Tag: 210520

2021 Sox a surprise so far

After a year of being a team no one wanted to own, the surprising 2021 Red Sox are back to my introducing them to one and all as being your Boston Red Sox. A team with a solid core, getting surprising production from retread newcomers like Garrett Richards or never-was-until-now guys like the 5-0 Nick Pivetta.

That makes them a classic case of “is the glass half empty or half full?” One hand, they lead the AL East by 1.5 games after entering 2021 with no expectations whatsoever from me. It has me wondering what I missed. On the other hand, while they do have an outstanding middle of the order, they appear to have (big) holes in the everyday lineup and throughout the pitching staff. That makes me wonder if they can keep it up, especially as they face a mostly tougher part of their schedule over the next six weeks.

Good Signs

Alex Cora: Outside of his maddening caution with his pitchers, one of baseball’s best managers is back in their dugout. That’ll be tested, because unless reinforcements arrive he’ll have to creatively mix and match all year to cover up the obvious holes they have.

Middle of the Order: With his in-game video review security blanket restored, J.D. Martinez is back to normal. So with him, Raffy Devers and Xander Bogaerts all on a pace for 35 homers and to knock in over 100, the lineup’s 3-4-5 can mash with anyone. It’s the strongest part of the team that will be extended on either side if/when Alex Verdugo and Christian Vazquez contribute as consistently as a year ago.

Eduardo Rodriguez: While the 4.15 ERA is higher than you’d like, the more important 5-1 record shows he’s come through missing 2020 with Covid-19-related heart issues OK. Major good news.

Matt Barnes: I’m nominating whoever’s behind getting/forcing him to attack from the first pitch for a Nobel Prize because he’s been outstanding. After watching him nibble himself through one seven-pitch at-bat after another, I usually was infuriated every time he pitched. But no more, as outings like his 12-pitch, three-strikeout save vs. Detroit on May 5, or Friday’s 11-pitch, 10-strike, 3-K save vs. the Angels, have become the norm. Even when Shohei Ohtani clipped him for a game-winning homer on Sunday, it came on a 1-2 pitch with two outs after only getting up because of a botched play in the field.

Things to Keep an Eye On

The Starters: Sorry, I don’t trust it yet behind E-Rod. While healthy so far, Nate Eovaldi has won double digits once in his 10-year career and that was six years ago. Richards is8-12 since 2016 and while Pivetta has been terrific, Philly gave up on his promise after he was 19-30 there. So I need a larger sample size from him.

The Bullpen: Beyond Barnes, it’s “who knows?” as according to Boston Globe stat geek scribe Alex Speier their six bullpen losses and five blown saves lead MLB for May. So I don’t trust anyone, especially eighth-inning setup guy Adam Ottavino, who looks like Nolan Ryan for three pitches and a human blow torch the next five.

Outside the Core: I like the bench’s defensive versatility, but all of them beyond short-timer Michael Chavis are hitting in the low .200s. They need to be far better, or Chaim needs to get people who can be.

Questions to Answer

Chris Sale: They’ve put no timetable on his return. A good thing because it allows no media pressure for a return by a certain date. He’ll be ready when he’s ready. And since no one knows what he will or can deliver when that day arrives, it’s better to consider anything he gives them as a bonus.

Bobby Dalbec and Hunter Renfroe:While they’re hit-or-miss guys at the moment the big “what if” for them is can they find the consistency that would give the Sox five guys with 30-homer potential. Renfro already hit 33 for San Diego in 2019 and Dalbec had a rare for the low minors 32-homer season at (mostly) AA in 2018. So it’s not that far-fetched.

Biggest Questions to be Answered

Nick Pivetta:By starting off 7-0 here since late last year, has the lightbulb finally gone on for the talented, once promising righty? Or is his terrific start a highly visible early season hot streak that ends with the clock striking 12 at some point?

Chaim Bloom: The fast start has gotten skeptics like me off his back for now. But the real question is if they stay in contention and need to fortify the bullpen or everyday spots, will he sit on his hands to sacrifice contending till the end to preserve the farm system’s rebuild for another year?

Chris Sale: If he’s ready to help after it’s too late to stretch him out, could he be used out of the bullpen? In a pre-designed programmed way to provide a certain number of quality innings per week that reduces arm stress as he builds back up? They probably won’t do that, but if able, he’s likely better than anyone they could get at the deadline, thus letting Chaim not use his prized prospects as trade chips.

So that’s the take for the first quarter of the season. Though one other thought has crept into my mind while examining the weaknesses. Is it possible that the 2021 Sox are like the 2013 edition? Who I kept saying about right up until the World Series, how are they doing this because they are not that good? So, with that highly enjoyable season in mind, regardless of where it all ends, put me on the “glass is half full” side.

