Tag: 230309

The week that was

The Big Story: I awoke from my annual hockey hibernation last week and was shocked to see that the Bruins were an incredible 40 games over .500. And that at 48-8-6 they broke the all-time mark for reaching 100 points in the regular season faster than any team in history. I don’t totally live in a dark cave, and I’ve heard rumblings all year about them being in first place with the best record in the NHL. But I never bothered to look at the standings because I generally don’t watch or even care about hockey until it’s transformed from a boring (for me) game to the one where you’re constantly on the edge of your seat when the Stanley Cup playoffs arrive.

I also now know why the Boston Globe’s Prince of Darkness Dan Shaughnessy recently wrote about what happened to the supposedly unbeatable 1970-71 Bruins during the days when I did follow the NHL closely. I thought it was his mandatory once-a-year hockey column. Instead, it was a cautionary tale to the current rampaging group, as those earlier rampaging Bs shockingly got run out of the playoffs by the Montreal Canadiens behind a rookie goalie with all of six games of NHL experience. Which came after Ken Dryden joined them directly from Cornell after concluding his senior season. Dryden and company are also relevant for setting the all-time single-season record of 132 points in 1976-77, a record these Bruins are after as well. That got my attention because that Montreal team was in the middle of winning four straight Cups and was great.

So like a bear in the woods after taking care of business following his winter-long snooze I’m all in on the Bs going forward.

Sports 101: Name the six coaches who’ve taken two different franchises to the Super Bowl.

Thumbs Up: To early spring news that exhibition baseball games are being played 36 minutes faster on average than games last spring due to new rules that include a 15-second pitch clock (20 with men on base) to make pitchers come to the plate quicker.

Thumbs Down: To the alarming way the Celtics often play down to the competition, which hit a new low on Friday when they blew a 28-point second-quarter lead before losing 115-105 to the 2-8-since-the-Durant-trade Nets.

Stat Sheet: Love the waxing poetically in a Feb. 27 story on ESPN.com on the “historic surge of 50-point performances.” While there have been some great performances like Damian Lillard’s 71-point game last week it’s no mystery why: the 3-point shot. Those of us who saw Pete Maravich play know that with 13 threes Lillard’s 71 would have been 58 back in the day. Not trying to knock their talent, just to give context to how it historically stacks up with guys from the past.

Homerism vs. Reality Note of the Week: A friend of mine took me to task last week when I said Patrick Mahomes was going to break every one of Tom Brady’s passing records. He then went into yahoo homer mode and said, “He won’t, because he’ll never play as long as Brady did.” I said, if he stays on his current pace he won’t have to.

Injuries are impossible to predict, but after PM’s first six seasons he has 192 TD passes and 24,211 passing yards to Brady’s l23 and 18,028. Which means if the current pace is maintained Mahomes will beat Brady’s 642 TD when he’s 37 and his 89,214 passing yards at 39.

I Disagree: with Shaughnessy applying his gift for seeing the negative side of the story in a recent column urging Jayson Tatum to focus more on basketball. Hee criticized Tatum for missing a game to go to St. Louis for his son’s birthday party. Now I’m as tough on Tatum and the practice of “load management” as anyone. But I’m fine with a young dad using his load management game to fly 1,000 miles to be at his young son’s birthday party.

And Another Thing: Speaking of load management, I wonder if personal perceptions color my opinion. I mean managers give healthy players days off in baseball all the time and no one says a word about that. In fact Cal Ripken Jr. took heat from some quarters for not missing games to rest on the belief it hurt the team when a worn down Cal kept playing. Lou Gehrig got a little of that too while compiling his 2,130-game streak.

The difference is that basketball stars have a more inordinate impact on each game than individual stars do in baseball. But I suspect I hate the concept of load management because it’s another example of the wussification of the pitch-count, five-inning-starters world of sports today.

In other words, get off my lawn.

In Case You Missed It: The Patriots announced last week they’ll cut back-up QB Brian Hoyer.

Random Thoughts: Got to say in my first time hearing him I liked JJ Redick doing color for the Celtics-Nets game on ESPN. Not a lot of extra yacking, and no restating the obvious on replays. Just understated insight.

I ain’t buying Grant Williams getting a DNP vs. Cleveland last Wednesday. I think something is going on beyond Joe Mazzulla’s match-up blather. If it’s a message to stop yacking after every call, bravo. If it is match-ups nonsense, it makes no sense because regardless of size he’s better offensively or defensively than the guys behind him.

Sports 101 Answer: The six coaches to bring two different franchises to the Super Bowl are Don Shula (Baltimore Colts, Dolphins), Bill Parcells (G-Men, Pats), Dan Reeves (Broncos, Falcons), Dick Vermeil (Eagles, Rams), Mike Holmgren (Packers, Seahawks) and Andy Reid (Eagles, Chiefs).

Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.

History going forward

Canterbury Shaker Village has a new education manager

Canterbury Shaker Village’s new education manager, Kyle Sandler, talked about his vision for educational programs at the Village and what visitors can look forward to when the Village reopens for the season on Saturday, May 13.

What led you to Canterbury Shaker Village?

I studied American history at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. Then I attended graduate school at Dartmouth College. I did my Master of Arts and Liberal Studies and basically specialized in colonial American history and religion. While I was doing my degree there, I started volunteering at Enfield Shaker Museum as a historic preservation volunteer. Things kind of evolved, and I started doing tours while I was finishing up my master’s degree. Then they had an opening for their education coordinator position, and the board recommended me for that position. I was at Enfield Shaker Museum for eight years, getting well-versed in all things Shaker and Shaker history. I did a variety of workshops and classes, and I was in charge of an annual Shaker forum. I also taught an online class for a couple of years that kind of came out of Covid called Shakers 101. I came from Enfield Shaker Museum to Canterbury Shaker Village last October.

What does your job as education manager entail?

First and foremost, it’s to manage interpretation of the Village. I oversee our team of tour guides, and I’m responsible for maintaining and building new interpretive plans and tours that will be offered to the public. I work with our curator of collections and collections manager on a pretty regular basis … on developing new exhibits for the Village for this season and seasons to come. Other aspects of my job are setting up various educational programming, like workshops and classes … and I oversee some of the volunteer activities.

What new experiences are you working to create at the Village?

We’re going to be launching our new smartphone tour app. Basically it’s an outdoor grounds tour of the different buildings. Visitors will access the app on their smartphone, which will bring up information on the buildings and historic images. Eventually it’ll have video and audio content as well. It’s a self-guided way for people to immerse themselves in the Village and provides another option for people who don’t want to do the traditional guided tours that we offer.

What else is planned for the Village’s upcoming season?

Our first exhibit of the year is going to be Canterbury-made Shaker furniture from the collection, most of which is going to date from the late 18th to the mid-19th century, with a couple of later pieces. That’s a starting point for what we’re going to be doing over the next couple of years, which is really a deep dive into the collections here. We have — and this is a really rough estimate — about 100,000 items in the collection. Between 40,000 and 50,000 of those are three-dimensional objects that range from the late 18th century into the early 1990s, when the last Shaker sister, Ethel Hudson, passed away. The collections here are in need of a fresh look, and we’re going to do an updated inventory project. Hopefully, in the coming years, we’re going to start the project of digitizing the collection and making it more widely available. We have storerooms full of these wonderful items — some that haven’t been displayed in decades and some that have never been displayed to the public, because of space limitations.

What do you enjoy about studying and sharing Shaker history?

I’ve spent the last almost 10 years now studying Shaker furniture. That’s been [the focus of] my personal research and my passion — studying and understanding what’s happening, how Shaker furniture varies from throughout the Shaker world. The other thing I’m very interested in is Shaker leadership and internal community politics. The Shaker villages had hundreds of people, so there was a lot of interpersonal dynamics. That’s something I’m really fascinated about, understanding what it was like to be a Shaker here and the challenges of this kind of communal experience.

Featured photo: Kyle Sandler. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 23/03/09

Clean water funds

U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, alongside Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas, welcomed $23,186,000 to support clean water infrastructure upgrades in New Hampshire. According to a press release, the funds are allocated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and distributed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the State’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). The upgrades will be made to essential water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure that protects public health and treasured water bodies. $2.1 million has been designated to address contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, a class of industrial chemicals used in Teflon, GoreTex, carpeting, food wrappers, firefighting foam and other products, which take decades to break down and can build up in the body. “Everyone deserves access to clean water,” Sen. Shaheen said in the release. “Investing in modern water infrastructure is essential for preventing pollution and driving economic development in our communities.”

Community Impact awards

Dartmouth Health is accepting nominations now through March 21 for its first annual Community Impact Social Justice Awards. According to a press release, the awards were created by Dartmouth Health’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Employee Resource Group to recognize individuals who have demonstrated active engagement in social justice action, empowering marginalized communities and promoting human rights to facilitate ongoing inclusive change. Awards will be given in three categories: to a community member, a youth community member under age 24 and a Dartmouth Health employee. Visit dartmouth-health.org/news/honoring-those-working-toward-deib to access a nomination form. The awards ceremony will take place at the New Hampshire Audubon Society (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord) on Saturday, April 29, at 6 p.m. Search “Community Impact Social Justice Awards” on Eventbrite for tickets to the event.

