NASHUA, N.H. - Nashua fire crews knocked down a second‑alarm blaze early Tuesday morning that tore through the upper floors of an eight‑unit residential building on Orange Street, leaving at least two people dead and causing heavy damage throughout the structure, according to Fire Chief Buxton at the scene.

Buxton said the department was notified of the fire at about 3:20 a.m., following reports that the second floor of the building was on fire. Companies were dispatched immediately and arrived to find heavy fire showing from the second‑floor attic area.

On arrival, deputies at the scene ordered a second alarm, bringing additional Nashua fire resources to the incident. Crews mounted an aggressive attack on the blaze in the upper floors.

Victims were removed from the building during the response, with Buxton saying it appeared there were two victims as of Tuesday morning. The building houses eight units, though the chief said it was not yet clear whether each unit had a single occupant.

Buxton said there is no indication, yet of what may have sparked the fire. The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office is expected to take over the investigation, working with county police, and officials were awaiting the marshal’s arrival at the scene.

By the time of Buxton’s interview, firefighters had knocked down the main body of fire, with only small pockets of flames remaining. The chief said the building sustained significant fire, smoke and water damage throughout, affecting both upper and lower floors.

At 8:10 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, 2026, State Troopers assigned to the Troop B barracks responded to a reported rollover crash near mile marker 15.6 on I-93 in Londonderry.

The preliminary investigation determined that Mohammad Doosti, 26, of Manchester, was driving a silver 2008 Toyota Highlander southbound in the far-right lane when the driver of another vehicle abruptly changed lanes in front of him. Attempting to avoid a collision, Doosti swerved to the left and lost control of the Toyota, which then rolled multiple times through the center median and came to rest at the edge of the median near the northbound side of the interstate.

No injuries were reported.

Lanes on both sides of the Interstate were closed off for approximately an hour while the investigation and cleanup took place.

Troopers were assisted by members of the Londonderry Fire Department and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Matthew Howe at Matthew.S.Howe@dos.nh.gov.

Initial information is that a tractor trailer traveling northbound in a construction site area under the Baboosic Lake Rd overpass caught several communication lines and ripped them down. The driver, most likely unaware of the incident continued northbound.

The communication lines and some power lines fell onto the highway, closing the highway and causing multiple brush fires. Two vehicles that struck the lines were damaged. At least one person in one of the vehicles was transported to a local hospital.

With gridlock on the turnpike crews were slowed significantly getting to the scene, and the brush fire spread quickly.

An AMR ambulance responding to mutual aid from Nashua had to travel north in the southbound lane to reach the patient who was injured.

NHSP shutdown northbound and southbound. Several vehicles who were caught in traffic made U-turns traveling in the wrong direction on the highway.

At 2:05 the lines were removed from the road and the highway was reopened.

It appears that possibly due to recent paving that the elevation of this highway was raised, and the standard clearance was reduced for vehicles traveling.

NHSP is investigating. Several mutual aid departments responded to Merrimack for station coverage. Baboosic Lake Rd was closed during the incident but has be reopened.

During the incident and for an extended period Daniel Webster Highway was bumper to bumper traffic as people used it as an alternative route.

Monday, July 20

• Nashua Housing and Redevelopment Authority: 7:00 PM.

Tuesday, July 21

• Human Affairs Committee: 7:00 PM.
• Planning and Economic Development Committee: 7:00 PM. This meeting features a public hearing for Ordinance O-26-019.

Wednesday, July 22

• Committee on Infrastructure: 7:00 PM.

Thursday, July 23

• Joint Special School Building Committee: 7:30 PM. Location: Nashua High School - North.

(Note: The Board of Public Works meeting previously scheduled for July 23 has been cancelled)

City meetings frequently provide public access and are generally held at City Hall located at 229 Main Street.

If you'd like to review the agendas, minutes, or check for any last-minute schedule changes, let me know if you want details for a specific board, or visit the Nashua Public Hearings Directory and City of Nashua Agendas Portal to see the full list of posting

Official Live Streams (Web Browsers)

You can watch gavel-to-gavel live streams of city operations directly through the CTV Live Streams Portal on the City of Nashua Website:

• Board of Aldermen & Infrastructure Committees: Watch on the Government TV 16 Live Stream.
• School Board & Education Committees: Watch on the Nashua ETV Live Stream.

YouTube Channels (Live & Archived Recordings)

If you miss a live broadcast, the city categorizes and uploads meeting archives onto dedicated YouTube channels:

• Board of Aldermen & City Subcommittees: Available on the Nashua BOA Meetings YouTube Channel.
• Board of Education & School Committees: Available on the Nashua BOE Meetings YouTube Channel.
• General Educational & Community Programming: Available on the Nashua ETV YouTube Channel and Nashua Public Television Channel 6.

If you planted garlic last Fall, it’s probably getting close to harvest time! Keep an eye on it. How do you know it’s ready? The foliage will brown and flop over. Now you can pull them! To store them, brush the soil from the bulb (no need to scrub it clean), and let them dry for a couple day in the sun. Dry inside your home if it’s raining! It’s important to let them cure properly or they will rot too soon–no garlic through the winter if this happens! For full garden planting and harvesting instructions, click here!

As far as plantings go–I found some flower and pepper seedlings that I had neglected to plant. Milkweed, hollyhock, exotic love vine, celosia! I’m not sure how they will fare (especially the peppers) because I got them in the ground so late, but they fought so hard to live! I have to plant them and give them a fighting change.

Aside from these new plantings, I’m in a bit of a holding pattern in the veggie garden. July is more about maintaining and sorting through pests and disease. I keep an eye on the watering. Does anybody need fertilizer? I scout for pests and disease and treat them accordingly. Keep weeding! Woof. This is the hard part of the season for me—it’s hard to be motivated when it’s hot outside and I’m impatient for a harvest! But the reward of homegrown vegetables is completely worth it.

As for pests in the garden, of course, Colorado potato beetle (the 2nd generation is at my house), leaf hoppers, flea beetle! I have also heard reports of squash bugs from friends. These guys are nasty and can infect plants with disease. The ticky part with them is that they have beak-like mouth parts and suck, rather than chew on the plant. This means spinosid won’t work as effectively for control. I use neem oil if they are physically present or their egg masses are present. I highly recommend checking the topside and underside of the foliage, and on the fruit of the plant for these buggers. Squish ‘em when you see them!

At the store, we had reports of powdery mildew on squash plants as well. Powdery mildew is a white fungus that appears on the topside of the foliage. This occurs frequently with humid weather and isn’t something to be overly worried about. It can interfere with photosynthesis, but usually plants continue just fine. You can wipe it off, or you could use a fungicide if you want–I don’t bother with fungicide. If it’s downy mildew…this is a bad one. This white fungus appears on the underside of the foliage and can take down a plant. It would require a fungicide to treat it.

I also found a new problem on the fruits of my tomato plants! From afar, I thought it was blossom-end rot, but when I got closer, I wasn’t so sure. It appears like deep, dark wounds in the fruit. It’s possible that it’s a fruitworm (also known as cornear worm). Once fruitworm is inside the fruit, there isn’t much you can do, except to remove the infested fruit and destroy–don’t leave it around!

While this pest normally attacks corn, it can go for tomatoes. You would need to treat the plant before there was any issue. I would have used B.T. (bacillus thuringiensis) preventively for organic control. This all being said, I’m still not sure. I will cut open the fruit to see if there are any worms, and if there aren’t, I’m going to assume it’s blossom-end rot that progressed quickly on these particular tomatoes.

Blossom-end rot is simply a calcium deficiency in the plant. If this does turn out to be blossom-end rot, I will spray the foliage of my tomatoes with a liquid calcium to give the next fruits a better chance of developing without the rotted bottom. This will not cure the fruits that already have the rot. Additionally, while I plant with Tomato-Tone fertilizer, which contains calcium, I have not used a high calcium lime in this garden bed for a while. In the Fall after I put the gardens to bed, I will apply some of the lime.

Onward from talk of pests now! Let’s talk blooms! My swamp verbena is now fully blooming, and they are just so delicately purple and lovely–and my bees love it! My true white lilies are blooming in the perennial bed, as well as our fall flox! The hollyhocks, hydrangeas, and rudbeckia are still showing beautiful displays of flowers all around the yard. I love having a wide mix of flowering plants, so we can enjoy the blooms from springtime through Fall. More importantly? Having different flowering plants throughout the season gives more food sources to pollinators!

Some final notes: the weather ahead at least looks slightly cooler, but still warm. I see some possibility of rain, but I would be unsurprised if this changes. Keep up with watering; you can do it! This Saturday, July 18th, the The Garden Conservancy Open Days tours are going on right here in Nashua! There are a few locations, including The Big Little Garden, and require tickets.

The Nashua Farmers’ Crew is now back from vacation! Come on down if you need gardening supplies, or just some advice!

Kate Ratta is the manager of the local feed store Nashua Farmers' Exchange, Inc. She has more than 10 years of experience working in the business owned by her aunt and uncle, Judy Ratta-Harrington and Gene Harrington, and will be contributing weekly garden reports. The store is located at 38½ Bridge Street in Nashua in the converted Boston & Maine and Concord Railroad station.

The World Cup has been exciting, has it not? It’s heartening to see players and fans from across the globe come together and show respect and sportsmanship. We have received several inquiries asking where people can watch the World Cup finale. 

The City of Nashua is hosting a FIFA World Cup finale viewing party at 5 pm Sat., July 18 and 3 pm Sun., July 19, at Renaissance Park on Water Street, downtown Nashua. They will have a giant 17’ screen and a big grassy area for families and friends to gather and enjoy the games together. Attendees can bring blankets or lightweight chairs. There will be food trucks and porta johns.

Take a look below for other fun things you can do this week.

Be a good sport and I’ll see ya Downtown!
Elaina Bedio, Downtown Nashua Association 

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟕/𝟏𝟔

5:00PM: Pokémon League Night at Grave Troll Games

5:00PM: Buck-a-Shuck Oysters at The Pearl at Stella Blu

5:30PM:  John Chouinard at Union Public House

7:00PM: Buzztime Trivia at Odd Fellows Brewing Co

7:30PM: Open Mic Night at Casey Magee's Irish Pub

7:30PM: Trivia Night at Liquid Therapy

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟕/𝟏𝟕

7:30AM: Sacred Start at Vibe Yoga

12:30PM: Fryday: Fried specials all day at Soel Sistas Cafe-Catering & Food Truck

3:00PM: Free Drop-in Painting class at ArtHub - Downtown Gallery, Nashua Area Artists Association

4:00PM: Madhubani Art Workshop (Beginner) at ArtHub

7:30PM: Sean Coleman at Union Public House

9:30PM: Karoake Dance Party at Casey Magee's Irish Pub

𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟕/𝟏𝟖

2:30PM: Mike Bent: Read, Set, Grow Magic Show at Nashua Public Library

5:00PM: FIFA World Cup Watch Party at Renaissance Park

7:30PM: Matt Jackson at Union Public House

8:00PM: Hickory Hill Rockers at Casey Magee's Irish Pub

9:30PM: Code Switch at The Peddler's Daughter - Nashua

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟕/𝟏𝟗

𝟏𝟎:𝟎𝟎𝐀𝐌: 𝐍𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭

1:00PM: Trianna Live Acoustic at Soel Sistas Café

3:00PM: Brian Gray at Stella Blu (patio)

6:00PM: FIFA World Cup Watch Party at Renaissance Park

6:00PM: Sunday Evening Karaoke at The Spot

𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟕/𝟐𝟎

2:00PM: Tween: Animal Crossing, Real World Expansion at Nashua Public Library

8:00PM: Tipsy Bingo at The Peddler's Daughter

10:00PM: Industry Night & Karaoke at Nashua Fody's Tavern

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟕/𝟐𝟏

5:00PM: Tacos & Tequila at Stella Blu

7:00PM: Trivia at The Peddler's Daughter

8:00PM: Music Bingo at Fody's Tavern

𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟕/𝟐𝟐

1:00PM: Symphony NH String Quartet Live at Nashua Public Library

5:30PM: SJ Martin at Union Public House

6:00PM: Pajama Story Time at Nashua Public Library

7:00PM: The Granite Statesmen Barbershop Chorus Open Rehearsal at Nashua Senior Activity Center

7:00PM: Free Movie Night at The Spot

8:00PM: Trivia at Fody's Tavern

Summer has arrived in Nashua. The days are long and warm, the rain arrives in sudden bursts, and we spend more time outside – walking to the store, waiting for the bus, catching up with neighbors on the sidewalk. Our streets fill with the food, music, and art of the many places Nashua's people come from. It's one of the best times of the year to be here.

It’s also the season that shines a light on what isn't working: the bus stop with no shelter on a 95 degree afternoon, the pothole that gets a little deeper with every downpour, or the street without a single shade tree, where a short errand leaves you wrung out. I hear about these things constantly – at bus stops, in coffee shops, on people's front steps. The problem isn't that people don't notice what’s wrong. It’s that we rarely get an opportunity to share our concerns.

A group of Nashua neighbors, working alongside Conservation Law Foundation, wants to gather up those concerns and act on them. We want to hear from you.

We've created a short survey to learn what matters most to the people who call Nashua home: clean air and water, safe streets and sidewalks, green space, healthy housing, reliable buses, affordable groceries. It takes 5 to 10 minutes, is anonymous, and is open to anyone 18 or older who lives, works, plays, or studies in Nashua. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Arabic, Swahili, and Chinese.

You can help in two ways: take it yourself, and pass it along to your family, neighbors, coworkers, the people at your church or your kid's school.

Your response will shape what we push for – where we focus our advocacy, what changes we ask city leaders to make, and which problems we refuse to let slide. Advocacy works best when it starts with the people who know the ground.

Nashua, we need you.

Take the survey at qrco.de/HealthyNashua. Questions? Email me at mvaz@clf.org.

Marina Vaz, Environmental Justice Advocate, Conservation Law Foundation

Past Director Lecius joined the Nashua Lions in 1971, and has served in numerous positions within the club, district, region and internationally. In addition, he’s served in the administrations of former New Hampshire Governor John H. Sununu and President George HW  Bush.

Nashua Lion Names UNDOC

Lecius, a resident of Merrimack, NH, retired from the Nashua Police Department in 2020 after serving 20 years as Community Policing Coordinator. He currently serves as a member of the NH Police Standards and Training Council.

Work of the committee is focused on the program level and is mostly driven by UNDOC adoption of the Lions Quest programs, part of its drug prevention protocol.

The mission of UNDOC is to tackle the world drug problem, fight organized crime, prevent and counter corruption, money laundering and economic crime, prevent and counter terrorism and promote fair and effective criminal justice systems.

UNDOC works with governments and other stakeholders to rapidly identify new criminal trends and threats. They bring countries together to cooperate and find common solutions, develop legislation, policies and strategies to bring transitional organized criminal groups to justice while protecting people and their rights.

In addition to this, Lecius serves as a member of LCI’s Global Advocacy Team.

Tracking reading is a deeply personal choice. It helps you keep a book list, reach personal goals, and build consistent reading habits. But it also can seem like a chore, become time consuming, and lead to comparison. For children especially, the act of recording their reading can suck the joy right out of the experience. Why do you want to track your reading? What are you hoping to gain from the experience? 

Tracking vs. not tracking reads is something Erin has always been on the fence about. She finds Goodreads overwhelming and mostly uses it for recommendations for her teens, but she does go through phases of logging reads in a notebook. No ratings, just a handwritten log per month for a random assortment of months when she finds motivation. She started it because a certain parent at baseball games was always pulling out her phone to consult her Goodreads so they could discuss books. According to her notebook, Erin was mostly concerned with the number of books she read each month/year, even though she never actually set a goal. 

Anyone with a neurodivergent kind of brain can understand the appeal of tracking very well and has probably tried several different shiny methods of doing so, but for Emilee, none of them ever stuck. Now that a lot of Emilee’s reading happens through audiobook apps, being able to pull up the historical data is extremely useful for some of the reasons listed above: being able to keep a personal record and recommend books, find similar titles, or even check on that series that was supposed to have another book released and what was that called again???

Recently, Erin’s niece turned her on to a new mood-based app called StoryGraph. It’s a smaller, Amazon-free alternative that features a journal, custom tags, book clubs, half and quarter star recommendations, content warnings, challenges, a queue, and much more. You can even transfer your Goodreads data! Erin spent an afternoon of vacation inputting her 2026 reads, which were hanging out in her planner. She loved the option to add DNF (did not finish), which is one thing she does usually note, since it helps her understand what books she has tried and didn’t like, but what she most enjoyed was the pretty graph of her reading moods. 

Erin already knew that her post-COVID reading was skewed to the happy side, but it was interesting to see everything laid out. She can’t wait to see how her graph changes (or doesn’t) when she finds time to input reads from other years, even though she doesn’t rate anything. As someone who is recently off the social media sauce, StoryGraph offers an opportunity to see what friends are reading without the mindless scrolling of Instagram. So far Erin has two friends (her niece and sister-in-law), and it has been great to chat about books and see what they are reading since they live far away. 

Tracking reading for kids is a slightly different story, since they don’t have as much access to apps. For many schools and especially summer library programs, kids have to track how many books or how many minutes they read, perhaps on a pre-made tracker or calendar. Some school districts and public libraries use an app called Beanstack for tracking and incentivizing reading. Challenges can be created and shared that are for specific times of life, like the “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” challenge, or for specific times of year, like “March Madness Challenge” or “Summer Reading Challenge.”

Kids can track their reading and earn badges for reading or reading-related activities. These can sometimes make reading feel like a bit of a competition (at least at Erin’s house). In our school library, we offer (optional) coloring bookmarks a few times a year for kids to take home and color in a book or a box every time they finish something. We use these bookmarks from one of our favorite librarians, @thebookwrangler. For some kids, this is a joy, and for others it is a chore. Just like adults, it is a personal choice.

Bottom line, whether you track or you don’t track, rate or don’t rate, the choice is yours. Enjoy your reading, enjoy your life. 

The Reliable Narrators is a column about reading and books for readers and non-readers, alike from two moms who also happen to be educators and library personnel. Emilee Williamson and Erin Roth are a school-proclaimed “dynamic duo” who love kids, books, and hosting gatherings in the library. You can expect conversations about reading (for yourself and your loved ones), book and media recommendations, and the occasional recipe inspired by a current read.

At 4:54 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026, State Troopers assigned to the Troop B barracks responded to a reported rollover crash on I-293 southbound in the area of Exit 2 in Manchester.

The preliminary investigation determined that the driver of a 2006 Volvo XC-90, identified as Michael Meucci, 44, of Salem, may have been distracted by an unrestrained dog within his vehicle. Meucci then lost control of the SUV while exiting the F. E. Everett Turnpike off-ramp onto I-293 southbound. The Volvo rolled over multiple times.

Meucci was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle through the sunroof. He suffered serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital for treatment.

Traffic on I-293 was reduced to one lane for approximately 45 minutes while the scene was cleaned up.

Troopers were assisted by members of the Bedford and Manchester fire departments and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

All aspects of the crash remain under investigation. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Nathan Belanger at (603) 738-7260.

There will be a giant 17’ screen and a big grassy area for families and friends to gather and enjoy the games together. Attendees can bring blankets or lightweight chairs. There will be food trucks and portajohns. There is no alcohol permitted at the event.

The games are scheduled to begin at 5 pm Saturday and at 3 pm Sunday. The screen can broadcast in light rain, but lightning would cancel the event. For more information, also see the event page on the Enjoy Nashua Facebook page.

Ash Street was closed to traffic, and tables from local groups and organizations lined the roadway. Two Nashua Fire Rescue engines and a public works truck were on hand for a touch-a-truck experience for children.

Ward 4 Alderman Tom Lopez served as emcee from the porch of the Police Athletic League building. Former state Sen. Melanie Levesque, now a candidate for Executive Council, kicked off the event with a short address to the neighborhood.

She focused on civic participation, saying, “I want to get a message across to everyone that we have these rights given to us by the Constitution, and those rights include the right to vote. Ninety million people did not vote in the last election. We can see the results of not participating. It's important that every one of us who can, learn about what the issues are, learn about the candidates that are running, and vote for the people that will help you thrive.”

