Summer 2021 in New Hampshire saw 4.4 million visitors, who spent more than $2.1 billion, which broke the previous record in Summer 2019 with a 21-percent increase in visitors and a 5-percent increase in spending for the season. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development, fiscal year 2021 as a whole had a record number of visitors at 12.8 million, with spending over $5.5 billion, equaling $322.6 million in state tax revenue. “Our tourism team here at BEA kept a marketing presence in key states throughout the pandemic, so while other states retreated, we were poised to come out of the gate fast … and that worked,” Taylor Caswell, commissioner of New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs, said in the release.
Score: +1
Comment: The total fiscal year 2021 returns on investment generated $197 in visitor spending for each $1 invested in marketing efforts, and $12.08 in tax revenue for each $1 invested, according to the release.
Souped-up recycling
Manchester has made another step in its commitment to invest in environment-friendly practices, recently becoming the second city in the nation to use ocean-bound recycled plastic in their recycling carts. According to a press release, the OceanCore carts are 100-percent recyclable and will replace broken or new carts for residents across the city. Ten percent of their post-consumer recycled materials are made up of recycled plastics found in and near waterbodies.
Score: +1
Comment: Other environmentally-friendly steps that the city has taken include the recent sale of $46.5 million in green bonds to help finance its program to remove combined sewer overflows into the Merrimack River for cleaner water; the construction of a solar array on the former landfill; and the addition of energy-efficient buses to the Manchester Transit Authority fleet, according to the release.
More personal finance classes, please
A recent study of personal finance curriculum and graduation requirements of all 79 public high schools in New Hampshire showed that many schools still do not require students to pass a class in personal finance to graduate. According to a press release, the study done by NH Jump$tart Coalition — an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that helps prepare youth for successful financial decision-making — was completed in late 2021 and found that 68 percent of New Hampshire public high schools clearly offer a personal finance course as an elective, in addition to meeting the state requirement for economics; 13 percent clearly require a standalone course in personal finance for graduation; and 6 percent require economics only.
Score: -1
Comment:There’s still plenty of room for improvement, but we’re getting there: According to the release, in 2013, only three public high schools met the state minimum requirement in economics and required students to pass a half-credit class in personal finance to graduate, while in 2021, 10 schools met those criteria (locally, those schools are Bedford, Belmont, Bow and Pelham high schools).
Lighting up the community
Granite VNA and Central NH VNA & Hospice raised more than $65,000 during its annual Lights, Life and Memories campaign to support hospice care. According to a press release, the community added to the more than 1,800 names in the online Honor Roll, and more than 600 names were inscribed on porcelain doves to remember loved ones who have died. And in December, 150 businesses throughout the Concord area were illuminated by Lights, Life and Memories purple candles to honor the lives of those who have passed.
Score: +1
Comment: The Community Memorial Service, with music, readings, reflection and remembrance, can be seen at granitevna.org/lights.
QOL score: 54
Net change: +2
QOL this week: 56
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.
As the frustration throughout the local basketball community mounts, what ever are we to make of your Boston Celtics?
Many feel with two so called “All-Stars” they’re an under-achieving lot. But I’m not so sure they are. I’m more in the BillParcells camp that says you are what your record says you are. Which is a 24-24 team that plays with no passion and will be in a dogfight for the Eastern Conference play-in games for a second straight year.
While talk radio is definitely on their case, other media types are not. ABC broadcaster DorisBurke fawns over their “young stars” like she’s their den mother and likable play-by-play partner MikeBreen does the same. Earth to you two, JaylenBrown is in Year 6 and for JaysonTatum it’s 5, so they have no excuse to not have figured it out by now. Then there’s Boston Globe basketball writer GaryWashburn, who goes from writing “they don’t know how to win” columns one day, to, after a close win (that usually involved blowing or erasing a double-digit lead/deficit), an endless series of “they’ve turned the corner” pieces. The most ridiculous was calling a win over the 17-30 Pacers 10 days ago “the most important of the season.” That’s right; he said a horribly played (by both teams) lucky win over 13th-place Indiana was the most important win of the year! Which was followed by losses at home to Charlotte and a horrendous one-point loss to 19-26 Portland Friday night, who was playing the fifth of a six-game East Coast swing with their best player DamianLillard a DNP, as the C’s somehow went the final 7 minutes and 15 seconds without scoring a field goal.
