5th Sunday Celebration
Gloria Beachy (from Chichester) will be giving a Christmas Concert at
Park Street Baptist Church on Sunday, November 29th at 6:00 p.m. Gloria will
be performing some of her own songs, as well as leading us in praise and
worship and Christmas carols. There will be refreshments following. Everyone
is welcome! No cost, but a love offering will be taken.
Letter To The Editor
Gilmanton Voters:
As you may know the budget process has started
here in Gilmanton. The Selectmen and others are busy preparing tight budgets
in light of the current severe economic times. Their efforts are to be
commended and encouraged!
With a new president and a new part time librarian, the year round
library will return to the taxpayers for funding. Time will tell if their
request exceeds the $75,000 sought last year or not. Either way, economic
times are not appropriate for approval when we have so many of our taxpayers
hurting.
We are fortunate to have library resources available to us here in town.
The heated Gilmanton Corner Library, next to Town Hall, is open during the
winter on Wednesdays from 3 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon. It
is staffed by volunteers and free to the town. The Iron Works Library will
be reopening in the spring. The full resources of the Gilford Library are
available for a modest annual fee.
As the budget process continues, please get involved and voice your
opinions.
William Angevine
Gilmanton
Gilmanton History 1880 To 1940 In New Publication
A celebration at Smith Meeting House is part of
Gilmanton’s history as explored in the Historical Society’s new publication,
Gilmanton: The Evolution of a New Hampshire Hill Town from 1880 to 1940, now
available at the Town Clerk’s office and the Brick House in Gilmanton
Corners.
The Gilmanton Historical Society announces publication of Gilmanton: The
Evolution of a New Hampshire Hill Town from 1880 to 1940. The book fills a
major gap in Town history, bringing the story of Gilmanton up to the
beginning of World War II.
To produce this volume, Pat Clarke has researched the period by
examining contemporary news reports in local weekly newspapers, the Laconia
Democrat and the News and Critic, Gilmanton Annual Reports, and US Census
Data. The publication is illustrated with photographs from the Society’s
collection and family photo albums.
Earlier histories of Gilmanton include Lancaster’s History, a detailed
volume including extensive genealogical information covering the years 11727
to 1845. William Badger’s History of Gilmanton NH to 1875 picks up
where Lancaster left off. A number of shorter booklets cover specific
aspects after 1875, but none has included the kind of comprehensive detail
found in Pat Clarke’s compilation.
The book will be on sale for $15 at the Town Clerk’s Office and at
Society events. In addition, it will be available, together with other
Society publications, at the Brick House, corner of Routes 140 and 107 in
Gilmanton Corners. The Society thanks Anne Bartlett, proprietor of the
Brick House, for her interest in sharing Gilmanton History with her
customers.
Gilmanton Year-Round Library News
“Morning Crafts at the Gilmanton Year-Round Library”;
pictured are: Claudette Varney, Carmel Roberts, Kelly Bridges, Priscilla
Selfridge, Patti Bradley and Sue Barr.
The new Gilmanton Year-Round library is celebrating its second month of
service.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday and Thursday, 12 to 7 p.m.; Wednesday,
Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m
Question: Claudette Varney, Library patron, asked: “Do you want
donations of VHS and DVD movies for the library?”
Answer: “We would appreciate donations of movies on DVD. The
library has the start of an excellent collection of DVDs. Favorite
movies on DVD are a very popular item and there is shelf space for an
expansive collection.” Gary Mason, Librarian.
Two Week Calendar of Events: Every Wednesday, 10:15 a.m., Story
Time with Jenny Stevens; Saturday, November 21st, 10:15a.m., Story Time with
Melissa Caldon; Thursday, December 3rd, 6:30 p.m., ‘History of
the Old Man of the Mountain’ with Dr. Bruce Heald and David Nielsen.
Save This Date: Saturday, December 12th, 2:00 p.m., Tis the Season
at the Library Barn, a community celebration including an origami ornaments
workshop, seasonal readings, and a sing-a-long accompanied by holiday
refreshments.
Good News: After only seven weeks of operation, 857 adults and 376
children have visited the library. As of the seven-week mark, 365 adults and
104 children have taken out library cards.
Read This Book: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. Brown prefaces
his newest thriller with this sentence: “To live in the world without
becoming aware of the meaning of the world is like wandering about in a
great library without touching the books.” In this new novel, Brown offers
the reader an international chase, a quest, codes within codes, religious
history and a most frightening villain all within a fast paced story that
offers twists at every turn. Two copies of The Lost Symbol are
available at the library, and more can be obtained through Inter-Library
loan.
The Gilmanton Library appreciates and welcomes volunteers. For
additional information, please contact: Gary Mason, Librarian, or Jenny
Stevens, Children’s Assistant Librarian at 364-2400 or at PO Box 413,
Gilmanton, NH 03237 [email protected]
Gilmanton School Honors the Veterans of Gilmanton
On November 6th the Gilmanton School showed the veterans of Gilmanton
just how much they are appreciated. It started with a hallway lined with
stars of all the service men and women who have touched the lives of the
students. There were over 330 stars! As you entered the
gymnasium you could hear the sounds of the patriotic music flowing across
the sound system. Each veteran was pinned with a patriotic ribbon as
they entered. They were shown to the area of honor for the veterans.
The Color Guard started off the assembly by marching in with the eighth
grade percussion section. They then led the school for the Pledge of
Allegiance. Anna Malek sang a moving rendition of our national anthem.
