201217 – Page 2

Feeding the birds, naturally

Trees and plants for your feathered friends

By now many of us are providing seeds to the neighborhood birds. Of course the seeds we provide are just a part of the diet of a wild bird. It’s important to grow a diverse selection of native trees, shrubs and perennials to help provide shelter and nesting places for our wild friends, and to provide food all year long. Why native? Native species evolved with the birds and they are genetically programmed to feed on them.

Doug Tallamy, an entomologist living in Pennsylvania, counted the number of butterflies and moth species that, as caterpillars, fed on an oak tree on his property. He counted over 400 species. He also counted species on a non-native shrub, burning bush (Euonymus alatus), and found only one. The caterpillars of those butterflies and moths are what birds feed their babies each spring and summer, providing protein and fat needed for their development.

If you watch the birds at your bird feeder carefully now you will see that not only are many of the birds eating the seeds you provide, they are also nibbling things on the trees they perch on. In crevices in the bark are dormant insects and their larvae. Chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers — three of the most common birds at our feeders — are constantly pecking at bits of food.

There is a huge native cherry tree (Prunus serotina) right by our feeders, a white pine and several Canadian hemlocks along with a couple of mature pear and apple trees nearby. The birds grab a seed at the feeder, zoom off to eat it and rest before returning. But while they are in those trees they almost always find something tasty to peck at. Planting trees near your house and bird feeders is a good plan if you want to support your birds.

Fruit trees are great for your birds. Apple, pear and especially crabapple trees hold on to some fruit in winter. And while a chickadee might not tear into a dry and wizened apple, bigger birds do. I have seen turkeys feeding in a small weeping crabapple tree that could barely support them. Blue jays, crows, cardinals, grosbeaks and finches and other birds enjoy fruit in winter, too.

So what shrubs have edible fruit that is available to your birds in winter? Right now I see berries on cranberry bush viburnum (Viburnum opulus) and nannyberry (Viburnum lentago). Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), a native deciduous holly, produces myriad bright red berries visible now in swamps and drainage ditches along the road. It is only eaten by a few birds, so the berries linger on into the winter — and are great for decorating wreaths. Junipers, a low-growing bush on low-fertility fields, has berries now too. Eaten by grouse, pheasants, grosbeaks and others, juniper berries are also used to flavor gin!

Alders (Alnus spp.) generally are considered weedy and not planted in the landscape. They grow in wet places as large shrubs or small trees. They are nitrogen-fixing plants, and their seeds are eaten by sparrows and finches, among others. The seeds persist well into December.

Roses that bear fruit are important food sources, too. The invasive climbing wild multiflora roses (Rosa multiflora) are loved by birds, but they drop seeds that grow and take over and smother other shrubs and trees. Beach roses (Rosa rugosa) produce lots of rose hips, and these are eaten by some birds. And although this species of rose is originally from Asia, it does not seem to take over the landscape the way multiflora roses do.

Of the big trees useful to birds, white pine (Pinus strobus) and Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) are two of the most important. Some 40 species of birds eat seeds of the white pine, and at least two dozen eat seeds of Canadian hemlock. Importantly, both are used in winter for shelter. They hold their leaves (needles), providing a break from cold winter winds. Both are used for nesting in the summer.

Any plant that holds onto its berries or seeds into winter is eventually eaten by birds. One of the small trees, staghorn sumac (Rhus hirta), is the least favorite of our birds. The red fruit generally is ignored until spring, when returning robins and other migratory birds arrive and food is scarce. The fruit is sour and low in the fats that birds love, but a hungry robin will chow down on sumac if earthworms are not available. Sumacs grow mainly along roadsides in sandy, low-fertility soil. They spread by root and I don’t recommend planting them. But if you have some, leave them be if you can.

Mentioned above as food for caterpillars that feed baby birds, oaks are important winter food sources, too. Acorns are a preferred food for turkeys and grouse, and can be cracked by a surprising number of small birds. Others eat the meat of acorns that are broken by cars or people, or clean out shells opened by large birds or mammals. Bears and squirrels love acorns, too.

Gray squirrels have been pirating my bird feeders, so I looked up online just how much they eat per day. Only a quarter of a cup of sunflower seeds per day will feed one, so I am letting the two portly, geriatric squirrels eat, and only chase them away if they get too greedy when my little chickadees are waiting.

Henry is offering one of his books, Organic Gardening (not just) in the Northeast, a Hands-On, Month-by-Month Guide, as a holiday special for $15 including shipping. To get a signed copy, mail him a check at PO Box 364, Cornish Flat, NH 03746.

Featured Photo: Alder catkins provide seeds now. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Kiddie Pool 20/12/17

Family fun for the weekend

A Shaker Christmas

Take a A Magic Journey through the North Shop Barn at Canterbury Shaker Village (228 Shaker Road, Canterbury), now through Dec. 23, and from Dec. 27 through Dec. 30, daily, from 1 to 5 p.m. The North Shop Barn, which has been transformed into a winter wonderland, will feature art vignettes like a Shaker Christmas, a dollhouse, a skating panorama and snowy forest scenes; a Find-the-Elf treasure hunt; hot cocoa and cider, and shopping at the Village Store. Additionally there will be a Christkindlmarkt-inspired artisan market of handcrafted holiday gifts on weekends, and food trucks with sweet treats on Saturday, Dec. 19. Admission costs $10 for adults and is free for youth. Visit shakers.org or call 783-9511.

Meet Santa

Enjoy a Polar Express family brunch with LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst) on either Sunday, Dec. 20, or Thursday, Dec. 24, from 10 a.m. to noon. The event will feature a multi-course brunch menu accompanied by a screening of the family holiday film The Polar Express on a large projector. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will be stopping by for a live reading of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Tickets to the brunch are by the table only, and there is a six guest limit per table (price breakdowns are $22.99 per person). Visit labellewineryevents.com.

There’s still time to visit with Santa Claus at Bass Pro Shops (2 Commerce Drive, Hooksett), where he’ll be now through Dec. 24. Santa will have an acrylic “magic shield” barrier in place between families. Free online reservations are required, as spots are limited to allow social distancing. Visit basspro.com/santa.

Holiday tales

Ballet Misha performs The Nutcracker at the Dana Center (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester) on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Ballet Misha’s production of the holiday classic won the 2019 Hippo Best of award for “Best Dance Performance of the Year.” Tickets cost $28, and reservations must be made via phone at 641-7700.

