Month: February 2021

Super Bowl questions

The 55th Super Bowl comes your way on Sunday to conclude a season marked by disruptions, limited fans in the stands, and other craziness of the pandemic season. I’m among the dwindling group who’s seen all 55 and given the QB match-up it’s one of my more highly anticipated when I haven’t got a dog in the hunt. Yeah, I know, you-know-who is back for his incredible 10th SB, this time with Tampa Bay. But that’s an “I want him to do well, I don’t want him to win” rooting toss-up. Plus I love watching how the KC Chiefs play.

Starting with “Will KC’s 27-24 win over TB in Week 12 matter?” here are some of the questions I’ll be looking to have answered as the opening kickoff goes airborne at 6:35 p.m. Sunday on CBS.

Is KC As Good As They Seem? I know Pat Mahomes is. Ditto for Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, and their defense is better than most think. But with Sammy Watkins and their two top running backs sidelined they’ve relied on Hill and Kelce an awful lot. Though it didn’t hurt in the 38-14 win over Buffalo to get here. To win, Bill Belichick always looks to shut down the No. 1 option. But who’s the number option? The more dangerous Hill, or first-down machine Kelce? Watkins is questionable, but it looks like Clyde Edwards-Helaire will play and that should help. Not unbeatable, but really dangerous.

How Good Is TB’s Defense? Their linebackers are fast to the ball. Especially Devin White, who’s had a great playoffs so far. And while they don’t have a huge sack guy, in Jason Pierre Paul (9.5), White (9.0), Shaquil Barrett (8.5) and Ndamukong Suh (6.0) they have an array of guys who create pressure from different directions. So it can create problems.

Will Having Home Field Matter for TB? No team has ever played a Super Bowl in their own stadium as Tampa Bay will Sunday, though the Rams basically were home at the Rose Bowl in nearby Pasadena when they lost 31-19 to Pittsburgh in SB14, and five years later the 49ers walloped Miami 38-16 in nearby Palo Alto at Stanford. But with that a split they’re no help. It also won’t be a “hometown crowd” as the majority are out-of-town neutrals, made an even smaller factor with the pandemic-induced 25 percent max capacity. So the biggest difference could be without the usual who-ha festival environment factor seeming more like just a “regular game.” Normally home field gives home teams a three-point edge. I’ll give it just a one-point bump and only because having it can’t hurt.

At What Point is Tom Brady’s Overall SB Record a Consideration? It irritates me that evaluating quarterbacks comes down to just counting their rings. Like they’re the only ones who had anything to do with the wins. Pardon me for thinking Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, Julian Edelman and Malcolm Butler and many othershad something to do with Brady’s six. The point is you need a team to get there. Then there’s Joe Montana, never lost in four tries. Ditto for Terry Bradshaw, and Troy Aikman was 3-0 in the ’90s. And while Brady was 3-0 before (gulp) losing the undefeated season to the G-Men in SB42, if Tampa loses Sunday Brady will tie Jim Kelly for most losses with four. If he gets credit for the wins, shouldn’t his record losses be taken into account in the “greatest ever” discussion? As should the team you played for? Because if Kelly had Adam V instead of Scott Norwood, he’d be 1-3 at least, not 0-4. So which number is most significant for TB, 6, 4, 6-4 or 10?

Friends, Romans, Countrymen: Using Roman numerals was quaint through the first 10 years. But now at 55 it’s nuts, because no one younger than, say 1,982 years old has a clue what L, V or X means. For instance, I look at the list of all the games on Wikipedia and see the aforementioned 2007 game is SBXLII and go, “What? Does X = 30 and L = 10 to make it 42? Or does it mean X = 50 and L is -10?” Confusing it even further is that the game for the 2007 title was played in 2008. And if Roman numerals are so great, why is the 50th game called Super Bowl 50? That’s stupidest of all, when you see it in a list with all the others with X’s, L’s and V’s. For the love of god just give us real numbers and leave chariot races, Julius Caesar and those dang numerals to the Romans.

Key to KC Win: We all know how to beat Brady: with pressure up the middle. It prevents him from stepping up into the pocket, makes him hurry throws and is tough to throw over. If I’m KC my defensive game plan is built around that.

Key to TB Win: They have to put Mahomes on the ground, which should be a little easier with left tackle Eric Fisher now lost to a torn Achilles tendon. The problem is you can’t miss him, because he’s deadly outside the pocket where he’s great throwing on the run and has a knack for getting to the sticks for first downs on third and long.

Will There Be An X-Factor? For TB it was Scott Miller somehow getting behind the Green Bay defense for a game-altering TD with one second left in the first half of the NFC Conference game. This week I’ll go KC’s Mecole Hardman, whose dazzling speed produces a special teams TD or big plays from scrimmage like that 50-yard run off a Jets sweep vs. Buffalo.

Who Wins: Take the (gulp) under (57.5) in a 31-24 KC win.

