Friday, July 25, 2003
Click here to download a PDF of today's front page

New AMC guidebook now available

PINKHAM NOTCH— The Appalachian Mountain Club has come out with the 27th edition of its 'White Mountain Guide' which it calls the most comprehensive guide available to hiking trails of the White Mountain National Forest.
"People refer to it as the Bible for the White Mountains," said AMC Publisher Beth Krusi.
The book features more than 500 trail descriptions, from the alpine zone on Mount Washington to the murmuring brooks of the Sandwich Range.
Krusi said the AMC updates the guide every five years to keep the trail descriptions current. She said trails are regularly being added, re-aligned, and closed. In the latest edition new trails include some developed by the Randolph Mountain Club.
"It's just nice to know everyone has the current information," said Krusi.
In addition to the trail descriptions, the guide contains tips on safety and trip planning, notes on the region's geography, and pull-out topographic maps.
To make the guide more accessible to hikers of different ability levels, the guidebook suggests hikes from easy day trips to strenuous treks at the end of each section.
One of the challenges for the AMC was to provide all that information in a book small enough to throw into a daypack. The latest edition manages to trim four ounces from the weight of the previous guidebook while adding approximately 50 pages in length.
"The book is actually lighter," said Krusi.
"I didn't know there were so many kinds of paper," she joked, explaining that she looked at many different papers before finding one that was light weight, contained a high percentage of recycled fiber, and was still readable.
The guidebook was complied and edited by Gene Daniell and Steven Smith. Daniell has worked on several other editions of the guidebook and Krusi credits him with doing a "remarkable job". Working on his first AMC guidebook was veteran hiker Steve Smith. The author of a book on lakes and ponds of the White Mountains, Krusi said Smith provided a "wealth of information" about the region.
"It is definitely a labor of love," she said, noting the two receive little compensation for the work involved.
Along with the White Mountain Guide, the AMC has also published an updated version of its smaller "Mount Washington and the Presidential Range Guide". Containing just the trail descriptions for the Presidential Range, it is designed for those who plan to hike only the Presidentials and want a more compact guidebook.
Both books are available at local bookstores and outdoor shops, on-line at www.outdoors.org, or by calling 800-262-4455.

Finnish folk group to appear at NFHP

BERLIN— The Finnish are coming -- and they will be making a joyful noise! Five sites in Maine and New Hampshire will host the American debut of a Finnish folk music group called "The Laukkoski Youth Society." Dressed in colorful costume, the thirteen youngsters, who range in age from eleven to sixteen years old, perform both traditional and contemporary Finnish dances, sing Finnish folk-tunes, and play the traditional Finnish folk harp known as the Kantele. Adult fiddle, accordion, and Kantele players accompany their performances.
The group has recently toured in Japan and Iceland, and in June, two of their members won awards in a Finnish national Kantele competition.
Sarah Cummings-Ridge of Gray, ME, made the New England connection with the “Laukkoski Youth Society”. In 2002, Sarah attended her second session of the Kantele Camp in Finland, where she met the leader and several members of the group. Cummings-Ridge, a music educator in Mechanic Falls, Maine, states she doesn't know any American teenagers who would do this as she learned of the youngster's willingness to dedicate school vacation time to playing Kantele and practicing traditional circle dances. A year of planning and fund-raising on both sides of the Atlantic culminates in the youngsters' arrival.
A rigorous public performance week for the Laukkoski Youth Society begins with their participation in a Friday night concert on July 25, at Southern Maine Technical College in South Portland at 7 p.m. This concert concludes the weeklong Maine Kantele Institute, which Cummings-Ridge directs and will feature performances by Institute faculty and participants. The schedule of "Laukkoski Youth Society" concerts is as follows: Saturday, July 26, Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, South Paris, 2 p.m. Sunday, July 27, Trinity Lutheran Church, South Paris, 9 a.m. Also July 27, Watts Hall, Thomaston, 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 29, Northern Forest Heritage Park, Berlin, NH, 3 p.m. Thursday, July 31, Center for Cultural Exchange, Portland, 7:30. The group's tour ends with a concert at Saima Park in Fitchburg, MA at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 1. The public is welcome at all concerts. All of the concerts offer free admittance with an opportunity to make a free will donation.
Sponsorship for the Laukkoski Youth Society tour is by KanteleLaulu, Inc.