Meanwhile the Mr. Rogers of the NBA, GM BradStevens, fiddles while Rome burns by saving a few bucks to get under the luxury tax line by trading for two injured guys who are done for the season.
So the bottom line is the Celtics are a complete mess. And while I don’t take joy in saying this, it’s happening because they are being led by a first-year coach who’s over his head, a GM who was the franchise’s worst hire since RickPitino 20 years ago and owners who seem clueless now that they don’t have DannyAinge around to give them their media talking points.
Then over in the cheap seats, everyone from TonyMaz to CharlesBarkley is looking for remedies: dump MarcusSmart, get something for DennisSchroder, move Al Horford and the big one, break up Tatum and Brown, etc. And with the trade deadline dead ahead the shouting has intensified with people making ridiculous knee-jerk suggestions that won’t do anything productive in the long run.
That’s because you can’t solve a problem until you identify what it is, and few have.
Here are my thoughts on the chatter.
Most Urgent Need:BobCousy just said it, RobertParish just said it, PaulPierce too and I’ve been saying it since they kept blowing big leads to Miami in the bubble during the 2020 playoffs.
They need a real point guard. There aren’t a lot of Rondo-like pg’s out there, but they need to find one. because they desperately need order in the half court that gets everyone involved.
Get Another All-Star: As I constantly hear this one I ask, how? After squandering a 10-deep bench and seven first-round picks over three years they don’t have the capital to swing a trade for a really good third guy. All made more infuriating by Ainge giving that final first-rounder, DesmondBane, to Memphis for nothing, where he’s now averaging 18 points per as a starter for the surprising 32-16 Grizzlies.
Break Up Brown and Tatum: It’s hard to consider this when both have had 50-point nights this year. But building a basketball team is like making a cake, where all the ingredients need to be blended together in the bowl before it becomes a delicious cake. And the reality is Brown plays with blinders on like he’s in the gym by himself and doesn’t have a true basketball instinct in his body, while Tatum is not and never will be the leader they badly need.
So my gut says yes, break them up, but not before getting that point guard. Because we really won’t know if they do fit as the foundation for winning until they have a setup that gives each the ball where they can do something with it, over their usual freelancing that inhibits flow and rarely gets others involved or encourages movement without the ball.
How Do They Get Better? Assuming it’s a break-up, they should do what Bruins GM HarrySinden did almost 50 years ago when he traded his best and most popular player, PhilEsposito, in a five-player swap with the Rangers that got the B’s the next three best players. Which really came down to trading one A+ level star to fill two big holes with A- level players.
For the C’s that would be a pg and a second scorer. A perfect one would have been Tatum to Cleveland for second overall pick, 7-footer EvanMobley and pg DariusGarland to give them a reset with bigger, and faster emerging players while improving their depth. However, that ship has sailed with the Cavs now a rising team. But they need something like that.
At the end of the day a shake-up is needed. Which should include the coach (I vote KevinGarnett). If they can find the right point guard now, do it. But the worst thing they can do is make a move to satisfy the yackers.
In the meantime, compete for the play-in round. But do it by giving PT to GrantWilliams, RomeoLangford and PaytonPritchard to improve their trade value for the larger renovation this summer. Or, to see if they can become consistent contributors going forward.
UNH opens Children’s Behavioral Health Resource Center
The University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability is developing a new Children’s Behavioral Health Resource Center, funded by the New Hampshire Executive Council, set to open this spring. UNH research associate professor JoAnne Malloy, who co-directs the center with UNH Institute on Disability director Kelly Nye-Lengerman, discussed the center’s mission and operations.
What is the Children’s Behavioral Health Research Center?
Our center will form around a lot of work we’ve already been doing with the state. … In 2019 the state legislature and the governor signed Senate Bill 14, which established funding for a Children’s Mental Health System of Care, which is a national model. It’s necessary because families who have a child with a mental health issue often find that the services are fragmented; they could have a mental health counselor and a school counselor and a DCYF worker. It’s really hard for parents, because they’re already dealing with a very stressful situation, and then they have all these services coming at them. The System of Care is designed to help families … find the services and support they need. …This center is part of that bigger work. Our job will be to help identify practices that have good research evidence … and are shown to be effective.
How did you get involved?
