Michael Jackson and the speed of information

On the afternoon of Thursday, June 25, Michael Jackson’s fame peaked with the sharp spike of fascination that comes moments after the death of a celebrity.

First reporting the story was TMZ.com, the Jerry Springer of entertainment Web sites. While Fox News, CNN and MSNBC were starting to post news of the singer’s collapse, TMZ had already declared Jackson dead. (For the first 40 minutes, CNN listed the singer as suffering “serious cardiac arrest.” Well, yeah. It’s always serious when your heart stops beating.)

catching up on local news

catching up on local news

• After months of delays, crews have finally begun demolishing the old Parade Mall building in Portsmouth. The structure will be replaced with the Portwalk development, a multi-use project with a hotel, shops, restaurants and offices. The first Portwalk construct will be a 128-room Residence Inn by Marriott, with retail shops and dining on the street level.

New Hampshire's unbalanced budget

New Hampshire is one step closer to finalizing its budget for the next two years, although a final plan may still be a long way off.
A Committee of Conference has pieced together a compromise $3.2 billion general fund plan for the next two years, starting July 1. These select members of the state House and Senate reached the required unanimous approval for their report, but that does not guarantee their colleagues will go along with it. The full House and Senate are scheduled to vote on the budget—and dozens of other Committee of Conference reports—on Wednesday, June 24. 

Meanwhile, a new lawsuit filed on the final day of budget negotiations seeks an injunction that would keep the Legislature’s hands off a critical $110 million it has claimed. Gov. John Lynch and legislators plan to tap surplus funds from the N.H. Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting Association. But more than 200 JUA policyholders say the insurance money is rightfully theirs.

a new liquor license and a new look at the death penalty

While the House and Senate decide whether to bring slot machines into New Hampshire to fund the budget, smoke shops in the Granite State have a new card up their sleeves.

new liquor license
 
In 2007, New Hampshire tightened its public smoking ban by adding bars and restaurants to its list of forbidden places to smoke. But if House Bill 392 is signed by Gov. John Lynch, businesses that make at least 60 percent of their quarterly sales from cigars or cigar-related paraphernalia like humidors, cigar cutters, lighters and ashtrays, can start serving their stogies with a swig. The proposed new liquor license has passed both chambers and would take effect in 2010 if signed by Lynch.

Rep. Edward Butler (D-Hart’s Location) co-sponsored HB 392 with Rep. John Hunt (R-Rindge). Butler doesn’t think it challenges existing policy. “There are many cigar bars … in states where smoking is banned in most public accommodations,” he says.

freedom to marry - or not

On June 3, New Hampshire became the sixth state in the country to legalize same-sex marriage. Following a contentious debate over the last several months, the mood that day was highly energized, with hundreds of supporters and opponents congregating on the front lawn and crowding the halls and gallery of the State House in Concord. By late afternoon, Gov. John Lynch had signed three bills into law that redefine marriage and re-affirm religious freedom regarding marriage.

In this case, “religious freedom” means that while any organized religious entity is welcome to marry same-sex couples, they are not required to do so by law. House Bill 310 affirms the right of religious entities to not participate in a marriage ceremony that violates its beliefs. But it doesn’t go far enough for Gov. Lynch.

Eco-friendly business and art will unite at the inaugural Green Expo on Saturday, June 13. Organized by the Green Alliance, a business union composed of 57 area businesses, the event takes place at the Haley Art Gallery in Kittery, Maine.

The free event, similar to the Sustainability Fair in Portsmouth, will showcase local green businesses ranging from renewable energy companies to sustainable clothing merchants and food vendors. The expo will include workshops on green energy systems like solar, geothermal, biofuels and composting.

After a sorely disappointing eight-month trial period, the town of Kittery, Maine, is shutting down the 50-kilowatt wind turbine it installed at the Transfer Station last fall. Real-time data from the 124-foot turbine shows that it generated less than 15 percent of the electricity expected between October and May.

budget equations

Gambling on slot machines instead of two new taxes, the N.H. Senate Finance Committee last week completed its proposed two-year state budget, making significant changes to a House version. The full Senate will vote on the budget on Wednesday, June 3, after which a Committee of Conference will be formed between the House and Senate to hammer out compromises and get a final version to Gov. John Lynch. His power to veto the whole package because of parts he doesn’t like is already holding sway.

Remember Virgin Galactic—Sir Richard Branson’s Scaled-Composites-powered venture to offer commercial passenger suborbital flights? They have not been idle, and have now successfully fired their new SpaceShipTwo rocket motor in the California desert, according to a recent press release.

According to Branson, “As Virgin Galactic gets ever closer to the start of commercial operations, we are reaching and passing many important and historic milestones. The Virgin MotherShip (VMS) Eve, the first of our amazing, all carbon composite, high altitude WhiteKnightTwo launch vehicles, is flying superbly. SpaceShipTwo, which will air launch from Eve, is largely constructed and awaiting the start of its own test flight programme later this year.”

The Seacoast African American Cultural Center suffered a blow in December when city officials informed the organization that it would have to vacate its headquarters at the Connie Bean Center in downtown Portsmouth.

A meteorite which fell into Tagish Lake in Ontario, Canada in 2000 was recently analyzed and found to have record levels of formic acid, an organic molecule believed to be important to the formation of life, according to a recent BBC report.
The fragments analyzed had four times more formic acid than any meteorite on record.

“We are lucky that the meteorite was untouched by humans hands, avoiding contamination by organic compounds that we have on our fingers,” said Dr Christopher Herd, the curator of the University of Alberta’s meteorite collection in an address to the American Geophysical Union.

studies in discipline

With the 2009 legislative session winding down, many bills’ fates have already been determined and most public hearings are complete. Both the House and Senate must act on all bills by Thursday, June 4, or take one more week to form Committees of Conference by June 10. That will buy the Legislature two additional weeks to work out any differences between the chambers, or let remaining bills die. Notable bills currently in committees of conference are HB 648 to legalize the medical use of marijuana, and HB 310, the crucial pivot point in a “gay marriage” suite of bills.

On Wednesday, May 27, the Senate is likely to to vote to establish a handful of study committees. These committees provide longer timelines for in-depth review of various topics. Most of their reports will be due in the fall, allowing time for any resulting legislation to be written for consideration in next year’s session.

school discipline

university debate on family housing continues

When international student and researcher Ram Ray came to UNH with his family four years ago, he was put on a long waitlist to receive housing. He had to wait two months before he was placed in UNH’s family housing at Forest Park. This year, even though there are fewer rooms available, the waitlist for family housing is not so long.

“I don’t think people are as interested as they were when I came,” explained Ray. “The buildings are old and they need maintenance a lot … and the rent has gone up.”

the big ‘if’ on gay marriage

No longer leaving New Hampshire to wonder, Gov. John Lynch says he will sign a bill legalizing gay marriage—if, and only if, the Legislature broadens exceptions for people who disagree with it on religious grounds. His suggested amendments would apply to House Bill 73, which was scheduled for its second public hearing on May 19, in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

But in a feat of legislative acrobatics, there are actually three bills at stake. Sponsored by Rep. James Splaine (D-Portsmouth), House Bill 436 redefines marriage to include same-sex couples, taking the same-sex civil union law that passed two years ago to a new level. House Bill 310, sponsored by Rep. David Cote (D-Nashua), contains a clause that exempts religious institutions from being required to participate in any ceremony that violates their religious beliefs. Both bills have passed the House and Senate (although Cote did not support Splaine’s bill) and are ready for Lynch’s signature. 

Portsmouth pays tribute to former Mayor Evelyn Sirrell

Residents and city employees crowded the council chambers at Portsmouth City Hall on Friday, May 15, to pay tribute to former Mayor Evelyn Sirrell.

After several years of declining health, Sirrell died on May 8 at the age of 78. She served as a city councilor for four years, assistant mayor for two years and mayor of Portsmouth for eight years before retiring in December 2005. 

