An NBA playoff preview

The NBA playoffs kicked off this week in what promises to be a unique happening for fans and players alike. The biggest coronavirus change has been not having home court crowds to affect the game. As great a job as Adam Silver and company have done, that can’t be approximated let alone duplicated. But, since it beats the alternative, I’ll go with what I can get.

Here are a few things to keep an eye on as the second season evolves.

No Home Court Advantage: This helps all lower seeds who never have it, because unlike the Stanley Cup playoffs home court matters in the NBA playoffs. Tough luck for the Bucks, who lose out on home court throughout after killing it at home in going 30-5, but they’ll survive. Not sure about Philadelphia, who was a league-best 31-4 at home and a horrid 12-26 on the road.

The Silver Lining: (1) After their three-month layoff, players will be a lot fresher entering these playoffs, so the fatigue factor should be much less than usual. (2) No travel between games will also help the fatigue factor. (3) Since they have to jam more games into a shorter time window, games will be every other day, eliminating the excruciating TV-induced two- and three-day waits between games.

Players to Watch: Here are five to keep an eye on.

Damian Lillard: Not much is expected in the 1-8 Lakers and Blazers matchup. But Lillard comes in averaging 37 per in the bubble, which included games of 45, 51 and 61. With Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo out, L.A. has no one to cover him, which should make things less comfortable for them.

T.J. Warren: He had a 53-point game and three more in the 30’s in the bubble against a season average of 19.8. A coming-of-age run or just a hot streak? That’s the question going in as Indy faces a Miami team that plays D hard.

Anthony Davis: Hard to believe, but in his first seven seasons he went to the playoffs just twice. He’s a likable guy, but after the shameless way he forced his way out of Nola he must deliver, as the Lakers ain’t some team that’s never won before and they traded their entire future to get him.

Luka Doncic: After a breakout second year that saw him average 28.8, 9.8 and 8.8 in points, rebounds and assists, it should be fun watching the kid with the Larry Bird game play when the games really count. I’m looking forward to seeing how the NBA’s next truly great player does.

Is LeBron Still LeBron? With LeBron 35 and trailing Michael by three rings, LBJ needs his fourth title now for reasons of the LeBron-vs.-MJ debate. The rebounds, scoring and shooting percentage were down a touch, but given the career-best 10.2 assists per, that speaks to adjusting to playing with someone as good as Davis. It also speaks to a basketball IQ that will let him adjust to aging better than most on his Mt. Olympus level. Given all that, he still looks pretty good to me.

Glimpse Into Philly’s Future: The rumor mill has wondered all year, is it time to split up the Ben Simmons–Joel Embiid duo? Well, with Simmons injured and done, the brass will see what they are without him, in the same way the Celtics found out they were better without Kyrie Irving two years ago. If they overachieve, bet on a Simmons trade and a reconstructed team of bombers stationed around the big fella. If it’s a bad one and done, while small-ball Houston rolls, it could be goodbye Joel.

Most Interesting Round 1 Series — Oak City vs. Houston: There’s real hate in this series and nothing drives a series better than teams having real animosity for the other. Chris Paul hates James Harden and the flopping, always whining Harden hates Paul. It’s why CP3 wanted out of Houston to land with a surprising team still standing after losing both Paul George and Russell Westbrook last summer thanks to savvy maneuvering by GM Sam Presti. Since I loathe the entire Houston franchise, from the owner to how Mike D’Antoni coaches to its two stars with the me-first games to even the uniforms, I’ll be pulling for Oak City. Emotion aside, most think Houston should win, but in a test of their total three-ball game I’ll stand up for bigs everywhere and take the Thunder.

Celts Underachievers: I heard some folks recently saying you’re a “green teamer” if you’re unwilling to say the Celtics underachieved by finishing behind Toronto. The C’s certainly had some consistency issues and left some wins on the table. But their .667 winning percentage is 55 wins in an 82-game season. I had them for 49 before the year, and given their punch-less bench, 55 seems about right to me. As for Toronto, after winning 56 games they lost Kawhi Leonard and then played on a 60-win pace this year. For context, when Larry Bird missed all but six games in 1988-89 the Celtics went from 57 wins to 42 without him. So I tip my cap to the Raptors for overachieving and refusing to give in.

