Can Alton's Nh2o Spring Water Co. Be Bailed Out?

The latest from Deanna at Sunny Slope Farm, where Nh2o spring water is bottled: 

Dear Friends & Supporters,
I thought you would enjoy seeing my sister Fae’s artwork.

As you can see below, we are still raising funds to save the Big Lot of Sunny Slope Farm….We are so close! We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, thank the Lord!

Thank you so much for considering purchasing one of Fae’s unique and incredible creations. …90% of the sales receipts will go toward the Save Sunny Slope Farm Fund.

For those of you who have already donated so generously to help us save Sunny Slope Farm, (thank you so much!), I am sending this anyway because I thought you would enjoy seeing Fae’s work anyway (she has such a vision!)…. Sorta of a small visual Thank you!

We are incredibly grateful for this process. We have learned so much about our relationships, especially our relationships with each other.

It has been a big lesson (once again!) that if you don’t stand on pride, if you are just honest about what you need and you exercise humility instead of being exercised by your own vanity, God will provide you help in abundance.

Because of this experience we have been blessed to see the generosity of friends and of complete strangers. We have been enveloped with love. And, especially amazing, we have had several people reach out to us with an interest in buying or becoming a part of Chamberlain Springs.

That never would have happened without this experience of simply reaching out with full hearts and saying “We need help, Please”.

This hasn’t been easy, but it has been a gift.

Thank you for your time and all the efforts you make on our behalf!

Deanna 

Sunny Slope Farm

166 Old Wolfeboro Rd., Alton, NH 03809

603-875-7562 home-office / / 603-387-3889 cell

www.ChamberlainSpringsNh2o.com

ART SALE TO SAVE SUNNY SLOPE FARM

Dear friends, patients, students, and family, 

We have one week left to raise the money that will keep our New Hampshire farm in the family. 

My sister and I inherited Sunny Slope Farm, in Alton NH, from our father in 2002. 

He grew up there with his six brothers and sisters, and my sister Deanna lives there now with her husband Tim.

Dad loved the land and was dedicated, as are we, to caring for it and preserving its 285 acres of woods, streams and fields. It is home to many critters and plants, and is the source for beautiful pure spring water, which we bottle there in our barn. 

This sale of my artwork is one of the many efforts to save our farm.

We are receiving help from many kind humans, including my daughter Reade and friend Grace who have helped me do my version of “going viral”. It has taken a bit to get the portfolios organized and up for viewing, and here I am at last!

Most people these days know me as acupuncturist and/or yoga teacher. Earlier in life, I was known as artist, showing at various galleries on and off-island, and teaching printmaking. During the years of studying and practicing acupuncture, I’ve also been working quietly in my studio, doing a little bit here, showing a little bit there. Recently I started a sabbatical from my acupuncture practice in order to focus more on art.

I have put together these "flickr" portfolios as a way of presenting art for sale at a range of prices. The smaller pieces slide between $5.00 to $50.00, followed by several groups of greater amounts, up to pieces between $1,000-$1,500. To determine specific prices and the bought/sold status of individual pieces just email Fae at faellen@gmail.comor call her at 508-693-6993.

 These pictures are not portraits or landscapes in the conventional sense. They are pictures of my inner landscape and portraits of how I understand what it is to be human. If you see a piece you like, either email me or call and we’ll work out the exact price. 

Go to  kontje-gibbs' photosets on Flickr to view them. Click on one of the folios to see the pictures. Try the slide show option.

Because we have only one week left please let me know as soon as possible  if you are interested. Call or email if you would like a studio visit... 90% of all sales (and, of course, all of any separate donations) goes to this effort.

Blessings to you and all yours.

