Joined by a miniature horse and service dogs, Easterseals New Hampshire recently broke ground on Phase II of its Military & Veterans Campus in Franklin.
The animals were apropos for the Aug. 4 ceremony because Phase II includes the Empowerment Center and the Solinsky Equine & Recreation Center, which expand access to equine-assisted services, recreation, challenge-based programming, service dog training, art and music therapy, care coordination, classrooms and wellness initiatives.
Ken and Grace Solinsky are co-founders of Insight Technology, Envision Technology, Spot On GPS Fence, and principals in development of The Village On Technology Hill.
Grace Solinsky speaks Aug. 4 during the Phase II groundbreaking ceremony for Phase II of the Easterseals New Hampshire’s Military & Veterans Campus in west Franklin. (Photo by John Koziol)
The equine and recreation center named in their honor, said Grace Solinsky, is “much more than a barn and an indoor riding arena.
Horses, she said, “help people rebuild confidence” and provide hope and healing, which sometimes comes “through a horse, sometimes through a dog” or the many other resources and providers at the Military & Veterans Campus
As part of her remarks, Charlotte Troddyn, of Hollis-based Operation Delta Dog, called to the front of the stage three of its service dogs and their handlers.
Operation Delta Dog, according to the nonprofit’s website, was founded to reduce veteran suicide rates “by rescuing homeless dogs and training them to be psychiatric service dogs for veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and military sexual trauma.”
“I am proud to represent the four-legged workforce, Troddyn said, adding it was an honor for Operation Delta Dog to be working with Easterseals at the Franklin facility.
“We rescue one (life) to save two,” she summed up, noting that five Operation Delta Dog canines will call the Military & Veterans Campus home.
Ana McKenna, the chief military services officer for Easterseals NH and Vermont, said Phase I of the Military & Veterans Campus “gave us a wonderful foundation” upon which to build Phase II.
“This is a campus where good happens,” she said.
Phase 1 of the Campus opened in September 2025 and includes affordable housing, counseling, care coordination, recreational opportunities and the Bernadine Herron Center for events and retreats. It was funded through a $22.9 million award through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
In addition to the Solinsky Equine & Recreation Center and the Empowerment Center, Phase II included The Werner Mazda Challenge Course and was to have included The Swim With A Mission Aquatics & Fitness Center.
In an Aug, 11 e-mail, however, Michele Talwani, who is Easterseals NH’s chief communications and marketing officer, said the pool idea has been scuttled.
“We are collaborating with Swim With a Mission to raise funds for the SWAM Fitness Center. SWAM has been a steadfast supporter from the very start,” wrote Talwani. But, she added, “After more consideration, we’ve determined that a pool just isn’t financially feasible. We are still working out the details but are thinking it will have a basketball court and fitness/workout center with equipment.”
A rendering of the Solinsky Equine & Recreation Center which will be built as part of Phase II of Easterseals New Hampshire’s Military & Veterans Campus in west Franklin. (Photo by John Koziol)
Easterseals NH calls the campus “a first-of-its-kind center in New Hampshire, providing military members, Veterans, and their families with housing, essential services, and recreation — all in one place.” The Campus is set on 15 acres in west Franklin, next to a connector to the Northern Rail Trail and the Merrimack River.
Maureen Beauregard, president and CEO of Easterseals NH and VT, said the Phase II ground breaking was bittersweet because one of Easterseals most ardent supporters had died before it.
Hope Makris, whose family founded the Naswa Resort on Paugus Bay in Laconia, died in May 2025, at the age of 100.Easterseals honored Makris with the naming of Hope’s Way on the Campus.
Beauregard said a childcare facility was being created at the campus, noting that the overall project “exemplifies what Easterseals stands for.”
Congressman Chris Pappas said he was struck by how supportive the Franklin community was of the Campus.
The campus, he added, is part of the debt that society owes to veterans.
District 1 Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, who is a veteran of the Marine Corps, said the campus will be a place for veterans who need help.