State Rep. Linda Harriott-Gathright, speaking in her role as president of the Greater Nashua Area Branch of the NAACP, also greeted the crowd. The branch staffed one of the information tables and is hosting a special “Night at the Ballpark” Futures League All-Star Game on July 21, which she invited attendees to join.

Liz Hannum, the city’s director of economic development, staffed the city information table alongside Matt Sullivan, community development division director.

“This neighborhood, it's so packed in and yet people are still not meeting their neighbors very often,” Hannum said. “So, it's really nice to use the street as kind of a meeting place, a community space and for the residents to get to know all the things that are happening in the city and all the resources that are available. Plus, the touch-a-truck is always a winner.”

Lopez, one of the event’s organizers, described its importance.

“For me, it's important because the city needs to celebrate the Tree Streets instead of looking down on them or identifying them as a community that is undesirable,” he said. “This is where people live. This is where families live. There's a lot of diversity here and a lot of different people trying to live together here. It’s a model for the rest of the city.”

The Rev. Ray Ealy, minister at New Fellowship Baptist Church, which sits in the heart of the Ash Street neighborhood, said he was enjoying the event and the crowds of neighbors.

“I think it's a good day where the people of the neighborhood can feel that the city and the leaders support them,” he said. “Because we know that all this comes from people, and they donate to this, and people just have a good day. They get information. They get certain organizations to come and talk to them. They get entertainment, and it's just an enjoyable day for the neighborhood.

“So many times, people in neighborhoods like this, they don't get many days where it can just be a really good day. And that's how I see it. It's a really good day.”

Incident #1 - Nashua Police, fire, and AMR ambulance responded to the Shaw's grocery store Saturday morning on DW Highway for a man suffering from a stab wound.

On arrival they found a man with a stab wound to his back, and what appeared to be cuts from possibly defensive wounds on his hands.

He was transported to a local hospital. Nashua Police could be seen searching the area and gathering video evidence. A vehicle with Massachusetts plated could be seen surrounded with crime scene tape.

Incident #2 - Nashua Police, fire, and AMR ambulance responded for a report of a woman with a stab wound at 5 Blackstone Saturday afternoon.

Officers could be seen exiting the apartment building with long guns, and NFR and AMR were treating a woman with injuries to her hand. The woman was brought to a stretcher with her hand bandaged. Allegedly a person attempted to cut off her finger according to initial reports. She was transported to a local hospital. It is unknown if anyone was taken into custody.

Incident #3 - Manchester Fire, Bedford Fire, AMR and NHSP responded to 293 South near the Manchester / Bedford line for a vehicle rollover with ejection.

Initial information is this was a single vehicle crash and the man driving rolled the car five times and ejected out the sunroof. A dog in the vehicle also ejected and fled the scene and was later captured and taken for medical treatment.

The left lanes of 293 in the area were closed for about 1 hour.

Incident #4 - Saturday evening, UMass Memorial LifeFlight landed in Litchfield to pick up a patient from an ATV accident on Winter Circle.

The juvenile and his parent flew from the landing zone to UMASS Worcester. The patient had serious injuries but was conscious, and breathing. Litchfield Police with the assistance of NH Fish and Game are investigating the accident.

Incident #5 -Not pictured - Saturday afternoon a child approximately 2 years old fell from a third floor of an apartment building at 495 Old Wellington Road in Manchester. Unknown injuries, and unknown condition

The 12-week training program is a collaboration among Nashua Community College, Southern New Hampshire Health and ApprenticeshipNH. Eight students completed the cohort and passed the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant national exam.

Medical assistants are health care professionals who support doctors in medical offices, clinics and hospitals. All eight graduates are now employed by Southern New Hampshire Health and will complete 3,600 hours of work there over the next two years to finish the apprenticeship program.

“You should be proud. You should be proud of the field that you elected to go into. The world needs you,” said Barry Garside, vice president of academic and student affairs at Nashua Community College. “Our health care institutions are stressed today. What you do matters. What you do impacts our society.”

“Your professional growth has been nothing short of remarkable. You have transformed from students learning the fundamentals in health care into health care professionals who are ready to care for patients and contribute to your health care team,” said course instructor Kelly McKinnon of Southern New Hampshire Health. “The knowledge, skills and professionalism you have developed in just the last few months are truly impressive, and you should be incredibly proud of yourselves.”

The Workforce Solutions department at Nashua Community College offers accelerated career boot camps, apprenticeships and customized corporate training. The department partners with local businesses to help job seekers build careers and fill high-demand labor gaps, including through programs such as the Microelectronics Boot Camp and the Precision Manufacturing Boot Camp

• HB 155 — Relative to business enterprise tax returns and appropriating funds to the department of health and human services for licensed nursing facilities.
• HB 158 — Requiring the secretary of state to review absentee ballot data biennially, forward certain requests to the election law unit for review, and make a report to the general court.
• HB 241 — Relative to health insurance coverage of pain management services for the management of chronic pain.
• HB 281 — Requiring electronic voter checklists to be supplied in a sortable format.
• HB 317 — Allowing a supervisor of the checklist to verify a person's identity, with identification, if they personally know that person.
• HB 340 — Relative to electioneering by public employees.
• HB 639 — Relative to the use of and disputes over blockchain and digital currencies.
• HB 661 — Relative to the department of health and human services management of social security payments, supplemental security income payments, and veterans benefits for children in foster care.
• HB 707 — Establishing a solid waste site evaluation committee.
• HB 1062 — Authorizing the secretary of state to conduct random audits of the citizenship qualification of registered voters.
• HB 1088 — Transferring funding for the water well board from the general fund to a special nonlapsing fund.
• HB 1099 — Establishing a committee to study the cost and liability of providing educational services to students placed in residential facilities.
• HB 1141 — Relative to permitting and fee authority for mining and prospecting.
• HB 1187 — Relative to the time in which candidates for state representative may file their candidacy for a special election.
• HB 1207 — Relative to certain laws applicable to state chartered banks, credit unions, trust companies, and other consumer credit entities subject to the authority of the banking department.
• HB 1234 — Identifying certain school district offices as incompatible for purposes of school district elections.
• HB 1260 — Relative to marriage registration forms and delayed certificates of marriage.
• HB 1268 — Modifying the structure and administration of home education programs and relative to pharmacy benefits managers, managed care laws, notice of drug pricing options, and pharmacy benefit manager business practices.
• HB 1275 — Relative to the effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on agriculture, exempting certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl products from use restrictions, and relative to the definition of "drinking water standard".
• HB 1306 — Relative to the counting of absentee ballots.
• HB 1312 — Relative to the authority of various boards.
• HB 1348 — Relative to possession of human remains for law enforcement training purposes.
• HB 1362 — Relative to motor vehicle equipment specifications.
• HB 1374 — Modifying the procedures for withdrawal from a cooperative school district and the discontinuance of elementary and high schools and requiring the review of school district operating documents by school boards.
• HB 1415 — Establishing a special veterans license plate and creating a fund and administrative programs from the proceeds of the sale of such plates and establishing the New Hampshire first for veterans program and authority.
• HB 1469 — Relative to the licensing requirements for massage therapy establishments.
• HB 1523 — Relative to disclosure requirements for homeowners' associations.
• HB 1573 — Permitting excused absences for student participation in certain activities and mandating the state board of education to grant school reassignment requests for students demonstrating a manifest educational hardship.
• HB 1598 — Relative to notice and proceedings for tenants and landlords engaged in eviction processes.
• HB 1718 — Relative to authorizing energy storage in connection with net metering.
• HB 1723 — Requiring utilities and electric grid operators to assess and report the vulnerability of high-voltage transformers to geomagnetic and electromagnetic disturbances, and to recommend mitigation measures to protect the state electric infrastructure.
• HB 1735 — Relative to the practice of pharmacy, the dispensing of certain medications by pharmacists, and permitting treatment of certain severe illness under the right to try act.
• HB 1807 — Relative to mandatory reports to voters.
• HB 1816 — Relative to the intervention of the department of education into a school or school district during a financial emergency and requiring the state school board to establish rules governing the vetting of school district business administrator candidates.
• SB 534 — Relative to compliance with certain political expenditures and contribution statutes.
• SB 538 — Extending net metering eligibility terms for municipal energy projects.
• SB 564 — Prohibiting certain municipal development restrictions.
• SB 599 — Relative to the renewable energy fund.

The Governor also vetoed the following bills:

• HB 396 — Exempting meat and meat food products slaughtered and prepared in state for sale in state from certain inspections.
• HB 1102 — Increasing the research and development tax credit cap and relative to state park fees for state residents.
• HB 1184 — Relative to the issuance of no trespass orders on municipal or school district property.
• HB 2026 — Relative to the state 10-year transportation improvement plan.
• SB 481 — Relative to the sale of the Sununu Youth Services Center property.

The Governor’s veto statements:

The Governor’s veto statement for House Bill 396 is below:

“Agriculture is an important part of our state’s economy and heritage, and I appreciate the bill’s intent to provide additional meat processing access for small farmers and producers. Unfortunately, this proposal violates the federal Meat Inspection Act as confirmed in a letter written to the Commissioner of Agriculture Shawn Jasper by Acting Administrator of the Office of Investigation, Enforcement, and Audit Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA.  New Hampshire has not established its own Meat and Poultry Inspection Program and therefore, the state relies on federal inspection of these products.

“The USDA stated that they routinely provide inspection to low volume, seasonal or infrequent producers and are willing to work with local producers to meet their needs. They also noted that they “were not aware of any outstanding or unmet requests for inspection” in New Hampshire. They offered time and resources to work with the state to reduce the burden on small producers. I am sensitive to the needs of our small producers and will instruct the Commissioner of Agriculture to convene a group of our small producers to discuss a path forward that does not violate federal law putting these local producers at risk for federal action and creating potential food safety issues.

“For these reasons, I have vetoed House Bill 396.”

The Governor’s veto statement for House Bill 1102 is below:

“I support expansion of the research and development tax credit to encourage businesses to continue to invest in innovation and the creation of new products, however, inexplicably, the legislature tacked onto it unrelated changes to our State Park fee structure that will have a negative impact on our self-funded parks and tourism. The Commissioner of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources testified before the legislature about the detrimental impact of the park fee change proposal on our parks and the bill was killed as a standalone. Adding it back at the last minute to a positive tax credit expansion does not suddenly make it good policy, and thus, I have vetoed House Bill 1102. I will work to make the expansion of the research and development tax credit law by including it in my next budget proposal.”

The Governor’s veto statement for House Bill 1184 is below:

“This bill seeks to establish a state mandated process for no trespass orders issued by municipalities and school districts causing them to expire every 90 days without further action. I have heard from counties, municipalities, school boards, libraries and police chiefs that this is unworkable. New Hampshire’s local officials are best equipped to make these decisions in a manner that reflects the unique needs of their communities in a way that protects public safety and respects individual rights.

“For these reasons, I have vetoed House Bill 1184.”

The Governor’s veto statement for House Bill 2026 is below:

“As I stated when I vetoed Senate Bill 627, I do not support raising the tolls. I will continue to focus on making New Hampshire more affordable for all and a destination for tourists in the region.  

“For these reasons, I have vetoed House Bill 2026.”  

The Governor’s veto statement for Senate Bill 481 is below:

“The budget I signed last year stated that ‘All proceeds and revenue from the sale of the SYSC shall be deposited in the youth development center claims and administration settlement fund, established in RSA21-M:11-a.’ Given the history of the facility, I believe it is appropriate to dedicate revenues from the sale of the SYSC to the settlement fund. For this reason, I have vetoed Senate Bill 481.”

On Sunday, I got to tour my aunt’s gardens in Londonderry. We talked about how small land features can create very different climate conditions. A squash plant planted at the top of a slight incline is struggling with sun damage, while another squash plant only a few feet away, but ever-so slightly lower, is thriving. This seemed to be the theme of our tour. As my aunt told me, sometimes you have to move a plant–even slightly–for it to be much happier. Though, this advice is more applicable for your perennials, not your annuals and veggies.

Before we parted ways, my aunt also advised that I give everything a healthy watering, even with the coming rainstorms. With conditions being so dry, it makes it difficult for plants to uptake water. Knowing that the forecasted storm on Tuesday was predicted to have some pelting rain, and about an inch worth of water, prepping by watering will aid plants in both getting a good drink, as well as withstanding heavy rain. Sounds counterintuitive, right? What can I say, watering is an artform, and one that can be tricky to master.

On tomato plants, I have heard some reports of disease. They sound like more of a leaf spot disease, but early blight is certainly possible. I took a close look at some of the low leaves on my plants, and I believe I see some of the early signs. I will be applying a fungicide to slow the disease enough to enjoy a good harvest. Once your plant has a disease like leaf spot or blight, you can’t cure it, but you can help control it. If you don’t have any signs of disease, make sure you keep up with your preventative sprays of organic fungicides. It makes a big difference!

My burgundy okra is growing slower than I would like at the moment. I’m hoping it will pick up the pace soon, but I am considering giving it an extra application of liquid fertilizer to give it some oomph. I’m still seeing chewing damage on its foliage, and I spotted a leaf hopper perched on one plant. Sigh. We’ll get ‘em, fear not!

Since I’m on vacation and it’s not 90 degrees out, I’m able to take on some of the bigger projects at my house. We have some very overgrown areas. Riddled with bittersweet trying to take down our larch tree, and surrounding shrubs, I’m feeling ready to tackle this garden. I took out a lot of brush, vines, and various prickers. Between my shrub trimmer, hand pruners, and loppers, I pruned out some dead branches on holly bushes and rhododendrons.

For highly invasive and aggressive vines like bittersweet, I use Cut Vine to get rid of this destructive pest. I use this very, very cautiously and responsibly, as Cut Vine is not an organic solution. This product is painted directly onto the cut, thus staying localized (no drifting spray), and it doesn’t have a residual effect.

While this garden bed still looks rough, I’m happy with what I’ve gotten done so far–the pictures say a lot! There’s a lot more to do, but I’m celebrating the victory of starting this project. I had a small scare whilst dragging my brush pile into our compost area in the woods!

A rather large beetle with impressively long antenna crossed my path and landed on a branch. I believe it is a whitespotted pine sawyer beetle. According to the UMASS Extension Service, this native insect is considered only a secondary pest. It typically feeds on stressed or dying trees. But let me tell you, this guy is pretty big, and I might have let out a small “eeeeeekkkk!” of surprise (or panic) when it flew by. The lesson in this is don’t panic when you see bugs and just spray haphazardly. Some insects are not harmful at all or are actually beneifical–confirm your pest before you reach for those spray bottles.

Now blooming is my hollyhock! I had a Black Watchman Hollyhock surprise me in our mailbox garden. It seeded itself from last year, and I spied a hidden blossom. Beautiful! Such a deep purple, the bloom is nearly black. This plant has a lot of buds, and I can’t wait to see what they do! My swamp verbena, a native plant that I planted a couple months ago, is starting to show its delicate blooms as well. Still seeing rudbeckia, hydrangea, and geum. My spigella is starting to go by, but I’m hopeful for a second bloom!

Some last notes: be sure to keep an eye out for pests like squash bug, asaitic garden beetle, squash vine borer, among others. It looks like we are in for more dry weather, so keep an eye on the watering!

Don’t forget, if you’re looking for some local gardening events, The Big Little Garden in Nashua is participating in the The Garden Conservancy Open Days tour on July 18th! Get your tickets here. There will also be a plant sale to benefit Kitty Angels Rescue & Shelter! 

The Nashua Farmers’ crew will be back from vacation this Wednesday (July 15th). See you there!

Kate Ratta is the manager of the local feed store Nashua Farmers' Exchange, Inc. She has more than 10 years of experience working in the business owned by her aunt and uncle, Judy Ratta-Harrington and Gene Harrington, and will be contributing weekly garden reports. The store is located at 38½ Bridge Street in Nashua in the converted Boston & Maine and Concord Railroad station.

Nashua Fire and Rescue Incident Report

Prepared by: Deputy Chief Scott Mobley

Incident Type: 1st Alarm Building Fire

Incident Commander: Deputy Chief Scott Mobley

First Unit on Scene: Engine Co. 4 (East Hollis St.)

Incident Location: 50/52 Temple St.

Number of NFR Engines in response: 4

Number of NFR Ladder trucks in response: 2

Other NFR apparatus in response: C4, C3, K1, K2, K3, R1

Number of NFR personnel in response: 30

AMR Units: ALS 12

General Incident Description:

At approximately 1430 hours on July 9, 2026, the Nashua Fire Rescue Dispatch Center received a call from (on duty) Nashua Police Officers (patrolling their sector) for smoke coming from the building at 50/52 Temple St. A first alarm assignment of two Engines and one Ladder Truck was initially dispatched to the scene. Crews responded from the Amherst St. Fire Station, as well as the East Hollis St. Fire Station.

Engine Co. 4 (East Hollis St.) arrived on scene first and noted smoke coming from the second floor of the building. Lt. Patrick Kerrigan of Engine Co. 4 advised that they had a confirmed fire in the building and he established scene command. He also advised that they were stretching hose lines to initiate fire attack. Engine 1 and Ladder 1 from the Amherst St. Fire Station were next to arrive in short order and began to assist with search and rescue efforts as well as ventilation procedures.

Due to the elevated temperatures of the day (90+ degrees) as well as the size and scope of the building involved, Deputy Chief Scott Mobley increased the incident response to a Working Fire Assignment which summoned an additional two Engine Companies as well as an additional Ladder Company. This brought Engine 2 and Ladder 2 from the Lake St. Fire Station as well as Engine Co. 6 from the Conant Rd. Fire Station directly to the scene.

On arrival, Deputy Mobley assumed scene Command. Companies engaged in fire attack, ventilation and search simultaneously. Crews were able to confine the fire to the second floor of the structure however the building did suffer significant smoke and heat damage.

Crews completed primary and secondary searches on all floors and it was noted that all occupants were able to evacuate the building safely without incident. No injuries were reported. Several pets were removed from the building as well and were noted to be uninjured. The call was placed under control shortly after extinguishment. Crews were tasked with extensive overhaul operations to ensure that there was no extension of fire away from the area of origin.

Approximately 15 occupants were displaced.

Members of Eversource as well as Liberty Utilities arrived on scene and secured both the gas supply and the electrical supply to the building. Pennichuck Water ensured that the water was shut off as well.

American Medical Response provided ambulance / emergency medical services coverage of the scene during firefighting operations.

The Nashua Fire Marshall’s Office is currently investigating the cause of the fire.

Mutual aid to the scene: no

Mutual aid station coverage: Tyngsboro Engine to Station 3 (Spit Brook Rd)

Smoke detectors present? Yes, alerted occupants

Sprinkler system present? No

Accomplishments: Rapid fire confinement and extinguishment. Prevention of fire extension.

Injuries: No injuries noted

PSA: Portable Air Conditioning units / window air conditioning units should NOT be used with extension cords and they should NOT be plugged into power strip

“Expanding access to childcare is a critical part of our efforts to ensure New Hampshire remains the best place to live, work, and raise a family,” said Governor Ayotte. “With this new childcare tax credit program, we’re encouraging our business community to be part of the solution to this pressing economic challenge in our state. I thank members of the House and Senate from both parties who came together to make this a reality for Granite State families. By bringing everyone to the table, we’ll ensure working parents can access the childcare they need and keep New Hampshire a beacon of economic opportunity.”

The new program, which begins in January of 2027, will give companies up to a 50% credit against either the Business Profits Tax or Business Enterprise Tax for creating at least 12 new childcare slots or investing in an existing facility to create 12 slots.

Governor Ayotte was joined today by leaders and advocates from across the childcare sector and business community, as well as a bipartisan group of legislators, at The Granite YMCA’s location in Manchester.

“Today’s signing represents an important step toward addressing one of New Hampshire’s most pressing workforce challenges,” said Mike Skelton, President and CEO of the Business and Industry Association (BIA) of New Hampshire. “For too many families, finding affordable, accessible child care has become a barrier to participating fully in our economy, while employers across the state struggle to attract and retain talent. We applaud lawmakers and Governor Ayotte for advancing practical, bipartisan solutions that expand child care options, reduce unnecessary barriers, and support working families. While there is more work to be done, these reforms demonstrate what is possible when policymakers and the business community work together to strengthen New Hampshire’s workforce and economic competitiveness.

