News : December 2010
Luff family golf has a 'green' wrinkle
Dec 27, 2010By JIM CAVAN
Fosters Daily Democrat
Thursday, December 23, 2010
NORTH HAMPTON — Ever since the environmental movement started to gain recognizable steam in the 1970s, a few select industries have enjoyed their fair share of the greater green scorn.
Some of them you can probably name without much thought: oil companies, logging outfits, factory farms, auto manufacturers. And golf courses.
Though certainly not the subject to the degree of scorn seen by the previously listed, environmentalists have long seen golf courses as antithetical to their core values. They're big, expansive, chemical-dependent, require copious amounts of water to properly maintain, and change the nature and course of the ecosystems in and around them......read more here!
Business Profiles:
Concrete plans lead to business success
Dec 27, 2010From Seacoast Online
By Jim Cavan
December 26, 2010
SEABROOK — When starting a business in a recessionary economy, oftentimes finding the right niche is just as important as the product itself.
Luckily, Patrick and Kate Simons figured out a way to accomplish both. The couple owns The Refinery Concrete, a Seabrook-based cutting-edge concrete design company that specializes in green techniques, designs and products.
While out West, working chiefly in the carpentry field, Patrick Simons began experimenting with concrete as a medium for countertops, sinks, fireplaces, furniture, and other architectural elements. Inspired by the works of San Francisco-based concrete designers, Simons slowly began honing his new craft, along the way developing techniques and methods which helped render the traditionally rough and cold material into something sleeker, warmer and more inviting.....Read more here!
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Shelter first in state to run on renewable energy
Dec 21, 2010From the Portland Press Herald
Written By: Tux Turkel
Formerly homeless residents have begun moving into the first shelter facility in Maine to get most of its heat and half its electricity from renewable energy sources.
Vinton Hall is an eight-unit building next to the York County Shelter in Alfred. The heavily insulated apartment house has solar panels that warm water and generate electricity. Much of the space heat comes from a high-efficiency wood boiler.
The building's nonprofit owner, York County Shelter Programs Inc., finds housing options for more than 600 homeless and low-income residents annually. It tapped a variety of grants and loans to finance the $800,000 project, calculating that the higher up-front capital costs for green construction would be offset over time by lower operating expenses.... read more here!
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Sagamore Hampton Golf Club installs wind turbine
Dec 15, 2010From the Portsmouth Herald
December 14, 2010
By Jim Cavan
NORTH HAMPTON — Typically, windswept fairways at Sagamore-Hampton Golf Club are more a source of competitive frustration than admiration. Nestled high above the surrounding terrain and within earshot of Interstate 95, a round at the 18-hole course can, on gusty days, feel like New Hampshire's version of the British Open.
Now — thanks to a green ambition over two years in the making — the nearly 50-year-old Sagamore course is making the most of nature's hand. The golf course, at 101 North Road, recently installed and put online a 3.7-kilowatt wind turbine. The roughly 50-foot structure situated about a sand-wedge shot from the clubhouse and in between the first and 10th fairways is expected to supply a portion of the clubhouse's energy needs in coming years.... read more here!
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Locavore Gift Idea #7
Dec 14, 2010From the Living the Local Life blog
By Virginia Claus
Today's gift is extremely versatile. A membership to the Green Alliance is great for just about anyone. The Green Alliance Green Card earns you discounts at close to 100 local green business saving you hundreds even thousands of dollars!.... check out more of Virginia's blog by clicking here!
Simply Green to provide biodiesel for all Portsmouth school buses
Dec 13, 2010From the Portsmouth Herald
By Jim Cavan
Since November, school children in Portsmouth are breathing easier at the bus stop.
The city announced it would partner with Simply Green Biofuels in an effort to run the entirety of the city's school bus fleet with biodiesel fuel. Portsmouth-based Simply Green is expecting to provide anywhere between 30,000 and 40,000 gallons annually of its B5 blend... read more here!
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Golf club adds windmill Sagamore-Hampton turns windy location into energy saver
Dec 13, 2010From Fosters Daily Democrat
By Jim Cavan
NORTH HAMPTON — Typically, the windswept fairways at Sagamore Hampton Golf Club are more a source of competitive frustration than admiration. Nestled high above the surrounding terrain and within earshot of I-95, a round at the 18-hole course can, on a particularly gusty day, feel like New Hampshire's version of the British Open.
