What are the most significant ways that New Hampshire has changed over the past 25 years? The easy reply would be population growth but that change was taking place long before 1982. Globalization has changed New Hampshire, as it has changed America. The economy is more reliant on outside forces. The Manchester Airport has changed New Hampshire, helping it to adapt to those economic changes. Route 101 from Manchester to the coast is also a big change.
What in media and news has changed the most, espeically in New Hampshire, over the last quarter century? The means of delivering news and information has changed the state. The TV means was there but wasn’t effective until the ownership changes at WMUR-TV. Now the internet has changed delivery, and content, even more. Also, the types of information that are of interest to the populace have changed.
What Granite Stater(s) would you say inspired you in some way? My father, B.J. McQuaid. He was a newspaperman and war correspondent who came home from World War II to raise his family and raise hell. He founded the New Hampshire Sunday News and then edited William Loeb’s newspapers for many years. He gave me a job, and a hard time.
What would you consider your favorite spot in New Hampshire and why? The cow pasture near the summit of Mt. Washington. I passed it three times a day, seven days a week, for three years working on the Cog Railway. The views from there are some of the best in the state. (Second choice: any New Hampshire golf course.)
Where do you think New Hampshire should put its energies in the next 25 years? Find a way to continue the New Hampshire advantage of small government, close to the people. That is what this little state has going for it and it is not truly appreciated.
