Author: NH Business Review Staff

Gas leak repaired, school called safe

NASHUA - A gas leak was discovered on the outside of Fairgrounds Middle School on Wednesday morning and was fixed prior to the start of school. “It was basically a small leak in an exterior pipe. It was repaired in…

Water violated bacteria standard

MILFORD - Residents and businesses that get water from Milford were notified this week that the system had violated a bacteria standard in early November. Under state standards, no corrective action was required, and sampling as of mid-November found no…

Dog found shot at city work site

NASHUA - A dog with a .45-caliber gunshot injury faces a potentially unsettling medical prognosis today. Veterinarians will see if they can repair the golden retriever-chow’s shattered elbow joint. Otherwise, the year-old male must have his right foreleg amputated. Workers…

Hollis voters consider land conservation purchase

Voters in Hollis are not only considering the largest land purchase in town history, they are preparing to make the type of decisions that will determine the state’s future. “Something is going to happen with all of the land in…

Board endorses rail plan

NASHUA - Aldermen voted 14-1 to endorse building a commuter rail station in the future within a yet-to-be-approved special tax district. City leaders want to use a tax increment financing district to pay for the estimated $14 million cost to…

Selectmen quiet on noise ordinance change

HUDSON - The Board of Selectmen held off on moving forward with any changes to the noise ordinance Tuesday, with some board members saying they wanted some issues clarified. The board is re-examining aspects of the ordinance after resident Hal…

Boy killed after being struck by van in Derry

DERRY - A 12-year-old boy died early Tuesday evening after he was struck by a van near the Londonderry line. The boy, whom police would not identify, was pronounced dead at Parkland Medical Center, where he was taken by ambulance…

Group effort eases burden at Wilton crash

WILTON - Deputy Fire Chief David Boissonnault said it was just part of his job. Former ambulance attendant Tom Schultz said it was just one of those things you do. Police Officer John Fredette didn’t think it was all that…

School plan touted as final solution

LITCHFIELD - If Town Meeting voters approve a proposal to construct a new elementary school for grades 1-5 and pre-kindergarten at a cost of about $20 million, it would be the last school the community will ever have to build,…

Heimlich maneuver saves choking sixth-grader

NASHUA - Kristela Hernandez is breathing easier these days, and she has Susan Williams to thank. “I was sitting right there when it happened,” said Kristela, a sixth-grader at Fairgrounds Middle School, pointing at a nearby table in the school…

Nashua makes plans for holiday trash

NASHUA - The Solid Waste Department has announced the schedule for curbside collections of trash and recycling during the holiday season. There will be no delays in collection during the two-week period between Monday, Dec. 20, and Friday, Dec. 31.…

Building project revised

MILFORD - Rising costs have shrunk plans for a new police station to the point that the Board of Selectmen came within one vote of all but canceling the project Monday. After debate about reduced expectations, the board voted 3-2…

Volunteers pitch in at scene of Wilton crash

WILTON - Deputy Fire Chief David Boissonnault said it was just part of his job. Former ambulance attendant Tom Schultz said it was just one of those things you do. Police Office John Fredette didn’t think it was all that…

Benson withdraws education commissioner nominee

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Faced with a lack of support, Gov. Craig Benson has withdrawn his nominee to be New Hampshire’s next education commissioner. The nomination of Newfound Regional Superintendent John Graziano was scheduled to come before the Executive Council…

Orientation class under board scrutiny

NASHUA - Teachers and administrators from both high schools say it is too early to determine whether a freshmen orientation program should remain a semester-long course. “That’s a really difficult question to answer right now because the first semester isn’t…

An inauguration for Spartans to remember

NASHUA - For several months now, Peter LaFlamme and his staff have been busy cooking up the perfect buffet of events to make 2005 - the 50th anniversary year for their Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps - one to remember.…

A passion for history

When Bill Veillette decided to move to New Hampshire, he planned to perfect his golf game, learn to play the piano and buy a sailboat. When he got here, he wound up spending his free time researching history instead. Veillette…

