The popularity of tea is gaining momentum on the Seacoast, as local businesses like White Heron Tea in Rollinsford and the new Teatotaller Tea House in Somersworth have made a wide variety of high quality teas more accessible to consumers.

Occupy New Hampshire seeks to ramp up its presence in 2012 with four days of events
surrounding the first-in-the-nation primary.

“A lot of people feel disenfranchised and a lot of people feel their voices are not being heard, so they’re getting involved now,” says Newmarket resident Michael Grosse. During the four days leading up to the New Hampshire primary, those voices will be aimed at Republican presidential candidates and the local voters they’re courting. The Occupy the New Hampshire Primary movement will include a series of events—marches, debates, workshops, street theater, entertainment—across the state from Friday, Jan. 6,  to Tuesday, Jan. 10.

Recent lynx sightings and an apparently growing bobcat population have raised hopes of a wild cat revival in New Hampshire.

Lynx tracks have been confirmed in the North Country seven times since 2006. But new photographs taken this fall represent the first fully documented lynx in the state since a road-killed animal was found in 1993. Even more significant, the animals appeared to be kittens, which indicates the presence of a breeding family.

With environmental pressures on Great Bay rising and funds to deal with them shrinking, stakeholders rally to come up with solutions.

A common refrain at the recent Great Bay Dialogue meeting was the need for increased monitoring to identify nitrogen sources. Then, stakeholders can determine the easiest and most cost-effective ways to eliminate the pollution. “The science is incontrovertible,” said Paul Stacey, of the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. “We can negotiate outcomes in terms of how much we want to do or how much we want to spend, policies, politics and so forth, but the science is of course deaf and immune to that. It’s going to respond the way it always will—according to the laws of nature, not the laws of man.”

The national economy has made modest improvements, with  New Hampshire continuing to lead the pack. But unemployment numbers can be misleading, and the economic forecast calls for continued hard times in 2012.

The large dip in the unemployment rate last month was due largely to the fact that 315,000 people dropped out of the labor force, meaning they gave up looking for jobs and were no longer counted as unemployed. Furthermore, 50,000 of the jobs added in November were in the retail trade, including many temporary hires for the holiday season. As those numbers demonstrate, employment statistics can be a bit deceptive. That’s also true in New Hampshire, where the state unemployment rate has remained almost four percentage points below the national rate throughout the recession. New Hampshire also has one of the nation’s highest median household incomes. Looking at those statistics, it’s tempting to think the Granite State’s economy is thriving. But economist Ross Gittell says that’s not the case.

New Hampshire Farm to School inspires students to grow and eat local food while learning about it.

Stout Oak Farm recently relocated from a leased property in Epping to a permanent location in Brentwood, just a few miles from Exeter High School, where the farm started delivering food this year. The farm delivered a variety of produce, such as carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, peppers and kale, once a week in September and October, while there was enough to go around. Kate Donald, of Stout Oak Farm, said she heard about it from parents who shop at the local farmers’ market or buy a share of her produce. Their kids knew they were now getting fresh foods from local farms in the cafeteria.

a one-stop resource to cover all your holiday shopping needs with locally sourced gifts available at local, independent stores

Why go to a big corporate box store to shop for someone you care about?  The Walmarts and Best Buys of the world, with their blinding incandescence and cookie-cutter products, are devoid of holiday charm and character. Santa would never go there, and neither should you. The real spirit of the holidays is encapsulated in the quirky local retail shops, galleries, studios and other businesses dappling the downtowns of our Seacoast communities.The Wire compiled this guide with the help of suggestions from readers for great holiday gifts, with an emphasis on items that are locally made, locally available, and awesome enough to satisfy any friend or family member on your holiday shopping list.

Efforts to rescue RiverRun Bookstore reflect a movement around the country to support small businesses with local investing.

If there was any question about whether Seacoast residents are interested in investing in the local economy, public response to the plight of RiverRun Bookstore provided the answer. Owner Tom Holbrook’s recent announcement that the store was in danger of closing triggered a torrent of support. Within days, Holbrook was convinced there might be hope of saving his business, after all.

