White Lily Teas Has Moved (And has special events coming up)

As the Ioka Turns

Last week, the Exeter Theater Company local community group came out with a statement saying they were waiting for more information before endorsing Marc Murai who hopes to buy the Ioka Theater.

The local group has now met with Murai, gathered more information, and released another statement, this time throwing support behind his plans:

EXETER, NH: Earlier this year a group of community residents concerned about the fate of the Ioka Theater, organized to proactively seek a solution and a potential business partner. Last week, New Hampshire resident Marc Murai put together a Letter of Intent to purchase the historic 1915 Exeter landmark. Our non profit community group has met with Marc Murai, and we have reviewed his plans for the purchase and ultimately a new life for the Ioka Theater. We are pleased to endorse the efforts to save the theater, and will be supporting Marc and his team as they move forward with their campaign. Anyone interested in volunteering with the effort, or making a non-refundable non-tax-deductible contribution towards the purchase deposit should contact Marc Murai, at marc@savetheioka.com or http://www.savetheioka.com/.

Exeter Theater Company Board of Directors:
Joe Pace, Chair
John Merkle, Vice Chair
Peter Michaud, Secretary
Carol Walker Aten, Treasurer
Jay Childs
Ross Dolloff
Betsey Doolan
Mark Paige
Beth MacDonald, Of Counsel

Protest Against Bank of America out on the Avenue

Fiesta Benefit at Seacoast Academy

This press release just came my way from the independent school out on Hampton Falls Road. I personally like the outfits of this gang!

“Viva La Fiesta” Seacoast Academy Plans “Friendraiser”
Under-the-stars Dinner, Dancing and Auction to Benefit Independent Middle School

Hampton Falls, N.H. – An energetic committee of parents at Seacoast Academy has been working throughout the winter months to plan a fun-filled “friendraiser” party on the grounds of the independent middle school on May 9, from 6:30 to 9:30 pm.

“¡Viva La Fiesta!” will feature authentic south-of-the-border cuisine; live latin-inspired music; original artwork created by the school’s 6th, 7th and 8th grade students; and both live and silent auctions for a treasure trove of services, sports tickets, gift items and equipment donated by businesses throughout the tri-state seacoast area. ¡Viva La Fiesta! tickets ($40 per person, cash bar) are available by calling Seacoast Academy at 603/772-9093. Proceeds will benefit the students, faculty and curriculum initiatives at the school, which is a registered non-profit educational organization, but organizers say they hope the party will also be a celebration of the school’s support from and growing role in the tri-state seacoast community.

Ioka's Potential Buyer Makes Statement

The Save The Ioka website wasn't up and running after the big press conference last week in terms of the letter/about me section from Marc Murai. A letter/personal statement from Murai has now been posted.

A video of the press conference can be seen here:

http://www.vimeo.com/4300731

Also, if you happen to tune into Channel 22 our local access station you might catch Murai on his community cable show NH Theater Live. I happened across the show on Friday night.

Here's the intro to the letter from the site http://www.savetheioka.com/:

Dear Friends, Family and Potential Save the IOKA supporters,
Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Marc Murai. I am a father, husband and life-long artist and arts supporter.
On April 23, 2009 I signed a preliminary intent to purchase document with Roger Detzler, current owner of the historic IOKA Theater.
As you may know, demolition has already begun to the interior of the building. By signing the intent to purchase agreement all demolition has come to a halt, for now. This is the last possible effort to save the IOKA Theater. I must raise $ 10,000 by May 6 2009 as a good faith deposit. If I succeed in doing that I will have forty- five days to create a business plan and come up with solid funding to purchase the building. I am in the process of securing a non-profit fiscal agent to ensure that any and all donations will be tax deductible.
Saving the IOKA Theater may seem like an impossible task. I have heard from doubters. Some do not believe. Some do not trust in me.
So why in the world did I sign that intent to purchase agreement? I did it because it was the right thing to do. I did it because as soon as I walked through those hand carved, double wood doors inside the IOKA… I was instantly transported to a magical place. Yes, magical. The exact same magic that Charlie Bucket felt as Gene Wilder opened the doors to his chocolate room. The same magic that Lucy, Peter, Susan, and Edmund experienced when they stepped through the wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia. The same Magic I felt as I walked all by myself down Disneyland’s Main Street at 3:30 in the morning, with no other living person around and just the sounds of my footsteps echoing down the enchanted, glistening streets of the fictional Main Street that we all wish we could have in our home towns. It was that same, overwhelming Magic that Romeo and Juliet both felt as they locked eyes for the very first time, proving to us all that love at first sight is the most powerful force in the universe. It was love at first sight with the IOKA and I’m going to do everything within my power to ensure that she’s given the respect and dignity that she deserves and the unconditional love that she requires if she is to go on living. For the full letter, click here

