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UNH Cooperative Extension Bristol Downtowns & Trails Final Report

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UNH Cooperative Extension Bristol Downtowns & Trails Final Report

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N.H. Community Development Finance Authority Program Overview

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N.H. Community Development Finance Authority Program Overview

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The Jobs in New England's Creative Economy and Why They Matter

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The Jobs in New England's Creative Economy and Why They Matter

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UNH Extension Fact Sheet: The Economic Benefit of Trails 

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UNH Extension Fact Sheet: The Economic Benefit of Trails 

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Grant and opportunity applications are adjudicated through a peer panel review process, based upon the concept of public input on the expenditure of public funds. Individuals with relevant art form and/or arts practice expertise are identified and asked to serve as panelists for each grant/opportunity category.

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U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis N.H. Fact Sheet

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U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis N.H. Fact Sheet

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UNH Extension Community Engagement Info Brief

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UNH Extension Community Engagement Info Brief

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City of Keene Proclamation: May is Mural Month

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City of Keene Proclamation: May is Mural Month

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UNH Extension Fact Sheet: Values of Freshwater Recreation in NH

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UNH Extension Fact Sheet: Values of Freshwater Recreation in NH

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Municipal Technical Assistance Grant Program

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Municipal Technical Assistance Grant Program

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Does your community need more choices in places to live - but zoning is preventing them? Perhaps you want a mixed -use downtown or neighborhood, or multi-family homes - but your current zoning prevents it. Or people may be looking for denser neighborhoods of smaller homes, but current zoning does not allow it

The MTAG Program may be assistance you need.

Funded by New Hampshire Housing and administered by Plan NH, the MTAG Program is for New Hampshire communities who want to expand options for places to live (eg, by location, and/or design and/or price-point) and need to change their zoning regulations in order to do so. Grants range from $5000 to $20,000. A 25% cash match is required.

Grant funds are for hiring consultants to review current regulations and re-writing what's there and/or creating new ones to address the wants and needs of the community's members regarding housing choices.

A key part of the program is community outreach and engagement in the process.
Go here for more info and application materials: Plan NH Municipal Technical Assistance Grant Program 2019 Please give us a call at 452-7526 if you'd like to find out more for your own community.
Communities for the 2018-19 round are Exeter, Claremont and Hopkinton.

All of the zoning changes that Jackson proposed passed Town Meeting in 2019.

Dover, Farmington, and Rochester are currently in progress/almost complete.

Candia was selected in 2017 and is complete.

In 2016, the towns of Boscawen, Franconia, Hinsdale, and Peterborough were selected to each receive a grant for technical assistance in reviewing, rewriting or creating new zoning regulations to increase options for places to live for households with changing and/or diverse needs and income levels.

In Boscawen, funds were used for technical assistance to combine several zoning districts into a single, multi-use (including places to live) zoning district in its major travel corridor.

In Franconia, funds were used for technical assistance to guide the process of developing consensus-based zoning amendments that support increased choices in places to live in and round the town's center - while addressing the physical and infrastructure challenges that are often barriers to providing more homes and businesses.

Hinsdale's grant funds were used to remove regulatory barriers to provide more options for its residents for places to live, employment opportunities and transportation choices. The Town voted for a tiny house ordinance.

Peterborough created regulations for a new village node, which includes workforce housing and other additional types of places to live.

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NH Municipal Technical Assistance Grant (MTAG) Program

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Does your community need more choices in places to live - but zoning is preventing them? Perhaps you want a mixed -use downtown or neighborhood, or multi-family homes - but your current zoning prevents it. Or people may be looking for denser neighborhoods of smaller homes, but current zoning does not allow it The MTAG Program may be assistance you need.

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Creative Economy Project Planning Worksheet

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Creative Economy Project Planning Worksheet

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NEW ART & ARTISTS W/ EXTENDED GALLERY SPACE DOWN THE HALL December 6th - Holiday Hoo-Rah

Artists selling their art and we will invite artisans from outside the building too!

