North Country

As Northern Pass Opponents Worry, No Hint From Hassan On Whether She'll Sign Senate Bill 99

Chris Jensen — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:07:41 +0000

Some Northern Pass opponents are hoping Governor Maggie Hassan will sign Senate Bill 99, which they think may complicate approval of the controversial hydro-electric project. The bill may reach Hassan's desk this week but she says she hasn’t decided what to do.

“I haven’t reviewed the bill yet in any kind of detail so I’ll do that and then make up my mind,” she told NHPR Saturday.

Ride The Wilds: Citizen-Powered Economic Development

Chris Jensen — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

A new economic development effort got underway Saturday in the North Country.

It is called Ride the Wilds and it is a linking of ATV trails designed to attract ATV-riding tourists from the Northeast and Canada.

NHPR’s Chris Jensen reports.

For decades the North Country has had hundreds of miles of trails on which ATVs could rumble along.

Sound of ATVs…

But they were not linked. So, riders had to stop and put their ATVs on a trailer to get from place to place.

Be Glad! Littleton's 100 Year Old Secret

Sean Hurley — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:40:20 +0000

The people of Littleton New Hampshire celebrated Pollyanna Glad Day this past Saturday. The June 8th event also marked the publishing Centennial of the bestselling children’s classic about the little girl who always looks on the bright side. While a dubious meaning shadows the character name in popular culture, Sean Hurley reports that the residents of Littleton believe they know the real Pollyanna.

A hundred people opened and closed their umbrellas in the rain and shine that came and went throughout Pollyanna Glad Day.

Motorcyclist Killed In Franconia Notch Crash Identified

Chris Jensen — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:57:01 +0000

The motorcyclist killed Thursday morning in the Franconia Notch has been identified as Robin Staines, 47, of Pembroke, Massachusetts, according to state police.

Staines was traveling north on the two-lane section of I-93, failed to make the turn at the entrance of the former parking area for the Old Man of the Mountain.

He was thrown from his Harley-Davidson and was not wearing a helmet.

Passersby gave him CPR until an ambulance arrived but he died of his injuries at Littleton Regional Hospital.

North Country Events

Tova Cohen — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:11:28 +0000

Compiled and written by Tova Cohen of Franconia.

The newsletter typically announces events in the next week. The calendar shows you events in the coming months.

ACHS PRESENTS COMMUNITY HEALTH MATTERS, LITTLETON

Festival Celebrating Beauty And Majesty Of The Lupine Turns 20

Michael Brindley — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 21:39:52 +0000

The Fields of Lupine Festival is marking its 20^th year.

The event pays tribute to the brief but spectacular show of color the purple flower puts on in the Granite State’s North Country this time each year.

After making the hour and a half trek from Woodstock, Vermont to Sugar Hill, Renette Bedard found the perfect spot to snap a picture.

Standing atop a rock, she looks out into a sea of purple flowers known as lupines.

The backdrop: a lush forest and the majestic White Mountains.

Berlin Biomass Contractor Accused Of Fraud

Chris Jensen — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 11:59:45 +0000

The company in charge of building a huge biomass plant in Berlin is suing one of its contractors claiming fraud.

But a spokesman for the plant’s owner - Berlin Station - says it should still open late this year, right on schedule.

NHPR’s Chris Jensen has this report.

The suit was filed in federal district court in New York by Babcock & Wilcox Construction Company.

SEC Accuses Laidlaw Energy Group Exec Of Insider Trading

Chris Jensen — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:36:30 +0000

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Michael Bartoszek and the Laidlaw Energy Group – the original developer of the new biomass plant in Berlin - with insider trading.

In a filing Wednesday the SEC said Bartoszek failed in his obligation to publicly disclose the shaky financial state of his New-York based company before he sold his own stock.

North Country Events

Chris Jensen — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:52:08 +0000

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY TOVA COHEN OF FRANCONIA

The newsletter typically announces events in the next week. The calendar shows you events in the coming months.

OUTDOOR SUMMER CONCERTS

Whitefield Thursdays 6 PM through August 29

FARMERS MARKETS

Lancaster Saturdays 9 AM-noon through October 12

Bethlehem Saturdays 10 AM-2 PM through October 12

Littleton Sundays 10 AM-1 PM through October 13

Wanted: "Mules" With Muscle, Heart And Money To Tackle Mount Washington

Chris Jensen — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Lots of people climb Mount Washington. But a North Country non-profit group is wants help to go beyond a normal ascent.

They need people for the Sunrise Ascent to help push and pull two children and three adults with disabilities to the top.

NHPR’s Chris Jensen reports.

Sandy Olney is the head of Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country and she cherishes her volunteers but she calls them mules.

The Unusual Ascenders

Sean Hurley — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:08:02 +0000

The 3rd Annual Alton Weagle Unusual Ascent Day took place this past Monday on Mount Washington. With fresh snow closing the summit, participants still gathered at the base of the Auto Road to walk, ran, paddle and roll their way to the snowline.

20th Annual Fields Of Lupine Festival Kicks Off This Weekend

Michael Brindley — Thu, 30 May 2013 19:25:35 +0000

The 20th annual Fields of Lupine Festival gets underway this weekend.

The event pays homage to the purple wildflower, which blossoms around this time each year in the North Country.

Festival organizers say the lupines are blooming, despite the recent cold weather and snow fall.

The festival kicks off with a parade through downtown Franconia on Saturday.

There will also be open air markets, concerts and an art show.

The festival ends on June 15.

North Country Events

Chris Jensen — Thu, 30 May 2013 16:41:00 +0000

Compiled and written by Tova Cohen of Franconia

The newsletter typically announces events in the next week. The calendar shows you events in the coming months.

MARK SHELTON CONCERT TO BENEFIT MISS LITTLETON AREA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, LITTLETON

Affidavit: Victim Had Chance Encounter With A Man Out To Kill The Devil

Chris Jensen — Tue, 28 May 2013 20:56:08 +0000

The man accused of murdering a stranger – a California woman - in Littleton in January thought she was the devil who previously used the form of his father, according to Littleton District Court records released Tuesday morning.

And, had Catherine Houghton, 70, not chosen to spend an extra night in Littleton she would have apparently missed her fatal encounter with Rodney Hill, the 37-year-old Vermont man accused of her murder.

Houghton was a trustee at The White Mountain School in Bethlehem and she came to the North Country for a trustees’ meeting.

Snow Hits North Country: "That's The Sound Of My Tomato Plants Dying"

Chris Jensen — Sun, 26 May 2013 03:22:12 +0000

Nobody expected it to be balmy this Memorial Day weekend but parts of the North Country - such as Bethlehem - had about four inches of snow by 8 a.m. Sunday and it was still snowing only to taper off and end by 10 a.m.

PSNH reported about 2,100 customers in communities clustered around Littleton losing power.

NHPR’s Chris Jensen reports.

People leaving the movie at the Colonial Theatre in Bethlehem Saturday night were stunned to see several inches of snow.

"It was May when we went into the movie. I don’t know what happened. Is it six months later?”