GRAPEVINE-2 - Nelson, New Hampshire

GRAPEVINE-2
News for Nelson and Munsonville
November 2014
Fall Issue
THE TOWN HALL STANDS
STRAIGHT AGAIN by Lisa Sieverts
O
ver the past seven months,
we’ve watched the Town Hall
rise up into the air and then
descend. Here are some vignettes from
the Town Hall building project with
writing help from Mike DeMartelly and
David Upton.
The funds for the work come from the
Warrant Article approved at the last
Town Meeting. The Town had considered this work for each of the past four
years. 2014 was the charm, as the Buildings Committee presented the new,
scaled down plan at Town Meeting and
the $350,000 plan passed with little
objection. Private donations totaling
more than $90,000 helped to convince
taxpayers that the project was affordable.
Some History
The current Town Hall is the third structure that was built in Nelson to house
town government. The first, built in
1773, was a small building that served
early settlers of Packersfield, as Nelson
was then called. As the population
grew, a large two-story meetinghouse
was built in 1787 on the hill south of the
village center. In 1846, the present
Town Hall was built “on the plain”
where a small village was developing.
The old meetinghouse was dismantled
and some salvaged material was used in
the new construction.
As the Town Hall foundation was dismantled this year, we saw that the his-
toric materials and workmanship were
quite remarkable. In the old foundation
there are mortise and tenon joints. Intricate, tongued, scarf joints can be seen
along the sills. Many joists appear to be
chestnut wood. Once this species of tree
was quite common. It is a beautiful
wood with dense, tight, grain that makes
the beams very hard and durable.
There are 6 load beams that span the
entire width of the old Town Hall and
are notched to receive the chestnut
joists. These massive beams are notable
also because they have a tight grain with
few knots and appear to be hemlock. It
is possible that these came from the
1787 meeting house. The logs distinguish themselves by being very different from the local hemlock which we
see growing today. Hemlock now rarely
grow this tall and the rings of today's
trees indicate wide and more rapid
growth which would never produce a
"stick of lumber" as impressive and
durable as these old beams.
The Project Begins
Nelson's own Russ Thomas, with many
years of construction experience under
his belt, agreed to serve as the Clerk of
the Works. His attention to detail
throughout the project helped the team
navigate through the occasional unexpected discovery.
The construction work began shortly
after the March town meeting and as
soon as the wet ground had dried somecontinued on page 6
Volume 31, No. 4
HOLIDAY FAIR
“CELEBRATE NELSON”
H
ere’s a chance to do some holiday shopping and never leave
town! The Town Hall and old
library in Nelson will be bursting with
local creativity on Saturday, Nov. 22,
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Locally created
art, paintings, crafts, needlework and
hand-spun yarn, bread, puzzles, books,
honey, maple syrup, music CDs, and
much more—all by Nelson and Munsonville residents—will be displayed on
tables and easels, for show and for sale.
The 2015 Nelson History Calendar, hot
off the press, will be unveiled at $6 per
copy. This year’s calendar features
stunning local vistas and landscapes
photographed between 1865 and 1950.
Live music, light refreshments, and
general good spirits will add to the fun.
Be sure to stop in and browse, buy, and
catch up with your neighbors. That’s
Saturday, Nov. 22, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
Nelson Town Hall and old library. Extra parking is available behind the Olivia Rodham Library.
Information: Susan Hansel, 847-9918
FROM MY ROCK
A New-England Boy’s Song
About Thanksgiving Day
Leonard Frank Frazier
March 18, 1930–Aug.13, 2014
by Lydia Maria Child. Published in
Flowers for Children, Vol. 2 in 1844.
(Last five verses)
by Don Bennett
L
eonard was my senior by about four months and I have known him for
most of the 55 years we have lived in beautiful downtown Munsonville. He
was a rock in the community as well as in his family.
We first met his dad, Harry Frazier, who did some work on the foundation of our
1830 vintage house to help slow the winter winds as they passed through. Harry
was all business when he worked but did like, frequently and at some length, to
share his stories of family and the neighborhood, which were fascinating, but in
the interest of progress, we planned to be elsewhere occupied somewhere in the
house when Harry was on the job.