Photos from Grand Opening
January 4 th 2019
There are 12 rooms at 17ROX. We offer: 24/7 access, Month-to-Month(+) rental agreements and each studio has its own lock and key. Rentals are priced between $1 -$1.50 sqft including electric, heat, internet & common area (This is far below market rate in Keene). We hope to alleviate stress at 17ROX by providing the lowest cost possible. 17ROX is a place where artists can have the privacy of their own studio or open its doors, opportunities to collaborate on work, participate in group gallery shows and in the future will be offered programs like Studio Swap and Artists in Residency.

Below are just a few of the organizations that are making Keene a better place!!!
​Contact 17Roxnh@gmail.com to have your organization listed below.

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NEW ART & ARTISTS W/ EXTENDED GALLERY SPACE DOWN THE HALL December 6th - Holiday Hoo-Rah Artists selling their art and we will invite artisans from outside the building too! Photos from Grand Opening January 4 th 2019 There are 12 rooms at 17ROX.

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Newfound Lake Region Association Handout 

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Newfound Lake Region Association Handout 

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UNH Extension Downtowns and Trails Information Brief

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UNH Extension Downtowns and Trails Information Brief

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New Hampshire Housing has a variety of grant and education opportunities for nonprofits and community leaders involved in housing.

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Tips to increase equity and inclusion in engagement work

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Tips to increase equity and inclusion in engagement work

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UNH Extension Downtown Characteristics Info Brief

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UNH Extension Downtown Characteristics Info Brief

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Welcome to Concord Handmade, a pop-up holiday shop located in downtown Concord, NH! This years pop up shop is closed for the season, but keep an eye out for mobile shop locations when the weather gets warmer!

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N.H. Community Development Finance Authority Program Overview

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N.H. Community Development Finance Authority Program Overview

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Check out our all of our great vendors including: Brookford Farm, Country Dreams Farm, DJ'S Pure Natural Honey, Spiczka Farm, Gate City Farms, Miles Smith Farm, Berkshire Gold, Hickory Nut Farm, Flying M Farm, LLC, Fresh Start Farms, Dunk's Mushrooms & Foraging LLC, 27Teas, New England Fishmongers LLC, Purple Finch Properties, Aunties Custom Crafts, Odins Eye Art, Elaine's Unique Finds, Glorious Possibilities, SaVi LLC, Herb Rauh Watercolors II, VeoRide Inc, Mola Foods, Great Harvest Bread Co, Granite Ledge Coffee, Valicenti Pasta Farm, Bostonn Smoked Fish Co., Coffin Cellars Winery, Debbie D's, Sweet Cheeks Creationsl, jajaBelles, Garrison City Nut Company, Odd Fellows Brewing Company , Averill House Vineyard, Hayward's Ice Cream, VeGFul Delights LLC, and more!

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Check out our all of our great vendors including: Brookford Farm, Country Dreams Farm, DJ'S Pure Natural Honey, Spiczka Farm, Gate City Farms, Miles Smith Farm, Berkshire Gold, Hickory Nut Farm, Flying M Farm, LLC, Fresh Start Farms, Dunk's Mushrooms & Foraging LLC, 27Teas, New England Fishmongers LLC, Purple Finch

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N.H. Community Development Finance Authority Strategic Plan Summary 

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N.H. Community Development Finance Authority Strategic Plan Summary 

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Be honest now: have you ever put your headphones in, set your I-Pod to some uplifting, adrenaline-pumping song, and power-walked down the road like a hero in an action flick? (Complete with cars exploding behind you, not that you deign to look back.)

Or perhaps you found yourself in a melancholy mood, and chose instead a bluesy ballad to turn the trees gray and mute the blue sky to better reflect your internal despondency (pro-tip: check out The Cranberries for endless hours of that).

Music has a unique and unparalleled ability to influence our attitudes and internal reflections, often near-instantaneously. Some active citizens of Littleton, NH have recognized this and chosen to use it to enhance the experience of walking down their hometown's Main Street.

Two musical installations have been creating memories in downtown Littleton in the past few years: the Piano Project on Main Street and Harmony Park on Mill Street along the Ammonoosuc Riverwalk.

