Monthly Archive for January, 2011

It’s Friday and that means Winter Market at Spring Ledge Farm in New London, NH!

Published on January 28, 2011 in New London Community. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Spring Ledge Farm will be open today from 3-6pm (Friday, 1/28/11).  They’ll have their own potatoes (available in bulk as well), garlic, micro mix, pea shoots, beets, turnips and winter squashes and the best sweet potatoes you’ve ever tasted.  Locally grown and raised offerings include lamb, beef, eggs, honey, maple syrup, cheeses, ice cream, cookies and artisan bread.  New this week – Tio Juan’s Salsa – locally made.

Perennial Plant of the Year 2011:  Amsonia hubrichtii (Arkansas Blue Star Flower)

This is a distinctive native species from the central part of the U.S.  It has feathery foliage with a pale powdery blue cluster of star-like flowers.  It grows 3-4′ tall and wide.  Plant in full sun to partial shade in average, well drained soil.  It is a low maintenance plant that is also deer-resistant.  Amsonia adds a billowy, finely textured element to the landscape.  It grows into a dense mass, much like a small shrub.  The cool blue flowers can be useful in toning down adjacent flower colors.  Another valuable feature of Amsonia is its fall color; the entire plant turns a stunning shade of golden yellow and rust in autumn.  It makes an excellent backdrop for fall blooming perennials such as sedums and garden mums.  There are a few beautiful plants on display in the front garden at Spring Ledge Farm.  Check them out in the spring.

The staff at the farm has been busy filling pots for future transplants, ordering seeds and plants, reviewing last year’s crops and sowing tomatoes.

New London, NH’s 2011 Town Meeting Preview. Come to the Public Hearings on 1/31/11 and 2/14/11 and Join the Discussion!

Published on January 26, 2011 in New London Community. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

2011-2012 PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY

On January 31, the Budget Committee will hold the first of two public hearings on the proposed 2011-2012 budget. It is at these hearings that the Budget Committee will make final decisions on department and community requests, capital reserve funds, and the overall budget. Up until now, the Budget Committee has been deliberating—but has taken no votes —on the budget submitted by the Board of Selectmen on November 15. The public hearings will be the forums at which decisions will be made on the proposed budget.

Because the Board of Selectmen and Budget Committee voted to change from a traditional January-December fiscal year to the optional July-June fiscal year , this budget covers the 18 months from January 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012. While it is difficult to compare 18 months to 12 months, the 12 months of 2011 represent a 0.9% operating budget increase over the 2010 budget for the same time period (this follows a 0.3% operating budget decrease in 2010 and a 5% decrease in 2009). In addition, the budget for the first six months of 2012 is less than 50% of the previous 12 months. In August, the Board of Selectmen asked Town Administration and Department Heads for an operating budget of no more than a 2% increase.  The budget brought to the Board of Selectmen in October had an increase of 1.9%. Since then, changes were made that brought the increase down to 0.9%. Pending final approval by the Budget Committee, the Board of Selectmen’s budget contains the following:

• The Board of Selectmen changed the employee health insurance benefit, resulting in a 10% reduction in health insurance costs and saving the Town about $50,000. This savings includes, only in 2011, the decision to fund the deductible to soften the
transition to the new plan. Following the change, some employees opted to take the “buyout” that encourages them to use a spouse’s health plan at additional savings for the Town;
• Following the resignation of our long-time contract Planner, Ken McWilliams, we made changes to the operations of the Planning Department that reduced planning expenses by 50%, or $10,000;
• The Town’s Workers’ Compensation expense was lower than projected, saving almost $10,000; and

• With the assistance of Lake Sunapee and Sugar River banks, we refinanced most of our outstanding loans, reducing annual interest payments by about $10,000. Overall, debt interest payments are down 14% in 2011.

The following items contribute to the 0.9% budget increase:
• Payments to the NH Retirement System increased 10-15% to cover the Retirement System’s shortfall;
• We reinstated the annual household hazardous waste collection at a cost of $9,000;
• The request by New London Hospital for ambulance services increased by almost $39,000, or 41%; and
• Milfoil prevention grant requests from the lake associations total $21,200 in both 2011 and the first half of 2012.

