Arts and Recreation
Hugh Bonneville Stars in Promotional Video for The Park Theatre
Acclaimed actor helps Park Theatre's promotion of his new Downton Abbey film
Still of Hugh Bonneville from the promotional video
Photo courtesy of The Park Theatre
JAFFREY, New Hampshire (August 29, 2025) The Park Theatre is thrilled to announce that acclaimed actor Hugh Bonneville, beloved for his role as Robert Crawley in Downton Abbey, has partnered with the performing arts center to create a promotional video on behalf of his upcoming film, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. The video will be featured across multiple platforms, including The Park Theatre's social media channels, in-theatre screenings, and the official website, www.theparktheatre.org.
Steve Jackson, CEO & Managing Director of the The Park Theatre, personally reached out to Mr. Bonneville, who graciously agreed to lend his star power to support the Jaffrey, New Hampshire-based nonprofit performing arts center.
"Mr. Bonneville was so kind and gracious to appear in our video. He quickly agreed and production began. After we thanked him, we told him to be our guest in Jaffrey (and, at The Park) anytime," said Jackson.
This collaboration highlights The Park Theatre's commitment to bringing world-class entertainment and cultural experiences to the Monadnock region.
The promotional video (debuting on social media August 29) will offer audiences a special message from Mr. Bonneville, inviting them to experience the magic of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale at The Park Theatre. A special advance screening of the film is scheduled for Thursday, September 11 at 6:30 p.m., with regular screenings continuing until October 2. Tickets are priced at $10 for general admission and $9 for seniors, children, students, teachers, and active military.
Here is the link to the Mr Bonneville's video on the theatre's website:
https://theparktheatre.org/hugh/
The film serves as the centerpiece of The Park Theatre's Downton Abbey Monadnock Celebration, which includes a period dress contest on September 13, a Butler's Tray Race on September 20, exciting prizes, and high teas following select matinee screenings.
For more information about The Park Theatre, upcoming events, or to purchase tickets, visit www.theparktheatre.org or follow them on social media.
The theatre invites the Monadnock, and surrounding New England communities to join this grand celebration of a global cultural phenomenon.
For tickets and more information, visit theparktheatre.org or contact the box office at (603) 532-8888 or boxoffice@theparktheatre.org. Don't miss this unforgettable Downton Abbey experience in the state-of-the-art award winning Eppes Auditorium at The Park. It boasts 330-seats, a 27-foot wide screen and a 17-speaker ULTRA surround sound system.
Ken Burns' 4K Restored "Horatio's Drive" Has Cinema Premiere at Park Theatre
On September 28, the writer of the film, Dayton Duncan, will host the event and have a Q&A after the film at the Jaffrey, NH performing arts center
Photo courtesy of The Park Theatre
JAFFREY, New Hampshire (September 2, 2025) Ken Burns' critically acclaimed and recently restored documentary, Horatio's Drive, will be screened as a fundraiser for The Park Theatre performing arts center in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. The screening will be on Sunday, September 28 at 4:00 p.m. A VIP pre-film reception will take place at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 for the film and $40 for the VIP reception and the film.
In the spring of 1903, on a whim and a fifty-dollar bet, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson set off from San Francisco in a 20-horsepower Winton touring car, hoping to become the first person to cross the United States in the new-fangled "horseless carriage."
At the time, there were only 150 miles of paved road in the entire country, no gas stations, and virtually no road maps as we know them. Most people doubted that the automobile had much of a future--and a transcontinental drive seemed impossible.
Traveling with his co-driver Sewall Crocker and a faithful bulldog named Bud, Jackson was determined to prove them wrong.
Using a treasure trove of photographs and live cinematography of the vast landscape along the route, and relying on previously unpublished letters, Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip puts viewers in the front seat of this historic--and hilarious--journey.
Directed by acclaimed storyteller Ken Burns and written/produced by his long-time colleague Dayton Duncan, the documentary was initially broadcast on PBS in 2003--the centennial of Jackson's remarkable trip. Tom Hanks is the voice of the irrepressible Jackson.
