Concord News : contoocook

Bikers, runners and paddlers complete Contoocook Carry

Bow Editor — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:11:00 GMT

Since I first spoke with event organizer Mary Congoran about the race, she has been telling me the Contoocook Carry brings out the best in Hopkinton residents.

I figured she was right, but until I rode my bicycle into a ditch on the side of the road, I never really completely understood.

On Sunday, Sept. 21, what seemed like the entire town of Hopkinton was either racing, setting up the race, handing out Gatorade and water – or, in the case of Peter Sorel, helping a stranded reporter pop his chain back into place.

The race got started with a 2-mile run. I found myself in the middle of the pack when I arrived with my red kayak, a piece of equipment I hope to never see again.

I hopped in, pushed off and started paddling my way down the Contoocook River, starting the 5-mile voyage down the calm river (Believe me, I wish there had been a current).

It took me a while to realize that I was taking on a bit of water, and by a bit, I mean about half of my kayak was filled with the Contoocook River. But hey, I’m not one to make excuses.

Getting my kayak out of the river was nearly as difficult as the 5 miles of paddling, and carrying it to the second half of the river wasn’t that easy either.

By the time I slowly paddled by selectmen Chairman Scott Flood, who was floating on a metal boat on the river, I considered paddling over to him and seeing if I could find a way to finagle the motor off and attach it to my kayak.

Eventually, I made it to my bicycle and thought I had finally made it to the point where I could cruise the final 14 miles to the finish line, but as I took my first left onto Dustin Road, I heard a pop – never a good sign when you’re on anything attached to wheels.

No longer able to pedal, I tried to pull off the road, which turned out to be a bad decision. While my bike came flying up at me, I landed square on my feet. I did, however, have a severely bruised ego, and wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish the race I had been looking forward to for the past few months.

Then, along came Peter Sorel.

“Come on over to my barn, let’s see what we can do for you,” he said.

A complete stranger who happened to live nearby, Sorel walked with me toward his home, and jokingly asked me if I knew who Rosie Ruiz was, and if I was interested in performing a similar feat. (In 1980, Ruiz registered for the Boston Marathon and got a ride close to the finish line before running the rest of the way.)

After Sorel finished repairing my bicycle, I hit the road, and as I peddled I had one question: When did Hopkinton get so many hills?

A little over three hours after I started, I returned to Hopkinton High School, extremely exhausted but happy to have been able to take part in an event that both raised money and brought a community together.

This year, the event raised about $9,000 from event-day participants and donations from numerous people, according to Congoran. The event brought 82 teams, with more than 200 participants, ranging in age from 3 months to 88.

All of the proceeds go toward fuel assistance, a cause that will be crucial this winter with the rising costs of oil.

My time certainly was nothing to brag about in this challenging event, but on the bright side, I lived to tell about it.

Contoocook wood bank makes winter wamer

Bow Editor — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:42:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

The Contoocook Carry may end when the last triathlete crosses the finish line, but for the town’s residents, ways to lend a hand are just heating up.

Sunday, Sept. 21, will mark the annual triathlon benefit in Hopkinton, and a wood bank has also been set up at the transfer station to help residents in need of winter fuel assistance.

While 75 percent of the proceeds from the Contoocook Carry go toward fuel assistance, all wood donations collected at the Sean Powers Wood Bank will be given to Hopkinton residents in need.

“Along the way, it becomes really apparent that there are people who are afraid, people on fixed income, that just can’t afford it,” said Mary Congoran, the wood bank’s organizer.

Congoran said in addition to dropping off wood at the transfer station, residents can help in other ways.

“They might only need help stacking, or a path shoveled to the wood during the winter time,” she said. “The basic thing we’re starting to ask people to do is just go out in the neighborhood and knock on doors and ask who may need help. If nothing more comes out of it than neighbors chatting with neighbors, that’s a great thing, too.”

The effort to raise wood is being called Wood for Warmth, and one of the main aspects will come on Saturday, Oct. 18, during volunteer day.

“Volunteers will be there splitting, cutting and preparing the wood and getting it into the shape so it can be used during the winter,” said Congoran.

Residents are asked to bring 16-inch pieces of wood to the wood bank. Many members of the community have already stepped up and donated large amounts of wood, as well as their services.

Chuck and Joyce Rose have volunteered the use of all their trucks and drivers from their own wood company to collect donations.

“My heart is totally filled up,” Congoran said. “Even if you reach one person like that, it totally fills you up.”

Residents who need to use the donated wood must obtain a voucher from the town’s Human Services Department.

Those interested in donating wood, or finding out more information, can e-mail Mary Congoran at woodforwarmth@hotmail. com or call her at 568-2783.

