Tag: 240613

C’s up 2-0 on Mavs

The Big Story – NBA Finals: The Celtics held serve by taking Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals in Boston. While Game 1 was a 107-89 blowout, Game 2 was more impressive because they shot poorly (especially Jayson Tatum) and still won 105-98 by grinding it out, which is the kind of games in years past they would lose.

No surprise Jrue Holiday was the star with 26 points and, as important, holding Kyrie Irving to his second straight no-impact-scoring game at 16 points. But the real key was the team D, which made the amazing Luka Doncic work for all of his 62 combined points as Dallas was held under 100 twice.

Now on to Dallas for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Friday.

Sports 101: With 59, Larry Bird is the Celtics’ all-time triple double leader. Round out the Top 5 by naming the players who had the following numbers of triple D’s: 33, 32, 21 and 17.

News Item – Here Come The Yankees: After splitting four with moribund Chicago over the weekend, the Red Sox start the week in third place at 33-33. But a big test arrives this week as they face the best two teams in baseball. It starts with three against Dave Dombrowski’s Phillies and then it’s the high-flying Yanks making their first visit to Fenway Park this weekend.

News Item – Tanner Houck: It was supposed to be Brayan Bello. But as we hit mid-June the Red Sox ace is Houck after becoming what many thought he might become a few years back. It included shutting out Washington over five innings as the Sox clinched a 2021 playoff berth on the final day of the season.

While it’s not quite reflected in his 6-5 record thanks to a shaky bullpen and lack of offensive punch, his 1.91 ERA and .200 batting average against are among the league leaders, with the latest impressive effort coming in Thursday’s 14- 2 win over the White Sox when he allowed two runs and struck out nine over seven innings.

News Item – Homers United: The Boston Globe ran a piece on predictions made by hometown media members who cover the Celtics and Mavs. To no one’s surprise, all but one guy from Dallas — Sean McFarland — picked the Mavs and it was the same for Boston where only one, naturally Dan Shaughnessy, didn’t have the locals winning. Celtics fans can take heart, as the track record on predictions by Shaughnessy says he’s almost always wrong, so the Celtics are probably a lock.

The Numbers:

12 – consecutive losses to his former team by Kyrie after his 12-point, 6 of 19, and 16-point submissions in Game 1 and 2.

17 – NBA Finals record for biggest lead after the first quarter set by the Celtics when they led in Game 1 37-20.

96 – he may be hitting just .215 as he’s finding his footing, but after the 4-5, 4-RBI day vs. Chicago last week, it’s the number of RBI Sox rookie CF/SS Ceddanne Rafaela is on track to knock in from the ninth spot in the order.

… Of the Week Awards

Thumbs Up – Celtics Warm-Up Shirts: Love those Celtics warm up shirts with WALTON written across the front in tie-dye colors to honor the late great Bill Walton.

Mexico Will Pay For The Wall Award – Dallas Mavs: The Mavs’ announcement that Doncic was questionable for Game 2 (when he had a 31-11-11 triple double) was less believable than the claim made in the 2016 presidential race.

A Little History – Down Goes Rambis: Yup, it was (gulp) 40 years ago last week when Kevin McHale horse collared bespectacled Laker Kurt Rambis in Game 4 of the 1984 NBA Finals to prevent a breakaway lay-up as the C’s were getting run out by L.A. for the second straight game. It radically changed the momentum after that as the Celtics improbably rallied to even the series at 2-2.

That play and Gerald Henderson’s steal and score in OT of Game 1 were the plays that saved the series the C’s eventually won in seven.

Sports 101 Answer: No. 2 on the C’s triple D list is Bob Cousy with 33, followed by John Havlicek (32), Rajon Rondo (21) and Bill Russell (17). If you’re wondering, Tatum and Jaylen Brown have just two and three respectively.

Final Thought – Thumbs Down – John Henry: It’s ironic the Red Sox owner whined to the Financial Times of London that fans are too unrealistic in thinking you can win it all every year, just as the GM he fired to send the Sox crashing to the basement shows up at Fenway with his Phillies. Who immediately became contenders after he arrived thanks to moves like signing Kyle Schwarber (93 homers in two years) after the Sox let him walk.

True, you can’t win every year. But Dombo shows big-market teams can contend almost every year if they have the will Henry once had.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

Master of contraptions

Inspiring future engineers with Zach Umperovitch

Zach Umperovitch is the national contest director at the Rube Goldberg Institute for Innovation & Creativity. A New Hampshire native, Zach is a three-time Guinness World Record holder, a national Rube Goldberg contest champion and an on-screen expert, judge and engineering producer for Contraption Masters on the Discovery Channel. He is also well-known for his work for Domino Masters, Google, Red Bull, Disney, ESPN and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. From Saturday, June 22, through Friday, June 28, you can find him at the fourth annual “Kickoff to Summer” with Zach’s Contraptions at the SEE Science Center in Manchester. Visit @ZachsContraptions on YouTube, @zachscontraptions on Instagram and rubegoldbergmachineexpert.com.

What is a Rube Goldberg machine?

