11/18/2021 Weirs Times by The Weirs Publishing Company

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

Live Free Or Die:

Death Is Not The Worst Of Evils.

— General John Stark

VOLUME 30, NO. 46

THE WEIRS, LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE, N.H., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021

COMPLIMENTARY

OBITUARY BOB LAWTON

1931-2021 Funspot Founder & Weirs Times Publisher

Fernald Station Trails are for people of all ages and skill levels.

COURTESY PHOTO

Forging A ‘Trail’ For Success

by Rob Levey

Weirs Times Correspondent

“If you build it, they will come” is not just a concept for baseball parks in Iowa, but rather the vision behind Wolfeboro Singletrack Alliance (WSA), a nonprofit currently building multi-use trails throughout Wolfeboro. “We envision Wolfeboro as a home and destination with an expanding network of sustainable trails that provide mountain bikers and other

non-motorized users with year-round recreational and athletic opportunities,” explained WSA Founder Andrew Ingram. This vision has resulted in nearly a dozen miles of new trails in Wolfeboro. Some of these trails include nearly 5 miles at Fernald Station and 4 miles at Sewall Woods, the latter of which has been created in partnership with Lakes Region Conservation Trust. WSA has also worked

with the Wolfeboro Conservation Commission to build approximately 3.5 miles of trails at Trask Mountain. Planned upcoming projects, according to Ingram, will significantly expand Wolfeboro’s trail network. “We are in the starting phase of beginning work at Abenaki Ski area with opportunities to build out in a number of other areas,” he said. As they formalize more partSee TRAIL on 32

Robert “Bob” Lawton, 90, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 11th, surrounded by family, at Concord Hospital-Laconia. Bob was born on March 2, 1931, in Akron, Ohio, and later moved with his mother Doris and his brother John back to Lowell, Mass., where the family was originally from, and lived with their grandparents Dennis A. Long and his wife Mary. Bob enjoyed visits to Lake Winnipesaukee every summer as a young boy and in his twenties he moved to the area permanently. Bob attended Norwich University in Vermont, where he majored in chemistry and later joined the army and served in the Chemical Corp stationed in Pusan, South Korea at the end of the war. Bob later worked for the telephone company, but soon decided that he did not want to pursue a career in chemistry, but wanted to See LAWTON on 34

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

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Education System Has Failed To The Editor: Recently democrat politicians and Governor Sununu charged our NH-DOE Commissioner, Frank Edelblut, that it was inappropriate for him to speak at a conference whose purpose was to empower parents. Really? Shouldn’t it be very appropriate for the Dept of Education commissioner to speak to the customers of the public education school system, you know, the parents? There was a time, not so long ago, when Democrats supported parents, especially lower income parents who have little choice in the education of their children. Perhaps their allegiance to the teachers unions has become more important. In the past democrats were adamantly opposed to monopolies because they eliminate competition. When a monopoly eliminates competition then an inferior product is usually the result at an increased cost. Such is the public school system, the largest monopoly in the United States. Did you know that in 2018 the PISA (programme for international student assessment) test had American students ranked 30th in math. Guess who was in 1st place? China. 20 years ago America was in 1st place. Parents have always been active partners in regards to their children’s education. They trusted educators to properly educate their children. Our current education system

seems to have failed parents and students. Parents need and want to be part of the conversation again. Kathy Rago Franklin, NH.

Protect Our Children To The Editor: May there be a “revival of moral courage, to those viewing the alarming facts that most NH parents do not know about what public schools are teaching their children. At 85 years old with over a half century studying, observing and sounding many alarms about the decline in public schools which today more accurately should be called government schools, I see no hope for our schools being any better than this conclusion in the historic report by the 1983 National Commission on Excellence in Education Summation: “If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands we have allowed this to happen to ourselves.” Unfortunately, all the dirt was successfully kicked and hid under the rug, by the educational establishment and major media sources who have a hard time finding and telling the truth. Certainly, after 37 years there has been a continued sharp decline. We all have this problem, our car needs brakes so we leave it at the dealer to be serviced.

When we get it back, the brakes haven’t been done, instead they install a new stereo system and give the car a new paint job. Would you be happy about this or would you be angry? As silly as this sounds, all over our nation, including NH, we have the Department of Education (DOE), auto shops that refuse to fix our brakes. We send our children to school to learn the 3R’s, “reading, writing and arithmetic” we get back for our taxes something much worse than paint jobs and stereos. Just like the car doesn’t get new brakes, our youth get an education completely opposite of what parents think they paid taxes for. We send our kids to school to learn the 3R’s, reading, writing and arithmetic: instead they are taught how great globalism is, and how our nationalism will bring about doomsday environmentalism. I feel sorry for the parents who do not get what they paid for. I feel sorry for the school teachers who are forced to teach subjects contrary to good education. Because they are between a rock and hard place: they teach the federal curriculum or lose their job. I don’t feel sorry for the Labor unions who gain job security, secure good wages and benefits, but otherwise they reinforce the federal curriculum that is contrary to what good education should be. Our children suffer the denial of truth. And I even feel sorry for you on School Boards that seem to be under pressure to follow whatever the U.S. Department See MAILBOAT on 34

Our Story

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

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

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

Not So . . . o g A g N Lo

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Invitation Of Gov. Dewey Accepted A Trip To The Farm In 1948 recently bought a field chopper at the cost of $1,600 and had added pen stables and trench silos to his farm. He acknowledged the problem many farmers faced concerning paying for such improvements to their farms and suggested that farmers might share the use of and cost of the improved equipment. He claimed that he sometimes stayed up nights and discussed the problem until midnight with a farm leader. Others attending the conference from New Hampshire included Fred Bean, the farm See SMITH on 30

Contributing Writer

Gov. Thomas E. Dewey and Laconia Evening Citizen Farm Editor Raymond C. Smith. Many people expect- second time, having ed Governor Dewey been defeated by Prest o d e f e a t P r e s i d e n t ident F.D. Roosevelt Harry Truman for the in 1944. His running office of President of mate in 1946 was Earl the United States at Warren. the election of 1948 Governor Dewey and it appears that a l s o o w n e d a 4 8 6 O u r N efarm the Governor wasmconwhich he e S h opacre wvisitors C o r ghee r Slet fident of that when the know t o re! La hosted the journalists was completely paid just a few weeks before for, and one that he the election. Dewey had added a number was a lawyer with an of innovations to as impressive record as he felt mechanization a criminal prosecu- was necessary to farmtor, and was running ing success. Dewey for President for the revealed that he had

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“Preservation of the family size farm is one of the most important problems facing agriculture today, New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey told 125 daily newspaper farm editors and radio farm program directors, from 30 states, who were his guests Saturday at a dinner and conference in the Grange hall at Pawling, N.Y.” So wrote Raymond Smith for the lead story in the Laconia Evening Citizen on September 20, 1948. Farm editor was one of several titles that Mr. Smith held during his more than two and a half decades of writing for the Laconia newspaper. He and his wife, Dorothea, who happen to be my father and mother, had accepted the invitation of the Republican Presidential nominee to attend the farm conference at the Grange hall followed by a visit to the Governor’s farm in Pawling, New York.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES Calling All Cyclists To Raise Heart Rates & Dollars For A Cause

- The Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction is excited to announce that the Cycle Mania fundraiser that benefits the auction will return this year with an event on Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Gilford Hills Tennis & Fitness Club. Par ticipants may sign up to cycle for one hour or multiple Mike “Mad Dog” Gallagher and Alex Indeck; Gallagher broke one-hour slots durthe current Guinness World Record for consecutive time spent ing the event; the cost is $20 per hour, on a stationary cycle when Cycle Mania debuted in 2007 at the and all funds benefit Laconia Athletic and Swim Club. the Children’s Auction, which will be held Tuesday, Dec. 7 through Friday, Dec. 10 at the Tanger Outlets. Registration is required in advance at www.childrensauction.com. While many auction items have been received at this time, there is a need for thousands of items to raise enough money to meet the needs of the community. Auction leaders will collect new, unused, unwrapped items right up to the week of the auction. Gift cards, electronics, tools, toys, sporting goods and household items all bring the highest bids. Go to our website at ChildrensAuction.com for a list of convenient donation drop-off sites throughout the Lakes Region. And on Black Friday weekend, Friday, November 26 to Sunday, November 28, visit the collection site at Tanger Outlets and drop your items off between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Learn more about the auction at www.ChildrensAuction.com, where you can discover sponsorship opportunities, donate or volunteer or email Jenn@ChildrensAuction.com. LACONIA

NH Mater Chorale Presents “The Sacred Veil” The centerpiece of the New Hampshire Master Chorale concerts on November 20 and 21 is The Sacred Veil, a new piece by the celebrated composer Eric Whitacre with lyrics by Charles Anthony Silvestri. The concert-length work, published in 2019, deals with the most basic human questions: Where do we come from, and what happens to us when we depart this life? Performances will be on Saturday, November 20, at South Church, 27 Pleasant Street in Concord, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 21, at the Congregational Church in downtown Plymouth at 5:30 p.m. Attendance will be limited to allow for distancing, and audiences are required to wear masks. All singers are fully vaccinated. Tickets can be obtained through https://nhmasterchorale.ejoinme.org/Tickets

Santa Claus At The Aviation Museum On Saturday, Dec. 11, the big guy will land via helicopter at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road, in Londonderry. Touchdown is scheduled for 11 a.m. outside the Aviation Museum. The free event is designed to be Covid-19 safe and all are welcome. Families wishing to see the helicopter land should arrive at the museum no later than 10:45 a.m. to park and then make their way to the landing observation area, where plenty of room is available to observe social distancing. Face coverings are recommended, but not required to attend the outdoor event. After arrival, Santa will occupy a special outdoor throne, where he’ll speak to children and take requests via microphone. Santa will visit and take requests until 1 p.m., when he’ll depart by fire truck courtesy the airport Fire Department, which will whisk him off to his next appearance. The Aviation Museum, a non-profit 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization based in the 1937 art deco passenger terminal at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, is dedicated to preserving the Granite State’s rich aviation past, and also inspiring today’s students to become the aviation pioneers of tomorrow. The Aviation Museum is located at 27 Navigator Road, off Harvey Road, in Londonderry, N.H.

Santa’s Gift Shoppe AtBlessed Bargains Thrift Store Beginning Saturday, November 27th, and every Saturday in December, Blessed Bargains Thrift Store will be open from 9:30 am to 2 pm at the First Congregational Church on Main Street in Farmington. Start your shopping downstairs for all your Christmas needs. There will be an assortment of holiday gifts, household items, warm clothing for adults and children, toys, books and much more. Blessed Bargains is located in the basement of the church with its entrance from the TD Bank parking area. Then visit Santa’s Gift Shoppe in the Fellowship Hall of the church. You will find everything for your tree from the bottom tree stand to the star on top with lights, ornaments, and garland in between table trees, children’s Christmas books, stocking stuffers, toys and an array of collectibles, all kinds of decorations and gift wrapping things, all at bargain prices. The public is invited to drop in to view the many displays of Christmas items in the Fellowship Hall using the new Community Access Ramp entrance off of Pleasant Street. The First Congregational Church is located at 400 Main Street in downtown Farmington. For more information go to their website: www.farmingtonnhucc.org.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

F O O L NEW HAMPSHIRE A

in brendan@weirs.com

Live Free or Die.

