Up the Creek: Breakfast, with musical accompaniment – and a large serving of small town conviviality

If you live in Gilmanton, you surely know about the Dump Run Gang. You know that this loose ensemble of some 25 musicians — guitarists, saxophone players, trumpeters and more — dazzles locals with an 8:30 breakfast concert each Wednesday in the basement of the Gilmanton Community Church. You know that the Gang specializes in old-timey singalongs like, “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands” and “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.” You’ve watched the 2019 New Hampshire Chronicle piece on the Gang, and you’re probably aware that on July 31 the Dump Run Cafe sold 94 $5 breakfasts — more than it ever has in its storied 12-year history.

I’ll spare you the basics — you know them. What’s more interesting are the personal stories behind the Dump Run juggernaut. This Wednesday, I visited the church and chatted with five Dump Run Cafe regulars. Herewith, the highlights from those conversations.

Louella Leroux, 64, guitarist, band leader

Q: Tell me about your experience with music.

A: Back in the '70s, my father played in a band with his relatives — The Guyer Family, it was called. My grandmother was in there, and she sang like an angel. When I was 9, I played ukulele in the band, and one day I caught a glimpse of the gnarled, arthritic hands of an old woman nearby and it frightened me. I just passed out. And then after that, I was too scared to play music. I couldn’t do it.

When I was 32, I was exposed to chemicals at work. Over the next 30 years, I had to go on life support frequently. I should have been dead. I still have to use an oxygen tank when I walk around. About four years ago, though, my elderly neighbor lost her husband and I didn't want her to come to the Dump Run Cafe alone. So I brought her down here, and when I walked through the doors, it was as though I passed through a portal. I was hearing the music my late father loved — old songs like “Ain’t She Sweet?” It was shocking and beautiful.

It had been 50 years since I played any music. Not 49, not 51 — exactly 50 years — and eventually the fear went away. I joined the band and played the spoons one day. I was just tapping away and then everyone was like, “That sounded great.” So then I got a little courageous and brought in my old guitar.

After I became the leader, my brother, Bo Guyer, heard about it. He’s in the Rockin’ Daddios [a popular '50s-era doo woop group] and he must have thought, “No, that’s not my sister. She couldn’t do that. She’s on oxygen.” He’s six years older than me. We’ve never gotten along. But he came in here, and we’ve been playing music together ever since, just like our dad wanted us to do. I think my father’s doing cartwheels in heaven.

Jeanne Gallant, 83, farmer and Dump Run Gang superfan

Q: I believe you’ve lived around here your whole life, yes?

A: Yes, and in 1980, when Ronald Reagan was running for president, I volunteered for his campaign. And when he came here to New Hampshire, I decided we needed to give him a gift. So I had some cowboy boots made for him in Rochester, with eagles on them. I had to call him and get his shoe size and everything.

Q: What was his shoe size?

A: Nine.

Q: Nine? I thought he was tall.

A: But he had small feet.

Q: What do you like about the Dump Run Cafe?

A: The food is great, and the people are the cream of the crop. We need things like this here. I mean, it takes a sense of humor to live in Gilmanton because this is Peyton Place. Everyone is always saying things.

Q: And what have they said about you?

A: Well, I was once young and beautiful, and I don’t want to tell you what they said about me then. But now they see that I’m old and that I’ve hired all these young men to work at my farm. They say, “Look at her! She’s a cougar!” And I love it.

Shaun Fife, 43, farm manager, Dump Run Cafe donut maker, Republican gubernatorial candidate

Q: What first brought you here?

A: Well, last year, as I was helping Jeanne restore her farm, she told me she wanted me to come here. I said, “Yes, so long as you buy me breakfast.” Then the guy who was making donuts asked me if I’d substitute for him. I really wanted to learn how to make them. Around here, there’s all these places that have apple cider donuts and nobody will share the recipe. It’s very hush hush, you know? That’s what I thought we were making — apple cider donuts. Actually, we’re making buttermilk donuts.

Q: I see. So you’re angling to win the Republican gubernatorial primary on Sept. 10, and your business card say something about majiparty.org. What’s that?

A: Make America Jesus Included. I was a co-founder of that. We have people running for Congress and the Senate in Texas, Virginia and New Hampshire.

Q: OK. And what’s your platform?

A: I'm gonna create a token that’s tax free.

Q: What does that mean, a token?

A: Well, fiat currencies [currencies that, like the U.S. dollar, are not backed by gold or silver sitting in vaults] are taxed. A token can’t be taxed. And I want people to be able to barter with a medium that’s not taxed. And if you're from New Hampshire, you’ll only have to put a $10 deposit on a $20 token. If you're not from New Hampshire, you’ll have to pay $20 for every $20 token.

Q: OK. I see you’re carrying a pistol on your hip. What are your thoughts about the Second Amendment?

A: Gun rights are very important. A gun is a great deterrent. We’ve got a lot of people moving here from other countries now, and they're looking for a place to land. I'm not shooting at them, no. But if they move amid the public and they see that people are carrying firearms, they’re probably gonna keep moving on. The gun just creates the image of a safe society, and on Jeanne’s farm, well, a gun is necessary. I’m her security on a farm that’s got millions of dollars worth of assets, and it’s just us there. People come along and steal batteries out of tractors. Hunters are out there, and other people are out there who claim they’re hunters and squat. There are hundreds of acres and there’s no cell reception, so you can’t call anybody. You’ve got to handle things yourself.

Q: So what’s the connection between the donuts and your political aspirations?

A: As a matter of principle, I don't take donations from anybody. And if you don’t have campaign signs everywhere, if you’re not buying ads on TV, you’ve got to do something to get your name out to the public. And this is a good way to meet people. If you’re making donuts, everybody loves you.

Duncan Geddes, 68, farmer, bass guitar player, owner of Geddes Trucking

Q: How many farm-fresh eggs do you donate to the Dump Run Cafe every week?

A: About three dozen.

Q: How long have you been playing with the Dump Run Gang?

A: Four years. It’s my great getaway. There’s no pressure in playing with this group. But I have a question for you: Aren’t you the guy who wrote a story about my son-in-law’s dog?

[Geddes had me pegged. In April, I published a piece detailing how a dog named Rex bit me as I was riding my bike on Gilmanton’s Geddes Road.]

Q: Yes, that was me.

A: You know, he’s a really sweet dog, and there’s not much that bothers that him. Horses, he has no problem with them. When people walk by, he’s calm. But bicycles, there’s something about the spinning wheels...

Q: But what else do you bring to the Dump Run Cafe besides eggs?

A: Tomatoes from my garden. Corn. I brought 10 ears a few weeks ago, and when I turned around, they were all gone.

Cindy Haskell, 64, retired housekeeper, Dump Run Gang spoon player

Q: What do you like about the Dump Run Cafe?

A: Everyone here treats each other kindly. I grew up in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and it’s kind of cold down there. Here, everybody says "hello" and holds doors open for you. Gilmanton is a beautiful place.

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Bill Donahue lives in Gilmanton and is the author of "Unbound: Unforgettable True Stories From The World of Endurance Sports.” This column is adapted from his online newsletter Up The Creek.