MVSB (Meredith Village Savings Bank) is proud to continue their support of Lakes Region Mental Health Center (LRMHC) with a $3,000 presenting sponsorship for the organization’s 11th Annual Mental Health Awareness Online Auction. The auction runs October 12-26 and will include a variety of items, gift cards and gift baskets donated from individuals and businesses across the Lakes Region.

“Supporting the LRMHC auction through sponsorships, donations and bidding is a wonderful way to aid in their mission to increase mental health awareness and support,” said Rick Wyman, former MVSB President. “The work they do is vital to maintaining healthy local communities that flourish.”

“The annual auction is our largest fundraiser each year and the proceeds will be used to help maintain and increase mental health services for our patients,” said Maggie Pritchard, LRMHC Chief Executive Officer. “We are grateful for businesses like MVSB for their continued support. We hope everyone will bid high and bid often to make this our most successful year yet.”

The auction will support the more than 4,000 children, families and adults that LRMHC serves throughout Belknap and southern Grafton counties. Go to www.lrmhc.org/annual-auction for more information and to register for the auction.

Unlike a stock bank, MVSB is a mutual savings bank that operates for the benefit of its depositors, borrowers and surrounding communities. As a result, MVSB has remained steadfast in fostering the economic health and well-being of the community since it was founded in 1869. For over 150 years, Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB), has been serving the people, businesses, nonprofits and municipalities of New Hampshire. MVSB and its employees are guided by the values of accountability, mutuality, excellence, respect, integrity, teamwork and stewardship. To learn more, visit any of the local branch offices located in Alton, Ashland, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Melvin Village, Meredith, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Rochester or Wolfeboro, call 800.922.6872 or visit mvsb.com.

Caption: Rick Wyman, former MVSB President, and Maggie Pritchard, Lakes Region Mental Health Center CEO, pose with a few of the auction items donated for the upcoming LRMHC Online Auction.  Courtesy photo

MVSB’s (Meredith Village Savings Bank) Christina “Tina” Simpson has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, Commercial Digital Small Business Lending & Credit Analyst. In this role, Tina oversees MVSB’s new online small business lending system, provides the primary support for the bank’s U.S. Small Business Administration loan guarantee programs and also performs credit analysis for larger, more complex credit relationships.

“Tina is all about supporting our business clients. She was the driving force behind the implementation of our digital Business Express lending platform and she is committed to providing the best possible experience to her customers,” said Eric MacDonald, Vice President Commercial Credit Manager. “Her knowledge of our SBA loan programs is unmatched and her enthusiasm for leading this digital initiative is sure to make it successful. I am proud to promote her to this new leadership level.”

“It is amazing to be a part of such a caring team at MVSB,” said Tina. “I am so excited to introduce people to our new online business loan programs. I think they will be very pleased with how fast and easy we’ve made the application process. Bringing innovation like this to our customers makes it fun to come into work every day. I look forward to helping them succeed in their ventures.”

Tina served as a Senior Credit Analyst for MVSB prior to being promoted. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and her Master of Business Administration degree from Southern New Hampshire University. She is also a graduate of the Northern New England School of Banking.

Tina has served as a youth soccer, basketball, and softball coach for many years and volunteers with the Make-a-Wish Foundation and Lakes Region Children’s Auction. She resides in Meredith with her husband and their two daughters. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family camping, fishing and four-wheeling.

Unlike a stock bank, MVSB is a mutual savings bank that operates for the benefit of its depositors, borrowers and surrounding communities. As a result, MVSB has remained steadfast in fostering the economic health and well-being of the community since it was founded in 1869. For over 150 years, Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB), has been serving the people, businesses, nonprofits and municipalities of New Hampshire. MVSB and its employees are guided by the values of accountability, mutuality, excellence, respect, integrity, teamwork and stewardship. To learn more, visit any of the local branch offices located in Alton, Ashland, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Melvin Village, Meredith, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Rochester or Wolfeboro, call 800.922.6872 or visit mvsb.com.

 

Caption: Tina Simpson, Assistant Vice President, Commercial Digital Small Business Lending & Credit Analyst

Cornerstone VNA, a local nonprofit home health and hospice care provider, is delighted to be chosen as one of four recipients of proceeds from October sales at The Fabulous Find in Kittery, ME. The Fabulous Find, a 501c3 non-profit organization (listed under A Caring Community), is a beautifully merchandized boutique style resale shop, located at 139 State Rd (Route One) in Kittery, which partners with different worthy, local non-profit organizations each month.

