On a brisk, clear fall afternoon, a group of 32 Mount Lebanon Elementary School students huddled up on the playground after practice. On the count of three, they burst into their group motto: “You don’t have to win the race, you just have to be in the race!”

The students, along with their coaches  –  Donna Soucy, Nina D’Cruze, Jon Grobe and Alan Palmer  –  formed Mount Leb’s Finding our Stride team this fall. The nonprofit afterschool program partners with more than 30 schools throughout the Upper Valley (including Hanover Street School) to help kids get active and develop positive traits like resilience and empathy.

“They encourage the kids to run and be active,” Principal Katie Roach said of the coaches at Mount Lebanon. “They play collaborative games and teach social skills to the kids about acceptance, trying hard things, not giving up, and supporting your teammates!”

Finding our Stride is one of the many ways that Lebanon School District students, with the support of their families and our dedicated staff, embody our Vision of a Learner. We are dedicated to educating students who are effective and collaborative communicators, critical and creative thinkers, responsible local and global citizens, and empathetic and resilient individuals.

This vision is the foundation of our Strategic Plan, which we detailed in the last edition of the Lebanon Times. As we approach the halfway point of the school year, here are some of the many ways we are taking action on this plan for guiding our growth as a school community.

Hanover Street School Map Making

Effective and Collaborative Communication

Every Thursday, a group of about 10 Lebanon Middle School students gather after school in the band room for Podcast Club. Last year, the inaugural season of the LMS Podcast featured more than 20 episodes, covering a wide range of topics and a few featuring special guests such as PTO members, school district staff and area leaders.

“Students have liked the idea that they can talk about almost any topic, and learn about different topics they may not be as familiar with,” said Christian Terry, LMS music teacher and the club’s moderator.

Students often talk about their favorite movies, books, sports, or current trends, but recent topics also have included lessons on friendship, what students think their lives will be like in 20 years and what a world without screens would be like.

“Students who might not find their voice in the classroom or on the sports field have an opportunity to do so through this co-curricular activity,” Mr. Terry said.

During a recording session in late October, students also said they like working with the technical equipment used to record the podcast. They added that they are developing public speaking and conversation skills through the club.

“The big takeaway is hearing others’ perspectives, having healthy debate, turn-taking, and listening skills,” Mr. Terry said.

All episodes of the LMS Podcast are available at www.youtube.com/@LMSPodcast/videos.

Lebanon Middle School Podcast

Critical and Creative Thinking

Fourth graders at Hanover Street School started the school year with a project that combined social studies and art to help them better understand New Hampshire’s landscape. Each student created a 3D map that ultimately will go on the cover of books students are creating throughout the year showcasing the state’s history.

The project started with sketches of the landscape around Hanover Street School, then moved on to labeling and coloring 2D maps of New Hampshire that highlighted important geological features and landmarks across the state before building a clay model of the state’s landscape. Their next step was casting their models with plaster, which was a great outdoor activity. They wrapped up their project by painting their plaster maps.

Students said they loved the hands-on project, and the sensory experience of working with the clay and plaster. The experience of making their 3D maps allowed them to develop a deeper understanding of the changing elevations across the state. The details they included were unique to each student. For instance, some used color to distinguish the varying elevations. No matter the approach, though, students said the project helped them learn creatively.

Responsible Local and Global Citizenship

Mount Lebanon School Finding our Stride

For one Tuesday in late October, 128 Lebanon High School students stepped out of their daily routine, and into the community. They spread to 24 sites throughout the Upper Valley for the school’s annual Day of Work.

The event’s history stretches back more than 20 years, and serves as a fundraiser for the Student Council’s grant fund, which supports co-curricular activities throughout the school.

Groups of students volunteer to help with projects at homes throughout the community, like raking leaves, prepping for winter or moving furniture. Residents who sign up for these services pay by donating to the school.

“It’s a good way to give back to the community because they do so much to help us,” sophomore Claire MacMartin said.

This year, juniors and LHS Council members Mikko Andres and Ian Danen-Lucier returned to the same West Lebanon house where they helped at last year’s Day of Work. The homeowner even called them over the summer to help with some additional yard work.

“It helps build a relationship between students and the community,” Andres said.

LHS Paraeducator Bradley Cantlin, the Council advisor, added, “I think Day of Work is really about the connections they make in the community. That’s really valuable.”

Empathetic and Resilient Individuals

Back at Mount Lebanon School, on the last day of Finding our Stride’s fall season, students are reflecting on the goals they set at the beginning of the program: get better and stronger, set their own pace, build stamina and perseverance.

Their coaches asked, “If we couldn’t do it, what did you tell yourself, or your friends?”

