Local & Regional Briefs

Lebanon Nonprofit Has New Executive Director

Lebanon — Cameron Ford, of Contoocook, N.H., has been named executive director of Headrest, Inc. He succeeds interim Executive Director Hildegard Ojibway.

Ford has 25 years of nonprofit experience, according to a news release from the Lebanon nonprofit. Most recently he was vice president of business development for CORE Vocational Services in Gilmanton, N.H., and CEO and founder of the Contoocook-based Iron Heart Gateways to Success, a nonprofit serving veterans and people with disabilities. Headrest operates a 24/7 regional crisis hotline, a 90-day, low-intensity residential program and outpatient counseling services for people recovering from substance use disorder.

Ford’s experience creating job opportunities for students and young adults will transfer to helping clients at Headrest find suitable employment while maintaining their recovery goals, the release said.

Internet Safety Forum Set in Lebanon

Lebanon — A free internet safety forum for parents is set for May 25, from 6-8 p.m., at the Lebanon Police Department. Hosted by the department’s Cyber Crimes Unit, it will cover popular websites and applications that children and teenagers use to access the internet.

The forum also will cover methods that parents can use to help ensure that their children are using the internet safely and the best practices for reporting possible internet-related crimes to their local police department.

To register, email Elizabeth Beraldi at elizabeth.beraldi@lebcity.com or call 603-448-8800.

New Members Join Senior Citizens Council

Lebanon — Two new members have joined the board of directors of Grafton County Senior Citizens Council.

Ellen Thompson, of Lyme, is the Lyme parish nurse and former director of care management at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

Martha Richards, of Holderness, N.H., is a community activist and former longtime Grafton County commissioner.

The board’s 2017-2018 officers are Patricia Brady, of Haverhill, president; Larry Kelly, of Lebanon, vice president; Flora Meyer, of Lebanon, treasurer; and Bob Muh, of Littleton, secretary.

Guitar Orchestra Makes Donation

Enfield — The Mascoma Valley Guitar Orchestra presented a new Savannah acoustic guitar to the Plainfield School in Meriden on Friday in honor of Meriden resident Mike Nichols, an orchestra member who died last year after a seven-year battle with cancer.

Zoe Martel, a music teacher at the Plainfield School, accepted the guitar from orchestra director Jim Shibles.

Nichols, who played guitar with the orchestra for more than a year, was beloved by the group, which “decided to keep his music and his memory alive by donating a guitar in his name to the school in Meriden where he lived,” the orchestra said in a news release.

For more information about the Mascoma Valley Guitar Orchestra, call Shibles at 603-632-9307.

Golf Tournament Will Support Scholarships

Grantham — The annual Jim Wechsler Memorial Golf Classic is set for June 7 at Eastman Golf Links.

Now in its 25th year, the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce event honors former chamber director, educator and coach Jim Wechsler. Proceeds benefit the Wechsler Scholarship Fund for adult learners pursuing college degrees and professional accreditations.

Registration will open at 11 a.m., with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Registration is $100 per person, which includes greens fees, cart rental, lunch, and a post-event reception with prizes.

To register a foursome or discuss sponsorship opportunities, contact the chamber at 603-448-1203 or go to lebanonchamber.com.

Vermont Gov. May Race This Weekend

Montpelier (ap) — Vermont’s Republican Gov. Phil Scott, a longtime race car driver, said he may race in the Merchant’s Bank 150, held at Vermont’s Thunder Road in Barre. Scott said he would practice at Thunder Road on Saturday and will race today if he feels competitive during trial runs.

Scott won the first Merchant’s Bank 150 in 1999 and finished fourth in the event last year. He will be up against Nick Sweet, a three-time race winner. Sweet said Scott is a great race car driver, but he won’t treat the governor any differently.

Coral Protection Hearings Planned

Portsmouth, n.h. (ap) — Federal fishery managers will hold a series of public hearings in New England and New York about a plan to protect corals in key East Coast fishing areas.

The New England Fishery Management Council is hosting seven public hearings about alternatives it is considering about the protection of corals in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank.

The hearings will take place from May 22-25 in Montauk, N.Y.; Narragansett, R.I.; New Bedford, Mass.; Gloucester, Mass.; Portsmouth, N.H.; and Ellsworth, Maine.

There also will be a web-based hearing on May 26. The fishery council said it wants to collect feedback from fishermen and other stakeholders about the coral protection plans.

The proposed plans are designed to reduce the impacts of commercial fishing on corals.

Vermont AG to Promote Law Enforcement Careers

Montpelier (ap) — Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan is working to get more young people to take up law enforcement careers such as police, prosecuting attorneys and victims’ advocacy.

Donovan said lawyers, law enforcement officers and advocates from his office will be presenting information to technical center students around the state on the work of his office’s criminal division.

Donovan said the goal is to let Vermont students know about career opportunities in the state.

There will be presentations at the River Valley Technical Center in Springfield and the Burlington Technical Center during the first week in May. A separate presentation will be held later in the month at the Stafford Technical Center in Rutland.

‘No Boston Olympics’ Movement Subject of Book

Boston (ap) — The local movement that torpedoed Boston’s bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics is the subject of a new book.

No Boston Olympics: How and Why Smart Cities Are Passing on the Torch is written by Chris Dempsey, a Boston resident who helped lead the opposition, and Smith College economist Andrew Zimbalist.

The authors say the book, which is slated for release May 2, tells the story of the Boston Olympics debate, but also provides a blueprint for those trying to challenge Olympic bids elsewhere.

The U.S. Olympic Committee picked Boston to vie for the 2024 games, but Massachusetts political and business leaders quickly met stiff local resistance. They eventually withdrew from the competition in July 2015.

— Staff and Wire Reports