Jim Vanier was the first person I met when I arrived in Lebanon in 1983 for a job interview at the newly formed Lebanon Recreation & Parks Department. At the time, the office was located upstairs at the Carter Community Building where Jim worked coaching and mentoring the youth of the City. Jim greeted me the same way he greeted nearly everyone who entered the building over his 51-year tenure by smiling and saying, “Hello. Please take off your shoes before you come into the building.” Over the years this rule never changed, and “the building” was a shining example of how one person’s care and attention can create a place that is welcoming and respected by all. Over the ensuing decades as we worked together, it became evident that I had met not only the unofficial “Mayor of Lebanon,” but a living legend whose life’s work revolved around caring for young people day in and day out.

Jim Vanier

Years later, in 2024, Jim’s friends and supporters organized a retirement celebration in Colburn Park, attended by hundreds of people, many traveling from a great distance to pay tribute and tell stories. According to Lebanon attorney and long-time friend Pat Hayes, “The park event was great and it was so good to have Jim on stage listening to the tributes. He was an inspiration to so many people.”

Sadly, Jim passed away suddenly in December of 2025 of a heart attack at age 73. Among the hundreds of tributes online and in print, news has emerged of a group of Lebanon residents working to establish a non-profit to honor Jim’s memory and to carry on his legacy of serving as a beloved role model for young people from Lebanon and throughout the Upper Valley. The Jim Vanier Youth Fund (JVYF) is just getting off the ground, and is expected to be formally up and running by August 22, when a Celebration of Life event will be held in Colburn Park.

“Everybody loved Jim — we hope the Jim Vanier Youth Fund will continue his legacy of helping the youth of the area with whatever they need to succeed,” said Hayes. The Celebration of Life event will include several guest speakers who will reflect on Jim’s enduring legacy. Friends, family, and LHS alumni are all invited to gather in remembrance and connection, and to participate in creating a lasting impact in his honor.

Shelby Day, who served as the executive director of the Carter Community Building Association during part of Jim’s tenure, was raised within the community Jim helped to shape, learning directly from his mentorship and example. Day will administer the fund in collaboration with JVYF Board members Pat Hayes, Rich Tobin, Nate Camp, Larry Vanier, and Kristen Brenner.

Jim Vanier and friend Nate Camp.

“The Board was looking for someone who had a history with Jim and understood what his legacy was about,” said Day. “Being able to give back to the community that gave so much to me as a child and gave so much to my family is truly humbling.” Day fondly remembers the many lessons Jim delivered over the years. “Jim taught us to be kind, respectful, and to give back, and believed that kids shouldn’t have to pay to be kids. I love everything about how he helped kids grow and thrive. We want to be sure children can continue to have recreational opportunities without money being a barrier. This is exactly what Jim would have wanted.”

Day has decades of experience working with young adults and children, and is currently a high school special education teacher and a part time mental health technician in the Dartmouth Hitchcock Emergency Department. “Every day we work to advance the JVYF, I feel Jim smiling down on us. I am thrilled to be part of the Board and its vision.”

The group is in the process of drafting a mission statement, which aims to focus on Jim’s philosophy to “Practice Random Acts of Kindness,” and to honor the memory and influence of Jim’s predecessor and mentor, CCB Director Pat Walsh. During his career, Jim administered the “Pat Walsh Sneaker Fund,” quietly providing children with needed items like a baseball glove, new sneakers, or a suit for an interview, often just from his observations or through random conversations with fellow youth coaches, teachers, and parents.

An early basketball team.

The draft mission states, “The mission is in remembrance of two of Lebanon’s treasures that did so much for the kids and families in Lebanon. This new endowment fund will be set up to provide the essentials like food, clothes, sneakers, cost of childcare or to set up a version of Jim’s “Drop-in Center” and other opportunities for the needy children in Lebanon; sports/recreation fees, sporting equipment, school supplies and to enhance their potential in the form of education scholarships in Jim’s name. This would ensure the children thrive, grow, and reach their full potential, emphasizing empowerment, compassion, and community support, ensuring safety, promoting well-being, and offering both immediate relief and long-term solutions for a better future honoring Jim’s and Pat’s work for all these years to the children and the Lebanon Community.”

The plaque in the James G. Vanier Gymnasium.

The JVYF is also a fitting tribute to the original mission of the Carter Community Building. According to Larry Vanier, Jim’s older brother, Jim always maintained that his primary focus was about the kids. “Jim had one mission — to carry on the CCB tradition of caring for the children and the community of Lebanon. He was one of a long line of concerned citizens that realized the importance of the CCB in supporting young people. It wasn’t that long ago that the CCB was all the community had.”

Jim at the gym dedication.

So the next time you have occasion to visit the “old CCB,” consider taking off your shoes before going into the building in honor of Jim Vanier, one of Lebanon’s true community heroes. ■

The Jim Vanier Youth Fund is currently accepting donations, and the Board welcomes suggestions for how to use the funds to honor his legacy. For more information, contact Pat Hayes at 603-448-2720 or send contributions to Jim Vanier Youth Fund, PO Box 1155, Lebanon, NH 03766. The Jim Vanier Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, August 22, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in Colburn Park.

Did you know that Dartmouth Health prioritizes art as a part of its facilities and care? And not just a beautiful mural here or there, either, but programs and initiatives that bring the community together. In addition to permanent and rotating exhibitions, the hospital has creative arts specialists such as writers, visual artists, and harpists, as well as public art projects, and even offers live performances. Working with organizations like the Upper Valley Music Center, the AVA Gallery and Arts Center, and the Hopkinton Center of the Arts, Dartmouth Health’s focus on utilizing art for healing is philanthropically funded for a good cause.

The Dartmouth Health Center’s Creative Arts program employs arts-focused contracted staff, including a creative writer, a visual artist, and two therapeutic harpists.

