You Ask... Portsmouth Patch Answers

You Ask... Portsmouth Patch Answers

When will new Army Reserve Center open?

Portsmouth residents who live near the new Army Reserve Center located off West Road and Lafayette Road has been wondering for quite some time when it will open and be occupied by soldiers. One of those city residents who wants to know is Carl. Here is his question: I was just wondering when is the new Army Reserve Center going to open? They have been working on its for months and it looks like it is finished? Any ETA on when the soldiers are going to move in? Good question, Carl. Here is what Portsmouth Patch knows at this point. According to Army Reserve officials, the new 20,833 square foot Army Reserve Center is scheduled to be fully complete by the end of March. Sometime after that, the $9.16 million facility being constructed by the …

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Are You Excited to Have the Bruins Back?

Boston Bruins and New York Rangers are set to drop the puck for their season opener at the TD Garden on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The Boston Bruins and New York Rangers are set to kick off their NHL seasons at the TD Garden on Saturday at 7 p.m. following the end of the NHL lock out. Here in the Portsmouth area, tell us how you feel about the end of NHL lockout and the upcoming shortened hockey season? Are you pysched the Boston Bruins will take the ice once again? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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What's Your Paycheck Like Post Fiscal Cliff?

People making $50,000 a year who are paid twice each month are now taking home $42 less in their paychecks.

Two weeks after Congress averted the Fiscal Cliff, Portsmouth area residents have undoubtedly seen the effect of the loss of the payroll tax cut in their paychecks. If you make $50,000 a year, you are now paying about $1,000 more in federal taxes, according to CBS. For those who are paid twice each month, that amounts to about $42 less per paycheck or $84 less per month. The Wall Street Journal has a calculator to determine how much more in taxes you are now paying a year based on your salary. TELL US: How do you feel about your paycheck following the Fiscal Cliff deal?

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What Do You Think of New Downtown Parking Rates?

City officials rolled out new tiered parking rates and a sticker program Thursday.

Here are three words that some Portsmouth area residents have used to describe the city's new downtown tiered parking rates: expensive, confusing and frustrating. On Thursday morning, the city's Parking and Transportation Department introduced the new parking rate system that was approved by the City Council and despite the city's best efforts to do public outreach, any changes prove unsettling for some. The initial reaction on the Portsmouth Patch Facebook page wasn't very positive. Chris Therrien wrote, "They're too confusing. The Portsmouth City Council needs to get a life." Tara Walker Sullivan posted this comment: "We have the most expensive street parking in the region. Even Boston doesn't charge this much or make things this …

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Proud Conservative

7:20 am on Tuesday, January 8, 2013

The new rates are a great business killer.   more ›

Question of the Week

What Was the Best Thing You Got for Christmas?

We want to know the day after Christmas what the the most awesome gift you received under the tree.

It's the morning after Christmas and all through so many Portsmouth area houses, the children and parents are stirring in a sea of gift wrapping paper, cardboard boxes, bows, ribbons and instruction guides. Gifts of all shapes, sizes and prices were given to the ones we love on Christmas Day which made tiny tots eyes all aglow, dads jump for joy and moms exclaim with pure delight. Now Portsmouth Patch wants to know what was the best present you got for Christmas?

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Question of the Week

POLL: Should City Fund More School Resource Officers?

In wake of Connecticut shootings, Portsmouth Police are hoping they will be able to add full-time police officers to each of the city's five public schools.

Portsmouth Police stepped up their police presence at each of the city's five schools on Monday morning in response to the Connecticut shootings on Friday that left 20 elementary school students and six adults dead. Deputy Police Chief Corey MacDonald said in addition to the city's lone School Resource Officer who typically splits their time between Portsmouth High School and Portsmouth Middle School, a second police officer was platooned at the high school. Patrols have also been instructed to stop at the city's three elementary schools and do brief walk throughs to make sure everyone is safe. MacDonald said Monday that if the city chooses to provide funding so that more SROs could be at each of the city's five schools, it would be the …

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Tell Us: Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?

You might be surprised at the results of a poll on the subject.

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays? When it comes to season’s greetings, a new poll shows the majority of Americans prefer “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays.” How do Portsmouth area residents feel about this great debate? According to a survey from Rasmussen Reports, 68 percent of people polled prefer the traditional “Merry Christmas” while just 23 percent like "Happy Holidays," which can cover a variety of occasions. When it comes to holiday signs, a whopping 70 percent of shoppers polled said they prefer to be greeted with “Merry Christmas” in stores rather than the more neutral Happy Holidays, according to a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. It doesn't end there. There have been "Christmas Trees" banned or replaced with "…

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Watts

11:57 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012

I love PC's level of denial. I send the wikipedia page on all US holidays and yet he/she still thinks that they are correct. Amazing.   more ›

Memorial Bridge Project

POLL: What Do You Think of Bridge's New Color?

The metallic zinc coating that will require less maintenance than the former Memorial Bridge is being called "Piscataqua Mist."

During a media tour of the new Memorial Bridge South Span work site, Archer Western Contractors Project Manager Steven Delgrosso said the new bridge's light gray color is the result of a metallic zinc coating that will prevent rust and require less maintenance than the former green Memorial Bridge. Jennifer Zorn, co-chair of the Memorial Bridge Public Outreach Advisory Committee, said the color has been given the name, "Piscataqua Mist." What do you think about the color of the new Memorial Bridge that is scheduled to be completed on July 6, 2013?

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Mark Alesse

6:02 pm on Friday, February 22, 2013

Meh...   more ›

The Granite View

Voters Had Right to Know About State Rep's Criminal Past

Columnist says Stacie Laughton's decision to resign "shows a respect for the voters that was lacking during her campaign."

I have always believed that politics should be viewed as a type of community service, a path by which to help make the world in which we and future generations live a better place. I believe deeply that politicians should be true public servants, but too often our elected representatives disappoint us, putting power above the people and placing their own self-interests ahead of their elected duties. It is a non-partisan fact that politicians will sometimes do stupid, or worse, criminal, things and must be held accountable for those actions. When Rep. Todd Akin, R-MO, made a stupid statement about “legitimate rape,” I called him stupid and said he should resign. He didn’t, but his comments were public and the voters in his district were …

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Question of the Week

POLL: Should City Rename Holiday Parade?

Do you think the city should have a Portsmouth Christmas Parade instead of a holiday parade?

The Portsmouth Holiday Parade is just a few days away and as city residents get ready to enjoy the dazzling display of floats, marching bands, fire trucks and the arrival of Santa Claus, some may wonder why it isn't called the Portsmouth Christmas Parade. In the era of political correctness, the Portsmouth Holiday Parade allows the city and its residents to celebrate all religious holidays in addition to Christmas. But some Seacoast communities such as Hampton choose to name their event a Christmas parade. So what do you think. Should the city consider renaming the Portsmouth Holiday Parade the Portsmouth Christmas Parade?

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Jan Schmidt

7:20 am on Friday, November 30, 2012

That's right... There are no holiday but mine.... None   more ›