C’s thrown major curve

The Celtics opened training camp on Tuesday for what almost everyone expected to be a season full of promise. At least until Thursday morning, when news of the Ime Udoka sex scandal broke.

I’ve been around long enough to see the Fritz PetersonMike Kekich family swap story, hear Wilt Chamberlain claim he slept with 25,000 women (which somehow didn’t stop him from scoring 100 points in a game or playing an incredible 48.3 minutes a game for an entire season), the Wade BoggsMargo Adams girlfriend-on-the-road saga, and the daddy of them all, Tiger Woods derailing an all-time career with an array of extramarital affairs. But none threw a team’s season into chaos at Day 1 quite the way the Udoka story has.

For those who have been on Mars: Celtics Coach Ime Udoka was suspended for an entire year five days before training camp opened for violating team policy by having a consensual relationship with a co-worker/subordinate.

It triggered a number of stories and distractions large enough to overshadow the worrisome news that Rob Williams will be out for the next three months after another knee surgery.

All of which has everyone wondering if the tongues wagging will send the season south before it even gets started.

The distractions and ridiculous behavior that followed include:

News Item: Is There More To It?

I know this is the post-Harvey Weinstein Me Too era, but getting suspended for an entire year for one intra-office affair with a subordinate seems like overkill. Especially when the brass said they just learned of it in early July, which likely means he wasn’t continuing something after being told to stop earlier in the season. Maybe that’s all it was, but it makes me wonder when the other shoe will drop. Especially when you see 14-year NBA veteran Matt Barnes defend Udoka on Thursday and then retract that on his podcast the next day because he said when he got more facts it was “100 times” worse.

News Item: More Media Blather

First he correctly castigated Udoka for his role in the debacle. But then, in the most ridiculous newspaper column I’ve read (outside of politics) since Joe Barnea retired from the UL, Boston Globe basketball writer Gary Washburn went on to somehow blame the Celtics for the mess. Particularly vexing was the story being anonymously leaked to ESPN with a burner phone at 11 p.m. on Wednesday.

My question is, what difference does it make if it got out at 11 p.m., or 11 a.m. the next day? Because it didn’t change the story one bit.

As for who did it, my guess is it was someone who didn’t like Ime in the organization or maybe from outside. Like, I don’t know, the boyfriend or husband of the woman (or women) Udoka was sleeping with.

News Item: Why Do We Need To Know?

I’ll admit I’m curious to learn the full story, but I don’t see why the Celtics have to tell us. Washburn said Celtics fans deserve better after the Celtics press conference. Why? It’s a privately owned business, with employee privacy and legal liability issues at stake. And It’s hardly an important matter in the scheme of things. If you don’t like what they did, don’t watch. Like I quit being a Yankees fan after George Steinbrenner hired a convicted felon with mafia ties to dig on Dave Winfield.

We all have that choice here.

News Item: Social Media Does It Again

News flash: Social media is filled with gawking idiots and insensitive trolls. And they went right to work expressing who they thought the woman in question was. Washburn didn’t like it and intimated it was racist that the consensus settled on attractive Black women as the object of Udoka’s desire. I think it’s more likely the majority were sexist and settled on women most attractive to them as the likely candidate. Doesn’t make it right, or eliminate the discomfort of all the women, but that’s how those kinds of guys think.

News Item: What’s Next

It wasn’t all hysteria in the media. Chris Gasper wrote a solid analysis in the Boston Globe of why Brad Stevens taking over made the most sense. One that even included counter-arguments to his belief 34-year-old Joe Mazzulla is top young and inexperienced to take over for Udoka, which I agree with, even though I disagree with his contention that Stevens not being on top of his game his final three years as coach was because of burnout. I think it was because he fell in love with the 3-ball no matter what kind of shot it was, and got run over by the players, which led to all sorts of on-court issues and bad habits.

But given the situation, Gasper is right — Stevens is the best choice.

Now let’s see how it unfolds.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

A stretch assist

Helping get muscles back in condition

Nate Lavallee is the owner and operator of the new FlexABLE Assisted Stretching & Wellness studio in Manchester, where he specializes in one-on-one Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, also known as PNF Assisted Stretching. The studio, located at 679 Mast Road, has an open house planned for Saturday, Oct. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit flexable.biz.

What is your background in this kind of work?

For most of my life, I did construction. As of a few years ago, I decided I didn’t want to do that anymore. I decided to go back to school … for health and fitness. I was 34. It was a leap of faith to do this. I was making a decent living doing construction, but I wasn’t happy. I was treating my body terribly … and had some pain, physically and mentally. I went back … and got my Associate of Science. I’m a certified personal trainer, and I have training in PNF stretch. That’s my main focus, the assisted stretching. I had a year-long course in school about it … and I did more research on it and got even more training on it.

