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From Wikipedia:

“The citizens of the New Hampshire Grants territory (which was then disputed between New York and the Vermont Republic) had appealed to the states of New Hampshire and Massachusetts for protection from the invading army following the British capture of Ticonderoga. New Hampshire responded on July 18 by authorizing John Stark to raise a militia for the defense of the people “or the annoyance of the enemy”. Using funds provided by John Langdon, a Portsmouth politician,  Stark raised 1,500 New Hampshire militiamen in the space of six days, more than ten percent of New Hampshire’s male population over the age of sixteen.”

“The battle was an important victory for the American cause, as it reduced Burgoyne’s (British) army in size by almost 1,000 men, led his Indian support to largely abandon him, and deprived him of needed supplies, all factors that contributed to Burgoyne’s eventualsurrender at Saratoga. The victory also galvanized colonial support for the independence movement, and played a role in bringingFrance into the war on the American side.”

Nearly 2000 of General Stark’s Militiamen at Bennington were from the Granite State

Born in Londonderry in 1728,  John Stark was a New Hampshire general who served in the American Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He became widely known as the “Hero of Bennington” for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington.

After serving with distinction throughout the rest of the war, Stark retired to his farm in Derryfield. It has been said that of all the Revolutionary War generals, Stark was the only true Cincinnatus because he truly retired from public life at the end of the war. In 1809, a group of Bennington veterans gathered to commemorate the battle. General Stark, then aged 81, was not well enough to travel, but he sent a letter to his comrades, which closed “Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.” The motto Live Free or Die became the New Hampshire state motto in 1945.

There is a New Hampshire historic marker near John Stark’s birthplace on the east side of NH Route 28 (Rockingham Road) in Derry, New Hampshire, just south of the intersection of Lawrence Road.

John’s childhood home is located at 2000 Elm Street in Manchester, New Hampshire. The home was built in 1736 by John’s father Archibald. The building is now owned by the Molly Stark Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

A statue of Stark as well as his family grave site are located in Stark Park, off of River Rd. in northern Manchester:

And a statue of Stark stands on the Statehouse lawn:

Special thanks go out to the following folks for volunteering to help with just about everything from cooking, serving & shucking corn, setup and tear down, to lending us tents and food service equipment:

Bill Burns, Steve Burns
Mike & Christine Castaldo
Andy Sanborn & The Draft
Rep. Gene Chandler
Brown’s Lobster Pound

By GRETYL MACALASTER
Sunday News Correspondent
Sunday, Aug. 8, 2010

RYE – It was a close race at the New Hampshire Young Republicans straw poll yesterday. So close, Senate numbers were recounted.

Kelly Ayotte came out the winner with 59 votes, followed closely by Ovide Lamontagne with 57 votes. Jim Bender received 44 votes and Bill Binnie, a Rye resident, received 12 votes.

Binnie was the only major candidate not to attend the event, NHYR chairman Kerry Marsh said. “We were a little surprised,” she said.

In the 2nd Congressional District contest, Jennifer Horn prevailed with 82 votes. Former Congressman Charlie Bass received 52 votes.

In the 1st Congressional District matchup, former Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta won with 91 votes.

Richard Ashooh had 40 votes, followed by Sean Mahoney with 34 votes. Robert Giuda received 19 votes and Joseph G. Reilly picked up two votes.

The poll also was close in the race for governor, with former Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner John Stephen beating Jack Kimball Jr. by 14 votes.

Stephen received 86 votes, Kimball 72. Karen Testerman had nine votes and Frank Robert Emiro Sr. received six votes.

About 200 people attended the event, and only ticket holders in attendance were allowed to cast ballots.

Marsh said the group tried to learn from previous events, where questions were raised about candidates “buying” votes.

“You had to be present to vote, we asked people to ballot when they came in, we tried to make sure the balloting process was done with full integrity and I think people felt better about it,” she said. Sponsorships for the event did come with tickets, but in small numbers.

