Tag: 240801

Quality of Life 24/08/01

Shopping for sparrows?

As reported in an online story by WMUR Saturday, July 27, a police officer rescued a hawk after it flew into the Hudson Market Basket at 212 Lowell Road last Friday. “Hudson police officer Matthew Horton happened to be inside the store and the manager came up to tell him that a hawk had followed a customer inside,” WMUR reported. After attempting to call local animal control, Horton, wearing a pair of mechanic gloves, was able to capture the hawk. The Hudson Police Department confirmed in a telephone interview that Officer Horton turned the juvenile broad winged hawk over to the Millstone Wildlife Center in Windham. “We are a mammal facility,” said Frannie Greenberg, a representative of the Center, “but we were happy to hold the hawk temporarily.” The Millstone Center quickly turned the hawk over to a bird specialist, and confirmed that it has been released back into the wild.

QOL score: +1

Comment: Raw video footage of Officer Horton capturing the hawk is available on WMUR’s website.

Outstanding teachers

The New Hampshire Department of Education announced in a press release on Tuesday, July 23, that the selection committee for New Hampshire’s Teacher of the Year has announced the four finalists for the state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. The teachers are Chelsea Barrett Viera, who teaches grades 2-5 in a self-contained autism classroom at Highland-Goffe’s Falls Elementary School in Manchester; Kristen Dacey, a first-grade teacher at Dr. Lewis F. Soule School in Salem, Candice DeAngelis, a Spanish teacher at Bedford High School, and Brian Gray, who has been a Business Technology and Social Studies teacher at Sanborn Regional High School. “These four teachers are leaders in the field of education, with each of them understanding the need for school improvement, student engagement, bold visions and collective experience,” said Christine Brennan, deputy commissioner and member of the Teacher of the Year Selection Committee. Visit education.nh.gov/news-and-media.

QOL score: +1

Comment: The Teacher of the Year Selection Committee will now schedule visits to observe each of the finalists in their classroom environment. An award winner will be announced in October.

More ways to fly in and out of Manchester

In a recent press release, JetBlue announced that as part of a strategy to add 20 percent more seats to its service to New England, it will “launch service for the first time from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) in Manchester,” adding, “JetBlue flights from Manchester are set to launch in January with service to Florida, including year-round daily flights to Orlando, and winter seasonal service to Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers.” In addition, Avelo Airlines (aveloair.com) announced in a July 24 press release that it will add service to Manchester from Central Florida’s Lakeland International Airport (LAL) on Oct. 25, and twice-weekly service to Charlotte, North Carolina’s Concord-Padgett Regional Airport (KJQF) on Nov. 7.

QOL score: +1

Comment: According to the Airport’s website (flymanchester.com), eight airlines fly in and out of Manchester, with service to more than 250 cities.

Last week’s QOL score: 73

Net change: +3

QOL this week: 76

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at [email protected].

Games go off in Paris

The Big Story – Olympics Underway: It started with a weird opening ceremony and the sabotaging of the transportation system around Paris, but the Summer Olympics did begin over the weekend. Americans like Simone Biles, the U.S. Women’s Soccer team and the Men’s Basketball team all jumped out of the gate with impressive opening wins that suggest promise for the overall medal count.Time will tell on that as it all will continue unabated over the next two weeks — enjoy.

Sports 101: Name the gold medal winner in the 1964 Olympics who went on to become an NFL Hall of Famer.

News Item – Alex Cora Signed for Three Years: There actually was some sign of life in the Red Sox owners booth this week. John Henry, against all odds, spent serious money to retain his manager in the midst of the spectacular job Cora has been doing this year. Henry gave Cora a $21.7 million deal over the next three years.

News Item – Sox Stars on the Way: FiveRed Sox minor-leaguers were included in Athletic magazine’s recent listing of the Top 60 prospects in baseball. Included were shortstop Marcelo Mayer as the second best overall prospect in the entire minor leagues. He was followed by catcher Kyle Teel (19) and slugger Roman Anthony (21) at AA Portland. Next came just-selected 2024 first-round pick Brandon Montgomery (38), and second baseman/outfielder Kristian Campbell (47) rounds out the list.

News Item – Pathetic New Baseball Standards: Giants hurler Blake Snell collected an astonishing 15 strikeouts while getting just 18 outs on Saturday vs. Colorado. However, I don’t know whether to congratulate him for the dominating effort, or vomit over his lack of competitive fire and his willingness to retire with the game and all-time records on the line. It’s the latest surrender from the ultimate gamer warrior of his time, who in recent years has been fine with his manager while being yanked with two perfect games in progress and in a World Series-deciding game after seven innings. Oh, and he got no decision in SF’s 4-1 win over the Rockies on Saturday.