Watch Eleanor’s Very Merry Christmas — A Musical from the comfort of home. Based on the book by the same name, the musical tells the story of a rag doll at the North Pole searching for a family of her own. This production is available for livestream via the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, through Dec. 27. Tickets start at $20 (plus a $3 fee) for streaming during a 48-hour window; packages with games and other items are available.

Merry and bright

Christmas lights at Countryside Drive

Turn down Countryside Drive in Nashua and you’ll find your way to a festive display that would give Clark Griswold a run for his money. Nashua resident Whitney Swain has transformed his front yard into an illuminated winter wonderland, with bright lights and a radio broadcast that airs popular holiday tunes played in sync with the display. The show runs from 4:30 to 10 p.m. every day until New Year’s. Swain talked about his process and his motivations for creating the show.

How did you get started with this display?

I’ve been living here for about 10 years now, and my old roommate, Nic, used to do this with me before he moved back to Wisconsin. He still comes out here sometimes and helps me with the show, and I do the same for him.

Was it always this big?

Originally I started with roof lining, and I had this big Christmas tree out in the yard so I figured I’d make it look like the one inside. We added all of the lights and Nic and I built the star at the top. We just went from there, and each year I add more decorations, and program more songs to go along with the lights.

How did you get the radio station?

It’s my own radio frequency. I broadcast music out to the cars that drive by through stations that aren’t being used, and I get about a block’s worth of radius, which is usually sufficient enough. We air all types of Christmas songs, like “Baby It’s Cold Outside” by Bing Crosby. We also throw in some up-to-date tunes like “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars, and we play a lot of Trans-Siberian Orchestra because their beats pair really nicely with the lights.

How long does it take to get everything set up?

This year it was a long project because I own a diner now, so I’m limited on time. I had some chipmunks get into my Christmas stuff so I had to fix some of the wiring as well. For the most part it takes about a month to a month and a half. I usually start around Halloween and finish by Black Friday, and they usually come down after New Year’s.

I have to know, what does your electric bill look like?

That’s the question on everyone’s mind. It’s only an extra $300. Sometimes I come out when there’s a line of cars and I talk to the kids and I see all of the smiles on their faces. I got a letter in my mailbox the other day from a kid who wanted to thank me and tell me how awesome all of the lights were. To be honest, that’s all I need from this. I think it’s a great thing for the community, and I’m glad people enjoy it as much as I do.

What do your neighbors think?

All of them are super cool with it, so I haven’t heard any complaints. My next-door neighbor used to come over and [she and her husband would] dress up as Mr. and Mrs. Claus before her husband passed away a few years ago, and we would hand out hot cocoa and candy canes. I want to do it this year, but I need to figure out the safest and easiest way to facilitate that with the pandemic. Whenever Christmas time rolls around I check up on my neighbors across the street and make sure they’re OK with the lights, and they love them. They tell all of their friends and watch the show from their window. All they have to do is turn on their radio and tune in.

Do you have any competition?

There’s a community of us on Facebook, some would call us light enthusiasts. I don’t know of anyone in Nashua that’s doing animated lights and music, but there’s people in Merrimack, Manchester and all over Massachusetts. However, since I’ve been doing this, a lot more people on the street decorate their houses with lights for Christmas, which is awesome. When I moved here there weren’t a lot of lights, so it’s cool to see people getting in the spirit. It would be really cool if I could get the whole block synced up with the music.

Are there any cons to doing this every year?

I enjoy wiring all of the lights, but things do break, and lights burn out over time. It’s a bit of a hassle fixing stuff out in the cold, but creating something that everyone can enjoy, and the sounds of the kids and honking cars, is something I feel good about. Knowing that I made somebody’s night or putting a smile on someone’s face is really great.

Does the inside of your house match the outside’s aesthetic?

We’re still decorating the inside. We wanted to get the outside done first, mainly because we didn’t decorate last year due to a lack of time. But we really like Christmas here. When I was growing up my mom always tried to make Christmas a special day, and that stuck with me. I still love cutting my own tree and making that a family tradition.

Does your mom come see the show?

I actually had her fix a couple of blow-up decorations for me because I can’t sew. She loves it, though. She came over the other night to see the show, and we usually try to do Christmas here, for obvious reasons.
— Shane Jozitis

Definitely try this at home

7 IDEAS FOR PROJECTS TO LIVEN UP YOUR WINTER

Between Covid, snowstorms and shorter days, we’ll all likely be spending a lot of time at home over the next several months. Here are seven ideas for projects, from the giftable truffles to the ongoing satisfaction of indoor greenery, that can add some fun to your winter.

Build a Rube Goldberg machine

Kids, adults and families can stimulate their creativity and STEM skills this winter by building a Rube Goldberg machine, a contraption made from household items that uses a series of interconnected steps to perform a simple task.

Zach Umperovitch of Bedford is a contracted Rube Goldberg machine builder for Rube Goldberg Inc. and Synn Labs and a two-time Guinness World Record-setter for the longest Rube Goldberg Machine. He said that, traditionally, the machine’s final task is something mundane, and the fun lies in the irony of making the process “incredibly complicated.”

“Say you want to water a plant,” he said. “You might blow up a balloon, and that balloon hits a seesaw, which causes a [toy] car to roll down and trigger something else, and all those steps link together in order to water the plant.”

Once you’ve decided what your machine’s final task will be, start looking around for materials and thinking about how they could work together.

“Rube Goldberg is all about repurposing everyday objects and using them in a new, creative way,” Umperovitch said. “You’re using resources in your own home, so you don’t even need to leave the house.”

Dominoes or objects that could act as dominoes, such as books or DVD cases, and objects that roll, like balls or marbles, are good ones to start with, he said. Kitchen utensils work well as catapults.

Six to 10 steps is appropriate for a beginner, Umperovitch said, and it’s easiest to start with the last step — the one that will directly trigger your goal task — and work backward.

You may prefer to plan out all of the steps before you start building, or you may prefer to start building and let inspiration come to you along the way; both styles are valid, Umperovitch said, but if you’re a pre-planner, you’ll need to be flexible.

“When I try to build a fully designed machine, I would say between 70 and 90 percent of it gets changed from the initial design to the final product, and this is my profession,” he said.

