GRAPEVINE-2 News for Nelson and Munsonville
August 2014
Old Home Day Issue
Nelson Old Home Day Guest Speaker – Rebecca Rule
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f you think a good dose of humor and fantastic storytelling will round out your summer, then you’re in luck! This year’s Guest Speaker is none other than New Hampshire’s very own Rebecca Rule!
Rebecca Rule’s books include memorable titles like Live Free and Eat Pie, as well as Headin’ for the Rhubarb—A New Hampshire Dictionary (well, kinda), and Could Have Been Worse. And this is just part of why having Rebecca Rule in Nelson on Old Home Day promises to be one heck of an event you’ll not want to miss. The Nelson Old Home Day Committee would like to thank Mike Blaudschun for his help in securing this fantastic story teller, as well as the Nelson Board of Selectmen, and the people of Nelson (young and old!) for continuing to make this event a success year after year. -Julio Razquin You can visit Rebecca’s website at http://www.rebeccarulenh.com
From My Rock For over fifteen years, Rebecca has been collecting stories from all over New England, and sharing them at town halls and other venues: there have been reports of ensuing uncontainable laughter, which sometimes results in people falling off their chairs, and/or peeing their pants. She is a recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from New England College, and has authored several books, including an illustrated children’s book.
Message in the Snow By Don Bennett
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n a late winter morning after about a one-inch fall of featherlight snow, on what remained of previous winter snows, walking near the top of a long hill on the Aten Road (Shinbone Shack Road) I discovered a puzzling sight. The snow had fallen during the night or early morning so there was no other
Volume 31, No. 3 tracks, two legged or four, ahead of mine, anywhere to be seen. My walk that morning had taken me to the top of the next hill beyond the power lines where I turned around and retraced my steps, but on the opposite side of the road and downhill to the trail leading to my rock. Perhaps there had been one car passing but no human or animal tracks to be seen on either side of the road in the fresh snow--until I entered the clearing where the power lines cross the road. There in the snow in a cleared area about six feet off the side of the road were two, nearly perfectly formed letters, “R P” side by side in the snow. The characters were about eight to ten inches high, formed by tiny animal tracks about the diameter of a wooden pencil eraser. My only explanation for the letters in the snow was that they were written by a sophisticated mouse or vole named Ridley Prendergast who might live in the neighborhood. I sent this story and photos to Bob Ganley, who lived in Hancock at the time, and had a column in a small local paper primarily about birds. He proffered his explanation of the phenomenon I had witnessed. “When I saw your photos, my first impression was that the ghost of Perly Swett must be up and about causing more mischief. If you know who he was, he often left all kinds of messages, especially around the Shinbone Shack area. But on closer inspection I saw that the initials didn’t match, so I concluded that it must be the ghost of Roger Tory Peterson, doing anything to get a mention in my column.” (continued on page 2)
SEED SAVING WORKSHOP
T HARRISVILLE FARMERS MARKET
he Nelson Agricultural Commission, in partnership with the Nelson Library, will be presenting an Introduction to Seed Saving on Saturday, August 9th, at 11 a.m. at the Nelson Library. Who should come? Gardeners and gardener wannabes!
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arrisville farmers market runs from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. every Friday evening concluding Labor Day weekend. Located beside the Harrisville General Store, the market will feature fresh local goods and music. Vendors from Harrisville, Nelson and Hancock offer produce, fruits, meats, flowers, prepared foods, and crafts. -Harrisville Agricultural Commission
FARM TABLE The Farm Table is sponsored by the Nelson Agriculture Commission and the Nelson Congregational Church. The purpose of the Farm Table is to provide locally grown produce and homemade baked goods to anyone who wishes to receive them. If you wish to make a free will donation, please put the money in the small Donation Box. Any money collected will be donated to the Nelson Congregational Church's Community of Angels Fund which aids local families who are in need of food or financial assistance. The Farm Table takes place every Sunday during the summer from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the front lawn of the Nelson Congregational Church.
