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First Guard Station In White Mountain National Forest Named To National Register Of Historic Places
BRETTON WOODS — The White Mountain National Forest and N.H. Division of Historical Resources are proud to announce that the White Mountain National Forest’s Fabyan Guard Station has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Recognition of this historic building is an honor and has particular significance during this Centennial year of the White Mountain National Forest. The nomination was prepared in partnership with WhiteMountainHistory.org.
To qualify for the National Register, a property must represent a significant part of the history, architecture, archeology, engineering or culture of an area. It must have the characteristics that make it a good representative of properties associated with that aspect of the past. Important both for its use in conservation and as an example of rustic architecture, the well-preserved Fabyan Guard Station also has a high degree of historic integrity.
Built in 1923, the station was the first administrative building constructed by the US Forest Service on the White Mountain National Forest, and it is the last remaining example of a Guard Station in New Hampshire.
The one-room, 16-by-22 foot log cabin, hand built by White Mountain National Forest rangers from local materials, served as local headquarters for all nearby Forest Service activities, including the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. The cabin is a remnant of early local administration of Forest Service lands, from an era when transportation was difficult and time consuming. Forest Service guards were stationed at similar outposts across the forest to administer timber sales, construct and maintain recreation facilities, and respond quickly to forest fires in their immediate vicinity.
Made from hand-hewn native spruce logs cut and notched on site, Fabyan’s simple architectural details are characteristic of an early 20th-century guard station, including a single door made from vertical planks and held in place by strap hinges, six-pane windows and a gable roof made of pine boards covered with cedar shakes.
The interior, a single room, has wide pine board floors with mid-20th century linoleum “rugs”; a kitchen area with cast iron sink, counter and single light fixture along one wall; and beaver board panels covering the ceiling. In addition to the cabin, a board and batten-sided outhouse – possibly built by the CCC – and a corrugated metal storage shed are part of the property.
In recent years the National Forest has invested time and resources to preserve Fabyan Guard Station, including a multi-week volunteer project in 2014 in partnership with HistoriCorps to replace deteriorated logs and vandalized windows, a partnership with the Appalachian Mountain Club construction crew to install a new cedar shingle roof, and participation by the White Mountain National Forest Youth Conservation Corps to maintain the grounds around the cabin and install an interpretive panel developed with WhiteMountainHistory.org.
In 2015, the White Mountain National Forest, HistoriCorps and WhiteMountainHistory.org were honored by the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance with a Preservation Achievement Award for cooperative efforts to preserve and restore this important piece of both Forest Service and New Hampshire history. Listing in the National Register of Historic Places recognizes and celebrates these successful partnerships and historic preservation accomplishments.
Administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation and is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect our historic and archaeological resources.
Listings identify historically significant properties and can serve as educational tools and increase heritage tourism opportunities.
For more information on the National Register program in New Hampshire, please visit nh.gov/nhdhr or contact Peter Michaud at the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources at 603-271-3583. For more information about the Fabyan Guard Station, visit tinyurl.com/fabyanhistory.
Follow the N.H. Division of Historical Resources @NHDHR_SHPO. Follow the White Mountain National Forest @WhiteMountainNF.
Two Hikers Rescued In Huntington Ravine Sunday
SARGENTS PURCHASE, NH – Two hikers were rescued after getting lost on Mt. Washington this weekend.
Conservation Officers with New Hampshire Fish and Game said that on Sunday at around 1pm they received a call that 27-year-old Daniel Rueda, of Warwick, Rhode Island, and 21-year-old Christopher Petteruto, of Coventry, Rhode Island, were stranded in steep terrain at an unknown location in the area of Huntington Ravine. The hikers were able to give a description of the area but could not provide specific information, as they had not been there before.
Conservation Officers enlisted the help of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), who responded from around the mountain to search for the hikers. Over the next two hours, distant voice contact was made but an exact location could not be pinpointed.
With the afternoon turning to evening, additional search and rescue teams were formed, consisting of volunteers from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue (AVSAR), Mountain Rescue Service (MRS) and the US Forest Service.
Additional information eventually surfaced, helping crews to focus their attention on the northeast side of the ravine in an area known as Henderson’s Buttress.
By 6:00 PM, crews were still working to reach the stranded individuals. Temperatures had gone from the 50’s to the high 30’s, and the hikers began to report through 911 (via cell phone) that they were becoming very cold and physically deteriorating. The hikers had insufficient gear to stay warm, which applied additional pressures to the volunteers to make it to them before the situation
At 7:27 PM, rescue crews successfully reached the hikers at a location approximately 1000 feet off of the Huntington Ravine Trail. The hikers were located in an area of ledge, making it difficult to move either up or down.