BUDGET SUMMARY BY DEPARTMENT:
General Government: The General Government budget— 18% of the Town budget—increases by 0.5%. This slight increase is almost entirely related to the pending retirement of our long-time Finance Officer, Carol Fraley, resulting in overlapping employment for a period of time in 2011.
Public Safety: The Public Safety budget—24% of the Town budget— decreases by 2.7% in 2011. The savings come from the changed health insurance plan and reduced overtime in the Police Department.
Highways & Streets: The Public Works Department—23% of the total budget— increases by 1.2%. The increase is for: 1) repairs to the grader that should extend its life expectancy by seven years; and 2) sidewalk improvements on Main Street from Seamans Road past Colby-Sawyer College (the entire cost of which will be reimbursed by the Local and Regional Transportation Improvement Fund, paid for by a portion of motor vehicle registration fees).
Solid Waste: The Solid Waste budget increases by 1.2% as a result of reinstating the household hazardous waste collections. Without that expense, the Solid Waste budget would drop by almost 1%.
Recreation: The Recreation budget increases by 7.7% as a result of: 1) increasing lifeguard hours at Bucklin and Elkins Beaches to allow the beaches to stay open later; and 2) replacing sailboats at Bucklin Beach. Without these two expenses, the Recreation Department budget would be down by 1%.
Tracy Memorial Library: The Library budget increases by 4%, mostly to cover building maintenance and computer replacement.
At the recommendation of the Capital Improvements Committee, the Library will also seek a $370,000 bond to complete necessary building repairs and improvements.
Wastewater: The Wastewater operating budget, paid solely by sewer user fees, decreases by 3% in 2011. The budget also includes a $5.2 million bond to fund New London’s share of the upgrade of the Sunapee Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Transfers to Capital Reserves: The proposed budget restores some, but not all, contributions to capital reserve funds. Deposits to capital reserve funds increase by 7%, or $30,750, with the increases attributable to new capital reserve funds for Lamson Lane, highway building improvements, and to fix the Town’s GIS maps.
The Board of Selectmen voted again this year not to make a deposit into the capital reserve fund for paving gravel roads. The Capital Improvements Plan (CIP available in the Selectmen’s Office) is updated annually by the Capital Improvements Committee made up of representatives of the Planning Board, Budget Committee, and Board of Selectmen. A list of capital reserve funds with year-end balances is in the financial section of the Town Report.
Capital Outlay: Capital purchases of vehicles and equipment also follow the CIP. In 2011, capital purchases include replacing the 2007 police cruiser (originally scheduled for replacement in 2010); replacing the Fire Department utility truck; replacing one of  the DPW’s 6-wheel dump trucks with sander; and engineering for Lamson Lane, Elkins sidewalks, and the Pleasant Lake Dam.
Projected Revenue: Despite the lagging economy and cuts in revenues from the State of NH, non-property tax revenues have increased slightly. We have been notified that our share of State Highway Fund will increase, and we will receive revenue from
grant funds to offset capital projects.

Join the Discussion! What do you think about the proposed 0.9% budget increase? What do you think the priorities should be for the coming 18 months? Come to the public hearings on the budget on January 31 and February 14, 2011 at 7pm at the Whipple Memorial town Hall and share your thoughts.

What the American Community Survey Says about the State of NH in its December, 2010, Release….

Published on January 25, 2011 in New London Community and Sunapee Community. 0 Comments Tags: , .

The American Community Survey is a project of the Census Bureau, and, although it is a critical element in the Census Bureau‘s decennial census plan, it is NOT the data which is gathered every 10 years.  Rather, it is a nationwide survey, released every 5 years, designed to provide communities a fresh look at how they are changing.  Included are 1, 3 and 5 year estimates.  A complete narrative of the various components of the survey can be found at:  New Hampshire – Population and Housing Narrative Profile: 2005-2009

Here are some of the Fast Facts taken from the 2005-2009 survey:

  • There were 502,000 households in NH with an average size of 2.5 people.  68% of the households were families.
  • 91% of people over 25 had at least a high school diploma; 32% had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
  • The leading industries in New Hampshire were Educational services, health care, and social assistance at 22%, and Manufacturing at 13%.  Among those who commuted to work, the drive was an average of around 25 minutes.  The median income of households was $63,033.
  • There were a total of 593,000 housing units.  69% were single family structures.  Of these, almost 12,000 were built after 2005; over 120,000 were built 1980-89 (by far the greatest number in any date range).  The median value of owner-occupied units was $253,000.

The information in this report is not only interesting, but also gives an intriguing perspective on New Hampshire.

