VOLUME 32, NUMBER 52 MAY 15, 2008 FREE THE WEEKLY NEWS & LIFESTYLE JOURNAL OF MT. WASHINGTON VALLEY Case In Point: Brian Smith and his jewelry shop have withstood the test of time … A 2 Women Build: Habitat for Humanity & Lowe’s host first Women Build event in the Valley … A 6 Memorial Weekend Concert: The Seacoast Wind Ensemble returns to 10th Mountain Pavilion … B1 Down Stream: Kayaker Darron Laughland explains the differences in boats … Jackson, NH 03846 • Lodging: 383-9443 Recreation: 383-0845 • www.nestlenookfarm.com • 1-877-445-2022 B13 A SALMON PRESS PUBLICATION • (603) 447-6336 • PUBLISHED IN CONWAY, NH SSTTOORRYY LLAANNDD Case In Point CC OO RR NN EE RR Every woman’s second favorite man Brian A. Smith, A Valley Jewel By PG Case menacing machine came down on its front We had our first shop out Route 16A in TRUE STORY. BACK IN, SAY, ’69, wheel. Phew! Then abruptly the thing shot Intervale. It was called Country Bargains a bunch of us had motorcycles. Mine was a up on its hind end again, but not as high. and it belonged to Mary Savard. There was BMW 250 cc single lunger. One of those The third attempt was much better. It no heat and we had to come up with $50 a old vehicles in your life you wish you still sounded like a cigarette boat at idle. He month rent between three of us,” Brian had. There were a couple of rice burners. paid the man and rode the gurgling remembers. There was also a potter named Lodi customized his 650 “Trumpet”, as machine back to North Conway and many, Laura, but that’s all he can remember. Triumphs were sometimes called, and it many miles after that. Those were heady times. was admired widely, even down at Laconia Brian’s whole life has had some of those That winter, flushed with success, they that year. dramatic bumps. Anyone who knows his rented a space behind Badger Realty with a Brian Smith, now the popular Valley wives can tell you. In the fairness of full dis- Mechanic Street entrance and barely jeweler and owner of North Country Fair closure, I admit the first one was my sister. enough parking for the Indian. But it Jewelers in North Conway, picked out a They lived up in Orono where Brian was a worked swell and the business grew to ONLY beauty for himself. It was an Indian built in biology major. He grew up in Center include Taffy Case and Phil Kelly, nascent the early ’50s and it had 1400 ccs. More Lovell with his two brothers and their par- iron mongers. than the rest of our bikes put together. It ents and he graduated from the largest “We made metal hooks and things like was an ugly old hand-painted yellow mon- eighth grade that town and the sending that. I can’t remember now. I mostly ran 9 ster with a foot clutch and “suicide shift” towns had ever seen, a whopping 13. From for beer,” says Kelly, who has had much on the side of the gas tank. You had to learn there he matriculated at Fryeburg more luck as an entrepreneur and restaura- MORE DAYS! how to “advance the spark,” which I still Academy where he was captain of the foot- teur. Charlie Henderson, now famous as don’t know what that means, in order to ball team, a member of the ski team and Chuck Roast, set up in the shop making operate the thing. met a new buddy, Stevie Dore, who would hippie flower design double-ring belts that We all went with him to pick the bike become a life long friend. In fairness of dis- had a label urging customers: “Don’t drop up. The seller asked him if he knew how to closure, he was my sister’s second husband. trow, buy a Chuck Roast belt now.” At Another operate it. He did not. Well, Brian’s dad At Orono the pre-med student got some point Becky Mulkern made and sold had owned a Harley when he came back involved with making handcrafts and par- Becky’s Bonnets. Sharyn Ekberg worked from the big war with only one hand, how ticularly simple jewelry. He became profi- with silver, Snuffy Curtis was there. The summer of hard could it be? He listened carefully and cient at and famous for his one-of- a-kind musician Danny McCarthy (my son’s we watched him climb on silently copper wire roach clips that would spell out favorite) and Chris Goodine also helped mouthing the instructions. your name or your girl friend’s or “peace.” with the rent, though graying gray matter family fun He got her started, he advanced the So, the sciences took a digger and though can’t recall what usefulness they provided. spark, then he