Here In Hanover - Spring 2026

HANOVER

and neighboring communities

The Gift of SPRING

A SEASON OF RENEWAL

Interior Design

Custom Fabrication

Renovations

Mountain View Publishing, LLC 135 Lyme Road

Hanover, NH 03755 (603) 678-2793

www.mountainviewpublishing.com www.greateruppervalley.com

Publishers

Cheryl Frisch Ryan Frisch

Publisher Emeritus Bob Frisch (1951–2025)

Executive Editor

Deborah Thompson

Associate Editor Kristy Erickson

Creative Director/Design

Ellen Klempner-Béguin

Ad Design

Melanie Marston

Web Design Locable

Digital Manager Erin Frisch Newton

Advertising

Ryan Frisch Calyn Frisch

KEEP US POSTED. Here in Hanover wants to hear from readers. Correspondence may be addressed to: Letters to the Editor, Here in Hanover, 135 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755. Or email us at: dthompson@ mountainviewpublishing.com. Advertising inquires may be made by email to ryanfrisch@ mountainviewpublishing.com. Here in Hanover is published quarterly by Mountain View Publishing, LLC ©2026. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited. Here in Hanover accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or photographs.

Fresh Beginnings

Spring is a season for renewal and new life, for nature and for us, bringing with it blooming flowers, longer days, and a sense of hope as the natural world awakens from a long, sleepy winter. It inspires fresh beginnings and encourages us to embrace change and growth in our own lives. Head outdoors and witness the timeless cycle of the season unfolding before your eyes, reminding us that endings always lead to beginnings.

As you venture out, take a trip downtown to BocaSoca for a delicious meal (page 42). Owner CJ Jackson, who believes in community engagement and social responsibility, has given the former Boloco a new name and an exciting new menu. Stop in soon!

It’s our great pleasure to recognize longtime Hanover resident and business owner Cheryl Boghosian in this issue (page 66). Besides her role as interior designer and partner in her family’s business, Gilberte Interiors, Cheryl is dedicated to serving the community. She believes in giving back and has volunteered for several local organizations over the years. She currently serves as co-chair of the board at the Friends of Dartmouth Cancer Center. People like Cheryl make Hanover a great place to live.

We’re also dropping by Northern Lights Gymnastics in White River Junction, Vermont, where children from preschool age to high school enjoy a range of classes (page 52). Whether they’re practicing for an hour per week or every day after school, the gym provides a safe environment for youngsters to be active while improving skills and having fun.

Wherever your plans take you this spring, soak in the wonders of the changing landscape all around us. Keep in touch with local news and events at www.greateruppervalley.com. Enjoy!

Deborah Thompson Executive Editor dthompson@mountainviewpublishing.com

www.greateruppervalley.com/facebook

p Lisa Ballard, writer and photographer

A full-time freelance writer and photographer, Lisa is a graduate of Dartmouth College who resided in the Upper Valley for another 25 years. She is the author of 13 books, including Best Hikes with Dogs: New Hampshire & Vermont, Hiking the White Mountains, and Hiking the Green Mountains. She covers all types of travel, outdoor recreation, and conservation topics for over 25 magazines. www.LisaBallardOutdoors.com

p Lars Blackmore, photographer

Lars grew up in Denmark and has worked as a photojournalist since the early 1990s, covering everything from concerts to conflicts on assignment for the Associated Press, Save the Children, and others. Now based in Norwich, Vermont, with his wife and two kids, he combines photography and writing assignments with graduate work at Dartmouth College.

p Katherine P. Cox, writer

Katherine is a freelance writer and former writer and editor for The Keene Sentinel in Keene, New Hampshire. Her work has also appeared in the anthology Beyond the Notches: Stories of Place in New Hampshire’s North Country. She was also a writer and producer for Captured Light Studio, Inc., a video and interactive production company in Keene. Kathy likes to garden, travel, and hike, often combining hiking and traveling in one trip. She is a volunteer trustee on her local library board of trustees.

p Kelly Sennott, writer

Kelly has written for The Concord Monitor, AMC Outdoors Magazine, and The Hippo, and she is an alum of the University of New Hampshire’s Master of Fine Arts in Writing program. She currently works in various Upper Valley libraries and lives in Lebanon, New Hampshire, with her husband and son.

www.greateruppervalley.com/archives

www

Dunk’s in Hanover Gets New Owner, New Name Honoring Late Dartmouth Coach 

Buddy’s T’s, located at 7 Lebanon Street, was purchased by the owner of Molly’s Restaurant and Bar in a sale effective January 1.

 10 Books to Enjoy

Check out recommendations from libraries and bookstores within the Upper Valley.

 Who Can Help Get Your House Spring Ready?

If you’re already thinking about spring cleaning inside and out but don’t know who to contact, we’ve got you covered.

ONLINE ADVERTISERS INDEX

3 PHASE LANDSCAPING, LLC

ALIGN INN VERMONT

BARTON INSURANCE / HILB GROUP

BELLETETES

CALDWELL LAW

CAPPADOCIA CAFÉ

CARPENTER & MAIN

COLBY INSURANCE GROUP

CO-OP FOOD STORES

COPELAND FURNITURE

CROSSROADS ACADEMY

DARTMOUTH AUTHENTIC

DATAMANN

DB LANDSCAPING

DESIGNER GOLD

DUTILLE’S JEWELRY DESIGN STUDIO

EYEGLASS OUTLET

FORE-U GOLF CENTER

HANOVER EYECARE

HUBERT’S FAMILY OUTFITTERS

IVY IV AESTHETICS

JEFF WILMOT PAINTING & WALLPAPERING, INC.

LAVALLEY BUILDING SUPPLY

LEDYARD BANK

LITTLE ISTANBUL

MARTHA E. DIEBOLD REAL ESTATE

MB PRO LANDSCAPE DESIGN

MORNINGSIDE FLIGHT PARK

MVP MARINE

RAMUNTO’S OF CLAREMONT

RICHARD ELECTRIC

RIVER ROAD VETERINARY CLINIC

RODD ROOFING

STATELINE SPORTS

THE FLYING GOOSE

THE GILDED EDGE

THE HANOVER INN AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

THE PUBLIC HOUSE

TOP STITCH

TUCKERBOX

UPPER VALLEY BUSINESS ALLIANCE

VILLAGE PIZZA

WHITE RIVER FAMILY EYECARE

WISE

WOODSTOCK INN & RESORT

For more information about how your business can get listed on our ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY or for other online advertising opportunities, contact Ryan Frisch at (603) 678-2793 or email ryanfrisch@mountainviewpublishing.com.

around & about | people, places, and events

by cassie horner

Shannon Bender, Artist

Shannon Bender feels fortunate to have the time to focus on her art, bringing to life on canvas the birds, flowers, covered bridges, and landscapes in the world around her. “I work in acrylic. It’s a translucent paint, so I build boldness with a lot of brush strokes,” she says. This technique creates the solidification she seeks in her paintings.

“I spend two to four hours a day painting,” Shannon says. “It’s like yoga. It’s a very therapeutic thing to do. It builds a neurological mindset back after a busy day. It rejuvenates me.”

Shannon is a special-education paraprofessional at the Hanover Street School in Lebanon. Her specialty is working with children in kindergarten through fourth grade who have autism. This year, her 17th in this career, she is working in the first grade. She has painted since she was young, growing up in Canaan Center, New Hampshire, and graduating from Mascoma High School. After a year studying the arts, she became a mother. “Art was on the back burner for over 15 years,” she says. But as her three kids got older, she returned to painting.

SPECIAL EVENT

Join Shannon for an after-hours gathering at Carpenter's Cup Coffee on Friday, March 20, from 4 to 7pm. Meet Shannon and discover her art while enjoying great coffees, espressos, and other specialty drinks. Refreshments and a cash coffee bar. Admission is free.

Carpenters Cup Coffee 64 Main Street, Enfield, NH (603) 304-2006 www.carpenterscupcoffee.com

Winter Hours: Wed–Sat 7am-2pm

Shannon’s first big break was a few years ago with an exhibit at the Howe Library in Hanover of her paintings of native New Hampshire birds. She begins painting a bird with its dominant eyes. Loons are a favorite of hers. She has spent time kayaking on Grafton Pond in Grafton, New Hampshire, where she observes these beautiful birds. “I spend 50 to 70 hours on a painting,” she says. “I use a lot of brush strokes.”

Shannon continues, “I am working on four commissions now.” She is painting an 1890s’ farmhouse and a portrait and will also be doing two murals. Her work has been exhibited in such venues as AVA Gallery and Art Center and the Norris Cotton Cancer Center.

In addition to painting, Shannon also does papier-mâché ornaments and other objects such as sheep and nativity scenes. She has attended vendor shows for about 20 years, traveling to Art in the Harbor in Sunapee, New Hampshire. She exhibited in the AVA Gallery and Art Center Holiday Extravaganza show and is a regular vendor at the Lebanon and Canaan farmers’ markets.

“I push myself and advocate for myself to open up prospects and venues,” Shannon says. “There is art everywhere. It is part of our world.” For more information about Shannon and her art and venues, visit sbender.faso.com. t

VINTAGE WOODSTOVES

LaPan’s Antique Stoves

Dana LaPan’s fascination with vintage woodstoves started in 2004 when he was 20 years old and bought a house. There was a cookstove in the kitchen and the owners took it with them. “I knew my grandma had one in her barn that she got in the late 1950s or early ’60s. I pestered her until she said, ‘You can’t have it, but you can use it. When I pass, you can have it.’” It was covered in sawdust and was very rusty. It was missing all the nickel plating and trim. The back was broken with a hole in it. Dana was working as a welder, so he wire-brushed the outside and then made a four-sided steel box that the fire would go in. He could only burn short wood. “Over the course of a decade I tracked down the other missing pieces. I kept buying other stoves for repair parts but ended up with a yard full of stoves that I eventually repaired and sold,”

he says. “In 2019, the stove business became full-time. Prior to that I drove fuel trucks in the winter and worked on the stove restorations in the summer.”

