All three of southern New Hampshire’s major cities have increasingly become more bicycle-friendly in recent years. Learn about some of the ongoing projects on both urban roads and rail trails, and find out where some of the best scenic routes are for the next time you pedal out.
Also on the cover, local chefs will compete in a Chopped-style cooking challenge during the annual Fire & Fusion event, p. 24, St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church presents a pop-up to-go festival of Greek eats, p. 25, and get all the details of this year’s special vinyl releases and events for Record Store Day, p. 31.
Each year thousands of people gather at independent record stores worldwide to celebrate the now unique pastime of collecting vinyl records. This holiday is known as Record Store Day — the festivities return on Saturday, April 23, and will often include barbecues, parades and performances from internationally known artists.
Store to store, record lovers also have the opportunity to purchase limited-edition vinyl records of their favorite bands. This holiday was created as an annual event to help maintain and boost sales at local independent shops.
There are 15 in New Hampshire that participate in Record Store Day, and more than 1,000 across the country. Chris Brown, chief financial officer of Bull Moose, proposed the idea in 2007. The indie music store chain has three locations in New Hampshire, including one in Salem.
“The general feeling out in the public, but also in the record industry itself, was really negative,” Brown said. “Chain stores had been closing and CD sales were down, but what was different was the independent stores were doing really well, and I felt that everybody should know. I also thought that we needed to do something for our customers.”
Brown never thought that RSD would be so attention-grabbing right away, but he hoped it would push the celebration of local and major bands, therefore ensuring music of all genres to be very much alive. It also seemed to have brought back the public’s interest in vinyl records, as CDs were at that time much more prevalent. The first RSD had signings by Metallica in the band’s hometown of San Francisco, which was just the start of this global celebration.
There will be a handful of limited-edition releases at each of Bull Moose’s stores, such as a remastered version of Rick Astley’s Whenever You Need Somebody on a vinyl LP, as well as David Bowie’s Brilliant Adventure and a deluxe two-sided vinyl release of Stevie Nicks’ Bella Donna. The Salem shop will likely receive a relatively diverse stock of limited vinyls, although it’s unclear yet which shipments are going to which locations. Collectors should intend on browsing on the earlier side in order to stand a better chance at seeing the records they may wish to buy. The store will open on Record Store Day at 8 a.m., according to its website. It is estimated that only one to seven copies of each vinyl will be available, and the store will not reserve anything for customers — everything is first come, first served.
Another local spot taking part in RSD is Metro City Records, on Somerville Street in Manchester. Owner Bill Proulx has been in business for 35 years, originally starting out as a record label before moving into retail wholesale distribution. Proulx said he is now down to strictly retail, due to economic factors.
“I watched, right here in this store, vinyl go away and come back again,” he said. “Trying to get the few releases that are available to our side of the country … there are a lot of these releases, [but] they sometimes only make 100 or 1,000 [vinyl copies]. Some … make as many as 15,000, but many are in very, very small quantities. Sometimes we don’t always get what we order.”
Proulx added that this year there should only be around 350 releases, as opposed to previous years, when there tended to be up to 900. For this RSD, however, Proulx believes that he will receive most of what he has requested. A special release he is looking forward to, and one he said will be very popular among record collectors, is the Grateful Dead’s live vinyl box set.
Traverse local cities on two wheels for fun, exercise and maybe even a speedier way to get around
Sharing the road
Plans and projects to improve city biking conditions
By Matt Ingersoll
mingersoll@hippopress.com
Whether it’s a newly paved rail trail or a busy downtown street, local city officials, transportation planners and nonprofits have all worked together to make New Hampshire’s roads increasingly more bicycle-friendly. Here’s a look at how biking is getting safer as a regular means of transportation.
Manchester
Last month Jason Soukup of Manchester led the launch of a “bike school bus” pilot program, which encourages city kids in grades K through 12 to ride their bikes to and from school. The route runs the entire length of Elm Street, about four miles each way — now through the end of the school year, kids decked out in high-visibility reflective vests are led by parents and other adult chaperones and volunteers along the street’s bike lanes to school. It’s one of the several initiatives of Manchester Moves, a local nonprofit of which Soukup is the board secretary.
In addition to the bike school bus, Manchester Moves has a lending library program for all kinds of outdoor gear and equipment, including bicycles, which can be borrowed for up to one week.
