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CONCORD, N.H. – New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management is reminding residents and visitors of northern New Hampshire to be prepared as a heavy mixed-precipitation winter weather event is expected tonight into Sunday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Gray, Maine issued a Winter Storm Warning for part of Coos County from 9:00 P.M. tonight until 7:00 P.M. on Sunday. Heavy mixed precipitation is expected. Total snow and sleet accumulations of up to 4 inches and ice accumulations of up to a third of an inch is expected.
The NWS in Gray, Maine issued a Winter Weather Advisory for parts of Coos and Carroll Counties from 9:00 P.M. tonight until 7:00 P.M. on Sunday. Freezing rain is expected with total ice accumulation of a light glaze.
“Freezing rain will cause hazardous travel conditions until Sunday evening,” said NH Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Jennifer Harper. “Scattered power outages are possible in northern New Hampshire. Take time today to prepare your family for disasters.”
If you must travel, do so with an emergency kit. Visit ReadyNH.gov to download an emergency kit shopping list so you know what to stock in your emergency kit.
Due to heavy, mixed precipitation, power outages and tree damage are likely. If you lose power, be sure to report the outage to your utility provider every 24-hours until your service is restored.
New Hampshire Utility Provider Telephone Numbers:
Eversource..................................... 1-800-662-7764
Liberty Utilities*........................... 1-855-349-9455
NH Electric Co-Op......................... 1-800-343-6432
Unitil*.......................................... 1-888-301-7700
*Recently updated.
If you see downed power lines, stay away and call 9-1-1.
Harper provides these additional reminders:
- Slow down and move over for emergency vehicles.
- Do not crowd the plows or emergency crews.
- Clear all snow and ice off your car, including your roof, around lights and license plates before traveling.
- Bridges, overpasses and exposed road areas are the most prone to icy conditions.
- Visit ReadyNH.gov to learn more preparedness tips to help you and your family stay safe.
Take time now to prepare. Director Harper encourages everyone to plan ahead of disasters. The core steps toward preparedness is:
- Make an emergency kit,
- Have a family emergency plan, and
- Stay informed by signing up for NH Alerts.
Download templates and instructions for each of these preparedness steps online at ReadyNH.gov.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
Barrington, NH -- Audio Events has been recognized as a winner of the 2020 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards®, an accolade representing the top wedding professionals across the board in quality, service, responsiveness, and professionalism reviewed by couples on WeddingWire. This is the seventh straight year of winning the Couples’ Choice Awards® for Audio Events.
WeddingWire analyzed reviews across more than 20 service categories, to find the most highly-rated professionals of the year. These winners exhibit superior professionalism, responsiveness, service, and quality when interacting with the consumers who turn to them to help ease their wedding planning process each month.
A leader in the local wedding and events industry, Audio Events provides couples with a one-of-a-kind wedding DJ and event lighting experience. Currently serving New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts Audio Event works under the belief that no two events should be the same, and that every couple deserves a unique experience.
Audio Events is honored to be one of the top wedding DJ businesses in New Hampshire. For more information about Audio Events, please visit them at www.audioeventsonline.com.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
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CONCORD, N.H. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently advised that increased geopolitical tensions and threats of aggression may result in cyber-attacks against the United States.
“There is no known credible threat – cyber, physical or otherwise – to New Hampshire and we remain actively engaged with our federal intelligence partners for emerging threats,” NH Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Jennifer Harper said. “Cyber-attacks have unfortunately become more common as technology has evolved. It is important to understand that everyone is a potential target for cybercriminals.”
“Our best line of defense against cyber-attacks is raising awareness among users,” said NH Chief Information Officer and Commissioner of the Department of Information Technology Denis Goulet. “Every day, cyber criminals find new and improved ways to access valuable and personal information.”
State Executive Branch agency personnel are reminded to follow approved computer and internet policies and procedures, and to report all cyber suspicious activity to the help desk.
Harper and Goulet provide these recommendations for individuals and families:
- Use a strong password that is unique for each device or account. Longer passwords are more secure. To create strong passwords, use simple, long, and memorable passwords or passphrases.
- Use multi-factor authentication, if available. Multi-factor authentication is a more secure method of authorizing access.
- Use internet connections you trust, such as your home service or a connection through your wireless carrier. Public networks are not very secure, which makes it easy for others to intercept your data.
- Keep all of your personal electronic device software current. Manufacturers issue updates as they discover vulnerabilities in their products.
- Be suspicious of unexpected emails and do not click on links from unknown or untrusted sources.
