Community-Based Crowdfunding Program Seeks Proposals from Route 11 Corridor Businesses |
Selected Campaigns Receive Stipend to Produce Crowdfunding Campaign Video
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT - The Local Crowd Upper Valley, a community-based crowdfunding program, invites emerging and established businesses based in Claremont, Newport, and the Kearsarge Region, to submit project proposals. Vital Communities is partnering with The Local Crowd Monadnock to bring local investment and capital access to the Route 11 Corridor of New Hampshire with funding from USDA Rural Development.
While all for-profits, non-profits, and community initiatives are welcome to apply, projects based along the Route 11 Corridor will receive extra campaign support and resources -- beyond what is currently provided to all The Local Crowd Upper Valley campaigns. Selected Route 11 Corridor proposals will receive a $500 stipend to produce a crowdfunding campaign video. Studies show that crowdfunding campaigns with videos raise four times more funds than campaigns without videos.
All crowdfunding campaign teams receive hands-on technical assistance to help them launch a successful crowdfunding campaign. Campaign teams also receive a free crowdfunding assessment to ensure that they receive the coaching and training that best fits each team's needs.
"We were delighted with how The Local Crowd worked with us to quickly launch a crowdfunding effort for our newspaper," said Terrence L. Williams, President & COO of The Keene Sentinel. "The work leading up to the launch was simple, effective, and helped us prepare for success. And the results went well beyond our expectations.”
The Local Crowd Upper Valley will select up to six social enterprises to participate in this crowdfunding cohort, based on each project's potential to positively impact their local economy and community. Accepted proposals will launch their campaigns in the late spring or summer.
Crowdfunding is the process in which an entrepreneur, business, or organization asks a large number of people (usually through the Internet) to contribute a certain amount of money for a specific project. By leveraging the power of crowdfunding, The Local Crowd Upper Valley’s fundraising platform offers an innovative way for community members to support the projects they care about.
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Do you have time to spare and want to make a difference in your community? |
TPN is in need of volunteers!
You provide the heart… we provide the training. Our next volunteer training will begin in March. Please visit our website or call Amanda at 603-543-0155 for more information!
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Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Accepting Applications for Career & Technical Education Scholarships |
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is currently accepting applications from high school seniors for the Bank’s Career Technology Education Scholarship.
The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to income-eligible students who attended a technical career program as part of their high school curriculum and are planning to attend college or a technical school after graduation. Students must reside in counties in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont where the Bank has a branch location.
The Bank established the Career Technology Education Scholarship in 2018 and has awarded 45 scholarships to date.
Interested students can visit www.barharbor.bank/scholarships for more information about eligibility and to download the application. The deadline to apply for a 2021 Career Technology Education Scholarship is May 1, 2021.
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North Country Smokehouse Pays It Forward |
Starting Pay Increases to $15 per hour with Raises for Valued Employees
North Country Smokehouse in Claremont, NH has taken the initiative to increase starting pay wages to $15.00 per hour and raise hourly wages across the board for current production employees.
“Our retail business grew exponentially over the last year.” said Aaron Corbett, North Country Smokehouse Chief Executive Officer. “The pandemic required the very best of people. Our employees work hard and continue to meet increasing demands and maintain the quality of our products. We wanted to show them how much we appreciate their efforts. We couldn’t do it without them.”
Pre pandemic, roughly 70% of North Country’s business was in foodservice, with the remainder coming from upscale retailers like Whole Foods and Hannaford Supermarkets. “The Covid-19 lockdown meant more home-cooking. Our business shifted and retail now makes up roughly 50% of our total revenue.” says Corbett. When the grocery stores got busy with shoppers looking to stock the fridge and add variety to at-home meals, retailers began sourcing new brands to line the store shelves and North Country Smokehouse was among them. “We added Wegman’s, Shaw’s, Big Y and Target, and expanded our regional footprint with Whole Foods this year.” Said Corbett. “Despite obvious challenges, we were fortunate to have employees who believed in the product and the work we do. The company realized significant growth this year, it’s only right we pay-it-forward.”
Beginning Monday, May 29th new smokehouse hires will start at $15 per hour. The new pay-plan makes North Country Smokehouse among the highest paying, local production companies in the area. In addition to higher-than-average wages, the smokehouse will continue to offer employees a full benefit package that includes health, dental, 401k match, vision, paid-time-off, profit sharing, employee assistance program (EAP), and an employee discount program.