Today, Dana’s showroom in Plainfield, New Hampshire, houses about 20 stoves. He owns about 400. “New Englanders have a reputation for not throwing anything away,” he laughs. Most of the stoves he restores come from barns, basements, and living spaces in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. He gets calls from people across the country who want him to buy a stove. Many stoves were hauled out of barns and basements in the 1970s during the oil embargo when people burned wood to save money on fuel, but then they relegated the stoves back to storage when oil prices dropped.

Right now, Dana is working on a very large round coal and

Clockwise from far left: Dana stands in front of the 1898 Glenwood Home Grand that heats the showroom. A leaded canvas Glenwood sign behind a 1899 Glenwood oak 40, a Crawford 19 wood parlor, a Stewart square base heater, a Plymouth Pilgrim range, and a 1876 Chilson Cone Disk coal heater.

Bottom from left: A Fortress Crawford 8-20 range. A mint-green Glenwood 208C.

wood parlor stove called the Stewart Oak from the Finger Lakes region of New York. He is also restoring a FrenchCanadian kitchen woodstove in very poor shape; it was covered in plating that had to be replaced. A third stove in the workshop is a Harold Oak coal-or wood-burning round parlor stove that came from Delaware. A common restoration issue is the nickel plating that easily wore off because of the thinness of the coating.

Dana’s restoration schedule runs about eight months out. Demand for his services and stoves is extensive; he

has shipped to 30 states. He will make houses visits, and he buys old stoves and cookware.

Dana’s oldest stove is a 1760 Glasgow trade stove that was imported to the colonies. It spent its life in taverns so has many crude repairs done over the centuries.

An important part of Dana’s business is using the old tools needed to make replacement pipes for American and European stoves that have odd-sized pipes. He ships throughout the United States and to England, Germany, and France. He is one of only three people

in the US who makes these pipes by hand.

“I used to hear a lot about ‘the charm in restoring antique stoves,’” Dana laughs. “But the reality is the charm goes away as you work to turn an old rusty hulk into a work of art.”

LaPan’s Antique Stoves is located in Plainfield village next to William Smith Auctions. He is open by appointment on Monday to Friday. The telephone number is (603) 359-9889. The website is lapansantiquestoves.com and the business also has a Facebook page. t

CREATIVE LOCAL ART CLASSES FOR CHILDREN

Children's Art Studio Norwich

The Children’s Art Studio Norwich is located on the lower level of an 1820 building on Main Street. “It is a very special place,” says Lani Carney, the founder, who is known as Miss Lani to her many students. “It’s a very peaceful place and it’s not until the kids come in the door that it becomes an oasis.”

Lani graduated from the University of Oregon with a BA in sociology and an MS in education. “You give your knowledge away as a way to give back to families and children,” she says. As a professor, she taught courses such as child development, psychology of adolescence, psychology of aging, and social psychology.

“We make really generous choices to attend to the children,” Lani says. “We make every effort to honor the child. The children use the six senses of artistic literacy to enhance love of the divine. They develop compelling narratives through poems and stories and other creative ventures. For example, in Symphony they look at the big picture and learn how to cultivate harmony and rhythm in art the way Kandinsky taught us.”

The students range in age from three to twelve years, and come from area towns such as Norwich, Hanover, Thetford, Bradford, Lyme, and Quechee. “I believe in a multiage perspective. There is a different theme for each class,” Lani says. Tuesday, Open to Discovery is for children ages five through seven. “We look at classics such as Cassatt, Monet, Renoir, and Kandinsky.” Wednesday’s Wonder of Animals is geared toward children ages six through nine. Lani studied with Jane Goodall and believes in carrying on Jane’s advocacy for animals. On Thursday, the class is for more advanced ages. Art Aliveness helps students ages nine through twelve look at Stella, Pollock, and other modern artists.

The Friday morning class, Exploring Watercolor Painting for Young Children, is designed for a small group of little children to work with watercolors. The Friday afternoon class You and Your World is an

around & about

advanced class looking at the concept of self and the “art of looking” by studying such artists as Picasso and Matisse.

“Children walk out the door satisfied and with a smile on their face,” Lani says. That is how she knows the experience at the art studio has been a success.

The students contribute to a variety of local initiatives throughout the year.

“We give our art back publicly to the community,” Lani explains. In May, the annual kite festival held on the rugby field at Dartmouth College is a very popular event. In October, students give beautiful art-to-go packets to David’s House, located in Lebanon, New Hampshire. For display at the Norwich Inn, students create ornaments in the shape of different creatures, such as mermaids or penguins.

Another community project is the creation of organic paper coffee sleeves donated by the Dirt Cowboy, a café in Hanover. Students decorate the sleeves in a variety of creative ways and then give them back to the café for use by customers.

Visit childrensartstudionorwich .com for a complete list of programs, including Magic Summer Arts Series, and information about the studio and how to register for classes. t

Welcome, spring! The days are getting longer. The weather will (eventually) start to get a little warmer. Before too long, we’ll be seeing little bits of green poking through the mud and snow . . . and then, suddenly, it will be very green everywhere you look.

But, of course, because this is New England, spring will bring lots of mud with it, and lingering frost, and some nights huddled close to the stove, even as we anticipate warmer months ahead. We know that. We’re used to this kind of thing. In fact, with a good book or two (and maybe a puzzle) on hand, it can become just another one of the charms of living here. And as it happens, here at The Norwich Bookstore, we’ve got a few recommendations for great reads, for whatever this transitional season throws our way.

Vigil by George Saunders

The long-awaited second novel from George Saunders, one of America’s bestknown and most lauded prose stylists, is a fable of sorts: an unassumingly short tale of a soul whose job it is to help escort the recently deceased into the afterlife, and her most recent charge, a larger-than-life and very unrepentant oil executive.

This Is Where the Serpent Lives by Daniyal Mueenuddin

Daniyal Mueenuddin, a Dartmouth alum whose story collection In Other Rooms, Other Wonders won the Story Prize and was shortlisted for the Pulitzer and the National Book Award, returns with a masterful new novel following interconnected families in contemporary Pakistan.

A Time of Renewal and Possibility

SPRING PICKS FROM THE NORWICH BOOKSTORE

Brawler: Stories by Lauren Groff

A new book from Lauren Groff is always something to celebrate, and Brawler, her latest collection of short fiction, is wide in scope and yet succinct in its exploration of the universal human struggle between darkness and light.

Kin by Tayari Jones

The monumental new novel from Tayari Jones, author of American Marriage, is likely to be one of the major publishing events of the spring. Epic in scope, this can’t-miss book tells the story of two childhood friends who take diverging paths and reunite in the wake of tragedy.

Lake Effect by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

This tender, funny new novel from the author of The Nest and Good Company follows two families on a nearly 50-year journey of

awakening, love, and family connection.

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? In this imaginative new novel from the beloved author Kate Quinn, a young woman taking refuge in her favorite section of the Boston Public Library discovers a secret door and the fantastical, reality-hopping secret library behind it in which books are passages into other worlds.

Eradication: A Fable by Jonathan Miles

Seeking a fresh start, a man answers a call to help save the world by helping to restore biodiversity to a remote Pacific island . . . and quickly learns that his mission is much stranger than he imagined in this surprising and darkly funny novel perfect for fans of Joy Williams and Otessa Moshfegh.

The Keeper by Tana French (Available March 24)

This taut, atmospheric mystery—the final installment of a trilogy featuring retired Chicago detective Cal Hooper—centers around a murder in a remote Irish village.

A Suit or a Suitcase: Poems by Maggie Smith (Available March 24)

Maggie Smith, whose poem “Good Bones” became a national sensation in 2016 and whose subsequent collections, memoirs, and books on the writing craft have been beloved by readers and writers alike, has become a major voice of modern poetry for strange times. Here, she turns her attention to the idea of self and the blurry line where mind and body meet.

Traversal by Maria Popova

In this bold new work, Maria Popova—the creator of The Marginalian—delves into “the universe between cells and souls” to explore what makes a meaningful life. As with all of Popova’s work, here you’ll find an intersection of science, art, and philosophy sure to beguile, delight, inform, and inspire.

The Glorians: Visitations from the Holy Ordinary by Terry Tempest Williams Beloved nature writer and former Montgomery Fellow at Dartmouth Terry Tempest Williams delivers a book both personal and universal in scope, exploring the often-overlooked connections between spirituality and the natural world.

When The Forest Breathes: Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World by Suzanne Simard (Available March 31)

From Suzanne Simard, the bestselling author of Finding the Mother Tree, comes a fascinating continuation of her groundbreaking research into how trees and other organisms communicate and collaborate, this time with a revelatory and ultimately hopeful look at the natural resilience and adaptability of forest ecosystems—and what we can learn from them.

True Color by Kory Stamper (Available March 31)

How do you explain the difference between all those different hues of seemingly identical colors at the paint store? What does “bluer than fiesta” mean? Who defines colors, and how? Kory Stamper, who literally wrote the book on dictionaries (she’s the author of Word by Word and also worked for Merriam-Webster) dives into the fascinating history of color definitions.

London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe (Available April 7)

At first glance, this new book from New Yorker writer Patrick Radden Keefe is a riveting investigation into the mysterious death of a teen who falls into the shadow of the London underworld and a family’s search for justice. It is all that, but, in true Keefe style, it is also much more: a searing indictment of the unchecked pursuit of wealth as power, and the fictions people create to hold onto that power.

Rumpelstiltskin by Mac Barnett & Carson Ellis

Mac Barnett, one of the undisputed rockstars of children’s literature, is back at it with his wise, humorous, modern retellings of fairy tales (you may remember his version of The Three Billy Goats Gruff from a couple years back). Now, he’s teamed up with beloved illustrator Carson Ellis to present Rumpelstiltskin as you’ve never seen him before!

The Lions’ Run by Sara Pennypacker Lucas, an orphan in Nazi-occupied France, discovers the Resistance network hiding in his quiet village, and his own unexpected courage, in this suspenseful, powerful middle-grade (ages 8 to 12) novel from the acclaimed author of Pax. t

ANTIQUE and UNIQUE

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN AT NT FERRO JEWELERS

Thirty-two years ago, DeBeers London, the world’s leading diamond group, awarded Nicholas T. Ferro of Woodstock their prestigious Diamonds Today Award for his stunning platinum and gold double diamond engagement ring. DeBeers asked Nick (as everyone knows him) his thoughts on jewelry and diamond trends. Nick told DeBeers that he thought diamonds in the Old European cut should be brought back.

