Breaking News

​Summer Music Associates 
Presents Pianist, William Ögmundson, in a FREE CONCERT
 
Summer Music Associates wishes to thank the people of the Lake Sunapee Region for their support and loyalty during these difficult times by offering a free concert at the First Baptist Church in New London on Thursday, September 2, 2021 at 7 PM.  
 
William Ögmundson will present an uplifting and entertaining piano concert for all ages.  William is an award-winning and EMMY-nominated composer, lyricist, and classically trained solo pianist.

NHTI, Boys & Girls Clubs
Address Community Needs Together
The Mary Stuart Gile Early Learning Center and laboratory school, formerly known as the Child and Family Development Center (CFDC), on the campus of NHTI – Concord’s Community College is an inspiring model of successful community collaboration. The center, now managed by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central NH, serves the community’s childcare needs as well as NHTI’s students’ requirements of observing and practicing as part of the Child and Family Studies and Nursing programs.
“One year ago, NHTI’s CFDC - our early childhood studies laboratory school - was in an incredibly challenging place financially,” said Diana Menard, NHTI’s department chair and professor in Child and Family Studies. “We were fortunate to have several organizations in our community recognize the added value that the center and laboratory school provide to our early childhood education students, the greater Concord community, and the early childhood field in general.”
“Being able to continue to provide our students with a strong lab experience and the community with a space for superb childcare was an important goal for NHTI; having the BGCCNH step in to serve both these needs became an exceptional partnership for which I am incredibly grateful,” shared Dr. Mullin-Sawicki, President of NHTI.
This collaboration addresses the workforce needs for childcare and early childhood educators, and relieves NHTI of a serious financial burden. Chris Emond, executive director of the BGCCNH, recognizes the high quality that NHTI brings to the early childhood education field. He is committed to ensuring that the philosophy and teaching practices remain in place. Additionally, both NHTI and the Boys & Girls Clubs are committed to keeping the academic affiliation agreement with the Child and Family Studies programs in place. This philosophical and programmatic alignment, in addition to their shared missions to serve the community, make the partnership a win-win for the greater Concord community.
“We are proud to work with NHTI,” said Emond. “The goal of taking this on was to continue the fine tradition of excellence that NHTI’s Child and Family Development Center had built during its first 20 years in existence. The preservation of the lab school was also a high priority.”
Both NHTI and the BGCCNH view this collaboration as a model for what community is all about - resource sharing – and are delighted to be working together in this capacity. The center is fully enrolled with a burgeoning waitlist; this highlights the ongoing critical need for quality childcare. Community members, students, and families can trust that all best practices in early childhood education, care, and development continue to serve the greater Concord community with high-quality childcare in a lab school befitting the legacy of Mary Stuart Gile on the campus of NHTI.
“As a former staff member of the CFDC, I feel [the BGCCNH] really stood up to meet this challenge of maintaining the CFDC’s mission and vision,” said Ewing. “I think what helped encourage previous staff members to come back was Chris’s commitment to keeping the program’s philosophy and mission in place. To take on a new program in the middle of a pandemic was an immense proposition, but [the BGCCNH] really met the moment and have provided an immense amount of support and resources that will see our staff and the families we serve through this pandemic and beyond. I am excited about what the future holds for this partnership.”
The center has retained one veteran teaching staff member in each of its classrooms, and approximately 85% of the staff are NHTI alumni. Ross Ewing, himself an NHTI alum, continues to be the center’s director and works with a lead mentor teacher in the administration of the center as well as sharing in teaching responsibilities within the classrooms. Ewing also follows accreditation standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). After one full year of operation under the umbrella of the Boys & Girls Clubs, the center is already preparing for submission to NAEYC for full accreditation.
“The staff at the former CFDC is what set the school apart from others in the area,” said Sara Ziegra, parent of child who attends the center. “Sending our son back to the school on the NHTI campus was contingent upon teachers returning. The Boys & Girls Clubs realized how special these educators are and brought back many familiar faces. We are so happy knowing our son gets to play, learn, and grow under the care of these exceptional educators.”
 