Celts Expectations: How they do the next eight weeks depends on consistency in two areas, defending the perimeter and shooting threes, though it would be nice if they got better at finding easy shots and getting to the line when the bombs aren’t dropping. Especially Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward, who tends to disappear when the first couple don’t fall. More important is forcing three-ball shooters off the line because they’ll lose if they let the threes rain down. They did all of that in their signature bubble win over Toronto, but that’s just one game. So the question is, can they consistently do that night in and night out?

That will take growing maturity from Jaylen Brown and Tatum, along with a tougher Hayward.

It’s fun to lead at the YMCA

Nashua teen honored with annual Buddy Cup

Every summer, teens from New England and New York who are involved in their local YMCA’s Leaders Club attend a week-long teen conference called Leaders School. At the conference, which was held virtually this year, one teen is awarded the Buddy Cup, which recognizes an outstanding leader and role model who exemplifies the program’s core values. The recipient of the 2020 Buddy Cup is New Hampshire’s 18-year-old Asher Thomas, a 2020 Nashua High School South graduate and member of the Leaders Club at the YMCA of Greater Nashua. Thomas talked about the program, his leadership experiences and his plans for the future.

What activities and leadership opportunities have you been involved in at the Y and in your community?

I was kind of “raised in the Y,” as I like to say. My mom worked there, and I was on the swim team and all that kind of stuff. I joined the Leaders Club when I was in the sixth grade and got much more active in the community through that because we did a lot of volunteering … like at the breast cancer walk, putting on anti-bullying days at the Y and those kinds of different things. Through high school, I was also pretty involved in a lot of different clubs and stuff at my school. I was an active member of a club called Student Voice, where we went to head teacher meetings to make sure that the policies they were creating were good for students all across the board, and we worked side by side with the administration to create structures that were beneficial for everybody that was involved in the school.

What is Leaders School all about?

Leaders Clubs from throughout the region — it actually happens across the country, but I’m involved with the Northeast Regional Leader School — get together, and it’s kind of our culminating event of the year. The Leaders Club is really about personal and community development, so [at the event,] there’s a lot of self-development, figuring out your own values and that kind of stuff, as well as thinking outside of just yourself, learning how to be a leader in your community and how to create an environment that is supportive for everyone involved.

What was the event like this year, being held virtually?

For the past couple of years, it has taken place at Springfield College in Mass., so it was a lot different this year. There was definitely a much lower turnout with it being virtual, and there weren’t as many people from our Nashua club who participated. … There were a lot of different mediums [used]. There were some live calls and virtual meetings where we would kind of get together and sing songs or have object lessons where the advisor, an adult leader, would basically have an object and use that in order to teach us a life lesson in some way. People who weren’t able to attend the live sessions could still participate in various different activities and challenges on their own time.

How did it feel to be awarded the Buddy Cup?

I was definitely very honored. It was really exciting for me to be able to see that I had made such a large impact. I was also excited because the person who won it last year was actually a good friend of mine and was also from the Nashua Leaders Club, so we were able to do the actual passing of the trophy in person — socially distant, obviously.

What have you gained from participating in the Leaders Club and Leaders School?

I feel like I have definitely grown as a person through this program. It’s a program that really lets you be yourself, no matter who you are, and over the past few years especially, I feel like it has helped me grow into who I am, and to be comfortable with myself. It has also shown me how to have meaningful interactions with other people, how to be more empathetic in those interactions and how to just be a good person in the world who is helpful to others.

Is there an experience you had through the Leaders Club or community service that was especially impactful or memorable?

A couple of years ago, with the Leaders Club, I went down to New Orleans for a service trip where we were rebuilding houses that were devastated … by Hurricane Katrina. Being able to be a part of an organization that is rebuilding houses for those less fortunate who lost their homes in the hurricane was definitely a very impactful experience.

What are your future plans?

This fall, I’m actually taking a gap year and traveling across the country in a van that I’ve been converting. After that, I’ll be attending Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

Do you know what you want to pursue, career-wise?

I think I want to go into the medical field.

What words of wisdom do you have for the young leaders you’re passing the torch to?

Never underestimate your power. I think that oftentimes younger people are overlooked, but we have the ability to change the world. If you believe in yourself and have the support of others around you, you can do anything.

