Living - Eastman NH

Transcription

Living - Eastman NH

Summer 2012
Living
In This Issue…
Sustainable Eastman Challenges You
Giving and Receiving
The Road to Eastman
Eastman Lake Salmon!
Recreation
Ride of Silence in Grantham
By Charlie Taber • Photo by Norah Peterson
O
n the evening of May 16, under threatening skies,
125 bicycle riders rolled out of the Park and Ride on Route
10 and headed south to Croydon. The Grantham Ride of Silence
was part of a worldwide event that involved over 350 locations.
The ride had two purposes:
• to honor friends and family members who have been
injured or killed while cycling on public roadways;
• to promote awareness that bicyclists
and motorists need to share the
roadway and honor the rules of the
road.
And the winner is…
Holly Barlow,
one of 19 successful entrants in the “find the e” contest.
Holly found the e on page 19(!) of the spring issue of Eastman
Living in the Sugar River Bank advertisement. It was floating
between the wavy lines under the blue SR bank logo.
Congratulations to Holly. A winner’s certificate entitling her
to a choice of dessert at the Bistro is on its way.
Next year’s ride will be May 15 at
7 p.m. Will we see you there?
The Ride of Silence...
Tonight we number many but ride as one
In honor of those not with us, friends, mothers,
fathers, sisters, sons
With helmets on tight and heads down low,
We ride in silence, cautious and slow
The wheels start spinning in the lead pack
But tonight we ride and no one attacks
The dark sunglasses cover our tears
Remembering those we held so dear
Tonight’s ride is to make others aware
The road is there for all to share
To those not with us or by our side,
May God be your partner on your final ride
- Mike Murgas
The group gets instructions before heading out.
eastman living | summer 2012 | 3
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contents
Summer 2012
features
recreation
12 Woodlands and Wildlife
14 Going to School Without
3
Pondering Anderson Pond
Ride of Silence in Grantham
By Craig McArt and Renée Gustafson
By Charlie Taber
Going to School
By Richard Sachs
18 Giving and Receiving:
Quilts and Care
By Barbara Jones
26 Moldering? What in the World
Does THAT Mean?!
By Rory Gordon
16 What’s Out There?
By Aaron Brooke Jenkyn
22 Lakes and Streams
32 Be a Part of Our Biggest Ever
Purple Loosestrife - A Beautiful Menace
by Jackie Underhill
Lake Appreciation Days
20 Merrill and the Road
to Eastman
By Tom Rockett
sustainablity
29 Poetry Corner
8
Energy Challenge
By Ray Sears
33 Scene in Eastman
24 Eastman Lake Salmon
AKA: Common Sucker
By Richard Hocker
28 South Cove Exhibits
By Craig McArt
30 It’s a GRAND SLAM!
By Jane Verdrager
Root Beer Float!
columns
6
From the Desk
11 Peter’s Picks
By Peter Hope
34 Species Spotlight
Pileated Woodpecker-Dryocopus pileatus
By Susie Burbidge
35 Woodlands and Wildlife
Walking Eastman
By Craig McArt
Cover Photo by Jamie Walsh
Cover photographer Jamie Walsh and his wife, Sarah, have been Eastman
residents since moving up to New Hampshire from Connecticut in 2006.
Photography has been a favorite hobby of his since 2002 when Jamie
bought Sarah an SLR camera. He loves the local flora and fauna of the
area but also enjoys his hobby while on trips, including a photography
trip to Utah with Sarah in 2011. His new favorite subject, however,
is their infant daughter, Kara, who was born this year. Some of their
favorite photos are available at www.flickr.com/photos/sjwalsh. This is
Jamie’s first cover for Eastman Living.
Living
From the Editor’s Desk
“You can say anything you want yessir,
but it’s the words that sing, they soar and
descend…I bow to them…” exclaims
Chilean poet Pablo Neruda in his homage
to language: “The Word.” I, too, love words,
all kinds of words but especially those that
sing. Take moldering for instance. I love
the way it sounds almost exactly like what
it actually does. If you’ve never heard of
moldering, your education begins in the
brief but very descriptive article under the
Recreation heading in this issue of Eastman
Living.
Then, there’s eutrophic, a word Woodlands
and Wildlife chair Craig McArt uses to
describe the particular conditions that favor
plant over animal life in his latest column
on bodies of water in Eastman, “Pondering
Anderson Pond.” Once I read and looked
up that word, I found myself wanting to
include it in conversation, not an easy
thing to do unless you’re talking about how
certain nutrients reduce oxygen in water.
We use an “ ” to signify the end of our stories.
We want you, our readers, to find the “ .”
In each issue, our art director will hide our
signature “ ” in one of the advertisements.
All you have to do is find it and let us know
in what advertisement and where in that
advertisement you found it.
Maybe my favorite word when I was a kid
was one my mother used regularly when
either my brother or I, or both of us, began
to drive her over the edge of sanity.
The winner, drawn from all the correct
entries, will receive a certificate good for
one dessert, courtesy of Bistro Nouveau
and redeemable in either the Tavern or the
Hearth Room.
“You kids are driving
me berserk,” she would
exclaim.
The winner will receive a certificate by mail.
So make sure you include your mailing
address when sending in your “winning”
entry by August 24, 2012 to:
Eastman Living, c/o Find the “E,” PO Box 53,
Grantham, NH 03753, or e-mail your entry
to [email protected].
You’ll always be in for a special treat when
you read Eastman Living!
6 | |Summer
summer2012
2012| |eastman
eastmanliving
living
Berserk. Now there’s
a word! It actually
wasn’t until I was
an adult reading a
wonderful children’s
novel, The Sea of
Trolls by Nancy
Farmer, that I learned where that sonorous
word comes from. It seems that the Vikings
prepared for battle by drinking a druglaced beverage that whipped them into a
frenzy, giving them all of the “courage” and
a lot of the power they needed to defeat
their enemies. They called it “going berserk.”
Of course, my first-generation, ItalianAmerican mother would not have known
the word’s origin but she always used it
correctly.
“I love words so much… the unexpected
ones…,” continues Neruda. If like Pablo
and me, you love words, especially the
resonant and unexpected, take time to
listen to the language of this issue of
Eastman Living. You can expect more
interesting word information in future
issues, and the words will always be here for
you to read and repeat out loud and make
your own.
“While this compost pile on the edge of our
eutrophic pond is moldering, be quiet so as
not to drive me berserk!” You can do it.
Judy McCarthy
[email protected]
sustainability
ENERGY Challenge
By Ray Sears • 603-863-2832 • [email protected]
What’s happening?
Sustainable Eastman will be working in cooperation with the
New England Carbon Coalition this summer to challenge
Eastman households to plan to make significant reductions
in the use of energy derived from fossil fuels. We will be
concentrating on individual households because, nationally,
they use about one-half of all fossil fuels, and because the
Eastman Community Association has already made significant
reduction in fossil fuel use in the LEED Gold certified South
Cove Activity Center, with plans for energy reduction in future
projects. The New England Carbon Coalition has established a
reduction goal of 25% by 2020 for New England households.
Why Fossil Fuels?
Fossil fuels are of biological origin and include coal, oil and
natural gas among others. They are a concern because, when
burned, they re-emit carbon dioxide locked beneath the planet’s
surface into the atmosphere. The process of burning fossil fuels
significantly contributes to global warming. Oil holds more
energy per volume than any other chemical substance on Earth.
In fact, modern infrastructure was built on a steady price of
around $20 per barrel. At times, that price has exceeded $100,
creating economic uncertainty. Texas, once the center of the
oil-drilling world, is essentially dry, and fossil fuel use is rising
globally. Still, America uses more fossil fuels than ever before –
twice as much as we did in 1950. The largest, cheaply available
oil reserves are in Russia and the Middle East, creating political
uncertainty. When fossil fuels are burned, energy, carbon
dioxide and other pollutants are released. For 100 years, energy
has powered the lives of Americans, and for 100 years, carbon
has been gathering in the atmosphere. Because carbon traps
heat, the temperature of the Earth has been rising faster during
this temperate cycle in the current ice age than it has risen in
hundreds of thousands of years.
How can we solve these problems?
There are three solutions available to curb America’s addiction
to fossil fuels and to empower New England to look beyond the
use of fossil fuels.
• Energy Efficiency - Energy efficiency means doing the
same with less and designing programs and systems to use
electricity more efficiently.
• Energy Conservation - Energy conservation is the practice
of modifying everyday functions to reduce energy.
• Renewable Energy - Renewable energy sources include the
use of sunlight, wind, waves, water flow and geothermal
heat. To use renewable energy sources, technologies that
can harness this power must be developed and
incorporated into existing infrastructure.
What are the Benefits?
• Cost stabilization resulting from a more diverse and
competitive energy market
• A stronger New England economy
• Improved air quality because of reduced emissions
• Improved environmental quality because of reduced
climate warming
• Reduced cost of future remediation of environmental damage
What is the New England Carbon
Challenge?
