Category: News

This Week 23/12/07

Big Events December 7, 2023 and beyond

Thursday, Dec. 7

Head to the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) for today’s Art After Work (when admission is free from 5 to 8 p.m.). Tonight’s musical performer is Joey Clark & The Big Hearts. And on Saturday, Dec. 9, admission is also free then for New Hampshire residents (the Second Saturday program sponsored by The Botnick Family Foundation and E&R Laundry and Dry Cleaners). The museum is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 9

The Currier and Ives Cookie Tour will run today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and feature 16 stops at inns, restaurants, galleries and more in the Monadnock region. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased, starting at the Inn at East Hill Farm in Troy and Frogg Brewing in Swanzey. See currierandivescookietour.com and our story on page 30. Or make a weekend of cookie adventures with the Annual Holiday Inn to Inn Cookie Tour today and Sunday, Dec. 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day at nine White Mountains inns stretching from Jackson to Eaton, with inns at least 15 minutes apart. See cookietour.square.site to purchase tour tickets for $35.

Saturday, Dec. 9

The 9th annual Hollis Luminaria Stroll & Town Band Concert will start today at 10 a.m. and include more than 2,000 luminaria lanterns, a Santa tractor parade, holiday craft shopping, a chili and cornbread dinner, music performances in Monument Square, a gingerbread house contest and a bake sale. The stroll and tree lighting will be at 4 p.m. at Monument Square. Visit hollisluminaria.org for a complete event schedule.

Saturday, Dec. 9

New England College will hold a Holiday Maker Fair today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at French Hall (148 Concord St. in Manchester). The event will feature arts and fine craft made by students, faculty and others, according to nec.edu/event/holiday-maker-fair. The event is free and open to the public. Demonstrations will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the website said.

Saturday, Dec. 9

Symphony NH will hold their Holiday Pops concert conducted by Maestro Roger Kalia today from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua), and Sunday, Dec. 10, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord). The performances will feature an assortment of seasonal works and carols. Tickets start at $10. Visit symphonynh.org.

Saturday, Dec. 9

Relax into your Saturday evening with the Dave Matthews Tribute Band performing tonight at 8 p.m. at the Tupelo Music Hall (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com, 437-5100). Tickets cost $35. Find more ticketed concerts in our Concert listings on page 50.

Save the Date! Friday, Dec. 15
Professional Bull Riding: Unleash the Beast will come to the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com) on Friday, Dec. 15, at 7:45 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 16, at 6:45 p.m. Tickets start at $25. To get the rules on bull riding and see videos of previous events, go to pbr.com/unleash-the-beast.

Featured photo: Christmas cookies.

Breslow now on the clock

The Big Story – Big Week for New Red Sox GM: Except for the St. Louis Cardinals, the action all over baseball has been pretty slow so far this off-season. But with the winter meeting happening this week in Memphis that’s expected to change.

The first order of business for new Red Sox GM Craig Breslow is finding two starting pitchers. And if the desire is to preserve as much of the young farm system talent assembled over the last three years as possible, at least one needs to be a free agent.

The top target is Japanese import Yoshinobu Yamamoto. But with almost every team looking to upgrade their pitching and the pool of quality free agent arms limited, Breslow will need to have the checkbook open and be ready to act quickly if he is to get things started on the right foot.

Sports 101: Who is the oldest player to win an NBA championship?

News Item – Tiger Woods Returns: The biggest takeaway from Tiger Woods’ return to golf last weekend at the Hero World Golf Championship was that his health/back held up. But in his first tourney since the Masters he was, as expected, rusty in finishing 18th out of 20 players and 20 shots behind the winner. Still the story was how he fared physically, so the weekend was good news.

News Item – Victor Wembanyama Update: The brouhaha over the 7’6” French import isn’t translating into wins. The Spurs started the week 3-16 and battling it out with Detroit for the worst record in the league. For his part Wembanyama is leading the Spurs in scoring (19.2), rebounding (9.7) and blocks (2.7) while shooting at 43.7 percent. That puts him in a tight battle for Rookie of the Year with Oak City’s Chet Holmgren, whose numbers are 17.6, 8.0 and 2.2 while shooting 53 percent.