Congressional candidate Sean Mahoney received six tickets for being a platinum sponsor, gold sponsors Ashooh and Bender received four tickets, and silver sponsors, including Ayotte, Bass and Guinta, received two tickets.

Bender said he thinks the straw polls are only “marginally important” and said he does not put much stock in them.

“Almost every person here is somebody I know, there are few new faces,” Bender said. “It is a warm-up for Labor Day when people start paying attention again.”

Ashooh said the events are less about polls and more about motivating people in the run up to the real elections.

“To me, it is a barbecue with supporters. The fact that there is a straw poll going on is less important than the fact that we have a great turn out with motivated people,” Ashooh said.

Guinta said he thinks the straw polls are important because they are a test of the grassroots support behind campaigns.

“In primary elections, having the grassroots support is extremely important, so I do think they are important components of the campaign,” Guinta said.

He has been a winner in each of the last five Republican straw polls in the state.

Take a moment to look through them and tag yourself and your friends!

Thanks again for joining us. And thanks to our sponsors!

Click here to visit the NHYR facebook photo page.

STRAW POLL RULES:

All candidates registered with the Secretary of State for Governor, US Senate, Congress (CD1 & CD2) will appear on one single ballot. Names will be separated by office sought and appear in alphabetical order. We will provide 1 ballot to each ticketed guest. Voting will be open from 12pm – 3pm. Results will be announced on twitter, facebook, via email and the NHYR website.

PARKING AND STATE PARK INFO:

Rye Harbor State park is located at approximately 1680 Route 1A in Rye, NH. Please note that the park is NOT Rye Harbor marina, which has a similar sign. The park is just north of the marina and south of Ray’s Seafood, located at a near hairpin turn.Limited parking is available within the State Park. In the event the lot is full, On-Street parking is available at no charge on Route 1A, both to the north and south of the park. Pets are not permitted in the park. See the NH State Parks Pets Policy for more information. See Map below

For an interactive map, click it.

Already have your ticket? Sweet. See you Saturday.

2nd Annual NHYR Lobster Bake

Saturday, August 7, 2010
12:00pm – 3:00pm

Rye Harbor State Park Rye, NH

$25 for Young Republicans (age 40 and under)
$35 for all others

Ticket price includes the cost of food.
Prices are $35/45 at the door so register today!

Only ticket holders will be able to vote in the straw poll

Purchase Tickets Online

To pay by check, please register using the same form, and indicate “pay offline” when prompted

The group of young GOP activists was recognized for its 2009 Christmas Party which served as an food drive for the Friends of Forgotten Children food pantry in Concord. Over 100 attendees celebrated the spirit of giving and the true meaning of Christmas by collecting nearly 500 pounds of goods for the food pantry.

“We are honored to have our charitable efforts this past year recognized and hope that Young Republican organizations across the country see how easy and rewarding it can be for political organizations to give back directly to our friends and neighbors,” said NHYRF Chair Kerry Marsh.

The national group also singled out the Granite State for its website, NHYR.com, designed by past Gipper Award winner Aaron Goulette.

“Our thanks and sincere appreciation goes to Aaron, our volunteer NHYR web master. His efforts to make NHYR.com informative, user friendly, and integrated with the latest new media earned us this distinction, ” Marsh added.  “NHYR.com will help spread the Republican message of lower spending and responsible government to young New Hampshire voters this fall.”

The 2010 YRNF Awards committee sought out websites that are professional and informative with which states can keep their members, elected officials, and senior party leaders up-to-date as to how the club is advancing the Republican Cause.

The New Hampshire Young Republican Federation is a proud coalition of 40-and-under men and women aimed at preserving Republican values in local, state and federal government. We are comprised of a broad network of students and young professionals from every corner of the Granite State.

PHOTO CAPTION: (l-r) Web master Aaron Goulette, Chair Kerry Marsh, Committeewoman Jen Wrobleski, and Committeeman Bob Burns celebrate the New Hampshire Young Republican Federation’s two national awards.