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A2Local NewsTHE GILFORD STEAMERTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021 omfort eepers 50 ways to bring seniors comfort and joy this seasonBY MARTHA SWATSOwner/AdministratorComfort KeepersThere are many waysto bring connection, purpose, and hope to seniorsthis holiday season andall year round. It can berefreshing and fun toincorporate new ideasand shake up our everyday routine, especiallyduring holidays.These fun ideas forfamilies focus on activities to do with seniors,including grandparents,older parents, and elderly neighbors. Some arefree or affordable, andothers may require someplanning ahead. Theseideas can be enjoyed together or apart to bringjoy and make new memories. Others are intendedto bring joy to those thatcan’t spend time togetherin person.Bake cookies or a favorite holiday treatMake an ornament orcute holiday decorationas a giftHelp a senior shop forholiday gifts onlineWrap gifts on behalf ofa senior and deliver themto loved onesHave a drive-throughholiday parade outside ofa senior’s homeGather everyone inyour household and gocaroling for seniorsPut together a giftbasket of hot chocolate,baked goods or favoriteholiday snacksString lights outside ofa senior’s homeMake a wreath for asenior’s doorPrint photos of holiday memories and sharethemSend cards, letters ornotes of encouragementRun a holiday errandfor someone that is isolating at homeSnap a few photos ofyour friends, family, andpets to send by text oremailPlan a surprise mealfor a senior, either bycooking for the seniorin your household or arranging meal delivery ifyou can’t be in-personDraw a picture andsend it in the mailH a p p y H o li d a ys !Lend a senior a favorite book or movie and explain why you love itTake a senior in yourhousehold for a sunsetcar rideCelebrate the 12 daysof Christmas by sendinga senior gifts and treats.Color a page from acoloring book and give itas a giftSurprise a senior byplaying or singing theirfavorite song over thephone or on a video callPaint a picture andgive it to a seniorMake and send a handmade cardstickynotesPostwith uplifting messagesaround the houseMake origamis andpresent them as giftsTell a senior what youadmire about themCreate a book of holiday memories for someone specialThank someone thatyou appreciateListen to a senior reminisce about the “goodold days”Surprise a senior bydancing to a favoritesong on video or dancewith a senior in yourhousehold!Write a poem and giveit as a giftBring coffee fromtheir favorite coffee shopFrame a senior’s favorite quote give it tothemDecorate for the holidays, either outside oftheir home or inside ifyou’re in the same householdRead a favorite holiday book together overthe phoneSend a senior a poinsettia or other seasonalplant for their gardenGift an indoor gardento someone that can’t beoutside due to weatherOrder supplies froman online crafts store foryour loved one’s favoritehobby or something funand newHave your senior narrate parts of their lifefor you. Write down thememories and create abooklet with photos foryou all to cherish.Have a fashion showshowcasing silly holidaylooks over video or witha senior in your house-hold and dress up inthemes from your lovedone’s favorite eraWatch a favorite classic movie with a seniorin your householdAsk your senior lovedone to gather items to donate, and take them to acharity drive for themHave family phone orvideo callsRecord a voice journaland share itCreate a family holiday recipe bookPlay Bingo onlineCreate a collage andgift it to a senior lovedonePlay charades in-person with those in yourhousehold or over videochatFind a senior penpal and send letters andnotes on a regular basisShare a favorite podcast or audio bookMake a family treeand gift it to a seniorComfort Keepers canhelpAt Comfort Keepers ,we create individualcare plans for every client. These plans includewellness goals that consider physical, mental,and emotional health.Our caregivers can helpsupport physician-prescribed exercise plansand help seniors engagein the activities they lovethe most. And, our caregivers