Summer Camp! Get excited about summer camp! Most of the usual summer camps will be back in business, in person, this year. Find the perfect camp for your kid — there are options for blooming artists, sports fans, music lovers, nature enthusiasts and more.
Also on the cover, A new space for community art classes has opened on Hanover Street in Manchester, p. 22. The new Hotbox eatery in Manchester will be serving up Latin soul and street foods, p. 30. And beer columnist Jeff Mucciarone shares a few random beer selections for the random month of March, p. 34.
Covid-19 updateAs of March 1As of March 1Total cases statewide75,58875,588Total current infections statewide2,3632,363Total deaths statewide1,1701,170New cases1,923 (Feb. 23 to March ...
Ready for St. Patrick’s Day? It’s been just about a year since restaurants were ordered to close, or to offer only takeout or delivery, interrupting many plans for St. Patrick’s Day. Since then, eateries have adapted in all kinds of ways. Find out how local restaurants have adapted, and what their plans are for this year’s St. Paddy’s Day and beyond.
Also on the cover, maybe it’s time to try a Big Boo Boo, p. 23. The Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Trio celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a virtual show, p. 28. If you’re looking for live music, find it in our Music This Week listing, starting on p. 30.
Covid-19 updateAs of February 22As of March 1Total cases statewide73,66575,588Total current infections statewide2,8832,363Total deaths statewide1,1541,170New cases2,648 (Feb. 16 - 22)1,923 ...
Hopkinton native Emily Knowlton is the owner of BB Take Home Kitchen (bbtakehomekitchen.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @bbtakehomekitchen), also ...
Scolex, “Black Pyramid Ritual,” and Mortuous, “Dessicated”(Split Single) (Carbonized Records) As every underground metalhead in New Hampshire knows, I’m pretty ...
Manchester museum displays Pandora Sweaters exhibit
Between 1940 and 1990, a bold neon sign that read “Home of Pandora Sweaters” sat on top of the Pandora Mill building at 88 Commericial St. in Manchester. This March, some of these letters will make an appearance at the Manchester Historic Association’s Millyard Museum as part of a special exhibit, “Pandora by Design: Sweaters from the Millyard.” The exhibit is scheduled to open on March 9 and will run through August in the museum’s Henry M. Fuller State Theatre Gallery.
The fashion-focused exhibit will take a look at the history of Pandora Industries starting when they first came to Manchester as Brookshire Knitting Mills, according to Jeff Barraclough, the Millyard Museum’s director of operations and the exhibit’s assistant curator.
“It’s a fun exhibit that really looks at the design of Pandora and the different sweaters and materials that they produced over the years,” he said.
Not to be confused with the modern-day Pandora jewelry, Pandora Industries made textile products, such as knitwear and sportswear; the company produced as many as 60,000 sweaters per week, according to the Millyard Museum website, and its specialty was women’s sweaters. Pandora relocated from New York to Manchester’s millyard in 1940 and became a great source of employment for the city, employing as many as 1,000 individuals at a time. It was also one of the last places to manufacture textiles in the millyard.
According to Barraclough, the sweater company was owned by Saul and May Sidore, who later became May Gruber. Gruber was a pioneer in Manchester’s business industry, during a time when few women held positions of power, he said. The exhibit will feature a video that talks about Gruber’s life and influence.
The centerpiece of the “Pandora by Design” exhibit will be part of the neon sign that was once atop the Pandora building. In all its glory, the sign read “Home of Pandora Sweaters.” On display will be the fully restored “Sweaters” piece of the sign. When the Manchester Historic Association announced the sign restoration project in a press release last summer, it noted that the “Pandora” piece of the sign was beyond repair, and that when the sign was removed from the building in the early 2000s some of the letters disappeared. One of those missing letters was returned last year, allowing the Historic Association to move forward with the restoration.
“It’s a really cool centerpiece of the exhibit,” Barraclough said.
The exhibit will also feature a large collection of Pandora sweaters and advertisements from the 1970s and ’80s. These pieces were donated by one of Pandora’s former designers. The sweaters will be displayed on mannequins throughout the exhibit. Additionally, photographs will be displayed showing workers in Pandora’s factories. Barraclough called it “the production piece” of the exhibit.
Barraclough said he hopes that visitors will leave the special exhibit with a sense of nostalgia, whether they’re residents of Manchester who have family members who worked in the millyard, people who worked in the mills themselves, “or even just people who remember buying and wearing Pandora sweaters,” he said.
The Millyard Museum has Covid safety precautions in place, and this exhibit will adhere to the protocols without exception. Masks and social distancing are required, and only 30 guests are allowed in the museum at one time. – By Sadie Burgess
Pandora by Design: Sweaters from the Millyard When: March 9 through August 2021 Where: Manchester Historic Association’s Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford St., Manchester More info: manchesterhistoric.org/events
Featured photo: Vintage Pandora ad. Photo courtesy of Jeff Barraclough.