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August 13th, the BIG SHOW, Mad Science at 6:30 p.m. at the Nelson Library The land of Fire and Ice is filled with dazzling demonstrations using fire, bubbling potions, and carbon dioxide gas frozen to 109°F below zero. This science show will stimulate a child’s mind and spark their imaginations as they experience exciting, educational, high-energy science magic! Come and see just how HOT & COOL. Free and open to the public. Funding for the Kids, Books, and the Arts event is provided by the Jack and Dorothy Bryne Foundation, CHILIS, Cogswell Benevolent Trust, and is supported in part by a grant from the NH State Council on The Arts as well as funds administered by the NH State Library and provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
WELCOME TO NELSON!
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f you are a newcomer and we haven't found you yet, please give one of us a call or send an email. We'd love to welcome you to Nelson! The Nelson Welcome Committee has a useful packet with information about local services, hours and contact information, Nelson activities and interest groups, hiking trails, the Keene transfer station, and a short history of Neson. We are available to come to your home and welcome you to our town, or we can send you a packet if you would like one. For those who are already residents of Nelson, if you would like to help newcomers settle in or want to pay a visit to a new neighbor, we encourage you to obtain a packet from The Welcome Committee. If you would like a committee member to go with you, we can arrange that as well. Betsey Church: betseyrick@gmail.com Jan Perry: perryland50@gmail.com Judith Putzel: judith@putzel.net Sara Sandberg: ecsandberg@gmail.com Joy Birdsey: pjbirdsmith@gmail.com
(From My Rock, continued from page 1) Perley Swett was, of course, the self proclaimed “Hermit of Taylor Pond” who lived about three miles from Munsonville village and Roger Tory Peterson wrote numerous beautifully illustrated books, many on birds. To this day, I do not have an explanation for this display but it is fun to speculate who or what created it and why! The prints forming the letters were definitely not made by a human hand because there were no human footprints to be found in the new fallen snow.
Please contact the library in advance if you need a sign language interpreter.
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CHURCH NEWS Nelson Congregational Church
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n Sunday, June 29 our youth spoke about their experiences from the mission trip to Chavies, Kentucky. They worked in two groups doing construction projects at two different homes. Some of the tasks performed were putting up walls, insulating, mudding, sanding, painting, fixing doors, building and repairing stairs, and fixing thresholds. The Nelson Ladies Aid Society Scholarship of $500 to a high school senior was given to Joseph Max Cucchi. We were unable to print the announcement in the previous issue of the Grapevine as the award had not been presented yet. Our congratulations and best wishes go to Max.
Chapel-by-the-Lake
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any thanks to all who made another July 4th chicken BBQ a great success. Thank you especially to our expert chefs! On July 6th we welcomed our new minister, Eric Feustel. Eric is a graduate of Gordon College and received his Masters of Theology in 2007 from Boston University. Eric and his family are from Allenstown but have a summer home in Antrim. We will be sharing Eric with our sister church in Marlow. Please also take note of the new time for worship services at the Chapel. Services will be held at 11 a.m. until further notice. Don’t forget to join us for Knitting Group. The group meets every other Thursday from 10-12 a.m. with
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the next meetings August 14 and 28; September 11 and 25; October 9 and 23; November 6 and 20. The group isn’t limited to just knitters. Crochet and sewing projects are all welcome. AA meetings are held at the Chapel on Sunday evenings at 7 p.m. For more information please contact Dave Bower 847-9683.
NEW RESCUE VEHICLE
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he new Nelson Rescue Vehicle, which is being donated to the Nelson Fire and Rescue Department by John R. “Jack” Bradshaw in Memory of Bess N. Bradshaw to benefit the people of the Town of Nelson, is arriving in September. This brand new 4-wheel drive vehicle has been custom designed specifically for the needs of our rural hill town and our volunteer department. It has the ability to carry 5 response personnel to a scene and has ample storage space for all required rescue equipment. This is a multi-use rescue truck that can be used not only as a rescue vehicle, but as support equipment at a fire scene. It is being built in New Jersey and is scheduled to arrive later this summer. We are extremely grateful to Jack for this very generous donation that will increase our response capability and benefit the community.