“As one of New Hampshire’s largest providers of early education and childcare services, The Granite YMCA knows that access to affordable, high-quality childcare is essential to supporting working families and strengthening our economy,” said Michelle Sheppard, President and CEO of The Granite YMCA. “The passage of HB 1433 is an important step forward, giving businesses meaningful incentives to invest and partner in early education and childcare solutions that help employees remain and thrive in the New Hampshire workforce. We applaud policymakers for recognizing that childcare is not only a family issue—it is an economic imperative that benefits children, New Hampshire's workforce, employers, and our collective future.”

“As a father and Mayor, I know how important access to affordable, high-quality child care is for families across New Hampshire,” said Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais. “I want to thank Governor Ayotte, the members of the Legislature, and the many child care providers, advocates, employers, and stakeholders whose collaboration made HB 1433 possible. This legislation is an important step toward expanding access to affordable child care, supporting working families, and strengthening New Hampshire’s workforce and economy.”

Summer days are here and there is plenty to do with the weather being so nice. Is it a smidge hot sometimes? Sure. But before you know it, we’ll be complaining about how long winter is here and how cold it is. At least I will, so I propose we soak up the vitamin C while it's available and head Downtown for some outdoor fun.

Outdoor seating is one of the highlights of the summer months. Stella Blu, Fody’s Tavern, and Martha’s Exchange are a few of the local spots where you can enjoy great food and fresh air at the same time.

We at Downtown Nashua Association have several outdoor events happening as well. Each Saturday from 7:30 - 8:30pm, see a free concert at the pavilion on the riverwalk. This week, you can vibe out to the smooth reggae style of JahRiffe and Jah-N-I and the Roots Movement. Every Sunday from 10am to 1pm on the riverwalk, shop local and buy fresh at the Nashua Farmers Market. And don’t forget the Summer Stroll is happening on July 25th! 

Main Street has so much to offer. All that’s missing is you.Stay cool and I’ll see ya Downtown!
Elaina Bedio, Downtown Nashua Association 

Thursday 7/9
5:00PM: Pokémon League Night at Grave Troll Games
5:00PM: Buck-a-Shuck Oysters at The Pearl
5:30PM: Ethan Cunningham at Union Public House
7:00PM: Buzztime Trivia at Odd Fellows Brewing Co
7:30PM: Trivia Night at Liquid Therapy

Friday 7/10
7:30AM: Sacred Start at Vibe Yoga
12:30PM: Fryday - fried specials all day at Soel Sistas Café
3:00PM: Free Drop-in Painting class at ArtHub Downtown Gallery
4:00PM: Madhubani Art Workshop at NPL*
6:30PM: New Britain Bees at Nashua Silver Knights game
7:30PM: Jordan Quinn at Union Public House
8:00PM: So Good! Neil Diamond Experience at NCA*

Saturday 7/11
10:00AM: Sewing with Sonia at ArtHub Downtown Gallery
6:00PM: Table Lodge Dinner at Ancient York Lodge No. 89
7:00PM: Birthday Jam, The Whole Loaf at The Spot
7:30PM: Summer Music @ the Riverwalk: JahRiffe & Jah-N-I
7:30PM: Peter Pappas at Union Public House
7:30PM: The High Kings at NCA*
8:00PM: Jenni Lynn Duo at Casey Magee's Irish Pub
9:30PM: Goodfoot at The Peddler's Daughter

Sunday 7/12
10:00AM: Nashua Farmers Market
3:00PM: Wooden Soul at Stella Blu (patio)
6:00PM: Sunday Evening Karaoke at The Spot
7:00PM: Marc Cohn & Shawn Colvin at NCA*

Monday 7/13
2:00PM: (Tween) Animal Crossing, Real World Expansion at NPL*
8:00PM: Tipsy Bingo at The Peddler's Daughter
10:00PM: Industry Night & Karaoke at Fody's Tavern

Tuesday 7/14
5:00PM: Tacos & Tequila at Stella Blu
7:00PM: Nashua SummerFun Concert Series at Greeley Park
7:00PM: Trivia at The Peddler's Daughter
8:00PM: Music Bingo at Fody's Tavern

 Wednesday 7/15
1:00PM: Jordan TW Trio Live at NPL*
3:00PM: (Tween/Teen) Stranger Things Escape Room at NPL*
5:30PM: Pete Smith at Union Public House
7:00PM: Granite Statesmen Men's Barbershop Chorus Open Rehearsal
8:00PM: Trivia at Fody's Tavern

At 9:15 a.m. on Thursday, July 9, 2026, State Troopers assigned to the Troop B barracks responded to a report of a crash near mile marker 17 on the F.E. Everett Turnpike in Bedford. 

The preliminary investigation determined that a 2009 Honda Accord, driven by Tyler Abrams, 26, of Derry, was traveling southbound through the Bedford Toll Plaza when it veered into the opposing northbound lanes and collided with a guardrail. The vehicle then traveled back across the highway, struck the center median barrier and became disabled.

Abrams was transported to an area hospital for minor injuries.

The crash blocked the two left lanes before the Toll Plaza for approximately an hour and a half while the crash was investigated.

Additional Troopers from the Special Enforcement Unit, as well as members of the Bedford Fire Department and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, provided assistance.

Anyone with information that may assist the ongoing investigation is asked to contact Trooper Evan Puopolo at Evan.R.Puopolo@dos.nh.gov.

NASHUA, NH – The Humane Society for Greater Nashua is hosting its 6th annual Pup Crawl event July 17 – July 19. This isn’t a traditional pub crawl, but rather, a weekend-long event to support local businesses, meet plenty of pups, and raise money for shelter animals awaiting their new homes.

This year’s participating locations include AJ’s Bar & Grill in Hudson, Able Ebenezer in Merrimack, Stark Brewing in Manchester, Backyard Brewery & Kitchen in Manchester, and just over the state line in Massachusetts are Modest Roots and Epigram Brew Co. both located in Tyngsborough.

HOW IT WORKS:

Please drink responsibly! Tickets are $25 each (21+) and include an exclusive Pup Crawl t-shirt and a “paws-port” to help participants navigate to participating breweries.

Participants will receive a “stamp” on their paws-ports for each brewery they visit (after the purchase of food or drink) which then turns into raffle entries during our Finale. Best of all – this is a dog-friendly event, so feel free to bring your canine companion! We ask that all dogs remain safely on leash.

SCHEDULE:

Kickoff Party: Able Ebenezer Brewing Company, Friday, July 17th from 4PM – 7PM

Stop by our welcome table to pick up your Pup Crawl t-shirt and paws-port

Finale: AJ’s Bar & Grill, Sunday, July 19th from 2PM – 5PM

Extensive food & drink menu including a dog-friendly menu for your pup!

Free lure course for Pup Crawl participants provided by our friends at Good Mojo Dog Manor

Raffle winners will be drawn at 4:45PM

Additional raffles participants can purchase tickets including for Patriots pre-season tickets, Title Boxing Manchester class passes & boxing gloves, a personal pet photoshoot by Point and Shoot Photography, and the chance to have YOUR dog featured on next year’s Pup Crawl t-shirt!

Purchase your Pup Crawl tickets by visiting www.hsfn.org/pup-crawl/

The Humane Society for Greater Nashua would like to thank their 2026 Pup Crawl event sponsor, Inside Track Cabling of Hudson, NH. “Leaders in Wire Harness & Custom Cable Manufacturing Since 1991."

The Humane Society for Greater Nashua (HSFN) is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that has been supporting the Greater Nashua area since 1900. HSFN provides services such as animal adoption & surrender, affordable veterinary services, canine training, cremation & burial services, and more.

LONDONDERRY, N.H.—It's on! Get your gleaming roadster, awesome muscle car, or partially restored jalopy over to the Aviation Museum of N.H., where once a year the spotlight shines on vehicles that don't leave the ground.

The Aviation Museum's annual Classic Car Show takes place on Saturday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Vehicles of all makes and eras are welcome, including odd or unusual conveyances. It's a great chance for proud owners to show off their completed projects or works in progress, and for the public to check out some amazing rides from all over New England.

The car show is held on the grounds of the Aviation Museum, with close-up views of the airfield action at nearby Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.

"It's a great way to spend a summer day outside, checking out vintage vehicles while seeing old friends and making new ones," said Jeff Rapsis, the Aviation Museum's executive director.

Trophies will be given out for the People's Choice Award and the Museum Award. All registered entrants will be included in a raffle with multiple winners of valuable prize packages. A separate 50/50 raffle will be held as well as a yard sale, with all proceeds to benefit the non-profit Aviation Museum.

Admission/registration is $20 per vehicle entry plus occupants, cash only. To facilitate orderly set-up, owners are asked to arrive between 9 and 10 a.m. at the grounds of the Aviation Museum, 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H.

Admission to the grounds for spectators is $10 per adult; children 12 and under free. Admission is cash only. Only show cars will be allowed on museum grounds; spectators and visitors are asked to park on local streets outside the museum.

The event will have several food trucks. Portable toilets will be available during the show. The Aviation Museum will be open to visitors starting at 10 a.m.; admission to the museum is included with car show entrance until 2 p.m.; after that, regular admission applies until the museum closes at 4 p.m.

Businesses or dealers wishing to attend as vendors at the car show should call Leah Dearborn at (603) 669-4877 to reserve space. A limited number of vending spaces is available.

Rain date for the Aviation Museum's Classic Car Show is Saturday, July 25.

The Aviation Museum of N.H., located at 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H., is a non-profit 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Based in the 1937 art deco passenger terminal at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, the Aviation Museum of N.H. is dedicated to preserving the Granite State's rich aviation past while inspiring students today to become the aerospace pioneers of tomorrow.

The Aviation Museum of N.H. was recently named "Best Place to Take Kids" in southern New Hampshire in the 2026 HippoPress Readers Poll—the sixth consecutive year the museum has received this honor. 

For more information about the Car Show or the Aviation Museum, visit www.aviationmuseumofnh.org or call (603) 669-4877. Follow the Aviation Museum on social media at www.facebook.com/nhahs.

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, celebrates his 91st birthday today, July 6. He was born on this date in 1935 in the Amdo region of Tibet, and he is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Today, thousands of devotees and well-wishers gathered to celebrate the occasion with traditional ceremonies and prayers. 

The birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is highly considered an auspicious day in Tibetan Buddhist culture. The Dalai Lama is recognized as the living emanation of the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion, his birth is viewed as a profoundly fortunate event for the world.  This day is celebrated as a major spiritual and cultural milestone rather than a standard personal birthday.

An auspicious day in Tibetan Buddhism is a time when the positive or negative results of your actions are greatly multiplied. Devout practitioners use these special dates to build positive energy (merit), clear away bad karma, and engage in spiritual practices like meditation, fasting, and making offerings.

The occasion is being observed worldwide and in centers of the Tibetan diaspora with cake cuttings, cultural presentations, and messages of compassion.  

Communities gather to perform intensive Tenshug (long-life prayer rituals) to request that the Dalai Lama remain in this world to teach for a long time. Monks and laypeople make physical and visualized symbolic offerings. Followers are encouraged to release captive animals, give to charity, feed the poor, and strictly practice non-violence to honor the Dalai Lama's lifelong mission with acts of compassion.

Buddhists believe in karma, which is the rule that good actions bring good results, and bad actions bring bad results. On sacred holy days, this cause-and-effect is magnified, multiplying the positive energy of acts of kindness.

His Holiness comes from an ancient cultural tradition, but his message, example and leadership remain relevant in the modern world.  Since 1950 he has led the Tibetan diaspora of about 120,00 to 150,00 Tibetans living in exile.

Dan Splaine

Publisher

Publisher’s Perspective is a note from Nashua Independent founder and publisher Dan Splaine, written to leave readers feeling informed and reflective about the community and the journalism that serves it. Each installment aims to slow things down for a moment, invite readers to think more deeply about what’s happening around them, and consider how a strong, engaged news ecosystem can shape the city’s future.

The New Boston Fire Department responded to reports of a possible structure fire at approximately 2:30 p.m. Emergency crews could see heavy smoke and flames billowing into the sky while enroute, prompting an immediate second alarm to bring in immediate reinforcement.

Upon arrival, firefighters found the residential structure fully engulfed in flames. Crews quickly stretched hose lines and confirmed that all people were safely out of the house.

As the primary structure burned, the intense flames spread to the surrounding woods and brush. Firefighters had to split their efforts between suppressing the house fire and containing the expanding brush fire before it could threaten more of the wooded area.

Logistical challenges met the crews on the scene, requiring a third alarm to be struck for additional tankers and personnel. Because there were no immediate hydrants, a water shuttle operation was established, with tankers hauling water from a supply source near Twin Bridge on Weare Road, roughly one mile away.

Later in the afternoon, a backhoe was brought to the scene to tear down structurally unsafe sections of the building, allowing crews to reach deep-seated pockets of fire.

Firefighters battled the heavy volume of fire in high-heat conditions. To assist the first responders, the New Boston Fire Auxiliary set up a rehab station, providing much-needed food and water to the crews working the scene.

There possibly may be some pets that perished in the fire; however, the fire department is working to confirm that.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Thunderstorms rolled through briefly, cooling things down but not long enough to delay the schedule. The pre-fireworks crowd was entertained by five-piece rock band the Slakas.

The Nashua Lions Club held an induction ceremony for the 2026 Holman Stadium Sports Legends Hall of Fame, honoring former Parks and Recreation Superintendent Nick Caggiano, longtime Telegraph sportswriter Tom King and Boston Red Sox player Mickey Gaspar, a former Nashua Silver Knight.

The Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps took to the field as the crowd settled into their seats and onto blankets on the field. They performed as dusk approached, setting the stage for the fireworks display.

After sunset, the stadium lights dropped and a full-scale fireworks show lit up the sky over Holman, drawing cheers and applause with each burst. The Spartans performed “On the World Stage” as a musical accompaniment to the display.

The show capped a community-focused celebration that gave Nashua residents a shared place to mark the nation’s 250th year of independence together.

Here are some photos of the event.

Despite high temperatures in the upper 90s a large crowd lined the streets of the parade route and filled the Village Green to enjoy the festivities.  Kids with bikes festooned with patriotic decorations lead the main procession alongside classic cars, marching bands, civic groups and politicians.

Here is a selection of photographs from the parade.

• Monday, July 6: The Personnel/Administrative Affairs Committee meeting was cancelled.
• Tuesday, July 7: The Conservation Commission Meeting.
• Wednesday, July 8: The Business and Industrial Development Authority and the Board of Health Meeting.

City meetings frequently provide public access and are generally held at City Hall located at 229 Main Street.

If you'd like to review the agendas, minutes, or check for any last-minute schedule changes, let me know if you want details for a specific board, or visit the Nashua Public Hearings Directory and City of Nashua Agendas Portal to see the full list of posting

Official Live Streams (Web Browsers)

You can watch gavel-to-gavel live streams of city operations directly through the CTV Live Streams Portal on the City of Nashua Website:

• Board of Aldermen & Infrastructure Committees: Watch on the Government TV 16 Live Stream.
• School Board & Education Committees: Watch on the Nashua ETV Live Stream.

YouTube Channels (Live & Archived Recordings)

If you miss a live broadcast, the city categorizes and uploads meeting archives onto dedicated YouTube channels:

• Board of Aldermen & City Subcommittees: Available on the Nashua BOA Meetings YouTube Channel.
• Board of Education & School Committees: Available on the Nashua BOE Meetings YouTube Channel.
• General Educational & Community Programming: Available on the Nashua ETV YouTube Channel and Nashua Public Television Channel 6.

I step outside and they are lying in wait; they harass the dogs and their bites hurt! They have saw-like mouth parts, which is why their bites are so painful. On the brighter side, the birds in my yard have been very active. The goldfinches are all over the feeder, or waiting for their turn, perched upon my blooming geum. The bluejays are always full of antics, while the cardinals are determined to have a turn at the feeder too.

In my perennial beds, the weeds crept in while I was distracted elsewhere. It’s on the to-do list, but it will have to wait until that part of the yard is at least shaded. I have to laugh because I keep finding volunteer tomatillos spread to strange places: under the bird feeder, in the lawn, by the mailbox. I have no idea if they will bear fruit because they are far from the other tomas, and they require cross pollination. I’m going to leave them for now, and see how this experiment will work out.

My tomatillos that I planted in the veggie beds are cookin’! They love the heat, so they have gotten sturdy and tall. I will be pruning them soon. I’m seeing all sorts of those damned potato beetles and their damage on the foliage. I’ll have to take a walk through that row and knock those beetles into a cup of soapy water and squish any egg masses (with gloves on because…yuck). It’s time for another round of organic spinosid spray as well.

A word of caution when applying any kind of sprays (or even top watering) to your plants: avoid applying at noon. When the sun is so high in the sky, any droplets on foliage will act like a mirror, and burn your plants’ leaves.

My shallots are a-growin’! They’re getting quite big, and I have to get out there and weed around them. I want to give them as much space as possible to get those bulbs big (this goes for garlic and onions as well). As for the tomatoes, we have flowers and little green fruits popping. The butternut squash recently seeded has already sprouted!

If you’re feeling motivated, there’s still time to plant warm weather crops. From seed, you can plant beans, winter & summer squash, cukes, basil–you can even plant seed potatoes (we’ve planted as late as the 4th of July). Later on, you can do a second planting of cool weather crops too, but not yet!

Moving on to pest-talk. Some pests to keep an eye out for that have yet to emerge:

●       Asiatic Garden Beetle: a copper-colored beetle (like a dirty penny) that has a humped back. They feed primarily at night, skeletonizing plants, and hide shallowly in the soil during the day time. You can scout for them at night with a flashlight and squish them. You can also gently dig around the base of your plants with your finger tip–they jump to the surface. Squish ‘em! Also…these guys love basil plants, beware!

●       Squash Vine Borer: these buggers are tough to control once they have bored into squash vines. Wicked destructive. Once your plant has started to vine out, wrap fabric around the first few inches of vine. This is valuable advice from my aunt (you can read more in her blog), and an old farmer’s trick, which I believe she learned from her Grandma Johnson.

●       Cucumber Beetle & Four-Lined Plant Bugs

 Remember, your own observations are your first line of defense.

Alright, now for what’s blooming! Some lovely flowers are coming out now. Our hydrangeas are out on display (ours are pink, but if you want them blue you will need to add an acidifier to your soil). My geum and black-eyed susans are now in full bloom! Also starting to bud are our hostas. I was very excited to see the first blooms of daylilies–they are a welcome sight after so many flowers have gone by. Best of all? They’re edible!

Note on Daylilies:  be very sure you have properly identified plants before eating anything. While daylilies are edible, true lilies are toxic.

Some final notes: As I mentioned last week, keep an eye on your watering to help prevent undue stress in plants. This hot weather is brutal, but more importantly, keep yourselves hydrated and cool. The Nashua Farmers’ crew will return from vacation on July 15th. Be careful in this heat and have a great July 4th!

Kate Ratta is the manager of the local feed store Nashua Farmers' Exchange, Inc. She has more than 10 years of experience working in the business owned by her aunt and uncle, Judy Ratta-Harrington and Gene Harrington, and will be contributing weekly garden reports. The store is located at 38½ Bridge Street in Nashua in the converted Boston & Maine and Concord Railroad station.

First things first. The heat this weekend is going to be oppressive. No matter what you're doing as you enjoy the 4th of July festivities, please be safe.

Stay hydrated, take breaks in cool areas when you can: shade, A/C, a walk-in freezer, whatever you have at your disposal. Check on your elderly friends and neighbors. Wear sunscreen. All that jazz, because heat stroke is no joke. And while we're on the subject, please keep your pets safe as well. Leave them home with plenty of water if you can and do not leave them in vehicles. 

Speaking of festivities, there are going to be great things happening ALL DAY at Holman Stadium on Saturday. The baseball game starts at 10:30AM and kids under 13 get in FREE. Additionally, you've got kiddy rides from 12-8PM, a Slakas concert at 6PM, Nashua Hall of Fame inductions at 8PM, Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps at 8:30PM, and FIREWORKS at dusk.Take a look below at other fun goings-on for the upcoming week.Stay cool and I’ll see ya Downtown!

