The subject of critical race theory (CRT) has been raised and fought over in school districts all over our country. Many parents, teachers and school board members are interested in finding a way to teach American history that includes our shortcomings. For over a year, this challenge has divided communities, often resulting in threats and even outright violence. Those arguing for a more accurate history curriculum often appear as trying to make America look bad, make white folks look bad, and instill guilt in schoolchildren. While I am no expert on CRT, I am a proud American who believes that there needs to be a way to discuss this important issue in which everybody stays at the table. I believe I have a solution. I am proposing the development of a curriculum for teaching about race and equity issues that is rooted in American pride.
I am a first-generation Italian-American whose ancestors and millions of other immigrants have been greeted by the Statue of Liberty since 1884, less than two decades after the Civil War was fought over ending slavery, with the words “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” These words make me proud of my country and how it was rooted in principles of liberty and justice for all. That original ideal seems to play little or no role in CRT curriculum debates.
What if conversations were wrapped in America’s unending efforts to “form a more perfect union”?
I am proud that the basic concept that is America starts with “all men are created equal,” despite the fact that many of the authors of those amazing founding documents did not live up to those sacred words. But the fact that they, in essence, carved those words in stone for generations of Americans to live up to has moved the nation and the world in an ever more fair, diverse and equitable direction.
America has a long history of moving the moral universe, not only with its personal struggles over issues of racial equity but with women’s rights, LGBTQ rights and the promotion of human rights all over the world. Are America and the world where we want them to be, yet? Hell, NO! But, I, for one, am proud of America’s ongoing influence and leadership on these issues, and that’s a conversation that I believe we can have, warts included, with all of our citizens. It’s not a conversation rooted in American shame, but one rooted in American pride.
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.
Following a Covid-caused delay of more than a year, April Cushman finally released her debut album, The Long Haul, in November. The country singer celebrated in front of a hometown crowd at Milford’s Pasta House — she grew up in nearby Brookline. The event sold out weeks in advance.
The new record is one of the best of the genre to come out of the Granite State in recent years. It’s filled with great songs, from the modern country rocker “Soundtrack To My City” to the could-have-been love ballad “Once Upon A Time” and the tender ode to her father (who makes a cameo introduction) closing things out, “Take My Hand.”
Cushman purposefully selected the album’s leadoff track. She wrote “Ain’t No Stopping You” after being laid off and resolving in that moment to go all in on the music career she’d dreamed about and chased since childhood.
“Losing a job is never an emotionally easy thing to go through. … I was trying to switch the mindset of having it be a bad thing,” she said in a recent phone interview. “You have dreams — get your friends and family together [and] paint the town red. Make sure there’s no stopping you from reaching the goals that you want to reach.”
It’s a daunting road described deftly in the title cut. Penned by New Hampshire singer-songwriter turned Nashville expat Amanda McCarthy and a few other locals who moved south, “The Long Haul” describes the shock of being “a big fish in a small town” set loose in an ocean of like-minded aspirants.
Cushman jumped on the song when it was pitched to her.
“The line that really hits me the hardest is, ‘entitlement pays a price,’” she said. “A lot of people think, ‘I’m hot stuff around here.’ Then they move and realize there is so much talent…. It’s a very ignorant mind-set as an artist. I have to admit, I’ve probably been there at some point.”
Making it is often a “10-year turnaround” — or even more for established stars like Chris Stapleton, who toiled for nearly two decades before getting his big break.
“You’re basically starting from the top of where you came from, going to the absolute bottom [and] starting over…. It takes a lot of elbow grease,” Cushman said. “In such an instant gratification world, if we don’t see complete success in five years or less, a lot of people will say, ‘This isn’t for me.’”
Though Cushman will head to Music City at some point to do some songwriter showcases, she has no plans to relocate permanently, as many New England country performers have done.
“I’m focusing on the album right now, and preparing for potentially touring,” she said. “Once we’re ready, we will certainly make our way down there.”
While she continues to play mostly covers at bars and restaurants, Cushman has resolved to do at least one original gig a month. Next is a full-band performance at Bank of NH Stage in Concord.
