Category: News

The week that was

It was a week filled with big news from all fronts. Here are some thoughts.

News Item: Chaim Conservative at Trade Deadline

There was a lot of talk radio yakking going on after Chaim Bloom went conservative during baseball’s highly active trade deadline. Especially with big names like Max Scherzer, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant changing addresses. That wasn’t helped by the Sox getting swept by Tampa Bay in the direct aftermath. Many pointed to the Dodgers giving up major prospects to get Scherzer and Trea Turner as a reason for their dismay. I say it’s the exact opposite, the plan Bloom stuck to is the one his former boss Andrew Friedman used when he first got to L.A., which was to first clear up the payroll mess from the ridiculous Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Adrian Gonzalez 2012 trade with the Sox, and then build a deep high talent farm system that gave them low-cost production in key spots, providing the ability to spend big for difference-making outsiders (Mookie Betts) without blowing up the payroll. It also let them send blocked talent like Alex Verdugo elsewhere to outbid teams as they did to San Francisco after it appeared Scherzer was headed there. No matter what they did, the Sox don’t have enough now. So with Chaim showing me enough with the unheralded moves that helped fortify this team, I’m willing to sacrifice one year to keep the long-term plan on track because it’s led to nine straight NL West titles and three World Series in L.A. Especially with big future deals looming for Raffy Devers and Xander Bogaerts.

News Item: Lakers And Celtics Going in Different Directions

Anyone have any idea what the Celtics are doing? Because while the Lakers are finding a way to fit Russell Westbrook’s mammoth $44 million salary into their bloated salary cap the Celtics are giving away a 20-point scorer and a first-round pick to save a few million by swapping the bad contracts of Kemba Walker and 36-year-old Al Horford. Then giving up Tristan Thompson for a point guard who can’t shoot or stay healthy who’ll be playing on his fourth team in a five-year NBA career. Not that I love Thompson, but if he’s added to a package with Marcus Smart to a big man-needy team instead of being given away, the larger deal might let them get a point guard who can actually shoot and, as importantly, knows when not to.

As for L.A., many think the Westbrook deal doesn’t help their long-range shooting issues. True, but with LeBron playing point forward and Anthony Davis able to draw bigs outside, it opens the floor to let Westbrook attack the basket while also adding real help on the boards. And they still have their $9 million cap exception to add someone like Duncan Robinson to provide distance shooting. All of which makes it more likely L.A. wins a record-breaking 18th league title than it will be for the descending Celtics.

News Item: Major Change Likely Coming in College Football

It’s long past the point where fans can be surprised money is behind every horrible change in sport. It was the thing that ended the greatest college basketball league ever. I know the eight-team ACC was the model for everything else, but from its inception in 1979 and late into the 1990’s The Big East was college hoop heaven. Then came the lust for football money, which destroyed the intimacy, regional flavor and rivalries that made it special by doubling its size with teams/schools that had no connection to the Northeast. Followed by Syracuse and BC bolting for the ACC, which pretty much ended my love affair with college basketball, where I don’t know who plays in what conference and no longer care to find out.

The latest is word Texas and Oklahoma soon will leave the Big 12 for the football-crazed SEC. So much for the Power 5 and the regional rivalries it will destroy. Disregard your long time Big 12 business partners, as previously done by Texas A&M and Missouri so what’s the big deal? The only good thing is the insufferable Texas alumni behind the regular firing of head coaches will have this one stuffed back their throats. Because if they can’t win even enough in the inferior Big 12, how can they compete with Georgia, Clemson and Alabama? Just deserts. Roll Tide.

News Item: A Second Thought for Mookie in L.A.

Anyone else notice the Dodgers played Mookie Betts at second last weekend? Regular readers may recall me saying Alex Cora should consider playing him there when injuries hit right before the 2018 playoffs, which got “no you can’t” email blowback. L.A. says they’ll do it periodically to relieve stress on his body. Which seems weird as with double play breaks-ups and moving on every play most see playing infield as more stressful on the body than catching three fly balls a game in the outfield. No errors and a homer in his first game there, incidentally.

