Program for Children with Autism at Children’s Museum

DOVER—
The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire has announced Sunday, March 14 as the launch date of its new program, Exploring Our Way: the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire’s Autism Partnership Program. On that date, the museum will open early at 10 a.m. just for families whose children are affected by autism. Families will be able to enjoy the museum’s exhibits for two hours prior to opening and are also welcome to stay and play after the museum opens to the public. Families can participate in this program at no charge thanks to underwriting by the Cogswell Benevolent Trust. 
This free program will continue through the spring on the second Sunday of each month at 10 a.m.: April 11, May 9 and June 13. Future dates will be announced before the summer. 

Exploring Our Way: the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire’s Autism Partnership Program will provide free visits to the museum for families with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) while the museum is closed to the public, and continuing after it opens. Members of the museum’s education staff are working with UNH specialists and Easter Seals – The Family Place in Dover to plan for these visits to ensure participants’ full enjoyment and exploration of the museum.
 

“The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire clearly has an outstanding understanding of meeting the learning needs of children of all abilities,” said Patti Rawding-Anderson, Director of Easter Seals - The Family. “Easter Seals’ Camp Connect Summer Program for children with social challenges participated in a field trip to the museum and the staff was amazing at ensuring their experience was optimal. In fact, the museum’s director of education sought their input for change and several of our students made some excellent recommendations for a number of the exhibits. In subsequent visits, we found they had implemented a number of the suggestions. How wonderful to have such an amazing community partner in supporting the experiences of children.” 
 

Children’s Museum of N.H. Director Denise Doleac noted, “In our research, we found that there is a great need for this type of programming, and we are grateful to the Cogswell Benevolent Trust for funding this new initiative. We look forward to welcoming many families through this program in the coming year.”
 
Deb Jurkoic, Autism Family Support Specialist for Easter Seals - The Family Place, added, “We’re very excited about this new program because it will help children as well as parents. Families often feel isolated when they have a child with ASD, but these special opportunities at the museum will allow parents to network with one another and enjoy family time in a safe, understanding environment.”
(Courtesy photo)

Somersworth Chamber Elects New Board Member

SOMERSWORTH—
The Board of Directors of the Greater Somersworth Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the election of Robert “Cider” Berry to a vacant seat on the Board. Berry is a well-known Rochester native and local businessman who has dedicated his life to community service. He owned and built a successful heating fuel company, EZ Fuels, in Rochester during the 1990’s. Berry sold his company to Eastern Propane & Oil in 1999 and has been Eastern’s Public Relations Director since that time. Eastern is the 15th largest propane retailer in the United States.
Along with his business experience, Berry has an extensive background serving on Boards for Chambers of Commerce and other community organizations. He served six years on the Board of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and was President of the Board of the Wakefield Chamber of Commerce where he served for four years. In addition, he presently serves on the Rochester Housing Authority Commission, the Board of Directors for the Rochester Fair, and the Board of Directors for the Rotary Club of Rochester. Berry lives in Rochester with Marilyn, his wife of 42 years. He has three children and three grandchildren.
Photo caption: Cider Berry, Public Relations Director for Eastern Propane and Oil. (Courtesy photo)

Toyota Safety Recall Explained

CONCORD—
Attorney General Michael A. Delaney announced on Feb. 26 that Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. has agreed to offer free at-home pickup of vehicles covered by the national safety recall, pay for consumers’ out-of-pocket transportation costs and provide drivers free rental cars during repairs. The vehicles included in this agreement are those subject to Toyota’s recent recalls for floormat pedal entrapment, sticking accelerator pedal, ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) software update, and Tacoma drive shaft inspection.
Toyota will advise its dealers that consumers who call with concerns about a sticking accelerator pedal or ABS software recalls shall not be told to wait for a letter from Toyota before scheduling the repair of their vehicles. Consumers who call a dealer with regard to the floormat recall, can schedule a repair once they have received the recall letter. Consumers who call a dealer with regard to the Tacoma drive shaft recall will have an inspection performed of the vehicle without unnecessary delay.
Toyota will advise its dealers to address each consumer’s concerns on a case-by-case basis. If a consumer remains concerned, and depending on a consumer’s particular circumstances, Toyota can use the following tools to accommodate the consumer: expedited scheduling; pickup and return of the consumer’s vehicle by a dealership representative or by flatbed truck; driving the consumer to the dealership and/or to his or her place of work; and provision of alternate transportation, such as a rental car, a loaner vehicle, or taxi reimbursement, for the reasonable period that the consumer is unable or unwilling to use his or her car. These accommodations shall be provided to the consumer at no cost to the owner and the dealer.
Consumers who have questions should call the Toyota Customer Experience Center, 
1-800-331-4331, or to the Lexus Customer Assistance Center, 1-800-255-3987. The Centers’ hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. PST and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Homemakers Annual Auction Set for March 27