The campaign to rescue RiverRun reflects a wave of momentum behind local investing both locally and nationally. Campaigns to invest in local economies have sprouted up across the nation, and a bill currently torpedoing through Congress could make those efforts much easier. The fundamental theory behind the movement is that people are willing to invest in businesses they know and care about.

A bill to repeal N.H.’s gay marriage law recently won a key committee endorsement, but critics say the bill will fail, and several national movements in support of marriage equality are picking up steam.

It’s been almost two years since New Hampshire’s same-sex marriage law went into effect, and a recent poll found that 62 percent of New Hampshire residents support its existence. Nevertheless, the House Judiciary Committee recently voted 11-6 to recommend passage of House Bill 437, which would repeal New Hampshire’s same-sex marriage law. The Legislature will probably vote on the bill in January, and with Republicans holding strong majorities, it’s likely to pass. Whether it will attain the two-thirds majority needed to withstand Gov. John Lynch’s promised veto is less clear.

Organizations like ASCAP, BMI and SESAC say their mission is to protect the work of music creators, but local musicians and venues say they’re crushing the Seacoast scene with exorbitant fees and rigid enforcement

The organization has a field staff with 35 regional teams spread across the country. They scour the Internet looking for new businesses and check bands’ websites to see where they’re performing. They check state records on businesses that have been issued an alcohol license and then find out if they offer music. They also pay informants who are not employees to do “prospecting,” as the ASCAP general licnesing office calls it. Harvey Reid and others say they’re aware of some of these informants on the Seacoast.

Thanks to all those who participated in The Wire’s 2011 Seacoast Halloween Fiction Contest: The Masquerade. This year’s stories had to be set on the Seacoast and incorporate the theme of masks or disguises. We received a number of excellently written and highly spooky submissions, and selecting the best was a difficult task. A panel of judges from The Wire and RiverRun Bookstore (special thanks to Gwen Gallassio) reviewed each submission and voted on the best overall story. Congratulations to Abby Winzeler for taking top honors with her fabulously chilling “Do Not Eat the Halloween Candy.” An honorable mention goes to Ronald T. Campbell for his story, “The Death of Ruth Blay,” which finished second in the voting. Now, lock your doors, lower the blinds, light a few candles and enjoy their dark tales of dismay.

Devil’s Night is drawing nigh, and fun events are taking place around the Seacoast.

The Seacoast has always had a powerful and somewhat disturbing appetite for Halloween debauchery, and this year will be no exception. It’s a time of ghastly jack-o’-lanterns, horrific haunted houses, raucous costume parties, terrifying parades and processions, and cavities. If you still don’t know what you’re going to be, it’s about damn time you made up your mind, because a number of fantastic Halloween events are right around the corner. Beware.

Local citizens rally for good jobs and the middle class in Portsmouth, showing solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and other national movements.

For 20 years, Somersworth resident Larry Silk worked for the government, assembling, repairing and maintaining submarines. But he lost his job in May 2010 and has been unemployed ever since. Silk has submitted upwards of 70 résumés and applications, all to no avail. He’s getting desperate. “It’s become quite the juggling act, paying one bill one month, paying another bill another month, getting shutoff notices, having the gas shut off,” Silk told a crowd gathered in Prescott Park. “With a family of five to support and unemployment pretty much drawing to an end, the outlook is pretty bleak.”

the Northern Pass proposal rallies citizens versus corporations

Northern Pass Transmission is seeking to build tall towers with power lines through 180 miles of New Hampshire to bring more hydroelectricity to New England. The proposed project would add renewable energy to the grid, potentially replacing fossil fuels, according to Public Service of New Hampshire. But concerned citizens say the high-voltage lines would fragment natural habitat, devalue property and deter tourism, for the benefit of out-of-state corporations.

Rochester considers establishing the state’s first “magnet school,” potentially changing the face of education in New Hampshire.

