12/26/04 - Ben Swiezynski has a lot in common with George Bailey, the frustrated hero of "It’s A Wonderful Life." Like Bailey, he spent a lifetime serving one community, pouring out his life and talents for his neighbors. But unlike Bailey, Swiezynski never wanted to be anywhere else.

12/26/04 - EXETER - SAU 16’s joint school board this past week moved toward putting seat belts in school buses, beginning an investigation into the added cost.

12/24/04 - BRENTWOOD - Thirteen-year-old Justin Parker went out in the snow on Tuesday, but not to play. Instead, his tumble in the white stuff helped to save his life.

12/24/04 - Claire Gagnon, co-owner of Mobil on the Run in Stratham, said in a phone interview that she is "thrilled" with the current low gas prices, and so are her customers.

12/24/04 - EXETER - The SAU 16 Joint School Board on Monday decided unanimously to move forward in determining the cost of requiring seat belts in school buses.

12/24/04 - EXETER - In an unusual waiver of policy, the Exeter Post Office was designated an official North Pole routing facility earlier this month, due to the overwhelming number of letters to Santa Claus this season.

12/24/04 - Karen Palino jingled all the way to the White House when her hand-painted ornament was selected for the Blue Room Christmas tree.

12/24/04 - EXETER - The Board of Selectmen approved the warrant Monday night, with three exceptions.

12/24/04 - EXETER - The Board of Selectmen rejected proposed fire impact fees Monday that the Fire Department hoped would help pay for a second station. According to Town Manager George Olson, fire impact fees will not be pursued until it is decided whether or not a new station is approved.

12/24/04 - EXETER - The Board of Selectmen approved the Fire Department’s reorganization request to change the post vacated by Capt. Chris Soave to create a second assistant-chief position.

12/24/04 - STRATHAM - Jennifer Monaco of Stratham held a hand-painted tray above her head. "It’s only 19 ‘dinar’," she called over the shouts of her sixth-grade classmates.

12/24/04 - STRATHAM - While some kids dream of a white Christmas, asking Santa for snowboards, ski gear and lots and lots of toys, other kids wish for more basic things - to be clothed, to be warm, to be fed.

12/24/04 - STRATHAM - Stratham takes care of its own at the holidays - and a few other people, too.

12/24/04 - Retailers aren’t the only busy ones this holiday season. Lobster exporters are bustling as well, shipping millions of dollars worth of lobsters overseas to Europe, according to The Associated Press.

12/24/04 - STRATHAM - David VanBilliard was surprised when his classmates, and some older kids, didn’t know which New England state has no coastline. "It’s Vermont, of course," he said.

12/24/04 - EPPING - Many awards were handed to students at a recent Epping High School assembly. Principal Michael Sanz presented service award pins to Kate Gilligan and Loralee Hutchinson for their work in the main office.

12/24/04 - EPPING - Students at the Maple Tree Learning Center discovered the real meaning of Christmas this year when they raised money to buy gifts for the kids at the Dover Children’s Home. The gifts, 12 fleece blankets handmade by the Maple Tree students, and three full boxes of stocking stuffers and hair accessories, were presented to Children’s Home Director Dee Brown at the school’s holiday program.

12/24/04 - Greg Thayer is in his 35th year teaching science at Newmarket Junior and Senior High School. He’s teaching second-generation Newmarket kids and the third generation is on the way. He is known by everyone who has been in town for a while, and beloved by the town’s children and thousands of Newmarket High School graduates.

12/24/04 - SEABROOK - Seabrook Station unveiled $14 million in security upgrades on Wednesday, in the first media tour of the nuclear power plant since the week after the terrorists attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

12/24/04 - HAMPTON - Welcome to the politically correct world where Christmas trees are now called community trees and the song "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is sung "We Wish You a Swinging Holiday."

12/24/04 - Christmas. What comes to mind when one sees that word? Millions of things to millions of people. For Christians, the day marks the birth of Jesus Christ, and it is observed in many countries in many ways.

12/24/04 - The following people passed away recently. . .

12/24/04 - Area police made the following arrests and conducted the following business recently...

12/24/04 - EXETER - Exeter High School’s young wrestlers found themselves in the limelight Wednesday night at the high school annex.

12/24/04 - EXETER - Jack Mazalewski was in the stands at Talbot Gymnasium Tuesday night watching the Exeter and Dover High School boys basketball teams go at it.

12/24/04 - BERLIN - You can call Mike Borelli, Mr. Overtime, if you like. Borelli scored 24 seconds into overtime to give the Exeter High School hockey team a 4-3 victory over Berlin on Wednesday.

12/24/04 - "What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?" "Where’s the party?" Every year it’s a quandary trying to figure out what to do on the big night. How many folks just want to stay at home and veg in front of the television with some take-out, a glass of champagne and Dick Clark? OK, it’s Regis this year, but the idea’s the same.

12/24/04 - Sunday Brunch is a beautiful thing. The kids are happy with their sweet Belgian waffles, dieters can take samples or just beef if that’s the prevailing diet and then there’s the ubiquitous getting up late Sunday dialogue: "Gee, he wants breakfast, but I want lunch…sooo…hey how about brunch!"

12/24/04 - BRENTWOOD - Use pure maple syrup or maple sugar as a sweetener and your holiday baking will be remembered for its wonderful taste long after the last tree needle has been vacuumed from the carpet. Maple adds a delicious and unique flavor to anything you bake, whether it’s a cake, pie, cookies, glazed vegetables or meat.

12/24/04 - BOSTON - "It's an emergency! You need a chopper! You need a chopper out!" With those urgent words, fishing boat captain Tony Alvernaz set off a futile Coast Guard search for five New Bedford scallopers, lost in the rolling seas off Nantucket.

12/24/04 - BOSTON - Investigators reviewing the construction of wall panels in the Big Dig's Interstate 93 tunnel planned to wrap up the first phase of their inspections early Friday morning by looking at two panels along one section of the tunnel.

12/24/04 - FALLUJAH, Iraq - U.S. Marine infantrymen fought with insurgents in Fallujah on Thursday as warplanes and tanks bombarded guerrilla positions in the heaviest fighting here in weeks. The clashes raged as nearly 1,000 residents returned to the devastated city for the first time since U.S. troops drove out most of the militants last month.

12/24/04 - PORTLAND, Maine - A Maine Army National Guard medic’s "mass casualty plan" is credited with saving lives following an explosion in a mess tent in Iraq that killed 22 people including two soldiers from the 133rd Engineer Battalion.

12/24/04 - BURLINGTON, Vt. - A Milton man who crashed a car at high speed and then wandered into a house and kissed a sleeping couple is facing a variety of charges.

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