Elaina Bedio, Downtown Nashua Association 

Friday 7/3
7:30AM: Sacred Start at Vibe Yoga
12:30PM: Fryday - fried specials all day at Soel Sistas Café
4:00PM: Madhubani Art Workshop at ArtHub Downtown Gallery
7:30PM: ALXIA at Union Public House

Saturday 7/4
7:30AM: 4th of July Party at Crosby Bakery
12:00PM: Nashua Bubbleicious Bubble Run (Downtown)
6:00PM: Free Concert- The Slakas at Holman Stadium
Dusk: Fireworks at Holman Stadium

Sunday 7/5
10:00AM: Nashua Farmers Market
3:00PM:  Colin Heart at Stella Blu (patio)
6:00PM: Sunday Evening Karaoke at The Spot

Monday 7/6
7:00PM: US Soccer Watch Party at Casa Vieja Mexican Grill
8:00PM: Tipsy Bingo at The Peddler's Daughter
10:00PM: Industry Night & Karaoke at Fody's Tavern

Tuesday 7/7
2:00PM: (Teens) Roots of Liberty Zines at NPL*
2:00PM: (K-5) Passport to America 250 at NPL*
5:00PM: Tacos & Tequila at Stella Blu
7:00PM: Trivia at The Peddler's Daughter
7:30PM: An Evening with Dave Portnoy at NCA*
8:00PM: Music Bingo at Fody's Tavern Wednesday 7/8
11:00AM: (Baby - PreK) Summer Sprouts Sensory Play at NPL*
1:00PM: Harshitha Krishnan & Friends at NPL*
5:30PM: Seth Connelly at Union Public House
6:00PM: Pajama Story Time at NPL*
8:00PM: Trivia at Fody's Tavern

Today, Nashua Fire Rescue, the Telgen family, members of the fire service from across New Hampshire and New England, city officials, retired members, and friends gathered to celebrate Deputy Chief Telgen's extraordinary life, remarkable career, and enduring legacy of service.

Deputy Chief Telgen dedicated 26 years to the New Hampshire fire service, including more than 24 years with Nashua Fire Rescue. He joined the department on November 4, 2002, and faithfully served the citizens of Nashua until his retirement on February 28, 2026.

Throughout his distinguished career, Deputy Chief Telgen earned the respect and admiration of those around him through his unwavering leadership, professionalism, toughness, and steadfast commitment to the members of Nashua Fire Rescue. He was a mentor, trusted leader, and friend whose influence extended far beyond the walls of the fire station. His commitment to serving others and protecting the community helped shape generations of firefighters who will carry his lessons forward.

"Glenn embodied everything we hope to see in the fire service," said Chief of Department Steve M. Buxton. "He led with strength, integrity, and humility. He was tough when the job demanded it, compassionate when people needed him most, and fiercely dedicated to both this department and the City of Nashua. While we mourn his passing, we also celebrate a life that made an immeasurable difference to countless people. His legacy will continue to live on through the members he mentored, the friendships he built, and the example he set every day."

The Celebration of Life reflected the impact Deputy Chief Telgen had throughout the fire service. Hundreds of firefighters representing departments from across the region stood together in a Sea of Blue, honoring one of their own while offering support to the Telgen family, friends, and the Nashua Fire Rescue family. The outpouring of respect and unity served as a powerful reminder of the bonds shared throughout the fire service and the profound influence Deputy Chief Telgen had on those privileged to know and serve alongside him.

The Board of Fire Commission extends its deepest condolences to Deputy Chief Telgen's wife, Ashley, their family, friends, and all those mourning his loss.

"On behalf of the Board of Fire Commission, we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the Telgen family and to every member of Nashua Fire Rescue," said the Board of Fire Commission Chairman Kevin Burgess. "Deputy Chief Telgen devoted his career to serving this community with honor and distinction. His leadership, character, and unwavering dedication strengthened this department and left a lasting mark on the City of Nashua. We are grateful for his service and will forever remember the example he set."

The members of Nashua Fire Rescue express their sincere appreciation to the many fire departments, public safety agencies, honor guards, elected officials, community members, and friends who joined in honoring Deputy Chief Telgen's life. The overwhelming support shown to his family and to the department throughout this difficult time has been deeply appreciated.

Deputy Chief Glenn Telgen's legacy of service, leadership, courage, and commitment will forever remain a part of Nashua Fire Rescue.

At 4:33 p.m., Wednesday, July 1, 2026, State Troopers assigned to the Troop B barracks responded to a three-vehicle crash on the F.E. Everett Turnpike northbound, at mile marker 7 in Nashua.

The preliminary investigation determined that the driver of a 2020 Honda CRV, identified as Theresa Douville, 69, of Hooksett, failed to slow down for traffic stopped ahead of her and crashed into the back end of an Infiniti QX60, driven by Gyna Santana, 35, of Lawrence, Massachusetts. The initial crash caused a chain-reaction rear-end collision between Santana and another Infiniti QX60, driven by Madison Berube, 30, of Hooksett. Troopers also determined Douville was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

Douville suffered serious injuries in the crash, and life-saving measures were attempted at the scene. She was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced deceased. Santana, Berube, and multiple child passengers in each vehicle were transported to be evaluated as a precaution.

Three lanes of northbound traffic were shut down for approximately one hour while Troopers processed the scene. State Police were assisted by members of the Nashua police and fire departments, as well as the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

All aspects of the crash remain under investigation. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Nathan Belanger at (603) 738-7260.

Critical Injuries Reported

Emergency responders were alerted enroute that a bystander or occupant was performing CPR on one of the victims. Upon arrival, Nashua Fire Rescue confirmed a three-vehicle collision and noted that life-saving measures were actively being administered to a man in his fifties.

The man was rushed to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center under a "trauma alert" status, with medics reporting he had sustained multi-system trauma. CPR remained in progress during transport.

Three other individuals involved in the crash were taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital. Officials classified their injuries as "Status 3," the least severe medical designation.

The collision caused severe rush-hour delays, forcing authorities to briefly shut down all northbound lanes. Crews eventually reopened the right travel lane, the breakdown lane, and the Exit 7 northbound off-ramp to alleviate traffic gridlock.

At the scene, three vehicles were visible in the left lane. The rearmost vehicle sustained heavy front-end damage. While New Hampshire State Police have not yet released an official statement, a source close to the investigation indicated that the first two vehicles were stopped in traffic when the third vehicle struck them from behind.

NH DOT signs on the highway indicate there have been 47 fatalities on NH roads so far in 2026. State Police remain on the scene as the investigation into the exact cause of the crash continues.

Heat stroke is an emergency, and medical help should be requested by calling 9-1-1. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool, shaded location and drink water while waiting for help. Nashua Public Health and Emergency Management Officials are encouraging the Greater Nashua community to practice the following precautions to stay safe and prevent heat-related illness.

Drink plenty of water, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Monitor those at high risk. Although anyone can suffer from heat-related illnesses at any time, some people are at greater risk than others:

·         Infants and young children

·         People 65 years of age or older

·         People who overexert during work or exercise

·         People who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation

·         Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. Schedule frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments.

·         Limit use of appliances, such as your dryer, dishwasher, and oven to avoid unwanted heat indoors.

·         When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening.

·         Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing when possible.

·         If you have medical devices, charge them the night before in case of potential power outages.

·         If you have pets, be sure to practice heat safety for your pets.

·         Learn the signs and symptoms of heat-related illnesses and how to treat them.

Wednesday July 1 the following Cooling Centers will be Open for the listed hours, during this event:

·         Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter - 2 Quincy St. - 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

·         Pheasant Lane Mall - 310 Daniel Webster Hwy - 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.

·         Nashua YMCA - 24 Stadium Dr. - 5 a.m. - 9 p.m.

·         Nashua Public Library - 2 Court St. - 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

·         Nashua Senior Activity Center - 70 Temple St - 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

·         Petco - 7 E Desilvio Dr, Nashua (allows leashed animals - 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.)

·         Home Depot - 12 Coliseum Ave and 288 Daniel Webster HWY, Nashua (allows leashed animals) - 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Thursday July 2 the following Cooling Centers will be Open for the listed hours, during this event:

·         Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter - 2 Quincy St. - 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

·         Pheasant Lane Mall - 310 Daniel Webster Hwy - 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.

·         Nashua YMCA - 24 Stadium Dr. - 5 a.m. - 9 p.m.

·         Nashua Public Library - 2 Court St. - 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

·         Nashua Senior Activity Center - 70 Temple St - 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

·         Petco - 7 E Desilvio Dr, Nashua (allows leashed animals - 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.)

·         Home Depot - 12 Coliseum Ave and 288 Daniel Webster HWY, Nashua (allows leashed animals) - 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Friday July 3 the following Cooling Centers will be Open for the listed hours, during this event:

·         Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter - 2 Quincy St. - Lunch 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.

·         Pheasant Lane Mall - 310 Daniel Webster Hwy - 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.

·         Nashua YMCA - 24 Stadium Dr. - 5 a.m. - 9 p.m.

·         Petco - 7 E Desilvio Dr, Nashua (allows leashed animals - 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.)

·         Home Depot - 12 Coliseum Ave and 288 Daniel Webster HWY, Nashua (allows leashed animals) - 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

July 1 to July 3 the following City Pools will be open from 1-8pm during this event:

·         Centennial Pool

·         Crown Hill Pool

·         Rotary Pool and Wading Pool

·         Splash Pad on National St.

On arrival they found 2 passenger vehicles and a logging truck had a collision. The logging truck which was traveling North went off the road taking down utility poles and several power lines. Initially the availability of a medical helicopter was requested, however cancelled.

The driver was conscious, breathing and alert and was advised to remain in the cab of the truck due to the live wires entangled with the truck. Milford Fire was requested to respond to the scene with their heavy rescue.

Eversource was notified and arrived at the scene within 30 minutes and began de-energizing the power lines which required substantial work.

At 7:15 pm the power was shut off and the driver was removed. With assistance from first responders, he was brought to a waiting ambulance where he was evaluated and appeared to have non-life-threatening injuries.

NH Department of Environmental services were notified due to diesel fuel leaking from the truck. 

Rt 13 remained closed for several hours during the incident, and while Eversource worked to make repairs. Sources said at the scene the truck was hauling logs from Gardner, MA, the truck had New Hampshire plates.

Amherst, NH

July 2 – America 250 Fireworks & Community Night

·         What: Family event with food vendors, music/entertainment, activities, local businesses and community orgs, ending with fireworks in honor of America 250.

·         When: Event begins at 5:00 p.m.; fireworks at 9:30 p.m.

·         Where: Souhegan High School, Amherst.

·         See full schedule and official event information

 July 4 – Amherst Fourth of July Parade & Village Celebration

·         What: Annual Independence Day parade plus full day of activities: Village Green programming, live entertainment, classic cars, decorated floats, kids’ activities, food vendors, artisan demos, and historical exhibits, all framed as an America 250 celebration.

·         When: Parade steps off at 10:00 a.m. from Wilkins School. Activities continue throughout the day on the Village Green.

·         Where: Parade route from Wilkins School (80 Boston Post Road) through Historic Village to Town Hall and Village Green.

Merrimack, NH

 Merrimack is a 2026 USA 250 showcase, with multiple coordinated town events.

July 4 – Rotary Pancake Breakfast

What: Annual morning pancake breakfast organized by Merrimack Rotary as part of the town’s Independence Day lineup.

When: Morning of July 4^th - 8 to 11 am

Where: Merrimack High School Cafeteria

Cost: Ages 4 and under – free / Ages 5-12 - $10.00 / Ages 13-65 - $12.00 / Ages 66+ $10.00

July 4 – “Salute to Independence: USA 250th Celebration Parade”

What: Large Independence Day parade featuring bands, militia units, clowns, local businesses, and community organizations; branded for the USA 250 celebration.

When: 1:00 p.m. on July 4, 2026.

Where: Commons Shopping Plaza (Tractor Supply, 515 Daniel Webster Hwy) south along DW Highway, right onto Baboosic Lake Road past Mastricola School, left onto O’Gara Drive, ending in front of Merrimack High School (about 1.5 miles).

July 4 – Merrimack 4th of July Fireworks (USA 250)

What: Evening celebration with music, food trucks, and fireworks; part of Merrimack’s USA 250 program.

When:

Event space / parking opens: 5:00 p.m.

Music / entertainment: DJ Darren Roy and other acts in the evening (7:00–9:00 p.m. in recent schedules).

Fireworks: 9:15 p.m.

Where: Kohlsman/Kollsman Athletic Fields, 220 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack; viewing also from Merrimack High School and area fields.

Parking / shuttles: Overflow and shuttle options via Merrimack Premium Outlets; gate and traffic details shared via Merrimack USA 250 site and town social channels.facebook+1

Weather note: Town communications indicate rain date/possible postponement to July 5.

Nashua, NH

July 4 – Nashua Fourth of July Celebration & Holman Stadium Fireworks

What: All-day celebration culminating in fireworks at historic Holman Stadium; Spartan’s Drum & Bugle Corps performance as part of the evening entertainment.

When:

Fireworks: Around dusk; several regional guides list a 9:15 p.m. start time for Nashua’s show.

Spartans’ Drum and Bugle Corp performance: Evening show prior to the fireworks; exact

Where: Holman Stadium, 67 Amherst Street, Nashua.

Manchester, NH

July 4^th -America 250 Independence Day Fireworks

Event name: Manchester Independence Day – America 250 celebration

Time:

Arms Park program: begins around 7:30 p.m. with the 39th Army Band concert.

Fireworks over the Merrimack River: immediately following the concert after dark.

Additional fireworks: post‑game show at Delta Dental Stadium (Fisher Cats) as part of the America 250 “dual celebration.”

Locations:

Arms Park, 10 Arms Street, Manchester, NH 03101.america250

Delta Dental Stadium (New Hampshire Fisher Cats), downtown Manchester riverfront.

While the main Nashua office is located at 28 Concord Street, a dedicated satellite office also operates in downtown Milford, ensuring clients in the Souhegan Valley have access to the exact same support and services. Whether someone needs immediate crisis intervention, safety planning, housing assistance, support groups, child advocacy, or mobile advocacy out in the community, Bridges meets survivors exactly where they are. They also simultaneously work to break the cycle of violence through community education and prevention efforts.

Yet, once immediate safety is secured, a different kind of challenge begins. The nature of domestic and sexual violence means that a survivor's world often becomes smaller. Individuals frequently find themselves tiptoeing around an abuser, unable to focus on themselves or explore new hobbies and relationships. When someone has been under another person's control for a long period of time, the experience is designed to erode their sense of self. It leaves them unsure of the things that bring them joy, what they are passionate about, or what can help them in moments when they feel activated or escalated.

Imagine making strides to heal and regain independence after being impacted by trauma. It is inevitable that moments of activation or retriggering will occur. It is also inevitable that survivors will reach a point where they want to discover the things that bring them day-to-day happiness and help them regulate during difficult moments.

There is immense power in making choices for anyone who has experienced this type of trauma. When a person has been controlled for a long period of time, making decisions like picking which groceries to buy, a task that may seem simple to some, can be deeply impactful and therapeutic. Conversely, this process can also be extremely overwhelming, especially when they do not know where to start. The same is true for finding activities done purely for oneself that bring genuine joy.

While Bridges' core crisis services offer in-the-moment emotional support, true healing often requires intentional steps to move from survival toward long-term stability and independent living. These realities, along with feedback from clients in the domestic violence support group, led two advocates at Bridges to recognize that they had to do something different. They needed an initiative that not only fostered connections between survivors but also allowed individuals to explore activities so they could decide what works well for them.

And so, Creative Coping was born: a support group where survivors can focus on self-care, build relationships with each other, and reclaim themselves as they explore new activities. Having Creative Coping as an option gives structure to this self-discovery. This initiative was first introduced about two years ago after survivors in traditional support group models, or those receiving emotional support from an advocate, repeatedly gave the same feedback: "You tell me to use my coping skills or focus on something that brings me joy, but I have no idea what that is."

The support group is designed to help bridge that gap. Survivors who participate have already taken part in the standard domestic violence or sexual assault groups. They have established the foundation of a healing journey and now need the skills to put it into practice in more concrete ways.

“Creative Coping is a blend of art, breathwork, and movement,” the group’s founding advocate explained when asked about the program. Each session highlights a different arts-based activity and ends with 15 to 20 minutes of light breathwork and stretching, encouraging participants to grow as individuals and to come together to support one another. “I drew from my background as a yoga teacher,” she continued, “knowing firsthand the transformative and healing power of movement and breath. But we also incorporated elements of the existing Expressive Arts youth group, pulling from the curriculum to provide a diverse range of activities for group members to try.”

The response to Creative Coping has been overwhelmingly positive. “Staff members keep asking if they can participate, and current group members are already inquiring about signing up for the next session. We’ve also seen more consistent attendance at Creative Coping than any other support group,” the advocate shared, “which is amazing because it is fairly common for someone to sign up for a group, come for one or two sessions, and then drop off. That isn’t happening with Creative Coping. We’re seeing not only consistent attendance, but a desire to sign up for future sessions.”

Creative Coping is more than just a program; it is a beacon of hope. The activities ignite a spark of resilience and joy in those who are traveling the pathway to healing. Due to its success, Creative Coping is expanding into new communities and being modeled with community partners. This model is also expanding to allow clients from other local nonprofits to participate, an intentional choice that beautifully reflects the collaborative spirit that defines Greater Nashua’s nonprofit community.

The group’s facilitator concluded, “… and this is just the beginning of the journey. We’re reaching out to those who need us most because everyone deserves a chance to heal and to find light in the darkest of places.”

To learn more about Bridges’ programming, explore volunteer opportunities, or support their mission, please visit www.bridgesnh.org. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, their free and confidential 24-hour support line is available at 603-883-3044.

Tara Levine is a Development Director at a local nonprofit agency where her work is fueled by a profound commitment to the Greater Nashua area. A catalyst for regional collaboration, she is the Co-Founder of the Nonprofit Development Professionals Network of Southern New Hampshire and a founding advisory board member for the Pride Empowerment Network (P.E.N.). She is also an avid community volunteer, and building authentic relationships is at the core of everything she does. Tara lives and works in Nashua, where she loves exploring new hiking trails, catching up with friends over coffee at local shops, and spending time at home with her husband and two cats.

The lease, unanimously approved by the Board of Aldermen, demonstrates the City's dedication to preserving a beloved historic asset in Nashua. It also emphasizes a robust partnership with the Silver Knights and the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) to ensure an affordable, family-friendly experience.

"This agreement secures the future of summer collegiate baseball in Nashua and ensures that generations of residents and visitors will continue to enjoy America's pastime at Holman Stadium," said Mayor Jim Donchess.

Under the terms of the agreement, the lease will operate as three renewable five-year increments, creating a 15-year partnership that provides long-term assurances for both the City and the Silver Knights.

The new lease includes an approximately 10 percent rent increase over the previous agreement, aligns the City's revenue expectations with stadium usage, and supports the team's operational needs.

"The Silver Knights are thrilled to extend our partnership with the City of Nashua and continue calling historic Holman Stadium our home," said John Creedon, Jr., owner and president of Granite Diamond, LLC, and the Silver Knights.

“For the past 15 seasons, we have proudly created memories for families, fans, players, and visitors, while working together to preserve one of New England’s iconic ballparks. We are deeply grateful to our fans, host families, sponsors, the Futures League, Mayor Donchess, Public Works Director Lisa Fauteux, Parks Superintendent Bryan Conant, and their dedicated staff for helping make Holman Stadium one of New England's great summer destinations. Together we are preserving a beloved community asset while continuing to invest in its future. The best is yet to come."

Built in 1937 and named to honor Nashua’s 19th Mayor, Charles Holman, the stadium has also undergone recent City upgrades, including new lighting, fire suppression, masonry repointing, and a completely renovated press box. Additional improvements, such as refurbishing the locker rooms, are planned for the near future.

"Holman Stadium is more than a baseball venue. It's a gathering place for athletic events, our July 4th fireworks displays, and festivals," said Mayor Donchess. "We appreciate the Silver Knights' commitment to this historic landmark."

The City’s newly formed Holman Stadium Activation Committee will be tasked with identifying even more opportunities for the stadium to host events between games and seasons.