Another parent, Megan Kilar, seconded that sentiment. “We received the highest quality of care from the former CFDC. The Boys & Girls Club stepped in during a difficult time and allowed the center to continue with its high standard of care for children. My son returned to the center as a pre-K student and my daughter is currently in the toddler room. I have been incredibly pleased with the staff that was rehired and the new staff that have come in. We appreciate the staff, who are all hardworking and truly care about our children.”
The late Mary Stuart Gile, the founding mother of the Early Childhood program at NHTI and the CFDC, championed student learning by practice in a laboratory school where they could be observed and mentored in tandem with the theory and best practices learned through their academic studies. To honor her memory, her contributions to and vision for early childhood education, the center has been renamed the Mary Stuart Gile Early Learning Center. On October 15, 2021, the one-year anniversary of her passing, the BGCCNH plan to make the naming official with the unveiling of a new sign at a public ceremony on the NHTI campus with Gile’s family in attendance.
To learn more about the Early Childhood Education program, additional programs within the Child and Family Studies department, or the academic affiliation of the laboratory school, contact Diana Menard at dmenard@ccsnh.edu. For information about the Mary Stuart Gile Early Learning Center and to inquire about enrollment, contact Ross Ewing at rewing@centralclubsnh.org or 603-410-5184.
 
NHTI – Concord’s Community College
NHTI is a dynamic public institution of higher learning that provides accessible, rigorous education for students, businesses, and the community. We create pathways for lifelong learning, career advancement, and civic engagement, offering 80+ academic programs to 4,600+ students annually. NHTI is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire and since 1969 has been accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, a nongovernmental, nationally recognized accrediting agency. Press Contact   Amy Proctor | 603-230-4001 | aproctor@ccs.edu

​Annual Loon Census to be Held on July 17th
 
MOULTONBORUGH, New Hampshire—The Loon Preservation Committee (LPC) will conduct its annual loon census on July 17th from 8:00–9:00 AM. The Loon Census began in 1983 as a way for LPC to bolster its season-long efforts to monitor the presence, abundance, and breeding success of loons by engaging members of the public in its work. During that hour, LPC staff and hundreds of volunteers throughout the state will take to the lakes to count loons. 
 
“The Loon Census is a valuable part of our annual data collection,” said LPC biologist, Caroline Hughes. “It helps us to get a good count of the number of paired, as well as unpaired, adult loons and loon chicks that are present in our state.”  Unpaired adult loons are those that do not develop a bond with a mate and defend a territory in a given year. Because they are not tied to a particular lake, they may spend time on many lakes, making it more difficult for biologists to get an accurate count during their surveys. “During the census, we have hundreds of volunteers surveying hundreds of water bodies at the exact same time, which helps us to get a snapshot in time of our loon population and nail down exactly how many of those unpaired adults we have in the state,” Hughes said. The Loon Census also helps LPC to monitor the progress of known loon nests, discover previously unknown nests, check on the survival of chicks that have hatched in the previous weeks, and detect new loon chicks that may have hatched since biologists last surveyed a given water body. Census results are incorporated into LPC’s summer-long monitoring, the results of which will be given in an end-of-season presentation livestreamed on the organization’s YouTube channel on August 26th. 
 
New Hampshire’s Loon Census is part of a much larger regional effort—at the same time that biologists and volunteers are setting out on New Hampshire lakes, counterparts in Maine, Vermont, and New York will be out doing the same. Those who would like to take part in the New Hampshire segment of this region-wide effort to count loons should contact the Loon Preservation Committee at (603)476-5666 for more information.

CONCORD, NH — The Capital Region Food Program (CRFP) distributed two tons of nonperishable food items to 13 area social service agencies, food pantries and churches as part of the program’s Year-Round Distribution Project (YRDP) on Tuesday, July 13th.
 