The “bike school bus” pilot program, which encourages kids to ride their bikes to school. Photo courtesy of Manchester Moves.
“It’s just really cool to imagine a world where kids can ride their bikes to school again, so we’ve been trying to remove the obstacles for that,” said Soukup, whose own kids participate in the program. “I just returned from a trip to Europe … and it’s just a night and day difference the way that bikes go across the cities there compared to here. So we have a big culture shift that needs to happen within New Hampshire and Manchester and we’ll do just about anything we can.”
Manchester Moves works closely with the city’s Department of Public Works, which developed a bicycle master plan about five years ago with input from the city biking community.
“There are bike routes … that the city has been working to label with painted bike lanes,” Soukup said. “They call them sharrows. You see them in the middle of the roads; it’s a white painted lane with a [marking of] a little bike guy on it. That’s called a sharrow, meaning the cars are sharing the road with an arrow that says these are where bikes go.”
Owen Friend-Gray, Manchester DPW’s highway chief engineer, said that bike lanes and sharrows have been added to several of the city’s major roads all within the last couple of years, including multiple sections across Elm Street and Mammoth Road, as well as on both Maple and Beech streets between Bridge and Webster streets toward the North End.
“We also just completed a rail trail project that was just over a mile long to help improve one of the last segments of the Rockingham Rail Trail, which runs from Manchester out to the Seacoast,” Friend-Gray said. “Then we have other trails … that we’re working on parts and pieces of, like the South Manchester Rail Trail, to connect from the southern portion of the city down through Londonderry, Derry and eventually into Nashua … … So we’re doing quite a bit, especially with the rail trails, to try to get better connectivity and rideability throughout the city.”
Concord
In November 2010 the City of Concord released its first bicycle master plan. Craig Tufts of the Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission was its chief author.
A Concord resident, Tufts is also co-chair of a bicycling subcommittee through the citywide Transportation Policy Advisory Committee, which met for the first time two years earlier.
The plan outlined several infrastructure projects throughout the city with input from members of the biking community, many of which have been completed in the ensuing years.
“When we did that plan, we did a lot of public outreach and we learned a lot of things about what people wanted,” Tufts said. “We’ve developed great procedures for lane striping, which we didn’t have back then … [and] we also have a lot more miles of shoulders and bike lanes now.”
The longest bike lane runs along the Route 3 corridor, Tufts said, from the Fisherville Road and North State Street areas of Penacook all the way to downtown.
“That whole stretch of road there all has a lane now for bikes … and that was something that wasn’t there back before 2010, so that was a big improvement,” he said. “[Before] the Main Street project, Main Street used to be two lanes of car traffic in each direction, and it was just so much space dedicated to cars, and they redesigned it for wider sidewalks and better biking.”
On some city roads like Pleasant Street, the shoulder line was restriped to effectively widen the space for bicyclists and keep them away from passing cars. There has also been a switch to more improved detection technology for riders who stop at traffic lights on certain intersections.
“The switch to video detection … is gradually happening as old signals are replaced,” Tufts said, “but in the meantime, we have put out markers showing where a bike needs to stop to get a green [light]. … We did a lot of signals in the downtown area near the Statehouse.”
Right now, Tufts said, the most energy in improving biking across Concord involves connecting many of the rail trails in and around the city. Plans are in the works to eventually bring the Northern Rail Trail, which currently stretches from Lebanon all the way down to southern Boscawen, into the Capital City, while the Merrimack River Greenway Trail, a 12.7-mile trail running from Pembroke to Boscawen, has also been proposed.
“Pan Am Railways owns a railroad bed that runs from the Boscawen town line up in Penacook all the way to Horseshoe Pond,” Tufts said. “The Friends of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail … have been working really hard to get the city or the state to purchase that property, so that once it’s in public hands, it can be used for a trail.”
Nashua
While the overall bicycle infrastructure within Nashua can be considered limited compared to Manchester and Concord, there are a number of initiatives underway right in the heart of the city.
Among the most widely used bike and pedestrian pathways is the Nashua Heritage Rail Trail, said Jay Minkarah, executive director of the Nashua Regional Planning Commission.
“It runs from Main Street to Simon Street, parallel to West Hollis Street, so it’s a pretty long run … and in a location that allows it to be a real transportation alternative,” he said. “It goes through some of Nashua’s highest-density … areas and is used pretty heavily by bicycles.”
