The late Nicole Cormen, a dedicated conservationist and Lebanon City Councilor, loved Lebanon’s trails and natural areas. She and her friends liked to hike a different trail every Friday to honor the memory of Laurel Letter, who created Lebanon’s first conservation lands map by hand long before GPS and Google Maps. If you were lucky enough to get out on the trail with Nicole or Laurel, you could be guaranteed to learn a few things about the trees, wildlife, and flowers in Lebanon’s conserved lands.

It’s a bit of a challenge to choose a few favorites from the City’s 22 miles of trails on more than 1,880 acres, with more publicly accessible trails owned and maintained by others to explore. To help me decide, I talked with Ron Bailey, volunteer trail steward extraordinaire, who has designed, built, or maintained nearly every trail in the City’s extensive system. Here are a few options to consider:

Signal Hill

Nicole Cormen with John Joline.

One of my favorite memories of Signal Hill is of a frigid winter night in 2008 when I joined intrepid land stewards Nicole Cormen and Ron Bailey in burning a huge pile of invasive buckthorn on the open summit. The event required permission from the City Administration, the Airport, and the Fire Department, but we made it happen complete with a marshmallow roast. We hiked up the steady incline from Alden Road through two beautiful open fields before turning into the woods for the final ascent. In a just a mile of moderately easy walking, we were greeted with open views of Mt. Ascutney and the surrounding peaks.

On a recent visit, I explored a new trail that loops back down the hill to the meadows past a lovely small pond, with many wildlife tracks to study. Signal Hill’s history is interesting, and it has an historic connection to our brush fire. According to the City’s website, it is “part of the old chain of signal hills and mountains that date back to the Revolutionary War days when signal fires were lit atop the hills to indicate that the Redcoats were coming.”

Farnum Hill Preserve

A jewel in the middle of the City, Farnum Hill is an 880-acre forested tract gifted to the City by Dr. Myric Wood Jr. and family in 1982. As early as 1780, the first meeting house in Lebanon was built along one edge of the preserve, as well as the first road. Later the land was farmed by the Aspenwall and Farnum families. Today, a series of ridge trails with five access points provides hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing, and trail running opportunities. The terrain is hilly and steep in places, but my favorite way to explore Farnum Hill is to hike it end to end. You can drop off a bicycle or car at the trailhead 2.4 miles up Poverty Lane, then journey back to the access across Poverty Lane Orchards to begin the roughly 2 hour walk. Shorter loops are available, including the Ron Bailey Trail, and the City’s parks and recreation department hosts the Farnum Five Trail Run here every fall.

Alice Peck Day Hospital Nature Trails

Designed by John Morton, a two-time Olympian and member of the Biathlon Hall of Fame, the APD trail system rolls gently over five miles of woods behind the hospital and neighboring retirement communities, Harvest Hill and The Woodlands. If ever there was a perfect place to cross country ski after a decent snowfall, this is it. The trails are wide enough for skate skiing, and you hardly know you’re ascending the side of a hill as you meander through a series of easy loops with excellent signage and benches strategically located for rest and reflection. For the very adventurous, this system connects with the City’s Starr Hill Natural Area off Young Street, offering additional loop trails. John’s vision of a trail system for everyone to enjoy was enthusiastically supported by the first administrator of the Harvest Hill facility, and is regularly maintained by the hospital. The trails are open to the general public.

Hats off to the trailblazers and stewards like Nicole Cormen and Ron Bailey, who have worked tirelessly along with City officials to create a network of trails and natural areas in Lebanon, most of them permanently protected. These public lands provide for wildlife migration, environmental education, and the simple enjoyment of nature. The next time a Friday rolls around, maybe we should all go for a hike.

The Lebanon Conservation Commission and Planning Department provide oversight and maintenance of the trails and natural areas. Complete descriptions and maps are available on the Planning Department website.

Cindy Heath has hiked nearly all of Lebanon’s trails and all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000 footers. She is the former Director of Recreation & Parks in Lebanon.

At age 80, West Lebanon resident Robert Camarra, who lives at the Quail Hollow Senior Living Community, can sit comfortably by the fireplace and reminisce about a sterling career that saw him not only protecting the United States of America faithfully, but also making the states of Vermont and New Hampshire safe places to live and raise a family.

As a young man right out of high school at the tender age of 17, Robert enlisted in the United Sates Army and was assigned to a Military Police unit to receive full training in that field. Upon his discharge 12 years later, he returned home to New Hampshire and, following a few stints as a police officer for local municipalities, he was accepted as a New Hampshire State Trooper. That was only the beginning of an incredible career in law enforcement.

