Intown Concord sent out a notice last Saturday to inform people that almost all of the events at that day’s Winter Festival were canceled because of the snowstorm. “This is really disappointing for everyone involved [but] safety is our number one priority. Intown Concord will be working to reschedule as many elements from today’s festival as we can for the springtime,” Intown wrote in the notice.
Score: -2
Comment:The exceptions were the ice carvers and the ice bar – “the ice carvers are a hardy crew,” the notice read. The carvings were done on the Statehouse lawn, with the plan that they would remain on display for about a week.
Keeping college costs down
For the fourth year in a row, the University System of New Hampshire is freezing in-state tuition for the upcoming academic year. According to a press release, university system schools currently provide more aid to more students than at any other time in their history, and students are paying less on average to attend these public institutions than in-state students paid five years ago. The University of New Hampshire campuses in Durham and Manchester, Plymouth State University and Keene State College continue to offer the Granite Guarantee program, which makes college affordable for more than 1,800 New Hampshire residents by covering the full cost of in-state tuition for all who qualify.
Score: +1
Comment: Ninety-five percent of first-year students attending University System of New Hampshire schools currently receive some form of financial aid, the release said.
Supporting our health care heroes
For the second year, the NH Healthcare Heroes effort is recognizing outstanding professionals in the health care community, naming one hero for each of the state’s seven regions. According to a press release, the winners were nominated by colleagues, family, friends and patients and were chosen by a volunteer committee made up of health care professionals across the state. Locally, winners are Laura “Beth” Nagy, director of rehabilitation services at New Hampshire Hospital in Concord; Matt Bouchie, homeless outreach coordinator at the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester; and Stacy Dionne, clinical nurse manager at Lamprey Health Care in Raymond.
Score: +1
Comment:Winners are being honored during pinning ceremonies with their employers, and runners-up stories will be shared on social media at facebook.com/healthcareheroesnh, according to the release.
Giving girls a Sporting Chance
Girls Inc. of New Hampshire is collaborating with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care in support of healthy living and access to sports through its Sporting Chance Program, which provides opportunities to young girls to participate in physical activities and develop good habits that will benefit their physical and mental health. According to a press release, both the Nashua and Manchester Girls Inc. centers offer the program, with activities like basketball, yoga, soccer and racquet sports.
Score: +1
Comment: “Sporting Chance provides girls a safe and supportive environment to participate in competitive and recreational activities and sporting events and empowers girls to succeed,” Sharron McCarthy, CEO of Girls Inc. New Hampshire, said in the release.
QOL score: 56
Net change: +1
QOL this week: 57
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.
When it rains it pours and that’s what happened in sports over just a few days last week. Rather than decide which story is biggest of the big, we’ll give all a mention in News Item fashion and come back to each in more detail during quieter weeks after the Super Bowl.
News Item: Brady Retired
While ESPN stood by its reporting last weekend that forever young TomBrady was retiring, his father, TomSr., said he wasn’t. But Brady made his retirement official via Twitter on Tuesday. My bet is the news was leaked early because the decision was made long ago as part of a deal with his wife where he got to play two more years if they moved to a place she liked living in more than New England. But what do I know.
In any event, if it is the end, I can’t say he was the greatest player ever, because how do you tell if a QB is better at his job than greats like JerryRice, JimBrown or LawrenceTaylor were at their respective, very different, jobs? But I do know after throwing for 40 and 43 TD passes in his last two years, he joins Brown, SandyKoufax and BarrySanders as the only guys I know of to retire while still at their peak. And, since he was the best ever at the position most critical to team success, he’s the most valuable football player ever. Something we got to view up close for 20 years. So thanks for the memories. It’s hard to imagine a better fan experience than we got from TB-12.
News Item: Ortiz Walks Through That HoF Door
Since we’re a week behind we won’t rehash the numbers. Instead I’ll say Sox President SamKennedy was right saying that DavidOrtiz is the mostimportant Red Sox player ever. Yes, that means even over TedWilliams. Why? Because he was the straw that stirred the drink as the Sox won their first three World Series in nearly a century, and Ted never even won once. The stats are nice, but winning matters most.