What is PNF assisted stretching?

It’s a contract-release method that’s just really effective for anything muscular. For anything skeletal, you go to a chiropractor. For joint pain or injuries, you go to PT. But for anything that’s muscular, this is the solution — stretching and mobility training. I have quite a few clients who have been going to PT for years and say the stretching actually helps them more. A lot of people prefer it over massage and other forms of bodywork. … It’s also about finding the root of the problem and using corrective exercise to fix any imbalances and mobility issues so that the problem doesn’t continue or come back.

What made you decide to start this business?

I started working for a place in Londonderry as a personal trainer for a little over a year, and I got passionate about this assisted stretching idea. I’d do assisted stretching with some of my clients, and they loved it. A few of them were even going to this [assisted stretching] place down in Massachusetts that’s like an hour away. That’s when a light bulb went on for me that I could open a place around here. An opportunity came up with a property for lease, and I started renovating in July.

How is it different from physical therapy?

Most physical therapists will do a few things with the clients, then give them some exercises to do on their own. The problem with that is a lot of people won’t do the exercises that their physical therapist tells them to do. They’ll say they don’t have time or they’ll just forget. Even people who get regular exercise and movement don’t usually stretch, but stretching is the most important part. It helps you stay mobile, it helps your muscles stay pliable and it helps prevent injury that you might get from making a sudden movement if you aren’t very mobile. … Also, some people don’t necessarily need physical therapy. Maybe they work a desk job or are mostly sedentary and they’re tight and in pain. All they need is to stretch and move, and that’s where I come in.

What do you find rewarding about this work?

When I’m in pain and not able to do the things that I love to do, it affects me in all ways — physically, but also mentally, spiritually, emotionally. My hope is for people to be able to continue doing the things they love to do — play with their kids and grandkids, go fishing, go hiking. A lot of guys want to play golf until the day they die. My goal is to help them be able to do that for the rest of their life rather than just sitting around for their last 10 to 20 years, not able to move very well and not enjoying life.

Where do you see this going in the future?

I definitely want to bring in a couple more health-fitness professionals. … I want people who have a positive attitude. I can teach them the skills, or they can learn skills, but they need to have a positive outlook on life, because a lot of [clients] come in and this is the only hour a week that they spend with other people, and they’re looking forward to having a positive time. … If it makes sense to, and if the demand is there, I definitely would want to open another [studio] somewhere else.

Featured photo: Nate Lavallee. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 22/09/29

Absentee voting misinformation

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s office issued a cease-and-desist order against the New Hampshire Democratic Party on Sept. 23 in regard to a case of “voter confusion” caused by absentee ballot application mailers for the November 2022 general election that the Party published and mailed that contained erroneous information. According to the order, the mailers, which affected 926 voters in 39 communities, had postage pre-paid, pre-addressed return envelopes with wrong return addresses for the appropriate town and city clerks. Voters also reported receiving mailers with return envelopes addressed to “[County Name] Board of Elections,” entities which do not exist; mailers that said, “You have a history of requesting absentee ballots” when the voter had not voted by absentee ballot in the past; and mailers that listed the voter’s domicile address as being in a city or town in which the voter does not reside. “The NHDP’s mailer … is causing voter confusion and frustration,” New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said in the order. “The [incorrect] return mail addresses on the mailer are likely to mislead voters into unintentionally violating [the absentee ballot application procedure]. It could also disenfranchise some voters in that voters may complete the absentee ballot applications, believing they will receive absentee ballots for the State General Election, only to discover that their applications were never delivered to their Town or City Clerks. This discovery could be made at a time when the voters are not able to file follow-up applications for absentee ballots.” The order closed with remediation steps that the NHDP is required to take, including contacting each recipient of the mailers and personally assisting them with the absentee ballot application process to ensure that it’s done correctly so that they will be able to obtain an absentee ballot in time for it to count as a valid vote in the upcoming General Election.

Federal funds to fight opioid epidemic

State Opioid Response grants in the total amount of $28,507,046 for fiscal year 2022 are being made available to the State of New Hampshire to fund resources and efforts addressing the substance use disorder crisis in the state. According to a press release, the federal funding was approved through legislation bolstered by U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a senior appropriator on the Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, and U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and is nearly $400,000 more than the annual opioid response funding New Hampshire received last year. “We need to continue an all-hands-on deck approach to combating the opioid epidemic, and I will stay laser focused on getting New Hampshire communities and law enforcement the tools that they need to combat this crisis,” Hassan said in the release.