Since their formation in 2011 in Nashua, the Silver Knights have become one of the FCBL's most successful franchises, winning six league championships at Holman Stadium. The club will host the 2026 FCBL All-Star Game on July 21st, showcasing Nashua and the ballpark to fans across New England.                                                                                                    

NASHUA, NH – The Nashua Public Library is proud to announce “Property of the Revolution: From a Cuban Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town” by Ana Hebra Flaster as its 2026 Nashua Reads: One City, One Book selection. 

Now in its 24^th year, Nashua Reads has become a popular community tradition, uniting the entire city in reading the same book. This year’s title features a special connection to the city, as the sweeping yet intimate historical memoir details a family’s transformation from pro-Castro revolutionaries in a scrappy Havana barrio to refugees in 1960s Nashua.  

“For a program designed to bring the community together, this year’s title could not be a more fitting selection,” said Jennifer McCormack, Library Director. “Flaster’s experience as a refugee is an important part of Nashua’s history, one that mirrors the lived experiences of so many of our neighbors today,” said McCormack, “and her story of family, resilience, and belonging will resonate with readers from everywhere.”  

 Hebra Flaster will visit the library for the Nashua Read’s keynote event, “Beyond the Book,” on Sunday, October 25, at 2 pm. She’ll discuss the book and her experience growing up in Nashua with long-time Nashua Reads moderator Lisa Allen, followed by a Q&A and book signing. Tickets to the event are $10 online or $15 at the door. 

Leading up to Hebra Flaster’s visit, the library is offering a lineup of free programs inspired by “Property of the Revolution,” including presentations on the current state of U.S.-Cuba relations, the Taíno language and culture, a Spanish-language game night, book discussion, movies, and a “Passport to the World: Cuba” event, part of its ongoing cultural celebration series.  

The library has more than 75 print copies of "Property of the Revolution" available in circulation for cardholders to borrow, as well as eBook and eAudiobook formats available on Libby, the library app.  

For complete program information and to borrow a copy of the book, visit nashuareads.org.  

The 2026 Nashua Reads program is sponsored by the Friends of the Nashua Public Library and the Nashua Public Library. 

“The launch of this new bail notification system gives officers timely data on bail conditions, ensuring we hold violent offenders accountable and protect victims from further harm,” said Governor Kelly Ayotte. “It’s another critical tool to help us keep New Hampshire the safest state in the nation. I thank the Department of Safety, the Judicial Branch, and the Attorney General’s Office for working together to bring this system to law enforcement across our state.”

“Our task was to create a system that obtains bail data directly from New Hampshire Courts and makes it available to law enforcement officers across the state,” said New Hampshire State Police Maj. Chad Lavoie. “Today, we’re proud to share that the Bail Notification System is live and fully operational for law enforcement use.”

The bail notification system lets law enforcement officers quickly see an offender’s bail information on the same day as ordered by the court. The system, which will be established within the Department of Safety’s State Police On-Line Telecommunications System (SPOTS), will enable New Hampshire courts personnel to proactively share a defendant’s bail status and certain bail conditions with law enforcement. Previously, law enforcement officers had to contact agencies or courts directly for such information. This helps officers know right away if someone is violating bail and improves safety for both law enforcement and the public.

“This new bail notification system aims to strengthen public safety and ensure that court-ordered protections are visible and actionable in real time,” said Attorney General John Formella. “In domestic violence and other high-risk cases, bail conditions and protective orders are critical safeguards. By improving law enforcement’s awareness of those conditions in the field, this system helps ensure those protections are known and enforceable.”

The Judicial Branch provides the bail information that goes into the system and connects its court case system to it. When a judge sets or changes someone’s bail conditions, that information is shared electronically so law enforcement can see the most up-to-date information. The upgrade also makes sure the court system and police system communicate securely and accurately, reducing delays and errors. Law enforcement officers will still be able to seek clarification and confirm details about a defendant’s bail conditions from the court of jurisdiction.

“We helped launch this new digital platform for sharing bail information aided by the commitment and dedication of hundreds of court employees and bail commissioners who keep the system updated 24 hours-a-day, 7 days a week,” said Judge Christopher M. Keating, State Court Administrator for the New Hampshire Judicial Branch. “The Judicial Branch is proud to have joined with our skilled colleagues at the Department of Safety to develop this situational awareness tool, giving the law-enforcement officer in the field real-time information about whether that person in a roadside stop is on pretrial release, or whether a judge imposed restrictions on that person’s conditional liberty.”

More than a year since Governor Ayotte signed the law to fix the broken bail system, law enforcement leaders around the state report it is delivering results and improving public safety, with fewer repeat offenders released, an increase in pretrial detentions, and better protections for victims of serious crimes such as domestic violence.

“Our departments are already seeing a tremendous difference with the new bail law in place, and the new bail notification system will be a major boost to our efforts to keep our communities safe,” said Chief Emily Cobb of the New London Police Department. “Having this data available to local departments is critical to the safety of our officers and the people we protect and serve. Keeping New Hampshire the safest state in the nation is only possible when every level of law enforcement and our court system work together, and we’re enhancing that collaboration with the launch of this new system.”

Video from today’s press conference can be found here.

Conservation Commission (Roby Park Site Walk): Monday, June 29 at 5:30 PM. Location: L Spit Brook Road, Nashua, NH.

Board of Fire Commission Meeting: Wednesday, July 1 at 5:30 PM. Location: 177 Lake Street, Nashua, NH.

Finance Committee: Wednesday, July 1 at 7:00 PM. Location: Aldermanic Chambers, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 229 Main Street, Nashua, NH.

Note: City offices will be closed on Saturday, July 4, 2026, in observance of Independence Day.

To view full agendas, access location details, or check for any last-minute schedule changes, you can visit the City of Nashua Main Calendar or the City of Nashua CivicClerk Portal.

Official Live Streams (Web Browsers)

You can watch gavel-to-gavel live streams of city operations directly through the CTV Live Streams Portal on the City of Nashua Website:

• Board of Aldermen & Infrastructure Committees: Watch on the Government TV 16 Live Stream.
• School Board & Education Committees: Watch on the Nashua ETV Live Stream.

YouTube Channels (Live & Archived Recordings)

If you miss a live broadcast, the city categorizes and uploads meeting archives onto dedicated YouTube channels:

• Board of Aldermen & City Subcommittees: Available on the Nashua BOA Meetings YouTube Channel.
• Board of Education & School Committees: Available on the Nashua BOE Meetings YouTube Channel.
• General Educational & Community Programming: Available on the Nashua ETV YouTube Channel and Nashua Public Television Channel 6.

• as a goal, like a program 
• as in a “beach read,” aka light and fluffy
• as a seasonal enjoyment (i.e. only reading books set in summer)

What sort of reader are you in summer? Does summer change your reading style? Your reading goals? Your kids’? Should it?

Your Reliable Narrators have always been big readers. In her childhood, Emilee had to be pried from bed (and her stack of books) when her dad threatened her to get outdoors to get some fresh air. But it was okay, because the hammock in the yard was also a great place to read. Erin’s mom also had to throw her and her books outside “to blow the stink off.” Blanket reading FTW. 

Erin fondly remembers a summer reading program at the library where they met weekly, talked about how many books they had read (there must’ve been a tracker, but who remembers that part?), and got a coupon for an item at McDonald’s. One week it was a sundae, the next week a small fry, etc., until the final week of the summer it was a coupon for a Happy Meal. A Happy Meal!!  Even her non-reader sister would read books for McDonald’s treats. These days, so many libraries, bookstores, and even restaurants have summer reading programs. Erin’s public library even has a program for adults!!

Feeling stressed about the screen time/reading time debate? Same. 

Research teaches us that incentivized reading doesn’t work, but being part of a reading community does (The Joy of Reading). Reading as a family (hello, audiobook on the road trip), talking about books, and modeling reading are some of the best things you can do to motivate kids. 

Pick a library day where everyone gets a pile of books (one book for every year old you are, is a great “limit”) and come home to build a reading fort, or read outside, or by the pool. Going on a trip? Collect books about that location. Some kids (and adults) LOVE nonfiction and will happily plow through a pile of books about space or animals or volcanoes and tell you ALLLL the fun facts. Erin’s kids (still) really love “Reading Lunch,” where they are allowed to have a book at the table. Have “scheduled” quiet reading time each afternoon/evening, maybe all piled into Mom and Dad’s bed. Encourage your teens to start a summer book club with their friends where they get together and eat snacks and talk about books or set up a binge reading sleepover. Possibilities are endless. 

If you’re still feeling uneasy, check out The Lazy Genius Easy Summer Reading episode. Erin especially appreciates the message of releasing the pressure and expectation of “summer reading” (on yourself and your kids) and focus on fostering a positive reading environment.

Some people have summer reading goals because they have more time over the summer for reading. As educators, we really understand this. In case your schools or public library summer reading lists haven’t given you enough ideas to read this summer …

Recommendations from Emilee’s family (Ages 44, 13, 7 and 5)

·         The Trouble with Heroes Kate Messner

·         Night Chef by Mika Song

·         How to be a Proper Ogre by Kelly DiPuccio

·         Forty the Fortune Teller by Drew Daywalt

·         Adventures of an Invisible Boy Doogie Horner

·         Earl and Worm Greg Pizzoli 

·         Dad by Christian Robinson

·         A Curse of Beasts and Magic Jeaniene Frost 

·         Breakout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

Recommendations from Erin’s family (Ages 46, 45, 18, 16 and 14)

·         Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman

·         Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

·         Mistborn and Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson 

·         Fairy Tale by Stephen King

·         The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst

·         The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez

·         Heartstopper #6 by Alice Oseman

·         Three Body Problem Cixin Liu

·         Daughter of Egypt Marie Benedict

·         Coach by Jason Reynolds

·         Dungeon’s Master Guide

The Reliable Narrators is a column about reading and books for readers and non-readers, alike from two moms who also happen to be educators and library personnel. Emilee Williamson and Erin Roth are a school-proclaimed “dynamic duo” who love kids, books, and hosting gatherings in the library. You can expect conversations about reading (for yourself and your loved ones), book and media recommendations, and the occasional recipe inspired by a current read.

Dealers from all over New England who specialize in antiques and quality second-hand finds gather from April-November on Sundays to sell their wares at this long-established family run market on the North Shore of Massachusetts. 

The vendors sell a variety of things and inventory is different each Sunday. You will find real antiques, vintage clothes and toys, outdoor and garden pieces, industrial, mid-century, farmhouse, books, etc. Plus, it is fun to chat with the vendors-you never know what you’ll learn! 

For early birds and those looking for something specific, the flea market opens at 5:00 a.m. There is a $5.00 cash parking fee until 11:00. It’s free to park from 11:00 until it closes at 2:00 p.m. Most of the dealers are cash only. There is an ATM on site behind the house.

If you get a bit peckish as you poke around, the Todd Farm Grill and Snack Bar is the place to refuel. In addition to the flea market, you can also shop at The Barn and The House Shops. Both are open year round.

Only an hour from Nashua  Todd Farm Flea Market, this is a fun place for the whole family. Please be advised that the market is located on grassy and dirt fields and is not fully paved. Only trained service dogs are allowed on the grounds. And the flea market is open, weather permitting, so check before you go to be sure it is open. Happy hunting!

The video was produced in collaboration with Concord TV, featuring former and current state officials with other notable Granite Staters. It is available to view on the Secretary of State’s website and public access channels throughout the state. It will also be played at New Hampshire’s State House Visitor’s Center and at the Great American State Fair 2026 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C..

“It was a non-partisan effort, and that will be obvious when you watch the video. People that are included are all the living New Hampshire governors, one kid governor, all current members of Congress, three former ambassadors, and four state constitutional officers. There are individuals in the video who witnessed the Bicentennial, and there are individuals in the video who will witness the Tricentennial, I think that's a pretty neat thing.” said Scanlan.

250^th celebrations in Concord

The video is part of the New Hampshire 250th Commission celebrations and displays honoring this milestone in U.S. history

“In Concord there will be a parade, then an event on the front lawn of the Statehouse where there will be some speeches, and then the Statehouse is going to be open on the 4th of July so that visitors can walk through and see the historic copies of the Declaration of Independence. They'll be able to see the video, and they can look on the third floor and see the centennial document.”

The New Hampshire 250th Commission will hold the State of NH’s official celebration on the State House lawn at 10 a.m. on July 4th. The State House will then open its doors to the public at 11 a.m.

Visitors to the New Hampshire State House Visitor Center can view New Hampshire’s 1776 Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration of Independence and the 1823 William J. Stone engraving of the Declaration. The Dunlap Broadside, one of 26 copies known to exist, is on display now through July 8, while the Stone engraving will remain on display through July 10.

Douglass, one of our nation’s greatest orators and abolitionists, was asked to speak at an event in commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

In his provocative speech, Douglass said, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice; I must mourn.” And he asked, “Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak to-day?”

Douglass’s speech remains emotionally powerful and thought-provoking more than a century and a half after he gave it.

People of all ages and different walks of life are asked to gather at 12:00 pm at the New Fellowship Baptist Church. We will take turns reading parts of the speech until the entire speech has been read.

Community leaders around the country participate in these readings—people such as town officials, teachers and activists, the police and fire chiefs, and heads of key organizations come together with ordinary neighborhood folk.

Reading Frederick Douglass causes us to think in new ways about our nation’s history, affords opportunities to open up discourse about race relations and citizenship, and raises awareness of the role slavery and race continue to play in our history and national discourse.

The abolition of slavery was set in motion in New York state on July 5, 1799.  This speech was first given by Douglass on the 5^th of July 1852, which was called “Black Man’s Independence Day” because Blacks were not allowed to march in white men’s parades. Their own parades would get disrupted by whites if they tried to march on the 4^th of July.

Libraries, churches, historical societies, community service groups, social justice organizations, and schools are encouraged to participate in the reading.

This free public event is a program of the Black Heritage Trail New Hampshire (BHTNH) in collaboration with Greater Nashua Area Branch NAACP, New Fellowship Baptist Church, Hills County Ruff Ryders.  The BHTNH mission is to promote awareness and appreciation of African American history and culture in NH by celebrating the resilience, versatility, and courage of African American people that have enabled the culture, values, and traditions to survive for 400 years.  BHTNH works to visually honor and celebrate a truer more inclusive history of New Hampshire through exhibits, programs and tours that can change the way our country understands human dignity when it is free of historical stereotypes.

WASHINGTON – Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health, and Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member, pressed Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over contradictory statements regarding his decision to fire the federal panel of experts that recommends which vaccines American children should receive from their doctors. 

On April 22, 2026, after a line of questioning from Hassan, RFK Jr. admitted that Donald Trump and senior White House officials personally signed off on his decision to terminate all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), contradicting his previous claims that he made the decision unilaterally. If these claims are true, it implicates President Trump and calls into question his judgement. 

“For nearly a year, you have publicly framed the ACIP purge as your own judgment call to restore ‘public trust,’” the senators wrote to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “Your testimony tells a different story, one in which the most consequential gutting of America’s vaccine infrastructure in decades was greenlit by political appointees at the White House, with the President’s blessing. This was not a routine personnel action. It was the deliberate dismantling of the nation’s vaccine advisory body, replaced with your handpicked allies, several of whom have built careers, and earned profits, undermining the very vaccines they are now charged with evaluating.” 

In the letter, the senators demand that RFK Jr. produce communications and other records that show how the Trump administration determined the legality, process, and public health consequences of their actions related to ACIP. 

Since these firings, RFK Jr. has installed his own handpicked allies, many of whom have built careers and earned profits, by promoting vaccine denialism. Recently, a federal judge ruled that members of RFK Jr. 's personally appointed ACIP lack the qualifications to be members of the highest vaccine committee in America. 

 These vaccine cynics have now attempted to roll back longstanding vaccine recommendations for kids, contradicting longstanding recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). For instance, the Hepatitis B vaccine is no longer recommended for newborn babies within 24 hours of birth. 

“Make no mistake: this is your anti-vaccine agenda,” the senators continued. “You have spent your career sowing doubt about vaccines, profiting from litigation against their manufacturers, and pledging to use the powers of HHS as Secretary to validate theories the scientific community has long since rejected. Your reconstruction of ACIP is the culmination of that project, and you have embedded personal allies into the operations of a federal advisory committee to deliver the policy outcomes you have spent decades pursuing.”  

In August 2025, in addition to firing the entire vaccine advisory committee, RFK Jr. fired his own CDC Director, Susan Monarez, less than a month after she assumed her role. Monarez testified before the Senate HELP committee that RFK Jr. directed her to approve, without question or scientific evidence, all recommendations from his newly appointed ACIP members. When she refused, he fired her. 

Since RFK Jr.’s tenure as HHS secretary began, kindergarten measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage has fallen to 92.5 percent, well below the threshold needed to prevent community spread, leaving approximately 286,000 kindergartners unprotected. The U.S. has declared 4,100 measles cases since January 2025, the highest number since measles was considered eradicated in 2000. 

Click here to read the full letter to RFK Jr. 

Senator Hassan has repeatedly spoken out about the dangers that Secretary Kennedy poses to the health and safety of Americans and has called for his resignation. Last year, she called for an independent analysis of the impact that the Secretary’s decision to cancel nearly $500 million in mRNA-related research and development contracts. The study found that the decision could cost 49,000 lives annually.

I managed to follow my own advice and get my veggies some liquid fertilizer. My shallots seem especially thankful and have grown out a lot! The tomatoes I planted a few weeks ago were also fed and have opened their yellow flowers. My newly planted okra and tomatillos have settled nicely into their places (they will soon have cages installed as supports). Several of my native plants, gladiolus, and elderberries were looking peaked, so they got a shot of fertilizer as well. On a side note, I found Joe Pye Weed growing all on its own in another garden bed! I plan to transplant these little cuties in late August. Late summer is a great time to transplant perennials: the sun is lower in the sky, the heat is less intense, but the soil is still nice and warm.

I planted another maiden feather fern under the magnolia tree. I’m hoping to create a “soft landing” for pollinators. On a sad note, the fern I planted a few weeks ago is in a lot of distress–they were so wilted they almost looked burnt. These ferns are not complainers, so I watered thoroughly and fertilized them. Time will tell how this wee fern will do.

Alright, I have droned on about watering and fertilizing enough. Let’s talk pests. I only spotted a leafhopper on my grape vines, as well as gall. When leafhoppers feed, they create white spots on the foliage and can eventually cause the leaf to curl and fall off. I believe the gall present on my grapes is Grape Tumid Gallmaker. While this pest might seem like a disease–it looks like the vines are swelling and the leaves get lumps and bumps–it is actually an insect.

A midge will lay its eggs on vines and foliage, and its larvae feeding causes the disfiguration. It can impact the fruit production of the plant if it’s a severe infestation, however, I’m not too concerned at this point. For more information on grape pests, take a look at UMASS Amherst’s resource page. At the store, we had a number of customers come in with Cucumber Beetle damage. While this beetle’s damage is frustrating, the more insidious part is that they can infect plants with bacterial wilt. Be on the lookout! Also spotted…woodchucks. At my house, these devils are known to take one bite out of each butternut squash. I try to be proactive by putting up some fencing around my veggies, and some natural, granular repellent.

A quick note on natural repellent: be sure to reapply it from time to time. I usually reapply every two weeks, depending on how severe the issue is or depending on the weather. It can be really effective, but if resources are slim for animals (i.e. water and food), they will brave the repellent. This is why I try to apply repellent and install fencing before any critters realize there is good eating in the area–it helps a lot!

Now for my favorite part: what’s bloomin’! Still in bloom are the Little Redhead Spigella, some renegade peonies, cornflower, and foxglove. My budding Geum is starting to finally open! This native has lovely yellow flowers and fuzzy foliage–very cute! My Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan) is also starting to pop…and most exciting in our little frog pond the lilies are peaking open. Our frogs love it, and this little pond and its ecosystem takes care of itself.

If you haven’t done so already, get yourself some strawberries! They are very tasty this year, and we already have a batch and a half of jam made. I’m feeling very hopeful for our blueberry crop this year, as I am seeing little green berries in spades all along our shrub.

Looking ahead, I’m antsy to get into some of the overgrown parts of the yard and take care of bittersweet, poison ivy, and many thorny invasive plants. But… it will probably have to wait till the store closes for vacation for a project that size. Speaking of which, the Nashua Farmers’ crew will be on vacation from July 1st through the 14th, so be sure to pick up any essentials by Monday, June 29th! We’ll be back on July 15th.

