Thank you to reader Lynda Williams for nominating Suzanne Foley, founder and CEO of Port City Pretzels, based in Portsmouth, as our local hero of the week.

“After losing her job of many years as an office manager for a medical practice, Suzanne decided to go into the pretzel business, based on a family recipe but with community in mind,” Williams said.

“She is joined by her daughter, Eilee Marousek, who, in 2024, became co-owner and partner.

“It’s the work ethic that is unique,” Williams said. “They are passionate about hiring people with disabilities, giving them support, and making them feel respected. The majority of their employees are people with disabilities.”

Here’s what’s inside today’s newsletter:

📸 Reader photo: Consider this your sign to go leaf peeping. Share YOUR photo!

🎃 Feel-good story: Residents of a Durham retirement community teamed up with UNH to grow giant pumpkins including a 1,000-pound monster named “Frankenstein”—and now they’re headed to the Deerfield Fair.

📢 Question of the week: Should the government be able to cancel someone’s health insurance over suspected fraud before the case is individually reviewed? Sound off!

🌞 The bright side, including: Vermont is launching a a 485-mile mountain biking route.

💪 Nominate a local hero, and we’ll feature them in this newsletter. Tell us your hero!

(Courtesy Kathy Moran)

📸 Thank you to Kathy Moran of Brettonwood who submitted this picture of stunning fall foliage of the Swift River on the Kancamagus Highway.

🗣️ Fun fact: Did you know it’s pronounced “Kank-ah-MAH-gus.” The highway was named for Chief Kancamagus, a leader of the Pennacook Confederacy whose name, translated as “The Fearless One.”

📷 Share your pic: Click the button below to send us your photo, and we might feature it in this newsletter.

🔗 Related: Your guide to exploring the Kankamug highway.

Residents of Brookdale Spruce Wood retirement community are part of a project to grow five giant pumpkins. The biggest will be entered in the Deerfield Fair. (USA Today Network)

By USA Today via Reuters Connect

Giant pumpkins in Durham are headed to the Deerfield Fair after a growing project brought together residents of the Brookdale Spruce Wood retirement community, the University of New Hampshire, families, friends, and neighbors.

The largest pumpkin, affectionately named “Frankenstein,” reached an impressive 1,000 pounds before splitting open! Despite the major disappointment, the project continued.

The Trump administration is canceling Affordable Care Act coverage for more than 760,000 people, saying their enrollments were unauthorized or fraudulent. Federal officials say the move will save about $2.2 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies.

So this week’s question is:

Should the government be able to cancel someone’s health insurance over suspected fraud before the case is individually reviewed?

Here’s what you’re saying…

“Normally I would say ‘yes,’ but in the age of ICE and a government that has no moral center, I would say that the claim of fraud would need to be proved before someone loses health insurance!”— N. Cook

The following briefs featuring good news around the world are presented in partnership with Andy DeMeo of Granite Goodness. Subscribe today.

🚲 Vermont launches ambitious statewide bikepacking network with Heart of the Greens trail …

The 38-mile loop through the Green Mountain National Forest features two off-grid huts and kicks off the “Velomont,” a 485-mile mountain biking route that will connect rural towns, backcountry communities, and Vermont’s wilderness. BBC

🌳 Connecticut funds preservation of 1,200 acres …

Connecticut is putting $9.4 million toward protecting open land across 15 towns, along with another $2.4 million to improve community gardens in cities across the state. CT Public

🌿 Rachel Carson Center opens in Maine as new hub for environmental education …

The new 12,000-square-foot center in Kennebunk will welcome visitors to the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, with exhibits on endangered species, community programs, and access to trails through its salt marshes. MaineBiz

💙 Know someone in New Hampshire who’s doing something worth celebrating? Whether it’s a neighbor, volunteer, small business owner, artist, or community leader, we want to hear about it!

Send us their name, what they’re doing, and why it matters to you at info@granitepostnews.com.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Katy Savage with stories from Granite Goodness. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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