“This is our first straight music venue, our first theater headlining show,” she said. “We’ve never done something like this before, so it’s very exciting.”
Due to the pandemic, it’s a hybrid event; fans can purchase in-person tickets or pay to stream it online. Cushman considers the latter choice a silver lining, since her song with the most Spotify streams initially took off in the U.K.
“People have the option, depending on where they are in life, what’s going on in the world and where they’re located, to be part of the show,” she said.
Cushman and drummer Adam Soucy recently began a weekly residency at the old Club ManchVegas space now occupied by The Goat. It’s an opportunity to spread the word about her music between familiar hits, and occasionally slip in one of her own tunes. “I’ll say, ‘Hey, you guys have been requesting Morgan Wallen, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBride and Carrie Underwood all night. … Now here’s my song.”
Though aware it’s a continuing journey, Cushman is grateful to be this far along.
“Going from a kid just doing something that made me feel good and was kind of my emotional outlet, to being an adult looking back at the last 25 years … holy cow,” she said. “It feels like a very full-circle moment to have this record out; I’m looking forward to the next one.”
April Cushman, Live and Livestreamed
When: Thursday, Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m. Where: Bank of NH Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord Tickets: $34.99 in person, $17.99 livestream at liveonfestival.show
A new eatery in downtown Manchester is offering daily lunch specials of sushi or hibachi, along with teriyaki and tempura entrees, appetizers, desserts and a full line of sake rice wines, Asian imported beers and house cocktails.
Osaka Japanese Restaurant arrived on Elm Street just before Christmas. It’s named after one of the largest and busiest commercial centers in Japan, said manager Kunchok “Jenny” Choedon — a friend of her husband’s had run The Seafood King inside that storefront before moving into a larger space on South Willow Street.
Photo courtesy of Osaka Japanese Restaurant.
You can mix and match from more than two dozen types of sushi rolls, including both cooked and raw options, from spicy tuna, salmon and yellowtail to avocado, asparagus and cucumber, as well as a lobster tempura roll with fish eggs, and a spider roll with fried soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber, masago and eel sauce. Hibachi plates feature a choice of grilled protein like chicken, steak and shrimp, served with soup, salad and fried rice.
“The hibachi portions [are] very big,” Choedon said. “We have a lot of really good options for sushi … and if you have any specific fish you like, you can create your own rolls.”
Other menu items include teriyaki and tempura bento boxes, cooked to order with proteins like chicken, shrimp, steak or salmon or a vegetarian option; udon noodles with chicken, steak or vegetables; and appetizers like steamed pork dumplings, fried calamari, and edamame with garlic butter. Choedon said a few Chinese wok and grill platters were added as well, like General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken and beef broccoli, served with white or fried rice.
Despite Osaka’s small space, the restaurant does have a full bar. There are more than a half dozen brands of sake, or Japanese rice wine, in several flavors, as well as other wines and beers.
“We have a lot of Japanese beer,” Choedon said. “The most popular one is Sapporo … and then we have Ichiban and Asahi, and Tsingtao, which is a Chinese beer.”
Desserts include fried vanilla or green tea ice cream, fried cheesecake, and mochi ice cream, or pounded sticky rice dough with a vanilla, green tea, mango or strawberry ice cream filling.
Sushi and hibachi lunches are available at discounted prices from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Osaka also offers online ordering and deliveries through third-party apps GrubHub and DoorDash.
Osaka Japanese Restaurant
Where: 1077 Elm St., Manchester Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. (lunch specials are served daily until 3:30 p.m., except on holidays) More info: Visit osakanh.com, find them on Facebook or call 232-0761
Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Osaka Japanese Restaurant.
Ellen Fisher’s background in landscape design and conservation is at the heart of her artistic quilts, which will be on display during her upcoming “Translating Nature Into Fabric” exhibit at the Nashua Public Library starting Saturday, Jan. 8.
Fisher, who lives in Hollis, learned to sew from her mother when she was young and picked it up again about 20 years ago. But Fisher’s work isn’t like her mom’s; she was a more traditional quilter, making practical items like bedquilts.