A Rube Goldberg machine is a contraption or invention that takes a very simple task such as watering a plant or zipping a zipper and makes it incredibly complicated in a funny way using everyday objects.

How did you get interested in them?

I got involved with Rube Goldberg machines when I was 3 years old, before I even knew what they were. I was playing around with different parts around my house and my parents have a lovely photo of me building one up a staircase….

What was one of the first Rube Goldberg machines you ever invented?

One of the first ones I remember was, I wanted to knock something down the stairs, it was actually feeding a cat. It was a marble that went through my hamster’s tubing, which, fun fact, that hamster’s still missing. Then the marble slid out into a box, slid down the stairs, knocked over some dominoes and it knocked over a bowl of cat food and it just spilled all the cat food all over the place. But it effectively did feed our cat at the time.

Why do you think Rube Goldberg machines are so fascinating?

I think they’re really fascinating because there’s this child-like wonder and it’s bringing your imagination to life. I think all of us as kids, we played around with toys and sort of built these contraptions on our own. But seeing them in a bigger media space, and when I do them with things like shipping containers and yoga balls and giant fans and bicycles and seeing these crazy contraptions that we all built as kids in a larger setting, there’s such a sense of wonder and it brings us back. I’ve been to art galleries with very posh people and they look at these machines and they go, ‘Wow, this is amazing!’ And I built these machines for fishermen for the Seattle Boat Show and you’re thinking, big hearty fisherman guys, what are they going to think of a Rube Goldberg machine?, and they have the same response as some of the third-graders I teach. It really is just something that appeals to everyone’s childlike nature.

What will you be doing at the SEE Science Center?

I’m going to be building a life-size Rube Goldberg machine, roughly around 30 feet by 20 feet, so a really good size where I’m going to take exhibits, I’m going to take different items that are lying around the museum, I’m going to build a giant Rube Goldberg machine designed to help kick off summer. They always have their, it’s called the ‘Kickoff to Summer’ event, and quite literally, we’re going to kick off Summer with this machine. What does that mean? You actually have to go there to find out…. It’s going to be a liveexhibit, meaning that it’s going to be in one of the spaces that people can just visit through. Because they are anticipating larger crowds to come and see this, and only a select number of people can show up at a time to the museum … reservations aren’t necessary but recommended…. I’m going to have one of my smaller, portable Rube Goldberg machines … that’s going to be demonstrated. People will be able to play my Rube Golberg video game, Rube Works, there’s activities…. There may be TV monitors around that might be showing my show Contraption Masters or stuff from my YouTube Channel, Zach’s Contraptions.

With the television show and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, what was it like foraying into that realm?

It was a pretty incredible transition going from building these machines for collegiate events to actually going to the production scale. Sonic the Hedgehog was really nice because that was a 3D digital contraption, so a lot less mess, but really really cool in that millions of people have now seen that. My production company Zyyn Labs is the one behind OK Go [“This Too Shall Pass” music video] and we still get all the accolades from that. Working with Discovery and for my show Contraption Masters, it’s just such an incredible experience. I had the idea for 10 years and for it to be brought to life, the whole cast and crew just being so supportive and so behind the idea of it…. It’s so wonderful to have such passionate people and it’s only continued even from the competitions through the production side of things, people just really put their heart and soul into these things.

Can you talk about your book coming out on Nov. 12, 2024, with Rube Goldberg’s granddaughter called ‘Rube Goldberg’s Big Book of Building: Make 25 Machines That Really Work!’?

This book is going to be the guide to students building their own Rube Goldberg machines. It’s a wonderful manual that includes the basics behind Rube Goldberg but also how students, parents, home-school students, whoever, they’re able to take everyday objects that are already lying around and be able to build these contraptions using nothing more than scissors, string and duct tape. There’s 25 contraptions that I’ve personally built and we give step-by-step instructions, very much in a Lego style with these beautifully illustrated pictures. It’s such a wonderful book that we’re trying to get into every STEM classroom because it really is going to be such a helpful manual for students to begin thinking outside the box and begin their journey building Rube Goldberg machines.

What would you say to someone who’s interested in Rube Goldberg machines or building in general?

For anyone interested in building, inventing, possibly even the world of Rube Goldberg, it’s all about learning how to fail and learning from those failures. I might sound successful but in reality if 10 to 15 percent of what I make actually works, I’m thrilled, truly…. It’s understanding that there’s a lot of trial and error and you have to have the patience to persevere. If you do have that patience, the doors just open for you. It’s an incredible field to be in, but understanding how to fail and how to learn from failure is critical to success.

Kickoff to Summer with Zach’s Contraptions
Where: SEE Science Center, 200 Bedford St., Manchester
When: Saturday, June 22, through Friday, June 28
Info: see-sciencecenter.org, 669-0400

—Zachary Lewis

Featured image: Zach Umperovitch. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 24/06/13

White pine needles

According to a recent press release, the New Hampshire Forest Health Bureau said that due to the amount of rain that occurred during late spring and summer last year, white pine trees in New Hampshire have been dropping needles, which is part of a larger trend over the past 15 years where pine forests across the Northeast have been affected by several fungi that attack pine needles, causing them to discolor and to drop from the trees prematurely in what is referred to as “needlecast disease.”

