APRIL 2021

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R E C E N T U P D AT E S

FUNDRAISING

Dave Salvas Rides to Cure Cancer It has been a very stressful year for all of us, but just imagine what it is like to be stuck in a hospital with CANCER and you can’t see anyone. READ MORE Amherst Garden Club President Kathy Brundage and Treasurer Maureen Minner meet with John Cochran at Amherst Garden Center in preparation for the May 15th event, AGC Day at the Garden Center.

CLUB EVENTS

Amherst Garden Club's Plant Sale AMHERST – Come visit Amherst Garden Club members on Saturday, May 15 as they tie on garden aprons to sell plants at the Amherst Garden Center on Route 101. It’s a perfect time to purchase vegetable plants, perennials, annuals or shrubs as the nursery will be bursting with plants. This is the club’s biggest fundraiser, raising money that goes back to the town to replace trees, for 11 civic gardens, grants, and scholarships ...

C O N S E R VAT I O N

ACC Celebrates Earth Day Earth Day is 51 years old and began in 1970, during an era of civic action when citizens from all walks of life held environmental teach-ins. READ MORE

HISTORICAL SOCIETY READ MORE

Virtual Program: Captain Josiah Crosby – April 12th Does the name Josiah Crosby sound familiar? He led the Amherst Militia at Bunker Hill in 1775, was civic minded and reared a large family. READ MORE

RECREATION

Baboosic Lake Season Pass For those who are already tired of cold weather, get a jump start on your summer by buying your Baboosic Lake Beach Pass. READ MORE LIBRARY

HISTORIC AMHERST

April Zoom Fun with See Science Center

The Beginning of "Vaccine" and the Amherst Physician

AMHERST – Kids ages 6 and up can get their hands deep into science when a See Instructor combines two liquid substances to create our own silly putty. Participants are encouraged to get a little messy ...

AMHERST – Historian Katrina Holman researches the origins of a vaccine against small-pox – the pandemic of its time and a scourge that lasted for centuries – actually came from cows milk ...

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CLUB NEWS

Facey to Business Administrator

Lily Smith is a Teen Entrepreneur

AAUW: Part 2 – Civic Engagement Series

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Digital e-papers Now Online: APRIL 2020 MAY 2020 JUNE 2020 JULY 2020 AUGUST 2020 SEPTEMBER 2020 OCTOBER 2020 NOVEMBER 2020 DECEMBER 2020 JANUARY 2021 FEBRUARY 2021 MARCH 2021 Coming Soon: PDF Files!

Amherst Citizen's "e-newsletter"

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Letters

Amherst School Board

Joint Facilities Advisory Committee Update To the editor: The month of March was busy for the Joint Facilities Advisory Committee (JFAC) and its related subcommittees. Through the next year, until voting day 2022 and beyond, JFAC will provide monthly updates to the Amherst School Board, at board meetings and in board communications to the public, such as in these letters and on social media.

Public Relations Committee The PR committee is creating an in-depth calendar to outline the plan and the resources needed to promote this project to the Amherst community. There are several mediums the committee will use to seek more information from voters - website, videos, social media, mailings, Nixle updates, and more.

The beginning of April kicked off the campaign with two initiatives - a postcard sent to every household in Amherst and a video to introduce voters to JFAC. Keep an eye on your mailbox for the postcard and be sure to check out the video and website (JFAC.SAU39.org) for more information.

Clark School Exploration Committee The Clark School Exploration subcommittee has been tasked with gathering input from community experts and stakeholders on possible ways to utilize the Clark School building and site should the new elementary school bond pass next year.

The committee has met virtually with various stakeholders groups including town representatives, neighbors of the Clark property, and many residents to gather input and will continue this mission in the coming months. A presentation of findings is planned for the May JFAC meeting to be followed up with the June Amherst School Board meeting.

If you have additional feedback about the future of the Clark property, please join us for the public comments session at our next board meeting.

Facilities Project Team This group has been active for months, reviewing conceptual designs, analyzing costs, and continuing to line up the next steps of the project.

The first of these important steps is underway as a request for proposals (RFP) has been sent to architects across New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. The RFP is designed to find an architect who will take our conceptual drawings and lead us into the next phase of the project. You can find details of the RFP on the SAU 39 website.

For further updates, visit JFAC.SAU39.org and Facebook.com/JointFacilities Facebook.com/JointFacilities.

Start time and School Calendar Changes: All district boards have voted to change the school start times in the fall. The new school schedule is: Clark-Wilkins - 7:45 a.m.- 2:15 p.m.

Amherst Middle School - 8:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.

The first day of school is now August 31st with students attending three days of school before Labor Day weekend. After guidance from the state, February vacation is now scheduled for February 28th-March 4th.

The SAU is working to identify community needs for before and after school care options. A survey will be available soon to gauge the needs of our families.

Budget: A reminder that our deliberative session will now be held on May 4th. Further details on location and Covid protocols are forthcoming.

The later voting day and deliberative will allow us to review our budget items one last time at our April 5th meeting, using actual health insurance costs and more concrete enrollment numbers, rather than estimates. If you were not able to attend the live meeting, you can watch our discussion on the SAU YouTube Page.

Policy Review: We are beginning our annual review of policies. The policies that will be under review this summer are open for public comment until June 1st. The list of policies to be reviewed can be found on the Policy Committee section of the SAU website. Feel free to send comments regarding any policies up for review to the current policy chairperson ekuzsma@sau39.org.

Remember that you can always reach out to the board regarding any concerns either at public comment or by emailing asb@sau39.org. All emails to the board are considered public record and added to our board minutes.

Upcoming Meetings: April 6 - Amherst School District Ways and Means 7 p.m.

April 22 - SAU Board Meeting 6 p.m.

May 4 - Amherst School District Deliberative Session 7 p.m.

May 10 - Amherst School Board Meeting 6 p.m.

May 13 - JFAC Meeting 6 p.m.

Sincerely, Elizabeth Kuzsma, Chair Tom Gauthier, Vice Chair Terri Behm Josh Conklin Ellen Grudzien

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Yates is Candidate for Planning Board

Houpis Seeks Elected Position on Planning Board

To the editor:

To the editor:

My name is Chris Yates and I am proud to announce my candidacy for the Amherst Planning Board for a three-year term. I became interested in the planning board in 2019 after attending a monthly planning meeting. It became quickly apparent there was a need for members with leadership to provide direction, openly communicate with a clear and concise voice with applicants and the community. I volunteered, was selected as an alternate and I have served for the past year. I have spent the time listening, learning the state laws, local ordinance, and rules of procedure, I am prepared to dive into this position on day one!

My family and I lived in Merrimack, NH for 5 years while stationed at Hanscom Air Force base and we fell in love with New Hampshire. My wife and I realized as we headed to our new assignment driving across the NH/MA state line this was home and we would be back. We moved back to Amherst in 2018 after being away for 8 years, we are excited to be back home and be a part of the Amherst community.

I am a retired Air Force Cyber Security Officer and have served in many leadership positions at home and abroad as a strategic planner, project manager, and cyber security engineer. I have served the community as a Boy Scout leader for the past 15 years in various positions and am a member of the BSA National Fishing Committee. My wife Chiara and I have three amazing children.

I am not anti-development however, how a development affects the community, water, home density, community services, traffic, and township taxes must be reviewed in an objective manner. The next several years are vital to Amherst’s future and with transparent leadership and open communication with the community, I would like to set the following goals for the Amherst Planning Board.

1. Complete a theme-based master plan with input and continued community communication to plan the look and feel of Amherst for the next 10 years.

2. Work with community boards, ZBA, and the planning board to update outdated statutes, to encourage a rural and small town feel while balancing the rights of all.

3. Create transparent repeatable procedures for Amherst citizens, outside developers, and the planning board to follow.

It is important to incorporate early, strategic planning that shapes the future growth of our town. That starts with the Master Plan and continues with the town committees and departments reviewing and incorporating this master vision into ordinances and procedures. Development will happen and we must be ready to direct and work with all involved parties.

I respectfully ask for your vote on 9 March 2021.

My name is Christy Houpis and I am proud to be running for the Amherst New Hampshire Planning Board for a single year term. I was appointed to the Amherst Planning Board as an Alternate eighteen months ago, after many long time Amherst friends and neighbors urged me to volunteer.

During my interview by the Select Board, I stated Amherst will need to balance land development with its rural character and desire for open space. I worked to achieve this during my 18-month tenure on the Planning Board by asking important questions, engaging in comprehensive reviews, requesting independent impartial analyses, encouraging an open dialogue with residents and developers alike while ensuring full transparency during all proceedings. These are the same objectives I commit to pursing if elected to the Planning Board.

I recognize change is the only constant and do not follow an antideveloper, not-in-my-backyard approach. However, I have not and would not be a rubber stamp for development approval. I respect property owner rights to develop land while clearly embracing the Planning Board’s responsibility, stated in its regulations, to manage development applications with the needs, safety and quality of life of Amherst residents.

Each perspective of landowner/developer and Amherst resident is valid and protected under the Planning Board’s charter and can be simultaneously considered.

The value of any development, commercial or residential, must be understood in conjunction with the impact to life in Amherst including water, traffic, emergency services, educational systems, and open space.

I know competing objectives can be balanced. While not having decades on a Zoning or Planning Board, I ran a cellular telephone company for many years and creatively and successfully balanced the competing objectives to meet public demands for mobile communications with the equally strong desire to not have visible cell sites.

Born in New Hampshire, I am not a native of Amherst and have only lived here for the last 32 years. But I love Amherst, its community, its character and, most importantly, its beautiful charm. It is the hometown where my wife and I live. Its where we raised our daughter. It is where I hope to live out my life. Because of this deep appreciation for our town, its residents and the people who serve it, I am asking for your vote.

I have no other political aspirations or agendas beyond giving back to our community by providing knowledge and continuity during the transition from an appointed to an elected board, helping produce an inclusive Master Plan and supporting the updating of our ordinances given the residents’ repeal of the IIHO. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Chris Yates Amherst

Christy C. Houpis Amherst

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What's Up in The Children's Room During Stay-at-Home 2021 AMHERST – We can still have lots of fun while we practice social distancing! Watch our Storytime series on YouTUBE, join a book club on ZOOM, be a Minecrafter on Facebook, mega opportunities await us online ...

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HISTORIC AMHERST

The Beginning of “Vaccine”

And the Amherst Physician Who Helped AMHERST – Historian Katrina Holman researched Vaccine – the word of the day, the week, the month, the year. This word and the related term, vaccination, were invented from the Latin word for cow, namely vacca....

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HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Virtual Program on Captain Josiah Crosby – April 12th AMHERST – Does the name Josiah Crosby sound familiar? Captain Josiah Crosby, who led the Amherst Militia at Bunker Hill in 1775, was an incredibly civic minded man who reared a large family ...

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TOWN NEWS

Conservation Commission Celebrates Earth Day 2021 AMHERST – Earth Day is 51 years old on April 22, 2021.

It began in 1970, during an era of civic action when concerned citizens from all walks of life held environmental teach-ins ...

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Conservation

The ACC Celebrates Earth Day 2021 Acts of Green Series*

AMHERST – Earth Day is 51 years old on April 22, 2021. It began in 1970, during an era of civic action when concerned citizens from all walks of life held environmental teach-ins.

Around the USA, people gathered to learn the facts about environmental degradation happening across the country. Today, we might not call the actions teach-ins, however, individuals, governments and non-profit organizations around the world are planning their own activities for Earth Day. The Amherst Conservation Commission (ACC) continues to celebrate Earth Day, every day, by working to protect and conserve land and natural resources and promote the use of outdoors for pedestrian recreation.