News Item: Biles Bails on Chance for Gold

Uber gymnast Simone Biles pulled away from the Olympics for mental health issues and naturally criticism followed on social media. I don’t know how people can criticize her, unless they’ve actually experienced what she goes through. I know I don’t have a clue what that feels like, so I think those talking about her in a negative way should stand down and show some compassion without firsthand knowledge of what dogs her.

News Item: Best Line of the Olympics So Far

It was the advice U.S. Men’s Basketball Coach Greg Popovich gave to Jayson Tatum after he put him in the starting line-up last week, which was, “act like you’re playing the Spurs.” A reference to the 60 points he put on the board against Pop’s team last winter. Which he did with a 27-point effort in a pivotal win over the Czech Republican.

Motion to change

NH Circuit Court judge recognized for innovative approach

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges has named Judge David D. King, Chief Administrative Judge of the New Hampshire Circuit Court, its 2021 Innovator of the Year, an award that recognizes one judge in the U.S. who has exhibited exceptional innovation in their state’s courts. King talked about the honor and what’s next for him and the Circuit Court.

What is the Circuit Court and your role within it?

In 2011, we took three courts — the district court, the probate court and the family division — and we collapsed them into one gigantic court, which is the New Hampshire Circuit Court. It has 34 locations … and about 90 percent of the case filings in the state. As the administrative judge, I’m sort of the manager of this piece of the court system. … The Circuit Court is like a giant rowboat, and my job is to get everybody — the judges, the clerks of court, the staff of the courts — rowing in the same direction. When everybody rows in the same direction, we’re able to do a lot of great things.

How did it feel, being named Innovator of the Year?

It was a particularly special honor to receive this award coming out of a pandemic, when every court and judge in the country had to be innovative just to keep the doors open. … By giving me the award, the Council is also recognizing all of the judges … clerks and staff that I work with … so I accept it on their behalf. They’re the ones who made me look good enough to get nominated.

How has the Circuit Court demonstrated innovation?

With ever-increasing restraints on our budget, we’ve really had to think outside the box. … We’ve done a lot of things that are new and innovative [among courts] around the country. For example, we started a call center … which answers every single phone call that comes into the court. … It’s taken over 4 million calls since we started it. I think it’s still the only court call center in the country.

How did the Circuit Court handle the pandemic?

Our highest priority was children … in abuse or neglect situations and delinquency situations … and people, mostly women, who needed protective orders in domestic violence cases … whose cases couldn’t be put on the back burner. Early on in the pandemic, our filings in domestic violence cases and cases of abuse and neglect of children were down; that would seem like a good thing, but we knew it was … only because our courthouses were essentially closed, so we started a system where domestic violence petitions could be filed by email — something we hadn’t done before. Our filings went back up. We also started doing abuse and neglect hearings by telephone, which, ironically, increased the attendance, because parents who hadn’t been active in cases, probably because they couldn’t take a day off from work or didn’t have transportation, all of a sudden were able to participate because they could call into a hearing. … We did over 150,000 hearings during the pandemic, most of them either by video or telephonically. … People were, in some ways, getting better access to justice during the pandemic.

What is the Circuit Court’s biggest challenge now?

Some of the case types, like small claims and civil cases, had to be put on the back burner during the pandemic, so we have thousands of cases backed up. Trying to figure out how we’re going to attack this backlog [while] not letting the priority cases slip at all is a huge challenge. … We’re also [expecting] to get hit with a tsunami of eviction cases, so we’ve been working closely with … New Hampshire Housing and New Hampshire legal systems to make sure that, before people get to the point of being evicted, every attempt has been made for them to access the federal funds that are available to both landlords and tenants so that they can stay in their housing.

