Tag: 210415

The Art Roundup 21/04/15

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

Capitol Center for the Arts Executive Director Nicolette Clarke has announced her retirement. Courtesy photo.

• Big news at the Capitol Center: Nicolette Clarke, executive director of the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, announced at a board meeting last week her plans to retire, according to a press release from the Center. The second executive director in the CCA’s 25-year history, Clarke significantly expanded the venue’s programs and facilities during her 14-year tenure. Her accomplishments include establishing the Spotlight Cafe, a Salon Series and MET Live in HD broadcasts and spearheading the CCA’s adoption of its second venue, the Bank of NH Stage, which opened in 2019. In response to the pandemic, she instituted numerous organizational development and safety projects, such as new analytic and marketing tools, HVAC filters and hands-free restroom equipment, and maintained the CCA’s programming through outdoor performances and a virtual series of livestreamed and recorded shows. “It has been an honor to lead an organization that provides such rich and diverse arts experiences,” Clarke said in the press release. “I am very proud of the number of lives we have touched and the service to the community we continue to provide despite the limitations of the pandemic.” She will officially step down at the end of July. Call 225-1111 or visit ccanh.com.

“Common Ground: Weaving Nepali & American Musical Traditions,” a concert by Concord Community Music School faculty. Courtesy photo.

• Classical diversity: The Walker Lecture Series will conclude with a virtual screening of “Common Ground: Weaving Nepali & American Musical Traditions,” a concert by Concord Community Music School faculty, airing on Concord TV (Channel 22 and yourconcordtv.org) on Wednesday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. Recorded in May 2019 as part of the School’s Bach’s Lunch Concert Series, it features jazz, folk and South Asian classical music performed by a group of five faculty members with diverse backgrounds: Harimaya Adhikari, vocals and harmonium; Prem Sagar Khatiwada, tabla; Scott Kiefner, bass; Matt Langley, saxophone; and David Surette, guitar and mandolin. The screening will include a conversation among the performers as they reflect on the concert and the experience of learning about each other’s musical traditions. All previously aired programs from this year’s Walker Lecture Series are still available to watch on YouTube, including a performance and discussion of traditional New England tavern music, hymns, sailor songs and more; travelogues about Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska and the deserts, coastline and safari parks of Namibia; an art history lecture on Frank Lloyd Wright and Norman Rockwell and more. Call 333-0035 or visit walkerlecture.org.

• Art tour for Spanish-speakers: The self-guided audio tour of public art in downtown Nashua, launched last May by Great American Downtown, is now available in Spanish. Offered through the Distrx app (accessible on Android and iOS), the tour uses Bluetooth iBeacon technology to automatically display photos and text and provide audio descriptions as tourists approach the tour’s 14 murals and sculptures. The original audio was translated into Spanish by Oscar Villacis and read by Jasmine Torres Allen, both of WSMN’s “First Gen American,” a radio talk show aimed at people who are the first in their families to be born U.S. citizens. “This art tour is a great way to explore our vibrant art scene on and around Main Street … [and] has been an especially valuable option [for] social distancing as it is an outdoor activity [users can] experience at their own pace while following health guidelines,” Paul Shea, Great American Downtown executive director, said in a press release. Search “Nashua Public Art Tour” on Facebook.

• Virtual reception: The New Hampshire Art Association hosts a virtual opening reception and awards ceremony for its 35th annual Omer T. Lassonde exhibition on Thursday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. The exhibit honors Omer T. Lassonde, who helped found NHAA in 1940, and features works in a variety of media by NHAA members and non-members centered around this year’s theme, “Beyond the Boundaries.” It’s viewable online and at the NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth; open Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., and Monday and Tuesday by appointment) now through May 30. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

Quality of Life 21/04/15

Free fishing, hunting and more for military members

The Fallen Outdoors nonprofit is looking for New Hampshire veterans and active duty service members who like hunting, fishing, canoeing, hiking and camping to enjoy the great outdoors with free active excursions. According to a press release, Team New England, which started in 2019, has a big goal this year: to facilitate 14 to 20 fishing trips in lakes, rivers and oceans; 12 to 18 hunting trips; eight canoe trips; five overnight hikes; three snowshoe hikes; and three family barbecues. These excursions are designed to provide veterans and service members with an outlet from life stressors to help prevent veteran suicide, according to the release, and staff are all volunteers who are active or former military service members.

