The Boscawen Old Home Day will be voting on nominations for our Old Home Day Awards next month. We are asking the public to nominate whomever lives or works in Boscawen that you feel we should name for our awards. They are: 

CITIZEN OF THE YEAR - one that exhibits interest in our community by unselfish devotion to individual and civic interests making Boscawen a better place.

HOMETOWN HERO - The day-to-day hero of the very best kind. They go about their busy lives always taking time to help other people. We celebrate their existence because, by their example, they make Boscawen a better place to live.

THE "HELEN HOUSTON" AWARD FOR VOLUNTEERISM - Given to those who illustrate in living of the kind of selfless devotion to others that Helen Kimball Houston 1904 to 2004 personified through her long and busy life.

SADIE LACROIX AWARD FOR FURTHERING EDUCATION -  In honor of Sadie Lacroix who worked for many years on the OHDay Committee and Boscawen Women's Club as they held fundraisers to provide a scholarship for a graduating Senior at MVH.

YOUTH AWARD FOR VOLUNTEERISM - recognizes a young person who, before graduation from high school, shows promise as a volunteer in our community. 

If you have a nomination for any of the above Awards. please call an Old Home Day Member or Polly Dawson at 603 796-7001, or leave a note at our Town Offices for Old Home Day Committee. 

…The Elektrisola Art Show will be held this year, August 19th specifically, at a new location. Lorrie Carey has graciously stepped forward and offered the use of her barn at 151 King Street. Thanks Lorrie! The Art Show features the work of lots of talented school kids plus local artists on their way to fame and fortune, and maybe an award or two from Elektrisola. Thanks again go to Laurie Hart and all the folks at Elektrisola for all they do. Plans for the Old Home Day Golf Classic, August 21st, are well underway with the Committee looking forward to another sell-out on the lush links at Den Brae Golf Resort. Registration forms will go out shortly to Boscawen Area businesses, soliciting sponsorships to support “The Classic”. We have added several forms of sponsorships this year to allow more businesses to participate in a meaningful way and to get some great publicity for their business. The sponsorships are the primary source of funding for Old Home Day events so they are very, very important to Old Home Day Fun!

Then comes Saturday, August 21st, and umpteenth version of Boscawen Old Home Day. Starting at 11am with the famous Parade from the Town Offices, down North Main Street to the Elementary School, the Parade features floats, bands, antique cars, antique people, winners of the Community Service Awards, lots of fire trucks and maybe a politician or two. The activities at Jamie Welch Field begin promptly at noon with lots of food, games, booths, displays, bouncy-bouncies, did I mention food, good stuff, healthy stuff, not-so-healthy stuff and it’s all pretty darned cheap! All the while there will be entertainment from a variety of sources. New this year…The Friends of the Northern Rail Trail, Merrimack County version, will have a booth to explain all about the newly completed rail trail all the way from Lebanon to (almost) Hannah Dustin. You can walk, bike or snowmobile about 60 miles on the trail, including the most beautiful section along the Merrimack River in Boscawen. The final segment of Old Home Day consists of another of Charlie Jaworski’s famous chicken barbeques at the Town Hall, then back to the ballpark for more games, entertainment and, finally, the FIREWORKS, no, THE AWESOME FIREWORKS! See you there!!

There’s been quite a buzz in the Contoocook Village lately.  What is the sign in the middle of the triangle all about?  What are those letters trying to spell?  Why was a replica of a covered bridge used for a fundraising sign?  Well here is a little hint.  The Hopkinton Sestercentennial Committee has been busily planning a yearlong celebration starting in January 2015 to recognize our town’s 250th birthday.  

   The covered bridge in the center of Contoocook Village was built in 1889 and is the oldest surviving railroad bridge of its kind still standing in the United States.  The Sestercentennial Committee wanted to recognize this important part of our history and chose the bridge as our official logo.

   There will be a grand celebration day May 30, 2015, weekend after Memorial Day, with many fun activities, music, parade and ending with a fantastic fireworks display.  There are still many tasks that need to be done and the committee could use your help.  We are looking for people, who could assist in making costumes, sculpting clay paper mache, have mechanics or small electronics interest, light welding, painters and anyone interested in hosting an activity.

   In the near future commemorative items will be for sale in the local shops.  We still have a long way to go to raise the funds needed in ordered to provide Hopkinton a grand 250th celebratory year.  Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.  Checks can be made out to Town of Hopkinton noting 250th Fund in the memo line or go to our website www.hopkinton250.com to make an online donation.   Please check out the website for more information of what is going on throughout 2015 and will be updated as events are confirmed.