“We’re grateful we’re in a position to do this” said Corbett. We have been a family-first business for more than a century. Our Founder was a third-generation smoke master who believe in taking care of our local community and people in it. It is important to us that we carry on in that tradition”.
North Country Smokehouse is currently hiring for several production positions and is hopeful the new pay plan will attract qualified candidates. They are asking interested parties to apply in person or email a resume to info@ncsmokehouse.com. |
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TLC Family Resource Center is Hiring! |
We are growing fast and are hiring a part-time Development Associate to support our grant management and fundraising initiatives. We are also seeking a Kinship/Assistant Program Manager to support our Kinship Navigation and Family Support team.
Details about the positions and the application process can be found on our website.
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City of Claremont Boards, Committees and Commissions |
Boards, Committees, and Commissions play an integral role in the community. They are comprised of citizens who generously volunteer their time and expertise. Being a city volunteer is a way to participate in community affairs, to work with interesting people, and to aid in Claremont's development.
Anyone who is a Claremont resident and would like to offer their services is welcome to apply for a seat on the Board, Committee, or Commission of their choice. The City Council, Mayor, or City Manager appoints new members according to the method dictated by city policy.
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Did you know -
Sullivan County Government has a YouTube Channel?
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Sullivan County Pictures Project |
In a way to help show off our region, one of the projects I’m collecting pictures for is to highlight on county war memorials and to display these in a video on our Sullivan County New Hampshire Government Facebook page and through the video banner of pictures on the website www.sullivancounty.gov during Memorial Day weekend 2021.
Yes, lots of advance planning 😊 as I hope to collect pictures capturing all our New England four seasons! If you have, or know anyone who has, pictures that would be great for this project, please feel free to send the pictures to commissioners@sullivancountynh.gov with info about where the memorial is located and who took the picture.
P.S. War memorials are not the only pictures we would enjoy receiving. If you have other scenic views of the region, don’t hesitate to share those, too. Thank you.
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Sullivan County NH government has released the attached Invitation for Bid for Root Cellar Abatement, with proposals due no later than Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 2:00 pm. This request for proposal, as well as any updates/addendums, may be viewed on the County's website at the following link: http://www.sullivancountynh.gov/163/Request-for-Proposals
Sullivan County NH government has released the attached Invitation for Bid for Range Road Improvements, with proposals due no later than Thursday, April 29, 2021 at 2:00 pm. This request for proposal, as well as any updates/addendums, may be viewed on the County's website at the following link: http://www.sullivancountynh.gov/163/Request-for-Proposals
Sullivan County NH government has released the attached Invitation for Bid for Pharmacy Services, with proposals due no later than Friday, April 30, 2021 at 2:00 pm. This request for proposal, as well as any updates/addendums, may be viewed on the County's website at the following link: http://www.sullivancountynh.gov/163/Request-for-Proposals
Sullivan County NH government has released the attached Invitation for Bid for Washer Extractor 60 lb. (208 volt), with proposals due no later than Friday, May 7, 2021 at 2:00 pm. This request for proposal, as well as any updates/addendums, may be viewed on the County's website at the following link: http://www.sullivancountynh.gov/163/Request-for-Proposals
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Sullivan County NH Delegation
EXECUTIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING NOTICE
Friday, April 23, 2021, 10:00 AM
Location: 14 Main Street, Newport, NH, 03773 and for the public through
Zoom Webinar ID: 933 7271 9407| Passcode: 559809
or by dialing: 1-312-626-6799
The Executive Finance Committee (EFC) will convene 10:00 a.m. Friday April 23, 2021 to 1) consider bond requests for the, a) Sober Housing (“Sullivan House”) and b) Sullivan County Health Care Renovation projects; 2) review and approve draft minutes from previous meetings; 3) consider dates/times for the FY22 budget reviews; and 4) tend to any new or old business. Members of the Board of Commissioners, administration, and staff may attend this meeting, as well.
Due to COVID19 State of Emergency, this meeting will be conducted primarily via the web-based platform Zoom for public although limited seating will be available at the physical meeting location. That location is the Sullivan County Probate Court located on the 3rd floor of the Sullivan County Woodhull Building at 14 Main Street, Newport. Seating capacity is limited and will be managed in accordance with paragraph 1 of Emergency Order #74.
If anyone has problems accessing the Zoom info above or experiences technical difficulties during the meeting, please call the Board of Commissioners’ Office at (603) 863-2560 to notify staff.
