An investment in knowledge pays the best dividends.
~ Benjamin Franklin

Perhaps there is no better example of that quote than the overwhelming success being posted by the Lebanon School District. Flying a bit under the radar without a constant, glaring spotlight shining on its contribution is the Student Services Program headquartered at the SAU#88 administrative offices at 20 Seminary Hill.

The Student Services Program’s comprehensive offerings help make Lebanon one of the finest school districts in the Granite State. Back in 2016 when Lebanon was named “The Best Small City” in the United States by livability.com, the Lebanon School District was a leading factor in gaining that award.

Today, that mission continues to offer Lebanon’s young people the best education possible. Superintendent Dr. Joanne Roberts emphasizes that commitment to excellence by posting the Lebanon School District’s mission statement (CARES).

Cultivates curiosity and collaboration
Achieves academic excellence
Respects and values diversity
Encourages responsible citizenship
Supports the needs of every learner

“That mission statement really says it all,” Dr. Roberts stated.

Tim Koumrian

Spearheading the mission as Director of Student Services is an extremely busy individual by the name of Timothy Koumrian. Timothy came to the Lebanon School District with an impressive résumé, but perhaps that should include a Masters Degree in Multitasking! He was raised in Harvard, MA and obtained his undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in History at Hamilton College. Obtaining his BA there in 1997, he went on to Lesley University in Cambridge, MA to complete his M.ED in Elementary Education. Tim is currently working towards a CAGS (Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies) in Educational Leadership from Plymouth State University.

“I started as Director of Student Services on July 1, 2015 and quickly came to understand the dedication of the staff and the families, all surrounding the commitment to the highest quality education of Lebanon youth. There was already strong performance of the subsets of this department, but we always want to work toward continuous monitoring and improvement of what we do for students.”

Tim took time to note the key element in the mission of the Student Services Programs by explaining that it is a department that is designed to assist specific subgroups of the larger student body so that they have equal access to that same high quality education. This department has strived to not only meet its legal requirements when it comes to these student subgroups, but also to think beyond compliance. A showcase example of that would be the recently completed summer lunch program headed up by Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital. With APD guidance, along with generous local sponsors and volunteers, the summer lunch program was a huge success done so without the red tape of federal funding.

As indicated earlier, Tim has fulfilled the role of multitasker. The following is an outline of the various branches of the Student Services Program.

A great big thank you

Special Educational and Section 504

This is by far the largest of these groups and similar in focus. These are based on state and federal laws requiring districts to meet individual needs of students that have one or more disabilities

English Language Learners (ELL)

This is the next largest group of students which rests with those students who are of different nationalities/cultural backgrounds. Lebanon is perhaps the most diverse medium-sized city in the State of New Hampshire. We have more than 50 languages spoken in the district.

District-Wide Summer School Program

This is a relatively unique in NH public education as it serves the needs of all educationally at-risk youth and not just those we are obligated to serve, namely our Special Education students who need it.

Beginnings Preschool

Originally was created and his its main purpose in serving those 3-5 year olds who have developmental challenges and require services.

(Elementary) Behavior Support and Intensive Needs

This is a program in each elementary school that supports teachers with students who have significant behavioral challenges.

For more information about the Student Services Program and other SAU#88 initiatives, please contact the main office at: 603-790-8500

Community Access TV is “a conduit that fosters community connectedness,” says executive director Donna Girot. From its home in White River Junction’s TipTop building, “Its mission is to let all people find a voice. We provide training and equipment to all, for free. When there’s a problem in the community, we help solve it by helping people explain their ideas and points of view.” Donna has been at CATV for about a year. “The job seemed compelling,” she says, “because there are lots of challenges,” including that it’s the only (she thinks) community access station that contractually supports towns in two states.

CATV routinely records and posts the selectboard and school board meetings of the five towns it serves: Hartford, Hartland, Norwich, Lebanon, and Hanover. This task is more complicated than sticking a camera on a tripod and going out for coffee until the meeting is done. Videographers use multiple cameras so they can cover speakers from the audience as well as board members. After the meeting, the recording is put through a digital compression process to make it more compact. CATV uploads the recording to the internet as quickly as possible, knowing that minute-takers and reporters use them to check facts. “The videos provide a record of who said what when,” says Donna. CATV makes available selectboard and school board meetings, concerts and other informational and entertainment programming. More and more people expect to find their information on screens; CATV translates events to a screen medium, making further screen uses possible.

CATV provides technology for today’s world. Quechee’s Gesine Prado, self-taught baker of elaborate cakes and other goodies, has used CATV’s studios to perfect voiceovers for her “Baked in Vermont” show. “CATV is an invaluable community resource,” she says enthusiastically. “Donna, Chico, and the entire CATV team are helpful, friendly, and foster an unfettered creative environment.” Anyone who’s seen one of her elaborate, impressive cakes knows that she’s an expert on unfettered creativity!

