Lebanon Times Holiday 2020

Serving the City of Lebanon, NH

Holiday 2020

Lebanon Is a Welcoming Place Reveling in the North

–– Devin Wilkie –– ommunity engagement can mean many things, from taking an active role in governance to connecting with neighbors. For one group of Lebanon residents, it means that and a whole lot more. For more than a year, the Welcoming Lebanon Ordinance has been a substantial focus of their time and energy. Following up on the city’s 2019 Resolution for Inclusiveness denouncing “all ideologies based on hatred and intolerance,” and affirming a “commitment to protecting its citizens, residents, and visitors against discrimination,” the ordinance clearly and explicitly rejects discrimination and protects those in the city who may be vulnerable to harassment by unjust federal immigration policies.

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Evan Oxenham

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LHS graduate Sam Clifton (back row, with beard) and cast members of Lebanon Opera House’s An English Celebration of the Winter Solstice which will be shown on CATV this winter.

–– David Corriveau –– resh out of Plymouth State University with a bachelor’s degree in acting, Sam Clifton was, well, reveling in the chance to play a lead role in his debut at the Christmas Revels.

And, between his own moments in the spotlight at the Lebanon Opera House last December, the 2015 graduate of Lebanon High School was paying close attention to the

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID WRJ, VT Permit Number 71

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Local Postal Customer

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Lebanon, NH 03766

The Pandemic Pivot

Editor’s Note: After a short-lived reprieve, with just enough time to regroup in the wake of the effects of the Covid-19 virus, many individuals and organizations shifted the way they used to do things in order to meet the needs of the people they serve. Here at the Lebanon Times, we reached out to the Lebanon Senior Center and the main Arts organizations in Lebanon to hear what they are doing differently.

–– Dave Nelson –– Senior Power to the Rescue! hile Covid-19 continues to rear its ugly head, Lebanon citizens and organizations are rising up and pivoting in its face!

It has been the case that the virus has taken a toll on seniors more than other age groups. However, don’t underestimate Senior Power, especially in Lebanon.

The following quote from an article in the Naples Daily Local arts organizations and seniors communities extend a helping hand.

News describes the plight of our seniors: “They’ve lived in the time of World War II, polio, the sixties, inflation, 9/11, and the Great Depression.” Now they stand up and stare down the pandemic.

Fortunately for our seniors in the Grafton County region, there is a safe haven extending a helping hand and comfort. The Lebanon Senior Center became the first Grafton County location

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Holiday 2020

The Lebanon Times

Editor’s Note:

The Lebanon Times is delivered to your mailbox each quarter. No subscription or payment is necessary.

It’s our privilege to bring you all the good news we can. Our mailing sponsor, Mascoma Bank, makes this possible. We’re pleased to have its continued support behind our community publication.

Banking Undergoes Transitions in 2020 his past year has brought about numerous complications and changes for almost every business and industry. Locally, retail, hospitality, health and service businesses have adapted to remain viable during the year of Covid. As Tom Hoyt – Mascoma Bank’s public relations and social media coordinator – points out, the banking industry was certainly not immune from undergoing changes, along with their business neighbors. The good news?

Mascoma Bank adapted very successfully, and continued to provide a high level of services to their clients throughout the upheaval.

One of Mascoma’s services that boomed in 2020, Hoyt says, involves issuing home mortgages.

The home mortgage business at the bank “is the busiest ever,” he says.

Several reasons exist for the uptick in home sales, including low interest rates, and the desire – partially because of the pandemic – of folks living in urban areas to escape to regions such as the Upper Valley. Hoyt also says that the spring lockdown created pent-up demand, which blossomed when restrictions eased.

So, in real numbers, what changes has Mascoma Bank seen in home loans in 2020? Comparing Tom Hoyt, Mascoma Bank’s public the first three quarters of this year relations and social media coordinator opposed to last, “we’ve closed 1,074 loans in 2020 versus 714 in 2019 – that’s an increase of 50%,” Hoyt says.

“Half were for the purchase or construction of a new home in 2020; half were refinancing at today’s historically low rates,” he adds.

Of course, how bank officials work with mortgage clients has changed dramatically in 2020. Whereas in-person meetings and conferences were once the norm, now electronic communications are the standard in many cases.

Electronic banking for many of the bank’s everyday customers has also become the standard. With bank lobbies closed for a time, then restrictions imposed on the numbers allowed in at one time, many clients – out of necessity – turned to electronic banking. For many, that will become a permanent way of doing business, Hoyt explains.

Processing loans for the federal Payroll Protection Program (PPP) was a major effort Mascoma Bank dealt with in 2020, says Hoyt. Not only were Mascoma’s regular business clients involved, Hoyt says that many clients from some of the larger banking institutions turned to Mascoma for assistance in handling these loans. Processing the PPP loans “took up so much time and effort,” Hoyt says.

Another way Mascoma has benefitted in 2020 is the lessening dependence on outside contractors for much of their IT work, says Hoyt. Whereas they once hired outside high tech firms to handle those functions, the bank has moved to performing this work in-house. “When you do it [IT functions] yourself, and something goes wrong, you’re first in line to getting it fixed,” Hoyt explains.

Though 2020 proved a challenging year, Tom Hoyt finds that Mascoma Bank accepted those challenges willingly. “It’s invigorating... you figure out ~ Frank Orlowski how to adapt, and then move on.”

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NOTE: As of 11/23/20, Mascoma Bank closed the lobbies of all branches to customers until further notice. All drive-up locations remain open, and you may schedule an appointment at your branch for special assistance.

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The Lebanon Times

Holiday 2020

P U B L IS H E R ’S N OT E We Got Your Back e got your back could easily be the theme of this issue of the Lebanon Times.

From everyday citizens to civic leaders and civil servants to non-profit and for-profit companies, Lebanon is in capable and caring hands.

Maybe that’s why we chose to show AVA Gallery’s up-stretched hand sculpture on the cover. Somehow, despite the rising Covid cases that continue to rule the day and the extreme stress our recent political elections placed on us all, the resilience, hope and compassion for one another that is displayed in and around the City of Lebanon is palpable and inspiring. People and organizations are rising to the occasion, regrouping and finding new ways to connect.

Read our cover stories if you want real-life examples of this phenomenon.

In the works for many months, the Welcoming Lebanon ordinance passed and now our immigrant neighbors can feel more at ease and, in fact, welcome in this fair city.

Throughout this issue, we see new businesses and organizations that have stepped up to serve us in even greater ways during this pandemic. Learn about Smart Air Care (see ad on page 3) and its amazing technology that cleans the air to wipe out viruses (including Covid). Businesses like West Lebanon’s Golf and Ski Warehouse, are using this new technology to make for a much safer public experience.

WISE, 19 Days Lebanon and Granite State United Way are also spreading the word about their services that have been even more necessary during the stress and circumstances exacerbated by Covid. Please contact them for more information if you or those you love need help. And, if you can, please donate to the local charity of your choice during these trying times.

In just about every article throughout this issue, you will see that your neighbors “got your back” and that Lebanon is showing its true colors in every domain as a strong, resilient and caring community.

Happy holidays and a healthy and prosperous 2021! ~Jen

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You know those favorite local businesses that are there when you need them?

They need you.

Buy local. Eat Local. Live Local.

Holiday exHibition & sale december 5– 31, 2020 tues – Fri 11– 6 | sat & sun 11– 4 11 – 2 dec 24 | closed dec 25 [covid precautions apply]

Find open Upper Valley businesses & farms by searching the Vital Communities Guide— vitalcommunities.org/guide

Our annual show features artwork and fine craft from more than 150 artists—all in time to find that perfectly unique and well thought-out gift!

This year, you can visit the galleries, or view and purchase works online, and arrange for pickup.

and introducing: tHe sHop at ava our new retail space opens dec. 5 avagallery.org



11 bank street



lebanon



603.448.3117

Published quarterly by Greater Good Media (formerly Village Green Publishing) Jennifer MacMillen • publisher@greatergoodmedia.net • office: 802-698-8184 PO Box 104 • White River Junction, VT 05001 O P E R AT I O N S Advertising: Jen MacMillen & Frank Orlowski • advertise@thelebanontimes.com • 802-698-8184 Administration: admin@greatergoodmedia.net • Accounting: accounting@greatergoodmedia.net C O N T R I BU T I N G W R I T E R S David Corriveau Dave Nelson Allison Rogers Furbish Elizabeth Craib Frank Orlowski Devin Wilkie Special thanks to various volunteers who provide information and articles for the benefit of our community.