Finally, while not as exciting as building, testing your machine is one of the most important parts of the process and will probably be the most time-consuming. That said, Umperovitch said, make sure the steps in your machine are made with stable or infinite resources and are relatively easy to reset.

“I have a rule: 50 out of 50 [successful attempts],” he said. “You want to be able to test every step, individually, over and over, because if one step fails one time, what’s to say it won’t happen again when you’re trying to run the entire machine?”

Set up an at-home obstacle course

Start your ninja training this winter by building your own obstacle course using the layout of your home and common household items.

Tabitha Stevens, youth coach and lesson planner for Ninja Fit Club, an obstacle-based fitness center in Londonderry, shared some ideas to get you started. The exercises themselves are mostly aimed at kids, she said, but engineering the course can be a fun creative project for parents or for parents and kids to do together.

“You can turn it into a family activity,” Stevens said. “It’s something to get everybody moving.”

A good obstacle to start with is one for balance, she said. Lay a trail of spaced-out cans, buckets (flipped over), sturdy boxes or heavy books on the ground for the kids to walk across. You can up the challenge with the same idea using softer objects like pillows or couch cushions and having the kids jump across.

“It’s basically the ‘the floor is lava’ game,” Stevens said. “You have to use balance not to touch the floor.”

Space the soft objects out further to make it a jumping obstacle; have the kids jump from one object to another, increasing the distance a little more each time.

If you don’t want the kids elevated off the ground, there is a simple way to modify these balance and jumping obstacles.

“You can use the objects just as markers and have the kids jump to them while staying flat on the floor, or you can stick colored tape on the floor to mark the distances,” Stevens said.

For a jumping obstacle focused more on height than distance, hang an object from the ceiling — Stevens suggests a balloon — and have the kids jump up and try to touch it.

“You can hang several balloons in a row at various heights and have the kids jump, tap, and move on to the next one as quickly as they can,” she said.

Regular chairs from your kitchen or dining room table can be used for all kinds of obstacles. You can line them up like “little hurdles,” but for climbing over, not jumping over, so that it’s safer, Stevens said. The kids can also do an army crawl and weave around the chairs or, if there’s enough space, they can crawl under the chairs.

Finally, no obstacle course is complete without somersaults.

“Forward rolls, backward rolls — those are always great to add into the course,” Stevens said.

Grow an indoor succulent garden

If you want to have some fun with indoor gardening this winter, Alyssa Van Guilder, owner of Apotheca Flowers in Goffstown, said succulents are the way to go.

“They’re clean, they’re modern, there are so many different styles to choose from, and the overall care [requirement] is much lower than [it is for] other house plants,” Van Guilder said. “I think that’s why people are really drawn to them.”

Before you start designing the succulent garden of your dreams, there are a few things you should know about caring for them, Van Guilder said.

When planting your succulents, start with a layer of rocks to help with water drainage, followed by a layer of gardening charcoal to help control bacteria and excess moisture. Then, place the succulents in a succulent-specific soil.

They do need sun, which can be difficult in the winter when the days are shorter, so just be sure to put them by your sunniest window. If that doesn’t seem to be enough, consider supplementing with a fluorescent plant light.

There is no objective rule about how long you should wait between watering; the key, rather, is to allow the plants to dry out completely, then water them thoroughly, and repeat, so how often you need to water them will depend mostly on the size of the container and amount of soil you use.

There are more than 100 kinds of succulents, Van Guilder said, including ones in various shades of green, purple and mauve tones and some with white spotted or striped patterns. She suggests putting three to five plants in a cluster, depending on the size of the container.

“It’s hard to pair succulents that don’t look good together,” she said. “I think it’s nice to design a medley and have different colors, shapes and textures play off of each other.”

Succulents will grow in almost anything, so “if you really want to go crazy with containers, you can,” Van Guilder said.

“We all have things laying around that we could turn into some really interesting plant containers,” she said.

Van Guilder said her favorite containers are terrariums — clear glass globes — because the layers are visible, giving you another design element to play with.

You still need to have the rocks-charcoal-soil foundation, but you can layer on top of that with decorative sand, rock, moss, wood and shells (being careful not to layer too thickly or too tightly so that the soil can still air out).

“You can put all kinds of embellishments or found objects on top,” Van Guilder said. “Plastic animals are a fun one, so that it looks like a little habitat.”

Make truffles

Before you begin this recipe, you need to know that making truffles can be messy and time-consuming — but the end result is a delicious and decadent truffle that’s well worth the trouble. Even for those of you who wouldn’t normally head to the kitchen when you’re bored, I want to highlight one important thing: When you are done with this recipe, you will have twenty-four rich and delicious chocolate truffles.

From start to finish, it is about 2½ hours of mainly active time — the perfect amount of time to fill a cozy afternoon at home. Once they are done, you have a delicious treat to enjoy while you watch a movie or read a book. Despite being a bit time-consuming, this recipe really is pretty simple. As long as you can stir melted chocolate and form it into a ball, you have all the skills you need.
— Michele Pesula Kuegler

Triple Chocolate Truffles
Makes 24
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles

Combine the cream, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil.
Remove from heat.
Add 8 ounces of chocolate; gently swirl the pan.
Allow to sit for 5 minutes off heat.
Whisk to combine.
Transfer to a small mixing bowl, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Stir mixture, return to refrigerator for two more 15-minute periods, stirring after each for a total of 45 minutes.
At this point the mixture will begin to harden more quickly, so the mixture should be stirred every 5 minutes.
When mixture is thicker but not hard, remove from refrigerator.*
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a teaspoon, scrape a small amount of mixture from the bowl.
Using hands, roll into a ball approximately 1 inch in diameter; place on parchment paper.
Repeat until all mixture is used.
Place baking sheet in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Place remaining 4 ounces of chocolate in a small bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted.
Pour sprinkles into a separate small bowl.
After 15 minutes, remove baking sheet from refrigerator. Place an individual ball in melted chocolate and roll until fully coated.
Using a fork, transfer the ball to the sprinkles bowl.
With a clean hand or fork, roll the ball in sprinkles; return to baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining balls, and refrigerate for 10 minutes to set.

*I found that my chocolate mixture reached the thick but not firm stage after 10 minutes, for a total of 55 minutes in the refrigerator.

