Category: News

Quality of Life 21/12/16

Moose plate money

Fifteen projects aimed at protecting and restoring New Hampshire’s natural resources have been awarded a total of $379,913 in funding from the New Hampshire State Conservation Committee’s 2022 Conservation Moose Plate Grant Program. According to a press release, projects include the Potter Family Farm in Concord ($30,000); Supporting Soil Health Management in Hillsborough County ($29,648); Improving Aquatic Organism Passage at Rocky Pond in Loudon and Canterbury ($30,000); Making No-Till Practices Accessible Through Rental Equipment in Merrimack County ($27,000); and Killam-Hog Hill Brook in Atkinson ($10,000).

Score: +1

Comment: The funds come from the sale of moose plates, which vehicle owners can buy for $38 the first year and $30 in the following years when renewing or registering a vehicle, according to the release.

Decking the halls, again

The coffee shop at Saint Anselm College got a dose of Christmas kindness recently, according to a report from WMUR. After holiday decorations were stolen from the shop’s entrance, students stepped up and replaced them — and then some. “A bunch of the students came in with a humongous amount of gifts and gift cards for my staff, for me personally, Christmas decoration wreaths, you could not believe the stuff they came in with,” Terry Newcomb of Saint Anselm Dining Services, who decorates the coffee shop each year, told WMUR. “They were all thanking me for the hard work I have done for them.”

Score: +1

Comment: The coffee shop won Saint Anselm’s annual holiday decorating contest this year, WMUR reported.

Express yourself

The Magnify Voices Expressive Arts Contest is back for its fourth year, encouraging kids in grades 5 through 12 to express their experiences with mental health. One in six New Hampshire youth experiences a mental health disorder each year, and in 2020, 57 percent of Granite Staters with depression ages 12 to 17 did not receive any care, the release said. Submissions for the contest, which was created to help raise awareness and remove the stigma around mental health issues, will be accepted starting Dec. 15, according to a press release. Submissions will be accepted through March 4 and can be short films (two minutes or less), essays or poems (1,000 words or less) or visual art, a song or a sculpture.

Score: +1

Comment: “Last year’s submissions were extremely personal and powerful, and epitomized the purpose of why we started Magnify Voices,” Michele Watson, Magnify Voices committee chair, said in the release. “[It] gives youth a creative outlet to share their feelings and emotions.”

Paying it forward

Chris LaPage, a Concord Banks Chevrolet service technician, and his wife, Deborah, are making sure people in their community have the chance to learn CPR after it saved his life. According to a press release, LePage was found unconscious at work one day last May; with the guidance of a 911 dispatcher, an employee was able to resuscitate him at the scene with the use of an Automated External Defibrillator and Compression Only CPR. LePage returned to work full time two and a half months after his cardiac arrest and since then has taken a CPR course and received certification. Deborah LePage, who works for the Epsom Elementary School, did as well, and the two have provided training and CPR certifications for the school basketball coaches and are advocating for the addition of CPR instruction to the eighth-grade curriculum, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: Banks Chevrolet has installed five additional AEDs and sent about two dozen staff members to the American Red Cross training, the release said.

QOL score: 78

Net change: 82

QOL this week: +4

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

Celtics disappointing so far

After a summer of big changes I waited to give my outlook for the Celtics until I’d seen them play for a while. They were a “wait and see” proposition for me, so I reserved judgment until 20 games had been played. And while they remain riddled with uncertainty, after their first 27 games I do have a better handle on their strengths and weaknesses and a sense of where they are headed by year’s end.

So here’s an assessment of who they are after returning home last Saturday morning at 13-14 after a dismal 1-4 trip to the left coast.

Biggest weaknesses: (1) Consistency. So far it’s been game to game whether they’re going to bring effort to deliver the A game or not. In Portland last Saturday, yes; vs. L.A. in the next one, no. (2) 3-point shooting. It’s not that they’re shooting 33.4 percent (24th in the NBA); it’s recognizing what is a good one and what isn’t. (3) Mental toughness. Their wins usually happen when the talent kicks in, but when it doesn’t there aren’t enough guys who tighten the screws to grind through bad times. (4) A true point guard. Dennis Schroder is the closest thing, so Earth to Ime: Start him until you trade for one. 

