Frequently Asked Questions

Will there be coffee?

Yes, there will be coffee at the kickoff event in Keene.

Should I bring a sign?

Yes, bring a sign. Please keep it tasteful.

Should I bring baked goods to share at the kickoff event?

We wouldn't say no. If you want to bring something tasty to share, feel free to drop it off at the food tent. Please avoid nuts or other foods that would cause allergies.

Can I volunteer to help?

Yes, we have many roles to fill throughout the day, from set up to clean up, crossing guards and food service. You can sign up here to volunteer for Keene events. For other events, you will need to check with those organizers.

Where do I park?

For the kickoff event at Ladies Wildwood Park, you can park across the street at Wheelock Park or on local neighborhood streets. There is no parking on Arch Street or Park Ave.

For the Bridge Brigade over 101, use the following map to park:

For the Bridge Brigade over Route 9, here is the parking map:

For the event in Swanzey in front of the Potash Bowl, please park behind town hall, down the street out of the way, or on the edge of the High School parking lot.

Do I need to sign up ahead of time?

You can let us know you are coming for the Bridge Brigades:

Sign up to stand at the Route 101 pedestrian bridge in Keene

or 

Sign up to stand at the Route 9 pedestrian bridge in Keene

If there are counter-protesters, should I engage with them?

Please don't. Should you encounter a hostile attendee, we ask that you follow these guidelines:

• Do not engage verbally
• Ignore and/or move away
• Maintain safe physical distance
• Listen to instructions from event organizers
• Safely document any hostile actions you witness with photos or video
• Report threats of harm, vandalism, or physical altercations to local law enforcement and organizers 

Let's work together to keep everyone safe!

Anything else?

For questions, contact Bobby Williams - spikewilliams@gmail.com

You’re in luck! The advocacy group, Kent Street Coalition have put together a panel of activists who will be discussing many aspects of the Free Staters. Some topic examples: Project 2025 plays a big role with Free Staters both in and out of the NH legislature, which shows by the votes of the Republican majority. Important issues under constant attack are public education and its funding along with the eroding of voting rights are topics for discussion. Most people are probably unaware of any neo-nazi and white supremacy disinformation campaigns taking place in NH. That too, is up for discussion. Want to make your voice heard in Concord? Learn how to do so while also learning more about the legislative process.

The panel consists of: David Trumble who received a law degree in 1983 from the University of NH School of Law. 
Bill Maddocks is affiliated with No Hate NH at Granite State Progress. 
Rep. David Meuse of Portsmouth, Rep. Russell Muirhead of Hanover and Rep. Wendy Thomas of Merrimack complete the panel.

This will be a ZOOM event held on Thursday, Oct. 9th from 6:30-8:30. It is billed as, “Shaping New Hampshire - How Free State, Project 2025, and Outsiders Are Influencing Our Laws—and What Comes Next.” Click here to register for this event. 

In the meantime, if you would like to get involved there are plenty of organizations who would welcome more willing help during these uncertain times. A list is below, perhaps one of those organizations is right for you!

Remember, this all ends when enough of us say “NO”!!

Racial justice and DEIJ: NHCJE, NAACP Chapters (Seacoast, Manchester, Nashua), Black Lives Matter, Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Jewish Federation of NH

Voting rights and legislative action: Open Democracy, Kent Street Coalition, Rights and Democracy

Hate crimes watch and peacekeeping: Granite State Progress/No Hate New Hampshire, NH Peace Action Peacekeeping Project, Task Force Butler, 603 Equality

Reproductive rights: Planned Parenthood of Northern NE, Reproductive Fund of NH, NH Women’s Foundation Reproductive Fund

Civil rights, education, and LGBTQ support: NH ACLU, Seacoast Outright, Queerlective

Immigrant rights: NH Brazilian Council, Welcoming NH, American Friends Service Committee, NH Immigrant Rights Coalition, Granite State Organizing Project, NH Alliance of Immigrants and Refugees, Building Community in NH, Project Home

Earlier this year, most of us watched in near helpless horror the confirmation of Robert Kennedy Jr. to the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services. A man who has repeatedly denied scientifically proven benefits and/or risks for vaccines that have been in existence and recommended for decades. Given the craziness which continues in both the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Dept. of Health and Human Services, this article will focus on a newly formed health collaborative that New Hampshire has, regrettably, neglected to join. 