“I was very interested in her work but not in doing it myself until a certain kind of quilting came across my radar [that’s] more improvisational,” Fisher said.
Watercolor quilting, as it’s known, reminded her of the kind of pictures that are made up of little squares that work together to make a larger picture you can see only when you stand back far enough.
“It was that sort of image that grabbed my interest,” she said. “I am not as interested in making other people’s designs but very interested in figuring out my own, and I do this with great respect for the traditional quilting world. I have a real root system in traditional quilting that I have just interpreted in my own way.”
Jamie’s Tomatoes quilt. Courtesy photo,
The designs on her quilts are based in nature, featuring things like streams and trees — most are elements that Fisher worked with in her career as a landscape designer and conservationist.
Her art quilts — not to be confused with soft, cuddly quilts, like the ones she makes for her grandchildren — have been even more in line with her nature-centric career ever since Fisher discovered a few years ago that she could get a different effect if she dyed her fabric with plants.
“The colors in nature, they tend to be on the more neutral side, more subdued,” she said.
She grows many of the plants she uses — goldenrod, sumac, wild rose and raspberry, for example — in her own garden and gathers the rest locally.
But Fisher said plant dyes aren’t always conducive to her work, and she still uses traditional fabrics as well.
“I love commercial printed fabrics … as much as anyone else, and I’m a kid in a candy store when I go to a fabric store,” she said.
“Translating Nature Into Fabric” will be the first exhibit at the library’s gallery since it closed in March 2020.
“This is sort of like the art gallery reopening,” assistant librarian Holly Klump said.
Fisher applied to have her work displayed in the space and said the library is very generous in what it allows artists to do.
“It’s my responsibility to design the exhibit and hang the quilts, but that is not normal — usually management is very involved,” she said. “Here I have a lot of autonomy, and I consider that to be a huge advantage.”
“We really see the art gallery as the artist’s space for that two months that they have their art up,” Klump said. “I’m not a curator. … [We want artists] to take ownership of the space.”
Klump said they typically have a call for artists in the fall; this year, a library committee chose the artists. They prefer artists who are local or “local-ish,” she said.
“This year we have quite a variety of people [including an] oil painter, a spray painter, a photographer,” Klump said. “I’m really proud. … I think it’s a great way to promote local artists, and it’s great for people who maybe don’t go [to see art at traditional] art galleries.”
Most of the 15 quilts in Fisher’s exhibit will be for sale, and there will be an information sheet with pricing and contact details. She had planned to have an artist’s reception shortly after the opening, but the surge in Covid cases has put that plan on hold. She said if the surge diminishes a lot by the end of the exhibit, she might try to have one, but for now, the exhibit will be available for general viewing any time the library is open.
“It’s a great way for the public to happen upon art, and it’s free, and it’s really beautiful stuff,” Klump said.
See “Translating Nature into Fabric”
Where: Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St. When: Saturday, Jan. 8, through Saturday, Feb. 26. Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Visit: nashualibrary.org
Featured Photo: Beaver Brook quilt. Courtesy photo.
How to stay safe and warm while exploring NH’s winter wonderland
By Dan Szczesny
At just over 2,300 feet, Belknap Mountain in Gilford is a hill compared to its cousins up north in the White Mountains. But every mountain in New Hampshire presents hikers with unique challenges, especially in the winter.
Add a little hiker into the mix — in this case 2-year-old Oren Driscoll — and tiny Belknap Mountain can suddenly seem as large as Mount Everest.
Young Oren had just finished exploring the active Fire Tower at the summit and he and his mom, Epsom writer and veteran hiker Allison Driscoll, were relaxing with lunch near the base of the tower. Like many of the fire towers in New Hampshire, the open grating and steep stairs can be tricky to even the most weathered explorer.
Not to Oren, though, according to the older Driscoll.
“He’s not a daredevil kind of hiker,” Driscoll said. “So he was pretty proud of himself.”
A few minutes later, a much older kid showed up at the summit but was too afraid to go up the tower. This was a big moment for Oren, and for his mom.