Over the river, and through the wood
and straight through the barnyard gate.
We seem to go extremely slowit is so hard to wait!
Over the river, and through the woodOld Jowler hears our bells;
He shakes his paw with a loud bow-wow,
and thus the news he tells.
So Harry introduced us,
in considerable detail, to
his large and mostly
local, convoluted family. As the years went by
we became acquainted
with many of the family
through local activities
and school events.
Some of the younger
generations became
friends with our children.
Over the river, and through the woodwhen Grandmother sees us come,
She will say, "O, dear, the children are
here,
bring pie for everyone."
Leonard (Len) and I
worked for the same
company in Keene for
about the same thirty
three years. We worked in opposite ends of the building, in different departments
and so seldom saw each other on the job.
We also both served on the local fire department for about forty years. So we were
thrown together frequently, shared common interests and enjoyed swapping stories
about many of them.
My wife Barbara and I began attending the local Methodist church where Len and
Marion were long-time members. Besides regular services, there were social
events and a Bible study group we enjoyed together. Both wives were active 4-H
leaders which provided additional opportunities for sharing.
Leonard’s keen, subtle, dry sense of humor was legendary. He would be relating a
story and as you listened, suddenly realized it was beginning to sound more and
more like fantasy. A quick glance at his face revealed the wry smile and mischievous twinkle in his eye that confirmed your suspicions.
Leonard was a good friend, generous, willing to share whatever he had and lend a
hand when needed. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and great
grandfather as was made obvious by the loving testimony at his memorial service.
Many will miss him.
GRAPEVINE-2
Over the river, and through the wood,
trot fast my dapple gray!
Spring over the ground like a huntinghound!
For 'tis Thanksgiving Day.
NOVEMBER 2014
Over the river, and through the woodnow Grandmother’s cap
I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is
the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin
pie!
NH MOOSE PLATE
PROGRAM
W
ork has begun on the Town
Hall windows. Fred O'Connor,
from Historic Harrisville, is
restoring the windows thanks to a Moose
Plate Grant awarded to the town for 2014.
Fred is removing the windows one at a
time, saving the original glass where he
can. He will also restore the front door to
the hall and do whatever repair is necessary on the small windows surrounding
the door. The town is very grateful to the
NH Moose Plate program that is dedicated to helping to restore historic town
buildings across the state.
–Susan Hansel
PAGE 2
LIBRARY NEWS
NELSON SCHOOL NEWS
The Olivia Rodham Memorial Library received a
gift of “Public Libraries Toolkit” of legal resources.
by Kim Keating
S
tudents at Nelson School have been very busy with the world of academics
and community and school events.
Kindergarten students are focusing on two dimension geometric shapes,
addition facts up to 5 and understanding and extending patterns. Letters and sounds,
Fall Tree Visits with the Harris Center for Conservation, and learning about our
community are important parts of the Kindergarten curriculum.
Grades 1 & 2 continue working on spelling, reading, writing narratives, understanding time and money and regrouping numbers.
T
he Law Librarians of New England’s
Service Committee chose the Olivia
Rodham Memorial Library in Nelson for
the mini-collection of legal books, “Public Libraries Toolkit” of legal resources. Here is a list of
the books that will be available to take out of the
library. These books will arrive on December
20th.
Nolo’s Essential Guide to Divorce
Grades 3 & 4 are totally engaged in multiplication, all
parts of the water cycle, reading fluency, and parts of
speech.
Every Dog’s Legal Guide
Grades 5 & 6 continue with
reading fluency and comprehension, math word problems,
creative problem solving and
more.
Plan Your Estate
Halloween offered an opportunity for the costume parade
and multi-age Halloween themed station activities. Grades 5 & 6 were joined by
Linda Singer who instructed the students in the art of origami and the Nelson Fire
Department and Mutual Aid joined all of us for a fire safety afternoon. We had fire
trucks and experienced a home safety escape plan. Thank you to all the Nelson/
Sullivan community members for your wonderful support of our school.