C O N T R I BU T I N G P H OTO G R A P H E R S Dave Nelson & community members at large

ART DIRECTION: Julie Johnston – JohnstonGraphicDesigner@gmail.com PRINTING: Stillwater Graphics, Williamstown, VT The Lebanon Times is an independently owned publication.

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Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.

No part of this paper may be reproduced without express written permission from the publishers.

The Lebanon Times

Holiday 2020

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F UN C TIO N A L MEDICINE NE W S

Being Sick and Tired Is Not Normal –– Dr. Seth Osgood, Founder of GrassRoots Functional Medicine –– hen a person feels run down and sluggish, or has a chronic condition like autoimmunity, thyroid disease, or fibromyalgia, these are signs that the body isn’t getting the support it needs.

I see this all the time with patients who’ve been to doctor after doctor and tried numerous medications. Many of these same patients worry they’ll never feel truly well again. With the right approach, it is very possible for patients to restore their energy and vitality. Here’s how I explain it to my patients.

Think of the body like a plant. A plant needs clean water, fertile soil, fresh air, and sunlight to grow. If it’s missing any of these, or it’s overrun by infection or sprayed with toxic chemicals, it starts to wilt and die. You can slap some green paint on the withering leaves and pretend everything is fine. Or, you can figure out what environmental factors are making it sick, and give it what it needs to flourish.

The human body is no different. It needs vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to continuously repair itself. If it’s bombarded by toxins and stress, it begins to break down and symptoms pile up. One can cover these symptoms up with pharmaceuticals. Or, one can give the body the missing ingredients it needs to thrive.

This is exactly what a functional-medicine approach works to do. By using cutting-edge testing to investigate why the symptoms are there in the first place, practitioners can discover and overcome the root causes with diet, stress management, detoxification, supplementation, and movement.

Every patient is unique and requires a personal approach, but the three factors to investigate that make the biggest impact on overall wellness include:

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1. Nutrition & Gut Health: It has been proven that energy levels, mood, and cognitive function improve with the right nutrients and a GI tract that is healthy enough to absorb them. A comprehensive stool analysis can uncover microbiome imbalances and parasites that deplete nutrition and disrupt digestion.

2. Detoxification: The environment is no longer as clean as it needs to be, and high levels of toxins are present in our air, water, food, and household products. Advanced nutritional testing can evaluate your levels of the amino acids and nutrients that are essential for phase one and phase two detoxification.

3. Hormone Balance: Your hormones regulate your sleep, metabolism, blood sugar, stress response, and so much more. Beyond measuring individual levels of hormones, it’s important to look at how they’re impacting each other and being broken down.

Armed with this information, patients can target exactly what their individual bodies need to function optimally. n To learn more about how a root-cause approach to symptoms can improve one’s overall health and vitality, visit our website (below) to preview our programs and book a free discovery call.

Learn more at GrassRootsFunctionalMedicine.com At GrassRoots, we work to uncover the root causes of disease so you can restore optimal health and feel your best again.

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We are expanding to provide more nutritious food to our neighbors in need.

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Harvesting tomatoes at the WH farmacy garden.

Photo: Mark Washburn.

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Holiday 2020

The Lebanon Times

Following the vote, Mayor Tim McNamara established a task force; citing the need to “turn our Kathy Beckett (below), a resident of Lebanon, policy into an ordinance that reflects the wishes of has been the driving force behind the ordinance the voters,” he appointed members of the City from its inception. Early in 2019, she explains, Council, the petitioners’ committee, and the general “Migrant Justice led a meeting with Upper Valley community members who were interested in public to serve on the task force. On May 28, the prohibiting local police from aiding or participating seven members began the months-long process of in enforcement of federal immigration law.” From ensuring the ordinance was enforceable and clear, there, the petitioners’ committee began to take while ensuring the voter-passed ordinance’s intent shape. On October 15 of that year, the committee UV residents Ashley Andreas, Lex Johnston, Kira Kelley, remained. Karen Liot Hill, a City Councilor who filed a petition for a Citizens’ Binding Initiative to and Asma Elhuni gather at a November 12, 2019 screening served as the chair of the task force, has been of Undeterred in support of multiple Welcoming ordinances the City Clerk; this would allow them to invested throughout the process in ensuring collect signatures in order to place the these conditions are met. “I believe when it ordinance on the ballot for the March 2020 comes down to it that most people share the election. “Only Lebanon voters could be on same values, they want the same things for our the Petitioners’ Committee,” Kathy recalls. community,” she says. “Disagreement comes “We started as a group of five Committee from how to achieve things like safety, members, including some individuals who security, health, and happiness.” were present at the Migrant Justice meeting, “My belief is that the reason so many and through personal contacts, our numbers people signed the petition is because they gradually grew to include a total of 24 want everyone who lives in the city, who registered Lebanon voters who were certified works here, and who travels through Lebanon to collect signatures. Sixteen of the 24 to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality petitioners were seniors.” while they are here,” Karen says. “We’ve had The committee drafted the Welcoming a really collaborative process that resulted in Lebanon Ordinance and collected more than something that, while it may not have met all the 611 signatures needed to secure the ballot Task Force members discuss the ordinance at a meeting. Above: Kathy the participants’ goals, does reflect our shared item. Along the way, the committee met with Beckett, Karen Liot Hill, Devin Wilkie, and Diane Root. Below: Karen values, and does reflect progress for advancing their neighbors and colleagues to garner Liot Hill, Sue Prentiss, Keysi Montas, and Barry Schuster. justice and equality in the City of Lebanon.” support, address concerns, and work together Along the way, the task force worked with with the community to secure popular support legal counsel from the city and from the for the ordinance. “It was made clear that petitioners’ committee to find and address each person’s contribution to the effort would issues within the ordinance and elsewhere in be appreciated, regardless of the amount of the city’s codes in order to best protect the time the individual could dedicate to the entire community. work,” notes Kathy. The results of this effort Kathy, who also served on the task force, is were apparent when the ballot item passed, optimistic about the future of the ordinance. ensuring the ordinance would go into effect “My hope is that this Ordinance will prove to in the city in 2021. “When we received the be one piece of an effort to ensure fair and just official word on election night,” Kathy treatment of all persons in Lebanon, and that remembers, “I was thrilled, and grateful to the its adoption encourages immigrants, members people of Lebanon for showing support for our of the BIPOC community, and other immigrant neighbors and others who would individuals protected by the Ordinance to live be affected by the Ordinance. A very moving in Lebanon and to fully participate in the life of the City without fear.” We’re moment that evening occurred when a young woman who receives DACA heading in the right direction. n (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) stated that for the first time, she felt The author of this story was a member of the petitioners’ committee and the task force. safe in the Upper Valley.”

LEBANON IS A WELCOMING PLACE – continued from page 1

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The Lebanon Times

Holiday 2020

Page 7

GOOD WORK!

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Hypertherm Celebrates 2020’s Community Hero

ypertherm – an Upper Valley manufacturer who makes industrial cutting systems and software – always supports GoodWorks around the valley and beyond. This employee-owned company with nearly a dozen buildings in Lebanon and Hanover provides each Associate with 32 hours of paid time off to volunteer in the community. Some Associates do much more than that on their own time. The company’s Community Hero Award recognizes those Associates.

Though the company normally names two heroes each year, one in the spring and fall, the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted that timing. As a result, Hypertherm is featuring just one in this issue. That hero is Yotta Bourdakis, who manages Hypertherm’s European office in the Netherlands.

Yotta is a serious hero to the Happy Hippo Foundation, an organization that assembles and distributes birthday boxes for underprivileged children.

Traditionally in the Netherlands, children celebrate by standing on a chair at school while their classmates sing to them. After that, they share treats with everyone. Children living below the poverty line struggle with this tradition as their families really do not have money to buy something extra like a cake.

Instead of arriving at school empty-handed, these children will often skip school on their birthdays, so they aren’t embarrassed. Happy

Hippo works to help those children by providing them with a box filled with small gifts, decorations, and cake mixes they can use to bake treats for their classmates.

Yotta’s passion and infectious enthusiasm for this organization has spread throughout Hypertherm’s European office, with Associates there packing Happy Hippo boxes for the past five years. n In addition to providing Associates with time to volunteer, Hypertherm works to support the community through the HOPE (Hypertherm Owners’ Philanthropic Endeavors) Foundation, a public nonprofit established in 2010.

