An arson arrest on Barnsdale Road, and Keefe Auditorium eyes $20 million

Happy hump day, Nashua ☀️

Sunny and breezy this afternoon with a high near 65, then clear tonight down around 42. Thursday holds at 66, Friday warms to 68 with showers possible after dinner, and the weekend turns damp.

Police arrested a Nashua man Tuesday in Monday’s house fire on Barnsdale Road. The commission studying Keefe Auditorium wants to borrow against future tax revenue to pay for a $20 million renovation. And downtown shop owners told the city things have gotten better since they raised the alarm a year ago.

Saturday is the busy one, with a walk at Greeley Park, chalk all over Main Street and the Multicultural Festival on the Riverwalk.

Let’s dive in.

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What’s Happening Around Nashua

An arrest in the Barnsdale Road fire Nashua police picked up Derrick Couture, 39, of Nashua near the scene on Tuesday, a day after fire damaged a home on Barnsdale Road. He faces a felony arson charge along with criminal trespass, criminal threatening and resisting arrest, and he was held without bail ahead of an arraignment Wednesday afternoon in Nashua district court. Nashua Independent

Keefe Auditorium looks at $20 million in TIF money The commission studying what to do with Keefe says raising that kind of money through donations is not realistic, so it wants a tax increment financing district to cover a renovation of about $20 million. The five options it looked at ran from $16.8 million to $55.7 million, and the group brought its update to the aldermen Tuesday night. Nashua Ink Link

Downtown owners say the block feels better A year after Main Street business owners took their safety concerns to the aldermen, several told the Downtown Improvement Committee they are seeing fewer broken windows, needles and confrontations. Police patrols came back downtown after that first meeting, and the camping ordinance passed the month after it. Nashua Ink Link

A $10,000 pledge for home repairs Merrimack County Savings Bank is putting $10,000 into the home repair program at Habitat for Humanity Greater Nashua Manchester, which fixes health and safety problems so low-income owners can stay in their houses. The money runs through a state program that gives participating businesses a 75% tax credit over five years. Nashua Patch

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Upcoming Events in the Area

Gimme Gimme Disco Friday, September 25 at 8 PM

• Nashua Center for the Arts, Nashua, NH (201 Main St, Nashua, NH 03060)

• A DJ dance party built around ABBA, with plenty of other disco from the 70s and 80s. You have to be 18 or older. Learn More

Greater Nashua Walk to Fight Suicide Saturday, September 26 at 10 AM

• Greeley Park bandshell, Nashua, NH (100 Concord St, Nashua, NH 03064)

• The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s local walk covers a one to three mile route and includes an opening ceremony and resource tables. Check-in opens at 9 AM and there is no registration fee. Learn More

Coloring Main Street Saturday, September 26 at 12 PM – 3 PM

• Main Street sidewalks, Nashua, NH (Main Street bridge down to City Hall, 229 Main St, Nashua, NH 03060)

• The Downtown Nashua Association chalks outlines onto the sidewalks and hands out chalk so anyone walking by can color them in. It is free and the shops stay open. Learn More

Nashua Multicultural Festival Saturday, September 26 at 12 PM – 5 PM

• Le Parc de Notre Renaissance Française, Nashua, NH (23 Water St, Nashua, NH 03060)

• The city’s annual festival on the Riverwalk, with cultural performances, music, food vendors and family activities. Admission is free. Learn More

Southern New Hampshire Health 5K Run/Walk Sunday, September 27 at 9 AM

• Holman Stadium, Nashua, NH (67 Amherst St, Nashua, NH 03064)

• The health system’s first 5K, with a free kids fun run at 8:30 AM, raising money for its Legacy Trust foundation. Learn More

UU Church of Nashua turns 200 Sunday, September 27 at 10 AM – 2:30 PM

• Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua, Nashua, NH (58 Lowell St, Nashua, NH 03064)

• The congregation marks two centuries with a morning service, a potluck lunch, history displays and 200 cupcakes, followed by walking tours of downtown starting at 12:45 PM. Learn More

Other Happenings Around New Hampshire

Manchester closed the Queen City Bridge A routine state inspection turned up possible structural problems on the 1923 bridge that carries Route 3 over the Merrimack, and the city shut it Monday until further notice. Mayor Jay Ruais said resident safety comes first and the city will share a traffic plan once the inspection wraps up. NHPR

Londonderry fires its town manager The Town Council voted 3-2 Monday night to end Shaun Mulholland’s employment, with Chair Ron Dunn citing defiance of council orders, the release of privileged documents and interference with complaint investigations. Police Chief Kim Bernard steps in as interim manager for 120 days, and the two councilors who voted no said they were left out of the discussions. InDepthNH

Granite Staters are warming up to smaller lots A St. Anselm College survey of 1,293 registered voters found 74% now favor letting single-family homes go up on smaller lots, up from 59% a year ago, and 63% back zoning changes that allow more housing. Right now about 93% of the state’s zoning codes bar single-family homes on lots under an acre. New Hampshire Bulletin

That’s it for today.

Saturday is the day with everything on it, though it sits at 63 with a 40% chance of showers for the parks and downtown events. Sunday dips to 62 with a 50% chance of rain for the 5K and bicentennial.

I’ll be back in your inbox Friday.

– The Nashua Note