U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has requested another round of base closures, potentially threatening the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Panetta asked Congress to authorize the Base Realignment and Closure process on Jan. 26.

Voters have turned in more than 105,000 signatures in support of putting gay marriage to another statewide vote. If enough of the signatures are certified by election officials, a gay marriage question will be included on the November ballot.

Deputy House Speaker Pamela Tucker of Greenland is seeking a seat on the Republican National Committee. Tucker announced on Jan. 23 she would run for the position to be vacated by current committeewoman Phyllis Woods of Dover.

A growing number of prominent Republicans have joined the leadership team of Standing Up for New Hampshire Families, a bipartisan group that opposes efforts to repeal the state’s same-sex marriage law. The organization is co-chaired by Lew Feldstein, former president of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and Craig Stowell, a Republican businessman and former marine. Its main spokesperson is Christine Baratta, who previously served as communications director for the state GOP under former chair Jack Kimball.

Durham activated three new “Pay and Display” parking kiosks on Pettee Brook Lane on Jan. 17, and town officials are seeking feedback about how they work.

New Hampshire will receive another $6.5 million in home heating aid from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It’s the last payment the state will receive this winter for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Greenland will hold its town elections in March, and a number of positions are up for grabs. The filing period for municipal candidates opened on Jan. 25 and will remain open through Friday, Feb. 3.

Part of a series profiling the region’s newly elected municipal leaders and their communities

Dean Trefethen hopes to lead a divided constituency through a time of significant
development. Trefethen said he plans to invite citizens to a “mayor’s forum” within the next month or so. Among other things, he hopes to gather feedback about how much or how little change the citizenry would like to see in Dover.

The first documented case of voter fraud in New Hampshire in recent memory emerged during the Jan. 10 presidential primary, when a conservative group deliberately committed fraud to make a political point. Republican leaders say the resulting video illustrates the need to reform New Hampshire’s election laws and require voter identification. But Democrats called the video a “shameful scam” aimed at drumming up support for unneeded legislation.

Budget season is underway in Portsmouth, as the School Board held its first public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2013 budget on Jan. 17. A number of other public hearings will follow in the coming weeks.

Seacoast businesspeople will have a chance to ask questions of federal, state and local officials during the 2012 Legislative Reception. The event takes place at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel in Portsmouth on Thursday, Jan. 19.

The N.H. Legislature is diving into another batch of controversial bills in 2012.

Democrats and some moderate Republicans in New Hampshire will remember 2011 as a year of exceptionally divisive and extreme legislation, as conservative ideologies that spread across the nation like an oil slick spilled into the Granite State. And there’s plenty more where that came from ahead in 2012.

Part of a series profiling the region’s newly elected municipal leaders and their communities

“Mostly we have opportunities, because all these people are coming here and spending their money,” said newly elected Mayor Eric Spear. “But we also have challenges to absorb that influx. These are nice things, but at the end of the day, I do work for the residents, the people who voted for me.”

Dover residents could see their sewer rates increase by more than 50 percent if the Environmental Protection Agency imposes stiffer nitrogen limits to benefit Great Bay.

The number of foreclosure deeds recorded in November was 20 percent higher than the same month in 2010 and 4 percent higher than the prior month, according to the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority. But the final numbers for 2011 are still expected to show improvement over the year before.

Republican presidential hopefuls have spent much of the last year making their pitches to Granite State voters in advance of the first-in-the-nation primary. Polling takes place on Tuesday, Jan. 10, which means you have less than a week to finish getting informed and make a decision. Once you’ve made up your mind, you’ll want to head out to the polls and cast a ballot. Your vote will help decide who earns the right to take on President Obama in November. Information on how to register is available at www.sos.nh.gov. Here’s a roundup of polling hours and voting locations.

Gov. John Lynch and law enforcement officials from around the state have spoken out against a number of Republican-sponsored bills that would dramatically loosen gun laws, including one that would allow guns in classrooms.

