In this new monthly feature one of our favorite seniors, Anita Hickey, will chat up a different senior each month to coincide with the Senior Section. First up: State Rep. Stephen Shurtleff.
How long have you been a resident of this community, and what do you like about living here? I was born in Concord in 1947 at the old Memorial Hospital on South Spring Street. Except for the three years I spent in the U.S. Army and the three years I spent in Cleveland, Ohio – my first duty station when employed by the U.S. Marshals Service – Concord has always been my home.
Living in Penacook, you have the advantages of living in a city, but the warmth and friendliness of a small village. As my son once told me, “Concord is a city that you leave because you think it’s so quiet, but it’s the place you want to come back to, to raise your own family.”
What do you do in the community to keep busy? I am in my third term in the New Hampshire House, where I chair the Criminal Justice and Pubic Safety Committee. I also serve as a Concord city councilor at large. I serve on the board of directors for the New Hampshire Association for the Blind, the Penacook Community Center, Penacook Historical Society and the Penacook Village Association. They all keep me busy, but I really enjoy it.
What are your interests and hobbies? My primary interest is my family, my brothers and sister, my children and now my grandchildren. I’ve always enjoyed history, especially New Hampshire and Concord history. My sister Claire has talked me into taking up skiing again this winter, and I’m looking forward to that.
Speaking of skiing, what else do you find to do for entertainment in our community? We are fortunate in Concord, because we have the Capitol Center for the Arts, Red River Theatres, the Community Players, the Walker Lectures and the Gile Concerts. Concord is a very active city, and one can always find something to do that is enjoyable.
What do you feel is needed to improve the quality of life for our senior citizens? I think the partnership between the Centennial Senior Center and the Concord Recreation Department has been very beneficial to seniors. With the activities that are offered to seniors at the West Street Ward House and the lunches at Horseshoe Pond Place, we have two great gathering places. The Penacook Community Center has a wonderful program for seniors living in West Concord, Penacook and surrounding communities. I would eventually like to see the current activities, hours and facilities expanded. Over time I am quite sure this will happen.
Do you have any suggestions for other seniors as to how to fulfill the Golden Years? When I retired, someone told me that “it’s better to wear out then to rust out,” and I think that’s true. I think it’s important to keep busy and active. There are organizations in Concord and Penacook that are always looking for volunteers – schools, churches, hospitals, nursing homes, etc. I think seniors make the best volunteers because they bring so much to any job they undertake.
Thanks Steve for this wonderful interview. You are a valuable senior citizen who donates endless hours of your time to serve the residents of Penacook and Concord. Steve, you truly are an inspiration to all us.
