Category: News

Director departs

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has announced the planned departure of Director of the Division for Children, Youth and Families Joe Ribsam on June 1 after five years of service. According to a press release, Ribsam has accepted the position of Director of Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Policy at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a nationally recognized foundation focused on the well-being of children and youth. Under Ribsam’s leadership, DCYF and the broader child welfare system have implemented several child welfare system improvements, including a children’s system of care for behavioral health; Kinship Navigator programs to support extended family and caregivers of children; a new juvenile justice assessment process that has prevented many youth from having to enter the formal justice system; community-based voluntary services that provide support to at-risk families; peer support for parents; expanded support from foster care health professionals and specialists; new evidence-based programs to increase children’s safety; the HOPE program, a voluntary foster care program that allows foster families to provide continuing support to youth ages 18 through 21 for voluntary foster care, and partnerships with housing authorities to prevent children from having to enter foster care due to a family’s housing instability. Over the past few years there has been a 25 percent decrease in the number of children placed in out-of-home care, and New Hampshire currently has the lowest combined rate of youth detention and commitment in the country. DHHS Interim Commissioner Lori Weaver will work to ensure continued support for the child welfare transformation efforts developed during Ribsam’s tenure.

Caregiver honored

Easterseals NH, VT and Farnum, Easterseals NH’s substance abuse treatment program, will honor Roberta Coutu with the Eliot Priest Founder’s Award at Farnum’s 10th Annual Spirit of Hope Event on Tuesday, May 2, at 6 p.m. at The Factory on Willow (252 Willow St., Manchester). According to a press release, Coutu, an eight-year employee of Farnum, supports individuals with substance use disorders on and off the job and helps them enter sober living. “Roberta’s commitment to Farnum and the people we serve is boundless,” Annette Escalante, Senior Vice President for Substance Use Treatment at Easterseals NH, VT and Farnum, said in the release. “She makes everyone who comes through our doors feel safe and at ease at a difficult time in their lives. We are all inspired by her connection with our clients and their families.” The public is welcome to attend the event, and tickets are available at easterseals.com/nh/get-involved/events.

Bike month

New Hampshire celebrates National Bike Month in May with a variety of events throughout the state to celebrate bikes and the people who ride them. According to a press release, this year’s schedule includes National Bike and Roll to School Day on May 3; the Chester Police Department Bike Rodeo on May 6; National Ride a Bike Day on May 7; National Bike to Work Week from May 15 through May 21; The Tour De Francestown 25/50 mile gravel rides on May 20; the New Boston Rail Trail 6-Mile Bike Event on May 21 and more. Visit bwanh.org/calendar to see the full schedule of events.

Energy week

New Hampshire Energy Week — a five-day series of events highlighting prominent energy topics and issues and bringing together leading experts to discuss energy solutions and share their knowledge — will take place Monday, May 1, through Friday, May 5. According to a newsletter, this year’s schedule includes a virtual kickoff event on Monday at 10 a.m., featuring the City of Nashua’s Energy Manager and environmental TikTok influencer Doria Brown and others live via YouTube; followed by a virtual “Investing in Resilience” panel on Tuesday at 11 a.m.; energy trivia and an electric vehicle showcase on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Smuttynose Brewery in Hampton; and a virtual energy career and resource fair on Thursday at 11 a.m.; concluding with an event at the Bank of NH Stage in Concord on Friday at 1 p.m., featuring a number of speakers discussing “Powering New Hampshire’s Energy Future.” Visit nhenergyfuture.org/nhew for details and to register for events.

Old Man

A virtual remembrance event marking 20 years since the collapse of New Hampshire’s iconic rock face known as Old Man of the Mountain will be held on Wednesday, May 3, at 11 a.m., at OldManNH.org. According to a press release, the event will feature storytelling and an opportunity for attendees to share their stories and memories of the Old Man. “People from around the world still have an emotional attachment to the Old Man,” Brian Fowler, President of The Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund board, said in the release. “We want to collect and share these stories during this special year, so we’re inviting folks to share their stories with us to highlight just how fondly we all remember the Old Man.” The Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund board has also organized The Old Man of the Mountain Scavenger Hunt Challenge, which will kick off the same day and continue through the summer in Franconia Notch State Park, concluding with a family fun day at the Old Man Plaza on Aug. 3.

One lane of the bridge that carries Route 111A in Fremont over the Exeter River will be closed for several weeks for maintenance work, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. Traffic will be restricted to a single lane, with alternating travel controlled by a temporary signalized system. Real-time traffic news can be found at newengland511.org, and travelers can sign up for “My511” alerts to stay informed about incidents and construction work.

New Hampshire Roller Derby returns to the JFK Memorial Coliseum in Manchester (303 Beech St.) with its season-opening doubleheader on Saturday, April 29, at 5 p.m. Tickets cost $12 at the door, and admission is free for kids age 12 and under and veterans, according to the website. More home bouts are scheduled for Saturdays, May 20, June 24 and Aug. 5. Visit nhrollerderby.com.

The Craftworkers’ Guild’s Spring Craft Shop opens on Thursday, May 4, at the historic Kendall House in Bedford (5 Meetinghouse Road). Browse handmade items by more than 50 juried artisans and craftspeople, including seasonal decor, photography, fine art and prints, cards, gourmet treats, woodworking, fiber and fabrics, sewn and knit specialties, stained and fused glass art, mixed media, jewelry, doll clothes and more. The shop will be open through Saturday, May 13, daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the website. Visit thecraftworkersguild.org.