Jayson Tatum: I’ve been saying for two years now he’s their biggest strength and biggest weakness. That’s because he has No. 1 player talent, but it comes with the head of a No. 2 player. That means he’s more Kevin McHale, who never would have been as good as he became if Larry Bird’s competitive personality hadn’t been driving the bus. Said in wins and losses: Bird turned a 29-win team into 61-win team his rookie year, while they went from 57 to 42 when McHale was the star as Bird missed most of 1988-89. Tatum was a good fit with the Olympic team because it had strong leaders like Kevin Durant and that let him just play. The dilemma: Do you move him to get a best player who’s a stronger leader? Or since the talent is so extreme and getting better (he leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per too) find a stronger personality to pair with him? Or maybe fill the team with that type of guy to make the need not as extreme. Unless there’s the perfect deal out there that I can’t find, I’d do option 3.

Jaylen Brown: He’s been hurt most of the season, and mostly shot/played poorly when he did play. He also has not improved his handle in traffic, which is still weak. The silver lining is that it’s showed how they play without him as they contemplate changes. On the other hand, his 41-point game on opening night at MSG showed just how dynamic he can be.

Al Horford: He remains a versatile defender, but he’s mainly trade bait for a contender at the deadline.

Dennis Schroder: He has brought both the feisty attitude and the penetration they desperately need. Their best games have been when he has started at point guard, partly because it moves Marcus Smart off the ball, where he does much more damage without the responsibility of running the offense. 

Marcus Smart: Unless everyone else has fouled out, and I mean everyone, it would be Smart to keep Marcus away from running any offense. To do that, keep him and Schroder starting and bring Brown off the bench, which also gives real offensive juice to the second team.  

Rob Williams: Everyone loves the lob dunks he gets to above the box, even me. But I like his rebounding and shot-blocking shots better. However, he’s already missed seven of the first 27 with knee soreness and never played more than 59 games, so his durability is a major question mark.   

Romeo Langford: When he comes into a game the clueless expression on his face makes me think he has no idea what city he’s even in. But while he’s far from perfect, the FG percent is over 50 percent and he’s shooting over 40 percent from international waters, so there are signs he may be coming around. So play him more.

Grant Williams:He makes the all-clinic team because he always plays hard, rarely is in the wrong spot, takes charge and has worked hard to improve his 3-point shooting to a team-leading 43 percent. All deserve a pat on the back, so I’ve got nothing against him. The problem is he’s too short for his position, so he’s easy to shoot over and too slow to cover the smaller guys.

Other young guys: No one else has shown me anything, including Aaron Nesmith, an alleged 3-point shooter who can’t shoot 3’s (25.5 percent), and Payton Pritchard, who dribbles more than a 2-year-old at breakfast.   

Ime Udoka: He’s had some glaring game/player management mistakes that make you wonder. Not ready to pull the ripcord yet, but I’ve yet to see one thing that makes me think they made the right choice.

Projected finish: They’re, at best, a 42- or 43-win team that likely will be in the play-in round. But the Eastern Conference could have as many as 11 teams finishing .500 or above, so it’ll be close. Regardless, they won’t get by Round 2, unless Tatum has a totally dominant spring.

So what do you do? After blowing their chance in 2017 to move into the Top Four, they need to dig out. But after squandering a 10-deep roster and eight first-round draft picks over the next three years it won’t be easy. First they need to identify how they want to play and which players will remain to build around — a process that would be under way if I were the GM or owned the team. We’ll get to that after the holidays in advance of the February trade deadline.

For now, lower expectations and don’t bang your head on the coffee table too often during the bad games.

Gifts from the heart

Charitable giving for the holiday season

Melinda Mosier, director of donor services at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, talked about charitable giving and how you can support New Hampshire’s nonprofits this holiday season and year-round.

What are some of the biggest needs in the state right now? 

The ongoing pandemic and its effects mean that basic needs are even more acute — food, housing, health care and child care. The pandemic has taken a huge toll on children and youth, and put many kids and families into crisis, so programs that provide mentoring, after-school care and mental health care for children really need help. Organizations that support dialogue and protect civil rights, democracy and racial justice are playing a critical role for our communities and are in need of support.

With so many different areas of need, how does someone decide on a cause to support?

Consider the areas of greatest needs in the state and think about where you most want to help, then select … based on your priorities.

Once they’ve narrowed that down, how do they find local organizations to give to? 

When you have identified priority areas for your giving, it becomes easier to identify and connect with the nonprofits doing great work on those issues in New Hampshire and likely right in your own backyard — the local food pantry, an after-school program or performing arts center, or a local conservation group. Visit their websites to learn more.

Why should someone donate to a local organization versus a national one?

Both are worthy of charitable gifts, of course, but if you give to the local chapter, your dollars will circulate locally and have more of a local impact, improving the well-being of New Hampshire residents and boosting the local economy. It’s the same principle as buying local.

