During the fair, children will be able to play Wii Fit with Mrs. Mack in the school’s lobby and compete with Mr. Corf on the rock wall in the gym. On stage, the Derry ATA will host a karate demonstration starting at 6 PM. The Hip Hoppin’ Hawks will also perform a jump rope demonstration on stage at 6:30 PM, and Zumbatomic will perform a Zumba demonstration at 7 PM!

Parents can learn about nutrition and health from a variety of vendors that will be on site, while children can complete and activity card and be entered to win a raffle prize. Vendors that will be participating include:

• Stonyfield Yogurt
• Nutrition in Motion
• Zentangle
• Arbonne International
• Wiki’s Kitchen
• Transitions
• Elliot Health Systems
• For Kids Who Cook
• CVS/pharmacy
• The Learning Stop
• Derry ATA
• Cabot Cheese
• Wellness Training
• Popcorn with the PTA
• ZumbAtomic Kids
• Parkland Hospital Dieticians
• Dr. John Ahern, DMD
• Children’s Dental Collaborative
• Holistic Health Services

I will be voting for Cindi Rice Conley for Town Moderator.  Londonderry is the largest single voting place in the State of New Hampshire and this creates challenges during deliberative sessions as well as during elections.  As Supervisor of the Checklist, for over 30 years, I work closely with the moderator.  Cindi has the experience necessary to continue serving our community as moderator.  She was a ballot clerk from 1985 to 2000 and was assistant moderator for the town and school from 2000 to 2004 and has been the town moderator since 2004.   Having that experience she understands the process of running elections, from days before the election to days following it.  There are many things that need to be done to ensure that elections run legally and efficiently.  She has also assisted when there have been recounts for the school and town.  When there have been training programs at the state level, she has been there.

Please, vote on Tuesday, March 13, at the LHS gym and vote for experience by voting for Cindi Rice Conley

Thank you
Gerry  Van Grevenhof

A open candidates forum held on Saturday February 18, 2012 attracted a group of voters to listen to the positions of several candidates. In this session incumbent Sean O’Keefe and first time candidate Jim Butler are interviewed. Media in attendance included The Eagle Tribune, The Union Leader and the Eagle Tribune. Questions came from both the press, by email through the moderator and from a few in the audience.

Thanks to Kathy Wagner and George Herrmann for pulling the event together and the Londonderry Cable Studio for the live video coverage and providing the DVD for full length On-Demand conversion.

The special event is an opportunity to visit a local VA hospital, personally thank our veterans, offer them encouragement, and consider becoming involved as a volunteer in service to those that have served.  Locally it is an educational opportunity for young students to learn about veterans’ sacrifices and their contributions to our society.

Dolan, an employee at BAE Systems in Merrimack, NH, said, “Our company motto is ‘We protect those that protect us’.  We take that very seriously in the noble work that we do for our warfighters. During my visits to the VA Hospital over the years I have listened to incredible stories of desperate battles, discussed military history with those that made it, and shared a few tears with those that still have difficulty coping with the raw memories of their fallen comrades.”

Dolan delivered the valentines this year on Saturday February 18th.  He expressed his thanks to Principal Carol Mack at Matthew Thornton Elementary School and her staff. For more information on how to become a volunteer at the Manchester VA Hospital you can contact Debra Krinsky, Voluntary Service Officer at (603) 624-4366, ext. 6419.

For images, visit our Darkroom!

Adult Program

Gardening Expert at the Leach Library

On Thursday, March 15 at 7:00 PM, the Londonderry Leach Library will host the illustrated talk “Edible Landscape Design” presented by gardening expert Barbara Emerson. Ms. Emerson will explore ways to integrate edible plants into ornamental gardens and container gardens to grow delicious food that also looks beautiful.

Barbara Emerson has held leadership positions at several publishing companies and is Past President of the Mailorder Gardening Association. She is a sixteen year veteran in sales and marketing at Horticulture magazine, and a marketing consultant to lawn and garden companies. She recently earned the title of Principal Master Gardener and is an enthusiastic home gardener at her Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts home.

