HANOVER — Community spirit is being ramped up thanks to selectmen and residents who want more ways to get together.

Town Clerk Clem Worcester said the board, spearheaded by Chairwoman Brenda Gross, agreed to decorate a tree for Christmas at the town office this year as well as hold a tree-lighting ceremony.

“This is something we’ve been looking into,” said Worcester, who almost always takes part in community events.

Plans are being made to either decorate one of the evergreens at the town office site or bring in a cut tree. An early evening ceremony is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 12, complete with cider, hot chocolate and snacks for everyone.

“Having a Christmas tree kind of ran out of steam in the 1990s,” he said.

Another way to bring people together is also in the early planning stages for the Town House located at the foot of the Howard Pond Road. The former schoolhouse is often used for the annual town meeting, but gets very little use because it lacks a kitchen and bathroom.

“We want it to become a community building. There’s no place in town to hold a supper or other event,” Worcester said.

The last building big enough to accommodate a large group was the Knights of Pythias Hall. That building was sold to a private business a few years ago.

Worcester said thoughts are to renovate the Town House for a gathering place. Town officials aren’t sure yet how the money  will be raised, but Worcester said a grass-roots campaign may be launched and the town may contribute some money to the plan.

Volunteer librarian Peg Susbury and some members of the Library Bees, supporters of the Gardner Roberts Library, have begun cleaning and painting the inside of the town office. The town contributed $1,000 to the library’s support this year.

Worcester said Susbury has also begun holding library hours in the town office rather than the library. Although much of the library has been updated and renovated, heat is still not available. The library and town office are next to each other.

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