Tag: 230119

Quality of Life 23/01/19

Money woes

The number of bankruptcy filings in New Hampshire appears to be trending upward, New Hampshire Business Review reported in a Jan. 3 story. Though the total number of bankruptcies per year has been at record lows for the last few years — and 2022 still 10 percent fewer than 2021 — those numbers started to take a turn at the end of the year. November saw 51 — the same number as November 2021 — and December saw 64 — a more than 25 percent jump from November and nearly 40 percent higher than December 2021, which had a record low of 46.

QOL score: -1

Comment: Unemployment also started to increase at the end of 2022, rising another fifth of a point to 2.6 in November, and up from 2 percent in June, according to the article.

Eyes on the road, NH

A recent WalletHub study ranked New Hampshire the eighth worst U.S. state to drive in. The study looked at various factors, such as the costs of gas, car insurance and auto maintenance; traffic congestion, average commuting times, weather conditions, road and bridge quality; the rate of auto-related fatalities, injuries and crimes; and more. New Hampshire was ranked the state with the highest number of days with precipitation, and ranked poorly in other areas, including average gas prices (No. 34), share of rush-hour traffic congestion (No. 31), car dealerships per capita (No. 31) and auto maintenance costs (No. 27).

QOL score: -1

Comment: On the bright side, New Hampshire ranked as the state with the third lowest car thefts.

Future leaders

Three New Hampshire Girl Scout troops in grades 3 through 8 met U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan on Jan. 9 at the Nashua Public Library. According to a press release, Hassan spoke to the Scouts about how she does her job and answered questions about how to deal with negative ads, how to run a campaign and what traits are needed to be a successful female in a leadership role. She also talked about the importance of asking for help, accepting constructive criticism, standing up for oneself, listening to others and reading.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the release, a recent Girl Scout Research Institute study revealed that nearly six in 10 girls said they are interested in being a future leader through advocacy, public service or a career as an elected official.

Helping out

The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is distributing a total of $3,810,500 in grants through its 2022 Community Grants Program — an increase of more than $1 million from the previous year, made possible by contributions from foundation donor-advised funds, according to a press release. The grants, which range in amount from $10,000 to $60,000, can be used for any operating expenses without restrictions and are usually paid out over the course of three years.

QOL score: +1

Comment: “New Hampshire asks a lot of the nonprofit sector — from teaching our youngest children to sheltering struggling families to helping protect natural resources and promote civil discourse,” Anne Phillips, director of grantmaking at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, said in the release.

QOL score: 51

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 51


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

Celtics at midway point

Observations, random thoughts and outright pontifications about the Celtics at mid-season.

What I Like: The most obvious is having the best record in the NBA and being on pace for 60 wins. Second is how they play with the fastest end-to-end pace since the John Havlicek, Dave Cowens, Jo Jo White Celtics in the 1970s. They are at their best when pushing the ball. And third is seeing the obvious growth in the key players. It suggests that, with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and the two Williamses (Robert Williams and Grant Williams III) still shy of their primes, the best is yet to come.

What I Don’t Like: They have a nasty habit of playing down to the competition when they are facing bad teams. Five of their 12 losses were mail-it-in jobs against Orlando (two), Chicago (two) and Oak City (one), who were a combined 55-71 at the start of the week.

Who To Fear: With as many as six teams who get to the Finals out of the East and five more out West, the NBA is the most balanced it’s been in decades. So it depends on who’s hot and healthy at playoff time. Having said that, there isn’t anyone to fear. But, while both are languishing around .500 at the moment, the two I’m most wary of are Golden State and Miami because their coaches have a way of frustrating Tatum and Brown more than others. Plus I underestimated GS last year and won’t do that again until the dragon is slayed. Especially after how they took the Celtics apart in December on national TV. That said, to me their slow start had a lot to do with post-championship motivational issues.

Top Story: Are Brown and Tatum The Best Duo? It wasn’t that long ago that the experts on talk radio were saying “break them up because they can’t play together.” Now most wonder if they’re the best duo in the league. Aging, injuries and knuckle-headedness have eliminated most competitors, so I’d say they are there with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, though when/if Jamal Murray gets to full strength after ACL surgery he and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic probably challenge them.

A more interesting question to me is, are they becoming the best 1-2 duo in Celtics history? It’s moot if they don’t win multiple titles, and it’s doubtful either will match Larry Bird’s all around game. But right now they’re scoring more per game than Bird and Kevin McHale ever did. And they’re just approaching their primes. Get past them and it’s Bill Russell with whoever (Cousy, Hondo, Sam Jones). So probably not. But it’ll be fun watching it play out.

Hard Work Pays Off: I have my issues with both at times, but I admire the wide-ranging improvement to the offensive games of Jaylen Brown and especially Grant Williams because it is obviously a product of hard off-season work. When Brown first arrived his scoring was limited to things that came from his athletic gifts. Now he scores inside, outside, off the dribble, spotting up to catch and shoot and at the basket. The last piece needed to be among the most complete players in the league is improving his handle. As for Williams, he could barely make a lay-up as a rookie. First came spot-up three-point shooting from the corner last year, and this year he’s scoring by taking it to the basket and posting up. Next comes a jump shot off the dribble. It would also help if he stopped yapping after every foul call.

