Tag: 221110

The week that was

It was another week of, as Johnny Carson used to say, weird, wild stuff. Among the happenings were Tom Brady ending a tough week with his billionth final-minute drive for a win, and the latest analytics-driven decision to cost a team the World Series.

Flash back to the ninth inning of Game 7 in the 1962 World Series. After a two-out double down the right field line that sent Matty Alou to third, Willie Mays was the winning run on second with the Yanks leading 1-0. If it were 2022, it would be, as Arnold would say, hasta la vista baby for starter Ralph Terry. Ditto for Jack Morris when he told Twins manager Tom Kelly to get back in the dugout in far more colorful language than that after he gave up a single and double to start the eighth inning while leading 1-0 in Game 7 of the 1991 series vs. Atlanta. He got the next three hitters and went for a complete game win in the 10th as the Twins won a second title in five years under Kelly.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson had that same decision on Saturday in Houston. He went with those in the stat geek suite and yanked Zack Wheeler in the sixth with two aboard after giving up just three hits, for Jose Alvarado, to get a lefty-lefty match-up with Willie McCovey look-alike Yordan Alvarez. Instead of hitting the rope that second baseman Bobby Richardson caught to end the ’62 Series, Alvarez hit a homer to center to give the Astros a 3-1 lead they would never surrender to take the Series in six.

Other than to revel in the second Series-costing failure in three years by the stat geeks, my point isn’t to hammer Thomson, especially since Alvarado had struck out all three Houston batters in the only inning he had pitched in the Series. It’s to say sometimes the right decision doesn’t work out and analytics are just a tool in the decision-making process. All the numbers they trumpet are what happened in the past and have nothing to do with the moment at hand, which is under an entirely unique set of circumstances.

World Series 101:Terry figures in an even more historic World Series moment than winning Game 7 in 1962. What was it?

Dusty Baker getting mobbed in the dugout by his players after Houston closed out the Phillies to win his first World Series as a manager after 25 years in the dugout has got to be a nominee for most heartwarming moment of the year.

UCLA and USC in the Big 10, yeah, that makes perfect sense. How many weeks do the, ahh, student-athletes get off from school when they do the Rutgers and Maryland swing in the Big 10 schedule? All of which Bill Walton sounded off on last week.

The Now I’ve Seen Everything Award goes to news that sportsbooks have put odds on who will be Gisele Bundchen’s first boyfriend after her divorce from TB-12. The favorite is ex-SNLer Pete Davidson. Nonsense like that probably made leading struggling Tampa Bay on a game-winning 60-yard final-minute drive over the Rams on Sunday a little sweeter for Tom.

There must be more to the Ime Udoka story, because I can’t see Red letting a guy who did such a great job as a rookie coach go to a division rival for no compensation. That says they just wanted to get rid of him for other misconduct or personality issues. I’d have tried to get Nic Claxton, who’s the athletic kind of big they need behind Al Horford and Rob Williams, and if it took expanding the deal beyond Udoka I’d do that.

World Series 101 Answer: When Bill Mazeroski hit the only Game 7 walk-off homer in 1960 to win a World Series it was Ralph Terry who threw the pitch Maz hit out of Forbes Field, making Ralph Houk’s decision to stick with Terry all the more revealing about the difference in thinking between then and the micro-management of today.

Finally, for the record: I haven’t liked Herschel Walker since he got run down from behind by a kicker (Adam Vinatieri) with nothing but the goal line in front of him on a kick return vs. the Patriots in 1996.

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

Finding buddies

Helping people with disabilities make new connections

Sarra Dennehy Lynch is the founder of the New Hampshire chapter of Best Buddies, a worldwide nonprofit dedicated to ending physical and social isolation of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through friendship, leadership, employment and inclusive living opportunities.

What does Best Buddies do for people living with disabilities?

