Category: News

The bottom lines

News Item: LIV Making Waves In Golf World

I was around in the early days of the AFL and for the birth of both the ABA and USFL, so I get what the players who’ve left the PGA to join LIV Golf are doing. They’re grabbing the incredible money being thrown their way, which is fine if you can block out who is behind where it’s coming from and why they’re doing it. Regardless of that, it brings to mind two other points to me.

First, the players grabbing the cash, as is generally the case in the large me-first, greed-infested segment of our culture, want it both ways. They want LIV money and to play in PGA-sponsored events like the FedEx Cup playoffs. And several have sued the PGA for restraining trade by preventing them from playing in their events. I’m not an antitrust lawyer and I don’t play one on TV, but that’s like taking ABA money and still wanting to play in the NBA too. Doesn’t work that way. Who blames the PGA for saying, “Hey, pal, you can’t play in our events because you work for a rival business that’s trying to take money out of our pockets”?

Second, maybe it’s because it’s just golf or maybe it’s that I’ve been around long enough to see the real fun of the ABA, AFL and USFL, not to mention the XFL, but my attitude for LIV is “who cares?” While I root for certain guys at times, it’s only when they are playing in the tourney of the day. If not, so what? That’s because I watch golf for the events or the courses they’re playing, like Pebble Beach, and not for specific players.

Bottom Line: Keep them out of all four majors to make it hurt until the Saudi money eventually dries up and LIV folds.

News Item: Pats After Two Games

I love the pre-season pronouncements about how a team or a rookie looks in August. Like the Boston Globe’s Tara Sullivan saying the Patriots’ defense “is looking as stingy as ever” after two meaningless games. First, I guess she missed those last two games vs. Buffalo in 2021; I don’t know about “stingy as ever.” Second, they’ve played two series against a starting NFL QB, so how can you tell anything? Especially since Daniel Jones took the G-Men 68 yards down the field for a FG on his first series.

Then we’ve got the ultimate fan boy writer, Concord Monitor alum Chad Finn, saying in the Globe that second-round pick Tyquan Thornton should get the benefit of the doubt from skeptics after scoring a TD in Game 1. Oh, yeah, let’s ignore 18 years of futility between 2003 and 2021 in drafting wide receivers because a guy scored a preseason TD. I’m not saying Thornton is going to be good or bad; I haven’t seen enough of him against anyone, let alone face to face with a guy like Stephon Gilmore. And with him suffering a collarbone injury that could have him missing up to eight weeks his start now is a lot closer to N’Keal Harry than Deion Branch.

Bottom Line: Come see me in October. You rarely can tell much until then.

News Item: Judge Challenges Maris And The Babe

Steroid-tainted Barry Bonds holds the official record for homers in a season at 73, so this is more of a New York thing, but with Aaron Judge on pace to hit 61, all eyes in NYC will be on him as he tries to take the Yankees homer record from Babe Ruth and Roger Maris. While Maris holds the record with 61, many didn’t recognize that, in 1961, he did it in the new 162-game season whereas Ruth hit his 60 in 154 games.

Bottom Line: I’m a “records are made to be broken” kind of guy, so I’m pulling for Judge to do it even if it takes a bit of Yankees lore with it Either way, it should be a nostalgic final month in the Bronx.

News Item: How To End Brooklyn Saga

Enough already with the unending Kevin Durant-Brooklyn trade-me standoff. If I’m Brooklyn owner Joe Tsai I tell Durant we’re not trading you unless we get our price (which they have little chance of getting), so sit out. I’m worth $10 billion, so even losing $100 million is chump change. On the other hand, if you sit out for the three years left on your contract you’ll be coming back at 37 after missing 4.5 of the last six seasons. So good luck with that.

As for Kyrie Irving, that no one wants him is validation for me saying since 2017 he’s not as good as people think and even if he were, a guy who takes it all for granted ain’t worth the trouble.

