Students who read five books between now and May 11 will earn two tickets to a New Hampshire Fisher Cats game at Delta Dental Stadium. The Reading Challenge started in 2010, according to a press release, and more than 3 million books have been read as part of the program so far. Students can submit their five books and preferred game date through an online form at NHFisherCats.com. The home opener is scheduled for May 11 against the Somerset Patriots, which will be followed by a fireworks show to kick off the season.
Score: +1
Comment: After a year without Fisher Cats baseball, the Reading Challenge is a great way to help kids and their families get back to the stadium.
Sleeping out to support homeless youth
For the second year, Waypoint’s SleepOut was held remotely, according to a press release, with 179 people from across the state sleeping in their backyards and fundraising online, ultimately raising more than $350,000 to support homeless youth. During the March 26 event, participants came together virtually in a livestream event featuring Gov. Chris Sununu, Congressman Chris Pappas, Congresswoman Annie Kuster, and Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen. Proceeds from the SleepOut event will support Waypoint’s services to youth experiencing homelessness, including street outreach, basic needs relief, crisis care, the Youth Resource Center in Manchester, rapid rehousing, and transitional housing in four towns across the state, the release said. Waypoint is also planning to expand services, including a drop-in center in Rochester and Concord and a youth shelter in Manchester.
Score: +1
Comment: “Especially in the midst of a pandemic, homeless youth are at greater risk than ever,” Borja Alvarez de Toledo, president and CEO of Waypoint, said in the release.
Strong state for women-owned businesses
A new study from advisorsmith.com has ranked New Hampshire as the third best state for female-owned businesses. According to a press release, in New Hampshire, the average female-owned employer business had 9.6 employees, while the national average was 9 employees; female-owned companies had an average payroll of $383,225, compared with the national average payroll of $330,171; and the proportion of female-owned businesses with more than $100,000 in revenue as a percentage of the female working-age population was 1.8 compared to the national average of 1.7.
Score: +1
Comment:Massachusetts and Wisconsin topped New Hampshire, coming in at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, while the worst states were West Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia, according to the study.
Steps toward sobriety
The Phoenix, a nonprofit sober active community for individuals recovering from substance use, will expand into New Hampshire, according to a press release. The Phoenix will offer free in-person programs using donated gym space and outdoor sites, and volunteers will provide support and connection to individuals in recovery. Programs will initially be available in the Seacoast, Manchester, Concord and Nashua areas, the release said, with further expansion planned throughout the state. Anyone who is interested in taking classes, volunteering or attending virtual programs can visit thephoenix.org; all classes are free, and the only requirement to participate is 48 hours of continuous sobriety.
Score: +1
Comment: According to an April 2020 CDC report, New Hampshire has the sixth highest opioid overdose rate in the country, the press release said.
QOL score: 63
Net change: +4
QOL this week: 67
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].
Well, the local nine put all those in Red Sox Nation with fears a second titanic-like season is dead ahead on Defcon 5 by getting swept by Baltimore right out of the box. It’s only the second time they’ve started a year with three straight losses at home and the first since 1948. Made all the worse by its being at the hands of the horrible for two decades Orioles.
Making matters even worse was after a historically bad team-wide pitching performance in 2020 they gave up 17 runs in three games and started the season with their two best pitchers on the DL. Though it’s expected that after missing all of last year it will be a short stay for Eduardo Rodriguez, who went there with the common late spring training malady “dead arm.” On the other hand the returning from Tommy John surgery Chris Sale likely won’t be seen before mid-July.
Compounding it all is the total organizational makeover underway by new (sort of) stat geek GM Chaim Bloom, which in two short seasons turned a 108-win world championship team into a last-place finish in the AL East. So, given the major skepticism coursing through the Nation for Bloom and his plan, it’s going to make finding even a glimmer of optimism a little tough. But seeing now that JD Martinez has his beloved video tools back he jumped out going 5-10 with a homer after his miserable 2020 campaign probably qualifies. There’s also, warts and all, the curiosity of seeing how/whether Bobby Dalbec develops into the Tony Conigliaro-like power hitter some are predicting, which would be sweet.
In the meantime, as some sit patiently, others not so much, watching the year unfold, here are some stories to keep an eye on around baseball as we begin the 2021 season.
Hoping Cleveland does what it appears Washington will do after dropping the Redskins nickname to be the Washington Football Team. Since contrived new nicknames rarely stick with anyone, The Cleveland Baseball Team rings true.
Baseball 101: Which player is the active leader in career hits?
Incidentally, if you follow these sort of things, Dalbec’s five strikeouts over the weekend project to 270 over 162 games. Probably a bit of an aberration, but if you’re headed to Vegas I’d bet the over on his K’s for the year no matter what it is.