“Join in the Rock-n-Roll fun and memories on Saturday July 26th, when we welcome Hall-of-Famer, Billy Davis. The Bektash Shrine Center on Pembroke Rd in Concord will be rocking and rolling from 7-11pm. Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased from the Bektash Shrine (#603.225.5372).

Doo-Wopp producer and entertainer, Harvey Robbins, is bringing the memories of the 1950s and 60s to NH with Billy Davis. Mr. Davis took up the guitar and formed Billy Davis and The Upsetters in 1956 – a hot little group managed by a young Berry Gordy. Eighteen months later he was spotted by Hank Ballard who persuaded him to join the Midnighters. Together they recorded hit after hit and toured the country incessantly and it was during this time that he first met and befriended his close friend the young Jimi Hendrix in Seattle.

Drafted into the army in 1962 he handed both his guitar and place in The Midnighters over to Hendrix and spent the next two years in Korea. Rejoining the Midnighters for a three year stint Billy then moved to New York and quickly became a sought after session guitarist, recording behind a multitude of artists like Joe Tex, Isley Brothers, Drifters, Ben E King and Millie Jackson and for numerous companies such as Atlantic, Budda, Dial and Polydor. In 1974 he moved back to Detroit and got out of the music business. Nine years later, together with Hank Ballard, they reformed the Midnighters and cashed in on the oldies circuit, which eventually led them to their last hurrah at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1987. From them on he laid down his guitar, apart from gigs in local bars just for the fun of it, until in 2004 when he was coaxed out of retirement by No Cover Records and recorded the extremely well received ‘Blue Teardrops’ album.

A sampling of Billy Davis' talent -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-LzhNWsH7I

Grab your favorite girl, hitch up your bobby socks and poodle skirts, then slap on those blue suede shoes – join us at the Bektash Shrine Center for an evening stroll down memory lane.

This concert is open to the public and everyone is invited! Proceeds to benefit the Shriner’s Burn Hospital in Boston.”

Is your chili of Olympic caliber? Would you like to brag to friends that your chili is an honest-to-goodness gold medal “award winning” recipe?  Or, do you just love to eat the stuff?  If you can say “yes” to one or all of those, you don’t want to miss this year’s edition of the annual Henniker Rotary Club “Fire on the Mountain” Chili Fest.

 Hot off last year’s record-breaking success, this year’s Chili event, scheduled for Sunday, August 24, 2014 at Pats Peak in Henniker will be better than ever with live music, food, beer, concessionaires, children’s activities and of course, lots and lots of chili.

 That’s where you come in.  Go to www.chilinewhampshire.org  and check out the entry guidelines, the judging criteria, and fill out your application for either the amateur or professional division. It couldn’t be easier, or more economical. Just $15 per chili recipe entry and all entries received prior to August 1st will receive a Chili Fest 2014 Commemorative pilsner glass and be entered in a raffle to win a Hannaford’s Gift Card.  . 

Cash awards will be presented to the top four winners in the amateur division and trophies, banners and bragging rights will be accorded to the top four winners in the professional category. Chili will be judged by our Celebrity panel: Mike Morin, WZID Morning Host, Chef Nicole, Cactus Jacks/TBones and Rick Broussard, Editor, NH Magazine, along with the coveted Peoples’ Choice Awards in both divisions.  

Check out our web site for updates on all the events scheduled for this year. New activities added daily. For more information, contact 2014 Chili Chair, Mary Krotzer at mskrotzer@yahoo.com  

Over the course of this past week, Merrill Construction has removed the curbing and sidewalks in preparation for the reclaiming/grading/paving operation.  The aerial utility lines are now gone and the utility poles have been removed – what a transformation!  The electrical contractor has completed the underground conduit installations and will begin to install the light pole bases and pull boxes in the coming weeks.  Beginning Monday, June 9th through Friday June 13th, Village Street from Merrimack Street to the Boscawen town line, will be reclaimed and paved.  This operation consists of grinding up the existing pavement while blending it with the underlying gravels along with grading and compacting the new road base followed by the placement of the new pavement.  The intersections at the side streets along this section will be reclaimed and paved at the same time including Merrimack, Summer, Charles, Sanders, Tanner, Canal and Elm.  There will be no parking on Village Street within the work area during the reclaim and paving operation, and limited parking outside of the work hours.  Parking will remain available on the bridge as well as in the City parking lots at Poulin Park, Boudreau Square, Tanner Street  and Canal Street.  Businesses will remain open and accessible to pedestrian traffic at all times via the sidewalks.  Commuters can expect major delays the entire week and should seek alternate routes.