If you build it…

Performing Arts Center moves into construction phase

After four years of planning, construction on the Nashua Performing Arts Center is set to begin this month. The 750-seat venue, located on Main Street in the space formerly occupied by Alec’s Shoes, is scheduled to open in late spring 2022. Richard Lannan, president of Nashua Community Arts, which is overseeing the project, talked about how the venue is coming along.

What progress has been made on the Nashua Performing Arts Center so far?

The history goes back a few years ago when a committee was formed to find a consultant to do a study to determine if Nashua could support a performing arts center and, if so, how big could it be and where could it be located and so forth. The study came back [and revealed] that, yes, Nashua can, in fact, support it, so we started talking about size and possible locations. … We had determined that a size in the 750-seat range was the sweet spot for what Nashua could support and still be profitable, and that the Alec’s Shoes building was by far the best location; it could handle the size, has an abundance of parking available [nearby] and is in the heart of downtown, walking distance to restaurants and bars and shops. … Then, the mayor appointed a steering committee of 12 people. It included four … aldermen and individuals from the arts community and from downtown, so it was a pretty diverse group. … The [first] of the steering committee’s goals was to hire a team … for the architecture, construction and operation. … There was a bond approved by the City of Nashua to fund the performing arts center [with the condition that] an additional $4 million be raised privately in order to get it off the ground. … We did end up raising the $4 million that was necessary and were able to close out the transactions [with the contractors] in the middle of December.

How did Covid affect the progress?

Nashua Community Arts had already started [raising private funds] and was pretty successful in late 2019 and early 2020, but when Covid hit, we weren’t sure what was going to happen, so we pulled back and were kind of on a hiatus for four or five months. … But even with the pandemic, there was still a lot of interest and desire in the Performing Arts Center, and people were still donating, so we decided to start back up again and be more aggressive to raise the money. … So, [Covid] probably did hurt us a little bit — we might have been able to get to our [fundraising] goal a few months earlier — but we still made it in time.

What are you working on now?

We’ve been planning with the subcontractors to get everything in line, and everything is pretty much lined up to start construction as early as [this month]. … Nashua Community Arts is continuing to fundraise. We’ve kicked off a name-a-seat campaign where people are able to donate and get a plaque on the arm of the chair that could be their name or a name in memory of someone or a company name. We’ll continue to do that program until all of the seats are taken. … Spectacle Management, which will be in complete management of the property, from the maintenance to the concession stands to booking performances, is already gearing up to take over when it opens. They’re [setting up] their social media and already have a Facebook page, and they’re even having some conversations about future performances to book.

What kinds of events will the Performing Arts Center host?

We’re striving to make it very versatile. The whole bottom level’s seats are designed to roll back into a wall, so we could have a flat floor and set up tables for a corporate banquet or a wedding or whatever kind of event. Then, we could roll the seats back out and have a concert or comedy show or book signing. … If we were having a rock concert or something like that, we could also roll the seats back to make it a standing room. We can actually fit up to 1,000 people if we do that.

What is this going to do for Nashua?

Theater events end up bringing a lot of people into the city and create vibrancy downtown. People may come a little early or stay after the event and walk around downtown, grab a bite to eat or a couple of drinks or do some shopping. … It’s also going to employ a lot of people, not only out of the performing arts center itself, but also in downtown, because if [downtown businesses] are doing well, that may create more jobs around the city. It’s all a domino effect.

Featured photo: Richard Lannan. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 21/02/04

Covid-19 updateAs of January 25As of February 1
Total cases statewide62,76866,058
Total current infections statewide5,6274,662
Total deaths statewide9901,059
New cases4,904 (Jan. 19 to Jan. 25)3,290 (Jan. 26 to Feb. 1)
Current infections: Hillsborough County1,9941,587
Current infections: Merrimack County420389
Current infections: Rockingham County1,2781,096
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

On Jan. 26, the first vaccine doses to Granite Staters in Phase 1B of the state’s distribution plan began. “New Hampshire’s rollout of Phase 1B has been very successful with over 300,000 individuals registering to receive their vaccine in just one week,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a Jan. 29 press release. According to that release, the state sent out emails to people in Phase 1B who have received their first dose of the vaccine but had not yet scheduled a second dose, or scheduled an appointment that is several weeks away. “We are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to speeding up the process, including opening up additional appointments for individuals to receive their second dose,” Sununu said in the release.

As of Feb. 2, additional second dose appointments were made available at vams.cdc.gov. “In order to accommodate the entire statewide vaccination campaign, we’ve added additional locations in partnership with our hospitals,” Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, said during a Jan. 26 press conference, “so we currently have 22 sites that are open to the public.” During the same press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said that, while the test-positivity rates and hospitalization numbers due to Covid-19 continue to be on the decline over the last several weeks, the overall level of community transmission remains very high statewide. The following day, Jan. 27, New Hampshire surpassed 1,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic last March, according to the daily public health update.