The Foundation awards grants to dozens of nonprofit organizations every year and this year, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the HOPE Foundation has established a Community Crisis Fund. Donations will help various Upper Valley nonprofit organizations meet the needs of the community. The HOPE Foundation welcomes all donations from community members. If you are interested in supporting this fund please visit www.hyperthermhopefoundation.org.

Hypertherm supports volunteers.

Volunteers support community.

Kimball Community supports our world.

Hypertherm

Union Academy 201102 QTLTNThol20 1-4 (resized LTfall FP).pdf www.Hypertherm.com/CSR

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11/2/

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Holiday 2020

The Lebanon Times

GOOD FOR YOU

Granite United Way Distributes $750,000 to Help Those Affected by Substance Use Disorder –– Elizabeth Craib –– he Covid-19 pandemic has impacted our community in countless ways over the past eight months. What were considered to be crises pre-Covid have been magnified – among them is the crisis of substance use disorder. Social isolation, financial stressors, and new levels of instability at home have brought additional challenges to individuals experiencing substance use disorders.

Three local nonprofits that serve these individuals were recent recipients of CARES Act funds. Granite United Way has awarded $750,000 across the state of New Hampshire to help people affected by substance use disorder and experiencing great challenges caused by Covid-19. This funding was entrusted to Granite United Way through CARES Act assistance provided through the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR). Granite United Way, United Way of Sullivan County, United Way of Greater Nashua, United Way of the Greater Seacoast, and Monadnock United Way worked together to bring this critical assistance to over twenty organizations.

Here in the Upper Valley, three agencies have received funding: TLC Family Resource Center, HIV/HCV Resource Center, and Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic. The funds from this program will provide desperately needed assistance in securing basic needs for our neighbors affected by Covid-19 – expenses such as food, clothing, transportation, housing, and other necessary resources.

Organizations receiving this support have witnessed firsthand how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected New Hampshire residents who were already struggling with substance use disorder.

“This support is coming at a critical time for us. As we move into the winter months, we know the challenges presented by Covid-19 will become more intensive for our clients. Being able to support their basic needs so that they can remain engaged in services and rebuild is a benefit we would not have been able to offer without these funds,” said Stephanie Slayton, LCSW-TLC Family Resource Center in Claremont. TLC serves clients

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throughout Lower Grafton County and Sullivan County.

Laura Byrne, Executive Director of the HIV/HCV Resource Center in Lebanon said, “Using this funding, we are working with a syringe service client to help pay her rent so she does not get evicted. Help could not have come at a better time.”

As our state and our global community work to find our way through this pandemic, those affected by substance use disorder experience great challenges. As they work to actively engage in remote recovery services, maintain employment, provide necessary connections for their children to access online learning, and so much more, this funding is a conduit to people achieving a normalcy for themselves and their children.

This funding helps people affected by substance use disorder, which includes assisting grandparents of very limited means raising grandchildren whose parents have died of overdoses.

Upper Valley residents in need of this assistance may call 211 to find an organization in their area to help.

This referral service is free and confidential.

Granite United Way Granite United Way is an experienced and trusted organization, dedicated to leveraging the resources of investors and volunteers to create lasting change, by addressing the underlying causes of our community’s most pressing needs. Granite United Way is committed to improving the lives of individuals and families by supporting programs in the areas of education, income, and health. Granite United Way works with over 1,000 companies, 25,000 investors, and thousands of volunteers every year to help communities learn, earn, and be healthy. Granite United Way is highly rated by GuideStar and Charity Navigator.

Granite United Way serves the Central Region, Merrimack County, North Country, Northern Region, Southern Region (Manchester/ Salem/Derry), and Upper Valley Regions of New Hampshire and Vermont as well as Windsor County, VT. For more information, visit www.graniteuw.org. n

Proud sponsor of the ‘Good For You’ page.

Proud Sponsor of the “Good For You” Page. dartmouth-hitchcock.org

The Lebanon Times Around Town

Holiday 2020

A R O UN D TO WN

Lebanon Woman and Her Sister in Mexico Offer Online Cooking Sessions ebanon resident, Laura González – originally from Mexico – and her sister Cecilia – a cook who lives in Mexico City – have been offering Mexican Culinary Experiences via Zoom since August.

The idea is to share their love and knowledge of Mexican food as it is enjoyed in Mexico. They explain the origins of the ingredients, the history of the dishes, and how the food reflects their culture.

“In Mexico, the concept of a meal is not just about eating. It’s about coming together and sharing and engaging with each Visit, learn, and get to know “Cecilia en México & other.” Through Laura en Lebanon!” these virtual experiences, Laura and Cecelia are trying to share this relationship they have with food, and create a virtual community where people come together from all over to live the total experience while cooking delicious food.

“What has most surprised me is how much interest there has been among Upper Valley residents who have appreciated the opportunity to come together and share our food as much as we have. It makes us feel like we’re doing something tangible for the community in this time of social isolation,” says Laura.

The sessions last 60-90 minutes and are held every other Saturday.

To join the fun, visit www.kisaboresdecasa.com.mx/culinary-experiences or send an email to info@kisaboresdecasa.com n

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You are not alone.

domestic violence • sexual assault • stalking

every hour, every day 866-348-WISE chat online at wiseuv.org

We’re here for you.

For almost 50 years, WISE has supported survivors in times of stress and crisis. Our advocates are here for you every hour, every day. Call the crisis line or chat with us online.

You do not need to be in crisis to reach out to us.

follow us @WISEuv

Program Center 38 Bank Street Lebanon, NH

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The Lebanon Times

Holiday 2020

A R O U N D TO W N

19 Days of Lebanon and the Valley What Goes Around, Comes Around

Shop local to benefit local business and our neighbors in need!

Days of Lebanon and the Valley is a holiday-season fundraising initiative that shows how “keeping it local” and neighbors-helping-neighbors can make us a stronger community. What began in Norwich, VT eight years ago has spread across the Upper Valley to include communities in Vermont and New Hampshire, and Lebanon’s local businesses are part of the initiative.

In 2013, Dan & Whit’s in Norwich began collecting food and donating a portion of their sales to the Upper Valley Haven when they heard the Food Shelf needed non-perishable food supplies.

Since then, businesses and community members across the Upper Valley have come together each winter to support the Haven and people in our region facing poverty, hunger, and homelessness.

Upper Valley community members shop at local businesses; local businesses donate a portion of their sales to the Haven; and the Haven provides resources for those people who need a hand up.

19 Days will look different in 2020, but your support – and our community spirit – is needed more than ever! We typically focus on the first 19 days of December, but we’re getting a head start because the local businesses who support this initiative could benefit from shoppers now. With the Covid-19 pandemic negatively impacting our

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treasured local shops and restaurants, keeping your holiday shopping dollars in our community is crucial this year.

A recent study from Vital Communities measured the percentage of local and independent businesses revenues that stay in the community versus those of national chains. It’s not even close. And what of Amazon, with nary a shipping center or business presence in the Valley?

Virtually nothing at all! The study estimates residents of Windsor, Orange, Grafton, and Sullivan counties spent $165 million in Amazon orders last year. Wow. Some of our favorite Lebanon businesses are 19 Days participants. Show your support by thinking of them when you do your holiday shopping, and be sure to mention you know they are part of the 19 Days effort. The Eyeglass Outlet, Three Tomatoes, Oriental Wok Express, Anderson Tree Hill Tree Farm, Ledyard and Mascoma Banks, KLG Financial Solutions, Porters Finest Jams & Jellies, Shaker Hill Bed & Breakfast are some of the Lebanon and nearby Enfield businesses who are current and past 19 Days participants. The Haven is always excited for more local businesses to join the nearly 100 that are involved this year.

The full list can be found at uppervalleyhaven.org/ events/19days/businesses. n ~ Laura Gillespie Director of Development and Communications, Upper Valley Haven

19 Days elves Annette Brown and Dan Fraser

Learn more at uppervalleyhaven.org/events/19days or send an email to development@uppervalleyhave.org Remember to keep it local!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations on an outstanding season! Seniors... cherish those memories. Go Raiders!

Lebanon Art & Crafts Association

48TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SHOW & SALE November 19— December 24, 2020 Upper Valley Plaza, Route 12A, West Lebanon, NH (I-89 Exit 20, next to CVS Pharmacy)

Saturday – Wednesday 10 am to 6 pm Thursday – Friday 10 am to 8 pm Map and details at www.lebanonartandcra s.org •

CityScapes Serving

the Good People of

Serving the City of Lebanon, N.H.