*A FLATLANDER’S OBSERVATIONS ON LIFE

Bob Lawton In 1995, I had an idea for a n ewspaper column about a Flatlander from New York adjusting to life in New Hampshire. It was still a by Brendan Smith few years until Weirs Times Editor email was the chosen means of communication. I printed dozens of copies, licked many stamps, and mailed the column out to publications around New England. I never heard back from any. Then one day in November I opened up the latest issue of The Weirs Times and there was my column. The next day I called the Times office and asked to speak with Bob Lawton. I asked if he’d like more columns? He said “Sure, send them along.” I occasionally submitted columns over the next couple of years and in 1998 I went to work at The Weirs Times full-time, and so began my journey with Bob Lawton and the Lawton family. I wasn’t the editor yet, but I did help with the production of the paper which back in the late 1990s was much different than today. The paper was manually produced by printing sheets of paper with the editorial content, running them though a waxing machine and then, using a ruler and X-acto knife, cutting the articles into columns and then pasting them onto giant printer sheets that were laid out along a wall about thirty-feet long. After the paper was all laid out and proofread, a tedious process that required a lot of concentration, time and patience, the sheets would be placed in an artist portfolio case and be driven down to the Concord Monitor every week, by Bob’s daughter Sandra, to be printed. When I first came to work at the Times, Bob was doing the

entral Baptist hurch

layout by himself, spending his Saturdays waxing and cutting the pages in preparation for layout and then on Sunday, with no one else around, laying out the entire paper. His dedication to the task was amazing as he was also running Funspot, which was across the street. He was also 67 years old at the time, an age when many are thinking of retiring. The Weirs Times never missed a week. I worked with Bob on those Saturdays, helping layout the simpler easy pieces like the weekly comics, crosswords, etc., while Bob was in the other room cutting up the sheets (he did miss sometimes as the bandaids on his fingers attested to). He would also be searching through his own impressive collection of New Hampshire historical photos and postcards for images to enhance some of the history articles. He never was complacent, always searching for the best way to keep the paper entertaining and informative. In late 2001, the Weirs Times office moved to where it is today, and the advent of new computer software for laying out the paper made the task a lot easier. Bob was no longer doing the weekly layout he had done for nine years. He wasn’t the type to be sitting at a computer, he always needed to be up and about using his hands. Of course, he still had plenty to do running the largest arcade in the world. Since then, it has been Dave Lawton, Bob’s son and managing editor of The Weirs Times, and myself putting together the paper. No X-acto knives, but computer screens. Bob was still hands on when it came to the content. Bob would get a printed proof copy of the next week’s issue on Fridays to proofread over the weekend and on Monday mornings we would meet at the Braggin’ Dragon restaurant at Funspot and go over it page by

Central Baptist Church of Gilford, NH Independent, KJV page. We did this right up until the last few months of his life when he was ninety years old. On occasion Bob would have me write a feature article about Funspot when a new attraction was going to open or someone needed to be recognized. I must admit I was always a bit nervous about writing them since Bob needed the articles to be perfect, making sure anyone involved would get the proper recognition. Sometimes we might take a few weeks until we published the story, making sure we got everything right. He loved Funspot with a passion. He also encouraged me with my columns and, admittedly, he didn’t always get my sometimes strange sense of humor and once in a great while didn’t agree with something I wrote, but he let me have free reign with whatever I wanted to write about. I always appreciated that. I am grateful for the opportunity he gave me to do something that I love to do every week. Early on in my stint here at The Weirs Times, I ran into some personal problems and Bob never hesitated in doing what he could to help me out. He always treated me like family, as have all the Lawtons, and that’s how I have always felt. This column really can’t do justice to my relationship with Bob for twenty-three years, there isn’t enough space to cover everything. Just a few memories I wanted to share. In a few weeks we will be publishing a special tribute here in the Weirs Times about Bob and his legacy. It’s not something we want to rush. We want to make sure we get everything right. Thanks Bob! Rest in Peace. Brendan’s latest book “I Really Only Did It For The Socks- Stories & Thoughts On Aging” is now available for sale. See the ad on this page for more details.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

Our Children Are Not Chattel - They admitted it. Now they think they can get away with it. Three weeks ago, I reported to you on the appalling case of sixth grade student Rylee M., who was pressured by teachers at Chinook Trail Middle School to seal her mask to her face with thick blue painter’s tape. Another schoolmate came forward to describe how those teachers would patrol by Michelle Malkin their classrooms for violators while twirlSyndicated Columnist ing the tape rolls around their wrists. Skeptics accused the children of manufacturing the story and of voluntarily putting the tape on themselves. Others, including the Colorado Springs Police Department school resource officer stationed at Chinook Trail, baselessly dismissed the incident as a prank committed by a teacher in “jest.” Gaslighters in the school district and their supporters misleadingly denied that teachers applied the tape directly to victims’ faces -- something Rylee and her mom never alleged. By mischaracterizing the actual allegations, public school propagandists deflected attention from the brazen abuse of authority exercised by educators who issued de facto ultimatums that children comply with their directive to use the tape handed to them. Or else. On Monday, after the district’s three-week-long internal investigation, Chinook Trail Middle School principal Tom Andrew confirmed in a meeting with Rylee’s mom, Stephanie M., that teachers had indeed “directed students to affix a mask to their face with tape” -- a cruel measure that only sadists, not sane public health advocates, could embrace. Moreover, the unfazed principal blandly acknowledged, “Yes,” the “students thought they were compelled to follow through” on the teachers’ “requests” (to choke themselves off). “In short,” the principal told Rylee’s mom in his sing-song scripted voice, “district policy and procedures were broken,” “trust and respect” were “broken,” and “poor decisions” were made. Now, the principal told Stephanie M., it’s time “to move this forward” after “admitting our mistake” and “trust” the administration. The abusers will remain in the classroom with vulnerable 11- and 12-year-olds; any disciplinary measures will be kept “confidential”; and brave Rylee, who has been harassed over the incident, will now be enrolled in online school to keep her safe from the mask bondage bullies. “It was never our intent,” the anonymous group of “Team 642” tape torturers wrote in a See MALKIN on 36 COLORADO SPRINGS

The So-Called Meritocracy Isn’t The Problem In 1958, British sociologist Michael Young coined the term “meritocracy” in his satirical novel, called “The Rise of the Meritocracy.” Its point was simple: When intelligence and effort are selected by any soby Ben Shapiro ciety as the basis for Syndicated Columnist success or failure, those with such merit begin to comprise their own class. That class hardens into an elite that brooks no dissent and stratifies society. As Young would say in 2001, “It is good sense to appoint individual people to jobs on their merit. It is the opposite when those who are judged to have merit of a particular kind harden into a new social class without room in it for others.” This general point has become the basis for illiberal thinkers, both on the Left and on the Right. Philosopher Michael Sandel, in his latest book, “The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good?” argues that the very notion of a meritocracy carries with it an unescapable and unsustainably selfish moral judgment. According to Sandel, “The ideal itself is flawed. Meritocracy has a dark side. And the dark side is that meritocracy is corrosive of the common good. It encourages the successful to believe that their success is their own doing and that they therefore deserve the bounty that the market heaps upon them ... it generates hubris among the winners. They believe that their success is their own doing and they also believe, implicitly at least, that those who struggle must deserve their fate as well.” This argument can be marshalled on behalf of both Right-wing and Left-wing critiques of the current capitalist order. On the Right, the argument is that capitalism -rewarding, as it generally does, intelligence and hard work -- undermines important social institutions. David Brooks argues in

The New York Times that meritocracy destroys “civic consciousness, a sense that we live life embedded in community and nation, that we owe a debt to community and nation and that the essence of the admirable life is community before self.” On the Left, the argument is that meritocracy justifies existing imbalances of economic and social power. The debate over meritocracy, however, depends on a crucial failure to distinguish between economic merit and moral merit. The term meritocracy itself does a great disservice in smudging this distinction -- that is, in fact, why Young coined the term that way. Instead of linking “merit,” with all of its moral implications, with intelligence and hard work, we ought to instead use the term “skillsocracy.” Any economic system that rewards skills produces positive externalities. A person who works hard, who innovates -- who creates better products and services and trades those products and services with someone else -- enriches not only those involved in the voluntary trade, but also the society at large by raising the bar on the products and services that will eventually become available to everyone. Every innovation is quickly followed by competition, by the spread of that innovation to a broader and broader market -- which is why peasants today in Western societies live better than kings did centuries ago. By contrast, any economic system that prizes an alternative set of values has negative externalities. Should we adjudicate economic distribution by race? Creed? Religion? Simple ethical preference? Disincentivize risk-taking, guarantee incomes by “moral occupation,” and watch as misallocation of labor destroys economic progress entirely; watch as society breaks down as those who produce less for their fellow man are rewarded more. This does not mean that those who are most dexterous should “run society.” To create such a system would, in fact, undermine the skillsocraSee SHAPIRO on 35

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

Let Parents Choose As Virginia’s gubernatorial election drew to a close last week, Democrat Terry McAuliffe brought in teachers union president Randi Weingarten. by John Stossel He thought that Syndicated Columnist would help? I suppose he, like many progressives, believes everyone thinks the way he does. “I’m not going to let parents come into schools and ... make their own decisions,” he’d said. “I don’t think parents should be telling schools

what they should teach.” That’s the political attitude: Government runs things. We, the experts, know what’s best. Parents as “customers” who make choices? Nonsense. I hope his defeat means Americans are figuring out that such politicians are enemies of progress. Years ago, I was surprised to discover that NYC’s failing public schools spent $20,000 per student. Teachers had been holding protests where they shouted: “Fund schools! We don’t have enough money!” But they spent $20,000 (now nearly $30,000) per student! At 25 students per class, that’s $500,000

per classroom! Think what you could do with that money: hire five good teachers? Where did the money go? No one in the bureaucracy had a good answer. Governments make money ... disappear. I researched different education systems and did an ABC TV special called “Stupid in America.” It showed how American students do worse than kids in other countries. I suggested that parental choice would help. After all, competition brought us better phones, cars, supermarkets, etc., while holding prices down. Competition forces providers to constantly try new

things to please their customers. But not in government schools. This year, most private and Catholic schools opened, while “public” (government-run) schools often stayed closed. Monopolies kill innovation. When public schools began, most Americans worked on farms. That’s why schools took a summer break, so kids could help on the farm. Today, fewer than 2% of us work on farms, yet nearly every government school still takes the summer off. “Unionized monopolies like yours fail,” I told Weingarten (when she still would speak to me). “It is the See STOSSEL on 35

Migrants As Pawns In Putin’s Hybrid Warfare The setting is remote. The players are highly improbable. Yet in the deep and forgotten forests along the Belorussian/ by John J. Metzler Polish frontier, Syndicated Columnist thousands of migrants from far off Syria, Iraq, and even Afghanistan are massing and milling trying to enter Poland. Why? Because Poland forms the easternmost frontier of the European Union (EU) and thus becomes the presumed path to freedom and prosperity in Germany or elsewhere in Europe. An international standoff continues along this remote border on the verge of Winter.