There was an editorial in the Sunday Herald on this latest news from the Ioka as well. Click here

Community Group for Ioka Releases Statement on Potential Sale

EXETER, NH : As the founding members of the non-profit Ioka Theatre Company, we welcome Marc Murai to Exeter and we are intrigued by the new developments regarding the potential sale of the theater to Mr. Murai.
We are members of the Exeter community -- residents, business owners, and local advocates -- who formed our group (many inspired by our connections through the online social media network Face Book) to give a public face to the community support for preserving the arts and cultural icon that is the Ioka.
While we are watching with interest the proposed sale of the Ioka to Mr. Murai, at this point in time, we are not associated with Mr. Murai, have not signed any working agreement with Mr. Murai, nor have we come out formally to support his plans for the theater. Our organization is not currently seeking any donations.
Any involvement in Mr. Murai’s initiative will be decided after further discussions with Mr. Murai and after further board discussion at our next board meeting. Although we have had a chance to hear Mr. Murai’s ambitious vision for the theater, we have not had the chance to review any plans, and have not signed any agreement for a working relationship.
We wish Mr. Murai the best in his endeavors, and hope that the true focus of this mission, saving the treasure that is the Ioka for the Exeter community, will come to fruition.

Joe Pace, Chair
John A. Merkle, Vice Chair
Peter Michaud, Secretary
Carol Walker Aten, Interim Treasurer

Town Seeking Oldest Resident

The town is once again looking for the oldest resident to pass on the Boston Post Cane.The most recent holder of the post cane has passed away which means the cane will now go to the next recipient, according to Peg Duhamel of the Council on Aging. Anyone who knows of a resident of town they suspect to be the oldest should call Duhamel at 772-3705.

Wandering Into Hannah's Fine Foods

Who knew they had desserts too?? Too bad I'm on the healthy eating wagon for the week...

So I hate to admit this, but I haven't until today stopped to check out Hannah's Fine Foods in the Szanton Block building. I was meeting someone today and had a few minutes, so I bopped in to see what they had to offer. Wow. They've done a great job with the inside of the place and have TONS of options for take away dips, meals and desserts. My favorite friendly local wedding planner, Kathryn Pelletier, was working behind the counter and is a great spokesperson for the place.

I was in a rush so didn't have time to pick up anything to bring home, but am going to make a point to do so this weekend. It looks great. Even if you're not into hummus (though I am) there are plenty of other things to choose from.

Check out their web site: http://www.hannahsmarket.com/

Ioka Update

So I was sitting at Me and Ollie's this morning when the press conference across the street at the Ioka was set to begin.
I decided to head over but got called out on another story.
All I really picked up before I left was that the area press, and independent bloggers, were a bit miffed when they were told to be there and then booted from the theater when they arrived at the designated time. Though they were happy when finally let in to find some baked goods up for grabs.
The gist of the story is that this guy Marc Murai wants to buy the theater and had signed an intent to purchase. He however has no funds at this time and is asking the community to donate $ toward the $10K deposit he needs to move forward.
Some at the press conference raised questions about donating to someone who is not, at this point, is not a non-profit. (Meaning that, as was clarified during a question by Water Street Bookstore Owner Dan Chartrand, that any funds would go directly to Murai at this point, is not tax deductible/etc.)
I'm sure more information about Murai's plans will be forthcoming in the coming days and weeks, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, he's launched a website :

http://www.savetheioka.com/

And two stories are up on the local papers:
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Landmark+theater+may+be+saved&articleId=95c3b445-8a0c-418f-aa23-c777033db4d3

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090423-NEWS-90423020

Second Book Published for Riverwoods Resident

Stephen Richardson, a resident of Riverwoods at Exeter, has recently released his second book titled School of the Sea based on his experience as a merchant mariner from 1937 to 1941.