Tickle the Ol' Ivories for Passersby on a Piano on Main Street, Littleton

The street piano project was started by an artist in London named Luke Jerram who painted and installed a used piano in front of a laundromat and pub. Due to its intense popularity, Jerram was asked by the city to coordinate a piano park in London. Within two years, 26 cities around the world had pianos installed on their streets. Jerram titled this project, " Play Me, I'm Yours."

Multiple pianos were donated by area citizens and redecorated by local artists for Littleton's Main Street Piano Project. The very first street piano was painted by artists from the Littleton Studio School. Today, these pianos can be found stationed downtown in front of The Nest, Little Village Toy & Book Shop, and (yours truly) Chutters Candy Counter. And the motto of Littleton's Piano Project?

"Be Glad... Play Music."

The pianos are often incorporated into Main Street events, such as the annual Glad Fest in June, when buskers bring their guitars and ukuleles and gather around the pianos to perform downtown, the free mid-summer music festival "Music on the 'Noosuc"on Saturday, July 8 th, and the upcoming "Art in the Mountains" 48th Annual Art Fest on Saturday, September 23 rd, when musicians are scheduled to play throughout the day.

Music on Main Street creates a unique experience for the Littleton visitor - a welcoming and harmonious atmosphere that sticks in the mind and will be remembered fondly for years to come.

The Piano Project was recently emulated in the downtown of Nashua, NH, all because a Nashua resident stopped in Littleton with a friend for lunch one day. They were eating outside, when a handful of passersby on the opposite side of the street stopped at one of the pianos. One member of the group happened to play, and the rest were jovial enough to sing along. What could be more delightful on a beautiful summer day than enjoying the sun while people play music and sing along with friends and strangers alike?
Music brings people together. Perhaps one person doesn't play piano, but sings, or raps, or has great rhythm. Those who find themselves with the opportunity to sing or make music with other people usually find the temptation too great to pass up. Music on Main Street provides not just a soundtrack to the downtown - but a meeting place for community to flourish.

"If visitors come to town and they have a talent (or otherwise), they stop and play at the piano," says Dave Ernsberger, owner of The Nest and an active member of the Littleton River District Redevelopment Commission. "This gets other people to stop and listen and adds a positive energy to the downtown of Littleton."

Tinkle the Chimes and Play the Drums at Harmony Park along the Ammonoosuc River

A harmony park is a nationwide trend where durable musical instruments are installed on a main street or in a park for residents and visitors passing by to play and enjoy. The structures are attractive and weather-resistant, and intended to last 25-30 years while stationed outside year-round with minimal upkeep.

Freenotes Harmony Park in Durango, CO is the industry leader of outdoor musical sculptures, with installations now in five continents and all fifty states! "Designed with acoustic precision and perfect tone by a Grammy Award winning musician," their website proudly proclaims, "Freenotes Harmony Park instruments are built to maintain pure and soothing tones through years of rigorous play and exposure to the elements of nature."

Dave Ernsberger was instrumental (pun quite definitely intended) in coordinating with Freenotes Harmony Park and raising the funds from local businesses to bring these musical instruments to downtown Littleton. After a vacation to Sedona, AZ, where he witnessed tourists playing at their own harmony park, Dave made the suggestion to the Redevelopment Commission, and, incredibly, the park was up within 2 weeks!

Littleton's Harmony Park officially opened in June 2015 with the annual Pollyanna Glad Day celebration. Six working percussion sculptures - the Piper, Swirl Chimes, Imbarimba, Tuned Drums, Pegasus Chimes, and Contrabass Chimes - were installed along the Mill Street walkway, overlooking the Ammonoosuc River. The instruments are located across from Tree Harp Park that abuts the river, so passersby can sit, watch the water flow by, and listen to the notes and rhythms floating down from Harmony Park.

Harmony Park is open every day from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM and is free to the public. Attached rubber mallets are used to play the xylophone-type structures, while the big, colorful drums are played by hand. The instruments at Harmony Park are intended for all ages and abilities, so people from all walks of life can enjoy them. No matter your musical skill and talent (or lack thereof), these working sculptures are designed to sound pleasant, so even if you consider yourself tone-deaf, you may as well stop by and give it a chance!