If you’re looking for some local upcoming garden events, mark your calendar for Saturday, July 18th. The Big Little Garden is taking part in The Garden Conservancy Open Days garden tour, and will have a small plant sale to benefit Kitty Angels Rescue & Shelter. Grab your tickets here!

This coming week looks hot and dry, so stay hydrated. Enjoy your gardens and treat yourself to a pint of strawberries!

Kate Ratta is the manager of the local feed store Nashua Farmers' Exchange, Inc. She has more than 10 years of experience working in the business owned by her aunt and uncle, Judy Ratta-Harrington and Gene Harrington, and will be contributing weekly garden reports. The store is located at 38½ Bridge Street in Nashua in the converted Boston & Maine and Concord Railroad station.

First things first. We at Downtown Nashua Association are so proud of last weekend’s Nashua PRIDE Festival. And kudos to the City of Nashua, who did a fantastic job organizing the parade. To those who came and had a great time, thank you so much for giving this new format a chance. We’re hearing excellent feedback and we’re so glad you enjoyed it. To those who decided not to attend, thank you for having the maturity to recognize that it wasn’t for you and simply adhering to the idea of “live and let live.” Thank you to Nashua City Police for keeping our guests safe. 

As for the days ahead, here’s what we’ve got:

Stay cool and I’ll see ya Downtown!
Elaina Bedio, Downtown Nashua Association 

Thursday 6/25
5:00PM: Pokémon League Night at Grave Troll Games
5:00PM: Buck-a-Shuck Oysters at The Pearl
5:30PM:  D-Comp at Union Public House
6:00PM: Am I Psychic? at Bound Together
6:00PM: Thursday Night Karaoke at The Spot
7:30PM: Open Mic Night at Casey Magee's Irish Pub
7:30PM: Trivia Night at Liquid Therapy

Friday 6/26
7:30AM: Sacred Start at Vibe Yoga
12:30PM: Fryday - fried specials all day at Soel Sistas Café
3:00PM: Free Drop-in Painting Class at ArtHub
7:30PM: School of Rock the Musical at Janice Streeter Theater
7:30PM:  Matt Jackson at Union Public House
9:30PM: Karaoke Dance Party at Casey Magee's Irish Pub

Saturday 6/27
10:00AM: Sewing with Sonia at ArtHub Downtown Gallery
7:30PM: Summer Music @ the Riverwalk
                Reverend JJ & the Casual Sinners
7:30PM: Aerial Glow Flow Blacklight Party at Aerial Moon
7:30PM: Karl Kloris at Union Public House
8:00PM: Wooden Soul at Casey Magee's Irish Pub
              6yr Anniversary Party
9:30PM: Pop Farmers at The Peddler's Daughter

Sunday 6/28
10:00AM: Nashua Farmers Market
10:00AM: Sunday Brunch at Union Public House
10:30AM: Jazz Sunday at Main St United Methodist Church
3:00PM: Dave Clark at Stella Blu (patio)

Monday 6/29
8:00PM: Tipsy Bingo at The Peddler's Daughter
10:00PM: Industry Night & Karaoke at Fody's Tavern

Tuesday 6/30
5:00PM: Tacos & Tequila at Stella Blu
7:00PM: Trivia at The Peddler's Daughter
8:00PM: Music Bingo at Fody's Tavern

Wednesday 7/1
5:30PM:  John Chuoinard at Union Public House
7:00PM: Beginner Macrame Class at Nashua Public Library
7:00PM: Free Movie Night at The Spot: TBD
8:00PM: Trivia at Fody's Tavern

Rideable Nashua is designed to support everyday trips—whether commuting to work, running errands, or exploring the city—while promoting healthier lifestyles and reducing reliance on cars. The system aims to improve access to mobility across Nashua, providing a reliable and environmentally friendly option for short-distance travel.

 “This program represents an important investment in Nashua's transportation network and quality of life,” said Mayor Donchess. “Whether you're commuting to work, visiting downtown businesses, connecting to local destinations, or simply enjoying a ride along our trails and streets, Rideable Nashua provides a convenient and sustainable way to get around.”

“Programs like Rideable Nashua are about more than just transportation; they’re about creating more connected, accessible, and vibrant communities,” said Dipesh Dar, COO. “We’re excited to bring this system to Nashua and provide this community a new way to move around the city.”

Rideable Nashua is powered by Drop Mobility, a leading provider of bike share systems across North America. Drop Mobility partners with municipalities, transit agencies, and organizations to deliver flexible, community-first mobility solutions. With experience across 65+ cities, Drop brings proven technology and expertise to ensure a reliable, high-quality rider experience.

For more information about Rideable Nashua, including pricing, how to ride and system updates, please visit: https://www.rideablenashua.com. Download the Rideable Nashua App to start riding.

Businesses and community members interested in partnership and sponsorship opportunities or bulk membership purchases can contact mailto:isabel@dropmobility.com. Opportunities include branding visibility on bikes, stations, the mobile app, and the website.

To celebrate the launch, Rideable Nashua is offering all riders a free 30-minute ride using promo code NASHUA30. The offer is valid for a single trip and cannot be split across multiple rides. Riders can redeem the code through the Rideable Nashua app when starting their next ride.

At 10:20 a.m., Wednesday, June 24, 2026, State Troopers assigned to the Troop B barracks received reports of a crash at the Route 102 overpass on I-93 northbound in Londonderry. It was reported that a vehicle crashed into a bridge abutment and caught fire.

Upon arrival, Troopers observed good Samaritans who had stopped to try to remove the driver from the vehicle but were unsuccessful due to the severity of the crash and fire. The good Samaritans also tried to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers.

Members of the Londonderry Fire Department extinguished the fire and pronounced the driver deceased at the scene. The name of the driver and vehicle information are being withheld pending positive identification and next of kin notification.

Multiple northbound lanes of I-93 were closed for approximately four hours while Troopers and emergency personnel investigated the crash.

Troopers were assisted on scene by members of the Londonderry Fire Department, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

All aspects of the crash remain under investigation. Anyone who witnessed the crash or who has information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Natalie Pullen at Natalie.R.Pullen@dos.nh.gov.

A skill is the learned ability to perform a specific action or task with good execution and successful results. Skills are developed as we acquire them through training, practice, and experience.  They are not innate, even people skills such as empathy or active listening.

One of the most compelling caregiver guides of the early days of the Alzheimer’s Association was the Male Caregivers Guide, written and published in Iowa farm country.  At that time in farm culture household roles were typically divided by gender, with the husband spending 12-14 hours in the barn, on the tractor, out of the house and the women focused on the household -cooking, cleaning, managing children etc. (sadly no longer in print)

Farmers who had wives who became frail had few, if any, household skills. Recognizing this, the first section of the Guide zeroed in on information and task practice on these fundamentals. 

This points out two things: When you are a caregiver, roles will change and that we can adapt. We all know the spouse who managed all the bills who, because of disability, had to give way to their partner, with no time to learn or practice, all at once and learning on the fly in a crisis.

Depending on the needs of the person for whom you care developing personal care skills might be important, most elder care experts believe that there are wrong and more successful ways (and shortcuts) to assist another with activities of daily living.  Providers and social workers use the acronym “ADLs” which is not a concept most of us have even heard or use until we must.  These are:

Ø  Bathing & Hygiene: Washing the body, brushing teeth, and grooming.

Ø  Dressing: Selecting appropriate clothing and physically getting dressed or undressed, including managing zippers and buttons.

Ø  Toileting: Getting to the toilet, using it properly, and cleaning oneself.

Ø  Transferring (Mobility): Moving safely between positions, such as getting in/out of bed or standing from a chair.

Ø  Eating: The physical act of feeding oneself (does not include meal prep.

Sources of training in personal care skills include voluntary or government health organizations, such as  https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/adult-aging-care/aging-and-disability-resource-centers/caregiver-support-services. 

Skill building by provider organizations is another valuable resource such as. https://hhhc.org/resources/helpful-links-and-resources/#caregiver-support

For some, sharing caregiving wisdom in a setting such as a support group might be their jam.  For others it might be taking an online course such as Powerful Tools for Caregivers

Practicing new skills should translate abstract knowledge into action and directly boost your confidence.

Michael Splaine has worked with older adults since 1986, primarily people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, their families and professional caregivers. He is the principal of a small advocacy and government affairs consultancy and has collaborated with leaders in Alzheimer's organizations across the U.S. and in more than 60 countries, representing them at the World Health Organization and the United Nations. His columns will provide information and perspective on aging issues.

NASHUA, N.H. [June 23, 2026] - Southern New Hampshire Health has opened its first retail pharmacy conveniently located inside Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua. The full-service pharmacy will focus on serving people in the community, including patients being discharged from the hospital and those who want a more personalized experience for medication ordering, pick-up, and counseling.

“Medication is a key part of care, but patients often feel like pharmacists don’t have time to counsel them or follow-up when they have questions or need support. We are changing that, because we know people are frustrated with how impersonal big-name retail pharmacies have become,” said John Berard, Director of Ambulatory Pharmacy Services at Southern New Hampshire Health.

One-way Southern NH Health’s new pharmacy will provide a better experience, is by making it easy to speak directly with a team member or pharmacist over the phone. Callers only have to press one number on the first phone menu to be connected with a person in our pharmacy for a live discussion.

Key Differences at the Southern New Hampshire Health Retail Pharmacy:

• Pharmacy is open to anyone, no matter where they live, or who the prescribing provider is

• Individuals receiving care at any Southern NH Health facility will have their electronic medical record and

phone app connected to the pharmacy for a seamless experience

• Shorter wait-times for prescriptions to be filled

• Personalized medication counseling

• Hospital and surgical patients can get medications filled before they leave

“The goal of our pharmacy is to serve patients with the highest quality care and expertise. We know that some patients on new or multiple prescriptions can feel overwhelmed and even stop taking their medication. By providing a more personalized experience, we will make it easier for everyone who walks through the door,” said Michael Kleinshmidt, Chief Operating Officer of Southern NH Health.

You do not need to be a Southern NH Health patient to have prescriptions filled at the pharmacy, which is open to everyone Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m.- Noon. Most major insurance plans are accepted. Patients can also visit this link or call 603-598-MEDS to discuss transferring their prescriptions.

Southern New Hampshire Health is a not-for-profit healthcare system that has served the greater Nashua community since 1893. The health system provides comprehensive services throughout southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts through Southern NH Medical Center, a 188-bed hospital in Nashua; Foundation Medical Partners, one of the region’s largest multi-specialty provider groups; and five walk-in Immediate Care facilities connecting patients to urgent, non-emergency services. With more than 2,700 employees and 350 providers, Southern NH Health is committed to delivering high-quality, coordinated care to patients close to home.

NASHUA, N.H> – This June, Nashua Community College debuted an Air Traffic Control (ATC) summer camp for current ATC associate degree students. The program is meant to prevent learning loss and skill degradation over the summer months.

“The value of this summer camp lies in its ability to protect and sharpen our students' hard-earned skills,” said Jeff Carpentier, Program Coordinator of Air Traffic Control at NCC. “Air Traffic Control leaves no room for downtime; this program keeps students actively engaged and prepared to hit the ground running next term.”

This ATC summer camp runs for 8 weeks between June and August. Program faculty at NCC developed the curriculum, much of which entails practice work on the ATC Tower Simulator equipment.

The camp received support from UFA, developer of simulation and speech recognition solutions for Air Traffic Control and airport operations and training.

“We are incredibly grateful for UFA's multi-layered support of our camp,” said Professor Carpentier, “In addition to a generous monetary donation, they provided essential tabletop simulators to enhance our students' training experience.”

UFA has supported NCC's Air Traffic Control program from the very beginning, he said, “Between their top-tier technical support and the introduction of new learning products, they have been vital to our students' success. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership well into the future.”

This summer also marks the first full year of the ATC associate degree at NCC, and so far, Professor Carpentier said it’s been “incredible.”

“The past year was full of energy, engagement, and breakthrough moments. As an instructor, there is nothing quite like the joy of watching students grow their knowledge and master these complex skills. The future looks even brighter: this fall, we are introducing another simulator to give everyone even more hands-on time to perfect their air traffic control skills. The program is thriving, and we can’t wait to watch our very first class walk across the graduation stage next May.”

ATC enrollment has been growing as well, said Carpentier, “We started with 17 fantastic students, and the program is only gaining altitude. With three students in our summer class, another joining our Spring '26 cohort this fall, and a full incoming class of 12, our total ATC student community will grow to 22.”

About the Air Traffic Control associate degree at NCC:
The Associate Degree in Air Traffic Control at Nashua Community College delivers fundamental traffic controller knowledge and competency through a mix of realistic lab simulations, classroom instruction, and computer-based learning. As an ATC Tower program, graduates are ready to assume positions at Air Traffic Control towers throughout the USA. This program is a part of the FAA’s Enhance College Training Initiative, allowing students to complete their entire FAA ATC Academy course work at NCC.

For more information about Air Traffic Control at Nashua Community College, visit nashuacc.edu or contact Professor Carpentier at JCarpentier@ccsnh.edu.

At 5:40 a.m., Tuesday, June 23, 2026, State Troopers assigned to the Troop B barracks responded to a head-on collision involving two vehicles on I-293 northbound, in the area of mile marker 11 in Hooksett.

The preliminary investigation determined that the driver of a 2020 Subaru Legacy, later identified as Timothy Hubbard, 43, of Rome, Maine, was traveling southbound when, for reasons that remain under investigation, he lost control of the vehicle and crossed the center median into the northbound lanes. The Subaru then collided head-on with a Ford F-150 traveling north.

Hubbard, his passenger, and the driver of the Ford were all transported to area hospitals to be treated for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

The northbound lanes, as well as the left southbound lane, were closed for approximately an hour while Troopers and emergency personnel investigated the crash.

 Speed is believed to be a factor in this collision; however, all aspects of this crash remain under investigation.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Isaiah Acquaye at Isaiah.J.Acquaye@dos.nh.gov.

Visitors to the New Hampshire State House Visitor Center will have the opportunity to view New Hampshire’s 1776 Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration of Independence and an 1823 William J. Stone engraving of the Declaration. The Dunlap Broadside is on display through July 8, while the Stone engraving will remain on display through July 10.

 “New Hampshire has played a proud role in shaping our nation’s history — from being the first colony to rebel against British rule with the Pine Tree Riot, to adopting the first state constitution, to our First in the Nation Primary,” said Governor Ayotte. “I’m excited that Granite Staters and people visiting our state during the celebration of America 250 will have the opportunity to view these historic documents and that we will also play a part in the celebration in our nation’s capital. As we honor our nation this Independence Day, I invite everyone to come catch a glimpse of history at the State House.”

Following the Continental Congress’s adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, Philadelphia printer John Dunlap produced approximately 200 broadsides—single-sheet printed copies of the document—for distribution throughout the colonies. One of these rare copies arrived in New Hampshire on July 16, 1776, where it was read aloud to citizens and reprinted in local newspapers. The document is believed to have passed through the hands of Meshech Weare, New Hampshire’s first president.

Today, the State of New Hampshire, through the New Hampshire State Archives, shares custody of the Dunlap Broadside with the American Independence Center in Exeter.

Also on display is an 1823 engraving created by William J. Stone. Commissioned by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, the engraving was produced to preserve the text and appearance of the Declaration of Independence for future generations. Stone’s work is widely regarded as the most detailed and accurate facsimile of the original Declaration and has served as the basis for many reproductions since its creation.

“New Hampshire’s revolutionary spirit runs deep and there’s no better way to mark the nation’s semiquincentennial than by exhibiting some of the most precious foundational documents among the millions in the State Archives,” said New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan. “Given New Hampshire’s primary role in the cause for independence, we’re pleased to share them with Granite Staters.”

New Hampshire’s second Stone Copy of the Declaration of Independence, which is part of the N.H. State Library’s collection, will be on display at the U.S. Department of State’s Harry S. Truman Building as part of the National Museum of American Diplomacy’s “Among the Powers of the Earth” exhibition that runs through July 2027.

“New Hampshire’s delegates were among the very first to sign the Declaration of Independence, and our state is home to the first state library in the country, which was established in 1717 – nearly 60 years before the Declaration of Independence itself was issued,” said Adam Crepeau, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “The Stone Copy that was distributed to celebrate the United States’ 50th anniversary is one of nearly 500,000 items in the State Library’s collection today and is a breathtaking reminder of our country’s founding. We are honored that it, along with our shared ideals of liberty and self-determination, will be shared with visitors to Washington, D.C. as part of the country’s 250th celebration.”

The New Hampshire State House will be open for tours, including viewing the Stone Copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Dunlap Broadside, on July 4, in celebration of America 250. Click here for more information.

More than a dozen local groups and many individuals marched in celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community, with the goal of promoting visibility, dignity and equal rights.

Pride has its roots in the 1969 Stonewall uprising, a series of demonstrations against police oppression of gay bars in New York City. Those protests are widely regarded as the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the United States.

The Downtown Nashua Association, in partnership with the Pride Empowerment Network, organized and hosted this year’s Pride festival. Organizers said more than 2,700 people attended the afternoon-long event.

There were performances throughout the day, and more than 50 vendors offered LGBTQIA+ resources and activities around the outfield of the ballpark. Big Gay Events brought 10 drag performers to Nashua for shows at the festival and around downtown.

“We couldn’t have been happier with the turnout of over 2,500 people, especially as we moved the event to this new venue at Holman Stadium,” Downtown Nashua Association Executive Director Alyssa O’Mara said. “It was so moving to see families and groups of friends spread out on the grass and picnic tables, lingering longer, playing yard games and enjoying the music. The sense of connection was truly unforgettable. Thank you to everyone who helped make this day so special in Nashua.”

New Hampshire Outright was selected as the beneficiary organization for the Pride event proceeds. The group’s Nashua chapter, which marked its one-year anniversary in April, provides support and resources for LGBTQIA+ youth across the region.

During program year 2026-2027, children enrolled in a sponsored United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) participating school/s, Residential Child Care Institution (RCCI) or other institution may be eligible to receive Free and Reduced-Price Meals benefits or Free Special Milk benefits if your family’s income qualifies. Enrolled students from a household receiving SNAP, FDPIR or TANF assistance are automatically eligible to receive free meal benefits.

An application is not required for free meal benefits for Assistance Program participants (ex. SNAP). Children in the household of Assistance Program participants are eligible for free meal benefits, and this free benefit is extended to all children in the household. Contact your child’s school if not all children in the Assistance Program household are not receiving free benefits.

When known to the LEA, households will be notified of any child’s eligibility for free meals if the individual child is considered under “Other Source Categorically Eligible” where the child is categorized or defined by law as foster, homeless, migrant, runaway, enrolled in an eligible Head Start, or enrolled in an eligible Kindergarten class. That designated child is free, and the benefit is not extended to others. If any child were not listed on the notice of eligibility, please contact the child’s school about their eligibility through an Other Source Categorically Eligible Program or submit a free and reduced income application.

Households must contact their child’s school to apply for free and reduced-price meals or free milk if the school has the Special Milk Program. The children’s school will give instructions of how to submit an application to a school or LEA office. Direct any questions about the application process to the child’s school. If the household is receiving benefits under Assistance Programs or Other Categorically Eligible Programs and are not notified by the school of their free meal benefits, the household should call their child’s school.

If the household has been notified of their children’s eligibility, but chooses to decline the meal benefits, the household should contact their children’s school.

A household may apply for benefits at any time during the school year. Children of parents or guardians who become unemployed or experience a financial hardship mid-year may become eligible for free and reduced-price meals or free milk at any point during the school year. Only one application is required for all children in the household attending schools in the same LEA. Only the last four digits of the Social Security Number of the household’s primary wage earner or another adult household member (or an indication of “none”) is needed when submitting the application. Information submitted on the application may be subject to verification.

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) participants may be certified as eligible for free and reduced-price meals through the application process.

Categorical eligibility for free meal benefits is extended to all children in a household when the application lists an Assistance Program’s case number for any household member. Households with any member who is currently certified to receive Assistance Program benefits may submit an application with abbreviated information as indicated on the application and instructions.

