Local voices chime in on a variety of topics.
I don’t know Benjamin Horton or his intentions in writing his opinion piece [Enough is Enough for downtown Manchester July 23, 2020]. For all I know he had a similar upbringing to mine although I doubt that if he feels like walking in downtown Manchester is like “walking in a war zone.” What I do know is that none of what he recommends would actually solve any of the problems he described.
I’m a baseball guy, which makes me part of a dwindling breed. And, generally, I celebrate Opening Day for the
I have invested in this City and have decided to make it my home. I am proud to be a Manchester resident. I also believe we have the ability to make our community safer, happier, and healthier. The time is now. Enough is enough.
New Hampshire has been without a minimum wage statute since 2011 and defaults to the federal minimum wage. If Governor Sununu fails to sign the bill, New Hampshire will find itself falling even farther behind our neighboring New England states. As of January 1, 2021, the minimum wage in Connecticut will be $12, in Vermont $11.75, in Massachusetts $13.50, in Rhode Island $11.50, in Maine $12 plus a CPI increase, and in New Hampshire a pitiful $7.25.
And here comes another stunner. I was far from the only person placing illegal bets in The Queen City. From my observations, it seemed many of the denizens of good ole’ Manch-Vegas share a hankering for sports gambling.
The city of Manchester sent an email out to everyone who attended one of the high school graduations at Fisher Cat Stadium, suggesting we all get tested for COVID. I was at the stadium with about a thousand others, give or take, watching our kids walk the plank into mini-adulthood. But, the city suggested we all get tested and it was FREE so, what the hell, you’re speaking my language. I bit.
Like most students, parents and educators, we were hoping for a little more guidance on how we will navigate what seems to be an imminent train wreck. Like most students, parents and educators, we found that remote learning — what’s the euphemism I’m looking for? — sucked our will to live.
As a lifelong Manchester resident and educator with over 30 years of experience teaching and serving in administrative roles at the New Hampshire Department of Education and Southern New Hampshire University, I am deeply concerned with the guidance Governor Sununu issued on Tuesday which I believe will not be enough to keep our students and teachers safe from COVID-19 if they go back to school.Â
On January 29, 2020, long before the public was aware of COVID-19, the Department of Education provided its first Health Alert to school leaders about a developing health concern. Of course, at that time, we could not have known the devastating effects of COVID, but school systems always need to be prepared, even for a bad flu season.
When I took the role as the new President of Families in Transition-New Horizons (FIT-NH) just over one month ago, I made a commitment to foster the care for basic needs of people in this area. This has been and will remain a joint effort in our community, it is the only way to succeed. We continue to stand with the Mayor and city leaders, emergency responders, law enforcement, non-profits and state leaders of all backgrounds to ensure we resume the work of this mission within the confines of the COVID response around New Hampshire.