CRFP partner agencies receiving food as part of the distribution included.:  Boscawen Congregational Church Food Pantry, Boys & Girls Club of Central NH, CenterPoint Food Pantry, Christ the King Food Pantry, Epsom Food Pantry, Friends of Forgotten Children, Gospel Light Church of God Food Pantry, Loudon Food Pantry, Merrimack Valley Day Care, Open Door Community Kitchen, Salvation Army, St. Paul’s Church Food Pantry and Suncook/Allenstown Community Action Program (CAP).
 
As part of the Year-Round Distribution Project, non-perishable items such as canned fruit and vegetables, peanut butter, breakfast cereal, pasta, and soups are distributed at no cost to participating partner agencies. For a complete listing of partner agencies supported by the CRFP’s Year-Round Distribution Project efforts, visit capitalregionfoodprogram.org.
 
The Capital Region Food Program purchases and distributes food in Concord and 17 surrounding communities. This is accomplished by securing monetary donations, soliciting in-kind services from local businesses and the general public, and collaborating with other community distribution and service agencies.  
 
To learn more about the CRFP, visit capitalregionfoodprogram.org.
 
###
 
The Capital Region Food Program (CRFP) is a private, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to help reduce hunger in the Greater Concord area through year-round distribution of food to individuals and families.  Since 1974 this has been accomplished by securing financial donations and in-kind services and by coordination, collaboration, and cooperation with other community distribution and service agencies.
The CRFP distributes over 110 tons of food annually through two initiatives.  Forty (40) tons of food is distributed through the Year-Round Distribution Project which is distributed eleven times each year to over thirty local agencies. Seventy (70) tons of food is distributed through the program’s Holiday Food Basket Project, held in partnership with the New Hampshire National Guard each December.  

Together we can turn $1 into $10.
A new supporter really wants to see more of the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail get built!  They will donate $60,000 for use as matching funds if we can raise $60,000 in additional matching funds. Show this supporter they are not alone and that together we can raise these funds.

Many of the grants we apply for provide 80% of the funds and require us to provide the remaining 20%.  For every dollar we provide the grant provides 4 additional dollars. Now we have a challenge before us that will double the next $60,000 we raise to use as matching funds. Help us get there.  This challenge effectively means we can secure $10 of trail funding for every dollar raised from the public.
 
Trail use was up last year during the pandemic as people realized the value of safe places to get out and be active. The team spent a lot of quarantine time developing more trail projects. We have applied for several significant grants and now have shovel-ready projects lined up in Concord, Hopkinton, Warner, Sutton, and Bradford. 
Help us get this challenge off to a strong start by participating in NH Gives 24 hour fundraising event June 8th and 9th.  On top of this, donating at specific times can earn CLSRT additional bonus gifts.  If you donate through the NH Gives site at these times your money will have even more impact.  


Can't make it to NH Gives? Donate on our website. 



If you prefer other methods, our donation site has plenty of options to allow you to donate in the way that works best for you. If your company will match your donation, we are registered with several matching funds organizations. We also accept stocks or other investments and estate planning options.

CLSRT is a 501c3 with gold standing on Guidestar. Our goal is to turn nearly every dollar we get today into trail you can walk or ride on within the year.


  
Please help us meet our challenge today
Donate to Friends of the Concord Lake Sunapee Rail Trail and spread the word to others who can help. Together we will connect our communities with safe and beautiful linear park. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
See you on the trail! 



Donate 

New Hampshire Telephone Museum to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer
 
[NH Telephone Museum’s Special Exhibit – “ALL…ABOARD! A Look at Railroad Communications” – May – October 31st, 2021]
 
Warner, NH – May 5, 2021 The New Hampshire Telephone Museum, 1 Depot Street, Warner, NH,

The New Hampshire Telephone Museum announced it will join museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently-serving U.S. military personnel and their families this summer. The 2021 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 15, 2021, and end on Labor Day, Monday, September 6, 2021. Find the list of participating museums at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. Blue Star Museums is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and participating museums nationwide.


