Category: News

This Week 22/03/17

Big Events March 17, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, March 17

If you like corned beef and cabbage, this is your day. In last week’s (March 10) issue of the Hippo, Matt Ingersoll gathered all the St. Patrick’s Day eats and treats plans from area restaurants, bakeries and more. Find that story on page 24 in the e-edition of the Hippo, available at hippopress.com.

Friday, March 18

The Dueling Pianos return to the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com, 437-5100) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20. Find more concerts this weekend or beyond on page 41.

Saturday, March 19

Learn how to become an Eastern Bluebird trail monitor at the New Hampshire Audubon’s Massabesic Center in Auburn. Register in advance for today’s free event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring a lunch; the morning will be spent in the classroom and the afternoon on the trail, according to nhaudubon.org.

Wednesday, March 23

What is the Postmodern Jukebox? Watch the “Evolution of the Friends Theme Song 1920s-1990s” video on the Capitol Center for the Arts’ website, ccanh.com, to see them take “I’ll Be There For You” from flappers to a Freddy Mercury riff. The Postmodern Jukebox’s Grand Reopening Tour comes to the Cap Center (Chubb Theatre, 44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) tonight at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m.; tickets cost $39 (plus fees).

Thursday, March 24

Author Keith O’Brien will sign and discuss his book Fly Girls, about aviation’s female pioneers, at the Aviation Museum of N.H. (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820) tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $10 or $40 for admission plus a hardcover copy of the book, according to a press release. Tickets can be purchased in advance at eventbrite.com (search “Aviation Museum Fly Girls” ) or by calling 669-4877.

Save the Date! March 31

The New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival kicks off on Thursday, March 31, with an in-person screening of the documentary The Automat (which will screen at the Rex Theatre in Manchester at 7 p.m.). The line-up includes 11 feature-length films, a five-film shorts program, five in-person screenings in a theater, and seven at-home film programs. A screening of the 1972 film Cabaret will close out the in-person portion of the festival on Sunday, April 10, at 3:30 p.m. at Red River Theatres in Concord. During a bonus week of the festival, April 11 to April 14, four of the in-person films will be available to view at home, according to the event’s website, nhjewishfilmfestival.com, where you can buy individual tickets for films ($12) or festival passes for either in-person and virtual events ($130 for one person, $180 for two people) or for virtual only events ($118). In addition to The Automat (see the trailer, which includes Colin Powell, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Carl Reiner talking about their automat experiences over a recording of Mel Brooks singing an ode to automat coffee), the feature film line-up includes the documentary Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen, which focuses on the making of the 1971 movie The Fiddler on the Roof, a nice companion to the delightful documentary from the 2020 festival, Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles, about the musical theater play and its lasting impact (available for rent or purchase and on Amazon Prime).

Featured photo. Corned beef and cabbage from The Shaskeen Pub and Restaurant in Manchester. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 22/03/17

Fun at the stadium

Celebrate chicken tenders, Marvel characters and Northwoods Law, among other fun themes, with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats this season. The team recently announced its promotional schedule for 2022, with Atlas Fireworks shows, giveaways, brand new theme nights, and the debut of Benny the Bat Dog (In Training) on May 13. According to a press release, Manchester Chicken Tenders Night will be Saturday, June 4, when the F-Cats will don specialty jerseys and chicken tender hats to honor Manchester’s culinary history. Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond Night is Friday, June 17, featuring Marvel music, movie clips and Thor jerseys worn by the Fisher Cats. Hockey Night pays homage to the history of hockey in the state on Friday, June 24, with Manchester Monarchs-inspired jerseys, a mini stick giveaway and appearances from former NHLers including Derek Bekar and Jeff Giuliano. The stars of Northwoods Law New Hampshire return Friday, July 8, to meet fans; the first 1,000 fans will receive a replica conservation officer jersey. Star Wars Night returns on Saturday, July 23, with Star Wars characters, music, movie clips, intergalactic fireworks and Mandalorian jerseys featuring Baby Yoda.