Student scientists

Students in grades 5 through 8 are invited to compete in the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge, presented by 3M and Discovery Education. According to a press release, the nationwide competition gives student innovators an opportunity to compete for a variety of prizes, such as an exclusive mentorship with a 3M scientist, a $25,000 grand prize and a chance to earn the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.” To enter, students should submit a one- to two-minute video explaining an original idea using science to help solve an everyday problem. “This is such a fun and unique way for students to showcase their scientific minds and explore how they can truly make a difference in the world — even at such a young age,” New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said in the release. The submission deadline is April 27. Visit YoungScientistLab.com.

Student inventors

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has issued a proclamation declaring March 18 “New Hampshire Kid Inventor Day.” According to a press release, the first annual celebration coincides with the K-12 Invention Convention Regional Finals at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. The competition recognizes the innovation and achievement of talented young inventors and showcases the ingenious ideas developed this year. “New Hampshire is full of talented and bright young learners, and this honor gives students a perfect opportunity to celebrate their inventive spirit,” Tina White, Director for the Young Inventors’ Program and the Northern New England Regional Invention Convention, said in the release. “We hope that with each annual celebration of New Hampshire Kid Inventor Day, we’ll have more and more students throughout the state experiencing the benefits of Invention Education.”

State Archivist

New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan announced the appointment of Ashley Miller as New Hampshire’s new State Archivist. According to a press release, Miller’s appointment was approved at the Governor and Executive Council meeting on Feb. 8, and she was officially sworn in on Feb. 22 at the Secretary of State’s Office. Miller, a resident of Concord, was previously the Archivist, Reference and Outreach Coordinator for the Concord Public Library. She holds master’s degrees in Archives Management and History from Simmons College and a bachelor’s degree in History from Pennsylvania State University. “Ms. Miller will bring a great deal of knowledge and enthusiasm to the position, especially in digital archiving,” Secretary Scanlan said in the release. “Articulate and engaging, she is well equipped to manage the Archives Division and move it forward with the use of technology.”

Intown Concord, the nonprofit community organization that hosts the annual Market Days street festival in downtown Concord in June, has received a $5,100 Arts for Community Engagement (ACE) project grant. According to a press release, the grant, awarded by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, will support local artists who perform at the festival. “This grant will help us compensate local musicians who have been performing for free at Market Days for over a decade,” Jessica Martin, Executive Director of Intown Concord, said in the release.

The Atkinson Historical Society will grant a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating Atkinson high school senior who has been involved in their community through volunteering, civics, local government, scouting and other activities, according to a press release. Eligible students can be graduating from any accredited high school but must be a resident of Atkinson during their senior year. Applications are available at atkinsonhistoricalsociety.org. Email atkinson.nh.history@gmail.com.

Hollis Social Library presents a live performance by musician Jeff Snow at the Lawrence Barn in Hollis (28 Depot Road) on Sunday, March 12, from 2 to 4 p.m. According to a press release, Jeff Snow plays six- and 12-string guitar, autoharp and Celtic bouzouki and bodhran, combining Irish and Scottish music, stories and history in his performances. Registration is required. Visit hollislibrary.org.

As we progress

A few months ago my husband and I were in Illinois visiting my 82-year-old mother. We pulled into a burger joint for lunch and went inside to eat. This was a favorite spot of my mother’s, and we had always enjoyed it as well. Once inside, I noticed a panicked look on her face when she realized there were no longer any waitstaff, and we were required to use a kiosk to place our order and pay. I assured my mom this was not a problem, and we could do it, which we did. However, my mom noted she wouldn’t be able to come here any longer because she would never be able to order on her own. She seemed resigned to it even though I tried to encourage her to give it a try.

Fast-forward to a conversation I had recently with our 18-year-old son regarding ChatGPT (an AI-powered chatbot) and the utilization of that in various areas. We had a very spirited debate on how it should be used in education, research and communication. We marveled that ChatGPT was able to pass a law school exam, the medical licensing exam and the Wharton MBA exam. My son commented that at some point AI will replace humans in almost everything. I disagreed, but as many of you know, you never win an argument with an 18-year-old.

Ironically, during this debate, we happened to be dining at a restaurant using a tableside tablet to play trivia games and used that to pay. This prompted me to tell our son about the experience with his grandmother. I commented that there is a segment of the population that is getting left behind with the pace of technological advancement. For these folks, the things that we take for granted (ordering from Amazon with one click, online shopping, Apple Pay, online bill paying, etc.) are not only a struggle, but many times simply impossible.

Change is difficult, and we all have different capacities for it. It seems as though we should be addressing this skills/learning gap in our society to encourage engagement and participation versus isolation and withdrawal. In the meantime, be kind and be patient. Lend a helping hand when someone is struggling ahead of you in line. Help to restore faith in mankind.

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