“It was interesting to watch a 2-year-old make that climb when a 10-year-old couldn’t,” Driscoll said. “That was a little bit of an a-ha moment for me, when we started to think that we were on the right track.”
Driscoll is the administrator of the popular Trail to Summit website (trailtosummit.com), a resource for trip reports, recipes, gear reviews and stories about inspirational female hikers. But even for a long-time experienced hiker like Driscoll, the hiking world changed when kids entered the equation. Add the treacheries of winter into the hike planning, and everyone suddenly becomes a beginner.
“It becomes about different expectations,” Driscoll said.
Writer and adventure hiker Allison Driscoll poses with her two children, 9-month-old Lyra and 2-year-old Oren, during a 2021 winter hike in Northwood Meadows State Park. Courtesy photo.
With the fall shoulder season firmly in the rear-view mirror and a pandemic still making normal winter indoor activities a challenge, more and more new hikers and families are looking to the enormous number of parks, mountains and trails in New Hampshire to get outside. But winter hiking requires a bit more patience, planning and, in some cases, skill.
“When you’re new to the hiking world, especially in the winter, people don’t know the difference between mountains and not mountains,” said Mike Cherim, owner of Redline Guiding (redlineguiding.com). “Your first step is to know what you’re doing so you can maximize your winter hiking experience.”
Cherim’s company, located in Intervale, specializes in matching hiking guides and routes with hikers, whether that be experienced pros looking to climb technical routes up icy mountains or a family of beginners learning how to snowshoe for the first time.
“There’s an expression we use,” Cherim said. “Mountains spare most fools.”
The key word there, of course, is “most.”
I set out to discover the process of turning a brand-new hiker (or a new family of hikers) into a confident and safe New Hampshire winter explorer. It all comes down to the acronym GPS: gear, preparation and selection.
Having the proper gear
Winter hiking, whether on a big exposed mountain or a close-to-home rail trail, is about two things: staying warm and regulating your body temperature. That goes for hikers of all ages, even kids. So the first step is to learn about layering.
“Winter hiking generates an enormous amount of body heat,” said Bartlett-based gear guru Philip Werner. “When perspiration dries, it’s transformed into vapor and pulls the heat out of your body.”
Layering allows you to regulate your perspiration and body temperature by literally taking off and putting on different layers of clothing throughout your hike. The key is regulation, Werner said.
The hiking expert and adventure writer is the owner of Section Hiker (sectionhiker.com), a hiking company that focuses on gear, ultralight backpacking and White Mountain treks.
“It’s counter-intuitive, but when you’re perspiring, take off your outer clothes,” he said. “You’ll actually be warmer.”
The best way to regulate your body temperature through layering is to practice off-hike first — maybe try out your layers in your backyard shoveling snow, for example. There are some general rules of thumb: base layer, fleece layer and heavy layer. The heavy layer (ski jacket, down etc.) is best for standing still, above tree line, or in heavy winds or a storm. For below the waist, a base layer and either fleece or shell pants or ski pants to mostly be enough. Again, in general, you don’t remove pants layers like you would torso layers.
Once you’ve got your layering strategy down, then it’s time to think about your feet.
“In general, if it’s your first time in winter, you’re going to want some sort of traction,” said Ken MacGray, a hiking writer and editor of the AMC Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide. “Yaktrax might be good for the driveway, but you’ll want to think about microspikes or even crampons — something with beefier teeth — if you’re climbing.”
As the writer of New Hampshire’s 52 With a View: A Hiker’s Guide, MacGray has plenty of experience walking families through the lower mountains that are part of that list.
“Southern New Hampshire has its share of really difficult trails,” he said. “For winter hiking, if the cold bothers you, you just won’t want to be doing this.”
Finding ways to not just deal with but thrive in the cold is an important first step to enjoying winter hiking. In the case of new or first-time families, a layering strategy may even take a back seat to straight up keeping tightly bundled.
“My daughter is strapped onto my back,” said Allison Driscoll, referring to her other child, nearly 2-year-old Lyra. “She’s stationary when we’re out there so we need to make sure she’s very insulated.”