The depth of their brilliance, sparkling even in low light, and distinctive flash of color drew Nick to admire these gems that were hand cut before the advent of mid-20thcentury diamond-cutting tools. With tiny differences, no two Old European–cut diamonds are alike.

Now Nick, founder and owner of NT Ferro Estate & Custom Jewelers in the heart of Woodstock, is

introducing a limited selection of rings featuring these elegant diamonds—and he is setting them in ring designs from their era. “These are diamonds mined in the 1920s in designs from the 1920s. They are truly antique and truly unique,” he says.

Nick has a lifetime of experience, expertise, and commitment to bringing people together with jewelry that they cherish. Founded in 1981, NT Ferro Estate & Custom Jewelers offers a meticulously curated selection of jewelry sourced from around the country and world. True to their name, they specialize in custom design, including working directly with clients to create exquisite one-of-a-kind pieces. They also excel in offering top-quality estate jewelry including rings, timepieces, earrings, bracelets, pins, and necklaces.

by mary gow

This new selection of NT Ferro rings is deeply rooted in Nick’s expertise in estate jewelry and his knowledge of diamonds and jewelry styles. His personal history, and inspiration from his wife Beverly, ignited the project.

GIVING OLD JEWELRY NEW LIFE

Over the years, with pieces he acquired that he particularly admired, Nick would remove the large center diamond from the mounting and then have a mold made of the ring, preserving a record of its design. Today, this process is done with computer-aided design (CAD) software. After the mold was created, he reset the stone in the original ring and brought it to top condition for its next owner.

With time, Nick built an extensive collection of molds—200 or so. Working with the collection was a project he long intended to pursue. Recently, his wife Beverly nudged it along, encouraging Nick to select some of his favorite designs and have them cast in gold and platinum.

The rings dating to the 1920s featured the Old European–cut diamonds. Beyond the hand-cutting technique, which results in larger facets overall, they have a large culet (the facet

at the bottom of the diamond) and a small table (the facet at the top). This design affects the way light bounces around inside the gem and then re-emerges with multicolored flashes. “Every one of my 1920 designs is set with European diamonds that were hand cut in the 1920s,” he says.

Back in 1994, when DeBeers selected Nick Ferro’s elegant double diamond ring design over more than 600 other entries, Nick was already thinking about the spectacular attributes of Old European–cut diamonds. This spring, he is bringing them forward in these one-of-a kind-beauties in distinctive settings of their time. t

NT Ferro Estate & Custom Jewelers 11 Central Street Woodstock, VT (802) 457-1901 ntferro.com

On Main Street in Hanover, a familiar restaurant has taken on a new name and a renewed sense of purpose. What remains is commitment to the community it serves. Boloco, which had operated in the Hanover community for 21 years, is now BocaSoca. At the heart of the rebranding, updated menu, and reinvigorated enthusiasm is the new owner, CJ Jackson.

CJ didn’t grow up thinking she wanted to own a restaurant. She took a more circuitous route. “I come from a pretty impoverished community in East St. Louis,” CJ says. Even as a child, she felt the need to act. “I remember looking around and thinking, ‘someone needs to fix this.’ For some reason in my mind, I decided I needed to become a lawyer.” CJ became the first in her family to attend college, the first to earn an MBA, and eventually the first to graduate from law school. She attended Vermont Law School in South Royalton. After law school, CJ worked in corporate finance, real estate, and community development.

AHA MOMENT

Even with her career going well, CJ says something was missing. On a solo trip to Spain, she remembers, “I had one of those Eat, Pray, Love moments. Being in Barcelona is when everything came back to me from when I was a little girl.” The city’s meticulous design and sense of shared space clarified her purpose. “It was something about seeing the intentionality of the architecture that made me realize I wanted to focus on helping people improve their lives.” She knew she could not continue on the same path.

When CJ returned to the United States, she made a decision that surprised many around her. “I wasn’t the same after that trip,” she says, and so she left the corporate world. “I wanted to focus more directly on community development.”

Over time, she had a realization that restaurants are the anchors of community. “They are not simply places to eat, but spaces where people from all walks of life intersect and interact.” CJ’s belief, rooted in direct community engagement, led her to a low-risk way to test her passion. Vermont State Senator Joe Major, who was also executive director of the Upper Valley Aquatic Center in White River Junction, allowed her to rent a space at the center, and she opened a smoothie bar.

jack cheddar cheese.

“I remember saying to myself in school, I really want to be a part of a brand that aligns social responsibility with profits.” And now the opportunity was presenting itself.

VISION, FATE, AND PEPPER

But CJ’s vision continued to grow. As she began to think about a larger space where healthy, accessible food and a sense of belonging could coexist, someone suggested she talk to longtime restaurateur John Pepper. They thought he might be able to provide some guidance and advice. CJ says she hesitated at first. “I thought, ‘Oh, that’s silly. Why would I reach out to this guy?’” However, shortly after, someone else made the same suggestion. CJ believes some coincidences are fate, so she followed through.

When she finally met with John, she got more than advice. When he asked, “Do you want to own Boloco?” CJ was given a life-changing opportunity. John was in the midst of winding down his many restaurant locations and contemplating retirement and new ventures.

CJ recalls being in business school and studying B Corporations. B Corporations are for-profit businesses certified and committed to meeting high standards of social and environmental responsibility in how they operate and engage with the community—balancing profit with purpose. Bocolo was a B Corporation. “I remember saying to myself in school, I really want to be a part of a brand that aligns social responsibility with profits.” And now the opportunity was presenting itself.

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

Before making any commitments, CJ wanted to understand the business from the ground up. She wanted to learn from the inside, the pace, the pressure, and the people. In 2023, she began working at Bocolo—not as an owner, but as a staff member. She didn’t announce her intentions. “I said to John, ‘Don’t tell anyone.’ I just wanted to work alongside the existing staff and really, truly understand the business and understand the brand.”

It was a challenging time for the restaurant industry, still dealing with the unpredictability of post-COVID instability and staffing shortages. CJ recalls, “If a person called out, I would volunteer to work, even if I was there from early in the day until night.” Despite the strain, she says, “I loved

Community engagement remains central to CJ’s mission. Her approach is deliberate. “It’s not that we don’t want to give burritos away,” she explains, “but we need to be more intentional about how we give to the community.”

every bit of it.” Family members questioned her decision. “They were like, ‘Are you crazy? You’ve got an MBA; you have a JD—what are you doing?’” But the experience confirmed her instincts. She loved being part of a team. She loved serving customers. And she saw clearly what kind of culture she wanted to build if she took ownership: one rooted in support, communication, and shared responsibility.

NEW BEGINNINGS BUILT ON THE PAST

By early 2024, when John Pepper was ready to retire, CJ had made her decision, and she says, “He was confident he was leaving the restaurant in capable hands.” October 2024 marked the beginning of a new owner and the new name: BocaSoca.

CJ says she has no intention of erasing the past. Instead, she wants to build on it. “I want to preserve the spirit of Bocolo but simplify operations.” While some signature items were removed from the menu, it was for practicality, not to snub tradition. “It’s very hard to train some of the younger generation on remembering so many things,” CJ explains. The solution was a build-your-own model that empowers customers and streamlines services.

Longtime favorites are still available upon request, as is the house sauce. “If you come in and ask for a Modern Mexican, you can still get that,” she says. The difference is flexibility. This approach made the kitchen more efficient, simplified training, and provided customers with a wider range of choices. Today, guests can customize freely, adding vegetables like broccoli, corn, or carrots, and experimenting with new combinations and sauces.

CJ’s guiding principle is simple: Get the basics right. Consistency, flavor, and affordability matter, especially in an economy where dining out can feel like a luxury. BocaSoca may not be “fine dining,” she says, but every customer deserves a meal that feels thoughtfully prepared and reasonably priced. Her priorities are consistent. “If we’re going to do anything,” she told her team, “let’s make sure everybody who comes in here gets quality.”

The new name reflects a long-held dream. In Spanish, boca means mouth.

Soca is a highenergy genre of music with roots in Trinidad and Tobago that inspires dance. Will the food make you want to get up and dance? Maybe.

FAMILIARITY AND FLAIR

While Mexican cuisine forms the foundation of BocaSoca, CJ also embraces other global influences. New sauces, tacos, and fusion elements are being added gradually, giving customers time to explore. Recent additions include Mexican rice, corn salsa, and plans for “Soca Tacos.” Sauces are meant to appeal to global curiosity, such as cilantrolime, a Mexican-inspired tzatziki, and upcoming flavors like jerk sauce and Asianfusion elements.

Beverage offerings follow the same philosophy, favoring smaller brands and culturally rooted drinks, such as Mexican sodas made with real cane sugar. “We’re not focused on the major brands,” CJ says. “We’re trying to find those smaller, community-facing options.” The goal, she says, is not trend-chasing, but authenticity and inclusion, creating a menu that feels both familiar and exploratory.

EXPANDING WITH PURPOSE

As BocaSoca continues to stabilize its Hanover location, expanding is already in the works. In February, CJ is opening a second location at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. It is a move driven by observed demand. “I noticed we serviced the Dartmouth Hitchcock community quite often,” CJ says. “And I thought, we can service them better.” CJ remains focused on listening, watching, and responding to the community’s needs, while continuing to grow at a pace that maintains quality, affordability, and culture.

Community engagement remains central to CJ’s mission. Her approach is deliberate. “It’s not that we don’t want to give burritos away,” she explains, “but we need to be more intentional about how we give to the community.” She envisions a more far-reaching community effort that will one day support broader community development, including parks, gathering spaces, housing initiatives, and other projects that bring people together and improve lives.

CJ believes that something small can grow and that ripples can become waves. To that end, she is preparing to launch the

Common Ground Collective at BocaSoca.

Modeled after round-up donation programs, it gives customers the opportunity to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar. All proceeds go toward community-focused causes and reflect CJ’s belief that generosity should be sustainable and intentional.

