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Most people use martial arts to learn self-defense – while Quest Martial Arts teaches life skills and how to become a better person and have a better life, in addition to self-defense. These life skills include discipline, belief, communication, respect, honesty, and self-esteem.
Sensei Lynda Nelson, who started the business after losing her job as a software consultant due to her previous employer losing a government contract explained that there are four tiers to every life skill. First, it starts with the individual, then it goes to others such as family members and fellow students, then it goes to society, and finally, it goes to the entire world. Each of these tiers is achievable by Quest students.
The way Quest teaches martial arts warrants a lot of referrals from schools, doctors, psychiatrists, and others in the community, because Quest Martial Arts has demonstrated that they can take a person that lacks self-discipline or self-control and give them focus and ensure they are no longer aggressive.
Quest Martial Arts can teach shy people, as well as people that have problems with self-control. They currently offer a 4-week free trial that allows a student to experience what it’s like before the parent needs to pay anything. After the free trial period, fees can range from $85/month to $1000/month, depending upon what the student signs up for.
When Lynda Nelson got started, it was just her and her sister running the company. Now they have a team that helps students develop their life skills. Sensei Nelson has helped to mentor kids because she feels there’s a void in that area in our community. Mentoring the kids creates better people for the community and better citizens for the country. Most parents work multiple jobs, and the schools are busy with developing academic excellence – there’s no one else helping to develop the kids’ life skills.
For parents that are unsure about whether Quest Martial Arts is right for their kid, Sensei Nelson said they should come in and talk to other parents that have the same challenges. They can take a kid that is aggressive and teach them self-control. They can also teach a shy kid to be more outgoing.
It’s not just for kids – adults can take classes as well. It’s more than just developing a better body – it’s also about developing a better life and reputation in the world. Lynda Nelson said she loves what she does – and she’s helped people that have been sexually assaulted to take the next step in their life. “It’s just so rewarding,” she said.
They spend a lot of time training their team on how to be better mentors for life skills. Every Wednesday and Friday, the martial arts academy has training for instructors, and there’s also a 6-hour training every other month that teaches the staff how to communicate better.
Sensei Nelson said that if someone has a great mind for engineering, they may be smart, but their ideas may never come to fruition if they can’t communicate well. They teach that right from the beginning at Quest Martial Arts.
For more information about Quest Martial Arts, visit https://questmartialarts.net/ or call 603-664-2332 or email Sensei Linda Nelson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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Joel Sherburne, who was at the event on New Year’s Day, is undecided, but he said he’s looking for someone that can beat Trump. He’s voted for Democrats and Republicans in the past, or as he said, “whoever I like.” There were a lot of undecided voters at the event, and although we don’t usually cover Presidential politics, we figured we should in this case since Representative Gabbard traveled to Barrington, New Hampshire to talk to us.
Her campaign brochure says “Our nation was founded on the principle that leaders should be motivated by a desire to serve the people, not their own selfish interests.” Tulsi’s Deputy Campaign Manager said she’s inspired by Tulsi’s leadership. She played guitar while singing some of the favorite campaign songs.
There were copies of the U.S. Constitution on the tables, distributed by FreedomFactor.org, and the Hawaiian music was welcoming. There was no Secret Service presence because Tulsi hasn’t met the threshold of support required to receive a security detail, but being the first female combat veteran to run for president, she’s used to working in conditions that are far more hostile than that in a Barrington, New Hampshire restaurant.
Tulsi Gabbard first appeared behind the bar, briefly, shaking people’s hands, with a nice smile on her face. Abe, Tulsi’s husband, was brought up to the stage – and for the first time on the campaign they incorporated an audience percussion, having us clap and stomp to the music.
Trevor, the campaign’s new super-volunteer recently quit his job to volunteer for Tulsi’s campaign. He told a story about his family, having a deep military background, and he said although he’s never served in the military, serving on Tulsi’s campaign was the way he wanted to serve his country.
Tulsi Gabbard says she’s running for President to serve the interests of the people – not the interests of the rich and powerful, Big Pharma, war profiteers, and foreign governments. She said she’s inspired every day by people like Treavor, and she thanked John, the owner, for hosting the event. Tulsi said she came out to Barrington to hear what’s on our minds.
She spoke about the founding of the government and asked if anyone would think the founders would be proud of our government, today. Only two people raised their hands. Tulsi spoke about the influence of corporations in our government, while everyone else is struggling to survive. She said our voices need to be heard – at the ballot box.