Bottom Line: Stop letting players try to dictate what you do. Make them put up or shut up.

KD loves to play, so he’ll come back. As for Kyrie, his value will be highest at the trade deadline after somebody gets hurt on a contender and they’re desperate for help.

News Item: Browns Get Stuffed on Watson

Given his unrepentant attitude throughout, even with a $5 million fine and an 11-game suspension Deshaun Watson got off easy for what he did. But to some degree Roger the Dodger’s hands were tied after the arbiter tied her lighter ruling to the weak consequences various owners got for their own behaviors.

Bottom Line: Admittedly an after-the-fact bottom line. But I said last spring the Browns should hold on to Baker Mayfield. If they had, they wouldn’t be scrambling to find a QB in late August because sulking through the season wouldn’t be smart for a guy needing a reboot ahead of being a free agent in 2023. So he was a perfect fit for trying to prevent their season from going down the drain.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

Musical message

Nashua musician wins songwriting competition

Bill Fee of Nashua, also known by his artist name Fee the Evolutionist, won first prize in the R&B/Hip Hop category at this year’s New England Songwriting Competition with his song “Ain’t No Love.” Visit newenglandsongwritingcompetition.com/winners to listen to it and the other winning songs.

What is the New England Songwriting Competition, and what made you decide to enter it this year?

It’s been around for more than 15 years. They have different judges every year, and they’re always accomplished musicians. Some of them are involved with really big names [in music] and have worked out at Nashville studios and have Grammy awards and accomplishments. It’s a different array of musicians from all different genres, which is great. This year, I think they had over 500 submissions. I submitted my song “Ain’t No Love” for the Best R&B/Hip Hop Song category. I wasn’t even [planning] to actually enter because I thought it was a shot in the dark, but at the last minute I said, ‘Let me just enter and see.’ I remember when I got the email; it came through a few weeks later and I thought, ‘Oh, man, well, I wonder what this is,’ and I had ended up winning in that category. I was super happy about that. It comes with a cash prize, which I used to put toward studio time, and I had already had studio time booked, so it was great that I was able to put that [prize] back into my music.

What is your background in music?

I’ve been involved in music forever. My whole family is involved in music; my brothers and sisters and grandparents all play instruments, so I’ve always been writing songs for as long as I could speak. I was scatting to the jazz music that my parents would play. My grandfather was in a big band where he played trumpet, and my brother Mark played piano and my brother Mike played drums. I love all different types of music. I was really passionate about poetry and hip-hop just [because of] the way that you could express yourself. I started getting involved in that and put a few records out in my teens and met up with a guy who produced Jay-Z. I was just getting involved right when he was able to get going, and I was able to see that whole thing take off. It was great being a part of that. That let me know that, hey, you can make a living doing this. If you work hard, you can be successful. I think that was the turning point for me and when I really got serious about it. Since then, I’ve just been writing songs. I have some songs licensed out to HBO, Amazon Prime, the NBA. It’s been fun.

What is your winning song about, and why did you choose to submit that one?

Because of everything happening in the world today and the polarization that you’re seeing with people financially, politically, spiritually, I really wanted to say something. I wanted to put it out there how I was feeling. It’s a song about social justice and inflation affecting the most vulnerable people in the community. … I wasn’t sure at first if I should enter that song, because it is kind of edgy and a little political, but it was an outlet to what I was seeing, and I want to be vocal and find ways to support my community.

What would you like people to take away from your song?

Even though it’s an edgy song, it’s got that meaning of hope in there, as well. I just want people to be conscious of how they’re treating each other and have some empathy and some compassion.

What’s next for you?

I have a bunch of shows coming up, and I have some projects that I’m recording. … I’m working with a live band. I’m working with a label out of Nashua called Hellhound Publishing, and we’re going to be releasing some projects.

What advice do you have for other songwriters?

