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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
DURHAM, N.H.—Fewer than half of New Hampshire residents are aware that average winter temperatures have risen in the state, according to new research released by the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. Although many residents have not noticed, their winters have been warming about twice as fast as global warming. The researchers also found that awareness of warming is no higher among people who participate in winter sports, nor are there significant differences by age, sex or level of education.
But winter-warming awareness does vary with political identity. Liberals and moderates are significantly more likely than conservatives to acknowledge the warming trend, according to the researchers.
While average winter temperatures are clearly rising, trends in snowfall (which can be heaviest when it is just below freezing) appear less clear-cut. “It’s possible the lack of consistent trends in winter snowfall and snow cover over the past 20 years may cause some residents to believe there has been little change in temperature,” they noted. Future studies might consider whether different types of winter sports participation affect perceptions of winter warming. For example, studies of skiers’ perceptions about changing winters have been limited and focused on adaptive responses such as snowmaking rather than climate change itself.
This research was conducted by Elizabeth Burakowski, a research assistant professor in the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, and Lawrence Hamilton, professor of sociology and senior fellow in the Carsey School.
The Carsey School of Public Policy is nationally recognized for research, policy education and bringing people together for thoughtful dialogue to address important societal challenges. The school develops and facilitates innovative, responsive and equitable solutions at all levels of government and in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.
The University of New Hampshire inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation, and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. As one of the nation’s highest-performing research universities, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, and receives more than $110 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea, and space.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
DURHAM, N.H.—Small mammals such as mice and chipmunks who are not picky eaters play a more important role than previously known in dispersing the spores of wild mushrooms and truffles, according to new research from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire.
Mushrooms and truffles colonize the roots of plants and assist with water and nutrient uptake. They also play a fundamental role in helping reestablish plants following disturbances such as wildfires, volcanic eruptions and the retreat of melting glaciers.
The research was conducted by Ryan Stephens, a postdoctoral researcher, and Rebecca Rowe, associate professor of natural resources and the environment. More than 1,200 scat samples were collected from small mammals in the White Mountain National Forest and analyzed. The researchers found that rodent species that consume a wide variety of food items can be important dispersers of the spores produced in fruiting bodies such as mushrooms and truffles. They are especially effective when their population increases.
“When generalist rodent populations are on the rise, they can disperse more fungal spores than dietary specialists such as the southern red-backed vole that consumes fungi as their main food source,” said Stephens. “Because they use a wide variety of habitats, they can also disperse spores to areas that dietary specialists rarely inhabit.”
In addition, these mice and chipmunks disperse fungal spores at a time when many seeds are germinating, which is key for the survival and growth of the tree seedlings.
Scientists long thought specialists such as northern flying squirrels and southern red-backed voles that consume fungi as their main food were the most important dispersers of mycorrhizal fungi. These new findings are important as mycorrhizal fungi are key components to forest sustainability and health. Fungi colonize plant roots and assist with water and nutrition uptake. All tree species in New England form this mutualistic association, and some tree species cannot survive without it.
This research is presented in the journal Ecology. It is based upon work supported by the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, through joint funding of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award numbers 1016133 and 1006881, and the state of New Hampshire. Additional support was provided by the Northern Research Station of the USDA Forest Service, University of New Hampshire Natural Resources and the Environment Student Support Fund, American Society of Mammalogists, and the Mycological Society of America: Forest Fungal Ecology Research Award.
Founded in 1887, the NH Agricultural Experiment Station at the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture is UNH’s original research center and an elemental component of New Hampshire's land-grant university heritage and mission.
The University of New Hampshire inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation, and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. As one of the nation’s highest-performing research universities, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, and receives more than $110 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea, and space.
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- Written by Kat Roedell
- Category: Articles
The annual Greater Barrington Chamber of Commerce Open House was held on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, at the new office location of 748 Calef Highway, Barrington NH 03825. The turnout this year was greater than expected - there were over 35 people in attendance this year. It was a packed open house, full of current members, past members, and people who wanted to know more and become new members. Membership rates are determined by the type of organization and the number of employees within the organization.
Membership benefits not only cover the networking and business connections that a person makes within the chamber but also include the community building, a virtual team of other business owners, direct email and marketing blasts to other chamber members, member discounts and the ability to use the actual chamber offices for meetings.