The hikers were subsequently assessed and provided with warm clothing, water and food. Once warm, the two were able to hike and climb with the rescue team back out to the Huntington Ravine Trail and eventually up Mount Washington to the Alpine Garden.
The hikers were then lead to the Mount Washington Auto Road where they arrived safely shortly after 9:00 PM.
Following the evacuation, the hikers were checked by members of Gorham Ambulance before leaving in their own vehicle.
Fish and Game Officials said advise outdoor enthusiasts to always be prepared for the unexpected, even on really nice days. Conservation Officer Matthew Holmes said “This day started out great for the hikers in question and then ended in a six hour sit with temperatures that nearly hit the freezing mark. The forecast for the coming week on Mount Washington includes a “wintery mix” that will likely take the mountain from spring right back into winter.”
Memorial Hospital Defers Plan For Unification With Mainehealth
North Conway, N.H. – A proposal to fully unify Memorial Hospital with its parent organization, MaineHealth, will not go forward as planned with respect to financial and governance functions, but the hospital still plans to integrate its other operations with the larger system at the end of the calendar year.
Memorial and the other members of MaineHealth have been working over the past 18 months to create a unified governance, financial and operating model so that resources and expertise can flow more easily across the healthcare system. The Memorial Board of Trustees approved the “unification” plan last fall subject to required approvals.
Since that time, leaders at Memorial and MaineHealth have been working through certain requirements in New Hampshire that do not exist for the other MaineHealth members in Maine. Those leaders have recently concluded that there are aspects of the process that cannot be resolved in a timely manner relative to the overall timeframe for unification across MaineHealth. As a result, Memorial Hospital will not fully unify with the system when the other members of MaineHealth come together on Jan. 1, 2019. Instead, Memorial Hospital will continue to operate under the definitive agreement reached with MaineHealth in 2013.
What this means in practical terms is that Memorial will retain separate governance and financial structures in New Hampshire. It does not mean, however, that the hospital is leaving MaineHealth. In fact, the hospital still plans to unify its operations with the larger system at the end of the calendar year.
“It became clear that we have a lot of work to do with our MaineHealth colleagues before we could move forward with an application to the Attorney General’s office to fully unify with the system,” said Laura Jawitz, chair of the Memorial Board of Trustees. “Rather than rush that process or slow the progress being made across the rest of the system, we determined it was best to go forward under the existing membership agreement with MaineHealth.”
“One thing remains clear,” said Jawitz. “Our membership in MaineHealth has allowed us to better serve our patients here in the Valley, and MaineHealth remains the right partner for us going forward.”
Scott McKinnon, President & CEO of Memorial, said moving forward with unifying operationally with MaineHealth means continuing to pursue the integration of key functions such as human resources, information systems and clinical services. He also said there will be no interruption of the planned installation of the Epic electronic health record system later this year.
“Our leadership is now assessing what it will mean to have separate governance and financial structures alongside a unified MaineHealth,” said McKinnon. “We will share any information we have about that as it becomes available. In the meantime, rest assured, we will continue to move forward with our colleagues to find the most beneficial way to be a part of the MaineHealth family.”
Story Land Not Closing, Despite Viral Rumor
GLEN, NH – A Facebook post has caused a bit of a stir in the Mount Washington Valley and across New England after it claimed that story land was closing.
The satirical news organization New Hampshire News Network posted on Facebook that the Glen attraction was closing this fall. Many social media users, not realizing the page is satirical similar to the Onion, believed the post to be true.
Lauren Hawkins Marketing Director at Story Land said the post has caused them quite a headache with people calling concerned that the 60-year-old attraction was closing.
Hawkins said in a phone interview “It is absolutely not true. We don’t like to believe everything on the internet” Hawkins joked, adding “We will be open for many more years to come.”
Story Land was opened in Glen in 1954 by Bob and Ruth Morrell of North Conway, owners of the Eastern Slope Ice Cream Co. The Morrells sold Story Land in 2007. It is now owned by Palace Entertainment.
Hiker Injured On Frankenstein Cliff Trail
HARTS LOCATION, NH – An Injured Hiker had to be carried out of the White Mountains Wednesday.
