The greenest building in Manchester, NH?

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When Stonyfield Farm put a 50 kilowatt solar energy array atop its manufacturing facility near Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in 2005, the organic yogurt maker laid claim to the title of largest solar energy system in Manchester, NH.

That record that stood until 2009, when PSNH inched past Stonyfield by installing a 51 kilowatt solar energy system on the roof of its Energy Park headquarters in the Millyard. But that record, too, is soon to be broken. Preparing to claim the title is another Millyard landmark, the Pandora Mill, which is currently installing a 75 kilowatt solar energy system on its roof:

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Calling all Johnny Appleseeds

I know that gas prices are sky high and that the city budget is tight. And I know that there is a lot city-owned land for the Parks and Rec. Department to take care of, including a ton of bona fide city parks, which I'm sure take priority. Still, I am annoyed every time I drive by plots of public land that look like this:

This particular piece of land is a traffic island located on Andrea Drive, the South Willow Street turn-around located between a Bank of America branch and a Dunkin' Donuts. This jungle is one of the biggest examples of overgrown plots of land in the city, but it's far from the only one. From medians to sidewalk corners to some city parks, there's a glut of neglected property in Manchester.

During the nearly four years I've lived here in New Hampshire, I've learned that there is a general reluctance to ask government to solve problems - especially if it might require additional tax dollars - when residents can do the job themselves. That's why I think the guerrilla gardening movement would be a perfect solution for the city's neglected land problem.

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Eat locally, if you can

I like the idea of eating locally. Not only is the food fresher than I'd get in the supermarket, but the money I spend on such food stays in the local economy. Further, I like knowing exactly where my food comes from and that its carbon footprint is relatively small.

Apparently Gov. John Lynch feels the same way. He proclaimed Aug. 3-9, as New Hampshire Eat Local Week .

Here in Manchester, however, being a localvore isn't exactly easy.

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