See for yourself

Santa's visit to Ashuelot's common 2012

   Santa is coming to Ashuelot December 15^th 1-3 PM

By Village christmas tree on the common

 

 All Ashuelot & Winchester Kids Are welcome to sign up

Birth to 10  to See Santa and his elves and recieve a gift

Sign up books for presents are at    

Ashuelot Post Office - Winchester Learning Center (Donna Howland)  

Aubuchons Hardware and Winchester town hall             

 

Sign up’s close December 7th

Enjoy the holiday refreshment and music.

Keep checking in for more information more to be announced soon.

also follow us on Facebook "Ashuelot Village & Children's Fund "

Parking on the day of the event across covered bridge by the Sheridan house museum

The very bad habit of Alternates wasting our tax money!

The Select board has recently adopted a new policy on how board members can contact the town attorney or the LGC (Local government center)

Any board member who has a question or needs information from the town’s attorney is requested to submit it in writing to their chairman of their board and the chairman will hand this to the town administrator who will forward the request to the Attorney’s office and the information or answer will come back through the same procedure in reverse.

Some people have been calling this censorship but it is the exact opposite.

Now everything will be documented in writing and every board member will see the same exact question and the same exact answer.

In the past if a board member “John Doe” contacted the attorney and asked a question there would be no documentation of the question or the answer and the rest of the board members would have to rely on “John Doe’s interpretation” of the information, as you could imagine false or misunderstood information could and has been relayed back to the entire board in the past.

This will also prevent duplicate request, all costing us big money in legal fees

The town’s attorney states this is a common policy for most towns in NH and is the right thing to do.

This new policy came to be after Historic District Commission alternate Julia Ferrari contacted the town’s attorney last year a dozen times asking the same question, costing us over $4,000 in legal fees. If any of you have dealt with her you understand she has the habit of repeatedly asking the same question over and over hoping to finally get the answer she is looking for. When using this strategy with an attorney it gets very expensive.  This entire event was reflected in the Select board’s minutes over several meetings, they are not on the web site but you can go to the town hall and find these.  It should be noted the HDC never discussed or voted on having alternate Ferrari call the attorney and her claims that the HDC chairman could not do it because he was unavailable was denied by the chairman 2 times in front of the Select board.

Alternate Ferrari is now a full member, how did that happen?

Most recently we have Planning Board alternate Jen Bellan absolutely ignoring this policy and contacting the town’s attorney on her own (13 pages worth)
And as a result we have received a very interesting letter from the town attorney

Upton & Hatfield. You can read this letter on the very bottom of the select boards minutes 11/7 2012 http://winchesternh.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/WinchesterNH_Selectminutes/I03B1A3AE

Planning Board Minutes 10/22 2012http://winchesternh.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/WinchesterNH_PlanningMinutes/I03B0B68C

 Reflect the chairman asking Jen Bellan why she continues to not follow policy and asked her if she understands the policy or needs a copy of it, Bellan states she knows the policy but will continue contacting the town’s attorney going against the rules.

Ok people how much money do you think her repeatedly contacting the attorney with 13 pages of false information is costing us tax-payers? Without a doubt Bellan has stated she understands the rules, so if she is willing to keep ignoring them these legal bills should be turned over to her to pay, not us tax payers. Remember she is only an alternate.
When you read the attorneys letter you will basically see him tell Bellan that she does not have a clue what she is talking about, she does not understand how to interpret laws and all the false information she is spreading around will be used against the planning board in the upcoming law suit against the planning board.

What will it takes to get some of these planning board members off the board before they bankrupt our town and us individually?

A Town Board being allowed to double their budget because of their own bad decisions?

We have had this information for some time but have waited for it to show up in the town’s minutes

Everything in Red is the legal published minutes that can be looked up for yourself on the town’s web site.

The “new Trustees” of the Thayer library have requested to double the budget for Thayer Library. On august 15th 2012 Select board Minutes. Trustee Harriet Charland asked the select board to take over the care (lawn mowing etc.) of Thayer Library. The Selectman stated that the Town halls Maintenance man did not have time to do this and they should include this in next year’s budget.
9/12 2012 Select board Minutes, Selectmen approve doubling Thayer’s budget from $2,000 to $4,000, The Budget Committee discussed this on 10/18 2012 and eventually approved it also. This is your Tax money.

