Category: Featured Content

The next stage

Live music changes with the season

Much to the relief of live music purveyors reeling from the hardships and challenges of life during a pandemic, weather wasn’t a problem over the last several months. A festive mood, albeit with face masks on patrons spaced six feet apart, prevailed, and songs filled the air at pop-up venues throughout the region. The only real climate danger was heat waves.

Portsmouth Music Hall Executive Director Tina Sawtelle called it a “Covid silver lining” that not one of the downtown Under The Arch outdoor shows presented by her venue was rained out. Scott Hayward, whose Tupelo Drive-In in Derry was one of the first parking lot concert facilities to open in the nation, agreed.

“We didn’t lose any shows, we didn’t cancel any, and we rescheduled one show,” he said in a Sept. 18 phone interview. “We are one of the very few concert promoters that can say we actually had a successful summer; we made money, had all of our employees back, and that was partly due to the fact that the model we chose worked in our sleep.”

Other al fresco efforts included a series of local showcases in Fletcher-Murphy Park, behind Capitol Center for the Arts and adjacent to Concord Community Music School. Swanzey Drive-In, which boasted a huge 750-car capacity, offered top-level acts like country star Chase Rice and classic rock band Blue Oyster Cult. Manchester’s Delta Dental Stadium did a series of Socially Distanced concerts, with clear skies throughout.

There was another benefit from the awful season: Local musicians owned the spotlight for a rare moment. National touring acts mostly bowed out, unwilling or unable to navigate the morass of what Hayward termed “50 dates with 50 different sets of regulations,” allowing bands like Boston’s Neighbor to break out in a big way.

As temperatures cool, however, the music must move indoors, a transition that raises many questions. Paul Costley, probably the biggest booker of bars and dining establishments in New Hampshire, has a few.

The re-opening of restaurants for outdoor service in May, after two months of quarantine, was a bonanza for his company, NotSoCostley Productions.

“A lot of the smart people in the early days got tents and then they had an outdoor venue,” he said by phone in mid-September. “In normal times, I usually have 60 to 80 events booked a week. … I was up to 135.”

That’s shifting quickly, a situation compounded when a hoped for Oct. 1 state decision to make playing indoors at dining establishments easier didn’t arrive. Currently, performers must stay a minimum of 25 feet away from patrons — easier for venues with a deep stage, but a rule that would eat up far too much space in most restaurants.

“Both Gov. Sununu and the Economic Reopening Task Force appreciate the eagerness of musicians to perform in restaurants again but public safety must remain the predominant priority,” D.J. Bettencourt, chairman of the Governor’s Economic Reopening Task Force, wrote in an email to the Hippo. “The task force has put forward a recommendation for consideration. However, Gov. Sununu, in consultation with state Epidemiologist Dr. Ben Chan, will determine the appropriate time to proceed based on a diversity of data points to ensure public safety comes first.”

Costley is crossing his fingers that the change will be come soon, as it affects so many performers in his roster.

“[If] that happens, it will be a game-changer,” Costley said. “Without it, everything’s going to come to a screeching halt.”

A few of the Lakes Region venues Costley books have suspended outdoor music, like Cactus Jack’s in Laconia. He expects most others in the southern part of the state will follow suit by the end of October.

While it’s tempting to add heaters to keep outdoor music going, it would only be for a few more weeks before winter cold really set in, he said.

“Everyone is waiting to see what they have to do indoors before they do things like heat their tents,” Costley said. “They’re expensive to rent and that’s money they won’t get back. … Anyway, what’s the difference between being inside a tent or inside a restaurant?”

Costley believes there are ways to make music work inside.

“I think they should put Plexiglas at face level for the performers,” he said. “Keep it small, see if the numbers change. Everything is going to be based on that anyway.”

Venues dedicated to live performances received a green light open at 50 percent capacity in late June. Some, like Hayward’s Tupelo Music Hall, are taking it slowly. So far, he’s only booked a Dueling Pianos show on Nov. 21 and two early December Gary Hoey dates. Other than those, he’s adopting a wait-and-see attitude.

“Being open is one thing, and being able to stay open is another thing,” Hayward said. “If we don’t have the capacity to do the shows we normally do, it doesn’t work. A good show for us is 500 people [and] a big show for a small club is 60 people. But I can’t live on 60 people.”

