Celebrate chicken tenders, Marvel characters and Northwoods Law, among other fun themes, with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this season. The team recently announced its promotional schedule for 2022, with Atlas Fireworks shows, giveaways, brand new theme nights, and the debut of Benny the Bat Dog (In Training) on May 13. According to a press release, Manchester Chicken Tenders Night will be Saturday, June 4, when the F-Cats will don specialty jerseys and chicken tender hats to honor Manchester’s culinary history. Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond Night is Friday, June 17, featuring Marvel music, movie clips and Thor jerseys worn by the Fisher Cats. Hockey Night pays homage to the history of hockey in the state on Friday, June 24, with Manchester Monarchs-inspired jerseys, a mini stick giveaway and appearances from former NHLers including Derek Bekar and Jeff Giuliano. The stars of Northwoods Law New Hampshire return Friday, July 8, to meet fans; the first 1,000 fans will receive a replica conservation officer jersey. Star Wars Night returns on Saturday, July 23, with Star Wars characters, music, movie clips, intergalactic fireworks and Mandalorian jerseys featuring Baby Yoda.
Score: +1
Comment: The Fisher Cats home opener is on schedule for Tuesday, April 12, against the Hartford Yard Goats, with a magnet schedule giveaway and a post-game fireworks show.
Hey kids, want to be a governor?
After a Covid hiatus, the Governor for a Day initiative that was launched in New Hampshire in 2018 will return. According to a press release, the goal of the program is to “foster civic education and promote youth participation in government,” and it’s open to all middle and high school students in the state. Applicants are asked to submit a 250- to 500-word essay completing the sentence, “If I were governor for a day, I would…” One student will be selected to serve as “Governor for a Day,” joining Gov. Chris Sununu for a day on the job.
Score: +1
Comment:Submissions are due by April 22, and may be submitted to GovernorForADay@nh.gov, by mail or via Facebook Messenger.
Here’s hoping for a warm spring
The good news is that warmer temperatures are coming. The bad news is that a final oil-tank fillup this season is going to cost you. According to a report last week from WMUR, the prices for oil in most New Hampshire communities is more than $5 a gallon. The price at Lemay’s Oil Services in Manchester last week was $5.32 a gallon, and owner Dan Lemay told WMUR he’s never seen it like this. Rymes Propane and Oil in Concord had its price listed at $5.29 a gallon on March 12; on March 15, the price had risen to $5.54.
Score: -2
Comment:QOL got an automatic delivery March 11 and was shocked to see the price had skyrocketed to $5.29 per gallon. QOL will be canceling automatic deliveries for now, in the hopes that prices will be less heart-attack-inducing in the fall.
Math is where it’s at
Brainly, an online homework help community, surveyed 900 American students throughout the country about math in honor of Pi Day on March 14 to find out how they feel about the subject. According to a press release, New Hampshire ranks No. 3 for states where math is the students’ favorite subject, with 37.6 percent of students preferring math over science, English, social studies or history, or “other.” Students in New Jersey and Massachusetts like math the most, at 41.7 percent and 41.6 percent, respectively.
Score: +1
Comment:QOL doesn’t understand the “new math” they’re teaching in schools these days but is all for it if it’s making the subject more accessible — and even enjoyable — for kids.
QOL score: 65
Net change: +1
QOL this week: 66
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Covid-19 news
On March 8, the state Department of Health & Human Services announced in a press release that all of the state-managed Covid-19 testing sites will permanently close on Tuesday, March 15. Both PCR and antigen-based Covid tests remain easily accessible, including at all New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlet stores and at dozens of hospitals, health care practices, pharmacies and urgent care centers. See covid19.nh.gov for a full list of locations that offer tests.
Elliot Hospital also recently said goodbye to a team of 14 officials from the federal Department of Defense helping out with the latest Covid surge, according to a March 9 report from WMUR. The team, which included several nurses and technicians, as well as a physician and an advanced care provider, had been assisting hospital staff for the past two months.
State health officials announced 86 new positive Covid test results on March 11, surpassing the 300,000 mark for overall cases in New Hampshire since the start of the pandemic two years ago. Despite this milestone, numbers continue to trend downward — only 43 active hospitalizations were reported on March 14, the fewest since early August of last year. In a press release issued that same day, DHHS reminded people of the availability of two oral antiviral medications, Paxlovid and molnupiravir. According to the release, both can be prescribed by providers via phone or through a telemedicine visit and can be taken at home.