I thought the 78 percent Hall of Fame vote total was a little low (75 percent is needed). It was due to taint from a positive 2003 drug test he disputes, and no votes from nitwit purists who don’t think DH’s who didn’t play the field belong. To them I say, if the defensively indifferent Williams had played now he’d be a DH. It’s been an “official” position for 50 years, so get over it. Besides, when you’re one of just four players to win three rings and hit 500-plus homers, you belong.
So congrats, big fella, for a well-earned honor.
News Item: Bonds and Clemens Controversy Done For Now
With RogerClemens and BarryBonds being denied in their final year on the ballot, there were an awful lot of wins and homers that missed the train to Cooperstown on Wednesday, all due to the PED-era backlash. If you vote no on a steroid guy because you think cheating for higher stats is wrong I respect that. Not to mention you’re backed by one of the five voting criteria that speaks to a player’s overall character. However, my problem with that lies with it doesn’t square with BudSelig cruising in even though he was commissioner when all the cheating went down. If the media and almost every fan knew what was going on, how could coaches, managers, GM’s, owners and the league office not know? Answer: They did know, and looked the other way ’cause chicks dig the long ball. So, while I lean toward the cheaters-should-never-prosper side, I just can’t keep out any pre-2004 testing player if the guy who enabled it all breezed in.
To solve the bloated numbers part, put BillJames’ numerical nonsense to good use for a change to come up with and apply a mathematical factor that normalizes them to pre-PED numbers. Then put up a permanent PED-era exhibit that names names, vote and be done with it.
Enough already.
News Item: The Super Bowl Match-Up
Here are some pre-Super Bowl thoughts on the surprising Cincinnati Bengals and L.A. Rams.
Cincy: (1) Just two seasons ago they were the worst team in the NFL, so being in the SB now is quite a quick turnaround. (2) Hope seeing how the electric Ja’Marr Chase immediately transformed Cincy offensively (with help from JoeBurrow) turns a light bulb on as getting blown out in the second half of the 2006 AFC title did to Coach B. It led to getting RandyMoss because he realized they couldn’t beat PeytonManning and company anymore unless they outscored them. Ditto for MacJones in 2022, because he needs a threat like that to take the next step. (3) How does coming back from 18 down to PatrickMahomes in thunderous Arrowhead Stadium during an AFC title game compare to the Pats’ comeback vs. Atlanta in SB 51?
L.A.: (1) With the game in L.A. the SB will be a home game for one team for a second straight year. (2) Who had SonyMichel going to the SB again before his former team? (3) To skeptics like me, giving up two first-round picks, a third-rounder and your starting QB to get MatthewStafford seemed extravagant. But the draft-choice-averse Rams are showing there’s more than one way to skin a cat as they wouldn’t be in the SB without that trade.
News Item: Andy Reid Does It Again
Going for it and failing with no timeouts and five seconds left in the first half, then losing in an OT you never would have been in if you’d kicked the sure FG instead, is the latest in a long line of game management mistakes by Andy.
The New Hampshire Tech Alliance has named Kyle York, co-founder and CEO of the Manchester-based strategic growth and investment firm York IE, its Entrepreneur of the Year. York discussed his work, the award and his approach to business and entrepreneurship.
What entrepreneurial work have you done in New Hampshire?
My entrepreneurial work began as a young man working at my parents’ store in Manchester called Indian Head Athletics. In college I got my first internship at … WhippleHill [in Bedford]. I later went on to become the head of West Coast sales for WhippleHill. … I became the Chief Revenue Officer of Dyn … [and] helped lead the sale of Dyn to Oracle. For three years I was VP [of] product strategy for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and general manager of Oracle Dyn. In 2019 I co-founded York IE. … I’ve invested in nearly 100 startups over the past decade, which have created thousands of jobs. … I also own a real estate portfolio [with] more than 100,000 square feet in Manchester … focused on innovators, community organizations and nonprofits.
What are you working on now?