can help seniorsstay connected withloved ones through videochats, phone calls, andcare updates. We believethat every senior shouldexperience the best inlife. If you have questionsabout Comfort Keepersuplifting in-home careservices, please contactus today.About ComfortKeepersComfort Keepers is aleader in providing inhome care consisting ofsuch services as companionship,transportation,housekeeping,meal preparation, bathing, mobility assistance,nursing services, and ahost of additional itemsall meant to keep seniorslivingindependentlyworry free in the comfortof their homes.Comfort Keepershave been serving NewHampshireresidentssince 2005. Let us helpyou stay independent.Please call 603-5366060 or visit our Web siteatnhcomfortkeepers.com for more information.GILFORD POLICE LOG.l.Kennell OrthodonticsKennellOrtho.comWeekdays Open @ 4pm Weekends Open @ NoonClosed Tuesdays(603) 293-0841 PatricksPub.comE MUSIC!TO PLACE AN AD:Advertising ExecutiveTracy Lewis(603) 575-9127tracy@salmonpress.newsSUBSCRIPTION SERVICES:Kerri Peterson(603) 677-9085kerri@salmonpress.newsTO PRINT AN OBITUARY:The Gilford Steamerpublished bySalmon PressPresident & PublisherFrank G. Chilinski(603) 677-9083frank@salmonpress.newsBusiness ManagerRyan Corneau(603) 677-9082ryan@salmonpress.newsE-MAIL: obit uar ies@sal monpr ess.newsCALL: 603-677-9084Operations DirectorJim DiNicola(508) 764-4325TO SUBMIT A LETTERTO THE EDITOR:Distribution ManagerJim Hinckley(603) 279-4516E-MAIL: br endan@sal monpr ess.newsUSPS 024967The Gilford Steamer is published weekly by SalmonPress, P.O. Box 729, 5 Water St., Meredith, NH03253. Periodicals, postage paid at Meredith, NH03253. POSTMASTER: Send address changes tothe Gilford Steamer, P.O. Box 729, Meredith, NH03253.Managing EditorBrendan Berube(603) 677-9081brendan@salmonpress.newsProduction ManagerJulie Clarke(603) 677-9092julie@@salmonpress.newsThe Gilford Police Department reported the following arrests during the week of Dec. 3-9.A juvenile, age 17, was arrested on Dec. 6 for Possession and/or Use of Tobacco Products by a Minor.Patrick J. Ciampo, age37, of North Conway wasarrested on Dec. 6 for Violation of a Protective Order and Breach of Bail.MatthewScottAlighieri, age 41, of Gilford was arrested onDec. 6 for Domestic Violence-Simple Assault involving Physical Contact.David J. Fournier, age70, of Manchester wasarrested on Dec. 8 for Unlawful Activities-LitterControl.A 38-year-old malefrom Gilford was takeninto protective custodyfor intoxication on Dec. 9.Lynne Thomas Nesbitt, age 59, of Holdernesswas arrested on Dec. 9 forConduct After an Accident.Elijah Michael Bravo,age 19, of Clinton, Mass.was arrested on Dec. 9 onmultiple counts of TheftBy Unauthorized Taking.

Local NewsTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021THE GILFORD STEAMERA3Bank of New Hampshire donates to20 food pantries across the stateand CEO for Bank of NewHampshire. “Together,we were able to make record breaking donationsto our local food pantries,and I am confident thatthose donations are directly impacting the livesof individuals across ourstate who are bearing theweight of food insecuritythis holiday season.”CourtesyBank of New Hampshire employees deliver donations to food pantries across New Hampshire.LACONIA— FromOct. 12 through Nov. 12teach Bank of New Hampshire office participatedin the annual Bankingon Kindness Funds forFood Drive, which in total raised 15,151.43 fortwenty different foodpantries across the stateof New Hampshire.Thanks to generousBank of New Hampshirecustomers, the Bankcollected 10,122.43 inmonetarydonationsat our offices. Furthermore, with Bank of NewHampshire’scommitment to match donationsup to 250.00 per office,the Bank’s match was 5,029.00 resulting in totaldonations of 15,151.43.Each Bank of NewHampshire office had theopportunity to choose alocal food pantry in theircommunity to support,and were able to deliverthe funds they raised intheir office, along withthe Bank’s match, to thatlocal food pantry duringthe week of Thanksgiving. These monetarydonations allow the local food pantries to purchase food to stock theirshelves during a seasonwhen many are experiencing an increasedstruggle with food insecurity.