Score: +1

Comment: The Fisher Cats home opener is on schedule for Tuesday, April 12, against the Hartford Yard Goats, with a magnet schedule giveaway and a post-game fireworks show.

Hey kids, want to be a governor?

After a Covid hiatus, the Governor for a Day initiative that was launched in New Hampshire in 2018 will return. According to a press release, the goal of the program is to “foster civic education and promote youth participation in government,” and it’s open to all middle and high school students in the state. Applicants are asked to submit a 250- to 500-word essay completing the sentence, “If I were governor for a day, I would…” One student will be selected to serve as “Governor for a Day,” joining Gov. Chris Sununu for a day on the job.

Score: +1

Comment: Submissions are due by April 22, and may be submitted to GovernorForADay@nh.gov, by mail or via Facebook Messenger.

Here’s hoping for a warm spring

The good news is that warmer temperatures are coming. The bad news is that a final oil-tank fillup this season is going to cost you. According to a report last week from WMUR, the prices for oil in most New Hampshire communities is more than $5 a gallon. The price at Lemay’s Oil Services in Manchester last week was $5.32 a gallon, and owner Dan Lemay told WMUR he’s never seen it like this. Rymes Propane and Oil in Concord had its price listed at $5.29 a gallon on March 12; on March 15, the price had risen to $5.54.

Score: -2

Comment: QOL got an automatic delivery March 11 and was shocked to see the price had skyrocketed to $5.29 per gallon. QOL will be canceling automatic deliveries for now, in the hopes that prices will be less heart-attack-inducing in the fall.

Math is where it’s at

Brainly, an online homework help community, surveyed 900 American students throughout the country about math in honor of Pi Day on March 14 to find out how they feel about the subject. According to a press release, New Hampshire ranks No. 3 for states where math is the students’ favorite subject, with 37.6 percent of students preferring math over science, English, social studies or history, or “other.” Students in New Jersey and Massachusetts like math the most, at 41.7 percent and 41.6 percent, respectively.

Score: +1

Comment: QOL doesn’t understand the “new math” they’re teaching in schools these days but is all for it if it’s making the subject more accessible — and even enjoyable — for kids.

QOL score: 65

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 66

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

The week that was

News Item: Baseball Lockout Ends

I said last week that baseball’s work stoppage would amount to a big nothing, and it did when a deal was struck on Thursday. Big whoop.

Although echoing the media hysteria mentioned last week was Boston Globe Sports Business Reporter Michael Silverman describing it as something that “infuriated fans.” It did? Where’s the evidence of that, pal?

There was some reporting on the financials, but they didn’t seem to have much significance so you have to wonder what it was all about.

The dumbest part is that if the All-Star game is tied after nine innings the league that wins the Home Run Derby will now be declared the winner. How stupid is that? Just leave it a tie, Rob.

What was bargaining in mutually agreed upon changes like a universal DH throughout baseball, and the mechanism to address more changes for 2023. They include pace of play issues, possibly banning the infield shift and making the bases larger. Not sure if I’m for the ban, as major leaguers should learn to hit the other way to beat it, and I don’t get what larger bases will do, but both sides working together to improve the game is progress.

News Item: Round 1 To Brooklyn

Brooklyn took the early lead in the debate over who won the James Harden–Ben Simmons trade.

Thanks to a complete 3-17, 11-point no show by Harden, Philly got smoked by 29 at home in the first match-up since the trade went down and Simmons didn’t even play. But, to his credit, he did show up on the bench to get roasted and he gets a bonus point for that.

News Item: Stat Geekdom Finally Comes Up With Good One

Here’s a stat from the new-age stat geekdom I can get behind. It’s Celtics center Robert Williams holding everyone he defends to 6 percentage points below their normal field goal percentage. That means if the combined FG percentage of the guys he covers is 50, they only shoot 44 percent against him. That tells you what kind of man-on-man defender he is.