Now’s the time to take one last walk over the rusted expanse of Memorial Bridge. The 88-year-old structure will close to pedestrians and cyclists on Monday, Jan. 9 at 8 a.m., according to the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. In the meantime, the DOT is conducting a survey to gauge demand for the shuttle service. A booth set up on the Portsmouth side of the bridge invites people to answer questions about how often they use the bridge and how they cross it.

A poll released on Christmas Day found that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney still appears to be in firm command of the New Hampshire primary. The poll also found that Texas Congressman Ron Paul has pulled into a dead tie for second place with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

A look back at an exceptionally turbulent year in state politics through the lens of the 13 bills the governor vetoed.

Some degree of squabbling between Republicans and Democrats is to be expected in state government. But 2011 was marked by intense partisan acrimony in New Hampshire, as Republican super-majorities in the House and Senate sparred with Democrats and concerned citizens on a wide range of issues.

The COAST bus system had a record-setting year in 2011, providing more than 464,000 passenger trips and helping Seacoast residents save more than $600,000 on gas.

Efforts to restore the native oyster population in Great Bay recently got a welcome financial boost. The state chapter of The Nature Conservancy has received a $24,000 grant from the New Hampshire Conservation License Plate Program to help rebuild an oyster reef at the mouth of the Squamscott River in Newmarket.

Frustrated by his exclusion from Republican primary debates and opinion polls, presidential candidate and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has announced he is leaving the GOP to run for the Libertarian nomination.

The University of New Hampshire has hired former Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand as its head of corporate relations. In the wake of massive budget cuts, Marchand will be charged with “strengthening the relationship between the university and business leaders throughout the state,” according to a university press release.

A parcel of land on Lafayette Road, once considered for the Smuttynose Brewery, will instead be home to a new Army Reserve Center.

Because it’s a federal building, the new Army Reserve Center is not subject to Portsmouth’s zoning regulations, nor will it pay any property taxes. Those factors have led some to wonder if the city missed an opportunity by blocking the brewery, which would have boosted local employment and tax revenue.

Portsmouth resident Ross Gittell has been appointed chancellor of the Community College System of New Hampshire. Gittell is a professor of management at the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics. He is a widely published source for economic analysis and forecasting in the state.

Federal Cigar has again launched its matchbook poll for New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary. Federal Cigar has conducted its matchbook poll, called the Federal Forecast, for every presidential election since 1984.

The New Hampshire Executive Council and Gov. John Lynch have officially approved an $81.4 million contract to replace the Memorial Bridge. The design-build contract was awarded on Dec. 14 to Archer Western Contractors, a national firm with a regional office in Canton, Mass. Demolition of the existing 90-year-old lift bridge, which crosses the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth and Kittery on Route 1, is expected to begin in late January.

Although former House Speaker Newt Gingrich continues to build momentum in New Hampshire, he still trails former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the state’s Republican primary race, according to a Suffolk University poll.

There’s a lot of hype surrounding endorsements in the presidential primary. But do they really make a difference?

With only a few weeks remaining until the New Hampshire primary, the endorsements are pouring in, and Republican presidential candidates are jockeying for the handful of prized approvals that still remain. But, despite the media commotion surrounding presidential endorsements, it’s unclear how much of an impact, if any, they actually have on voters. “There’s a long history of well-known politicians in New Hampshire with statewide name recognition endorsing a presidential candidate and then seeing that candidate lose,” says Dante Scala.

The N.H. Business and Industry Association recently released its 2012 New Hampshire Business Outlook Survey. The eighth annual survey found that most business owners are “cautious but optimistic” that economic conditions will not get worse next year. Nor will they get much better, though, as most expect employment levels to remain the same.

The University of New Hampshire’s Carsey Institute recently published the results of its Community and Environment in Rural America survey. The survey found that 91 percent of rural Americans believe climate change is happening now. Fifty-five percent believe human activity is causing global warming, while 39 percent believe the causes are natural. Those differences largely fall along political party lines.

Memorial Bridge’s replacement will be built quickly, using cutting-edge technology, but residents are less than thrilled with the design.