Integrating Arts and the Humanities was one of Dartmouth Health’s projects even back when the hospital was known as the Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital. In the late ‘80s, Gertrude Mertens’ support, along with Mary and Laurance Rockefeller’s 107 Audubon Bird prints, kicked off the program that soon included various other forms of art within the hospital’s walls. One of these is the rotating gallery program, where eight galleries rotate four times a year, said Gillian Cook, the program coordinator for care experience. Artists can find the hospital and apply, or Cook will find artists that she thinks will be a good fit.

In addition to these galleries — which include art in mediums such as oil paintings and pastels — Dartmouth Health also began a Creative Arts program in 2005 for the Dartmouth Cancer Center. Here, an arts-focused contracted staff, including a creative writer, two therapeutic harpists, and a visual artist, all work within the cancer center, said Heather Allin, the program manager of the Complementary Care program for the Dartmouth Cancer Center.

“Patients can request one-on-one services,” Allin continued, if they, for example, need the creative writer to help them write their memoirs. The success of this program, Cook expressed, has allowed it to move into an inpatient center setting, as well, with the same artists. Providers often give referrals to patients if they believe the services would be good for their patients’ well-being. Cook and Allin both said that all supplies that patients work with are donor-funded.

Still, these only scratch the surface of how Dartmouth Health embraces the arts within its care. Cook explained that there are also several live performances, with “at least one person playing every day of the week” in two public areas in the hospital. Featured musicians include pianists, a cellist, a violinist, and a few guitar players. The hospital also hosts a “winter holiday concert series where community choirs and other ensembles will come and play in our main rotunda,” Cook said.

A stained glass window by artist Sabra Field.

Allin said they’ve tried something new this year in the cancer center hematology oncology waiting room. “People are there waiting for long periods of time,” she said, so a visual artist set up a new collaborative art project, where she “laid down tarps and a canvas, and over the day, people can come and she gives instruction.”

“By the end of the day,” Allin said, “You have this beautiful picture that has just come together with multiple people participating.” This program has been conducted weekly for the past six or so months.

Among the many arts- and humanities-focused services the hospital offers, another worth mentioning is how Dartmouth Health collaborates with local organizations. There’s the AVA Gallery and Art Center, which aids the hospital with public art, as well a partnership with the Upper Valley Music Center to offer an aphasia choir for patients “who are experiencing speech deficits from either stroke or traumatic brain injury,” Cook explained. She recounted that one of the caregivers of a patient with aphasia said, “her son hadn’t been singing in church until he started going to aphasia choir, and now he sings again.”

Left Gillian Cook, program coordinator for care experience at Dartmouth Health. Right Heather Allin, program manager of the Complementary Care program for the Dartmouth Cancer Center.

This is just one of many uplifting patient accounts. Cook expressed that “one person said during those days when [her] husband fought for his life, the art at the hospital became more than beautiful decorations. With each stop, she found a momentary hiding place from all things medical.”

Allin recounted a few testimonials from those working with the artists, such as “creating art helps me forget my cancer for a while,” and “I was not having a good week of chemo. I was not sure if I’d be able to do the activity, but I found getting involved helped lift my spirits.”

Overall, it’s clear that Dartmouth Health’s Arts and Humanities programs have had, and continue to have, an impact on the patients they serve and the community they collaborate with. A unique aspect of Dartmouth Health, the programs show how nontraditional methods of healing are worth exploring, especially considering how much help they can provide.

“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.” Terence Mann (James Earl Jones), Field of Dreams, 1989.

The boys of summer are coming. Soon after Mud Season, the days will get longer, the golf courses will open, winter attire will be packed away, and America’s pastime, baseball, will return to the Upper Valley..

The Upper Valley Nighthawks, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), make their home at the Maxfield Sports Complex on Route 5 in White River Junction. The team is made up of college baseball players from all over the country, who call the Upper Valley home for the months of June and July. The Nighthawks’ games are free for spectators, family-friendly, and just plain fun.

Rhys Anderson (Wabash College) wears the Nighthawks mascot and leads a between-inning footrace.

Founded in 1993 by a group of baseball-loving sports enthusiasts, The NECBL’s goal was to expose New England student athletes to Major League Baseball (MLB) scouts. What started with a handful of teams is now a popular league of thirteen teams divided into two divisions, who travel between team locations from Martha’s Vineyard in the south to Montpelier in the north for games. The league boasts nearly 150 former players as MLB draftees and stars. Player recruitment is ongoing, with college coaches and team management collaborating year-round. While most players in the NECBL come from schools on the East Coast, occasionally, an outlier from California may appear on the roster. They all show up enthusiastic to spend the season in New England and to fine tune their baseball skills. The NECBL exposes them not only to on-field skills, but the “back-side” side of baseball, such as marketing, management, and business operations.

Noah Crane, an area native and President of the Upper Valley Nighthawks, is a lifelong lover of baseball, and shenanigans. He attends each game attired in a zebra stripe blazer, and acts as Master of Ceremonies for between-inning games, offering a variety of hilarity, from “finish the lyrics” of a popular song to three-legged foot races. Crane describes the atmosphere as “part baseball, part carnival, and part farmer’s market.” From the thunder of small feet chasing a foul ball (a herd of children instantly appear in hot pursuit when the crack of the bat signals an opportunity to snag a coveted game ball), to the cheers of the spectators when the Nighthawks score a home run, to the inevitable laughter during between-inning entertainment, an evening with the Nighthawks has something for everyone.

Crane has a long history with baseball, having played, coached, and spent a time with a Red Sox minor league team learning the business side of the game. He once owned an NECBL team with his father, in Laconia, many years ago. After returning to the Upper Valley to work at Dartmouth College, Crane was delighted when The Maxfield Sports Complex was built. It would make a perfect home for an additional NECBL team. In 2016, the 13th franchise was awarded, and the Upper Valley Nighthawks made their home at “The Max,” truly a real-life “Field of Dreams.”

Brandon Adams (U North Florida) delivers a strike (hopefully!).

