economy
NH DOT commissioner committed to I-93 toll
February 21, 2010 by Common · Please Comment
From the Eagle Tribune February 21, 2010
NH DOT commissioner committed to I-93 toll
Corridor towns resisting as state moving ahead
By Terry Date
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation plans to apply for federal approval in April to locate a free-flowing toll system on Interstate 93 southbound at the Massachusetts border.
DOT Commissioner George Campbell is moving ahead with the plan — despite heavy opposition from businesses, politicians and commuters in I-93 corridor towns, who object to the cost and in-town congestion they say a toll would generate.
A toll would raise an estimated $46 million a year, money that would go toward the $260 million shortfall to complete the $780 million I-93 widening, as well as pay the highway’s $11 million annual operating cost, and projected bonding expensesfor the project, Campbell said.
He said the widening is critical for travelers’ safety, and a toll is a fair and sustainable way to widen and maintain the now congested 19.8-mile corridor between Salem and Manchester.
economy
Wall Lincoln/Mercury on Merrimack St to close Nov 30
October 23, 2009 by Common · Please Comment
METHUEN — Wall’s Lincoln Mercury, a car dealership on Route 110 for the past 33 years, is closing Nov. 30.
The family-owned business at 115 Merrimack St. is closing out the Lincoln and Mercury brands in Methuen, said owner John Wall Sr., who informed his employees Tuesday about the closure. He said he isn’t sure what he’s going to do with the five-acre property, and will either develop it himself or sell it. “Personally, it’s emotional,” said Wall, 65, who started the dealership there in the mid-1960s. “That was my beginning as a dealer. I spent a lot of years there.”
But it doesn’t mean the end of the Wall brand. In 1997, Wall opened a Ford dealership in Salisbury. He plans on moving the parts and service business from Methuen to that location, and will keep about 30 employees.He said about a dozen people will be laid off as a result of the Methuen closure
economy
City gets 200K to restore firefighters
October 8, 2009 by Common · Please Comment
Methuen will receive $204,980 to bring back three firefighters who were laid off July 1.
from the Eagle Tribune
Stimulus money saves Lawrence, Methuen fire jobs
By Jill Harmacinski
October 08, 2009
Laid off firefighters in Lawrence and Methuen are headed back to work courtesy of $8.1 million in economic stimulus money released by Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday.
“It’s absolutely great news,” said Lawrence fire Chief Peter Takvorian, who was forced to close two of six city firehouses and lay off eight firefighters this summer due to budget cuts.
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From the Boston Herald
Mass. to hire 127 firefighters with stimulus funds
By Associated Press
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
BOSTON — Massachusetts is using $8.1 million in federal stimulus dollars to rehire 127 firefighters in 13 cities and towns.
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economy
Fratto:Getting at the truth behind Methuen school budget deficit
October 4, 2009 by Common · Please Comment
released to the Eagle Tribune:
Getting at the truth behind Methuen school budget deficit
Glenn Fratto
As the new business administrator for Methuen Public Schools, I am surprised by the apparent lack of public understanding of the difficult financial situation the city is facing. As I understand, Methuen has always supported education and the school district has been funded appropriately. Yet, as I review the district’s current budget and the prospect of reductions in financial support from the state and federal governments, I feel the need to share some facts about the city’s predicament.
As a matter of policy, the City Council funds the School Department based on a formula provided by the state. After taking into consideration items the city pays for, the City Council established a figure of $57,576,289 for the School Department’s FY10 operating budget. This figure was $271,000 less than the FY09 operating budget.
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economy
Methuen’s Dimdim Takes on the Webinar Big Boys
September 2, 2009 by Common · Please Comment
from Xconomy/Boston
Wade Roush 9/2/09
Though it may be one of the most grating neologisms of the Internet era, the “webinar” has grown into an important, often profitable, way for group leaders to reach employees and/or followers and for companies to reach existing and potential customers. The leading providers of webinar hosting technology are the WebEx division of Cisco Systems and the GoToMeeting division of Citrix. But in Methuen, MA, there’s a brash startup called Dimdim that’s taking on both of those networking giants.
Known for attracting some 3 million users around the world to its low-cost web conferencing system, Dimdim announced today that it’s expanding into the webinar hosting business, with the goal of making it far easier for webinar producers to organize, promote, and monetize their online events. Dimdim chief marketing officer Steve Chazin says the new Dimdim Webinar service is essentially a crowd-sized version of its existing Web conferencing system, but with certain features added and others removed. And he says it has already been extensively beta-tested by religious organizations, financial advisors, and even a group of Australian veterinarians, who use it for continuing education certification
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economy
Taxes send shoppers north
August 15, 2009 by Common · Please Comment
From the Boston Globe
By Jenn Abelson
August 15, 2009
SALEM, N.H. – Some Massachusetts consumers, frustrated by the recent sales tax hike, say they are driving miles out of their way to shopping centers in tax-free New Hampshire for their back-to-school needs.
And it’s not just the usual border crossers. Nancy Hemme, annoyed by the 62-cent tax she recently paid on $10 worth of school supplies at the Staples store in North Reading, decided to do the rest of her school shopping 20 miles away in New Hampshire, where she loaded up on folders, notebooks, and other supplies for her three children at Wal-Mart. She plans to make another trip this month for a television and other items before her son goes off to college and estimates she will spend close to $1,000 in New Hampshire, money she usually would have spent at the local stores in North Reading. “I just don’t understand in this economy why you’re hurting the retailers and customers even more. It’s worth it to me to drive the extra miles and save money,’’ Hemme said. “I’ve got a big tuition bill coming.’’
Some border merchants in New Hampshire say they are seeing a spike in sales since Massachusetts raised its sales tax from 5 percent to 6.25 percent on Aug. 1, while other retailers in the Commonwealth are reporting double-digit drops in business compared with the same period last year. Massachusetts officials have estimated the tax increase would generate about $759 million this year to help fill holes in the state budget. Already, the tax hike has become a hot political issue in next year’s gubernatorial race, with several candidates promising to roll back the increase.
August sales tax payments are not due to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue until Sept. 20, so it is too early to determine the effect of the sales tax increase. But the elimination of the annual sales-tax holiday – typically scheduled for this upcoming weekend – and the recent rate increase have Massachusetts merchants worried about a significant drop in sales at a time when they can least afford to lose business.
Dick Dube, owner of Dick’s TV & Appliance in Methuen, is projecting sales to plunge 50 percent compared with last August, about $100,000 worth.
