The ServeNext Presidential Straw Poll is now ready for your vote! Designed celebrate the season of service, create some friendly competition between campaigns, and address the unprecedented critical food shortage faced by residents in need this winter, the contest will benefit the New Hampshire Food Bank and its local agencies across the state.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE NOW!

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) commemorated Veteran's Day in Waterloo, IA by announcing new policy proposals to ensure that America fulfills its obligations to those who have served and sacrificed for the nation including giving military veterans additional opportunities to serve their country through AmeriCorps.

Hillary will make vouchers worth up to $10,000 available to returning veterans who want to serve in AmeriCorps and select not-for-profit organizations. These organizations would provide at least $5,000 to supplement the voucher. This system will help veterans create normal routines and reenter their communities while doing meaningful work serving their country. Hillary will make this subsidy available to as many as 20,000 veterans a year.

Last month, Senator Clinton announced her plans to expand AmeriCorps by 100,000 members by the end of her first term as President and increase the Segal Education Award from $4,725 to $10,000 for each year of service.

SOURCE:Union Leader News

Comcast changes channels on basic package

By GARRY RAYNO AND JIM KOZUBEK

MANCHESTER – If you want to see New Hampshire's senior U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg in action on the Senate floor, you may be out of luck unless you have a digital cable television package.

In communities formerly served by Adelphia in the Londonderry, Merrimack, Peterborough and Lebanon areas, the same is true if you want to see Keith Urban or Trisha Yearwood perform on Country Music Television or Great American Country, or if you want to see what's on tonight by turning to the TV Guide Channel.

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) are asking their supporters to take action - and they don't (just) mean phonebanking or canvassing. They're asking for folks to give back directly to their communities.

Through Thanksgiving, the Clinton campaign will collect food for those in need this holiday season.

During Thanksgiving week and through the end of November, the campaign will deliver food and other items collected to shelters and pantries throughout the state. “Serving the ‘least of these’ in our communities is the ultimate contribution to the common good. We are all blessed when we join together to offer a helping hand,” said Senator Clinton. “I am heartened that my campaign is joining with the people of New Hampshire in lifting up our fellow Americans in need as we enter the holiday season.”

At series of events today at colleges and universities throughout the Northeast including the University of New Hampshire in Durham, U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (NY-D) highlighted how eager young Americans are to give back to their country through National Service programs since 9/11.

During her remarks at each event, Clinton honored the activism and public service of students and recent graduates. In particular, she noted that between 2000 and 2006, applications to Teach for America nearly tripled and that between 2004 and 2006, applications to the AmeriCorps VISTA program jumped 50%.

Visit www.extendthedeadline.org today!

A little more than one month ago, we watched with horror as hundreds of thousands of Americans fled Hurricane Katrina, many with only the clothes on their backs and the few belongings they could carry. Days later, the story got worse, much worse, as we learned that Americans across the Gulf Coast lost everything: their homes, their jobs, their family photos and even their pets.

Now these same families are in danger of losing access to some federal assistance. There is a 60-day deadline for hurricane victims to register for federal assistance with FEMA. The hurricane families should not have to suffer because FEMA is too over-burdened and poorly-managed to handle a disaster of this magnitude. It is unfair to ask these families that have lost so much to begin the complex FEMA aid application process before the end of October.

The solution is simple. FEMA has the authority to give families an extra 60 days to register. The families need that help. Tell FEMA to extend the deadline.

Is your municipality ready for a Seabrook disaster or the overdue Boston-area earthquake? What if terrorists target state facilities or large businesses in your town? What if the 51.2 billion gallons of water behind the Hopkinton - Everett Lakes complex come tumbling down on us? Every town in this state should be asking similar, locale-specific questions in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The mission of Citizen Corps, a vital component of the federal government’s USA Freedom Corps, is to harness the power of every individual through education, training, and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and disasters of all kinds. The Citizen Corps mission is accomplished through a national network of state, local, and tribal Citizen Corps Councils. These Councils build on community strengths to implement the Citizen Corps programs and can carry out a local strategy to have every resident participate.

Do you know a hero? The Telegraph reports:

Residents can nominate people under a variety of categories: first responder, medical, military, community impact, youth hero (younger than 18) and Good Samaritan. Those nominated must live, work, attend school or performed the heroic act in one of the following communities: Amherst, Brookline, Greenville, Hollis, Hudson, Lyndeborough, Mason, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Nashua, New Ipswich, Temple or Wilton.

To nominate someone, complete an online application or mail nominations to: Heroes Nomination Greater Nashua & Souhegan Valley Chapter Nashua NH 03064. You may also the Red Cross at 889-6664.

Sergeant Brian Horn from LaPlata, Maryland, an Army Infantry Soldier with the 173rd Airborne Brigade was in the Kirkuk area of Iraq when he started the idea of AnySoldier to help care for his soldiers. Brian is no longer in Iraq but Any Soldier Inc. continues with your support.

Any Soldier's mission is clear: "Want to send a care package to Any Soldier in Harm's Way, but have no idea of what to send, who to send it to, or how to send it?"

anysoldier.com will help.

let's get busy.