Score: +1

Comment: Anyone who is interested in attending a free outdoor trip can find events on The Fallen Outdoors East Coast community page on Facebook; one upcoming local trip is a day of fishing, leaving from Hampton, on May 20. The trip is limited to 30 veterans; email [email protected] to reserve a spot.

One man’s trash isn’t always another’s treasure

If you’ve got bags of outgrown clothes or gently used household items that you’re planning to donate, Goodwill will be happy to take them — as long as you’re not just dropping off your trash. According to a recent report from WMUR, Goodwill Northern New England has seen an increase in unusable donations, things like a birdhouse with no roof and a ceiling fan with three blades that is supposed to have six. It costs the organization money to get rid of all that trash, the report said, more than $1 million for each of the last two years, which is money that could otherwise go to the workforce programs that Goodwill funds.

Score: -1

Comment: According to the report, Goodwill welcomes clothes, shoes, books and dishes that are in decent condition.

Speech earns local student a national scholarship

A local student was a top finisher in the national Voice of Democracy scholarship program. According to a press release, Central High School junior Matthew Blair was named the third place national winner and the recipient of the $10,000 scholarship award, which is given out by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Blair was sponsored by the Queen City Memorial VFW Post and entered the oratorical competition.

Score: +1

Comment: “This speech really was inspired by my grandfather, his story and the love for America that he instilled in me,” Blair said in the release. “I am so proud that I could represent Manchester Central High School, the city of Manchester and the state of New Hampshire at this competition.”

First Day of Caring in 2021 a success

Over the course of six hours on April 7, about 20 volunteers packaged 15,000 shelf-stable meals to help stock southern New Hampshire food pantries. The percentage of people who miss a meal in a day has increased by more than 200 percent since the start of the pandemic, according to a press release from the United Way of Greater Nashua, which is why the nonprofit focused on replenishing food supplies for its first Day of Caring event.

Score: +1

Comment: This was the first of five events planned for The United Way of Greater Nashua’s 2021 Days of Caring. The next is the annual Community Baby Shower in July, the release said.

QOL score: 67

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 69

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].

Best game ever?

One of my sports pet peeves is people who proclaim something as the greatest ever immediately after something great happens like the NCAA College Basketball semi-final game from two Saturdays ago won in overtime by Gonzaga over UCLA, which was sent to OT on a miraculous half-court heave by Zaga’s Jalen Suggs. Don’t mind the enthusiasm and I’m fine with saying that’s the best game I’ve ever seen because that goes to their personal history. What does bug me is that before you proclaim something to be the “greatest” ever, you should have seen, or know a lot about, what has happened before.

But there it was the next day on Facebook with a friend, who should know better, nominating Gonzaga-UCLA as the greatest game ever. Of course like the lunatic I am I launched back by writing back, “EVER? Really? Are you kidding me? I can name two off the top of my head right now that are better than last night.” Now, I don’t recommend it to the kids at home, and only people of a certain age will understand what I mean when I say when I hear something like that, it’s like Moe hearing N-I-A-G-A-R-A Falls on The Three Stooges right before he gives Curley the double-finger eye poke and then hits him over the head with the crowbar. My version of “slowly I turn” was firing back my list of 10 better games.

But before I get to them, let me say what in my not so humble opinion has to happen for a game to be great. (1) There needs to be a dramatic/memorable ending. (2) It has to be historic in some way. (3) There have to be great players involved who build a sense of anticipation going in, like Magic vs. Larry in 1979, though that didn’t live up to the hype, B-O-R-I-N-G. (4) Not perfection, but the ultra-competitive and an extremely high level of play. (5) It helps to have white hat and black hat teams, like Georgetown was during the Hoya Paranoia glory day. (6) A major upset or near miss. (7) A great player performance like Bill Walton’s 21-for-22 day vs. Memphis State in 1973 when the only miss was a disallowed dunk because they weren’t legal then. How many young’ns know that? (8) The game should be played by historically great teams. (9) Or the game itself is so dramatically exciting it renders all my conditions moot. The only game I’ve ever seen do that was The Miracle On Ice at the 1980 Olympics.