The focus of the open house (besides networking) was to engage chamber members in participating in the annual events sponsored by the chamber. There are several annual chamber events such as the Peepers 5K Run/Walk, the annual Golf Tournament, the Barrington Village Festival, the Scholarship committee, the Bingo event, and the annual dinner.
Each event has a specific purpose and will be covered in more detail in future articles. Since the Greater Barrington Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization, the money raised in each event is used for specific reasons. The upcoming next few events are as follows:
Peepers 5k Run/Walk: This event is used to fund the scholarship program in the Barrington chamber, which actually gives away more scholarship money than any of the other Regional Chamber of Commerces in our area. Volunteers are needed for race day, sponsoring opportunities, and runners the day of the event. This year’s event is May 9, 2020 – Registration begins at 8 am.
The Annual Golf Tournament: The golf tournament helps fund the operating expenditures of the greater Barrington Chamber of Commerce Dues in the chamber is the lowest in the region, so annual events help offset costs. The next golf tournament is Friday, June 5th, 2020 - 8:00 am.
“On the first Friday, each June The Greater Barrington Chamber of Commerce is proud to host what is arguably the most fun golf tournament in southern NH. This event is hosted at the Nippo Lake Golf Club, In Barrington. Golfers are encouraged to dress to coincide with the theme of the year. Some notable past themes have included, Circus, Baseball, Roaring 20s, and Woodstock.” --(The Greater Barrington Chamber of Commerce Web Site)
The Scholarship Awards: Scholarship Awards are to be held on May 14th, 2019 at Nippo Lake Golf Club. The Chamber awards up to three (3) $1000 scholarships, one (1) $500 scholarship and one (1) $250 annually. Students in Barrington and family members of Chamber members are eligible to apply. Applications must be submitted by Monday, April 8, 2019. Applications can be downloaded here.
The new website was also reviewed at the open house, with a walkthrough of the uses and benefits for chamber members. This is a banner year for the Greater Barrington Chamber of Commerce, with much more yet to come.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
On Wednesday, February 12, 2020, House Bill (HB) 1490 to establish a committee to study the taxation of property owners on private roads was introduced to the House Committee on Municipal and County Government by Dover Representative Peter Schmidt and co-sponsored by State Senator David Watters. HB 1490 came about through the efforts of the New Hampshire Private Road Taxpayers Alliance (NHPVRTA), a non-profit organization trying to unite property owners on private roads on a state-wide basis to support their efforts to rectify the unfair tax treatment of property owners on private roads. The NHPVRTA can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
After introduction of HB 1490 several private residents from different parts of New Hampshire including the President of the NHPVRTA spoke to the committee in support of the bill. These residents owned property on private roads that were of all types, dirt, gravel, stone and paved and only one was from age-restricted community development. There were approximately 18 members of the Municipal and County Government Committee (MCGC) present and an equal number of individuals present supporting the bill.
The common theme in support of HB 1490 was that although owners of properties on private roads were assessed and paid taxes equal to owners of properties on public roads they had substantial additional costs for snowplowing, maintenance and replacement of those roads that other taxpayers did not. It was mentioned by one supporter that all 11 of the senior communities in Londonderry are situated on private roads.
Some private road property owners talked about safety issues in the event of a need for emergency services stating that their private roads although acknowledged by the local authority and required to meet certain minimum standards were incapable of access by certain types of emergency equipment. A retired Fire Captain addressed his concerns about the existence of certain inaccessible private roads. A City Councilor also addressed the committee about his take on the issue of private roads but he concluded that since there is an apparent proliferation and concern about issues surrounding private roads that it would probably be a good idea to study the problems.
The MCGC members were very respectful of the supporters of HB 1490 and quite a few committee members asked very good follow-up questions but many of those questions could not be answered as there was insufficient research done to this point about certain relevant facts. One example of an unanswered question was “what percentage of NH roads are private roads?”