The Trustees reasoning for increased budget are that they now are responsible for all the utilities of the library and upkeep on building and ground’s due to their bad decision making.

The past trustees for many years held a library lawn & book sale on Columbus day weekend. This event always brought many community members together for a fun time and help their local library make some decent money for that library’s running cost.
The New board can’t be bothered to do this and have cancelled it, but they have no problems or guilt holding their hands out asking you for your tax dollars

It must be noted that the new trustees falsely accused the past board and library director of being in-active and as the many of you who visited the library and attended the events know this to be untrue.
The New Trustees last community event was a birthday party for Jen Bellans dog at the library, sounds unreal but we are not making this up, the Library has literally gone to the dogs.

A little history on the Library,
For over a hundred years it has functioned without being a Burden on tax-payers because the library Director, who ran the library, took care of the building and grounds, paid for all the electric, phone, ½ of the heating cost (fuel oil) and in recent times offered to supply Internet to the library for no cost to the tax payer. Many library Directors have come and gone over the century of this being in affect and all it cost the Town of Winchester….Nothing! The library’s Directors pay was to be able for their Family’s to live upstairs.
In recent years the hostile takeover by the “new board of trustees” this is what they call themselves Goal seemed to be to drive away previous board members some serving for over 30 years and take over the running of the library. They have succeeded as the many resignations prove, but now are not willing to stand up and do the work they created themselves. When discussing the option of no longer compensating (free rent) the Library Director and Maintenance person Kim Gordon (are you sick of this name yet?) told the board that if they voted to do so she would be willing to run the library and mow the lawn and take care of everything, reflected in the Library minutes on or around August 2011. Soon after voting to no longer compensate the library Director, Kim Gordon became too busy to live up to her agreement and here you are folks you are being asked to use your tax dollars for this board’s lack of judgment and bad decision making.

We have been informed of a letter being submitted to both the Budget Committee and Select board on this matter, it is referred to in B.C. Minutes 10/16 2012. But it looks like the select board has ignored it and not discussed or included it in their minutes.
We are trying to get a copy of this for you to read.

$4,000 doesn’t seem like a lot but in recent years tax payers are losing their homes and struggling to pay their taxes. People are begging the town to curb cost or at the minimum keep it leveled. Now this board has been allowed to double their budget, could this be opening the door for all the other boards and departments to raise theirs also?

A couple of things to throw out there.

Had a refreshing vacation and there was a few days that post and comments didn't get published. Sorry

We are reserving the right to edit for content etc. We have received some comments that had very valid points but because of name calling or also including information that was blatantly false or hostile we chose not to post. In the future if we think the comment is important we will edit and let you know that that we did, we will not change the overall post just remove name calling and hostility.

It looks like people are now understanding how important having the right information is, I know of some people that in just the last year have made it the habit of reading minutes and getting accurate information before they make a decision or unknowingly help spread false information around.

But now comes the hard part, who has ideas or answers, we still seem to be stuck in the finger pointing stage but besides learning and voting we will have to do more. We would love to see your comments on what we can do to turn things around.

How can we lower the tax rate?

How can we improve our school and educate our kids and prepare them for the world? (And remember just throwing money at it doesn't work)
How can we bring business to town?

How can we build more single family homes?

So let’s take a break from finger pointing, It looks like people are aware of who the trouble makers are. And let’s explore some answers.

What do you think?

More Sentinel reporting "Again"