Here’s my list from 10th to best.

North Carolina 77, Michigan 71: The Fab 4 was arguably the most publicized team in college basketball history, but it was 73-71 when the leader of the now all sophomore starting lineup, Chris Webber, called the fateful timeout Michigan didn’t have. UNC gets free throws and the ball to close it out.

Indiana 74, Syracuse 73: Keith Smart baseline buzzer-beater in the 1987 Final gives Bobby Knight his third title.

UNC 63, Georgetown 62: Two Hall of Fame coaches, two all-time great players, Patrick Ewing and Michael Jordan, and soon to be a first overall NBA pick James Worthy. Jordan’s all-time shot wins the 1983 Final right before Fred Brown mistakenly passes it to Worthy on final possession.

Duke 79, UNLV 77: Duke ends sinister UNLV’s bid for an undefeated season and a second straight title in the 1991 semi.

UNC 53, Kansas 52 in 3OT: With no one over 6’5” the Tar Heels survive a second straight triple-OT game to take down towering Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas, though MOP still goes to Wilt.

Villanova 66, Georgetown 64: Eight seed Nova shoots down its invincible Big East rival in the 1985 final by shooting 9 for 10 in the second half and 78 percent overall.

Duke 61, Butler 59: Largest lead was five and if Gordon Hayward’s mid-court shot drops the 2010 NCAA Final would have been the biggest upset in history. But instead the clock struck 12 to end Cinderella Butler’s dream as Coach K won his fourth title.

ND 71, UCLA 70: Second-ranked ND took down top-ranked UCLA to end its 88-game winning streak in January 1974 when with 29 seconds left as Dwight Clay’s 15-footer gave ND its only lead, followed by a Bruins miss and three frantic put backs before jubilant ND fans poured onto the court to celebrate the historic win.

Duke over Kentucky 104-103 in OT: The 1992 East Regional Final featured two HoF coaches and the most memorable full court pass in history from a Top 50 player (Grant Hill) to a Top 10 member (Christian Laettner) for the fake left, spin right foul line jumper that won it to make Laettner 10 for 10 from the field and 10 for 10 from the foul line in the game.

North Carolina State 80 UCLA 77 in 2OT: This wins for drama, historic nature, all-time figures (John Wooden, Bill Walton, David Thompson) and great performances along with NC State fighting back from 7 down in the final minutes of regulation and 5 down in the second OT. And, oh yeah, it ended UCLA’s 37-game tournament winning streak and reign of seven titles.

There’s my Top 10 with honorable mention going to 1966 when Texas Western’s first ever all-Black starting lineup took down Kentucky, NC State beating Houston with Clyde Drexler and Akeem Olajuwon a last-second Lorenzo Charles dunk, and the spectacular 1974 ACC 103-100 Final won by NC State over Maryland.

As for Gonzaga-UCLA: Great game, lots of drama and a historically memorable play. But I’ve seen many games I thought were better because, with all due respect, I didn’t think the teams were that good, Gonzaga’s quest for an undefeated season was aided by playing in a second-tier conference, there were no historic players, and the great Suggs shot wouldn’t have counted in H-O-R-S-E because he didn’t call the bank.

Strong families, safe kids

Children’s Trust defines child abuse prevention

April is National Child Abuse Prevention month. To bring awareness, the New Hampshire Children’s Trust has launched its “Prevention Is” campaign, focused on defining prevention and showing how strengthening families by giving them basic needs and emotional support is a key factor in preventing abuse. NHCT executive director Cliff Simmonds talked about the campaign and what individuals and communities in New Hampshire can do to help.

What is National Child Abuse Prevention Month all about?

Last year it was about reacting to the pandemic, but this year it’s about really defining what prevention is. … Primary prevention is about strengthening families [by] giving them the basic needs, emotional support and sense of community they need to be successful, because we know that drastically reduces the occurrence of child abuse and neglect.

What does child abuse look like?

As many people know, child abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional or neglect, but what’s also important to know is that these [types of abuse] don’t show up exclusively. A lot of times it’s a combination.