Someone once gave me good advice. I didn’t take it until I got older because it’s hard to do, but it’s just a little piece of advice that’s easy to digest: write every day. Write a verse, even if it’s a small, little verse. Write every day, and you’ll get better, and if you love it and you’re passionate about it, you’ll get better.

Featured photo: Fee the Evolutionist. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 22/08/25

Election prep

The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Office will host training sessions for local election officials in preparation for the New Hampshire state primary election on Tuesday, Sept. 13. According to a press release, the sessions, open to moderators, clerks, selectmen, supervisors of the checklist and inspectors of election (ballot clerks), will provide a detailed overview of election law and the processes to be carried out by election officials before, during and after the state election. The sessions will be held in person in Atkinson, Campton, Colebrook, Conway, Gorham, Haverhill, Keene, Manchester, Newport, Portsmouth, Rindge and Wolfeboro, though on-demand training webinars will also be available for election officials who cannot attend the in-person sessions. Visit sos.nh.gov/elections/elections/election-officials.

The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Office also announced that it will offer the Accessible Electronic Absentee Ballot system for the 2022 state primary, which will enable New Hampshire voters with print disabilities to securely request, receive and mark absentee ballots electronically from their own homes. According to a press release, “print disability” is defined as a physical disability that prevents a voter from marking a ballot or completing election forms using pen and paper. Voters using this system will then mail or deliver their marked absentee ballot to their town or city clerk; no votes will be sent or processed over the internet. Applications to use the system for the upcoming election can be downloaded at sos.nh.gov/elections/voters/register-vote/absentee/accessible-voting. (Applicants are permitted to type their name for their signature on the application and email the completed application to their local clerk.)

Dept. of Ed news

The New Hampshire Department of Education is partnering with Tutor.com to provide 24/7, unlimited access to free online tutoring for every middle and high school student in the state to help students recover from missed learning due to the pandemic. According to a press release, more than 100,000 students attending New Hampshire public, private and charter schools as well as students enrolled in home education and Education Freedom Account programs will be able to use the service anytime, anywhere and from any internet-connected device. The tutoring is offered one-to-one for test preparation and homework help, with support available in multiple languages. Students can interact with their personal tutors through their preference of communication method, which may include two-way text or voice chat. All tutors recruited by Tutor.com are vetted and undergo background checks. “This tutoring will not only facilitate and enhance learning, but serve as a tremendous resource for students hoping to enhance their educational experience, or those students in need of individualized instruction,” New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said in the release. “This partnership will also support teachers in their ongoing efforts to assist students who may be struggling and seeking additional guidance.”

The New Hampshire Department of Education has also formed two additional partnerships to promote and strengthen literacy among students in the state. A partnership with Lexia Learning Systems, based in Concord, Mass., gives eligible New Hampshire educators access to Lexia’s Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) professional learning programs. According to a press release, the programs are designed to provide early childhood educators, elementary educators and education administrators with a deep knowledge of literacy and language instruction and the science behind reading, including phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and written language. A partnership with Güd Marketing, based in Lansing, Mich., has been established to launch a new statewide reading campaign. The campaign will include advertising, marketing and social media efforts as well as a video series, according to the release.

Opioid settlement

New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and attorney generals from other states have reached a $450 million settlement with Ireland-based opioid producer Endo International and its lenders. According to a press release from New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella, Endo makes generic and branded opioids, including Percocet, Endocet and Opana ER, the last of which was withdrawn from the pharmaceutical market in 2017. The states allege that Endo used deceptive marketing for its opioid sales, downplaying the risk of addiction and overstating the benefits of opioids. The company, which has its U.S. headquarters in Malvern, Pennsylvania, filed for bankruptcy protection last week. In addition to the $450 million payment, the agreement in principle — pending final documentation and Bankruptcy Court approval — requires Endo to turn over millions of opioid-related documents for publication online in a public document archive and pay $2.75 million for the archival expenses and bans Endo from marketing opioids. “This settlement continues our efforts over many years to hold opioid manufacturers, distributors and dispensers responsible for their role in fueling the opioid crisis in New Hampshire,” Formella said in the release. “That crisis continues to wreak havoc in our communities and results in significant numbers of drug overdoses and deaths.” New Hampshire’s funds from the settlement will be dedicated to opioid treatment and prevention programs in the state.