The Legal Answer Book for Families
101 Law Forms for Personal Use
Black’s Law Dictionary
The New Hampshire Divorce Handbook
NH Practice and Procedure Handbook
A Practical Guide to Divorce in NH
New Hampshire Landlord and Tenant Law
Annotated
New Hampshire Special Education Law Manual
The Bluebook
Upcoming events include: A Keene High School presentation of “You’re A Good
Man Charlie Brown,” 5 & 6 grade field trip to Lowell, MA Mills with Harrisville
students, and our All School Feast on November 25th.
OLIVIA RODHAM MEMORIAL LIBRARY BOOK DISCUSSION
Monday, December 15th at 10:30 a.m.
We will be discussing Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson
Deep-wreck divers are used to operating with almost no headroom and in zero
visibility, navigating by touch alone; it is a compliment to be told "When you
die, no one will ever find your body." Despite the dangers, wreck divers are
typically weekend warriors, men who leave families and jobs behind to test
themselves at two hundred feet down. Kurson's exciting account centers on two
divers, John Chatterton and Robert Kohler, who in 1991 found an unidentified
U-boat embedded in the ocean floor off the coast of New Jersey. The task of
identifying it leads them to Germany, Washington, D.C., and the darkest corners of the submarine itself. Some of the most haunting moments occur on land,
as when the divers research the lives of the doomed German sailors whose
bones they swim among. Once underwater, Kurson's adrenalized prose sweeps
you along in a tale of average-guy adventure.
Copyright © 2005 The New Yorker
GRAPEVINE-2
NOVEMBER 2014
PAGE 3
She applied to the town for assistance.
From the record of the 1813 town
meeting: “Voted that the selectmen see
to taking care of Mrs. Barrett and her
children as they shall think best.” The
selectmen may have felt she didn’t
qualify for assistance as here is no
record of the family receiving any support until Jonathan Hunting bid for her
keep in 1816 at 46 cents per week.
LUCY NICHOLS BARRETT
T
by Rick Church
his is the story of Lucy Nichols Barrett, a women deserted by her husband
at age 32 with her six children and thrown on the mercy of the town and
her neighbors. The scanty records that exist document the desertion and the
support of her husband’s family and their neighbors. It also illustrates the town’s
treatment of its poor. The story may even have had a happy ending.
An affidavit, found in the Nelson Archives, that deals with John Barrett’s desertion
of his wife is unusual in Nelson Town Records. It documents a domestic matter
that became a rare matter of public record and it offers an unusual glimpse of the
circumstances of the town’s early poor. Early paupers leave few “tracks” in town
records other than their cost; they did not own homes and they do not have markers in Nelson cemeteries, though the town paid their burial expenses. The affidavit
is also unusual because John Barrett’s parents attested to their son’s desertion of
his wife and family.
The Barrett family had had an inauspicious beginning in Packersfield. (Nelson was
called Packersfield from its incorporation in 1774 until 1814 when it was renamed
Nelson by act of the legislature.) The family moved to the town’s northeast corner
in 1779 joining other families from Amherst. Almost immediately Nelson’s constable served them with a warrant requiring that they leave. What follows is part of
a charge from the selectmen to the town constable:
“To Nathaniel Breed JR, constable:
You are authorized and required to warn the following persons to depart out of the
town of Packersfield Viz. Mr. Nathaniel Barrett and his wife and Nathaniel Barrett
JR and Hannah Barrett and Abigail Barrett.”
New Hampshire law required that towns support “settled” citizens unable to support themselves. “Settled” meant those born in Packersfield, those who owned land
and paid their taxes for four years, those married to a settled person and town officials. Newcomers were routinely “warned out of town” lest they become “settled”
and a town obligation. Constable Breed warned three other families out of town
that same cold November day.
Nathaniel’s wife, Mercy, was likely pregnant with John, born in Packersfield the
following year. Like most families, the Barretts didn’t actually move, but they
were on notice that the town considered them a risk and no public assistance would
be available. Nathanial and Mercy raised their family on the farm marked by an
old cellar hole on the north side of the Old Stoddard Road where Marcus Bailey
lived much later. His son, also Nathaniel, built a home further down the road just
over the line in Stoddard in 1802.
