July 3, 2008

News in brief
By Hippo Staff news@hippopress.com

Sounds like Shmole Shmoods?
According to Rick Sawyer, director of planning for Bedford, New England Development has presented the town with a redevelopment plan for the Macy’s-Wayfarer Inn location on South River Road that includes a 45,000-square-foot grocery store. Sawyer says that the developers are hush on who the tenant will be. Robin Rehfield, a representative from Whole Foods, would neither confirm nor deny, saying that the company announces new store openings four times a year. Whole Foods is set to open a Nashua location at NashuaLanding off DW Highway. That project is also being developed by New England Development, and has been tabled for now due to the sluggish economy, but Rehfiled says Whole Foods is still on board. New England Development is scheduled to be back in front of the Bedford planning department in August for design review. —Susan Ware Flower

Still happy about that winter…
The figures from New Hampshire ski areas’ exceptionally good winter are still coming in.

The most recent winter yielded an all-time record for skier visits to the state’s alpine and snowboard resorts — 2,366,706 visits, according to a release from Ski NH, an association representing the state’s ski resorts. This number represented an increase of 20 percent in alpine visits and a 66 percent increase in cross-country ski visits. See www.skinh.com.

… and pretty hopeful about summer
A variety of state organizations are predicting high numbers of visitors to the state this summer.

More than 800,000 out-of-state visitors are expected over the July 4 weekend, according to a release from the Division of Travel and Tourism. Should this gaggle of guests appear, they could spend more than $120 million, the release said.

Looking to do a little in-state travel? The state has a calendar of activities at visitnh.gov, where you can also find state-wide gas-savings offers.

The White Mountain Attractions Association is banking on high gas prices not negatively impacting the number of northbound travelers. An Association release listed Canadian tourists as well as White Mountain area business deals as factors they hope will help keep tourism strong this summer.

Fresh and local
Families and seniors getting help through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Commodity Supplemental Food (CSF) programs will be able to eat fresh and local fruits and vegetables thanks to the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program coupons.

These coupons can help low-income families and seniors purchase produce at state farmers’ markets, almost all of which will be open as of the beginning of July. The coupons will be distributed through August, according to a state Department of Health and Human Services release. For more information, call 271-4546 or 800-942-4321.

The Primaries are back (without Giuliani and Edwards)
Actually, not even Obama and McCain are involved in this Primaries stunt..

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, who were briefly named the Primaries before public outcry led to a new-name search, which led to the Fisher Cats, will celebrate Independence Day by playing as the Primaries on Friday, July 4, at 7:05 p.m. against the Trenton Thunder (Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees), according to a Fisher Cats release.

The Cats played as the Primaries in red, white and blue uniforms last August, when they defeat the Portland Sea Dogs, the release said. Friday’s show will be followed by an Atlas Fireworks Show. For more on the game and information on tickets, call 641-2005 or go to www.nhfishercats.com.

Cough, cough
State studies of major chronic diseases suggest that Medicaid recipients suffer from cardiovascular disease, circulatory disorders and chronic respiratory disease in greater number than commercially insured patients.

The results will help the state to understand its challenges and to measure the results of programs to tackle these problems, according to a New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services release. See the study at www.dhhs.state.nh.us/DHHs/OMBP/LIBRARY.

Living history
Alberta MacMillan Kirkpatrick, the last girl taken in by the Canterbury Shakers, plans to celebrate her 90th birthday by spending some time at the Canterbury Shaker Village in July.

Kirkpatrick came to the Village in December 1929 at 11 years old after her mother died, according to a Shaker release. She left in 1936 at the age of 18 to work in the Boston area.

Kirkpatrick will stay at the Village starting on Sunday, July 13, when she will celebrate her birthday with a party open to all Village visitors. Throughout the following week, she’ll talk with the children attending the Village’s “History Comes Alive” summer day camp, the release said. For more information on the camp session that week or any week (the camp starts its weeklong sessions on July 7), go to www.shakers.org. The camps cost $195 per week ($175 for members). The Canterbury Shaker Village is located 15 minutes north of Concord at Exit 18 off Interstate 93.

Fore!
In June, the city of Manchester finished improvements to the drainage at the Derryfield Country Club golf course that will improve the playing condition of the course, according to a city release.

More than half a million dollars (a mix of a bond, private donations and proceeds from gold tournaments) were spent on the improvements. Drainage improvements were made to all low-lying areas on the west side of Mammoth Road and to the first and 18th fairways, the release said. The Big Drain Scramble III (a golf tournament to benefit the club) will be held on Oct. 17. For more on the club, the recent work done there and upcoming events, go to www.derryfieldgolf.com.

Everything comes down to poo
Bull Moose, the music and movies retailer with locations in Portsmouth and Salem, is giving away Bat Guano, while supplies last, with the purchase of the Batman: Gotham Knight DVD, which will hit stories on Tuesday, July 8.

The DVD is a collection of animated shorts set in the time between the live-action film Batman Begins and the forthcoming The Dark Knight and featuring the voice of Kevin Conroy (longtime voice of Bruce Wayne/Batman in the various animated Batman series). Be one of the first to buy it from Bull Moose and you’ll get a few tablespoons of Bat Guano, which has certain organic nematocide and fungicide properties, according to a Bull Moose release. Plus, “Dry Bar Cave Bat Guano is highly recommended for berry bushes like raspberries and blackberries,” the release said. The guano will come with instructions on how to get the most for your plants from the bat poo. See www.bullmoose.com.

Awards and donations
The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation has awarded Ina Ahern, a science teacher at Plymouth Area Regional High School, the Christa McAuliffe Sabbatical for 2008. It allows one teacher each year the chance to design a project that explores new ways of enhancing classroom teaching, according to a Foundation release.

The McLean Contributionship, a charitable division of the Telegraph’s parent company, Independent Publications Inc., has given Nashua a grant to help develop the Nashua Riverwalk. The grant will help to connect the Nashua Public Library to the trail, according to a release from Great American Downtown, which will administer the grant. For more on the Riverwalk, go to www.gonashua.com, click “City Departments” and then “Planning Department.”

St. Mary’s Bank gave $500 to Manchester’s Central High School’s Association of Music Parents, which supports the activities of the school’s music department. The donation will sponsor a visiting artist program at the school, according to a St. Mary’s release.” — AD.