Legal costs add up against town budgets
By Garrett Brnger Sentinel Staff
WINCHESTER — Small-town politics can come with a big price tag.
The town of Winchester has spent a considerable amount of time and money in recent years dealing with legal cases — 2.1 percent of last year’s operating expenses. While one nearby town has spent more and another much less on legal expenses, Winchester is unique due to the variety of its cases.
Winchester spent $63,038 in fiscal 2012 on legal expenses — the majority of it on court battles. Between fiscal 2009 and 2011, it spent $50,190, $39,436 and $34,866, respectively.
Town Administrator Joan C. Morel estimates only about $8,000 of the 2012 sum was spent on costs unrelated to court cases, such as appraisals or legal advice.
This year looks to be no different. The town’s legal expenses are up to $12,419 since its fiscal year began in July. The budgeted amount approved by voters is $25,000 for the entire year.
In the 2011 calendar year, Swanzey spent $15,390 in legal expenses. The town has almost 2,900 more residents than Winchester and its budget this year of $7.2 million is almost twice that of Winchester’s. Since January, Swanzey has spent $9,723 on legal costs.
However, Swanzey Town Administrator Shane O’Keefe said the expenses are “entirely unpredictable” and occur incidentally.
Richmond is an example of that. In 2006, Winchester’s neighbor to the east spent $7,565 on legal expenses out of a a budgeted $4,900. Five years later in 2011, the town spent $70,398 — more than nine times that amount. In 2010, it spent $50,761.
A handful of cases each year cause the majority of the expenses, said Richmond Town Administrator Roberta A. Fraser, who is also chairwoman of the Winchester Selectmen.
Though Fraser did not have a bottom-line number for Richmond’s court battles from 2007 to 2011 with the St. Benedict’s Center, she said it’s “safe to say the number is in the tens of thousands.”
A reassessment fight with Public Service Co. of New Hampshire in 2011 and ’12 cost the town $45,740, not including the $11,781 settlement. It also contributed to both the preceding year’s sum and the $24,044 Richmond has spent on legal costs since January.
The difference between Richmond and Winchester is the number of cases, Fraser said. While Fraser estimates Richmond has about a half-dozen cases a year, Winchester, which has a population about four times as large, has 17 cases on its 2012 legal calendar.

Winchester does have a strong record in court. Neither Morel nor the town’s attorney, Bart L. Mayer, could remember a case in which the town did not prevail. But Morel says they all cost money.
“We do ask for legal fees; we haven’t been granted any,” Morel said.
Some cases in Winchester are filed by the town to enforce zoning codes and ordinances such as trash-filled yards, but this year the town is the defendant in a majority of cases.
Defendant or plaintiff, the cases in Winchester and Richmond often have some common features, Fraser said.
Winchester resident Terrance P. Qualters has been involved in nine cases against the town since 1981, said a clerk at the Cheshire County Superior Court.
The town has taken several properties from Qualters due to back taxes, and has taken him to court to remove him from the properties. However, Qualters has fought the town on each step because he believes the town government is corrupt.
“I don’t like this town (government) of Winchester one single bit,” Qualters said.
The town is such a popular adversary, it has even faced itself. This year the town almost had $419,000 in spending disallowed because selectmen filed suit against the budget committee.
Although the case was settled through a consent decree, it still required the town to pay for two lawyers.
In some cases, the town gets blamed no matter what happens. For example, both the applicant and opponents of a proposed Dunkin’ Donuts in Winchester have brought the town to court over the same project.
When the Winchester Zoning Board granted S.S. Baker Realty a zoning variance in 2008 for a proposed combination convenience store, gas station and Dunkin’ Donuts, local grocery store Kulick’s Inc. appealed the decision. The case reached the N.H. Supreme Court, which upheld the board’s decision in September 2010.
The town is back in court over the same project now, but against S.S. Baker, which is appealing the Winchester Planning Board’s rejection of the project.
Kulick’s owner, Stanley S. Plifka Jr. is not surprised by the volume of legal action the town sees.
Winchester is filled with cliques and personalities who clash, Plifka said, and “with the decisions the town makes, they’re lucky they don’t get sued more than that.”
That extends to officials in town government. In March 2011, planning board member Kim N. Gordon filed an affidavit in a case against the town alleging then-board Chairwoman Margaret Sharra had acted inappropriately during an asphalt plant application.As a result, selectmen considered removing Gordon from the board but ultimately did not. Gordon filed a right-to-know suit against the town afterward, alleging she should have been allowed to attend a non-public meeting in which selectmen considered a letter from its legal counsel.
Gordon was unsuccessful in both the right-to-know request and her attempt to get the town to pay her legal fees from the selectmen’s deliberations.
Sharra, who is now the town land use administrator, said the appeal process for land use cases can be frustrating but does not begrudge people who use it. She just wants them to think twice about filing suit against the town.