But the obvious question arises; how do all these largely Middle Eastern migrants end up in the remote landlocked country of Belarus? And why in Belarus, probably the best contemporary retro version of the former Soviet Union? The roots of this current migrant crisis are real enough; people wishing to escape the endless conflict, chaos and sectarian violence in the Middle East. Why Belarus, when the path through Turkey has been one of the traditional paths into Europe’s soft underbelly? Turkey largely provided the route during 2015. Near Biblical migrant movements from Syria witnessed more than a million people flee to Germany and Sweden. Now more than 3,000 people, mostly Kurds, are camped along the Belorus-

sian/Polish frontier but are being blocked entry into Poland (read the EU) by Polish troops, police and barbed wire fences. The Belarus regime of Alexander Lukashenko has been at political loggerheads with the European Union over rigged elections and a spate of human rights violations. Intelligence sources claim it’s an open secret that Russia’s Vladimir Putin, has cajoled his protege Lukashenko into using migrant flows to destabilize Poland and probably Lithuania, two EU and NATO countries bordering Belarus. Thus Putin can pressure Europe through a witting proxy who’s always looking for a fight. Germany’s interior minister, Horst Seehofer, accused Lukashenko of “using people’s fates, with

the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to destabilize the West.” Remote Belarus is hardly a transportation nexus until you realize that the migrants are flying from a number of countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Turkey to Belarus via scheduled and under the radar charter flights to the capital Minsk. The Belarus state airline Belavia maintains daily flights from Istanbul while other carriers such as Russia’s Aeroflot operate flights to Minsk. Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that his country faces a “new kind of war,” whose “ammunition is civilians.” The European Union accused Belarus of mounting a “hybrid attack” See METZLER on 35

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

The Communist Manifesto and the U.S. Constitution by Hal Shurtleff Director, Camp Constitution Alton, NH

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Some years ago, I addressed a class at a New England conservative college (Yes, there are a few in the region). During lunch, one of the students said to me “Communism in theory is a good thing but it isn’t implemented by the right people.” My reply: “That is like telling me that Hell isn’t such a bad place, but it is run by the wrong demons.” I asked him if he ever read the “Communist Manifesto” and he answered in the negative. If he had, he would not have made such a comment. Unlike our U.S. Constitution, which was written to protect God given rights, “The Communist Manifesto” is a blueprint for tyranny, and knowing the background of the author, we should not be surprised by the tone of his writings. Marx was born in Prussia in 1818 from an Upper Middle-Class family. He had no use for the “worker” and even scolded his wife when she believed that he had any concern for the poor. He was both a racist and an antiSemite. He authored a book entitled A World Without Jews-a fact that Marxist professors would not share with their students. He routinely called his opponents “Jews with Negro blood.” His manifesto did not have any original ideas. Unlike the framers of the U.S. Constitution, he was an atheist who believed that religion was the “opiate of the masses.” In his manifesto, we read: “There are be-

sides, eternal truths such as Freedom, Justice, etc., that are common to all states of society. But Communism abolishes eternal truths, it abolishes all religion and all morality…” He hated the nuclear family and championed its abolition. He wrote ten planks which is a total contradiction of our nation’s founding principles: 1. Abolition of Property in Land and Application of all Rents of Land to Public Purpose. 2. A Heavy Progressive or Graduated Income Tax. 3. Abolition of All Rights of Inheritance. 4. Confiscation of the Property of All Emigrants and Rebels. 5. Centralization of Credit in the Hands of the State, by Means of a National Bank with State Capital and an Exclusive Monopoly.

6. Centralization of the Means of Communication and Transport in the Hands of the State. 7. Extension of Factories and Instruments of Production Owned by the State, the Bringing into Cultivation of Waste Lands, and the Improvement of the Soil Generally in Accordance with a Common Plan. 8. Equal Liability of All to Labor. Establishment of Industrial Armies, Especially for Agriculture. 9. Combination of Agriculture with Manufacturing Industries; Gradual Abolition of the Distinction Between Town and Country by a More Equable Distribution of the Population over the Country. 10: Free Education for All Children in Public Schools. Abolition of Children’s Factory

Labor in its Present Form. Combination of Education with Industrial Production. If these ten planks look familiar, it is because most of these planks have been implemented to some extent in the United States. Let me comment on just a few: Plank One: In Article 1, Section 8, The U.S. Constitution grants Congress authority over Washington, D, C., forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings. However, the federal government outright about 28% of the nation’s land and under Biden, will be grabbing more. Plank 2: The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Forty-one states also have income tax. See SHURTLEFF on 34

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

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.

against my anointed one, Jesus, my Son and your Savior (Psalm 2:1-2). They came to view my leadership over them as chains that needed to be thrown off because it kept them from doing what they wanted to do (:3). They couldn’t see that by doing what I asked you to do, you had a glorious past and the potential for a glorious future. I reminded them that their feeble attempts to overthrow me, their God and Creator, was laughable (:4). Not that I took pleasure in the suffering that would follow, but it is comical that pride would so blind people, that they would think they can overthrow me and my will. I told them that I would respond by rebuking them in my anger and terrifying them in my wrath (:5). I am a loving heavenly Father, and when my children foolishly think that they know more than me and act in ways that endanger their lives, I will exercise disciplinary love to bring them back to their senses and back to behavior that will restore the blessings they once knew. If you could open your eyes and see you would recognize how your nation is experiencing my wrath. Your military prowess is crumbling on the world stage. Other nations are growing stronger while you grow weaker. Your economic prosperity is waning. You are in massive debt and your financial security is an illusion that promises continued prosperity but cannot deliver. Your

populace is being torn apart by leaders who are using racial bigotry for their own desire, to capitalize on the deep division among your people, in order to hold on to power and prestige. The family, which was my building block for the health of every nation, is in shambles. The home, that I instituted, with a loving father and a mother who bow before me and conceive and nurture children in my love, raising them to be strong mature adults is virtually nonexistent. All of these manifestations are the result of rejecting me and my will, but because I am allowing it to happen, it is also a manifestation of my wrath and judgment upon you. I reminded them that ultimately my will, will be done and I will install my king, Jesus, to rule from Zion and my holy hill (:6). Yet from the time of his arrival on earth, to pay your penalty for sin, he has been rejected. Nations, like yours, that once were filled with light and life, because they trusted in him, are now dark with sin and death. You must realize, I will make all the nations His inheritance, and one day everyone will bow before him, not you or any other (:8). At that time, he will dash all other claimants to pieces (:9). I concluded the Psalm, and I leave the same conclusion for you to consider, with these words. “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you be de-

Letters From God

QUESTION: Is History Repeating Itself In Our Country? It is astounding that you continue to follow the foolish path of those who have gone before you and failed miserably as a result. From the time that I created the first man and woman, the desire to rebel against me and to attempt to experience life without me and in opposition to me, has never succeeded. Yes, there are periods where it appears as though you are flourishing but it’s only because you’re living on the fading, residual blessings of the past. Your nation is in a freefall from me, my will and my blessings. Your leaders are guiding you into behavior sanctioned by laws that are reprehensible to me, your Creator. The people follow them and create new ways to defy me and insult me with practices that are godless and evil. I am reminded of Psalm 2 and its relevance for you, that I instructed to be included in my book to you, the Bible. During those days, that this Psalm was written, it seemed that nation after nation and king after king as well as the people that they led, conspired and plotted and took their stand against me and

stroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” My Son’s return will be soon and sudden. Will you bow before Him and me now, before it’s too late or will you meet Him, my King, in your pride and be “destroyed in your way” as a result? I love you and I long for you and your Nation to live. Will you come back to me and my Son, Jesus, your Savior? God These letters are written by a New Hampshire pastor.

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People like large birds. Eagles, hawks, owls, even herons and waterfowl, get birders and non-birders alike excited. Smaller birds? Sure, birders get excited about smaller birds too, but for non-birders, these birds have to bring something appealing to the table. Everyone likes cardinals. They’re bright red. Everyone likes chickadees. They’re cute, tame and active. Non-birders are split on blue jays. Some like them because they are blue (and fairly large) and some dislike them because they heard jays are bully birds and they can’t let it go. In fact, many of these smaller birds go completely unnoticed by non-birders, even when the birds make their presence rather obvious. A flock of white-throated sparrows or dark-eyed juncos can dart in every direction right in front of a non-birder and it will be as if nothing ever happened. A birder, however, will stop dead in his or her tracks, reach for the binoculars and try to find the little birds in the brush just to confirm an ID. Not that I’m being critical of non-birders. It’s just not their thing. My son Andrew loves cars. When we drive

A ruby-crowned kinglet perches in a bush in New England earlier this fall. together he points out all the cars that catch his eye. Look dad, there’s a BMW X2TR5 or an Audi 627X, he’ll say. Those aren’t the real models, of course. I forget the real model names the second he tells me. I’m glad he has a passion and great knowledge of it, but cars aren’t my thing. Just like birds aren’t everybody’s thing. I thought about that during a recent walk. To me, it was a great bird walk. I saw a lot of birds that got my blood pumping and managed to get a few decent photos of some elusive species. The bird list included species such as palm warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, Carolina wren, ruby-crowned kinglet, and the afore-

mentioned whitethroated sparrow and dark-eyed junco. Not bad for November. All of those birds are small and rather nondescript, at least without the aid of binoculars. A non-birder would have been bored silly. I was loving it. The kinglet got me thinking most of all. They are tiny birds, never sit still and hardly utter a peep when they pass through New England in the fall. I can almost guarantee that a non-birder has ever taken even the slightest interest in a kinglet. Yet birders love them. Kinglets are almost as small as hummingbirds, in size anyway, not necessarily in weight. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are about 7 to 9 centime-

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

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Robot Umps? by Mike Moffett Contributing Writer

In Game 4 of the recent ALCS, Boston Red Sox pitcher Nathan Eovaldi twirled a curveball and took three skips toward the home dugout, certain he had thrown a strike that ended the top of the ninth inning with a 2-2 tie maintained. Radar technology would prove him right — the curve nipped the top-right corner of the zone. Umpire Laz Diaz, though, called it a ball. Two pitches later, Jason Castro swatted a run-scoring single. The Astros would score six more runs in the ninth and even the series at two games apiece. They’d go on to win the next two games to advance to the World Series. Adam Gilgore of the Washington Post cited the above Fenway Park scenario in a piece he wrote about the efficacy of replacing human umps with infallible robots. He also cited a similar scenario in the NLCS’s Game 3. Los Angeles Dodgers righthander Walker Buehler rifled an 0-2, 92-mph cut fastball to Atlanta Brave Joc Pederson. The TBS broadcast’s strike zone plot immediately identified a strike, low and inside corner, that would give the Atlanta Braves two outs with a runner on second, a navigable situation for Buehler in a game the Dodgers controlled.

