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- Written by Kat Roedell
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After only a ten-minute drive on 202 West from Calef’s Country Store or an eight-minute drive from the Northeast Credit Union on 202 East, you will find this sign on the edge of a dirt road. (Drivers beware – not all GPS systems get this location right!)
If you head down the road, you will find two parking lots along the road, and where this dirt road ends (about ¼ of a mile down) is a 5-car parking lot. Get out of your car, walk up the rocks, and turn to your right.
This beautiful view is one of the many you will find in this remarkable spot. Stonehouse Pond conservation area is 241 acres, and since 2017 abutted by 1500 acres to the east called Stonehouse Forest. A combination of land trusts and conservation groups holds the property and reserve its use for hikers, anglers, nature enthusiasts and the like. There are hiking trails (including a mile-long loop up to the peak), different rock faces, wildlife to view, and plenty of flora as well. For Pokémon Go players, there are two poke spots – one near the sign on RTE 202, the other is the granite bench memorial beside the lake!
So why exactly is this gem of wilderness called Stonehouse Pond? While there don’t appear to be any stone houses about if you look carefully on the cliff, you can see a rough outline of a house with a door and a window.
During the spring and fall, Stonehouse Pond proper is open to fly fishing only for trout. Boats are limited to cartop, and there isn’t much turn around space, so bring your kayak but leave your trailer at home!
There are more plans in the works for the Stonehouse Pond and Forest area, and it’s a great day-tripping spot for all four seasons (since winter is well on its way, don’t forget your snowshoes or cross-country skis!) During the wintertime, the gate is closed since the road is not maintained, so don’t plan on a lot of easy parking. Stonehouse Pond and Forest is mostly untamed, so follow safe hiking practices, and always let someone know where you are going and when you are expected to return
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
During the holiday season, we often feel the need to give back through volunteering to help others. Sometimes with busy schedules, it is hard to find a worthy organization to attach ourselves to, or to find somewhere we think we will be able to make a difference. Volunteering comes in all shapes and sizes, from sitting with an elderly patient in a nursing home and giving the gift of listening, to raising funds for a worthy cause, to crocheting baby booties and preemie hats for a hospital. Using our gifts and talents, even if it’s just our hands and feet – manning a booth at a hearing screening, handing out flyers for an upcoming fundraising event, all of these things can take just a bit of our time and make a huge difference. With the holidays fast approaching, we created a list of worthy places in the Barrington area that are looking for volunteers – not just for the holidays, but all throughout the year. This is not a comprehensive listing of great places to volunteer but should spark the creative juices and give a great start towards giving back.
Barrington Food Pantry: The Barrington Food Pantry has limited hours that it is open, and is always looking for food donations and long-term volunteers. Regular Volunteer times are on Thursdays, between 6 and 7:30 pm. The Food Pantry also takes stable food donations (i.e. canned and boxed foods with longer shelf lives) at the same time. The pantry is located at 105 Ramsdell Lane in Barrington. If you have a food donation and cannot make it during the hours it is open, the fire department also accepts the food pantry donations.
Barrington Trails Committee: Volunteering isn’t always about serving food – but it is about providing service for the community. The Trails Committee provides the opportunity to get out into nature and through that be nurtured. The group uses volunteers for creating and maintaining trails, clearing brush, keeping pathways clear, removing debris and making our beautiful town trails and forests easier for local people to enjoy throughout the year. The Barrington Trails Committee is a subcommittee of the Barrington Conservation Commission. More information about volunteer times and events can be accessed by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. using the subject line of “Volunteering for the Trails Committee”.
Pond View Acres: Located at 923 Franklin Pierce Hwy. Barrington, NH 03825, this assisted living home provides care for 10 residents. Volunteers for Pond View are greatly appreciated. They already have a weekly pet therapy time, but would love for people to sit and talk with the residents, lead some arts and crafts projects (like cookie decorating at the holidays or painting), assist with puzzles and play games with the residents. Call (603) 664-9967 and ask for the Administrator to discuss volunteer opportunities at Pond View Acres.
Barrington Lions Club: The Barrington Lions Club is a growing group that meets every 2nd Wednesday at 6:30 pm in the Barrington American Legion 731 Franklin Pierce Highway Barrington, NH 03825. This structured service organization provides assistance in a variety of areas – vision screening, youth programs and camps and grants for humanitarian efforts throughout the world. The Lions Club was founded in 1917 and has made a positive change in the world. Come as a guest to the next meeting and ask for more information about this organization. Our local Lion’s Club is hosting A Festival of Trees on December 7, 2019, which will be a great place to meet the other members of the community that participates in this club.