Some other gear tips suggested by the experts include figuring out exactly what type of winter activity you or your family want to experience. Gear for a winter hike is different from gear for a cross-country ski, or for snowshoeing. Even the terrain you’ll be hiking on can lead to different gear decisions. And that leads to the next step of GPS: preparation.
Being properly prepared
Preparation is Mike Cherim’s business. Literally.
For the past five years Cherim and the dozen active guides on his roster have been not only guiding but training and teaching as well.
Redline Guiding owner Mike Cherim checks the security of the knot on a climber’s harness during a photoshoot at the top of Jockey Cap, a granite outcrop in the Saco River Valley in Fryeburg, Maine. Photo courtesy Corey McMullen of Corey David Photography and the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“We’re willing to take anybody and teach them the ropes and get them to where they want to be,” Cherim said. “A guide can bring so much to the table, not just facts, but putting things into perspective, giving some history, that sort of thing.”
Cherim was 4 years old when he hiked Mount Washington for the first time with his hiking-loving parents, and the hiking bug has been with him ever since.
But even if you’re not preparing for a huge, technical climb, or are not ready for a guide yet, a little bit of advance research into your routes and abilities can go a long way.
All the experts we talked to for this story recommended any beginning winter hiker take a walk through the many outdoor gear stores in the area (think acronyms, EMS, REI, IME) and talk to the store clerks, many of whom have winter hiking experience.
Werner suggested getting some practice with new, expensive gear by renting it first.
“Go to a place that rents gear and has groomed winter trails,” he said. “That’s a good way to experience snow for the first time. Or how about tubing or sledding as a first encounter ― there’s lots of overlap with hiking there.”
One particular group of first-time hikers ― kids ― may be challenging to hike with, Driscoll said. She hiked a lot, even when pregnant, but with her kids some of that preparation is mental.
“Being outdoors is so important for brain development and regulating emotions for kids,” she said. “Preparation sometimes consists of adapting to a new mindset.”
Finally, for a large swath of potential first-time hikers in southern New Hampshire, a great first snow hike could be on a rail trail (nhrtc.org). The state has close to 400 miles of rail trails to offer hikers, said Paula Bedard of the New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition.
The nonprofit organization is designed to support and promote the dozens of rail trail organizations, friends groups and user groups throughout the state.
“What we’re trying to do is provide a forum where all groups can get together to share success stories and strategies,” she said.
With about 50 different rail trails throughout the state, the coalition plays a big role in the final key to hiking: selection.
Selecting the proper hike
Rail trails are virtually everywhere in New Hampshire. Most have easy access and parking and are generally flat and well-graded. Several, like the Goffstown, Derry and Piscataquog rail trails, offer miles of wide open scenic trail use right in the backyard of some of the most populated sections of the state.
“Every time I pull into my street, I can see people using the trail,” said Paula Bedard, who lives in Goffstown. “There’s been a huge uptick in usage [since the pandemic began] and it’s just continuing to grow. People are discovering rail trails they would not have otherwise.”
MacGray agreed that finding local trails nearby is a great first step toward tackling the higher hills. Rail trails aren’t included in the Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide, but plenty of smaller options are.
“There’s huge advantages to winter hiking,” he said. “No bugs, no moisture in the air, so better views and rocks covered up to make climbing easier.”
How to plan that first hike? For a first-timer in good shape, on a flat surface — say a rail trail — in normal winter conditions (not a blizzard), pick a trail that is 2 to 4 miles out and back. If you’re going up a mountain loop, or above tree line, stick to 1 to 3 miles. As for temperatures, for a first-timer with the right gear there’s really no limit; 0 is the same as 30. More importantly, you want to look at wind chill, storms, etc. It can be 20 degrees but the wind chill can make it feel like -20. That’s the important factor.
Family-friendly state parks in the southern part of the state to select for your first winter hike include Bear Brook, Pawtuckaway and Pisgah, MacGray said.
“There’s plenty of challenging, remote trails there for sure,” he said. “But many trails there are old roads so they are wide and generally not steep.”
Werner added one more reason to select winter hiking ― the wild life.