Holiday 2020

City Manager’s Desk Q: We all know what the year 2020 brought to all of us. What are some of the specific ways the City of Lebanon was able to meet the Covid-19 challenges and the issues of race and injustice that rose to the surface everywhere across the country?

A: The Covid-19 virus first appeared in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire at the beginning of 2020. There were many challenges and difficulties to work through with State agencies. Eventually those issues were resolved and the region fared well with lower infection rates than the southern part of the State. Our rates of infection remain low however that is likely to change as we finish out 2020 and enter into 2021.

Shaun Mulholland The City’s culture, policies and practices ensure that everyone within our City is treated fairly under the provisions as well as the spirit of our federal and state civil rights acts. We are fortunate to have the diversity of people in every respect which adds to the vitality of the community.

Q: Recap for us what projects were in the works in 2020 and what is the status of each to date?

A: The City Hall renovation project is substantially complete as of November 1, 2020. We currently have a project to insulate the walls of the opera house chambers underway which should be complete by the end of January.

• CSO Projects 11 and 12 were completed earlier this fall. The neighborhoods where these projects occurred received complete streets upgrades to include new drainage structures, water and sewer lines, roadway reconstruction and new sidewalks where applicable.

•●Phase I of the Lebanon Sewer Interceptor Rehabilitation Project was completed in October.

The plan was to clean, repair and reline 39% of the sewer interceptor. The bids for the project came in substantially lower than expected. This allowed us to complete 70% of the interceptor.

This work resulted in the following; – Averted the risk of a sewer line collapse in those sections that were seriously deteriorated.

– Significant reduction in the infiltration of groundwater into the sewer system which will save on treating water that does not need to be treated at the WWTF. – Removal of the moratorium we had on sewer connections for residential and commercial users.

–○Removal of 22 tons of sand, silt and gravel that entered the sewer lines from the various cracks in the pipes.

•Water Treatment Plant Upgrade Project is substantially complete. The facility was in need of renovation. This will improve the efficiency of the facility.

• Street Light Conversion Project made some major progress this year. The lights have been ordered and should be delivered by early January. By the end of 2021, we expect the old street Continued on page 14

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Downtown Tunnel Update

he fully renovated tunnel that will safely connect two sections of a multi-use pathway winding through downtown Lebanon is on track to be completed in

May of 2021, according to City Engineer and Project Manager Brian Vincent.

The public input process for evaluating the tunnel and the greater downtown area

Lebanon

began in 2015 with a series of visioning meetings and a community survey, followed by the final design and approval by the City Council, with funding allocated in 2019. The community comments highlighted several areas for improvement including a need for better wayfinding (signage), pedestrian safety, and additional parking.

When finished, the tunnel will have taken more than a year to renovate, and will have achieved the goals Continued on page 12

Asst. Mayor Clifton Below

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ver his decades-long time in public service, beginning with the LISTEN Board of Directors in the ‘80s, Clifton Below has developed expertise in energy policy, sustainability issues, and community development, and for 6 years has been applying this experience to his current role as Assistant Mayor.

Q: You serve on several committees - what would you say have been the most relevant outcomes for Lebanon citizens to date?

A: Economic Development Commission - We received feedback about a shortage of affordable workforce housing which was compromising team effectiveness for some businesses.

The Spencer Street housing project is an exciting development that will begin to address this issue.

Energy Advisory Committee: Sustainability has become a theme, and the Council’s adoption of Sustainability Principles helps in decision-making, planning, and budgeting. A shift to purchasing LED street lights allows the City to dim or brighten the lights independently, and is projected to save up to 70% on our energy bills. My background in energy work and an understanding of Public Utility Commission casework allows me to advocate for the City to develop cleaner, greener, and more sustainable energy strategies like transitioning to a community power purchasing model for electricity. To learn more, visit communitypowernh.org.

Steering Committee – Implementation of the Master Plan: The increased effort to integrate the master plan into City Administration work plans. A focus on implementing the Master Plan makes local government more intentional and focused on long-term policy objectives.

Pedestrian & Bicyclist Advisory Committee: There has been a very deliberate effort to add sidewalks and bicyclist and pedestrian enhancements, including Complete Streets policies that emphasize including every citizen in the City’s transportation planning efforts. The City is now a Bronze level Bicycle Friendly City.

Q: What do you enjoy most about serving on the City Council?

A: The collaboration between the City Council and the administration, and promoting a diverse and inclusive approach to civic engagement. n

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Holiday 2020

The Lebanon Times

CITYSCAPES

CITY S CA P E S TUNNEL UPDATE – continued from page 11

community members identified, as well as prioritizing safe public access, enhanced landscaping, and providing more opportunities for community events on Brian Vincent the mall.

Not only will the tunnel provide a safe and handicap accessible route through the downtown area for all modes of non-motorized transportation, but mall businesses on top of the tunnel are likely to realize the benefits with more people strolling through the mall visiting the storefronts, notes Vincent.

“With construction of the new tunnel, the parking lot area will be re-established for full operation, and the mall will be fully accessible to the public.”

According to Vincent, the tunnel’s completion is expected to “...make the mall-visiting experience much more enjoyable and more accessible, and increase mall activities.” In addition to the physical improvements, the City’s Arts & Culture Commission is

exploring the installation of artwork in the tunnel after construction is completed. The tunnel will also have LED lights to facilitate nighttime use and a skylight to allow natural light to filter into the tunnel from above.

The travel surface of the tunnel will be paved to provide a smooth, accessible surface which will connect to a new park on the western end of the tunnel that has plantings for pollinators and an edible landscape of high bush blueberries. A supplemental scenic view trail directly along the Mascoma is being considered for the future.

Planning for the grand opening festivities are in progress, complete with a ribbon cutting ceremony which will take place sometime in the spring of 2021. Vincent has received mixed feedback about the tunnel construction, which is understandable given the large scale nature of the project. But despite the challenges and temporary impacts to the Mall businesses Vincent says, “Many in the community are very excited about the project and are pleased with the project construction progress.”

So onward to the spring of 2021 and a vision worth waiting for! n

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The Lebanon Times

Holiday 2020

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CITYSCAPES

CITY S CA P E S

City Hall Renovations Complete!

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ebanon’s city staff have been placed in the ceilings, been in their temporary and a new pull-down staircase location on East Park in a top-floor room provides Street since January, and substantially easier access to they’re excited to return to the what’s there. The project has newly renovated building. been a much-needed Deputy City Manager Paula improvement all around the Maville says that she is glad to building. “We were originally see the project finally nearing hired in 2012,” he recalls, “for its completion. During her renovations to the first level, tenure, she says, staff have tried and to design a master plan for on at least five occasions to get the rest of the building.” After the improvements passed, Shaun Mulholland was including operable windows, appointed City Manager, he Anthony Mento, Jason LaCombe, Eric improved security, and called to ask about the project Palson (retired), Andrea Druke increased energy efficiency. and to shift the focus to the Perhaps the most noticeable improvements have whole building. That led to the entire rearrangement been made to the second level. “It’s a different look of the building. “The question was asked: why is and feel immediately when you walk into the space,” Planning kept downstairs? Then it just made sense. says Paula. The long counter is gone, replaced by a We never really looked back.”

The first phase of the renovation started around series of service windows for the City Clerk, bill payments, and the assessing office. The glass August 2019. Along the way, the plan changed to partitions that have become ubiquitous during Covid suit the needs of the building. Jason recalls that, “at provide an added bonus, Paula acknowledges: “It was the start, just about every time we opened something more security-related, but it just so happens that it’s up there was a surprise.” Walls have been retained to going to fit very well into managing the spread!” The preserve the building’s structural integrity; historical secured windows also allow for the space to be open touches were saved and restored whenever possible. after hours to ensure an ADA accessible entrance. When the team opened up the fifth-floor ceiling, The goal, according to architect Jason LaCombe of they found that a brick-like coating had been added SMP Architecture, the firm behind the project, is to to it — probably sometime in the 1960s, notes Jason provide protection and privacy at a reasonable level, — and removed it to open up the gorgeous barrelbut without sacrificing the quality of the interaction vaulted ceiling. They also considered preserving the original windows, but opted instead to install new with staff.