Whatever Happened To... (Food Division)

Remember Red Flannel Hash?  It used to be a regular item on many New England diner menus. 
Recently it was revived at the Déjà Vu Diner in Laconia. Potatoes, corned beef, onions, beets... And it got us to thinking about other restaurant foods that are no longer as popular as they once were. 
For instance, you used to be able to order a single soft-boiled egg for breakfast and have it served in a tiny stand-up cup; you had to carefully crack open the egg with your spoon and 'dig in'. (But it was tough getting toast into that tiny hole, which may be one reason it's not seen much any more.)
Or breakfast foods like a glass of prune juice or a half-grapefruit. (I confess it's been a while since we've been in the Déjà Vu so they may have these on their menu; we know they serve plenty of good, hearty meals.)
Or how about lunch and dinner items like liver-and-onions or country fried steak - both of which are still available at the Tilt'n Diner, if you can believe that.
But what about a tongue sandwich? (Yes, you could buy one years ago.) Or a glass of tomato juice with a slice of lemon on the side? And what ever happen to a sprig of parsley - which was sometimes mentioned on the menu as part of the meal? 
Consommé is a strong soup that was listed on the Titanic's second-class dinner menu the night it sunk.
What about french fries with gravy, which lots of diner patrons loved? Or a cherry - or vanilla - Coke? Yes, you can buy bottles of them now but they were once only available at bars and restaurants where enterprising dining people added the flavorful syrup to the soda at the counter. 
We just learned that the grapenut custard pudding has recently disappeared from the menu at T-Bones in Laconia. Too bad... a yummy, smooth pudding but apparently not as popular as the peanut butter banana cream pie or carrot cake. 

Can you think of other restaurant menu items that are no longer available? 

Maybe we can get the Déjà Vu or Tilt'n diners to revive a few of them.


In the meantime, have a great Memorial Day weekend.

Good News for Nh2o?

Our friends at Nh2o and Chamberlain Farms got some much-needed attention today with a front page story on the Laconia Daily Sun. Great job by our old friend, Adam Drapco.


Daily Sun story about Alton spring water company problems


BTW, Deanna emailed us this morning with news that she's already spoken to someone who's read the new story and appears willing to help. Time is running very short... 

Lakes Region Winners

Today we're announcing the names of some of the winners of our "Get a FREE Lakes Region photo book" contest... Go to our company FB page @ Carbone Productions to see if you're eligible to get a copy "The Lakes Region of New Hampshire: Four Seasons, Countless Memories,"  a $29.95 retail value at no cost! (Some people are being notified by email so if you don't see your name, check all your email accounts.)

More Good Lakes Region News

Mucho congrats to Alex Ray, owner of the Common Man family of restaurants - recently named among the state's best philanthropists by the Hippo in its annual "Best of Readers" poll. Folks who know the Lakes Region have known for years that Alex is one of the best. "He's one of the most generous people I've ever met,"  one employee said not long ago.

A Splash of Reality

Here is the latest news from Deanna O’Shaughnessy and the team that bottles Nh2o spring water at Sunny Slope Farm in Alton (slightly edited for clarity - if you'd like more background on the story, please refer to earlier posts.)

Hello dear friends and family and supporters of Sunny Slope Farm & Nh2o,

We have had the good news from the bank and from Belknap County Economic Development Council (that helped the bottling company get started by supporting efforts to secure funding) that if we can raise the $53,000 by May 30 (the date currently scheduled for our property auction for unpaid debt) to pay-off the Profile Bank credit line, they will amend our other existing (debt) notes so we can pay them over time, and we will be able to keep our family farm and our ability to make a living on it - and possibly to even be able to still harvest our beautiful Spring Water! What a blessing!

Now all we have to do is raise the $53,000!

Last week we received a simple envelope in the mail, There was no note, hardly a return address on the envelope, and it contained a check for $500 from one of our neighbors here in Alton!

We felt so blessed and humbled that a gentleman who we haven’t seen in nearly two years and only remembers me as Deanna “Chamberlain” would exercise so much generosity on our behalf!

On Saturday I worked the Newmarket Farmers’ Market, and (no pride left at this point) I even put a glass vase out on my table with a sign, "Please Help Save Sunny Slope Farm!" I practically tackled everyone who passed by and if they didn’t buy a bottle of Nh2o, I asked if they would be willing to make a contribution to help us save our family farm. People were so kind ~ they put in dollar bills, and five and ten dollar bills, even a $20 or two. People who only know Nh2o a little bit, people who don’t even know us or Sunny Slope Farm, donated a total of over $163! One of our regular customers, bless her heart, wrote us a check for $53 and said, “I wish I could do more, but here is 100^th of 1% of that $53,000”.

The tears burst into my eyes!