Baltimore manager Earl Weaver argues with umpire. But home plate umpire Jerry Meals called ball one. Two pitches later, Pederson laced a single to right. The first of a four-run barrage scored. The Braves would also advance to the World Series. So what about replacing those fallible human umps? Do we have the technology? Yes we do. I’ve ridden in GPS-monitored golf carts that shut the carts down if they venture an inch into forbidden territory. Strike zones, admittedly, would be a bit more complicated. Six-foot-11 Sean Hjelle of the San Francisco Giants would have a bigger strike zone than Houston’s 5-foot-6 Jose Altuve. So players would need to be measured and strike zones customized. Cross radar technology would need to be developed. We already have TV technology that calls balls and strikes. This could be improved and modified and used to complement or back up new radar procedures that would confirm whether or not a pitched ball touched a

customized strike zone. Think about it. The NFL routinely uses technology to confirm or reverse an official’s onthe-field call. To a lesser extent, so do the NBA and the NHL. Why not have MLB join the 21st Century? To be sure, there would be some bugs to be worked out. An automated umpire situation could be tried out in spring training and then fine-tuned in a triple AAA minor league. Yes, it would change the baseball culture. How does one argue with an automaton? You can’t. But consider that former Baltimore Oriole Manager Earl Weaver was thrown out of 96 baseball games. With robot umps, the Weavers of the world would have to mostly shut their big mouths. Yes, there could be technical glitches or power outages, at which time an infield ump could return to a spot behind the plate for the short term. We have robot drivers, robot cooks, robot teachers and ro-

Sports Quiz What was the name of the robotic computer that took over the spacecraft in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey? (Answer follows) Born Today That is to say, sports standouts born on November 18 include Raider defensive back Jack “The Assassin” Tatum (1948) and Doug Flutie’s brother Darren (1966). Sports Quote “The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to.” – American philosopher Ted Nelson Sports Quiz Answer HAL. (While some say that HAL was “IBM” less one letter in each space, HAL was actually derived from Heuristic Algorithmic. HAL turned on the spacecraft crew in deadly fashion and was thought by many to be a Yankee fan.) State Representative Mike Moffett was a Sports Management Professor for Plymouth State University and NHTIConcord. 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.

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WOLFEBORO - As the proverbial ball dropped on 2020, Wright Museum of WWII staff, volunteers, and board directors shared one goal regarding the upcoming season. “We were determined to make the 2021 exhibition season a successful one,” said Mike Culver, longtime executive director. Their hopes were met with success from opening day on May 1. “May and June attendance were among the best ever, and July set a record with over 5,000 visitors,” he noted. Other highlights include a 20% increase in membership along with a measurable increase in attendance at the museum’s annual Goodgame-Canney Lecture Series compared to 2020. The Wright’s lectures and education program-

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

Exhibits, Educational Programs Highlight 2021 at the Wright Museum

Young visitors having fun at the Wright Museum of WWII this summer.

Wright Museum of WWII visitors touring the Homefront Gallery. ming took place in the new DuQuoin Education Center. “It is a wonderful space dedicated to education and community engagement,”

explained Culver. The museum’s exhibits also drew “raves,” according to Curator Justin Gamache, who said the season covered impor-

tant aspects of American and world history. “We touched on the importance of World War I and explored numerous themes from World War II, includ-

ing the role of women, recruiting posters, and mementoes,” he said. Other highlights included a collaboration between The Wright and Taylor Community, a nonprofit continuing care retirement community, based out of Laconia and Wolfeboro. “Taylor Community created a series of videos where they interviewed residents, some of whom fought in World War II, and their family members,” explained Culver. “Part of our mission is to help tell and preserve people’s stories, so this has been a wonderful partnership. The third video in Faces of Taylor is set to be released sometime in November. Culver said The Wright was also able to raise close to $100,000 as part of the Biber Foundation’s Project25 Challenge Grant. Begun in 2019, Project25 is an on-going multi-phase project that has included the addition of the DuQuoin Education Center and expansion

of the museum’s Art Gallery among other enhancements. “Given the challenges of 2020, we were thrilled at the responses we received from visitors far and wide,” said Culver. “In total, we welcomed more than 18,000 people in 2021 compared to 8,000 last year…It’s a wonderful validation of our mission to provide a vivid perspective on the profound and enduring impact of the World War II experience on American society.” The region’s leading resource for educators and learners of all ages on World War II, The Wright features more than 14,000 items in its collection that are representative of both the homefront and battlefield. To learn more about the museum, visit wrightmuseum.org.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

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Catch and Release Fishing by Tim Moore Contributing Writer

Catch and release can be a controversial topic. Opinions vary about whether or not it is ethical to kill a trophy fish for the purpose of having it mounted. I know anglers who wouldn’t dream of releasing a “fish of a lifetime.” I also have colleagues in the guiding industry who either won’t allow clients to keep trophysized fish (their clients know this ahead of time) or charge a fee for keeping a trophy. Some anglers prefer knowing that their mounted trophy is the real thing, while others are perfectly happy releasing a big fish and having a fiberglass replica made. The choice usually boils down to personal preference or what many anglers were raised to believe. Either way, the choice between replicas and skin mounts is an often-heated debate that has divided many an angler on social media groups and web forums. While there is no right or wrong answer, there is often a good reason to release a trophy fish, without sacrificing the opportunity to mount it. A few years ago I was on a road trip along the west coast. During the trip, I visited Sequoia National Park. The Giant Forest section of the park contains a concentration of giant

The author believes this 16-inch crappie is a primary breeder and let it go once it was revived. sequoia trees, some as ancient as 2,100-years old. Most of the giant sequoias in the world are protected due to their low numbers and old age. During my time in the park, it became apparent to me that the main reason these trees aren’t allowed to be cut is because once they’re gone, they’re gone. Sure, there are many smaller sequoias in the forest, but many of them will not live long enough to become giants. Environmental factors, such as storms and disease, will kill many trees before they have a chance to become giants. The ones that will live long enough to become giants…well, it will take more than a thousand years and none of us will be here to see it happen. It struck me while walking among, and

learning about, the giant sequoias and why it was important to preserve them, that the same can be said for many trophy-sized fish. With most fish, the older they get, the slower they grow. For instance, a 35” lake trout can be over forty years old. Their growth rate starts off reasonably fast, but slows to a crawl after their sixth year, and continues to slow throughout their life. Additionally, if you do a bit of research on fish-size determiners, you will learn that many fish in a given water body will establish an average (and often a maximum) size based on water quality, forage base, competition for food, and genetics. When you add other limiting factors, such as disease, pollution, and fishing pressure, you can knock

many of the fish off the list of trophy-sized hopefuls. A March 2001 study conducted by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries (Google “Lake Trout Plan” to read it for yourself) showed that, due to genetics and fishing pressure, many of the lake trout in Sebago Lake will max out at 21”-24” long, meaning they will die before they get any bigger. This is mostly because there isn’t enough food for these fish, and anglers want to keep the biggest fish, leaving mostly smaller fish. The cycle continues until there aren’t many (or any) big fish left. I’ve seen it time and time again on numerous waters for species, such as black crappie, bluegill, and white perch. Often, the entire gene pool has been altered so that the fish in a particular water body only produce smaller fish. Genetics plays a huge role in the overall size of the fish in a population. Here’s an analogy for the deer hunters out there; Taking all the trophy-sized fish out of a system is the equivalent to taking all the healthy whitetail bucks with good genetics out of an area, leaving only scraggly small bucks and old declining bucks behind. Just like beautiful symmetrical bucks will breed more symmetrical See MOORE on 16

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

This Champlain lake trout was over 40-years old.

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MOORE from 15 bucks, scraggly bucks with deformed racks usually breed more scraggly bucks with deformed racks until all you have left are scraggly bucks. The advantage that whitetails have over fish is that the bucks can wander and fill in the gaps where there are no healthy bucks. This is not the case with most fish due to the isolated nature of most water bodies. With fishing, you’re dealing with more of a closed system with limitations that don’t apply to wildlife. Newer fish that have the potential to grow to trophy size can’t enter the system from another lake. Most trophy-sized fish are usually of prime breeding size/ age. However, just like anything, there are exceptions to every rule. Some trophy fish are near the end of their life, and removing them from the system won’t hurt or change much of anything. In fact, sometimes removing the older declining fish may help the system by preventing them from breeding more unhealthy fish and competing for food. The trouble is, the only way to know if a fish you catch is near the end of its life is to educate yourself (thoroughly)

on how to determine the age of the species in question and make an informed decision as to whether a fish is near the end of its life or in its prime. I’m personally a fan of replica mounts over skin mounts. I’ve seen the best of both, and I prefer the look and longevity of the replica. I also appreciate the fact that the replicated fish still swims and can be caught by another angler, hopefully after it has a chance to get even bigger. I want to emphasize that I respect an angler’s right to keep a trophy fish when the law permits it, but like anything, just because you can doesn’t mean you always should. If you find the right replica artist, you can have a mount that looks exactly like the fish you caught (and released) hanging on your wall for around the same price as a skin mount, and it will look the same 20 years later, unlike many skin mounts I’ve seen. Who is right about whether to keep or release a trophy fish is a personal matter and a decision that is up to the discretion of each individual angler. I’m not one to judge the angler, but I do feel sad and disappointed over the fact that other anglers will never

have the opportunity to catch that fish when I see pictures of dead trophy fish that was killed simply so they could be hung on a wall. Every time I catch that “fish of a lifetime,” I think about why I don’t catch fish like that every time I go. I know that, in addition to various environmental factors, pressure from anglers has also likely affected the amount and quality of trophy-sized fish that can be caught. When deciding what to do with this trophy fish, I remind myself that it took me my lifetime to catch it, and if I kill it, neither I, nor anyone else, can ever catch it again. Tim Moore is a fulltime year-round NH fishing guide and the owner of Tim Moore Outdoors LLC, offering New Hampshire fishing charters on Lake Winnipesaukee, Moore Reservoir, and other locations throughout the state. He is also a member of the New England Outdoor Writers’ Association. Visit www.TimMooreOutdoors.com for more information. Send questions or comments to info@TimMooreOutdoors.com.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

THE SIMPLE FEAST

The Great Pumpkin Shortage of 2021?

by Eric N Gibson Contributing Writer

A pumpkin shortage? Really? Last I saw, the stores in my area had plenty of canned pumpkin puree. It truly must have been a slow news day when this story broke. Several issues came together at just the right (or wrong) moment to affect the pumpkin crop and product availability this year. On-going drought, a fungus, and the ever present labor shortages throughout the supply chain from field harvesting to processing to transporting, all culminated in a ¨perfect storm¨.

From October through Christmas we tend to see a peak in demand for all things pumpkin; pies, cakes, donuts, soups, you name it. And some-

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Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Use a 9 inch deep dish pie plate 4 small to medium sweet potatoes boiled and mashed to a puree consistency ¾ cup Sugar ½ tsp. Salt 1 tsp. Cinnamon ½ tsp. Ginger ¼ tsp. Clove 2 Eggs 1- 12oz can Evaporated Milk ¼ cup Bourbon 1ea. 9 inch ready to bake Pie Shell (raw pastry shell) - In a bowl mix the sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger,

thing I didn’t know until recently; there are only six states that produce the bulk of the US pumpkin supply for most of our consumption of

pumpkin. The two largest producers are California and Illinois which, coincidentally, according to news reports, were the two states hit by on-going drought (CA) and the fungus (Il). Needless to say, any panic buying and hoarding of pumpkin is not needed, suppliers did say they are confident they will meet the demand as other states seem to be able to help fill in the gaps. And no, I did not run out to the local store back in October to buy ten cans of pumpkin puree. Nor did I secret my two cans home under a sack full of groceries and squirrel it away in the safe next to the three family packs of toilet paper and the case of Super Size paper towels still in there from last year´s pandemic. (Always Be Prepared!) But, what if we acSee FEAST on 19

and clove. Add this to the mashed sweet potatoes and blend completely. - In a bowl beat the two eggs and then add these to the sweet potato mixture and continue to blend. - Gradually add in the evaporated milk while continuing to mix. - Add in the bourbon and mix thoroughly. - Line pie dish with the ready to bake pie shell. - Pour mixture into pie shell. - Bake at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes. - Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake for 40 minutes. - Insert thermometer. Internal temperature should be above 165 degrees F., the pie firm, and the thermometer stem comes out clean, the pie is done. - Let cool on a wire rack and then chill for service. - Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

OUT on the TOWN Great Food, Libations & Good Times!