This Earth Day, the focus in the USA and around the world is on climate change. It is up to every one of us to restore our Earth, not just because we care about the natural world, but because we literally live on it. We all need a healthy Earth to support our jobs, livelihoods, health and happiness, and to have fun. A healthy Amherst, a healthy New Hampshire, a healthy

country, and a healthy planet is a necessity. It is up to all of us to promote. The phrase “think globally, act locally” was used 51 years ago and it is relevant today. There are small steps we can all take to restore our Earth and assure that we can enjoy our forests and waterways for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation for many years to come.

*ACTS of GREEN 1) Join the Amherst Conservation Commission on May 15, 2021, to participate in Amherst Clean-up Day. Look for more details as the time gets closer. For now, mark the date on your calendar.

2) Try Backyard Composting. Food waste is one of the world’s biggest contributors to climate change. Hundreds of millions of tons of food are thrown away each year. Composting is one solution to the growing problem of food waste.

Composting is easy to do, it helps mitigate the climate impact from food waste (by reducing methane production from decomposition), has less impact on our transfer station (dump), it does not smell, and it is inexpensive to set up.

The results of composting are also good for your flower and vegetable gardens.

Below are links to learn more about food waste and get you started on composting. https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1086402 https://extension.unh.edu/resource/compostinghome-gardener-fact-sheet

*This article is the first in a series of articles that will focus on the activities of the ACC and the environmental issues it addresses in its work. The series is also an opportunity for others in the community to share their ideas about environmental and conservation matters.

Guest contributions to the series are welcome.

Please submit your article to the ACC at this link.

The ACC reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of the material and whether or not it will be posted: https://www.amherstconservation.com

Using Science to Conserve Biodiversity, Manage Open Space and Promote Outdoor Recreation Contact Us: Amherst Conservation Commission 2 Main Street, Town Hall. Amherst NH 03031 http://www.amherstconservation.com

Historical Society Historical Society of Amherst

Virtual Program on Captain Josiah Crosby – April 12th AMHERST – Does the name Josiah Crosby sound familiar?

Captain Josiah Crosby, who led the Amherst Militia at Bunker Hill in 1775, was an incredibly civic minded man who reared a large family.

His name has become part of local legend--but what’s his real story?

Join our own genealogist Jackie Marshall for a virtual HSANH program on the life of Capt. Crosby. We’ll debunk a couple of myths, starting with that green state highway marker on Emerson Road in Milford. Josiah Crosby managed to live nearly his entire adult life on just one farm and yet he resided in three different towns!

Because this program was originally compiled for the Capt. Josiah Crosby Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) we’ll also learn a bit about the society and how Revolutionary War patriots are recognized.

Hope to see you on April 12. To join us, just click here: The Scheduled Zoom Program

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Library AMHERST TOWN LIBRARY Amy Lapointe, Library Director 14 Main St., Amherst NH 03031 Phone 673-2288 Fax 672-6063 email: library@amherstlibrary.org web http://www.amherstlibrary.org

DIRECTORY

LIBRARY HAS REOPENED LIMITED HOURS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC CRISIS

Children’s Programming at the Amherst Town Library ZOOM MINECRAFT CLUB Tuesdays from 3:45 - 4:45pm, April 6, 13 & 20 Come and join Miss Sarah for ZOOM Minecraft Club on Tuesday afternoons!

As always, there will be a CHALLENGE---Miss Sarah will have a new challenge for you at the beginning of each meeting. You will need a device that can run the ZOOM program.

For kids ages 7 and up. Registration is required. An email with the ZOOM link will be sent before each program.

Click to visit our calendar and register.

ZOOM BOOK CLUBS: Great Stone Face Reviewers Club The Great Stone Face Award is a statewide reading list for kids in grades 4-6. Our club reads from a master list of the newest middle-grade fiction and comes to meetings prepared to evaluate these books for possible inclusion on next year’s Great Stone Face List. We learn bookreview skills, to stand up in front of a group to give our opinions, and we always have a lot of fun!

APRIL ZOOM FUN with SEE SCIENCE CENTER For kids in grades 5 and 6 SLIMY LAB Meets the first Thursday of the month at 6:30pm. Next Meeting Dates: Wednesday, April 21 - 4:00-4:45pm.

April 1, May 6 Kids ages 6 and up can get their hands deep into science when a See Sound like fun? It is! Contact Miss Sarah at Instructor leads us through combining two liquid substances to create our shydorn@amherstlibrary.org if you are interested in joining. own silly putty. Participants are encouraged to get a little messy and think BOOK BUNCH! Zoom Book Club for Grades 3 and 4 about different ways they can work to change the substances. There are Each month we read one of Miss Sarah’s favorite CHAPTER BOOKS, always lots of smiles and giggles during this experience. and then ZOOM together to talk about them. Before the meeting, pick up For ages 6 and up. Kits with materials will be available for pick-up at an ACTIVITY KIT at the library, and we’ll all have fun doing a the library for registered participants. book-related project together during our meeting!

Click to register.

April’s book: TEDDY MARS: ALMOST A WORLD RECORD BREAKER by Molly B. Burnham JOIN US VIRTUALLY For kids in grades 3 and 4.

ZOOM FAMILY STORYTIME Meets the fourth Thursday of the month, 4:00-5:00pm. Next Meeting Tuesdays at 10:00am, April 6, 13 & 20 Date: April 22. Registration is required.

Come join Miss Sarah and Princess Lovely for a fun-filled family Click to register. program!

For ages 3-6, younger siblings are always welcome.

Registration is required. An email with the ZOOM link and a materials list for the craft will be sent before each program.

Click to visit our calendar and register.

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

LITTLE LISTENERS “SHORT-TAKES” For our youngest patrons, these videos are short, sweet and engaging. They feature our favorite rhymes, songs, and the occasional book. Since they can be accessed whenever it’s convenient for you, there’s no need to worry about scheduling your little one to be available at a certain time. Videos are available for viewing on the Amherst Town Library’s YouTube Channel.

For Newborns-3yrs. No registration required.

Look for Brand *NEW* videos on April 1 & 8.

Click to visit our YouTube Channel.

PROJECT: FUN!!

Join Miss Lisa for a new FUN!! project every month. She’ll be diving into our collection of non-fiction books to find cool projects we can all enjoy. Materials for the project will be available while supplies last here at the library the Tuesday before each how-to video is released.

Projects may involve art, science, cooking, or maybe a bit of all three!

Videos will be available for viewing on the Amherst Town Library’s YouTube Channel.

For kids ages 5-8. No registration required.

Next videos will be released on April 28 & May 26.

Click to visit our YouTube Channel.

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Library Programs

ZOOM Family Storytime

The Call of Kiliminjaro Wednesday, April 21, 2021 • 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM virtual program via zoom

Tuesdays, Now tru April 20, 2021. • 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM virtual program via zoom REGISTER NOW FOR ZOOM FAMILY STORYTIME! Make sure to include your email address in the registration.

Check your inbox on the morning of the program for your Zoom invitation! (the same invitation link will work for all 8 meetings in this session) If you are registering more than one person, only fill in the email field once, or you will receive multiple emails.

Ages 3 and up, younger siblings welcome.

Our family storytimes are for the entire family to enjoy. We begin every session with a welcoming routine. We follow that with a simple story targeted primarily to the younger siblings in the group (but still plenty of fun for the older ones!).

After that, we'll move on to stories that require a little more focus. If your youngest children are getting 'antsy' at that point, you are welcome to bring them out to play in another room (or simply check that the 'mute' button is on)---making sure to come back to join us for the concluding routines and craft at the end of each program.

A Mindful Experience of Poetry Writing

Get ready to climb 19,341 feet to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro – one of the famed Seven Summits – the roof of Africa. Based on his memoir, The Call of Kilimanjaro, author, adventurer, and TV host Jeff Belanger takes you on a breathtaking multimedia journey of Tanzania that’s spiritual, motivational, and uplifting.After his brother-in-law Chris passed away, Jeff made the decision to take the trip of a lifetime, both in honor of Chris and in pursuit of clarity about his own life and goals. The Call of Kilimanjaro is a day-by-day record of Belanger’s ascent to the peak of Africa’s highest mountain. What he learned along the way transformed his life.Presenter Jeff Belanger is a storyteller, adventurer, journalist, and one of the most visible explorers of the unexplained today. The author of over a dozen books published in six languages, he is also the Emmynominated host, writer, and producer ofthe PBS and Amazon Prime series New England Legends and the weekly New England Legends podcast. He’s been a guest on hundreds of television and radio networks and programs, including History, Travel Channel, Biography Channel, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, BBC, and Coast to Coast AM. *Please register with a valid email address to ensure that you receive login information.*

Gardens of Cornwall and Devon

Wednesday, April 28, 2021. •. 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM virtual program via zoom This 90-minute interactive presentation focuses on using mindful writing techniques to write poems.

We’ll begin with an overview of the basic concepts of mindful writing, including impermanence, preconceptions about writing ability, inner voice, and audience proximity.

With a more mindful approach to the writing moment, every moment can become a prolific moment. We’ll discuss how we can reduce writing worry that come from future- or pastoriented mindless thinking. We’ll practice a mindful writing technique: steering and stocking our internal talk with metaphors and similes for writing. Participants will leave the session with a new poem started.

Facilitator Alexandria Peary (MFA, MFA, PhD) is Poet Laureate of New Hampshire. She is the recipient of a 2020 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship in support of her mindful writing workshops for survivors of the state’s opioid crisis and her establishment of the North Country Young Writers’ Festival, happening in Berlin, NH, in May 2021.

She is the author of seven books, most recently The Water Draft, Prolific Moment: Theory and Practice of Mindfulness for Writing, and the anthology COVID Spring: Granite State Pandemic Poems. Her writing has appeared in publications including the Gettysburg Review, New York Times, New American Writing, Yale Review, Painted Bride Quarterly, North American Review, Southern Humanities Review, New England Review, and the Denver Quarterly. She specializes in mindful writing, the subject of her 2019 TEDx talk, ‘How Mindfulness Can Transform the Way You Write’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yxnFac7CNA and also the popular series she runs for the National Council of Teachers of English: NCTE Presents - Mindful Writing Series - NCTE More information about her initiatives as state poet laureate can be found at her blog (New Hampshire Poet Laureate) and on Twitter @NHPoetLaureate She is a professor at Salem State University and lives in Londonderry, NH, with her husband and two daughters.

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Monday, May 3, 2021 • 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM virtual program via zoom Warmed by the Gulf Stream, the magical gardens in Cornwall and Devon are home to some of the most exciting, rare, and beautiful plants in the British Isles. Enjoy an armchair tour of twelve historically and horticulturally important gardens of this region, from the tropical Abbey Gardens of Tresco to the mystical Lost Gardens of Heligan and the futuristic biomes of the Eden Project.

Presenter Jana Milbocker is a garden designer, speaker, and author.

She combines horticulture, design, and travel tips to educate, inspire and delight both new and seasoned gardeners. Jana loves to visit gardens and historic sites in the U.S. and abroad, and share her trips through her books, photos and blog.

She published The Garden Tourist: 120 Destination Gardens and Nurseries in the Northeast in 2018, and The Garden Tourist’s New England in 2020.

She has lectured at flower shows in Mass., Conn., Maine, New York and New Jersey, as well as a multitude of horticultural societies, garden clubs, and libraries in the Northeast. She is owner of Enchanted Gardens, a landscape design firm in the Boston area.

EnchantedGardensDesign.com She is past president of the Holliston Garden Club, and active in the Garden Club Federation of Mass., Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and GardenComm International.

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Recreation AMHERST RECREATION DEPARTMENT

4 Cross Rd, Amherst, NH 03031 603 673-6248

MyRec.com- How to Register

Peabody Mill Environmental Center 66 Brook Road 603 673-1141 www.amherstrec.org

Family Fun Baboosic Lake Season Pass For those who are already tired of cold weather, get a jump start on your summer by buying your Baboosic Lake Beach Pass.

