Author: The Hippo Press

And I would walk 0.68 miles

According to a press release, the City of Manchester has updated its plans to build 0.68 miles of newly paved rail trail running northerly along the abandoned rail bed from where the South Manchester Rail Trail terminates at Queen City Avenue and this will be named the Central Manchester Rail Trail. The trail will offer easier access for pedestrians and bicyclists from Elm Street and Willow Street, with a raised bed and a more gradual slope from the streets components of the federally funded RAISE Manchester: Connecting Communities transportation infrastructure improvement project, according to the press release.

The Central Manchester Rail Trail will also serve as a central intersection of some of New Hampshire’s longest rail trails, such as the southern half of the Granite State Rail Trail, the east-west Rockingham Recreational Trail and Piscataquog Rail Trail, with construction projects to extend some of these trails already underway, according to the same release.

In a statement, RAISE Manchester Project Manager Kristen Clarke, PE, PTOE, traffic engineer for the Manchester Department of Public Works, said that “the Central Manchester Rail Trail along with other components of the RAISE Manchester project align with the city’s commitment to foster multi-modal transportation options and pedestrian-friendly connectivity, particularly for the neighborhoods where residents have the fewest vehicles and transportation options. This project not only creates a vital link between disconnected areas of the city, it also contributes to the broader network of rail trails across New Hampshire, offering residents and visitors alike an opportunity to explore our beautiful state while promoting active lifestyles.”

The Central Manchester Rail Trail project also involves the cleanup of an abandoned section of rail, and improves traffic flow at five traffic signals on Elm Street, according to the same release. For more information, visit raisemanchester.org.

$1M for Center

According to a press release, the Executive Council voted to approve $1 million in funding to assist in the building of the Mark Stebbins Community Center in Manchester, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In a statement, Gov. Chris Sununu said that “by breaking down silos and bringing nonprofits together under one roof, the Mark Stebbins Community Center carries on the philanthropic legacy of Mark Stebbins and represents the very best of New Hampshire. I applaud the nonprofit partners making this innovative vision a reality to better serve Manchester’s West Side. It’s all about the kids!”

The Mark Stebbins Community Center will be a multiservice nonprofit center that will bring critical services to children and families in the West Side of Manchester, which is home to 25 percent of the city’s population and will bring a myriad of nonprofit services into one location to serve the community, according to the same release.

The Center will work to provide affordable, walkable child care, after-school care, access to affordable health care, food access, community meeting space, and additional support and include the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester, Amoskeag Health, Waypoint, Easterseals NH, Mental Health Care of Greater Manchester, Granite YMCA, Manchester Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Southern NH Services, Granite United Way and Catholic Charities of New Hampshire, according to the same release.

Mark Stebbins, a Manchester native, served as Chairman and CEO of PROCON, a New Hampshire-based design and construction firm, and was devoted to giving back to the Manchester community through his philanthropic work, according to the same release. The approved funds are for construction, which is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2025, the release said.

New Currier director

A recent press releaseannounced the appointment of Dr. Jordana Pomeroy as The Currier Museum’s new Director and CEO. She will officially begin her new role at the Currier on Sept. 1.

Pomeroy brings more than 30 years of museum experience to the Currier and has been committed to making art museums exciting destinations, with accessible art and education programs, according to the same release.Most recently, Pomeroy served as the Director of the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University in Miami, where she prioritized engagement across the city, including with hospitals and schools, the release said.

Pomeroy was also the Chief Curator at the National Museum of Women in the Arts for many years, where she focused on gender equity in arts and museums and her exhibitions and publications received critical acclaim for their groundbreaking approaches to scholarship and exhibition themes, according to the same release.

Paradise Point Nature Center in Hebron (290 North Shore Road) will open for the season on Friday, May 24, at 9 a.m. Visitors can rent a boat, check out exhibits, or hike the trail on opening day, according to the Center’s website. On Tuesday, May 28, from 10 a.m. to noon, NH Audubon will host a guided paddle (choose canoe, kayak, or paddleboard) along the Newfound Lake Water Trail, free but with a fee for boat rental. Visit nhaudubon.org.

Tesla has broken ground on a new service center and dealership in Londonderry, according to a story on WMUR.com; the 50,000-square-foot facility will be the first Tesla service center in New Hampshire and will include eight charging stations, the story said.

Nashua Public Library (2 Court St.) will hold a showing of the recent Jason Statham movie The Beekeepers on Tuesday, May 28, at 1 p.m. The film is about his involvement with a clandestine organization, and not the fuzzy critters that make honey.