Sebastian Richter, of
Chichester, NH, was named to the Becker College Dean’s List for the
Fall 2015 semester.
Congratulations, Sebastian!
Do you have a child who is soured by Lyme
disease? Children with Lyme disease need support. Children 6-12
years old with Lyme disease are welcomed to attend a new support
group being held at the Chichester Town Library on Wednesday,
January 27, from 6-7 p.m. For more information call 998-3445
Chichester Grange will meet on Wednesday,
February 3, at 7 p.m. upstairs in the Grange Hall.
Out Of Your
Attic Thrift Shop News
Submitted By Carol
Hendee
The Attic may have more items than you realize. We have
clothes for all ages and sizes, and we have a lot more. For
example: dishes - sets and single plates; kitchen utensils;
check the walls in every room - nice pictures in frames; single
frames; drapes; small appliances; old 331/3 records; baby bottoms
and tops, 0-12 mos. 2/25¢! Don’t forget toys. We have a nice
Barbie and dolls like Barbie collection, on sale for $1.00 for
Barbie and 50¢ for her friends.
Rte 28, Chichester, near the Pittsfield line. Mon. 8-12; Tues. &
Thurs. 8-4; Wed. 11-4 & Sat. 10-4; Call 247-7191 if the weather is
“iffy.”
Chichester
Town Library News
Pre-schoolers and kindergarteners will be
gathering tomorrow morning at 10:30 for their weekly crafts, stories
and fun time.
“To Catch a Thief” is this week’s classic movie, to be shown Friday,
January 29th, at 2 p.m. at the Library. This is classified as
a romantic thriller, released in 1955 and starring the inimitable
Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. It won an Academy Award for
cinematography.
Tomorrow is the program, “Managing Caregivers’ Stress,” focusing on
Alzheimer’s disease and presented by the Concord Regional Visiting
Nurses Association. It is being offered at the Epsom Library.
Please call either Epsom or Chichester Library for more details.
Annually, members of the Chichester community make Valentines for
veterans. This year, we will be sending those Valentines up to
the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton. Come into the
Library after January 28th, when a table will be set up for kids and
adults to make these cards. If anyone would rather work at
home, their valentines will still be thankfully accepted for
delivery. Sharing, heart-to-heart, with our worthy veterans.
Recognized as a means of relieving stress, coloring books for adults
have become the “in” thing to do. The Library now has some of
these coloring books, along with colored pencils, crayons, etc., for
those who would like to try it and/or for something to do as you
bring your children in to enjoy the Library.
Down Cellar Poets will be meeting on
Monday, February 1st, at 7 p.m.
The Chichester Town Library is scheduled
to be open Monday and Wednesday from 2:30- 8:30 p.m., Tuesday and
Thursday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Friday from 1:30-4:30 p.m. and
Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
Need to add some books to your library? The Down Cellar Used
Book Section is open whenever the Library is open, with the
exception of when a meeting is being held. Pick what you want;
see library staff; and, go home to curl up and read at your own
pace.
Save the afternoon of February 21st for the inspirational speaker
Randy Pierce. This is a great program for young people, as
well as adults. Watch for more information about Randy and his
program.
The Women Of
Clark’s Grain Store
By Meggin Dail
It can be said that Clark’s Grain Store of
Chichester, NH is a good place to pick up chicks… as long as you’re
speaking of the poultry variety because each spring, like clockwork
you open the door to a myriad of peeping and you know the chicks are
in. Sometimes the sign outside even says, “Pick Up Chicks Here.”
It’s all tongue and cheek of course but if you didn’t know you might
be surprised. After all the place is overrun by women, or more to
the point, run by women.
Nancy Yeaton, president of Clark’s Grain
Store, preceded by her mom and dad, Lois and Cal Farnsworth,
preceded by former owners Arthur and Hazel (Marston) Hurd, comes
from a long line of strong women. She also has surrounded herself
with strong women. After all to run a grain store, you need some
strength; physical strength and, perhaps, strength in numbers.