The team was welcomed by the community, and many volunteers and merchants stepped up to participate. The outfield is lined with banners of advertisers from throughout the area. In-game announcements remind participants to support the vendors who support the team. The Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation paired with Mascoma Bank to make admission to the games free (although a head count is taken as spectators arrive). The nearby Upper Valley Aquatic Center works with the team to provide essential facilities for the players to work out and train. The Montague Golf Course in Randolph offers reduced greens fees for players. Multiple area restaurants provide food service at the game, with adult beverages for purchase. Of course, no baseball game would be complete without hot dogs and, an area summer staple, Maple Creamees!

In addition to the games, the Nighthawks give back to the community in the form of summer camp for local children. Players and staff share their expertise and love of baseball, and provide instruction and encouragement to the young aspiring athletes. Because many alumnae of the NECBL have gone on to “The Bigs” (MLB) and had brilliant careers, it is possible that a child might exclaim, “He was my coach one summer!” Introducing children to this level of talent could help them learn new skills, develop a lifelong love of baseball, and inspire them to think, “Maybe I can do that!”

The challenge each summer for Crane and his staff is finding housing for the players. It is a league rule that players must be placed with Host Families in the community. Hotels and dormitory situations are not acceptable. Host Families provide the players with a sense of grounding, a home away from home. In these days of short-term rentals, and the popularity of the Upper Valley in summer, people with extra space may choose to rent instead of hosting. This is an economic reality that challenges each team, and for one team was its demise.

Marie McCormick and family with Nighthawks player Will Carnley (Troy).

The team asks community members with extra room in their homes to welcome one or two players for the months of June and July. They require a place to sleep, access to laundry, and occasional meals. In addition, Host Families enjoy discounts on team merchandise and concessions at The Max. Children are particularly excited to have “an older brother” for two months, and the players frequently become “members of the family.”

Host Families report thoroughly enjoying the experience. “The decision was simple,” says one Host Mom. “My husband is a huge baseball fan, so it was a done deal.”

Another shared, “In the summer of 2024, we hosted a second baseman and a left fielder, who particularly enjoyed breakfast before heading off to coach summer camp, or to work out before team meetings and practice. They would wake to the smell of bacon, which became ‘the bacon alarm clock.’ The summer of 2025, we hosted two pitchers, The Twin Towers (6’4” and 6’6”), who were not breakfast eaters, so no ‘bacon alarm clock’ for them! We’d advise them what would be planned for dinner, and suggest they let us know if they wanted to be included. They were a joy to host, and we look forward to meeting our next ‘boys of summer’ in June!”

Marie McCormick, of Lebanon, has hosted since the beginning, 2016, when her son was four years old. He is now 13, and a player himself. He loves having an athlete “big brother” each summer, and the family enjoys ongoing relationships with “their players,” some who are now in the minor leagues. ■

If you would be interested in hosting one or two players this summer, contact Noah Crane, noah@uppervalleynighthawks.com. Your generosity will be rewarded with great fun and memories of contributing to helping develop a future MLB star.

The Wet Paint Players, Lebanon High School’s drama club, is  partnering with Upper Valley Circus Collective (UVCC) for its production of “Water for Elephants.” The show will be performed December 5-7 at Lebanon Opera House.

Set during the Great Depression and told through memories and flashbacks, this musical adaptation of the 2007 novel by Sara Gruen tells the story of student veterinarian Jacob Jankowski who joins a circus and falls in love.

Charli Swan

The show is brought to life through a mix of acting, vocals, choreography, and circus elements. For the past few months, the students have split their rehearsal times between Lebanon High School and Northern Lights Gymnastics in White River Junction.

“When I found out we had plenty of kids in the school that do circus, I got really excited,” said Shannon Aridgides, Lebanon High School’s music and theater teacher and the show’s director. “These kids really do circus. We’re talking silks and lyras and crazy acrobatic and aerial stuff.”

“Our coaches are amazing,” said Meg Tenney, director of Upper Valley Circus Collective. “We have a bit of a tag team. They’re all either professional performers or in a professional program themselves right now.” She said three coaches did the choreography for the first 10 weeks and two coaches will oversee safety and rigging changes. “We have a large team behind all of this.”

“Wet Paint Players has never partnered with another group like we are with UVCC,” said Ollie Hermanson, a senior at Lebanon High School and the show’s stage manager. “This is brand new, and it allows us to explore this territory and open up new opportunities in the future.”

Creating Community

Although this is the first collaboration between the Wet Paint Players and Upper Valley Circus Collective, many of the students in the show have been involved in theater or circus arts for years.

Blaise Yuan (pointing) playing August and Sam Smith (R) playing Jacob and cast

Junior Rachel Horak started attending circus camps when she was seven or eight years old. After a five-year break, she got involved again and is happy she did. “It’s my favorite place to be,” she said. “I love to move, and I love when people get to watch us and be amazed. It feels really cool.”

Sophomore Gardell Wetherington started in theater and then found circus at the age of 10. “I just like the idea of getting to do what I love and then sharing it with people who go to the show,” he said.

This is Blaise Yuan’s first theater production. “I do it because my friends are doing it,” he said. “And I thought it’d be fun.”

“Community is a really big part of it,” said Hermanson. “It’s such a tight knit community, we’ve become basically like family.”

Junior Caroline Cloud, who has been doing circus for nine years, agreed. “My favorite thing about rehearsals is getting to be with everyone,” she said. And her favorite part of performing? “Getting to show everyone what we worked so hard to do.”

A Pioneering Production

The high school version of Water for Elephants only recently became available for production in the fall of 2025, so Lebanon High School is one of the first schools to perform the show.

Abigail Tremblay and Blaise Yuan

The script offers suggestions for incorporating circus elements, but it also allows for a lot of freedom depending on a school’s available resources.

Aridgides said the first few pages of the script offer guidance for staging the show, but it’s not prescriptive. “It says this is a memory play, Mr. Jankowski is remembering things, so it can be abstract,” she explained. “We understand you’re a high school, we understand you’re all from different places with different opportunities. Maybe it’s your local gymnastics team, and that’s what you’re going to showcase… We do have circus people and, not only that, they’re good.”