John Barrett married Lucy Nichols of Stoddard in 1802. She bore him five children
and was pregnant with their sixth when John abandoned his family and, perhaps
with money settled on Lucy by her parents at her marriage, departed for places
unknown. Pregnant and with children from ages one to nine, she was thrown on
the mercy of the town for the support of herself and her children. She is an example of how people came to be in need of public assistance and the many ways her
community supported her in her time of difficulty.
The following affidavit was written by
the Barretts’ long time neighbor and
friend, John White, in support of Lucy’s case for public support.
I John White do testify that I have
lived near Neighbor to Nathaniel Barrett Father to John Barrett for the term
of forty years have ever been acquainted with the said John Barrett until the
said John Barrett left his family and
went to parts unknown. That the said
John Barrett (as I have understood and
as I firmly believe) married to Lucy
Nichols as much as eighteen or twenty
years since and that he the said John
Barrett did to my certain knowledge
bring his said wife into the neighborhood in which I live. That his said wife
was well furnished with household
furniture by her parents and that sometime afterwards the said John did receive something like two hundred dollars as the portion of his said wife, and
that the said John Barrett did ever behave in a very unkind manner toward
his said wife and that something like
eight or ten years since he the said
John Barrett did leave his wife and
family and went to parts unknown and
has wholly forsook his family and has
never done anything toward the support of or comfort of his said family,
but they have been supported and taken care of by the town of Nelson.
–John White
Nathaniel Barrett and his wife, Mercy,
added their testimony:
I Nathaniel Barrett of lawful age do
testify and say that my son John Barrett was (as I firmly believe) married
to Lucy Nichols some time in the
month of April 1802 and that they
lived together as husband and wife
until the year 1812. That the said John
some time in the later part of said year
of 1812 did leave his said wife and
continued on page 7
GRAPEVINE-2
NOVEMBER 2014
PAGE 4
THANK YOU TO
WEBMASTER
GORDON PEERY
by Kristine Finnegan
S
ince 2009 Gordon Peery has been
the webmaster of Town of Nelson
website. He created the website,
including all of the diverse pages that
describe our town. Gordon collected and
skillfully connected many parts of our
town with pictures, events calendars,
minutes of town groups, history articles,
nature articles and descriptions of many
parts of the town. In 2012 the web page
was honored with an award from NH
Magazine as being the best municipal
web page in New Hampshire. The note
on the homepage is “ Welcome to the
Center of the Universe”, and there we
remain.
The Olivia Rodham Memorial Library
has sponsored this web page, working
with Gordon on
content
and new
ideas that
have been
smoothly
integrated
into the
site. Gordon is
moving
out of the
web business and is
exploring new interests. The librarian
will become the new webmaster with
volunteer technical help from David
Pyles for the www.townofnelson.com
web page. This page will focus on cultural, historical and entertainment events
in Nelson.
There is a new web page that includes
the official town of Nelson government
pages, with town board meetings, official town board meeting minutes and
official town government announcements. The site is
www.townofnelson.org.
In conclusion, a big thank you to Gordon for all of his years of creativity and
work as the webmaster.
GRAPEVINE-2
MONADNOCK FOLKLORE
SOCIETY PRESENTS
C
eltic Roots of the Music of the American West , a concert program performed
by Skip Gorman with Connie Dover at the Nelson Town Hall on Friday, November 21 at 8 pm. Admission is $15/$12(senior, youth, or in advance).
Through his music, Skip Gorman brings back to life
the workaday world of the cowboys of the American
West. His music is not the music of the Hollywood
cowboy, but rather the simple, yet beautifully poignant music that was performed around campfires by
cowboys and westward settlers in the 19th century.
Gorman brings to the music a scholar’s knowledge
of the cowboy’s Celtic, Spanish and Afro-American
roots as well as the personal experience gained by
working as a cowboy on a ranch in Wyoming, along
with an exquisite touch as a singer, guitarist, fiddler
and mandolinist.