Do a jigsaw puzzle

Doing a jigsaw puzzle can be a great way to unwind and unplug this winter, said Laura Keith, general manager of Diversions Puzzles & Games in Portsmouth.

“It’s such a nice break from screens,” she said. “It’s tactile, it’s relaxing, and you feel a sense of accomplishment. Putting the pieces into place is so satisfying.”

Most puzzles have between 300 and 3,000 pieces, with 1,000 pieces being the most popular, Keith said, but there are some puzzles that have up to 40,000 pieces.

The difficulty depends not only on the number of pieces but also on the shapes of the pieces and the image.

“We find that collages are usually easier, while landscapes with large sections of similar colors are much harder,” Keith said.

You can find a puzzle with an image of “almost anything you can think of,” Keith said, including cartoons, pop culture subjects, landscapes, plants, animals, fantasy themes and more.

“I’ve recently done a Pokemon puzzle followed by a tranquil mountain scene followed by a fun veggie collage I’m going to hang in my kitchen,” she said.

Keith recommends that first-time puzzlers choose a puzzle with 500 pieces if they’re going solo and 1,000 pieces if they have a partner. An image with a lot of variation in colors and patterns will be easier than an image with big blocks of the same color, like a landscape with a large blue sky.

There is no right or wrong method to do a jigsaw puzzle; it’s a matter of personal preference, Keith said, but starting with the edges is a good way to start. Then, try putting together pieces with distinct colors and patterns that only appear in one localized area of the image.

“Keep doing that over and over [and] whittle down the pieces available until it’s just the hardest pieces left,” she said. “By then, there are fewer options, so it’s a little easier to find where [the pieces] go.”

Create a cozy outdoor space

Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you can’t relax outdoors this winter. Keith MacKay and Jody Ferreira are the owners of Snug Life, a private campsite in Wilton that’s heated and equipped for winter camping. They shared some ideas over email about how to create your own cozy outdoor space.

First, consider how you’re going to warm up. A natural fire is ideal, MacKay and Ferreira said.

“Even pulling out a small charcoal grill and getting some coals going adds a cozy feel, a little radiant warmth, and beauty,” they said. “It also provides an opportunity for comfort food [like] hot dogs, a kettle of water for cocoa, s’mores or plain old marshmallows.”

If a fire source isn’t feasible, there are other ways to keep warm.

Seating, for example, can make all the difference, MacKay and Ferreira said. Use seating that gets you above the ground or puts a physical barrier between you and the ground. If you really want to lounge you can even use an air mattress or sleeping pad.

“The thermal mass of the planet is huge relative to the thermal mass of a person,” they said. “As a result, the earth will draw the heat right out of you if you’re laying on it.”

Wearing a heavy winter coat will keep you warm but not necessarily comfortable, so be sure to wear comfy clothes under your outdoor gear.

“Your most snuggly sweater, your warmest and softest fleece or your favorite plush sweatpants … can give the tactile triggers for coziness,” MacKay and Ferreira said, adding that a blanket or two can also contribute to that “cozy feeling” while providing additional warmth.

A thermos of cocoa, coffee or even a hot alcoholic drink can provide an element of comfort, too, they said.

Atmosphere can be just as important for creating a cozy space as physical warmth, MacKay and Ferreira said.

Candles or incense sticks can add a bit of “campfire ambiance” if you can’t have a full-scale fire, they said, and there’s “nothing more magical” than warm-toned LED string lights (you can get battery-powered ones).

“Aside from helping to define something that feels more indoors (and psychologically warmer), [they’re a bit fancy], which adds to the cozy feel,” they said.

Bringing some nature into the picture by hanging up bird feeders or throwing some seeds for birds and other nearby critters is a nice touch and provides some entertainment, MacKay and Ferreira said.

Finally, think about what kind of soundscape, if any, would help foster the atmosphere you’re going for.

“It’s a matter of individual taste, of course, but music can provide immediate mood alteration,” MacKay and Ferreira said. “Choosing your favorite chill playlist can set the right comfy tone.”

Declutter your digital life

If it’s been on your to-do list for a while, this winter may be the perfect time to finally sort through all the photos and videos taking up storage on your devices.

“We’re all taking more photos than we ever have before because we always have a camera in our hands. We can easily take 1,000 photos in one week,” said Angelina McGlashan, certified photo manager and owner of Preserving Memories, a photo management service based in Windham. “The goal is to get to a point where you aren’t so overwhelmed, so you’re able to actually enjoy your photos and find the photos you’re looking for when you need them.”

Your first order of business, McGlashan said, should be to back up your photos. She recommends the 3-2-1 backup rule: three copies of your media, two of which are on two different devices (a computer and an external hard drive are preferable) and one in a reputable cloud storage.

“Getting those photos off your phone is the most important thing you can do,” she said. “A phone can easily be lost, stolen or broken, and then all those photos are gone.”

Next, pick one device to serve as a “digital hub” where you can do all of your organizing, McGlashan said. Start by deleting screenshots, duplicates and photos that are blurry or unusable. The photos that remain will fall into three categories: the “best of the best” album-worthy photos, photos that aren’t aesthetically perfect but serve as reminders of a time or place that’s important to you, and photos that have no personal significance, like a random sunset or flower you saw. The latter you should delete, McGlashan said.

“If they don’t tell a story or mean something to you, or you can’t even remember where or why you took it, you’re never going to use it,” she said.

Once you’ve got your collection culled down, you can sort your photos into different folders. How you sort them is a matter of personal preference.

“Everybody’s different,” McGlashan said. “I tell people to think about how they would put things in a filing cabinet at home. Do they like to have things alphabetical? By year? By [subject]?”

Once you’re totally done backing up and organizing your media, build a habit of maintaining going forward so that it doesn’t get out of control again.

“Set aside 15 minutes one day a week to go through and delete photos off your phone … and back up your photos monthly,” McGlashan said.

