Upper Valley residents talked with guarded hope yesterday as they discussed the new year, the nation and a haggard economy, although most thought the country's financial resurrection wouldn't happen by the end of 2009.

The Valley News questioned some residents and local officials on everything from their financial dreams and fears to unemployment and the federal government's bailout efforts. While they each expressed concern over an uncertain future, several also said recovery might not be far away, even if it doesn't come this year.

“I think it's going to be a year of planning,” Grantham resident Sheri Hancock said of the economy as she stood outside West Lebanon's Borders with a newly purchased cookbook. “I feel positive. I think we're on the right track.”

Hancock, owner of Two Rivers Printmaking Studio in White River Junction, said although she's not as concerned with her own business's well being, her biggest fear this year is that the national economy will worsen.

“I worry about the people who are unemployed,” she said.

Nicole Whitworth, an employee in Lebanon's Powerhouse Mall, said although she's not concerned for her own job, she regularly meets visitors to the store who are out of work.

“It just seems like people are scared,” said Whitworth, of Sharon. “I've had people coming in looking for a job … no one is hiring.”

Lebanon Mayor Karen Liot Hill said although she's confident that national and local economic upheaval would create new opportunities, she thinks America has yet to see the deepest depth of the downturn.

“I think it's probably going to get worse before it gets better,” Liot Hill said of the country's financial situation. “It's got a little more to go to hit rock bottom.”

Hartford Selectboard Chairwoman Gayle Ottmann is optimistic that things will eventually improve, but said it would take time and a strong national will.

“We just have to learn to not live beyond our means,” Ottmann said. “My hope would be that adults can set the example for this generation and generations to come. It has to be done in little steps. I think there are a lot of lessons being learned.”

People should find small ways to live more sustainable lives, she said, such as making fewer trips to the grocery store or taking trains rather than burning gas on the roads.

This winter, Ottmann said, she's keeping her home thermostat at 58 degrees to save energy and handing out extra sweaters and slippers to chilled houseguests rather than ramping up the heat.

Liot Hill hopes that if directed at the right projects, last year's financial bailouts and President-elect Barack Obama's planned stimulus package could make major local and national impacts.

Government funding for libraries and national parks has helped shape the America many people now enjoy, Liot Hill said, and she thinks money for town infrastructure would have the same affect. She said capital for a new middle school in Lebanon, for instance, would create long-term benefits for the city.

“A major construction project is a great boon for our local economy and for keeping local economy local,” Liot Hill said. “And it will pay dividends over the next 40 years.”

Linda Shirley, general manager at the West Lebanon Borders, said she thinks the bailout could harm the economy more than help it, especially when it comes time to pay the bill.

“I don't know who's going to pay for this,” she said. “At this point, we're laying it out for our grandkids.”

Like Shirley, Enfield resident Adam Nylen and his friend Chang Hong, who was visiting from Cambridge, Mass., said they also worried who would suffer the bailout cost, and Hong said the industries that have benefited from government aid, such as automotive manufacturers, will just come back for more when they need money again.

Nylen said although things are financially difficult, he would like the media to not sensationalize or exaggerate America's economic plight, and Hong added that people should better filter news and refrain from “jumping on the bandwagon, thinking everything is in the gutter.”

Despite the troubled economy, several people said the country's biggest challenge in 2009 wasn't to fix its financial woes.

Instead, they said America needed to earn back its reputation.

“The greatest challenge that we as Americans are facing is to gain the respect that we've always enjoyed,” Ottmann said, “because we were Americans.”

John Woodrow Cox can be reached at 603-727-3305 or jcox@vnews.com.