What do you find fulfilling about your work?

I enjoy the challenge of dealing with a huge volume of cases … and figuring out ways to make sure that everyone who needs access to justice has a way to get to the Circuit Court; … prioritize our resources; handle cases efficiently; and triage the most important cases so that no one waits an inordinate amount of time for a decision from a judge when there’s a very important or emergent issue before the court.

What is your next goal?

Our goal this year was to increase our judicial positions, and we did get [funding for] four more judges. … My goal in the next budget cycle … is to address the staffing issue in the Circuit Court. … The Circuit Court is authorized to have 45 full-time judges, and today we have 33. … We’re losing people [to] the private sector because they can make more money there. We even lost someone who decided to go work at Dunkin’ Donuts because it paid more. I don’t like that. … We really need to address the compensation structure of our court system.

Featured photo: Judge David D. King. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 21/08/05

Covid-19 update As of July 26 As of August 2
Total cases statewide 100,286 100,986
Total current infections statewide 364 738
Total deaths statewide 1,385 1,387
New cases 320 (July 20 to July 26) 700 (July 27 to Aug. 2)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 92 235
Current infections: Merrimack County 44 57
Current infections: Rockingham County 85 178
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

State health officials announced 99 new positive cases of Covid-19 on Aug. 2. The state averaged 107 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, an increase of 112 percent compared to the week before. As of Aug. 2, all but two counties in the state were at moderate levels of community transmission, according to state health officials, while Belknap County was at a substantial level and Sullivan County at a minimal level.

Due to the prevalence of the highly contagious delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended universal indoor masking for K-through-12 schools across the country. According to an Aug. 2 report from WMUR, New Hampshire Commissioner of Education Frank Edelblut said that will be a decision made at the local level this fall, by either the school board or the superintendent. Because the state is no longer under an emergency order, school districts will not be required to offer remote learning, though they can if they choose to.

The New Hampshire Hospital Association announced in an Aug. 3 press release that it supports mandating Covid-19 vaccines for employees of all state hospitals and health systems. The release cited recent data from the Josiah Bartlett Center that vaccinated patients are less likely to fall ill or be hospitalized — since the beginning of February, according to the data, unvaccinated people have accounted for 99 percent of New Hampshire’s positive Covid cases and 98 percent of deaths. “As public health leaders, our mission is to protect the lives and well-being of both our patients and our staff, and the Covid-19 vaccine is the most effective way we can do that,” Don Caruso, President and CEO of Cheshire Medical Center and the current Chair of the New Hampshire Hospital Association’s Board of Trustees said in a statement. According to a press release issued the same day, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health will require vaccinations of all of its employees as a condition of employment, beginning Sept. 30. The requirements include all per diem employees and those working remotely, according to the release.

Eviction cases

The federal eviction moratorium ended July 31, and several state agencies have prepared for the anticipated rise in eviction cases. The New Hampshire Circuit Court, which handles eviction cases in the state, has seen a substantial decrease in the number of evictions filed since the moratorium started in September, according to a press release, and plans to restart eviction cases that were put on hold and have hearings for most of those cases by Aug. 11. For cases that were put on hold after a judgment had already been issued, the Court will begin issuing Writs of Possession Aug. 2, the release said.

The Circuit Court has been working with New Hampshire Housing, which administers the New Hampshire Emergency Rental Assistance Program, a $200 million federally funded rental assistance program that can pay for up to a total of 15 months of back and future rent and other housing-related expenses, such as water, sewer, trash, home heating and relocation expenses, for eligible tenants who can’t pay rent or utilities due to the impact of the pandemic. According to the release, landlords can start the application on behalf of tenants and are paid directly if the tenant is approved. The assistance is expected to be available through at least 2022.

Applications are being accepted by the state’s five Community Action Partnership agencies and can be submitted at capnh.org. Renters can call 211 for assistance or contact 603 Legal Aid (nhlegalaid.org), which provides free civil legal services to low-income people.

