It's been a tough few years for northern New Hampshire, leading many to look for new keys to economic vitality. A new prison’s already there; a new biomass plant is right around the corner. But other plans, like high-tech corporations, arts houses and more tourism, could be years away for a region many say needs a boost now. We’ll look at the state of the North Country’s economy and what could come next.

Guests

• Peter Riviere, executive director of the Coos Economic Development Corporation
• Charles Jordan, editor of the Colebrook Chronicle

We'll also hear from

• Charles Bass, former Congressman and Senior Advisor to the CEO of Laidlaw Energy Group, which has acquired part of the former Fraser Paper Mill in Berlin to construct a new biomass-energy power plant
• Pat Corso, President and CEO of the Mount Washington Resort
• Katie Paine, president and CEO of K.D. Paine and Partners, a market research company based in Berlin

In Manchester, city revenues are down. And as a result, the Mayor and aldermen are grappling with a tighter financial situation.

The Mayor's proposed budget has prompted an emotional public reaction and the specter of layoffs. The city's schools may take a particularly hard hit.

NHPR correspondent Ellen Grimm went to one city middle school to find out what a tighter school budget might mean. She files this report.

As Scott explains, The funny-looking and reclusive American Woodcock puts on one of the most spectacular displays of the spring.

In the North Country, spring means the mountains turn green, the rivers flow wildly and on Friday - against all odds - one of the nation's oldest movie theaters opens for the summer.

NHPR correspondent Chris Jensen has this story about the Colonial Theatre in Bethlehem.

You don't have to be a social scientist to see that the traditional American family is changing, and motherhood is changing right along with it. More and more women are choosing to have children without partners. The growth of groups like Single Mothers By Choice and the proliferation of books like Choosing Single Motherhood and Knock Yourself Up point to a generation of women who are choosing a new path. Technology, money and often the loud ticking of a biological clock is making single motherhood a good option for some women. Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott talks about this trend with Jean Railla, who wrote about it in the parenting magazine Babble. Her article is called Fatherless Brooklyn: Why Today's Women are Choosing to have Babies Alone.

Obviously, not all single mothers choose to raise their kids on their own, and when very young women -- like teenagers still in high school -- get pregnant, they can face many challenges. An unexpected pregnancy can throw a girl's life into chaos, and these young mothers can usually use all the help they can get. That's where the Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers comes in. Along with the regular high school subjects of English, History and Math, the students at this school also attend parenting classes. Producer Sarah Elzas visited the school and produced this story. Sarah's story was produced with the help of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies.

(Photo by waI.ti:)