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Monadnock Folklore Society News Monday Contra Dance The dance has moved to Keene for the summer while the Nelson Town Hall is being renovated. Through August 25th, the dance will be held at Heberton Hall next to the Keene Public Library at 76 Winter Street. Admission is $3.00 and volunteer musicians and dance callers will provide teaching and entertainment as usual. The dances will be held at the Peterborough Community Center at 25 Elm Street on September 1st and September 8th. The dances are expected to return to Nelson on Monday, September 15th. Peterborough Contra Dance The First Saturday Peterborough contra dance takes place in the Peterborough Town House every month. September 6th: Dave Eisenstadter calling with fiddler Jon Cannon and friends October 4: Adina Gordon and Friends October 18: The Annual Fall Ball with dancing from noon to midnight November 1: Steve Zakon-Anderson with fiddler Julie Metcalf and friends The dances begin at 8 p.m., with a workshop available at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $10, $7 for students and seniors. Concerts The next Monadnock Folklore Society concert is scheduled for Friday, November 21st in the Nelson Town Hall. The performers will be Skip Gorman and Connie Dover, with a program of songs and music from the Old West. Exhibit: “300 Years of Traditional Dance and Music in the Monadnock Region” The Monadnock Folklore Society is partnering with the Monadnock Center for History and Culture in Peterborough to present an exhibit that will run from January through May 2015. We are currently looking for items and artifacts that would be interesting to display which are related to the long tradition of contra and square dancing in our region. Contact Lisa Sieverts if you have items or questions. lisa@lisasieverts.com 603-762-0235 PAGE 3
Old Home Week Schedule Sunday, August 10
Monday, August 11
Tuesday, August 12
Old Home Sunday Service at the Nelson Congregational Church, 9:30 a.m.
Carnivalcopia at the Nelson School, 4 - 7 p.m. Play a variety of games, organized and run by Nelson School Kindergarten teacher Cindy Benner, Nelson School alumni and friends. Win prizes! This free event is geared toward children ages 4-10, but all are welcome.
Apple Hill Chamber Players at Apple Hill, 8 p.m. Featuring the Session 5 Faculty performing works by Fritz Kreisler (Tempo di Menuet), Erwin Schulhoff (Trio for Flute, Viola, and Double Bass), and Ernst Dohnanyi (Piano Quintet No. 1 in C Minor, Opus 1).
Sponsored by Nelson School alumni and friends.
Wednesday, August 13 Old Home Week Ham and Bean Supper at the Nelson Congregational Church, 5 - 7 p.m. Hosted by the Nelson Congregational Church and the Chapel-by-the-Lake. Nelson Library – “Spin, Pop, Boom!” presented by Mad Science begins at 6:30 p.m. If genies in a bottle, rainbows, didgeridoos and cool sounds appeal to you, plan to attend. It promises to be a real “blast.” Free admission. Sponsored by the Nelson Library Trustee and Friends of the Nelson Library.
Thursday, August 14 Capture the Flag game at the Nelson Ball Field (behind the town barn). Starting time is 5:30 p.m. All ages are welcome!
Friday, August 15 “Drive-In” Movie – Finding Nemo at the Nelson School. Gates open at 7 p.m. Bring a chair, water, and some bug spray. Free admission. Food for sale. Sponsored by the Nelson School PTO.
Book Sale Preview, lower level of the Nelson Library from 7 to 8 p.m. Nelson residents only. Monadnock Music at 7:30 p.m. at the Nelson Congregational Church. Music of Haydn and Debussy. Free admission.