The New England Carbon Challenge (NECC) is a joint initiative
of the University of New Hampshire and Clean Air-Cool
Planet. The NECC is committed to providing residents and
communities with the information, tools and support necessary
for households to make substantial reductions in their energy
consumption, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The
key strategy of NECC is to focus efforts of local organizers in
a specific community to engage residents in a sustained drive
to reduce fossil fuel use, an Energy Challenge. The specific
challenge is to reduce household energy use by 25% by 2020.
NECC provides web-based tools to help each New England
household create and implement an energy plan specifically
for its family’s needs. Regardless of whether you are just getting
started in reducing your energy consumption or have made
numerous efficiency changes already and are now looking for
deeper reductions (and perhaps renewable energy), the tools
can be found at myenergyplan.net and can help you achieve
your energy goals.
How does Eastman fit in?
Sustainable Eastman is the local organizer for NECC and will be
encouraging all Eastman households to accept the NECC energy
reduction goal and develop a household energy plan. The web
tools will allow us to assess the level of community participation
as well as energy reductions planned; Sustainable Eastman will
make this information available to the community. Reporting
will be organized by Special Place so you will be able to see how
well you and your neighbors are doing throughout the challenge
period. You will also be able to compare your results with other
New England communities.
What web tools are available?
Myenergyplan.net provides the following tools to get started.
Please go to the web site for complete details.
• Personal Energy Planner – Contains simple ideas to
review and reduce your energy consumption and map out
your own energy plan.
• Energy Project Connector – Allows you to plug into
sources of funding and find local professionals to get your
energy project done.
• The Energy Notebook – Helps you keep all your energy
information in one place and makes it easy for you to share
your information and ideas with others.
• Green Homes Tourist – Offers you the opportunity to take
a tour of green homes and other energy reduction activities
near your home.
How can I get started?
The first step toward implementing a My Energy Plan Challenge
is to familiarize yourself with the My Energy Plan web site in
order to create your own plan. The process is simple and only
takes 15-20 minutes.
1. Gather your utility bills
2. Visit myenergyplan.net; select “login” to setup/edit your account
3. Select the Personal Energy Planner™
4. Answer a few questions about your home and how your
household uses energy
5. Select actions to save on your energy bills
As a My Energy Plan Challenge participant you will be asked
to enter basic household and energy usage information into
the Personal Energy Planner™. You will need to select the
Sustainable Eastman Energy Challenge and your Special Place
and provide data on your annual household electricity, home
heating and hot water fuel usage and other basic information.
Most of this information can be found on your utility bills.
Based on the information you enter, the Personal Energy
Planner™ will calculate your household’s energy use. This
number can then be used as a baseline for reduction.
The Personal Energy Planner™ is the gateway to big energy
savings. With over 55 actions to choose from, you can pledge
to take as few or as many actions as you like as well as indicate
when you will take them. The actions listed run the spectrum
from changing light bulbs to replacing an aging boiler and
everything in between. Based on the number of actions you
pledge to take, the Personal Energy Planner™ calculates the
overall dollars saved and carbon reduction for your household
AND generates a personalized energy plan for your household
to follow. Actions can be scheduled over multiple years.
For example, you can indicate that you wish to purchase a
new ENERGY STAR refrigerator a year from now and your
personalized energy plan will reflect the actions you want to
take immediately through the actions you want to take later.
Both owners and renters are encouraged to develop energy
plans, although renters may have limited action options.
sustainability
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Once you have calculated your footprint and pledged actions
to reduce it, the Personal Energy Planner™ will attribute your
results to your Special Place. By linking households with their
communities, My Energy Plan staff are able to track and report
the aggregated residential progress of registered communities.
Once a household has completed the actions they pledged to
take in the Personal Energy Planner™, they can revisit their
energy plan, update completed actions and select new actions to
take. Data previously entered in the system will be saved when a
household logs in and creates an account.
What next?
Once you have a myenergyplan.net account and a preliminary
plan in place there are many actions you can take using the
myenergyplan.net tools to improve on your initial plan and
begin to turn it into reality. Here are just a few ideas.
• Consider and evaluate alternatives. Is it better to replace
a gas-guzzler or turn down the thermostat? Is it better to
keep winter temperatures lower or close off unused rooms?
• Get some professional help. Use the tools to find local
contractors who can help in estimating costs of projects and
give advice on installation issues.
• Find someone locally who has already undertaken energy
reduction measures similar to something you might do and
arrange a tour/demonstration.
• Share ideas with neighbors, using the available tools.
• Look for opportunities to manage your property. If siding
needs repair, it might be a good idea to improve insulation
as well and replace windows.
How will progress be measured?
Sustainable Eastman will receive periodic reports from
myenergyplan.net and will publish this information on our
web site. Information on both participation and energy savings
will be included. This information will also be available on
myenergyplan.net so Eastman’s results can be compared
to other towns and organizations. The “Communities” tab
on myenergyplan.net posts this information for all towns
participating in the challenge. Within Eastman, results of
activity in each Special Place will be published.
So What?
So take the challenge! Reduction of 25% in use of fossil fuelderived energy by 2020 may sound like a lot, but success is
central to the viability of Eastman, not just in the quality of
our local environment but also in the economics of living in
Eastman. Both time and technology are working in our favor.
Most of us will be replacing automobiles, maybe more than
once by then, more renewable energy may be available, and
heating/cooling and insulation technology will be improved.
Starting to plan now will ensure our ability to take advantage of
these advances.
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column
By peter hope
This month I will focus on Eastman’s own
Heath Forest. Thanks to Eastman residents
Andy Eastman and Craig McArt, we now have
a wide selection of trails for warm weather
hiking and winter snowshoeing or skiing. Trail
markings are color-coded. The best access for
parking is at the end of Bogie Place, which is
off of Troon Drive. Look for the kiosk that
marks the start of the yellow trail.
Peter’s Picks
I
write this in late May,
but it already feels like
summer! Eastman will again offer
our ever-popular walking and hiking
programs. This year both will run from
July through mid-October, on Wednesdays
and Saturdays respectively. If you have any
questions about either, call me at 863-6456.
And we always need new leaders! Don’t be
bashful; it’s fun to lead a trip and share a
favorite area with others.
In summer, a few simple and sensible
choices are important. Dehydration is all
too easy; carry with you two to three liters
of drinkable water, as well as salty food and
perhaps a source of potassium such as a
banana. This is the way to avoid leg cramps
and worse. Sunscreen, a hat and insect
repellent are also important. Ticks are
numerous this season; they are unpleasant
and some carry Lyme Disease. Precautions
are in order.
If you’re hiking at higher elevations, bring
warm clothing, including gloves and a hat.
A headlamp, guidebook, map, compass and
first aid kit are among the essentials. A GPS
or a cell phone may or may not get a signal.
Always let someone know your plans,
which should include your designated
route and estimated time of return. Safety
for yourself and others must always be your
first priority.
After a short distance you’ll arrive at a trail
junction. The new Blue Trail continues straight,
slabbing the hillside, then climbing easily with
several switchbacks to reach the Red Trail loop
at its northeast corner (where it makes a sharp
turn off an old logging road).
But I suggest that you use the Blue Trail for the
return and, for now, continue on the Yellow
Trail, which turns sharply left toward Eastman
Brook, then right to closely follow Eastman
Brook and Stocker Brook and their extensive
wetlands. You’ll traverse a very attractive stand
of white pine and pass close to a long, lovely,
open forest glade. You’ll eventually reach my
favorite lunch spot, an open grassy area on the
bank of Stocker Brook; perhaps one day soon
we’ll see a bench there!
The Yellow Trail turns inland at this point, soon
reaching a junction with the Green Trail. The
Yellow Trail follows an old skid road, climbing
to meet the Red Trail. But instead, turn left
on the Green Trail, which continues to follow
Stocker Brook, albeit not as closely. After a
time, the Green Trail also turns inland to climb
another old skid road towards the Red Trail.
But watch carefully on your left a little ways up
for the woods road that is the start of the new
Orange Trail.
The route follows the woods road for a short
while, then jogs right on a series of old logging
roads to avoid a wet area. It climbs gradually
to intersect yet another skid road, just above
the point where a large tree has fallen across it.
If you bushwhack a few steps straight ahead,
you’ll reach a lovely small pond. You can hear
the traffic from the interstate, but you won’t
see it!
Turn right uphill following the skid road.
You’ll cross and follow along a brook that
runs down the road; some trail work will
be needed here to improve the route. The
Orange Trail swings left for a level walk
along another lovely open forest glade. It
descends left for a short distance to cross
a seasonal brook at the easiest point and
swings right to climb through open woods,
partly along a ridge. Eventually it reaches
a good woods road, which was built to
obtain gravel for the construction of I-89.