A LEAP OF FAITH

CJ is candid about the vulnerability of her position. However, she says she is a woman of faith. “I believe if it’s God’s plan, it’s going to all work out as it should. I love this community. It’s shown me what it looks like when people really care about their community and what working together actually means.” Still, CJ dreams of one day bringing the concept to communities like the one where she grew up.

She often speaks of gratitude: for John Pepper’s trust, for hardworking and supportive staff, for a welcoming community, and for the chance to build something meaningful. BocaSoca is still growing, still evolving. For now, BocaSoca stands as proof that restaurants can be more than businesses. They can be gathering places. They can be places of connection. They can be bridges. And in the hands of CJ, they can be places of purpose that uplift the community.

The new name reflects a long-held dream. In Spanish, boca means mouth. Soca is a high-energy genre of music with roots in Trinidad and Tobago that inspires dance. Will the food make you want to get up and dance? Maybe. Will your taste buds do their own tango with new and interesting flavors? Perhaps. But for now, CJ’s hope is a simple one: that the community will continue to embrace the changes and walk alongside her on the journey. And if CJ’s story and BocaSoca make you want to dance, well, that’s just a plus. t

BocaSoca Mexican Grill

35 South Main Street Hanover, NH (603) 643-0202 bocasoca.com

CLASSES FROM PRESCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL

18 months to five years old use

story

Kelly

Northern Lights Gymnastics is the only place for miles teaching competitive gymnastics suitable for athletes through high school— but that’s only a small part of what they offer, say owners John and Danza Leonard. For preschoolers, the gym’s a great venue to burn energy during the winter months; for older kids, it might be a place to cross-train, work out, or be active with friends. Some practice less than an hour a week; others are there after school every day.

When John and Danza purchased Northern Lights with Bill and Anne Sailer from Jill Vanderpot back in 2022, their goal was to continue its legacy of being an enjoyable, toxic-free place to learn the sport, no matter your abilities or ambitions. Gymnastics, they say, is for everyone.

“It’s helpful for people of all ages to learn body control, body awareness, and their own personal abilities,” Danza says. “I think most parents recognize that and are like, well, if my kid doesn’t do it forever, at least it’s a great way for them to be active.”

People in the Upper Valley have known the value of Northern Lights since its inception in 1984, and parents who attended classes here in the ’90s are now bringing their kids. Some wake at midnight to register for its after-school programs. Due to many factors, including post-Olympics popularity and steady efforts from owners and coaching staff, demand is higher than ever.

Top row from left: Competitive Level 3 team members Caroline and Mara work on beam choreography with coach Yuriy Volodin. John and preschool student Shea work on bars while classmates keep busy on other skill stations. Rylie swings on the rope (a staple in the preschool classes).

Bottom row from left: Preschool students stretch with Coach John. Coach John and daughter Rylie work on pull overs on bars.

NEW OWNERS, SAME VIBE

I meet John and Danza at the gym on a Monday, the one morning each week they don’t run preschool classes, which they keep open to clean the space and get organized for the week ahead. Their kids, Rylie, age three, and Johnny, age one, play on the tumbling mat and the equipment they’ve set up: tunnels to crawl through, buckets with an assortment of balls to toss around. Rylie shows her brother what she learned in the preschool class her dad teaches Tuesday mornings. “My favorite part is definitely having them involved here,” John says. “They’re here all the time, and clearly, they’re not sick of it.”

Both John and Danza grew up practicing gymnastics, and both continued the sport through college, Danza at the University of Vermont, John at Temple University. They were working at Northern Lights when the opportunity to purchase arose in 2022. The only problem? They were in their late 20s and early 30s with a new baby at the time. They couldn’t do it alone. “We saw the potential and thought we could improve it,” John says. “We just needed some investors.”

Bill and Anne Sailer, whose daughter is a competitive gymnast at Northern Lights, copurchased the business with John and Danza in 2022 and currently manage its bookkeeping through their Sunapee-based business consulting company, Sunstone. The Sailers say they saw the investment as a win for their family and the community, but also a good business opportunity.

“We knew the demand was there. The business has been around for 30 years,” Bill says. “Anne and I work with over 200 small businesses in and around the Upper Valley, and when we were going through the business-planning process with John and Danza, we got to look at the financial statements and how it was going to be run, and we thought, this could take off.”

Since the purchase, there have been facility upgrades, including new bars, beams, mats, and a new airbag in lieu of its aging foam pit, and new coaches have been added alongside staff who’ve been there for decades.

“Your goals are the coaches’ goals,” Danza says. “So if the kids really want to progress and they want to work hard, we will facilitate that.”

KIDS LEAD THE WAY

Northern Lights has always offered a large preschool program, but when they took over, John and Danza also started an Open Gym on Saturday mornings for kids younger than five to use the equipment sans lessons, which they say is incredibly popular.

After school, the gym is packed with classes from recreational to competitive. Kids don’t practice five days a week unless they want to. Some gyms with competitive programs don’t allow gymnasts to do other sports; here, it’s encouraged. “Your goals are the coaches’ goals,” Danza says. “So if the kids really want to progress and they want to work hard, we will facilitate that.”

The intent is to encourage a culture in which gymnastics should be a fun addition to your life; John and Danza say Northern Lights is not set up to be anybody’s “everything,” and they don’t want it to be. Many parents, like Anne and Bill, appreciate this aspect of the gym. “They set a culture that’s not so much pressure, letting the individual gymnast lead the way. That’s worked so well for our daughter. Gymnasts are hard enough on themselves as it is,” Anne says.

LOOKING AHEAD

“All of our classes have wait lists,” John says. “It’s great because we’re so popular, but obviously, if we had more space and more staff, we would accommodate more people.” There are things they simply can’t do within the 6,600-square-foot space. For example, they’d love to offer a competitive boys gymnastics program, but that would require new equipment (rings, parallel bars, pommel horse, etc.), and right now, there’s no place to put them. Owners have been searching for a new building since they purchased the business but have yet to find anything the right size and price.

For now, their focus is on continuing to make steady improvements to the space and the programs and continuing to make connections with each family. For Danza, these relationships are what made the gym so special growing up. “I made such good friends. I felt so supported. Those are the things I really remember,” Danza says. “We’re trying to keep it a fun, safe place to do gymnastics and create those positive memories.” t

Northern Lights Gymnastics

94 Olcott Drive

White River Junction, VT (802) 295-2070

northernlightsgymnastics.com

Spring is in the Air Shop, Dine & Support Local!

Danielle Bencze Owner/licensed esthetician

Glowen Day Spa

Step into a realm of pure tranquility and let your worries fade away at Glowen Day Spa. Experience a personalized journey toward rejuvenation and glowing skin through the power of Celluma and microcurrent treatments. Enhance your eyes’ allure effortlessly with our lash lift and tint, while personalized skin peels and hydrodermabrasion unveil your skin’s true potential, leaving it radiant and youthful. Beyond skin-deep treatments, we offer the transformative practice of reiki healing, where your body and soul are nourished and replenished.

We utilize high-quality products designed to give you the ultimate luxurious spa experience thoughtfully priced to ensure luxury is accessible to all. Everyone deserves a pampered, personalized experience. Book your rejuvenating experience today and let Danielle pamper you from head to toe and embrace the glow that lies within.

18 On the Common Lyme, NH (603) 212-8216 www.glowendayspa.com

Half-Step Beer & Wine

Come on down to Half-Step Beer & Wine in Norwich! We’re your source for thoughtfully selected craft beer, wine, hard cider, and nonalcoholic options. We believe that buying a bottle of wine or four-pack of beer should be an approachable experience. That’s why our motto is “practicality over pretension.” We put a lot of thought, time, and tasting into choosing our products, so you can guarantee that whatever beer, wine, or cider you choose will taste great! We look forward to helping you find your next favorite beer, wine, or cider!

289 Main Street Norwich, VT (802) 649-1970

Lemon Tree Gifts

Distinctive Gifts, Jewelry & Home Décor

Visit the Upper Valley’s premiere gift shop where you’ll find a little something for everyone! Discover an array of treasures, including unique Dartmouth items, New Hampshire and Vermont mementos, maple syrup and candy, toys and games for all ages, bath and body, jewelry, candles, men’s and baby gifts, comfy throws, and much more!

We offer shipping and complimentary local area delivery options. We look forward to being part of your Hanover shopping experience!

Don’t forget to visit us in our PowerHouse Mall location across from L.L.Bean!

28 South Main Street (next to Lou’s) Hanover, NH (603) 643-5388

Lemon Tree Gifts of Hanover Open Daily

Matt Brown Fine Art

The MBFA gallery features artwork, crafts, and books by residents (past and present) of Lyme, New Hampshire, and Thetford, Vermont: paintings, prints, pottery, poetry, jewelry, woodenware, floor cloths, photographs, cards, and syrups! Prints as Portals, our annual Japanese woodblock print show, closes May 16, and is followed by a summertime theme show, Trees.

Visit our gallery website for more info and to sign up for our newsletter.

1 Main Street, On the Common Lyme, NH (603) 795-4855 www.mbrownfa.com

Fri 10am–5pm & Sat 10am–3pm or by chance or appointment

Mighty Yoga

At Mighty Yoga, you’ll find more than a class—you’ll find community. For 17 years, our talented teachers and welcoming students have created an inviting space for every body and every level. Whether you’re new to yoga or deepening your practice, experience the warm vibe that keeps people coming back. Our classes range from heated vinyasa and strength-based flows to deeply restorative practices supporting body and mind. Visit our website to plan your first class in downtown Hanover.

10 Allen Street, Lower Level Hanover, NH (603) 676-6016 www.mightyyoga.com

Sweetland Farm CSA & Farmstand

Eat what you LOVE

Join Sweetland Farm’s CSA and bring joy to your kitchen! Our Free Choice and Farmer’s Choice shares offer all the seasonal veggies you love plus a few you’ll love to try. Grown on conserved land using radically sustainable practices, reducing your carbon “foodprint” has never tasted so good! Weekly recipes and newsletters, extensive pick-yourown gardens, and frequent events provide fun and meaningful connection to the farm. Multiple pickup days, in-town delivery locations, and a member discount in our full-diet farm stand provide convenience and affordability. We’d love to be your farmers!

