And the Winners are...

Over the past few months we have hosted a series of Open Houses at the project. In August we set up the big tent, cooked up burgers and hot dogs and visited with over 100 people as they toured the four models. In October we held a Neighbor Helping Neighbor Food Drive in which we urged visitors to our project to bring canned goods for the Laconia Food Bank. We hung up balloons, held raffles and showed the pride we have in our project. And now it is time to announce the winners of the raffles. Winning two tickets for a scenic cruise on the Lake Winnipesaukee Mailboat is Stephen Littlehale and the winner of the $100.00 Gift Certificate on the Mt. Washington Dinner/Dance Cruise is N. Gary Aldrich. Congratulations and enjoy.

Of course, on reflection I realized that there are other winners connected with this project. Weirs Beach Village has provided work for many in the Laconia area during some rough economic times. Framers, painters, drywallers, electricians, plumbers and a variety of other construction related professions have had work over the past year because of our project. The Laconia Food Bank will be a beneficiary when we arrive with our canned food donations. It will hopefully help a few families in the Laconia area through some bleak times. The caterer who was hired for one of the Open Houses was a winner as they had a chance to not only to earn money but to also get their name out in the community. The Mt. Washington Cruiselines is a winner and a wonderful neighbor - we sent them some business and they have welcomed us to the neighborhood. Their employees have come to our Open Houses and have been very kind and supportive. We bought furniture from local businesses to stage the homes trying to support the local economy. I feel strongly that the community of Weirs Beach is a winner because of our project. We have a vision which is becoming reality - to create a community of high quality, affordable homes. We are responsible, hard working and we stand behind our product.

And there is another winner in all of this and that is our family. My husband and I have been married for 31 years and working on this project together has made the bonds between us even stronger. I am reminded of the saying 'that which does not kills us only makes us stronger.' I often describe myself as a little bulldog. I just put my head down and bash on regardless...and please do not tell me it can not be done. Did I mention I am a Taurus? This project will be successful. Our son came on board and joined us as Project Manager in July. He left a very lucrative position because he believes in our vision. He has a college degree in construction management so while we bring the street smarts to the table he brings the book smarts - a winning combination. Our three other children, while not directly working with us, are supportive in so many ways. They come to our Open Houses and give tours of the models, they offer constructive criticism and give us hugs when we need them most. Our daughter-in-law helped me stage the project and her sense of fashion and color was invaluable plus we got to shop until we dropped. So as a family we have risen to the occasion and done what families do ~ we have supported each other and worked together to get the job done. I am very proud of all of us and the work we have accomplished on this project. We are a winning team.

And lastly, a true winner is the consumer who sees the value in these homes. I have witnessed the quality, time and thoughtfulness which has gone into building each home and the Weirs Beach Village community. We are building homes where you can live and relax year round in a vacation setting knowing that your home was built by people who care.