(Hiking this loop in the opposite direction,
you would notice that this junction is close
to the height of land).
If you follow this road to the left, you’ll end
up at Heath Lane, the old Howe Hill Road.
Instead, turn right. Note the many invasive
plants along the route. (Woodlands and
Wildlife is actively engaged in a control
effort.) You will reach the old gravel pit
area. The Orange Trail skirts this on the left
and, after several turns, reaches the point
where the Red and Green Trails meet and
end at an acute angle.
From here there are many options for the
return. I suggest taking the Red Trail, which
follows and, at wet areas, parallels the main
logging road in the Heath Forest. You’ll
pass the Yellow Trail on your right and the
easterly loop of the Red Trail on your left.
When you reach the Blue Trail, turn right
to descend towards the trailhead.
The GPS tracking of this route is complete,
and a detailed trail map of the Heath
Forest will soon be available. Check on the
Eastman website Members’ Area under
Woodlands and Wildlife. I expect that the
Heath Forest Trail brochure will be revised
as well.
In the next issue I’ll cover hikes farther
afield, but it’s good to know what’s
available right here in our own backyard.
Happy Hiking!
column
Pitcher Plant Flowers
Pondering Anderson Pond
Sundew
Rose Pogonia
By Craig McArt and Renée Gustafson • Photos by Renée Gustafson
Round-leaved Sundew
Pitcher Plant
F
rom Lorenzo Dunbar’s History of
Grantham, published in 1791, we learn that “about
the year 1791 two men by the name of Anderson were
drowned in Anderson Pond – so called after this occurrence.”
From this sad account one might reasonably surmise that they
fell through the ice.
Because of its shallow depth, ice forms early on Anderson
Pond. Actually, the 14-acre, spring-fed pond, eutrophic in
nature (fertile with abundant nutrients for plant production),
is becoming a little shallower as each year goes by. As silt builds
up on the bottom, a succession of plant life occurs called a
hydrosphere. What we see now are various water lilies and
pondweeds. As the water becomes even more shallow, reeds will
develop. Years and years from now, the organic matter could
build up to form peat and then the hydrosphere would give way
to swamp. Lest we worry, before things progress that far, the
pond could be dammed to increase the depth and buy more
time, as was done on Eastman Pond.
The Anderson Pond Trail begins at a cut-off from the Butternut
Trail, a short distance from the kiosk at the end of Anderson
Pond Road. From there, it drops down to Anderson Pond, where
it forms a mile loop around the pond’s shoreline. Residences
overlook the pond in some areas. The level trail, routed close
to the pond, is sometimes wet in places, but boardwalks and
bridges afford dry passage over the worst spots.
While walking the trail, keep an eye out for a low, evergreen
shrub called sheep laurel, which produces small, deep pink,
saucer-shaped flowers in dense clusters. Pink swamp roses
bloom along the shoreline from July to August. On the west
shore, notice a transition point between a forested wetland
containing red maple and other hardwoods and an upland
populated by conifer species. The major species in this forest
type is eastern hemlock, but also look for red spruce and
tamarack. Tamarack, the only northern conifer that sheds all its
needles, turns this western shore a golden yellow in the fall.
A smooth rock juts out from shore at the south end of the pond,
where one can obtain a splendid view. Nearby is a small bridge
that takes the trail over the outlet stream. The stream flows
down to Eastman Lake, tumbling over a falls by the Lake Trail.
At one time, it was diverted to flow in the opposite direction,
down to the millpond by West Cove, where a mill was located.
The remains of the diversion channel can be seen from a spur
off the trail west of the bridge. The spur traces a short section of
the old road that linked North Grantham with Enfield Center.
The pond is a botanist’s dream that even includes carnivorous
plants and exciting mini-gardens growing on logs that protrude
from the shore. Sundew plants can be found on the logs at the
southeast and northwest areas of the pond. These tiny plants are
a relative of the venus flytrap and have round leaves with sticky
tentacles that glisten like dew in the sun – hence the name.
Insects get stuck on the tentacles and are devoured by the plant.
Pitcher-plants can be seen growing in the moist area between
the trail and the pond. This plant is very easy to identify because
of its purple streaked leaves and burgundy flowers. The leaves
are shaped like a pitcher and are used to trap insects, which are
digested and serve as nourishment for the plant. Pitcher-plants
bloom from late-May to August and the flower heads remain in
the winter.
The pond also hosts cranberry plants, swamp candles and the
delicate rose pogonia. The rose pogonia is an orchid that grows
in colonies that can be found blooming in late June on many
of the logs and floating sphagnum gardens. Yellow pond lilies
bloom from May to September. Their large, heart-shaped leaves
provide cover for fish and landing pads for dragonflies. Hollow,
tubular stems conduct carbon and methane gasses up from the
bottom of the pond under pressure to be sprayed out through
the leaves. A single water lily stem can pass 22 liters of “sewer
gas” in one day.
Spring brings a plethora of frog song from spring peepers,
bullfrogs, green frogs, leopard frogs and American toads. On
warmer days, painted and snapping turtles may be seen sunning
on the logs or a family of mergansers or mallards might occupy
the pond, sometimes joined by the great blue heron strutting
the shores on the lookout for fish.
Several species of fish inhabit the pond: perch, large and small
mouth bass and even a northern pike or two. Upsetting to local
anglers has been the discovery that some rock bass have joined
the group. A non-native species, they favor the same habitat
as the small mouth bass, and their competition for food can
seriously affect the fish population.
Anderson Pond people, as the residents call themselves, enjoy a
special, community spirit. They have been known to gather on
the pond for “happy hour” raft-ups in the summer and to bang
pots and pans around a fire on New Year’s Eve. They know the
pond is a very special place, whether for a quiet walk, a peaceful
paddle, a communion with nature’s abundance or socializing
with their neighbors. Now that their secret is out, hopefully
others, as well, will get acquainted with this gem.
Feature
Going to School
Without Going to School
Story and Photos By Richard Sachs
E
ach year in America, nearly 1.7 million
children get their education at home. Why spend
so much time and energy doing this when public
school is available for everyone in this country?
Many home-schooling families cite the poor quality of
available local schools as their main reason. Others point
to religious or moral objections to parts of a public school
curriculum. Some reject evolution as it is taught today,
or reject commonly read literature, such as Huckleberry
Finn, Lord of the Flies and much of Ernest Hemingway,
on philosophical or moral grounds. So it was refreshing
to discover Eastman home-schooling families who teach
at home for what they love about the process and what it
does for their families rather than for what they wish to
avoid. In fact, one Eastman family, already committed to
home-schooling, chose to settle their family here because the
Grantham Village School (GVS) had better standardized test
scores than other alternative towns.
Ian and Jennifer Drummond, of the Spring Glen Special
Place, love being able to let their children progress at their
own rate, moving more slowly when working on skills
they have less aptitude for, and sailing through material
that comes more naturally. In this way, they are never on a
schedule pegged at or a bit below the average learning speed
of 25 or 30 other kids. The Drummonds use the Ambleside
curriculum, one of many all-embracing school programs
Catherine, Ian and David Drummond
that follow a particular educational philosophy and structure
and are widely available online. Among many alternative
options are the Montessori, Waldorf, School-at-Home and
Calvert programs.
The Ambleside curriculum was the late 19th century
development of a pedagogue named Charlotte Mason. It
prescribes appropriate learning goals for each grade and
suggests readings in history, social studies and literature,
with an emphasis on approaching some of the same
material every few years, each time in a more advanced
way, appropriate to a child’s age. Thus, American history or
the Iliad could be taught with very simple and illustrated
readings to young children and then repeated a few times
during the 12 grades, each time with more challenging
material. One of the hallmarks of the Ambleside philosophy
is that after mastering a unit, a child must present the
material back to his or her parents in some form, be it
verbally, written, or in some pictorial or craft project.
Catherine Drummond, age 7, proudly showed me a scroll
on which she had drawn many of the bird species she was
learning about.
Some home-schooling families do not commit to a single
integrated teaching philosophy or technique. There are
published guides showing what material is appropriate or
necessary to be mastered at each grade level, so they can pick
Jennifer and Catherine Drummond Planting
and choose their own materials. There is an endless array of
teaching materials available on the internet and an exploding
spectrum of available applications for tablet computers and
smart phones. ABCmouse.com is a website that has all kinds
of available learning games, printed materials and craft
supplies.
Many families supplement instruction for children when
they don’t feel that they have the personal resources to teach
all subjects to their kids. In fact, Ian Drummond teaches
at just such a school, where home-schooled kids can come
for instruction in Latin or history or any subject in which
parents don’t feel they could do as thorough a job as they
would like. One Eastman family brings in a music teacher
each week to teach the stringed instruments to their kids
with an eye to creating a classical string quartet. Some kids
join after school sports teams along with the public school
students.
