English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Manchester, NH

Mackenzie Fraser’s biography on EVR Advertising’s website shares some whimsical tidbits: “Reader of books, lover of lakes, taco enthusiast, Maxxinista.”

Soon, the senior vice president can add this to her tagline: “agency owner.”

Over the past couple of years, EVR chief Jeff Eisenberg has been transitioning out of the Millyard company he bought in 2010 after leaving the Manchester Monarchs, the hockey team he oversaw as president for most of its first decade. (The team ceased operations in 2019.)

EVR’s focus includes senior living communities, health care and regional businesses that are either based in New Hampshire or do business here, such as longtime client Irving Oil.

Fraser and fellow senior vice president Pete Ricci plan to take over ownership of the company next year when Eisenberg retires. The change will mean the 25-employee company will once again have a woman owner: EVR was founded as Vital & Ryze Advertising in 1990 by Terry Vital.

“Less than 1% of the agencies in the country are owned by women,” said Fraser, a UNH graduate who joined the company in 2017 after working in sports marketing for Saint Anselm College and the Manchester Monarchs.

At UNH, she had a double major — business administration: management, and sports studies — and played softball on the club team.

Fraser appreciates why there might be a dearth of ad agencies owned by women but is determined to change views about women owning advertising agencies.

“The pace of the work and the environment apparently isn’t conducive to women running them,” Fraser said during a recent interview at the company’s offices at 155 Dow St. “But that’s one thing that I’m really proud of, being able to do that and take that statistic upward because there’s no reason women can’t do it.”

Fraser, 34, lives on the West Side of Manchester with her husband and their 2-year-old twins, a boy and a girl. She appreciates that she is a prime example for Stay Work Play, the nonprofit that advocates to attract and retain young people in New Hampshire.

“We have a lot of women working here, and a lot of women who are either moms or soon-to-be moms,” she said. “And I think just my position is setting an example for them. You can do it. You can do the career thing and be a mom and balance it all, and it’s very possible.”

The Lake George, New York, native grew up working in the family’s business, Cleverdale Country Store, working the register as soon as she was old enough to stand on a stool.

While she appreciates the entrepreneurship skills she learned from her parents and grandparents, she chose not to take over the business when the family decided to sell it, preferring to pursue a long-term goal of owning her own business.

That’s the kind of mindset Eisenberg was looking for when the company had an opening a year after Fraser first inquired about a job. She has been recommended by a former Monarchs colleague.

The first time Eisenberg met Fraser, she told him she wanted to own her own ad agency. (She confesses she tailored that slightly to match the opportunity: She wanted to own her own company but had not settled on what kind.)

Eisenberg listened closely, but he kept his thoughts to himself. What did this 27-year-old with a few years of marketing experience know about running an ad agency?

“I didn’t say everything I was thinking,” Eisnenberg recalled. “I now have come to learn that she’s a very directed, purposeful person who conducts her life that way.”

A year later when EVR had an opening, Eisenberg offered Fraser a position as an account executive. He quickly pegged her as the kind of person “who runs to the fire” and is not afraid to take on new challenges.

Pete Ricci, who oversees the creative side of the business, said they would learn hiring Fraser was a momentous decision. “Finding Mackenzie was the key piece that we were missing,” he said.

Ricci had already been with EVR three years when Eisenberg bought the company. “It was great transition of how he protected what made us special,” Ricci said. “But he took it to the next level.”

Eisenberg had a different style than previous owner, Ricci said, moving the company to a more prominent space in the building at 155 Dow St. on a higher floor and creating a transparent vibe in the office about the company’s business.

“Terry (Vital) was a native of the Boston agency scene. It was more like ‘Mad Men’ than it is today. But she was brilliant and was very protective of the secret sauce,” Ricci said.

Eisenberg also proved to be a father figure in the company.

“(We have) the opportunity to take it on our own away from ‘Dad,’ to make this place what we want to be — continuing to do great work, continuing the traditions that were set here foundationally years and years ago,” Ricci said, noting recent developments in the industry as the rise of artificial intelligence and changes in email marketing.

“The business changed so much. Nobody pays agencies to dream about a pocket folder design for a week anymore,” he said. “Now the pace is even a little bit faster, and we have to prove results. It’s not just ‘My idea is brilliant,’ and buy into that. We have to have data to back it up.”

While the work can be fast-paced, creating a workplace culture that promotes work-life balance is high on Fraser’s list of priorities, especially for women.

“Having an environment that allows them to do that to balance it all and be happy and successful at work and at home is important,” Fraser said.

On Tuesday evening, the city of Manchester became the first municipality in the state to pass an ordinance about syringe service programs, a public health initiative that provides clean needles, safe disposal options and resources for harm reduction to people who use injection drugs.