Saturday, August 9. Contra Dance in the lower mill building in Harrisville. 8 - 11 p.m. Dudley Laufman will lead the dancing. $2 admission. GRAPEVINE-2
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2014 Saturday, August 16
NELSON OLD HOME DAY Nelson Road Race at 9:00 a.m. Bike riders start first, followed by runners. Games for children of all ages. 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Nelson Town Common What is your favorite game? Is it the frog jumping contest, the sack race, or the famous egg toss? Start training your frog now, because the competition will be fierce (but fun). Blood Pressure and Glucose Screening—sponsored by the Nelson Fire Department Nelson Old Home Day Book Sale from 9:00 a.m. to noon, lower level in the Library. Bookworms rejoice! Here’s your opportunity to stock up on reading material for the next year. There are books for all ages and tastes, all at amazingly reasonable prices. Sponsored by the Friends of the Nelson Library.
Old Home Day Chicken Barbeque and the Nelson Town Band from noon to 1:00 p.m. Dine on the church lawn and listen to the famous Nelson Town Band. Please bring a hearty appetite. Old Home Day Annual Meeting at 1:00 p.m. Invocation—Rev. Dawn Garrett-Larsen Presentation of awards to game participants Guest Speaker—Rebecca Rule—“New Hampshire Tales” (see article on page 1).
Water Ball following the guest speaker at MacKenzie’s field, next to the church. Old Home Day Softball Game at 3:00 p.m.at the Nelson ball field, behind the town barn. All are welcome to play. Bring water, a baseball glove and enthusiasm. Please patronize the concession booths—proceeds benefit local residents. Remember to bring your own lawn chairs to Old Home Day. You’ll be much more comfortable while eating lunch and watching the festivities.
Saturday, August 16. Coffee House at the Town Hall at 7:00 p.m. Come and listen to wonderful music, played and sung by local talent! Always an enjoyable and varied show. Free admission. GRAPEVINE-2
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Local Services & Classifieds ——————————— FOR SALE ————————————— Custom Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles – From your artwork, photos, prints, etc. Call David Beffa-Negrini at Fool's Gold®, 827- 9825 or email: info@foolsgoldpuzzles.com Granite Lake Maple Products – Pure NH Maple syrup by Nick Barrett, 66 Old Towne Road, Nelson, NH, 03457. 847-3457 or email: graitelakmaplproucts@yahoo.com Nelson grown yarn, fleece and roving from our flock of Romney sheep. Also available are knitting kits and finished products: scarves, hats, mittens, blankets, etc. Call Susan Weaver 847-9763. Hidden Birch Farm - Chevon (Goat Meat) raised on our farm, choice of cuts; meat chickens & Thanksgiving turkeys. Farm fresh eggs; livestock fence installation. 96 Nubanusit Rd - Tiger & Gigi Batchelder. 827-2950 or email www.hiddenbirchfarm.com
————————————— PERSONAL SERVICES
———————————Talented young woman will help you with your childcare needs, office needs, clerical needs, housecleaning needs, or other miscellaneous projects. Call Gwyneth Tolman 827-4194. ————————————————
OTHER ———————————————— Harrisville Children's Center - year-round programs for children 6 weeks to 6 years old. 827-3905 Writing Lessons -Will teach you, child or adult, to write better than you do now. Ph.D. Tufts, taught writing at Tufts and Harvard Extension. Elizabeth Chapman Hewitt. 847-3118 or 401-2666 For Rent – Granite Lake summer cottage. Call Mable Bergeron 363-8086.