Asher Thomas. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 20/08/20

Covid-19 updateAs of August 10As of August 17
Total cases statewide6,8407,004
Total current infections statewide326279
Total deaths statewide419423
New cases180 (Aug. 4 to Aug. 10)164 (Aug. 11 to Aug. 17)
Current infections: Hillsborough County137127
Current infections: Merrimack County1311
Current infections: Rockingham County10381
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

On Aug. 11, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 63, an order requiring face coverings for scheduled gatherings of 100 or more people in the state. The order does not apply to children under the age of 2, nor to day-to-day operations for schools, local or state governments or nonprofits, or to gatherings where attendees are seated and separated by at least six feet from any person except that they are a member of that person’s household, party or table.

Although the daily number of new cases of and hospitalizations from Covid-19 continues to fluctuate up and down, the testing positivity rate in the state has remained low, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said in an Aug. 11 press conference. Chan said the rate has stayed at around 1 percent, while the most recent three-day averages prior to Aug. 11 had been below 1 percent. “We do not believe we’re seeing another surge of Covid-19,” he said, but added that Granite Staters should continue to take all precautionary measures necessary.

During an Aug. 13 press conference, state Department of Health & Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette announced new reopening recommendations for long-term care facilities in the state. “The goal is to gradually reduce restrictions so that our residents can get back to regular visits from their loved ones,” she said. All non-outbreak facilities had been in Phase 1 since July 1, but on Aug. 13 they entered into Phase 2, which adds limited indoor visitation for the first time. Phase 3, Shibinette said, will begin for long-term care facilities in counties that see a drop in cases over a 14-day period. “Once we get into this phase, we open it up a little bit more to visitors, which are up to two visitors per resident for each resident in the facility,” she said. “Communal dining … and group activities with physical distancing is also allowed.” Shibinette added that there is the possibility that the reopening guidelines will need to be pulled back should case numbers start to go back up.

On Aug. 13, Sununu issued Exhibit P to Emergency Order No. 29, which had been issued on April 9. Emergency Order No. 29 requires state agencies, boards and commissions to submit recommendations to Sununu if any regulatory deadlines should be adjusted in response to the state of emergency. Per Exhibit P, Section Ed 306.18 of the New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules has been modified to include “distance education,” meaning correspondence, video-based, internet-based and online courses, or remote instruction. The term also includes hybrid instructional models utilizing both distance education and traditional instruction in any combination. The local school board is responsible for all approval, coordination and supervision of “distance education” courses offered by the school district.

Also on Aug. 13, Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 64, which requires school districts to continue to adhere to all state and federal special education laws, no matter the model they are reopening under, and Emergency Order No. 65 authorizes assessments of civil penalties against all businesses, organizations, property owners, facility owners, organizers and individuals who violate any emergency order. Fines of up to $2,000 per day are issued for those who fail to comply with any emergency order, or up to $1,000 per day for those who fail to cooperate in an investigation of a potential violation of an emergency order.

Details of all of Sununu’s Emergency and Executive Orders can be found at governor.nh.gov.

Mask enforcement

Last week, the New Hampshire Retail Association, the New Hampshire Grocers Association and the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association submitted a letter to the Nashua aldermen regarding the amendment they are considering to their mask ordinance that would require businesses and employees to enforce the requirement that customers wear masks. “Retail workers are not law enforcement professionals who receive specialized training to enforce public laws and deescalate confrontations,” the letter reads. It says instituting such a policy could create conflicts and make it unsafe for employees and customers. It notes that current ordinances allow businesses to say that masks are required, and that law enforcement can step in if customers become belligerent or violent. “But there is distinct difference between a requirement that allows the business owner or employees to tell a customer that it’s the law, and putting them in the position of being the enforcement arm,” the letter reads. “We respectfully request that you reject the proposed amendment to the current ordinance and leave appropriate law enforcement personnel to enforce the order.”

Manchester Clean-Up Day will take place Saturday, Aug. 22, from 9 a.m. to noon, according to a press release. Four city parks will have stations with trash bags, masks and plastic gloves for all volunteers: Livingston Park (156 Hooksett Road), Rock Rimmon Park (264 Mason St.), Sheridan Emmett Park (324 Beech St.) and Sheehan-Basquil Park (297 Maple St.).

A new patriotic mailbox at Phaneuf Funeral Homes’s Boscawen location has been decorated to match the mailbox at its Manchester location, and now anyone who wants to retire a torn or tattered American flag can leave it in either mailbox. According to a press release, Phaneuf will “give it a proper retirement, per the U.S. Flag Code,” which says a flag in bad condition “should be destroyed in a dignified and ceremonious fashion, preferably by burning.”

