April Is Poetry Month At Gilmanton Corner Library
National Poetry Month has been held every year in April since 1996, when
publishers, literary organizations, libraries, schools, and poets around the
country band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American
culture. Please join the Gilmanton Corner Library in this festivity by
dropping by the library and checking out your favorite adult or children’s
poetry book, Haiku or “Finite Verse” a poetry book by Eric Miller,
Gilmanton’s very own poet.
We are proud to announce we now have a computer software section in the
library. The software includes Mahjong, Crossword, Monopoly and Scrabble
games and also Japanese Language discs. with more games to come. Thank you
Roger and Elena Ball!
The free museum passes are ready for you to take
advantage of during the upcoming school vacation. We have passes to the
Currier Museum, Manchester, SEE Science Kids Museum, Manchester, and The New
Hampshire Historical Museum, Concord.
To place a reserve or request a
book call 267-6200 Wednesdays 3 - 5 or Saturdays 10 - 12.
Thank You Gilmanton Voters
The Board of Directors wishes to thank Gilmanton Voters for approving
the supplemental funding for the Gilmanton Year-Round Library at Town
Meeting. This will allow library services to continue for another
year. Current patrons are invited to keep checking as more books and
other media are added to the collection, and as new programs are offered.
It is sincerely hoped that residents, who have not yet availed themselves of
the many services available at the library, will come to the library and see
what is there for all to enjoy.
Thank you again,
The Board of Directors.
Gilmanton Women’s Club News
The First meeting of 2011 for the Gilmanton Women’s Club will be held
April 4th, 1:30 p.m., at the Academy. Refreshments will be
provided by the officers. All members are urged to attend.
The purpose of the Club is to enjoy fellowship and to raise funds for
the benefit of Gilmanton’s organizations and townspeople. All women
interested in helping our community are invited to this meeting.
If you cannot attend but are interested in joining, please contact Jean
Baxter for more information.
Eco-Artist Cynthia Robinson In Residency At Gilmanton School
Gilmanton School welcomes eco-artist Cynthia Robinson this month for its
annual Artist-in-Residence Program. Robinson, of Moultonborough, has over 20
years of experience teaching and directing art programs in the state of New
Hampshire. Robinson’s own artwork and the projects she creates with students
include many artistic media, from drawing and painting to natural materials
and digital photography.
Now through April 5th, Robinson will work with students in kindergarten
through eighth grade at Gilmanton School to explore the relationship between
art and nature, and create art made with recycled materials. A core group of
sixth grade students will work in depth with the artist to create a mural,
which will be unveiled at the school during a culminating event on
Wednesday, April 6th.
There will be two assemblies during the afternoon for students and
teachers at 1:00 and 1:45 p.m., and an evening event for families and
community members at 6 p.m. The evening event is open to the public.
This year’s artist residency at the school is part of a three year grant
from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, which focuses on
conservation, recycling, and environmental art.
Robinson’s residency ties in strongly with Gilmanton School’s commitment
to recycling, composting, and other environmentally-friendly practices. The
school currently has an extensive recycling program, which includes the
recycling of snack wrappers and juice containers in cooperation with the
Terracycle program, the sixth grade class, and the PTA.
Third-graders at Gilmanton School are responsible for the school’s
composting program, which combines worm composting and an outdoor compost
pile. In addition, the school cafeteria recently gave up plastic utensils in
favor of metal, and parent notices are sent home via e-mail in order to
conserve paper.
For more information on the program, please contact art teacher Chris
Callaghan at 364-5681.
GCC Food Pantry And Thrift Shop News
The GCC (Gilmanton Community Church) Food Pantry and Thrift Shop would
like to thank all those who have donated clothing and accessories to our
shop. Because of your generous donations we are able to offer a wide
variety of items for sale to the public. Come in and browse around our
very well organized thrift shop. We have many brand name items in our
shop and we do not price these things at a higher price. We have
different sales each week so come in and check us out as not all sales are
advertised.
We currently have all adult jeans at $2.00 a pair and kids jeans
at $1.00 a pair. We have started to put out spring and summer clothing
including many lovely Easter dresses for both women and girls. We have
suits and dress shirts for men and boys also and many wonderful dress shoes.
We are currently collecting food items for our Easter Holiday Food
Baskets. Some items which are needed are canned vegetables, canned
pineapple, coffee, bottled juice and cereal. The food pantry, which is
open to Gilmanton residents only, is open during the same times as the
Thrift Shop, with additional hours on Saturdays from 8 – 10 am.
If
you would like to make a donation to the food pantry please bring your items
in during regular business hours. If you would like to make a monetary
donation you can mail it to GCC Food Pantry, PO Box 6, Gilmanton Iron Works,
NH 03837. If you are a family in need of assistance please call Jane
at 364-7437, the church office at 364-7891, or just drop by the pantry.
We are easy to find. We are located right on NH RT 140 in
Gilmanton Iron Works, across from the Iron Works Market, and parking is
located in the church parking lot. We are open on Monday 9am – 1pm,
Wednesday 3pm – 7pm, and Saturday 10am – 2pm. Our shop is run by
volunteers from the community and the proceeds from the sales in the thrift
shop go to help support the food pantry. Hope to see you soon!
The Gift Of Time
Submitted By Neil Trindade
Once again, a crowd of proud parents and family members convened in an
unfamiliar, packed auditorium. This time we were here to witness the
Spring Concert in the wintry NH town of Penacook. It was this past
March 18th. Driving from Gilmanton, we arrived shortly before the start of
the show and I was worried I wouldn’t find seats for the five of us.
Luckily, my son’s music teacher and chaperone, Mrs. Sawyer, had saved us
just enough seats and without one for her, insisted on watching from the
aisle step adjacent to us. It was then that I realized we were the
only representatives from the Gilmanton Middle School here and Mrs. Sawyer
was here exclusively to accompany my 8th grade son. Mary has
instructed and encouraged my wonderful boy through grade school and was
instrumental (no pun intended) in the process of my boy, Owen, being
selected for the Middle Level Honors Flute Choir. But that is not what
was so touching about this night.
I was teary-eyed listening to the beautiful notes of success that came
from these dedicated young adults, awakened by the perfect coalition of
brass and percussion in the final Honors Band songs. However, after
all I saw and heard, I was most inspired by the gifts of time that had been
given to Owen and my family on behalf of the Gilmanton School.
I am well aware of the role of the public school system and its teachers
in New Hampshire. I realize how it must serve the needs of all the
students. That is why I feel a huge debt of gratitude to Mrs. Sawyer
and the Gilmanton School for the time they have donated to Owen on behalf of
the Town of Gilmanton and yourselves.
Thank you Gilmanton residents for continuing to support the magic of
music and the positive growth that it provides. Thank you, Gilmanton
school for allowing your music staff to go on this special road trip with my
son. Thank you, Mrs. Sawyer, for your unending devotion and selfless
giving of your time, the most precious thing anyone can ever give.
Dear readers, please help support music and the arts in our schools.
Its rewards can not be measured or tested by a “knee-cap” test or quiz.
Music brings civility, depth, and color to our youth and to our towns in
ways that are often taken for granted. A trip to the Meetinghouse Cemetery
for the Memorial Day Service is one fine example. A few songs amongst
the artwork at the Belknap Mill another. An hour or two in an
auditorium, in a remote NH town, where the obvious result of hard work and
practice is proudly put forth much to everyone’s pleasure is yet another.
