On Thursday, our reporters and a special guest held a free online event to show you how we obtain the documents we need to do our jobs getting information that matters to all of us. Sunshine Week was March 15-21, 2026, celebrating the importance of open government.
Founder Nancy West and author/board members Beverly Stoddart and Bob Charest, veteran reporters Garry Rayno, Paula Tracy, Damien Fisher, Katharine Webster, and Zach Laird, and special guest Laurie Ortolano, RTK activist, and tech specialist Montana West all helped make this free event happen. One participant asked to have events once a week, and while that is not immediately going to happen, we are looking at ways to produce more videos on topics that matter in New Hampshire. Thanks for coming. We need you! We have lots of great information on our YouTube page here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=indepthnh
Watch the event video above and here’s a little more about our presenters here:
BEVERLY STODDART, Event Moderator
Beverly Stoddart is an award-winning writer, author, and speaker who serves on the New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism’s Board of Directors. After 42 years of working for newspapers, she retired to write books. She is also on the Board of Trustees of the New Hampshire Writers’ Project. She is the author of Stories from the Rolodex, mini-memoirs of journalists from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Her new psychological thriller, The Woman with a Hole in Her Heart, will be published in 2026.
LAURIE ORTOLANO, Advocate
Laurie Ortolano is a resident of Nashua, New Hampshire, known for her active involvement in advocating for transparency in her City. Her journey into civic engagement began around 2017 when she noticed a significant increase in her property’s tax assessment, and she hasn’t stopped since.
GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org’s State House bureau chief
Garry Rayno’s Distant Dome runs on InDepthNH.org, where he explores a broader perspective on State House – and state – happenings. Over his decades-long career, Rayno has closely covered the NH State House for InDepthNH.org, the New Hampshire Union Leader, and others across the state. Rayno graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in English Literature and lives with his wife, Carolyn, in New London.
PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org’s Senior Reporter
Paula Tracy has received numerous awards over the years, including the NHPA Lifetime Achievement Award. Paula previously worked for the Union Leader and WMUR.
DAMIEN FISHER, Investigative Reporter
Damien Fisher is a veteran journalist based in the Monadnock region
KATHARINE WEBSTER
Katharine Webster is a veteran journalist who formerly worked for the Associated Press and currently reports occasionally for InDepthNH.org
ZACH LAIRD
Zach Laird is a reporter from Methuen, Mass, who has a passion for politics and community-oriented news. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, traveling, and writing fiction and non-fiction.
NANCY WEST, Founder/Publisher
Nancy West, founder of the New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism which publishes InDepthNH.org is also a founding member of the Alliance of Nonprofit News Outlets (ANNO). West founded the nonprofit New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism in April 2015. West is the publisher and executive editor of InDepthNH.org. West has won many awards for reporting during her 30 years at the New Hampshire Union Leader. She is a long-time member of the Institute for Nonprofit News, where she previously served on the board of directors. West was the recipient of the Michael Donoghue Freedom of Information Award given by the New England First Amendment Coalition (NEFAC) on June 1, 2023, in Boston.