742 Route 132 Norwich, VT (802) 649-6250 www.sweetlandfarm.com

Walt & Ernie’s Barbershop

Walt & Ernie’s is your neighborhood barbershop, located just off Main Street in the heart of Hanover, New Hampshire. Proudly serving the Dartmouth and Upper Valley community since 1938, our friendly, professional team delivers quality haircuts and beard trims in an authentic four-chair barbershop experience. Rich in Dartmouth College and Hanover history, Walt & Ernie’s offers quality haircuts with friendly service. The hairstyles may have changed, but the true barbershop experience has stayed the same! Walk-ins and appointments are welcome.

New Location!

42 South Main Street Hanover, NH (603) 359-8064 www.waltanderniesbarbershop.com Mon, Wed & Thu 9am–5pm Tue & Fri 7:30am–5pm

The Ivy Edit

The Ivy Edit is the “trendy sister” of the popular 37 Central Clothiers in Woodstock, Vermont. It’s flirty, fashion forward, and fun. Whether you’re looking for a special-occasion dress, going-out top, or just a great pair of Levi’s, you will find it there. Ivy also has an expanding selection of footwear. Follow them on Instagram @the_ivy_edit.

35 South Main Street Hanover, NH (603) 277-9147

www.theivyedit.com

3 Lebanon Street (Second Floor)

Hanover, NH

(603) 277-9659

thefourthplacehanover.com

Wed–Fri 2–11pm, Sat & Sun 11am–11pm

The Fourth Place

The Fourth Place is a free community space for everyone who loves games, comics, and geek culture—with a free board game café all the time, and over 50 totally free public events per month! That includes at least two board game nights and two Magic: The Gathering events per week, free RPG adventures, three monthly book clubs, Pokémon, Scrabble, Star Wars: Unlimited, wargames, crafting and painting, and so much more! Plus we have a summer day camp and after-school clubs.

Event Calendar: 4th.me/events

Youth Programs: 4th.me/youth

Pro GM RPG Campaigns: tavernsandtowers.com

by K atherine P. Cox | photography by Lars Blackmore unless otherwise noted

Cheryl Boghosian

finding joy in family and community

Cheryl Boghosian is an accomplished daughter of Hanover and wears the title of hometown girl with pride. Central to that is her family, her work, and her volunteer efforts in the community.

Raised in Hanover and a graduate of Hanover High School, class of ’77, she attended the Rhode Island School of Design and Syracuse University. After college she worked in Boston for the A.DerMarderosian Design Firm before returning to Hanover in 1983 to collaborate with her parents in the family interior design company, Gilberte Interiors. She thought it would be for only a few years, but instead stayed and raised two children with her husband Neil within the close embrace of her extended family.

“Design is both my career and my passion. It’s a way of seeing the world that never really turns off. I’m constantly inspired by new ideas and the details that shape how we experience the world around us.”

FAMILY FIRST

“I can’t think of a better place to live. Family is an important part of my life,” Cheryl says. “It’s my foundation. It’s what I grew up with and what continues to ground me. It’s such a gift that I have been able to work and spend so much time with my family.” She cherishes the fact that her son and daughter have such a close connection to their grandparents and cousins. They are grown now and live in Boston and Seattle, but when they return home for visits “is when I’m happiest,” Cheryl says. “Watching them with their cousins thoughtfully discussing their careers and the world around them brings me immense joy.” She says she loves it when her house is full “because it reminds me that this is what truly matters; life is back in balance.” She adds that it makes raising kids easier when you have the support of family nearby. “You see how much your children get from that and how important family becomes. They’re always looking forward to being together.”

Family is also the backbone of Gilberte Interiors, founded by her parents in 1967. Working in a family business can be complex, Cheryl acknowledges, but “I’ve had the opportunity to develop our business with my parents, my husband, my brother Aharon, and a dedicated team that feels like family. Partnering with my brother has been a defining and rewarding highlight of my professional journey.” It’s not just work for her. “Design is both my career and my passion. It’s a way of seeing the world that never really turns off. I’m constantly inspired by new ideas and the details that shape how we experience the world around us.”

A PASSION FOR OUR COMMUNITY

Growing up in a tight-knit family has also inspired her extensive volunteer work in Hanover. “I’m very community oriented. When I was growing up you knew everyone down the street, you knew all the business owners, and that’s how you operated. You help and take on anything you can. I was on the board of the Hanover Chamber of Commerce, in the Rotary, co-chaired the capital campaign for the Montshire Museum outdoor park, and have been involved with various other service organizations.”

She became interested in the Friends of Dartmouth Cancer Center when her then-young son wanted to ride the Prouty, the annual fundraiser for Dartmouth Cancer Center where participants can take part in biking, rowing, walking, or golfing events. She walks the Prouty every year, and about 10 years ago joined the board of the Friends of

“Because of my parents I have a real sense of being part of a community.” Cheryl’s community service has involved being a past member of the boards of the Hanover Chamber of Commerce and Montshire Museum, the Rotary, walking in the Prouty, and serving on the board of the Friends of Dartmouth Cancer Center for 10 years, where she is currently co-chair.

Top:

Right: Spending time on the river and thankful for the community that supports this sport for all ages.

Dartmouth Cancer Center. She is now cochair of the board and volunteers and helps plan many of the Friends of Dartmouth Cancer Center events, including the Team Tennis to Smash Cancer yearly fundraiser. The Fourth of July parade is another highprofile event that Cheryl has been involved with for many years. “The Friends and Prouty are in the parade. We put together a float and are part of the fun. I walk in it and get other people to walk in it.”

SPORTS, FRIENDSHIPS, AND NONPROFIT WORK

In her rare time off, Cheryl likes to row and play tennis. “I have competitively rowed with the master’s program of the Upper Valley Rowing Foundation and now I have my own single-shell that I row on my own. I haven’t competed in about four years. We have a house on the Connecticut River that we use in the summer, and I row whenever I can now. I miss competitive rowing, but tennis has been a great substitute because there’s a court down the street from where I live, so it’s easy to fit it in.” Cheryl belongs to the Storrs Pond Red Team, where she plays during the summer at the Storrs Pond Recreation Area, and in the winter she plays at least once a week at the indoor facilities at Dartmouth College.

Not surprisingly, Cheryl is a proponent of taking advantage of all the cultural and outdoor activities the area has to offer. “You just go do it,” she says. “My attitude about life here is try anything and be part of as much as you can take on because you do find joy in that.

“Because of my parents I have a real sense of being part of a community,” Cheryl says, which she attributes to being raised in a family-centered Armenian culture. “That foundation influences how I shape my life today—through sports, friendships, and nonprofit work. Whether it’s tennis, rowing, book group, or my involvement with organizations, that shared sense of purpose and collaboration is incredibly fulfilling. It gives meaning to why you’re here. It just adds to the fabric of your life.” t

Alpine Falls Ranch in Superior, Montana, is named for several small cascades, like this one by the main lodge.

Below: One of the spectacular views from the ranch of the Northern Rockies.

story and photography by Lisa Ballard

ALPINE FALLS RANCH

NOT A STANDARD GUEST RANCH EXPERIENCE

Last September, I had an epiphany while spending a couple of nights at Alpine Falls Ranch in Superior, Montana. Sometime between ages 30 and 60, I forgot how to dance!

While quietly eating dinner by myself in the ranch’s Six8 Saloon, a group of women from Atlanta sidled up to the bar and ordered a round of cocktails. A few minutes later, Jason, the ranch manager, introduced Ashley, a dance instructor from nearby Missoula, to the women at the bar. Dance instructor? Apparently, the Atlantans wanted to line dance as part of their Alpine Falls experience, and the ranch was happy to set it up.

Line dancing is a choreographed dance in which a group of people, standing in rows, repeat a pattern of steps, usually without partners or physical contact. Everyone faces the same direction and turns together as they perform the dance in unison. Line dances are not limited to a particular music genre. “YMCA,” popularized by the late-1970s pop band Village People, and the Macarena are examples of line dances. In Montana, line dancing has a decidedly country-western flare.

“Let’s start with an easy one called the Electric Slide,” said Ashley. “Come join us,” said one of the Atlantans to me. Years ago, I loved to dance and missed it. “Why not?” I thought and shyly made my way to the back of the exuberant bunch.

“Grapevine right. Touch. Grapevine left. Scuff and turn . . .” demonstrated Ashley, who patiently led us through the moves, then added music. I was happy to remain in the back, secretly misstepping as I tried to follow along.

The problem with the Electric Slide is that the lines turn toward each wall as the dance progresses. I started in the back, but by the second turn I was in front, feet fumbling for everyone to see. I finally got it on the fourth try and was grateful to be included in the fun, which is not the norm at Alpine Falls Ranch. One of the things that makes this guest ranch special is a policy it calls “BYOP” (bring your own people). Group functions happen only among guests who travel there together. The ranch curates an itinerary for each party prior to arrival, though I didn’t fully appreciate this personalized touch until I got there.

Above:

A group of women from Atlanta, who are guests at the ranch, learn how to line dance, led by a dance teacher from Missoula. The man in the back is the teacher's companion.

Right: The Six8 Saloon was built to host sorority formals but now serves as a bar, dining room, and dance hall.

The poker-playing racoons in the Six8

I was at the ranch alone for a couple days to go horseback riding, shoot some clays, and maybe photograph wildlife if the opportunity arose. (Line dancing was an unexpected bonus.) It was easy to get there, a short drive up a paved two-lane road off of I-90 about 50 minutes from Missoula. As soon as I turned off the interstate, I instantly left civilization. A forest of towering ponderosa pines framed the country road. It felt as if an elk or a mule deer might step out of the woods at any moment. Instead, a flock of Merriam’s wild turkey—smaller than the Eastern wild turkey, with white on the rims of its tail feathers—pecked in the grass beside the lane.

FIRST IMPRESSION

Upon arrival at the ranch, Peyton, the events coordinator who had helped plan my visit, greeted me by the saloon and checked me into the Stable View Cabin on a hillside shaded by more ponderosas. The “cabin” lived up to its name with a pleasant view of the stables below it, but it was hardly a cabin. It was a comfortable threebedroom home, decorated in upscale western, with lots of antlers, wood, and leather. In fact, all the cabins scattered around the 850-acre property were residences of former ranch owners.