Season Pass- CLICK HERE

Esport Leagues Esports is one of the fastest growing competitions in the world and we want to allow players a safe way to compete with friends on your own in the confines of your own home.

Esport Leagues-CLICK HERE

For Adults

Forest Bathing & Meditation Join us as we develop an appreciation of our local lands and nature in general, subtle and mindful ways.

Forest bathing is the practice of immersing yourself in nature in a mindful way, using your senses to derive a whole range of benefits for your physical, mental, emotional, and social health.

Meditation-CLICK HERE

Red Cross CPR & First Aid Interested in learning life saving skills and gain the confidence to be prepared for anything? Get certified in First Aid, CPR, and AED through the American Red Cross.

Ages 11+ CPR & First Aid- CLICK HERE

Around Town

Spring Soccer 2021 - Players born between 2001-2018 Amherst Soccer Club/Hampshire United SC is accepting registrations for our spring soccer programs, Tots and EDP Non-travel. We also have limited spots available on our travel teams U9-U20. Players born between the years of 2001-2018 are eligible to play. If you are interested in signing up or for more information, go to www.hampshireunitedsc.com for players born between 2001-2012. For players born between 2012-2018, go to www.amherstsoccerclub.com. Click on Program Info & Signup page for more information. You can also email Lisa Davidson at admin@hampshireunitedsc.com.

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Spring Recreation Programs Register now for the programs that interest you! Video shows how easy it is to select, register and check out.

For Kids Eagles Basketball Camp

Baboosic Lake Swim Team

Join Amherst Middle School’s own Coach Rodon in this all-around skill development camp for girls entering grades 6th through 9th.

Eagles Basketball- CLICK HERE

Our team is a seasonal swim team offering coaching, technique and instruction for all ages and abilities. he goal of our team is to provide every member an opportunity to improve swimming skills in order to achieve success at his or her level of ability, make new friends and have a great deal of fun!

BLST- CLICK HERE

Next Level Basketball Camp Take your basketball skills to the NEXT LEVEL this summer! Camp will focus on overall skill development through instruction and positive competition. Camp is open to boys in rising grades 3-5 and 6-9.

Next Level- CLICK HERE

Safe Sitter Learn the skills needed to become a great babysitter as well as important info about how to advertise and accept babysitting jobs. This class is for any ages 11-15.

Safe Sitter- CLICK HERE

Camp Babuck Announcing the newest addition to the Amherst Parks and Rec Summer Camp Line-up: Camp Babuck!

This camp has a little bit of everything. You can expect lots of group games, sports, arts & crafts, water play and a big cool down with weekly trips to Baboosic Lake!

Camp Babuck- CLICK HERE

Home School Science Welcome to Home School Science Class 2020!

We are thrilled to be kicking off the Fall school year with an exciting Home School curriculum.

The structure for each session includes, one hour Education and one hour Play/Social Interaction.

Home School Science- CLICK HERE

I Love Nature Is your preschooler eager to learn about the world they live in or love wandering through the woods? At I Love Nature, we have lots of fun exploring different habitats and learning all about what you can find out in the amazing woods all around you.

Thursdays from 10-10:45am

CIT Program Welcome to our revamped CIT program! This summer, CIT’s will get trained in CPR and First Aid, have an opportunity to lead activities at our summer camps and learn the skills needed to be a counselor in the future.

For Grades 8-10 CIT Program- CLICK HERE

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Historic Amherst

The Beginning of “Vaccine”

And the Amherst Physician Who Helped

BY KATRINA HOLMAN Vaccine – that’s the word of the day, the week, the month, the year. This word and the related term, vaccination, were invented from the Latin word for cow (if your Latin is lacking, think Spanish), namely vacca. These novel words originated from the experimental discovery in 1796 by one Edward Jenner (1749-1823), a physician in England, that lymph from cows infected with the kine-pox virus could be used in humans to provide immunity against small-pox, the pandemic of its time – a scourge that lasted centuries. The story goes that dairy maids in England were known for their unblemished faces at a time when pock scars were common – the marks of small-pox on survivors. Key was figuring out that the girls who milked cows thus came in contact with kine-pox blisters on the teats. In his 1798 publication, Jenner named the disease variola vaccinae, Latin for small-pox of the cow. The derivative words “vaccine” and “vaccination” quickly made it across the Atlantic but the “vaccine disease” was more commonly called “cow-pox” in America.

Statistics vary, but in 1792, shortly BEFORE Jenner’s discovery, a doctor in Edinburgh stated: “The small-pox, in the natural way, usually carries off 8 out of 100. By inoculation, one dies nearly out of 300. It is observed that more girls than boys die of the small-pox in the natural way.”

doctor else they would be “confined in a separate house at their own expense until sufficiently cleansed.” (Does that give you, too, chills?) If the infected house were out-of-theway enough, officials might simply hang a red flag to warn away visitors (as in Charlestown, Mass., in June 1764) but often a building in town off-the-beaten-track was designated as a pest-house and those sick with small-pox were required to move there.

Earlier Small-Pox Inoculation

Inoculation Hospitals

Let’s back up to earlier in the 18th century for some background. As early as 1720 in Colonial America, a decade and a half before anyone settled in our Amherst, medical practitioners were inoculating people against and with small-pox using unweakened live pathogens. The idea was to avoid a deadly infection by causing a controlled infection. It did work sometimes (most times?), but significant number of people died as a direct result. A Boston newspaper, reporting in 1721 the deaths of people who died from small-pox infection received via inoculation, mentioned “Anti-Inoculators” who needed convincing of the benefit and/or safety of the practice. For the remaining decades of the 18th century, American newspapers regularly carried items about inoculation, including about conscientious objectors, about do-it-yourselfers like the man “without any skill in physick or surgery [who in 1750] ventured to inoculate five of my own family, which had a very happy effect” and blamed some deaths on practitioners who lodged the inoculated in “a lazarette for distemper” [distemper being another word for small-pox illness] (published in New York), and about a detailed treatment regimen of 1760 (published in Pennsylvania Gazette) with multiple “medicines” and even blood-letting for before and after inoculation to lessen the inherent danger and another “new method” that included mercury and antimony (published in Boston Evening Post of Jan. 1761 and N.H. Gazette of Portsmouth in Feb 1761) – unlikely to assuage distrust or fear, imho. “Poor Richard’s Almanack for the Year 1761” contained “besides the usual calculations, a very interesting account of Inoculation, wherein the most successful methods for preparing the body not only before, but also between the inoculation and eruption.”

In New England in the latter half of the 18th century, some Towns and private physicians set up special inoculation hospitals, and Towns took to notifying the public of their infection status and inoculation rates. Some examples of such hospitals: Someone anonymously advertised in 1752 (in Boston Weekly News-Letter): “To be Lett, several convenient rooms in a commodious house in Boston with necessary bedding and furniture, suitable for such of the inhabitants of this town, who are inclined to return from the country to receive the small-pox by inoculation.” A doctor in Boston in 1764 advertised his success with inoculation of upwards of 50 patients who recovered well; and promoted his “hospital” capable of containing 50 persons recovering from the “distemper” resulting from inoculation with small-pox, where “children will have particular care [and] the whole Charge will be Reasonable.”

In Boston in 1764, “Numbers of persons are daily coming into Town, as also to the Hospitals at Point Shirley and Castle William to receive the Small Pox by inoculation: besides those who come from the neighboring towns, there are several from the Province of New Hampshire, the Colonies of Connecticut, and Rhode Island. It is judged that between 3 and 4000 Persons have gone safely through that Distemper, in the time since Liberty was granted for Inoculation, which is five weeks; and it is observable there has been little or no infection from those who have had the disease; we can’t learn that there have been 20 persons taken down in the Natural Way in the above time, notwithstanding that several hundreds of children in this town are exposed thereto, an account of some Scruples the Parents or Guardians of them have as to the Lawfulness of the practice.” (N.H. Gazette, 19 April 1764.)

Portsmouth in July 1778 reported (N.H. Gazette) : “the Small-Pox in this place is wholly at an end, not a person having the Disorder either in Town or Hospitals, in the natural Way or

by Inoculation. The Success of Inoculation in this place and neighbouring towns is almost incredible, upwards of 1100 persons of all ages and constitutions have been inoculated by the

Quarantining Small-Pox Meanwhile, town officials faced with outbreaks of this scourge, even for only two cases or just one family, quickly enforced social isolation. In March 1761, the Selectmen of Hartford, Conn. required visitors to the town to provide a certificate of inoculation by their

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physicians of this town within the short space of three months, and only two unfavourable circumstances [now there’s a euphemism for death!] have happened...” At Cardigan, Grafton county, N.H., promoting its “fine healthy air equal to any in Newengland,” in 1790 a man “licensed according to law” advertised “Inoculation for the Small-pox” in “a good convenient building” for which payment could be made in “English and Westindia goods, and country produce”; and “bedding will be gladly received.” (Concord Herald, N.H., 24 Feb. 1790.) In 1792: “The small-pox is daily breaking out in some part or other of this state” [including Newcastle, N.H. where] inhabitants voted to open a hospital for small-pox inoculation, “for which they obtained leave of the court” (N.H. Spy, Portsmouth, 1 Dec 1792).

Charlestown, N.H., opened such a hospital in June 1794 and Hampstead in Sep. 1795. By 1797, Portsmouth was utilizing two islands, one called unambiguously Pest Island for a pesthouse, and Shapley’s Island for an inoculation hospital consisting of multiple “commodious apartments in different buildings” where a whole “class” of patients would undergo treatment at the same time, recovery taking about two to three weeks (reported in Oracle of the Day).

In Boston, an outbreak in 1792, which turned out to be “merely” in two houses, caused such concern that a special town meeting by petition “to take the sense of the town with regard to general inoculation” drew so large a crowd that it had to move from Faneuil Hall to Old South Meetinghouse – yet after heated debate a large majority simply voted in favor of the motion “That the Selectmen continue their exertions to prevent the spreading of the disorder by removing such persons as are or may be infected, to such places as they may think proper to provide.”

Despite the new, safer vaccine in the 19th century, there continued to be outbreaks and pest-houses arranged by the Towns in response, such as in Lexington, Mass., in Jan. 1824 and in Concord, N.H. in 1835. In 1837, the editor of the Nashua Telegraph, reporting on two cases of small-pox in Nashua, protested “the practice of dragging an individual [who is supposed to be infected] from his family and sending him to a pest house.” The same item in the Farmers’ Cabinet (13 Nov. 1837), in what appears to be a concurring editorial by the Amherst editor, continues: “The truth is vaccination has been so generally resorted to, that the small-pox has become nearly as harmless and non contagious as a common fever, and to drag an individual from his family and render his chance of recovery ten times less, by confining him in some dreary, dilapidated and comfortless old building, fit only for the abode of owls and bats, is a species of refined cruelty which admits of no excuse. Every one may protect himself against small-pox by resorting to vaccination, and if he refuses to purchase exemption at so trifling an inconvenience to himself, he has no right to demand that his neighbor shall be sacrificed for his safety. The law on this subject ought to be modified or repealed.” Small-pox remained a scary problem, but the use of pest-houses seems to have ended about this time. For example, in 1846, when health officials of Manchester, N.H., were confronted with a household of 8 infected persons, they “advised resort to vaccination, and [did] not deem it necessary to institute a pest house there.”

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Historic Amherst continued from the previous page Inoculation Humor In the late 18th and early 19th century, N.H. newspapers regularly carried dunning notices, threatening debtors who didn’t pay up with law suits. Here’s one employing topical humor: “All persons indebted to the Subscriber by Note or Book account, are requested to make speedy payment by innoculation; otherwise he shall be under the necessity of calling on them the natural way. Asa Bullard. Dec. 27.” (The Rising Sun, Keene, N.H., 10 Jan 1797.)

1799-1802: Challenge Vaccine Experiments The new century brought a huge change.