ROCHESTER—
Join The Homemakers in celebrating 35 years of building a healthy community at it’s 35th Anniversary Auction in March - an event which will feature both a live and on-line auction.
Eastern Propane and Oil is the major Home Health Care Patron sponsor of this year’s event. Other sponsors to date include D.F. Richard, a Health Care Advocate sponsor, Peach and McPherson, CPAs and Seacoast Redicare, Home Health Care Caregiver sponsors.
“While The Homemakers has grown and changed over the past 35 years, several things have not changed – our commitment to providing professional, compassionate and cost effective home health, home support and adult day care services, and our increasing need to raise funds to provide those elderly and disabled persons in our community with the vital healthcare services they need,” says Tammy Jordan-Cary, director of development at The Homemakers. “With the help of the community we’re hoping that our 35th Anniversary Auction will be among one of our largest fundraisers planned for this year.”
The Homemakers 35th Anniversary Auction will kick off with an on-line auction. Beginning March 1st, interested bidders are invited to participate in a special on-line event which will run from 8 a.m. March 1st through midnight March 21st on the Agency’s website www.TheHomemakers.org. In addition, bidders will be able to preview items that will be up for bid at the live auction, which will be held Saturday, March 27th at The Red Barn at Outlook Farm in South Berwick.
“Over the years, The Homemakers’ Live Auction event has become more than a fundraiser. It’s become a community event - an enjoyable, fun evening where people come together to support our cause while experiencing a wonderful night out with friends and members of The Homemakers’ family, says Jordan-Cary.
Tickets for this year’s 35th Anniversary Auction are $40 and include entry to the silent and live auction, appetizers and dinner. Tickets will not be available at the door and must be purchased in advance. Doors will open at 6 p.m. The silent auction portion of the evening will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the live auction event, featuring auctioneer Mark Ericson of WOKQ’s Morning Waking Crew.
Sports memorabilia, a meal for four delivered to your home each month, gift certificates to restaurants, golf courses and NH attractions; hand-made quilts, works of art and weekend get-aways are just a few of the more than 100 items that will be up for bid during the on-line and live auction events.
All donors of auction items will be listed on The Homemakers’ auction website. All business donors will also be provided a direct link on the auction website to their business. Sponsorship opportunities ranging from $1,500 to $250 are also available.
To make a donation, for information about sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets, contact Tammy Jordan-Cary at (603) 335-1770, ext. 114 or tcary@thehomemakers.org.
Photo caption: More than 100 items, including this hand-made quilt, will be up for bid at The Homemakers 35th Anniversary Celebration Live Auction being held Saturday, March 27th at the Red Barn at Outlook Farm in South Berwick. (Courtesy photo)

Jeans Day for Haiti PCA Students Raise Relief Money

DOVER—
Students at Portsmouth Christian Academy set aside their usual dress code for a day and donned pairs of jeans to help contribute to Haiti disaster relief efforts. This fund raising effort was a creative idea proposed by PCA senior Katie Hazell. She, along with two of her classmates, senior Anna Davison and junior Sarah Pease, coordinated this event to raise awareness of the crisis and to provide aid to earthquake victims.
Students were able to purchase a $5 coupon for the chance to wear jeans instead of the standard dress code. Once the event was announced publicly at the school, two anonymous donors came forward from the PCA community and offered matching gifts up to $1,500 and $2,000 respectively. Students, staff, and faculty raised a total of $7,800. All of the funds raised went directly to Heartline Ministries – an organization with a permanent presence in Haiti for more than 15 years, supporting adoption and women’s programs.
“Many students gave more. It was touching to see kids bringing in tens and twenties,” said Anna Davison. “In addition to the money brought in by Jeans Day, we also coordinated donations of medical supplies from local hospitals. More than 20 boxes were brought to Partners for World Health in Maine, so that the supplies could be taken to Haiti.”
This disaster struck a personal chord with all three girls. Last summer, they spent two weeks in Haiti on a mission trip in association with Heartline Ministries. The girls participated in an English Camp where they taught life skills as well as educational studies to children ages 4 to 14 at Maranatha Orphanage. When news of the recent earthquake reached Hazell, her initial desire was to be there physically to help out in some way. But she soon realized that was not a possibility for her. Instead, she proposed her idea for a Jeans Day to PCA Principal Steve Foley and within a few days the fundraising project was approved and well underway.
“I was very pleased with the success of the Jeans Day,” stated Katie Hazell. “However, I just want people to remember that the need is not going to go away in a month. It is an ongoing process and the nation of Haiti needs the continued support of our communities to rebuild. This is an essential opportunity for them to grow into a prosperous nation.”
If you too want to help, or simply learn more, visit heartlineministries.org.
Photo caption: Portsmouth Christian Academy students (left to right), senior Anna Davison, junior Sarah Pease, and senior Katie Hazell organized a Jeans Day event, which raised $7,800 for Heartline Ministries in Haiti. All funds went directly to earthquake victims for recovery and rebuilding. (Courtesy photo)

