Tag: 220331

This Week 22/03/31

Big Events March 31, 2022 and beyond

Thursday, March 31

Get music and the art of Andy Warhol at Art After Work today from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester. Admission is free (as it is all Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m.) and Joel Cage (pictured) will be performing live. The Currier’s new exhibit, “Warhol Screen Tests,” opens today with 20 silent, black and white screen test films, according to currier.org. Other exhibits on display include “The Appeal of the Real: 19th Century Photographs of the Ancient World” and “WPA in NH: Philip Guston and Musa McKim.”

Thursday, March 31

Get nearly a month of movies when the New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival begins today with a screening of The Automat at the Rex Theatre in Manchester at 7 p.m. The festival runs through Sunday, April 10, with 16 films in all — 11 features, five shorts and four in-person screenings. Most of the movies will also be available virtually, either during the festival itself or during a bonus week, April 11 through April 24. Tickets start at $12 for individual screenings, or you can buy packages for screenings of all movies, virtual only ($118) or in-person and virtual ($130 for one person, $180 for two). See nhjewishfilmfestival.com for details and check out Meghan Siegler’s story on page 10 of the March 24 (last week’s) issue of the Hippo (which you can find at hippopress.com). Amy Diaz reviews a few of the films in this week’s film section, which starts on page 44.

Friday, April 1

The Palace Theatre’s production of Bye Bye Birdie kicks off its final weekend of performances. See the musical today at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 2, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 3, at noon at the Palace in Manchester. See palacetheatre.org.

Friday, April 1

Meanwhile, continuing its run tonight is the drama Places You Go presented by New World Theatre at the Hatbox Theatre in Concord. The play, which opened March 25, will run the next two weekends: Fridays and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $22 for adults, $19 for students and seniors. See hatboxnh.com.

Saturday, April 2

Get some smooth jazz with Andrew Emmauel at Liquid Therapy in Nashua today at 6 p.m. Find more music at area bars, restaurants, breweries and more in the Music This Week listing, which starts on page 47.

Sunday, April 3

The Strathspey and Reel Society of NH, described as “New Hampshire’s own Scottish orchestra” according to a press release, will perform a Scottish Concert in honor of Tartan Day today at 2 p.m. at the Wilton Collaborative Space (25 Gregg St. in Wilton). The event is free but reservations are required; call the Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library at 654-2581 or email sandyl@wiltonlibrarynh.org.

Save the Date! Saturday, May 7
Enjoy “The Music of James Bond” from Symphony NH on Saturday, May 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Keefe Center for the Arts in Nashua. In addition to music from the decades of Bond movies, the program will include music from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Mission Impossible and more. Tickets cost $20 to $60 for adults (children are free with an adult ticket, seniors get a discount). See symphonynh.org.

Featured photo. Joel Cage will be performing live at the Currier Museum of Art. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 22/03/31

Granite State innovates

New Hampshire is the 9th most innovative state, according to a new report on the country’s most and least innovative states from personal-finance website WalletHub. According to the report, the Granite State ranks 5th in eighth-grade math and science performance, 7th in projected STEM-job demand by 2028, 8th in share of STEM professionals, 9th in share of tech companies, and 10th in share of science and engineering graduates ages 25 and older.

Score: +1

Comment: District of Columbia, Massachusetts and Washington ranked highest in the report, while North Dakota, Louisiana and Mississippi were at the bottom of the list.

Donor milk needed

The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Women’s Health Resource Center has been providing pasteurized donor human milk for babies whose mothers might be having challenges producing a reliable milk supply since it opened in the summer of 2020. According to a press release, that milk supply is now running low, and the center is looking for donors. “When the donor milk depot and dispensary first opened, we were averaging 150 bottles of donor milk,” Krista Duval, women’s health manager of the WHRC and the Milk Depot, said in the release. “Today, the number has dropped to 50, which limits the number of bottles a family can receive and, in some cases, we are turning families away.” Pasteurized donor milk can be lifesaving for preterm infants, the release said.

Score: -1

Comment: Mothers interested in donating milk can contact the WHRC to arrange for free testing, which includes a phone screening, application and blood test. Call 650-2600 or email whrc@hitchcock.org.