Details of the book from its publisher Whittles Publishing:


Based on his daily diary entries that provide a vivid and accurate picture of events, the author candidly recounts his development as a merchant mariner from his early years when he served his apprenticeship from 1937-41 on Elysia, built in 1908, a passenger ship on the India run. For the remainder of the Second World War, he served as an officer on cargo ships, leaving the sea with the qualification of Master Mariner soon after a return to peacetime.
At sea the war news is relayed in bits and pieces, feeding the underlying tension that keeps rising to the surface. Daily life is punctuated by terrifying episodes such as seeing ships sunk in convoy or hearing bombs drop beside the ship when in port during heavy air raids and the author also relates the horrific experience of being torpedoed. The extremes of nature that all on board had to contend with - winter storms on the North Atlantic; navigating in convoy through floe ice and avoiding icebergs; fog and the ever-present danger of collision; the extreme heat experienced in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, without air conditioning - are all accurately described. He also relates the problems encountered when sailing on worn-out ships that would normally have been scrapped had it not been for the war, and as a consequence experiencing leaks, engine trouble and bursts of flame spouting from the funnel in areas where submarines were operating!
There are glimpses of the author's moods and thoughts, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant and sometimes romantic. He displays a droll sense of humour and there are interesting philosophical comments dotted throughout the book.
School of the Sea is a treasure house of unusual information, the kind not usually included in history books. It's personal, vivid, and entertaining and contains some wonderful descriptions of the dramas and mundane routines of shipboard society; stays in foreign ports; when on leave and the long sequestered life at sea. So much is missing from some existing maritime literature on WWII, where the focus is mainly on danger, excitement and death - this book, like no other, captures every dimension of daily life at sea and in port.

New Spa Open House on Friday (They'll have wine and prizes)

Open House Details

When: Friday, April 24 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Where: Much Kneaded Massage LLC, Trisara Facial Spa and electrologist Kristen Landers,
Exeter Crossings, 18 Hampton Road, Suite 8 (the new office building on the corner, third floor)

By Lara Bricker


EXETER — Those looking for a little pampering have a new venue in town for anything from massage to facials to electrolysis.
While the venue is new, the trio of women operating out of the newly constructed professional space in the Exeter Crossings, are familiar faces to many in the area.
Kristen Landers, Colleen Seachrist and Melody Fowler, all worked together at the Exeter Day Spa on Front Street. When the spa closed last fall, they decided to team up in a new space. Each operates her own independent business while sharing a suite of rooms on the third floor of 18 Hampton Road.
"We just felt we needed to do it," said Fowler, who is a licensed massage therapist and Reiki practitioner. "I think the three of us are just so passionate about what we do."
As part of establishing their new businesses, the women are planning to hold an open house this Friday, April 24, as a way to greet both new and old clients who may not have been aware they were still practicing locally.
Fowler offers clients massage and Reiki through her Much Kneaded Massage LLC, Seachrist offers esthetic services through Trisara Facial Spa, while Landers offers permanent hair removal services.
For Fowler, becoming a massage therapist was a true calling. She started massage when she was still in high school and managing a football team, where players often had extremely tight muscles. She now specializes in deep tissue and pregnancy massage.
"I wanted to do something fulfilling with my life," she said. "I love wellness. I just want to help people in a nice soothing environment."
Fowler sees massage therapy as a way to help improve the lives of others.
"I absolutely believe if everybody could have a massage, this world would be a different place," she said. "I'd like to help people improve their lives and their overall wellness one massage at a time."
Seachrist got into esthetics after working in the marketing field for a number of years. "I quickly fell in love with doing esthetics and realized it was my true calling," Seachrist said. "I had finally found my niche."
Seachrist uses Jan Marini, Guinot and Jane Iredale products on her clients, and offers both facial and waxing services. "Providing a quality service and allowing clients to relax to a point of forgetting about their daily stress and routine is a nice feeling even if it's a small part of their day," Seachrist said. "I know personally how wonderful I feel when I've had a spa service, and I want to create that same feeling for my clients."
Landers got into the electrology field after having treatments herself to be free of unwanted hair. "The treatments were successful and gave me the self confidence to feel good about myself," she said. "I decided I wanted to help others gain that self confidence."
She attended the Electrology Institute of New England and is now attending the Esthetics Institute of New England so that she can expand her services to include medical esthetics. Electrolysis is the only proven method of permanent hair removal, she explained.
"Not only is it effective, but also affordable," Landers said. "I use the latest state-of-the-art equipment, and have been trained in all modalities accepted and used today in permanent electro-epilation."
Landers said she absolutely loves her job and being able to help her clients.
"I've seen how it's improved people's lives by enhancing their self-confidence and well-being," she said. "At the end of my work day what better feeling than knowing you've helped someone improve their self esteem."

