Thursday, December 18, 2008

Mental Health Impact (and Tips)

By Lara Bricker
news@seacoastonline.com
December 18, 2008 6:00 AM
Tempers are flaring, patience is wearing thin and the stress of the situation is becoming too much to bear for some people still without power after last Thursday's ice storm.
"People are needing to decompress," said Ellen McFarland, a staff therapist at Seacoast Mental Health, who works in Portsmouth and Exeter. "It's perfectly normal at this point to be feeling the way they're feeling."

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20081218-NEWS-812180417

Kensington Still In the Dark

By Lara Bricker
news@seacoastonline.com
December 17, 2008 2:00 PM
KENSINGTON — Electric crews from Tennessee arrived in Kensington Wednesday morning where local fire officials say 60 to 70 percent of the town is still without power.
Kensington Fire Chief Charlie LeBlanc said he was told that power would be restored by Wednesday night to most of the town, though he is skeptical about whether that will really happen. Route 107, the major road in town, was still without power Wednesday.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20081217-NEWS-81217039

I lived through the outage without canned ham

By Lara Bricker
newsletter@seacoastonline.com
December 16, 2008 6:00 AM
Day four of no electricity and I have not yet resorted to eating a canned ham. I've eaten ravioli, soup, grilled sausages from my freezer cooked on a mini-barbecue grill, bad instant coffee and potato chips. But, no, I did not eat the canned ham.
Why the fixation with the canned ham? Well, there I was Friday morning inside Market Basket with a crowd of stunned people like myself who were completely unprepared for the storm. It was dark in the store, the dairy and meat coolers were blocked off, and people were running around like I envision we would if under a terrorist attack. I felt like I was a looter after a hurricane. And then I heard the voice over a makeshift loud speaker "we have canned hams, canned hams by the deli counter."
I was sure I could survive the storm by eating Chef Boyardee, soup and sandwiches. I told the deli guy I was taking a pass on the canned ham.
"Lady, by tomorrow you're going to be begging for the canned ham," he told me.
More like begging for real coffee.
I didn't think of myself as an addict before this storm, but I know now that I need those two cups first thing in the morning. Of course, I figured I would just drive off to Dunkin' Donuts in Stratham or Exeter and get a cup. I had no idea what awaited for me outside. My friend Jason called as I was about to drive out of my driveway.
Don't drive anywhere, he told me, there's trees falling all over the place, what are you crazy? It's worse than the ice storm of 1998, he said. Just then, some large branches came crashing down on my driveway. I was starting to realize just how bad it was.
Click here for entire column: http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20081216-NEWS-812160345

Power Outage Brings Out Thief

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20081215-NEWS-81215052

Ice Storm Related Death

By Lara Bricker
news@seacoastonline.com
December 15, 2008 3:05 PM
EPPING — An Epping man dependent on medical oxygen was found dead inside his home Sunday night.
The 60-year-old man had a battery backup for his oxygen, but the battery only worked for a limited amount of time, Epping Police Chief Greg Dodge said. A neighbor called police to ask them to check on him Sunday night.
Police responded to the 3 Mill Pond Road apartment at 9:15 p.m. Sunday and found the man lying on his bed, deceased, Dodge said. The man lived alone and no one had heard from him since Friday. The exact cause of death is not known, though it is suspected the lack of medical oxygen is to blame.
A medical surge shelter was opened inside the Epping Fire Department over the weekend with cooperation from the Epping and Exeter fire departments. That shelter was opened to care for people left without power who had health concerns, such as the need for medical oxygen. At the height of the power outage, the medical shelter in Epping was used by 10 to 12 people, according to fire officials.

Sunday of Ice Storm, Day 3

By Lara Bricker
news@seacoastonline.com
December 15, 2008 1:38 PM
BRENTWOOD — A fireplace used to heat a home left without power during the ice storm may be to blame for a blaze that heavily damaged that home Sunday afternoon.
The Brentwood Fire Department was called to 82 Haigh Road at about 4:15 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, after the family that lived there returned home to find smoke coming from the house, Fire Chief Kevin Lemoine said.
Click here for rest of story:
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20081215-NEWS-81215035

Day 1 of the Ice Storm Power Outage

By Lara Bricker
December 12, 2008 2:15 PM
STRATHAM — Shoppers maneuvered grocery carts through dark aisles inside Marketbasket Friday morning as they rushed out to get bottled water, candles and canned goods.
Instant coffee was sold out before 11 a.m. and store officials were also bringing in more bagged ice.
"It is kind of surreal," said Eileen Bichoff, of Stratham, of the scene inside the darkened store. Bichoff loaded up on bottled water and said she was not expecting the storm to be as severe as it became.
The Stratham store opened for business as usual Friday, but store officials had no idea how long they would remain open, according to Assistant Store Manager Dean Clevesy. The store was operating on a natural gas generator, which powered the doors, cash registers and minimal safety lights. Shaw’s Supermarket in Stratham and Stop and Shop were also open Friday morning.
All meats, dairy products and frozen foods were cordoned off and no available for purchase. Some perishable food was taken to a giant refrigerator at the rear of the store. Customers were able to buy gallons of milk, but most came out for bottled water, as they had no water without electrical power.
Clevesy arrived at the store at 3 a.m. Friday after receiving a call at his Exeter home about the power outage. He said his drive to the store in the wee hours of the morning was "very scary" with branches falling from the weight of ice all over the place. "It was kind of eerie coming down Front Street (in Exeter), you could just see steam coming up out of the man hole covers," Clevesy said.
Jean Bragel and her husband drove all the way from Raymond to the Stratham store after finding no stores in Raymond open.
"It’s a mess," Bragel said of the driving conditions.
Tom Muse, of East Kingston, was scheduled to work as a bagger Friday morning at 8 a.m. but it took him two hours to get to Stratham from his home due to the number of roads closed and trees down. "The cops are out there sawing off trees," Muse said.
Muse was not expecting the scene he found inside the Stratham store when he arrived. "Everyone that’s been in here’s been in a frenzy," Muse said. "They’re buying water and canned goods."