The next major change is an inversion of the windows, matched closely to the historic ones but functions of the top and bottom floors of the building. without the asbestos and energy loss of the previous Planning and Development, which had formerly ones, and at about half the price of the restoration been in the first level, is now on the fifth floor, where they would have needed.

The project isn’t quite done; Lebanon Opera City Council meetings had been held; those meetings, which typically occur after business hours House is in what Jason calls “Phase 2A,” adding and often when it is already dark outside, will now insulation to the exterior walls, replicating the walls happen on the first floor. The new Council chambers six inches in, and painting them. Aside from the are designed with expansion in mind: an operable slightly smaller room, Jason notes, “people may walk partition creates a second meeting room that can be in and not realize” what changed. They’ll feel it, of merged with the main room as needed. Adjacent to course, and they’ll note the changes elsewhere. “It’s these rooms is a space to set up coffee and tea, as well exciting; I’m definitely looking forward to being in the new space,” says Executive Assistant Beth Beraldi. as an employee break room.

Jason notes that space limitations created an “It’s a drastic change, a welcoming feeling.” n additional challenge; because no additions were to be made, the team needed to work with what was already there. “One big benefit was the move to paperless”; taking out file cabinets freed up a good amount of space. In addition, decisions involved the city staff closely. “It was a very involved process by everybody,” recalls Paula, noting that the city manager “opened up the process to all employees. We had input in the layout overall.”

Many of the improvements, says Jason, are hidden from view — structural improvements, added snow load capacity, insulation, and more. Utilities have

BEFORE

AFTER

New Planning Department Space

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The Lebanon Times

Holiday 2020

CITYSCAPES

CITY S CA P E S

Recreation & Parks Staff Highlight Meagan (Preston) Henry Program Coordinator Meagan Henry’s affiliation with the Lebanon Recreation & Parks Department began in 2008 when, as a teenager, she held the job of Head Desk Attendant at the Lebanon Veteran’s Memorial Pool. What a difference 12 years makes! Meagan was inspired to study Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management at the University of New Hampshire, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in 2013.

Meagan re-joined the department as an Administrative Assistant, and progressed to her current role of Program Coordinator in 2019. And the accolades continue, with the presentation of the coveted Kim Perkins Award from the NH Recreation & Parks Association for her inaugural Lebanon Food Truck Festival last year, and earning designations as a Certified Parks & Recreation Professional and a Certified Pool Operator.

What inspired you to go into the recreation industry?

I participated in individual and team sports from a young age through high school. My aunt was my gymnastics coach, a PE teacher, and Athletic Director.

I looked up to her as a mentor and was proud of the positive impact she made on many people’s lives in our community. I also enjoyed watching my dad coach my brothers in many sports and learning from him. I began college at UNH undecided on my career path. I missed being involved in sports and other group activities. I researched a degree in Recreation Management and Policy and felt like that was the best career choice for me.

What new skill would you like to master?

I’ve always wanted to play the drums.

What’s your ideal way to spend a weekend in Lebanon?

My ideal weekend in Lebanon would include a walk on the Rail Trail with my husband and my dogs, Ernie and Tucker, a barbecue with my family and friends, and a quick shopping trip at TJ Maxx.

CITY MANAGER’S DESK – continued from page 11

lights will be converted to high efficiency LED lights. This will reduce the City’s electric cost as well as the resultant reduction of greenhouse gases.

• The Tunnel project is on schedule with much of the work completed as planned. The project should be at final completion by the second quarter of 2021.

Q: With the uncertainty that came part and parcel with the pandemic, what are some of the ways in which the City of Lebanon needs to make adjustments as the 4th quarter comes to a close and 2021 ushers in?

A: The impacts of Covid-19 on our economy and the City’s finances are not easy to determine. Many of our businesses are faring well during the crisis while others are suffering significantly. Some of the types of City revenues such as Ambulance billing proceeds, landfill fees and motor vehicle fees are down. Development fees are increasing at rates that are higher than we anticipated. Property taxes revenues have come in as expected. However, the

What’s the best way to start your day?

The best way to start my day is with a big cup of iced coffee (regardless of the weather) and good music.

What charity or organization do you donate your time or other resources to and why?

I’ve donated to LISTEN Community Services because I have seen how their services have directly enhanced lives with their community dinners, Christmas Dinner, and summer camp scholarships. Their organization fills many needs in our community.

What would a world populated by clones of you be like?

If you asked my family, they’d say loud and I’d add in lots of laughter, dancing and quality time spent with loved ones.

Where did you grow up and what is your favorite childhood memory from that place?

I grew up in Lebanon and one of my favorite memories is pitching a tent on my family’s lawn, two feet from the front door, in case my siblings or I got scared.

What was cool when you were young, not now?

TY Beanie Babies What fun projects are you working on now?

I’ve been working with the Community Center Leadership Team to determine the needs and feasibility of a community center in the City of Lebanon. It has been fun working with people from our community that I haven’t worked with before. I’ve especially enjoyed brainstorming ways that members of our community can benefit from a community center.

What is your life’s motto?

Always stay humble and kind.

What books are you reading right now?

I just finished reading Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. n

winter of 2020/2021 is likely to be a difficult period of time. Infection rates are on the increase and the present projections indicate that a vaccine will not be ready for a majority of the population until the spring/early summer of 2021.

It is unclear if and when further stimulus or relief funds will come from the federal government. These funds will be critical to our ability to weather the pandemic without longer-lasting economic impacts.

Q: Looking ahead to a much better new year – as the world crosses its fingers! – what are some of the projects and initiatives the City plans to move forward with in 2021? Subject to the approval of the City Council on 12/16/20.

A: Development of the Airport Tech Park which would provide needed funding to reduce the City’s subsidy for the airport fund. This will also allow for needed space for industrial/commercial activity in the City.

• Renovation of the Lebanon Library to allow for more efficient use of the space and energy efficiency.

• Renovation of the third floor bathrooms in City Hall. This will result in insulating the walls, energy efficient windows, energy efficient fixtures and energy efficient lighting.

• The Spencer St. Development Project will begin next year with the reconstruction of the street, paving of the Northern Rail Trail from Spencer St. to Bank St. Ext. The Bravermen Company in partnership with the City will construct an apartment building with 94+ badly needed residential units with up to 45% at workforce housing rates.

• The study of PFAS remediation options at the landfill site will begin this year. The leachate from the landfill has 1200 parts per trillion of PFAS chemicals contained in it. The new statutory levels set by the State are between 11 and 18 ppt.

Q: And, finally, what is your favorite holiday season tradition or memory?

A: Spending time with family is and has always been a favorite part of our lives. That will be more challenging this season but we will find a safe way to ensure that it happens. n

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EL DE R P R O F IL E

Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Ben Hogan:

Peter Keane Opens the Memory Vault –– Dave Nelson –– he aging process often takes many twists and turns in one’s life, and if you are fortunate enough, it becomes a very rewarding experience. Lebanon native Peter Keane can certainly serve as a shining example.

The following quote appears to fit perfectly: “No matter what happens, some memories can never be replaced.”

Peter has reached the age of 87 and when he shares memories with his fellow residents at the Quail Hollow Senior Living Community in West Lebanon, it results in many raised eyebrows. Simply stated, his road to becoming a senior citizen was incredible.

“I graduated from West Lebanon High School and at the age of 18 and quickly went on to earn the honor of becoming what was called a Class A Professional Golfer,” Peter explained. “Basically, that amounted to being a golf instructor a great deal of the time at different courses all over New England. I also competed on the PGA tour earning prize money which was much lower in those days than you see today. In those days, $200 or $300 was good money!

However, most of my time was spent as a golf instructor.”

Earning a living on the golf course was a natural path for Peter when you consider his father was the legendary Tommy Keane who served as the golf coach at Dartmouth College for 45 years. Tommy Keane also became the Head Professional at the Hanover Country Club. Every year, the Hanover Country Club has honored his memory and dedicated service by hosting the Tommy Keane Invitational Golf Tournament. That ended this year when Dartmouth College shut down the beautiful 18-hole course.

“I was so upset when they announced the Hanover golf course was shutting down. It has become such a part of my life. I was literally born and raised on that golf course, being there morning, noon, and night.” Peter said.