“The big picture is the community. The only way I could have done anything this is with their help,” said Congoran. “I have the greatest confidence in this community.”

The Contoocook Carry will kick off at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21. Runners set off from Hopkinton High School to the Contoocook River along Route 127, where they launch kayaks for 5 miles, then pick up their bicycles for a 14-mile return trip to the high school.

Those interested in taking part in the Contocook Carry triathlon may register the day of the event at the high school, from noon to 1:15 p.m.

Post 21’s eclectic group hits well but has trouble in the field

Bow Editor — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:12:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Garde Burgess had an early idea how Concord Post 21’s American Legion baseball season was going to play out.

During one of the team’s first practices, he pulled his nine pitchers aside and asked each one how many high school innings they’d pitched. Aside from ace Mitch Philibert, the answer was five – total.

“I thought that was a pretty telling statistic,” said Burgess. “I pretty much had spring training with my players during the district season. I was out there working on mechanics with them before, during and after games.”

It came as no coincidence, then, that Philibert notched three of Concord’s four wins. He would have had six had it not been for three blown leads by the bullpen, said Burgess. Still, the coach is quick to point out the team is young, and most of the players return in 2009, many the season after that as well.

“They’ll do a lot better next year, that’s for sure, but there’s no doubt any extra pitching experience we can get will help. That was definitely our weakness,” he said.

The bats, on the other hand, boomed.

Post 21 averaged double-digit hits per game.

“A lot of games we’d have 16 hits, but we lost the game because we had given up 12 walks,” said Burgess. “Of course, you know if you give up those kind of base runners, you’re going to lose a lot of games.”

Still, Concord put runs on the board in all but one game, though Burgess noted the players often got into trouble on the base paths.

Mark Sullivan of Concord and Hooksett’s Matt French, said the coach, led the team in hitting.

French, in fact, went 16- for-19 his last four games, and would have produced even more throughout the season had it not been for a hamstring injury that caused him to miss several games.

Others contributing include Hopkinton’s Thomas Johnson and Evan Levy; Bow’s Dan Yvars; Pembroke Academy’s Zachary Cogswell, Connor Moroney and Doug Turnbull; Goffstown’s Matthew O’Brien; Daniel Solomon, Benjamin Thurston, Ryan Wakefield, Tucker White, Nicholas Comtois and John Boudrais.

“They all got along really well, which is kind of unusual with a team compiled of kids from so many different areas of New Hampshire,” said Burgess.”This was a very good bunch of guys, probably one of the most delightful bunch of guys with some of the most unique personalities I’ve ever coached.”

Contoocook Carry triathlon heats up

Bow Editor — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:06:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Residents running, paddling and pedaling in September’s Contoocook Carry will use as much energy as they can to get to the finish line.

This year, their physical energy will turn to heating energy, as 75 percent of the proceeds from this year’s race will be given to Hopkinton Human Services to help those in need of fuel assistance due to the skyrocketing cost of oil.

“For the last few years, we’ve tried to give most of the proceeds to human services for all needs,” said Mary Congoran, one of the race’s organizers. “Last winter, I was looking out my window seeing us getting hit so hard with snow and cold weather, and it was just getting to me. I knew there were people needing fuel assistance.”

The sixth annual triathlon takes place Sunday, Sept. 21, featuring a 2-mile run, 5-mile paddle and 14-mile bicycle ride. Racers can sign up as individuals or teams, with a prize table at the end of the race set up to give each racer a reward for completing the course.

While 75 percent of the proceeds will go to fuel assistance, the remaining 25 percent will be donated to Hopkinton High School’s Interact Club, a group of students dedicated to community service.

“I usually try wherever possible to have the youth be able in some way to give back,” said Congoran. “(The Interact Club) helps with the race and offers prizes like babysitting, car washing, lawn mowing and things like that to give to participants.”

Congoran said each year she sees the triathlon bring out the best in residents, and not just financially.

In response to the sponsorship letter Congoran sent out, one resident agreed to donate dry, split wood for the prize table.

“That letter isn’t meant to always draw money out of the pockets of everyone,” said Congoran. “It lets your neighbors know that you care and you’re trying to help in a crisis situation. It isn’t always money.”

The race isn’t designed to be highly competitive, as it is meant to be a fun way to raise money for a cause in town.

“It’s great because we have some super athletes that come also. I like to believe everyone is coming this year for fuel assistance, to help their community,” Congoran said. “We have had people from Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts. They understand, too. It’s never going to be a big-time fancy race, but it’s meant to be down home and to do a lot for the community.”

Last year, the race raised about $2,000, and while Congoran said she hasn’t set monetary goals in the past, she hopes to raise a large amount this year to help residents in need.

