Ed Engler’s Christmas Miracle

Nostalgia is defined as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.” The word nostalgia came to mind as I thought about Christmas. Ours were enchanting. The house was beautifully decorated, every tree ornament held a story or a memory, and the scent of baking seemed to continuously waft through the house. Our presents, beautifully wrapped, were thoughtful, fun, and carefully curated.

Then there was the room where my mother wrapped these gifts. Rolls and rolls of paper filled a long box and spilled out onto the floor. A table in the middle of the room was covered with ribbon, scissors, tape, colored pens, and various ornaments that were incorporated into the wrappings. That scene is as much a remembrance of Christmas as the oyster stew on Christmas Eve and the sweet rolls on Christmas morning.

Like my mother I love the magic of Christmas and shopping for gifts for friends and family. This Christmas, leaving the nostalgia aside, I’m thinking about shopping in Laconia. A downtown that through the sheer determination, advocacy, and will of Ed Engler has been transformed. The conversation about Laconia no longer needs to be nostalgic. “Remember when...”

I am imagining a day that begins at Wayfarer with a coffee and a liege waffle, covered in chocolate. Then walking to The Studio, hoping Melissa is there. If you haven’t met her, she’s a force of nature and a “cultural advocate and bon vivant.” Her shop is filled with glorious gifts. I’ll spend time at MC Cycle & Sport hoping to find equipment and clothing for cycling in the winter and to find gifts for friends who are serious cyclists. My bicycle is shipped back and forth from Laconia to New York City through MC Cycle, and it always arrives perfectly tuned when it appears in a bike shop on Lexington Avenue.

I can’t walk past a shoe store and not peek in at boots and slippers, the necessary footwear for winter. As anyone who reads my columns knows, my favorite lunch is a tuna sandwich and tea at The Soda Shoppe. If I’m alone, it’s at the counter usually reading The Laconia Daily Sun. Everything shifts, but there is something about the smell of frying bacon and the lively sound of conversation filling a place like The Soda Shoppe that just seems authentic. There are several jewelry stores in Laconia and true enough, “diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” At least we can admire the jewels through the glass cases.

I’ll stop by the Colonial Theatre and purchase tickets for one of the programs planned for the spring and think about the friends who might enjoy joining me in Laconia to experience the new theater and have dinner at one of the local restaurants.

Laconia Antique Center draws me in and if there is time, we’ll stop by The Belknap Mill to see what is on exhibit. There will be library books to return and more to fetch. Of course, I can’t go home without stopping at Sunflower Natural Foods for granola, vegetables and probably another of their African baskets. We’ll pick up cookies at Annie’s Cafe and order a quiche for a weekend event at Laconia Village Bakery.

I can remember years when I would walk down Main Street in Laconia and there were only a few shops open. Often when I left and returned those shops had been replaced by something else. The Colonial Theatre sign dangled from its hinges, newspaper and litter blown up against the door. Often, I was the only person walking down the sidewalk on a Saturday morning.

I started writing this column about the importance, particularly now, of shopping locally. Of supporting the retailers and the restauranteurs who became the essential workers during the difficult months of COVID. As I kept writing I found myself thinking not about gifts but about Ed Engler. While I didn’t know him well, I served with him on the mayor’s advisory board for the Colonial Theatre as the project was being completed. Despite the bickering and the disagreements, the negotiations around receiving the funding necessary for the renovation inherent in all these projects, and the doubters that this could ever work, Ed never lost sight of his vision.

This holiday season take the time to visit and shop in Laconia. Spend a morning exploring. Meet the entrepreneurs who are opening new shops. When you look up at the Colonial Theatre sign that dominates Main Street, smile. Yes, it’s nostalgic. By remembering to remember it has transformed our town. Thank you, Ed Engler for your Christmas miracle.

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Listen to Elizabeth on the Short Fuse Podcast (found on Apple or Spotify), follow her on Instagram @elizh24 or send her a note at elizabeth@laconiadailysun.com. She is an author and journalist. Her books include: Ned O’Gorman: A Glance Back, a book she edited (Easton Studio Press, 2015), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David R. Godine, 2015), Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011).