Now that the clubhouse remains shuttered and silent, Peter’s memories came alive recalling pleasant summer days on the patio overlooking that lush green setting that drew avid golfers from all over the United States. For Peter, that offered the opportunity to meet in person some of the greatest figures in American history. “The one that stands out most is the time baseball great Babe Ruth showed up with a group of friends to play a round of golf. I was 8

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years old at the time, and when they had lunch at one of the cookouts at the Dartmouth Outing Club, Babe tossed me a baseball and said, “Here ya go kid!” I later played baseball with it and it was lost! If I kept that baseball I might be a millionaire today!” he exclaimed with a wide smile. “I never knew what happened to that ball!”

That would only mark the beginning of Peter’s connection to famous personalities as his golf career took flight. The bond with the Hanover Country Club continued to be the catalyst. That led to a golfing experience with Hall of Fame baseball player, Jackie Robinson, the first African-American player in professional baseball. “I met Jackie here in Hanover when he visited his son who was taking an ABC (A Better Chance) course at Dartmouth. While he waited for his son, he showed up to play a round of golf at the Country Club.

He would often come over to the clubhouse and sit on the patio to visit. I got to play golf with him and got to know him. He was such a nice fellow.”

That was followed by the ultimate golf experience – the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. For a golfer, that event represents the pinnacle of the sport. “I was at the Masters Golf Tournament in 1954 and got an opportunity to meet the legendary Ben Hogan. I really got to know him during the eight days I spent in Augusta. Also playing in the tournament was the famous Bobby Jones.” That was a very special time in my golfing career.”

That experience was followed by another milestone at the Hanover Country Club that made a lasting impression in Peter’s memories. “My dad got a call that President Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th president of the United States) was visiting Hanover. He wanted to play a round of golf so we set things up. The secret service arrived in a big motor-car procession with the president and we gathered at the 15th hole. My dad was his partner and we played a round. The president was a most impressive gentleman.”

While sadly the Hanover Golf Club has been shut down and its future is unknown, Peter acknowledges he has acquired cherished memories that only he can share. “It remains very emotional for me, and often difficult for me to drive by the facility these days, but I still have my memories!” Peter stated in Emerson Lebanon News Ad Re-do_Oct 2018_Layout 1 10/9/2018 2:07 PM Page 1 a soft voice. n

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The Lebanon Times

Holiday 2020

Reading Renovations: Leb Library Needs Upgrades

Lebanon Library renovation schematic

“Plans for renovating started with health and safety issues,” said Fleming. “We have stairs inside and outside that are unsafe, and fire hazards in the basement.

There is a buried single-wall oil tank that needs to be replaced before it poses an environmental hazard; and like many older buildings, the air circulation is inadequate and unhealthful at any time, but especially during a pandemic.”

The proposed project will create changes throughout the library building, one of 2,500 libraries built between 1883 and 1929 with funding from businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Outside, in addition to upgrading the heating system to modern air-source heat pumps, the front steps will be improved for ADA compliance, but Bush said the architectural plans maintain “the historic nature of the front part of the library.”

Inside, the bathrooms will be moved, so they don’t have to be accessed through the groundlevel children’s room, and they will be ADA compliant. The interior stairs between the children’s room and the first floor will be removed, and the stairs in the breezeway just outside the children’s room will be reconfigured to allow access to all levels, instead of only up to the second floor, Bush said.

In addition, unneeded offices upstairs will be given over to create a larger teen room and a Library Director Sean Fleming

So I’m preparing myself in case that changes as the library undergoes a renovation in the coming year to address “usability concerns,” according to Lebanon Public Library Foundation Treasurer Phil Bush, a West Lebanon resident. The changes will improve access into and throughout the building, create better public meeting spaces and employee spaces, expand reading and browsing areas, make the bathrooms easier to find, and more.

“We also want to make the building generally more welcoming,” said library Director Sean Fleming. “The building was designed in another era, when people weren’t allowed to just walk into the book stacks. When the building was originally built, librarians used to fetch what you wanted for you!

Now we want people to explore the building, and for the space they use to be best designed for its purpose.”

According to Bush, “Fundamentally, it’s going to mean that many more people have access to expanded facilities, expanded resources, and expanded services.”

The project began when an energy audit of city buildings unearthed an unsafe oil tank and a need for updated heating systems, Bush said. At that point the city commissioned a study that indicated the library has several ADA compliance issues in addition to usability concerns – including that the children’s room is “also a hallway” because it houses the bathrooms and the most obvious route to the teen room and entire second floor, Bush said.

smaller study or meeting space. “It’s very crowded now,” Bush said. “There’s a high demand for it.”

Another meeting space will be added on the first floor, and the meeting spaces and offices in the basement will be rearranged so employees don’t have to walk through meetings to get to their desks, Bush said. A bathroom will also be added in the basement.

“The good news is that there’s excess unused space in the library” since some

–– Allison Rogers Furbish –– Lebanon Public Library Foundation Raising Funds for Project he children’s room at the Lebanon Public Library always had a distinctive smell when I used to go there as a kid. It’s no different today, and it kind of feels like walking back in time when I visit, half expecting to find the welcoming Mrs. Scobie behind the desk.

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Holiday 2020

staff moved into offices at the Kilton Public Library in West Lebanon, Bush said, so space can be shifted to address the high demand for public meeting spaces.

“It’s nice for people in Lebanon proper to have a community space in Lebanon instead of having to go to West Lebanon,” Bush said. “We think that the Lebanon Library can become in a way more Kilton-like while retaining that personality that the Lebanon Library has.”

Fleming has worked at the library since 2002, and said when it comes to physical changes at the library since then, “the most notable changes have acknowledged and preserved the historic nature of this 1909 Carnegie Library, while making it more usable. We’ve done that by opening up the space in many ways already, with wider aisles and a smaller front desk. People have been very happy with the changes we’ve already made, and I’m sure will be thrilled when the improvements we have planned come to fruition.”

The total project is expected to cost up to $1.72 million, “to be reduced by the funds raised through donations,” according to City Manager Shaun Mulholland. His recommended budget to the City Council includes that amount; to move forward, the council needs to “approve the expenditure and authority to bond” at its December 16 meeting, he said.

“We have to make improvements in the backlog of the maintenance of our buildings. We have fallen behind as a result of our focus on the CSO projects,” Mulholland said. “We have another $1.9 million in work that is needed at City Hall. We have two fire stations that need to be replaced. Our schools also are in need of upgrades. We cannot do all of these projects at one time. The [capital improvement plan] that has been put forward spaces these projects out over time. The key is to spread these projects out over time and therefore spread the cost over time. The library project is ready to go. The other projects such as the fire stations are not ready yet.”

The Lebanon Public Library Foundation aims to reduce the tax burden of the project by privately raising $300,000 for the renovations. The group has already secured a $50,000 grant from The Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation, Bush said, and donations can be made to the renovation fund by visiting leblibrary. com/giving. n

Page 17

CIO F F R ED I & A S S OC IAT E S Stepping Up with the Upper Valley Community ince we reengineered our health service to optimize safety in the Covid environment, every patient treatment starts with the familiar screening questions...

“Since you were last here have you traveled outside of...”

Patients frequently respond with, “This is about the only place I come.” I feel fortunate that people of the Upper Valley are willing and able to take a collective responsibility to optimize the safety, not only for themselves, but for all of Billy Cioffredi us. As the winter approaches, we are doing our part and have taken numerous extra measures to ensure our air quality and our environment is the safest possible. And for those who must or prefer to stay at home, we have highly skilled staff providing telehealth.

What we value most is ensuring that our environment is as safe as possible, not only for our patients, but for our staff and the community as a whole. Our entire team values and practices an abundance of caution, both inside as well as outside of the clinic. Like the rest of our community, we are determined to find a way through. Effective vaccines are coming. Together, helping one another, we will make it through. From all our staff, thank you for your trust and support. We are proud to be working through this, hand-in-virtual-hand, with you.

Very Best Wishes, Billy Cioffredi, Cioffredi & Associates Founder, Physical Therapist 112 Etna Road, PO Box 727, Lebanon, NH 03766 scheduling@cioffredi.com • 603-643-7788

S

Mummer’s Dance – the number that every year interrupts the main storyline of Revels North’s long-running celebration of the solstice.

“While I was standing by as a spectator, I got an idea of the basic plot, and the importance of Saint George,” Clifton recalls. “You get to slay the giant and the dragon. You’re the hero. What more could you ask?”

What he learned by watching – and by listening – Clifton wove into his vocal performance as George in All Shall Be Well Again – the 17-minute animated film that Revels North is sharing on small screens in lieu of the live performances that the coronavirus pandemic is making impossible. “I haven’t been able to do a lot of voice-acting work so far,” he says. “I thought this would be a way to get a solid role onto my résumé.”