CATV teaches. They give away training and air time to anyone who asks–for free. Many people end up making little or no use of the training, but some people catch the bug and produce shows about local events, history, entertainment, and issues relevant to the Upper Valley community.

Media Explorers class: Bona Bones, a professional stop-motion
animator and artist, teaches about creating stop-action video

CATV builds an independent filmmaking community. It trains videographers with classes and summer camps for middle schoolers and up. Graduates of camps become counselors for new participants. Filmmakers enter the film competitions or “slams” that CATV runs twice a year, open to middle schoolers, high schoolers, and adults. These are competitions to produce a short video within a time limit. The slams typically require the use of a certain prop or phrase. CATV provides free one-on-one training to shore up audio and video production skills, and lends equipment. The slams reward creativity, technical skills, and working well with a team. Seeing other teams’ films at the end of the slam can be humbling, but is always inspiring and broadening. CATV also offers high school internships and a club that introduces media professions to middle and high school girls.

Don’t Know What You’ve Got ‘til It’s Gone?

The business model of this remarkable organization is unusual – and endangered. For years public access TV has been supported by fees that cable companies have paid for using the ‘public good’ of the cable network. But as more and more users ‘cut the cord’ of cable service, CATV is seeing its supply stream start to suffer a drought.

Comcast pays a franchise fee to Lebanon. The city passes this fee on to CATV, with the result that there is now new equipment installed in the city meeting rooms. Better equipment means easier viewing for those who want to stay up-to-date on city affairs.

Donna is highly resistant to charging users for the classes and equipment CATV provides, seeing such fees as barriers to parts of the community. “People take us for granted,” says Donna, but it’s important because filming local government meetings compels ethical government. It’s the bedrock of free speech.”

There are 25 local access TV stations in Vermont. They pay into a network and share their best and most general interest shows.

One Producer Says It All

Lebanon resident Barbara Krinitz has worked for many years, in many ways, for CATV. Here’s her story, which epitomizes how CATV weaves community.

“I moved up to the Upper Valley 7 years ago. One day, I was walking through the TipTop Building and passed CATV. They had a sign outside saying that if you had an idea for a TV show, CATV would help you produce it. I walked in, said I didn’t have an idea for a TV show, but would like to learn how to use the equipment and maybe I could help someone else. They did indeed teach me how to use their camera and editing equipment, and then told me to look in the Valley News calendar, find something that interested me, and go out and film it. I chose ‘Machine Madness’ at the Montshire Museum, which became the first program I filmed and edited for CATV.

“So that’s how I became a volunteer producer. Since then, I have produced many programs for CATV. I have my own music program and my own local history program, and I also film some community events. I feel that CATV has brought me closer to the community in which I live, and brought the community closer to me.”

It takes a special kind of athlete to play rugby. One who enjoys the challenge of a hybrid sport that involves continuous running, kicking and carrying the ball, being tackled, and passing only sideways and backwards. For the members of the Upper Valley Rugby Football Club, however, the sport is more than just a game with unusual rules, mud in your eye, and a checkered history. The Mountain Men (men’s team) and the Valkyries (women’s team) consider community service projects and genuine goodwill toward their teammates and opponents an essential part of the game.

Adam Barczewski skies to reach Vince O’Shea’s throw, both from Lebanon.

The Upper Valley Rugby Football Club got its start in 2016 when Grant Gordon, once a local high school player, moved back to the area and wanted to play again, according to Brian Frampton, the men’s club president. “It was eight guys behind the CCBA in January of 2016 in icy conditions,” recalls Frampton. The club connected with the nationally ranked Dartmouth men’s and women’s programs, sharing some practice time and a bit of coaching expertise to get the ball rolling.

The club members’ age span and experience is broad – from age 18 to late 50s, from bartenders to attorneys, and from total newbies to players with decades of time on the pitch and college play. Sponsors include Salt hill Pub, Harpoon Brewery, Casella, Wayne’s World, Boisvert’s Painting, River Valley Club, and RE/MAX Upper Valley. One thing is clear, both on and off the field, the Mountain Men and the Valkyries support each other like family. Brian notes, “It’s more about the camaraderie. You play hard during the game, close it out with handshakes and hugs, then sit around and talk about life, family, work. It’s the ultimate way to break down every social barrier there is.”

Kim Maiorca, the women’s club treasurer, says this type of camaraderie is why she likes the rugby program and living in the Upper Valley. “Everyone is very nice and accepting, and they want to get to know more about you. When I moved here from California, I didn’t know very many people,” said Kim.