Now the original film negative has been painstakingly restored in 4K high definition, and this will be the first time it has ever been shown in a theatrical screening.
Duncan will introduce the one-hour, forty-five minute film and then take questions from the audience.
"I don't think Ken and I ever had more fun making one of our documentaries than we did out on the road following Horatio Jackson across the continent," Duncan said. "I can't really express how excited I am to see the restored version on a big screen, 22 years later, this time in high definition. And where better to premiere this lovingly restored film than in the lovingly restored Park Theatre?", said Duncan.
"The Park Theatre has been blessed with the generosity of Florentine Films and Ken Burns. Horatio will the fourth time Florentine Films and their team have shared one of their films with audiences at the theatre--the screening of The American Buffalo in 2023; of Leonardo da Vinci in 2024, and Dan White's Monadnock: The Mountain That Stands Alone in 2023. Each time, they have allowed us to make these magnificent events fundraisers for our theatre. A huge thanks to them all," said Steve Jackson, CEO and Managing Director of The Park Theatre.
Tickets for Horatio's Drive are available online at theparktheatre.org or by calling the box office at (603) 532-8888. Tickets can also be purchased at the box office one hour before the film.
The Park Theatre is located at 19 Main Street in downtown Jaffrey, NH, just 95 minutes from downtown Boston. The facility is completely accessible.
Regional News
All Aboard: Comerford debuts videos focused on benefits of restarting Northern Tier Passenger Rail
(Route Two, Massachusetts)--Senator Jo Comerford (D-Northampton) has debuted All Aboard, a series of five videos featuring local officials and advocates from western and north central Massachusetts discussing the multiple benefits of restarting Northern Tier Passenger Rail.
Northern Tier Passenger Rail would connect North Adams with Greenfield, Athol, Fitchburg, and Boston along the Route 2 Corridor. In November 2024, MassDOT completed and released a Northern Tier Passenger Rail feasibility study, required under legislation that Comerford filed and passed into law in partnership with Representative Natalie Blais. See the yellow highlighted route below.
- Ben Heckscher, Co-Founder, Trains in the Valley
- Linda Dunlavy, Executive Director, Franklin Regional Council of Governments
- Shaun Suhoski, Town Manager, Athol
- Jessye Deane, Executive Director, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce & Regional Tourism Bureau
- Andrew Fitch, City Council Member, North Adams
The All Aboard videos can be found at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsZi3-6az3qaHZ3_z0Fso28deWJknm3xw. Each video focuses on a different aspect of why restarting the Northern Tier Passenger Rail would benefit local communities in western and north central Massachusetts, as well as the Commonwealth overall. Lily Frank, a public policy fellow from UMass Amherst working in Comerford's office, developed and filmed the series, which takes place on train platforms and rail yards in the region.
"There is a strong, shared understanding that restarting Northern Tier Passenger Rail service will strengthen our municipal and regional economies, increase viable transportation access and relieve traffic burdens along Route 2 and other west/east routes for the region, arrest debilitating population decline, and help protect our environment," noted Comerford.
Financial Focus®
Planning your business exit: Start with the end in mind
If you own a business, you've probably spent countless hours thinking about how to grow it, manage daily operations and serve your customers. But have you thought about how you'll eventually step away from it? While it might seem premature, planning your successful exit from your business is one of the smartest moves you can make as an owner.
The reality is that most business owners have 80% to 90% of their net worth tied up in their companies, according to the Exit Planning Institute. That's a significant investment that deserves careful planning to protect. Unfortunately, 70% to 80% of businesses put on the market don't sell, and about half of all business exits are involuntary due to unexpected circumstances like health issues, family emergencies management disputes or economic downturns.
Exit planning is more than preparing for retirement. It's taking control of your future and ensuring you can transition away from your business when and how you choose. You can start with the end in mind – a proactive approach that can inform your current business decisions and help increase your company's value and marketability.
