A timed cooking challenge involving four “mystery” ingredients — think Food Network’s Chopped — the Fire & Fusion executive chef competition pits local chefs against one another to create their best dishes in under 30 minutes before a live audience. The event returns for its ninth year on Wednesday, May 4, at the Alpine Grove Banquet Facility in Hollis, and will also feature a People’s Choice appetizer challenge.
Fire & Fusion was last held in person in 2019, although a virtual iteration of the cooking challenge featuring pre-recorded video of the chefs in action did take place in the fall of 2020.
“We’re super excited to have it back in person,” said Judy Porter, director of marketing, communications and development for the Nashua Senior Activity Center, which hosts the event. “People just love to feel the energy in that room. They want to see what the chefs are doing and they want to smell the food … [and] if they’ve never gone before, they’ll just be blown away.”
Courtesy photo.
Each of the nine participating chefs currently works in senior, long-term care or assisted living facilities in the area, and that’s by design, Porter said. Six are taking on the timed challenge, while three additional chefs are competing in the People’s Choice round only.
“That was really the genesis of this event, was to show and let the public taste the food from the health care community,” Porter said. “I think back in everyone’s memory, we have this image in our minds of health care food not being very good or having a ton of flavor … and so we wanted to show people that things have changed. … Especially amongst assisted living, you want to have really top-notch food, because for a lot of people it’s a high point of their day.”
The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a wide selection of both hot and cold appetizers provided by each of the chefs, who are encouraged to bring cuisine as part of this year’s theme, “A Night in Monte Carlo.” Guests can meet the chefs, sample various items and vote on their favorite to win the People’s Choice Award. The unveiling of the mystery ingredients, courtesy of celebrity judge Nicole Barreira of Great New Hampshire Restaurants, will then take place at 7 p.m.
The ingredients themselves are kept a secret right up until the night of the event, Porter said, but will typically consist of one meat and some other uncommon items. The chefs have 30 minutes and must incorporate all four of them into their dish to serve to the judges.
“We’ll have it all being broadcast on two big screens, plus people can get up and walk around the outside of the table areas [to] see what the chefs are doing and ask them questions,” she said.
Courtesy photo
This year’s roster includes both new and returning contestants. Rejean Sheehy of The Courville at Nashua, a previous Fire & Fusion champion and three-time People’s Choice award winner, is back this year, and so is Guy Streitburger of The Arbors of Bedford, who was awarded “Top Chef” in the 2020 virtual competition. James LeBlanc of Bedford Falls, Bailey Bocci of Bridges by Epoch at Nashua, Celina Saccardo of Nashua Crossings, and Jim Younce of the Hunt Community will each also be showcasing their culinary creativity.
Longtime radio personality and author Mike Morin is returning as the event’s host. Judges, in addition to Barreira, will include WMUR anchor Sean McDonald, New Hampshire Magazine columnist Susan Laughlin and meteorologist and Realtor Josh Judge.
Raffle tickets will also be sold throughout the evening for the chance to win one of more than two dozen deluxe themed gift baskets. Prizes include everything from sports memorabilia to vacation getaway tickets, gift certificates, specialty food items and more.
9th annual Fire & Fusion executive chef competition When: Wednesday, May 4, 6 to 9 p.m. Where: Alpine Grove Banquet Facility, 19 S. Depot Road, Hollis Cost: $50 per person, or $450 for a reserved table of 10 (early admission VIP tickets are $60 per person and $550 per table of 10 and get you into the event at 5:15 p.m.) More info: Visit nashuaseniorcenter.org, or call the office at 816-2642 to purchase tickets
When Tracey Dahle Carrier of Bedford created her first illustrations for a kids’ booklet for Bedford Presbyterian Church, it never occurred to her that two decades later those illustrations would be back at the church for a whole different purpose — raising money for Families in Transition via an art auction.
The auction is being held online and in person now through April 30, featuring nearly 50 of Carrier’s original illustrations and artist proofs from her children’s books — she’s illustrated five, including Digby in Disguise.
But the project that started it all was the small booklet she created for the church at the request of her friend and co-author, Ruth Boling.
Copyright and courtesy of Tracey Dahle Carrier.
“The Bedford Presbyterian Church was merging their church service to include children [and the church wanted to create] a booklet to help kids understand the service and what to expect,” said Carrier, who at the time was working from home doing freelance work, illustrating for different companies. “I ended up donating the illustrations and the design.”