“There’s animal tracks, songbirds are out and there’s plenty of apps you can download and then just hold up to help you identify,” he said.
Driscoll agreed and recalled the first time on a winter hike that her son was visited by a gray jay, a large songbird that has a habit of feeding right out of hikers’ hands.
As for selecting new hikes, Driscoll said she and her son are now pursuing the state fire tower list, a collection of short hikes to active lookouts around the state.
“Lists add incentive for kids,” she said. “We just want to make sure it’s fun.”
Get outside and hike!
We asked the experts to recommend some fast, easy and family-friendly hikes in southern New Hampshire. They came up with a diverse and sometimes off-the-beaten-path list. Remember, even on a flat, easy trail, winter hiking can present challenges. Make sure you bring the proper gear for the weather and mind leave-no-trace etiquette on all trails and parks.
Paula Bedard
nhrtc.org
Goffstown Rail Trail, Goffstown: This 5.5-mile quiet, flat former rail bed runs through Pinardville, Grasmere and Goffstown Village. Voted one of the top 10 rail trails in New Hampshire by the Rails to Trails Conservancy, the trail’s hardpack surface is perfect for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in the winter. The trail’s southern end connects up with Manchester Piscataquog Rail Trail and will take you right into the city.
Features: The Goffstown Rail Trail primarily follows the Piscataquog River and features excellent views of Glen and Namaske lakes. The trail is also a popular geocache area, with several caches hidden along its route. The trail is maintained by the Friends of the Goffstown Rail Trail, so signage and kiosks can be found all along the way.
If you go: The trail more or less follows Mast Road and South Mast Road for most of the route, and dedicated parking for the trail can be found at a couple spots along the way, including off Danis Park Road and Moose Club Park Road. If coming from Manchester, you can also park down by West Side Arena off Electric Street at the Piscatoquog Boat Ramp, and cross the bridge to the southern start of the trail.
Allison Driscoll
trailstosummit.com
Marjory Swope Park trails, Concord: Marjory Swope Park is a fairly new hidden gem in east Concord, entrusted to the city in 2012 by John Swope, who named it after his wife. The primary trail is the Blue Loop, a 1.4-mile trail that circles the park. The Yellow Trail bisects the Blue Loop and goes up and over the top of Jerry Hill.
Features: The park features the remains of an old fire tower at the height of land in the park on Jerry Hill. The primary feature of the park, however, is Gilfillan Rock (featured in the “NH Rocks That Rock” field guide), a large rock ledge inscribed with dozens of names of hikers and students of nearby St. Paul’s School dating back 125 years.
If you go: Primary access to the Blue Loop and a small parking area can be found on Long Pond Road just north of Route 202.
Mike Cherim
redlineguiding.com
Mount Kearsarge, Wilmot from the north, Warner from the south: One of the jewels of the state park system, Mount Kearsarge can be reached from either Rollins State Park to the south or Winslow State Park to the north. This nearly 3,000-foot mountain may be located south of the White Mountains, but its bare summit and trail mileage can make it as difficult a hike as some of its northern cousins. It all depends on the weather.
Features: The main feature that makes Mount Kearsarge such a popular destination is its bare summit and tremendous 360-degree views from the top. There’s also an active fire tower up there. But the state parks at the southern and northern base of the mountain are lovely destinations in and of themselves for beginning winter adventurers looking to try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing for the first time.
If you go: From the north, Winslow State Park can be reached at 475 Kearsarge Mountain Road, Wilmot. Rollins State Park can be reached at 1066 Kearsarge Mountain Road, Warner. In both cases, during the winter, a road walk is required to reach the main park areas, but those are great places to break out the snowshoes and skis. We recommend checking ahead and keeping an eye on the weather.
Ken MacGray
kenmacgray.org
Nottingcook Forest, Bow: Nottingcook Forest is a large forest easement held by Bow Open Space that offers a series of criss-crossing and unique trails through the streams and runoffs surrounding Great Meadow Pond. In general the trails here are easy and perfect for winter outings.
