Performance venues try to plan for the coming months as colder weather starts to prohibit outdoor performances.
Also on the cover, get your houseplants and herbs ready to move indoors, p. 12. Enjoy food trucks and fireworks at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, p. 16. And it’s time to shift from the lighter brews of summer to stouts, porters and brown ales, p. 22.
Covid-19 updateAs of September 28As of October 4Total cases statewide8,2088,645Total current infections statewide339492Total deaths statewide439443New cases256 (Sept. 22 to Sept ...
Spotted lanternflies (SLF) have been detected at a New Hampshire nursery, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food. The department and nursery personnel found the invasive insect on Sept. 3 and subsequently killed several adult SLF. They also identified SLF eggs on red maple trees that had come from Pennsylvania. The SLF typically feeds on the tree of heaven, which is prohibited for sale in the state, but it will feed on more than 70 kinds of plants. The insect is considered a risk to a variety of agricultural, ornamental and hardwood crops, according to the release.
Score: -1
Comment:There is currently no evidence of an established SLF population in the state, the release said, and public awareness and the ability to identify the insect can help keep it that way. Visit nhbugs.org/spotted-lanternfly to learn more.
Ending chronic homelessness
Harbor Care, which provides housing, health care and support to community members who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, recently announced a new goal: to end chronic homelessness in Nashua by the end of 2020. According to a press release, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently provided Harbor Care with 26 new housing vouchers. As of Sept. 22 there were 21 chronically homeless people in Nashua, meaning that Harbor Care can now house every person who meets the definition of chronically homeless (people who have been homeless for more than one year or have experienced homelessness at least four times in three years).
Score: +1
Comment:Harbor Care has also launched a fundraiser called Dignity of Home to make sure that supports are available to people after they move into their new homes. So far the campaign has raised more than $125,000 of its $200,000 goal, according to the release, and the Ending Homelessness Committee, a group of concerned citizens, recently offered to match the next $5,000 in donations.
Check your smoke detectors
The state saw its second deadliest three-month period in the past 10 years for unintentional fatal fires from March to May, according to a press release. This year there have been eight fatalities in seven home fires — and in each fire, there were no working smoke alarms, the release said. This week (Oct. 4 through Oct. 10) is National Fire Prevention Week, and State Fire Marshal Paul J. Parisi said in the release that “smoke alarms are the biggest factor when it comes to giving people time to get out alive.”
Score: -1
Comment:In New Hampshire, it is the law to have smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. Contact your local fire department, as many in New Hampshire have free smoke alarm programs, according to the release.
Take a road trip
With foliage at its peak in southern New Hampshire, now is a great time to take a scenic drive. You can travel pretty much anywhere and find beautiful scenery, or you can set out on a more purposeful drive: the Robert Frost/Old Stagecoach Byway, which travels through Auburn, Chester, Derry, Hampstead and Atkinson. A group of people representing the five communities recently created a brochure and website for the route, which includes numerous points of interest.
Score: +1
Comment: Visit frost-stagecoach-byway.org to find a map as well as the history of the byway.
QOL score: 57
Net change: 0
QOL this week: 57
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Covid-19 news
On Sept. 30, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 70, an order extending Emergency Order No. 52, which had been issued on June 15. Emergency Order No. 52 is an order regarding public health guidance for business operations and advising Granite Staters they are safer at home. Emergency Order No. 70 extends that advisory through Nov. 15.
During an Oct. 1 press conference, Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, reported that, after a slight increase in positive test results of Covid-19 in the Granite State over the last month, new case counts “have plateaued” at around 35 to 40 per day on average. “More recently, some of the infections that have been reported to us each day have been associated with institutional settings, such as long-term care facilities and schools,” she said.
During the same press conference, Sununu announced that $2 million in federal CARES Act funding will benefit student-enrichment programs in New Hampshire, including those offered at institutions like the local branches of the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Clubs.
On Oct. 2, the Governor’s Economic Reopening Task Force released guidance documents for the Granite State’s skiing industry this winter, according to a press release. Some of these guidelines include mask requirements in lodges and rental facilities, and when in line for and riding lifts; the strong discouragement of strangers riding lifts together; social distancing protocols; and admission limits to indoor and outdoor facilities.