City Hall closed early on May 15 so that employees could attend the service at 4 p.m. The tribute included fond remembrances from Sirrell’s sons, as well as Mayor Tom Ferrini, city manager John Bohenko, city attorney Robert Sullivan and others.

Perhaps best remembered for her work to protect the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard from closure, Sirrell was also a vocal opponent of the statewide property tax and a strong advocate of constructing the new Portsmouth Public Library.

COLSA looks to scratch therapeutic riding program

The College of Life Sciences and Agriculture is threatening to cut its Therapeutic Riding Program, which has been running since 1989. But many people are hoping the cancellation won’t go through.

The college will review the program’s revenue, cost and benefits before COLSA dean Tom Brady makes a final decision on the program.

TRP offers horseback riding lessons for children and adults with physical, cognitive or emotional disabilities. Using riding skills and therapeutic activities helps to treat vestibular and neurological issues, which can help the client with walking and balance. The program also helps individuals who have sensory integration or hyperactivity issues, like ADHD and autism.

no new beds

Since the mid-1990s, state law has restricted construction of new nursing home “beds” in New Hampshire, essentially preventing both private and county-run nursing homes from expanding their capacities. The moratorium was set to expire this year. House Bill 113 would extend the restriction until 2013, but also adds a provision that makes it easier for nursing homes to upgrade existing beds. 

The moratorium on nursing home beds has also been used in other parts of the country going back to the 1980s. The reason for limiting beds was, oddly enough, to keep prices down. 

GridSolar proposes energy alternative in Maine

According to Central Maine Power’s projections, the state’s growing energy demands will soon exceed the company’s generating capacity at peak times. Unless the state comes up with a solution, that could mean grid failures and blackouts in Vacationland.

CMP’s solution is to spend $1.5 billion to build new high voltage transmission lines and update existing lines. But representatives from GridSolar think there’s a better way. The GridSolar project proposes to develop up to 800 megawatts of solar generation to meet the demands of peak load growth.

UNH prepared for a swine flu outbreak

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama urged U.S. schools to take an active role in preventing the spread of the swine influenza virus.

UNH’s Emergency Group met last week to review how the university would deal with a potential outbreak.

“We have a strong pandemic plan in place,” wrote President Mark Huddleston in an e-mail sent on April 29.

As the population of New Hampshire continues to grow, so will new developments accommodating all the new residents and businesses. Two controversial bills now in the House and Senate may change the way local land use boards negotiate those incoming construction permits.

waiving regulations

According to current state law, planning boards can waive a regulation for subdivisions and site plans if two conditions are met: 1) following the regulation exactly would cause hardship to the applicant, and 2) enforcing the regulation would actually corrupt its original intent. House Bill 43, sponsored by Rep. Anne Grassie (D-Rochester), would only require that a waiver serve the intended regulatory goal—no hardship necessary.  

Senate weighs in on controversial bills

New Hampshire is close to becoming the fifth state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriages. In a historic 13-11 vote, the N.H. Senate approved an amended version of House Bill 436 on April 29. Assuming the House agrees to the amendments, the bill will head to the governor’s desk soon.

The amended version of the bill draws a distinction between civil and religious marriages and clarifies that religious denominations have the right to decide whether or not they will conduct same-sex marriages. The amendments were seen as an attempt to pacify people who oppose gay marriage on religious grounds.

Noreng and Peyser elected student body president and vice president

Marie Charlotte Noreng and Richard Washburn Peyser III were announced winners of the 2009 Student Body Elections on April 23 by the Student Senate office. Pleased with the results, the two jumped up and hugged before shaking hands with their defeated opponents.
“Obviously, we’re really excited,” said Noreng after hearing she’d be next year’s student body president.

“I was expecting not to win this whole time because I didn’t want to get my hopes up just in case I was let down,” said Peyser, who will be vice president.

Nicholas Benson, who ran uncontested, won a seat as the University System Student Board representative.
The Student Senate officially approved the election results at a meeting on April 25. Noreng and Peyer will take office on Friday, May 1.

term limits, age limits

governor’s term limits

It’s never too early to start thinking elections, especially in New Hampshire, where state representatives, executive councilors and the governor are elected every two years.

New Hampshire and neighboring Vermont are actually the only two states whose governors serve two-year terms, and the suggestion has come up again this year to double that length. If CACR 9 passes, it will be up to voters to decide.

“Similar constitutional amendments calling for a four-year term for governor have gone to the voters in past years,” writes Rep. Jim Splaine (D-Portsmouth) in his minority report supporting CACR 9, “and votes have been close to obtaining the 2/3rds necessary, but have come up short.

Memorial Bridge gets “endangered” designation

A crowd of New Hampshire and Maine residents aiming to preserve the imperiled Memorial Bridge gathered in Portsmouth’s Prescott Park on April 28 for a rally in support of the 85-year-old structure. Supporters marched across the Route 1 bridge from Portsmouth to Kittery, traversing the powerful currents of the Piscataqua River.

The rally, organized by an ad-hoc citizens coalition called Save Our Bridges!, was meant to bring attention to the historic structure, which tops the N.H. Department of Transportation’s red list of bridges in need of repair. While New Hampshire appears committed to rescuing the bridge, officials in Maine have balked at the project’s $59 million price tag. New Hampshire and Maine share ownership of the bridge.

former musician talks about culture he helped create

Known as the “walking encyclopedia of music,” Barry Drake returned to UNH last week to present part of his four-part series, “’70’s Rock: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly.”

An eight-time winner of UNH’s campus lecturer of the year, Drake is known for his interactive presentations, during which he uses songs, video and pictures to piece together significant decades of America’s musical history.

Starting with the breakup of The Beatles and ending with the beginning of MTV, the speech consisted of a thorough summary of bands in multiple genres; detailing deaths, inspiration for songs and even unique quirks about band members.

consolidation, layoffs and entrepreneurship

consolidation

A last-minute amendment to a study bill has spiced up its public hearing in the House, scheduled for this week. Senate Bill 132, as originally worded, would have established a commission to study the idea of folding several state agencies into a newly created Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

But the day before Crossover and a week after it passed the Senate, an amendment to the bill’s title removed the “study” portion and redeployed the commission straight to the planning phase of this significant consolidation. The amended bill passed the Senate again, crossed over to the House and gets its second public hearing on Thursday, April 23, in the Executive Departments and Administration Committee.

rally for the bridges

The state of N.H. has some great ideas about stimulus funding to repair the two lower bridges on the Piscataqua River, as well as the state pier in Portsmouth.
They’d really like Maine to be on board for the application—the bridges are shared between the two states. Officials in Augusta seem less interested.

A grassroots coalition will rally for a walk across the Memorial Bridge on Tuesday, April 28 at noon, to celebrate our shared community life, sustainable transportation, local history, and the power of local commerce.

We encourage you to step out and give a cheer for the bridges.

Portsmouth tea party

Horns honked vociferously as motorists wheeled past hundreds of demonstrators in downtown Portsmouth on April 15. The Tax Day rally brought a thick crowd to Market Square, fueled by anger over government spending at the state and federal level. The demonstrators, many carrying signs denouncing the Federal Reserve, sang and chanted in unison beneath the North Church steeple.

The New Hampshire Advantage Coalition and a number of cosponsoring groups organized the N.H. Taxpayer Tea Party, with protesters gathering simultaneously in Portsmouth, Dover and Manchester. Other Tax Day demonstrations were held in more than 200 locations around the nation in an attempt to grab the attention of legislators in Washington D.C.

“I’m angry. I’m mad as hell,” said Mike Jones, of Portsmouth. He said he was disappointed with excessive government spending, “but I think the real problem is the Federal Reserve.”

despite economy, UNH has no plans to change ‘need-blind’ policy

In the current economic climate, schools across the nation are finding it more and more difficult to fulfill the needs of students who simply can’t afford hiking tuition prices. In a recent New York Times article, journalist Kate Zernike wrote that even universities that are considered “need-blind” are searching for ways to admit more students who demonstrate an ability to foot the tuition bill without financial aid packages.

