Growing up in countryside Cieba de Madera, San Victor, Moca in the Dominican Republic, Lebanon resident Yaniris McLenithan, or Yani as her friends call her, recalls the importance of staying connected to her family, her community, and the fertile farmland her parents once managed in the mountains above the city. The many crops produced from the healthy farm soils of Yani’s homeland are a source of pride among locals in the Espaillat province. Yani describes the farming scene. “These were sustainable family farms, between 200-500 acres, providing everything a family needs on a daily basis, including tobacco, bananas, plantain, and all kinds of fruit that was either consumed or sold at regional markets.”… Read More

Among Elizabeth Borowsky’s two-dozen-plus Upper Valley students, Amalia Hickey doubts that she’ll ever play the instrument for audiences of more than a few friends.

Yet Hickey keeps going back to the keyboard, which grips her imagination the way wielding a field hockey stick lights up her instinct to compete for Lebanon High School.

“I love the grand sound,” says Hickey, a junior. “And I love that all 10 of your fingers are playing together and working together to create music.” 

Her love for the piano multiplied a couple of years ago when Borowsky started composing, as annual birthday presents, solo pieces on which Hickey could hone her skills.… Read More

For sisters Laura and Cecilia Gonzalez, food is love, and family is everything. Even though they are separated by thousands of miles – Laura lives in Lebanon with her husband Jim, and Cecilia is in Mexico City – they have found a unique way to stay connected. Their new joint venture is a virtual cooking school that’s all about sharing the rich and flavorful culinary heritage of Mexican cooking and its central role in their family.

Laura is the second sibling and has worked as a Spanish teacher in the Rassias Center at Dartmouth.… Read More

Hi, I’m Devin, and I’m a community organizer. That’s how I usually introduce myself these days. If someone had told me when I first moved to Lebanon that I would soon lead multiple local organizations, plan various independent political advocacy demonstrations and actions, and serve on a housing board, two task forces, a commission, and (hopefully soon) Lebanon City Council… well, I can’t say I would have believed them. Nonetheless, less than a decade later, this is my volunteer résumé. I share this not to brag, but rather to encourage everyone with an interest in community – the way it functions, the opportunities to be found therein, or simply the people to meet – to get involved.… Read More

Editor’s Note: After a short-lived reprieve, with just enough time to regroup in the wake of the effects of the Covid-19 virus, many individuals and organizations shifted the way they used to do things in order to meet the needs of the people they serve. Here at the Lebanon Times, we reached out to the Lebanon Senior Center and the main Arts organizations in Lebanon to hear what they are doing differently.

Senior Power to the Rescue!

While Covid-19 continues to rear its ugly head, Lebanon citizens and organizations are rising up and pivoting in its face!

It has been the case that the virus has taken a toll on seniors more than other age groups.… Read More

Fresh out of Plymouth State University with a bachelor’s degree in acting, Sam Clifton was, well, reveling in the chance to play a lead role in his debut at the Christmas Revels.

And, between his own moments in the spotlight at the Lebanon Opera House last December, the 2015 graduate of Lebanon High School was paying close attention to the Mummer’s Dance – the number that every year interrupts the main storyline of Revels North’s long-running celebration of the solstice.

“While I was standing by as a spectator, I got an idea of the basic plot, and the importance of Saint George,” Clifton recalls.… Read More

Community engagement can mean many things, from taking an active role in governance to connecting with neighbors. For one group of Lebanon residents, it means that and a whole lot more. For more than a year, the Welcoming Lebanon Ordinance has been a substantial focus of their time and energy. Following up on the city’s 2019 Resolution for Inclusiveness denouncing “all ideologies based on hatred and intolerance,” and affirming a “commitment to protecting its citizens, residents, and visitors against discrimination,” the ordinance clearly and explicitly rejects discrimination and protects those in the city who may be vulnerable to harassment by unjust federal immigration policies.… Read More

One dominant common theme that links the people who make the Lebanon community so vital and prosperous is a shared love for the history of this beautiful city, combined with looking ahead to building a bright future. Perhaps no other quote covers it better than this: “If we don’t care about our past, we cannot hope for the future.” – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Chet Clem serves as President of Lyme Properties which acquired the old West Lebanon library and blended its complete restoration with the development of the River Park Project. By completing that task, they honored Lebanon’s past while ensuring controlled future growth.… Read More

The Connecticut River sparkles in the Sunday morning sunshine as members of Cancer Recovery Through Rowing (CReW) lift their sculls from the water at the Kendall Riverfront Park in Hanover after the final outing of the August session. CReW is part of the Upper Valley Rowing Foundation’s slate of programs, including the Lebanon Middle & High School Crew, a Masters team, and a variety of learn-to-row community rowing programs. Throughout the month of August, CReW coaches and participants ventured onto the river to learn to row, and to discover renewed strength and energy amidst their challenges with cancer.

The CReW program was founded in 2019.… Read More

Long before Mink became famous, naturalist Mary Holland had the privilege of accidentally encountering and spending time with this enchanting bear. Named after the nearby Mink Brook tributary to the Connecticut River, Mink was beautiful and courageous, having spent most of her 30 years at the mercy of humans whose ultimate decisions guided her destiny until her untimely death in August 2020. During the time we came to know her, she not only exhibited her charisma as an individual but, also her goodness as a mother, leaving behind many offspring, several of whom continue to live in the Hanover/Lebanon area.

Seen often about town or its outskirts, this black bear became a local symbol of confidence and strength, agility and authority.… Read More