For information on all other announcements, including Emergency Orders and Executive Orders, visit governor.nh.gov.
2019 drug overdoses
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has released its report summarizing 2019’s drug overdose deaths. According to the report, there were 415 drug overdose deaths last year, 383 of which were determined to be accidental and 25 of which were suicides. The manner of death could not be determined in the remaining seven cases, which typically means that it is not clear whether the death was an accidental or intentional overdose. A combination of fentanyl and other drugs (excluding heroin) accounted for the highest number of overdose deaths (220), followed by just fentanyl (119). The number of drug overdose deaths in the state reached a high in 2017, with 490, with a slight decrease in 2018 (471) and a more significant decrease in 2019. However, preliminary data has shown a slight increase in drug overdose deaths in 2020 so far, according to the release. “Although the substantial decrease in the number of drug overdose deaths in 2019 is encouraging, it remains to be seen if this downward trend will continue in 2020,” the report reads.
Drought continues
When the New Hampshire Drought Management Team met on Oct. 1, State Climatologist Mary Stampone said the latest drought conditions and forecasts indicate that drought will likely persist across southeastern New Hampshire through the fall, according to a press release. The “well-below average” precipitation in September caused drought conditions to deteriorate, Stampone said, and recent rainfall and the upcoming forecast will not make up for the precipitation deficit. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services reported that some lake levels are lower than they have been in decades, but although water supply reservoirs are low, they have enough water to meet demands right now. For groundwater, most of the 31 monitoring wells across the state are much lower than normal, with all water levels having dropped between August and September. According to the release, homeowners whose wells are running low should expect to wait more than six weeks to get a new well drilled. In the meantime, all homeowners are advised to space out water use, avoid outdoor watering, and buy water for drinking and if necessary for dishwashing and flushing toilets.
Free college classes
New Hampshire students can earn college credits through a new partnership with Modern States, which will offer free online courses and will pay for 1,000 College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests, according to a press release from the Department of Education. CLEPs are accepted for credit at 2,900 colleges and universities nationwide, including the University System of New Hampshire and New Hampshire Community College System. “Through remote instruction, New Hampshire students have gained experience with self-directed online learning, which is exactly what Modern States offers. Dual and concurrent enrollment programs give students a chance to earn high school and college credit simultaneously so that when they step onto a college campus, they are already well on their way to a degree and a bright future,” said Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut. There are 32 classes to choose from, and they are taught by professors from universities like Tufts, MIT and Rutgers. The content prepares students to pass the course’s CLEP exam, which must be taken at one of six locations across the state.
Art for veterans
The Currier Museum of Art will be able to make some of its programs more accessible to veterans thanks to CARES Act Funding, it announced in a press release. The $717,500 will go toward expanding the museum’s art therapy program for veterans and their families, enhancing the remote art therapy programs that were launched over the summer, and renovating the art therapy space in order to allow for social distancing and digital engagement. All programs for veterans, active duty service members and their families are free of charge, according to the release.
Candy & a pumpkin
Reserve a spot now for your local Lowe’s drive-through curbside trick-or-treating, happening from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, and Thursday, Oct. 29. Families are invited to drive to Lowe’s for free candy and a small pumpkin. Costumes are encouraged but not required. Reservations open on Oct. 10 at lowes.com/DIY.
Betsy Janeway of Webster has received the Goodhue-Elkins Award for her contributions in the areas of bird study and conservation for the past 40 years, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Audubon, which presented the award at its 106th annual meeting on Sept. 19.
An adult from Epsom has tested positive for Jamestown Canyon virus, and the risk level for Epsom will be increased to high, according to an Oct. 2 press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. This is the fourth case of Jamestown Canyon virus in the state this year.
New England Metal Recycling in Madbury will pay a civil penalty of $2.7 million to the state for improper disposal of hazardous waste, according to a press release from the Office of the Attorney General. As part of the settlement with the state, NEMR must also remediate and properly dispose of all of the remaining hazardous material by Oct. 30, 2021, according to the release.