“There’s gridlock in Washington”, she said, and that Congress passing a budget is seen as a major accomplishment, now. “We deserve better,” she said. Tulsi talked about how divided the country is now. She said, “we need to get back to the foundation”, referencing the U.S. Constitution.
Tulsi talked about growing up in Hawaii and leaving for basic training, and she explained the feeling of unity everyone felt in South Carolina when she went to serve this government. She said, “failure is not an option.” Tulsi called for unity, referencing the words of George Washington.
A freshman U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard had to learn how to bridge the divide with Republicans in Congress when she was serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. She said she did this with food – with toffee. She had her mother cook 434 recipes of the toffee, one for each Representative, and 434 larger boxes for the staff of each Representative. The food opened the door to being able to reach out to every person, and Tulsi had a desire to work with every person in Congress. She said when she spoke to the other lawmakers, they knew she was telling the truth.
Tulsi said this is what she will bring to the White House. She said it would be pretty difficult to go to work and not have a conversation with other people. “A house divided against its self cannot stand,” she reiterated.
Tulsi Gabbard then told a story about someone who went to a bank to apply for a credit card, and that they were denied because they had too much debt in student loans. She said student debt should qualify for bankruptcy, and that educational interest rates should be reduced. She said education shouldn’t be a for-profit enterprise.
She said there should be more investments in technical colleges. Tulsi said she would establish relationships with Republicans, Independents, and Democrats when she’s in the White House. She said it’s about building relationships out of respect with people.
In Israel and Palestine, she’s been concerned about illegal occupations. She said this Administration has made it more difficult to get back to the negotiating table. She was also asked about what motivated her to be opposed to same-sex marriage at the beginning of her political career. Tulsi said she was raised in a way that affected her views, and that her work in Congress has changed those views.
Tulsi was asked if she could ever see coalition governments, like in Europe, in the United States. She said she hasn’t given much thought to it. She said people are limited to giving $2800 for the Primary Election, and $2800 for the General Election. But if someone wants to donate $10 Million to a political party, they can do that. Tulsi said the people that represent the government should really represent the people.
A registered Republican said that he’s going to change his party and vote for Tulsi, but he asked her about gun rights. She said we should uphold our 2nd Amendment Rights, and our kids shouldn’t be shot in schools. Tulsi said we never hear the names of the children that are shot in places like Chicago. She said there should not be guns in the hands of people that want to kill people.
Tulsi was asked about term limits and campaign finance law reform. She said those that are in power don’t question what put them in power. She spoke about Political Action Committees (PACs) that have told candidates in Congress that they need to accept their money to get re-elected, going against their constituents’ wishes. She said we need to look at Congressional staffers because they aren’t held to any standards currently, and if there were term limits, lobbyists would focus their efforts on them more so than the elected leaders as a backdoor into Congressional decision making.
She was also asked about the proxy war in the Middle East with Iran. She said it would be costlier than the Iraq war to go to war against Iran, and she’s highly concerned about it. She said Trump’s pullout from the Iran Nuclear Deal put us in a risky position. Tulsi said if the Administration connected Iran with al-Qaida, they would be able to go to war with Iran without Congressional approval.
Tulsi said there are a lot of tools that we can use to ensure that diplomacy is chosen over war. She said we’re paying $4 Billion a month in Afghanistan, which works out to $5.5 Million an hour, to prop up a corrupt government, and members of our own government have questioned it.
Tulsi said, “Foreign Policy is Domestic Policy,” and that we should not be making foreign policy decisions to benefit foreign countries, or specific defense contractors. She said we should be making foreign policy decisions to serve the people of the United States.
Barrington Town News got to ask Tulsi Gabbard two questions. Unfortunately, there was an issue with the audio recording, however from memory:
- What would you do as President to reform the election process to prevent foreign interference in our democracy?
Tulsi said there’s a bill that she’s written in the House of Representatives that deals with election security that would require paper ballots as backups, in case there was a cyber-attack against our election system. I asked her if it’s on Mitch McConnell’s desk, and she said that another bill is, but hers is not. I asked her if the bill had been voted on, and she said no.
You can read more about Tulsi Gabbard’s positions on Election Security.
- What would you do about the growing threats posed by China, such as with Artificial Intelligence competing with the U.S. interests, a growing Navy, and nuclear non-proliferation?
Tulsi said it’s not just an issue with China, but with Russia as well. She said that AI poses a real threat and that all these issues deal with Foreign Policy. I also asked her if she believed in a world without nuclear weapons, and she said she’s open to the idea, but she’s not naive about the threats posed by nuclear weapons, and she said working with China and Russia to work towards that goal would be a priority in her Administration. These views are widely supported by previous Press coverage.