It’s a testament to the power and value of newspapers, as well as to professional exchanges between leading medical men in America and Europe, that the knowledge of the effective new inoculation method utilizing “vaccine” spread so quickly to America – and was adopted so quickly. Adopted … after America’s medical men made their own experiments regarding its efficacy and safety.

No qualms about the ethics of challenge experiments!

In August 1799, the Philadelphia Gazette, two newspapers of Boston, the N.H. Gazette, the Portland Gazette of Maine, and the City Gazette of Charleston, S.C., all reprinted from the Medical Repository of New York a published letter from one G.. Pearson of Leicester Square (presumably England) reporting on the results he and another, Dr. Woodville, had with vaccinations of upwards of 150 patients together and with medical experiments confirming Dr. Jenner’s: “above 60” patients were inoculated first with the “vaccine disease” and subsequently with smallpox, and lo & behold, none of them caught the dread disease.

Even before that news of corroborating experiments in old England, news began to spread in America of success with the new vaccine in New England. In May 1799, the Vergennes Gazette of Vermont reported (a bit sloppily) that “Mr. Waterhouse the ingenious professor of the theory and practice of Physic at Cambridge University [called Harvard, actually, but located in Cambridge, Mass.], near Boston, has discovered [actually Dr. W. confirmed what Dr. Jenner in England discovered, but why quibble] that cows are subject to kind of small-pox or variola vaccinae, the pustules appear on the teats of the cow.

This may be communicated to the human species by inoculation. When thus received is NEVER dangerous to life or health. When a person has once had this variola vaccinae, he can never take that species of the small-pox, which is common to the human race, and which often proves so alarming and fatal to a large part of mankind.”

Benjamin Waterhouse (1754-1846) was a physician who had studied for seven years in London, Edinburgh and Leyden, and was cofounder in 1783 and subsequently professor of Harvard Medical School, and was the first doctor to test the cow-pox-based vaccine in the United States – on his own family. He immediately began promoting this method.

In 1802, the Board of Health of Boston erected a hospital on Noddle’s Island to execute an experiment to prove the efficacy and safety of the cow-pox in preventing smallpox. On Aug 16, 19 boys were “inoculated with fresh, transparent cow-pox matter, taken from the arms of a number of patients then under this disease,” in an office. On Nov. 9, 12 of those 19 boys together with a boy who had

passed through the cow-pox two years earlier, were inoculated on Noddle’s Island “with matter taken from a small-pox patient in the most infectious stage of that disease.” Although the arms became inflamed at the incision sites, “the small-pox matter excited no general indisposition whatever, through the whole progress of the experiments,” even though the children took no medicines and “all were lodged promiscuously in one room.” [Here’s where it gets ugly.] “At the same time and place, in order to prove the activity of the smallpox matter which had been used, two lads, who had never had either the small-pox or cow-pox were inoculated from the same matter.” They both got severe cases of small pox. When their pustules were at the highest state of infection, the other 13 children were inoculated a second time, with “recent matter taken from the pustules” of the two sick boys, as were 7 other children absent at the first inoculation. They were all deliberately exposed to small-pox infection, most of them for 20 days, by being in the same room with the two sick boys. Each of the children was examined by panel of physicians, “who were individually convinced from the inspection of their arms, their perfect state of health, and exemption from every kind of eruption on their bodies, that the cow-pox prevented their taking the small-pox, and they do therefore consider the result of the experiment as satisfactory evidence, that the Cow-Pox is a complete security against the small-pox.” Signed by 11 physicians who witnessed the experiment, including Benjamin Waterhouse and Josiah Bartlett – but they neglected to say what happened to the two boys intentionally infected with small-pox.

(Farmer’s Cabinet, 6 April 1803.)

Dr. Waterhouse wrote in a letter from Cambridge on 4 Nov. 1802: “Dear Sir: Agreeably to your request, I here enclose a small portion of vaccine matter. I cannot send more at this time, having just sent some to Philadelphia, where it is extinct. I have just received a similar request from New York where it is also extinct! And I have reason to think that there is none in Boston, my own cases excepted!! Neither, it seems, is there any in Portsmouth. . . . How can practitioners be so inattentive? I am obliged to hire children, and others, to be inoculated in Cambridge in order to keep up a continuity of matter. … Dr. Jenner has just sent me some in a silver box, inlaid with gold of exquisite workmanship, with a complimentary inscription.” (The kine- or cowpox was not a disease of American bovines, which is why in the early years, before the Americans figured out how to keep vaccine matter active, more had to be sent from England.)

1802: Vaccine Courier from England to Massachusetts Into the picture now pops a fellow that students of Amherst history know quite well: It was Matthias Spalding (1769-1865) who carried vaccine from Dr. Jenner to Dr. Waterhouse in a silver box inscribed: “From the Jenner of the Old World to the Jenner of the New.” Matthias, 9th son and 13th child of a farmer, had studied medicine at Harvard under Waterhouse. In 1801 Matthias went to London to attend medical lectures, where he got to know Dr. Jenner and his vaccination method personally, returning in 1802. Dr. Matthias Spalding then commenced the practice of medicine in his hometown of Chelmsford before moving to Amherst in 1806 where he married a daughter of Joshua Atherton the rehabilitated Tory,

and in 1809 bought the enlarged house at 19 Main Street where he carried on a medical practice. In Feb. 1812, he wrote: “I consider my stand here [Amherst, N.H.] as good as any in the county but it is too fatiguing for me. My rides are too long and the Society of physicians is not so good as could be wished.” Although Dr. Matthias Spalding contemplated leaving Amherst for a practice in Portsmouth, he stayed for the rest of his life, giving the people of Amherst the benefit of decades of excellent care, and being an active leader of the N.H. Medical Society.

1813-1822: Federal Agent for Vaccination In 1813, newspapers across the country including Amherst’s Farmer’s Cabinet carried the following announcement of an extraordinary Congressional act: “Vaccine Matter. The undersigned having been appointed by the President of the United States, Agent for Vaccination, hereby gives notice that, the genuine Vaccine Matter will be furnished to any physician or citizen of the United States who may apply to him for it... by post, and the requisite fee, five dollars … When required, such directions, &c. how to use, will be furnished with the matter, as will enable any discreet person, who can read and write, to secure his own family from the small-pox with certainty, without any trouble, danger or expense. All letters on this subject, to or from the undersigned and not exceeding half an ounce in weight, are carried by United States’ mail free of any postage in conformity to a late act of Congress, entitled “An act to encourage Vaccination” JAMES SMITH. U.S. Agent for Vaccination, Baltimore, May 14, 1813.”

James Smith (c.1771–1841) was a physician who had established a medical practice in Baltimore by 1797; had opened a vaccine clinic for the poor in that city in 1802 (having received a supply in the Spring of 1801 from Jenner about the same time as Dr. Waterhouse’s second supply); and had been Maryland’s vaccination agent since 1809. As the federal agent, Dr. Smith was responsible for the preservation of the vaccine supply and supervised about twenty agents nationwide, who inoculated around 100,000 people over the following decade, but the Congressional act allowed anyone to receive and use the vaccine.

A tragic error in 1822, whereby several persons in North Carolina died after being treated with specimens of small-pox they had received by mail rather than the intended cowpox, resulted in Smith’s dismissal from the post and Congress’s hasty repeal of the vaccination act.

Smith believed that the procedure was simple enough that average citizens ought to be allowed to perform vaccinations.

Interestingly, in an 1817 debate in the U.S. House of Representatives opposing a bill for the encouragement of vaccination, Amherst’s own Charles H. Atherton, Esq. (1773-1853) had argued (unsuccessfully, one infers) that vaccination should be in the hands of skilled physicians and that a federal agent was not needed as states could appoint their own agents and enact pertinent regulations as needed. Atherton observed that in his state of New Hampshire, “physicians made a point to preserve the genuine vaccine matter and that they inoculated at little expense and even gratuitously.” Ahh, but Atherton was from Amherst where Dr. Matthias Spalding practiced!

Katrina Holman welcomes comments to HistoricAmherstNH@juno.com

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Amherst Garden Club Plant Sale Goes Virtual... Online AMHERST – Club members will dig, pot and label to sell our usual high quality, locally grown perennials.

Purchase plants through the Club's new online shop starting 8:30 AM on April 28. The sale closes, May 1 at 12:00 noon, pickup May 8: amherstgardenclub.org) ...

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PEOPLE

Success Story: Lily Smith – Teen Entrepreneur AMHERST – A local teen is on the road to entrepreneurial success with a new e-commerce company that has resulted in customers from all over the U.S. and products that are catching on with the younger set ...

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FUNDRAISING

Dave Salvas Rides to End Cancer AMHERST – It has been a very stressful year for all of us, but just imagine what it is like to be stuck in a hospital with CANCER and can’t see anyone. Close your eyes and imagine being alone without family or friends or relatives to visit ...

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NH POLITICS

Senate Passes Bill to Help New Hampshire Small Businesses CONCORD – The Senate today passed SB13, legislation lowering the Business Profits Tax (BPT) and the Business Enterprise Tax (BET), a move that sends a strong message of support to Main Street businesses ...

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Club News AAUW Southern NH Branch News

Amherst Lions Club

Civic Engagement Series - Part 2

Chili Cook-O! Results

“Achieving Gender Justice” – April 14, 7 PM via Zoom AMHERST – The Southern NH Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) has scheduled the third and final program in their Civic Engagement Series – Part 2 on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 7 PM. Crystal Paradis, Director of Strategic Communications & Community Engagement for the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation, will present “Achieving Gender Justice” via Zoom. The program is free and Crystal Paradis - Director of Strategic open to all.

Communications & Community Engagement With a goal of advancing gender NH Women’s Foundation justice in New Hampshire, Ms. Paradis recognizes there is a long way to go in addressing inequities of political representation at the local level as well as equal pay in the workplace. She will share recently published data in the Granite State and also give an overview of the landscape of gender justice in both private and public spheres across the state. She will also offer suggestions on how to become more involved in shaping a more equitable future for New Hampshire women.

Crystal Paradis is a City Councilor At-Large for the City of Somersworth and sits on the recreation, pubic safety, sustainability and economic development committees. She is also founder of Feminist Oasis. In 2015, she was named one of 10 to Watch by Catapult & Seacoast Media Group. Her experience includes working on political campaigns from municipal to presidential and engaging community through her writing.

If interested in attending the program via Zoom, please contact Program Co-chair Johanna Tigert at johanna_tigert@uml.edu for the zoom link information.

Closing the Gender Wage Gap – Work Smart Online - FREE Course While waiting for the economy to get back on track, consider a program developed by AAUW to help women in salary negotiation. Work Smart Online is a free course that helps women earn the pay they deserve. To access the online course type salary.aauw.com in your search bar and begin preparation to negotiate a better salary and benefits. An easy, engaging e-tool will teach participants to learn the market value of their skills and experience, determine an equitable “target salary” based on skills and experience, and ask for the pay they deserve.

In surveys nearly all participants reported having more confidence and better negotiating skills after taking the class. For additional information, contact Susan Hoover at 213-6601.

AAUW Southern NH Branch Book Discussion Program for 2021 The following is the list of remaining books chosen for discussion in 2021. Discussions are expected to continue being held via Zoom.

Questions will be sent out ahead of time. If interested in participating, please contact book discussion facilitator Mary Marsh at amherst993@comcast.net.

Monday, May 3rd, 2021 “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead Monday, June 7th 2021 “The Beekeeper of Aleppo” by Christy Lefteri AAUW’s mission is to advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy. It is a non-partisan nonpolitical organization that never endorses candidates or specific parties.