Catherine and David Drummond, age 4, are too young for
a full school day of instruction. They participate in several
20-minute lessons, usually in the morning. Learning sessions
will gradually lengthen as they mature. Most families
follow the usual school calendar, skipping formal teaching
on weekends and holidays and taking off the summer
months as well. Though one Eastman mother, whose kids
get tested formally outside the home, says she does a little
consolidation teaching during the summer so the kids’ skills
don’t backslide. Of course, any situation at any time can
become a “teachable moment.”
Ezra Munholand, an engaging 9-year-old living in the Bright
Slopes Special Place and taught at home with three younger
... the Final Product
siblings, was asked if he has friends who go to school every
day.
“Yup,” he said.
“And who’s the lucky one?”
“I’m the lucky one.”
Community resources are available for home-schooling
families. Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock, Vt. the
Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Quechee, Vt and
the Montshire Museum in Norwich, Vt. all run programs
for groups. The public libraries and public schools can
lend books and other supplies. Some families enjoy getting
together in a weekly support group for younger, homeschooled kids and their parents, meeting at a dance studio
in West Lebanon. When asked, the local town historical
societies will make presentations for home-schooled
children as well as for public school groups.
Home-schooling regulations vary by state. New Hampshire
has few requirements, but requires that any private
instruction be monitored by professionals. This can be as
simple as personal interviews and review of accumulated
portfolios demonstrating appropriate progress or could
involve regular formal testing of the kids, or even some of
each. The Munholand children are tested twice a year in
reading and math at GVS.
Home-schooling is not for everyone. It requires time,
organization, attention to detail and incredible discipline.
But those who do it successfully say it brings them the
satisfaction of family bonding and the reward of a personally
controlled, individualized, high quality education for their
children.
L to R, Anya, Ezra, Noah and Petra Munholand
column
What’s Out There?
By Aaron Brooke Jenkyn
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he extended spring of 2012 has certainly brought
out lots of wildlife sightings! From the Fairway foxes to
some really uncommon bird sightings: white-winged scoters
and a bald eagle! Eastman residents have also taken advantage
of the warm weather to get outside and watch as our local fauna
comes to life.
While out for an early morning walk on March 22, Charlie
Taber and his black lab, Stout, saw three sets of common
mergansers playing in the water off North Cove Beach.
On the evening of March 24, Amy Hoffman saw a snowshoe
hare hop by her window. It still had its winter coat, which is
white with some brown spotting. Amy was surprised at how
white its coat was for this time of year, pointing out that it stood
out like a neon sign in the dusk. Even in March some of us were
still waiting for the snow to come!
Not all of the critters that came out this spring were wanted
quite so early. Judy McCarthy reported that on April 18 she
got her first black fly bite, almost a month before Mother’s Day.
Does this mean that the old adage that they arrive on Mother’s
Day and leave on Father’s day will need to be revised?
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On a sunny April day while out for a walk on the West Cove
walking path, Liz Forshay saw a baby painted turtle.
Many of you have been enjoying the spring attraction of
Fairway Drive, the Fairway foxes! Ruth Ann Eastman reported
that the first day she saw a kit, it was very cold and the kit had
found a patch of sunlight to sit in to get warm. Not long after
that, I heard from Anne Langsdorf and Susan Mattson that the
other kits had come out of the den as well. All of Fairway Drive
has been enjoying watching these five young kits and their
mother play and sun along the roadside. These local celebrities
even made the Valley News on April 19!
The Fairway foxes weren’t the only foxes in town. There were
several other reports of foxes out and about in Eastman. In late
April, Matt Hoffman had a very exciting encounter with a fox
family at the intersection of Bear Road and Road Round Lake.
From his car, he saw a mother fox and her babies sitting near
the side of the road. As he turned left and slowly drove towards
them, the mother headed off the road and the babies followed,
walking into the rocks. The mother then stood there, on the
rocks, keeping guard. Matt was able to snap some photos and
even went back with his wife to find that the kits were still there,
tackling and rolling over each other and chewing on saplings.
What a wonderful experience!
can be seen on the fifth fairway and the surrounding environs.
Jenna Chenever had an unexpected Mother’s Day visitor at her
home on Wildwood Drive. She looked out her kitchen window
to find a bear not more than 20 feet away! It took its time eating
plants and enjoying the sunshine while Jenna watched safely
from behind the window.
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Not long after that, Marcus Jenkyn and I saw a very small fox
face off against a goose inside the fence of the polishing ponds
on Clearwater Drive. A week later, we saw a much larger fox
facing off against what we presumed to be the same goose; it
was protecting the same nest on the pond. In both cases the
goose got the better of the foxes, and they were both sent away
with their tails between their legs.
Gale and Andy Schmidt reported that on April 28 they had two
sightings of a yellow-breasted warbler catching bugs outside a
second story window of their home.
While walking in Heath Forest in late April, Ruth Ann and
Andy Eastman and Jerry and Susan Mattson spotted a thrush.
On April 29, Rhonda and Milt Weinstein saw two female hooded
mergansers on Mill Pond. Then on May 5, having seen no hooded
mergansers on Mill Pond that day, they saw five male hooded
mergansers in East Cove, but no females. They have also heard
the call of a yellow-bellied sapsucker on the west side of the lake.
Charlie Taber and Stout had another exciting wildlife spotting
while out walking on May 2, this time off the North Cove Beach
hiking trail. They watched as a bald eagle startled a goose on
the lake; the eagle then flew over to the east side of the lake and
came to rest on the higher branches of a large pine tree. The
eagle appeared to be quite happy with its lakefront view. Charlie
and Stout continued hiking, and upon their return, the eagle
was still perched in those same pines.
Ruth Ann Eastman also wrote in to say that the Fairway
resident groundhog has returned for another year; he (or she)
Perhaps one of the most prolific birding reports received this
spring came from Rhonda and Milt Weinstein, who on May
20, spotted two male and one female white-winged scoters,
swimming in a line southbound on the lake between East
Cove and South Cove. On the same day they spotted a female
common merganser perched on a rock off the west end of the
private island, as well as one of our resident loons. In addition
to this, they heard and saw two orioles while paddling in West
Cove – what a day!
Rhonda and Milt also reported that throughout the spring they
have had four different woodpecker species (downy, yellowbellied sapsucker, northern flicker and pileated), a scarlet
tanager and numerous warblers, including the black-throated
green, yellow-rumped, magnolia and American redstart, and an
ovenbird, all in or around their backyard.
While out walking the Clearwater Drive to Wellfield Road loop
on May 23, Marcus Jenkyn and I spotted 55 eastern newts along
the roadside of the 2.5-mile stretch. Having seen these newts all
my life, I didn’t actually know what they were called, so upon
returning home we looked them up. To our surprise, in addition
to their name, we learned that, although only two percent of
these newts make it beyond the red-eft stage when they are
a brilliant orange color, the ones who do make it have a life
expectancy of 12 to 15 years!!
According to a late May report from Milt Weinstein, any EL
reader who has ever heard a wood thrush sing will appreciate
the thrill he and Rhonda got from having one sing in the woods
behind their house on May 26, both in the morning and again
in the evening until dusk. Sadly for them, it did not return after
that one day. Based on their songs, the following birds seem
to be in residence in the Burpee Hill Special Place: American
redstart, ovenbird, eastern wood pewee and yellow-bellied
sapsucker. The only one Milt has actually seen is the sapsucker,
which he also hears drilling.
Thank you to all who sent in submissions; please keep them
coming! E-mail me at [email protected] or call
me at 603-306-6707. Starting this summer, there will also be a
“What’s Out There?” drop box at South Cove Activity Center.
feature
Giving and Receiving:
Quilts and Care
By Barbara Jones • Photos by Dale and dale eckert
Q
uilts came into my life in an
unexpected way. When my mother died and my brother
and I were clearing out the house, I was amazed to discover
beautiful quilts hidden away in the attic. In our house most nice
things were put away and never seen. I decided that the creators
of these lovely works of art needed to be honored by their quilts
being used and enjoyed in my home. The bonus was discovering
their history.
My brother was going through some books and, as an
afterthought, flipped me a book entitled Wedding Embassy
Yearbook. It turned out to be a compendium of wedding advice
for the bride, an interesting read in itself, but the amazing part
occurred as I was looking through the section entitled “The
Bride’s Gift Record.” Listed under gifts that had been received by
my mother, the bride, was this notation:
David’s Aunt Helen Foster, 43 Glenville Ave., Boston, MA,
October, 38, matched pair of patchwork quilts.
Then, under personal remarks is this second notation:
Made by her mother while she waited for her husband to return
from the Civil War. He did return.
David is my father. What good fortune to have inherited these
family works of art, which now hang in my West Cove condo.