“You can do it,” one student exclaimed. Another chimed in, “Don’t give up, you’ve got this!” While another runner added, “You’re doing a good job!”

After the pep talk, the group took off on a roughly quarter-mile run through the West Lebanon neighborhood surrounding the school. Students who finished first stayed and cheered on their teammates until the very last person crossed the finish line.

“We want students to develop positive feelings about physical activity and perseverance,” Coach Soucy said. “And also, we just want it to be really fun.”

A few days later, many of the students participated in the CHaD Hero race in Hanover, raising money for Dartmouth Health Children’s and the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (CHaD).

Across all of its schools, the Finding our Stride program was the top fundraiser for the event, collecting more than $60,000 in donations and helping the event surpass $1 million for the first time in its 20-year history.

Nestled in the center of Colburn Park, with its vendors lining the pathways, is the Lebanon farmers’ market. Every farmers’ market has its own flair that makes it unique. This one speaks to a place of social gathering and community.

Nick Miller

I had the wonderful opportunity of visiting with some of the vendors and mingling with patrons to ask them about their own experience at this market.

I first spoke with Lauren Tillotson of Lo’s Bakehouse in Hartford, who specializes in custom cakes and desserts that made my mouth water. This is her second year at the Lebanon farmers’ market. I asked her how she sees farmers’ markets as being a valuable part of the community. She responded, “I think it’s amazing, you know, to get everybody out and about…I love meeting all the new people. And it is a great, great, great way for me to get my name out there.”

Nick Miller, a woodworker who makes the utmost meticulous laser designs in different forms, has been a vendor at the Lebanon farmers’ market for three or four years. He primarily does themed events like Renaissance fairs and festivals. He and his daughter live in Lebanon, and he enjoys being part of and involved with the community. As far as the value of farmers markets in communities, Nick said that “Lebanon has an interesting market in comparison to other markets. Lebanon is much more community oriented…In my opinion, this one kind of [seems] more, not so much a farmers’ market, but a community gathering in the area…There’s more to it here than other farmers’ markets. I think it’s great, that’s why I continue to come.”

Michael and Janice Novello

Danielle Pickles, known as “Pickles”, has lived in Lebanon for thirty years and comes to this market once a month to find what new food vendors she can try out. She finds farmers’ markets to be of a great value, and said, “I know a lot of people that do their sole business through farmers’ markets, and they get their name out through farmers’ markets…It’s really nice to just see the smaller communities get their name out there, otherwise how would they do it?”

Michael and Janice Novello came up from Florida to visit family, and this is their second year at the Lebanon farmers’ market. I asked how they see farmers’ markets being a valuable part of the community. Michael said, “I think it gives the local vendors a place to exhibit their wares, for the local community to take advantage of the local produce, and festivities, and so on. It aids the economy.” Janice commented, “It builds community. People here would not really see each other and then they might come every weekend and see each other, eventually making new friends. And it’s like a town center, so it’s a big appreciation for that. Where some towns don’t have that anymore. So, it’s very lucky that you have this here.”

Danielle Pickles

I asked them if there is a difference between the farmers’ markets where they live in Florida versus the Lebanon one. Michael said with a smile, “These are cooler. The ones in Florida mostly have produce and baked goods.” Janice stated, “There are a lot of organic growers. And honey. They’re big on local honey…but we don’t have the variety of foods here.”

The Lebanon farmers’ market is a wonderful place for businesses to get their names out and to support the local economy. A strong sense of community certainly was felt by everyone I spoke with, and the farmers’ market in Lebanon continues to be an opportunity for building and fostering community.

The New York Times has been given credit for using the following motto: “All the news that is fit to print.” That definitive statement served as a source of pride for that publication in its masthead since the 1800s.

Today, the quotation has come into question as mainstream media often appears to have changed its mission, and now reports and emphasizes only the sensationalist or ‘bad’ news, both in print and over the airwaves. Just what is fit to print these days? A lot of heated rhetoric surrounds this question.

I know how to find the answer to this question. Take a few minutes out of your day and sit down with longtime publisher, Jen MacMillen, and have a chat. She may have to clear out a space for you to sit in her busy office, and you may have to wait for her to finish her daily multi-tasking duties, but you will come away convinced that there is good news out there. Trust me on this. If there is local news out there with a positive slant that emphasizes the good in people and communities, Jen will find it and bring it right to your doorstep – at no cost!