Acclaimed by the Boston Globe as “the finest folk
ballad singer America has produced since Joan Baez,” Connie Dover is a singer, poet and Emmy
Award-winning producer and composer. Her soaring, crystal-clear voice and inspired
arrangements of the music of Scotland, Ireland and early America display a depth and
breadth of range that have established her as one of the world’s pre-eminent traditional
singers.
Nowell Sing We Clear in Concert
Monadnock Folklore Society’s annual presentation of this seasonal favorite!
Absolutely the best way to start your holiday season.
Music, dance, a mummer’s play and delicious treats!
Dublin Community Church
Friday, December 5, 2014
8:00 pm
Admission $15/$12 (Sr/Jr or in advance)
First Saturday Contra Dance on December 6th, featuring Lisa Greenleaf calling
with the band Pete’s Posse. The dancing begins at 8:00 p.m., with an optional introductory workshop beforehand. Admission is $10 or $7 for students and seniors.
The dance takes place in the Town House in Peterborough, NH at 1 Grove Street.
Contra Dances every Monday night 8 to 10:30 pm at the Nelson Town Hall, $3.00.
Information: Lisa Sieverts 603-762-0235
NOVEMBER 2014
PAGE 5
what—first by raising the Town Hall
high off her crumbling and tilted foundation with the help of hydraulics and steel
beams with the skillful direction of Geddes Construction and Building Movers.
During the time that the building was
lifted above its foundation, the clapboards on the East end and those along
the base of the building were removed
exposing rotted sills, plates, studs, and
wall sheathing. These have all been replaced with new materials. The source of
the dampness on the interior of the East
wall was found to be a leak around the
window in the East gable. A properly
flashed and sealed replacement window
has been installed there.
A New Foundation
Much work went into preparing for the
new footings and new walls for the foundation. The old rubble stone foundation
was removed as well as many feet of silt
and fine sediments not suitable for supporting concrete footings and walls.
Drainage piping was installed both inside and outside of the walls and covered
with a fabric to prevent silt from clogging it. Concrete footings for posts for
supporting the floor were installed. Next
crushed stone was brought in covering
all the floor space to a depth of approximately 18 inches. Then the cribbing supporting the building was removed and
the building lowered back to its original
elevation.
Hunter Foundations came in and formed
up and poured the new concrete walls
that are now re-enforced with half inch
GRAPEVINE-2
rebar. A 4" poured slab over 12 mil plastic will seal off the moisture which nearly had been the cause of the old Town
Hall's demise over the years.
The old granite blocks that had been
used as caps over the original, mostly
rubble stone, bearings were replaced
with great care by Wall Masonry of
Claremont.
De-Racking
Once the building was securely back on
a level foundation, the degree of racking
of the walls could be measured and the
“de-racking” process could begin. We
had determined that the East end of the
Town Hall was 5 to 6 inches out of
square and plumb. This end of the building was leaning toward the South. Further measurements showed that the
North and South walls of the building
were tilted out of square in varying degrees along their total length.
For most of the summer, the crew was
comprised of young Ian Ingram, grandson of the company's founder, and
Wayne Daniel, the firm’s oldest carpenter, having worked for Ingram for over
15 years. Wayne brought many years of
expertise to the job and regarded the
workmanship of the original builders
with great respect.
A series of chains and pneumatic power
pullers were used to pull the walls back
into square. This part of the rebuilding
came after careful use of a frame
straightener, The Waynerator, (invented
by Wayne using an old auto body shop
frame straightener) and heavy chains to
NOVEMBER 2014
make the walls plumb again. Wayne
puzzled over how to do this for quite a
while, since neither the architect nor the
engineer provided much direction as to
how the task was to be completed. It's
Means and Methods, Wayne explained;
as is the case most often, the carpenters,
themselves, are the ones (The Means)
who have to figure out how to actually
do (The Methods) the construction.
Wayne was up to the task.
The Roof Supports
The trusses and vertical roof supports
needed much more work than had been
anticipated.
Additional wood members were added to
the roof trusses to increase the load bearing capacity of the roof and to make sure
that the walls stay plumb and square.