York IE … [is] committed to supporting the startup ecosystem globally. We’ve invested in over 30 scaling companies that have created hundreds of jobs, with hundreds if not thousands more to come in the future. … We work with hundreds of companies … helping them to grow responsibly … [and are] incubating a few additional New Hampshire-based startups as part of our York IE labs efforts.
What is the Entrepreneur of the Year award?
The Entrepreneur of the Year is an award given out by the New Hampshire Tech Alliance. It was first given 33 years ago to … Dean Kamen. Since then, it’s been awarded to some truly outstanding business leaders and visionaries, so it’s a true honor to be included in such esteemed ranks.
How did it feel being named Entrepreneur of the Year?
It felt great. I’ve worked very hard over the years to make an impact, but … so many people have helped me along the way, starting with my wife, Katie, my children, my parents and brothers and everyone I’ve been blessed to work with in all of my various roles.
What is the secret to your success?
My parents preached and … [demonstrated] in their daily actions the importance of an incredible work ethic and commitment to family. Those … characteristics fuel my life to this day. From the beginning of my career, I’ve operated under … two principles: be loyal [and] play the long game. These are … [how] I view everything and [are] the parameters I use to keep myself guided. If I do something that contradicts either of these principles, an internal warning alarm goes off in my gut. If there’s a great outcome but it comes at the expense of my principles, I don’t pursue it; the end doesn’t justify the means.
What is your business philosophy?
We don’t operate with management fees or a traditional fund of any kind. … We work with entrepreneurs in so many different ways because we want to do what’s best for the entrepreneur and what will help their company grow. We never want to make decisions simply because we have capital to deploy. That’s not normal or natural. … I’ve never believed in the win-at-all-cost method. I think, in most markets, there’s room for many winners [because] success is relative to ambition [and] goals. … If there can only be one winner in a market, then the market is too small.
What do you enjoy most about helping startups?
I truly enjoy sharing my knowledge and mentoring entrepreneurs. [There are] so many wonderful people with bright ideas who simply need someone — or a firm, like York IE — they can call when faced with a new problem. I always want to be that phone call, because passion and integrity are contagious, and, honestly, I learn as much from these entrepreneurs as they learn from me. Making an impact and always learning is what fuels me.
Do you have any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in New Hampshire?
One of the key lessons I like to share is to not be passive. Don’t sit back and let things happen to you. Take charge and ownership of your career. Think of your career as a company … [and] be the CEO. Lead your ‘company’ to success.
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Covid-19 news
During a Jan. 26 press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that, while the test positivity rate of Covid-19 in New Hampshire dropped slightly from 22 percent to 17 percent over the previous week, hospitalization and death rates in the state remain high. “In the last week, we reported 59 new Covid-19 related deaths, averaging more than eight new deaths identified each day,” he said. As of Jan. 31 there were 10,436 active cases and 303 hospitalizations, and all 10 counties are still reporting substantial community transmission.
Gov. Chris Sununu also announced during the press conference the Executive Council’s approval earlier that day to sell 1 million at-home rapid tests across the state’s Liquor & Wine Outlet stores. “We will put them on the shelves and sell them … approximately in the $13 range,” Sununu said, adding that tests should be available at the stores “within the next two weeks.”
On Jan. 31, the New Hampshire Insurance Department released a Frequently Asked Questions sheet regarding the national mandate that private insurers will have to cover the cost of eight at-home coronavirus tests per person per month. According to a press release, those with private individual health insurance coverage or covered by an employer-sponsored health plan who purchase Covid-19 diagnostic tests that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can get them covered by insurance, without a health care provider’s order or clinical assessment and without cost-sharing requirements such as deductibles, co-payments or prior authorization. The costs may be covered up front by their health plan or reimbursed after a claim is submitted. The Frequently Asked Questions document can be found at nh.gov.
Meanwhile, more state-run fixed vaccination sites continue to open for walk-ins, including in Belmont, Lincoln and Manchester as of this week. Go to covid19.nh.gov and click on the “vaccination fixed sites” button to view a complete list — no appointments are required.