This talented and dedicated lady began her ‘good-news-only’ publishing businesses when she started an employee newsletter for Gannett Outdoor billboard advertising company back in 1988. Today, the Quechee resident publishes the Lebanon Times, the Quechee Times, the Norwich Times, and the ironically named Northeast Journal of St. Petersburg, Florida. The New England papers are published quarterly and are mailed directly to every resident in the communities they serve at no cost whatsoever to the readers. Local businesses and civic and non-profit organizations fund the publications through paid advertising space and content sponsorships.

As a longtime journalist/photographer, I was attracted to her work like a moth to a bright light. I quickly offered my editorial services, which she happily accepted! That was in 2013 right after the first issue of the Lebanon Times published. From then on, I have joined the crusade to emphasize the good-news-only concept. For me, being engaged with people in the community and reporting on the good things that happen here is the most rewarding contribution of my career.

Although it’s been an idea percolating for about 12 years, Jen is now ready to expand her journalistic mission and extend the concept to other communities across the country… to literally spread good news! As her dream comes true, everyone can share her passion and love of all things positive. Don’t take my word for it. Let me allow Jen to explain the details herself. (After all, she is the publisher!)

DN: What prompted the change of your business from Village Green Publishing to Greater Good Media? Have you revised your mission statement?

JM: I actually love the name Village Green Publishing. It evokes a wonderful image of a central community gathering place where citizens can engage in typical community-building activities. New Englanders are familiar with this image and the positive feelings associated with it. However, I’m ready to expand and need a name and image that is more universal and captures what my true mission is.

Now that my daughters are essentially on their own (one in college and one recently graduated from college), I am ready to put into motion the idea I’ve had to help others spread good news in their own communities. One day while driving, the name Greater Good Media popped into my mind. That was it! I knew it was exactly the right fit for my bigger vision in that it perfectly describes what my mission is and is broad enough to include all forms of media. Don’t get me wrong, I love print and believe strongly that everyone still values a beautifully crafted, tangible piece. It’s like getting a present in the mail versus an online gift card. As a business owner, I do know that I must keep pace with the times, and see the tremendous value of other, more immediate forms of media as an opportunity to spread farther and faster the good news themes that abound in my printed community journals.

DN: Going forward, what is a blue-sky scenario for your publications?

JM: I keep going back and forth between wanting to launch papers myself in communities I believe will receive them best, to serving as a consultant of sorts to others who want to ‘be the bearer of good news’ in their community. I love both ideas for different reasons. I like the idea of Greater Good Media acting as a central headquarters from which the model I’ve created can be used efficiently elsewhere. At the same time, I believe whole-heartedly that the way we will be able to make real, lasting, positive change around the world – that must happen in short order for a variety of reasons – is to start at the community level. With that said, helping others establish their own good-news-only media, as they see fit, appeals to my core beliefs. Either way, I am excited to play a small role in creating a ripple effect of positive change further afield.

DN: As you look back on the early days of getting these publications to become a reality, what kind of feedback have you received from the communities involved?

JM: The fact that my papers are still alive and kicking tells me that readers and businesses see the value in reading about the positive, everyday stuff that traditional ‘news’ outlets don’t always focus on. If all we read about is what’s bad in our community, it’s hard to shake that feeling. If, on the other hand, we get a shot of good news or receive public recognition for doing good deeds, we are more likely to take pride and ownership in our community and want to participate. New Englanders aren’t known for being effusive, but I’ve never received anything but positive feedback. My greatest reward happened when an elder woman from Lebanon called to thank me personally for publishing the Lebanon Times. She said she was mostly homebound and that this paper helped her feel connected to the community. My job is done! That one phone call made all of the incredibly hard work it takes to produce these papers absolutely worth it!

DN: As you face the future and look to expand your coverage areas, what do you anticipate will be your biggest challenge?

JM: Myself! As is the case with many small business owners, I get so caught up in the day-to-day details of producing the papers – while making sure the mission remains the guiding force – I don’t find the time to work on my dream. Because I am not trying to be a ‘newspaper,’ I can easily fit into any community without stepping on anyone’s toes. I’m all about collaboration and the principle that there is room for everyone. So, if I can get out of my own way, I’ll make it work and have a blast.

DN: Is there indeed ‘good’ news out there is these stressful times?

JM: Thankfully, yes! While I have strong opinions about how derisive and divisive things are in today’s world, if we really zoom in on the least-common denominator – that place that makes us all human – we all want the same things… love, acceptance, and our basic survival needs met. When we operate with that as a guiding principle and an ‘abundance’ mentality, then it’s easy to see the good in everything and everyone!