DraftKings Sportsbook at The Brook in Seabrook has opened, giving sports fans the chance to bet on major professional and collegiate U.S. sports at a retail location, according to a press release. The sportsbook is the first retail location of its kind in New Hampshire, and it offers betting kiosks and video walls within The Brook’s stadium sports entertainment space, according to the release.

A ribbon cutting ceremony to recognize the completion of the Manchester Road Pump Station in Derry was scheduled to be held Wednesday, Aug. 19, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Drinking Water and Groundwater Advisory Commission and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. The release said the pump station is “a significant construction milestone in the Southern NH Regional Water Interconnection Project,” and that it will increase water flow capacity for Derry, Windham, Salem, Plaistow, Atkinson and Hampstead.

Neither snow nor rain

If I close my eyes and concentrate, I can recall the very sound our mail slot at home would make as the letter carrier deposited our day’s delivery. My sister and I would race to be the first to gather the mail and plop it on the kitchen table. Its delivery was as much a fixture in our childhood as was the sound of the milkman’s bottles on the back step or the thud of the evening paper as it sailed across our lawn and landed on the porch.

Later, when I started collecting stamps, I learned the different classes of postage. “First Class” meant just that: it had priority. And if I had any questions about mail or postage or stamps, I could always go downtown and ask my uncle who was the postmaster. He once gave me a tour of the post office, introducing me to all the staff, including Sandy, the carrier for our route. What he and his fellow workers exemplified — and I greatly admired — was pride in their work and the integrity of the U.S. Postal Service. One of my earliest pieces of memorization was the Service’s motto: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these carriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

Well, so much for that if the new Postmaster General’s recently implemented procedures result in major delays of the mail. What we thought we were buying with a First Class stamp just a few weeks ago may now not be the same service we have come to expect. The impact of those changes, according to postal workers themselves, is demoralizing and a challenge to their commitment to their historic mission.

The president’s oft-repeated judgment that vote by mail is rife with fraud has been disproved by so many secretaries of state — some of whom are Republicans — that it is irrational, if not virtually felonious, on that basis to tamper, albeit indirectly through a major donor political appointee, with the integrity of one of our most trusted institutions. That the Postal Service must find its way in an ever more competitive environment is obvious, but it cannot be a party to any political effort to influence a free and unencumbered election.

The late John Lewis called on us all to vote, reminding us that it is the most powerful act we can perform in a democracy. We must ensure that our other fundamental institution is able freely to play its role in that process.

Hippo Best Of 2020 – The results are in!

It’s finally time to reveal the results from the poll that readers took way back in February, plus results from a quickie poll we created post-quarantine. Find out where your fellow readers go for their favorite dishes, where they bring their kids on rainy days and what events you can look forward to (mostly for next year, probably).

Also on the cover, the Mahrajan Middle Eastern Food Festival is on, this weekend in Manchester, p. 29. If all the choices in the beer cooler or at the bar overwhelm you, we’ve got some suggestions, p. 32. And if you’re looking for live music, check out our Music This Week listings, starting on p. 38.
INSIDE: Mahrajan food fest

Read the results!