In the spring, Tupelo shows postponed by lockdown were optimistically rescheduled for October and November. Many of them are now pushed out until 2022, as artists “hunker down, taking time with making albums and other things,” Hayward said. “We need enough attendance to be open … national artists to be on tour. We can back fill a little bit with small local acts and stuff, but there’s not enough of it to have a full schedule.”

His popular Tupelo Drive-In shows continue, with Hot Tuna front man Jorma Kaukonen booked for the final musical performance on Oct. 25, closing after a Nov. 1 benefit auction for Derry family resource center The Upper Room.

The Music Hall plans a hybrid of outdoor and indoor shows through the end of the month, when Will Dailey of Barefoot Truth performs the final Chestnut Street show on Oct. 29. At that point, everything moves indoors.

“We must have gone through a hundred permutations of how we could do them, only to get down into the nitty gritty to find out it’s not going to be feasible,” said Monte Bohanan, venue marketing director of the outdoor series, which seated up to 108 guests at 24 tables set six feet apart. “The amount of work for the return on it landed squarely with Live Under the Arch shows, which have been hugely successful.”

The ability to draw from a large regional talent pool for the events proved “incredibly important,” Bohanan said.

“We’ve always had an eye to local originals,” he said. “Over the past decade we have been doing a lot and built some of those relationships. It has been invaluable during this time.”

With a pair of venues available, shows normally held in the intimate Loft are now moved to the larger Historic Theatre.

“The kind of performers that would come to our venue are on hold, hitting the pause button,” Sawtelle said, echoing Hayward’s comments. “So we’re trying to leverage what we have, but the artists that we can bring in for 250 seats is a very different level, much more akin to what we’ve been successful doing in the Loft.”

The Historic Theatre’s upcoming show calendar includes The Mammals on Oct. 9, Sons of Serendip on Oct. 17, Josh Turner the following Saturday, and a slate of Boston comics on Nov. 6.

Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord also runs a second, smaller venue, and the majority of shows will happen there. Similar to Portsmouth, they are leveraging regional talent, like young punk inspired Grenon on Oct. 17, the fun and funky Mica’s Groove Train on Nov. 14 and harmony-rich folk quartet River Sister in early December.

A few shows are set for the 1,300-seat Chubb Theatre. Johnny Cash tribute act Cash Unchained performed Sept. 18 in a shakedown cruise of sorts, according to Capitol Center Executive Director Nicki Clarke.

“We needed an opportunity to experiment,” she said by phone. “How does it work? Can we really have 300 people and do all the protocols that we need so people feel comfortable, so that we can do more of these?”

The days of big names returning look to be a way off.

“There are three things that have to move … before we really can get back to anything that’s truly more normal,” Clarke said. “We do have to have national touring acts that are out on the road. We need to have our capacity limitations lifted and we need an audience that’s ready to come out. Those three things are not really there at the moment. So we are going to continue to do small things down at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage for the next few months.”

Manchester’s Palace Theatre returned to live entertainment with a weekly residency from Juston McKinney, who also brought his Comedy at a Distance show to Portsmouth, Salisbury and Concord. He’s back at The Palace on Oct. 17.

Though none happened outdoors, many events were held at The Rex Theatre, renovated and reopened in 2019. A healthy slate is set for the near future at the city’s newest venue, including comic Kelly McFarland Oct. 9. Elvis and Billy Joel tribute nights are set for Oct. 10 and Oct. 17 respectively, and local Americana stalwarts Town Meeting perform Oct. 24. Matt Nakoa plays Oct. 29, and a Halloween acoustic Grateful Dead night from John Zevos is also scheduled.

Though the State of New Hampshire allows venues to operate at half capacity, most don’t plan to seat more than 25 to 30 percent. Thus, the short term is a money-losing proposition. But offering live entertainment is about more than moving to the music. The ripple effect is crucial.

“For every dollar that somebody spends at our venue, they’re spending $20 to $30 in town, whether that’s parking or restaurants or hotels or whatever. … Having an arts and cultural center in the heart of downtown that is thriving drives everybody’s business,” Bohanan said. “If we were forced to shut for even six months, it’s going to slow down everybody else’s ability to recover.”

On Monday, Oct. 5, Gov. Sununu announced the Live Venue Relief Program: $12 million provided by the state’s CARES Act Coronavirus Relief fund to benefit venues “hosting live theatrical presentations, musical entertainment, or sporting or racing events that are seated, ticketed, and open to the public,” according to a press release.

It’s a welcome gesture, Hayward said.