In New Hampshire right now, we have our school friendship programs and adult friendship programs where we match people with disabilities with a typical peer in their community or school. It’s not a mentoring program; it’s peer to peer, to build a friendship. We have our leadership programs … where we do day-long trainings, teaching people how to feel comfortable speaking in public and sharing their stories, advocate for themselves, and eventually network and write a resume and … feel comfortable getting a job. … The jobs program, which we don’t have in New Hampshire yet, places people with disabilities in jobs they really want. We’re not saying, ‘OK, you have Down syndrome, I’m sure you can bag groceries.’ We’re saying, ‘What are your dreams and hopes? What do you want to do with your life?’ … and we offer support to help them make it happen. … Our inclusive living program is designed for [living on] college campuses or near a college campus. We only have two of those [established] right now in the United States. If they’re not attending college classes for whatever reason, then they’re auditing classes or they’re working on campus. They’re able to have that kind of college experience even if they’re not able to go to college.

How did you get involved?

I started in political fundraising. After college, I worked in Washington, D.C., for my congressman, then for one of the national parties, and then for John McCain. Then, in 2001, I gave birth to my first child, a baby boy, and he was born with Down syndrome. My world was shaken to the core. I felt scared and lost and ill-equipped to have a child with, I thought, a disability, and was realizing how ill-equipped the environment that surrounded me was to prepare me. The doctors weren’t what you would think they should be. It was an ‘I’m sorry’ thing; there was no ‘Congratulations.’ There was no happiness around me at all that I had given birth to this beautiful kid. That joy and happiness had to come from me researching and learning. … We moved to New Hampshire in 2022, and eventually, when Liam — that’s his name — turned about 8 or 9, I started seeing that the world wasn’t fair for him. Even in tee-ball, if you don’t move fast enough, you’re not good enough to play with the typical kids. I knew I wanted to find something that celebrated people with differences. … I found Best Buddies, and somebody got me involved in the Hyannis Port Challenge, which is a 100-mile bike ride from Boston to Hyannis Port. That was the first time I had ever seen people with disabilities thriving the way that they were, and I was hooked. I said, ‘We need this in New Hampshire,’ and a bunch of us decided to help bring [Best Buddies] to New Hampshire.

What is Liam doing now?

He just turned 21 and just left me — he’s in college in Wisconsin, and he’s doing great. He’ll be home at Thanksgiving.

How has Best Buddies helped you and Liam personally?

Liam was involved in Best Buddies all throughout school. … When I first started doing Best Buddies, I was doing it because I wanted Liam to have a great experience in school. Then, I slowly realized that he was going to have a great experience, and I started to realize that Best Buddies is just as important for the neurotypical kids, because it shares with them the magic of learning about people with disabilities. These are the kids that are going to be our senators, congressmen, teachers, business leaders, parents; if they grow up around people with disabilities, maybe someday it will become more normal.

What is next for Best Buddies in New Hampshire?

We’re working really hard on bringing the jobs program here. We’re shooting for 2025. It’s a pretty substantial financial investment, and we have to raise the money … but I think it’s going to be really wonderful for people. They will each have a job coach … who will make sure their jobs are what they want and that they’re getting what they need.

How can people get involved?

We have all kinds of opportunities. They can be board members, sponsors or on event committees. … We’re always looking for people to serve as what we call ‘speech coaches’ for our leadership training. They help our participants get their thoughts down on paper and prepare and practice their speeches. … If you want to be matched in our [friendship] program … we send a questionnaire to learn a little bit about you, and then we find the best match for you, like someone who lives close to you and has similar interests. We would do a Zoom introduction, and if it’s a good match, you’ll see each other one to two times a month and talk or text weekly. It’s not a huge time commitment, and usually it turns into a normal, natural friendship where you don’t have to monitor how many times you see each other.

Featured photo: Sarra Dennehy Lynch with her son Liam. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 22/11/10

Food support

The Capital Region Food Program announces the launch of its 2022 Holiday Voucher Pilot, a new food support program to reduce hunger for individuals, families and local agencies in the greater Concord area. According to a press release, the program was created as a more flexible, customizable and sustainable alternative to the nonprofit’s Holiday Food Basket Project, which has provided holiday meal boxes in Concord and its surrounding communities since 1974. The vouchers, which will be distributed on Dec. 10 and redeemable through Jan. 31, will allow recipients to shop for their own food and household necessities at local Market Basket stores. “Participating families will now be able to customize their food selections to not only accommodate various dietary restrictions but also to accommodate their cultures and holiday traditions that are important this time of year,” Karen Emis-Williams, director of human services for the City of Concord, said in the release. “The voucher program helps ensure clients receive the right food they need.” Voucher applications are being accepted through 33 partner agencies throughout the state until Nov. 30. Visit capitalregionfoodprogram.org/holiday-project-2022.