Primary date

Last week, Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed HB 98, which would have moved the date of the state primary from the second Tuesday in September to the first Tuesday in August. “I agree with the Secretary of State that House Bill 98 creates more problems than it solves,” Sununu wrote in his veto statement. He wrote that it would move the election, as well as the campaign season for that election, into the middle of the summer. “This is a time when many Granite Staters are enjoying their vacations and are far less likely to be involved in the electoral process,” he wrote. “This change could lead to depressed voter engagement in the election and reduced turnout.” He also wrote that the summer date could make it more difficult for towns and cities to recruit poll workers and Election Day volunteers, already a challenge for many municipalities. “New Hampshire’s elections are the gold standard for the rest of the country and our primary date schedule has stood the test of time,” he wrote. “Our Secretary of State, who has run our state’s elections for 45 years, believes this legislation will add significant challenges to a process that does not need to be changed.”

Animal protection

Gov. Sununu signed three new animal protection bills on July 25, including one that will require drivers to stop if they hit a cat and report the incident to the cat’s owner or local police, according to WMUR. The law currently applies to dogs and will be enforced for cats starting in 2022. The other two bills will increase penalties for stealing dogs and tampering with a dog’s collar or microchip, and establish criminal penalties for acts of cruelty done to wild animals. The bills received bipartisan support from the House and the Senate, according to the article.

E-ZPass card

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation has announced that NH E-ZPass customers can now replenish their E-ZPass account with cash at participating retail locations with the E-ZPass Reload Card. According to a press release, customers who don’t want to use their credit or debit cards to automatically replenish their accounts can instead add funds to their accounts with the New Hampshire E-ZPass Reload Card. The wallet-size reusable card can be found on the gift card display at participating retailers throughout the state. It will add an initial reload amount from $10 to $500, plus a $1.50 retailer convenience fee, the release said, and the card can then be linked to the customer’s account by calling the phone number on the back of the card. To reload the card, customers must present the same Reload Card in-store, and cash payments will automatically be loaded to their E-ZPass account.

The Hooksett Area Rotary Club and the Queen City Rotary Club are looking for volunteers to help them assemble more than 3,000 backpacks for their Gear Up for School backpack drive. According to a press release, volunteers are needed on Saturday, Aug. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Memorial High School in Manchester to fill packs with back-to-school supplies. All ages are welcome, and you can sign up by searching for the event on signupgenius.com or email harcnh@gmail.com for more information.

Sales at the New Hampshire State Forest Nursery in Boscawen continue to grow, according to a press release. Total nursery sales rose 14.2 percent to $220,481 over 2020, which was also a record year. The nursery shipped 238,155 seedlings, an increase of 27,990 from last year, the release said. Nursery stock is grown on site at the nursery from seed and is not imported or transplanted from other sources.

The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire broke ground last week on the All Persons Trail at the Cedar Swamp Preserve in Manchester, according to a press release. The universally accessible trail is expected to be completed and open to the public in October.

Water Safety Day will be held Thursday, Aug. 5, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hampton Beach Seashell Complex in Hampton. According to a press release, the event will include rescue demonstrations and interactive discussions about staying safe on the ocean and in lakes or rivers. The event is hosted by the state Division of Parks and Recreation’s State Beach Patrol and Hampton Beach State Park lifeguards.

This Week 21/07/29

Big Events July 29, 2021, and beyond

Thursday, July 29

The Merrimack Valley Military Vehicle Collectors Club will hold its annual Weare Rally today through Saturday, July 31. The event includes vendors (including food vendors), demonstrations, military vehicle displays and more. On Saturday, admission will cost $5 and the rally will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to mvmvc.org.

