Author: NH Business Review Staff

Local effort completes farmland preservation

WILTON - It took a long time and a lot of hard work on the part of a lot of people, but on Sunday, about three dozen friends of Four Corners Farm gathered by the new hay barn to celebrate…

Town tax rate set

Merrimack - The tax rate is just a bit lower than what the town had estimated. The state Department of Revenue Administration has set the town’s 2004 property tax rate at $22.36 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. That’s an increase…

NAACP to help voters register

The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua will host a community coffee Saturday from 9 a.m.-noon to inform voters how and where to register for the upcoming election. The nonpartisan event is sponsored by the Greater Nashua chapter of…

City apartments burn

NASHUA - Two roommates went their separate ways, and three other families went to local motels after a fire broke out in a downtown apartment building Sunday afternoon. No one was hurt in the fire at 9 Patten Court, and…

Vandalism forces skate park shutdown

HUDSON - In response to rampant littering and vandalism, the town has closed the skateboard park for the season several weeks early. Such vandalism is becoming more common in area skate parks, prompting communities to consider ways to stop it.…

Forward progress

NASHUA - When Lynn Laughton started walking to raise awareness for the fight against breast cancer five years ago, she had no idea she would some day be walking as a breast cancer survivor herself. “(The walk) took on a…

Promoting positive growth in Wilton

WILTON - The office of the Main Street Association is in the Wilton Falls Building with a grand view of the Souhegan River. Elizabeth Arsenault considers that view one of the perks of her new job as Main Street Association…

Board looks to fill its vacant seat

MONT VERNON - For the second time this year, the Mont Vernon School Board is looking to replace a member leaving because of a spouse’s job - but this time, the replacement process should cause less debate. Susan Swartz resigned…

Gottesman gets floor at Rotary Club

One of the tenets of the Rotary movement is found in asking: “Is it fair to all concerned?” On Tuesday, Nashua Rotary West is scheduled to give Democratic candidate David Gottesman, a member of the civic group, the dais to…

Amherst marks 150th year of Brick School

AMHERST - Bob Heaton attended fifth through eighth grades at the Brick School from 1957 to 1961. There used to be a basketball court in front where there is now lawn, he said on Saturday at the 150th anniversary of…

Nashua area shows support for soldiers overseas

NASHUA - Leslie Baron has a 2-month-old daughter who doesn’t know her dad. She fears they might never know one another. “He may not be here for her first birthday,” she said. Baron’s husband is stationed in Iraq with the…

N.H. Guardsman killed in Iraq

LANDAFF - A New Hampshire National Guardsman died in Iraq after a car bomb went off near his patrol Friday, authorities said. Spc. Alan J. Burgess, 24, of Landaff, was on patrol as a vehicle gunner in the northern Iraqi…

Same-sex Greenville couple exchange wedding vows in Belgium

New Hampshire might frown on same-sex marriages, but that disapproval has been translated into overseas support for two former Greenville residents. On Oct. 9, Christopher Staker, 49, and Phillip Sorensen, 46, exchanged wedding vows in Enghien, Belgium, where they have…

Wall divides town, couple

MERRIMACK - The Board of Selectmen on Thursday denied a couple’s request to build a retaining wall at the front of their property, where summer roadwork to straighten a dangerous curve cut away roughly 6 feet of their lawn. Whether…

Teen hurt in crash in Merrimack

MERRIMACK - A local teen suffered minor injuries Friday night after a truck he was riding in crashed into a telephone pole at Merrimack High School. The teen, who police declined to identify because of his age, was transported by…

Wilton ZBA allows family to keep miniature horse

WILTON - Miranda Soodak has taught her miniature horse, Capachino, a number of tricks - such as counting with his hoof, jumping over low bars and blowing on command. Ten-year-old Miranda will be able to continue with his education, thanks…

Plan seeks to vitalize East Hollis St. area

NASHUA - A bid to make a neighborhood off East Hollis Street more vibrant would open it to stores, restaurants, housing and new development. The effort is also spurred by Harbor Homes’ interest in opening a transitional housing facility for…

Residents voice concerns over Route 130 traffic

BROOKLINE - Route 130, as it twists and winds from Nashua and Hollis to Brookline, has become “incredibly dangerous,” especially as vehicles approach the center of town, residents said. During an informational meeting conducted by the Planning Board and the…