News Item: Ridley Suspended For Doing Something NFL Promotes

When I was in the PR business in the ’90s and the NH Lottery was my client, a bill was advancing in the legislature to make football betting cards legal. I went one day with Lottery Director Jim Wimsatt to hear a young NFL PR flack, who my memory says was a young Roger Goodell, though a search couldn’t verify that, testify before the committee considering it, to voice the NFL’s opposition to the bill. After it was over Wimsatt, who loved talking to the press, did an impromptu press conference and predicted the NFL would be against betting on football until it could figure out how to get a piece of the action.

He was correct; that day has now arrived and their ongoing hypocrisy is worse than ever, exemplified specifically by suspending wide receiver Calvin Ridley last week for at least a year for betting on a few games while he was sidelined with mental health issues. A suspension handed out by an organization that is the official sports betting partner of Draft Kings, in whom Patriots owner Bob Kraft was one of the early investors, and whose game broadcasts every Sunday are chock full of ads promoting legal betting on its games.

And while I have nothing against sports betting, it seems ludicrous to suspend an inactive player for doing what ads on their games are inviting viewers to do. So, Roger, is gambling good or bad?, ’cause your actions send a very mixed message.

News Item: NFL Free Agency Opens

To paraphrase the famed sideline rant by legendary Green Bay Coach Vince Lombardi during a breakdown for his five-time champion Packers, here’s a question for Coach B as the new NFL year gets started: What The Heck Is Going On Down There?!

A year ago the Pats had the best secondary in football. But that was before he failed to get a long-term deal done with JC Jackson in advance of his free agency year even as he was throwing $175 million around at lesser free agents. And that was before he screwed up the Stephon Gilmore stalemate. Now both are gone with no obvious successors.

No SB was won in the Brady era without a top-flight cornerback. Ty Law was there for the first three. Then you put up a doughnut for 10 years until Darrelle Revis arrived in 2014, followed by Malcolm Butler in 2016 and Gilmore in 2018.

News Item: Flores Lawsuit Gets Stronger

The lawsuit ex-Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed against the NFL for discriminatory hiring practices picked up a little ammo last week thanks to moves related to two big-name quarterbacks. Quarterback-needy (OK, QB-desperate) Denver’s choice of Nathaniel Hackett and rejection of Flores was based on the notion the ex-Green Bay OC could bring disgruntled and wanting out of GB Aaron Rodgers with him to Denver to solve their QB ills. And since Flores couldn’t make that happen, his interview was a sham, the latest bogus Rooney Rule forced interview. But Rodgers magically became un-disgruntled when the Pack made the reigning MVP the highest-paid player in history. Which I always suspected his phony disgruntled act was designed to produce all along. That forced Denver, ah, to punt, sending three players and a boatload of draft picks to Seattle for QB Russell Wilson. Since they could have done that no matter who the HC was, that weakened the rationale for taking Hackett in the first place, and should give his legal team an extra arrow in the quiver.

News Item: Brady Un-Retires

I don’t care if you play or don’t play. So our only question is, Hey, Tom, when did you become such an attention-seeker?

Going green

Meet Manchester’s official leprechaun

The Manchester St. Patrick’s Parade returns on Sunday, March 27, with Matt Casey, owner and operator of Casey Magee’s Irish Pub & Music Hall in Nashua, as its new “official Leprechaun.”

How did you land this official leprechaun gig?

I opened up an Irish pub, Casey Magee’s, in the middle of the pandemic, in June of 2020. … The logo for the pub is actually [an image of] me as a leprechaun. … I reached out to the organizers of the Manchester [St. Patrick’s] Parade and explained to them that I wanted to participate. They accepted me and are going to allow me to promote my pub in the parade. The plan is for me to march in the parade every year as the official leprechaun.

What will you be doing in the parade?