I started working here at the university in the mid ’90s. I’ve always specialized in working with adolescents with emotional and behavioral challenges. … I started working with the state to build a System of Care … and develop a model to help that population [of youth] … and to help the people working in the field get good quality training and education and to give them the support they need.
What needs will the center address?
A lot of children and young people have been going to the emergency room in a mental health crisis. It’s been really exacerbated by the pandemic, with children not being able to go to school consistently and not being able to see their friends and trying to learn online. … The problems we’ll be addressing are for those children and youth who are really stressed and have a mental health concern. Perhaps they’re acting out in the community or attempting self-harm or suicide. Perhaps they’re going out into the community and breaking laws. They’re not going to school. They may have emotional disorders such as severe anxiety or depression. It’s a wide variety of issues [affecting] children and youth that we’re looking at.
What will some of the center’s main day-to-day operations be?
We have 10 community mental health centers across the state, so we’ll be training providers … and some of their staff in how to work with children who have significant trauma backgrounds and use cognitive behavioral therapy, which is an evidence-based practice. … We also do consultations. Once somebody goes to the training, they often need guidance … so we’ll be observing them in treatment sessions and providing them feedback to make sure that what they’re doing is good practice. … We also bring [mental health care] partners together and gather information about what they need. Some of our staff will be doing interviews and focus groups [to find out] where we need to fill in the gaps.
Is there anything else like this in the state?
There are currently no other centers in New Hampshire that focus on children’s mental health and evidence-based practices … but there are smaller groups, and this [center] is bringing everybody together. … There are centers like this in other states, and I’ve been looking at those and [their] models.
What are the center’s goals, short-term and long-term?
Short-term, we want to do three trainings by the end of June to train and provide consultation to 80 people. … Long-term — the contract [for the center] is for three years and potentially renewable — I’d like to see the center become a permanent fixture in the state, and something that changes with the needs of people in the field. Most of all, I want it to make an impact, because at the end of the day, if we’re not actually helping children and families, we might as well all pack up and go home.
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Covid-19 news
During the state’s weekly public health update on Jan. 19, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that, on average, there were 3,100 new infections of Covid-19 per day over the previous week, up from an average of 2,500 the week before. Just a day earlier, on Jan. 18, the number of overall cases of the virus in New Hampshire since the start of the pandemic officially surpassed a quarter of a million. According to Gov. Chris Sununu, the omicron variant is now by far the dominant Covid strain in the state, accounting for a high majority of new daily cases. “On the positive side, omicron … appears to have much less severe symptoms and it’s likely that there are many people out there who are asymptomatic or don’t even know that they have Covid,” Sununu said during the press conference. “[We want] to urge people … to really watch for symptoms. Be sure you’re taking them very seriously. … The booster is so critical and really makes all the difference in the world in terms of the severity of symptoms.”
New fixed vaccination sites with walk-in access opened in Stratham and Concord last week, with more on the way in Keene, Salem, Manchester and Nashua. “We’re trying to make sure we have good geographic access,” Sununu said. “In addition, we expect a teens fixed vaccination site to be online before the end of the month.” Go to covid19.nh.gov for the most up-to-date details.
Cancer concerns
Residents of Merrimack, Litchfield, Bedford and Londonderry are invited to attend a virtual public information meeting via Zoom on Thursday, Jan. 27, at 6:30 p.m., which will provide updates and answer questions on the status of cancer in the community. According to a press release from the state Department of Health and Human Services, the meeting’s agenda will include background on the protocol for responding to community concerns about cancer, the history of the response in Merrimack, the most recent data analysis and a discussion of the next steps in the investigation, before moving on to a question and answer session. Contact the DHHS Cancer program at 271-4959 or visit dhhs.nh.gov for more details.
New political poll
A recent Saint Anselm College poll found that 74 percent of New Hampshire registered voters believe the country is on the wrong track, versus only 16 percent who believe it is headed in the right direction. According to a press release, the college’s survey center at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics collected data from cell phone users on Jan. 11 and Jan. 12, each of whom were randomly drawn from a sample of registered voters. The poll also found that 62 percent of voters approve of the job Gov. Chris Sununu has done managing the Covid-19 pandemic, while only 40 percent approve of the job President Joe Biden has done. Full results can be viewed at anselm.edu/new-hampshire-institute-politics.