Out of all of the nation’s state institutions, UNH receives the least state funding. And state funding is, in part, where the school’s financial aid budget comes from.

So, with the economy in its worst state in the past 70 years, how was this year’s applicant pool at UNH affected? Not at all, according to director of admissions Rob McGann.

halfway there

With Crossover Day behind us, the N.H. Legislature has completed its first round of work on the roughly 1,000 bills introduced this year. Those that passed their original chamber (the House or Senate) have now been assigned to committees in the other chamber. In coming weeks, they’ll be scheduled for a second round of public hearings, committee recommendations and full chamber votes. 

Whatever survives will then go to Gov. John Lynch’s office for a signature, a veto, or to become law without signature.

abortion

One set of laws that won’t land on the governor’s desk deal with changes to current abortion laws. It’s familiar territory for Lynch, who in 2007 signed a law reversing the parental notification requirement for abortions performed on minors. The requirement had been ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2006. 

The owners of Frisbee’s Market in Kittery Point, Maine, say it is the oldest continually operating grocery store in the United States. The store opened in 1828, and the adjoining restaurant, Cap’n Simeon’s Galley, contains beams dating back to 1680. Today, Frisbee’s is the only store located in Kittery Point.

But Frisbee’s and Cap’n Simeon’s have been closed since early February, and the Route 103 property is slated to be auctioned on Friday, April 24. The property went into Chapter 7 bankruptcy this winter after owner Cindy Frisbee failed to pay creditors. 

But a group of concerned residents hopes to purchase the property at auction and revive the historic businesses. Former town councilor Dennis Estes and six other Kittery Point residents have united to form Point Partners LLC, which will pursue the parcels “to the final bid” if the current owner cannot secure it before auction day, Estes said.

paving the way

New laws aimed at fixing old roads and bridges are piling up in Concord, but one in particular seems to be leading the charge. A proposal to raise the “gas tax” has gained traction in the N.H. House. 

But don’t call it a gas tax in front of Rep. David Campbell (D-Nashua). It’s a “road toll,” according to state law—the words “gas tax” don’t actually exist on the books. Campbell looks at the toll as a user fee charged on each gallon of fuel and paid by the people who use the product. If you don’t use the gas, you don’t pay it. 

Call it what you like, House Bill 644 would raise the cost from 18 to 33 cents per gallon over the next four years. Starting in July, it would go up one nickel every other year, reaching 33 cents per gallon in 2013. 

That’s almost doubling the charge. But Campbell, the bill’s prime sponsor and vice-chair of the House Public Works and Highways Committee, points out that the fee hasn’t been raised in 18 years, since 1991.

Meanwhile, construction costs have climbed with inflation (even hyper-inflation up to 60 percent for fuel, asphalt, concrete and steel in the last four years). The state hasn’t collected any additional money to make up the difference. 

protesters target Bank of America

A group of about a dozen protesters gathered outside the Bank of America branch in downtown Portsmouth on March 19 to rally against corporate greed and express support for President Barack Obama’s budget proposal.

The protesters accuse Bank of America’s executives of lining their own pockets with billions of federal bailout dollars funded by taxpayers. The bank collected $45 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

10% Shift encourages local shopping as an economic boon

If you could follow a locally spent dollar bill for one weekend, the journey might bring you all around the Seacoast.

For example: A dollar spent at Infinite Imaging in Portsmouth might then be deposited at Optima Bank. A bank employee might then use that same dollar to buy a fresh loaf of bread at 45 Market Street in Somersworth. The bakery worker, in turn, could spend that dollar on organic herbs at White Heron Tea in Rollinsford. An employee from the tea shop might then fuel up his car at Simply Green Biofuels in Dover. A Simply Green attendant then might spend the dollar during a family visit to Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth. One of Strawbery Banke’s historians (having spent the day on her feet) might visit Cardea Chiropractic Well-Being in Greenland. From there, a chiropractor might catch an evening show at Pontine Theatre in Portsmouth. The theater, looking to upgrade its stage, might then shop at Jackson’s True Value Hardware in Kittery, Maine, where an employee might bring that same original dollar bill to Fresh Local Bayside in Newington for some eggs benedict. Follow?

students find ways to enjoy spring break despite recession

Senior Angela Jones has been envisioning herself on a Jamaican Beach since early December.

Jones, along with 16 of her sorority sisters from Alpha Xi Delta, will be enjoying the sunshine and clear waters for spring break this week. In order to pay for the $1,200 trip, Jones is spending her entire Christmas savings.

“I had to ask for a lot of money for Christmas,” she said. “But it will all be worth it when I’m lying on a beach.”

Despite the economic downturn, students are still finding ways to travel and get away from snowy New Hampshire for spring break.

NASA’s  Kepler mission launched successfully from Cape Canaveral on  Thursday, March 6, attained orbit, and powered on its photometer a few days later, according to recent NASA reports.

It will take a few weeks to calibrate the photomoter, which will then begin its search for Earth-like planets in deep space. Kepler will be searching for Earth-size planets orbiting in the habitable zone of stars similar to our sun. The space-borne telescope will look at more than 100,000 stars in order to statistically estimate the total number of Earth-size planets orbiting sun-like stars in the habitable zone.

renewable remodeling

Funding for renewable energy is generating a lot of discussion at the State House these days. And at least one legislator thinks another good place to bring it up is on residents’ electric bills.

Senate Bill 97 would require electric companies to include information about how their power is generated on billing statements, and to describe the environmental profiles of those energy sources.

“I think it’s kind of dovetailing with people’s generally increased interest in where their energy is coming from and what that means for the environment,” says bill sponsor Amanda Merrill (D-Durham). Giving people more information about the energy coming into their homes seems like a logical step, she says.

Merrill wrote the bill based on discussions with the Office of Consumer Advocate, an independent state agency that represents residential utility customers (electric, natural gas, telephone and water). SB 97 comes before the Senate Energy, Environment and Economic Development Committee for a public hearing on Thursday, March 26.

N.H. State Council on the Arts faces drastic budget cuts

The full impact of the arts on a community is difficult to measure. On the surface, art may seem like an expendable commodity, an aesthetic luxury that beautifies public spaces but is not vital to the economy. But art and culture organizations have a far-reaching economic impact that generates millions of dollars and employs thousands of people across New Hampshire.

“The artists are part of it, obviously, but what’s more important is that we have this very holistic approach that is bigger than all of us,” said Karen Burgess Smith, of Exeter, chair of the N.H. State Council on the Arts. “We’re not just a pretty picture. We have a lot of things going on.”

That’s why Burgess Smith is concerned about proposed budget cuts that could cripple the NHSCA—or shut it down altogether. Gov. John Lynch’s state budget proposal would cut the NHSCA’s funding by nearly 50 percent to $448,000 in FY 2010, and effectively reduce the agency’s full-time staff from nine people to four.

There are tattoos for remembrance, and others that represent a certain time in life. And then there are those that just can’t be explained.

No matter their shape, size or color, tattoos have a story to tell, and many students at the University of New Hampshire are not shy about sharing their ink.

“I got mine for my mom,” said Eric Gilchrese, a point guard for the UNH men’s basketball team, whose mother passed away on Dec. 9. “I got my tattoo three days after the funeral. She was my heart. My everything. When I look at her on my back it helps to ease the pain. It’s a way of representing her while she’s not here.”

Phil Heckler, a senior English major, has a tattoo in remembrance of his father, a woodworker who passed away in 2004.

Portsmouth’s Pay & Display dilemma

I’m torn. Like many Seacoast residents, I’ve spent considerable time over the last year whining about Portsmouth’s new Pay & Display parking system. The city installed 10 Pay & Display meters downtown as part of a year-long pilot program and now wants to expand the system. The expansion would mean replacing traditional meters at individual parking spaces with central Pay & Display meters, where motorists purchase paper tickets with coins or credit cards and place them on their dashboards. Parking prices would remain the same. 