Locally Grown Meat, Produce and More at Spring Ledge Farm’s Winter Market

Published on January 21, 2011 in New London Community. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Spring Ledge Farm in New London, NH will be open Friday the 21st from 3-6pm (yes, even with this snowy weather).  Home grown potatoes (available in bulk as well), garlic, micro mix, beets, turnips & winter squashes and the best sweet potatoes you’ve ever tasted. Locally grown and raised offerings include Lamb, Beef, Eggs, Honey, Maple Syrup, Cheeses, Ice Cream, Cookies and Bread. Lamb from Hopewell Farms in Newbury, NH.  Grass fed, true lamb raised on the fields at Hopewell Farms.   This week, we’ll have leg of lamb, ground lamb and rib chops.  Next week there should be more cuts available.
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Orchids by Crozer & Crozer – Katie Crozer will bring a great assortment of orchids in bloom. Orchids are especially beautiful this time of year, and the blooms last for months.  Have a question about orchids?  Ask Katie.
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2010 marked Spring Ledge Farm’s year of growing sweet potatoes.  Mother Nature provided a perfect summer for this crop – hot and dry.  New varieties of sweet potatoes include ‘Baeurigard’ and ‘Covington’, both bred to mature between 90-105 days.  This is a shorter days to harvest than other sweet potatoes, which allows them a chance here in N.H. to grow a successful crop, even with our short summers

They received the “seeds” as small slips of plants.  Slips are small sprouts of the potato that do not yet have roots.  They planted them immediately into the field on June 1st.  They were planted  through a black plastic layer of mulch, which warms the soil, retains moisture and keeps the weeds down.  Plants were spaced 12″ apart in rows that were 6 feet apart.

They will have sweet potato slips available for purchase this spring, so you can try growing some in your garden this summer.

Sweet potatoes are in the Ipomea family, the Morning Glory family.  They are a vine that mounds and spreads out over the ground as it grows.  In fact, dozens of varieties of sweet potatoes are used as ornamental plants and grown as annuals.  They look great in hanging baskets, in mixed window boxes or in the garden beds.  And yes, they also produce a sweet potato tuber, albeit smaller and a little less sweet.  Here is a link to a few varieties that are in the Proven Winners line of plants.

With last summer’s heat, the vines filled out the rows by mid summer and continued growing until they were harvested just before frost, in late September.  They were cured  in a dry greenhouse and packed  into boxes which were carried down to the cellar.

In the cellar they are at just the right temperature and humidity for storage, along with their other storage potatoes.  They keep the farmstand stocked with sweet potatoes, ready for your kitchen and table.

Sweet potatoes are a fantastic source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and fiber.   Below are a few recipes for sweet potatoes, with hundreds more available at this site, appropriately named as “sweetpotatorecipes.net“.

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Sweet Potato and Chicken Empanadas

You need:

1 lb Spring Ledge Sweet Potatoes

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

1 large Spring Ledge onion

1 clove Spring Ledge garlic

2 t. ground cumin

1 t. ground coriander

1 t. cinnamon

Olive oil, salt and pepper

1 package frozen puff pastry sheets

Peel and chop sweet potatoes into ½ inch cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt & pepper. Roast at 350 until soft, about 20 minutes.

Heat 2 T olive oil, add spices and cook 2 minutes.  Add onion and garlic, cooking until soft. Add chicken and cooked sweet potatoes.

Thaw the puff pastry sheets and cut each in half. Spoon in as much filling as you can and still fold the top over, pressing the edges together.

Bake at 350 20-25 minutes until browned.

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Sweet Potato Fries

You need:

Many Spring Ledge Sweet Potatoes

Olive Oil

salt

pepper

Any other spices you feel like such as cajun, rosemary, or seasoned salt.

Preheat oven to 425.

Cut sweet potatoes into desired sized pieces.

Toss with the olive oil and seasonings.

Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until soft, turning once.

Indicators: More Robust Home Sales for Spring and Summer 2011

Published on January 19, 2011 in New London Housing Market. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

The 2010 Census has made it official: New Hampshire had 1,316,470 year-round residents on April 1, 2010. That’s about 80,700 more than on that same date in 2000, a 6.5 percent increase. While that rate of growth was below the national rate of 9.7 percent, it was by far the highest rate among the nine states in the Northeast region.

Maine’s growth rate since 2000, for example, was only 4.2 percent. Despite that slower growth, the Census still found almost 12,000 more people in Maine compared to the Granite state. Our other neighbor, Vermont, edged up just 2.8 percent from 2000 to 2010. New Hampshire’s population growth rate is slowing, however. During the 1990s, its residents increased 11.4 percent and the state gained 126,500 new residents.

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Measuring by the Philadelphia
Federal Reserve Bank’s index of
ecomonic activity, New Hampshire
is recovering from this recession
better than any other state.

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Both Maine and New Hampshire retained their two seats in Congress, but Massachusetts, where growth was only 3.1 percent over the past decade, lost one representative out of its 10. Any state that grows much more slowly than the national average over a long period is in danger of losing representation.

