In the past few weeks the Lancaster, Sandwich and Stratham Fairs have been cancelled.  It’s not just because of the virus, some fairs depend on advanced advertising money and this year, with closed businesses, it’s just not happening. 

Fryeburg Fair’s website is counting down the days to the fair and today it reads 159. Going strong since 1851, it’s the largest agricultural fair in Maine and is attended by over 225,000 people yearly.  Over the years the nightly shows have brought in names like Charlie Daniels, Clint Black, Lady Antebellum.

The Fryeburg Fair has a different and stronger model but for its board of directors, it’s still a decision that has to be made in this its 170^th year.   “At this point the Fryeburg Fair hopes to hold the fair in October but we recognize that there are a lot of variables involved and we at this point believe that we have until early June to make the call.  Unless something happens in the meantime that makes a call for us.  But right now we’re hopeful for a fair but we just don’t know what will happen between now and then.” says David Hastings, Vice President and Finance Director of the Fryeburg Fair.

Keep up to date with announcements by visiting www.fryeburgfair.org.

If you ever met Dick Ficke, the first thing you’d notice was his kind eyes. After a conversation, you’d look back and realize how very interested he was in everything you had to say- this already brilliant man took the time to truly listen and learn whatever he could from what you had to contribute to the conversation. He really cared and you knew it. He will always be remembered as one of the good guys. This Colgate alumni and decorated retired Air Force Officer is going to be sorely missed.

Richard “Dick” Ficke of Bartlett passed away on April 20th at Maine Medical Center from from Kidney and heart failure complications. Dick was Born April 5, 1937 in Danbury, Connecticut. He met Annie in 2001 and they moved to the Mount Washington Valley.

Dick was passionate about the charities he served such as: Kiwanis Club of MWV, past president and Kiwanian Of The Year and Kiwanian District Lt. Governor. He was the president of the MWV Habitat for Humanity, SCORE’s Chapter Chair and his most cherished post-retirement role, “Head Elf” of Angels and Elves.

2013 brought Dick the title of one of the White Mountain Treasures and that year he was also awarded with the SCORE Leadership award. Two years later he was named the volunteer of the year by the Mt. Washington Valley Economic Council.

In lieu of flowers, Dick asked that contributions be made to: MWV Habitat for Humanity, Kiwanis or Angels and Elves.

A military viewing and and Honors ceremony will be held in Newport, RI and a celebration of his life will be held later in the summer in Bartlett.

There are some positives to humans isolating, staying at home, consuming less and polluting less. On this, the 50^th Anniversary of Earth Day we find ourselves in the middle of a pandemic. However in the midst of it, studies show that the earth is repairing itself and species are allowed to thrive. This is a good thing for us, for our children, for our future.

This year we have to celebrate either at home or at a distance from one another but there are many ways to do this. Here are a few ideas:

• Spread some earth love online with home made projects, poems or songs. There are plenty of ideas on Pinterest of age appropriate crafts you can make. Pinterest also has some great starter lines for stories and poems… When you’re done, post them online for your friends and family to see what the earth means to you today. It’s guaranteed to bring awareness and smiles. We all miss each other and love the positive posts.
• Learn something new. Learn about endangered species, how you can help them, volunteer or donate to organizations dedicated to saving them. Learn how the earth is healing because it’s less impacted by humans. Learn how to plant a tree, a garden a flower, anything living. Find out what it takes to make a bat house or a bird house.
• Take the Earth Day Challenge: a 22 day series that gives you action items to protect the environment. They’re all online at the Earth Day Network. You can add your own actions with the hashtag #earthday2020
• Join Columbia University’s webinar Saturday, April 25^th “Understanding Environmental Justice and Community Health in light of Covid and Climate”.
• Get on the NASA website for resources from across the agency sharing their wealth of knowledge through games, books, images, posters and programs. These are free to everyone.
• Watch environmental films. For younger kids or kids at heart there’s The Lorax, Schoolhouse Rock, March of the Penguins, Bears and Wall-E for example. Other favorites include Our Planet, Food, Inc. as well as an Earth Day celebration on Turner Classics.
• Check out the Smithsonian’s Earth Optimism Digital Summit– today through Sunday. It’s packed full of information, virtual workshops, video competitions, and panels on everything from sustainable food to protecting biodiversity.
• Take the earth into consideration when you’re voting.
• Hug a tree or just put your bare feet on the ground or your hands in the earth or your favorite river, stream or lake and listen quietly to the world around you.

Whatever you do today, it’s a celebration of the planet that houses us all. And just like we’re taking precautions now to protect one another, our families, our friends, our co-workers, strangers… let’s watch the affect and bring some of our care out of this and forward in the future to our Mother Earth.

“The earth is what we all have in common”. ~ Wendell Berry