Happy 10th Anniversary, Lebanon Times!

Wait! My older daughter was only 18 then? About to be a freshman at Northeastern? She’s 28 now and just got engaged. How could that be?

It seems like a lifetime has happened since I launched the inaugural issue of the Lebanon Times 10 years ago. In fact, many lifetimes have happened and we’ve been able to capture and share moments in time from those lifetimes. For ten years, four times per year, the Lebanon Times has had the privilege of getting to know the good people, good places and good things happening in and around Lebanon and then celebrating the stories in our pages.

And I really do mean privilege.

When someone lets you into their life and shares their story, and then digs up old photos to accompany that story, and then lets you print the whole shebang for the entire community to see… that’s a gift and a privilege for us all. When neighbors share their authentic stories with each other, every citizen is uplifted and the community is strengthened.

And, for some reason, Lebanon grows ’em good. People are authentic, kind, caring, hard-working, innovative, creative and actively engaged in nurturing Lebanon’s ongoing evolution. What a privilege it is and has been for us to have such a vast melting pot of good things to write about.

Let’s take a look to see what we mean. We’ve included thumbnails of every cover we’ve printed thus far. I hope by glancing at the snapshots in time throughout the past 10 years, you will be reminded about how awesome Lebanon is and about the big and small changes that have shaped who we are today as a community (as a reminder, you may download a copy of every issue ever printed from our website: www.thelebanontimes.com/archives). After reviewing past issues, I see where we have room for improvement: over the next 10 years, we will include more stories about our young people and about the many new Americans who help make Lebanon so rich, interesting, and resilient. 

From the very first advertisers and businesses who said “YES” to the idea of supporting a local, good-news-only community publication, to the writers and subjects who captured and told their stories, respectively, the Lebanon Times is a community effort and success story. Every business and organization that has advertised their goods and services off and on over the 10 years has been absolutely essential in keeping good news delivering to every address in the Lebanon and West Lebanon zip codes. As always, there are some standouts that deserve a shoutout: Mascoma Bank, Coop Food Stores, Dartmouth Health, Lawn Master, Hanover Road Dental Health, Mascoma Dental Associates (and others). These financial partners have not missed having an ad or a sponsored article in every issue for 10 years! Thank you for your unwavering support. Your message is delivered along with the good news the entire City of Lebanon has come to look forward to for 10 years.

Obviously, just like at the Oscars, one cannot possibly name everyone who should be celebrated for helping bring the Lebanon Times to life. Allison Rogers-Furbish who grew up in Lebanon and has many generations of family members here, was LT’s founding editor. While I had worked in Lebanon for many years and had many connections, it was Allison’s insider’s knowledge and tremendous story-telling and editing skills that helped bring Lebanon’s authentic personality to the forefront. 

Cindy Heath was the first person I approached with the idea of starting a good-news-only paper in Lebanon. As Director of Parks and Rec in the 1990s, I knew she had a sense of what might work. She gave it a thumbs up and has been writing for us ever since!

And, while he hasn’t been directly involved, Steve Christy, the longstanding former President of Mascoma Bank, planted the seed for the merits of good-news-only media in my receptive mind in 1991 and, without realizing it, shaped my entire life’s work. To read the details, see the first ever cover story about Steve in the Lebanon Times Fall 2013 edition at www.thelebanontimes.com/archives.

While the LT focuses on good news, more importantly we celebrate people, places and events that uplift and inspire. I would be terribly remiss in not expressing my deepest gratitude to those contributors who have passed on and without whom this publication would have wilted. Donnie Perkins wrote “These Times” from the very first issue until he passed away suddenly in 2020. A lifelong native, Donnie was a “character” and wrote about his escapades and musings that would strike a resonant chord with many a local. I am honored that he willingly added his downhome perspective about “These Times” for old timers and newcomers, alike, to enjoy. 

Ruth Sylvester, while a Norwich resident, was a tireless volunteer with Lebanon’s Upper Valley Music Center and played the cello with many UV music ensembles. She wrote for all three of the Greater Good Media publications – including the first Norwich Times 25 years ago and the first Lebanon Times 10 years ago. She was a brilliant writer and captured the heart and soul of her subjects with grace and simplicity. Ruth passed away in 2020 after battling cancer, yet her legacy lives on through her words, deeds and the music she shared. 

A force of nature, Dave Nelson helped everyone in his path –  from his elder neighbors at Quail Hollow to his grandson during important ski races to a days-old fawn that needed attention. Without Dave and his willingness to write multiple articles for every issue, the Lebanon Times would have floundered during life moments when I had too much to manage.

Dave was highly principled and admired and respected our local civic institutions. He politely insisted on submitting articles about the Lebanon Police Department, the Lebanon Fire Department and many other government entities because he staunchly believed in giving them the respect they deserve.

Dave passed away quite suddenly after a short struggle with cancer. His incredibly generous, optimistic and gregarious personality can be brought back to life when reading the many stories he wrote for the Lebanon Times and by viewing the many phenomenal photographs he took for multiple outlets.

So, it is with tremendous gratitude that we bring you this issue of the Lebanon Times as we head into the next decade of focusing on and celebrating the good news that happens in and around this remarkable community every day.