Making monkeypox vaccines accessible

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has updated and expanded the eligibility criteria to receive the two-dose monkeypox vaccine series known as JYNNEOS. According to a press release, people for whom the vaccine is recommended include “any person who identifies as gay, bisexual, queer, or is a man who has sex with men and believes they are at risk for monkeypox virus infection; a person of any gender or sexual orientation whom a medical provider thinks is at increased risk for monekypox virus infection; [and] persons who report in the prior 14 days a known exposure to the monkeypox virus.” “JYNNEOS vaccine uptake has been low in NH, and with increasing supply we want to make it as easy as possible for people who may be at risk to get vaccinated to protect themselves from infection,” New Hampshire State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said in the release. The vaccine is currently being distributed through city health departments and participating provider clinics throughout the state. If you believe you are eligible to receive the vaccine, contact your primary health care provider for a referral to a participating clinic. If you do not have a primary health care provider from whom you can get a referral, you can still receive the vaccine at a participating New Hampshire Convenient MD location as long as you live, work or have a primary health care provider in the state. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms or has been exposed or possibly exposed to the virus should isolate at home and consult their health care provider. Visit dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/disease-prevention/infectious-disease-control/monkeypox for monkeypox vaccination locations and the latest updates on the monkeypox outbreak in New Hampshire.

New NH Liquor & Wine Outlets

Two new NH Liquor & Wine Outlets are now open, at 850 Gold St. in Manchester and in the Concord Crossing Plaza at 11 Merchants Way in Concord. According to a press release from the NH Liquor Commission, the Outlets feature more than 4,000 sizes and varieties of wines and spirits and have special sections showcasing premium and ultra-premium spirits, high-end wines and Outlet Price Busters and Wine Power Buys. The buildings include high-efficiency materials and LED fixtures, oversized aisles and enhanced accessibility for curbside pickup service. The NH Liquor Commission also announced that construction has begun on a new NH Liquor & Wine Outlet in the Westside Plaza in Nashua, to which the existing Outlet on Northwest Boulevard in Nashua will relocate. It is expected to open in May 2023. “These new Outlet locations represent the latest step in our ongoing effort to enhance the customer shopping experience, strengthen our brand, and continue to generate critical revenue for the New Hampshire General Fund,” NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica said in the release.

The New Hampshire Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, along with state and local dignitaries, local community members and project partners, gathered atop Pack Monadnock in Peterborough on Sept. 23 to celebrate the revitalization of Miller State Park. According to a press release, the Miller State Park Revitalization Project included upgrades such as improving views, improving parking, painting buildings, removing old conduit and restructuring the poles and wires that run up to the summit and across the access road. The celebration included a ribbon cutting, comments from project partners and dignitaries and the unveiling of a new historical highway marker commemorating Miller State Park as “New Hampshire’s First State Park.”

The Nashua School District has become the first New Hampshire school district, and one of only four school districts in New England, to be accepted as a member of the League of Innovative Schools. According to a press release, the national network was created by Digital Promise, an organization devoted to accelerating innovation in education, and currently includes 150 schools across 38 states. “Being a member of the league offers us access to a network of similar, forward-thinking schools to share best practices in teaching and learning,” Mario Andrade, Superintendent of the Nashua School District, said in the release.

Road work to resurface Route 101 resumed this week in Milford and Amherst, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. The work, which is estimated to take one week to complete if the weather permits, is concentrated at all on and off ramps at Route 13, Route 101A and Route 122. Daytime lane shifts are being used between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to accommodate the placement of ramp traffic markings.

This Week 22/09/22

Big Events September 22, 2022 and beyond

Friday, Sept. 23

Join 603 Forward and the Forward Foundation for the Forward Fest today at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester) at 5:30 p.m. The event will celebrate young leaders of New Hampshire. The event will have live music, arts, community building and food. Ticket prices for adults start at $50. For more information about this event, visit 603forward.org.

Friday, Sept. 23

Mel’s Funway Park (454 Charles Bancroft Hwy, Litchfield) has undergone its annual transformation into Spooky World as of today at 7 p.m. The horror-themed amusement park will have a haunted hayride, a maze filled with a new breed of monster, a 3D nightmare attraction called Dream Scape, and a chance to escape Asylum 47. Tickets start at $54 and can be purchased at nightmarenewengland.com.

Saturday, Sept. 24

The Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road, Hollis) is hosting its annual Fall Festival and Art Show today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event features artwork by regional artists, children’s art, live music, animal and birds of prey presentations, guided hikes and herbal and flower products and refreshments for sale. Amy Conley will offer children’s songs and a puppet show (at 11 a.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday), and the Flying Gravity Circus, a children’s circus troupe, will perform at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The event is free to attend and more information can be found at beaverbrook.org.