A new Manchester Small Business Resiliency Grant Program has been launched to help small businesses recover from the impacts of the pandemic, according to a press release from Mayor Joyce Craig. Funds are available through the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Program, and businesses can receive up to $5,000 to go toward eligible expenses incurred since March 13. Visit manchesternh.gov to apply.
Voting With less than five weeks until the election, we answer some of the questions you may have about voting in person and absentee this year, and we took a look at what it takes to be a poll worker.
Also on the cover, traditional fairs and festivals are changing things up this year with drive-thru and to-go events, p. 16. There’s more to chardonnay than you might think, p. 21. And musicians honor Tom Petty’s music at a tribute show in Manchester, p. 26.
Covid-19 updateAs of September 21As of September 28Total cases statewide7,9528,208Total current infections statewide288339Total deaths statewide438439New cases238 (Sept. 15 to Sept ...
This documentary is a nice primer on the Voting Rights Act (its purpose and history) and the Shelby County v. Holder U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down parts of that law. It is also a nice bio of Stacey Abrams, the Georgia Democrat who served in the state legislature for 10 years and then ran for governor in 2018. She’s one of those people who I feel like I’ve read a lot about but haven’t heard from directly as much as I did here. Sure, every person and their uncle (and the cover of the paper you’re holding) is talking to you about voting, but if you can take just one more… B+ Available on Amazon Prime.
*The Social Dilemma (PG-13)
Get ready to be scared and bummed out by this documentary, the gist of which seems to be that social media (Facebook in particular) is making it hard to have privacy, good government and a civil society. The documentary’s talking heads are primarily former employees of Facebook, Google, Instagram, Twitter, etc., and they explain how some of the most problematic aspects of these platforms are intentional parts of getting consumers to stay on sites longer and monetize that presence. The documentary also looks at the effect these sites have on kids and teens; one person mentions that it would be best to keep kids off social media until at least 16. Less successful are dramatic enactments (featuring multiple Vincent “Pete Campbell” Kartheisers playing, basically, social media algorithms) with teenagers facing all sorts of teen drama online and a teen boy succumbing to the conspiracy theories of the “radical centrists.” The documentary builds to an interesting case for government regulation of these platforms. B Available on Netflix.
* The Fight (PG-13)
This documentary about the lawyers of the ACLU follows four legal tussles with the Trump administration: the battle over making citizenship a census question; the request for abortion services by a young woman held in detention while seeking refugee status; a pushback of Trump’s attempts to ban transgender people from serving in the military and cases related to the Muslim travel ban and family separation policies. I found myself fascinated not just by the discussion of these cases themselves but also by the procedures — how the lawyers go about their appeals for relief for their clients, many of whom are in some kind of race against time, and how they build class action cases. The documentary also offers a look at ACLU’s broader history. B+Available on Hulu.
* We Are Freestyle Love Supreme (TV-MA)
Watch extremely talented young theater nerds work together to make something in this documentary about Freestyle Love Supreme, a freestyle rap improv group started in the early aughts by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail (probably best known as the director of Hamilton), Chris Jackson (Hamilton’s best-known George Washington), Utkarsh Ambudkar (who you know from lots of things, including The Mindy Project; also, awesomely, he’s a voice on Disney Junior’s Mira, Royal Detective) and other longtime friends and theater people. And I say “nerds” with great affection and in the absolute best sense. This documentary features footage from a 2019 reunion run of Freestyle Love Supreme as well as the group in the mid-2000s (just before and as Miranda’s In the Heights production was ramping up) and some looks back to their start in the early 2000s. This isn’t a super tight, dramatic tale but I tiredly flipped it on one evening and it was a charming boost of happiness. B+ Available on Hulu.
* Disclosure(TV-MA)
This documentary about transgender representation (and the long lack thereof) in Hollywood beautifully answers the “why is it important to see someone like you on screen” question. Actors, filmmakers, writers and other creative types discuss the limited (and often problematic) examples of transgender characters in the TV and movies of their youth and how transgender stories have found at least some entrance into mainstream TV and movies in, basically, the last decade or so. The documentary makes a strong argument for the richer, smarter, more interesting art that comes from giving a more diverse pool of writers and directors the means to tell their stories. B+Available on Netflix.