Newfields General Store Up For Sale

Current owner Nancy Kingston, who bought the store in 2001, recently lowered her asking price to $395,000 for the well-known property in downtown Newfields. Kingston who has been running the store since April of 2005 said the demands of her real estate business were a major factor in her decision to sell the store.
“With the turnaround in the real estate market, it’s getting very busy and I just don’t have the time,” Kingston said.
The store is one of the last small town general stores in operation in the area, she said, known for its specialty items like penny candy, marinated Danvers Butchery meats and Boar’s Head brand sandwiches.
The red building across from the Newfields Town Hall has been a store for as long as anyone can remember and Kingston is hoping that a new owner will keep it a store.
“I’m interested in finding the right person to buy it who wants to keep it a general store,” Kingston said. “It’s successful, it does well; there’s opportunities to make the store more than it is.”

St. Anthony's Bakery is Open

The new bakery in the former Baker's Peel, St. Anthony's Bakery, is open for business. New owner Anthony Antociewicz has spent the past week + painting and doing minor repairs inside before opening back up for business.

Ioka Price Going Down

According to the latest real estate listings, the price for the Ioka is now down to $750,000.

http://www.beangroup.com/real_estate/listings/Commercial/NH/Exeter/674095

It started at $988,000 back when news broke last fall about the closure/sale of the downtown space:

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081123/OPINION/811230351

I guess we all have to stay tuned...

Yankee Magazine Writer Coming to Exeter

An interesting book reading and signing is coming up next week down at Water Street Bookstore. Readers of Yankee Magazine will recognize the name Edie Clark from the The View From Mary's Farm feature.

She is headed to our downtown bookstore in Exeter Saturday, April 25 at 6 p.m., to talk about her newly re-issued memoir, The Place He Made.

From her website:

"I'm happy to tell you that, at last, the new edition of The Place He Made is available. The book, originally published in both hardcover and paperback, was declared out of print in 1999 but people have never stopped writing to me in search of this book. Based on this continued interest, I've produced a re-issue of the book and written an afterword which expresses some of what happened as a result of this book. I never expected the kind of response that came when the book was published. Apparently there is a need for books that speak honestly about the experience of losing the battle to cancer as well as the experience of losing a spouse when your lives are still young. It is nearly twenty years since Paul's death yet his special way of being continues to inspire me and encourage me. What has surprised me most is that his special way of being has also inspired others through this book. I never quite realized the extraordinary power of the printed word until The Place He Made was published. The entire experience has taught me a great deal about loss and about grief."

Lyme Disease Documentary At CMS

With tick season fast approaching, how appropriate. A documentary on Lyme Disease called Under Our Skin is being screened at the Cooperative Middle School next week, April 23, starting at 6:30 p.m.

They describe the film as follows:

"A dramatic tale of microbes, medicine & money, this eye-opening film investigates the untold story of Lyme disease, an emerging epidemic larger than AIDS. Each year thousands go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, told that their symptoms are "all in their head." Following the stories of patients and physicians as they battle for their lives and livelihoods, the film brings into focus a haunting picture of our health care system and its inability to cope with a silent terror under our skin."