Saturday, Sept. 24

Today is the opening reception for the The New Hampshire Potters Guild’s biennial exhibition, “Storied in Clay,” at the exhibition gallery at the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen headquarters (49 S. Main St., Concord). The exhibition will open on Sept. 26 and run through Oct. 27. The reception is free and takes place during the two-day Capital Arts Fest (today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) happening on Main Street in downtown Concord. Visit nhpottersguild.org for more information on the exhibit and nhcrafts.org for more on the fest.

Saturday, Sept. 24

Millyard Brewery (25 E. Otterson St., Nashua) is hosting an Oktoberfest today from 1 to 8 p.m. and tomorrow, Sunday, Sept. 25, from 1 to 6 p.m. The festival will have live music, games, traditional German food, a beer stein holding contest and more. Visit millyardbrewery.com for more information.

Sunday, Sept. 25

The annual Merci train ceremony is today at 1 p.m. at the boxcar’s permanent location, on Reed Street in Manchester. The ceremony commemorates the soldiers from New Hampshire who fought and died in France during World War II, liberating the French people. The ceremony is free to attend, and more information about it is available at facnh.com.

Save the date! Saturday, Oct. 22
Adam Sandler is coming to the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester) on Saturday, Oct. 22. Sandler will be performing a new stand-up comedy routine. Doors to the event will open at 6:30 p.m., and the show will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39.50 and can be bought at snhuarena.com.

Featured photo. The Flying Gravity Circus. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 22/09/22

Celebrating recovery

Hope for New Hampshire Recovery, a Manchester-based nonprofit that connects people in recovery with people struggling with addiction, presents its Recovery Festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Veterans Park in downtown Manchester. According to a press release, the event will feature more than 40 representatives from local recovery residences, treatment and recovery centers, health agencies and other pathways to recovery; as well as music, free candy, free home Covid tests courtesy of the Manchester Health Department and free Naloxone courtesy of Manchester Doorway. Visit recoverynh.org/recoveryfestival.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The Hope Recovery Center, on Wilson Street in Manchester, hosts more than 40 recovery meetings a week and presents musical talent shows and more than 600 member-made paintings on the walls “to help demonstrate that recovery is more than just going to meetings — it’s a brand new and better life,” the press release stated.

Vaxxed up

A recent WalletHub study ranked New Hampshire at No. 3 out of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia for the Most Vaccinated States. The study looked at various factors, such as the influenza vaccination rate of youth; the share of teenagers with up-to-date HPV vaccinations; the share of senior adults who have received a Zoster vaccination and more. New Hampshire ranked especially high for flu vaccination coverage rate among adults (No. 3) and share of adults with tetanus vaccination (No. 3).

QOL score: +1

Comment: New England swept the top six, with Massachusetts at No. 1, followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine, and Connecticut at No. 6.

Return of the flu

New Hampshire health officials are warning that the upcoming flu season could be the worst in several years, NHPR reported. Influenza cases dropped significantly in the 2020-2021 season as a byproduct of Covid mitigation measures. The number of cases increased in the 2021-2022 season, but were still significantly lower than a typical season pre-Covid. This fall and winter, however, influenza cases are expected to fully rebound. The CDC recommends that people get a flu shot by the end of October to reduce their risk of becoming infected with or becoming seriously ill from the flu, which typically peaks around February.

QOL score: -1

Comment: Covid booster vaccinations updated to protect against the omicron variant recently became available in New Hampshire, and it’s safe to get the Covid booster and the flu vaccine at the same time, according to the CDC.

Overdoses on the rise

The total number of suspected opioid overdoses so far this year in New Hampshire’s two largest cities, Manchester and Nashua, is 624, which is 19 percent higher than the total was for 2021 at this time of year, the Union Leader reported. The cities are currently averaging between 80 and 90 drug overdoses a month, putting Nashua on track to have the highest number of opioid overdose-suspected deaths in a one-year period since 2015, and Manchester on track to have the highest since 2017.

QOL score: -2

Comment: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration recently warned the public of an emerging trend of fentanyl produced in the form of brightly colored pills, powders and blocks, made to look like candy to appeal to children and young people, the article said.

QOL score: 83

Net change: -1

QOL this week: 82

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

The latest week that was

A few thoughts on interesting sports stories in recent weeks.

Count me as enthusiastically on board with the new 12-team college football championship tournament to start as early as 2024.

I love that champs from the six top leagues automatically make it, there will be six at-large bids and the four highest-ranked teams get an opening week bye.

The Boston Globe headline reading, “Six fumbles, two interceptions, and just 29 rushing yards” told all you needed to know as BC lost its home opener to Rutgers. But how does a football team with eight turnovers only lose by one point, 22-21?

Suspending George Steinbrenner for life is what got Fay Vincent fired as Baseball Commissioner in 1990 because the remaining owners didn’t want an employee with that kind of power over them. Hence Milwaukee owner Bud Selig replaced him. So give NBA commish Adam Silver props for having the stones to suspend Suns owner Robert Sarver a year for the range of abuses investigators uncovered.