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by JoAnn Derson * Thanksgiving Tip: “Let one person be responsible for putting prep dishes, pots and pans in the dishwasher while another prepares the bird and side dishes for the table. You will be halfway done with dishes by the time the meal is over.” -- M.A. in Washington

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* “Bake stuffing in muffin tins for individual servings. Also, if your family is anything like mine, we love the crispy parts, and everyone will get some this way!” -W.G. in Mississippi * “If you host a large family holiday gathering and serve a lot of side dishes, try this trick to them hot while waiting for other items to finish in the oven. Simply cover the bottom of a clean ice chest with a few trivets or a couple kitchen towels, and set casseroles and ovencooked meats inside. Most people use a cooler to keep things cold, but the insulation works just as well to keep hot things hot ... at least for a little while.” -- M.E. in West Virginia * “An oldie but a goodie, and certainly considerate of dear old Mom: In my family, you come to Thanksgiving dinner with your own plastic containers for leftovers. If you don’t bring your own, you don’t go home with tomorrow’s lunch. Mom instituted this rule after the first Thanksgiving when all the kids had moved out. We practically cleaned her out of Tupperware!” -- E.Y. in New Mexico * Recipe substitution: If you need 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, use 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

OUT on the TOWN Great Food, Libations & Good Times!

FEAST from 17 tually had a shortage of canned pumpkin, what then? What would we do? What would I do? To think of a Thanksgiving meal without Pumpkin Pie. Heaven forbid! The solution is simple… Improvise. Not wanting to go to the local pumpkin patch, buy a pumpkin, seed it, peel it, cut it up, and cook it, I thought about an alternative. As I milled through my cupboards one day I found a few sweet potatoes. I remembered

finding an old recipe box and in it a label from a can of pumpkin puree with a pie recipe printed on it. Using elements of the pie recipe on the label a suitable alternative was taking shape. Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie! A simply delicious solution for this simple feast.

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1253 Upper City Rd, Pittsfield overthemoonfarmstead.com CIDERS: Little Apples - Apple Champagne; BEER: IPA w/Honey: Braggot IPA SESSION MEADS: Double Barrel Heather -aged in Whiskey barrels; Little Inuendo -Peach Raspberry; Razz Raspberry Champagne Mead

At Funspot PATRICK’S PUB 579 Endicott St N., Weirs 18 Weirs Rd., Gilford 603.366.4377 603.293.0841 funspotnh.com Patrickspub.com White Birch - Birch Lager Patrick’s Slainte House Ale Unibroue - Trois Pistoles Great North - Moose Juice Foundation - Galacticon Guinness Lone Pine - Cinnamon Toastie Tuckerman - Pale Ale Tilton Brothers - Song from/Film603 - Winni Amber Ale Sloop - Horseshoes & Hand Woodstock - Moody Brew IPA Grenades ...+9 More On Tap ...+6 More On Tap THE WITCHES

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

VIP UNLIMITED WASH CLUB!

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Franklin Opera House To Host 8th Annual Festival Of Trees

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7 Pine Street, Wolfeboro, NH ExecutiveDetailNH.com • 603-941-0123 ‘Tis the Season again when businesses, community groups and families in and around Franklin show their appreciation and support for the arts by donating fully decorated trees, wreaths, gift baskets, and much more. Each year, Immediately following the tree lighting ceremony in Marceau Park, Franklin Opera House opens its doors

to showcase these beautiful symbols of the holiday season. This joyous familyfriendly event will run the first two weekends in December. Admission for the event is FREE at the times below, and raffle tickets are sold at the door to win a tree or wreath and everything on or under it. 25 raffle tickets for $5.00.

Saturday, December 4, 2021 10 am-5 pm Sunday, December 5, 2021 10 am-12 pm Saturday, December 11, 2021 10 am-5 pm Sunday, December 12, 2021 10 am-3 pm Raffle winners will be drawn at 3:00pm on Sunday December 12 2021. *You do not need to be present to win, but you must provide a

valid phone number that will be answered between 3:00 and 3:30 pm on December 12. *Winners must pick up their winnings by 5:00 pm on Sunday December 12, 2021. Raffle tickets will also be sold at all performances of Footlight Theatre’s production of “Elf - the Musical.” Visit the Opera House website for more

First United Methodist Church Of Gilford Christmas Fair

Christmas Fair Nov. 20th After missing last year, the First United Methodist Church of Gilford will be holding their Christmas Fair on Saturday, November 20 from 9:00 AM. to 2:00 PM. Stock up on baked

goods and candy to freeze for Thanksgiving dinner as well as hostess gifts and décor. Also available will be new and “gently used” books, jewelry, Christmas items as well as gift baskets ready for giving. Masks will be required for who enter

the building. Stop by and visit the vendors’ tables for merchandise from a good v ariety of vendors including Shepherd’s Hut Market, Sawyer Farm Solid Shampoo, Lazy Brook Designs, Hampshire Toffee, Wendy Lindsey, Joan Ed-

wards, Arthur Sweatt, and Therese Tanner. The church is located at 18 Wesley Way, Gilford – just 2 miles from downtown Laconia, off of Gilford Ave (Rt. 11A) near the 3/11 bypass.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

Lights of Love to Shine At Cornerstone VNA - Cornerstone VNA, a local nonprofit provider of highquality, skilled care at home, is pleased to announce that the 35th annual Lights of Love event will be held on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, at 4:30pm in a virtual format. For over three decades, Lights of Love has thrived as an important community event due to the work and vision of Jane Cooper Fall. Jane Cooper Fall was the driving force behind Lights of Love, as a way for community members to pay tribute to those who had touched their lives in a positive manner. Although Jane passed away in October 2018, her legacy is continued with pride and honor by the Cornerstone VNA team alongside volunteers from the former Frisbie Hospital Auxiliary Board. According to Cornerstone VNA President/CEO Julie Reynolds, RN, MS, “We are honored to run the event in accordance with Jane’s wishes for many years to come, thus providing a legacy to Jane’s goodwill.” Community members are welcome to participate in this annual holiday tradition to honor, remember and celebrate those who have had a special impact on their lives. With each $5 donation, a tribute name will be added

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to a holiday light at Cornerstone VNA and will be a part of a virtual celebration. The virtual Lights of Love event will be available for viewing at cornerstonevna.org/ lightsoflove starting at 4:30pm on December 1st and can be viewed and shared throughout the holiday season. Hundreds of lights will shine on each tribute name, and community members are welcome to visit the Lights of Love display at 178 Farmington Road in Rochester, NH, starting on December 2nd. Visit cornerstonevna.org/ lightsoflove for more information on reserving lights and to sign up to receive special

event notifications. Please submit your Lights of Love order by November 15. If your order is received after the 15th, your tributes’ names will be added after the event has started. Cornerstone VNA currently serves Rockingham, Strafford, Belknap and Carroll Counties in New Hampshire and York County in Maine. The team at Cornerstone VNA provides award-winning care and support through five distinct programs: Home Care, Hospice Care, Palliative Care, Life Care-Private Duty and Community Care. For 108 years, Cornerstone VNA has been committed to bringing services to people of

all ages so that families can stay together at home, even when facing the challenges of aging, surgical recovery, chronic or lifethreatening illnesses or end-of-life care. To learn more about Cornerstone VNA, visit www.cornerstonevna. org or call 800-6911133.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

Gift Certificates Make Great Gifts!

Auto & Marine

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Support Small Businesses This Holiday Season (BPT) - While big businesses receive attention during the holidays for offers of free shipping, buy one get one free and other promotions, it’s small businesses who are truly the heartbeat of local communities and help bring magical experiences to this time of year. From holiday lights in the center of town, to decorations and pictures with winter characters, receiv- while shopping at a ing a warm smile and small business brings possibly a tasty delight holiday joy to all. from a local pastry chef The 32 million small businesses in the U.S. employ nearly 61 million workers, or about 47% of the labor force, according to the U.S Small Business Association. But small businesses are also the most vulnerable, as sudden changes in fortune - like a recession, natural disasters or an unprecedented pandemic - can shutter many of them for good.

For boutique retailers and other small businesses who vie for consumer mindset, the holiday season can make or break them. While mass market stores and big brand online merchants continue to grab market share, smaller brickand-mortar or local ecommerce shops often offer the most customized and unique holiday gifts. And it’s up to their neighbors, in countless communities from coast to coast,

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to show appreciation by opening their wallets and providing local small businesses a much-needed fiscal boost before the end of the year. With many restaurants, shops and other entrepreneurial entities still recovering from the effects of a difficult 2020 holiday season hit hard by the pandemic, small businesses need assistance this year more than ever and they may find it from unexpected places - in some cases, from big businesses. For example, Wells Fargo has supported its small business customers and extended philanthropic support to the broader community throughout the pandemic. Efforts have included working together with more than 3 million small businesses across the country to help them get back to thriving, and the creation of its Open for Business Fund, a roughly $420 million recovery effort See LOCAL on 28

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

Rochester Festival Of Trees

The Loon Center

& Markus Wildlife Sanctuary The Loon’s Feather Gift Shop Selling “all things loon” & more!

• Free Admission • Award-winning videos, exhibits & trails! Lee’s Mill Rd, Moultonborough, NH

603-476-LOON (5666) • www.Loon.org

The annual Rochester Festival of Trees will be held on 12/3/21, 6:308:30pm and 12/4/21, 4-8pm in the greenhouse at Studley’s Flower Gardens, 82 Wakefield Street. Enjoy caroling, refreshments, and a visit from Santa while strolling through dozens of wonderfully decorated trees, generously donated by area businesses and organizations. They are fully decorated and are often stuffed with gift certificates and other fun

ANNUAL

Jingle Bell Fair Weirs Beach Methodist Church masks required

35 Tower St.

Sat. Nov. 23 • 9-2 rd

Crafts Bake Sale Greens Cookie Walk Luncheon Silent Auction

prizes! Admission is just $5 and includes 5 raffle tickets! Children enter free. Main Street is still looking for businesses and organizations to decorate trees. A signup form is available at www.rochestermainstreet.org/events. Elf Off the Shelf is also returning on 12/18/21, 11am-3pm.

There are 12 elves hiding around downtown… Look high and low to find them all! Each elf will give you a ticket and a treat. Once you receive all your tickets, visit Collec-tiques on North Main Street to enter them into the raffle. The more tickets you have, the better your chances become to win the Grand Prize!