The City received funding to extend the Heritage Rail Trail all the way east to Temple Street, which Minkarah said would effectively double its length. Officials are also working on a riverfront improvement plan that would increase bike accessibility along the Nashua River.
“There’s also funding … to develop basically a multi-purpose path along Spruce Street directly east of downtown,” Minkarah said. “That would link the planned extension of the Heritage Rail Trail to the riverfront, so that’s really exciting.”
Safety first Here’s a look at some of the statewide bicycle safety laws. See dot.nh.gov for more details. • Bicycles are considered vehicles — therefore, bicyclists must stop at stop signs and red lights, yield to pedestrians and ride on the right side of the road with traffic. • Riding on sidewalks or riding the wrong way on one-way streets is prohibited. • Stop for pedestrians in all crosswalks. Don’t pass cars that are stopped at a crosswalk. • Helmets are required by law for cyclists under 16 years of age. • Bicyclists must wear at least one form of reflective apparel, such as a vest, jacket or helmet strip, during the period from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise. • When riding after dark, you must use a white front headlight and a red rear light or reflector that is visible from at least 300 feet away. Source: New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s Bicycle and Pedestrian program
Joy ride
Urban areas offer fun cycling experiences
By Angie Sykeny
asykeny@hippopress.com
New Hampshire has many locales for a leisurely bike ride, and its three biggest cities — Manchester, Concord and Nashua — easily make that list.
“Every bike ride offers a single story to add to the chapters in your life,” said Janet Horvath, recreation and enterprise manager for the City of Manchester. “An urban destination like Manchester is a great choice for a unique change of pace.”
Cyclists have “a tremendous array of choices” to enhance their ride in the Queen City, Horvath said. Hit some of the main attractions in downtown with a ride from West Side Arena to the Millyard and the Fisher Cats stadium, or a ride to Livingston Park via Maple Street, which has bike lanes north of Bridge Street, where you’ll find a hiking trail, Dorrs Pond, athletic fields and other amenities.
Biking at Mine Falls Park in Nashua. Courtesy photo
“Parks offer a chance to commune with nature in the largest urban area in the state,” Horvath said.
In the south end, take a destination ride to Crystal Lake Park, which features a beach, a playground and a pavilion. On the west side, Horvath said, Rock Rimmon Park is “the destination park to see.”
“Cool off at Dupont Splash Pad, take a hike to the top of the ‘Rock,’ or read a book from the book nook,” she said. “Play on the playground, join a pickup game of basketball or pickleball and check out the skateboard features to round out your visit.”
Other bike-friendly features of Manchester, Horvath said, include bike lanes on popular routes, like Elm Street, as well as bike racks and bike repair stations throughout the city “to help out if your trip doesn’t go as planned.”
In Nashua, Mine Falls Park is the prime spot for a bike ride.
“There’s a huge trail system there, with miles and miles of trails that are all accessible to bikes,” said Jeff DiSalvo, Nashua’s recreation program coordinator. “The trails are nice and wide and well-kept, some paved, some dirt, and it’s just a really open area, so people can make [their ride] whatever they want it to be.”
The park rewards cyclists with a variety of natural scenery, including forests, open fields and wetlands.
“It’s just nice to be kind of secluded from the rest of Nashua and separate from the busyness of it,” DiSalvo said.
Concord’s trail systems offer all kinds of cycling experiences, assistant city planner Beth Fenstermacher said, from advanced mountain biking to easy street riding.
“There are a bunch of trails and loops out in the woods with different levels of difficulty, and then there are opportunities to connect to some of the more rural routes that go through Concord for on-street biking,” she said.
A painted bike path runs through downtown, where cyclists can enjoy the city’s shops and restaurants during their ride.
“It’s nice to be out on a nice day in that urban setting, and to be around other people,” Fenstermacher said. “You can stop and get a drink, or get an ice cream, or visit one of our breweries, and take advantage of all those amenities that urban areas provide.”
Horvath said the same of Manchester — that the city’s many activities and attractions are what make it an attractive place to bike.
“You can incorporate a variety of experiences easily in one day,” she said. “Ride to a park, swim in a pool, ride to a museum, see a matinee show and eat international cuisine all in one day.”
Jason Record
QC Bike Collective is a nonprofit organization that works to make biking safer and more convenient for people who live, learn or work in Manchester. It provides space, tools and equipment for community members to repair their bicycles at minimal cost and accepts donated bicycles to salvage useful parts and recycle them, or return them to working order and sell them at an affordable price. A few people who are involved in QC Bike shared their thoughts on city riding.
