PETERBOROUGH, N.H. (AP) – A new town committee is trying to inject the vitality of youth back into the community.

The Generation X-Y Advisory Committee began holding weekly meetings in August. Since then, it’s grown from four members to about 15 and will hold elections for officers Wednesday. The group not only is a symposium where ideas for shaping the town’s future are discussed, but members are asked for their input on town matters ranging from a proposed charter to zoning ordinances and economic development.

The goal is to get young people involved in the community at a time when their numbers are dwindling. Between 1990 and 2000, the number of people in Peterborough ages 18-34 dropped by nearly 27 percent, while the over-65 population grew by 26 percent.

In 2004, the editor of the Peterborough Transcript wrote a column questioning why younger people were not represented on town boards. Selectman Eugene Kellogg approached the editor, who now works at The Sentinel, and started the process of forming a new committee. Now that it’s up and running, it’s bursting with ideas, Kellogg said.

Each member brings a different background and goals, said member Jay Wallace. Interests range from ecological responsibility to transportation to housing.

“There’s a huge array of people on the committee,” Wallace said.

Wallace, 25, is a vice president at Monadnock Economic Development Corp. He oversees the corporation’s Monadnock Business Ventures, which helps small business start-ups get the ball rolling by offering low rents and shared common space to cut overhead.

He said his goal on the committee is to bring housing and rental opportunities to Peterborough that the younger generation can afford.

“We want to buy homes, and want to buy homes that we can afford,” Wallace said.

Another member, Luc Monzies, wants to make Peterborough a cultural center where people get around on bikes and music festivals are held.

Through the committee, he’s gotten started on a municipal bike sharing program that he hopes to start in the spring.

A high school student who came to one meeting suggested creating a Web site where teens and college students could connect with businesses in need of summer labor.

“You have to show how the issues are relevant (to younger people),” Wallace said. “This is a critical time for the town, and issues being talked about will shape the town for generations.”

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Information from: The Keene Sentinel, http://www.keenesentinel.com

AP-ES-12-03-06 1526EST