Category: News

Come one, come all

Nature Conservancy builds universally accessible trail

Construction is now underway to make the trails at the Cedar Swamp Preserve in Manchester universally accessible. Mark Zankel, state director of The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire, which is overseeing the project, talked about the changes that are being made to the property.

Why did you choose the Cedar Swamp Preserve for this project?

We want people to be able to experience the joy of spending time in nature, and that’s not necessarily easy to do when you live in the most densely populated part of the state … so Manchester was an obvious choice … and the Cedar Swamp Preserve [was chosen] because it’s in such close proximity to downtown.

How did you determine what barriers needed to be addressed?

Manchester is the largest city … and the most diverse population in our state, so we realized we had work to do to understand what barriers people faced to access nature. We’ve spent the better part of the past year doing a number of listening sessions and engagement events with groups that haven’t always had a table with us … [like] NAACP of Greater Manchester, the Disability Rights Center in New Hampshire, a number of LGBTQ+ groups and AARP, to ask them what would make this place more welcoming and inclusive and accessible. … What we learned is that the barriers are not just physical; they can also be geographical, cultural and psychological.

How are you addressing those barriers to make the trail universally accessible?

We have well-defined guidance on how to build a trail that’s accessible to individuals with physical disabilities … in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. … We’re doing a crushed stone surface … with a topcoat of more finely packed crushed stone, which creates a surface that wheelchairs can go on without sinking too deep or getting stuck. … We’re widening the trail to allow [space] for two wheelchairs and for people who may have a support animal. Then, there’s the topography; the trail system … has rocks and roots and inclines at various degrees, so we’re working on winding the trail around that hilly topography so that [no part of the trail] is too steep. … We’ve gone from having only one or two benches to six benches … and are making them visible so that people can see how far it is to the next resting spot. … A lot of people in Manchester don’t have cars, so we’ve been working with the city to put a bus stop there to help break down that transportation barrier. … We’ve also translated out interpretive materials into Spanish … which is the second most spoken language in the Manchester area.

Where are you in the construction process right now?

We’ve done the trail plan … and initial expansion. Now, [the construction crew] is out there, literally going foot by foot with their heavy equipment, moving dirt and rocks and laying down the base of the trail. … We’re hoping and planning to open the trail by mid- to late October, with some kind of ribbon-cutting ceremony.

How do you find a balance between altering nature to make it more accessible and your greater mission of preserving it?

The Nature Conservancy has a lot of background and experience in managing conservation land in a way that allows for human uses and activities but is still compatible with conservation values … and [conscious of] the reasons why we’re protecting the property in the first place. … We’re charting a pathway [that requires] as little digging and moving things around as possible. … We’re also being really careful with the fill we’re bringing in to make sure that it doesn’t have the seeds of invasive species in it. … You can’t do this with no impact, but this is a small part of the overall cedar swamp system — 100 or so acres out of 640 acres — so there’s still a vast amount of property that doesn’t have any built infrastructure, where nature can really thrive. … We feel like it’s an acceptable level of impact for the benefit of getting people out there.

Will there be more of these?

I think there’s a strong interest in making conservation areas more accessible. … The New Hampshire conservation community has been thinking hard about this and trying to take action … so I think we will see more of these going forward. We’d love to do more, but we’re going to live into this one first. … These are big projects and not easy to do … so we really want to learn more about how the property gets used and how we can ensure that the people we’re building it for are able to use it.

Featured photo: Mark Zankel. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 21/08/12

Covid-19 update As of August 2 As of August 9
Total cases statewide 100,986 102,117
Total current infections statewide 738 1,270
Total deaths statewide 1,387 1,389
New cases 700 (July 27 to Aug. 2) 1,131 (Aug. 3 to Aug. 9)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 235 362
Current infections: Merrimack County 57 86
Current infections: Rockingham County 178 307
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

State health officials announced 96 new positive cases of Covid-19 on Aug. 9. The state averaged 168 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, an increase of 62 percent compared to the week before. As of Aug. 9, all but three counties in the state were at substantial levels of community transmission.