The traditional 180-day public school year was established well over a century ago, and American students have been enjoying lengthy summer breaks ever since. But Dr. Anthony Pastelis of Rochester thinks it’s time we took another look at the school calendar, which he believes is now long outdated. “It goes back to the days when we were a farming nation and these schoolchildren needed to work the family farms,” Pastelis said. “Not many family farms in Rochester. Yet, as a nation, we keep the old calendar. It’s just silly. It’s not common sense.”

Gov. John Lynch, one of the most popular political figures in New Hampshire history, will not run for reelection in 2012.

Democrat John Lynch became New Hampshire’s 80th governor in January 2005. Who would’ve guessed that by the time his current term expires at the end of 2012, he will have served eight years as the Granite State’s top executive? And throughout his eight years, Lynch has enjoyed unwavering popularity across party lines. He has been reelected three times and would be predicted to win a fifth term in 2012 if he were running. But he isn’t running.

downtown boutique owners talk about Fashion’s Night Out and local style

Layering is an art. “Here in New England, we all want to look really glamorous, but we want to be warm, too,” said Assiah Russell, owner of Puttin’ on the Glitz, a boutique in downtown Portsmouth. “You need to have the art of layering down.”

North Hampton Police Chief Brian Page worries about how the legislation will affect his officers on the street, who must respond to shootings. Rye Police Chief Kevin Walsh said the bill invites citizens to use poor judgment with firearms. And Hampton Police Chief Jamie Sullivan points out  that the existing self defense statutes have worked flawlessly.“What is it we’re trying to fix?” he said. “We don’t see a reason that the use of force statute needs to be fixed or changed. It’s worked well for many years and we’re pleased with the way it’s worked. We don’t believe this is a necessary expansion.”

Seven months into his first term, Congressman Frank Guinta comes home to mixed reviews.

Freshman Rep. Frank Guinta found himself both beseiged and beloved on Wednesday, Aug. 17. While touring Beckwood Services in Plaistow that morning, he was praised for his understanding of the state’s manufacturing needs and applauded for his promises to help people achieve secure employment. At a town hall-style forum in Greenland hours later, he was angrily reproached about his voting record on health care and his refusal to raise taxes on the wealthy.

The Runnymede Project and the Great Bay Wilderness and Music Camp, both of which have upcoming benefit concerts, are pioneering artistic uses for local farmland.

Many people consider their vocation a form of art, but this is a little different. These farmers see art in every act, even taking out the trash. “It’s not a new idea to say, for example, there is an art of carpentry or there is an art of cooking. But I think that can go so much further,” Wilson said. “You can say there’s just an art of being.”

Seasonal campers form a unique—and largely unseen—community beyond the hustle and bustle

Trudy Alley could stay home in Nashua for the summer and be close to her part-time job as a nurse. But there’s always something that needs to be fixed or painted, and she’d rather not get sucked into a summer routine of chores and tedium. Instead, Alley sets up a seasonal site at Old Stage Campground in Madbury, where she spent a recent afternoon reading and relaxing in her enclosed porch. It’s her 10th straight year at Old Stage, and before that she spent her summers at another campground in Lebanon, Maine, with her family. “My youngest son is 29, and he was 4 when I started camping seasonally,” Alley said. “All (three of) my kids grew up every summer at the campground.”

The abrupt closure of Memorial Bridge divide the communities, economy and culture of the Seacoast for the next three years.

The Memorial Bridge closed permanently to motor vehicles on Wednesday, July 27. Inspectors determined that rapid deterioration to the bridge’s truss joints, gusset plates and floor beams made it unsafe for vehicular traffic. “The bridge, in total, is in very poor condition,” said Jeff Brillhart, assistant commissioner of the N.H. Department of Transportation. “It’s just experiencing rust problems that are accelerating seemingly rapidly. ... We cannot take the risk to public safety given the condition of the bridge at this point.”  A replacement is not expected to open until the summer of 2014