General election
New Hampshire’s general election is on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Offices on the ballot include Governor, U.S. Senator, Representative in Congress, Executive Counselor, State Senator, State Representatives and County offices. To be eligible to vote, you must be at least 18 years old on Election Day, be a United States citizen and reside in the city or town where you plan to vote. If you are not yet registered to vote, you may register in person at the polls on Election Day. Registration involves filling out a Voter Registration Form and providing documents proving your identity and age, U.S. citizenship and residency. If, when registering to vote, you do not have those documents, you can sign an affidavit, affirming under oath that you meet the voting eligibility requirements. If you are already registered to vote, the only documentation you will need to bring to the polls is a valid photo ID, in accordance with the New Hampshire Voter ID Law (a full list of valid forms of ID can be found on the Secretary of State website). Registered absentee voters can file their absentee ballots at their local clerk’s office in person anytime before Monday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m., or assign a delivery agent to deliver the completed absentee ballot in the affidavit and mailing envelope to the clerk at the voter’s local polling place on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, by 5 p.m. Use the Secretary of State’s voter information lookup tool at app.sos.nh.gov to check your voter registration status, the status of your absentee ballot, your polling location and hours and town clerk information and to see a sample ballot. For more information about voting and elections in New Hampshire, visit the Secretary of State website at sos.nh.gov.
Cleaner Center City
The City of Manchester has installed seven new sidewalk trash receptacles in its Center City neighborhood. According to a press release, the receptacle locations, strategically chosen by the city’s Department of Public Works to make the highest potential impact, include the intersections of Pine and Auburn streets, Union Street and Lake Avenue, Spruce and Beech streets, Lake Avenue and Maple Street, Spruce and Lincoln streets and Manchester and Lincoln streets and outside of the Families in Transition shelter on Pine Street. The receptacles will receive twice-weekly collection as part of the neighborhood’s regular trash collection schedule. The installations are the first in a pilot program to place sidewalk trash receptacles in high foot traffic areas outside of the Downtown corridor. “We look forward to gathering as much information as possible in an effort to reduce litter and overall environmental impacts in these neighborhoods by providing convenient, clean and readily accessible community receptacles,” Solid Waste & Environmental Programs Manager Chaz Newton said in the release.
Gas goes up
Gas prices in New Hampshire are on the rise, with an increase of 19.5 cents per gallon in the last week, according to the latest GasBuddy price report. Prices were averaging $3.66 per gallon as of Oct. 31, standing at 27.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and 34.6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The data is based on a survey of 875 gas stations across the state. The national average price of gasoline as of Oct. 31 was $3.72 — 4.7 cents per gallon down from last week, and 3 cents per gallon down from a month ago.
Food pantry upgrade
Hannaford Supermarkets and Families in Transition announce the launch of a new state-of-the-art food pantry at 176 Lake Ave. in Manchester. According to a press release, the newly remodeled Families in Transition Food Pantry, which has been made possible by a $50,000 donation from Hannaford, has been reimagined to resemble the look and feel of a traditional grocery store, with features such as shopping carts, commercial produce coolers, front door display meat freezers, a new inventory system and more. The mission of the pantry is to offer a more dignified shopping experience for the more than 1,000 food-insecure individuals and families living in Manchester who have been using the Families in Transition food pantry on a monthly basis.
CMC recognized
Healthgrades, a marketplace connecting doctors and patients, has named Catholic Medical Center in Manchester one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery. According to a press release, the list was compiled by evaluating patient mortality and complication rates for 31 of the most common conditions and procedures at nearly 4,500 hospitals across the country. CMC also received several other distinctions from Healthgrades, including receiving the Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award for the second year in a row; being named among the top 10 percent in the nation for cardiac surgery for the second year in a row; being a five-star recipient for valve surgery for the second year in a row; and being a five-star recipient for coronary bypass surgery and for treatment of GI bleed. “We commend CMC for their ongoing commitment to providing high-quality care to patients undergoing cardiac surgery and treatment of GI bleed,” Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades, said in the release. “Consumers can feel confident that hospitals recognized by Healthgrades for these conditions and procedures have demonstrated their ability to deliver consistently exceptional outcomes.”
The NH Tech Alliance has named Ryan Barton, CEO of Mainstay Technologies, the recipient of its 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Barton will receive the award in person at the annual Innovation Summit on Thursday, Nov. 10, at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord. According to a press release, the award recognizes the brightest, most innovative individuals in New Hampshire’s tech industry. Tickets are available at nhtechalliance.org/innovation-summit.
The SEE Science Center presents Science on Tap on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m. in the lounge and function room at Stark Brewing Co., 500 Commercial St. in Manchester. According to a press release, the informal discussion series features local scientists and experts on specialized topics. Science on Tap events are free and open to the public. RSVP at see-sciencecenter.org/adults.
The Nashua Regional Planning Commission is holding its last Household Hazardous Waste Collection of the year on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Nashua City Park & Ride (25 Crown St.). There is a fee of $15 per vehicle (cash or check only), with additional charges for waste exceeding 10 gallons or 20 pounds. Visit nashuarpc.org/hhw or call 417-6570.