Robert Camarra as a New Hampshire trooper

“After three years as a New Hampshire State Trooper, my wife was offered a very attractive position in the St. Johnsbury, Vermont, area,” Robert explained. “She really wanted that job, so I put in a call to a Commander in the Vermont State Police organization, and after a lot of calls and paper work, I was accepted by that organization and we moved to Danville, Vermont. As far as I can, tell I was perhaps the only person to have served as a State Trooper in both states to this day.”

Robert was born in Watertown, Mass., but moved to Tilton, N.H., when he was three years old. After serving a three-year stint in the Military Police as a young man, his journey took a twist.

“For whatever reason, I asked to transfer from the Military Police to go into an infantry unit based in Hawaii.  Still don’t know why I did that! Anyway, one day they asked for volunteers to take an Ocean Life Guard course. I raised my hand and found myself training and becoming a lifeguard. That did not turn out so badly however. I found myself working right on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii! That wasn’t too bad, as I said.”

However, when Robert returned state side and assumed his New Hampshire State Trooper position, the island paradise was a distant memory. He was quick to point out that back in those days a Trooper’s duties and work conditions were a far cry from these times.

Robert in his Army uniform in Hawaii

“Back in those days a Trooper was assigned to cover a vast area, and there were very few of us. We were spread out over rural countrysides as well as the main highways. We were based out of our home and dispatched from there. I recall one time when the dispatcher called me and indicated that, due to illness, vacations, etc., I would be the only Trooper on duty for a massive part of the North Country. I didn’t feel completely alone. If I put out an ‘Officer Need Assistance’ call, local police and even a Game Warden would respond. Once I even had a truck driver stop to see if he could help.”

Robert explained that early in his career he learned to adopt a philosophy that would enable him to enforce the law while avoiding violent confrontations. That paid lasting dividends in his chosen profession.

“During my career I recall only having to draw my gun on about three occasions,” Robert indicated. “I had met a State Trooper Lieutenant who I liked and respected very much. He told me that talking was the major tool that a Trooper could use when confronting law breakers. He told me that talking to them and showing respect would play a key role. I have always adopted that tactic with success.”

Robert today

Of course Robert had another ace up his sleeve, as well, that gave him a feeling of confidence. He is a martial arts expert and holds a third-degree belt in karate.

“Yes, I found those skills very helpful,” he said. “At one time, I taught karate right here in Lebanon and other local communities. I also held classes for many local police departments.”

Today Robert looks back at the old days with a smile on his face. An interesting man who has served well. Oh, did we mention that once during his career as a Military Police Officer he served as a personal body guard for an American singing icon named Elvis Presley? Just one of his incredible experiences he gladly shares in his retirement.

A coalition of Lebanon parents is working to make play space more accessible to young children, especially those under the age of five. The Lebanon Plays project has two primary objectives: create play spaces that are accessible to families on foot, bike, or public transit, and create play spaces that are safe and fun for the youngest Lebanon residents.

The initiative sprang out of the Safe Routes to Play initiative, a year-long study funded by the Healthy New Hampshire (HNH) Foundation and Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Safe Routes to Play seeks to improve the safety and ease of biking and walking to recreational areas for young children and their families. The Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission, in partnership with Upper Valley HEAL and the City of Lebanon, organized parents around this issue. The study revealed that Lebanon was in need of play spaces for young children that are accessible by foot or by bicycle without the need of a car.

After receiving the results of the Safe Routes to Play study, the next step was to form a volunteer group of Lebanon residents to use the information from the study and continue the work. Lebanon Plays recruited a coalition of interested parents to work on the design and implementation of the project. The group’s role is to gather parents, grandparents, and others interested in improving the City’s playgrounds. Ideally those involved would serve as advocates by helping spread the word and, perhaps, even doing some of the work on the ground. While the group only meets for a couple hours per month, they are quickly accomplishing their goals.

They selected Colburn Park as the location for the new playground because there is so much family-friendly activity there already: summer concerts, the farmers market, the library, and countless community events. The Park is also walkable from several Lebanon neighborhoods and accessible by bus. Colburn Park is accessible all year round and already has picnic tables, many trees to provide shade, and public bathrooms nearby, making the area a natural choice as a location to create additional play space.

While there are several playgrounds in the neighborhood, none are designed to be safe for this younger age range. Moreover, many are housed within a school or private organization and aren’t always accessible to the public. In addition, while Colburn Park does have a small play area already, it is not big enough for all of the children that are frequently in the park for community events, nor does it have equipment geared toward younger children. In order to reduce the risk of injury to children ages five and under, the new playground may include features like low crawling and climbing space, ramps, steps, riding toys, tunnels, and open space. These features reduce the falling risks posed to small children on playgrounds designed for older children.

