The Andover Community Association (ACA) continued its journey of becoming an active community resource in April by:
- Offering four courses or workshops on personal well-being and sustainable living
- Announcing a Travel Night on Wednesday, May 27, the first in a projected series to feature local residents showcasing photographs and impressions from recent journeys
- Developing a series of “Space Explorations” of Andover and the surrounding area to begin in June
- Planning Community Coffeehouse events well into the summer
- Exploring how existing groups in the community can better communicate with one another and with Andover residents
- Choosing a board of directors and taking steps to achieve non-profit status
Commenting on ACA progress since its January inception, ACA Board Chairman and Andover resident Paul Currier said, “We’re extremely gratified by all the support we’ve received to date. At the same time, in order to implement all the suggestions for programs that have come our way, and to tap new community resources, we’d love to have more participation from local residents. So anyone who has ideas, skills, and/or time to contribute, please contact us at AndoverCommunity03216@nullgmail.com.”
Classes, Workshops, and More
The April classes and workshops included a Tai Chi class that continues to meet on Saturday mornings in the Andover Elementary/Middle School gym; a lively six-week discussion group focusing on the concepts of permaculture as they apply to gardening; a tree-pruning demonstration offered by Highland Lake Orchards owner Peter Zak at the home of Jimmy Sferes and Jennifer White on Beech Hill Road; and a group discussion on “eating your yard – growing edibles as well as ornamentals in your front yard.” For more information about classes, workshops, and other events, e-mail AndoverCommunity03216@nullgmail.com.
The “Travel Nights” and “Space Explorations” series are being organized by an ACA committee calling itself the Andover Institute. Its aim is to offer presentations, workshops, and other special events that deliver fresh perspectives about the area we live in and the people we call our neighbors. Its name echoes that of an earlier local educational effort, the short-lived Highland Lake Institute, formed in 1850 to offer educational opportunities for local residents. The present Highland Lake Grange Hall was built to house it.
The first “Travel Night” will be held on Wednesday, May 27, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM in the Highland Lake Grange Hall in East Andover. The first “Space Explorations” event, to offer a guided tour behind the scenes at Proctor Academy, will take place in June. See the June Beacon for details.
The Community Coffeehouse will offer featured performances and open-microphone opportunities on Friday evenings, May 15 and June 19. A series of outdoor concerts later in the summer is in the planning stages.
A community communication group has begun working with the Beacon and other resources to explore ways to expand the variety of ways that local organizations and individuals communicate with one another, including, for example, town signage, local Web sites, newsletters, social media, an updated “Our Town” directory, and so on.
A newly formed ACA board of directors includes local residents Carl Ahern, Susan and Larry Chase, Duncan Coolidge, Paul Currier (chair), Jay Fitzpatrick, Vicky Mishcon, Janet Moore, Nancy Teach, and Jennifer White. The board is applying to the State of New Hampshire for non-profit status preliminary to gaining recognition by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) non-profit and tax-exempt organization.
All ACA events scheduled to date are open to the public at no charge, except for the tai chi class, which charges a small weekly fee to compensate the leader for her time and travel.