According to Marcye Philbrook, The Fabulous Find Board President, “All profits are donated to whatever organizations are selected by our board for that month. Our overhead is low, and the more sales we do, the bigger the check to each nonprofit at the end of the month.” Philbrook adds, “We opened in mid-July of 2010, and with tremendous support from the community, we have given out over $2.3 million dollars to more than 150 local non-profits. Amazing!”

Julie Reynolds, RN, MS, CEO of Cornerstone VNA remarks, “Cornerstone VNA truly appreciates being selected as one of the October beneficiaries alongside the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, Triangle Club and Pro Portsmouth.”  Reynolds adds, “The quality of The Fabulous Find store and the money they raise to benefit local non-profit organizations is quite exceptional.”

Cornerstone VNA encourages community members and supporters to donate gently worn clothing, jewelry, and home décor, and also shop at The Fabulous Find all month long. Additional details on what the boutique accepts for donations can be found at www.thefabulousfind.org/donate.

Cornerstone VNA currently serves Rockingham, Strafford, Belknap and Carroll Counties in New Hampshire and York County in Maine. The team at Cornerstone VNA provides award-winning care and support through five distinct programs: Home Care, Hospice Care, Palliative Care, Life Care-Private Duty, and Community Care. For 109 years, Cornerstone VNA has been committed to bringing services to people of all ages so that families can stay together at home, even when facing the challenges of aging, surgical recovery, chronic or life-threatening illnesses or end-of-life care. To learn more about Cornerstone VNA, visit www.cornerstonevna.org or call 800-691-1133.

Twenty-four local amateur and professional photographers are winners of the MVSB (Meredith Village Savings Bank) community photo contest. The winners were selected through a blind review process by a group of MVSB employees and Corporators using an extensive review process.

Complementary calendars are expected to arrive in all 13 branch offices this fall where community members can come in to pick up desk tent or wall-hanging options.

“We had hundreds of impressive photo submissions this year and it was difficult for us to narrow down the final selections,” said Cindy Hemeon-Plessner, MVSB Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing and Experience Officer. “Each winning selection tells a story and elicits emotions - from respect and sadness to joy and awe. Because of the beauty of the Lakes and Seacoast Regions, there are several landscape photos while others feature local flora and fauna – both wild and domesticated. They winning photos are truly spectacular.”

The winning selections for the 2023 Community Calendar include:

• ·        January: Milky Way over the rocky shore of Rye by Marie Sapienza
• ·        February: Barred Owl by Petros Tsanlaredes
• ·        March: Maple sugaring by Robert Kozlow
• ·        April: Sunrise on Mount Major by John Scott Shelburne
• ·        May: Checking out the visitor by Elissa Paquette
• ·        June: Baby loon by Christopher Agurkis
• ·        July: Laconia by Cathy Landroche
• ·        August: Rocky beach by Holly Heath
• ·        September: Last call by Sue Bean
• ·        October: Ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad by Corey McKean
• ·        November: Heroes by Robert Manley
• ·        December: Center Harbor by John Parolin

John Parolin’s photo “Center Harbor” will be featured on MVSB’s 2023 holiday season communications. Marie Sapienza’s photo “Milky Way over the rocky shores of Rye” will be featured as the calendar cover photo.

The MVSB website features photos from many years of previous contests as well. The following artists will have photos added to the catalogue of pictures that are featured throughout the year: Cathy Ahrens, Donna Leavitt, Jennifer Richard, Kathleen Curran, Mary Dean, Mike Weinhold, Randy Wilson, Robert Kozlow, Sandra Wing, Sarah Duval, Stacey Leonard, Stacy Wyman, Thomas Fleury, Wendy Avery, and William Larson. Brenda Kean will have her winning photo featured as an MVSB notecard.

Go to mvsb.com/annual-community-photo-contest to read more and view the winning photos.

Unlike a stock bank, MVSB is a mutual savings bank that operates for the benefit of its depositors, borrowers and surrounding communities. As a result, MVSB has remained steadfast in fostering the economic health and well-being of the community since it was founded in 1869. For over 150 years, Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB), has been serving the people, businesses, nonprofits and municipalities of New Hampshire. MVSB and its employees are guided by the values of accountability, mutuality, excellence, respect, integrity, teamwork and stewardship. To learn more, visit any of the local branch offices located in Alton, Ashland, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Melvin Village, Meredith, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Rochester or Wolfeboro, call 800.922.6872 or visit mvsb.com.