The Piano Project and Harmony Park are reflections of the diverse musical and artistic talents of the residents of Littleton, NH. Perhaps on your next trip to Chutters, you may come across an aspiring young Beethoven or Chopin playing at our door - or perhaps you may wander down the road and join an impromptu jam session with no-longer-strangers at Harmony Park.

"If music be the food of love, play on." -William Shakespeare

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Music on Main Street, a Unique Littleton NH Experience

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Be honest now: have you ever put your headphones in, set your I-Pod to some uplifting, adrenaline-pumping song, and power-walked down the road like a hero in an action flick? (Complete with cars exploding behind you, not that you deign to look back.)

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Small Biz Survival Article: If they want to lead, empower them to lead

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Small Biz Survival Article: If they want to lead, empower them to lead

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Guest Post by Paula Jensen

Leaders are the essence of small towns and rural communities. The success or failure of any housing, community or economic development efforts in the places we call home often rests upon the level of engagement and investment of local citizen leaders. Yet, in so many communities I work in across South Dakota there is an invisible divide holding back the development of a strong leadership base. I hear experienced leaders saying, "Young people just don't want to be involved in the community!" and I hear emerging leaders saying, "The people in charge won't let us try anything new!"

So, I am asking you, "How can we empower more people to lead in our rural communities?"

To begin searching for a solution to this question, I want to help you understand two community leadership systems that exist:

1. Most community leadership systems currently operate in a traditional hierarchy - meaning top-down (like a triangle) - the board's officers propose ideas to the members based on their knowledge of what the community needs. Then, following a decision of the board, the tasks gets allocated to the members who carry out the projects with board supervision. Traditional leadership systems define levels of authority and decision-making within the organization and invite you to join the work they are currently doing.

2. The non-traditional community leadership system being implemented by some rural communities has a core leadership team that is structured as a network - meaning connected (like a circle) - with the basic goal of allowing distributed decision-making to empower and raise up resident leaders while giving everyone in the community the opportunity to identify priorities and go to work on projects they are passionate about. The non-traditional community leadership system can be chaotic and allows community leaders to collaborate, innovate, dream, and experiment which creates increased optimism and hope for new possibilities within the community.

The two systems listed above are quite different, yet if we are going to show emerging leaders that they do have the power to innovate and have real impact on the community, then we need to begin transforming the community's leadership structure.

Experienced community leaders can initiate this process by asking good questions, listening with curiosity, and taking new ideas seriously. Below are some sample questions to help these transformational conversations begin.
Questions to transform rural leadership:

Open Ended Questions - What needs to be done?

Challenge Status Quo - Why must it be done that way?

Learner Mindset - What is good or useful about this?

Forward Looking - What possibilities does this open up?

Optimistic - What can we learn from this?

Empower Others - What are you trying to accomplish?

Build Relationships - How solid are our connections with others?

Understand Self - What do I need to reflect on to move us all forward?

Deal with Dependency - Would you like people to solve their problems rather than coming to you for answers?

Serve Humbly - How can I help you?

Encourage Action - What will you commit to do by when?

Evaluate - What does our leadership team do that gets in the way?

Listen - Are we listening to each other with curiosity?

Involve All Stakeholders - What are our common areas of interest?

Enable Change - What will you need from us in the future?

Develop Vision and Values - Are we being honest with ourselves?

The responsibility of building a pool of leaders in our rural communities falls to both sides. Experienced leaders must let go a little bit, and emerging leaders must build a foundation of trust. This will allow a smooth community leadership structure transformation with minimal chaos - ultimately good for the future of our rural communities.

So, if they want to lead, empower them to lead. #Iamrural
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If they want to lead, empower them to lead

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Guest Post by Paula Jensen Leaders are the essence of small towns and rural communities. The success or failure of any housing, community or economic development efforts in the places we call home often rests upon the level of engagement and investment of local citizen leaders.