Preliminary numbers show that violent crime in Manchester is down 25 percent from April of this year to the end of June. The city usually sees about a 9-percent increase in violent crime heading into the summer months, according to a press release, and the Manchester Police Department is attributing this success in part to the CompStat360 initiative, which promotes collaboration with community members and other city stakeholders to solve community problems, as well as strong collaboration with local, county, state and federal law enforcement and prosecutors. One of the top priorities has been violent crime prevention and reduction, the release said.
Score: +1
Comment: The data also shows that gun crime in Manchester has dropped 40 percent compared to 2020 and is down 20 percent when compared to the five-year average, the release said.
Tuition freeze at community colleges
The Community College System of New Hampshire will once again freeze tuition at $215 per credit, or $6,450 per year, in tuition costs for a full-time course load. According to a press release, the rate has been the same for four years, and New Hampshire’s community colleges continue to be the most affordable college options for residents. In addition, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges are offering one free, three-credit course in the fall semester to any member of a New Hampshire high school class of ’21.
Score: +1
Comment:Annual full-time tuition at New Hampshire’s seven community colleges costs only $150 more than it did a decade ago when the tuition rate was $210 per credit for the 2011 school year, according to the release.
Hiring challenges mean less amusement
Without enough employees to staff its regular hours, Canobie Lake Park in Salem will now be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and will close early a few days a week, according to a report from WMUR. Park officials told WMUR that while about half of the staff returns each year, new applicants are down 75 percent. The new hours of the park are Wednesday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. until 7 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Score: -1
Comment: At least you can still get nauseatingly dizzy on the Turkish Twist five days a week.
Keeping lakes clean
The Lake Host courtesy boat inspection program is celebrating its 20th anniversary as once again its hundreds of lake hosts posted at 100 of the busiest boat ramps in the state are teaching boaters how to clean their boats to prevent the spread of invasive species. According to a press release from NH LAKES, over the past 19 years the Lake Host program has slowed the rate of spread of invasive plants, including milfoil, from lake to lake. The primary way invasive species spread is on boats that have not been thoroughly cleaned, drained and dried between voyages in different bodies of water.
Score: +1
Comment:Approximately 90 of the state’s water bodies contain infestations of invasive species that can clog boat motors and propellers, according to the release, and once they are firmly established they are nearly impossible to get rid of.
QOL score: 80 Net change: +2 QOL this week: 82
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Rentals needed
Results of the recently released 2021 New Hampshire Residential Rental Cost Survey Report shows that it’s a tough market for renters right now, with low inventory, lower vacancy rates and higher rents. According to the report summary, owners and managers of more than 24,560 unsubsidized rental housing units in the state (15 percent of all units) took part in the survey, which shows that this year’s statewide median gross rent of $1,498 (including utilities) for two-bedroom units is up 6 percent over last year, and the 0.9 percent vacancy rate for all units is lower than last year. According to the report, a vacancy rate of 5 percent is considered a balanced market for tenants and landlords, and comparatively, both the U.S. and Northeast vacancy rates are at 6.8 percent. Meanwhile, there is also a limited supply of homes for sale, making it more difficult for renters to become homeowners, the report said. New Hampshire Housing has committed financing for more than 1,000 rental units over the past year, and those will be available in 12 to 18 months. Still, “To sustain New Hampshire’s economy, additional housing is needed to support our workforce, as well as those who cannot work because of age or disability,” the report summary said. “It is estimated that about 20,000 more housing units are needed to meet current demand and stabilize the market.”
Residential treatment
Children in need of behavioral health residential treatment will soon have more options. On July 14, the New Hampshire Executive Council and Gov. Chris Sununu approved contracts with nine organizations that will provide behavioral health services in residential treatment settings to children and young adults “whose behavioral health needs cannot be met safely in the community without intensive supports,” according to a press release. The contracts will expand clinical services by ensuring that each provider delivers services through a trauma model and developing programming that targets special treatment needs. They will also establish relationships with community providers to determine when residential treatment is appropriate. More contracts with remaining residential treatment providers are expected to be submitted for consideration in the coming weeks. “Residential treatment services vitally help children and young adults with severe emotional disturbances,” Erica Ungarelli, director of the Department of Health and Human Services Bureau for Children’s Behavioral Health, said in the release. “Children and youth have unique mental and behavioral health needs, and a comprehensive system of care is being established to ensure these needs are met. The expansion of residential treatment for children and youth is a critical step in the establishment of the system of care.” Joe Ribsam, director of the Division for Children, Youth and Families, said in the release that children too often end up involved with DCYF if their severe mental health needs aren’t being addressed, and that making residential treatment services more widely available and accessible, along with the recently expanded mobile crisis and wraparound support for families, will keep more kids out of the state’s child protection and juvenile justice systems.
