The 5th Annual Winnipesaukee Wine Festival at Church Landing!

Get ready for two great nights of music, food, and wine next week, as the Fifth Annual Winnipesaukee Wine Festival and the Pre-Festival Beach Party come to the shores of Meredith Bay on Wednesday, June 23^rd and Thursday the 24^th!

The Wine Festival will be held on Thursday from 5:30 – 8:00 in the Winnipesaukee Ballroom at Church Landing, where 21 vendors and winemakers will offer tastings of hundreds of fine wines accompanied by delicious hors d’oeuvres.  These delectable dishes will be prepared by several local eateries, including Lakehouse Grille, The Corner House Inn, The Coe House, Wild Coyote Grill, Owen’s Farm Stand, Town Docks, Lago, and Camp.

Also on hand will be Cisco Brewers, a microbrewery and distillery from Nantucket, offering samples of their small-batch beers, as well as their popular Triple Eight Vodka.  They will even set up an ice bar, where folks can enjoy martinis poured through the ice luge!

Music will be provided by the talented local jazz duo of Don Williams and David Tonkin, who play frequently throughout New Hampshire in various jazz ensembles and bands, and are also on staff at the Concord Community Music School.  Nothing goes better with fine wine and food than great jazz music!

A $50 donation per person is requested, and all proceeds benefit The Haiti Limb Project, a small charity that was started locally to help survivors of the recent earthquake in Haiti.  All the money raised will be hand delivered to the people who directly help the amputees there.

The Inns and Spa at Mill Falls are helping out too, by extending special rates just for the occasion.  With proof of your ticket purchase for the festival, a room at Mill Falls is $99, and a room at Chase House or Bay Point only $109.  You can wine and dine all night long and not worry about driving home!

Frank Barbagallo of Duckhorn Wine Company in Napa Valley, California pours samples for attendees at last year's Winnipesaukee Wine Festival.

“It’s the biggest bang for your buck,” says Diane Downing of the Common Man Family, who is organizing the event.  “There will be over 100 wines, beautiful food, wonderful music, rooms at the Inns at half price… and every penny goes to our charity.”

To top it off, there will be a raffle for the fundraiser with some great prizes, including magnums of wine from some of the vendors, an overnight stay at the Inns and Spa at Mill Falls, an overnight stay at the Common Man Inn, something special from Wholly Tara Boutique in Ashland, and a vacation package of three nights and four days for four people at a beach cottage on Nantucket.

Kick off the event early at the Pre- Festival Beach Party to be held at Town Docks Wednesday evening at 6:00.  Enjoy some summer sangria while you dance on the sand!  Robbie Leblanc, formerly of Toto, will be there with his new band to keep the party jumping!  There will be no cover charge for this event and half the proceeds will go to the Haiti Limb Project.

These two days of festivities are “more than just sipping wine,” says Diane.  “These people give so much.”  To join the fun and the good cause, call the Common Man Family at 603-968-9330 or visit their website at www.thecman.com.  For the special room rates at the Inns, please call 800-622-6455 and mention the Winnipesaukee Wine Festival.  Hope to see you there!

Carrie Reed
The Mill Falls Blogging Team

Image credit:  yashima at Flickr.com

Meredith Hosts First Annual Pond Hockey Classic Tournament

Get ready for another busy weekend in the village—The New England Pond Hockey Classic will be held February 5^th through the 7^th and will bring together 77 teams from across the northeast to compete on seven rinks that are ready on the ice of Meredith Bay.

Pond hockey is a form of ice hockey that is a traditional winter game played by pick-up teams on a natural frozen body of water in northern towns. “It’s going to be a throwback experience, like going back in time to hockey’s roots, to the real basics. People have a lot of good memories of pond hockey and that’s really how the game was born,” said Scott Crowder, tournament director.

The 3-day tournament will accommodate adult teams in five different age divisions.  Games will be played in a four-on-four, no goalie, round-robin format, with small, six-inch high goals. “That discourages slap shots and makes accuracy and passing a big part of the game,” Crowder said.  There will be no referees, but instead a rink monitor who will ensure that the competitive spirit of the players stays in place.