Most recently, I was surprised with more good fortune. My
name was drawn as the winner of a raffle for a quilt made by
family members of Massachusetts’ residents Dale Granger
Eckert and Dale Bob Eckert as a part of their fund raising efforts
to support the work of the Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Alzheimer’s Associations. The drawing for the quilt was held
at the Alzheimer’s Association Run for the Memory Boston
Marathon team meeting in March.
The two Dales (!) delivered the quilt to my home here in
Grantham. They think that the quilt found a perfect match
with me, not just because of my interest in quilts but for
another more important reason: 70 percent of people with
Alzheimer’s are cared for at home, and I am one of those
caregivers. The quilt drawing not only raised $2085, but was
also an opportunity to reach out and create conversations about
Alzheimer’s. With an illness where the hallmark is loss, it is
lovely to gain new friends like the Eckerts and to be reminded
that beautiful things can arise despite this disease.
Alzheimer’s is still a little talked about illness, although that
clearly has been changing over the years. When you reveal that
you are a caregiver and the nature of the illness the immediate
response is nearly always, “My mother was diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s when she was in her late 80’s. I got to know the
disease intimately,” or “My niece is only 62 and she has been
diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s.”
While we all hope for a cure for this illness and people like the
two Dales raise money to try to make that cure a reality, until
that time, there are supportive services in the Upper Valley to
help those of us living with the disease. We are blessed to live
in an area where there are quite a few resources, not only for
Alzheimer’s but also for other illnesses connected with aging.
One of the best is the Aging Resource Center (ARC) at the
Centerra Plaza in Lebanon.
I first got started with a Care Giving 101 course there when
I was helping my parents, who were living in Ohio. After my
parents died, I needed help for a new more personal phase of
care-giving when my husband Bin had his stroke five years
ago. I found a support group at the ARC called Nurturing the
Spirit, where fellow caregivers were led in discussion by Jeanne
Childs, the gifted geriatric chaplain at the center. In addition,
there are several series of classes by Kesstan Blandin on such
topics as Essential Skills for Alzheimer’s Care, Memory Loss
and Brain Health, Sleep and Aging, Reduce Stress and Build
Harmony, Caring for Another, Caring for Yourself and practical
classes that show a person how to be a “Savvy Caregiver.” There
is a Parkinson’s leader and many other trained people to help
someone avoid financial exploitation as well as classes to help
those with limited mobility stay strong, balanced and safe
through supervised exercise. Some courses are drop-in and
others need registration.
You can get direct information from the ARC at 603- 653-3460
or online at www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/agingcenter. The
director of the center is Caroline Moore.
There are also things you can do to help caregivers, and it is
often the littlest thing that is the most helpful. Something as
simple as picking up and delivering the daily newspaper to a
caregiver’s door or picking up the mail at the post office or
a few groceries when you are going out shopping can make
a big difference in a caregiver’s life. If you have made a large
batch of some tasty soup or stew or an extra loaf of bread,
sharing them with your care-giving friend or neighbor would
be so appreciated. A few flowers or a plant can cheer someone
struggling to stay upbeat. Phone the caregiver just to say that
you are thinking about him or her.
The person struggling with the illness can also use support.
While you may not be able to have a lively conversation, if
you were a friend of the person now searching for words, take
another mutual friend and go out for a cup of coffee. Just be
with the person because he or she continues to sense whether
you care even if the two of you are not able to communicate like
you used to.
One of the nicest gifts that Bin and I received was on a day when
I had a full day conference in New London and could not get
home for lunch. A neighbor offered to stop in, fix lunch for Bin
and just check on him again later in the day. In addition to that,
she brought him a colorful placemat from Brazil and, when
I got home from the conference, she had left a basket on the
counter, providing a full dinner for both of us that evening.
While giving care is not easy, it can be made more manageable
through area resources and the help of others. Like the beautiful
quilt, which the Eckerts called “My Sister’s Heart” and which
has joined my family quilts to grace our home, such resources
and neighborly support brighten Bin’s and my days and are a
constant reminder that we are not alone.
You can contact me at [email protected].
Barbara and Dale Granger Eckert
Bin and Barbara
Feature
Merrill and the Road to Eastman
O
ne of the true heroes of World War II,
General Frank Dow Merrill, was responsible for planning the major highway leading to Eastman:
US Interstate 89.
After the war, this great field commander became the New
Hampshire Highway Commissioner under Governor Sherman
Adams. His vision and engineering expertise were major factors
in shaping our present highway system.
A Massachusetts native and West Point graduate, Merrill held a
degree in engineering from MIT. At the outbreak of World War
II, he was in Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon, Myanmar) serving
as chief-of-staff for General Joseph “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell, who
was the American commander-in-chief of the China/Burma/
India Theater of Operation.
Rangoon was strategically important for many reasons, not
least of which was because the Burma Road began there. Over
this road, the Allies supplied Chiang Kai-Sheik’s Chinese Army,
keeping the Chinese army in the war and tying up over a million
Japanese troops. When the Japanese invaded Burma in May
1942, supplies had to be flown “over the hump,” the spur of the
Himalayas that extended along the India-Burma border. The
invasion forced the Allies to retreat into the Burmese jungle.
In what became known as “the walk-out,” Stilwell and Merrill
led the remnants of their army on a 600-mile trek through the
Generals Merrill and Stilwell
Story and Photos by Tom Rockett
almost impenetrable jungle of Northern Burma into India.
Astoundingly, every member of that retreat survived the ordeal.
For the next year and a half, Stilwell, Merrill and others
prepared for the campaign to retake Northern Burma and reopen an overland supply route to China. During this time, the
acerbic Stilwell alienated most of the British command in India
and grew to despise Chiang Kai-Sheik, whom he thought to be
corrupt and indecisive. He expressed his belief that the Chinese
people would be better off under Mao Tse-tung, thus gaining
the enmity of witch-hunting Senator Joseph McCarthy.
During this time, Merrill conducted the training and
organization of a group of about 3,000 men who had
volunteered for a “dangerous and hazardous mission.” A
war correspondent observing this Special Forces unit named
them “Merrill’s Marauders,” and the term became the official
designation for the group. There is a bridge on Route 3 in
Nashua named the Merrill’s Marauders Bridge. Merrill and
his troops left India in February 1944 and for the next three
months fought their way over the hump and into the dense
and dangerous Burmese jungle. They covered a distance of 750
miles. Several hundred men died or were evacuated to India
because of dysentery, malaria, wounds, devastating exhaustion
and diseases caused by leaches, poisonous snakes and spiders.
Merrill led the Marauders in 27 skirmishes and five major
battles. They were victorious in all of them. As they moved
toward Central Burma, other allied armies of Burmese, Chinese,
British and American troops under the overall command of
Stilwell converged with them at a place called Myitkyina, but
which was referred to in all official communications as “Mitch.”
This was the site of a major Japanese army base on the Burma
Road and a strategically important air base. The Battle of Mitch
took place in early August 1944. At this final battle of the Burma
Campaign, the Japanese army was defeated, the country was
liberated and the Burma Road was re-opened. The Marauders
returned to India.
Frank Merrill survived to finish his career as a New Hampshire
commissioner but it was close. Just as Roosevelt’s polio paralysis
and Stilwell’s blindness (total in one eye and severe in the
other) had been kept a secret during the war, as was Merrill’s
heart disease. He had two and perhaps three heart attacks in
the Burma jungle. After the first, he was evacuated to India but
returned to direct the fighting after two weeks. He contracted
malaria but still led the Marauders through the worst fighting
at “Mitch,” where he suffered another heart attack and was
ordered by Stilwell to return to India. He would not act on the
order until all of the wounded were evacuated. Finally, two days
later, he turned the command over to his successor and left
Burma to spend the remainder of the war in a staff position at
headquarters in India.
This unwavering devotion to his men won for him the country’s
respect and admiration. This remarkable man, a soldier’s solder
and an able engineer and capable administrator, left his mark
on the New Hampshire highway system, serving the state as the
highway commissioner from 1948 until his death in 1955. It is
fitting that his memory is preserved at the Merrill’s Marauders
Bridge and on Interstate 89, where signs on the off-ramps bear
witness to his national and local importance.
© Bill Fish Photography
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column
Purple Loosestrife - A Beautiful Menace
by Jackie Underhill
A Brief History
In 2005, a concerned Eastman resident alerted the Lakes
and Streams Committee (L&S) to the New England purple
loosestrife invasion and how it might be controlled. These
invasive plants were growing unfettered throughout the region,
particularly in wet, marshy areas. It was noted that purple
loosestrife was indeed spreading in the Eastman Lake watershed
and elsewhere within the community. With ECA approval
and a band of dedicated volunteers, the task of reigning in the
menacing purple loosestrife began.
Why is Purple Loosestrife a Problem?