Robert Williams – Start or Off The Bench: What difference does it make if he starts or comes off the bench as long as he plays 32 minutes and is in at the end of tight games? I like him with the second unit because it makes it better and that gives a chance to get a big plus/minus edge. Plus it means he or Al Horford will always be on the floor through the entire game.

Malcolm Brogdon: Been campaigning to bring him here since he was in Milwaukee and he’s still exceeded my expectations.

Derrick White: I didn’t know much about him when they got him from San Antonio and thought the price to get him was a little high. But Brad Stevens was right when he said the trade was “a no-brainer.” I love this guy because he’s unflappable and plays the same way every game as he does his job with no ego and unselfishly.

Joe Mazzulla: Not sure his jaw can last a whole season with the way he works the gum during games, but so far so good. He’s making the case about bringing Ime Udoka back next year a hard one.

Pritchard Time: Sam Hauser had a great start making 50 percent of his 3-balls in November, but it’s been 29 percent since Dec. 1. And since he’s only out there to make threes his time should go to Payton Pritchard. They give up some size, he’s better defensively and as a spark off the bench. Plus he showed he can shoot the long ball. Wasn’t great in the playoffs, but that was his first time around and I expect that should improve.

Ime Udoka: Could Stevens trade him for a protected first-round pick? Might make sense for a team with young players and a lot of first picks like Oak City who need a coaching jolt.

Danny Ainge: Several of his alleged draft miscalculations actually turned out to be pretty valuable. Grant Williams (22nd), Payton Pritchard (26th) and especially Robert Williams (27th)have all defied expectations for where they were picked. And those who didn’t — Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith — were traded for White and Brogdon. All are key players. So Danny gets belated props for those picks.

MVP Chants: The fan support for Tatum is nice. April or May maybe. But sorry, doing it in November is yahoo city.

I know. I’m no fun.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

Empathy on stage

Theater group brings performances to kids

Plymouth State University’s TIGER (Theatre Integrating Guidance, Education and Responsibility) theater company celebrates 20 years of bringing social-emotional educational performances to K-through-8 schools across the state. Artistic director Trish Lindberg leads the troupe, which consists of graduate students and professional actors.

What has TIGER been up to recently?

During Covid, most schools weren’t allowing any assembly programs, so we created an online series called Tiger Time, just to keep some content going to the schools during a difficult time. … We started touring again last year. The schools really missed us and were so excited to have us back. We’ve had a lot of bookings. I think, with the pandemic, people realized so much more the value of live theater. That face-to-face connection where an actor is looking right at the eyes of a child is very powerful. … Oh! And we won an Emmy!

Who are the actors?

They are all professional actors. Emily Shafritz is a performer and graduate of the University of New Hampshire from Vermont, Matthew Murray is an actor and theater major from Maryland, Olivia Etchings is a singer and graduate of Manhattanville College from New Hampshire, Kellen Schult is an actor and graduate of Southern Connecticut State University from New York, and K. Bernice is an actor and music director from New Jersey. The TIGER performers are a dedicated breed that care about children and care about helping them overcome difficult social issues that they face. They are the heart of TIGER and deserve all the credit.

What performances are you doing this season?

We’re doing a very exciting collaboration with an international organization called the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement. It was founded by Scarlett Lewis, mother of Jesse Lewis, a child who was killed at the mass shooting at Sandy Hook in Connecticut 10 years ago. … The themes in that show are the themes of Choose Love, which are Courage, Gratitude, Forgiveness and Compassion in Action. I also wrote another show that’s sort of a compilation of a lot of TIGER material that’s been developed over the years. … The themes are what TIGER stands for: Team up together, Inspire greatness, Give of yourself, Empathy and compassion, Respect yourself and others. …I took some of our many songs and put them together with a few new pieces of music. We’re touring those two shows all over New England now. In addition to the two performances, we’ve also offered workshops for children and teachers.

How did you end up collaborating with Choose Love?

I met Scarlett … after she was doing an event at Plymouth State. We started talking about TIGER’s message and how it’s very similar to the message of Choose Love. They were doing a statewide tour … and invited TIGER to be part of that tour … and perform as part of those events. We really clicked as a group. Then, I asked Scarlett, ‘Would you be open to me creating an original musical based on the tenets of Choose Love?’ … She said, ‘That sounds wonderful.’

How does it feel to be celebrating 20 years of TIGER?

This project has impacted the lives of over a half million children in the 20 years we’ve been around. I thank the schools — the school counselors, the educators and teachers and administrators — that believe in the magic of TIGER and hire us year after year to bring TIGER to their schools.