Hospitals plan healing service

NASHUA- A community healing service sponsored by the two city hospitals will be held Tuesday night at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. The service will start at 7 p.m. in the chapel, on the first floor of the hospital at…

Planners OK housing project

HUDSON - The Planning Board approved a housing development on Webster Street on Wednesday night, boosting the number of potential homes in the area. The board unanimously approved River Ridge, a development of 79 single-family homes for people 55 and…

Area coping with shortage of flu shots

NASHUA - On Oct. 4, the day before the nation learned it was facing a severe shortage of flu vaccine, Southern New Hampshire Medical Center mailed 9,000 letters to patients in its affiliated medical practices reminding them of scheduled flu…

Third lane to open on Route 3

REGION - Northbound drivers on Route 3 in Massachusetts will have three lanes available all the way from Route 128 (Interstate 95) to the New Hampshire border, starting some time today. The new third lane of the highway will be…

City hosting rally for troops on Saturday

NASHUA - Every time an Iraqi child looks him in the eye, Jim Ceurvels knows he’s fighting for a reason, his wife said. Ceurvels, a member of the New Hampshire Army National Guard who was deployed in February, is proud…

RFK Jr. blasts Bush’s ‘Crimes Against Nature’

NASHUA - After hearing him speak, some people wanted to know why they haven’t heard Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s message before, and why he wasn’t running for president. Kennedy spoke and signed copies of his new book, “Crimes Against Nature:…

Path for preserve blazed

MERRIMACK - Selectmen, conservation officials and volunteers who have worked arduously to put together a master plan for the Horse Hill Nature Preserve can now see the forest for the trees. One of the key provisions in the master plan…

Home Depot volunteers assist Community Council

When Home Depot sales associate Janice Shaw heard her company was volunteering to give the Community Council of Nashua house at 15 Prospect St. a makeover, she signed up to help. “A lot of kids wouldn’t get the help they…

Tattoo, body piercing rules can lead to discrimination claims

The prevalence of visible tattoos, body piercings and other forms of body modification have caused some companies to adopt policies that either prohibit or place restrictions on visible tattoos, body piercings and other body art. The rationale behind such policies…

Laconia design firm now a force in film

Being associated with a highly publicized documentary film about Marilyn Monroe is a major coup for a small graphic design company, the small-business equivalent of making the Olympic team. But Lee Corsack, co-founder and the creative driving force at Pixel…

Northland sets itself apart in forest products industry

Since its founding in 1970 by Robert French, Northland Forest Products of Kingston has weathered a few major economic recessions, a pair of oil embargoes, transformation of the timber industry and the fickle nature of consumer tastes for wood products.…

Constitutional Amendment Arguments:

In the torrent of political advertising and media coverage I don't want us to lose sight of an important issue: Besides choosing a president and other federal and state officials in the upcoming election, New Hampshire voters will also be…

Pfundstein Report:

In response to the economic disruption caused by the September 11th terrorist attacks, Congress created a “temporary” federal program of backstop insurance for certain terrorism risks. The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA) was signed by President Bush on…

Unanswered questions remain on Flynn's role

Deputy Attorney General Michael Delaney has recommended that Governor Benson and the Executive Council consider some unspecified discipline of Safety Commissioner Richard Flynn over a number of “irregularities” in the commissioner’s conduct during the investigation of former Attorney General Peter…

Constitutional Amendment Arguments:

Changing the Constitution in New Hampshire is difficult. Over the years, few amendments appearing on the ballot have garnered the two-thirds majority required to pass. That's the way it should be. Many cautious voters in New Hampshire say that if…

Flotsam & Jetsam

They said it... “We had one option, and that was to throw the long ball -- the Hail Mary pass.” - New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Kathy Sullivan on the last-minute scramble to run wide receiver Doris “Granny D” Haddock…

Agenda for Growth

Many of the state’s most respected experts on such topics as venture capital, angel financing, near equity financing and business valuation, among other topics related to the planning, growing and financing of a business, will be featured at the first…

Banks can help businesses offer affordable health care

A recently enacted law allows community banks, which have long demonstrated their commitment to meeting the financial needs of the small-business community, to offer their business customers, as well as their employees and their families, a new health-care option that…

What lessons can be learned from Google’s Dutch auction?