The Numbers:

0 – shocking number of minutes Jayson Tatum played while getting a DNP-CD in the U.S. Olympic Basketball team’s 100-84 opening game win over Serbia.

7 – losses in their last 10 games for the Sox after losing two of three to the Yanks over the weekend.

55 – million dollars per year over the next four years the Packers will pay QB Jordan Love with the largest contract in NFL history after he delivered just one promising season in his four-year career.

… Of the Week Awards

Bad Injury of the Week – Christian Barmore: It was news the big fella coming off his best season will be out indefinitely after blood clots were detected in his leg.

Thumbs Up – James Paxton: Good pick-up by the Red Sox after he was designated for assignment by the Dodgers only because three of their starters returned from the injured list and someone had to go.

A Little History – Trade Deadline Bonanza: The shocking trade deadline deal that was originally met with “what the heck is Theo doing?” but instead turned the season around happened 20 years ago this week. It was when GM Theo Epstein traded beloved star Nomar Garciaparra to improve the defense by getting back Orlando Cabrera and Doug Meintkiewicz along with Dave Roberts in a separate deal. It eventually led to the Red Sox beating the Yankees with the greatest playoff comeback in history and sweeping the Cardinals in the World Series to win it all for the first time since 1918.

Random Thoughts:

How ironic will it be if Paxton pitches great to where the Sox miss the playoffs by one game and that one loss can be traced to Paxton beating them in his last game with L.A.?

Steve Kerr’s DNP of Tatum vs. Serbia was stupid. There’s no match-up on Earth that Tatum can’t face. Dumb.

Sports 101 Answer: Bullet Bob Hayes won gold with a world-record time in the 100-meter dash in Tokyo, then joined the Cowboys in 1965 as they were emerging as a perennial NFL power, which Hayes, as the fastest man in pro football, was a key part of by averaging 20.0 yards per catch, including 26.1 in 1970, and scoring 71 TDs in his Hall of Fame career.

Final Thought – Thumbs Down – City Edition Uniforms: If I don’t vomit over Snell, it’s because I waited to do it over seeing the Red Sox wearing their yellow and blue softball uniforms while playing the YANKEES on Saturday. If that’s not disrespectful of the tradition of the great rivalry nothing is.

So here’s my sports hate list for letting it happen: (1) Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, (2) Red Sox ownership, (3)Fox for putting them on TV wearing that crap, and most of all (4) Nike, who came up with the stupid idea and sold it to MLB.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

Meet the Craftsmen

The League of NH Craftsmen holds its nine-day fair

The 91st Annual Craftsmen’s Fair is put on by The League of NH Craftsmen. The nine-day fair runs from Saturday, Aug. 3, to Sunday, Aug. 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, rain or shine, at the Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury. Kids 16 and under are free. Miriam Carter, Executive Director of The League of NH Craftsmen, gives a sample of what attendees can expect at this celebration of all things craft. Visit nhcrafts.org/annual-craftsmens-fair for a full list of booths, vendors, activities, demonstrations, food and more.

How did the Fair get started?

We’re in our 91st year and the Fair got started as an aspect of the League coming together which is 92 years old and it was a way to advance craft and support the makers of craft. It goes back to our roots, to 1932 when we were established. Governor Winant helped establish the League by recognizing that after the Depression there were people in the state that had wonderful abilities to make craft and artisan products. A way to have them benefit from the sale of those items was key to creating the League of NH Craftsmen. The first Fairs actually happened in little towns throughout New Hampshire. Then, in 1964, the Fair came to the state park here at Mount Sunapee Resort and it has been there for the last 60 years … we’re celebrating that as well this year…. We’re the oldest outdoor craft fair in the country.

Can you give a brief overview of one of the demonstrations at the Fair?

The Fair is an opportunity to come and see how craft is made and we do that through a variety of demonstrations that are both hands-on for the guests that come to see us, and guests of all ages can participate, as well as the ability to observe how someone is making their work. So we have Jeffrey Gale who’s going to be here demonstrating how baskets are made. He’ll literally be working with the raw wood to create strips that then get put into a basket. There’s a Pottery Tent where people can jump in, of all ages, and learn how to sit at a wheel and turn a clay object or build something by hand.

How many different artists and or vendors are going to be there over the course of the Fair?