For the leadership of Revels North, the film emerged last spring and summer as a way to bridge the seasonal gap, and to keep Revels – which had to cancel its schedule of live music in the name of singer and listener safety – on the Upper Valley’s radar screen. “It wasn’t long before we began to realize that there was no way we could plan on live performances,” Executive Director Brian Cook says. “There was so much that we couldn’t anticipate.”

Instead, Cook, Artistic Director Nils Fredland, and members of the Revels North board of directors started brainstorming, and quickly eliminated the idea of trying to do a hybrid live through online technology. “Singing with people in

Zoom is miserable, because of the delay,” says Revels Board President Kim Rheinlander, a Lebanon resident.

With input from Revels creatives, they found consensus around the idea of a short film – mixing animation and footage from previous years’ Revels – that area audiences could stream on their computers, and watch on Community Access Television (CATV).

“It got us excited like nothing else was going to,” Cook recalls. “It was going to be the costliest option, in a year where maybe fundraising would be harder than usual because of the pandemic. But it really energized everybody, and seemed the most likely to get the audience excited.”

The Revels board bought into the plan from the outset. “Suddenly there was a spark,” Rheinlander says. “People really embraced it. It was something so different, and something positive.”

With money from a variety of sources – including an anonymous donation of $10,000, plus $7,500 from a Vital Communities crowdsourcing campaign, a Covid-relief grant of $7,500 from the New Hampshire Council on the Art, $5,000 from regular underwriter Mascoma Bank, on top of earlier contributions from regular individual benefactors – Revels North enlisted a Keene, NH-based nonprofit, The SALT Project, to weave animation around a storyline invoking Revels traditions.

“A big part of our thinking was to seek out local artists, who need the work right now,” Cook says. “When the pandemic hit and lingered on, their livelihoods went up in smoke. We really wanted to support Evan Oxenham

REVELS NORTH – continued from page 1

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Holiday 2020

Evan Oxenham

Page 18

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Evan Oxenham

Holiday 2020

No Strings Marionette Company

them as much as possible.” Toward that end, Revels hired the No Strings Marionette Company in Randolph, VT, which had crafted puppets for the 2015 show at Dartmouth College’s Hopkins Center for the Arts. The troupe crafted and brought to life a puppet host for the film, in the persona of Jack Langstaff, the founder of the original Christmas Revels pageant in New York City, and who had established a comparable program in Cambridge, MA in 1971.

Langstaff, who would have turned 100 this year, was the father of Carol Langstaff, the Sharon resident who founded Revels North in 1974. “When I first saw the puppet, I thought that that was just the best,” Rheinlander recalls. “I’d crossed paths with Jack over the years, when he would come up to see the shows during the time Carol was putting them on, and he was a very, very powerful and strong personality. This is very much in his spirit.”

Rheinlander first found herself caught up in the Revels spirit as a child in Cambridge in the early 1970s. “I was, like, ‘What is this thing? This is so cool,’” she says. “It was very engaging, and I really wanted to be a part of it.”

Upon moving to the Upper Valley in the mid-1980s, Rheinlander became a part in a variety of capacities, from backstage technical support to singing and acting with the ensemble.

Even after joining the board of directors, Rheinlander stayed active with the productions until 2019, when Revels moved the solstice pageant from the Hopkins Center’s Spaulding Auditorium to the Opera House. While the latter seats 800 people, to Spaulding’s 900, the 2019 show, drew a combined 3,000 people to five performances. Many of them, Rheinlander found while conducting exit interviews, had never seen the show at Dartmouth. “I was so excited that Revels finally came to Lebanon,” Rheinlander says. “It’s a much more traditional theater.”

“The people I talked with were so enthusiastic, and we were very excited about having a second show there this year. The arts community has been growing so much in Lebanon, and we were excited about being a part of that.

We’d talked with the AVA Gallery about doing a pre-show event there this year.

There seemed like a lot of opportunities.”

With All Shall Be Well Again, Rheinlander added, the Revels leadership and rank-and-file “hope to keep things going, keep people enthused, knowing we’re still around.”

Revels’ Executive Director isn’t worried. “The film is just lovely to behold,” says Cook, who performed in Revels while growing up in Norwich and took the reins in 2017. “The animation feels very, very true to the Revels spirit, a respect for traditional style.”

And while Revels North will miss its main revenue source – ticket sales – the organization wants to make the movie available for free for members of the Upper Valley community who might be struggling financially and otherwise during the pandemic, Cook adds. “It is a message of hope that dovetails with our message, our mission, of bringing light to the darkest time of the year,” he says.

“People right now are experiencing the darkness in a very real way.”

Sam Clifton hopes that even when live performances of Revels resume at the Opera House – preferably a year from now – devotees will revisit All Shall Be Well Again the way they do traditional holiday programs such as A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

“We can now add this to the others on the list,” Clifton said. “Anything we can do to spread our message to a larger audience is a good thing.” n Revels North was scheduled to start streaming All Shall Be Well Again on November 20. The local cable station CATV was scheduled to start showing the film on Thanksgiving Day (November 26 at 2pm) with subsequent screenings on Giving Tuesday (December 1), and on December 21 (the winter solstice), Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. To learn more, visit www.revelsnorth.org.

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Page 20

The Lebanon Times

Holiday 2020

THE PANDEMIC PIVOT – continued from page 1

One of the most utilized services of the Center was the Meals to establish a senior center following the incorporation of the on Wheels program and that critical offering saw a huge increase Grafton County Senior Citizens Council in 1973. That senior due to demand. center offers the following: Congregate Meals, Home Delivered “Meals on Wheels has more than doubled since the pandemic,â€? Jill noted. “Before Covid we had an estimate of 60-70 Meals, Transportation, Book Club, Birthday Celebrations, individuals receiving meals. Once Covid hit, the numbers grew Crafts, Health Clinics, Support Groups, Tax Assistance, Craft to 140-150 individuals needing meals. What was once a daily hot Shop, Computer CafĂŠ, and Telephone Reassurance. meal delivery for Meals on Wheels is now once-a-week delivery In the short span of a few weeks after the pandemic of four frozen meals and one hot meal. An average of 650 meals announcement, all those comforting benefits would be altered are now going out on Thursdays. Our buses and bus drivers are drastically. Jill Vahey has been with the Lebanon Senior Center the new means for getting meals to people.â€? since 2002 when she was named Activities/Volunteer Coordinator Now, as we enter the winter season in the Lebanon and took over as the Director in 2003. It went from being region, the demand for services from the Center will at the helm of a sailboat on a calm, peaceful lake to a become even more critical. Jill eyes the future with raging storm in a tornado literally overnight. optimism that the Center’s mission will not only continue, “My personal reaction was that of great sadness and but flourish. concern for the population we provide services for,â€? Jill “The kitchen staff are back and home cooking has explained. “Operations at the Center changed dramatbegun once again. We are offering Grab-and-Go hot ically. We had to close the Center in late March. We were meals every Monday and Wednesday from 12-12:30pm in only able to provide frozen meals to individuals who once our parking lot. We will offer a Holiday Bazaar, Veterans frequented the Senior Center for congregate meals. We Day celebration, bake sales, and our were doing this by offering daily drive-by annual holiday dinners, all by drive-by. service. The kitchen was shut down and Art, music, and writing classes have all we were forced to outsource our frozen started via Zoom. We are working on ways meals from a company out of state. Our to make it safe for our buses to transport buses were taken off the road and we were once again and to open our doors at the no longer able to transport individuals to Senior Center again.â€? medical appointments, shopping, or for If history holds true, nothing can stop various other needs. Many of our staff were the extraordinary volunteer spirit of the furloughed and those remaining took over Lebanon community and its dedication to many other roles of the day-to-day its senior citizens who have given so much operations. Volunteers could no longer to make it a premier place to live. volunteer. Our funding stream was impacted severely. Fundraising events Maintaining the Arts Through came to a halt. All other in-house the Pandemic programs also came to a halt.â€?

AVA Gallery and the Lebanon Opera As devastating as that turn of events House Prevail appeared, Jill reports that with the help of the community Over the years, Lebanon residents have witnessed their and the dedicated effort by the Grafton County Senior community become one of the premier centers for the arts Citizens Council management, slowly the negatives of in the entire state of New Hampshire. Two of the iconic the situation displayed a positive movement. Rays of contributors to that success have been the Lebanon Opera sunshine poked through the dark clouds.