How do charitable organizations typically use donations? 

If you believe in what your local food pantry is doing, or in the mission of your local art museum or homeless shelter, give to support its whole mission rather than restricting your donation for a specific project or purpose. A food pantry needs food, of course, but it also needs to keep the electricity running. … An art museum needs a building, and it also needs programming to bring art … into the community. A homeless shelter needs warm blankets, of course, but it also needs staff, and hand sanitizer and masks to keep people safe. Unrestricted donations are most valuable because they can be put to use where they are most critically needed.

How important is the holiday season for local charities?

Nationally, about a third of all charitable giving happens in December, but nonprofits all over New Hampshire rely on generosity … all year round, and now, more than ever before, nonprofits need our help. We hope people will give as generously as they can this holiday season and all year long to help New Hampshire’s nonprofits … make our communities strong.

How can people maximize their giving?

Making larger gifts to fewer organizations allows you to have a greater impact on an area of critical work. … Consider consolidating, giving a higher-impact gift to one or two organizations. … If you run a company, consider matching employees’ year-end gifts. Matching gifts not only drives increased giving; it helps build a culture of giving in your business and camaraderie among your team. You can also choose a nonprofit that is doing work you care deeply about and ask people to give to it in your name as a gift [to you]. You could also consider making a gift to a nonprofit as a meaningful holiday gift for family and friends.

What are some ways that people can give other than monetary donations? 

Giving financial resources is critically important, and so is giving of your time and passion and expertise. Volunteer opportunities abound to give by doing. … Volunteernh.org has a search engine that can be filtered by region, issue, and even by family-friendly volunteer opportunities.

Featured photo: Melinda Mosier. Photo by Cheryl Senter.

News & Notes 21/12/16

Covid-19 update As of Dec 6 As of Dec 13
Total cases statewide 169,219 178,099
Total current infections statewide 9,671 9,086
Total deaths statewide 1,744 1,788
New cases 8,932 (Nov. 30 to Dec. 6) 8,880 (Dec. 7 to Dec. 13)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 2,436 (as of Dec. 3) 2,576
Current infections: Merrimack County 923 (as of Dec. 3) 1,115
Current infections: Rockingham County 1,580 (as of Dec. 3) 1,780
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Covid-19 news

During a Dec. 8 press conference, Gov. Chris Sununu announced that the state will be deploying 70 members of the National Guard in the coming weeks to assist hospitals in managing their current Covid surge, helping out with everything from food service to clerical tasks. Hospitals in New Hampshire are continuing to see record numbers of Covid patients since the start of the pandemic — a total of 479 were reported on Dec. 9, an all-time high.

About 12,000 Granite Staters received their booster doses on Dec. 11 as part of the state’s “Booster Blitz” initiative, according to a report from WMUR. Shots were administered at 15 locations statewide, the largest of which was in Stratham. According to the report, officials are planning to host a similar event in January, on a date to be determined.

On Dec. 13, state health officials identified the first known detection of the omicron variant in a New Hampshire resident. According to a press release, the infection is in an adult from Cheshire County who traveled out of state and was exposed to another person with the variant. The resident, who was considered fully vaccinated but was not yet boosted, had a mild illness and has since recovered during home isolation. No public or occupational exposures to the variant have been identified. Since it was first reported in South Africa on Nov. 24, the omicron variant has spread to several dozen U.S. states and more than 70 countries worldwide. Ninety-nine percent of Covid infections in the state are currently due to the delta variant, but according to the release, the omicron variant is likely more infectious and may become the dominant strain.

Affordable housing

The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen has approved $2.3 million to develop affordable housing units in the Queen City using funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME program. According to a press release, three organizations will use the funds to build or upgrade 152 affordable housing units. Manchester Housing and Redevelopment Authority will construct 48 one-, two- and three-bedroom units in two 24-unit buildings on the Kelley Falls apartment campus. Neighborworks Southern New Hampshire will rehabilitate and upgrade 101 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units of existing affordable housing units in the Elm Street brownstones and the Straw Mansion apartments. And Waypoint was approved to renovate the former Employment Security building to create three studio apartments for at-risk adults ages 18 to 25. “With these projects, we’re focusing on addressing homelessness and making sure families, seniors on a fixed income, and those with disabilities have access to safe, affordable housing,” Mayor Joyce Craig said in the release.

