Northern New Hampshire bartending classes begin May 16

By Rich Johnson

School's out and just about everyone is raking their lawns or on vacation with the kids. The Christmas decorations are down, even the wreath that welcomed so many to the Lodge at Jackson Village, but the Wildcat Inn & Tavern has one lastwreath and part of a garland decorating their lighted sign. It must be a sign! The weather is just beautiful and after a day of raking everyone will wonder where you vacationed. I responded by admittingit was in Bermuda, only with a rake.Just be careful outthere and watch for all the kids playing their vacations away.The Friends of the Jackson Public Library is having its annual Spring Week Morning at the library on Saturday, April 30, from 9 to 11 a.m.Volunteers are asked tobring rakes, et cetera, to help in sprucing up the grounds and to wash the windows. The Jacksonhighway crew has helped already in removing a great deal of the winter sand.The library thanks you. The annual meeting of the Friends of the Library willmeet at 11 a.m. following the work session.The GibsonSeniorCenter issponsoring an AARP Driver Safety Program on Monday and Tuesday, May 9 and 10, from noon to 4 p.m. The class will be held at the Gibson Center, with Dan Andrews ofJackson as AARP volunteer instructor. He will present the course through a combination of group discussion and video. This eight-hour course, developed by the AARP, is to help drivers 50 years and older to improve their skills andprevent accidents. It covers age related physical changes in perceptions and reaction time, rules of the road and local driving problems. Successful completion brings a discount available on their automobile insurance. For more information and to register, call the Gibson Center at 356-3231. The cost of the course is $10.On April 29, the Friday Morning Walks are restarting at 7 a.m. in thegrammar school parking lot. A permission form is needed from home, so get it signed and join in on this fun exercise. On Thursday, April 28, Lori Kinsey and JoshPotter will lead an excursion as part of the JGS School Community Partnership series and in conjunction with "Turn-Off TV Week"entitled "Awesome Amphibians." The session runs from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Tin Mountain field station onTin Mine Road in Jackson, and will include a short slide show and then an outdoor excursion to the pond, which is alive with thesound of peepers and tree frogs. What a fun alternative to TVtime.Northern New Hampshire Bartending will be holding classes beginning on Monday, May 16, from6 to 9 p.m. The classes will be held for six Mondays and will cover all bartending basics, a working knowledge of all alcoholic beverages, recipes for the most common drinks, wine, beer, maltbeverages, draft beer and spirits, and information from the major distributors of these products. Class time will be comprised of lecture, hands-on workshops, guest speakers, video presentations, ordering and inventorycontrol and class trips. A certificate of bartending will be awarded,and a three-year certificate from TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures), a nationally recognized alcohol awareness program, will be awarded. Richard Johnson will be one of the instructors, who has been associated with the liquor industry for over 30 years and is currentlybeverage manager of the Wildcat Inn& Tavern in Jackson.Class size is limited and the cut-off date for registration is May 10. For additional information and an application, call Johnson at 387-9646or E-mail him at nnhb@adelphia.net.Happy birthday wishes go outto the Thompsons. Kellycelebrated a birthday on April 16, Scott celebrated his on the 18th and Frank willcelebrate his on the 28th. Wish them wellbelatedly and to Frank on his special day. That's it for this week. Have a great vacation and be extra careful out therethis week, and get that lawn raked and ready for the May flowers.