Purple loosestrife negatively affects wildlife by gradually altering
our nation’s wetlands. It displaces and replaces native flora and
fauna, eliminating food, nesting and shelter for wildlife. Purple
loosestrife forms a single species stand that no bird, mammal
or fish depend upon. By reducing habitat environment,
purple loosestrife has a negative impact on fish spawning and
waterfowl habitat. Its ability to spread contributes to its success
as an invader. One adult plant can produce two to three million
seeds annually; they can remain viable for many years. It prefers
moist organic soils, fluctuating water levels and full sunlight,
conditions that can stress many native plants. It has no natural
predators on this continent; therefore, it has an incredible ability
to compete against native vegetation and to form dense stands.
If Eastman wanted to preserve its native wetland areas, stream
banks and lake shorelines, a plan of attack had to be developed.
The Strategy
Two methods for controlling the growth of purple loosestrife
were chosen as being the most effective: physical and biological.
Physical control is suitable for small patches of growth and
involves removing the plant from the soil, repeated cutting back
of the plant or removing the flowering stalks and bagging them.
L&S volunteers have gotten down and dirty while working to
remove as much of the plant and its roots as possible around
Mill Pond. On the golf course, at Eagle Drive and places with
smaller patches, the flowering stalks were cut off and bagged
before they went to seed, thereby eliminating seed dispersal.
Biological Control is a method of control involving the release
of predators to attack the pest species. The Galerucella species of
beetles has proven to be effective and is considered host-specific
to purple loosestrife. These native European beetles were
introduced to North America in 1992 as part of a five to 15-year
program to control purple loosestrife. After extensive research
conducted at Cornell University, the insects were proven safe for
our natural environment. L&S orders the beetles from the New
Jersey Department of Agriculture with permission from the
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Sciences (DES).
The beetles are dispersed primarily in the meadows abutting
Stoney Brook and Butternut Brook on Eastman’s northwestern
border. This was by far the largest area of infestation, where
it was evident that the purple loosestrife plants were rapidly
replacing the native plants.
photo by Jackie Underhill
Maynard Wheeler dispersing beetles
The Outcome
Because of our efforts at control since 2006, the L&S committee
appears to be winning the battle. Our meadows have been
largely restored to their previous native state. In other areas
around Eastman the plants have either disappeared or they
are unhealthy and are slowly diminishing. We are encouraged
as we observe more and more damaged and weakened plants.
Research data suggests that establishing a colony of Galerucella
beetles takes seven to ten years. As we approach this time
frame we will continue to evaluate the results to decide how
much longer we’ll utilize the beetles as a control method. It’s
hoped that, eventually, we will only use physical controls. Due
to its adaptability and tenacity, purple loosestrife will never
be eliminated from Eastman. However, L&S is dedicated to
controlling it as much as possible in order to allow our native
plants to thrive.
What Can I Do To Help?
LAKE APPRECIATION
DAYS
Photos by richard sachs
South Cove
July 28 - August 2
The kick-off Saturday, July 28 (rain date - July 29) includes:
• Cardboard Boat Race - 11 a.m.
• Free activities and educational demos
under the pavilion - 12 - 3 p.m.
• Guided pontoon boat tours - 5 & 6:30 p.m.
Sunday July 29 - Thursday August 2
• Guided pontoon boat tours - 5 & 6:30 p.m.
• The ever popular tug boat rides
Wednesday, August 1 - Walk around the Lake - 8:30 a.m.
To help prevent the spread of purple loosestrife you must
1.
Recognize it. It’s an erect, perennial herb standing three to
10 feet tall. It blossoms every July through September with
purple flowers that are located in long spikes at the tips of
its branches. Its leaves are opposite or whorled on the square,
sometimes woody stem. It is a deceptively beautiful plant!
2.
Remove it or report it to the L&S committee at
[email protected].
Remember to tightly bag all plant fragments. Do not compost
them as the plants may regenerate in the compost pile.
It has been illegal to sell, purchase, propagate, import, distribute
and transport Lythrum species in New Hampshire since 1999.
Ernie & Marilyn
Mullen in their
custom made
tugboat
Team Gilligan in
the S.S. Minnow
Ronni Freiberger at
Kids’ Activity table
photo by Tom Vogel
photo by Tom Vogel
Purple Loosestrife Patch
Purple Loosestrife Plant
feature
Eastman Lake Salmon
Aka: Common Sucker
E
ach year, usually in mid-April to early
May, an event takes place in Eastman that is a true
indicator of spring’s arrival. Around the same time as the
forsythia begin to bloom, hundreds of fish come from all
over Eastman Lake to the mouth of Mill Pond Brook at Cove
Drive to await the biological signal that sends them frantically
swimming up the brook. It is the annual mating of the
“Eastman Lake Salmon,” actually two species of the common
sucker. The legendary name “Eastman Lake Salmon” had its
birth in an exchange between a fisherman and a passerby
standing on Cove Drive. When asked what he was fishing
for, the fisherman’s answer was “salmon,” since the fish were
running upstream to spawn. The unsuspecting questioner then
spread the word that salmon were running in Mill Pond Brook.
From that time on, the annual migration has become known as
the run of the Eastman Lake Salmon.
These fish consist of two species. The larger of the two, but
fewer in number, is the common white sucker, averaging 15
to 24 inches in length and weighting up to five pounds. This
species is dark brown along the back and upper sides, tending
to a yellow-white on the lower sides and belly. For most of the
year they feed along the bottom of Eastman Lake on a variety
of insect larva, crustaceans and occasional fish eggs. When
small, the suckers are food for bass, pickerel and other large
White sucker eggs
Story and photos by Richard Hocker
fish such as the northern pike, which do not exist in the lake at
Eastman but do live in Anderson Pond. (See related Anderson
Pond article.) Note the curve of the white sucker’s head in the
accompanying photo.
Although seldom caught in Eastman Lake, the suckers are
relatively easy to catch on a hook and line connected to a
hooked worm and fished on the lake bottom during their
migration. Once hooked, these fish have a muscular but
unspectacular fight that can best be described as similar to being
connected by fish line to a motorized log. The sucker may not
look as appealing as the bass, perch or trout but, when caught
in cold water during the annual migration, these big-boned
fish have a sweet flavor and can be prepared several ways. Some
people refer to them as “mullet.” My grandfather enjoyed his
filleted, then covered in cornmeal and fried. The meat is flakey.
Also, if inclined, the row (fish eggs) can be removed from the
fish and cooked. However, once the water temperatures begin to
climb, the flesh of the sucker begins to soften and the sweet taste
changes to something only a hungry bear might like.
The second species of sucker entering Mill Pond Brook is the
longnose sucker. These are the most numerous of the migrating
fish, running from 12-20 inches in length and weighing up to
three pounds. When seen in the water, they appear to have a
Longnose sucker
gold stripe running along the length of their body. Once out
of water, the color is less pronounced but still vivid enough
to identify the fish as a longnose sucker. The fish does have an
elongated nose when compared to the white sucker whose nose
is flat like a wall. Both fish have the mouth on the underside of
their head, which gives the fish its name: sucker. All other fish
have a mouth that is aligned with their bodies.
When the spawning is complete, the suckers return to Eastman
Lake for another year of bottom feeding. Because of the
nature of Mill Pond Brook, some of the fish will die during the
migration. Once the eggs hatch into young fish, the youngsters
will make their way down stream to the lake to begin their
growth to adulthood. With that, the cycle continues.
This year’s run of the “salmon” was heralded by a few adults,
who regularly await their arrival, but also by some younger
and, perhaps, future fishermen, who just happened to be on
spring break on April 18, when the suckers started to arrive in
droves. Among them were Shaun Kronenwetter, Alex Weinman
and Nathan Chickering, who were happy to observe this spring
ritual, the run of the Catostomus commmersonii (white sucker)
and Catostomus catostomus (longnose sucker)!!
White Sucker
White sucker mouth
Recreation
Moldering? What in the World Does THAT Mean?!
T
here is a new facility on Heron Island.
Although it is decidedly low tech, it is a solution to a longstanding question: “How do we dispose of the byproduct
of good food and fine wine when camping on the island?” The
answer is the installation of a “moldering privy.” Who invented
this device? Well, it was not Thomas Crapper, the inventor of
the flush toilet, but probably, someone equally as ingenious. The
privy does not have any running water, so it does not qualify as
a “washroom” as our Canadian friends would say, but it does
serve a purpose.
A moldering privy is a backcountry sanitation solution to deal
with waste. Like an outhouse, it is a structure of four walls with
a toilet seat inside. Unlike traditional outhouses, it is elevated
three to four feet off the ground so air circulation encourages
the growth of organisms that do the work of decomposition.
Moldering is a slow, relatively cool, continuous composting in
which native-soil micro-organisms decompose waste in the
presence of oxygen. It does not “smolder:” no heat, no smoke
and little smell. Red worms have also been added to the crib to
help with decomposition.