The system comes with numerous minor inconveniences that add up to a major pain in the rear end. You have to walk back and forth from the machines and sometimes wait in lines to purchase tickets; the paper slips wind up littering your car; the meters don’t accept dollar bills—I could go on. And honestly, who wants to use a credit card to pay for 75 cents worth of parking?

caring for health care

President Obama isn’t the only one with health care on his mind these days. About a week after his Health Care Summit at the White House on March 5, several bills that could render big changes to health insurance in New Hampshire will come before the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee. Two of them with very different approaches will get their public hearings on Tuesday, March 17.

nationalized healthcare

area authorities crack down on teen dances

Merriam-Webster Online has 10 different definitions for the word “grind.” But only the last definition applies to dancing: “to rotate the hips in an erotic manner.”

To some school officials, grinding is—by definition—not appropriate for high school dances. But teens feel it is a harmless style, and it has become so prevalent that many students can hardly imagine dancing any other way.
That’s part of the reason that Exeter High School has canceled its next school dance, which was scheduled for March 27. Exeter High principal Victor Sokul announced the cancellation on March 9 and plans to hold a public meeting about future dances in late March or early April.

“What I hope to do is put together some sort of, for lack of a better word, a forum to discuss this issue so that we can solve it,” Sokul said. “The issue’s not going to go away, and canceling dances is not my preference, but we’ve got to figure this out long-term,”

‘CE-Yo’ named graduation speaker

The University of New Hampshire has announced its 139th commencement speaker—Gary Hirshberg, president and “CE-Yo” of Stonyfield Farm.

On Saturday, May 23, the class of 2009, along with friends and family, will assemble on Memorial Field where Hirshberg will address the graduates about green business success and the link between the environment and the economy.

a family of workers’ rights bills

If you woke up tomorrow with the ultimate family life and ideal work conditions, what would your life look like?

More than 250 people answered that question at the first annual New Hampshire Summit on Work and Family last October, and convinced some legislators that two benefits would help people balance work obligations and family demands: paid time off, and the right to ask for a flexible schedule.

survey shows support for Memorial Bridge

A recent independent survey shows that many Seacoast residents think Memorial Bridge is important both as a passage for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, and as a historic World War I memorial. The survey also found that most respondents do not think Sarah Mildred Long Bridge is as important.

Jointly owned by New Hampshire and Maine, Memorial Bridge is in dire need of restoration work. But the two states have failed to come to an agreement on how to pay for proposed repairs, which would cost at least $59 million. Officials in both states are now pondering whether to remove the bridge completely, replace it with a new structure or proceed with scaled back repairs. The survey found public sentiment in favor of maintaing the current bridge.

Durham institutions buck national banking trends

For once, the little guy is benefiting when the big guy isn’t. Small, local banks in the Durham area actually have an advantage in the current recession.

“Your smaller banks—your local, your community banks—are probably doing better (than the national chains),” said Brian Bolton, assistant professor of finance at UNH.

According to Bolton, the banking industry has two main problems. The first is the slowing economy, which means consumers are less likely to borrow money. The second is bad investments, meaning that the banks gave out too many loans to people who were unable to pay them back.

On Tuesday, February 24, NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory craft was lost shortly after launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base  in California, plunging into the sea near Antarctica after the payload fairing failed to separate, according to a NASA release.

The craft was designed to study the behavior of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, hopefully leading to a better understanding of the mechanics of global warming. In particular, the craft was to help scientists learn more about how carbon dioxide is absorbed by carbon sinks like oceans and forests.

No decision has yet been made on how to replace the satellite.

Jackpot?

Scratch tickets, Megabucks, Powerball—check. Texas Hold’em, Lucky 7, Bingo—well, check, but only for charity. Slot machines, baccarat, casino resorts? Jackpot. At least, that’s what some New Hampshire lawmakers are betting on this year with their bills to bring in more money by rolling more gambling into the Granite State.

The Senate is reviewing two bills that would allow video gaming (slots or other gambling machines) at existing dog and horse racing facilities (see the Feb. 18 installment of Front Door Politics). Next week, two more gambling initiatives hit the House. They’ve already had public hearings, but the House Local and Regulated Revenues Committee is split on whether or not they should pass. They’ll both go to a House vote on Wednesday, March 4.

the show ain’t over for the Rochester Opera House

As the Rochester Opera House neared its 100-year anniversary last year, the community feared it would be the last.
But the reorganization and new strategic business plan is working and, in a display of confidence and commitment, the city of Rochester signed a five-year lease with the Opera House this February.

The historic theater at Town Hall was run by the city until its restoration in 1996, when it was leased on a one to three year basis as a not-for-profit. The new lease is a public-private partnership, with the city acting as landlord. The community support makes it more likely that the Opera House will secure grants, said co-executive director Susan Page.

The accidental crash last week between a defunct Russian military satellite and a U.S. Iridium commercial satellite created a massive debris field which may remain a hazard for 10,000 years, according to Russian Mission Control chief Vladimir Solovyov in an Associated Press report.

Granite State Gambling

Budget cuts won out as the focus of Gov. John Lynch’s budget address on Feb. 13, when he unveiled his proposal for how New Hampshire should tax, spend and scrimp in the next two years. But some groups of lawmakers are wagering that budget reductions alone won’t fix the state’s financial shortfalls, and new money from more gambling is the state’s best bet for a sound fiscal future. While the governor remains clear in his message that he would veto any bills calling for a broad-based sales or income tax, he implied that he might be willing to bargain on gambling.

“I remain skeptical of expanded gambling and how it will affect New Hampshire’s quality of life,” Lynch said, urging “careful and deep thought” to the impact of any gambling proposals.  

UNH looks to replace Ruckus after shutdown

For nearly two years, illegal downloading became virtually obsolete. Students were able to download as much music as they wanted for free.

When Ruckus, a Web site providing free downloads to college students, went offline on Feb. 6, that opportunity disappeared.

“We’ll keep our eyes open for an alternative, but at the present time there doesn’t seem to be any companies ready to fill the void,” said senior assistant vice president for Student and Academic Services Anne Lawing.

The service closed because the site’s digital rights management licensing server had shut down, according to TechCrunch.com, a blog that profiles new Internet products and companies.

Strawbery Banke cuts staff for 2009

Only a few months after celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding, Strawbery Banke Museum is making significant operational changes to avoid major budget shortfalls in 2009. The history museum in Portsmouth is eliminating eight year-round staff positions and cutting seasonal staff by 40 percent while making cuts to all department budgets.

“The global economic crisis has already negatively affected two of the museum’s major sources of revenue—donations to the annual fund and endowment income,” Strawbery Banke president Lawrence Yerdon said in a press release. “The current state of the economy requires us to reduce the museum’s operating costs.”

feminists debate the influence of porn on society

Those expecting a mud-wrestling match in the Granite State Room were in for a shock on Feb. 4 when the pornography debate took a different turn.

Two feminists—anti-porn activist Susan G. Cole and former porn star and supporter of the industry Nina Hartley—defended their viewpoints in the MUB-sponsored event. It was so crowded that 10 minutes before the guests came in to speak students were being turned away at the door.
Cole is the senior entertainment and books editor at NOW Magazine, Canada’s news and entertainment weekly. She is also an author and playwright.

After more than a year of coasting through space, Japan’s Hayabusa space probe recently fired its engines to begin the journey back to Earth, according to a recent space.com article. The probe is scheduled to return in 2010, hopefully carrying samples from asteroid Itokawa.

Unfortunately, researchers at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency are uncertain as to whether the probe ever actually collected any material from Itokawa, because a number of technical problems occurred during the 2005 encounter with the asteroid.

President Barack Obama reached across the aisle on Feb. 3 and announced U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) as his selection for Commerce Secretary. N.H. Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, wasted no time in appointing Republican Bonnie Newman as Gregg’s Senate replacement that same day.