The organization whose roots date back to the 1880s has two branches in NH. The Southern New Hampshire Branch, established in the 1970s, hosts a variety of programs concerning women’s education and equity issues that are open to the public. Depending on fund raising, the branch will award one or two scholarships to 2021 Souhegan High School young women graduates intending to pursue careers in STEM following college graduation. The branch will also host the Ninth Candidates Night scheduled on May 25. (This year Election Day is June 8.) All candidates running for town and school positions are invited to attend. The evening will be presented on Zoom.

Members of the branch live in the following New Hampshire communities: Amherst, Dover, Exeter, Hanover, Hollis, Manchester, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Nashua, Wilton, and Wolfboro. For more information about the organization contact Membership Co-chair Liz MacMillan at liz@macstewart.net.

by Joan Ferguson AMHERST – A non-conventional chili and a U.S. Coast Guard recipe took the top honors at the recent Lions Club chili cook-off.

Three local celebrity chefs chose them among 10 entries at the chili cookoff hosted by the Amherst and Merrimack Lions Clubs.

“It was super close. Everyone did great -- a lot of great flavor profiles, presentations, and creativity. All top notch,” said Copper Door’s Executive Chef Jay Smith. Other judges were CRACK’D Kitchen & Coffee Eatery Chef Alan Frati and Up In Your Grill’s Pitmaster Dan DeCourcey.

Brian Foster’s lamb chili took first place among the individual entries.

Admitting the recipe was created just days prior to the event, he said garbanzo beans hold their consistency better and the Havarti cheese topping adds more creaminess than other cheeses. The cilantro and lime finish the taste. Corn chips on the side add additional texture, he said.

Top Lions Club recipe went to Bedford Lions Club’s Mike Sills who explained a former Coast Guardsman brought the chili to a Super Bowl party in the 1970s and it’s been a favorite ever since with the right balance of core ingredients and added bacon to flavor. Even though Sills likes the Army’s recipe – perhaps out of loyalty to his service years – he said the Coast Guard chili is the best among the military services. The chefs agreed, selecting Skip’s Chili from among the four Lions Clubs’ entries.

To view the video that highlights the entrants, click this link: e-clubhouse.org/sites/amherstnh. All the entrants’ recipes and five bonus recipes are available for purchase with proceeds going to the Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation of New Hampshire.

Newcomers Seek New Members AMHERST – The Souhegan Valley Women's Social & Newcomers Club, aka Amherst Area Newcomers Club, is a non-profit, social group for women. We welcome new residents as well as those who have lived here for years. We offer monthly general events and over 22 interest groups.

Due to Covid, the general meetings have been on hiatus. We do have some groups who have been meeting outside, via zoom, or in person with Covid restrictions. Contact us at nhnewcomers@gmail.com, & check out our website at NHNewcomers.com.

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Garden Club Events

Amherst Garden Club Presents:

​Our Spring Plant Sale is Back: Online!

“How to Interpret a Forest’s History” with Tom Wessels VIRTUAL PROGRAM • Thursday, May 6th, 10:30 AM

Starting April 28th • Pickup May 8th

Amherst Garden Club Day at Amherst Garden Center Open to the public May 15, 2021

Garden Club Members: L-R: Marge McAdams, Mary Ann Kuhnert, Patty Stafford, Pat Legere

AMHERST – Ecologist Tom Wessels has spent more than twenty years interpreting New England’s landscape and teaching others to see “the forest for the trees.” An intrepid sleuth and articulate tutor, Tom will teach us how to interpret the landscape the way one might solve a mystery. What exactly is the meaning of all those stone walls in the middle of the forest? Why are pine trees dominant in one patch of forest and maples in another? How do you tell the age of a beaver pond and determine if beavers still live there?

This interactive presentation will guide us to a fuller understanding of our home ground. After a short introduction to reading forested landscapes, Tom will interpret photos we submit of landscape features we would like explained — oddly growing trees, unusual scarring on a tree trunk, or a patch of young saplings amid dense forest, for example. Through Tom we’ll learn to see the forest in a new light. No walk in the woods will ever be the same!

Tom Wessels is Professor Emeritus at Antioch University where he founded the master’s degree program in Conservation Biology. As a terrestrial ecologist he has interests in forest, desert, arctic, and alpine ecosystems, plus a strong interest in evolutionary ecology, complex systems, and sustainability. He is author of numerous books, including the highly acclaimed Reading the Forested Landscape: A Natural History of New England. His latest, New England’s Roadside Ecology: Explore 30 of the Regions Unique Natural Areas, will become available during spring of 2021.

During the pandemic, the garden club has been meeting online. Our business meeting will begin at 9:15 am, followed by Tom’s presentation at 10:30 am. Contact the garden club at info@amherstgardenclub.org if you would like to attend the business meeting, presentation, or both. You can also let us know if you have photos for Tom to interpret, time permitting.

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AMHERST – A spring tradition that was sadly missed in 2020 will be back this year! Marti Warren, Karen Woodbury and Elise Lutz, along with many dedicated members of The Amherst Garden Club, have been busy for months working out the details for the 2021 Amherst Plant Sale to be held online only. Our club members will dig, pot and label to sell our usual high quality, locally grown perennials. You will be able to purchase these plants through our new online shop starting at 8:30 AM on April 28.

Shop early for best selection! The sale will close on May 1 at 12:00 noon. Look for the link to the shop on our website (amherstgardenclub.org) or on our Facebook page. There will be photos of the perennials as mature plants, plant descriptions, and planting guidelines for all the plants we are offering for sale.

In addition to our featured locally grown perennials, our sale will include an auction selection of baskets creatively filled by our members with items perfect for Mother’s Day, or other gift giving occasions. Some themes for the baskets include gardening equipment, bees, Swedish baking, Bonsai, and Birds. Hanging Baskets of annual flowers will be available for purchase, grown by Trombly Gardens of Milford. The shop will also offer a curated selection of gently used gardening equipment and ornaments.

Payment will be made online during our sale hours. Plan to pick up your order curbside on Saturday, May 8. (You will be notified of your pick up time prior to May 8.) Our masked plant sale helpers will load your car with your ordercontact-free, no need to get out of your car. We can’t wait to see you for pick up on May 8!

AMHERST – Come visit Amherst Garden Club members on Saturday, May 15 as we tie on our garden aprons to sell plants at the Amherst Garden Center on Route 101. It’s a perfect time to purchase vegetable plants, perennials, annuals or shrubs as the nursery will be bursting with plants. A percentage of the sales will go into the club’s Plant Sale 2021 earnings. Owner, John Cochran, graciously invited the club to participate after last year’s plant sale was cancelled, and an online-sale coming up the week before Mother’s Day will be a first for the club this year. The plant sale is the club’s biggest fundraiser, raising money that goes back to the town in the form of replacing trees, plants for 11 civic gardens, horticultural speakers (open to the public), community grants, and scholarships.

The morning starts at 8:30am and the public is encouraged to come with questions for the garden club members. They will be happy to guide and assist everyone in finding the right plants for their landscapes. Also during the day, Peggy Wallace will be selling her beautiful glass garden ornaments. Flyers will be available from UNH Extension on a variety of gardening issues.

Please save the date for all your garden shopping and help the Amherst Garden Club during this pandemic year.

Checking a garden book, are members: L-R: Anne Krantz, Mary Salmon, Claudia Everest

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People

Success Story: Lily Smith – Teen Entrepreneur Submitted by Nancy Foster AMHERST – A local teen is on the road to entrepreneurial success with a new e-commerce company that, after four months, has resulted in customers from all over the U.S., over 1100 Instagram followers, and products that are catching on as a fashion statement with the younger set.

L. Skye Designs is the start-up of 13-yr-old Lily Smith of Amherst, spawned by her need to “be productive and to counter the effects of Covid pandemonium boredom.” This creative teen is the mastermind behind the operation from start to finish. She researched products coveted by elementary – high school students, developed designs, began producing, then advanced to designing a website through GoDaddy. After securing an e-commerce license and investing $300.00 of her own money for start-up costs, L. Skye Designs launched in December and orders soon followed. To date, profits are poured back into the business for marketing and supply costs -- but Lily anticipates taking a profit soon.

Currently Lily’s line includes handcrafted jewelry, whimsical scrunchies, custom stationery and “to do” pads. Trendy wire rings are available with various stones - including granite - in wire settings of silver, gold or copper. Popular motivational necklaces are available imprinted with “Bold, Loved or Strong,” and enameled lightning bolt earrings can be crafted with either huggie or hook fasteners. All items are priced beneath $20.00. Lily’s products are made from “high-quality local products” since she values the need to counterbalance “fast fashion” with handcrafted quality items, all the while supporting “shop local” and “Made in USA” initiatives.

Marketing of her products is done through her website, the YouTube Channel, and Instagram platforms.

A 7th grader at Amherst Middle School, Lily is following in the steps of her dad, Edward M. Smith, respected local businessman and founder of Nashua-based College Bound Movers. After graduation, she hopes to go to law school, but at present, she is intent on growing L. Skye Designs during after-school hours and lunch breaks. “I am excited to be a teen entrepreneur. It allows me to express myself artistically through my products, and I learn something new every day.”

Ms. Smith’s products may be found at www.lilyskydesigns.godaddysites.com and Instagram: lskye.designs.

Email: lilyskyedesigns@gmail.com.

A 13-year-old Amherst resident launched a start-up ecommerce business in December to combat pandemonium boredom and has already sold to customers throughout the U.S. Lily Smith’s company, Lily Sky Designs, sells her own line of handcrafted jewelry, scrunchies and note pads through: https://lilyskyedesigns.godaddysites.com.

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Fundraising

Ride to End Cancer AMHERST – I am registered for the Prouty Bike in 2021.

This year I will be participating in the 40th Annual Prouty, 2021.

I need your support! I will be riding 100 miles to end Cancer It has been a very stressful year for all of us, but just imagine what it is like to be stuck in a hospital with CANCER and can’t see anyone. Close your eyes and imagine being alone without family or friends or relatives to visit. Being stuck with needles, no one to talk to. Having test after test and now imagine you are only two years old.

Last August I was hit by a truck while on my bike and after an ambulance ride and spent the day in the hospital, but I was able to go home.

In January I had a Mini Stroke. Again rushed by ambulance to the hospital. This time I spent a few days in the hospital, tests, needles, scans. The worst part “No Visitors”. Couldn’t hold my wife’s hand and get her moral support. We talked on the phone, but just not the same.

All the patients with Cancer in the hospital are alone, no matter what age.

While I still have some numbness from the stroke, but I am able to bike and raise funds. I am able to get out and enjoy fresh air, family, and friends (albeit 6 feet apart with a mask).

Riding 100 miles to help end cancer pales in comparison to all the things that cancer patients have to go through. If you think riding 100 miles is tough, try Chemotherapy!

One friend lost his daughter to cancer, and another friend David has had numerous bouts with cancer now. I have been very blessed with good health and want to pass this along to others that are struggling with cancer.

Please help me obtain my fund raising goal and get us closer to ending Cancer. For every check, credit card, or cash donation of $250$999, the gift will be matched dollar for dollar, by the Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation Match. I will personally match the first $500 of donations.

If you have someone you would like me to ride in Honor or Memory of, let me know and I will print their name on a ribbon and pin it to my shirt as I ride.

Funds raised help fuel life-saving cancer research and meaningful patient and family support services at Dartmouth and DartmouthHitchcock’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center, one of only 51 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute.

Together we will end cancer. Thank you for your support!

Dave Salvas Amherst

30th Annual Souhegan Valley Golf Classic

AMHERST – This year, our 30th Annual Souhegan Valley Golf Classic (charity golf tournament and dinner auction) will be held on Thursday, June 10th 2021, rain or shine, at the Amherst Country Club in Amherst, NH. Our charity golf tournament and dinner auction attracts many golfers from the Southern New Hampshire Community. It is one of the area’s premiere charity golf tournaments and is a day filled with great food, grea golf, and a Live Dinner Auction at the end of the day. This event provides much needed financial support to our agency. Opportunity Networks is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with 34 years serving adult residents who live with acquired and developmental disabilities. We are committed to providing genuine Vocational Opportunities and Social Activities that promote life enhancing skills for disabled adults in the Southern New Hampshire area.