- “If You See Something, Say Something®” – Report suspicious activity to 9-1-1 or your local law enforcement agency.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) makes the following recommendations to businesses and organizations:
- Prepare your organization for rapid response by adopting a state of heightened awareness. This ranges from reviewing your security and emergency preparedness plans, consuming relevant threat intelligence, minimizing coverage gaps in personnel availability, and making sure your emergency call tree is up to date.
- Increase organizational vigilance. Ensure your security personnel is monitoring key internal security capabilities and that they know how to identify anomalous behavior. Assess your access control protocols. Flag any known Iranian indicators of compromise and tactics, techniques, and procedures for immediate response.
- Confirm reporting processes. Ensure your personnel knows how and when to report an incident. The well-being of your workforce and cyberinfrastructure depends on an awareness of threat activity. Consider reporting your cyber incidents to CISA as part of an early warning system.
- Exercise your incident response plan. Ensure your personnel is familiar with the key steps they need to take during an incident. Do they have the access they need? Do they know the processes? Are your various data sources logging as expected? Make sure personnel are positioned to act in a measured, calm, and unified manner.
- Confirm offline backup. Ensure you have an offline backup of information critical to operations.
Director Harper reminds residents and visitors of New Hampshire to remain vigilant and “If you See Something, Say Something®.” Anyone who sees suspicious activity is urged to call 9-1-1; if you are unable to call, you can text 9-1-1 in New Hampshire.
Learn more at ReadyNH.gov, stopthinkconnect.org, and CISA.gov.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
CONCORD, N.H. – Soon, federally compliant identification will be required to board domestic flights and enter some federal facilities. A New Hampshire REAL ID driver's license or non-driver identification card is fully compliant and will get you where you need to go. This Saturday, you can get your REAL ID driver license or non-driver identification card at several New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles locations.
Getting a REAL ID is voluntary, and other federally compliant identification, such as a passport, may also be used for domestic air travel. However, time is running out and we encourage New Hampshire residents who wish to obtain a REAL ID to do so as soon as possible. REAL ID applications must be submitted in person.
To make REAL ID services more easily accessible, the following New Hampshire DMV locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. this Saturday, January 11, and the second Saturday of each month, for REAL ID transactions only. REAL ID transactions may also be conducted at all locations during regular weekday hours as well as all other DMV business.
Concord,
Manchester,
Nashua,
Newport,
Dover, and
Twin Mountain.
Additional documentation is required when applying for REAL ID and should be gathered prior to your visit to the DMV. Documentation related to name changes due to marriage, divorce, adoption, etc., must be presented at the time of the transaction. There is no additional fee for REAL ID, but if it is not time for renewal, there is a $3 replacement fee.
For detailed documentation requirements and facts about REAL ID, visit www.getREAL.nh.gov.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
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DURHAM, N.H.—Three University of New Hampshire faculty members are available to discuss escalating tensions in the Middle East, the effects it will have on homeland security and the ripple effect it may have on terrorism as pressure mounts after the recent airstrikes at military bases in Iraq.
Jeannie Sowers, associate professor of political science, is an expert of comparative politics of the Middle East and author of several books that focus on political economy, ecology and state-society relations in the Middle East and North Africa. She is well-versed in the topics of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, U.S. relations with Iran and Iraq over time, war and international humanitarian norms, the effects of sanctions and blockades, causes of failed states, the role groups like ISIS can play and the causes and consequences of popular protests in the region.
Sowers can be reached directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
James Ramsay is widely recognized as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on homeland security education with expertise in a wide range of health, emergency management planning and evaluation issues, as well as occupational safety and environmental health. Ramsay says that at this early stage, specific consequences on homeland security are not really known, but all efforts and operations will be on a heightened state of alert, especially those of local and federal law enforcement and the emergency services sectors. He notes that the Iranians have a strong cyber-attack capability and that attacks on critical infrastructure and the private sector can be expected to be more frequent and more intense were this conflict to escalate. Homeland security officials are most likely consulting with national security officials about likely activities of potential Iranian operatives and sympathizers.
Ramsay can be reached at (386) 405-5260 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Melinda Negrón-Gonzales is an assistant professor and coordinator of UNH’s Politics and Society Program. She teaches courses on international relations, comparative politics and terrorism. Negrón-Gonzales's research interests span the following areas: Middle Eastern studies, U.S. foreign policy, Turkish Studies (where she used to live), humanitarian intervention, social movements, and democratization. One strand of her research looks at changing ideas about humanitarian intervention - to prevent and respond to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Negrón-Gonzales can be reached at (603) 641-4364 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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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The usual locals gathered at Nippo Lake Golf Club Restaurant to discuss the monthly Chamber of Commerce business for Barrington. Friendly faces armed with business cards spent the early afternoon networking and making future business deals. The event was open to all Greater Barrington Chamber of Commerce members.