The New Hampshire State Forest Nursery in Boscawen has continued to see record-breaking seedling sales this year. According to a press release, the total number of orders increased by 37.6 percent, income increased by 52 percent and the total number of seedlings lifted, sorted for quality, packaged and sold increased by 50.8 percent from 2021. Each year, the State Forest Nursery grows three million seedlings and has 20 acres dedicated to seed orchards and testing areas.

The New Hampshire Harm Reduction Coalition and Rights & Democracy Institute will host the Concord International Overdose Awareness Day Vigil on Wednesday, Aug. 31, which is International Overdose Awareness Day. Attendees are invited to gather at City Hall starting at 4 p.m., from where they’ll start walking to the Statehouse at 4:30 p.m. At the Statehouse starting at 5 p.m. there will be a program with music and speeches, culminating with the candlelight vigil at 6:30 p.m. Visit overdoseday.com/activities-2022.

The Bedford School District is faced with around 75 positions still left to fill before the school year starts. According to its website, paraprofessionals, custodians, food service workers and bus monitors are needed. Informational meetings will be held in the district’s SAU Boardroom (103 County Road) on Friday, Aug. 26, at 9 a.m. and Monday, Aug. 29, at 1 p.m.

This Week 22/08/18

Big Events August 18, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, Aug. 18

Londonderry’s Old Home Days, set for Wednesday, Aug. 17, through Sunday, Aug. 21, coincide with the town’s 300th anniversary celebration this year. In addition to a parade, there will be local vendor booths, games, food and an assortment of daily activities. Times and locations for different events vary throughout the week — a full schedule can be found on the Facebook page @townoflondonderryoldhomeday.

Friday, Aug. 19

The Toadstool Bookshop and Andy’s Summer Playhouse (582 Isaac Frye Hwy., Wilton) are hosting a Q&A with Tom Moore today at 5 p.m. about his book Grease: Tell Me More, Tell Me More. The book has stories from the cast and crew that helped build the show Grease into the classic it is today. To reserve a spot, visit andyssummerplayhouse.org.

Friday, Aug. 19

The Great Atlantic and Pacific Shakespeare Company opens at the Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road, Concord) today at 7:30 p.m. The play is written by local playwright Alan Lindsay and will be the first multi-act production from his playwriting group. The show follows actors who are swindled out of money by a greedy director, and hilarity ensues. The show does contain adult themes, so parental discretion is advised. To purchase tickets and to see other dates the show is running, visit hatboxnh.com.

Sunday, Aug. 21

Tuscan Village (9 Via Toscana, Salem) is hosting its annual exotic car show Concorso Italiano today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The show will feature one-of-a-kind cars and motorcycles and live music. The restaurant’s bar will also be open all day. To register a car, visit tuscanvillagesalem.com.

Tuesday, Aug. 23

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) is hosting a student plane-building open house today at 7 p.m. The open house is to get high school age students interested in aviation and to sign up for the 2022-2023 school year program. The open house will have a flyby by the first completed student-built plane, as well as information sessions. Visit aviationmuseumofnh.org.

Wednesday, Aug. 24

The Movies in the Summer Park Series at Veterans Memorial Park (723 Elm St., Manchester) continues with a showing of Black Panther (PG-13, 2018) tonight at 8 p.m. The film follows T’Challa, the new king of Wakanda, as he is challenged for the throne by a long-lost relative. The movie is free to attend.

Save the Date! Saturday, Aug. 27
The Capitol Center of the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) is hosting Ladysmith Black Mambazo today, with doors opening at 7 p.m. The five-time Grammy-award winning group from South Africa is known for its vocal harmonies, signature dance moves and charming onstage banter. Tickets start at $35.50 and can be purchased at ccanh.com.