Supports for the roof trusses are also
being strengthened with the addition of
vertical members installed under them on
the interior walls.
The crew carefully inserted 35 feet long
laminated beams (LVLs) to reinforce the
heavy timbers that span the ceiling and
more LVLs to sister up the rafters, as
well as dimensional 2 bys to sister the
old purlins. Portions of the roof had to be
removed to complete this difficult task.
Finishing Up
The furnace was being moved to the
Mechanical Room in the Library basement, with the result that it is much quieter and more efficient. A novel ambient
air cooling component was installed
which brings in an enormous amount of
fresh air when needed. We should no
longer find ourselves over-heated during
July Library Forums.
The finishing touches included resheathing the exterior, painting both the
interior and exterior walls, and the final
grading of the grounds.
The last items will be completed this Fall
by Fred O'Connor from Historic Harrisville. Fred will repair and restore the
windows and front door to the Town
Hall. This work is funded by a $10,000
Moose Plate Grant which the Town received last Spring.
Thanks to a generous gift from the Monadnock Folklore Society, additional
electrical outlets, and a new stage lighting and sound system were installed. The
Folklore Society also repaired and refinished the floor.
PAGE 6
Thank You!
A project of this scale cannot be done
without the help of a great many people.
As a Town, we must thank all of the
following groups and individuals.
Everyone who has served on the Nelson
Town Buildings Committee since 2010:
Jack Bradshaw
Warren Hammack
Tom Buttrick
Bud French
Susan Hansel
Eric Sandberg
Rob Germeroth
Dave Upton
Russ Thomas
Mike DeMartelly
Sandy Mackenzie
Bob Lenox
Maury Collins
Bert Wingerson
Lisa Sieverts
All of the Selectboard members who
oversaw the various warrant articles
since 2010:
Warren Hammack
Bud French
Mike Blaudschun
Margaret Schillemat
Susan Hansel
Dave Upton
Maury Collins
Big thank you to everyone who went
door-to-door last February to inform the
town’s citizens about the Town Hall and
Library projects, and to all the donors.
Finally, many experts worked on this
We thank the architects who worked on
different versions of the project:
Tom Weller
Rick Monahon
Paul Hemmerich
The Construction Crews who did the
work this spring and summer:
Geddes Construction and Building
Hunter Foundations
Wall Masonry
Pinney Heating and Plumbing
The Construction Management crew
from Ingram Construction was outstanding and deserves special commendation.
In addition to their high quality workmanship, they managed to complete the
entire Town Hall Renovation project
significantly under budget.
The town should feel proud. Our historic
Town Hall should stand straight and tall
for at least another hundred years.
GRAPEVINE-2
Lucy Nichols Barrett, continued from page 4
went to parts unknown and wholly
forsaken his wife and family ever
since.
Nathaniel Barrett, his mark
I Mercy Barrett mother to the above
named John Barrett do testify and
say the foregoing is the truth.
Mercy Barrett, her mark
The records of the years following
the disappearance of John Barrett
show that Lucy was “bid out” at
town meeting. The process was a
reverse auction in which citizens,
deemed to be the town’s responsibility and unable to support themselves, were auctioned to the person
who would take them in for the least
cost to the town. The pauper was
provided with room and board.
Their host was paid the amount of
their bid by the town and they were
due any labor the pauper could reasonably provide. Judging from the
low amounts hosts received to board
Lucy, her labor was valued by her
hosts. The record does not mention
the care of her children; they may
have resided in the custody of their
fraternal grandparents.
Jonathan Hunting bid 46 cents per
week for the care of Lucy Barrett.
He agreed to do her washing and
laundering and mending. The town
provided her clothing and doctoring.
This was the standard form of the
“bid off” arrangement and
didn’t indicate
that Lucy didn’t
do her own laundry or needed
medical services.
Joel Sawyer, a
young farmer and
long time neighbor with a growing family of his
own took Lucy
the next year for
26 cents per
week. She
stayed on with
the Sawyers for a
number of years.
