Conversations with Sgt. Smith

In this episode of Conversations with Sergeant Smith, I sit down with New Hampshire State Representative Sam Farrington to discuss his Rochester roots, his path into politics, and his experience serving in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

We explore how growing up in Rochester and experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic influenced his political views, along with his thoughts on government spending, property taxes, education funding, school choice, and individual liberties.

We also discuss legislation he’s worked on, including housing reform and firearm rights on college campuses, as well as the challenges facing Rochester and New Hampshire.

Beyond politics, we talk about his family’s long history in Rochester, his love of baseball, life on the family farm, and what the future might hold.

A conversation about public service, political philosophy, and the people behind the policies.

In this episode, Micah sits down with Dillon for a conversation about Rochester’s upcoming National Night Out and the people working to strengthen the community.

They discuss how the event has grown into a citywide celebration that brings together first responders, local nonprofits, businesses, churches, and families for an evening focused on connection, trust, and fun. Dillon shares the story behind the annual backpack giveaway, the volunteers and sponsors who make it possible, and why removing barriers and bringing people together is more important than ever.

The conversation also explores Rochester’s growing focus on mental health, the value of restorative approaches to community challenges, and the importance of recognizing the many positive organizations and individuals investing in the city. From local events and volunteer opportunities to the role of respectful dialogue, this episode is a reminder that healthy communities are built one relationship at a time.

If you care about Rochester, community engagement, or finding practical ways to make a difference, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

In this episode, we sit down with school board member Lisa Carlberg for a candid conversation about her first 100 days in office and the state of the district. From increased transparency and community communication to the real challenges behind a multi-million dollar budget shortfall, Lisa shares what’s working, what’s uncertain, and what still needs to change.

We dive into key issues like the closure of the Maple Street program, the future of special education support, and the importance of parental involvement in student success. Lisa also opens up about pushback she’s received, her commitment to transparency, and why she believes honest communication is critical to rebuilding trust in the community.

The conversation expands into bigger-picture topics, including declining enrollment, open enrollment policies, student mental health, and the long-term impact of community engagement on school performance.

This episode is an honest look at leadership, accountability, and the difficult decisions shaping the future of local education

Don’t judge me too, harshly as a moderator of this debate never been a moderator before. I did my best to fact check where I needed to fact check. To get control when I need to get control to move forward allow people plenty of time to make their points.

The debate was specifically about the results of the Annie Azarloza investigation and report.

Annie Azarloza’s investigation has placed a spotlight on the school board and our education system. People had commented on corruption in our system and issues with transparency. Others have commented that Annie was not good for our system and we are better off moving away from her policies.

Karen Stokes has sat with me individually and had a conversation about her time with the school board and the issues she observed with the investigation she is a member of the change starts here Facebook page and resigned her position on the board because of the decision to remove Annie from the superintendent position.

Fred Leonard has also spoken with me as well at length both on and off the podcast. He has also been outspoken on Facebook. Fred has defended the actions of Shane Downs the school board chairman and the school board’s decision to remove Annie as the superintendent.

Paul Cormier was my last follow up to Annie for a while I think. Paul served in the school board for almost 2 years. He resigned early due to frustrations with the board at the time. We had a pleasant conversation about sports and what we think the way ahead should be for our students and classrooms.

I enjoyed talking to Fred. I believe in person was a lot more productive and helpful than maybe his Facebook persona allows. But that’s a nature of Facebook. He had no motivation to come sit with me. He had nothing to promote no business no election just to get his information and viewpoint out.

Karen Stokes spent 12 years on the Rochester school board. We discussed the Annie investigation and the city attorney. We also talked about the Maple st school and the current budget.

I really enjoyed this conversation I could have talked for another couple hours.

I got a major upgrade to my podcast with format senator and former ambassador Scott Brown accepted my invitation to have a conversation. We didn’t have much time so I couldn’t get a lot of in depth details about his life. We didn’t talk about his point of view for his run for the senate. We addressed questions about his support of the current president and his stance on the second amendment.

Today I sat and talked with Dillon Guyer. Owner of Guyer Travel. This was the first conversation where I had no clear plan or agenda. We talked about his business, Rochester night out, politics, and his life.

I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to sit and have a conversation with Annie Azarloza the former Rochester, New Hampshire superintendent. We talk a lot about her background and a little bit about the circumstances and situation that surrounded the parting of ways between her and Rochester.