Likewise, although the Six8 Saloon was a sizeable hall with a long, ornate bar at one end, it was not a saloon per se. Prior to becoming a guest ranch five years ago, the previous owner had two daughters at the University of Montana in Missoula.

Clockwise from opposite top: The horse barn and stables. The living room inside the Stable View Cabin, the home of a former ranch owner that's now a guest house. A sitting room inside the Stable View Cabin. A couple of the miniature donkeys nudge one of the Scottish Highlanders away from the hay inside their corral. Several guests on a private trail ride, traversing a field on horseback.

The property also borders 2.2million-acre Lolo National Forest, where guests often see elk, mule, white-tailed deer, black and grizzly bears, and . . . a llama?

Their parents built the saloon for sorority formals, so if things got rowdy, they would know their daughters were okay. It was quite the place for a private party! Besides the huge bar that harkened back to the Old West, there was a sitting area with soft leather couches, impressive Western artwork and sculptures, and unusual taxidermy, including a pint-sized card table with stuffed racoons posing as poker players.

“Would you like breakfast in your cabin?” asked Peyton. “And where would you like lunch and dinner?” At first, her questions confused me. I assumed all meals would be in the Six8 Saloon, which looked like a dining room. In fact, the ranch chef prepared guest meals in the restaurant-like kitchen through a door behind the bar. Other guest ranches that I had previously visited had a common dining room where everyone gathered for meals. However, at Alpine Falls Ranch, meals were at your whim. Cook them yourself in your cabin—the kitchens were fully outfitted—or have the ranch chef prepare your meals and then either deliver them to your cabin or eat in the saloon. I opted for breakfast in the house but lunch and dinner in the saloon, mainly for a change of scenery. I was glad for the privacy but didn’t need to be a hermit. Luckily, the ladies from Atlanta were a welcoming group. So was everyone else at the ranch.

SPORTING CLAYS

The next morning, Peyton had scheduled me for sporting clays. At the appointed hour, I walked the short distance to the designated meeting spot. It was technically not a sporting clays layout. Sporting clays has different target presentations set up at stations around a course. Instead, there was a high house and low house for skeet, and trap house in the middle, all facing a sizeable, grassy field. The skeet and the trap setups were informal, without standard “pegs” (places to stand).

“Stand wherever you wish,” said Jason, the ranch manager who stopped by to turn on the traps. “Is it just me?” I asked, still not fully acquainted with the degree of personalization at Alpine Falls and wondering how I might

press the button to release a clay target and shoot at the same time. “My partner Sarah loves sporting clays and would be glad to join you,” he offered. “She shot competitively before we moved here.” I was glad for the offer, not only for someone to “pull” the targets but also because it would be more fun to shoot with another person.

Jason called Sarah, who was there within minutes. He shot a couple of times, then left us to attend to his other ranch duties.

Sarah and I shot another dozen targets as the skies darkened, then an unexpected downpour forced us to take shelter in the skeet low house. As we watched raindrops meld into a gray wall of water, I learned that Sarah and Jason had moved to the ranch from Virginia in 2020, during COVID, to start the guest ranch. Two years later, Alpine Falls expanded by a third after acquiring another the ranch across the street called the Bear Ranch. The property also borders 2.2-million-acre Lolo National Forest, where guests often see elk, mule, white-tailed deer, black and grizzly bears, and . . . a llama?

UNLIKELY LIVESTOCK

“That’s Doc,” explained Danika, the ranch’s horse wrangler on a trail ride that afternoon after the weather cleared up. It was a private ride, just me and Danika. As I had experience on horseback, it was a casual outing with time to talk. No horses nose to tail in a long string behind a guide, which is more common elsewhere in the West on trail rides. In fact, my horse, Dibbs, liked to lead. Danika didn’t mind.

Doc raised his head and watched us pass from the middle of a pasture. Then another llama raised its head. “That’s Huck,” said Danika, referring to the other llama. “Doc was left to roam freely when a former llama farm went out of business. He eventually found his way to Alpine Falls Ranch, where he now guards the ranch’s miniature donkeys, along with Huck, another llama that the ranch got to keep Doc company.”

“Where are the cattle?” I asked Danika. Most guest ranches have cattle that guests on horseback can sometimes help round

up. It’s an activity that lets a visitor feel like a cowboy on their vacation, but not at Alpine Falls Ranch. “There are no cattle here, except for a couple miniature Scottish Highlanders, which are in with the donkeys,” replied Danika. “They’re shaggy and cute. Kids love to meet them.”

A few minutes later, we rode past a corral with a dozen or so goats in it. “Jason calls them ‘meat’ goats,’” explained Danika, as the goats trotted to the farthest end of the fence to watch us ride by. “A contingency of buying the Bear Ranch was taking care of their goat herd. They’re pets. They can be naughty, but no one plans to eat them.”

We rode through a field on the Bear Ranch where an episode of the reality television show The Real Housewives of Orange County was filmed. “They stayed in wall tents over there,” said Danika, pointing to place where a campfire had been. “If someone wants to glamp in a tent like they did, we’ll set it up for them.”

As we started up a trail into the woods, I tried to imagine those pampered, urban housewives sleeping in canvas wall tents, feeling as if they were roughing it even though they were glamping. Then, my thoughts wandered to the forest surrounding me. Periodically, mountains appeared between the sturdy bark pillars. The scenery was peaceful and beautiful in a way that calms the soul. Or was that the atmosphere cultivated by the ranch?

Alpine Falls Ranch is not a typical guest ranch. It has its own brand of Western magic. Next time, I’ll bring a few friends. t

MORE INFO alpinefalls.com

by katherine p. cox

Regenerative Aesthetics

IMPROVE SKIN QUALITY TO AGE WELL AND LOOK Y OUR BEST

“ We used to approach aging like makeup; covering up what we didn’t like. Now it’s about strengthening the structure underneath. The focus has shifted to collagen strength, skin elasticity, hydration, and glow. Resilience rather than rigidity. ”

“People don’t want to look different. They want to look like themselves on a really good day. That’s what’s shaping everything we’re seeing in 2026,” says Dr. Andre Berger, cosmetic surgeon and founder of the Rejuvalife Vitality Institute in Beverly Hills. “For a long time, aesthetic medicine focused on quick fixes. But today we’re having a very different conversation, because the future is about skin health, about tissue quality, and about supporting the body’s own ability to repair and renew.”

That’s the basis of what’s called regenerative aesthetics, where the goal is no longer about transformation but restoration. As Dr. Berger explains, “We used to approach aging like makeup; covering up what we didn’t like. Now it’s about strengthening the structure underneath. The focus has shifted to collagen strength, skin elasticity, hydration, and glow. Resilience rather than rigidity.”

LOOK RESTED, HEALTHY, AND UNTOUCHED

What’s partially driving this is that patients are asking smarter questions. “Patients want to know not just what a treatment does, they want to know how it’s done. They’re not as interested in instant gratification. They’re more interested in what their skin will look like in five to ten years.” One of the biggest changes Dr. Berger sees is a move away from overfilled, overtreated faces. “That doesn’t surprise me. Overfilling doesn’t just look artificial, it actually makes people look older over time.” Instead, treatments that improve skin quality and stimulate collagen tend to make people look better over time, Dr. Berger says. “The new status symbol in aesthetics is looking rested, healthy, and untouched.”

To achieve that look, the focus is on collagen-building treatments to rebuild the skin’s own support system. Collagen does not work overnight, Dr. Berger says, but when it works it’s subtle, elegant, and very natural. “It’s like a quiet luxury. Nobody can point to it, but everyone notices it.” Skin quality is also important with the new emphasis on more natural-looking aesthetics. “People are examining everything—the texture of their skin, the fine crepiness, the dullness and hydration. Instead of asking for bigger lips or sharper cheekbones, they’re asking for smoother, healthier-looking skin. Beautiful skin has become more important than dramatic contours.”

LAYERING COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS

Regenerative therapy that combines certain treatments is the latest approach to help patients get that natural, healthy look as they support skin repair, calm inflammation, and enhance recovery. Combination therapy stimulates collagen, creates controlled skin renewal, and supports the body’s healing response. “When you tie those elements correctly,

the results look effortless,” Dr. Berger says. “Aesthetics is becoming more human again. We’re moving away from trends that set aside individuality toward treatments that respect an individual’s facial identity, enhance their natural expression, and improve their skin health over time.”

Layering complementary treatments is the best approach to gently stimulate the skin so it repairs itself and improves over time, Dr. Berger says. One method uses a collagen-stimulating injectable combined with microdroplet hydration to provide a surface glow, such as hyaluronic acid. One builds the skin’s foundation and the other improves the texture and radiance of the skin. Skin looks smoother and firmer over months and there’s no overfilled look. “It’s a subtle, elegant improvement,” Dr. Berger says.

A second approach combines radiofrequency microneedling and regenerative support. “This is best for crepey skin, acne scars, large pores, and skin laxity.”

A microneedling device creates controlled skin renewal and stimulates new collagen formation and is combined with a regenerative topical, such as exosomes (tiny vesicles full of regenerative material) or PRP (platelet-rich plasma). The device wakes up the skin and the topical supports the healing and repair. Patients will notice a faster recovery, that their skin has better texture, and that the skin looks healthier, Dr. Beger says.

A third combination incorporates laser resurfacing and healing accelerators. This is good for sun-damaged skin, fine lines, and uneven skin tone. The laser treatment refreshes the surface, Dr. Berger says, and the regenerative topical calms the skin.

IMPROVE TEXTURE AND FIRMNESS

For tired skin or early signs of aging, PRP and microneedling (without radiofrequency) works well for several areas,

“ These combination treatments work because they respect how the skin actually ages. They improve quality—not just appearance—and deliver subtle results that compound over time.”

including hair-growth stimulation, skin rejuvenation, improved acne scars, the neck and jawline, the back of the hands, and the chest. “It’s not for more advanced situations,” Dr. Berger says. The microneedling refreshes the skin and stimulates collagen and the PRP supports the healing response. Patients will notice a gradual brightness, healthier skin tone, and improved texture.