Summer stipend
The New Hampshire Department of Employment Security opened applications for the Summer Stipend Program on Monday, July 19, according to a press release from the Governor’s Office. The program was announced in May following the state’s decision to end federal pandemic unemployment benefits. Individuals who were receiving unemployment benefits the week of May 15 and found and maintained employment on or after May 18 at 20 or more hours a week for at least eight weeks, earning less than $25 an hour, are eligible for a stipend. The stipend amounts are $500 for individuals who worked under 37.5 hours per week for eight weeks and $1,000 for individuals who worked 37.5 hours or more per week for eight weeks. The stipends are first come first served until the $10 million fund runs out. The first wave of potentially eligible people is calculated to be more than 1,700, according to the release.
Filing for mayor
Manchester City Mayor Joyce Craig officially filed for re-election for a third term on Monday, July 19, according to a press release. “I’m running for Mayor in 2021 to ensure our city fully recovers from this pandemic, builds upon our progress and comes out of this stronger than before,” Craig said in the release. “We have a tremendous opportunity in the next two years to continue to tackle issues facing our community,” Craig added. “I’ll continue working to help residents lead better lives with stronger schools, safer neighborhoods, good jobs and a growing economy.”
Victoria Sullivan, former New Hampshire State Representative and Assistant Majority Leader who served two terms on the House Education Committee, has also filed paperwork to officially become a candidate for Mayor of Manchester. “I am running to ‘Make Manchester Shine Again’ — to drastically improve the quality of life and livability of our city now and for future generations,” Sullivan said in a statement. The Manchester mayoral election will take place in November.
And Republican Richard Girard planned to officially file his candidacy for Manchester mayor on Wednesday, July 21, according to a press release.
Homelessness bill
New Hampshire U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen joined two California senators to introduce a bill that would increase federal resources to battle homelessness, authorizing $1 billion in grants to local governments each year for the next five years. According to a press release, the Fighting Homelessness Through Services and Housing Act would condition federal funds on a grant recipient’s ability to provide not only housing, but also comprehensive supportive services like mental health care, substance abuse treatment and job training. It also requires a 25 percent match for services and housing from non-federal funds, and it requires grantees to report on measures of success, including whether individuals remain housed. “To stem the homelessness crisis that worsened during the pandemic, we need a comprehensive approach that makes families whole again. We must take into account how poverty, mental illness and substance misuse exacerbate cycles of housing insecurity,” Shaheen said in the release.
After spending more than two weeks assisting at the site of the Surfside condominium complex collapse in Florida, Concord Fire Chief Sean Brown has returned home and will be spending some time with his family before returning to work, according to a July 17 report from WMUR. Brown worked in the wreckage of the Champlain Towers South building, which collapsed on June 24 and killed at least 97 people, the report said.
After the recent announcement of a charter school expansion grant from the state, Founders Academy in Manchester has decided to amend its charter to include fifth grade. According to a press release, the school opened in 2014 serving 100 students in grades 6 through 8; for the 2020-2021 school year, 350 students were enrolled in grades 6 through 12.
Last week, the Nashua Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a request to equip police officers with body cameras. According to a report from WMUR, the $1.8 million, six-year contract will provide all 179 officers and 31 patrol cars with cameras with features that include activation with holster draws, opening cruiser doors and turning on lights and sirens.
Every summer, Canterbury Shaker Village offers an artist-in-residence program where artists spend two weeks living and working at the Village, creating art inspired by the architecture, landscape, traditional crafts, furniture, artistic endeavors and culture of the Shakers. Current artist-in-residence Maria Molteni discussed the opportunity.
What kind of art do you typically do?