On Jan. 29, Sununu and the governors of each of the five other New England states and New Jersey issued a joint statement extending the suspension of all interstate youth hockey competitions for public and private schools through at least March 31. A regional suspension had previously been in place through Dec. 31 before it was then extended to Jan. 31. The prohibition does not impact interstate collegiate, professional or national hockey team activities, according to the statement.

Details on Sununu’s emergency orders, executive orders and other announcements can be found at governor.nh.gov.

Support local

The state has launched a marketing campaign called “Support Local: Go the Extra Mile” to help boost the local businesses as they struggle through the economic fallout of the pandemic, according to a press release. Economic development and tourism officials will run the campaign through March via ads on billboards, television spots and social media. The ads encourage residents to eat, shop and stay local, and there’s a new website with listings of New Hampshire businesses: supportlocal603.com. “While the resiliency, resourcefulness, and fierce determination of our industry has been on full display during these challenging times, we need the support of everyone in the state right now,” Mike Somers, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association, said in the release.

Housing assistance

On Jan. 26, the City of Manchester launched the Manchester Emergency Housing Assistance Program, which will allow residents with low or moderate incomes who have lost income due to the pandemic to receive grants of up to $4,500 to cover rent, mortgage payments or utilities, according to a press release. “Preventing and ending homelessness starts with making sure that those who are struggling to make ends meet remain housed,” Mayor Joyce Craig said in the release. Eligible applicants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. According to the release, the program is being funded with a Community Development Block Grant and federal funds provided to the city through the CARES Act.

Interim supers

The Nashua Board of Education voted last week to hire Garth McKinney as Superintendent of Schools and Mario Andrade as Assistant Superintendent for Elementary, according to a press release. They are both serving in an interim capacity until June 30. McKinney is taking the place of Jahmal Mosley, who has taken a job as a superintendent in Massachusetts; he will continue in an advisory capacity to the Office of Superintendent until the end of the school year. McKinney is the current Assistant Superintendent for Elementary for the Nashua School District, and Andrade started the school year as Principal of Elm Street Middle School in an interim capacity, according to the release.

The Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center in Lebanon announced last week that registration is now open for the 40th annual Prouty, a fundraising event that combines cycling, walking, rowing, golfing and more. According to a press release, this year’s event will be virtual, with potential in-person options depending on safety and health guidelines. In honor of its 40th year, the Prouty will take place over the course of 40 days — June 1 through July 10 — and virtual participants can do whatever activity they want anywhere at any time. Visit theprouty.org.

The Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin became available for pre-order on Jan. 28, the 35th anniversary of the Challenger tragedy, at catalog.usmint.gov. According to a press release, the coin honors Christa McAuliffe, the Concord teacher who died aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, and proceeds will promote STEM education.

The SEE Science Center in Manchester is hosting its adult science discussion series, Science on Tap, virtually on Tuesday, Feb. 9. The informal discussion this month is Covid-19: Lessons Learned. According to a press release, local science and health care professionals will talk about the virus and the vaccines, and how the response to this virus will impact the medical field in the future. Admission is free, but sign-up is required at see-sciencecenter.org.

NH gets vaccinated

WMUR reported that on Jan. 22, nearly 150,000 people signed up within the first 10 hours of Phase 1b opening for a Covid-19 vaccine. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, by Jan. 27 this number had increased to 200,000 with another 50,000 signed up by their health care provider. This phase includes anybody 65+ years of age, as well as those with certain health conditions, and others who qualify because of where they work. All totaled, there are about 300,000 in this group. That is an impressive response from our New Hampshire residents, and it gives me hope that the end is on the horizon for a pandemic that has taken so much.
While we’re off to an ambitious start, I continue to hear concern and hesitation about taking the vaccine. Given how quickly both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines received emergency authorization, it is understandable. According to PBS NewsHour, the methodology that both of these vaccines utilize, however, messenger RNA (mRNA), is not new. mRNA has been studied for 50 to 60 years, not only for vaccines but also for cancer treatment. Scientists and researchers have been studying how to utilize mRNA with RSV, MERS and SARS viruses since the early 2000s. Both Moderna and Pfizer built on science that had been collected for many years, thus enabling Moderna to design its vaccine in just two days. After development, both vaccines were required to go through the normal three phases of trials encompassing nearly 70,000 people in the Phase 3 trials. Both companies reported efficacy of approximately 95 percent.
This vaccine is not mandatory. People are free to choose whether or not to receive the vaccine based on their personal circumstances and personal health situation. The decision should be made after fully understanding the facts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers factual information on the vaccines (cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html), and the State of New Hampshire’s Covid-19 website (nh.gov/covid19/) is very informative.
We must achieve herd immunity for the pandemic to end. The World Health Organization states that herd immunity should be achieved through vaccination rather than through exposure to the pathogen that causes the disease. To achieve herd immunity, most experts agree between 75 to 80 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated. Will New Hampshire be first in the nation again and lead the country out of this pandemic? It seems as though we are well on our way.

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