“We definitely are really trying to raise a good bit more this year,” she said. “So many good things happen that I haven’t always focused on the funds. This year, whether people can put together a team or not, if they can find a way to help their neighbors, that’s what we’re after.”

Contoocook trombonist swings to the sound of jazz

Bow Editor — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:47:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Dave Dustin has never been a big fan of reading – not music, anyway.

The Hopkinton Town Band member also plays the trombone in the Tall Granite Jazz Band, a group he founded that is dedicated to Chicago-style jazz and swing.

“I’ve always liked jazz because of the energy and the expression that’s possible in it. Part of it also is that it also seems more suited to my talent,” said Dustin. “I’m not the greatest reader of music in the world. I can always close my eyes and imagine the music, so improvisation has always come fairly easy to me.”

By day, Dustin works in Concord at Nobis Engineering, where he negotiates and administers contracts to the federal government, but upon leaving the office he turns to his trombone.

“I think that they’re probably not all that similar. Maybe they are in that they are fairly detailoriented,” he said. “I’ve always looked at music as a therapy and a refuge from the burdens, toil and strive of the day job and making a living. Music is my therapy, and it’s a very helpful one to have.”

Dustin said he enjoys the ability to rely on his other band members in order to put on a successful show.

“(The night of a concert) is a lot of excitement and anticipation, and you’re always glad when you look to either side of you and see a great group of musicians, sometimes with skills that exceed your own,” said Dustin. “You know you can rely on them.”

The jazz influence for Dustin came from his parents, who lived during the age of jazz and swing in the 1930s and 1940s. Dustin’s parents continued to listen to the music after he was born, and he was constantly exposed to it.

“When I was growing up, there was a lot of big band music in my house,” he said. “It just became something that was a real habit for me, and something I loved to listen to. I would fantasize about being a musician in those bands.”

Although Dustin said it can be harder to find venues to play at in New Hampshire, he said when you find the right spot there is no feeling like it.

“I really love it when we’re bringing some great music and great musicians together to make a joyful noise. I like it when the band is just cooking along and you can see that people are really enjoying the music,” he said. “It’s a bond between musicians, and a bond between the band members and the audience.”

You can listen to Dustin and The Tall Granite Jazz Band play at the Bow gazebo as part of the Bow Rotary Club’s summer concert series on Sunday, July 27, beginning at 6 p.m.

The Tall Granite Band is also scheduled to play Thursday, July 31, at Nonni’s Open House at the Concord Holiday Inn. The ballroom doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the band kicks off at 6:30 p.m.; and at the Beech Hill Farm and Ice Cream Barn in Hopkinton for the Hopkinton Congregational Church Rally Sunday picnic on Sept. 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The band will also play at the Eastern States Exposition, “The Big E,” in West Springfield, Mass., on New Hampshire Day, Friday, Sept. 19, at 5:30 p.m.

Water ban in Contoocook

Bow Editor — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:27:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

With high temperatures and little rain, Contoocook Village precinct residents and businesses have to limit their water usage as town officials have put an emergency water ban into effect.

Though Steve Clough, assistant director of Public Works, said the town’s water supply is not running short, a lack of rain and a bottleneck in the filtration system led to the ban, which was put into place June 1.

“We have plenty in our source, but we can only filter about 200 gallons a minute,” Clough said. “(The weekend of June 1), we were using a couple gallons a minute at night and during the day as high as 500 a minute. We couldn’t get our storage levels up enough. We have to keep drinking water and fire protection levels up.”

The ban means residents in the area, which includes Hopkinton High School and the town’s commercial area, will not be allowed outside water use until further notice.

“This means there will be no outside watering and no outside usage,” Clough said. “If you have plants you can bring watering cans outside.”

Clough said because of the hot weather, even with the ban the town is having a difficult time getting its tanks filled.

“If we do get our tanks back up and want to move forward, it’ll still be hard,” he said. “If we remove the ban now, it’ll be a short period of time before our tanks are back down again. What we really need is a steady rain, and that just isn’t coming.”

Town officials were scheduled to meet Tuesday, June 10, to decide how long to keep the ban, as well as address short and long-term plans.

Among the options for short-term solutions is the possibility of limited use, including a potential alternate-day usage system. Regardless of the solution for this summer, Clough said officials will also need to think of a long-term answer to the problem.

The water filtration plant used by the town was built in 1993, with increased storage built in 2002. Although the plant is scheduled for another upgrade within a few years, Clough said officials may need to look at moving up the date of the next phase.

“Within the last year or two, it’s been a mini-explosion of sprinkler systems, some of them larger ones,” said Clough. “The combination of all that is straining the system and we can’t keep up with it.”

WWII cadet nurses want recognition as veterans

Bow Editor — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:34:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Merle Dustin wasn’t on the front lines, but the Contoocook resident now finds herself trying to fight for the rights of some of the unsung heroes from World War II.