Jefferson receives firefighting grant

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Representative Charles Bass (R-NH02) announced today that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded federal firefighter grants to another four Second District communities. The towns of Jefferson, Lincoln, Twin Mountain, and Warren will receive a total of $181,000 under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. Bass is a supporter of the program, which was authorized by Congress to provide much-needed support to local fire departments throughout the nation.
"Local fire departments and personnel are the first responders in our communities and must have access to the newest technologies and training," said Bass. "By providing federal funds for training, equipment, and facilities these grants will help improve firefighter operations and public safety in my District."
According to Bass, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded the following Fire Operations and Firefighter Safety Grants for firefighter training and equipment:
* $47,700 for the Jefferson Fire Department;
* $25,200 for the Lincoln Volunteer Fire Department;
* $45,900 for the Twin Mountain Fire Department; and
* $63,000 for the Warren Volunteer Fire Department.
Congress appropriated $750 million for firefighter grants this fiscal year - a significant increase from the $360 million in grants announced last year. Under the program, the federal government will provide funding for 90% of the cost and the local community is responsible for the remaining 10%.

Stop smoking workshop to be presented at Royalty Inn

GORHAM— A Stop Smoking workshop will be presented on Monday July 28, at the Royalty Inn conference room, Routes 2 and 16 in Gorham, starting at 6:30 p.m. by Richard Mullen, certified hypnotherapist and member of the National Guild of Hypnotists
An introductory presentation at 6:30 p.m. will give attendees an opportunity to assess if they are ready and willing to stop smoking. Tickets are $3. The actual workshop will start at 7:30 p.m. and will include an introduction to self-hypnosis and an actual hypnosis session. Tickets for this portion are $25 with a three dollar credit for attending both sessions.
This hypnosis program is compatible with and compliments most smoke cessation programs. Many people experience immediate results in easing cravings and long term results in being smoke free. In addition, a natural remedies workshop will be presented to enhance the hypnosis.
Mullen has been teaching holistic health and natural remedies for over fifteen years. He has been practicing hypnosis for twelve years in New England and Florida.

Chamber hires new executive director

BERLIN— The Northern White Mountain Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Sharon Penney will be the new executive director starting September 1, of this year.
Originally from the Berlin/Gorham area (several family members still reside in Gorham), Penney has a home in Franconia.
With a background of over 10 years experience on the North Country Council Planning Commission, Penney is familiar with all levels of federal, state, and local government, and the various issues which concern the regions’ towns.
The Chamber of Commerce received nearly two dozen resumes and spent several months on the recruiting and interviewing process. The board of directors is looking forward to having a full-time paid executive director as the chamber heads into a busy fall schedule, said the board.
Some of the first activities of the new director will be to visit with chamber-member-businesses, promote the T.V. Auction in October, and prepare for the chambers’ annual meeting in January.
If you would like to meet with Penney, or share your thoughts and ideas, feel free to call the chamber office at 603-752-6060.

Northern Women's Health Care new name for OB/Gyn office

NORTH CONWAY— The medical practice that has served the needs of countless women throughout northern New Hampshire and Maine is changing its name and adding a new physician. Northern Women's Health Care, formerly CarriageHouse OB/GYN, has officially welcomed Marni Madnick, MD, an
obstetrician-gynecologist with privileges at The Memorial Hospital, who begins seeing patients on Monday, Aug. 4.
Dr. Madnick comes to the area from her internship and residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Abington Memorial Hospital outside Philadelphia. She completed her medical degree at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, and her undergraduate degree in sociology at Emory University in Atlanta. She is a member of the American Medical Association and a junior Fellow of the American College of Obstetrician-Gynecologists.
"I really enjoy women's health care," Dr. Madnick said recently. "Working in the field of obstetrics and gynecology is a mixture of everything, from primary care to delivering babies." Although initially not looking for a small-town practice setting, Dr. Madnick feels that the Valley and Memorial Hospital offered her and her family "the opportunity for a better quality of work and life." She and her husband, Bob, and seven-month-old son Jack live in an old house in Intervale currently undergoing renovation. As hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, they are looking forward to enjoying the many recreational offerings in the area.
Dr. Madnick joins Dr. Linda Stewart and nurse midwife Kerrie Trumble-Curtin in the newly named Northern Women's Health Care practice. Dr. Marianne Jackson, formerly with Carriage House OB/GYN for nearly 20 years, has left to pursue other opportunities.
Northern Women's Health Care accepts New Hampshire and Maine Medicaid, Medicare, Anthem, Cigna, HCVM, and most other commercial insurances. The office remains in the same White Mountain Highway location, with the same phone number, (603) 356-9355. Appointments for Dr. Madnick are currently being accepted. <<Stewart&Madnick.jpg>>

Annual Blueberry Festival

BERLIN — The Annual Blueberry Festival will be held on Saturday, August 9th at the U.C.C. Congregational Church, on Main Street, in Berlin. On the menu this year will be; blueberry pie-ala-mode, pancakes, salad, muffins, and sundaes.
Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
There will also be a giant food sale and a white elephant sale, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.