Cohase Chamber hosts busy night of events; board names Moore and Robie Farm as best of the year
It all happened under the chandeliered ceiling of Haverhill Corner’s historic Alumni Hall, once an early New Hampshire courthouse and school gymnasium. As in the past, a special meal was served and it was another splendid night of honoring local people, in a room full of friends, business leaders and community officials.
By Bernie Marvin
A full Alumni Hall in Haverhill Corner greeted the superb dinner and program of events last week for the Cohase Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner and Annual Meeting. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin
Haverhill, NH – A near-capacity crowd came to Alumni Hall last week to celebrate two well-known names in the community, Bradford’s Gary Moore as Citizen of the Year and Piermont’s Robie Farm as Business of the Year.
It all happened under the chandeliered ceiling of Haverhill Corner’s historic Alumni Hall, once an early New Hampshire courthouse and school gymnasium. As in the past, a special meal was served and it was another splendid night of honoring local people, in a room full of friends, business leaders and community officials.
Gary Moore is well known throughout the area and was honored by the chamber for his many contributions to the community, to the field of emergency management and hazardous materials, also to police and fire services, locally and at the state level.
While receiving the tributes, he said “I have received many awards and honors over the years, but none have meant as much to me as this one. This is where I was born and raised and where Linda and I chose to live, moving back in 1973. Being named Citizen of the Year by those from this special region of the Twin States just makes it very special.”
In his comments, Moore mentioned a personal note, one of many he received upon the honors being made public, from Peggy Hewes and Larry Scott saying they were sending congratulations not only to Gary for his being named Citizen of the Year, but to his wife, Linda, “because you are so clearly and inspirationally a team.”
Moore agreed, saying “Nothing I have accomplished could have been possible without the support of my wife of 55 years.”
Moore’s involvement with the community includes a long list of positions held over the years as an educator, state official, member of the military intelligence in Vietnam, and everything from the Chief of the Bradford Fire Department to the Commissioner of the State of Vermont Fish and Game Department.
His background and professional development documents, including professional employment and appointments, more than 75 individual listings were made including his hobbies which are hunting, fishing, hiking, sailing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, canoeing, photography and reading.
The interesting evening included a media panel of local news hounds who were included in a roundtable discussion on the value of having local media in the community who are aware of the territory and publishing stories, photographs and advertisements that mean a lot to local readers.
Those personalities included Darren Sherburne, who represented his mother, Michelle Sherburne, owner of the Journal Opinion. Also, Gary Scruton, owner of The Trendy Time newspaper and this writer, Senior Writer/Photographer for The Bridge Weekly.
Moderating the panel was Joshua Smith, owner of WYKR Radio in Wells River and also owner of The Bridge Weekly newspaper, now based in Wells River.
Publisher-Owner Smith sought to show the direct connection between a strong local media such as there is in this area, strong local businesses and a strong community/nonprofit organization (especially in the digital world where social media can be noisy and polarizing.)
Plaques were presented to Citizen of the Year Gary Moore and to Mark Robie, of the Robie Farm, voted Business of the Year.
Robie Farm is a popular family farm business located in nearby Piermont. As mentioned on their internet web home page “At the Robie Farm, we’re dedicated to producing the highest quality milk, cheese, eggs, beef, pork, and chicken.”
“We work with nature – not against it – carefully considering every environmental impact along the way. The result is food raised with a clear conscience and the exceptional flavor our customers know and love.”
Since 1870, the Robie Farm has taken pride in producing high-quality, nutritious and flavorful meats that reflect our dedication and sustainability, animal welfare, and honest farming. Located along the Connecticut River and Piermont, New Hampshire, our 150-acre family farm has been continuously operated for over seven generations – each committed to maintaining healthy, productive livestock and responsible stewardship of the land.”
According to information available, farm owner Lee Robie and his sons decided to transition from selling milk to a large cooperative to offering bottled raw milk, selling directly to customers at their on-farm store on Route and in Piermont. This change opened the door to new diversifications. Using that raw milk they developed their own Farmstead cheese line and expanded offerings to include a wide variety of meats including beef, pork, poultry and more.