New wild life post from Irene Ruth

Wildlife could use your help, starting now.

When leaves start to fall, some folks view that as a call to start clean-up. But from a wild animal’s point of view, that means removing potential winter food and cover sources, leaving fewer resources for them to use.

• Leave dead flower stalks, leaves, and seedheads standing. ( Large seedheads like those of black-eyed Susans, sedums, purple coneflowers, joe-pye weed, and sunflowers are favorite wildlife foods. So are the seeds of zinnias, marigolds, cosmos, phlox, grasses and dianthus. ) They’ll feed wildlife and also provide cover.
• Ferns—which sometimes stay green well into winter—are used by wildlife for hiding from predators, from the weather, and as a food source.
• Berry-producing plants such as bayberries, junipers, and cotoneasters are a food source for many wildlife species, year round.
• Building a brush pile is an easy way to clear your yard of stray branches and twigs, and at the same time provide a safe hidey place for ground-nesting birds, chipmunks, rabbits, and even hibernating reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Create the brush pile in an out-of-the-way corner of your property, preferably close to food sources but away from buildings. Start with a layer of larger limbs, then stack branches loosely on top and add vegetation and leaves to create nooks and crannies of various sizes.
• A firewood pile, made with the logs piled crisscross can make spaces that offer temporary shelter to birds and small mammals trying to get out of the weather.
• Water is one of the most important resources you can provide for wildlife, especially in winter when their usual watering holes often dry up or ice over. Provide a dish of water near your home. If wild animals don’t have to search for water, they can save energy, which may mean the difference between life and death on the coldest days.
So, take a look out in your yard, and decide which things you can do there to help wildlife survive the coming cold weather. And enjoy winter wildlife watching.

Links to Town's Web Site and important minutes

On the right side of this page you will find many useful links to sites for our town and some of its organizations.

We have included direct links to Planning board, Budget Committee, Select board and Historic District Commission's minutes
Please take a moment and read these.

A big Thank you to all who put on the Pickle Festival

Once again another Winchester's Pickle Festival has come and gone. This is a great event that brings good times to our community and draws people in from other towns. It gives friends and neighbors and chance to get out and mingle on our main st. and by the looks of all the smiles on the children's faces looks like they enjoy it also.
This may be one of the only times when we get some positive publicity in the local papers and people all work together to make it happen.

It would be great to see more events like this in our town, Most people feel that is the benefit of living in a small community. Does anyone have any ideas of events we could do?

And again, Thank you to all who work hard to make this event happen for us, Your work is greatly appreciated and you all deserve a big applause.

Wildlife point of View: Practical advice for co-existing with wildlife

September 21, 2012

My name is Irene Ruth. I’ve just retired after 25 years of being a Wildlife Rehabilitator, working with injured and orphaned wild animals to get them healthy and back to the wild. To do my job well, I worked hard to understand the different wild animal species, know their needs, and be aware of their reasons for doing what they do in the different seasons.

Now that I have time, I can help others understand, too. The more we understand, the easier it is to be more tolerant and supportive of the wild animals we encounter here in Winchester.
So, here goes……

Fall starts tomorrow, although it has felt like fall all day today. This is a season of intense activity for wildlife. For some animals, the cooler weather means heading south to avoid winter problems. Others start to gather and store food, find warm spots to set up winter dens, and try to fatten up, grow thicker coats and do all the other things that make it possible for them to survive the colder seasons.
For the ones looking for new winter quarters, YOUR house looks like a definite possibility. No, they don’t look for a “vacancy” or “All Creatures Welcomed” sign, but they DO look for any possible way to get into your attic, basement, shed, barn or crawl space. They just want a nice warm place to spend cold days, but are so often regarded as intruders, or even invaders.

This is the time to do some preventive maintenance on your home to guard against wild intruder/invaders. As a bonus, animal proofing doubles as cold weather proofing, since any entry points could also let in cold air, and possibly rain or snow.
Take a walk around your house and try to spot any entry points under eaves, cornices and louvers, spaces under corrugated roofing, under doors and around windows. Any small openings larger than ¼ inch should be blocked or screened. (Heavy gauge hardware cloth works very well).
Cover vents and any openings where electrical outlet boxes or water pipes enter the house.
Remove debris and weeds from around the foundation of your house so that you can detect openings and also discourage rodents from hiding there or setting up housekeeping.