U.S. attorney nomination
Last week Attorney General John M. Formella issued a statement after President Biden nominated Deputy Attorney General Jane E. Young to serve as the United States attorney for the District of New Hampshire. “We at the Department of Justice greet today’s news with mixed emotions. For almost thirty years, Jane has served this Office and the State of New Hampshire with distinction as an incredible prosecutor and public servant. She is one of a kind and irreplaceable,” Formella wrote. “That said, Jane is more than worthy of this recognition and honor, and … the District of New Hampshire will be well served with Jane Young as United States Attorney.”
Sununu in D.C.
Last weekend Gov. Chris Sununu attended the 2022 National Governors Association Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C., where he planned to meet with Canada’s Ambassador to the United States. According to a press release, he also attended NGA meetings with United States Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Infrastructure Coordinator for the White House Mitch Landrieu. The governors were scheduled to have dinner with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden and attend a Governors meeting at the White House.
Reducing classroom stress
New Hampshire educators will soon have new resources to reduce stress and dysregulation in the classroom. According to a press release, the Executive Council recently approved an $815,400 contract between the state Department of Education and The Regulated Classroom, a Peterborough-based company that provides tools for educators to help de-escalate adverse and confrontational issues in the classroom and refocus students on academics. The program includes a somatosensory toolkit and four kinds of classroom practices to regulate stress for teachers and students, the release said, and about 2,500 toolkits will be made available to New Hampshire educators. “This new collaboration is aimed to support teachers who may be experiencing disruptions in their school environments, who today are struggling with dysregulated students that have had inconsistent and disrupted instructional schedules going on two years, as well as the high stress level among the teachers themselves,” Frank Edelblut, New Hampshire state education commissioner, said in the release.
The Manchester Fire Department was dispatched to 1 City Hall Plaza on Jan. 29 when a sprinkler pipe burst above the ceiling in a second-floor office. According to a press release, firefighters tried to salvage items by consolidating and covering them with tarps and removing some electronics from the area. Offices on all three levels below the sprinkler pipe sustained significant water damage, the release said.
A first edition novel published in 1859 by Harriet E. Wilson — the first Black woman to publish a novel in English — returned to New Hampshire recently, celebrated in part with a reading of selections from the book at First Congregational Church in Milford on Jan. 22. According to a press release, the book was hand delivered from California by a woman who had found it in a safe when settling her husband’s estate. Wilson was free when she published the novel, but she had been an indentured servant in Milford.
Greater Nashua Mental Health recently received a $60,000 grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, allowing it to expand capacity and offer mental health services to people of all ages, as well as substance use disorder services to ages 12 and older, and primary health care services to clients 16 and up. According to a press release, new clients can walk into the 440 Amherst St. facility Tuesday through Thursday from 8 to 11:30 a.m. and be seen the same day.
My new go-to is yoga. Too much hiking and not enough stretching, not to mention crouching over my keyboard, brings on unaccustomed pains. The breathing, poses and mental habits of yoga rejuvenate me. Even practiced in a drafty community rec center, yoga loosens my muscles and expands my mind.
The language is part of it. I do not mean Sanskrit, the ancient language the first yogis spoke. I mean the word patterns and translations used by my American teachers, each of whom brings their own style and experience to class. They all emphasize that practicing yoga is a personal journey. There are modifications for different bodies and room for different degrees of challenge on different days. After all, it seems, “Leg” and “Hip” and our other body parts are esteemed colleagues. It’s OK, I’m told, if “Back Body” wants to just drape in “Child’s Pose” for an hour.
The descriptive names of yoga’s poses and flows just tickle me. “Downward Dog” and “Cow-and-Cat” are well-known, the stuff of birthday card jokes. But what about “Seated Half-Fish“ or “Revolved Chair’’? I have to wonder if these sound as funny in the original. My teachers actually do refer to the final pose, lying prone on the mat in silence for a few minutes, in Sanskrit. I imagine that’s because we Americans aren’t very comfortable with death and “savasana” means “corpse.” Although there is a practice known as laughter yoga, and various animal-accompanied classes are guaranteed to make one smile (think yoga with goat, butterfly, kitten), I’m not in one of those classes. I giggle as quietly as possible at the imagery of my teachers’ words.