The New England Pond Hockey Classic (NEPHC) has partnered with four non-profits:  The Greater Meredith Program, Restore Hockey, Lakes Region Youth Hockey and the Special Olympics of NH.  All will be present throughout the course of the weekend hoping to raise some money to benefit their missions.  NEPHC will hold a silent auction and raffle in the Chase House Flagship Ballroom on Friday and Saturday from 9:00 – 5:00, with all proceeds going to benefit the non-profit partners.

NEPHC is also planning two socials to take place in the Flagship Ballroom.  On Friday evening, tournament participants and guests can be merry while watching the Hockey East game live on NESN, and at the Saturday night social, winners of the Silent Auction and Raffle will be announced.  Both events will have a cash bar and light fare provided by the Common Man Restaurant.

“We have received a wonderful response from participants, sponsors, and volunteers alike,” says Crowder.  “We currently have over 35 teams on a wait list for the tournament.  We have over 60 volunteers and a number of wonderful sponsors on board to help make this event a great success in its first year.”

Crowder, the founder of Ekal Excursions LLC, which was formed to promote the Lakes Region lifestyle year-round, says, “I couldn’t be happier to call Lake Winnipesaukee and Meredith my home.  Visitors during tournament weekend will truly feel like they have traveled back in time as they pull into the village with its charming character and old New England architecture and see a frozen lake filled with pond hockey rinks.”

Crowder says the New England Pond Hockey Classic is looking to run an event that will grow over the years and ultimately involve multiple locations around the lake for much larger tournaments.  “It’s nice to provide this opportunity for pond hockey players from New England.  We hope the Pond Hockey Classic will become an annual event for the players of this region for years to come.”

Can’t make it to the event? 
Thanks to InterLakes.TV, you can watch the 2010 New England Pond Hockey Classic from the comfort of your own home!  Some videos will be pre-recorded and others will be streamed live from Lake Winnipesaukee.
 Please visit www.interlakes.tv to watch the action!

Pond Hockey Tournament in Maine:

sources:

http://pondhockeyclassic.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pond_hockey

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=NH’s+Pond+Hockey+Classic+will+draw+hundreds+next+month&articleId=c39a1111-b9e8-4d25-a520-40e2103e7529

http://www.vacationlakesregionnh.com/ArticleView/tabid/310/smid/920/ArticleID/649/reftab/311/t/New-England-Pond-Hockey-Classic/Default.aspx

Mill Falls Resort Hosts New Year’s Silver Celebration

Get ready for a very special New Year’s holiday on the lake—The Inns and Spa at Mill Falls will be turning 25 this coming year, and they are throwing a big party to celebrate!  The resort is hosting a New Year’s Silver Celebration Gala in the Winnipesaukee Ballroom at Church Landing, which promises to be spectacular!

The lucky guests will arrive to a champagne and strawberries reception in the lobby and a chance to mingle amid the sound of live piano music in the Oval Room.  The party continues in the Ballroom, where a beautiful gourmet dinner will be served.  Five plated courses, from Hors D’Oeuvres to decadent dessert, will be prepared by the Lakehouse Grille and accompanied by a champagne toast.  Dancing into the wee hours is expected, with energetic live music performed by Center Stage.

Outside, folks will be able to enjoy the festive holiday lights adorning Meredith while taking a Horse & Buggy ride around the village.  And at 10:30, everyone in town will be watching the breathtaking fireworks display over Meredith Bay!

The Ballroom Gala has already sold out, but you may still be able to find a table at Lakehouse Grille, where one can luxuriate in a fine, candlelight dinner with a view of Lake Winnipesaukee.  The restaurant does not take reservations, but will put your name on the list with call-ahead seating that night, so plan to arrive early and relax with a beverage by the fireplace before dinner.

Congratulations to The Mill Falls Resort, and Happy New Year to all!

‘We shall not forget’ Moment of remembrance at annual Sept. 11 commemoration

from an artical by Erin Plummer in the Meredith News

September 16, 2009

MEREDITH — Eight years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, remembrances and messages of honor and were shared in Hesky Park for the annual commemoration hosted by American Legion Post 33.

“It was a day like this, a little sunnier – the kids were back in school,” said Pat Kelly. “For thousands of people in New York, Washington, Pennsylvania, it was not like any other day. It’s for those reasons we remember those who lost their lives on Sept. 11.”

Kelly asked that people remember those who work on the front lines, such as fire, police, and those fighting overseas.

