By: Elizabeth Dinan, Seacoastonline.com

PORTSMOUTH -- A long legal fight, about whether the Gas Light Co. restaurant must enclose its outdoor deck, has ended with an agreement to install an enclosure over the deck, that opens and closes when the deck does.The dispute began in March 2016, when the city’s health department informed the Gas Light that, for the first time in 26 years, its outdoor bar would have to be enclosed to get a health permit to open for the 2017 season. The dispute also included debate about where rodents can and cannot be found in the city.

In response, the Gas Light filed a Superior Court lawsuit, while the outdoor bar remained uncovered. In August, the Gas Light’s lawyer Jon Flagg and City Attorney Robert Sullivan reached a settlement agreement that said resident and former Manchester health officer Richard DiPentima would serve as an impartial health inspector and whatever he decided should occur, would be accepted by the city and Gas Light owner Paul Sorli.
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Assistant City Attorney Jane Ferrini said this week that DiPentima remains working with the Gas Light, they’d come to an agreement to enclose the deck and final plans for the enclosure will be reviewed “in late winter.” Ferrini said the goal is to have final inspection and approval in April, which is when the deck historically opens for the season.

By: Margaret McKenzie, Conway Daily Sun

​BRETTON WOODS — Gov. Chris Sununu was the keynote speaker at the 100th meeting of the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, which took place Monday at the Omni Mount Washington Resort
In his speech, Sununu touted the way New Hampshire does politics, with its 400 state representatives.
“It’s really about engaging singles, families and businesses through a process that is very unique. The fact that we have a state — you don’t have issues like you see in Florida or New York or California — God bless California, that place is a disaster — Washington, places like that. Again, where there’s very little input. The decision-makers stay in the capital, in the statehouse, in their little bubble where they do their thing. And everyone else is just subject to their whims, where ‘we’ll see you at the next election.’

By: Margaret McKenzie, Conway Daily Sun

BRETTON WOODS — The New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association hosted its 2019 Stars of the Industry Award Dinner on Monday at the Omni Mount Washington Resort, celebrating not only the group’s 100th anniversary but also the 2019 Industry Stars of the Year, a group that included several Mount Washington Valley restaurateurs.
Gov. Chris Sununu served as keynote speaker (see related story).
A new slate of NHLRA officers also was elected. Jay Bolduc of Great New Hampshire Restaurants of Laconia was named to succeed Pamela Bissonnette of Concord as new chair.