Paul Coats, Director of Lebanon Recreation and Parks, has been involved with Safe Routes to Play and Lebanon Plays since their inception and is a strong advocate for the projects. Coats said of the Recreation Department’s involvement, “We as a community are listening, your voice matters, and community activism matters. We have lots of playgrounds around the community but we don’t have them for children ages one to five years old. Now we know what we need to do, and Lebanon Plays is helping us launch into that process.”

As of the time of this writing, the group is looking at proposals from several companies for different playground designs. After selecting a design, the group will begin fundraising and generating community excitement for the new playground, culminating in a volunteer event to actually build the playground.

Coats is excited about the parent and community participation in the Lebanon Plays project, and about the opportunities it creates for the children of Lebanon to play safely and enjoy an active childhood close to home. “We’re creating an atmosphere where they get to go to a place that’s near their neighborhood to go out and play. And they reap all the benefits of going outside and exercising, but they get to call it play.”

For more information or to volunteer, email lebanonplays@gmail.com or contact Paul Coats at Lebanon Recreation and Parks.

Look up tidal wave in Webster’s Dictionary and among other terms, it will state that the definition of a tidal wave is “Any widespread movement or feeling, etc.”

Lebanon Police officer Dakota DeRego acted when a life-altering tragedy descended upon a young Lebanon High School student, and his acts of kindness set off a tidal wave of compassion and emotion that swamped the Upper Valley and continues to gain strength.

It all started when Dakota heard the plight of Julie Barber and her family. Julie, a sophomore at Lebanon High School and a varsity ice hockey player, was admitted to the hospital to have a cancerous tumor removed from her spine. The end result was that the popular student-athlete learned that she would be paralyzed from the waist down. The news sent shock waves throughout the Lebanon community.

Dakota didn’t know Julie personally, but they had a common bond. The 26-year-old Lebanon Police officer always had his hair cut by Julie’s Aunt Traci. When he was informed of Julie’s condition, the news affected him deeply.

“I just could not imagine what she must be going through,” Dakota said. “I began to wonder if there was anything I could do for her. I remember when I was 16 years old I broke my ankle and that just about crushed me at the time. I had to stop playing sports. But compared to Julie’s situation, that was nothing. Her courage really inspired me after I talked to her in the hospital. I could see right away that her perseverance would get her through this. I wanted to thank her for showing me how important it is to persevere.”

Officer Zach Lawrence, Cpl. Mike Roberts, Julie Barber and Officer Dakota DeRego

Dakota began his mission of kindness. He began to talk with community members, friends, and family. With permission from Lebanon Police Chief Richard Mello, Dakota came up with the concept of presenting Julie with a custom Lebanon High ice hockey jersey that would express how everyone felt. It became a labor of love.

“The reaction by the community was fantastic,” Dakota said. “I went to Stateline Sports in West Lebanon and they donated the jersey. I then contacted Top Stitch Embroidery, and they put the project on a fast, two-day track to finish it. Granite State Glass then donated the frame, and the Campion Rink donated various hockey sticks for the project. I then went online and studied a way to put it all together and it came out beautifully.”

When the gift was ready, Dakota made sure Julie’s family and friends were gathered in her hospital room at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for the special presentation that brought warm smiles and tears. Julie’s reaction will stay with Dakota for a lifetime.

“I could tell right away that Julie’s attitude was inspiring. She was holding that family together emotionally and was leading the way. She is a rock! She had already stated that she would skate again someday. That is why you have seen the ‘Barber Strong’ signs and shirts everywhere you go. She has completed her rehab program in Boston and has been skating with a sled skate team in that area. I understand Campion Rink has a sled skating program and I expect she will skate there.”

Dakota’s action went far above the call of duty for any law enforcement officer. He will have been on the Lebanon force two years in May of this year, but Chief Mello notes he has already made an impact on the community he serves.

“Dakota is doing a great job,” Chief Mello explained. “He puts a lot of effort into engaging with the local community. He has always taken a consistent approach to helping people as well as his law enforcement duties.”

For Dakota, serving on the Lebanon Police Department has developed into a constant learning experience. “One great thing about this job is that every day is so different,” he said. “Each day can become a learning experience. You learn a new lesson every day and I learned a huge lesson knowing Julie about perseverance and courage.”

We believe it would safe to declare that we could all learn something about life from both Dakota and Julie.

Lebanon’s AVA Gallery has undergone many transitions and changes this winter, saying goodbye to Bente Torjusen following her 30-year tenure as Executive Director, welcoming incoming Executive Director Trip Anderson, and completing the construction of an innovative and energy-efficient new sculpture studio.

