Rep. Suzanne HARVEY Proud to serve Nashua's Ward 2

If you're not a cable TV subscriber and still have a TV in the house that relies on analog broadcasts, on Feb. 19th you will no longer be able to sit in your favorite chair and actually see your favorite program on that set. That's the date when all analog broadcasting ends and digital transmission takes over.

Congress mandated this switch to increase the spectrum of broadcasting capability so that our country's first responders (state and local emergency responders) have the communication access they need.

Fresh air + sunshine+ clothesline=saving energy (Photo copyright Cynthia Clark)Did you know there's a Right-to-Dry movement afoot? Check out the Time magazine story here that mentions Suzanne's role.

Proponents of the movement support using a clothesline, a "renewable solar device," instead of your energy-guzzling clothes dryer.

Suzanne sponsored a bill this year that would have given condominium owners the right to dry their clothes outdoors. The bill simply said that home associations and municipalities could not fully prohibit outdoor drying but could decide when and where on the property it would be allowed.

The intent of the bill, which did not pass, was to provide one more way folks could decrease their carbon footprint and save energy. The argument against the bill formed around the "contract clause" in the Constitution and the by-laws of home associations, which in almost all cases prohibit outdoor drying. But there really is a counter-argument based in the exceptions allowed in state law according to the clause--mainly, would the law serve an important and legitimate public interest?

Recycle your electronic waste responsibly (click on photo to enlarge).You know that old cell phone you put in a drawer, or the old TV that none of the kids want in their room now that you've purchased a jazzy large flat screen TV for the family room? Take those and other unwanted electronics (computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, scanners, VCRs, DVD and CD players, microwave ovens, and audio/stereo equipment) to Nashua's Four Hills Landfill on any of the following dates from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM:
September 20.....October 18......November 15....or December 20.

There is no charge for Nashua residents, but you must have a valid landfill permit to recycle. Stop at the office there if you don't already have a 2008 permit. Small businesses may particpate; call 589-3410 to pre-register. There will be $5 charge per device for businesses.

Anyone who travels on 101A/Amherst Street knows how gnarly it can be, especially from about 3:00 PM until rush hour ends. The city has long planned to widen the road, particularly around the Exit 8 area west to Celina Avenue in Nashua. There are fans of the proposal who believe it will solve the congestion, and there are many critics, especially business and land owners along the route.