Today, there is a full line of those products and more at their farm store and in their online shop. Accepting a handsome plaque from Chamber officer Joe Mitchell was Mark Robie, one of the sons involved with the success of Robie Farm’s endeavors.
Long time Chamber of Commerce member and officer for many years since the chamber was created 25 years ago, Marvin Harrison was busy during the chamber event coordinating various activities. His popular “Marvin’s Trivia Program” has always been a big hit during previous chamber dinners.
At the conclusion of the ceremonies, Harrison told The Bridge Weekly that “It felt really nice to be able to celebrate two great families in the Moores and the Robies who are such wonderful examples of what community is all about. And the 'local media' panel added further credibility to the importance and effectiveness of the sense of community here in the Cohase region.”
Three newspaper radio writers and advertising personnel presented a program during the Chamber’s Annual Meeting. Seen left to right are Trendy Times Editor and creator Gary Scruton, real estate advertising and sales personality Darren Sherburne, representing the Journal Opinion and Publisher/Owner of the Bridge Weekly and WYKR Radio Joshua Smith, who moderated the program. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin
Cohase Chamber of Commerce official Joe Mitchell, at right, presented a Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award to the Robie Farm, represented by Mark Robie of Piermont. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin
Cohase Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award was bestowed on Bradford resident Gary Moore, at left by Bradford historian Larry Coffin. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin
Cohase Chamber 2025 Citizen & Business of the Year Awards
As 2025 was winding down the Board of Directors of the Cohase Chamber of Commerce was gearing up. It is at this time of year that members of the public are encouraged to submit nominations for Citizen of the Year or Business of the Year. The final decisions were made at a recent meeting of the Board.
By Joe Mitchell
The 2025 Cohase Chamber Business of the Year . The Robie Farm of Piermont, NH farmstead is shown during their 150th Anniversary Celebration held on September 11, 2021. The Bridge Weekly File Photo
New Hampshire & Vermont - As 2025 was winding down the Board of Directors of the Cohase Chamber of Commerce was gearing up. It is at this time of year that members of the public are encouraged to submit nominations for Citizen of the Year or Business of the Year. The final decisions were made at a recent meeting of the Board.
It is true that sometime the Citizen of the Year award seems more like a Lifetime Achievement Award, and that is certainly true this year. Gary Moore of Bradford has spent most of his lifetime giving to many while ad leading others. In Bradford, he is possibly best known for his endless hours of volunteering as a member of the Bradford Fire Department, the Public Safety Commission and the Board of Civil Authority. He has also been the leader of the Bradford Emergency Management team for decades. More broadly Gary has written a weekly column entitled Moore Outdoors, providing important information to those who enjoy outdoor activities. On the Vermont level Gary was the Commissioner of the Fish and Game Commission, and Chair of the Vermont Water Resources Board. He also travels throughout the nation providing hazmat preparation training. With all these items on his resume, Gary Moore makes an excellent Citizen of the Year award winner for 2025.
The 2025 Business of the Year award also has some “long term” connotations to it. The Robie Farm in Piermont is now boasting of its seventh generation of family farming on ground located between Route 10 and the Connecticut River at the southern end of Piermont. Through those generations much has been learned and passed down to the next generation which in turn also learns new ways to provide for the family as well as the community. From their famous cheese to Robie Farm beef, poultry and pork, not to mention the sincere home town feeling, the Robie Farm has earned its way into the history and the culture of the Cohase Region. They represent what is a well-earned reputation of doing things right.
Both of these awards will be handed out at the annual Cohase Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and dinner on Tuesday, January 20 at Alumni Hall in Haverhill Corner. Tickets are available at www.Cohase.org for $35 each. A cash bar will be available as well. Reservations and prepayment are most greatly appreciated.
The evening’s program will also include the awarding of prizes to the winners of the Holiday Decorating Contest. Plus there will be a panel discussion regarding the local media consisting of members from our local media outlets.
The Board of Directors invites all members of the public to make plans to attend the annual meeting and to celebrate Gary Moore and the Robie family, as well as all the others who contribute to making the Cohase region a great place to live, work and play.
Gary W. Moore of Bradford, VT is the 2025 Cohase Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. (Courtesy Photo)