For more information go to: http://www.underourskin.com/ where you can watch a trailer for the film

New Lumber Store Coming

I see that the old Wentworth Lumber is slated to become Exeter Lumber, according to the sign out front.
Here's some details from their web site www.exeterlumber.com :

Exeter Lumber is situated on a 3 acre site on Portsmouth Ave. in Exeter, N. H. and has been the site of family-owned and operated Lumber and Building supply organizations since 1958.
The Murphy family is continuing this tradition and is committed to serving it’s community with high quality service and materials.
We are a full service Home Improvement Center offering a wide variety of products and services for our customers in the Tri-State Seacoast region. Exeter Lumber dedicates itself to service and dependability. We have a knowledgeable staff with more than 30 years experience in the building and renovation industry, and are excited about guiding customers with their home projects.In hopes of providing a higher level of service and convenience to our customer, we are pursuing the addition of a new 8,200 SF , four lane drive-through building to the rear of Exeter Lumber’s hardware store to assist in the loading and handling of large & heavy building supplies. This unique feature relieves our client of the nuisance of loading large push carts and then one’s own vehicle, which continually remains the primary complaint of shopping at large national chain stores. For those needing delivery, Exeter Lumber can provide what you need when and where you want it.
As the Exeter Lumber family continues to be active members of the community welcoming customers as members of a greater family, it strives to fulfill its mission as a company that excels in service yet remains competitive with a higher quality product-line.

New Life Coming to Old Circus Cafe

So I heard today that the long defunct Circus Cafe restaurant on Lincoln Street is going to be a restaurant again.

My sources tell me that R &B's Surf and Turf, a casual seafood type restaurant, is set to open soon in the space. The new owners plan to offer eat in or take out service at the space. I got an advance look at the menu and it looks very similar to the menu at places like Al's Seafood in North Hampton. There's a selection of appetizers like steamers, mussels, shrimp cocktail and chicken fingers. Dinners look to be friend, baked or grilled seafood as well as steamed lobsters.

Stay tuned for full details when I connect with the people behind this new business venture.

The Passing of the Baker's Apron

By Lara Bricker
EXETER__After 15 years of rising before dawn to begin baking bread, muffins and other pastries in the kitchen of the Baker’s Peel, Judson Lovering is hanging up his apron.
Lovering a well-known downtown personality along with his wife Susanne has finalized the sale of the business to his longtime employee Anthony Antosiewicz. Antosiewicz, 31, plans to open St. Anthony’s Bakery in the space early next week.
Lovering, 50, said he always looked forward to going to work, where he typically arrived at 4:30 a.m., to bake and greet his regular customers. But the passion and energy he had for the business when he started 15 years ago was starting to wane. About a year ago, he decided to put the business up for sale.
Antosiewicz, who worked for Lovering for 10 years before taking another job five years ago, thought his longtime boss was kidding when he suggested that Antosiewicz should buy the bakery. When he realized that Lovering was serious, he started to think about the proposition.
“It was something I always wanted to do in the back of my mind,” Antosiewicz said. “But I never thought the opportunity would come up. I knew a lot of the clientele here already, so I thought ‘Well, this would probably be a good place to start.”’
During their time owning the bakery, the Loverings were known for hiring local high school students to work in the shop. Antosiewicz was one of those high school students, who started as a dishwasher, after he moved to Exeter from Brooklyn, New York. After he had been with the bakery for a little while, Jud began teaching him how to bake. He started with the breads, then moved onto rolls and then onto pastries.
“Anthony was a very good mixer,” Lovering said, adding that the mixer is responsible for making sure the exact proportions of ingredients necessary for good baking were ready. “That’s the most important job.”
Antosiewicz stayed at the bakery for 10 years, during which he eventually took over the shop with the Loverings were away on vacation. “He knows the ins and outs of the bakery trade,” Lovering said.
The two men worked many long 12 to 14 hour days baking together over the years during times like holidays. Antosiewicz recalled one very busy year when Lovering seemed to stay at the bakery for days without going home.
Five years ago, Antosiewicz took a new job working in the boiler plant at Phillips Exeter Academy. He jokes that he was hired “because I was small enough to get inside the boilers to clean them.”
He put in his last day at PEA last week and has been busy renovating the inside of the bakery space with the help of his father, also named Anthony, a retired police officer from Brooklyn, New York.
Longtime customers of the bakery can take comfort in knowing that all of the specialty pastries and muffins including the trademark cinnamon buns with orange cream cheese icing will remain.
Antosiewicz is bringing the bakery back to its roots in that he will offer the baked goods and bread, coffee and specialty cakes. He is not offering full breakfast as the bakery has done in recent times. He also plans to offer sandwiches for lunch and is installing a free wireless access point for people who would like to use their laptops at the bakery.
Barber Jim Ryan, who has been a neighbor to the bakery space since 1964, said this is the fourth business he has seen open up in the space, which was previously Ceceila’s European Bread and Bakery before it became the Baker’s Peel. Ryan said he will miss Lovering’s frequent trips to the shop where he always livened up the conversation among patrons with his political views.
“He’s been a great neighbor,” Ryan said. “I am going to miss them all, the two kids, Susanne and him.”
St. Anthony’s Bakery is scheduled to open early next week and will be open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.
“I’m just looking forward to opening the doors up and having the customers come in,” Antociewicz said. “I’m not looking forward to making a lot of money; I’m really looking forward to serving the community.”

