BY IRENE LABOMBARDE

Keeping Bedford adults active, building playgrounds and breaking a record in the Senior Games competition sums up George Potter’s diverse and community-minded talents.

Potter, who is retired, serves as chairman of the Bedford Adult and Senior Connections and was instrumental in  rebuilding the Ann DeNicola Memorial Playground in June.

Potter also serves as treasurer for the Granite State Senior Games. He used to compete in javelin, discus and racquetball in high school and, in 2005, competed in his first Senior Games in those three events.

“I practiced like crazy before those first games and won some medals,” said Potter. “I got so excited about their objectives, health and competition for people over 50, that I ended up on their board.”

The spry 70-year-old competed in the national Senior Games in Louisville, Ky., in July, where he placed 10th in javelin.

In August, he broke the New Hampshire state record for javelin for the 70 to 75 age group with a 101-foot throw (the previous record was 68 feet).

To help connect adults and seniors for volunteer work and social activities, Potter created  the Adult and Senior Connections three years ago.

“It’s amazing how many different organizations there are in Bedford, yet there was absolutely nothing focused on seniors in town,” said Potter.

Surveys were sent to every person over 50 to find out what the community wanted, he said.

“People wanted to walk, so we started  the Bedford Walking Group. We did walks in various places like the Joppa Farm, the Benedictine Park. We’re still going strong three years later,” said Potter.

Adult and Senior Connections also hosts movie matinees at the Bedford Library on Sunday afternoons in the winter. Classic movies are shown, as well as recent additions to the library’s DVD collection.

This summer, Connections presented a free concert series  at Riley Park. Performers included the Amoskeag Strummers, and a group of seniors from resident Paul Bordeleau’s music studio.

“This was the first time the concerts were done in the afternoon when seniors want to get out. We set up tents, and had both young and old people,” he said.

Potter hopes to continue the concert series next year.

“We’re testing the waters to try to see what the residents of Bedford want. We’re looking for input all the time,” he said.

The group has also developed a resource guide, which lists organizations around town and contact information for people who seek community involvement. He hopes the updated guide will be available for distribution at Olde Towne Day on Sept. 15.

More information on the Adult and Senior Connections  is available at www.bedford.adults.seniors.googlepages.com or by clicking on the group’s link at the town Web site, www.bedfordnh.org.

In addition to his work with adults and seniors, Potter recently served the youngest members of his community.

Because Potter brings his grandchildren there and also lives right across the street, it was only natural that he would get involved when the town playground needed to be rebuilt.

“It was me and a bunch of young mothers,” he jokes as he describes the Playground Committee.

To receive a $5,000 grant from KaBoom, the committee had to send a member to Atlanta to learn how to finance and build a playground, and Potter volunteered.

“We actually built a playground at an Atlanta low-income elementary school from scratch. It took 250 volunteers and six  hours,” He said. “My job was to haul 250 cubic feet of woodchips from one pile to the playground. I was a mule.”

Potter said the trip was a rewarding experience.

“You could see all these kids looking out the school windows as it was being built, and they were so happy when they got to go play on it at the end of the day,” he said.

Potter returned from the Atlanta training full of ideas for the Bedford park.

“We started out the decision-making process by looking at the best playgrounds around the state,” he said.

Potter was right there on June 23 as more than 70 volunteers assembled the new Ann DeNicola Memorial Playground.

He said he is especially glad that the equipment from Timbertown has found a new home at Camp Allen.

Before retiring in 2000, Potter worked as a controller for Digital Equipment Corp.

He and his wife, Mary Ellen, have lived in Bedford for 37 years. She is a founding member of the Bedford Junior Women’s Club and is also in Questers. They have four adult children and 10 grandchildren. The Potters also sponsor a 10-year-old Brazilian boy through the Christian Children’s Fund.