New Hampshire puzzle makers
• Ravensburger, leading European jigsaw puzzle publisher based in Germany, with its warehouse for its North American division located right here in New Hampshire, at One Puzzle Lane in Newton. It offers a wide variety of jigsaw puzzles for kids and adults through its online shop, ranging from puzzles with under 100 pieces to puzzles with more than 40,000 pieces. Call 257-1500 or visit ravensburger.us.
• Piece Time Puzzles (746 1st NH Turnpike, Northwood, piecetimepuzzles.com) a puzzle store specializing in custom and made-to-order photo puzzles.
• Fool’s Gold (based in Harrisville, 827-9825, foolsgoldpuzzles.com) creates handmade wooden jigsaw puzzles without pictures to assist the puzzler, making the image of the finished puzzle a surprise.
• Platinum Puzzles (9 Stark Hill Road, Canaan, 632 1105, platinumpuzzles.com) creates custom, handmade wooden jigsaw puzzles.

Featured photo: Set up an at-home obstacle course to help kids stay active. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 20/12/17

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

• Catch a holiday show: The Majestic Theatre presents a show, “Deck the Halls: Christmas at The Majestic,” live in person at The Majestic Studio Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester) and virtually on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m. The musical revue features an all-ages cast singing holiday songs. Tickets for the in-person show are $20, and tickets for the virtual show are $10. Visit majestictheatre.net or call 669-7469.

Northeastern Ballet Theatre streams its 2019 performance of The Nutcracker. Courtesy photo.

The Garrison Players Arts Center’s Readers’ Theater of Rollinsford presents a virtual show, “A Very CoVid Christmas,” on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m. The show will feature theatrical readings from classic and new holiday tales. Tickets are free, but registration is required, and donations are appreciated. Visit garrisonplayers.org/showsandevents or call 750-4278.

The Northeastern Ballet Theatre of Wolfeboro is streaming a video of its 2019 performance of The Nutcracker now through Jan. 3. Also streaming are The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Wizard, the ballet’s interpretation of the first Harry Potter book. Tickets cost $8 for access to one show, $15 for two and $20 for all three. Visit northeasternballet.org.

• Outdoor student exhibit: Three arts educators and 80 students from the Nashua School District present a new public art display, “Brave New World: Resilience in the Time of Covid,” located outside Amherst Elementary School (71 Amherst St., Nashua) now through Feb. 14. It features paintings that convey a message of hope and resilience amid the challenges of Covid-19. The paintings, attached to a chain link fence, have been treated with a marine-grade clear coat to withstand the elements. “We hope that this project will have a positive impact on the community by changing someone’s day and making it better when they see it, especially for these difficult times,” participating student Natalia Pineda of Brentwood Academy said in a press release. The organizers plan to continue the display at other outdoor locations after the initial exhibition closes, according to the release. An opening reception at the exhibit location to celebrate the student and teacher artists will be held on Friday, Dec. 18, at 2 p.m. Visit sites.google.com/nsd42.net/bravenewworld/home.

• The gift of art: There’s still time to do some art gift shopping at these holiday art shows and sales.

Two Villages Art Society and the Hopkinton Historical Society have their “Home for the Holidays: an Art Show & Sale” now through Dec. 20 in Contoocook and online. The show features all kinds of art, including oil and watercolor paintings, ceramics, tapestry, woodworking, wearable art, book making and more, created by local artists and artisans. It’s being held in person at the Bates Building (846 Main St.; masks required) on a drop-in and by-appointment basis and virtually at shop.twovillagesart.org. Show hours at the Bates Building are Thursday and Friday from noon to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org.

Creative Ventures Gallery in Milford presents its annual holiday exhibit, “Small Works — Big Impact,” virtually now through Dec. 31, featuring small works of art in various media, priced affordably for gift buying. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.

The Craftworkers’ Guild’s Holiday Fair is going on virtually now through Tuesday, Dec. 22, with curbside pickup at the historic Kendall House (3A Meetinghouse Road, Bedford) daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fair features seasonal decor, photography, fine art and prints, cards, gourmet treats, woodworking, fiber and fabric, stained and fused glass, mixed media, jewelry and more by more than 40 juried artisans and craftspeople. Visit craftworkersguild.org.

Art

Exhibits
• “MOMENTS IN NATURE” The New Hampshire Art Association presents oil paintings by BJ Eckardt. Concord Chamber of Commerce Gallery, 49 S. Main St., Concord. On display now through Dec. 17. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• “UNSEEN LIGHT” The New Hampshire Art Association presents infrared photography by Mark Giuliucci. 2 Pillsbury St., Concord. On display now through Dec. 17. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• “AN EXTRAPOLATION OF CLOSE OBSERVATION” The New Hampshire Art Association presents prints and paintings by Kate Higley. 2 Pillsbury St., Concord. On display now through Dec. 17. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
• “THREADS: A COMMUNITY QUILT FOR 2020” A Portsmouth Historical Society exhibit. Discover Portsmouth, 10 Middle St., Portsmouth. On view now through Dec. 22. Visit portsmouthhistory.org or call 436-8433.
• “BIG GIFTS IN SMALL PACKAGES” Artwork priced under $100. Presented by the Seacoast Artist Association. On display now through Dec. 26. 130 Water St., Exeter. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment. Visit seacoastartist.org or call 778-8856.
• “THIS MERRY MOMENT” The New Hampshire Art Association hosts its holiday exhibition and sale featuring a variety of artwork and greeting cards created by NHAA members. Online and at the NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth). Now through Jan. 2. Gallery hours are Monday and Tuesday by appointment; Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. An opening reception will be held virtually on Zoom on Fri., Dec. 4, at 6 p.m. Call 431-4230 or visit nhartassociation.org.
• “BRAVE NEW WORLD: RESILIENCE IN THE TIME OF COVID” Outdoor public art display features paintings by 80 students from the Nashua School District that convey a message of hope and resilience amid the challenges of Covid-19. Amherst Elementary School (71 Amherst St., Nashua). Now through Feb. 14. An opening reception at the exhibit location to celebrate the student and teacher artists will be held on Friday, Dec. 18, at 2 p.m. Visit sites.google.com/nsd42.net/bravenewworld/home.

Theater

Shows
• A CHRISTMAS CAROL A one-man adaptation performed by Christopher Savage. Virtual. Tickets $24 for adults, $20 for students and seniors, $15 for kids under 12. Visit playersring.org or call 436-8123.
• THE NUTCRACKER Ballet Misha performs. Dana Center at Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester. Sat., Dec. 19, at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets cost $28. Call 641-7700 or visit anselm.edu.
• A VERY IDA CHRISTMAS Written and performed by Susan Poulin. Sun., Dec. 20, 2 p.m. The Music Hall Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth. Tickets cost $35. Visit themusichall.org.
• BOLSHOI BALLET: THE NUTCRACKER Rebroadcast screening. Bank of New Hampshire Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord. Sun., Dec. 20, 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for students, plus a $3.75 per ticket fee. Visit banknhstage.com.
• THE NUTCRACKER Safe Haven Ballet presents. Sat., Jan. 2, 2 and 6 p.m., and Sun., Jan. 3, 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. The Music Hall Historic Theater, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth. Tickets cost $50 for adults and $45 for seniors and children. Visit themusichall.org.