Adam Roberge Walking to Raise Funds for Programs for The Blind

I first met Adam Roberge a number of years back when I taught therapeutic horseback riding in Newfields. Adam was born blind. My first memory of meeting him was his amazing memory. He could recite off the top of his head the type, model and year of every car that the people at the barn drove, as well as the cars of his teachers, friends and family.
Adam has been a top fund-raiser for several events benefitting the blind and visually impaired over the years. At one point he did a blog: http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/support/adamsblog

I just received an email from Adam with news that he is prepapring to walk in the Vision 5K Event on June 5.

Here's the info:
I just recently signed up to participate in the Vision 5K event on June 7 and I want you to join my team! I need you to join my team! This event raises money for four charities right here in Massachusetts whose mission is to raise funds to provide much needed services for blind and visually impaired children and adults. Annually these organizations touch the lives of thousands of men, women and children and help them each achieve literacy and independence.I am asking you to help by supporting my fund-raising efforts with a donation. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of many! You can make your donation online by simply clicking on the link at the bottom of this message. If you would prefer, you can also send your tax-deductible contribution to the address below. Any amount, great or small, helps in the fight. I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.Thanks in advance for sharing my Vision!
His page:

http://www.vision5k.org/site/TR/Events/General?px=1002382&pg=personal&fr_id=1050&et=-zmmFYwx_jYL22x6BWrTZw..&s_tafId=1100

A New Brunch Option in Town

Every Sunday that my grandmother, Will and I go to church, we try to have breakfast or brunch. Up until now, there's been no real middle ground. Either regular inexpensive breakfast or enormous, more expensive, brunch at the Exeter Inn (really only for special occasions).

Now, we have another option, that's in the middle, you can also get a mimosa if you'd like, and a nice setting. For the past 2 weeks, we've headed down to 11 Water Street, which is now doing a Sunday brunch. What a great idea.

They've got omelette's that are a bit more dressed up that the usual (such as a lobster one), along with homemade corned beef hash, and homemade muffins. Will requested the banana muffin this week and I had to hold myself back from eating his entire muffin, it was delicious.

You can check out the menu for brunch on their web site:

http://www.11waterstreet.com/brunch.htm

Pimento's Doing Lunch Now

I helped my husband out with a project last week and in turn he took me out to lunch. We checked out Pimento's which just started offering lunch and it was a nice change of pace. A nice place to get a nice lunch, perhaps a cocktail, and enjoy a quiet moment during the day.

These guys have also been pretty creative in this economy (as many restaurants struggle) by offering nightly specials during the week such as burger night and prime rib night.