Props also to Brad Stevens for not panicking after Danilo Gallinari went down with a torn ACL. Better off first giving Sam Hauser a shot as the bench three-point bomber to save their meager cap space/injury exemption for the better options available in February at the trade deadline or buy out market if he’s not the answer.

Who else saw the irony in Danny Ainge getting back (with the usual boatload of top picks) Collin Sexton in Utah’s trade of Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland? The now 23-year-old 20-point scorer was the lottery pick sent to Cleveland to get Kyrie Irving in 2017.

Amid the excitement of Aaron Judge’s chase to pass Babe Ruth and Roger Maris for the single-season AL home run record and, more importantly, most in Yankees history is the absolute lunacy of analytics’ impact on baseball, as when manager Aaron Boone batted him lead-off on a team with 7, 8 and 9 hitters hovering around the Mendoza line (.200) and also getting few walks. My baseball analytics say this: With no one on base in the first at-bat for the team’s best RBI guy, and thanks to the stiffs in front of him getting on base twice every 10 at-bats during his next three, instead of the nearly five that would be on if batting clean-up, he’ll hit with roughly 300 fewer guys on base over 150 games. Case in point: When he hit numbers 56, 57, 58 and 59 last week, three were solo homers and the fourth had one guy on. I’d like to hear the stat geeks explain the benefit of that.

Here’s a stark illustration of what pitching is today vs. in the era when men were men, even when a guy is pitching great, as Arizona’s Zac Gallen did when he recently tied back-in-the-day-ers Orel Hershiser and Don Drysdale (plus Zack Greinke) for the all-time record of making six straight starts without allowing a run.

The difference is that Gallen never made it past the seventh inning in any of his starts while throwing 41.1 innings. For Drysdale it was six complete game shutouts, while Hershiser matched that and needed to go extra innings once to earn the all-time record at 59.

That’s two full games’ worth of innings more than Gallen. How can those feats be considered the same thing?

Hey, Matt Patricia, what’s the over-under in Patriots games for when you’ll finally call a few screen passes to help reduce the pressure on Mac Jones?

The “I did not know that” fact of the week, courtesy of Concord sports aficionado Jeff Smith via Facebook: While I saw the old man play a lot when he was hooping for Saint Anselm, I didn’t know Steelers tight end Patrick Freiermuth, who caught a TD vs. the Pats on Sunday, is the son of back in the day Hawks/Oyster River HS star John Freiermuth.

Best comic line I’ve heard from a broadcaster in a long time came from Ian Eagle during Sunday’s Patriots-Pittsburgh game. His partner Charles Davis made a Seinfeld reference about Nelson Agholor taking the “marble rye” (Jerry stole one from an “old bag” in one episode) into the end zone after a leap over and snatch away from the defender. Eagle followed that during the replay by saying that “was real and spectacular,” which is what Teri Hatcher said to end a show Jerry spent trying to find out if her, ah, impressive anatomy was real or enhanced. Yada, yada, yada.

Glad the aforementioned Eagle also cleared up why Pittsburgh is finally retiring the number of Steelers great Franco Harris 40 years after he last played. Turns out it’s to coincide with the 50th anniversary of his “Immaculate Reception” that stuck a dagger much deeper into the heart of Raiders Nation than the tuck rule did in early 2002. Makes perfect sense since it is unchallenged as the NFL’s most shocking ending and one of its greatest games.

Incidentally, my introduction to Harris came when he played with Lydell Mitchell at Penn State in one of the greatest college backfields ever. In those days WPIX in New York used to air condensed one-hour versions of PSU games on Sunday mornings. I watched every week, but thanks to the quirky delivery of whoever the announcer was, it was almost two seasons before I realized he was not the hard-running Irish fullback named Frank O’Harris I thought he was, but instead the son of an Italian mom and English dad named Franco Harris.

I hope all the LIV golfers taking Saudi Arabia blood money saw the gut-wrenching 60 Minutes special on the bravery and brutal sacrifice of the FDNY on 9-11 and its aftermath that ran on the 21st anniversary, ’cause their being so tied to that attack is one of the things SA is trying to whitewash with their golf PR campaign.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

Safety first

New director of homeland security, emergency management

Meet Robert Buxton, who was nominated by Gov. Chris Sununu to be the director of the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Buxton was sworn in to the position on Sept. 6.

What is your background in this type of work, and how did you come into this position?

I was a 30-year fire service employee. I retired out of the town of Hudson; I [served for] nine years as fire chief there. I graduated from UNH with a master’s degree in public administration. One of my core roles in Hudson was to be the emergency management director. This position provided that next step of opportunity for me in my career, and I thought it was a great opportunity to come in with a really motivated staff to put out good customer service to the communities in New Hampshire.