“Do they say the silks or the lyra or the tumbling pass will be here? No, but it lends itself perfectly to it. It’s a perfect marriage,” said Susan Lamontagne, the show’s choreographer.

“I think it’s really, really cool that we get to do something new and especially something so cool that we get to invite the UVCC circus and get to work with them,” said Abigail Tremblay, a senior. “It’s a little challenging at times, though, with so little character studies, never having seen the show, and then not having many references to go off of. It’s a lot off the top of your head. A lot of research. I’m digging around for interviews on the actors and characters to work on certain scenes. But it also feels kind of special, and I really like that.”

Junior Sam Smith agreed. “Since the only people who have performed this were on Broadway, we don’t have a lot of information on how the show actually works, which is bad but it’s also good because we can make it our own,” he said. “Especially with all the circus stuff… we can do cool, special things because there’s no rules.”

The performers all have their favorite parts of the production.

For Tremblay, it’s the music. “I feel like there’s not enough folk and bluegrass on Broadway, especially not in high school shows,” she said. “I feel like it’s underrated. I love every single banjo moment in this piece, but I also like that it dips into a rocky feel sometimes when it gets angry. The composition is so amazing.”

“I really like to see how everything grows and grows and grows,” said Simon Trussell, a junior.  “We start out with nothing. Just like, what show is it going to be? Then we’re casting the actors, and we’re learning the songs, bringing in the props, getting the costumes, and then we’re getting on stage. And it’s really cool to see little by little how we’re building this whole show up from scratch more or less. That is awesome.”

“I’m so excited for the audience that isn’t really ready for the circus stuff to be so amazed,” said Horak. “I really hope it gets more enjoyment in circus in general, because I think circus is really cool.”

Something for Everyone

“I picked the show because once I knew we had the cast for it, it has something for everyone,” said Aridgides. “You can be someone who hates musicals and you can still have an awesome experience with the show.”

Meg Tenney, Shannon Aridgides, and Susan Lamontagne

Tenney has read the book twice and loves the story. “I’m the sappy one – as soon as the show starts, I’m going to cry,” she said. “The end of this show really gets me every time.”

Smith appreciates that the show allows many performers to take the spotlight. “Oftentimes with musicals it focuses on three or four people and everyone else is an ensemble, but I feel like in this musical there’s at least 10 people who all get their own song and get to show off how really good they are at acting,” he said.

“No matter what scene, no matter where you’re sitting, there’s something everyone will enjoy,” said Hermanson. He described a typical scene that includes dancing, singing, and circus, all while platforms and lighting are moving and changing. “Even if you’re not a theater lover, even if you’re not a circus lover, there’s something that you will enjoy on stage.”

Lamontagne said one of the most rewarding parts of this production has been working with the students. “Getting to work with kids that are young, relatively inexperienced and getting to teach them steps, musicality, characterisms, some of the things they’ve learned through circus, and watching their confidence in themselves grow, watching them start to create these characters and become the show – watching it build, for me, will always be the most wonderful thing to be a part of,” she said.

Many of the students in the show have been involved in theater or circus arts for years.

Presented by Lebanon High School’s Wet Paint Players and Upper Valley Circus Collective, Water for Elephants will be performed at Lebanon Opera House on Friday, December 5 at 7 p.m., Saturday, December 6 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, December 7 at 1 p.m. Tickets, by donation (suggested $5-10 per person), will be available at the door. Cash and check accepted.

For more information, visit: lebanonoperahouse.org/events/water-for-elephants.

Chances are we’ve all viewed that hilarious scene in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation in which Clark (Chevy Chase’s character) connects the extension cords and illuminates his house with 25,000 Christmas lights, with which he painstakingly decorated the exterior. Clark’s lighting display temporarily blinded his neighbors, caused the electric meter to go into overdrive, and likely could be seen from space.

Now none of us have the time, patience, or forgiving neighbors (let alone the funds to cover that December electric bill) to match Clark Griswold’s extravagant light show, but many of us do enjoy having a more modest lighting display over the holiday season. After all, when it gets dark at 4:30 in the afternoon, who doesn’t like a little extra exterior lighting?

Roadside pick-up crew: (L-R) Mark Kimak, Peter Bickford, Paul Dalton, Tom Zuttermeister, Chris Herring, Catherine Herring, and Geoff Tomlinson

The local Lebanon-Upper Valley Lions Club sure does, and they’re proving it by offering their first-ever Holiday Light Display Contest during the month of December. The Lions are challenging residents and businesses in Lebanon and West Lebanon to decorate their dwellings, offices, and stores in their holiday finest, featuring festive lights and accompanying decor. Photos of the displays then may be sent to the Lions, and a committee of Lions members will choose the winner and two runners-up.

The idea for this contest originated with long-time local Lions Club member Tom McGonis. His objective in proposing this new contest? “It’s a chance to build community spirit.”

The next step was proposing the idea to the Lions Club members. They proved to be receptive to the idea, so the contest was on. The members feel the contest is a perfect fit for the holiday season. “We wanted to choose an idea that would excite the community and light up Lebanon,” McGonis says.

The rules of the contest are simple and straightforward. Homes and businesses are both open to compete. Decorate the building (and possibly the adjoining yard) with your best holiday decor, featuring a festive light display, take a photo (or photos), and send them via email or the post office to the Lions Club. Club members will then judge the photos, and pick a winner and two runners-up. The three chosen will each be awarded a prize from a local business: Katie’s Cookies of Lebanon is providing the prizes. The contest is only open to Lebanon and West Lebanon homes and businesses, and runs from December 1 to December 31.

Any expectations of how many homes and businesses will enter this contest? “We have no idea, being our first time,” says McGonis, though he adds that the hope is they will have many participants.

Hosting a pizza party for the Lebanon Girl Scouts

Promotion of the contest includes signs and posters around town, news stories in local media (such as this article in the Lebanon Times), and word-of-mouth, says McGonis. As is true with all the programs the Lions undertake, they are always happy to accept corporate sponsorship from local businesses, though, “The contest is not a fundraiser,” he adds.