You can check out the menu here:

http://www.pimentosrestaurantandlounge.com/

Baker's Peel Changing Hands

You may have noticed the sign in the window of the Baker's Peel downtown. It says they are closed for renovations, which is the case, sort of.
But please stay tuned for a full story on this.

I learned last week that the longtime owners of the Baker's Peel downtown, Jud and Susanne Lovering, are finalizing a sale of the bakery. I understand from Jud that the space will remain a bakery under the new owners who plan to call it St. Anthony's Bakery or something to that effect.

UPDATE: I've finished an interview with Jud and the new owner Anthony and it's actually a nice human interest story here. Anthony worked under Jud for 10 years before taking on another job. He started there in high school washing dishes and worked up to baking bread, then pastries, and then even running the place when Jud and Susanne were on vacation.

So the answer to my question about the cinnamon buns has been answered--they will remain. In fact, most of the pastries that we've all grown to love (though my thighs have not) will be there and Anthony has already been making them for years and knows the recipes. He is not going to do the full breakfast that's been there for the past year or so, but is returning to doing the baked goods, cakes, and simple sandwiches for lunch.

Stay tuned for a full story, but here's one tidbit from a longtime friend of Jud and Susanne--their business neighbor, longtime barber Jim Ryan. Ryan, who has seen 4 businesses in the space next door since he's been a barber, was quick to tell me that he and the other men at the shop will miss Jud's visits and his political discussions. (Though somehow I am sure Jud will still be stopping in for those Jim...)

Better Cell Coverage in Town

This just came my way today. I have always complained about reception in my neighborhood off Route 85, so was happy to see this.

From Verizon:

Verizon Wireless has expanded its network with a new cell site in Exeter, New Hampshire. The new cell site provides increased wireless voice and 3G coverage along Route 85, Route 101 and Route 111a in western Exeter, as well as the surrounding areas.

Verizon Wireless, originally the first wireless provider to offer 3G speeds, today has the largest and most reliable 3G network coverage area in the United States, giving customers with notebook computers or smartphones the ability to:
· Browse the web faster with quicker page loading times
· Quickly download and play music
· Watch streaming video
· Send emails with attachments
· Download and play 3D games
· Video conference with your contacts
· Rapidly share files

“Verizon Wireless’ 3G network coverage across New England is unparalleled,” said director for Network System Performance for Verizon Wireless, Richard Enright. “We’ve invested billions of dollars into New England believing that even the most sophisticated cell phone is only as good as the network it runs on. Our continued aggressive network investments provide customers with a 3G network advantage at home and on vacation.”
The company has invested more than $50 billion since its inception to increase the wireless voice and data coverage of its national network and to add new 3G services like Mobile Broadband and V CAST. Regionally the company has invested more than $2.4 billion into its New England network over the past nine years, including $240 million in 2008 alone. As the carrier with America's largest and most reliable wireless network, Verizon Wireless cell sites in New England provide 3G wireless data connectivity.

New England: Myth or Reality?

New England: Myth or Reality?

Exeter, New Hampshire – Layers of myth-making are responsible for a New England (both real and imagined) that has its roots in romantic idealism and hard-nosed pragmatism. How to sort through it? One way is to investigate the work of the myth-makers: Robert Frost, Wallace Nutting, Norman Rockwell, and Yankee Magazine. They comprise the people and institutions as responsible for the tourists as the legends.

Join the Exeter Historical Society on Tuesday, April 7 at 7:30 pm (with refreshments at 7 p.m.), for a presentation by Edie Clark, entitled “New England: Myth or Reality”. The program will take place at the Exeter Historical Society, 47 Front Street, Exeter, and is free and open to the public. This program is generously sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

The Exeter Historical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the research and preservation of Exeter’s past. The Historical Society is open to the public on a weekly basis, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 – 4:30 pm, and on Saturdays from 9:30 am to noon. Exeter Historical Society, 47 Front Street, PO Box 924, Exeter, New Hampshire, 03833, 603-778-2335, info@exeterhistory.org, www.exeterhistory.org.