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Originally Published on April 25th 2024 “Traveler, as you labor on your journey along the swift Powwow, with the summer sun beating down upon your brow, take a moment to heed the tranquility that surrounds you, to the gentle stream flowing from the hill.” This opening stanza from John Greenleaf Whittier’s poem “The Fountain’’ paints…

Originally published October 19th 2023 On the first cold Sunday morning of autumn, with leaves turning golden and the air crisp with promise, I was drawn to Salisbury’s heart – the iconic East Parish United Methodist Church. Situated at the center of the town, this historic edifice stands as a testament to a bond forged…

Oceanographer Robert Ballard undertook a secret mission funded by the U.S. Navy to locate two sunken nuclear submarines from the Cold War era, the USS Thresher and the USS Scorpion. The mission aimed to assess environmental risks from their nuclear reactors and investigate possible Soviet involvement. With his extra time, Ballard was allowed to search…

Originally published May 23rd 2024 “Persistence is what makes the impossible possible, the possible likely, and the likely definite.” — Robert Half In my column last week, I talked about Salisbury’s Colonial-style form of government and how open Town Meeting plays a pivotal role in governance. Every registered voter has the opportunity to cast a…

Originally published May 16th 2024 “The purest form of democratic governing is practiced in a Town Meeting. In use for over 300 years and still today, it has proven to be a valuable means for many Massachusetts taxpayers to voice their opinions and directly affect change in their communities. Here in this ancient American assembly,…

I stepped into Salisbury Town Hall last week to the vibe of a busy morning. There, amid the flurry of local civics, stood a familiar face, Lou Papandrea, or “Low Tide Louie,” a voice many in our community recognize from the oldies program “Tales and Co.” he co-hosts on 94.1, and a Vietnam War veteran.…

Originally published May 30th 2024 “My two favorite things in life are libraries, and bicycles. They both move people forward.” – Peter Golkin Three years ago, on a whim, my wife Nina, and I purchased E-bikes. At that time, E-bikes were becoming mainstream. Though they first emerged in the 90s, they were expensive, bulky and…

Originally Published March 28th 2024 At the foot of the towering peaks of the White Mountains lies Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in the Granite State. There, a large group of islands connected by this large body of water that serves as the gateway to the Merrimack River’s remarkable journey. This year, on St. Patrick’s…

“They say every man can be replaced. They say every distance is not near. So I remember every face of every man who put me here,” is the opening verse to “I Shall Be Released” by Bob Dylan, a song that became my mantra four years ago. At 45, I found myself on life support…

Originally published March 21st 2024 In the summer of last year, Gavin Marengi set off for Nashville to take the stage at The Basement, a unique venue nestled beneath a record store. With space for 150 people, mostly standing room only, and characterized by its low ceiling, the venue creates a cozy atmosphere where artists…