We have over 300 juried members participating in this event. About 200 juried members are in booths selling their own work and that gives people the opportunity to meet the maker and to learn how their work is made. Then we have artisanal vendors who are selling food as well as all the demonstrators who actually, some of them will be selling their own work in their booths. We have two venues that are really special to this event which is the Art, Craft & Design Tent. It’s an opportunity for people to bring their best work forward to be considered for jurying. It’s kind of like a gallery in the middle of the basin of a mountain. It’s quite extraordinary and quite beautiful. Then we also shop at the Fair, it’s called the Shop at the Fair, and that’s a collaborative effort of people who aren’t in booths who want to be a part of the fair so they have this space where they can sell their work here at the fair but not have to be at a nine-day booth…. There’s also a Sculpture Garden. That’s a specific area for people who have garden art that they like to bring to Fair to sell. Their work is displayed there.

What are the fine art exhibitions?

Years ago, the league actually had Fine Art as part of our categories of the organization. The New Hampshire Art Association actually is a spin-off of the League of NH Craftsmen. So we used to be the League of New Hampshire Arts and Crafts and then we just went to ‘Crafts’ so they are here as well. We invite them to come and bring their members and they have a tent. We, over the years, have done … new things. One is that we invite guests who are not members of the League’s jury system to participate and there are two categories. One is, invite a guest who crafts in areas that we don’t represent, so we have about 34 exhibitors that are not juried members but invited guests and are craftsmen. Then we also have now invited guests who are Fine Artists who are bringing their beautiful paintings and drawings to be part of the event. The purpose of doing that is across the country there are a lot of fine art and craft shows that have this model because you’re attracting a wide range of people and their level of appreciation in both categories.

What is one sort of activity for kids at the Fair?

There’s an entire Kids Create! area, which we’re really proud about because we’re trying to create pathways to the next generation to understand the importance of craft and how you can have it in your life, whether it’s through just appreciation or through a career. So in the Kids Create! tent, kids of all ages can try all different formats of handmade craft…. You can do weaving, you can do print making, you can do clay building and basically a lot of free-form craft making. There’s going to be all sorts of materials and supplies and we will have people there to assist in the process.

What sorts of entertainment and food will be at the Fair?

We’re fortunate that we partner with the New Hampshire Music Collective and they provide really talented musicians for live music at the event. We also have incredible artisanal food to buy for lunches. There’s Thai food, there’s brick oven pizza, there’s all sorts of yummy treats, ice cream. We have several food vendors. We have a Dole Whip vendor but we have a lot of great food … a beer and wine tent right on the grounds so people can enjoy a libation while they’re enjoying what we offer.

Why do you think people should come to the Fair?

I think it’s a unique opportunity to experience both the craft and the makers of craft. We have everything here and we consider this an experience, not a shopping event. We want people to come to understand creativity and what you can do with your hands. In a world where we all click online to buy something, this is the opportunity to meet the maker and to really understand how an object is made. From children to adults, it’s a great opportunity to learn about craft and how you can include it in your life. I’ve been a crafts person for well over 30 years, my house is filled with craft and every time I drink my coffee out of a cup that’s handmade by someone I purchased it from, I think of that exchange that we had and I think about the story that maker told me about why they make things and how they make things, and that just enriches my life, so I encourage people to come and learn all about this organization.

—Zachary Lewis

The 91st Annual Craftsmen’s Fair
Saturday, Aug. 3, to Sunday, Aug. 11, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, rain or shine
No dogs or pets allowed
Any day ticket: $18 (online)
Two-day pass: $28 (online)
Kids 16 and under free
Gate tickets: $20
nhcrafts.org/annual-craftsmens-fair

Featured image: Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 24/08/01

Water, water everywhere

According to a press release, Gov. Sununu signed SB 393 into law, which makes an appropriation to the Department of Environmental Services to fund regional drinking water infrastructure of $6.5 million, which brings the total the state has spent on clean drinking water to more than $350 million since 2017.

The funding provided by SB 393 initiates Phase 2 of the Southern New Hampshire Regional Water Project, according to the press release, and includes the design of all ancillary projects needed, construction of chemical feeds at existing water storage tanks in Derry and Salem, and potentially increasing the amount of water available from Manchester Water Works’ drinking water reservoir, which is a major source of water for the region.

Communities and water systems in southern New Hampshire have cooperated in the regional management of water resources and collectively coordinated to construct Phase 1 of the Southern New Hampshire Regional Water Supply Interconnection Project, which provides one million gallons per day of drinking water supply to southern New Hampshire communities, and now the communities have an agreement in place to increase water supply to 3.13 million gallons per day as part of the project’s second phase, according to the release.