Trooper training
Eleven members from the New Hampshire Division of State Police have completed the national Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement Project, which provides training and support to help law enforcement agencies build a culture of peer intervention that prevents harm. According to a press release, those 11 designated instructors will now be able to provide ABLE training to all other New Hampshire state troopers. The Project’s Board of Advisors is made up of civil rights, social justice and law enforcement leaders, and the strategies and tactics that are taught through the program aim to prevent misconduct, reduce mistakes and promote health and wellness, the release said. The training is consistent with the recommendations of the state’s Commission on Law Enforcement Accountability, Community, and Transparency. “This training will ensure that we continue to provide the highest degree of law enforcement service throughout the state while maintaining our core values of professionalism, fairness and integrity,” State Police Col. Nathan Noyes said in the release.
Courtroom equity
The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation released a new Gender Matters report last week that explores the inequitable representation of women and people of color in the New Hampshire judicial branch, according to a press release. “Women in the New Hampshire Judiciary” points to the fact that 38 percent of all New Hampshire state court judges are women, with the ratios of female judges being even smaller in the state’s Superior and Supreme Courts. Only one person of color, a woman, is currently serving as a judge in the state judicial system. According to the release, governors’ administrations play an important part in who makes up the judicial system; former Gov. Maggie Hassan’s administration appointed the highest percentage of women during her tenure, at 48 percent. “Representation matters in all branches of government,” Tanna Clews, CEO of the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation said in the release. “We see many opportunities in New Hampshire to increase gender and racial diversity among New Hampshire judges.” Some of the Foundation’s policy recommendations to increase gender and racial diversity include urging governors to nominate more women and people of color; appointing more members with gender and racial diversity to the Judicial Selection Commission; and providing female attorneys a mentorship program that supports career trajectory, including judgeship.
University system chancellor
The University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees voted last week to combine the university system’s chancellor position with the role of the president of the University of New Hampshire on an interim basis for the next two-plus years. According to a press release, UNH President James W. Dean Jr. will serve as interim chancellor effective immediately, and the combined role will be in place through June 30, 2024. The board will evaluate the efficacy of the new position throughout that time. The chancellor role has remained vacant since former Chancellor Todd Leach departed in June 2021; since then, the board and administrative leadership have focused on “the economic stability, growth and transformation of its institutions” and explored various governance structure options to determine which might best secure those outcomes. In the new role, Dean will “lead and ensure the success of UNH, including the current merger of UNH and Granite State College, while working with the other campus presidents to advance the interests of KSC, PSU and the overall university system,” the release said.
Preschooler support
Federal funds are being used to make the Waterford Upstart at-home program available to hundreds more pre-K-age children in New Hampshire. According to a press release, the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund will give more kids access to Waterford Upstart Summer Learning Path from June to August. The program is designed to prepare young students for kindergarten, and many who complete it “will be reading at a nearly first-grade level,” the release said. It offers positive parent-child interactions through personalized online instruction. The summer program has kids working on the curriculum for 20 minutes a day, five days a week. “Preschool is the ideal platform for children to build a strong academic foundation and enhance language and literacy — skills that are critical for school readiness,” Christine Brennan, deputy commissioner of education, said in the release. New Hampshire families with a child entering kindergarten in the fall of 2022 or the fall of 2023 can register by calling 1-888-982-9898 or visiting WaterfordUpstart.org. “The Waterford Upstart program helps close the well-documented preschool access gap, providing proven school-readiness support for children most at risk of school failure,” Frank Edelblut, commissioner of education, said in the release.
The Nashua Board of Education and the Nashua Teachers’ Union have tentatively reached a four-year contract agreement. According to a press release, negotiating teams met last week and agreed to an average salary increase of 4.1 percent over four years for all teachers, totaling $11,127,830. “Our teachers, nurses, counselors, school psychologists, and many others have been at the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic these last two years and this agreement recognizes their efforts and honors their work with increased pay, benefits, and support,” Superintendent Garth J. McKinney said in the release.
