What do you want to be when you grow up?“ How would you have answered that question when you were 6 years old? Or 13 years old? Or 26? Are you still looking for the answer? Most elementary students will reply with roles they have seen in their community: teacher, doctor, truck driver. Or, they will think of professions they have seen glamorized on television: athlete, detective, performer. The US Department of Labor classifies workers into 840 detailed occupations! (www.bls.gov/soc/) Our youth need exposure to possibilities in order to understand the importance of school subjects and how they relate to the world of work.… Read More

The Lebanon Police Department had to say farewell to a pair of dedicated servants who have opted for retirement after a combined 54 years serving and protecting the residents in the City of Lebanon.

Lebanon Police Chief Gary J. Smith officially retired May 1st of this year following 28 years on the force, while Lieutenant Scott M. Rathburn completed his last day on April 17th leaving behind 26 years of service. Both look back proudly at their accomplishments while looking forward to whatever lies ahead.

Chief Smith originally hails from Boston, MA and moved to the Upper Valley back in 1985 when he accepted an open position as a Lebanon Patrolman, but the move had a tentative start.… Read More

Few things are as rewarding as a good mountain bike ride. The only thing that could possibly make the experience even better is sharing it with someone else. It’s in that spirit of the shared adventure that local mountain bikers come together a couple of times a week from May through early November as conditions allow.

The rides are low key affairs, organized by local bike shops to spread the joy of riding and give recreational riders a good reason to get in the saddle for a couple of hours. Neither races nor fundraisers, there’s no sign up or fee required and everyone is invited and encouraged to join in.… Read More

Assemble a group of high school students in a room with pieces of aluminum, wheels, motors, nuts and bolts, give them strict guidelines and a goal, time constraints, rules and regulations, and stand back! With the help of adult mentors and teachers, after about six weeks, what appears out of a pile of inanimate objects, arises a seemingly “animate” entity – a robot that obeys commands, moves around the room, and completes tasks. But, why? Glad you asked!

There exists a worldwide high-school-age robotics competition called “FIRST Robotics Competition” (FRC). FRC teams compete on local, regional and international levels to see who has the fastest, most robust robot with the most cunning strategies that enable it to accomplish the goals for which it was designed.… Read More

Braxton Freeman has been keeping a trained eye on the Lebanon Airport from his lofty perch in the FAA Contact Control Tower since his arrival in 2006. As the Air Traffic Manager employed by Midwest Air Traffic Control Service, he has not only diligently handled the pressure-packed profession of assuring air traffic safety, Braxton has witnessed first hand the up and down financial battle to maintain the facility.

With the recent loss of some valuable federal funding for the Lebanon Municipal Airport, some area residents are questioning just how essential is the service provided by the airport that covers 563 acres.… Read More