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

The word nurse is defined by Webster as ‘a person trained for the sick or infirm, especially in a hospital’. While that may define, what nurses do, it does not explain who they are. Nurses are your friend, there to hold your hand. Nurses are your parent, there to assure you that all will be okay. Nurses are a companion, there to listen and fulfill even the smallest requests. Nurses fill the role of any person you need, at the very instant when you are at the greatest and worst moments of life. So, during Nurse Appreciation Week, we would like to take a moment to honor those who are there for us, our nurses here in the Upper Valley.

Meet Kerry Keazer, RN
Lebanon, NH

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital
Assistant Nurse Manager on the Medical Surgical Unit

Why did you become a nurse?
I became a nurse in 2011. The best part of being a nurse:  All of it!  I love the staff, helping patients, multi-tasking, leadership, and the sense of fulfillment I have at the end of the day

What is the best part of your job?
After so many years as a nurse, I have a lot of stories.   For my patients, I really enjoy bringing calm and comfort to the patients and their families during end-of-life care.  It’s something we all pride ourselves on here, and I am diligent in making that transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved.

What is the most heartwarming/uplifting story you have from being a nurse?
For nurses, the most heartwarming aspect is seeing new nurses I’ve trained to be “great nurses” practicing patient care.  Imparting knowledge and skills is so important to helping them be the best they can be.  I absolutely love it! 

The word nurse is defined by Webster as ‘a person trained for the sick or infirm, especially in a hospital’. While that may define, what nurses do, it does not explain who they are. Nurses are your friend, there to hold your hand. Nurses are your parent, there to assure you that all will be okay. Nurses are a companion, there to listen and fulfill even the smallest requests. Nurses fill the role of any person you need, at the very instant when you are at the greatest and worst moments of life. So, during Nurse Appreciation Week, we would like to take a moment to honor those who are there for us, our nurses here in the Upper Valley.

Meet Tamera Dubuque, RN
Lebanon, NH

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital
Geriatric Case Manager in the Primary Care Clinic

Why did you become a nurse?

About 10 years ago I was very unhappy with my job.  My husband took me out to dinner one night to try and cheer me up, and out of the blue asked if I had ever thought of becoming a nurse.  It was like he was reading my mind because I had been researching the best way to do just that!  Becoming a nurse is something I said I would do when I was 7 years old after being in the hospitalized after a car accident.  At that age I was scared staying in the hospital by myself, but my nurse made all the difference.  I remember thinking I wanted to be able to help people in that same way one day.  So after starting my family and trying a couple of other careers, I decided it was time to go back to school and become a nurse.  I was blessed to have the support of my family, who allowed me to work crazy shifts as an LNA while going to school.  It wasn’t always easy, but becoming a nurse has been one of the best decisions of my life.

What is the best part of your job?

I love a lot of things about my job!  But the best part of my job is when I see that my clinical/professional knowledge has benefited my patient’s by helping them achieve the best outcome and/or their desired outcome.  I also really enjoy working at a small community hospital that supports the community I live in.

What is the most heartwarming/uplifting story you have from being a nurse?

There are so many wonderful people in this community I have had the privilege of taking care of it is hard to think of one story.  I often find that my personal and professional worlds collide working in such a small community; especially a community in which my husband was raised in.  I just know that I always learn something from each patient experience, and I hope that I am giving them the same in return.

The word nurse is defined by Webster as ‘a person trained for the sick or infirm, especially in a hospital’. While that may define, what nurses do, it does not explain who they are. Nurses are your friend, there to hold your hand. Nurses are your parent, there to assure you that all will be okay. Nurses are a companion, there to listen and fulfill even the smallest requests. Nurses fill the role of any person you need, at the very instant when you are at the greatest and worst moments of life. So, during Nurse Appreciation Week, we would like to take a moment to honor those who are there for us, our nurses here in the Upper Valley.

Meet Justin Harris BSN, RN
Lebanon, NH

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital
Emergency Department

Why did you become a nurse?
Because I like people and I like the body.

What is the best part of your job?
Being part of streamlining and improving efficiencies in health care all while providing good customer service.

What is the most heartwarming/uplifting story you have from being a nurse?
I worked at an app based telehealth solution.  The best part was sending out hand written Christmas cards to all our customers and hearing back the positive responses.

The word nurse is defined by Webster as ‘a person trained for the sick or infirm, especially in a hospital’. While that may define, what nurses do, it does not explain who they are. Nurses are your friend, there to hold your hand. Nurses are your parent, there to assure you that all will be okay. Nurses are a companion, there to listen and fulfill even the smallest requests. Nurses fill the role of any person you need, at the very instant when you are at the greatest and worst moments of life. So, during Nurse Appreciation Week, we would like to take a moment to honor those who are there for us, our nurses here in the Upper Valley.

