Uptime Esports has been approved as a new Learn Everywhere program by the New Hampshire State Board of Education. According to a press release, esports can be used to promote teamwork, engage students and boost the exploration of STEM learning and careers. Uptime Esports, which has locations in Bedford, Exeter and Hanover, Mass., offers programs focused around competitive gaming, coding, engineering, game design and computer building, as well as sensory-friendly gaming, the release said. Uptime Esports is one of 15 programs approved for Learn Everywhere, which allows students to earn credit for learning outside of the classroom.
Score: +1
Comment :If you can’t get the kids away from gaming anyway, why not sneak in some education?
Extreme weather possible
Last week New Hampshire residents, scientists and legislators gathered via Zoom for a preview of the soon-to-be-released 2022 NH State Climate Assessment, an update of the last statewide assessment of 2014. According to a press release, Dr. Cameron Wake, Lamprey Professor of Climate and Sustainability at UNH, said assessment results show that if we don’t lower emissions rates, heavy rain events and flooding will become more common in the state, especially in winter and spring, which could alternate with “extended drought periods and summers with as many as 60 days above 90 degrees.” Dr. Mary Stampone, State Climatologist and Associate Professor of Geography at UNH, said that without fast reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, she foresees “more winter days above freezing and fewer days with snow on the ground.”
Score: -1
Comment:To find out what specific actions we can take, NH Network is hosting a free online event, “Is Net Zero by 2050 Possible?” on Monday, March 28, at 7 p.m. Visit newhampshirenetwork.org.
Be a state ambassador
Granite State Ambassadors Certification Training, which prepares participants to become GSA volunteers, starts virtually April 5 and in person April 6 at Kimball Jenkins in Concord. According to a press release, the course includes presentations from tourism organizations and attractions, and training modules include Outdoor Recreation, Attractions and Heritage, New Hampshire History and more, as well as information on serving as a GSA volunteer. The program encourages participants to volunteer at events, museums and visitor centers throughout the state, the release said. The training will continue virtually on Tuesday mornings until the final session, which will be in person, statewide, during the week of May 16.
Score: +1
Comment:The organization has certified over 1,940 industry friends and volunteers, and approximately 350 volunteers are actively volunteering at any time, the release said. Visit nhgraniteambassadors.org.
Back on the ice for CHaD
More than 4,000 fans celebrated the return of the CHaD Battle of the Badges Hockey Championship on March 13 at SNHU Arena in Manchester. After almost three years, the fundraising event for Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock was back in person and helped raise more than $210,000, according to a press release. Law enforcement and fire and rescue personnel returned to the ice exactly two years after Team Fire’s victory in the streaming 2020 game. The 2021 game was canceled due to Covid. At this year’s game, which was also streamed online, Team Police skated off with a 5-2 victory. Police leads the series 8-5.
Score: +1
Comment: Police got the victory as top fundraisers too, raising more $72,000 as a team, according to the release. Kyle Daly of the Manchester Police Department was the top individual fundraiser — he collected more than $11,000 with his CHaD Buddy Elliot.
QOL score: 66
Net change: +2
QOL this week: 68
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 16, the state Department of Health & Human Services announced in a press release that its 11 state-managed Covid-19 vaccination sites will permanently close on March 31. Additionally, four of the seven mobile vaccination teams will demobilize that same day. The announcement comes just one day after health officials permanently closed all of the state-run testing sites. Vaccines are still easily accessible through medical providers, pharmacies, urgent care centers and mobile vaccination clinics, the release said.
State health officials announced 53 new positive Covid test results on March 21. The state averaged 119 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, a 4 percent increase compared to the week before. Hospitalizations continue to be low, at just 30 statewide as of March 21 — that’s the fewest since Aug. 2 of last year.
Child advocate plan
Last week the state Office of the Child Advocate released its 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, a collaboration of members of the community and state leaders. Child Advocate Moira O’Neill said in a press release that forming the plan was an “opportunity to engage with the broader community to co-create a road map for deeper impact and lasting system reform,” and input was received from children, parents, foster parents, providers, attorneys, government leaders and the Oversight Commission on Children’s Services. According to the release, the plan was developed after looking at the office’s progress and talking to the community about its future vision, mission, values, priorities and needed changes. Focus groups and interviews showed that the four-year-old Office of the Child Advocate is “respected, reliable and transparent,” the release said, but it is still not well-known throughout the state. Another issue is an unbalance of independent oversight with collaborative relationships; both of those problems could be attributed in part to not having enough staffing, the release said. The Strategic Plan has four goals: continue to be responsive to complaints, incidents and opportunities to improve the state’s support and protection of children; expand public knowledge of the office as a resource to understand and advocate for children; invest in building the capacity of the office to support the safety and well-being of children; and strengthen and expand relationships with system partners based in trust, collaboration and impact. According to the release, O’Neill has completed her four-year term of service and is waiting for the governor to appoint a replacement.
SleepOut
On Friday, March 25, hundreds of people in the Granite State will sleep outside for Waypoint’s eighth annual SleepOut, which raises awareness and funds to help end youth homelessness in New Hampshire. According to a press release, the funds will support Waypoint’s new overnight youth shelter in Manchester and its drop-in resource centers in Concord and Rochester, as well as help sustain its existing services. This year’s event will be held remotely, with sleepers spending the night outside at a place of their choosing and sharing the experience virtually. The online event will also be livestreamed on the agency’s Facebook page, allowing members of the community to show their support even if they are not registered sleepers. Last year, Waypoint had nearly 1,500 contacts with youth who were on the streets and offered services like survival aid, basic needs relief, educational support, job and life skills training, driver’s ed, access to mental health services and more, the release said. Visit waypointnh.org.
