Author: NH Business Review Staff

Home for a change

NASHUA - For the first Thanksgiving in years, Roseanne Kazlouskas did not have to wrap her son’s plate up and put in the freezer. This is the first time in more than five years that Justin Hamel, who is a…

Tough going for new-school initiative

LYNDEBOROUGH - In their push to resolve space-needs issues, Lyndeborough School District officials have found a giant obstacle - the state’s Official Ballot Law. They say that law, known as SB 2, is flawed and should be repealed. Two local…

Event honors Finnish community

Region - The New England Finnish Community has planned a celebration commemorating Finland’s 87th anniversary year of independence from Russia (1917) and maintaining it. The event is on Sunday at 2 p.m., at the Finnish Center at Saima Park on…

Board seeks ways to improve

NASHUA - The Board of Education identified ways to improve itself and the city’s schools at a special work session earlier this week. The meeting Monday night was the second of a two-part self-evaluation process designed for the board to…

Downtown group hires new director

NASHUA - The Great American Downtown has hired an executive director with a background in historic preservation to lead the group into its third year. Sarah DiSano, of Dorchester, Mass., a former program coordinator for the nonprofit group Preservation Mass,…

Session slated on teen development

HOLLIS - The Hollis/Brookline PTSA will host another educational workshop for parents next month. The session for parents of middle and high school students will focus on “What Is ‘Normal’ Teenage Development?” It will take place Dec. 1 at 7…

Tough going for new-school initiative

LYNDEBOROUGH - In their push to resolve space-needs issues, Lyndeborough School District officials have found a giant obstacle - the state’s Official Ballot Law. They say that law, known as SB 2, is flawed and should be repealed. Two local…

Board seeks ways to improve

NASHUA - The Board of Education identified ways to improve itself and the city’s schools at a special work session earlier this week. The meeting Monday night was the second of a two-part self-evaluation process designed for the board to…

Downtown group hires new director

NASHUA - The Great American Downtown has hired an executive director with a background in historic preservation to lead the group into its third year. Sarah DiSano, of Dorchester, Mass., a former program coordinator for the nonprofit group Preservation Mass,…

Toy drive benefits pastoral care

Peters Auto Center will hold a toy drive to benefit the Nashua Pastoral Care today. New, unwrapped toys are needed, especially for toddlers and teens. The auto center is located off of Exit 7W. For more information, call 579-5202 or…

NASHUA – Store holds decorating contest

Building #19 is searching for the 2004 Cookie Cutter Ornament Decorating Champion. The winner will be rewarded with the grand prize of homemade cookies from Veronica’s Treats of Bridgewater, Mass., made from the winner’s unique design. Each of the 15…

Something for new rivals to feast on

Maybe a football program was born at Stellos Stadium on Thanksgiving morning. We know a rivalry was. Is there any member of the Nashua High School South football team that can’t wait until next season to get another crack at…

LYNDEBOROUGH – Christmas party for community

A Christmas party, sponsored by the town and the Lafayette Artillery Company, will be held at Citizens Hall on Dec. 4 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. A tree has been donated for the event. Two 20-pound turkeys were donated at the recent…

Plymouth-based company adds a touch of winter year-round

An all-temperature snowmaking system that debuted at Tenney Mountain Ski Area in Plymouth last year has been trucked to the Gulf of Mexico, has given Alabama a taste of snow-tubing and has possibly lured a few people into visiting New…

Machine firm likes being small

After 50 years of manufacturing and selling its wood-molding machinery and parts all across the United States, Williams & Hussey Machine Co Inc. of Wilton is looking to establish its name and reputation in overseas markets as well. Like others…

Guest Opinion: Education, not taxes, should be N.H.’s advantage

There is no question that the state’s economy has benefited from a tax advantage, helping to attract into the state businesses, entrepreneurs and highly educated workers. The evidence is substantial. Over the last quarter-century, New Hampshire had the highest employment…

The economic ‘rewards’ of America’s obsession with fluff

Inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen’s words of warning on the precarious state of America’s economic strength should not be taken lightly. Kamen, speaking earlier this month to members of the New Hampshire High Tech Council, provided a statistic that puts…

Tourism funding has economic benefits to N.H.

To the editor: New Hampshire, like every other state, is faced with the challenge of increasing revenue without overtaxing residents. Tourism has proven to be one of the most effective and equitable means of accomplishing that goal. In New Hampshire,…

How a romantic break-up can affect a company

Catherine is a 57-year-old CEO and major stockholder of a manufacturing company in Massachusetts that has gross sales of $14 million and an estimated value of $4 million. Two years ago, she became romantically involved with a member of her…

Utilities Watch

The Federal Communications Commission recently ruled that voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, is an interstate service and therefore exempt from state and local regulation and tariffs. The FCC voted 5-0 to support a petition from Vonage Holdings Corp. of…

Brass Tacks

Q. My business is facing some big challenges on a number of fronts. I believe I’ve formulated a good strategic plan to deal with them, but I still get the feeling that my key employees and I are on different…

Cook on Concord

Riding in my automobile the other day, I heard two stories on the radio in quick succession that raised the issue of money and politics. The first was about House Speaker Gene Chandler and the investigation into his “corn roast”…

