Langdon Meetinghouse Celebration

Today, I had the honor of attending a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Langdon Meetinghouse to celebrate the completion of the downstairs restoration.

The Langdon Meetinghouse is not just a NH landmark, I consider it a national treasure. For over 213 years, the people of Langdon have used this building as their community center, seat of government, and at one time a place of worship. Whatever its role at the moment, the Meetinghouse is always the true center of Langdon.

Even more remarkable, while some funding has been available, this building survives only because of the commitment and dedication of local people. You have taken this on, as others before you have, and it is through your efforts alone that this timeless piece of NH history remains.

As Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, I also serve on the New Hampshire Conservation Number Plate Advisory Committee, which oversees LCHIP funding from those plates. I thought that when I first began going to those meetings, I would make it a point to ensure that others knew of your extraordinary accomplishment. I did not get the chance. People across the state already know about it. It actually became a topic at the end of our first meeting, when someone expressed amazement at the resources generated, and volunteerism of a tiny town like Langdon. It was generally agreed, with no prodding needed from me, that your efforts should be an example to the rest of the state.

In a day and age where people tend to forget history, it is important to preserve historical places so that we can see it, feel it, touch it. I am personally grateful to Langdon for preserving the Meetinghouse so that my children can walk into NH history and experience it themselves.

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LCHIP at work in District 11

Acworth
The Friends of the Acworth Meetinghouse, in partnership with the Acworth Cemetery Trustees, were recently awarded $34,000 to document and rehabilitate the Acworth Horse Sheds, located behind the Acworth Meetinghouse. Most NH towns had community horse sheds, but as transportation evolved away from the horse and buggy, most of these structures were abandoned or torn down. The Acworth Horse Sheds is one of only nine known remaining examples in New Hampshire of this once ubiquitous building type. The predecessor of the Friends of the Acworth Meetinghouse, the Acworth Meetinghouse Restoration Project, received LCHIP grants in 2007 and 2010 to rehabilitate the Acworth Meetinghouse. The project was honored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2011.
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Flu Clinics for Local Children

Greater Sullivan County Public Health Network Hosts Flu Clinics for Local Children

NEWPORT, NH – Through a grant from the State of NH Department of Health and Human Services, the Greater Sullivan County Public Health Network managed school-based flu immunization clinics in October and November that vaccinated over 750 local children in 21 schools within four school districts, up from 570 students in the 2014-2015 school year. This reflects an increase from about 47% to over 60% of students vaccinated against the flu.

Nancy Houghton, a consultant working with the County, said that Charlestown schools participated in the first clinic of the year in early October and the immunization season concluded with clinics at the Newport schools in December. The public health network immunized children in Charlestown Primary School, Charlestown Middle School, and North Charlestown Community School; Croydon Village School; Acworth Center School; Alstead Primary School; Sara Porter School; Vilas Middle School; Kearsarge Regional Elementary Schools in New London, Sutton, Bradford, and Warner; Cornish and Unity Elementary Schools; Richards and Towle Schools in Newport; and Claremont Middle School, Maple Avenue, Disnard, and Bluff Elementary Schools in Claremont.

The school-based clinics offer free flu immunizations to students in the hopes of reducing influenza outbreaks. The cost of a sick child is tangible to the family and to the schools: statistics show that a family will save over $450 per child if their family remains healthy over the school year. The Greater Sullivan County Public Health Network credits the school nurses and administration who were cooperative, organized, and helpful in making these clinics happen.

Kirsten Dattilio, Regional Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the Greater Sullivan County Public Health Network since September, has been working with Nancy Houghton to run the clinics. Houghton is a long time Medical Reserve Corps volunteer for the region and has assisted with the clinics for the past four years. Nurses are provided by Lake Sunapee Region VNA and Hospice, where the clinics were organized by Catherine Freudenberg. As they have for the past three years, nurses Jan Sahler and Judy Morrissey traveled with Houghton to each clinic to administer the vaccines through a nasal mist or injection. Students who receive the vaccine remain under supervision for 15 minutes, pick out a sticker, and return to class.

You can follow the Greater Sullivan County Public Health Network on Facebook at @GSCPHN. The Greater Sullivan County Public Health Network is a collaborative of the county, municipalities and numerous health and human service agencies, schools, and community groups that work to improve our region’s capacity and capability to manage all health emergencies.

 

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Press Release Contact:  Kirsten Dattilio, EP & SBC Coordinator

Tel. (603) 863-2560 Ext. 158 / Email:  phn@sullivancountynh.gov

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