Help for small businesses

The first round of grants through the Manchester Small Business Grant & Program Assistance has been distributed: Barre Life, Café la Reine, Jumpp Chiropractic, Caesario’s Pizza, Blackwood Law, Manchester Acupuncture Studio, Willows Florist, Hospitality Sports Club, Zapata Trucking Express, Studio Verne, and Patz Deli each received a $10,000 grant, according to a press release. The program is designed to help Queen City small business owners recover from the negative economic effects of the pandemic, using funds from the American Rescue Plan. Grants can be used for other fixed business costs as well, like transitioning to e-commerce business platforms and outdoor space upgrades, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: “This grant program not only gives [these small businesses] the boost they need right now, but helps them plan for the future,” Mayor Joyce Craig said in the release.

Newman Civic Fellows

Students from five colleges and universities in New Hampshire have been named Newman Civic Fellows public problem solvers: Jonathan Cacatian of Hellenic American University, Emily Infinger of Plymouth State University, Jillian Barrett of Saint Anselm College, Kate Matthews of UNH and Aditi Gupta of Dartmouth College. The fellowship “recognizes students who stand out for their commitment to creating positive change in communities locally and around the world,” according to a press release, and provides recipients with a year of learning and networking opportunities that emphasize personal, professional and civic growth that helps prepare them to create large-scale positive change.

Score: +1

Comment: “Our state has a long history of community service and giving back to others. This fellowship advances our collective mission to work in areas of need to improve the lives of Granite Staters,” Debby Scire, executive director of Campus Compact for New Hampshire, which runs the fellowship program, said in the release.

QOL score: 68

Net change: +2

QOL this week: 70

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

Brady bound for Miami next?

Idle thoughts today from an idle mind.

Given the Tom Brady-to-Miami rumor that surfaced last week, maybe we have a clue why TB’s retirement announcement seemed so botched. Maybe he quickly wanted the Bucs to contemplate life without him, to get leverage for forcing a trade to Miami. Where, oh by the way, he and Yoko are building their dream retirement home on billionaires row just off Miami Beach.

Loved Jimmy Kimmel’s assessment for the Rams’ woefully sparse Super Bowl victory parade turnout: “honestly, I think there were more football fans on the street cheering for OJ during the slow-motion chase.”

Speaking of L.A., so much for it being the center of the basketball universe. Just two summers ago when the Clippers signed Kawhi Leonard and traded for Paul George after the Lakers slimily, albeit legally, tampered to pair Anthony Davis with LeBron James it looked like that city was going to dominate the NBA for several years. But with the Clips 36-39 and the Lakers 31-43, both are fighting to barely make the play-in round.

And while the Lakers did win the title in the abbreviated bubble year, they’re just 162-137 in LeBron’s time in L.A., with that lowly play-in-round finish ahead, after being bounced in Round 1 last year and missing them all together in Year 1. And with the Clips even worse, it’s turned out to be a colossal failure considering the expectations. Especially when they collectively still owe the Pelicans and Thunder an astonishing seven more first-round picks through 2026. And none are protected as both trend down!

The Lakers predicament is good news for the Celtics. They’re tied with a most-ever 17 league titles, and with the C’s suddenly surging as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum enter their prime, they look a lot more likely to get No. 18 first than I would have thought possible as late as New Year’s Day.

Anyone else notice that the Hornets have gone 8-2 since signing Isaiah Thomas when he scored 9.2 points per in 13 minutes a game off the bench? That includes their 119-110 win over the Nets in Sunday’s battle for the top seed in the play-in round that starts the playoffs.

Incidentally, with the mask mandate lifted, that game was the first one in Brooklyn for the guy Danny Ainge stupidly traded Isaiah (and the draft pick that turned out to be Collin Sexton) for — Kyrie Irving. The loss made the Nets 9-13 in the 22 games played by their so-called difference maker.

Hearing Deion Sanders say it was “disrespectful” when media people called him by his first name at a recent press conference instead of “coach” was comical. Pretty rich for a guy who showboated everyone anytime he did something big. As for not calling him by his title, you’re a football coach, Deion, not the president. Get a grip.