Thursday, July 29

At the Currier Museum of Art’s (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) weekly Art After Work, admission is free on Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. and you can enjoy live music, free tours and food and drink for sale in the Winter Garden Cafe. Today, the live musical performance is by Charlie Chronopoulos and the tours are of the exhibits “Tomie dePaola at the Currier” (at 5:30 p.m.) and “Roberto Lugo: Te traigo mi le lo lai — I bring you my joy” (at 6:30 p.m.). Advance online registration is recommended, according to the website.

Friday, July 30

The Nashua Silver Knights will play the Westfield Starfires today at 6 p.m. with fireworks to follow the game at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St. in Nashua). The Silver Knights will face Westfield again on Sunday, Aug. 1, in a doubleheader, the first game of which starts at 3 p.m. Tickets to games start at $8 for adults, $6 for kids. See nashuasilverknights.com.

Saturday, July 31

Lucas Gallo plays Fletcher-Murphy Park (28 Fayette St. in Concord) today at 6 p.m. as part of the Bank of New Hampshire Stage’s Music in the Park Series. Gallo released his newest EP, Time, last week. Tickets cost $12 plus a $3 fee; see banknhstage.com.

Saturday, July 31

Olympic competition continues this week, as does the competition at the Doggy Olympics, a series of activities held by the New Hampshire Dog Walking Club. Today at 10 a.m. it’s the Canine Fitness Challenge at Canine Strong in Concord. Or perhaps the Bubble Catching Game on Monday, Aug. 2, 6:30 p.m. at Friendly Pets Dog Park in Lee is more your dog’s speed. Find information on all the events and how to register your four-legged competitor at nhdogwalkingclub.com/2021-doggy-olympics-events.

Saturday, July 31

Take the kids to Greeley Park in Nashua for a Fairy Tale Concert with Party Palace, which starts at 11 a.m. The event is part of the city’s SummerFun programming (see nashuanh.gov) and kids are invited to dress up as their favorite fairy tale characters, according to the brochure, which also said the event will feature princesses interacting with the kids for singing, dancing and more.

Save the Date! Friday, Aug. 6

Catch Recycled Percussion Aug. 6 and Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. at Lakeport Opera House (781 Union Ave. in Laconia; 519-7506, lakeportopera.com). Tickets start at $25.

Featured photo, Aaron Tolson. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 21/07/29

Smoke in the air

Earlier this week — and for the second time in two weeks — the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services issued a statewide advisory due to high concentrations of fine particle air pollution. Officials called for an Air Quality Action Day on July 26 and July 27 and advised children and older adults, people with lung disease such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis, and people who are active outdoors to limit prolonged outdoor exertion. According to a press release, the air pollution is being caused by the wildfires in the western U.S. and central and western Canada. The air quality was expected to improve on Wednesday, with winds pushing smoke plumes out of the area, but as of Tuesday morning the wildfires were still burning, which could mean more Air Quality Action Days for New Hampshire.

Score: -1

Comment: Even healthy individuals are encouraged to limit outdoor activity, as particle pollution exposure may cause chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, the release said.

Mission accomplished

With much fewer Covid-19 cases than at the height of the pandemic, and with strong vaccination rates throughout the state, the Senior Support Team of New Hampshire has ended its operations supporting senior residential facilities. According to a press release, the fully remote, all-volunteer organization was formed in April 2020 to support assisted living facilities and other senior residential facilities in New Hampshire through the pandemic. Covid Response Liaisons were available every day to communicate with senior facilities, providing facility leaders with guidance, and a statewide team advocated for supplies or services to help make outbreaks in senior facilities less likely. About 55 senior residential facilities participated in the Covid Response Liaison program, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: The rapid organization of this all-volunteer group, and its work throughout the pandemic, is impressive, but the real positive here is the fact that it’s no longer needed.

Beware of Child Tax Credit scams

Advance payments of the Child Tax Credit from the Internal Revenue Service are now being delivered to families, and along with them are new scams that criminals are using to steal money and personal information. According to a press release, any families that are eligible for the credit should be on the lookout for phone, email, text message and social media scams, specifically communication offering assistance to sign up for the Child Tax Credit or to speed up the monthly payments. When receiving unsolicited calls or messages, taxpayers should not provide personal information, click on links or open attachments, the release said.

