The filing period for Grantham School District and town positions ends today, Friday, Feb. 3. The School District Clerk will be available 3-5 p.m. Feb. 3 at the SAU #75 office in the Grantham Town Building. The Town Clerk’s Office will remain open until 5 p.m. Feb. 3 for filing purposes only.

The following positions will be open for the school district:

* Moderator - one-year term

* Clerk - one-year term

* Treasurer - one-year term

* School Board - two three-year positions

 

The following positions are open for town offices:

* Selectman - 3-year term

* Planning Board - two 3-year positions

* Trustee of the Trust Funds - 3-year term

* Trustee of the Trust Funds - 2-year term

* Cemetery Trustee – 3-year term

* Trustee of Dunbar Free Library - two 3-year positions

* Trustee of Dunbar Free Library - two 1-year positions

* Town Moderator - 2-year term

* Supervisor of the Checklist - 6-year term

Applications and position descriptions are available at the Town Clerk’s office.

The monthly community potluck will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4 in the lower level of the Grantham United Methodist Church. Everyone is welcome; just bring a dish to share.

The monthly community luncheon will be held at noon Tuesday, Feb. 14, also at the church. Donations are encouraged and everyone is welcome.

The 96th annual Newport Winter Carnival begins Sunday, Feb. 5 and continues through Sunday, Feb. 12. Events throughout the week include a snowshoe obstacle course and orienteering challenge, mystery dinner theater, pickleball tournament (55+), scavenger hunt, movie night, progressive dinner and LOTS more. Details are available in a downloadable PDF (it will upload sideways):

The selectmen will hold a hearing on its proposed fiscal year 2013 budget beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8 in the lower level of the Grantham Town Hall. This will be followed immediately by the regular selectmen’s meeting.

The inaugural Eastman Loppet for David's House will be held Saturday, Feb. 11 from the Eastman Cross Country Center. The snowshoe courses will be open, but there will be no cross country skiing. Reduced pledge amounts are being offered for anyone who pre-registers before Feb.10. Click this link for complete details and to register or contact Eastman Recreation, 863-6772.

Dunbar Free Library will hold a Valentine craft program from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11. This is a drop-in program for all ages, but children must be accompanied by an adult.

The first Trivia Night of the season was a rousing success, so you won’t want to miss the next one, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11 at Bistro Nouveau with your hostess Kathy Pomer. Teams of six or fewer are welcome to compete for great prizes and bragging rights. Contact Bistro Nouveau for more information or for reservations, 863-8000.

Saxophonist Cercie Miller and vocalist Dominique Eade perform during Jazz On a Sunday Afternoon beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12 at The Center at Eastman. Tickets are $18 for adults and $16 for seniors and students. Reservations at 763-8732; day of show after 2 p.m. call 863-8000. Sit in musicians welcome and enjoy reduced ticket price. For more information, visit www.josajazz.com. (Next JOSA is Feb. 26 with saxophonist Richie Cole.)

A la carte menu and full bar service available from Bistro Nouveau during the show.

The annual School District Meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1 in the Grantham Village School gymnasium.

The election for town and school district officers will be held 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 13 at the Grantham Town Hall.

The annual town meeting will begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 13.

There will be a timber harvest tour sponsored by the Forest Society in the Donas J. & Margaret Reney Memorial Forest in Grantham beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18. (Snow date: Feb. 19.) For complete information or to register, visit www.forestsociety.org/thingstodo/default.asp

The Blue Mountain Snowdusters, Outdoor Recreation Club will host its annual radar run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18 on Stocker Pond (just past Cote & Reney Lumber on the right) at the boat entrance. There will be a grill station, 50/50 raffle and restrooms available. All classes, junior and up, are welcome.

Don't snowmobile? Come out, have lunch and cheer for your favorite snowmobile. All proceeds from this event go back into our year-round trail maintenance. Check our web site for weather updates and changes, www.snowdusters.org, or call Jodie Jones-Poljacik 443-0432.

Performances of Oscar Wilde’s "The Importance of Being Ernest" directed by Charlotte Broughton will be held to benefit the Dunbar Free Library, including a dinner-theater performance at Bistro Nouveau at The Center at Eastman.

The dinner theater will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18. Cost is $30/person, which includes chicken parmesan on pasta, salad and cannoli as well as the performance.

Other performances will be held at 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19. Cost is $10/adult and $5/child age 12 or younger.

For reservations, contact Carole Wood at 865-7473 or cadawood@comcast.net.

The Dunbar Free Library, town offices and transfer station will be closed on Monday, Feb. 20 in observance of President’s Day.

There will also be no Storytime that week because of school vacation.

Moderator Victoria Smith will host Candidates Night on Tuesday, Feb. 28 beginning at 7 p.m. in the lower level of Grantham Town Hall. Come hear your candidates and ask a few questions to decide who you want to vote for.

The Grantham Parent Teacher Group raised approximately $900 during the annual indoor mini golf fundraiser in January. The GPTG sends its thanks to all the hole designers, sponsors and families who attended. If you’d like to design a hole for next year, contact Patty Beek at kurtandpattie@comcast.net. Remember: the event is always Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend.

Eastman Recreation offers thanks to everyone who participated in the annual Chili Cook-Off to benefit David's House. The chili-makers, servers, cookie makers and volunteers all helped make a great event.

This year’s winners:

1st Place: Chocolate Chili - Gray Ledges Rentals, Melissa Allen

2nd Place: Brookridge "Bam" Chili - Brookridge Special Place, Kristina Cole, Kathy Tucker, Marty MacDonald

3rd Place: Chili Con Carne - La Casa De Clarita Marron, Clare & Leslie Brown

Best Presentation: Lake Lovers Chili - Lakes & Streams, Jackie Underhill, Jane Taylor, Sharon Parker, Ronni Freiberger

Don’t miss a great night of dancing with The Flames and desserts by Chef Doug to benefit the Irene Disaster Relief Fund. The event will be from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 3 at Bistro Nouveau at The Center at Eastman. Cost is $15/person if tickets are purchased before Feb. 24; $20 at the door.

Purchase tickets by mailing your check to Grantham Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 1340, Grantham, NH 03753. For more information, call 863-5129.

This event is sponsored by the chamber, New London Hospital, Hubert’s Department Store, Lambert Auto Sales, Carroll Concrete, Sugar River Bank, M.J. Harrington Jewelers, Trumbull-Nelson Construction, Impressions Advertising Specialists, and Lake Sunapee Bank.

Interested in being a Hospice volunteer? Lake Sunapee Region VNA and Hospice will be holding a four-session training program beginning Feb. 27. For more information, contact Meg Ames at 526-4077, ext. 233.

• Grantham United Methodist Church worship service at 9 a.m. each Sunday, with Pastor Patricia Williams. Everyone is welcome to attend.

• The Grantham Food Pantry at 65 Roses in Rum Brook Plaza is open for food pick up from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, visit www.granthamfoodpantry.org or call Caitlin at 603-361-2604. Donations of non-perishable food, toiletry and baby items can be dropped off at the Dunbar Free Library, Grantham Town Hall and Eastman’s South Cove Activity Center. Cash donations go to the Grantham Community Crisis Fund.

• Storytimes at Dunbar Free Library are held each week at 10 a.m. Wednesdays for children 3 and younger, and 10 a.m. Thursdays for children 4 and older. An adult chaperone is required. (NO Storytime the week of Feb. 20.)

• Men and women interested in playing basketball can come to Grantham Village School every Sunday (except holidays) for free fun and exercise. Women’s pick-up ball is from 5 to 7 p.m.; men’s, 7 to 9 p.m. Women interested should contact Susan Martin at 863-9094..

• Zumba Fitness with instructor Angie Shonts is 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays in the Grantham Village School gym. Wear comfortable clothes and bring clean workout shoes and water. The first two classes are free. For more information, contact Shonts at 704-214-2271 or shonts@comcast.net.