Paxlovid access

New Hampshire residents who don’t have access to a primary care provider are now able to get a prescription for the Covid therapeutic treatment Paxlovid through a free telehealth appointment with On-Site Medical Services, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The antiviral, which can significantly reduce the severity of Covid symptoms, may be prescribed to certain patients who are at risk of developing serious complications from the illness. It is most effective when administered within 72 hours from the onset of symptoms. The telehealth appointments, which may be conducted over video or telephone, are available to qualifying residents age 12 and older who have received a positive Covid antigen or PCR test. If Paxlovid is prescribed, the medication will be sent to the patient’s preferred pharmacy for pickup or shipped to their residence via overnight mail. Visit on-sitemedservices.com/telemedicine or call 800-816-5803.

New housing

Gov. Chris Sununu and the Executive Council approved $50 million to support 30 projects under the Governor’s InvestNH Housing Fund that are held to affordability restrictions and construction completion within 18 months. “New Hampshire is moving fast to address our housing challenges,” Sununu said in a press release. “This initial $50 million investment will create 1,500 new rental units across the state, helping increase supply, drive down costs, and ensure New Hampshire is the best state to live, work, and raise a family.”

Home heating help

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP) has been approved to receive $33.9 million in federal funding, the New Hampshire Congressional delegation announced in a press release. LIHEAP funds New Hampshire’s Fuel Assistance Program and helps low-income households pay their home heating and energy bills to prevent energy shutoffs, restore service following energy shutoffs, make minor energy-related home repairs and weatherize their homes to make them more energy-efficient. “Especially as the winter months approach, ensuring Granite Staters are housed and in residences with adequate heating is crucial, so I’m relieved to see these additional federal resources allocated to New Hampshire,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds LIHEAP, said in the release. “I urge the State to move quickly and get these funds out the door to applicants.” New Hampshire households that are struggling to pay their energy bills can apply for assistance through their local Community Action Partnership online at capnh.org/home.

Future forensic psychiatric hospital

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Administrative Services and New Hampshire Hospital officials will hold a public information session on a proposed forensic psychiatric hospital on Monday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m. According to a press release from DHHS, the 24-bed secure facility will be built adjacent to New Hampshire Hospital, a psychiatric hospital located on Clinton Street in Concord, and will provide safe, skilled and therapeutic psychiatric treatment for forensic patients. The information session, which will specifically cover design updates for the new facility, will be held virtually over Zoom, accessible at nh-dhhs.zoom.us.

No mail Friday

U.S. Postal Service offices in New Hampshire will be closed on Friday, Nov. 11, in recognition of Veterans Day. According to a press release, all retail operations and street delivery except for guaranteed overnight parcels will be suspended for the day and will resume on Saturday, Nov. 12.

Concord reached a record high temperature on Saturday, Nov. 6, of 78 degrees, breaking the previous record of 75 set for the same day in 1994, the Union Leader reported, citing data from the National Weather Service. The record also marks the second highest temperature recorded during the month of November in Concord, tying with a 75-degree November day recorded in 1948. The average high temperature this time of year for Concord is 53 degrees, the article said.

Hateful and racist messages and symbols were found spray-painted in blue graffiti on pavement, mailboxes and street signs on Penacook Road in Hopkinton last weekend. The Concord Monitor reported that town officials and community members came together to clean the graffiti, and that the Hopkinton Police are investigating the case and have designated extra patrols to watch for graffiti vandalism.

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains will host an informational session, “Launch into Girl Scouts,” on Monday, Nov. 14, from 6 to 7 p.m. at 1 Commerce Drive in Bedford. Caregivers can learn about Girl Scouts and troop openings while their girls participate in fun space-themed activities, according to a press release. Walk-ins are welcome. Sign-ups for Girl Scouts are available year-round at girlscoutsgwm.org.

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