At least for now.

A natural resource

New state office to focus on outdoor recreation

In April, the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs opened a new Outdoor Recreation Industry Development office, making New Hampshire the 16th U.S. state to do so. Its director, Scott Crowder, talked about the office and its mission to maximize the economic benefit of New Hampshire’s large outdoor recreation industry.

Why was this office created? Why is it needed in New Hampshire specifically?

Outdoor recreation is ingrained in our way of life here. … Because of how we’re positioned geographically, we have a diverse set of amenities and assets and places you can go for outdoor recreation, from the White Mountains to the Seacoast to the Lakes Region, to the Monadnocks to the Great North Woods. The natural beauty and the outdoor recreation experiences in New Hampshire, whether it’s the fall foliage or skiing in the winter, are a big part of why people visit. … Our communities have developed around [and] put value on outdoor recreation. … Thirty-seven thousand jobs are filled in the outdoor recreation industry sector in the state … and it spans into a lot of other different industries, [such as] hospitality, food and beverage and travel and tourism. … 3.2 percent of our GDP is directly correlated to outdoor recreation. It’s a huge contributor to the state’s economic positioning … but we didn’t have anyone looking at outdoor recreation from an economic and workforce development standpoint. … We want to make sure we’re capitalizing on New Hampshire’s outdoor recreation assets to enhance the quality of life for our residents and the experience for our visitors.

What’s on the agenda?

Some of the line items in the legislation include helping to develop [outdoor recreation] workforce development; leveraging New Hampshire’s natural assets and outdoor amenities for economic development and economic vitality; conservation and stewardship, making sure that these outdoor amenities are being well-preserved so that they can be used in the same way tomorrow and in 100 years from now; entrepreneurship and promoting businesses; and collaborating with different departments — whether it’s Fish and Game, the Trails Bureau or State Parks — to create an outdoor recreation collective that will work together to elevate New Hampshire’s outdoor recreation.

How does the pandemic impact outdoor recreation in the state?

Covid gave a lot of people an opportunity to be introduced or reintroduced to outdoor activities … and the trend is going in the direction of more people spending more time outside. In the last year, businesses in the outdoor recreation [industry] and in resort towns were so busy it was crazy. They saw [profit] numbers they had never seen before. … Coming out of Covid, we have a great opportunity, because there’s a lot of pent-up demand [for] and excitement to do things with friends and family again, and outdoor recreation is a focal point of how people want to be spending their time. We need to make sure we’re taking advantage of that interest to benefit our communities.

What is your background in this kind of work? How did you come into this position?

I’ve always kind of had my finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the world of travel and tourism, sports and outdoor recreation in the state. … I grew up in Nashua and would spend my summers on Lake Winnipesaukee. I studied sports management and marketing in college and have [worked within] the world of traditional, organized sports as well as outdoor recreation. … I started an outdoor recreation shop on Lake Winnipesaukee in Meredith. … I’ve worked in events and sports tourism. … I’ve been on the Lakes Region Tourism Board for a decade now. … A few years ago I was put on a little committee to look at the viability of creating this office. … When the [director] position was posted, I put my hat in the ring for it.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’ve been going on a little bit of a listening tour across the state, having conversations with municipalities, nonprofit groups, private businesses — all the stakeholders that exist within the outdoor recreation space here in New Hampshire — to figure out the lay of the land, put the pieces together and see how this office could be the most impactful. … Over the next three [to] six weeks, we’ll be able to put more pen to paper about how to move forward with a strategic vision … and set goals for one year, three years and five years down the line.

What is your personal vision for the office? What would you like to accomplish as director?

I think it’s [building] that collective effort of outdoor recreation [collaborators]. There are a lot of people who are super-passionate about outdoor recreation in our state and a lot of dots that we can connect … at a state level, regional level and community level. … This [office’s mission] is a big task, and in order for it to be successful, I can’t exist in a vacuum; there has to be that collaborative approach.

Featured photo: Scott Crowder

News & Notes 21/05/20

Covid-19 updateAs of May 10As of May 17
Total cases statewide96,80197,774
Total current infections statewide1,4921,169
Total deaths statewide1,3151,333
New cases1,295 (May 4 to May 10)973 (May 11 to May 17)
Current infections: Hillsborough County474349
Current infections: Merrimack County11498
Current infections: Rockingham County304194
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

During the state’s weekly public health update on May 13, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that positive case numbers of Covid-19 in New Hampshire continue to be on the decline, averaging between 150 and 200 new infections per day over the previous week, while the test positivity rate was at roughly 3 percent. As of May 13, there have been 178 confirmed “breakthrough” infections of the virus, meaning those that occurred despite individuals being fully vaccinated. “We are going to see vaccine breakthrough cases, but it’s a very low number when you consider the number of people that have been fully vaccinated,” said Chan, noting that it’s less than 0.1 percent of these cases relative to overall vaccinations.