Score: -1

Comment: If you are eligible for advance payments of the Child Tax Credit, the IRS will use information from your 2020 or 2019 tax return to automatically enroll you for advance payments, and there is nothing further that you need to do, the release said.

Thriving school systems

New Hampshire has the fifth best school system in the country, according to a recent study released by personal finance website WalletHub, which compiled data of 32 key measures of quality and safety. According to the study, New Hampshire ranks No. 1 in Median ACT Scores and in Existence of Digital Learning Plan. Other Top 10 ratings include No. 3 in Pupil-Teacher Ration, No. 4 in Reading Test Scores and No. 6 in Math Test Scores.

Score: +1

Comment: Overall, we ranked fourth for quality and 12th for safety. Massachusetts ranked first overall, snagging the top spot for both quality and safety.

QOL score: 82
Net change: 0
QOL this week: 82

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

Still growing

Local farmers contend with heavy rain, dip in demand

Every sumShawn Jasper, Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food, gave an update on the current growing season and how local farms are doing.

How is the summer growing season going so far?

It’s sort of a mixed bag as to what’s going on out there. … Things started out very dry for much of the state. There was enough moisture that many of the farms, particularly the ones that were growing hay for forage, had a very good first crop, but then they were very concerned about the second crop. To a large degree, in the areas where a lot of the hay is grown, we never really got into a drought, but we were in dry conditions. Now the problem for most of our farms is that things are too wet. … We’re getting a lot of rain and just enough sunshine that the corn is shooting up like crazy, but for some of the other crops in some areas, like tomatoes, it’s not enough sunshine. … The other problem is we’re not having three days of dry weather to really be able to get out into the field. That’s a concern at this point, because second cutting should be well underway and almost wrapped up in most areas, but farmers can’t [work]. I’ve heard of some farmers who are out in the field trying to do various things and getting stuck, and that’s never a good thing. … Still, it’s certainly a lot better than where we were last year, when everyone was running out of water or their irrigation ponds were going dry and it was just one thing after another.

What conditions would be ideal for farmers for the rest of the season?

We’re praying for some sunshine at this point, for an extended period of time. Four or five days without any rain would really allow the vegetables and crops to take advantage of the moisture that’s in the soil. We could be poised for a very good remainder of the year, and all the fruits and vegetables are probably going to do pretty well if things dry out and don’t just immediately go back into another drought. Ideally, we should have a rainstorm about once a week, not once every other day.

How are local farms doing business-wise?

During the pandemic, our farmers markets and farm stands did very well. I hoped that people would continue to buy from our local farms, but that’s one case where things have gone back to normal. We need more people to buy more local products if agriculture is going to expand in New Hampshire. We’re all a lot healthier when we’re eating local food and getting those fresher products into our systems. It’s going to be a little bit more expensive, but as we’re seeing, [food] is getting more expensive anyhow, even at the grocery store.

What are farmers doing to protect their livelihood?

There’s no question [farming] is a challenge in New Hampshire, and it probably always will be, but New Hampshire farmers are smart. We’re seeing a lot more innovative farming methods. A lot more people are using high tunnel greenhouses; they don’t require any heat because they allow natural heat to be trapped within the greenhouse, which means farmers can start their seasons earlier. We had local corn on the Fourth of July because [the crops] were started under black plastic, which, again, traps heat and allows the corn to get a great start. Farmers are trying all the methods that are out there.

What is the best thing people can do for their home gardens right now?

Be aware of their soil conditions. A lot of the nutrients are leaching out of the soil with this large amount of rain, so putting in some extra fertilizer is going to be helpful.

Featured photo: Shawn Jasper. Courtesy photo.

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