While watching the men’s team play in its first year, Kim and the other women on the sidelines started talking about how ‘awesome and empowering’ it would be to have a women’s team. “I had never played rugby before. It didn’t matter what body type you had, there was a position for everyone.” Kim describes the games and practices as a ‘judgement free zone,’ and has enjoyed watching the team develop. Indeed, the Valkyries experienced some losses in their first season last year, but their skills are improving each season. “It’s so nice to get to tackle people and then be friends with them afterwards. One of the most appealing things is that you do 80 minutes all out – you’re throwing your body in the dirt against people that are bigger than you.”

Darius Long of Lebanon outruns the opposition en route to scoring a try

Kim likes to tell the story of the Valkyries’ first game. “The first time our women’s team stepped out onto a pitch to play a match, we didn’t know even what positions we would play or what each of us would be good at. I was told by our captain what my number would be and walked up to a men’s team player, Darius Long, a Lebanon resident who had played rugby before, and asked him what I do as a fullback. He broke down what my position does. We went on to win that first match against the Rutland Ravens. It is that kind of support between those who have played and those who have not and those on the men’s and women’s team that show not only why rugby is such an amazing sport, but why this blossoming

Chad Hero volunteers Abbey Kinney, Kim Maiorca, Meghan
Boyer and Hannah Mollmark

organization has worked so well.”

Brian was a traditional three-sport athlete until friends convinced him to try rugby. He was reluctant, but soon discovered that rugby ‘is the best sport in the world’. As Brian notes, “Rugby requires agility, strength, awareness; it takes all the skills from other sports mixed into one.” After playing in New York and Maryland, Brian moved to the Upper Valley. “Up here it’s colder but the warmth of the people makes it better.” Soon Brian ‘got sucked back in’ and started playing rugby. “One of the best things about this sport is that you have an instant family. I know that at the drop of the hat somebody would be there for me if I needed help.”

The formalized version of the sport began in the UK in the early 1800s when an upstart football (soccer) player decided to pick up the ball and run with it across the goal line. New rules for a new game were made up by the players, and rugby was born. Worldwide, rugby is recognized as one of the fastest growing sports, particularly at the youth level, but modern rugby in the United States is relatively young. The first rugby game took place in 1874 with a college match between Harvard and McGill. The sport flourished as a less violent alternative to American football until the 1920s when participation declined. In the mid-60s it was revived largely by college teams and today USA Rugby boasts nearly 100,000 players from middle schoolers to Olympians.

The club’s community service goals are an important aspect of the program, according to Executive Board member Vince O’Shea. “It’s super important for us to be out in the community and showing rugby as something that’s a positive force in the Upper Valley. The men and the ladies have come together not just to play rugby, but to improve the community around us.” Team members have volunteered at the CHAD Hero Race; partnered with WISE to support their work on reducing gender based violence, and helped improve a pocket park along the Mascoma River Greenway. “With the organization and bodies we have, we can make a positive impact.”

Vince’s rugby career began at the University of Dallas in 1999, and he continued to stay involved off and on after graduating. In 2008, his team toured England & Ireland and he rediscovered his love for the game. As to moving to the Upper Valley from Florida, Vince notes, “Summers are beautiful, the people are welcoming, and I love the rural nature of the area. Everybody’s just nice and chill here, looking to help each other out.”

Kristen Knutzen of Lebanon and Katie Powers bring down the
opposing ball carrier

The club hopes to develop high school aged teams for both men and women with the Lebanon Recreation & Parks Department in the future, joining area teams already established at Kearsarge High School and Kimball Union Academy. With excellent adult role models, a youth team has a strong chance of thriving. In fact, the Mountain Men won the New England Rugby Championship last season. “We’ve already been promoted from Division 4 to Division 3 in the New England Rugby Football Union league. No other teams have been promoted this quickly,” says Vince.

As to continuing the club’s forward momentum, Vince notes, “We want to sustain the program for a long time. Brian and I want to come in here in our walkers for our 50th anniversary celebration.” Given the strong community service commitment and deep social connections in the Upper Valley Rugby Football Club, this is probably likely.

The first home game for both the men and women is on 9/22 at the Bank Street field. For more information, find the club on facebook or at http://www.uppervalleyrugby.com.

This hasn’t been a city project, and it hasn’t been a state project. It’s been a community project.

That’s Frank Gould at the July 21 grand opening of the Mascoma River Greenway. The 2.1-mile trail connecting Lebanon to West Lebanon has been more than a decade in the making, and, thanks to the enthusiastic work and support of hundreds of leaders and volunteers in Lebanon, it is finally a reality. In fact, the Mascoma River Greenway had support extending beyond the city limits: “It’s an incredible project for the Upper Valley – not just Lebanon, but the whole community – that shares a singular identity,” says Frank, speaking to an audience of more than sixty people gathered on the Alice Peck Day Homestead lawn. Mayor Suzanne Prentiss echoes this sentiment, calling the project “a source of pride for the community” and listing its wide-ranging benefits to health, economic development, community cohesion, and conservation. A letter from State Senator Martha Hennessey lists bikers, runners, and art enthusiasts among the beneficiaries of the Greenway before affirming also that “all members of the Lebanon community can take pride in this day because this trail symbolizes and builds community connections.”