Energy and abortion bills
Last week, lawmakers addressed a couple of noteworthy bills in the House. According to a report from WMUR, the House voted unanimously to approve a bill to restore the state’s energy efficiency program, which proponents say would help homeowners save money, reduce costs for utilities, lower energy needs in the state and provide jobs to contractors, who would be needed to assess homes and help homeowners find more efficient energy options. The Public Utilities Commission gutted the program last year, according to the report, and energy efficiency contractors warned that a short-term effect will be hundreds of layoffs and difficulties for homeowners wanting to make energy- and money-saving improvements. An amended version of the bill has now cleared a Senate committee with full bipartisan support, the report said, and the hope is that the governor will have the bill on his desk by the end of February.
Another bill working its way through the House would amend the restrictive abortion laws put in place last year; the new bill would allow for exceptions to the 24-week abortion ban in cases of rape, incest or fatal fetal abnormality, according to WMUR. House Republicans overhauled the bill, replacing it with an amendment that would say ultrasounds are not mandatory before an abortion unless the fetus is within range of 24 weeks gestation, the report said
PFAS FAQ
The New Hampshire Insurance Department recently released a Frequently Asked Questions document with information on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) testing, according to a press release. PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals used to manufacture household and commercial products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water. For decades, they’ve been used in many consumer products, like nonstick cookware, stain-resistant furniture and carpets, microwave popcorn bags and other food packaging. According to the release, PFAS has impacted several areas of New Hampshire, including groundwater contamination at Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, and water and soil contamination and air emissions from local industrial facilities. Some studies of PFAS exposure in humans suggest that it may cause various adverse health effects. “The need for Granite Staters to access testing for PFAS chemicals is incredibly important,” state Deputy Insurance Commissioner D.J. Bettencourt said in a statement. “[We are] pleased to make this informational document available to help citizens better understand the role that their insurance coverage plays in testing.” The Frequently Asked Questions document can be viewed online in full at nh.gov/insurance, by clicking on “health insurance” under the “for consumers” tab.
Essay contest
New Hampshire Leadership PAC is sponsoring its second annual First in the Nation essay contest, available for all high school seniors in the state to enter. According to a press release, essays between 500 and 800 words must be submitted by April 8 — participants are asked to best articulate the benefits of New Hampshire conducting the first-in-the-nation presidential primary. Students can either mail their essays to Essay, PO Box 6052, Amherst, NH 03031 or email them in PDF format to NHCommitteeman@protonmail.com. Winners will be announced May 6. Cash scholarship prizes for the top three essay entries will be awarded during a presentation to be held in Concord on May 18. “The next generation of young leaders will be inheriting the first in the nation tradition, hopefully, and we want to inspire them to not only vote but to also be actively engaged in the process,” Republican National Committeeman Chris Ager said in a statement. For more details, visit chrisager.com/essay-contest.
The New Hampshire Food Bank in Concord was the recipient of $122,000 that was raised at the recent Distiller’s Showcase put on by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. According to a press release, the eighth annual showcase, which is the signature event of Distiller’s Week, was the most successful one yet.
The Manchester VA Medical Center opened its new $14.5 million, 16,000-square-foot Urgent Care Center last week. According to a press release, the new center offers veterans increased safety and infection prevention, in part by relocating urgent care services to allow direct access from the outside and adding an exam room designed for women veterans, and a psychiatric holding room.
Students from Milford High School were named “We the People: The Citizen and Constitution” state champions earlier this month. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Bar Association, students from Hollis-Brookline and John Stark Regional high schools also participated in the final round of the annual event, which gives students the chance to show their knowledge of Constitutional Law principles through simulated congressional hearings where they “testify” before judges acting as members of Congress.
The Concord Garden Club and the League of NH Craftsmen come together for the annual Art & Bloom exhibit, which runs today through Saturday, Jan. 22. Hours are 1 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the exhibit gallery at the League’s headquarters (49 S. Main St. in Concord). In this short-lived exhibit, the League’s exhibit “Setting the Standard,” featuring pieces in a variety of media, serves as the inspiration for floral arrangements by Garden Club members and others. The regular hours of the “Setting the Standard” exhibit will start Tuesday, Jan. 25, and run through March 31, Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 4 p.m.
Fight cabin fever with a visit to the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) today from 5 to 8 p.m. when admission is free as part of “Art After Work: Free Thursday Nights.” Old Tom and the Lookouts will be performing in the Winter Garden Cafe and the tours will focus on Robert S. Duncanson’s “Long Point on the Gauley River, Virginia” and the exhibit “As Precious as Gold: Carpets from the Islamic World.”
