Forums such as this one are not new to our part of the world. Stoddard and Hancock held one a few years back, and Harrisville is going to hold their second town-wide forum this fall.  These forums resulted in a number of projects coming to fruition, such as the creation of a Community Supported Agriculture Farm, the re-opening of a general store, and the establishment of a town newsletter. These are some concrete examples of what other towns decided their communities needed to become stronger. What will be the results of Nelson’s forum this September? No one knows–that’s the beauty of it. When one hundred people or so get together to toss ideas back and forth, who can say what the outcome will be?

While this may sound like a recipe for chaos, the forum will be professionally facilitated. People brainstorm in small groups of ten or so, and report their ideas to the larger group. The result is a slate of ideas and projects that, with the support of forum participants, can move forward constructively and bring the community closer together.

Your voice is unique and your viewpoint is valuable. Wouldn’t you like the chance to share them? Consider accepting the invitation to the Nelson Community Forum on September 17^th and 18^th.  The Forum will be held at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music. To find out more information, or to sign up for the forum directly, visit the Moving in Step table at Old Home Days, surf over to www.movinginstep.org, or call Betsey Church 847-3206 or Kathy Schillemat 847-9785.

You’re Invited to the Nelson Community Forum, at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music

Any day now you should be receiving an invitation to the Nelson Community Forum. The forum is a chance for Nelson residents (both the year-round and the summer variety) to come together and discuss the future of our town. It is a chance to share reflections on what makes Nelson such a great place to live and to cultivate new ideas that will make it even better. It is a chance to connect with neighbors; but like every other chance, it is only worth something if you take it.

Forums such as this one are not new to our part of the world. Stoddard and Hancock held one a few years back, and Harrisville is going to hold their second town-wide forum this fall.  These forums resulted in a number of projects coming to fruition, such as the creation of a Community Supported Agriculture Farm, the re-opening of a general store, and the establishment of a town newsletter. These are some concrete examples of what other towns decided their communities needed to become stronger. What will be the results of Nelson’s forum this September? No one knows–that’s the beauty of it. When one hundred people or so get together to toss ideas back and forth, who can say what the outcome will be?

While this may sound like a recipe for chaos, the forum will be professionally facilitated. People brainstorm in small groups of ten or so, and report their ideas to the larger group. The result is a slate of ideas and projects that, with the support of forum participants, can move forward constructively and bring the community closer together.

Your voice is unique and your viewpoint is valuable. Wouldn’t you like the chance to share them? Consider accepting the invitation to the Nelson Community Forum on September 17^th and 18^th. To find out more information, or to sign up for the forum directly, visit the Moving in Step table at Old Home Days, surf over to www.movinginstep.org, or call Betsey Church 847-3206 or Kathy Schillemat 847-9785.

Moving In Step, a Community Project, will sponsor a live talk this evening given by Bonnie Hudspeth of Monadnock Marketplace.  Bonnie will fill us in on the new Co-Op being formed this year for residents in the Monadnock Region.

We all meet at around 6:30 in the evening in the Henry Melville Fellowship Hall of the Nelson Congregational Church. There’s plenty of parking at the church or in the lot at the Town Common. We do ask that you not park on Log Cabin Road because it makes that road rather narrow for traffic to pass.

These Pot Luck Suppers are free and open to all residents of our community, young and old. Just bring a covered dish or dessert to share, your own plates, cups and cutlery.

For more information on the 1st Thursday Pot Luck Suppers, visit Moving In Step

The Steering Committee of Moving In Step, a Community Project, will meet this evening at the Olivia Rodham Memorial Library on Nelson Common Road at 7:15 pm.

On the agenda:

Old Business
Committee Reports
The Nelson Community Forum
New Business
and any other matters

The public is invited to this meeting.

The Steering Committee of Moving In Step, a Community Project, will meet this evening at the Olivia Rodham Memorial Library on Nelson Common Road at 7:15 pm.

On the agenda:

Old Business
Committee Reports
The Nelson Community Forum
New Business
and any other matters

The public is invited to this meeting.

On May 18, 2010 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM, the National Weather Service will be conducting a Skywarn Spotter training session…at the Nelson Safety Complex, behind the Town Barn and Fire Station.

Fairgrounds in Swanzey, NH on July 3, 1997 which was hit by a F1 tornado.