Quality of Life 20/12/17

Light at the end of the tunnel
On Dec. 14, the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine arrived in New Hampshire, and on Dec. 15, Heidi Kukla, RN, a nurse at Elliot Hospital’s intensive care unit, was the first person to get the vaccine. During the press event, where several other health care workers also got the vaccine, Kukla said she volunteered to go first because she knows a lot of people have reservations about the vaccine, and she hoped to alleviate some of those concerns. The vaccine was recently approved and given Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration and will first be distributed to at-risk health care workers in the state. According to a press release from the Department of Health and Human Services, two doses of vaccine, administered 21 days apart, demonstrated an efficacy rate of 95 percent during initial trials. The timeline for widespread access to a Covid-19 vaccine is expected to be approximately six to 12 months.
Score: +3
Comment: “This is the beginning of that light at the end of the tunnel that we have talked about for so long,” Gov. Chris Sununu said Tuesday morning.

Sweet experience for Bearded Baking Co. owner
Auburn resident Jon Buatti’s run on Holiday Baking Championship came to an end on Dec. 7 with his elimination from the Food Network show. The owner of the Bearded Baking Co. in Manchester was one of 12 contestants selected from a pool of thousands of candidates to create the best holiday-themed desserts for judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman and Carla Hall. He made it to the top six before he was voted off. Shooting took place in Los Angeles over the summer; the remaining bakers will compete to win a grand prize of $25,000, and the finale will air on Food Network on Dec. 21.
Score: +1, for representing New Hampshire bakers on a national stage
Comment: “I had never been on national TV before, so I was definitely nervous,” Buatti told the Hippo last month. “The competition was super stiff, and that’s definitely in your mind when you’re out there.”

Tips for toys
A server at the Northeast Cafe in New Boston is donating $1,108 — the amount she made in tips over the course of two days — to Toys for Tots. Though the server (who wished to remain anonymous) has been making less money for months now because of limited customer capacity, she was thrilled to rake in extra tips not for herself but for kids in need.
Score: +1
Comment: Customers really stepped up to help her meet her challenge of earning at least $1,000 in tips; one, for example, left a $100 tip and another left $100 for a $23 bill.

Neighbor helping neighbor
Miracles do happen, according to a man in Bow who got some help from a neighbor during the recent snowstorm. Marc Lippmann posted on the town’s Nextdoor Digest forum that he “woke up to a miracle” after a series of unfortunate events: “Tractor chains broke as I started to clear the double black diamond slope that is my driveway. Plow couldn’t come up because three large birches were bent 180 degrees over it, completely blocking it. When I hiked down to cut them I took a bad spill … then the saw pinched in the third tree and threw the chain … and with the AFib that kicked in after the fall it took me half an hour just to limp back up the driveway,” he wrote. He woke up the next morning to a plowed and sanded driveway, thanks to Kris Reynolds (owner of On-Demand Snow Plowing), who, in the middle of the night, took it upon himself to get his own chainsaw, cut and move the trees out of the way and clear the driveway.
Score: +1
Comment: “That’s who Kris Reynolds is,” Marc wrote. “And that’s what New Hampshire is all about.”

QOL score: 67
Net change: 6
QOL this week: 73

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

Sun goes down on Pats

With the Patriots’ 10-day trip to Wallyworld hitting the high point of the season — a 45-0 beatdown of the San Diego, er, L.A. Chargers — and its low point four days later — being literally run over in a 24-3 loss to the Cleveland, er, L.A., er, Anaheim, er, St. Louis, er, L.A. (again) Rams — their chances to make the playoffs are basically over. Thus plans for this week’s column to talk about how the left coast trip boosted their playoff hopes are scrapped. Instead we’ll catch up on stories we’ll be following as the Patriots spend January watching the playoffs on TV for the first time in 13 years.

Having said that, who should we root for? I’m going with Bill Belichick’s coaching tree of Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, Brian Flores in Miami and, while it doesn’t look likely after Sunday’s loss, Joe Judge if the G-Men sneak in.

Sports 101: Of the NFL’s Top 20 career TD pass leaders, nearly half (nine) were either drafted below Round 1 or were street free agents. How many can you name? Hint: That list ranges from the all-time best 571 to 261.

Also rooting for Buffalo because I like seeing players who got abuse from the so-called experts prove them wrong like QB Josh Allen has with an MVP-caliber season. Plus, after 25 years of misery the city deserves a little football joy.

How come no on Tom Brady? (a) I don’t dig Bruce Arians’ finger-pointing act. (b) I haven’t particularly dug TB since he left either. (c) But mostly at a time when people and small businesses are being ravaged by Covid-19’s economic impact, we’ve learned that the company of a guy worth $200 million got nearly $1 million in PPP Cares Act funds and then showed how desperately TB-12 needed that money by spending $2 million on a new yacht not long after. Hard to root for a story like that, especially with he and Yoko about to make another $15 million on a So-Ho condo they’re selling. So hoping for an early playoff exit there.

Chaim Bloom surfaced Monday with big news; he signed masher Hunter Renfroe for $3 million per. Yup — a .156 hitter.

The hot stove league in baseball has been another casualty of the pandemic. Other than that, there has been zero buzz this off-season. And with the winter meetings being done by Zoom, I don’t expect that to change.

The chatter following the death of Phillies great Dick Allen sparked the classic “was he or wasn’t a Hall of Famer?” that always follows the death of someone on the outside looking in. The 351 homers and just three 100-RBI seasons are at the bottom end. However, he played in baseball’s greatest pitching era and his 10 best years had him among the best offensive players of his time. Then if you play the “if he’s in, then Dick should be in” game, I’ll take him over several, including Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, Alan Trammell and Harold Baines. The best comparison may be contemporary Ron Santo, whose stats came in hitter-friendly Wrigley and who only got in after he died, when he couldn’t enjoy it. To the voters I say wake up, people.