With both departments in almost continuous upheaval due to mass employee terminations (or the threat of) and the overabundance of dis and misinformation, officials from the following states announced the formation of a new collaboration. Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont have created the Northeast Public Health Collaborative. The main objective is to coordinate public health efforts and give vaccine advice, separate from the federal government. With public health and safety foremost in mind, they will work together, sharing data, emergency preparedness and vaccine recommendations.

Why, look who’s missing . . .

Here in NH, we’ve seen the concerted effort by the majority party to negate the need or even acknowledge the reason for vaccines. The fight in this country against diseases has a long history. To that end, the New Hampshire Vaccine Association (NHVA) was formed in 2002, a not-for-profit voluntary corporation that works to improve childhood vaccine accessibility. This has helped to keep the cost of health care low. So, let’s re-cap . . .

In March, the Republican majority voted to repeal the NHVA. However, it went back to the Ways and Means Committee who will begin their work session next month. In early May, the majority party again showed their disdain for protecting children through vaccination by adding an amendment to a horse racing bill phasing out the required childhood vaccinations for chicken pox, Hepatitis B and influenza type B. 

The east coast is not the only area of the country to realize the danger from those tasked with keeping the nation’s citizens healthy,  safe and informed. The West Coast Health Alliance, comprised of California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, came together in early Sept., to form their own collaborative. 

All is not lost for NH though. The Public Health Commissioner from Massachusetts, Dr. Robert Goldstein, has stated his department is in communication with NH health officials and other “red” states, in hopes of bringing them on board. 

We’ll see . . .let’s hope it doesn’t take too long!

This is from Arthur Caplan, the founding head of the division of medical ethics at N.Y.U. Grossman School of Medicine, “The announcement on autism was the saddest display of a lack of evidence, rumors, recycling old myths, lousy advice, outright lies and dangerous advice I have ever witnessed by anyone in authority in the world claiming to know anything about science.” 

Here’s a thought, autism has been around long before most vaccines or Tylenol were invented.

Under the guise of concern for their fellow New Hampshirites and wanting to honor their slain “hero,” two Republican extremists have filed two separate bills. One aimed at what can be taught in public schools (always a favorite target) and the other would be interfering with RSA 98-E:2. They have called this the “Countering Hate And Revolutionary Leftist Indoctrination in Education Act.”

Rep. Mike Belcher R-Wakefield, wants to remove leftist indoctrination in public schools, (what, no private schools? How about home schoolers?) The vague language in this bill says “no teacher, school or district shall engage in practices that promote purposeful division, dialectical worldviews, critical consciousness, or anti-Constitutional indoctrination." What does that even mean?

In addition to also filing the above mentioned bill, House Majority Leader Rep. Jason Osborne R-Auburn filed a separate bill aimed at “removing statutory freedom of expression protections for state employees who encourage or condone violence against civic leaders.” 

Uh-oh, someone needs a reminder; RSA 98-E:2 Interference Prohibited. – “No person shall interfere in any way with the right of freedom of speech, full criticism, or disclosure by any public employee.”

"You are not allowed to be an employee of the state if you are supportive or encouraging of the assassination of an American citizen," Osborne said. 

He should talk . . .

Fun fact: A 2021 study published in the journal Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law & Society analyzed ideologically motivated extremist killings from 1990 to 2020. Forty-two incidents of politically motivated homicide, or 15.6% of all incidents, involved far-left. On the other hand, far-right extremists were responsible for 227 incidents, 84.4% of the total. 

Perhaps Osborne should look to his own House for those who “encourage or condone violence against civic leaders” as the majority of it doesn’t appear to be coming from the left. Same goes for the lack of shame when caught doing something illegal or unethical; Now we know the reason for Rep. Troy Merner's sudden resignation! | DemocracyNH

Ex-New Hampshire state senator Andy Sanborn charged with theft in connection to state pandemic aid | AP News

NH rep. stepping down as chairwoman of commission on gaming laws

No Conflict Here. Or is there . . .? | DemocracyNH

https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2022-07-13/inside-the-decline-of-the-nh-house-majority-leader-jason-osborne-mammoth-tech-in

New Hampshire can do so much better, and we need to, because look who has set his sights on us!

