Open house to welcome Monica Laskey to DubHub

The public is invited to come to a welcome reception and open house at the Dublin Community Center, 1123 Main St. in Dublin, Friday, Jan. 20, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. to welcome new center director Monica Laskey and learn what The DubHub is all about.

Laskey, of Hancock, succeeds Volkert Volkersz, who retired at the end of last year. Her background is in education and community-building, and she is also a professional musician and performer.

Laskey envisions the center expanding its offerings to the broader Monadnock region. She suggests the DubHub can “tap into all creators.” For instance, she would like to invite the participation of local businesses, which might come to promote their products through demonstrations or workshops. Likewise, physical activities such as yoga, Zumba, Qigong, and African drumming could be offered. Author readings and a monthly book club are also possible new additions to the schedule.

Over the past five years, Volkert and Bruce Simpson have nurtured a local music scene through monthly open mic and song circle sessions – as well as at several large-scale musical events held in the Garden Sanctuary. Laskey envisions the music continuing in a regular coffee house format, in which the audience can have refreshments while listening to the performers. She is also interested in a summer concert series, perhaps in conjunction with a farmers’ market.

Laskey also has a background in the visual arts and plans to continue the monthly art openings. She sees the center as a hub for the region, in which the key elements of its mission statement – culture, wellness, learning, and community building – draw participants from surrounding towns as well as Dublin.