Does Jets running backs coach Jim Bob Cooter have the greatest name in NFL history or what? OK, not better than Bronko Nagurski, but it does sound more like it should be for a NASCAR driver or the bass player for Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Speaking of great nicknames, shouldn’t my new favorite player, bulldozing Titans running back Derrick Henry, have a good one? Some will say Adrian Peterson and/or LaDainian Tomlinson, butI’d say best pure NFL runner since the 1990s trio of Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith and Terrell Davis.

I’m in the chorus who think Danny Ainge overplayed his hand with a proposed sign and trade deal with Indiana in the Gordon Hayward affair. But achieving the off-season’s most critical task of signing Jayson Tatum to a five-year extension shouldn’t go unnoticed. Phew on that one.

I know my friend Dick Lombardi the insurance magnate will agree that the annual saga of an NBA star holding up his team to get traded to a locale of his choice is a reason to turn off the Association. This year it’s James Harden with internet wags transfixed on where he’ll go. My comment is, who cares?

Speaking of turn-offs, after hearing Aubrey Huff say in response to the president-elect’s plea for wearing them for 100 days after he takes office, “Joe Biden will have to make me wear a mask,” it’s not hard to see why the SF Giants don’t want Huff (and puff) around during alumni events.

Sports 101 Answer: The list of nine includes three of the top four, Brady (571), Drew Brees (565) and Brett Favre (508). Followed by 340, Fran Tarkenton (third round); 291, Warren Moon, and 290, Johnny Unitas (both undrafted); 273, Joe Montana, and 263, Russell Wilson (both third round), and 261, undrafted, Seahawks and Chiefs QB Dave Krieg out of football power Milton College.

Finally, from the “now I’ve seen everything” department, is Steve Kornacki parlaying his Kornacki-gate presidential map guru work on MSNBC into a gig mapping out NFL playoff possibilities for Football Night in America on NBC. The segment is pretty silly and almost like an SNL parody. But, what the heck, he seems like a likable dude and was a lot better than Dennis Miller was on Monday Night Football.

Jump $tart on finances

Hillsboro man helping kids learn money management

Dan Hebert of Hillsboro has been named a winner of the 2020 Myra Kraft Community MVP Award, presented each year by the New England Patriots Foundation and Kraft Family to recognize exemplary community volunteers throughout New England. Hebert is the founder and president of NH Jump$tart, a state chapter of the national nonprofit organization Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, where he has volunteered for the last 20 years. NH Jump$tart was one of 25 organizations to receive a $10,000 donation in honor of its MVP volunteer.

What is Jump$tart all about?

We have one singular mission, and that is to teach kids how to manage their money. … We all need to be financially capable, right? Consumer behavior and financial capability is key to your success; it’s key to my success; it’s just what we have to do. We’re in a country of free will where we can make our own choices about money, so my hope is that we give kids the tools and the knowledge to help them make those choices in an informed way.

In the big picture, why is increasing financial literacy important?

The conversation across the country now is all about the different levels of inequality. Financial education provides knowledge — knowing what’s available, and knowing how to use it in a proper way — and that knowledge can definitely help bridge that gap between different wealth inequalities and different communities.

What kinds of programs and activities does NH Jump$tart run?

We have a second-grade program called “I Can Save” where our volunteers go into the classroom and do a short presentation with the kids. At that age, we’re really focusing on needs versus wants. We leave them with what we call “Centsables” money boxes, which are essentially piggy banks separated by three sections: one for saving, one for spending and one for sharing. We also do a high school student tournament in April where all the topics are based on the national Jump$tart standards for personal finance. The kids compete online for a period of time, and then we invite the six highest-scoring teams to come perform in a face-to-face competition for the state championship. It’s pretty much like Jeopardy! — lights and buzzers and that sort of thing. Finally, we hold an annual teacher conference or workshop where we introduce teachers who teach personal finance to different resources, and I bring them speakers. It gives them a chance to network and to have opportunities for professional development.

How did you get involved?

I founded New Hampshire Jump$tart when I was still in banking. My banking background is in consumer lending and collections, so, particularly in collections, I saw all the consequences of poor credit and all the opportunities of good credit. Back then, New Hampshire was leading the country for the highest percentage increase in bankruptcy filing … and the financial landscape had become very complex. I got my heartstrings wrapped around this [issue] when I was asked to speak at a teacher conference about credit cards. … It surprised me how little the teachers themselves knew about how credit cards work. More importantly, it wasn’t being taught in the schools. … I discovered this national nonprofit called Jump$tart and saw that they operate independent state coalitions, and we didn’t have one here in New Hampshire. … I said, “When my banking career comes to an end, this is what I’m going to do for my next chapter.”

What has been the most fulfilling thing about this work for you?

Lately, it’s been working with the teachers. In order for them to help the kids, we have to help them improve their own knowledge and their own confidence in personal finance, and doing that just gives me a really good feeling.

How will Jump$tart use the donation money?

We’re planning on putting the funds away in an investment account. We’re not even going to touch it; we’re just going to let it grow. I guess you could say we’re letting our actions match our words [about money management].

With NH Jump$tart school programs on pause right now, how can parents help their kids be financially literate?

I would encourage parents to go on our website and the national organization’s clearinghouse [jumpstartclearinghouse.org], which has teaching resources for all different levels, languages and concepts, and most of them can be downloaded for free. There are coloring books and reading books for younger kids and games and simulations for teenagers. … The national organization also has an initiative called Check Your School; we know the power rests with the parents and that superintendents and school boards listen to parents, so we need parents to contact their local school leadership and ask them to teach personal finance and money management concepts.

What’s next for you, personally?

I’m at the retirement point, but I have no desire to take that hook. I just want to keep going. It’s great to get up in the morning and come up with new ideas and new approaches [for Jump$tart]. I’m sticking to it.

Featured photo: Dan Hebert

News & Notes 20/12/17

Covid-19 update	As of December 7	As of December 14
Total cases statewide	25,816	31,875
Total current infections statewide	5,386	6,752
Total deaths statewide	566	604
New cases	4,822 (Dec. 1 to Dec. 7)	6,059 (Dec. 8 to Dec. 14)
Current infections: Hillsborough County	2,015	2,453
Current infections: Merrimack County	703	872
Current infections: Rockingham County	1,296	1,722

Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

On Dec. 10, Gov. Chris Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 75, an order authorizing certain qualifying nursing students in the state to obtain temporary licensure to join the frontlines of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. For the duration of the state of emergency, senior nursing students who are scheduled to graduate on or before May 31, 2021, qualify for the licensure, provided they are practicing under a licensed health care provider.

