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Region
Obituaries
Abstract Paintings & Tribal Masks Exhibition At New Hampshire Antique Co-Op
Now on view through May 31, 2020
Congregational Church Stays Connected
During the suspension of in-person activities in light of the Covid-19 situation, the Congregational Church of Amherst, UCC has a variety of ways for members and others to connect with church programs. This is especially important during April as Holy Week and Easter are on the horizon.
The most up-to-date information about church activities can be found on the church’s website (ccamherst.org) or by calling the church office at 673-3231. Sunday services are broadcast on FacebookLive and recorded for later on-line viewing. Services are followed by a Virtual Fellowship Hour. Links for these and other events can be found on the website.
The church’s Facebook page is another source of information, including updates and video messages from the pastors. Pastors Maureen Frescott and Kate Kennedy are available to provide pastoral care during this time, and the church welcomes community members to connect with this loving, serving, open and affirming community of faith.
Lorraine Alice Hamilton
AMHERST – Lorraine Alice Hamilton of Amherst, New Hampshire, Beach Haven, New Jersey and Rancho Mirage, California died June 14, 2020 from pancreatic cancer at her home in California. She was 73 years old and a participant in the trial of a new cancer drug at NYU Langone in New York City since April 2019. She hoped that results from the trial would improve care for other patients who develop this cancer. She was with her family when she died and was
Donald Richard Haaker
Donald Richard Haaker, 80, born June 2, 1940, son of Carl E Haaker and Jeanne LaRochelle Haaker of Fitchburg, MA, son, brother, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, peacefully passed away on Sunday, June 7, 2020 at Saint Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, MA.
Don, as he was affectionately referred to by friends, and Dad or Grandpa by family, was a proud veteran, avid fisherman, former business owner, collector of “As Seen On TV” gadgets, and
DECEMBER 2020
Community
The Regional Gardening Guide
Sue Spiess (L) with Meg Clemens with the AGC's Regional Gardening Guide
AMHERST – Do you need a present for a friend/gardner? Do you need a reminder of WHAT to do WHEN in your garden? Whether you are an experienced gardener or new to the scene, The Amherst Garden Club’s “Regional Gardening Throughout the Year” is an invaluable guide. Hundreds of helpful hints, facts, and gorgeous photos are categorized by month in a 12” x 9” calendar format that can be used over many years. This guide was developed as part of the upcoming 50th anniversary celebration by the Anniversary Calendar Committee which included gardening gurus Meg Clemens, Nancy Hokinson, Diane Merrithew, Judy Smith, Sue Spiess and Karen Woodbury and the brilliant guidance of Nancy Head. Together, they created a document you will treasure.
The Guide is now available for $17.50 including postage. Guides are available online at amherstgardenclub.org or at the Amherst Garden Center, Rte 101, Amherst.
The guide is not attached to a specific year so it can be used year after year, with places to record your own notes. Each month includes hints for garden design, flowers and lawn, fruit, vegetables and herbs, houseplants, trees and shrubs and general hints. The garden photos have been gathered from our members’ gardens and are guaranteed to inspire you to get out in your own garden.
AAUW Southern NH Branch News
“Diversity in New Hampshire” January 26, via Zoom
The Southern NH Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) has scheduled the second program in their Civic Engagement Series – Part 2 on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 7 p.m. Photographer and author Becky Field and Southern NH University alumna Mahboba Akhtarzadah will present their program, “Diversity in New Hampshire”, via Zoom.
Becky Field has been documenting the lives of immigrants and refugees in New Hampshire.
Her first book (2015), Different Roots, Common Dreams: New Hampshire’s Cultural Diversity (pub. 2015), won two national awards. Her newest book, Finding Home: Portraits and Memories of New Hampshire Immigrants (pub. 2020) is a collection of 40 essays by immigrants about resettling in New Hampshire. Books are available at some libraries and also bookstores including the Toadstool Bookshops.
Mahboba Aktharzadah came from Afghanistan to the United States in 2013 on a full scholarship to SNHU and graduated in 2018 in Information Technology. She now works in that field with a federal government contractor. Having contracted polio as a child, she faced many challenges during her schooling in Afghanistan, which made her a strong advocate for good education.
If interested in attending the program via Zoom, please contact Program Co-chair Johanna Tigert at johanna_tigert@uml.edu for the zoom link information.
The third program is still being planned.
Amherst Resident is a Winner in the RTN Front Porch Project Contest
WALTHAM, MA – Amherst resident Jason Gerardo is one of five winners of RTN Federal Credit Union’s Front Porch Project contest. The summer contest asked RTN members to share in ten words or fewer what COVID-19 meant to them, with each winner getting a family portrait taken outside their homes in keeping with social distancing guidelines. “It was heartfelt reading all the entries and learning what COVID-19 has meant to our members,” comments Nicole James, RTN Executive Vice President. “Front Porch and outdoor portraits have become a way to document individual families’ and our collective experience during the pandemic.
Winner Jason Gerardo with wife Mollie, son Porter and daughters Piper and Portia. His quote: New baby girl arriving soon in a strange new world.
During this unusual time, it’s more important than ever to stay connected and that’s what the contest was all about.”
RTN is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative committed to helping members achieve financial well-being through quality products and personalized service. Founded in 1945, RTN is one of the largest credit unions in Massachusetts, with nearly $1 billion in assets, nearly 50,000 members and 18 branches. RTN Federal Credit Union serves more than 1,100 sponsor groups including two major employers in Massachusetts – Raytheon Technologies and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.