Cancer in Merrimack

An analysis of data from the New Hampshire State Cancer Registry has found “a higher than expected number of people with kidney and renal cancers in Merrimack between 2009 and 2018 than would typically be observed in a town of similar size in New Hampshire,” according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The analysis is an update to the 2018 DHHS Report on Cancer in Merrimack that was conducted in response to concerns following detection of PFOA in the Merrimack Village District Public Water System. According to the release, the new data does not provide sufficient information at this time to “draw any conclusions about the individuals who have kidney and renal cancer in Merrimack and any specific exposure.” The analysis is part of a multi-step process with the residents of Merrimack and the state Department of Environmental Services to better understand cancers in their community. An upcoming meeting (details TBA) will allow community members to share further information. “While this preliminary data does not necessarily indicate the presence of a cancer cluster, any data that points to the possibility of increased illness in our communities warrants closer examination,” Division of Public Health Director Patricia Tilley said in the release. “We will be seeking input from individuals affected by these cancers, community leaders and members of the Commission on the Environmental and Public Health Impacts of Perfluorinated Chemicals as we continue with our investigation.”

House meeting

The New Hampshire House of Representatives will meet off-site for their constitutionally required meeting in early January, according to a press release. The meeting, which starts Jan. 5 and is expected to last three days, will be in the exposition center in the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown. The 30,000-square-foot space will allow legislators to be seated in a socially distanced floor plan, with sections for those who want to wear masks and sections where masks are optional. The space is bigger than the UNH location where the legislators met in 2020; the NH Sportsplex in Bedford, which served as the legislature’s temporary session location in 2021, is not available for the January meeting.“With hospitalizations at record levels and community transmission still high, the responsible thing to do is to maintain health and safety protocols for our legislators and hold off on returning to the House chamber, at least for now,” Speaker of the House Sherman Packard said in the release.

Build Back Better

Manchester has been named as a finalist for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration Build Back Better Regional Challenge, which was created to help communities throughout the country “build back better by accelerating the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and building local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks,” according to a press release. Manchester’s application takes advantage of the region’s investments in the life sciences and aerospace industries by securing two job tracks, Tissue Engineering and Advanced Aerial Mobility, which have the potential to create 7,500 to 15,000 jobs and increase the rate of GDP growth by more than 30 percent, the release said. The city would be working in partnership with the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, Southern New Hampshire University, the University of New Hampshire Manchester, the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport and the Manchester Transit Authority. It is one of 60 projects that made it into the final round out of 529 projects that were submitted, the release said. Each finalist will get approximately $500,000 to further develop their projects and will then compete in Phase 2, which will award 20 to 30 regional coalitions up to $100 million each to implement anywhere from three to eight projects that support a specific industry.

The Manchester Health Department is now holding free walk-in Covid-19 vaccination and booster clinics. According to a press release, all three vaccines will be available during the clinics, which are Mondays from 9 to 11 a.m. and Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. No appointments are necessary. The department is also bringing mobile clinics to priority populations most days this month, and there is free drive-up or walk-up Covid testing at Hunt Pool (297 Maple St.), seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the release said.

A Tri-State Megabucks ticket sold at the Circle K on 185 First NH Turnpike in Northwood was a $1.825 million winner in the Dec. 8 drawing. According to a press release, the winner will get either a one-time cash payout of $1,320,068 or graduated annuity payments over 30 years, and Circle K will get $18,250 for selling the winning ticket.

A man from Michigan is dead after the turboprop plane he was piloting crashed along the Merrimack River in Bedford around 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 10. According to a press release from the Bedford Police Department, the plane was transporting medical supplies from New Jersey and was headed to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, and the pilot, who was flying alone, reported engine trouble just before the crash.

This Week 21/12/09

Big Events December 9, 2021 and beyond

Thursday, Dec. 9

Productions of A Christmas Carol take place on stages throughout the area this weekend. Tonight, the Palace Theatre’s (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) continues its run (shows continue through Dec. 22) with shows at 7:30 p.m. tonight and tomorrow; 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11, and noon on Sunday, Dec. 12.

The Hatbox Theatre’s (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com) production (which continues through Dec. 19) has showtimes Friday, Dec. 10, and Saturday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m.

For a slightly different take on the main character, the Majestic Theatre presentsScrooge in Loveat the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway in Derry) on Friday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 11, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m. This continuation of the Christmas Carol story looks at Scrooge a year later when the ghosts return to help Ebenezer find love, according to majestictheatre.net.

Friday, Dec. 10

This week’s craft fairs kick off tonight.