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Traffic fatalities are down more than 30 percent.
CONCORD, N.H. – The NH Office of Highway Safety (OHS) and State Police thank the motoring public and their public and private partners for helping to reduce traffic-related fatalities by more than 30 percent in 2019. As of December 31, there have been 99 traffic-related fatalities and 88 fatal crashes. At this same time last year, there were 143 traffic-related fatalities and 130 fatal crashes. Both traffic-related fatalities and fatal crashes are down by more than 30 percent.
“Good choices behind the wheel increase your chances of making it home safely to your loved ones,” OHS Commander William Haynes said. “Our first priority is public safety on our state highways and local roads. Good driver behavior has helped reduce traffic-related fatalities, and we thank the motoring public and our public and private partners for their dedication to keeping New Hampshire’s roads and highways safe. It is essential that we continue to work together into 2020 to address dangerous behavior and promote safe driving. We wish everyone a safe, happy and prosperous New Year.”
“The reduction in fatalities as a result of good decisions by the public and a close partnership with private partners and our local, state and federal partners who have been central to coordinated enforcement efforts throughout the State,” State Police Colonel Christopher Wagner said. “One death is too many. We still have a lot of work to do and will continue to work closely together in fulfilling our mission in keeping New Hampshire’s roadways safe and reducing traffic-related fatalities throughout 2020. Tonight and every night, it is very important to continue making good decisions behind the wheel.”
Impaired driving, speeding, and distraction continue to be the top contributing factors to crashes and fatalities in the Granite State.
Follow the NH Department of Safety on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NH_DeptSafety. Follow NH Office of Highway Safety on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nh_ohs and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NHHighwaySafety/. Follow NH State Police on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NH_StatePolice and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NHStatePolice/. Also, sign up for NH Alerts at www.ReadyNH.gov to receive emergency information via your mobile phone.
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CONCORD, NH – The New Hampshire State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) returned to steady-state status at 8:30 A.M, earlier than anticipated because of the change in the forecast.
A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for Coos County until 7:00 P.M. tonight. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 1:00 P.M. this afternoon for Grafton, Carroll, Sullivan, Merrimack, Belknap, Strafford, Cheshire and Hillsborough counties.
A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until 1:00 P.M. this afternoon for Hillsborough and Rockingham counties.
State Homeland Security and Emergency Management staff will monitor conditions and remain available to assist local and state partners with any requests.
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Rochester, NH: Cornerstone VNA, a nonprofit home health and hospice care organization, is offering free training for individuals interested in becoming a Hospice volunteer. For as little as 4 hours per week, volunteers can offer companionship, respite care, and their own unique skills to patients and family members in their community. This comprehensive 8-week Hospice Volunteer Training program focuses on how to provide comfort, support and a reassuring presence to Hospice patients and their families. No medical or volunteer experience is necessary to make a positive difference. The next training will begin on Wednesday, January 22 from 10 am-12 pm and will take place every week until March 11 at the Cornerstone VNA office on 178 Farmington Road in Rochester, NH.
Current Cornerstone VNA Hospice Volunteers recently shared, “Hospice volunteering has been the most rewarding and humbling experience of my life” and "Hospice visiting has shown me how to be present." Cornerstone VNA invites individuals to be a part of this enriching and meaningful volunteer experience. To register for this training or for more information about the Hospice Volunteer Program, please contact Nancy Nicolazzo, a Hospice Volunteer Coordinator at 603-332-1133 x1239 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Cornerstone VNA is a nonprofit home, health and hospice agency currently serving Rockingham, Strafford, Belknap and Carroll Counties in New Hampshire and York County in Maine. The team at Cornerstone VNA provides skilled nursing, rehabilitative therapies, social work as well as volunteer and support services through five distinct programs: Home Care, Hospice Care, Palliative Care, Life Care-Private Duty and Community Care. For 107 years, Cornerstone VNA has been committed to bringing services to people of all ages so that families can stay together at home, even when facing the challenges of aging, surgical recovery, chronic or life-threatening illnesses or end of life care. To learn more about Cornerstone VNA, visit www.cornerstonevna.org or call 800-691-1133.
You can also download a flyer entitled "Become a Hospice Volunteer" provided by Cornerstone VNA.
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For those of you that don’t follow what our company is doing closely, the Business Directory is what will allow us to continue operating and providing the news to the community of Barrington, NH. It’s a directory, categorized by business industry and business type, that currently has 371 businesses listed, most of which are all in Barrington.
