Local voices chime in on a variety of topics.
I entered the highfalutin world of thoroughbred racehorse ownership about two years ago. How big is my stable? It’s a one-horse stable. To be more precise it’s a 1/5,000th of a horse stable.
It’s not yet clear who will fund recovery efforts–whether residents alone will foot the bill through increases on their property taxes, or if Gov. Sununu’s request for a federal emergency declaration will come through–which would distribute the financial burden more widely but still place the burden on taxpayers.
Most people assume that their home insurance covers any flood damage they might have, but it does not – It is critical to appreciate that homeowners insurance almost never covers flood damage. Without a separate flood policy, any damage resulting from flooding or flood-related erosion caused by waves or currents accompanied by a severe storm, a flash flood, an abnormal tide surge, or something similar, will not be covered.
Don’t think about all of the things you’re supposed to be doing that day. Don’t think about the new novel you’ve been half-heartedly trying to write, or the book of poems being released next month, or the freelance work you’ve already agreed to cover. Don’t think about mowing the lawn, or going to the gym, or answering emails, or writing lesson plans for the next school year.
I was at the gym Monday talking with my fellow exercisers at the Y in their 50s, 60s, and 70s, following the opening of the Barbie movie (which none of us had seen), noting that Barbie, in people years, would be facing retirement soon, as she was “born” in 1959. Born in 1959, she can retire at 66 years, 10 months.
In the 1950s, her creator, Ruth Handler, noticed that her son, Kenneth (Get it: Ken) played with toy guns, trucks, and soldiers, while daughter Barbara (“Barbie”) played with baby dolls, enforcing the idea that little girls would grow up to be mothers and housewives. A prescient Handler wanted to develop a doll that would allow little girls to believe they could do and be anything. Hander and her husband Elliott with friend Harold “Matt” Matson created Mattel and there was no looking back. Daughter Barbara took part in the ceremony immortalizing Barbie’s (full name: Barbara Millicent Roberts) hand and footprints in cement on Hollywood Boulevard in 2002.
It feels great to be back in my element! Writing about food for Manchester Ink Link. It’s been a while and my foodie proclivities aren’t what they used to be. They’re far better. And that is what my new column is all about. The transformative – if not lifesaving, always healthier – nutritional opportunities for well-being and longevity.
On July 13, Bill Reynolds, a Providence Journal columnist for almost 40 years, passed away at age 78. For the journalism community at-large, this is a monumental loss, and for me, personally, one of my literary idols is now gone.
With the Manchester municipal races officially starting, I am thrilled to extend my personal endorsement to June Trisciani for Mayor of Manchester. I’ve had the privilege of working closely with June during her tenure as Chair of the Planning Board, and I’ve seen firsthand her leadership and dedication to our city as our representative for Alderman At-Large.
People who live in the area can get involved in making their communities safer. We need Manchester neighbors to tell us how we can make Beech and Maple Streets better. We want to know what they need, what they want, and what could make our streets safer, but also more livable and enjoyable for all – including our families and children.
If you have student loans, you may be getting a break, or you may have to pay in full. If you don’t have any student loans, you will still benefit from the stronger financial foundation this will provide to your community. Seriously.
Clearly, Jay Goldberg is looking to have the project optioned for Hollywood, and the quickest way to get that done is to include a rising movie star like myself—a stud with a face made for radio—into the multimedia project.
I was listening to the radio the other day and the song, “The Heat is On” by Glenn Frey came on. Aside from really liking the song – and being instantly transported to a time when my biggest concern was looking cool in my parachute pants as I strutted down the street – I thought about how hot it has been.
Many bemoan, myself included, the demise of the independent booksellers. There have been a few bookstores in the past that hold a special place in me.
“Taylor Swift’s album came out last night, and we told our daughter we would listen to it with her tonight,” Liz said. This seemed consistent with the trajectory of my life lately: As soon as solace gets close enough to sniff, something rips it from my grasp. “I can’t wait,” I said.
Please support our efforts to retain this building as a space for creative growth, as a strong thread of our social fabric, in hopes that we will once again be the Queen City we are destined to be.
What too many people don’t realize is that some attempts to “help” can actually hurt. This hurt can be emotional, physical, or both. I use a walker mostly for balance issues. I am very independent, I can live alone and get around on my own, and I do not need a companion or caregiver to help me get through life. Nor do I want one. I can open doors on my own.
It has been lo, these many years since I bore the thousand insults of bookstore shoppers venturing my way. Spotting a plastic employee name badge is license for invective but it is no license for shared stupidity. I patrolled the aisles for three chain bookstores in the Manchester area over 15 years: the now-defunct Lauriat’s and Paperback Booksmith, and Barnes & Noble, known in some corners as Barney Noodles.
The Founding Fathers of America crafted a set of principles that transcended time and space, inspiring generations to strive for a transformative democracy unlike anything seen before. Yet, in their advocacy, they primarily addressed their own marginalization, inadvertently excluding many others.
And then my mind wandered back to the 1990s, when a Michael Jackson look-alike was boppin’ around the park and it seemed as all the Pinkerton High School students held summer jobs there (my daughter was a “slushie girl” and often came home with a blue arm from the grape slushies she made.)