The committee now needs to deliberate on HB 1490 and a decision should be made in about 2 weeks.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
Turnout was much higher for Democrats than Republicans, according to the City Clerk’s certified results. 1,137 Republicans voted, while 2,153 Democrats voted in Barrington. The Democrats also had more absentee ballots than the Republicans – Democrats sent in 117 Absentee ballots, while Republicans only sent in 42 Absentee ballots. Of the 1137 votes on the Republican side, only 980 were for President Trump or approximately 86% of the votes – so 14% of Republicans didn’t vote for President Trump in Barrington, NH. The only other major candidate on the Republican side was Bill Weld, who got 120 votes. There were 15 other Republican challengers, with no one of them receiving more votes than Mary Maxwell, who got 11 votes in Barrington, NH. Five of the fifteen Republican challengers received no votes in Barrington.
Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg were neck and neck with each other in Barrington, with Bernie winning the popular vote by just 34 votes. Bernie Sanders got 587 votes in Barrington, while Pete Buttigieg came in second with 553 votes. Next was Amy Klobuchar, who had a great debate performance recently, surging her votes to 404 for 3rd place. In 4th place was Elizabeth Warren with 207 votes, Joe Biden in 5th place with 147 votes, Tom Steyer in 6th place with 85 votes, and close behind in 7th place was Tulsi Gabbard with 83 votes. Tulsi Gabbard was the only Democratic candidate to visit Barrington, NH during the primary season.
Andrew Yang, who recently dropped out of the race, received 68 votes in Barrington, NH for 8th place, while Deval Patrick received only 12 votes. There were 24 other Democratic candidates for President in the New Hampshire Primary, not one of which received over 4 votes, and most of which received 0 votes. Barrington’s voter turnout was 44.88%, according to Town Administrator Conner MacIver. We asked him if he had any information about how Independents voted, and he said, “At the Primary Election, undeclared voters must choose a Republican or Democratic ballot. After voting, individuals are able to change their registration back to undeclared.”
You can see the full tabulation of results here.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
CONCORD- Yesterday, Attorney General William Barr addressed the dangers that sanctuary cities and sanctuary policies pose to the general public. In jurisdictions that have adopted these policies, local law enforcement officers are restrained from working with their federal law enforcement partners. The result is that federal law enforcement officers are hampered in their efforts to locate, arrest, and remove people who are in the United States illegally. This may include individuals who are actively engaged in criminal conduct.
Barr’s remarks resonate in New Hampshire, where the opioid crisis has been fueled by foreign drug cartels who exploit our citizens for the sake of making a profit. Their lethal drugs reach our state through a network of traffickers who often employ criminal aliens as dealers to sell drugs in our communities. To shield themselves from arrest, criminal aliens often reside outside of our state, sometimes living in sanctuary cities where they feel safe.
The highest obligation of the government is to protect its citizens, especially from victimization by criminals. This requires coordination on the part of law enforcement at all levels. When local communities adopt sanctuary policies, those policies can jeopardize public safety by preventing the federal government from arresting and prosecuting removable aliens. While reasonable people can debate the merits of various immigration policies, few would contest that those who commit serious criminal offenses while unlawfully inside this country should be prosecuted and then removed from the United States. When a sanctuary jurisdiction refuses to honor an immigration detainer and releases a felon onto the street, all of our citizens are endangered. These policies also endanger the brave law enforcement officers who must try to identify and arrest criminal aliens after they have been released by sanctuary cities.
Here in New Hampshire, we frequently prosecute criminals who are unlawfully in this country, including those who have taken up residency in sanctuary cities in other states. Many of these criminal aliens have distributed fentanyl, heroin, and other dangerous drugs, thereby causing great suffering. It is not uncommon to encounter criminal aliens who use fraudulent documents to mask their true identity and immigration status. If these criminals are released before they can be removed from the United States, it can be challenging to locate them again. Enforcing our laws is a complicated and difficult undertaking and sanctuary policies only make it more difficult to protect our citizens.
While New Hampshire has not been at the forefront of the sanctuary movement, it is important to realize that we are negatively impacted by the adoption of these policies in other states. The reality is that criminals can shelter behind sanctuary policies to the detriment of everyone else in society. This is especially true if you are an interstate drug dealer looking for a place to hide while hooking Granite Staters on your deadly product.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
DURHAM, N.H.—Wet brewers’ grains, the abundant residues of the brewery industry, show promise as a potentially cost-effective, high-nutrient feed replacement for dairy heifers, according to new research from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire.