The Lebanon-Upper Valley Lions Club is involved in a wide variety of philanthropic work and projects. They provide assistance to well-respected Upper Valley organizations such as David’s House, Listen, and The Haven. In addition, they perform community work, such as clean-up on their one-mile stretch of Route 120, and they assist in keeping Lebanon’s fire hydrants clean and working properly during the winter months – so important when winter structure fires occur, and ice and snow can interfere with hydrant operation. Lions members take part in holiday food distribution efforts, and offer scholarships to high school students. They even pair with other organizations in fun and educational events. Tom McGonis says the Lions recently teamed up with a local Girl Scouts troop to put on a pizza party.

Of course, they are involved with the major function of all Lions Clubs – that being assisting with those facing eyesight issues. Eyeglass collection, sight screening and education, support of those providing seeing eye dogs, and financial support for those in need facing vision problems, continues to be a mainstay of all Lions Clubs.

Tom McGonis says the Lebanon-Upper Valley chapter of the Lions consists of, at various times, between 10 and 20 members. Several members have devoted years of service to Lions Clubs; McGonis first became a Lions Club member in 1972, and Paul Dalton, who is involved with the Holiday Lights Contest, also has several decades of service in area Lions Clubs.

This December, whether you’re a Clark Griswold holiday-lights-extravaganza-wannabe, someone who puts an effort every year into a tasteful holiday light show, or someone who’s always wanted to dress up your home or business in a festive holiday light theme, why not be a part of this first-ever Lions Club contest? Again, the rules are simple – your lights display must be in Lebanon or West Lebanon, and you need to send the photos of the display to the Lebanon-Upper Valley Lions Club during the month of December. You may win, “A major award,” (as did the father in another popular Christmas movie), but you will, “show that our community has holiday spirit,” says McGonis. Good luck!

Want more information about the Lions’ Holiday Light Display Contest, or the Lions Club in general? Just visit the Lebanon-Upper Valley Lions Club website.

On a warm sunny weeknight in August, a crowd of people gather at the horseshoe pits at Riverside Community Park on Glen Road in West Lebanon. Some people have folding lawn chairs, and others wield long metal hooks for picking up shoes. An enclosed bulletin board houses the weekly team lineup with each player’s average and total shoes thrown, scoresheets, and the club’s bylaws. The pitching platforms in the pits face each other, 40 feet apart. Each has a metal stake surrounded by sandy soil, a wooden backboard, and a cement slab. Laughter, cheers, and the clanking sounds of metal on metal ring out as horseshoes hit the stakes.

Everyone is relaxed and conversational. Sayward “Shep” Shepard, the league’s vice president, said his favorite part about the league is the camaraderie. “We’re friends for many, many years and when something happens with one of our members, whether it be the member or a family of the member, we all pitch in if we can,” he said. “We go to funerals. We step up and support the people we enjoy being with.”

“We’re like one big, happy family,” said Tom Schwarz, the league’s president.

“On top of the camaraderie, which I agree with you on, is the fact that we make jokes across the pits all night long,” added Rick Paul, the league’s secretary. “Because we all realized, yeah, do we want to play well? Do we get angry when we don’t play well? But in the end, we all have to go to work, we all have families, we all have that. And it’s just a game. Everybody shakes hands after a game.”

Why horseshoes?

The four offi cers of the league: (left to right) Shep, Tom Schwarz, Rick Paul, Foster Moodie

“Why not?” said Shep.

“Back in the day when we started, it was the only sport where you could get together like this. Cornhole wasn’t a thing. They were outlawing lawn darts,” said Rick. “I started playing at the age of 11 in my hometown of Belmont. When I came up here, right out of college, I met Shep and we started throwing in the White River league. That was 1985. A lot of us have been throwing a long time.”

The league has six teams of four people each, plus eight subs. The players bring their own horseshoes. “Everybody pretty much has their own shoes that they prefer to play with,” said Shep. Traditional-style horseshoes are flat on one side with three cleats on the other side, and are thrown through the air like a frisbee. Flip-style horseshoes have a reverse center “thumb cleat” and two end cleats, and are tossed end-over-end.

A game consists of 50 shoes thrown by two players and a match consists of four games, so each player throws 100 shoes total. Teams play in a round-robin format throughout the season. The league plays by National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (NHPA) rules, unless they have incorporated changes into the league’s bylaws. Players shoot from 40 feet (the distance between stakes), with a few exceptions. Women can choose to shoot from 30 feet, as can players over the age of 65 or those who have a medical exemption.

Finding a Home in Lebanon

Many league members volunteered their time and skills to help build and prepare the horseshoe pits area (with Lebanon Rec’s permission) at Riverside Community Park.

The sign at Riverside Park says “Home of the Upper Valley Horseshoe League,” but since moving from White River Junction to Lebanon in the 1990s, the official name of the group is now the Lebanon Horseshoe League. Established in 1979, the league met at different venues, including Storrs Hill Ski Area, until it found its home at Riverside Park in 2002.

Shep said league members pitched in to build the horseshoe pit area in the park. “Lebanon Rec wanted to utilize this area, but they also wanted to put a skate park in,” said Shep. “So, I went to the town and talked to Lebanon Rec and I told them let me have the place and we’ll build it and we’ll take care of it.”

League members built the pits and volunteered to install lights and the cables to power them. “We had a lot of different occupations [among the players],” he said. “We had electricians, we had concrete guys, backhoe operators. We dug the ditches, ran all the wires out along there.”

Building Community

The league meets every week from the first Wednesday in May to the last Wednesday in August. They hold an end-of-year banquet with awards for the top two finishing teams, top high average players, top ladies’ average players, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, and the Art King Sportsperson of the Year.

The league currently has 24 regular shooters and eight to 10 subs. Anyone over the age of 16 can join the league. Most new members are recruited by word of mouth, but the league also has a social media committee that is working to bring more awareness to the league.