Physical movement is only one of the eight limbs of yoga. Breathing control, behavioral self-restraints and disciplines, withdrawal of the senses, concentration and meditation are others, culminating in liberation. A significant and growing body of research backs up what dedicated yogis have always known about the emotional and mental as well as physical benefits. Yoga reduces anxiety and depression and strengthens parts of the brain important for memory, attention, awareness, thought and language.
The pandemic has caused significant mental health challenges, particularly among younger adults, racial and ethnic minorities, essential workers and unpaid adult caregivers. Experts surveyed by the Pew Research Center predict that some of the worst stressors — economic inequality, misinformation and “tele-everything” — will persist in the new normal. At the very least, life will remain unpredictable. We can ease ourselves into position to handle it, and help others, by stretching our bodies and minds. When my hip joints are screaming as I criss-cross my legs, my teacher says, “Breathe. Sit up tall. Allow the change.” Ever so slowly my pain, thoughts, and feelings do change.
Many communities have ponds or outdoor rinks for ice skating, stick practice and pond hockey. Town- and city-maintained ponds are free to use, making it a fun outdoor activity that doesn’t cost a thing if you already have skates – and a hockey stick, if you want to play, which longtime hockey player and Black Ice Pond Hockey Association Board President Daniel Luker says can totally change your on-ice experience.
“Get a buddy, show up, bring a stick and a couple pucks … and get out there and you’ll automatically start playing hockey,” Luker said. “Once you start skating and once you pick up a stick, it’s a whole different ball game. … Once you pick up a stick, you can’t help but play, and you’ll chase the puck forever.”
Whether you want to give pond hockey a try or would rather just free skate, here are a few local rinks to check out. The open/closed status of the rinks can change from day to day depending on temperatures. Call or check the city’s or town’s website or social media for the most recent information.
• Amherst Middle School Rink, 14 Cross Road, Amherst, 673-6248, amherstnh.myrec.com. When open, hours are daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Beaver Meadow Pond at Beaver Meadow Golf Course, 1 Beaver Meadow Drive, Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov. When open, hours are daily from dawn until dusk.
• Bow Town Pond, next to the Bow Community Center, 3 Bow Center Road, Bow, 223-3920, bow-nh.com.
• Brown Memorial Field, 740 Swanzey Road, Swanzey, 352-4614, find it on Facebook. When open, hours are daily from dawn until dusk.
• Davis Lane Rinks, Davis Lane, Amherst, 673-6248, amherstnh.myrec.com. When open, hours are daily from 10 a.m. to dusk.
• Dorrs Pond, adjacent to Livingston Park, 56 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov. When open, hours are daily from dawn to dusk.
• Four Corners, behind Holman Stadium, Sargent Avenue, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. When open, hours are daily from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. for general skating, and before 11 a.m. and between 4:30 and 6 p.m. for hockey.
• Hood Park at 4 Rollins St., Derry, 432-6136, derrynh.org. When open, hours are daily from dawn until dusk.
• Ice Skating Rink at Watson Park, 441 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 882-1046, merrimackparksandrec.org/watson-park. When open, hours are daily from dawn to 9 p.m.
• Jeff Morin Fields at Roby Park, 126 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. When open, hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for general skating, and from 8 to 10 p.m. for hockey.
• Kimball Lake, 47 Kimball Lake Road, Hopkinton, 746-8263, hopkintonrec.com. When open, hours are daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Riverside Ice Rink 223 Route 103, Warner, 491-9019, facebook.com/riversideicerink. When open, hours are daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information and to find out whether it’s currently open for skating, visit the Facebook page.
• Rollins Park at 33 Bow St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov. When open, hours are daily from dawn until dusk.
• Shepard Park, 418 Nashua St., Milford, 249-0625, facebook.com/milfordrecdept. When open, hours are daily from dawn to 9:30 p.m.
• White Park, 1 White St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov. When open, skating hours are daily from dawn until dusk. The Merrimack Lodge offers skate rentals for $5. Lodge hours vary; find it on Facebook for the most up-to-date hours.