When Obama first requested that Gregg join his administration, the senior senator said he would not resign his seat if it changed the balance of the Senate. Lynch agreed to appoint a Republican to replace him. If Gregg is confirmed as Commerce Secretary, Newman will fill his Senate seat until the term expires in 2010.

Although Newman has never before held an elected office, she is a familiar face in New Hampshire and Washington, D.C. She was a congressional staff member to then Congressman Gregg in the early 1980s, and later served as assistant secretary of commerce for economic development, associate director of the Office of White House Personnel, and assistant to the president for management and administration.

water, water, everywhere

New Hampshire is relatively water rich—somewhat of a luxury in today’s climate of heightened demand for the essential elixir. But the plentiful resource also means there’s more to protect. Two water conservation programs in the state are growing, but some controversy still swirls over who should be in charge of the water system that flows beneath the ground. Several pending bills deal with protecting New Hampshire’s water supplies.

protecting future water supplies

The idea behind the Water Supply Land Conservation Grant Program is to prevent contamination of drinking water by controlling the land where the water is found. New Hampshire started the program in 2000, and nearly 850 acres, mostly in the southern part of the state, have been preserved in the last three years by towns and non-profit organizations that received grant funding. Conserved land is closed to development, only allowing recreation, agriculture and forestry in its boundaries.

debtor’s prison redux—a return to the 19th century

Sitting in court waiting for my case to be called, I watch as a young man in an orange jump suit is escorted the defendant’s table. His hands are bound by stainless steel cuffs and fixed to a chain encircling his waist. He keeps his hands close together, almost as if in prayer, to keep the metal from chaffing. He shuffles toward the table in tiny steps because his feet, too, are bound by chains—a measure no doubt thought necessary to prevent him from fleeing on foot from the grasp of the deputy sheriff. The deputy appears attentive to his task, but uninvolved in the young man’s plight. The young man stands nervously, waiting for the judge to speak.

Is this some dangerous hardened criminal I am seeing, a violent robber, a rapist, a murderer, perhaps? But no, there is no press here, no gaggle of reporters scratching furiously on their pads, no klieg lights, no cameras, all of which surely would accompany such heinous conduct. What terrible crime has this young man committed? I, too, now find myself anxious to hear what the judge has to say.

UNH president forecasts tough times

University of New Hampshire President Mark Huddleston had an ominous forecast for the school’s budget in a recent letter to the college community. As the 2009 spring semester gets underway, the university faces daunting challenges created by the national economic crisis.

“While it is common for UNH to deal with financial challenges, this year will be more difficult than most,” Huddleston wrote. “The reason is that in the teeth of the current economic gale each of our key revenue streams is being unusually buffeted.”

Iran has launched its first domesticly-built satellite into orbit, according to numerous sources. Omid, meaning “hope,” was launched on February 2 aboard an Iranian-made Safir 2 rocket.

“With God’s help and the desire for justice and peace, the official presence of the Islamic Republic was registered in space,” President Ahmadinejad said, according to a Reuters repport.

Omid is a research and telecom satellite.

death penalty on trial

Does the state have the right or responsibility to take the life of a convicted killer? Should certain murders be punishable by death? These questions will be open to public debate in Concord on Tuesday, Feb. 10, when four bills related to the death penalty are heard by the House Criminal Justice & Public Safety Committee.

The subject comes up often at the State House, but attention to this year’s bills is heightened due to two capital murder cases tried in 2008. Both well publicized, Michael Addison’s killing of police officer Michael Briggs resulted in the death penalty, while John Brooks’ conviction of murder-for-hire produced a sentence of life in prison.

Angela Davis’ MLK Commemorative Address captivated some, left others disappointed, and spurred some of the criticism her appearances have become known for.

The address was titled “Education or Incarceration: The Future of Democracy.” It was held on Jan. 29 in the Paul Creative Arts Center’s Johnson Theatre.

The annual commemorative address is the highlight of a series of events surrounding Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This year’s events run until Feb. 5 and are centered on the theme “One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008.”

inauguration address silences student spectators

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, students drifted in and out of Union Court. Some were just there to grab a bite to eat or kill time before class. But others were waiting to watch the historic inauguration of America’s first black president.

Just before noon, Union Court and the Strafford Room filled with students who fell silent as Barack Hussein Obama took his oaths as the 44th President of the United States.

“It was great,” said sophomore Brandon Fitts. “Everything was so still and quiet during the speech and then, after, everyone returned back to their lives.”

While it has been known that the Antarctic Peninsula has been warming, a new study using satellite data shows that a wide region of Western Antarctica has also been warming over the past 50 years.

A proposed workforce housing complex off Islington Street in Portsmouth promptly ran into a brick wall recently when the Zoning Board of Adjustment rejected several required variances for the project.

The proposed five-story, 60-unit complex at the corner of Cate and Bartlett streets would have included 16 artist living and working spaces and 44 one- and two-bedroom rental units for families earning between 80 and 120 percent of the area’s median annual income, which equates to between $55,350 and $83,484 for a family of three. But the ZBA voted 4-3 against approving six required variances for the project.

On Christmas Eve, Maine-ly New Hampshire planned on closing at 4 p.m. But the Portsmouth gift store with locally made goods was so busy that the staff decided to stay open.

At 7:30 p.m., a man came in searching frantically for a child’s gift, owner Deborah Bouchard-Smith said in a press release. She showed him Firewood Toys made of wood in New Hampshire. He was so happy with the old-fashioned toys that he bought the tractor, sailboat and the train, and got them gift-wrapped.
Experiences like these are one reason why, despite challenging economic conditions, independent retailers outperformed many chain stores during the holiday season, according to a national survey.

$75 million to go

New Hampshire has about five months to get its books in the black before the end of the current fiscal year on June 30. Last fall, the state was an estimated $250 million over budget, mainly because it just didn’t bring in as much dough as it expected. Then, just before Thanksgiving, the Fiscal Committee approved several executive orders from Gov. John Lynch that saved about $175 million.
Last week, the House Finance Committee took on a chunk of the remaining $75 million deficit, and the full House will weigh in on proposed cuts next week.  Here’s a rundown. 

HB 30: budget cuts across the board

New research using three ground-based telescopes has shown that nearly 21,000 tons of methane were released from the martian surface during a short period during 2003, according to a recent Associated Press story.

“This raises the probability substantially that life was there or still survives at the present,” study author Michael Mumma told The Associated Press.

“Methane is quickly destroyed in the Martian atmosphere in a variety of ways, so our discovery of substantial plumes of methane in the northern hemisphere of Mars in 2003 indicates some ongoing process is releasing the gas,” said Mumma in a recent NASA release. “At northern mid-summer, methane is released at a rate comparable to that of the massive hydrocarbon seep at Coal Oil Point in Santa Barbara, Calif.”

Portsmouth considers middle class housing complex

Portsmouth’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Housing issued a lengthy report in November emphasizing the need for affordable housing for the city’s middleclass workers. The report calls on city officials to play a leadership role in advocating for the creation of more workforce housing units.

The Committee’s efforts may soon bear fruit. The city is considering a proposal for a 60-unit workforce housing complex off Islington Street. Tentatively called Bartlett Place, the proposed five-story building would be located at 30 Cate St., at the corner of Cate and Bartlett streets. The proposal from MertonAlan Investments includes 16 artist living and working spaces and a total of 44 one- and two-bedroom rental units. 

Congressional delegations from New Hampshire and Maine recently united to push for new good-paying jobs at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. U.S. Senators and Representatives from both states sent a letter urging the Department of the Navy to begin an “aggressive hiring program” to expand the Shipyard’s civilian workforce.

Dated Jan. 13, the letter suggests that adding jobs at the Shipyard will enhance performance standards and cost effectiveness while reducing reliance on overtime. “Increasing the workforce will increase the availability of submarines to the operational fleet, reduce costs resulting from emergency repairs or unplanned maintenance, and enhance project execution time,” the letter reads.

The University of New Hampshire’s 19th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will examine the nation’s growing prison system with a number of panel discussions and other events. Titled “One in 100: Dismantling a Prison Nation,” the celebration from Jan. 22 to Feb. 5 will feature a keynote address from civil rights activist and author Angela Davis.

