Tag: 220526

The week that was

It was a busy week again. Here’s a look at some top stories and sidebars.

News Item: NBA playoffs carry on

By the time you see this Golden State may have closed out Dallas (down 0-3 as I write this) for a place in the NBA Finals and it’s possible Miami will have the Celtics on the brink (or on vacation) after their embarrassing “Back To December” non-effort to put them down 1-2 after somehow resting on the laurels of an impressive 25-point Game 2 win. Game 4 on Monday will show whether they’ll bounce back as they did vs. the Bucks or continue with the turnover fests of Games 1 and 3.

As for the Warriors, while they’ve faced a pretty weak field out west, they’re proving me wrong after I said last November I thought their glory days were over. Despite playing less than 70 games for the fifth year straight, 32-year-old Steph Curry has shown he’s still a major force as GS has gone 11-3 behind his 25 points, five rebounds and six assists per playoff slash line.

News Item: It’s not whether Brady will be any good on Fox, but whether he’s worth $375 million

I learned a long time ago not to question Rupert Murdoch when he spends what seems like a ridiculous, unrecoverable amount of money on something related to broadcasting. That moment came when Fox Sports outbid the field by over $100 million to bring the NFL to his fledgling Fox Network. The other three more established networks whined that you couldn’t make money at that exorbitant rate. Except that’s not what he was after. He wanted stations around the country who wanted/needed NFL games on their station to become Fox affiliates. So what he actually bought was an entire network overnight, which made those seemingly titanic rights fees chicken feed.

I have no idea how or whether the 10-year, $375 million Brady deal will be recouped by Fox. But I know they usually have something up their sleeve. So I’m guessing there’s a plan in place, and if I have to bet (no pun intended) it probably will have something to do with the emerging new revenue source sports betting will provide the NFL over the next decade.

News Item: Do people watch games because of announcers?

I’d love to see the research on this question. I know I don’t. I watch for the teams playing and put up with the rest or enjoy it a little bit more if it’s someone like Ian Eagle and Charles Davis or the Van Gundy brothers in the booth.

News Item: Parcells shut out again

It’s becoming an annual thing to congratulate the newest New England Patriots Hall of Fame inductee and then rant over the exclusion of inductee Bill Parcells. First congrats to Vince Wilfork for his most deserving honor. A great player and a true Patriot in every way during 11 years in Foxboro.

But Bob Kraft, what about the Tuna? Since I’m not in the room for the discussions I can’t say it is simple pettiness over the ugliness of his departure and the border war that followed. And far be it from me to pat Parcells on the back, because his behavior at the end was questionable and far from gracious, so I understand the hard feelings.

But enough is enough. That happened 25 years ago and if the Hall is to stand for anything more than a feel-good summer day for Bob it should honor all those who made the Patriots dynasty what it is. Parcells and Drew Bledsoe are Nos. 4 and 5 behind the Big Three for bringing the stability and legitimacy that got every football fan’s attention while laying the foundation for what was to come, including bringing Bill Belichick here as an assistant under Tuna.

I know you have a rule for one inductee per year voted on by fans. Sorry, break it. If you need a clue as to how dumb fan voters are, look at any starting line-up for the MLB All-Star game. There’s nothing I hate more than Hall voters suddenly realizing a guy like Dennis Johnson or Ron Santo belongs in after he passes on. Parcells is now 80. So, Bob, make an exception. Put Tuna in, because he earned it and you should be a big enough man to make happen.

News Item: Sideline reporter during playoff game

Sometimes it’s prudent to ask what planet people are living on when they make decisions that simply defy common sense. One such incident is the NBA forcing coaches to speak to sideline reporters at the beginning of the second and fourth quarter when a playoff game is going on. I think it’s pretty stupid and generally useless during the regular season, but during the playoffs teams’ seasons are on the line and their being forced to take attention away from a critical moment to answer some question is insulting to players, coaches and the fans whose teams are playing in such important games. Come on, Adam, wake up and fix this nonsense and give greater respect to the game itself.

News Item: Belichick pokes the bear

Bill Belichick gets pounded by the media, often unfairly. OK, make it sometimes unfairly. I get his desire for playing it close to the vest and how the media can cause distractions, often for little reasons beyond bringing attention to itself. But I have no sympathy for Coach B because he brings the vitriol on himself. Take what he did last week. The NFL has a rule that each team must make its assistant coaches available to speak to the media twice each off season. So what does he do, schedule those meetings a month after the draft and five weeks before summer camp opens on back-to-back days in mid-May when no news is going on. An unnecessary provocation just to poke the bear. So you reap what you sow, Bill.