Caption: Barred Owl by Petros Tsanlaredes, MVSB Community Photo Contest winner

Apex Eyecare, a new optometry practice located in the Tanger Outlets shopping center in Tilton, recently opened their doors with financing from MVSB (Meredith Village Savings Bank). They offer routine and medical eye exams, including an optical shop with a wide selection of contact lenses and glasses.

Dr. Deidre Cullen is a licensed Optometrist and Samantha Sarson is a licensed Optician with several years of experience in the eye care field. They worked closely with Dan Osetek, MVSB Senior Vice President, Commercial Lending Team Leader, and used MVSB’s specialized medical professional practice loan to finance their new practice.

“It was an honor to help Deidre and Samantha achieve their dreams of opening their own practice and we are excited to welcome Apex Eyecare to the region,” said Osetek. “They took advantage of our relatively new and innovative financing option for qualified medical practices. The flexible loan terms allowed them to access financing quickly and will allow them to focus on what really matters most – their patients.”

“It has been a vision of ours to open our own practice and the Lakes Region communities have been nothing but welcoming to us,” said Dr. Cullen. “We are proud to offer full-service optometry exams and are fully stocked with frames for the whole family – from infant to adult sizes. We are also thankful to Dan and the whole team at MVSB, who really went above and beyond in turning our dream into reality.”

Dr. Cullen graduated as salutatorian of her class at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2018. Sarson is an American Board of Opticianry (ABO) certified optician that started her career in 2011. Prior to opening Apex Eyecare, Dr. Cullen and Sarson worked together for a Concord-based eye care practice since 2018. Both reside in Laconia and are excited to build their eye care practice close to home and help serve the eye care needs of the local communities. 

Visit apexeyenh.com or stop by their location in the northwest corner of the Tanger Outlets in Tilton to learn more.

Unlike a stock bank, MVSB is a mutual savings bank that operates for the benefit of its depositors, borrowers and surrounding communities. As a result, MVSB has remained steadfast in fostering the economic health and well-being of the community since it was founded in 1869. For over 150 years, Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB), has been serving the people, businesses, nonprofits and municipalities of New Hampshire. MVSB and its employees are guided by the values of accountability, mutuality, excellence, respect, integrity, teamwork and stewardship. To learn more, visit any of the local branch offices located in Alton, Ashland, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Melvin Village, Meredith, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Rochester or Wolfeboro, call 800.922.6872 or visit mvsb.com.

Caption: From right, Dan Osetek, MVSB Senior Vice President, Commercial Lending Team Leader, stands with Apex Eyecare owners Dr. Deidre Cullen and Samantha Sarson at their new location in the Tanger Outlets shopping center in Tilton. Courtesy photo

Vouchers for Veterans recently received a $5,000 donation from MVSB (Meredith Village Savings Bank) to support their efforts to provide Veterans in New Hampshire and Maine with food vouchers redeemable at local farmers markets.

“We are committed to giving back to our Veterans, and the voucher program allows us to show our appreciation by offering fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and other goods,” said Jeanne Grover, Vouchers for Veterans President. “The program has only continued to grow since we started in 2016 from the outpour of community backing we have received. We are incredibly thankful for local organizations such as MVSB who have supported our efforts.”

“MVSB recently joined the Rochester community with the opening our new branch and we are excited for opportunities to invest in our local communities,” said Jolene Whitehead, MVSB Branch & Business Development Manager. “We are proud to donate to this program as it not only gives back to those who have served, but it also benefits the local growers and farmers.”

Vouchers for Veterans is a Rochester-based nonprofit that sets up booths at participating local farmers markets where Veterans can receive and redeem their vouchers. Go to vouchersforveterans.org to learn more, donate or find a list of upcoming dates and locations. 

Unlike a stock bank, MVSB is a mutual savings bank that operates for the benefit of its depositors, borrowers and surrounding communities. As a result, MVSB has remained steadfast in fostering the economic health and well-being of the community since it was founded in 1869. For over 150 years, Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB), has been serving the people, businesses, nonprofits and municipalities of New Hampshire. MVSB and its employees are guided by the values of accountability, mutuality, excellence, respect, integrity, teamwork and stewardship. To learn more, visit any of the local branch offices located in Alton, Ashland, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Melvin Village, Meredith, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Rochester or Wolfeboro, call 800.922.6872 or visit mvsb.com.

Caption: Jolene Whitehead, MVSB Branch & Business Development Manager, (left) and Nicole Ames, MVSB Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS #2370119, present a donation check to the volunteers at Voucher for Veterans at MVSB’s new Rochester branch.