This year’s topic addresses a United States prison system that has put more than one in every 100 adults behind bars. It comes on the heels of two death penalty cases in New Hampshire in 2008, one of which resulted in the state’s first death sentence in almost 50 years. Michael Addison was sentenced to death in December for shooting and killing Manchester police officer Michael Briggs in 2006.

A pack of smokes with that bottle of booze?  One N.H. bill proposes selling tobacco at certain state liquor stores. Meanwhile, a cluster of insurance bills is lined up for hearing. 

Public hearings abound in Concord as state committees plunge into the legislative season. A total of 66 hearings are scheduled for next week—61 in the House and five in the Senate.

local bonds

HB 71 “relative to increasing the dollar limit for requiring public hearings on issuance of local bonds.” Betsey Patten (R-Moultonborough)

In Committee, House Municipal & County Government Committee

While sound doesn’t travel in space, radio waves can, and a team of astronomers has discovered a mysterious radio signal from an unknown source in deep space which they are characterizing as a “booming noise six times louder than anyone had predicted,” according to a recent space.com article.

There is “something new and interesting going on in the universe,” said Alan Kogut of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. His team detected the signal with ARCADE, a balloon-borne acronym, uh, instrument (Absolute Radiometer for Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Diffuse Emission).

ARCADE’s mission was to search for signs of heat from early generations of stars, but instead the team heard a “roar” from the distant reaches of the universe, according to space.com.

“The universe really threw us a curve,” Kogut said

take your seats

The committees are made, bills introduced and seats assigned. The N.H. House and Senate took their formal start for 2009 on Wednesday, Jan. 7, one day before Gov. John Lynch’s inauguration. There’s no time to waste, as public hearings start next week on the nearly 1,000 bills up for debate this session. A slew of organizational and informational meetings started up last week, many of which involved the state agencies within each committee’s sector.

better, but worse first

The Senate Finance and Ways & Means committees met Wednesday for a budget presentation by the Center for Public Policy Studies, a Concord-based private sector think tank. The short version of the Center’s message: things are going to get better, but they’re going to get worse first.

Democrat Jeanne Shaheen took her oaths as New Hampshire’s first ever female U.S. Senator on Jan. 6 and vowed to work with Republican senior Sen. Judd Gregg. Shaheen has been appointed to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Kittery continues to grapple with Maine’s school reorganization law

Maine’s school consolidation law has raised the ire of many educators and school officials in the state, but few communities have had as much trouble complying with the plan as Kittery.

The recently enacted law, touted by Gov. John Baldacci as a major cost saving measure, aims to consolidate Maine’s 290 school administrative units into about 80 regional school units. But Kittery’s geographic neighbors have already made decisions that leave Maine’s southernmost town without a partner for consolidation. As the Maine Department of Education presses Kittery to comply with the law, local officials are wondering what more they can do.

On January 3, 2009, NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit celebrated five years on Mars, and the craft is still functioning, despite a mission planned initally for only 90 days; so is its twin, the rover Opportunity.The rovers have returned a quarter-million images, driven more than 13 miles, and relayed more than 36 gigabytes of data back to Earth, according to NASA.

a roundup of legislation that takes effect in 2009

Energy, education and the economy were priorities of New Hampshire legislators in the previous session, passing new laws for the new year.

Since 2008 was an election year, expectations were low for laws that would make drastic or controversial changes. But House Speaker Terie Norelli (D-Portsmouth) said some significant laws that took effect the year before had been further developed.

For instance, the 2007 session defined an adequate education for the state, but the cost of an adequate education was determined last year and appropriations were made to see it through.

it oughtta be a law

The new year is underway, and with it comes a new session in the State House. The 161st General Court officially convenes on Wednesday, Jan. 7.

It’s bound to be a fast-paced tumble of activity as items such as a North Country casino, broad-based income tax, and a new state dog come up for debate.

Starting next week, Front Door Politics will bring you weekly updates from Concord. Since the action hasn’t really started yet, we’ll take this opportunity for a pre-session primer on the legislative process—in particular, how someone like you can make a bill become a law.

$1,000 gift goes to Cross Roads

Sumner Winebaum has chosen the Cross Roads House to receive the $1,000 charitable gift he won as recipient of the first ever Joseph Sawtelle Leadership Award. Winebaum, who helped found the Piscataqua Region of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, won the award in recognition of his commitment to community service.

Gents hazing involved dunkings in ‘jungle juice’

New details have surfaced about the spring 2008 incident that led to the probation of one of UNH’s popular a cappella groups. The New Hampshire Gentlemen accepted responsibility for nine violations of UNH policy, including hazing and providing alcohol to minors.

According to the disciplinary hearing decision released by the Office of Conduct and Mediation, the hazing occurred at a large party that involved punch with high alcohol content, a drink commonly referred to as “jungle juice.” Members of the singing group dunked the heads of new recruits in the punch as a rite of initiation.

Although many residents shiver at the thought of the oncoming New Hampshire winter, this perennial shifting of the seasons is one of New England’s defining traits. But a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of New Hampshire shows that winters in the Northeast are rapidly becoming warmer and less snowy.

The study, recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, analyzed wintertime climate data in the northeastern United States from 1965 to 2005. UNH researchers Elizabeth Burakowski and Cameron Wake, of the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, found that the region’s traditional winter conditions are vanishing at an alarming rate.

All Ballet New England wants for Christmas is a new home. That’s because city officials recently notified the group that it must vacate the Connie Bean Community Center in downtown Portsmouth, where it has leased space for 28 years.

According to recreation director Rus Wilson, the city decided to clear all tenants from the Daniel Street building’s second and third floors, as well as its basement, due to safety issues. During an inventory of the city’s recreation facilities, safety inspectors raised concerns about the exits on these floors, Wilson said. In addition to Ballet New England, a number of other organizations must relocate, including the Seacoast African American Cultural Center and the Portsmouth Judo Club.

Martha Lemire, executive director of Ballet New England, said the order to vacate came as a complete surprise.

The recent scandal involving Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich raises questions about how isolated such cases are or are not. Among the many allegations leveled against Blagojevich, he stands accused of trying to sell off the U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. The governor’s arrest is turning stomachs in Illinois, but other states rank even higher on the corruption scale, according to information from the U.S. Department of Justice and Census Bureau.

Superior courts in New Hampshire are suspending jury trials for a month this fiscal year as one of many cost saving measures. Another month off has been proposed, which could further delay civil cases for those seeking a right for a wrong.

Due to a state budget shortfall, Gov. John Lynch and the state Legislature requested cuts from government agencies and branches. The decision to suspend jury trails, under the direction of Superior Court Chief Justice Robert Lynn, is part of an effort to cut back $2.7 million in the judicial branch.

Light Up Durham brightens faces

The UNH campus has become a little bit brighter now that the 13th annual Light Up Durham celebration is under way.

Each year, the community holiday lighting competition between UNH fraternities, sororities and Durham businesses brings a bit more cheer to Durham.

Kenneth Barrows, assistant director of operations in the MUB, has been organizing Light Up Durham since its beginning.

Green Drinks fosters environmental discussions

You know that feeling when you move to a new place and look tirelessly for a job, while searching even harder for some friends so that Friday nights are not spent alone in front of the TV?

Joe Harrison and his wife, Adrienne, recent transplants from San Francisco, know this feeling well. The couple moved here from the West Coast just over a year ago and found themselves eager to replenish the depleted social network that they left behind.

the pros and cons of Portsmouth’s aging population

The United States population is getting older. According to U.S. Census Bureau projections, in less than 25 years, nearly one in five U.S. residents will be eligible for senior citizen discounts. In fact, the 65 and older age group is expected to double from the current 38.7 million to 88.5 million by 2050.

Aside from more bingo games and a rise in hearing aid stock, what does an aging population mean to an already gray New Hampshire—ranked 11th in the country for percent of population over 65 years of age?