Features: In addition to terrific views from the summit of Great Hill, the forest area features a number of interesting destinations, including Buffalo Rock, Six Acre Swamp, Duckbill Ledge and Steer Brook Gorge. Any of those destinations is no more than a 1- to 2-mile round-trip hike.
If you go: There are three primary trailhead/parking areas for Nottingcook Forest: South Bow Road, Crescent Drive and Woodhill Hooksett Road across from Hornbeam Swamp. Check the forest map beforehand to see which entrance gets you closest to the feature you’d like to visit.
In this recent photo from a hike up Mount Moriah, hiking writer and gear expert Philip Werner wears a fleece hat and pullover zip, double layered insulated gloves, softshell pants, high gaiters and a nylon windshirt. Courtesy photo.
Philip Werner
sectionhiker.com
Hedgehog Mountain, Albany: This small mountain (2,532 feet) is nonetheless a challenging winter hike. Once you’re comfortable with your winter gear and are ready to tackle a more significant hike, try the only mountain on our list in the White Mountains. This nearly 5-mile loop will test you!
Features: Hedgehog commands better views than many much higher mountains, including a stupendous view of nearby Mount Passaconaway. From the mountain’s east ledges you’ll find some of the best views of the Sandwich Range Wilderness to be had. Remember, this is not a flat hike. But it’s a great way to put all your winter training on flat trails to good use.
If you go: The trailhead and parking area are on Kancamagus Highway. The parking area is on the south side of the road, 21 miles east of Interstate 93 at Exit 32 in Lincoln and 14.2 miles west of Route 16 in Conway. It is signed for Downes Brook, UNH and Mt. Potash trails.
Featured photo: Hiking writer and gear expert Philip Werner stops for a break near Mount Garfield during a recent winter hike. Among his gear choices for this hike are softshell pants, single layer insulated gloves, a thin wool base layer shirt, high gaiters. Photo courtesy of LaBelle Winery.
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Covid-19 news
On Dec. 27, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention issued a statement updating its recommended isolation period for certain populations that have been infected with or exposed to Covid-19. According to the statement, the recommended time has been cut from 10 days to five days, a change the CDC says was “motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of … transmission occurs early in the course of illness.” Additionally, the CDC is now recommending those who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second vaccine dose and not yet boosted to quarantine for five days, followed by strict mask use for another five days.
The New Hampshire Hospital Association is now issuing its own daily Covid-19 update, according to a Dec. 28 report from WMUR. The data shows that about two-thirds of all Covid-related hospitalizations in the state are in unvaccinated patients, but the Association notes that the actual proportion could be higher. According to the report, booster doses are not taken into account, so it is unknown how many patients may have received that extra shot.
A total of 658 licenses were issued to nurses in New Hampshire between Dec. 1 and Dec. 20, according to a Dec. 29 press release from Gov. Chris Sununu’s office, following an executive order that was issued a month before to address surging Covid hospitalizations. “We are breaking down barriers to ensure our health care system has the staffing needed to respond to this winter surge,” Sununu said in a statement announcing the new licensees.
Also on Dec. 29, Sununu and Department of Health & Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette announced that the state has received confirmation from FEMA to receive three teams dedicated to administering monoclonal antibodies. The teams were scheduled to be deployed on Jan. 3 to Concord Hospital, Elliot Hospital in Manchester and Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon. But due to an overwhelming demand across the country, Sununu announced in another statement that day that their arrival has been delayed until next week.
On Dec. 30, Sununu announced that New Hampshire would be receiving a 17-person team of active-duty service members from the federal Department of Defense. On Jan. 3, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration authorized booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds, according to a press release. Additionally, the recommended time between the completion of the primary vaccination series and the administration of the booster dose has been shortened to five months for the Pfizer vaccine. In New Hampshire, signups are now available for the state’s second “booster blitz” event on Jan. 8. Go to covid19nh.gov/booster-blitz to make an appointment at a fixed vaccination site.
