Also on today’s menu:
Gilmanton Iron Works Fire Destroys Home
Atlantic Broadband Rebrands As Breezeline
Former Senator Wayne King of Thornton has dedicated a podcast to former Bristol Enterprise publisher and Bridgewater resident Edward J. Bennett.
Born in the same year as his Groton School classmate, Robert F. Kennedy, Ed Bennett spent his whole life as an elected official for the Republican Party, while serving as a journalist and editor-publisher where he attempted to provide unbiased journalism and fairness to both sides. King says it was “a balancing that he performed with grace and wisdom and — most of all — a sense of humor.”
Bennett wrote a book focusing on the humorous aspects of his work, Yankee Editor. (I have a copy.) He also wrote two autobiographies, 70 Years of It and Ink in My Blood for his family, and Bill Loeb: As I Knew Him.
Between 1950 and 1961, he purchased and ran several New Hampshire weekly newspapers, including the Canaan Reporter and Enfield Advocate (1950-1955) and the Bristol Enterprise (1955-1961), followed by the Claremont Daily Eagle. In 1977, he purchased the Vermont Standard in Woodstock, which he edited for six years.
Bennett served two terms in the New Hampshire Senate in the late 1950s and was elected for two terms in the New Hampshire House in 1986. He also was a past president of both the New Hampshire and Vermont press associations.
Gilmanton Iron Works Fire Destroys Home
Gilmanton Fire Chief John Hempel III told the Laconia Daily Sun that an early-morning fire on Tuesday destroyed a home in Gilmanton Iron Works, killing two dogs. A woman and her son who resided there escaped, but he sustained minor injuries in his unsuccessful attempt to save the dogs.
The fire department was called out at 3:10 a.m. to find the front of the building was fully involved. Thirteen other fire departments, as well as the NH Electric Co-op, were called to assist in fighting the blaze, and the fire was finally under control by 5:09 a.m.
Hempel said the temperature registered seven degrees below zero, making it difficult to fight the fire, which he said appeared to be accidental. The investigation into the cause of the fire continues.
Atlantic Broadband Rebrands As Breezeline
Atlantic Broadband, the nation’s eighth-largest cable operator, has “rebranded” as Breezeline, which President Frank van der Post said reflects the company’s expanded geographical reach and new services.
“We’re no longer just an east coast provider, and we’ve long offered much more than broadband, so our company identity must evolve with us,” van der Post said. “The name Breezeline marks the beginning of a new, exciting era of transforming our company through new growth, while also elevating the customer experience through enhanced customer care options, innovative products, and investment in the latest technologies.”
The company has launched a major fiber expansion initiative that it says will extend connectivity to more than 70,000 additional homes and businesses in New Hampshire and West Virginia via ultra-fast Fiber-to-the-Home technology. The company also plans to launch Breezeline Stream TV, a cloud-based, web-powered service, allowing customers to access live and recorded programs on various devices, in and outside the home. The company said Breezeline Stream TV will be launched in select Breezeline markets early this year, with additional markets being added throughout 2022.
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