This useful and attractive structure was constructed thanks to
the skilled and resourceful craftsmanship of Eastman resident
By Rory Gordon
Andy Anderson. The
Recreation Department
is pleased to offer this
enhancement to the
island camping and
walking experiences
of members and their
guests. When you
use this new facility,
please don’t use large
amounts of toilet paper.
For environmental
reasons you should
practice some frugality.
Biodegradable white,
fragrance-free paper is
advised.
Furthermore, we will supply appropriate reading material: the
Summer Recreation Guide and the most current copy of Eastman
Living will be at your fingertips. We hope that you will check it
out and let us know what you think. Reservations to camp on
the island can be made at the South Cove Activity Center.
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12/1/11
2:28| PM
eastman living | summer
2012
27
feature
South Cove
Exhibits
Article and Photo by Craig McArt
T
Susan Goodwin
he South Cove Activity Center has
featured a number of exhibits that have
attracted positive attention over the past two years. The
initiative to have exhibits began as an effort proposed by
the ECA Board to “warm up” the lobby of the newly constructed
building. It has become more than that – it is what people
see when they come to Eastman, and the space represents the
community in a very special way. That the space is being used in
this people-centered manner says something important about
what kind of community this is, about what it values and about
who lives here.
In the fall we combined the work of a number of Eastman
residents in a craft show that included ceramic ware by Chuck
Monahan, the wood craft of Dick Strong and Bob Katz, and
textile art by Julie Cummings and Elizabeth Paquette. Gretchen
Fairweather contributed rugs crafted by her mother, and new
Eastman resident Susan Goodwin offered an embroidered
landscape from Madagascar. The most recent installation was a
dual exhibit featuring a tribute to former Eastman Living editors
Dick DeNatale and Dick Kipperman on one wall, and in the
larger space, a spectacular show of ceramic sculpture by Susan
Goodwin.
The first exhibit was, appropriately, the work of Eastman’s
Artists in the Barn; that exhibit was followed by Eastman Living
photographers. To help promote Lake Appreciation Week, our
summer campers mounted a display of their artwork called
“Love Our Lake.” A well-received quilt show filled (and warmed
up) the space that winter.
In conjunction with her show, Susan gave a slide lecture about
her experience five years ago in Madagascar, where she worked
in a traditional pottery village. She began by talking about
Madagascar’s rich and unique biodiversity, which is due to its
isolation off the east coast of Africa. Her talk was illustrated by
beautiful images of lemurs and chameleons in habitats ranging
from tropical rain forests to spiny deserts. Sadly, 90-percent of
the country has been deforested by a poor population needing
land to grow rice, and wood for cooking. In the pottery village
of Alasora, Susan attempted to help the potters develop objects
for sale in a small but developing tourist market. In doing
so, she learned to appreciate the resilience of these friendly
people and understand the difficulties they faced in making a
livelihood.
We celebrated “40 Years of Community” with an anniversary
exhibit of Eastman’s history in four panels: Draperville, A First
Look, The Planning and The Early Years. Images and artifacts
were borrowed from the Grantham Historical Society while
Kevin Jondro and Mike Denver of the Recreation staff installed
the old, illuminated, stained glass Tallulah’s sign over the
fireplace. Last summer, Eastman resident Paula Dorr exhibited
her paintings along with four of her group from the Tip Top
Studio 233 of White River Junction, Vt.: Kathy Detzer, Rebecca
Gottesman, Perry Williamson and Laura Wolfe.
Susan said of her work on display: “Many of my sculptures
have become vehicles for political and humanitarian concerns.
The reality for many people the world over is that they struggle
tenaciously to maintain their culture. My wish is that with
exposure and education we could learn to appreciate the
enormous diversity of people, recognize our similarities, make
space for us all, and celebrate the details that make us different
from each other. Often those details are stunning artistically.
The visual highlights may catch our attention, but the hard
work is to learn about and to appreciate the diversity that
humans exhibit worldwide. My work is an ongoing series about
us, the differences and the commonalities of human beings.”
poetry
corner
Paula Dorr and Craig McArt assist Recreation Director Leslie
Moses with the art installations.
A Sunny Day
Copyright 2010 by Joel D. Ash
All Rights Reserved
Glowing streaks in the sky, early morn,
Grand commencement of day, sun’s sojourn;
Bursting forth at daybreak,
As you gaze wide-awake,
The full glory of dawning unshorn.
Yellow orb to the heavens ascends,
Sweet mantle of warmth now extends;
Sun dance o’er treetops,
Citron eye of Cyclops,
Staring down on green fields as it wends.
Bright noon with the sun at its height,
White light of our shining birthright;
No cloud up above,
Scintillation thereof,
Brilliant sparkles of blinding sunlight.
The afternoon shimmer pervades,
The splendor and dazzle cascades;
Ablaze in the blue,
Radiance, golden hue,
Nature basking below in warm glades.
The end of the day is at hand,
Sun fades as the shadows expand;
Gleaming sunset, red blush,
Final soft glowing flush,
Then the light rays in darkness disband.
feature
It’s a GRAND SLAM!
I
f you’ve ever played the game of bridge,
you know that a “grand slam” is the ultimate success in
bidding and playing a hand. It means that you claim
(bid) to be able to take every trick in the hand (13) and
doing so, especially if you have bid it, earns the most possible
points. It is a contract that is not often bid or made, so it is
the ultimate achievement.
Bridge players of all levels enjoyed a four and a half
day intensive program presented by Marti Ronemus, a
nationally-known columnist, writer, lecturer, teacher
and author of the “Dear Diary” column in the American
Contract Bridge League’s Bridge Bulletin magazine. Thirtyeight participants enjoyed the week of April 16-20, which
was filled with humor, camaraderie and great lunches
provided by Bistro Nouveau.
Eastman Recreation sponsored and helped promote this
first time event, which was a resounding success. There
was almost perfect attendance the entire week, with a few
people having conflicts that they were not able to reschedule.
The week was filled with new tools and techniques for
evaluating the power of a hand, communicating precisely
with one’s partner and strategies for play and defense of the
contract. Although the event was attended by many who
live at Eastman, Upper Valley residents who play in weekly
duplicate games made up the majority of attendees. The
directors of these local games were very supportive, even
loaning bridge tables, which was greatly appreciated.
Most attendees were experienced players, and some of
the less experienced players appeared to be a little “shell
shocked” but quickly adjusted to the duplicate format
and the concepts presented. Marti’s philosophy is that all
one needs is a basic knowledge of bridge and the desire to
improve in order to benefit from one of her courses. She
emphasizes the “thinking” and “deductive reasoning” aspects
of the game more than rigid rules because, as anyone who
plays knows, each hand presents a unique set of problems
that usually doesn’t conform to a set of rules. It’s what
makes the game so fascinating and appealing.
story and photos By Jane Verdrager
The daily lesson was accompanied by written handouts
as well as sample hands and frequent bidding and
playing quizzes, followed by opportunities to play and
implement the skills presented. Participants were given preprogrammed hands to bid and play at each table. Once the
bidding was over, Marti would dictate what the contract
should be, so each table knew right away whether or not
they had reached the appropriate contract. After the play of
the hand, each bidding sequence was evaluated, followed
by an analysis of how the hand should have been played
for a maximum result. Thursday afternoon was an official
duplicate game, sanctioned by the ACBL, which was a new
experience for some players, who earned their first master
points.
A daily lunch buffet was part of the package, and the Bistro
prepared a delicious variety of menus, as well as coffee,
tea and water throughout each day. The response was
overwhelmingly positive, with well-deserved rave reviews
for both Marti and the Bistro. By mid-week, many players
were requesting that the program be offered again and all
participants added their names, phone numbers and email
addresses to a “bridge list” so that they could contact one
another to continue playing.
The evaluation forms contained comments such as: “I never
knew how to make a plan or count tricks.” “Fabulous!! It
was fun and I learned a lot. Marti is a kick!” “Something for
everyone.” “I feel ready to slay dragons.” “I wouldn’t mind
taking the exact same class again.”
The week was a plus for everyone involved. Marti, her
husband, Gary, and her assistant, Bev, rented a condo so they
were able to stay right here instead of commuting daily from
a hotel. Gary loved it, since he was able to play golf two or
three times during the week. They claim that Eastman is now
one of their two favorite places to present their program.
The Eastman community gained favorable exposure from
nearby residents who have never been here before; the Bistro
had additional business (40 lunches times five days) during
its slow time of year and was able to create a very good
impression with all participants. It was a “grand slam” for
everyone involved.
Postscript:
Plans are now under way to bring Marti back for another session
next spring (April 15-18), and we are hoping to follow it with a
two-day ACBL-sanctioned tournament at The Center. Marti will
conduct a different four-day session, have a day off and then, as a
certified national director, would run the tournament on Saturday
and Sunday. In addition, we are working on starting a regular, weekly
duplicate game here at Eastman as a result of the positive responses
to this inquiry on the evaluations. For more information, contact
Jane Verdrager at [email protected] or 603-865-5508. In the
meantime, you may want to try some of the local duplicate games.