Our gray state is getting grayer, but not proportionally so. According to a recent study by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, retired folks are migrating primarily to rural areas. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that in 2030, the state will have 400,000 more residents, half of whom will be 65 years or older.

cold weather means house fire danger

Seven Seacoast fires were reported in the week and a half leading up to Thanksgiving. On Thursday, Nov. 20, the first fire of the day destroyed a two-story home in Lee, and the second took out a Rye residence later that afternoon. The following Saturday, improper disposal of wood ashes caused a brush fire in Rochester, and on Sunday, Nov. 23, fire consumed a Dover home after its occupant died of a medical problem.

The spate of fires may seem unusual to area residents, but it comes as no surprise to local fire departments.

“In the winter, we expect to see more house fires because of heating systems,” says Eric Hagman, Dover’s deputy chief of fire prevention and operations. This year, the Dover Fire Department anticipates the number of house fires will escalate even beyond seasonal standards.

The Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation is making public transit more accessible for Dover residents, offering a new bus route that will service downtown and Sixth Street with 25 stops. Coast Route 33 began operating on Dec. 1 with 12 inbound and 12 outbound trips running Monday through Friday.

On his MySpace page, Lothar Patten responds to the question “Who I’d like to meet” by answering “friends of all kinds.”

Star of the local documentary “The Nice Man Cometh” and author of the self-published “Diary of a Nice Man,” the well-known Portsmouth resident, always ready with a smile and friendly word for the merest of acquaintances, died of an apparent heart attack on Sunday, Nov. 23.

Patten had in fact become a local personality by logging miles on foot and on bike around downtown Portsmouth and meeting friends of all kinds.

green shopping in Greenland

Traditional plastics take thousands of years to biodegrade. Considering that consumers in the United States discard billions of plastic shopping bags per year into the environment, it’s a bit unsettling to realize that those bags will never go away.

But there’s good news. A growing number of products are available made from plastic alternatives that break down in a matter of weeks. Many of these products can be found at Green Options, a new retail store on Route 33 in Greenland. Operating under parent company Greenland Bioplastics, the store opened its doors last weekend and will hold a grand opening event on Friday, Nov. 28.

sidewalk spots offer students and staff more than just cream and sugar

As the winter chill sets in across campus, students and faculty are forced to endure early morning walks along Academic Way. One staple stands out in the freezing cold: hooded students and faculty who impetuously line up every morning for something at Ramon’s coffee stop.

Ramon’s and Higher Grounds are two distinct small businesses in Durham that have found success appealing to the campus community for years. The carts, as well as their dedicated owners, provide a broad range of snacks, sandwiches and beverages both hot and cold, year-round.

The ban, effective Jan. 1, 2010, will result in the closing of two racetracks and will put kennel owners in a dog of a dilemma. What will they do with the greyhounds?

When racetracks close, dog owners are generally faced with two options: They can either race the dogs in other states or put them up for adoption. While many opponents of the ban claim eliminating dog racing is essentially a death sentence for the animals, Brian Adams, spokesperson for the MASPCA-Angell Medical Center says that “most of the dogs will continue to race on the circuit, just not in Mass.”

Through the drizzle on Saturday, Nov. 15, you may have been able to catch a glimpse of the rainbows clustered on the corner of Portsmouth’s Market Square. Clad in neon ponchos and striped umbrellas and holding brightly hand-painted signs, more than 40 Seacoast citizens joined in a nation-wide protest against the passing of California’s Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that elimated the right of same-sex couples to marry.

Beginning at 1 p.m., individuals took turns addressing the crowd, sharing personal stories and giving praise to fellow protesters for their support. There were no bullhorns or loudspeakers, and from a distance, the gathering looked more like a community celebration than a protest against injustice. Children played in the rain, couples nestled under umbrellas and dogs with rainbow bandanas happily trotted between the legs of supporters.

Portsmouth event shares research on green jobs in New Hampshire

You don’t hear very much good news regarding the economy these days. But according to UNH Professor Ross Gittell, there is “an economic bright spot.” He was referring to the “green economy”—a relatively new sector of the nation’s workforce employed with jobs that benefit the environment.

Although the green economy currently only accounts for slightly over 3 percent of the nation’s workforce, Gittell said that percentage is rising. And, if local communities take advantage, it could provide a window for significant economic growth in the region.
“There’s a real future if you focus some of your studies and your entrepreneurship in this area,” he said. “It really is growing in a lot of traditional industries,” including construction and real estate.

Freshman Camp dismissed from UNH

Incoming Wildcats will now have to look for other programs to help ease their transition from high school to college. UNH’s second oldest organization, Freshman Camp, has been removed by the university following its violation of the conduct code in August.

Since 1932, Freshman Camp had been a popular four-day, three-night trip to Camp Robindel on Lake Winnipesaukee, with about 200 fresh faces and 40 counselors and staff members. The camp, a student-run organization with alumni advisers, has been helpful for Wildcat cubs preparing for the many aspects of college life.

In August, the organization was found responsible for disorderly, lewd and indecent conduct, as well as failing to consider student development, citizenship and safety of paramount importance, according to university spokesperson Kim Billings.

memorial plans unveiled

It’s been slightly over five years since construction crews doing infrastructure work on Chestnut Street accidentally uncovered the remains of 13 African Americans in coffins dating back to the early 18th century. Since then, city officials have been considering ways to memorialize the location of Portsmouth’s African American Burial Ground.
The Portsmouth City Council approved final design plans for the memorial during a work session on Oct. 20. On Monday, Nov. 17, those plans will be publicly unveiled at Portsmouth Public Library.

Rochester voters approve tax cap

Voters in Rochester sent their message loud and clear on Election Day: they want lower taxes. A proposed tax cap in the city passed by more than 5,500 votes on Nov. 4, while a similar proposal in Somersworth failed by fewer than 900 votes.

Now, officials in Rochester will have to observe tight restrictions on how much they can spend in the next city budget, limiting tax increases to the annual change in the National Urban Consumer Price Index. Essentially, the cap limits tax increases to the rate of inflation.

The city voted on the cap after the Rochester Concerned Taxpayers Association collected close to 1,600 validated signatures on a petition—about twice as many as the organization needed to get the initiative on the ballot. Fred Leonard, vice president of the association, said he and others were fed up with what they viewed as excessive spending by the city government.

“For me, it was just a culmination of several years of what I believe (was) spending that wasn’t in line with what the people could afford,” Leonard said.

Memorial Bridge meeting in Portsmouth

Memorial Bridge, which stretches across the Piscataqua River from Portsmouth to Kittery, Maine, is in dire need of significant repairs, but bids for a contract to conduct the work came in millions of dollars higher than expected. Officials from the N.H. Department of Transportation will collect feedback on how to proceed during a meeting at Portsmouth City Hall on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.

N.H. voters see blue as they elect Barack Obama, Jeanne Shaheen and many other Dems

At the conclusion of his presidential acceptance speech, Sen. Barack Obama repeated the same phrase he used when accepting the Democratic nomination in August: “Yes we can.”

Obama did not modify his catch phrase to “Yes we did,” which throngs of supporters chanted during the rally in his home city of Chicago.

Presumably, that’s because the president elect understands that the real work begins now. Yes he did win the election, defeating Republican Sen. John McCain to become the first black president elect in the history of the United States. But can he fix the troubled economy, lower the national debt, narrow the deficit, stop global warming, end the war in Iraq and restore America’s reputation in the world?

The supporters who gathered in Rochester’s American Legion hall on the morning of Oct. 13 alternately erupted into chants of “Obama” and “Joe Biden” as they awaited the arrival of Sen. Barack Obama’s Democratic running mate. Hundreds of ticketed guests showed up at the event, many of whom were forced to wait outside until about 15 minutes into Sen. Joe Biden’s speech.

Two days later, an even bigger crowd gathered at Dover High School to greet Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Hundreds of supporters who did not make it into the school’s gymnasium stood penned in a nearby field, hoping for a glimpse of the Alaskan governor, while guests inside chanted “Sarah.”

