June (2014)
May (2014)
April (2014)
March (2014)
3/25/2014
George's Gift
3/14/2014
Pick Yourself
February (2014)
December (2013)
12/27/2013
Holiday Card
12/4/2013
Good Causes
12/2/2013
Frozen Assets
November (2013)
11/16/2013
Sally B.
11/10/2013
End Game
October (2013)
September (2013)
9/21/2013
Self Study
Service Organizations and Civic Pride
7/5/2010
As documented previously (many times!) the little village of Andover, New Hampshire is a destination for thousands on Independence Day. An extensive flea market draws bargain hunters to the Town Green, where professionals sell antiques, tools, books, maple syrup, etc. from stalls. Meanwhile, on the lawn in front of Ives House, faculty and friends peddle all kinds of stuff informally. Josh Norris gets a nibble from someone interested in his CD collection:

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Some treasures are of dubious value, such as this table laden with trinkets, schlock art and junk:

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T
he Green is a mob scene.

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M
any of the booths are selling items in support of the many service organizations that enrich life in New Hampshire communities that lack tax support available in other states. Members of our all-volunteer fire departments sell raffle tickets for a fishing canoe:

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T
he list of volunteer service organizations goes on..... Andover Historical Society, Friends of the Northern Rail Trail, Andover Service Club (which donates scholarships to local kids), Andover Outing Club, Andover Rescue Squad.... Each of these organizations depends on local volunteers to provide valuable service to the community. The Lions Club serves up (delicious!) hot sausage grinders for five bucks.

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T
he entire Day is the product of the Andover Fourth of July Committee, which asks nothing in return for organizing a day packed with activities and entertainment, (followed by a super fireworks display.) By opening its campus to hoards of visitors, Proctor Academy (which donates to the Fourth of July Fund) is a major, behind-the-scenes benefactor.

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T
here's a comforting sameness to Independence Day in this all-American town. Scouts raise the flag at 10:00 AM; local citizens sings patriotic songs; the Kearsarge Band plays John Philip Souza tunes and local state representative Bill Leber announces everything from the reviewing stand on Main Street. Andover's singular One Wheelers perform to a crowd munching fried dough and onion rings.

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A
t noon, kindergarteners with perfect attendance for the year ring the bell on Maxwell Savage as a parade fit for a much bigger town wends its way from North Street through the center of the village.

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F
rom year to year, the parade is almost identical! Local and state politicians walk by, shaking hands and waving; sirens scream from fire trucks; colonial re-enactors fire a muzzle-loaded cannon from a trailer.

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The hilarious Leapin' Lena dances down the route as she has since the 1960s.

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A
lso becoming a tradition is a one hour performance by Andover's sensational kid rock band, the Long Tail Monkeys.

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All-American Andover.
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Kindergartners with perfect attendance for the year ring the bell.
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The King of schlock art went for $20!
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A young man anticipates strawberry-rhubarb pie while his dad pays at the Andover Service Club stall.
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A "sno kone" looked pretty good on this hot day.
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Face painting.
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Faculty kids in the spirit of the holiday.
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Charlie Darling, whose (free) monthly Andover Beacon is an immensely successful community newspaper, leads the parade as Uncle Sam.
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"If you're not #1 in a category, create a new category..." Brooks Bicknell and his blue ribbon for "Best Antique Moped."
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The Long Tail Monkeys have all kinds of fans!
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LTM bass guitarist Sam Barrett enters Proctor's Class of 2014 in September.