Husband and wife Max and Saverna Ahmad of Bedford, who founded the ride-share startup Rydelinx, have expanded their operations beyond New Hampshire to all 50 states. According to a press release, Rydelinx lets riders name their price and choose specific drivers or vehicle types, while drivers can accept the ride, counter the offer or decline the ride.
Hollis police are cracking down on drunk drivers, having doubled the number of arrests for suspected drunk driving this year compared to this time in 2021, according to a report from WMUR. Several officers have taken advanced roadside impairment detection classes to help with this effort, the report said.
Local crafters and makers talk about how and why they got into hobbies like 3D printing and blacksmithing. Find out how you can try out these creative adventures too.
Also on the cover, head inside for a taste of the outside at the New Hampshire Outdoor Expo, p. 17. Check out local eateries that are serving St. Paddy’s Day fare, p. 24. And laugh out loud as Lewis Black comes to Concord, p. 34.
The Batman (PG-13) Robert Pattinson is the physically nearly invincible but emotionally vulnerable personification of vengeance in The Batman, maybe ...
Thursday means it’s Art After Work at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144), when, from 5 to 8 p.m, museum admission is free and you can view the art, listen to music (performing this week: River Sister) and check out the food and happy hour specials in the Winter Garden. This week’s special tours include “A Glitter of Green” at 6:30 p.m., when you can get ready for St. Patrick’s Day (next Thursday, March 17) by looking at the significance of green in three museum pieces, according to the website. Current museum exhibits include “Appeal of the Real: 19th Century Photographs of the Ancient World” and “WPA in NH: Philip Guston and Musa McKim.”
Friday, March 11
Majestic Theatre presents the comedy Nana’s Naughty Knickers tonight through Sunday, March 13, at the Majestic Studio Theatre (880 Page St. in Manchester; majestictheatre.net). The show runs Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and 17 and under.
Friday, March 11
Oscar completists can add another movie to their “seen it” list: The Worst Person in the World (R, 2021), nominated for original screenplay and international feature film, starts screening today at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord; 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org). Red River is also still screening the nominated shorts packages: Catch documentaries on Thursday, March 10, at 6:15 p.m. Live-action shorts will screen Thursday, March 10, and Friday, March 11, at 3:15 p.m. and Saturday, March 12, at 11:30 a.m. And the animated shorts will screen Saturday, March 12, at 5 p.m.; Sunday, March 13, at 3:15 p.m. and Thursday, March 17, at 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 12
Get a taste of AC/DC with Dirty Deeds The AC/DC Experience at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com, 437-5100) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35.
Sunday, March 13
The Milford Area Players production of the comedy The Philadelphia Storyfinishes its run today with a 2 p.m. show. Other shows this weekend are at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 11, and Saturday, March 12. The show runs at the Amato Center for the Arts (56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford). Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors. Visit milfordareaplayers.org.
Tuesday, March 15
Lil’ Buck brings “Memphis Jookin’ The Show” to the Capitol Center for the Arts’ Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) tonight at 7 p.m. The show is presented with free admission for four tickets for Concord-area residents by the William H. Gile Concert series according to the website, where you can see a video of Lil’ Buck’s dance moves.
Wednesday, March 16
It’s storytime at the New Hampshire Telephone Museum (1 Depot St. in Warner; nhtelephonemuseum.org, 456-2234) tonight when Miss Sue of the Pillsbury Free Library in Warner comes to read some of Gianni Rodari’s Telephone Tales at 3 p.m. Suggested donations are $5. Telephone Tales features stories within the story of a father who travels for work but calls his daughter every night to tell her stories.
Save the Date! Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27
The Citizens Shamrock Half-Marathon, Relay and Shuffle will take place the last weekend of March in downtown Manchester. Sunday, March 27, is also the day of the Manchester St. Patrick’s Parade, for which the shamrocks have already been painted on Elm Street, according to saintpatsnh.com. As for the races, the half-marathon and relay take place on March 26 and the Shuffle and an 8-and-under Lil Leprechaun Run take place on March 27. There are also virtual options. See millenniumrunning.com/shamrock.
