News/Business
Vermont Castings Invests $10 Million in Improvements
By John Lippman
Randolph— Not long ago, there used to be a lot of soot inside the Vermont Castings foundry, where workers would come off shifts coated in black, looking like they had just emerged from a coal mine.But carbon particles don’t mix well with $450,000...
Lake Sunapee Bank Changing Name to Reflect New Ownership
By John Lippman
Newport— Lake Sunapee Bank, whose roots go back 150 years, will officially disappear over the coming months as its name changes to Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.Bar Harbor acquired the Newport-based bank last year in a merger deal valued at $182.2 million....
Newport Fabric Seller Thrives
By John Lippman
Guild — Terry Dorr’s family has been in the wool business for three generations, beginning when his grandfather took over a troubled woolen mill near Newport that became Dorr Woolen Co.At its peak in the 1960s, the mill employed 400 people. At one...
Landmark Restaurants Sold
By John Lippman
Hanover — Marc and Patty Milowsky moved to the Upper Valley from Burlington nearly five decades ago to open their first restaurant. They went on to become Hanover’s longest-running restaurateurs as the owners and operators of Jesse’s and Molly’s, two...
After 30 Years, Teago General Store Changes Hands
By Matt Hongoltz-Hetling
Pomfret — A week after signing the store away, Chuck Gundersen sat in his blue apron at the butcher block near the dry goods shelves, describing how others viewed him during his 30-year tenure as proprietor of the Teago General Store.“It always sounds...
Owners of Pearce Jewelers to Retire; Store to Get New Owners
By John Lippman
West Lebanon — Fred and Kate Pearce, who started their West Lebanon jewelry store, Pearce Jewelers, 31 years ago, are retiring and selling their business to Lori Roy and her daughter, Jordan Schucart, owners of Jozach Jewelers in Claremont. The...
Family Buys Multiple South Woodstock Properties to Build Hospitality-Based Destination
By John Lippman
South Woodstock — It takes a village. And sometimes a family can help out, too.That is the situation unfolding in South Woodstock, where the family of Florida real estate developer and South Woodstock resident Pritam Singh has, in rapid succession,...
Quick, Easy Repairs To Vinyl Siding Holes
By John Nalley
A rock spits from your lawn mower, hurtling toward the side of your house. Someone overthrows a baseball during a game of catch, striking your home. No matter how it happened, you now have a nasty crack in your vinyl siding to fix. Now what?...
Essential Oils Can Repel Mice, Spiders
By Paul Pogue
Sometimes the most natural methods work best. You can get rid of mice using a reliable old snap-trap, and nothing takes out spiders like a rolled-up newspaper. But if you want to get rid of spiders and mice with minimal force, essential oils may...
Company Restores Hydropower Plant on Sugar River in Claremont
By Patrick O’Grady
Claremont — On a warm, sunny morning last week, after days of steady rain, water crashes over a concrete dam on the Sugar River and boils in foaming rapids on its way to the Connecticut River.Next to the dam, along the riverbank off Lafayette Street,...
Dartmouth Printing Co. Sold to Minnesota-Based CJK Group
By John Lippman
Hanover — Dartmouth Printing Co. has had eight different owners through its 224-year history.Last week it gained a ninth.The owners of The Sheridan Group, parent company of Dartmouth Printing, have sold Sheridan to CJK Group of Minnesota. The sale...
Great View Rink, Home to Generations of Skaters, Is for Sale (Video)
By John Lippman
Enfield — Gayl Pringle, general manager of Great View Roller Skating, walks across the rink’s floor as skaters glide past her under a canopy of blinking red lights. “This is my home,” she says on her way to the control booth, where she programs the...
Independent Upper Valley Retailers Struggle to Survive as Shopping Moves Online
By John Lippman
Hanover— It was a tough year for mom-and-pop stores in the Upper Valley.At least nine longtime independent retail stores closed their doors in 2016, accelerating a trend that has been especially noticeable since the end of the 2008-09 recession. The...
A Little Light With the Heat: Tarm Biomass Owner Explains Move to Orford
By John Lippman
Orford — The Nichols family and Lyme are practically synonymous. Guy Nichols moved here in 1938 to cut timber and stayed to open Nichols Hardware, which the family ran for three generations. The Nichols’ cut-your-own Christmas tree farm on Route 10 is...
Iconic Brick Store Coming Back
By Kathy Mccormack
Concord — When it closed earlier this year, there was much mourning over The Brick Store, the New Hampshire landmark that claims to be one of the oldest continuously operating general stores in the country.No more fudge, penny candy, or smoked meats....
Salt Hill Pub Buys Seven Barrel
By Tim Camerato
West Lebanon — After 23 years in the craft brewing business at a high-profile spot off Route 12A, Seven Barrel Brewery will soon close its doors to make room for a new Salt hill Pub.The brewery’s owners broke news of the sale on Tuesday in a Facebook...
Time Catches Up to Lebanon Home Decor Store KindleNook
By John Lippman
Lebanon — A “step back in time” has come to an end.KindleNook, the home decor store on High Street in Lebanon, closed up shop on Saturday, ending 30 years of selling handcrafted farmhouse furniture, folk art, penny rugs, baskets, pewter, lamps, dried...
Beverly Hills Tower Pits Millionaire Vs. Billionaire
By James Nash
Los Angeles — Beverly Hills, home to some of the priciest properties in the U.S., is becoming the site of an expensive battle over real estate. On one side is developer Beny Alagem, who has flooded residents with calls and mailers promoting a...
Scotland by the Yard Closing
By John Lippman
Quechee— On a brae in the village of Quechee a flock of Jacob sheep have grazed and charmed passing motorists on Route 4 every summer for decades. With their four curling horns and shaggy black-and-white patch coats, the sheep could be at home on the...