“We’d have a losing battle to cornhole,” said Rick. “Cornhole, I mean, you don’t have to throw metal objects, and instead of throwing from 30 or 40 feet, you throw from 27 feet.”

“It’s a family sport,” added Tom.

Shep credits the league’s sense of community with improving players’ skills. “The thing with players that are new to the league, it has some psychological effect, I think, because as people get more comfortable with the people they’re playing and the game – regardless of whether they’ve played the game for years – it’s getting used to the people,” he said. “And everybody gets along great. And once somebody gets along with people well, their numbers start going up.”

“What we’d like to instill in people’s minds is that this is a camaraderie,” said Shep. “Everybody gets along. It’s a well-controlled game and everybody’s welcome. [Ages] 16 and up, men, women. We’d like to fill up the horseshoe pits.”

Half a century ago in the 1970s, Lebanon’s annual charitable Thanksgiving Meal began. Run by Sacred Heart Catholic Church, this Thanksgiving service tradition has been providing roughly 800 to 1000 meals each year of late to the elderly of Lebanon. For several years, the meal count was over 2,000, delivering to personal residences throughout the far reaches of the region on Thanksgiving Day, without question.

Hands and hearts from organizations and families across the Upper Valley make this high-yield service feat possible

Volunteer chefs, students, parish members, area citizens, and financial donors from throughout the Upper Valley provide essential contributions – making it a cross-community act of service.

Len Angelli, a career-long Cardigan Mountain School (CMS) educator, was tapped to direct the process 17 years ago. “Father William Kaliyadan invited me to attend a committee meeting on the Thanksgiving Meal,” he recounts. “The meeting begins, and suddenly Fr. William announces that I am the Director –  in perpetuity.”

Angelli has not looked back. In recent years, 30-40 volunteers have worked behind the scenes on-site – on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday as able; others for a whole week. Some years over a hundred volunteers pitched in altogether.  Angelli himself puts in a sizable amount of hours weeks and months before – while others are still dipping toes into ocean tides and diving into pools.

John Pomeroy, the Volunteer Coordinator for the last several years, takes the entire week off from work. Pomeroy is also the Grand Knight for the Lebanon council of the Knights of Columbus, a global community service organization charged with caring for families in crisis and the elderly. Pomeroy is one of many Knights who volunteer for the Thanksgiving Meal annually, and in many other charitable capacities in Lebanon. The Upper Valley’s four area Knights councils altogether contribute tens of thousands of dollars annually to Upper Valley food banks and Lebanon-based agencies supporting families in crisis. In the state of New Hampshire overall, Knights councils contribute millions annually to charities serving children, families, and the elderly.

John Pomeroy, Volunteer Coordinator of the Thanksgiving Meal for 3 years and Grand Knight of the Lebanon Knights of Columbus council, a global community service organization.

Pomeroy, a citizen of Lebanon for 14 years, is a network engineer by day, developing blueprint schematics for the crews of Consolidated who lay fiber optic cable.  A military kid to a career Marine Corps officer pilot, Pomeroy has lived on both the West and East Coasts of the United States. He also served in the Marines. “Our Lebanon council volunteers throughout the year wherever we are needed. The Thanksgiving Meal program is certainly a well-oiled machine,” he describes. “An incredible system.”

He paints a picture of chefs at Dartmouth Health, Alice Peck Day, Kimball Union Academy and CMS preparing and delivering food back to Sacred Heart. Innumerable restaurants, grocery stores, banks, and families give hefty sums and provisions. Pomeroy’s three children attend Lebanon public schools. Depending on one’s experience in the military and with parenting, life post-military as a father and community service leader has been more peaceful. He knows first hand it takes a village to raise kids – and take care of the elderly.

“Roughly 60% of the volunteers are not from the Sacred Heart parish,” he notes. Pomeroy is quick to pay tribute to the employees at Dartmouth Health and Alice Peck Day who read the posted flyers and call in to volunteer each year; to Paul, a local mail delivery driver, who volunteers annually; and to Jorge, a volunteer who, for years, created the vast driving routes for all meal deliveries.  Lastly, Angelli credits Father Charles Pawlowski, who pastors at Sacred Heart, whom Angelli describes as “my rock.” Fr. Pawlowski also serves as Executive Director behind the scenes, shaping the program’s direction and vision.

This coming-together demonstrates love in action, a full unity of hands giving to bodies and hearts most in need.

Len Angelli has directed the Thanksgiving Community Meal for 17 years running.

Ryan Sinclair, who along with Angelli, has been a career-long educator at CMS, brings a dozen young men annually to volunteer. These international students of ages 11-15 under Sinclair’s own program, develop hands quick to serve others less fortunate.

How do Angelli and Sinclair culminate the high-intensity week of Thanksgiving orchestrating a large scale food operation and mentoring youth on leading by serving?

By sitting down with their international students over a traditional Thanksgiving meal in a home setting –  perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance for kids who might soon be returning abroad following boarding school.

After the two educators finish sharing this time-honored American tradition, they start a campfire for the boys.

A campfire on Thanksgiving…?

Why not?

Sinclair is no stranger to crafting memorable experiences for youth. He watched his own parents devote themselves to teaching as well. Sinclair arrived in the Upper Valley in the autumn of 1998 to study at Dartmouth and played Division I hockey as a forward. Originally from a small town in northern Ontario, Sinclair became close with his Dartmouth teammates, many also Canadians. Four years later, Sinclair graduated with an Ivy League degree and a season under his belt studying in South Africa. But he refused to join his best friends in New York City, Boston, or San Francisco where high-yield corporate careers beckoned. This regardless of the scale of that track’s possibilities, a path reserved for elite higher education all-stars, considered by many the penultimate opportunity, nearly guaranteeing an elite lifestyle.

Where does he stand today on this choice?  “I feel genuinely happy,” reflects Sinclair. Sinclair has lived on the boarding school campus in Canaan with his wife, Sarah, and two pre-teen boys for all but two years of their marriage. Early on in their relationship, the couple spent those two years out of the Upper Valley in Grenoble, France to obtain his MBA, funded by a Rotary scholarship.