HNTB designed the Memorial Bridge replacement and, with help from Archer Western Contractors, plans to have it open by July 2013. Zoli offered a presentation about the new bridge at Portsmouth City Hall on Nov. 29, addressing a packed crowd of roughly 150 people. He outlined a number of technological innovations that will be used to construct the bridge quickly and efficiently while making it as safe as possible for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. But, in a comment session after the presentation, a number of residents expressed dissatisfaction with the design. Some said the structure does not look modern enough; others said it does not retain the character of the original bridge. And several complained of being left out of the design planning process

An attempt to override Gov. John Lynch’s veto of the so-called “Right to Work” bill failed on Nov. 30. The N.H. House of Representatives voted 240-139 to override the veto, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed. House Bill 474, which would have dramatically reduced the collective bargaining power of unions, passed the House and Senate this spring but was vetoed by the governor in May. Lynch and other critics say the bill would undermine unions and result in lower wages for employees.

The Gundalow Company will launch its latest vessel into the Piscataqua River from Peirce Island in Portsmouth following a public ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 10.

The historic Ioka Theatre in Exeter has sold at auction and will remain a community theater offering movies and performing arts. The buyer has not yet been revealed, but Exeter resident Carol Walker Aten described him as a Seacoast philanthropist.

Among the things Mark Bittman is thankful for this holiday season is Congresswoman Chellie Pingree of Maine. Pingree recently sponsored the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act, which would revise the federal Farm Bill to expand opportunities for small farmers to process and sell food locally. She introduced the bill to the House of Representatives on Nov. 1.

The New Year will bring a pair of new town leaders to Kittery, Maine. Bob Markel takes over as town manager and Paul Callaghan as police chief on Jan. 3. Callaghan, a captain with the Rochester Police Department, will take over for current Kittery police chief Edward Strong, who is retiring at the end of the month after more than 30 years on the force.

The N.H. House of Representatives recently shot down Gov. John Lynch’s proposed constitutional amendment on education funding. The House voted 264-114 to kill the amendment, which would have allowed the Legislature to target school aid to communities that need it most.

Congressman Ron Paul has maintained a remarkably strong presence in the polls despite a conspicuously weak presence in the media.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul has, in fact, received the least coverage of any 2012 presidential candidate, according to an October report from the Pew Research Center. Paul was the “primary newsmaker” in just 2 percent of all presidential campaign-related stories between May and October—the lowest percentage of any candidate monitored for the report. But polls have consistently placed him among the top three Republican primary contenders.

Ending Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans would add $1.4 trillion in revenue over the next 10 years, more than covering the congressional “super committee’s” deficit reduction target, according to the National Priorities Project.

Climate change will be the topic of discussion at an upcoming day-long forum at the Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center and the Great Bay Discovery Center in Greenland. The “2011 New Hampshire Coastal Climate Summit: Collaborating for Solutions,” takes place on Friday, Dec. 2.

Three Seacoast buildings were recently added to the New Hampshire Register of Historic Places, including two warehouses in Portsmouth and a house in Lee. Built in 1720, the Sheafe Warehouse was designed for the efficient loading and unloading of cargo boats, particularly gundalows on the Piscataqua River. Though such buildings were once common on the Portsmouth waterfront, it is the sole survivor of its type.

Finding your way to local parades, tree lightings and community fun.

Dover: The Holiday Parade strolls down Central Avenue on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 3 p.m. The event is hosted by St. Mary Academy, www.saintmaryacademy.org. The second annual Festival of Trees lights up on Friday, Dec. 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Dover City Hall Auditorium, featuring 25 elaborately decorated Christmas Trees on display that will all be up for auction. The event will also offer raffle prizes, local choral performances and a special visit from Santa Claus. Proceeds benefit City Lights, the illumination of downtown trees throughout the holiday season.

Voters in Maine overwhelmingly approved a “people’s veto” of a Republican-backed law that tightened voting regulations. The vote on Nov. 8 restores Maine’s decades-old policy of allowing same-day registration at polling places.