The 2004 guide to holiday gift books

It’s time once again for Off The Clock’s annual review of gift books for the coming holiday season. Every year I ask booksellers across the state what’s new in gorgeous books — books meant to be seen as much as…

Flotsam & Jetsam

Help wanted Never mind that when he was then-incoming governor, Craig Benson insisted that Jeanne Shaheen butt out of the nomination game now that she was a lame duck. And never mind that the governor picked a curious moment to…

CEO steps down at Segway

Ron Bills, president and CEO of Segway LLC, has announced his intention to resign in mid-December after a little more than a year on the job. Bills cited family reasons when informing the company of his departure. An executive committee…

N.Y. chamber exec chosen to succeed BIA’s Crosier

Jim Roche, currently president and chief executive officer of a chamber of commerce in central New York state, has been picked as the next president of the Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire. Roche will assume his new duties…

Designing woman

Lisa DeStefano, owner and principal of DeStefano Architects, was born and bred in Portsmouth. So when she decided to give free rein to her entrepreneurial spirit and open up her own design firm - just a handful of years after…

Official promotes the value of trade with Hong Kong

Manchester, N.H., and Hong Kong remain half a world apart geographically, but the two cities are remarkably similar in their economic development, according to Sara P.C. Wu, director of Hong Kong’s Economic & Trade Office in New York. “Hong Kong…

September foreign sales surged to a three-year high

Foreign sales of locally made goods have considerably bolstered this year as demand from around the globe has strengthened significantly. State companies have reaped the benefits of a gradually falling dollar, which works its way in boosting exports. A weak…

Proposed rule change stirs debate over bank practices

If a proposed change in federal rules wins approval, mid-sized banks won’t have to meet the same stringent Community Reinvestment Act requirements they now do to serve their entire communities. The change could affect a third of the banks that…

Pennichuck says legal costs are dampening profits

The legal costs of fighting the city’s efforts to take Pennichuck Corp. by eminent domain cut into the utility’s third-quarter profit, according to Donald L. Correll, Pennichuck’s president and chief executive officer. The water company earned $577,000, or 24 cents…

State consumer advocate sees big rate hike in ISO proposal

State Consumer Advocate Anne Ross has joined with attorneys general, business advocates and energy companies around New England in opposing a proposed federal policy change. The proposed change is being pursued by the Independent System Operator of New England, or…

MVP Health adds another hospital

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua has become the latest New Hampshire hospital in the state to sign provider agreements with MVP Health Care. “We are making steady progress in contracting with New Hampshire hospitals, and we are proud…

St. Joseph center helps patients manage diabetes

The first hospital-based diabetes center in Nashua opened earlier this year at St. Joseph Hospital, allowing patients with the chronic disease to receive much of their care under one roof. Part of a national trend in health-care delivery, the center…

A year later, health-care institutions cope with HIPAA

It has been a year since federal regulations safeguarding patient information went into effect, and while most health-care institutions around New Hampshire are on solid footing with the new rules, certain provisions of the mandate are still causing concerns. The…

Stephen airs his Medicaid reform plan

When it comes to dealing with the state’s Medicaid program, doing nothing is not an option, according to Health and Human Services Commissioner John Stephen. Stephen, in unveiling his long-awaited Medicaid reform plan Nov. 10, told lawmakers that the state…

Trustees approve PSU master plan

Trustees of the University System of New Hampshire have approved a long-range master plan for Plymouth State University. The plan, said PSU President Donald P. Wharton, identifies many opportunities for the school, including a more cohesive architectural image that will…

Health-care degree to be offered on line

New England College is launching a new degree completion program designed for people who want to advance their careers in health care. The program, which begins in January, will offer working health-care professionals an opportunity to obtain a bachelor of…

Antioch New England: 40 years of academics, community service

The origins of Antioch New England stretch back four decades, to a house atop Putney Mountain when a handful of teachers and graduate students launched an experiment in education. It was a sharp departure from the typical “ivory tower” institutions…

Factors to consider when choosing a training program

Comprehensive and continuous training is as important to a corporation of any size as other fundamental needs. Over a seven-year period I’ve directed programs, in which more than 10,000 people have participated regarding the use and maintenance of CRM (customer…

Dartmouth fund-raiser has $1.3b goal

Dartmouth College has announced its largest fund-raising drive ever, with the goal of raising $1.3 billion for new dorms, classrooms, an expanded fitness center, a dining hall, financial aid and a soccer facility. It’s called the Campaign for the Dartmouth…

Continuing education benefits home builders and consumers

Universities and community colleges from coast to coast are offering advanced degree programs or other forms of continuing education. From managers looking for professional advancement to stay-at-home parents who want to learn a new skill, Americans are returning to school…

UNH spearheads state public-private R&D effort

The University of New Hampshire is expected to benefit from a new initiative making the state a participant in the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR. EPSCoR focuses on those states that have historically received…

Business ethics key part of new Rivier degree programs

Rivier College is introducing two new programs designed to serve the needs of professionals seeking to earn an MBA or finish a bachelor’s degree. Beginning in January 2005, the college will offer an accelerated executive MBA program in organizational leadership…

Daniel Webster celebrates 10th year as a ‘cohort’ pioneer

The year 2004 marks the 10th anniversary of Daniel Webster College’s EXCEL degree completion program, which enables working adults with some college credit to complete their degrees by attending class one night a week for 18 months. The program is…