More detailed information from the Census will be coming out this spring and early in the summer, and it will be reported here. But while the Census Bureau is busy processing its data, indicators from other sources suggest that New Hampshire REALTORS can look forward to much improved conditions for home sales.

Perhaps the best indicator is the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank’s index of economic activity, by which a high and rising index indicates an improving economy. By this measure, New Hampshire is recovering from this recession better than any other state.  Its index is 189, which is at a two-year high and is now the highest index among the 50 states. By comparison, the average for the other New England states is only 150, which is also the national average.

One other important indicator is our unemployment rate, which was 5.4 percent in November. That was the fourth lowest rate in the nation but is probably below 5 percent by now. Our state is clearly moving toward a period of economic growth that can only be good news for our housing market.

End of the year data from NNEREN shows that about 850 homes were sold in December 2010, a 2 percent increase over the previous December. The median selling price was $214,900, which was 4 percent higher than December 2009.

For the year 2010, the median home selling price was $215,000, which was 1 percent higher than the 2009 median of $212,000. That’s the first annual increase in several years, and when combined with positive indicators discussed above, suggests that home prices have stabilized and are likely to continue on an upward trend this year.

There were 10,525 home sold in 2010, which was 3 percent below the 10,810 sold in 2009. But four counties showed a year-over-year increase in home sales: Grafton up 7 percent, Belknap up 5 percent, Rockingham up 1 percent, and Carroll up 1 percent. One possible reason: Those are the four counties with the highest concentration of second homes.

Millions of Baby Boomers are approaching their retirement years, and quite a few of them have enough assets to afford a second home, which they might want as one of their retirement homes. The Wall Street Journal reported in its January 10, 2011 issue that despite lackluster home sales nationwide, “Sales in many vacation communities across the U.S. soared last year to levels not seen since boom times …”

That story reminds us once again that the demand for housing in New Hampshire is not just driven by employed individuals or families looking for a home to buy. There are also buyers who are just looking for a second home, a retirement home or both, and they are a significant factor in our state. There are over 60,000 homes in New Hampshire that the Census Bureau classifies as “…for seasonal, recreational or occasional use” – that’s more than 10 percent of all 600,000 dwelling units in the state.

In addition to 10,525 residential units sold statewide in 2010, there were also 2,635 condominiums sold at a median price of $165,000. That median was the same as last year, but unit sales were off 4 percent from 2009.

To view the residential unit sales and median price for both December-only and cumulative 2010, as compared to the same periods in 2009, click here.

Source:  Article by Peter Francese for The New Hampshire Association of REALTORS eNews

Five Reasons to Buy a Home in 2011

Published on January 18, 2011 in Advice for Buyers and New London Housing Market. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Michele Lerner, author of Homebuying: Tough Times, First Time, Any Time, offers reasons why real estate is likely to improve in 2011.  Here are five reasons she thinks consumers should consider a home purchase this year:

▪ Mortgage rates will stay low.  Even with rates climbing — maybe to as high as 6 percent by 2012 — they are still well below where they have been historically.
▪ Tax cuts could help. Extending the tax cuts could encourage a more rapid recovery for the economy.
▪ Americans want to be home owners.  A recent Fannie Mae survey showed that Americans still believe a home is a safe and desirable investment.
▪ Builders are about to begin building. Home builders have been sitting on the sidelines.  This year, they think pent-up demand will create an appetite for new homes.
▪ Homes are shrinking.  Homes are getting smaller, which has made them more affordable.

Source: Investopedia, Michele Lerner (12/24/2010)

And It Snowed, And It Snowed, And It Snowed! News from Mt. Sunapee!

Published on January 13, 2011 in New London Activities and Sunapee Activities. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Mount Sunapee  just received an additional 18+ inches of fluffy snow from this coastal storm and now the sun is shining bright. Hope you get to visit at easy-to-reach Mount Sunapee for what should be a stellar weekend.

Last Friday the snowmakers put the finishing touches on Elliot Slope, which was the 52nd snowmaking trail to open at Mount Sunapee. Since November,  snowmakers have made enough snow to fill the Prudential Center in Boston more than twice with snow. That translates into all 52 snowmaking trails covered edge-to-edge with an average of three feet of base. This is one of the reasons Mount Sunapee gets ranked with the best snow surfaces in the East year after year in the Annual SKI Magazine Reader Survey. We have more snow to work with than any other ski area in the East.

Not to worry. Goosefeathers Pub will remain open until the conclusion of Sunday’s 4:30pm Patriots-Jets game. There are four TVs in the Pub including two new 50” large screens. Settle in after skiing or riding, have dinner and enjoy the game. Everyone in the Pub for the game will receive a raffle ticket and for every point the Patriots score we will raffle off a free lift ticket to Mount Sunapee valid through the end of January. You must be present to win. Go Pats!