QC Bike Board of Directors and volunteer, both in the shop and for community outreach. Hooksett resident and shop user.
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
Mostly fun, but I did bike commute before Covid shut down my office in the Millyard.
What do you love about it?
I love the perspective and awareness of your surroundings that you just don’t get in a car. There are some many great street art pieces, statues, parks, and other features in the city that go easily unnoticed zipping by at 30 mph.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
Definitely the rail trails, especially the refurbished Rockingham Rail trail. Lake Shore Drive is a favorite public road.
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
Cars and distracted drivers
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
Front and rear flashing lights, high-visibility clothing, and a rear fender
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
Get out there and explore, challenge yourself little by little, and enjoy the ride!
Tammy Zamoyski
Former QC Bike staff, currently Community Partner and volunteer. Manchester resident and shop user.
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
Transportation.
What do you love about it?
Everything is so close; it rarely takes more than a few minutes longer to bike somewhere vs. drive.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
I most often take the Piscataquog Trail. It’s a less direct route to my destination, but it’s worth it to not have to be on the road with vehicles.
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
I’m still pretty new to this city, so navigation can be difficult. Sometimes you have to be flexible with your route if the speed [or] volume of vehicular traffic isn’t what you were expecting. Also, the street signs around here can be hard to read, or even find!
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
Properly dressing for the weather can make or break your ride!
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
I’d highly recommend finding a “bike buddy” or riding mentor to ride with until you feel comfortable hitting the road on your own.
Florian Tschurtschenthaler
QC Bike Board of Directors and volunteer, both in the shop and for community outreach. Manchester resident and shop user.
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
Both.
What do you love about it?
Biking is an efficient and fun alternative to driving around the city. Most of the distances within the city are short enough to be biked easily and especially around the center of the city it can be faster to bike than to take the car. Also it has obvious health and environmental benefits.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
Elm and Chestnut streets are the best north-south passages. The footbridge by the Fisher Cats stadium is by far the best way to get across the river.
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
Many of the streets, especially east-west, don’t have bike paths and the sidewalks are too poorly maintained to be a good alternative, especially in the winter when the snow doesn’t get cleared.
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
Bright bike lights.
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
The most important thing when sharing the road with drivers is to be predictable. Use hand signs and act as if you were driving a car. Take the lane if you need to. … It’s often safer than to squeeze on the side of a narrow road.
Scott Silberfeld
Long standing QC Bike volunteer – fundraising and for community outreach. Manchester resident and shop user.
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
Fun.
What do you love about it?
Good exercise, get to see what is going on around the city.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
Through Elm Street and down Calef Road to South Manchester Bike Trail.
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
Drivers are not as considerate to bike riders as many other cities.
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
Helmet.
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
Use bike lanes as much as possible and ride defensively.
Kim Keegan
QC Bike Board of Directors and volunteer. Manchester resident.
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
I bike for fun mostly. If I have an event or appointment where I think I may be able to bike there safely and it’s not raining or too cold, I’ll ride my bike.
What do you love about it?
Freedom from trying to find a parking place when I get to my destination, and the added exercise.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
I stick to my neighborhood, primarily. Smyth Road, Hillside Middle School, Currier Art Museum.
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
I don’t really feel safe in many parts of the city when I’m on my bike. I am an older rider and not in such great shape. Wouldn’t take much for some younger person to jump out and unseat me, and take my bike — or worse.
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
A safety yellow jacket or safety vest, good brakes, well-inflated tires, water bottle, and of course a helmet!
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
Drive the routes first and be observant of road conditions, traffic and speed of cars, and personal safety in the areas. There are areas that would be great to bike to, if you didn’t have to go through bad areas to get to them. Do your research online first and plan your route accordingly.
Dave Rattigan
QC Bike volunteer and rider contact of Jason Record’s. Manchester resident.
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
Fun (retired), but easy transportation also, which is fun.
What do you love about it?
Being able to upkeep a machine that takes you places by your own power … but mainly coasting and maintaining a good rhythm.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
Bedford to Lake Massabesic. I’ve been city riding on a mountain bike for several decades, on tar and dirt cut-thru’s
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
Crossing the bridge of death (Queen City), or worse, the Amoskeag bridge.
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
Wearing a diaper and a single-speed mountain bike.