While drug overdose deaths in the United States increased 20.6 percent in one year (from the time period of June 2019 to June 2020 to the time period of June 2020 to June 2021), during the same time period New Hampshire was one of just four states to reduce its number of drug overdose deaths. According to a press release, the Granite State is projected to reduce the number of drug overdose deaths by more than 11 percent from 2018 to 2021, thanks in part to the state’s progress on its three-year action plan, Expanding Our Response, which was created in 2019 by the Governor’s Commission on Alcohol & Other Drugs. The action plan has increased access to substance use disorder peer recovery support and recovery housing, and increased investments in prevention, treatment and recovery. The commission recently updated the plan to set priorities for 2022 to 2024, including the formation of a Stimulants Committee that is tasked with addressing the increased use of stimulants in the state, the release said.
Score: +2
Comment: “Over the last few years we have made substantial progress in our long-term fight against the opioid epidemic by prioritizing a community-based Doorway response to this epidemic that puts individuals ahead of systems,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in the release.
All kinds of tax help
The New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration is reaching out to residents to let them know that it is available to offer guidance throughout the taxpaying season and directing taxpayers to its new tax management portal, Granite Tax Connect. According to a press release, Granite Tax Connect allows taxpayers to schedule payments to be automatically withdrawn from their bank account on a specified date. Taxpayers can either create an account or make a payment without a login. With an account, taxpayers can file returns, schedule estimated payments, see a history of returns and payments submitted and see letters received from the Department, the release said. “As a resource to the taxpaying community, we are committed to assisting taxpayers and tax preparers with all their needs this tax filing season,” NHDRA Commissioner Lindsey Stepp said in the release.
Score: +1
Comment: Taxpayer resources are available at revenue.nh.gov, and the Taxpayer Services Division is available to answer all filing questions by phone at 230-5000 (option 2), the release said.
Longtime holiday food program canceled
The Capital Region Food Program’s Holiday Food Basket Project will no longer exist in the same format, after five years of research and analysis have shown that the project in its current form is not sustainable. According to a press release, the 50-year program has seen changes over the last 10 that have caused “fragmented communication and complexities that led to complications in effectively executing the project.”
Score: -2
Comment: The CRFP, which is an all-volunteer organization, will still work to get food to those in need during the holidays and throughout the year through its Year Round Distribution Project, the release said.
New grants for women and girls of color
The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation has launched a new grant program, the Women and Girls of Color Fund, for initiatives led by or serving women and girls of color in the state. According to a press release, the fund “aims to reverse the historic and persistent underinvestment in women and girls of color” and will provide low-barrier, faster turnaround grants to projects by and for this population.
Score: +1
Comment: The fund will accept applications quarterly, with the first grants deadline on July 1; visit NHWomensFoundation.org.
QOL score: 63
Net change: +2
QOL this week: 65
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Covid-19 news
State health officials reported 42 new cases of Covid-19 on March 7. The state averaged 151 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, a 49 percent decrease compared to the week before. Hospitalizations continue to be low, at just 56 statewide as of March 7.
Finding firefighters
A new ad hoc committee has been formed to improve the recruitment, hiring and retention of firefighters and EMS providers throughout New Hampshire, according to an announcement from New Hampshire Department of Safety commissioner Robert L. Quinn, Division of Fire Standards and Training & Emergency Medical Services director Justin Cutting and State Sen. Sue Prentiss, D-West Lebanon. The announcement stated that there was a net loss of nearly 200 EMTs and paramedics in the state last year, which was double the loss seen in 2020.
Until now, there has been no centralized collection of data of organized recruitment efforts to replace that workforce. The job of the committee, which is made up of a diverse group of stakeholders, elected officials and workforce and HR professionals, will be to analyze the trend and recommend actions to reverse it. Additionally, the Division of Fire Standards and Training & Emergency Medical Services is looking to hire someone for the newly created position of recruitment and retention coordinator, the release said.
The committee’s first meeting is scheduled for March 16, with recommendations to be submitted to the commissioner within 90 days.
Pharma settlement
The funds owed by Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family, for their role in the opioid crisis have been increased from the $4.325 billion owed under the original bankruptcy plan to a minimum of $5.5 billion as part of a national settlement, according to a press release from the office of New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella. If certain conditions are met, the family could have to pay up to $6 billion.