The study is led by Peter Erickson, professor of agriculture, nutrition and food systems and extension dairy specialist, and Eric Hatungimana, a doctoral student in dairy science.
“The cost of energy and protein feeds, especially corn and soybean, has been rising and dairy farmers are looking for alternative feed sources,” said Hatungimana. “One strategy is to use less expensive feeds such as wet brewers’ grains, which appears to be feasible due to their nutritional value, availability and low cost. Our project evaluated the effect of replacing corn and soybean meal with wet brewers’ grains on the growth performance of dairy heifers.”
The brewery industry uses mostly malted barley to produce beer, leaving behind a protein-rich residue known as “beer waste” that is suitable for dairy cattle feeding. While farmers have been feeding wet brewers’ grains to cows for years, there is limited data on feeding it to heifers—young female cows that have not borne a calf. Erickson and Hatungimana found that including these wet brewers’ grains in the diet of dairy heifers at a rate of 20% can completely replace soybean or corn-based feed and provide similar growth performance compared to diets using those concentrates. Moreover, replacing corn and soybean meal with wet brewers’ grains considerably reduces the feeding cost for raising dairy heifers.
“These findings are so important for dairy producers who are currently facing low milk prices,” said Hatungimana. “Since the cost of feeds accounts for 70% to 80% of the total production in any dairy farm, using nutritious and cheaper by-products will help dairy farmers increase returns while improving animal performance. Using wet brewers’ grains is also an economically and environmentally sound way for food processors to reduce waste.”
Raising heifers is expensive as they do not provide farm income until they calve at 22 to 24 months and start producing milk. Incorporating wet brewers’ grains into their diet would reduce the cost of production while achieving the desired growth until the first calving. There are approximately 800 breweries around the Northeast; these produce an ample supply of wet brewers grains.
The researchers also evaluated the effect on the storage of wet brewers’ grains with a commercial preservative or salt on yeast and mold growth. They found that treating wet brewers’ grains with salt not only improved dry matter, fiber, and protein digestibility but also reduced spoilage by mold and yeast. Salt is less expensive than commercial preservatives and is easily accessible to farmers.
This research is based upon work supported by the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, through joint funding of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 1016574, and the state of New Hampshire. It is supported by Agri-King Company, Fulton, Ill., which provided the commercial preservative. Rock River Laboratory helped in the analysis of wet brewers’ grains nutrients, and Bad Lab Brewery, Stuart Farm and Scruton Farm provided fresh wet brewers’ grains for the study.
Founded in 1887, the NH Agricultural Experiment Station at the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture is UNH’s original research center and an elemental component of New Hampshire's land-grant university heritage and mission.
The University of New Hampshire is a flagship research university that inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation and the world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, liberal arts, and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. UNH’s research portfolio includes partnerships with NASA, NOAA, NSF, and NIH, receiving more than $100 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea, and space.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
CONCORD, N.H. – As of Saturday morning, approximately 15,000 power outages remain across the state. At its peak, over 35,000 outages were reported in more than 115 cities and towns statewide. Hundreds of utility crews are working around the clock to assess the damage and restore power.
Power utility providers expect the majority of outages to be restored by this evening, but for anyone without power, take time now to prepare for an outage possibly lasting into Sunday.
“Before temperatures drop to dangerous lows tonight, everyone is encouraged to take time to prepare,” said state Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Jennifer Harper. “Have a plan so you know what to do and where to go should temperatures in your home get too cold.”
NH Homeland Security and Emergency Management is working closely with the Public Utilities Commission to monitor outages and provide resources to affected communities as needed. During outages, the Public Utilities Commission continuously monitors utility issues and works closely with all agencies involved in the coordinated restoration effort.
“Power utility crews have been working around the clock to restore power to all affected areas,” Public Utilities Commission Chairwoman Dianne Martin said. “Given the forecasted winds and cold temperatures today, we expect the number of outages to fluctuate, but be assured that Commission safety staff and power crews remain working to restore all outages.”