Body cameras

Last week the Executive Council approved a $3.4 million contract to equip New Hampshire State Police with body cameras, according to a press release. The use of body cameras was one of the recommendations made by the New Hampshire Commission on Law Enforcement Accountability, Community and Transparency, which was established through Executive Order by Gov. Chris Sununu in June 2020 and charged with developing recommendations for reforms deemed necessary to enhance transparency, accountability and community relations in law enforcement, the release said. “This effort provides yet another layer of transparency and accountability in our continued efforts to further bolster public trust in the incredible work done by New Hampshire’s law enforcement officers, who set the gold standard for the rest of the country,” Sununu said in a statement following the contract approval.

Juvenile justice

A new advisory group that will update and replace the State Advisory Group for Juvenile Justice has been formed, Gov. Chris Sununu announced last week. According to a press release, the New Hampshire Juvenile Justice Reform Commission will “assist the state in aligning New Hampshire’s juvenile justice system with advances in scientific understanding of adolescent development and youth offenders.” The group’s primary role is to advise the state on its use of federal juvenile justice grants and supporting compliance with federal juvenile justice requirements. The original advisory group had been in place for more than 20 years, created by Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, and the formation of this new group is an effort to bring in fresh perspectives and ideas, the release said. “The Department continues to transform the state’s juvenile justice system to be a more proactive one that identifies and addresses youths’ needs before at-risk youth become involved with the courts,” said Joe Ribsam, director of the Division for Children, Youth and Families. The advisory will include representatives from the juvenile justice system, including those working within the court system, organizations that work with children and youth, people working in education, youth mental and behavioral health providers, and those who have been or are currently involved with the juvenile justice system. Anyone who meets those requirements and is interested in serving on the commission should email a letter of interest and resume to [email protected].

Housing Commission

Last week the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the creation of a city Housing Commission, following the recommendations made by the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Task Force. According to a press release, this commission will be responsible for following up on recommendations made by the Task Force and continuing its work by “recognizing, promoting, enhancing, encouraging, and developing a balanced and diverse supply of housing to meet the economic, social and physical needs of the City of Manchester and its residents.” It will work with city departments and boards to develop plans for the future while meeting the city’s current housing needs, Mayor Joyce Craig said in the release. The commission will be made up of five members and two alternates. Anyone interested should send a resume and statement of interest to [email protected].

Bias trainings

Last week, Manchester School District Superintendent Dr. John Goldhardt issued a statement in response to requests for public records regarding staff trainings that cover the topics of diversity and bias. “Manchester School District values community members’ desire to better understand our students’ education, which is why we are happy to share the professional development options our teachers and staff get to choose from,” Goldhardt wrote in the statement. A list of those trainings and their descriptors was included with the statement. Trainings on the list were: Safe Schools: Social & Behavioral > Cultural Competence & Racial Bias; Youth Equity Stewardship (YES!): Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Learning for Justice: What Is White Privilege, Really?; Better Lessons: Bias and Privilege: Self-Reflecting and Using our Power for Change; and City Year: Implicit racial bias and cultural competence, as well as a list of Amplify curriculum materials. Links to most of the trainings were included unless the material is no longer accessible. “It should be noted that all training shared in this list … was voluntary and in place prior to the June 25, 2021, enactment of the Right to Freedom from Discrimination in Public Workspaces and Education law,” Goldhardt wrote in the statement.

Mental health care

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that it will be requesting an amendment to the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Access Research and Demonstration Waiver from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. According to a press release, the goal of the proposed amendment is to add coverage for short-term inpatient and residential treatment services for beneficiaries with Serious Mental Illness and to allow Medicaid to pay for short-term stays in Institutions for Mental Disease for beneficiaries ages 21 to 64 with SMI. This would help reduce the use of ERs by Medicaid beneficiaries with SMI while they await mental health care in specialized settings, improve the availability of crisis stabilization services, and improve access to community-based services for Medicaid beneficiaries with SMI, the release said. Prior to submitting the amendment request, DHHS is seeking comment from the public until Tuesday, Aug. 31, at dhhs.nh.gov/sud-imd.