Traditionally the Fire Department has rung the “Four Fives” in honor of firefighters who were lost. This year, however, a bell was not available and the occasion was instead commemorated with a moment of silence.

“Eight years ago today the United States was rocked by the horror of terrorism,” said Lt. Keith True of the Meredith Police Department, saying terrorism remains on the minds of Americans after Sept. 11. He spoke of how things have changed since Sept. 11.

“Daily when we see men and women in military uniforms we think of the daily loss of life,” he said. “I just ask that as you think of those who lost their lives, those who will make the ultimate sacrifice, everyday you close your eyes if only for a brief moment in prayer and say ‘Thank you, I will not forget,’” True said.

He also spoke of the children who were born in September of 2001 who are now entering third grade.

Meredith Fire Chief Ken Jones recalled traveling by plane this summer for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001 and going through the rigorous security check before boarding. Jones said he did not like the process but later felt he had been selfish.

“What little I had to do to board the plane in my travels (was) very, very little what many families have to do since Sept. 11,” Jones said.

“Today we’re going to hear the words many times, and there is a benefit to the repetition: ‘we shall not forget.’” said Meredith Board of Selectmen Chair Peter Brothers. “As a grateful nation we must express supreme appreciation to those who lost their lives on Sept. 11. Our prayers and appreciation also reaches out to the countless brave and selfless individuals that went out (on response). Please join me in observing this eighth anniversary of Sept. 11.”

“It’s not only this day that we must remember, it’s this day, it’s everyday, it’s our obligation,” said Sen. Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro. “If we forget that freedom is not free our country will no longer be free.”

Bradlety said he was once given a shirt that said “Got Heroes?”

“We know we have heroes they are amongst us everyday, they are out firefighters, our first responders,” Bradley said. “We have our teachers, we have our parents, all of us have those responsibilities to make sure that for those who serve our country and have served our country we take the opportunity to thank them.”

American Legion Post 33 Commander Bob Kennelly said the memorial was mostly done through the work of his wife Kay, who died on July 18.

“She was the glue that put this program together,” he said.

Kennelly said he and his wife retired to Meredith from New York City, where he worked for Con Edison. His nephew Peter Weinberg was working on the 76th floor for a Japanese company when the building was hit. He helped people get out of the building and escaped himself, though two Japanese executives that stayed behind lost their lives.

“We knew some of the people who died that day,” Kennelly said. “The terrorists who committed their dastardly acts were not only going after humans, they were going after the American way. We must remember our homefront soldiers. To the victims of 9/11, I promise not to forget. To the families of 9/11 victims, you have my sympathy and my promise that they did not die in vain. (To those in the military) we must be committed to supporting them … and we must not forget their sacrifice.”

Ralph Ascoli lost his sister Debbie Mannetta on Sept. 11, 2001. She was working as a secretary at Carr Futures on the 91st floor of the North Tower when the first plane hit a few months after returning to work after having her daughter and after her husband was promoted to sergeant on the New York Police Department.

“She didn’t know that was the last week she would see her 3-year-old go to nursery school,” Ascoli said.

Ascoli later said someone in the office handed around a phone after the first plane hit and Mannetta briefly spoke to her husband Kenny to tell him she was fine. She was working at the World Trade Center in 1993 when a bomb was set in the garage area and she recalled the mad rush to leave the buildings.

The family did not know where she was until around October of 2001, and her remains were positively identified in June of 2002

Her daughters are now 11 and 8, and her husband retired from the police force to better take care of them.

“It’s everyday, it’s not once a year; you feel it this day more than ever,” Ascoli said. “You think about the girls having to grow up with no mother.”

Ascoli lives in Strafford and said he learned of the Meredith memorial from friend Lainie Rosato, who sang the National Anthem at Friday’s memorial.

Ascoli and Kennelly dropped a wreath in Lake Winnipesaukee in honor of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11.

Youth Sailing Lessons on Winnipesaukee

Meredith Bay Sailing Association (MBSA) on Lake Winnipesaukee, NH is a US Sailing certified community sailing program based out of Hesky Park in Meredith. MBSA is a not-for-profit 501(C)3 organization founded to provide people of the Lakes Region sailing opportunities. For more information about our program offerings please call (603)-455-SAIL/7245 or email meredithbaysailingassociation@gmail.com