Customers are reminded to report outages to their utility provider at least once daily until power is restored:
Eversource............................. 1-800-662-7764
Liberty Utilities..................... 1-855-349-9455
NH Electric Co-Op................ 1-800-343-6432
Unitil..................................... 1-888-301-7700
Harper and Martin ask that everyone check on friends and neighbors when it is safe to do so, especially the elderly or those who may need additional assistance. Follow these tips to help stay safe until power is restored:
- Visit ReadyNH.gov to learn more about keeping safe during emergencies.
- Signup for NH Alerts, the State’s emergency notification system to receive location-specific safety information. Also, download the app for iPhone and Android devices.
- Monitor National Weather Service radio or broadcast weather reports to keep track of changing conditions.
- If you encounter a downed power line, stay away and call 9-1-1.
- Do not use a gas range or oven as an alternative source of heat.
- If you use a generator, do NOT run it inside a home or garage, and ensure it is at least 20 feet away from any doors, windows or vents.
- Electric power outages can affect gas furnaces and other appliances. Call a professional for service if you experience any issues. If you smell gas, have everyone leave the building and call 9-1-1 immediately. Stay outside until help arrives.
The US Department of Agriculture notes that your refrigerator will keep food safe for up to 4 hours during a power outage. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Discard refrigerated perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers after 4 hours without power. A full freezer will hold a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours or 24 hours if it is half-full as long as the door remains closed. Never taste food to determine its safety. When in doubt, throw it out!
For emergencies, call 9-1-1. If you can’t call, you can text 9-1-1 for emergencies in New Hampshire.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
CONCORD, N.H. – As of 9:00 PM, approximately 35,000 customers are without power across the state as crews work to clear roads and restore power after a complex winter storm with strong wind gusts moved through the region.
“Crews are assessing damage and addressing power outages as quickly as possible. It may take until Sunday for full restoration across areas of the state,” Director of state Homeland Security and Emergency Management Jennifer Harper said. “We remain in close contact with the Public Utilities Commission in monitoring the progress made by the utility providers and stand ready to assist the affected communities should they have any resource requests.”
Report power outages to your utility provider:
Eversource............................. 1-800-662-7764
Liberty Utilities..................... 1-855-349-9455
NH Electric Co-Op................ 1-800-343-6432
Unitil..................................... 1-888-301-7700
Customers without power should continue to call their service providers at least daily until power is restored.
The National Weather Service reports that wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph may continue into the night. Cold temperatures will set in overnight throughout the state causing any remaining moisture to freeze. Temperatures over the weekend will drop and some parts may see wind chills well below zero.
Harper asked that everyone check on friends and neighbors when safe to do so and made the following safety recommendations:
- Visit ReadyNH.gov to learn more about keeping safe during emergencies.
- Signup for NH Alerts, the State’s emergency notification system to receive location-specific safety information. Also, download the app.
- Monitor National Weather Service radio or broadcast weather reports to keep track of changing conditions.
- If you encounter a downed power line, stay away and call 9-1-1.
- Drivers are reminded to use extra caution, go slow and be alert for crews clearing debris and treating the roads.
- Use flashlights, rather than candles, for emergency lighting.
- Do not use a gas range or oven as an alternative source of heat.
- Only use a generator that has been wired to the house electrical service by a professional electrician.
- Never run a generator inside a building or in an enclosed space.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
CONCORD – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced the establishment of a Primary Day hotline that will be monitored throughout Primary Day on February 11, 2020, from 7 am to 8 pm. The hotline number is 603-230-2503. Inquiries and complaints may also be submitted through the United States Attorney’s Office web site at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nh by clicking on the “e-mail us” link.
Assistant United States Attorney Seth R. Aframe of the New Hampshire United States Attorney’s Office will oversee complaints of election fraud and abuse of voting rights in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In order to respond to these complaints and address any abuse of voting rights, AUSA Aframe will be on duty while the polls are open.
United States Attorney Murray said, “Under our Constitution, the right to vote is fundamental. Protecting the individual right to vote and assuring the legitimacy of the election process are critical Department of Justice priorities. Information about discrimination, intimidation or election fraud should be reported immediately to my office, the FBI, or the DOJ Civil Rights Division."
Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination may also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, D.C. at 1-800-253-3931.
A Federal Election Fraud Fact Sheet that explains federal criminal jurisdiction in connection with elections and voting rights is posted on the United States Attorney’s website: www.usdoj.gov/usao/nh.
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