Barrington Chamber of Commerce: For the business-minded volunteer joining the Chamber will provide a great network of connections, as well as the ability to participate in several giving back to the community events, like the Peeper 5k and the Annual Golf Tournament, which allows the Chamber to fund 3 scholarships to deserving students. Both of these events and many other give-back opportunities use volunteers and sponsors to help fund scholarships, donate to non-profit organizations and give back in other ways.
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- Written by Kat Roedell
- Category: Articles
As an owner of a boutique business planning business, I am often out and about networking and marketing my business to other small to mid-size business owners. But often, when I mention the word Strategic – dollar sign warning bells start sounding, and a glazed look appears on their faces.
The truth is, strategic planning is the art of taking the big picture, long-range view of any problem – and breaking the solution down into executable chunks. It is the ability to ask “what if” and figuring out the different tactics to accomplish the desired end result.
With a small business owner, the need for this kind of in-depth analysis may seem overwhelming. Most people start their business because they are good at creating their product – not because they are skilled at managing employees, marketing their product, invoicing and accounting, running the IT systems and so on. So why have a business plan at all?
- To identify what you need to know. The process of business planning identifies what you know and what you need to learn in order to effectively manage all the moving parts of a growing business.
- To obtain funding. Banks and lenders want to see that business owners understand the moving parts of their business and have the critical problem-solving skills to be agile when an unforeseen problem arises. The business plan is really just an exercise in creativity and what if’s, but it can answer the questions – am I charging enough, do I have realistic achievable goals and do I know how to zig when I’ve been zagging too long?
- To be proactive vs. reactive. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Even simple things like setting a budget, technology refresh plans, sales goals, and basic job descriptions all place your business in a better position; like an eagle soaring versus the elk at the bottom of a gully. The elk will only see the trees and the river beside it – while the eagle will see for miles and be able to account for any issues that may arise.
When a potential client comes to me with the inevitable question – “Do you write business plans?” my answer is, “I certainly can, but better yet, I teach you how to write yours.” This tactic helps reduce costs, and allows me to become the facilitator for the process, and for the business owner to be equipped for success.
Kat Roedell – Ignite Business Planning Services
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
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Rochester, NH: Cornerstone VNA is pleased to announce the launch of a new monthly Caregiver Café on December 5 at 12:30 pm at the Alton Public Library on 100 Main Street in Alton, NH. The first Café will be a meet and greet with a hot cocoa bar and cookies.
The Caregiver Café is a collaborative effort between Cornerstone VNA and the Alton Public Library. Family caregivers and their loved ones are invited to attend for an afternoon of support, conversation, and education. The library is wheelchair accessible from the back parking lot.
According to Holly Brown, Library Director, "Our library is very pleased and proud to assist Cornerstone VNA in offering this wonderful service to our community caregivers.” Brown continues, “We are honored to be working with such a vital and caring organization that does so much to help so many people. We appreciate all that Cornerstone VNA does and welcome the opportunity to work together to support and educate family caregivers."
Janice Howard, Cornerstone VNA Life Care-Private Duty Director states, “We are truly excited for the opportunity to reach out to this important sector of our community and provide a gathering spot for support and comradery for caregivers.” Howard adds, “If you are caring for a loved one or know someone who is, please join us, all caregivers are welcome.”
The Alton Caregiver Café is the third in a series of Caregiver Cafés that Cornerstone VNA facilitates. There is also a monthly Caregiver Café at the Langdon Public Library in Newington and at the Goodwin Library in Farmington. Details can be found at www.cornerstonevna.org.
Cornerstone VNA is a non-profit home, health and hospice agency currently serving Rockingham, Strafford, Belknap and Carroll Counties in New Hampshire and York County in Maine. The team at Cornerstone VNA provides skilled nursing, rehabilitative therapies, social work as well as volunteer and support services through five distinct programs: Home Care, Hospice Care, Palliative Care, Life Care-Private Duty and Community Care. For 106 years, Cornerstone VNA has been committed to bringing services to people of all ages so that families can stay together at home, even when facing the challenges of aging, surgical recovery, chronic or life-threatening illnesses or end of life care. To learn more about Cornerstone VNA, visit www.cornerstonevna.org or call 800-691-1133.
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