Walk This Way

I had the good fortune to be up at Weirs Beach Village on a recent February afternoon. The air was brisk, reminding me that I was alive. It was the perfect day to take a two mile walk through Weirs Beach and I decided to share my pictures from that afternoon with you. So much to see and do ~ all within walking distance from the homes at Weirs Beach Village. Step outside onto the deck at the 'Center Harbor' model.
We are going to take a right onto Endicott Street. There are sidewalks throughout our walk so no worries about being hit by passing vehicles.

Are you a music lover and enjoy an outdoor concert? Then the Meadowbrook Musical Arts Center is the place for you - and it is only 4 miles away ! Go to their site at www.meadowbrook.net and check out the 2010 calendar. Reba will be there on August 21 and you just might see me there !

Who doesn't enjoy going to see a play? 'The Laramie Project' is currently playing. There are shows year round at the Playhouse so when you are living at Weirs Beach Village and wondering what to do in the winter, you will have many choices.

As we continue our walk down Endicott Street we pass 'The Lobster Pound' ~ nice to know there are several restaurants within walking distance from your front door. Brunch at 'The Lobster Pound' starts at 10:00 AM ~ leave some pancakes for me !

Need to get your boat serviced ? You can walk right down to Thurston's Marina and have all of your boating questions answered.

If it was in the middle of summer we would have reached our destination possibly - the beach ! It is just down the hill from your home in Weirs Beach so you don't have to worry about finding a parking spot - just grab a towel, walk down and jump in !

Here is a view of the beach from a distance. Love that gazebo ! Bring a picnic lunch and make a day off it !

Another restaurant within walking distance. Just think, you can even have dessert since you will be walking off those extra calories when you head home !

This is the historic landmark sign letting you know where you are ~ when I see this sign lit up at night I feel like I have gone back in time ~ to a place where life was simpler and less complex. That's what Weirs Beach Village is all about.

Just one of the majestic views which I saw during my walk. Truly breathtaking.

Now we are walking down Scenic Ave. ~ in the summer you can't find a parking space on this street so it is a good thing that you can walk right on down here from your home at Weirs Beach Village. The winter time is quieter and allows one to reflect as they wander through the streets of Weirs Beach.

Tired of walking ? Jump aboard for a scenic ride around the lake.

Trains aren't your thing ? How about a dinner cruise on the Mt. Washington ? How lucky you are to have choices !

The emphasis here is on FUN ! Arcades, food... just chillin' on the boardwalk. Oh, the memories your family will create and keep...forever.

I am the queen of the bumper cars. I can't wait until they open for business in May ! I'm the one in the red car ~ watch out !

I really wish this stand was open for business as I walked by...peppermint stick ice cream in a sugar cone, please.

The Tower Hill Tavern is hopping in the summer ~ usually it is standing room only. Notice the small print - fried dough. Life is good.

And now the part of the walk which will allow us to break into a sweat - up Tower Hill. Ready ? I will race you to the top!

At the top of Tower Hill, take a left, cross the street and we are back at Weirs Beach Village.

Hope you enjoyed our virtual walk together. There is so much to do at Weirs Beach and if you live here, it is all within walking distance. It doesn't get much better than that. See you at the bumper cars !

Neither rain, nor snow...

nor ice, nor wind, can stop the construction at Weirs Beach Village. We are currently building two more homes for customers. So while the tourist traffic up at Weirs Beach has slowed down we haven't slowed down at all. Our schedule has been intense while dealing with Mother Nature. Framers, roofers and sheet rockers can be found on site working under the watchful eye of Project Manager, Jeff Kelley. Our realty team, Prudential Verani, hosted successful Open Houses throughout the holiday season and are now working on creative marketing strategies for the upcoming months. So at a time of year when many people go into hibernation mode, all of us connected with Weirs Beach Village are dressing in layers, shoveling snow and waiting to greet all visitors to the project. So if you are looking for something to do during these long winter days come on up to Weirs Beach Village and see for yourself the changes that are taking place during the months of winter. And feel free to bring Jeff a cup of hot cocoa ! He'd appreciate it.

You are invited...

New paint, new signage, new team, new energy...come see for yourself ! Food, raffles, holiday spirit...come be a part of the celebration !

There is no " i " in team.

I love basketball and was recently cheering on my favorite team ~ the Boston Celtics. I become quite passionate and involved as I watch the games especially if it is a nail biter. During a game this past weekend I yelled at the TV screen, "Pass the ball, there is a man under the basket...he is waiting for you to pass it to him. DO NOT GO FOR THE THREE. A man is open. Play as a team ~ basketball is a team sport."

Through the years I have been a part of many teams and the ones which have been most successful and enjoyable are the teams which are organized, well-managed, and with open lines of communications. Effective teams have members who work together creating positive synergy. The focus is on getting the job done, not on individual glory.

The Weirs Beach Village team has the energy, enthusiasm and skills that will allow us to reach our goals. When we have our team meetings led by our leader, Realtor Bonnie Gravel from Prudential Verani, creative ideas and 'out of the box' thinking bounces off the walls of the conference room. We believe in this project ~ we always have and we always will ~ and the plans going forward are cutting edge. We all have our roles on our team but at the same time none of us are afraid to pitch in and do what needs to be done. At any time you might see the developer of the project mowing lawns or the realtor moving furniture. Our philosophy is get the job done effectively. We have high standards for the entire project and for each individual home. Our team has a strong foundation built with respect, honesty and strong work ethics. We are a team of like minded, hard working people who have a vision. We invite you to come to Weirs Beach Village in the near future and witness for yourself the power of our team. Call Bonnie today at 603-845-2232 or email her at bonnie.gravel@verani.com with any questions or comments you might have about Weirs Beach Village.