The Speed Cubers (TV-PG)
Weighing in at a brisk 40 minutes, this documentary looks at the international Rubik’s Cube competition community (with competitors ranging in age from tween to early twenties) focusing in particular on Australian Feliks Zemdegs and American Max Park. Zemdegs, the older of the two boys, started winning competitions and breaking world records as a young teen. Park, who is a little younger and was diagnosed with autism as a preschool-aged child, started playing with a Rubik’s Cube as a kid as part of his mother’s strategy to help him with finger dexterity. As Park gets good and gets into competition, the basic social skills that requires — like listening to rules and interacting with others — are as much a win as the results of the competition, as his parents explain. As Park gets more into competition, he meets and eventually becomes friends with Zemdegs, who is his cubing hero. The documentary is as much about the boys’ relationship as it is about competitive cubing and the story is a sweet one that also offers a nice slice of this competitive world I’d never heard about before.B Available on Netflix.
Love, Guaranteed (TV-PG)
Rachel Leigh Cook, Damon Wayans Jr.
Sometimes you just need some dumb happy romantic comedies. All the better if it has some genuine talent like Wayans in the mix. Love, Guaranteed features a broke but ethical lawyer (Cook) who decides to represent a man (Wayans) suing a dating website. At first she thinks his lawsuit — over the company’s promise to help him find love in 1,000 dates — is sort of a scam but she takes it anyway because she needs the case and he gives her a check. But, naturally, she starts to Feel, especially when she learns that he’s a physical therapist who likes helping people and is still nursing a heartbreak. Heather Graham is sort of a hoot playing the Gwyneth Paltrow-esque owner of the dating site. This movie is cute but rather simplistic but some evenings, “simple, romantic and with a happily-ever-after ending” is just what the doctor ordered. C+ Available on Netflix.
Increasing concerns about the drought have prompted warnings from the state about both the increased potential for wildfires and for wells running dry. On Sept. 25, Gov. Chris Sununu issued a proclamation, effective immediately, that prohibits the kindling of any open fire and smoking in or near woodlands anywhere in New Hampshire due to “great concern that wildfires could unexpectedly and rapidly increase thereby endangering life and property,” according to a press release. Meanwhile, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services is asking residents to conserve water and to report any well problems to the state. As more and more residential well owners are reporting supply issues, well drillers are reporting waits greater than six weeks to get a new well drilled while others are booked until the end of the year, according to a DES press release.
Score: -2
Comment: As of Sept. 28, the entire state was in drought, with nearly 10 percent of the state elevated to D3-Extreme Drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Forecasted rainfall for this week will help some, according to a report from WMUR, but officials say that in order to bring water levels back up to normal, it will take a very wet autumn and a snowy winter.
Slow speeds
Manchester ranks 24th for midsize cities with the slowest internet speeds, according to a new study from AdvisorSmith. The company calculated the percentage of residents with access to 100 Mbps, 250 Mbps and 1 gigabit internet in thousands of U.S. cities and analyzed the data to come up with its rankings. According to the study, 0.1 percent of Manchester residents had access to 1 gigabit broadband providers, whereas in most midsize cities, an average of 27 percent of residents had access to gigabit internet providers.
Score: -1
Comment:98.5 percent of residents had access to 100 Mbps and 250 Mbps internet, which, according to the data, is pretty average for midsize cities.
Cereal smarts
Granite United Way had to cancel its annual Day of Caring, but the nonprofit came up with a new way to help local communities instead: the Smart Start Cereal Campaign. According to a press release, from now through Oct. 16 individuals and companies can donate cereal and other non-perishable breakfast foods to help students get a “smart start.” Companies can hold cereal drives, or anyone can text guwfeeds to 41444 to donate through the Smart Start Text-to-Give Campaign.
Score: +1
Comment:“We’ve been working with local volunteers and corporate partners to ensure that even though our traditional Day of Caring may look different we are still able to provide help this fall,” said Patrick Tufts, president and CEO of Granite United Way.
QOL score: 59
Net change: -2
QOL this week: 57
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].