“Our customers haveonce again blown usaway with their generousdonations to our Fundsfor Food Drive,” saidChris Logan, PresidentBank of New Hampshire is proud of theimpact of our Funds forFood Drive as we aspireto remain an independent mutual financialinstitution,deliveringinnovative solutions andexceptionalservice,while assisting our employees, customers andcommunities to buildbrighter futures.Bank of New Hampshire, founded in 1831provides deposit, lendingand wealth managementproducts and servicesto families and businesses throughout NewHampshire and southernMaine. With 21 bankingoffices and assets exceeding 2 billion, Bank ofNew Hampshire is theoldest and one of the largest independent banks inthe state. Bank of NewHampshire is a mutualorganization, focused onthe success of the bank’scustomers, communitiesand employees, ratherthan stockholders. Formore information, call1-8000-832-0912 or visit www.BankNH.com.Currier takes over Gilford girls’ hoop programBY JOSHUA SPAULDINGSports EditorGILFORD — Forthe first time in a longtime, the Gilford girls’hoop program has a newcoach, as longtime mentor Rick Forge retiredand Scott Currier takesover the helm of theGolden Eagles.Currier comes to Gilford from Inter-Lakes,where he was the girls’basketball coach and isworking on getting toknow everyone and seewhere everyone fits.“We had a solid preseason, as a new coachcoming in there is a lotof getting to know players and what we arecomfortable with andwhat we need to improveon,” Currier said. “Thatbeing said, their effort,attitude and work ethichas been great, so that isa good building block tostart from.”The Golden Eagleswill be looking to the returning trio of MaggieShute, Maura Hughesand Vanessa Flandersto provide plenty of leadership up front, whileOlivia Keenan, RyanGuyer and Millie Caldonare expected to play keyroles as they integrateinto the team. Caldonand Keenan are freshmen looking to make animmediate impact whileGuyer returns to theteam ready to make abig impact on this year’ssquad.“We are focusing ongrowing and improvingas a team day to day andweek to week,” Curriersaid. “Our thoughts arethat if we keep the focus on those attainablegoals and that process,than the larger goals oraccomplishments willcome as a result of thatwork.”Gilford returns toa regular Division IIIschedule this year, playing two games eachagainst Belmont, St.Thomas, Prospect Mountain and Berlin and single games each againstMonadnock,Hopkinton, Mascoma, Stevens,Somersworth, Laconia,Newfound, White Mountains, Winnisquam andInter-Lakes.The season beganat Monadnock last Friday and continued afterdeadline Tuesday, athome against Belmont.The Golden Eagles willbe hosting Hopkintonon Monday, Dec. 20 andMascoma on Wednesday, Dec. 22, both at 6p.m.Sports Editor Joshua Spaulding can bereached at 279-4516, ext.155 or josh@salmonpress.news.HIGH SCHOOL SLATEFriday, Dec. 17BELMONTBoys’ Hoops at Berlin; 6:30Girls’ Hoops vs. Berlin; 6GILFORDBoys’ Hoops vs. Stevens; 6WINNISQUAMBoys’ Hoops at Somersworth; 7Girls’ Hoops vs. Somersworth; 7Saturday, Dec. 18BELMONT-GILFORDHockey vs. Con-Val-Conant; 5:15WINNISQUAMHockeyatJohnStark-Hopkinton; TBDWrestling at Concord; 10Monday, Dec. 20BELMONTBoys’Hoopsvs.Campbell; 6Girls’ Hoops at Campbell; 6GILFORDAlpine Skiing at Bretton Woods; 10Boys’ Hoops at Hopkinton; 7Girls’ Hoops vs. Hopkinton; 6WINNISQUAMBoys’ Hoops at Stevens; 7Girls’ Hoops vs. SteHUNDREDSvens; 7Wednesday, Dec. 22BELMONTBoys’ Hoops at Winnisquam; 7Girls’ Hoops vs. Winnisquam; 6Hockey vs. Berlin-Gorham; 5:15GILFORDBoys’ Hoops at Mascoma; 6:30Girls’ Hoops vs. Mascoma; 6WINNISQUAMBoys’ Hoops vs. Belmont; 7Girls’ Hoops at Belmont; 7Hockey at Kennett; 6:30A Collaborative OfferingWork of 30 Local ArtisansMany Unique & One of a Kind CreationsAll schedules are subject to change.For those Special People on Your Gift ListVisit Us This Holiday Season!Located at26A Central Square, Bristol603-744-7700BRAKE FORMOOSEIT COULDSAVE YOUR LIFE!OF COLLISIONSAdvising clients aboutWills and Trusts since 1985.