Now, thanks to a green ambition over two years in the making, the near 50-year-old Sagamore is making the most of nature's hand. Earlier this month, the golf course, located at 101 North Road in North Hampton, successfully installed and put online a 3.7-kilowatt wind turbine. The roughly 50 foot structure ¿ situated about a sand wedge shot from the clubhouse and in between the first and 10th fairways ¿ is expected to supply a portion of the course clubhouse's energy needs in the coming years. ... read more here!
Business Profiles:
After nearly 40 years, local music rep still hitting green note
Dec 13, 2010From the Portsmouth Herald
By Jim Cavan
Music and social issues have often been joined at the hippest of hips. From '60s folk to '70s punk a new wave, '80s arena rock and benefit concerts to today's headstrong hip-hop, nearly every modern musical movement can claim a social anchor somewhere in its chorus.
But talent agencies? Not exactly a hotbed of activism — at least not traditionally. But the owner of one Seacoast outfit has made a career out of balancing the two.
"Cuzin" Richard Smith, owner and founder of Cuzin Richard Entertainment Associates (CREA), might not represent the next Clash or Mos Def. Still, Smith's business has for nearly 40 years been just as important to him as his causes, most of which revolved around environmental issues.... read more here!
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Earth Matters: Go green and reap rewards
Dec 13, 2010From the Portsmouth Herald
By Deborah Mcdermott
What are you doing to be green in your house or your business? If you're reading this column, you've likely already incorporated some sustainable practices into your life, like composting, using compact fluorescents or bringing cloth bags to the grocery store.
Maybe you've gone the next step and taken advantage of the myriad opportunities out there to save on new Energy Star appliances or to undertake an energy retrofit of your home. Or perhaps you've gone even further, putting up solar panels or installing a geothermal system.... read more here!
Business Profiles:
Solar energy jobs growing quickly
Dec 3, 2010From Fosters Daily Democrat
November 28, 2010
By Victoria Guay
New Hampshire's unemployment rate continues to decrease, a situation that can, in part, be attributed to the sun.
In October, the Solar Foundation, a nonprofit solar energy research organization, released an analysis of the solar energy workforce in the U.S. entitled "National Solar Jobs Census 2010: A Review of the U.S. Solar Workforce."
According to the Solar Census, as of August, there were more than 16,700 solar employment sites and 93,000 solar energy-related jobs in the U.S... read more here!
Business Profiles:
Green Alliance, Just Us Chickens plan open house
Dec 3, 2010From Fosters Daily Democrat
December 3, 2010
KITTERY, Maine — Last month, Seacoast residents got an up close and personal look at the phenomenal growth of local green commerce when the Green Alliance hosted their first ever "Green Growth Party" at Earthtec Outfitters in Portsmouth.
The event drew well over 300 people, and included Green Alliance Business Partners, local activists, Green Alliance "co-op" members, and curious citizens alike. The party was such a success that the local green business union is gearing up for another installment this month. On Dec. 9, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., the Green Alliance, along with Kittery neighbor Just Us Chickens Artists' Cooperative, will co-host a Holiday Open House at their joint location in Kittery's Foreside district at 9 Walker St.... read the full story here!
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Green Alliance and Just Us Chickens to co-host Holiday Open House
Dec 2, 2010From Parenting New Hampshire magazine
By Jim Cavan
Last month, Seacoast residents got an up close and personal look at the phenomenal growth of local green commerce when the Green Alliance hosted their first ever “Green Growth Party” at Earthtec Outfitters in Portsmouth. The event drew well over 300 people, and included Green Alliance Business Partners, local activists, Green Alliance “co-op” members, and curious citizens alike.
The party was such a success that the local green business union is gearing up for another installment this month. On Dec. 9, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., the Green Alliance, along with Kittery neighbor Just Us Chickens Artists’ Cooperative, will co-host a Holiday Open House at their joint location in Kittery’s Foreside district at 9 Walker St.... Click here to read the full story!
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