Most people that live in Barrington probably never realized that there were more than 100 businesses in town because you don’t see all the businesses that are operated out of people’s homes and side streets. Basically, all you see is what is on NH-125 and RTE-9, while there are hundreds of more businesses in Barrington that were not previously massively advertised to this extent to Barrington residents.
It’s all part of a new marketing campaign developed by Barrington Town News Founder, Patrick R. McElhiney, who thought up the “Shop Barrington First” slogan. The problem he found with the Chamber of Commerce’s membership pricing is that it leaves out most of the businesses in town that don’t make over $50,000 a year in revenues and thus can’t afford the membership. There is a reduced price membership, that Barrington Town News took advantage of, because at the time, and still currently, we are not posting any profits, however even at $50, it still leaves out a lot of businesses.
The Business Directory on Barrington Town News can cost under $25 a year with all the possible discounts. The standard price for a listing is $100, which includes one location, up to three categories, up to three photographs, and up to one file attachment. Our listings include a wide array of information, such as hours of operation, website address, contact information including physical address, phone numbers, and email addresses, and it’s a fully searchable listing that brings in traffic from the web – not just from Barrington Town News. It’s fully Search Engine Optimized (SEO) to bring business from the search engines directly to your company. We also have the capability to add videos to the listings, you can sponsor a listing of a non-profit organization with your logo, and you can even add additional locations, categories, photographs, and files for small additional fees.
We wanted everyone to take advantage of the full Business Directory now and Shop Barrington First, because there may ultimately be companies that will refuse to pay, and they will lose the benefits of being a part of this digital community that we have built, however, we’re willing to work deals with companies for an example if they’re a women-owned or veteran owned business, which receives a 10% discount off of any of our services, and for a business making less than $25,000 a year in revenue, the directory listing starts at $25 a year. This means that even a small home-based business can afford to advertise in the same way that a multi-million dollar corporation can.
We did this to help the local economy grow, to help local businesses grow because there was nothing else like it. Facebook and other Social Media websites aren’t built for Barrington’s consumers. We use Facebook as part of our online footprint, however, there’s only so much you can do on Facebook and the problem are that once you post something on there, Facebook technically owns it and can do whatever it wants with it. Barrington Town News is a local company that is accountable to its stakeholders, whether that be people that read our news stories or businesses that advertise with us. We don’t sell your data to the highest bidder!
We reach the community of Barrington, New Hampshire in ways unlike Facebook or any other online platform can because we’re local. Patrick R. McElhiney actually developed an algorithm that Facebook now uses in its dating system, which he worked on for his Master’s Thesis at the University of New Hampshire in Manchester. He’s no stranger to large companies trying to put the little guy out of business – they stole the algorithm. This is part of the reason why small companies have a financial advantage in the Barrington Town News Business Directory, because we know what it’s like to be small and to be walked all over by companies like Facebook.
Patrick spent months looking for every business in Barrington on Facebook, during which time he compiled this list of Barrington social profiles. What he found was that over 50% of the businesses in Barrington were not even on Facebook, and the ones that are, were extremely hard to find. So, they’re not listed through the Chamber of Commerce, they’re not listed on Facebook, and over half of the companies in Barrington don’t even have a website. So, Patrick set out to list all of them in the Business Directory.
If you have a business, and we’ve left you out of our Business Directory, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we’ll give you 3 months absolutely free. Our sales team will be reaching out to all the companies we have listed to see if they would like to support their local newspaper and continue to be listed in our community’s most comprehensive Business Directory. It’s available to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year at https://directory.barringtontownnews.com/. Most of all, we hope you’ll “Shop Barrington First”!
State Emergency Operations Center to Open in Response to Complex, Long-Duration Winter Weather Event
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CONCORD, N.H. – The New Hampshire State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) will open at an enhanced monitoring level at 6:00 A.M. on Monday, December 30, 2019, to monitor storm conditions and support response efforts throughout the State of New Hampshire.
Barrington Town News will keep you updated as we learn more about the storm and the State of New Hampshire's response. We advise all readers to avoid driving during the storm. The road conditions will be terrible considering the amount of snow and ice that is predicted all day Monday. Only emergency vehicles should be on the roads during the storm. If you have an emergency, please dial 9-1-1, and do not try to drive to the Emergency Room.
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- Category: Articles
CONCORD, N.H. – New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management is urging residents and visitors to be prepared as a complex and relatively long duration winter weather event will affect the state tonight through Tuesday.
The NWS has issued a Winter Storm Warning for parts of Cheshire, Hillsborough, Merrimack, and Sullivan counties from 7:00 P.M. tonight until 1:00 P.M. on Tuesday. Heavy mixed precipitation is expected. Total snow accumulations of 3 to 8 inches and ice accumulations of around one-tenth of an inch to four-tenths of an inch is expected.