The meeting agenda, along with the tel# & access code & corresponding documents, may be accessed through the following link: April 23, 2021 10AM EFC Meeting
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Sullivan County NH Delegation
Monday, April 26, 2021, 7:30 p.m.
MEETING NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that the Delegation will reconvene Monday, April 26th 7:30 p.m. in accordance with RSA 33:10, to vote to authorize the following County bonds:
1) Sullivan County Health Care Renovation project (approximately $30-$40 million); and
2) Sober Housing (“Sullivan House”) project (approximately $1.1 million).
Due to COVID19 State of Emergency, this meeting will be conducted primarily via the web-based platform Zoom although limited seating will be available at the physical meeting location. That location is the Sullivan County Probate Court located on the 3rd floor of the Sullivan County Woodhull Building at 14 Main Street, Newport. Seating capacity is limited and will be managed in accordance with paragraph 1 of Emergency Order #74.
For Zoom access, members of the public will be able to participate in the public hearings by clicking the link below or by visiting: https://zoom.us/ and selecting “Join a Meeting” or by calling 1-312-626-6799 and using
Zoom Webinar ID: 932 6541 2650 | Password: 665264
If anyone has problems accessing the Zoom info above or experiences technical difficulties during the meeting, please call the Board of Commissioners’ Office at (603) 863-2560 to notify staff.
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Business Resources & Community Information |
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League of NH Craftsmen Fair at Mt. Sunapee |
The League is planning their annual event for this August 7-15 and is in need of additional volunteers. Do you enjoy attending the fair? Would you be willing to volunteer a few hours of your time? If so please email Ashlee Rowley at the Lake Sunapee Region Chamber of Commerce for more information. |
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GCCC members are able to attend this event for free |
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NH Envirothon Announces Virtual, Remote 2021 Competition |
The New Hampshire Envirothon announced its 2021 competition for high school student teams to test their knowledge about the environment and natural resources. In response to Covid-19, the 2021 event will shift to a virtual, remote format. Registration is free and open for teams to sign up on the NH Envirothon website: www.nhenvirothon.org until April 30th. Training webinars are being offered during April. The competition will be extended to a full week-long event, beginning on Friday, May 21 and ending on Thursday, May 27. The winning team will represent New Hampshire at the virtual North American National Conservation Foundation competition beginning on July 26. The NH Envirothon is a NH Association of Conservation Districts program with substantial support from volunteers, the NH Department of Environmental Services and other state and federal agencies, charitable and professional organizations and individual donors.
Competition: The NH Envirothon’s virtual format will engage students in their local communities, building a stronger connection to local resources, issues, and solutions. Competing teams of no-more-than five high school students will test their knowledge and skill in environmental science and natural resources topics related to Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, and Wildlife. The NH Envirothon ‘21 Current Issue is “Climate Change and NH Water Resources”. Teams will have a full week to complete traditional written exams, engage in field challenges, and offer oral presentations as part of the virtual competition.
Participation: All high school students in NH are eligible to participate. Middle school students are also invited to participate. A team of students from a shared organization or school must register along with a team advisor in order to participate. Schools are limited to sponsoring two competing teams, but are not limited to how many teams can participate. Alternative teams of fewer than 5 are welcome to participate as well in this year’s virtual competition. Registration is open until Friday, April 30th online at nhenvirothon.com.
Engagement: The NH Envirothon welcomes support in the form of volunteers and donors. Volunteers are invited to participate in the annual, state-wide competition by serving on Resource Teams drafting the competition challenges, acting as a judge during the competition’s oral presentations, forming a team as an Advisor, or mentoring a local educator and team in preparation of the competition. NH Envirothon ‘21 is currently seeking volunteers to support this year’s event as a Judge. Sustaining donors and ongoing support are critical to this program’s continued success and greatly appreciated. If interested, contact the NH Envirothon Coordinator, W. Kyle Finnell, at admin@nhenvirothon.org.
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The Envirothon Competition is an amazing cross-curriculum project, impacting not only the sciences but history and cultural studies as well. Teachers, home-school parents, scout and group leaders can build a team. Some educators involve a whole class, others advise teams of five members as a club or after school activity. Open to all high school students, a team may be sponsored by a school, home-school group, agricultural association, scout, or community service group. Since 1992, NH Envirothon has inspired teens to make responsible environmental and natural resource decisions through real-world, hands-on educational experiences.
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If you'd like to have an item appear in the newsletter please email it by noon on Monday to appear in that week's regular issue. |
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Greater Claremont Chamber of Commerce | 24 Opera House Sq. Claremont, NH 03743
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