The neck and the chest can benefit from regenerative therapies as well. “We combine energy-based skin tightening with a collagen-stimulating injectable and a skin-quality hydration treatment. It works because the neck and the chest age differently than the face. Patients will see smoother skin texture, improved firmness, and a more youthful appearance.

“These combination treatments work because they respect how the skin actually ages. They improve quality—not just appearance—and deliver subtle results that compound over time,” Dr. Berger says. “People want to age well. They don’t want to chase their youth anymore. The future of beauty isn’t anti-aging, it’s having confidence in what the future will bring.” t

For more from Dr. Berger, see his book The Beverly Hills Anti-Aging Prescription.

THE HOOD MUSEUM OF ART | @

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

SPRING EVENTS

The Hood Museum of Art is free and open to all. Public programs are free unless otherwise noted. Hours: Wednesday, 11am–5pm; Thursday and Friday, 11am–8pm; Saturday, 1–5pm. For information, visit hoodmuseum.dartmouth.edu or call (603) 646-2808.

Join us for lectures with scholars and discussions with artists. Contribute to important conversations on current issues and take a closer look at works in the collection. We can’t wait to see you in the galleries!

On view through July 11, 2026

Inhabiting Historical Time: Slavery and its Afterlives

This exhibition explores slavery’s impact and its enduring legacies via histories of oppression, resistance, subversion, and resilience.

On view through July 25, 2026

Art Histories/Art Futures

ArtHistories/ArtFutures is an introduction to the Hood Museum’s suite of exhibitions marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.

On view through August 8, 2026

Revolution Reconsidered: History, Myth, and Propaganda

This exhibition explores how visual representations of the American Revolution

became, and remain, potent carriers of national history and identity.

On view through August 29, 2026

Nurturing Nationhood: Artistic Constructions of America, 1790–1940

Featuring works from the 18th through the 20th centuries, this exhibition explores how art has played a role in defining, nurturing, and maintaining nationhood across what we now know as the United States.

On view through November 7, 2026

American Pop

AmericanPop considers how artists respond to, appropriate, and critique popular imagery from visual culture in what is now the United States.

March 19

Adult Workshop: Expressive Writing: AmericanPop 6–7:30pm

April 1

Conversations and Connections: American Pop and Nurturing Nationhood 12:30–1:30pm

April 11

Storytime in the Galleries 11–11:45am

April 11

Maker Drop-In

This month we are playing with paper! Drop in to the Russo Atrium to make table sculptures with paper using a range of techniques. 1–4pm

April 16

Special Lecture and Reception: “How Did We Get Here? Thoughts on American Painting in the United States” 5–6pm

April 29

A Space for Dialogue Gallery Talk: A Seat at the Table

This exhibition invites viewers to think about the ritual of sharing a meal, and how gathering allows humans to connect and create meaning in their lives.

4–4:45pm

May 7

Lecture: “Colors in Renaissance Florence” 5–6pm

May 9

Community Day 1–4pm

May 13

Exhibition Tour: American Pop 12:30–1:30pm

May 20

A Space for Dialogue Gallery Talk: Window and Mirror: Distinctions between Artists and Their Subjects

The exhibition invites us to discover how artists explore their identity and relationships with their creations.

4–4:45pm

May 28

The Manton Foundation Annual Orozco Lecture: “From Orozco to Lee Qoede: How Mexican Murals Inspired Korean Art” 5–6pm

SPRING EVENTS

HOPKINS CENTER FOR THE ARTS

@ DARTMOUTH COLLEGE hop.dartmouth.edu

For information, tickets, or pricing information, call (603) 646-2422 or visit hop.dartmouth.edu.

March 15

Member Event: Oscars Brunch Top of the Hop, 11am

March 21

123 Andres Spaulding Auditorium, 2pm

March 22

Met Opera in HD: TristanundIsolde Spaulding Auditorium, 12pm

April 2, 3

Hop Artist-in-Residence: The TEAM The Moore Theater, 7:30pm

April 10

Still/Here Pre-Show Talk Top of the Hop, 6:30pm

April 10, 11

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company: Still/Here The Moore Theater, 7:30pm

April 13

Jordi Savall

Spaulding Auditorium, 7:30pm

April 14

School Matinee Performance: Music, Rhythm & Storytelling with Sunny Jain Morris Recital Hall, 10am

April 16

Sunny Jain

Spaulding Auditorium, 7:30pm

April 18

HopStop Family Show: Lindsay and Her Puppet Pals

Daryl Roth Studio Theater, 11am

April 19

Recital Series: Tyshawn Sorey Trio

Morris Recital Hall, 4 & 7:30pm

April 22

Recital Series: Sally Pinkas

Morris Recital Hall, 7:30pm

April 24, 25

Alessandro Sciarroni: Save the Last Dance for Me

Morris Recital Hall, Fri 2 & 5pm; Sat 2pm

April 25

Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap

Spaulding Auditorium, 7:30pm

April 29

Dover Quartet: Pre-Show Talk Top of the Hop, 6:30pm

April 29

Dover Quartet

Spaulding Auditorium, 7:30pm

May 2

Spring 2026 Handel Society & Glee Club

Spaulding Auditorium, 7:30pm

May 3

Met Opera in HD: Eugene Onegin Spaulding Auditorium, 1pm

May 5

Recital Series: Francesco Libetta

Morris Recital Hall, 7pm

May 8, 9

Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra & Dance Ensemble: Firebird

Daryl Roth Studio Theater & Spaulding Auditorium, 7:30pm

May 12

Spring 2026 Dartmouth College Glee Club Top of the Hop, 1pm

May 16

Spring 2026 Coast Jazz Orchestra Spaulding Auditorium, 7:30pm

May 23

HopStop Family Show: Mister Chris & Friends Top of the Hop, 11am

May 23

Spring 2026 Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble

Spaulding Auditorium, 7:30pm

May 27–31

Green Day’s American Idiot

The Moore Theater, 7:30pm; Sat 3 & 7:30pm; Sun 3pm

May 28

Spring 2026 Dartmouth College Gospel Choir

Spaulding Auditorium, 7:30pm

May 31

Met Oper in HD: El Ultimo Sueno de Frida y Diego

Spaulding Auditorium, 1pm

Bubbles: Science in Soap

Learn the joy, wonder, and science that can be found in just soap and water.

HAPPENINGS | SPRING 2026

Montshire Museum of Science One Montshire Road Norwich, VT (802) 649-2200 montshire.org

Exhibit: TOYS:TheInsideStory

Exhibit: Timber Tumble

Exhibit: Wonder Woods

Exhibit: Bubbles:ScienceinSoap

Exhibit: Solve It! Puzzles, Math & Problem-Solving

Exhibit: Discoveringthe Natural World

Exhibit: Air Works

Exhibit: Life in Local Waters

Hands-On Science Activities

March 14

Astronomy Day 10:30am

March 27

Montshire After Dark 6:30pm

April 7

Gertrude Jekyll and Her Influence with Suzanne Dworsky 1pm

April 11 Robotics Day 10am

May 5

Historic Preservation Through a Garden Lens with Diana KimballAnderson 1pm

Etna Library 130 Etna Road Etna, NH (603) 643-3116 www.etna-library.org

Mondays Lego Club 3:30pm

2nd & 4th Fridays Knitting & Needlecrafters Group 2:30pm

March 15

1st & 3rd Tuesdays Arts & Crafts Club 3:30pm

1st Wednesdays Cookbook Club 12pm

2nd Wednesdays Universal Yums 3:30pm

4th Wednesdays Etna Library Book Group 7pm

Fridays Story Time 10am

Winter Scavenger Hunt & Migration Meal Making 10:30am

May 3–July 18

America’s 250th Birthday Story Walk

May 13

What the Declaration of Independence Offers US Social Movements Trumbull Hall, 6pm

May 23

Apple Pie Festival at the Etna Library’s Gazebo 1pm

The Fourth Place

3 Lebanon Street (Second Floor) Hanover, NH thefourthplacehanover.com

Wednesdays

New Comic Book Day 2–5pm

1st Wednesday Upper Valley Young Professionals Game Night 6pm

2nd Wednesday Wargames & Card Games 6pm

3rd Wednesday Prototype Games

6–10pm 4th Wednesday Wingspan and Nature Games 6pm

Thursdays Magic: Commander Night 4–11pm

Thursdays Board Game Night 6–10pm

Fridays Star Wars: Unlimited 5–11pm

1st Friday

Friday Night Magic: Standard 4–11pm

2nd Friday

Friday Night Magic: Draft 6–11pm

3rd Friday

Friday Night Magic: Pauper 4–11pm

4th Friday

Friday Night Magic: Modern 4–11pm

4th Friday

Star Wars Unlimited: Monthly Sealed Event! 6pm

5th Friday Friday Night Magic: Star 4–11pm

1st Weekend Roleplaying Games Weekend

Saturdays Multiplayer Video Games 6–11pm

Saturdays Pathfinder Society 6pm

2nd Saturday Crafting Time 3pm

Hikes for Every Month of the Year!

Download full directions for your own self-guided hike around Hanover—where to go, what you’ll see, plus a glimpse into the backstory. Access each hike on your phone (if cell service allows) or print the PDF version to take with you.

Visit Hanover Conservancy’s website, hanoverconservancy.org/hike-of-themonth, for more information.