Though rooted here throughout his adult years, Sinclair has explored across 70 countries. During the much awaited summer holidays when other educators are catching their breath and families are packing for vacations or camp, Sinclair packs his passport and kisses his family farewell. Since 2009 he has directed his own month-long operation that has grown by leaps and bounds: a South African service and cultural exploration trip; also through his brain-child program, Ivy Leader.

Ivy Leader’s international students wrap up their volunteering experience with a home-style Thanksgiving experience… and a campfire.

His program’s students safari one week and serve young children in disadvantaged schools the next.

So serving in Lebanon is the tip of the iceberg for these “future leaders” that Sinclair mentors; Serving in Lebanon one season and in South Africa another— as though the limits of one’s impact are but a mental construct.

Seven years back, Sinclair received the Distinguished Class of ‘02 Award by Dartmouth College, in recognition of service to others.

Altogether, Sacred Heart parish members, international middle schoolers, and other volunteers come out in large numbers to spend hundreds of hours dicing, baking, packaging, and cleaning. One full day is devoted to simply roasting, deboning, and packaging turkey. Calls used to be put out to Catholic church parishioners from Lebanon to Enfield and Canaan and beyond to take home a turkey from Sacred Heart to bake and bring back – or to provide a homemade pie – or three.  “We used to make homemade stuffing and pies, too,” Angelli remembers.

Because Sacred Heart’s food delivery service was stretched beyond capacity for several years running, it became necessary to streamline the process. As such, the program began soliciting donations of baked goods and rolls. Angelli also began using donations to purchase pre-made mashed potatoes and squash.

Still, how is this grand-scaled operation feasible? “A refrigerated food truck rests outside Sacred Heart for a full week,” Angelli shares. Various mechanical systems can make refrigeration possible while a vehicle engine remains off. Now, senior centers throughout Lebanon and West Lebanon receive an abundant meal of mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, squash, desserts, rolls, and main course items.

Though Angelli organizes and directs the bulk of this colossal operation himself over a four month stretch, a bedrock of parish members and community members return annually. Altogether, he recognizes, “we at Sacred Heart couldn’t do it without the full community’s support.”

Note: Sacred Heart Catholic Church is always looking for volunteers and donations. Please contact Len Angelli at mailto:langelli@cardigan.org to support the cause financially or logistically, as an individual, family, organization, or business.

Spring may have gotten off to a dry and dusty start, but the April sunshine was perfect weather for fans of the Rusty Berrings Skate Park at West Lebanon’s Riverside Community Park. As the sun chases away the last of the chill, adults, teens, young children, and families make use of what’s become a regional hub for a supportive and generous culture.

“We’ve been here four times this week,” says Cassandra Rossing, corralling four kids, all wearing helmets and ready for action. “It’s a really great community.” Her husband Michael agrees and adds, “It’s one of the nicest free public parks I’ve ever been to.”

The Rossing family

The concrete ramps and steel rails host an eclectic crew: adults Marcus and Brian practice their 50-50 grinds and frontside noseslides while a beanied teen named Gray works on ollieing onto a ledge. When asked about photos, Marcus laughs: “so long as you don’t mind them all being of me falling.” Another teen, Jacob, offers to demonstrate wheelies, then crosses the length of the park on his bike – using only the rear wheel. Smaller children do laps on scooters while their adults sit at picnic tables.

“It’s a great culture,” says Jess Morin, alternately watching the kids play and arbitrating disputes about exactly whose scooter belongs to whom. She’s brought her family up from Cornish for the afternoon to use the park. Last year, her daughter, then brand new to skateboarding, was frustrated and getting ready to leave when a group of anonymous teens showed up. One in particular offered some free lessons: “She actually strapped her up in her own brand new equipment,” Morin says, “and she taught her for like 45 minutes.” She didn’t get the good Samaritan’s name, but it really shaped her perceptions of the park and the kind of people that use it. “It was a real ‘restore my faith in humanity’ moment.”

Brian practicing his “50-50 grind”

It’s a story that gets to the heart of the culture of the park, which itself wouldn’t exist without the generosity of the community – especially that of the Kirschner family, who, in memory of their son Tyler, raised much of the funding to make the park into what it is today. In fact, the park’s name, “Rusty Berrings”, was – in the fashion of skateboarding greats Birdman, Ragdoll, and Wee Man – Tyler Kirschner’s skateboarding nickname. When it came time to upgrade and revitalize the park from the old wooden ramps into something new, the family acted as the skate park’s “angels,” according to Paul Coats, director of Recreation, Arts, and Parks for the City of Lebanon.

That culture of generosity also extends to our relationship with our neighboring communities. “It’s a regional park,” says Coats. “People from neighboring towns are coming to Lebanon to skate – and that’s the way it should be. Just as much as people in Lebanon are going to other towns to do other things. There’s not really a beach in Lebanon at [Mascoma] Lake, so people are typically going to Enfield to do that, or they’re getting in the Connecticut River via Hanover or Hartford’s waterfront. They’re going to other communities for the dog parks because Lebanon doesn’t have that. So it’s good to see a regional approach to a lot of the recreation that happens – and we get the skate park.”

It isn’t just Lebanon’s neighbors coming to use the park. For anything close to the same experience, skaters have to travel as far afield as Burlington, Manchester, and Nashua, which probably explains why it’s the city’s most used “non-programmed” park. “We put a lot of kids in Civic Park and Eldridge Park,” Coats says, “because we have sports being played there. Colburn Park is mostly a pass-through park…but Riverside Park, as far as people seeking recreation, that’s where they’re going.”

Marcus practicing his “frontslide noseslide”

As the sun goes down the park lights up, its hours extended by the relatively recent addition of lighting to help out in the shoulder seasons. Despite all the people still using it, Rusty Berrings Skate Park isn’t even “finished” – if a living park can ever be considered really done. The most recent addition was some beginner areas, but there are plans for more expansions. Ideally, they’d like to pave the floor of the pavilion (“We’re not trying to make the pavilion skatable,” Coats says, laughing, “but they will skate in there.”) and there are plans for the addition of another “bowl” as well, not to mention the planned extension of the Mascoma River Greenway to connect the park with the Powerhouse Mall, Miracle Mile and parts beyond.