• The Great New England Craft & Artisan Show (gnecraftartisanshows.com) runs today from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Hampshire Hills Athletic Club (50 Emerson Road in Milford). Admission is free; Santa will make an appearance on Saturday.

• The Auburn Village School (11 Eaton Hill Road in Auburn) will hold its Holiday Craft and Vendor Fair Saturday, Dec. 11, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with more than 30 vendors and crafters, kids crafts and games, concessions and a visit from Santa, according to the school’s Facebook page.

• Bishop Brady High School (25 Columbus Ave. in Concord; bishopbrady.edu) will hold its Craft Fair on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• On Saturday, Dec. 11, the Holly Jolly Craft Fair (joycescraftshows.com/nh-craft-fairs-schedule) will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (2 Somerset Plaza in Nashua).

• The Canterbury Community Farmers Market Association (canterburyfarmersmarket.com) will hold a special indoor holiday-themed market with food, art and crafts on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the gymnasium of Canterbury Elementary School (15 Baptist Road).

• The NH Audubon McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road in Concord; nhaudubon.org) will host a Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Nature Store will also be open.

• The Wrong Brain Holidaze Bizaare (facebook.com/wrongbrain) will take place Saturday, Dec. 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Millspace (55 Main St. in Newmarket) featuring artwork and artisan crafted items.

• The Santa’s Workshop Craft Fair will run at the Derry VFW (18 Railroad Ave. in Derry) on Sunday, Dec. 12, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 10

Celebrate the annual Amherst tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. at the Amherst Town Green. Treats will be available for purchase, according to amhersttreelightingfestival.weebly.com. Keep the holiday spirit going in Amherst with a performance by the Souhegan Valley Chorus Saturday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. at Souhegan High School (tickets on sale at the door) and a free holiday concert by the Amherst Town Band Sunday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 11

The Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road in Canterbury; shakersorg) kicks off two weekends of its “Merry Merry Canterbury” celebration today. The events take place Dec. 11 and Dec. 12 (as well as Dec. 18 and Dec. 19) from 1 to 5 p.m. Reserve a spot in advance for $20 per adult (free for kids). The days will include a seasonal display in the bar, a craft, a 19th-century magic show and carols. (For $50, attend the Candlelight Tours the following weekend.)

Saturday, Dec. 11

Take a drive and see some lights: Light Up New Boston will take place on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. Find a map to houses with holiday displays at newbostonnh.gov. The event follows the S’mores with Santa event from 4 to 6 p.m. which features a tree-lighting, a chance to meet Santa and s’mores.

Featured photo: Glass art window by Doris massetti. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 21/12/09

Putting a damper on shopping

The Mall of New Hampshire had to shut down its food establishments temporarily after a massage chair caught fire. According to a press release, the Manchester Fire Department responded to the call around 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 5 and found heavy smoke throughout the mall. The sprinkler had turned on and contained the fire to the area of the massage chair, which, according to a report from WMUR, was said to have been in a hallway outside of Best Buy and the food court. There was water damage in the area of the fire and smoke damage throughout, according to the fire department’s report, but no one was injured. The mall’s eateries were scheduled to reopen upon passing inspection from the Manchester Health Department, according to WMUR.

Score: -1

Comment: What is Christmas shopping without snacks and a massage?

Granite State gives

New Hampshire is the 9th most generous state, according to GoFundMe’s annual Giving Report. The fundraising platform’s report includes a list of the most generous states and cities in America for supporting individuals, causes and organizations in 2021. According to the report, the top three states are Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut. The rankings are based on the number of donations per capita on GoFundMe.

Score: +1

Comment: All six New England states made it into the Top 10, according to the report.

Student success

Two New Hampshire students — Matthew Blair of Manchester Central High School and Warren Chen of Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua — have been selected to participate in the 60th Annual U.S. Senate Youth Program. According to a press release, the two were nominated by their principals and were selected by a panel of judges. Blair, a senior, is class president, editor-in-chief of Central’s school newspaper, co-captain of the Boys’ Varsity Hockey Team, drum major and a National Honor Society member, and he’s ranked 1st in his class with a 4.0 GPA. Chen, a junior, is the school’s junior communications officer and has “thrived in a challenging program of study … [and] contributed greatly to the school community while engaging and collaborating with everyone,” according to the release. Alternates are Matthew Pemberton at Bedford High School and Max Aframe at Hopkinton High School.

Score: +1

Comment: Both students will receive a $10,000 scholarship and will represent the Granite State in an intensive study of the federal government, joining alums like former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, the release said.

QOL score: 77

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 78

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

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