I’ll be walking. I try not to bring a cane or anything, because I like to have my hands free so that I can wave and shake everybody’s hand. People like to put their arm around me and take a picture with me. … This year it’ll be just me, but eventually I’d like to have my pub staff join me with a banner.

How do you prepare?

I started growing a beard — a big, red beard — out in the fall. … I bought a new hat [on which] I’m going to either sew or glue white letters that say ‘Casey Magee’s.’ I also have a green corduroy jacket that I got four or five years ago, which is vintage from the ’60s. I’m going to put ‘Casey Magee’s’ on the jacket also, somehow. Then I have all the lapel pins to put on. I have at least 30, and about half of them I actually purchased myself in Ireland. … [The night before the parade,] after I close the pub, I’m going to drive to Manchester. I rented a hotel room downtown. I’ll check in at around 3 a.m., and get everything for my outfit laid out so that I know I’m not missing anything. I’ll go to bed, wake up, put on my outfit and walk out the front door of the hotel as the leprechaun.

Do you have prior leprechaun experience?

Yes. I’ve been marching in St. Patrick’s Day parades for roughly 20 years. … I started in the Providence, Rhode Island, one. … I was a Las Vegas leprechaun for about six years years while I lived out there. I used to do the [St. Patrick’s Day] toasts on the Las Vegas strip at midnight, and that was really fun. Then I was the leprechaun in the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade from 2017 to 2019.

How did you get your start?

I’ve always tried to [wear] everything-green on Saint Patrick’s Day. When I was in college, I purchased a green coat, a hat, a bow tie and a vest, and I went to the local Irish pub. The Providence St. Patrick’s Day parade was that weekend. The lady that [organized the parade] ran into me at the pub and said, ‘Hey, we don’t have a leprechaun; how would you like to be our leprechaun?’ and I said, ‘Of course, I will.’

What do you enjoy most about it?

It’s so much fun to see everybody smile and wave … and to see the looks on the kids’ faces when I shake their hand, or I give them a high five, or I give them a little plastic gold coin. Honestly, it’s the funnest day of the year for me, because I get to make everybody happy, and I get a lot of joy in doing that. I’ll continue to do it for as long as I can and for as long as they’ll let me do it. Somebody has to do it, right?

What does this opportunity mean to you, as someone with Irish heritage?

Celebrating my family’s heritage and the history of Ireland is part of why I do it. … New Hampshire has a large Irish population, so there’s a lot of excitement for the parade, and I love to share that with everybody.

Featured photo: Matt Casey. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 22/03/17

Covid-19 update As of March 7 As of March 14
Total cases statewide 299,651 300,511
Total current infections statewide 1,045 821
Total deaths statewide 2,403 2,417
New cases 1,922 (Feb. 26 to March 7) 860 (March 8 to March 14)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 256 196
Current infections: Merrimack County 75 67
Current infections: Rockingham County 144 142
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Covid-19 news

On March 8, the state Department of Health & Human Services announced in a press release that all of the state-managed Covid-19 testing sites will permanently close on Tuesday, March 15. Both PCR and antigen-based Covid tests remain easily accessible, including at all New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlet stores and at dozens of hospitals, health care practices, pharmacies and urgent care centers. See covid19.nh.gov for a full list of locations that offer tests.

Elliot Hospital also recently said goodbye to a team of 14 officials from the federal Department of Defense helping out with the latest Covid surge, according to a March 9 report from WMUR. The team, which included several nurses and technicians, as well as a physician and an advanced care provider, had been assisting hospital staff for the past two months.

State health officials announced 86 new positive Covid test results on March 11, surpassing the 300,000 mark for overall cases in New Hampshire since the start of the pandemic two years ago. Despite this milestone, numbers continue to trend downward — only 43 active hospitalizations were reported on March 14, the fewest since early August of last year. In a press release issued that same day, DHHS reminded people of the availability of two oral antiviral medications, Paxlovid and molnupiravir. According to the release, both can be prescribed by providers via phone or through a telemedicine visit and can be taken at home.