Begin by articulating your personal goals for both the transaction and your life afterward. Maybe you want to sell only a portion of your business, stay on as a paid consultant or use the proceeds to start your next venture. Understanding your vision helps shape everything else.
You'll want to calculate how much money you'll need to fund your desired retirement lifestyle, accounting for expenses that may be currently covered by the business, like your cellphone, vehicles, travel and health care. Don't forget about your legacy goals too--what you want to leave for your family or charitable causes.
Getting started requires building a strong professional team. At the center should be a financial advisor who can help you through the planning, execution and post-sale phases. You'll likely also need a tax professional, legal advisor, commercial banker and business valuation expert. Depending on your exit strategy, you might later add specialists like business brokers, investment bankers or employee stock ownership plan advisors.
Understanding your business's current value is crucial. It's a good idea to get a calculation of value at least three to five years before your planned exit. This isn't as formal or expensive as a qualified appraisal, but it gives you a realistic range of what your business might be worth.
This step may reveal a gap between what you need financially and what your business could sell for. If so, don't panic. You have several options: work longer, adjust your spending expectations, save more outside the business or focus on increasing your company's value. You can boost value by increasing profits through higher market share, new products, better pricing or reduced costs. You can also improve intangible assets like employee expertise, operational systems and customer relationships.
Finally, consider who your successor might be. Selling your interest to family members, business partners or employees often provide more control over timing and lower transaction costs, though they may result in lower sale prices. Selling the business to third parties typically bring higher proceeds but less control over the process.
The key message is simple: it's never too early to start planning your exit. Whether you're thinking about stepping away next year or in the next decade, taking proactive steps now puts you in control of your business's future and your own financial security.
This content was provided by Edward Jones for use by Jordyn Lynds, your Edward Jones financial advisor at 978-297-7452 or stop by 113 Central St. Winchendon, MA 01475.
Edward Jones is a licensed insurance producer in all states and Washington, D.C., through Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. and in California, New Mexico and Massachusetts through Edward Jones Insurance Agency of California, L.L.C., Edward Jones Insurance Agency of New Mexico, L.L.C., and Edward Jones Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, L.L.C.
Gardening
Three Ways to Preserve the Beauty of Your Summer Garden
Lay flat-faced flowers, like these Shasta daisies, face down on a flat surface to dry.
Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com
Fall is quickly approaching and as you prepare for the change of seasons, consider preserving some of your summer garden's beauty. Photograph, dry, or press a few of your favorite flowers to enjoy and share with others.
Cell phone cameras have greatly improved and allow even novice photographers the opportunity to capture the beauty of their gardens and favorite plants. Visit your garden in the early morning or evening when the light tends to be perfect for taking pictures. Try focusing on a favorite flower, bouquet or garden that you love. Watch how plant shapes, colors and textures contrast and combine to create pockets of beauty in the garden.
Harvest and dry some of your favorite flowers for dried arrangements and crafts. Pick the flowers when they are at peak bloom and dry them. Cut the flowers midday when they contain less moisture, reducing the dry time.
Use a bypass pruner or garden scissors to cut the stems above a set of healthy leaves. Remove the foliage and gather them into small bundles. Secure the stems with rubber bands. They will contract when the stems shrink and continue to hold the stems tightly. Use a spring-loaded clothespin to hang the bundles from a hanger, clothesline or nail. Allow the flowers to dry in a warm, dark, dust-free location.
Lay flat-faced flowers, like daisies, face down on a flat surface to dry since they tend to close a bit when hung upside down. Simply cut off the stem and place the flowers face down on newspaper or craft paper in a warm, dry location. Once dried, you can glue them in place or use florist wire to create stems for arranging.
Be sure to pick a few seedpods and seedheads from perennials and ornamental grasses. Allow them to dry on the plants, harvest and use them to add interesting texture and form to your dried flower arrangements and projects.
