Three vie for Kensington selectman seat
By Kathleen D. Bailey
KENSINGTON – Three people are vying for a seat on the Board of Selectmen on the March 9 election.
Janan Archibald, Robert E. Gustafson and Kyle Kiaunis are all vying for the seat being vacated by Vanessa Rozier.
The race is the only contested one on the ballot this year.
Archibald brings experience as a business owner and mother of two daughters. She has lived in Kensington for 22 years and will see her oldest daughter graduate Exeter High School this spring and her youngest enter high school this fall.
Archibald spent most of her professional career in information technology management, at one point commuting to Boston during the Big Dig. Recently she went into business for herself, handling personal property appraisals, real estate and helping seniors downsize into independent living facilities.
EPPING Jeff LeDuc knew he was on to a good thing when he opened the Dawg Shed at 252 Calef Highway. He just didn t realize how good. One man drove all the way from Vermont to try one of our hot dogs after he saw us on Facebook, LeDuc recalled. Another couple, in Raymond, used to travel 30 to 40 miles to get a hot dog. Now they come here once a week.
LeDuc opened the Dawg Shed this past December as an extension of the hot dog cart he took around to fairs and events. Though oening a business during a pandemic can be tricky, LeDuc is finding that his own brand of fast food fills a niche on busy Route 125.
Brentwood police chief announces departure
By Kathleen D. Bailey
BRENTWOOD – Ellen Arcieri is nearing the end of her term as Brentwood s police chief.
Selectmen accepted her resignation in a nonpublic session during its Jan. 19 meeting. Arcieri is leaving to take a position leading a Drug Task Force team with the New Hampshire attorney general s office.
Arcieri was sworn in Jan. 30, 2018, after the retirement of longtime Chief Wayne Robinson. Her goal at the time was to make Brentwood New Hampshire s premier police department.
In a statement by the board announcing her resignation, they credited Arcieri with rebuilding the department after dealing with staff shortages early on.
EXETER – Dan Burbank, landscaping manager for RiverWoods at Exeter, knew he was on to a good thing three years ago when he and the facility s agricultural team brought three goats to the senior living complex.
Residents in the independent living and assisted living community came out to welcome the animals, along with frail residents from the skilled nursing unit. One woman had lost all mobility and was in a wheelchair. She had to be pushed to the edge of the goat pen, Burbank recalled. She was able to interact with the goats, to be present in the moment, Burbank said. The smile on that woman s face was priceless.
Stratham teacher s gift box biz celebrates notable women
By Kathleen D. Bailey
EPPING – Katie Graycar Ricciardi loves putting Christmas stockings together. I enjoy it more than I enjoy buying the big gifts, she said with a smile. I always have a theme.
Ricciardi has expanded her stocking-stuffing to a new business, Cheeky Marie, where she stuffs and sends gift boxes focused on inspiring women to young girls all over the world. The Epping resident and Stratham Memorial School teacher is educating a whole new group of girls, most of which she will never meet, and she s having fun doing it.