“We have a lot of exciting things to discuss today!”, said Chairman Michael Guyre. JoEllen Gallant, a Chamber board member, announced that we’re doing the 2nd Annual Barrington Village Festival, an event that was intertwined with Calef’s 150th Anniversary event last year. The event was highly successful, with Barrington Town News responsible for getting 610 people to the event last September.
There was a request for ideas of how to improve the Greater Barrington Chamber of Commerce, and several members sitting around a table said the Chamber should design a new logo, including Scot Villeneuve of Big Hit Media, and our own Kat Roedell, CEO of Barrington Town News. David Goodwin of Immanuel Insurance Agency said there should be cards on the tables with questions at Chamber events to help break the ice.
Scot Villeneuve admitted he hasn’t come to enough of the Chamber’s meetings because he didn’t see the value in them, but today he said he does see the value now with the changes that are being made. He said it’s nice to see everyone at the meetings, and the venue the event was held in today is very nice.
The Chamber of Commerce is calling for new members and the Chamber is going to work on getting more expert speakers to future events, according to Ray Bisson of Stonewall Surveying, who is a Board member with the Chamber. Another Board member said there should be a better program to bring in new members. We must mention that Barrington Town News has a partnership with the Greater Barrington Chamber of Commerce, in which we help to recommend to local businesses to join the Chamber of Commerce – including advertising with a free banner that we provide year-round linking to the Chamber’s website. The banner has already received 75 clicks and has been viewed over 26,000 times since it was put up at the very beginning of our website.
Chamber Members agreed that the new office was great, but they also voiced that the response time to get a phone call back after leaving a voice mail at the office could be improved. There was also a call for a printed newsletter and someone pointed out there are navigation issues with the Chamber of Commerce website and the Calendar is buggy as well.
A big change was announced, which was the farewell of former Executive Administrator Joann Toomey, which no longer works for the Greater Barrington Chamber of Commerce. Chairman Michael Guyre thanked her for all the hard work she’s done for the Chamber. The reason the Chamber of Commerce was able to eliminate the Executive Administration position, is that there is a new website being built that allows members to sign-up online, eliminating a 6-step manual process that had to be executed every time a new member was added with the old website.
Features on the new website include the ability for any member to post job listings, member features which shows random members each time the homepage loads, as well as new members. The new Greater Barrington Chamber of Commerce website is currently being hosted on wildapricot.org, however, Chairman Michael Guyre is still working on configuring the IT aspects and various features of the website. It will eventually be available at the current website’s location, https://www.barringtonchamber.org/.
The Chamber announced several events coming up in January, which are available on their event calendar on their website, and they also said they need at least 20 people in order to do a buffet at a breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and it will cost $13.50 if paid in advance, or $15.00 at the door. The Chamber said that advance registration for food at events should help to cut down on food waste and buffets that they have had to write off in the past as losses due to members not paying and other various reasons.
Chairman Guyre said members can still send in their Press Releases to the Chamber’s email address and they will still be published on the new website. He said he wants to avoid publishing Press Releases that aren’t newsworthy or rather PR related news that is just to advertise a business. He said that Press Releases should contain an event or some major accomplishment or announcement.
Michael Guyre also said that there will be member forums on the new website, which will be a way for members to ask for advice that won’t be public-facing and only accessible by active members. He said there will also be a private Facebook group created for members only. He added there will be a members-only Blog on the new website and a page for member discounts. The new website will also allow anyone to subscribe to the Chamber of Commerce’s Calendar, through their popular email and news application such as Microsoft Outlook and functionally equivalent software.
This is all very exciting news about the modernization of the Greater Barrington Chamber of Commerce to be more member friendly. If you’re interested in joining the Chamber of Commerce, please contact the Chamber at 603-664-2200. There are plans as low as $50/year for Club Memberships, and Sole Proprietorships are only $100/year. It’s definitely worth the money if your business can afford it because you get to attend all of the Chamber’s events that is all year long, which provides you with valuable networking opportunities with the Barrington, NH business community.
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Situated between George Calef’s Fine Foods and Journey Church on Rte 125, the new Mobil Station is constructed, running and has been open for business since Monday, December 16, 2019. Convenient for those headed north on 125, the gasoline station features 5 pump islands, Applegreen - a small convenience store and Burger King - a fast food restaurant inside. The store is neatly laid out and offers the standard gas station fare – coffee, energy drinks, frozen snacks, potato chips, etc. If you are heading south on 125 there is also left-hand turn access (if anyone was concerned about the island that blocks traffic flow). The station is still hiring for both the convenience store and the restaurant. Contact Donna at 603-905-9052 for job information.