Later during the press conference, when asked about the CDC’s new guidance released earlier that day saying fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors or outdoors in most cases, Chan said he was “a little bit unhappy” with how it was rolled out. “The difficult choices have always been around what the correct timing is,” he said. “Anytime the CDC puts out this type of guidance, we never just simply adopt it because the CDC has put it out. We’ve always, throughout this pandemic, taken the time to review it, understand it, look at our own numbers, look at our own situation [and] make decisions based on our own local context, and we will do that in this situation as well.”

As of last week, children and teens ages 12 to 15 are now eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine. “We have already had 6,000 12- to 15-year-olds register out of the 60,000 people in this age group,” Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, said during the press conference. “We have seen even young, otherwise healthy people get hospitalized or have weeks or months of breathing problems that impacted their ability to play sports or exercise, so we do encourage all parents to make that choice to get their child vaccinated.”

Gov. Chris Sununu also announced during the press conference that beginning this week New Hampshire is opening up each of its state-run vaccination sites to walk-ins, with no appointments needed, between 3 and 6 p.m. Both Pfizer and Moderna are available at these sites. Second-dose appointments will still be scheduled at the time of the first vaccination.

Downtown development

Last week, Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig submitted proposals to transform two large city-owned downtown parking lots — the Pearl Street Lot and Hartnett Lot — into mixed-use, mixed-income housing developments in an effort to address the city’s housing shortage. According to a press release, Craig’s Requests for Proposals drafts, which were sent to the city’s Lands and Buildings Aldermanic Committee for approval, require that some units be affordable, based on Housing and Urban Development’s definition of affordable housing, and the number of affordable units will be the biggest factor in the evaluation criteria. Further, the proposals must not reduce any existing public parking spaces, and they must be architecturally pleasing and pedestrian-friendly. “Manchester has been named the hottest real estate market in the country for the second year in a row, and in order to keep up with demand, there is a desperate need for not only more affordable housing but more housing in general,” Craig said in the release. The Queen City’s Affordable Housing Taskforce, which was established in March 2020, released its final report last month, with the first recommendation being to “prioritize the development of affordable housing on City-owned parking lots and vacant City-owned land,” the release said. On May 18, Craig also announced a proposal to create a Housing Commission, which was another recommendation made by the Affordable Housing Task Force. “Through this commission, the City of Manchester will continue to engage members of our community in finding innovative solutions to the rising cost of housing,” Craig said in the release. The commission would be responsible for following up on the many recommendations made by the Affordable Housing Task Force. The proposal was scheduled to go before the Board of Mayor and Aldermen Committee on Administration on the evening of May 18.

Free class for grads

All 2021 high school graduates are being offered a free class of their choice at any of New Hampshire’s community colleges in the fall. According to a press release, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges have committed more than $1 million, plus advising and other services from the community colleges, to help students on their future educational and career paths. Any student graduating from a New Hampshire high school in 2021 can take any three-credit course at any of the seven colleges in the Community College System of NH, including courses that are part of certificate programs for skilled trades. The gift covers tuition and associated fees, and the colleges will work with students to help with course selection. Eligible students can contact the admissions office at their local community college.

Record lottery sales

On May 17, the New Hampshire Lottery announced that it has set an all-time annual sales record, with seven weeks still remaining in the fiscal year. Gross sales have exceeded $434 million, according to a press release, which is more than a 30-percent year-over-year increase. Net profit to date is approximately $107 million and is on pace to reach $130 million. The previous record net profit was $105.5 million, set in Fiscal Year 2019. That profit goes to the state’s public education system, which has received $2.2 billion since the lottery’s inception in 1964. “As we look ahead, the New Hampshire Lottery is well-positioned to continue building on this momentum to benefit the students and teachers of New Hampshire for years and years to come,” Charlie McIntyre, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Lottery, said in the release. Almost all of the state’s lottery games are ahead of last year’s sales pace, including Fast Play, which is up more than 200 percent; NH iLottery, which is up 136 percent; KENO 603, up nearly 52 percent; Gimme 5, up more than 37 percent; and scratch ticket sales, which are up more than 21 percent. Large Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots, which reached a combined $1.58 billion in January, also contributed to the sales record, the release said.