Trooper training

Eleven members from the New Hampshire Division of State Police have completed the national Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement Project, which provides training and support to help law enforcement agencies build a culture of peer intervention that prevents harm. According to a press release, those 11 designated instructors will now be able to provide ABLE training to all other New Hampshire state troopers. The Project’s Board of Advisors is made up of civil rights, social justice and law enforcement leaders, and the strategies and tactics that are taught through the program aim to prevent misconduct, reduce mistakes and promote health and wellness, the release said. The training is consistent with the recommendations of the state’s Commission on Law Enforcement Accountability, Community, and Transparency. “This training will ensure that we continue to provide the highest degree of law enforcement service throughout the state while maintaining our core values of professionalism, fairness and integrity,” State Police Col. Nathan Noyes said in the release.

Courtroom equity

The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation released a new Gender Matters report last week that explores the inequitable representation of women and people of color in the New Hampshire judicial branch, according to a press release. “Women in the New Hampshire Judiciary” points to the fact that 38 percent of all New Hampshire state court judges are women, with the ratios of female judges being even smaller in the state’s Superior and Supreme Courts. Only one person of color, a woman, is currently serving as a judge in the state judicial system. According to the release, governors’ administrations play an important part in who makes up the judicial system; former Gov. Maggie Hassan’s administration appointed the highest percentage of women during her tenure, at 48 percent. “Representation matters in all branches of government,” Tanna Clews, CEO of the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation said in the release. “We see many opportunities in New Hampshire to increase gender and racial diversity among New Hampshire judges.” Some of the Foundation’s policy recommendations to increase gender and racial diversity include urging governors to nominate more women and people of color; appointing more members with gender and racial diversity to the Judicial Selection Commission; and providing female attorneys a mentorship program that supports career trajectory, including judgeship.

University system chancellor

The University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees voted last week to combine the university system’s chancellor position with the role of the president of the University of New Hampshire on an interim basis for the next two-plus years. According to a press release, UNH President James W. Dean Jr. will serve as interim chancellor effective immediately, and the combined role will be in place through June 30, 2024. The board will evaluate the efficacy of the new position throughout that time. The chancellor role has remained vacant since former Chancellor Todd Leach departed in June 2021; since then, the board and administrative leadership have focused on “the economic stability, growth and transformation of its institutions” and explored various governance structure options to determine which might best secure those outcomes. In the new role, Dean will “lead and ensure the success of UNH, including the current merger of UNH and Granite State College, while working with the other campus presidents to advance the interests of KSC, PSU and the overall university system,” the release said.

Preschooler support

Federal funds are being used to make the Waterford Upstart at-home program available to hundreds more pre-K-age children in New Hampshire. According to a press release, the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund will give more kids access to Waterford Upstart Summer Learning Path from June to August. The program is designed to prepare young students for kindergarten, and many who complete it “will be reading at a nearly first-grade level,” the release said. It offers positive parent-child interactions through personalized online instruction. The summer program has kids working on the curriculum for 20 minutes a day, five days a week. “Preschool is the ideal platform for children to build a strong academic foundation and enhance language and literacy — skills that are critical for school readiness,” Christine Brennan, deputy commissioner of education, said in the release. New Hampshire families with a child entering kindergarten in the fall of 2022 or the fall of 2023 can register by calling 1-888-982-9898 or visiting WaterfordUpstart.org. “The Waterford Upstart program helps close the well-documented preschool access gap, providing proven school-readiness support for children most at risk of school failure,” Frank Edelblut, commissioner of education, said in the release.

The Nashua Board of Education and the Nashua Teachers’ Union have tentatively reached a four-year contract agreement. According to a press release, negotiating teams met last week and agreed to an average salary increase of 4.1 percent over four years for all teachers, totaling $11,127,830. “Our teachers, nurses, counselors, school psychologists, and many others have been at the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic these last two years and this agreement recognizes their efforts and honors their work with increased pay, benefits, and support,” Superintendent Garth J. McKinney said in the release.