And when you come up to visit us ~ wear your green, mention that you are a Celtics fan and you will feel the magic of our team. Go Weirs Beach Village !!

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.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

In every profession, in every job, there are dedicated, motivated workers who truly care and then there are the disinterested, just working for the paycheck, disgruntled workers. We have all experienced it. There are the dedicated doctors who truly care about their patients, who go the extra mile and then the disinterested doctors who just care about pushing pills. There are lazy store clerks who roll their eyes at you if you ask them a question and then there are the motivated, personable store clerks who really enjoy their jobs and try to help the customer. There is the honest automobile mechanic who takes the time to explain to me what my car's catalytic converter does and why I need a new one. Then there is the automobile mechanic who was only supposed to check the air in my tires and at the end handed me a bill for over five hundred dollars. There are educators who arrive at their classroom at the crack of dawn, who create creative lesson plans which meet the needs of their students and then there are educators who use the same lesson plans every year for every child.

And then there are developers and home builders. There are home builders who cut corners, who don't focus on those small but important details, who look for the cheapest way to get the job done, who are willing to sacrifice quality for the sake of time and money. Then there are developers and home builders who review the process, the materials, the installation. They truly care about so much more than the bottom line ~ they care about the customer. They realize that this is possibly the biggest investment that the customer might ever make and they are very sensitive to that. They realize they are building more than just a structure, they are building homes where people will cherish their time and create memories. These developers realize that the satisfied customer is their best form of advertising. And we, the developers and builders of the Cottages at Weirs Beach Village are dedicated to leading the way in superior home building. Our mission statement centers around the customer and building true value and high quality into every home. Conscientious, proud, responsible, dedicated, experienced are all words which are used to describe the developers of the Cottages at Weirs Beach Village.

Under our business model, success is measured by the number of people we help to get what they want. We believe that part of our responsibility is to be a contributing member of our community. To that end we are hosting an Open House/ Food Drive over Columbus Day Weekend, October 10, 11, 12 ,which will help our neighbors in Laconia. For each canned good that a guest to our Open House brings with them, their name will be entered into a raffle drawing to win a $100.00 gift certificate on the Mt. Washington Cruise Line. All canned goods will be donated to the Community Action Program in Laconia, NH.

So pack up your canned goods and head on over to the Cottages at Weirs Beach Village. Have a cup of cider, take a tour of the four model homes and see for yourself the community that is being created.

In the beginning...

It is the last day of summer and I am sitting up at 'The Cottages' soaking up every last ray of summer sun. It has been a hectic summer up here at the Weirs and it is important for us to sit back and reflect on all that has been accomplished. As I look around at our newly paved roads, the new road signs and lamp posts, and the newly planted blueberry bushes and mums, I allow my mind to wander back in time...way back in time and try to imagine what this land used to look like in the beginning.


The Native American name Winnipesaukee means either "smile of the Great Spirit" or "beautiful water in a high place." At the outlet of the Winnipesaukee River, the Winnipesaukee Indians, a subtribe of the Pennacook, lived and fished at a village called Acquadocton. Today, the site is called The Weirs, named for the weirs that colonists discovered when first exploring the region. Fishing weirs were stone structures designed by Native Americans to help them catch fish. So it should not have been a huge surprise to any of us last summer when unusual pieces of 'stone' were discovered on site. Archaeologists were called in to perform a thorough search of the area. We all became familiar with the term 'Munsungun Chert' which was a stone used by Paleo-Indians to create hand struck tools. Munsungun Chert would indeed be a rare find since the Paleo -Indians used the tools they created to hunt Mastodons! Just imagine! We all held our breath while the unidentified stone was sent off to labs to be formally identified. The historian in all of us was in awe of the idea that Paleo-Indians and Mastodons once walked this ground. The business side of us wondered anxiously what a finding of Munsungun Chert would do to our project. The results came back ~ and the stone was identified as red jasper which was used more commonly by Native Americans to create tools by hand. The project moved forward but I believe that we all look at the site through new lens as we think of the people who inhabited these lands hundreds of years before us.


Here is the red jasper which was found on the site:

Eventually the land was transformed into the Weirs Beach Tent and Trailer Park. There were 180 sites on which people could pitch a tent or bring in their campers for the season. Being within walking distance to the Weirs Beach Boulevard, the Beach, the arcades and many other area attractions made this a prime camping location for many families through the years. Many wonderful memories were created and we have had more than a few visitors to 'The Cottages at Weirs Beach Village' who had spent many summer vacations on this site and just wanted to stop in to share a memory or two with us.

And on October 16, 2007 this land changed hands once again. For the past two years, work has been diligent and constant to create a community in which people can live comfortably year round in a vacation setting. This is not just another development. This is a community built with pride and respect for the land and the history surrounding it. We encourage you to stop in and take a tour of 'The Cottages at Weirs Beach Village.' And while you are there, take a minute to reflect on the footsteps of all who preceded you.