“Now, more than ever, our role at the museum is to offer people an opportunity to set-aside the craziness of our modern world and take some time to reflect on our shared experiences.”  said Graham Gifford, Program Director, NHTM.

 
INFORMATION/BACKGROUND ON BLUE STAR MUSEUM and NH TELEPHONE MUSEUM:
 
“Like the resilience that military families demonstrate time and again the New Hampshire Telephone Museum is an example of resiliency in the arts sector over the past year,” said Ann Eilers, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “We are grateful to the New Hampshire Telephone Museum for their leadership in strengthening community through their participation in the Blue Star Museums program this summer.” 

Blue Star Museums include children’s museums, art, science, and history museums, zoos, gardens, lighthouses, and more, and hail from all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The current list of participating museums will continue to develop over the summer as organizations are welcome to register to be a Blue Star Museum throughout the summer."
We are thrilled to celebrate the launch of the Blue Star Museums 2021 program! Thank you to the New Hampshire Telephone Museum for participating in this impactful and highly anticipated program,” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO Blue Star Families. “Because of New Hampshire Telephone Museum and their counterparts in the arts community, military families have the opportunity to create special memories and experience the arts again!" 

The free admission program is available for those currently-serving in the United States Military—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard as well as members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum. Follow Blue Star Museums on Twitter @NEAarts and @BlueStarFamily, #bluestarmuseums

​Holderness, NH – Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is pleased to announce that it will join museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently-serving U.S. military personnel and their families (up to five people) this summer. The 2021 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 15, 2021, and end on Labor Day, Monday, September 6, 2021. 
 
Blue Star Museums is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and participating museums nationwide.
 
 “Like the resilience that military families demonstrate time and again Squam lakes Natural Science Center is an example of resiliency in the arts sector over the past year,” said Ann Eilers, acting chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. “We are grateful to the Science Center for their leadership in strengthening community through their participation in the Blue Star Museums program this summer.”
 
Blue Star Museums include children’s museums, art, science, and history museums, zoos, gardens, lighthouses, and more, and hail from all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The current list of participating museums will continue to develop over the summer as organizations are welcome to register to be a Blue Star Museum throughout the summer. The full list of participating museums is at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.
 
"We are thrilled to celebrate the launch of the Blue Star Museums 2021 program! Thank you to Squam Lakes Natural Science Center for participating in this impactful and highly anticipated program,” said Kathy RothDouquet, CEO Blue Star Families. “Because of the Science Center and their counterparts in the arts community, military families have the opportunity to create special memories and experience the arts again!"
 
The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard as well as members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.
 
In addition to the free trail admission from Armed Forces Day through Labor Day, Squam Lakes Natural Science Center extends the discount for the full trail season. From May 1 through Armed Forces Day and from Labor Day through November 1, military ID holders receive free trail admission and their family (up to five people) receives half-price trail admission. 
 
Regular admission is $18 for adults and seniors, $13 for youth ages 3-15, and free for children 2 and under and for members. Trails are open daily from May 1 through November 1, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last trail admission at 3:30 p.m.) Please visit nhnature.org for full details about what to expect on your visit and to purchase tickets. 

​NH Gives is just one month away, and we have INCREDIBLE news!! The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation's Ken and Ilene Stern Charitable Fund has donated an AMAZING $15,000 MATCHING GIFT for our fundraiser this year!!!!
 
For every dollar raised, a dollar is matched from this gift, doubling the impact of your gift on the families, seniors, and youth served by our programming. THANK YOU Ken & Ilene Stern for this overwhelmingly gracious gift, and to New Hampshire Charitable Foundation for helping to make it happen!
 
To take part in this event and this generous gifting opportunity, join us 5PM - 5PM June 8th and June 9th for New Hampshire's largest nonprofit fundraising event! Our volunteers and staff are caring for the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors in a time of great uncertainty. Your donation makes this possible!!