For Rent – Seasonal Cottage on Granite Lake. Call 520- 5615 or 304-594-3539. Art Lessons - for children and adults. Watercolor, oil, composition, and drawing. Summer/Fall. Beginner thru advanced instruction. Marylise Reilly Fajal, 847-3382 or 355-7337. ———————————————
BUILDING, ETC. ———————————————Ethan Tolman - Excavating, bulldozer, truck, loader/tractor work. Field, driveways, building, moving. Years of experience. 827-3414 New homes, decks, kitchens, and baths - remodeling our specialty. Nubanusit Building and Remodeling. Ron Trudelle 827-3251 Excavation - Septic Systems, driveways, site work, and foundations, trucking, plowing and sanding. Phil Hamilton 847-3288 Additions, renovations, remodeling, barns. Steven Reilly 847-3382 or 355-7337 Residential Painters - Interior, exterior. Experienced, reasonable, reliable. Heidi Tompkins and Tal Gregory 847-0000 ———————————————-
HOME SERVICES ———————————————Rubbish removal - Granite Lake Services. Ed Schillemat 847-3290 Gardening, pretty, manicured lawns, spring and fall clean-up, brush & chainsaw work. Owen Iselin 933-0680 SPComm Starpower - Home TV and Satellite Systems, High Speed Internet access, 2-way radio, sound reinforcement, home theatre. www.STARPOWER-satellite.tv or wildjimwilder@aol.com.
Yard Work - Will do yard work for you. Call Marcus Bean, 847-3042. ———————————————–
MUSIC ———————————————Music Lessons - Allison Aldrich & Hunt Smith - Voice, Fiddle, Guitar, Ukulele, 5 String Banjo, Mandolin, Recorder, Beginning Piano, Accordion, Concertina, Flute. A relaxed, friendly atmosphere where you can learn to sing or play the instrument you have always wanted to master. Call 209-3304 or email: huntandallison@gmail.com www.huntandallison.net Munsonville Audio Location & Studio Recording / Sound Reinforcement. Pro-grade mixing, high resolution digital recording, microphones & signal processing coupled to custom monitor mixes and an extremely powerful yet well mannered FOH sound system. High quality recordings expertly mixed, mastered & made ready for distribution. Demo recordings a specialty. 499-2904 Web: www.MunsonvilleAudio.Com Email: CJLeake@MunsonvilleAudio.Com Music Lessons - Banjo, Bass, Electric Guitar and Acoustic Guitar. Rock and Roll, Bluegrass, Country Western, Folk. All levels. Ages 12 to 112. Teaching music for 20+ years. Jonathan Smith 827-3036 Note: Grapevine ads are free to local residents. Please inform us if you need to change or delete an ad. ————————————————--
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR We are looking for people who would like to receive the link to the full color online version of the Grapevine instead of the paper copy in the mail. It will save on paper and cost. If you are willing to do this, please email Dawn Garrett-Larsen at nelsonchurchucc@gmail.com. Thank you for your support!
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Thank you to the Nelson PTO!
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he picnic tables at the Nelson School were in a very weak, aged condition. Parent Teacher Organization to the rescue! Eight new picnic tables were purchased and delivered in July and will be assembled and ready before the start of the school year. These rugged, composite material tables should stand up to years of weather. Thank you PTO!
