New Hampshire-based Cinemagic, which had locations in Maine and Massachusetts as well as this state, has announced the closure of its movie theaters, and others, including Smitty’s Cinemas, admit to being in trouble due to the pandemic.
“We were very excited over Christmas vacation because it was a great week,” Albert Waitt, director of operations for Smitty’s Cinemas, told the Concord Monitor. “It was a great week for now — but before (the pandemic) it would have been like a week in February where it snowed for four days. Our good weeks now would have been bad weeks, really bad weeks, before.”
Smitty’s has been able to keep four of its five movie houses open — in Tilton and Windham as well as two in Maine — but even with pandemic funding that was meant to keep businesses afloat, it has been tough, Waitt said.
Part of the problem is a shortage of new films to show, but pandemic protocols against large gatherings and indoor events also have cut the facilities’ capacity. Smitty’s also offers a dine-in menu which carries the restrictions on indoor restaurants.
LRGHealthcare Looks For A Bailout
The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Charitable Trust Unit held a Zoom hearing on Tuesday regarding Concord Hospital’s bid to acquire LRGHealthcare in bankruptcy proceedings. LRGHealthcare’s chief executive officer, Kevin Donovan, testified at the hearing that, otherwise, Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia and Franklin Hospital may close within two months.
Although the purchase has not cleared all of the regulatory hurdles, Concord Hospital already severed LRGHealthcare’s contract with Advanced Orthopedic Specialists, leaving Lakes Region patients without a local provider next month.
Agritourism and Conservation
The state has recognized agritourism — events that connect the public with food producers — as being essential in the survival of many family farms. The state also has made a commitment to help preserve open spaces by allowing large landowners to set aside land for conservation.
The two goals have clashed at times, and Windyhurst Farm in Westmoreland is one example. Alisha Adams Powell of Windyhurst Farm said most of the family’s land is protected under the 1988 easement the family entered into through the state’s Land Conservation Investment Program. The farm wants to hold free cruise nights, where people put classic cars on display, but has found that such events are not allowed because they benefit the family’s restaurant, a use that is inconsistent with the easement.
State Representative Paul Berch, a Westmoreland Democrat, sponsored House Bill 82 to redefine conservation easements in order to accommodate agritourism, but in a hearing on the bill, there was overwhelming opposition and both sides agreed that more study is needed before enacting any changes.
Kristina Snyder of the Chester Conservation Commission noted that conservation easements are supposed to protect the land forever and that, if changes are allowed, fewer property owners will want to enter into such agreements. “One of their biggest fears is that their wishes will be changed down the road.”
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