What do you and the Division do?

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management covers a lot of opportunities surrounding community preparedness, community outreach, emergency management, disaster planning and public assistance grants. The Homeland Security side co-manages the state’s Information Analysis Center. We provide a lot of support to the local communities surrounding Homeland Security information and emergency management. … I’m on Day 3 [of the job]. The day to day right now looks very busy in regards to getting my arms around the different divisions and having an understanding and creating a routine with staff and basically looking at the vision of the organization and setting that out. Right now we provide forward-facing customer service to 234 communities in the Granite State, and we look to continue that as we move forward.

What are some of the biggest issues the Division is working to address right now?

We’re still providing a lot of support to the local community surrounding Covid and the Covid monies and disaster relief funds. Secondarily to that, we’re also heavily engaged in the school safety process. We continue to work the different levels of emergency response surrounding Seabrook Station [Nuclear Power Plant] and those events are probably the top three or four that I can give you right now. Those are the top three things right now.

What is your role in responding to the pandemic? How is it different from the role of other state departments, such as the Department of Health?

This is a collaborative effort on the state level with DHHS, and right now, probably the biggest responsibility and collaborative piece that we’re working through is in regards to the recovery money, making sure that we’re supporting the communities and getting the relief money [to them] and managing those grant processes. Additionally, we continue to work on messaging, making sure those messages are put out in the state of New Hampshire and that they are clear.

How do you work with each New Hampshire community to ensure that it has the funds, training and preparedness to respond to an emergency quickly?

One of the strengths of this Division over the years … [has been] their hard work in collaborating with the local municipalities. They’ve created a very supportive environment for the emergency management directors across the state in making sure that they’re getting the resources that they need to be able to prepare and provide the service to their constituencies when an emergency does arise. There’s a very strong foundation that has been put in place, and we look to continue to grow that as I phase into my position.

What do you find rewarding about this line of work?

This line of work is one of the most rewarding things, I think, that you can look at. You have a direct impact to all 234 communities across the state of New Hampshire, and it’s a great opportunity [for them] to see us continue to prepare, so we can make sure that folks understand what they need to do if we’re getting close to a potential disaster and make sure they have the tools. It’s that day-in-and-day-out impact that we push out to the local communities that’s the most rewarding.

What can individuals and families do to prepare for and stay safe during an emergency?

There are four key steps that I would like them to look at: stay informed, have a plan, make a kit — a kit for no power, a kit for cold weather, those sorts of things — and get involved. They can sign up for the New Hampshire alerts to stay informed on what potentially could be happening in their area.

Featured photo: Robert Buxton. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 22/09/22

New Hampshire 2022 primary election results

The results of the New Hampshire 2022 primary election on Sept. 13 are as follows, according to the New Hampshire Secretary of State:

Republican

  • U.S. House District 1: Karoline Leavitt (34.81%)
  • U.S. House District 2: Robert Burns (32.95%)
  • U.S. Senate: Donald Bolduc (37.12%)
  • Governor: Chris Sununu (78.70%)

Democrat

  • U.S. House District 1: Chris Pappas (unopposed)
  • U.S. House District 2: Annie Kuster (unopposed)
  • U.S. Senate: Maggie Hassan (94.31%)
  • Governor: Tom Sherman (unopposed)

The New Hampshire 2022 general election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Visit the New Hampshire Secretary of State website, sos.nh.gov, for information about voting and elections.

Right to Covid vaccine privacy

New Hampshire residents now have the option to withdraw their Covid vaccination information from the New Hampshire Immunization Information System in accordance with New Hampshire House Bill 1608. “The state of New Hampshire obtained information about your Covid-19 vaccination status without offering you a chance to opt out of the state immunization registry,” the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health Services stated in a press release. “Our New Hampshire constitution honors your right to privacy, including your medical information, and you have the right to withdraw your information from the immunization registry.” Residents who want to withdraw their Covid vaccine information from the state’s registry must complete a Withdraw and Remove Information from the NH Immunization/Vaccination Registry form, available on the NH DHHS website, dhhs.nh.gov, and obtain a health care provider’s or notary’s signature, then fax the form to the DHHS Immunization Program at 603-271-3850.

First child monkeypox case

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and the City of Manchester Health Department have confirmed the state’s first pediatric monkeypox infection. According to a press release, the Manchester child became infected after exposure to a household contact infected with the virus. The child is experiencing mild symptoms and is currently isolating at home. The departments are working with the child’s school to identify any individuals who may have had close or prolonged contact with the child while they were contagious. State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan stated in the release that “the risk to the general school population and others in the community is very low.” The CDC has reported at least 27 cases of monkeypox in youth under the age of 16 in the U.S. Visit dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/disease-prevention for information and resources on monkeypox in New Hampshire.