Featured photo. Londonderry’s Old Home Days. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 22/08/18

Gas going down

The average price of gasoline in New Hampshire went down by 11.6 cents per gallon last week, averaging $4.11 per gallon as of Aug. 15, according to GasBuddy. The data is based on a survey of 875 gas stations across the state. Prices are 45.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and $1.12 higher than a year ago.

QOL Score: +1

Comment: The national average price of gasoline averaged $3.92 as of Aug. 15, according to the report — down 9.9 cents per gallon in the last week.

Students build airplanes

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) will host a free open house on Tuesday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m., when high school students and their families can learn about the museum’s student airplane-building program and see a fly-by of New Hampshire’s first student-built airplane in flight at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. According to a press release, the program, based at Manchester School of Technology, invites high school students to collaborate with volunteer mentors to build an airplane throughout the school year. It was launched in 2019, becoming the fourth of its kind in the U.S. and the first and only in the Northeast. The program is free and open to all high school-age students — including those in home schooling, private and non-traditional education settings — living in Manchester, Londonderry, Goffstown, Bedford and other area towns. Visit aviationmuseumofnh.org or call 669-4820.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The first airplane in the program — a Van’s RV-12iS two-seat light sport aircraft — was recently completed, and construction on the program’s second airplane will commence at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year.

Health care heroes

Nominations are open for New Hampshire Healthcare Heroes. Now in its third year, New Hampshire Healthcare Heroes is an effort supported by the Southern New Hampshire Area Health Education Center to celebrate health care workers in the state. “Every health care organization requires a team approach to provide the proper and necessary care and we believe that those who may work under the radar but really are a superhero within their organization deserve recognition,” Roxie Severance, who has led the effort since its inception, said in a press release. “It takes a full community of professionals to make our health care system work, and we’re excited to honor that role and share their stories.” Nominees may include clinical and nonclinical providers, administrators, educators, facilities, custodial and kitchen staff and others who provide direct or indirect care to patients and families receiving health care. A board of volunteers will review the nominations and select one winner and two runners-up for each of the seven regions in the state. Each Hero will be honored in a pinning ceremony, hosted in partnership with their employer and streamed live on Facebook, and will receive a banner and customized swag bag.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Anyone can nominate a Healthcare Hero by submitting an online nomination form at nhhealthcareheroes.org. Nominations close on Friday, Sept. 16, at 11:59 p.m.

Give blood, win gas

The American Red Cross is calling for blood and platelet donations to prevent a seasonal blood shortage, according to a press release, and everyone who donates during the month of August will receive a $10 e-gift card to a merchant of their choice and will be automatically entered for a chance to win free gas for a year — a $6,000 value. Three winners will be drawn.

QOL score: +1

Comment: To book a donation appointment at a Red Cross blood donation site near you, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.

QOL score: 83

Net change: +4

QOL this week: 87

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

Farewell to James White

Another week with too much going on for a once a week column.

With Chaim Bloom’s baseball visions sending fan interest into a death spiral, will the much bigger deal made over David Ortiz entering the Baseball Hall of Fame than when Richard Seymour went into the Pro Football Hall two weeks later be the last time the Red Sox will command center stage for a long time?

Sorry, I don’t get what the hoo-ha was over Washington’s Juan Soto being traded to San Diego at the deadline to “tip the balance of power” in the NL West. Really? When was the last time a .246 hitter did that?

Sports 101: An actual trade that did came in 1987 when Detroit gave up a no-name prospect to get veteran Doyle Alexander. Hethen went 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA in 11 starts to help them come from way back to win the AL East in 1987. Name the future Hall of Fame hurler they gave up to get Doyle.

Beyond that, how old are the people calling the Soto deal the biggest ever? 14? Here are two trade deadline deals I guarantee Soto won’t top.