NOVEMBER 2014
In 1826 the neighbors stepped in to
help Lucy and her family again. Another neighbor, Nathaniel Davis, and
his family sold her three acres off the
Old Stoddard road between her fatherin-law and the Sawyer house. The
location is marked by a cellar hole
near the Hanchett’s driveway today. I
assume that the purchase was secured
with a mortgage for the whole amount.
The purchase price of $150 would
have been hard to meet for someone in
her circumstances. This kindness and
the growing usefulness of her children
apparently allowed Lucy to become
self-supporting; she was no longer bid
out at town meeting. Or had John had
returned? There is no concrete evidence that he did (Lucy is described as
a “spinster” on her deed), but the purchase by a single woman of real property was unusual in that era. Could it
be the neighbors wanted to support the
reunited family, but did not trust John
Barrett given his history?
Lucy leaves the town’s welfare rolls at
this point. Little is known of her life
afterwards. It does seem probable that
she and John reconciled. The US census records from Mason, NH in 1850
have a household comprised of John
and Lucy N. Barrett. A John Barrett
died in Mason in 1852 and the 1860
census lists Lucy Barrett, then aged 80
living with Luther Barrett, age 52, his
wife and a number of children. A happy outcome at the end of a long and
difficult life?
PAGE 7
This 2014 Ford 4 wheel drive F-550 Rescue Truck was donated to the Town of Nelson by Jack Bradshaw in memory of his late
wife Bess Bradshaw. The truck is designed to transport a crew of 7 rescue personnel, and has been custom designed and fit up with
equipment needed by the Nelson Rescue Squad. Equipment includes an on-board generator, a 9000 pound winch, an awning for
treating victims in
inclement weather, internal and
external lighting,
it is an all around
truck to support
fire and rescue
events. Easy access storage is
designed for first
aid and rescue
equipment. This
vehicle can act as
a command center
for a search and
rescue mission.
The Nelson Fire
and Rescue Department is extremely grateful to
Jack Bradshaw for
this very generous
photos courtesy Warrren Hammack and Pamela White donation.
GRAPEVINE-2
NOVEMBER 2014
PAGE 8
CHURCH NEWS
Nelson Congregational
Church
The Christmas Cantata called “All
is Well” will be performed December 21. If you sang with us last year
or had hoped to and would like to
do it again this year, please contact
Deanna Zilske or Dawn as soon as
possible. Rehearsals will be from
10:30 a.m. to 12:00 on Nov. 16, 23
and Dec. 7, 14, and possibly a rehearsal during the week.
The 2014 Stewardship Campaign
is underway. The theme is
“Abundant Blessings” and we are
exploring all of our blessings and
seeing just how abundant they really
are in our lives. We are praying that
through introspection of our great
and abundant blessings we will be
able share more of those blessings
to help our church continue its missions and faith within as well as
sustaining our outreach through the
community and beyond. We hope
each of you contemplate your abundant blessings.
Wingerson 847-9945 or Priscilla Walter 847-3264 if you would like to meet
for lunch.
Annual Meeting was Sunday, November 2nd and we voted on new committee
members and the 2015 budget. The
Trustees were asking for more input
and direction to help with the Equal
Access project. New ideas have come
forth and we are hoping to find a solution that can come to fruition in the
near future. Thank you one and all for
your continued support of this effort.
We are trying to make our church more
comfortably accessible in the most
pleasing and aesthetically fitting way
and to do it right the first time.
There are two Adult Education groups
this year. One meets in Keene on Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. and the other on
Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. at the
church. All are welcome.
There is a new Middle School youth
group. All middle school age young
people are welcome to join the group.
Speak with Gretchen Tillson 313-7217
or Dawn 847-3280.
The Senior High youth group is also
meeting and will be going to see
“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”
on Saturday, November 22. Speak with
Dawn or Judi Lang, 520-5615, if you
are planning to attend.
Advent begins on November 30. Join
us for the First Sunday of Advent for
worship at 9:30 a.m.
On Sunday, December 7 the youth
groups will be baking cookies at
3:30 p.m.