Husband and wife Max and Saverna Ahmad of Bedford, who founded the ride-share startup Rydelinx, have expanded their operations beyond New Hampshire to all 50 states. According to a press release, Rydelinx lets riders name their price and choose specific drivers or vehicle types, while drivers can accept the ride, counter the offer or decline the ride.

Hollis police are cracking down on drunk drivers, having doubled the number of arrests for suspected drunk driving this year compared to this time in 2021, according to a report from WMUR. Several officers have taken advanced roadside impairment detection classes to help with this effort, the report said.

This Week 22/03/10

Big Events March 10, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, March 10

Thursday means it’s Art After Work at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144), when, from 5 to 8 p.m, museum admission is free and you can view the art, listen to music (performing this week: River Sister) and check out the food and happy hour specials in the Winter Garden. This week’s special tours include “A Glitter of Green” at 6:30 p.m., when you can get ready for St. Patrick’s Day (next Thursday, March 17) by looking at the significance of green in three museum pieces, according to the website. Current museum exhibits include “Appeal of the Real: 19th Century Photographs of the Ancient World” and “WPA in NH: Philip Guston and Musa McKim.”

Friday, March 11

Majestic Theatre presents the comedy Nana’s Naughty Knickers tonight through Sunday, March 13, at the Majestic Studio Theatre (880 Page St. in Manchester; majestictheatre.net). The show runs Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and 17 and under.

Friday, March 11

Oscar completists can add another movie to their “seen it” list: The Worst Person in the World (R, 2021), nominated for original screenplay and international feature film, starts screening today at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord; 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org). Red River is also still screening the nominated shorts packages: Catch documentaries on Thursday, March 10, at 6:15 p.m. Live-action shorts will screen Thursday, March 10, and Friday, March 11, at 3:15 p.m. and Saturday, March 12, at 11:30 a.m. And the animated shorts will screen Saturday, March 12, at 5 p.m.; Sunday, March 13, at 3:15 p.m. and Thursday, March 17, at 4 p.m.

Saturday, March 12

Get a taste of AC/DC with Dirty Deeds The AC/DC Experience at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com, 437-5100) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35.

Sunday, March 13

The Milford Area Players production of the comedy The Philadelphia Storyfinishes its run today with a 2 p.m. show. Other shows this weekend are at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 11, and Saturday, March 12. The show runs at the Amato Center for the Arts (56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford). Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors. Visit milfordareaplayers.org.

Tuesday, March 15

Lil’ Buck brings “Memphis Jookin’ The Show” to the Capitol Center for the Arts’ Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) tonight at 7 p.m. The show is presented with free admission for four tickets for Concord-area residents by the William H. Gile Concert series according to the website, where you can see a video of Lil’ Buck’s dance moves.

Wednesday, March 16

It’s storytime at the New Hampshire Telephone Museum (1 Depot St. in Warner; nhtelephonemuseum.org, 456-2234) tonight when Miss Sue of the Pillsbury Free Library in Warner comes to read some of Gianni Rodari’s Telephone Tales at 3 p.m. Suggested donations are $5. Telephone Tales features stories within the story of a father who travels for work but calls his daughter every night to tell her stories.

Save the Date! Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27

The Citizens Shamrock Half-Marathon, Relay and Shuffle will take place the last weekend of March in downtown Manchester. Sunday, March 27, is also the day of the Manchester St. Patrick’s Parade, for which the shamrocks have already been painted on Elm Street, according to saintpatsnh.com. As for the races, the half-marathon and relay take place on March 26 and the Shuffle and an 8-and-under Lil Leprechaun Run take place on March 27. There are also virtual options. See millenniumrunning.com/shamrock.

Featured photo. River Sister. Courtesy photo.

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