Speaking of pretty rich, how about ex-Patriot LeGarrette Blount recently lambasting college coach at Oregon Chip Kelly for “not supporting” him after he delivered an unprovoked sucker punch to an unsuspecting Boise State player after the first game of his senior season? So much for maturity helping him take responsibility.

Got to love ex-Trinity hooper Wenyen Gabriel getting another NBA chance in L.A. He’s started in four of his 11 games with the Lakers, while averaging 6 points and 4 rebounds a game.

I don’t get HBO, so I haven’t seen any of its 1980s Showtime Lakers series. But I saw a clip of the first meeting between Jerry Buss and a made to be the villain Red Auerbach as an over-the-top (even for him) arrogant adversary. John C. Reilly as Buss looked more like a porn king than an NBA owner. Not sure I’m interested in seeing Jerry West as a bitter drunk either.

I crossed paths with Dr. Buss one time, just outside the Kingdome during the 1989 Final Four in Seattle. True to form, he came walking toward me before the Saturday afternoon games with a gorgeous 20-something blonde on each arm.

Loved the recent line from Will Clark, whose swing was often compared to Ted Williams during his 80s/90s heyday, while talking about today’s three-outcome — walk, strike out, homer — launch angle approach to hitting: it must have “Rogers Hornsby and Ty Cobb rolling over in their graves.”

When you hear Jermaine Wiggins say on WEEI the Patriots should trade Mac Jones for (before they were) Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson, don’t listen. Remember his suggestion to fix the 2017 dumpster fire Celtics was signing ball hog Carmelo Anthony. Wiggy’s a likable fellow, but a dope.

For what it’s worth, no matter how good he is I wouldn’t want Watson with 22 sexual misconduct complaints against him. (He has denied all the allegations, according to the New York Times.) However, since I don’t have much faith in mankind when sports is involved, I think the hoo-ha around him will disappear with a win or two as football-crazed Cleveland is win-hungry since it hasn’t won a playoff game since Bill Belichick bested Bill Parcells and the Patriots in 1994!

I give ESPN’s Tom Brady–Charles Woodson 30 for 30 on the Tuck Rule play a C- at best. It was 15 minutes (maybe) of new content stretched (endlessly) into 60. How many of the 900 replays shown did we really need to see? Six? How many times did we need to hear Woodson, Jon Gruden and Lincoln Kennedy say it was a fumble and they got screwed? Or Brady and Bob Kraft saying good call? All it did was remind me how close that call was, and that the play on the field would have stood because the replay was inconclusive. Bad rule. Right call.

Also, the notion Brady would have gone back to backing up Drew Bledsoe for fumbling was ridiculous. The season turned when TB replaced Drew.

Running the rules

State’s first female deputy enforcement, licensing chief

Meet Danielle Ellston, the new deputy chief and deputy director of the New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s Division of Enforcement and Licensing, and the first woman to assume the role.

What does your job as deputy chief and deputy director entail?

Within the Division of Enforcement and Licensing, we have field operations, which [consist of] all of our sworn police officers — their official title is ‘investigators’ — who provide our regulatory function throughout the state, [with] a primary mission of preventing youth access to alcohol and tobacco. We also have our administrative services, which includes our licensing, help desk, auditing and direct shipping units, as well as our training units, which provide training to our licensees and our store employees. I’m second in command to the chief, who runs the whole operation. I’m kind of the middleman; I’m a support for the chief … and I also oversee some of the day-to-day operations of the division, making sure that we’re staying on track with our mission to ensure that we’re complying with our policies, rules and regulations.

What is your background in this kind of work?

I have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Endicott College. I was hired right out of school by Liquor Enforcement in September 2008. … In January 2009, I received my police certification from the New Hampshire Police Academy, representing the [liquor] division at the academy. I’ve been here [in New Hampshire] for my entire adult career, and that’s something that’s important to me. … There’s a lot that has happened in the amount of time I’ve been here. It’s really cool that I got to see and be a part of the agency’s development and progression.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’re up against?