Watching everyone from kids to adults use it together, it’s clear that Rusty Berrings Skate Park is a place for all – from first-timers to four-day-a-week families, more seasoned skaters to those new to the sport. It’s more than just a community resource –  it’s a home for a culture, one with generosity and support at its heart.

Any kind souls wishing to donate toward additions to the park can contact the nonprofit Friends of Lebanon Recreation, Arts, and Parks (FoLRAP): friendsoflebrec.org.

Teenager Jacob Hoisington demonstrating a wheelie

Every year, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation hosts its largest national fundraising event – Great Strides. Nearly 300 walkathons take place across the country to raise money for research, increase awareness, and support the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis (CF). On May 4th, Lebanon held its 37th annual Great Strides walkathon, bringing together children and adults with CF, their families, friends, community members, care teams from Dartmouth, corporate sponsors like Vertex, and many local supporters at the CCBA Pavilion.

Before the event, I spoke with Lisa O’Connor, executive director of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Nashua, NH. She shared the following on behalf of the CF community:

“Great Strides provides an opportunity for family, friends, students, and colleagues to come together and strengthen the bond of the cystic fibrosis community. The event recognizes the many journeys people with CF face and the work that still needs to be done for those waiting for their transformative treatments – and ultimately, a cure.”

Although there is currently no cure for cystic fibrosis, significant progress has been made in treatments and medications that have transformed the lives of many with CF. These walkathons are vital to sustaining the fundraising necessary to keep that progress going.

At the Lebanon event, I had the privilege of speaking with several members of the CF community – and I quickly discovered a common thread among them: Robert Plante.

Madison Culver, CF walkathon participant, and Robert Plante at the 2025 Great Strides Walkathon in Lebanon.

Robert is the honorary chairman of the Upper Valley Great Strides walkathon and a beloved figure in the CF community. Full of passion, kindness, and commitment, Robert has been involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for all 37 years of the Lebanon walkathon. Over that time, he has walked more than 7,500 miles, raised over $300,000, and inspired countless others.

His dedication began with his best friend from childhood, Doug Jones, who was diagnosed with and later passed away from CF. Since then, Robert has poured his heart into raising awareness and funds for CF research.

“I’m dedicated to cystic fibrosis research… and I’m going to be for the rest of my life,” he told me. “I love children – they’re my loving angels. All of them.”

One of Robert’s longtime friends and supporters, Bill D’Amico, traveled from Colorado to attend this year’s walkathon. The two met through the Best Buddies program, and this year, they’re celebrating 25 years of friendship. This was Bill’s sixth year participating in Lebanon’s walk and supporting Robert’s team.

“It’s beyond a community… they have a kinship with each other that you can’t help but feel – it’s so endearing,” Bill said. “CF is a very elusive disease. And while they’ve made great strides, there’s still no cure. Events like this make a real difference.”

I also spoke with Paula Garvey, whose daughter, Rosie, was diagnosed with CF at just two weeks old. Since then, Paula has become deeply involved in the CF community. She serves on both the Cystic Fibrosis Patient & Family Advisory Council and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Northern New England Chapter. She met Robert through her work and developed a strong connection with him.

Paula emphasized the importance of Great Strides events – not only for raising funds, but also for bringing people together.

“We used to always have a team – neighbors, Rosie’s friends, her Girl Scout troop. It was a wonderful way to unite people,” she recalled. “Now, the walks are more important than ever. We have to keep up the momentum.”

Thanks to ongoing support and medical advances, her daughter is now thriving – living independently, working full-time, and pursuing a master’s degree in public health.

Another touching conversation was with Lynn Freeman, a CF nurse specialist with 40 years of experience. Her journey with CF began early in her nursing career, and she’s seen firsthand how dramatically things have changed.

“I fell in love with kids with cystic fibrosis,” she said. “They had this amazing sense of humor, energy, and courage.”

Lynn reflected on the game-changing impact of new treatments called modulators:

“When those started coming out and we saw how fast people improved, it was stunning,” she said. “It’s because of the tireless work of the CF Foundation and everyone who walks, bikes, skis, or donates.”

Best buddies, Robert Plante and Bill D’Amico, who met and connected through the Best Buddies program 25 years ago.

Lynn also stressed that CF care requires a team: doctors, nurses, social workers – all working in sync. Her bond with Robert is also special – she cared for his best friend Doug at Dartmouth and remained in contact with him until the end of his life.

One of the most powerful stories came from Madison Culver, who was diagnosed with CF at 18 months old. Her brother, also born with CF, tragically passed away at age four from CF and cancer. Madison was told she wouldn’t live past 19, couldn’t become a nurse, and couldn’t have children. She has defied all those expectations.

Now 32 years old, Madison spent 10 years as an ICU nurse and is now a full-time primary care nurse – and a mom.

“It’s wild to see how different my life looks from what we expected,” she said. “I just started saving for retirement – something I never thought I’d do.”

“CF impacts every aspect of your life. It’s an invisible illness, and there’s a lot of silent fighting that happens. But without the CF Foundation and Great Strides –and the millions they’ve poured into research and treatment – I wouldn’t be here.”

I also had the privilege of speaking with a mom whose 10-year-old daughter was diagnosed with CF at birth. The early years were rough, but a new medication has been life-changing.

“She’s been so healthy since then. She’s super active, into all the sports – it’s made a world of difference,” the mother said.

These stories moved me deeply. The strength, determination, and love within this community are undeniable – and incredibly inspiring.

Here’s to the continuation of critical research, the walkathons that fuel it, and the incredible individuals and families who make it all possible. To the CF community in Lebanon: you’ve gained a new supporter. I’ll be there next year – hopefully alongside some of you, dear readers.