I tend to make artwork that’s sort of formally rigorous, conceptually rigorous and very experimental and playful. A lot of what I do is project-based, so, for that reason, I work in a lot of different media, depending on what project I’m doing. … I do a lot of artwork that’s performative and often involves writing and publication and sometimes drawing and movement.
What drew your interest to the residency at the Shaker Village?
I came to create art inspired by the Shakers, but I’m also here to do experiential research … and learn more about the history and culture of Canterbury Shaker Village just by being on the land and in the presence of this Shaker energy. … You could say I’m kind of a low-key Shaker academic. … I’m very interested in how Shaker culture was different from community to community. I’ve visited all of the Shaker villages that I’m aware of … and have made artwork at several of them. … I was really excited to come to Canterbury Shaker Village because it had a very vibrant culture that sets it apart from some of the other Shaker villages.
What do you hope to accomplish during your time at the Village?
Two weeks isn’t very much time, so I’m not putting a lot of pressure on myself to meet a deadline or goal. … I’m just letting myself flow intuitively and explore and experiment. I’m not sure what I’ll come up with, but I want to make as many drawings and notes as I can so that I can take all this research with me [after the residency] and continue building on this work.
Will you be interacting with the public?
It’s not required that [artists] interact with the public … which is nice. … I interact and engage with the public a lot in my [regular] work, and I love it, but I think it’s valuable and a great privilege for an artist to have some time and space alone.
How does the residency impact your creative process?
As a full-time artist, I have so much administrative work to juggle all the time: meetings, phone calls, budgets to balance, grants to write. Residencies are nice because they allow me the time and space to breathe and focus, and the minimal presence of objects and materials primes my mind to create inspired work.
What does a typical day look like for you during your residency?
I wake up and do some reading; I brought around 20 books with me, and half of them are about Shakers. … Then, I set out into the woods; I’ve been exploring the trails, trying to find areas that feel spiritually charged to me. I’ve been filming myself doing movements, and I’ve been taking photographs of artwork and objects that I bring out to the woods. Then, I come back [to the studio space] and work on drawing and on an essay that I’m writing about Shaker gift drawings. … I’ve also been trying to stretch each day and take the time to be healthy and take care of my body more than I normally get to with all the pressure and hustle in my regular life.
The world’s biggest bottle of soap will make an appearance in Manchester on Saturday, July 17, part of a multi-city tour to raise awareness of the importance of hand hygiene. According to a press release, clean beauty company Soapbox will donate personal care products to communities in need during the tour. The 21-foot tall, 8.5-foot diameter, 2,500-pound metal and fiberglass bottle will be on view at Hannaford at 201 John E. Devine Dr. between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Score: +1
Comment: During the stop in Manchester, Soapbox will be donating pallets of soap to Families in Transition and hygiene kits to Webster House.
Fifty years of service
The Merrimack Rotary Club has been providing support to the community for 50 years now and celebrated its achievements earlier this month. According to a press release, even the pandemic didn’t stop the Rotary from giving back and holding its weekly meetings — 58 total, via Zoom. It donated to a whole host of organizations and projects, including thousands of masks to Meals on Wheels, the Town of Merrimack and the Merrimack School District. It also provided support to the Wasserman Park Function Hall Sound Tile Project, the Watson Park Pavilion Staining Project and the Adopt-A-Roadside Clean-Up Project, among many other local contributions, the release said.
Score: +1
Comment:“Rotarians are proud to give of their time to benefit others in the community and such service was recognized this year with the … Presidential Citation from Rotary International in honor of all our club has achieved,” R. Brian Snow, Rotary Club of Merrimack President 2020/2021, said in the release.
Illegal fireworks
Illegal use of fireworks is on the rise, according to a press release from the Manchester Fire Department. After receiving numerous complaints from residents over the holiday weekend, both the Manchester Police and Fire departments issued a statement saying they expect fireworks usage to continue as the summer goes on and as such will be conducting enforcement efforts on various weekend nights throughout the season. According to the release, the joint effort is meant to be a proactive approach to remind people of the city ordinance that strictly prohibits the sale, possession or use of fireworks within the Manchester city limits.
Score: -1 for all the noise
Comment: A fire inspector and police officer will ride together from 8 p.m. to midnight on certain weekend nights to monitor fireworks usage, from now through August, the release said.