Oil tank leaks
The New Hampshire Insurance Department has received numerous questions from consumers regarding insurance coverage for cleanup costs associated with heating oil spills. According to a press release, those costs can exceed $100,000, and there are no admitted insurance carriers in the state who cover home heating oil spills. However, the state Department of Environmental Services has two programs to help consumers who have home heating oil tanks that have leaked or are in danger of leaking: the Safetank Program and the Petroleum Reimbursement Fund Program. The Safetank Program provides financial assistance to income qualified homeowners — up to $2,250 to upgrade or remove and replace an above-ground oil tank and up to $2,500 to remove an underground tank. The Petroleum Reimbursement Fund Program reimburses costs incurred by DES-required cleanup at eligible properties where a petroleum release has occurred from a tank system, with coverage of up to $500,000. The Insurance Department encourages homeowners to upgrade or replace their heating oil tanks before a release occurs, the release said.
A presentation and conversation called “The Russian Invasion of Ukraine – Why Did it Happen? What Are the Global Implications?” will be held Tuesday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m. at the Goffstown Public Library, according to a press release. Registration to attend in person or virtually is required at https://bit.ly/GPLUkraine329.
Last week, Memorial, Central and West high schools in Manchester hosted their first-ever Sports Nights, where representatives from high school and middle school athletics and youth sports leagues in the city came together to help students find a sport they love. According to a press release, the event also highlighted the schools’ current student-athlete stars who have signed with colleges and universities to compete for them next year.
Daytime road work on the Route 101 Bridge replacement project in Bedford has begun and, according to a press release, there will be alternating one-way traffic between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Route 101 from Twin Brook Lane to Joppa Hill Road. Construction will continue in the area throughout the summer and fall, the release said.
Jersey Mike’s Subs locations in New Hampshire — most locally in Londonderry, Hudson and Plaistow — are supporting the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games through its 12th Annual March “Month of Giving” campaign. According to a press release, customers can make a donation at any Jersey Mike’s to help local Team NH athletes get to the Games, happening in June in Orlando. On March 30, Jersey Mike’s will have a “Day of Giving,” when the restaurants will give 100 percent of the day’s sales — not just profits — to the Games, the release said.
Celebrate Maple Weekend at local sugar shacks, find out where to find local maple products, and meet a maple-maker who went from producing 5 gallons of syrup four years ago to building a new sugarhouse in the hopes of producing 50 gallons this year.
Also on the cover, spring is showing signs of life in the garden, p. 18. Find farm-fresh foods and new brews in Nashua (p. 24), and all kinds of slices at Ray Street Pizza in Goffstown (p. 26). And Samantha Fish comes to Manchester with new music, p. 36.
If you like corned beef and cabbage, this is your day. In last week’s (March 10) issue of the Hippo, Matt Ingersoll gathered all the St. Patrick’s Day eats and treats plans from area restaurants, bakeries and more. Find that story on page 24 in the e-edition of the Hippo, available at hippopress.com.
Friday, March 18
The Dueling Pianos return to the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com, 437-5100) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20. Find more concerts this weekend or beyond on page 41.
Saturday, March 19
Learn how to become an Eastern Bluebird trail monitor at the New Hampshire Audubon’s Massabesic Center in Auburn. Register in advance for today’s free event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring a lunch; the morning will be spent in the classroom and the afternoon on the trail, according to nhaudubon.org.
Wednesday, March 23
What is the Postmodern Jukebox? Watch the “Evolution of the Friends Theme Song 1920s-1990s” video on the Capitol Center for the Arts’ website, ccanh.com, to see them take “I’ll Be There For You” from flappers to a Freddy Mercury riff. The Postmodern Jukebox’s Grand Reopening Tour comes to the Cap Center (Chubb Theatre, 44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) tonight at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m.; tickets cost $39 (plus fees).
Thursday, March 24
Author Keith O’Brien will sign and discuss his book Fly Girls, about aviation’s female pioneers, at the Aviation Museum of N.H. (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820) tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $10 or $40 for admission plus a hardcover copy of the book, according to a press release. Tickets can be purchased in advance at eventbrite.com (search “Aviation Museum Fly Girls” ) or by calling 669-4877.
Save the Date! March 31
The New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival kicks off on Thursday, March 31, with an in-person screening of the documentary The Automat (which will screen at the Rex Theatre in Manchester at 7 p.m.). The line-up includes 11 feature-length films, a five-film shorts program, five in-person screenings in a theater, and seven at-home film programs. A screening of the 1972 film Cabaret will close out the in-person portion of the festival on Sunday, April 10, at 3:30 p.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord. During a bonus week of the festival, April 11 to April 14, four of the in-person films will be available to view at home, according to the event’s website, nhjewishfilmfestival.com, where you can buy individual tickets for films ($12) or festival passes for either in-person and virtual events ($130 for one person, $180 for two people) or for virtual only events ($118). In addition to The Automat (see the trailer, which includes Colin Powell, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Carl Reiner talking about their automat experiences over a recording of Mel Brooks singing an ode to automat coffee), the feature film line-up includes the documentary Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen, which focuses on the making of the 1971 movie The Fiddler on the Roof, a nice companion to the delightful documentary from the 2020 festival, Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles, about the musical theater play and its lasting impact (available for rent or purchase and on Amazon Prime).
Featured photo. Corned beef and cabbage from The Shaskeen Pub and Restaurant in Manchester. Courtesy photo.
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.
