Define your neighborhood at Laconia Talks program on Thursday

LACONIA — The city is made up of three neighborhoods: Downtown, Lakeport and The Weirs. At least, that’s the conventional wisdom about Laconia.

Jared Guilmett thinks the city is far more complex, though, and that’s why the first topic for the Laconia Talks series of community conversations.

“Getting to Know Your Neighborhood” will take place on Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Laconia Community Center, starting at 5 p.m. The event is free, but Celebrate Laconia, the nonprofit organizing the series of conversations, is asking that participants pre-register at celebratelaconia.org so that they can accommodate everyone. Some parking is available at the Community Center, and overflow parking will be available across the street at Laconia High School.

“This is the first of the 2020 program; we’re super excited,” said Guilmett, vice-president of Celebrate Laconia.

Laconia Talks, a series sponsored by Meredith Village Savings Bank, held its first program in November, featuring a talk by accessibility expert Quemel Arroyo. Guilmett said the format for Thursday’s program will be more interactive, with the hope of compiling information about the city’s various neighborhoods from the people who live in them.

“We thought it made a lot of sense to kick off the program with getting to know your neighborhood, getting to know your neighbors. We don’t often know who we live around, what potential our neighborhoods have,” Guilmett said.

After a welcome and introduction by local real estate professional Michael Gagnon, attendees will break into groups and, using maps of the city, define the boundaries of their neighborhoods and describe its advantages and challenges.

The series is not meant to be a string of complaint sessions, Guilmett said. “They’re meant to be productive conversations,” which will inform Celebrate Laconia as to how it should best advocate for a healthier community. Laconia Talks is a tool that the independent organization hopes will empower city residents who wouldn’t normally show up at a City Council meeting or call a department head.

The end goal, he said, would show that there’s more to the city than the commonly understood three main neighborhoods. Guilmett said he expected to compile “a quilt of neighborhoods.”

“I think we’re going to have some really incredible maps,” Guilmett said. “We’re really shining a light on who we are as a city.”

He said he is also hoping that residents will be inspired to steer their own pocket of the city toward a direction of their choosing.

“We, as individuals, can take ownership of our neighborhoods. Neighborhoods are not static … we, as individuals, can take control of defining our city.”

Those who aren’t able to attend the event can play along at home by watching a livestream on LRPA.org, or via Celebrate Laconia’s Facebook page, where they will also be able to ask a question that will be answered by the moderator.

“Everyone is welcome, the program is free. We want to engage all community members in this. If they want to be more of an observer of the process, that’s fine. If they want to be right in the mix, drawing on the maps, we welcome that,” Guilmett said. “We will use the information we gather from these events in as many ways as we can.”

After Thursday’s program, there will be nine other Laconia Talks scheduled in 2020. The March 26 Laconia Talks will tackle “Parking Perceptions.” Subsequent programs will focus on economic and workforce development, housing, urban re-development, public art, nonprofits, social engagement, our natural environment and, lastly, our social environment.