Now walk around the house again. Think any intruders can get in?
Now that they’re all blocked out of your house, my next post will have suggestions about how you can help them make it thru the winter where they should be…in the wild.

Irene

More Sentinel reporting on our planning board members.

WINCHESTER — A planning board member’s call for three other members to resign went unheeded and mostly undiscussed Monday night.

Board member Larry Hill delivered a three-page letter to the board calling for fellow board members Brian D. Moser, Kim G. Gordon and alternate Jennifer Bellan to resign from the Winchester Planning Board and any other town boards or committees.

Calling their actions “vandalistic” and “slanderous,” Hill alleges in his letter that the three “are determined to disrupt the board and attack the integrity of the remaining board members for reasons unknown.

“Unless the disruptions, attacks and unfounded allegations stop immediately, I am very tempted to bring forth a petitioned Warrant Article to dissolve and eliminate the Planning Board.”

Hill’s letter, meant to act as a motion, was not seconded by any of the other six board members at the table, including Moser and Gordon. Only Moser responded.

“The fact that we don’t agree all the time is not (a) reason to say that people should not be on the board. A board that agrees all the time is a joke,” Moser said.

Although Hill writes he had “decided to put everything on the table,” the only actions he attributes to a specific person are to Moser and his Aug. 25 letter to the editor, which Hill calls “slanderous.”

In his letter to The Sentinel, Moser accused another member of the board, whom he didn’t name, of being “a rubber stamp for certain interests.” He also repeated comments he had overheard in a restaurant from an unnamed businessman that “those people in Winchester can be bought off with a bag of groceries.”

Hill called out Gordon for failing to recuse herself from recent deliberations over a proposed Dunkin’ Donuts, because she is a friend and walking partner of Stanley S. Plifka Jr.’s wife. Plifka, owner of Kulick’s Inc., opposed the project. The board rejected the plan and the applicant is now appealing the decision.

Gordon said this morning she and Plifka’s wife do not discuss town business, including the Dunkin’ Donuts proposal, and said there had been no reason to recuse herself during the deliberations on the proposal.

Hill accuses “an alternate” of disruptive behavior and contributing to attacks against the town land use assistant and former planning board member Margaret Sharra.

The incident he refers to occurred during the board’s July 16 meeting, when Bellan objected to being denied the right to speak while she was sitting as an audience member. She was eventually allowed to voice her concerns about the Dunkin’ Donuts project, which Hill believes was the wrong decision. Hill writes that Bellan unfairly blamed Sharra for blocking her from speaking.

Reached after the meeting, Bellan said she believes she was correct in addressing the board with her concerns.

Some of Hill’s other unattributed allegations include wearing hats in a public forum and frequently voting in the negative “even on such matters as approving the meeting minutes.”

After the meeting, Moser, still wearing the black hat he donned in the meeting, said he had voted against approving the meeting minutes since he began serving on the board, because they were not accurate. Similarly, Gordon said she had voted against approving the minutes for three years because her suggestions for changes or corrections are ignored.

Gordon, Bellan and Moser all said they would not resign. Their terms finish in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Moser also serves on the budget committee, and Gordon is the planning board representative on the Historic District Commission.

Garrett Brnger can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1436, or gbrnger@keenesentinel.com.

Is it time for Winchester and Ashuelot news to change?

Maybe its time for us to change this format and open it up for more discussions and sharing of information.

Some ideas of Topics we would like to open up and get into:

First and foremost, we must urge everyone to understand what is going on in our town.
We understand that most people can not attend every board meeting but if you have a computer and Internet access there is no excuse for not knowing what is happening and what our board members are doing and planning for "US". All this information is posted on the town website and available to all. By spending just a few minutes each month reading these minutes you will have a entire new outlook on whats is happening in our town and who is working for us or against us.
The town website is
http://winchesternh.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/index

If you vote and you care about our town you have the responsibility to have the correct information when you vote or even discuss these issues with friends and neighbors.