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The Running of the Brides (Ladies) at Arjay's

Gram and I have just returned from an event I'm terming the running of the brides, Exeter version. It was "Ladies Night" at Arjay's on Lincoln Street, which meant from 6 - 9 tonight, every lady in the store got 25 percent off their entire purchase, everything in the store. I wasn't planning ahead too much for this, but thought I'd pick up some Carhart work pants for my brother Will for Christmas and possibly some other things. Well, apparently everyone else in town had the same thought. The place was mobbed by 6 p.m. I had to drop gram and go in hunt of a parking spot. No carts left. Only a few baskets.
But there were two Santas. Go figure.
We made out well. At one point, the line of people trying to check out was all the way to the back of the store. Wow. In a pretty dismal economy, it was great to see people out doing their shopping at a locally owned business like this.
There's still time to get over there, open until 9. Maybe if you're lucky, Santa will give you a candy cane!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008


My neighbor Sharon, a hynotherapist, is offering a deal on her line of relaxation and guided imagery CDs this holiday.

Here's a link to a story about Sharon's work and here's some info on her holiday sale:

Year End Clearance From Atlantic Complementary Medical Solutions
Feeling Stressed?
Planning your New Year's Resolutions?
Now is the time to TakeThe Plunge!
Our popular Guided Imagery CDs may be your key to moving to the next level of health and wellness.

Choose from the following:

"Peace of Mind", for general anxiety

"Creating Optimal Health and Wellness", for changing habits

"Preparing for Surgery", to increase feelings of optimism before surgery

"Cancer Be Gone", to cope with the diagnosis and treatments

"Paradise in the Dental Office", for dental phobias

"Fertility Enhancement for Couples", set the stage for a healthy pregnancy


Now until December 23, 2008 $15.00 each (regular price $17)

Free Shipping and Handling

Same day shipping for most orders

Please call toll free 888-441-3332 leave a call back number if our lines are busy.

Or, e-mail michele@acmswellness.com

Monday, December 8, 2008

Not So Humble Anymore

So, I was amazed to see how much space the Humble Pie on Lincoln Street has now. They expanded into the space next door and now have a huge refrigerator section with lots more food. It's a good place to hit during the crazy holidays when you don't have time to make dinner and don't want pizza or take out.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Another New Blogger in Exeter

And this time, it's Town Manager Russ Dean. Check out his new blog about town events and happenings at:


http://townmanagernews.wordpress.com/

Monday, December 1, 2008

Yes, it's Ladies Night, Oh What a time

Arjay Ace Hardware Celebrates the Holidays With Ladies’ Night
Ladies Receive 25% Discount, Refreshments, Prizes and More

Exeter, NH – Arjay Ace Hardware is holding a special =E 2ladies’ night” event that includes a 25 percent discount on all purchases (except gift cards and town trash bags), free refreshments, fabulous prizes, free gift wrapping and friendly, knowledgeable advice.

The event will be held on Wednesday, December 10 from 6:00-9:00 pm at Arjay Ace Hardware, 55 Lincoln Street in Exeter.

“We provide a fun, festive atmosphere for ladies to come in and shop for holiday gifts, seasonal products and much more,” said Dan Jackson, Arjay Ace Hardware’s owner. “This is a wildly popular event each year, and our customers really appreciate the disc ount, the prizes, and our assistance in picking out perfect holiday gifts for everyone on their lists.”

“We’re holding a food drive once again this holiday season, and any customers that bring a non-perishable food item to the store during the Ladies’ Night event will receive a free set of Christmas lights,” Jackson added. “We remain committed to giving back to our community and our customers.”

Store employees will be giving away wonderful raffle prizes throughout the night, including a Nextar GPS navigation system, a Keurig Coffee Brewer and a Bosch Miter Saw.

Arjay Ace Hardware is a fourth-generation family-owned store that has served the Exeter community for 24 years. They carry the finest brands, including Benjamin Moore paint, Weber, Carhartt, Ace brand and much more, and many of these products come with a lifetime guarantee. Arjay Ace=2 0Hardware employees take great pride in their work, offering exceptional customer service and friendly, knowledgeable advice. In fact, the award-winning Arjay Ace Hardware has been consistently named one of Ace Hardware’s premiere stores.

For more information about Ladies Night, please call 603/772-6054.