At the edge of a Ford dealership parking lot in the town of Hillsborough, N.H. stands a double-arched stone construction formerly known as Sawyer Bridge. Unused for vehicular traffic since the 1860s, the bridge spans the overgrown banks of a small stream and then ends, abruptly, in an 8-foot drop. Nonetheless, it’s in top condition, thanks to a 2010 revamp turning the landmark into a public park, which cost about $300,000 — half of that in stimulus money…. Read more »
Student disenfranchisement — it’s an issue that has come up again and again in state politics, and it’s particularly relevant to Dartmouth. According to a current bill in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, as soon as the November general election, voters would have to present valid photo ID at the polls … and student IDs don’t count…. Read more »
“Anybody But Mitt” syndrome is mutating: “Anybody With Mitt” is now sweeping political blogs and editorial boards across the nation.
With Mitt Romney as the de facto Republican nominee, the Endless Suffrage 2012 media train has turned its attention to the vice presidential pick — and two New Hampshire names of note have been tossed into the speculative stew…. Read more »
After reading Michael Lesy’s brilliant “Wisconsin Death Trip” this weekend and then settling down to write this week’s installment of the Granite State, I am disturbed to realize that the front page of WMUR.com is littered with the same kinds of stories I have been reading all weekend.
For those of you who have read the book or seen the film adaptation, you’ll know that I’m talking about some pretty creepy stuff. Lesy’s book is a montage of photographs and news clippings gathered from a Wisconsin town called Black River Falls in the 1800s. Arson, murder, suicide, epidemic — even the story of a schoolteacher named Mary Sweeney who toured the state shooting windows on a cocaine-induced binge…. Read more »
On March 29th, both chambers of the New Hampshire General Court celebrated Crossover Day — the midpoint of the six month-long legislative season when the two houses exchange bills from their first session.
Senators and representatives are currently enjoying a two-week vacation before resuming their legislative duties. Of course, it’s an election year, so the break before the opening of the second session on April 11 will provide ample time for them to get within microphone range and talk about how excited they are to create jobs and improve the economy…. Read more »
Senate District 5 Matthew Houde (D-Plainfield) A graduate of both Dartmouth and Hanover High School, Matthew Houde was elected to the District 5 seat in 2008. The son of a former state senator from Sullivan, a district that he also represented before running for office in District 5. Houde sits on the Commerce and Judiciary committees. In addition to practicing law in New Hampshire and Connecticut, Houde has taken a special interest in issues domestic abuse and works with the Domestic Violence Emergency Project. He currently serves as Associate Director of Career Services at Vermont Law School. A member of the Meriden Congregational Church, Houde has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and served as a member of the Board of the Centering Healthcare Institute Houde represents the towns of Andover, Cornish, Croydon, Danbury, Enfield, Franklin, Grafton, Grantham, Hanover, Hill, Lebanon, Plainfield, Springfield and Wilmot. House of Representatives District 9, Grafton County David Pierce (D-Grafton) A representative since 2006, David Pierce (right) serves on the election law committee and the special committee on redistricting. He won a major victory this year in the failure of the same-sex marriage repeal. Pierce, who is openly gay, was a vocal opponent of the repeal in the House. Pierce is known… Read more »