The recurring disease currently affecting white pines has been named “white pine needle disease” by pathologists, according to the same release.

In a statement, Kyle Lombard, administrator of the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands’ Forest Health Bureau, said that “the fungi that cause white pine needle disease depend on above-normal precipitation during the spring and summer of the previous year, and we certainly had that in 2023, which is why WPND seems epic this year.”

Fortunately, WPND is highly unlikely to kill white pines and is only a minor setback in the trees’ annual growth cycle, usually affecting only the most recent year’s needles, according to the same release.

Lombard also stated that “folks shouldn’t panic if they see white pines with orange or brown needles, or even if there are so many needles dropped that you can rake them up. Once the affected needles have cast off, new needles will start growing in their place, fully elongate in July and the trees will be green again in August.”

For more information about white pine needle damage, visit nhbugs.org or learn more about New Hampshire Forests at nhdfl.dncr.nh.gov.

Bridge for sale

According to a recent press release, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) is currently accepting proposals for the purchase, relocation and preservation of the historic Smith’s Crossing Bridge (No. 240/104) that continues Jackson Pond Road over the state-owned Concord-to-Lincoln railroad in the town of New Hampton.

According to the release, in order to be considered, a proposal needs to be submitted electronically to [email protected] and the subject line of the email must read: “PROPOSAL FOR THE ADAPTIVE REUSE OF THE SMITH’S CROSSING BRIDGE.” The submission deadline is Tuesday, Aug. 6, at noon.

The Smith’s Crossing Bridge was constructed in 1934 and is a timber bridge, with no major rehabilitations. Jackson Pond Road is currently an unmaintained Class VI town road that is overgrown, deteriorated and not used for vehicular traffic, according to the same release.

The Request for Proposals and details are available on the Department’s Disposition of Historic Bridges (Bridge Sales) webpage at dot.nh.gov/historic-bridge-dispositions-bridges-sale, according to the release.

Other questions or requests for additional information should be addressed to Mr. Kevin Nyhan, Administrator, Bureau of Environment at [email protected], and requests for additional information must be received by 3 p.m. on Friday, July 5.

Citizen science in action

According to to a press release from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, the New Hampshire Silver Jackets, a state-federal interagency flood risk management team, which includes the NHDES, recently collaborated with the Town of Pelham to install a CrowdHydrology staff gauge below the Willow Street Bridge on Beaver Brook that will enhance local flood forecasting and response capabilities while presenting an opportunity for community engagement in citizen science.

According to the release, the staff gauge is conveniently located in the landing area below the bridge where volunteers can participate by simply reading the water level on the gauge and texting the station number, along with the reading, to the phone number provided on site.

Submissions are incorporated into a long-term database hosted on crowdhydrology.com that is accessible free of charge to schools, resource management agencies, watershed organizations and anyone interested in utilizing hydrologic data, according to the release.

CrowdHydrology originated in the Northeast in 2010 and has expanded across North America to address data gaps in streams, rivers or lakes that may lack resources for more advanced measurement tools. This marks the second installation of a CrowdHydrology stream gauge in New Hampshire, according to the release.

In a statement, Brian Hauschild, Geoscience Program Specialist with the New Hampshire Geological Survey at NHDES and member of the New Hampshire Silver Jackets, said that “the installation of the stream gauge in Pelham continues to offer opportunities for public contribution to scientific data collection. These efforts are invaluable for providing real-time data that informs flood trends and ultimately enhances public safety.”

According to the release, water level measurements at the new site have been recorded weekly since the gauge was installed and community members are encouraged to visit the site at the Willow Street Bridge in Pelham. Contact Brian Hauschild (NHDES) at [email protected] or 271-7332, or Dena Hoffman (Town of Pelham) at [email protected] or 508-3000, ext. 3101.

On Thursday, June 13, Family Promise of Greater Concord holds its second annual summer jazz concert featuring Tall Granite Big Band at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Concord (79 Clinton St.) from 7 to 9 p.m. Family Promise works to end family homelessness. Tickets are $30 or two for $50 at familypromisegcnh.org.

The nonprofit Corey’s Closet thrift store has moved into its new, larger location at 1271 Hooksett Road in Hooksett (in the Kmart plaza) as of Thursday, June 6. “The mission of Corey’s Closet is to create meaningful work experiences for those with developmental disabilities,” according to the shop’s website (coreyscloset.org), which says the shop sells donated clothing, books and home furnishings.

The Manchester City Library (405 Pine St., 624-6550) hosts a talk on the history and current events of the Middle East on Tuesday, June 18, at 6 p.m. in the auditorium and on Zoom, according to their website. The talk is presented by Brandon Gauthier, Adjunct Professor of History for Fordham University and the Director of Global Education at The Derryfield School, who will examine the history of U.S.-Iranian relations since the 1950s and the effects of the Israeli-Hamas conflict on the Middle East in the present. A Q&A session will follow. Visit manchesterlibrary.org.

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