The Granite State is smart! A recent study from personal-finance website WalletHub looked at data from all 50 states, comparing factors like educational attainment, school quality and achievement gaps between genders and races. According to the study, New Hampshire ranked fourth for percentage of people with high school diplomas, eighth for percentage of people who hold bachelor’s degrees, ninth for both percentage of associate’s degree holders and graduate or professional degree holders, and 16th for average university quality.
Score: +1
Comment:Some of our closest neighbors beat us in the rankings, according to the study, with Massachusetts taking the No. 1 spot and Connecticut and Vermont coming in third and fourth, respectively.
Exploring gender justice in NH
The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation recently announced the launch of the Gender Justice Cafe, a series of conversations about topics that impact equity for women and girls in the state. According to a press release, the Gender Justice Cafe will begin on International Women’s Day, March 8, at 10 a.m., with a 90-minute Zoom panel that explores gender justice internationally and features New Hampshire leaders and organizations that are working to elevate the voices of women and girls on a global level. Future conversations include gender and the climate crisis, racial equity and intersectionality, and transgender justice.
Score: +1
Comment: These programs are free, and anyone interested can register at nhwomensfoundation.org/GJC.
Exploring slavery in NH
The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire has released a 45-minute video called “I was a slave, even here in New Hampshire”: The Concord Black Heritage Tour, which features notable African Americans from throughout Concord’s history. According to a press release, it includes stories of enslavement, emancipation, the underground railroad, abolitionism and visits from Frederick Douglass, as well as more recent stories, like that of renowned African American illustrator Mel Bolden. The video can be accessed at youtu.be/WhNu6mWn4xI.
Score: +1
Comment:“By reintroducing these stories of New Hampshire’s early Black citizens, we create a space for dialogues around race, diversity and inclusion,” Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire Director JerriAnne Boggis said in the release. “These corrective narratives make it possible to decrease barriers of misunderstanding and decrease people’s racial anxiety.”
Concord launches citizen reporting app
The City of Concord has announced a new citizen reporting platform and mobile app that will allow the Concord community to report non-emergency quality-of-life concerns and service requests. According to a press release, community members can use the web portal on the City website or download the free MyConcordNH app to submit a request or report to the City, including things like potholes, missed trash collection, snow plowing, downtown maintenance, trees, water, sewer and more. Users can also get email updatesabout theirrequests, which are automatically directed to appropriate city staff.
Score: +1
Comment:The MyConcordNH mobile app is available for download on Android and iPhone and includes links to city services and information, and push notifications can be enabled for things like winter parking bans or delayed trash collection.
QOL score: 56
Net change: +4
QOL this week: 60
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
During the state’s weekly public health update on Feb. 25, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that 97 people statewide were hospitalized with Covid-19, the first time that number has dipped below 100 since mid-November. Test positivity rates of the virus also continue to be on the decline in recent months, as well as active infections and deaths.
State health officials expect to receive their first supply of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson Janssen Biotech vaccine this week, which received emergency use authorization by the Food & Drug Administration on Feb. 27. According to a report from WMUR, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine only requires one dose, and it can be stored at refrigerated temperatures as opposed to being kept in a freezer, which will make it easier to transport and distribute. About 288,000 doses of vaccine had been administered in New Hampshire as of Feb. 25, according to Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services. This includes 197,000 people who have received their first dose and an additional 91,000 who have received their second dose. “This means that about 15 percent of New Hampshire’s population has received one dose of vaccine, and seven percent of the population has been fully vaccinated,” Daly said during the press conference.
On Tuesday, Gov. Chris Sununu announced in a press release that the state will host a mass vaccination event this weekend, on Friday, March 6, Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8, at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. However, the site is not open to walk-in appointments; instead people who have appointments scheduled for first-dose appointments in April will be contacted by the state and offered an appointment. The state hopes to vaccinate more than 10,000 people at the event, the release said.
Also last week, Gov. Chris Sununu joined 21 governors from across the country to send a message to Washington politicians that the $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill would bail out poorly managed states at the expense of taxpayers in better-managed states like New Hampshire, according to a press release. Unlike previous relief bills, the new federal funding package allocates aid based on a state’s unemployed population, rather than just its population, which would mean that New Hampshire would lose over $233 million using this formula, the release said.
Housing help
During the Feb. 25 press conference, Gov. Chris Sununu announced a new rental assistance program through the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery for Granite Staters who have experienced difficulty paying their rent and utilities due to the pandemic. The program is being administered by New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority, which will begin accepting and processing applications on March 15. “This assistance will be available retroactively, which means that it can help cover rent going all the way back from April 1 of last year through the date of application,” said Sununu, adding that the program is only eligible for renters and landlords, not for homeowners. “It really helps landlords and those that have to bear the brunt of the inability of those individuals to collect rent.”
Then on Monday, the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority announced that it has launched a new initiative to help essential frontline workers become homeowners. According to a press release, the Community Heroes Initiative provides a $3,000 closing-cost credit to eligible first-time homebuyers who finance through one of New Hampshire Housing’s Plus mortgage programs. The $3,000 grant goes directly to the lender, and the borrower does not need to repay it. Borrowers who are eligible for the program include health care, day care and elder care workers; law enforcement officers, firefighters and first responders; educators; and active members of the armed services, according to the release.