Puddle Duck Pond
Puddle Duck Pond
This outdoor rink at Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth is another option for those who want a better chance of getting on the ice even if weather conditions haven’t been great.
“Ice is maintained with a refrigeration system and Zamboni, which helps the rink remain open in warmer air temperatures,” Veronica Lester of Strawbery Banke Museum said via email. “Unless the ice is deemed unsafe for skating, Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond is open in rain, snow and sunshine. Opening and closing calls are made day-of by rink operations staff.”
The rink is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission costs $12 for skaters age 5 and up. Skate rentals are available for $6, and skate sharpening is available for $7.
Chill fun
Winter Fest returns to downtown Concord
By Angie Sykeny
asykeny@hippopress.com
Coinciding with the Black Ice Pond Hockey Tournament is the fourth annual Concord NH Winter Festival on Saturday, Jan. 29. There will be indoor and outdoor festivities for all ages, including shopping, food, entertainment, tours and more.
“There are not a lot of family-friendly events this time of year, and that is what makes this event special,” said Jessica Martin, Executive Director of Intown Concord, which organizes the Winter Festival in partnership with The Hotel Concord.
Ice carvers will demonstrate their craft and compete in a live ice carving competition during the Winter Festival. Courtesy photo.
The highlight of the event is the live ice carving competition featuring “New England’s best ice carvers,” Martin said. It’s free and open to the public on the Statehouse lawn from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The ice carvers will also be there on Friday, Jan. 28, the day before the festival, doing live ice carving demonstrations from 3 to 9 p.m.
“This year we have seven carvers participating in the competition, which is the most we have had to-date,” Martin said, adding that the carvings will remain on display at the Statehouse for the week following the festival.
Main Street restaurants and retail shops will be open for a Winter Shopping Stroll; Red River Theatres will have a matinee screening of the animated family film Smallfoot (2018, PG) at 10 a.m. (tickets cost $5); and the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center will run games and interactive activities starting at 10:30 a.m.
Guided tours of the inside of the Statehouse will be offered, starting every 30 minutes from noon to 3:30 p.m. The tour lasts around 45 minutes and will include opportunities to see the Hall of Flags, which has more than 100 battle flags on display from the Civil War, World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War; the House of Representatives chamber and Senate chambers, which have national significance as the oldest continuously used legislative chambers in the U.S.; the Governor and Executive Council chambers and more.
“There are more than 200 portraits to view as you tour the building,” Martin said, “and it’s always fun to see the Visitor Center’s First in the Nation Primary display and Bicentennial dioramas.”
The Winter Festival Stage, which will be set up on South Main Street next to O Steaks and Seafood restaurant, will be a hotspot of activity, including an ice bar, complimentary hot cocoa, s’mores toasting and more. The stage will feature a variety of live entertainment, starting with a dance party with DJ Darren Roy at 11 a.m., followed by storyteller Ade Shields (11:30 to 11:45 a.m., and 1:35 to 1:50 p.m.), local singer-songwriter Jasmine Mann (11:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m., and 1:15 to 1:30 p.m.), New England folk-rock band The Penniless Jacks (12:20 to 12:50 p.m., and 2:10 to 2:40 p.m.) and family-friendly drag performer ChiChi Marvel (1 to 1:10 p.m., and 1:55 to 2:05 p.m.)
A free shuttle service will be available, running between the Statehouse, the Hotel Concord, the Holiday Inn and the Black Ice Hockey Tournament at White Park throughout the day.
Martin said attendees should continue practicing Covid safety — masks are not required but are strongly encouraged for indoor activities — and should have no difficulty staying spread out.
“This outdoor festival will offer people the space they need to socially distance themselves,” she said.
Concord NH Winter Festival
Where: Main Street, Concord When: Saturday, Jan. 29. Most activities will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ice carving demonstrations will take place on Friday, Jan. 28, from 3 to 9 p.m. Cost: Admission is free. Certain activities may have a fee. More info: Visit intownconcord.org or call 226-2150.
Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Black Ice Pond Hockey Association.