In this program, Ms. Emerson will start with a brief history of food gardening and then cover the concepts to consider when integrating edible plants into ornamental gardens. She will explain how the height, shape, texture, fragrance and color of edibles can make a garden look and taste wonderful. In addition, she will cover how container combinations can help anyone with a patch of sun grow their own delicious food. A handout including types of plants to consider and edible container combinations as well as a recommended book list and cooking suggestions for herbs will be provided.

The event is being sponsored by the Friends of the Londonderry Leach Library. It is free and open to the public, and will be held in the library’s lower-level meeting room. Light refreshments will be served.

Reference Desk News

Auto Repair Reference Center Improvements
Auto Repair Reference Center is one of the most comprehensive auto repair database available and can be used any time through the library’s website. Recent changes to ARRC have made the interface more user friendly and intuitive. In addition to this, new features to the site include On-Board Diagnostics (OBD II) codes with description and troubleshooting information and expanded, in-depth repair information from the major original equipment manufacturers, including Ford, Honda, and GMC. For more information about ARRC and how to log on contact the reference desk at 432-1132 or reference(at)londonderrynh.org

Children’s Room News

Explore the World of Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss’ birthday is this month, and the library is celebrating! Come to the library on Monday, March 12 from 4:00 to 5:00 PM to explore the many worlds of Dr. Seuss. During the program, we will read some of Dr. Seuss’ stories, watch a movie and get to know some of his wonderful characters. Each participant will receive a stovepipe hat, like the one the Cat in the Hat wears, to take home and color. Advance registration is required and begins at 9:00 AM on Monday, March 5. To register, call 603-432-1127 or stop by the Children’s Room.

Exotic Animals Encounter
The W.I.L.D Center and Zoological Park of New England (formerly the Granite State Zoo), will be at the library on Monday, March 19 from 4:00 to 5:00 PM with some of their most exotic animals. Come to the library and visit with an Arctic Fox, Bennett’s Wallaby and Giant Tortoise. Other exciting visitors will include an exotic bird, large reptile, and more. Advance registration for this thrilling encounter is required and begins at 9:00 AM on Monday, March 12. To register, call 603-432-1127 or stop by the Children’s Room.

Spring Session 1
The Children’s Room will be offering the following programs as part of Spring Session 1: Passport to Adventure, Story Time and Toddler Time. Spring Session 1 will run March 20 through April 12. Advance registration is required and begins at 9:00 AM Monday, March 12. Reminder: If you were on the waiting list for Winter Session 2, you will automatically be entered in Spring Session 1. If you
were in Winter Session 2, you must wait until Tuesday, March 13 to register. Please note: Parents may register a maximum of five (5) children per program at once.

Passport to Adventure
This program is open to patrons of all ages. Participants will travel to different destinations and enjoy 45 minutes of stories, songs and activities. Meets on Tuesdays from 4:00 to 4:45 PM. Advance registration is required. Meeting dates are: 3/20, 3/27, 4/3 and 4/10.

Story Time
This program is open to children ages 4 to 6. Children attend without their parents and enjoy 45 minutes of thematic stories, games, songs and a craft. Meets in two sessions on Wednesdays, 9:30 to 10:15 AM, or 1:00 to 1:45 PM. Advance registration is required. Meeting dates are: 3/21, 3/28, 4/4 and 4/11.

Toddler Time
This program is open to children ages 2 & 3. Children attend with their parents and enjoy a fun half-hour of thematic stories, games, songs and a simple craft. Meets on Thursdays, 9:30 to 10:00 AM. Advance registration is required. Meeting dates are: 3/22, 3/29, 4/5 and 4/12.

Select This Year’s Great Stone Face Award Winner
The Great Stone Face raffle is ongoing this month. A list of the nominees can be found on the Children’s Room webpage, under “Suggested Reading.” All the raffle tickets will be entered into a random drawing for a chance to win a great prize. You may earn raffle tickets through closing on Saturday, April 7. Voting begins Monday, April 9 at 9:00 AM and concludes at closing on Saturday, April 14. The raffle is open to all students in grades 4 to 6. Stop by the Children’s circulation desk to pick up a list of the nominated books and help us choose this year’s winner!