News & Notes 22/05/26

Covid-19 update As of May 13As of May 20
Total cases statewide 316,691 321,042
Total current infections statewide 4,527 5,216
Total deaths statewide 2,500 2,520
New cases 2,158 (May 9 to May 13) 4,351 (May 14 to May 20)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 1,243 1,451
Current infections: Merrimack County 417 484
Current infections: Rockingham County 1,058 1,191
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Covid-19 news

On May 19, state health officials reported 3,889 new positive Covid-19 test results between Friday, May 13, and Wednesday, May 18. Moving forward, all weekly updates will cover Thursday of the previous week through Wednesday of the following week, according to a press release. As of May 19 there were 36 people statewide that were hospitalized with Covid.

On May 20, Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed HB 1131, which would have prohibited schools in the state from creating their own mask-wearing policies for students, teachers and faculty. “Just because we may not like a local decision does not mean we should remove their authority,” Sununu said in his veto message. “The State must remain steadfast in protecting local control as decisions like this are best left to authorities closest to parents and families where they can work with their neighbors to decide what is right for their children.”

Manchester budget

On May 17, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 11-3 to approve a Fiscal Year 2023 General Fund budget that allocates $187,097,818 to the school district and $169,867,998 to the city. According to a press release, the budget adheres to the expenditure cap and includes a 3.52-percent property tax increase, for a total tax rate of $18.30. Compared to the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, expenditures increased by $5,296,413 and include funds for a Residential Assessor; staff salary increases at the Mayor’s Office; Fire Department training; an additional sergeant in the Juvenile division and an evidence technician for the Police Department; increases in utility costs for the Department of Public Works; a security officer and library clerk at the library; severance pay and contingency funds. Expenditures decreased total $3,863,368 and came from anticipated health insurance savings; Fire and Police Department retirement savings; and savings due to a bill that will bring $5.2 million to the Manchester School District in FY23, the release said. “Manchester is a growing city with a strong economy as evidenced by the more than $83 million in new growth generated over the last year.” Mayor Joyce Craig said in a statement following the vote.

Recovery-friendly

Last week, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Dr. Rahul Gupta visited New Hampshire to hear about the Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative that launched in 2018. According to a press release, since its inception here, the program has been adopted in 28 states across the country, as well as in Washington, D.C., and Canada. In New Hampshire, more than 300 businesses have been designated as Recovery Friendly Workplaces for about 84,000 employees. “New Hampshire led the nation in addressing our opioid crisis head-on with innovative programs like Recovery Friendly Workplaces,” Gov. Chris Sununu said in the release. “Through this program, we’ve worked hard to change the culture around addiction by engaging employers as part of the solution. Ensuring access to tools and resources is easier than ever before.” Gupta met with Recovery Friendly Workplace employers to hear about their experiences with the program, which is part of the state’s comprehensive strategy to reduce the number of overdose deaths. Unlike most other states, the release said, New Hampshire is projected to reduce the number of lives lost to drug overdoses by nearly 14 percent from 2017 to 2021. There were 490 overdose deaths in 2017, 471 in 2018, 415 in 2019 and 417 in 2020. Preliminary data suggests there were roughly 425 overdose deaths in 2021.

Affordable internet

The Affordable Connectivity Program lowers internet costs for eligible families, and the New Hampshire Department of Education is encouraging families to take advantage of the program in order to stay connected to reliable broadband services. According to a press release, students approved to receive benefits under the National Free and Reduced-Price Lunch Program and school breakfast program are typically eligible for the program, as are those with an income that is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or those participating in certain assistance programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC or Lifeline. These families may receive up to a $30-a-month discount for internet service and a one-time $100 discount for purchase of a laptop, desktop computer or tablet from participating providers. “Consistent and reliable internet access is an important tool to help students thrive throughout the summer months and the entire school year, and is a necessary resource for learning. We are pleased that this service is available for low-income families, and we urge Granite State residents to take advantage of this opportunity,” Frank Edelblut, education commissioner, said in the release. Families can complete the application at ACPBenefit.org.

A two-day regional public safety summit for first responders was held at UNH in Durham last week, offering first responders health and wellness training workshops. According to a press release, first responders experience higher rates of depression, post-traumatic stress, burnout, anxiety and other mental health issues. The event offered guidance, statistics and best practices for all members of the public safety community, the release said.

Hannaford Supermarket at the John E Devine Drive location in Manchester unveiled New Hampshire’s first Volta Elective Vehicle charging stations with a ceremonial “first charge” May 12. Hannaford and Volta company leaders will participate in the ‘first charge’ and celebrate the sustainability initiative.

Nashua is holding its Household Hazardous Waste Collection Thursday, June 2, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Nashua City Park & Ride, 25 Crown St. According to a press release, residents of Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Hudson, Litchfield, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Nashua, Pelham and Windham can drop off their hazardous waste for $15 per vehicle (quantities exceeding 10 gallons or 20 pounds will have an additional fee). Cash or checks will be accepted. Latex paint, electronics and medications will not be accepted. Visit nashuarpc.org for a list of accepted items.

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