News Item – Three Red Sox Questions:

(1) Should they get in the Shohei Ontani sweepstakes? Yes — expensive, but getting Ohtani would give them the clean-up hitter needed to use Raffy Devers in a trade for a major starter.

(2) Trade Devers? Yes. He’s a terrific hitter but a lousy third baseman who can’t be moved to first base with Triston Casas the future there. Plus he’s got a body that’s a bad risk for the back end of his 10-year deal.

(3) How Do You Fix the Bullpen? Give the seventh and eighth innings Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock and make Chris Sale the closer. Risky, I know, but I’m betting the 3- to 4-inning-a-week workload does for Sale what moving from starter to closer did for Mariano Rivera and Dennis Eckersley. Plus moving on from Kenley Jansen gives them more trade ammo.

The Numbers:

1 – wins the Patriots have the four times they’ve held their opponent to 10 points or less including Sunday, when they were a 6-0 baseball score loser to the L.A. Chargers.

12.3 – points per game the Patriots offense is averaging, which is the lowest in their 62-year history.

… Of the Week Awards

Win – The 49ers’ 42-19 demolition of Philly in a chippy showdown win on the Eagles home turf.

‘How’d They Do That?’ Loss: The Dallas Mavericks, who somehow managed to lose to Oak City 126-120 despite having a 30-to-nothing run in the fourth quarter on Saturday.

Random Thoughts:

It’s his life, but seeing Tiger struggle to make the cut each week is tough to watch. Fine for others, but he’s a historic icon.

Aside from top pick Trevor Lawrence the supposed Year of the QB 2021 NFL draft that had five taken in Round 1 has been a bust. While seeing Justin Fields (11th ) as the 14th-ranked passer is a bit surprising, his Bears are just 4-8, while 30th-ranked Mac Jones (15th) is benched and likely done in New England, Bret Wilson (second) is at 33 and a total bust in New York and third overall pick Trey Lance has already been traded by SF.

A Little History – Great Rookies: Putting the hype aside, Wembanyama has a long way to go to match the career starts of Larry Bird, Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Shaq, who joined teams that had won just 29, 27 and 21 games respectively and by Year 2 Bird’s and Kareem’s teams won the title and Shaq had Orlando in the Finals.

Sports 101 Answer: The oldest NBA champion was 43-year-old Robert Parish as a reserve with Chicago in 1997.

Final Thought – Florida State Gets Screwed: The latest example of how morally bankrupt big-time college football is came Sunday when 13-0 Florida State was left out of the four-team CFP tournament because their starting QB, Jordan Travis, is out for the year. Which means a team that demonstrated the fortitude to overcome losing its first- and second-string QBs to remain undefeated is denied what they earned because the TV ratings won’t likely be as good without Travis. Greed, Greed, GREED!

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

How to help

Food, housing costs & utilities bills are the big concerns

Karen Moynihan is the Vice President of Philanthropy, Catholic Charities New Hampshire, which provides a variety of services including food distribution through the New Hampshire Food Bank. See cc-nh.org.

What have you noticed about the community’s needs right now and over the last year?

We have more people coming to us looking for assistance than we have in the past — even more so than when the pandemic first hit in 2020 and continued into 2021. So people are struggling, and the primary reason is threefold: the cost of food has increased, utility costs in New Hampshire are some of the highest in the country, and the cost of housing. So people are having a hard time maintaining their monthly budgets when everything around them just keeps going up and up. We have more people coming to us for emergency assistance and really urgent needs. They’re really one paycheck away from disaster.

What items can people give?

There are two programs that can take donated items: We have a veterans program here in Manchester, Liberty House, and they have a pantry that provides food and clothing and gear. A lot of our veteran population in Manchester is homeless. So they need camping gear and warm clothing and things like that. They list on their website what their needs are for the pantry; those could change on any given day. The other program we have is out at the Seacoast, and it’s a transitional housing program for moms and children called New Generation. These moms and children are usually homeless, they don’t have a job, and they’ve experienced trauma of some sort. Many of them have left abusive relationships. They may come in with some addiction challenges. They may come in without a driver’s license or crucial documentation because they had to leave a situation quickly. The program works with these moms for about a year getting them back on their feet. … By the time they leave the program, they have a job, they have child care, and they have an affordable place to stay. Anyway, there is a thrift store on site that takes donations of all kinds, because when those women leave that program, they also need household items. So folks can donate household items or clothing to the thrift store. They need everything from children’s clothing to adult clothing to bedding to kitchen items, things like that. So that’s another wonderful way to donate either gently used or new items.

