Dear Members and Supporters,

 

As we say goodbye to 2024 and welcome 2025, we look back with satisfaction on our accomplishments and ahead with anticipation to our upcoming endeavors.  NSHA volunteers worked hand in hand as officers, teammates, and committee members to keep our organization vibrant and progressive.  Together with vital support from the community, you continued a host of preservation activities and events that preserve and promote our precious local heritage.

 

Last year you replaced the boiler at Heritage Hall, completed the restoration of the Forestdale School, and continued the restoration of the Memorial Town Building.  You continued to restore the Hotchkiss Cemetery (Smithfield Rd), the Luke Philips Cemetery (Pound Hill Road), and the Richard Mowry Cemetery (Greenville Rd) while maintaining numerous other local historical cemeteries.  You continued to expand, organize, and digitize the invaluable NSHA archives.  You expanded our research of local pre-colonial and colonial stone features. You raised funds critical to preservation efforts through Hall rentals, grants, donations, membership dues, and merchandise sales.  Just as importantly, you kept the community informed of progress and promoted town heritage through the Newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, and the recently updated website. 

 

Next year, you will continue these activities, as well as undertake new ventures.  You will open a new museum at the Memorial Town Building.  If a grant is approved, you will also replace the hall windows there with replica arch windows.  Another grant would allow you to complete a script for a new film documentary about the Indigenous Experience at Nipsachuck.  It's another ambitious but achievable agenda.    

 

I thank each one of you for your gifts of time, energy, and money to enable such significant success.  Most importantly, thank you for your kindness toward one another that creates the harmony so essential for our success.  I wish you all a very happy and healthy new year!

 

Warm Regards,

 

Rich Keene

NSHA, President

Republican Randy Fine is being projected as the winner in Florida's 6th Congressional District. He defeated Democrat Josh Weil in the special House election for the seat vacated by former representative Michael Waltz. The win builds on the Republican's slim majority in the U.S. House.        Cory Booker has broken the record for the longest Senate speech ever, now going over 25 hours and counting. The New Jersey Democrat started his marathon speech at seven o'clock Eastern time last night in protest of the Trump Administration. Booker is protesting President Trump's tariffs, steps Trump is taking to dismantle the Department of Education, and other polices, saying the nation is in crisis.        President Trump is calling Wednesday America's "Liberation Day," and will hold an event in the Rose Garden to celebrate. That's when new tariffs are expected to take effect against Canada, Mexico, China and the European Union. The White House said the event dubbed "Make America Wealthy Again" will take place at 4 p.m. Eastern time. Trump is expecting five-trillion dollars in U.S. investments after his tariffs take effect.        The Justice Department will seek the death penalty for accused UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday that she has ordered federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty. Mangione allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City sidewalk in December. Bondi called the killing a "premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America."        Actor Dave Coulier says he's cancer free after being diagnosed last winter. Coulier was diagnosed with Stage-Three non-Hodgkin lymphoma in November of 2024. Actress Candace Cameron Bure, who was a co-star with Coulier on the sitcom "Full House," posted on social media with him and his wife Melissa that he was cancer free.        The fate of the so-called "Tush Push" play will be decided by NFL owners at a later date. Multiple reports say team owners decided to table talk about the play made famous by the Philadelphia Eagles until May. A proposal about changes to playoff seeding was also shelved for now.