MVSB (Meredith Village Savings Bank) is proud to announce the promotion of Stacy Trites to Senior Vice President, Senior Retail Banking Officer. She currently serves as Assistant Vice President, Branch & Business Development Officer for the Bank’s Moultonborough branch office. She will assume her new role in October and will succeed Marcus Weeks, who was recently announced as the next MVSB President.

Trites will oversee all retail banking activities for MVSB, which includes supervising the branch and business development teams and leading the Bank’s product and service sales and customer support.   

“Over the past decade, Stacy has been a vital contributor to our growth and success of MVSB and we are excited to honor her hard work and passion with this promotion,” said Weeks. “She empowers her employees to learn and grow, has been deeply involved in the local communities, and has developed meaningful relationships with our customers. We look forward to continuing to grow under her leadership.”

“The thing I enjoy most about working at MVSB is the relationships we build and that there is a true sense of care in everything we do,” said Trites. “Although I will certainly miss working closely with customers day-to-day at the branch, I look forward to ensuring the continued personalized community banking that MVSB is known for and to helping fine tune our products and services to support customers with their financial needs.”

Trites joined MVSB in 2009 as a part-time teller in the Wolfeboro office and has held several retail leadership roles with the Bank. She was promoted to Branch Service Supervisor at the Laconia office in 2013 and to Branch & Business Development Manager at the Moultonborough Office in 2016. In 2020, she was promoted to her role of Assistant Vice President, Branch & Business Development Officer.

In the community, Trites serves as a trustee for the Eastern Lakes Region Housing Coalition Beck Memorial Fund and treasurer of the Kingswood Vocational Student Building Trust. She is also a past chair of the Governor Wentworth Regional School Board and a graduate of the Leadership Lakes Region program.

Trites holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Journalism from the University of New Hampshire and she recently graduated from the rigorous New England School for Financial Studies program at Babson College. She grew up in the Lakes Region and currently resides in Wolfeboro where she enjoys spending time on the lake with her husband Tom and their three daughters.

Unlike a stock bank, MVSB is a mutual savings bank that operates for the benefit of its depositors, borrowers and surrounding communities. As a result, MVSB has remained steadfast in fostering the economic health and well-being of the community since it was founded in 1869. For over 150 years, Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB), has been serving the people, businesses, nonprofits and municipalities of New Hampshire. MVSB and its employees are guided by the values of accountability, mutuality, excellence, respect, integrity, teamwork and stewardship. To learn more, visit any of the local branch offices located in Alton, Ashland, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Melvin Village, Meredith, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Rochester or Wolfeboro, call 800.922.6872 or visit mvsb.com.

Caption: Stacy Trites, Senior Vice President, Senior Retail Banking Officer

Local nonprofits who wish to apply for a grant from the MVSB (Meredith Village Savings Bank) Fund can do so by October 15. The application and instructions can be accessed online at mvsb.com/community-involvement.

Established in 1997, under the leadership of John Starrett, then-President and CEO of the Bank, the MVSB Fund at New Hampshire Charitable Foundation makes grant-based contributions to nonprofit organizations that enrich and improve the quality of life for residents living in the Bank’s service areas.

Since the Fund’s inception, nearly 550 grants have been awarded, totaling more than $1.7 million dollars in contributions to a wide range of environmental, social, educational and historic projects throughout the greater Lakes Region, Plymouth and Seacoast areas of New Hampshire.

The MVSB Fund has supported literacy programs, after-school programs, environmental monitoring, as well as education and restoration of historic structures, organizations that provide support for individuals and families in challenging circumstances and equipment that helps save lives. While not focused on a particular category, Fund administrators are mindful of the receiving organization and their contribution to the quality of life in the communities being served.

Grants generally range from $1,000 to $15,000 and are awarded to 501(c)(3) nonprofits and public agencies based in the Lakes Region, Plymouth and Seacoast areas. Projects supported are of high priority and need for the applicant organization and are related to their mission or development; demonstrate a clear, practical plan with objectives for services, participation and results; leverage other funding and/or voluntary support; offer evidence that project objectives will be accomplished within the grant period and demonstrate cooperation and collaboration with other organizations to provide greater community impact.

Go to mvsb.com/community-involvement to learn more and to apply.