What is the impact of child abuse on a family?

It’s disruptive to a family unit, and it lessens the odds of success for that child because they aren’t getting the social and emotional growth that they need to be successful. Ultimately, [abuse] can translate into some lifelong psychological consequences, like feelings of isolation, fear, distrust, lower self-esteem, depression [and] trouble forming and maintaining relationships.

What is the impact of child abuse on a community?

A community is defined [by its] family units. … If you have these cases of abuse or neglect going on within a family, [abuse] can cycle through multiple generations … and through a specific geographic area and disrupt the whole idea of success within that community.

How has the pandemic affected efforts to prevent and end child abuse?

It’s been challenging, to say the least. It created a lot of concern when the schools shut down, because that’s where the eyes on kids are. Teachers are one of the major reporters of abuse. They know these kids; they see these kids every day, so they can see if there are any behavioral changes, physical changes or emotional changes. … Reports [of abuse] started dropping significantly when the schools shut down. We got together with different community organizations and state agencies and put our heads together [to think of] creative ways that we could keep eyes on kids and keep families strong. I think we’ve done a pretty good job of reaching out to families, making sure their needs are being met … and pivoting to being more virtual to get the word out about the resources and services that are available.

What is the “Prevention Is” campaign?

Throughout the month, we’re highlighting the factors … of primary prevention — parenting education, social and emotional development of children, basic supports and building a sense of community — through videos, podcasts and other digital [media]. We’re trying to elevate the conversation around these factors and what people can do as a family member, a neighbor or a community member to help strengthen those factors.

What can people do in their everyday lives to help prevent child abuse?

Reach out and say, ‘How are you doing? How are things going?’ It can be as simple as that. If you have a neighbor with young children who is struggling between getting work done and going to the grocery store, maybe you can go over and say, ‘Hey, why don’t you have your kids come play at my house for a bit so you can do what you need to do.’ … It’s not about catching [a parent] doing something wrong; there’s no such thing as a perfect parent. It’s really about having that ‘It takes a village’ mentality and attitude and contributing to create that sense of community that strengthens families.

Featured photo: Cliff Simmonds. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 21/04/15

Covid-19 updateAs of April 5As of April 12
Total cases statewide86,12589,229
Total current infections statewide3,2873,384
Total deaths statewide1,2491,257
New cases2,785 (March 30 to April 5)3,104 (April 6 to April 12)
Current infections: Hillsborough County1,0831,002
Current infections: Merrimack County320297
Current infections: Rockingham County826846
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

During the state’s weekly public health update on April 8, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that the test-positivity rates and numbers of new infections and hospitalizations statewide have all been on a slow increase over the past weeks. About 450 new infections per day have been reported on average, WMUR reported on April 12, with the increase being more pronounced in younger people, according to Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services.

Gov. Chris Sununu announced during the April 8 press conference that, starting April 19, Covid-19 vaccine eligibility will expand to all individuals ages 16 and older regardless of their state residency. “We’re going to have a lot of vaccine [doses] here … so we want to get it out to anyone who might actually be here in the state,” Sununu said. As of April 8, roughly 20 percent of the state’s population (about 276,000 people) has been fully vaccinated, Daly said during the conference.

Thousands more, including both Sununu and DHHS Commissioner Lori Shibinette, received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine during the state’s third mass vaccination site at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, which was held the weekend of April 10 and April 11.

On Tuesday, April 13, the state announced that it has paused the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, based on the recommendation of the federal government after reports that six people in the country have developed a rare blood clot disorder within about two weeks after vaccination. “While the federal government has directed a brief pause in the J&J vaccine, the state is already working with our partners to ensure that they have an alternative supply of Pfizer or Moderna,” Sununu said in a press release.

According to the April 12 report from WMUR, three New Hampshire residents have contracted Covid-19 despite being at least two weeks past their second shots. “We know that these vaccines aren’t 100 percent effective,” Daly said, according to the WMUR report. “We are going to have what we call breakthrough disease, which is when someone acquires Covid-19 even though they’re fully vaccinated. For the most part, though, especially the vaccines that are currently in use right now, they’re very effective at preventing Covid-19.”