SOS retires
On Jan. 3, longtime Secretary of State William Gardner announced that he will be retiring in the coming days, after arrangements are made for Deputy David Scanlan to assume the office. In his announcement, Gardner wrote that he took his first oath as a New Hampshire Constitutional officer as a state representative on the same day in 1973 at age 24. “I have worked inside this Statehouse building during each of the past 50 years … [and] have served with 11 governors, 17 Senate presidents, 13 speakers, 14 attorney generals [and] 7 treasurers,” Gardner wrote. He said he is stepping down at a time that allows for the smoothest transition for the office.
Laurie List
A list of the names of police officers throughout the state who have possible credibility issues was released by the attorney general’s office last week. According to a report from WMUR, the “Laurie List” tracks current and former police officers whose credibility might be questioned during trial because of previous conduct, and it was made public because of a new state law that was put in effect after media outlets and the ACLU sued to get access to the list in 2018. “This legislation was a result of a 2020 Supreme Court decision ruling that the Exculpatory Evidence Schedule was not categorically exempt from disclosure under the State’s transparency laws,” the New Hampshire Association of Police Chiefs wrote in a press release. The list released last week includes 80 names, the officers’ departments and the reason for the credibility issues, which include truthfulness, criminal conduct and falsifying records. There are more than 20 people not on the list who are contesting the release of their names, and another group of names is expected to be released in the coming months, according to WMUR. “The members of the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police will continue to support the highest levels of transparency and accountability for the policing profession,” the association wrote in its press release.
Mental health help
The state’s new Rapid Response Access Point is now operational. As of Jan. 1, anyone having a mental health or substance abuse crisis can call or text 833-710-6477 to access immediate help and will be connected to local mental health crisis teams. According to a report from NHPR, the access point is an effort to reduce the number of people who go to emergency rooms for mental health crises. As of Dec. 30, two children and 23 adults were waiting for emergency room beds for psychiatric treatment, the report said. The unit teams are still looking for more staff, and Jay Couture, president and CEO of Seacoast Mental Health Center, told NHPR that because these mental health centers are launching crisis response units at the same time, they’re often competing for staff. “[I’m] a little daunted about the reality of trying to fill these spots and wanting to make sure that we continue to have the best services possible so that nobody falls through the cracks,” she told NHPR. More information and resources are available at NH988.com.
Abortion law
A provision prohibiting abortion after 24 weeks of gestation, with exceptions for the mother’s life or physical health, that was part of the budget passed in June by Gov. Chris Sununu took effect Jan. 1, and, according to a report from WMUR, Democrats have already drafted legislation that would repeal the new restrictions and establish state-level protection for abortion access. “Effective Jan. 1, the State of New Hampshire will be denying a woman the dignity to make personal, private decisions and instead inserting government into medical choices,” Rep. Marjorie Smith, D-Durham, said at a December news conference, according to WMUR.
Tyler Shaw’s Law
Also going into effect Jan. 1 was Tyler Shaw’s Law, which will allow judges to hand down longer prison sentences to repeat drunken drivers who kill or cause harm to others. The law was named for a 20-year-old Concord man who died in 2018 after a repeat drunken driver sped off Exit 1 on Interstate 89 South, went through a stop sign and hit Shaw’s truck, according to a report from WMUR. Now someone with one previous drunken driving conviction who kills or seriously injures another person in a car crash can be sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison, and those with two or more previous convictions can be sentenced to 15 to 30 years, the report said.
Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig was scheduled to take her third oath of office at The Palace Theatre on Jan. 4. According to a press release, the ceremony also included the swearing-in of aldermen and members of the Board of School Committee, and following the ceremony Craig was scheduled to preside over meetings of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Board of School Committee.
Toll collection at the Exit 10 northbound and southbound ramp of the Everett Turnpike in Merrimack officially ended at 9 p.m. on Dec. 31. According to a press release, the toll elimination is part of the 2021 budget, and the plazas will be removed at a later date this year. Motorists are being guided to the far right lane and are advised to proceed slowly through the toll plaza area.
Though its fundraising events were canceled this year, the Nashua Garden Club was still able to donate to several local charities during the holiday season. According to a press release, the Humane Society of Greater Nashua, 68 Hours of Hunger, the PLUS Company and the educational association Regenerative Roots each received $125.
