1. A groundbreaking ceremony was recently held in Manchester for the Mark Stebbins Community Center, which will house the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Manchester and Amoskeag Health upon completion in fall 2026. The facility is named in honor of Mark Stebbins, the late chairman and CEO of PROCON, who gave to New Hampshire community causes for many years. Stebbins family members joined community leaders, donors, supporters and project managers for the groundbreaking, with Gov. Kelly Ayotte and Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais in attendance.
2. Portland, Oregon-based ice cream company Salt & Straw opened its first New England location at Tuscan Village in Salem on July 2. The first 100 guests received free beverages from The Friendly Toast to celebrate the grand opening. Salt & Straw, founded by cousins Kim and Tyler Malek, pictured, operates in seven other states and offers 13 classic flavors that are always available, as well as a monthly rotating menu of limited-time flavors.
3. St. Mary’s Bank recently opened its latest branch in Concord, celebrating the new location with a ribbon-cutting on June 13. Bank and city officials, Greater Concord Chamber members and business leaders participated in the ceremony before touring the branch and meeting its staff. The branch is located off exit 13 on Interstate 93 and is the first St. Mary’s Bank in the area.
4. On June 26, Advantage Truck Group in Manchester delivered 600 “breakfast bundle” meals to Families in Transition’s food pantry. ATG employees prepared the bundles the day before during a meal-packing event at its Manchester facility. They made the donations as part of the company’s “Haulin’ 4 Hunger” initiative, which also serves pantries in Lancaster, Lebanon and Seabrook.
5. Merrimack County Savings Bank contributed $10,000 to the White Birch Center in Henniker, securing transportation for nearly 50 children enrolled in the center’s summer camp to go on field trips. The funds also expand the maximum capacity of group outings beyond the center’s 14-passenger allowance on current buses.
6. Plymouth State University’s Alumni Association hosted its 10th annual Students, Scholarships and Service Dinner at the Barn on the Pemi in Plymouth on June 5, recognizing former Gov. Chris Sununu with the Robert Frost Contemporary American Award, and Barbara Ashley with the Raymond S. Burton Public Service Award. Ashley, a longtime leader of the Littleton Chamber of Commerce and Burton’s Executive Council treasurer, introduced varsity girls’ skiing and track and field to Concord High School in the 1960s.
7. Bank of New Hampshire made a $2,500 charitable donation to the nonprofit Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) on May 29, which provides affordable transit to Seacoast commuters. The donation will support the development of COAST’s new operations facility in Dover. Shown are BNH’s Shelley-Ann Cullen and Melissa Williams with COAST Executive Director Rad Nichols.