Art school leaves Manch

New England College will be relocating its Institute of Art and Design program from Manchester to its main campus in Henniker starting in the fall of 2023. According to a community update from NEC President Wayne Lesperance posted on the college’s website, the consolidation is part of the school’s efforts to create a more integrated campus community and to offer students greater access to the resources available on its main campus. “Covid-19 depressed participation in the arts and arts education nationally,” Lesperance said in the update. “Unfortunately, NEC was not immune to this downward trend. With this move to unify our academic offerings in Henniker, NEC re-doubles its commitment to its art and design students and faculty, and the arts generally, by dedicating facilities and creating new opportunities in a welcoming setting.” NEC’s Institute of Art and Design is the successor to the New Hampshire Institute of Art (NHIA), which merged with the college several years ago. A new “Art Village” on the Henniker campus will provide dedicated spaces for art and design students to work and collaborate, as well as a new theater in NEC’s Putnam Center for the Performing Arts for students studying performing arts. NEC will continue to hold events at its galleries and assembly space at French Hall in Manchester, according to the update.

Bio-pest control

The University of New Hampshire’s team of New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station scientists has published research in Environmental Entomology on the role of annual insectary plants as habitats for syrphid flies. According to a press release, the team studied flowering plants grown to attract, feed and shelter syrphids, also known as hover or flower flies, which are known to act as biological pest controls, consuming large numbers of common pests, like aphids. The research revealed that sweet alyssum, a low-growing cool-season annual in the Brassicaceae plant family, as well as buckwheat, dill and cilantro attracted and maintained significant numbers of syrphid flies. “We’ll use this information as a springboard to study the behavior and life histories of the key players in our vegetable agroecosystems, which will lead to better landscape management techniques and more sustainable pest management down the line,” Anna Wallingford, NHAES scientist, research assistant professor in UNH’s agriculture, nutrition and food systems department and co-author of the published article, said in the release. The team is considering further study to investigate if and how native perennial plants could be used to attract syrphids.

Autism Acceptance month

Applied ABC, an ABA autism therapy company in Manchester, invites the public to its Autism Acceptance month celebration at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Minor League Baseball team, on Saturday, April 22, from 1 to 3 p.m. The free event will feature booths set up across the stadium and field as well as ABA games and activities that promote social, cognitive and motor skills in children with autism, according to an email from the organizer. Visit appliedabc.com or call 403-3741 to learn more.

New Chair

Greater Nashua Mental Health has named James Jordan its new Chairman of the Board of Directors. According to a press release, Jordan has been a New Hampshire resident for more than 25 years and has decades of business experience, including having worked for Verizon Communications for 31 years before starting his own telecommunications consulting business. He currently runs Adaptive Techniques & Concepts, a consulting firm for large to mid-size companies across the country.

Drug take-back

The DEA’s bi-annual National Drug Take Back Day is happening on Saturday, April 22. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., New Hampshire town and city police departments will be hosting collection sites across the state for people to drop off their unused, unwanted or expired prescription medications, which can pose public safety risks such as accidental poisoning, overdoses and abuse when not properly discarded. The DEA will accept pills, patches and vaping devices and cartridges, but not liquids, needles, sharps or devices with lithium batteries. For a collection site locator to find a drop-off point near you, visit dea.gov/takebackday.

Looking for lead

The Nashua Regional Planning Commission and the Loon Preservation Committee are calling for anglers in the Nashua Region to check their tackle boxes for illegal lead tackle and dispose of it responsibly at the Household Hazardous Waste Event on Saturday, April 22, from 8 a.m. to noon, at 25 Crown St., in Nashua. The use of small lead tackle has been banned in New Hampshire due to its negative impact on the threatened loon population; according to a press release, lead tackle ingestion is the primary cause of documented adult loon deaths and accounted for 38.5 percent of documented adult loon deaths in the state between 1989 and 2022. There are a number of tests that can be done to identify tackle that is made of lead: according to Harry Vogel, LPC’s Senior Biologist and Executive Director, “When rubbed on paper, lead will leave a gray mark. Lead is soft, so lead tackle can be easily dented with a fingernail or with pliers.” If in doubt, consider the age of the tackle, Vogel added; tackle bought in 2010 or before is likely to be made of lead. The Household Hazardous Waste Event is open to residents of Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Nashua, Pelham, and Windham, with a fee of $15 per vehicle. Find a list of accepted items at nashuarpc.org/hhw. Additionally, LPC and the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game are offering a Lead Tackle Buyback Program in which anglers who turn in one ounce or more of illegal lead tackle at participating local tackle shops can receive a $10 voucher for that shop. For a list of participating shops, visit loonsafe.org.

Road work is underway on Interstate 393 between Concord and Chichester, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation announced, which includes ramps for exits 1, 2 and 3 and will require intermittent lane closures this summer. The work is part of a $500,000 sign replacement expected to be complete by mid-October. Real-time traffic news can be found at newengland511.org, and travelers can sign up for “My511” alerts to stay informed about incidents and construction work.

Manchester Community College (1066 Front St.) is holding an open House on Thursday, April 27, from 4 to 6 p.m. Prospective students are invited to visit the campus, meet with faculty and staff, and learn about financial aid and transfer opportunities with the New Hampshire Dual Admission Program. Attendees are encouraged to bring their transcripts to have previous credits evaluated for transfer. Visit mccnh.edu/admissions/openhouse or call 206-8000.

United Way of Greater Nashua is inviting people to dispose of their unwanted electronics at its e-recycling event, United w(E)-Recycle, Friday, April 21, through Sunday, April 23, at its location at 20 Broad St. in Nashua, with drop-off times Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. According to a press release, proceeds support the Greater Nashua School Supply Pantry. Email info@unitedwaynashua.org or visit unitedwaynashua.org for a list of accepted items and suggested donation amounts for their disposal.