The National Grange Community Service Director Peter Pomper from South Carolina notified N.H. State Grange that the 2020 National Grange Law Enforcement Officer of the year is N.H. State Trooper Det. Sgt. Eric Shirley. This was announced at the recent National Grange Session held in Pennsylvania by zoom and virtual due to the pandemic. Each year granges throughout the country are asked to submit a law enforcement officer, which can be a local police officer, county sheriff, or state police, a firefighter, and educator to the State Grange. In the last 50 years, this is the first time an entry from New Hampshire has been selected to receive this prestigious honor. Shirley was nominated by Col. Nathan Noyes to receive Concord Grange’s State Police Award for Troop D in the Concord area. Shirley’s exceptional work ethic, unrelenting determination, and teamwork personifies the State Police and Troop D. He completed five years in the military and was hired by the Vermont State Police as a trooper where he worked for three years. In 2000, he left Vermont and began his career with the New Hampshire State Police. After he finished his probationary period he was assigned to Troop D in Concord. Sgt . Shirley patrolled both the interstate and rural patrol assignments within Merrimack County. In 2010, he was transferred to Troop E and accepted an assignment as troop detective. Sgt. Shirley’s duties and responsibilities included evidence collection and submission to the State Police Forensics Laboratory , assisted both county and local law enforcement agencies with complex criminal investigations, along with working closely with the County Attorney’s office and Office of the Attorney General with various assignments. Sgt. Shirley has both led and assisted with several complicated cases within the /Troop that resulted in arrests and convictions. A formal presentation will be made to Det. Sgt. Shirley once it can be arranged with Gov. Sununu and Col. Noyes.
Experience the amazing talent of the CFA student scholarship award recipients, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Each year the center for the arts recognizes and awards scholarships to area students who would like to pursue any form of artistic opportunity. The CFA 2020 student scholarship recipients were: Shane Boucher (Madge Rizza Scholarship for the Performing Arts), Bailey Carmody, Erin Chouinard, Madison Hemingway, Meaghan O’Meara, Patrick Seward (Lang Scholarship), Emily Swindell, and Elizabeth Upton. We are proud to share with you an evening highlighting the talents of these scholarship recipients. You can get the Zoom link at centerfortheartsnh.org. The Center for the Arts is so delighted to award these scholarships each year to deserving students to help them pursue their dreams of becoming artists, dancers, musicians, actors, and writers. We are thankful to the individuals and business sponsors who support us in this effort. If you would like to learn more about the Center for The Arts and the scholarship program or to volunteer, perform, or sponsor a program, please contact them at 526-4444 or visit at CenterForTheArtsNH.org.
Holiday traditions are looking quite a bit different in 2020. This year the Hopkinton Rotary’s 8th Annual Senior Holiday Luncheon will be a drive-through affair. Holiday meals can be picked up at the Slusser Center on noon Wednesday Dec. 23. No reservations are required.