Save The Date
The Grand Monadnock Rotary will be hosting the Walk for Recovery in Peterborough, NH on October 17, 2021 from 1pm to 4pm. Please take the time to join us to support recovery efforts for the Monadnock region.
On August 31, 2021, Brian Beihl, Deputy Director of Open Democracy, attended the Grand Monadnock Rotary club meeting to discuss how business & civic leaders can play a role in a vital democracy without being partisan, and at the same time encourage younger workers to stay, keep employees engaged at work but also engaged in the community, and make sure our election system works for everyone.
A poster for 'A Healthy Democracy is Good Business' states, "When everyone can participate in our electoral process, and they are properly and fairly represented, our government and economy work better for all." Civic and business leaders play a critical role in helping to defend our freedoms, and by doing so, can help keep our democracy and economy strong.
The nonpartisan Open Democracy, founded by Dublin's Doris "Granny D" Haddock, advocates for "an equal voice for all," whether that is equalizing the voice of the voter with that of special interests, making sure voting districts are created with a fair, nonpartisan & transparent process, or by making sure that everyone has the freedom to vote.
Brian also leads the six Open Democracy Teams around the state as they engage with local, state and federal governments on democracy issues. He recently moved to Alton Bay, NH, but was a 35-year resident of Antrim, where he was a business and community leader for many years, and citizen of the year in 2013. He also was a Scoutmaster, chair of the Mt Monadnock District of Scouts BSA, and served on the Daniel Webster Council, among many community roles.
On August 24, 2021, Ed Walker, Peterborough Fire Chief, discussed the new proposed Peterborough fire station and municipal campus planned for Elm Street.
Ed gave an overview of Peterborough Fire & Rescue history and various buildings that have been used over the years. In addition, he spoke about the EMS services it performs in Peterborough and surrounding towns. Ed discussed the plans for building a new municipal campus and how that would benefit residents and Peterborough Fire & Rescue.
There will be a public meeting on Wednesday, September 1st for people to learn more about the project and to get their questions answered.
On August 17, 2021, Barry Tanner spoke at the Rotary meeting and discussed plans for a new public charter school in Peterborough, NH named Lionheart Classical Academy. The school will begin as K-5 with plans to add an additional grade each year until becoming a K-12 school. The plan is to open the school in the fall of 2022. The current proposed location will be 10 Sharon Road in Peterborough. Enrollment will be offered through a lottery system and is available to students in the surrounding towns.
On August 10, 2021, the Grand Monadnock Rotary Club invited Louise Danforth (see picture below) from Monadnock Community Early Learning Center (MCELC) to talk about the learning center and some of the challenges during the pandemic. MCELC was selected to serve as a preschool for essential workers by the State of NH and operated during the pandemic. Louise talked about the challenges of operating a preschool during the pandemic and the protocols used to keep children and staff safe. She also talked about the challenges facing preschools now and in the future and proposed initiatives to expand early childhood education.
Louise Danforth is Chair of the Board of Trustees of Monadnock Community Early Learning Center. She also served as Executive Director of the school before becoming Program Director at Monadnock Community Hospital in the fall of 2008.
Judy Watkins from Monadnock Community Early Learning Center was going to join us as well, but she was unable to attend due to last minute scheduling changes. Judy was appointed Executive Director of Monadnock Community Early Learning Center in 2019 and, in NH, has also worked at the Crotched Mountain Foundation and Concord Head Start.