The Conley Tree Farm 75 Acre Choose & Cut Cut your own tree.. It’s a great family experience! OPENING FOR THE SEASON SAT. NOV. 20TH

OPEN WED. - SUN.

9AM - Sunset

(Closed Mon. & Tues. )

527 Meaderboro Road, Farmington, NH

603-833-6589 • www.conleyfarm.com

Rochester Main Street is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and sponsored by the Economic Development Department for the City of Rochester. Visit www. RochesterMainStreet. org to learn more.

Made on EARTH SPIRITUAL BOUTIQUE

Books for the Soul Jewelry for the Heart Gifts for the Spirit Clothing for the Body In-House Seamstress

603-569-9100 33 N. Main Street Wolfeboro, NH

SEE WEBSITE FOR HOURS

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

LRSO Holiday Pops Concerts Feature Vocalist Michael Gallagan YOUR HOME FOR HOME & GARDEN Extensive Selection of Made in America Flags!

68 Center Street, Wolfeboro, NH

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The Holidays are upon us, and that means glorious symphonic Holiday POPS music is just around the corner. Join the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra for three joyous Holiday Concerts on Friday December 10th at 7pm at the Colonial Theatre in Laconia, Saturday December 11th at 7pm and Sunday December 12th at 3pm at the InterLakes Community Auditorium in Meredith. Tickets are almost sold out for the Colonial Theatre performance, and are going fast at Inter-Lakes. Tickets with reserved seating are available online at www.LRSO. org for all performances. Perennial fan favorite, crooner Michael Gallagan, returns once again as our special guest. Fans will remember Michael from his previous holiday performances, and for his knock-out solo performance in our Sinatra tribute. Michael revels in the stylings of Michael Bublé, Andy Williams,

Seth MacFarlane, and h a v e b e e n s o l d - o u t D o n n y H a t h a w a y , events so patrons are singing a variety of encouraged to purtheir holiday hits in- chase tickets early. cluding “Santa Claus We are hot on the heels is Coming to Town”, “Man With a Bag”, “This Christmas”, brand new custom arrangements of “Happy Holiday”, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, and more. Lush orchestral favorites include traditional Carols, a Canadian Brass Christmas, Carol of the Bells, and “A Mad Russian’s Christ- Michael Gallagan mas” by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. You better of our tremendous Nonot pout - we also have vember concert season gifts of a sing-along opener at Plymouth and “Sleigh Ride” for State University and you. we can’t wait to delight Grab your scarf and you with our holiday don your festive red performances, espeand green, and treat cially with our new y o u r s e l f a n d y o u r venue partner the Cofriends to a fun-filled lonial Theatre in Lalive performance of be- conia. loved seasonal songs. Tickets are $20 - 30 The holiday concerts for adults and $10 $15 for students college-age and under (please no children under age 5). Tickets are available online at www.LRSO.org or by phone using the numbers listed with each concert on the LRSO web site. Any unsold tickets will be avail& Fresh Seafood able at the door start67 Mill Street, Wolfeboro ing one hour before 603-569-0022 each concert.

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The LRSO celebrates the support of its concert sponsors Bellwether Credit Union, Fay’s Boat Yard, and Cupples Car C o m p a n y . Their generous community support is a big part of what makes the LRSO, your community orchestra, possible. LRSO performs with a home-town flair that is comfortable, familiar, and uplifting. We invite you to give us a try. Live orchestral music is an amazing experience! About The Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra

The Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra is a Meredith-based, non-profit orchestra that performs throughout the fall, winter, and spring months. Orchestra members range in age from teens through retired seniors, representing a multitude of communities in the Lakes Region and beyond. For over 45 years the Orchestra has been focused on showcasing young talent and providing a venue for local musicians to perform orchestral music ranging from classics to contemporary, all in the valued community setting of the Lakes Region.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

Ease The Pain Of Holiday Shipping

(StatePoint) Holiday plans may look different again this year. Some families will choose to host small gatherings, while others may celebrate from the comfort of home instead of traveling. If you won’t be spending the holidays with loved ones—and if this season is anything like 2020—you’ll likely be shipping gifts. Here’s how to ensure a timely, damage-free arrival. Be Aware of Shipping Deadlines Each year, the United States Postal Service and other major shipping companies release deadlines to help people plan timely delivery of packages during their busiest season of the year. Whether you’ll manually ship gifts or order them online, prioritizing these deadlines is key. Give yourself ample time. Aim to have packages shipped about 10-12 days before the holiday. The USPS recommends no later than December 15, 2021 for ground shipping. Invest In A Quality Box While it may be tempt-

ing to use any old box you have hanging out in the garage, worndown boxes are much more likely to crumple in-transit. Additionally, if the package is too big for its contents, you risk things rolling or shaking; if it’s too small, you risk tearing and breaking. With this in mind, consider investing in new, quality boxes, like Duck Brand Kraft Box. They are cost-effective, made from recycled, durable materials, and are available in a variety of sizes, all of which meet postal regulations, so you can pick the best fit that protects from damage, while keeping shipping costs down. Pick Proper Packing Tape If you’re going to invest in shipping supplies, don’t forget to include a strong, easy-to-use packing tape. Lowerquality options may lead to splitting or tearing, which is a recipe for disaster when shipping holiday presents (or even for storing décor until next year). Duck Max Strength Packing Tape offers premium See EASE on 29

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

LOCAL from 24 offering capital, technical assistance and long-term programs for small businesses. In preparation for the holidays, Wells Fargo’s Hope, USA program will build on the bank’s foundation of support by helping to beautify business districts in more than a dozen cities nationwide and encouraging everyone to join in giving hope a hand this holiday season by supporting small businesses and shopping locally. Here are five ways you too can help to support small businesses this holiday season.

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Small Business Saturday In Center Harbor

The Center Harbor Community Development Association announces that it is participating in Small Business Saturday, an event pioneered by American Express to support and celebrate small businesses and their contributions to their communities. Small Business Saturday, also known as Shop Small, is celebrated each year on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, this year November 27. So, on Saturday the 27th virtually every restaurant and retail business in Center Harbor will be offering special discounts and promotions thought the day. Center Harbor is a small community with unique retail businesses offering all kinds of goods and gifts, much of it locally sourced and produced here in New Hampshire, plus our restaurants offer everything from casual to fine dining. Shopping and dining locally means creating jobs for ourselves and our neighbors and keeping the local community economic climate healthy. The Center Harbor Community Developments Association works to promote, encourage, and facilitate the develop of business and commercial growth to expand the local economy and diversity of the community. In support of Small Business Saturday, the Town of Center Harbor and the CHCDA will sponsor the Annual the Annual Center Harbor Tree Lighting Ceremony on Saturday at the 27th at 5:30 PM. This family friendly event will take place at the Center Harbor Bandstand overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee and will feature free hot chocolate and cookies as well as caroling and music by the Center Harbor Band. The entire village will kick off the Christmas season with coordinated light displays on nearly every building.

1) Do your gift shopping locally. While it can sometimes be more efficient to holiday shop at one-stop mass online retailers, it’s more fun to window-shop for - and purchase unusual gifts from local boutiques, pop-up stores or marketplaces. And if you prefer to shop online, there are many mom-and-pop etailers who sell a variety of specialty and craft products. Not only can an out-of-the-ordinary gift delight a friend or

family member on your shopping list, so, too, can the story you’ll be able to share about where and from whom you purchased it. 2) Leave lots of “likes.” If you enjoyed your small business experience, take five minutes to write and post a review online, via Yelp, Google or other crowd-sourced business review sites and social media platforms. With limited marketing budgets, positive

word-of-mouth may be the best way to help increase awareness of and spark sales at your favorite stores. 3) Grab holiday grub. While chain grocery stores are a great one-stop shopping option, they can’t compete with local farms, markets, produce stands, microbreweries and bakeries for locally grown or produced treats. Whether it’s locally ground cornmeal, grape-to-glass merlot from a nearby vineyard and winery, or mouthwatering schinkenbrot rolls from a German bakery, foods seem a bit tastier and drinks a bit sweeter when produced just down the road. 4) Shop kindly. If you are a fan of a local merchant’s goods, buy a few more items than usual. You or a gift recipient will love the special indulgence, and the merchant will appreciate the additional, well-deserved business boost. 5) Purchase now for later. Supporting small businesses by purchasing a gift card is a great way to contribute to their immediate cash flow during this busy season. The gift of a gift card can also help small businesses win new customers down the road. Help make the holiday season merrier than ever for small local businesses. Your efforts may help them survive and thrive into 2022 ... and beyond.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

EASE from 27 quality and tough adhesion, to keep boxes and packages secure during shipping. Stronger and more durable than ordinary tapes, this packing tape is designed to seal even the heaviest boxes safely and securely to help prevent items inside from being damaged during delivery. Add an Extra Layer of Protection Handle fragile packages with extra care by including the all-important layer of bubble cushioning. BUBBLE WRAP brand cushioning easily conforms around treasured objects and helps prevent shifts and

damage during shipping. The product’s Air Lock Technology maintains consistent, lightas-air cushioning while filling empty voids in boxes, so items stay put. For best protection, make sure the bubbles are facing your gift to cushion impact. Personalize the Package If you prefer a greener option, Flourish Brand Kraft Paper is protective, versatile and sustainable. Made from 100% recycled material, the shipping paper can be easily added to standard curbside recycling bins. Plus, it makes it easy

to wrap up and ship out large boxes, and can be used to fill packaging voids, so items stay in place. Or, as a fun indoor activity throughout winter, kids may enjoy using Kraft Paper to create customized, DIY wrapping paper. Other special touches to your long-distance holiday delivery could be including a thoughtful note or adding a drop of essential oil to the ribbon. The holidays can be stressful. When you plan ahead and have the proper supplies onhand, you’ll be able to quickly cross “ship holiday gifts” off your to-do list and enjoy the magic of the season.

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Merry Christmas To All from The Largest Arcade in the World!