Bridge Games in the area
♥ indicates you need to come with a partner
♦ indicates ACBL-sanctioned games earning master points
Duplicate
Monday
1:00 p.m. • Chapin Senior Center (COA),
New London
Tuesday
11:00 a.m. • Fire House, Bow ♥ ♦ $6.00
includes dessert and snacks/ bring lunch
7:00 p.m. Black Senior Center, Hanover
♥ ♦ $3.00
Wednesday 9:15 a.m. • Chapin Senior Center (COA),
New London ♥
1:00 p.m. • Lebanon College, lower level,
Lebanon ♥ ♦ $3.00
Thursday 1:00 p.m. • Lebanon College, lower level,
Lebanon ♦ $3.00 – This game takes a summer
hiatus but will resume in the fall.
6:30 p.m. Town Office Bldg., upstairs,
New London ♥ ♦ $3.00
Friday 1:00 p.m. • Black Senior Center, Hanover, NH
♥ ♦ $3.00
Social
Tuesday
7:00 p.m. • South Cove Activity Center,
Eastman, Grantham (Chicago Style)
Thursday 9:30 a.m. • Chapin Senior Center (COA),
New London • A good place to start playing
duplicate bridge is in the Thursday afternoon
game at Lebanon College. It is a novice group
(50 Master Points or less); if you do not have a
regular partner, it is a good opportunity to play
with a variety of partners. You will be matched
up with another single and meet other players
in the area.
Refer to www.ACBL.org to find other games and locations,
especially when traveling or vacationing.
Recreation
Be a Part of Our Biggest
Ever Root Beer Float!
ever assembled in Eastman during the third
Eastman Recreation invites everyone to be part of the largest root beer float
or rowboat down to the lake from your
annual Root Beer Float. At 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, bring your canoe, kayak
with all the other watercraft assembled.
home or pull it off your boat rack and raft up on the water at South Cove
Last year, we amassed 85 canoes and kayaks – that’s just a fraction of the
number of boats residing in Eastman.
the South Cove Pavilion. After the official boat count, everyone is treated to root beer floats under
no one ever tires of.
Fresh scoops of vanilla ice cream floating in draft root beer are a tasty treat
Sizzlicious!
Get more sizzle and enhance your
grilling experience with a Weber ®
quality grill from Clarke’s Hardware.
Let us show you how!
Fully Assembled • Propane Refill
Delivery Available
See store for details
New London • 526-2800 • Open Daily
www.clarkeshardware.com
Scene in East
man
photo by Cathy LaCombe
column
Sunset on Eastman
Millers’ Garden
Guarding the Condos
photo by Andy Eastman
Water Striders
Summer Moon
Dave Albright
Residential Construction
C: 603-727-2361 • H: 603-865-5700
New Construction
Remodeling
Kitchens
Bathrooms
Windows/Doors
Decks
sunrooms
awnings
[email protected]
www.AlbrightQualityConstruction.com
Four Seasons Sunroom Dealer
EPA Certified Renovator
FHA and 203K Approved Builder
Building and improving homes for over 20 years.
Mother Fox
column
Species
Spotlight
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus
By Susie Burbidge
I
always have a hard time deciding what
species I’d like to write about, mainly because
there are so many different critters that live in Eastman
or visit regularly. Recently, I heard a loud tapping noise right
outside my window and, after scanning the trunks of nearby
trees, I saw a pileated woodpecker next to a stump, happily
tossing wood chips all over the place. I could distinguish that it
was a male by the red stripe on his cheek. Otherwise, the male
and female have similar plumage characteristics. They are nearly
the size of a crow and are black with a bright white stripe down
the neck. The bold red crest is also a good field mark, as are the
white wing patches, which tend to be more visible in flight.
The pileated woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in North
America, yet only weighs 10 ounces! We are lucky to see this
magnificent bird year-round in New Hampshire. The male
and female will stay together and defend their territory all year
but will allow visitors during the winter months. They feed on
carpenter ants, but they will also eat wood-boring beetle larvae,
flies, spruce budworm, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and fruits and
nuts. You may recognize the large rectangular holes, which they
make in search of ants. They pull their head back and strike the
tree with their powerful, heavy bills, using their feet to increase
the power of the strike.
Pileated woodpeckers are cavity nesters and prefer to nest in
large trees. The male does most of the excavation work on the
nest tree, but the female will pitch in as it nears completion.
They use only wood chips to line the nest and will peck the
bark around the entrance holes so sap runs down the tree,
making it more difficult for predators, such as snakes, to enter.
It usually takes three to six weeks to construct their nest, which
is seldom reused in future years. However, these large nest holes
offer critical habitat for many other species, including owls,
ducks, bats and pine martens. After a period of 24 to 28 days,
the chicks will leave the nest but will stay with their parents
for a few months while they learn to forage. Although some
landowners find snags and fallen logs an eye sore, pileated
woodpeckers rely on them, so it is very important to keep these
on your landscape.
I feel very fortunate to see this amazing bird on a regular basis
here in Eastman. Stay tuned for the next “Species Spotlight” to
learn more about another animal that also calls this place home!
Nobody likes to clean windows
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….EXCEPT US!
P O Box 1047, Grantham, NH 03753
603.863.9041 • [email protected]
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Renovations • Architectural Services
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column
Walking
Eas
t
m
an
By Craig McArt
Walkers have fewer incidences of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and
other killer diseases. They live longer and get mental health and spiritual
benefits. Where do people walk at Eastman, and where are the best places?
All the possibilities come with both advantages and limitations. Here’s a
run-down (walkdown?) on what Eastman has to offer.
First of all, there’s our network of hilly, winding roads, some paved
but most not. They are certainly convenient. People walking the roads
know to stay to the side and face oncoming traffic. Dirt roads with
20 mph speed limits are pretty safe, but the paved roads, with many
vehicles exceeding the 30 mph limit, present an obvious hazard.
The option to roads is walking trails (as distinguished from hiking
trails). Think of walking trails as being wide enough to walk twoabreast and level, dry and smooth enough to allow one to push a
stroller. There are many cross-country trails at Eastman that are wide
enough to qualify, but most only marginally meet the other criteria.
Eastman’s hiking trails, maintained by the Woodlands and Wildlife
Committee, are typically narrow, twisting, low-impact paths that
meander through forest terrain.
8 0 t h
2012
a n n i v e r s a r y
s e a s o n
NOW AIR CONDITIONED!
55Th ANNuAl STRAW hAT REvuE June 7-10
RAGTIME June 12 - 24
OKlAhOMA June 26 - July 15
lEGAllY BlONDE (REGION PREMIERE)
July 17 - 29
OuR TOWN July 31 - august 5
hAIR august 7 - 19
ThE MOuSETRAP august 21 - september 2
NEW lONDON BARN INTERN IDOlS!
Audiences “gleefully” vote for their favorites.
June 18 • July 2 • July 23 • August 13
Performances: tues - sat 8 pm, sun 5 pm, Wed matinee 2 pm
Thursdays & selected Fridays & Saturdays
Charlotte’s Web • the rockin’ tale of snow White
alexander and the no Good, very Bad Day
Twelfth Night • Beauty and the Beast
603.526.6710/4631• www.nlbarn.org
84 Main Street, New London, NH 03257 • New London Barn Playhouse is a 501 (c) (3) Corp. • Note: All dates and titles subject to availability
The best walking trails are at West Cove, where walkers are joined
by joggers and cyclists as well as dogs. These smooth, wide, level
trails are not only popular among the condo residents living there,
but attract people from all corners of the community. Because the
trails serve as fire lanes for the condos, they’re plowed in the winter.
Their down side is that they cross rather heavily trafficked roads in
places. The second best trails for walking are those on the golf course.
Obviously, their availability is limited, although quite a few take
advantage of the brief periods between the golf and cross-country
seasons to walk the course. Both these trails have restrooms and
ample parking close by.
Then, there’s the path connecting South Cove and West Cove, marked
#6 on the sign. Lots of people use this wide trail that stretches above
wooded shore land and is bordered by ferns and trillium. Parking
is at Lakeview, located off Alpine Vista. Triathlon runners are
routed over this trail each year as they complete the Splash Mash &
Dash, and last year it was improved with new culverts and grading.
Although this trail still isn’t quite as smooth as some would like, it
could be improved with gravel surfacing.
Shop, Dine and Be Pampered
at Over 50 Independently
Owned Businesses
www.DestinationNewLondon.com
Enough of this talk…it’s time, now, to get out there and walk.
Prsrt Std
U.S. Postage
Community Association
Box 53
Grantham, NH 03753
www.eastmannh.org
P AID
Grantham, NH
Permit No. 3

Living - Eastman NH

Transcription

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