Community leaders Cindy Heath, Mayor Suzanne Prentiss,
Frank Gould, and Paul Coats at the Greenway opening

One argument is clear throughout the presentations: this is the result of a massive collaborative effort. Twenty-two years have passed since the state purchased the right-of-way formed by the Northern Railway 1847 to produce the Northern Rail Trail, which runs from Boscawen, NH to the trailhead at the CCBA in Lebanon. In 2008, the name Mascoma River Greenway was coined to envision a four-mile continuation of this trail into West Lebanon, and planning and fundraising began to make the Greenway a reality. Though the terminal stretches on either side of the Greenway have yet to be completed, the main stretch is now open to non-motorized traffic (aside from perhaps the occasional electric wheelchair, Frank suggests) seeking a safe route from the Mascoma Street-High Street intersection to the Miracle Mile end of Glen Road.

Of course, the crowd hasn’t gathered simply to listen to speeches and then go home – the bulk of the grand opening event is designed to be spent enjoying the fruits of labor. Three groups form: one for cyclists to enjoy the newly paved passage, a second for a leisurely stroll along a short portion of the trail, and the third with the goal of walking the entire completed segment. Frank leads this third group as tour guide. The project has been dear to him since he left his position as a state legislator in 2012. “I wanted to stay involved,” he recalled. “I walked up to Paul [Coats, director of Lebanon Recreation and Parks] and asked him what we needed to do to get started, and he showed me the beginnings.” Frank took the lead from that point forward, co-chairing the project with Paul Coats.

Lorraine ‘Rainie’ Kelly, who has been involved since 2013, tracked funding for the project. “When I started, all the large donations had been secured,” she said. “My focus was on meeting the neighborhoods, to make sure there was support from everybody, and not just a few big donors.” Rainie says there were 248 donations of varying sizes, from small individual contributions to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Among more substantial tasks like clearing the trails, constructing guardrails for bridges including the footbridge over I-89, and paving the trail for accessibility, the work has included aesthetic enhancements. Two sculpture installations have been added along the trail: Steel Umbrella by artists Margaret Jacobs and Justin O’Rourke, and Wheels by artist Susan K. Johnson. Benches are planned along the route to give the tired an opportunity to pause; one will be dedicated to Frank and Paul. And at the end of the presentations and before the walking and cycling groups formed, volunteers handed out cups of wildflower seeds to be strewn along the edges of the trail. Attendees carried the cups with them, sprinkling seeds one at a time over clear patches of soil, allowing residents yet another instance of ownership of the Greenway.

Public response to the Greenway is overwhelmingly positive. Darla Bruno, a resident of Lebanon, likes that the trail is wide, leaving plenty of room for bicycles alongside pedestrians. “They did a terrific job,” she notes of the leaders and volunteers who have made the project happen. “I’ve never been to the [Glen Road] end, so I’m excited to see it today.” Nick Warren, who lives on Mascoma Street along the Greenway, says that he and his wife “enjoy easy access from our backyard to walk to the Lebanon Green or the woods behind Alice Peck Day. It’s great to be in a mini-forest instead of walking next to busy roads, especially with the construction going on. We even go for walks down to the bridge over the White River. It is probably the best view of nature inside the City and I didn’t even know it was there before the Greenway project.” Samir Soneji, while walking along the trail while his two young daughters cycle, quips: “This is the farthest we’ve gotten, and we love it. It’s revolutionized our toddler biking experience!” Samir and his family are leaving Lebanon soon for North Carolina, and he reflects that “this is one of the things we’re really going to miss.” Jennifer Rataj, another Greenway neighbor, appreciates the wildlife she’s seen along the trail, citing both a red fox and a heron she saw recently at a small pond. “Even with the pavement, it does still feel very quiet, and everyone there is really friendly. It’s really nice for the community. It doesn’t matter where people live; they still come down to the trail.”

At a recent City Council meeting, a public hearing addressed the future of the tunnel that would connect the Mascoma River Greenway to the Northern Rail Trail. City Councilor Karen Zook summarizes: “The citizen response – both at the meeting itself and in contact I have personally had with residents – strongly supports connectivity, so I’m pleased that’s the direction this seems to be moving. The Rail Trail and now the MRG are both assets to this city and, as we look toward an increasingly walkable future for Lebanon, this connection will only increase their value to the community.” With such strong community support, It’s hard to imagine anything else.