VILLAGE MEMBER STORIES

Alan Cohen, Portsmouth

How long have you lived on the Seacoast?

My wife, Ellen, and I have lived in Portsmouth since 2016. We moved from Nashua where we had lived since 1983. We loved coming to the Seacoast and were here frequently before we moved. We loved the area and very often found ourselves at Great Island Common, Chauncey Creek Lobster Pound and Annabelle’s Ice Cream. We were members of the Music Hall for years before we lived and always looked to their annual Kitchen Tour - we miss it. 

What did you do professionally?
I spent a number of years at Digital Equipment Corp (DEC) in marketing and sales. I was also a staffing consultant. I served in the State Legislature, where I represented Hillsboro County (Hillsboro 30, Nashua Ward 3). 

How do you like to spend your time nowadays? 

These days I am a volunteer Walking Tour Guide for the Portsmouth Historical Society; I have just completed 10 years on the Executive Council of AARP New Hampshire; I'm active in the Seacoast Village Project; I sit on the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Historical Archives. Ellen and I were recently certified as Granite State Ambassadors. We enjoy local theater and music, we travel, and I play poker. 

Why did you join the Village? What aspects of the Village are you most interested in? 

We joined the Village as a way to meet other people with similar interests and to participate in the wide range of activities that the Village offers. We will continue to sample all the educational, social and recreational activities that we found attractive as an organization that initially captured our interest. 

What would you say to a friend interested in joining the Village? 

I have and will continue to speak positively about the Village as a way to become involved in the community and to have fun, expand your knowledge and challenge your self to engage in activities that will enrich your life. 

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