Evictions on hold

The New Hampshire Circuit Court, which just recently resumed eviction proceedings, has paused them again in six counties, in cases that are covered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s partial eviction moratorium. According to a press release, as of Aug. 4, Belknap, Cheshire, Grafton, Hillsborough, Rockingham and Strafford counties are covered by the moratorium, which was put in to place for counties that are considered to have substantial or high risk of transmission of Covid-19. All landlord-tenant cases arising out of those counties that were previously stayed by the moratorium — that is, where a tenant has provided a declaration in compliance with the CDC order to their landlord — will be stayed again,” the release said. All other courts will continue processing and holding hearings in all landlord-tenant cases.

Ann Scholz, who lives on Pleasant Lake in Deerfield and Northwood, has been awarded the 2021 John F. Morten Memorial Award for Exemplary Lake Stewardship. According to a press release from NH Lakes, Scholz was nominated by nine people and unanimously chosen by the NH Lakes selection committee, for the “countless hours she has volunteered over the past seven years preparing grant applications, meeting with town officials, and working with state agencies to implement projects to protect the lake from polluted runoff water.

The YMCA of Greater Nashua will use the $100,000 it was awarded from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fund outreach and education efforts to build vaccine confidence among city communities that haven’t been vaccinated for Covid-19 and have not consistently received annual flu vaccines. According to a press release, the YMCA will partner with Harbor Care, which hosts regular vaccine clinics at its High Street location, to have two part-time community health workers provide vaccine education at community events in Nashua over the next year. The funds will also be used to recruit and train 13 Vaccine Ambassadors who want to help spread the word about the importance of vaccinations.

The 38th annual Gail Singer Memorial Blood Drive will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 17, and Wednesday, Aug. 18, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at 700 Elm St. in Manchester. According to a press release, the Red Cross is experiencing an emergency need for donors, and this blood drive honors the memory of Gail Singer, who died in 1984 of leukemia.

This Week 21/08/05

Big Events August 5, 2021, and beyond

Thursday, Aug. 5

The Sunflower Festival at the Coppal House Farm (118 N. River Road in Lee; 659-3572) continues today and through the weekend, wrapping up on Sunday, Aug. 8. The field is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission for weekdays costs $8 per person ($6 for kids ages 5 to 12 and for seniors and military and free for kids ages 4 and under). On the weekends, admission costs $12 per person ($10 for kids ages 5 to 12 and for seniors and military and free for kids ages 4 and under). Tickets are available at nhsunflower.com and at the farm stand. The festival also features an artisan craft fair on Saturday and Sunday, food vendors (including Flag Hill Distillery and Winery, Coppa Magica, El Camino and Fabian’s European Pastries on Saturday) and souvenir photo shoots for sale, according to the website.

On the weekend, find live music including, on Saturday, Artty Francoeur (10 a.m.), Green Heron (at noon), Borscht (2 p.m.) and Chris Reagan (4 p.m.), and on Sunday, Long Journey (10 a.m.), Decatur Creek (noon), Grim Brothers (2 p.m.) and Cedar Mountain (4 p.m.).

Other special events planned for the rest of the festival run. Today is Fairytale Day with visits from special characters and fairy house building starting at 2:30 p.m., according to the website. Friday, Aug. 6, from 3 to 5 p.m. is Old Truck Day when you can see old trucks and talk to restorers. Children’s story times will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 7, and Sunday, Aug. 8.

Thursday, Aug. 5

New Hampshire Fisher Cats continue their run of home games at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive in downtown Manchester; nhfishercats.com) with games against the Hartford Yard Goats through Sunday, Aug. 8. Games Thursday through Saturday start at 7:05 p.m.; Sunday’s game starts at 1:35 p.m. Before Sunday’s game, the Fisher Cats will host a Princesses at the Park brunch (tickets cost $24) featuring a pancake breakfast and appearances by princesses. Sunday will also feature a Gatos Feroces hat giveaway and kids run the bases, according to the promotions schedule. Post-game fireworks are scheduled for Thursday and Saturday.

Thursday, Aug. 5

The Nashua Silver Knights have three games on the schedule for the next seven days at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St. in Nashua). Tonight at 6 p.m. they play the Westfield Starfires. On Friday, Aug. 6, they play the Vermont Lake Monsters, also at 6 p.m., with post-game fireworks. On Tuesday, Aug. 10, a doubleheader against the New Britain Bees starts at 3 p.m. Tickets to games start at $8 for adults, $6 for kids. See nashuasilverknights.com.