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/west-wing-playbook-remaking-government/2025/09/17/white-house-puts-new-hampshire-on-notice-00569679

A Statement from Keene City Councilor Bobby Williams

September 17, 2025

I will accept any judgment that the Keene City Council has for me and bear any penalty that they impose. 

I recognize that my words were unkind and inflammatory at a time when passions were running high, and I am sorry if what I wrote on Facebook caused any pain to those who knew and loved Charlie Kirk. It is a tragedy that two children have now lost their father.

While there are aspects of the charges against me that I would challenge, they are a trifle compared to the challenge we are all facing right now, as a nation. Namely, we are losing our democracy, more and more each day.

I believe that the death of Charlie Kirk is being used as a pretext for the undermining of the American people’s right to free expression. If I was just one guy who screwed up and was facing consequences, that would be one thing. But across the country, there are hundreds of cases like mine, in which people who have expressed negative sentiments about Charlie Kirk are being subjected to organized harassment campaigns, of the kind that Kirk himself pioneered. This is being supported by the Federal government, who are now using criticism of Charlie Kirk as grounds for deportation. People are losing their jobs and students are getting kicked out of college.

This is a concerning and frightening phenomenon, and its one reason I’m going to sit down and shut up for a while. But before I do, I want to remind my friends on the City Council of one thing: as the left-most member of our body, I am the canary in your coal mine. If I am loud and annoying, that’s a sign that things are going relatively well. But if I am intimidated into silence, what does that say about the danger we all face?

James Baldwin said, if they come for me in the morning, they will come for you in the night.

God bless us all.

On Sunday, Sept. 21st, you can attend the largest PRIDE Festival in the area! From noon to 7:00 pm, the Keene Pride Festival will be hosting a day long celebration which includes several live bands, drag performers and other entertainment. This is a family friendly event and will feature entertainment for the kids such as magic shows and circus performers among others. There will be food trucks, local restaurants are open and more than 150 vendors to visit. Be sure to say “Hello” to this year’s hosts, Kelly Mantle, Sherry Vine and Miss Ginger Soulless!

Now in its fourth year, this popular event has grown large enough to include not only Keene’s Central Square, but now heads down Main Street onto Railroad Square. Plenty to see and do for the whole family!

Another event taking place on Sunday in Keene is one of hundreds happening nationwide. Sun Day Keene runs from 1:00-4:00 at Fuller Park on Washington St. by the Recreation Center, which is just up the street from the Pride Festival. This is being billed as a day of action to celebrate and bring awareness to the power of clean energy. Information, resources, and opportunities to take action with others who want to be part of clean energy solutions will be provided. 

There will be art activities for all ages beginning at 1:00 (young children need to bring a special adult with them), with a parade at 2:00 showcasing the newly made artwork, climate-target cornhole, resource tables and other fun surprises. If you are unable to make your own sign, there will be many colorful signs to purchase by donation, and a limited number to loan for the event. 

There will be music, featuring a sun-themed sing-along with Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill at 3:00. Speakers are broken up into two different time slots and include: 
Melanie Griffin from the Third Act organization; 
Rob Werner, NH State Director of League of Conservation Voters; Karen Liot Hill, NH Executive Councilor, District 2; 
Lucius Parshall, NH Representative, Cheshire District 8;
Cynthia Nichols, volunteer with NH Healthy Climate; 
Jason Beaubien, NPR climate and global health reporter; 
Matt Boulton from Clean Energy Team & Monadnock Sustainability Hub. 
Half will speak just after 1:00 and the rest will speak at 3:00. (No long speeches!) 

Weather sounds promising for Sunday. Put on some comfortable walking shoes and come spend a fun day in downtown Keene!

On Sept. 17, 1787, after four months of drafting a document during the Constitutional Convention, the United States Constitution was formally signed by thirty-nine delegates. Referred to as the “Founding Fathers,” three of the signers are well known to most Americans; George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton. There were also two Founding Fathers from New Hampshire, Nicholas Gilman of Exeter and John Langdon from Portsmouth. 