“We’re getting into winter now, so there’s no way we could possibly produce enough income to pay the bills,” he said, noting that this will provide a lifeline to venues that, unlike Tupelo, have been closed since March. “If they’re paying their mortgages right now, they’re generally taking loans to do so if they’re not paying rent. This really helps people catch up to their baseline.”

Outdoor events
Tupelo Drive-In
Saturday, Oct. 10 – Foreigners Journey ( 1 and 4 p.m.)
Sunday, Oct. 11 – Will Evans of Barefoot Truth
Saturday, Oct. 17–  Comedy Fundraiser with Kenny Rogerson and Francis Birch
Sunday, Oct. 25– Jorma Kaukonen (noon and 3 p.m.)
Sunday, Nov. 1 – The Upper Room’s 19th Annual Auction
Music Hall Live Under The Arch
Thursday, Oct. 8 – Great Bay Sailor
Saturday, Oct. 10 – Clements Brothers
Friday, Oct. 16 – Dwayne Haggins
Thursday, Oct. 22 – Kelly McFarland (comedy)
Thursday, Oct. 29 – Will Dailey
Swanzey Drive-In
Friday, Oct. 9 – Badfish
Thursday, Oct. 15 – Smith & Myers
Thursday, Oct. 22 – moe.
Friday, Oct. 23 – Dirty Heads
Indoor events
Capitol Center for the Arts
Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10 – Bob Marley (comedy), five shows total
Bank of New Hampshire Stage
Saturday, Oct. 17 – Grenon
Saturday, Oct. 24 – Rob Steen, Robbie Printz, Paul Landwehr
Saturday, Nov. 14 – Mica’s Groove Train
Saturday, Dec. 5 – River Sister
Rex Theatre
Friday, Oct. 9 – Kelly McFarland (Comedy)
Saturday, Oct. 10 – A Night of Elvis (Tribute)
Saturday, Oct. 17 – David Clark Songs in the Attic (Billy Joel Tribute)
Saturday, Oct. 24 – Town Meeting w/ George Barber
Thursday, Oct. 29 – Matt Nakoa
Saturday, Oct. 31 – Acoustic Grateful Dead w/ John Zevos & Friends
Palace Theatre
Saturday, Oct. 17 – Juston McKinney Comedy at a Distance (6 and 8:30 p.m.)
Friday, Oct. 23 – British Rock Experience (runs through Oct. 31)
The Music Hall
Friday, Oct. 9 – The Mammals
Saturday, Oct. 17 – Sons of Serendip
Saturday, Oct. 24 – Josh Turner
Friday, Nov. 6 – Boston Comedy
Saturday, Nov. 7 – Nellie McKay
Friday, Nov. 13 – Combo Sabroso Quartet
Saturday, Nov. 14 – Patty Larkin
Sunday, Nov. 15 – Dan Brown’s Wild Symphony Benefit Concert
Sunday, Dec. 27 – Juston McKinney
Tupelo Music Hall
Saturday, Nov. 21 – Dueling Pianos 
Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5 – Gary Hoey Christmas 25th Anniversary Show

Featured photo: Dwayne Haggins. Courtesy photo.

Ava (R) & Vampires vs. the Bronx (PG-13)

Ava (R)

A lady assassin dealing with personal issues must keep herself from becoming the next target in Ava, a pretty amazing trainwreck of a movie.

Ava (Jessica Chastain) is an assassin who wears wigs and does some very stagey flirting to try to put her subjects at ease and then kills them totally professionally — she can make it look like an accident or natural causes or whatever because she is That Good. Except that she has developed this little quirk where she talks to them first, asks them why they think somebody wants them dead, what they did wrong.

I’m going to spoil something right here: I thought that maybe this was going to be a whole long-game thing where she, a cog in the murder machine, was gathering evidence that she’d eventually use for something — power, a way out of The Life, something like that. Nope! It’s just a dumb character element that is supposed to show, I guess, that she’s fraying around the edges, psychologically, and that even though she’s a professional hit woman she needs to believe there’s some kind of morality to what she’s doing. But, whatever the intention, it really just makes her seem like maybe she got this job yesterday.

The big boss at MurderCorp (not really its name, sadly), Simon (Colin Farrell), is not cool with her being so chatty. He tells middle-manager Duke (John Malkovich, taking this stuff a little more seriously than it needs to be taken) to get her in line but we know, because we’ve seen TV and movies before, that Simon has already decided to off-board her from the organization and has planned an exit package that involves getting her killed during her next job.