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
Ride aggressively and find cut-thru’s to stay off main streets.
Kevin Kingsbury
Rider contact of Jason Record’s
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
Bike in the city for fun.
What do you love about it?
What I love about it is feeling like a kid again. Riding everywhere as an adult I did as a kid.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
Favorite routes are any! But riding through airport terminals at night is great, and inner-city back alley loops are super fun!
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
The challenging things are like Dave said, bridges, and also surprise pot holes and people the wrong way in the bike lanes.
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
Must have a spare tube, and a mid-ride beer!
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
Recommend riding with groups until you get comfortable riding the streets on your own. And find/make your own cut through sand shortcuts!
Brian (Beast Of The East) Cray
Rider contact of Jason Record’s
I avoid the city because of road conditions.
Featured photo: The “bike school bus” pilot program, which encourages kids to ride their bikes to school. Photo courtesy of Manchester Moves.
“Let’s assume for a moment that you are a dishonest man” — so starts the plan by Bialystock and Bloom to produce “the worst play ever written” and keep the backing money of their none-the-wiser investors. Things, of course, very much do not go as nefariously planned in the comedy musical based on the 1967 Mel Brooks movie. The Producers kicks off a four-week run at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) tonight with a show at 7:30 p.m. Showtimes are Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at noon through May 15. Tickets cost $39 to $46 for adults.
Thursday, April 21
Catch Lucas Gallo and Friends tonight at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). The show starts at 8 p.m.; doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 (plus fees).
Also at the Bank of NH Stage this weekend is The Senie Hunt Project, which will be performing Saturday, April 23, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $18 (plus fees). Senie Hunt was one of the artists profiled in Michael Witthaus’ recent story about musicians who can’t quit the Granite State; find that story on page 30 of the March 24 issue (find the e-edition at hippopress.com).
Saturday, April 23
Earth Day is Friday, April 22, but the New HampshireAudubon’s Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn; nhaudubon.org) is celebrating today with a day of family-friendly activities including guided nature walks, bluebird nest-box building, animal presentations, storytime, crafts and more. Go online to reserve a time slot. Admission costs $15 for a family of four and includes one birdhouse kit. Find more family fun activities in the Kiddie Pool column on page 19.
Saturday, April 23
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord (starhop.com) and the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road in Warner; indianmuseum.org) will hold an event called “Spemki Nib8iwi: The Heavens in the Nighttime” today at 7 p.m. Bring chairs for an evening of stargazing (the Discovery Center will provide telescopes), a campfire and storytelling; the museum will offer hot beverages. Admission is free.
The following day, Sunday, April 24, is Bittersweet Day at the museum, when they will present a day-long lineup of events focused on clearing the museum ground’s patches of the invasive plant bittersweet. See the website for details.
Monday, April 25
Calling all Abbott Elementary fans: Start the April vacation week (for some New Hampshire students) with some teacher humor live when the Bored Teachers Comedy Tour featuring a lineup of teacher comedians comes to the Palace Theatre (80 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $30. See boredteachers.com for their comedy videos about parent teacher conferences, teacherisms that follow them into their off-duty hours and Target.
Tuesday, April 26
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats return to Northeast Delta Dental Stadium with a run of home games against the Reading Fightin’ Phils starting tonight and running through Sunday, May 1. Games tonight through Saturday, April 30, start at 6:30 p.m.; the Sunday, May 1, game starts at 1:35 p.m. See milb.com/new-hampshire for tickets and the lineup of promotions such as the pop-it giveaway (Friday, April 29) and Princesses at the Park (on Sunday, May 1).
Save the Date! Wednesday, May 11 Acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke will perform on Wednesday, May 11, at 8 p.m. at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com). Tickets cost $40 to $45.
After two and a half years with no performances, The Ukestra with Mike Loce will be performing for the residents of the Huntington at Nashua on April 28. According to Ukestra Music Director Mike Loce, the group has about 30 active members and has been rehearsing regularly at Nashua Public Library. Prior to the pandemic, their last performance was a holiday show in 2019 at the Nashua Community Music School; their next planned gig scheduled for March 15, 2020, was, of course, canceled. “Having this group shut down (with everything else) was one of the hardest things I had to get through as an independent, self-employed musician/educator,” Loce said in an email.
Score: +1 (for being back in action!)
Comment:You can check out the genesis of this uke enthusiasts’ group and more at ukestra.org.