Bills wrapped up
The New Hampshire House of Representatives acted on more than 100 pieces of legislation over the course of two days last week, according to a press release. The House met indoors at NH Sportsplex in Bedford, and legislators were seated 10 feet apart from one another. “I’m pleased that the House was able to get its work done on time in the midst of a pandemic,” House Speaker Sherman Packard said in the release. “We can get our work done in a risk-mitigated manner.” The House will have to meet again before April deadlines, according to the release. According to a report from WMUR, 24 Democrats were absent from the sessions, “many of them suffering from health conditions that put them at high risk for Covid-19.” Though a lawsuit was filed against Packard claiming that in-person sessions would put people at risk and that remote sessions should be held instead, the U.S. District Court ruled that Packard did not have to use remote technology for the House sessions.
DCYF roadmap
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Division for Children, Youth and Families has released its inaugural Procurement Forecast, according to a press release. The Procurement Forecast is a summary of the results of the Request for Information that was issued in 2019, and its purpose is to provide a roadmap for the expansion of evidence-based prevention services aimed at keeping kids safe and strengthening families. According to the release, DCYF will be working with other Health and Human Services divisions to introduce new service models that will focus on keeping children at home with their families. The first request for proposals is for multisystemic therapy, which provides support for youth with behavioral health needs that put them at risk of entering out-of-home care. Studies have shown that 91 percent of youth who take part in multisystemic therapy remain home upon completion of the program, and 86 percent remain in school and employed, the release said.
On Monday the Daniel Webster Council announced that New Hampshire has its first female Eagle Scout. According to a press release, Valerie Ann Johnston of Thornton is also one of the first female Eagle Scouts in the nation. Eagle Scout is the highest rank in Scouting, and only about 6 percent of Scouts earn the achievement, the release said.
Kumon Learning Center, with locations in Bedford, Nashua and Portsmouth, will be joining New Hampshire’s exclusive Learn Everywhere Program, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Education. Learn Everywhere allows students to earn credit for learning outside of the classroom, and Kumon Learning Center is now authorized to offer an array of math classes.
The Nashua Public Library reopened with limited service on Monday. According to a press release, customers can now come inside to pick up reserved materials; browse and check out new materials; browse the adult stacks to select books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, videogames and magazines (by appointment); use computers and printers (by appointment); and use the tax PC in the lobby to print tax forms. The Children’s Room and Teen Room are still closed, but curbside pickup continues. The building will be open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Last summer’s Drive-In Live, held at the Cheshire Fairgrounds in Swanzey, will return for a second season under the new name of Northlands. According to a press release, artists in the first round of the series will be announced in mid-March, and performances are scheduled to start in May. This year all attendees will be in 10’ x 10’ “pods” that will hold up to six people, and all pods are spaced at least six feet apart. A new beer garden is also being planned, the release said.
In 1999 the Supreme Court declared New Hampshire’s system of taxation “unconstitutional” based on the Claremont education funding decision. The Supreme Court forced the legislature to make a hard choice. The Claremont decision was based on Part 2 Article 5 of our Constitution, which says taxes “must be proportional.” Like any other state tax, like the Tobacco Tax, Gas Tax, Rooms and Meals, one rate statewide. It became clear that the state’s education regulations were mandates and therefore needed to be funded with a uniform tax rate.
Studies were done to determine the cost of the education regulations. Most every analysis showed that the so-called “property rich” towns, largely on the seacoast, resort lakes, or ski mountains, had plenty of valuable property and could easily raise money while many communities, including Manchester, Londonderry and Derry, struggled. Tax concepts were brought forward including an income tax, sales tax and statewide property tax. The state property tax emerged.
Similar to how we would think of it today, the statewide property tax was born in 1919 at a tax rate of $3.50 per $1,000 of value. So studies were done to see what would happen if a state property tax were to be re-enacted. Spreadsheets showed that if every community were to pay the same rate to cover the cost of the education regulations, the result would be that 75 to 80 percent of the state’s population would see a reduction in property taxes while the remaining percentage (20 to 25 percent), those property-richer communities, would see a tax increase. Ironically, even if this were enacted, the property-richer communities would still have the lowest property tax rates in the state.
While the property-poorer communities would run bake sales to pay for their attorneys, the property-richer communities simply hired lawyers to make the case that they would be unfairly treated by a uniform statewide property tax. They called themselves “donor towns.”
But which are the real donor towns? If the state constitution says that everybody needs to pay the same rate tax rate, but somehow the property-rich towns’ lawyers have tricked lawmakers into ensuring that they don’t actually have to pay the tax, thus, forcing monies to be raised from other sources, especially from property-poorer towns, is that fair? In reality, the property-poorer towns are contributing higher property taxes in order to ensure that the property-richer towns don’t have to pay the uniform rate. So who’s donating to whom?
Fred Bramante is a past chairman and memtber of the New Hampshire State Board of Education. He speaks and consults on education redesign to regional, state and national organizations.