A4 THE GILFORD STEAMERAn epidemicof ‘experts’OpinionTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021“Ignorance more frequently begets confidencethan does knowledge.” — Charles DarwinIt seems as though in today’s society, everyone isan expert. It’s one thing to have a specific belief system or an educated opinion on a certain topic, (withthe operative word here being educated) this to include all topics. However, it seems as though criticalthinking has all but flown right out of the window.Common sense is used less and less with people making outlandish assumptions, believing misinformation and falling into line with outright absurdities.Social media doesn’t help. Unfortunately, some people will read a meme and take it as face value. Somepeople even think JFK, Jr. is coming back to life.With that, let us make one thing clear. None ofus are experts — unless, well, we are. It turns outthere’s a name for this phenomenon, called the Dunning-Kruger effect. This is defined as a cognitivebias in which people think they are smarter andmore capable than they are. So much so that peopledon’t recognize their own incompetence.The Dunning-Kruger effect takes place when aperson begins speaking at length about a topic theyknow nothing about, yet claims everyone else is uninformed and wrong. For an example, if a studentfails a test, yet believes they should have received anA. They are incapable of seeing their own faults.David Dunning, an American social psychologistwho along with Justin Kruger discovered the phenomenon, described it as such: “Instead, the incompetent are often blessed with an inappropriate confidence, buoyed by something that feels to them likeknowledge. The trouble with ignorance is that it canfeel just like expertise.”The cause of this effect, as described by Dunning,is that people are too incompetent to realize how incompetent they are. These individuals will fail torecognize the skill and expertise of others.Also mentioned by Dunning is what’s called metacognition. This is the ability to look within and evaluate yourself honestly. Oftentimes, those who sufferfrom this syndrome hear a small amount of knowledge on a topic, and then think they are experts.No one person is an expert at everything. Dunning pointed out that everyone has areas in whichthey are incompetent. Oftentimes, if a person is anexpert in one area, they mistakenly think they arean expert in all areas. Dunning did point out thatthose individuals who are genuine experts in anygiven field, are more likely to see their own flawsin other areas, and are able to accept the knowledgeand expertise in others who truly possess it.If your car breaks down, you will not bring it tothe dentist. If you have a toothache, you will not gosee a florist. Further, with the divide in our country politically, let us remember, that politics haszero to do with anyone’s skill set. Our healthcareworkers are being harassed daily by those who believe they are experts. There are doctors, nurses andhealthcare providers who are both Republicans andDemocrats or Independents. Car repair is car repair, healthcare is healthcare, creating a fine diningmenu and becoming a top-rated chef is simply aboutfood and creativity. We need to stop politicizing anything other than politics.Common sense and critical thinking needs to findits way back into our society. Common sense is defined as the sound and prudent judgement based on asimple perception of the situation or fact.As far as the political divide that has taken holdin this country. It’s ridiculous. There is no need foranyone, on either side, to be filled with so much anger, because their candidate lost, or because someone disagrees with your way of thinking. The beautyof our country is that we can all think differently andstill respect one another, and still have the ability tolaugh over beers and pizza on a Friday night. Theangry political signs still strewn about on eitherside, are tacky, immature and unintelligent. We cando better.Send us your letters!We seek your input! Tax rate got you down?Glendale too congested for your liking? Do youapprove of a recent selectmen decision? Hate thepaper? Love the paper? Let us know!Send your letters to:Gilford Steamer5 Water Street Meredith, NH, 03253Our fax number is 279 3331.E-mail us at brendan@salmonpress.news.We’re looking forward to hearing from you!COURTESY PHOTOLending a handAroma Joe’s in Alton loves their community. They love their regulars, their summer guests and those just travelingthrough town. They know that it is this community that helps them stay open and they are truly thankful. Each year theytry and do something fun around this time to celebrate not only the holidays but the shop’s birthday. In the past we havehad Mr. and Mrs. Claus come to the hut, have donated toys to Toys For Tots, and once braved the winter winds with thefire and police department to host a Touch a Truck. This year, Aroma Joe’s community outreach manager, Lindsey Ellis,wanted to focus on the community’s bellies. She suggested a can drive. When they realized that the hut is too small tobe a home to 100s of cans, they knew that wouldn’t work. Together Ellis and owner Amanda Parkhurst put their mindsto work. They decided that the owners would give 1 for every 1 the baristas made in tips on Thanksgiving weekend.Together with a community that supports the hard working baristas so much, they raised 