For the record, the record for strikeouts in one season is 223 held by ex-Oriole Mark Reynolds in 2009. The 200-K season tells all what baseball has become in 2021. All 13 times someone has struck out 200-plus times have happened since 2008, when Reynolds whiffed 204 times. And you have to go all the way down to 31 on the single season list to find someone from the 20th century. That would be Barry’s father Bobby Bonds, who K’d 189 times with the Giants in 1969.
Actually there is another thing that exemplifies what baseball 2021 is: the handling of the pitching staff, and it only took all of two games for me to want to throw up in my mouth all over again on that after hearing Twins manager Rocco Baldelli pulled Jose Berrios on Saturday with a no-hitter in progress. Making it more maddening is that despite having a pitch count-consuming 12 strikeouts in six innings vs. Milwaukee he’d thrown just 84 pitches. Guess 84 is the new 100 pitch count. Despite that lunacy from Rocco, Minnesota still won 2-0. Here’s hoping Minnesota goes 1-161 after that.
However, from baseball’s sickening follow-the-leader approach to managing comes the story of Angels pitcher/outfielder Shohei Ohtani. In the first game he ever hit in the order on the day he pitched Ohtani achieved a first of its kind double-double. He registered 100 mph-plus three times in the first inning, then on the first pitch he saw later that inning he hit a 450-foot homer that went out at 115 mph. He also became the first pitcher to bat second in the order since the Cardinals’ Jack Dunleavy last did it in 1903!
Baseball 101 Answer: Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera is the hit leader with a 46th best all-time 2,867.
Cabrera is also 12 homers short of 500. But given recent history neither’s a lock for 2021. He’s only had the 133 hits needed for 3,000 once since the year after Dave Dombrowski made him the highest paid player in 2016. Ditto on the homers he needed for 500. And they still owe him a mind-bending $120 million.
Albert Pujols has even bigger historical targets in range, He’s 37 homers and 33 doubles shy of becoming the first ever member of the 700 club in both categories. Plus he’s 111 RBI behind Babe Ruth’s 2,214 for second best all time in runs batted in. However, like Cabrera he’s only reached each needed number one time in his nine years with the Angels.
Incidentally the $342 million 10-year contract Francisco Lindor just got from the Mets is not apples and apples with the Sox passing on a big one for Mookie Betts. The motivation in Metland was a new owner looking to make a good first impression. Plus they had just given up a lot of talent to bring him to NYC, and it would have made no sense to do that for a one-year rental. And new owner Steve Cohen is also a lifelong Mets fan boy and his team hadn’t won it since 1986.
Hearing that a Tommy John survivor hit 100 on the gun had to be music to Sale’s ears. Though never a strikeout pitcher like Sale, the real TJ went on to have three 20-win seasons, win 164 games overall and pitch until he was 46 after becoming the first to have it done in 1975.
So I’m guessing there is hope for an eventual return to form by Sale.
Det. Justin Breton is Manchester PD’s Officer of the Year
The Manchester Police Department has named Detective Justin Breton its 2020 Officer of the Year. Breton talked about his career and initiatives to provide mental health and wellness support for police officers.
What have you done during your career in law enforcement?
I’ve been a police officer for just about 12 years. I started … in Hopkinton, then came to Manchester in 2010. I’ve been a patrol officer, and I was a detective in a juvenile division investigating child abuse and sexual exploitation cases. Then I transitioned into the detective division, where I’m a general investigator, handling any types of cases ranging from homicides to thefts and burglaries. I’m a member of our crisis negotiator team, a component of our SWAT team. I’m a member of our mobile crisis team, [in which] we work closely with the Mental Health [Center of Greater Manchester] and go out with them [to respond to] mental health crisis calls. … I recently trained to work with our ACERT team [Adverse Childhood Experience Response Team], which [helps] children or young adults who have been exposed to domestic violence or have been victims of a crime themselves. … Another one of my big jobs is [being] a coordinator for our Critical Incident Stress Management peer-to-peer team, which … connects our [department] employees with mental health services. … I also [am the primary handler of] Patch, our first comfort dog at the PD.
You helped create the Critical Incident Stress Management Team. Why was it needed?
The team started in 2012 after Officer Dan Doherty was shot in Manchester [and] was comprised of several officers who had gone through the [Officer] Michael Briggs homicide case. … We realized we wanted to do a better job as a police department of taking care of each other after those critical incidents. We all know this is a very stressful job, but what we don’t always recognize is that there are long-term lasting effects from some of the traumatic incidents we’re exposed to. We wanted to train and educate ourselves on how to recognize [the effects of trauma] amongst our peers and get them the professional help they may need to work through that situation. … We were able to work with [New Hampshire State] Sen. Lou D’Allesandro from Manchester to create a statute which enabled us to have confidentiality with our peers, so … we’re able to speak with our peers confidentially and get them to the appropriate mental health services.