Friday, Aug. 6

Catch comedian Frank Santorelli tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588). Tickets cost $25.

Saturday, Aug. 7

The Belknap County 4-H Fair runs today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and tomorrow, Aug. 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 174 Mile Hill Road in Belmont. Events include 4-H agricultural events (a horse show at 9 a.m. on Saturday, a poultry hall at 1 p.m.) and live entertainment such as magic (Sunday at 10 a.m. and noon) and music (including Cedar Mountain Bluegrass Band at 2 p.m. on Saturday and the Blue Monsters at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday). Admission costs $8 ($7 for seniors and free for kids under 10 and for military with ID). See bcfairnh.org.

Save the Date! Saturday, Aug. 28

Order today to get the gyro plate, rice pudding, loukoumades, kourambiedes, feta or spinach peta, pastichio and of course baklava during the Greekfest Express at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (111 Island Pond Road in Manchester; 623-2045, assumptionnh.org). As with other foodie events at Assumption over the last year, this event is pre-order and drive-thru pick-up only. Go to foodfest.assumptionnh.org to order your Greekfest favorites by Sunday, Aug. 22, and select a time on Saturday, Aug. 28, for pick-up.

Featured photo, Sunflower. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 21/08/05

Rain, rain, go away

July 2021 has set the record as the rainiest July documented in southern New Hampshire. According to the Union Leader, Concord had received 10.69 inches of rain as of July 23, surpassing the record set in 1915 with 10.29 inches. The rain has been particularly hard on Seacoast businesses that rely on good summer weather, Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce president John Nyhan said in the article, and on Seacoast vacationers and tourists who spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on their stay, only to be stuck inside.

Score: -1

Comment: Concord has been keeping an official rainfall record since 1868, making this year’s July rainfall the most the city has seen in at least 153 years.

Scootering around

Electric scooters are coming to Manchester and will be available through an app, where riders can pay to use the scooter by the minute. According to a press release, Manchester is partnering with L.A.-based Bird Rides to bring in the e-scooters at no cost to the city. “We heard from a lot of businesses who were looking for micromobility options for their employees to easily travel from the Millyard to downtown,” Mayor Joyce Craig said in the release. The scooters can be used on roads and in bike lanes and have a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour. Riders must be at least 18 and are required to obey standard rules of the road, and they are encouraged to wear a helmet.

Score: +1

Comment: “As a company with 70+ employees moving from Elm Street to the Millyard later this year, we know it’s important to keep professionals coming to work in this city and visiting our shops and cafes,” Mike Collins, CEO and founder of Alumni Adventures, said in the release. “We’ve already had a few employees buy a bike helmet this week to keep at the office for quick trips around town.”

Where’s my package?

New Hampshire residents rank among the highest in the country when it comes to searching online for mail delivery delays, according to a recent survey released by 4over, a California-based company specializing in direct mail and printing services. According to the company’s findings, 4over surveyed more than 2,000 consumers and more than 200 Google search terms related to the phrase “delivery delays” in every state. In New Hampshire, we placed 5th overall in the United States, behind two of our neighbors (Rhode Island at No. 3 and Vermont at No. 1). Elsewhere in New England, Maine came in at No. 8, Connecticut at No. 12 and Massachusetts at No. 15.

Score: -1

Comment:The survey also found that 73 percent of people feel a sense of anxiety when their package is delayed, yet 65 percent of them feel that delivery tracking can be addicting.

Tennis for the greater good

Three New Hampshire high school students are using their love of tennis to help underprivileged youth, according to WMUR. They’ve organized a new fundraiser, Rally for Tennis, to benefit Advantage Kids, an organization that serves at-risk youth and provides opportunities for them to get involved in healthy activities like tennis and yoga. The students had raised $8,932, according to the fundraising page as of Aug. 3, and are hoping to meet their goal of $10,000.

Score: +1

Comment: Rally for Tennis will be held on Sunday, Aug. 15, at Longfellow New Hampshire Tennis and Swim Club in Nashua. Visit rallyfortennis.com to register for the event and donate.

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 [email protected].

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.

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