School Starts Soon!

Now is the time to think about enrolling your child in preschool!  The Center School is accepting registrations for the 2011-2012 school year.  The Center School, a parent cooperative preschool located next to the town hall in Northwood, provides a developmental program for three, four, and five year-olds.  We have only a few openings left in our two-day (T/Th) program and three-day (M/W/F) morning programs.  Act now before they are filled!  To get information please call the school at 942-7686.

Anytime Fitness
Northwood Celebrates First Anniversary
Win A 42” LG TV!

Anytime Fitness, your 24-hour co-ed fitness club, is celebrating its first anniversary of changing Northwood and surrounding town residents’ lives, one workout at a time. 

The owner of Anytime Fitness, Rhoda Sommer, a nationally certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor, is very excited about completing her first year in business. “Everything about the Anytime Fitness concept is great! I am honored to have helped my members improve their health and fitness over this past year,” said Sommer. “We offer an environment that is friendly and inviting, as well as personalized workouts, which make it easy for members to stay committed to their exercise goals.”

“I encourage everyone to come in and experience what Anytime Fitness has to offer. A great time to visit will be during our anniversary in September,” said Sommer.  We will have some terrific membership offers, allowing new members to lock in our first year rates.  All new members will also be registered to win a 42” LG TV!

For more information, stop by 262 First NH Turnpike, Northwood (next to Northwood Garage), phone 603-942-6027, or by visiting www.anytimefitness.com.

CBNA To Host Run To Fall 5K

The Eleventh Annual Harding Metals Run to Fall 5K will be held at Coe Brown Northwood Academy on Sunday, September 11, 2011. Named “the NH Race of the Year” by Andy Schachat of Foster’s Daily Democrat, this annual cross country race will be held on the CBNA cross country team’s course. 

The race has become a popular small town race and fosters a great family atmosphere with great food and door prizes after the race. Besides the 5K race, other events will include a 2.5K walk and a 400 meter fun run for kids. Seniors Chihiro Kondrup and Paige Laboe are coordinating the event as a project toward the completion of their senior portfolios.

Pre-registration is $15 or $20 on the day of the race. The first 200 people registered will receive free t-shirts.  Registration will be held on the 11th from 8 am until 9:45 am, in front of the Smith Hall Athletic Complex on the CBNA Campus.  The race begins at 10 am.

For more information, and to pre-register, please visit http://runtofall5k.weebly.com, or by phone to Chihiro Kondrup (603) 717-1317 or Paige Laboe (603) 988-2285.

Local Artist Brings Whimsy To Northwood

Theresa LaBrecque is a sculptress and painter residing in Northwood, NH. She is the present owner of “ Cliffhead” home on Old Mountain Road. This historical house is one of the earliest homes built in the historical Saddleback Mountain district.

Theresa studied commercial art in Arizona, floral design in California, and worked as a floral designer for the MFA Boston. She established The Cape Cod Mermaid studio and gallery in Cape Cod Massachusetts in 1989, where she sculpted and painted whimsical mermaids and wrote and published two children’s books, “ Tea Time With Mermaids” and “ A Whale of a Good Time”. With her move to rural New Hampshire Theresa’s artistic inspiration has begun to reflect the flora and fauna of the area. Yet, in keeping with her love for whimsy, Theresa is now offering on or off site Fairy House Party entertainment.

One Hundred Market Street Gallery in Portsmouth is currently exhibiting 21 pieces of Theresa’s artwork. The exhibit continues until October 15. Puzzles created from Theresa’s paintings and her children’s books can be purchased at Piece Time Puzzles in Northwood.

For a look at Theresa’s work visit www.labrecqueart.com or stop by the Chesley Memorial Library to see her painting “ Library Whale” where every creature in the painting, including flamingos, an otter, and a mermaid are reading books. The whale himself is reading Moby Dick!

Northwood Conservation Commission Purchases Guptill Lamprey Pasture

Front row (seated) from left: Phillip Stiles of TitlePro, LLC., Conservation Commission Chairman Stephen Roy, Warren “Pete” Guptill, Robert Bailey.  Back row standing from left: Town Administrator Brent Lemire, Selectman Alden Dill, conservation comission members Jim Ryan, and Wini Young, Vice-Chairman Steve Hampl,  and member Tom Chase.

The Northwood Conservation Commission has purchased 102 acres of land on the south side of Route 4 through funding from the town’s Conservation Land Fund.  The lot, designated as the Guptill Lamprey Pasture, adds to the natural character of the town and will be permanently conserved and protected from development. The parcel abuts the town’s new recreation fields to the east, and the Northwood Meadows State Park and Coe Brown Academy’s Mead lot, also under permanent protection, to the west.

Given its unique location, the Guptill Lamprey Pasture lot, in combination with the nearby parcels, contributes to an extensive non-developed, forested corridor that is vital in supporting a diverse and ecologically extensive assortment of natural resources and wildlife.  The lot supports a broad range of mature trees, native wildflowers, woodland shrubs, wetlands, and the headwater stream to the Lamprey River. Additionally, there is also an interesting group of ledge outcroppings and massive boulders (glacial erratics) on the newly acquired lot that have been a favorite spot for children to play and climb for several generations. 

The Northwood Conservation Commission receives funds into their land fund through the Current Use penalties assessed on properties that are no longer eligible for reduced taxes under current use assessment. The penalty occurs when properties no longer meet the criteria due to development. Voters at town meeting many years ago approved that a portion of the penalty fees would go into the conservation land fund each year to support projects such as this one.

The property was purchased from the Guptill and Richards Trust. Members of the Guptill family have owned the property since 1940 and are pleased that the land will remain in its natural state for future generations to enjoy. The commission thanks Bob Bailey who served as a local representative for the trustees and now reside out of state.

Jean Gleason Johnson

Jean Gleason Johnson (UNH `47), born in Reading, Massachusetts August 11, 1926, passed away July 17, 2011 in Sacramento, California.  She and husband Charles (Charlie) Johnson (UNH `49) were long time residents of Northwood, NH. 

A librarian by training, she earned her BA at University of New Hampshire and her Masters in Library Science from Pratt Institute in NYC.  The family spent ten years in Spain, where Charlie worked for the Department of Defense Dependents School System, and ten years in Goose Bay, Labrador (Newfoundland).  Jean worked for the Goose Air Base library, the Sunspot Solar Observatory Research Library in New Mexico and the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord. 

After retiring, they enjoyed many years with their fifth wheel, visiting every state except Hawaii.  After Charlie’s death in 2006, Jean relocated to Sacramento, California.  She leaves two sons – Chuck (UNH `79G) (wife Chris) in Sacramento and Bill (wife Elizabeth) in Stockton, New Jersey, 4 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.