Big energy bills
New Hampshire is the 10th most energy-expensive state in the country, according to a report released last week by personal finance website WalletHub, which compared average monthly energy bills that accounted for multiple residential energy types: electricity, natural gas, motor fuel and home heating oil. The average monthly energy bill in the Granite State is $355. It ranked fourth most expensive for the price of natural gas and sixth most expensive for the price of electricity.
Score: -1
Comment: The most energy-expensive state, with an average monthly bill of $411, is Connecticut, and the least is District of Columbia, with a $217 average monthly energy bill.
QOL score: 80 Net change: 0 QOL this week: 80
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Covid-19 news
State health officials announced 17 new positive cases of Covid-19 on July 12. The state averaged 28 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, an increase of about 17 compared to the week before. As of July 12, there were 197 active cases and 15 hospitalizations.
Also on July 12, officials announced the launch of the NH Mobile Vaccine Van, a new initiative in partnership with ConvenientMD in an effort to increase access to Covid-19 vaccines. According to a press release, the van is due to begin operation on July 15 and will run throughout the summer, offering all three of the FDA-authorized vaccines in addition to translation services. It’s available to appear at local community events such as festivals, neighborhood block parties and farmers markets at no cost. The van is set to hold two upcoming vaccination clinics this week — at the Roundabout Diner in Portsmouth on Thursday, July 15, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and at the Sunapee Farmers Market on Saturday, July 18, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Housing stability
The Council on Housing Stability released its three-year Strategic Plan last week, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The plan is a roadmap that coordinates actions and resources and seeks to increase housing availability by 13,500 units by 2024 to ensure that homelessness in New Hampshire is rare, brief and one-time whenever possible. It includes a three-year actionable framework to address homelessness across the state, with an emphasis on the need for an increase in inventory of affordable housing, the release said. Recommendations include promoting new housing development, reducing barriers to affordable housing and using a data-driven approach to determine regional needs.
The New Hampshire Council on Housing Stability was established by Gov. Chris Sununu on Nov. 18, 2020, and includes stakeholders from across the state, including state leadership, local mayors, and people who have experienced homelessness. The plan is led by the Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs and the Community Development Finance Authority, the release said.
ARPA funds
On June 7, the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to initially approve Mayor Joyce Craig’s recommendations for the city’s use of American Rescue Plan Act funds. According to a press release, most of the programs and positions are funded for the next five years, and during that time the city will measure program effectiveness to make sure it addresses the negative impacts of Covid-19 and helps build a strong recovery for the city. The recommendations will be discussed by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s Finance Committee before a final vote. “Manchester residents overwhelmingly cited education as one of the areas to which they would like to see ARPA funds allocated, and we look forward to working with Mayor Craig and the Board to help expand access to higher education for public school students in Manchester and to support local workforce needs,” Paul LeBlanc, President and CEO of Southern New Hampshire University, said in the release. Greater Manchester Chamber CEO Mike Skelton said in the release that “The Greater Manchester Chamber, along with many community business leaders, support the proposed ARPA spending plan and the investments that will generate and support job growth, stimulate economic activity and expansion, and strengthen the city’s ability to attract and retain its workforce.”
Unemployment numbers
Last week, the New Hampshire Department of Employment Security issued a press release after the weekly unemployment report was released by the United States Department of Labor, stating that the numbers reported for New Hampshire were wrong “and present a misleading view of trends in the state’s unemployment claims.” According to the release, some claimants were counted twice — once when they received their last week of federal unemployment benefits and again as a new claim for state-level benefits the following week. New Hampshire ended participation in the federal pandemic unemployment programs June 19 and instead incentivized people to return to work with a $1,000 bonus payment. The final week of benefits was included in the claims numbers reported by the Department of Labor, and some of those recipients may have qualified for benefits in the state’s regular unemployment program during the week ending June 26 — meaning those same individuals were counted a second time by the Department of Labor, the release said, artificially inflating the state’s numbers. “These numbers are wrong and give the misleading appearance of an increase from the prior week which has not occurred in the prior 3 months,” Rich Lavers, Deputy Commissioner at Employment Security, said in the release. “In reality when you compare claims filed by people in the regular state unemployment program, the weekly claims fell by 19 percent compared to the prior week and federal claims fell by 12 percent in the final week they were available.”