Public to weigh in on school plan

LITCHFIELD - Residents will get a glimpse of the old and the plans for the new tonight at Griffin Memorial School. The School Board and school building committee are holding a forum on their proposal for a new elementary school…

Hound Homecoming

All’s well that ends well, even if there’s some heartache - not to mention a few tick bites - along the way. “He went berserk. He jumped on us and was crying - you know how they kind of cry…

Merrimack crash injures 2

MERRIMACK - Two women were injured when a car and a minivan collided at an intersection in the northern part of town Sunday afternoon. Police said Paulette Rochette of 6 C St., Nashua, was driving her Mazda Protege onto Bedford…

Piscataquog draws conservation interest

LYNDEBOROUGH - The headwaters of the Piscataquog River in Lyndeborough, Francestown and Greenfield include large blocks of undeveloped land, some unusual topography and some endangered species. Gordon Russell of New Boston, a member of the Piscataquog Watershed Association, met with…

Merry & Bright

AMHERST - If able to ignore the electric Christmas lights and the minivan parked out front, the casual stroller lured to a stately, brick colonial by the harmony of Victorian carolers in full period dress Sunday evening could have easily…

Teen Center tries to find its place

MERRIMACK - Her guitar work didn’t wow the crowd, but it was impressive enough considering she taught herself how to play and hasn’t been at it very long. Zoe Dancy, 16, was making her performance debut to a receptive audience…

Soldiers turn images into words

From Mosul, Iraq, soldier Ryan Alexander wrote a poem about a pregnant cat, “a happy distraction” that he fed from prepackaged military meals. Ignoring warnings from medics, Alexander put on a plastic glove and petted the wild creature, “who may…

Mont Vernon looking at zoning changes

MONT VERNON - The Planning Board is proposing a series of changes to the town zoning ordinances in response to continuing development pressure, including one that would legalize “in-law apartments,” which officials admit are often snuck onto homes already. “This…

FIRST Lego League teams compete in state tournament

He may have been wearing a hat shaped like a giant Lego, but 12-year-old Adam Cunningham is anything but a blockhead. He’s part of a seven-member team called “The Stephen Hawking Project” that built a robot out of Legos. Last…

Save a little coin at some garages

To add a little ho, ho, ho to the cha-ching downtown, parking meters in the High Street and Elm Street garages will be free starting Wednesday until after New Year’s Day. Mayoral aide Mark Sousa said the city’s goal is…

Jury is out on way state picks judges

CONCORD - The latest round of state judicial nominations has been one of the most contentious in recent memory. Few of the people involved or watching seemed pleased with the process, and many were disappointed with the results. The five…

Program promotes literacy for kids – and parents

Cody Decker didn’t bother to take off his puffy winter coat or set down the stack of papers in his hand. Telling his mother about his morning in preschool was the 4-year-old’s top priority. “I had a fabulous day,” Cody…

Stars come out inside for Hanukkah celebration

NASHUA - Judah Maccabee would have approved Temple Beth Abraham’s decision to intensify the lights of Hanukkah. The synagogue celebrated the holiday Saturday evening by complementing annual traditions with a unique glimpse of the stars. Temple leaders knew they couldn’t…

Unique Christmas display opens at Mont Vernon museum

There’s no question in Eddie and Beth Gilbert’s mind as to why they’ve spent thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars over two decades to create the region’s most unusual Christmas attraction.“When they open the door, it is…

Milford publishes first town newsletter

MILFORD - The first issue of The Granite Town Quarterly, a new local newsletter, came out in Milford this month - but it’s not from The Telegraph or the Milford Cabinet. The Quarterly is the new official publication of Milford…

Business expansion decision delayed

WILTON - More than two years after Granite State Concrete first presented its expansion plans to the town, a potential decision is still weeks, perhaps months away. On Wednesday night, the Planning Board deliberated for more than two hours on…