TIGER still has a limited number of bookings available for schools for spring 2023. Schools interested in having TIGER perform can contact tour manager Pamela Irish at 535-2647 or [email protected].

Featured photo: TIGER 2022-2023 cast members (from left) Emily Shafritz, Matthew Murray, Olivia Etchings, Kellen Schult and K. Bernice. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 23/01/19

New curator

The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester welcomes a new chief curator and curator of contemporary art, Lorenzo Fusi. According to a press release, Fusi has curated more than 100 exhibitions and commissioned nearly 200 works all over the world, including the Yerevan Biennial in Armenia, the Liverpool Biennial and Open Eye Gallery in the U.K., the Fondation Prince Pierre in Monaco, Griffin Art Projects and the Illingworth Kerr Gallery in Canada and the Palazzo delle Papesse Contemporary Art Centre in Italy. “I am honored to join the Currier Museum of Art,” Fusi said in the release. “The museum has strong artist and community programs and I hope that my enduring interest in art in the public sphere will deepen and expand these initiatives.” Fusi’s position will entail leading contemporary commissions and the museum’s residency program; promoting collaboration and innovation in the museum’s presentation and interpretation of art; and developing local and international partnerships.

Help for seniors

United Way of Greater Nashua is collecting donations for its Shoebox Project for Seniors now through the end of the month. According to a press release, the nonprofit plans to assemble 500 kits to distribute to low-income homebound seniors who are served by Gateways Community Services, Meals on Wheels and The Caregivers. Accepted items include exercise bands, puzzle books, healthy recipes books, note and greeting cards, stamps, magnifying

glasses, pocket calendars, small stuffed animals, colored pencils, adult coloring books, combs and brushes, dental floss, facial tissue; hot chocolate, tea and coffee bags; and travel size shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap and hand cream. Donations can be dropped off at United Way (20 Broad St., Nashua) on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., no later than Feb. 1. Visit unitedwaynashua.org.

Drug warning

Gov. Chris Sununu, with New Hampshire State Police Colonel Nathan Noyes and stakeholders, announced a new public awareness campaign, “No Safe Experience,” at a press conference on Jan. 12. According to a press release, the campaign, which is being overseen by the New Hampshire Department of Safety, was created to inform people that consuming drugs that have not been prescribed to them by a medical provider is not safe under any circumstance. “There is no safe experience with substances, unless they are prescribed by a provider, and taken only as directed by the person they are prescribed to,” Sununu said in the release. “Our campaign will be laser focused on this critical message to help save lives.” The campaign will launch within the next couple of months and run through the fall. It will include video and public service announcements, an active media campaign with personal stories and data, social media campaigns, an informational website, billboards and highly visible signage and posters and materials that will be distributed across the state and made available to schools.

Help in winter

Granite United Way, in collaboration with other nonprofits and community partners, has launched the Manchester Winter Relief Fund, an effort to provide services and shelter to unhoused individuals in Manchester during the winter months. “Given that shelter beds across the state are near or at capacity, we are tremendously grateful for the collaboration between the City, our nonprofit and faith-based partners, as well as the community, to implement additional emergency shelters in Manchester this winter,” Mayor Joyce Craig said in a press release. “This fund will directly support ongoing short- and long-term efforts to meet critical needs in our community.” To donate to the fund, visit graniteuw.org or text WINTERMHT to 41444.

Outstanding women

Nominations are open now for New Hampshire Business Review’s Outstanding Women in Business Awards. According to a press release, nominees should be women from New Hampshire’s business community in any profession who have a strong sense of self and success-driven work ethic and accomplishments to show for it. Visit nhbr.com/events-awards/outstanding-women-in-business to nominate a colleague, family member, client or friend and share how they are a leader in their field through their commitment, vision and talents. Nominations close on Feb 3.

The Concord School Board has voted unanimously to raise the graduation credit requirement for Concord High School students, the Concord Monitor reported. The new requirement will be implemented over the next two school years, raised from the current state minimum of 20 credits to 22.5 credits for the class of 2027 and to 24 credits starting with the class of 2028. Only about 5 percent of Concord High School students graduate with the minimum of 20 credits; the majority of students graduate with between 24 and 27 credits, according to the article.

The Children’s Scholarship Fund New Hampshire branch will host a school fair at The DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St., Manchester) on Saturday, Jan. 21, from 11 a.m to 2 p.m., as part of National School Choice Week. According to a press release, more than 50 K-12 public and private schools and home-school and online school representatives will be there to talk with families about New Hampshire schooling options and scholarship opportunities. Visit scholarshipfund.org or call 289-4999 for more information.

The Addition Recovery Coalition of New Hampshire in Milford (180 Elm St.) will host a human trafficking info session on Friday, Jan. 27, at 6 p.m. According to a press release, presenter Jasmine Grace Marino, a survivor of human trafficking and author of The Diary of Jasmine Grace. Trafficked. Recovered. Redeemed, will share her story and discuss how to best support someone who may be affected by human trafficking. Visit arcnh.org or call 554-8142.

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