Carrier said she wanted to make the booklet attractive to kids, and relatable.
“Kids are squirmy and they’re wiggling around in their seats and making noises,” she said. “I wanted to take the child’s perspective into account.”
So she created characters that have similar qualities: mice.
“Mice are seldom welcome and are squirmy and hard to manage,” Carrier said. “They were the perfect spokespeople for this job.”
The booklet was picked up by Geneva Press, and after it was published, John Knox Press asked for more, similar children’s books from Carrier and Boling.
“It was quite a successful little venture,” Carrier said.
The pair decided that when the first JKP book was released, all proceeds would go to Families in Transition, an organization that the church as well as Carrier and her husband support.
Copyright and courtesy of Tracey Dahle Carrier.
Fast forward 20 years to when Covid hit. Carrier — who is the membership manager at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester — started working from home.
“We had to work extra hard to stay connected to the art-loving community,” she said.
During her lunch breaks, she and her husband would talk about how there were so many in the community who were devastated by Covid, some even unable to pay their rent.
“When I was thinking about what to do [to help], it was hard to know because I couldn’t really get out and about,” she said.
But then she thought back to the donations that she and Boling had made to Families in Transition so many years ago and figured it wouldn’t hurt to approach the church to see if there was a way to help FIT with support from Bedford Presbyterian.
“There are people who might still have some feelings for these mice,” Carrier thought.
The church agreed and suggested they include some of Carrier’s other pieces that she’s illustrated over the years. There’s a poster that she created for the NH Reading Program when its theme was “treasure reading,” so it features mice scrambling off a pirate ship to find books. There are also pieces from Digby in Disguise and Digby Finds a Friend; those books feature a little bear.
There are other animal illustrations too: “There’s a lot of fur in these drawings,” she laughed.
One is a drawing of a black lab, and as with all of her animals, Carrier said she tried to capture its personality and spirit.
“I had a Bernese mountain dog for 12 years, and I was asked by Silent Moon Press to illustrate a book about Bernese mountain dogs,” Carrier said. “I knew [my dog] wasn’t going to be around much longer, so it was a tribute to her.”
Carrier stopped illustrating in 2012, as she was juggling work at the Currier — part-time, at that point — and doing commissioned work for McGowan Fine Arts Gallery in Concord, and teaching at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. When the Currier offered her a full-time position, she took it, and she has been there ever since. She’s thinking about retiring soon, though, and might go back to doing some artwork.
For now, the best chance to see Carrier’s work is at the church or online. One hundred percent of the proceeds of the auction will go to Families in Transition.
“If anyone wants to take a look at the art and see if there’s anything that appeals to them … or if they don’t have a lot of wall space and just want to make a donation, that would be great,” Carrier said.
Art Auction Bidding for Tracey Dahle Carrier’s artwork runs through April 30. All items are on display and can be viewed in person at Bedford Presbyterian Church (4 Church Road in Bedford) during regular office hours Monday through Friday, or find the auction link online at bedfordpresbyterian.org. Call ahead at 472-5841 to arrange viewing times. There is a “Buy Now” option for all pieces to bypass the bidding process, and 100 percent of proceeds will benefit Families in Transition.
Featured photo: Copyright and courtesy of Tracey Dahle Carrier. Courtesy photo.
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
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.
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.
I worked for over seven years to increase awareness of an important health condition that warrants everyone’s attention as 1 in 10 of us have it, and 1 in 3 of us are at high risk of developing the mostly preventable version — diabetes.
Every year as November approached, we would see and begin the preparations for Diabetes Awareness Month, and yet I would think to myself: “Every day is diabetes awareness day!” Thus my mixed feelings toward awareness days even as I knew that 1 in 5 people with diabetes don’t know they have it, and more than 8 in 10 individuals with prediabetes are unaware. This for a health condition that has the potential for significant improvement or control, and potential prevention — if we have the understanding of how to care for ourselves and manage our diabetes or prediabetes.
There are other kinds of awareness events, such as National Wear Red Day (on Feb. 4, this year), which raises attention to heart disease being the No. 1 killer of women, and all of February being American Heart Month; June being Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, and Sept. 5 to Sept. 11 being National Suicide Prevention Week. The calendar is now full with these kinds of awareness events and it’s difficult to register their existence, let alone keep track of them. Which has helped me now realize there actually can be a benefit to focusing much-needed attention, and has me wondering: As all of us are touched by one or more of these health issues, how do we support and amplify each other’s concerns so that we can all, together, contribute to building a healthier future?
Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. And we have long considered the United States to be the land of opportunity. Yet our current standing among developed countries as having the worst maternal mortality — where most maternal deaths are preventable — reminds us that we face a significant threat to the opportunity for all to thrive and contribute to this country’s future prosperity. There are many contributing factors for our current situation — some relate to individuals, many relate to our living conditions, and even more relate to systemic factors such as the availability of health insurance coverage, access to health care, bias that may be built into how things are done and more. Thankfully, more attention is being focused on helpful policy solutions that impact how care is provided in the clinical setting as well as the supports that can help all birthing people have healthy and positive perinatal experiences and contribute to community well-being.
This year April 11 through April 17 marked Black Maternal Health Week — I hope we will all be curious to learn why we should all care enough to be aware.
As it touches on a myriad of musical moods, from tuneful grunge to full-throttle rockers and tender ballads, there’s a clear thread running through In Bloom, the second album from the Faith Ann Band: raw, naked emotion. More precisely, it’s a crackling live wire, shooting furious sparks and sparing no one.
Two minutes of rage, the breakneck-paced “Miller Time” exemplifies this, as a would-be suitor is sneered away with a dismissive line. “I wouldn’t be you for all of the sh-t you could possibly shove in my face,” band leader Faith Ann Mandravelis sings.
Another standout, “Jungle Law” is a credo of sorts. “I ain’t no live-in house pet,” she sings, “I don’t sit pretty.” Odious corporate dronage is drubbed on songs like “Songbird” and “Reaper,” a backward glance at the singer-songwriter’s entrance into music; she quit a job as an engineer to become a math teacher.
“I saw like what day-to-day life was doing to people in an office environment,” she said in a recent phone interview.
One of her students had a band, which inspired her to start hitting the open mic scene around Manchester and Concord.
“As I was writing my songs, I found a lot of healing,” she said. “Giving myself permission to speak up was huge, after having been kind of in the shadows of my musician boyfriend and not really ever feeling like I was worthy enough.”
Buoyed by this newfound courage, Faith Ann hit the road for shows in the South and headed west to play in Arizona. The response to her music led to an epiphany.
“We can focus on not just fixing things that are broken but things that are not … that have just never been used,” she said. “Brushing those off, as a way to bring ourselves back to being inspired by life.”
Her first album was 2020’s Long Last — “Which is pretty much a statement: Finally, I’ve broken out of my shell,” she said. “I’ve stopped letting myself be contained, pushed down and ashamed for my past, and as soon as you own it, you find an acceptance of yourself.”
The only musician from the debut still in the band is bass player Alfredo Benavides. Concord guitarist Mike Stockbridge and drummer Alex Hershman helped make In Bloom, but someone new will take over the drum kit soon. Axile Beighley, who plays with Benavides in Manchester band Dank Sinatra, serves as a fifth member at live shows, like the release party coming up on April 16 at Strange Brew Tavern.
“Feral” is one of the words Faith Ann uses to describe her approach to music.
“I mean it as a way to staying true to the parts of ourselves that are unclaimed territory, that haven’t been cultivated,” she explained. “It’s the parts of us that are the most raw. Whatever you might say unkind about yourself, these are part of the things I do that I enjoy. I don’t need to justify them to anybody.”
As a relative newcomer to the local scene, she finds the New Hampshire music community a welcoming one. She’s paired up with many local bands, and has several shows on the horizon. She’ll support Andrew North & the Rangers at Penuche’s in Concord on May 7, and play at the Market Days event the following month. In July she and her band host a festival of her own called Level Up Get Down at Auburn Pitts. It will include Big Sandy, Chodus, Tumbletoads, The Humans Being and Dank Sinatra.
“Everyone I have played with is super-supportive, and everybody wants to see everyone succeed,” she said. “I don’t think I have ever really heard of anyone bashing on any other musician, because there’s just this understanding of how much guts it takes and how vulnerable you are to do it. People don’t always go out of their way to invite you in their little realm, but once you’re in there, everyone wants to help you out.”
Faith Ann Band When: Saturday, April 16, 8 p.m. Where: Strange Brew Tavern, 88 Market St., Manchester More: thefaithannband.com