Unlike a stock bank, MVSB is a mutual savings bank that operates for the benefit of its depositors, borrowers and surrounding communities. As a result, MVSB has remained steadfast in fostering the economic health and well-being of the community since it was founded in 1869. For over 150 years, Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB), has been serving the people, businesses, nonprofits and municipalities of New Hampshire. MVSB and its employees are guided by the values of accountability, mutuality, excellence, respect, integrity, teamwork and stewardship. To learn more, visit any of the local branch offices located in Alton, Ashland, Center Harbor, Gilford, Laconia, Melvin Village, Meredith, Moultonborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Rochester or Wolfeboro, call 800.922.6872 or visit mvsb.com.

Dover, NH – The region’s public transit system is on track to resume limited Saturday service beginning on September 17. COAST has not operated any Saturday service since late-May because of a shortage of bus operators.

“At this point we have enough operators who are willing to work extra shifts on a regular and ongoing basis to announce the return of limited Saturday services, starting on September 17,” said Rad Nichols, COAST Executive Director. “Unexpected staffing challenges can of course affect these plans,” he added.

Saturday services will be limited to the following bus routes and service hours, for now.

Route 1 (Dover/Somersworth/Berwick): 9:30 am – 3:25pm, with a service gap between 11:30am and 12:30pm

Route 12 (Rochester/Somersworth/Dover): 8:30am – 4:00pm

Route 13 (Dover/Portsmouth): 7:30am – 3:30pm

Route 14 (Rochester): 9:00am – 1:55pm

Route 41 (Lafayette Trolley): 9:00am – 3:50pm, with a service gap between 12:00 and 1:00pm

COAST, like many public transit systems across the country, has struggled to hire enough staff to maintain their full bus schedules.

As the COAST board of directors considers the upcoming FY23 operating budget, increases in operator pay and other potential enhancements to retain current and attract new staff are being considered. “One of our primary goals is to address the issues we are having with bus operator staffing, and to consider what we can do to address that as we develop the upcoming operating budget,” stated David Sandmann, COAST’s Chair of the Board.

For the most up-to-date information on COAST services, please visit COAST’s website at www.coastbus.org, Facebook page at www.facebook.com/COASTbus and twitter account @COASTbus. 

The Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) has provided public transit service to the Seacoast New Hampshire region since 1982. COAST is a public, non-profit transit system that relies primarily on federal and local government support to operate. COAST is governed by a board of directors representing the communities served, two regional planning commissions, and many local and state agencies.

Photo credit: Erin Thomas

Dover, NH – The Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) is thrilled to announce that our new bus tracking mobile app will officially go live on Tuesday, September 6.  Passengers can download Passio GO! to their smartphones to view arrival times and bus locations in real-time. This app is free to download from the Google Play or App Store. The current mobile app used for tracking COAST buses, DoubleMap, will no longer track the locations of COAST buses as of September 6.

With this technology upgrade, Greater Seacoast public transit riders can access Information about individual COAST routes, schedules, and stops. Riders can also set bus arrival alerts and tag favorites, saving time, and reducing wait times at bus stops. Additional alerts for route changes or delays serve to keep all riders informed.

“As was the case with the rollout of our previous bus tracking mobile app, there may be a break-in period for our staff as we integrate the new technology into our day-to-day operations,” remarked Rad Nichols, COAST Executive Director. “We are very excited to move to this new platform and expect that our passengers will be pleased with the new app. The convenience of being able to see how our bus system is operating in real time on your phone or computer makes a real difference for public transit users.”

About COAST
The Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) has provided public transit service to the Seacoast New Hampshire region since 1982. COAST is a non-profit agency, operating a regional public transit system that relies primarily on federal and local government support to operate. COAST is governed by a board of directors representing the communities served, two regional planning commissions, and many local and state agencies. COAST’s vision is to be an innovative leader in providing a broad range of public transportation services, connecting, and coordinating a robust network of transportation options for everyone. For additional information, please visit www.coastbus.org.

About Passio Technologies
Named as one of 2018's TAG Top 40 Innovative Companies in Georgia, and to Inc. Magazine’s 5,000 fastest growing companies for 2018 and 2019, Passio Technologies is a leading provider of fixed route, paratransit, non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), and on demand solutions for transit systems of all sizes. Passio’s exclusive platform answers the daily challenges present in managing transportation systems, providing a single solution that integrates the technology that passengers demand and operators require for excellent transit service. Through onboard connectivity, IoT collection and integration, and cloud-based, open-architecture aggregation, Passio provides over 225 transit agencies with operational authority, improving mobility for passengers nationwide. For additional information, please visit www.passiotech.com.

Contact:

Rad Nichols

rnichols@coastbus.org

603-516-0782

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