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BarnZ’s Cinema in Barrington, New Hampshire installed new, comfy chairs in all its theatres in Barrington. They were installed between April through August of 2019, before Barrington Town News, was formed. I sat in one today, and it felt better than the brand-new La-Z-Boy that I have at home.
I can remember having back pain and neck pain from sitting in the old, outdated chairs that were there before. John Parsi, General Manager of BarnZ’s in Barrington, said business has become steadier because their customers really like relaxing in the new chairs.
Mr. Parsi said all the customer feedback they’ve received has all been overwhelmingly positive since the chairs were installed. This means that all the comments they received before, including on their Facebook page, about the theater, is old and outdated, are, well, old and outdated comments.
Every theatre has a row for handicap customers at the rear of each theatre. This allows for wider seats for people with disabilities, and an area for customers in wheelchairs to sit, or, to park their wheelchair next to one of the handicap seats and then sit in one of the new chairs – which is what I would recommend.
Customers have said the new chairs are super comfortable, and that they’re a better way to watch a movie, according to Mr. Parsi. He added, “It was definitely worth putting them in.” The chairs were also installed in Meredith as well before they were installed in Barrington. Mr. Parsi said he didn’t know if there were plans to install the seats in the third movie theatre in Lincoln, New Hampshire.
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One of the newer upcoming ventures in the Town of Barrington is the Wildlife Encounters Ecology Center and Farm School. Founded by Derek Small, this is an expansion of the business he has been operating since 2004. He is purchasing 270 Beauty Hill Rd – allowing for the preservation of the historic 77-acre Swain family farmstead formerly known as “Highland Farm” in Barrington, NH. This part of his business is referred to as the “Ecology Center & Farm School”.It is envisioned to become a science and nature-based community education center. The property transformation plan includes fundraising events, surveying, architectural design and coordination with the local and federal government regulations. The plan includes creating a licensed facility for the ambassador animals that currently are used in the business’ environmental education programming.
At this time, Derek and his crew are in the midst of reassembling a barn and are looking for skilled framers and carpenters to help in the project.
They are also looking for fresh Christmas trees and wreaths that the owners wish to dispose of, to feed some of the livestock. Please, no tinsel or ornaments!
All of the Ambassador animals are stored in a nearby facility, but getting the barn assembled is the first step to accomplishing the vision of the Ecological Center and Farm School. Long term goals include a working barn, a farm museum, community meeting rooms, and teaching areas – both inside and outdoors. Trails and nature paths will be set as well, making the encounters for the local community both unique and educational.
Wildlife Encounters is known throughout the Northeast for its quality educational programs. It has been voted a family favorite for 6 years in the Parenting NH Magazine and has been featured on the following tv shows: The Today Show, The Martha Stewart Show, LIVE with Kelly & Micheal, CNBC Squawk Box, Night Line, and New York Live. Derek and his educators have a passion for the animals, keeping them safe, protected and sharing them with other people. This passion extends to this new expansion.
You can follow the center and its progress on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/weecocenter/) or on the website (http://www.weecocenter.com/). They are still booking the educational programs, as well as site visits.
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
CONCORD, N.H. - “In reference to recent events in the Middle East, we have no known credible threats to New Hampshire or the United States,” NH Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Jennifer Harper said. “We are actively engaged with our federal intelligence partners and monitoring emerging threats.”
Director Harper reminds residents and visitors of New Hampshire to remain vigilant and “If You See Something, Say Something.”
The If You See Something, Say Something® campaign is a public awareness campaign sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to raise public awareness about terrorism and the importance of reporting suspicious activity to state and local authorities.
- Homeland security starts with hometown security. Local communities and citizens play an important role in preventing terrorism and keeping our communities safe.
- The public should report suspicious activity such as the discovery of a suspicious package or suspicious behavior, such as someone breaking into a restricted area, attempting to gain access into a restricted area, or paying close attention to building security procedures.
- Suspicious activity does not include factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Anyone who sees suspicious activity is urged to call 9-1-1; if you are unable to call, you can text 9-1-1 in New Hampshire.
See Something Say Something® posters, brochures, window stickers, reference materials, social media toolkits, and PSA videos are available at no cost to NH organizations, businesses, schools, and non-profits on the NH HSEM website (nh.gov/hsem).
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“If You See Something, Say Something®” is used with permission of the NY Metropolitan Transportation Authority in partnership with the US Department of Homeland Security
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