A sour ale, an IPA and a Pilsner walk into a bar
Drink these beers now When it comes to beer, sometimes you just need someone to steer the ship for you, ...
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Album Reviews 20/08/13
My Morning Jacket, The Waterfall II (ATO Records) I tend to associate this Louisville band with their neighbors to their ...
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An American Pickle (PG-13)
Film Reviews by Amy Diaz Seth Rogen is a turn-of-the-last-century immigrant to America and a modern app-developer in An American ...
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At the Sofaplex 20/08/13
*Black Is King (TV-14) Beyonce writes, co-directs and stars in this visual album whose music and story are based on ...
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Book Review 20/08/13
Midnight Sun, by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown and Co., 658 pages) Twilight aficionados read the first pages of Midnight Sun ...
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Granite Views: Hippo’s Best of 2020
We’re very happy and a bit relieved to present Hippo’s Best of 2020 in this week’s issue. It’s been a ...
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Hippo Best of 2020
The results are (finally) in! Remember February? Way way back then, before, well, just, before, you voted for your favorite ...
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In the kitchen with Edwin Ward
Edwin Ward of Candia is a manager and cook at the Union Street Takeout (90 Union St., Manchester, 260-7663), a ...
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Just laugh
Will Noonan on doing comedy post-quarantine Perspective is one big thing that comic Will Noonan took from his time in ...
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Kiddie Pool 20/08/13
Tinker Bell & the Fairy Godmother The 2020 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series wraps up next week at ...
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Mahrajan in Manchester
Annual Middle Eastern food festival returns The Mahrajan Middle Eastern Food Festival might look and feel different this year, but ...
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News & Notes 20/08/13
Covid-19 updateAs of August 3As of August 10Total cases statewide6,6606,840Total current infections statewide395326Total deaths statewide417419New cases219 (July 28 to Aug ...
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Now hiring
UNH alumni help tech companies find diverse talent with Shtudy Shtudy (shtudy.co) is a career advancement startup that matches talented ...
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Quality of Life 20/08/13
Saving ValleyEfforts to take back and clean up Valley Cemetery in Manchester are being relaunched as a group of volunteers ...
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Queen of the garden
Why tomatoes rule If I could only bring the seeds of one plant with me when exiled to a distant ...
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Signs of Life 20/08/13
All quotes are from Climbing the Mango Trees, by Madhur Jaffrey, born Aug. 13, 1933. Leo (July 23 – Aug ...
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The Art Roundup 20/08/13
• Visit the Currier: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester) announced on its website that it will ...
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The Music Roundup 20/08/13
• Park it: Traverse across music of the early 20th century as Tall Granite Big Band performs a free show ...
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The week that was
With news coming fast and furious in the restart of three major sports along with more from NFL camps and ...
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The Weekly Dish 20/08/13
• Assumption’s Greekfest canceled: Greekfest, a popular two-day Greek food festival normally held in late August at Assumption Greek Orthodox ...
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This Week 20/08/13
Thursday, Aug. 13The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) inches closer to opening by holding ...
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Treasure Hunt 20/08/13
Dear Donna, This is a hanging ceramic plaque that belonged to my grandmother and I have always loved looking at ...
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Signs of Life 20/08/13

All quotes are from Climbing the Mango Trees, by Madhur Jaffrey, born Aug. 13, 1933.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) It just so happened that some American tap-dancers were staying with us at the same time. … [A] system of open hospitality was the norm. Welcome the tap-dancers.

Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22) There were actually two types of family history. There was the documented version that sat properly in my grandfather’s office. But there was also the … fables, family customs, and hearsay passed along by my grandmother Bari Bauwa and the other women of the house. A combination of perspectives is best.

Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22) The summer seemed endless. … Mangoes that could be eaten out of hand came and went, as did cherries from Kashmir and litchees from Dehradun. … After lunch we all tried sleeping through the long hot afternoons. Head for the shade trees.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) I would then rush to observe the daily churning of butter. … Much better than watching paint dry.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21) My older sisters had sweet voices and could carry a tune and so had been cast in every convent musical, whereas I, after a stint at the age of five as the Brown Mouse in The Pied Piper of Hamelin, had given up on the theater. If it’s not your thing, it’s not your thing.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) All I know is that nothing tasted more heavenly than that simple combination: grainy whole-wheat roti, raw onion, and green chili. Synergy works in your favor.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) It was an uncommon pickle. We knew of no other community that pickled dumplings. But we did, and delicious they were, too. You will enjoy an uncommon pickle.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20) Mrs. McKelvie was my history teacher. She didn’t just teach me Indian history and British history, which were part of the set curriculum; I also learned from her that any subject could be fascinating if I delved into it deeply enough. She showed me how history, for example, could be researched from a hundred angles…. Any angle you want.

Aries (March 21 – April 19) My mother … had already taught me knitting at the age of five. By now I was knitting the most complicated designs…. Sewing was another matter. The fact that you can knit doesn’t mean you can sew.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20) Until then, I had never been to an exhibition of paintings and did not apply the lessons I might have learned from my art books to myself. New insights await.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) Lower mathematics, on the other hand, was a startling composite. It consisted of arithmetic, which I could just about manage, and domestic science, a catchall subject that must have drawn its inspiration directly from Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management. Math may come in handy.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) There was one other way at school of sharing … that was at lunch, which we ate together, as far away from the stone school building as possible. We all brought our lunches from home. If you’re going to bring a whoopie pie, bring enough to share.

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