——————————————— The Grapevine-2 is printed by Prospect Communications, Chesterfield, NH. ——————————————— The Grapevine-2 Committee and friends: Hope Lothrop, Kelly French, Bert Wingerson, Susan Hansel, and Elizabeth Williams ——————————————— Please visit our Town of Nelson website at: www.townofnelson.com
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NELSON DIRECTORY ———————————— Emergency (Mutual Aid) . . . . . . . . . 911 All fire, illness, and accident calls Selectmen.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847-0047 execadmin@nelsonnh.us Old Brick Schoolhouse; Alternating Wed., 3:00 p.m. David Upton, Maury Collins, Susan Hansel Town Clerk/Tax Collector. . . . 847-9043 townclerk@townofnelson.com taxcollector@townofnelson.com Old Brick Schoolhouse, Tues., 9 a.m. - 12 noon & 4 p.m.- 7 p.m. Thurs., 9 a.m. - 12 noon Or by Appointment Julia Lennon - Town Clerk (Notary Public) Karen Castelli - Deputy Town Clerk Town Administrative Asst. . . . 847-0047 execadmin@nelsonnh.us Tues., 9 a.m. - noon & 4 p.m.- 7 p.m. Thurs., 9 a.m. - noon Or by Appointment Edie Drinkwater - Admin. Asst. Financial Clerk: Anita Treloar Planning Board planningboard@townofnelson.com Old Brick Schoolhouse 2nd Thurs., 7 p.m. Eric Sandberg, Chair . . . . . . . 847-9156 Zoning Board-Adjustment zoningboard@townofnelson.com Old Brick Schoolhouse 1st Tues., 7 p.m. John Cucchi, Chair. . . . . . . . . 847-9001 Highway Department . . . . . . . . 847-9705 Town Barn Mike Tarr, at Town Barn Fire Chief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . call 911 Bud French Police. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355-2000 Richard C. Pratt, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . Chief police@townofnelson.com Building Sexton Wayne Fulton. . . . . . . . . . . . . 847-0047 (Emergencies only, 209-4855) Cemetery Board Town Offices, 3rd Tues., 4:00 p.m. Patricia Jones, Chair. . . . . . . . 847-9681 State Representatives, District 3: Dan Eaton eatonsstore@juno.com State Senator, District 10: Molly Kelly molly.kelly@leg.state.nh.us AUGUST 2014
Supervisors of the Checklist . . 847-3206 Betsey Church, Chair, Carol Newcombe Hope Lothrop Olivia Rodham Memorial Library . . . . . . . . . . 847-3214 Kris Finnegan, Librarian HOURS Monday 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Tues., Wed., Thurs. 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Library Trustees Linda Cates, Chair Nelson School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 847-3408 School Board - Nelson School 2nd Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. Kelly French, Jessica Walter, Sara Marean Conservation Commission Kathy Schillemat, Chair. . . 847-9995 Agricultural Commission Nelson Library 1st Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. David Voymas, Chair . . . . . 847-3137 Old Home Day Committee Kathy Blaudschun, Chair. . . 847-9082 Youth Groups: Cub Scouts, Elaine Giacomo.847-9019 Boy Scouts, Rich Crowe . . . 827-3521 Civil Air Patrol, Marcus Bean . . . .847-3042 NCC Teen Youths. . . . . . . . 847-3280 ————————————– GRAPEVINE-2 ——————— Grapevine-2 is a quarterly newsletter serving the Nelson/Munsonville community and is sponsored by the Nelson Congregational Church. It is made possible mostly by voluntary donations from readers, with some supplementary assistance from the church. Should donations exceed costs, the surplus goes to the church. Contributions of articles, ideas, photos, or art are always welcome. To contact the Grapevine-2, call Mare-Anne Jarvela at 847-3244, or email jarvela@yahoo.com, or send regular mail to: Grapevine-2 Mare-Anne Jarvela 26 Old Towne Rd. Munsonville, NH 03457
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those who can’t pick them up this fall). Any questions, please call Susan Hansel (847-9918) or Susan Peery (847-9550). Photo: This rare view of Nelson village from Henry Melville's hill (now the Coughlins), taken some time after 1894, shows the large "“center building” on the left, which was used for storage, and the remains of the village store, which burned down in 1894.
——————————— Nelson Clean-Up Day
2015 Nelson History Calendar—Order Now! Need a date for next year, or 365 of them? The Nelson History Roundtable will be taking orders on Old Home Day for the 2015 wall calendar, illustrated with historic photographs of Nelson and Munsonville. Look for our table at the Book Sale, either Friday night
at the sale preview (7-8 p.m.), or Saturday morning (9 a.m.noon). The 2015 calendars will be available in the early fall. The 2014 calendar sold out completely, so if you want to be sure to get your own copy of the 2015 calendar, please preorder. The calendars cost $6 each (plus mailing costs for
The Nelson Conservation Commission announces the Nelson Clean Up Day, on August 9th. Please stop by the Nelson Common in front of the library to sign up for a section of road in town, and pick up bags and gloves. Members of the Commission will be available from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.