Merrimack|News|
Your New 2013 Tax Rates and Standard Deductions
Changes that will affect your taxes this year.

Until I was a junior in high school, I planned to go to school for acting, but I took a semester-long journalism class at the recommendation of my sophomore English teacher and my career path changed. I went to St. Michael's College in Colchester, Vt., where I earned a degree in journalism and mass communication.
I have worked in community journalism since I graduated from college in 2004. I worked for nearly three years as a reporter covering seven towns for the Argus-Champion, a newspaper in the Newport/Lake Sunapee region of New Hampshire that has since closed. Until I took the job as the editor for Merrimack Patch, I worked for the Nashua Telegraph and Cabinet Press where I worked in several capacities including as a reporter, copy editor and editor. I worked most recently as an editor handling the content for the Cabinet, Merrimack Journal, Bedford Journal and Hollis Brookline Journal.
I live in Nashua and have lived in the Nashua area since 2007. I was born and raised in Exeter, and can see myself living in New England, if not New Hampshire, for the rest of my life, despite strong urges every January to pack up and move to San Diego. I think I may have lived there in a previous life.
I'm a member of the Gate City Striders, a large group of runners who get together for coached track workout and group runs, and am hoping to getting back to running competitively as I did in high school and college.
In my free time I also like to play floor hockey and softball, spend time with friends, read and cook.
Your Beliefs
At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.
Politics
I'm a registered Independent though I vote more with the Democratic party. While I am tend to lean to the liberal side on most issues, I'm more interested in the person than voting along party lines.
Religion
I grew up Catholic and went to a Catholic college but I haven't been practicing for several years. I appreciate the beliefs of others and take interest in reading here and there about other religions.
Local Hot-Button Issues
Finding businesses to replace Zyla's and the old Shaw's.
Changes that will affect your taxes this year.

Meet this week's pets of the week for the Humane Society for Greater Nashua.
These homes are available in Merrimack, Bedford and Amherst
This house has the stuff you need to entertain in grand style.
Space heaters and improperly installed wood stoves present serious fire hazards in winter months.
Which pharmacies in town are out and where can you still get a flu shot.
Police say suspect also had heroin and marijuana in his possession.
Merrimack Public Library is looking for a part-time reference librarian.
Says it's always a difficult judgement call, and feels she made the best decision she could with the information she had at the time.
Start helping to prepare now for the annual outdoor Farmers Market.
For as low as $80,000 and as much as $365,900, these five homes were snapped at the end of last week.
Police say Wednesday's storm took a toll on NH drivers.
Merrimack Police say accidents have been minor in nature, no other issues reported.
Melissa Gutierrez remains in jail awaiting trial which has been pushed to April or later.
Need a break in the middle of the day? Check out Google's interactive doodle honoring the birth of Frank Zamboni.
Bestselling authors Sue Grafton, Jodi Picoult and more are releasing books this winter.
Between 2 and 5 inches are expected to fall on Wednesday in Merrimack.
Layoffs come a year after resignation of former company president.
Morning news and notes in a tidy package.