1st Tuesday Tea has started back up
and meets at 10 a.m. throughout the
year hosted by varied families and
individuals at their homes. This is a
wonderful way to build community.
All are welcome.
The NELLs are back meeting for
lunch at various restaurants at 12:30
p.m. in Keene on the second
Wednesday of the month. The next
lunch will be at the Thai restaurant
on Main St. All are welcome to
share in this gathering. Reservations
are requested so please contact Bert
GRAPEVINE-2
Also on December 7 we’ll have the
annual Hanging of the Greens for all
church and community friends starting
at 6 p.m. We will be singing carols on
the front steps and lighting the ChristNOVEMBER 2014
mas tree. We will then meet in the
Melville Hall to enjoy cocoa and
freshly made cookies. We hope you
all will come and join us for this fun
time.
On December 21st we will perform
the Christmas Cantata and the children will present their annual Christmas Pageant Tableaux.
Christmas Eve
Candlelight Service
on December 24th will
begin at 7:00 p.m. All
are welcome.
Special parking
reminder to respect
our neighbors. Please park on Log
Cabin Road and the church driveway
with your headlights facing the Nelson Road (both day time and evening
parking). Log Cabin Road parking on
the church side only. Church driveway parking only on the Log Cabin
Road side of the driveway. This allows for enough room for emergency
vehicles to get through. Thanks so
much for your cooperation.
Chapel-By-The-Lake
Worship services are at 11:00 a.m.
with Bible Study following the Worship service.
Knitting club meets every other
Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon. For
more information and to confirm
meeting dates, call 446-7857 or 8473231 During the winter months we
meet in individual’s homes.
The Apple Fest
and Craft Fair
this year was a
huge success
and a great time
was had by one
and all. Thanks
to everyone
who put so much effort into making it
a fun time for everyone. Lots of cider,
pies, donuts and beautiful crafts.
There will be a Pancake Breakfast
on November 22 from 8 to 10:30 a.m.
Come and enjoy a hardy breakfast and
enjoy quality social time.
PAGE 9
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.
GRAPEVINE-2
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.
NOVEMBER 2014
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 e-mail Dawn Garrett-Larson
at nelsonchurchucc@gmail.com.
Thank you for your support!
PAGE 10
NELSON DIRECTORY
————————————
This newsletter is published by volunteers and is supported solely by donations from you, our readers. Our
costs are paper, printing and postage.
If you enjoy receiving the Grapevine,
please help us keep this Nelson mainstay running. Use the enclosed envelope to send a contribution to:
Grapevine-2
830 Nelson Road
Nelson, NH 03457
Thank you in advance for your
generosity!
-The Grapevine Committee
———————————————
The Grapevine-2 is printed by Prospect
Communications.
———————————————
The Grapevine-2 Committee and
friends: Hope Lothrop, Kelly French,
Susan Hansel, and Bert Wingerson
———————————————
Please visit our Town of Nelson
website at:
www.townofnelson.org
GRAPEVINE-2
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.
Anita Treloar, Financial Clerk
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
Bud French . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . call 911
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
NOVEMBER 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
1st 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
Nelson Library
2nd Monday, 6:30 p.m.
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
PAGE 11
WINTER CONCERT,
DEC. 21
Join the Nelson Town
Band in the Town
Hall on Sunday, Dec.
21, for a free holiday
concert, 4 to 6 p.m.
Christmas and Hanukkah favorites,
songs and carols old and new, and a
few surprises are on the program. And
cookies for the audience! Everyone is
welcome.
REGULARLY SCHEDULED LIBRARY
EVENTS
Weekly Story
Time for children
meets on Tuesdays
at 3:15 p.m., October through May
when school is in
session.
Weekly Knitting
Group meets every Thursday from
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
You may come for
the whole time or
part of the time.
Weekly Coffee
Hour meets every
Saturday at 10 a.m.
Monthly Book Group meets the third Monday of the month at 10:30 a.m. Books
may be picked up at the library.
Winter Game Time is at 11 a.m. on January 10th and February 14th.
These programs are free and open to the public. For more information call the
library at 847-3214 or email library@townofnelson.com.