In June 1945, President Harry Truman signed an executive order that made the United States Public Health Service a part of the military until the war was over.

Although the nurses, including Dustin, were recognized during the war, they are not recognized by the government as veterans.

“It’s sad because it has taken so long, and yet we are still not recognized,” said Dustin, who served as a cadet nurse during the war.

Dustin was accepted into Salem Hospital Nursing School in Massachusetts, with the agreement that she would serve in the military upon graduation. After training for two weeks at Fort Devens in Ayer, Mass., she began treating soldiers who had been wounded in battle.

“I did my best to make it comfortable for injured soldiers. It touched all of us nurses,” said Dustin. “We were thrust into a tremendous situation. We saw these young people coming back broken, some who may have never been well again.”

Among her duties as a cadet nurse was giving back rubs to injured soldiers to keep them comfortable in their beds. It was this duty that lead Dustin to a ward boy whom she would get to know well.

Several off-duty soldiers came to Dustin’s post at Cushing General Hospital in Framingham, Mass., and challenged some of the nurses to see who gave the best back rub. The losing contestant would have to go to dinner with one of the soldiers.

Unaware at the time, Dustin had been set up by the group and ended up on a date with Eben “Dusty” Dustin, whom she would befriend and eventually marry.

“My favorite memory from my time as a cadet nurse would have to be when I met my husband,” she said. “That wasn’t my intention at all. I was going to be a nurse, and life was going to deal me what it dealt me.”

The two married just days before the war ended, with friends and relatives pooling together enough gas coupons to get the couple off on a honeymoon to Wolfeboro.

With the war over, Merle Dustin took her state board nurses exam and worked for a variety of hospitals in the Boston area, and now recalls making the walk home to the couple’s Boston apartment, often late at night.

After the war ended, the nurses’ connection to the military did as well, and they were not considered veterans.

Dustin recently found out there is a bill before Congress that would grant cadet nurses from World War II veteran status, and has taken up the cause by writing letters to local newspapers searching for her fellow nurses.

“It is sad to find that there are so few of us. We are a fast-disappearing generation,” she said. “There were 124,000 graduates, and how many are living? I have no idea.”

Following her letters about the bill, Dustin has received seven letters from cadet nurses around New England, with each promising to spread the word to anyone they can.

For Dustin, earning veteran status is a matter of respect. “My goal is for us nurses to get our just due,” she said. “What that’ll give us as veterans, I don’t know except the fact that we’re being thanked.”

Artist shows kids world of illustration in Contoocook

Bow Editor — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:08:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Frustrated at the way his watercolor paintings were turning out, Byron Carr was ready to throw away his paints.

“I started with watercolors and did lousy with it. I essentially gave up and went back to acrylics,” said Carr, of Contoocook.

“I thought I might as well use up the paint, and then it dried and came out great.”

Years before his watercolor discovery, Carr was sitting in his apartment at the Vespar George School of Art in Boston, when he came up with the idea for children’s book that developed around a simple illustration.

He worked on the idea, found financial backers and, in 1988, he published “Doodles,” which took the basic shape of a mushroom and adapted it into illustrations for basic words.

Carr will now be sharing his illustrating experiences with Hopkinton families, as he will be running a “Meet the Author Drawing Class,” hosted by the Recreation Department, on Saturday, May 10, at Columbia Hall.

The class is for children ages 4 through 8, and their parents. Carr’s books will be on sale for $5, with 50 percent of proceeds going to the food pantry. The presentation costs $5 for parent and one child, and $1 for each additional child. All supplies are included. There will be two sessions, 1 to 2 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m. Call 746-2915 to register.

During the class, Carr will tell children and their parents how he became interested in creating his children’s book, and help them get started creating their own doodles.

“It’s a lot of fun. You can see (the children’s) brains working, thinking about the problem of creating the illustration. It’s a challenge for them,” said Carr, will run his first class since 1994. “They succeed in their own small way, each and every one of them, and that’s a reward to get people thinking and drawing.”

Part of the theme of the class is getting families drawing together, as Carr requires each child who attends the class to do so with a parent.

“That’s important to have them working with the kids, spending time drawing with them. That’s a big aspect of it,” he said.

Carr said no matter how many years he’s spent as an artist, he still has a hard time being satisfied with the final product.

“Having it come out as good as you want, it never does. You have to say, ‘I want to do better,’ but that’s the best I can do at this point,” Carr said.

One obstacle for young artists is becoming frustrated, said Carr. He hopes to teach children based on his experience that the next painting could be the best.

“Usually the problem is people quit when it gets difficult, and it does get difficult. People get frustrated,” said Carr. “Don’t quit before the magic happens. I almost did one painting before that magic happened.”