Meet Christine Paul BSN, RN
Lebanon, NH

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital
RN with the Primary Care at the Multi-Specialty Clinic

Why did you become a nurse?
I always wanted to be a nurse even as a young girl. I enjoy helping people and caring for them especially when they are going through a difficult time in their life.

What is the best part of your job?
It is being a part of the community that I grew up in. I was born at the Homestead Building in the 50s and grew up in Meriden. After being out of the area for 40 years I returned and joined the Primary Care Practice at APD. I now provide care to long time family friends, people that babysat me and some that I babysat for, elementary and high school classmates and even my favorite former teacher. It is such a privilege to be trusted with their care and visits are “mini-reunions”.

What is the most heartwarming/uplifting story you have from being a nurse?
Prior to returning to Lebanon I lived in SC. During that time, I provided home care for about 5 years to a girl with severe disabilities. She and her sister were the ages of my grandkids, her parents the age of my daughters. They quickly nicknamed me “Chrisma” as they thought of me as a surrogate grandma. We continue to correspond and I visit them when I can. It warms my heart to know that not only did I provide physical care to “my patient” but I also provided nurturing and support to the family and had a positive impact on their lives.

An aging population requires greater health care services. Like it or not, as we age, the need for greater, and more intensive care increases. Nurses can provide much of that care, and the information patients need to access care. This is one of the reasons Laurie Harding was motivated to start the Upper Valley Community Nursing Project.

Harding, an RN with a strong background in community health care, began the program with Dr. Dennis McCullough about five years ago. Their goal was to assist communities in recruiting professional nurses to work for towns, and local parishes, in helping direct elderly residents to receive the proper health care services. Harding remains co-director of the program today. Dr. McCullough passed away in early 2016, and today, Dr. Bob Rufsvold of Lyme is her co-director.

Harding’s organization has proven successful in finding nursing professionals to work within each community, and act as a liaison to assist residents. Some of the area towns that have nurses placed through the program include Lyme, Thetford, Sharon, and Hartland. The Eastman community in Grantham also has a nurse. Additionally, church parishes such as the Church of Christ at Dartmouth have nurses placed through the Upper Valley Community Nursing Project. In all, Harding estimates about 200 elderly clients work with the nurses in the communities served.

The nurses recruited through the project are often newly retired, says Harding. As a result, they still are licensed, and have recent clinical experience. “Our nurses are very good clinicians,” says Harding, adding they are well versed in connecting their clients with the right services to help them. Besides directing clients to services, the nurses also help with direct care. “They help manage symptoms,” says Harding.

In addition to this work, Harding also serves as the president of the Headrest Board of Directors. Headrest is the Lebanon organization devoted to helping those suffering with substance abuse, or facing a crisis. Headrest offers a 24-hour hotline, a residential program, and outpatient counseling. A key component of their work involves teaching job skills, and helping the clients transition back to community life, says Harding.

Harding, who holds a masters degree in community health nursing, also served 10 years in the New Hampshire legislature, working on the health service issues she champions. Recognition of community health problems, and providing funding to assist these problems is something the state could be more proactive in, Harding says.

What is your favorite quote?
“Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and to keep it lit.” Mary Lou Retton

What Disney character would you be and why?
Snow White. She enjoys people with a variety of personalities and is happy in her home.

If you had to give away 50% of your assets today, how/where would you distribute them?
I would set up funds to fully staff nursing homes. I would donate to cancer and mental health research.

What famous person would you take on a world tour?
Barack Obama

What advice would you give the next generation?
Use your phones less, and engage with people and your environment more. Look beyond yourself. See the beauty around you and find solutions to things that need changing. Remember, there is more strength in kindness than in putting someone down. Don’t be silent if you see something wrong; speak up! Really listen, too. Be grateful and don’t forget to say “thank you.” Keep in touch with your parents and grandparents. Enjoy your life!

Where in Lebanon do you spend most of your time?
The Upper Valley Senior Center

Where would you prefer to spend most of your time?
Near the water

To which local business are you loyal to and why?
Roberts Auto. I feel they care about my safety and often check out my car on the spur of the moment when I have concerns. I trust them like family.

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
Wherever I could find lots of sea glass, shells, and warm ocean waves.

What are you most excited about in your life right now?
The opportunity to share my art and poems in the community, and anticipating publication of poetry by those of us in my poetry class.

Who is your local hero?
I have two: Roberta Berner and Benté Torjusen

Do you see the forest or the trees?
I try to see one tree at a time for decision making, and the entire forest for gratitude.

Name one thing you want to add to Lebanon.
A beach

What’s the one item on your “to do” list that never seems to get done?
Writing my book about my son Bob.