Penacook Village Association meets
The Penacook Village Association Annual Meeting will be held Tuesday, June 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Merrimack Valley High School Library. Special guest will be Matt Walsh of city staff who will discuss and answer your questions on TIF (Tax Increment Finance) Districts and provide updates on other ongoing projects. Refreshments will be available.
Christine Miller
Free concerts in Penacook
United Church of Penacook is hosting a series of free concerts the last week of June. All concerts begin at 7 p.m. Baritone Jean Bernard Cerin and pianist Veena K. Kulkarni will perform Wednesday, June 26. With Indian-Filipino-American and Haitian backgrounds, Veena and Jean Bernard synthesize a broad cultural heritage with their western classical training to explore music from all around the globe. The Ironwood Quartet performs on Thursday, June 27. Ironwood Quartet is one of Canada’s premiere chamber music ensembles with musical interests ranging from Beethoven and Ravel to Phillip Glass, Ukrainian and American folk music.
These concerts are free and open to the public. Directions to United Church, links to performers’ websites, and additional information about these concerts are available at ucpnh.org. These performers will be in residence at Avaloch Farm Music Institute in Boscawen this June.
Lynne Raleigh
VNA offers Walk-in Wednesday
Concord Regional VNA offers Walk-In Wednesday on Wednesday, June 26 from 10 a.m. to noon at Horseshoe Pond Place Senior Resource Center, 26 Commercial St. Walk-In Wednesday is held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the same time.
Walk-In Wednesday is an opportunity to get your questions answered. A Concord Regional VNA team member is available to meet with people individually regarding their specific concerns. Whether it is in-home support, caregiver resources, community health services or questions regarding advance directives, we are here to help.
This free program is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration is not required. For more information, call 224-4093 or (800) 924-8620, ext. 5815 or visit crvna.org.
Andy Morse
Men’s Coffee Hour on Thursday
Concord Regional VNA is offering Men’s Coffee Hour on Thursday, June 27 from 9 to 10 a.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, 79 Clinton St. Men’s Coffee Hour is held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at the same time.
Men’s Coffee Hour is an informal meeting time providing an opportunity to connect with other men who are grieving the loss of a spouse or significant other. Participants are encouraged to share their experiences and struggles with grief and share ideas for coping with loss.
Registration is not required. For more information, please call 224-4093, ext. 2828 or email carmella.dow@crvna.org.
Andy Morse
Mindful Improv in Bow
Bow Mills United Methodist Church, 505 South St., Bow, will host a hands-on, audience-friendly, interactive “Mindful Improv” Showcase on Saturday, June 29 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Be part of the audience and enjoy an evening of amusing, surprising and thought-provoking improvisational entertainment with facilitators Jim Readey and Tyler Paterson.
Learn more about this sometimes silly, sometimes profound, but always liberating and enlivening opportunity called improv – and we want to make it easy for you to try!
You’ll have a chance to see improv up close, and enjoy some laughs from your seat. Plus, you can jump on stage with us for a game or two (or three or nine, or as much as you want!) – it’ll be entirely up to you! Relaxed and informal, there will be time for your questions and discussion! Further info, contact Jim at YogaPhile@yahoo.com Cost: Free! Donations appreciatively received.
Joan Day
Clint Cogswell joins ConcordTV board
Concord Community TV (ConcordTV) is pleased to announce the addition of Clint Cogswell as Vice-Chair of its Board of Directors for a two-year term beginning in Fiscal Year 2019-2020.
Cogswell earned his bachelor’s degree in history as well as teacher certification in elementary education from University of Colorado, and his master’s degree in school administration from Northeastern University. He taught third grade in Massachusetts for five years before accepting a position as an elementary school principal in Concord. He retired from his principal position after 26 years and went on to serve on the Concord School Board for 10 years, four of them as School Board president.
ConcordTV’s Board Chairman David Murdo says, “We are extremely fortunate to have Clint join our board. He brings a wealth of leadership experience in education to our organization. And as a tireless child advocate, he will certainly offer a unique perspective to our valuable work in providing opportunities to the youth and educators of our community.”
Cogswell joins the following directors of ConcordTV: David Murdo, Chair; Allwynne Fine, Treasurer; and Charles Russell, Secretary. Also elected to a second term as director is John “Cimo” Cimikoski, who joins the following board members: Kelly Cuomo Wing, Jack Dunn, Melissa Fisk and Michelle Gilbert.
For more information, visit yourconcordtv.org.
Doris Ballard
Hospice House marks 25 years
On Monday, June 17, nearly 100 people gathered in the Susan McLane Memorial Garden at Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association (Concord Regional VNA) Hospice House in Concord to mark the 25th anniversary of its opening. The Hospice House, located at 240 Pleasant St., opened on April 4, 1994, and was the first of its kind in New Hampshire.
Concord Regional VNA, which will mark its 120th anniversary this year, has provided hospice services to residents of the greater Concord community since 1981. Prior to opening Hospice House, hospice care was provided in patients’ homes, and in hospitals or nursing homes. Hospice House offers patients who are terminally ill and their loved ones a comfortable place with skilled care for a peaceful end-of-life journey.
“This is a special place where our staff and volunteers provide around-the-clock care, guidance and support for patients and families during what can be an extremely difficult and emotionally exhausting time in their lives,” said Beth Slepian, president and CEO, Concord Regional VNA. “We try to create a setting where patients and their families may have deeply personal experiences. Over the years, we have hosted weddings, date nights, special visits with pets of all types and sizes, and personal concerts, to name just a few.”
Jock Irvine of Concord, who spoke at the event, recalled how the Concord Coachmen Chorus, of which his father was a member, crowded into his dad’s room at Hospice House and sang for him.
Hospice staff member Joann Chamberland, RN, started with Concord Regional VNA as a hospice nurse in 1993, and accompanied the very first patient to Hospice House. Chamberland shared the story of 93-year-old Gertrude at Monday’s ceremony. Gertrude lived alone in a mobile home, and her health was failing. “We walked together into this brand new Hospice House, and Gertrude said, ‘This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen – it’s too nice for me,’ and she wept. Gertrude christened this place with her tears of joy,” said Chamberland. She says she thinks of Gertrude every time she walks through the front door of Hospice House.
Since opening its doors in 1994, more than 3,500 patients and their loved ones have received care at Hospice House. Concord Regional VNA provides more than $1 million in community benefit through services offered by the Hospice House.
Andy Morse