Thursday, Jan. 20
Kick the weekend off early with Jeff Mrozek, who performs tonight from 6 to 9 pm. at Stones Social (449 Amherst St. in Nashua, stonessocial.com).
Friday, Jan. 21
Catch the “most famous bagpipe band on the planet,” according to their website (rhcp.scot), when the Red Hot Chilli Pipers come to the Flying Monkey (39 Main St. in Plymouth; 536-2251, flyingmonkeynh.com) today at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 21
Hear the music of the Dave Matthews band tonight at 8 p.m. at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com) when The Dave Matthews Tribute Band performs. Tickets cost $30.
Sunday, Jan. 23
Get some fresh eats today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Salem Farmers Market, held inside at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111 in Derry). See salemnhfarmersmarket.org.
Sunday, Jan. 23
See the Bolshoi Ballet perform “Jewels” (in which the cities of Paris, New York and St. Petersburg are represented in three separate scenes) in presentation of the Bolshoi broadcast today at 12:55 p.m. at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). Tickets to the broadcast cost $15 for adults, $12 for students (plus fees).
Save the date! For wine & chocolate
Sample four LaBelle Winery wines with four different chocolate desserts at a “Wine & Dessert Pairing Class” scheduled for each of the three LaBelle locations in February. The class will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 6 p.m. in Derry (14 Route 111); on Friday, Feb. 11, at 6 p.m. in Portsmouth (104 Congress St.) and on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. in Amherst (345 Route 1010). Admission costs $43.40.
Last week’s unemployment claims in New Hampshire were 22.9 percent lower than they were during the same week in 2019 — the sixth-biggest decrease in the U.S. — according to personal-finance website WalletHub’s updated report on States Whose Unemployment Claims Are Increasing the Most. They are 9.71 percent lower compared to the same week in 2020, and 83.86 percent lower than the same week in 2021.
Score: +1
Comment:According to the report, New Hampshire is one of only 14 states whose unemployment claims last week were lower than before the pandemic.
Life-changing donation for local veteran
Mike Moran, a local disabled veteran who served almost 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, will soon replace his manual wheelchair with an iBOT Personal Mobility Device, courtesy of a Veterans Count donor and assistance from Manchester-based Mobius Mobility, which manufactures the device. According to a press release, Moran has been using his wheelchair for 14 years; with the iBOT PMD, the 51-year-old will now be able to get up and down stairs and curbs, move through all kinds of terrain and experience life at standing height. Veterans Count and Mobius Mobility helped Moran get the prescription and other documentation he needed to qualify for the iBOT, and helped him schedule his training, the release said.
Score: +1
Comment:“We are still taking requests for the remaining four iBOT donations, and we encourage veterans to inquire,” Kathy Flynn, senior director of development for Veterans Count, said in the release.
Camp for all kids
ReKINDling Curiosity is coming back for a second year to help ensure that all kids who want to get a chance to go to camp. According to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Education, the initiative is meant to provide a positive childhood experience at an approved overnight or day youth recreation camp in New Hampshire. The program, which is federally funded using Covid-19 response money, will pay up to $650 of youth recreation camp fees for qualifying students.
Score: +1
Comment: “For many children, especially those from low-income backgrounds or with disabilities, this opportunity to attend a summer camp could help alleviate anxiety and trauma resulting from the pandemic, and succeed in academic instruction when they return to school in the fall,” Frank Edelblut, commissioner of education, said in the release.
Beware of Covid smishing campaign
Scammers pretending to be from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles are texting residents trying to get personal identifying information. According to a consumer alert from Attorney General John M. Formella, the scam is called “smishing” — when scammers send text messages purporting to be from a reputable agency to get personal information — and this one is a Covid-19 themed campaign. The text messages contain links to a fraudulent “New Hampshire State Covid-19 Vaccine Status Validation” website, which features legitimate-looking seals of the Department of Health and Human Services and Division of Motor Vehicles. On the site, the consumer is asked to enter personal information like their Social Security number and date of birth, the release said.
Score: -1
Comment:Residents are advised not to reply to unsolicited text messages, not to click on a link in a text message from someone you don’t know, and not to provide money or personal information over the phone or by email to someone you don’t know.
QOL score: 52
Net change: +2
QOL this week: 54
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.