New AVA Gallery Executive Director Trip Anderson outside the new sculpture studio

In January, AVA Gallery completed three major capital projects: the new 4,000-square-foot Bente Torjusen West Sculptural Studies Building, and two separate solar arrays—one on the sculptural studies building and one on the existing Carter-Kelsey building. The solar arrays are part of a plan to for the buildings to be net-zero energy. In the summer months, the large array on the “Bente building” may provide enough energy, not just to power the new building and the heavy machinery in the sculpture studios, but also to supplement the array on the Carter-Kelsey building making both buildings energy neutral.

In addition to the solar array, the Bente building boasts many sustainability features. A rooftop garden of native, indigenous, low-maintenance plants provides insulation for the building as well as contemplative space to enjoy a break for lunch. Locally sourced and recycled materials are used extensively throughout the interior of the building, and the foundation stones from the previous building are used to create a retaining wall along the edge of the new building.

The purpose-built sculptural studies building features metal, glass, stone, wood, and clay studios. Moveable walls separate three connected spaces for the core studio, the machinery area, and the forge, kilns, and welding area. Eighteen-inch-thick walls reduce noise to the exterior neighbors and also provide insulation for energy efficiency. In the stone carving studio, snorkel hoses extend down from the ceiling to collect dust. “The whole building is designed to be extremely energy efficient while also being safe and comfortable,” Anderson said.

Anderson expects that the building will receive at least LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification, the second highest rating awarded by the US Green Building Council. This same honor was bestowed on the Carter-Kelsey building in fall of 2008. The LEED Green Building Rating System places emphasis on quantifiable, measurable, and documented environmental benefits.

While the construction was complete in January, the staff at AVA gallery still have work ahead of them before the building opens to the public. The staff will spend February and March setting up the space and installing the equipment and tools. Master artist workshops will take place in April and May to help the staff and artists learn the best ways to utilize the space. Anderson explains, “We want to make sure everything we do here is up to the AVA standard, so the master artist workshops will provide us with that foundation.”

A New Leader for AVA

Bente Torjusen began serving as the Executive Director of the AVA Gallery in 1986. Torjusen, a native of Oslo, is known in the Upper Valley for her vivacious personality and for shepherding AVA through its early years, when it was located in Hanover on the second floor over the Dartmouth Bookstore, into the prominent New Hampshire art institution that it is today. In 1990, Torjusen oversaw AVA’s move to Lebanon into the 140-year-old factory building, now the Carter-Kelsey building that houses the AVA offices, studios, classrooms, and exhibition halls. When plans were drawn up for the newest addition to the gallery, Torjusen ensured that the building would be LEED-certified and on track to become a net-zero-energy building.

Trip Anderson officially started as the Executive Director at the AVA Gallery in December, after a month-long transition period with Torjusen. Anderson comes to AVA Gallery from the Worcester Art Museum, where he commuted from Grantham, N.H. He served as a Grants Officer at the museum, as well as the museum’s leader in the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s UP initiative, advocating for inclusive accessibility.

His background is in preservation architecture and art history, having studied fine arts at Harvard University and serving as an instructor and guest lecturer in visual arts and design communications at Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Rhode Island School of Design, the Boston Architectural Center, Bemidji State University in Minnesota, and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay. “I’ve always had friends in the Upper Valley, and I’ve always loved this part of the world,” Anderson said. “This is my first opportunity to work in the Upper Valley, and it seemed like a natural fit.”

Events at AVA

In February, AVA Gallery hosted  the 9th Annual Best of the Upper Valley High School Exhibition. AVA contacted a number of regional Vermont and New Hampshire public, private, and vocational high schools, encouraging the art faculty to nominate works by students who show exceptional promise in creative disciplines, including: Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Digital Art, Sculpture and Wearable Art. About 100 students were represented in the show. Artist Carrie Fradkin says, “The work in the high school exhibition gets progressively better each year.”

In late May, AVA Gallery will host a grand opening celebration in for the Bente Building, and public classes in the space will begin over the summer. Both the staff and board anticipate innovative programming and opportunities in the new space under Anderson’s leadership. “Anderson will provide a key role in developing programming and fulfilling the promise of these new studios for sculptural studies,” stated Sloane Mayor, AVA’s Board Chair.

AVA offers dozens of exhibitions each year, more than 150 art classes, school vacation camps, after-school programs, and a large variety of outreach programming.

Located at 11 Bank Street right off Colburn Park in Lebanon, AVA Gallery and Art Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (7 p.m. on Thursdays). Admission is free, and the gallery is handicapped-accessible. For more information, visit avagallery.org.