantages and responsibilities placed upon the first-born sons in the early 1700’s. Daughters were not given the

same status as sons, but the eldest son was supposed to see that they were cared for. Any spelling errors you find or strange abbreviations or confusing punctuation were probably accepted ways of writing three hundred years ago.How it was determined what to capitalize is not a part of my knowledge.

unto my son Ebenezer; & In Case it shou plase God to Exercise her with Sickness or other Indisposition so that he my son Ebenezer shall provide for her things Comfortable and necessary & Physicians & Nurse as need shall require & also one Barrel of Cyder yearly Dureing her state of widowhood.”

Before I show more of Daniel Webster’s great-grandfather’s will, I want to make a few comments about the wife. First, her dying husband was looking out for her welfare. But she was expected, as long as she was able, to make use of the things he left her: one room exclusively for her in the house; a third part of the cellar, used to store vegetables and other food stuffs like salted pork and pickled cucumbers (perhaps) and eggs (particularly) in winter and providing a cool space in summer); the will was to be in force during the time his wife was a widow (discouraging remarriage); Ebenezer, the second, was to eventually be the recipient of his mother’s estate; and Ebenezer II was to be responsible for his

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mother’s care if and when she became sick.

Ebenezer 1 made his son, Ebenezer 2, the administrator of his will and estate and gave him forty acres of his homestead place and specified which forty acres that was to include, “& also all y Privileges & appurtenances or Commodities unto the same belonging...”

Also to Ebenezer, the second, went, “...the other End of my House & y remaining part of the Cellar & also y Barn & Orchard thereon; & also all my Moveable Estate without

the junior Ebenezer’s responsibilities under his father’s will, however. Son Ebenezer was ordered “ ...to pay or Deliver unto my four Daughters: viz. Rachel, Susanna, Hannah, & Mary, to Each of them

A Cow.....& further at y End of seven years from my Decease to pay or Deliver unto my s four Daughters unto Each & Every of them

A Heifer Comeing in three years Old or y value thereof.”

But the great-grandfather of Daniel Webster still had two sons: “I give to Wellbeloved sons Joseph & Iddo

Reverend Marc B. Drouin, Pastor

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Court House in Plymouth, NH where the great grandson of Ebenezer Webster I argued his first case as a lawyer .

Robert Robinson who wrote the words for the hymn “Come Thou Fount,”

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servatively. And then ... Lyndon Johnson -- you go down that road, and now we are where we are.”

Any person endowed with the brain he or she has received from God, a willingness to use that brain and a modicum of good will to use reason in the pursuit of truth would grasp the point that Donalds was making that day.

Yet, Al Sharpton accused Donalds of saying Jim Crow was a “good” or “better” time for Blacks. Liberal MSNBC commentator Joy Reid said Donalds suggested Jim Crow was a “golden era” for Blacks. Soon the Biden campaign and Democratic leadership picked up with similar shameful distortions of Donalds’ remarks.

Donalds, of course, was not praising Jim Crow. He was lauding the strength and resilience of Black Americans to live their lives as productively as possible during those horrible times.

And he suggested that big government ushered in by Lyndon Johnson after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 hurt rather than helped Blacks.

Regarding Blacks voting more conservatively during the Jim Crow years, the data is clear

From 1965, the first presidential election after the Civil Rights Act, to 2020, the average percent of Blacks voting Republican was 10.2% But from 1936 to 1960, the average percent of Blacks voting Republican was 30%.

In 1956, Republican Eisenhower received 39% of the Black vote.

Donalds’ observation that Blacks voted more conservatively during the Jim Crow era is clear and correct.

Regarding the state of the Black family, Donalds’ point that the

Black family was healthier during the Jim Crow era is also crystal-clear. Per data compiled by Pew Research from Census and American Community Survey data, in 1960, four years before the passage of the Civil Rights Act, 61% of Blacks age 18 and above were married. By 2021, this was down to 31%.

In June 1965, after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, Johnson spoke at prestigious Howard University to say that despite the new national civil rights law nullifying Jim Crow, and making racial discrimination unlawful, this, per Johnson, was not enough. Blacks were not ready, per Johnson, to be free.

In Johnson’s words then, “But freedom is not enough. You do not wipe away the scars of centuries by saying: Now you are free to go where you want and do as you desire and choose the leaders you please.”

Donalds tells the truth that things went in the wrong direction after the Civil Rights Act -- more rather than less government.

Those on the left are free to challenge his arguments. But that is done through rational and logical discussion. But they choose not this path, because they will lose.

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

tips to teachers.

One teacher told us, “They’re telling me things that I don’t see.”

“Some teachers don’t like being watched and criticized,” I say to Jongh.

“But they’re getting better!” she replies.

“When they get better, their scholars do better and the educators feel more successful. That’s what you want!”

Success Academy’s school day is longer. Kids typically stay until 4:30 p.m. Some stay later.

Some parents pull kids out because of the extra demands. “That’s why their test scores are so high!” complain critics. “Dropouts raise average test scores for kids who remain.”

Maybe they do. But for the thousands of kids at Success charters, the high expectations are a good thing.

Talking with children there, I was surprised when 7-year-olds told me they “look forward” to school! I never did. One told me that learning reading is “rockin’ awesome!”

It’s why lots of parents are desperate to get their kids into Success Academy. Almost 13,000 more families apply than the school has space for. So the school holds a lottery to determine who gets in.

The chain would like to offer its magic to more kids, but they aren’t allowed to! “Progressive” politicians limit the number they can serve.

“I hate the privatizers. I want to stop them,” said former mayor Bill de Blasio. He closed Harlem’s most success ful charter school.

The current mayor isn’t as awful, but New York’s cap on charter schools remains.

like competition.

Government school advocates say competition “takes money away” from government schools.

That is a lie.

It’s true that enrollment at government-run schools is falling. More parents now homeschool and send kids to charters and private schools. But spending at government schools continues to increase. Government always spends more!

Also, as students leave, government schools are left with more money per pupil. That’s because the government gives charters like Success $18,000 per student. Government-run schools get almost $36,000!

With half the money, Success Academy does better.

Most high school students never take Ad -

vanced Placement tests. Of those who take them in my state, roughly half pass.

But at Success Academy, all kids take the tests. And 80% pass!

“These kids must be miserable!” I tell Jongh. “They’re working all the time.”

“Why?” She laughs. “They’re having fun learning.”

Also, it’s not schoolwork all the time. Success offers “Chess, debate, theater, music,” she points out. “Those aren’t add-ons; they are part of our day.”

Success does make teachers work harder. Teacher turnover is high.

But so what? The goal is for the kids to succeed. At Success Academy, they do!

One student tells me, “It’s unfair that not everybody gets this opportunity.”

He’s right. It is unfair. All kids should have that choice.

Every Tuesday at JohnStossel.com, Stossel posts a new video about the battle between government and freedom.

Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society Presents

The education establishment just doesn’t

by Parker & Hart

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PUZZLE CLUE: SUITABLE ACTIVITIES

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THEME THIS WEEK: ANIMALS WITH BUSHY TAILS

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The Winklman Aeffect by John Whitlock