Waiver approved

The Manchester School District will resume in-person learning five days a week starting May 3, after state officials approved a request for a waiver to Gov. Chris Sununu’s mandate that all schools must start full-time in-person learning on April 19. According to a press release, the District requested the waiver April 6 due to concerns over staffing levels, and in consideration of the fact that the week of April 26 is school vacation. Several staff members plan to work remotely until they are fully vaccinated, according to the release, leaving the schools understaffed until May 3. According to an April 12 Union Leader report, Manchester Superintendent John Goldhardt said the waiver had been approved by state education officials, who are now requiring the District to eliminate Wednesday remote learning days altogether in order to reach the 180 days of school required by state law.

Affordable housing

Last week, Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig released the report from the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Taskforce, the first city housing initiative since the 2008 Affordable Housing Task Force created by then-Mayor Frank Guinta. According to a press release, the task force began its work in the fall of 2020, looking at funding and incentives, zoning, regulations, and land use and support services. There are 14 recommendations in the report, including updating zoning regulations, streamlining the permitting process for developers, compiling a comprehensive audit of all city-owned properties, and creating a housing-resource portal on the city website. The Taskforce also recommends creating a city Housing Commission. Rent prices in Manchester for a two-bedroom apartment increased 25 percent in the past decade, including a nearly 10-percent increase from 2020 to 2021, the release said.

Four New Hampshire schools have each been awarded $50,000 for Career and Technical Education students to build electric vehicles, according to a press release from the state Department of Education. The schools are Dover Regional Career and Technical Center in Dover, Nashua Technology Center in Nashua, Region 14 Applied Technology Center in Peterborough and Mt. Washington Valley Career and Technical Center in Conway.

Victoria Sullivan announced Monday that she will run for mayor of Manchester this year. According to a press release, Sullivan is a former New Hampshire state representative and assistant majority leader who served two terms on the House Education Committee.

Beaver Brook Association in Hollis is participating in a statewide backyard composting bin sale, offering a bin for $62 or a pail for composting kitchen organics for $12, according to a press release. Composters will be available for pickup in mid-May. Call 465-7787 to order.

As of April 12, the Nashua vaccination clinic at the Nashua High School South has relocated to the Pheasant Lane Mall, according to a press release. All appointments that were scheduled for the high school location will be honored at the new location for the same date and time.

Envisioning our future

Over my nine years working at Leadership NH, we often asked the participants: “What kind of state do we have and what kind of state do we want?” I am disheartened when I see legislation like HB 266, HB 434, and, of course, HB 544 in this year’s session. All of them work to undermine the kind of state that I want by working to impose anti-immigration efforts that law enforcement across the state oppose (HB 266), and attack reproductive health (HB 434), and remove conversations about one’s race and sex in all of our public spaces (HB 544). 

While many of our lawmakers are working to outlaw our existing inclusive practices, they are also upholding and expanding laws that put some of our most vulnerable populations at risk. 

Earlier in the year, the House tabled HB 238, a bill that would prohibit a defendant in a manslaughter case from using the alleged victim’s sexuality or gender identity as a defense for why the defendant was provoked into action as well as any actual or perceived romantic advances made by the victim.   

Our state made national headlines when the House voted to expand “stand your ground” laws. Under current law, someone can use deadly force to protect themselves and their family during the commission of a felony inside their homes. The bill sent to the Senate would expand that self-defense law to cases in which a felony is committed against a person in a vehicle. 

Fear is clearly the motive behind so many of these bills, and this is only a small sampling of what our legislators are debating in this legislative year. When fright is at the core of the work, it limits what we and our state can accomplish and become into the future.

What decision have you made out of distress that resulted in happiness? I have a hard time remembering any of my anxiety-based decisions resulting in true contentment, and I imagine I’m not alone in that struggle. 

If you, like me, want New Hampshire to foster a culture that centers on humanity and potential then we must act to stop these bills from becoming law. Reach out to your elected officials, neighbors, friends and colleagues, and encourage them to act against these efforts. There is promise on the horizon but we cannot favor complacency in getting there. Otherwise the state we have may no longer be the state we want.  

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