The eighth grade class officers researched the meaning of Veteran’s Day and
shared it with the audience of a few hundred people. To make your heart melt
you listened to the Kindergarten, first and second graders stand and face
the veterans as they sang “Red, White and Blue.” The fourth graders sang
“America the Beautiful.”
Sgt. Gillis gave a heartfelt speech to the students as to what it meant
to serve his country. He is also a substitute teacher here at the school.
The National Guard helped out as well. They came and collected all 21 boxes
of supplies the community had collected to send to troops overseas.
The three troops that they sent to all had connections with Gilmanton.
Two of them had actually gone to school here. The third troop received the
supplies in memory of a fallen soldier. This soldier was a nephew of
faculty at the school.
We would like to take this opportunity as well to thank all of those who
attended. We would also like to thank all of those who sent in
donations for the supplies for the soldiers. This truly showed that
Gilmanton is a community that works together and cares for others.
I want to thank Bruce Locke and his beautiful horses for
the ride of my life on the Concord Coach at the Sandwich Fair. Lee Dawson.
LGC Volunteer Award Recipients
The Board of Selectmen of the Town of Gilmanton is pleased to announce that
Stanley and Alice Bean were presented with the New Hampshire Local
Government Center’s Municipal Volunteer Award on Wednesday, November 11,
2009 at a special ceremony held at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester. Usually
presented to one outstanding volunteer, the LGC gave the thumbs-up to
nominating a couple, and this is a couple that is well known throughout
their town as well as throughout the larger Lakes Region community. Since
they moved to Gilmanton 18 years ago, they both have been actively involved
not only with the Town of Gilmanton, but with the Gilmanton School District
and other communities as well. Their level of contribution has made a vast
difference in the success of every organization and program that they give
their time to.
Both Stan and Alice have incredible personalities, each having a great
sense of humor, excellent leadership qualities, humility, and pride in every
organization that they volunteer for. No one can say “no” to Stan and Alice
and, at the same time, they have never refused to volunteer when asked to,
in any and every capacity, top to bottom. They have been and continue to be
an outstanding example of tireless giving to the residents and children in
their town, even as they encourage others to join them in volunteering their
time.
Stan has served on the Budget Committee for the past 17 years, 13 of
those years as Chairman of the Committee. He was the Gilmanton School
District’s Clerk of the Works when the Town built an addition to the
Gilmanton School building in 1997. He also serves on the Gilmanton School
Technology Committee and is even one of the school’s chaperones for the
SEADS Program (Student Enrichment Athletic Day). Stan and Alice both serve
on the Preschool Committee and the Gilmanton Year Round Library Association.
Stan is also a member of the Lakes Region Planning Commission and is a
former Chairman of the Gilmanton Recycling Committee. He has worn many hats
over the years, and has chaired too many committees to list here!
Alice is the “Lodge Grandma” for the SEADS Program at the Gilmanton
School and has volunteered in the school classroom for years. She is the
Gilmanton Iron Works Library’s Trustee and Librarian and coordinates the
children’s story hour. She organizes book/bake sales for the Iron Works
Library as well as Easter Egg Hunts for the children. Alice even helped
paint the Gilmanton School! She hosts Senior Lunches at the Gilmanton
Community Church. She organizes the Town’s “Memory Tree” Christmas tree
lighting ceremony sponsored by the Gilmanton Community Church. Alice has
volunteered at the Gilmanton Preschool for the past 12 years and she is the
secretary for the Preschool, coordinating fundraisers for them as well.
Alice has volunteered as a server for the Gilmanton Old Home Day for over 15
years. We recently found out that Alice volunteers at the Lakes Region
General Hospital each week, making next-day wellness telephone calls to
people who have been in for procedures or testing.
Stan and Alice consistently cross the bridge between the town and the
school district as they volunteer their time and energies for our community
as a whole. The balance that they keep with their volunteer time, the wealth
of knowledge that they bring with them to every meeting, whether it be for
the town or for the school district and their fairness with all of our
residents make them truly appreciated and respected.
“Old Man Of The Mountain” Program
On Thursday evening December 3 at 6:30 pm, the Gilmanton Year Round
Library will host Bruce Heald and David Nielsen who will present the history
and the efforts to preserve the “Old Man of the Mountain.” Dr. Heald
and Mr. Nielsen are the authors of 101 Glimpses of the Old Mountain.
The book’s foreword is by Governor John Lynch. After the presentation there
will be a question and answer period and book signing.
Dr. Heald is a graduate of the Boston University, University of
Massachusetts at Lowell, and Columbia Pacific University and has a PhD in
Education. He is presently adjunct faculty member at Plymouth State
University, Social Science Department (American History), and Associate
Professor at Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoea, Romania. Dr. Heald
is the author of thirty-five books dealing with New England history.
He is a fellow in the International Biographical Association and World
Literary Academy in Cambridge, England.
Dr. Heald is the recipient of the Gold Medal of honor for literary
achievement from the American Biographical Institute, 1993. From 2005
to 2009 he was a State Representative to the General Court of New Hampshire.
Dr. Heald resides in Meredith with his family.
David Nielsen has been involved with the maintenance of the “Old Man”
since 1969. In 1999 he was appointed the Official Caretaker of the Old
Man. Mr. Nielsen is a retired Police Chief from Belmont. For the
past 22 years he has been a resident of Gilmanton.
The Gilmanton
Year-Round Library is located in the barn at 1385 NH Route 140 across the
road from the Gilmanton School. The Library is handicapped accessible.
The program is open to the public free of charge.