Once a disabled person reaches the age of 21, they are no longer eligible to receive benefits through their local school system. This is why Opportunity Networks is so important to the community at large; it provides vital support services to the disabled that allows them to thrive as an adult. Our clients range in age from 21 to their upper 60’s. They want to succeed and be a part of their community, and at Opportunity Networks, we strive to allow them to do just that!

Throughout the history of our organization, we have depended on the generous support of the community to assist us with accomplishing our mission. With funding cuts on the federal, state and local levels, our fundraising efforts have become more crucial than ever for us to raise the funds necessary for us to provide quality programming for our clients.

We are proud and fortunate to operate in such a supportive community. Please consider supporting our organization. If you have any questions, contact Amanda Morse: 603-883-4402, amorse@opportunitynetworks.org .

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Elections

Candidates Running for O!ce Town of Amherst and School Districts (SAU39) Town Elections June 8th 2021 Amherst, NH * Incumbent ** Currently an appointed member

2 Selectmen – 3 Yrs John D’angelo* Raymond N. Kong Danielle Pray

1 Town Treasurer – 3 Yrs Elizabeth Overholt*

1 Cemetery Trustee – 3 Yrs Lisa Eastland*

2 Library Trustees – 3 Yrs Nancy T. Baker* Michael Enriquez

2 Zoning Board Members – 3 Yrs Timothy Kachmar Douglas H. Kirkwood* Tracy Lee Mclnnls

1 Trustee of The Trust Funds – 3 Yrs Lori Mix*

2 Planning Board Members – 3 Yrs William R. ‘’Bill’’ Stoughton** Craig Urquhart Christopher ‘’Chris’’ Yates**

2 Planning Board Members – 2 Yrs Peter Hansen Robert Kula Thomas Quinn Arnold Rosenblatt** Thomas Silvia

AAUW Southern NH Branch News

Ninth Annual Amherst Candidates Night – New Date On Tuesday, May 25, 2021 the Southern New Hampshire Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will hold the Ninth Annual Amherst Candidates Night via Zoom from 7 pm to 9 pm. Election Day is Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Anyone with questions may contact Liz Overholt at liz@theoverholts.net or 673-5171.

The filing period for both town and school Amherst offices did not change. The last day of the filing period was Friday, January 29th.

Deliberative and Town Election dates postponed to May & June Pursuant to the NH Governor’s Emergency Order #83, the Amherst Board of Selectmen have postponed the Amherst Deliberative Session and Town Elections.

The Deliberative Session previously scheduled for Wednesday February 3, 2021 has been moved to Wednesday May 5, 2021.

The Town Election previously scheduled for Tuesday March 9, 2021 has been moved to Tuesday June 8, 2021.

School Elections June 8th 2021 Amherst & Mont Vernon, NH * Incumbent ** Currently an appointed member

1 Amherst School District Board Member– 3 Yrs Victoria Parisi Jason White

1 Souhegan Cooperative School Board Member (Amherst) – 3 Yrs Tony Labranche John Glover*

2 Mont Vernon School Board Members – 3 Yrs Sarah Lawrence Peter Eckhoff

1 Mont Vernon School District Moderator – 1 Yr Peter King

1 Mont Vernon School District Clerk – 1 Yr Autumn Grdina

1 Mont Vernon School District Treasurer – 1 Yr Lyn Jennings

2 Planning Board Members – 1 Yr Tracie Adams** Eugene C. Anctil Christy C. Houpis**

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APRIL 2021

NH Politics

Senate Passes Bill to Help New Hampshire Small Businesses SB13 lowers BPT and BET tax rates; boosts businesses hurt by pandemic CONCORD, NH -- The Senate today passed SB13, legislation lowering the Business Profits Tax (BPT) and the Business Enterprise Tax (BET), a move that sends a strong message of support to Main Street businesses that have been hurt by the pandemic. The bill reduces the BPT from 7.7% to 7.5% and the BET from .6% to .5%.

The bill’s prime sponsor, Senate President Chuck Morse, (R-Salem), said, “Reducing these taxes is important because our Main Street businesses are still struggling due to the pandemic. SB13 is about jobs. It will help small businesses keep our friends and neighbors employed as the pandemic ends and we work towards restoring New Hampshire’s economy. Lower tax rates also reduce the cost of doing business, make our state more attractive to companies thinking of relocating here and help incentivize new investment.”

Morse added, “Since 2015, Senate Republicans have been fighting to make New Hampshire’s business climate more competitive. With SB13, we have reduced the BPT from 8.5% to 7.5%, a nearly 12% reduction in the tax rate. Senate Republicans have also lowered the rate of the BET from 0.75% to 05%, a 33% rate reduction on the tax on all New Hampshire employers.”

Additionally, Morse said, “SB13 doubles the current exemption on the Interest & Dividends tax from $1,200 to $2,400 for those who are age 65 or older, blind, disabled or unable to work and not yet 65. Increasing the exemption for those who are 65 and older will make it easier for them to stay in the state and that is important because a third of New Hampshire citizens will be above 65 by 2030.”

New Hampshire Senate

Republicans Vote to Support Second Amendment Rights CONCORD, NH – All 14 Senate Republicans today voted to pass SB154 legislation that would prohibit the state of New Hampshire from enforcing a Presidential Executive Order seeking to restrict or regulate a person’s right to own a gun under the Second Amendment.

The bill’s prime sponsor, Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, (R-Wolfeboro) explained the need for SB154 saying, “If there are Executive Orders issued from President Biden restricting an individual’s ability to keep and bear arms, this bill will make it clear that the state of New Hampshire would not enforce any such Orders issued after January 20, 2021. SB154 will protect the rights of New Hampshire citizens to defend themselves and their loved ones. New Hampshire is among the safest states in America because we have effective law enforcement and allow people to exercise their constitutional rights under the 2nd Amendment.”

DIRECTORY

NH Expands Eligibility, Additional 35,000+ Granite Staters Schedule Appointments CONCORD, NH – Today, over 35,000 Granite Staters scheduled an appointment for their COVID-19 vaccine as of 3:00 PM. “Today’s expansion of eligibility to individuals 30 and older was another massive success,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “As we designed VINI, creating an easy-to-use system that allows Granite Staters to complete the registration and scheduling process as quickly as possible was our focus, and on average, users completed the process in well under 15 minutes.

Today was another win for New Hampshire.”

Users did not experience wait times during today’s release.

The state estimates that approximately 25,000 individuals in the 30-39 year old age bracket have already received at least their first dose as part of earlier phases.

Today’s expansion of eligibility follows Monday’s successful rollout to New Hampshire residents 40+. As of 3:00 PM today, over 51,000 appointments had been scheduled by those 40+. Eligibility will expand to all New Hampshire residents 16+ Friday, April 2.

Due to FDA emergency use authorization requirements, 16 and 17 year old vaccine recipients are only allowed to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

Pfizer is available at all state-managed fixed sites. A parent or guardian must be present at the time of vaccination.

The State continues to urge those who register to use only one device during the registration process. Individuals who attempt to sign on with multiple devices risk having longer wait times and will contribute to a slower registration process.

Shaheen Statement on the American Jobs Plan WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) released the following statement after President Biden unveiled his comprehensive infrastructure package, the American Jobs Plan: “All Granite Staters deserve safe roads, clean water, high speed internet and access to good-paying jobs – these investments and more can’t come soon enough as we recover from this economic crisis. It’s been decades since we’ve invested in our infrastructure in a meaningful way, but now we have an opportunity to repair crumbling infrastructure that threatens our safety and security, while creating jobs and bolstering our domestic supply chain,” said Shaheen. “From expanding access to quality broadband and investing in manufacturing to repairing our bridges, highways and roads, New Hampshire’s infrastructure priorities must be met and I’m eager to work with the Biden administration to make that happen.”

Senate Votes for Property Tax Relief SB99 gives cities and towns more Meals & Rooms money to help lower local property taxes CONCORD, NH -- In a win for taxpayers all across New Hampshire, the Senate today voted 24-0 to pass SB99 which is designed to send more Meals & Rooms (M&R) tax revenues back to cities and towns to help lower local property taxes.

Prime sponsor Sen. Denise Ricciardi (R-Bedford) called the legislation long overdue, saying, “The state has been promising to share more of the revenue generated by the Meals & Rooms tax with local communities for

decades. If signed into law, SB99 will guarantee that promise is finally kept, and I am delighted we took a big step in that direction today with the Senate passing the bill unanimously.”

Under SB99, cities and towns would receive 40% of the M&R revenues generated in their communities instead of the current 22%. This would mean an additional $56 million for local property tax relief.

House Labor Committee Approves Right-To-Work Legislation CONCORD, NH - House Senior Majority Advisor and 36 year union member Representative Len Turcotte (R-Barrington) released the following statement after the House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services committee voted 11-9 to recommend OTP/A on SB61, prohibiting collective bargaining agreements that require employees to join a labor union.

“I first want to thank my Republican colleagues on the House Labor committee for supporting this critical piece of legislation. Putting SB61 into law would make New Hampshire the only Right-To-Work state in the region and give us a distinct advantage when competing for jobs,” said Turcotte.

“The public hearing saw the same old fear-mongering tactics of the past.

Let’s set the record straight. Right-To-work is not a Democrat versus Republican issue. Right-To-Work is not union-busting. Right-To-Work will not in any way, shape, or form affect an individual’s ability to join or form a union. It will allow union members to ensure they are receiving adequate value in exchange for dues paid. It will also assure private-sector workers the same freedom that their public sector counterparts have received since 2018, the ability to make that decision for themselves.”

“Making New Hampshire the nation’s 29th Right-To-Work state would be a clear victory for our workforce by creating more jobs and giving workers the freedom they need to make the choices that suit them best.”

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Obituaries

Bruce Borglum Brinkema AMHERST – Bruce B. Brinkema, 86, longtime resident of Amherst, NH died on March 2, 2021 at his home surrounded by his family.

He was born in Omaha, Nebraska on February 5, 1935, son of Robert J. and Jean (Borglum) Brinkema.

Bruce was raised in Omaha, Queens, NY and Oakland, NJ. He graduated from Pompton Lakes High School in NJ, excelling in football as their quarterback, earned his BA from Dartmouth College while learning to ski, and an MBA from University of Southern California to advance his banking career.

He had been employed in the banking industry for many years, including by Union Bank in Los Angeles, CA. He was a veteran of the United States Marine Corp and was honorably discharged as a first lieutenant in 1959.

Bruce was an elite masters cross country skier across five decades.

Bruce skied his first ski marathon, the 90 kilometer Swedish Vasaloppet in 1973, with dear friend and Dartmouth classmate Len Johnson of Milford.

He went on to compete in 38 American Birkebeiner ski marathons, frequently finishing in the top three of his age category. He was a fixture at the annual Thanksgiving gathering of the national ski racing community in West Yellowstone, MT.

Bruce was a member of the Milford Rotary Club, Cambridge Sports Union, and Amherst Country Club where he frequently participated in a men’s golf league. From his childhood to post retirement, he enjoyed hunting and fishing with his favorite dogs. In addition, he and his wife loved spending time at their second home in Waterville Valley with family and friends.

Family members include his loving wife of 60 years, Julie (von Schrader) Brinkema of Amherst, NH; a son and daughter-in-law, Corey Brinkema and Maree Hampton of Minneapolis, MN; two daughters, Kristin Brinkema and her partner, Lisa Stevens of San Juan Capistrano, CA, and Jean Brinkema of Playa Vista, CA; five grandchildren, Torsten, Lars, Bode, Berit and Maxwell; a brother and sister-in-law, John and Leone Brinkema of Virginia; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Anne Ganley of Colorado Springs, CO and Susan and Gregory Hewitt of Lakeside, CA; several nieces and nephews.