Fish and Game Conservation Officers say that 43-year-old Mary Crivelli, of Maryland was out hiking with friends when she injured her ankle after slipping on a rock near the summit of the Frankenstein Cliff Trail in Harts Location at around 1pm.
A member of her hiking party had to hike approximately half a mile in order to find cell service to call for help.
Conservation officers as well as twenty-two students and staff from Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities (S.O.L.O.) in Conway responded. Rescuers carried Crivelli to the trailhead arriving at around 7:40 Wednesday night.
Fish and Game Officials said that they rely heavily upon volunteer rescue groups like S.O.L.O to help with search and rescue missions. Noting that the public is encouraged to help support search and rescue activities in the state by purchasing a Hike Safe Card.
For additional information about hikesafe cards, visit hikeSafe.com.
Destructive Invasive Insect Found In Maine
AUGUSTA – Officials at the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) report that emerald ash borer (EAB) has been found in Maine. Despite an aggressive search for at least a decade, the destructive forest insect from Asia had not been detected in Maine previously. It has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in thirty-four states throughout the country. The estimated commercial (unprocessed) value of Maine ash trees is approximately $320 million.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials with the Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed the identification of a pre-pupa found in Madawaska, Maine. The discovery was made by a joint DACF – U.S. Forest Service (USFS) team on May 22, 2018. The team had responded following the discovery of EAB in Edmundston, New Brunswick, just across the river from Madawaska.
Discovery Anticipated
The Maine DACF has long anticipated the arrival of EAB and the inevitable destruction that follows. Public outreach has been conducted for fifteen (15) years. Experts have long believed that the insect has been present Maine but undetected despite an aggressive effort to find it. Its discovery in Quebec, Vermont and New Hampshire further added to the growing concern.
Steps Taken To Locate EAB (EAB Surveillance in Maine)
Current Maine Response Status
State and federal officials are meeting to implement a statewide emergency-response plan. To determine the extent of the infestation, a multi-agency survey effort has been launched including personnel from the Maine DACF, APHIS and USFS.
As recently as April 26, officials conducted a multi-agency tabletop meeting to create an emergency plan for responding to EAB’s eventual discovery and implement a planned response. That is now underway.
Additional information will be released as more is learned from teams in the field and as data is processed.
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)
Emerald ash borer was first discovered in the Detroit, Michigan area in 2002, though it is believed to have arrived in the 1990s. The beetle is about one half an inch and metallic green. Its larva tunnels through the wood just under the bark of ash trees and can kill even healthy trees in three-to-five years. Hundreds of millions of trees across the country have been killed.
Ash trees comprise 4 percent of Maine’s hardwood forest and are also an important street tree. Emerald ash borer threatens all species of ash trees (except mountain ash) and could have significant ecological and economic impacts. There are no practical means to control EAB in forested areas, though pesticide treatments can protect individual trees.
Slowing the spread of EAB is crucial. An emerald ash borer generally moves only about one half-mile on its own in a year, but can move hundreds of miles in a single day within a piece of infested firewood.
Caution Regarding Firewood
Emerald ash borer is not the only threat to our forests that can move in the seemingly benign firewood brought to camp. Numerous other insects and diseases can also hitchhike in firewood. Spread the word: use local firewood. If you have friends or family planning to visit Maine, make sure they are aware of the state and federal rules that ban movement of untreated firewood (www.maine.gov/firewood). Sources of treated or local firewood can be found online at firewood scout http://firewoodscout.org/s/ME/.
More information about emerald ash borer is available at:
http://www.maine.gov/eab
http://www.emeraldashborer.info/
Vehicle Struck By Train In Wakefield
WAKEFIELD, NH – A car was struck by a train in Wakefield Tuesday. According to the Wakefield police at 2:55pm Police and fire crews responded to a report of a car being hit by a train at the point railroad crossing.
Rescue crews had to extract the driver from the vehicle. The driver suffered serious injuries during the accident and was rushed to Frisbie Memorial Hospital.
Police said there was also a juvenile passenger in the car, who appeared uninjured but transported as a precaution.
The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and Milton Fire Department assisted at the scene.
Authorities said the cause of the crash is still currently under investigation, however they do believe distracted driving and other issues may have been contributing factors.
19-Year-Old Arraigned On Charges Of Aiding Roommates Suicide In Plymouth
NORTH HAVERHILL, N.H. – Police Say a 19-year-old New Hampshire man aided his friend’s suicide in multiple ways. Police said in court documents that Parker Hogan brought a gun, notebook and pen to the scene of his roommates death and instructed him on holding the gun at the correct angle to his head.