Try pressing a few flowers to use for making cards, gifts, and works of art. Just place the leaves and flowers between pieces of craft or similar paper in a flower press or heavy book. You can purchase or make your own flower press with wood, bolts, wing nuts, cardboard, and paper. Be sure to sandwich the flowers between sufficient layers of paper to protect the pages of your book.
Use freshly picked flowers at their peak of beauty for best results. Arrange the leaves and petals as desired before pressing, since they will dry the way you place them.
Once your flowers are placed in between the paper and pages of the book, close it, and stack a few books on top for added weight. Or evenly tighten the flower press to apply needed pressure. Your dried flowers will be ready in about a month.
Store pressed flowers in paper envelopes or between sheets of paper. Place them in cardboard boxes in a dry location until you are ready to create your pressed flower project.
As your gardens transition into fall, look for other flowers, foliage and seed pods to add to your dried flower collection. Continue to photograph your garden and enjoy the beauty every change of season provides.
Melinda Myers has written over 20 gardening books, including The Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" instant video series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Beautify and Expand Your Indoor Garden
Trimming with a sharp houseplant pruners or micro snips will improve a houseplant's growth habit and size.
Photo courtesy of Corona Tools
Keep your houseplants looking their best with a bit of pinching, trimming and cleanup. A few well-placed snips can improve a plant's appearance and create cuttings to start new plants.
Start by removing any dead stems and leaves. Improve the overall beauty of spider plants, dracaenas and palms by trimming away the brown leaf tips caused by fluoride from tap water accumulating in the leaves. Avoid the problem by using rainwater, well water or water treated by reverse osmosis.
Trimming to improve the plant's growth habit and size can provide immediate and long-term benefits. Removing a small or large portion of the stem tip encourages the plant to form more branches and compact growth. When you remove the stem tip you reduce the amount of the growth hormone auxin that promotes upward growth and discourages branching.
Encourage more branching without greatly reducing the plant's size with a soft pinch. Remove just the uppermost portion of the stem where new leaves are developing. Use a hard pinch to remove the tip and several inches of the leafy stem when you want to reduce the overall size and promote fuller growth on leggy plants.
Make a clean cut using sharp micro snips or pruners like Corona's houseplant pruners (coronatools.com). The rust proof, stainless steel blades can cut up to 1/4" in diameter and are shaped to make it easier to cut the intended leaves and stems. Your plant will look better, and the wound will close more quickly.
Avoid leaving stubs and keep the plant looking its best by making cuts above a set of healthy leaves or a node, the place where leaves once grew. Pruning elsewhere distracts from the plant's appearance and the stubs create entryways for insects and disease.
When you finish pinching and pruning, do a bit of cleanup. Use a dry or damp soft cloth to wipe away any dust that accumulates on the leaves. Use a cosmetic brush to clean fuzzy-leaved plants like African violets. Or give your plants a gentle warm shower in the sink or tub. Wrap the pot in a plastic bag if needed to keep soil out of the drain and plumbing. Removing the dust allows more light to reach the leaves for photosynthesis which is essential for plant growth.
Use the trimmings from heirloom and non-patented plants to expand your houseplant collection. It's easy to start new plants from leaf stem cuttings of various houseplants like inch plants, philodendron, pothos, dieffenbachias, dracaenas, and many more. Use a sharp knife, snips or bypass pruners to cut three- to six-inch-long pieces from firm, mature non-woody stems.
Remove the lowest leaf or two from the stem where roots will form. Stick the cutting in a small container filled with vermiculate, perlite or a well-drained potting mix. Loosely cover the potted cutting with a plastic bag left open at the top to increase the humidity around the cutting while it forms roots. Set the container in a bright location out of direct sun for several weeks as the roots develop. Once rooted, pot it up and place it in a space that receives the sunlight it prefers.
You'll be amazed at how a bit of grooming and propagating can perk up a tired indoor garden. Share or trade extra rooted cuttings with family and friends so each of you can grow your indoor garden and memories.
Melinda Myers has written over 20 gardening books, including The Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" instant video series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Corona Tools for her expertise to write this article. Her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.