Our amazing, caring dad and grandfather, a wonderful, devoted husband, and big brother left us way too soon. His passion and determination in his many endeavors, and above all his love will stay forever in our family’s memory.

Services will be held later this year. Arrangements are in the care of Smith & Heald Funeral Home, 63 Elm Street, Milford. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please go to www.smith-heald.com

Laura Anne Krantz AMHERST – Laura Anne Krantz, 47, born in Chester, PA September 19, 1973 passed away peacefully March 9, 2021 after a courageous battle with cancer.

She resided in Amherst from 1983 until 1990. Laura was a resident of Dublin, NH for many years and most recently lived in Hancock, NH. Laura graduated from The Dublin School and received her Registered Nurse degree from the New Hampshire Technical Institute, Concord, NH. After graduation she worked at the Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, NH and later worked as a private duty nurse.

She is survived by her son Colby Theodor Tolman, three brothers: Kristoff, Randall and Dale, her parents Anne and Ted Krantz, Amherst, and her partner Brian Murphy.

Laura always had a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eye. She will be remembered for her kindness, her sharp wit and her infectious laughter. She loved cooking, skiing, and water sports. She and Colby spent many happy summer days at the Dublin Lake Club.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her memory to the Merrimack Community Hospice House. The family would like to thank the outstanding staff and volunteers there that took such good care of her during this difficult time. There are no calling hours, and a celebration of life for the family will be scheduled at a later date.

Arrangements are in the care of Smith & Heald Funeral Home, Milford, NH. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please go to www.smithheald.com

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Obituaries

George F. Howatt, Jr.

David Lyle Bellamy

AMHERST – George Frederick “Bud” Howatt, Jr., age 97, of Amherst, New Hampshire, died peacefully on March 10, 2021 at High Pointe House, Haverhill, MA. George was born in Winthrop, MA in 1924, son of George F. Howatt and Dorothy (Spinney) Howatt. He spent his childhood in Winthrop before moving to Natick. He graduated from Newton Trade School in 1942 and Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s School of Industrial Management.

MONT VERNON – David Lyle Bellamy, 52, longtime resident of Mont Vernon, NH, died from a heart attack on March 26, 2021 at Catholic Medical Center, Manchester, NH. He was born in Worcester, MA on February 17, 1969, moving to Mont Vernon, NH in grade school. He was raised and educated in Mont Vernon and Milford graduating from Milford Area Senior High School, Class of 1988.

Dave had been employed by the

George enlisted in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a pilot with the 389th Squadron, 312th Bombardment Group in the Philippines. At the end of the war he was stationed in Japan for nine months before discharge.

Following the war, George became V.P. of National Lace Paper Company, Vice President and Plant Manager of New England Envelope Mfg. Co. and later owner and President of Orion Machine Co. He held several patents on machinery used in the envelope industry.

In 1960 George moved with his family to Holden, MA where he lived for 42 years before moving to Paxton in 2002. He moved to Worcester briefly before moving to Swampscott in 2014 and to New Hampshire in 2018.

George was an avid golfer and an accomplished ship modeler. He served briefly as Chairman on the Holden Industrial Committee and also the Paxton Council on Aging.

He was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Louise (Hagman) Howatt; a sister, Elizabeth Russell; and brothers, Richard Howatt and Robert Howatt.

Family members include his children, Nancy H. Wilson of Amherst, NH, with whom he made his home, Carol D. Costello of Marblehead, and William D. Howatt and his wife, Laurel of Rutland, MA; six grandchildren, Craig Wilson and his wife Moray, Alexander Wilson and his wife Johanna, Kevin Costello and his wife Caitlin, Kristen Black and her husband Stephen, Jason Stoyanoff and his wife Dianna, Lindsay Brown and her wife Melanie Maness and nine great-grandchildren.

At his request there will be no calling hours or memorial service. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to High Pointe House, Home Health Foundation, 360 Merrimack Street, Bldg. 9, Lawrence, MA 01843.

Arrangements are in the care of Smith & Heald Funeral Home, 63 Elm Street, Milford, New Hampshire. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please go to www.smith-heald.com

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Milford and Amherst School Districts for many years. He was a volunteer firefighter for 33 years, starting in Mont Vernon at the age of 18 and serving Milford department when he lived there for a time.

He was a regular patron at the local diners and cafés where he would stop in for coffee and conversation with anyone and everyone. Dave was always available to lend a helping hand, have a cuppa coffee, and listen to anyone who wanted to talk. He was a loving son, father, brother, and uncle. He loved his sons, Lyle and Nathan and considered them his main source of inspiration. He was proud of the men they have become and looked forward to seeing them take their next steps through adulthood.

Family members include his parents, Jacqueline and Fred Salisbury of Milford, NH; two sons, Lyle Bellamy and Nathan Bellamy, both of Mont Vernon; his twin brother; Ralph Bellamy and his wife, Luci and family of FL; brother, James Bellamy and family of Milford, NH; a sister and brother-inlaw, Marlene Nielsen and Thomas of CA; brother, Ken Salisbury, and family of Milford NH, brother Keith Salisbury and his wife Maria and family of Milford, NH; sister Emily Bellamy and Jason Biddix and family of NC; sister Carmen LaPlante and her husband Gary and family of Mont Vernon NH; sister, Debra Scripter and family of TN; brother, Scott Salisbury and his wife, Melissa, and family, of Milford, NH, and Matthew Salisbury and Renee Renda of Milford, NH. Donations in his memory may be made to the Mont Vernon Fire Department.

Arrangements are in the care of Smith & Heald Funeral Home, 63 Elm Street, Milford. For more information, please go to the Mont Vernon Fire Department Facebook page. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please go to www.smith-heald.com

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Schools

SAU #39: Amy Facey Appointed as Business Administrator AMHERST & MONT VERNON – Amy Facey, former Souhegan Cooperative School Board member, is appointed by unanimous vote to the role of business administrator.

She will officially begin on July 1, 2021, but will start transitioning into the role before that date.

Superintendent of Schools, Adam Steel, appointed Ms. Facey at the SAU #39 Board Meeting on March 18 2021. The SAU #39 Board unanimously elected her for a threeyear term with a starting salary of $117,000.

Facey resigned from her seat on Amy Facey the Souhegan Cooperative School Board, effective March 17, 2021. She was elected to the school board for a second term in March 2020. During her time as a school board member, she served in several roles, including the Policy Committee, Joint Facilities Advisory Committee, and as Chairperson to the SAU 39 Board.

Adam Steel, superintendent of schools for SAU #39: “Amy brings unique experience from both the non profit and business worlds. As a former board member, she knows exactly what our schools are capable of and what it will take to get us there. As a trusted member of our board, she already has established rapport and credibility with our community and our staff that will allow her to make an immediate impact.”

Amy Facey to the SAU 39 Board on her appointment: “. . . I’m so excited to serve in this role and to continue to work with [the board]. I do want to say that it has been an honor and a privilege to serve with all of you, as board members. I have learned from each and every one of you, and I look forward to continuing to serve our school community together.”

Stephen O’Keefe, SAU 39 Board Chairperson: “I am happy to join my fellow board members in welcoming Mrs. Amy Facey to our SAU #39 administrative team. Amy has been a pillar of our school community for the past ten years and has demonstrated a deep understanding of our commitment to our students. Amy’s successfully private sector experience, board membership and community engagement made her a natural fit for our district and will serve her well in her new role as our Business Administrator. We look forward to many years of partnership as we serve the school communities of Amherst and Mont Vernon.”

Spirituality Finds a Place in the New ‘Schoolhouse’

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

The Antil family of Amherst AMHERST – For many children, education is now presented and received at dining room tables, in kitchens, basements, and bedrooms: the new “schoolhouse.”

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But when school buildings shuttered their doors in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Jehovah’s Witness families turned the challenges of remote learning into an opportunity to expand their children’s education through spiritual activities.

For many parents accustomed to sending their children off to a school each morning, taking a more active role in their child’s education has been one of the most difficult challenges of this “new normal.”

Other parents have acknowledged the difficulties that stay-at-home orders have created. Jennifer Antil from Amherst, New Hampshire faced these challenges by incorporating spiritual topics into the education of their three daughters, ages 13, 15, and 18. They made a virtual visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a Bible tour and started research projects on historical figures in the Bible like Queen Esther.

Some families have found that the best education happens beyond the walls of their “schoolhouse”—with what educators call authentic or project-based learning. This learn-by-doing approach “requires developing skills in critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and various forms of communication,” according to PBLWorks, a nonprofit organization focused on project-based learning.

More information on how families can succeed at distance learning and on the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses is available at jw.org,

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Sports

Rosters Announced for 2021 CHaD All-Star Football Game

All-Stars suiting up July 17 at St. Anselm College LEBANON, NH – The rosters are now confirmed for the 2021 CHaD NH East-West High School All-Star Football Game presented

by Bedford & Nashua Ambulatory Surgical Centers. Over eighty of New Hampshire’s best football players have been chosen to play one more game that will raise money for Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD).

These soon-to-be high school graduates will meet up at St. Anselm College’s Grappone Stadium July 17 at 1 p.m. for the epic east vs. west showdown.

Team West, which leads the series 5-3, will be led by Souhegan head coach Robin Bowkett. His roster features players from 18 schools, the largest contingent of six coming from Goffstown. Five players (Will Boyle, Austin Jain, Riley Lawhorn, Luke Manning and Michael Maroun) represent Division II champion Souhegan and four players from HollisBrookline and Bedford were also selected for the game.

The teams will learn about the game, how it benefits patients and families, and how they can support the cause with fundraising of their own. They will also get to sit down with their coaches in the virtual setting to discuss additional on-field details.

Players are not required to fundraise in order to play in the game but they have generated over $535,000 since the game began. Last year’s teams raised $46,000 despite the pandemic, highlighted by Milford High School’s Colton Burrows.

Fans can donate to the players on their individual fundraising pages at www.CHaDAllStarFootball.org. Sponsorship packages are also available to businesses and organizations who wish to support the cause.

Tickets and viewing options are still under discussion and will be announced at a later date.

Tuition Update

University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University, Keene State College and Granite State College Announce Third Consecutive Tuition Freeze for In-State Students CONCORD, NH – Recognizing the financial challenges faced by many Granite State families due to the pandemic, the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) will freeze tuition for in-state students for the 2021-2022 academic year. This is the third straight year USNH has kept tuition the same for New Hampshire residents.

“Ensuring that public higher education is accessible and affordable for students is a top priority for our institutions as we continue working to serve New Hampshire and to make our colleges and universities the first choice for New Hampshire students,” said Cathy Provencher, USNH Vice Chancellor. “This has been an incredibly challenging year in so many ways, and we continue to work to lessen the financial burden on our students and their families, many of whom have suffered job losses, business closures and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Provencher noted that the ability to freeze in-state tuition for a third year was made possible due to the support of the New Hampshire congressional delegation, our Governor and state legislators. “In the face of financial losses and unanticipated COVID-related expenses for the University System of New Hampshire, this tuition freeze would likely not have happened without their support,” added Provencher.

USNH

year. Granite State College, USNH’s adult serving college with courses primarily delivered online, is recognized as the most affordable bachelor’s degree in New Hampshire.

The University of New Hampshire campuses in Durham and Manchester, Plymouth State University, and Keene State College continue to offer the groundbreaking financial aid program, Granite Guarantee, which makes college affordable for more than 2000 Granite Staters by covering the full cost of in-state tuition for all who qualify. First year through senior year students, along with Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) graduates who transfer to USNH institutions, benefit from the Granite Guarantee. For more information about the Granite Guarantee, please visit: www.usnh.edu/our-institutions/graniteguarantee.

For more information about USNH, please visit: www.usnh.edu/yours.