Households with children who are categorically eligible through an Other Source Categorically Eligible designation may be eligible for free benefits and should contact the school or LEA for assistance in receiving benefits. A foster child is categorically eligible for free meals and may be included as a member of the foster family if the foster family chooses to also apply for benefits for other children. Including children in foster care as household members may help other children in the household qualify for benefits. If non-foster children in a foster family are not eligible for free or reduced-price meal benefits, an eligible foster child will still receive free benefits.

An application for free and reduced-price benefits cannot be approved unless complete eligibility information is submitted, as indicated on the application and in the instructions. A household may appeal the application decision, using the hearing procedure described in the LEA’s free and reduced-price policy statement.

For up to 30 operating days into the new school year (or until a new eligibility determination is made, whichever comes first) an individual child’s free or reduced-price eligibility status from the previous year will continue within the same LEA. When the carryover period ends, unless the household is notified that their children are directly certified or the household submits an application that is approved, the children’s meals must be claimed at the paid rate. Though encouraged to do so, the LEA is not required to send a reminder or a notice of expired eligibility.

 Blood is urgently needed during summer months, and this drive is currently only at half its desired sign-ups. Donors will receive a $15 gift card and will get a chance to win a whopping $7,500 prize.

Walk-ins are welcome, but it would be helpful to sign up ahead of time. Make your appointment today at redcrossblood.org by searching sponsor code NASHUA, or by scanning the QR code in the attached image.

Monday, June 22

• Greater Nashua Revolving Loan Fund: 8:30 AM at Room 208, 229 Main St
• Pennichuck - Audit, Finance and Risk Committee: 4:30 PM at 25 Walnut St Pennichuck - Audit, Finance and Risk Committee.

Tuesday, June 23 [1]

·         Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Capital Expenditures and Debt Service Planning:

6:00 PM at 229 Main St

• Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting: 6:30 PM at the 3rd Floor Auditorium, 229 Main St
• Board of Aldermen: 7:30 PM at the Aldermanic Chambers, 229 Main St Board of Aldermen.

Wednesday, June 24

• Committee on Infrastructure & Library Board of Trustees Joint Meeting: 6:00 PM at the Aldermanic Chamber, 229 Main St
• Nashua Public Library Board of Trustees Special Meeting: 6:45 PM at Room 208, 2nd Floor
• Committee on Infrastructure: 7:00 PM at the Aldermanic Chamber, 229 Main St

Thursday, June 25 [1]

• Board of Public Works: 4:00 PM at the Mine Falls Conference Room, DPW Administration Building
• Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Capital Expenditures & Debt Service Planning: 6:00 PM at 229 Main St Capital Expenditures and Debt Service Planning.

 To view full agendas, access location details, or check for any last-minute schedule changes, you can visit the City of Nashua Main Calendar or the City of Nashua CivicClerk Portal.

Official Live Streams (Web Browsers)

You can watch gavel-to-gavel live streams of city operations directly through the CTV Live Streams Portal on the City of Nashua Website:

• Board of Aldermen & Infrastructure Committees: Watch on the Government TV 16 Live Stream.
• School Board & Education Committees: Watch on the Nashua ETV Live Stream.

YouTube Channels (Live & Archived Recordings)

If you miss a live broadcast, the city categorizes and uploads meeting archives onto dedicated YouTube channels:

• Board of Aldermen & City Subcommittees: Available on the Nashua BOA Meetings YouTube Channel.
• Board of Education & School Committees: Available on the Nashua BOE Meetings YouTube Channel.
• General Educational & Community Programming: Available on the Nashua ETV YouTube Channel and Nashua Public Television Channel 6.

Officials discussed initiatives to ensure the safety of all residents and visitors while driving, boating, swimming, or exploring the Granite State. They also provided updates on changes in seasonal operations and currently available resources.

SUMMER SAFETY TIPS & REMINDERS:

Through initiatives funded by the Office of Highway Safety, increased law enforcement patrols will be deployed throughout the state to enforce all traffic safety laws, with a focus on impairment, speed, and distraction.

• Alcohol is not permitted on Hampton Beach. Fireworks are unlawful in the town of Hampton.

• Children under the age of 13 are required to always wear a United States Coast Guard-approved lifejacket while underway on a boat. It is good practice for everyone on board to wear one.

• Pay extra attention and watch for workers while driving through construction zones.

• Granite State residents can sign up for NHAlerts to receive public safety notifications. 

• If hiking, dress for the weather appropriately and leave a written plan with a friend or loved one.

• In the event of an emergency, contact 9-1-1 immediately. Call if you can, and text if you can’t.

While my Spigelia is happy enough, many plants are struggling with the hot temperatures that have continued from last week, and the dry, dry soil. The heat and lack of moisture have me specifically concerned for veggie plantings. When plants are subjected to continual environmental stressors, it impacts not only their growth, but their ability to withstand disease and pests. It even impacts their ability to produce fruit, as well as the quality.

Try to keep up with your watering as best as you can, as well as maintaining a fertilizing schedule. I will be giving all my plantings a good, natural liquid fertilizer (I use fish emulsion from Neptune’s Harvest–made in Gloucester, MA!). Watering in a liquid fertilizer is great this time of year because it allows the plant to access the nutrients faster. Granular fertilizers are also great, but it takes more time for those nutrients to work their way down through the soil column.

In the veggie beds, I FINALLY got the last of my seedlings in the ground: tomatillos and okra galore! But, let me tell you, I was not motivated to do so, so I threw them in the ground quickly. I might have crowded them a little in my haste. Sometimes it is tough to take my own advice and plan ahead! I do adore growing tomatillos; they produce a lot, pollinators love them, and boy, are they great for cooking. Make braised pork with them! Or, be like me, and make batches and batches of roasted salsa verde. Some things to know about tomatillos:

●       You need at least two plants to produce fruit because they require cross pollination.

●       Give them plenty of space and use plant supports. These guys grow like crazy. Even with my best efforts to prune and sucker them, tomatillos grow WILD canopies.

And my burgundy okra? I make gumbo, of course! My brother-in-law is a cook and taught me a great recipe (though his is always better than mine). I have about six plants for him. One thing I love about gardening is the communal aspect of getting to share my spoils and enjoy the delight of others. Later in the season, if all goes well, I will also get to show off the stunning okra flowers: a butter yellow petal with a deep maroon center.

If like me, you try to keep your garden organic, remember that the name of the game is prevention! Before you see symptoms, I recommend using a natural fungicidal spray on plants like tomatoes, which are very susceptible to disease. This combined with using good horticultural practices (watering at the base of the plant and watering the plant so it has enough time to dry before nightfall), will set you up for success. If you have blight in your soil (most do these days), sometimes success means simply slowing down a disease enough to get a good harvest. Being preventative is imperative to that equation.

Moving on to what’s buggin’ us in the garden:

●       The flea beetles have found my tomatoes! Remember, this damage looks like “shotgun holes” in the foliage of the plant. I use an organic spinosid spray to help manage them.

●       Rose Slugs! A customer brought in a sample of foliage from their rose bush that showed rose slug damage. This pest strips leaves, layer by layer, and can cause a lot of harm.

Looking ahead I will also be keeping an eye out for the four-lined plant bug, as well as the potato leafhopper. Both are very destructive, and observing them early is very helpful in controlling the problem. Additionally, if you are concerned about crabgrass in your lawn and you use natural lawn care, be sure to apply your natural weed preventer (corn gluten) on June 25th. This should be an ideal time to stop the second generation of crabgrass from germinating.

Enough pest talk let’s talk blooms! While many peonies are starting to pass by, my white peonies are just getting started and they are lovely. My cornflowers that were wintersown are showing off, which is exciting for me–I’ve never grown them before and it’s my first attempt at wintersowing. But the real showstopper? The Mountain Laurel! They are so beautiful this year. Many of our local wooded hiking trails have Mountain Laurel. Do yourself a favor and go scouting for some!

One last note, Nashua Farmers’ crew will be going on vacation from July 1st through the 14th. Come and grab any garden essentials or animal feed needs by June 29th!

Kate Ratta is the manager of the local feed store Nashua Farmers' Exchange, Inc. She has more than 10 years of experience working in the business owned by her aunt and uncle, Judy Ratta-Harrington and Gene Harrington, and will be contributing weekly garden reports. The store is located at 38½ Bridge Street in Nashua in the converted Boston & Maine and Concord Railroad station.

As usual, I’m here to tell you about the hippest happenings Downtown for the weekend and beyond. BUT! I would be remiss not to emphasize how huge, colorful, and fun Nashua PRIDE is going to be on Saturday. 

The parade begins at 1:30pm at the Soldiers & Sailors Monument and will make its way to Holman Stadium where the Festival kicks off, full force, at 2pm. Right off the bat, we’ve got Rhythm and Roots dance company performing until 3pm, when DJ Lanena takes over the stage with some bumpin’ music and she returns at 5pm.  At 4pm & 6pm, ridiculously fabulous drag queens will perform in decadent dress, bringing high-kicking energy to the festivities.

The Festival concludes at 7pm but the fun does not stop. At 7:30pm, you simply must make your way over to the Pavilion Stage (Downtown on the new Riverwalk) for a free, knock-your-socks-off concert by Vices Inc. THEN at 8:30pm, you’re taking a short walk to Martha’s Exchange for the 21+ After-party where you will be dazzled by yet more glitzy drag queens.

It’s going to be a full-day PRIDE EXTRAVAGANZA so don’t you dare miss it. Admission to the Nashua PRIDE Festival is free, but you do need to register. 

Not a PRIDE person? That’s ok! Take a look at the other great events that are happening over the next week.

Hope to see you Downtown!
Elaina Bedio, Downtown Nashua Association 

Thursday 6/18

9:30AM: Summer Kickoff BBQ at Nashua Senior Activity Center

5:00PM: Pokémon League Night at Grave Troll Games

5:00PM: Buck-a-Shuck Oysters at The Pearl

5:30PM: Sam Vlasich at Union Public House

6:00PM: Thursday Night Karaoke at The Spot

7:00PM: Dierks Bentley Tickets Raffle at O'Brien's Sports Bar

7:30PM: LEGO User Group at Nashua Public Library

7:30PM: Open Mic Night at Casey Magee's Irish Pub

7:30PM: Trivia Night at Liquid Therapy

Friday 6/19

7:30AM: Sacred Start at Vibe Yoga

12:30PM: Fryday - fried specials all day at Soel Sistas Café

2:00PM: Juneteenth Celebration at Downtown Riverwalk

3:00PM: Free Drop-in Painting Class at ArtHub

5:30PM: 40hr Aerial Instructor Certification

6:30PM: Triana Live Acoustic at Soel Sistas Café 

7:30PM:  Ian Archibold at Union Public House

8:00PM: Anthony Rodia: Insanely Funny Tour at Nashua Center for the Arts

9:30PM: Karaoke Dance Party at Casey Magee's Irish Pub

Saturday 6/20

11:00AM: Community Cookout at Revive Recovery Resource Ctr

12:00PM: Songwriters of NH Monthly Meeting at Nashua Public Library

1:30PM: Nashua PRIDE Parade at Soldiers & Sailors Monument

2:00PM: Nashua PRIDE Festival at Holman Stadium

2:00PM: Local Author Q&A David Duford at Bound Together

7:30PM: Vices Inc (Nashua Pride Concert) at Riverwalk Pavilion 

7:30PM: Jamie Hughes at Union Public House

8:00PM:  Glitter and Guitars Duo at Casey Magee's Irish Pub

8:30PM: Nashua PRIDE After-Party at Martha's Exchange

9:30PM:  Straight A's at The Peddler's Daughter

Sunday 6/21

10:00AM: Nashua Farmers Market

10:30AM: Fathers Day Puppy Yoga at Aerial Moon

10:00AM: Sunday Brunch at Union Public House

3:00PM:  The Incidentals at Stella Blu

Monday 6/22

8:00PM: Tipsy Bingo at The Peddler's Daughter

10:00PM: Industry Night & Karaoke at Fody's Tavern

Tuesday 6/23

5:00PM: Tacos & Tequila at Stella Blu

7:00PM: Trivia at The Peddler's Daughter

8:00PM: Music Bingo at Fody's Tavern

Wednesday 6/24

5:30PM: SJ Martin at Union Public House

6:00PM: Beginners' Calligraphy at Local Street Eats

7:00PM: Free Movie Night at The Spot: No Sudden Move (2021)

8:00PM: Trivia at Fody's Tavern

At 7:50 p.m., Wednesday, June 17, 2026, State Troopers assigned to the Troop B barracks responded to a motorcycle crash near Exit 4 on I-93 southbound.

The preliminary investigation determined that the rider of a Harley-Davidson FLHX motorcycle, identified as Jeffrey Landry, 61, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was traveling southbound when, for reasons that remain under investigation, he veered off the road into the median, where the motorcycle rolled, throwing him off the motorcycle.

Landry, who was wearing a helmet, suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital in Massachusetts by a medical helicopter.

The northbound lanes of I-93 were shut down for about 35 minutes. Troopers were assisted on scene by members of the Londonderry Fire Department. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Abigail Wells at mailto:Abigail.A.Wells@dos.nh.gov.

It would also be easy for services and support for clients to exist in these same silos. That is the default in most places I have lived in and in most communities generally. Rather than a spirit of collaboration, there is a sense of competition.

Nashua is different. In Nashua, you’ll instead find an intentional, metaphorical linking of arms because our local nonprofits recognize that the people we work with independently have needs that are deeply interconnected, and therefore, our agencies need to be as well. Nashua’s collaborative nature isn’t an accident. It exists because of intentional partnerships and a daily, conscious choice to put community needs over individual organizations.

When I first moved to Nashua in 2018, I remember repeatedly being told about how special our local nonprofits are and about how they work collaboratively for this community in a way “unique to this city.” At first, I saw that as jargon and didn’t really see or understand what it truly meant. Once I joined a local nonprofit team in 2022, that spirit of collaboration and wrap-around support I had heard so much about began to come into view.

Now, nearly four years to-the-day into my time here, this view is my everyday reality. Instead of looking at collaboration as a local buzzword, I instead get to see it in action daily and be a part of it. Witnessing firsthand how our nonprofits and larger community show up for one another changed my perspective and has shown me again and again what can happen when we choose to come together instead of competing.

Through this collaboration the hope is that when an individual or family walks through the doors of one community agency, they get access to all the doors. The alternative, and reality in many places, is that clients may have to navigate an overwhelming maze of paperwork and service options and share their story repeatedly. In Nashua, we try to have a “warm handoff” model that avoids this.

Before I moved to Nashua, I spent almost two years working in a similar sized city at a local nonprofit. There, my experience was that service agencies work primarily independently, referral systems are a nightmare, and collaboration was something frowned upon instead of celebrated. When I moved here, I expected the same thing. And at first, that was what I got because I didn’t try to buy in. But then I started to see it in action. One morning, while I sat and drank my cup of coffee, I listened to two nonprofit leaders build a collaborative program from the ground up because they had chatted previously and saw a common client need without a solution. And then, a few weeks later, as I sipped on that morning’s beverage, I heard one of those same people connecting with a potential program partner they’d been introduced to by the person they’d met in the weeks before. And it started to click. Nashua is special. Our nonprofits are a large interwoven network working to ensure Nashua’s residents have the care and resources they need and deserve.

Something that makes this possible is the human connection element that is something special and unique to this city. Collaboration doesn’t happen by accident; it happens because the people at these agencies know and trust one another. You can walk into the local coffee shop or attend a Chamber of Commerce event and see this happening in real-time. Similarly, it is a common occurrence to see the staff members from other agencies volunteering for signature events. Showing up for each other, informal networks, care-based roundtables, and casual morning coffee conversations are where organic partnerships are born. They build trust and allow organizations to talk to each other to solve a problem in real-time and create long-term solutions to issues unique to Nashua and its residents. This collaboration works because we all share a common goal: we all believe in this community and the Nashua we are all trying to build.

I think of Bridges: Domestic & Sexual Violence Support Services, Inc. collaborating with youth-serving organizations like the Boys & Girls Club to provide prevention education at an age-appropriate level to young people in their programs.

I think of the Humane Society for Greater Nashua partnering with Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County for the Pet Go Program to make sure that homebound seniors and their pets can stay together without worry.

I think of Nashua PAL partnering with Beaver Brook Association to ensure that Nashua’s kids and teens have more than the average 7 minutes of outside time daily. (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

This focus goes beyond direct service and client support. It stays true behind the scenes; local Development Directors come together to brainstorm and partner on funding opportunities rather than compete for them. In a field where resources are famously tight, this is really refreshing because it creates the opportunity for us to meet monthly to brainstorm, discuss successes and hardships, and deepen our organizational relationships. With so many organizations at the table and looking to find solutions for our community together, it inherently unlocks creativity and allows ideas to become reality.

Because our local organizations choose collaboration over competition, we often have a front-row seat to some of the most innovative, quiet work being done in and around Nashua. The type of work that doesn’t usually make the front page but is making a true impact on the community. In this upcoming biweekly series, we’ll highlight the lesser-known programs and organizations, and the people behind them, working to create real change and find solutions for Nashua’s needs. 

Tara Levine is a Development Director at a local nonptofit agency where her work is fueled by a profound commitment to the Greater Nashua area. A catalyst for regional collaboration, she is the Co-Founder of the Nonprofit Development Professionals Network of Southern New Hampshire and a founding advisory board member for the Pride Empowerment Network (P.E.N.). She is also an avid community volunteer, and building authentic relationships is at the core of everything she does. Tara lives and works in Nashua, where she loves exploring new hiking trails, catching up with friends over coffee at local shops, and spending time at home with her husband and two cats.

CONCORD, NH — Today, Governor Ayotte joined leadership from Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast in Londonderry, NH to officially unveil the New Hampshire collectible mini-can, celebrating America250.

The Coca-Cola Company is celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary by introducing collectable mini-cans from each state. New Hampshire’s can features a hiker in a tribute to the Granite State’s stunning landscapes, renowned hiking trails, and love for the outdoors.  

“I’m proud to be a part of today’s unveiling of New Hampshire’s commemorative Coca-Cola can in celebration of our country’s 250th Anniversary and our beautiful state,” said Governor Ayotte. “From the Pine Tree Riot to our First in the Nation Primary, New Hampshire has played a proud role in shaping our country’s history, and I’m excited that Coca-Cola is showcasing our natural beauty and independent spirit as we celebrate America 250.”

“Coke Northeast is proud to be your local Coca-Cola bottler, based right here in New Hampshire, and is honored to present Governor Kelly Ayotte with the first New Hampshire ‘Ameri-cans’ produced in New England, a tribute to our great state and to her role in representing all that makes New Hampshire a special place to live, work, and play,” said Susannah Smith, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications for Coke Northeast. “As America250 approaches, we look forward to celebrating this historic milestone and New Hampshire’s enduring role in our nation’s story – one that helped shape the spirit of independence that defines America today.”

The limited-edition New Hampshire cans will be available at retailers across the state ahead of the July 4 holiday.  

The Act would require the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to examine the impacts of its expanded implementation of “Build America, Buy America” — a key part of the 2021 infrastructure law requiring building materials be made in the USA — to a range of housing programs, which has sparked concern over increased costs and construction delays for new affordable homes.

The legislation also narrowly pauses these rules to allow housing providers to swiftly address the housing crisis while the requirements are assessed. 

“New Hampshire is in a full-blown housing crisis, and hardworking people are paying the price every month in higher rents and home prices they cannot afford,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “Right now, a single federal rule is senselessly jacking up costs and adding massive delays to the urgent mission before us: building the tens of thousands of homes the people of New Hampshire urgently need. Our bipartisan Build Housing Affordably Act cuts needless red tape that is standing in our way and paves the way for affordable homes, built much sooner, at a lower cost to the Granite Staters who need them.” 

“Across the country, and especially in Nebraska, the shortage of affordable housing options is making life more expensive for families,” said Congressman Flood (R-NE). “Our bipartisan Build Housing Affordably Act cuts the government red tape and bureaucracy standing in the way of building homes American families can afford. Congress is making real progress on addressing the rising cost of home ownership, and this bill keeps us moving toward a future where an affordable home is once again within reach for every family.”

Affordable housing developments frequently rely on layered financing from federal, state, local, and private sources. When a federal requirement changes material sourcing, compliance documentation, or waiver timing after financing is assembled, delays in one part of the process can threaten the entire project. The Build Housing Affordably Act is designed to prevent those disruptions by requiring HUD to produce data before broader implementation and by giving housing providers a predictable waiver process.