For anyone not familiar with Clark’s Grain
Store, even though it’s been there for, a bajillion years, you may
recognize it by the sign out front on the fences that humbly reads
“Clarks” or the taller “highway” sign that indicates “Blue Seal”
with a message underneath, sometime telling us that the pellets are
in, or the birdseed, or it’s time to fertilize, or, of course that
the chicks you ordered are in. Sometimes it even reads “Clark’s
Grain Store” to remind those who don’t know that this is where you
can find it all.
While Clarks’ is far from a five and dime, it is a store that is
reminiscent of a bygone era where you can walk in and there’s
everything you need. From plants and the supplies they need,
birdseed and bird baths, pest control, fresh eggs, dog and cat
toys, chews, food and more, outdoor thermometers, ash cans, bedding
and food for your farm animals, and so much more plus there’s the
train display at Christmastime.
Many will walk into Clark’s just to look around, others have
business or need advice on what fertilizer to use, which grain is
best, what is Jill down the road using as bedding for her chickens?
Those who don’t know Nancy, Stacy, Nina, Sandy, Judy or Linda may
have to keep looking if they are searching for the “man in charge.”
Seems that while we’ve come so far in breaking down certain roles
women play, perhaps the grain store is not the place to expect these
roles once held by men to be filled by qualified women, some for
more than twenty-five years. If they go so far as to seek male
management in the Ossipee store, they’ll find manager Wendy Main.
Even the web page is run by a woman; Nancy Carr.
Of course, back in the day, Nina Stevens
had to sell the idea of a woman being a bookkeeper for the company,
or even having a bookkeeper at all. I’m guessing her Scottish brogue
might have given her an edge because Nina’s just not someone you say
no to. Neither is Stacy Mulcahy, in charge of ordering. When I first
came into Clark’s to ask Nancy about advertising, it was clear to me
that if I wanted Clark’s to advertise, I had to talk to the team.
Right away I saw Stacy on the phone placing orders but still with an
ear listening to my pitch to Nancy. Nancy would then ask the opinion
of those around her, mostly women, and while Stacy was still on the
phone she would either nod or shake her head silently to disagree or
concur. While the decisions are ultimately Nancy’s (as she has a
soft-spot for horses, cardinals and cats) the running of Clark’s is
a group effort.
Nancy Carr not only runs the web page but
has the green thumb and takes care of the plants in the spring, come
winter she is cooking up how the festive train and its miniature
town and people will look just for customers enjoyment. Nancy Carr
has the tough job of filling Lois’ shoes and enjoys every minute of
it.
Nancy Yeaton has always had an affinity
for horses and that is one of the reasons running Clark’s appealed
so to her. Her affinity turned into a bevy of knowledge not just on
horses but on pretty much everything rural, farm, and plant, which
she is willing to share with her customers, friends and community.
She also learns from those who come into the store for certain
recipes of fertilizer, grain, and seed. Many times Nancy and the
others will refer customers to other customers to help answer
questions. “It’s a network of information here.” While Nancy hasn’t
purposely surrounded herself with women (after all, there are males
employed at the store, including husband, Jeremy) she can appreciate
that there is a certain understood bond here among them. “Sure there
may be a little more emotion around the shop, but even that helps
our customers know we are passionate about what we do and the
product we sell."
Recently at a Blue Seal conference in the
Midwest, even after being introduced, Nancy was brushed aside as the
big wigs and suppliers proceeded to chat up Jeremy. “I still have to
prove myself in 2016.”
If you’re in the area and have a need for
seed, a question about cat food, want to know where to find the
largest tomato cages one can buy or just want to pop in for some
freshly popped popcorn, you need to visit warm, friendly,
knowledgeable Nancy and the women who work with her. This is not to
exclude the men, it just happened to have worked out this way. Let’s
just say, in this instance, now you know who rules the roost.
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