Mike Dickerman and Stephen Smith's "Guide to NH's 4000 Footers" Nominated for "People's Choice Award" by NH Writers Project

Put another log on the fire and get comfortable with the third and newest edition of their NH 4000 footers book. "The 4000-Footers of the White Mountains," co-authored by Mike Dickerman and Steve D. Smith. which has just been nominated for the "Peoples' Choice Award" in the NH Writers Project biennial awards contest. 

Ten years ago, in the face of dramatic changes sweeping the news media, Nancy West launched InDepthNH.org, a news website under the aegis of the New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism. 

Nancy West reflects on ten years of hard-won success that has made InDepthNH.org an important force in providing local and state news and feature stories intended to fill the void left by the media companies that have eroded to a shadow of their previous versions or closed entirely.

Elliott Berry recently retired after nearly fifty years in the same job as a lawyer for New Hampshire Legal Assistance. I hesitate to even identify his job this way because the trail that Elliott Berry has blazed over those years has burnished a reputation and accomplishments across the country.

While Elliott chose New Hampshire as the venue for his life's work as an advocate for low-income families, his service and impact have been broadly hailed for creating innovative solutions to daunting problems, especially around homelessness and affordable housing.

Fred Bramante Has a Dream. . . 

Public schools so exciting and effective that no one would want to send their children anywhere else.

For generations the American system of education has been run on what noted NH Educator and reformer Tony Wagner of Holderness, NH, calls the Carnegie method, measured by seat time and grade. Today, both Bramante and Wagner are at the forefront of an educational philosophy built around the belief that public schools need to refashion themselves around the competency of the students they produce. 

No one who has had the pleasure of reading the evocative and, at times, mysterious poetry of Elaine Sexton has walked away without being inspired and seeing new worlds in even-familiar places and things. Elaine joined me to talk about her soon-to-be-released fourth book of poetry, "Site Specific".

She honors us with a reading of some selected works as well as a revealing look into her inner world, including her means of titling her books and works.

Mike Dickerman is a man who's life is firmly rooted in the genuine, Small Town Journalist, big-time outdoor writer, and outdoorsman. 

Mark Twain is said to have remarked: "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." Mike Dickerman has lived just such a life. 

Caledonian Record was his first reporting job, followed by a stint at the Manadnock Ledger and the Littleton Courier from 1987 to 1998. During that path he found the Mountains and the nexus of those two paths have given him sustenance in every possible way. 

The excitement of Freestyle was, ultimately,  the domain of the athletes, the hot doggers : Wayne Wong, George Askevold, Floyd Wilkie and Billy Fallon among others. Their defenders: Tom Corcoran, Frank Deboise, the nations first African-American certified ski instructor and Ski School Director Paul Pfosi had the vision to see beyond the back-biting and competitiveness between Racers and Freestylers. They provided the support and cover for Freestyle to continue to grow.

What was created was a Northcountry stew of enthusiasm, fearlessness, talent and determination from which would emerge the most thrilling and innovative changes to alpine skiing since its beginnings. 

The men and women who led this revolution in skiing were a diverse, freewheeling and welcoming group of people, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, from every socio-economic level, every religious and non-religious background. 

It seemed the epitome of everything that our founders had dreamt of . . . a pluralistic wave moving us forward, to match the other changes taking place all over the country and the world.

We were a country and a people on the move, a people who served as a paradigm of everything we could be; where the athletes, mentors, and dreamers made us excited about the future by providing us with examples of courage, and enthusiasm that matched our own personal vision of that which was best in America. 

Jerry Dunfey has had a very full life but he never fails to appreciate the little things that matter most to our hearts as humans. His love for Waterville Valley was a key component in the critical mass that brought Frank Deboise and JD and David Nelson to Waterville in the early years of the Freestyle revolution.

In this episode Jerry reflects on his friendship with JD Nelson, Skiing with Paul Pfosi and other great memories from the Waterville years.

EP 118 George Askevold: Attitude & Altitude in the Wild West of Skiing. George came to New Hampshire from his childhood home in Rhode Island. He began skiing barely after he began walking. Life from there has been an evolution in skiing with George at the frontline. Considered one of the pioneers of Freestyle skiing, George competed in the very first days of Freestyle and wowed the crowds everywhere.

117 Bernie Weischel: 75 Years on the Boards and an Exhibition Guy at Heart

Last year Bernie logged more than 50 days skiing at 75 years of age. He is still an active and eager part of the skiing community and a key member of the team that made Freestyle possible, even when it was back on its heels.

Running events and shows is never easy but Bernie seemed to make it look so.