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Rt 3, 579 Endico St. North, Weirs Beach, NH • 603-366-4377 • www.FunspotNH.com

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

SMITH from 3 editor from the Manchester Union, and Mr. and Mrs. Stacey Cole representing the Keene radio station where Mr. Cole was the farm program director. He also had a poultry farm in Swanzey. My Dad wrote that joining Gov. Dewey at the head table were Senator George D. Aiken of Vermont, who said grace for the meal served by the Grange, and Representative Clifford Hope of Kansas. They were the chairmen of the Agriculture Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives. The deputy commissioner of agriculture. Earl Foster, and Hobert Creighton, president of the Poultry and Egg National Board, were also at the head table. Many of the agriculture editors attending

the conference stayed at hotels in New York City and traveled as a group on Greyhound buses to the Grange Hall at Pawling and to the Governor’s farm. I’m sure that there was much excitement while the guests waited to meet the person who was expected to be the next President of the United States. Raymond and Dorothea Smith were greeted with the words “From Laconia? Why, you are just a neighbor, dropping in for a visit.” Gov. Dewey went on to say that he was almost a New Englander himself because his home is only two miles from the Connecticut border. My Dad was interested enough in learning about his fellow reporters to include information about them in his article. Just ahead of my parents in line to meet Thomas

Residence of New York Governor in 1948, Thomas E. Dewey. E. Dewey was a radio man from Walla Walla, Washington named Bob Hofer who wanted to talk about irrigation projects. Having visited Walla Walla in

“I have respect for him, Ronnie is one of the best Blues Guitarist you can find today, he makes me proud.” —B.B. King

more recent years I can understand his interest in irrigation as that method of watering crops is necessary in that area of Washington State, including the Walla Walla onions you may have bought. I found a New Hampshire connection when I visited the museum in the southeastern Washington town and found a Concord, N.H. made stagecoach on display. At the dinner at the

Grange hall in Pawling, New York, one of the men that was at the table with Raymond and Dorothea was overheard saying that he planned to live in New Hampshire when he retired. He was a young man named Tom Page and was the WNBC farm director in New York. My Dad found out that he lived in Connecticut and traveled 100 miles to host his 6 a.m. radio show in

New York. He asked about a New Hampshire acquaintance of his, a poultryman from East Kingston, Andy Christie. The conference involved discussions about farming from all sections of the country and it seemed as if Mr. Dewey was well informed about the problems facing small farmers. He gave an explanation of the pen stable and trench See SMITH on 31

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

Cartoon depicting polls in 1948 presidential election. SMITH from 30 silo innovations that had been added to his farm, and declared that the farm was his home, his only home. I’ll conclude this article by passing on the conclusion of my Dad’s back in 1948: “For both Mrs. Smith and the writer this was our first trip to New York City, where we stayed at the hotel Bristol on Friday and Saturday nights, Mrs. Smith was undecided whether to remain in New York Saturday and see the sights or go to Pawling, and chose the latter at the last moment. The better farmer of the family, she thoroughly enjoyed the discussion at the Grange hall and the visit to Gov. Dewey’s farm. We arrived back in New York shortly after eight o’clock Saturday evening and after supper we decided it was too late to go to a show, and walked around the town until a late hour for country people. We continued our tour early Sunday morning and crowded quite a lot of sightseeing into the few hours before our train left for Boston. We were agreeably surprised to

find how easy it was to find places in New York and only ill effects from the trip were stiff necks from gazing at the skyscrapers.” Though the agricultural event took place in the midst of a Presidential campaign, and my Dad was a Democrat, as was the pub-

Newspaper held by Pres. Truman which wrongly declared Dewey elected President. lisher of the Citizen, there was not even a hint of political bias in the newspaper article. A framed photograph of my Dad shaking hands with Governor Dewey was hung on

the wall of the living room of his home for a little while until it was reassigned to a less conspicuous place in the back hallway.

Robert Hanaford Smith welcomes your comments at danahillsmiths@yahoo.com

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

—OBITUARY— MARIE-LOUISE ROSANELLI “RED” METZGER, 87 METZGER, Marie-Louise Rosanelli “Red”, 87, of Richmond, Va., died on November 12, 2021. Red was born September 7, 1934, in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Dr. Peter Rosanelli and Madeline Chiarello Rosanelli. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother Peter Jr.; and her beloved husband, Joseph H. Metzger Jr. She is survived by her four children, Fr. Joseph H. Metzger III, Alison Marie LaMura (Ray), Donna Marie Lantagne (Tony) and Stephen Charles Metzger; eight grandchildren (to whom she was known as “Mia”), Joseph and Emma Lantagne, Ryan and Madeline LaMura, Chad, Ben, Chris and Grace Metzger; and her siblings, Richard Rosanelli (Dana) and Madeline “Cookie” Davenport; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Red was a 1952 graduate of St. Catherine’s School and a 1956 graduate of Mary Washington College, and after graduation taught English at Tuckahoe Elementary, Tuckahoe Middle School and Culpeper High School. When the family returned to Richmond in 1980, Red became a tour guide for those relocating to the city, eventually getting her real estate license and worked as a realtor for many years. Red was a maven of travel, especially to Europe (Rome being her favorite), New York City and Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H., her summer residence. The lake was her “happy place” and she loved nothing more than to be surrounded every summer by her children and grandchildren, whom she adored. The grandchildren spent time at Lake Winnipesaukee every summer, learning to boat, waterski and make sandcastles which Mia would judge the winner. Curiously, it was always a tie. Over the years, Red provided priceless experiences for her children and grandchildren – trips to Paris and Rome were exceptionally memorable, full of fun, love and family togetherness. Family was of the utmost importance to Red and gatherings at her home for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter were crowded and joyous, just as she wished. While her presence will be sorely missed in the future, the memories of the past will remain and bring a smile to all of her family. While her absence here will be strongly felt, it will be tempered with the belief that she is now reunited with the love of her life, Joseph H. Metzger Jr., now and forever more. The family received friends from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 17, at Bliley’sCentral, 3801 Augusta Ave. A Funeral Mass was celebrated at 11 a.m. on Thursday, November 18 at St. Bridget Catholic Church, with interment following at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. For those unable to attend the Funeral Mass, a livestream will be available at Blileys.com. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Loon Preservation Committee, 183 Lees Mill Rd. Moultonborough, NH 03254. She who pleased God was loved.

Cris Dow and his family enjoying WSA’s Haunted Fun Ride in October. TRAILS from 1 nerships, Ingram said WSA will announce other developments, some of which he said will put Wolfeboro on the proverbial map as a destination for mountain biking. “This is an exciting time for us as we begin

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to raise our profile a bit in the community,” he said. “We are very excited.” Regarding the desire to support and work with WSA, Cris Dow, founding member of the board of directors, cited childhood memories growing up

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in Wolfeboro as his inspiration. “As a kid, there weren’t a lot of trails to ride around Wolfeboro,” he said. “My mom would drive me and my friends up to Bretton Woods or Sunday River a few times each summer, so we could ride ‘real’ mountain bike trails.” Dow said trails in Stowe, VT and Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom are examples of how they imagine Wolfeboro’s trail network. He expressed enthusiasm that their vision is already partly realized. “I am super excited that my daughter, who is now three, is old enough to get out on these trails and do something fun with her brother and parents,” he said. “These are trails are accessible for younger kids and for anyone regardless of ability.” According to Ingram, the trails address more than recreational and conservation needs. He cited them as “an economic driver.” See TRAILS on 33

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

Fat biking in the winter in Wolfeboro.

won’t see a ton of people. You can have an incredible riding experience in nature.” In helping to reimagine Wolfeboro as a trail riding mecca, Dow said they continue to pattern their activities after successful models elsewhere. The key, he said, is to “tackle projects” in an organized fashion. “This concept of trail building and community development that we are putting forth has worked in Stowe, Vermont and Park City, Utah along with many other areas,” he said. “In the long run, we are looking to build

out a widely connected trail system that links to other trail systems.” In looking to the future, Ingram said one of WSA’s objectives is to increase community engagement and support. “Trail maintenance is expensive,” he said. “Our trails are free, so community engagement and support is really important to

our sustainability as a nonprofit and our ability to meet our mission.” If there is a takeaway, Ingram said he wants the community to know WSA trails are for everyone. “Cris and I love mountain biking, so that’s our personal passion, but these trails may also be used for walkers, bird-

watchers, runners, and snowshoers, too,” he said. “Our trails are designed for mountain biking, but for the most part are open for use and enjoyment by people with differing skills and varied interests… Everyone is welcome.” To learn more about WSA, visit wolfeborosingletrack.org.

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Roman Artifacts in America Monday, November 29, 2021 7:00 pm at the Belknap Mill “Romerica” - Scores of Roman-era coins and artifacts have been found in New England and the Ohio River Valley. They just didn’t just swim across on their own. Most of these seem to date back to the 2nd century AD, potentially tying them to the Jewish Bar Kokhba uprising in Jerusalem against the Romans in 130 AD. At around the same time, the Roman Ninth Legion disappeared from history. Did the members of the Roman Ninth Legion, perhaps accompanied by survivors of the Bar Kokhba uprising journey to America in the 2nd century? If so, did they bring with them the lost Temple Treasures?

Crews work to build and maintain the trails in Wolfeboro. TRAILS from 32 “People coming up from Manchester, Concord, Portsmouth, or Boston do not need to drive all the way to North Conway to have a pleasurable mountain biking experience,” he explained. Noting Wolfeboro has always been a desirable summer vacation spot, Dow said WSA is committed to developing Wolfeboro into a winter vacation destination with fat

bike riding in the winter one of their other focus areas. “We use a Snowdog to maintain our trails for winter use,” he explained. “There are no places nearby that offer this.” To create the trails, Ingram said they are built by machines with minimal impact to surrounding nature. “Conservation is a big focus here,” he said. “WSA trails are all in the woods. You

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Free Admission, First Come, First Seated No tickets required ABOUT DAVID BRODY.. David S. Brody is an 8-time Amazon bestselling fiction writer and author of 16 novels. A long-time resident of Westford, MA and native of Laconia, NH, he currently resides in Newburyport, MA with his wife, sculptor Kimberly Scott.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

SHURTLEFF from 8 Plank 3: Inheritance tax passed around the same time the 16th Amendment was ratified Plank 5: The Federal Reserve Bank, also created in 1913. This unconstitutional act gave the federal government the power to create money out of thin air which has led to inflation. Plank 9: In 1992, President George Bush signed on to Agenda 21 and since then, U.S. governments at all levels are implementing it. Agenda 21 is the Green New Deal. Plank 10: At first view, some may think that Marx was at least right on this one, but Marx did not write this “for the children.” Marx wanted the state to have complete control over education. Marx also showed his economic illiteracy when he used the term “free education.” There is

no such thing. Indeed, government-controlled education is expensive, and over the past 20 years, dangerous to the minds of America’s youth. The Framers of the U.S. Constitution gave us a republic with a limited federal government but the American people in general have allowed governments at all levels to grab more power over our lives. Thankfully, in the wake of government overreach and the unconstitutional power grabs that its operatives are engaging, more Americans are waking up. Recommended reading: “The Communist Manifesto,” “Marx and Satan” by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand and “The U.S. Constitution.” Readers who would like a pocket copy of the U.S. Constitution can E-mail me at campconstitution1@gmail.com

MAILBOAT from 2 of Education (DOE) and its satellite in Concord mandates. Oh how we need a “revival in courage,” for parents to stand up for Americas moral foundation the Ten Commandments to stand behind their School Board to defy the DHHS in regard to mask mandates and the Department of Educations promotion of Critical Race Theory and Critical Social Justice. In so doing we will be protecting the minds of our children from alien philosophies that they will govern our nation tomorrow just like Abraham Lincoln predicted: “The philosophy taught in school room of one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.” Save our nation, protect your children! Russ Payne Merrimack, NH.

