LACONIA — The New Hampshire Lakes Association wants to put Weirs Beach in the Guinness Book of World Records come September when the association hosts ''Hands Across the Water'', an event at which it hopes to see more than 2,000 canoes and kayaks assemble and paddle together to form the world's largest raft.
Tom O'Brien, president of the association, told the City Council last night that the event is scheduled for Saturday, September 7, and will see the canoes and kayaks paddle out from the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee in late morning to a designated area, 1,000 feet by 1,000 feet, just off from Weirs Beach and surrounded by support boats.
He said that the canoes and kayaks will be launched from a number of shoreline access points, public and private, roughly between Awka Marina to the west and Pendleton Beach to the east. Once all of the boats are assembled the 3,000 to 4,000 participants will raise their paddles, and then join hands and raft together for at least 30 seconds.
He said the event will break the current world record, set in upstate New York last summer, when 1,925 canoes and kayaks gathered at 4th Lake at Inlet, New York in a ''One Square Mile of Hope'' fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
''We're hoping to have Captain Jim Morash of the Mount Washington sound the horn to start the rafting event,'' O'Brien told the council as he sought approval for the event, plans for which have already been presented to the city's Parks and Recreation Department.
He said that the designated rafting area would be located away from travel lanes associated with the Weirs channel, marinas and the M/S Mt. Washington cruise route.
''We're working with volunteers from paddling groups and from lakes all over the state,'' said O'Brien, who said that the goal of the event is to raise awareness of the spread of invasive aquatic weeds such as water milfoil, which he said is already costing more than $1 million a year statewide to combat.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the association's efforts to combat invasive species, something that the organization, which administers the statewide Lake Host program, which coordinates the voluntary inspection of boats in lakes all over the state for invasive aquatic species, is very familiar with.
Now in its 12th year, the Lake Host program awards payroll grants to local groups which carry out its educational programs at boat ramps open to the public on lakes, ponds, and rivers throughout New Hampshire.
O'Brien said the rafting event will be followed by an on-land celebration featuring music, food and booths with information on lake ecology which would be set up at Endicott Park at Weirs Beach and would draw between 1,000 and 2,000 people.
''It's a shoulder season event which would be a great opportunity for local businesses,'' said O'Brien, who said that the association would work with the city on all of the details of the event and was hoping for quick action by the council so that it could start promoting and advertising the event as soon as possible.
Ward 4 Councilor Brenda Baer asked if the city would realize any revenue as a result of the event and O'Brien said that the association would cover all police, fire and other expenses but that it didn't know at this point whether or not it would even realize a profit.
''It's as much friend building as it is fund building. It will put us in touch with 2,000 or more people who could be members,'' said O'Brien, who said that many who help sponsor the event will be providing in-kind donations for ''Hands Across the Water.''
Ward 6 Councilor Eva Doyle moved that the council approve the concept of the event and the council voted unanimously in support of her motion.
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LACONIA — A local man who was charged by police for making methamphetamine in the woods off Primrose Drive and Blueberry Lane in July was sentenced to 2 1/4 to five years in state prison in Belknap County Superior Court last week.
Three months of Matthew Urbaniak's sentence is suspended pending good behavior. He was credited with 205 days in the Belknap County House of Corrections.
A second sentence of five to 10 years for a second charge of manufacturing meth was suspended pending eight yeas of good behavior. Urbaniak pleaded guilty to both charges.
Urbaniak, 21, of 182 Blueberry Lane # 2, was arrested on July 30 after police had been investigating complaint regarding his meth-making for about one month.
Affidavits filed by Laconia Police indicate officers located one of his campsites on July 18, 2012 and found a number of ingredients commonly used to manufacture methamphetamine.
When they returned the campsite was gone and nothing but garbage was left behind.
On July 28, police received a tip that Urbaniak was setting up another campsite and a second tip from someone who saw him leaving the woods on July 30.
On July 30, police entered the woods at 10:15 a.m. and moved what they found to a safe location where it was destroyed by the New England Clandestine Lab Team.
Police said the lab was less than 100 feet from a children's play ground.
Detective found Urbaniak at 9:15 p.m. at the end of Primrose Drive.
Along with his prison sentence, Urbaniak was ordered to undergo drug treatment while he is incarcerated.

LACONIA — A former local man was sentenced to two 2-7 year sentences in prison for selling methadone in Laconia and Belmont in Belknap County Superior Court last week. The sentences will be served concurrently, or at the same time.
Alan Twamley, formerly of 180 Union Ave. Apt. 5 was originally charged with six counts of either possession or conspiring to sell liquid methadone.
Affidavits obtained through the 4th Circuit Court, Laconia Division said Twamley, along with three others, first made arrangements to sell liquid methadone on September 16 to a confidential informant working with the N.H. Drug Task Force.
A week later, Twamley arranged for a second and similar sale to the informant.
The third sale took place on Belmont because Twamley told the confidential informant he had to go to a funeral and asked the informant to meet him outside the church but the informant told him he wasn't going to meet him at a church.
Twamley said they could do it before the funeral and the informant purchased $80 worth of methadone.
Twamley was arrested and appeared before a circuit court judge on October 26, 2012. In November he was indicted on six counts — one that included him using the post office to mail the drug.
Belmont and Laconia Police assisted the Drug Task Force in the investigation.