The local newspaper actually has good stuff, you can usually grab a copy at your local coffee shop (not dunks but a mom and pop shop). Most towns have a community facebook page, posting there or searching there is also a good start.

There's a lot of "NH born and breed" small town folks that still connect with and hang out with their childhood friends. If you're a new comer you're going to have to put in a little effort, I moved here from NC and found that having a routine helped.

If I go to the same small coffee shop, the same gym, the same grocery, eventually friendly people say hi and build friendships. Hobby groups are also terrific; I joined the local garden club and quickly was asked to be on the board, and made a ton of friends that way.

You install the spring in the unloaded position. There’s literally no tension at all when you’re working on it. Then you leave the garage entirely and use the remote opener to test if it’s working.

It’s really not rocket (or bomb) science…

I also did this.

I am a 125lb 5’5” female and replaced both springs and cables solo over the summer when I had one snap just like this.

I am particularly handy in general but it was not a hard or dangerous task IMO