Energy costs assistance

With rising fuel and electric costs expected this winter, House Bill HB2023 has been passed allowing the New Hampshire Department of Energy to provide up to $35 million in relief on energy costs to qualifying New Hampshire families via an emergency fuel assistance program and supplemental electric benefit. “New Hampshire just delivered the largest energy relief package this state has ever seen, helping families in need this winter — using our state surplus funds,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a press release. “Thanks to strong fiscal management, New Hampshire is able to invest state-surplus funds to help families get through this winter.” The one-time emergency relief package will be available to households that earn between 60 and 75 percent of the state’s median income; an additional $7 million is allocated to support existing assistance programs for households making 60 percent or less than the state’s median income.

Aviation Museum volunteering

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) is having a volunteer open house on Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., where the public is invited to meet current volunteers and learn about the volunteering opportunities available at the museum. According to a press release, the Aviation Museum is a nonprofit organization “dedicated to celebrating New Hampshire’s role in aviation history and inspiring tomorrow’s pioneers, innovators and aerospace professionals.” Volunteering opportunities may include greeting guests at the front desk, leading tours and staffing the gift shop; working with young people through the education outreach program and student plane-building program; evaluating donations and cataloging items in the historical archive and assisting researchers; administrative tasks related to memberships, fundraising, communications and building maintenance; managing tech systems; and helping with special events. If you plan to attend the open house, call 669-4877 and leave a message with your name, or send an email to ldearborn@nhahs.org.

The New Hampshire Food Bank and the Concord Police Department will host two Stuff-A-Cruiser food drives in Concord this month — one on Friday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m to 1 p.m., at Shaw’s Supermarket (20 Fort Eddy Road), with donations to support the Salvation Army, and the other on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Hannaford Supermarket (73 Fort Eddy Road), with donations to support Friends of Forgotten Children. According to a press release, the goal of the drive is to fill a police cruiser with non-glass, non-perishable food donations in support of Hunger Action Month, a nationwide awareness campaign to fight hunger. Visit nhfoodbank.com to learn more.

Ryan Cashin, Deputy Chief for the Manchester Fire Department, has been nominated for the position of Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director for the City of Manchester. According to a press release, the nomination went before the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Sept. 6 and is on a one-month layover until the next meeting on Oct. 4. “Deputy Chief Cashin has been a dedicated member of the Fire Department for 23 years,” Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig said in the release. “He is a strong leader and problem solver, who has worked hard to earn the respect of the men and women of the department and the city as a whole.”

A top prize-winning ticket for the Lucky for Life lottery game was drawn at Nouria on the Londonderry Turnpike in Auburn on Friday, Sept. 16, WMUR reported. The prize before taxes is the winner’s choice of $1,000 a day — $365,000 a year — or a one-time payout of $5.75 million. Friday’s ticket is the third top prize winner to be drawn in the Granite State since it started offering the game in 2012. The first two were drawn in August 2013 and March 2016. The game is currently played in 23 states, plus the District of Columbia, with drawings held seven days a week.

This Week 22/09/15

Big Events September 15, 2022 and beyond

Friday, Sept. 16

The New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival start today at 9 a.m. There will be traditional Scottish events, like sheepdog trials, Scottish heavy athletics and highland dancing, as well as different demonstrations and the clan village. Ticket prices range from $30 to $55 per day for adults, are $5 for children 5 years old to preteen, and are free for children younger than 5. There are bundle options available. Visit nhscot.org to purchase tickets and for a full listing of events. Other happenings include activities for kids, Try It classes, Scottish living history, Clan Village (where you can learn more about specific families), music and food (meat pies, bridies, haggis and Scotch eggs are all mentioned on the website). Special events (requiring separate tickets) include the Whisky Master Classes, beer tasting, a harp contest and Highland Brews & Bites, the website said.

Friday, Sept. 16

Celebrate Halloween early with the Fisher Cats today with Halloween Night, the theme at tonight’s game against the Harrisburg Senators at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester. Game time is 6:35 p.m. Tonight’s game comes in the middle of the regular season’s final run of home games, with the Thursday, Sept. 15, and Saturday, Sept. 17, games both featuring post-game fireworks (both games start at 6:35 p.m.) The Sunday, Sept. 18, caps the season’s home schedule with a game at 1:35 p.m. where the theme is fan appreciation and there is a winter hat giveaway. Ticket prices start at $12. Visit nhfishercats.com.

Saturday, Sept. 17

The New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association is holding its fall meeting today at 9 a.m. at the Merrimack Historical Society (10 Depot St.). The group works to restore and preserve old graveyards across New Hampshire. This is the annual fall meeting where members and non-members can attend. The meeting is free to attend; see nhoga.com.