The session is open to the public free of charge (your tax dollars already paid for it!).  A very informative and entertaining Powerpoint slide show will be given that shows the cloud features associated with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes…as well as some look-alikes that a non-trained person might think is severe but actually is not.  Examples from New England are stressed, including damage photos from the 1953 Worcester tornado, the 1979 Windsor Locks tornado, the 1986 Providence/Cranston tornado, the 1995 great Barrington tornado, the 1995 Brockton downburst, and more recent tornadoes in Swanzey, Greenfield, and Antrim, NH.  There is also a portion on snow measuring and other winter weather reporting procedures.

The training also stresses what types of phenomena should be reported. Upon completion of the training, identification cards are handed out along with a special phone number for reporting directly to the National Weather Service.

The Supervisors of the Checklist will be meeting at the Town Offices to deal with 30-day letters, register new voters and make changes/additions to the voter checklist.

The supervisors of the checklist will meet at the Brick Schoolhouse to register new voters from 7 – 7:30 p.m.

The following is a list of current occupants of each school district office and who is running for re-election and who is not running.  If you are interested in running for office, we recommend that you contact one or more current office holders to learn more about  the job details and time commitments.

To file for a school district office, call Kathy Schillemat, School District Clerk, at 847-9785 to arrange a mutually convenient time.  The filing period for school district offices is Jan 20 -29, 2010.

School District Officers

School Board
Kelly French, Chair-Term expires 2010 – running (3 yr term)
Michael Cornog-Term expires 2012
Betsy Street-Term expires 2011

Moderator
Richard Church-Term expires 2011

School Clerk
Kathy Schillemat-Term expires 2011

Treasurer
Hope Lothrop-Term expires 2011

The supervisors of the checklist will meet at the Brick Schoolhouse to register new voters from 7 – 7:30 p.m.

The following is a list of current members of each office and who is running for re-election and who is not running.  If you are interested in running for office, we recommend that you contact one or more current office holders to learn more about  the job details and time commitments.

You can file for office at the Town Clerk’s Office.  The filing period for town offices/committees is as follows:
Wednesday, January 20, 2010   5PM-8PM
Thursday, January 21, 2010   9AM-Noon
Tuesday, January 26, 2010   9AM-Noon
Wednesday, January 27, 2010   5PM-8PM
Thursday, January 28, 2010   9AM-Noon
Friday, January 29, 2010    4PM-5PM

Town Officers

Selectmen
Michael Blaudschun, Chair
Margaret Schillemat
Sam Bouchie-Term expires 2010-not running (3 year term)

Moderator
Richard Church-Term expires 2010-running  (2 year term)

Town Clerk/Tax Collector
Teri Upton-Term expires 2010-running (3 year term)

Treasurer
Tom Buttrick-Term expires 2010-not running (1 year term)

Trustees of the Trust Fund (Also members of the Cemetery Board)
Edith Notman
Peter Brngr
Patricia Jones-Term expires 2010-running (3 year term)

Auditor
Richard Lothrop-Term expires 2010-not running (1 year term)

Cemetery Board
Theresa Upton
Alfred Struthers, Cemetery Sexton
Roberta Wingerson-Term expires 2010-not running (3 year term)

Trustees of the Library
Bruce McSheehy, Chair
Linda Cates, Treasurer
John Zurich, Secretary
Susan Meehan-Term expires 2010-running (3 year term)
Max Nunnemaker-Term expires 2010-running (3 year term)

Zoning Board of Adjustment
Rich Popovic, Chair
Dona Girvan
Michael Giacomo
Maurice Legace-Term expires 2010-not running (3 year term)
Michael Blaudschun-Term expires 2010-not running (3 year term)

Planning Board
Troy Tucker
David Voymas-Term expires 2010-running (3 year term)
Hunt Smith-Term expires 2010-running (2 year term)
Open Position (2 year term)

Road Equipment Committee (also includes Road Agent and Selectmen)
Kirk Dale
Jim Russell-Term expires 2010-running (3 year term)
Open position (2 year term)

Supervisors of the Checklist
Betsey Church
Susan Peery
Rita Schillemat, Chair-Term expires 2010-not running (6 year term)

Emergency Management Officer
Richard Lothrop-Term expires 2010-running (1 year term)