The EVOL Burrito Boggan made its debut during the Christmas/New Year’s holiday at the bottom of the Sunbowl. Between 11:00am and 1:00pm you can purchase a hot burrito and beverage off the EVOL Burrito Boggan. EVOL Burritos is one of the sponsors of FestEVOL weekend April 2-3 featuring O.A.R. in concert as part of the Bud Light Concert Series. Tickets are selling fast for this limited admission concert and ticket prices go up February 1.

On Saturday January 22 and March 12 Mount Sunapee is hosting Ultimate Groove Telemark Camps for women. Created by Heather Paul, two-time national telemark champion, the camps emphasize adventure, camaraderie, and fun. Each Camp includes a full-day of instruction, under the supervision of local telemark expert Tori Burke, in small groups with video analysis to help visualize improvement. The Camp caters to all ability levels including beginners. Rental equipment is available at Mount Sunapee. The cost including a lift ticket is $217 and $170 for season pass holders. For more information or to register go to ultimategrooves.com.

Something fun to do in New London on a January day!

Published on January 10, 2011 in New London Activities. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Dog Sledding with Chinooks and a couple of odd dogs out!

Winter Market Begins this Friday at Spring Ledge Farm in New London, NH

Published on January 6, 2011 in New London Activities and New London Community. 0 Comments Tags: , .
Winter Market – Fridays 3-6pm starting 1/7/2011.

We’re excited to open on Friday from 3-6pm for our second year of winter markets.  We’ll have your favorites available, including:

The Good Loaf Artisan Bread

MacNamara Dairy in glass bottles

Spring Ledge Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Beets, Turnips, Parsnips, Micro Greens, Winter Squashes  and Pea Shoots – all grown here on the farm.

Star Lake Farm Beef – 10% off this Friday! – Pasture-raised Scottish Highland beef from Star Lake Farm in Springfield, NH.

Rocky Cannoli’s Pies

Walpole Creamery Ice Cream

N.H. & Vt. Cheeses & Vegetaball’s Pesto.

Effie’s Oat Cakes & Gadzukes Cookies

Apples from Cardigan Mt. Orchard in Canaan, NH

Local Eggs from 3 sources – Sun Hill Farm (Zac’s chickens), Elizabeth’s Eggs (Dan’s chickens), Star Lake Farm eggs (Kathy’s chickens).

Orchids by Crozer & Crozer – Katie Crozer will bring a great assortment of orchids in bloom.  Orchids are especially beautiful this time of year, and the blooms last for months.  Have a question about orchids?  Ask Katie.

Come see us at 37 Main Street, New London, NH  603-526-6253

News from the National Association of Realtors (NAR)

Published on January 4, 2011 in Advice for Buyers, Advice for Sellers and New London Housing Market. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

The good news from NAR was that Pending home sales rose again in November, with “…the broad trend over the past five months indicating a gradual recovery into 2011….”

The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), a forward-looking indicator, rose 3.5 percent to 92.2; this number is based on contracts signed in November.  The data is based on contracts and not closings, which usually occur within one or two months of a signed contract.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said historically high housing affordability is boosting sales activity. “In addition to exceptional affordability conditions, steady improvements in the economy are helping bring buyers into the market,” he said. “But further gains are needed to reach normal levels of sales activity.”

In the Northeast, the PHSI  increased 1.8 percent to 72.6 in November but is still somewhat below November 2009.  The West was the only part of the country which actually showed a small increase above the same time period last year.

“If we add 2 million jobs as expected in 2011, and mortgage rates rise only moderately, we should see existing-home sales rise to a higher, sustainable volume,” Yun said. “Credit remains tight, but if lenders return to more normal, safe underwriting standards for creditworthy buyers, there would be a bigger boost to the housing market and spillover benefits for the broader economy.”

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is forecast to rise gradually to 5.3 percent around the end of 2011; at the same time, unemployment should drop to 9.2 percent.

“All the indicator trends are pointing to a gradual housing recovery,” Yun said. “Home price prospects will vary depending largely upon local job market conditions. The national median home price, however, is expected to remain stable even with a continuing flow of distressed properties coming onto the market, as long as there is a steady demand of financially healthy home buyers.”

“As we gradually work off the excess housing inventory, supply levels will eventually come more in-line with historic averages, and could allow home prices to rise modestly in the range of 2 to 3 percent in 2012,” Yun said.

The National Association of REALTORS®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.