What can monetary gifts be used for?

Monetary donations allow us the flexibility to quickly deploy resources for the most urgent needs. Oftentimes we can keep people in their homes by helping them get caught up on a utility bill, or helping them with a car repair that they can’t afford because they’re going to be evicted if they don’t pay their rent. There are just so many enormous challenges that people are facing right now, and they are literally on the verge of losing the most important things — housing, food, medications.

Where are volunteers needed most?

We have one program here in Manchester that is in urgent need of volunteers. It’s called Caregivers and this is a program for seniors on low fixed incomes who are just slightly above the poverty level. These seniors no longer drive and they need help to be able to continue to live independently in their homes. There are two things that Caregivers does for this network of seniors: they do deliveries of food to them — every senior gets a delivery of food once a month — and we give them rides to doctor’s appointments or the grocery store, whatever their needs are. These volunteers are sometimes the only connection to the outside world that these seniors have. They often don’t have family or relatives nearby to help them, so this is a critical resource for them.

How can people find the right volunteering opportunity?

Visit the Catholic Charities website click on the “Get involved” button. This section lists various volunteer opportunities. Choose what inspires you the most. You can sign up or learn more about each opportunity directly through the website. If you have any questions or need guidance, you can always call our office and speak with our volunteer coordinator.

How to help

Here are some of New Hampshire homelessness and housing support charities.

  • Cross Roads House 600 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, 436-2218, crossroadshouse.org
  • Families in Transition 122 Market St., Manchester, 641-9441, fitnh.org
  • Family Promise of Greater Concord 79 Clinton St., Concord, 856-8490, familypromisegcnh.org​​.
  • Family Promise of Southern New Hampshire 3 Crown St., Building B, Nashua, 883-7338, familypromisesnh.org​
  • Friends Program 130 Pembroke Road, Suite 200, Concord, 228-1193
  • Liberty House 221 Orange St., Manchester, 669-0761, libertyhousenh.org
  • New Generation 568 Portsmouth Ave., Greenland, 436-4989, newgennh.org
  • New Horizons Shelter 199 Manchester St., Manchester, 668-1877, newhorizonsnh.org
  • Harbor Care 77 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 882-3616, harborcarenh.org​​
  • Marguerite’s Place 87 Palm St., Nashua, 598-1582, margueritesplace.org
  • McKenna House 100 S. Fruit St., Concord, 225-8610
  • My Friend’s Place 368 Washington St., Dover, 749-3017
  • The Way Home 214 Spruce St., Manchester, 627-3491

Featured photo: Liberty House in Manchester, a program of Catholic Charities. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 23/12/07

Treating substance use disorders

The Executive Council has approved an additional $9.8 million for The Doorways program, elevating the state’s total investment to $57.8 million. According to a press release, this initiative, launched in 2019, aims to transform New Hampshire’s approach to treating opioid and other substance use disorders. The program is set to serve around 24,000 individuals in the coming year, focusing on increasing access to support services, reducing overdose fatalities and improving substance use-related health care. Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement, “The Doorways initiative has played a vital role in providing individuals across New Hampshire with critical treatment and recovery services — regardless of whether they live in rural New Hampshire or a more urban area. Today’s renewed investment in the program will ensure New Hampshire continues the important work being done to curb the harm caused by the nationwide drug epidemic.”

Transportation plan

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) has initiated the biennial process to reassess the state’s transportation infrastructure needs and has formulated a Ten-Year Plan for 2025-2034, proposing an investment of nearly $5 billion across all transportation modes, according to a press release. In the process of developing this plan, the NHDOT sought insights from Regional Planning Commissions and engaged with the public through 24 hearings conducted by the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Intermodal Transportation (GACIT). The feedback from these hearings led to adjustments in the plan. After GACIT concluded its deliberations, the plan was forwarded to the governor for review. The next phase will see the governor presenting the plan to the New Hampshire Legislature in January for extensive review and debate, starting with the House’s Public Works & Highways Committee, proceeding to the Senate, and aiming for final adoption by June 2024.