But Ava is a real crackerjack at killing henchmen so she survives. Duke tells her to take some time off so she heads to Boston to reconnect with her family: her angry younger sister Judy (Jess Weixler), her angry younger sister’s boyfriend/Ava’s ex Michael (Common) and her mom, with whom she has a prickly relationship, Bobbi (Geena Davis). Ava is also dealing with the struggle to stay sober — she had struggles with drugs and alcohol — which the movie doesn’t really know how to deal with and just kind of throws into a scene when it needs to serious-up a situation. Also, Ava has some sort of past with a lady gangster-type called Toni (Joan Chen) — she was a mentor? A buddy? An employer? — and the movie super doesn’t know what to do with that. I think Ava just shoves that plot line in so that Chastain and Common can be in a fight scene together.

Ava has the building blocks of a decent action movie: a solid cast, a basically workable story in the whole assassin dealing with Stuff both personal and professional, some solid ideas for action set pieces. And yet this movie feels like, in every scene, with every wonky acting choice or stilted bit of dialogue, everybody involved got together and said “what are the worst choices we could make here” and then they did that, went in those bafflingly bad directions. Even the score is weird and terrible — it feels like a low-budget 1980s action TV show but in, like, a bad way (versus, say, the series Cobra Kai, which also uses 1980s action TV show music and it’s awesome).

When thinking about this movie, I keep wanting to call it Anna, which is the name of a different dumb, lady-assasin action movie (from 2019). But that movie knows what it is. It leans in to its accents and improbable fight scenes and general goofiness. Ava could have been that too, expect, yikes, is it trying to say something about addiction? No, movie, you are not the movie for that. This is not the sort of movie where we need to take anything or anyone seriously. This is the sort of movie where everybody should be having so much fun it doesn’t matter when elements don’t make sense.

All that said, this movie is basically what I set out for when I decided to watch it: a no-effort action movie where Jessica Chastain beats people up. So I guess, until this movie ends up on some place like Neftlix where watching it costs no additional effort or money, the question is, is it worth the $6.99 rental fee? No, but if you ever see it available for 99 cents and have absolutely nothing else to do … maybe? C-

Rated R for violence and language throughout, and brief sexual material, according to the MPA on film ratings.com. Directed by Tate Taylor with a screenplay by Matthew Newton, Ava is an hour and 36 minutes long and distributed by Vertical Entertainment. It is available for rent.

Vampires vs. the Bronx (PG-13)

A group of young teens must fight a coven of real estate developers who are also vampires in Vampires vs. Bronx, a cute action/comedy/horror movie.

Miguel (Jaden Michael), Bobby (Gerald Jones III) and Luis (Gregory Diaz IV) basically grew up hanging out at the neighborhood bodega run by Tony (The Kid Mero) in the Bronx. Now Tony’s landlord is trying to raise the rent as area building- and business-owners are selling out to a real estate firm called Murnau (a name that drove me nuts until some Googling reminded me that it’s the last name of the director of 1922’s Nosferatu). In come the people with the canvas bags and the kale and the expensive lattes and out go the neighborhood stalwarts — like the nail salon run by Becky (Zoe Saldana), whom we meet in the movie’s opening scenes. Miguel tries at least to save the bodega with a block party to raise money to pay for the rent increase.

While biking through the neighborhood hanging up signs for the party, he witnesses one of the people from a Murnau property kill a guy from the neighborhood — well, first put him in a trance and then lift him up in the air as he drains the man of his blood. Vampires, Miguel tells Tony and his friends, Murnau isn’t just a group of real estate developers, they’re also vampires! The kids don’t completely believe him but they study up on vampire lore with help from the movie Blade and set out to prove that the undead walk (and gentrify) among us.

Though I’d definitely peg this at PG-13 and there is a fair amount of death and threatening of children in this movie (Miguel and his friends are teens I guess but read as, like, 10-year-olds) Vampires vs. the Bronx is very cute. There’s a plucky “save the community!” spirit to both Miguel’s quest to save the bodega and keep his neighborhood together and to his quest to find and defeat the vampires. The movie has a light touch even when it’s making a serious point, and is funny and smart (smart all the way around — in its humor, in the way it uses its vampire special effects). And it is narrowly focused on its central story with all the details serving that one storyline, which makes it feel like the movie is doing more than just its hour and 25 minutes would suggest. B+

Rated PG-13 for violence, language and some suggestive references, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Osmany Rodriguez and written by Rodriguez and Blaise Hemmingway, Vampires vs. the Bronx is an hour and 25 minutes long and is available on Netflix.