In a statement, NHDES Commissioner Rober Scott said that “investing in regional drinking water infrastructure in southern New Hampshire is critical to address the occurrence of widespread PFAS contamination, reoccurring droughts and increased water demands.The state and water systems in southern New Hampshire have worked very hard to improve the resiliency and reliability of water supply in southern New Hampshire by cooperating in the regional management of water resources. This additional funding is critical in continuing this work.”

Visit des.nh.gov for more information.

Space news

According to a press release, the University of New Hampshire announced the launch of a Space Technology Hub, a first-of-its-kind center in the region that will provide cutting-edge space expertise and equipment to the burgeoning commercial space sector.

In a statement, Réka Winslow, director for the Space Technology Hub, said, “We are thrilled to be launching the Space Technology Hub, which will connect the resources at UNH with the rapidly developing New Space industry, thereby accelerating the growth of the space economy in the Northeast.”

The Space Technology Hub will help fulfill critical needs in the rapidly growing commercial space sector, and UNH has already partnered with Hanover, N.H.-based engineering and research firm Creare to test space instruments that are ultimately destined for Saturn’s largest moon. The company needed access to a local facility that could simulate the space environment, and UNH’s thermal vacuum chamber met their stringent requirements, according to the release.

The thermal vacuum chamber along with other cutting-edge equipment, clean rooms, skilled engineers and specialists who can lend their space mission expertise are all part of the Space Technology Hub, according to the release.

UNH researchers have partnered with NASA and other agencies over the past 60 years on more than 100 space and rocket missions to investigate space phenomena such as gamma rays and neutron stars, as well as to learn more about the sun’s influence on Earth and its atmosphere, according to the release.

Visit eos.unh.edu/space-science-center/space-technology-hub.

Celebrating Smokey

According to a press release, Gov. Sununu has proclaimed Sunday, Aug. 4, to Saturday, Aug. 10, “Smokey Bear Week” in the Granite State coinciding with Smokey’s 80th birthday on Friday, Aug. 9, highlighting the importance of wildfire prevention across New Hampshire.

Events and programs are taking place statewide to help celebrate Smokey’s milestone birthday and to continue sharing his well-known message that “only you can prevent wildfires,” according to the same release.

On Aug. 7, Smokey will throw out the ceremonial first pitch for Youth Camp Day when the New Hampshire Fisher Cats play the Erie Seawolves at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester, according to the same release.

In a statement, Forest Ranger Nathan Blanchard of the New Hampshire Forest Protection Bureau said “we’re also very excited that this summer the Forest Protection Bureau has teamed up with the New Hampshire State Library and libraries across the state to help Smokey promote the joy of reading while teaching children about wildfire prevention.”

The Forest Service’s Smokey Bear’s Reading Challenge provides a reading list of books for all ages that address not only wildfire prevention but also science and outdoor recreation. The list, along with activities and incentives for achieving self-set reading goals, can be downloaded from smokeybear.com/individuals-reading-challenge, and the national program runs through Nov. 28.

New Hampshire has experienced an average of 285 wildfires affecting 221 acres annually over the last 20 years, according to the release. Anyone wishing to have an outdoor fire in New Hampshire must obtain a state fire permit in advance from their local fire department; they may also be obtained online at nhfirepermit.com, the release said.

NH Antiques week kicks off Sunday, Aug. 4, with the Granite State Antiques Show from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Granite Town Plaza in Milford. On Monday, Aug. 5, the Deerfield Antiques Show runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Deerfield Fair Grounds. On Tuesday, Aug. 6, head to the Americana Celebration Antiques Show at the Everett Arena in Concord from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Antiques in Manchester fair runs Wednesday, Aug. 7, and Thursday, Aug. 8, at Saint Anselm College and then the big show, the 67th Annual New Hampshire Antiques Show, kicks off Thursday, Aug. 8, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and runs through Saturday, Aug. 10, at the Doubletree By Hilton Manchester Downtown. Get all the information for these events at antiquesweeknh.com.

Join author Cathy Stefanec Ogren and illustrator Alexandra Thompson for storytime for the launch of their new book The Little Red Chair at Bookery, 844 Elm St. in Manchester, on Saturday, Aug. 3, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visit bookerymht.com

The Driven to Read Bookmobile will be at Livingston Park in Manchester on Monday, Aug. 5, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The Bookmobile, hosted by Manchester City Library and Manchester School District, will be making stops throughout the city until Aug. 9. Visit manchester.lib.nh.us or call the library at 624-6550, ext. 7628, for details.

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