Also on Dec. 10, the state Attorney General’s office announced in a press release the autopsy results for Speaker of the House Dick Hinch, who died the day before. Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jennie V. Duval determined the cause of Hinch’s death to be Covid-19, according to the release. Hinch had been elected Speaker of the House just one week before his death. He was 71.

During a Dec. 10 press conference, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said that, statewide, New Hampshire has seen around 750 to 800 new infections per day in the last week. The state later reached 30,000 overall infections and 600 deaths — both reported from updates on Dec. 12 — since the start of the pandemic in March.

On Dec. 11, Sununu issued Emergency Order No. 76, so all health care providers administering the vaccine are required to participate in the New Hampshire Immunization Information System, reporting all vaccination events within 24 hours. All patient-level information relating to vaccine administration will then be stored in the system as a medical record. Also on Dec. 11, Sununu issued Executive Order 2020-24, extending the state of emergency in New Hampshire due to the pandemic for another three weeks through at least Jan. 1, 2021.

On Dec. 13, the state Department of Health & Human Services announced in a press release the arrival of the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to New Hampshire. The vaccine was distributed the following day to at-risk health care workers in the state, including frontline clinical staff providing direct patient care. Two doses of vaccine, administered 21 days apart, demonstrated an efficacy rate of 95 percent during initial trials. According to the release, the timeline for widespread access to a Covid-19 vaccine is expected to be approximately six to 12 months.

Charter schools

Last week, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee voted to accept the first $10.1 million installment of a $46 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to expand public charter school options in the state, with a focus on at-risk students, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Education. The state was first awarded the grant in August 2019 but had been voted down by the fiscal committee along party lines numerous times. According to a press release from the Office of the Governor, the committee has a new Republican majority. “Charter schools are public schools, and this game-changing grant will open up doors of opportunity for school children across the state,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement. House and Senate Democrats also released a statement after the vote, saying that the grant is unsustainable and is intended to double the number of charter schools in the state, which will create a $17 million gap in funding for the traditional public school system. “With declining enrollments across the state, it is imperative that we invest more in our existing public schools, not create more schools that will be left underfinanced,” Senator Lou D’Allesandro said in a statement. Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said in a statement that charter schools are an important part of the state’s public school system, giving students non-traditional options to help them thrive. According to the Department of Education, there are 29 public charter schools in the state, seven of which have achieved the federal definition for high-quality charter school replication. The $46 million grant is intended to support efforts to increase the number of high-quality charter schools in New Hampshire, focusing on at-risk, educationally disadvantaged students, according to the press release.

Jury trials

All jury trials in the New Hampshire Superior Court have been canceled through the end of December, according to a press release. Chief Justice of the Superior Court Tina Nadeau made the decision based on the increase in Covid-19 infection rates, noting that there’s more than a 70 percent risk that one person in 25 will be infected in each of the remaining counties where jury trials were to take place in December. “As a result, based on scientific advice provided by the court’s consultant epidemiologist Dr. Erin Bromage, we can no longer conduct jury trial proceedings with adequate protections in place,” Nadeau said in the release. The court will continue to conduct virtual hearings, and as of now, jury trials scheduled to resume in January in Rockingham, Hillsborough Northern District, Cheshire and Merrimack counties will continue.

Here’s something to look forward to in the new year: Winter Fest will be returning to Concord for its third year in a row! Presented by Intown Concord and The Hotel Concord, the event allows spectators to watch ice-carving demonstrations and meet some of New England’s most talented ice carvers on Jan. 29, followed by an ice carving competition on Jan. 30, according to a press release.

The Goffstown and New Boston police departments now have pet microchip readers thanks to a donation from the NH Animal Rescue Alliance. According to a press release, the scanners will allow the police departments to reunite lost pets and their owners.

Several local businesses recently received recognition for being veteran-friendly. According to a press release, the state Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services and NH Employment Security recognized 19 businesses and organizations as NH Veteran-Friendly Businesses at the first annual recognition event, which was held virtually last week. Among the local businesses that received platinum awards were BAE Systems of Nashua, HydraCor of Windham, New Hampshire Hospital Association in Concord and Veteran and First Responder Healthcare of Manchester.

Voting is now underway for the Manchester Holiday Lights Contest, with 43 registered residences vying to win the city’s first lights contest. An interactive map that shows you where to find the houses is available at manchesternh.gov, where you can also vote for your favorite. Voting is open until Monday, Dec. 21.

NH charter schools

Why is school choice and expansion of the charter school system in New Hampshire such a political hot spot? If we simply think about offering every student the opportunity to learn in the environment that works best for him or her, why would we not want to expand the charter school system, and why did the Democratic-led Fiscal Committee repeatedly reject a $46 million federal grant? This federal grant was awarded to New Hampshire more than a year ago, and in a decision that defies logic and reason, the Fiscal Committee rejected the funds (the only state in the nation to do so) multiple times. The funds were awarded for the expansion of charter schools statewide, and it was the largest charter school expansion grant in the country.

The argument against receiving the funds was essentially that by expanding the charter school system, costs in the public school system would increase. There are two important points here. First, charter schools are public schools. While they receive a higher per student reimbursement from the state than traditional public schools, they do not have access to local taxes or other state aid. While charter schools are able to educate their students at a much lower cost than traditional public schools, there is still a gap between funds received from the state and funds spent, requiring the schools to rely on private donations and fundraising. Second, if there are fewer students in the traditional school system due the expansion of charter schools, shouldn’t the overall operating budget decrease? Enrollment in traditional public schools has steadily declined over the past 10 years; however, overall school budgets continue to increase.

With a change in party leadership, there is hope that the now Republican-led Fiscal Committee will immediately move to accept the federal grant. As a whole, our children are best served when the traditional public school system works with the charter school system to determine the best learning environment for the child. Education is not a one-size-fits-all reality, and when the focus is on “who gets the money,” the mission of education is lost. By keeping our focus on the student first, we will see better outcomes.

Tag: 201217