Between 2017 and 2019, the Sacklers were alleged to have sold prescription opioids through Purdue using a marketing campaign that downplayed the risks of abuse, addiction and death associated with prescription opioids. A bankruptcy plan issued by the Bankruptcy Court was approved for Purdue Pharma in 2021.
The settlement also states that the Sackler family must provide a statement of regret and allow the Sackler family name to be removed from institutions’ buildings and scholarships. New Hampshire would receive approximately $46 million from the settlement if it goes through, which is up from $27 million allocated in the original bankruptcy plan, to be used for opioid treatment and prevention programs in the state. “New Hampshire has been particularly hard hit by the opioid epidemic, and Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family bear significant responsibility for causing so much harm to our state,” Formella said in the press release. “While no amount of money will be enough to address the harm they caused, this settlement is a significant step toward holding the Sacklers accountable for what they did and will provide much-needed funds for our state to continue fighting this epidemic.”
Conditions outlined in the original bankruptcy plan, which required the Sacklers to dissolve or sell the company by 2024, make more than 30 million of their documents public, and disengage from manufacturing and selling opioids, will be upheld as planned.
Ukraine scam
Attorney General John M. Formella has issued a warning to New Hampshire citizens about scams on the rise taking advantage of the crisis in Ukraine. Fake charities may target well-meaning people looking to donate funds for relief efforts in Ukraine, or charities that intend to help but are not well-established may not be able to use donated funds for the purposes promised. Formella’s advice to donors is to research charities before giving, which should include checking the charity’s registration status with the Charitable Trusts Unit at doj.nh.gov/charitable-trusts/registered-charities, and checking the charity’s history and reputation of using donated funds as promised to donors. Donors should also avoid sending money online unless they know and trust the fundraiser, and should never share their personal financial information over the phone.
Load limits posted
As rising temperatures cause the frost that is built up under paved roads to dissipate, public roads will become susceptible to pavement breakage. To address this potential hazard for drivers, New Hampshire Department of Transportation commissioner Victoria Sheehan has ordered customary, state-authorized spring load limits on sections of the state highway system. Limits are posted based on research by NHDOT District engineers to determine the level of risk for each roadway. The maximum vehicular weight allowed in posted sections of the state highways is 30,000 pounds (gross weight) or the cumulative width, in inches, of the vehicle’s tires’ contact with the road’s surface, multiplied by 300 (whichever figure is less). Vehicles transporting home heating oil, processed milk products or maple sap and septic pumper trucks are exempt from the seasonal bans under State law with approval from the NHDOT District engineers. See newengland511.org for an updated list of posted roads.
AARP grants
Applications for AARP New Hampshire’s 2022 AARP Community Challenge grant program are being accepted now through Tuesday, March 22, according to a press release. The program, now in its sixth year, is part of AARP’s national Livable Communities initiative and awards grants to local organizations and governments to fund quick-action projects (projects that are expected to be completed by Nov. 30) designed to help communities across the state improve their public spaces, transportation, housing, civic engagement, Covid-19 recovery, diversity and inclusion and more. Communities that have demonstrated that they are inclusive, address disparities, engage volunteers and support their residents who are age 50 and older will receive preference. The application deadline on March 22 is at 5 p.m. Visit aarp.org/communitychallenge.
Maintenance work on the I-93 Exit 17 Hoit Road bridge in Concord will begin Tuesday, March 14. There will be lane closures throughout the project, which is expected to be completed in May, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. Detour signs and message boards will be used to direct motorists, the release said.
Manchester Historic Association Executive Director John Clayton will be transitioning to a new position, according to a press release. “Director of Community Relations [is] a part-time position that allows him to concentrate on what he knows best: community relationships in all their iterations,” Manchester Historic Association board chair Colleen Kurlansky said in the release. “We are delighted that he will be maintaining this connection with the MHA.” In his time as executive director, Clayton helped more than double the Association’s grant support, memberships are at record levels, and the Millyard Museum has seen record numbers of visitors, the release said.
A bicycle fix-it station at the south entrance of the Salem Bike-Ped Corridor will soon be installed by 15-year-old Boy Scout Andrew Keegan as he works toward earning his Eagle Scout ranking. According to a press release, Keegan wrote on his GoFundMe page that he’s hoping to raise $2,500 for materials, permits and approvals.