Our current planning board and its members! Are you aware of whats been happening and what some of these elected officials are using their positions for? Do you understand the opportunities our town is missing out on because of biased members looking out for themselves and friends and not the town over all?

Do you know why the question about removing last years budget committee was on the ballot? We do. The town almost lost this committee and it is a very important one, Its the only thing that stands between the taxpayer and unlimited spending by our town's departments and government.

Can a town as poor as Winchester afford having a Historic District Commission and the 'historic' districts that cover entire neighborhoods? When this topic opens up you will understand the question.

Have you or your organization or board been attacked, slandered, lied about and you have not been allowed to reply or defend yourself, explain your side?. Do your comments or accurate information never get posted? Here is your chance to fight back and get your story out there.

Please send us a E-mail so that we have your E-mail address in our mailing list.
winchesternews@gmail.com

Thank you.

What do you think? Time for some new board members!

WINCHESTER — Developers for a proposed combination Dunkin’ Donuts and gas station rejected by a town board are taking their case to court. Project applicant S.S. Baker Realty Co. LLC filed an appeal of the Winchester Planning Board’s decision in Cheshire County Superior Court. The company alleges the board’s decision was based on perceptions, rather than facts, about traffic concerns, and that some planning board members had conflicts of interest and were biased against the proposal. S.S. Baker Realty proposed building the combination convenience store, gas station and Dunkin’ Donuts on its property at the northeast corner of the Routes 10 and 78 intersection. The planning board denied the company’s application 4-2 at its July 16 meeting, citing a concern the proposal “overwhelms the lot” and three safety issues: the left turn onto Route 10, cars possibly parking on the highway shoulder, and the potential overflow from a drive-through onto Route 78. Board member Larry Hill abstained, saying he did not understand parts of the motion. Teofilo Salema — the manager of S.S. Baker Realty and the owner of five other Dunkin’ Donuts, in Keene, Swanzey and Hinsdale — says he has done everything the board has asked of him. The application’s traffic study was approved by the N.H. Department of Transportation, but was disregarded by the board because of anecdotal concerns, he said. “They had nobody. They’re assuming they know better than the (Department of Transportation) and the people on the traffic study,” Salema said. “Why did I spend so much money on traffic studies when they already knew what was going on?” The appeal also alleges during the public hearings, “it became clear certain members of the Planning Board were acting improperly, had conflicts of interest or were otherwise biased against the Application, and these members should have been disqualified from hearing the Application.” The petition does not directly accuse any board member or outside influence but asserts the board’s failure to remove biased members or those acting improperly resulted in unlawful hearings, deliberations and votes. The appeal makes only an oblique reference to specific incidents through a quote from the board’s July 16 meeting minutes: “(Gus) Ruth reminds the board of certain happenings of this board during the public hearing process such as (Kim) Gordon passing papers to Kulick’s attorney and other members passing ‘personal’ papers from one member to another then another. He does not believe this will look good in court.” During the May 21 meeting, Gordon handed attorney Kelly E. Dowd a folder of site plan review regulations, according to the meeting minutes. “She (Gordon) was sharing information with the other attorney in front of everybody,” Salema said in an interview. “That’s unacceptable.” Kulick’s opposed the project through its attorneys during the public hearings. The store, located on Route 78 less than a half-mile from the intersection, runs gas pumps. Owner Stanley S. Plifka Jr. told The Sentinel in July that if the proposal were to go through, “you’re going to have three gas stations you could physically throw a baseball to, and that makes no sense to me.” Salema and his land use agent, James P. Phippard of Brickstone Land Use Consultants, implied a connection between Plifka and Gordon on at least two occasions during the public hearing and deliberations process. Minutes of the the board’s May 21 meeting show when Gordon asked Phippard if the applicant would consider removing the gas pumps from the proposal, Phippard “replied no he would not do that for Mr. Plifka.” And when Gordon introduced the motion to deny the application at the board’s July 16 meeting, and a fellow board member advised her to include her reasoning, Salema, who was in the audience, supplied one for her. “Kulick’s,” he said. Reached Sunday by telephone, Gordon and Plifka said it was the first they had heard of the appeal. Plifka declined to comment, and Gordon denied the implied bias. “There’s no bias for me ... there was no reason to recuse myself,” she said. No hearings or conferences on the case have been scheduled yet.