In 1964 Lou Brock got traded at the deadline to spark the languishing Cardinals to win the World Series four months later. And all he did after that was accumulate 3,000 hits and become the all-time leader in stolen bases.

In 1977 300-game winner and Mets icon Tom Seaver was traded in his prime to Cincy. Think if they made it into a movie people would believe the 2022 Chris Sale saga, which supposedly ended by him falling off his bike and breaking his wrist? It’s a story with an ending many local media types are highly skeptical about. It makes the ledger for the first three years of Sale’s five-year deal signed in spring of 2020 5 wins, 11 starts and two losses for $90 million.

Congratulations to ESPN for getting it right for once in ranking Jimmy Brown as its GOAT for running backs. Ditto for Barry Sanders as No. 2 and Walter Payton third. Well done.

Shouldn’t Tom Brady be fined big for his role in the Miami tampering plot with owner Steve Ross and U of Michigan buddy/minority Dolphins owner Bruce Beal to get him out of his Tampa Bay contract to become the Dolphins QB?

And with that dishonesty added to the ledger with him not mentioning anyone in Foxboro when he retired as part of the phony plot, the halo has certainly descended on TB-12 around here.

Add another entry to Kyrie Irving’s “Is This Guy For Real?” file, from his contract extension talks where two of the items he wanted in his new contract, according to Ric Bucher’s On the Ball podcast, were that he only had to play 60 games a year and that he didn’t have to play “inhumanely” in games on back-to-back nights. He later refuted it in a bizarre rant on Twitter that contained phrases like shifting “paradigms” apparently to show how deep his intellect is.

Speaking of the tediously unending Nets saga, I think I’d do the deal for him if the price was Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and a first-round pick because it let Jayson Tatum just play and put the leadership burden on the more suited for it Durant.

But I’d rather see them send Brown and Grant Williams to Cleveland for Evan Mobley, point guard Darius Garland and taking on Kevin Love’s onerous but expiring $30 million contract. That would hurt them a little defensively but give them a better and bigger three-man rotation among the bigs, deliver the eventual replacement for 37-year-old Al Horford, a real point guard in Garland and with Horford’s expiring deal, $60 million to spend on free agents next summer.

Though if I were Cleveland I wouldn’t do it.

Sports 101 Answer: The prospect Detroit gave up for Alexander was John Smoltz, who went on to win a Cy Young, save an all-time single season record 55 games and win 213 games with Atlanta on his way to the Hall.

Sports 102: Name the Hall of Famer then major Dodgers prospect Doyle Alexander was traded for at the start of his career in December 1971.

One more thing on Soto. I get that he’s just 23 and bursting with potential. But he’s had a full season when he hit over .300, and another when he hit .351 in 46 games. Has never hit more than 32 homers or driven in more than 110 in six seasons.

At 23 it was 46/127/.356 for Albert Pujols. By his sixth season Junior Griffey had two 49-homer seasons and three 100-plus-RBI seasons already. In his fourth season Willie Mays was MVP for going 51/127/.319. In his fifth season Mickey Mantle won the triple crown and MVP for his 52/130/.353 submission.

Terrific prospect, likely bright future, but let’s pump the brakes on Soto because he hasn’t been as good as any of the people mentioned above by 23 or their sixth season.

Sports 102 Answer: The highly touted Alexander was the key guy Baltimore got back in a six-player deal that sent the great Frank Robinson to the Dodgers.

With other guys around the league going down with big injuries I probably should just be happy it didn’t happen here. But beyond the eight catches for 99-yard effort to support my belief Kristian Wilkerson is better than the Patriots seem to think, I don’t know what I got from last week’s pre-season game vs. the G-Men.

Finally a tip of the cap to James White at his retirement. He was as reliable as they come, clutch when it mattered most and with six carries for 29 yards, 14 catches for 110 yards and three TDs spectacular in the greatest Super Bowl comeback ever. A true Patriot if there ever was one. Thanks for the memories and best of luck as you ride off into retirement.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

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