UPDATE - August 1, 2007 (original message below)
I had expected by now to be sending out all kinds of good news about the farm.The good news, is that there isn't any really bad news. We have moved forward with the planning board, but are now on hold until we sort out the tax implications of the subdivision. When the tax assessor started drooling and licking his chops over the plan, we figured we better recalculate what was going out of current use. Apparently the town tax clerk who inititally put the information into the system keyed it in wrong, so they have been undercharging me for years --go figure how a $43,000 tax bill is undercharging ! At any rate, we have postponed the public hearing for a month to sort all this out.

In the mean time we are moving forward with a refinancing plan that is coming along nicely. The appraisal is done and we should be able to get out from under those nasty hypocrites at Ocean real soon. We are also having great conversations with The Nature Conservancy and other charitable groups as a way to solve the tax problems..AND the cabin is renting by the week .

UPDATE - June 4, 2007 PM (original message below)
Ocean Bank officially called off the auction and it is now listed as "cancelled" on on Jean St. Jean's web site.

UPDATE - June 4, 2007 (original message below)
To quote my friend Cormac McCarthy's wonderful song "A little something" (on Curious Thing) -- I am truly blessed with a few tremendous friends who came forward over the weekend and helped me raise over $10,000 to save the farm. So not only did we pay all the back taxes, we'll be able to pay the 2007 taxes as well.
What was even more moving were the expressions of thanks from former employees and friends that I've helped over the years. I've always said that making a difference is what makes me get up in the morning, and what keeps me going when life looks bleak. What I heard yesterday was that I'd made a much bigger difference in many more lives than I ever realized. Thank you to everyone for all your expressions of support, both verbal and financial.
Now, lets see how long it takes the bank to realize that true community will always triumph.

UPDATE - May 26, 2007 (original message below)
We are more than half way to the goal! The contributions and support have been AWESOME! We still need another $50K so spread the word about the yard sale and concert. And if you're wondering how much to send, use the calculation that my friend Beth -- a brilliant financial wizard and great sales person -- used - She figured around $1 for every beer she drank at my house -- so she sent in $500! Now, if we can just find another 100 people like her...

Over the years I’ve asked you to support a variety of causes, from Howard Dean to Breast Cancer and many many of you have come through for me. This time the request is more personal and therefore a lot harder to make. This time, I’m asking for help in saving Shankhassick Farm.

As many of you know, I had a plan to sell part of the farm to pay the property taxes and lower my overall debt burden. That sale has not taken place because of the intransigence of my neighbor, Betsy Sandberg, and the Durham Zoning Board of Adjustment that have blocked the necessary subdivision. As a result, Ocean National Bank has called my mortgage, and has scheduled to put Shankhaassick Farm up for auction on June 15th unless I come up with $150,000 for back taxes and mortgage payments.

So, unless Betsy Sandberg can be persuaded to drop her objections, or Ocean relents, I need to beg, borrow or somehow raise $150,000 in the next three weeks. (If you have any influence over those entities, now would be a good time to exercise it.) If not, not only will there be no more Bastille Days, there also won’t be any more benefits, political fund raisers or anything else and I’ll be renting a room somewhere in Berlin, NH.

We have scheduled a concert/yard sale for Sunday June 3rd so buy a ticket, come buy stuff and if nothing else, come enjoy what might be the last concert at Shankhassick Farm.

And, if you know of anyone who might write me a private mortgage to take out Ocean National, or who might be willing to lend me all or part of the money based on future development and/or subdivision, let me know. Or if you want to buy a “Shankhassick Gold Pass” good for future invitations to everything at Shankhassick with a contribution to the “Save Shankhassick Fund.” Click on the button to the left to donate. or send a check to Shankhassick Properties, 51 Durham Point Road, Durham, NH 03824.

Any and all other ideas are also welcome…. Thank you for all your support in the past, and lets hope the tradition continues. ..