You helped bring Patch the Comfort Dog to MPD. What does the comfort dog program do?
Concord Police Department was the first [PD] in the state to have a comfort dog. They worked with an agency called Hero Pups, a nonprofit in New Hampshire that trains dogs to work with veterans and first responders [experiencing] PTSD, depression, anxiety or some other type of significant mental health issue … to create this comfort dog program [for police departments]. … It really helps us break down barriers and make connections not only with the community but also with officers, to help them engage in the support services we have set in place.
MPD recently instituted a new training curriculum for its officers. Do you have a role in that?
It’s a 40-hour training curriculum, so there are many different components, and one of the components I’m happy about is a four-hour block of mental health and wellness training. I’m helping to run that class.
What has driven your interest in law enforcement mental health?
I didn’t grow up wanting to be a police officer; I just always knew I wanted to help people. In college, I ended up enrolling in a social work program. I got an internship with the Division for Children, Youth and Families, investigating child abuse and trauma in children. [Through] that job, I started working with a lot of local police departments … and saw the ability police have to not only intervene in dangerous and traumatic situations, but also to be good resources and network-creators to get families connected to services. The Hopkinton police chief at the time convinced me that if I were to become a police officer I’d have a much better ability to help people, so I jumped all in.
What’s something you’ve seen over the last year that has been inspiring or encouraging to you as a police officer?
The national recognition of law enforcement mental health and well-being. In 2020, we applied for [a] grant … to get more personnel trained in this peer-to-peer model. … There are now 20 different agencies across the state that have officers, dispatchers or other department employees trained through [the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation] who can help their fellow colleagues get through some of these stressful times and through their career.
What’s something that you’d like the public to know about the police during these times?
We do recognize [the reasons for the] scrutiny and concern nationwide in regards to the police profession, and we completely understand why they’re so leery right now. … [But the police] can really help our community get through tough times if they trust us … and we’re working very hard to build that trust the community is looking for.
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Covid-19 news
As of April 2, all New Hampshire residents ages 16 and up can register for their Covid-19 vaccines through the state-run Vaccine & Immunizations Network Interface website, which can be found at vaccines.nh.gov. Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, said during the state’s weekly public health update on April 1 that only one of three vaccines being administered — the Pfizer vaccine — currently has FDA approval for use in children ages 16 and 17. “Not all vaccination locations have Pfizer but many do,” she said. “A parent or legal guardian does need to come to the vaccination site with their child for those 16- and 17-year olds.” For teens that do not have driver’s licenses or non-driver’s IDs, a birth certificate or passport is required to show proof of age. Parents must also bring their own driver’s license or other document that would show proof of New Hampshire residency. By 3 p.m. on April 2, nearly 150,000 new vaccine appointments were scheduled statewide over the course of the week, including more than 42,000 for people ages 16 and up, according to a press release.
Also on April 2, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 89, an order mandating that public K through 12 schools in New Hampshire return to full-time, in-person learning for five days a week starting April 19. “We have said all along, and it has been proven, that schools can reopen safely,” Sununu said during the April 1 press conference announcing the order. “We’re providing plenty of time to allow districts and parents to plan … [and] in a few short weeks, all teachers and school staff who want the vaccine will have received their second dose.”
The state will host its third mass vaccination site at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon the weekend of Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11, according to an April 5 press release. This site will be by appointment only and not open to walk-ins. Only the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be administered — according to the release, the state hopes to vaccinate 12,000 people over the course of the weekend. Appointments can be scheduled online.
On April 5, a member of the Governor’s Office tested positive for Covid-19, according to a press release. The individual is currently quarantining and was determined not to have been in close contact with Sununu.
Tuition freeze
The University System of New Hampshire, which includes the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University, Keene State College and Granite State College, will freeze tuition for in-state students for the 2021-2022 academic year. According to a press release, this is the third straight year tuition has been frozen for New Hampshire residents. These schools have also committed to providing significant increases in financial aid to students, the release said. “This has been an incredibly challenging year in so many ways, and we continue to work to lessen the financial burden on our students and their families, many of whom have suffered job losses, business closures and other impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Cathy Provencher, USNH Vice Chancellor, said in the release.
Health savings
New Hampshire residents can now enroll in or change their health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace and get lower pricing, according to a press release. As of April 1, anyone who is not eligible for insurance through Medicare, Medicaid or employer-based insurance is eligible for Marketplace insurance under the Affordable Care Act, and new rules have expanded coverage options for those who currently have ACA insurance. From now through Aug. 15, consumers can enroll for the first time, or resubmit their application on healthcare.gov, to take advantage of lower monthly premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. Ambetter, Anthem, and Harvard Pilgrim will offer deductible and out-of-pocket maximum expense credits for consumers who want to change plans within the same company, the release said. Anyone who is uninsured and has received unemployment benefits in 2021 will have access to free or reduced-cost plans. NH Navigator, a non-profit enrollment assistance group, is available to assist people with the process; call 931-3858 for free assistance.