March

Corey Road and the AT, 2 miles round-trip

Storied Stones of the South Side, 1.75 miles

Trescott Trails: Knapp Road and Ascutney View, 2.6 miles round-trip

April

Mink Brook and Tanzi Tract, 1.5 miles

May

Hayes Farm Park and Audrey McCollum Trail, 1.1 miles round-trip

Headwaters Forest Spring Loop, 1.75 miles

Waterfalls of Slade Brook, 1 mile round-trip Wildflowers and Waterfalls, 2.5 miles

2nd Saturday Mario Kart Night 6pm

2nd & 4th Saturdays Classic Civilization 2–6pm

3rd Saturday Blood on the Clocktower 6–11pm

4th Saturday Up-Air Valley: Smash Bros. League 1–6pm

4th Saturday Pride Game Night 6pm

Sundays Family Afternoon 12–5pm

Sundays Learn & Play: One Piece Card Game 3–6pm

1st & 3rd Sundays Taverns & Towers 1:30–6pm

2nd Sunday Manga & Comic Book Clubs 3pm

3rd Sunday Upper Valley Scrabble Club 4–8pm

4th Sunday Pokemon 2pm

4th Sunday Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Club 3pm

March 4, April 4, May 4 Community Appreciation Day 10–10:30am

Howe Library

13 South Street

Hanover, NH

(603) 643-4120 www.howelibrary.org

Mondays Chess Club 4 Kids 5pm

Wednesdays

Bilingual Storytime Children’s Program Room, 10:30am

Wednesdays

Drop-in Tech Help New Books Area Table, 11:30am

Thursdays

Simply Storytime Mayer Room, 10:30am

Fridays

Bach Study Group Mayer Room, 10am

March 10

Ted Levin and Erin Donahue: Trail Cams and the Promise of Sunrise Mayer Room, 6:30pm

March 10, April 14, May 12

Books and Lunch on Tuesdays Aldrich Room, 12pm

March 11, April 8 Club Fourth-Fifth-Sixth Mayer Room, 2:30pm

March 11

Howe@snorth: Literary Trivia! Still North Books & Bar, 6:30pm

March 12, April 2 Legos at the Library Children’s Program Room, 3:45pm

March 12

The Rise of the Book: A Revolution? Rauner Special Collections Library, 6pm

happenings | Howe Library

March 16, 30, April 13, 27, May 11, 25

The Howe Writing Group Aldrich Room, 5:30pm

March 19, April 16, May 21

Science Fiction Book Group Aldrich Room, 6pm

March 21, April 4, 18, May 2, 16, 30

Adult Dungeons and Dragons Session 1 10am; Session 2 1pm

March 21, April 4

Memory Café Mayer Room, 10:30am

March 21, April 4, 18, May 2, 16, 30

Upper Valley Traditional Music Jam Mayer Room, 3pm

March 24

Sound Healing and Journey with Heide Scheurer Mayer Room, 6:30pm

March 25

College Town Conversations: Darwin, Colonialism, and the Lost Tribes of the Fuegian Archipelago Mayer Room, 6:30pm

March 27

Music in the Library: The Occasional Jug Band Main Floor New Books Area, 3:30pm

March 28

Build a Bug Shelter with Professor Bugman Children’s Program Room, 2pm

April 1, May 6

Tomes of Magic Aldrich Room, 6pm

April 6, May 4, 18

The Howe Critique Group Aldrich Room, 5:30pm

April 12, May 3

Calligraphy Practice Meetup Murray Room, 1pm

April 12, May 3

Howe Teen Activities Group Rotary Room, 1pm

April 12

Winter Film Series: The Hobby Mayer Room, 2:30pm

April 17

Music in the Library: Blue Streak Main Floor New Books Area, 3:30pm

April 22

Art in the Library: Japanese Stab Binding Sketchbook Murray Room, 5pm

April 28

Celebrating the 250th: The Native Americans’ Revolution Mayer Room, 6:30pm

May 10

Winter Film Series: Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes Mayer Room, 2:30pm

May 13

Celebrating the 240th: Frontier of Revolution: The Upper Valley in 1776 Mayer Room, 6:30pm

May 19

Celebrating the 250th: One Nation Under Siege: The First Amendment and the perils of Christian Nationalism Mayer Room, 6:30pm

May 28

Celebrating the 250th: The Spirit of ’76: Can the People Rule? Mayer Room, 6:30pm

OTHER NOTEWORTHY EVENTS

Exhibit: A Few of Our Favorite Things: Treasures from the Collection Norwich Historical Society norwichhistory.org

Online Exhibit: Mad for Mid-Century Modern Norwich Historical Society norwichhistory.org

Online Exhibit: Norwich’s Vandalized Bible— Mending the Spaces Between Norwich Historical Society norwichhistory.org

Online Exhibit: Norwich Women Crafting the Future Norwich Historical Society norwichhistory.org

OTHER NOTEWORTHY EVENTS

Online Exhibit: Poets and the Past Norwich Historical Society norwichhistory.org

March 10, 17, 24

Open House Behind the Scenes

Norwich Historical Society, 10am norwichhistory.org

March 10

Oona Metz in Conversation with Allison Moir-Smith – Unhitched

The Norwich Bookstore, 7pm norwichbookstore.com

March 12

Edith Forbes – The Lawnmower Lady

The Norwich Bookstore, 7pm norwichbookstore.com

March 19

Dan Chaisson in Conversation with Makenna Goodman –Bernie for Burlington

The Norwich Bookstore, 7pm norwichbookstore.com

March 20

Fiber Arts Weekend

Enfield Shaker Museum, 12pm shakermuseum.org

March 24

Anne Fadiman in Conversation with Jane Stetson – Frog and Other Essays

The Norwich Bookstore, 7pm norwichbookstore.com

April 7

Betzy Bancroft – Herbal Pharmacy

The Norwich Bookstore, 7pm norwichbookstore.com

April 17

Spring Shaker Forum

Enfield Shaker Museum, 12pm shakermuseum.org

May 5

Scudder H. Parker and Kerrin McCadden – The Poem of the World & American Wake

The Norwich Bookstore, 7pm norwichbookstore.com

3 Phase Landscaping 48

Allen Pools & Spas 49

American Precision Museum 39

Anichini 6

Baker Orthodontics 18

Belletetes 12

Bethel Mills 59

Billings Farm & Museum 38

Bowman 4

CB Lifestyles 10

Carpet Mill 8

Carson Wealth/Fisher Financial Advisors 38

Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center 19

Cota & Cota 80

Crossroads Academy 85

Crown Point Cabinetry 31

Crown Point Select 9

DRM 94

Dartmouth Authentic 35

Designer Gold 23

ADVERTISERS INDEX | SPRING 2026

Doyle and Loughman Wealth Management Group 1

Dr. Alla Devitskaya 84

Dutille's Jewelry Design Studio 37

Frank Webb Home 25

Friends of Dartmouth Cancer Center/Prouty 81

GR Porter & Sons 79

Gilberte Interiors 15

Glowen Day Spa 62

Half-Step Beer & Wine 62

Hanover Inn 71

Hanover Parks and Rec 27

Hanover Road Dental Health 81

Hennessey Architecture 37

Higgerson & Co. 17

Hill Opticians & Gallagher Eyecare 80

Hillside Builders 60

Ivy IV Aesthetics 84

JMH Wealth Management 51

Jasmin Auto Sales 94

Jeff Wilmot Painting & Wallpapering, Inc. 93

Kendal at Hanover 93

Landshapes 34

LaValley Building Supply 21

Law Office of Margaret A. Jacobs 49

Lemon Tree Gifts 62

LindeMac Real Estate 39

Loch Lyme Lodge 90

Lyme Road Dental 2

MB Pro Landscape Design 20

Martha E. Diebold Real Estate Inside front cover

Matt Brown Fine Art 63

Mighty Yoga 63

Mudge Greeley Architects 18

NT Ferro Estate & Custom Jewelers 5

Nathan Wechsler & Co 85

Peraza Dermatology Group 11

Pierce McLaughry Group 3

River Road Veterinary Clinic 92

Rousseau & Ross Back cover

Shaker Hill Granite 71

Simple Energy 82

Snyder Donegan Real Estate Group 13

Sweetland Farm CSA & Farmstand 63

Systems Plus 60

The Fourth Place 64

The Ivy Edit 64

The Lyme Inn 79

The Tea House 65

Upper Valley Septic Professionals 78

Valley Floors 82

Verani Realty Inside back cover

Visage Med Spa 34

WISE 92

Walt & Ernie’s Barbershop 64

White River Family Eyecare/ Hanover Eyecare 91

Williamson Group 7

Willow Brook Realty 61

Winterberry Interior Design 51

Woodstock Inn & Resort 19

Get listed on the greateruppervalley.com BUSINESS DIRECTORY and you will also be included on our printed list in every issue of Here In Hanover (see page 23).

HERE’S HOW!

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by mike morin

A Chat with Robert Houseman

Hanover

Town Manager

How are you addressing Hanover’s regional housing shortage and,by extension,affordability?

Hanover is taking a “yes-and” approach: zoning reform, targeted public investment, and partnerships. We’ve updated zoning to allow more diverse housing types, are working on a workforce housing project in collaboration with our nonprofit partner, and we are aligning infrastructure investments to unlock appropriately scaled development. We are focused on housing that serves people who work here in the Upper Valley: teachers, health care workers, and town staff, so growth directly supports community stability. That said, construction costs and changes in funding make it very challenging to bring projects forward.

How is the town’s Sustainable Master Plan preparing for impacts of climate change?

The Sustainable Master Plan moves beyond aspiration into implementation. It prioritizes climate resilience in land use, transportation, energy, and municipal operations. That includes reducing emissions through building efficiency and fleet electrification, planning infrastructure for more extreme weather, protecting natural systems, and embedding sustainability into everyday decision-making so climate preparedness is not siloed but routine.

What’s your team’s game plan for helping Hanover maintain its small-town character and charm while accommodating new construction and parking pressures? Our strategy is intentional, not reactive. We’re directing growth to appropriate areas, emphasizing high-quality design, walkability, and context-sensitive development. On parking, we’re shifting from a “build more spaces” mindset to better management, shared parking, pricing, time limits, and alternatives like walking and biking, so downtown remains accessible without being overwhelmed by cars.

You’ve been a frequent attendee of the monthly DowntownBusinessGroupmeetings.Anything new you’d like to share about that group’s vision for downtown?

The Downtown Business Group is aligned around a shared goal: a vibrant, economically healthy downtown that works for residents, visitors, and businesses alike. There’s strong interest in placemaking, events, improved wayfinding, and incremental public-realm improvements. The group is not focused on problem identification but on solutions, which is great.

How do you spend your free time,enjoying the benefits of living in such a dynamic and fun region?

Like many people here, I take advantage of the outdoors. I enjoy trail running, hiking, mountain biking, and road biking, along with the food and cultural life. t