It’s very tough for the licensees right now. They were just getting their footing back from everything that happened during Covid. At the end of last year and even last summer, we saw people out and about, feeling comfortable going to public places again. Now, with some of the inflation issues … people are going out less and spending less money … and the industry is starting to feel the impact of that. The industry is also still dealing with staffing issues. Covid created a lot of job opportunities for people to work remotely, which is good, but the industry is feeling the impact of people … moving on to different jobs. We feel that on our end, too, because they’re trying to manage more patrons with less staff. The way we combat that is through our educational platform; education … is a primary function of our investigators. They’re out there educating these licensees, giving them ways to run their business with less staff and ways to be more diligent with checking IDs and over-serving. … We have to look at what’s going on around us and really change the way we [communicate] our goals to the licensees. It’s a partnership where we have to listen to them and hear what their issues are, then educate them on what the best ways to stay in compliance are. It really is a give and take.

What do you hope to accomplish as deputy chief and deputy director, short-term and long-term?

My big goal here is to keep us moving forward and to be progressive … and to really try to streamline everything we do, to work with the industry and to make it a great, very successful relationship. … When I say ‘be progressive,’ it’s [referring to] everything — technology, education, community outreach. How can we make our processes more efficient for the licensees? How can we make our internal procedures more efficient for our employees? … There’s a mentality to say, ‘This is the way we’ve always done things,’ … but there are so many opportunities for us to partner with the industry and our coalition groups to really step forward.

What does being the first woman in this position mean to you?

I’m very honored and grateful. It’s a very cool situation to be in. … Going back to [the idea of] being progressive, we’re seeing … a movement throughout law enforcement of more females getting into the profession. I’m the first female deputy chief, but we have a pretty big group of females working here, and we have some female supervisors. … If I can help show that [women] can be successful in it, then that’s a very cool opportunity.

What do you find rewarding about this work?

The cool thing about our agency is that there are so many people you get to interact with. We’re interacting with licensees who are just trying to have a successful business. We’re interacting with our coalition groups, which have such an outstanding mission they’re trying to achieve, and they like including us in that. We get to work with local law enforcement agencies and help them be successful in establishing their business relationships with their licensees. We get to interact with youth. For me, that’s the best part — getting to interact with all these different people and to really be a part of their mission and bring them in to be a part of our mission.

Featured photo: Danielle Ellston being sworn in. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 22/03/31

Covid-19 update As of March 21 As of March 28
Total cases statewide 301,308 302,181
Total current infections statewide 911 1,020
Total deaths statewide 2,436 2,447
New cases 797 (March 15 to March 21) 873 (March 22 to March 28)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 242 253
Current infections: Merrimack County 65 86
Current infections: Rockingham County 151 164
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Covid-19 news

State health officials reported 76 new cases of Covid-19 on March 28. The state averaged 126 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, a 5 percent increase compared to the week before. As of March 28 there were 1,020 active infections and just 26 hospitalizations.

State of Manchester

On March 23, Mayor Joyce Craig gave her State of the City speech, during which she announced the launch of The Manchester Promise Program, which would enable some Manchester public school students — those who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic and wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity — to attend college debt-free. According to a press release, the program will start in the coming weeks as the city partners with Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester Community College and Duet.

Other speech highlights, the release said, included:

The formation of an exploratory committee to bring hockey back to Manchester.

In the past two years, the city has exceeded its goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent, with current reductions at 58.4 percent, in large part because of the city’s solar array.

The Manchester Police Department is focused on reducing gun crimes and has formed a community-focused gun crime problem-solving team and has deployed additional walking patrols to increase police presence and community engagement in neighborhoods, according to the release, and in 2021 the department seized 81 illegal guns off the streets.

Manchester was named a finalist for the Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge Phase 1 and submitted its Phase 2 application March 15; if awarded, the grant would provide more than $100 million in federal dollars to accelerate job creation in tissue engineering and advanced aerial mobility — potentially creating more than 20,000 jobs — and fund a pedestrian bridge over the Merrimack River connecting the Millyard to the West Side.

The Manchester Transit Authority is in the process of piloting a program for an on-demand bus service that it hopes to launch in FY23.

Manchester allocated $8 million in federal funds to develop new affordable housing and established the Manchester Housing Commission to assist in that process. Proposals for 450+ new mixed-income apartments to be built on underutilized city-owned parking lot are currently being finalized. The city has also hired its first Director of Homeless Initiatives, is working with outreach teams to address the needs of the chronically homeless, and is establishing new relationships with recovery service providers to help people enter treatment.