Young Adult News

Isinglass and Flume Award Voting
Young Adult voting on New Hampshire’s Flume and Isinglass award-winning book titles is ongoing through March 31, 2012, and is open to all students in grades 6 through 12. The Isinglass Award nominees are books recommended by Middle School students. The Flume Award nominees are books recommended by High School students. Everyone that takes part in the voting will receive a chance to win a Barnes & Noble gift certificate. You may vote for more than one title if you would recommend them to other teens.

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this’ green’ thing back in my earlier days.”

The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.”

She was right — our generation didn’t have the “green” thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn’t have the “green” thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn’t have the “green” thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn’t have the “green” thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working, so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right. We didn’t have the “green” thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty, instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn’t have the “green” thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn’t it sad that the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the “green” thing back then?

Please share these thoughts with another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smart ass young person.

And remember, youngsters: Don’t make old people mad. We don’t like being old in the first place, so it doesn’t take much to piss us off.

(Author unknown, but dontcha know this story was sent through the Internet? Guess it that satellite 2,000 miles out in space has a few good uses…)

Visit Londonderry Hometown Online News every Tuesday Morning for another one of Joe’s great columns! Select “Share this story” and tell a friend Joe is back!

Joe’s Two Cents – It’s Great To Be Alive is Joe Paradis’ first published book and gathers 40 of his most popular stories, enhancing them with humorous photography. The book is a compilation of forty of Joe’s best short stories.

Injecting humor into topics from everyday life, Joe answers those earth-shattering questions we all have about the beach, the bathroom, the junk drawer. From guys’ tools to girl talk. High school seniors to the senior years.

This classic collection has been updated to include pictures and a short introduction for each story. Until now, only God knew what possessed Joe to write about these things. Now you can too!

Joe Paradis is one of Londonderry’s most popular columnists and authors. Visit his web site at www.joes2cents.com today and order his latest autographed book, “It’s Great to Be Alive!”

The race in Manchester is already filling up fast, with more than 400 runners and 70 teams registered to compete. Participants can register as solo runners, start a new team, or join a team already formed. Organizers this year expect to see more than 1,000 runners and more than 2,000 spectators on race day!

Organizing the race is NH.com, who has teamed up with a local charity to benefit from the event. “The obstacle course race is a great opportunity for us to connect with our New Hampshire audience, and to give back to a local charity,” explained Race Director Shana Hoch. “We chose Moore*Mart as our major charity because they send packages to overseas military, and are based out of Nashua.”

The obstacles, which vary from climbing walls, to crawling through the mud, to navigating through a tire field, are all developed by Crossfit TUFF in Nashua. “John Duncan, the owner of Crossfit TUFF, and his father Rich, have strong military ties, innovative obstacle ideas and great cross training experience, so it was a natural fit for us to work with them,” said Hoch, who is also the vice president of digital media for NH.com and The Telegraph Publishing Company.

McIntyre Ski Area was chosen as the location last fall after discussions with various area venues. “The folks at McIntyre have been fantastic to work with – even while they’re busy with skiers and tubers right now, they take the time to meet with us and do everything they can to help ensure we have a great event at their location. Their new lodge is beautiful, and we’re setting up a huge tent in front of it for vendors. It’s going to be a great challenge for competitors and fun for spectators,” said Hoch.

Jon Nevins, Digital Marketing Specialist of NH.com, is looking forward to the event. “Adventure5K is generating a lot of excitement in the community. I am getting calls from people all over the state looking to get involved in this race. You should definitely check out our Facebook page at facebook.com/Adventure5K. We do giveaways and offer promo codes there too!”

Adventure5k race partners include McIntyre Ski Area, Crossfit TUFF, as well as Goodales Bike Shop, Northeast Delta Dental, J & F Farms in Derry, Cabot Creamery Cooperative and Granite State Dairy Promotion. “We have quite a few more partnerships pending, but not quite ready for public release,” said Hoch. “We’re very excited to have so many great participants and partners, and are eager to get on McIntyre Mountain to set up the course this spring!”