In the kitchen with Valerie Roulo

Valerie Roulo of Raymond is the owner of Love & Joy Vegan Sweets (loveandjoyvegansweets.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @lovejoyvegansweets), a homestead baking business she started in August that specializes in unique vegan desserts. Named after Roulo’s two dogs, Marley Love and Willow Joy, the business offers a menu of sweet treats available for ordering online, like multiple flavors of macarons and truffles, oat hemp seed bars, chewy chocolate chunk cookies, cashew-based raspberry lemon entremets, pecan shortbread bars, and vanilla custard Napoleons. An advance notice of 24 to 48 hours is requested for all orders, which are typically available for curbside pickup at a designated spot. You can also find Roulo’s macarons on the menu at Col’s Kitchen (55 S. Main St., Concord).

What is your must-have kitchen item?

It would be my KitchenAid mixer.

What would you have for your last meal?

Vegan nachos, with salsa, jalapenos, black beans and vegan sour cream.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I have two. Col’s Kitchen in Concord is one, and then the other would be The Hungry Caterpillar food truck. I like the “plantarella” sticks, which are basically kind of like mozzarella sticks.

What celebrity would you like to bake something for?

[Celebrity chef] Paul Hollywood, from The Great British Bake Off.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Probably the macarons, because they are a lot of fun to make and they took me months to master. The shell is an almond-based cookie and then the flavor is whatever you put inside of it, usually any kind of buttercream flavor.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

People [are] becoming more interested in plant-based meals. I also think the grocery stores are starting to offer a lot more plant-based foods.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I like to make a nice hearty vegetable soup and a crusty bread.

Chocolate chickpea brownies
From the kitchen of Valerie Roulo of Love & Joy Vegan Sweets in Raymond

1 can chickpeas
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
⅓ cup flour
3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
3 tablespoons nut butter of choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup sugar
½ cup vegan chocolate chips
Nuts (optional)

Drain and rinse beans. Preheat oven to 340 degrees. Grease or line an 8-inch pan. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. Spread into pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips (and nuts, if using) on top. Bake on the center rack for 14 minutes, then chill the still underbaked brownies until firm.

Featured Photo: Valerie roulo, Courtesy photo

Mobile eats on the field

NH Fisher Cats present food truck and fireworks festival

Fisher Cats food truck and fireworks festival. Courtesy photo.

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats haven’t played a single game this year, but their front office has made good use of Northeast Delta Dental Stadium throughout the summer, holding socially distanced high school and college graduation ceremonies, live rock concerts, cornhole tournaments and a fashion show. On Saturday, Oct. 10, they’ll add a food truck festival to the mix, featuring eats from several local and regional trucks, followed by an Atlas Fireworks show in the evening.

“It’s from 1 to 6 p.m., and then the fireworks are at 6:30 p.m., [but] you don’t have to stay the whole time,” Stephanie Fournier, director of hospitality and special events for the Fisher Cats, said. “We’re actually going to give people wristbands when they come in, so if you want to come for lunch, leave and then come back for the fireworks, you can.”

The festival will feature a combination of returning trucks from previous years, like Empanada Dada, a Lowell, Mass.-based Cuban food truck serving fresh beef and chicken empanadas, and a few newcomers to the food truck scene. The Gyro Spot on Elm Street in Manchester, for example, announced the launch of a food truck offering its fresh gyros back in July. They’ll be there, as will Ben & Jerry’s, which also recently introduced a truck.

Other participating vendors include Dudley’s Concessions, offering chicken tenders, fries, burgers and similar comfort options, and the Jackson Effie Coffee Cabin, a Massachusetts-based purveyor of small-batch coffees and espresso drinks.

Usually a two-day event, the team’s third annual festival had originally been scheduled for August. Fournier said seating will be available in some of the stadium seats, as well as at designated socially distanced sitting areas in the outfield using chalked 10×10 squares. People are encouraged to bring blankets and pillows, but no outside chairs are allowed. Masks and face-coverings are also required at the entry gate.

Third annual Fisher Cats Food Truck and Fireworks festival
When: Saturday, Oct. 10; food trucks will be serving on the field from 1 to 6 p.m.; fireworks show begins at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, 1 Line Drive, Manchester
Cost: $10 general admission (free for children ages 3 and under); food and drinks are priced per item
Visit: nhfishercats.com

Participating food trucks
Ben & Jerry’s (benjerry.com)
Dudley’s Concessions (find them on Facebook)
Dudley’s Fried Dough (find them on Facebook)
Empanada Dada (empanadadada.com)
The Gyro Spot (thegyrospot.com)
Jackson Effie Coffee Cabin (coffeecabinma.com)

Featured photo: Fisher Cats food truck and fireworks festival. Courtesy photo.