Seacoast CSA and CSF Day Coming to Winter Farmers’ Market

ROLLINSFORD—
Seacoast Eat Local will be hosting a CSA and CSF Day at their upcoming Winter Farmers’ Market on Saturday, Feb. 27th, at the Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford. Residents will have the opportunity to learn more about CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and CSF (Community Supported Fisheries), meet the farmers and fisherfolk offering shares, and sign up for the 2010 season. Fifteen CSA farms are signed up to take part in this event.
Community Supported Agriculture and Community Supported Fisheries offer a terrific way for people to get a steady supply of local food directly from the producers. Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a partnership between consumers and farmers in which members buy shares of the farm’s harvest and receive regular allotments of food throughout the growing season.
For farmers, this provides much needed cash flow for the beginning of the season, as well as a ready market and community of supporters. Shareholders join in the risks of the growing season but reap the benefits of the harvest. Community Supported Fisheries, or CSFs (modeled after CSAs), are a way to buy seafood directly from fishermen, and support our local fisheries by purchasing seasonal shares.
Each CSA and CSF has its own pricing structure and distribution schedule, and some farms have work requirements. Signups for CSA and CSF shares often begin in February by directly contacting the farm or sponsoring fishery. A list of CSA farms in the Rockingham, Strafford, and York Counties is available at Seacoast Harvest, www.seacoastharvest.org, an online guide to local food sponsored by Seacoast Eat Local.

Tip-Top Ski Resort in High Sierra is Simply Heavenly

By Scott Andrews
Staff columnist
Lake Tahoe—
Heavenly is the name of the biggest ski resort in the Lake Tahoe region. And the name is no exaggeration.
I recently spent 10 days in the Lake Tahoe region, which straddles the California-Nevada border and includes seven major ski resorts. During my visit I skied Heavenly twice, and was profoundly impressed by the quality -- and the quantity -- of the experience.
Statistics tell only part of the story, of course, but it’s worth noting that Heavenly’s impressive numbers take the top spot in several key categories. With two summits higher than 10,000 feet, it’s the loftiest ski resort in the entire Lake Tahoe district. Heavenly boasts 3,500 vertical feet and its longest top-to-bottom run is five miles -- both tops in the region.
Total skiable acreage is 4,800 acres that sprawl across California and Nevada. In terms of lifts, acres and lodges, the split is about 50-50.
Twenty-nine lifts serve this terrain. About half of these are high-speed, including a 50-person aerial tramway and an eight-person gondola. There are four base lodges, two in California and two in Nevada.
Terrain ranges from mild to wild, distinctly skewed mostly toward intermediate skiers. Fine groomed runs radiate from most of the upper chairlifts. Many of these offer sensational views of cobalt-blue Lake Tahoe, one of America’s natural wonders.
Especially notable are the many tree runs -- glades. These are entirely natural skiing through wide-open forests, deep gullies and interesting rock formations. The all-natural terrain can be pretty rough in spots, but it’s mostly offset by the region’s annual snowfall of about 500 inches.
Want to boast? The most challenging runs on the mountain, rated “super expert,” are found in two adjacent sub-areas served by a double chairlift. Killebrew Canyon and Mott Canyon feature white-knuckle steeps and chutes that will severely test the skills of the most experienced skiers and riders.
Once on the mountain, there’s no need to return to base until the day is done. Six high-elevation eateries, accessible only by ski or snowboard, provide ample opportunities to refuel. A couple of these eateries are outdoor barbecues, a style of eatery that’s typical of California’s comparatively mild climate.
From the gourmet point of view, tops is Lakeview Lodge, spectacularly perched at 8,250 feet, a few dozen yards from the top of two lifts. The lodge’s sit-down restaurant boasts inspired fare that perfectly matches the inspirational viewpoint.
My Chicken Champagne comprised slices of breast meat sautéed in a medley of vegetables, finished with a cream sauce and served over angel hair pasta. And yes, it was heavenly!
One my second day, I ate at the Lakeview Lodge’s cafeteria and enjoyed the biggest helping of chili-cheese-fries I’ve ever seen.
During my two days, I only had one major complaint. The vast and sprawling size of the mountain makes it slow and awkward to ski between the sub-areas. But that issue is, of course, a product of Heavenly’s immensity.
Heavenly Mountain Resort is located in the adjacent towns of Stateline, Nevada, and South Lake Tahoe, California, about 60 miles from the Reno-Tahoe airport. An array of resort amenities, including restaurants that run from fast food to four-star, can be found in both towns. Stateline also offers many gambling casinos.
Heavenly is scheduled to stay open through April 18. For more information and ski-and-stay reservations, visit www.skiheavenly.com or call 800-HEAVENLY.
Heavenly is owned by Vail Resorts, a publicly traded holding company that also owns four top-tier ski resorts in Colorado: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone.
Photo caption: A group of skiers takes a break with Lake Tahoe in the background. (Heavenly Mountain Resort photo)