927 that will be donated tothe Alton Community Services. When delivering the check, Alton Community Services told the Aroma Joe’s staff howmuch the donation is going to help and how grateful they are.North Country NotebookIt wasn’t about cows, but sheep;and making stone walls was cheapness on a handshake (caveat emptor). By John HarriganColumnistLiving off the landhas always been the keyto life as we’ve known it,from Native Americansto European colonies totoday’s people, with onefoot in the past and theother feeling around forthe next step.Right now, the nextstep seems to be usingthe landscape as a backdrop for everything ers) to landdevelopment and sustainable logging. Thenwe have the current virus-driven land speculation and what the government calls “housingstarts,” another turn ofevents that has generated little media attention.Peopletryingtoscratch out a living herehave relied on huntingand gathering, timberexploitation, subsistencefarming, potato whisky,starch mills, cheese factories, dairy farming,migration from the cities, immigration, natural growth, and landscape-driven lifestyles.Thus, any new developments in trying to ekeout a living from theland should come as nosurprise.One of New Hampshire’s most sustainableresources is its people.Nothing much is likelyto knock them down,not even the occasionalrampant virus. “Thereis a certain boldness andbrightness to the step,”is how one long-ago writer put it. It is the kind ofeffect that can make youthink you can do busi-Long-distanceraces are a recent evolution, ranging from runpaddle-run events tobicycle races. One canvisualize a pretty simple food-to-energy costin such enterprises, andthey are relatively easyon the landscape.At the high end ofsuch things is the attempt in Colorado toemulate the Europeansin their alpine-skiingthree-to five-day treks.The term “hut” hardlydoes justice to the newAmerican West experience, which offers creative food, hot showers,and fresh linens. Guestsdo none of the work.Firewood, for instance,is evidently brought inby elves.The Colorado experience primarily attracts people who arefit enough to be on thehigh end of back country skiing, and who areprepared to put skinsonto alpine skis and schlep cross-country to skithe slopes of one peakafter another. But thereal attraction is not justthe landscape, but the“huts,” and the level ofservice they offer.In terms of jobs, thiskind of thing can beseen as a high return. Itcould never equal that ofthe grand hotels, but itsstrength is in its spreadout variety. New Hampshire isabout 84 percent forested, second in the Lower48, behind only Maine(89 percent). Most people I run into who careabout this kind of thing(they mostly run away)think this state was atone time about halfcleared (which is true),and that it was for dairycows. Nay, nay (wait--that’s a horse), not true.It was for sheep.crasscommercialism.But it is the capitalistsystem---call it crasscommercialism---that allows the news world toexist.New England at onetime rivaled the likes ofAustralia, New Zealand,and Scotland in the export of wool. In general, in the post-IndustialRevolution world, Europe had the machinery,and we and the othercountries had the land.In the end, of course, wetook over the machineryleadership and surfedthe wave well until synthetic fiber came along.Anyway, lest we wallow in this swamp, I’velong had an abnormalinterest in the content ofnewspaper ads and radioand television commercials, and how and whythey are made.For a while there,New Hampshire hadthousands of wool-producing farms big andsmall, ranging fromsubsistence farms withonly half a dozen sheep--allscissor-shorn---tolarger outfits that hadwater-poweredshearing machines and, later,steam-drivenmachinery, and then electricityuntil the wool marketbegan its waning years.Not until the arrivalof the railroads and refrigerated cars could thedairy industry evolveand take its successivehold on northern NewEngland farms. Untilthen, the driving forcebehind those stone wallswe now step over farback in the woods, allover hill and dale, weredriven not by cows, butsheep. Because I’ve beennewspapering for solong, and so enjoyed doing radio and televisionon the side, I’ve also hada keen ear for advertising---the driving forcebehind the news business. Well, to call it “thenews business” is a bitof a misuse. News is supposed to be sacrosanct, ahealthy step away from---A round of applausefor MacDonald’s, for aTV commercial featuring two working stiffsin a truck, one soundasleep while the otherorders early morningcoffee for two from thedrive-through. For cityand small-town Americans alike, this ad resonates.---A big “boo” forall the sound-alike adshovering around theMedicare signup period, like vultures. Manyof the supposed freebiesare rare to nonexistent,Medicare itself has allsorts of free help available, and the “healthplans” these outfits offeradd their own costs tothe heap. Many people out andabout on the landscapehave no clue about therole of potatoes in theclearing of the land. As Iunderstand it, our acidicsoils produce potatoesthat are very good, forsure (in fact, superior, inmy book), but have

Friday, the last day of the 2021 Children’s Auc-tion, and presented a check for 331,727 with a plus for more coming in. The Community Chal-lenge is a new evolution of Pub Mania at Pat-rick’s Pub and Eatery in Gilford. Pub Mania, the “24-hour barstool chal-lenge,” couldn’t go