The measure was initially introduced by Mayor Jay Ruais to reduce the number of used needles in the city. It requires programs to register with the city, places limits on where mobile exchanges can operate and requires more data to be shared with city officials.

Manchester Public Health Director Anna Thomas supported the ordinance, saying that it would give her office more insight into how the programs operate in the city. She added that harm reduction initiatives have reduced overdoses by 25% and fatalities by 44% over the past two years. She said syringe service programs are particularly successful in helping people struggling with addiction who might not have been able to access other services.

“That trust that you build up over time and you start getting them to a healthier place, and making healthier choices. And giving them clean needles is the first step in that direction,” she said. “It is a relationship you build with that client over time. That's why they're so successful and it's founded on trust.”

Exchanges were authorized statewide in 2017 by the state legislature. They are required to register with the Department of Health and Human Services every year and report on program activities every quarter. There are currently two registered with the state that operate in Manchester: the Merrimack Valley Assistance Program and the Queen City Exchange, which is part of the New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition.

Lauren McGinley leads the New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition. She said the Queen City Exchange group can still operate with the new limits on where those types of exchanges can happen. As a mobile unit, they think about location as part of being a good neighbor.

“I think location absolutely should be a consideration for any program operating,” she said. “And within the ordinance that was passed last night [Tuesday], we can absolutely make those locations work for us and still be as effective as we need to serve the people that we care about in the city.”

One key difference in the approved ordinance is that it dropped the one-to-one exchange requirement included in the original proposal. That would have required programs to exchange one used needle for one new needle.

While there was a strong show of community support for syringe service programs during the public comment section of the meeting, some aldermen spoke against the revisions. Aldermen Crissy Kantor and Joseph Kelly Levasseur spoke in favor of one-to-one, citing concerns about the total number of needles present in the city.

Kerry Nolte,an associate professor of nursing and department chair at the University of New Hampshire, is one of the founders of the New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition. She said that syringe service programs actually decrease the amount of publicly discarded syringes.

Nolte added that one of the aims of harm reduction with these programs is to reduce the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C by encouraging people who inject drugs to use one syringe for one injection. She said the standard model statewide is referred to as “one for one plus,” which exchanges used needles for new ones, with a few to spare.

“The idea of that is to get people so that they're only using one per injection, and also that they have some supplies to share with others,” she said. “And through sharing sterile syringes instead of sharing their used syringes to reduce hep C and HIV transmission.”

Ruais said the ordinance was part of what he called an “iterative process” on handling addiction and substance use in the city. He said it was possible to revise the ordinance in coming months based on the data gathered, including an upcoming study in Dover about the use of public biohazard containers for needles.

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NEW HAMPSHIRE — What’s described as the “comet of the century” could outshine everything but the moon in the skies over New Hampshire in the next few days and then again later in the month.

As Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas flies ever closer to Earth and our sun, it could be brighter than the stars, Jupiter and even Venus, according to some astronomers and scientists who are tracking the comet.

New Hampshire weather has to cooperate to see Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas, which has grown about 1 million times brighter since its discovery last year. It should be visible through at least Wednesday morning, according to The Planetary Society.

The National Weather Service is calling for a mix of cloudy and sunny conditions in New Hampshire through midweek as the comet makes its closest approach to the sun. Right now, people who live in south and mid-north latitudes have the best chances to see the comet on the eastern horizon about an hour before sunrise.

But if you miss it, there’s still another— and perhaps better — chance to see it. After Wednesday or perhaps Thursday — comets are nothing if not unpredictable — the comet will disappear for several days before making a brilliant return in the Oct. 11 evening sky and makes its closest approach to Earth on Oct. 12, when it will pass within about 44 million miles. You should be able to see the comet through the end of the month.

Find out what's happening in Across New Hampshirewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It will be easier to spot the comet in the evening sky. Look just after sunset for the constellations Leo, then Virgo, and scan the western horizon.

It’s possible to see the comet with the naked eye, but people who are serious about seeing the once-in-a-lifetime event should take along a good pair of binoculars and, even better, a telescope with a wide field of view.

You may also see the effect known as “earthshine,” the dim light from Earth that illuminates the dark side of the moon.

Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas, officially known as C/2023 A3, was picked up last year by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS, at the Tsuchinshan Chinese Observatory in Purple Mountain, China. Scientists estimate it has been in orbit for about 80,000 years.

That means the last humans to have seen the comet would have been the Neanderthals.

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, who is currently aboard the International Space Station, recently shared a video of the comet on the social media platform X and noted its tail has grown longer by the day. He instructed viewers to pause the video at about 15 seconds, where it appears the tail of the comet is bending in the more dense atmosphere closer to Earth.

On Sunday, Dominick posted a time-lapse video on X that showed the comet amid the aurora and satellites. The comet is coming around as the sun reaches its peak activity, called solar maximum, in an 11-year cycle. During this time, more frequent northern lights displays are likely.