There are many ways to measure an initial public offering. One commonly watched metric is the first-day performance of the stock price once the shares begin trading on a public exchange. All market participants — the issuer, the underwriters, the…

Manufacturing space sees new uses in the new century

September slid by while we were distracted by the hurricanes hammering Florida. I wonder how many folks are reconsidering their decision to move there to get out of New England’s harsh winters? They are not the only ones thinking about…

New Brookstone headquarters a result of partnerships

Partnerships are critical to business success, and a partnership developed by the New Hampshire Business Resource Center and Brookstone Inc. is just what led the specialty retailer to stay in the Granite State and built a 100,000-square-foot corporate headquarters in…

Portsmouth proposal embraces ‘New Urbanism’

At first glance, the proposed 47-acre Islington Woods development in Portsmouth doesn’t appear extraordinary with its mixed-use aspirations of residential townhouses and office space. But the developers say Islington Woods will be very different, and deliberately so. It will be…

RE/CON Briefs

A Pike steps down at Pike Industries Effective Jan. 1, Randolph K. Pike, current president and CEO of Belmont-based Pike Industries, will be stepping down from his post, to be succeeded by Christian Zimmerman, an 18-year employee of the firm.…

Farm celebrating new barn, trail

WILTON - A celebration will be held at Four Corners Farm from 1-4 p.m. Sunday. The public is invited to tour the dairy barn, vegetable fields, and orchards, and see the first stages of construction of our new hay barn.…

Couple takes different sides of longtime, bitter rivalry

On the battleground that also serves as their living room, Lynn Lombardi and Jim Censabella spare no jabs. Even their coffee table delineates their respective allegiances in the bitter hardball feud between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees:…

Passionate Hudson official mourned

HUDSON - A staunch advocate of open meetings, John Bednar was also well known for the many controversies that swirled around him. The longtime, outspoken politician died Tuesday. He was 91. Known as the father of the Right-to-Know Law, Bednar…

Parents, kids learn about afterschool programs

NASHUA - Eight-year-old Alisha del Llano was still jumping up and down minutes after exiting an inflatable bounce house. Of all the activities Wednesday evening, she said it was her favorite. Her 4-year-old sister didn’t say what was her favorite…

Soldier from Littleton killed by bomb

LITTLETON, N.H. (AP) - Jeremy Regnier, a 22-year-old Army specialist from Littleton, was killed in Iraq on Wednesday. Regnier, who hoped to become a helicopter mechanic, died Wednesday morning outside Baghdad when the Bradley armored vehicle he was traveling in…

Fund-raiser for area resident

Merrimack - Silo’s Steakhouse in Merrimack will be holding a fund-raiser for Merrimack resident Diane Wilusz, who was severely injured Sept. 4, in a motorcycle accident. The event will be held Tuesday, and all of the evening’s funds raised will…

Book signing at the Hunt Building

NASHUA- The Heritage Series continues at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Hunt Building, 6 Main St., on Library Hill. Dr. Niki Karavasilis, author of “Scattered Leaves,” will talk about the book’s story of a family in Trikorfon, Greece, and…

Store supports cancer awareness

NASHUA- The local Super Shoes store is accepting donations to the National Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation on Friday and Saturday, in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink ribbons will be provided to all who contribute. The store is…

More news from NHBR:
Education, Government, Real Estate & Construction

More Chinese-owned property in Nashua comes into focus

Another piece of Chinese owned property in Nashua has come to the public’s attention — the former Daniel Webster College property, encompassing some 52 acres. Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess encouraged the Board of Aldermen on Sept. 9 to pass a resolution giving him the authority to seek state and/or federal funds to purchase the property, currently owned by Xinhua Education Consulting Services Corp.

Jim Loomis Dan Mcgurl
News, Technology

Jim Loomis, Bottomline Technologies co-founder, dies at 75

James “Jim” Loomis, co-founder of Portsmouth-based Bottomline Technologies, passed away on Sept. 6 in his hometown of Dover after a period of declining health. He was 75. After its creation in 1989 with business partner Daniel McGurl, Bottomline became a worldwide leader in automated business payments and cash management.