Aldermen tuning up vehicle policy

NASHUA - Aldermen are lining up to file legislation dealing with the use of city vehicles, as the repercussions continue from Mayor Bernie Streeter being charged with leaving the scene of an accident while he was behind the wheel of…

Help needed to catch window breakers

MERRIMACK- The culprits apparently are losing their marbles. Unfortunately, they may be doing so in the window of your car or home. Police are asking for the public’s help in cracking a case involving a rash of broken windows. The…

Selectmen’s trial postponed

MERRIMACK- A trial date in the dispute between a former and current selectman has been postponed from next week until the week of Christmas. A two-day trial is now scheduled for Dec. 21 and 22 in the matter of Norman…

Holiday concert changes time slot

NASHUA- A holiday benefit concert at St. Joseph Hospital will now be Sunday at 2 p.m. The Temple Town Band will perform in the Carl Amelio Room. The concert is free, but those attending are encouraged to bring a nonperishable…

Fire guts city tire shop

NASHUA - When Roger Doucette got the call, he hoped he had heard it wrong. A volunteer for the Salvation Army for 10 years, Doucette was told to respond to Steve King Tire Center in downtown Nashua, where a three-alarm…

State still mulling Pennichuck case

CONCORD - Attorneys for the city of Nashua said Pennichuck Corp. has been for sale for years and that Pennichuck’s current CEO was hired to sell the company, while Pennichuck attorneys accused the city of trying to “hold the company…

Longtime teacher takes the administrative reins

NASHUA - Standing in the main atrium of the revitalized Nashua High School South building last Friday morning, Principal Tim Kelley greeted students as they shuffled by to their destinations. “This is my favorite part of the building,” Kelley said…

Ice arena disputes tax bill

NASHUA - Conway Ice Arena officials are trying to resolve a $66,000 dispute with the Board of Assessors before the tax bill cuts into the nonprofit’s programs at the Riverside Street facility. Board members have raised questions about whether the…

Official explains Medicaid proposal

NASHUA - Health Commissioner John Stephen says the state could save about $280 million over five years by decreasing the number of nursing home patients, providing more home care and streamlining other agencies that provide for the developmentally disabled, the…

Hollis group chasing grant to buy orchard

HOLLIS - Supporters of the town’s effort to buy Woodmont Orchard West say they have begun to pursue federal grant money to reduce the financial impact of the potential purchase. Members of the Land Protection Study Committee, which was formed…

Small fire closes Elm Street block

MILFORD- A block of Elm Street was closed for a half-hour Thursday afternoon when a spark from a welding torch caused a small fire in an old barn that houses Beaver Woodworks. No one was injured in the blaze at…

City planning flu-shot clinic

NASHUA- The city’s Division of Public Health and Community Services has scheduled a flu clinic for residents of Greater Nashua. It will be held on an appointment-only basis Friday, Dec. 17, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. Joseph Church, 777…

Outlook: Nashua

Great American Downtown group hires new director The Great American Downtown civic group has hired an executive director with a background in historic preservation to lead the organization into its third year. Sarah DiSano, of Dorchester, Mass., a former program…

Manchester restaurateurs serve up an unbeatable recipe

A conversation with John and Rosa Paolini, owners of Piccola Italia Ristorante in downtown Manchester, is just as likely to yield a recipe for a happy life as it is a recipe for his scrumptious Veal Piccata. Since its opening…

Guest Opinion: Medicaid needs a dose of personal responsibility

In 1965, Congress passed and President Lyndon Johnson signed the law that created Medicaid. The program was enacted to provide care to impoverished citizens for their medical needs. Medicaid was never designed to offer subsidies for middle- and upper-class individuals…

No way to treat a commissioner

John Ratoff, commissioner of the state Department of Employment Security for the last 20 years, deserved far better treatment than the unceremonious dismissal he received earlier this month at the hands of Gov. Craig Benson. Benson decided in the waning…