The University System of New Hampshire (USNH) enrolls 32,000 students and consists of four public institutions: Granite State College, Keene State College, Plymouth State University and the University of New Hampshire. USNH strives to ensure the availability of appropriate and accessible higher educational opportunities throughout New Hampshire

institutions have also committed to providing significant increases in financial aid to students, reducing the overall cost of attendance. Since fall 2016, aid to USNH students has increased from $119M to $161M per

and addresses critical state workforce needs. A 29-member Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the University System.

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Students Named to Dean’s List at Bates College LEWISTON, ME -- The following students have been named to the dean’s list at Bates College for the fall semester ending in December 2020. This is a distinction earned by students whose grade point average is 3.88 or higher.

Elise Lambert of Amherst, N.H., was named to the dean’s list at Bates College for the fall semester ending in December 2020. This is a distinction earned by students whose grade point average is 3.88 or higher. Lambert, the daughter of Brian A. Lambert and Lisa A. Lambert, is a 2018 graduate of Souhegan High School. She is majoring in politics and minoring in Spanish at Bates.

Els Caulo of Amherst, N.H., was named to the dean’s list at Bates College for the fall semester ending in December 2020. This is a distinction earned by students whose grade point average is 3.88 or higher. Caulo, the daughter of Peter J. Caulo and Elizabeth G. Caulo, is a 2017 graduate of Brooks School.

She is majoring in sociology and minoring in anthropology and Asian studies at Bates.

Emma Upton of Amherst, N.H., was named to the dean’s list at Bates College for the fall semester ending in December 2020. This is a distinction earned by students whose grade point average is 3.88 or higher. Upton, the daughter of Richard A. Upton and Susan A. Upton, is a 2020 graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy.

Local Assumption Students Inducted into Sociology International Honor Society WORCESTER, MA -- The Assumption Department of Sociology & Criminology has announced that 16 students have become a members of Alpha Kappa Delta, the international honor society in sociology. Local students include: John Mastergeorge of Amherst To be inducted into Alpha Kappa Delta, students must be in their junior year, hold a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0, and rank in the top 35 percent of their class.

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Students in the News The Derryfield School Honor Roll Students from Amherst

ARTS

Hofstra University Congratulates Fall 2020 Graduates

Local Residents Named to Simmons University Dean’s List

HEMPSTEAD, NY -- More than 700 Hofstra University students earned their undergraduate, graduate, or law degrees in December 2020.

Benjamin Gottwald of Amherst, NH earned a Bachelor of Arts in English.

BOSTON, MA. - The following local residents were named to the 2020 fall semester dean’s list at Simmons University in Boston.

Ariana Infanti, Amherst Hailey Yabroudy, Amherst Abigail Powers, Amherst Hailey Hull, Amherst Rowen Bentley-Melle, Amherst Kristin Meader, Mont Vernon Andreana Brown, Mont Vernon To qualify for dean’s list status, undergraduate students must obtain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, based on 12 or more credit hours of work in classes using the letter grade system.

Mont Vernon Resident Earns First Academic Honors from Clark Univ.

WORCESTER, Mass. - Emerson S. Addams of Mont Vernon, NH, was named to first honors on the Clark University Dean’s List. This selection marks outstanding academic achievement during the Spring 2020 semester.

To be eligible for first honors, students must have a grade point average of 3.8 or higher, of a maximum of 4.3 (all A+s).

Local Students Named to St. Lawrence University Dean’s List CANTON, NY -- The following students have been selected for inclusion on St. Lawrence University’s Dean’s List for their academic achievements during the Fall 2020 semester.

Emily Grudzien is a member of the Class of 2021 and is majoring in environmental studiesEnglish. Grudzien is from Amherst and attended Souhegan High School.

India Jones is a member of the Class of 2024. Jones is from Mont Vernon and attended Souhegan High School.

Sophia Alusya Nikolenko is a member of the Class of 2021 and is majoring in environmental studies. Nikolenko is from Amherst and attended .

Lillian Sullivan is a member of the Class of 2021 and is majoring in history. Sullivan is from Wilton and attended Souhegan High School.

Fall 2020 Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence HAMILTON, NY -- Students who receive a term grade point average of 3.3 or higher while completing at least three courses for a conventional letter grade earn the fall 2020 Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence.

Isabel Blume of Amherst, is a graduate of Souhegan High School, and a International Relations major at Colgate.

Fall 2020 Dean’s Award with Distinction HAMILTON, NY -- Students who receive a term grade point average of 3.6 or higher while completing at least three courses for a conventional letter grade during the fall 2020 semester earn the Dean’s Award with Distinction.

Matthew Chistolini of Amherst, is a graduate of Souhegan High School, and is a Applied Mathematics major at Colgate.

Emerson College Announces Dean’s List Honorees for Fall 2020 Semester BOSTON, MA - The following students have been named to Emerson College’s Dean’s List for the Fall 2020 semester. The requirement to make Dean’s List is a grade point average of 3.7 or higher for that semester.

Elizabeth Apple of Mont Vernon, Major Media Arts Production. Class of 2022.

Olivia Cashman of Amherst, Major - Media Arts Production. Class of 2022.

Local Students Named to Dean’s List at MCPHS University BOSTON, MA - Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) University is pleased to announce the students who have been named to the Dean’s List for the Fall 2020 semester: Hannah Pike is a native of Amherst, and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Hannah will graduate from the Boston, Massachusetts campus in 2022.

Tessaleigh Leroy is a native of Amherst, and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Tessaleigh will graduate from the Manchester, New Hampshire campus in 2021.

Lauren Trepaney is a native of Amherst, and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Lauren will graduate from the Manchester, New Hampshire campus in 2021.

Katherine Visich is a native of Amherst, and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Katherine will graduate from the Manchester, New Hampshire campus in 2021.

Juliana Torres is a native of Amherst, and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Juliana will graduate from the Boston, Massachusetts campus in 2024.

The Dean’s List recognizes those students with a full-time course load who have achieved outstanding scholarship with a 3.5 GPA or higher for the academic term.

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Arts & Entertainment

The Currier Museum of Art Has Reopened to the Public New Classrooms Signal a Fresh Start for Programs MANCHESTER - The Currier Museum of Art reopened to the public on Thursday, April 1st.

At the same time, it will unveil newly renovated and expanded classrooms. The Art for Vets Studios will host expanded veterans and community programs, made possible by CARES funds administered through the state and Swim With a Mission.

“We are thrilled to be reopening. The museum belongs to the community as a place of discovery and learning, but also as a place to escape from a tough year,” stated Alan Chong, director of the museum. “Our new classrooms and exhibitions will launch us into the future.”

Art for Vets at the Currier offers opportunities for veterans, active service members, and their families to come together and enjoy the benefits of the creative experience. The new classrooms in the museum will foster social connections through looking, art-making, and guided conversations. More information is available here.

A new exhibition will also open on April 1.

The Body in Art: From the Spiritual to the Sensual will explore the creative ways artists through the ages have used the human body

as a means of expression. These meanings included religion, passion, joy, and a sense of our own mortality. The past year has reminded us that we are all fragile but share a great deal in common.

The Currier Museum celebrates the art of Tomie dePaola, the great book illustrator who died a year ago this month. The museum formed a close bond with Tomie when his work

was exhibited in 2018, and this new exhibitionof original drawings launches a fund set up in his honor to support art education for young people.

Also on view is Critical Cartography: Larissa Fassler in Manchester. The Currier’s artist-inresidence used large-scale maps to capture the strange and sometimes humorous interactions in downtown Manchester.

Creatively Coping With Covid-19 MILFORD – This past year has been as difficult as any that most of us can remember.

But for those in our community operating small businesses, life has been particularly challenging. Surviving has required selfsacrifice, ingenuity, cost cutting and finding new ways to adapt to changing conditions.

Such has been the case at Creative Ventures Gallery on Nashua Street in Milford. Before the pandemic, class attendance was at or near capacity. New exhibitions attracted patrons and guests. First Friday Art Talks were well attended, and then all that just went away, virtually overnight. Hosting of Milford’s Tuesday Morning Coffee and Critique group was placed on hold. And like the flip of a switch Plan B was born.

“Our mission,” according to Betsy Craumer, owner/operator of Creative Ventures, “includes supporting both our local professional artists and art students. The pandemic has made this objective more challenging, so we have made efforts to adapt to this new reality.”

During the early days of the pandemic, classes became smaller virtually overnight as students hunkered down and stayed home, giving birth to zoom classes and one-on-one online critiques.

Those who continued to attend in-person classes wore masks and maintained social distancing. This practice will continue until state regulations allow a return to normal.

Before the pandemic, the main viewing area in the gallery building was dedicated to showing the work of those speakers who presented during First Friday events. The shuttering of that recurring event provided an opportunity to refocus the venue to feature the work of many of the area’s favorite artists, all of whom have been affected in one way or another by the

closure or postponement of art shows and otheropportunities to sell their art. Artists whose work is on display at the Gallery include but are not limited to William Cheever Turner, Phil Bean, Joan Tierney, Chris Reid, Betty Glass and Howard Muscott.

Looking ahead with the light at the end of the tunnel in sight, Creative Ventures looks forward to slowly returning to normal activity levels, jump-starting the process by offering two free classes to any new student interested in trying his or her hand at drawing or painting in pastel, acrylic or watercolor. This is a limited

time offer. We have all heard folks saying, “I sure would love to try _________ but don’t want to sign up for a class until I know I will like it.”

Problem solved.

To paraphrase a well-worn sentiment, change is life’s only certainty. That truism has been driven home to all businesses large and small during this past year. One’s ability and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances has been the hallmark of all businesses coping with Covid-19.

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Mont Vernon

Daland Memorial Library Popup Storytime with Miss JoAnn - And the Pe…

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Spring Storytime As the weather gets warmer, be on the lookout for outdoor storytime with Miss JoAnn in the backyard of the library. We will hope to meet in late April for stories and a craft. Until then, enjoy Pop Up Storytime on the library Facebook page.

Adult Craft NightSign up to learn the art of terrariums on Saturday, April 17th at 12:00pm in the backyard of the library (weather permitting). We’ve been inspired by the book “Terrarium Craft” by Amy Bryant Aiello and will provide the container, tools, planting materials, embellishments, and instructions for a complete terrarium. Call 673-7888 or email dalandlibrary@comcast.net to reserve a spot. Limit 10 participants. $25 material fee.

Spring Poetry NightSpring is in the air! Join facilitator Mary Katherine McNamara on Thursday, April 22nd for an evening of poetry to celebrate National Poetry month. Bring a poem about spring to share with the group. Call, email, or visit the library Facebook page to sign up. Meeting will be held on Zoom.

Book Clubs The Daland Memorial Library offers three Adult Book Clubs. There is no attendance requirement for either group – attend meetings that are of interest. Books are available to borrow at the library. New members always welcome! If you have any questions about book clubs, please call the library at 673-7888.

Morning Book Discussion Group – Meets the 1st Monday each month at 10:00AM by ZOOM. The group reads a mix of contemporary fiction and non-fiction titles. 2020 titles listed below.

Monday, April 5th: “Half of a Yellow Sun” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Just the Classics Book Club – Meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM by ZOOM. This book group is focused on reading classic titles selected by group members. 2020 titles listed below.

Thursday, April 15th: “The Three Musketeers” by Alexandre Dumas Black Books Matter- Meets the 2nd Thursday of the month at 6:30 PM by Zoom. This is a newly formed book club that will focus on books by black authors and race relations. 2020 titles listed below.

Thursday, April 8th: “Tar Baby” Toni Morrison

Tiny Town Library Podcast The staff of the Daland Memorial Library host a monthly podcast called Tiny Town Library that can be found on iTunes, Spotify and the library website https://dalandlibrary.com/category/podcast/. Tune in to catch up on Mont Vernon news, book recommendations, and happenings at the library.

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