After eight years of planning, testing, design and construction, the Portsmouth water system’s Madbury Water Treatment Plant is ready for action. The plant will open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 19.

Portsmouth’s property tax rate will drop in fiscal year 2012. Finance director Judie Belanger attributed the lower rate to a combination of reduced expenditures, increased parking revenues, and unexpected growth in the value of commercial and industrial properties. The tax rate dropped by an even greater margin in Greenland, though in Dover the FY 2012 tax rate has been set at $25.12, an increase of $1.37 over FY 2011.

Somersworth City Council candidate Nancie Cameron won her election over Marcel Hebert, but lost the seat after discovering she had filed in the wrong ward.

The municipal elections on Nov. 8 ushered in three new mayors (and one returning mayor) and a slew of new city councilors and school board members in the cities of Dover, Portsmouth, Somersworth and Rochester.

The Friends of Somersworth envisions a vibrant, multi-use facility at the former Hilltop School, bustling with resident artists and events. The group recently submitted a business plan for the proposed Hilltop Community Center to the city’s Economic Development Committee, which is expected to offer its endorsement of the project during the next City Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 14.

A spate of bank robberies and burglaries has occurred in the Port City and elsewhere in recent weeks, keeping police on high alert. In fact, the People’s United Bank on Islington Street in Portsmouth was robbed twice within six days. It’s unknown whether the crimes were related, but police called them “the latest in a growing number of burglaries in the city.” Patrol officers and detectives continue to investigate all the incidents.

With the N.H. primary looming, frontrunner Mitt Romney touts his plan to reduce government spending

As predicted, New Hampshire Secretary of State William Gardner recently set the presidential primary date for Tuesday, Jan. 10, retaining the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation status. That means Republican candidates have two months to pitch their closing arguments as they seek a win here and the party nomination in 2012.

Elected officials will look to further economic development and education.

Rochester officials are currently pursuing the city’s first comprehensive rezoning effort in 25 years. The council could finalize a new zoning ordinance as early as December, with the aims of enhancing land and building values, encouraging high quality housing, revitalizing the downtown, fostering economic development and conserving resources. But the project has proven controversial, with a couple of residents even threatening legal action against the city if the process goes forward.

Former state Sen. Maggie Hassan is the first Democrat to enter New Hampshire’s 2012 gubernatorial race. Hassan said she would be “fiscally disciplined, balance the budget and keep taxes low.” But state Republicans scoffed at that promise, accusing Hassan of supporting big government and higher taxes during her time in the Senate.

Municipal elections take place on Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., in the cities of Dover, Portsmouth, Somersworth and Rochester. If you’re not registered to vote, be sure to call your city clerk and find out how. Also make sure to find out which ward you live in. Use our candidate surveys online at www.wirenh.com to get informed on your candidates and head to the polls!

Three Town Council candidates and one School Board candidate will participate in a forum at South Berwick Town Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.

Officials in Dover are inviting residents to participate in an online survey about the city’s quality of life and services. The anonymous, citywide survey is open through Monday, Oct. 31, at www.ci.dover.nh.us.

Officials in Dover are inviting residents to participate in an online survey about the city’s quality of life and services. The anonymous, citywide survey is open through Monday, Oct. 31, at www.ci.dover.nh.us.

Federal legislators in New Hampshire and Maine expressed cautious optimism about the death of former Libyan leader Moammar Qadaffi, who was killed in the country on Oct. 20.

Nevada’s recent announcement that it will push back its presidential caucus to Feb. 4 averts an early December primary in the Granite State.

Elected officials will look to rein in the city’s tax rate, improve the downtown, and decide what to do with the former Hilltop School.

The next mayor and council will preside over a growing city that will have its share of assets and challenges over the next two years. After years of planning, Idlehurst Elementary School opened in August, paving the way for future generations to receive a quality education in Somersworth. But the tax rate has been rising steadily, and while many see the need for significant infrastructure improvements in the downtown area, funding might be hard to come by.