Prospective participants can learn more about Adventure5k at their website. The site includes a course map, tips on what participants should wear, and other frequently asked questions. Registration is discounted for early sign ups, which can be completed online.

Mary Wing Soares hosts a show with all 6 candidates for 2 school board positions up for election in March 2012.

• Michael “Mike” Boyle
• Leitha Reilly
• Steve Young
• Melanie Tamburello
• Joseph “Joe” Caputo
• Glenn Douglas

The format is tight around a table, with quite a bit of interaction between the candidates.

The process to renovate the club began last November, 2011, when Mike Benton, owner of the Executive Health and Sports Center, presented a two-phase master plan to the Planning Board. Benton said the main intent of the expansions to the health club was to create regional sports complex in conjunction with surrounding towns. “The new Airport Access Road has made it possible to build the infrastructure needed to be competitive with the two sites in Massachusetts that act as regional sport complexes.”

Seen here are the November 2011 expansion plans of the Executive Health and Sports Center in Londonderry. The yellow bordered areas are a part of Phase 1 of the expansion, while the red bordered areas are part of the Phase 2. Click for a larger image.

During this meeting, when asking for staff input, Andre Garron “stated that from an economic development standpoint, it is encouraging to seen an existing facility expand.” He also said that “this overall complex would be like no other in the area and would benefit the area economically.” Cynthia May was enthusiastic for the project and Benton’s ability to reuse the area.

Improvements to the Executive will come in two phases, with the first intended to be completed by June of this year. This phase will add an aquatic center to the current facility, which includes a year round hot tub and a competitive and recreational pool. Phase 1 will also add four clay outdoor tennis courts.

Seen here are the updated January 2012 expansion plans of the Executive Health and Sports Center in Londonderry. This image shows more specific details regarding the expansion plans for Phase 1. Click for a larger image.

Interior changes during this phase would mean relocating the cafe and kitchen to be able to provide both outdoor and indoor dining. Also, moving the weight room to allow for a children and family locker room, remodeling both the men’s and women’s locker rooms, and adding a spa would be completed during this phase. A medical office suite would be also be added to the second floor, which would include a medi-spa, wellness services, and potentially a small urgent care facility.

The second phase would add more playing surfaces, a skating pond, and a concession area. Once this phase begins, it will take approximately 18 to 20 months until completion. From June until September, competitions for soccer, lacrosse, baseball, football, tennis, basketball and swimming could all be held on site.

Another site improvement that is being considered is a jogging path around the perimeter of the project. Benton also added that “if a connection is made to the new Airport Access Road, one could walk or bike from the complex, over the bridge to the Heritage Trail and onto the NH Sportsplex in Manchester.”

She is survived by one daughter, Jane Kirkpatrick and her husband William, of Nashua, one son, Greg Barka and his wife Ellie of Virginia, five grandchildren, Cory Barka of Nashua, Jonathan Kirkpatrick of Burlington, VT, Nathan Barka of Londonderry, Stacey Morrow of Nashua, Derek Barka and his wife Becky of Litchfield, NH, seven great grandchildren, Sara, Avery, Kyle, Lauren, Tucker, Riley, and Logan, five sisters, Gail Gorham and her husband Robert of Derry, NH, Linda Dupere and her husband Lenny of Campton, NH, Carol Shantlier and her husband Dave of Londonderry, Judy Starns of Sonoma, CA, Brenda Middlemiss and her husband Mark of New York, one brother, Douglas Boles and his wife Coreen of Winterhaven, FL, one sister-in-law, Julie Boles of Concord, NH, also many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by one son, Robert Barka, two sisters, Phyllis Tewksbury and Debra Clark, and one brother, William Boles.

Following cremation, Memorial Services will be held on Wednesday February 22nd at 11:00am at the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 290 Mammoth Road, Londonderry. Family and friends are invited to gather from 10 – 11 at the funeral home prior to the service.

Visit the Peabody Funeral Homes website to leave a condolence note or view others.