Constitution Day pays tribute to the signing of that document and the men who recognized that all who were born in the United States or were naturalized, are indeed, citizens. Now, 238 years later, Keene Rally Coalition will be hosting a Constitution Day celebration at Central Square in Keene on Sept. 17th from 5-7 pm. There will be speakers addressing the Separation of Powers, Due Process, Amendments that are now under attack, the Election Process and Term Limits. Hand-outs and pie will be available!

Come and learn about our Constitutional history and rights while enjoying pie. Bring your signs, friends, family and your enthusiasm!

Peterborough is also hosting Constitution Day at the traffic light intersection of Rtes. 101 and 202 (100 Grove St.) from 5-6:30. Bring your signs to hold high in support of the values, rights and liberties that our Democracy's founding document guarantees. They too, will be serving pie!

On Sept. 18th, at the Town Hall in Plainfield, there will be a Health Care Forum. This event will run from 6:30-8:30, includes refreshments and is located at 1079 Rt. 12A. Hosted by the Plainfield Democrats, this forum is meant to address any concerns about recent legislation that will impact all of us in the cost and access to local hospitals and clinics. If you have questions about this upcoming event, please send them here, plainfielddemsnh@gmail.com

The scheduled panel: 
Lori Shibinette was NH’s Commissioner of the Dept. of Health & Human Services under Gov. Sununu. 
Matthew Houde is System VP for Government Relations for Dartmouth Health and a former State Representative and State Senator.
Deborah Fournier is Director of Health Law & Policy at the Institute for Health Policy & Practice at UNH and was NH’s Medicaid Director under Gov. Sununu.

Don’t stay silent. 

The work of defending democracy never seems to sleep or even take a vacation! That said, while the new legislative session will not be starting up again until the beginning of next year, some of the standing committees are beginning to meet. One such committee is House Election Law. They will be holding an Executive Session on Sept. 16th at 10:00. They will be discussing and voting on whether to advance nine bills that had been retained in the committee earlier this year. 

These bills aim to make voting harder for absentee voters, students and those with disabilities. For example; HB 323 targets students by removing the student and/or out of state IDs as an acceptable form of identification. HB 686 and HB 158 targets absentee voters. HB 158 would require town and city clerks make absentee ballot voter lists available for public inspection and would require the secretary of state to report on absentee ballot information. HB 686 would require a voter to show identification when making an absentee ballot request. Should go over well with overseas members of the military . . .

These bills will make voting harder, especially for absentee voters. As it is, this particular group of voters will now face more restrictive hurdles when requesting absentee ballots. The following restrictive bills SB 218 and SB 287 were passed earlier this year, have been signed into law by the governor and take effect at the end of this month. Just in time for any cities and towns having local elections in Nov.  

What can you do? Take a moment to send an email to the members of the House Election Law Committee. There is also room to express your concerns, especially if you, yourself may be impacted by these proposed restrictive bills or if you know of someone else who would be. 

Another excellent article, NH Bulletin Op-Ed by Ethan Underhill: New Hampshire needs to return to its tradition of practical access for voters

Many thanks for taking the time to defend democracy and the voting rights of others.

Bryan Gould is an attorney from Concord and has been recently nominated by Gov. Ayotte to a seat on the New Hampshire Supreme Court. A little background on her nominee . . .

Gould, who lives in Bow, received his law degree from University of Utah College of Law and began practicing in Nevada before joining the NH Bar in 1990. He is a director and shareholder at Cleveland, Waters and Bass a law firm in Concord. Additionally, he had served as counsel to former Gov. Craig Benson, and as special counsel to the NH Executive Council. During Ayotte’s campaign for governor, Gould served as her legal counsel. 

Gould has represented many land use corporate clients in both civil and appellate litigation (concerned with or dealing with applications for decisions to be reversed), including Vermont’s Casella Waste. He is lead attorney for Casella in its current lawsuit against the NH Dept. of Environmental Services, after the company was denied a permit to build a landfill next to Forest Lake State Park in Dalton. (FYI, the governor is opposed to this project.)

But what the governor is not opposed to is the school voucher program that is slowly but surely decimating the state and public education. 

Upon her nomination the governor stated, “I know Bryan will uphold our Constitution as he evaluates cases that come before the Court. Granite Staters will be well served by his fairness and sound judgment.”