Redistricting

Gov. Chris Sununu has submitted a draft Congressional redistricting map that he said in his letter to legislative leaders he would sign if it reaches his desk. Sununu has said he will veto the redistricting map put forth by Republicans in the New Hampshire House and Senate, according to a report form WMUR, and his own map “includes adjustments to the current districts that would likely create a more competitive first district and a second district that still leans Democratic.” Sununu wrote in his letter that his proposed map “keeps our districts competitive, passes the smell test, and holds our incumbents accountable so that no one elected official is immune from challengers or constituent services.”

LNA training

The New Hampshire Veterans Home is accepting applications for its new Licensed Nursing Assistant course that will allow students to earn hourly wages while learning in the expense-paid course. According to a press release, the salary includes a 15-percent enhancement of the base pay available for all Veterans Home nursing positions. Students who commit to providing care at the Veterans Home will receive education in a classroom setting and through clinical hours. Successful completion of the course prepares students for the Board of Nursing license exam, the release said, and after completing training and passing the exam, students will apply for full- or part-time positions at the home. The 10-week LNA Course begins April 19 at the New Hampshire Veterans Home campus, 139 Winter St. in Tilton. Applications are due by April 7 and are available at nh.gov; click on “careers,” then “NH State Government Job Opportunities,” then type “Tilton” in the location box when searching for jobs.

The N.H. Division of Historical Resources’ State Conservation and Rescue Archaeology Program is accepting applications for its field school at Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown. According to a press release, participants will continue the excavation of a pre-contact archaeological deposit that was identified last year and will focus on additional areas that might contain pre-contact deposits. Sessions are June 6 to June 17 and June 20 to July 1. The program is open to ages 16 and up (16- and 17-year-olds must participate with a parent or guardian), and registration closes April 30. Visit nh.gov/nhdhr/SCRAP.htm or contact the NHDHR at 271-6433.

New England College in Henniker has announced that Gov. Chris Sununu will be the Commencement Speaker at its 2022 graduation ceremony in May. According to a press release, Sununu will also be awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of his years of public service to New Hampshire.

Schools across the Manchester School District were recipients of picnic tables built by Hillside Middle School students and donated by Girls at Work. According to a press release, more than 100 middle school girls participated in the Team Build Program, building 10 picnic tables that were then painted by students in the art department. The tables were donated to Manchester schools as well as local businesses, the release said.

Inquisitive minds

So often in our society, I hear how we crave opportunities for our children to explore, to tinker, and to figure out who they are in this world. We are all for our youth getting outside or into the kitchen or workshop to help make sense of what the world offers them.

What is often missing from this narrative is giving space for our kids to explore who they are and what they offer to the world. In fact, we can often find this downright threatening especially when it comes to exploring one’s race, sexual orientation, sex, gender and culture.

I see the fear of these types of examinations rippling throughout our entire public education system here in New Hampshire and our country as a whole. There are laws and policies being passed that dictate what a teacher can instruct on race, or what name a child can (or cannot) go by, and limit discussions around family structures. There are demands that parents must be notified of all that is being discussed in our K-12 schools with threats of lawsuits being made if those requirements are not met.

In Manchester, there is a lawsuit filed over chosen name practices within that district. We have HB2 in place, which white lawmakers adopted to limit discussions around race in our classrooms. In Mississippi, an administrator was terminated for reading a book titled “I Need a New Butt” to second-graders, and we cannot forget the recent legislation passed in Texas and Florida with really damaging practices put in place to further oppress LGBTQIA+ youth.

These are all motivated by fear but I’m not sure what the fear is about. Do we truly not believe our children are capable of learning more about themselves? To better understand the complexities and possibilities each of our identities hold? Is it that there is a belief that if they learned this information then they would be able to have better agency over their own bodies, their own lives, in a way that threatens the “norm”?

Our kids are beautiful and resilient humans. All trauma specialists talk about the need to build healthy resilience, which comes through conversation, connection and self-responsibility. Avoidance, unfortunately, does not get us there and stunts us against reaching our true potential.

I hope we can embrace and find the same level of fulfillment from self-exploration as we do exploration of the outside world. We can understand a lot from our children, and I believe they will be our greatest teachers in redeveloping our curiosity.

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