School funds

The Manchester School District has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to enhance its community schools initiative. According to a press release, this initiative integrates additional services such as health and nutrition into the school system. Manchester, being the only recipient in New Hampshire, is part of a nationwide program that allocates $74 million across 30 districts. This funding will be utilized to expand the impact on students, families and the community, with a focus on meeting basic needs to improve learning outcomes. The district worked in collaboration with Manchester Proud and other partners in developing the grant application.

More nurses

Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, a member of Dartmouth Health, has launched a collaborative program with New England College (NEC) in Henniker to address the nursing shortage by providing nursing students with practical experience and college credits. According to a press release, this innovative model, starting in 2024, allows up to 12 students annually to work as licensed nursing assistants (LNAs) at Cheshire Medical Center while completing their three-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The program is designed to integrate hands-on clinical training with academic study, offering students salary and credits during their 14-week cooperative clinical experience each year. This partnership is part of Dartmouth Health’s wider strategy to foster a skilled health care workforce, aligning with its commitment to nursing education and addressing the nationwide challenge of nursing staff shortages.

Zoom talks

The United Way of Greater Nashua, in collaboration with volunteers from the Emmaus Institute and Main Street Methodist Church, is coordinating “Let’s Talk,” a series of bi-weekly Zoom conversations aimed at reducing social isolation among older adults. According to a press release, these online talks, supported by Greater Nashua Mental Health, Gateways Community Services, Nashua Senior Activity Center and Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County, offer a platform for homebound older adults and others to connect without a specific theme or agenda. The sessions are scheduled for the first and third Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m., and the second and fourth Thursdays from 9 to 10 a.m.. This initiative invites all interested individuals to participate via the link tinyurl.com/LetsTalkNH. For more information or to engage as a donor or volunteer, contact them at [email protected] or visit unitedwaynashua.org.

Prinoth, an Italian manufacturer of snow-grooming machines, recently relocated to Concord, moving into a 23,000-square-foot facility previously occupied by Concord Sports Center, the Concord Monitor reported. After 18 years in Gilmanton, the company will now have doubled space and a rail system for a 5-ton overhead crane. Prinoth, which serves ski areas across the East, from Ohio to Maine to Tennessee, will host the New Hampshire ski season’s annual industry kickoff. Their high-end groomers, vital for ski resorts and snowmobile clubs, can cost up to a half-million dollars, while smaller models are priced in the low six figures. The Concord site is shared with sister company DemaLenko, a snow-making machinery manufacturer.

Amoskeag Health is set to establish the Mark Stebbins Community Center in Manchester’s West Side to improve access to health care and community services. According to a press release, the center will serve as a hub for Amoskeag Health and the Boys & Girls Club, among others. The location in Kelley Falls is part of a privately funded initiative that will not use taxpayer dollars. The project, still in its early stages, anticipates a 20,000-square-foot facility.

Rivier University in Nashua is launching a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree and a 4+1 program, set to begin in Fall 2024. According to an announcement from the school, this program offers concentrations in Data Science, Cybersecurity, Software Development or Game Programming, and the 4+1 option allows students to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees in just five years.

This Week 23/11/30

Big Events November 30, 2023 and beyond

Friday, Dec. 1

The Bedford Women’s Club’s “Festival of Trees & Holiday Market” runs today from 4 to 7 p.m. and tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bedford Old Town Hall (70 Bedford Center Road). Admission is free and the event will feature a guest appearance by Santa Claus on Saturday, live music, more than 25 decorated artificial trees that will be raffled, and vendors, according to bedfordwomensclub.org.

Friday, Dec. 1

It’s Midnight Merriment! Tonight from 5 p.m. to midnight, get holiday cheer and shopping opportunities in downtown Concord. The evening will include an appearance by Santa, strolling carolers, a dance party with DJ Nazzy, the Concord Art Market Winter Giftopolis and more. For details, check out the story on page 18 in the Nov. 23 issue of the Hippo; see hippopress.com for the e-edition.