let out the clutch, a little too he was just a wee way from graduating, he Probably helped Kelly on the beer runs. fast. The bellowing behemoth seemed to put it off to start his own little shop. He’s That was the summer of Woodstock starts soon at shoot straight up in the air. It reminded me still putting it off. and though the shop had been open only a of the Lone Ranger on Silver at the begin- Rhonda Gates was a leathermaker who week and a half, they closed it right down Story Land! ning of the show. We scattered like some- Brian had met and they wanted to start a and headed off to sell some wares to help one had thrown a grenade. He let off the business in North Conway. pay for the trip and hang out with Jimi, gas and put in the clutch. Bowmp! The “I’ve always loved it up here. I still do. Janice, Wavy Gravy and a third of a million other mud soaked music aficionados. “Of course, when we got there, in the Open for Guest spirit of the thing, we gave everything away like everyone else was doing. We barely Appreciation Days: made it home,” Brian says. But home they did make it, and the North Country Fair Jewelers became a 9am to 5pm home for many of us. The first place to stop in when returning for a Valley visit. May 24-25-26, The only place to go for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, Mother’s Day or a wedding ring. You could always get cred- May 30-31- it if a mother was involved. The shop grew up around Brian and he June 1, grew up in it. He married Jackie and they had two girls to add to Jackie’s two. Now all June 6-7-8, are grown and Jen has been working there since she was a kid. Emily has become head of the Jewelry Design Division and she’s & June 13-14-15 bringing up her own daughter in the shop, little Nico. What a treat she is. ADMISSION IS ONLY Brian has always been a community minded kind of dude. He has been more $20 PER PERSON than generous over all these years, con- tributing fabulous pieces of jewelry to the (REGULARLY $24) various fund raisers in town. In particular, he won the admiration and friendship of Paul Ashnault, a great guy who was direc- tor of the Gibson Center for years. Soon We hope to Brian was on the Board and was its presi- dent when they decided to build the new wing. see you here “I still love it here,” he says. “It’s so beautiful and I can never get over the fact that in the spring you can go skiing up at this summer! Wildcat in the morning and then get in nine holes in the afternoon.” North Country Fair Jewelers owner Brian A. Smith (PG Case Photo) What’s not to love? ▲ On the Cover Inside Index KHS is finally on track Women Build! Biz News ................................Page A13 The MWV Affiliate of Habitat for Kennett High School track member Calendar...................................Page B6 Jillian Doyle takes off after taking a hand- Humanity and Lowe’s sponsored a off from Vicky Weigold in the 4X100- Women Build event on Saturday, May 10, Entertainment..........................Page B1 meter relay held during Kennett’s first and more than 30 women signed up for a Gardening ..............................Page B12 www.storylandnh.com home meet on its new track on Thursday, day of home construction. See Page A5. On the Rockpile.....................Page B10 May 8. A dedication ceremony was held 603-383-4186 prior to the races, during which the many As The Wheels Turn Real Estate .............................Page A14 supporters and contributors of the track Peter Minnich is back on his bike, ready to Resort Report.........................Page B11 Route 16, Glen, NH were acknowledged. See Page A10. keep readers up to date on upcoming bik- Sports ..............................Pages A10-11 (Joshua Spaulding Photo) ing events. Page B9. Page A2 - The Mountain Ear, Thursday, May 15, 2008 Say Again Used News Good news for Kennett High School Eagle Academy earning its wings According to Kovalik, “The academy viously committed to our Alternative force which includes Lt. Donald Grow Recent reports from the New was his brain child and it is similar to the Education program. This is more effi- and Sgt. James Eldridge, who both have Hampshire Department of Education Carroll County Academy, but instead of cient, as it serves more students and more than two decades as police officers tell a good news story for students and being independent it is run by our appears to be more successful.