AV&CF wishes a big get well soon to Donny Hubbard

As many of us are finding out, our town Barber Donny Hubbard is recovering from a severe medical emergency. We wish him a fast recovery and hope to see him soon in his Barbershop and behind the reins with Pepper & JR. Thank you for the great job you do for us delivery Santa to Ashuelot common in December. Get well soon Donny. Your friends at Ashuelot Village & Children's Fund.

AV&CF Duck race update

Duck update. More places to sponsor a rubber ducky for a chance to win $500. Village Hair Salon-Kulicks Plaza, Aubuchon Hardware-Kulicks Plaza, Mt Pisgah Diner-Main street, Conant Public Library- Main street, Hair Solutions-21 Warwick rd. Help support the local business's that support us. all proceeds benefit Santa's visit to Ashuelot in December, Last year gifts and stockings were handed out to over 130 Ashuelot & Winchester children. Don't forget all contributions are tax deductible, we are a registered charity in the state of N.H.

Ashuelot Village & Children's Fund annual Duck race

AV&CF will be hosting the annual duck race on the Ashuelot river. all proceeds benefit Santa's visit to Ashuelot in December. Date August 12 @ 10 AM. Ducks are $5 dollars. 1st prize $500 2nd $75 3rd $25. Ducks can be purchased by contacting Barb Doyle 363-4200, Ed Lake 239-4099, Jen Martin 903-2120, Donna Howland 239-4099. Contact avcfund@gmail.com or find us on FaceBook stay tuned and we will be listing local business's where ducks can be purchased. This will be our 1 and only fundraiser for Santa's visit to Ashuelot please help out and give us some support. Thank you.

Mom~Z~Mean Business Classes

Mom~Z~Mean Business classes are forming in Winchester! Classes are 2 hrs a night, one night a week for 12 weeks. Classes in Winchester will be from 6p-8p on Thursday nights begining on the 3rd Thursday in July, July 19th at the ELMM Comunity Center. Tuition is $195.00 per person, payable in 3 monthly payments of $65.00 Please remember that this is a Women's Only class! No sparring, no competition, no uniforms, no rituals and no history lessons! Class size is limited due to the demanding nature of the training and material so register early! Register Now- Send an email to actionartsne@gmail.com indicating if you would like to register for the class or would simply like more information! (For faster access please call 757-739-1548) If you would like us to call you please include your phone number, otherwise we will contact you via email. ******************************************************************************************** Every day there is an increasing number of individuals who are attacked and/or assualted, and many of these individuals are women. Mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, targeted for assault! It is time to provide our loved ones with the tools they need to be safe!! Violent, personal assualts and extreme survival scenarios require real self defense tools and techniques that work under the pressure of an adrenalized, violent attack. Real street assualts don’t happen like they do in the movies. Self defense for this kind of sudden, unprovoked violence means you’ll need to quickly learn and master reality-based close quarters combat tactics that will completely destroy an enraged attacker twice your size. Our class will show you how! Not everyone has years to learn a traditional Martial Arts. This training is designed to give you the skills to survive and escape, in the shortest amount of time possible. Most dangerous encounters on the streets, happen very quickly. Your response must be effective and quick. Equally important is your physical ability to defend your self and escape quickly! It is not a long term fight, like a boxing or UFC match, but you must respond and escape, and that requires a minimal amount of physical conditioning. This program is a hybrid 12 week program integrating some of the most effective aggression countering techniques of personal self defense/protection with the health aspects of a fitness mini boot camp in a Women's only training format

Nurse Is In Clinics in Winchester

Nurse Is In Clinics in Winchester Winchester- Nurse Is In clinics will be held in Winchester, NH in June, 2012. A clinic will be held on Tuesday, June 5 from 11:30am-12:30pm at the ELMM Community Center on Durkee Street. A second clinic is scheduled on Wednesday, June 20 from 1:30pm-2:30pm at Sunrise Village. A nurse from Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services will check blood pressures and be available to answer questions about home care and any health concerns you may have. The screenings are free of charge and open to the public. The Nurse Is In clinics are sponsored by Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services, a United Way agency. For a complete list of clinics or for more information, visit www.HCSservices.org or call HCS at 352-2253.

