A ceremony to mark Veterans Day will be held Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. at the Dunbarton Town Center, near the flag pole by town hall. Please wear a mask and stay 6 feet away from those outside your household.
Have you heard of Kearsarge Neighborhood Partners (KNP), and wondered what it’s all about? Put simply, it’s a new non-profit serving the Kearsarge-Sunapee region, including Andover, and dedicated to “building a broad community in which neighbors help one another flourish.” On Nov. 17, beginning at 7 p.m., you can learn more by participating in a “virtual” presentation and conversation, from the comfort of your own home. The event will be led by New London’s Steve Allenby, KNP president, who will be accompanied by Andover residents and KNP partners Cindy Benson and Paul Currier. Sponsor of the event is The Andover Community Hub. Describing the nature of the event, Currier, a founding member of both The Hub and KNP, observed: “We’re on a two-way street here. On the one hand (side?), our community has very specific needs. On the other hand (side), our community also has resources – that is, volunteers – that can help address those needs. KNP – together with The Hub – can be the catalyst that brings needs and volunteers together.” Because of the continuing coronavirus pandemic, the event will be delivered “live” over the internet to local residents via an easy-to-use videoconferencing technology called Zoom. There it can be viewed interactively and at no cost via home computers and hand-held devices. Information and a link to join the session can be gained by sending an e-mail request to TheAndoverHub@gmail.com. The event will be the first in what is hoped will be a series of public Hub-sponsored offerings aimed at increasing awareness of the wide variety of services offered by area organizations and agencies and available to residents of Andover. For more information about the partnering organizations, both newly created, go to kpnh.org and andoverhub.org, or send an e-mail to info@knppnh.org, or theandoverhub@gmail.com. KNP came into existence earlier this year, while The Hub was formed when two other local organizations joined forces in January 2019.
The Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction is looking for short video recordings of local talent to share during the auction event scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 8 to Friday, Dec. 11. “Singers, dancers and perhaps even a reading of the “Night Before Christmas” would be welcome, creative additions,” Event Coordinator Jennifer Kelley said. To participate, contact Kelley at Jenn@ChildrensAuction.com or 527-0999; the auction will not accept unsolicited video. “We want to ensure the messages are holiday appropriate and diverse,” Kelley said, noting that auction leaders would ensure that the entertainment is fresh and not repetitive. “Lakes Region Public Access recommends that you hold your phone horizontally, not vertically, and not use the “zoom” feature, to ensure that your content is in great shape for TV.” Kelley said auction board members have also reached out to nonprofits who received grant funding in years past as well as sponsors from the last several years so that they too could share video greetings with this year’s online, TV and radio audiences. Jaime Sousa, GLRCA board chairperson, announced in October that, because of the threat of COVID-19, this year’s auction will be held virtually from the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion. “It was important for us to ensure that our bidders, volunteers, radio and television staff, donors and sponsors would be as safe and healthy as possible so that everyone can enjoy a wonderful holiday season,” Sousa said. She added, “We are thrilled that the Bank of NH Pavilion has offered to let us broadcast and distribute items to winning bidders from their location. They have the technology we need and both the indoor and outdoor space required to keep everyone socially distanced.” Because safety is a major factor this year, auction leaders will not accept donations during the event to ensure there is time to properly sanitize and photograph every item in a manner in which volunteers can social distance. While many items have been received at this time, there is a need for thousands of items to raise enough money to meet the needs of the community. “Local businesses have stepped up to gather items, allowing us to have item drives in their parking lots,” Sousa said. “Items need to be in by the end of November for us to safely prepare for the auction.” Visit childrensauction.com for drop-off locations. Volunteers will also collect items on Friday, Nov. 27 and Saturday, Nov. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion. At all drop-off sites, donors must bring a completed form, available at https://bit.ly/32ahYHb. Gift cards can be ordered online for donation to the auction; mail gift card donations to GLRCA, 383 South Main Street, Laconia, NH 03246. Several new programs and benefits have already been announced as a result of the changes brought about by COVID. For instance, the Beetle family of Patrick’s Pub & Eatery has reimagined its Pub Mania fundraiser, instead launching the “It’s for the Kids Community Challenge” in its place. An unlimited number of teams of various sizes will be safely spread out at businesses throughout the Lakes Region. In one other change this year, Sousa said all bidders will be able to schedule their pick-up this year to cut down on wait time and ensure that there will be much smaller groups of people at the Bank of NH Pavilion at any one time.