By Bella Osgood
EAGLE TIMES STAFF WRITER
At the Sunshine Initiative Luncheon on June 27 in Newport, NH, community leaders came together to discuss what steps are being taken to improve Newport socially and economically. The luncheon was held at the Old Courthouse Restaurant.
Sunshine Initiative founder and Newport native, Jay Lucas said he decided to establish the initiative after noticing a significant difference between the Newport of today and the Newport he remembered from his childhood.
Newport downtown streets that were once occupied with shops, Lucas recalled, were now shut down or are boarded up after an extreme economic decline as time went on.
The Initiative now strives to be a catalyst for new growth in Newport. The Initiative works closely with Newport’s Economic Director, Allison Browning.
The Newport luncheon highlighted the successes of a variety of local organizations, including the Newport Golf Club, Newport Recreation Department, Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center (SRVRTC) and more.
The SRVRTC, housed in Newport High School, has begun renovation to the existing center. Soon, construction of a new Agricultural Sciences Building will begin. SRVCTC provides career technical education opportunities not only to Newport High School students, but other students from surrounding districts, including Sunapee and Claremont.
Although the construction of the new center was approved by about 80 percent of Newport voters last spring, most of the project will be funded by grants. Officials with SRVCTC are still looking for funding for $705,000 worth of equipment to fill center. According to College and Career Director, Kristie Howe, inflation has impacted the projects’ costs significantly.
The construction of the new Newport Recreation Center is also starting soon. A new dog park and community garden are also in the works.
The Newport Opera House is currently undergoing renovations to the building’s emergency evacuation exits and will soon be installing new lighting and sound equipment.
Annette Menard, who spoke about the planned dog park, noted that Newport’s previous Town Manager, Hunter Rieseberg, played a significant role in establishing these new additions to the town. Several other community members pivotal to the projects also mentioned Rieseberg’s role in other community events and breakthroughs.
Menard also mentioned the possibility of new recreational spaces for teenagers in the same area as the community garden and dog park. She said the dog park will be coming soon.
Donald Hague spoke on behalf of the Newport Golf Club and its mission to further improve the experience for every golfer, and that the club looks forward to the events they will hold in the future.
The “Small Town Turn-Around Foundation,” as previously mentioned in the Eagle Times, also spoke about its commitment to fostering the belief that a community can grow in a positive ways that “really changes a community,” stated representative Jon Morton, Manchester.
Later, Eagle Times Publisher Richard Girard spoke about the paper’s commitment to establishing and maintaining a true community paper. The Eagle has hired individuals who are committed to this goal, including General Manager Kevin Brown, Managing Editor Stephen Cheslik and News Editor Christopher Frost. The Eagle Times is owned Sunshine Communications, LLC, a subsidiary of the Sunshine Initiative.
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