To "Air" is human!!

In spite of decades of population growth and aspirations to be seen as cutting edge, Concord is still, at heart, a small city populated by thousands of people who have lived here for decades.  It is those “long-timers” who have helped to make it unique, sometimes quirky and frequently unforgettable.

This fact hits home every Saturday morning when I venture downtown to take in our Farmer’s Market.  Those several hours each week solidify, better than anything else, the sense of community that has served our city so well for hundreds of years.

While checking out an array of wonderful goodies, there is the chance to connect with locals from every facet of the city.

Politicians, business owners, lawyers, teachers and clergy are all in a festive mood, approachable and reveling in the moment.

Last Saturday, in less than fifteen minutes, I had conversations with Mayor Bouley and his wife Tara, Carol Bagan, who helped save our City Auditorium and Cindy Flanagan, who through the years has helped hundreds if not thousands of locals find their “inner dancer”!!

I was also amazed at the number of people who approached me to let me know they’d listened to the first broadcast of the new radio show, “Downtown Dialogues” that I am doing weekly on WKXL.  Mayor Bouley was my first guest.

Growing up in Concord, WKXL was always on in our house. It was the voice of the community and the names of those who worked there were like family members.  Dick Osborne, Jim Jeannotte, Jim Rivers and Gardner Hill whose program, “Coffee Chat” was must listening.

I was a guest on “Coffee Chat” several times, did some theatrical reviews for the station in the early 80’s and frequently tuned in to find out what was happening in Concord.

More recently I have been a guest on “NH Now”, the daily program hosted by Chris Ryan and Jeanne Lester and have been pleasantly surprised at how cutting edge the station has become, reinventing itself to be more relevant.

When I was approached about hosting a weekly show, I jumped at the opportunity, clearly channeling my “Inner Ham” in the process.

I know there is always the risk of falling flat on my face. I have certainly done that in my life when biting off more than I could chew. After all, there is a possibility that a large audience may not be interested in hearing what I have to say.

However, I resolved many years ago, that I was not going to be one of those older individuals with a bag full of regrets about what might have been or fill my head with wondering whether or not I could have done something when the opportunity was presented.  I’d much rather try and fail than to take the safe route at every juncture.

My hope is that, as with many of my blogs, I can comfortably mix a dose of nostalgia and history for the Concord I have known, with interesting stories about the culture and arts that fill our city with abundance, and bring on a cross section of the city’s fascinating residents.

I enjoyed my chat with the Mayor and this week I have a much beloved figure in the community, Jim MacKay, a former Mayor and, at 83, more active than many who are half his age. He’s presently in his 7th term in the House of Representatives and shows no signs of slowing down.

Recently I taped a show, to be broadcast in September, with Katrina Swett, President of The Lantos Foundation, an organization whose effect is felt worldwide and is located right in downtown Concord.

Next week my guest will be the Patch’s Tony Schinella and I look forward to interviewing him.

My wish is to make sure the show has multiple viewpoints and is not merely a forum for what I may think or feel. I want to hear what others have to say, even if I may disagree.