Be aware

How to help in the fight against domestic violence

How to help in the fight against domestic violence

Bruce Miner is a volunteer for Bridges, a Nashua-based chapter of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. With October being National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Miner talked about why raising awareness is so important and how people can join the fight against domestic violence in New Hampshire.

What does domestic violence look like?
[The abuser] is usually an intimate partner — a lover, a dating partner or an ex — who wants to have power and control over the victim. The forms of domestic violence are many. Obviously, there’s physical and sexual abuse, but there’s also economic control, stalking, intimidation and threats, the use of isolation, psychological pressure, possessiveness, the abuse of pets and even the destruction of household items.

How prevalent is domestic violence in New Hampshire?
It’s definitely a problem. Just to give you an idea, in New Hampshire, there are 13 [domestic violence centers], and they handle about 15,000 calls a year, and 9,000 of those calls are directly related to a domestic violence situation.

What is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month about?
It’s … [about] trying to open people’s eyes and bring awareness and attention to the pervasiveness and severity of domestic violence, and then have action taken as a result of the awareness. … It’s also about getting the message out there [to victims]. States do fatality review studies and have found that, in both New Hampshire and across the country, of the women killed [by their abusers], only four percent had availed services provided by domestic violence centers. That’s why it’s so huge that we make sure they know that these centers and services exist, and that they’re totally free and confidential.

What happens when someone calls the Helpline?
First, we ascertain that the person is safe and can talk safely. Then, we ask if there are any injuries, if they need to go to the hospital or if they need emergency services. If they’re in a safe spot and there are no injuries, we’ll have a conversation about what’s going on and discuss and explore what they would like to do.

Has the pandemic made it more difficult for crisis centers to help victims, or for victims to seek help?
It’s been a huge issue. Police departments have had significant increases in domestic violence calls. Women have been more reluctant to leave the house or go to the hospital for fear of catching the virus or bringing it back home to their kids. … We’ve had to cancel fundraisers. We’ve had to postpone training for new advocates. Support groups have had to be done remotely. The impact has been horrible.

What are the effects of domestic violence on the victim?
There are traumatic effects. They have a sense of helplessness, fear, lack of control and despair. Depression is a big issue. It also tends to bring on physical ailments. If a victim has children, the ability to parent becomes significantly compromised as well.

What are the effects of domestic violence on a community at large?
Money is a big one. … I’m talking about medical costs; hospitalization costs; lost wages from time out of work, since it’s difficult for a person being abused to concentrate on work, and they may not show up to work at all; and the cost of the legal system and prosecution. Homelessness is another one. Studies indicate 67 percent of women who are homeless have been victims of domestic violence.

Does domestic violence affect men?
There are situations where the woman is the abuser and the man is the victim, or there’s a man abusing a man or a woman abusing a woman, but it’s a small fraction. Nationally, in 85 percent of domestic violence situations, a woman is the victim and a man is the abuser. In New Hampshire, it’s closer to 95 percent. But we [crisis centers] treat everyone the same and provide services to anyone in a domestic violence situation.

How can [people] help?
New Hampshire chapters can always use additional volunteers to work the support lines. They’ll have to go through very intensive and comprehensive training that allows them to handle those calls, but I can say that, from my own experience, it’s tough to put into words the gratification you get when you can take someone’s tears and despair and turn them into hope and a plan going forward. … Additionally, we have shelters in all 13 chapters, and those shelters can always use household items. They could also use people to work in the shelters.

New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence
Crisis centers are located in Concord, Manchester, Nashua, Durham, Portsmouth, Laconia, Berlin, Littleton, Conway, Plymouth, Lebanon, Claremont and Keene.
24-hour Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-866-644-3574; 24-hour Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-277-5570. Visit nhcadsv.org.

Featured photo: Bruce Miner. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 20/10/08

Covid-19 updateAs of September 28As of October 4
Total cases statewide8,2088,645
Total current infections statewide339492
Total deaths statewide439443
New cases256 (Sept. 22 to Sept. 28)437 (Sept. 29 to Oct. 4)
Current infections: Hillsborough County130250
Current infections: Merrimack County3643
Current infections: Rockingham County7191
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.

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