Aircrews from the New Hampshire Wing of Civil Air Patrol departed from airports in Concord, Laconia, Portsmouth and Nashua on July 10 during a statewide emergency response training exercise. According to a press release, the Air Force-assigned trainings focused on Civil Air Patrol’s airborne search and aerial disaster assessment photography skills.
The Manchester School District announced July 11 that longtime district administrator Debora Roukey of Goffstown will be the new principal of Central High School. According to a press release, Roukey is the first female principal in Central’s 175-year history.
A $50,000 Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Local Drug Crisis Grant has been awarded to the Raymond Coalition for Youth, which works to reduce opioid, methamphetamine, and prescription drug misuse among youth and young adults in Raymond and its surrounding communities. According to a press release, the grant is provided by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, in cooperation with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and will be paid out over five years.
Isabel Povey of Hampstead will represent New Hampshire at the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Competition in Florida later this month. According to a press release, the Pinkerton Academy senior was crowned Miss New Hampshire’s Outstanding Teen in February 2019 and has served as the state representative throughout the pandemic, volunteering with local food pantries, the NH Food Bank, and the international nonprofit organization Seeds of Hope. Preliminary competitions will be held July 29 and July 30, and the new Miss America’s Outstanding Teen will be crowned Saturday, July 31, the release said.
Clarification Page 29 of the Hippo’s “Cool Things About New Hampshire” magazine should have said that Hayward’s Homemade Ice Cream served chicken tenders, steamed hot dogs and fries in addition to its homemade ice cream flavors. It does not sell burgers.
One of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats’ star pitching prospects will be heading to Tokyo to play for Team USA. According to a press release, Simeon Woods Richardson, a 20-year-old from Texas, will report to Cary, N.C., for training camp on July 16. Team USA’s first game in Tokyo will be against Israel on Friday, July 30, at 7 p.m. JST (6 a.m. EDT), followed by a game against Korea on Saturday, July 31, before games move into bracket play. Woods Richardson returned to the Fisher Cats on June 9 and held the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) to one run on three hits in five strong innings, according to the release, and he got the win over the Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies) on June 20, striking out a career-high nine batters in five frames.
Score: +1
Comment:It might just be worth waking up at 6 a.m. to watch Woods Richardson represent the Fisher Cats, and the USA.
Giving brings joy
Throughout May, the Greater Nashua Mental Health Center held events and activities to highlight how mental health treatment can change and save lives, and to help eradicate the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. According to a press release, one of the most heartwarming activities was a project completed by children from the center’s Child, Adolescent and Family Services department. The kids created paper flowers, some with encouraging messages on the leaves, plus handmade cards and artwork for the residents.
Score: +1
Comment:To show their gratitude, the assisted living residents sent gifts back to the children, including wind chimes and other arts and crafts items, the release said.
Help wanted
According to a recent study from LendingTree, New Hampshire ranks No. 2 for states that are most in need of workers. Forty-five percent of businesses in the state say that hiring new employees will be their biggest need in the next six months. Thirty-six percent of businesses in the Granite State said the inability to find workers is affecting their operating capacity.
Score: -1
Comment: Montana and Wisconsin are most in need of new employees, at 52 percent and 48 percent, respectively, while only 17 percent of businesses in Wyoming, which ranked last on the list, anticipate hiring new employees as their biggest need in the next 6 months, the report said.
Honoring the fallen
The New Hampshire Department for Disabled American Veterans is on a mission to raise $12,000 to complete the new Battlefield Crosses Memorial in Manchester’s Veterans Park, which the Granite State chapter hopes can be finished and dedicated on Veterans Day. According to a press release, statues honoring military personnel lost in World War II, the Vietnam War and the post-9/11 War on Terror were dedicated on Memorial Day; placing statues honoring the fallen of World War I and the Korean War will complete the memorial. Anyone who wants to show their appreciation for those who died while fighting for America can send any amount, big or small, to DAV Battlefield Cross Fund Drive, New Hampshire Disabled American Veterans, 212 Coolidge Avenue, Manchester, NH 03102.
Score: +1
Comment: According to the release, a battlefield cross is a combat rifle stuck in the soil topped by a helmet to show honor and respect for a soldier who has died in combat.
QOL score: 78 Net change: +2 QOL this week: 80
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].