Ed funding lawsuit

Last week the Mascoma Valley Regional and Derry Cooperative school districts announced that they will join nine other school districts as co-plaintiffs in ConVal School District’s lawsuit against the state over equitable education funding. According to a press release, the plaintiffs argue that the state does not meet its constitutional obligation to provide adequate funding for all students, saying that base adequacy — which provided $3,636 per student in all districts in 2019 — is not sufficient. In March, the Supreme Court of New Hampshire rejected the state’s request to dismiss the lawsuit. The case now goes back to Superior Court Judge David Ruoff, who will hold hearings allowing the plaintiffs to present evidence that the state underfunds education; an evidentiary hearing isn’t expected until the summer of 2022, according to the release. The other school districts involved in the lawsuit so far are Oyster River, Grantham, Claremont, Fall Mountain, Hillsboro-Deering, Mascenic, Monadnock, Newport and Wincheste r. Ruoff has given New Hampshire districts until Friday, May 22, to decide whether to join the lawsuit. “As a regional school district, Mascoma Valley experiences the injustice of New Hampshire’s educational funding mechanism which pits community against community instead of uniting us in the common goal of education,” Tim Josephson, Vice Chair of the Mascoma School Board, said in the release. “The legislature’s lack of action since the Claremont lawsuits has deepened inequities, allowing the state to continue shrinking its constitutionally-mandated responsibility.”

Boscawen has been awarded a $500,000 Cleanup Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up the former Allied Leather site on Commercial Street. According to a press release, the site, which has housed various mill operations and a leather tannery, has been vacant since 1987 and is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, petroleum, metals and other contaminants. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community outreach activities. The Town of Jaffrey also received a grant: $300,000 to assess and develop cleanup plans for various sites in town.

Concord’s Giant Indoor Yard Sale returns on Saturday, May 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Everett Arena. There will be thousands of items, according to a press release, and admission is $5 for adults; kids 12 and under get in free.

High school students at Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies in Manchester helped Manchester Community College’s student senate for the second year with its Sleep In Heavenly Peace Build a Bed event, which brings together volunteers to build beds for local kids who are sleeping on the floor, according to a press release. Students from both schools built 15 bunk beds for local under-resourced families.

A team from Nashua Community College is one of 12 national finalists that has been selected to move on to the next phase in the 2021 Community College Innovation Challenge. According to a press release from the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Science Foundation, the team will attend a Virtual Boot Camp in June to interact with entrepreneurs and business experts, culminating in a Student Innovation Showcase with a pitch presentation to determine the winner. The Nashua group will present its EnviroMask project to develop an environmentally friendly, fully biodegradable face mask using cotton with bioplastic and non-woven bamboo fiber, the release said.

Funds to get us back on our feet

New Hampshire towns and cities will get a little over $558 million from President Joe Biden’s stimulus legislation passed in March. The question many have been asking — including the towns themselves — is what they should do with the money. In Manchester, the city is asking for suggestions.

There are many needs but since the money is a one-time windfall my hope is that it would be used to invest in areas where we’ll see long-term return. Housing is one of those areas.

Working through nonprofits and for-profit developers, towns could strategically help fund housing with seed money. With rents hitting $2,000 or more for a two-bedroom apartment in southern New Hampshire, it’s clear that more housing is needed. Building and renovating older buildings is very expensive and developers can’t be blamed for building more market-rate rentals. This is where that stimulus money could come into play. Local governments could provide grants to builders to help them finance projects where a portion of the units are rented at below-market rates for a number of years. Similarly local governments could use those funds to help nonprofit housing organizations develop more housing both as rentals and to sell at below-market rates.

Good housing builds communities. People feel vested and look out for each other and the neighborhood. This all helps to deter crime and build safer and stronger cities.

In addition to building or redeveloping more affordable housing, towns could use the money to help folks struggling to find housing with security deposits and temporary rental assistance.

In addition to housing, transportation remains a significant barrier to a better life. Without a car in New Hampshire, it’s very difficult to get a job, to get to medical appointments or to get kids to activities. Though investing in public transportation makes some sense in denser areas, our state’s rural characteristics make public transportation limited in how it can help. Using an existing organization, such as Good News Garage, towns could help families get reliable transportation and that would help more people get back on their feet.

Towns could also use these funds to help expand access to quality day care centers by helping centers expand or offering temporary vouchers to parents who can’t afford the care and who won’t have access to state funds. Let’s make good use of these funds so that they are not a handout but a hand up and will create opportunity and a safer community.

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