LADIES SOCIETY SUMMER SALE

The Ladies Society of The United Church of Winchester will hold their annual Summer Sale on Saturday, May 26th from 9:00am to 2:00pm on the lawn and in the vestry of the white church at the corner of Main and Parker Streets – Rain or Shine! There will be hand sewn, knitted and crocheted items, quilts, baked goods, crafts, Chinese Auction, odds and ends and much more . Lunch will be available from 11:30am to 1:00pm. Everyone is welcome so please drop in. Ways & Means Committee Meg Conant, Thelma Gomarlo, Marion Baldvins, Jackie Taylor

Kids Annual Summer Fishing Derby

The Mount Pisgah Sportsman Club will be holding their annual Kids fishing derby on Saturday, June 2, 2012. 8:00am until 11:00am. 342 Manning Hill Road, Winchester​, NH NOTE: Time is from 8am to 11am.... Brad and Bev Brewers Residence signs will be out.. We have been to this event a few times in the past and we can tell you its a great morning with Family and friends and maybe some burgers. And the fish are always biting.

Winchester Learning Center's Gary Beaman Memorial Golf Tournament

PRESS RELEASE Contact Roberta L. Royce, Executive Director The Winchester Learning Center 239-7347 or roycewlc@gmail.com IMMEDIATE RELEASE The 2012 Gary Beaman Memorial Golf Tournament The 2012 Gary Beaman Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on June 23, 2012 at the Oak Ridge Golf Club. Hole sponsors are needed for this memorable event. If you or your company would like to become a hole sponsor please contact Roberta Royce at 603.239.7347 or visit the website @ garybeamanmemorial.com. Proceeds from this event go to supporting the work of the Winchester Learning Center, a non-profit child care and preschool located in downtown Winchester, NH. The Winchester Learning Center is a Monadnock United Way Agency.

Winchester Seniors luncheon

The Winchester Senior Citizens' May luncheon/meeting will be held Wednesday, the 16th, at 12 noon, at the residence of Betty Plifka. New members are welcome. Thank you IRENE A. CLARK

The Ladies Society of The United Church of Winchester is holding a Chicken & Biscuit Supper

The Ladies Society of The United Church of Winchester is holding a Chicken & Biscuit Supper on Saturday, April 21st at 6pm. We are only selling 60 tickets and only have 6 tickets left. No tickets will be sold at the door. Menu: Chicken & Biscuits, Dressing, Peas, Carrots, Onions, Pickles, Cranberry Sauce. Beverage and a variety of homemade cakes for dessert. Price: Adults $10.00 and Children age 4 to 10 $5.00. You may purchase a ticket/reserve by calling Jackie Taylor at 239-4284 or e-mail wesjac@comcast.net



Thank you for your participation.

Jaclyn H. Taylor, Secretary

The Ladies Society

12th ANNUAL WALK-A-THON

The Winchester Learning Center a preschool, childcare, family resource center located in downtown Winchester will be hosting its 12th annual walk-a-thon. There will be a $20.00 registration fee per person. The fee may be raised by pledges or paid at registration. Walkers will be given raffle tickets for registering and for every $10.00 they raise. A raffle will be held at the end of the walk. Raffle Prizes have been donated by area businesses.


The walk will take place May 5, 2012. Registration begins at 9:30am and the walk will kick off at 10:00am. Registration will be at WLC, 5Michigan St, where the walk will start. Join us for a WLC board sponsored cook out after the walk @ 109 Keene Rd, the site of our future building.

Contact Roberta L. Royce or Donna Howland @ 239-7347 or email roycewlc@gmail.com , for more information.



THE WINCHESTER LEARNING CENTER IS A MONADNOCK UNITED WAY AGENCY

Winchester Seniors luncheons

The Winchester Seniors are resuming their pot luck luncheons after the
winter break, on the third Wednesday of each month.
They will be held at the Applewood nursing home in Winchester, in the
dining room, at 1:00 PM. New members are welcome. For further
information you may contact Joan Gratton at 239-4741.