BREAKING: Firefighters Battling North Conway 4-Alarm Hotel Fire

Update at 6:01pm: Fire is now at 5-alarms.

Update at 4:55pm: From Red Jacket: "... a fire broke out at Red Jacket Mountain View Resort... the North Conway Fire Department and area partners are working to extinguish the flames. Guest safety remains our utmost focus as we continue to work closely with emergency responders."

BREAKING: North Conway, New Hampshire - Firefighters from area departments are battling 4-alarm hotel fire this evening at Red Jacket Mountain View Resort in North Conway, New Hampshire.

Partial building collapse. Reports of a few jumping off balconies to escape.

Fire has extended to the main floor.

What’s Next at the North Conway Library?

North Conway, New Hampshire - Have you seen workers pruning and removing shrubs and bushes at the Library? Can you see more of the building and its magnificent architecture? Did you know that the building is made of granite blocks from Whitaker Woods?

With the help of Master Gardener Ralph Lutjen, the Library has developed a landscaping plan to enhance its beautiful downtown property. The first step is to remove overgrown shrubs and bushes, trim trees and prepare the property for spring planting.

PREPARE TO BE PETRIFIED - MURDER MYSTERY DINNER TRAIN OFFERS BRAND NEW HALLOWEEN HILARITY

Mt Washington Valley dinner train offers fun for riders and B&B guests

North Conway, New Hampshire - A new event headlines the line-up for a spooky fun-filled end of October in North Conway, NH. Climb aboard the first Murder Mystery Dinner Train for a tantalizing evening of intrigue, suspense and whodunit in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Trains are scheduled to leave the station both Friday and Saturday October 19th and 20th 2012, and Friday and Saturday October 26th and 27th 2012 at 6pm with 88 seats per train. Come walk the blood red carpet aboard the Conway Scenic Railroad for a three hour excursion that includes a four-course dinner and a theatrical performance that’ll leave you dying for more. Tickets are still available. All performances are for adults only.

Here’s the mystery part: everyone is "dying" to get an invite to the exclusive, A-list party given by one of Hollywood’s legendary hostesses. You’ve made the cut, and your name is on the guest list so you get to wine, dine and schmooze with Hollywood’s elite after their night of accolades at the Academy Awards. The evening will be filled with drama. Careers will be made, secrets revealed and scandals broken. Oh, and a murder will be committed. With a VIP victim, all the celebrities are suspected of the crime. You and your fellow guests will be called upon to examine the web of lies and uncover the clues to expose the culprit and "crack" the red carpet caper.

Here’s the culinary adventure:  Guests will also enjoy a delicious four course meal including 3 entrée choices, soup, salad and dessert along the way, served aboard the train and amidst the excitement.

The event is conceived and coordinated by innkeepers from Cabernet Inn and Cranmore Mountain Lodge - Jessica Zarenko and Freddie Procyk, respectively - in conjunction with the Conway Scenic Railroad and its restaurant partner Crawford’s at Attitash Resort, along with Arts in Motion and the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce. This event is available through value-added lodging packages including overnight stays and the Murder Mystery train ride sold exclusively through Mt Washington Valley B&Bs and privately owned small properties or directly through the Conway Scenic Railroad  for $120 per person for the event only.

For a complete and up-to-date listing of all Murder Mystery Packages, go to http://www.mtwashingtonvalley.org/events/MurderMystery.cfm or www.conwayscenic.com

For more information, or to purchase tickets directly through the Conway Scenic Railroad, please visit http://www.conwayscenic.com or call (800)232-5251.

Bike for Books - A Fall Foliage Mountain Bike Tour of the Mount Washington Valley

North Conway, New Hampshire - The North Conway Public Library will hold its 11th annual Bike for Books fund raiser on Saturday, October 6^th, 2012.

This scenic mountain bike tour of the Mount Washington Valley during peak fall foliage season offers different route options for all ability levels from novice to expert mountain biker and for children.  The big tour will begin between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. (start time is your choice!) and is expected to conclude by early afternoon; shorter routes can be done in an hour or two. Every participant can choose their own route and own pace since this is a tour and not a race. The mountain bike trails will be well-marked, nobody will get lost. Food and drinks along the way and afterwards will be provided to all participants.

All bikers and volunteers will receive a book, a BPA-free bike bottle, and are invited to a free big lunch at the finish where Elvio's pizza, hot soup, desserts, and fresh coffee from Frontside Grind will be served. Many local businesses have donated numerous free giveaways and gift certificates to be given away on a random draw basis. 

Participants should be on a mountain bike with knobby, fat tires and children should have some off-road cycling experience. You can come and bike for an hour or all day; easy or difficult routes- it’s your choice! This year, there will also be an obstacle course for practice at the registration building and professional photographer Dill Pollock will be at the event.

A benefit for the Library’s children’s room, the registration fee is $20 for individuals, $35 for couples, $40 for families, and $10 for students 16 and under. Registration forms may be picked up at the North Conway Public Library or downloaded at www.NorthConwayLibrary.com . For the first time, registration can also be done online at BikeReg.com .

Registration on the day of the event will be held at the Whitaker Woods Rec Building (“Whitaker Woods Homesite”) off Route 16 across from White Mountain Oil)  in North Conway from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Conway Scenic Railroad Celebrates Its 38th Railfans’ Weekend

Photo Credit: CSRR/Doug Scott

North Conway, New Hampshire - Conway Scenic Railroad will be the site of great fun when it hosts its 38th Railfans’ Weekend on Saturday & Sunday, September 15 & 16. There will be frequent departures of passenger trains and mixed passenger/freight trains, powered by vintage diesel engines and its 1921 steam locomotive #7470.

In addition to their regular trains, there will be other round-trip excursions throughout the weekend to Hazens' switch in Whitefield, Sawyer River in Hart’s Location, Crawford Notch, and Redstone.

Several of these departures will include unique “photo run-by” opportunities, so be sure to bring your camera. Run-bys are scheduled along the former Boston and Maine Railroad line south of North Conway, and along the former Maine Central Railroad’s famed Mountain Division line from Mountain Junction in Intervale to Twin Mountain and beyond. There also will be photo run-bys at isolated locations along both the Crawford Notch Line and Conway Branch.

Designed for avid railfans and families alike, the event will feature an outdoor Railroadiana flea market and displays of special equipment, including collectors’ displays, a turn-of-the-last century operating turntable, motorcars, as well as the chance to try an old-fashioned hand car and rail velocipede, a 3-wheel, human-powered vehicle created in the Victorian age, also known as a “boneshaker.”

The North Conway Model Railroad Club display will be open for viewing both days and is free to the public. Housed in the Railroad’s historic Freight House, the Club maintains an exhibit that’s the envy of many other clubs around the country. The complexity and details of its displays give visitors a fascinating look at what the area looked like 100 years ago.

There also will be a Saturday evening photo session in the Rail yard, coordinated by professional photographers. The public is invited to participate.  For the full schedule of events, please visit ConwayScenic.com, or call 356-5251.