Mandy participated in two Trunk or Treating events during the Halloween Season. Berlin Elementary School’s PTO hosted their Trunk or Treat at the Heritage Park in Berlin on October 24th. Milan’s Recreation Department hosted another at Milan Village School on October...
The Village Fires Still Burn
In the midst of news highlights, economic concerns, and crumbling structures, there is a deep recognition of what we’ve lost. In looking behind, we can recognize old milestones of community: what campsites have been abandoned, what fires still smolder. Continue Reading The Village Fires Still Burn
Back to the 80’s, Forward Together
Whitefield’s 3rd Annual 80’s Day showed the power of nostalgia, connection, and the staying power of community, alongside a summer filled with music, dancing, and new leaders stepping up. Nostalgia gave us common ground: music, laughter, and plenty of “remember...
Summer 2025, July-August: Big things are happening!
Some big things happened for community building this summer in the North Country, with the progress at the North Country Community Recreation Center and the success of the Firefighter Appreciation Day we helped to plan. But the small things matter too, sometimes more...
The Power of Yes
Sometimes, the biggest changes in a community don’t start with a plan or a meeting. They start with one simple word: yes. When someone says yes to trying something new, it creates ripples. One yes turns into another, and suddenly, what seemed small begins to reshape a...
One Vast Glowiing Empty Page: Spring 2025
I saw that my life was one vast glowing empty page and I could do anything I wanted. -Jack Kerouac Continue Reading One Vast Glowiing Empty Page: Spring 2025
Spring 2025- Unleashing Community Power!
Looking back at what took place from late March to the end of June in the Stratford/Colebrook/Canaan area, here are some highlights in community building work that come to mind: The 2nd Ann. Coffee & Muffins before Stratford’s Annual Town Meeting was a positive...
I’m Going to Show Up
Sometimes, community building can feel overwhelming. Observing our communities, the dire needs alongside the diversity of belief systems and ideologies, it really can feel like there’s no way to find a seat at the table for everybody. Yet, a key tenet of the work we...
Freeze the Water Bring the People
Neighbors in Whitefield were thrilled when the famous ice rink on the Common was brought back to life this winter! The rink has become a tradition and a sense of pride for residents. However, due to weather and volunteer scarcity, the Common sat iceless for many...
Community Building Recap – Building Relationships & Aligning Goals
Community building activities and events from this past fall and winter in northern Coos and northeastern Essex County have truly served to strengthen community ties and align goals. Energy is building around common issues of importance, and community members are...
The Hoping Machine
The Father of Folk, Woody Guthrie, says “...about all a human being is, anyway, is just a hoping machine.” It’s no accident that hope followed on the heels of calamity and terror when Pandora opened that infamous box. Hope is what gets us up in the morning and keeps...