LAWTON from 1 do “something fun.” In 1952, Bob borrowed $750 from his grandmother and with the help of his brother John, opened the Weirs Sports Center on Lakeside Avenue, an indoor mini-golf above Tarlson’s Arcade. The Weirs Sports Center was a summer success and in 1964, Bob and John purchased twenty-one acres on Rte. 3 in the Weirs and expanded their operation and named it Funspot, which they built up over the years and is today, in its seventieth year, the largest arcade in the world at 70,000 squarefeet. Working at Funspot was Bob’s love and passion for the rest of his life and he could usually be found somewhere in the building or at the Funspot maintenance shop working on a new project, fixing up an old one, plowing the parking lot in the winter, cutting

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the lawns in the summer or, what he considered the “greatest part of his life,” meeting and greeting customers, many who visited Funspot themselves as children and were now bringing in their own children and grandchildren. In his later years, Bob would meet and greet customers, old and new, on Saturday afternoons at Funspot’s D.A. Long Tavern. Bob’s pockets were always full of Funspot Gift Cards that he joyfully gave to the kids. Unfortunately, it was because of the Covid shutdown in 2020 that saw Bob, for the first time in sixty-eight years, not at Funspot on a daily basis. Bob also had a passion for politics and in the 1960s was elected to the NH House of Representatives and served several terms along with his mother, Doris and later his son David in the 1990s. “Live Free Or Die,” long the state motto of New Hampshire, appears on license plates today as the result of the first bill introduced by Bob in 1969 in the legislature. With an insatiable love of New Hampshire history, Bob and his son Tim, began the Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society in 1985 with artifacts they both had discovered while diving in the big lake. In the early 2000s the Historical Society purchased the Bridges Motel property on Rte. 3 in the Weirs opened its museum, which still flourishes today. In 1992, Bob began The Weirs Times weekly newspaper which was fashioned after the original Weirs Times, which was published in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Bob always felt he had the newspaper business in

his blood as his grandfather, D.A. Long, was the publisher of The Lowell Telegram for years. The focus of the Weirs Times was, and still is, about New Hampshire history, people and politics. Bob could be found, by himself, every Sunday for eight hours or more, in the offices of The Weirs Times cutting and pasting up each page for the next week’s issue, a tedious task he did every week until 2001 when computer programs made the task easier, Bob continued to proofread the paper every week right until the last few months of his life. Bob’s life was a life well lived, doing the things that gave him the most happiness as well as happiness to countless others. It was also a life of success through hard work, determination and always moving forward. He lived the American Dream, the country he loved so dearly. Bob was predeceased by his brother and business partner, John Lawton, who passed away in 2003. Bob is survived by his daughters, Donna Carlucci and husband Ken; daughter; Sandra and husband Brad Franklin; son Timothy and son David and his wife Eva Ashton. Also by grandchildren Starr Lawton, Matt Bernard, Alison Bernard, and Nick Bertholet, as well as greatgrandchildren. A celebration of Bob’s life will be held at the D.A. Long Tavern at Funspot on Wednesday, November 17th from 10am to 2pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to FUNDs4Paws at P.O.Box 4441, Weirs. NH. 03247. The Weirs Times will be publishing a special tribute to Bob Lawton in December.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 — SHAPIRO from 6

STOSSEL from 7

cy itself, since it would allow the centralized will of some to undermine the innovative efforts of all. Economic mobility must remain predicated on skill, or the skillsocracy is undermined. This also does not mean that the skillsocracy actually acts as a measure of moral good. Intelligence is largely inborn, and thus not a moral attribute per se; propensity for hard work may be partially genetic but can be cultivated. But in a moral society, we find noneconomic ways of treasuring virtue. We cultivate friendships; we provide honor and respect; we build communities on virtue and exclude those people who do not abide by such moral standards. This means that a skillsocracy ought not be at odds with a virtuous society. Far from it. The so-called “meritocracy” need not devolve into a moral measure of intelligence and hard work; indeed, in a healthy society, it must not. But by the same token, we must never destroy the skillsocracy as a supposedly expedient way to revive moral living. That effort would be both unsuccessful and wildly counterproductive.

children who you are failing.” “We are not a unionized monopoly!” she snapped. “Folks who want to say this ... don’t really care about kids.” But I do care about kids. Of course, government-run schools are a monopoly. Don’t like your school? Tough. School is terrible? Tough. Your taxes fund that school regardless of whether it’s good or bad. Suppose we bought groceries that way: no more supermarkets offering choices. We vote on whether we want meat or fish. Whichever wins -- that’s what everyone eats. When I interviewed Weingarten, I pointed out that civil service and union rules meant it could take 10 years to fire a bad teacher. “We’ll police our own profession,” she said. “I’d like to police my job, too,” I responded. “But that’s not how it works in life!” Apparently, I was wrong. When it comes to public education, it’s still how things work. After “Stupid in America” aired, and millions watched, Weingarten held a protest outside my office. Hundreds of teachers carried signs,and shouted, “We are here to demand an apology from ‘20/20’s’ John Stossel!” I surprised them by coming out of the ABC building to let them yell at me personally. Teachers told me I’d insulted them. Some said (probably correctly) that I had no clue how hard their jobs were. So, Weingarten came up with a plan to educate me. “Teach for a week!” she shouted at

Ben Shapiro, 37, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and editor-inchief of DailyWire.com. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers “How To Destroy America In Three Easy Steps,” “The Right Side Of History,” and “Bullies.” To find out more about Ben Shapiro and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

me, through the loudspeaker. “We’ve got high schools; we’ve got elementary schools.” The teachers liked that idea. They started chanting, “Teach, John, teach!” I think I surprised them again by saying, “OK!” I would have taught in any classroom they picked. I wanted to videotape it. But then they showed their bureaucratic nature. After repeatedly rescheduled meetings, they decided that I would not be allowed to teach. Children are too important to be entrusted to unions or government monopolies. Competition, parental choice, would bring innovation that will make schools much better. After Glenn Youngkin won the race for governor, he said, “We’re going to introduce choice within our public school system.” If he does it, it’s about time. John Stossel is author of “Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media.” For other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www. creators.com.

METZLER from 7 by pushing migrants across the border into Poland which has reached “has reached a new alarming dimension. Groups of migrants are escorted by armed Belarusian security forces towards the borders of EU member states with the aim to force illegal entries.” The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell Fontelles in Brussels stated unequivocally, “We stand in full solidarity with the Member States affected by this hybrid attack and will continue assisting those most directly impacted.” In other words Poland and Lithuania. Following an urgent closed door discussions in the United Nations Security Council, a special statement on the border crisis by Estonia, France, Ireland, Norway, the United States and the United Kingdom underscored, “We condemn the orchestrated instrumentalization of human beings whose lives and wellbeing have been put in dan-

ger for political purposes by Belarus, with the objective of destabilizing neighboring countries and the European Union’s external border and diverting attention away from its own increasing human rights violations.” The EU threatens more economic sanctions on Minsk. The dictator Lukashenko, Putin’s proxy from central casting, huffs, bluffs, and pushes hapless people towards Poland’s sovereign frontiers. Tragically, a number of these migrants have died during the brutally cold nights being marooned in this no man’s land on the doorstep of Europe. Poland has every right to protect its international borders and state sovereignty. So does Baltic Lithuania. This does not say that the poor people caught in this limbo of no man’s land are the culprits. Hardly. But they are the unwitting pawns manipulated and guided by professional traffickers and truly evil people

brokers who send the hapless victims into uncharted territory. Armed Troops, high emotions and perhaps unseen provocations make this an accident waiting to happen. Moreover could Vladimir Putin be manipulating the Belorussian crisis to draw attention from Moscow’s plans regarding Ukraine? Poland bears the brunt of the crisis now but downstream it shall likely be Germany, France and Britain. Poland chooses not to become the victim again. 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.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

MALKIN from 6 crappy little note to parents handed out Monday night at a meeting closed to the public, “to cause anxiety, fear, confusion, or physical or emotional harm.” Never mind that these petty tyrants wrought all of the above and will be shielded from any transparent punishment. “We look forward to returning to normal and continuing along this learning journey with your family,” the teachers (none of whom have reached out to Rylee or her mom directly) cheerily chirped. Elitist privilege means always pretending to say you’re sorry without ever suffering consequences for wrongdoing. Darcy Schoening, parent advocate and town of Monument Board of Trustees

member, agrees. She believes “the teachers responsible for this behavior should be fired. Their names should be released. Parents have the right to know WHO is abusing their kids. Protecting the teachers’ identities and disciplinary actions is a slap in the face to parents.” “It’s sickening to me,” Stephanie lamented as the principal echoed the educrats’ desire to get back out of the public spotlight and “resume normalcy.” She’s not going to let it drop. “I am not going to be quiet,” the workat-home mom of three young daughters told KVOR-AM 740 radio talk show host Richard Randall this week. “Plenty of parents are willing to step up for their kids.” No doubt about it. The Election Day revolt against K-12

control freaks just demonstrated that parents across the country from Loudoun County, Virginia, to El Paso County, Colorado, to Los Angeles County, California, will not let COVID-era abnormalities hijack their children’s health and freedom. With Justice Department goons and local cops treating parents protesting at school board meetings like criminals, we know we can’t rely on law enforcement to side with sovereignty-defenders over the State. Remember: Stephanie M. immediately contacted the Colorado Springs Police Department to report the abuse as soon as her daughter told her what happened. They blew her off. Instead, accord-

ing to creepy public record files I obtained last week, at least three members of the CSPD’s Metropolitan Vice, Narcotics and Intelligence Division/Strategic Information Center passed around my Twitter and Gab posts about Rylee’s case to several CSPD command staff and other individuals whose names were redacted. A CSPD “Intelligence Unit” detective made note of my “2 million (yes, million) Twitter followers” (so what?), and a sergeant falsely claimed I was aware of protest plans at the school (I heard no such information until after administrators shut down the school on Oct. 25 amid an international maelstrom of public scrutiny and press coverage). It’s getting impossible

to “back the blue” when they stand down as antifa and Black Lives Matter attack you for defending law and order, kneel before the altar of George Floyd, enforce junk-sciencebased COVID-19 tyranny lining the pockets of Big Pharma and Big Government, and spy on you for standing up for parents fighting educational malpractice. Teach your children well. Michelle Malkin’s email address is MichelleMalkinInvestigates@ protonmail.com. To find out more about Michelle Malkin and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

BOSAK from 11 ing on activity and the last time they ate. Kinglets weigh in at a comparatively hefty 5 to 10 grams. By comparison, black-capped chickadees are 10 to 15 centimeters and 11 to 12 grams. Kinglets are also rather bland from a distance or by a quick glance. Closer inspection yields an interesting mix of olive green, yellow, black and white plumage. As their name suggests, males have a red crown that is exposed when the bird is excited. In my experience, it is not exposed too often. Kinglets are a far cry from an eagle or heron, but they are big in character, hardiness and energy. As a birder, I can appreciate that.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

Super Crossword

PUZZLE CLUE: SHAPELY BREAKFAST

B.C.

by Parker & Hart

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —

Sudoku

Magic Maze THEME THIS WEEK: PHONY WORDS

Caption Contest OUR PICK FOR BEST CAPTION

Runners Up : Eve emerging from Adam’s Rib. - Steve Jamele, Sanbornton, NH. While living in a fish bowl isn’t for everyone, Susie puts her best fin forward. - Karen Konicki, Rochester, NH.

PHOTO #884

For some reason these new fish finder units are a top seller at the boatyard. -Bob Patrick, Moultonboro, NH.

CAPTION THIS PHOTO!!

PHOTO #886

Using the TZ3 massage Send your best brief caption to us with your name and location chamber on the Int’l within 2 weeks of publication Space Station improves date... Caption Contest, The the enjoyment of Weirs Times, P.O. Box 5458, floating maneuvers. Weirs, NH 03247 Jean Cram, Pittsfield, NH.

email to contest@weirs.com

The Winklman Aeffect

by John Whitlock

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 18, 2021 —