Friday, Dec. 1

Catch a screening of the holiday “indie dark(ish) comedy”Merry Good Enough, a movie directed by Caroline Keene and Dan Kennedy that was a winner at the 2023 New Hampshire Film Festival for Best NH Feature Narrative, tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). Tickets cost $10. See the trailer at merrygoodenough.com.

Friday, Dec. 1

Or go even darker with Fright Kingdom’s The Fright Before Christmas haunted attraction (described on the website as being “extremely scary,” where you will encounter “rabid reindeer, crazed carolers, cannibalistic elves”) running today from 7 to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 2, from 6 to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 3, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $35. Visit frightkingdom.com.

Saturday, Dec. 2

Head to Elm Street today at 3 p.m. to watch oodles of runners in Santa suits run in the 3-mile BASC Santa Claus Shuffle, which features stops with the four Santa food groups — chocolate, cookies and milk, candy, and maple, according to millenniumrunning.com, which will explain how to register if you want to take part yourself. A Stonyfield Organic Lil’ Elf Run (of 100 yards) starts at 2:30 p.m.

Then at 4 p.m. settle in for the annual Manchester Holiday Parade, which will head down Elm Street from Brady Sullivan tower to Victory Park and feature a variety of floats and marchers. For more details on the parade, check out the story on page 19 in the Nov. 23 issue of the Hippo.

Sunday, Dec. 3

The NH Music Collective Sunday Sessions will feature Ryan Williamson & The hArt of Sound today at 6 p.m. at the Cantin Room at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord, ccanh.com). Tickets cost $18.75. Find more ticketed concerts this weekend and beyond in our Concert listings on page 38.

Save the Date! Saturday, Dec. 28
Looking for entertainment options for that final week of December? The Harlem Globetrotters 2024 will come to the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) on Thursday, Dec. 28, at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets cost $44 through $134, with pre-game VIP options.

Featured photo: The Santa Shuffle. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 23/11/30

Bird page

Bird enthusiasts can now delve into the world of local avian life through New Hampshire Audubon’s new interactive website dedicated to New Hampshire’s birds. This comprehensive portal, accessible within the New Hampshire Audubon website, provides an in-depth look at the current status of birds in New Hampshire, the challenges they encounter and the actions that can be taken for their conservation. The site allows users to explore information sorted by breeding habitats and species groups, including waterfowl, birds of prey, shorebirds, aerial insectivores and ocean birds. It also offers insights into migration cycles and a resources page filled with bird conservation-related links. Visit stateofthebirds.nhaudubon.org.

QOL score: +1

Comment:“Why pay attention to birds?” the website asks and answers: “New Hampshire’s birds are an integral part of our ecosystem. They can tell us about our environment, and what the birds are telling us may be important, not only to their survival but to ours.”

Jobs!

In a CommercialSearch study, Manchester-Nashua, New Hampshire, was recognized among the top 30 metro areas for career advancement, placing 10th with 56 points. The metrics spotlighting New Hampshire included the second-lowest unemployment rate at 2.3 percent, the fourth-best student-to-teacher ratio with 11 students per faculty, and the fourth-highest job mobility for high-skill workers at 3.9 percent. Additionally, Manchester noted a 7.5 percent growth in the percentage of high qualified jobs, adding 2,120 such positions in one year. The study, aimed at identifying metros with the best career development opportunities, evaluated factors like education and labor market conditions.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Manchester-Nashua was the only metro area from the Northeast that ranked in the top 10 for career development, representing the region amidst a list otherwise dominated by Western metros.

Helping out

The New Hampshire Bankers Association completed its third annual #NHBanksGiveBack month of service in October. According to a press release, the event saw participation from 27 member banks, which engaged in community service activities and financial contributions. This year’s efforts amounted to more than 3,186 volunteer hours across 382 events, with a total of $504,900 in monetary donations. The activities included shred events, food and clothing donations, soup kitchen work, and financial literacy outreach, among others.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “In just three short years, the volunteer efforts of our member banks have contributed more than $1.3 million in financial support to our state and communities, backed by over 5,000 volunteer hours spread out over more than 800 charitable events,” Kristy Merrill, President of New Hampshire Bankers, said in the release.

QOL score: 84

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 87

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?
Let us know at [email protected].

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