Interested in knitting?

Check out the Seacoast Knitters who meet on Wednesday one week, and Thursday the next. Join the group on Meetup to learn more about the group of enthusiasts that have an obsession for knitting.

The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire is set to open in Dover in July of 2008, and according to the Museum website, currently 97,000 people visit the location in Portsmouth every year. According to the Downtown Dover Parking Facility and Management Study presented to the City Council on November 7th, 2007, the core parking area near the Butterfield Gym where the museum will be located exceeds 80% utilization during peak periods of the day, and averages 58% utilization throughout the entire day between 8AM and 4PM.

Currently a parking garage is being proposed off Orchard Street next to the historic Trela and O’neil homes; however there has not been any final decision on when construction will begin or any groundbreaking. It may take six months or more to complete the construction of the parking garage, and meanwhile visitors that will be arriving in three months will encounter the traffic congestion everyone is already familiar with in Dover NH. It is unclear whether the tax cap will affect the likelihood of there being a parking garage, however the proposal would create 514 additional spaces for cars near the future location of the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire.

The blue-green algae found in Willand Pond that prompted a health advisory notice from the City of Dover on July 11th, 2007 could actually be used to create bio-fuels such as bio-diesel to supplement the growing concern over renewable energy. Blue-green algae, like that was found in Willand Pond, could save the country billions of dollars in money spent on overseas oil, not to mention save the world from global warming.

The pond scum could alter the way we talk about energy. There has been U.S. Government research on using algae to create bio-fuel in the past; however funds were cut to the program on November 18th, 2005 under the House of Representatives Deficit Reduction Act, 217-215. The legislation included $3.7 billion dollars in cuts to the national farm bill, and low and behold the prices of food are rising due to the excessive over-production of corn for ethanol – land that cannot be used for other crops, and corn subsidies that are actually paying farmers more to drive up the price of corn.

NH RSA 227-L:17 isn’t one of those laws that could get the veto – and that’s because Smokey The Bear is cool. Here are some things you need to remember this Spring to be cool like Smokey The Bear:

• A burning permit is required to burn leaves, brush or untreated lumber, or have a camp or cooking fire in the City of Dover.
  
• To apply for a permit, go to the local fire station at 27 Durham Road.
  
• There’s no cost to obtain a burn permit, however burning without one can cost you a hefty fine.

Be safe, be smart, be cool. Like Smokey The Bear? Visit www.smokeybear.com

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