VNA merger
Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association and Central New Hampshire VNA & Hospice have merged, according to a press release. The organization is now called Granite VNA and will serve the home- and community-based health care needs of residents across 82 communities in the greater Concord area and Lakes Region of New Hampshire. More than 470 clinicians and staff members provide care through home care, hospice care, palliative care, pediatric and maternal child health and personal home services, and the agency offers community clinics and wellness programs, the release said.
State rec director
New Hampshire has its first director of Outdoor Recreation Industry Development, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. In this new position, Scott Crowder will support the state’s outdoor economy as a primary way to grow the state’s workforce and attract businesses. Crowder is the founder of the North American Pond Hockey Classic, was a founding partner of Ekal Activity Center in Meredith and has served on various tourism, economic development and nonprofit boards around the state. “We have an amazing opportunity in the state to leverage our outdoor assets to enhance the lives of our residents and visitors, our communities and our overall economic position,” Crowder said in the release.
The city of Franklin will soon be home to the only whitewater park in New England, according to a report from WMUR. With construction set to begin in July, downtown Franklin will be home to Mill City Park, as well as a camping area and an amphitheater. Campsite and cabin rentals will help fund the free community adventure park, which will also feature mountain biking and climbing, the report said.
Manchester Fire Chief Dan Goonan will retire on April 30, according to a March 26 report in the Union Leader. He joined the department when he was 21 and has served 36 years there, becoming chief in 2016, the report said.
Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains is offering a free kindergarten readiness series, Make New Friends, to any girl entering kindergarten this fall in Bow and the surrounding area at Bow Elementary School each Wednesday from April 14 to May 19 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., according to a press release. There will also be a Make New Friends group for girls in the Manchester area at the Girl Scout Discovery Zone in the Mall of New Hampshire, each Saturday from April 10 through May 15 at 1:30 p.m. No membership is required for either group. Find the series on eventbrite.com to register.
Seventh- and eighth-graders at World Academy in Nashua are learning about personal finance and banking from real-life bankers through the new “Millyard Bank University” educational series. According to a press release, the 12-week financial literacy program offers practical experience with savings and checking accounts, plus lessons on borrowing, credit scores and the banking industry as a career path. In the future, the program will be open to all students as an elective at World Academy.
Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. I have found the increase in sunlight hours and warmer weather to be invigorating, inspiring hope and infusing optimism. I’ve noticed more people are out when I am out on my neighborhood walks, often with dogs or baby strollers, and strangers exchange friendly greetings in passing. My walking partner and I have optimistically started a couch-to-5K app regimen. My elderly mother has resumed her daily laps around the driveway, slowly regaining strength and endurance as she shakes off the winter and arthritic deconditioning from months spent indoors. And my husband is carefully tending and planting fig cuttings to grow more fruit trees.
Additionally, with 40.1 percent of New Hampshire’s total population with at least one dose, and 19.2 percent fully vaccinated, according to an April 4 report from NPR, and now all residents age 16 and older eligible, I sense the heightened anticipation for our return to some semblance of the pre-Covid “normal.” And while we patiently wait for all our family and friends to get vaccinated, I am excited to resume safe, outdoor socializing with others, including backyard barbecues and evenings around a firepit, all facilitated by the warmer weather, as social interactions are a really vital contributor to our mental health and well-being.
We know that the pandemic has resulted in many of us feeling isolated and lonely, with increased stress and anxiety, thus necessitating learning healthy ways to cope with stress and build resilience; and sometimes requiring professional assistance. Connecting with others, talking with people we trust about our feelings, and sharing our concerns through meaningful conversation are powerful coping tools. Unwinding, whether alone or with friends, undertaking activities we find enjoyable and doing good and helping others are also helpful for our well-being, as are efforts to take care of our bodies, such as regular physical activity, eating healthfully, getting plenty of sleep, and avoiding excessive alcohol, tobacco and other substance use.
Finally, connecting with community can be really impactful. For me this has manifested as returning to church after a year to resume playing music with others, thanks to being fully vaccinated. And so I returned to accompany the lone keyboardist who has carried on this past year; the other musicians and singers are looking forward to returning once they are vaccinated, as well. In my faith, Easter Sunday is of monumental significance, and the new life and new joy of the occasion was evident in the upbeat and celebratory music and rhythms that stirred clapping and swaying and inspired hope for new beginnings.
As the warmth and wonder of spring unfold, what new opportunities will you be exploring?