Saturday, Sept. 17

Nashua Library (2 Court St.) is holding the last library pop-up book sale today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on its library plaza. The sale will have used books, movies, music, games, puzzles and more for all age ranges costing from 25 cents to $2. In addition to the used items, there will be newly published books and gift cards that will be priced differently. Find out more at nashualibrary.org.

Saturday, Sept. 17

The Manchester Citywide Arts Festival, which started Sept. 12, culminates this weekend with events including a free street fair today (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and tomorrow (Sept. 18; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at the opera block on Hanover Street. Find more information on all the Festival’s events at manchesterartsfestival.com and in our festival pullout in the Sept. 8 issue of the Hippo, starting on page 25 (find the e-edition at hippopress.com).

Wednesday, Sept. 21

Red River Theatres’ (11 S. Main St. in Concord; redrivertheatres.org, 224-4600) on-going “Hitchcock … and Trains” film series will feature the classic Strangers on a Train (1951) tonight at 6 p.m. A discussion will follow the screening.

Save the date! Friday, Sept. 23
Majestic Theatre’s 17th annual auction and performance, called Majestic-Opoly, is today and Saturday, Sept. 24, at the theater’s studio (880 Page St., Manchester) starting at 6:30 p.m. In addition to silent auctions and raffles, there will be performances by Majestic’s adult, teen and youth actors. Proceeds benefit the Majestic Theatre and the Ted Herbert Music School. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at majestictheatre.net.

Featured photo. New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 22/09/15

Health care labor shortages

Health care workforce shortages in New Hampshire have resulted in an increased reliance on contract labor, according to a recent report released by the New Hampshire Hospital Association, which has driven expenses up and operating margins down at hospitals and health care facilities throughout the state. New Hampshire hospitals experienced a 133.1 percent increase in contract labor costs from 2021 to 2022 and are projected to spend $302.7 million on contract labor in 2022, up from $118.5 in 2019, pre-pandemic.

QOL score: -2

Comment: The New Hampshire Hospital Association is working to address the problem by calling on stakeholders to support workforce development initiatives that ensure sustainable recruitment and retention of health care workers, and is calling for state and federal resources to support hospitals at this time of high demand for hospital services.

Getting food to people who need it

Citizens Financial Group has contributed $56,000 to the New Hampshire Food Bank — funding that will support two new refrigerated food distribution trucks, ensuring reliable daily transportation to provide food to people throughout New Hampshire who are experiencing food insecurity. Approximately 7 percent of New Hampshire’s residents — and 9.5 percent of New Hampshire children — are in need of food assistance, according to a press release. There will be an unveiling of one of the new trucks on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 10 a.m., at the NH Food Bank headquarters (700 E. Industrial Park Drive, Manchester).

QOL score: +1

Comment: Citizens Financial Group is also hosting a virtual food drive throughout September to support Feeding America, which provides at least 10 meals through community food banks for every $1 donated. It has agreed to match each dollar donated up to $20,000, according to the release. Visit teamfeed.feedingamerica.org to learn how you can help.

Bike and park

Bike to the Manchester Citywide Arts Festival street fair (at the Opera Block of Hanover Street this Saturday, Sept. 17, and Sunday, Sept. 18) and the Queen City Bike Collective will provide free valet bike parking (from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday), according to a press release from the Manchester mayor’s office. Also happening downtown Saturday is the CelebratED MHT event in Veterans Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. celebrating Manchester’s schools and offering food and entertainment. Attendees of either event — or just anyone who wants to ride their bike downtown this weekend— can leave their ride with the Queen City Bike Collective in City Hall Plaza.

QOL score: +1

Comments: Manchester’s mayor’s office, Queen City Bike Collective and Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission are also hosting a Park(ing) Day event on Friday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Bookery (844 Elm St. in downton Manchester) in the outdoor dining area, the press release said.

More art returns

The New Hampshire Furniture Masters return after a two-year hiatus with their Signature Fundraising Gala, known as the Main Event, on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Kimball Jenkins Estate (266 N. Main St. in Concord). According to a press release, the event will feature an open house during the day, as well as a reception will be held in the evening with a silent auction, live entertainment, artisanal fare and craft beer. Tickets cost $20; admission is free for individuals age 21 and under. Visit furnituremasters.org/the-main-event.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The New Hampshire Furniture Masters Annual Exhibition, on display at Kimball Jenkins now through Oct. 25, is the result of a three-month artistic partnership between 14 Furniture Masters and 28 selected artists and faculty from Kimball Jenkins and features fine furniture, paintings, photography and poems.

QOL score: 82

Net change: +1

QOL this week: 83

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

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