The U.S. Navy’s newest Virginia-class submarine will be unveiled during a commissioning celebration at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Saturday, Oct. 25. The USS New Hampshire, a nuclear-powered attack submarine, is the fourth Navy ship to be named in honor of the Granite State.

Construction on the vessel began in January 2004 in Groton, Conn. A christening ceremony took place on June 21 in Groton, and the ship completed its first trial voyage in open seas on July 31. The sub arrived at the Shipyard on Oct. 19 with a welcoming parade and boat cruise.

The ship’s crew will be led by Commanding Officer Mike Stevens and Chief of the Boat Glen Kline. There will be 130 other officers and crew members aboard, including four New Hampshire citizens. The vessel got its name thanks to a letter-writing campaign from third-grade students at Garrison Elementary School in Dover.

Sununu and Shaheen toughen their attacks as Election Day approaches

Sen. John Sununu’s reelection campaign flipped the tables on Democratic rival Jeanne Shaheen with a television ad released on Oct. 7. The ad, titled “Remember,” shows footage of Shaheen speaking words of support for George W. Bush.

“I’ll stand with President Bush on national security, the war on terrorism and to disarm Saddam Hussein,” the former governor says in the ad. “I supported the Bush tax cut.”

A grave sounding narrator then intercedes, saying, “So when you hear Jeanne using the same old tired attacks, remember where she stood.” The ad ends with three consecutive replays of Shaheen saying, “I’ll stand with President Bush.”

the answer is blowin’ in the wind in Kittery

Motorists traveling along Route 236 in Kittery, Maine, may notice an unfamiliar sight towering over the trees off MacKenzie Lane. A newly erected wind turbine looms over the Kittery Transfer Station, its three white blades slicing through the breeze. 

The 50-kilowatt turbine is expected to produce between 70,000 and 80,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which is more than enough to power the town’s transfer station. Any extra electricity generated will be credited to the nearby Shapleigh School. There will also be an educational kiosk at the school, enabling students to see what the turbine is doing.

Portsmouth Listens holds forum for N.H. legislative candidates

The most significant rumbles of disagreement during a recent candidate forum in Portsmouth had to do with spending by the N.H. Legislature and its Democratic majority. Republicans vying for seats in the state Senate and House of Representatives alleged that Democrats have allowed government spending to get out of control, while several incumbent Democrats defended their record over the last two years.

Portsmouth Listens hosted the forum on Oct. 7 in the library at Portsmouth High School. House candidates in Rockingham County’s District 16 participated in a dialogue with voters, along with the two contenders for Senate District 24. Six of the seven Democratic House candidates attended, as well as four of the six Republican candidates.

Rudy Giuliani stumps for McCain in Portsmouth

Before he dropped out of the presidential primary early in 2008, Rudy Giuliani declared that if he wasn’t running, he would probably support John McCain. Sen. McCain went on to pummel Giuliani in the New Hampshire primary, and the former New York mayor soon gave up his presidential bid.

Now, Giuliani is following through on his promise. He spoke on McCain’s behalf at Portsmouth Public Library on Sept. 30 after a stop in Manchester the day before. Speaking one day after the U.S. House rejected a $700 billion bailout plan for financial markets, Giuliani told a few dozen supporters and undecided voters that McCain is the right man to fix the nation’s economy.  

second UNH frat suspended at UNH

Less than a week after police raided the Sigma Beta fraternity at the University of New Hampshire and arrested nine people on drug charges, officers arrested seven people at a separate fraternity where two students suffered alcohol poisoning.

Police responded to the Phi Mu Delta fraternity at 21 Madbury Road in Durham at about 12:45 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4. Rescue personnel also responded and transported two individuals to Wentworth-Douglas Hospital for treatment of alcohol poisoning. The two subjects have since been released from the hospital.

Michael J. Fox looks to the future in support of Shaheen

As actor and activist Michael J. Fox stood in front of a packed crowd in the Granite State Room at UNH on Sept. 23, it was obvious that Parkinson’s Disease has not affected his sense of humor.

“I would like to take a moment to appreciate the UNH Wildcats’ Hockey Team,” said Fox. “Being from Canada, I always said I was going to be a professional hockey player when I grew up ... I’m still waiting.”

polls show some NH races closer than others

Gov. John Lynch holds a huge lead over his opponent in New Hampshire’s gubernatorial race, but other contests remain tight, according to polls conducted by the University of New Hampshire’s survey center.

Lynch, a Democrat, leads state Sen. Joe Kenney, a Republican, 66 percent to 17 percent, with 15 percent undecided, according to a poll released on Sept. 25. Lynch’s approval rating was 75 percent and has remained over 70 percent since the fall of 2005.

The poll showed that the economy ranked as the most important problem facing New Hampshire today, with taxes coming in a distant second. Twenty percent of those polled said they didn’t know what the state’s biggest problem was.

Huddleston officially at the wheel

In his inaugural address, UNH President Mark Huddleston had the crowd cheering in applause and rolling in the aisles in the Granite State Room.

“Ushers will be moving up and down the aisles at the end of the service with collection plates,” joked Huddleston, referring to the remaining balance needed for the construction of a new business school.

A little over a year from when he was first announced as the 19th president of the University of New Hampshire, Huddleston gave his inaugural address on Sept. 16 in front of 300 people. More than 700 others watched his speech through podcasts on the Internet.

moms push anti-idling campaign

A group of area moms have launched a campaign to reduce motor vehicle idling at Seacoast schools. Called “Turn the Key, Be Idle Free,” the campaign was organized by members of the Seacoast Women’s Giving Circle, a philanthropic volunteer organization founded in 2006.

The campaign is posting “clean air zone” signs in the parking lots and waiting areas of participating schools, encouraging drivers to turn off their engines while waiting for their children to get out of school. Representatives will also distribute bumper stickers and speak at schools to spread awareness about the no idling campaign.

According to campaign organizers, idling vehicles are a leading cause of air pollution in New Hampshire. Air pollution can exacerbate symptoms of asthma, the most common chronic illness among New Hampshire children. One vehicle puts an average of three pounds of pollution into the air per month while picking up and dropping off schoolchildren.

In addition to reducing air pollution and health hazards, idling less can save people money, according to the campaign.

new dorms open for greener living

UNH Housing is providing homes to 361 more undergraduate students on campus in both old and new dormitories this year.
Fairchild Hall, located across from Ballard’s on Main Street, is now home to 126 students, after being closed in May 2007 for extensive renovations.

“We completely gutted it,” said Michel Williams, assistant director of housing facilities and operations. “Basically, everything was taken out except the steel structure.”

Former Republican U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley defeated former N.H. Health Commissioner John Stephen in the state primary on Sept. 9, setting up a rematch with Democrat Carol Shea Porter, who knocked Bradley out of office in 2006.

With 18,559 votes, Bradley reeled in just shy of 1,800 more votes than Stephen in the state’s first Congressional District. Two other Republicans on the ballot combined for less than 1,000 votes.

Obama talks taxes in Dover

In his first visit to the Seacoast since securing the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama laid out a tax plan that he said will help ease the burden on middle class families.

Countering his opponent’s claims that Obama would raise taxes on the middle class, the Illinois senator said he would lower taxes for all but the wealthiest Americans.

“We will cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans,” Obama said during a town meeting at the McConnell Center in Dover on Sept. 12. “My plan, altogether, is a net cut in taxes.”

state driver licenses come with hassles and benefits

The horror stories have been piling up for a few months now. Ever since the state started distributing temporary driver licenses in late May, many New Hampshire motorists have had trouble getting their IDs accepted at banks, restaurants, bars and other establishments. But state officials hope that will start to change as customers and businesses become aware of the new system.

“There have been some problems, especially when the first ones were issued,” said Jim Van Dongen, spokesman with the N.H. Department of Safety. “There were initial complaints and problems and we’ve been working to address those.”