Aviation trailblazer

MILFORD – Bernice Perry’s father started Blake’s Restaurants in Milford and Manchester, but growing up in the 1920s, she wasn’t eager to enter the food business. She instead took flying lessons at the new Manchester Airport and in 1929 became the state’s first licensed female pilot.

On the 90th anniversary of Perry receiving her pilot’s license, the Aviation Museum of N.H., will celebrate Women’s Aviation Month with a program at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 9, honoring her achievements. Historian Ed Brouder will recount her life story and contributions to women in aviation. The program is being presented with help of the Milford Historical Society. For more information, visit www.aviationmuseumofnh.org.

Blake, a prolific commercial photographer, willed her archives of more than 43,000 photo negatives to the Milford Historical Society following her death in 1996 at age 91. Blake’s Ice Cream and Restaurants has arranged for complimentary ice cream to be part of the tribute to the family’s pioneering pilot.

The museum is located at 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, For more information, call 669-4280 or visit the museum’s web site at www.aviationmuseumofnh.org.

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Biking and hiking

AMHERST – The Amherst Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee is asking residents to provide feedback for the statewide Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan. The statewide plan has a website with a 16-question survey and an interactive input map. The map allows you to zoom in anywhere in the state to flag difficult intersections, challenging corridors for walking and bicycling, and places where you would like to see new or improved facilities. The planning team hopes to see hundreds of surveys and map comments, so include comments where you live, work, and play throughout the Granite State. Link to the master plan website: http://nhpedbikeplan.com.

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Summer jobs

MILFORD – The Milford Recreation Department is hosting a summer job fair on Monday, March 11, from 3-5 p.m. in the town hall auditorium. For more information call 249-0625.

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Rides to the polls

The Souhegan Valley Transportation Collaborative’s bus service, also known as The Blue Bus, will provide rides to local voting locations on March 12. Passengers must be pre-registered and call to schedule a ride by Wednesday March 6.

Priority will continue to be given to rides for healthcare appointments on election day. as well as priority for rides requested by senior citizens and residents living with a disability.

Pre-registered passengers are encouraged to call and request a ride if needed. SVTC works closely with their partners at the Nashua Transit System, and try to accommodate requests within the limits of the service’s operating hours and available resources.

Souhegan Valley Rides is a curb-to-curb, dial-a-ride bus service available to residents of Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Milford, Mont Vernon and Wilton. Riders are asked to pay $2 each way, and a free bus pass program, funded by donations, is available for eligible residents who cannot afford the fare. Pre-registration is required and applications are available by calling 880-0100 ext 2 and on SVTC’s website at www.SouheganValleyRides.org. For more information, call 880-0100 ext 2 or visit www.SouheganValleyRides.org.

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Senior safety

New Hampshire is ranked ninth in a new study of the safest states for seniors. The U.S. has a record number of people 65 and older, nearly 50 million. The golden years should be filled with safety and security but that is not the reality for many.

The New York Times reported that a record number of seniors over 65 have filed for bankruptcy, as people live longer and recessions have caused retirement accounts to vanish. Additionally, too many seniors are living in poverty and are victims of fraud and violence.

A study from TheSeniorList.com ranked the 51 safest states for seniors, analyzing recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau in five categories: fraud, housing costs, the population of seniors living in poverty, violent-injury deaths among those over 65, and the number living alone as a percentage of state’s population.

The website’s chart shows the ranking of every state, with the Iowa the highest and Florida the lowest safety rating.

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Meet the cops

MILFORD – The Milford Police Department is having an open house on Thursday, March 7 in the station, 19 Garden St., from 7-9 p.m.

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Phone scams

A new study found New Hampshire to be the No. 19 most targeted state in America for robo-call phone scams during tax season.

The company AllAreaCodes.com today released the states most at risk for tax season scams after analyzing 15 million consumer complaintsto the Federal Trade Commission over the last three years.

New Hampshire ranked No. 19 with 1,829 FTC complaints per 100,000 people.

The analysis revealed phone scams increase by 20 percent in March and April as compared to January, so consumers should be on alert.

The IRS has stated repeatedly that they will never call to demand immediate payment, will not ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone, and will not threaten with the police or lawsuits. If you suspect the call is a scam, the IRS urges consumers to call them directly at 800-829-1040.

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Sewer rate increase

MILFORD – The Board of Water and Wastewater Commissioners will consider a sewer rate increase at a public hearing in Milford Town Hall, in the third floor auditorium, on Monday, April 1, at 6 p.m. The public is invited to attend and comment.