About Amherst's Amherst Village

Amherst NH Concerts in the Library, The Amherst Town Library is located in the heart of Amherst Village and hosts Sunday concerts as follows.

Sunday Concerts at the Amherst Town Library, Amherst Village NH.

November 6, 2011, 5 PM

Anna Boardman Concern Series Presents Jazz First

January 8, 4 PM

Wildes Dreams musicians Alice Johnson and Andy Holiner in Concert

February 12, 201 4 PM

United State Air Force Bay State Winds

March 18, 2012 4 PM

Celtic Celebration Aubric Dionne and piper Runion-Barefoot in Concert

April 15, 2012, 5 PM

New Hampshire Master Chorale in Concert with Music Director Dan Perkins

Relax and enjoy in Amherst Village NH.

Yes, men do ask for directions. Maybe not by pulling into the local convenience store or gas station, but just this week I was stopped by three different folks (2 women and 1 man) and asked for directions in Amherst, NH. Our little Village of Amherst can be a bit tricky for folks new to the area.

I remember VIVIDLY the first two weeks of life here in the Granite State. I moved from Houston, TX to Amherst, NH in 1990. Vermont may have more cows than people, but New Hampshire is where those cows defined the road paths on their way up to Vermont. To me, every road looked exactly the same...2 lanes, twisty, trees on both sides and no street signs...and almost no nighttime street lights.

When I moved to NH, I got lost almost EVERY SINGLE DAY. In 1990, there were no cell phones, no GPS technology....no lifeline at your fingertips. If you got lost, you drove around until you saw something familiar or you asked someone along the way.

One of the best stories from those early days goes like this. I needed to go to the local post office to mail a letter (remember, no on-line banking, no email). I called my neighbor and asked if she could give me directions. She hesitated, started to talk, then hesitated again. Finally, she said, "Why don't you wait and I'll drive there with you, it is too difficult to describe on the phone." What kind of crazy place had I moved to that required an escort to get me to the post office?

Now I'm an expert navigator and am at home with all of the short-cuts, back roads and unnamed streets in the area. But there are still folks who need a little help out there, so I make it a point to help out when I see an obviously lost soul.

On Tuesday afternoon, I loaded Helena into the jogging stroller and we were off for a terrific run. I decided to jog into the Amherst Village center and stop by the library while we were out. A huge treat for Helena.

As I approached an intersection of a "busy-ish" street I needed to cross, Mr. Subaru was on the opposite side. No blinker was on, so what was he doing? Straight, left or right. He just sat there. Wait, wait, wait....I was annoyed a bit because I wanted to be sure he saw me before I crossed the street in front of him, but he didn't move.

Maybe he was waiting for me, while I was waiting for him. Ok, I crossed. As I ran by his car, the passenger window lowered and he said, "Excuse me, can you help me find the Post Office?" Ah Ha! He wasn't annoying, just lost. I've been there. We chatted a bit, he was new to the area (and looking for a Realtor!).

I gave him directions, made sure he knew the landmarks to look for and I gave him my business card (I have them in the stroller....type A personality) so he could call my cellphone if he got lost again or needed any other help learning the area.

Mr. Mike Subaru was happy and on his way. I felt great that I helped someone and was back on my way to the Amherst Town library. I always stop when folks need directions and pay it forward....one day they may return the favor.

Cheers and Happy Mother's Day!

Caroline

Photo Credit: Flickr - franctasy

Figuring Out Four-Way Stops and Round-Abouts: Just Whose Turn Is It Anyway? After You, Oh No, No, After You!

Driver's Ed - We all either endured that course, or somehow found the loop-hole that allowed us to skip over the course and advance straight to the actual driving test. I was a skipper, but that was "back in the day" when, in South Carolina, we got a driver's permit at 15 and a full-blown, no restrictions, Driver's License at 16, no driver's ed necessary.

My 17 year old daughter still doesn't have her Driver's License. No interest, too few driving hours, whatever, she doesn't have it. In NH, Driver's Ed is a must, and 40 hours of documented practice-driving hours are also a must before a license can be issued. With college starting in just 116 days (but who's counting), I'm forcing the issue these days that getting a driver's license is now a priority, so lets get some practice driving hours going!

This week we had a few terrifically bright, sunny days in Amherst, New Hampshire. Cloudless sky, gentle breeze and loads of bright yellow daffodils have lifted the spirits of New Englanders who felt Spring would never arrive. Not counting $3.89 gasoline, it is a great time for practice driving.

Four-Way Stops and New England Round-Abouts ("rotaries") are interesting tests of a driver's personality. Simple enough, right? Yield to the car that arrived first at the 4-way; yield to the car already in the rotary, then enter. When in doubt, defer to the other driver for safety. Nope, not always so simple.

We had horns honked, impatient drivers, the whole shooting match. What we also had was a terrific lesson in letting someone else go first, even if you are absolutely POSITIVE you have the right of way. One important lesson for young (and old) drivers is to be patient, slow down, defer and let the other guy go first.

My daughter rounded a LOT of rotaries and we made it through many 4-way stops this week. What we both learned is that letting someone else go first, waiting a bit longer at a STOP sign and totally avoiding confrontation on the highway is a huge "pay it forward".

This week, I decided to go back to "Driver's Ed" myself a bit and practice what I preached to my daughter. I decided to let someone advance in front of me in the grocery store parking lot. I decided to drive in the right hand lane more often and, most importantly, I put my cell phone in the glove-box, for my family's safety and your family's safety. All great examples for our watchful young drivers that will pay dividends in the future.

Why not pay it forward a bit yourself and let the other guy go first at least once a day for a week. I think you'll smile a bit more and you'll definitely set a great example.

Caroline

Photo Credit: Colemama - Flickr;

Amherst, NH PTA’s Production of Music Man Not To Be Missed April 14 – 17, 2011
Souhegan High School Auditorium

NH Home Sales Recovery 2011

Peter Francese of NHAR (New Hampshire Association of Realtors) has reported that New Hampshire real estate is poised for a 2011 recovery.

He indicates prices have stabilized in most of the State and second home activity has seen an increase around the State.

He further reports, "Measuring by the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank's index of economic activity, New Hampshire is recovering from this recession better than any other state.

The index indicates an improving economy. By this measure, NH is recovering from this recession better than any other state. NH's index is 189, which is at a two year high and is now the highest index among the 50 states. By comparison, the average for the other New England states is 150, which is also the national average."

One other important indicator is our unemployment rate, which was 5.4 percent in November. That was the fourth lowest rate in the nation but is probably below 5 percent by now.

Our state is clearly moving toward a period of economic growth that can only be good news for our housing market." Francese reported.

Most real estate professionals that I have spoken with in NH seem to feel we will see an uptick in sales activity in NH in 2011. Everything seems to point to a NH home sales recovery in 2011. We won't see boom years again for quite a while, but based on pentup demand, growth in employment and consumer confidence, 2011 should be a stronger year in terms of NH real estate sales.