Reverse raffle for the win
The Queen City Rotary Club’s first ever Pot of Gold Reverse Raffle was a success, bringing in more than $40,000 to support Manchester’s youth. According to a press release, club members sold tickets and sought sponsorships, and on March 17 the winning ticket was drawn at the Manchester Millyard Museum. The big winner’s name was chosen last — hence the “reverse raffle” — and they got half the winnings, with the other half going to charities that support youth in the Queen City.
Score: +1
Comment: “This was a true grass roots event,” MonicaLabonville, president of the Queen City Rotary Club, said in the release. “Our club is united in our cause, and we have a lot of fun raising money.”
Too soon, ticks!
Since mid-March there’s been an increase in the number of emergency room visits for tick bites in New Hampshire, according to a report from WMUR. “We’re seeing a gamut of patients coming in with various stages of tick bites — some where the ticks are still embedded,” Dr. James Martin, medical director of Urgent Care at Milford Medical Center, told WMUR. “We have occasional patients who are actually ill from their tick bites, and they have headaches and fevers and maybe the rash, muscle aches and that type of thing.” Health officials are encouraging people to wear repellent with DEET, wear long pants and sleeves, keep grass short, get rid of standing water, do regular tick checks on people and pets, and put clothes worn outside in the dryer to kill any ticks.
Score: -2
Comment:It seems a little unfair that we already have to worry about ticks when we’ve barely had any warm, sunny days yet.
SleepOut success
Waypoint’s SleepOut 2022, held remotely on March 25, raised more than $313,000, with 270 people from across the state sleeping in their own backyards and coming together online for a livestream event. According to a press release, proceeds from the event support Waypoint’s mission to help youth who are experiencing homelessness through street outreach, basic needs relief, crisis care, case management, the Youth Resource Center in Manchester, and rapid and transitional housing throughout the state. Gov. Chris Sununu attended the livestream and told a story of a young person who is receiving help from Waypoint and will soon have his first apartment, the release said.
Score: +1
Comment: Waypoint also has plans for expansion of services in three areas of the state, including outreach and drop-in centers in Rochester and Concord, and New Hampshire’s first overnight shelter for young people, in Manchester, the release said.
QOL score: 71
Net change: +1
QOL this week: 72
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 April 13, at the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Transportation Security Administration extended its federal mask mandate on all areas of public transportation for an additional 15 days through May 3. In a statement, the TSA cited the recent increase in Covid-19 numbers across the country over the past several weeks, due in part to the highly transmissible omicron BA.2 subvariant, which now makes up more than 85 percent of all cases nationwide. But on April 18 a federal judge in Florida voided the mandate, saying the CDC “improperly failed to justify its decision” to extend it, according to an AP report.
On April 14 the U.S. Food & Drug Administration authorized the first Covid-19 diagnostic test using breath samples, which provide results in under three minutes. According to a press release, testing can be done in most places where the specimen can be collected and analyzed, such as doctor’s offices, hospitals and mobile Covid testing sites, using an instrument about the size of a piece of carry-on luggage. The InspectIR Covid-19 Breathalyzer uses a technique called gas chromatography gas mass-spectrometry to separate and identify chemical mixtures, according to the release. A study of 2,409 individuals conducted to validate the test’s performance found that it had a negative predictive value of 99.6 percent, meaning that people who receive a negative test result are likely truly negative in areas of low disease prevalence. InspectIR expects to be able to produce about 100 instruments per week, and testing capacity is expected to increase soon by about 64,000 samples per month.
In New Hampshire, 143 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on April 18, according to health officials. As of April 18 there were 2,102 active cases and 18 hospitalizations statewide.
LPN program funding
Last week, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee voted to accept and expend a $2.6 million ARPA-funded expansion of the Community College System of New Hampshire’s licensed practical nurse training program, according to a press release. “To make investments into our economy, we must make necessary investments into our workforce, and doubling our LPN nursing program is the right move,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement following the vote. The funds will expand the state’s LPN workforce programming to meet critical needs in health care settings, the release said. The Community College System of New Hampshire LPN training program, which was launched in 2020, can be completed within one year and offers immediate entry into the LPN level of nursing workforce. Graduates can also choose to continue their education and progress to the RN level, the release said.