Police 19-year-old victim was found dead of a gunshot wound in the woods near his Plymouth apartment May 8. His death was determined to be a suicide.
Hogan was arraigned Tuesday during which his lawyer entered not guilty pleas on the charge and on charges of falsifying physical evidence.
Police said that Hogan told them Buskey had a court date and didn’t want to go to jail. He told them he helped plan Buskey’s suicide. They say the two went into the woods near the apartment, where they practiced ways for Buskey to shoot himself.
Police said Hogan left the woods, waited until he heard a gunshot and returned to make sure Buskey was dead. He called police and Buskey’s father the next morning.
Police said Hogan posted bail. He’s scheduled to appear in court in July.
Valley Businesses Report Mostly Positive Memorial Day Weekend Despite Gloomy Weather
NORTH CONWAY, NH – The unofficial start to summer was mostly positive for Mount Washington Valley Businesses despite a cloudy forecast.
According to the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce businesses responses reporting to an informal survey this weekend ranged from saying sales were 65% up from last year to slightly down.
The gloomy weather forecast did play a small factor in weekend tourism. Becca Deschenes Director of Marketing at Cranmore Mountain Resort said that the three day weekend as a whole was down from last year, adding that When looking at just Monday, they were up over last year. Deschenes noted that she did think the weather scared people away.
However Susan Logan, Manager of Marketing and Events for Conway Scenic Railroad reported that the forecast benefitted them saying that Saturday and Sunday were up 64% and 65%, respectively, over last year.
With rain in the forecast over the unofficial start of summer many valley businesses thrived.
Dot Seybold, General Manager of Settlers Green Outlets in North Conway, told the chamber that sentiment among store managers there was very positive, noting that the bad weather helped push people into the outlet centers.
General Manager of the Royalty Inn in Gorham, Conrad Klefos, told the chamber that ATV tourism has been a great driver of business for inn with an estimated 80-percent of his guests there to enjoy ATVing. Klefoes also told the chamber that he predicts a great season due to the enthusiasm for ATVing in the northern region.
The Chamber reports that traveler sentiment is positive for travel this summer, and even a forecast for rainy weather over the Memorial Day weekend didn’t squelch visitors’ pent up desire to spend time in the Valley.
Lauren Hawkins, Director of Marketing at Story Land, shared that while they feared the weather forecast would have a negative impact on park attendance, the excitement of Story Land’s opening prevailed. Hawkins said that the weekend was up slightly despite gloomy weather.
When it came to Mount Washington Valley lodging the chamber heard wealth of positivity. Donna Pearce, Owner/Innkeeper at the Admiral Peary House in Fryeburg, said that between weddings in the area, concerts and Fryeburg Academy graduation, the inn was filled with families.
In addition, Bill Petrone, Owner/Innkeeper at the Buttonwood Inn shared that bookings were up over last year for the Memorial Day weekend.
Craig Clemmer, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Omni Mount Washington Hotel, also confirmed that the hotel was sold out for the Memorial Day weekend.
Despite the cloudy weather the Memorial Day weekend still set a positive tone for the summer tourism season. Tourism experts are predicting a strong summer for travel.
Susan Logan confirmed that advance ticket sales are strong for the Conway Scenic Railroad, while lodging properties reported that the prevalence of last minute reservations makes it hard to predict.
For more information on visiting Mt Washington Valley, please visit www.MtWashingtonValley.org
Police Make 90 Stops During Conway Saturation Patrol
CONWAY, NH – State Police had a busy weekend in the Mount Washington Valley this holiday weekend.
According to Troop E they conducted a DWI Saturation Patrol in the Conway area between 9pm Saturday and 3 am Sunday. Police said they made a total of 90 motor vehicle stops during the patrol.
Officials reported that during one stop an individual reported suffering from suicidal thoughts, the officer was able to help the individual by providing with medical help at a local hospital.
Police also made one physical arrest during the DWI check. 57-year-old Catherine Heinz, of Fryeburg Maine was arrested for DWi, Possession of a Narcotic Drug, and an active Electronic Bench Warrant.
Colonel Christopher Wagner, Director of the New Hampshire State Police and Lieutenant Kevin Duffy, Commander of the Troop E barracks said they “consider the detection and apprehension of impaired drivers and enforcement of the Driving While Intoxicated statutes to be a top priority. They will continue to collaborate and utilize DWI Saturation Patrols and other means to deter, detect and remove impaired drivers from New Hampshire roadways.”