And, That is it! That is what we are asking! If everyone could send a check for $53 ~ not the whole $53,000, not even 1% or the $53,000 ~ just a check for $53, together we could raise the money we need to cover the shortfall we are facing right now.  

We know it sounds overwhelming, (tell us about it!) - to finish raising $53,000 in fewer than 10 days, but it isn’t impossible. No one person has to rescue the farm. Together, we can all rescue Sunny Slope if we pull together over the next seven days to gather, one crumpled dollar-by-dollar, by $50 by $100 into the hat - we can make a difference if we each just put our spirits and our hearts and our pennies together!

I know each and every one of you has his or her own burdens to bear but I also know that when we reach out from that clenched place where we fear lack and loss and give our neighbor a helping hand, we feel the better, the lighter, the more graced with abundance for it!

Please help us save Sunny Slope Farm! We can do this together, one loving heart at a time!

Deanna and Tim and Fae

Deanna O’Shaughnessy

(Please make checks out to: Chamberlain Springs We have to have the money in the bank and clearing by the May 29.)

Sunny Slope Farm

166 Old Wolfeboro Rd.

Alton, NH 03809

603-875-7562 home-office / / 603-387-3889 cell

 Sunny Slope Farm - Nh2o

What's the Price of the Land?

It was more than 15 years ago but  the reporter's comments still ring in my ears.

I had just started working for the Laconia Citizen, just beginning to grasp the complex task of telling to people the daily story of how their communities developed. What happened at local board meetings, school group gathering, public business forums, etc., was often tedious.
But this was an honorable task.

So as much as I could, I tried to learn from the more seasoned reporters.

And I clearly remember the day one came into the newsroom after his first view of the land now known popularly as the "Laconia State School Property" - the hundreds of acres that had formerly housed the Laconia State School for “retarded” people under the state’s care.

"Man, what a view," the reporter said, taking off his coat. "There's nothing like it I've ever seen in the Lakes Region... It should be turned into some kind of private resort or something. A golf course. It would be worth millions. It would bring in millions of dollars of taxpayers money."

The remarks echoed in my head again this week with the news that the state-owned property may soon be in the hands of Laconia. Elected state officials in Concord appear to be moving closer and closer to letting the Lake City buy the land for its approximate currently appraised cost of about $2.16-million. The City Council has already approved the figure.

But a question remains.

If Laconia buys the land, what should be done with it?

Some folks say it shouldn’t even consider taking the land – that there's already too much "tax-exempt" property in Laconia and there are environmental clean-up issues at the old school that could cost additional millions to resolve. 

“If the $2.16-million is such a good price why hasn't a private developer expressed interest in the land,” one asked in a recent public letter.

Others talk about turning huge acreage into some kind of recreational center or even a nature preserve.

Still other folks see the huge parcel on the north end as perhaps Laconia's last and best chance to manage its development. 
“If the city decides wisely, the Laconia State School property could become an engine for our economy that attracts young professionals to Laconia, increases surrounding property values and contributes to the revitalization of downtown," one resident wrote. Without that involvement, an independent developer could build a project that has negative long-term impacts on the city and the region, he adds.

It's not hard to see how a municipally based project can have a positive impact on a community. Just look at Baltimore's seaport area or the tourism town of Cape May, NJ. Both were severely depressed before the communities sought improvements.

And it's just as easy to identify government-led projects that ended up costing millions and screwing up major redevelopment. Who’s old enough to remember the demolition of Boston's old Scully Square and the horrid Government Plaza area that replaced it? Or many of the federal Urban Renewal Projects – including the local one that nearly demolished the Historic Belknap Mill? 

But what may be most important about what evolves with the old state school land is not just the local impact but the unique opportunity it provides for all of the towns around Winnipesaukee, Winnisquam, Opechee, etc.

The Lakes Region is no longer a group of small towns loosely connected by common themes and history. It is now a multi-faceted, interconnected entity.  And its future – for good or for bad – is shared.
The reality is that Laconia - as the "big brother" in the family - has a unique place and responsibility. 

So when the serious discussions begin – and sometime soon, we hope – make sure there's room around the table for everyone: local political, business and educational leaders, as well as knowledgeable representatives from Meredith, Gilford, Belmont - even Wolfeboro and Center Harbor.

Some decisions will be made. 

Let's pray they're wise ones for all the Lakes Region.