BRISTOL — Pemi-Valley Habitat for Humanity has been selected as one of four finalists for the Habitat for Humanity International Clarence E. Jordan Award.
Two award recipients are recognized for creativity and innovation in their affiliate operations. The award honors the legacy of Clarence Jordan, the founder of Koinonia Farm, a religious community in southwest
Georgia, where the idea for Habitat for Humanity was born.
Award recipients are selected by affiliate voting. Pemi-Valley Habitat was selected as a finalist for its
Hedstrom Way project in Bristol. Currently, there are more than 1,500 Habitat affiliates in the U.S.
The New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority purchased property on Route 3A in Bristol six years ago with the purpose of having Pemi-Valley Habitat build a home on the land. However, the costs for the site-work made the project unaffordable.
After formulating plans for a four home sub-division, Pemi-Valley Habitat applied for and became the first N.H. Habitat affiliate to receive a Community Development Block Grant, which is being used to complete the site work and the land purchase. Pemi-Valley Habitat's match for the $266,000 grant is the
construction of the four homes.
Four families have been selected to received these Habitat homes. The site work was finished in November and the first of the four homes is nearing completion.
This project is named in memory of the Reverend Douglas Hedstrom, former pastor of the Bristol United Church of Christ, who was also a very dedicated Habitat supporter and volunteer. Hedstrom passed away suddenly on June 19, 2010 while construction of the Mastin home in Rumney was nearing completion. Rev. Hedstrom was a regular volunteer at the build site.
Pemi-Valley Habitat is in the process of raising the money to construct the four homes, its match for the CDBG grant. "We are asking the community for its support during our ongoing annual campaign," said Executive Director Brian McCarthy. "We have been presented with a tremendous opportunity to help four deserving families realize the dream of home ownership. We are also very humbled to be a finalist for the prestigious Clarence E. Jordan Award for this project."
Pemi-Valley Habitat for Humanity has built 26 homes for needy and deserving families in the Plymouth area. The 26th home for the Mason family on Glove Street in Ashland was completed in February, 2012. Those who would like to help, can visit www.pemivalleyhabitat.org or call 603-536-1333.

PLYMOUTH — The Silver Series at Plymouth State University will present The New England Winds woodwind quartet in concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 6 in the Smith Recital Hall at the Silver Center for the Arts.
The New England Winds, an ensemble of the U.S. Air Force Band of Liberty, has been recognized by audiences throughout the Northeast for passionate and refined performances. Concertgoers have been treated to a broad repertoire with music from the Baroque era to newly commissioned works.
Performing at events from small stage recitals to the International Double Reed Convention, the New England Winds' versatility and ability to interact with listeners on an intimate level has left their audiences with memories of compelling and expressive music making.
The Plymouth audience will get a special treat as local musician, Staff Sergeant Mickey Ireland, is clarinetist for the group. Also performing will be Airman First Class Kate Tennyson on oboe, Senior Airman Rachel Maclary on flute and Technical Sergeant Christopher Stahl on bassoon. Every member of the quartet is a dedicated chamber player and military musician with years of study on his or her instrument.
The program will include music of Strauss, Debussy, Albeniz, Sousa, Alyssa Morris and more.
Free tickets are available at the Silver Center Box Office, (603) 535-2787 or (800) 779-3869.

GILFORD —  A coalition of Belknap Range Trail Tenders (BRATTS), the Belknap Range Conservation Coalition (BRCC) and others have just published a new trail map of the Belknap Mountain Range.
This new map uses modern map-making technology including a Geographic Information Systems (ESRI-ArcGIS) application and hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS) to update maps of the majority of trails in the Belknap Range, including hiking and snowmobile trails as well as Class VI roads, abandoned logging roads and unmaintained footpaths.
Many hikers are familiar with the first comprehensive trail map of the Belknap Range completed by Dave Roberts over a decade ago. This new map is dedicated to his efforts and adds trail names and blaze colors to the trails which are displayed on an updated shaded-relief topographic map.
Weldon Bosworth of Gilford developed this map over the last year and a half with the assistance of several local hikers who helped map and verify GPS tracks for these trails.
Those contributing to the GPS and trail verification effort included Steve Zimmer, Rick Andrews, Hal & Peggy Graham, Don Watson, Bob Knoll, Dan Tinkham, Nanci Mitchell, Everett Ricker, Alan Sherwood, Don Hughes, Steve Schor and Mike Ware.
The new 11" X 17" map will be made available free of charge to local libraries who may charge a nominal fee for reproduction of this map. The Gilford Public Library will hold a "Winter Hiking in the Belknaps" seminar on Thursday, February 7 at 6:30 p.m.  to present the map and discuss winter hiking
and safety.

CAPTION:
A coalition of local hiking groups has pubished a new map of the Belknap Mountain Range. (Courtesy photo)