In early Hub days, we had the luck to work closely with Brittany Sampson, who we simply called “B.” A veteran community organizer and deep of heart, so many of her insights have followed me along in this work: they are road markers that I tend to go back to when I...
The Village Fires Still Burn
In “The Layers,” beloved poet laureate Stanley Kunitz writes, “When I look behind, / as I am compelled to look / before I can gather strength / to proceed on my journey, / I see the milestones dwindling / toward the horizon / and the slow fires trailing…” A seminal...
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 There’s a special kind of magic that bubbles up when the opportunity to tap into pure possibility arises. All too often, we see the borders of our realities as...
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...
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...
Woven Together: Working with The Milan Village School
The Milan Village School is a community hub in its own right and the school as a whole works incredibly hard to be active contributors to the community. The sixth grade class, in particular, complete Community Service Learning Projects that they work on throughout the...
Arcana: Art Show at The Three Sisters
What began as a passion project among friends became a true example of creating a shared experience across a wide variety of community members. Local metalsmith Laura Jamison and sometimes artist, mostly community builder Mandy Bernd collaborated on an interactive...
Berlin Porchfest 2023
This event draws from the collective efforts and contributions of many to provide an experience for all. Berlin’s 2nd annual PorchFest was held on September 22, 2023. From 4 in the afternoon until 10 in the evening....
Trunk or Treat, Milan and Berlin 2023
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 Magic of Letting Go
Lately, I keep coming back to one thing: when we trust young people, really trust them, something shifts. In late December, the Spartans on a Mission (SOAM), a group of 9th–12th graders, had no plan other than to simply show up at the Country Village Nursing Home in...
Coming Together and Gaining Steam
Nearly three years into this community building work, positive momentum is building in our communities, and it’s all from working together. It starts with being observant, knowing the landscape, meeting people where they are at and identifying the gaps. It grows...
The Recipe for Community
Taking the time to make sure that folks can eat together, in a comfortable space, means that we get to witness community and connection being made in real time. Continue Reading The Recipe for Community
North Country Youth Summit
High school students from across the North Country are invited to the first-ever North Country Youth Coalition meeting — a youth-led space to connect, share ideas, and create real change. Students will work in teams during a Shark Tank–style pitch challenge to design...
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...