House (LOH) and the AVA Art Gallery (Alliance for the “People have been extremely grateful and supportive of Visual Arts). all we were trying to do. Many offered to help in any way Founded in 1973, AVA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit they could. I see more neighbor-helping-neighbor. I hear organization. Today it occupies the Carter-Kelsey words of kindness and encouragement and feel a real sense Top: Jill Vahey, Director of the Lebanon Building at 11 Bank Street in Lebanon. Prior to that, a of community. The staff at the Center try to reach out via Senior Center. Above: AVA Gallery’s Heidi handful of Upper Valley artists decided to look for a place a phone call to as many individuals as possible each week. Reynolds, and Joseph Clifford of the Lebanon to show their work. Its first location was a rustic barn Opera House.

If we miss a call, people call us to see how we are doing. We adjacent to the Congregational Church.

The LOH is a historic 800-seat performing arts center and is the largest recently had a drive-by volunteer luncheon. The faces of the volunteers who’ve proscenium theater in the Upper Valley. It was built in 1924 and began life not seen each other in months was so heartwarming and emotional.�

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The Lebanon Times

Holiday 2020

as a vaudeville theater, community gathering place and city hall.

That is the background of the two art centers, but the critical question that prevails today is: How will they survive the Covid pandemic? Heading up that task are Executive Directors Heidi Reynolds (AVA) and Joseph Clifford (LOH).

Both report that there have been major adjustments, but the crusade to continue promoting the cultural arts is alive and well.

Joseph Clifford: “As a result of the Covid-19 crisis, the LOH was forced to suspend all programming by national touring artists, resident community arts partners, and the Lebanon School District on March 13, 2020. To date, we’ve canceled dozens of performances and LOH will be dark through at least mid-March 2021.”

While that statement certainly strikes right to the heart for entertainment lovers, Joe reports that there are viable alternatives. Operating funds remain the most critical factor, however. “Like many in the nonprofit arts community, we rely heavily on rental fees and ticket revenues to make ends meet. With programming suspended, there is no earned income at this time. I’ve doubled down on fundraising and have been fortunate to receive relief funds via New Hampshire’s CARES Act allocation. Through this one-time emergency funding, we’ve been given the financial bandwidth to restore several jobs and replace a portion of our lost revenue.”

Although the doors are closed and that beautiful theater remains darkened, Joe reports that there has been a concentrated move to feature digital entertainment at its best. “For now, we’ve pivoted to online events with the launch of our digital LOH On Location series featuring house concerts and discussions. It’s certainly not a replacement for the live theater-going experience, but it does allow us to support artists during a time of need and bring together members of our community who embrace the joy of live performance – even if it is on a screen. We’re setting our sights on LOH’s centennial season in 2024 with an eye toward playing an even greater role in the Upper Valley arts ecosystem. My goal is to keep LOH strong during this extended intermission so we can emerge on the other side to welcome back artists and performers.”

Heidi Reynolds: “Having to close AVA Gallery and Art Center felt surreal and confusing. At that time, no one knew how serious this was going to be. As we considered all the contingencies, we began planning as if we would be up and running within a few weeks. Then the shutdown dragged on and plans were continually made and canceled. Every bit of information we received and every decision seemed fraught with pitfalls. Are we being too careful or are we being reckless?”

As with LOH, funding quickly became a major issue. “AVA immediately lost a significant amount of money when issuing refunds, and losses continued to snowball as time passed and we weren’t selling artwork or running classes. While we were closed, we continued working behind the scenes to fund-raise, write grants, move to online classes, and generate a new revenue stream while planning for the eventual reopening of the galleries and building.”

Page 21

Heidi now turns her attention to the future with a positive attitude. “I view the future very positively. The pandemic has been difficult, but it has propelled us into a regional and national arena that is opening doors for AVA. Venturing into online classes, events, and gallery tours is something AVA knew we needed to tackle. The pandemic forced us to do it now rather than later. The upside is that we have participants throughout New England and across the country who are regularly attending our classes, or a gallery talk, or buying art online. Also we have seen those who normally wouldn’t think of themselves as artistic taking a chance on art because they need the relief. The pain people are going through has deepened their understanding of how important the arts are.” n

The people, the place, the lifestyle: that’s why my wife Fran and I (and our dog Molly!) live at The Woodlands.

Neal Brown

Resident of The Woodlands To learn more contact Peggy Cooper.

603-443-9575 or cooperm@apdmh.org

www.APDLifecare.org Lebanon, New Hampshire

Independent Living

SMILE!

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Jack: “When daddy tickles me!”

Willow: “When Jack does something funny!”

Page 22

Holiday 2020

The Lebanon Times

New Lions Club Up and Running in Lebanon –– Frank Orlowski –– fundraising for organizations such as ions Clubs throughout the Lions Clubs becomes even more Upper Valley provide challenging. For example, the exceptional services in the Norwich Lions had to cancel their communities they represent. Members annual summer fair this past July. The of clubs in places such as Enfield, fair is traditionally the Norwich Lions Norwich, and Hanover have for years biggest fundraising event. donated time, labor, money, and love Paul Dalton says the new Lebanon to many benevolent causes. Now, Lions are investigating various there’s a new area Lions Club to add to fundraising opportunities. “Obviously the roster – the Lebanon Lions Club. meeting community needs takes Granted, this newly formed Lions financial resources, and – like its Club is not the first to reside in neighboring clubs – Lebanon will be Lebanon. A Lebanon Lions Club first planning various fundraising projects.” formed in 1928, and existed until Money raised by the local clubs 2010. As often occurs with organigoes to work for the community, zations active for decades, volunteer Dalton says. “Typical clubs return Seven of the charter members of the new Lebanon Lions Club, collecting food for LISTEN support dwindled, and the earlier this past summer about ninety percent of funds raised Lebanon Lions deactivated the club. to their local community, with the Paul Dalton – one of the charter members of the new Lebanon Lions Club remainder going to state, regional, and international causes through the Lions – explains that, traditionally, Lions Clubs focus on benefitting sight, hearing, Club’s international structure.” health, young people, and the environment, with eyesight assistance being what Want to be a member of the newly chartered Lebanon Lions Club? “We are most associate with the Lions. constantly looking for more (members),” says Dalton. New members are selected “Here in Lebanon, there is a real need for eyesight screening in the schools, by invitation, must be 21 years old, and of “good moral character.” Dalton says and financial aid in obtaining glasses, eye care, and hearing aids, among other local Lions Clubs membership tends to be evenly split between men and women. things,” says Dalton. “For the past few years, these have been met by neighboring Lions Clubs International boasts about 1.3 million members, and is the Lions Clubs in Hanover, Enfield, Canaan, and Orford.” world’s largest service organization. The Lebanon club is one of over 46,000 To conduct services such as eyesight testing and screening, fundraising is clubs worldwide. The motto of the Lions is simple, straightforward, and easy to essential. In our current climate, with gatherings at events curtailed or prohibited, understand: “We Serve.” n

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Missing local music?

Check these out! On YouTube, search for “Chad Finer” and you’ll find these performances at the Anonymous Coffeehouse in Lebanon, along with other local treats.

• Out On A Limb playing Catfish John (10/25/19) • Never Too Late – Bill Staines playing Roseville Fair (12/6/19) • Chris Rosenquest playing Criminal (11/23/19) • Decatur Creek playing Ducks on the Millpond, Follow This Highway, Two Lights, Take All of Me, and more at the Anonymous Coffeehouse in Lebanon (2/14/20) Due to the pandemic, in February 2020 the Anonymous Coffeehouse postponed further live performances. In time, hopefully, this valued Upper Valley music showcase will return.

Northern Stage Two hilarious plays, presented as a double feature, are now streaming through Northern Stage!

The Naked Librarian by local UV playwright Marisa Smith (Mad Love, Venus Rising) brings us a world-premiere cycle of monologues that weave a tale of love, regret, family, and how things change – or don’t – from generation to generation.

Emmy-winner Gordon Clapp (NYPD Blue) brings to life one of Anton Chekhov’s heartbreakingly comic characters. Nyukhin has been prodded by his wife to give a lecture On the Harmfulness of Tobacco, in spite of the fact – and because – he is a smoker.

The productions are available online now through November 29. Tickets can be purchased at www.northernstage. org/librarian-tobacco. Questions? Email boxoffice@ northernstage.org or call (802) 296-7000. n

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