Involuntary admissions
Last week the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee also voted to accept and expend $2 million to centralize Involuntary Emergency Admission processes by creating a statewide mental health docket, an effort to reduce the number of patients waiting for mental health care in hospital emergency rooms. According to a press release, the funding will cover a centralized filing system, two circuit court judges, staff and counsel for patients who are subject to an involuntary emergency admission, plus technology for hospitals to allow patients to remotely attend court hearings. “We believe this approach will ensure the rights of patients are protected and will help provide a permanent and sustainable solution to the longstanding emergency room boarding issue,” Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald said in the release. “We are prepared to move forward as quickly as possible on its implementation.”
InvestNH Housing
In another vote last week, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee approved the expenditure of the $100 million InvestNH Housing Fund, according to a press release. “As a result of our InvestNH Fund, more housing will get built and our workforce will grow — a once-in-a-generation, historic investment,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement following the vote. “Our focus remains on building as many units as quickly as possible, and this $100 million investment will transform New Hampshire’s housing market, providing better outcomes for our citizens.” The investment will increase affordable rental units for lower and middle income workers, such as health care and child care providers, machinists and teachers, the release said.
Holocaust awareness
The state Board of Education has approved the new Holocaust and Genocide education rules for the state. According to a press release, “clearly understanding how the Holocaust and other genocides occurred may be key to preventing similar violence in the future, which is why education on this sensitive topic is vitally important to promote peace among future generations.” According to the education rules, “Each district shall incorporate instruction in Holocaust and genocide education into at least one existing social studies, world history, global studies, or U.S. history course required as a condition of high school graduation for all students,” among other specific guidelines pertaining to the teaching of the subject. The rules can be found at education.nh.gov.
Urgency to hire
The Nashua School District is now offering signing bonuses to candidates for positions that are critical to operations, as there is “an urgency to hire qualified talent,” according to a press release from the district. “We’re hiring from paras to plumbers,” Garth McKinney, Superintendent of Schools said in the release. “The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the national teacher shortage and other education-related and school operations-related fields. Our needs are real and we look to rebuild a full complement of staff.” This incentive is being offered to teachers on the NH Department of Education Critical Shortage List and nurses ($1,000 sign-on bonus) as well as food service employees ($300) and security monitors, lunch monitors, crossing guards and 21st Century Extended Day Program staff ($300). According to an April 18 report from WMUR, the Manchester School District is also in need of staff members for nearly every department and is also offering sign-on bonuses, as well as retention checks after six months of employment.
YES!
The Yes, Every Student (YES!) scholarship program is back for a second year to help kids whose education was negatively impacted by the pandemic by providing $1,000 tutoring scholarships to New Hampshire students. According to a press release, the New Hampshire Department of Education is offering scholarships to public, non-public, home-educated and Education Freedom Account students. The scholarships can be used for tutoring provided by certified New Hampshire educators, certified New Hampshire special education teachers or licensed therapists. About $2.3 million in funding from the federal Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund under the CARES Act will be used; last year, nearly $1.9 million was awarded to almost 500 recipients for tutoring and other needs, the release said. This year’s round of funding is available to any school-age student who resides in the state, regardless of their family’s income level. To apply for a Yes! scholarship, visit yeseducation.nh.gov.
Voices of Wildlife in NH held a fur trapping protest outside New Hampshire Fish and Game’s annual Discover Wild NH Day on April 16 in Concord. According to a press release from the group, the protest of the annual event will continue as long as Fish and Game sanctions fur trapping.
Earth Day Neighborhood Clean-Ups will be held at several spots in Manchester on Saturday, April 23. According to a press release, the city’s Department of Public Works will be stationed at four schools from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to provide clean-up materials, including trash bags and gloves, and each site will be used as a drop-off location for the collected trash. The four schools are Jewett Street School, Northwest Elementary, Smyth Road School and Beech Street School. Manchester Urban Ponds will be hosting a clean-up that day as well, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Black Brook/Blodget Park.
United Way of Greater Nashua is hosting an electronic waste recycling event at its office on Broad Street April 22 through April 29 from 3 to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends. According to a press release, United (w)E-Recycle is an opportunity for the public to drop off used laptops, desktop computers, tablets, printers, mobile phones, fax machines and many other types of electronic waste. Donations are requested; on April 23 the proceeds of those donations will benefit the Humane Society of Nashua while the proceeds from all other days will support the United Way of Greater Nashua’s School Supply Pantry. Working laptops will be distributed to students through the School Supplies Pantry, the release said.