Let’s back up.

On July 1st, the NH Supreme Court agreed with a 2023 Superior Court ruling that the state must radically increase education "base adequacy aid" by more than $500 million per year. But, the Supreme Court reversed part of the lower court ruling that called for the state to immediately increase public school funding, leaving it to “. . .the legislative and executive branches to remedy the constitutional deficiency. . .”. Like many predecessors before her, the governor has done nothing about both court rulings, calling it a “wrong decision.” And “We are evaluating the ruling to determine the appropriate next steps.” Shortly after, she nominated her legal counsel to a seat on the NH Supreme Court. 

Does Bryan Gould feel the same way about funding public education as the governor does?

He did state, “Serving on the Supreme Court of New Hampshire means making a commitment to putting the law and the Constitutions of the United States and New Hampshire over one’s personal beliefs. Having argued before courts countless times, I understand the weight a judge’s decision carries and will be dedicated to the obligation to be fair and impartial in my decision making.”

That’s encouraging. 

Here’s hoping he reads the NH Constitution, especially Article 83.

The Claremont school district has been aware since earlier this year that they faced imminent financial difficulty. According to SAU #6, schools were scheduled to open Aug. 28th, but with a warning that the opening could still be delayed or that schools may close if the district cannot make their financial obligations, one being payroll.

In the meantime, local and state officials continue to work towards understanding the full extent of the district’s financial problems. Gov. Kelly Ayotte called the multimillion-dollar deficit for Claremont schools "unacceptable" and criticized local officials. The governor recently stated: "This is exactly why the Dept. of Education is working so closely right now with Claremont on this situation, because we need to make sure that the kids can start school. And this is unacceptable, that local mismanagement has happened. And so, we're working with them through the Dept. of Education to do what the state can do."

What the state can do. 

Well, for starters how about complying with yet another court order to fairly fund the public school system? How about restoring the Interest and Dividends Tax which brought in revenue for fiscal year 2024 at $184.3 million? And the hated school vouchers that will cost millions of taxpayer dollars rerouted from public schools to private, religious schools or homeschool families. And we haven’t even touched upon what the governor and the Republican majority has done to the University System of New Hampshire with that $35 million cut in the budget. 

But that is what the state can do. For starters . . .

Rep. Michael Cahill D-Newmarket, recently gave a statement pertaining to the woes of Claremont, “You may be weary of the School Building Aid issue, but Claremont's Stevens High School was the first victim of the moratorium on funding the program that since the 40's had helped build and renovate public schools.

Claremont's Stevens High School renovation funding is another factor in this current issue. The high school was placed on probation in 2012, two years after voters defeated a proposal for a $23 million renovation project for the school. The bond article failed by 1 vote, but there would have been 60% ($13.8M) in state funding because this was prior to the moratorium on School Building Aid.

A smaller bond was approved by voters in 2013, and the $12.6 million renovation was completed in the spring of 2015. The high school building had not had a major renovation for about 50 years. The community rallied around the project because they knew the school’s accreditation hinged on it.

Had the voters passed the $23M, they would have paid their $9.2M share which is $3.4 less than the $12.6 they took on with $0.00 in state funding.

HB366 is scheduled for a work session on September 9th. This is my most recent effort to recoup for each school project denied funding due to the moratorium 50% of the state grant they should have received. For Claremont's Stevens High School that would be $3,780,000 a sum that could be found if Fiscal wanted to do so.

No doubt the $9.2M the state failed to contribute had long lasting impact on property taxpayers. They had to cover the entire $12.6M plus interest.”

In 2011, legislators placed a moratorium on school building aid funding, putting a stop to all future building projects statewide until 2013, except for emergency funding authorized by legislators on a case-by-case basis. The majority party? Republicans.

In 2017, the Republican majority killed a bill that would have lifted the school building aid. To this day the moratorium has never been lifted. The building aid program issues payments on old awards that were approved before 2011, with a total balance of about $260 million. The state is scheduled to make payments until 2041.

There is only so much burden the average property owner can withstand. The courts have repeatedly ruled, fix the funding formula. Will the governor and her Republican majority continue to ignore the rulings?