The legislation does not repeal Build America, Buy America. Instead, it requires HUD to show how the policy is affecting affordable housing production before imposing additional costs and delays on projects that already operate on tight budgets and strict construction timelines.

The bill has garnered broad support from affordable housing advocates across New Hampshire. 

“The NH Home Builders Association applauds the bi-partisan approach Congresswoman Goodlander takes in pursuing ways to bring housing costs down. Her efforts to look critically at BABA in terms of residential construction is paramount in these affordability efforts. Our members tell us that BABA is inadvertently adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to construction costs. We are thankful to Representative Goodlander for engaging our members in this conversation, listening to our concerns and acting on that data,” said Matt Mayberry, CEO of the New Hampshire Home Builders Association. 

“The Build America Buy America Act, as currently implemented, has presented serious challenges for those working to meet the housing needs of Granite Staters with federal funds. We are grateful to Congresswoman Goodlander and Congressman Flood for introducing this legislation to streamline and expedite the BABA review and approval process,” said Rob Dapice, Executive Director and CEO of New Hampshire Housing.

"New Hampshire’s affordable housing shortage demands urgency,” said Nick Taylor, Executive Director of Housing Action NH. “Affordable housing projects contain more than 1,500 individual components, many of which simply are not manufactured in the United States. As a result, developers are spending valuable time and resources navigating compliance and BABA waiver processes instead of building homes. While we support the goal of strengthening domestic manufacturing, federal housing programs must be designed to work in the real world and deliver results for Granite Staters. Right now, these requirements are driving up costs, delaying projects, and reducing the number of affordable homes that can be built with scarce public resources. We thank Representatives Maggie Goodlander and Mike Flood for introducing the Build Housing Affordably Act, which takes a practical, bipartisan approach to ensuring federal housing dollars produce as many affordable homes as possible.”

Goodlander has made lowering housing costs a top priority in Congress. Last month, she helped pass H.R. 6644, the 21st-Century ROAD to Housing Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at expanding access to financing for building and renovating homes, cutting down on antiquated bureaucracy that fuels the housing shortage, and improving implementation of Build America, Buy America requirements for the HOME program.

Goodlander has worked to address a number of factors driving sky-high housing costs. She has helped introduce bipartisan legislation to expand financing for accessory dwelling units and affordable housing development, supported cracking down on corporate landlords and private equity firms that drive up rents and home prices, and backed efforts to increase housing supply and make homeownership more accessible for working families, seniors, and first-time buyers.

The following groups support the Build Housing Affordably Act: Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, American Institute of Architects (AIA), Bipartisan Policy Center Action, Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), Council for Affordable and Rural Housing (CARH), Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), Council of State Community Development Associations (COSCDA), Enterprise Community Partners, Habitat for Humanity International, Housing Advisory Group, Housing Partnership Network (HPN), Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), National Affordable Housing Management Association, National Apartment Association (NAA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), National Association of Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB), National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (NALHFA), National Association of REALTORS (NAR), National Association of State and Local Equity Funds (NASLEF), National Community Development Association (NCDA), National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA), National Housing & Rehabilitation Association (NH&RA), National Housing Trust, National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), National NeighborWorks Association, Novogradac, Public Housing Authority Directors Association (PHADA), Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF), and Up for Growth Action.

The full bill text is available here.

In addition to its overall ranking, Nashua achieved the 4th-highest Quality of City Services score in the nation. The study also highlighted Nashua's exceptional performance in several key categories, including a #2 national ranking for safety and a #4 ranking for economic performance.

"This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of our municipal employees, community partners, elected officials, and residents," said Mayor Jim Donchess. "Nashua continues to demonstrate that responsible fiscal management and high-quality public services go hand-in-hand. We are proud that our commitment to public safety, economic opportunity, and quality of life is being recognized on a national stage."

WalletHub's rankings compare cities across six major categories: financial stability, education, health, safety, economy, and infrastructure and pollution. Researchers then measure those outcomes against each city's per-capita budget to determine which municipalities provide the greatest value to residents.

The report noted Nashua's strong performance on safety and economic indicators, as well as its low poverty rate, which contributed to one of the highest overall service-quality scores in the country. Nashua joins neighboring Manchester, which ranked 3rd overall, in demonstrating New Hampshire's strong tradition of effective local government.

"Nashua's success is the result of thoughtful planning, sound budgeting, and a shared commitment to building a city where people want to live, work, raise a family, and start a business," Mayor Donchess added. "While rankings are not our goal, they affirm that the investments we make on behalf of our residents are producing real results."

For more information about the WalletHub study, visit WalletHub's Best- and Worst-Run Cities in America (2026).

Brian currently serves as the Executive Director for American Heart Association Northern New England. He is responsible for overseeing all fundraising activities and volunteer leadership across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Central Massachusetts with a total revenue responsibility of 2 M.

Brian holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health Psychology from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and a Master’s degree in Business from Cambridge College. Brian, his wife Jess, daughter Alexa, and son Aidan have been proud New Hampshire residents since 2009. We are excited to bring Brian into the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce as we head into the next 100 years of work in the community.

“I am honored to join the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce and look forward to building relationships throughout the community,” said Brian. “Greater Nashua has a strong reputation for innovation, collaboration, and economic vitality. I am excited to become part of that momentum, support our members, and work alongside business and community leaders to help the region continue to grow and thrive.”

Monday, June 15

• NPAC Corp. Meeting | 8:00 AM
• 201 Main St. Real Estate Corp. | 8:15 AM
• Public Health Advisory Council | 1:00 PM | 18 Mulberry St.
• Human Affairs Committee | 7:00 PM

Tuesday, June 16

• Mayor’s Opioid Taskforce | 9:30 AM
• Planning and Economic Development Committee (with Public Hearing for O-26-013) | 7:00 PM

Wednesday, June 17

• Finance Committee | 7:00 PM

Thursday, June 18

• Ambulance Advisory Committee | 3:00 PM | Nashua Fire-Rescue, 177 Lake Street
• Ad Hoc Joint Committee on Capital Expenditures and Debt Service Planning | 6:00 PM
• Special Board of Aldermen (Public Hearing on R-26-044) | 7:00 PM

To view full agendas, access location details, or check for any last-minute schedule changes, you can visit the City of Nashua Main Calendar or the City of Nashua CivicClerk Portal.

Official Live Streams (Web Browsers)

You can watch gavel-to-gavel live streams of city operations directly through the CTV Live Streams Portal on the City of Nashua Website:

• Board of Aldermen & Infrastructure Committees: Watch on the Government TV 16 Live Stream.
• School Board & Education Committees: Watch on the Nashua ETV Live Stream.

YouTube Channels (Live & Archived Recordings)

If you miss a live broadcast, the city categorizes and uploads meeting archives onto dedicated YouTube channels:

• Board of Aldermen & City Subcommittees: Available on the Nashua BOA Meetings YouTube Channel.
• Board of Education & School Committees: Available on the Nashua BOE Meetings YouTube Channel.
• General Educational & Community Programming: Available on the Nashua ETV YouTube Channel and Nashua Public Television Channel 6.

“This department has the most daily contact with residents. They are our superheroes, doing the work of the city every day, and this event is a way for us to get better known by our residents,” said Lauren Beyer of the Recreation Department.

Parks and Recreation, along with the Engineering, Solid Waste, Streets and Wastewater departments, hosted information tables. About two dozen local vendors and five food trucks were on hand to connect with attendees.

It was an all-hands-on-deck day for the Division of Public Works. In addition to Parks and Recreation staff who manage events like this, staff from each department in public works greeted residents, handed out goodies to kids and explained their roles in keeping the city operating.

Parks and Recreation’s goal is to present free family fun, and the event delivered. The department gave away lightsabers, capes, masks and ice cream, and treated the crowd to a performance of the Superhero Experience Show.

More than 300 inflatable lightsabers were handed out, and wave after wave of kids joined in the Jedi Saber Training & Demonstration. The small but mighty Jedi recruits smiled and laughed through their encounter with “the force.”

A big feature of the day was the “Touch-a-Truck” experience. A fleet of city vehicles and their crews were on hand for kids and families to explore. Garbage trucks, a boom truck, a street sweeper, a tractor and an industrial-scale lawn mower were all on display.

Taking the hands-on truck theme literally, public works staff applied paint to children’s hands and invited them to add their handprints to the blade of a city snowplow. Next winter, residents may spot a plow rolling by with hundreds of colorful handprints on it.

Vendors offered free crafts. The bounce balls drew a steady crowd, and bubble machines filled the air with soapy orbs. Patches the Clown drew the longest line of the day at her balloon-animal booth.

Parks Department program specialist Eric Menard led the team that organized and presented the event.

“We are very happy with the turnout,” Menard said. “We’ve had this event formally named Opening Day in the past, as the first event of our SummerFun series. Last year we introduced the superhero aspect, and we got very positive feedback about it, so we decided to really hammer that in and market Superheroes in the Park.”

This was the first event in this year’s SummerFun series. Along with weekly concerts on Tuesday nights at the Greeley Park bandstand, the department will present the July Fourth fireworks, the Fairy Tale Festival and Wings and Wheels. For complete details, visit the Parks and Recreation page on the city’s website.

First and foremost, audiobooks are books, just like e-books are books and physical books are books. Listening to audiobooks is as much reading and good for your brain as reading print books. Nothing about listening to an audiobook is “cheating.” Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

80s children, do you remember books on tape from the library? The ones in the giant plastic bag with the handle that snapped together? It came with a book and cassette so you could read along, and there was a delightful bell when you needed to turn the page. Given the ways technology has evolved, audiobooks are a bit different now (CD, Playaway, downloadable to your device) but the benefits of reading a book as you listen to it (or listening on its own) haven’t. 

Benefits of Audiobooks

As an avid audiobook READER, Erin can tell you that she almost always has an audiobook downloaded from the public library. She will listen to anything, but prefers listening to “meaty” fiction, high fantasy, or nonfiction that she finds fascinating but doesn't have the attention span to attend to in print. The immersive quality of audiobooks improves her focus and allows her to fall into different worlds. 

Emilee will read almost any audiobook and has tried audiobooks from all the platforms below of every variety. She is a binge reader who goes through an entire series in a couple weeks and loves to test out new authors or genres; she finds it easier to abandon an audiobook that has a designated time listed. Emilee also loves to consume high fantasy through audio where the names are pronounced for you.

Books are portable, but audiobooks take portability to the next level. You can read an audiobook while driving, walking, sewing, mowing the lawn, doing chores, watching a myriad of kids’ sports, playing a game on my phone…the list goes on and on.

Audiobooks don’t have to be a solo endeavor, either! Erin’s family used to get books on CD from the library for road trips and have graduated to downloading a book (and a backup in case it is boring, they don’t like the narrator, etc.). When the kids were little, they would get a new book everyone would enjoy to make the drive go a bit faster. Now that they’re older, they tend to share books that they loved as kids or young adults, and it gives those who can’t read in the car the opportunity to still enjoy a book. 

Not an audiobook fan? Maybe you haven’t found the right one. Does it feel slow? Downloadable audiobooks can be sped up, and sometimes it is just the thing to boost your enjoyment. Don’t love the narrator? We will both 100% stop listening to an audiobook if we don’t love the narrator. Sometimes the wrong narrator can ruin even the best story. Likewise, a great narrator can make mediocre prose seem fantastic. Don’t know where to find audiobooks? We can help!

• Your local library should have books on CD and Playaways (where you just add headphones).
• Libby, the free library app. Add your library card and download audiobooks (and e-books) with ease.
• Audible is Amazon’s audiobook subscription service. They have some original material and new recordings of beloved classics (like full-cast Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings read by the actor who plays Gollum)
• Libro.fm is an audiobook membership that directly supports the independent bookstore of your choice, offering free monthly audiobooks to Educators and Librarians.

The Reliable Narrators is a column about reading and books for readers and non-readers, alike from two moms who also happen to be educators and library personnel. Emilee Williamson and Erin Roth are a school-proclaimed “dynamic duo” who love kids, books, and hosting gatherings in the library. You can expect conversations about reading (for yourself and your loved ones), book and media recommendations, and the occasional recipe inspired by a current read.

 The ACTUP! movement grew from the horrors of the worst days of the epidemic. Their unapologetic approach broke the rules of civil resistance, held government officials to account, and challenged the bigotry that held back care, research funding, and simple humanity. So much progress was made in the treatment of AIDS as a disease, and of its victims as human beings, it was devastating to see all that work put in danger by defunding of programs like USAID and the embrace of non-scientific approaches to health policy.

We now have Gay icons. Celebrity allies like Cher, the late Elizabeth Taylor, Lady Gaga and even Dolly Parton. We have out public figures from the late Barney Frank to Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen Degeneres. We see gay characters in movies and television, and they are more three dimensional and realistic every day, but to be fair, not always. But Rosie and Ellen would be good lessons on what that struggle was like, too. They risked much when they came out. They both had, and continue to have, severe critics and backlash. The same is true for ordinary people when they come out to family, friends and at work.

So here we are, 57 years after Stonewall, having survived bigotry, violence, and disease. Marriage equality is the law of the land, but our position is still precarious. Opponents of marriage equality have a Supreme Court willing to overturn it once the right case is found, using the same methodology they did for reversing Roe v Wade. Many states still don't have, or are working to repeal, protections for housing, the workplace, healthcare and education for LGBTQI+ people. A list of banned books always includes LGBTQI+ authors and subjects. We see every day the dangerous rhetoric, and bathroom bills, aimed at trans people, especially young people. To names from the past like Alan Turing, Ryan White, Matthew Shepard, Brandon Teena and too many more for our hearts to bear, we add the names of more recent victims of violence and discrimination, including Juniper Blessing, who was stabbed in her own apartment building laundry room 40 times, dozens of trans women in the past months and years, and those of the 49 killed and 58 wounded in the Pulse Nightclub Massacre, the ten year anniversary of which just passed on June 12th.

As lengthy as this article is, it is not nearly enough to even begin to do justice to LGBTQI+ history, nor to adequately express the effect of the last few years of setbacks and attacks have on our view of own country and communities. All we can ask is for our allies and members of our community to be willing to learn more, to listen to our concerns openly and with genuine interest, and to stand with us now, more than ever, as we face this renewed tide of bigotry. Let us all dedicate this Pride Month, and every month going forward, to those tasks.

Keith Thompson
Nashua

About Community Voices 

Thoughtful perspectives from our community

Community Voices is where Nashua residents share their views on local issues, and community concerns. We welcome opinion submissions that are civil, fact-based, and relevant to our city. Submissions are subject to editing and must include the author's name and local connection. Join the conversation at news@nashuaindependent.com.

• HB 656 — Relative to the authority of local school districts to accept federal grants.
• HB 1073 — Clarifying when the secretary of state shall complete the registry of New Hampshire decentralized autonomous organizations.
• HB 1381 — Extending the time of the party filing period.
• HB 1425 — Relative to the development of an online wetlands permit processing system.
• HB 1495 — Allowing a reimbursement anticipation note to be used as collateral in certain circumstances.
• HB 1549 — Establishing that titles, bills of sale, and identification documents are required only at initial registration or transfer of ownership.
• SB 499 — Relative to the membership, duties, and reporting requirements of the traffic safety commission.
• SB 500 — Relative to restroom access for certain commercial motor vehicle operators.
• SB 505 — Relative to applications for guide licenses and repealing the fee for temporary registration of nonresidents relative to OHRVs.
• SB 516 — Relative to certain unclassified positions in the department of health and human services.
• SB 595 — Relative to rulemaking for transient non-community water systems.
• SB 598 — Establishing the cyanobacteria mitigation loan and grant fund task force.
• SB 600 — Requiring the governor to submit and present a quarterly fiscal year budget report about the general and education trust funds to the general court fiscal committee.
• SB 610 — Allowing the insurance commissioner to approve innovative short or long-term care policies.
• SB 619 — Establishing procedures for expedited court hearings and disposition of confiscated animals.
• SB 633 — Relative to donations received by the granite patron of the arts fund.
• SB 644 — Requiring background checks for solid waste and hazardous waste facility owners.
• SB 655 — Relative to employee leasing companies, workers' compensation coverage options, and a minimum wage exemption for minor league baseball players.

The Governor also vetoed the following bills:

• HB 1072 — Relative to employer notice of department of labor investigations:
• HB 1643 — Relative to the report of a guardian ad litem
• SB 468 — Enabling alternative treatment centers to operate a greenhouse cultivation location.

Governor Ayotte’s veto statement for House Bill 1072 is below:

“While this bill is the product of thoughtful conversations and important considerations, it unnecessarily restricts the Department of Labor’s critical authority to swiftly respond to emergent situations where employers have failed to pay wages to their employees. New Hampshire families depend on timely paychecks, and we cannot delay the Department’s ability to react in those circumstances.”

“For the reasons stated above, I have decided to veto HB 1072.”

Governor Ayotte’s veto statement for House Bill 1643 is below:

“The role of the guardian ad litem is to assist the court in determining the best interests of the child. To that end, under current law guardians ad litem are directed by the court to gather information and, only if specifically requested by the court, make certain recommendations relating to parenting plans, schedules, and decision-making responsibilities. Ultimately, the court is responsible for making determinations relative to a child’s welfare. This bill would strip the authority of the court to request a guardian ad litem provide recommendations for consideration by the judge and limits information available to the court, which could impede its ability to ensure the best interests of a child.”

“For the reasons stated above, I have decided to veto HB 1643.”

Governor Ayotte’s veto statement for Senate Bill 468 is below:

“I do not support expanding the cultivation of marijuana in our state. For this reason, I have vetoed SB 468.”

The drive supports the Greater Nashua Shoe Fund, an ongoing United Way initiative that provides essential footwear to individuals and families in need. Every donated pair helps ensure local residents have the shoes they need to work, stay healthy, and move forward with confidence.

“Something as simple as a reliable pair of shoes can have a powerful impact on someone’s daily life,” said Mike Apfelberg, President of United Way of Greater Nashua. “It might be a pair of work shoes for a homeless youth starting their first job, or specialized footwear for a person with diabetes. Through the Greater Nashua Shoe Fund, we’re able to meet a basic but critical need for members of our community.”

The Greater Nashua Shoe Fund operates year-round, distributing footwear to children, adults, and seniors throughout the region.

Donation Details:

Community members can drop off donations from July 1 through August 31 at the following locations:

• United Way of Greater Nashua
• Crunch Fitness
• Sky Meadow Country Club
• YMCA of Greater Nashua
• Nash Casino
• Nashua Community College
• Southern NH Health
• Nashua Bingo
• Nashua Telegraph
• Gate City Casino
• Nashua Senior Activity Center
• Hudson Senior Center

In addition, a special drive-through donation event will be held:

• Tuesday, August 18
• 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• United Way Office, 20 Broad Street, Nashua

This convenient drive-through option makes it easy for community members to contribute without leaving their vehicles.

Community members may also support the effort by making an online gift to the Greater Nashua Shoe Fund at:
https://givebutter.com/greater-nashua-shoe-fund

United Way of Greater Nashua extends its thanks to McLaughlin Transportation Systems for generously sponsoring this year’s shoe drive.

By addressing a basic need, the shoe drive helps remove barriers to employment, education, and health—strengthening the overall well-being of the Greater Nashua community.

“This is a simple, meaningful way for people to give back,” Apfelberg added. “Every pair donated helps a neighbor take their next step forward.”

For more information about the shoe drive or the Greater Nashua Shoe Fund, please contact United Way at info@unitedwaynashua.org or (603) 882-4011 or visit https://unitedwaynashua.org/event/shoes/.

About United Way of Greater Nashua
United Way of Greater Nashua brings together people, organizations, and resources to address the community’s most pressing needs. Through initiatives like the Greater Nashua Shoe Fund, United Way works to improve health, financial stability, and access to essential resources for individuals and families across the region.

United Way of Greater Nashua is an independent 510(c)3 nonprofit founded in 1929 to serve the residents of Greater Nashua. Its mission is to fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community. United Way of Greater Nashua has received GuideStar and Charity Navigator’s top ratings for accountability, transparency, and financial management. For more information or to get involved as a donor or volunteer, please email United Way of Greater Nashua at, info@unitedwaynashua.org or visit their website at www.unitedwaynashua.org