People in the southern U.S. have been sharing photos of the comet on social media, including this one from Walker Springs, Alabama.

Corinne Benfield, a Manchester resident, "brings extensive experience" to the position, according to Stay Work Play NH.

Cailin Loesch, Patch Staff

MANCHESTER, NH — Stay Work Play New Hampshire, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to attracting and retaining young people in New Hampshire, announced Monday that it has appointed a new Executive Director.

Corinne Benfield, a Manchester resident, "brings extensive experience in fostering partnerships with corporate and community leaders, particularly in promoting economic growth and community engagement," according to the organization.

Most recently, Benfield served as Director of Corporate and Community Partnerships at the Currier Museum of Art, for which she "played a pivotal role in advancing the museum’s mission, forging strong relationships with employers, stakeholders, and investors," Stay Work Play said.

She also previously led the Leadership Greater Manchester program and the Manchester Young Professionals group at the Greater Manchester Chamber.

"Corinne’s wealth of experience in mission-driven fundraising, leadership programming, and corporate engagement combined with her passion for serving young people will be invaluable to guiding our strategic plan as we begin the next chapter in the organization’s journey," Stay Work Play NH Board of Directors Co-Chair Kaitlyn Woods said. "With our shared vision for creating a New Hampshire where young people want to and can stay, work, and play, we know that Corinne’s leadership will help to build an even more vibrant state for young people and the businesses that want to retain them."

Find out what's happening in Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Benfield said she is "truly honored to join Stay Work Play as Executive Director."

She added, in part: "I’ve been lucky to experience the beauty, possibility, and community that New Hampshire has to offer, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to amplify the uniqueness of this state for both current young residents and those considering making New Hampshire their home."

In her free time, Benfield said she enjoys exploring the state’s nature trails, discovering new local businesses, and spending time with her husband and two dogs at Newfound Lake.

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Here is everything you need to know about the Sept. 10, 2024, primary elections in Manchester, New Hampshire

Tony Schinella, Patch Staff

MANCHESTER, NH — It is time to head to the polls.

The weather will be great on Tuesday in New Hampshire, and there are competitive races for governor, Congress, and other races.

Voters in Manchester cast ballots from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the following locations:

Ward 1: Webster School Auditorium, 2519 Elm St.

Ward 2: Hillside Middle School, 112 Reservoir Avenue

Find out what's happening in Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Ward 3: Carol M. Rines Center, 1528 Elm St.

Ward 4: McDonough School, 550 Lowell St.

Ward 5: Beech Street School, 333 Beech St.

Ward 6: Henry J. McLaughlin Middle School, 201 Jack Lovering Drive

Ward 7: Cardinal Lacroix Academy Community Center, 148 Belmont St.

Ward 8: Memorial High School, One Crusader Way

Ward 9: Bishop Leo E. O'Neil Youth Center, 30 S. Elm St.

Ward 10: Parker-Varney School, 223 James Pollock Drive

Ward 11: Gossler School, 145 Parkside Avenue

Ward 12: Northwest Elementary School, 300 Youville St.

The following candidates are involved in competitive races on Tuesday.

Governor (Democrat)

Joyce Craig

Jon Kiper

Cinde Warmington

Governor (Republican)

Kelly Ayotte

Shaun Fife

Robert McClory

Richard McMenamon II

Chuck Morse

Frank Staples

Congress (Democrat)

Chris Pappas

Kevin Rondeau

Congress (Republican)

Max Abramson

Chris Bright

Joseph Kelly Levasseur

Andy Martin

Walter McFarlane III

Hollie Noveletsky

Russell Prescott

Executive Council (Republican)

Terese Bastarache

Robert Burns

John Reagan

John Stephen

Ryan Terrell

Ross Terrio

State Senate (Democrat)

Pat Long

Sean Parr

State Rep District 23 (Democrat) Vote for 2

Patricia Cornell

Nicole Leapley

Matthew Ping

State Rep District 23 (Democrat) Vote for 2

Mary Ngwanda Georges

Anthony Harris

Jean Jeudy

State Rep District 41 (Democrat) Vote for 3

Lily Foss

Tim Hartnett

Karen Hegner

Mary Smith

Rebecca Smith

Register Of Deeds (Republican) Vote for 1

Dennis Hogan

Elizabeth Ann Moreau

New Hampshire offers same-day voter registration. Here is the Voter Identification Law, linked in .pdf format, and the Explanatory Document. For more information about Voter ID, visit this state website.

The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office will operate an Election Day hotline from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The AG encourages voters and election officials with concerns or questions to call 1-866-868-3703. If a caller receives a voicemail, they should leave a message, and attorneys in the office will address each message.

Additional information on voting can be found here.

Do you have a news tip? Please email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel. Follow the NH politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage.