There’s a lot here this week, so get a cup of coffee (and your calendar) and settle in…

Cross lighting

The cross on the Grantham United Methodist Church was lit March 29 in memory of Alfred Holmes by Joey Holmes.

Student off to Denmark

Gabrielle Dorr, of Dunbar Hill Road and St. Lawrence University, Canton , N.Y. , has been accepted to an off-campus study program. She will be studying developmental psychology for the 2009 fall semester in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Grantham Village School building update

Submitted by Building Committee Chairwoman Leslie Brown:

Things are changing rapidly, with the most notable changes in the cafeteria area.  Don’t worry, when we said “touches of yellow,” we didn’t mean the big yellow box you are seeing now.  Inside the cafeteria, under floor prep commenced, we received the kitchen “go ahead” from the state of New Hampshire , and had a final meeting with the kitchen supplier.

Sheetrock work continues throughout the new wing, as does pre-staging of ductwork.  Electrical rough is nearing completion. Looking ahead, the exterior brick work should start April 13, and the electrical and duct work in the gym will be done over April break to ready the space to serve as a giant “pod” to hold all our classroom materials and furnishings during the summertime invasion. Speaking of which, we have started planning for the move and will be soliciting volunteers to help. We’ll keep you posted.

Tuesday deadline for Ice Out 2009

Don't miss your chance at the $200 grand prize for Ice Out 2009. Guess the exact date and time a cement block will fall through the ice on Eastman Lake (or at least be the closest!) and mail it on or before March 31 (postmark required). Entry forms can be picked up at locations throughout Grantham. Second place winner will get $100; third, $50.

Rabies Clinic

Bring your dog or cat for a rabies vaccine between 1 and 2 p.m. April 4 at the Grantham Volunteer Fire Department. Cost is $10 per critter. Dogs can be licensed with the town at the same time. Sponsored by Our Town.

Music at The Center

Don’t miss Jason Cann’s monthly acoustical performance from 6 to 9 p.m. April 3 at The Center at Eastman. Reservations are recommended, 863-8000.

The season finale of JOSA from 4 to 7 p.m. April 5 features saxophonist extraordinaire Greg Abate and veteran tenor saxophonist Ted Casher. Tickets are $18/adult and $16/senior (62+) or student (17-). Reservations at 603-763-8732, or last minute at 863-8000. More information at www.wightsteeple.com.

The Sunflower Quartet will be playing the music of Mozart, Bartok, Rossini, Gershwin, Joplin, and a few more beginning at 7:30 p.m. April 8 at The Center at Eastman. The quartet, together for three years, is composed of Ann Givens (flute), Steve Jordan (oboe), Tom Norton (clarinet) and Earl North (bassoon), who is also a published music arranger. Free and open to the public.

Get ready for your garden

Pooh Sprague of Edgewater Farm in Plainfield will address Growing Small Fruit beginning at 7 p.m. April 7 at The Center at Eastman. Free and open to the public.

Easter Egg Hunt

The annual Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by Our Town begins promptly at 10 a.m. April 11 at the Grantham Village School , rain or shine …or snow! Bring your favorite basket to collect eggs, and the Easter Bunny will be there, so don't forget your camera.

Events with Dunbar Free Library 

True crime writers Jayne Hitchcock & Kate Flora share the stories behind the stories in “We're Not Making This Up!” beginning at 7 p.m. April 14 at the Dunbar Free Library. Light refreshments will be served. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Friends of the Dunbar Free Library.

There will be no weekly Storytimes the week of April 20.

Thanks to funding by the Eastman Charitable Foundation, the Dunbar Free Library is bringing the Montshire Museum of Science's Starlab to the Grantham Village School on April 29. The Starlab is a portable planetarium that brings the stars, planets and galaxies to life in programs designed for all ages.

Many of the Grantham Village School students will enjoy Starlab presentations during their regular school day. The library has arranged for a 3:45 p.m. session for the general public. This is an excellent program for adults and teens, and is not recommended for children under the age of 5.

Since space is limited in the Starlab, you must register in advance with the Dunbar Free Library at 863-2172 or dunbarfreelib@comcast.net.

Get to know your local fire department personnel

The Grantham Fire Department will be hosting their annual Community Night from 7 to 9 p.m. April 18 in the lower level of Grantham Town Hall . Come see the town's newest engine, HME Ahrens-Fox Rescue Pumper, see fire extinguisher training and get your blood pressure checked. Department awards will be presented and desserts and beverages will be served.

Art in Bloom trip

The Grantham and New London garden clubs and Eastman Recreation have some seats remaining for their April 27 trip to Art in Bloom at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts . The festival of fine arts and fresh flowers offers 50 arrangements inspired by magnificent art. The premier coach bus leaves New London at 8 a.m. and returns by 5:30 p.m. Cost for transportation and admission is $50. Call Peg Birch at 603-526-7657 for more information and to reserve a space by April 10.

Dorr shows work

Paula Dorr of Grantham has two works on display in the Pastel Society of New Hampshire’s fourth annual Members’ Exhibition through April 19 at the Stockbridge Theatre Gallery Lobby at Pinkerton Academy in Derry .

Old Home Day planning begins

Anyone interested in helping with or who has ideas for Old Home Day 2009 should contact Laurie Field as soon as possible: field83@comcast.net or 863-9143.

Flavors of the Valley

Many Grantham residents last year attended Flavor of the Valley food expo and raved about it. This year’s Flavors of the Valley, again sponsored by Vital Communities of the Upper Valley , will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. April 21 at Hartford High School in Hartford , Vt. This not-to-be-missed Valley Food and Farm event is a chance to talk with our local growers about what they have planned for the coming season. Bring your appetite, as there will surely be lots of morsels to sample.

Attention, Runners…

Sunapee Police Dept is holdings its second annual Health Pursuit 5K Fun Run on April 25. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and race starts at 9 a.m. Register in advance at the town of Sunapee website, www.town.sunapee.nh.us (go to the police department page and additional links), or at www.coolrunning.com (find the race under Races/Results and click on “Register Here”).

Reminders

• Bring food donations to the collection box in the town hall foyer.

• Everyone is welcome to the monthly community pot luck, which begins at 6 p.m. the first Saturday each month in the downstairs of the Grantham United Methodist Church . Bring a dish to share.

• Selectmen meet at 5 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesdays each month.

• Register your dog by April 30. A current rabies vaccination is required. If you no longer have a dog, please let the Town Clerk know, 863-5608, so you are not mistakenly fined for not registering your pet.

• Storytimes at Dunbar Free Library at 10 a.m. Wednesdays for babies and toddlers with an adult, and at 10 a.m. Thursdays for preschool-aged children with an adult. (No Storytimes the week of April 20.)

• Grantham United Methodist Church Sunday service begins at 10 a.m. each week.

• Adult volleyball at 7:30 p.m. Fridays at the Grantham Village School gym (Len Angelli at 603-398-4025 or leonard.angelli@dartmouth.edu).

• Adult basketball at 7 p.m. Sundays at the Grantham Village School gym (Keith Grohbrugge at Keith.Grohbrugge@catchdata.com).

• Visit www.granthamnh.net for official minutes, meeting dates and more.

• Find news and events for Grantham and surrounding towns at www.sunacom.com.

Send your news, births, graduations, events, etc. to grantham-news@comcast.net to let your neighbors know what’s going on.