The NWS has issued a Winter Storm Watch for parts of Belknap, Carroll, Coos, Grafton, and Strafford counties from this evening through Tuesday afternoon. Heavy mixed precipitation is possible with total snow accumulations of over 6 inches and ice accumulations of around one-tenth of an inch possible
The NWS has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for parts of Hillsborough and Rockingham counties from 7:00 P.M. tonight until 1:00 P.M. on Tuesday. Mixed precipitation is expected. Total accumulations of 2 to 6 inches and ice accumulations of up to two-tenths of an inch are expected.
Travel could be very difficult, or nearly impossible, at times and slippery road conditions will affect both the Monday morning and evening commutes. If you must travel, have an emergency kit with food, water, and a flashlight in your vehicle in case of an emergency.
“During the storm, only travel if absolutely necessary,” New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Jennifer Harper said. “Once the storm begins, travel will be hazardous. If you must travel, remember to clear snow and ice from your vehicle, slow down, allow extra time for travel, and leave plenty of space between vehicles.”
Due to the heavy, mixed precipitation, power outages and tree damage are likely. If you lose power, be sure to report the outage to your utility provider every 24-hours until your service is restored.
New Hampshire Utility Provider Telephone Numbers:
Eversource........................ 1-800-662-7764
Liberty Utilities................ 1-800-375-7413
NH Electric Co-op............ 1-800-343-6432
Unitil Capital Area............ 1-800-852-3339
Unitil Seacoast Region...... 1-800-582-7276
If you see downed power lines, stay away and call 9-1-1.
Harper provides these additional reminders:
· Slow down and move over for emergency vehicles.
· Do not crowd the plows or emergency crews.
· Clear all snow and ice off your car, including your roof, around lights, and license plates before traveling.
· Bridges, overpasses, and exposed road areas are the most prone to icy conditions.
· Visit ReadyNH.gov to learn more preparedness tips to help you and your family stay safe.
Take time now to prepare. Director Harper encourages everyone to plan ahead for disasters. The core steps toward preparedness are:
1. Make an emergency kit,
2. Have a family emergency plan, and
3. Stay informed by signing up for NH Alerts.
Download templates and instructions for each of these preparedness steps online at ReadyNH.gov
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
For three months now, we’ve been reporting to you about the taxation of Private Roads in Barrington NH. If you’ve missed our past reporting, you should know that Conner MacIver, the Town Administrator in Barrington stated in October 2019 that Private and Class VI roads were receiving a 10% adjustment on land values from the Town. An adjustment like this on the land value of your property decreases your tax liability to the Town, which means that you end up paying less in taxes.
However, we discovered through investigative journalism, that the claims made by Mr. MacIver were only partially correct. Class VI Roads are getting the adjustment, but Private Roads, which make up the largest portion of Town Roads in Barrington, are not receiving the 10% adjustment on land values. The Town Assessor has clearly stated that the 10% adjustment is granted because Class VI Roads are not maintained by the Town (or the State).
This is, in our opinion, a patently unfair situation and a violation of the rights of Private Road Taxpayers under the NH Constitution. If Class VI Roads receive a market adjustment for not being maintained by the Town, Private Roads should receive the same market adjustment, which the Town Administrator said they did. Private Road Taxpayers of Barrington – are you ok with unequal taxation, or do you want to do something about it? The average household could save hundreds of dollars/year if the Town were to respect the words of the Town Administrator and apply the 10% adjustment to Private Road Properties. The ball is now in the court of Barrington’s Private Road Taxpayers.
Barrington Town News is hosting an event to formulate a plan for action. Private Road Taxpayers are invited to the event, which will be held on January 13th, 2020 at the Pepperidge Woods Cooperative’s Community Center at 73 Pheasant Lane in Barrington, NH, just off Hall Road. The event will be from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. If you’re going to attend the event, please RSVP by filling out the RSVP form that can be found at https://www.barringtontownnews.com/index.php/rsvp-for-1-13-2020-private-roads-event, so we can get an accurate headcount for the event venue. If you haven’t read our past articles about Private Road Taxes, you may want to read them now:
- 10/16/2019 - Private Road Taxpayers Being Unfairly Assessed?
- 11/1/2019 - Town of Barrington Clarifies Private Road Taxes
- 12/3/2019 - Private Roads Not Receiving 10% Adjustment from Town
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- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
The Yoga and Pilates sessions start again through the Barrington Recreation Department on 1/2/2020.
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